Hello people who have missed me, how long has it been since I last updated? I am terribly sorry, believe me, not being able to write for such a long time is hell. But here I am, and I am happy to tell you guys that I'll probably be writing more :D

I do not own Pandora Hearts

Beta reader is the wonderful Luscina's lullaby

The next morning, Oz woke up with tears rolling over his cheeks. There was no fear, no guilt, and no confusion unlike all of the previous mornings. Just a hollow feeling in his chest, the kind that makes you wonder if you can ever be happy again, like he didn't deserve it. The boy tried taking in a new breath, he just wanted to curl up in a ball and hide under the blankets like he used to when he was five and scared. Back then you could still get away with believing that "If I can't see them, they can't see me." But he was no longer five; and they had beaten that way of thinking out of him a long time ago. He was fifteen now. According to the law, he was now an adult. He was now able to think and speak for himself and was responsible for all of his own wrongdoings. His great-grandfather had even ruled the country when he had reached the age of fifteen. No, the boy sighed and would have pulled the sheets over his head if it were not for Gilbert's hand holding onto his- strange…. He furrowed his brows but then remembered how he had woken up more than once in the middle of the night, waking the man up multiple times because of the noise that he made. It was after the sixth time of waking up and the raven calming him down, Oz had made the selfish request for the man to stay by his side until he fell asleep.

And he did.

There had been no more nightmares, only images of him abandoning his family and trying to save only himself. He could still hear his sister begging for him to come back and rescue her… but no matter how much he screamed to himself to go back, his body did not listen. He just kept running faster and faster… away from the dying girl. The only thing that remained was the illusion of a nasty, burnt taste in his mouth.

He gazed at the sleeping man's face, when Raven was awake he usually carried a frown on his face, now his expression was calm and peaceful. There was no cigarette resting between those slightly parted lips, and those golden orbs hidden behind closed eyelids did not gaze at him as if he was the most fragile thing he had ever witnessed. Something that Gil had to protect no matter what.

He kept gazing at the man, time passed, and the raven haired man woke up when it was around nine in the morning, eyes fluttering open as he took a deep breath. As if he knew the teen had been gazing at him, he stared straight into his eyes as soon as they were open.

Gilbert must have been really tired that morning; he probably needed a whole ten minutes before he realized he was gazing into someone else's eyes. Not that the prince gave him that much time, he pulled his hand back, it felt warm and he could still feeling Gil's comforting touch on it. The boy sat up and brushed a hand through his hair, it was messier then usual… which really wasn't that odd, considering how much he turned around in his sleep lately. "Sorry," was the first thing he said that morning.

For a long time there was no response, the raven haired man rubbed his face before getting up from the uncomfortable wooden chair, "Good morning to you as well." He then walked straight towards a closet, the one where they had placed some clothes for the teen, clothes that were a few sizes too small for them yet still too big for the prince. So of course the boy's eyes widened slightly when he suddenly saw the young man holding up a set of clothes that seemed to be around his size. "I had to do it fast so it's most likely full of mistakes…." You could hear how tired the young man truly was. "But it'll probably be better to wear something that's more your size than something that you'd fit in twice." he handed him the set of clothes and then headed towards the door,

"Ah-…"

The man stopped when he heard the boy speak, and turned his head so that he could look over his shoulder at the small frame sitting on the spare bed,

"Thank you." The words were honest and for the first time since the blonde's arrival he actually saw some light in those eyes,

"You're welcome," he smiled kindly before walking away.