Hello, Billie here!

This is my first Kuroshitsuji fanfiction. I'm hoping I'll be motivated to continue it, and I'm aiming to make it quite long. But I've also got about four other huge projects on the go right now, so updates will probably be pretty slow.

WARNING: This story will contain references/flashbacks to past non-con, so if you are triggered by that then this probably is not the story for you.

Please, enjoy!

Ciel Phantomhive was, by default, not a cheerful person. He dreaded waking up early for school in the morning, remained curt and politely gloomy throughout the day, and even when night came he would keep his eye open and stubbornly glare at the ceiling until his body was too exhausted to stay awake. He was irritable in general.

But when this petulance was combined with his current activities, Ciel found the world to be absolutely appalling. He sighed like a child, once again sweeping his eye over the darkened streets below. There was nothing. The streets were void of all activity - as they should be at such a late hour.

"So, Ciel, how's watchdog duty treating you?" Alois' honeyed voice crackled in Ciel's ear. He sounded smug; why wouldn't he, Ciel was sitting in the cold night while he was probably lounging back at the official Headquarters at Spears' place.

Sighing again, Ciel frowned at his friend's insufferably sweet voice. "Dreadfully. If I didn't know better I'd be doubting the actual existence of these damned things." He shivered. There was a strong breeze tonight, and despite his many thick black layers he was starting to feel the chill in his bones. "I'm freezing my ass off out here, Alois, for absolutely no reason. There's nothing."

Alois giggled, the noise pitchy and sharp through the earpiece. "Aw, poor Ciel." He giggled again and Ciel's scowl deepened.

"Idiot!" His voice echoed clear over the street and he froze; he couldn't give himself away. Secrecy was rather important in his profession. Lowering his voice to a harsh whisper, he continued, "you know how my asthma affects me! I don't know why you couldn't be out here, it's not like you're doing anything more useful than I am."

The grating sound of Alois' laughter had Ciel wincing, rubbing at his ear with a gloved hand. "You've gotta be kidding, Ciel. Spears says there's a Class 8 just a few blocks from you! I bet there're others around you, you're just in the wrong spot!" At that Ciel perked up. Something to hunt sounded like an excellent distraction at the moment.

"So, Alois," Ciel said, letting his voice drip with syrupy sweetness. "Where is this Class 8? Does Spears have a more precise location?" As he waited for an answer he fiddled with his scarf, tugging it up over his nose again. It was a good thing Spears didn't know he'd removed it - even if he explained that he was having trouble breathing, the man would probably beat him with Ciel's own walking staff.

"Spears says it's in the park on Kinsley." There was a pause. Ciel took the time to nimbly climb onto the adjacent building of the pizza place he was currently situated. "Hey, you aren't going after this thing, right Ciel?" Ciel didn't answer, running and leaping between buildings. "C'mon, dude, you know you can't beat a Class 8!"

"Shut up, Alois," Ciel said, his voice not much more than a panted breath. The park on Kinsley was in view now - he could see the tops of the thick trees that filled it, and from the slight vibrations of the ring on his thumb it was clear he was getting close to a source of immense power.

"You better not be doing what I think you're doing! Ciel, I'm sending Spears and Grell out, you can't-" With a sigh Ciel ripped out his earpiece and shoved it in one of his tall black boots.

Finally, some peace from the annoyance that was his best friend. Ciel could focus completely on the job at hand. And something like this would certainly require all his attention. He leapt onto the next building, then turned to face the park, scanning the inky darkness between the trees for even a sign of his target. Everything looked peaceful - really, it was all too peaceful. No animals made shadows on the patches of moonlit ground. The wind, which still whispered through Ciel's many layers and dug its icy claws into his skin, left the trees utterly untouched. Like the entire park was frozen in time, trapped in a vacuum.

But then his eye caught sight of it. A wisp of darkness, almost like black smoke. It slithered and twisted over a patch of light like a shadow; yet, still nothing moved to make this shadow.

Ciel knelt, pulling the bow from his shoulder. This was a Class 8 Demon, incredibly powerful and practically invulnerable - but no Demon could survive a silver arrow coated in salt straight through the heart. Carefully, as silently as humanly possible, Ciel pulled out an arrow from the quiver at his hip and nocked it.

He had one chance at this. If he missed his mark, the Demon would undoubtedly notice his presence and he would be ripped to shreds, his soul devoured messily by a savage beast. Which was exactly the reason he could not miss.

Pulling back, Ciel kept his single eye on the patch of barely visible shadow that he knew to be the Demon. He took in a deep breath, the feathered fletching brushing against his icy cheek, and let the arrow fly.

It passed through the space the Demon had been only milliseconds before and embedded itself in a tree. Ciel distantly heard the dull thunk, but he couldn't dwell on the lost arrow. "Shit," he muttered, glancing around, searching for the Demon. That was impossible. He'd just been looking at the thing, it was still there when he fired the arrow, so where the hell was it? Ciel pushed himself to his feet, toes curling in his boots, spine trembling with more than just cold.

Perhaps . . . perhaps the Demon was gone. Maybe Ciel had gotten lucky, and the Demon hadn't actually noticed his presence. There was a slim chance that the Demon leaving before the arrow hit it was nothing more than coincidence.

"I don't appreciate being shot at, child," came a voice from behind him. Ciel whirled about, unsheathing his dagger and holding it in front of his body in a reverse grip, ready to defend - and then the blade clattered to the cement roof as he saw what had spoken.

The Demon. Only once had Ciel ever seen a Demon above Class 6 - and this was the first time he was able to consciously register the situation. It was composed of mostly black smoke - but darker than that, as though it wasn't smoke but a literal lack of light, a foggy void. The smoke resembled the basic shape of a man, but it twisted out of shape too often for Ciel to call it a 'he'. But it certainly had a face. Or at the very least it had a mouth and eyes, floating in the black smoke. The mouth was curled into a smile, the eyes hellish and glowing a vivid red.

Ciel took a step back, eyes widening. "Shit," he said again, barely daring to breath the word. He needed a weapon, but he was terrified of what the creature would do if he made any sudden movements.

The smile of the Demon widened. "For someone so arrogant to go against someone like me alone, you certainly are acting like a child afraid of the dark." Its voice was pure silk, deep enough to resonate in Ciel's chest, echoed by hundreds of identically smooth voices that were all around.

Ciel raised his chin, staring the thing in the eye. "Afraid of you, Demon? Hah!" He forced the laughter, never once looking away, even as the Demon's eyes narrowed and its smile became even more sinister.

Boots materialized out of the smoke - boots with heels like weapons - and the Demon stepped forward. "So you don't fear me?"

Ciel scoffed. "Hardly." He was stalling for time now, waiting for Spears and Sutcliff to show up. All he needed was a few minutes, and then taking the Demon out with other Hunters at his back would be easy.

"It is unbecoming to lie," the Demon said. Ciel couldn't stop the scowl, even though the Demon couldn't see anything but his eye. Apparently the Demon could still see it in his eyes, because it made a sound that sounded like it may have been a chuckle. "This is what I've never understood about you humans. You put up masks and hide behind falsities." It clucked its tongue.

"And I suppose you never lie," Ciel said, crossing his arms and glaring at the Demon. "I find it hard to believe that a creature made purely of evil and darkness doesn't deceive."

"I never lie, young Hunter." It stressed the 'young' and Ciel felt a wave of rage through his mind before he calmed himself with a deep breath. "I must admit you surprise me. Despite your fear, you've decided to remain aggressive." It sighed. "How foolish. My kind do not respond well to blatant hostility from humans."

"I am not a coward."

The Demon laughed again, a low chuckle that Ciel could feel running all the way up his spine. "No. You're simply too proud." Before Ciel could react the Demon was right there, inches away, glowing hellfire in its eyes as their gazes locked. "I must be making my leave now. I do hope we meet again, young Hunter." And then, in a whirl of black feathers, it was gone and Ciel was staring up at nothing but the somber, starless sky.

A feather drifted down in front of him and instinctively he reached out, catching it between his thumb and forefinger. It was as pure black as the sky above. Ciel ran his finger over the edge and it sliced his skin, stinging. He watched with a sort of disoriented fascination as a bead of blood pooled at the wound before falling to the ground.

Distantly, as though through layers of thick fabric, Ciel heard a quick pair of footsteps running to his position. He didn't understand why he tucked the feather into his boot and out of view. Everything seemed out of focus and he couldn't make anything straighten out and clear up.

"Phantomhive!" Sutcliff screeched. His shrill voice scraped in Ciel's ears and he snapped back to full attention. Rather unfortunate, because Grell was standing over him and Ciel wasn't sure how much longer his remaining eye would last if he was subjected to that much red. "Seriously? Do you know what I was doing before we had to come over here and save your twink ass?" He sighed dramatically, flipping his absurdly long red hair over his shoulder.

"As though I care what you were doing," Ciel said, keeping his voice as bored and monotone as possible. It wasn't exactly difficult; he'd had plenty of practice over the years.

Either Grell didn't hear or he just didn't care. Most likely a combination of both. "I was texting a really hot guy! And you completely ruined it!"

"Enough, Grell." Ah, and there was the second of Ciel's annoyances. Ciel scowled, turning to direct his disinterested glare at Spears. The man pushed up his glasses. If possible he seemed even less interested than Ciel was. "Phantomhive. This was idiotic. You interrupted my previous schedule."

Ciel sighed, curling his arms around himself. "I don't care, Spears."

Spears made a small sound that might have been a sigh, but sounded more like a brief grunt. "Well. Next time you get yourself in a mess with a Class 8 I won't bother." Ciel glared at him - it wasn't as though he ended up needing the help, the Demon left before Spears and Sutcliff even arrived - but Spears just stared at him.

William T. Spears was essentially an emotionless robot, for all intents and purposes. He was highly skilled, incredibly intelligent, and operated by a strict set of rules and schedules. He was also a pain in the ass without a hint of empathy. Ciel didn't like the man - honestly, it was a good day when he didn't want to stab Spears in the eye - but their particular group of Hunters was managed and operated by him.

"You're returning to the Headquarters immediately," Spears said in his usual monotone. "Your Hunting will be suspended until further notice."

"What?!" Ciel stepped forward, rage coursing through him. "You can't do that! I'm the best at what I do, you'll be nothing without my help!"

"You aren't as good as you think you are." Spears was already turning, heading for the ladder that lead down to the alley between buildings. "You may be the best but you're still a child. And we will manage just fine without you." He paused, vivid yellow-green eyes meeting Ciel's from behind his glasses. "And if you continue arguing with me about this I will be forced to inform your mother of this."

That shut Ciel up. If his mother learned that he'd faced off against a Class 8, he'd lose every inch of freedom he'd fought for over the past five years. And he didn't exactly have much freedom at all. He lived away from his parents, but with three other Hunters that his parents employed to keep him safe. His mother forced him to tell her if he was going anywhere, when he would be back, who he was going to be with - for an independant teenager, it was incredibly frustrating. But he would not lose the freedom he'd gained.

To Ciel's surprise, Alois wasn't the only one waiting for his return when Spears finally dragged him back to Headquarters. As expected Alois was on the front steps of Spears' overly modernized home, sobbing into a handkerchief. Ever the drama queen. It seemed he'd even applied eye makeup just so it would run down his face with the tears.

But there were a few unexpected faces. Finny was on the steps as well, clutching at Bard's sleeve, and Mei-Rin seemed to be nervously pacing and fretting and tugging at her skirts.

And then Ciel's arms were filled with a bundle of hyperactive, cute-obsessed blonde. "Ciieeeelllll!" Lizzie screeched, her thin arms so tight around his neck that it was constricting his breathing. "Why would you go off alone like that? Gosh, Ciel, I was so worried!" She leaned back, letting him catch a glimpse of her. The blonde hair around her face was damp with tears, and her makeup was streaked down her face. Ciel knew instantly that she'd actually been crying, unlike Alois. His cousin would never let herself be seen in such a state unless the situation was dire.

"Lizzie," he said, trying to maneuver his arms so he could hug her back. "Lizzie, I'm fine, but you're crushing me-"

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Immediately she backed off. She gave him a sheepish smile, pushing down his hood and pulling the scarf down in one go. "Oh, Ciel, you're too reckless!" Her eyes were ringed in red, contrasting the green of her irises.

"Lizzie, you look like a mess," Ciel said, but he let himself give a tiny, soft-eyed smile.

Lizzie hiccuped. "I know, I know, I'm so uncute right now! But that doesn't matter as long as you're okay!" With a deep breath she stepped away, keeping a delicate hand on his thin shoulder. "We should get you home! You're probably exhausted!"

Ciel nodded. His mind was still reeling in confusion. What exactly had happened back there? It felt more like a particularly lucid dream than an actual event that had just occurred. He needed some sleep, and he needed some answers.

"Oh my god, Ciel, you had me sooooo worried," Alois cried. He was still on the front steps - probably too lazy to actually come over and greet Ciel properly. "Darling, don't you ever try anything like that again! If I had to live without you - oh, perish the thought!"

Ciel just rolled his eye. "Shut up, Alois." Then he turned to Finny and Bard. "What are you all doing here? Shouldn't you be asleep?"

Bard grinned. "Nah. Alois called. No way we were gonna just sit at home."

Hands still clutching in the folds of her long skirt, Mei-Rin nodded vigorously. "We-we were very worried, we were! We needed to make sure you were okay, Ciel!" She took off her glasses in a rare moment and Ciel could see tears glistening in her amber eyes. "So Bard drove us all over here and we've been waiting and worrying and-!"

She launched herself at him, wrapping him up in a tight hug. She was warm, and it helped to dispel the cold still lingering in Ciel's small frame. But almost immediately she pushed herself away.

"Ah, I'm so sorry, I'm just so happy you're alright-"

"Mei-Rin." Ciel held up one hand, effectively cutting her off. "It's alright. I apologize for making all of you worry." His eye flickered to Bard, eyes following the curling tendril of smoke from Bard's cigarette that reminded him of the Demon he'd just encountered. Shivering, he clutched the hand at his side into a fist. "Bardroy, could you drive us all home?"

"Sure thing, kiddo," Bard said, walking over to clap a hand on Ciel's shoulder. He gave a grin and steered him towards his car, motioning over his shoulder, calling out, "c'mon guys, time to go."

Ciel yawned, stumbling over his own feet. He scowled at his own fatigue. Although he could feel the exhaustion seeping through him, he forced his eye to remain open and ignored the will to just fall against Bard's shoulder. He'd already been reprimanded by Spears, he didn't need the embarrassment of falling asleep on his feet like a child.

But apparently Finny noticed the fluttering of his eyelashes as he struggled to keep himself awake. As Ciel was sliding into the backseat of Bard's car - Ciel didn't know much about cars, only that Bard's was something from the 1960s and he could only afford it because of the Phantomhives - Finny twisted around in the passenger seat.

"Ciel, are you feeling okay?" he asked, leaning close to Ciel. His big blue eyes widened and he pouted. "You look like you're falling asleep!"

Bard grabbed the back of Finny's shirt and hauled him back into his seat. "M'tryin' to drive here," he said in his gruff voice. For once he didn't have a cigarette between his lips; Ciel's mother was constantly worried about his asthma, and refused to let Bard smoke in the car or in the house. "And put your seatbelt on, Finny. Kid wants to get home, we don't have time to get arrested."

Ciel blocked out the conversations around him. As they drove he stared out the window, forcing himself to stay awake by paying attention to each street - as though he hadn't memorised the way already. His mind was fading, exhaustion taking over. Ciel had only one thought running through his mind.

'Why didn't it kill me?'