The room was very dim. Curtains covered the window, not letting any light inside the room. It didn't matter, actually; it was past midnight, and completely dark outside. Nevertheless, the blond lying in his bed was awakened by a small beam of light that swept across his face.

"Mmmmh?"

"Gremio?" a quiet voice called the man's name. He opened his eyes to see the seven-year-old son of Teo McDohl standing beside the bed, holding a candle.

"Young Master?"

The boy put the candle on the nightstand and crawled into the bed. Gremio smiled and wrapped his arms around the boy.

"What is it, Young Master? Can't you sleep?"

"No..." The boy nuzzled a bit, pressing his face against the blond's shoulder. "It's... it's so dark. And it's raining outside... It sounds funny when the rain falls on the roof. And..."

Gremio stroked the boy's hair gently. "And? Was it scary or something? What is it, Young Master? You sound a bit frightened."

The boy didn't answer. He just clung to his guardian, sobbing quietly.

"...Young Master?" Gremio asked, worried. "What is it? Are you... afraid of the dark?"

Since he got no reply, the manservant just smiled sadly and drew the dark-eyed boy closer. "It's alright, Young Master... Everything is alright..." He crooned silently, caressing the boy's black hair.

The young McDohl finally stopped crying and lifted his face. The green-eyed man smiled. "See now, Young Master? Nothing to be afraid of. Now please, tell me what's wrong."

The boy sighed, leaned his head against the blond's shoulder and closed his eyes. "I just... It was so dark and I was alone..."

"But Young Master... Master Teo's bedroom is closer than mine. Why didn't you go there?"

"I-I did... Dad's not home yet. And it's so late, too... I'm scared. It's so dark out there, and... What if something has happened to him?"

Gremio continued stroking his Young Master's hair soothingly. "He'll be back. I'm sure he's alright; he's a knight, after all. And don't forget that Alen and Grenseal are with him."

The boy looked up and blinked. "You're sure?"

"Yes, I'm very sure. Have I ever been wrong, Young Master?"

The boy shook his head, smiling a bit. "No, you're always right... Mmm. Gremio?" The smile turned into a charming one. "Can I sleep here? I don't want to go back to my room where I'll be all alone..."

The blond manservant smiled. "Of course. But just for tonight. Okay?"

"Okay..." The boy mumbled wearily.

Gremio drew the sheets over them, adjusting his own position so that he could hold the boy close. When he turned to look at the boy again, he was asleep already.

"Oh, Young Master..." The blond continued stroking the boy's short hair for a while, then closed his eyes.

During the next day, the young McDohl acted like nothing had happened previous night. Gremio just smiled, shaking his head. It was the boy's decision to ignore it, and he would follow young Garrett's example and not say a word.

But in the evening, when the manservant was lying awake in his bed, someone opened the door slowly and sneaked inside the room.

"...Gremio?"

The blond sat up in the bed. "Young Master? What is it this time?"

"Well... it's..."

"The rain again? And since Master Teo isn't home yet, you...?"

The boy nodded shyly, then crawled to the bed next to the manservant. Gremio sighed, smiling slightly and wrapped the blanket around the dark-haired boy. He didn't need a real answer. Besides, he didn't even get an opportunity to ask any questions, as the boy fell asleep just a few moments later.

Gremio lay awake, holding the sleeping boy in his arms. The rain outside stopped an hour later, and then it was silent. The blond smiled to himself, listening to the boy's quiet breathing.

He fell asleep eventually, but woke up half an hour later when someone opened the door to his room.

"Hmm...?" The green-eyed man lifted his head up from the pillow to see who it was. "Oh… it's you, Master Teo. Is everything alright?"

The tall general nodded, smiling. "Just got home. Hmm... I figured I'd find Garrett here, since he wasn't in his bed. Is he asleep?"

The manservant nodded. "He was tired."

"Why is he here, Gremio? Again. When I got home yesterday, I noticed he wasn't in his bed."

Gremio ran his fingers through the boy's black hair. "To tell you the truth, Master Teo... I think he's afraid of the dark. He's young... And it's been raining for the last few days. That scares him, too. Then he started thinking about you not being home, and..."

Teo sighed, shaking his head. "So, part of this is my fault, I guess. Maybe I should start coming home before he goes to bed. He might be able to sleep better then. But if it's the dark he is scared of, then we'll have to think of something. He's still young, but..."

"I know, Master Teo... I promise, I will think of something. Don't worry about it. But it would be a good idea if you could come home a bit earlier..."

The general nodded, smiling. "I know. It may not always be possible, but I will try. Well. Good night, Gremio."

Before leaving, Teo stepped closer and knelt down, then kissed the boy on the forehead. "Garrett... Sweet dreams, my son. We'll have to figure out what to do with you. Well, tomorrow."

The blond watched as the older McDohl left the room, then closed his eyes, smiling to himself.

"Just sleep, Young Master... I think I might have some kind of solution to our little problem here..."

As Teo had promised, he came home earlier the next evening. He apparently had work to do because he went straight to his study, but at least he was home. Gremio smiled as he went to put his Young Master to bed.

The boy seemed to be a bit more serene than on the previous evenings, but he surveyed the blond with an uncertain look in his eyes. "Gremio..."

"Oh, Young Master... Before you go to sleep, we need to talk a little. Now, to bed. Then..."

The boy obeyed, then gave the manservant an inquiring look. "What?"

The green-cloaked man took a chair and drew it closer to the bed. He sat down, smiling to the boy. "Young Master... I know you're afraid of the dark."

The boy looked a bit embarrassed, then nodded. "But... sometimes, it's so scary. Usually, I just close my eyes and try to forget. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn't. Then I go to dad's bed... But when it's raining and he isn't home... I just..."

The blond nodded, patting the boy's shoulder gently. "It's alright. Now, Master Teo is home tonight, and he promised that he'll try to come home earlier so you don't have to worry about him."

Garrett nodded, nuzzling against Gremio's hand a bit. "But... what if he isn't home... And..."

"You can come to my bed whenever you want. If you wake up in the middle of the night and feel lonely or scared, just come to my room. But I think I know a way to make you sleep better."

The boy blinked, looking at the blond. "Really?"

The green-eyed man nodded, smiling warmly. "Yes. Now, just close your eyes and try to sleep. I'm right here."

"But you have to sleep too..."

"I will, later. It's more important that you sleep, so I'll stay here until I'm sure that you're asleep. And I also promise that I'll be here when you wake up in the morning. That way, you're not alone and you don't have to be scared."

"Promise?"

The manservant took the boy's hand. "I promise. I swear by my soul. I'll be here."

The boy smiled and closed his eyes.

Gremio waited until the boy was sleeping, then just sat there for some time, stroking the black hair.

"So, is your plan working?"

The blond turned to look at the man standing in the doorway. "I'm not sure... But he's sleeping now, and I don't think he'll wake up before the morning."

Teo smiled to him. "That's good to hear. Well, I'm going to bed now. Shouldn't you go, too?"

"Soon, Master Teo. I think I'll stay here a little longer. Young Master… He just looks so peaceful when sleeping."

The general laughed quietly, then stepped closer. "Very peaceful indeed. Makes you want to stay here for the rest of the night, just watching him, am I correct?"

Gremio blushed slightly, then nodded. "Y-yes... But I think I'm going to bed soon. It's just that..."

"I know. Good night, Gremio." Teo smiled and then left for his room.

Gremio got up from his chair and leaned closer to the boy. He kissed the soft cheek and smiled to himself. He smoothed the black hair a bit, then whispered his promise to the boy's ear again.

"Rest now, my Young Master; there's nothing to be afraid of. And I promise - I'll be here when you wake up."

During the years, Gremio always stayed with his Young Master until the boy fell asleep. Then he'd just sit there for a while, stroking the boy's dark hair. And he was always there to wake up his Young Master in the morning.

Garrett learned to forget about the darkness when he got older. But, if he woke up in the middle of the night, he went to his father's - or, more often, Gremio's room and crawled into the bed. And Gremio never told him to go to back to his own bed.

One late evening, the blond woke up when someone slid into his bed and wrapped his arms around him.

"Oh, Young Master... Can't sleep?"

The boy nodded a bit nervously. "No... Or yes, but... Father isn't home... And there's that storm outside, so I decided to come here."

Gremio smiled, shaking his head. "But Young Master. I'm sure you aren't afraid of storms. Well, Master Teo is out on a mission, so he won't be coming home tonight... But it can't be the darkness. You're 14 now..."

The young McDohl pressed his face against the man's shoulder. "Er... but I... felt lonely... And you once said that I can always come here if I'm feeling lonely."

The blond nodded. "True. And that promise still holds. Anytime you feel like it, I'll be here for you. And..."

He stopped suddenly and glanced down, as he felt something hard pressed against his lower body. "Oh, Young Master!"

The boy grinned a bit nervously, then leaned closer and kissed the blond.

Gremio blinked. He couldn't believe what his Young Master had just done. "Uh... Young Master... I'm not sure if you should be doing this..."

"Gremio... I... I love you. And I know what I'm doing; Gren and Alen told me."

The manservant shook his head, smiling slightly. "Alen and Grenseal, eh. And what exactly did those two tell you?"

The boy smiled back, then ran his hand down his guardian's body. "About... a few things. A few things I've wanted to do for some time..."

"Y-young Master..."

"Gremio... Don't say that I shouldn't. I know what I want, and I know you want it too. So let me..."

Gremio nodded, still smiling. His Young Master was right; he had never admitted it to himself, though. He just couldn't allow himself thinking that he'd want to touch his Young Master in such way. But now, like all the other times the boy had asked him for something, he couldn't say no. Not that he'd wanted to.

And the darkness that had once been so menacing wrapped itself around the lovers, hiding them from the storm and the world outside.

Author's notes:

Sweet little Grebon story. Was supposed to write this for Chou's birthday, but knowing me... Here you go, anyway. Hope you like it. Just a cute little story. Not something I write every day.

- Lady Harken (September, 2001)