Ciel hated nightmares.
He hadn't had any for quite some time he supposed because the sources of them had faded over the years. He remembered when he'd first escaped the cult. Those nights had been the worst. Remembering the horrible things he'd seen and felt. Going to bed at the end of each day had filled him with dread and he would wake up screaming often. But as he grew older and Sebastian swiftly dealt with any threats to his life and safety, his anxiety had ebbed. It didn't entirely disappear of course, but simply laid in wait until the next perfect opportunity to flare up again.
Now it appeared with the strain of everything had brought them to the surface. He lay in bed, twisting about in the sheets, feeling as though something were missing but unable to wake up from it to find out.
He was in a room. It was rather lavishly decorated, reminding him of Lillian Walker's mansion. There were noticeable differences however. Where Lady Walker had a home of light and glittering exuberance, this space was darker and more sinister.
Marina Beaumont entered from a door in the wall. She moved toward him slowly, her dark blue eyes trained on him like a lynx. He felt fear and realized that he probably smelled of it to her sensitive nose. Saw her lips curling up in a smile as she took in his terror. He wanted to move but for some reason he couldn't.
Ciel knew it was a dream but it felt real. It reminded him of the ones that had brought about the start of his physical interest in Sebastian, except those had promised something pleasurable for him. This was the exact opposite and he waited, paralyzed as the vampire slunk toward him.
"Did you really think that you'd be able to escape from me?" She asked. She reached out a pale hand. Fingers stroked along his cheek and he jerked away as though she had burned him. Marina laughed.
"Get away," Ciel spat.
"You don't appear to be in any position to be giving me orders, love," Marina said. "You're just a human. Not even an incredibly decent one at that. Normally, one such as you would not be worthy of my time. But you killed my father, so now I'll kill you. Slowly, of course."
She grinned and he could see her fangs, sharp in her mouth. Marina leaned toward him. He felt her lips graze his neck and he tried to lift his arms to push her away. They felt heavy, as though they were weighed down with cement.
Her fingers reached up, slowly untying his eye patch. Ciel shut his eyes as it fell away, though he knew it was pointless. She no doubt already was aware of the placement of his contract seal. Maybe she was going to start by cutting out his eye. He refused to show any more fear, even though he knew that he probably reeked of it.
"I'll kill you," Ciel said.
"I don't think so," Marina replied coolly. She grabbed his face, squeezing it hard, forcing him to look at her. "You're like a bug. I can crush you in a second."
Ciel supposed that this was true. He tried to pull away from her but she held him fast. He stared at her beautifully terrifying face. Her eyes were luminous. "Sebastian will kill you. Just like he did to the rest of your disgusting family."
Marina raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?"
Ciel nodded.
Marina began to laugh. "I'm not afraid of that demon. You've spoiled him. My father told me all those years ago about how unnatural your connection is."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"You fuck," Marina hissed.
Ciel felt bile rise in his throat. Of course he suspected that Marina would know. And besides, this was a dream and his subconscious was privy to all the secrets locked inside his mind. Still, it unnerved him to hear someone saying it out loud. He struggled to appear unaffected however, tilting his chin up proudly.
"What of it?" He asked.
"Well," Marina said. "It makes you weak. And that will be your downfall. You think he cares about you?"
Ciel didn't know how to answer this. He truthfully didn't know how Sebastian felt about him. The other had claimed to be fond of him, but what did that mean for a demon? He knew the butler desired his soul. He clearly desired his body as well. Perhaps that was all there was to it. Demons were probably not capable of human affection.
The vampire didn't give him a chance to answer. She seemed to sense everything she needed to know within his pregnant pause. "No."
"You don't know that," Ciel said, though he knew it was too late.
"Oh, but I do," Marina slithered around him. "You will never be more than a meal to him. Probably not even a very satisfying one at that."
"He'll kill you," Ciel shouted. "He'll kill you!"
"Then where is he?"
"What?" Ciel asked.
"Where is he?" Marina repeated. "Guess you don't really matter after all."
Ciel was aware of the darkness that had closed in around him. He hadn't noticed it before but the entire time they had been talking, the shadows had begun to creep into the space, eating up the scenery. He watched as the walls and floor disappeared slowly as more and more of the room was shrouded in obscurity. Until all that remained was he and Marina.
"You're alone," She whispered. "You'll always be alone."
Ciel shot up in bed, sweat drenching his skin. He was tangled in the sheets and he tore them away from his body. His breath came in short, painful gasps. Heart hammering, he reached out into the darkness, fingers closing around air.
The bed was empty. He was the only one in it. He felt along the mattress, noting that the side normally occupied by Sebastian was cold under his touch. It appeared that the other hadn't been present for quite some time. A soft whimper escaped his throat and he closed his eyes at the sound.
Where was Sebastian? The demon was always there during the night when he wanted him to be. At least he assumed so. He'd never woken up to find the other gone in the middle of the night. At least not in years.
Ciel thought about calling for the butler, but he decided against it, reasoning if Sebastian weren't there then there had to be a good cause for it. Maybe he was off finding out some more information about one of their investigations. That would be the only logical explanation.
Now that the nightmare had had time to settle around him, he spared it some thought. He knew that he shouldn't dwell on such things but he couldn't help it. Especially when they had felt so real and hit so close to home. The vampire's words had chilled him. He knew on some level that they weren't authentic, that they were merely manifestations of the uncertainties that pricked in the corners of his mind.
Ciel sighed softly. Even if they weren't real, they had still hurt. And he knew on some level that they probably were the sorts of things that the woman would say if she got the chance. Ciel had only briefly met her at a party, and at the time she'd been playing the part of a human. But Sebastian had given him some details on Silas' daughter. She was perhaps even more formidable than her father had been.
The Earl curled into himself, trying to regulate his breathing. He pulled the covers back around his body, shivering as the sweat began to cool on his skin. Even if was a dream, the figment of Marina Beaumont had been right.
He was alone.
Sebastian followed the woman into the house. She led him from the foyer, down a hallway and through to a sitting room, sprawling herself across the maroon velvet settee. He allowed himself a few moments to survey the room, taking in the piano, the shelves lined with books.
"So," She said, further arranging her dressing gown around her. It left nothing to the imagination, but she made no move to cover herself. "What brings you here?"
"What, I can't visit an old friend?" Sebastian asked. He figured it would be good to deal with the pleasantries before delving into the true reason he was there.
"I suppose you can," Elise replied. She stared absentmindedly on the rings sparkling on her hand for a few moments before she glanced up. "It's just unusual. I haven't heard from you in a while."
"I've been rather busy," Sebastian said. "Particularly in the last few years. Something that has taken up a lot of my time. Besides, you've never been a shrinking violet, Elise. You have many other friends, of both sorts now I'm sure."
"This is true," She said. Her eyes regarded his appearance. "You look different. What are you called these days?"
"Sebastian Michaelis," He replied.
"Sebastian," She repeated. A soft smile graced her lips. "I like it, it suits you."
"If you say so," Sebastian replied. Initially he had hated the title due to it having been his young master's dog's name, but he supposed in time it had grown on him much like everything else. "Anyway, how have you been?"
"I can't complain," Elise glanced around the room. "This city has been very good to us."
"How's Henry?"
"He's well," Elise said. Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Why do you ask?"
"It's proper to ask after your host's companions, is it not?"
"That's not what he is and you know it," Elise said, lip curling. She tilted her head up, regarding him with a stony gaze, her previous warmth extinguished. "Now, tell me what you're doing here. You'd be wise not to try my patience."
"I'd forgotten how impassioned you can be," Sebastian remarked. He chuckled softly. He felt as though he were staring at the Earl, Elise's sour expression vaguely mirroring his master's. "Though passion can also make one susceptible to rather unpleasant results."
Elise huffed at him. "I will throw you out, you know. You've always been one to slither around what it was that you actually wished to do or say. We've not spoken in so long and the last time you were here, I might remind you, things did not go well."
"I apologize for behaving so rudely," Sebastian said. "I do hope you can forgive me."
"Perhaps if you can produce a shred of honesty," Elise replied. "You mentioned being busy."
"Yes," Sebastian said. "The last few years have been rather interesting to say the least."
He realized of course that this was a gross understatement. Things had been a whirlwind of activity over the many months since he'd entered Ciel's service. It hadn't always been pleasant but he supposed in the grand scheme of it all it wasn't as bad as it could have been. However, now he had reached a plateau and things couldn't go on as they had. He wanted something different and something different was sitting across from him.
Sebastian drew himself from his thoughts. Elise was staring at him. Her lips were pressed together in a hard line and she had her brows slightly raised. He knew that she was true to her word and that if he didn't give her what she wanted she was indeed going to toss him out. That couldn't happen. He needed her.
"Well?" She prompted. She crossed her legs the other way and Sebastian stared as her milky leg slipped from under the hem of her silken nightgown. A slipper dangled lazily off her petite foot. Elise had never had much shame, but she was still extremely classy. It was one of the things he liked about her.
"I entered into a contract," Sebastian said.
"Oh?" She asked voice laced with curiosity. "You've not had one of those for a while. I thought you'd stopped. Last I heard you were going on about the merits of procuring just the right souls, seasoning them to perfection and all that."
"I meant what I said," Sebastian shrugged. "After so long one does become bored and develop a sort of finesse."
Elise hummed. "Indeed."
Sebastian had to admit it was liberating to be able to talk about such things with someone. It had been so long since he'd spent any time with one of his own kind he hadn't realized how much he'd missed it. Elise had always been a friend, his closest if he had to say, though demons didn't set much store in that sort of thing.
They'd fallen out of touch a number of years before and she did seem to harbor some slight bitterness over their past disagreements. It appeared though that even if she had no wish to forgive him that she was interested to know what he was doing there. In honesty, he wasn't totally sure the purpose of his visit either. He knew what he wanted from her, but wasn't entirely certain that she would indulge in his desires.
His mind drifted back, hundreds of miles, to the Earl. He hoped that the other was having a peaceful slumber, but there was a slight prickling in the back of his hand that told him that this might not be the case. With a twinge of regret, he wondered if perhaps Ciel had awoken. If he had, what had the other thought when he'd discovered Sebastian was gone? If his master had wanted him though, he'd have called for him. He pulled off the glove and rubbed over the skin, pushing the thoughts away.
Sebastian opened his mouth but suddenly Elise's expression changed. Her eyes settled upon the contract mark on the back of his hand and the corners of her mouth curled up mischievously. "Nooo."
She said the word softly, drawing it out as her grin widened. She leaned forward her expression knowing. "Oh my…I never thought you would fall for a human."
Sebastian considered denying her claims, but it would defeat the purpose of his visit. Besides, he wasn't ashamed of what he felt for Ciel, but this was the first time he had admitted his feelings to anyone but the Earl. He supposed though, that if it had to be anyone he shared the news with, it should be Elise. She would understand. Though it irritated him a bit that she could read him so easily.
"Trust me, I am just as surprised as you are," Sebastian replied.
"I knew there had to be some significant reason you would drop by my humble home in the middle of the night," Elise said. "I mean, outside of enjoying my illustrious company of course."
"Ever the picture of modesty," Sebastian rolled his eyes.
"You adore me," Elise replied. "So, this human—what's his name?"
Sebastian hesitated. He didn't know exactly how to answer this, since he was not supposed to lie per the contract, and well…
"He calls himself Ciel," He said at last. It felt strange to hear his master's name on his tongue, but at least he'd avoided breaching the rules. "Earl Ciel Phantomhive."
"I see, a noble," Elise nodded. "Is he handsome?"
"What sort of question is that?" Sebastian asked.
"So he is."
"He is not entirely unfortunate looking by human standards, I suppose," Sebastian said. He felt a slight heat blossom on his cheeks, averting his gaze when Elise smirked.
"I would have assumed not," Elise's grin widened. He could see her fangs glittering as she threw back her head in amusement. "I mean you've always had certain…exquisite tastes. I can't imagine you with someone dreadful."
This conversation was not going at all how Sebastian had thought that it was going to. He hadn't expected Elise to react in the way she had, though he guessed given her history, he shouldn't have been surprised. However, discussing things like whether Ciel was good-looking was awkward.
Of course his lusty demon side had been quick to take note of his master's beauty even at the very start of their contract. He'd been an adorable child (though the other would be sure to kill him if he ever voiced so out loud). The Earl had continued to become even more stunning with age. Now it was just simply a part of the other that Sebastian had come to appreciate.
Elise shrugged. "You were always different though. Not like a lot of the rest of them. Other demons. I suppose that's why I enjoyed you so much. There's more to life than just blood and destruction."
At one point Sebastian would have been inclined to disagree. Demons were creatures of darkness and loved causing chaos. However, being with the Earl had softened him a bit to that lifestyle, he supposed. It was exactly what Marina Beaumont had declared. He hated that she was right in part, but understood that regardless he was still a demon. Outside of Ciel, everything about him remained the same.
"Anyway, what was the true point of your visit?" Elise asked, voice cutting through his thoughts. "I know you didn't come here to trade niceties and wax poetic about the past. You were never one for idle chitchat."
"You're correct," Sebastian said. He leaned forward; narrowing his eyes so she would know it was no joking matter. "I want you to tell me how you did it."
"Did what?"
He sighed. Was she really going to be that way, pretending she didn't know exactly what he was talking about? "I want you to tell me how you turned Henry into a demon."
Told you guys this was going to be one hell of a week in regards to updates. I truly love Elise, she's my favorite OC I have created to date. I hope everyone will enjoy her as well; writing her interactions with Sebastian have been some of my favorite scenes. Everyone was very concerned that Sebastian was going to cheat on Ciel, but fortunately this could not be further from the truth. Thank you to everyone who's read favorited or reviewed this story. It means everything to me. So many comments today, keep them coming. I love them so much.
ran: yes theres like three stories going at once in this one. It's been a satisfying challenge.
Dardar1: haha, not intentionally. Though Ciel would probably be a bit jealous if he ever laid eyes on Elise (she is a serious bombshell). ;)
Madison Angel Kaiba: yes, yes she is. His oldest (and dearest if he were the sentimental sort). Though she does get on his nerves and is a merciless teaser. She definitely plays a big role in this story so she will have many more appearances. I actually felt a little bad writing that whole engagement dinner scene. I actually like Elizabeth but no Ciel shouldn't marry her. Everyone will just have to see what happens.
a french girl: thank you so much. I do try to keep them as close to canon as possible in this one. My AU makes their characters a bit different, but they do share some similar qualities. I enjoyed throwing a new challenge at their relationship. I'd be sad for Ciel if Sebastian were to be unfaithful as well, but even though he's a demon he only has eyes for one.
LonelyStargazer: That's totally alright. I've been trying to get more vocal about commenting stories I love. But you're welcome. I don't always want to put like graphic smut, just the suggestion or light description is sometimes enough. (but don't worry there will be more to come). Sebastian at this point was just done with Ciel's "woe is me" attitude. Elise is the best, honestly, she gets under Sebastian's skin in the best way.
promocat: yes, I'm looking forward to exploring it more since we (so far) have gotten zero backstory on him in the canon work.
