Here's the next addition! It's got more swearing than the other chapters because Bard's pov is vulgar. Since we know so little about his backstory in the manga, I tried to keep his past as ambiguous as possible.
Also, there's noncon in this chapter- nothing above a T, but in case it makes you uncomfortable, I've put XX before it begins and after it ends, so you can skip that part if you don't want to see it. (Don't worry too much- the character who goes through it couldn't give less of a crap about it.)
Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroshitsuji
Five times Sebastian Michaelis saved the Phantomhive staff and the one time they saved their demon butler.
II. The Cook
Bard felt for the coins in his pockets. He hadn't been given enough to actually buy more than he needed and he had been warned against spending his own allowance on so-called useless expenditures. Juggling a package of spices in one hand and a heavy slab of American beef in the other, he turned to look at the clock behind a shop window as a number of different persons walked past him.
It was a quarter past nine. The air was cold and the sky was dark. Truth be told, this hadn't been the way he planned to spend his one day off. He'd rather have spent it at the manor, sleeping in and playing cards with Finny. But Mr. Oh-so-perfect-Michaelis had called him out for burning their last supply of American meat. Didn't look too bad to me.
The cook generally regarded Sebastian as a fine colleague, but he had to admit, a good portion of the time, the butler did nothing but annoy him with the most trivial of things. Bard summed it down to arrogance, bossiness, and a bad temper that Sebastian was good at hiding. And when Sebastian wasn't doing that, he was doing things that disturbed his fellow servants- who the hell creeps up on people like that?
The young master- who was probably enjoying one last round of tea at this time- had a dinner party scheduled tomorrow, which made the supplies even more crucial. And despite his rugged exterior, Bard hated seeing the little boy disappointed so he had volunteered to waste his free day shopping for meat.
"Make sure you do it, Bard. I need something not only edible, but tasty," the young master had said, not once looking up from his newspaper.
"Young master, would trusting Bard be a prudent decision?" Sebastian had asked, leaning over the master's shoulder and Bard had shouted an indignant "hey!"
"Of course not. You go with him, Sebastian. Besides, there's another task I need you to take care of."
Actually, the butler had offered to go alone about ten times, but Bard was having none of it. On a man's honor, he had to do what he promised the young master. That, and Sebastian's blatant criticism of everyone but himself bothered the cook to no end. Bard had promised to do something correctly, and by all that was holy, he would.
It had taken all afternoon and a good portion of the evening, mostly because Bard had insisted on arguing with Sebastian on which meat was the best. He hadn't won the arguments and he suspected Sebastian had sent him off to buy spices and whatnot for the beef in some half-hearted effort to appease him. Bard would never admit it, but it worked.
Choosing the right spices had taken longer than he expected it would, but that was the price of being a competent chef. Sebastian, however, had disappeared on whatever task he had to do and Bard didn't know where to look for him or where to wait for him. The butler was one hell of an irksome person.
"Can't even go get a drink," he muttered to himself. The last thing he wanted was for Sebastian to find him slumped over a counter, reeking of alcohol.
When he turned away from the window, Bard found himself face to face with a lean brunette. The other man was staring at him with eager blue eyes, his face lined with fresh stubble. From the looks of it, the fellow was working class. It took a good moment for the realization to strike- he knew this man. But the last time he had seen that face, it had been as smooth as a baby's.
"Simon?" he asked in disbelief, "Simon Blake?"
Blake cracked a smile, one that didn't reach his eyes. "Baldroy, good old Baldo, was wonderin' how long it'd take you."
"Sims, shit, shit, it's like seeing a ghost."
Blake walked up to him and patted his back, eyeing the packages in his hands. Bard could only repeat shock in his brain- so Blake hadn't died. Sims, the first man- boy- he called brother. Sims, who had drank with him and danced and fought with him in the darkest of times. Sims, his brother-in-arms on the front lines. This was the youth who had convinced him that they were too deep in blood to turn back. This was the man who had robbed with him, killed with him, gambled with him.
"You're getting awfully pale there, Baldo."
"You son of a bitch, why didn't you tell me you were still alive!?"
Dropping the packages, Bard charged, his fist running clear into Blake's nose. The latter stumbled back, holding a hand to his bleeding nostrils.
"Wait, Baldo, wait! There were people after me- don't tell me you're stupid 'nough to think they'd let us get away with swindling so much."
"I thought you drowned in New York!"
Blake grabbed his arm. "Calm down- don't make a scene, Baldo. You disappeared too, you know? Came all the way to England!"
"Least I didn't fake my death."
"Fuck you, Sims."
"If you still call me that, you can't hate me all that much." Blake stepped back, wiping the blood off his face. "You did so much better than me, Baldo. Look at ya, those clothes look new. And that pretty gent you were with, I'd never be caught dead with someone like that... I wasn't sure it was you til you talked."
"Tch. It's called hard work," Bard replied, looking down at the packages. He hoped they weren't ruined. Wait- alarms went through his head. "Pretty gent? We were only together for that much time- Sims, you were following me?"
Blake gave a sheepish chuckle. "No harm done? Come on, I didn't expect to find you here."
"Quit faking it, Simon. You didn't want me in your life before. What do you want now?"
"Baldo-"
"It's Bard now. That name's got nothing to do with me anymore." He glared.
"Fine, Baldroy. I... there's a debt we've got to settle. You punching me in the nose is only part of it."
Blake's face had darkened and Bard narrowed his own eyes as the implications dawned. Whatever had transpired in the past, some of that blame had fallen on him. It meant the end of their comradeship- the most severe of cuts to an unspoken tie. But looking at Blake now, knowing what the other man had done, Bard couldn't wait to be rid of him. The duo that was Baldo and Sims had died within him long ago anyway.
"Right, so what do you want?" he demanded.
"Anyone with you?"
"No. You?"
"No. All right, Bald-roy, follow me."
Gathering the packages back into his arms, Bard walked after Blake, trying to quell the rage inside him. He was already prepared to beat the shit out of the other man and leave him smashed and broken on the street. If the opposite happened- well, that wouldn't happen. Blake led him through alleys that got progressively dirtier. At the end of the sixth one they passed, they entered a small door on the side of a run-down building.
The place was damp and dark, the only light coming from a rickety gas fixture hanging off the ceiling. Bard set the packages on the floor and removed his hat. In front of him, Blake took off his own jacket.
"I know what I have to settle," Bard said lowly, "tell me what you want, Simon."
Blake wore no expression. To the cook's surprise, he sighed. "Baldo, you've never been sharper than me."
Shit. Of all the underhanded, dirty things! Bard knew what was to come before it even happened.
He heard footsteps. A group of men appeared behind Blake from the shadows- five. Their sleeves were rolled up and a few of them carried handguns. The closest thing Bard had to weapons were his matches and the slab of meat. He didn't doubt that he could take them on, but in this space and with that advantage, he wasn't in the best of positions.
"I really did love you as a brother," Blake dared to say, "but we've got a score to settle. That day in New York, you ratted me out for money. Right before the big bet too- a lot of 'em wanted me killed. My own brother would do this?"
"The fucking hell!?" Bard shouted, "you think I'd rat you out. You have screws for brains!? You know how many people I've killed so you could be safe!? Fuck you!"
"No, fuck you, Baldo. These men with me? We're not friends. I owe them a lot to stay alive," Blake hissed, "so you can repay your part of the score by paying for me. You can put your ass on the line-"
"I'm not doing shit for you!"
Bard lowered his fists when one of the men pointed a gun at him. Point blank range. He wouldn't be able to escape that. The bastard looked a bit older than him, with feathery hair and a tight jaw. The man standing at the back came into view as well. He was bulky, Bard would give him that, bulky and well-built behind those work clothes. His eyes though- they looked hungry, the kind that'd do anything for blood.
Blake pointed at the bulky one, a slight tremble in his own movements. "This here is old Mull. Mull's been real impatient with me- you see, Baldo, Mull's that type of man."
"I'm not too patient with you either."
"No, you see," Blake said hesitantly, "he doesn't just like women. In fact, he thinks men are the bigger thrill."
Oh you're kidding me! Mull was eyeing Bard, and to the latter's horror, he swore he saw a smirk. Another gun was trained on him.
"So I'm going to let you pay here first," Blake said, "then you're going to tell us what rich gent you work for."
"And then what- you kill me?"
"We'll bloody see," Featherhead said.
Bard pondered his options as all guns pointed at him. He hadn't expected the night to take a turn like this. It made him want to blow some heads up. He couldn't do anything with those weapons so close and with the numbers so great against him. To even do anything else, he would have to go through with whatever torture Blake had suggested first. It was a horrific, humiliating thought, but if it bought him enough time to make his move, he'd soldier through it.
"Take off the jacket," Mull ordered, a little too eagerly.
Disgusted, Bard shed the article. There went his matches. Featherhead sauntered up to him, pressing the gun to his temple. He had half a mind to screw it all and sock the bastard in the face. Mull took a step closer, Blake watching in morbid fascination-
Click.
"Where were you?"
Never had Bard been more relieved to hear that voice. For the first time in his life, he thought Sebastian's voice was the best thing to ever come into existence. He turned his head and sure enough, the butler was standing at the entrance, one hand on the door. His eyes flicked to Bard and then to the damned group.
"I suggest you release him," he said.
Featherhead threatened to press the trigger. "Close the door." Bard expected Sebastian to pull one of his infuriating miracles and whisk them both out of there. Of all things, he would never have expected Sebastian to do what he did.
He closed the door, his face a mask of indifference. What the hell!?
"You- you stay right there!" Blake barked, "when we're through with him-"
"No," Mull stated, loud and clear. He licked his lips and Bard could have sworn the man's eyes brightened. "I'd like to make a deal with this one."
"Of what nature?" Sebastian asked.
Bard couldn't let this go on. Leave it to Sebastian to lose his wits when their lives were in danger. "Open that damn door!" he cried, "Sebastian, get out of here!"
Featherhead kicked him in the ribs. Bard latched onto the foot and both of them tumbled. Featherhead's lackey chose that moment to come to the rescue and soon Bard found himself pinned between both men, one gun pointed at each side of his head. His desperate attempts seemed to go right past Sebastian.
"We let your Baldroy go," Mull said, his grin growing by the minute, "if you take his place." Then he added in a low, sultry tone, "you're so much prettier, Sebastian."
The butler stayed rooted to the spot, perplexity on his face. "Ah, I see now."
And to Bard's horror, Sebastian walked right up to the fucking bastard. "Very well," he said.
XX
Shit. Shit! Bard had a plan, he really did. But how the hell was he supposed to think in this situation? At the moment, all that was swept out of his mind. He just wanted to stop the butler. "Don't do it!" Bard fumed, "just let them do what they want- Sebastian, don't you dare!"
Mull was on Sebastian by then, knocking the man to the ground and pulling him up the collar. He traced the trickle of blood from the other man's mouth. Bard wanted to puke. Like hell he was going to let Sebastian go through this.
"Hey! Hey- Simon- you said you wanted me to pay!" he called.
Mull practically ripped the black coat off. He wasn't stopping- he wasn't fucking stopping. Bard thrashed, dangerously close to the held guns. He watched as Mull hungrily tore at Sebastian's jacket.
"He's got nothing to do with this, Blake! Damn it- it's me you want!" Bard roared.
Sebastian was stripped to the waist by then, Mull biting and clawing at him, taking his fucking time to undo the trousers. Blake ignored all of Bard's pleads. He started cursing anew when the remaining man joined Mull.
"Ah, ah, all those fancy clothes- what you- you do?" Mull demanded, grunting as Sebastian bobbed beneath him.
"I am a butler." He sounded so fucking calm Bard was starting to see red.
"So what you do all day, suck your master's dick?" Nameless laughed, lifting the man by his black hair. They flipped him on his back and...
Bard shut his eyes. He couldn't think if he saw. He might really blow a fuse and get them all killed if he looked. It wasn't like he hadn't seen it all before- it disgusted him every time. But it was Sebastian of all people going through this- arrogant, pristine Sebastian, diligent head butler and one of the rare people Bard respected. No, he couldn't stand to see Sebastian humiliated and broken. He couldn't bring himself to.
"You have a lover, butler?" they were asking. "No," was the muffled reply.
"Never?" Groans. "I bet you did," Mull's voice said, "I bet it was a nice girl- dead- dead- six feet under." He was laughing.
"You're so good- good at ah, this," Nameless said, "what were you- a- a whore?" He cried out in ecstasy.
"Baldo your lover?" Somewhere along the line, Sebastian had stopped replying.
"To do this for him... Ah, you're so pathetic!" Were they getting off to the insults?
"Or are you a might lonely bastard- all alone and no one to turn to?" "What's there- dead family? Dead mates? Or never any!"
"Oh, oh, he feels good! You're a bloody devil, whore!"
"No, leave the gloves on- they're dirty like 'em all!"
XX
The groans didn't reach Bard's ears. He didn't care anymore. He didn't care if those damn questions were supposed to be insults- he wouldn't let them do this to Sebastian any longer. Bard's eyes snapped open and he moved. He turned on his captors- kill him if they dared!
Featherhead made to press the gun, but instead, a scream was torn from his throat. It happened at the same time as another pained shout. It was the worst scream of pain Bard had ever heard. Mull was now slumped on the floor, his mouth gaping, a huge amount of blood pouring from his lower parts. It was the most humiliating, painful way to be felled.
Sebastian was sitting next to the man, dressing himself in the ripped shirt, gloves bloodied beyond repair. Bard chose to stop ogling Sebastian and actually put his plan to work. He plunged his fingers into Featherhead's eyes and as the other screamed, he kicked the lackey away. Mull was a damn good distraction.
In that span of time, Bard scooped up Featherhead's weapon. He was no Mey-Rin, but he was good enough with a shot to be confident that these bastards would all be blown into kingdom come. Except Blake. Oh, he'd beat the shit out of that one first.
Nameless was now writhing in pain on the floor, Sebastian calmly crushing his ankle. When he was done, the butler showed himself to the door, a smirk on his features.
"Sebastian, don't leave yet! Let's make these bastards pay!"
"Whatever makes you think I'm leaving?" With that, the door opened. And to Blake's horror, a dozen men trooped in. Men from the Yard.
"Baldo- Baldo," Blake tried to reason, "you wouldn't let them take me, would you?"
Bard shot him in the thigh. And as Blake went down, Bard tackled him. The Yard was too busy collecting the other men to stop Bard from pounding the daylights out of Simon Blake. He would probably have killed the man too if it wasn't for Sebastian staying his hand.
Bard took one look at the butler's disheveled face and he wanted to smash Blake to bits.
"Let go, Sebastian- this is all his fault! Damn fucking traitor. I'll let you take a swing-"
"Bard, we need him alive."
"Are you mad, Sebastian!? He's the reason you were..." the word died in his mouth.
"It was nothing. More importantly, Simon Blake has been conspiring against Funtom's business partner with this gentleman. The losses were rather heavy on the young master last week. It would do him a great service if we let them pay their dues in prison."
Sebastian said it rather cheerfully. He let go and Bard lowered his shaking fists. Blake was a bloodied mess under him, his face swollen and busted. Not enough, in Bard's opinion. But maybe jail would be better than death. If the Earl of Phantomhive had anything to say about it, he could see these sons of bitches facing life. And they assaulted the earl's servants- surely that had to count for something.
So begrudgingly, Bard turned away from Blake with one last sentence, "There's no Baldo here."
"Would you step outside?" the inspector asked, more like ordered. His name escaped Bard- Abberline or something of the like.
Bard gathered the packages that he certainly hadn't forgotten while Sebastian picked up the remains of his clothing. If it wasn't for the wrinkles and tears in his uniform, Bard could detect no evidence of what had transpired on Sebastian's person. But still, he was angry- furious, really.
"Why, Sebastian?" he demanded, "why'd you do it?"
"The Yard needed time to arrive. I was early."
Then you could have let them break me instead. "You should've just let them take me. Wouldn't make a difference."
"Well, the choice was not up to you, Bard."
The cook grabbed his forearm and thrust himself at Sebastian's face. "Damn it! You think I'd feel good letting- letting that happen to you!?" His tone softened. "I hated every minute, Sebastian."
When he released the other man, Sebastian was staring at him with that same alien confusion, as if it completely baffled him that Bard would care. That in itself baffled Bard. Did he think so cruelly of the cook? Or was the butler's self-worth really that low? The revolting words came back to mind.
"What they said about you... I don't give a shit," Bard said, one man to another man, "bet it was all lies anyway."
Sebastian smiled. "The sentiment is appreciated, Bard. But rest assured, only one of their statements was true."
The butler turned away, tugging at his ruined gloves. Only one statement? Bard's heart literally sunk. There were a lot of nasty things said back there- did Sebastian really have a dead wife? Had he really been involved in prostitution? Did he really have no one left? It was then that Bard realized he had never given the butler's life much thought. It had never occurred to him that perhaps, just perhaps, Sebastian had lived a tragedy just like the rest of them. Then again, it had also never crossed his mind that Sebastian would make so great a sacrifice for him.
There was a time to be angry, but there was no need to be a bastard to a man who just went through all that for Bard's sake.
"Sebastian, on the way back, I think we should go see a doctor."
"Are you hurt?"
Is he for real!? "No, I'm surprised you can walk straight. I think we should get you checked over-"
"No need."
"Listen here-"
"We need to file our statements and return to the young master. Your concern is appreciated but unnecessary."
They were back to square one. Frustrated, Bard wanted to leave the argument. But it was his duty as a colleague, a Phantomhive servant, and a friend to win this argument. When Inspector Abberline stepped out of the building, he was met with the sight of the Phantomhive cook shouting and shaking the frowning butler by the shoulders.
Thanks for reading! Hope that lived up to expectations and that XX wasn't too uncomfortable for readers; I apologize if it was. Again, feel free to review and let me know you found everyone in character or not!
So basically, I think the sexual abuse wouldn't have bothered Sebastian because he's a demon and he was just toying with them to buy more time (but poor Bard doesn't know that). He could have killed everyone then and there, but in this scenario, Ciel wants the people who caused him more paperwork to suffer a fate worse than death, haha.
Next time: The Maid (Mey-Rin)