I AM JUST SO HAPPY THAT I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO UPDATE THIS EVERY DAMN DAY. This is like a modern-day miracle! (UPDATE: scratch that, I have been stalling for some time now XD)

Anyway, my enthusiasm aside, I remembered briefly what I wrote yesterday about Sebastian and those letters. There was a little note in there that I wouldn't have liked for my readers to forget, so I'm showing you all over again - like a magical fanfiction ride into the past!

Also, as a side note to that, some of this will take place in the daytime, just for the beginning of the chapter.

Enjoy!

A/N: I just realized that this crackfic is unravelling in an entire story...

Oh wow. I wonder how it's going to turn out.

Chapter 4: Letters and Lies

Normal POV:

Ciel awoke to the familiar warm sunlight streaming in through his curtains. He sat up and looked over at it, noticing that it was only a small sliver of light from a separation in the curtains.

Where was Sebastian? Had he woken up before the butler's usual arrival?

Ciel stood and walked over to the window, opening the curtains a little bit more and peering outside. It was a calm, beautiful sunrise, and the Earl was glad to have woken up early enough to see it.

He continued to stare, mind wandering. It had to be at least six in the morning, about an hour before Sebastian comes. He tried to remember last night but drew a blank; something about it had been engraved into his memory. What was it?

He remembered being... led back to his bedroom, feeling a strong hand on his upper back to guide him. Was it Sebastian, perhaps? Who else would it have been, especially at somewhere around midnight?

He closed his eyes, ruffling his shirt and pulling it down more over his legs.

What to do..?

Ciel ruffled his hair and looked out into the morning. No way could London ever be this peaceful. There has to be at least one mission from the Queen today.

Ciel turned heel and walked into his study.

He looked at his desk and saw a letter, completed with sealing wax. He picked it up in his small hands and looked at the wax.

"I haven't seen this symbol before..."

Then it clicked.

"Wait... Yes I have... this...this is my coat of arms! This is the exact symbol on Sebastian's badge!"

He looked at the envelope front and noticed the words "Young Master" written ever so elegantly over the front. He took the letter opener from his top drawer and carefully cut into the envelope.

Upon taking the letter out, he read it with wide azure eyes. They roved over the words again and again until they started to blur.

Blur? Why would they blur?

Ciel felt heat behind his eyes as the words started to turn into a black mess.

Am I... crying? Wha-what is this?!

Ciel took the letter and envelope into his hands and stared at them both a little longer. How long had he stood there, reading the words on the letter, over and over?

"...I am proud to be your butler."

A soft series of knocks emanated from the door that Ciel came through. He freaked out momentarily and hid the letter in its envelope and shoved it to the corner of his desk.

Sebastian poked his head in through the door. "Young Master, it's-"

His eyes widened upon seeing what the other had on his desk, and it had been noticeable that tears had streaked his face moments before.

I left the letter here... He read it, didn't he.

"...it's time for your morning tea..."

Ciel stared at him for a moment longer than he should have. "OH - right. Thank you." He stood and fixed up his shirt, approaching the bedroom door. He stopped and opened his mouth with a pale hand on the doorknob, swiveling his head around his shoulder, but no words came out and he left the room, draped in silence.

Sebastian stared at the place where the younger of the two had been sitting, then up at the letter. Gathering his conscience, the butler walked into the other room and grabbed Ciel's wardrobe for the day.


"Your schedule is as clear as fresh parchment, Sir. The servants have asked that you come dosnstairs for a moment, as they have something for-"

"I would like to stay up here in my study for a while. Could you tell them that I will be down in about an hour or so?" Ciel interruped, eyes closed, brows furrowed.

Sebastian stopped fumbling with the ribbon around the other's collar for a moment, then resumed, taking a breath. Once finished, he stood up, bent on his knee and rested a hand on the right of his breast.

"Yes, my Lord."

The butler stood, giving him what appeared to be a slightly saddened glance before walking out of the room with a deep bow, closing the door gingerly behind himself.

Ciel leaned forward in his desk chair, running his pale hands through his blueish hair, sighing heavily.

"...God, what have I done..?"

I let him see. He knows that I read what he wrote to me.

But did he actually want me to see it, or was that just embarrassment?

Ciel sat up and leaned back this time in his chair, wrapping his arms around himself. He looked over at the God-forsaken object on the corner of his desk, letting his eyes take in the sight of the ivory-white envelope, almost trying to read the parchment underneath.

Pick it up?

He took the letter in his hands and read it once more, letting his right hand cup over his eyes as he finished the last sentence again.

"...-Sebastian Michaelis."

Ciel folded the letter before his vision would blur again, but lo-and-behold, it happened again. The letter was now tossed onto his desk as the young boy curled into his knees in his large chair and began to cry, a single motive in mind as he stared at the pen and ink set atop his desk.


Sebastian's POV:

I found myself bored once again at nightfall.

I seem to have struck a chord with the Young Master today. He was very quiet; he barely spoke a word during his dance lesson today (with me, once again - his regular tutor was ill.) or during any of his meals. Lady Elizabeth came over for a visit and he didn't even react as he normally did when she spoke to him.

I feel as if I've done something wrong. As if I've made him uncomfortable.

Something to offend him, if it even was my fault.

But how long would his mood remain like this? Would he be silent towards me for the rest of our contract?

No, that can't happen. I am his butler, and as such, I must make absolutely sure that he has the most comfortable life possible.

But how, if he wishes to stay silent? How would I know what he wants?

I have no idea. There really isn't anything to do but ask him, and heaven knows when that would be. Not too many things frighten me, if anything, but this is one thing I would like to stay away from. A conflict with the Young Master is the last thing I need right now.

No. I need a resolution.

We need a resolution.

I set off toward the hallway without thinking. I need to settle the score, even if it meant waking up the boy in the middle of the night.

...

Actually, scratch that.

He wouldn't like that very much.

I turned away towards my bedroom and flopped on top of the bed there. I sighed, rolling over onto my stomach and thinking.

What could i do now?

I thought and thought and thought, wondering about the Young Master again.

I wonder how he felt about the letter...

A foreign warmth spread across my pallid cheeks as I averted my eyes from something that was non-existent. I continued to picture the way the Young Master had reacted when he found that I had written to him, and when I walked in moments after.

I sighed before gathering my thoughts again.

I'm going to check in on him.

I no longer cared that it was the middle of the night. I needed to confront him in the best way possible. Whether I would do it now or after he wakes up is another story on its own, but I would figure that out along the way.

For right now, I have a one-track mind.

I found myself walking, a little faster than normal, to the Earl's bedroom, candelabra in hand. I had to talk to him about this, whether he wanted to or not. It was not my wish to have him silent for the rest of my time as his servant. That just would not do.

I reached his door and raised my hand to knock upon the wood surface, but thought better of it not to and ended up walking in slowly, gingerly closing the door behind myself as I did so.

My gaze once again fell upon his sleeping form. I must admit, it was quite adorable. I edged closer to him before realizing that there was something laying atop his cherry-coloured nightstand.

A letter, enveloped and sealed.

I peered closer at it, careful not to wake the boy sleeping on the bed to my left as I picked it up.

The letter was addressed to someone.

Me.

"Sebastian Michaelis", it read.

I stared at the envelope a little while longer.

Well... seeing as the letter is addressed to me... I might as well open it.

I (carefully) opened the drawer of the same nightstand that the letter had been on and took a small, sharp letter opener out of its depths, quiet so as not to wake up the Earl who was sleeping to my left. I stalked over to the end of the Young Master's bed, sitting down on the long dressing stool that sat at its foot. I took the envelope in both hands and extracted the letter from within.

"Sebastian,

I received your letter earlier, and I don't know if you left that there on purpose or by accident, but I would assume it the latter. Anyway, I noticed the things that you had been saying about how... grateful you are to be my servant. I would like to take a little bit of time to write to you and say that you're welcome.

You, Sebastian, have shown me just how interesting this world can be. There is always more than meets the eye, and over these past few years I've really come to realize that.

I would also like to acknowledge the fact that you saved my life, not just once, but several times. You took me away from that place I was held captive in for one month. You kept me safe during that ordeal with the Queen's Butler, Ash. You were always there for me and my pride got in the way of me telling you how thankful I am.

If you would, I'd like to meet you personally in my bedchamber tomorrow night after the servants go to bed. I would like to tell you something important.

And I am also... very lucky to have you as my butler.

Yours truly,

The Right Honourable Earl Ciel Phantomhive."

I took the letter and folded it up in three, sliding it back in its respectful envelope and set it beside myself. I ran my hands through my ebony hair and kept them in there for a moment, letting out a heavy sigh.

He wants to meet me in person, then..?\

I stood from the stool I had been sitting on, and turned around to face the boy behind the letter. I stalked slowly over to the cherry nightstand and folded the letter back up at its seal. I decided not to re-seal it, setting it down on the table, name-side up and taking one last glance at my Young Master before picking up the candelabra and leaving the room, gingerly closing the door behind myself.

I prowled through the hallway once again this night, the soft glow of the candles in my hand flickering gently, casting long shadows upon the walls, who danced and played as I progressed on my trek back to my bedroom.

As I reached the room and opened the door, I set the candelabra on my endtable and stripped of my outfit apart from my white dress shirt.

I might as well indulge myself in some sleep for tonight and see what I can dream of...

I faced the candelabra and blew all of the candles out at once, watching as the shadows grew from dancing figures to shroud the entire room. I climbed onto my bed and lay upon it, pulling the blankets over myself as I let my eyes close slowly.

YAAY! I'M FINALLY BACK, GUYS! Anyway, I really enjoyed writing this chapter and the next - chapter 5 is literally almost done, but the thing that I wrote it on has no internet connection, and I may have to redo it on my new laptop... :(

OH WELL.

Soooo, please read and review - let me know what you think! And, as always...

See you in the next chapter!

-xXxNaru-LovexXx