An Omission

As a twenty odd year old demon in the perpetual guise of a thirteen year old boy, Ciel Phantomhive was beginning to come to grips with the power at his disposal. Sebastian had taken great pleasure in lording his own considerable power over him at every chance he got just to prove that, although Ciel was his eternal master, he was the more powerful demon and he would remain so forever. Not that it bothered the younger demon. After all, what need did he have for ultimate power when it was Sebastian's job to protect him? Ciel had eternal youth, he had freedom and more power than any other human. That was enough.

He did whatever he wanted to, whenever he wanted to, and he'd taken to exploring places at night. It was on one such moonless night that Ciel was running across the rooftops of the city in which they were currently inhabiting, that something managed to surprise him for the first time in at least ten years.

It was raining heavily, but that didn't deter the young human turned demon. Sebastian had warned him once, after learning of his young master's penchant for scaling rooftops, that rain made the slates wet and slippery. Ciel, being young and feeling invincible of course, hadn't listened at all. He'd never fallen anyway.

...Until tonight...

As he took a particularly daring leap from one roof to another and landed, his foot slipped from under him and he began to topple from the building. Before he could even make another move though, something grabbed his hand and stopped him from falling to the ground, about six stories below.

He let out a sigh of relief, "Don't laugh, it was wet and I..." he broke off as he looked up, expecting to see his butler standing there, but it wasn't Sebastian. Not even close. "You!" Ciel exclaimed, his eyes glowing red in his surprise.

"You could at least say 'thank you', ungrateful vermin," William T. Spears sneered down at the demon hanging by the hand from his death scythe.

Ciel hadn't seen hide nor hair of the Shinigami since he became a demon, so understandably, he was more than a little surprised.

"What are you..."

"You're welcome," William said, raising his eyebrows.

"...Put me down!" Ciel struggled a second later after snapping out of his stupor.

"A human being turned into a demon...most unseemly," Will grimaced as he deposited the young demon back onto the roof beside him.

"It wasn't my choice," Ciel replied, straightening his white cotton shirt. Ignoring the fact that his dignity had long since been thrown to the wind, both because he was soaking wet and the fact that he'd just fallen from a roof and been saved by a Shinigami.

"No, it was his - your pet's fault," the Shinigami corrected.

"Neither of us chose this. It just happened."

"Mmm, and I'm surprised you're still alive. You should count yourself lucky."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Your dog is on a permeant leash. One vermin can only have one contracted soul at a time. Two demons can contract the same soul, but one demon has to finish one contract before they can start another. They're not supposed to be permanent, surely you know that."

"What of it?"

"He hasn't told you, has he?"

"Told me what?!"

"Do you know just how old that vermin is? The older the demon the more work they tend to put into their...food," he sneered. "Vermin like that grow fat on ageing misery, they let it fester and then they start all over again...But he can't because of you."

"But he still...he still...eats people's souls."

"Vermin," Will frowned.

"What's your point?"

"My point is, the more time you spend poisoning a human soul, the more power it gives a demon. The stronger and older the demon..."

"The more food it needs," Ciel understood. He had come to realise that he didn't need nearly half as much 'food' as his butler did and once he'd asked Sebastian about it, but he didn't remember ever getting a straight answer and he hadn't felt the need to press the subject, now he wished he had.

"When was the last time you 'ate'?"

"Erm...about...two weeks ago," Ciel answered.

Most of the time, Ciel didn't even catch and kill his own prey. Sebastian did it for him. There was still something about tearing a soul from its body that repulsed him somewhat but he acknowledged the necessity of it, for both himself and Sebastian.

"And him?"

"Yesterday."

"Hmmm," Will sighed, "Older vermin are the worst kind of vermin. I'm counting down the days until your pet is no longer my concern, and, by default, you won't be, either. You're much too young a vermin to be able to survive alone."

"So now you want me dead too, hmm?" Ciel gave a small smile.

"Of course. You are a demon."

"Get back to the point. Why would you tell me any of this?"

"Maybe I'm in a good mood," William shrugged and turned his back.

"Or maybe you're gloating," Ciel said.

"Who knows," the Shinigami replied before leaping down to the ground, leaving the young demon boy alone again.

Hours later, around dawn, Ciel returned to the large, abandoned and isolated house they had commandeered for the last few months and found Sebastian in the rather limited library sitting in one of the large armchairs before the fire, reading a book.

"Oh, look, it's a small, drowned rat," the demon raised an eyebrow at the boy's appearance.

"Shut up," Ciel replied out of habit, "Get me some dry clothes."

"Understood," the demon inclined his head and left the room.

Ciel strolled slowly over to the fire and felt the soothing heat worm its way through his sodden clothes and cold limbs and it wasn't long before Sebastian returned, carrying dry clothes and a towel. He removed his master's wet clothes and placed them on the fire guard to try while he gently dried Ciel's pale limbs and dressed him again.

He may have have been a twenty year old demon but Ciel could still barely tie his own shoelaces even after so many years. He didn't need to; Sebastian did everything for him.

"Did you find anything of interest in your travels tonight, young master?" the demon asked him as he folded the towel onto the fire guard.

"No," Ciel said quickly and sat down in the chair opposite his butler as they settled into a companionable silence.

As the days and nights passed, Ciel began to think that the Shinigami had been talking utter nonsense. Sebastian was the same as he had always been and there was nothing to suggest even a hint of fatigue as Ciel watched him closely. He got the feeling that the older demon knew he was being watched but Sebastian didn't say anything. It was the way he smiled slyly or made the odd exaggerated movement that began to irritate Ciel. So, after a few weeks, he decided that there was nothing to be concerned about and he stopped watching. That was his mistake.

It began as a normal night. Ciel still liked to sleep, in fact, his body demanded it, but not as often as he had as a human. He slept for about five hours a night and, if needed, he could probably go without three of those. He just liked to sleep. Sebastian said that sleep was a luxury that demons rarely allowed themselves, but Ciel, having lived his first years as a human, a spoilt human, don't listen. He liked sleep, he wanted to sleep and so he would sleep. It was as simple as that.

Three weeks later, as Sebastian finished buttoning Ciel's nightshirt, the butler stood up and the young boy settled himself under the soft covers. Sebastian retrieved the candle holder from the beside table and bowed his head.

"Good night, young master," he said as was customary and turned to leave.

As soon as he did though, he shook uneasily for a moment, almost uneasily as his vision went suddenly blurry. He let out a quiet breath, trying to steady himself as he gripped the candelabra, his fingers denting the metal in the process. At the time, though Ciel missed it. His eyes were already closed, so Sebastian could have hid the incident perfectly, if his vision had returned to normal. But it didn't. It worsened.

It started to go black, everything was going black and Sebastian couldn't stop it. He leant over the bedside table for support, knocking it over and dropping the lit candles onto the floor. The demon fell against the wall like a dead weight with an unconcealable grimace and by now, Ciel's eyes were wide open.

The boy lept from his bed and extinguished the candles using one of the bed sheets before they could do more than lightly singe the rug; after all, the last thing they needed was attention from the city because of a mysterious fire in a supposedly uninhibited house. Then, Ciel turned to his butler who was sat against the wall with his eyes tightly shut and his breathing increasingly erratic.

"Sebastian?" Ciel frowned, "Sebastian, what's the meaning of..." he began to demand but a look from the demon was enough to silence his arrogant demand.

Sebastian's, now, open eyes were the deepest shade of red-purple he'd ever seen them and black feathers began to fall from out of nowhere, surrounding the two demons as the shadows seemed to take on form and substance, like a blanket.

It was probably the demon's most guarded secret, besides perhaps his true name, if indeed he had one. His true appearance. Ciel knew very little other than the fact that it involved those eyes and feathers...somehow. It was something that Sebastian guarded from him still and he couldn't deny that he was curious. He always had been. Even from the beginning he'd never seen the demon as it was meant to be, not really and he didn't think he would anytime soon either.

Before he could say another word, though, Sebastian fell, like a puppet with broken strings. His back collided with the floor and his eyes closed once more, leaving Ciel speechless.

He'd seen the demon perform incredible feats of strength and he could count the number of times, on one hand, in which he'd seen the demon truly injured to the point of being hindered by it. Now to see that same, capable Sebastian on the floor, unconscious, without a wound in sight, was a shock to Ciel's system.

"Oi," he muttered, "What are you doing? Sebastian...get up! I order you to get up!" he cried, pushing against the demon's shoulder to no avail.

Thankful of his demonic strength, Ciel managed to lift Sebastian up onto the bed and let out a sigh of relief as he sat down on the side of the mattress and rubbed his strained muscles. The butler was heavier than he looked, he was also very, very cold. Ice cold, in fact. He couldn't ever remember the butler ever feeling so cold before. Even through Sebastian's clothes and gloves, Ciel could feel the cold.

"What's wrong with you?" he asked quietly, not expecting an answer as he looked down at the sleeping butler. It wasn't often that he saw the demon sleep either.

Stifling a yawn of his own, Ciel moved to pick up the candles and set them back in the candelabra, lit all four of them and put it back on the beside table, settling himself for what could turn out to be a long vigil or a short vigil. He had absolutely no idea.

About four hours later, Sebastian began to stir. It was still dark in the bedroom with only the candles for light but as demons they were able to see in the dark, Ciel less so than his butler.

As to why Sebastian had collapsed as he had, Ciel only had one expiation. William the Shinigami had to have been telling the truth after all; Sebastian was dying of hunger and it was his fault.

"...You're hungry, aren't you?" Ciel asked, knowingly as he watched the older demon open his eyes.

"..."

"And it's my fault, isn't it?" the boy muttered.

"Hmm?" Sebastian hummed.

"William T. Spears said...he said you can't eat properly because of me."

"When did he say that?"

"A few days ago...I...I saw him a few days ago," Ciel said, looking away.

"Why?"

"I...fell..."

"From what?"

"...A roof...and he caught me."

"You still can't do the simplest of things," Sebastian lamented, staring across at his young master in dee humour.

"Shut up! It was wet!" Ciel defended and the older demon let out a pathetic chuckle.

"I warned you."

"Shut up," Ciel repeated.

"As my master wishes," Sebastian shrugged, "So, what else did he tell you?"

"He's planning our funerals."

"How kind," the demon replied dryly.

"He's got this idea that you're dying..." Ciel said.

"Nonsense."

"...Since you can't go looking for strong souls because of our contract," the boy finished, ignoring Sebastian's interruption.

"Do I look dead?"

"Almost," Ciel replied.

"Very funny, young master."

"Was he right?" the boy asked sternly, "And don't lie to me."

"...Yes, he was."

"You never said..."

"It wasn't important. It isn't important."

"Of course it's important! You fainted! You never faint!"

"I did not faint..." the demon glared.

"Sure, you just chose that moment to take a nap," Ciel rolled his eyes. "I see you...eat...all the time. How can you still be hungry?" he asked after a moment.

"Low grade food," Sebastian hissed, "Isn't the same. Not for a demon like me."

"And a demon can't take on more than one living contract at a time," the boy recited.

"Correct."

"...Can demons starve to death?"

"Of course. Demons are many things, but we're still living beings. We need to eat."

"Well...then I guess I'll have to try and find you..."

"You can't," Sebastian stopped him.

"Can't what?"

"You'll never need to, anyway."

"What?!"

"Find strong souls," the demon answered, "For yourself or for me."

"Other demons do, why won't I have to?"

"We don't do it because we need to, demons make contracts because it's fun. We have the choice of constantly eating to sustain ourselves or starving for a few years for one strong soul. Most older demons chose the latter because we get bored. You'll never be like other demons even when you get older, though. You don't need to eat as much."

"Why?"

"Because you were born human. I wasn't. Humans aren't supposed to become demons. Young demons are born starving and it takes centuries for them to develop their own thoughts that don't involve mindless slaughter. We have to earn our own personalities, we don't get that kind of freedom easily. For a human to be given demonic power without having to endure what natural demons do is inconceivable and Hannah made it exceptionally easy for you. She would have been killed a thousand times over if she wasn't already dead for what she did. Demons don't have many rules but turning humans into demons is taboo, regardless of contracts."

"So...when were you planning on telling me?"

"I wasn't."

"You're not supposed to lie to me," Ciel frowned.

"I didn't lie. It was an omission," Sebastian said, petulantly.

"Hmm," the boy scoffed, "That's all well and good but it doesn't solve the problem."

"There isn't a solution."

"There has to be."

"There isn't. Listen to your elders," Sebastian said.

"You want to die?" Ciel demanded.

"Maybe it'd be interesting," the demon shrugged.

"Well, I won't allow it. I order you not to die!"

"Oh. Is that a trace of human compassion I hear?"

"No," Ciel snapped, "But half decent servants are hard to come by," he said.

"I see," Sebastian smiled, closing his eyes again, "I'm touched. At any rate, there's nothing you or I can do. I'm as good as dead. Frankly, I'm surprised I'm still alive now."

"That's what he said," Ciel muttered, "You looked alright yesterday," he couldn't help but point out.

"You stopped scrutinising me days ago," Sebastian said, quite rightly, "And remember, I'm a hell of a butler. What kind of butler would allow his master to see his weaknesses?"

"...You knew this would happen? The whole time...right from the beginning..."

"Of course."

"You bastard," Ciel hissed at him, "How dare you keep something like this from me."

"I thought I could prolong it somehow," Sebastian shrugged, "Maybe find some kind of solution."

"You just said that there isn't one."

"I know," the demon smiled, "Living with humans for so long must be a bad influence on me."

"A bad influence on a demon?"

"Interesting concept, isn't it? Other demons wouldn't bother trying."

"Other demons aren't in the same situation," Ciel corrected him.

"There is that," Sebastian agreed quietly.

"Other demons would just kill me," the boy said, remembering what William had told him.

"...There is that," the demon repeated with a small smile.

"Could you kill me, despite the contract, if your life is on the line?"

"I don't know."

"...Would you?" Ciel asked, sincerely but Sebastian looked away in silence. "I asked you a question," the boy ground out.

"I don't have an answer," the demon replied.

"You could try."

"You sound very eager to die, young master."

"Not eager," Ciel shook his head lightly. "It just...doesn't bother me. I was prepared to die after...well, it doesn't matter anyway, because you're not dying, either."

"My master, always so stubborn," Sebastian muttered, "So young."

"I never asked...just how old are you?" Ciel asked and Sebastian smiled.

"I've told enough stories for one night, let me sleep," he replied.

"I thought sleep was a luxury," the boy raised his eyebrow.

"...You're learning," Sebastian scoffed lightly, "I'm impressed."

"You've already given up, haven't you?" Ciel asked.

"Demons might be immortal, but even immortality doesn't last forever," the demon sighed.

"Hmm," Ciel nodded, "Well, I haven't," he said.

"Fool," Sebastian muttered as he sunk his head deeper into the soft pillows beneath him.

"Are you insulting your master, demon?"

"Of course not. I'm merely stating the truth, that's what you wanted, isn't it?"

"So it is," Ciel scoffed with a smile, "You still should have told me," he said, standing up.

"Maybe, maybe not," Sebastian said stoically.

"Don't follow me, that's an order...I'm going out," Ciel said after a moment.

"Where?" Sebastian asked but Ciel didn't answer, instead, he left the room, silently. Leaving the older demon to smile ruefully and return to his sleep.

Luckily, the sky was dark as the young demon left the house and headed into the streets of the vast city before him. He sought out the most deserted alleyways and depressing slums as he scoured every inch with sharp, demonic senses.

Ciel had learned, from Sebastian, that each human emotion had a certain scent and that misery and anger and hatred were the best possible source of nourishment for a demon. He knew how to find those emotions, he could track them easily and he could bring himself to kill if he had to, what caused him the most trouble was separating the soul from the body without destroying it completely. He'd been surprised to learn that it could happen if one wasn't careful. Sebastian had let it happen the first time in order for Ciel to see just what he shouldn't do but most of the time, the butler found 'food' for his master anyway. He knew that the former human needed time to come to terms with this new form of eating and Sebastian had been so caught up in their 'adventurers' he'd been ignoring his own increasing struggle.

But that didn't help Ciel now, now that he was trying to find 'food' alone.

He knew that, as demons went, Sebastian was unusual to say the least. From what he'd learned, other demons weren't nearly so consumed by the charade their contract took the shape of. He knew that other demons would have simply killed him, after all, Claude had been much colder than Sebastian had ever been, even at his most demonic.

Perhaps it was foolish to believe even for a moment, that a demon cared, but demons did have emotions. They had their own morals. Granted, those morals were warped and twisted by human standards, but human morals looked twisted and warped from a demon's perspective too. They were two different species after all.

To a human, twenty years was a long time and having spent so much time with the demon, Ciel was forced to admit that he was not only dependant on Sebastian, but also rather attached and it wasn't merely because Sebastian waited on him hand and foot either. When he'd been human, he'd heard people comment on the easy relationship he seemed to have with his butler and the fact that said butler would, at the time, bring about his imminent demise should the time arise, didn't seem to matter. He'd made the choice and he still couldn't bring himself to regret it.

But to a demon, twenty years was nothing. Sebastian had to be at least 3,000 years old since he'd once mentioned meeting an Egyptian mummy when it had been alive. What was a mere two decades in comparison?

After about twenty minutes, Ciel came to a dingy looking public house from which he could sense strong, negative feelings. He followed them to the source and he was lead directly to a middle aged woman dressed in finery that had seen better days and slightly moth eaten clothes. Her dark hair was in disarray and she had several empty wine glasses scattered around the table she was sat alone at.

Using what Sebastian had taught him, Ciel altered his appearance, making himself look older, he brought a bottle of wine from the bar and sat opposite the woman. He refilled the almost empty glass she held loosely in her hand and talked to her with seductive eyes, bringing her hatred to the surface which she'd tried to silence with alcohol.

This woman definitely didn't posses a strong soul nor did she have the worlds' deepest loathing and hatred inside her soul, but it was the best Ciel could find that night. He couldn't spend the entire night searching. He had work to do. He had to inflame her anger as much as he could and then he'd have to lure her out, kill her and finally, take her soul. And that, he'd found, was easier said than done.

Sebastian was sleeping again when he returned in the early hours of the morning and it was that which proved how starved the demon must be. Sebastian never slept so much, he simply didn't need to.

"Wake up," Ciel ordered as he sat down on the edge of the bed, "Sebastian, wake up."

"What is it now?" the demon sighed, slowly opening his eyes.

"Here," Ciel said, holding out his hand and letting the glowing light of the woman's soul he'd caught only minutes ago.

"What's this?" Sebastian asked, tilting his head.

"What does it look like?" the boy snapped, "It's...food."

"Demons don't share their prey," the demon said, "I thought I..."

"You do, you catch mine for me all the time," Ciel interrupted him.

"That's true, but I am your butler."

"Yes, you are. So I order you to take this," the boy ground out.

"...Understood," Sebastian acquiesced. He removed the glove on his right hand with slow movements, revealing black nails and the dark seal on pale skin. Reaching out with spread fingers, the demon absorbed the miserable soul and the light was drawn into his fingertips. Once it was completely gone, the demon let out a quiet breath.

"Well..." Ciel began reluctantly, "Did I do it right?"

"You are fully aware that you did," Sebastian replied and the boy nodded once in approval. "It was very kind of you," he grinned.

"It wasn't kindness!" the boy cried, "You can't do your job if you're sleeping all the time," he added childishly.

"I see."

"Don't let it happen again. Do whatever you have to do, just don't let it happen again."

"Is that an order?"

"Yes," Ciel said simply.

A.N. I figure after so many years together, Sebastian and Ciel would have a more relaxed relationship as master and servant. I get the message that Sebastian is different from other demons, since we get told that no other demon would go through so much trouble for one soul now would they be so devoted to the human they're going to eat. So, I suppose most contracts would be short lived and he seems to appreciate human things more than others. Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but this is my world here, so, meh, whatever.