Shounen-ai Sebby/Ciel. The title is Latin for Bad Dream. Hope you like it. Quite a short one, but I like it. Reviews, plz? :3

~Nocens Somnium~

They were surrounding him.

Laughing at him.

Ciel could practically feel the demons' rancid breath on his neck.

This... was Hell.

They were grinning at his fear, shrieking with delight at his agony.

No. This wasn't Hell. This was far worse than Hell could possibly be.

The young Earl of Phantomhive shot up in his bed with a shout, clutching at his head with his hands and choking out angry, tearless sobs. He was trembling, his body covered in a fine sheen of sweat.

His ever faithful butler, Sebastian Michaelis flung the bedroom door open.

"Bocchan!" he exclaimed, a hint of concern touching his ruby eyes. "Are you quite alright?"

"Just... Just a bad dream..." Ciel responded, his pride slowly disintegrating, trying to shrug it off.

"Bocchan..." Sebastian approached his young master, but now his tone held sympathy and perhaps even... affection? "Look what a state you've gotten yourself into."

Pah, ridiculous. Ciel very nearly shook his head. As if... that guy could feel any sort of emotion.

"Don't..." the boy hissed.

"Don't what, bocchan?" Sebastian seemed genuinely confused for a moment.

"Don't act like you... give a damn," the noble spat the words out through clenched teeth.

Sebastian gave a light sigh.

"...What makes you think that I don't care, bocchan?" he murmured softly, real emotion in his voice for once. He stooped slightly to touch his hand to his young master's cheek. The boy's eyes widened and Sebastian could see the seal quite plainly in the semi-darkness. It gleamed just as it had the day that the boy had received it.

The boy brought his hand across his butler's face with a vicious slap. Sebastian drew back slightly, his eyes widened and his eyebrows raised.

"How dare you?!" Ciel yelled, a deep scowl etched across his delicate features, "Don't you dare look at me like that! Don't you touch me!" He was panting and in a blind rage, he began impotently striking his butler's chest, arms, anywhere he could reach.

The raven-haired man didn't do anything to stop his master. Only a hint of sadness reached his glimmering, coppery eyes.

"Bocchan..." he caught the boy's small fist, in his white, gloved hand and the boy stared up in a mixture of irritation and surprise.

This imbecile!

Sebastian tipped his master's face up by his chin and placed a light kiss on his lips.

Ciel pulled back roughly.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

"I wanted to prove you wrong, Bocchan," Sebastian replied casually. "You see, you seem to be under the impression that I don't care about you. That you are merely a way for me to get the soul I desire. But you could not be further from the truth, my Lord. I care very much indeed."

The boy, confused yet oddly happy, grasped onto his butler's lapels and pulled himself up slightly to touch his delicately shell-pink lips to Sebastian's again.

Sebastian sat on the edge of the bed and enveloped his small master in his arms whilst Ciel relaxed into his strong arms.

"Don't leave me," Ciel murmured as he dozed lightly against his butler, "Don't ever betray me. Stay by my side until the very end."

"Yes, my Lord," Sebastian replied gently, "And whilst I am with you, rest assured that you should suffer no more bad dreams."