Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroshitsuji.

Summary: Late at night, Sebastian makes sure that the house and its guests are in order.

So, I was going to make this some good ole slash between Ciel and Sebastian but I realized how young Ciel was and decided against it. However, Sebastian being the sly devil he is will still not be all goody goody so you won't be lacking in just a little slash. There is some hinting as something between Agni and the prince though so I hope you enjoy that!

Anyways, onto the fic. I hope you enjoy it and review once finished.

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Ciel watched as Sebastian quietly dusted the bookshelfs in his private study. Only the most precise movements were made by his butler, not even a hair would dare to drift out of place on him. A hand was held behind his back, in a subtle effort to appear sophisticated and poised, though, Ciel mused, even if the butler was wearing rags, he would still ooze class and patience, something that only Butlers of the elite can master.

Crossing his legs elegantly, Ciel, Earl of the Phantom hive Estate, leaned back in his comfortable and expensive chair, his head resting against one white-gloved hand. In his other hand a bundle of reports was waiting for him to peruse but since having sat and contemplated, he could not find the energy to look even a centimetre to the right.

The noisy ticking of a clock interrupted his procrastination and a small, rare smile formed on his face.

He bit down on the end of his glove for a moment before fingering his ring. With a smirk, half hidden by his hair, he spoke, "Sebastian, stop that ticking… but don't ruin the clock, it was expensive."

The butler, whose hand was still perched behind his back, turned his head slightly to the side and eyed him with those mocking and decidedly unnerving crimson eyes. The smallest but most obvious smirk could be seen from the side of his face, making him seem domineering, despite being the servant.

The butler spoke in a clear but soft voice, "Yes, my lord."

He turned slightly, placed the duster on the wooden frame of the bookshelf and walked over to the fireplace with careful silent steps. Above the fireplace, the ticking clock stood. It was elegantly carved with two charging bucks either side making the frame of the clock, flowers carved around them to create a pleasing and charming look to the otherwise dull ornament.

With his body shielding the young masters view, he saw the elbows of Sebastian move slightly in a jerking motion and Ciel suddenly heard absolute silence. The butler turned around and bowed to him, the smirk still plastered on his face.

Pretending to be unimpressed by the display, Ciel looked at the reports in his hand, his head once again resting on his knuckles.

Another smirk quickly flitted across his face and he observed out of the corner of his eye that Sebastian had resumed dusting. Pursing his lips, he narrowed his eyes and felt the smirk spread a bit more.

Ciel dropped the papers.

Instantly, he felt the presence of his Butler beside him, the papers neatly held in his hands as he stood straight and tall beside the old and expensive chair. A smirk was still irritatingly present on his face as he placed the papers on the ornamental coffee table that held a set of tea cups and a pot, all decorated with roses, both pink and white with silver trimmings. A napkin with his initials was also present on the table and Ciel, on having realized that he never gave the order for his napkins to be modified, understood that Sebastian must have been working on them.

The Butler spoke to him, with the ever-present smirk, "Perhaps the young master is feeling discontent with his current duties?"

Ciel placed his hand on the arm of his chair and sighed, "I grow bored of reports. Make me some chocolate mousse."

Instead of obeying his command straight away as he would in company, Sebastian suggested, "Perhaps, if I am able to suggest, master should retire for the night?"

Holding back a yawn, Ciel looked to the clock and saw that it was past midnight, the quietest time in the house since the prince like to get long nights of sleep to be energetic in the morning.

Standing up gingerly, he stretched his back and replied in a mumble, "it is late…"

He felt the oddly gentle pressure of Sebastian's hand on his shoulder blades, as if directing him towards the door. He stepped quickly away from it but at once felt the loss of contact to be negative. As if sensing his thoughts, Sebastian instead placed a hand on his shoulder. It slowly moved to his neck were it drifted to his jaw, stroking the area with an almost loving gentleness.

However, knowing his servant, Ciel flicked away the hand in order to quench those odd mannerisms that had been appearing ever more as of late. With a more determined air, he strode through the door of his study and to his room, leaving Sebastian to extinguish the lights behind him and shut up the room.

Reaching his room, he sat on the grand bed that he shared with only himself and lifted his leg slightly so that his small and nimble fingers could reach the strings to his boots. He tried to untie his boots but one of the strings got caught with another and very soon a new and more complex knot had formed. He frowned in frustration; he was positively inept at taking care of himself.

Like a shadow, he felt gentle hands rest on his and pull them away from the knot, a smirk followed, "Young master should know by now that his talents do not lie in dressing and undressing."

He looked away exasperatingly and let the Butler untie his boots, "You must have tied them wrong this morning so as to cause such a knot."

"My apologies, my Lord."

"Apology accepted…"

The room fell into a silence, though not uncomfortable or comfortable, just a silence. Ciel could still feel the nimble fingers of his butler steadily untying the laces from around his calf. Feeling the hands dancing across bare skin, he realized that Sebastian must have removed the first boot. He slowly slid the sock off as well to reveal pale, alabaster like skin that felt as smooth to touch as it looked.

The butlers hands, which had been at his slender ankle, slowly slid up to his knee were it seemed to pause, not hesitate, and then move ever more slowly up the thigh. Gripping the blankets with both hands, Ciel managed to bite his lip hard enough to bring himself back to reality as the hands now approached an area they were forbidden from.

Quickly speaking, but with a calmness that was derived from his position, he directed to his butler, "I feel that I am able to undress myself tonight. You may retire for the night."

The hands stopped and paused, again, on the soft flesh. Removing them, the Butler stood up in one flowing motion and with his hand over his heart he said," Yes, my Lord."

Ciel waited until the door closed with a soft click until he let out his sigh. He was sure that if he hadn't of spoken, Sebastian would have continued with something that would be both highly embarrassing and scandalous. However, he was sure that he hadn't entirely stopped the Butlers continued advances and that yet again tomorrow he would be faced with another situation were he would have to calmly resort to a straightforward order to keep his relationship strictly master and servant.

He was not ready to get into a scandalous affair with anyone, let alone a demon. Even if that demon happened to be a combination of every partnership he could ever desire. Even if the Butler would obey him no matter what and even if he would be guaranteed a partner for life.

But he had Elizabeth and as he had no desire to see her with another man, he was sure she also had no desire to see him with another man.

Having taken off his expensive white shirt, and slipped on his sleeping garbs, he lay down on the very large bed, alone and with a weary sigh. The designs on the ceiling above were shadowed and outside he heard the odd, lonely sound of raven cawing somewhere on his grounds, despite it being night.

Outside of his room, a floorboard squeaked and he was glad that his Butler could understand the concept of distance and protectiveness.

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Listening at his master's door, he heard the soft low sound of his breathing drift to his perked ears and he looked to the darkness, glad that his job was done for the night.

With an ever-ready posture, he walked quietly down the halls of the manor, watching for any sign of life or anything out of place that needed correcting.

He stopped and then heard the distinct sound of a body moving somewhere in the manor. Following the noise, he guessed it to be from the kitchen and he wondered who could be there so late. He was sure that all three of the… house servants were sleeping deeply so he decided it would either be Agni or the prince.

Walking carefully and absentmindedly in the shadows, he came across the door to the kitchen, slightly ajar and streaming soft light from inside. As there was nothing on fire, no singing and no clatter of something being broken, he knew that it must be Agni that was in there.

Slipping through the door he met the mans eyes and bowed ever so slightly, "good evening Agni."

The man bowed in return, "I apologize if I have disturbed you. I was just making a cake for the Prince's afternoon tea tomorrow, I hope I have not imposed."

"Not at all."

Taking off his jacket and placing it over a strong wooden chair, the Butler observed the mess that was currently occupying the entire kitchen table.

He smirked and spoke, "Perhaps I could be of assistance?"

Agni froze and blushed slightly, "I'm afraid that some aspects of the English cuisine are harder to master then others."

Rolling up his sleeves delicately he directed Agni to the icing bowl and took over the preparation of the main bowl. The silence was uncomfortable to Agni but fine to him, he had no qualms with silence.

Agni eventually spoke, tired of the oppressive silence, "How long have you served under Ciel?"

Sebastian, while stirring the thick goodness spoke, "Not as long as is probably thought but for many years, or decades to come."

The Indian servant nodded and spoke again, "He seems to be very comfortable with you."

"I am there always, he is used to my presence."

"Have you served any other master before him?"

"He is my first."

Agni stared at the butler in shock, "but you are so talented, so respectful, polite and yet you master every order with a determination I have never seen. How could this be your first time as a butler?"

Sebastian simply smirked, "He asked me to be his Butler and I have sworn to obey him. I am merely following the agreements we have made."

"Forgive me for asking but I learnt that most Butlers get paid for their services, does he treat you well?"

"He does not pay me."

Thinking for a moment, Agni spoke slowly, "But then why do you serve him so diligently?"

Sebastian released a full-blown smirk, "When my service is up, I will get my reward and it will be finer then anything money could buy."

A chilling silence fell over the room at this last comment and Agni felt a suspicion that the reward was something disturbing. He was sure that the butler honestly cared for his master though and so he fought down these feelings with good will towards the handsome, pale man that was preparing a delicious looking mixture beside him. His own work was succeeding well with the help of Sebastian and he was glad for the help, though he felt slightly deflated in pride and not being able to make a cake. He also noticed that despite the mess the Butler had kept his gloves on.

The Indian man decided to mention this; "You should take off your gloves as it would be tedious to have to wash them afterwards from a spill."

"I do not spill."

The silence settled again.

Agni ventured to speak once more, glad that the preparation of the cake was almost done, "Do you think… it is wrong… to harbour emotions for your master?"

Sebastian kept stirring, "I suspected you felt as much for the Prince. He seems to inspire many emotions in his companions, though for most it is irritation."

Smiling in a melancholy way, Agni spoke again, "He is loud at times but he is also brave and… filled with a light that can only come from the gods themselves…"

A large smirk once again spread over Sebastian's face though Agni did not know the cause of it. It was however, from Sebastian's musing about the company kept in the house as it sheltered a servant of the dark and the light.

"Do you feel emotion for Ciel, he seems to see you as a… friend of sorts."

Sebastian placed the pan filled with cake mixture into the oven, "He is my master, I protect him when he needs it, I speak to him when he needs advice or guidance and I obey his commands with no hesitation."

Frowning with un-satisfaction, Agni spoke again, wiping his hands with a cloth as he finished the icing, "But out of the roles of master and servant, do you not see each other as friends, or perhaps as family?"

Sliding on his coat, Sebastian stood tall when he replied, "I have never had the honour of being placed outside my role as butler but if I was, I'm sure that we would have been equally impressed with each other."

Agni didn't reply as he realized his questioning would not let anything escape from the tight-lipped man. He watched as the Butler bowed low to him, spoke a parting sentence and slid out into the darkness of the hallway beyond the kitchen.

Walking to the door, he peered into the darkness at either end of the hallway and wondered, not for the first time, whether Sebastian could be anything other then a dutiful butler.

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I hope you enjoyed this fic.

Review are very welcome, please tell me if this was in character or not, I would love to hear some feedback!