Chapter 7 - The Night

"The master has agreed to let you stay," Sebastian says, his head bent as he walks beside you, guiding you through the hallway to your room for the night. "The ball has ended, and all the guests are departing. He has to let them go, so he couldn't tell you in person."

"Well, that certainly is very generous of him," You say. "But I still don't see why you refuse to make eye contact with me."

You might be a little oblivious, but you know when someone is trying to avoid you.

After a moment's hesitation, he raises his head and looks at you. "I'm not."

"You expect me to believe that?" You scoff.

His eyes flash a light red and you backtrack. "Of course you expect me to believe that."

Sebastian sighs and stops walking, the candles in the candelabrum in his hands flickering. "(Y/N), honestly. What is it with you?"

"What do you mean?" You say, peeved.

"Nevermind."

You sigh. "Sebastian, do tell me the reason why you are ignoring me."

He turns to face you, then takes a step forward, closer to you. "(Y/N), out of all memories, why did the one about your mother telling you about demonic feelings, especially those of love and attraction, come to you this evening?"

"I don't know," You say. "Is there a specific reason?"

Sebastian takes another step closer, and this time, you take a step back, and feel your shoulder hit gently against the wall.

"A demon's intuition is absolute. Certain things are recalled only because of situations earlier."

You grin and hit your right fist against your left palm. "So that's why!" Then you shake your head. "How is this connected to your ignoring me?"

Though you're not showing it, you're very much aware of the fact that you both are breathing the same air.

"Why do you think?"

"I don't know," You whisper. "How am I to know?"

Sebastian places a hand to a door to your right, and gives a gentle push so it opens, his gaze never wavering from your eyes.

You look into his eyes, which were beginning to glow red.

He sighs, and takes a step back, so you can enter the room.

"I never knew anyone who could be so oblivious," He says, amusement evident in his voice.

"Neither did I," You say. You see surprise in his eyes, and ask, "Who exactly were you referring to?"

Sebastian shakes his head, and gestures you to enter the room. You know there is something he wants to say, but you don't feel it's a good time to ask.

"I'll send Mey-Rin up here to see to you as a handmaiden, there are plenty of nightdresses in the cupboard."

"It's fine, don't disturb her," You say. "I know how to tend to it myself."

Sebastian nods and turns to go. "Goodnight, (Y/N)."

"Wait," You say. He pauses in the doorway.

"Stay here," You say, shyly. "I... I can't sleep unless there is someone beside me."

"Very well," He says, "Change quick. I'm waiting."

You lie in bed, thinking.

"What is it that you are thinking?" Sebastian asks as he sets the candelabrum next to the bed.

"You wanted to say something," You say. "What was it?"

"Nothing of importance," He says.

"Sebastian," You say, but he doesn't budge. "All right then, tell me more about the topic of 'demonic attraction'."

"What do you want to know?" He asks, refusing eye contact with you, again.

But this time, you let that go. "Tell me, Sebastian," You say, thoughtfully, "about how quick it manifests."

He laughs. "You talk about it like it's a virus or something." Then, his tone softening, thoughtfully, he says, "It might as very well be."

You wait for more.

He says, "It very well might take about under a day. Demonic attraction is very much like human attraction, it just runs deeper. It doesn't 'manifest' because of physical features, it's more linked to personality and emotional upholding. Once it manifests, it can stay for a long time, maybe even as long as the one who fell in love themselves."

"And why exactly can't you love a mortal without demon ancestry or blood?" You ask.

"Why do you want to know so much?" He teases.

"I just want to," You say, smiling.

"Demons view mortal [souls] as food. You can become attached to their souls, but you can't resist eating them. It just isn't like that," He says.

Your eyes are closed, and you're listening to him, subconsciously.

"I guess that's enough for tonight," You hear him say. "Good night, (Y/N)."

The bed shifts as he gets up. But he doesn't go out, not yet.

"Damn it, (Y/N)," He says, and you realise this might be the first time you've heard him curse. "Why do you have to be so thick-skinned?"

You feel something tender on your cheek, and even though it's only for a moment, it lingers for a long time. And with those words and the gesture, you feel him exit the room and walk away.

It takes a moment to figure out he had kissed your cheek. Your hand touches it subconsciously, and then collapses as you fall into deep sleep.

You wake up with a sharp intake of breath.

"Not another nightmare, no," You say, shakily. Your face and hands are damp with sweat.

'I need to get out of here,' You think, and then backtrack, seeing how unfamiliar this room is. 'Where am I?'

'Oh God, oh God, where am I?' You start to panic. You push the covers off yourself and get out of the bed.

You stumble on your way to the door but keep your balance as you get to it, and push it open.

The hallway is unfamiliar. 'Where am I?'

You walk through it, absorbing it but having no memories of walking through it.

Then, suddenly, a door opens, and a young boy looks out. "(Y/N)," He says, yawning. "Is that you? What are you doing here?"

His navy-blue hair covers his right eye, but you can see his right eye is blue. 'Familiar.'

You take a step back, and hit somebody behind you.

"(Y/N)," You hear, from behind you, and turn quickly to see who it is. "What happened?"

You see a man all in black, holding a candelabrum with lit candles.

"I.. I..."

His eyes flash a light red, and he sighs. "Not now. How inconvenient."

He places a gloved hand on your head as you open your mouth to say something, anything, but your consciousness is draining out of you before you can form a word.

"Sebastian."

You open your eyes with his name on your lips.

It is only a minute later that you see someone sleeping next to you, their head covered by the comforter. Cautiously, you raise it to see who it is.

"Ciel?"

The sheets rustle as he moves, waking up.

His eyes open, slowly, and you notice his right eye is violet in colour. You can even see the outline of a Faustian contract in the eye.

"(Y/N)?" He asks, unsure. Then he stiffens and covers his left eye with a hand. "(Y/N)."

"No need to cover it, I saw it," You say. "What happened last night? I just remember being asleep alone in the room down the hallway and nothing else."

"You don't remember?"

Ciel rubs his eyes, tiredly.

"No," You say, confused.

"You woke up in the middle of the night," He says, his hand ceasing to cover his right eye. "You didn't remember anything, not even who I was, so Sebastian put you to sleep, but it was only temporary, so you woke up again. Sebastian said that perhaps you couldn't sleep alone, and neither could I, after being woken up at midnight like that, so I slept next to you. And you slept after that."

"My," You say, suspiciously. "I'm sorry for causing you trouble."

There is something he's not telling you. However cute might he be, his tone and his expression are guarded, hiding something. About you from you.

"You're excused," He says, as he gets out of the bed, and you're too sleepy to think of a retort. "Get ready, we're going to the Undertaker."

You were definitely right. If your intuition wasn't enough to convince you, that coy smile on his face is more than enough.

You nod, alert and guarded. "Right."

But you feel it isn't the right time to ask him (or don't want to know) what put the coy smile on his face, so you let it drop.

'Undertaker, what an interesting name', you think as you decide which dress to put on today. 'I wonder how this person is like.'

THE AWARD FOR THE MOST OBLIVIOUS LITTLE COOKIE GOES TO... YOU! Honestly, I've never seen anyone as oblivious as you.