Ohh, very nice. I love the idea of Griffith having started off with genuinely affectionate feelings for Guts, and consciously choosing to exploit him - not because he sees what a great tool Guts could be (though that is a convenient additional bonus), but because he wants to shield his resolve from being compromised, to guard against love becoming the inevitable chink in his armor. It's just - so very Griffith, to do not purely what's in his best interests, but what can protect him from scary, scary emotions. (Since it's so heavily implied that the primary reason he agrees to the Eclipse is not actually to achieve his dream - once again, that's a convenient bonus - but to no longer have to be burnt by Guts's brightness - to no longer have to be overwhelmed by emotions he can't control. HAHAHA I LOVE IT.) This is the world's most unnecessarily long review, but yeah, I think you've really tapped into something really Griffithy here, and captured their dynamic just splendidly to boot. I really enjoyed this. :)