So I was completely bored...and this is what sprung into being.

The idea is that Sebastian is the servant for someone new, a girl- it can be before or after Ciel, take your pick- named Selim Reynolds (I didn't give you her name in the story). It's still in England, though, since I didn't have all that much imagination today. I hope you enjoy it!

"Young Mistress, it is time for you to wake up."

I heard the voice, I sensed his presence; but I couldn't accept that this was reality. It couldn't possibly be morning yet, could it? I had only just fallen asleep. I groaned, still not opening my eyes, dismayed to find that it was still uncomfortably hot. It was the middle of winter and yet I had been burning up all night. Maybe nature was broken.

I heard Sebastian open my curtains, and light flooded my eyes even through my shut eyelids. I squirmed beneath the covers, contemplating telling him to go away. Not that that would have much effect, I supposed. He'd been my servant for almost a year and a half now, and he'd never let me sleep in, not once. This was the price I paid for a demon butler; incredible lack of sleep. That and my soul.

"Young Mistress?" Sebastian asked. I heard him cross the room, sounding closer to my bed with each footstep. And then he pulled the covers off of me and I folded in on myself, cringing as the harsh sunlight inundated my senses. "It is seven-thirty in the morning," he informed me, sounding impatient. "It is time for you to wake up."

That couldn't be right, could it? Seven-thirty already…

I opened my eyes slowly, squinting in the light, waiting for my pupils to constrict. My head throbbed, and I cringed. I seriously hoped it was just because of the sunlight.

My butler stood over me, his red eyes filled with disapproval. "Time to wake up," he repeated irritably. Great. I'd already made him angry. Not that he would act on it, of course, but there was always such an awkward air hanging between us when he was mad that made me slightly uncomfortable.

"Kay," I mumbled. My throat burned when I spoke, and I felt my expression twist into a grimace. Assuming my throat was just dry from lack of use for the last eight hours or so, I swallowed and cringed. That made it worse.

Sebastian pulled me to my feet and paused for a moment, looking contemplative.

"What?" I asked. That was certainly an expression I didn't see on his face too often. I wonder what he was thinking.

"Your hands were just a little warm, is all," Sebastian replied, handing me a cup of tea from the silver cart he rolls into my room every morning before crossing the room to the wardrobe near the bathroom door.

"It just got a little hot in here last night," I mumbled, sipping on the hot tea. It soothed my aching throat. He could feel the unnatural warmth of my skin even through his gloves. Stupid demons and their hyper-sensitive skin.

Sebastian came back to me and placed a folded pair of pants and a shirt on my bed, his mouth pressed into a thin line of disapproval. I smirked. He hates that I refuse to dress like a girl, preferring the clothes of boys. They're much less restricting than dresses, especially in this era. I'm convinced dresses were designed by men to make it harder for us women to run away.

I sipped on my tea as Sebastian combed my long red hair and then braided it, informing me of the schedule for today. My tutors couldn't make it to the manor in the snow, so he'd be teaching me my history and piano today, and then I had to review a list of employee evaluations this afternoon. Running the publishing firm my father had left to me upon his death was such a bother. The only bright side was that I wouldn't have to bother hiding my seal of Sebastian's and my contract, displayed prominently on the left side of my neck, a blood red circle with intricate designs inside.

"I'll wait for you in the dining hall," Sebastian said, like he does every morning, giving me a sweeping bow and exiting my room to let me get dressed, taking the silver rolling tray with him.

"My Lady!"

I jolted when Sebastian addressed me with such a harsh and forced voice. "Erik the Red?" I answered feebly. He had asked me a question, but I hadn't been paying attention to a single word of his history lecture. I found it difficult to concentrate on his lectures on a good day, distracted by his incredible good looks, but today it was downright impossible. My head was throbbing mercilessly and I was so warm it was almost unbearable. Why was my manor so hot?

My stomach was growling as well, adding to my discomfort. It had hurt too much to swallow this morning, so I had left my breakfast practically untouched. And not to mention I was struggling just to keep my eyes open. This may have been the drowsiest I've ever felt in my life.

Sebastian cast me a dejected look. "That answer would have made sense, if we were discussing the Vikings of the first century, but today's topic is the Aztec civilization."

I stared at him, unable to defend myself. "Sorry," I mumbled, looking at my feet.

"You seem uncharacteristically distracted today, my Lady," Sebastian said, that contemplative expression crossing his face again.

I squirmed under his gaze. "Sorry," I repeated. "Can we take a break? I just need a minute to…to clear my head."

Sebastian seemed taken aback. "But we're only twenty minutes into your history lesson," he protested.

"I really need a break," I insisted, getting out of my chair and leaving the room without waiting for his permission. I felt a little guilty about that.

Sebastian found me ten minutes later standing at the front door's top step outside the manor, thoroughly enjoying the frigid air. He seemed angry with me. I didn't care; the cold air was worth it.

"My Lady, what on earth are you doing outside in this temperature? It's the middle of January!" Sebastian scolded me, removing his tailcoat and draping it around my thin shoulders.

I wriggled out of his coat and gave it back to him. "It's too hot in the mansion," I rebuked him, taking a further step out into the wintry air. I had been considering throwing myself in a snow bank, but Sebastian would have killed me if I'd gone and done that. "I-"

I was forced to stop speaking when a coughing fit overtook me. That was unusual. I was starting to think I was sick…although I didn't know how Sebastian would react if I were. Since he'd come under my service, I hadn't had any health problems.

Sebastian slung his coat over his arm. "You don't look well," he informed me, scanning my face intensely with his eyes. "Are you feeling ill?"

I shook my head. I refused to be sick. "Of course not," I said, the lie in my voice painfully obvious. "I'm fine." I turned, intending to march back into my manor with purpose, but instead found myself flat on my back, staring at the rapidly spinning sky, which made absolutely no sense. Wasn't the sky, of all things, supposed to be stationary?

I felt myself lifted off the mercifully cool ground and attempted to protest as Sebastian carried me back into the manor. "I slipped," I lied, squirming. "It was nothing."

"You never have been good at lying," Sebastian sighed, his grip tightening. There was no way I was escaping, his arms were like iron.

"It must be nice to be a demon, to have such ridiculous strength so your victims can't escape," I muttered. My bitterness was all I had anymore; Sebastian had caught me.

He chuckled. "Or stubborn mistresses."

He carried me upstairs to my bedroom and set me down on my bed, which had been made. Sometimes, I really don't know how he finds the time to do everything…

Sebastian used his teeth to pull his white glove off the hand that bore the mark of our contract. I didn't object when he pressed it against my forehead; his skin felt wonderfully cool.

"You're burning up," he said, and I was amused to hear a tone of surprise in his voice. I so rarely was able to shock him. Such a pity I wasn't in any condition to really enjoy my small victory.

"Is there any other part of you that's feeling unwell?" Sebastian asked, withdrawing his hand, much to my disappointment.

"My throat hurts," I said, seeing no reason to deny that I had further symptoms. We had already gotten this far, hadn't we? "And so does my head. And I'm just really sleepy-" I was hit by another coughing fit, which took me a minute to get under control. "I suppose you can add that to the list, too," I said feebly.

"Are you dizzy at all?"

"A bit," I replied. That was the reason I'd fallen outside, after all. I saw Sebastian make to head for the door. "Where are you going?" I asked, suddenly getting an overwhelming sense of anxiety from the knowledge that he was leaving me alone. What was I, a child? I was sixteen; I should have been rid of such juvenile fears long ago!

"I'm going to go get the thermometer, and then I think it would be best if I telephoned Dr. Rose," Sebastian informed me, sounding slightly hesitant to give me this information.

My eyes widened and I shuddered. I hate doctors, and he knew it. I hate to be touched by other people…aside from Sebastian, of course. "Do you have to?" I whispered.

Sebastian sighed heavily and came back to my side. "You and I have a contract, correct?" he asked me. I could tell it wasn't a rhetorical question, so I nodded. He showed me the back of his hand, the seal of our contract displayed pronouncedly there. "I would never let anything hurt you," he assured me. "And there's nothing to be so frightened of, anyway. Doctors help people, not hurt them."

I bit my lip and rolled over so he couldn't see the fear shining in my eyes. "All right," I said thickly, giving him my permission to leave. I heard his footsteps cross the room, and then my door clicked shut.

I shut my eyes.

Someone was lightly shaking me. "Young Mistress," Sebastian said quietly. "You must wake up now."

I opened my eyes slowly. "What is it, Sebastian?" I mumbled groggily. Sleep was beautiful, delicious…I didn't want to have to return to consciousness so soon. Still…

I rolled over and started to sit up, but his hands pushed me back down. He placed a towel that had been doused in water across my forehead. God, it felt good. "It's fine. I've found the thermometer. Open your mouth," he instructed.

I did, and he stuck the thermometer beneath me tongue. I didn't move for a while, enjoying the relief from the intense warmth the cloth over my head brought, before mumbling with the thermometer still in my mouth, "Whuh id Octor Ose zay?"

"He's swamped with work as it is, and the snow would be too difficult for him to navigate a carriage through," Sebastian said dejectedly, plucking the thermometer out of my mouth and reading the result. He shook his head. "Forty degrees Celsius," he sighed. (For all you who don't measure in Celsius, that's 104 degrees Fahrenheit.)

"So what happens now?" I asked, rubbing sleep out of my eyes. "Are we going into London?" That was the only alternative, right? We couldn't get a doctor to come out here, so we'd be bringing me to one instead.

"I would take you into London if I thought the journey wouldn't thoroughly exhaust you, but I'm afraid travel might make your situation worse," Sebastian said, his tone highly put-out and inconvenienced.

"Sorry," I mumbled. How many times would I be using that word today? I was starting to sound rather redundant.

"I must say, my Lady, you did choose a terrible time to fall ill," Sebastian said, as if I could help it. I didn't ask to be sick. "And since we can't have a doctor in to see you, I see only one other option."

I was afraid to ask, so I let him continue.

"I have read a few medical texts, and after all, if I couldn't handle something as minor as a simple examination and diagnosis, then what kind of a butler would I be?" Sebastian smiled, using a phrase I found familiar.

I groaned. "You have to be kidding me." It was bad enough he was seeing me in this state already; now he wanted to be the one to fully assess my situation? How humiliating!

"I believe we have established that I never lie," Sebastian said smugly. He probably found my reluctance humorous. "Don't you trust me?"

"Trust a demon. That's logical," I grumbled, crossing my arms in defiance. The only problem was, I did trust him.

Sebastian made a small noise of amusement. "I'm translating that as a yes," he informed me, smiling at the murderous expression on my face. He went back to my bedroom door. "I'm going to gather some tools and then I'll be back."

Was that supposed to be reassuring? It sounded more like a threat.

I took the opportunity presented by his absence to change out of my day clothes into a thin nightgown, then went and re-soaked the cloth for my forehead. I had just laid back down when Sebastian re-entered the room, carrying a black bag.

I eyed it curiously. "Since when have we had a doctor's kit?" I asked as he set it down on the bed, at my feet. He had even dressed for the part. He was wearing a long white coat over his butler's garb and had on the glasses he wears when tutoring me. So now he has "Butler mode", "Tutor mode", and "Doctor mode".

Talk about split personalities.

"I have to be prepared for any situation, as a butler," he smiled, opening the bag and pulling out a stethoscope, of all things.

"I highly doubt that'll be necessary," I said, rolling my eyes. "My heart's fine."

"I'd like to do this thoroughly, if you don't mind," Sebastian requested, slinging the instrument around his neck before helping me get into a comfortable sitting position. I was reluctant to remove the damp cloth from my forehead, but I couldn't keep it there when I was sitting.

Sebastian put the stethoscope on and pressed the cold metal circle over my heart. "Breathe in deeply," he instructed, his expression screwed up in concentration.

"This is ridiculous," I griped, but I did as he said. The faster I humored the demon, the faster I could get some sleep.

He removed the stethoscope from my chest and repositioned it on the small of my back. Without waiting for him to ask, I breathed in deeply. After a few seconds, he pulled the stethoscope off, looking unconcerned,

"Told you," I muttered.

"Better safe than sorry," he smiled, and then reached for my face. I cringed away at first, and then felt his hand on the back of my head, pulling me closer to him. "It's fine," he assured me. "I'm just checking your eyes."

I sat still as a statue as Sebastian forced both my eyes open wider, one at a time, and turned my face into better light. They were watering, but I don't think that was Sebastian's fault.

"Red and watering," he muttered. "How's your head?"

"Throbbing," I informed him, coughing.

He sighed heavily. "A headache and a cough, too… I don't suppose you're feeling congested?"

"No; my sinuses are the one thing that isn't bothering me," I said, inhaling through my nose just to be sure. Nope, they were fine.

"Plus the dizziness and fatigue… I suppose there's really only one more thing I can check," Sebastian said, pulling a flat, smooth piece of wood out of the black bag. "Open your mouth."

I did, not putting very much effort into it.

"Wider," he instructed. With a sigh that burned my throat, I did. He used the wooden stick to press down on my tongue, peering at my throat. After he'd shaken his head a couple times, he withdrew the wooden tool and tossed it over his shoulder. I watched it soar across the room and fall effortlessly into the waste bin.

"Are we done?" I asked. He nodded and I fell back onto my bed, laying the cloth across my forehead again. "So, what's the diagnosis?" I asked. "Am I dying? Maybe you'd better take my soul now."

Sebastian didn't need to scold me for the bad joke; he did it perfectly with his expression. "You have the newest influenza going around," he informed me, snapping the black bag shut and shrugging out of the white coat.

I groaned. This was great. Just what I needed. Not.

The only thing that made it bearable was knowing I'd have Sebastian to take care of me. I wondered if that was taboo, in our relationship; liking him.

"So, what now?" I asked, shutting my eyes.

"There's not much I can do," Sebastian admitted. "You can take some penicillin for the headache and sore throat, but the rest is out of my hands. The best advice I can give you is that you should sleep. I hear that's often the best medicine for you humans anyway."

"Where's the damned penicillin, then?" I asked as my head throbbed again, rather painfully. Sebastian disappeared for about five seconds before reappearing at my side, pressing two small pills into my hand, then a glass of water. I sat up for the few seconds it took to take the pills, and Sebastian lifted me up with one hand, pulling my sheets back with the other. He set me back down and pulled the covers over me. "It's almost noon," he said. "It's nearly time for lunch."

My stomach growled eagerly, but my throat just wasn't up for the challenge, so I shook my head. The corners of Sebastian's lips twitched. "Tea, then?"

I nodded and he swiftly left the room.

When I next woke up, Sebastian was replacing the towel on my forehead with a new one. He smiled when he saw I was watching him. "I have your tea here, but I didn't want to wake you," he said. "However, I suppose you're a bit of a light sleeper."

"You suppose correctly," I agreed, sitting up and holding out my hand. He gave me the teacup. "How long until this flu thing blows over?" I asked.

"I'd say about a week," he said, smiling at the enraged expression crossing my face. "Maybe a few days more."

"Ugh," I groaned. "I'll be useless for a week. I'm going to have so much work waiting for me!"

"Perhaps it won't be so bad," Sebastian said pleasantly. "You won't have to deal with any school lectures for a week. Think of it as a vacation."

"It's not a vacation when you feel this crappy," I muttered.

He only chuckled. "I have something that might make it better."

"I highly doubt that."

"Then close your eyes and open your mouth."

I humored the demon. Then I felt something warm on my lips and my eyes flew open. I couldn't believe it.

Sebastian was kissing me. And it wasn't even upon my suggestion or anything. He was kissing me because he wanted to. When he pulled away he was smiling. "Is it more bearable now?"

"Considerably so," I breathed, and let him kiss me again. Then I pulled away. "Oh, damn it! Now you're going to get sick too, aren't you?"

"Silly girl," Sebastian sighed, kissing my forehead. "Human diseases have no effect on me."

I gave him that one. He kissed me once more before pulling away and making me lie down. "If you want to get better, you'll have to sleep," he reminded me.

I reluctantly shut my eyes.

A demon had just kissed me. Worse than that, I'd liked it. Immeasurably so.

How messed up was that?

Eh... I think it was all right. I had fun writing it, at the very least. R and R, please? Thanks for reading!