A/N: This was written within days of the scanlation release of chapter 38 of Kuroshitsuji (October 20th, 2009, to be precise), and is inspired by the last page of that chapter. Given that this was written before the events of chapter 41, I was kind of amazed at some of the similarities of Ciel's reaction in the actual story compared to this little drabble. XD
Anyway, without further ado - enjoy!
The young Earl glared down at his servant, who was lying – still as the death that seemed to have befallen him – on the floor of the hall. The deep crimson of the butler's blood was staining the rich carpet around him as it leaked from the gruesome wound in his chest.
'Sebastian,' Ciel commanded, folding his arms irritably when he received no reply. 'You can stop pretending now. Get up, there's work to do.'
Silence.
A vein twitched in Ciel's temple, his scowl deepening.
'Oi!'
No response.
That idiot, growled Ciel's thoughts as he strode forward to kneel at his butler's side. The Earl of Phantomhive was being forced to kneel for the sake of his servant, he realised to his bitter chagrin.
You'll be paying for this later, Sebastian…
Ciel scrutinised Sebastian's face from his closer vantage point; beneath the splatters of blood and stray locks of dark hair, his expression, contorted with pain, had slackened slightly with the ceased beating of his heart; his dark eyes were dull, blank, and unseeing.
'…Tch.'
The Earl moved to swing one leg over Sebastian's body, situating himself so that he was kneeling with one knee either side of the butler's lower ribcage. He raised his right hand to strike the man's left cheek; the resounding smack of skin against skin seemed to echo in the confined space, rebounding off high ceilings and expensive furniture. Sebastian's head rolled lifelessly to the side.
Ciel grit his teeth. 'Oi!'
He seized Sebastian's coat in both hands, giving the man beneath him a rough shake, to no avail.
'Sebastian! WAKE UP! That's an order!'
This silence was starting to eat away at Ciel's carefully practised composure. He could feel a trembling in his hands, the cause of which he couldn't be certain; irritation at this suddenly incompetent butler, or was it nerves? Sebastian's dead silence gave him all too much time to ponder this.
'You're not allowed to die,' Ciel's command quavered slightly as panic began to seep through his veins. 'I forbid you to.' He bit his lip, locks of dark silver hair hiding the eye that was not already concealed by a patch.
He was scared. Shameful, cowardly thoughts were starting to gather in a tangle of anxiety, pushing their way to the front of his mind.
'You bastard,' he muttered, attempting to steady the nerves shaking his voice. 'Don't you dare do this to the Earl of Phantomhive. Remember our contract!'
Ciel grit his teeth, bowing his head slightly, as if hiding his face would hide the thoughts he didn't want to hear, even from himself.
What's happening?
Who will look after me?
Don't leave me alone again. Please don't leave me alone…
'…Sebastian…' The Earl's small frame was hunched forward over the body of his butler, shaking slightly. No matter how tight he grasped the folds of Sebastian's coat, how hard he clenched his jaw, how fiercely he despised himself for being so weak… he couldn't maintain composure any longer.
The Earl of Phantomhive cried.
Hot, salty tears crept out from under the patch over his right eye, and streaked down the cheek under his left. This was pathetic; he felt disgusting, weak.
But worst of all, he felt lonely.
