It is tradition.
They sit on opposite sides, a table and chess board between them. The room is divided into two halves by moonlight, shining through the window. August rain patters along the rooftop of the Phantomhive manor. A clock tick, tick, ticks away the time on the far wall.
Tick. Tock.
Sebastian moves his rook. Ciel eyes him, one moment, two, before sliding his white pawn one space forward. His chin rests on his knuckles, legs crossed at the knee; the way a child sits, loose-limbed, because they are able to, being children.
Sebastian cracks his knuckles. The grinding sound lingers between them.
The butler sits very straight, broad shoulders slack, his free hand resting on one knee. He slips the edge of his tongue over his lips. His fingertips touch the pointed end of a knight, letting it rest there, one moment, two, before moving his castle instead. The blackness of it matches his hair.
The clock ticks. They stare at one another in the half-light.
Ciel's one blue eye gleams. He nudges his bishop to snare a black rook. Sebastian frowns.
They're down to five pieces each. An even match. A fair game.
Rain pours upon the rooftop. The clock ticks away the time, their limited, limited time.
Sebastian's demon-eyes illuminate the darkness.
He takes Ciel's King. It rattles on the table as he places it on his side, before rolling over and onto the carpet. Ciel watches it spin for a moment, two, before it comes to rest against his shoe. Sebastian's grin is unapologetic.
Ciel thins his lips, surveying the wreckage. He has only a few moves left.
He moves his Queen. Sebastian takes it. The game is over.
Sebastian applauds quietly. Ciel glares petulantly, making no move to collect the pieces. His butler does so, dutifully, with practiced grace. The same way he's always done it, because that's the way his Young Master commands.
Anything for a good, pure soul, after all.
The chess pieces are put away. Sebastian stands at the doorway.
"Once something is lost," Ciel begins, voice very, very quiet.
Sebastian smiles.
"One can never get it back."
Sebastian leaves. The rain pours.