Well this turned out to be late like planned... but at least I didn't skip this week, and ya'll will be given another chapter Tuesday still!

This chapter is more filler with some yummy treats in it. 8D

Enjoy, and I'm going to go back to stressing about graduation this Saturday. D8


Chapter Seven


Ciel raced around his small apartment, throwing things in their appropriate places and being sure to clean everything in sight. The day had finally come and the poor boy was working himself into the grave. He had already set up his drop cloth, easel, and paints in his living room. Everything was just about ready for Sebastian's arrival, and just in time.

The man would be here any minute. This would be the first time Sebastian had spent more then a second in Ciel's home and hopefully it wouldn't be the last.

A knock on the door paused Ciel as he was tossing away a dirtied paper towel. He almost tripped over himself as he rushed towards the front of his apparent, cursing all the way. Looking around he spotted that he had left his mess from lunch out on the coffee table. There wasn't time to clean it up, which left Ciel wanting to bang his head into the door as he opened it.

"Hey," he greeted Sebastian who was smiling pleasantly.

"You're all flushed and panting," Sebastian commented as he stepped inside the apartment. "Having a little fun with your hand before I got here? Or did I interrupt? " he teased.

"I wouldn't call it fun with my hand," Ciel grumbled. "More like a good work out." He paused for a moment thinking over the conversation and flushed. Apparently cleaning had been on his mind for too long today. "And get your mind out of the gutter."

Sebastian chuckled and pulled Ciel closer to him, hands trailing down to grab the younger males ass. He gave it a quick squeeze before darting out of Ciel's reach. "I could've slapped it," he said as he dodged Ciel's hands, his eyes dancing with amusement.

Ciel couldn't say much, knowing that Sebastian was right. A small grope was nothing to one of Sebastian's slaps. Ciel swore his ass had throbbed for hours after receiving the harsh punishment. "Just shut up and lets get this done."

Since Ciel was using acrylics, he hoped to finish the portrait today since the paint would dry quickly between coats. He wouldn't have to set it aside for a day or two like he would normally do for oils.

Sebastian was pushed into the room as Ciel maneuvered the man through the furniture and towards the stool he had set up.

"Sit!" Ciel commanded.

"Hm, I don't think I've seen this demanding side of you before. Its kind of sexy, I like it," Sebastian said with a grin as he took his seat. He dodged the paintbrush that was thrown his way and let Ciel finish getting ready.

His eyes looked around the room, taking in the features of the small apartment. He twitched slightly when he realized how he was sitting and he turned his attention back to Ciel. "Do I have to be facing this way?" he asked.

Ciel looked around his canvas with a raised eyebrow. "Is there something wrong with how you are sitting?" Because honestly there didn't seem to be anything wrong with the direction Sebastian was facing.

"My back is to the door," he answered simply. It was self explanatory and now that he wasn't teasing Ciel, the problems from earlier that day started to creep back into his mind.

"Uh huh." Ciel gave him a skeptical look. "You might want to see a psychologist about that." It went without saying that Sebastian was acting odd today. Usually he wasn't this perverted and weird this early on in their meetings. Shaking his head, Ciel went back to preparing his pallet.

Sebastian's head cocked. "What's wrong with that logic?" he asked curiously, eyes darting to the window. Ciel's apartment was up on the fourth floor of the building and the window over looked the green belt down below. He shifted slightly and focused back on Ciel.

"Nothing really, it's just odd. I'm going to guess you've had a scaring childhood experience involving a door and possibly the boogieman." Ciel said all of this with the straightest of faces.

A look of mock horror showed on Sebastian's face. "How did you know that I'm scared of the boogieman?" he asked in a low whisper. They stared at each other for a few seconds before Sebastian chuckled and leaned back in the chair.

Ciel just shook his head and went back to what he was doing. He surveyed what he had done and deemed himself ready. "Okay now stay still and give me a forlorn look."

"If you say so," Sebastian said. He let his mind cast off to something that would make him feel lost or saddened. They were sobering thoughts as he ran through his mental list and he could feel his eyes lowering and becoming glazed over.

"Yes, that!" Ciel called, getting instantly to work. He began to tediously mix colors, laying them skillfully on the canvas as Ciel saw fit. For once he was pleased that the canvas wasn't a large format canvas, otherwise they would be here all night. As it stood it would probably take a few hours of none stop painting. Ciel only hoped Sebastian could sit that long.

"Tell me if you need to take a break."

Sebastian didn't answer, too lost in his own thoughts. He could see the images in his mind as they passed through his memory. Each had a location and a tale that came with it; none of them pleasant. He stared unseeing at the wall, not noticing the pictures that hung there and not hearing the sound of the paintbrush on the canvas.

Hour ticked away seemingly unnoticed by either male. Both had fallen into a trance, too focused on their own little worlds. Ciel whipped his wrist to make a smooth line and pulled back. He smiled at the completed piece and his elegant signature in the corner.

"Done!" he announced to Sebastian. Ciel watched as the man continued to stare off into space. "Sebastian!" He finally screamed.

Sebastian jerked harshly and his head snapped to the side to glare at Ciel. His eyes narrowed at the younger male while his mind slowly pulled out of its memories. Wind sounded in his ears while his breathing slowed down to match every few beats of his heart. Unconsciously, his hand moved behind his back as he moved towards Ciel, fingers searching for something.

When they brushed against skin, he froze and blinked. The wind stopped blowing and his mind cleared, bringing him back to the present. With a quick shake of his head, he ran his hand over his face.

"How's it look?" he asked, wincing slightly at how strained his voice sounded.

Ciel faltered for a moment, frozen by the feral look that had dominated Sebastian only moments before. Finding his voice, Ciel asked in a cautious voice, "Are you okay?"

"Of course, just a little tight from sitting for so long," Sebastian answered, brushing a piece of hair out of his face.

Sighing, Ciel shook his head and waved Sebastian over. "Come here already and give me your opinion. I'm finished."

Sebastian nodded and walked over to the painting. He eyed it for a moment before finally speaking. "It looks good. The natural sunlight from the window was a nice touch, brings out the colors more and makes things look more natural."

Ciel beamed, rather proud of the piece. It did Sebastian justice and the lighting was quite nice. Overall he was hoping for a high 'A' and a possible place in the end of the year art show. It wasn't something freshmen usually made, so it would be a great accomplishment if one of his artworks got selected.

"I think I actually made you look good," Ciel joked, bumping Sebastian in the side.

A snort left Sebastian's mouth but he didn't bother to ruin Ciel's good mood. They stood and admired the painting for a few more minutes, enjoying the comfortable silence that stretched between them.

Finally, Ciel shifted the painting out of the room so it could dry without any worry of being knocked over. While Ciel was gone, Sebastian moved around the apartment slowly, stretching out his sore muscles after sitting for so long.

He stopped when Ciel came back in and grinned at him. "Making me look good doesn't mean that I'm going to forget about my fee," he stated.

"Ah and here I thought you were doing this as a favor." Ciel went to plop on his couch but stopped when he looked towards the coffee table. He frowned at the mess that still sat there but chose to ignore it. "I'm afraid sir that I don't have much to offer."

Sebastian reached forward and pulled Ciel closer, running his fingers down the males side. "Oh, I think you have a lot of offer. I know one sure thing that will help settle your debt, would you like me to tell you?"

"No." Was Ciel's curt reply, but both knew that it was anything but a dismissal to the question. Just merely a means to stave off the inevitable.

A smirk curled across Sebastian's lips. "Last week when you made me go sleep in the shop, I found a visitor on my shop's step. He needs a home and I think your apartment is the perfect size for him."

Ciel did not like where this was going. He had a feeling that the payment wouldn't be as simple as he had originally hoped. "I'm not going to like this am I?"

Sebastian just waved his hand. "He's just a little golden kitten who wants some love. Unless you feel that's too hard of a payment for you."

Blue eyes looked everywhere but at Sebastian. Out of all the things it had to be a kitten. Even though he had come to feel a fondness for Soot, he couldn't say the same thing for all cats. Though it was incredibly hard to say no to Sebastian.

Ciel mulled over his options, taking the cat in wouldn't be too much of a hassle. He would just have to hope his allergies didn't start acting up again. Sighing Ciel shook his head, not believing he was contemplating this. "Fine, whatever. I don't think you'd of let me weasel out of this anyways."

Sebastian's eyebrow arched, surprised that Ciel had agreed to taking the kitten in. He shifted towards the couch and pulled Ciel closer. "Too bad for you then, the kitten's already found another home with Carmella. Looks like you'll have to find another way to pay me back," he said, his voice light and teasing.

Ciel shook his head. "Don't do that too me, though next time pick up a stray puppy. I've always wanted a dog," he said in an almost dream like fashion. He snapped from it quickly, returning to look Sebastian over. "So what sort of payment are we talking about now?"

"I have a few ideas," Sebastian said. "And its nothing that we haven't done before. Think of it as a pop quiz on the lessons that I've been teaching you. Seeing if you can repeat the same performances in a new place."

"And what will be covered on this pop quiz?" Ciel's voice instantly went low and seductive, or as well as it could. He didn't think he would match the arousing smoothness of Sebastian's voice.

Sebastian's fingers trailed over Ciel's sides. "I can't tell you that, then it wouldn't be a pop quiz." His hips rolled, letting Ciel feel how aroused he was already. "Your quiz is to make me cum without using your hands or mouth."

Ciel blinked, sending Sebastian an inquisitive look. "No hands or mouth?" He thought over the possibilities and couldn't decided if he liked the challenge presented to him. His hands paused as they trailed down Sebastian's sides and released the man suddenly.

"What are the stipulations?" Ciel had to ask. Surely Sebastian didn't expect him to keep his hands and mouth to himself completely.

"You can't use your hands or mouth below the hips, unless its to steady yourself. And the pants have to stay on," Sebastian answered, a small smirk appearing on his lips.

"Seriously?" Ciel assessed the job presented to him. It would be a challenge, but when had Ciel ever backed down from a challenge? Sebastian was probably expecting him to protest or fail; Ciel wasn't going to do either. He moved closer to Sebastian, pressing his body into the other man's and replacing his hands firmly on tense shoulders.

Ciel began messaging, rubbing and kneaded his hands into the muscles. "You need to relax." He pressed his thigh between Sebastian's thighs, rubbing and pressing in a similar fashion as his hands worked Sebastian's shoulders.

Sebastian grunted. "I am relaxed." He leaned into Ciel's touch and slowly felt his shoulders relax underneath those fingers. His hips bucked against Ciel's leg as it teased him, and he watched as the blue eyes darkened with lust.

His hands settled on Ciel's hips, rubbing at the skin through the fabric of his clothes. There were no rules for him and he was free to touch where ever he wanted.

Ciel pushed harder at Sebastian, grinding his hips forward and forcing the man back towards the couch. With the way things were going, Ciel wouldn't be able to stand for much longer. "Sit," he demanded, pushing down on Sebastian's shoulders.

"There's that demanding side of yours again," Sebastian commented as he dropped onto the couch. "Should I be worried that one day you'll try to tie me up and whip me?" He chuckled as red bloomed across Ciel's cheeks.

"Idiot." Ciel mumbled as he settled himself over Sebastian. The man had a habit of saying the stupidest of things. Fortunately Ciel knew of a rather affective away to rid Sebastian of such habits. Lips met and Ciel began a thorough job of devouring Sebastian's mouth. All the while he continued to grind his thigh into Sebastian's cock, while Ciel found his own relief against the hip he was pressed against.

Tongues battled and wrapped around each other while their hips rocked against one another. Sebastian moaned when Ciel tugged on his hair and his hand tightened on Ciel's hip. It slowly traveled down and grabbed his ass, giving it a rough squeeze.

Ciel wiggled, wanting to both push into those hands on his ass and the thigh against his cock. He moved, replacing himself fuller on Sebastian's lap so that he was now straddling the man. With the new position Ciel could easily push himself against Sebastian's erection, feeling the hardness against his own. He grunted as he rolled his hips and being helped along by the hands still pressing into his rump.

"You sure we have to keep our pants on?" Ciel breathlessly asked as he felt a sticky dampness begin to form at the front of his boxers and pants.

"You'd have to take them off with your teeth," Sebastian answered and watched as Ciel grunted at the thought. It didn't matter to Sebastian either way, he brought extra clothes with him just in case; always be prepared.

They continued grinding against each other and Sebastian shivered as Ciel's fingers brushed against his nipples, rubbing them through the fabric of his shirt.

The shirt was rough against Ciel's fingers and the feeling frustrated him. He wanted to feel hot smooth skin, but was too impatient to allow himself that. Instead he clawed and pulled at the fabric, pinching and rubbing the skin underneath. A particularly hard thrust down had Ciel gripping roughly at Sebastian's chest the best he could.

Ciel's face fell into the crook of Sebastian's neck and his warm breath fanned over the sweat coated skin. Goosebumps sprouted in the wake of every gasp of air. Ciel could feel them against his lips as he kissed at the flesh.

A low moan left Sebastian's mouth at the soft kisses on his skin and he gripped Ciel tighter. Heat raced through his body and he could feel himself being pushed closer to the edge, teetering and ready to fall.

He turned his head to the side, capturing Ciel's lips in a kiss. Tongues met lazily as they kissed sloppily until they broke apart. His hand tightened on Ciel's ass, pushing them together more. "Come for me," he murmured.

"No, come for me." Ciel ground feverishly into Sebastian, staving off his own release while trying to milk Sebastian of his. His smaller hips pressed almost painfully slow into the man beneath him, but Ciel couldn't bring himself to care. The pain brought forth a delicious pleasure.

"Stubborn," Sebastian grunted as he bucked up into Ciel's hips. He felt Ciel tug at his hair, sending a sharp jolt of pain through his scalp. He hissed and his hips bucked once more before his orgasm washed over him. His nails dug into Ciel's back as he rode out the intense feeling, panting heavily.

Ciel almost voiced his relief as he watched Sebastian reach his climax from the corner of his eye. The man's face contorted in pleasure and Ciel loved the look of pure bliss. Ciel finally let his body succumb to his orgasm as it shook his frame. He had to lean himself against Sebastian for support as his body began to give out as the pleasure ebbed away.

Sebastian's arms loosened around Ciel's body as their hearts raced in their chests. Dark hair tickled his nose and he blew a small puff of air at it, pushing it away. Once it was gone, he relaxed further into the couch. "Why do we always do this on a couch? The bed is much softer and has more space."

The question was mulled over for a moment before Ciel answered. "Probably because we don't have the patience to wait till we can get to the bedroom." Ciel laughed. "Though perhaps next time we should at least get rid of the clothes," he added as he felt his pants and boxers cling to him uncomfortably.

"But that was one of the lessons we skipped. An uncomfortable one, but one nonetheless." He grimaced as he felt the sticky mess inside his boxers and he pushed at Ciel lightly. "And it just means that we get to shower and have a little more fun there," he said with a grin.

Ciel shook his head. "I don't think that's so much something that needs to be learned. It's rather common sense. Sexual acts lead to erection. Erection leads to orgasm. Orgasm leads to sticky cum and mess. Now who wants a mess in their pants?" Ciel tried to reason, never mind the excuse of having to take a shower in the end. Sex always led to a shower, so Sebastian's point was null and void.

"It teaches you not to get an erection in public," Sebastian teased. "Otherwise you can end up in a sticky situation." He saw Ciel roll his eyes at the horrible pun and he shrugged, it couldn't have been helped.

With that being said, Ciel pushed him self off of Sebastian and moved back through his apartment and towards his bedroom. He waddled like a penguin as he tried to keep his thighs from touching. Ciel threw a glare over his shoulder when he heard Sebastian chuckle.

"Shut up!" he said as he continued on with Sebastian following him.

The bathroom door slammed in Sebastian's face and he stared at it, hearing Ciel curse inside the room. Chuckling a little more, he pulled his pants and soiled boxers off, tossing them into the bag he brought.

He jumped as a wet cloth smacked him in the back before the bathroom door closed again. Without a word, Sebastian cleaned himself up and slipped on clean boxers and sweatpants before flopping down on the bed.

Ciel came out of his bathroom not long after, wearing a rather large graphic t-shirt that went down to the hem of his boxers. "Making yourself at home aren't you?" He commented as he padded over towards the bed.

Sebastian's eyebrows furrowed in thought before he reached over and plucked a small item from his bag. He propped himself up on his elbows with the object tucked under his chin. "Now I'm making myself at home," he state, resting his chin on top of the plush cat.

"Really? A stuffed cat?" Ciel didn't know if he wanted to laugh as the image presented before him or to just knock some sense into the man. He plopped himself on his bed, and snatched the stuffed toy away from Sebastian. Ciel examined it for a bit, finding that it look almost identical to Soot. Shaking his head Ciel tossed it back to the man.

"But its for you," Sebastian said, holding out the stuffed cat. "For the nights that you don't stay over. You know you miss Soot." He wiggled the plush at Ciel, taunting him to take it. He would slowly warm Ciel up to the idea of having a cat.

Ciel pouted. "No I don't." Though the words held no conviction. He quickly took the cat, stuffing it under his arm. "Thank you."

Sebastian smirked and rolled over on his back. He felt the bed dip as Ciel moved closer to him and he looked up into the blue eyes. "I have to leave Tuesday and I'll be gone for a few days."

The air around them seemed to instantly thicken and Ciel froze. Sebastian was leaving; again. He had been waiting for this time to come, but he didn't feel as if he was ready to accept it. A part of him still desired to know what these trips were, but a bigger part kept him quiet.

Ciel could only nod and pull himself flush against Sebastian, wanting the man to hold him. If this was the last night he was going to get with the man for a long while, then Ciel was going to milk it for all it was worth. "Be safe." He felt the need to say, kissing Sebastian on the cheek.

"I will," Sebastian answered and wrapped his arms around Ciel. He didn't want to leave so soon, he had just come back home. With a sigh, he buried his nose into Ciel's hair. Luckily, this trip wouldn't be as long as the last one. He figured he'd be back in two days; three days at the most.

"I'll be back by Friday," he muttered. If he came home early, he would come by and surprise Ciel. Maybe bring him a box of sweets from the bakery. That would help cheer him up.

"You better be back soon," Ciel said with a yawn. He was already getting sleepy though he wished to stay awake and save whatever time he had left with Sebastian. "I suppose I'm taking care of Soot again?"

"She'd like that," Sebastian said softly, running his fingers through Ciel's hair. "And you're more than welcome to stay at my house while I'm gone." He wasn't sure if Ciel would take the offer or not, but it wouldn't hurt to ask.

Ciel shook his head. "I'll probably bring her to my place if that's alright? It's too hard having to constantly go back and forth between here and your place," he reasoned. "I always end up having to come back to my place to pick up something for class. It'll be easier this way."

Sebastian nodded. "Sure, just don't let her see the plush. She might get jealous." He pressed a soft kiss to Ciel's forehead. "I'll set all her things in a pile before I leave so its ready for you."

"Thank you." A comfortable silence settled around them, both lost in thought and pondering the happenings of the week to come. Ciel felt an undeserved trepidation which made him jumpy. He could feel the need to cling to Sebastian and never let him go. At least this time he knew the man was coming back, that thought alone allowed him to quiet his growing nerves.

A yawn escaped Ciel's mouth and Sebastian rolled onto his side, draping an arm over the younger male. "Sleep," he murmured. "I'll still be here when you wake up and then we can go get some dinner."

Ciel trusted those words, knowing that Sebastian would indeed be there when he awoke. That thought alone gave Ciel the encouragement he need to close his eyes and give in to the heavy call of sleep. It wasn't long before his breathing steadied and Ciel was floating among his dreams.

Sebastian watched Ciel as he slept before lowering his head down to the pillow as well. Conflicting emotions ran through his mind, making it hard to sleep. He was anxious for Tuesday to arrive so he could start his trip, but at the same time, he was hesitant about leaving Ciel.

All the 'what ifs' plagued his mind and he silently came to a decision before letting his eyes close. Ciel's body was warm next to his and was helping him calm down, pulling him into a sleep that he easily welcomed.

It was the ringing of a phone that finally woke Ciel. The shrill sound attacked his ears and had him groaning in frustration. He quickly untangled himself from Sebastian and made a jog for his cell. Seeing the name of the caller only made Ciel grumble as he answered it.

"Hello," he spoke calmly, receiving his aunt's voice in return. She plowed into a full on rant, not pleased about having gone a few days without hearing from her precious nephew. Ciel tried to appease her, but could not quiet her until after promising to have dinner with her later that week. At least it would get his mind off Sebastian for a bit.

After hanging up, he wandered back to the bed. Ciel climbed back in and snuggled back towards Sebastian who was watching him intently.

"Who was that?" he asked, his eyes watching Ciel's face carefully. "She sounded mad." He bit back the remainder of the words that he wanted to tease Ciel with, knowing that they'd only make the younger male mad.

Ciel just shook his head. "It's just my Aunt. I've been forgetting to call her." Cold fingers trailed down Sebastian's chest. The room was cold and Ciel was finding it hard to warm himself back up. It was obviously night, though Ciel was unsure as to the exact time. Most likely it wasn't too late considering his Aunt had called.

"She's worried about you," Sebastian said, shivering at the cold hands. It would be so much easier if they just crawled under the sheets, but the feeling of hunger was creeping up and they'd be leaving for dinner soon. "It'll be good for you to see her this week."

"Yeah, I'll meet her for dinner sometime soon. It'll give me something to do." Ciel finally stretched out his tired muscles. He had a feeling he wouldn't be getting much sleep tonight, not after the long nap they had taken. "We should probably get up though," Ciel said as he turned to face Sebastian.

"Should we go to the pub?" he asked, sitting up. Sebastian's eyes scanned the room as he searched for his shirt. It was cold out and now that he had moved away from Ciel, he could feel goosebumps prickling along his skin.

Ciel thought it over for moment. "Yeah that's okay." He moved quickly over towards his dresser. With Sebastian out of bed Ciel was feeling the cold bite into his skin. Pants and a sweater were pulled from a drawer and Ciel hurried to put them on. "What time is it anyway?" The question was still bothering Ciel and he didn't feel like checking his phone.

"Close to seven," Sebastian answered, reaching out to straighten up the Soot plush that lay on the bed. He waited for Ciel to finish putting socks on before they walked out of the room and into the entry way. They slipped their shoes on and Sebastian leaned down, capturing Ciel's in a quick kiss. "Thank you for having me over, we should do it more often."

A smile broke out across Ciel face. "No problem. It was... enjoyable." He gave Sebastian a wink and quickly made his way towards the door, but not before grabbing his keys.

The sun was already past the skyline, creating a glow from a top the buildings. The moon could already be seen as well with a few bright stars, though they were probably planets. It was a nice night, not too cool but just right.

"You want to walk?" Ciel asked. The pub wasn't far away and the streets were already dotted with couples and groups of friends enjoying a Saturday night. It seemed a waste to let such a nice night be wasted. For Ciel there was something whimsical and romantic about walking down a street on a cool night with your lover.

Sebastian nodded and they walked down the street, enjoying the cool air. Soon it would be too cold to venture outside for a lazy walk and it was nice to enjoy the time now. A comfortable silence settled between them and Sebastian's hand bumped against Ciel's, fingers reaching out to curl around the younger man's.

Ciel jumped, not expecting the touch but did not shy away from it. He allowed his hand to be held and moved closer towards Sebastian. It was odd showing such a small ounce of affection in public. He kept waiting for some passerby to stare or comment, but no one seemed to care. Ciel felt his shoulders relax and grip tighter into Sebastian's hold.

They continued walking, moving past small groups of students occasionally before the old bricked pub came into view. It wasn't crowded yet, but in a few more hours it would be filled with college students looking for a place to relax.

Sebastian pushed open the door and sighed as the warmth of the pub surrounded them. His eyes searched the room before settling on a table that they could sit at and he guided Ciel to the small area.

The smell of food assaulted Ciel and he felt his stomach rumble. How long had it been since he had eaten? He couldn't remember.

Ciel allowed himself to be pulled along, not caring as Sebastian pulled out his chair like a proper gentleman. Though a blush dusted his cheeks as he took a seat.

A waitress came by to take their orders for drinks and then vanished once they were given. Once she was gone, Sebastian leaned back and glanced at the menu. He knew what he wanted already but it was better to look over it again instead of sitting around and doing nothing.

"Would you like me to bring you back something from my trip?" he asked suddenly.

Ciel perked at this. His eyes shimmered like a child at the prospect of a gift. "That would be nice." Ciel said in a calm tone to help hide the apparent eagerness. Flashes of items from far away and exotic lands came to Ciel's mind along with an Indian Jones version of Sebastian. The thought made Ciel snicker.

Sebastian smiled and chuckled lightly. "I'll see what interesting things I can find." He picked up the glass as it was set on the table, knowing that looking for something to get Ciel would make his trip a little more fun and would work to his advantage.

"It better be good." Ciel took a sip of his coke to hide his smile. The prospect of getting a gift upon Sebastian's return was going to make waiting all the harder. He could only hope that classes could keep him busy, as well as the dinner with his Aunt. Maybe he would even make it a point to go out with some friends.

"Where are you going, if I may ask?" Ciel ventured to ask, though he was unsure if he would even get that much.

Sebastian shook his head. "If I tell you then it wouldn't be much a surprise when I get back. You'll just have to wait," he teased. He leaned back as the waitress came over to their table again, ready to take their order. After they placed their orders, he looked back at Ciel and took a sip of his drink, wondering if the younger male could wait that long to get his gift.

Ciel took that answer for what it really was despite the playful tone. Sebastian couldn't tell him, not even that much. He could only hope that it wasn't a trust issue that kept the truth from Ciel. Though that brought up the possibility that Sebastian wasn't at liberty to say. Which in turn flooded Ciel's mind with ideas of government cover ups and other less likely possibilities. After all this wasn't a movie.

"Just don't make me wait too long," he finally said.

"But it'll be worth the wait, and patience is a virtue," Sebastian stated. Ciel didn't have an answer for him and simply stuck his tongue out before falling silent. It made Sebastian chuckle and he glanced around the room, noting the different people who were out on the Saturday night.

He enjoyed people watching, it was always something interesting to do when you were stuck in a spot with nothing else to do. People always acted differently when they believed that they weren't being watched.

Ciel noticed Sebastian's wandering eyes and looked around himself. Finding nothing he turned back to the man. "What are you looking at?"

"Just the people," Sebastian answered, his voice was low and the cheerful tone didn't match the gleam in his eyes. "They're fun to observe when they don't realize that someone is watching them. They let their guard down so easily."

"What are you, an amateur psychiatrist?" Ciel chuckled as he too began sweeping his gaze around the fellow patrons of the pub. He stopped to regard a group of students at the bar flirting with the girl making their drinks.

Sebastian hummed. "You could call me that. It's a hobby I like to do when I have time. You can always find something interesting each time. Like the gentleman over there, with the cap on." He nodded towards the male on the other side of the room. "He's hunched over but his eyes are watching the servers and the doors. He's going to leave without paying."

Ciel found the guy Sebastian was referring to and laughed. There was nothing suspicious about the man at all. If anything he looked like a lonely man who didn't want to spend another night held up in his house. "I wouldn't put my money on tha-" Ciel trailed off as he watched in disbelief as the man quickly stood and made a break for the door. Not long after someone shouted about the man skipping out on his check.

Wide blue eyes turned to Sebastian who was smirking. "How could you have known that?" It didn't seem possible for someone to be that good at predicting a persons actions. It made Ciel nervous to think about the sort of things Sebastian was able to pick up about him.

"Once you watch enough people, you start to notice patterns. Its not something that can be learned in a few days though; it takes years to fully understand them all. And you are always learning." Sebastian sipped at his drink again and leaned back as the server came back with their food.

She looked a little tense considering what had just happened across the room. No doubt all the servers would be watching this part of the pub carefully now. No one wanted a free loader on their hands.

Ciel wanted to ask more questions about this newly discovered talent of Sebastian's, but something told him that he would be prying into something that was better left alone. The way Sebastian talked about the subject spoke of years of experience; years that Sebastian couldn't possibly have faced with how young he was. Ciel wondered just how hard of a life Sebastian could have lived to force him to so actively watch the people around him. It no longer seemed like a carefree past time.

Wanting to rid himself of such thoughts, Ciel dug into his food. He drenched his fish and chips in malt vinegar, loving the smell that bit at his senses.

Sebastian shook his head at the action and shoved a fork into the hot bowl of cottage pie. He was looking forward to the meal ever since they had left the apartment, knowing that the warm food would keep his body warm well into the night.

They ate in silence, each enjoying their meal while the noise in the pub was kept at a tolerable level. All around them, the murmurs of conversations filled the room. It wasn't too loud but wasn't silent either; a perfect mix for a night out.

Ciel pushed his place back, grumbling about how he couldn't take another bite. For being as hungry as he was, Ciel hadn't been able to finish down the whole dish. He had never been a big eater to begin with.

"How was your food?" He asked when Sebastian started cleaning his plate of the last few bites.

"Good. Very filling and it hit the spot," Sebastian answered. He finished off the last fry and pushed the plate away from him. It was quickly cleared away and the bill was placed down in front of them, the server standing close by.

A part of Ciel wanted him to snag the bill and pay for the meal, but he knew how that would turn out. Without his consent Ciel had been forced into the submissive role of their relationship. Sebastian had made it very clear that he was the 'man' and that he would pay for his 'little lady'.

The thought made Ciel both flush from embarrassment and anger. In truth the pampering made him feel special, but it also helped to rear the ugly head of his masculine pride. Tonight he made no fuss when Sebastian snatched up the check. After all, he knew that Sebastian was very much aware of Ciel's gender.

"Where to after this?" He asked absently. It was only around eight or so and the night was still young. Ciel wasn't tired at all after the nap they had taken and was feeling quiet energized.

"We can go see a movie if you want. I'm not sure what's playing, but there's always something new coming out." Sebastian offered as they walked outside. He pulled his jacket around his body tighter as the cold air nipped at his warm skin.

He felt Ciel's hand cautiously reach for his and he took a hold of it. Warmth spread throughout his body at the contact and they walked down the sidewalk without any thought or worry on their mind. It was a lazy Saturday night and they were going to enjoy it to its fullest.


To Be Continued . . .