There was no grand wedding, no blushing bride, and no handsome groom. There was nothing more than a simple exchange of rings. Ciel refused to wear his, and Sebastian hid his under the white glove. Technically, Ciel and Sebastian were now engaged and the lie was made into the truth. However, that didn't make anything easier. The earl was just weeks, perhaps days, from delivering the first human-demon hybrid.

What would it look like, they wondered? Would it look more like the father or like the ---

"No, it will not call me mother!" Ciel answered bluntly to the butler's inquiry. "And why should it? The term mother refers to a female. Need I state the obvious; I am male." He cocked his head to the side, his dark hair falling aside. All in all, the pose didn't help his argument.

"Then what?" Sebastian asked fighting to keep his smirk in check; the heavy stomach completely ruined the look of dignity that Ciel was trying to create. Sebastian would not show how at ease he felt. Strictly speaking, demons don't feel affection. Then again, Sebastian was not a normal demon.

Ciel closed his eyes, loosing himself to the thoughts that wracked his mind day and night. "I don't know. If I had my way, it wouldn't call me anything." For years Ciel had lived his life so he had no regrets. How he came to know Sebastian, and now Sebastian's child, were the only two on his mind. And how he could possible fix them. Were there any possible loopholes in the contract? Not that he could see, and after giving Sebastian the order that he was never to leave his side…well, things weren't looking good.

Why? That was the question that constantly forced itself to the front. Why did his parents have to die? Why did he have to spend a month living as an animal? Why did he call the demon? Why did he have to love something he could never have? Why....why....why...
All questions that were starting to look like none of them were to be answered. There had been a time, when he was about thirteen when things looked like they were going to wrap up. But the Angle Angela had proven to be a dead end.

Being constantly in tune to Ciel's emotional state had its ups and downs. The pain, the confusion, the heavy thoughts, made Sebastian's mouth water, yet after years of waiting idly by, Sebastian had to get his reward. It was annoying to say the least. He was starving. He had served this brat for years. He was sick of playing this love game. What was stopping him from just taking that which was rightfully his right here, right now?

Not yet, Sebastian had to tell himself. He must wait for the young master to say he was ready. So while Ciel was wondering why why why, Sebastian was left to wonder when when when? The question on their minds, however, should have been "How how how?" For the infant didn't care why it was to be born, or when it was to be born, simply how it was to be born. Ciel still said no doctors. He wouldn't venture outside for the risk of being spotted. The earl was simply too embarrassed to have anyone, other than Sebastian, see him in such a state.

Delivering a sharp kick to Ciel's insides, the infant brought the Earl back to earth with a jolt. He gave his head a quick shake and stood from his desk chair. He had found pacing to be one of the only sources of comforts, one arm above his stomach, and one arm below. Otherwise, he said it felt like the child out fall, one of the many joys of experiencing lightning. The constant trips to the lavatory made the experience that much more pleasant. And the swollen ankles? Well, that was his favorite, second only to ballooning like a whale.

Left to right, north to south, it didn't matter where he walked, as long as he moved. Even with the baby kicking up a storm, Ciel still couldn't be distracted from the thoughts. Emotions welled inside him until he could no longer hold his tongue. "Sebastian. I…I want this to be over." Now that he had started, there was no stopping. Gathering together his courage, Ciel went on, "everything dealing with you, I want it to end. I'm tired of loving something I can never have. I am sick of pretending. I know that this is nothing to you; nothing but a game." And for once in his life, Ciel was ready to call it quits in the middle of the game.

The demon butler could hardly believe his ears. Was this it, he wondered? Was this the end of the Phantomhive family? Was this to be his grand meal that he had spent years awaiting? Yes, it had to be. There was no room for renegotiation.

The tall demon stepped closer. He reached out, combing through Ciel's dark fine hair. "Just like a cat's paw." He said with a smile. "Bocchan, give me an order." Just for a bit of nostalgic feeling, he thought. Back when Ciel was the master and Sebastian the loyal servant, before the days before they came 'lovers'. It was under the original terms of the contract that Sebastian was to be the servant, things should start and end the same, yet entirely different.

Ciel turned deep blue eyes to the man. And there they stayed until he said his usual assertiveness, "Get this child out of me."

Not the response Sebastian was expecting, but it could have been a lot worse. Besides, there it was, the Loophole that each had been secretly looking for. It was Ciel's fault for not specifying how to get the child out, so with sharpened black claws, Sebastian sliced across the taut skin.

With skill and fluid like movements that only come from thousands of years of practice, Sebastian supported both his young master and the hybrid offspring. Some would call it dark magic, but it didn't really matter, what did was that Sebastian managed to slow Ciel's bleeding until he slept almost peacefully in comfort. Of course the demon would not allow him to die this way. And so while his master, meal, lover, whatever Ciel was, slept on the floor curled up like a kitten, Sebastian was left to get acquainted with his spawn. It was an odd creature. Hard to believe it could actually be considered alive. Hard to believe, "it's a boy" Sebastian muttered.