Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroshitsuji (Black Butler). All rights belong to the author, Yana Toboso. I am merely using her characters and story for entertainment.
It was finally spring. The sun was out; the snow had melted; it had reached almost sixty degrees, and tiny little flowers started to bloom. The servants of the Phantomhive manor noticed these wonderful things and were overjoyed. Now they had a valid reason to get the young Master out of the mansion and get some fresh air. They had witnessed during the winter their master becoming increasingly grumpy and, hoping it would make him feel happier, they decided to try to persuade him to go outside.
The gardener went first as he was the closest to the young Master among them (besides Sebastian, of course). He stepped close to the Earl's study door and knocked.
"Young Master, can I speak with you?" he asked nervously. It was a bold thing to do, interrupting your master while he was working.
"What is it?" he heard the boy's bored and nonchalant voice call out.
"I, um," the gardener fumbled while opening the door, "I have something to ask of you."
The boy raised an eyebrow and looked at him as if to say, Yes?
"I-I think..." He shut his eyes tight and took a deep breath. "We all think that you should..." He couldn't go on.
"Spit it out already, Finny. I haven't all the time in the world, you know."
"We think you should go outside!" the gardener burst out.
The boy dropped his fountain pen and stared at him in disbelief. Oh, no, he thought. I'm going to get it now.
To his surprise, the boy did not get angry nor did he yell at him. He immediately resumed his work and stated, "I don't have time for that sort of thing."
"But, Master!" the gardener cried. "You must! It'd be good for you! It's such a beautiful day! And you'd feel a whole lot better-"
"I feel fine," he interjected severely. Then he, looking at him with a weary eye, said, "I do not need you to tell me what I need to do or how I am feeling."
And with that, he flicked his wrist, indicating that he wanted no more of his presence. The gardener left, defeated.
A few days after that incident they tried again, as you don't want to irritate the master more than once in a day unless you wish to suffer his wrath. It was surprising how such a small boy could be so angry. They felt that perhaps a woman would be able to reason with him. But being the clumsy maid she was, Mey-Rin wasn't really the best woman for the job. As she stood there before her master's door, she couldn't help but tremble and shake as if she was about to head to the guillotine. And maybe she was... in a way.
"S-s-sir?" she asked meekly and not very loudly.
"Who's there?"
She fidgeted where she stood. How was she going to do this without falling apart? "I-it's me, sir. Y-your maid."
"Have you broken any dishes? If so, please ask Sebastian to order some more. I'm busy."
"Oh, no! I mean," she blushed fiercely even though he couldn't see her, "n-no. I haven't broken anything yet, sir."
"Well, then. What is it you want?"
"I just wanted to ask you if..." She was very nearly about to collapse on the floor. Maybe Sebastian'll catch me if I do... She blushed again at this thought and shook her head. Now wasn't the time to fantasize about Sebastian.
"D-do you want to go outside?" she asked quietly.
All was silent for a moment. The maid wondered whether he had even heard her. Then she heard the shuffling of papers and footsteps heading toward the door. She almost fell to the floor but the door was opened with such a force that she stood as still and stiff as a suit of armor.
"I do not wish to go outside." The boy's face was as red as hers and possibly even more so. "I already told Finny that, he clearly hasn't passed it on. Now you'd better do so for him. Leave me be."
And with that, he shut the door so hard that the paintings that hung on the wall shook.
A few weeks later, they had only one option left: Baldroy. The chef wasn't very close to the young Master, but he could be very persuasive when he wanted to. He also wouldn't tremble or stutter when speaking with the Master so he had a chance of negotiating with him.
"Hey, sir?"
He received no answer.
"I need to speak with yeh, sir. It's important."
"What?" came the boy's irritated voice.
"Well, um, o' course if you don' wanna talk that's alrigh'..." and he quickly turned around.
The other servants ushered him back to the door.
"Just tell me."
"Um... I was wonderin'..." he began, with his hand rubbing the back of his neck. He felt very awkward with the rest of the servants watching. "Would yeh like to-"
"No, I do not want to go outside! Go away!"
"Alrigh'! Alrigh'! I'm leavin'!"
And with that, the chef ran all the way back to the kitchen, the rest of the servants following after him.
Later that evening, all three sat around the kitchen counter. All were depressed. There was no way they'd get the Master out of his study. Their only hope now was...
"What's with all the gloomy looks?" the butler came in and asked with a cheerful smile.
"Mr. Sebastian!" The gardener stood up and faced him with a sorrowful expression. "Oh, Mr. Sebastian... We've been trying to get the young Master to go outside but he won't listen to us."
"Yes. I've noticed that the young Master has been acting more irritated than is usual. So it was you three who've been giving me trouble." He cast a sharp glance at all of them and they lowered their heads, ashamed.
The butler sighed. "I, too, want the young Master to get some fresh air. It can't be good for him to stay inside all day. One must take a break from work once in a while. Especially if you're a child."
The servants' faces lit up and immediately they pounced.
"So you'll help us?" the gardener asked hopefully.
The chef grinned. "If anyone can convince that guy, it's you."
The maid blushed and cried exuberantly, "Of course! Mr. Sebastian can do anything, yes he can!"
The butler smiled in a somewhat narcissistic manner. "Oh, really?" he mused appreciatively. "Well, I have indeed faced a number of challenges in my lifetime. And all of them I have not yet failed."
"Yes! You're amazing, sir!" the gardener praised. "Like a superhero!"
The chef slung his arm around the butlers' shoulders. "Yer like the superman round 'ere."
The maid uttered something which could not be heard. Perhaps it was best it was not.
"Very well, then." The butler removed the arm from his shoulders and walked toward the door that lead out of the kitchen. "I will now persuade the young Master to go outside. Do stay here please."
In defiance of the butler's orders, the trio of servants followed him closely. (Although they knew where their master's study was, they really only wanted to feel as if they were some sort of spies.) They waited for him to enter the room and then they all stood near the door to listen.
"Young Master, I have your after-dinner snack."
"Leave it on the desk."
"Yes, sir."
The servants watched the butler with bated breath, careful not to make a sound as to not give away their hiding spot.
"How d'yeh figur' 'e'll do it?" the chef wondered aloud.
"Sebastian will find a way," the gardener stated. "He always does."
The maid nodded eagerly in agreement.
As they were having this little conversation amongst themselves the butler began to commence his plan.
"Young Master, I have something to ask of you."
The boy looked up from his cake to the butler. "Not you, too?" he said with a bit of disgust.
"Now, now, sir. The servants did mean well, you know. They had your health in mind. And I also think that going outside will do you good."
"As I've already said, I have no time. I'd have thought you would be the one to understand that."
"I do, indeed, sir. But can't you take a little time off? Just for today, at least?"
The boy finally exploded.
"Why is it so bloody important to you all that I go outside?! Do you think I'm going to die soon or something?!"
Everyone was quiet for a while after that, except for Finny who started to cry.
"Y-young Master, I'm sorry," the gardener sobbed.
"Finny?" the boy called out, now aware that three incompetent servants were standing outside his door.
"I didn't mean to make you mad, sir, I only-"
"It's alright, Finny. You all, come in here."
The servants looked at each other, terrified. Surely he wasn't going to be easy on them!
They tentatively stepped from the hall to the study and looked across the room to face their master. Sebastian stood to the side of him, smiling.
"I'm sorry for the way I acted toward you three. I know you were only doing so for my benefit and I appreciate that. But even so," he looked them over one by one and they stiffened, "I don't need you to look after me. Sebastian is here to do that. You need only follow my orders and do what I hired you for, understood?"
All three servants saluted him and said, "Yes, my Lord!"
The boy smiled tiredly. "Very good. Now that that's settled, why don't we all go out and have a nice cup of tea, eh?"
All the servants (including Sebastian) jaws dropped.
The boy's face flushed pink. "W-what? What are you looking at me like that for?" he stammered. "I realized that I haven't been outside lately, that's all. A little fresh air will do me good, I should think."
And with that, the boy marched out the door, still pink, and attempting to look noble while doing so.
The chef's cigarette fell out of his mouth. "What was that?"
"I believe the young Master just took our advice." The butler placed a hand on his forehead as it had begun to ache exceedingly. "Oh, dear. What will happen next?"
"Sebastian!" the boy's embarrassed voice ordered from the hallway. "Go make me some tea! And bring it out to the patio when you're done!"
"Next, 'e's gonna be playin' games with them Bengalis, goin' on dates with that crazy fiancée of his, and 'e'll be havin' a bunch o' cats in the manor."
"I wouldn't mind that. It would be worrying, though."
"Isn't that a good thing?" the gardener asked innocently. "I mean, the young Master is starting to act more like a child!"
"Make it snappy, Sebastian!"
The butler sighed dramatically. "If he continues to act as such, I don't know if I'll be able to handle him..." He then smirked and headed over to the door. Looking back at the three of them, he declared, "Let's go have some tea, shall we?"