Chapter 2
Sebastian relaxed finally when Lucian, Belladonna, and himself arrived back at the Phantomhive Manor. He looked down at Lucian who looked between him and Belladonna. Lucian gave him a shrug and went to the kitchen to get something to eat. Sebastian sighed quietly.
Bella turned to look at Sebastian.
"Why did you do that?" she asked, her voice hinting at annoyance. Sebastian raised an eyebrow.
"Do what?" he asked. Bella's eyes hardened slightly.
"You jumped in and scared Cyril, Dad! I'm lucky he still wants to see me after the looks you gave him."
She turned away, arms crossing over her chest. Sebastian frowned.
"You shouldn't have sneaked off, Belladonna. You're lucky I didn't kill him outright!" he snapped. "I thought I was being rather lenient allowing you to see him again after that."
"Whoa, whoa, what's going on here?"
Grell stepped up looking between his husband and daughter. Belladonna turned away.
"I met a boy in Hell today and Dad nearly scared him off!"
Grell turned to Sebastian, eyes wide. Sebastian pressed his fingers to his temples.
"Belladonna sneaked away and met a boy. I may have scared him but I did say she could see him again as long as you or I were with her. But she shouldn't have been on her own," he said, voice tense. Before anyone could blink, Grell had ran up and thrown his arms around Belladonna's shoulders with a squeal of delight.
"Ah~! See, honey, I told you that making the first move would work!" he cooed. Belladonna blinked once in surprise then smiled hugging Grell back.
"Yes, you did, mom. Thank you."
Sebastian's hand dropped and his eyes widened.
"Wait…You told her to do that!? Grell!" he exclaimed, none-too-pleased. Grell turned with a smile.
"Well I didn't tell her to sneak off. But I did tell her to approach a boy if they were showing interest. Besides," Grell wiggled his finger at Sebastian, "you've been giving them all Death glares just for looking at her."
Sebastian shook his head.
"What if he hadn't just been some boy? He could have been a slave trader, or worse," he said. "He still could be! That's why I don't want them alone together."
Belladonna's mouth dropped.
"Dad!"
Grell raised his eyebrows.
"You underestimate your daughter, Sebby~. I'm sure she could take care of herself. Besides, she's sixteen. When I was sixteen, I was already taking my Final Exam and starting to reap souls professionally," he stated. Sebastian frowned.
"There are businesses dedicated solely to the torturing of others in Hell until they wish they were dead. I'm sorry that I don't want to take the chance that our daughter could end up in such a place. But fine. If you think I'm overacting, I'll try not to kill him on sight," he replied stiffly. Sebastian turned and walked into the parlor, needing to calm down.
Grell sighed. He would talk to Sebastian later. He turned to Belladonna.
"I'll talk to him, dear. Why don't you bring the boy here? I would like to meet him."
Bella smiled and leaned into Grell.
"Thank you mom. I'm going to go talk to Lucian and see what I missed."
She walked toward the kitchen. Meanwhile, Grell went to find Sebastian.
Sebastian paced in front of the sofa for a moment before sitting with a frustrated sigh. He didn't know what to do. Demons weren't exactly known for their parenting skills and Sebastian didn't really have a frame of reference to pull from. He growled to himself and rubbed his temples.
A soft knock came from behind him.
"Sebastian? Are you alright, dear?"
Grell stepped inside the room and sat next to his husband on the sofa. Sebastian sighed again and looked at Grell.
"I don't know….I don't get why it's so difficult to understand that Hell is dangerous and that running off like that is a bad idea," he replied, somewhat irritated. Grell gave a sympathetic smile.
"Darling, it's not that she, or I for that matter, underestimate the dangers of Hell. It's that she wants to get a chance to have fun and learn on her own. Try baby steps first." He leaned closer. "Like when she was born; if I recall correctly, you were scared out of your mind about being a parent. And look at you now~."
Sebastian chuckled.
"I don't think that has changed much. And just so we're I won't apologize for being worried about her, but I am sorry that I got angry. But…I don't know how to let her be on her own. I'd much rather all three of you stay here for the rest of eternity," he said with a small smile, wrapping his arm around Grell's waist.
Grell shook his head chuckling.
"You do realize you will have to let them grow up sooner or later. Besides, you know I will always be with you, dear~."
He leaned up and kissed Sebastian's cheek gently. Sebastian smiled and kissed him back.
"I know. And I know I have to let them grow up. But that doesn't mean they should be reckless. I will try to be more lenient, but if Bella runs off again she will be grounded. For a century," he replied seriously. Grell snorted in amusement.
"Well, tell her that. At the moment she's a little more than utterly pissed at you."
He gave a snicker.
"And I can't really blame her~," he muttered. Sebastian raised an eyebrow.
"I had every right to be mad, Grell. She ran off," he said.
"Oh she knows she did wrong about that, love. She's pissed because of how you reacted to the poor boy." The red-head flicked Sebastian's nose and chuckled. "I can't wait to see how you handle Lucian's first girlfriend."
Sebastian huffed.
"They better behave themselves as well," he muttered. "And that's if he even likes women. He's never said anything to me about his interests. Has he talked to you?"
Grell giggled and tilted his head to the side.
"That is true, maybe you can talk to him about it while I meet Cyril?" he suggested. Sebastian thought about it. He'd rather be in the same room to make sure Cyril didn't try anything, but he had said he would try to be more lenient. Sebastian nodded.
"Very well. But we're not leaving him alone with Bella at all, so if you need to go somewhere, I'll take over the meeting. I still don't know much about him either," he replied. Grell chuckled but nodded.
"Understood, sir~," he purred, sliding his hand across Sebastian's clothed chest. He would give the kids some space but not enough to give the boy any chance to get frisky. Sebastian smirked at Grell's tone and leaned down to kiss him.
"Good. Thank you," he said, stroking Grell's hair. Grell kissed back with a smile.
"Of course, dear, I won't leave them alone for a moment."
Sebastian, Grell, Belladonna, and Lucian were waiting in the front entryway for Cyril to arrive. Sebastian was trying not to glower but it was a lot more difficult than he had thought it would be.
Lucian kept glancing at everyone, looking somewhat worried. He was quite certain someone would end up either dead or in a lot of trouble by the end of the night; he just wasn't sure who it would be.
Belladonna kept twiddling her fingers and mumbling nervously. She hoped her dad wouldn't scare Cyril off by being overprotective. Of course Grell had told her that he would be watching her and Cyril while Sebastian and Lucian talked about something. She couldn't help but be nervous anyway. Grell noticed her fidgeting and wrapped an arm around Bella's shoulders.
There was a knock on the door and immediately Sebastian answered it. He looked down to see Cyril who paled. Sebastian fought back a glare and stepped aside.
"Come in," he said. Cyril smiled and bowed before entering the manor.
"Thank you, sir," he replied. Grell stepped up with a smile.
"Hello, you must be Cyril. I'm Belladonna's mother."
Cyril blinked before giving a charming smile and bowing.
"A pleasure to meet you," he said, taking Grell's hand and kissing the back of it politely. Sebastian growled quietly and Cyril straightened up quickly. Grell chuckled and discreetly gave Sebastian a warning look.
"My, and I thought Bella was exaggerating when she said you were so polite."
He stepped back and motioned for Bella and Lucian to step up.
"I suppose you've met Bella's brother?"
Cyril smiled at the compliment.
"Thank you," he replied. "But I haven't actually gotten a chance to meet your son."
Cyril turned to Lucian and held out his hand. Lucian shook it hesitantly.
"I'm Lucian. Nice to meet you," he said with a polite smile. Cyril grinned back.
"Nice to meet you too, Lucian," he said and let go. Sebastian was trying his best not to glare a hole in the back of Cyril's head. Grell noticed and gently pushed his elbow into Sebastian's stomach.
Bella stepped up with a small blush.
"Hello again, Cyril. I'm so glad you came," she smiled. Cyril smiled back at her.
"Hello, Belladonna. I'm glad to be here," he replied. "You are looking quite lovely today."
Sebastian gave Grell a look and sighed. He had said he would try but it was becoming increasingly difficult. Grell had to hold back a squeal of delight as Bella blushed a rosy pink.
"Thank you. You're looking quite dashing yourself."
Out of the corner of his eye, Grell noticed Lucian making exaggerated gagging faces.
"Sebastian, why don't you take your son out for a while and I'll show Cyril and Bella to the lounge?"
Lucian quickly stopped. Sebastian nodded.
"Very well," he said, giving one last side glare to Cyril before leading Lucian out to the garden.
Cyril didn't notice. He smiled charmingly at Belladonna.
"Thank you," he replied, holding out his arm for her.
Grell lead the way to the lounge as Bella blushed even more and took Cyril's arm. Grell opened the double doors and gestured for the two to enter.
"Have fun getting to know each other, kids, but I want the doors wide open. Understood?"
Cyril inclined his head.
"Of course. You don't have to worry about a thing," he said with a grin, walking with Belladonna into the lounge. Bella nodded.
"Yes, mom."
Grell nodded once and smiled.
"Alright, have fun."
He retreated from the doors and approached the kitchen where the three servants resided. Grell had asked them all to wait for them there.
"MeyRin, Finny, Bard; you remember what I want you to do?"
The three stood with a salute.
"Yes, ma'am! Keep a desecrate eye on your daughter and her new boyfriend in the lounge at all times, ma'am!"
Grell chuckled and dismissed them.
Sebastian walked with Lucian through the garden. He wasn't quite sure how to start the conversation, though he was tempted to just outright ask. That wasn't such a bad idea, but then again, Lucian seemed like the shy type and he didn't wish to upset his son.
Lucian felt the tension coming from his father and turned to look up at him.
"Bella will be fine, father. Mother asked the servants to look in on them the entire time as well," he stated with a small smile. Sebastian hadn't been tense about that, but now he was. He quickly shook his head.
"That's not what I was thinking about, but thank you for worrying me," Sebastian said with a small smirk. Lucian chuckled dryly.
"I apologize, father, I was just trying to ease your worry. What Are you thinking about?" he inquired. Sebastian sighed. It would be best to just outright ask.
"…Your mother and I were talking earlier. Bella has found an….interest in someone. That led us both to wonder about you. Lucian, have you taken an interest in anyone at all?" he inquired, looking down at him. A small blush dusted Lucian's cheeks.
"I've noticed some people..." he muttered quietly. He didn't get much time on his own and when he was, he was reading Charles Dickens or Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Sometimes he wished to be on his own during the day, like human kids going to school. It was a fascinating thing to see.
Sebastian was a little surprised, but he didn't show it.
"You have? Anyone in particular? I promise I won't get protective until you bring someone to meet us," he chuckled. Lucian chuckled slightly.
"A girl at the SDS. She's a receptionist," he smiled slightly remembering the cute face. Sebastian nodded.
"I see. And did Knox introduce you to her?" he asked with a smirk. Lucian shook his head.
"She seems to be the type not to fall for the ladies' man. Every time Knox tries to approach her, she glares at him and turns away," he snickered slightly. "Knox always looks disappointed."
Sebastian chuckled.
"Ah, good. She might have some potential then," he replied, patting Lucian's shoulder. Lucian smiled but chewed on his lip nervously.
"There is another person I've noticed..." he tapped his fingers on his copy of The Hounds of Baskerville. Sebastian nodded.
"Alright. Who?" he asked.
"A cute young Reaper...a boy...with auburn hair..."
Lucian didn't know why he was nervous to tell his father that he had a crush on a boy. It was clear that neither his father nor mother had a problem with it.
Sebastian smiled and gave Lucian's shoulder a brief squeeze.
"He must be cute. I see you have a thing for Reapers," he said with a wink. Lucian's blush raged as he chuckled.
"I guess I take after you."
His bright red eyes looked up and locked with Sebastian's. Sebastian laughed.
"I suppose you do," he replied. "Reapers are certainly fascinating. Though, you should know to be careful; as I'm sure you've witnessed after all these years, they can be dangerous."
Lucian chuckled.
"I think you picked the most dangerous, father," he joked. It was rare but he had seen Grell lose his temper before and it was scary. Sebastian nodded.
"Most likely," he agreed with a small smirk. Sebastian chuckled. "Well, whichever you pick, you can be sure I'll give them an equally hard time."
Lucian smiled and leaned into Sebastian.
"Alright. Thank you, father."
Sebastian wrapped his arm around Lucian's shoulders and gave him a quick kiss to the top of his head.
"You're welcome, Lucian," he replied with a smile.
MeyRin carefully picked up the tray holding a tea set and walked it to the lounge. Grell had asked them to watch Bella and Cyril both discretely and directly. And Sebastian was already on edge so it wouldn't do well to break the tea set. She walked into the lounge, smiled politely at the two on the couch and set the try in front of them.
"I have prepared an Earl Gray tea and some snacks for you, yes I have."
She gave a small bow and turned to exit the room. Bella smiled back.
"Thank you, MeyRin."
Cyril smiled.
"Wow, you have a maid?" he asked Belladonna, looking mildly surprised. Bella chuckled slightly and pushed her glasses up.
"Yeah, we also have a cook and a gardener. They are all pretty incompetent when it comes to their title jobs but they are very useful when protecting the house."
She reached forward and poured herself and Cyril a cup from the pot. Cyril thanked her, picked up his cup, and took a sip.
"How interesting. And your mother is a Grim Reaper? I must confess, you and your family are the most fascinating people I have ever met," he said with a chuckle. Bella blushed and nodded.
"Thank you. Yes, mom is a Grim Reaper. Lucian and I inherited some Reaper traits from him but small things. For instance, I have Reaper eyes," she tapped her glasses lightly. "Although mom and dad say they are beautiful, it's a pain to be so near-sighted."
She raised her cup and took a small sip. MeyRin had done a good job with the tea. Cylin raised his eyebrows.
"But they are very beautiful. You're eyes, I mean. You should be proud to have them," he said with a charming smile as he shifted and moved just a touch closer. Bella raised her eyes to lock with Cyril's, her blush raging almost as red as her dress.
"Thank you very much..." she didn't know what else to say. She had never really gotten such a compliment from anyone other than those who were family (or close enough to be). Cyril leaned back against the sofa and draped his arm over the back.
"Of course," he replied. "So…is there, uh, any way I could possibly get your father to hate me less? I'd like to see you more often and also not be on his bad side. He's quite frightening."
Bella chuckled lightly.
"You'll have to excuse him; he's not very trusting. And he has a right to be. When mom was about 3 months pregnant with me and Lucian, another Demon kidnapped him and tried to kill us. Thankfully, dad has impeccable timing." She leaned back and scooted a tad closer. "But I think you're doing perfectly."
Cyril looked shocked.
"Oh, I'm very sorry to hear that. Yes…he has every right to be suspicious. But, I can assure you, and hopefully him, that he has nothing to worry about," he said, looking into Belladonna's eyes. Bella locked eyes with Cyril again, getting lost in the golden orbs.
"I'm sure he doesn't... He just loves me and wants to protect me..." She could hardly hold her voice from shaking as she leaned in slightly. Cyril gave a little hum of agreement. His arm circled Belladonna's shoulders and he leaned in closer. Suddenly there was a crash in the next room followed by a small scream from MeyRin.
"Oh, no!" Bella sighed and pulled back. "Speaking of impeccable timing... I apologize."
She stood and gave a smile. Cyril gave a quiet sigh and smiled back.
"It's quite alright," he said, standing as well. Bella held her hands up.
"Oh no, you don't have to get up, I just need to go see what she broke...then I'll be back."
She blushed slightly. Cyril smiled and chuckled.
"But it's only proper for a gentleman to stand when a lady enters and leaves the room," he replied, though he sat back down. Bella blushed and giggled slightly.
"Thank you. I'll be right back."
She gave one last smile and walked out to the parlor. Her expression darkened when she saw Grell and MeyRin standing next to a broken table.
"Really?" she inquired. Grell looked at her innocently.
"What? MeyRin accidentally broke the table. It's no big deal, it's been fixed before."
Bella pushed a finger to her temple and sighed.
"That table doesn't even belong in here. It's from the Ballroom."
Grell sighed in defeat.
"Ok, fine, you caught us. Just don't make us break more things, ok? Although easy to replace, it's a pain to do."
Bella nodded and walked back into the lounge. As she did, Grell leaned over to MeyRin.
"Make sure Finny has access to some heavy pillars and Bard has his flamethrowers. Just in case." MeyRin giggled and ran off to relay the orders to the others. Grell looked at the table and clucked his tongue. It was a shame really. He liked that table.
Cyril stood again when Belladonna entered the room and sat once more when she sat with him.
"So what broke?" he asked curiously. Bella shook her head with a chuckle.
"A table. That didn't even belong in the room. Apparently we are being watched from many angles."
She gave a small snort. Cyril chuckled.
"I see. I suppose we should have expected that, hm?" he said. Bella nodded.
"Yes, even though dad is out with Lucian, mom and the servants are watching our every move."
She shook her head slightly then turned to face Cyril, sitting a tad closer.
"So here I've been babbling about me and my life, could you tell me about yourself?" she inquired. Cyril scratched the back of his neck.
"It's not nearly as interesting as your life. I've lived in Hell all of my life and it's not as much fun as you would think. I roam from place to place and come up to Earth every once in a while to snatch a soul when I'm hungry. That's how most Demons live, really, and that's how I live," he explained with a shrug. Bella chuckled and leaned back.
"At least you aren't living in a protective bubble; you get to go wherever you want." She hummed slightly and fiddled with the frills on her dress. "I wish I could do that."
Cyril grinned.
"It has its perks and it has its draw backs. You know what they say, "The grass is always greener on the other side" right?" he said with a little laugh. Bella giggled and nodded.
"That's true." She scooted slightly closer. "So do you have any friends or family there with you?"
Cyril draped his arm over the back of the sofa again and looked down into her eyes.
"I'm sure my parents are around there somewhere. Demons aren't exactly known for their parenting, which is why I was a little surprised by your dad. But as for friends, I have a few. They come and go and mostly spend time in and around the bars," he replied. Bella's expression turned sad.
"You don't know your parents? That's awful. I can't imagine how I would get by without mine. At least you have some friends to be with," Bella hadn't really thought about how rare (for Demons at least) it was that her dad was in her life. She was luckier than she thought.
Cyril placed a finger under Belladonna's chin.
"Hey, don't look sad. I didn't mean to upset you. It's just how things are. It doesn't bother me so don't worry about it too much, okay? Anyway, it's getting late and I wouldn't want to overstay my welcome. Is there a time I can come back and see you again?" he inquired with a smile. Bella smiled, blushing at the contact.
"Of course, Cyril, how about this weekend? I'm going to be in the Reaper Realm for the next few days."
She locked eyes with him once again. They were so enchanting. Cyril nodded and stood.
"This weekend works wonderfully," he said, holding out his arm for her. Bella took his arm and walked him to the front doors.
"I will see you then. I look forward to it," she smiled. Cyril bowed and kissed Belladonna's hand.
"As do I. Good night, Belladonna," he replied. Cyril gave her one last charming smile before leaving. Bella shut the doors and sighed dreamily. Best day ever.
Grell, Sebastian, and the kids sat at the table that night; however, Belladonna was doing nothing but thinking about Cyril. Sebastian noticed Bella's somewhat glazed over look and sighed silently to himself. He was still not pleased with the situation and he really did not like Cyril.
Grell looked between Bella and Sebastian. He cleared his throat once.
"Bella? Why don't you tell your father how your day was?" he suggested. Bella blinked a few times and looked up at Grell.
"Huh? Oh, it was good~."
She went back to moving her dinner around the plate. Sebastian raised an eyebrow.
"You aren't very talkative tonight, Bella. Should I be concerned?" he asked. Bella hummed and continued to push her food around.
"Huh? No, I'm fine, Daddy," she sighed once. Grell raised his eyebrows and smirked at Sebastian.
"Someone~ is in love~" he sang. Sebastian huffed and shook his head.
"No need to be immature, Grell," he chided. Sebastian turned his attention back to Belladonna. "And Bella, if your infatuation with this boy results in any slacking off in your studies…"
Grell pouted slightly.
"Ok, Daddy..." Bella said in a haze. Lucian chuckled slightly. Sebastian sighed again. He was sure that would not work out. Grell turned to Bella.
"Bella? Did you hear your father?"
Bella nodded with a hum. Sebastian arched his eyebrow.
"Bella, you should answer your mother properly," he said, his tone giving off a slight warning. Bella finally looked up.
"Yes, mom, I heard Daddy," she clarified - although her tone held a small ounce of sass. Lucian's red eyes widened. Bella had never sassed their parents! Maybe their dad was right about Cyril.
Sebastian frowned.
"Mind your tone, young lady," he reproached. Sebastian was not at all pleased with Belladonna's behavior lately. Bella scooted her chair out and placed her napkin on the table.
"Excuse me," she snipped, leaving. Sebastian held back a growl as he watched her go. The next time he saw Cyril he would kill him. Grell turned to look at Sebastian.
"Um, Lucian will you excuse us for a few minutes please?"
Lucian nodded and left his parents. Grell stood and walked over to Sebastian.
"Sebby, what is going on with Belladonna?"
Sebastian shook his head.
"I wish I knew, Grell. But, I'm going to get rid of Cyril the next time I see him. This attitude of hers didn't start until today," he muttered, leaning forward to rest his chin against his folded hands.
"No! Don't kill him!" Grell cried gripping Sebastian's lapels. Sebastian was a little taken aback by Grell's reaction. He placed a hand over Grell's.
"Why not?" Sebastian asked. Grell was a little surprised by his own actions.
"I-I mean it's her first boyfriend. Maybe... Maybe we should let her have a little rebellious freedom...?"
Grell couldn't look Sebastian in the eye. Sebastian frowned.
"Rebellious freedom? Like what? She's not going anywhere with him. And you're being suspicious...has something happened?" he said. Grell raised an eyebrow.
"I'm acting suspicious? How?"
Sebastian leaned back in the chair.
"You wouldn't look me in the eye and you were suggesting we let her have 'rebellious freedom'. Something must have happened between them already," he replied. Grell held up his hands.
"I made sure nothing actually happened between them, Sebastian. I had each of the servants watching them as well. I was just suggesting we give her a little time to make some of her own mistakes. That's all."
Grell knew Sebastian wouldn't like it but he really felt that might be the best thing to do for their children. Sebastian shook his head.
"If it were with someone safer, than maybe. But not with him," he said. Grell stepped back and crossed his arms.
"What do you have against him, Sebastian? He's just a kid."
Sebastian sneered.
"He's not just a kid, Grell. He's a Demon. Yes, I'm a Demon; but that's why I have an issue. I know exactly why he could prove a problem. This boy is young. I doubt he's been to Earth much other than to feed or to cause suffering. Which means he is fully a Demon. A complete beast. The moment he gets bored with Belladonna is the moment he will kill her or worse. All Demons are like that when they are young," he explained. Grell shook his head with a heavy sigh.
"I guess we all have to make our mistakes, Sebastian," he turned and walked out of the room. Sebastian snarled.
"Fine! Don't listen to me!" he snapped. Sebastian stormed through the kitchen and out into the back yard. He leapt up onto the roof leaned against one of the chimneys, fuming silently.
"Father? Are you and mom...alright?"
Lucian climbed up onto the roof and carefully approached Sebastian. Sebastian looked over at Lucian. He sighed and gave a half smile.
"Considering we've actually tried to kill each other before and we're still married, yes, we're alright. It's just a disagreement. Don't worry," Sebastian replied. Lucian smiled and leaned against the chimney with Sebastian.
"What happened? If I may be so bold," he inquired. Sebastian considered it for a moment.
"I told your mother exactly why I don't want Bella to date that boy, and why I'm concerned, and Grell walked out of the room with 'I guess we all have to make our mistakes', despite all the dangers he poses," he explained.
"Has mom seen Demon kids besides us? Maybe then he would see your point. After all, he and Bella are pretty headstrong, hehe," Lucian suggested. Sebastian smiled.
"True, they are. And no, I don't think he has, though I would have thought that being a Reaper Grell would have learned. Apparently not though. Thank you, Lucian," he said, placing a hand on his son's shoulder, "I'll have to fix that tomorrow."
Lucian smiled back.
"You know mom means the best. You both are doing everything you can for us, and we appreciate it. But, you guys will make some mistakes. Please forgive my indiscretions, father," he leaned closer to Sebastian. Sebastian chuckled.
"It's alright, Lucian, there's no need to apologize. You're right. We are both trying - though I have to wonder about Grell's method this time. But, you're right," he agreed. Lucian smiled and stepped down to the balcony.
