Challenge 2

Title: A Ravens True Colors

Fandom: Pandora Hearts

Pairing: OzXGil

He sat there in utter silences in the Pandora head quarters infirmary. Right next to him in the bed lay his master barely alive and breathing. To anyone who looked into the room would see the raven as his usual calm self in a moment of absolute crisis and terror, but that wasn't exactly the case with this one. Gilbert Nightray was absolutely panicked about the whole situation. Sure everyone else seemed to be upset about it as well, but not as much as the twenty-four year old raven was. He felt like he could have done something to prevent it from happening. He blamed himself for Oz getting hurt.

The head quarters of Pandora had settled down after the panic of two days prior to now trying to get their only link to obtaining the Will of the Abyss alive and in a stable condition. He was still worried for him while everyone else was fine with him being unconscious but stable. It wasn't good enough for Gilbert, even though the hospital wasn't the happiest place for him to be after every, he just couldn't stay away knowing that the person he cared for (more than his own) life was hanging in the balance.

x.x.x

The infirmary was dead quiet, especially in the evening when everyone except for their group had gone home or to bed. And all that could be heard within the room was the quiet faint beeping of the heart monitor stationed next to the bed. It was the only indications that boy Gil had followed all this time and loved with was still alive. Over the past few days or so the raven had recently discovered that he didn't just care for the blonde haired boy, he had in fact fallen in love with him at some point.

"Oz…" he sighed to himself, standing up beside the bed where his master lay. If only he had been paying closer attention to everything that was going on around him then maybe it would've never had to come to this. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out his carton of cigarettes. He took one of them out of the package and placed it between his lips. He turned away from Oz with a frown. He didn't want to look at him that state anymore. He already had done that enough today.

He walked over to the window reluctant to leave Oz's side, but he didn't want to jeopardize his health even more. He opened up the window and lit his cigarette, breathing in deeply, inhaling the sweet intoxication of the drug and blew the smoke out the window. He didn't care that he was in an infirmary, he didn't care that they could kick him out of the room for smoking. He was too stressed out and worried to even care where he was at.

He sighed again as the images of two days before flashed through his head, like a movie playing over and over again. It felt like some crazy, messed up dream that he would soon wake up from and everyone would be fine and Oz wouldn't be lying in a bed nearly dead. He just couldn't believe that this had truly happened.

x.x.x

Shining emerald eyes slowly opened up to a bright white room. He blinked a few times trying to get his eyes adjusted to the lighting of the room (not that it would take much being as it was night time around Pandora's head quarters). His eyes scanned over the room, searching for something or someone that he would recognized. They stopped a lone dark figure close to the window with a cigarette in his hand. He squinted slightly as he looked in the figure's directions, trying to make out who it could be.

"G-Gil?" he said questioningly. The figure did resemble his black haired servant and closest friend and Oz found himself hoping that it really was him.

Gilbert quickly turned around when he heard his name being called by someone. Had Oz finally woken up or was he just imagining things once more? But when golden eyes met emerald green ones he was finally relieved of his worries.

"Oz." he said, relief evident in his voice. He turned around, putting out his cigarette and throwing it out the window. He walked over to his friend's bedside. Nobody would be able to guess how relieved he was when he heard Oz's voice say his name. It was like he had been holding his breath for days and was finally able to breathe again.

"Gil. Where are we? What happened?" the younger boy (well technically older but looks younger) asked his friend, rubbing his eyes to try and make himself wake up.

Gilbert was at a loss for words. He didn't exactly know how to tell him that he was near his death when they arrived at Pandora's HQ. No, it wasn't that he didn't know how to tell him, he didn't think that he would be able to tell him without breaking down in front of his love, but he wasn't able to think of anything else that he could tell him to avoid that subject. And he knew that he didn't and couldn't lie to his master.

"Oz, I don't know how to tell you this."

"Just tell me, Gil!"

Oz knew what Gilbert was trying to do. He was trying to cut corners and come up with something that probably didn't seem as harsh what had really happened. And sometimes Oz just wished that eh would give it to him straight without taking a different approach to the situation no matter how much it could hurt him. He was braver and stronger than he ever was and could handle anything that he was told. He's always, or well he always acted like he had anyway.

"Bocchan…" Gil paused taking a deep breath, still trying to go about the easy way of telling him. But he knew that if he took anymore time to think of a way to sugar coat things his master would get even more mad at him. So…

"The reason why you're in Pandora Head Quarters' infirmary is because two days ago you were stabbed and almost killed in a fight against the Baskervilles." he finally said to Oz, getting straight to the point without skipping a beat.

Then again maybe he shouldn't have been so blunt about it all. The look on Oz's face was one of complete shock, mixed with utter terror. He could've been killed by the Baskervilles, but didn't they want him for something? Wasn't he an important part to their plan. It just didn't make any sense.

"Gilbert…h-how? I-I don't understand."

As Gilbert was about to speak, Oz sudden felt a sharp pain the back of his head. And all the memories of what had happened that day started running through his head.

x.x.x

"Gilbert!" Oz yelled as he suddenly ran away from fight along side Alice. He had noticed out of the corner of his eye that his best friend was in trouble and wanted to do something to at least try to protect him.

And then….

Everything was suddenly silent. The fighting had stopped and everyone was just staring in the direction where Gilbert was standing. Although it wasn't Gilbert they were staring at, it was the scene right in front of him that captured everyone's attention.

Blood dripped down onto the ground in front of him. It seemed to take Gilbert awhile to realize that it wasn't his blood that had been spilt, even though he thought it should've been his. He hadn't been able to keep his guard up, he was the one who was going to be attacked from behind and yet he was still fine, exhausted and out of breath but fine. He slowly looked up to see what had happened to the attack, and saw who's blood it was on the floor in front of him.

Oz Vessalius stood in front him, sword run through his abdomen and dripping with his blood onto the ground. All Gilbert could stare and watch as everything else unfolded. Oz had saved him, yet again.. He had sacrificed himself to save the life of his servant and friend when he shouldn't have had to. When it was Gilbert's job to do that for him.

Everything after that was like slow motion as the Baskerville withdrew the sword Oz's body and started running away. They scared that their key to attaining the will of the could die and knew their leader wouldn't be too happy about that.

Oz fell back into Gilbert's arms as the blood poured out of his wound. Anyone else probably would've been unconscious by now from losing that much but not someone who has a strong of will as Oz did. But even so, his vision had started to fade away quickly.

"Oz! Don't close your eyes! Stay with me!" Gilbert yelled(sobbed really) at him as tears started run down his face as Oz's eyes started to close slowly. He smirked up at his best friend, happy that he had finally done something good for him for a change instead of causing him grief or injury.

He slowly closed his eyes letting the darkness take over him, still with a smirk on his face.

'Gil.'

x.x.x

"Gil….I…I saved you." Oz said quietly with a small smile spreading across his face. He was kind of shocked at himself for what he had done. He did swear to Gil when they first met that he would protect him from now on but never really thought he would do something that put him in danger of dying. Usually he can't do anything that can protect his friends from danger. And yet, he had just saved the most important friend that he's ever had during that struggle with the Baskervilles.

When he had saw Gilbert on his knees in exhaustion and that Baskerville about to attack him, he knew he had to do something, anything to save the person he cared for the most in the world, the person he had fallen for in the few years that they've known each other. His body had literally moved on his own, like it automatically knew he had to do something and he had.

"Yes. You did. But you shouldn't have had to."

"Not this again." Gilbert heard Oz sigh in annoyance. He looked over at him kind of hurt by that fact. They both knew that Gil was the one who was supposed to protect Oz but since day one Oz has been saving him from danger.

"Gilbert! Remember what I said to you that day when we first met and you became my servant? I told you that I would be the one protecting you from now on. And up till now I had kept that promise to you. But I did just that when I got this wound."

After that, the raven kept his protests about it to himself. He knew that if he complained about it any further Oz would get upset with him and he never wanted that (in fear of Oz sicking Dina on him once again). But now Oz was upset, he thought that Gilbert would've been grateful for his did and that he was saved. He had thought that he would appreciate the fact that Oz put himself in harms way in able to protect him. He hoped it would show him how much he truly cared about the raven but that's not how it turned out. When Oz looked up into Gilbert's golden eyes, all he could see was blame and guilt for what had happened.

"Anyway, Gil. I'm fine. You don't' have to worry about it." he told him, smiling it away, like he tried to do with everything. He was trying to make his friend not be as worried for him as he had been. And just to prove that he was fine, he started trying to sit up in his bed.

Pain instantly shot throughout his whole body as he did so. Gilbert was instantly alerted to what Oz was trying to do when he heard him groan in pain from the stretching of the stitches in his stomach and back.

"Oz! Don't sit up. You're going to make it even worse than it already is!" the raven said to him, panicked as he tried to making him lay back down. He knew he couldn't deal with Oz being hurt like he was. It was just not something that he was really used to having to deal with and though that he never would have to deal with it. And him trying to sit up would just make everything worse.

"I'm…fine…Gil." Oz told him, through clenched teeth as the pain wracked his body, it was clearly evident in his voice. But he didn't want Gilbert worrying anymore. He made him worry constantly and he was tired of it.

"Just stay still, Oz! I'll go get someone to check out your wound. Hopefully someone with some medically knowledge is still here." he said to him. Oz was shocked by the seriousness that was in Gilbert's voice. So he immediately laid back down on the bed, but as he was watching Gilbert walk around his bed over to the other side and heading towards the door, a sudden wave of panic shot through him.

His hand shot out and grabbed a hold of the sleeve of Gil's white shirt as he was walking around the other side of the bed.

"D-don't leave me." he whispered so quietly, it was amazing the raven was able to hear it. There was desperation in his voice when he said. Oz would never admit but he was afraid. After everything that had happened, he suddenly had thought that what if Gilbert left him, there were chances that he wouldn't ever come back and that absolutely terrified him. He didn't want to think that would happen, but what if it did? He didn't want to be left alone anymore.

"Oz. Everyone's going to want to know that you're finally awake." he told him as he pulled his arm out of his grasp and continued walking towards the door.

As he watched Gil walk further away more panic instantly shot through him. He immediately jumped out of his bed, ignoring the pain that it brought to him, and wrapped his arms around the raven's waist.

"Oz…" he started as he look over his shoulder at his friend. The look in Oz's eyes was the same look that he had had when Oz had saved him, nearly dying in his place.

"Don't leave me! I-I'm scared! P-Please don't leave me alone, Gil." he pleaded to him, burying his head into the small of his back and wrapping his arms tighter around him.

Sure his fear would seem irrational to anyone else but he's been left alone before and he never wanted that to happen again. And if something happened to Gilbert because of him again, he would never be able to forgive himself for it. He still hasn't forgiven himself for what happened at his coming of age ceremony. Just like Gilbert would die for him, he would die for Gilbert, the person he loved above all others.

Gil knew Oz was sincerely scared, for whatever reason he didn't know, but he didn't like it when he was scared just as much as he didn't like it when he was hurt. He sighed as he turned around in Oz's arms, stroking his messy blonde hair. " I will only stay if you stay laying down in your bed." he told him with a smile.

Oz smiled back at him, nodding his head vigorously, only asking for one thing. That Gilbert help him back into his bed. He was starting to feel the pain of his action just now. He was surprised that he hadn't started bleeding through his bandages after that.

x.x.x

"Nee, Gil."

They had been talking to each other for hours and hours now and neither one of them knew what time it was or if it was morning or not. They didn't really care about that at this particular moment. They were just happy to spend some time together, just the two of them. Somehow during the hours that they were talking to each other, Oz had somehow coaxed Gil into his bed and now had his head laying down on his lap.

"What is it, Oz?"

Gilbert was, either if it was consciously or not, stroking Oz's messy yellow hair as he ran his fingers throughout it as he went along.

"Do you ever think about me?" he asked Gilbert randomly as he was looking up at him.

Gil looked kind of shocked by the sudden question his friend was asking him. Of course the answer was yes. He thought about him everyday, constantly. He thought about him more than anyone else in the world. He was thought about him, where he was, what he was doing, if he was alright. There really wasn't a minute that he wasn't think about the blonde haired goofball.

"Of course I do, bocchan. You are my best friend." he answered him, semi-truthfully. He was his best friend, but Gil felt so much more than just simple friendship. Of course he wouldn't tell Oz unless he knew he felt the same way.

"No! I mean… do you ever think of me…you know… as more than just another friend?" Oz asked again, blushing as he got to what he really meant by his first question to Gilbert. This question actually stopped Gil's thought process completely. His brain was literally dead at this point. He never expected his bocchan to ask something like that to him. And the answer once again was yes. He loved the blonde haired boy to death, that's why he would do anything for him. That's why he was always worried about him getting hurt anyway or dying and leaving him all alone. That's why he was always upset with himself when he couldn't be there for him and protect him from the dangers that they faced.

Suddenly though, a thought popped into his head. Was the reason Oz asked him this was because he felt the same way? Is it why he was asking him these question about it out of the blue? Was this Oz's way of confessing his love to him? He didn't exactly know, but the one thing he did know was that he himself didn't know how he was ever going to tell Oz his true feelings.

"I-I… d-do you?"

Gil was literally at a lose for words at that particular moment. He didn't know how he could answer him without being embarrassed. He was nervous that he'd that if he gave Oz the wrong answer, he could hold it against him. He didn't even understand why he would think that Oz would do that, but he was.

"Well…" he started as a smirk stretch across his face. That smirk of his always made Gilbert's heart stop when he saw it. Oz was such a carefree person, even in moments of pure terror, he actually admired him for it. But Gil also thought that sometimes there was such a thing as being too carefree. "….maybe if you lean in closer I'll tell you."

Gilbert, thinking nothing of this simple task give by his master, started leaning in closer to Oz. He thought that maybe he just wanted to keep it a secret between them both. So basically he was taking this whole thing as some sort of joke between them, and thought it was nothing more.

Oz was started to get slightly annoyed with how slow Gilbert was being while leaning into to him, so he decides, like he always does, to take matters into his own hands. He grabbed a hold of Gilbert's tie, much to his surprised, and pulled him closer to him at the speed that he wanted him to more and their lips met in a fierce, passionate kiss.

Gil's eyes widened in shock when they're lips first made contact, but he got over that and slowly started closing them and kissed Oz back. The kiss was full of unsaid emotions for one another. Full feelings that have never been said to the other.

Oz's lips slowly parted allowing Gilbert to deepen the kiss even more. Oz's mouth tasted sweet and yet spicy, almost like honey mixed with cinnamon, and it was the most wonderful think Gilbert had ever tasted. He couldn't enough of it. Oz clenched on to his shirt, holding onto it like his life depended on it (which it probably did). He never wanted to let go of the raven, but both of them being only human eventually had to breathe.

Oz pulled away from Gil (rather reluctantly I might add).

"I hope that answered your question, Gilbert." he sighed. "But if it still hadn't, then yes. Gilbert Nightray, I do think of you as more than a friend. In fact, I think I'm madly in love with you."

"I-I…I really don't know what to say, Oz." Gil told him and it was true. He really didn't know what to say to him, or what he wanted him to tell him after that. It' not like he was always practicing his confession to his master in the mirror or something. He may have acted brave but when it comes to expressing his feelings to someone, he was very shy about it.

Now Oz was starting to become super embarrassed about what he had just said. You know something's embarrassing if Oz is embarrassed by it. He never blushes or is embarrassed of anything ever it always seemed like, but now he was. That was one of his traits, never being so embarrassed that he was to the point of blushing. Another trait of his was that he usually did things without thinking, which is what he had just done. He didn't think of the consequences of his action sometimes, and that was usually his down fall. He was now absolutely nervous that maybe Gilbert wouldn't say anything and he would make him looked like a complete fool. Hell he was afraid that he would look like a fool if Gil said that he didn't feel the same.

"Just tell me that you feel the same way so I don't look like a fool." he said to him, muffled by his hands as he tried to hide his face from Gilbert's view. He didn't want Gilbert to see him blush.

"You could never look like a fool to me, Oz-kun." Gilbert told him as he grabbed hold of Oz's hands and removed them so he could see his face clearly. He saw that he was still blushing like mad and he couldn't help but chuckled at how cute he looked when he blushed.

Gil scooped Oz up into his arms and leaned in close to him. He smiled down at him before pressing his lips against Oz's in another passionate kiss. It wasn't as fierce as the one Oz gave to him, it was gentler and softer as they're lips started moving together in rhythm. Gilbert had figured that since Oz had stolen a kiss from him that he should do the same thing. He held him as tightly as he could without hurting him, like if he let his hold on Oz lessen he would disappear.

Gilbert finally pulled away from Oz as soon as he felt the need to breathe again, and he was pretty sure Oz needed to as well.

"I hope that answers your question, Oz-kun." he said, breathlessly to his golden haired love as he ran his fingers throughout his yellow strands and staring into those shining emerald eyes of his.

Oz simply nodded his head. He understood Gil's answer and he couldn't have been any happier.

Gilbert laid him back down on his bed, still resting his head in his lap.

"Nee, Gil."

Oz was suddenly feeling sleep starting to take over him.

"Yes, Oz?"

He looked down at his angel, noticing the tired look that had appeared in his green eyes.

"Can you stay here with me until I fall asleep."

He smiled.

"Of course I can." Gilbert told him as he watched his best friend, master and now lover slowly fall asleep in his lap.

x.x.x

But happy times have to end eventually don't they.

The next day, a dozen black roses mysteriously appeared on the steps of Pandora Headquarters addressed to Oz. Apparently the Baskervilles had found out that their key had survived their attack the other day. So much for getting to relax for awhile and just hanging out with one another (mostly doing other things other than hanging out).

The look that had appeared on Oz's face was one of flat out annoyance.

Gilbert, taking noticed of his love's annoyed look, quickly leaned in and kissed him on the cheek to try and brighten up his mood at least for a little bit, which made Oz blush yet again. Maybe he wouldn't have to worry about it that much for now. After all no one knows when their next encounter with the Baskervilles will be.

Hello everyone this is xXxSebastianXCiel4everxXx and I'm back with a new one this time a Pandora Hearts OzXGil fluff fic. Pandora Hearts does not belong to me in any way, shape or form. It belongs to the brillant Jun Mochizuki! If I did own it there would be no question about Gil's sexual orientation, and he and Oz would be together already.

This is the second challenge give to me by the equal as brilliant Val-Creative (she denies it, but she's absolutely brilliant. don't argue with me on this, Val. YOU ARE BRILLIANT!) anyway, she gave me an easy one this time to make up for giving me a tough one last month. I still don't like that pairing, even though it did kind of grow on me. and I gave her a hard one and i kind of feel sorry for that but she said I could have my revenge if i wanted to. I used four (instead of three) of the words/phrases: black roses, dream, honey, and a stolen kiss.

And to agree with my friend, I, too, do not believe that Reim is really dead. I did at first, but then the more i thought about it the more I thought why would you believe the word of one of your enemies? So until it's proven that he really is dead I won't believe it!

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this OzXGil fluff oneshot. Reviews are appreciated but not required, thank you!