To go on...
by Shinju Hoh

Writer's notes: This is something that came to me when I remembered seeing a portrait that was hung over Young Master McDohl's desk.. I find it a bit strange that I would do a one-shot fanfic about that particular coupling before even doing one for my favorite one, but.. *shrugs* In any case, I hope you'll all enjoy it. C&C's are appreciated.. Flames and other kind of insults shall be fed to Darkness.

In Gregminster, the sun's radiant rays already had cast their warmth on the capital, announcing the beginning of another day.

Inside the McDohl mansion, Gremio was already up and going about his daily routine. After making sure he had all necessary ingredients for this morning's breakfast, he made his way up to his young master's room, a cold water pitcher and a clean towel in his hands.

Tenren was still asleep when the blond haired man entered the bedroom and put down the objects, his sleeping face seeming slightly disturbed.

The man-servant's eyes worriedly rested upon his features before he walked to the window and parted the curtains. The warm sunrays instantly infiltrated the room, basking it with light, chasing the previous darkness away. It gently fell onto Tenren's form, caressing the youthful body.

As soon as his brain signaled to him the disturbance, he stirred from his sleep, sleepily raising a hand to block the light from his closed eyes.

Gremio immediately turned from the closet at the sheets' brushing, a fresh set of clothes for his young master.

"Ohayo gozaimasu, botchan.. It's time to wake up." His voice was soft when he spoke.

The former Liberation Army leader stirred some more under his covers before carefully opening his eyes, already wary of getting blinded by the brightness entering his room. They wandered for a moment as he registered his own room's well-known characteristics and then focused on the green garbed figure that stood in the middle of the room.

"Ohayo... It's already morning, I see."

"Yes." The caretaker replied as his charge sat up, rubbing his sleepy eyes with the sleeve of his nightshirt. He walked to the bed as the young man rose. Straightening the sheets and laying the new clothes upon them, Gremio turned around again to gaze at Tenren, who was cleaning his face with the fresh, cold water he had brought earlier. While he did so, the man-servant took his usual garb, keeping the bundle of clothes in his arms.

"Botchan, as soon as you are done, please go to the dining room. Breakfast should be ready by then."

"Arigatou, Gremio... I'll be there." He didn't turn to look at the scarred man.

Gremio nodded mostly to himself in acknowledgement, walking out with the dirty laundry. Tenren was then left alone in his room to prepare his day.

Firstly, his eyes fell onto the well-rendered wood-framed portrait that hung on his wall, examining the person despicted on it. His whole features went depressed as he looked on, his chest feeling like it would burst with extreme pain. He raised his un-runed hand to it, the tips of his fingers lightly tracing the lines that shaped the youthful face there. Copper hair, gently twinkling honey eyes that looked back at him and a confident smile composed the portrait.

//C'mon Tenren! Let's go see if we can't find anything interesting happening in the city!! I'll race ya!//

The last living member of the McDohl household strongly bit his trembling lips, trying hard not to crumble and cry at the beautiful reminder of Ted... his best friend... his loved one.

"O-ohayo, Ted.." came out the shaky greeting, ensued with an emotion-filled feather-kiss onto the picture.

From his tightly closed right fist, a magical shine momentarily escaped, a response to the entire morning ritual. Afterward, the Soul Eater merely pulsed again, constantly reminding his newest owner of its presence.

After glaring reproachfully at it for a moment, Tenren started to change out of his nightshirt. The hunger which seeped out of the Cursed Rune greatly annoyed its bearer, weighing heavily upon his soul. That rune had already taken so many lives.. The lives of innocent people, always without his approval.. and the lives of four most important people to its bearer's heart.

Only the soul of his childhood friend, Gremio, had been spared by destiny. The lucky Star of Destiny was granted a second chance at watching over the troubled soul of Tenren. Infinitely happy, and yet so much more saddened, Tenren had welcomed the man into the army with a gladdened smile that day. However, it didn't deter to the fact that the caretaker wasn't truly the person he wanted to come back to him...

Sometimes, though he immediately scolded himself for having such thoughts, the young man couldn't help but wish that Gremio not been restored.

In his stead, Ted would have been the one Tenren desired to get back most. But fate was cruel that way.. it took his most important person away from him, never intending on relinquishing its eternal hold.

Already putting on his left glove, the youthful hero gazed again at the dark etchings that were imprinted onto his flesh before hiding it under the protective leathery fabric.

That accursed rune.. Its presence represented too many dark memories for him.. It had stained his life forever, entirely changing his vision of the living world. The damage was done and couldn't ever be repaired now... Again, his eyes fell onto the picture that Ivanov had so nicely painted for him before leaving the army.

Two teardrops formed themselves and slipped away from his eyes, each tracing a salty trail on his slightly tanned skin. Absently, he brushed them away with the palm of his glove and gave Ted a bitter smile. He stared directly into the honeyed gaze.

"Well Ted.. I'm ready now.. Let's go eat first before seeing what's happening outside.."

He swallowed slightly before once again laying a sweet kiss on the picture, pulling back to look at it with nostalgic wishful eyes. Then taking his Heaven Fang Staff, Tenren slipped out of his room, not without a longing look at the picture on the adjacent wall.

THE END

More notes: ...I knew this fanfic idea would be typed long before I started other projects... -_-; And here I wanted to first write a Gremio/Tenren fanfic.. *sigh* Oh well.. I suppose this can be an apology fanfic to all the TedXbotchan fans out there that resent me for favoring another couple.. ^^; -Shinju Hoh