Grenseal: *He shuffled after Teo in the waking Gregminster, well-past the stage of being sleepy. The two of them had worked the night shift in the general's office, going through boring jobs like sorting papers and organizing other things. He had declined the offer for a breakfast at the mansion a few times, but Teo had finally commanded him, in a light-hearted fashion, to come along. // Ah, but it's a great honor to be allowed into my liege's home. // He thought and smiled a bit to himself. From what he'd heard, he knew that Teo McDohl had a small son, two live-in soldiers, and a manservant running the household. He had met Cleo and Pahn a few times in military occasions, but he was curious about the boy and the servant. Teo knocked on the door to the modest mansion, and Grenseal stood back a few steps, smoothing his green mantle and trying to make a good impression.*

Gremio: *He was in the kitchen when he heard a knock on the door. He smiled; it had to be Master Teo. It was time for breakfast. The blond had everything ready, so he had actually been waiting for the master of the house.* Coming... *He called out as he headed to the entrance hall, followed by a half-asleep 10-year-old boy who could also guess who was coming home. Gremio had been trying to get the young McDohl ready, as the boy would be leaving for school in about half and hour. And the very second the manservant opened the door, the boy grabbed his father's hand and started circling him. Gremio just smiled.* Good morning, Master Teo... *The manservant raised an eyebrow when he noticed that the general wasn't alone. There was someone clad in green clothes behind him. The blond hadn't seen the young man before, but he could recall that it was one of Teo's officers.*

Grenseal: *He watched the young boy storm out of the doorway and grab Teo's hand. He easily guessed that the child was "Young Master" McDohl, or Garret McDohl, to go by the precise name. // Ah, cute child. He looks a lot like Lord Teo. // He smiled to himself, seeing the side of his superior that he'd never seen before. His gaze shifted from the father and son to someone else who had opened the door. Bright sparkles of long, waving golden hair captured his attention right away, and by the time he fixed his gaze upon the lovely, cross-scarred face, he was frozen. // That's... the manservant. Yes, he's wearing the aprons and he's too slender to be a fighter... // His own thoughts were monotonous and meaningless, for all his senses concentrated only on the lithe blond. His heart skipped a beat and he would have died to know how beautiful the other, probably older, young man would look when smiling. He heard in a distance Teo introducing him to the young boy and the manservant. All he could manage was put on the usual, seemingly-cool smile and nod.* Good morning, Young Master. It is a pleasure. *He looked back at the manservant again, straining his ears so he would not miss the name. Teo called the blond, Gremio. // Lovely name...! // *

Gremio: *He nodded to General Teo as he introduced the young knight. //Ah, so this is Grenseal. The other one was Alen, I believe... I've seen him before, but not this one.// The green-clad man was tall and handsome, and Gremio guessed he was about 20 years old.* Well. Breakfast is waiting, Master Teo. And since you have company, I'll go put an extra plate on the table... *He gave a friendly smile to the dark-blond young man, then fixed his gaze on the younger McDohl.* Now, Young Master, you were supposed to be eating /your/ breakfast! Back inside. Your father will join you shortly... You have about twenty minutes, then you have to get your things ready before leaving. *The manservant didn't care when Teo smiled at his motherly behavior. He just went inside the house, stopped by the kitchen to retrieve something, and took the things to the dining room upstairs. He sighed; the boy wasn't there yet. Then again, the blond knew that young Garrett was just waiting for his father who had gone to clean himself up before eating.*

Grenseal: *The quick smile in his direction both elated and disappointed him. His heart almost stopped beating, and he was glad that Gremio turned away and back into the mansion before he blushed crimson. Keeping his face bowed, he followed Teo into the mansion. The general told him to make himself at home, then excused himself to go clean up before eating. // ...Dining room. I can just follow Gremio. // He walked into the large room with an oak table set in the middle. The blond was setting plates down, one obviously for the Young Master (with hot chocolate) and other two for Teo and Grenseal. The plate contained sausages, but the young swordsman barely paid attention to the presence of the meat. He would eat raw steak, if it was Gremio who prepared it. Not thinking it right to sit down at the table before the head of the household came, he decided to stall.* The breakfast looks delicious, Gremio. * // STUPID. Positively STUPID. // He scolded himself but it was too late, for he had spoken.*

Gremio: *He had just gotten the table ready when he noticed he wasn't alone.* ...Oh... Well, thank you. *He didn't usually give a single thought to the quality of the food; he was one of the best cooks in whole Gregminster, after all. But this time... //"Looks delicious?" Well, he hasn't tasted it yet...// He smiled to himself as he turned his back to the knight, picking up a tray from the table. He put it on the sideboard, as Cleo dropped by to bring the bread he had left behind in the kitchen. He thanked the brown-haired woman, while Cleo nodded to Grenseal and left the room.* So... *He said, looking at the other man.* Did you and Master Teo work all night?

Grenseal: Ah, well... yes. *He glanced over some other plates he hadn't studied yet, pleased to see that it was not all ham and sausages. He liked the looks of the omelette and vegetable stir. Gremio was much more interesting to look at than any entree, but he made it his point not to be staring at the beautiful manservant the entire morning. In time, Teo and Garrett came back, one looking refreshed after a short shower and other ravenous before leaving for school. They took seat, with Gren next to Teo as a guest and the boy on the other side of the general. He sent a quick glance to the empty seat across from himself where he assumed that Gremio would sit. From the way things were at this household, he guessed that the blond would eat with them.*

Gremio: *He smiled to the younger McDohl, giving him a comment about the boy looking a bit untidy. Then he took his seat.* Well, Master Teo... You must be tired after working all night. You should go get some rest. *The general smiled, shook his head and said that he wasn't that tired and would go work some more. Gremio didn't object, since he knew it would be in vain. He started eating, mostly looking at the dark-haired boy on Teo's side, but his gaze wandered to the handsome knight a few times while he was trying to concentrate on eating. He couldn't help it; the young swordsman gave him an odd but pleasant feeling.*

Grenseal: *Being a young man of naturally healthy appetite, he had trouble not to pour food down his throat. Who could blame him, when everything he put into his mouth tasted better than anything he'd eaten at home or at the palace? The army did not feed its officers with top-notch gourmet. He didn't comment too much on the food, for he had to watch his manners, but he smiled to Gremio every now and then, happy to see that the other also had the green gaze upon him occasionally. Unlike dinner, no one took time to eat. Garrett was informed by Gremio and Pahn that it was time to leave, so he took last sip of his hot chocolate and gave both his father and manservant hugs before skipping out with Pahn's escort. Teo, too, put the mug of coffee down and left the table, telling Grenseal to make himself useful.* Yes, my lord. *He nodded and popped the last piece of omelette into his mouth.*

Gremio: *He ruffled young Garrett's hair before the boy left. He had eaten his breakfast already, so he got up and started cleaning the table. Lord Teo headed out from the room, but the young knight stayed, looking somewhat uncertain. The general hadn't told him what exactly he should be doing, so Gremio gave it a little thought. If Teo didn't need the knight... maybe the manservant would dare to ask for some help. After all, maybe Grenseal would feel a bit more comfortable if he was doing something.* So, how was your breakfast, Grenseal? *He asked, looking at the green-clad man and giving him a friendly smile.* Oh, if you have no others things to do, you could always help me with these dishes. Have to take them to the kitchen downstairs... could use some help carrying all this.

Grenseal: Oh, it was wonderful. Fantastic! *He blurted out, then blushed a little. All his comments had gone stuffed inside of him during the breakfast, and the words had been itching to come out. He looked at many plates and decided to take care of them himself. No, he couldn't imagine Gremio carrying such burden up and down the stairs, although the blond apparently have been doing so every day.* And yes, I'd love to carry the plates down. I mean, it's my duty for the moment, after all. *He wondered why his speech had suddenly become to awkward and clumsy. He always spoke with cool eloquence of a palace-trained swordsman*

Gremio: Ah. Well, glad you liked the food. It was nothing special, really... Just an usual breakfast in this house. Master Teo likes it this way... *He almost blushed now, too; it was not like him to babble to someone he didn't know. He liked talking to people, but... He didn't usually talk like this to complete strangers. He had heard about Grenseal, but never met him in person... Yet, for some reason, the knight didn't feel like a stranger to him at all.* A-anyway... *He arranged the plates and cups on the table some more and picked up a couple of plates.* Shall we get to work, Mr. Grenseal?

Grenseal: Just Grenseal would be fine. *He nodded and picked up the rest of the plates. The porcelain wares were heavy but nothing he couldn't handle. At least, he had the satisfaction of knowing that he cut Gremio's work by more than half. //Say something, Grenseal!!// He kicked himself as he went down the stairs silently, following Gremio's lithe back. He noticed the simple green ribbon keeping the waving blond hair in place* Green goes well with your hair. *He commented, then almost tripped down the steps out of embarrassment. Plates cluttered in his hold.*

Gremio: *He gave the knight a quick smile before they left the dining room. The younger man seemed to be getting more relaxed, so the blond decided that it had been a good idea to ask for his help. He carried to plates on the stairs carefully, despite the fact that he could've done it carrying a much bigger load, and with his eyes closed. He was completely used to taking things up and down these stairs. But when he got to the foot of the stairs, Grenseal made a sudden comment that not only startled him, but made his face turn bright red. //...W-what is he t-talking about? G-green goes well with my hair...?// He almost dropped one plate, and had to stop and take a few seconds to get it back on the pile.* Er... W-w-what d-did you s-say?

Grenseal: *He blushed slightly himself and shuffled, tongue-tied* ...Oh, eh... I just thought your green ribbon looks nice on your hair. *He looked down and shifted his hold on the plates, feeling awkward.*

Gremio: Ah... *He hid his face from the other man, feeling a bit odd. He walked straight to kitchen and put the plates in the sink, waiting for Grenseal to bring the rest so he could start washing them. He had no idea why the knight had commented on such thing; he had never paid much attention to what kind of ribbon he had on his hair. It was there for practical reasons, nothing more.*

Grenseal: *// Stupid me. I should wring my neck. // Furious with himself for having ruined a short moment, he followed Gremio to the kitchen and set the plates in the sink, too. He took off his gloves and rolled up his sleeves naturally, trying to smile to Gremio in a friendly fashion.* I haven't washed dishes since I was a child, but may I give you a hand? *// Yes, Grenseal. Stay away from making frivolous comments on how pretty he is. //*

Gremio: *The knight seemed friendly and willing to help him some more, so he could not refuse.* I-if you insist... *He rolled up his own sleeves and filled the sink with warm water, then looked around for some soap.* Er... I... Uh, let's get on with this. *He sighed and handed a dish brush to the other man, then took another himself. It had been some time since he had last had help with washing dishes, and that help had been the Young Master. This was different...*

Grenseal: *He set out to wash one dish after another, not with masterful speed of Gremio, but still quite decently. He had to fix his hold on dishes every now and then since they were slippery from soap. //Make conversation... MAKE CONVERSATION, Gren!!//* I used to wash dishes with my older sister before I enrolled into the imperial academy. Of course, she wasn't as... *//...beautiful as you. Agh, don't speak stupidly!!//*

Gremio: *He washed the dishes without difficulty, being used chores like this. After all, he was the one who took care of most things in the McDohl household. He listened the knight talking about washing dishes, while some uncertain thoughts crept into his mind. //Is it just me, or is something bothering him? But what could it be...? Hmm, maybe he just isn't used to doing things like this... He's a soldier, not a servant.// * Ah... Well, if it was your sister who taught you to wash dishes, she taught you well. *He smiled and moved closer to the handsome man, washing off soap from the plate he was holding.* Oh, but next time, you might want to take your armor off before this... Isn't it on the way or something?

Grenseal: *He blushed furiously, if only for a moment.* I... yes, of course... *He looked down, hiding his pink face. Gremio's finger brushed against his on the dish and he had to hold his breath to keep in a tiny outcry. // Idiot, I'm not some teenage boy!! Get a grip...!// Gremio was so close that he could smell the faint scent of shampoo from the golden hair.*

Gremio: *He washed off the soap from a few plates, and put them on the table to wait to be dried. The other man seemed to be somewhat tense, and the manservant gave him a worried glance. //What is it...? Is he... nervous? But... this task isn't a hard one, and he's doing just fine. What could be wrong? And why on earth is he blushing?// He sighed, returning his attention to the dishes. Maybe the knight would say something again, and that would take his mind away from whatever was bothering him.*

Grenseal: *He washed dishes mechanically now, his mind elsewhere. Then, as he lifted a stack to put aside to dry, his hand magically slipped. His eyes went wide and he succeeded in grabbing all of them save one before they hit the stony floor. There was a crash and a shatter of white pieces.* ...I'm sorry. *He bent down and clumsily began to pick the shards up. //GRENSEAL!!!// He screamed at himself, wanting to run himself through with his sword.*

Gremio: *The sound of a plate shattering on the floor startled him. He put down the plate he had been washing, and knelt down hastily next to green-clad knight.* I-it's alright... Just... Please, let me do that. You might hurt yourself... *He took some of the bigger shards from the other man, then carefully started gathering the smaller ones together so he could get them up from the floor before they would disappear somewhere under the table and the stools.*

Grenseal: No, no. You might cut yourself, too! *He tried pushing Gremio's white hand away, but his palm unconsciously closed over the pieces in his hand. He felt a sharp prick of pain and opened his loose fist. To his dismay, blood bubbled from his skin where a particularly sharp piece had stabbed in and remained embedded.* Damn... *He pulled the piece off and threw what he held into the trash bin. Blood drizzled out, since the wound was small but deep.*

Gremio: *He turned his attention from the small shards to Grenseal's wounded hand immediately, his face turning pale and very worried.* Oh, no!! Let me see... *He grabbed the younger man's hand and studied the wound, not letting the knight pull his hand away from his grip. When he had seen enough, he got up, took some clean water and washed the swordsman's hand.* N-now, just s-stay here. H-hold your hand above your shoulder and press on the wound... I-I'll be right back. *He ran out of the kitchen to retrieve a medical kit from the supply closet, returning with it only a few seconds later.*

Grenseal: *He could only blink and watch Gremio; he thought nothing of the wound after the initial pain, since he was used to getting cuts here and there. The difference was, of course, he didn't have soldiers with Water Rune here to heal it in a flash. //Great, I worried him. ...He's worried about me.// That gave him a strange satisfaction. He waited patiently by the sink, holding his right hand up as the blond had instructed.*

Gremio: *He returned to the other man's side, worry in his eyes.* N-now, let me... *He took the knight's hand and examined the wound, checking that there were no small shards remaining. He washed the wound again, then began tying it. //So careless of me... I should've forced him to stay away from the shards... I'm used to things like broken plates, anyway. He's a knight, and...// Random thoughts going around his mind, he finished tying Grenseal's hand and then just held it in his own, examining the result. //Will do. I... ...Hmm? His hand is trembling...?// * Grenseal...? Does it hurt?

Grenseal: *His hand trembled from Gremio's touch rather than pain... he felt no pain now. All he could do was look back into the blond's worried green eyes, suppress the blood rising to his cheeks, and kill the urge to draw the lithe body close and kissing him. All those thoughts crossed his mind for but a second before he answered.* ...No. It doesn't hurt. At all. *He sounded strange, preoccupied.*

Gremio: I-it doesn't? *He sighed, relieved. If the other man had told him that it hurt, he had probably ran off to find something to ease the pain... But now, it wasn't necessary. He looked in the knight's eyes, wondering what the other was thinking. But the more he looked, the more lost he got. He tried to get rid of the strange feeling that was slowly taking over his body. It was a pleasant feeling, but it was unfamiliar to him, so it scared him.* I... *He blinked, not knowing what to say.*

Grenseal: *His eyes followed every small movement of Gremio's face, from pale lips moving to long lashes fluttering in uniform blinks. //I...//* You are... *He murmured, lost in a trance of sweet sight and warm, smaller hand holding his. He couldn't help anything he felt or did at that moment; it was as though his body's Fate was to move closer to Gremio, like it belonged there close with the blond's. Before he knew it, he had leaned down a little until he could see every speck of light reflected off of Gremio's eyes. His lips sought out the other's, holding the contact soft and gentle.*

Gremio: *Every single thought in his mind seemed to abandon him, and he could only see the swordsman's eyes... And before he knew it, the eyes were very close to his, and then the knight's lips touched his own. He closed his eyes and held his breath, then gave up and let Grenseal kiss him, not knowing what else to do. An unusual warmth filled his body, flushing his cheeks bright red. He felt like his legs wouldn't hold him up much longer... //Mmmh...? What... is this...?// *

Grenseal: *He couldn't have answered Gremio himself. All thoughts fled him as he drew his arms about the blond and tenderly held the slender chest to his. He touched the golden hair, caressing over the waving tresses. He tasted Gremio's breath, sweet lips, and fell into the utter bliss from the sensation. Then, gradually, with painstaking slowness, the delirium began to fade.*

Gremio: *While being held close by the handsome knight, he tried to make some sense of his thoughts. //He's... kissing me. But... why? I...// He shivered, wondering why he felt so comfortable. He could feel Grenseal's heart beating rapidly, and realized that his own heart was beating very fast, too. //I'm not even afraid... But still... I... We... shouldn't...!// Suddenly, he tried to back away from the younger man's arms, but he couldn't.*

Grenseal: *He felt the sudden, small resistance. //Let him go.// He ordered his hands, but it was hard. He plied them off with his mind; taking a safe step back so he wouldn't lose control again, he breathed raggedly a few times before whispering.* I... forgive me. It's just... *//It's just what?// He felt flushed all over, and he knew clearly what it was. Love. //But I can't... say that, can I?//*

Gremio: *When Grenseal let go of him, he almost felt disappointed, and he couldn't even understand why. He just stood there, took a few deep breaths, then lowered his face and looked at his feet. //Why is he apologizing? No no no... Why should I think like that? Of course he is apologizing! He just... kissed me.// Realizing what had happened made his face turn even more red. But there was no escape, he had to find out what was going on.* Y-yes? W-w-what is i-it?

Grenseal: *The stammered question pushed him beyond and below the cliff where his mind dwelt. Swallowing hard, he managed a very short, concise, sickeningly boring and unsensational confession of his life.* I love you. *He didn't know whether to run himself through for stupidity or praise himself for the courage of speaking the utmostly forbidden thought. He decided to wait for Gremio's reaction to do either.*

Gremio: *His eyes opened wide. He raised his face and stared at the knight, not knowing what to think, and should he believe those words. //What did he just say!?// He forced himself to say something before he would be too confused to speak.* Y-you... c-c-can't be s-serious... W-we just... m-met t-this m-morning... *He was somewhat scared by all this. He had heard of love at first sight, yes; that happened in all those romantic tales... And he was also aware that a man could love another man. But what was this? He had no idea.*

Grenseal: I know that we just met. *He blushed deeply now, not bothering to hide it. He looked a bit troubled himself, but a burden had been taken off of his shoulders after confessing.* Do you believe in love at first sight? *He looked bashful, like a total romantic* I love you. I loved you, I think, since I saw you at the door. *He was afraid, too, but rather of denial than the love itself.*

Gremio: *He stared at the younger man, trembling a little. Grenseal was speaking the truth; there was no doubt about it. The blond just had hard time believing that someone would actually feel that way about him. //Well, he... is handsome. But I'm... I couldn't... But... Why am I...?// He took another deep breath, trying to think. The warm feeling inside him still remained, and he couldn't explain it.* I... A-are you... s-sure? *He gave the other man a questioning look.* I-I mean... i-isn't l-love a c-complicated f-feeling...?

Grenseal: *He almost laughed at Gremio trying make sure of the matter, but he was too dead serious to. With a nod, he answered.* I'm very sure. I... I'm not the type to just kiss anyone. *He ran fingers over the bandage on his right palm* I don't know if love is complex. I've never been in love like this... I've had crushes during teenagehood, but... *//All right, talking too much. Shut up, Grenseal.//* I only know that I love you.

Gremio: *He blinked, then shook his head slightly.* But, I... I m-mean, you're o-one of Master Teo's men. I'm... a servant. And besides, we don't... know anything about each other... *He tried to protest further, but the look in the knight's eyes silenced him. //Why...? That kindness in his eyes...// He swallowed, trying to look away. Only then he realized that he had said "we". //Oh, gods... what's wrong with me?// He buried his face into his hands, shaking visibly.*

Grenseal: I don't care if you are servant or prince... *he began, but he stopped when Gremio buried his face in his hands. //I made him upset!?// He panicked, overcome by the fear of rejection.* I... I'm sorry. Gremio, please, don't be upset? I... I love you, but I won't ask for anything in return. I only just... oh... *He shook his head, cursing at himself* I shouldn't have told you so soon... *He fearfully reached to touch Gremio's shoulders and drew him close again, but not firmly.*

Gremio: *He wanted to run away and forget this, but he couldn't. He let the knight draw him close, focusing himself on keeping the tears away from his eyes. //I don't understand myself... What's with me? He says he loves me, and that's all. He doesn't want anything... I can just ignore the whole thing, but... Why do I feel like this?!// He felt frustrated, not knowing what to do. For some reason, being close to the young swordsman made him feel a bit easier, so he just stood there, trying to gather his thoughts and make sense of his feelings.*

Grenseal: *He quietly held Gremio, making it apparent that he would not force anything, that Gremio could leave anytime he wanted. //...It hurts to wait in suspense, but...// He sighed softly, feeling throbs of heartaches. //Love hurts. Hah, I thought that was just something they said in romance novels my sister used to read...//*

Gremio: *A minute or two passed, but it felt like an eternity. He still tried to clear his thoughts, and in the end, a couple of questions remained. //I don't understand. I've had this strange feeling all morning... Why? Why was I glancing at him at breakfast? Why am I so nervous, but yet so calm when he holds me? And why... Why can't I stop thinking about him?// He leaned on the knight's shoulder, hoping to find an answer before going mad. //He loves me... and for some reason, I find the thought comfortable. I shouldn't... I'm not supposed to...//*

Grenseal: *He relished in holding Gremio, glad that the blond didn't recoil from his arms. He nuzzled his chin to the other man's shoulder, deciding to stay this way as long as possible. //For eternity. So much to wish for, but... I could, really...//* You don't have to tell me anything now, Gremio, but this... Do you -like- me? Even as a possible friend or a closer acquaintance. *He asked in a peaceful tone, content for now. His fingers traced over Gremio's hair and back, not sensually but tenderly enough to convey the affection.*

Gremio: *Tired of fighting himself, he sighed and raised his head a bit. The other man's touch made him shiver... from pleasure.* I-I... G-g-grenseal... *He blinked, unable to continue. //I think I... like him very much. But I can't tell him that, can I? Besides, I must be out of my mind - I have barely known him for a few hours! And what would... Master Teo say?// When he remembered who Grenseal was, and who he was, a flash of fear filled his eyes.*

Grenseal: Gremio? *He narrowed his eyes, giving a very gentle look. Daring himself a bit, he kissed the scarred cheek.* You are afraid of me? ...It is because of what I'm doing to you? *His arms loosened just a little. It made him so sad that pain showed in his gaze.* We can't even... get to know each other? I want to know you. I... I love you and it will drive me crazy if I will not to be able to see you. *He said honestly, pretty much making the last effort to swallow the anticipated rejection. He took Gremio's fear as that toward -him-, the inconsiderate, over-passionate, impatient, intimidating swordsman of high ranks. //Of course he'd be afraid. Anyone would be. Soldiers don't make good lovers, and besides, I am a man. At worst... he'd just think I'm wooing him as a replacement for women or something.//*

Gremio: A-a-afraid of y-you? *He shook his head, a bit surprised. He hadn't felt like he should be afraid of the knight; not for a single moment the whole morning. He just knew that Grenseal would never hurt him, or anything like that.* N-no, i-it's... I w-would a-actually l-l-like to g-get to k-know you... B-but... M-master Teo... *Suddenly, he glanced around in the kitchen, as if to make sure that no one was here to see them.* I... c-can't...

Grenseal: ....... *He tried putting together Gremio's stammered words. //He wants to get to know me. He's... afraid of others' eyes? Master Teo's disapproval? Ah.// Understanding, he stroked at Gremio's head with a hand.* Why would Master Teo disapprove? He has no prejudice against eh... *//He's been with Alen, I know it.// He trailed off and decided not to let slip the general's affairs right out.* ...two men being in love. Besides, it doesn't matter if you are a servant. I've already told you so. *He smiled, hoping for a good response.* I want to know you, Gremio. We -can-, if we want to. If -you- want to. *He desperately wanted to kiss Gremio again, but he didn't. He only pressed his cheek against the blond's.*

Gremio: *He blushed again and closed his eyes. He was aware that General Teo had no prejudices when it came to these kind of things, but still. The general was upstairs, and Cleo was somewhere in the house. What would they think if they saw him and the young knight right now? And besides, this was all too soon. //I wouldn't Master Teo to think that I'm... wanton or something. But I... Grenseal... I like him. My gods, what am I going to do...// * I... m-maybe we c-could... *He whispered, not quite sure what to tell the other man. But one thing was sure - he wanted to learn all about Grenseal, and would have to make it clear so that the younger man wouldn't get him wrong.*

Grenseal: We could...? *He murmured, feeling the moment settle like the still surface of a clear lake. He waited for the ripple to form, for Gremio to continue. He heard the hint of what he wanted to hear... or was it his hopeful ears playing cruel tricks on him? He waited, each second weighing down like minutes and then hours.*

Gremio: *He took a deep breath, groping for the right words. He knew that the younger man meant everything he had said. Love at the first sight? Gremio still had hard time believing, but that just seemed to be the case. And besides, he still had the odd, warm feeling inside him.* We... W-we n-need to g-get to k-know each o-other f-first, I t-think.... T-then you c-can t-talk about... real love. *The two last words were a mere whisper. Still, the meaning was clear. If the knight loved him... He had to give Grenseal a chance, at least.*

Grenseal: ...We can? *He hushed out a whisper, a smile slowly spreading over his coolly-handsome face. Even his slightly slanted, sharp eyes softened into a melted look of happiness. He looked as though he'd found heaven on earth.* Thank you... *He gathered Gremio's lithe body closer, burying his face against the other's shoulder covered with silken gold tresses.* Thank you... Gremio. Even if it takes all times in the world, I will be waiting. I'll love you and wait until we can talk about love. *He began to laugh softly, so happy that he thought his entire body would melt from it.*

Gremio: *He stood there for some time, listening to the other man's words that were filled with happiness.* W-well... It'll be a-all r-right... I t-think. *He sighed, smiled and wrapped his arms carefully around the swordsman's neck, not sure if he should do so or not. It would take time, yes... But he was sure he liked Grenseal. He wouldn't think about love at this point, but... maybe one day.*

Grenseal: *After infinite minutes or perhaps a few seconds... he pulled back and turned his face to look at the dishes.* ...We still have those to finish, don't we? *He smiled, having completely forgotten about the rest of the world but Gremio and himself until then. Letting go of the blond with much regret, he pleasantly regarded Gremio.* Shall we get to know each other more through dishwashing?

Gremio: *He smiled, nodding.* I-it might be a good idea...* Normally, he would have blamed himself for interrupting his task like this, but today, he didn't. Instead, he glanced at the dishes, then looked at the other man.* But, you hurt your hand. So, I wash the dishes. You'll just have to sit there and watch, I'm afraid. But you can always talk... *He gave the knight a warm smile before he started to wash the dishes again.*