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Cheese
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The sound of fine silverware tapping gently against porcelain echoed around the vast dining room. The ostentatious room panelled with mahogany and oak was silent spare the sounds of chewing and a knife slicing through tender meat. As usual, the meal was prepared to perfection- nothing less was to be expected from those that serve the Phantomhive household.
Silky ebony hair brushed against the material of his eyepatch as Ciel leaned forward to take another bite out of his dinner. His butler, stood beside him- a napkin draped over his arm, ready to mop up any spills that should stain the Young Master's hand tailored outfit of the day. But of course, no such thing would happen. The last time Ciel had soiled a shirt during dinner was when he had last eaten with his family. A time so long ago, that he'd almost forgotten what it was like to eat a meal and talk to someone about something that wasn't business related. Instead, meals were now conducted in relative silence, apart from the times when Sebastian would ask if the Young Master desired some more water or gravy with his roast.
Ciel finally closed his visible eye and sighed softly, leaning back in his chair. He just barely heard Sebastian clear the table, only the gentlest brush of his cotton gloves against the tablecloth giving him away.
"Sebastian," The young Earl finally spoke, "Bring me some cheese."
"As you wish." If Sebastian was surprised, he didn't show it, he merely bowed, hand crossed over his chest and disappeared into the kitchen with a stack of plates.
Ciel propped a hand against his chin as he waited for his platter of cheese to arrive. He usually satisfied his sweet tooth at night with a variety of creams and chocolate desserts that Sebastian prepared during the afternoon, but after his meeting today with Lau and being teased for being child-like due to his eating habits, Ciel's mood had fouled and he was determined to prove that he was no longer a fledgling. (Though to whom he was proving what, remained a mystery.) Of course, this wasn't to say he didn't like cheese, he did. When he was required to eat formal meals, he often took a few obligatory crackers and slices of cheese when the platter came round to his end of the table, but at the Manor, Sebastian always indulged the boy's sweet tooth quite generously without fail.
The dining room door creaked open announcing Sebastian's arrival.
"My Lord, I do believe this is the first time you've requested a cheese platter after a meal. The Young Master's tastes are changing." The mocking tone in Sebastian's voice was very evident and the demon himself took great pleasure in watching the tips of his master's ears turn red from the embarrassment of being read so easily.
"Shut up." Ciel snapped, clutching the cheese knife tightly, "I just felt like having cheese tonight, I do not need any of your snide comments to go with it."
"But of course." Sebastian bowed deeply, a smirk hidden behind the curtain of his long hair. He straightened up and stood to attention as Ciel began slicing up some red Leicester.
A grape wobbled precariously, perched on top of the sliced cheese and cracker as Ciel prepared to eat it.
"Young Master, did you know eating cheese at night can give you nightmares?" Sebastian interjected almost cheerfully.
The grape fell off.
"Sebastian!" Ciel said crossly, watching his butler pick up the fallen grape gracefully. He put down the cracker, eyebrows furrowed slightly as he regarded the demon.
"Yes, my Lord?" He pocketed the grape, looking down at the boy with a hint of a smile playing around his lips.
"I… I do not get nightmares." Ciel said stiffly and with that, he steadily ate through four slices of red Leicester and a few chunks of cheddar, almost indignantly.
Sebastian's lips twitched with amusement and his red eyes glowed with hidden secrets.
"But of course, my Lord."
Shadowy hands were touching his body obscenely, a clammy hand descended on his throat, gripping it with surprising strength and Ciel bolted up, eyes wide and breathing hard. He blinked away the remnants of his dream, chest heaving and disentangled his hands that had found his slender neck in the middle of the night. A fine sheen of sweat covered his body and his night shirt had slipped off in his agitation, revealing the round swell of his pale shoulder.
Ciel's heart was still beating hard against his chest as he pulled up the covers around him, sheltering him from his fears. Suddenly his large room felt emptier than usual and the darkness more oppressive. He huddled into the puffy duvet, trying not to think about his nightmare. But the more one tries not to think about something, the harder it becomes. A familiar word bubbled to his tongue.
"Seb- Sebas-," Ciel choked out, fingers clutching at the sheets tightly. A prim knock sounded at his door before he could even finish.
Warm candle light flooded the room, chasing away the darkness and there stood Sebastian, a candle in one hand and a covered tray in the other.
"Young Master?" He approached the bed slowly, watching the tension escape from the boy's shoulders and his eyes droop in relief. The bravado from suppertime had disappeared leaving behind a vulnerable little boy instead of the haughty Earl that dominated the London underworld.
"Perhaps the Young Master would fancy the dessert he did not eat at dinner?" Sebastian placed the candle down carefully on the bedside table before uncovering the tray he brought in.
Steam and the aroma of warm, sweetened milk reached Ciel, whose nose twitched in interest. It seemed that Sebastian had added some cinnamon to whatever dish he had prepared.
"Warm milk is very good when you are stressed and has proven to have soporific effects. I have prepared a warm bread pudding with cinnamon."
Ciel's hands reached for the spoon and bowl that was proffered and he eagerly tucked into the comforting dessert, his bad dream long forgotten.
Sebastian cocked his head slightly at the boy, finding it ironic indeed, how the Young Master reaches out to a demon of all things, in his desperate times of need.
A clatter of a spoon against a bowl signalled that Ciel was finished. Sebastian silently cleared away the dish and prepared to leave.
"Wait." A small voice stopped him in his tracks.
He turned around to face the small figure that seemed dwarfed by the sheer size of the pillows that adorned the king sized bed.
"Will you stay till I fall asleep?"
"My Lord, is this weakness I sense?" He asked teasingly, but he reappeared by his master's side.
"I just want the candlelight that's all." Ciel huffed, pushing his reddened cheeks into his pillow.
Sebastian just grinned as he tucked the covers in securely, feeling Ciel burrow into the sheets further.
"As you wish, My Lord." He said softly as he sat down in the armchair located near the foot of the bed to watch over the boy. "I will stay for as long as you need."
fin.
I'm doing a series of Kuroshitsuji oneshots from one word prompts, practicing for the multichapter Kuroshitsuji fic I'm planning on writing. This is actually my first Kuroshitsuji fic x_x so I wasn't too sure about jumping straight into all that yaoi goodness. This was mainly practice keeping in character and creating the setting. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did writing it!