If you asked me how long I took to finish this, you would not believe it. Seriously! I started it... *counting back*in 2012! I swear! Anyway, I hope you like this. Summary? It's something like "just Gil being his sexy self, unavoidably attracting Oz and Alice. Fluff, 'cause that's just my way. I consider this Gil's revenge for always being the lover , never the loved one". At least that's what I wrote back when I started, then tried to stick to it (which by no ways means Gil is safe from suffering a little here, of course). Anyway, I hope you like it; I did like writing it (it wouldn't have lasted so long if not xD) and please tell me any opinions, good, bad, neutral you may conceive on the matter of whatever I write, I'm always glad to learn :3 After all, one writes for the reader :3 Oh! And tell me whether you find the format comfortable for reading, I've been trying to improve it but, yeah...
Of course, I haven't been writing one word a day since then, I wrote the first chapter that year and the second one or two days alter, then corrected/altered/reread them a million times and once every age I'd add some content to the story's development... But now it's 8almost) done! Yeah, I still have to write a little but I'm certain to finish it, I mean, I've DECIDED how to finish this story finally 3
I plan to complete the writing between tomorrow and next week, in the meantime I'll start uploading and hope to update, dunno... once a week? (i think this proves why I have little experience with multi-chapter stories) so that I can give myself enough time to te read and correct everything 100 more times before uploading :3 In fact there are only one or 2 chapters left to complete so that's the easiest part
Anything else? Oh right, let's say this once and for all: NO characters NOR anything that you know from before reading this text belongs to me, they're the property of their (duh!) respective authors. I'm just serving a kind of tribute to them as I pamper myself with the opportunity to write. Fine? That's the whole idea of "fanfiction". Thank you.
If Break was mine you would not know him n.n
...
1. Soothing.
Sure enough, Gil would have much rather picked his own home as his ideal place to stay with his master, and (since there was no way to separate those two) the usual damn chain so-called "Alice". However, lying idly at one of the Rainsworth ladies' comfortable couches, staring at the pouring rain through fine, enormous windows –golden brocaded sills and everything- he couldn't think of anywhere better to stay at.
Or actually think at all.
The incessant, hammering sound that millions of soft little drops created, when crashing against every unprotected surface, played a perfect lullaby, while the grey clouds blocking the sky acted like a defensive screen that mitigated and distributed sunlight fairly, giving a strange glow to the whole garden visible behind the majestic balcony spread in front of his eyes.
Yes sir, he could get used to this tranquillity, if only every once in a while. He's mind wandered easily hopping from one thought to another and through a few fuzzy, almost sensorial memoirs involving his rather recently retrieved master, their childhood together with young Ada, and, finally, with some more harshness, the last 10 years before his piece of sunlight had been returned from the Abyss, altogether with an illegally contracted, meat-gulfing chain…
Gilbert had to admit, beyond doubt, that something he had found out once having become part of nobility was the amount of free time the title granted. Couldn't he, then, take advantage of that for at least once? Couldn't he give his mind a little break? After all, making efforts to get his soul and brains completely exhausted had never proved to be of any help.
Suddenly, in the middle of his drifting thoughts, he found the memory of a recent, curious episode he'd almost forgotten by then, even if it had only been one or two days since it had taken place.
As a matter of fact, another piece of information he'd collected successfully after gaining his new title was the knowledge that all those temps de loisir came along with an attempt to learn –at least as far as the activity would cause interest- and rehearse a number of disciplines for apparently no practical reason. Among them, of course, psychological practises.
In fact, royal women (since he had not got into such an intimate relationship with any noble men, at least not any normal noble man, to know about their own practises) definitely had overanalyzing everyone's personal matters down to a fine art; he could tell that. And, despite the fact he actually liked Lady Sharon and appreciated her efforts to shelter them as comfortable as possible (especially since Oz showed no longer interest in her), he had no choice but to put her into the same bag.
For example, the last time they had shared tea at one of the mansion's vast gardens, she had slenderly forced their conversation into discussing Gil's usual roughness towards Alice. Of course he had his reasons, and if she didn't know which those were, at least she suspected them quite accurately, much to his awkwardness; still, she insisted on the fact that perhaps he could treat her politely anyway – after all, the girl was in many ways unaware of what she was unfortunately causing - and he could even find himself surprised with the results. , we have all heard you harvest what you seed, have we not?
Though still off the real world and half into dreamlands, Gil felt his frown twist slightly as the idea invaded the space within his skull. He'd been rolling that thought over in his minds for a while without really noticing so. Perhaps… he could give it a try? It would at least make his master happy, after all… And to be frustrated secretly while putting up a mask was just as painful as being frustrated secretly but having people at his throat for any other reason anyway…
Whichever the case, he considered he should just take things slowly for the moment and dug into the calm atmosphere once more. For a moment, he wondered how it was so easy for him himself to find so many problems to worry about every single minute of every single day instead of paying attention to what was important in life: living. Honestly, how did he put up with all that self-constructed trouble? And why'd he be so foolish?
Sure, there were complications in his life, as in everybody's, yet… How would it help at all to make his own self weak, over worried and dull?
The whole mansion seemed seized by a complete silence, echoing the scene of perfection inside that single room; it enveloped Gilbert more and more into this newfound lure. Why hadn't there been rainy days like this for him during the last ten years? Or maybe he had just not given himself the time to appreciate them.
At the beginning, this thought made him feel as if he was somehow cheating on his master, betraying him. How could he think of enjoying their parsimonious time peacefully while his most precious one was away, suffering, and perhaps he would never… He couldn't even dare say it. But his point was that perhaps, he should have made a bigger effort as not to show such pain, to keep on smiling, as his very master always did. Yes, it would have been killing him, but that pain, the untellable heartache he'd have felt, might have made him become stronger, alas better for the task of retrieving his precious bocchan.
Whatever the case, the weather had completely succeeded in making him loose track of time and duty towards everyone and everything, setting him in a perfect bubble until a single, high pitched, sweet sound broke his blank reverie, to then begin repeating itself over and over.
In an extremely slow pace, still half unconscious, the black haired, 24 years old man lifted his head, followed by his whole upper body, from the dark green and golden suede lined piece of comfortable furniture to look back at a Rococo styled bureau, identifying the source of the sound as a small, professionally handmade clock built with oak and white gold plates.
Perceivably, yet not bothering, the small instrument announced it was now 8 o'clock, though, thanks to the humid spring term, sun still remained up in the sky, shining behind the thick clouds. Painting it with inhuman beauty, it gave it's unending linen every possible shade of colour, from lime-ish yellow to a dark night's purple, making it's way through golden rays and burning flames of red.
An astonishingly quiet voice in his mind whispered something about Sharon calling him for tea at seven some hours before, though it seemed like ages ago for him now. More astonishing, nevertheless, was how easy it had become for Gil to ignore everything about it.
So there he went and dropped himself heavily on the sofa once more, going back to his peaceful, honey and mint cream flavoured Wonderland until, once again, his bubble was plopped appropriately by two fresh emerald ponds shining over a Chantilly coloured smile and surrounded in strands of golden, bee-honey hair.
- Well look at how lazy my servant can become when I'm not watching him, nee, Gil? – Spoke his well known best friend, master... and perhaps more, Oz Vessalius. He didn't get too much of an answer for a start, still.
- Come on Gil, wake up... Please? – Begged the teen in a sing-song, childish voice, while lightly poking the surprisingly soft cheek of the man reposing in front of him.
After some guttural humming and a few unintelligible sounds of protest, eyelids parted if only a little revealing amber-like orbs framed by large eyelashes that would make any vain girl jealous.
Gilbert, with his throat a little harsh and his voice sleepy, muttered:
- O... Oz, hi... – He was about to turn around and simply face the couch, but his "bocchan" new better and stopped him before.
- Hey, where have you been all day? You'll tell me you've been all the time here? It's been boring without you! Besides, Sharon's wondering why you would skip tea time if you primed to go... Even Alice missed you!
- Well I kind of lost track of time…
- I see, but I uh… got bored... Entertain me, Gil! You promised to bake us a strawberry pie and chocolate cookies!
- That's right! I can't understand how my silly manservant can stand you, such a useless seaweed head! I'm hungry!
- Alice? What are you doing here? Sharon asked me to look for Gil, why'd you come along?
- Tsk... To watch my servant, of course. I can't let you end up being such a lazy ass as him! Come on, retard, get up and do what you should! I'm hun-gry!
- But you just eat a whole Turkey leg! – commented Oz, somehow amazed by the chain's unbounded eating habits, yet smiling as easy as always, even if Gil, on a second's reflection, believed it not to be as natural as it regularly was.
- Good afternoon, Alice. – Gil didn't seem to realize what he was about to do before addressing Alice in such a polite way, still it seemed to have a good effect, for she stopped shouting, stunned by the substandard event. Anyway, she decided to ignore it whit a simple, shy "hello" as she once more began screaming her head off to Oz, until Gilbert stopped her over again, not even him knowing how he'd dared behave in such way.
-I'd rather not hear you be so rude to Oz, Alice, neither do I like being called Seaweed head, but if you could just wait some minutes I'll get you both your candy, as long as you promise to share it fairly with Oz – Surprising everyone, including his own self, Gilbert didn't respond angrily at the girl, but instead treated her like the cute little girl he was dealing with, being the "responsible and mature adult". In fact, the words were spoken with a gallant, smooth voice of pure enchantment very little people would have guesses Gil could bring out of his sleeve after co-existing with him for some days. Alice, on her side, felt quite awkward since she had no idea on how to react to the man. When they argued, it was easy for her, but now, seeing this... surprisingly charming side of him, she felt like a fish out of water. Why had she come all the way up here if Oz was going to get him, anyway? !
Finally she remembered where she was and gave the best answer she could come up with.
- Hmph, whatever. The stupid clown will gulf everything down before you even bake it, anyway.
- I'll take care of Break myself – Gil answered coolly as he, already on his feet and with his clothes fixed, approached the embarrassed girl and, all of a sudden, grabbed her chin, leaving their faces only inches away – but you'll have to be a good girl, ok? His smile wouldn't have been rated any less than appealing.
No need to say, Oz's eyes behind his back where the size of two well-cooked poché eggs.
Alice felt her face get filled with what seemed like some boiling liquid from her neck's source to the very end of her long brown hair. Lips pressed tightly and mouth dry, she nodded and took off in less than the blink of an eye, so Gilbert stood straight once again.
Turning back to his 15 years old master just in time for him to swipe the shocked expression out of his features, he suggested going downstairs so he could get to work and have the sweets ready for dinner time, as dessert.
Oz nodded and smiled at him while grabbing his arm and making their way to the kitchen. He made a mental note not to leave the man's side at all from then on. He was his manservant after all, right? It was just a matter of ownership, nothing else.