Hidden Eternity

Every emotion had been experienced, all except for one.

That four letter word that is only to be spoken in moments of sincerity-he had yet to ever revel in the notion of having such a strong desire for another entity. A desire that was not just physical, but entirely truthful in every aspect.

What hilarity it would have been for him to ever imagine becoming so humane-like. He had taken the appearance of a man, a rather handsome one at that. The title bestowed upon him being a butler to a young man. Not just any young man, not even a child though his age would pre-tell such a thing.

The experiences that had been seen through those mis-matched eyes have been far too great for any child to have seen. The number marked upon him with the body of a 13-year old but in actuality the age of 15 was on that young demon's soul. It was quite clear that he had gained a fierce will years ago. Everything in his being sought out for revenge, and he would not take his last breath until that was achieved.

It had lured a demon into his confines. That was how powerful that vengeance had become, encased in that lithe body of the young man who always wore a patch over his right eye. The very iris that held the significant bond formed between a human and a demon.

And so, there they stood, on that very day. The sun broke forth over the night, beginning a new day.

The day marking an importance known only to two residents of the Phantomhive manor.

Everything was always so promptly prepared. It was in his nature to always have things completely going according to plan, even if he had to redo quite a few things whenever he found former catastrophes from the other servants who were not present then. Thus far though, nothing had hindered his preparation of 'breakfast'. Being a demon, he needn't prepare such things for the young earl any longer, but the sentimental value still came with it. As it hit seven in the morning, it was time for him to go and 'wake up' the master of the manor.

For some reason, a hint of eagerness always overtook him as he would gradually let his long legs carry him up the stairs and then into one of the many hallways that led through the mansion. Maybe it had been because he never needed sleep, so his evenings were always uneventful after the young man would retreat to his private chambers.

The notion of actually missing another was placed far in the recesses of his mind. It was not something he had adapted to yet, but even if he hadn't recognized what missing someone truly meant, he still did long for the blue-haired man's presence. There was never a dull moment with him, not to mention, he was always fascinated with how amazing he truly was. Every day was like a game to the young one, and it left him wondering just how he would go about playing that game as soon as his thoughts awakened.

That game had shifted though since the young earl had transcended from a human to a demon. And although it had come as a great disappointment to the butler, he was still forced to serve the other for all of eternity. It was just something he had to learn to accept and try to enjoy. But as of late, the enjoyment was become less forced and more truthful.

The most luminescent shade of blue appeared as that very man was focused on the world once again just as those same irises phased into a dark shade of red. The eye patch he once wore had been cast aside years ago as he felt he no longer had an attachment to it.

The morning was nigh, the room soaked in darkness as the curtains that prolonged that darkness were pulled back to reveal the opposite. Light filled every corner of the master bedroom as the faithful demon butler awaited for the young man to lift himself from bed properly.

Delicate movements were made as gloved hands began to move into their natural routine. Night clothes were removed and replaced with proper attire for that day. A dark blue vest was placed over the white sleeved shirt just as matching pants covered the young man's legs. The outfit was completed with a black pair of shoes and socks along with a curt smile from the raven-haired man.

"Lady Elisabeth will be arriving later this afternoon."

"That is today? I had completely forgotten."

The young earl seemed to be having a moment of anxiousness as he had stood up from the bed and began exiting the room. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy the woman's presence; it was more that it was almost suffocating at times.

"Yes, she will be here at four, if not sooner knowing how eager she becomes about her visits here. I will be sure to keep you informed."

It was as if he had read his mind. Of course, that was to be expected from one hell of a butler, even more so one who had been under his employment for going on 3 years now.

And that was when another realization had internally struck him. Today was the day that marked another anniversary of their initial contract.

For previous anniversary's, the same thought process always hatched in his mind and was ongoing throughout the entire duration of that day. So many questions would spawn in his mind.

Did he loathe him for how things transpired in the end? It wasn't as if it had been his choice. He was gladly willing to let the demon known as Sebastian Michaelis devour his soul after their contract had been fulfilled. His life's purpose had been completed, what else was there for him to live for?

Would this demon butler have been more satisfied if he had never formed the contract to begin with? The idea of labeling himself as something of importance was far too arrogant for his tastes. Although he still liked to believe that perhaps his soul and himself as person, had given enough worth for the eyes of a demon to see him as unique.

Why did he not want him to leave? That inkling started forming a year earlier in his thoughts during the previous anniversary.

The initial days after his body being transformed into that of a demon were filled with nothing but the coldness from the other demon that was always in his presence. The former earl's demeanor was rather uncaring towards this, seeing as; he felt it was no fault of his own for what had occurred. It was slightly alarming to him though whenever he began to feel almost grateful for the turn of events.

The sound of soft footsteps wandering throughout the emptiness of the manor was the only noise that occurred in the Phantomhive residence. No one else was present aside from the two demons. It was in Ciel's best interest to return to the manor whenever the servants had been away on some vacation or another. He was certainly surprised whenever he found that the estate was still in one-piece and that they had faithfully been tending to it, regardless of the few shambles here and there.

The only reason he had agreed to seeing Lizzie on occasion was because she was one of the only few human connections that he had left. It was not to say that he missed being human, it was just a nice thing to reminiscence on from time to time.

The perks of being a demon with such power far out-weighed the weakness that had come with being encased in a young body that could easily stop functioning. The only thing he had going for him back then was his wits and astonishing amount of genius in someone so young.

Little did he know, that there was one, true reason as to why he preferred being a demon.

As the day whittled away little by little, he attempted to go through his basic list of what could possibly occupy his time. Chess had been marked off the list. Fine-tuning a few pieces on his violin followed after that. Then a fencing session which also acted as a work-out was carried out on his own. The time for him to sit for tea eventually came, and it also provided some moments to reflect on his inner monologue again.

What would it matter to him what the demon truly thought about everything? Why was it almost driving him mad with curiosity and almost progressing to just a dire need to know? Did he still even see him as that unquenchable desire from earlier years? The ruby-red eyes always gave way a dull look, but in rare instances he had saw flashes of that utter sense of longing.

A knock at the door cut his thoughts short as the very name he had been thinking of rolled off his tongue.

"Sebastian. What is it?"

"My lord, Lady Elisabeth just arrived."

Not another word was spoken as the shorter of the two moved from his seated position to make his way to his destination. The ecstatic presence of the blonde woman was already feeling the atmosphere as soon as he stepped out to begin descending the stairs. His foot had not even reached the floor before the woman flung herself into his arms.

"Oh Ciel, how I've missed you!"

The arms latched around him were quite forceful, but he easily slid himself out of her grasp. For some reason, he enjoyed her presence but the contact she insisted on was not something he thoroughly welcomed. As she stood in front of him, it was obvious that she had matured a little biologically speaking. Being able to control his appearance as a demon, he let himself grow a bit in height as well as defined his facial-structure a tad more. It had been for appearance-sake as well as to fit his personal preference. He rather hated his height and how he used to be mocked for such a thing.

"It's good to see you're well Lizzie."

"I am, but I wish you were around more often. It gets lonely not being able to see my fiancée."

A shudder passed through the young demon's body and not in a good way. It was evident that the statement was not something he wanted to be reminded of. His face turned, just as he tried to find some sort of handle on the situation, or at least a decent response. Neither came easy to him.

"Lizzie…you know things are different now."

Her head tilted to the side with a hint of innocence. Although she was two years older than before, her charm still remained along with that naivety.

"I don't understand Ciel..."

"Our engagement is broken. I can never be the man you want or need. I can never become someone you can spend the remainder of your days with."

The words were obviously the sharpest double-edged sword that could have cut through the woman's heart. She tried to hold back tears from forming in her eyes, but it was unavoidable. As a single tear and then another traced down her delicate features, she whispered lowly.

"Can I ask why?"

As his face remained turned away from view, he began to shift so his entire body was doing the same. This had been a long-running dilemma, something he had been struggling with for a few years now. He finally had decided there was never going to be a right time to break something as tragic as this to her. The one thing he refused to reveal was what he really was now.

If he couldn't give her the marriage and future that she longed for, he wanted to at least be able to leave her with that piece of mind of him still being human. Even if it was a falsity, at least she could still see him for how he was before, and only she would be able to treasure for him for all that he was when he was human.

"I apologize for I am not able to give you a suitable answer. All I am able to say is that I know someday, someone will be able to let that smile never leave your lips, and they will be able to smile back at you all the time as I am no longer able to do."

A sudden sound of inhaling and then soft sobbing was heard as the woman was uncertain of what to do next. She couldn't find any sort of reply for something so drastic, and within seconds she found herself turning and running to the front door. Her presence was long gone a minute or so later, leaving a deafening silence filling the area where Ciel stood.

The entire time the faithful butler had stood still in the shadows of a hallway near the top of the stairs. The entire time he had been able to feel certain strings of emotions that detached themselves from the mark of the covenant on his hand. The mark was known only to alert him of an order or calling of his name from his master's lips. But the covenant seemed to have changed slightly with the young man's shift to a demon.

For some reason, over the past two years he had been able to sense certain emotions that came from the other demon to which he was forever chained to. The reasoning behind the ability had yet to be uncovered, but he didn't dare reveal such a change either. He was sure there would be consequences in terms of a strain on their relationship.

At that very moment, the only emotion that was prickling from the mark was that of grief. Just from the exchange below, as an outside viewer, it was clear that the man in dark blue was blaming himself for the woman's unhappiness. In reality, it was not his fault. Ciel Phantomhive had had no control over the occurrences from two years ago.

Even through his disappointment, he had still been able to recognize who was to blame.

The sound of footsteps proceeding up the stairs made the demon put his focus back on the other presence in the room. His figure appeared nearby seconds later.

"My lord, as much as you hate yourself right now, I believe you did the right thing."

Ciel said nothing. No acknowledgement was given to the butler as he walked past him. He had no destination in mind; he just wanted to leave that area where he had utterly crushed the dreams of a person who had been dear to him.

Ruby-eyes closed for a few moments as the man clothed in black did not move from where he stood. Out of everything that had happened between them, he still cared about the man who was now disappearing in the darkness of the hallway. He had cared for him ever since he was a young child. Admiration had led to caring, and now as that prickling sensation was felt on his demonic presence again, he could not help but shake the feeling that perhaps that sense of caring was now turning into something else entirely.

As a butler, it was up to him to ensure that his master was always pleased. But he could not help but feel that even though he had been attending to everything he was ordered to do, why did he still feel as if he had missed something?

Ciel stood atop the balcony that was located in a more secluded part of the manor. Although he had no need for human necessities such as food or sleep, the simple atmosphere of the world was still something he could appreciate even as a demon.

The afternoon was greeting the early evening as his thoughts still had not settled. Everything that had transpired with his childhood friend had been weighing on his mind. But somewhere in his thought process, it all began to shift to the one who had last spoken to him.

Deep down, he knew what the demon had spoken to be true. It had been better for her to know the truth while she was still young. She would still have enough time to heal her wounds so she could find a more suitable partner in life.

Yet why could he not rid himself of the idea of that very notion-having another by your side for all the years to come. It was laughable to compare the relationship between two people in love to that of himself and the demon whom he had formed a contract with.

But the fact that his thoughts were still circling around that idea was portraying a much different picture. It was becoming a never-ending loop. The demon had always been loyal, had never lied, and yet even now he was still at his side. A demon in contract with another demon-how utterly ironic.

It had always been something he had attempted to brush aside. The unhappiness that his butler must have felt every time he placed his gaze on his own. It all must have just been a disappointment to him. He must have been a disappointment to him.

That was why; he knew the notion of them being side by side for all eternity was nothing but a joke.

An inside joke at best.

The only other person who would ever understand the depths of said joke was daring to make his approach onto the balcony. The raging emotions that were almost murderously being stamped on his body from the covenant had become too high a volume to ignore any longer.

And so there he was, clothed in black, his coat tails swaying slightly as he took his place behind the shorter man standing near the railing.

"I dare say, you're not one for conversation but your thoughts are never-ending."

Ciel gradually let himself turn so that he was able to completely look at the other who was attempting to start a conversation.

"You hardly reveal much of anything to me either."

The former earl could easily read between the lines of the demon's dialect. It was clear to him that he had come up here for some hidden reason.

A low, almost dark chuckle ran past the butler's lips just as he peered over at him with a garnet gaze.

"I suppose so. I am here to meet any necessity that you need though. It is my duty as a butler to see to my master's wishes."

It was clearly an invitation to let him know just what he had been thinking about. Unfortunately, Ciel was not the type to openly state his thoughts or feelings so easily. He was aware that the man in his servitude also knew that though.

Even still, he decided to start removing a few weights from his mind by asking those questions that had been on his mind ever since the realization that today was that day.

"I wish for you to answer some questions."

An eyebrow was raised at this statement. "I will do my best to answer them in the fullest manner possible." And in the way I best see fit to answer. That had always been the small catch that the demon had been able to incorporate into anything he was ordered to do.

"Would you have preferred if you had never formed a contract with me?"

"I cannot say with certainty. I imagine that if I had not chosen to serve under you, then I would simply be trying to find another soul. As a demon, that is all I ever sought after. It honestly does not make much of a difference to me. I can't deny missing the chase though."

Ciel had already sorted that answer out for himself, but he still wished to hear the demon speak the words himself. It was the one selfish way of a demon, but at the same time, it was only fair to be rewarded with something after you worked hard enough for it-which led him to his next question.

"Do you regret what has happened?"

Only once did the demon question himself on this very question. He did not find it fit for a butler to dwell on the past when so much was to be done in the present moment. But as a mere demon, he also did not do well with regret.

"I do not."

The young man scoffed lowly while turning away to stare at the distance. He couldn't even look at the other standing on the balcony with him. The statement revealed no sort of real answer, no reason. Something so important could not be without a reason.

"Why?"

Ciel felt himself losing tabs on his emotions, and the mark on the other demon's hand began to prickle in a familiar manner. It was obvious he was becoming angry, almost irrational.

"Shouldn't you feel nothing but regret for the circumstances that have come to pass? Should you not regret ever forming that contract with me, and now to only have it become a chain to me for all eternity? You must see me as nothing but a disappointment. My soul was what you strived and killed for, and now all you're left with is another of your kind."

All of this proclamation had merit to it. It was true; he hated the fact that he had no choice in how things had escalated in the end. In the past two years he had remained by the man who used to be human, and he had never dared to think of leaving. Not once.

"I should. I should feel nothing but regret, sadness, and disappointment. But I do not."

"Ciel Phantomhive. I formed a contract with you because something about your soul spoke to me. And even after seeing your human appearance, I was still intrigued. Your fierce determination for revenge only served to intrigue me even more."

The feeling that the other man would attempt a counter-argument led him to quickly begin trailing to his next statement.

"And I already know what you're thinking. I am not disappointed with how you've become a demon. Your soul was a rarity that I had never come into contact with in the past. But even still, the main point of all this is that I'm not disappointed because I care about you Ciel."

As he watched the figure in front of him, he could already tell how his words were affecting him just from his body language.

"Ever since I saw the unique qualities about you, ever since I learned about you and saw characteristics that are hidden even to yourself, I've grown to care about you. And it is very unbecoming of me as a demon to admit to such a thing, but that is the very reason why I have never left your side."

"If I have to spend eternity with anyone, I am grateful that it is with you, Ciel Phantomhive."

Love. Was this what that emotion felt like? The one emotion he had yet to experience-was this the sensation one would feel whenever such words were spoken?

Ciel hadn't moved. His hands were clutching at the railing; his eyes clutched shut just as tightly. He cared about him. Out of everything that had happened, he had every right to utterly loathe the thought of being in his presence. But none of that was the truth.

Even now, he still cared. The demon, no, Sebastian was grateful to have this chance to spend forever and a day with him. Out of anyone else in existence, he was grateful to be with him. It almost moved him to tears, tears that he was trying so desperately to not let fall from his eyes.

The fear of being alone had been calmed at the admittance on behalf of the man behind of him. And now, he had to work up the courage to find words in a moment where he could find none. It was not as if he owed anything to the demon who served him, but now, he could no longer look at him that way.

Now, he was just the one who he was spending the rest of forever with.

"You have left me speechless."

The words began pouring from him. Perhaps it had been from the calm he was finally feeling. Those ruby irises that finally opened once again and stared straight ahead, they wavered with the hint of tears.

"All I can think to say is that without you I would not have been able to achieve the goal I had when I was still human. I would never have been able to grow to really trust someone. And although I had no future before, I do now."

As he finally let himself start to face the man whom he had averted himself from, the sensation of a presence close to him was felt.

"I do not think I would be able to see a future without you in it."

The finishing movement of the young man allowed him to focus his gaze up at the man who had swiftly moved mere feet away from him. A footstep away, they were doing nothing but staring at one another. Those ruby eyes adorning both men's facial features were shifting to a shade of fuchsia as if to show their true colors to one another.

Two beings forever bound to one another. Two confessions that held underlying meaning of such importance that only each of them would ever understand every word that had been spoken in that conversation.

The demon butler dared to take that single step forward. His gloved hand became bare, as he let his hand be free of the mask that he held. In this instance, he was merely the entity that had been given a name. As his hand graced upward, his fingertips brushed over the softness of the elegant features that were far too captivating, the tips of his fingers dashing away a single tear that had managed to slip from its confines.

"Let us seal the breadth of eternity with a kiss."

A hint of pink contrasted over the fair-skin of the young man just as let a simple look and a low muttering of a name silently answer that statement.

"Sebastian..."

The demon by that name let a smile form as he let his fingers set themselves directly under the other man's chin. Only a soft whisper gave way to the touching of lips, sealing their eternal bond for decades.

"Ciel…"

All time beyond that moment was non-existent, because perfection had already been reached through one another.

And that was when forever truly began.