Hello, everyone! It's been so long since I have posted anything up here! (I realllly need to update my other stories... sorry!)

...Anyway, this was entirely based off my first anime dream ever! It was detailed, weird, and Sebaciel... but whatever! This is mostly just fluff and drama (and a little bit of humor, too.), so... here you go! A loooong Sebaciel one-shot! (The ending is my favorite!) :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroshitsuji or its characters :(

Warnings: This is rated T. Sooo, there is no... stuff. Also, this is a boyXboy story (SebastinXCiel), so, please, if you do not like this sort of pairing... please do not read. I don't mean to sound unkind (forgive me if I sound that way), but I am just telling you in advance. ALSO, there are a few stronger words (semi-curse words) used in here, but nothing too strong...

Another sharp hiss made it's way to his lips. "Damn it, Sebastian." Ciel pulled his hand away and glowered. Injuries were such a nuisance, and he wouldn't have to deal with the bloody pain if his butler had just done his job.

Sebastian's wary eyes lifted up to look at his young master with concern. Puddles of crimson blood spattered the floor in unique patterns; every ounce of it belonged to Ciel. "I am sincerely sorry that I have failed in something this important."

Ciel was going to snap at him, but this was the moment Ciel noticed how close the two were from each other, and how close Sebastian's face was to his...

TIME JUMP (this totally just ruined the moment, grrr) TO EARLIER THAT MORNING...

"Young Master, it is time for you to wake up."

Ciel's eyes opened a crack and then stared profusely at his butler. Although it was a part of his daily routine, he disliked being awoken at such an early hour. Meyrin, Bard, and Finny were more than likely still walking around, half-asleep like a bunch of drunken penguins. He thought grudgingly of how awful it was for the head of a household to be awake before his servants. Giving up his aversion, he sighed and decided that it didn't matter.

"What is the schedule for today?" He asked, propping himself up and dangling his bare legs over the bedside. He was tired of having to ask his butler the same questions everyday when he knew Sebastian could have easily guessed.

The demon finished clearing the window of an annoying smudge before strolling over to him. "We are visiting your betrothed. Lady Elizabeth has lost a family pet." He responded quietly and began replacing Ciel's nightwear with his day attire one article of clothing at a time. Slipping on the earl's shoes, he continued. "Also, Lord Edward is graduating soon. This will be his last visit home for a while. It would be nice of you to wish him farewell."

Ciel waved the suggestion away. "There is no need to remind me to use manners, and it's not your place to tell me your opinions." He almost huffed in annoyance. It was still early in the day, and he was already being bossed around by his butler.

Sebastian's sharp ears heard the boy's small heart speed up with anger. A vague smile danced across his lips, but Ciel caught him.

"Mind telling me what you find so amusing?" A little muscle twitched in his jaw, and his eyes narrowed.

A stronger, sly smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "It is best if I do not speak of my feelings or opinions. A butler has no place speaking so freely to his master." The sentence came out with obvious amusement. He gave the knot on Ciel's eye-patch one last tug before stepping back to escort him from the room.

"Don't mock me." Ciel clenched his teeth slightly. He held out his hand for a cup of tea and a scone, but instead a cane was gently placed there by gloved hands. He looked down in disbelief. This was the first time Sebastian had ever forgotten something so routine. "What is this?" He asked incredulously.

Sebastian scrunched his eyebrows in confusion. "That is a cane, my lord."

"Don't play an idiot! Where is my breakfast?" He shoved the cane back at him, and tilted his head in aggravation. "It isn't like you to forget."

Sebastian bowed. "My apologies. You were invited to eat breakfast when you arrive at Lady Elizabeth's. We were leaving early today." He delicately pressed the cane back into Ciel's petite hand. "I did not want to ruin your appetite and have her mother think of you unkindly because you could not finish a meal. Come along, now. There is a carriage waiting out front."

Ciel sat back and sighed. He never got used to how Sebastian would tease him sometimes. It got on his nerves mostly, and it annoyed him to no end on how much Sebastian would smile about it afterwards. "Prat." Ciel muttered under his breath. When Sebastian turned to hold the door open for his master, Ciel noticed that the faint grin had grown bigger from the insult.

When the Earl began his decent down the steps, all four servants were waiting there. Ciel couldn't ever understand why the hairs on Bardroy's arms were always singed off, nor could he understand why small glass shards constantly coated Meyrin's uniform. Glancing out the front windows, he noticed Finny had redone the layout of his front garden yet again. Ciel shrugged it off. As long as the work got done...

"Bye, Master Ciel!" All three chorused at the same time.

"Ho, ho, ho..."

Ciel nodded and lifted a hand in farewell. When he exited the mansion, a wooden carriage was waiting as promised. The Horse Coach tipped his hat to him, and then gazed intently at Sebastian. Ciel smiled to himself, his brandished cane tapping in time with his right foot. Everyone was endlessly jealous of his butler. Women were attracted to Sebastian like animals to a dangerous flower, and men were envious of him like a chicken longs for a peacock's colors. Even Ciel sometimes found himself entranced with Sebastian's raven-black hair, a shimmering cloak of midnight. Plus, Ciel had seen how Sebastian's eyes could hypnotize people. The dark rubies were constantly beckoning humans with their beauty yet screaming a hidden warning.

All of this was used to lure his prey to him.

Dangerous beauty made dinner time easier.

Taking his seat, Sebastian slid into the carriage bench farthest from Ciel. "It is cold outside." He rubbed his hands together and breathed out, showing Ciel the frigid clouds that floated away in the chilled air. "I have taken the liberty to bring your winter overcoat in case Young Master gets cold."

Ciel nodded his approval. "Fine. When we get to Lady Elizabeth's home, please keep your distance from me and don't follow me around. Her mother still doesn't think that I have proven myself to be a strong enough man to take Elizabeth's hand in marriage. If you hang around me constantly it'll give off the impression that I'm just a needy child."

"Of course, my Lord. But where should I go then?"

Ciel shivered, the cold finally starting to seep through his clothes. "Tend to the mansion's needs. Just don't get in anybody's way. That's all." Ciel shoulders were tensing and his arms made there way to cross over his chest. He tried to make it seem natural, but as usual Sebastian picked up on the signs. Ciel's slight tremoring didn't help either.

"Can I help you put on your winter coat?" Sebastian asked, standing up and holding out the coat he'd brought.

Ciel gritted his teeth, his pride making him hesitant. His thin frame made him very hypersensitive to the day's temperature. When a quick violent shiver went up his spine, Sebastian sighed, pulled Ciel to a stand, and draped the coat over his shoulders.

Ciel frowned at this. "What do you think you're-"

"Honestly, Young Master. It's not a crime to be cold." Sebastian adjusted the cloth, moving the sleeves to conceal his arms better, and button the top button. Gently, Sebastian pulled the hood up. "There." He said, and forced Ciel to leave it.

Sebastian took his seat again, and left Ciel standing with his mouth hanging open in shock. "What gave you the right to do that without permission?" He asked while falling back onto the bench. He ground his teeth irritably.

"The contract." Sebastian smiled. "I am protecting my Master, and keeping him safe."

Ciel blinked.

"Plus, it makes Young Master look cute. Wouldn't Lady Elizabeth adore that?" Sebastian's smile turned humorous as he watched Ciel shove the hood off his head. Ciel muttered something about useless demon butlers and glanced out the window. As far as he could tell, there were only a few minutes left of the ride.

Ciel turned to look at Sebastian. He always thought that it seemed like Sebastian was endlessly scanning the horizon for signs of possible threats. Ciel knew he didn't need to; his butler was beyond capable of hearing something coming without even thinking about it.

Ciel sighed in boredom and watched the puffs of air rise from his mouth. "Sebastian, aren't you cold?"

Sebastian's eyes pulled away from the window and met Ciel's. He shrugged. "I have never felt a chill in the air."

Ciel's brows pulled together in confusion. "You've never been cold?"

Fine, black hair quivered as Sebastian shook his head. "Demons do not feel. Like the time when Grell nearly cut my arm off with that stupid chainsaw of his." He touched his shoulder tenderly with a displeased look on his face. "We don't feel pain. We don't feel much, really. Emotions are hard to come by. Our senses of touch and taste are absent. That is why we rarely come out to the outside world. It holds very little that we can 'enjoy'."

Ciel took a moment to comprehend. "Why do you eat souls, then?"

Sebastian's mouth twitched into a smile at the mention of souls. "That's dangerous territory, Young Master. Demons aren't supposed to tell, so not many humans get the chance to find out."

Ciel sat back, already annoyed again. "Well, I order you to tell me."

Sebastian gave a smile, and dipped his head in a seated bow. He lifted his eyes and continued without hesitation. "Human souls are the only thing that are worth chasing after." His eyes hinted at a demonic longing, something Ciel had never seen Sebastian show. "They have a taste. They let you feel all of the emotions their owner ever had, but only for a brief moment." He sighed. "Misery and hatred are very strong and last the longest. Longer than happiness and love; those are fleeting. Happiness can be taken in an instant. Love can die and move on, but hatred... Hatred is often taken to the grave, and misery is hard state of mind to be pulled from. It is quite alluring for us."

The way Sebastian looked at Ciel so knowingly made the boy shiver, but not from the cold. It was kind of disturbing that Sebastian knew so much about his hateful past.

The cart lurched to a stop, and Sebastian was out of the cart, holding the door open, before Ciel was even standing. "Right this way, Young Master."

Ciel stood up and stretched his stiff legs before descending the cart's single step. He was met by a vast, lush garden and the Midford's household butler. Sebastian and Ciel were led to the door where the butler bowed and took Ciel's coat from him. "Welcome, Lord Phantomhive." He gave a second bow to Sebastian and left them in the front hall.

A few moments later, Ciel could here a faint ringing in his ears as if here were hearing a tea pot letting off steam. It was tantalizingly familiar, but too far away to tell.

Sebastian leaned down to whisper into his ear. "Brace yourself, Young Master."

Just then, a flash of golden hair appeared at the top of the staircase. "Ciel!"

"Oh, God." Ciel muttered. He'd only seen Elizabeth a few times since his mansion burned down two years ago, and he couldn't get used to how much her voice had changed. It was still squeaky, but not as much as it once was. It was, for lack of a better word, cute. "Elizabeth!" He cried out as she tackled him to the ground.

"It's Lizzy! Not that dreadfully uncute name!" She waved a finger at him.

Ciel struggled to catch his breath since Lizzy had just knocked the wind out of him. "Fine, Lizzy, but you're hurting me."

"Oh! I'm so sorry." She leaped up and held out a hand to help him up. Ciel managed a painful smile. He admired her strength, he really did, but he found it shameful for himself to be knocked over so easily. His pride was being degraded at the moment.

"Using a lady to support you getting up?"

Ciel's eyes widened from where he was still sitting on the ground, hands holding his lower back from its previous impact. "Lady Francis!" He sputtered, and stumbled to his feet.

"Still a little weakling." Miss Francis entered the front hall from one of the side doorways. "How am I supposed to give my daughter away in marriage to someone so frail?"

Ciel bowed in apology. He hadn't the slightest clue of how to respond to an insult without insulting the person back. The smooth cover-ups were usually Sebastian's doing, and when Ciel glanced around, he noticed the tricky bastard had already left. Although all of these thoughts were jumbled inside of his head, on the outside Ciel was easy-moving and polite. "Forgive me." Ciel replied with unwavering decency.

Miss Francis stared at him and then nodded. "We will see by the way you treat my saddened daughter through breakfast. My eldest son, Edward, will tell me how well you comfort her. Some things have come up, and I have other things to attend to today out in the town."

And with that, she walked out the front door.

Ciel blinked a few times at the entryway before turning back to look at Elizabeth. Tears had already gathered up at the corners of her eyes from her mother bring up her Dog's fresh death. What a sensitive mother. It didn't take long before she burst into tears.

Ciel had no idea how to comfort someone. He'd always embraced his pain and used it to strengthen his hate. He raised a hand to try and give her arm a reassuring pat, but she turned into him and squeezed him into a tight hug. Ciel flailed his arms awkwardly. The last time he'd ever given a hug to someone was the day his parents died, and he wasn't sure he wanted to start giving them out so freely, now.

"So your not even going to hug her back?"

Ciel flinched at the suddenness of Sir Edward's presence. He hadn't even notice him enter the hall. Edward stared at him skeptically, crossing his well-defined arms and tilting his head of close-cropped blonde hair.

Ciel cursed himself inwardly. This was not going to sound good if Edward told Lady Francis about this. To try and cover up his mistake, Ciel slowly lowered his arms around Elizabeth's shoulders. He pulled her in more securely, but Ciel felt something change. A hollowness opened up inside him, and he felt his bitterness toward the world strengthen. Weren't hugs supposed to do the opposite? Yet here he was roiling inside, wanting to kill the monsters who took away his family's honor. Kill them for making such a small task such as a gentle hug such a harsh memory.

"Hmph!" Edward blew out. He seemed unconvinced. Ciel couldn't think of much else to do. The simple act of hugging someone was draining him. When Edward couldn't take watching Ciel's pitiful attempts at comfort any longer, he quickly rushed over to gather his sister up into his arms. He cooed meaningless words and patted her hair. Ciel stood there as feeling came back into his stomach. He couldn't ever picture himself doing the things that Edward was.

Elizabeth's crying soon subsided to sniffles, and when her stomach growled, she laughed.

"Let's go get some food." Edward smiled at her and ruffled her hair. She squealed in protest claiming that he would ruin her cute hairstyle. Edward grabbed her hand and began walking in the direction of their kitchen, throwing one dirty look over his shoulder as he went.

Ciel followed behind, shocked and annoyed.

"That was pitiful, Young Master." Sebastian said from behind him.

Ciel whirled and glared. When had Sebastian gotten back!? "You have no place telling me your opinions!" He paused before actually entering the dining hall. "And you're a demon! What do you know about this stuff!? You just need to-"

Ciel was cut short as Sebastian knelt and gently wrapped him in a hug. Ciel's shaking fists fluttered and fell to his sides, his eyes opening wide as his breath caught in his throat. Sebastian's hand held Ciel's face securely to his chest. "It's okay, Young Master. I will keep you safe."

Ciel blinked his surprised eyes once. "Se... Sebas..."

As quick as Sebastian had hugged him, he was up again dusting off his sleeves. "Now, Young Master, that is how you comfort someone. So, what was it that you were you telling me about not knowing these kinds of things?"

Ciel regained his composer quickly, and glared at his smiling butler. "You bastard!" He whispered angrily. "How dare you!"

Sebastian turned and began to walk away. "I will leave you to fend for yourself at breakfast as you demanded. I'll be helping out the other servants here."

Ciel was was seething now. He spun on his heel and walked into the dining room to face the dreaded breakfast.

When he entered, he found himself staring at a feast. Scones and breakfast-desserts covered the table. A steaming mug of tea sat at his seat, tantalizing and hot. Ciel sped over quickly to down it, trying to rid himself of his anger before he spoke. As he set the glass down, Edward made eye contact. He beckoned Ciel over to him silently while Elizabeth ate a turnover with renewed energy.

"Ciel has to use the restroom." Edward told Lizzy. "I'm just going to remind him where it's at. We'll be back in a moment."

Lizzy waved her fork in good-bye as Edward dragged him from the room. He marched down the hallway, gripping Ciel's wrist with force.

"Please, let me go." Ciel hissed. He did not like being handled so harshly. When he was ignored, he wrenched his arm free. "I said to let me go, damn it!" He stumbled backwards, rubbing his wrist. "What do you want?"

Edward whirled on him. "You treated me sister like she was some kind of repugnant rat!" He seethed quietly. "She was crying and you just stood there like an idiot!"

"Don't insult me! It disgraces my family name!"

Edward continued as if he had not heard him. "And then you enter our dining hall and eat without even saying a word of thanks! What kind of husband would you make for my sister?"

"Don't speak to me like I am some sort of-!"

WHAM!

Edward shoved him. It wasn't a hard push. It was only meant to make him hush, but Ciel's dainty legs couldn't hold against it. He stumbled back into the hall table, knocking the vase off and shattering it on the floor. Consequently, he bounced forward from the force, and landed on his hands and knees.

"Why aren't you listening!? You treated Lizzy like trash and now you're selfishly defending yourself as though you're all that matters!"

Ciel raised one of his hands from the floor to look at it, and watched as a few ribbons of blood trailed down into his sleeve. He grimaced. Just as he looked up, Sebastian skidded into view. Sebastian's eyes were wide as he took in the sight of Ciel's blood.

"Oh, God." Edward breathed, seeing for the first time that Ciel hadn't just fallen, but he'd fallen onto the shattered glass. "Ciel, I didn't mean to..."

Sebastian's head whipped in the direction of Edward, his eyes glowing fierce with the flash of demon rage. "Leave." He whispered.

And a single word sent him flying down the hall.

Ciel was now looking at both of his hands, muttering curses with a pained expression twisting his face. "Idiot, Sebastian. You are supposed to keep this stuff from happening!"

Sebastian turned to Ciel and frowned. "Young Master..." He said, sounding annoyed and concerned. He scooped up Ciel and set him on the table the vase had fallen off of. He pushed one of Ciel's sleeves up to get a better look at his hand. "Young Master..." He murmured softly again as he saw different sized shards protruding from his palm and between his fingers. He looked down at Ciel's bare knees. The shorts cut off an inch or two above his knee caps, which seemed to have taken the most damage.

"Hurry up and fix it, Sebastian. It hurts like hell." Ciel was still muttering curse words when Sebastian pulled the first piece of glass from his leg. Instead of cursing louder, Ciel got silent and banged his elbow into the wall.

Sebastian looked up at Ciel, but Ciel's eyes were screwed shut. "I am sorry, Young Master, but these are all going to hurt quite a lot." With that said, Sebastian used his inhuman-like speed to start pulling each shard out in quick precision. Ciel's hands began to ball into fists against the pain, but when the glass in his hands dug deeper, his fingers flew back open.

"Please try to stay still." Sebastian said quietly.

This made Ciel vent his pain through words all over again. "I'm trying my bloody hardest! Honestly, just shut up!"

Sebastian began wrapping both of his knees with a gauze that seemed to manifest from nowhere. The moment his legs were wrapped up, the pain diminished to a soft throb just beneath his skin.

"Now, your hands." Sebastian's voice was still low with worry. Ciel held out both hands, and wondered how he could have gotten himself into this mess. Once again, Sebastian began pulling the sharp pieces out of Ciel's skin.

Ciel stretched away from his hands, a small gasp leaving his mouth. "Damn it, Sebastian." He pulled his hand away, his eyes blazing.

Sebastian bowed his head, "I am sincerely sorry that I have failed in something this important." He held out his hand. "Now please, Young Master, I am almost done."

Ciel held out both hands and let Sebastian finish wrapping them. The cuts weren't as deep as the ones on his knees, and they were less sensitive to touch. Ciel stared at the mosaic pieces of glass and blood on the ground. "How did you know that I got hurt when the glass broke?"

"I could smell your blood." He responded coldly. Ciel sat silently as Sebastian tucked the last strand of cloth into itself. "It is probably best for Lady Elizabeth not to find out about this. Most likely, it won't help with her mourning."

Sebastian patted Ciel's hand and placed it back on the table. That was when Ciel noticed Sebastian's and his position. Ciel was on the table while Sebastian was looking slightly up at him with concerned eyes. For some reason, the look in Sebastian's eyes and the sound of his voice reminded him of earlier that day.

Sebastian had been hugging him. It's okay, Young Master. I will keep you safe.

Liar, Ciel thought.

The closeness between them was beginning to make him uncomfortable. "Back off, Idiot. You're too close."

Sebastian obeyed.

Ciel placed his hands on the table and pushed off with the full intention of staying upright, but the moment he landed on his feet, the dull throb in his legs spiked. His knees gave out, and he began his merciless fall back to the grim glass.

"Not again." Sebastian said, and quickly caught him from the front.

Ciel found himself being held as he'd been in the front hall. Ciel's eyes widened again. He wasn't used to this. A hug: it was an old feeling, but familiar. Familiar and painful,

"Young Master, are you alright?"

Ciel shook his head and clutched the front of Sebastian's suit.

"Are you still hurting?"

"You didn't do your bloody job!" Ciel shouted, trying to get rid of the irritating feeling spreading through his chest. Memories were mixing with whatever he was experiencing now. His hands gripped Sebastian's coat tighter. "You said you'd keep me safe! You can't tell lies, Sebastian!"

Sebastian looked taken aback. "But, Master... you ordered me to stay away."

Ciel had never wanted to punch his butler so badly. Why was Ciel feeling so irritated? He leaned his head against his butler's chest, breathing in the familiar scent and trying to clear his mind. He decided the weird fuzziness in his head was due to blood loss. "Take me home, Sebastian. I don't want to be here."

Sebastian nodded and picked Ciel up like a baby in one arm, and picked up Ciel's red-stained cane in the other. He carried him out to the carriage that was still waiting for breakfast to be be over. After Sebastian had dropped Ciel off, he left to tell Edward of their early leaving.

Ciel stared out the window as the strange feeling faded from his chest. He played absentmindedly with the bow around his neck, and when that became too boring, he resorted to rubbing his temples to pass the time.

It'd only been a few minutes when Sebastian came back out.

He slid into the cart bench farthest away from Ciel, and the carriage immediately began it's trek home. "Edward felt guilty, and decided to make sure that Lady Francis knows that you are able to stand your ground when you believe something is wrong. He agreed to tell her that you deserve to marry Miss Elizabeth."

Ciel had expected to be pleased to hear this, but for some reason he felt queasy. "When we get home, make me some tea to settle my stomach." He said nonchalantly. "And some scones. I haven't eaten yet."

Sebastian nodded in response and tapped his wrist. "Young Master, may I help you with your coat?"

Ciel hadn't noticed he was shivering, but when Sebastian held up his winter cloak he was reminded of the day's temperature. Ciel squinted his eyes accusingly and stood up. "Make any weird moves and I'll have you puppy sitting Pluto for a week."

Sebastian grimaced. "I would never think to make such moves." He draped the coat over Ciel's shoulders and did up the buttons. "And really, My Lord, what could I ever do to deserve such a horrid punishment?"

Ciel thought for a moment to try and find a creative answer. He smiled. "You could blow up my kitchen. Destroy my garden. Break all of my favorite tea sets..." He ticked off his clever ideas.

Sebastian's hands froze on the last button and his face paled. "How did Yong Master find out?"

Ciel's eyebrows pulled together. "Find out what?" He sat back down and stared at Sebastian skeptically.

Sebastian shook his head. "Never mind that." He said quickly, and abruptly changed subjects. "What flavor scones do you want when we arrive?"

Ciel decided that what ever Sebastian had meant was unimportant. "Dark Chocolate Tart." He responded and looked out the window. With the mansions being so far out from the city, Ciel was beginning to tire of watching grassy fields roll by. He breathed on the glass and drew a frowning face in the fogged up window. "Tell me a story Sebastian. How many souls have you taken over the years?"

Sebastian seemed surprised by the randomness of Ciel's demand, but with the threat of having to take care of a dog looming over his head, he thought it best not to question it. "Honestly, there are too many names to list in a day. Most contracts were over in a matter of hours." Sebastian thought a moment before continuing. "They would wish for something simple, such as for me to murder someone who'd stolen their money. They'd all been so frantic to get it back that their hysteria would block their mind from seeing a simple truth: what would be the point in getting their money back if they were to die immediately afterwards? I've also contracted with mothers who went crazy and wished for their kidnapped child to be brought back, only to have the children watch me take their mother away in return."

These were facts about Sebastian's past that Ciel would rather not have known. Even though he knew Sebastian was a demon, Ciel never could see him as having no mercy. "Were there any people that posed a challenge?"

Sebastian smiled. "One young Japanese girl. At nineteen years, she was the youngest human I've made a contract with besides you."

This new fact peeked Ciel's interest. "Who was she?" What was the contract?"

Sebastian pulled a loose stand of hair off his tailcoat. "Her name was Hikage Otanashi." Sebastian breathed on the window closest to him and drew her name out in symbols that Ciel was unfamiliar with. "Her wish was for her to live to the age of fifty."

Ciel raised an eye brow. "That doesn't sound so hard."

Sebastian pointed at Ciel. "I thought the same thing, but you see, I was only a hundred years old at the time and this was my first visit to the human world. I had no idea humans were so weak, and their lives so fleeting."

Ciel ground his teeth together at the insult. He was, after all, a human too.

"Also, back then, humans died around the age of 25 if they were lucky enough to survive that long." Sebastian sighed and rubbed his temples. "She was extremely klutzy and was wanted for witch craft. Of course, she was innocent, but I'd had no idea what I'd gotten myself into at the time. Those were the longest 31 years of my existence."

Ciel was listening intently now. "You're a demon. Demons lie and deceive all of the time. Why didn't you just break the contract? Was her soul worth that much?"

Sebastian seemed to hesitate, and this angered Ciel for some reason. He couldn't figure out why, but he wanted Sebastian to say no - for him to admit that her soul wasn't worth the struggle. "Don't make me repeat he question."

Sebastian shook his head. "Her soul was worth less than a mouse's."

"Then, why..." Ciel stopped himself. A realization made his chest get a weird, empty feeling. "You loved her, didn't you?"

Sebastian snorted in disgust. "That is the most repulsive question you have ever asked me, Young Master." Sebastian pulled off his gloves and tucked them into a pocket. "This mark," Sebastian covered his eye with his contracted hand, "is the symbol of a pure blooded demon. Only pure-bloods can make contracts. This keeps lower class demons from being able to steal a soul marked by a contract."

Ciel shrugged. "So you didn't break the contract because...?"

Sebastian blinked his eyes, making the pupils turn to slits. "Red eyes mark royalty, and royalty cannot willfully break a contract."

Ciel stared at him, trying to understand it all. He touched the eye-patch over his eye. "You realize how bogus this sounds, don't you? You expect me to believe you're some kind of demon king?"

"Not king, but prince." Sebastian corrected. "I would be around the age of fifteen in human years and 57th in line to the throne. There should be others in front of me, but the others are not pure-bloods. Just royal savage beasts with no standards."

Ciel was getting lost, so he backed away from that area. "Why would you make a contract with me if you knew you wouldn't be able to back out of such a difficult job?"

Sebastian gave a knowing smile and the carriage came to a jerking halt. Sebastian moved to open the door and hold it open for Ciel. "Perhaps I can tell you my reasons when I send you to rest today."

Ciel walked to the carriage door and looked unhappily at the step down. He knew that bending his knees that much would be painful.

Ciel was getting ready to just go and hope for the best when Sebastian picked him up and started carrying him bridal style towards the house.

Meyrin, Finny, and Bardroy came running out to greet them. Meyrin's and Finny's eye grew wide, and a familiar look came over their faces. "Oh, no, no, no! Sebastian! Put me down, you idiot!" Ciel yelled, blushing furiously. Sebastian did so, and Ciel could hear his gardener and maid gossiping. He caught tid-bits like "so cute" and "like a little baby." Ciel did his best to ignore them, but something else caught his attention. "Bardroy... what happened to your hair?" Ciel couldn't ever remember a time when Bard's hair was burned into the shape of an Afro.

Bard scratched his head apologetically. "Well, I decided to use me flamethro-"

"That is enough chit chat!" Sebastian said, and quickly stepped between the two. He turned to Bard. "Young Master is hurt, and he needs to rest right now. So don't bother him at the moment."

Finny gasped. "Oh, no, Master Ciel! You're injured!?" He covered his mouth, just realizing the condition his master was in.

Ciel waved off his concern. "It's nothing to worry about. Just a few scratches."

Sebastian gently pushed Ciel towards the door while he called to the others over his shoulder. "You three, please do your jobs well!"

"Yes, Mister Sebastian!"

"And, Tanaka... keep drinking tea. You're doing great."

"Ho, ho, ho!"

Ciel gave small protests as he was escorted inside. Eventually, he was able to swat Sebastian's hands away. "Don't shove me! What are you hiding?"

Sebastian bowed. "Nothing that should demand your concern. Please, Young Master, let's get you some rest. You need to heal."

Ciel gazed warily out the window. He couldn't see outside from his angle, but Sebastian's cover-up was failing miserably due to the sound of Finny screaming. He looked back at Sebastian, an eyebrow raised. "Still nothing to worry about?"

Sebastian just shook his head. "I will take care of it." He pointed up the stairs in the direction of Ciel's bedroom. "Can you make it up there yourself, Young Master?"

"Don't treat me like a child! Of course I can!" Ciel spun around and stomped toward the stairs. He could here a muffled shout from out front.

"AHHH! PLUTO! THAT'S ME FLAMETHROWER!"

Just before his foot made it to the first step, he heard what sounded like an explosion. Ciel whirled to look at Sebastian, as a wall of flames shot up in the front window. Sebastian froze with a look of alarm. "That damn dog..."

"Sebastian! Why the hell are you just standing there!?" Ciel spluttered in shock as a weight slammed into the pit of his stomach. Sebastian had disappeared before Ciel had finished his sentence. "They're going to burn the bloody mansion down!" He stood with his hand clutching the base of the handrail. After a few moments, he realized his hand was cramping from the tightness of his grip. An unwanted memory was pressing firmly against his consciousness. He let go of the rail and began the climb up the stairs.

Once Ciel was in his room, he sat on his bed and waited. He didn't question the randomness of the noises outside. He knew Sebastian was taking care of everything. The earl looked down at his bandaged hands, sighing aloud. His rising hysteria had caused him to hold onto the handrails so tightly that it'd disturbed the cuts on his hand. The newer splotches of blood were beginning to seep through, and he glowered at his hand. This was his past; blood and fire. Too many mistakes were happening today. Plus, he had been feeling weird since this morning when Sebastian had... hugged... him. Ciel sneered at the idea of his butler being such as smart-Alec with his master.

"All is taken care of, Young Master." Sebastian stopped at the open doorway and waited to be invited in.

Ciel jumped, Sebastian jolting him from his thoughts. "Come in, then. Are the others okay?"

His butler nodded and entered. Stooping down, he slipped off the earl's shoes. "Rest for today. The paperwork can be done tomorrow." As he removed Ciel's jacket, Sebastian noticed the bandaged hand. "I will go get some new gauze."

Sebastian was almost too fast, but Ciel managed to catch his wrist. "Wait. I didn't tell you to do that! I'm not a child, and it is only a scratch." Ciel huffed, his irritation growing. The jerk of holding Sebastian back had caused his hand had slide back a little. He hadn't noticed that Sebastian had not put his gloves back on until his bandages hit his butler's skin. "Your gloves?" Ciel wondered. Then, Ciel remembered that they were bloody, and Sebastian had taken them off in the carriage.

The butler's eyes widened, the cat-like pupils flashing to a glowing red. "Young Master's blood... is... touching my skin." His muscles had locked up and he was staring in still alarm. With precision, he wrenched his hand free from Ciel, focusing on the smallest smudge of blood left on his wrist.

Ciel gave him a sharp look of annoyance. "Sebastian?"

"Young Master's blood is on my skin." Sebastian's voice had grown edgy. "I know your soul is mine." He seemed to waver for a moment, before shoving his face uncomfortably close to Ciel's. He gazed at the contract glowing brighter by the second in the boy's eye.

Ciel leaned back a little, but his body seemed to solidify and prevent him from moving. His contracted eye was burning, but his arms weren't able to shift to cover it. "Sebastian, what is happening?" It was hard for his mouth to form words. His limbs felt like lead.

Sebastian closed his eyes. "The contract is protecting you." He grimaced. "Every once in a while, a demon finds a human whose soul is extremely tempting. We call them Pure Ones." Ciel could almost see Sebastian smile through the irony, but the humor in it was dangerous. The shadows behind his butler were stirring like they were alive themselves. "A Pure One's blood calls out to us demons. If somehow the blood of a Pure touches us... the mortal's death soon follows."

Ciel was seriously getting concerned, now. Sebastian was leaning toward Ciel and straining as though an invisible force was keeping him back. Somehow, he was sure his locked limbs were the intentional effects of Sebastian.

"You're a Pure, Ciel." Sebastian's black fingernails curled against the bed sheets. "And the only thing that is keeping me back from stealing your soul, is the contract. I cannot fight a demon instinct. Please forgive me, I will wear myself out soon, and this revolting act will be over."

The tugging memory of what Sebastian had said earlier made a clear appearance in Ciel's mind. Red eyes mark royalty, and royalty cannot willfully break a contract.

Sebastian's eyes opened, his irises raging like fire. Although everything about him was screaming death, Sebastian's next words were quiet and happy, a sadness tinging them. "I am glad that I cannot follow through with what my demon's natural will is." Sebastian looked as though he were trying to pull away, but failing. "I don't wish to harm, Young Master."

Ciel blinked his azure eyes, the gleaming contract turning one of them pink. "What?" It was all he could manage.

The shadows grew and blanketed an entire wall despite the sun shining in through the window. They churned, reflecting the darkness Sebastian was made of. He let out an amused, ironic laugh. "I didn't think I'd have to spell it out for Young Master." His pained smile showed that his teeth had become pointed. "I don't want to harm you, because of what you humans call love."

The room's atmosphere had become eerily dark, the lights in Sebastian's eyes made brighter by the contrast. Ciel was shaking so hard; it was almost as if Sebastian was sending fear directly into his veins. Through the fear, he felt disgust. A male who liked another male? It was unheard of in that day and age. And aside from that... a boy and a demon?

But against that, something twinged in Ciel's chest. Something he'd felt several times over the years of Sebastian being his butler. He hated it, hoped for it, didn't understand it. And just when he thought he started to be conscious of the feeling, he would shut it out - call it ridiculous. Ciel was on the brink of understanding again, and it made him angry at himself. Why did his suspicions have to be true?

Sebastian was snarling now, all traces of self-control gone. He was resorting to the way he lived back in the underworld. He was predator, and Ciel was prey.

Ciel forced himself to lean forward, closer to the demon. He knew how he felt towards his butler, but did he want to accept it?

Sebastian's hair was blowing in a smoky darkness than was rising from the floorboards.

Ciel closed his eyes, "Stupid, idiot," he sucked in a nervous breath, before closing the last few inches between him and his butler.

It was just a slight peck on the lips, but it was his first kiss - gentle, uncertain. Elizabeth had given him several excited smooches on the cheek over the years, but those were the way she greeted him (along with much squealing and hugs). This was different - felt diverse. An unwanted blush crawled to his cheeks, and he pulled away.

The look on Sebastian's face was something Ciel had never seen. Sebastian's reaching arms fell, the blazing fire in his eyes flickered, and the shadows vanished in an instant. He stared at his master without his usual steady composure. The internal battle of kill or not to kill still raged inside him - demonic tendencies versus human habits.

"You, dimwit..." Ciel said, flustered and started to stand from his bed. When his feet hit the floor, Sebastian turned the boy to face him. Ciel batted his hands off of his shoulders. "Hey! What are you-"

Sebastian lifted Ciel's chin with a finger, and leaned down to place a deeper kiss on his lips.

Ciel's hands wavered by his sides, uncertain where to put them. Finally, they raised up to clutch at the cloth on Sebastian's chest. His feet raised up on tiptoes involuntarily. He could feel Sebastian smile in amusement against his mouth.

CRASH! They both spun away from each other.

"M-m-Master Ciel!" Meyrin stuttered in the doorway. The dish and cup of tea for her injured master was shattered on the floor. "Mister Sebastian!" Her nose was bleeding slightly as she gasped in giddy surprise. Even with her awful eyesight, she'd seen enough. She bunched her fists up and brought them to her mouth to try and contain a squee. Without cleaning up the mess on the floor, she turned down the hall and fled screaming, "YOU WERE RIGHT, BARDROY! YOU WIN THE BET!"

Sebastian leaned down hesitantly. "Should I do something about this, Young Master?"

Ciel stayed frozen, staring upward in dismay to the heavens. "I am doomed."

And this, dear reader, is why Sebastian and Ciel hide their relationship from us fangirls.

And that was the end of my fluffy dream! :) although, that ending was entirely made up, since my alarm clock decided I'd had enough fangirling in my sleep! :P well, I'd really like to know what you thought, so please leave a review (even just a one word review is perfectly wonderful too!) haha! that totally rhymed... well, moving right along!

I also just recently had a dream that included me, my friend, Grell, a fashion show, and Grell's mother soooooo... let me know if you'd like me to right a short little giggle story on that! :D