8
Acacia forced her heavy lids to open morbidly curious to where she had ended up. She was greeted with glaring white and a shadow in the distance.
"Heaven? I didn't expect that one..." she commented to herself.
"Interesting thing to call this estate," that silken voice responded in a bemused tone.
With another blink she saw Sebastian before her with a deep scar against his pale chest.
Acacia sat up quickly, "you're hurt!" She fell back onto the soft surface she recognized as her bed as the room spun around her.
"Please relax you will reopen your wound with that sudden movement," he pleaded putting her covers back over her.
"Why did you get hurt?" She asked while touching the darker skin as she filled with emotion. Blood...fear...failure? Sebastian was perfect why would he feel like he failed?
"The only reason it has kept up this long is because they dipped their daggers in holy water. Like that would be enough to end a demon," he laughed.
Acacia sat up carefully waiting for the room to stop spinning, "what's wrong? Something is bothering you."
"I worked hard to stop the bleeding and keep death from taking you," he answered with a skeptical look meant to scare Acacia back to laying down.
"You won't get away with that. Please why are you upset?" she pressed.
"I am just a butler," he dodged while looking out the window with the snow just beginning to melt.
"And I'm a servant too. We're the same," she assured.
Irony struck him, "you see us as the same?"
"Why shouldn't I?" Acacia asked earnestly.
"I am a being from the depths of hell, and you. You are graced with a talent god has given you that is so rare people would do anything to have it."
"You say my talent is from God wouldn't he want me to reach out to who would cause the most problems? Anyway you are a man nothing more."
"You would diminish me so?"
"Diminish? Men are the ideal creatures. They aren't bestowed with any supernatural powers. All of the talents they posses comes from their own work. Yes you make a fine man Sebastian," Acacia declared with a proud smile.
Before the conversation could go any further Sebastian excused himself since he was called by Ceil. Acacia fell back into bed having used any energy reserves she managed to build and fell into a deep sleep again.
When Acacia's eyes fluttered open again they were greeted with Sebastian setting tea on her nightstand in the moonlight with his normal attire again.
"Decided a shirt would be good to wear this time around," she joked.
"The only reason I appeared so indecent in front of you was because I had to wrap the young master in cloth to stop the bleeding when I found him and all I had on hand were the clothes on my back. I was never given duplicates of clothing as he had perfect confidence I would keep mine in pristine condition. While you both were resting I managed to get another jacket," Sebastian explained waiting for the tea to cool before handing it over.
"Don't worry about taking care of me. I'll be fine. You should rest yourself. Holy water is going to be harder to recover from than a normal wound," Acacia advised.
"I have no bed to rest in. I have never needed one. Demons don't require sleep," Sebastian tolerantly explained.
Acacia started to get up, "well if you can work with a wound so can I."
Sebastian appeared right before her and Acacia continued, "you can rest in my bed. It's fucking big enough."
"Will that calm you down and rid you of these crazy thoughts of getting up?" he asked.
She rolled her eyes, "what kind of a man puts up this much of a fight to get in a girl's bed? Yes it will."
Sebastian made sure he got all the way on the other side of the king sized bed. He lay stiff as a board...he really hadn't slept before.
"Damn as much as you've seen Ceil sleep I thought you would know how to a bit better," Acacia giggled.
Sebastian looked insulted, "I'm doing exactly as you do."
"No. First of all nobody sleeps in their normal day clothes. I am guessing you don't have sleepwear so you would normally take off your shirt at least. Most guys sleep in their undergarments," she explained while unbuttoning his jacket.
"If Ceil calls and finds me half nude as you propose," he challenged grabbing her hand.
"You are one hell of a butler. I believe in your abilities for a quick change. Ok so next for normal sleeping check list you lay down."
"I was doing that."
"Not right. Here just lay down," Acacia instructed.
Sebastian followed orders and resumed the stiff position. Acacia sat on his abs and started to rub his shoulders and neck then work her way down his arms, "see your muscles are supposed to feel like that."
Acacia got off of him and put her hand over his eyes, "the last part is to close your eyes and think of nothing."
After that she slid back to her side of the bed and followed her own advice letting sleep grip her weary body and aching muscles. She was pulled out a serene sleep to be greeted by an uncharacteristic thunderstorm at the end of February. She refused to disturb Sebastian who actually was asleep to her surprise; she curled in the fetal position under the covers. She kept her sobs to whimpers and made sure her eyes were clenched shut so they would not be greeted by those terrible flashes. With every flash his face would be illuminated and every roll of thunder was another beating.
Before fear could burrow any deeper Acacia felt a those strong arms envelope her; she found herself next to that bear chest. Instead of thunder the lull of heartbeat filled her ears. That terrible contorted face melted with Sebastian's memories connected with his deepest emotions.
Desperation. Ceil falls to the floor gripping his chest. His breathing is shallow at best. He falls into unconsciousness.
Anticipation. Ceil watches Sebastian take a blow for him. Blood runs from Sebastian's body. The shadowy undefined figure falls and as Sebastian turns around Ceil falls into him. Sebastian strokes Ceil's hair as Sebastian looks at his own contract with a smile as he thinks "blood draws him closer…even more delicate."
Failure. In a dimly lit basement Sebastian steps in a puddle of blood only a few paces in his eyes land on Ceil spattered with blood and…
Acacia was pulled from the depths of his soul to look into those crimson pools as the silken voice cooed, "it's over."
"Oh," was her reply until she realized her body and how close she was to Sebastian in bed. A blush rose to her cheeks immediately as she stammered, "I'm sorry I just…"
Sebastian placed his long finger on Acacia's lips, "I must go the young master is calling me."
She watched Sebastian change and go return immediately to his butler mode as he left the room. The bed felt so much colder than she had expected without him next to her.
"Dumbass! He probably thinks you are a fucking child with that thunderstorm. The whore in you just doesn't go away does it?" Acacia chastised herself, "I'll just have to rest tonight to get back on the job tomorrow no matter what."
Sleep somehow found her without any trepidation.
Acacia swelled with pride putting on a new simple black servants dress without any help. With the dress knee high brown boots were laid out by Sebastian undoubtedly. Acacia decided to surprise both of them by making Ceil his earl grey tea before Sebastian could. She had been sleeping so long that she arose the next morning before the sun could. She slipped out her door as silently as possible so she would not attract attention from the observant butler who would undoubtedly tell her to continue resting. After a few minutes of bumbling through the dark she managed to find the kitchen and the tea and prepare it flawlessly. To her surprise finding Ceil's room was easier than expected. The hard part would be getting in without awaking him and leaving the tea by his bed stand. Just as she mustered up the courage of slipping in the room and had a few paces inward she felt herself being swept off her feet and mouth covered. Just as she started processing that she saw herself bursting through the window silently and falling toward the icy ground.
