AN: I did say I was going to give you a long chapter and I'm actually delivering. Also I'm delivering on Sebastian's pretty butt showing up so please enjoy.

I do not own Kuroshitsuji, because if I did Ronald would get his own spin-off

Warnings: nothing much although some minor mentions of violence

Running, it was the story of my life and here I was running again.

I was running from the scene above as quietly as my shaking limbs would allow me to. Ronald's words were being replayed over and over in my head, 'he can never give you happiness'. That one phrase broke me; it ripped my very purpose from my being. I could never make Elizabeth happy? Just the thought of it made me feel as if a dagger had been plunged into my heart. The pain I felt at this moment surpassed any physical harm I had ever suffered in my past. Because Ronald had been wrong about one thing. I did love Elizabeth. To know that being with the one person that I loved, my main reason for living, cause them unhappiness was more painful than any other form of torture.

But it was more than that. Even those in love will hurt the other at some point in time. Passion is the combination of both anger and love; you cannot have one without the other. But this was different. Yes, I knew that Elizabeth did not love me but I had deluded myself into believing that one day I could change that. That I would prove my feelings for her and after time she would come return them. In truth, I would have been content just make her happy, that was all I wanted. To think that being with me would cause her despair was too much for me bare. It made me want to rip my heart from my chest with my own hands, to end my own retched existence. How did someone like me, someone who could only cause suffering, have the right to live?

By now I had reached the back door and concentrated on letting myself out as quietly as I could manage. Yet, now here I stood on the other side of the door, with no idea of what to do. I couldn't move forward, it would only lead to back to the party, nor could I move back. I was stuck in Limbo, there was nowhere to go, no one to turn to, I had run out of options.

At times like these as a child, there was one place that I would go to find refuge from my problems, and reluctantly this was the place I headed to now. The labyrinth. As childish as I felt, it was the logical thing to do. It was located at the back of the garden, so I could easily get to it without having the face the party and it would guarantee me some time alone so I could decide what I would do.

It didn't take me long to reach the entrance, luckily I had managed to avoid anyone on the way, and I retraced the steps I had taken so many times as a child straight to the Labyrinth's centre. Well at least it was quite here. The only thing in the centre was a marble water fountain; I sat on the edge of it, hoping the sound of the trickling water would help calm my frazzled nerves. But it didn't take long for an inner turmoil to begin inside me.

Today was meant to be an important day. It was meant to be the day I made the announcement of mine and Elizabeth's engagement. It was meant to be the day I promised to marry the woman I loved and yet how could I do that knowing that she would never love me back. Moreover, how did I know she would agree to our marriage, how did I know she hadn't run off with Ronald already?

Then again…

How did I know that Elizabeth reciprocated Ronald's feelings? His confession may have only been that, a confession to her not a mutual agreement. She may not even feel that way. Maybe I was blowing this whole thing out of proportion…

But that was only what I wanted to think because, after all, even if Elizabeth didn't return his feelings, there was no denying she definitely did not return mine. No, I could not enter into this engagement with her. I would not be the cause of Elizabeth's unhappiness. I would call it off, I would end this charade.

However, as soon as my mind was set, more of Ronald's words floated back to me, 'the able woman that you are'. Ronald was right; Elizabeth was indeed a strong and able woman. A woman, who was perfectly able to make her own decisions. Elizabeth had made no objection to the engagement, she have never shown any signs of having second thoughts and I did not doubt that if this was something she did not want, then she would put a stop to it. No, she may not be marrying me for love but there were, I suppose, advantages of being my wife. I had money, social status, a title…

So no, I should do nothing. Elizabeth knows her own mind and she can make her own decisions… but then again… What if she was trying to avoid public scandal? What if she felt pressured into the marriage by her parents? What if? What if? What if?

I let my head fall into my hands. I just didn't know. There were so many questions I couldn't answer. I had nowhere to turn, no idea of what to do. I felt the tension in my shoulder blades, the shaking in my legs and the intense pressure in my skull.

A single tear ran down my cheek, as I whispered to myself, "Somebody help me please?", before cascades of tears ran off my face.

"My, My, My, what do we have here, hmm?"

My head shot up at the sound of a deep male voice and I quickly wiped away the tears that had been dripping from my chin. Straightening up, I was rather surprized to see there was indeed a man standing just in front of me.

Giving him an appraising look, I quickly took in his profile. Tall, black hair, business suit. All in all his appearance struck me as your typical 20 something businessman. Smart enough to look profession, handsome enough to attract female attention.

And yet… There was something not… right about him.

Whilst his overall appearance struck me as nothing out of the ordinary, there was something about his presences, the way he filled the space he occupied, because that was it, he didn't. He occupied more. It sounded like nonsense, even in my head, but it was true. The only thing I could liken it too was the feeling you get when someone goes to touch you, but makes no actual contact. The way you can feel they're there without even looking; that their hand is hovering just above your skin. The sensation that causes the uncomfortable feeling of your hairs standing on end, that fear of the unknown, your bodies preparation for fight or flight. That is how he made me feel.

But if that wasn't disconcerting enough, then his eyes were enough to have me frozen in place with fear. It wasn't just there blood red appearance; it was the way they were looking at me, that really scared me. His stare was transfixing, intimidating and hungry…

Okay I needed to get a grip on myself, I wasn't making any sense. Shaking my head slightly to clear my thoughts, I realised I must have been staring at him when he cocked his head to the side slightly. With his simple movement, I hastily regained as much composure as I could muster before finally saying something.

"Sorry", I said setting my face in, what I hoped looked like, a confident smile, "you must be one of the guests from the party, I'm afraid I don't recognise you, Mr…?"

His lips curled into a rather sinister smirk before he replied, "no".

My eyebrows furrowed slightly in confusion, "no?" I laughed nervously, "what do you mean?"

The curl of his lips grew tighter before he replied, "no, I am not a party guest, although you did invite me".

Now I really was confused. I wanted to ask him what he meant, I wanted to ask him why he was here and mostly I wanted to know who this man was, but I wasn't able to. My mind was desperately battling with my mouth attempting to say something, but it was as though my voice had been ripped from me.

The man obviously found some form of amusement in my distress as he chuckled lightly to himself, "hmm, do not fear little one, I will not harm you, I am here to help you."

"help… me?"

"Yes, in your despair you cried out and I am here to answer. Your sweet cry of desperation called out to me, the pain and sadness of your soul beckoned me close and now I am here to serve you as you wish, to cater to your desire, to grant you your deepest darkest wish. That is what my kind do after all."

So many questions had rushed to the forefront of my mind with his statement, but one had slipped from my lips before any other had time to be coherently formed.

"Your kind?"

His eyes bore into my own and his tongue quickly flicked across his lips before he answered with one single word, one single impossible word.

"Demons."

I stared at him incredulously, yet even though I was conflicted, though part of my was screaming to see reason and sense, that demons weren't real , that none of this was true, I believed him.

It wasn't that he emanated evil exactly; it was more complicated than that. It was more that he radiated ever dark emotion, the painful ache of loss, unequivocal feeling of sadness, the merciless claws of desperation and the fiery grip of anger. They were all there and more. Yet I couldn't suppress the voice of reason in my own head, too many times I had ignored that voice. I had learnt long ago not to trust myself, that my mind could not be trusted, that the things that seemed so clear in my head were not always true. Question what you see, find the truth within the lies.

"Prove it."

My demand seemed to surprize him for a moment as the smirk slipped ever so slightly from his face, but it soon it retuned in full force.

"Your name is Ciel Phantomphive, you are currently 18 years old and are the head of the Funtom corporation. Your parents were murdered when you were 10 years old, whilst you were kidnapped and went missing for a month until your apparent escape. You were deeply disturbed by the experience and spent a period of two years in a mental rehabilitation clinic before you were deemed able to return to public life, although you still suffer from some conditions. Since your release, you have lived with your parents close friends and your distant relatives, the Middlefords, whose daughter you have been engaged to since birth". He paused as if to let the information sink in.

I felt nothing short of relief. I knew I had panicked over nothing, all that information could have been regurgitated from my Wikipedia page. Well then, all that was left now what to try and find out this man's angle, what exactly was he after. Disturbed I may be, but not invalid and I did not take kindly to being taken for a ride. With my condition so well know many had tried to take advantage of it, with elaborate tricks to deceive me, yet none had succeeded, although I had to say this one was the most audacious of them all.

I let my month fall into a smirk of its own, "Please, was that information meant to be convincing, do you have any idea of who you're dealing with?"

However, the man did not seem phased in the slightest, "Ah but I was only getting started, for example ,I know you place the blame for Edward Middleford's death on yourself".

My smile twitched ever so slightly but remained in place, "common knowledge again I'm afraid, the press surmised as much".

"Ah but it is not common knowledge that it is true is it, that the blame for his death really does lie with you, that the decision you made, or rather failed to make, resulted in his murder".

By now the smile had been wiped from my face and I had to clench my fists to prevent my hands from shaking. He could not know that, very few people knew what had transpired and not one of them would have told a living soul.

"How do you know that?"

"I can read it from you as clearly as one could read the words from a page. I know everything that has ever happened to you, every detail of the humiliation and torture you received at the hands of your kidnappers, the events that led to Edward's death, the exact nature of the mental problems you so desperately try to hide from everyone. By most of all I can see your greatest wish and your greatest fear. You wish for the happiness of Elizabeth Middleford, a truly noble desire, one that would sicken me to the core if it were not tainted by such selfish need. Yes, you wish for her happiness, but it is your greatest fear that she will find it with another. That is why the scene you just saw disturbed you so much. You tell yourself that you would not marry her if she was to be happier with another and yet we both know this not true. If you truly cared only for her happiness then you would have ended the engagement long ago, you have always know she does not love you and never will yet you chain her to you still. It is that dark desire that has brought me to you, I wish to fulfil it, I wish to form a contract."

I wanted to deny his statement, to protest that my love for Elizabeth was pure and not corrupted by selfish need, but I found I couldn't. This demon, because I held no doubt now that he was one, was right. I was twisted and cold, I always had been. I had allowed Edward to die in my place and now I wished to bind his sister to me in my own selfish desire. By the true extent of my evilness went further, I may have accepted the truth but I was not willing to let it go. I was not willing to let her go.

"What do you mean by a contract"?

"You are a businessman are you not, so I am assuming you are referring to my terms? They are quite simple really, I will help you to obtain the happiness of Elizabeth Middleford with yourself and at the point at which that has been obtained you will in return grant me your soul".

"My… Soul?"

"Yes, the one thing every demon truly desires, to feast on a human soul, to consume its very essence. Ideal terms for a contract really, we both get what we want in the end. So what do you say Ciel Phantomphive, will you bargain away your soul in exchange for her happiness?

Elizabeth's happiness in exchange for my soul? I had never been one to believe in any sort of afterlife, never believed in the concepts of heaven or hell, but if demons exist then surely they must too. If I was to agree to this deal, would that mean I would be ensuring an eternity of suffering for myself? Surely I could reach a decision for what to do about my situation without resorting to a demons help? But then, if hell did exist then surely that was where my soul would be headed anyway. I had done too many evil things in my life all ready to warrant me a place in heaven. If this was to be the case, then dying happy with Elizabeth's love would be better than going to the flames of hell without it?

I licked my lips nervously, "Yes, I will".

"Hmm wonderful, well that is settled, we shall form a contract, I will manipulate the feelings of Elizabeth Middleford and cause her to fall in love with you and you in return will make me the promise of your soul".

He made to step forward towards me but I frantically shook my head in protest, "no".

"No?" he raised an eyebrow at me.

"I do not wish for Elizabeth's feelings to be manipulated, I want her to love me of her own accord, through her own free will".

The demon turned away slightly, "Ahh, well that is where you ask too much. To manipulate human emotions is easy for me but to cause those feeling to grow naturally, takes time and effort, you pitiable soul is hardly worth the trouble". He made to walk away but, in an act that surprized even me, I launched myself at him, grabbing on to his wrist and attempting to pull him back against me, but it was akin to trying to pull back a wild horse. However, my actions had at least caused him to pause.

"Please", I begged "you can have my soul I do not care".

The demon surveyed me through slited eyes that gleamed with malice, "and what exactly would I want with your soul", he spat, his words like poison, "how will your soul satisfy my hunger, the soul of someone so weak and pathetic that they cannot even look at himself in a mirror without feeling utter loathing and disgust for his own reflection?"

His words hurt, they really did. To know that a creature supposedly as malicious and sadistic as a demon did not even see me as worthy enough to devour ripped the last shred of my fragile psyche apart.

Silent tears where rolling down my cheeks as all my pride finally caved in.

"Please…I would do anything, give you anything but please".

"Humans say anything but they do not pause to take into account all the imaginable connotations, their minds are too small to deal with the concept".

"N-n-no I meant it really!"

"Oh", he purred almost innocently, "well then how about this, I will help you to gain Elizabeth's love. Once happily married, you would bear a beautiful child together and Elizabeth will grow to love the child as greatly as a mother should. Then after a year I would rip that child away, claim its soul as my own, leaving poor Miss Elizabeth heartbroken. But time can mend a broken heart and eventually you would bear another child. Maybe I would allow this one to live longer, to taste more of the sweet pleasures of life before I destroy its being. Now poor Elizabeth would be quite distressed but you know what they say third times a charm and you would be blessed with a third child. Only this time Elizabeth would be determined to protect and care for this one at all cost, keep them close at all time. Yet she would not be able to protect it from me and its death would follow just as the others. Well by now as you could imagine little Elizabeth is positively distraught, haunted by the memories and her failure to protect her children she would quickly wish for a release from her pain and I would be there to take her as my own, leaving you alive to suffer the consequences". The smirk had finally fallen from him face to be replaced by a look of pure contempt, "How does that deal sound to you, little human".

N-n-n-no, no, no please, do whatever you want to me b-b-but just not Elizabeth", I had fallen desperately to my knees and my whole body was convulsing with sobs. I looked up imploringly at the man above me and was shocked to see his contemptuous look had softened ever so slightly.

"I told you that you didn't mean anything", he muttered softly.

As I continued to weep and sob, he gently lowered himself to his own knees and forcibly grabbed my chin in a vice-like grip.

"Hush", he snapped, "I am not going to do that so you can cease your incessant crying and listen to what I have got to say".

With gasping breaths I managed to control my breathing. When my sobs had finally subsided, he gently tilted my head from left to right, intently inspect me.

"Hmm, yes, your soul is not worth much in the state it's in, but… it does have potential, yes, I think we can come to some sort of agreement but I must warn you, my terms won't be pleasant".

"It doesn't matter what they are, so long as they impact me and me alone, I shall do whatever you want".

The smirk returned yet again to his face, "very well, my terms from the previous offer still stand, I will still have claim upon your soul, but in addition, you will spend an hour of each and every day of our contract in my service. In that hour I will have total control over you, I can do whatever I want to you and you will have to obey my every order. Do you agree to my terms?"

I hesitated, was I really going to do this, sell my soul, and reduce myself to a slave to a demonic being? But then I thought of Elizabeth, her smiling face and my answer was clear, "Yes"

"Ciel Phantomphive, the terms of our contract are as stated, I will help you to gain the heart and love of Elizabeth Middleford, in return for my service you will honour our contract through allowing me to claim a hour of your life per day to do with as I see fit and the payment of your soul on the day the contract is complete. The contract will be declared complete with a confession on love from Elizabeth Middleford to yourself. Do you consent to this contract?"

"I do"

No sooner had the words left my mouth; I felt the air rush from my lungs as my back collided with a sickening crack onto something hard. For a moment I felt nothing, a total numbness, until an intense bout of pain ripped through my back. Through my intense agony I could fell a hand tightly clamped around my throat, and opening my tear filled eyes I saw it was him. Moving faster than humanly possible he had slammed me into the marble of the water fountain, keeping me held above the surface of the fountain water by his grip upon my throat.

Unable to breath, I attempted to raise my hands, to fight him off but panic clouded my mind as I found myself unable to move, totally paralysed. I looked to the demon with panic-stricken eyes but my actions only caused him to chuckle lightly. Loosening his grip on my throat, allowing me to breath, he lent his head forward so his mouth was level with my ear.

"Oh I wouldn't bother trying to resist, you see, I shattered my spinal cord, leaving you totally, utterly defenceless".

I whimpered in pain as he bit down on the shell of my ear before beginning to lick and suck on my earlobe.

"Oh what's the matter little Phantomphive", he whispered mockingly, "this is what you wanted isn't it, hmm, you asked for this, you begged me for it. I want you to always remember that".

He left me ear and began to lick and suck down the column of my neck, my small noises of discomfort pushing him on, but I found myself unable to contain them. When he reached the junction of my neck and shoulder, he looked up, his eyes meeting my own.

"You asked for this", he smiled revealing fang-like canines before sinking them deep into my skin. I cried out in pain, but he ignored me continuing to lap at the blood flowing freely from the wound.

"T-t-the c-c-contract", I managed to stammer.

"Yes", he sighed, "I'm getting there, it's just a simple matter of placing my mark upon your body… and I think I know just the place".

He reached his hand forward, behind my head, and in one fluid motion pull of my eye patch.

"N-n-no, what are you doing".

"I need to mark you and its best to do it in a place hidden from public view; we wouldn't want anyone prying now would we?"

He softly ran his fingertips over the scared over tissue of my eyelid.

"Wait", I screamed, but I was too late.

Using his fingernail as a scalpel, he had sliced open the skin, peeling it back to reveal the damaged tissue that had once been my eyeball.

Looking straight at me his eyes took on an ethereal glow before saying, "Ciel Phantomphive, with this mark, I bind you to me and amalgamate our contract".

With that he placed his palm flat over my eye and I began to scream in pure agony as the flesh beneath his fingers burned and blistered. Those red glowing eye were my last sight before I fell from consciousness.

Well done for making it all the way down here, seriously.

I love you just for reading, but you know what will make me love you more, if you review!