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Guy collapsed onto his bed with a sigh.

It had been a long, long day.

He tugged off his gloves and let them fall onto the bed next to him as he contemplated simply sleeping in his clothes. It was tempting to just lay there, but he knew Pere would never let him hear the end of it. So he sat up with a groan and began working his boots off - Score, his feet were swollen - as he wondered how things could've possibly gone any worse.

First, there'd been that mess in the kitchen early that morning with the new cook thinking he was flirting with her - which was completely untrue, by the way, he really had been just complimenting her haircut - and then there'd been the argument with Ramdas over said misunderstanding, which had ended with him getting assigned attic cleaning duty next week, something he wasn't even remotely looking forward to starting.

And then there'd been the fight in the laundry room just before lunch between three of the maids over who was sleeping with who's boyfriend, which he absolutely should have stayed out of, but, no. He'd had to step in and try to play peace keeper, and, boy, had he ever regretted it.

The blonde rubbed the back of his neck before reaching up and carefully feeling around his left eye, wincing at even that light contact. With a sigh, he dropped his gloves and socks onto the floor next to his boots, then turned his attention to his shirt.

At least the swelling had finally gone down enough for him to be able to see again. Sure had made doing the rest of his chores awkward, though. Guy was pretty sure he'd never bumped into so many corners and doorways or nearly knocked over so many tables in all his life.

And then there'd been Princess Natalia's visit. Undine, give him strength, he didn't even want to think about the mess she and her beloved cousin had made in the dining room during their fight. What had made Luke think that throwing a piece of gravy covered bread at Her Highness was a good idea was beyond him. Well, really, he was pretty sure Luke hadn't bothered to stop and weigh the pros versus the cons of assaulting the crown princess with his lunch before doing so. Thinking before acting was for people with more than three brain cells.

Guy winced. That was a bit harsh of him. He knew full well that Luke couldn't help it that his memories hadn't ever come back. He rubbed at his right eye and yawned before standing and crossing the room to place his dirty clothes in the laundry basket and set his sword next to his wardrobe. He'd clean it tomorrow.

Careful, you're starting to sound like Luke there. He quietly laughed to himself and shook his head as he made his way back over to his beckoning pillow and blankets. Next he'd be calling his chores a pain. Not that they weren't, but somebody had to set a good example around here.

Yulia Jue knew a certain princess wouldn't be any help with that. He still couldn't believe she'd thrown that pitcher of milk at Luke's head. Completely ridiculous, the pair of them.

Another yawn escaped Guy as he finally laid back down. Would've been nice to have had a shower, especially after the dressing down he'd given Luke after cleaning up the mess from that stupid food fight had ended with the both of them in the dirt sporting filthy clothes on top of several new bruises. The swordsman let out a huff as he turned onto his side and gave his work table a half-hearted glare.

He really ought to have apologized. He shouldn't have said half the stuff he did - any of it, if he was honest - it'd all been down right cruel coming from him, and Luke had been in tears, but he'd just been so fed up with everything else that he'd gone storming off back into the house without so much as a backwards glance. And of course Ramdas had gotten word of him getting into a fistfight with their dear, young master which was why Guy had then spent the rest of the day on his feet scrubbing every bathroom on the second floor from ceiling to floor tile.

Guy could've easily resented the older servant, but he really had no one to blame but himself. Taking his frustration and anger out on Luke had been as stupid as Luke starting a food fight with Princess Natalia for what had likely been the same reason. The redhead had been in a bad mood the past week ever since Van had had to cancel their lessons due to coming down with the flu. Really, the amazing thing was that Luke had gone so long without lashing out sooner.

"You know, if you keep that up, one of these days you're going to find yourself actually sympathizing with the little brat." Guy rolled over onto his other side and frowned at Pere's empty bed as the echo of an old exchange with Van ghosted through his conciousness. "Far be it from me to tell you how to carry out your own revenge, but don't you think you might find it a little difficult to go through with your plans if you allow yourself to truly care? Just be careful you don't wake up someday to find that you've become that mask you wear so well. I would hate to lose you to House Fabre, too. Especially to someone as ungrateful, unappreciative, and undeserving as that reject."

Guy rolled onto his back and stared up at the blank back of the pinned up banner above his bed. Hanging like that, he could almost pretend it was a Malkuthian banner. Or the banner of some other, far off place. That was the beauty of a blank canvas - it could be anything.

"It doesn't matter if I never get my mem'ries back - I don't need 'em! Besides, how'm I s'posed to go forward if I'm always looking back?"

And if you didn't like the way the painting turned out, you could always paint over it, right? Start back over, try again, but this time without the mistakes.

"You know, Guy, if it wasn't for you, I think I'd go crazy being trapped in here all the time."

Kind of like saying you're sorry.

"I guess I shouldn't've hit you or whatever."

The blonde only just managed to suppress a yelp as he nearly jumped out of his bed and skin both. Luke was standing by the foot of his bed, the redhead awkwardly shuffling in place with his hands hidden behind his back while staring red faced at the floor.

How the hell had he gotten in here without Guy noticing?

"I - sorry, what?"

Luke glanced up at him and, flustered, turned a brighter hue before dropping his gaze again. "Earlier. When we were outside. I shouldn't've hit you."

"Oh."

Oh.

Well.

This was -

Huh.

Luke glanced at him again and turned a darker shade of pink before shifting his gaze to stare at the work table littered with fon machine parts and tools. He had that look he got when he was trying very hard to not do something he knew would get him into trouble. The one that was part way between frustrated and scared.

Guy realized he hadn't yet replied as his brain finally finished catching up with the conversation.

"Uh. Oh! Ah." Very eloquent, Guy. "I'm sorry about earlier, too. Not just for hitting you, but also for all those things I said -"

Luke shook his head, crossed his arms, and glared at the floor as though it had done something to personally offend him. "No, you were right. What I did was stupid. I didn't stop to think about it, I just got mad and did the first dumb thing that came to mind."

Guy wondered if he was dreaming. That had to be it. There was no other explanation for Luke suddenly admitting he was wrong about anything, ever.

The redhead ducked his head and managed to somehow frown up at him regardless of the fact that Guy was sitting down. "What's with that look?"

Guy carefully weighed his words before answering. "What brought this on all of a sudden? It's not like you to come to me after we've had a fight. Not that I'm complaining. It's nice seeing that I'm not the only one who cares."

Luke's eyes went wide, and he stared at Guy for several seconds. He finally opened his mouth - only to shut it again without saying anything. After a few more moments of staring at the floor, he looked back up at Guy and chewed on his lower lip for a second.

"Um."

He cleared his throat and started again, "Ah. I, um. Earlier. When you left and didn't come back, I... I was kind of scared that maybe you weren't gonna come back ever. That I'd made you so mad you didn't want to even want to look at me again, like that one time Natalia got so mad at me for spilling tea on her favorite dress that she didn't visit for three whole months. Except... I'd, um."

The redhead ducked his head as he blushed again and played with the ends of his long sideburns. It was a long moment before he continued in a small voice.

"I'd actually be really, really sorry if you ever left. Don't - don't do that, okay?"

"Luke..."

The red haired boy pried his fear-filled gaze off the floor, and Guy had the sudden urge to protect Luke, from anything and everything. Then Luke uttered another impossible thing.

"Please?"

Again the thought that this must be a dream crossed Guy's mind. Luke had never asked for anything before. But that only highlighted how important this was to him. How important Guy was to him. The blonde had to swallow around the lump he suddenly found forming in his throat at the thought of meaning so much to someone again.

"I won't abandon you, Luke. You have my word."

The fear in Luke's expression gave way to warmth and a smile that could have lit up all of Baticul. Guy couldn't remember the last time Luke had looked so genuinely happy without Van present and he couldn't help but feel a little pleased that he'd been able to bring that special smile out.

Then the redhead let out an enormous yawn and after only a few seconds of laughter, the blonde was yawning, too.

Luke dissolved into giggles. Guy just snorted and shook his head.

"I think maybe we should both be getting some sleep now."

His friend offered him a sheepish smile. "I guess it's pretty late, huh?"

He smiled back and nodded. "I'm pretty sure it's past both our bedtimes."

Then Luke yawned again.

"Alright, you've gotta take your yawns and go before I pass out sitting up."

They both laughed, and Luke headed to the door. Once there, he paused to turn back and grin. "Goodnight, Guy."

"Goodnight, Luke. Sleep well."

"You, too."

As the door shut behind Luke's retreating form, Guy laid back in his bed and smiled up at the ceiling.

It hadn't really been such a bad day, after all.

Description
body div#devskin0 hr { }

Guy collapsed onto his bed with a sigh.

It had been a long, long day.

He tugged off his gloves and let them fall onto the bed next to him as he contemplated simply sleeping in his clothes. It was tempting to just lay there, but he knew Pere would never let him hear the end of it. So he sat up with a groan and began working his boots off - Score, his feet were swollen - as he wondered how things could've possibly gone any worse.

First, there'd been that mess in the kitchen early that morning with the new cook thinking he was flirting with her - which was completely untrue, by the way, he really had been just complimenting her haircut - and then there'd been the argument with Ramdas over said misunderstanding, which had ended with him getting assigned attic cleaning duty next week, something he wasn't even remotely looking forward to starting.

And then there'd been the fight in the laundry room just before lunch between three of the maids over who was sleeping with who's boyfriend, which he absolutely should have stayed out of, but, no. He'd had to step in and try to play peace keeper, and, boy, had he ever regretted it.

The blonde rubbed the back of his neck before reaching up and carefully feeling around his left eye, wincing at even that light contact. With a sigh, he dropped his gloves and socks onto the floor next to his boots, then turned his attention to his shirt.

At least the swelling had finally gone down enough for him to be able to see again. Sure had made doing the rest of his chores awkward, though. Guy was pretty sure he'd never bumped into so many corners and doorways or nearly knocked over so many tables in all his life.

And then there'd been Princess Natalia's visit. Undine, give him strength, he didn't even want to think about the mess she and her beloved cousin had made in the dining room during their fight. What had made Luke think that throwing a piece of gravy covered bread at Her Highness was a good idea was beyond him. Well, really, he was pretty sure Luke hadn't bothered to stop and weigh the pros versus the cons of assaulting the crown princess with his lunch before doing so. Thinking before acting was for people with more than three brain cells.

Guy winced. That was a bit harsh of him. He knew full well that Luke couldn't help it that his memories hadn't ever come back. He rubbed at his right eye and yawned before standing and crossing the room to place his dirty clothes in the laundry basket and set his sword next to his wardrobe. He'd clean it tomorrow.

Careful, you're starting to sound like Luke there. He quietly laughed to himself and shook his head as he made his way back over to his beckoning pillow and blankets. Next he'd be calling his chores a pain. Not that they weren't, but somebody had to set a good example around here.

Yulia Jue knew a certain princess wouldn't be any help with that. He still couldn't believe she'd thrown that pitcher of milk at Luke's head. Completely ridiculous, the pair of them.

Another yawn escaped Guy as he finally laid back down. Would've been nice to have had a shower, especially after the dressing down he'd given Luke after cleaning up the mess from that stupid food fight had ended with the both of them in the dirt sporting filthy clothes on top of several new bruises. The swordsman let out a huff as he turned onto his side and gave his work table a half-hearted glare.

He really ought to have apologized. He shouldn't have said half the stuff he did - any of it, if he was honest - it'd all been down right cruel coming from him, and Luke had been in tears, but he'd just been so fed up with everything else that he'd gone storming off back into the house without so much as a backwards glance. And of course Ramdas had gotten word of him getting into a fistfight with their dear, young master which was why Guy had then spent the rest of the day on his feet scrubbing every bathroom on the second floor from ceiling to floor tile.

Guy could've easily resented the older servant, but he really had no one to blame but himself. Taking his frustration and anger out on Luke had been as stupid as Luke starting a food fight with Princess Natalia for what had likely been the same reason. The redhead had been in a bad mood the past week ever since Van had had to cancel their lessons due to coming down with the flu. Really, the amazing thing was that Luke had gone so long without lashing out sooner.

"You know, if you keep that up, one of these days you're going to find yourself actually sympathizing with the little brat." Guy rolled over onto his other side and frowned at Pere's empty bed as the echo of an old exchange with Van ghosted through his conciousness. "Far be it from me to tell you how to carry out your own revenge, but don't you think you might find it a little difficult to go through with your plans if you allow yourself to truly care? Just be careful you don't wake up someday to find that you've become that mask you wear so well. I would hate to lose you to House Fabre, too. Especially to someone as ungrateful, unappreciative, and undeserving as that reject."

Guy rolled onto his back and stared up at the blank back of the pinned up banner above his bed. Hanging like that, he could almost pretend it was a Malkuthian banner. Or the banner of some other, far off place. That was the beauty of a blank canvas - it could be anything.

"It doesn't matter if I never get my mem'ries back - I don't need 'em! Besides, how'm I s'posed to go forward if I'm always looking back?"

And if you didn't like the way the painting turned out, you could always paint over it, right? Start back over, try again, but this time without the mistakes.

"You know, Guy, if it wasn't for you, I think I'd go crazy being trapped in here all the time."

Kind of like saying you're sorry.

"I guess I shouldn't've hit you or whatever."

The blonde only just managed to suppress a yelp as he nearly jumped out of his bed and skin both. Luke was standing by the foot of his bed, the redhead awkwardly shuffling in place with his hands hidden behind his back while staring red faced at the floor.

How the hell had he gotten in here without Guy noticing?

"I - sorry, what?"

Luke glanced up at him and, flustered, turned a brighter hue before dropping his gaze again. "Earlier. When we were outside. I shouldn't've hit you."

"Oh."

Oh.

Well.

This was -

Huh.

Luke glanced at him again and turned a darker shade of pink before shifting his gaze to stare at the work table littered with fon machine parts and tools. He had that look he got when he was trying very hard to not do something he knew would get him into trouble. The one that was part way between frustrated and scared.

Guy realized he hadn't yet replied as his brain finally finished catching up with the conversation.

"Uh. Oh! Ah." Very eloquent, Guy. "I'm sorry about earlier, too. Not just for hitting you, but also for all those things I said -"

Luke shook his head, crossed his arms, and glared at the floor as though it had done something to personally offend him. "No, you were right. What I did was stupid. I didn't stop to think about it, I just got mad and did the first dumb thing that came to mind."

Guy wondered if he was dreaming. That had to be it. There was no other explanation for Luke suddenly admitting he was wrong about anything, ever.

The redhead ducked his head and managed to somehow frown up at him regardless of the fact that Guy was sitting down. "What's with that look?"

Guy carefully weighed his words before answering. "What brought this on all of a sudden? It's not like you to come to me after we've had a fight. Not that I'm complaining. It's nice seeing that I'm not the only one who cares."

Luke's eyes went wide, and he stared at Guy for several seconds. He finally opened his mouth - only to shut it again without saying anything. After a few more moments of staring at the floor, he looked back up at Guy and chewed on his lower lip for a second.

"Um."

He cleared his throat and started again, "Ah. I, um. Earlier. When you left and didn't come back, I... I was kind of scared that maybe you weren't gonna come back ever. That I'd made you so mad you didn't want to even want to look at me again, like that one time Natalia got so mad at me for spilling tea on her favorite dress that she didn't visit for three whole months. Except... I'd, um."

The redhead ducked his head as he blushed again and played with the ends of his long sideburns. It was a long moment before he continued in a small voice.

"I'd actually be really, really sorry if you ever left. Don't - don't do that, okay?"

"Luke..."

The red haired boy pried his fear-filled gaze off the floor, and Guy had the sudden urge to protect Luke, from anything and everything. Then Luke uttered another impossible thing.

"Please?"

Again the thought that this must be a dream crossed Guy's mind. Luke had never asked for anything before. But that only highlighted how important this was to him. How important Guy was to him. The blonde had to swallow around the lump he suddenly found forming in his throat at the thought of meaning so much to someone again.

"I won't abandon you, Luke. You have my word."

The fear in Luke's expression gave way to warmth and a smile that could have lit up all of Baticul. Guy couldn't remember the last time Luke had looked so genuinely happy without Van present and he couldn't help but feel a little pleased that he'd been able to bring that special smile out.

Then the redhead let out an enormous yawn and after only a few seconds of laughter, the blonde was yawning, too.

Luke dissolved into giggles. Guy just snorted and shook his head.

"I think maybe we should both be getting some sleep now."

His friend offered him a sheepish smile. "I guess it's pretty late, huh?"

He smiled back and nodded. "I'm pretty sure it's past both our bedtimes."

Then Luke yawned again.

"Alright, you've gotta take your yawns and go before I pass out sitting up."

They both laughed, and Luke headed to the door. Once there, he paused to turn back and grin. "Goodnight, Guy."

"Goodnight, Luke. Sleep well."

"You, too."

As the door shut behind Luke's retreating form, Guy laid back in his bed and smiled up at the ceiling.

It hadn't really been such a bad day, after all.