Skin sparkled, beckoning in the half-light

Colours obscured as blue and tan and black faded

Into a watercolour wash of night

The demons' teeth glinted

As he awaited his sacrifice patiently

As he had for years, and years,

And days,

And now today.

"Sebastian," the boy's voice beckoned. "Take me."

"Yes, my lord."

And the mirth went unheard but not unnoticed

For the demon would finally get what he wanted

After years, and years,

And days,

And now today.

The boy was undressed in the manner that

The Butler undressed him each night:

Gently,

Though the undercurrent of lush desire ran strong

And the child knew in his heart that the Butler had the power

To snap him like a twig between his thumb and forefinger.

But he didn't.

"Is this all right, my lord?"

For the demon still needed permission to do the deed,

No matter that his veins were full to bursting with desire.

"Don't make me repeat myself," the little earl growled.

And the mirth went unheard but not unnoticed.

Skin sang, free of its silken prison

Fresh and untouched by any fabric of lesser quality.

When the demon ran a finger across it, hills and valleys of gooseflesh formed

And the boy shivered.

"You want me," Sebastian purred.

[When Sebastian purred, it was not in the manner of a kitten

but an emaciated lion.]

Ciel sucked in air through his mouth.

The butler stroked designs across his master's chest,

All round curves and paisley

And when his hand approached that forbidden area

It was smooth

And the young earl moaned "please."

Skin stretched as his back arched,

And Sebastian savored the taste of youth as

The earl's pleasure fit into the velvet space between his tongue and cheek

Deep and greedy and searching wildly until

Every corner of the butler's mouth had sampled it

And the demon,

Being a demon,

Brought him right to the brink

And left him there.

Sebastian swallowed the earl's desperate moan,

Drawing his lips across the boy's and allowing him to try

The luscious taste of youth

[Though Ciel thought the demon tasted ancient]

And white-gloved hands blended into navy hair

As the night's paintbrush mixed the two together.

The earl pulled himself tightly to his Butler

Trying to meld their chests into one

And the mirth went unheard but not unnoticed

For the demon's mouth curled into a smile.

"Say it." The words brushed hot and quiet against Ciel's cheek.

And Ciel said, "I command you."

[Later, he wondered if he actually had been the one to give the command.]

The Butler obeyed

As he always did

And slipped a gentle finger into that secret space

And the earl growled with impatience

As he always did

And the Butler added another.

The earl hissed, "just do it."

And the mirth went unheard but not unnoticed.

"You are not yet prepared, my lord."

And the earl hissed, "I don't care, just get on with it."

And the Butler replied, "Perhaps you ought to care."

Skin scratched against skin and fingers withdrew

And for a heart-stopping eternal moment

Ciel found himself deprived of his Butler's touch.

But then, as gently as ever, Sebastian's hands returned

And caressed his hips

And Sebastian's passion pressed against Ciel.

"Shh," the Butler said

And entered his master with steady precision

And brought a hand to Ciel's face

To stroke away the tears that had formed there.

Ciel whimpered, writhed

Then stilled.

"All right?" Sebastian whispered, buried deep.

The earl gasped, "yes."

And the mirth went unheard but not unnoticed

And Sebastian sheathed himself, once, and again.

The taste of something ancient spread through the boy's being

And the taste of youth scattered itself across the demon's hard body

And when the Butler collapsed exhausted beside his master

After years, and years,

And days,

And now today,

The earl's mirth went unheard but not unnoticed.