Aaaaaaaaaaah only ten minutes left before Ciel's birthday is over *cries* I've been trying to update this chapter all day long, why does both the site and my PC have to be such a pain in the ass?! but good thing I didn't give up!
Minna! Chapter 6 as promised.
although some parts may seem weird and meaningless just bear with it for now ^^"
Enjoy.
What kind of a joke is this?
The dance was almost over but the Earl of the Phantomhives and the Marchioness of the Liontons didn't exchange a single word after their first acknowledgement of each other.
No matter how one looked at it, they felt like an odd couple: The distance between them was bigger than usual and instead of looking at each other they looked at opposite directions, their movements felt unsteady and unsynchronized and every now and then the man would step on the lady's foot and she would grimace silently, that, until the pain became unbearable.
«Your dancing abilities aren't so much lacking as they are non existent. » Elena stated with a stoic expression.
«You are too short, it's not working, » Ciel responded with a stoic expression as well.
She always mocked him for being short, was he trying to get back at her now?
Elena turned her face to look at him and Ciel looked back at her with the same unhappy expression before a grimace etched its way into his face when a sharp pain struck his right foot.
«Be grateful I'm wearing slippers instead of high heels today. »
The young man looked at her with narrow eyes as they continued dancing.
What on earth was he thinking? Looking at the glaring young woman in his arms and recalling the tomboyish feisty young girl from few years ago, yeah, the two images do definitely match now. Elena Lionton changing to become a delicate lady? Not in a million years... She did always put on a sweet facade in front of others and now her lady-like looks are included in that sweet image, that is all what is there to it. Ciel felt a mixture of frustration and irritation for almost getting fooled by it.
In the mean while, the girl's head drifted to drown in a not very different kind of thoughts.
Elena's eyes roamed avidly over the manly figure towering over her, the Earl's frail body turned into a gracefully toned one that the sight of his silhouette alone could be a sin, a firm chest, enticingly broad shoulders, the slender neck that turned into a thick structure -although it still kept some air of gentleness about it- was towered by a strong and defined face, adorned with white porcelain features and framed perfectly with rich smooth dark bangs.
The current image in front of her matched more that of Vincent Phantomhive from her memories than the one of the Ciel she knew. The only difference was Ciel's eye colour that he inherited from his mother. Even with the leather eyepatch hidding one of them, Ciel's eyes drew the girl like magnets.
The bright lights reflected by the colorful windows' glass, the fluid whispers of the violin, the heat seeping to her body through the Earl's hand. Time seemed to stop ticking away as Elena felt herself get lost in that dream-like moment.
«Finally! » The deep voice of the Earl dissipated Elena's magical world announcing the end of the dance. Yes, she as well, was anticipating supper time but for some reason, the sigh of relief coming from the Earl along with this word irritated the girl beyond limits.
Stepping on his left foot before to go, Elena headed towards the nearest refreshment room.
«What in the world is wrong with you Lionton?! » Ciel exclaimed in a mixture of pain and confusion before to follow her.
...
What kind of luck is this?
«What do you want to eat? » Ciel nonchalantly asked the grumpy girl. As her last dance partner he was stuck with her till supper time was up. The ladies sit in the chairs and the gentlemen stand behind them tending to their every need. Who set such stupid rules? that's one of the many reasons why Ciel hated balls. It's a servant's job, not his! speaking of it... where did the butlers go?
«A cup of lemonade should be fine, » Elena said cutting Ciel's string of thoughts.
«Fine, » The Earl responded before to go fetch the girl's drink.
Elena watched him till he disappeared in the crowd. "Why are all men stupid?" She thought to herself as she absent-mindedly turned the ring in her finger right and left.
«Look look at Madam Addington's hair ornament! »
Elena unintentionally turned her head towards the source of the rather high pitched voice.
«Goodness! it's huge! but that's to be expected, she needs it to divert people's attention from her bad quality hair. »
Elena watched the two ladies sitting next her unamused, as they kept bad mouthing the woman sitting on the other side of the room.
Looking at her, Elena had to agree that her head-dress was abnormally big but the girl's eyes were rather caught by the necklace she was wearing, a beautiful golden necklace embedded with red gems. From that distance, it was hard for the Marchioness to tell what kind of gems they were, rubies? No, no, their glow was less bright than that of the lustrous rubies. Elena could think of many other red gems: spinel? garnet? andesine? tourmaline? zircon? but nothing fitted the dull red of the gems on the woman's necklace. Red coral! was the only suitable thing Elena could think of before the voices near her got higher again recatching her attention.
«Look at Miss Prescott, doesn't her waistline look thinner? »
«Didn't you hear? The ladies were lately saying that she removed one of her ribs to look this way, apparently her fiance has a mistress that has a pretty and thin figure and she got jealous. »
«My! Poor little thing! »
Elena shuddered in her seat. What kind of horror stories are these two chit-chat old hags telling each other? Elizabeth's girly boring stories weren't half bad compared to these after all.
«Don't tell me you changed your mind! »
«Huh? » Elena lifted her head at the sound of the Earl's voice and there he stood, extending a cup of fresh lemonade to her.
«I said even if you changed your mind, I'm not bringing you something else, » Ciel said with a sour expression.
«No, no, I didn't... Thank you. » Elena gave the young man a forced smile as she took the glass from his hand.
The Earl only looked away as he leaned against the wall behind them, taking a bite of the cake he brought himself.
«I see you still have a sweet-tooth. »
«I never had a sweet-tooth. »
Elena's eye brow twitched but she fought to keep her calm.
«...how are your feet? » Ciel asked with a faint voice.
«Swollen... obviously, » Elena responded in a sulky one.
«I'm going to get you some ice so stop pouting. »
«There is no need for that, » Elena said as she hastily caught the hand of the Earl who already started walking away. «...and I'm not pouting, » she added as she gradually loosened her grip on the man's hand.
«If you say so; » was all what the young man said as he returned to lean on the wall behind her, finishing his sweet.
Elena, with her hand back in her lap, continued sipping her drink silently.
The air between them felt uncomfortable, very uncomfortable.
«Did you have to resent me that much over such a small matter? » The Earl suddenly voiced out the words, his eye fixating the crowd with his arms crossed over his chest in nonchalance.
«It was small to you, not to me. »
«That's a lame excuse, » He commented with a scoff.
«Are you looking for a fight Phantomhive?! » The Marchioness said losing her patience and placing her unfinished drink on the tray of a passing maid.
«No, » responded the young man.
A tense silence reigned over the two for a while before the Earl broke it. «Who was taking care of your job's aftermath for these three years? »
«Why do you care? »
«Just asking. It doesn't matter if you don't want to answer. »
«Well, let me tell you that the world doesn't revolve around you Phantomhive! I have other people to rely on! »
«Rely on? » The young man pointed out in a mocking tone. «Finally admitting that you were relying on me? »
«As if! » The girl blurted with a huff, lifting her head to glare at the young man, her hands clenched into fists in her lap.
Without moving his head, Ciel lowered his eyes to look at the young woman, her cheeks were flaming red, undoubtedly in embarrassment. He finally put his eyelid down before to open his eye again and this time his gaze was settled on the chatting and eating crowd near the food tables.
Elena detached her eyes from the young man's face before to straighten herself in her seat, facing the crowd in turn.
«Where is your butler? Didn't he come with you? » She asked upon seeing the black clad servants moving around.
«He did. I don't know where he is now. Where is yours? »
«I don't know either, » Elena responded before a small frown was traced on her face. «This can't be good. You know these two have no affinity for each other, they start a fight every time they meet. »
Ciel sighed. «They were about to start one earlier. »
Elena rolled her eyes before to clutch the side of her dress intending to stand up. «I'll go look for them. »
Ciel's hand rested gently on her shoulder getting her back to her seat. «Just sit still, I'll look for them. »
Elena watched Ciel walk away a bit confused. Why was he kind to her? before it clicked... was he feeling guilty over her swollen feet? at that thought, a small smile graced the girl's lips.
...
Few minutes earlier :
A maid carrying a tray with many empty and half-filled cups on it was heading towards the kitchen before a black clad man stopped her on her track.
«May I take this? » The man said pointing at one of the cups while giving the maid one charming smile and her furious blush was a dead give away that he could do as he pleases.
With a smooth "Thank you" whisper the man continued his way to one of the refreshment rooms. Leaning his back on the wall near one of the large windows, he looked outside at the dimly lit big garden before to turn to look down at the glass in his hand. He stirred the no longer fresh lemonade for a while, as his eyes traced the deep red lipstick mark staining the edge of the glass before he finally brought the cup to his lips, closing gently his eyelids as he slowly sipped the drink.
«My, my, what a pathetic sight... » A smirking Sebastian stated as he walked towards the silent corner Kyle was taking refuge in.
«You think so? » Kyle chuckled lightly as he wiped the traces of red lingering on his lips with his thumb.
«Your lust was pathetically showing in your eyes and now through your actions? » Sebastian smirked. «Why don't you just make her yours? »
Kyle smirked back with a huff. «You're the one to talk, your hunger is so pitiful to watch, why don't you just devour the little brat? »
Sebastian looked at Kyle with his eyes half open. «It's Earl Ciel Phantomhive for you. The likes of me have aesthetics and ethics that bind us to respect our contracts but that shouldn't be a problem for a mongrel like you now, should it? »
Kyle's eyes instantly narrowed but before he got the chance to open his mouth, a sound of someone clearing his throat near them made him turn.
Looking at the source of the sound, Kyle saw a relatively tall...woman? clad in a vivid red ball gown, with long dark red hair, red framed glasses with a neck chain containing white skulls and behind them hid yellowish green sharp eyes. The rest of her features was hidden behind a large red fan.
«Two handsome men wasting their time as wallflowers? How about keeping company to a lonely lovely lady? » The red clad woman asked the two facing her as she fluttered her long eyelashes seductively.
Both men stared at her with arched brows as if she just blurted some kind of blasphemy before Kyle asked. «May I first ask what kind of perfume my lady is wearing? »
«Because it stinks... Grell Sutcliff, » Sebastian continued.
«Ah! So cruel and unmerciful that it makes my maiden's heart pound wildly! » The ginger head said as he snapped his fan shut, revealing shark-like teeth glittering in a large smile. «Oh Bassy! Kelly! it's so nice to see you again! »
Chills went down the two butlers' spines as Kyle snapped. «How many times did I tell you to stop calling me by a woman's name you blockhead! »
«Oh-Ah! I just love it when you snap like this! The wounds of love your fiery passion inflicted on me last time are still hammered in, not only my heart but my whole body, in a beautiful tyrannical red! please! shower me with more! »
Kyle's eyebrow twitched as he was fighting back his disgust and anger. Sebastian watched with a nonchalant look. «You know he is a hardcore masochist, it's no use treating him like a normal person, just stay away from him. »
«Bassy! Oh my Bassy! Such a devastating ice king you are! » The ginger head squirmed in admiration.
Kyle took a deep breath before to open his mouth. «I don't believe we sent you an invitation. What brings you here? »
«That was a huge mistake! what kind of balls would this be without a flamboyant heroine? »
«You mean you intended to turn this ball into a horror scene by traumatizing the guests with the sight of an ugly transvestite? » Kyle said as he looked at the whispering crowd looking at the ginger head in fear and suspicion.
«That, leaving aside the unbearable stench that has been filling the air since earlier, » Sebastian added.
Grell squirmed in his place with an almost weepy voice. «But I'm specially wearing one of the perfumes you made Bassy! » When Sebastian just ignored him, the grim reaper straightened his stance before to add in a more masculine tone. «I wish I had the time to dance with you my dear but I'm here for a job and it's soon time for me to go. »
«A job? » Both demons asked at the same time.
«Does it involve my mistress? » Kyle said as he drew his face near Grell's with a scary expression.
The ginger head drew back a bit in fear. «N-No. »
«Then does it involve my master? » Sebastian asked with the same glare and the grim reaper drew back even further.
«N-No. »
«Good. » The butlers said in unison as they grinned with closed eyes.
The next thing the red riff-raff felt was a succession of two painful punches to his stomach before he fell in the arms of the emerald eyed demon.
The crowd near the two men started making a fuss after seeing the red lady fall so Sebastian looked at them with a reassuring smile. «There is no need to worry ladies and gentlemen, she just fainted, we'll take her out to have some fresh air. »
...
Dragging the red head through the empty corridors towards the rear exit, the two demons just ignored his pitiful cries. «A-ah ayayay! Not the hair! Not the hair Kelly! Where are you taking me? It's cold and raining outside Bassy! »
Still walking, Kyle looked at Sebastian with a smirk. «By the way, while we throw this garbage outside, why don't we take advantage of our masters absence and settle things between us once and for all? »
«Settle things between us? » Sebastian's eyebrow arched.
Kyle didn't say a word, he just grinned at his opponent as he brought a set of golden knives out of his vest's pocket showing them briefly to the scarlet eyed demon.
Sebastian's thin lips pulled into an amused smirk. «Are you that eager to silence me? Afraid that I will tell your mistress about your little secret? Fine, I'd be more than delighted to make a faker like you disappear. »
«Glad we have an agreement, » Kyle added with an approving smile.
«What about me? » Grell suddenly asked.
«You, you'll just disappear and never set a foot inside this manor again, » Kyle said as he threw the ginger head in a pool of mud by the door's step when they finally made it outside.
«My beautiful gown! It's all ruined now! » Grell cried out before to dart his face toward the demons with a flirtatious smirk. «Or do you find me more attractive this way? »
Sebastian stepped on the grim reaper's face before to continue his way deep in the garden with the other demon.
«Too bad I won't be able to watch your crimson play... Cinderella is taking her leave now! »
...
Back to the current time :
The Phantomhive Earl has just took his leave and Elena was left alone in the noisy refreshment room, looking at the antique big clock near the balcony, Elena sighed. Supper time was almost over, there, she'll have to go through another hell of dancing and to top it all, her last dance partner has to be none other than Charles Grey, her fiance. He was the last person Elena wanted to see for now.
Speaking of dancing, "It would be better to tend to these swollen feet before the dance starts," Elena thought. The Marchioness left her comfortable seat, having to make small chats here and there whenever someone noticed her, she tried her best to keep a low profile as she made her way to the open buffet's tables. Finally there, her eyes roamed over the dishes, there has to be some ice some where, right ?
«What are you looking for? » A hoarse voice fell on Elena's ear.
«Phipps! You startled me! » Elena stated with big eyes blinking at the silver haired tall man.
«I'm sorry, » the man responded calmly.
«It's all right, » The marchioness said before a soft smile graced her lips. «How are you doing? and I don't see your chicken? although I made sure to include her in the invitation I sent you. »
«I don't bring her with me to social occasions, » Phipps added in a serious tone that gave the Marchioness the urge to laugh. Ah, this man, ever since they were young he took every joke seriously.
«I see, » Elena replied with a smile, back to looking for the ice.
«Congratulations... on your and Grey's engagement, » Phipps said, to the young woman's surprise.
Her smile faded. «You know that the whole thing was arranged by Her Majesty and we simply agreed, there is nothing really worth celebrating, » Elena said in a low voice as she grabbed a cup of water and drank it in one go.
Phipps watched her solemnly. «Even if it's merely an arrangement, knowing Grey, I can't think of a better partner that suits him. »
Elena had her fist up infront of her mouth as a genuine laughter escaped her. «This is the first time I heard a joke coming from you Phipps. »
When she finally stopped laughing, Elena lifted her gaze to look at Phipps and much to her surprise, his usually apathetic eyes held a deep perplexing emotion, his lips finally parted. «Although he may act arrogant and eccentric at times. Grey still has his own insecurities and worries, he needs someone to help him get rid of them and mature. » The man posed a bit before to add. «Even a marriage that starts as an arranged one can end up becoming full of passion. »
Elena unable to blink an eye, looked at the man standing infront of her in puzzlement. "What is he trying to imply?" for one reason or another, her mind seemed unable to find an answer.
The girl was lost in deep thoughts, that, until the corner of her eye caught a familiar silhouette. Elena turned her head. Through the open door of the room and across the large hall she could see Ciel looking outside through the hall's wide window. The young man slammed his fist against the glass before to rush towards the corridors leading to the back exit of the mansion.
At that sight, Elena clenched the sides of her dress up in her fists, giving Phipps one pleading look. «Excuse me Phipps! I've got to go! » before to rush outside the room much to latter's surprise as he only got to nod in agreement.
...
«Phantomhive! » The Marchioness called to the Earl as she was trying in vain to catch up to him.
The young man stopped in his track at the sound of the familiar voice. «What are you doing here Lionton! »
«I saw you leave in a hurry so I followed you! what's going on?! » Elena said out of breath as she finally caught up to the Earl.
«The two foolish butlers are fighting in the back garden and it can't end up in a good way. I'm going to stop them, » Ciel said before to open the large back door facing them. at that, a cold gust of wind mixed with chilling water droplets hit the two and Elena yelped.
«Damn! » the Earl cursed as he sheltered his face with his arm still heading outside.
«I'm coming with you! » Elena shouted as she stepped outside right after him.
«You fool! you can't! Go back inside! » Ciel shouted as well through the raging storm.
«But-! » before Elena got the time to finish her sentence a whirl of Ciel's citrus scent hit her to the face. The Earl has thrown his dress coat over her head.
«The press will be taking your photos at the end of the last dance, you can't ruin your appearance now or you'll become tomorrow news' laughing stock! Can't you listen for once and go back inside! » at that, the soaking-wet Ciel left running.
Stuck in place, watching him get further, Elena felt her heart give one violent pound against her chest as if it was trying to follow the man. Her shaking grip tightened on the piece of cloth covering her head and falling on her shoulders.
«I'm trying so hard... so hard... don't treat me kindly Ciel. »