Title: White Nostalgia
Author: Aerith Queen of Cetra
Chapters: 1/1
Summary: .:GilbertxOz:. The past has a habit of repeating itself. Time may pass, people may grow but some things will never change. Not that Gilbert is complaining...
Genre: Fluffy Romance
Beta'd: Nu-uh!
Warnings: Shonen ai (boyxboy), technical shota, seasonal fluffy stuff.
Disclaimer: I do not own Pandora Hearts but gosh darn it all if I don't love psycho scythe wielding Oz! More I say!
Author's Comments: Okay so my Christmas fic for this year has to be my fave manga of the year and that is definitely Pandora Hearts! (With Kuroshitsuji and DGM as super close runners up) So please enjoy the attempt at fluff! XD
White Nostalgia
A kiss seals two souls for a moment in time.
- Levende Waters -
There was peace at that moment in time.
The Rainsworth household was buzzing with excitement in the midst of the falling snow.
Break was dancing in a red and white hat with a candy cane hanging from his mouth, its corners nibbled diligently. An uncomfortable Liam screamed for help as he was being dragged around by his coat tails by the white haired man.
Sharon was busily braiding young Alice's hair with festive ribbons as the young brunette quickly stuffed her face with all the meatiest finger foods she could find, or rather, that Oz could find and supply her with.
All thanks to this spectacular time of year, in late December, which dared to draw families closer and friends together.
Gilbert stared fondly at the picturesque scene. It was a marvellous feast for the eyes to see everyone in such festive spirits. Particularly for his young master, who seemed genuinely thrilled, for once, at the events that transpired around him.
The golden eyed man quietly slipped out of the room into the almost darkness that was the drawing room, barely lit by fading embers in the fireplace.
He was nervous, his body trembling as his gloved hands fiddled with the abused string of leaves and buds in his hands.
His finger tickled a white ball on the piece nostalgically and the mistletoe rolled in response. Gilbert closed his eyes.
And he smiled.
And he smiled as he followed his master down the silvery banks, through the freshly fallen snow. It was a rarity to see snow fall to this depth in their country but when it did, it was to be cherished.
And Oz and Ada were certainly doing so, falling into heaps on the ground and spreading their arms and legs across it. Gil was watching with anxious eyes, his grey gloved fingers fiddling with the tasselled edges of his matching scarf as the two Vessalius siblings played in the snow.
"Come on, Gil! Make snow angels with us!" They shouted at him excitedly but the servant politely declined. Several times over in fact... but that was before an impatient Oz clambered towards him and pulled him by the back of his jacket and into the snow.
"Ahh! Young Master! Please let me go!" The dark haired one whined as Oz pinned him to the ground. He looked to his right, past the strong arms holding him down, for his salvation... only to find a delighted Ada moving his legs back and forth playfully. "Noo! Miss Ada, not you too! Please stop!"
Gilbert would have liked to believe that Ada, unlike her sly older brother, would have felt enough compassion to free him from this, but the abrupt call from Miss Kate made sure Gilbert would never really know as Ada rushed towards the house with a giggle.
Oz let out a noise of disappointment as he got off of the trembling youth. "Well that's no fun. What bad timing..."
The golden eyed boy was inclined to disagree, but said nothing in favour of shaking the snow from his limbs.
"Should we..?"
Oz looked at his servant for a moment and nodded slowly, giving him a hand to his feet. He smiled queerly at him before linking his arm with Gil's.
"The closer we are, the warmer we are!" Oz explained happily to his servant, whose face froze in shock, like he had just found a cat in his bed.
Being so close to his master, their white breaths melding into one in the cold air, their scents quietly becoming indistinguishable, and their hearts beating so close together...
Gilbert felt his face burning at the closeness.
"A-Are you sure this is really necessary? I mean..."
"Don't worry about it. It's a servant's duty to fulfil his master's needs. This is just another simple, everyday task!" Oz said light-heartedly as they approached the wide open doors of the Vessalius mansion.
"I'm q-quite s-sure it isn't, young master..." Gil murmured, his nervousness shake concealed by the chilly day.
"And I say it is!" He pulled away, swivelling around and pointing a bony finger into Gilbert's chest, his eyes gleaming dangerously in the light. "You're disagreeing with me, Gil?"
Gilbert could practically taste the threatening tone and shook his head feverishly. Oz smiled gently and ruffled his hair, which proved even more unnerving for the young man.
He turned around again but stopped suddenly as he stared at the inviting doorway in curiosity.
"Ohh... now that's new..." The golden haired boy murmured as he moved under the doorframe, staring up. His servant obediently followed.
"Excuse me, young master?" Gilbert blinked and followed where Oz pointed to, his gaze rested upon a bundle of green and white wrapped neatly in a red bow.
"What's that up there?"
"I think it's mistletoe..."
"But how did it get way up there?"
Oz scoffed and shook his head at his young servant. "Someone put it here on purpose, Gil. Don't you know the story behind mistletoe?"
"There's a story behind it?"
"Yup! Uncle Oscar told me that when two people stand under the mistletoe at Christmas time, they have to kiss."
The dark haired one nodded quite absentmindedly until he noticed his master's intense gaze on the tiny plant, hung precariously on the door like a tiny green lantern.
And then he noticed that there actually were two people standing beneath the mistletoe.
Then he noticed that those two people were himself and his master.
Gilbert's jaw dropped, his face mortified.
Oz stared down at him and grinned. "Well, we can't break tradition, Gil. It's bad luck!"
"B-B-But I-I-" The young servant was speechless under Oz' intense stare. How could he, a mere servant, and a male servant at that, possibly kiss the heir to the Vessalius household?!
His hands fiddled nervously together before his chest. He wanted to obey his master but he was so darn nervous and fidgety and- oh! He was just too embarrassed to do something like that!
Two hands cupped his own and squeezed them reassuringly. Gilbert stared into Oz' eyes, shining like the morning dew over a luscious garden.
"Don't worry. Relax."
Oz' voice got softer and softer with each syllable as he leaned closer. Gilbert followed suit, eyes drifting closed and breaths rushing fast.
Their lips finally connected and Gilbert gasped within his mind at the tiny little spark from within his adolescent chest which could only be described as a thudding heartbeat, and Gilbert's hands softly squeezed on Oz' slightly larger ones.
Their lips gently massaged together with a natural pulse and giddiness erupted from within both of them before they pulled apart and stared at each other in silence.
It was a naive kiss, filled with hope and promise and both boys smiled eagerly at each other, Gilbert's shy but boastful and Oz' open but contemplative.
"That wasn't so bad. Was it, Gil?"
Gil quickly shook his head with a smile. "It was... very nice, young master..."
The younger boy heard a delightful chuckle from his young master and then the boy murmured something, with just the slightest inclination of his head.
"Then... we'll have to do it again sometime, alright?"
Oz was glad he had his back turned to Gilbert, giving himself a suave and nonchalant stance despite the fact he felt the furious power of a blush shove against his cheeks.
But Gilbert did nothing to hide his own embarrassment at the question, instead spluttering indecently.
"And I won't take no for an answer, Gil!" Oz laughed and grabbed him by the hand, tugging him towards the mansion.
Gilbert protested against the treatment with a stumble and a whine at his young master. And those things were slowly forgotten for that moment.
However, it was a fond memory of his, one he treasured more and more through his advancing age. It was the reason he was in a dark, back room whilst the rest of the Rainsworth's celebrated that special occasion in the light... why he was still clutching that little bundle of mistletoe like a lifeline...
"Gil?"
His thoughts were interrupted by the call of his name by his young master, who skipped into the room with a beaming smile.
"What're you doing out here all alone?"
"I-I-"
"Have you been sneaking cigarettes again?" The blonde teased but Gilbert feverishly shook his head.
"Gil?" The older man turned around to the boy with a suspicious smile, his hand shaking around the tiny branch behind his back. Oz was not fooled by his servant's pathetically nonexistent attempts at subtly.
"What's that you've got there?" He demanded.
Gilbert couldn't move fast enough and the smaller male quickly pulled his arm around with a powerful tug on his sleeve. And the mistletoe, in its dainty red ribbon, was exposed. As was the furious blush that Gilbert had tried so hard to plough down.
Oz tilted his head but his expression gave nothing away. "Were you going to use this with someone, Gil?"
Gilbert nodded. His blush thickened.
"With who?"
Gilbert opened his mouth. No words came out, only a tiny squeak reminiscent of a cornered mouse.
"Tell me, Gilbert."
The dark haired man gulped at those three sharp words. And oh dear. His full name. Gilbert was in trouble now.
"I was... I wanted to..." He sighed and murmured something he hoped Oz would understand. "Because I didn't know... at the time... why it was..."
There was a silence and he felt like his world was slowly caving in. Until he heard Oz chuckling... and then sudden burst into fits of laughter.
Gilbert rolled his eyes upwards and blinked when he noted his master, eyes wired shut and one hand curled around his stomach as he laughed his heart out.
"It's not funny, young master." Gilbert told him with a humiliated pout.
"I'm sorry Gil, it's just-" He stopped between laughs and rubbed at his eye. "Well..."
Oz' other hand made an appearance from behind his back and held tightly within his grip was a single branch of mistletoe wrapped neatly in a red ribbon.
Gil choked on his breath and stared into his face. Oz smiled.
"I trust that after ten years... you remember the meaning behind this."
Gilbert whispered a chuckle before diving forward, wrapping his arms around the boy's shoulders and bending down to wrap his lips around the blonds' own.
Two hands dug into his hair and he felt bliss, a pure contentment that he had been deprived from all those years, those ten, long years.
The two bundles of mistletoe were lost in that moment, falling together onto the floor in a flurry of white buds and red ribbons.
Hands entwined, hearts became one, and fantasies became reality.
And the snow continued to fall.
Why did it take me so long to make this? Dear goodness! This fluffy, cheesy piece of crap wasn't worth it! Blaah!
But if you enjoyed, please leave me a review!
And also everyone I hope you have a Merry Christmas! Or if you celebrate something else this time of year, happy holidays to you!
See you in the new year!