Ciel sipped his tea slowly as he looked to his guest sitting across from him. The young Earl had not met another young man in a similar position as he was in, so he wanted to get to know this young man better. His name was Lord Phillip Smith. Earl to the Smith and Sons shipping and storage company. Though a fire would now make it more like Smith shipping as everyone except for him and his maid perished in the fire at his home 7 years ago. The boy was only 10 when he was given sole ownership of the company following his family's demise. Now at 15, this boy had the proper look and manners that would befit someone to be called an Earl.
His maid was also the best of the best. As Ciel changed his gaze to meet the sparkling red eyes of Lord Smith's maid, he thought, "They look just like Sebastian's eyes. Wait, it can't be!" Ceil placed his cup back on the saucer and cleared his throat. "Yes, I believe an arrangement can be made with your company Lord Smith."
Phillip smiled slightly and took another sip of his tea. "Lydia, fetch me my pen." As he finished speaking, his pen was already laying on the table. "Thank you."
"Sebastian, please hand me the contract." Once again, the item the young lord asked for was already on the table. Ciel muttered a thank you and began writing. He handed the document for Phillip to sign. While Phillip was reading the contract, Ciel took another curious look at Lydia.
The woman was of average height. Her hair appeared to be long and black, but she kept it in a perfect bun. Her maid outfit was long and yet, it looked flattering on her. She also wore white gloves similar to Sebastian's. Ciel wondered if it was to hide anything. Lydia glanced over at Ciel and gave a small smile and nod. Ciel returned the nod, flustered that she noticed his prying eyes.
Sebastian noticed the exchange and gave his usual sadistic smile as he stood behind Ciel. Lydia noticed the butler's smirk and gave one equally as sadistic. They remained staring at each other until Phillip's voice got their attention.
"Here you are Lord Phantomhive. I look forward to working with you." He stood and walked over to Ciel. Ciel stood and gave him a small smile. Phillip extended his hand and Ciel took it. They shook hands, and Phillip turned to Lydia. "Prepare the carriage."
Lydia bowed slightly. "Yes, my lord."
That was it. Ciel knew for sure now that she was suspicious. It was like he was seeing a female version of Sebastian. Lydia turned and walked out of the room. The other three walked slowly towards the entrance. The two lords were making small talk when Lydia returned.
She bowed deeply. "Apologies my lord, but the bridge has sustained damage due to the storm. I will have to carry you home. I will fetch something to keep you dry at once."
This was a perfect time Ciel thought. "Miss Collins, please, I insist you two spend the night while the storm is still raging. We will fix the bridge in the morning." He turned to Phillip. "Would this be alright with you Lord Smith?"
"Yes, of course. Thank you for your hospitality. Lydia, please see that the horses have a place to get out of the storm and bring my bag inside." She nodded, and began to walk outside.
Ciel motioned for Sebastian to come closer. He whispered, "Follow her, see what she's about."
Sebastian whispered back, "At once." Sebastian stepped out and followed Lydia to the stable where she took the horses. As she walked out, she was met with the tall butler. He put his arm out and pushed against the side of the door, blocking Lydia's path. "What are you doing here?"
"I am merely accompanying my master."
"That's convenient."
Lydia stepped back and smirked. "It's been a while since I've met another one of us. What brought you to being a butler for that boy?"
He put his arm down. "A contract." He pulled off his glove and showed the mark.
Lydia nodded and pulled off her own. "I too am in a contract. Such things we will do to get a taste of their wonderful souls."
Sebastian put his glove back on. "If I find you alone with the young master, I will kill you." His eyes narrowed.
"The same goes for me. He's mine." She put her glove back on.
"Well, I'm glad we came to an understanding." Sebastian turned and walked towards the manor. Lydia stood still and stared at him for a moment. Secretly, she was overjoyed that she had met another demon, but this one was definitely too much like her. She would have to keep her guard up.
Sebastian returned and toweled himself off. Ciel came into the kitchen and crossed his arms. "Well, what did you find out?"
"Do not be alone with her young master. She is a demon like me. She has entered into a similar contract with her master, but that doesn't mean she won't try to break it and try to take your soul."
Ciel sighed. "I knew it. She acted so much like you that I was fairly certain she was a demon. I will keep that in mind." Ciel thought for a moment. "What if you stayed with her tonight? Followed her and made sure she stayed away from my room."
"Is that an order?"
"Do you have any other ideas?"
"No, I believe that would be best to follow her."
"Alright, then yes, it's an order."
"Yes, my lord." Sebastian put the towel away and walked into the foyer.
"I have already given Miss Collins and Lord Smith their rooms. He said he'd be going to bed early. I will be heading off to bed myself."
"Of course." Sebastian followed Ciel to his room to turn down his bed and to make sure he didn't need anything else.
Meanwhile, in Phillip's room, Phillip was hearing a similar story and given similar orders. "So, would you please follow Mr. Michaelis tonight?"
"Of course. Do you have any ideas?"
Phillip thought for a moment. "Do you still have those vials with you?"
"Yes, I do."
"Good. I'm sure Mr. Phantomhive would not object to Mr. Michaelis indulging in a few sick animal souls. I would assume it would be like asking a human to have a drink. Invite him like that."
"My lord, you must know that these souls would be the equivalent of having tea that was left out for days. It is not a pleasure to have, it is just there to sustain and satisfy my need."
"Still, I doubt he has had anything like that in a while. He may be like you though and only want, as you say, quality human souls. See what he says. I know you only drink those to keep the urge at bay. If he declines, try something else. Show him some leg or something." The young master blushed, but kept his gaze on Lydia.
She gave her sadistic smirk. "Oh, does the young master want to hear me beg for more? I'm sorry, but there's no foreplay with demons. We just do that with humans." Seeing his obvious embarrassment, she continued. Her voice now slower, more seductive. "I guess I could see how far he'd like to go, though these forms are rather hard for us to get the true experience. If we changed back into demons, I'm sure a whole wing of the manor would crumble." Phillip coughed and quickly turned over, facing away from Lydia. She chuckled to herself. "Good night, master."
"Good night." He said quickly. She closed the door slowly behind her.
She began walking down the hall towards the stairs when she met Sebastian. His face equally as amused. She assumed he had made Ciel mad, which seemed to be common with them. Lydia liked teasing Phillip, but Sebastian seemed to get joy out of angering Ciel. They stopped at the top of the stairs. "My master has said to keep an eye on you all night tonight." Lydia said.
"The young master wishes us to spend the night together as well. They seem to both think we would be tempted to take the others' soul." Sebastian walked down the stairs. Lydia followed on the other side of the staircase.
"I'm assuming your contract states nothing about animal souls?" Lydia said flatly.
"No it doesn't, though I would prefer the taste of a high quality human soul over an animal soul any day." Sebastian looked at her briefly.
"Like a wine, animal souls can be stored and get better with time. They also taste better while still warm. I have some on me if you'd like to drink with me." Sebastian stopped. "We have to spend time together, do we not?"
"Indeed, though I have never heard of storing the souls like that. That is very interesting." Sebastian smiled and continued to walk. "I would like to try it."
Lydia continued down to the bottom of the stairs. Sebastian guided her to the den, where a small table was pushed against a wall. He pulled out a chair for her, then turned around and shut the door. As he sat down, she frowned. "Just so you know, they are still the same taste, just not as potent. This isn't a human soul, remember."
"I am aware this will not be a pleasant experience. Where are the vials?" Sebastian pulled the chair closer.
"One moment while I get them. They're in my brazier, but I have to unzip my dress to get them." She began to reach behind her to unzip.
"Allow me." Sebastian got up and walked behind Lydia. He slowly unzipped.
"That should be fine, thank you." She pulled the dress down until her ample cleavage was exposed. She reached to the center of her brazier and took out a bag. "It's good we don't sweat. I'd never do this if I was a human." She said, realizing how silly it must have looked. She pulled the dress back up. "You can zip me up again." He zipped her dress, then sat back down, a smile now firmly planted on his face.
"This must be a special batch if you keep them there."
"They are. I have mostly wolf souls, though there are a few smaller rodents in here as well." She pulled out two vials of wolf soul and gave one to Sebastian. He opened the top and saw the soul swirling in the vial. He studied it briefly, consumed by a hunger he tries so hard to repress. "Cheers." She lifted her vial. He looked up from his vial.
"Cheers." The vials clinked and Lydia drank hers first with a soft suckling noise. Sebastian looked down at his, then drank quickly. He closed the vial and gave it back to her. His face was almost expressionless, but Lydia could tell it had been a long time since he had a soul.
"See, it's not as bad when it's warm and older. Still pretty unpleasant though." She pulled out two more and gave one to Sebastian. They clinked the vials again and drank once more. "My master will not let me take the souls of the animals that are still alive and healthy. He only lets me take the sick ones, as a kind of help to ease their pain. I don't see the difference, but it makes him happy." Sebastian nodded. "How do you feel?"
Sebastian looked up at her, his red eyes glowing. "Splendid."
Lydia smiled. "Good, would you like to split these last four?" He nodded. They downed all four within moments. Afterward, they both sat in silence for a while. Lydia watched as Sebastian stood up, took off his coat, and hung it on the coat rack near the door. He took off his gloves and rolled up his sleeves. As he sat back down, Lydia chuckled.
"What is it?" Sebastian asked.
"I have a quick fix to the warmth. She stood up, then pulled on the two bows that were on either side of her hip. Her skirt lifted, and she tied the ribbons in another bow to secure it. The skirt was now just above her knees. She took off her own gloves and rolled up her sleeves as well.
"That is more convenient." Sebastian said, giving a smirk through his now foggy head.
"We can sit here for a while if you'd like. I know if you haven't had any for a while, it may take a few minutes to get focused again. I can wait. Sebastian nodded, then sat with his back against the wall.
An hour passed, and Sebastian had regained his focus, now feeling better than ever. They made small talk about the adventures they both have had. Lydia looked up at him while they were both standing near the window, looking out at the full moon. "I have an idea to ensure the masters know we've been together." The smirk now returning to both of their faces.
"What do you have in mind?" Sebastian asked.
Ciel was not sleeping too well. He had been tossing and turning for a while. The crickets were chirping in the distance and he could hear an owl, but the noise that finally woke him was not one that he was expecting. What sounded like a moan came from below his window. He didn't notice it at first, but then came a voice, that nearly echoed in his room.
"Oh, Sebastian!"
Ciel shot up. He listened more as the moans of the two were pretty noticeable. He pinched the sides of his nose. "That was not what I had in mind, Sebastian." Ciel laid back down and put the pillow over his head.
In Phillip's room, upon hearing the yell, he shot out of bed and nearly tripped on the rug. As he neared the open window, he stopped himself and wondered if it was something he really wanted to see. After a moment of contemplation, he rushed to the window and inched his head out. He was met with a small rock aimed at his head, which was just enough to knock him back without causing any damage. He rubbed the spot on his head and walked back to the bed, placing the pillow over his head.
Under the windows, the fully clothed pair that never actually touched laughed quietly as they walked away from the windows.
"There won't be any question if we were together last night, will there?" Lydia whispered.
"I don't think there will be." Sebastian said as he dusted his jacket off. Halfway to the door to the kitchen, Sebastian looked out towards an open stretch of land. He stopped and turned towards Lydia.
"What is it Sebastian?"
He grabbed her hand. "Come with me." They walked through the gardens towards the open land. No one in the manor questioned the noises they heard during that time, as they were too afraid to wonder what it could be that was making noise in that open patch of land.
The next morning, Lydia walked into the kitchen to see Finnian, Baldroy, and Mey-Rin. The moment the three saw her, they all began to pretend to be doing something, hiding their red faces. She chuckled. "You three are cute." She grabbed the tray for Phillip and walked out. Mey-Rin turned around to the men and squeezed the towel she had in her hand.
"That woman! She was here only one day and already got Sebastian to do...agh!" She threw the towel towards the door. Sebastian appeared in the doorway and grabbed the towel.
"My, aren't we lively this morning." He looked towards Finnian. "I will clean up the land beyond the gardens Finnian, you don't have to worry about that."
"Phew, that's good. After the noises last night from over there, I don't know what kind of animals made that kind of damage, but I don't want to be near it!" Finnian wiped his forehead and headed out the door. Sebastian smiled to the other two, then grabbed the tray for Ciel.
The two young men ate breakfast, then Lydia announced that the carriage was ready to go. Ciel and Phillip gave their best regards, but both couldn't get the noises of last night out of their heads, so the conversation was rather short. Sebastian opened the door, and helped Phillip up the carriage. Lydia was next. They both looked at each other, giving a smile that the two boys knew all too well. It was the smile they gave when they had won. Ciel sighed loudly. Sebastian kissed her hand softly.
"Until we meet again." Lydia nodded and got in the carriage. Within moments, the carriage was out of sight.
"Next time you want to have fun like that, go where I can't hear it." Ciel grumbled.
"That's no fun." Sebastian walked with Ciel towards the front door.
"Would you mind telling me what happened to the yard as well?" Ciel wondered if he even wanted to know.
"Lydia and I did some landscaping last night."
Ciel sighed. "Nevermind, I don't care. Just get it cleaned up." Sebastian opened the door for Ciel.
"Yes, my lord."
The End.
Note: Thanks for reading. This was just a quick little story I thought of and wrote in just a few hours.
Update: Bonus chapter added.