Warning: This story may contain spoilers from the most recent chapters of Pandora Hearts.

So here it is, finally. Chapter two ^_^ Actually, it's only part of chapter two, but I thought it would be better to post it up in two smaller parts rather than one big one :) The actually servant Oz stuff and the Ozbert will start in the next chapter :)

I apologize for Vincent… I really don't know how to write him :( (Or Oz… Or anyone for that matter ^_^;). Hopefully there is at least something familiar about him? ^_^; Also, in relation to the Nightray brothers… I'm giving myself some creative freedom with them, since they have really only appeared in a few brief moments in the manga. Claude seems like a great brother… but a real jerk to Gilbert and Vincent. I'm playing that up… a lot :)

I'm trying to establish the world their living in at the moment… Sorry for all the backstory ^_^; Feel free to give opinions of what you would like to see, since I don't have a definite plan for it at the moment :)

Thank you to everyone who reviewed the first chapter! ^_^ I hope someone enjoys this one :) And to any Loyalty readers, I am forcing myself to write the next chapter so it should be up soon! ^_^ Alright, on with the story! :)

O-O-O

My Precious Servant

Chapter 2

O-O-O

The following morning started that same as every other for Gilbert; he woke early, when the light from the rising sun had just begun to brighten the young noble's room, and instantly pulled himself out of bed, running a hand through his matted, bed-ridden hair and releasing a large, jaw-aching yawn in the process. He washed, dressed, and combed his hair as best he could, before leaving his own room and moving to his brother's next door. Vincent was waiting for him, as he did every morning, and together the brothers made their way down to the dining room for breakfast.

And all the while, there was only one, single thought in Gilbert's mind; the whereabouts of his new servant, Oz Vessalius.

It still seemed strange… He, Gilbert, had a servant? And stranger still was the fact that it did not bother him. In fact, he had been shocked to find a cold well of disappointment in the pit of his stomach when the blonde servant had not appeared before him that morning. "Servant's are supposed to be up first, aren't they? Ah… but I suppose he wouldn't know anything about that… And Vincent and I do get up earlier than most…" he thought to himself as one of the maids placed his food before him. It wasn't that the young Nightray expected him by his side all the time – if Oz would rather sleep the day away, then Gil was not going to complain – he just… He had just been looking forward to spending more time with him, so that he could get to know him better…

"Brother?" Vincent asked quietly, causing his elder sibling to start, torn from his thoughts by the sound of the boy's voice. "Is something wrong? You seem distracted," Vincent's tone suggested mild surprise at his brother's sudden reaction, but his expression, as ever, appeared neutral.

"Uh," Gilbert faltered, before shaking his head, "I was just thinking about something…" He reached forward and picked up a spoon, quickly helping himself to his porridge. Vincent appeared to accept his answer, turning his attention to his own breakfast, but the knowing smile that swept across his face when Gilbert cleared his throat reminded the elder Nightray that very little slipped past his brother. "Well, actually… I was assigned a servant yesterday…"

"Oh?"

"Y-Yeah..." Gilbert nodded, stirring his food slowly and keeping his eyes focused on the trails his utensil left behind in the mixture. He didn't need to raise his gaze; he could almost feel his little brother's possessive stare locked on his face. Vincent never did like it when Gilbert hung around with other people. "I know I said I didn't want one," he said slowly, "but… Well, I don't think Master Nightray would be very happy if I said no… He'll probably find one for you, too."

Vincent smiled that mysterious smile of his when Gilbert said that, and answered, "But I don't want one."

Gilbert swallowed thickly; he knew he shouldn't feel this way, not about his own little brother, but whenever Vincent spoke like that, in that eerily controlled tone dripping with poisonous honey, even he felt afraid of what the boy was capable of. He hadn't really thought about how Vincent would take the news of him acquiring a personal servant before the information and fallen from his mouth, and now he was wishing he had taken time to plan what he was going to say.

"It doesn't surprise me… He was always very insistent that we only ever needed each other, so he probably won't like the idea of a third person being around all the time," he thought with a frown. "But that's not right… It was hard enough to convince him we had to stop sharing a room, and we need to be able to talk to other people besides each other." Gilbert ignored the fact that only yesterday he had seen no problem with living a quiet life with no one but his brother for company. After meeting Oz, however... "I'm his big brother, so… I should set him straight, right?"

"I know you don't, but it would be better for both of us if we just did as we were told," he explained, raising his gaze to meet his little brother's, "So… will you accept if the Duke decides to find a servant for you?" Vincent frowned and looked down at his food for a moment, "Vince, please?"

"If that's what my big brother wants," Vincent said, smiling once again as he took a slice of toast from his side plate and tore a piece off the corner, "then I will."

The dark-haired Nightray released a small sigh of relief at that; the last thing he wanted was for his younger brother to get in trouble with the Duke, or to hurt whatever servant the head Nightray would send to him in order to scare them away. "Thanks, Vince," he said with a smile, "I'm sure it will all be fine. Though…" he frowned slightly, "The fact that he's a member of the Vassalius family could cause some problems…"

"Vassalius?" Was that genuine surprise in Vincent's voice? He really must be shocked to let it show. After a moment of silence, he blinked his duel-colored eyes and returned his expression to that neutral smile of his, "That's surprising, considering the relationship between the houses."

"That's what I thought…" Gilbert had to admit, he felt a little embarrassed that his brother had been able to remember the connection between their houses when he hadn't. "Well, either way, Oz seems really nice, so I'm sure everything will be fine. Just… be nice to him, alright?"

"What makes you think that I wouldn't?"

"Nothing," Gilbert said, "It's just… It's going to be hard for him to work here since… well, you know…"

"Nightrays are supposed to hate the Vassalius," Vincent said bluntly.

Gilbert nodded, "Exactly, but he didn't do anything to us, and he seems really nice… Weird, but nice."

"I understand."

"I mean, it doesn't really make sense, does it? Hating someone who had nothing to do with it, that is."

"It is strange."

"A-and he seems nice, so-"

"You've said that three times already, Big Brother."

"H-have I?" Gilbert stuttered, frowning when his younger brother leaned back and regarded him with a look that bordered on amused, but leaned a little closer to frustration. He was rambling… He was trying to defend Oz, but it seemed like his efforts were relatively pointless; his younger brother hadn't said a single word in opposition to the boy. "Sorry…" he said, coughing awkwardly before he focused on his food, praying that his face was not half as red as if felt, "Just… please be nice to him, alright Vince?"

"If that's what my Big Brother wants."

"Thanks…" Gilbert smiled, feeling much better now that he knew that his brother, at the very least, would not cause any problems for his new servant. Things in the Nightray house were complicated enough as is; the last thing he needed was tension between Vincent and the only person he felt he could possibly befriend and trust.

Vincent's next observation, however, quickly dispelled any sense of contentment that had been forming within him.

"Wait… Did you say his name was Oz?" Uh oh… He was frowning again. "Oz Vassalius?"

"Um…" Gilbert blinked, confused by his brother's serious tone, "yes?"

"You mean Zai Vassalius' son?" Vincent asked, "The heir to that Vassalius estate. That Oz Vassalius?"

Gilbert was silent for several seconds after his brother's questions, unaware that his mouth was hanging open in shocked until Vincent reached over and pressed his finger beneath the dark-haired teen's chin, forcing it closed.

"You don't know?" Vincent said, an amused smile on his face.

"N-No I… I never asked…" Gilbert had simply assumed that Oz was a member of one of the branch families, noble in little else but name. That was where most of the family's personal servants appeared to come from… But… Oz was the heir to the Vessalius estate? Then why on earth was he now Gilbert's servant? That didn't make any sense at all! The family may have fallen in status, but that didn't change the fact that-! "W-wait," he exclaimed, interrupting his own thoughts, "isn't Zai Vessalius the one everyone says had his wife killed?"

"Mmm," Vincent hummed lightly, turning his attention back to his food, tearing more pieces off his toast and placing them in a line on his plate, "Yes, that's him… The man who stained the Vessalius name by coercing with his wife's supposed killers."

"But there was never any proof that-"

"Gossips really don't need proof," Vincent interjected before Gilbert could finish, "do they, Big Brother?"

"I… guess…" He had a point there… Their family was often blamed for various crimes, primarily when they related to the Vassalius house. Why, just a year previously, when there had been an attempted kidnapping of the Vassalius heir, the immediate suspects were the Nightrays. And because Gilbert and Vincent were so young, even they didn't know if the rumors were true or not.

Wait… was Oz the one who had nearly been kidnapped?

Gilbert leaned back in his chair and stared forward, trying to let everything he had just heard sink in.

"I shouldn't worry about this… He might not even be the same Oz Vassalius!" Though, it wasn't exactly a common name, was it? … Did he really have a pure-blooded noble – a direct descendant of the Hero of the Tragedy, no less – as his servant? Was Zai Vassalius' son really expected to do the bidding of an adoptive son of the Nightray family?

Gilbert felt his stomach tighten as he remembered the crestfallen look that had swept across his servant's face the previous evening, the darkening in his eyes when he had spoken those worrying words.

"My father… He thought it would be best for our family if I went to work for one of the noble families."

That didn't make any sense… None of this made any sense! The Vassalius may have lost most of their finances when the Duke's wife had become sick, and Zai's actions may have stained their name, but their noble status was secure as long as they controlled the Gateway to Abyss beneath their estate…

Wait… Zai's wife… Oz's mother? Then… did Oz's father kill…?

"Big brother, I wouldn't think too hard," Vincent said, breaking his train of thought, "You'll get a headache."

"Too late," Gilbert grumbled, pressing his fingertips to his temples.

"Why don't you just ask him?"

"I can't ask him something like that!" he exclaimed. "And you can't either!"

"What?" Vincent blinked, "Why not?"

"Just promise you won't," Gilbert said, "If Oz wanted me to know then he would have said something…"

"Maybe he thinks you already know," Vincent offered, but the dark-haired teen shook his head and asked his brother to promise him not to utter a word of this to his servant. The urgency with which he whispered his request made something inside Vincent go cold, and he was forced to turn his attention to his breakfast so that his brother would not see his gritted teeth.

Gilbert was worried about him… Worried about a Vassalius…

He tightened his grip on the knife in his hand, suddenly wishing he had something, anything, to drive it through. Instead, he took up his fork, pierced what remained of his toast, and began cutting it up with the pathetic piece of cutlery. "I won't say anything," he said, smiling sweetly.

"Promise?" Gilbert asked, a slightly nervous edge in his tone as his eyes fell to his brother's plate.

"I promise. We never have to discuss this again."

Breakfast was completed in relative silence, with Gilbert eating a little bit faster than he usually would despite the fact that his mind was buzzing with questions and his stomach was fluttering with nerves. He just had to block it out… He had to pretend he hadn't heard what Vincent had said about Oz's father. If the blonde servant really was an heir of a noble family then his pride would probably be damaged enough without Gilbert adding salt to the wound. And if the rumors about his father were true…

"Great job on 'not thinking about it'," Gilbert mentally berated himself, but he just couldn't help it… If all of this was true, then Oz was in a far worse situation than he had first thought. He had to do whatever he could to help him. He didn't care that they hardly knew each other, nor did he question his uncharacteristic eagerness to get involved with the boy. All he knew was that he had to protect Oz, and he would not hesitate to do so in any way he could. With his mind made up he focused on his breakfast, intent on finishing so that he could return to his room before Oz arrived.

"Ernest is certainly going to love that fact you have a Vassalius as a servant," Vincent noted as the brothers began to move out of the dining room. The elder of the pair groaned, head lowering and his entire persona deflating.

"Don't remind me…" he muttered, reaching up and scratching the back of his head as he stepped out into the corridor just ahead of his brother, "I just wish they'd ignore us and-"

"Gil! There you are!"

Gilbert felt as though an electric shock and shot through his entire system, physically starting so violently at the sound of his name being called that he actually stumbled. Straightening up quickly he turned his attention to his left, surprised, but pleasantly so, to see Oz standing at the end of the corridor with a smile on his face that was so bright and infectious Gilbert could not help but smile back.

It quickly vanished, however, when the blond began to move towards him, and the young Nightray noticed that he was holding something dark and very, very wet in his arms, droplets of water falling from the item to the dark carpet at his feet and soaking into the blonde's shirt. "Oz…" he started, "What are-?"

Oz laughed before Gilbert had a chance to complete his question. "What, this?" he asked and he lifted his arms slightly, the simple motion squeezing even more water from the item, "Well, you wouldn't believe the morning I-"

It was at that moment, when Oz came to a sudden stop about ten feet away from Gilbert, his smile suddenly gone and his eyes slightly wide in surprise, that the young Nightray remembered that his little brother was standing just behind him, and was only visible to Oz now that he had come close enough to the pair. As if on impulse, Gilbert followed his servant's gaze to his brother, and was shocked to find that Vincent was regarding Oz with a slightly startled expression. What? Why would Vincent-?

Oz cleared his throat before Gilbert had time to ponder his brother's reaction to the young Vassalius, having taken a step backwards and straightened his stance, trying his best to look respectable while holding onto the damp material in his arms. "Master Gilbert, Good morning…" he said in a controlled but somewhat wary tone.

"U-um, good morning," Gilbert stuttered, slightly thrown by the awkward air that had suddenly descended upon the trio. What on earth was going on? There was no need for his servant and his brother to be uncomfortable around each other, was there? Swallowing the ball of nerves that had built in his chest, he sidestepped slightly so that he was now standing in the corridor directly in front of Oz, allowing Vincent to step out after him. "Oz, I'd like you to meet my brother, Vincent," he said, forcing himself to smile in an attempt to reassure his servant as he held out a hand in the direction of his brother. "Vincent," he said with a quick glance back to his brother, who now appeared curious rather than surprised by the boy before him, "this is Oz."

By the way Oz quirked a questioning eyebrow at him, it appeared that the blonde had acknowledged his awkward attempts to lighten the mood, and was not impressed. Taking a deep breath and ignoring the red tinge that emerged on his master's face as a result of his silent criticism, the Vassalius turned in Vincent's direction and smiled politely, before bringing his heels together and bowing the top half of his body forward slightly, his arms having moved to hold the damp material in such a way that most of the excess drops were absorbed by his clothes rather than dripping onto the floor. "It is an honor to make your acquaintance, Master Vincent," he said, his voice smooth and silk and soft as snow, causing Gilbert's eyes to widen slightly in surprise.

"Likewise," Vincent said, a quiet hum of intrigue laced within his voice, his eyes travelling up and down the Vassalius' form curiously before remaining locked on his face. "My brother has told me about you."

"All good things, I would hope," Oz said with a gentle smile, slowly raising his form so that he was standing up straight.

"Certainly," Vincent nodded before he glanced in the direction of his older brother, smiling in amusement when he noticed the dark-haired teen staring at his servant, smiling absentmindedly, "My brother seems most pleased with his new acquisition."

That got Gilbert's attention.

"V-Vincent!" he exclaimed instantly, his face reddened slightly, "Don't say it like that!"

"Like what, brother?"

"Like…" Gilbert faltered for a moment, before saying, "Saying it like that makes it sound like I own him or something!"

"Ah, but doesn't the fact I am your servant mean that I am also your property, Master Gilbert?"

"Wha…?" Gilbert turned his attention back to Oz, who tilted his head slightly in question, looking honestly confused and even a little discontented by his master's sudden exclamation. And those big, bright green eyes were looking right at him, as if they could see inside him, and Gilbert could feel his face burning brighter, and he-!

"Y-You're not my 'property'!" Gilbert exclaimed loudly, momentarily forgetting the fact that it was still early in the morning and that many of the mansion's inhabitants were still asleep.

"I think you'll find he is, Big Brother."

"I believe Master Vincent is correct, Master Gilbert."

Gilbert opened and closed his mouth, unable to form words to respond to the claims of his brother and servant. He recognized that soft gleam in his brother's eyes; it was the one he always wore when he was teasing his big brother, something he rarely did, and never with any real intent to upset him. It was the electric spark in Oz's emerald orbs, however, that caused Gilbert's heart to stop. Despite his best attempts to block it out, his brain automatically summoned the image of a cat, the most horrible, terrifying creature Gilbert could possible imagine, cornering a helpless mouse, prepared to pounce.

That was the exact look that shone in Oz's eyes at that very moment; like a hunter who had found its prey.

It was downright terrifying.

"D-Don't you have lessons, Vince?" he stuttered, trying his best to change the subject.

"My lesson is not for another hour, brother," Vincent said, shrugging lightly, "but I do have to go over my notes…"

"I doubt that…" Gilbert said, his smile tinged with just a hint of bitterness. His little brother was the closest thing to a genius Gilbert had ever seen, better than his brother in everything he did, and surpassing even the elder Nightrays in knowledge. Gilbert had the edge in math, but that was about the only advantage he had over Vincent in the academics department. He was immensely proud of his brother, of course, but when his younger sibling was so much better than him at everything… well, it didn't really do much for the young Nightray's confidence.

"Are you coming to the library, too?" the duel-eyed pre-teen asked.

"My notes are back in my room, so I'll just study there," Gilbert replied simply, looking at Oz to try and avoid the disappointed look he knew his brother would try to guilt him with. Normally he would not have minded going with his brother to study, but right now he really wanted to spend some time with Oz… At least now that the evil glint in his eye seemed to have burned out.

"I see… alright," Vincent answered after a moment of awkward silence, turning towards Oz with one of his peculiar smiles, "It was a pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure is mine," Oz answered with a polite nod.

Vincent stepped forward and placed a hand on Oz's shoulder, gripping it. "You might want to watch your back," he said in a quiet voice, but not quiet enough to hide what he was saying from his brother, "You may be part of the staff now, but only a fool would let his guard down around his enemies."

Gilbert frowned, slightly unnerved by the way his brother and servant stared at one another so intently at the moment, both smiling in a way that conveyed nothing and yet seemed to express a thousand silent words. Had it suddenly gotten colder in here? Maybe it was just him, because the shiver that shook through his body did not seem to touch the two before him. What had happened? Just a moment ago, Vincent and Oz had been teasing him together, but now…

"Don't cause any trouble for my brother, hmm?" Vincent said, releasing Oz's shoulder and patting it lightly before brushing past the elder blonde.

Oz smiled sweetly, but did not turn around to face the retreating boy's back when he spoke. "Of course not, Master Vincent," he said, eyes staring forward over Gilbert's shoulder, the emotion within them unreadable.

Vincent was silent for a moment before he turned and waved over his shoulder, telling his brother that he would see him later. Gilbert could only raise his hand and wave back slightly, shaken by the interaction that had just taken place before him. Maybe he was imagining the electricity in the air, the suffocating tension that had his voice trapped within his throat… At least, he hoped he was, because what he had sensed made him feel…

"Well, isn't he just a delightful ball of sunshine?"

"H-Huh?" Gilbert blinked, surprised when he noticed that Oz had completely dropped his cool, charismatic façade and was, once again, standing with his shoulders slightly slouched, arms loosening around the fabric in his arms and frowning down at the damp patches on his shirt and pants. "You mean Vincent?"

"Who else?"

Gilbert forced himself to laugh, but it only made him sound more nervous, "Don't worry about him, he's harmless."

"You could have fooled me," Oz said, bundling the fabric into one arm and placing his free hand on his hip, "Is he… alright?" He asked in a questioning tone, to which Gilbert could only tilt his head in confusion… Until Oz reached up and tapped his finger against his temple twice, whistling in the general tune of a cuckoos cry.

Gilbert's jaw instantly dropped, "Oz!"

"What?" the young blonde blinked, "I was just asking."

What? Just asking? Gilbert could only stare for a few seconds as his mind tried to process the nonchalant way in which his servant had responded to him. "You don't… that is a very rude thing to say about someone!" And his master's brother, no less! "There is nothing wrong with him!"

"Hey," Oz said, raising his hand in front of him as if to defend himself from Gilbert's words, "I don't want to offend you, I just need to make sure he's not going to knife me in my sleep or something."

What was it with Oz and saying that he meant no offence whenever he was about to say something very, very rude?

Honestly, Gilbert had no idea how he was supposed to respond to that. He wasn't even sure if Oz was genuinely concerned about Vincent's sanity, or if it was just overemphasizing his belief that the boy was a little bit weird. He took a deep breath and released an equally labored sigh, shaking his head. Time for a subject change. "Oz… Why are you dressed like that?" he asked, raising his gaze to sweep over the boy's figure, only then noticing that his servant's clothes were not only soaking wet, but dirty and creased, also. "Aren't those the clothes you were wearing yesterday? Where's your uniform?"

In response, Oz grinned and held out the mound of damp material in his left hand, then proclaimed, "It's right here!"

"… Oz… What did you do?"

"Hey, I didn't do anything!" the blond huffed.

"Then how did it happen?"

"They got dirty, so I had to try and wash them. But…" Oz paused for a moment, pulling the damp uniform back against his chest and wrapping both arms around it. "Well, Missus Kate always did the washing for Ada and me, so we never had to learn," he explained with a slight shrug before rolling his shoulders back and standing straight, "But I'm sure I did it right. I just wasn't sure if I should wait for it to dry or go find you first, so…"

"I see…" Gilbert said quietly, feeling uncertain. He just couldn't read this boy… If the young Nightray was to just to accept the boy's words and actions at face value then Oz did not appear the slightest bit uncomfortable within the walls of his new home (excusing his instant sobering at the sight of Vincent). However, despite this, he couldn't shake the feeling that all was not as well as it seemed.

Eyes falling to the clothes in the boy's hands, a thought struck him, and he frowned.

Oz was a Vassalius… It would not surprise Gilbert if the servants of Nightray treated him in the same way their master's would… That would certainly explain how the boy's new uniform had somehow gotten 'dirty' before he had begun his very first day of work in the manor.

Something flared within Gilbert at that thought – Rage? Sympathy? Sorrow? – that made him clench his fists tightly for a moment. He had to protect him…

"You can bring them to my room and change there when they're dry, if you like," he offered with a friendly smile, surprised with how easily it came to him now that he thought it would help calm the boy before him, "I need to study, so you won't have to go anywhere."

"That sounds like a good idea," Oz said, and though nothing in his physical appearance appeared to alter at the suggestion, an invisible force surrounding him seemed to have brightened, "thanks Gil~!"

"Alright, let's go, then."

Oz smiled when Gilbert glanced back in his direction and beckoned him to follow, silently commending himself when the Nightray appeared to accept it as true, offering a smile of his own before leading him down the hall towards his bedroom. The young Vassalius resisted the urge to sigh, already exhausted when his day had not yet started.

'Only a fool would let his guard down around his enemies', hmm?

Well… Oz Vassalius was no fool.

He could tell by the look on Gilbert's face when he had eyed the uniform that the boy had probably figured out that the other servants had been the ones to saturate his outfit, and was thankful he had not said anything about it. Oz had known from the moment he had entered the mansion that he was in danger; he couldn't trust people here. Heck, he could hardly trust a soul in his own home, let alone the home of his family's sworn enemy ("Why would father…?"). He had wished that he could be strong, that he could accept his fate with his usual nonchalant, witty charm that people seemed to admire in him, but… everything had happened so fast… Just hours previously his father had-

He shook his head, clearing himself of such thoughts. That was why he had been so foolish yesterday, why he hadn't been able to retain a confident persona; he had let his thoughts run free, to dwell on the fear and sadness, instead of locking them away and facing the present. He had been expecting to meet his master, to do everything he was told, and still be treated like dirt.

But then…

Then he met Gilbert, and everything he had been afraid off seemed to burn away with every nervous word that left the Nightray boy's mouth.

Gilbert was… nothing like he expected. He was a Nightray, and yet… He really did seem like a nice person… His smiles and actions seemed genuine enough, and he did not appear to have ulterior motives for treating Oz kindly. He had no reason to help Oz wring out and unfold his drenched clothes to hang on the back of one of his chairs near an open window to help them dry faster. He also did not have to take a blanket from the linen closet and offer it to him so that the cold breeze would not chill him in his now-damp clothes, nor was there any reason for him to assume Oz was hungry and share his mid-morning snack with him. All the time the young Nightray spent helping Oz, speaking with him, explaining things to him, resulted in nothing but stress for the boy when he realized that it was already eleven o' clock and he had not yet begun to study for his tutoring season. The blind panic that took him over, making him scramble for his books and rush to his desk, paper and utensils scattering everywhere in his haste, convinced Oz that he had not been trying to trick him into trusting him. Gilbert really was just a nice guy… Something that Oz found hard to believe, considering…

"Oz," Gilbert called from where he stood at the window, his hand resting on the servant jacket that hung at the back of his chair, "your clothes are dry."

"Oh, really? Thanks Gil~!" Oz chirped, shuffling forward on the bed slightly until his feet were placed firmly on the ground before standing, raising an eyebrow as he smiled and said, "But… shouldn't you be studying?"

"Ah!" Gilbert exclaimed, and Oz could not help but laugh as the boy, once again, raced back to his desk and leapt into his seat, eyes focused on the book placed before him. Really, had he even noticed that he had left the desk to check on Oz's clothes?

"You act more like a servant than a noble," Oz noted with a chuckle as he gathered his clothes and moved to the bathroom to change, to which Gilbert only responded with a distracted hum of agreement.

He liked Gilbert; the boy was funny in so many ways. That helped him to relax and feel a little less nervous about his current situation. Oz was not going to be foolish enough to let his guard down around the boy too much, but he at least thought it possible for them to be friends… Maybe…

As Oz slipped his shirt from his shoulders in order to pull on the one for his uniform, he raised his right hand to trace his fingers over his left shoulder, frowning slightly as he gently rubbed the areas where Vincent's fingers had gripped him tightly.

The pain that remained suggested there would be bruises.

Huh… Maybe he could be friends with Gilbert… but the rest of the Nightray household appeared to be another story entirely.

O-O-O

To Be Continued

O-O-O