Hello everyone! It's been awhile since I have updated any of my stories but I just recently got the perfect idea for this chapter so thank AnimeDomo and billiards otherwise you might have had to wait another 2 months for this chapter. If you like my kuroshitsuji stories go check out hers. So here it is!

Lesson 3: Sound

*Why won't this idiotic party end already?*

Two unbearable hours Ciel Phantomhive had been forced to dance five times and at least 2 glasses of wine and 4 glasses of champagne. Or at least he thought.

Lizzy had begged him until he finally caved and allowed her to throw a New Year's party in his mansion. He regretted giving into any of Lizzy's' antics, but this might be the worst one yet.

Standing alone beside one of the elaborately decorated tables, he watched the rest of the nobles dance, drink and eat mindlessly into the New Year. Ciel knew better. Nothing would change for him.

His soul still belonged to the demon butler. He still served the Queen. He was still engaged to Elizabeth. He was still constantly tortured by his noisy and clueless servants. One day, one night marking the end of one year and the beginning of another wouldn't change this.

Ciel felt as if a headache was about to hit him. He grabbed a glass of champagne off the table and downed it in a few seconds.

"Young master shouldn't drink so quickly."

Ciel almost spewed champagne in surprise. "Make yourself known next time, Sebastian."

"My apologies, young master." The raven haired butler stood beside his master as he always had with his signature smile.

Time passed and Ciel forced himself to dance with Lizzy once more and a couple more drinks passed through his lips. His butler did as he pleased but the past few months he felt as if no matter where he was, Sebastian was somehow still watching him. Maybe it had something to do with the time they slept together.

Ciel admitted to himself that he had feelings for the man. He wasn't so sure about Sebastian but he thought the demon must hold some feeling for him, right?

He sighed; knowing that he had drank just a little too much. He could feel his body not responding so perfectly to his minds' requests.

As if on cue, Sebastian appeared at his side. "Would you like me to accompany you to bed, young master?"

"Yes I suppose."

"You're going to bed already, Ciel?" The girl appeared almost out of nowhere in her pink frills and sparkles.

"Yes Lizzy."

"But it's almost midnight! Just a little bit long?"

"No I'm sorry Lizzy. Even though I would absolutely love to stay up I'm very tired."

"Well if you're sure. Goodnight then." Lizzy placed a kiss on his cheek. Suddenly Ciel could feel an overwhelmingly dark aura. But as soon as he felt it, it was gone.

As Lizzy walked away back into the pool of aristocrats, he looked up at his butler. There was no hint of any emotion on his face.

Ciel made his way up the stairs to his room and Sebastian followed silently behind. He could feel his footing almost slip on one of the stairs. *Well I'm not completely drunk.*

As they walked slowly to his room, Ciel wanted to know if that creepy aura had been his butler. "Sebastian."

"Yes?"

"What was that when Lizzy kissed me?"

"What do you mean?"

"There was this dark feeling in the air. What the heck was that?"

Sebastian did not reply right away. However he didn't answer his question either.

"Maybe you should focus on getting some sleep and we can discuss this some other time."

*So he wants to play that game.* He knew that he was either going to have to challenge Sebastian to get the answer or order him. Ordering him to say so was never any fun. But what could he challenge him to?

Ironically he passed the pool hall where he'd play billiards with some of his guests. Ciel stopped right in front of the door. He turned and faced his butler.

"You're not going to tell me, are you?"

"Tell you what, young master?" he replied with his innocent smile.

"Alright then. We're going to play billiards."

"Are you sure you want to play me? Even when you're shall I say, tipsy?"

Ciel gave Sebastian a glare which only made the demon chuckle. "Yes because I want my answer. That's what I get if I win."

"And if I win?"

Ciel paused. "You decide."

"Alright if I win, you have to let me keep Phantom in the house for a week."

"Ok so then…wait, who the hell is Phantom?"

"A black kitten that visits me while I'm about in the gardens."

Ciel felt his eye twitch. "A cat in the house?"

"Yes. For a week." Sebastian's smirk was plastered all over his face.

Ciel cursed under his breath. He really wanted an answer to his question.

"Alright, deal." With that he opened the door. They entered the room. Sebastian lit the candles and set up the table. Ciel waited patiently, hoping that he wouldn't be too off because of the alcohol.

Sebastian finished racking the balls. "Would you like to break, young master?"

"No you go ahead."

The butler chose a cue and removed his jacket, which caught his master's attention. Ciel shook his head. *It must be the alcohol.*

He jerked his head up hearing the crack of the cue ball hitting the other fifteen. It seemed to be louder than usual, but that might have been because of the party downstairs. He could still hear it faintly like light background music.

"It seems I have stripes." Sebastian said. Ciel noticed that number fourteen was missing. Sebastian gazed over the table before taking his next shot clean and perfect, the number ten ball went into the left hand corner pocket.

*Damn, I'm going to lose. Such a great idea, huh Ciel?*

It was still Sebastian's turn. "You're very quiet, young master."

"What is there to say?"

"Just making conversation is all." He took his next shot, and even though the cue ball was perfectly aligned with the number thirteen ball, he somehow missed.

*He missed on purpose.*

"Your turn."

"You missed on purpose."

The demon didn't reply only smirked. Ciel gripped his cue til his knuckles were white. He hated that Sebastian had lowered the bar to make it even. Then it wasn't a challenge for Ciel.

A half an hour later each one was left with one ball and the eight-ball. Both had their jackets off and sleeves rolled up. It was Sebastian's turn. He swiftly hit the cue ball in return hitting the number twelve ball into the right side middle pocket.

Sebastian then scratched on purpose. "You shouldn't have done that."

"Why not, young master?"

Ciel had taken the cue ball from the corner pocket and set it in front of him.

"You'll see."

Sebastian looked at him quizzically. Ciel hit the cue ball hitting his last ball into the left hand corner pocket at the head of the table.

Ciel the called the eight-ball, "Top right corner pocket."

Quickly he took his last shot hitting the cue ball right to the eight-ball where it hit it just hard enough to fall into the called pocket.

Ciel turned to face Sebastian. "I win. So now I want my answer."

"My, my you don't waste one moment do you?" Sebastian said as he grinned and put the cues back.

Ciel sat on the pool table as he waited for Sebastian.

"Well?"

"You really shouldn't sit on the table."

"It's my table so stop avoiding the question. What the hell was that creepy aura I felt?"

Sebastian walked closer to him until he was standing in front of him.

"Sometimes when demons lose control of their emotions, their demon side feeds off of it creating an aura of darkness around them, which is what you felt."

Ciel sat there puzzled for a moment. Why would Sebastian have lost control of his emotions? What would he have been feeling so strongly?

Realization hit him like a rock. *I'm so stupid.*

"You were jealous?" Sebastian moved closer to wrap his arms around Ciel's waist. "Very much so. Even though Lizzy is you fiancée, you are mine. To see you being touched by anyone but myself makes me extremely jealous."

"But that's just your want for my soul right?"

"Silly Ciel, did you not hear me when I said I loved you?"

"I don't remember you saying so."

"Well then I'll say it again. I love you Ciel." He leaned in close towards Ciel.

"By the way, I saw the book you got from the bookstore a couple weeks ago. It was out of place on the book shelf." He whispered catching Ciel off guard.

Sebastian only smirked at Ciel's surprised look.

"If you were so curious all you had to do was ask."

Ciel couldn't say anything out of embarrassment.

"Do you still want to know?" Ciel nodded yes, trusting his demon butler. Sebastian took ahold of Ciel's hands intertwining their fingers. Ciel was now laying on the pool table legs dangling over the edge with Sebastian hovering over him. Sebastian kissed him but something was completely different. He felt that aura again, only it was invading him.

Suddenly his opened his eye. Everything was so clear as if compared to his vision he'd been looking through old dirty glass. He could hear the party downstairs but it was as if he was right in the middle of the dance floor rather than a story above it. The clinking of glasses and someone counting the minutes until New Year's echoed in his ears. He smelled all the food and alcohol from downstairs as well, and the candles burning in the room. As he was reveling in the feeling of his senses being heightened, he realized Sebastian was kissing him still.

He could feel Sebastian's gloved hands encasing his own, smell the spices he had been using earlier that day while cooking, hear Sebastian's lips moving against his own, see Sebastian's eyes glow like rubies under summer sunlight, and taste those lips he had kissed times before. Slowly he felt the aura leave his body and the feeling of all those senses leave as well.

Sebastian released his master moving his hands by Ciel's sides on the pool table.

"Whoa…" was all Ciel managed to breathe out. Sebastian chuckled at the young earl's reaction. Ciel managed to catch his breath and sit up scooting back so he wasn't so close to Sebastian.

"So that's what you see?"

"Oh no. I was only heightening your senses. If I had made you feel what a demon feels, you'd probably die. Our senses surpass yours so much it would be too much for your body's senses to handle."

"Holy shit, no wonder your kind can hear colors and smell fear."

Sebastian only chuckled at him again. "In a way yes."

They were quiet for a moment just taking in each other's presence.

Sebastian turned his head toward the door and then smiled back at Ciel.

"What is it?"

"They've started to count the last seconds of this year. I believe it's tradition to kiss your love at midnight, is it not?"

"Umm… yeah but…"

Sebastian cut off his ramblings. "Happy New Year, Ciel."

As the grandfather clock struck midnight and rang 12 times throughout the manor and people cheered in hopes for the new year, a master and demon kissed fully knowing that the master servant roles they had played for so long would not exist for each other any longer, only to the people on the outside who couldn't see past the masks they wore.

Tell me how it was! I already have some ideas for the next chapter. I thank everyone whose read and reviewed and I'll be updating my other stories, (Dreams and A Set of Circumstances) sometime this next week. Thank you all and I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Year's. ~Edmy