It was 2:00 p.m. when Sebastian traveled down the extensive, royal green carpeted hallways of the Phantomhive mansion, pushing the trolley topped with Ciel's midday snack. Today Bardroy had prepared a questionable-looking dessert pudding that Sebastian had managed to recreate when the poor chef wasn't watching. It was a wonder that Ciel had hired his three employees in the first place, as they were all rather incompetent at their jobs. Oh well, Sebastian thought. Ciel was simply lucky to have himself such a versatile butler.

Sebastian stopped near the middle of the hallway, where two large doors closed off the young master's study. He rapped his gloved knuckles against the light wooden frame twice to announce his arrival. Grabbing the handle on trolley, Sebastian pushed the door open with his back to enter and turned around, only to find Ciel caught in the middle of a sneeze.

Ciel's hands were skating over his pockets, feeling for a handkerchief. His search was thus far in vain, as at this point he couldn't even keep his exposed blue eye open to aid. His breath came in light pants, only noticeable by the emphasized rising of his chest. The boy sniveled in a final attempt to stay the sneeze, but found there was no hope in the situation. His unusually gray-haired head tilted back and long eyelashes fluttered in preparation for delivery.

"Heh-ischh!"

Immediately after release, Ciel reopened his eyes in surprise, a handkerchief having appeared just in time to catch the sneeze. The hand holding on to it was, of course-

"Bless you, my lord," Sebastian mused.

Ciel snatched the handkerchief from the man's hand irritably. "What are you doing here? I didn't call for you," he interrogated, his voice stiff with embarrassment, swiping the initialed cloth under his nose delicately before folding it into a neat square and tucking it into his trousers' pocket.

The butler gestured towards the tray of dessert and tea. "You seem to have forgotten the time, young master."

Ciel sniffed and leaned back in his chair. "Right. Of course. What is being served today?"

"Sussex pond pudding and black tea with honey," Sebastian responded obediently, filling the watercolor-flowered tea cup with the steamy brown liquid to the brim. "As a little history lesson, do you know why people started saying 'bless you' hundreds of years ago? It is because they were afraid one's soul left their when they sneezed, leaving it free for the devil to steal."

"That doesn't matter to me," Ciel muttered, extending his hand for the cup, "and next time, I don't want any sweeteners in my tea. I'm not a child anymore."

Sebastian couldn't help but grin to himself in amusement. "Of course not, young master. My apologies."

"Heh'schhh!" That one came from nowhere, and Ciel sat dazed for a moment before giving a small shake of his head, almost like a dog. "Mmf… It is far too musty in this room. Send Maylene up to dust out the bookshelves during my violin lesson and draw the curtains. The chores have clearly been neglected in here."

"I could have sworn I saw Maylene cleaning this study only yesterday." Sebastian swept the desktop with his index finger and rubbed it against his thumb. As he suspected, nothing came off on his fingers.

Despite this, Ciel felt inclined to appoint blame. "Then she did a terrible job at it!" He took a sip of his tea and licked the top of his lip for residue. "I cannot have anything bothering me while I'm trying to work. With the preparations for the Europe-wide candy shops and various announcements from the Queen I have enough on my mind. I do not need the worries of undone housework to further sully my thoughts."

Other than twisting his neck, the butler gave the room a once-over without moving; hardly enough dust had accumulated to be cause for alarm. It shouldn't be enough to force Ciel into sneezing at least. He would know; after Maylene had finished cleaning the study the day prior, Sebastian had spent four hours after her making sure every nook and cranny was completely spotless. Then again, Ciel did have asthma, and it wasn't uncommon for it to act up from time to time, in one form or another. "Has the dust been bothering you for long, young master?"

Ciel looked into the murky depths of his drink, shrugging once. "Just since I walked in here, of course. Serve the pudding already."

"I see." Sebastian spooned gelatin into a glass dish. "This isn't usual, is it?"

"No. That is because of the dust in here. I don't see why this has to become some large debacl-eh..." Ciel's blue eye became distant as his voice snagged, leaning back farther in his chair reflexively. Sebastian pried the cup from his fingers and placed it on the table, not wanting him to spill the hot tea by mistake. Ciel had managed to retrieve the handkerchief himself this time and appeared impatient yet exasperated for another sneeze as he held the fabric out in front of him. "Hh… Hetschh!" The boy's features scrunched, loosened, and scrunched again before giving up on the next sneeze. He carefully folded the handkerchief for a second time.

"Bless you, my lord."

"It doesn't matter," Ciel growled, saying this phrase more as if to convince himself than his butler. Sebastian noticed he left the handkerchief on the table this time, as if for easier access. "Hand me the pudding now… Why ever are you looking at me like that?"

"You are going to pass this off as an asthma attack, aren't you?" Sebastian asked curiously, folding his hands behind his back now that they had completed their task.

Ciel dipped his spoon into the pudding. "Of course. That's just what it is. And dust."

"I don't believe that's so."

Ciel halted in his eating, spoon halfway to his mouth, glaring up at the demon. "And why is that?" he asked snappishly.

"Your voice sounds different today. Stopped." Sebastian brought his hands forward again and began tugging off one white glove by the finger. "Almost as though you are becoming ill."

Ciel dismissed the comment easily, returning to his food. "Don't be ridiculous. Why would I-" But he cut his words short in slight shock. Sebastian had slipped the back of his hand under his long gray bangs and placed it against the young man's forehead.

Ciel's eyebrows knotted, and he pulled away from the touch at once. "What did you do that for?"

"You do feel a little warm," Sebastian noted, pulling the glove back over his palm. "Perhaps it would be in your best interest to take the rest of the day off. You can get into your pajamas and go to sleep early, or I could bring you more tea and extra pillows and something to heat the bed with."

"I would never fall asleep while it was still light outside," Ciel argued crossly. The rim of nostril twitched, and he massaged it a finger as if it itched him. "Where would I get a virus from now anyway, Sebastian? The only times I get sick are when someone else in the mansion falls ill-"

"Or when you go into town," the butler reminded him. "Remember our shopping expedition two days ago? You walk past the masses, all pressed in so close together, and breathe in the sooty air. It makes it very easy for a germ to jump from one person to the next under those conditions. Not to mention, cold weather is the best weather for illness to spread. This would also explain why you are not very hungry, seeing as you have already put down your pudding."

"Hh-hh-ischhh!"

"And why you are constantly sneezing. Bless you, by the way."

"It's not as if my soul is actually leaving me." Ciel didn't even bother folding up the handkerchief this time, leaving it discarded next to the half-empty pudding dish. "And maybe I'm not very hungry today because Bardroy prepared such an extravagant breakfast. And this study desperately needs to be cleaned. Those are all valid explanations for why I may be reacting this way."

"True," Sebastian sighed, not wishing to continue this argument any longer, especially one the boy seemed so determined on winning. "Do not hesitate to let me know if you change your mind about this, Master Ciel. But if I were you, I would give myself a break."

Ciel swirled the contents of his tea. "No you wouldn't."

"I only said if I were you," Sebastian grinned. "As a demon, I of course never become too sick to work. You are only human though, Ciel, and a child. Ah, sorry; you are not a child. But you still have to know what your limitations are."

"Go," Ciel commanded with finality, so Sebastian took the stray dishes onto the trolley, bowed deeply, and left.

An hour or so later, Sebastian felt compelled to return to the study to check in on Ciel. He was sure this was illness, as the young master's asthma usually involved fits of coughing rather than sneezing, lack of hunger, and a syrupy voice. And it would be rather like Ciel to pretend to be healthy when he was quite the opposite anyway. Sebastian was about to knock on the doors again when he heard a sound from within.

"Nah… Hehn… Ha-ischh!… Itschh! … Ischh-hih! Hi'issh!"

"Working hard I see." Sebastian approached the desk where Ciel sat amongst paperwork, his face buried in the now weak-looking handkerchief, elbows barely managing to prop himself up as his frame sagged tiredly. "And how are we feeling? Still right as rain?"

"Don't tease me like that," Ciel snarled, but it was hardly convincing. "I'm skipping violin today. There is too much work to be done." Ciel's nose wrinkled along the bridge and his breath hissed in sharply, preparing to sneeze again. Nothing came of the tickle time though. He lowered his hands and exhaled discontentedly. "It's been off and on like this ever since you left. It wants to drive me crazy."

Sebastian nodded; as well as he may try to hide it, he could see that even Ciel was beginning to give in. "If you don't mind me saying, my lord, your voice is sounding much worse even in the short time I've been gone."

"I do mind you saying."

"Then I apologize profusely."

Ciel worked the flushed skin on his forehead with his index finger and thumb. "I need more tea is all. Something hot."

"For your throat?"

"Yes." Ciel blinked, realizing he had been tricked into saying this, and not even in a very clever way. "Don't smirk so. It isn't hurting me."

"I never said it was hurting you." Sebastian turned to retrieve more drink, then came back after a second thought. The glove of his right hand was plucked off again and gray bangs pushed aside. Ciel didn't try to stop him this time. "Your temperature is far too hot, young master."

Ciel stared at the finished wood on his desk as if tracing the tree's contours with his eyes.

"Come on, now. I know you know that you aren't feeling well and that you would like to stop work for today."

"Alright." Ciel said the word thickly and harshly, as if it pained him to be in agreement, and pushed himself out of the chair. "But don't let the other servants know. Or Lizzy. They'll never shut up about this. And Lizzy will take complete advantage of it to dress me up in her silly outfits." He began to move towards the exit, wobbling slightly as he walked.

Sebastian grabbed his arm gently. "Allow me to assist you, young master."

"I don't need any assis…" Ciel's eyes dulled mid-speak and slowly began to close. The sneeze that hadn't want to leave him before was starting to slide forth. "Snehh… Where's… h-handkerchief…?"

It was back on the desk. Sebastian moved quickly to fetch it, abandoning Ciel to stave off the growing itch. "Hehnehh… Hurry it…" Ciel's blue eye clamped shut and it was all he could do to hold back the unbearable need. "Seh…Sebas…" He couldn't even speak anymore or else it would come out.

"Right here." Sebastian handed him the silken cloth and Ciel just managed to grab it before allowing himself the much-needed relief. "Heeh-hih-schhh!! Schhh! Unghhh…" His shoulders trembled, proving that he hadn't quite finished off getting the irritation out. His breathing ebbed and stuck, uneven. "What is th-this?" he growled in aggravation, no longer caring of how silly he must look, the corners of his mouth tugging downward drastically, visible eyelid frozen at the halfway point. Ciel sucked in through his nose loudly, the tickle blazing and flaring like a candle flame, impossible to keep back even if he'd wanted to. "Heh-eh… … Ih-heh-HA-ischhhh! Unnn…" Ciel sneezed once more, almost toppling as he bent at the waist.

Sebastian propped him upright to get a good look at him. Ciel looked disheveled, eyes bleary as if the experience had exhausted him. Sebastian then realized he shouldn't be seeing both eyes, the deep and brilliant purple clashing with Ciel's reddening face. The eye patch had slipped down his cheek with the power of the sneeze, hanging down past his chin awkwardly.

Sebastian smirked again as he looped the strap back behind the boy's ear and retied the knot behind his head. "That last sneeze was a much to handle, hmm, young master?"

In place of the defensive remark the butler was expecting, Ciel finally gave into his sickness and drooped, allowing Sebastian to support most of his weight. "I feel terrible…"

The butler chuckled. Never had he seen Ciel so utterly human, so willing to admit a fault. Ciel had been through matters that had humbled and terrified him in ways no one else would understand. Maybe it was nice, for once, to know he could be reliant on others in his time of need, to be doted upon as a child would want to. Sebastian prodded Ciel to his feet and helped him down the hallway to his bedroom, choosing a route less traveled by the hired help so they wouldn't be noticed just yet. "Bless you, my lord."

Dead End