Ciel Phantomhive waited as his butler set a plate of chocolate cake in front of him. He recognized it as a piece of the birthday cake from yesterday's celebration. As befitting a lord of his rank, the cake was multi-layered with the richest, most luxurious chocolate and lemon icing. It was exquisite.

He began to eat it, slowly savoring each bite, and slyly watched Sebastian standing by him. The man was the same as ever. About four years of service and he hadn't changed in the least. He was still strikingly pretty. It was strange to think that someday, if he lived long enough, he could also be that tall, or that handsome.

Ciel sucked the chocolate filling off his fork and stared at his piece of cake. His appetite for sweets had only seemed to grow the more Sebastian served him such delectable confections. A strict fitness regimen and consistent oral hygiene offset any repercussions of this, as Sebastian ensured; though, his butler still saw fit to restrict his access whenever possible. How infuriating.

Perhaps it was because he was getting older, but he found himself growing more and more annoyed with his butler everyday. He did everything. Ultimately it was up to his master to give the orders, but otherwise he did everything. Ciel could still feel the same shame he had when they had gone undercover at the circus and, without his demon at his side, he'd been unable to dress himself properly. He'd felt inept, like an infant.

The following incidents had all but erased this from his memory, and he hadn't thought much about it since. Lately, however, when Sebastian dressed him, the vague feeling he'd had then resurfaced. Ciel bit hard on the fork in his mouth and breathed out with an exasperated sigh. He'd expected Sebastian to decide that, now that Ciel was 14, he could do such things on his own. No indication that such an idea had even crossed Sebastian's mind had surfaced, however.

Sebastian heard Ciel sigh and said to him, "My apologies, young master. Has the cake gone stale? Shall I make you a new one?"

"No need, Sebastian. It's exquisite, as always."

"I see... Thank you," his butler replied, bowing with his hand to his chest. After he straightened, he took a napkin and went about wiping his master's face, which had a bit of stray icing on it. However, he paused when he saw his master's displeasure. The small boy snatched the offending napkin from his butler's hand. He began to wipe his face off himself, all the while glaring up at his surprised butler.

"I am not a baby," Ciel protested precociously. "Do not treat me as such."

The surprise on Sebastian's face dissipated into a smile. "My sincerest apologies, young master; sometimes I forget how much you have grown these past few years," the gently smiling devil said, without any earnestness of someone who was actually sorry.

"All you do is apologize," grumbled Ciel, stabbing his cake forcefully.

"Yes, sir," Sebastian congenially agreed, bowing low from the waist.

"Hmph!" Ciel sounded around the next bite of cake.

Later, as the evening had crept over the manor, Sebastian guided his young master to the bedroom to get ready for bed. As usual he brought over Lord Phantomhive's nightgown and laid it on the bed. Then he knelt in front of the boy and began to undo the top buttons on his shirt. "Wait," Ciel said and grasped his gloved hands, stopping him. Sebastian hid his surprise and waited for his next orders. "I want you to show me how to do it myself."

"Oh?" the devil said, smiling lightly—daring to show a bit of teeth this time. "Is the young master growing up?"

Ciel huffed and grated out, "That's an order, if you have to make me say so!"

"Not at all, my dear young master. I am quite happy to show you," Sebastian said, still with that kind expression. Behind his happy appearance, however, Sebastian was heavily weighing the situation. He knew all human children matured eventually. From the moment he'd begun serving Ciel Phantonhive, he knew that the young boy had the potential to grow into a young man one day. However, when they'd signed the contract, that pitiful, frail, young body didn't seem like it would last that long. He'd never expected a service of even four years, and yet, here he was. All the fun he got to have at the young one's expense, and when the young one wasn't looking, was well worth the time spent; time meant little to a devil like himself.

Yet the time was extremely meaningful for a transient creature like the human in front of him. The passage of time showed: he was taller, as Sebastian knew very well—they had gone through many canes, clothes, and shoes to keep up with his growth spurts. That, he could handle. What he wasn't sure he could handle was the bloom that would soon emerge from the small bud in front of him.

Ciel would soon be capable of lust.

As he was busy thinking all this, he showed Ciel how to unbutton his shirt, how to fold it neatly and put it on the bed. Then repeated the process with his pants.

Yes, the signs had already appeared during baths. Curls of dark hair had grown in Ciel's intimate places; he'd asked questions about it, and Sebastian had answered him as best as he could. The boy had been satisfied with his curt answers. Sebastian had failed to mention that those were signs of an emerging lust—yet, he'd also failed to see the effects of such lust on his master.

"There, that was a very... hopeful start, young master. Will you permit me to put the clothing in the wash? Or should I teach you how?"

Ciel scoffed, "Of course not! That's your job as my butler."

Meyrin's job, Sebastian thought, but didn't correct him. He was having fun and didn't want to spoil it by chastising Ciel. "Yes, sir. I made an incorrect assumption based on your previous 'order'."

"Don't be a fool," grumbled Ciel. He turned toward the bed and climbed in. "You know very well what my intentions are, by learning to undress myself." Ciel's tone was not one of accusation, but spoken with authority, like an order.

Amused, Sebastian stared hard at Ciel for a moment. Ciel looked back defiantly. With a worried look, Sebastian said, "My my, young master. I did not know you had any intentions of undressing in front of anyone but me." He played the part of doting butler, concern and all.

Ciel's cheeks flushed as he realized the implications. "I am not undressing in front of others!" he cried out petulantly. He pouted and said, "I wish to undress by myself in the future!"

"Of course, young master. Just as well, because it is precisely another matter to undress in front of others. I thought for a moment that I had started with the wrong type of lesson," Sebastian said, putting relief and pleasantness in his tone. He so loved playing with the young master like this—abusing his 'innocence'.

Ciel looked confused, but did not challenge him further. He laid back in bed, and Sebastian automatically leaned forward to tuck him in. "I can tuck in myself!" Ciel protested, batting away his hands. He fidgeted in the covers a moment and finished, more calmly, "...now. I can tuck in myself, now, Sebastian. Thank you."

"Hmm? Very well, young master. I will abstain from tucking you in from this point forward."

Ciel looked at him with his big eyes as if studying him. The mark of the demon's contract obscured most of his right eye. "Are you mocking me?" he accused.

"Not at all. If I may say so... I am quite proud of you. You are going to grow up into a fine man."

Ciel looked confused again. He closed his eyes and looked away pretentiously. "Of course. You are dismissed."

Sebastian bowed, even though his master wasn't looking, then blew out all but one candle, which he would use to guide him through the dark house. He paused at the door, looking back at Ciel one last time in case he had something else to say, or an order to give. As he did so, a small voice came from the bed. "Sebastian..."

"Yes, my lord?" the butler responded, smiling at the small face he could see plain as day through the dark room. The boy's eyes shone dimly, reflecting the lit fire on the candelabra. They blinked, then Ciel said, "I'm fourteen now. You need to treat me as such."

"Very well, sir. Is that all?" he said, with a smile.

"Yes, you may go."

Over the next week or so Ciel insisted that Sebastian treat him like he was older now, and Sebastian suspected it would persist for quite some time. Things had slowed down around the manor recently, and the queen had not sent them on any mission for some weeks. As always, their efforts to find out more about Ciel's past in this downtime brought them nothing.

Everyday life continued, including Ciel's studies and the management of Funtom Company, which took up most of his "extra" time. It was not as if Ciel was bored and looking for a distraction. Sebasitan realized that Ciel had just reached an age where he wanted some semblance of independence, however illusory that would be to someone in his position.

This development complicated things, however; Sebastian's tight schedule, not to mention Ciel's, was ruined multiple times by Ciel's fumbling attempts at being an adult. By this point, even Sebastian was becoming flustered. He had to begin his rounds earlier in the day, and gave more work to the servants. He had trained them well, but there were many things he had to handle himself, which he found less time for. There was no excuse for delays in getting chores done; the numbers of apologies he gave increased, much to Ciel's annoyance.

One evening, as Sebastian checked on his master at bedtime, Ciel was standing near the bed, still dressed, looking off into the distance. Curiously Sebastian called softly, "Young master?"

Ciel started, quickly turning toward the source of the call. He frowned upon seeing Sebastian. Then he looked contemplative. "I was just thinking, Sebastian. Please, come in."

His politeness made Sebastian suspicious, but he entered none-the-less. "What may I help you with, sir?" he offered.

"Come over here," Ciel ordered, and waited as Sebastian complied silently. "The other night... what did you mean by undressing in front of others requiring a different lesson?"

Sebastian smiled suddenly. "My apologies, young master, to worry you so. It was merely a misunderstanding."

His smile stayed stuck on his face like a beguiling mask. Ciel glared at him, as if he wished to see through it. "No, you meant something by it. I wish to know about it."

Sebastian had never perfected looking uncomfortable. It also wasn't required when he was alone with his master. His role as "human" butler was important to maintain, however. He knew that his jest had not been appropriate for someone of his station to say, but he knew Ciel would be oblivious to the implications. Now he was being told to explain it, his "error" would come to light. How like his master to make things difficult.

"To undress in front of another is... an adult matter, young master. I am afraid I am not qualified to teach you." And how like Sebastian to make things worse for himself.

"Hmpf! I doubt you lack qualification for anything. If it's an adult matter, I should know about it. I'll be a man soon. No... I am a man," Ciel said, as if thinking aloud, but all the while staring at his butler.

Same butler could not resist continuing with his teasing. "You are very right young master. I am very qualified for such an activity." His gentle, friendly smile never wavered. "However, I am not qualified to teach you, young master."

Ciel briskly put his hands on his hips and frowned up at him. "Stop being obstinate and show me!"

It was cute how such a small boy could try so hard to be intimidating. How could he refuse such an order?

"Yes, my lord," he acknowledged, watching Ciel as he hopped onto his bed to face Sebastian.

It was highly improper for a butler to do this. It was also highly improper for a man to betray a boy's naivety. However, he was no ordinary butler, or man. As a devil, it was in his nature to seduce. He used his prey's lust to his advantage, after all.

Sebastian brought his right hand up to his lips and caught the tip of the glove in his teeth. He tugged it away, loosening its hold on his finger. Then he carefully brought the next finger to his lips and repeated it. As he did so he watched Ciel intently, letting his eyes do all the telling of his desire to devour.

Ciel uncomfortably watched Sebastian do this. Something about the way he was looking at him and handling his glove made him squirm. He'd seen his butler do this many times; in battle, before bathtime, etc. He always seemed to like doing it with his teeth rather than his other hand, but Ciel had never thought much of it. Now, however, the way he did it made Ciel squirm before he settled himself back down. Whatever you're trying to do, it won't work, Ciel thought obstinately.

The last finger was loosened by this point, and with his teeth still clutching it tightly he pulled harder, sliding the glove slowly off of his hand. With it free and his glove still dangling from his mouth, he unclenched his teeth and let it fall to the floor. Ciel watched its descent with a quirked brow. He'd never seen Sebastian be...messy before. Seeing his clean, white glove on the ground was... wrong.

"What..." Ciel began, but he didn't know how to voice his question. This was so new to him that it made him uncomfortable, so maybe Sebastian was right. But no, he couldn't admit that.

The boy watched on, trying to appear studious while his face turned red. The process was repeated with his butler's other glove, which landed on the other to form a small lump of clothing. It was just as unsettling, but at least Sebastian had managed to somehow keep it organized.

That had taken awhile. Ciel was sleepy—though alert due to what was happening—and he was getting impatient. Sebastian had only removed his gloves, for heaven's sake! He tried to sound authoritative, even though inside he was quivering a little, as he said, "We don't have all night, Sebastian."

Sebastian's smile did not look so nice when his eyes were glowing red. "But we do, my young master," he said breathily.

Ciel let slip all the emotions on his face at the sound of that voice. What the heck was that? Why does he sound like he's been running, or something? he thought, confused and alarmed.

"Well... c-can't you explain to me what you're doing, at least?" Ciel said stubbornly, frowning.

"Do such things need words?" Sebastian wondered, speaking as before with that sensual, deep tone. He smoothed his hands down his chest until he could grasp each side of his tailcoat. He pulled them open while dipping his shoulders smoothly at the same time, elegantly letting the jacket fall to his elbows. Then he straightened his arms, letting it fall the rest of the way to the floor.

Again, he made a mess on the floor! Ciel was starting to feel very strange. How far was this going to go? Would Sebastian really get naked in front of him? He'd never seen that. Now that he was thinking about it, all sorts of questions were popping into his head. His cheeks and ears was burning by this point. He must he blushing furiously. Why? He wasn't such a prude to care about nudity, right? After all, who cares? He was naked in front of Sebastian quite a lot, and that never mattered.

While Ciel watched on despite his misgivings, Sebastian reached for the buttons on his vest. He pushed them their through their slots with elaborate, forceful movements, as if to evoke "thrusting". Once they were all open, he pulled off one side of the vest at a time. He pulled it deliberately down the last arm, and once it was off he threw it to the side. It landed crumpled on the ground a foot or two away. Ciel actually flinched as it hit the floor. How cute, Sebastian thought.

Sebastian looked strange in just a white shirt. Even though he always wore it, he always had something overtop; somehow just wearing that made him seem... normal. More like a man. As if this is not my butler. This is not my demon.

The demon took a step over his small pile of clothes to be in front of Ciel, close enough for Ciel to touch him—not that he expected him to. He knew what the temptation would do to the boy in a moment, however. At least, if Ciel was actually 'awakening' as Sebastian thought.

Each delicate button on his dress shirt was undone with deliberate care, with a little subtle flick so that the cloth would part to reveal his chest as he went. Ciel stared up at him, watching his movements, but Sebastian could see his eyes flicking oh-so-slightly up, to catch a glimpse of each new visible inch of skin.

Sebastian licked his lips delicately, imagining the taste of the soul in front of him.

Not yet, not yet...

But it was still pleasant to imagine.

With the buttons undone, and a sliver of his chest visible, Sebastian reached back up to his collar and parted it. As he drew it apart, he moved slowly and studied Ciel's reaction. Little reactions gave him away, and plain as day to an old devil like himself, Sebastian could see the temptation enter his eyes. He couldn't stop the shiver that went through his body, making him gasp and his eyes turn to narrow slits.

Ciel looked up at his face, blushing heavily, his face begging—begging for answers to questions he didn't even know. How cute.

His shirt was tight, so he chose to reach behind his back and grab each cuff—hinting at "vulnerability"—to pull his sleeves off. He had to shift his shoulders to wiggle it off, reminiscent of squirming in pleasure. Ciel took this in as he'd took in everything the past few minutes in a sort of silent awe, unsure of what was happening, but somehow liking it anyway.

The shirt fell to the floor and out of sight, and Ciel gazed at the expanse of chest in front of him. Like many demons, Sebastian had chosen a "perfect" form—only the finest, colorless body hair, the most appealing and symmetrical muscle structure, and the most flawless of skin. It was too much for the boy, and he reached out a hand to touch it as if it would prove to not be real once he felt it.

Sebastian's breath hissed out as his master's hand touched his abs. He stayed still, however, and let Ciel roam his small hands around. "Will I be like this one day?" Ciel wondered aloud. He was obviously lost in the moment, lost under the spell of Sebastian's charm. This was a first.

"No, young master, you will never be as perfect as this," Sebastian spoke, wryly. His features softened. "But I will assure that you become just as beautiful."

Ciel didn't understand what that meant, but he let it slide—for now. He was mesmerized, and in the back of his mind he knew he'd fallen under the demon's spell. From the first night when Sebastian had rescued him and began to care for him, he had put up a wall between them in his mind, knowing to always be aware, subconsciously, that Sebastian was a demon and could turn on him at any moment. Let it never get to that point, he told himself constantly. That little voice was bugging him now, but these feelings were too new, too raw, to let him listen to it.

His hands went too low and bumped into Sebastian's belt. He jerked them back to his chest and looked up at Sebastian, but not before he saw an odd lump in the other person's pants. "Young master," Sebastian whispered.

The demon bent over Ciel, cornering him on the bed. At first Ciel didn't move, resolutely unwilling to back away, but then fear overcame him at touching him again, and he leaned back before they could collide. He even made to move back, but Sebastian had stopped a foot or so away, so he hesitated. Sebastian's chest and arms rippled with restrained effort as he towered over him and gripped the bedsheets to each side.

Seeing the fear on Ciel's face, smelling the innocent human in front of him, was intoxicating. It was true he could break the contract at any time if he so wished. He could devour this one, right now. But no. A strange protectiveness had developed for this human he had babyed, cared for, killed for, seduced for, these past years.

He must also be protected from me, Sebastian thought.

That was why he said, "Young master, never again tempt me as you have done this night. I am a creature of sin, a pillar of lust—you must guard yourself against it." He stared into those big eyes and waited for the realization to hit. But it didn't.

But it would, hopefully soon. Sebastian straightened, saying, "Forget this." Then he gathered up his clothes from the floor, and walked out of the room.

Before Ciel Phantomhive could respond, he was gone. Alone now, filled with strange feelings he had never known, he began to shiver in fear. Strangely, he wanted Sebastian to come back and undress him as he'd done before, and tuck him into bed. Maybe he wanted to be a small child again, cared for and never having to feel anything so strange.

"I am not a child anymore," Ciel told himself aloud. He willed any fear or tears to go away, and stubbornly undressed himself. As he neatly folded things for the laundry as Sebastian always did—to prevent wrinkles, as he'd explained—a curiosity came over him. He let a sock fall to the floor, to lay crumpled in a pitiful little heap. He stared at it a moment, then quickly snatched it up.

"Forget this," echoed in Ciel's mind. Not likely.

As Ciel was falling asleep, he heard the quiet sound of the doorknob being turned, then the door opened. He expected to see a sliver of light enter the room from behind his closed eyelids, but it never came. His hackles rose as the rustling of cloth came closer, stopping beside his bed. He feigned sleep, waiting for any sign of what was happening. Was it Sebastian? Or an intruder?

Nothing happened for some minutes, and eventually his heart slowed down, his breathing evened out. Sleepiness overcame him, and he slumbered uneasily.

Sebastian watched Ciel through the oppressive darkness as he fell asleep. Yes, it would be difficult to watch this human grow up. As he had imitated a man, so too did he have a man's desire. It was tied in devouring souls, yes, but it wasn't so different. Such a delicious young thing had to be saved; it should be cooked slowly until it would dissolve easily on the tongue, releasing all the delicious flavors it had absorbed.

Once he was sure Ciel was asleep, Sebastian tucked the blankets in more securely around the small form. For the last time.