The world was grey. Wet ice cold, coming down in heavy sheets. Dry clothes were quickly drenched. Fabric of the highest quality was heavy, clinging fast and baggy like another skin. The howling wind blew and ripped through the park trees from the north, making the miserable cold even chillier.
Yet there he stood in silence letting each and every ice-numbing raindrop hit his face; something he would have never done had things been different. Ciel Phantomhive was standing in the rain.
Water ran down his face and neck in tiny rivers. It was now in his hair, completely soaked through, the usual dark teal and silver now mimicking the dull grey of the sky. No longer did he care about the pristine quality of his clothing, nor did he care if the weather affected his complexion and health.
The wet and the cold didn't bother him. He could no longer feel the cold. Nor could he feel the heat of the sun, or the warmth of the fire in a beautifully adorned hearth. He couldn't feel many things. His skin had become so perfect, so resilient, he could no longer experience the most simple of feelings, such as the irritating discomfort towards biting chill of the heavy winter rainstorm he now stood in.
With strange hesitance, perfect pale lips parted slightly, revealing the tip of a tongue. No sooner said than done, a single drop fell on the tip. He could feel the soft tap. That was it. No temperature. No taste. Had he remembered the true feeling of tasting a raindrop, he would have deemed his action stupid and completely unnecessary. But now, all certainty had been lost and Ciel no longer knew what to truly think now.
"Master. You've been standing out here for too long. It's best that you get inside." He said from behind, his voice as formal as ever.
Ciel resisted rolling his eyes at the sky, one still hidden behind a rain-soaked eye patch. Although it appeared as if the was slowly beginning to ease, the clouds refused to turn the expected lighter softer pearl. It remained, grey, wet, miserable. Just like the current circumstances.
"Since when have you ever been concerned about my health Sebastian?" Ciel's voice remained indifferent towards his servant.
"You are my master, Ciel. It is only natural that a butler should be concerned towards the well being of the one he is to serve. Otherwise what kind of butler would I be?"
A short sarcastic laugh meant Ciel knew all to well that his butler couldn't truly mean that.
"And this is coming from the one who couldn't devour my soul."
Ciel turned to see the taller demon behind him. Like his master, Sebastian Michaelis was dripping from head to toe.
The young demon would never admit it. But even in this wretched weather, within his head, Ciel could not deny that his butler looked truly delicious in his sopping wet attire.
White fabric that once had been a pristine starched shirt, it now clung tight to his butler's frame, revealing alabaster skin. Wet curves and lines accentuated every lithe muscle along his arms, curving over his shoulders and back.
A single blue eye followed the contours of a long pale neck that now glistened from the rain. Slowly, he followed each raindrop, as they dripped down an open shirt and waistcoat, revealing traces of a marbled chest.
And his face, that demonic face, so tempting and sinful, framed by tousled ebony bangs that were slicked against a chiseled jaw. With thin dark eyebrows, a long, noble nose and red eyes that were the very essence of sin, his gaze penetrated through his master right down to the very core. Soft lips parted slightly turning into a faint breathtaking smirk.
"Do you like what you see, young master?" he asked, his voice polite that it irritated the young lord immensely.
"Hmmph. Not in the slightest. You look unsightly for a butler. I expected better." Ciel said dismissively.
His butler gave a small bow, filled with nothing but sarcasm.
"I apologise master. It appears that the poor weather has greatly affected my attire."
"Ensure that it never happens again."
"Of course. Now young master, it is best that you remove yourself from this rain."
His butler moved towards him, gently draping his already wet black tailcoat over his master's shoulders to keep him warm.
Ciel laughed, shrugging out of it immediately. It fell to the ground with a splash amongst the puddles at his feet.
Sebastian made no attempt to pick it up.
"You never answered my question, Sebastian. Since when have you ever cared for me?" Ciel repeated, his single sapphire eye now blazing crimson red.
"My young lord has never asked me this question." Even within the howling wind, Ciel could hear his butler's smirk.
"You think you can play games with me?" he challenged but his butler merely smiled, his face strangely and teasingly patient.
"Not at all. You asked me 'when have I ever been concerned about your health'. I merely gave my honest opinion. I can never lie."
Ciel's eyes flashed with fury. The cool exterior of his butler was enough to drive him insane with anger, frustration and worse, even desire, right down to his cold lifeless heart.
"Fine then. Then answer me this Sebastian. Since when has the darkest and most wretched of demons ever, with his entire being cared for someone that cheated the contract, and has forced them to forever be bound to their master's side as a submissive servant, a slave even." Ciel confronted him fully, head held high and voice full of Phantomhive conviction. Above him, lightning flashed and the thunder cracked.
Sebastian did not answer. Not at first, only giving his master one of his signature smiles.
Finally he spoke. "Now this is a different question my lord. Do I care for someone like you? Should a demon even care at all? Can a demon even feel the emotion of 'caring' for someone?"
"Just answer the question Sebastian. And do not even think of twisting these words around. Answer me truthfully and honestly. That is an order Sebastian."
Sebastian's eyes flashed pink; the order had been made.
"Yes my lord." He bowed deeply then slowly rose, to look directly into his master's eyes.
"Here is my answer Lord Ciel Phantomhive. As a demon, demons cannot feel emotions, having no souls to neither sympathise nor emphathise other species. Our hearts are stone, un-beating, dead, young master. So how can we feel such a tender emotion that the human race have come to adore?"
Sebastian paused before giving a dispassionate smile and his perfect eyebrows turned glowing red eyes into a wicked sneer.
"I have never hated or loathed anyone in my entire life as much as I have detested you. I made a contract. I expected payment. I expected a soul to devour and sate my ravenous hunger for three long years. All my patience has gone to waste. And look where I am now. Shackled for all eternity not as an equal but a mere servant and to whom – a brat. Not exactly what I call favourable circumstances for my part. Now every soul I consume, every new contract I make will never truly sate my eternal hunger. Should I care for you, my Lord, why of course not! Not in the very slightest should I think of caring for you."
Ciel blinked, his face as stoic as ever. He expected as much from someone like Sebastian. He was a Phantomhive butler after all, blunt and to the point. But a strange notion welled within him. He couldn't make it out. It was so unfamiliar. What was it? It was small, insignificant and uncertain, but it was there. And it hurt.
"I expected nothing less from you Sebastian." Ciel answered, his voice colder than the icy rain and the north winter wind combined.
Sebastian's head tilted.
"But my lord. I am not finished."
Ciel rolled his eyes, turning away. "I wish to hear no more. I get the picture. You do not care for me."
The words strangely felt bitter on Ciel's tongue as he began to walk away.
Until long slender hands strongly gripped his wrist to stop him.
"Sebastian! Unhand me this instant. That's an order! You know I hate it when people touch me!" Ciel exclaimed in fury! How dare his servant touch his being in such an intimate way? Although just a hand, it was if a warm electric current was racing up his entire arm from such a simple touch. He desperately tried to pull free.
His butler's eyes narrowed. The smirk faded. His butler no longer smiled.
"No."
Ciel did a double take.
"What did you say?"
"No."
One simple word. One word alone was enough for Ciel to realise. There was more to his servant than he thought.
Ciel took a breath. "Explain."
"I said that I shouldn't care for you, my lord. Not that I didn't."
"So?"
"So."
Carnelian eyes glowing bright with something that a single fading ruby-to-sapphire eye could not recognise, gazed with an intensity that made Ciel shiver. It was not from the cold.
"My lord, was so hasty to retreat, you haven't yet heard my full answer."
"Then explain with yourself."
Sebastian's face unnerved him. Never had he seen his butler look so solemn. Sebastian was never without a smirk or without a trace of sarcasm within his eyes. There was none of that now. The façade had completely vanished.
Sebastian suddenly, pulled his young lord towards the sheltered covering of the nearby bridge. The cold rain refused to stop it's insistent down pour.
Suddenly pressed against the cold damp walls, the young demon was forced to truly look at his servant for the first time properly.
"I've hated you for a long time my lord. A very long time. You of all people should know why." Sebastian whispered.
Faces barely and inch away from one another, Ciel could feel the warmth of Sebastian's sweet breath and body heat caress his cold skin. Their lips so close and so inviting, both of them could almost taste the possibility yet neither refused to be the first to give way to temptation. A lithe hard body closed in, molding against the delicate and softer frame of his partner, fevered intimacy raging within them like a fire. All the while, a strong clothed leg, carefully but firmly pushed apart bare ones.
"Sebastian. You're too close to me." Ciel glared. But Sebastian remained firm as he brought his arms on either side of his master. Ciel was finally where Sebastian wanted him.
"I'm entirely aware of that." Sebastian never raised his voice. Ciel couldn't look away from those demonic eyes. And he couldn't push him away. He couldn't run from the danger that he thought he had complete control over. And for some strange reason, he liked it.
"What is it about you Lord Ciel Phantomhive? What is it about a brat like you that I had to find so intriguing? What is it about you that I find so mesmerizing? You don't know how much that infuriates me." Sebastian mused. He leaned forward slightly, noses barely brushing softly against one another.
Like a predator of a demon that he already was, having trapped the prey, now waiting to make the final kill, the gesture was strangely tender. And it made Ciel's heart race.
"Coming from you, you sound like a hypocrite. You said yourself that demons don't feel anything, except hatred." He challenged. There was no anger within his voice or any annoyance for his servant stepping out of line.
Sebastian suppressed an affectionate smile. Never had he heard his master sound shy before. Nor had he ever seen his master blush not from embarrassment, but from nerves and excitement. It was if the faintest of most delicate purest shade had lightly dusted over still wet pale cheeks. For a demon used to getting his own way, he looked so vulnerable between his arms. Sebastian found it the image most appealing.
"Then again, if they can feel hatred, then doesn't that make demons capable of feeling emotion?"
Ciel looked away. "I guess."
"It's strange. Here in hell, God condemns us for not having souls when its He who took them away from us. We are so inhumane compared to those that live above us. But still – "
Sebastian slowly brought his left hand downwards, still clothed in wet gloves, to cup the warm cheek of his master; it fit so perfectly against his palm. How could something that appeared so pure, and so perfect, be so corrupt and ruined once as a human and now as a demon. The very thought of it both annoyed him constantly and thrilled him.
Reaching upwards, he carefully plucked ad removed the sodden eye patch. There it was. The contract; his contract. The mark and proof of his chains. It glowed a soft amethyst, the mysterious delicate mark of his pentacle etched deeply into the pupil, this was the reason Sebastian was forced to serve. But this wasn't why he was at Ciel's side, why he chose to stay. There was something far more binding, something darker than a contract that made him stay. And it was everything but impure.
"Demons still have hearts. Dead ones. But still a heart. And ever since I've come to serve you, you've made me question why I still have one."
"Sebastian, what are you – " but Ciel never finished his sentence.
Sebastian bent forward and closed the distant between their lips.
Two demons. Both whom knew nothing about happiness and the joys of loving another being. The idea was completely absurd. Demons were meant to hate. They were corrupt beings that fed on the darkness of peoples' hearts, feeding the minds of their poor helpless victims with thoughts of revenge, perversion, animosity and other such evil desires. And demons indulged excessively in lust; they were glutinous when it came to such things. But never did they commit to a single person, giving not only their bodies, but also their minds and hearts to them. Demons only satisfied themselves. That's what they were, the epitome of evil.
Then why was this kiss, this feeling so warm and ever so gentle? Sebastian kissed Ciel carefully, as if a single touch would break him. Tender brushing, back and forth, their lips fit together completely. Ciel should have been furious; he should have been completely horrified. Then why did he want more?
His eyelids fluttered closed, and leaned deeper into the kiss, feeling his body weight slowly slide down the stonewall, reveling in the sudden warmth that spread between their bodies as Sebastian pushed closer towards him.
Something wet and warmed touched his lips. Ciel happily obliged with feverish acceptance feeling his butler's tongue slide past his lips, fighting against his own. They kissed harder now, fighting for dominance, the desperation only fueling the heated desire that now sank dangerously towards their loins by the second, to ignite even further. Ciel could barely fathom that he could feel the wonderful warmth. He could taste Sebastian's delicious heady taste on his tongue. He could feel their wet clothed bodies pressing and rubbing for beautiful desperate friction. He could feel.
A hand found his, fingers winding together out of passionate comfort. Their rain soaked skin and hair mixed with their sweat, their movements slicker, heightening their senses further. With only the thin wet skin of clothing, Ciel could feel everything Sebastian was giving him.
With Ciel's weight completely relying on his butler, Sebastian couldn't help but smirk into the kiss, as he shifted his own weight slightly, causing his master to fall further down the wall, his master's groin coming in contact with his leg.
The sudden fire that raced beneath his waist from the sudden delicious friction caused Ciel to gasp in surprise, his eyes widening in hazy pleasure. Even Sebastian's composure had been shaken, the fire within him, causing a stir of excitement to tremble through his body.
With their lips now apart, both gasped and panted heavily for the air they desperately required, their faces flushed with a soft sheen of cold rain and warm sweat.
The rain had now stopped. Ciel hadn't realised. Sebastian hadn't either. Neither of them cared, content on listening to the sounds of their labored breathing.
Both demons were silent. No words were exchanged. Sebastian stared down at his master. Face bent downwards obscuring his flushed face. For a moment, Sebastian began to experience another emotion. It worried him. Was it panic? Whatever it was, it began to hurt his heart. And he didn't much like it.
To his greatest surprise, Ciel brought his hands upwards, to grip at his shirt.
"Sebastian – " he whispered.
Slowly, Ciel raised his head, his glowing contract putting the most beautiful of precious jewels to shame.
"This is an order."
"My lord?" Sebastian inquired gently, tilting his master's chin upwards.
"Promise not to leave my side. Not – not now I mean. I too have feelings that I can't exactly explain. But for some reason, they – they are directed at you. And I would like to truly learn what these feelings mean, as a demon. And this will only work if you are with me."
Sebastian smiled. This time with a gentle affection thought to be considered impossible for a demon to execute.
"Yes, my lord." He murmured before pressing another soft kiss to his master's lips. Then finally against the contract that bound him to his master.
"We demons are truly sinful. We always drench ourselves in sin." Ciel whispered, as Sebastian cradled him into his arms.
"Truly drenched. But not in sin – well, perhaps not at this very moment." Sebastian said lightly.
"Oh, then what are we drenched in besides the downpour we were just caught in?"
"Love, perhaps?"