PP12: Like I promised, here's the final chapter, and it's a long one! Yay!

~Tortured Dreams~

Ciel froze like a statue at Sebastian's words.

He LOVES me?!

Quickly regaining his senses, Ciel succeeded when he tried to escape, forcefully pushing him away and breaking free from Sebastian who gave him a confused look in return.

"Don't play games with me."

Sebastian silently stood there, stunned, before chuckling deeply.

"Whatever do you mean, my Ciel?" he inquired.

"Stop saying my name!" Ciel paced around the room while Sebastian observed him with amusement and before he could approach him, Ciel quickly grabbed the candelabrum and barbed it towards the demon like he was holding a weapon. "Don't take one step near me!"

Sebastian smirked, hardly threatened at all. "Well isn't this amusing? One moment you looked as if you'd fall asleep in my arms and all of a sudden you try to avoid me?"

"Shut your mouth, bastard!" Ciel yelled as he swang the candelabrum towards him. Sebastian dodged the flames swiftly and in a second appeared behind him. Ciel's suspicions were confirmed, and the recent comforting feeling disappeared completely.

"Must you be so stubborn?" he breathed, encircling his arms around him. A shiver went up Ciel's spine. "Tell me, why are you so alarmed?"

"Will you quit teasing me?" Ciel said quietly while his eyes averted to the ground. He felt embarrassed after allowing Sebastian to comfort him. There is no possible way he could love him; this was all a cruel game, Ciel thought, and the objective was to make the proud little earl crumble into pieces. Anger slowly took over him.

Sebastian slowly took the candelabrum and whispered against his ear. "Whatever makes you think I am teasing you, love?"

"Stop it."

"Come now, don't be like that, there's no need to be afraid of me."

"I said get away from me!" Ciel screamed. Sebastian let go immediately and watched as the earl yanked his arms off and glared at him with bared teeth before storming to his bed. A struck of guilt hit Sebastian when he realised he had gone too far, especially after he noticed his shoulders shaking and a muffled sob reaching his ears. He admitted he favoured toying with Ciel's emotions, it interested him in such a way, but never had he wanted to torment Ciel in such a way that would make him upset. For a moment he thought he might have scared him, hell, he didn't even consider that Ciel might have felt the complete opposite to what he felt. But Sebastian went forward after seeing the flicker of emotion on the earl's face a moment ago, even if Ciel claimed there was nothing there. To Sebastian, a master of detection, he read his mind like a book. The emotion was merely a smidge, yet it was still there.

He knew Ciel would want him out of the room, but Sebastian detested the thought of leaving him to cry himself to sleep. Making sure he was cautious with his attempt, the demon went to his bedside and was about to place a hand on his backside but froze. He decided to use words before trying anything else.

"Master," he murmured, frowning when Ciel shifted away from him, "I apologise for my previous actions. I had no thought that you would take them so seriously, but my intention was never to hurt you, and-"

"That's enough," Ciel cut him off. Sebastian let no words come out, surprised at the firmness of his master's tone after crying. Ciel lifted himself up but kept his back facing towards the butler who was waiting for him to say anything else. Ciel took a deep breath, and two more, and immediately Sebastian realised he was nervous. Ciel gazed at his hands and his voice was quiet when he spoke.

"Explain."

Sebastian raised an eyebrow. "Explain what, my lord?"

Ciel lowered his head and shut his eyes, as if darkness was where he wanted to escape to at this moment. "How can this be possible if my soul is the only thing you desire? I don't understand."

Sebastian expected that to be his response and sighed with a defeated smile.

"To be openly honest, I hardly understand it either," he answered as he kneeled before his lord. Ciel scoffed.

"If you were unsure about it then why did you try to go forward on me?"

Sebastian pondered for the right words to answer his question. In truth, the demon had no idea how to respond to the realisation of this new emotion and acted on autopilot by what he thought was best. He was also frustrated upon how he acted; since he was a demon it was hard to comprehend what a human would expect, and Sebastian let his icy nature get to the best of him. Yes, the emotion irritated him, but yet it pleased him every time he thought of why he felt that way. He couldn't ignore the fact that Ciel was no ordinary soul and unlike any human he contracted with. He admired the coldness of his heart that had room for warmth, the naïvetés of not being fully able to dress or bathe himself, yet hid a genius where the world is his chessboard and he stands as the king. Sebastian admired every trait about him and deep inside felt a struck of panic whenever his master was in danger. At first he worried for the loss of his soul. Now the reason was much different.

He realised Ciel was waiting for an answer and had no choice but to be blunt and honest with him.

"I am quite new with this emotion you humans experience," Sebastian admitted, "And believe me, I was shocked when I found out, so I acted out of impulse because I was nervous."

He heard a short snicker from the earl.

"You? Nervous?"

"I know it's hard to believe," Sebastian replied, mentally laughing at himself for displaying such a pathetic state in front of his master, "Especially for you, my lord. But there is no doubt that I have felt this way for a while and I cannot ignore it. It pesters me on and on, each day, each night."

Ciel paused, biting his lip and mentally counting to three before questioning. He had to count twice for he was fretful about what Sebastian would say afterwards. "But why….why me?"

The demon felt like he could say nearly a million reasons, but stuck to a different response.

"May I ask a favour instead?"

Ciel became rigid, not saying a word, but afterwards nodded his head.

Sebastian smiled softly. "Then please look at me."

The earl silently cursed knowing his tear stained face would be seen, but reluctantly turned it slightly so his eyes just met Sebastian's. He twisted his body to face him however his eyes warded off to the duvet. That didn't hide the proof that Ciel was sobbing behind Sebastian's back, for they were swollen red and there were little watery trails down his cheeks. Sebastian wanted to sit on the bed beside him and comfort him with his arms, but remained where he was and waited for Ciel to look at him. He sighed and finally met his gaze.

"That's better," Sebastian smiled softly, "But that was not my request."

Ciel rolled his eyes. "Get on with it then."

The demon made a risk and sat beside him on the bed. Ciel didn't object, but still felt anxious as Sebastian locked his eyes on him. Suddenly, yet again, a rush of comfort raced through the boy's body when Sebastian rested his hand on his shoulder with nothing but tenderness written on his face.

"Tell me about the nightmare you dreamt," he requested softly.

Ciel widened his eyes and he quickly turned away from him. "And why should I?"

Sebastian tilted his head to the side in concern seeing how hesitant the earl was. "Are you afraid to tell me? I must say, it upsets me greatly that you don't trust me."

"No, that's not it," Ciel quickly responded. He shakily took a breath and forced himself to relax. He told himself his butler was someone he could trust, and for a moment, he couldn't care if said butler was a demon. He felt Sebastian had to know or it would haunt him for the rest of his life. "I'll tell you….but you must promise not to think of me differently. Understood?"

Sebastian nodded without hesitance. "Yes, my lord."

Ciel lied against the pillows and gazed at the ceiling as he imagined the imagery of his dream against the dark surface.

"Very well…"

Ciel feebly opened his eyes after being unconscious, a groan escaping his lips in response to his body aching tremendously. His clothes were tattered with bruises plagued all over his body, and his eyes widened in alarm when he writhed his hands to discover that they were restrained by chains. He was shackled in a horribly familiar area, for he recognised the blood-stained counter standing in the centre of the chamber, and it was terribly dark. He tried to make out something within the darkness, hoping to see a figure of his butler emerging from the shadows.

Shortly there was a small flicker of light wavering next to where he was chained. Ciel heard the sound of crackling around him, and abruptly, a burst of orange light blazed before him when a wall of fire rose from the ground. It circled him with the height resembling to those who tortured him, and progressively the flames neared the boy like a prowling lion.

"Sebastian!" Ciel exclaimed, and continued to shout his name with fright beginning to consume his voice. The fire showed no mercy and kept nearing him slowly, and suddenly the boy felt victory when he saw him in the fire, easily deterring the flames as he walked towards him. Ciel noticed something about his gaze was different, but he shook it off and waited to be rescued. Sebastian appeared in front of him and Ciel was expecting him to break the chains that bound him or put out the fire, however he just stood there with a piercing glare aimed straight towards him.

"Don't just stand there, free me!" Ciel shouted.

Sebastian did nothing.

"You have no right to order anything from me," he said coldly. Ciel was about to argue but no words emitted when smoke began to fill the air and enter the boy's lungs, causing him to cough severely. Sebastian harshly seized his chin and glowered into his eyes with so much detest as if he was staring at a dog. "What's the use of your life when you have nothing in return for me?"

Ciel coughed again. "E-excuse me?"

Sebastian took a piece of shattered glass and held it before his eyes, which were to Ciel's shock, the colour of crimson. The reflection showed Ciel as a demon which meant Sebastian could not devour his soul. Ciel felt the heat of the flames burn his skin and he shook his arms furiously, abhorring the rattling sound of the chains that manacled him.

"I'll take my leave then," Sebastian replied, before Ciel cried out to him.

"Wait! Don't you dare let me die! I order you to save me now!"

Ciel wasn't able to shout another word because the smoke kept invading his lungs, and he watched in vulnerability as Sebastian took off his glove and bit by bit the contract seal on his hand disappeared. Pain rocketed through Ciel's right eye as the seal on his iris also faded away.

"There is no hope for you, Ciel Phantomhive. You are rubbish to me, and I will not waste my time on a pathetic lowlife as yourself. I hope you enjoy the fires of Hell."

Ciel mustered up the strength to scream his name as Sebastian walked away, recoiling against the wall behind him while the fire inched closer. The smoke made Ciel grew weary and nearly all his strength was giving up on him.

"No….don't leave me….Sebastian!"

His last word was the echoing cry of the name of his butler before the fire engulfed him and death claimed him.

"And that's all that happened."

Silence lingered in the bedroom as Sebastian stared at his master for a long time, unable to respond to what he had heard. His eyes widened to show that he was shocked.

"So I left you to perish?" he murmured, hardly believing he could sound so stunned letting those words come out.

Ciel let his head sink heavily into the pillow. "You did."

Sebastian finally understood why Ciel was so terrified and frowned as he felt a small painful sensation in his chest. What made him feel worse was the fact that Ciel was terrified of him, and he already knew he would never betray him no matter what, but he felt a heavy weight upon him knowing that Ciel was losing his trust in him. Sebastian had grown tired of feeling confused and decided not to run away from the emotion he was experiencing. He could not deny the realisation that he truly cared for his master, and he was not willing to ignore it any longer.

Ciel immediately felt like a moron after telling Sebastian about his nightmare and wished his butler had never entered the room. To him, the dream felt more real than any of the nightmares he dreamt, and it petrified him. He felt as if he could trust no-one, not even the butler who swore to stay by his side.

He felt alone.

Ciel breathed in deeply and put on a straight face, not wanting to look at Sebastian and stared blankly at the ceiling.

"But anyway, in the end," the boy said softly, "It was nothing more than a dream."

There was no hiding it from Sebastian. He easily detected the uncertainty in his voice and the urge to hold him began to bother the demon greatly. He wanted to comfort him and tell him everything was alright, that he was beside him and would never hurt him. But did he truly expect Ciel to believe those words? Sebastian wanted to hit himself; he was thinking more human all because of that pestering emotion.

He turned away to get his act together, but when he looked back at Ciel the feeling returned. He was so small and his eyes revealed the deep sea of remorse that once were filled with pride, and the will to remain strong after the nightmare fascinated Sebastian, but also troubled him. Ciel held back his weakness so many times that Sebastian waited for the moment he would eventually not contain it any longer and break down, and it was then the demon figured out that the earl had whilst hiding in the shadows. The thought was pitiful. At first it would have amused him, but not anymore.

Indeed, in the most maddening and frustrating way, he loved Ciel.

Sebastian opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by a loud rumble outside, followed by a thunderous crack. He turned to the window. "Ah, it seems the storm hasn't given up yet."

He heard the sound of sheets being pulled friskily behind him and the quiet murmur of his master.

"You can leave now," Ciel mumbled with fear trickling in his voice.

Not this again. Sebastian was not going to let him win this time, and he glanced at him to see Ciel curled like a frightened cat with the blanket drawn over his head. The image was so adorable that Sebastian found it hard to resist.

"Master," he protested, "I cannot-"

"Please."

Two crimson eyes blinked. Ciel rarely said the word 'please'. Sebastian was far beyond giving up however and placed his hand on his shoulder, feeling the body flinch at his touch.

"How can I leave when you are scared to death? Are you asking me to walk away like I did in that dream of yours?"

Ciel tensed. "I….just…." He tugged the blanket tighter. "You shouldn't even care about me."

"You're right, I shouldn't care about you at all."

Water filled Ciel's eyes and he swallowed down the lump in his throat, but his breath hitched when his back felt the rubbing of Sebastian's hand in a circular motion.

"I shouldn't even consider offering you the help I provide," the demon said, "I should just leave this room right now while I have the chance. But you see, if that was the case I would be defying the promise I made with you, and I would never do that, with or without a choice."

Ciel was left speechless for a moment. He turned to face the direction of his butler though his face remained hidden, mostly because of the droplets of tears that fell on the sheets. Just as he thought Sebastian had finished he spoke again.

"I understand if you cannot trust me, or if you never will, and I'm not going to force you to either, however I want you listen very closely." Sebastian continued rubbing his back as Ciel waited anxiously. The demon began to smile when a pleasant shiver rushed through his small body.

"Whatever you dreamt that bestowed fear into you are only allusions. As you said before, in the end it was nothing but a dream. But even so, should you feel afraid after waking from a nightmare, or perhaps feel afraid of anything at all, know that I will come to your side whenever you seek comfort, and when you feel the need to shed tears I will be the one to catch them. I will do everything I can to make you strong again and I will not judge a thing about you."

Sebastian lifted the blanket so he could see Ciel's face staring up at him timorously. "Do you wish to know why?" he asked softly.

Ciel shrunk back a little and the shy action made Sebastian smile even more.

"Because you are very precious to me. You are still young but made of rock, and you choose to face your terrors alone in fear that no-one will help you. Yet in times like this your rocky demeanour erodes away, and especially in times like this, I will protect you with my very life."

"Because I ordered you to," Ciel said quietly as his eyes pierced the demon's. "Correct?"

Sebastian lifted his chin with his finger. "That isn't the point."

Suddenly thunder cracked again and Sebastian frowned when he felt Ciel's shoulders jump, and before he could scurry into the sheets, Sebastian scooped the boy into his arms and held him close. Ciel gasped at the sudden contact.

"I'm sorry if I startled you," the demon whispered as he cradled him comfortingly while a faint rumbling noise outside the manor could be heard. Ciel jumped as soon as a flash of light blared through the window and quickly hid his face in his chest, trembling in his hold. Sebastian lightly pulled away and cupped his face with his hands, smiling warmly at him.

"If you like, I'll stay with you for the night. How does that sound?"

Ciel felt more tears beginning to well up but he was able to keep them back. With a shrug, he answered with, "That's fine with me."

With a delighted smile Sebastian let Ciel put himself to bed as he disrobed his tailcoat and vest, slipping off his shoes, socks and gloves before filling the empty space next to his master. A rush of warmth filled Ciel's body the minute Sebastian wrapped his arms around him and gently pulled the boy against him. The demon's frame blocked out the window to Ciel's contentment and his eyes slowly began to droop, but they snapped open after the thunder roared loudly and the little earl clenched his hand on the demon's shirt.

"Hush, it's alright," Sebastian soothed as his hand rubbed along the length of his back while he whispered words of comfort in his ear, "It's only sound, Ciel. It won't hurt you. I won't let anything hurt you. Shh...you're alright…"

Ciel started to calm down and loosen the grip on his shirt. Admittedly he loved the feeling of being held by Sebastian. Unlike previous incidents when such touches defiled him, with his butler he felt so safe, and it felt right. Soon he nearly forgot about the thunderstorm and intuitively rubbed his head against Sebastian's chest, much to the butler's surprise, and the demon let out a chuckle.

"What's so funny?" muttered Ciel.

Sebastian ruffled his navy hair. "Nothing at all," he smiled, pressing his nose against the locks that lingered the scent of blueberry shampoo. Ciel shifted in his arms and his mismatched eyes gazed at the eyes of his butler.

"Sebastian…"

"Yes, my lord?" Sebastian inquired. Ciel breathed deeply and forced himself not to look away in nervousness, and without knowing it, a blush crept to his cheeks.

"I-is it true how you….feel about me?" His defences got the best of him and he frowned at his butler. "Or is this all a lie?"

A gentle smile curved at Sebastian's lips and he delicately brushed aside the locks of hair covering his marked eye. He leaned over and landed a peck upon it before adding a kiss on his forehead. At this moment he was thankful for his master's order.

"I never lie," he spoke tenderly, and he noticed a small smile forming on the earl's face, as well as the blush creeping to his cheeks. Sebastian chuckled again. "Being bashful now, are we?"

Ciel pouted and lightly hit him, before reaching up to plant a kiss to the demon's cheek and settling down against him.

"Idiot," he muttered.

The thunder eventually died down and was replaced by the sound of rain pattering on the roof of the manor. Sebastian looked at the window with a pleased smile.

"Well would you look at that?" he said, hearing no response from Ciel for he had fallen asleep instantly. The demon never knew he could adore the sight of him dwelled in peace while he slept, and he blew out the flames of the candelabrum before holding him tighter.

"I love you, my young master," Sebastian murmured and brushed his lips against his head, listening to the earl's soft breathing and the sound of the gentle rain.

Ciel slowly opened his eyes and couldn't believe he was smiling after hearing those words, or feeling his body being caressed lovingly by his butler. His eyes filled with tears again. Tears of happiness.

"I love you too…" he whispered quietly.

After that he let the pitter-pattering of the rain drift him off to sleep, along with the embrace he shared with Sebastian to ensure he was protected from anything. Ciel couldn't think of a better feeling than what he felt within the elder's arms, a feeling that could not stop the smile on his face.

For the first time in a long time, Ciel knew at last he was truly safe from any nightmare or passing storm.

PP12: Give me a happy ending~! Every time~! Haha see?! I told you there'd be fluff in all its mushy glory! Now I can go back to writing my current stories :D

Big thank you to those who reviewed, favourited and followed this story. I had great fun writing this fic and I'm glad to see people have enjoyed it. BYE ALL~~ *disappears in a puff of fairy dust*