Quick note!
This chapter switches from one scene to another, so, to make things easier, writing in italics are the scenes with Sebastian, or his thoughts.
"Bard," Sebastian rests a hand on the Yankee's shoulders. "I see you've had a long day, cleaning and restoring the kitchen. Relax, you can have the rest of the day off, and I'll cook Young Master's supper."
"But Sebastian," Bard protests, "Surely you've had a busy day in London…shouldn't you be the one relaxing?"
"Please," Sebastian huffs out a single chuckle, "I wouldn't be a worthy butler of the Phantomhive household if I could not manage a simple task such as this. And, when all is said and done, I am one hell of a butler."
"This way…" Finnian edges backwards, creeping down the hall towards the dining room, gently coaxing a suited man on all fours to follow him, "This way… good boy, Plu-Plu."
Ciel opens the door, and ushers them in; Finnian, Pluto, then Mey-Rin.
Mey-Rin and Finnian carefully pull the Christmas dinner plates from their cupboard in the corner, and Mey-Rin scuttles off with them stacked in her arms, the mass reaching comically high above her head.
Finnian guides Pluto into the cupboard, and climbs in after him. Ciel hands him a variety of toys, ranging from a ball to one of Sebastian's shoes.
He shuts the doors, and dashes to his seat, fixing his clothes as Sebastian appears.
"Have you had a good day, Bocchan?" the tall man asks his Young Master.
"Adequate," Ciel sits up straight, as expected of him, "Rather uneventful."
"I trust the servants looked after you well?"
"Of course. Bard has fixed the kitchen, Finnian has managed to keep Pluto from burning the garden to ashes, and Mey-Rin has survived the whole day without breaking anything. All in all, it's been a peaceful day."
"I'm glad to hear it. For supper today, we have a traditional Japanese ramen."
Ciel raises the cutlery to his lips, and seemingly takes a thoughtful sip. "Ah yes, I remember this; you made it when Clause Damian visited." [2]
"Yes," Sebastian gives a small smile. "How nostalgic of you to remember something so trivial."
Down the hall, Mey-Rin watches the scene over her shoulder with un-covered auburn eyes. She smirks, the smile matching Sebastian's almost perfectly [1], and stands straight, forwards, arms held out in front of her, still loaded with delicate pottery.
**le crash** [3]
Ciel freezes, ramen halfway to his mouth. Mey-Rin wails. Finnian clamps a hand over Pluto's mouth, shushing him as quietly as he can.
Sebastian excuses himself from Ciel's side, and leaves, closing the door behind him.
Ciel scoops up the bowl of ramen, scurrying over to the cupboard. Finnian and Pluto fall out, Pluto's nose twitching in the direction of the bowl.
"That's right," Ciel patronises as Pluto scoffs his way down the drugged dish. "Good dog, eat the food that Sebastian prepared."
"Is there any particular reason you were carrying the Christmas dishes in the middle of November?" Sebastian asks curtly.
"Uh…" Mey-Rin paused, "I figured they'd need cleaning."
"They would have been cleaned on Christmas Eve."
"Oh…I'm sorry, Sebastian."
"No matter. Go and talk to Tanaka."
"He's almost finished!" Mey-Rin hisses as she passes through.
'That is certainly odd behaviour,' Sebastian thinks to himself. 'Tanaka's room is to the east, yet the maid is taking a route due west. Even she is not that stupid.'
Ciel glances down at the dog and the dish. "Tch!" only a third had been eaten, "it's no use; he won't finish the ramen in time."
Sebastian gathers up the last of the plate pieces, and sets off towards the kitchen.
Mey-Rin scans the room. Snatching a vase, she pulls out the flowers, and hurls the water out of the open window.
Sebastian pauses, directly beneath the dining room, as something splats on the ground outside. Glancing out of the window, the puddle is difficult to see in the autumnal weather- dark, wet, with other puddles on the ground anyway- but Sebastian can make out new body of water easily. Directly beneath the window to the dining room.
Mey-Rin carefully pours the ramen into the vase. Replacing the flowers, she tries to put the ornament back in the right place. It matches the others in the room. Roughly. [4]
She takes the bowl, and gently wipes the edge against Ciel's face, creating a strange grin across Ciel's cheeks. "Tell him you were hungry. Then, be tired and go to bed."
She leaves through one door, followed by Finnian and Pluto, while Sebastian enters through another.
"My apologies, Bocchan," the black-clad butler bows his head.
Ciel smiles, and rubs his eyes.
"Tsk," Sebastian tuts, plucking a cloth napkin from the table, "You've made a mess of yourself, Bocchan."
"I was hungry," Ciel whines quietly.
"Would you like more?"
"No…" Ciel yawns openly, "I'm tired. I'd like to go to bed now."
'Just like I thought,' Sebastian scans the room, 'the flowers have been tampered with, and look slightly out of sync with the rest. I shall have to fix that in the morning.'
Sebastian lifts his Young Master, Ciel resting his head sleepily on his butler's shoulder, and the black butler carries the blue boy to his room.
**Half an hour later**
Ciel lies awake, staring to the ceiling. Now, he's on his own. Neither Bard nor Finnian wanted to chance walking in on a naked Sebastian, and discouraged allowing Mey-Rin to chance it.
Sebastian steps over a sleeping Pluto to approach Finnian. "You've worked extremely hard today," he says kindly to the young gardener. "Walking Pluto, tending the garden, and even befriending Bocchan." Finnian smiles widely. Sebastian holds out a hand. "I think you deserve a reward. I am sorry for its simplicity, but please, do accept this..."
No; the servants were to stay their quarters.
"As I said before, Bard, you've had a very stressful day. Have this; a simple token of my gratitude for all the work you do. I am sorry for its simplicity, but please, do accept this..."
And when Sebastian arrives to… Ciel will demand answers. After all, Sebastian had promised to obey his every order.
"Ah, Mey-Rin. You worked so well today. I understand, you were simply trying to clean the plates to make the Christmas Eve task a little simpler. I would like to give you a small, humble gift to show you my appreciation. I am sorry for its simplicity, but please, do accept this..."
Footsteps echo up the hallway, and pause outside Ciel's bedroom. The young resident feigns sleep as the handle turns, and the dark figure walks in.
"I am sorry for its simplicity, but please, do accept this White Lady." [5]
Gloves discarded, the pale, slender hands rest on the bed, then press into the mattress as the shadow pulls himself onto the covers, crawling over to the small hunched figure.
"I do apologise, Young Master," it mutters. "But I'm afraid your little plan is futile," the shadow stops over the child, grinning wickedly.
Ciel straightens, pulling a gun out from under his pillow, and placing the barrel perfectly between his demon's red eyes.
Sebastian sighs, smirk still in place. "It is a wasted effort, Bocchan. Tonight, all Hallow's eve, is the night of demons and ghouls, is it not? Tonight, from sunrise to sunset, I have only one order to follow; feed."
Ciel freezes. "B-b-but… the contract!"
"B-b-but the contract," Sebastian mimics his master, "means nothing tonight. I do things the way I please."
Ciel's shocked stare hardens. "Don't make me shoot you, Sebastian."
Sebastian's smirk grows wider, revealing a lengthened pair of fangs. "There are three reasons that shooting me is pointless. The first is; I will come back to life. The second is; what would you do then? You wouldn't have long, and you're alone in a mansion, with four drugged-up servants and a rather irritated demon. And the third reason;" a hand curls around Ciel's, his thumb pressing Ciel's finger into the trigger until a pathetic click echoes around the room, "I do apologise, Bocchan, but I removed the bullets while getting you ready for bed. Your plan was a good one, I won't deny you that, but it took little to destroy it."
Ciel pulls the trigger a few more times, praying that Sebastian had missed one. But the gods are not on his side, and he falls prey to the demon above him.
Sebastian holds back a cruel laugh as Ciel whimpers in fear. "Now then, Bocchan."
[1] Mey-Rin's smile matching Sebastian's: She's been practicing -_-
[2] Clause Damian: In the manga, he's called Clause, and he rounds up smuggled drugs, hands them to Ciel hidden in a game box, who gives the drugs to Scotland Yard as The Queen's watchdog. Damian is from the anime, and he come to try to con Ciel into paying him money for a non-existent workforce. Both from the opening; That Butler, Talented
[3] Le crash: I've been reading too many rage comics.
[4] Putting the flowers back: Sebastian is very methodical
[5] White Lady: Opium
Kuroshitsuji belongs to its creators.
Next chapter; butts. That's a promise. Or a contract, perhaps. Hey, can I eat your soul? I still haven't had any Full English, and it's making me hungry.
-Laurel Silver
