Closing and Opening Doors

Ciel had known this would be happening for some time now. Sebastian had warned him before that after so many years he'd have to leave the human realm to go back to demon realm to rejuvenate. Already, he'd spent many years with the now demonic young boy, both of them wandering about London.

They'd worked this all out, right down to the staged death. Ciel would watch as his favorite demon 'died' then would 'take his own life', therefore plunging himself down to the demon realm where he'd meet the other. The only question he had was why the hell did Sebastian have to make it so sad?

In the past week, as they were putting their plan into action, Sebastian had faked coming down with a horrid illness when they'd been caught outside in the rain. A kind couple let them both into their home and the wife had tried her best to nurse the elder demon back to health, but to no avail.

It was raining again, as it had the day they'd gotten there. Ciel knew this entire scene was a lie, but it still broke his heart to see Sebastian so helpless. He'd never seen his butler like this before and figured he never wanted to ever again.

He sighed as he sat on the drab floor in the hallway, just outside the room where the demon was being kept. He could hear the heartbreaking coughs clearly from outside the closed door. Sebastian's 'death' was coming quickly; he could feel it in his bones. He could also hear the man babbling softly to the woman trying to feed him and comfort him, though he didn't know if the words were staged or if he was actually saying them from his heart and confused mind as he left his life there in the human realm and returned to the demon realm. Ciel decided that, in a way, it sort of was a death.

"Ciel, I've gotten so cold….. My lord, it's past your bedtime….."

The words broke his heart and, though his mind told him it would only hurt him more, he moved to open the door a crack before walking into the room and kneeling down beside his butler's side, taking his hand gently in his own.

"Ciel, the light is fading…. Come here and hold me, I'm so cold…" Sebastian said gently to him, weakly tugging him closer. Ciel obeyed his servant, wrapping his arms around Sebastian's waist gently, resting his head on the other's chest.

"I'm here, my dear Sebastian. I'm here." He whispered softly to the other, kissing his pale cheek softly.

"I love you…. I'll see you when I wake…" Sebastian replied with a soft smile before Ciel could feel the other relax underneath him. He heard the shallow breaths of the other and the faltering heart beats of his expiring human form. He'd have to take his demon form very soon, but he obviously wasn't about to do it here.

Ciel felt his heart break as he soon heard Sebastian take his last breath, the human heart stopping after one last weak beat. He could practically feel the other's soul slip from the human body and down into the demon realm where he'd be waiting for him.

The young earl let his tears fall from his eyes and down his cheeks as he gently closed the crimson eyes of his lover that had lost all light of life that they'd once had whenever they were together.

The woman appeared behind him with a bowl of soup she was planning on feeding to Sebastian, stopping at the sight. She gasped and quickly set the bowl aside, moving to comfort Ciel in the grief of his lost servant.

A few days later, it had come time for the funeral and burial. Finny, Bard, and Mey-Rin tried to comfort their young master, though they were all crying as well from the loss of the man who'd given them a place to call home and had taught them all so much. Soon, they'd all left Ciel alone in the graveyard as he sat down next to the headstone that read 'Sebastian Michaelis, a butler who was truly worth his salt'.

The next day, Ciel sighed and figured he'd made Sebastian wait long enough for him. He took a deep breath and took the knife in his hand, slicing it across his neck, letting himself bleed out. It hadn't hurt as badly as he'd thought it would.

Soon, he found himself in an unknown place filled with other demons. He suddenly felt extremely alone and helpless. He'd never wanted his butler more in all the years that he'd known him. Then, he heard a familiar voice behind him.

"My, you took quite a long time. I was starting to think you stood me up. Come on, there's a lot I want to show you."