Dearly Beloved

by DemonStripper

"Today is the day. After weeks of planning and taste testing, it's finally February 14th; the day Sebastian and I will be bound as one under the moon and stars, by lips and blood. It's our wedding day." (MPREG but it's not centered around that) (Set after 'Dreaming of a White Christmas')

I'm back with my first fic of the year! I wanted to post one monthly, but I needed a while to recover from Christmas so I didn't have anything to post in January, sadly. I've been on this site for a year now, which I'm incredibly happy about, and just wanted to thank all of you for reading, I really appreciate it! The end of this one was a little rushed since I lost two days of writing because of migraines and I got a little carried away with writing the first half, but I hope you all enjoy it anyways! Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

Also, I've finally started using Tumblr so if any of you want to collab, make a request, or just talk, feel free to message or send an ask! ( griever-bit-my-finger)

(FF wasn't working with me for uploading so it's a little late here)

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Today is the day. After weeks of planning and taste testing, it's finally February 14th; the day Sebastian and I will be bound as one under the moon and stars, by lips and blood. It's our wedding day.

We decided on Christmas Day that it would be best to hold our wedding, or "bonding ceremony" as Sebastian called it, in the third month of my pregnancy. Originally, we had thought about waiting until the baby was born, but then realized that we wouldn't have time for a honeymoon unless we waited until he or she was at least two years of age. Even then, our child would have to travel with us or stay behind with Snake and Undertaker until we returned, but the thought of him or her being so far from us made both of us anxious and we had decided against it. Sebastian had also suggested later in the year to allow more time for planning, but I wanted the ceremony to happen before my stomach started getting in the way.

I opened my eyes slowly to allow them time to adjust to the bright sunbeams shining through the crack in the curtains. A sigh fell from my lips as I stretched out my stiff limbs, grumbling irritably when my arm slid over the cold spot beside me. I buried my face into the pillow next to the one my head had rested on, inhaling the strong scent of cinnamon and cloves left there from merely a day ago.

Neither I nor Sebastian cared much for tradition, but Ronald and Sebastian's sister had insisted that tradition is important; that's how I ended up sleeping alone, for the first time in over a decade, last night. Of course, Ronald's opinion on the tradition had been much different than Sebastian's sister's thoughts on it, "Imagine the sex after going a night without it! I'm doing you two a favour!" After great protest and a few threats, Sebastian had slept on the spare bed in Undertaker and Snake's hotel room last night after being all but shoved out of our suite by the blond reaper. Meanwhile, Snake decided to come over to my and Sebastian's hotel room just after dawn to help me get ready, and Ronald did the same for Sebastian.

I briefly heard him enter the kitchen and begin preparing himself a cup of tea before I sunk back into unconsciousness, exhausted from my earlier restlessness.

As a result of yesterday's events, I had the worst night I've had in years due to something other than morning sickness. The sheets felt like ice and the room was far too bright even with the scarce amount of moonlight illuminating the wooden floor.

My stomach ached for several hours as I fought off nausea; when the sick feeling wore off, I found it hard to shut my eyes. The lack of warmth caused by Sebastian's absence dashed all hope I had for a good night's sleep, so, instead of laying in bed restlessly, I went over my vows again and again until I was sure that I had chosen the right words to say to my beloved.

By the time I had finished, my eyes had started to droop as weariness hit me like a brick, and I swore I could hear a familiar voice humming quietly a song I had heard all too often. Low and mesmerizing through our bond-link, the beautifully, soothing sound sending me into an almost trance-like state as I drifted off to sleep.

I still woke up every other hour, it felt strange not having Sebastian's arms wrapped around me while I slept, but was lulled back into a restful state by my lover's melodic voice each time, leaving me to question if he had shut his eyes at all last night.

My stomach growled, the sound breaking me from my recollections. I then took note of the footsteps coming from the small kitchen area connected to the main room, closely followed by the clanking of plates.

At least that gives me a few more minutes of silence before I'm dragged out of bed to make last minute preparations and get dressed. If the wedding planning and travel seemed hectic, the first half of today would be absolute chaos.

We had visited a meadow on the outskirts of Osaka in the early 1920's, and though it was late summer and the sakura had already lost their blooms, it was absolutely breathtaking. At the time, Sebastian and I weren't talking, but once we were back on speaking terms, we both agreed that of all the places we had been, it was the most beautiful.

We revisited the spot only once since then, in the last weeks of winter in 2001 when the trees were first starting to grow new leaves despite the thin layer of snow still blanketing the field. We had considered holding the ceremony at the manor, but had chosen Japan instead after finding pictures we had taken in winter. It it was a nice, secluded spot, free of noise and humans; the perfect place to have such an event. Not to mention, it would give us a chance to finally see the cherry blossoms in full bloom.

I sighed and pulled the sheets tighter around myself, staring at my phone in contemplation; should I text Sebastian? No one's here to stop me and I'm sure Sebastian can keep his phone hidden from Ronald for long enough to reply. It will also be more subtle than if he speaks to me through our mind link; if Undertaker or Ronald notice him not paying attention to what they're saying when he doesn't have his phone, they'll know he's talking to me, and I would prefer to not be forced to listen to their complaining later.

Just as I reached for the mobile, a knock sounded on the door before it was pushed open, "'It's time to get up, Smile,' says Oscar." It took everything in me to hold back a groan, not yet ready to begin last minute preparations, "I'll be there in a few minutes, Snake." The white haired man nodded and disappeared from view, the sound of things being moved in the living room followed soon after. What on Earth is he doing...?

"Good morning, darling," I jumped at the sudden break in silence, but felt a warmth bud in my chest at the sound of my fiance's voice.

"Good morning, beloved. How are you holding up?"

His annoyed groan didn't go unheard, "If Ronald doesn't stop trying to cut my hair, he's losing that hand. Undertaker isn't making it any better by laughing at him."

I couldn't keep the humor from my voice, "I'm sorry you got stuck in a hotel with those two."

"You don't sound very sorry," there was no true vexation in his voice, only a teasing lilt.

"I can't be too sorry, if it weren't you there, it would be me. I think I prefer having Snake to help me rather than Ronald; at least he gives me space and doesn't drag me out of the room."

"Don't speak too soon, little soul. We have all day."

"Yes, yes, I know..."

"I take it you're feeling better this morning?"

"Yes, much better. I didn't get actually get sick last night, so I think it's finally starting to wane if only slightly."

"I'm glad to hear it, let's hope whatever takes place of the morning sickness isn't as bad as it's been for you the last few months."

"I have to agree," I heard a knock on the door again, though Snake didn't come in this time.

"I need to go before Snake sends Emily after me for taking too long," I said sadly, not yet ready to give up hearing my beloved's voice for the rest of the day.

He must of noticed the drop in my tone because he crooned quietly, "Go on then, dear one, I'll talk to you later. There are a few things I need to do before I pick my sister up from the airport. If you need me, don't hesitate to call for me, okay?"

I was unable to keep the corners of my mouth from twitching up at that, "I always need you, Sebastian."

"That's not what I meant," he paused for a few seconds, "but for the record, I always need you as well."

"I'm glad you're not tired of me, yet."

"I could never tire of you."

"I share the feeling. Now, go take care of what you need to before your sister and Ronald get ahold of you and hope that they don't have bows in your hair by the end of the day. I love you."

"Yes, that would be unfortunate... I love you too, my Ciel. I wish you better luck with Snake and Undertaker. I'll see you tonight."

When he finished speaking the connection was broken, but I felt a sense of dread filling me. Now I have to be prodded by Undertaker as well as Snake?

I huffed and finally managed to pull myself from the warm confides of the blankets, sliding a pair of black sweatpants on beneath the crimson sweater I had borrowed from Sebastian, mentally preparing myself for the long day ahead.

I cringed when my bare feet met the icy floor of the living room, ignoring the urge to return to bed and convince Sebastian to come over. My eyes stopped on the strange layout the furniture was now in, unsure of what exactly Snake was planning to do with it in such a position. It must have something to do with getting ready for the event; I decided not to focus on it too much right now, I'll find out eventually.

Wondering into the small kitchen area, I saw a head of white hair around the corner and breathed in the scent of maple syrup that had begun to permeate the air. On the small table sat a tray holding chocolate chip muffins, bacon, eggs, and assorted fruit, and all of it smelt divine.

The golden eyed man noticed my arrival before I even got all the way in the room, three of his snakes hissing in greeting, "Your mate prepared it for you, he didn't want the hotel chefs to cook your food,' says Bronte. Yes, he did seem quite determined to get this to you. Adrian had to bring it over for him," Snake continued in his own voice, nodding towards the food, "Enjoy it, we probably won't have time for food again until the ceremony."

I nodded in understanding and thanked him quietly when he passed me a cup of tea. I inhaled the familiar scent of Earl Grey deeply, a smile gracing my lips as I looked over the plate, "He always seems to know exactly what I'll be hungry for before I even know." I ate unhurriedly, taking time to savour every bite and relax while I had the chance.

I tried to remember everything I needed to do before it was time to drive out to the edge of Osaka, but only a few things came to mind, "Snake, what needs to be done before the wedding?" The serpent man pulled a piece of paper from his pocket, "Two guests have to be collected from the airport, your luggage needs to be carried to your honeymoon spot, two more songs must be added to your playlist, the center pieces need to be arranged for the reception, your vows need to be completed, and then you can change clothes before we leave."

I was suddenly very glad I was restless the night before, "I forgot to change the list. Sebastian and I chose the songs already, I finished my vows last night, and Sebastian wishes to carry the luggage himself. He won't tell me where we're going." Snake nodded and crossed a few things from the list; with only three things remaining, the little piece of paper suddenly looked much less daunting.

We don't need to be at the airport until two in the evening, giving us six hours to get to the meadow, finish the reception area, and drive to the airport. We need to get back to the meadow by six to allow time for talking to the guests, I need half an hour to get ready, which means we will have two and a half hours to get the guests back to the hotel.

I continued to eat in silence while going over my mental checklist when a knock sounded from the other side of the door. Snake shook his head when I stood to open the door, pointing at my half empty plate, "Finish your breakfast so we can leave, we need to pick up a few things on the way." I did as he said, listening closely to the barely audible creak of the door as it was opened and Snake's quiet voice, "'You're not supposed to be here,' says Wordsworth."

"Exactly what Undertaker told me when I was leaving," I looked up immediately when I heard my soon-to-be husband's voice, "I need to give Ciel something."

"'It's bad luck to see the groom before the wedding, I won't let you pass,' says Goethe, and I must agree," the white haired man replied and I felt my exasperation grow.

Why is everyone so traditional? Just let me see my fiance'!

I set my plate by the sink before hurrying to the living room, just as I neared the door a hand stopped me from moving any further. "Snake, with everything we've done, I hardly think this will be the thing that causes us bad luck," I waited impatiently for him to move aside or open the door further, but he didn't. "You can speak, but no peeking," he warned, still standing between me and the gap in the door. "Fine, but please let go of me so I can move over a bit," I said, still standing in an uncomfortable position with his hand preventing me from moving.

He let go of me and I pressed the side of my face against the flat surface of the door, a small grin on my lips, "Hello, Sebastian." "Hello, dear one. I know you have a lot to do, but I brought you something," he held his hand out where I could see it, long fingers folded against his palm, hiding whatever he held.

I stretched my hand out below his, staring in shock when I felt a familiar weight in my hand. The cold metal, the weight behind it, the smoothness of a stone; there was no way it could be anything else! And when I opened my hand, my guess was confirmed.

I was met with the blue-diamond ring that I used don every day over a century ago, "The Phantomhive ring... Where did you find it?" "An old friend of ours has been keeping it safe for quite some time, I thought it was about time I return it to you. You did mention wearing blue today, didn't you?" he asked, his voice soft and full of love. "I did mention that. Thank you, my love. Thank you so much," I whispered, still gazing at the heirloom in awe. "You have nothing to thank me for, Ciel," he replied, taking the ring from my hand and sliding it onto my thumb, "it still fits perfectly."

I ran my right thumb over the top of it, desperately wishing I could kiss or at least hold my lover; we had only been away from one another for roughly seventeen hours, and yet my entire being ached for his touch. Sensing my distress, he twined his fingers with mine, rubbing small circles on the back of my hand, "Only a few more hours." I then noticed that Snake had walked to the other side of the room, close enough to make sure we couldn't see each other, but far enough to give us privacy.

I squeezed Sebastian's hand lightly, "I know. I hope you took my request into consideration."

He chuckled, "Of course I did. Did you take mine?"

"The one about me showing up naked?"

He snorted, "No, not that one. Though I wouldn't protest if you decided to show up that way."

The ache in my chest fading with each teasing word, I barely managed to suppress a laugh, choosing to groan instead, "It's not happening, Sebastian."

"What a shame... You would look quite fetching, standing in front of me in all your glory. Not an inch of clothing to cover you, just the moon illuminating your bare skin. From your plump lips all the way down to your perkly little a-."

I cut him off there, trying to ignore Snake's smirk on the other side of the room as my cheeks flushing in embarrassment, "Are you forgetting we aren't alone?!"

"How could I forget? If we were alone, I could see you right now," he sighed, "But really, did you consider my request?"

"I thought about it, you'll just have to wait and see if I went along with it or not," I smirked.

"Good, I'm glad you're thinking about it."

Sebastian didn't speak for a few long seconds, when he did, I could tell he was smiling, "Close your eyes."

I furrowed my eyebrows, "Why? I can't see you anyways."

"Just do it, stubborn little earl," he teased.

I obeyed and closed my eyes with a tsk, "My butler used to answer any question I asked with such detail, now I can't even get a simple explanation. It's so hard to find good help these days."

"Oh, you poor thing. You have to deal with so much incompetence, don't you?" he mocked before I felt his soft lips press against mine.

I kissed back and moved a hand up until I found his cheek, cupping it gently as my lips shifted against his. His hands moved to my waist, kneading softly through my night shirt as my other hand combed through his silk-like hair. He pulled away too soon, leaving me to pout my lip slightly.

I couldn't see him, but I knew he was smiling. He has such a beautiful smile, I wish I could open my eyes to see it...

A kiss was laid upon my forehead and then he stepped back behind the door, "I have to go now. I can't wait until tonight."

"Nor can I, darling."

"Until tonight," his hand brushed mine once more just as he left, quietly closing the door behind him.

"Smile, we need to leave soon," Snake said as he laid my coat for tonight across the couch. So that's why he moved it...

I offered him a small nod, previous irritation at him for separating me from my mate gone, "Just let me change clothes and then I'll be ready to go." He nodded and caringly slid his fingers across Emily's head as she slithered up to drape around his neck, "I'll wait here."

I returned to my room and pulled the door shut behind me, quickly pulling on a navy t-shirt and black jeans. I didn't bother with covering my right eye with an eyepatch or a contact lense, choosing to let my bangs fall over it instead. I slid my phone into my pocket, about to leave the room when a thought suddenly popped into my head; I forgot to find flowers last night!

"Shit..." I mumbled under my breath as I walked into the living room, "Snake, we need to find a florist."

Undertaker had arrived while I was changing clothes and was now standing with an arm around Snake and the other digging through an inner pocket of his cloak, grinning when he found what he was looking for. He held up a silver pocket watch, a grin on his face and his eyes shining with mirth, "There's t' lovely bride, I was wonderin' how long ye'd take."

"Bride?! I'm not a bride!" I scowled at the silver haired reaper, who simply laughed. His favourite jokes are the ones at my expense, that's something that will never change, no matter how much I wish it would.

Snake tilted his head, confusion glinting in his golden eyes, "'I thought the centerpieces were left without flowers?' says Goethe. I must admit, I am confused as well."

"It's a tradition of sorts for demons to present their mate with a gift during the bonding ceremony. Not many demons end up with mates, so it's almost like a sign of appreciation. Most of the time it's a soul, a mangled animal that could be used to make furs from, or even a jar of blood from an enemy to show strength. We are in no need of souls currently and we both agreed that the other options are revolting, so we have decided to create each other crowns made from flowers instead."

"No bloodlust yet, eh?" Undertaker commented, scratching his nails against the item in his hand, "Not your idea of a romantic gesture?" I cringed at the thought, "I much prefer flora and leaves over severed heads and drinking blood, Sebastian shares the same sentiments."

I didn't add the part about him saying he would prefer to watch me gather that blood if I we were to partake in such a tradition, it's not something I want to discuss currently; remembering what happened after we had talked about that would, without a doubt, cause a problem that would be hard to fix without Sebastian's help.

Snake ignored the second conversation, thankfully, and instead nodded at my explanation, "If we leave now we will have plenty of time to find a shop." I took notice of what Undertaker was holding as we walked to the rental car parked outside of our hotel, immediately recognizing the crest engraved into the fine silver. "Is that Sebastian's pocket watch? I haven't seen it in ages, I swore he lost that over sixty years ago!" I exclaimed, looking up at the reaper with wide eyes.

"He did, I found it 'bout thirty years ago at yer' old manor an' cleaned it up, thought it would be a nice touch to 'is suit since ya' have th' old ring back," he held it out to me, watching as I took it from his hand, inspecting it closely.

The silver was well taken care of, not a scratch or discoloured patch to be seen; he had been keeping it in good condition for years. It still ticked as smoothly as it did over a century ago when it was first obtained.

I smiled at the death god and passed it back to him to be given to my mate, "Thank you for keeping it safe for all these years."

"S' my pleasure, lil' Phantomhive," he returned the gesture and tucked it back away in his pocket.

I sat in the backseat, allowing Snake and Undertaker to take the front as they knew the roads better than I did. Sebastian always drives when we visit Japan since I still struggle with the language and the road signs.

"Ey', love, turn left at th' next intersection, there's a shop with plenty o' flowers to choose from," Undertaker instructed his lover while I looked out the window at the bustling city.

The traffic was growing worse by the second with it being lunch break for most employees, but luckily, it wasn't so bad as to cause delays yet. Hopefully, we'll be finished in the city before it gets any worse.

My stomach growled, reminding me that it was indeed time that I usually eat. I scowled and crossed my arms over my chest, silently wishing that the other males didn't hear it, but a chuckle from Undertaker and a tiny grin from Snake proved that they did. I let out an annoyed huff and rested a hand on my flat stomach in an attempt to muffle the disgraceful sounds it made.

I only ate human food once a week before I was pregnant and now I have to eat three times a day again!? I miss indulging in human food for the flavour rather than the need, I haven't had to eat this much food since I was human...

"We can spare a few minutes to pick up some food for ye' t' eat on th' way when we finish here," Undertaker said when we stopped in front of the florist's shop.

I shook my head and stepped out of the car, walking into the shop with my companions close behind, "I'm fine, I can wait until tonight."

A burrito sounds really good right now though, but so does ice cream. A burrito with ice cream melted on top, maybe? Yes, that sounds amazing!

"Yer' child doesn't seem t' agree," Undertaker said as he picked up a tiger lily and held it by Snake's hair in consideration.

Wait, how does he know about the baby? We haven't told anyone yet!

"Undertaker, how do you know about the child?" I tilted my head, eyes wide as he stared back with a knowing look. "I could sense it's presence the las' time I was near ya'. You must be forgettin' that reapers can sense life and death as easily as demons do, if not more-so. I could tell before I even walked in th' door that day. Not to mention yer mate was clinging to ya' all day," the silver haired man spoke quietly as to not drawn the florist's attention.

"Yes, I didn't really think of that," I replied, his words all making sense now. "I'd reckon it gives ya' an excuse to eat extra sweets."

My height and my love for dessert seems to be his favourite thing to poke fun at...

Speaking of sweets, a piece of pie would be nice too.

I waved him off and pushed the thought of food to the back of my mind while I started browsing the blooms offered, smiling as I reached an orange blossom and recalled my mother teaching me about its symbolism when I was young.

Eternal love.

"How fitting," I whispered, stroking the delicate, snow white petals. It would contrast brilliantly with his dark hair, the orange scent they still carried was quite pleasant as well.

I placed a few into the small bag provided and - at the owner's insistence - placed them on the counter so that I could continue looking without having to carry those as well.

I glanced at the red roses in thought, before deciding on red amaryllis instead. It didn't take me much longer to gather the last of my needed blooms: honeysuckle, queen Anne's lace, and dahlias so dark purple they looked almost black.

After a few seconds of thought, I decided that I would enchant the dahlias later on to give them an iridescent shine to mimic the dark aura that rolled off of Sebastian's wings in waves. Of course, the flowers still wouldn't be anywhere near as beautiful as his velvet-soft feathers, but they added a certain uniqueness to the crown that it otherwise lacked.

After paying for them and returning to the car, I began to tie them together, suddenly thankful for having small hands; it would be nearly impossible to knot them in the right way if my fingers were any larger.

Despite my insistence that I didn't require sustenance, Undertaker stopped by a restaurant to order each of us a snack for the ride. And so I ate the offered meal and then wove the diadem my mate would wear in a few short hours.

Between tying the plant stems, the distracting thoughts of my mate, and my mounting anxiety over what could go wrong, the drive went by a lot faster than I thought it would.

I inhaled deeply when I took my first step into the meadow, taking in the sights, sounds, and scents around me. The sun shone upon the long, jade strands of grass, making them appear even more vivid than usual as they danced in the warm breeze.

Now that I was outside rather than stuck in a hotel room, I noticed that it was unseasonably warm; it was a nice change from the brisk wind and snow flurries.

The sky was void of clouds, the deep azure shade of the sky was a promise of good weather throughout the day, taking at least one worry off of my mind. A sparse amount of wildflowers grew in the field, creating small patches of white and yellow visible all throughout the area.

As the three of us walked up the small hill, I noticed just how many cherry blossom trees were lining the area, keeping it well hidden from anyone who may pass by the road. Just as I had expected, the sakura were in full bloom.

Dark, twisted branches reached toward the sky, almost twining with the limbs of the tree next to them. The trunks were fairly large, their burnt umber colouring was a great contrast to the otherwise light setting.

Pale pink buds had opened to proudly reveal their beauty, easily out-numbering the few green leaves clinging to the branches. Some were darker while others were nearly white, but each one was just as lovely as the last.

When we got to the top of the slope, where a lone sakura stood, taller than any other in this area, I saw Alan setting up two sections of chairs, a five foot gap between them to allow space to walk. Only one row had been placed so far, meaning that the brunette reaper must have only arrived a few minutes ago with Eric, who was standing nearby, reading instructions on how to ensemble the chairs to keep them from falling apart.

If the leg missing from one of the seats in the front row was anything to go by, he wasn't doing a very good job so far.

Despite that, I was still grateful that the reapers had agreed to help set everything up, it was quite a chore even for two demons, especially when no one would allow us to see each other.

Not to mention the fact that everyone refused to let me lift anything even remotely heavy; I think that, even after all this time, they forget that I'm no longer human, a table weighs nothing to me.

They waved when they noticed us, I quickly returned the gesture just as I stopped in front of the tent where our reception would be held.

So far, the tables had been moved into position and their black, silk cloths placed over them. Four chairs sat at the first two tables while the third seated five, providing just enough space for the few guests we had invited.

We preferred to be alone together or with our few acquaintances from decades ago rather than go out and befriend anyone new, it was a mutual decision that neither of us regret. In that spirit, we had chosen to have a quaint event, void of all unnecessary human traditions and social expectations, only keeping the few things we thought would compliment the style we were going for.

It still held all of the elegance we enjoyed about the mortal weddings, but was without the tackiness that was often created by the overuse of vibrant colours and glitter in traditional marriage ceremonies.

I inspected the numerous boxes set just outside of the tent, frowning when I didn't see a single vase. "Eric, have you seen the center pieces?" I called over my shoulder, rummaging through the second box only to turn up empty-handed again. The blond reaper shook his head, "Not that I've seen; the only things in those boxes are dishes and silverware."

I turned around to ask Undertaker or Snake, but then I noticed a small box in Undertaker's hands, "Found th' holders, Snake is bringin' th' flowers right now."

"Thank you," I nodded as I took the box from him and set it atop one of the tables, taking the first of the thin, white frosted vases from the box and placing it on the middle of the table on top of a white, lace mat. I placed three navy roses and three white roses inside of it after Snake had set them down, nodding once they were arranged evenly before adding white lily in the center to finish the setting.

I repeated the process on the other two tables and then began setting everyone's place with napkins, silverware, plates, and glasses. It took much longer than I had originally thought it would, but it still left me enough time to add the finishing touches.

Black, satin ribbons were tied to the space where the edges of the tent were wrapped around the poles that kept it from caving in, which held it in place tighter and added a little something extra.

There was only one more thing I wanted to do before it came time to drive to the airport, but I wasn't sure how I was going to do

it.

I tapped my chin in contemplation, eyes roaming the tent until they settled on the section above me, an idea suddenly popping into my head. I pulled a chair to the middle of the tent, checking to make sure no one was watching as I climbed atop it, giving me access to the top of the area. I extended my claws to poke small holes in the canvas frame, giving me a big enough gap to thread the same ebony ribbon I had used earlier through the ripped areas. I stretched it out in a straight line from one side to the other, repeating it four times, a few feet away from the last every time, until it was elaborately strung throughout the area.

I pursed my lips in ire after having to move the chair for the eighth time, having decided to wrap warm, twinkling fairy lights and lush, green ivy around each silk strand I had placed.

"M'not so sure yer' mate would be too happy to see you doing all of that on yer' own," a voice sounded from behind me as I pushed the chair back to its rightful place at the far table. Had I not heard him approaching, I would have startled at the suddenness, "I'm sure he won't be when he finds out, but I wanted to do it. I'm not fragile, I'm perfectly capable of doing these things, and I will continue to do so as I please." The silver haired man snorted, "It was simply an observation, I never said ya' were fragile, and m'sure he doesn't think ya' are either. It's instinct for a devil to be this way with their mate, 'specially an expectin' one. From what I've seen you're not much different towards 'im."

Now that I think about it, I suppose I do act the same way when he does certain things...

He chuckled at my lack of response and turned to look around at the recently added decorations, "It turned out quite nicely, though."

"Thank you," I replied, satisfied with how it had ended up.

I'm not sure how, but I had remembered the mention of tiny white lights and greenery galore in a fairytale my aunt had read to me when I was no older than six years of age. I had always tried to imagine what it would look like, and so far, this is the closest possible comparison. I would have liked to have added a few more things, but with time running low and the large amount of flowers and ribbons already adorning tables and ceiling, it was probably best to stop here.

"'Smile, we should leave soon' says Donne. He's right, it's getting closer to time to pick up your guests," Snake said when I stopped beside Eric and Alan, to watch as they started to assemble the arch a few feet from the seating area. "Alright, I'm done here anyways," I followed them back to the car where we began our journey to Kansai Airport.

After sitting in silence for a few minutes, my question from the day before came back to mind; who is the mystery guest Sebastian invited? He said I knew him, but who else do we know well enough to invite...?

I unintentionally drifted off to sleep less than a quarter through the drive, only waking up when we stopped in the pick-up lane in front of terminal B. I rubbed the blurriness from my eyes and hoped that no one would notice as I checked the time on my phone to see how long we would have to wait. Only ten minutes later, the first two familiar forms approached our rental car; William and Grell.

Grell was explaining something to her husband with a look between excitement and frustration, the latter most likely caused by his uninterested look, though the corners of his lips twitched as if he wanted to laugh at his lover's crazy antics. The redhead drew her gaze from the brunette reaper to focus instead on the car, a slim eyebrow raising when Undertaker failed to notice them until they stood only feet from the vehicle.

We all stepped out of the car to rearrange the few items in the trunk to make way for the oversized cherry suitcase Grell was pulling and the small briefcase William held. A strand of hair being tugged at distracted me from helping with the luggage, a task that Snake took over without complaint.

"Your hair is sticking up everywhere, brat! One would think you would put more effort into your hair on your wedding day, especially with a man like Bassy!" her tone was serious, but the smirk on her face gave her act away. She poked William's arm teasingly, making his scowl grow. "I've been busy with decorating, unlike you, who got to enjoy a movie on the plane. I plan to fix it when I change clothes," I challenged, silently nodding in greeting to William who returned the gesture.

We were no longer hostile towards each other, but that didn't mean we wished to hold a conversation.

Grell was easier to converse with as she also had a fondness for cake and tea; I now consider her a friend even if I'm loathe to admit it.

"I didn't watch a movie, I slept and then painted my nails," was her retort as the two greeted Undertaker and Snake before taking their places in the car. Thankfully, Grell took the middle seat so that I wasn't squished between the two of them, and then we were on our way back to the hotel.

As soon as we entered the room, I immediately flopped down on the plush bed, closing my eyes to enjoy a few minutes of silence before Grell and William returned from checking into their own room next door.

I only had an hour and a half to get dressed and gather everything I needed before it would be time to drive back to the meadow, but that didn't mean I couldn't rest before I was being poked and prodded by everyone. Just a few minutes to sit and think in peace and then I would return to the chaos that is Grell Spears styling hair, which is exactly what she said she planned to do when she joined us.

I wonder what Sebastian will be wearing? Perhaps the new suit he acquired a few months ago? Or that leather outfit that clings to him like a second skin?

Yes, that's definitely my favourite attire to see him in.

Of course, I prefer him with no clothing at all, but I don't think that's any more appropriate than if I showed up naked. Besides, no one else can see him that way, only me.

My face flushed faintly at the thoughts of him naked or in his tight leather. That particular outfit shows off his finely carved biceps and abs splendidly, hiding not a single muscle or curve that resides beneath the material.

I bit my lip and tried to force away the images in my head. It wouldn't do to rile myself up with guests in the other room. Unfortunately, other supernatural beings can smell arousal just as well as demons, so it's best to preoccupy myself with something else to avoid an awkward situation.

I instead went over the list of things I needed to do. My hair needed to be done last to keep from ruffling it with clothes and the train could hooked onto my shorts after we get there, there's no use in tripping over it every time I move. My eyepatch and veil can be put on after my hair is done, but everything else can be put on now.

I heard footsteps approaching the door a few seconds later so I wasn't surprised to hear Undertaker's voice break the silence, "Ya' alright over there?" I opened my eyes and gazed at the man who leaned against the doorframe, his nails tapping against the wall rhythmically while his other rested in the pocket of his cloak. "Mm, I'm fine. Just taking a short break, I have a feeling I won't get another chance to for quite some time," I sat up against the pillows to see him without having to uncomfortably strain my neck to do so.

The older male's eyes gleamed with mirth, "Yer' right 'bout that, jus' be glad ya' didn't get the Knox boy for help. He was pulling that poor mate of yours left and right through the shops to find the right brand of hair gel." I furrowed my eyebrows, "what on Earth does he need hair gel for?"

Sebastian's hair is perfect as it is, it doesn't need to be slicked back with gel!

"He had planned to use it on Sebastian, but he wasn't having it so Ronald used it on 'is own locks," the reaper snickered, shaking his head, "so childish." I snorted, "I can't say I'm shocked, something similar happens every time they're near each other." He nodded, "are ya' about ready to get dressed? The Spears' just sat down in th' living room."

"I am. Let me put on the first pieces and then I'll retrieve the other layers from the living room," I slid my legs over the side of the bed, stretching my stiff limbs as Undertaker left the room.

I pulled the neatly folded shirt and shorts from my suitcase, smoothing out the few wrinkles that had accumulated over the span of two days. Once I was happy with how the material laid, I slid my arms into the long sleeves, easily threading the diamond buttons into their intended holes. I straightened the collar of the light grey and silver threaded shirt after my chest was entirely hidden by the silken fabric, slipping into on the knee-lenth shorts soon after.

The material hugging my legs was as white as snow, a great contrast to the black, velvet vines lingering on the outer side of each leg, and only a few shades lighter than the powder blue cuffs on the bottom hem. Two silver buttons adorned the trousers' cuff and a single, sable ribbon separated the pale blue from the pristine white. I chose to leave the stockings off until it was time to put my boots on and retreated to the living room where everyone was awaiting me on the plush, chocolate couch.

Snake rose from the sofa with a waist cincher in hand, but rather than handing it to me, he held it open, silently waiting for me to turn to allow him a chance to wrap it around me and tie it. I held it in place while he laced the back tight enough to prevent sliding and shifting, but loose enough for me to breath and move without feeling constricted, effectively keeping pressure off of my abdomen.

He stood from where he had knelt to work on the ties and urged me to slide my arms into the sleeves of my half-coat. The cuffs on the crisp, white jacket were identical to the ones on my shorts, and vines matching the ones on the first layer of clothing were stretched among the bottom rim and around the shining, silver buttons. The inky, velvet collar was held shut by an oval, sapphire brooch and wrapped around the fibula hung three silver, honor cords that connected to a silver stud protruding the left shoulder.

Apart from the neck, the coat was left open, allowing the top of my shirt and the entirety of the waist cincher to be seen between the two pieces of fabric. The corset was the same pastel shade of blue as the cuffs and four buttons were used on each side to string more of the shimmering, twisted cords across to the other side, resting only inches above where black lace lined the top and bottom curve of the apparel. A charcoal ribbon was tied into a bow around my hips, a medium white stripe in the middle, and a navy pinstripe in the center of the white, adding a necessary darkness to the clothing. It had been chosen to somewhat replicate an outfit from my past, only with lighter shades and minor changes to the overall design.

"Now it' s time for you hair!" Grell exclaimed, excitedly pulling out a pair of scissors. What is she planning to do with my hair!?

"Not yet, these go first," Undertaker held up pair of rounded diamond earrings. I stepped forward and tilted my head to give him more space to remove the azure pair and replace them with the lighter ones. The long-haired reaper stepped away, studying his work, "Much better."

Before I could even blink again I was pushed onto the couch with Grell behind me, a brush already in hand. "I haven't gotten to play with short hair in so long, Willy won't let me style his," she pouted, tucking a few strands behind my ear while she brushed the back.

"Please tell me you aren't going to cut it," I mumbled somewhat nervously. I could easily grow it back if she does, but why waste the energy if it's a good length right now? "I'm just trimming the edge, it's uneven. William, hold your hand here to catch the pieces," William followed his wife's instructions, but didn't look very happy about it.

I felt her rub several different things over it, but I wasn't sure what any of them did or looked like. I didn't bother asking what the strawberry and peppermint scented oils were for, at least they smelt okay. I turned to face her when instructed and closed my eyes when the started parting my bangs, I only had to wait five more minutes before she sat back and stared at me with calculating eyes, "Hmm... Nope, that's not right." She flicked piece of hair away from my left eye, smiling in approval as she threw away the strands of cut hair and held a mirror in front of me, "Done!" I blinked, shocked and relieved to see that it actually looked great!

No strand was left standing or out of place and the oils she had added gave it a shine that I hadn't ever seen it have. Barely noticeable specks of glitter decorated it as well, mostly seen in the areas with the best sunlight. It wasn't a drastic change from its usual look, just enough to add to my attire and it still look elegant without being overbearing, "It's actually nice. Really nice." She clapped her hands once, happiness gleaming in her eyes, "I always told you I knew how to work with hair, no one ever listens!"

"Thank you for doing it," I said, setting the hand-held mirror on the coffee table. The reaper gasped, "Did I really just get a 'thank you' from you of all people? Has hell frozen over?" I rolled my eyes, "Not that I'm aware of, though it has been a while since I've been down there, so who knows?"

"If it had we wouldn't have had to put down a rabid demon who tried to kill everyone in north London last week," William commented, raising an eyebrow at Grell's disapproving look. "Oh, Willy, cheer up about it already! She only took three souls, we've certainly had worse before."

"'We should leave soon if you want time to speak to the other guests when you arrive,' says Oscar," Snake said as he checked the time on his phone.

My eyes widened when I noticed what time it was and rushed to the bedroom to pull on my black socks and garters, followed by my heeled ankle boots. The toes and heels were sky blue and the space between the two was the same grey as my button-up, and they were laced and tied into large bows made of white, silk ribbons. I picked up my eyepatch and a thin hair clip with a veil attached to it; that part was added as more of a joke than anything else.

I went ahead and tied the patch on, feeling nostalgic as I narrowly avoided tripping over the pair of shoes that sat in my blind spot. Ah yes, you forget how nice it is to see out of both eyes until you're back to seeing the world from only one...

Afterwards, I stuffed the headband into my coat pocket and checked the room to be sure I had everything I needed. Once I was positive that I wasn't missing anything, I returned to the main room, announcing that I was ready whenever everyone else was.

We all began to file out the door, but just as I was about to step onto the carpeted hall outside, a hand on my arm stopped me, "Here." William stood behind me, face as unreadable as always as he held out a pair of silver cufflinks, the Phantomhive crest engraved into the middle of the circular object. I accepted them with confusion and shock clouding my mind, nodding once to the man with an appreciative curl of the lips, "Thank you, William."

"Think nothing of it. Yours were far too plain, I can do without hearing Grell rave about it later in the evening," the brunette replied, though I wasn't so sure that this had anything to do with the redhead. After changing into the new cufflinks, I followed everyone else to the car, where Grell had just packed the final piece of my ensemble into the trunk to be donned after we arrive.

"Oh, I almost forgot! Wear this so no one else sees what you're wearing yet," the red reaper all but demanded as a black cloak was draped over my shoulders and buttoned over my wedding attire. "Is this really necessary?" I questioned, though I knew arguing with her would be a futile attempt. "Yes, it is. How can you take everyone's breath away if they already know what you're wearing!?"

"It only matters that Sebastian doesn't see it yet and it's obvious they you won't let the two of us near one another just yet," I heaved a great sigh at the look I received in response. Futile indeed...

I settled into the backseat of the vehicle without further complaint, saving myself the trouble of listening to one of the reaper's famous, scathing rants. Unlike the first trip, time seemed to lag by as we passed the city and drove into the outskirts of Osaka, where buildings and sidewalks were replaced by green pastures, tall trees, and multicoloured wild flowers.

I fiddled with the crown of twigs and petals, allowing a deep, purple spark to leave my fingers and curl around the dahlias. The petals twisted and twined as they absorbed the dark energy, soon emitting an amaranth glow. "'How does that not wilt the flowers?'" asks Emily," Snake said as the red and yellow serpent slithered around the edge of the passenger seat, watching as I enchanted the blossoms. "It's an illusionary spell, or transfiguration, as it's more commonly known as amongst devils. It doesn't have any sort of power that could corrupt, it simply changes the appearance of whomever or whatever it's cast upon," I glanced up at the snake as I spoke before it nodded it acknowledgement and curled back around it's master's shoulders.

I turned to press my cheek against the cool glass, watching as we sped passed the seemingly-never-ending green and blue scenery. No one spoke for the remaining duration of the journey, all too preoccupied with their own thoughts to bother with communicating. It didn't bother me, it wasn't a tense silence, in fact, it was quite comfortable; it gave me time to think about my husband-to-be.

I bet Ronald's been giving him hell all day over one thing or another and Sebastian has probably shunned any advice the blond reaper offered, no matter how good or bad it is. I've never quite been able to figure out if they're friends or enemies, with how they treat each other they could very well be both! I remember a few fights between them as well as several times they used each other as allies; a love-hate friendship perhaps?

I was snapped from my thoughts when we stopped, parked just behind a thin line of oaks that kept the emerald fields beyond it hidden.

Undertaker pulled the dress bag containing my train from the trunk when we departed the car, casually slinging it over his shoulder. We didn't have to walk too far to see the ivy covered archway in the distance, perfectly assembled despite Alan and Eric's earlier struggle. However, it looked nothing like how it had when I had seen it hours prior.

Earlier, it had been a simple arrangement; chairs, an ivy arch, and a couple of ribbons on the chairs at the of the rows. But it had fleshed out a lot since then and it was, without a doubt, Sebastian's doing.

Six lanterns hung on a thin, but sturdy string between the two large sakuras that sat to the left and right of the arch, glowing shades of red, periwinkle, lilac, forest green, baby pink, and sunset gold. Wrapped around the twisted, black, trunks were thick, silver ribbons; each tree had a thinner ribbon made from silk spun between each layer of silver, the left side was royal blue, while the right side had crimson.

Upon the lowest branch of each cherry blossom hung a single lantern, these two were more rectangular than the ones on the string and twice as big. They were illuminated a pale yellow and inscribed in the middle, between two straight lines added for decoration, was the kanji meaning 'forever'.

A midnight velvet carpet with shining, silver trim was placed between the two small seating sections, stretching from one end to the other, stopping roughly four feet short of the place we would seal our bond.

The arch had also changed dramatically, it no longer unornamented, but rather, adorned with countless flowers. Navy and white roses were spread throughout the greenery, delicate petals faintly dancing in the warm and gentle breeze. Placed between each rose were smaller, sturdier blooms, their shape closely resembling tiger lilies, however, the wine and soot colouring proved that they weren't at all natural in this world. Stray strands of ivy had also been loosened to hang limply above where we would be standing in less than two hours, their heart shaped leaves reaching towards the ground, almost as if directing me to look down; I'm glad I did.

The ground that was once bare was now blanketed in white rose petals and onyx plumes. Most of the petals had been arranged similar to a rug on the left half of the arch while the feathers had been spread in a similar fashion on the right side. They were also sprinkled across the ground to both sides, the alternating colours of black and white standing out against the green background the strands of grass created.

To say the setup he had created took my breath away would be an understatement, it was positively enchanting. More lovely than any of the nature paths I had seen and more exquisite than the elaborate halls and marble ballrooms of the countless manors I once roamed in. In fact, of everything I've seen, only Sebastian's beauty makes this meadow dim in compare.

Behind me, Snake stared on in amazement while Undertaker simply smiled as he looked at his lover rather than the scene before him.

A cheerful voice shook me from my daze just in time to brace myself before a flash of purple invaded my vision and personal space. "There you are, I was wondering when you'd get here!" the blond exclaimed as he hugged me as soon as he was in arm's reach. I gasped at the crushing embrace and smacked one of the offending arms, "Alois, I can't breathe, get off of me!" He pouted but stepped back, allowing me a chance to catch the lost breath and glare at the other demon, barely fighting off the urge to snarl and cover my middle protectively.

Friend or not, instinct is instinct, and I'm not ready to tell everyone about the new addition to our family yet.

"I haven't seen you in weeks and you won't even hug me back? After I flew all the way to Japan for your wedding too!" there was faint annoyance in his words, but no true anger. I narrowed my eyes and crossed my arms over my chest, suddenly feeling very much like my thirteen-year-old-self, "Maybe I would have if you had walked over to me, like a normal person, I would have returned the gesture. But you didn't, so I won't."

"Fair enough," he mumbled, smile returning seconds later as he motioned towards the lanterns, "It's nice what he did, isn't it?" I nodded as my gaze followed his and my face softened, "Yes, it is. It's... Spellbinding. I didn't think he would go to such lengths to do this." "He'd do anything for you," he said, tone somewhat wistful before he cleared his throat, "You should have seen him decorating, I don't think I've ever seen someone so determined to make the spacing between lanterns so even."

I snorted. I hardly have to imagine to know what it would look like, I've seen him re-fold blankets three times just to make sure they're all equally folded. "I can't say I'm surprised, he's been a perfectionist for as long as I've known him," I replied, eyes following someone who I didn't recognize talking to Snake.

Who is that? Could it be the mystery guest that Sebastian invited?

The unknown male had golden hair wore a grey suit, his build was strangely familiar, though I was sure I didn't know anyone with those characteristics. He could be a friend, but surely I would have been introduced to him previously had he and Sebastian been close.

"I'll talk to you again later, I need to say 'hello' to a few more people," I turned back to inform Alois, who nodded in understanding and went off in search of Hannah.

Snake seemed to recognize the stranger and nodded towards me when I began to approach, the blond turned to look over his shoulder and I froze in place.

How is this possible? It can't be him, it's been far too long! How is he alive?

There were so many questions I wanted to ask, but I couldn't force them out as I stared at the grinning face in front of me, "Finny?" His joy seemed to increase, despite my original thought that it was impossible, while he turned to face me, "Hello again, young master!" "You don't need to call me that anymore, please call me Ciel instead," I requested, still unsure if I was truly seeing right. There's only one way to know; I reached out hesitantly to embrace him, he met me halfway, hugging me with surprising gentleness.

He's learned to control his strength then.

"This is the first time I've seen you without a frown," he said as he pulled away to look at me from arm's length. I nodded, noticing that his face hadn't changed at all since I last saw him, but he wasn't a demon, nor an angel or a reaper. He's immortal somehow, it had to have been something from the experiments, there was no other explanation. "Is it?"

"It is. I'm glad you're happy now," the ex-gardener replied, "I always knew you and mister Sebastian would fix things!" I tilted my head, "Fix things?"

"You both acted so differently when you left, not at all like you had been the weeks leading up to it, I knew something was wrong even if I didn't know what. Mister Sebastian explained everything to me when he found me though." That made me think of my next question, "That's right, I almost forgot to ask. When did he find you? I figured he would have told me if it had been too long ago."

"He found me about two weeks ago in London and invited me here, he seemed as surprised as I was to see him, that's when I gave him the ring. I had guessed that he wasn't human with how quick he got everything done, but I never thought I would see the two of you again!" his turquoise eyes seemed to sparkle with joy as he spoke.

I had never shown it as much as I should have, but I had come to see the servants as friends, maybe even a second family. They may have been uncoordinated and destructive, but they had protected me alongside Sebastian and been kind to me from the very beginning, I only wish I would have let them know that more, "I didn't think I would see you again either, but I'm glad I was wrong."

Undertaker joined us, patting Finny on the shoulder when he noticed him, "S' been a while since I've seen ya, lil' gardener." "Hello, mister Undertaker!" Finny greeted, waving excitedly to the silver haired man. "Sorry t' disturb yer reunion, but s' almost time," the death god turned his gaze to me, pointing to where Grell was waiting on the other side of the tent, dress bag in hand and an impatient look marring his face.

I then noticed how quickly the sky had darkened, having already shifted from the rainbow hues of sunset to the darkened indigo of nightfall. The sun was far beneath the horizon by now and the moon was full and high in the sky, illuminating the grass in faint white-blue beams. Stars twinkled far above, an added beauty to the already dazzling setting. The lanterns stood out against the shadowy background, giving the expanse between the sakuras an ethereal glow; in fact, even the roses seem to be luminous!

I said goodbye to Finny and promised a longer chat later on in the night before we parted ways and I followed Undertaker to where Grell stood.

They led me further away to assure that I was out of view from everyone else as they took their seats, freeing the last piece of clothing from its bag while I watched the red reaper straighten out the layers. It was connected to my shorts by thin ribbons, flowing out several feet behind me in snow coloured layers, each tier embellished with intricate lace designs. I felt excitement rise in my chest, nibbling my lip in anticipation as the final layer was straightened and spread behind me.

The veil was pinned into my hair, the silk chiffon cascading over my shoulders and to the middle of my back elegantly while the diamonds on the tiny clip shimmered brightly beneath the delicate moonlight.

I allowed my ears and tail to manifest as two of my teeth sharpened into fangs, my nails grew into claws, and two tiny, black, twisted horns protruded from my head, pushing aside the hair there.

A bonding ceremony usually consisted of both demons in their natural forms, but as I still wasn't comfortable in my full form, Sebastian had asked that I take his one instead. This is what he had asked for, I would never deny my mate this.

I slipped three silver hoops through the pierced spots in my left ear beside the diamond studs and snapped the back on them to keep them in place and from falling out, humming in approval when they were held in sturdy.

"Well then, brat, looks like you're all ready," Grell commented, a kind smile on her lips as she took a step back to be sure everything was in place. "Thank you for helping me," I took her hand and placed a light kiss atop it.

She chuckled, voice taking on a playful lilt,"My, my, you must truly appreciate my help. I believe that's the most gratitude you've ever shown me."

"Yes, well... Don't get used to it," I grumbled, pursing my lips, though I couldn't bring myself to be annoyed by her mocking tone.

There was a geniuine truth to what she had said; besides, she could have told me that my hair looked horrible and it wouldn't bother me in the least. For in a few short minutes, Sebastian and I would be bound together for eternity, and right now, that's all that matters.

The redheaded reaper feigned disapproval and left to take her seat beside William while Undertaker offered me his arm, "Ya' may not be a bride, but that doesn't mean I can't present ya' to yer' mate, now does it?" I smirked and linked my left arm with his, "No, I suppose it doesn't."

I was grateful for him being there and even if I didn't say it, I knew he could tell. He was the last person connecting me to my family, the only one left who truly knew my parents and me when I was younger. It was good to know that even after everything that had gone wrong, from the Campania to Weston College, we were on good terms again.

A soft melody began to play, the strokes over the keys of the piano creating a lovely song; my cue to join Sebastian below the arch.

Undertaker stared down at me in silent questioning, I took a deep breath, exhaling slowly as I nodded, butterflies fluttering in my stomach.

It's time.

I forced myself to keep a slow and steady pace despite the urge to abandon tradition and race down the aisle to my lover where he would, without a doubt, be waiting with open arms. At least this way, I'll be able to study him for longer as I make my way to him. My view of Sebastian was obscured until we turned the corner from near the canopy where the tables were placed, but as soon as our eyes met, I was left utterly breathless.

His russet eyes were gleaming brighter than the sun and moon combined, filled to the brim with adoration and joy as his eyes trailed down my body only to wonder back to my own gaze again. His raven locks were mostly brushed to the right side of his face, apart from a single strand that hung over the elegant curve of his nose and onto one of his rose dusted cheeks, leaving his eyes completely unhidden. His mouth was turned up into a beautiful smile, plump, pink lips slightly parted and so-very-kissable.

Upon his head protruded two polished, black horns, tilted back and curled inwards slightly at the top. My heart melted at the sight, he actually came in his true form like I had asked.

The coat he wore was left open and similar in style to his old tailcoat, but rather than being solid black, it was decorated in gold. The bottom of each sleeve and the area around the button closures held thick, golden swirls, almost resembling flames in their shapes. The buttons were also gold, engraved in them were finely detailed feathers, making it even more unique. A red rose rested in his pocket with a charcoal ribbon tied into a bow behind it, falling gently below the flower.

His fitted dress pants were black as well with a lone stripe of gold down the outer side of both legs, leading down to his shoes, which just so happened to be his leather stiletto boots. The thought of him wearing them with a suit would have made me skeptical if it had been mentioned beforehand, but seeing it now, it worked well. The style didn't clash in the slightest, it blended well and added an even more personal touch to his attire.

And last, but not least, spread behind his shoulders were his wings. Spectacular as always and held high and proud, emitting a powerful and calming aura; silk-like feathers dark and captivating

A quiet breath I didn't realize I was holding left my lips as I took in the sight of my mate; he's stunning, absolutely stunning. I kept my pace as it was, but almost sighed in relief when I finally came to stand before Sebastian, giving him a bright grin when he looked down at me with his loving eyes.

Undertaker held onto my hand until the raven demon took hold of it, which was rather fast, tenderly kissing the back of it as soon as it was in his grasp. The silver haired reaper pulled the flower crown I had made from his pocket, passing it to me as he tipped his hat to Sebastian, leaving me to wonder if it was genuine or done as a joke. My lover laughed quietly, but didn't look away from me as the silver haired reaper took his seat beside Snake.

"You look beautiful," Sebastian whispered, grin growing when he noticed the ears upon my head, "You actually did it."

"Not so bad yourself," I replied, a faint blush dusting my cheeks, "Of course I did. I'm happy you did as well."

Only when I glanced up did I notice the woman standing beside us; Enepsigos, or as she usually referred to herself, Serena, Sebastian's sister and the woman who would bond us. Her long white hair was curled and resting just above her hips, almost glowing against the dark purple of her dress, wine red eyes watching us with something akin to fondness, "Now that you're both here, we may begin."

The she-demon raised a hand and the lanterns dimmed fractionally, "Dearly Beloved, we are gathered here today in the presence of these witnesses, to join these two demons together as eternal mates. This bond is not to be taken lightly, any who dare to interfere or separate these two lovers once the bond is sealed shall meet a fate worse than death and be offered no mercy. If any of you object to this pair being joined as one, then speak now or forever hold your peace." A few seconds passed in silence before she continued, "Very good. Both of you, please present to your mate the gift you have to offer, a symbol of your dedication to one another, woven by your own hands."

I released his hand to hold the crown between mine, allowing him a few seconds to see my choice of blooms before gracefully placing it atop his dark locks when he bowed his head to help me reach him. I admired the way the flowers looked on him, the colours a great contrast to his dark features, giving him an almost innocent look, only belied by the shadow-like dahlias. It brought me deep satisfaction to see him wearing something I had made solely for him.

He lifted the diadem he had made in front of me, tilting his head as he watched my reaction. Navy roses and silver lilies were the biggest flowers twined into the headpiece, offset by tiny blossoms of blue jasmine, white heather, and baby's breath. While they went together perfectly, I think that, like the ones I had chosen, they were picked not only based on looks, but also by meaning.

He set it on my head, fingers petting one of my ears lightly before returning his hands to mine. I squeezed them faintly in thanks for the crown, a gesture he returned without hesitation.

"We may move along now. You have remained side by side for over a century now, unbreakable and loyal beyond compare. You have fought together and protected each other, comforted and cared for one another. Loving unconditionally no matter the situation. Swear to each other your devotion and loyalty, and then offer up your blood," the demoness instructed as she held a ruby encrusted goblet between us, the dim cerulean light of a soul resting inside the cup.

"My dearest Ciel, I have stayed by your side for one-hundred and thirty-three years now, and every moment has been worth it. The good, the bad, the painful, the blissful; all of it has lead up to this very moment and I would gladly go through all of it time and time again if that's what it took to keep you in my arms forever. I promise to always be here for you and protect you. I will care for you, comfort you, laugh with you, cry with you, kill for you, and if that's what is necessary to keep you safe, I would die for you. I will always love and remain loyal only to you, forsaking all others," Sebastian said, only seriousness in his garnet eyes, and such gentleness in his touch as he brushed his knuckles against my cheek.

My eyes fell half-lidded at the affection and clouded with tears at his declaration, that I quickly blinked away.

My voice wavered with emotion when I spoke, "My darling Sebastian, I have lived far longer than I had ever thought I would. At first, it seemed like a curse, but then you kissed me and I realized that with you by my side, it was anything but. I know my strength may not match yours and I often don't know what to say, but that doesn't mean that I won't fight with every bone in my body to shield you and love you with every fibre of my being. I will be here for you no matter the circumstances, if the day is good or bad makes no difference. I will await you with open arms should you need comfort and sacrifice everything I have to offer to keep you safe. I will adore and remain faithful to you until the end of time itself, forsaking all others."

Sebastian's eyes were wide and his lips parted with such an adoring expression on his face, I almost kissed him that very second. He held his left hand over the awaiting goblet, using a claw to slice open the thin flesh, blood so red it was nearly black dripping into it seconds later. The wound healed itself almost instantly while I followed suit, wincing at the slight sting of the cut being made before it disappeared as the skin was repaired.

Enepsigos swirled the dark liquid, effectively mixing the two life essences into one. She offered it to me first, watching as I took it from her hands.

I raised it to my lips, eyes instinctively flickering into a dark merlot shade when the scent of my mate's blood reached my nose. I wasn't sure exactly what to do, I knew I was meant to drink it, but how much? A sip, a quarter, a half? She must have noticed my confusion as she was quick to say, "Only a sip is required."

I raised it to my mouth, tasting the first few drops of blood and soul as they met my tongue. It was unlike anything I had experienced before. I had tasted many souls, and my lover's blood even more often than that as taking each other's blood sped along healing for more serious wounds, but this was something completely different.

The flavour was nothing short of ambrosia; sweet, dark, exotic, and so very Sebastian. Yet, that wasn't what made it so unique. It was the feeling it gave me was hard to describe and nothing but pleasant.

Almost as if I could feel myself growing closer to my lover both emotionally and physically, like that one sip was strengthening our connection and knitting together the final pieces needed to seal our bond. The feeling was brief, but left me feeling almost intoxicated even after I had drawn the goblet away from my red stained lips.

It was then passed to Sebastian, who hummed approvingly when he tipped it back, savoring the overwhelming flavour that brought him both calmness and excitement. He licked his lips to clear away the rivulets of blood that had dripped from the edge of the steel container and onto his pale, grey-tinted skin.

Enepsigos retrieved the cup that vanished into thin air as soon as her fingers grazed it, making it seem like it had never been there at all, "There's only one thing left to do. Surely, both of you know what this is." There was an almost mischevous glint in her dark eyes, though her tone gave nothing away, "Kiss your mate and the ritual will be completed."

Sebastian let out a small breath he had been holding, a mix of elation and relief on his face. I was unsure if his reaction was due to the ritual going smoothly or if it was because we were about to be officially bound; I decided that it was most likely a mix of both.

Slowly, he raised a hand to my face, soothingly stroking my cheek with the back of his fingers, a gentle smile tugging at his mouth as he trailed his hand higher until it reached the eyepatch that still concealed my right eye. He pulled the string to release it from the bow it had been tied into, revealing my eye along with the white and violet contract seal that still marred the pupil, a strong burst of energy surging through it at being in such close proximity to its sister mark. The patch fell to the ground atop the plumes and petals, forgotten as soon as it had disappeared from sight.

He had an expression of pride as he stared into my mismatched orbs with his lovely, slitted, fuchsia ones. His thumb then smoothed over my bottom lip, cupping my cheek as soon as he had reached the skin beside my mouth.

As his face inched towards mine, my eyes involuntarily fell shut, leaning nearer to close the distance between us, locking our lips together in a deep and passionate kiss. Our mouths melded together perfectly, like they were created for the sole purpose of being pressed together in a loving display of affection. And I swear, they were.

My arms were draped around his neck, one weakly gripping the back of his inky coat and the other sliding through his dark strands of hair. His hand that wasn't on my cheek was resting on the small of my back, thumb rubbing a tiny circle in the center. We were both reluctant to pull away, desperate to stay connected after feeling so far away for most of day and night before, but it wouldn't be right to prolong this moment for too long, no matter how much we longed to. We still had spectators and it would soon become awkward for everyone present.

Right after we had broken apart, Sebastian reached into his pocket, reemerging with the bands he had placed upon our fingers when he had asked me to marry him. I immediately noticed that a few things had changed; what were once fully silver bands carved into vines, were now half ash colour. The diamond leaves and ruby and sapphire heart stones were left untouched, and top vines were still silver, only leaving the lower engravings changed.

It was inscribed as well now, thin silver letters on the inner part of the ring reading, 'Tum nunc in sempiternum.' I was shocked to see that he had chosen to have it written in Latin as he usually preferred English, French, and Japanese to the other languages, but it was fitting. 'Then, now, and forever.'

I gathered the larger band from his palm and delicately took hold of his left hand, sliding the ring onto his fourth finger with ease, setting a kiss upon it once it was in place. He followed my lead without hesitation, kissing not only the metal around my finger, but also my knuckles and the back of my hand.

"You are now bound together for as long as you both shall live, Sebastian and Ciel Phantomhive-Michaelis," the demoness said, cherry lips curving upwards.

My fiance', no, husband leaned his forehead against mine, a look of pure excitement and adoration crossing his lovely features, eyes swimming with so many emotions, I felt like I could drown in them if I stared too long, but that thought didn't bother me like it might have decades ago. We had indulged in such feelings time and time again, given in to our true desires and cravings to be cared for and fulfilled in ways beyond that of a simple love. His eyes reflected my thoughts, and he spoke the truth I wasn't sure how to say, "Though it has tried many times, even death may never part us now, my dearly beloved."

"Until the very end," I touched my lips to his once more, a few coos echoed from the seats behind us, that I ignored along with the "Ooh, get some!" from Alois.

As soon as our lips parted, I was abruptly hefted from the ground and into the arms of my lover, a cheeky grin on his face as he carried me down the aisle where our guests watched with quiet laughter and bright smiles.

I hugged him tightly and pressed butterfly kisses to his neck and jaw, rubbing my nose against his happily when I leaned closer to him, "You're turning me into a sap you know."

He returned the eskimo kiss with a chuckle, "Am I now? I always believed it was the other way around. I was cold and composed when we first met, taking great pride in how fast I could destroy every foe in sight, all without suffering a single scratch. Now I wake up every morning with my impossibly beautiful mate beside me, naked and sprawled out upon my chest, waiting for me to bake him sweets."

"Do you miss how it used to be?" I asked, leaning my head beneath his chin. He shook his head, "Not in the slightest. I like how we are much better now."

"I do as well," I agreed, releasing a barely audible, sigh of content, "You've outdone yourself this time, you know? Everything looked absolutely amazing, like it had come straight from a book. Thank you so much." His eyes softened, "I'm glad you liked it. I knew you wanted something simple and was afraid you would think I had gone overboard on it," he admitted, turning to walk towards the canopy where the snacks and drinks were located.

I rubbed the base of his wings, earning a low purr in response to the attention given to the feathered appendages, "When I said simple, I meant not a huge event in a place surrounded by people. I loved this, it was more gorgeous than I could have ever imagined, almost as breathtaking as you."

"My, my, what a charmer you are," he teased, a pale, rose tint dusting his cheeks, "You look stunning, my love. White suits you well, you should wear it more often. However, as fetching as you look in this, I can't wait to see it on the floor tonight." I blushed darkly at his compliments and playfully slapped his arm, shaking my head in faux indignation at the last part, "I went to all this trouble to recreate this in white and all you can think about is me taking it off? Unbelievable."

"I said I liked it, you prickly little thing," he snorted, voice turning serious when he continued, "Recreate?" "I'm not prickly..." I scoffed, "But yes, it's the same style of the black and blue one I used to have, though the train is a little different. I tried to repair the old one, but not many of the clothes left behind were still intact so I had Grell and Alois sew it for me in different colours." "They did a fine job, you chose well," he praised, "I will always prefer you bare, but of everything I've seen you wear, this is my favourite outfit." I let out a satisfied hum and swung my legs fractionally, admiring the way Sebastian's lips curled upwards and his iris' reflected the white fairy lights that were visible from this distance.

In the midst of all the laughter and sneaky pecks that Sebastian pressed against my cheeks, chin, nose, forehead, lips, and every other easily accessible patch of skin, a question came to mind, one that made me freeze immediately; did we order a cake?

I swore it was on the list, but now they I think about it, I don't remember us ever tasting any flavours, planning the design, or even discussing it! It was something that I of all people should never forget, and yet here we were, on the day of our wedding, without a cake.

"Sebastian..." I murmured meekly, cheeks burning crimson as I looked off to the side in an attempt to hide my embarrassment. His face dropped when he saw my expression, concern twisting his smile into a frown, "Ciel, what's wrong?" I pursed my lips, trying to push away my disappointment with myself, "I was too worried about inviting all of the guests and booking our flight that I sort of forgot about the cake..."

He made a relieved sound and smoothed a hand over my hair, massaging behind one of my ears momentarily, "No need to fret, love. I erased it from the to-do list, you didn't forget." "Why did you do that?" I questioned, humming appreciatively when his fingers slid down further to rub my neck. "I baked it myself instead. I know your likes and dislikes better than any baker could. Besides, by foregoing the taste testing and designing, I got to spend more time with you," he beamed, glancing up when the lights in front of us brightened.

His mouth was agape when we passed over into the tent, studying the expanse of the area in silent awe, "Ciel... Did you do all this?" I nodded enthusiastically, anxiously gnawing on my lip, "I did it this morning. Do you like it?" He turned back to me, eyes aglow with something akin to astonishment, "I love it. Thank you, beloved." I nuzzled against his neck, never looking away from his face as he carried me further in, taking in his every movement with a delighted smile, "Close your eyes until I tell you to look."

I complied without complaint, patiently waiting to be given the 'okay' when he stopped walking, "I'm setting you down." I held onto him to make up for my lack of vision as my feet met the ground, shivering when his warm breath ghosted over my nape, "You can open your eyes now."

They fluttered open quickly and I immediately came face to face with a three tier cake. Black fondant covered the entirety of the cake, elegant, but simple, leaving the details to the patterns created around each tier.

Golden roses decorated the entire top layer, a slender, thorn and leaf covered vine connecting each icing bloom's outline. On the bottom layer, feathers of the same colour adrorned the circumference, alternating between being right-side-up and upside-down. The middle layer had three stripes rather than intricately drawn flowers and plumes, the first and third stripes were thinner than the middle, the top one azure, the bottom one ruby, and the middle one a deep shade of violet, gold lining each stripe and matching swirls between each tier.

Blue was my family colour while red was his, could that mean that the purple is for...?

"Sebastian, there are three stripes?" I raised an eyebrow, leaning against him when he wrapped a strong arm around my waist, fingers spreading out across my abdomen. "There are," he said simply, caressing the barely formed bump cradled protectively beneath his hand. It was still much too miniscule to be noticeable to anyone without knowledge of its existence, in fact, it was invisible past the silks covering my body. The only time a faint outline showed was when I was in a thin shirt or completely nude, but even then it could be felt more than seen; a slight firmness, barely adding shape to my otherwise flat midsection.

I rested my hand on top of his briefly as I admired the edible white and gold roses resting on the highest layer, surrounded by large, juicy, chocolate dipped strawberries. Pretty or not, this cake needs to be cut and eaten immediately.

My stomach rumbled loudly at the sight of food. The raven haired demon barked a laugh at the noise and stepped away from me to retrieve a knife, forks, and plates.

Everyone had already gathered at either the food table or their seats, watching us and chatting amongst themselves while I held the fine China dishes as Sebastian placed a piece of cake and silverware on each one. The first slice was split between me and Sebastian, who gave me a suggestive smirk when he held a bite up to my lips.

My mouth was all but watering when the scent hit me. Chocolate! The whole thing is chocolate!

I opened my mouth eagerly, moaning quietly when the first taste of chocolate met my tongue. It was nothing short of heavenly. Unknowingly, my eyes fell shut as I savored the dark chocolate flavour, trailing back to my lover's face as soon as they reopened.

He went through all this trouble for me; the thought made my heart beat faster. Even after all these years, it was still hard to believe that he loved me as deeply as I loved him.

I scooped a bite onto the fork, playfully poking his lip with it. He flicked his tongue out to gather some of the frosting, wiggling his eyebrows for show before taking the offered piece. He seemed to enjoy it despite his previous complaints and claims of not liking sweets, leaving me to think that maybe he had only said it to rile me. He did laugh an awful lot at the rant that followed...

Pushing that aside for another time, I watched as everyone collected their own plates and began to eat, making sure they were looking away as I dipped my finger in the icing, beaming wickedly as I smeared it over my mate's left cheek.

"Oops, how clumsy of me. I can get that for you," I whispered, leaning up to better reach his face, tongue darting out to gather the sweet smudge. He watched me from his peripheral vision amusedly, "How kind of you." "Mm, I'm a kind person," I winked, taking another bite as soon as I was back in reach of the slice, "I'll never understand how you learned to bake without having eaten human food before."

"Well, you see, a certain master of mine would throw everything I made back at me until I perfected it, and there are only so many stains a tailcoat can take before you really have to start making an effort," he teased, kissing away a crumb that had stuck to my chin. "Hm, tasting this cake makes me glad I did that. Who know, we might not be here today if I hadn't made you learn," I suggested.

"Do you mean to say that you wouldn't have fallen for me if I couldn't bake?" he feigned hurt by placing a hand over his heart and pouting his lip. I laughed, "I meant, I might have starved had you not learned how, there's no way anything Bard made could have been considered even remotely edible, but feel free to go with what you said if you'd prefer." "Ah, in that case, I must agree," he fed me the last of the cake, setting the porcelain dish aside a moment later.

He stretched a hand out to me, leading me to the other side of the tent when I took it, "Now then, my dearest Ciel Phantomhive-Michaelis, would you care to dance?" "I would love nothing more, Sebastian Phantomhive-Michaelis," I replied, a highly satisfied feeling radiating within. Mine. He's mine, and I'm his.

Ronald had just finished setting up the stereo when we made it to the clearing that had been left bare for dancing, the twinkling bulbs above casting a warm light upon us as I placed a hand on his bicep and the other in his hand, while his free arm was settled on my waist. The first gentle strums of the guitar played through the speakers, and my eyes didn't leave his for a second as the song progressed and he lead the dance.

'Find me here and speak to me. I want to feel you, I need to hear you. You are the light that's leading me to the place where I find peace again.'

Each move and spin was well-practisced, the smooth and graceful way in which Sebastian moved made it appear like he was floating. He was utterly enthralling.

My steps, while not completely wrong, were more on the clumsy side, making me finally regret never paying attention to the dance lessons that I had been forced to suffer through. Had Sebastian taught me in place of the stuffy instructors hired, who seemed dead-set on making me dance until I collapsed, I probably would have succeeded in learning.

I made it through the dance without too many faults and even those I didn't agonize over, Sebastian didn't seen to mind the uneven pace I sometimes took or the times when I would stumble and hold onto him tighter. If the ecstatic look on his face was anything to go by, he was enjoying himself as much as I was.

Everyone joined us after our first dance had ended and we continued to dance for nearly an hour after; eventually I ended up being held bridal style again while Sebastian danced, whispering sweet nothing's and occasionally a cheeky comment about what we would do on our honeymoon.

When we returned to our table, I indulged in a second slice of cake while sitting across my lover's lap while he cuddled me close to his chest and hummed along to the song playing over the speakers. His sister joined us not too long later, poking her brother's cheek while he scowled before pulling me into her arms snugly, "I was wondering when I would get a chance to see you, Ciel. Solas has been going mad all day, making sure everything would be perfect, you should've seen it." I snickered at the thought and returned the hug, though not quite as tight as she held me, "If only I could have. However, I'm not entirely sure that I haven't seen something very similar before."

"Don't call me that, Enepsigos," Sebastian huffed, holding me closer to him when I was released from the demoness' grasp. The gesture bordered on possessive, but I assumed it stemmed more from annoyance than anything else.

Her eye twitched, "I much prefer to be called Serena." I coughed to cover a laugh and faced the table to keep them from seeing my reaction. From the sound of it, this is an argument that has been going on for at least a few decades now. Why they dread hearing their true names so much, I'm not sure, but I won't pretend it isn't amusing to listen to them bicker over it.

I thrummed my fingers against the table, watching William twirl Grell, the corners of his lips tugging up slightly as his wife laughed. Undertaker was trying to convince a reluctant Snake to dance while Ronald and Eric fought for Alan's attention, meanwhile, Alois alternated between dancing with Hannah and Finny.

I tuned back in to the conversation going on beside me, eyebrows furrowing when I was being stared at by my husband and sister-in-law, "Did I miss something...?" "I was asking if you had been to Paris lately. I went a few weeks ago and you wouldn't believe how many new cafes' have opened," Serena said, leaning her head against her knuckles while she sipped from a champagne flute. I picked up my own glass, though it contained tea instead of champagne, drinking from it while I comtemplated, "It's been about three years since we've been, but none of the shops of restaurants were new in the area we visited."

Luckily, our hotel wasn't either, had it been new we might have had to explain the scratch marks on the headboard...

She nodded, "Next time you go, make sure to try a few. I also found a cafe' both of you should like, it's been there for several years now, but it's a library. You can buy the books too, of course, but most people there just read them while they drink their coffee and tea."

"Maybe we could go there as an extension to our honeymoon, hm?" Sebastian suggested, resting his chin on my head. I nodded, "That sounds nice, we should go there more often."

Serena stayed for another hour and we chatted with the other guests for a while, taking quite a few pictures throughout the span of three hours, before, one by one, everyone began the journey back to their hotels in the city.

Undertaker and Snake were the last people left when it neared one in the morning, but as opposed to leaving, they encouraged us to be on our way and that they would clean everything up in the morning. They blatantly ignored my protests in favour of ushering me away from a pile of dirty plates and towards my mate, who had already been pulled away the chairs he was stacking. "Don't ya' have somewhere to be goin'? Leave this t' us, ya' can think of it as a wedding gift," Undertaker winked, wrapping an arm around Snake's shoulders. "Are you certain? You've already helped out a lot," Sebastian said, though I could tell he was eager to go wherever he had chosen for us to stay tonight.

It would be a lie to say I wasn't excited as well. There's only so much I can take of seeing him like this, smiling, relaxed, and so very alluring, without snapping and stripping him right here, right now. And I am extremely close to that breaking point, growing more and more desperate to run my hands over that toned back and wrap my legs around his waist while he pounds into me relentlessly, covering my neck with bites and bruises, marking me as his. I bit my lip and idly ran my fingers over his arm, barely managing to keep my face neutral.

"Yes, m'sure. Now go, yer' wasting precious time," the silver haired reaper scolded. "'We can drop the rest of the cake off at your apartment when we return,' says Wilde." We thanked them and said our farewells before leaving.

To where, I wasn't sure, but the view from high above was entrancing.

Cradled in my lover's arms, I could see and feel everything, from the pink patches created by a park filled with sakura to the wind created by Sebastian's wings.

We couldn't have chosen a better time or country to hold the ceremony in.

My arms were wrapped around his neck and my head rested against the crook of his neck, more serene than I ever remembered feeling.

The stars were so bright from here without lanterns or lamps dimming their natural light, I even found a few constellations that I pointed out to Sebastian while he pointed off to the distance at Orion and Scorpius. The breeze blew his hair like silk in the wind, swishing it away from his face and completely uncovering his eyes, giving me a clearer view of him when he tilted his head downwards to see me, "Look straight ahead, do you see that straight line of stars?" I nodded when I spotted the row of three stars, spreading out to both sides of the line stars made a triangle shape, the very end of the line curving off to one side, "What is that one?" "That one is Aquila, the eagle constellation. To humans it's usually most visible in late August, but the way we see it now is as well as they see it then."

I rolled the name around in my mind a few times, liking its sound more and more everytime I thought of it, "Aquila, eh? That's a pleasant name." "I agree," he said, dropping down a few feet when he realized we were almost to where we needed to be.

"How do you know so much about the stars?" I questioned, grasping the back of his coat tighter when we landed in the middle of a field hidden away at the base of Mount Fuji. "I spent many years with nothing much to do, at the time I didn't take many contracts so it was a way to pass the time. It's interesting if you actually take the time to study it," he began to climb the hill ahead of us. "I would prefer listening to you talk about it," I leaned up to see over to the incline, gasping when I saw a decent sized lake surrounded by trees, an almost even mix of cherry blossoms and oaks.

Bright, green grass reaching to Sebastian's ankles was dotted with purple, yellow, and white wildflowers. About fifty yards from the water was a small, beige house, chocolate brown roof, and a matching door. It appeared fairly traditional from the outside, though the lack of paint chips and scuffs proved that it had been repainted not long ago if, but upon entering, it wasn't hard to tell that it had been recently renovated.

Most of the homes in this area of the mountain were built well over three decades ago and had since then been abandoned, but this one was fully intact and lacking nothing.

It wasn't as lavish as the manor or the country home, and not as modern-style as the flat, but it had a completely different type of charm. It was quiet, calm, comforting, private.

No car horns or sirens were blaring outside the windows and no long halls had to be tread to get to the bedroom; no neighbors or yelping dogs resided on the other side of the wall or even across the road, it was just us here. Certainly a more relaxing atmosphere than the other houses.

"Shall I carry you over the threshold?" a smirk grew on my demon's lips with a playful nudge to my cheek, humor dancing in his eyes. "Well, I hardly think you're going to set me down, so I guess so," I shrugged, feigning disinterest, but I didn't bother masking my satisfaction when he carried me into the entryway.

Despite the size of the house, all of the rooms were fairly large.

I only caught a glimpse of the living room when he stopped to pull off both my and his shoes, but it was enough for me to notice a few of its features. A good sized fireplace was embedded in the far wall with book cases covering the walls on each side of it, and a soft-looking window seat with nestled against the window to the right, making it the best spot for reading. The fire ignited when we passed the room, the dim and flickering glow of Sebastian's iris' a tale-tale sign that he fully intended to warm the sitting area before we ever returned there, which would probably be quite some time as we were now on our way to the bedroom.

The wooden floor was a deep, amber shade, well polished and without a single speck of dirt while the walls were painted cream. An ivory rug was spread out at the foot of the canopy bed, which was covered with pearl, satin sheets and a plush, white, feather duvet. Red petals sparsely decorated the comforter and carpet, while a plate sat on the nightstand, containing multiple types of truffles.

"Mm, you know me so well," I crooned, placing light kisses along his jawline, sapphire and amethyst eyes bleeding into a dark sanguine. "Of course, I do. You're the most important person in my life, it's a given that I would learn everything about you," he purred, capturing my lips in a sweet kiss that quickly turned deep and fervent. I returned it with equal intensity, mouth moving against his in a heated fashion as my back met the mattress.

I combed my fingers through his onyx tufts of hair, tongue darting over his lips where I was immediately granted entry. Our tongues danced against one another, not in a battle of dominance, but in a show of love; slow and passionate, despite our need that was growing more and more by the minute. Lips moved in perfect synchronization, gentle bites and licks delivered every time we parted for air, however briefly.

All of our feelings and promises poured into those gestures of affection, from the hope to the loyalty, from the lust to the love. Silent swears to always remain together and fight together.

To have and to hold. For better or worse. For richer or poorer. In sickness and in health. Through the good times and the bad. Until the world crumbles at our feet. And even then, we will stand atop the ashes and create a new world, one that belongs solely to us.

He knelt over me, hands moving to unclasp the chains hooked to my coat before removing it completely, tossing it somewhere out of view, before reaching to the corset, untying its laces and letting it tumble off the edge of the bed.

My own hands found his tailcoat, a tap on his right shoulder urging him to shift into full human form to give me space to remove his clothing. I tugged off his coat, dropping it off the edge of the bed where it fell into a rumpled heap, his waistcoat, tie, and shirt following soon after.

His wings reappeared as soon as the material was gone, spreading out above us magnificently, blocking out a fraction of the moonlight illuminating the room.

I ran a palm up his chiseled chest, reveling in the feel of the firm muscles beneath my fingers, thumb dragging over one of the pink buds upon his chest. He groaned quietly as my fingers explored, rolling and pinching in the way I knew he adored.

I pressed open mouthed kisses against his collarbone, laving at the bond mark a few inches above it, accidentally piercing it with a fang as I moved. I licked up the spot of blood quickly, "M'sorry, I didn't mean to do that." He shook his head and placed a finger against my lips, "No need to apologize, love. I've already told you, it doesn't hurt. In fact, I like it." I hesitated, but nodded, planting my lips against the scar one last time.

He reached somewhere out of sight and put something in his mouth, when he faced me against and opened his mouth to push whatever it was between his teeth, I realized what it was.

Chocolate.

He leaned his head close to mine, pressing the edge of the truffle against my lips expectantly. I slid my lips over the offered chocolate, all but purring at the taste of dark chocolate and my lover's lips. Cherry filling flooded into my mouth from the candy when one of his fangs broke the shell, giving me the feeling that he had made these for this exact purpose.

He pulled away moments after the chocolate was devoured, licking away the red dripping from my lips as focus slid down to my chest. Nimble fingers unbuttoned my shirt, almost ripping it in his haste to remove it, leaving both of us bare from the waist up, save for the veil still pinned in my hair.

As soon as the layer of clothing was removed his mouth left mine and latched onto my neck, lapping over the scar that marked me as his, placing kiss after kiss upon it and down to my collarbone, nipping and sucking until I was all but covered in love marks from jaw to chest. "So exquisite," he whispered, fangs breaking the skin when he bit down on my bond mark. I whimpered at the addicting mix of pleasure and pain while he cleaned off the few drops of blood that had been shed as the skin healed, a sound of approval rumbling in his chest at the taste of the crimson liquid, "So sweet and beautiful."

My face grew darker at his words, almost as red as my bitten lips; I was about to protest to the comments when one of my nipples, was suddenly engulfed in a wet warmth, drawing a shocked gasp. He chuckled quietly, sending vibrations through the sensitive nub when he nipped at it and swirled his tongue around its expanse. My eyes widened as arousal shot through me, a barely audible moan breaking free from my throat as my head fell back against one of the fluffy pillows, tail curling around his waist when he rubbed his other hand down my side, popping open the button on my shorts, "Sebastian... More."

He obliged, pushing my shorts off with ease, tongue trailing from my chest to my stomach at a torturously slow pace, hands kneading at my hips and fangs scraping over the top of my thigh as he continued downwards, smirking the lack of undergarments, "My, bold today, aren't we? Had anything been spilt on you, those shorts would have been see-through."

"You would have liked that wouldn't you?" I snickered, teasingly grazing my foot over his member, that strained against the fabric of his trousers, my other leg shifting closer to his face when he brushed his nose against my knee. He halted again after sliding further down, lips meeting my ankle while he started up at me, eyes like embers in a fire, making me feel hot all over. He made a low sound at the friction and pressed against my foot, seeking more of my touch. I rubbed him through his pants, making the sudden decision to lean forward and unbuckle his belt, sliding his pants and underwear off quickly, satisfied that both of us had kicked our shoes off as soon as we made it into the house.

"I won't deny that," he moved away from my foot to let the clothing fall away completely and reemerged between my legs, pulling them over his shoulders where I then crossed my ankles, locking him in place, "but then everyone else could see you too and I don't want that. Only I get to see you this way." His hands grasped my thighs, spreading them wider, and nosed at the base of my cock, already standing tall and aching with desire. "Nn, d-don't tease," I groaned, voice dropping several octaves in my needy state.

"Impatient are we?" he asked, flicking his tongue over the head experimentally. I squeaked at the action, barely able to force out the frustrated words I wanted to say, "Yes, I am. It's been five days, Sebastian. Five days." "So you've been counting?" he didn't give me time to reply before taking me all the way in his mouth, making me cry out. "F-fuck," I panted out when he sucked at a rapid pace, wasting no more time on going slow.

His already alluring scent projected his need, the smell alone making me that much harder.

Hands fisted tightly in the sheets and ears folded back, I bucked into his mouth, hips now moving of their own accord as I was lost to the ecstasy offered by my lover. This continued for several minutes, whines and whimpers leaving my parted lips with every harsh suck and flick of the tongue. He pulled away momentarily, sinking three of his fingers into his mouth, and generously coating them in saliva.

A shiver ran through me as I watched the erotic display, eyes not drifting from the sight for a single second. His half-lidded gaze as he mouthed over the tips, clearly making a show of it; a show that I enjoyed immensely. When he released his fingers he shifted me to rest higher up on the bed, giving me a few seconds warning as his palm slid over my plump rear, massaging the flesh with one hand while the other made its way to my hole, lightly circling it before pushing a finger in gradually.

I winced at the intrusion and he nuzzled my thigh comfortingly, grasping my length to distract from the minor discomfort. His finger thrust in and out of me at a languid pace while my member was jerked to the same rhythm, thumb teasing at the head and smearing the precum, causing my breath to hitch.

I reached out for his own throbbing erection, pumping it in time with his movements, earning a low growl.

A second finger began to stretch my hole, wasting no time before picking up the pace. White, hot, pleasure seemed to shoot through my body when his fingers located my prostate, rubbing against it relentlessly as soon as the first noise left me, "Ahh!"

His lips claimed mine, he played with my bottom lip as his fingers scissored and spread before he added a third. He rutted against my hand in utter abandon when my finger brushed the sensitive tip, our moans echoing between our mouths, almost in a pattern.

After working his fingers enough to be sure I was fully prepared, he slid them out and released my length, reaching for a vial of oil on the bedside-table. He poured some into his hand and spread it over his own arousal, hooking my legs around his strong waist as he looked to me for confirmation, "Ready, darling?" I nodded in silent anticipation, watching as he pushed into me, careful to take it slow.

I bit my lip to hold back a noise at the dull burn, eyebrows furrowed as I adjusted. He gave me the time I needed once he was fully sheathed, caressing my thigh while he waited with nothing but patience. I, on the other hand, was growing impatient now that most of the ache had subsided, and so I laid a hand on his bicep and the other on his back, eyes meeting his as I spoke, "You can move."

And he did, his thrusts were slow but deep, not driven purely by lust, though that was there as well, but by love. His way of showing how much he cares for me and that he would sate each and every one of my needs with pleasure and dedication. His actions certainly wouldn't go unrewarded or unappreciated, I tried my best to show that by rocking my hips against his, and squeezing his arm weakly.

A moan bubbled up in my throat that I didn't bother trying to conceal, instead I crashed my lips against his. Our mouths melded together, a pleased groan rumbling in his throat at the contact.

My eyes squeezed shut when he found that special place inside me, causing me to yelp, "Y-yes! There!" He aimed for the spot again, finding it very quickly as his thrusts grew faster. I continued to meet each jerk of his hips with my own, my hair sticking to my flushed cheeks and sweaty brow. My lips were parted and my chest rising and falling with shallow breaths, broken words and praises falling from my mouth as he pounded into me.

"Ciel, f-fuck," he moaned through gritted teeth, hair damp with perspiration and swaying slightly with every movement. His wings had made an almost canopy-like shelter around us, trapping in the heat and our scents, as well as balancing him, since his expertly trained hands were now freely roaming my body instead of staying planted on the bedding, which had probably already been torn by his claws.

My nails scratched his back and had I been any more coherent, I would have worried that it hurt him, but the growl he made belayed that thought. He had said many times that he liked it as much as I liked being bitten, which was a lot.

The bed shook and creaked from our harsh motions and the room had darkened considerably due to our mixed auras no longer being completely trapped in our physical forms. "Mm, Sebastian! Harder," I panted out with a wanton moan.

He complied with a grunt, tweaking a nipple when his fingers brushed it and stroking my aching member with his other hand.

It was a feeling unlike any other, being completely connected to my mate in body and mind. It was intimate in every sense of the word and would never cease to amaze and excite me. If the blissful look on Sebastian's face said anything on the matter, he felt the same way.

My body shook from all of the different sensations and I buried the hand that had rested on his arm in his sooty feathers, tears of pleasure rolling down my reddened cheeks. Between the overstimulation, his intoxicating scent, his moans of ecstasy, and his smoldering eyes gazing down at me lustfully, it all made for a sensory overload that had me spilling my seed all over my stomach and his own with a final call of his name, thoroughly coating us in white.

"Ahh, Ciel," his movements grew more erratic and his own hot liquid filled me only a few thrusts later as I convulsed around him, hands rubbing my hips caringly, while he leaned his forehead against my shoulder.

No words were spoken as we laid still to catch our breath, chests heaving and hair plastered to our faces. He pulled out, leaving me feeling strangely empty after being so thoroughly filled, and flipped us on our sides as our bodies relaxed. A lazy smile crossed my lips and my eyes were half-lidded as we bathed in the afterglow of our passion. Sebastian had a fond glint in his eyes and a grin to match mine as he laid loving kisses all across my face, "Amazing as always, my Ciel."

I chuckled and tilted my head when he leaned to kiss my cheek, making him meet my lips rather than his intended spot. It was much shorter and less heated than the last kisses we shared, but no less loving. "Indeed it was, my Sebastian," I winked when we split apart, cuddling nearer to his warmth as his wings wrapped around me snugly.

He held me close to his chest, one arm tenderly cradling my head against his neck and the other securely around my waist. We had finally regained our breath after our frenzied lovemaking and now rested contentedly, drowsiness clouding my mind now that I was warm and embraced by my husband, unlike the night before.

I shut my eyes, sharp hearing able to catch each and every heartbeat as I inhaled the strong and calming scent of my lover, hand idly rubbing circles on the small of his back while I pressed the other flat against his chest, enjoying the feeling of his thumping rhythm beneath my palm.

Throughout the years so many things have changed; the cars, the homes, the clothing. Many of the people I used to know had passed on decades ago, while the relationships I had with the remaining people improved dramatically, but through all of it, the good things and the bad things, Sebastian has been here for me. He's the one constant in my life, and I will be forever grateful that he wants to be with me, that he'll never leave me; hearing his heart is just another reminder of that.

I nuzzled his neck, purring quietly, "Sebastian?" His eyes fluttered open and his own purr vibrated in his chest as he glanced down at me, brushing his fingertips through my slate hair, "Yes, Ciel?"

"I love you," I whispered with a yawn breaking apart my last two words, kissing his neck gently as I fought to stay awake. "I love you too, darling," his soft lips met my forehead, "Sleep now, I've got you, and I'm not going anywhere."

"Forever?"

"Until the ashes of Eden fall."