Gus Kinney: Hello this is it the last chapter and its called out of the labyrinth
A frustrated sigh escaped me as Sebastian pulled me backwards against his chest just as I was going to climb into bed. He started drying my hair and chided, "honestly, you're going to get sick again if you don't properly dry yourself." His words were garbled from the fabric constantly rubbing over my ears, but I thought I got the general gist of what he was trying to say.
"You're sending me to bed anyway. Why does it matter?"
He ran his fingers through my hair a few times, satisfied that water was no longer dripping from the ends. I tilted my head back and gazed up at him. "It still gets cold for a human at night."
Sebastian ran the towel down the length of my back and I started, "one of these days I'm going to stop identifying as human and..." He seemed confused when I suddenly trailed off and pulled away. "B- be careful."
I twitched my tail slightly when he wrapped it in the towel again, and felt him roll his eyes. "We wouldn't be going through this if you had a longer attention span, and why don't you put on a shirt?"
He was trying his luck when he started rubbing the place my tail connected to my back. "I don't… feel like it...and...all the blankets...make up for it. What are you trying to do here?"
Sebastian smiled down at me as I tried to calm my pounding heart. "Nothing." He kissed me, his teeth grazing against my bottom lip as he pulled away. "Just… experimenting."
"Experiment on someone else." Neither one of them moved after that. A knowing silence fell across the room until Sebastian slowly started trailing his fingers down my back once again. I arched my back towards him and closed my eyes. His teeth grazed my neck when I tipped my head to the side and a low rumble filled my chest. Sebastian trailed kisses along my jaw, eventually stopping just before my lips. He swiped his thumb across my bottom lip when I gazed up at him and smirked. "You're a horrible scientist."
"That's because I'm not one." Sebastian placed me on the bed and peeled his shirt off before coming to straddle my waist. His eyes roamed over my exposed torso, slowly shifting to their original pink color. My breath caught in my throat when his teeth grazed against my chest, and I felt him hook his fingers into the waist of my pants, slowly pulling them down to expose my slowly growing erection.
I couldn't meet his now pink eyes and looked away. He traced lines along the nape of my neck with his tongue and smiled. "No need to be shy, you're beautiful." I laced my fingers through his hair and didn't respond.
Sebastian traced the outline of my bottom lip with his tongue before slipping it into my mouth. His hands slipped away from my neck and trailed along my body, stopping short of my throbbing cock. I lifted my hips in anticipation, and broke away for air, but Sebastian was going to draw this out for as long as he could. He propped himself up on his knees and relieved himself of his own pants. Luat gleamed in his eyes as he slowly ran one of his fingers along the length of me, stopping when he got to the tip and giving me an impish smirk. "You're so impatient." I bit back another moan as he swirled his thumb around the tip, bucking my hips into his hand and managing a deep. shuddering breath. He stopped as fast as he had started, and angled my hips towards him before slowly pushing one of his fingers inside me. I shifted uncomfortably, trying to get used to the feeling of him moving around inside of me. His lips brushed against my chest as he slowly worked in another. I shivered involuntarily when the tip of his finger just barely grazed a certain bundle of nerves and bit my bottom lip again. Sebastian returned to kissing my neck, alternating before sucking and biting the skin there. Pain flared up in my neck when he bit me a lot harder than before and shifted downward; the sound of pain dissolving into a throaty moan. "Don't do that."
Wrapping my fingers around strands of his hair again, I pulled him into a sloppy kiss, needing a distracting from my throbbing neck and now aching cock. Sebastian quickly apologized and rubbed his thumb over the spot, trying to make up for biting me. The damage was already done however, and when he started kissing my jaw, I redirected his attention to my mouth again. I could do enough damage to myself without him coming along and leaving marks everywhere.
A soft whimper escaped me when he slid his fingers out and spread my legs a bit wider, inviting him to touch me some more. He chuckled softly then wrapped his hand around me, slowly stroking me. I weakly thrusted into his hand, warmth slowly starting to pool in my lower abdomen.
Sebastian slowed and pulled away, slowly unwrapping my fingers from his hair. I pouted and gazed up at him, idly twitching the tip of my tail and he shifted me into position. I gripped the sheets beneath me and squeezed my eyes shut as he buried himself inside of me. He brushed back my hair and kissed my forehead and eyelids, trying to get me to relax. IT was a lot easier said than done since it felt like he was tearing me apart from the inside out. Just what the hell did I get myself into?
I rested my forehead on his shoulder and took a few deeps breath, focusing on his fingers trailing along the length of my back. Taking a few deeps breaths, I pulled myself into his lap and nodded slightly. Sebastian wrapped his arms around my waist and I could feel his eyes on me when he asked, "are you sure?"
I nodded again, gently nipping his collarbone as payback from earlier. He slowly pulled out then slipped back in again, hesitating briefly to gauge my reaction before continuing. My breath came out in short gasps as he continued to hit that one spot inside of me, threatening to shove me over the edge with each carefully aimed thrust. I pulled him into another kiss and slipped my tongue into his mouth, He held me closer and started stroking me in time to his thrusts. I buried my face in his neck again and moaned, holding out for a few more thrusts until I came with his name on my lips.
Sebastian buried himself inside of me one final time and followed, nuzzling his face in my hair hair.
It felt like hours before I could finally breathe again, and Sebastian gently slid me off of him and laid me on the bed. His pink eyes loomed above me in the darkness while he stroked my sweaty hair. A deep purr rumbled in my chest and I closed my eyes, waiting to see if he was going to leave or not. He started to pull away and I opened my eyes again, "will you...stay with me?"
His lips brushed against my forehead and he nodded, "of course." I waited for him to get settled next to me before laying on his chest and closing my eyes again. Sebastian running his fingers through my hair, and the gentle thudding of his heart were enough to lull me to sleep in minutes.
Sebastian gently kissed me into consciousness and waited for me to turn over and peer out from the mound of blankets I had built up around myself while I slept. Sunlight was filtering in through the windows, meaning it was probably a lot later than I had originally assumed. He smiled and brushed back some of my hair when I turned onto my back and softly asked, "How are you feeling?"
I stretched and shifted back and forth a few times so I wasn't in as tight a cocoon as before. Places I hadn't even known existed were sore, but after last night it was worth it. I wouldn't mind doing it again, just not right away. Although I still wanted to sleep. I turned back over onto my stomach and buried my face in the closest pillow. "Five more minutes."
"Pardon?"
I reached for the corner of the blankets and closed my eyes again, slowly responding.
I'm feeling five more minutes in bed. Maybe five more hours. Who knows?" I shrugged slightly and waited for Sebastian's response. I wouldn't have been surprised if he made me get up, but it would have been nice if he didn't.
A content sigh escaped me when he worked his fingers through my hair. Purring, I sunk deeper into the soft mattress, I could get used to this. I started when he pulled the blankets back and glanced behind me while he calmly stated, "It's been five minutes."
Cringing at the cold air swirling around me, I feebly reached for the blankets again, knowing it wasn't going to be that easy. Nothing ever was. Sebastian straddled my waist and rested his cold hands on my shoulder blades and cooed, "if you plan on staying in bed all day I just might have to go for round two."
I playfully nudged him off of me and sat up, climbing into his lap and lacing my fingers behind his head. "Now if it's too early to wake up, it's definitely too early for that."
He rested his hands on my hips and played along with me. "You can't possibly stay in bed all day."
"I can try."
Sebastian kissed my forehead and slipped his hands into mine, "technically speaking you can, just not today. You're going shopping with Pyros while I run some errands."
"Or, I can stay here and sleep while you run errands and Pyros goes shopping."
His lips brushed against my knuckles and he shook his head, matter-of-factly explaining, "I don't want to leave you home alone. Maybe next time." I tilted my head to the side and studied his face. Was he purposely leaving out Draco, or was he pretending he didn't exist. I thought they had made up by now, but maybe I was wrong. Or maybe Sebastian didn't trust him enough to make sure I didn't suffocate in my sleep. Not that that would happen. He sighed, picking up on my unasked question and added, "Draco is with his father. I'm not expecting him back any time soon."
Draco has a family? I didn't know why it surprised me so much, I mean, his 'father' could have turned him, but I just figured him and Pyros were orphans or something since they were living here. Isolated from humans and their own kind. There could have been more to this than I understood, but it wasn't really my place to ask questions.
"Please?" Even if Draco wasn't here, being home alone for a few hours was something I could handle. Even if someone showed up, I was certain Precious wouldn't hesitate to maul any unwelcome intruders if Sebastian wasn't here to keep him in check.
I worked in as much innocence and cuteness as I could when gazing up at him, but Sebastian saw right through me and stroke the sides of my face. "Not this time, get dressed."
I crinkled my nose in distaste as he lowered me to the floor, then lounged on the bed to make sure I didn't climb back in. I might have if I was in the mood for cuddling, but it would have been easier to just do as he said. "You're a pain in the neck, you know that?"
Sebastian smirked when I glanced back at him, and paused before he responded, taking more interest in watching me pull on my pants than the actual question. "Are we speaking on literal terms? Because that will go away in a few days."
I rubbed the mark he made last night and looked for one of my sweaters. It probably wasn't that cold outside, but I just couldn't seem to get warm right now. My brow furrowed in frustration as I grabbed something. "What? No. Well… maybe, but mostly no." I rolled my shoulders around a few times before pulling my shirt on and turning to face him. "Happy now? I'm dressed and out of bed."
Sebastian slowly ambled over and hooked an arm around my waist, "I'd be even happier if you ate something for a late breakfast."
"You're awfully needy today."
He tipped my chin up and gazed into my eyes. "I'm a very high maintenance demon, very uncommon, but it does happen. I'm sorry to disappoint you."
Balancing on my toes, I threw my arms around his neck, pausing thoughtfully. I wasn't quite ready to leave yet, and I wanted to see how long he would let me stay in his arms before ushering me off into Pyros' care. Can't we just spend one day together without an argument or any interruptions? Is that too much to ask? "Maybe I'll have to let someone else have my soul then. Only one of us can be high maintenance and I'm already filling that bill." I kissed his chin before dropping back down to the ground and ducking under his arms. "You better be gone when I get back, because if I find out you spent the whole day lurking in the shadows and just wanted me out of the house, I will be very upset."
I stepped out onto the landing and bounded down the stairs. An afternoon out couldn't be that bad. I haven't really spent any time outside lately. Yesterday didn't really count since it was mostly dark and cold, and I was trying to forget my trip home. Being around people usually made me feel better so the rest of this cloud that was hovering over me could finally disappear and things could go back to normal. If that's what you could call this. Normal may not have been the right word, but it was the only word that came to mind and made sense. In reality it was everything but.
Pyros was standing at the bottom of the stairs, studying the piece of paper in his hand before tucking it into his pocket for safe keeping. "I didn't think he'd actually manage to get you out of bed. You sleep like a rock."
I jumped down the last couple steps and shrugged. "Being 'part' cat does have it's perks. I've never had a sleepless night in all my years. So what are we getting?"
Pyros studded his hands in his pockets, and watched Ebony stalk by before continuing. "Sebastian gave me a list. I'd forget half the stuff if he didn't, I'm not good with that sort of stuff."
I stared blankly at him and glanced in the direction I had just come from. "So let me get this straight. Sebastian is sending you on his errands, so he can do something else."
He shrugged. "Dunno, I don't ask too many questions most of the time. He's scary when he gets mad and I'd rather not be dragged to hell anytime soon. I haven't even turned into my demon form yet, they'd eat me alive." How can he say that so calmly? Pyros must have been through a lot to just change the subject afterwards. Or he could have just bounced around like this all the time. It was hard to tell just what he was like, and having barely spoken with him since my arrival wasn't going to help my case. In time I might have been able to feel him out, but presently, an afternoon out would give me such a chance. "Do you want to eat before you go or…"
I rubbed my stomach thoughtfully. I didn't really think I was hungry, and as much as Sebastian wouldn't have liked it, I would have rather waited until I got back. Sometimes my stomach would still hurt afterwards and if that happened I wanted to be able to sleep it off, not go around interacting with others. "I'm fine, maybe later. It' still kind of early for me."
"Okay, then we're off." He grabbed a basket off the floor nearby and stared at the empty space in front of us. A glowing portal opened and he started to step through, waiting to see if I would follow. "Don't worry, it's safe."
Safety was the last thing I was concerned with. How was I supposed to know this led to the right place? I wasn't trying to say Pyros was unreliable, but he seemed to have misplaces a few marbles and who knew where or when they would turn up again. Sebastian must have some amount of confidence if he trusts me more with Pyros than home alone. I nodded slightly to myself and took a few hesitant steps forward, intending to let Pyros go first. He rolled his eyes and grabbed my hand, dragging me through and we ended up in the bright sunlight just outside a bustling city. I stopped, blinded by the light and had to wait several minutes for my vision to finally clear. "I told you it was safe, and we didn't get lost." He playfully nudged me with his elbow and added, "now all we have to do is find everything on the list and get home intact."
Something tells me he used to have trouble with this portal thing. I nodded in encouragement when Pyros glanced back at me and started to follow him into the city. This is going to be a long afternoon.
"So how do you think Adrian is going to react to being turned into a demon?"
I scribbled my name at the bottom of the paper I had skimmed and threw it on top of the growing stack next to me. "Who said I was turning him?"
"A ratio of 500 to 150."
Sighing softly, I started the next document and handed what was done to Ciel. "Deliver these, it's what you came for, right?"
Ciel rolled his eyes and leaned against the edge of the desk. "Officially yes, but we both know why I'm here." Why Ciel was so concerned with what I was doing, I would never know. It must have been his way for showing he cared, or he just didn't want me to forget about him.
"You're testing my patience."
"The last time, something tested your patience you tried to rip my heart out. I think I can manage." There had to be some reason Ciel was overly invested in this. Getting him to tell me about it would be another story. For all I knew Ciel was just jealous I was directing my attention elsewhere. I had lost all interest in him the second I lost his soul. If Ciel hadn't come to rely on me so much, we would have gone our separate ways and I wouldn't have to put up with him now. "Do you think he'll actually make it?"
"Does it matter?"
"I'm just curious is all."
"Your curiosity is never innocent. I'm not telling you what I'm planning if you aren't going to tell me first." I didn't trust Ciel, and I didn't want him around Adrian until he was a demon. Even if Adrian couldn't fend for himself he was less likely to die.
Ciel sighed and paused. He was troubled by something, but I wasn't going to ask. "Nothing. I'm not planning anything, I just want to know."
"That's none of your concern. What I do with Adrian doesn't affect you. Stay out of this."
"Do you really think I won't find out eventually, how hard is it to just tell me?" His eyes flashed red and he glared at me, a feeble attempt an intimidation. It wasn't going to work. He could pout all he wanted, it wasn't going to change.
"Then eventually it is."
He sighed in irritation and grabbed the stack of papers off the desk before opening a portal and stepping through, leaving behind the scent of brimstone. I tossed the rest of the papers aside and sighed. He had always been more trouble than he was worth, but now he might have tried lashing out at me for apparently no reason. Maybe if he wasn't desperately clinging to his humanity he could start moving forward. Where did I go wrong with that child?
Perching on my toes, I reached for the ceiling. The muscles in my back slowly relaxed, and I dropped to the ground again I'm exhausted. I should have stayed in bed. Pyros edged around me and headed for the kitchen, thanking me for my help as he disappeared down the hall. I couldn't really say I did much. I guess I just had a better sense of location than he did. He might have gotten lost in a room with only one door. I chalked it up to his obvious short attention span. I had to redirect him into what we were supposed to be doing several times. I don't think he did it on purpose, he was trying to be helpful, but he got lost in his own little world and seemed to forget about what was actually going on. Maybe it's a coping mechanism…
I started up the stairs, figuring I could slip in a nap before Sebastian realized I was back. Then he materialized there, watching me make my way up towards him with a weary expression. Come to think of it, I don't think I ever saw him sleep. He always seemed up and about trying to do something. I didn't know what he did all day, but sleep didn't seem priority. Or eating… I don't think I've seen him eat either.
I threw my arms around his neck and buried my face in his chest. "I need a nap, come with me."
He sighed softly and waited while I wrapped my legs around his waist to get more comfortable and took a deep breath. "You were only gone a few hours."
"I need my twelve hours. I got eight at most."
Sebastian ran his fingers through my hair and kissed the top of my head. He wrapped his arms around me and started walking. "Where are we going?"
"You said you were tired."
"Will you stay with me?"
Sebastian paused, but I didn't know if it was from hesitation or something else entirely. I pulled myself higher and peered into his eyes. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
He quickly looked away and tried changing the subject, but I wasn't about to fall for it again. I dropped to the floor in front of him and folded my arms over my chest. "You can't keep doing this forever! If i kept falling for this then I'd really be an idiot."
Sebastian arched an eyebrow and mimicked my pose. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"You can't just not tell me things! Everything you've pretended not to know about is something that affects me. So that doesn't make it nothing, unless you really think that little of me."
I stepped back when he reached for me. He was trying to distract me and I wouldn't let him. This couldn't keep happening. Whatever you could call this, it wasn't going to work if I was the only one trying to communicate. Hadn't I told him this already? At this rate nothing was going to change. Why was I still trying? I didn't have to care this much. Even if I hated him with every fiber of my being I'd still be stuck with him… Or shipped off to that girl. I wouldn't have called for him if I hadn't missed him so much. What was the point if I was going to be the only one trying? "Not here."
"So where? Or are you just going to drag me somewhere and ignore me until you think I've forgotten."
I started when Sebastian's eyes turned pink and took few steps back. I hadn't meant to make him angry. I was just trying to make him understand. Was I going about this the wrong way? Hell, was there ever a right way to do this? Maybe nobody really knew how relationships worked and we all stumbled around figuring everything out as they went, and not knowing what was really going on in the first place.
Sebastian bundled me into his arms and held me against his chest, ignoring my half-hearted attempts to free myself. He sighed and rocked me back and forth, "honestly, you're so simple minded, what am I going to do with you."
Not wanting Sebastian think this had pacified me, I bluntly retorted, "Ignore me and change the subject."
He sighed softly and rubbed my back in a slow, circular motion. "I simply suggested a change of venue, no need to get your tail in a twist."
"Yeah but… that just leaves room for other things to come first too."
"You will always come first."
I clutched the fabric of his shirt and bit my lip, unsure of what I should say. My mind was drawing a blank again and all I could do was stand there. I couldn't even bring myself to look at him. It did occur to my that he could be lying, but the thought of it terrified me. Sebastian was all I had left, I didn't want to lose him too. "Really?"
Sebastian rested his hands on either side of my face and tipped my face upwards, making me look at him. "Of course, why would I lie to you?"
I shrugged, still not knowing how I was supposed to respond. There could have been numerous reasons for him to not be truthful with me, he was a demon, but none really came to mind presently. I was stuck here whether I wanted to or not. Sebastian could have told me anything and the only people that I came in contact with would probably have already known for a lot longer than I had. "See? There's nothing to worry about. I just had something I would like to ask you."
I rested my hands over his and lowered my eyes to the floor. "Like what?"
"I wish to turn you into a demon."
I found myself agreeing without hesitation and found myself startled by how quickly I was able to decide. Shouldn't I have thought this through? What if I regretted it hours from now after the topic was said and done? I didn't think I would, if I was so quick to agree. Some part of me seemed to know something I didn't. That had to count for something. But was I really ready to plunge into the unknown again?
Sebastian seemed as surprised as me with my prompt response, but smiled. "Then it's settled." He sealed out new deal with a kiss, and I felt my worries melt away until everything had boiled down to it being just the two of us standing there. I pouted when Sebastian pulled away, and he kissed my knuckles. "Later, first you're eating lunch."
He started towing me towards the kitchen and I sighed. "I thought we were taking a nap."
Sebastian glanced back at me, his eyes flashing pink. "There's still time, the day is still young, and the night is ours." How the hell does he just come up with that on the spot? I looked away and tried to hide my reddening cheeks, hoping Sebastian hadn't noticed.
Why is he doing that? He making me nervous. Sebastian continued to tensely pace around the room, messing with this or checking the weird symbols he had drawn on the wall. My attempts to reach out to him went ignored, so I was left sitting on the edge of the table wondering. He reminded me of a caged animal. It was unnerving. Why was he so worried? Everything was going to be fine, I was sure of it, but Sebastian's aimless wandering was starting to plant a seed of doubt. What could have happened if something went wrong? Would I even want to know, or was I better off watching from afar. Should I have asked him about this? Did Sebastian even know what he was doing?
He had never done anything to put me in danger, Sebastian had been doing the exact opposite. He did save me. If I couldn't do anything for him now, what was the point? Maybe this was a bad idea. I didn't fully know what was happening. Maybe I shouldn't have rushed into things so fast. Sometimes it just felt like he might have forgotten about me if I didn't do something to prove that I was here. Sebastian did seem to have a lot of other stuff going on too, so that could have been what was bothering him instead of this.
Sebastian stopped his pacing suddenly and looked out the window behind me, seeming to find something of interest there. His eyes narrowed slightly and flashed pink before he seemed to refocus on me sitting there. "Are you okay?"
He visibly relaxed and managed a small, dry smile. Whatever internal conflict he was having subsided momentarily. "Of course." He moved behind me and wrapped one of his arms around my neck, his eyes slowly turning pink again and he gazed down at me. I wrapped my arms around his arms and tilted my head back. "Do you trust me?"
"Yes, but-
Sebastian's grip tightened and I flattened myself against his chest, for more room and squeaked, "What are you doing?"
His lips brushed against my forehead and he softly murmured, "Remember Adrian: I love you."
There was a sickening crunch and the world around me faded to black. Did he just kill me? I thought I was supposed to go straight to hell when I died, Sebastian did own my soul. So what was this weird, void?
My ears rang with silence and I felt the temperature drop slightly. I couldn't see anything, or if I could, there wasn't anything to see but extensive blackness. I was scared to test and see which one it was. I had never really been afraid of the dark, but this? I couldn't handle it. Where was this? And how the hell was I supposed to get back if there was no place to go? I'm supposed to wake up. I have to. Maybe this was what Sebastian was afraid of, maybe something did go wrong. I didn't want to be stuck here. I'd rather be tossed into the lake of fire than have to spend eternity in this darkness. A chill ran through me and I felt something brush against my back.
Whipping around, I hoped to catch some sign of movement, but there were none. There was a low buzzing sound, barely there. I could have been imagining it, but I thought I kept seeing things moving around me. I didn't know what they were or just how many were out there, but it had to be a lot. My heart pounded as I turned in circles, trying to cover my back and my front at the same time. Calm down, you're hallucinating. This isn't real.
The black ghosts kept brushing against me, then moving back and blending in with their surroundings, grabbing at me and trying to drag me along with them. Stop. Leave me alone.
One of them places a large, bony hand over my mouth and choked me while others started dragging me backwards into the heavy darkness. They were all so tightly wrapped around me I could hardly put up a fight if I wanted to. I could feel my insides moving around as they whisked me away, but tried my best to get free. This wasn't right, it couldn't be. These things… What the hell were they? What were they trying to do to me?
I didn't even know how I was supposed to get back and now this happened. I knew they probably weren't going to help me, so if they didn't serve Sebastian, then who? Let me go. I'm not dead yet. I could feel something trying to pull me back, but the farther these things dragged me, the weaker that tie felt. I didn't even want to imagine what would happen if I lost that thin connection. I refused to believe I would be stuck being dragged along for the ride. There has to be something I can do, but what?
A blast of hot air startled me, and the world around me was suddenly bathed in a fiery glow. Screams of pain pierced the air like knives, and moving throngs could just barely be made out in the uneven landscape of charred rock and lava. This isn't right, I have to go back. Damnit I'm not dead yet.
The mob of kidnappers slowly fell away and evaporated until there were just a few of them trying to drag me further into the fiery depths. With my newfound mobility, I tried to worm my way free. Normally I was pretty good at that, but their bony hands didn't budge, and they didn't seem phased by my struggling at all. I might as well have been hanging there limply. I'm have to go back. Sebastian's waiting for me. He said everything was going to be okay. I trusted him, he wasn't going to do this just to send me here. He doesn't want my soul.
They dropped me over a large pit and evaporated with the rest of them. My heart leapt into my throat as I tumbled through the air, not being able to find my sense of balance like I normally would when falling from a high place. This isn't real. I'm going to wake up. I have to go back. I'm not dying here. This isn't how things are supposed to end. Sebastian expects me to wake up. Please…
The world went black again, but only momentarily as I was jolted back into my body. I couldn't fully process everything that was going on around me in enough time and ended up trying to free myself from Sebastian's arms. He pinned me against his chest and tried to calm me. My initial shock eventually wore off, and I was left sobbing into his chest. "That was horrible, what was the place?"
He rubbed my back and gently rocked me back and forth. "Somewhere you won't have to go again." I nodded, mostly to myself and closed my eyes, wrapping my arms around Sebastian's torso. "What's important is that you made it back in one piece."
"That's it?"
"You would be surprised how many people have gotten lost in there."
"Is that what those things were?"
Sebastian paused, and kissed the top of my head, "I suppose you could say that, yes." My heart slowly returned to it's normal pace, and I took a few deep breaths to calm my frayed nerves. I'm fine. I'm safe now. I closed my eyes and climbed the rest of the way into his lap, sighing contently when Sebastian started rubbing my back again. I didn't think I'd be able to sleep after all of that, but it felt natural for. Right now that was what I needed. "I'm happy you made it back in one piece."
"You aren't going to get rid of me that easily, I'm not scare of the dark."
Why is everything so loud? I pulled another pillow over my head and closed my eyes, trying to figure out if my head was throbbing or I was just strangely aware of my own heart beating. It could have easily been something else, there were just way too many sounds to pinpoint the location of one tiny thing. I felt something warm next to me and slowly sat up to find Milo sleeping there. He meowed softly and picked his head up, then promptly went back to sleep. Wait, is that?
He turned over onto his back when I rested my head against his chest, and the pounding only got louder. I can hear his heart? Milo nipped my hand, and stood, moving to the opposite end of the bed and out of my reach. What's gotten into him? Is he mad at me or something?
The door creaked open and Sebastian stepped in. A soft smile crossed his features when he saw me sitting there and he came to sit next to me. "I didn't think you'd be up so soon."
I shrugged and placed my head in his lap. "Is that a bad thing?"
He brushed my hair from my face and shook his head, "The opposite. I'm happy to see everything went so smoothly." I started purring when he rubbed one of my ears and closed my eyes once again. Maybe we'll get to stay like this this time. Warmth slowly spread through me and I started drifting off again. "Oh dear."
I opened one eye and peered up at him, startled when he cradled me in his arms. "Aren't you just the most beautiful creature I have come across."
My ears flattened themselves against me head and I glared at him, a warning growl ripping through my chest. Wait a minute. I tried sitting up to find I had turned into a cat. Sebastian suspended me in the air in front of him, his red-brown eyes sparkling with excitement while he praised me. What the hell did he do? He was turning me into a demon not a cat! I had half a mind to scratch him, but Sebastian rested his forehead against mine and smiled. "I was afraid something like this might have happened. You'll change back eventually."
Eventually? I don't want to spend the day as a cat! I huffed and glared at him, twitching my tail in irritation. "Don't look at me like that. You're fine. It's just a slight mishap."
Mishap my ass. I can't even talk. He tried kissing the tip of my nose, but I put my paw up and pushed his face away. My claws dug slightly into his skin for added effect, but at least I didn't bite him. "Don't be mean."
I squirmed around until he eventually released me and jumped onto the floor. I hadn't really thought this through, so I ended up flopping down in a patch of sunlight and peering out the window. Can't something good happen once without a drawback? Is that really too much to ask? Maybe this was how things were always going to go. The cycle would just keep repeating itself until someone decided enough was enough and left. Even things I was in control of I had no control over.
Sebastian rubbed one of my ears after crouching down next to me and smiled, "I think I might have something that can help."
He left the door open for me and I heard him make his way down the stairs, unsure of if I wanted to follow him or not. There wasn't really a point, but I didn't exactly want to sit here either. I might as well go, I might have to get used to being a cat anyway.
I slowly stood again and made my way over to the stairs. Taking a hesitant step forward, I climbed down the first few, figuring I must have been doing something right before prancing down the rest of the staircase. From the ground everything looked so different, and a lot brighter, but that was probably just from being turned. I don't even know where he went…
A door opened somewhere to my left, and I turned one of my ears towards the sound, waiting for any other signs of movement. A detour couldn't have hurt anything. Sebastian seemed to know where to find me when he needed to. The hall seemed to stretch on for miles, but I finally reached the cracked door and nudged it open.
Dust and the smell of old books overwhelmed me as I slowly entered the library. Paper rustled from further into the room so I followed the sound, starting when one of the books fell off the shelf. My heart skipped a few beats as I skittered backwards and flattened myself against the ground. What the hell was that?
I slowly placed one paw in front of the other, creeping forward to investigate. However, I kept a wary eye on the shelves above. Another one could have been waiting to fall any minute. I tapped the book a few times then backed away, half expecting something to pop out of it. The only thing that met me was a cloud of dust. I sneezed a few times and backed away, satisfied that nothing else was going fall.
Something touched my tail and I whipped around to find Sebastian crouched there. "Hello."
I huffed and sat up a bit straighter. He was having way too much fun with that. He went to pet my head, only to wound up getting bit. Sebastian didn't seem phased, and grabbed my tail again. I went to jump on his arm again, only to be picked up instead. "Behave yourself, otherwise I just might have to keep you like this."
My ears went back and I growled, trying to seem threatening. Although given my current predicament it was probably next to impossible. Why does it have to be cats? Why can't he be this affectionate towards birds? Nobody likes those.
Sebastian picked the book up and placed it back on the shelf, pausing and furrowing his brow as if something was wrong. I climbed onto his shoulder in the moments distraction and balanced there. Although when he turned suddenly I had to dig my claws in for balance. Thankfully Sebastian didn't seem to mind.
He pulled a book off a different shelf before leaving and picking his way through the hallways. Now where are we going?
He stopped in front of a wooden door at the back of the castle and set me on the floor. The gray bricked surrounding the door looked charred, and emitted a strange aura. It felt like a barrier or some sorts, but I couldn't really be sure. "Wait here."
The door flashed a red mark when Sebastian rested his hand on the knob, then stones shifted against one another before there was a loud click. The door swung open into darkness, which Sebastian stepped in to. I wasn't about to stand there as a target for whatever might have been lurking there and started to follow him.
I hissed when something picked me up, but it was just Sebastian returning me to the hall. "I mean it, stay put."
I followed him again, determined to not get left behind. After about the third time Sebastian sighed and let me come along, His footsteps were the only thing I really had to follow him by, but the echoed so many times off the cold floor I think I got turned around several times before the room lit up.
Sebastian stood a few feet away with his back toward me, looking through cabinets until he found what he was looking for. I stood next to him for a few moments, before jumping onto the table to get a better look. He rubbed under my chin for a few moments, before continuing with whatever it was he was doing. It looked like alchemy, I recognized some of the stuff he was using, and the symbols. But I couldn't figure out what he was making, so maybe he was using magic too.
He pulled some metal links from the drawer next to me and measured my neck, leaving an extra inch or so for good measure. He melted the ends together. While the metal cooled he mixed some sparkly black powder and a smaller amount of a yellow one into a decent sized ball of clay.
Sebastian went over to another table and opened another drawer. He poured a bitter smelling liquid into a small glass then came back over, coating the outside of the clay as he flattened it into a square shape. While the liquid slowly evaporated, Sebastian pulled something clear out of a different drawer and put it into a dish to melt over a flame. I vaguely recognized the symbol he carved into the soft clay, but what it was supposed to mean evaded me. Maybe it was something I was supposed to be learning when I had returned home. I was always trying to skip ahead in the lesson books.
Sebastian eyed me when I flopped down on the slightly cluttered desk but didn't say anything. I wasn't in the way of anything he was doing, unless he would suddenly need the papers I was laying on, which I doubted. From the looks of it he was almost done with his project. I don't see how this is going to change me back.
He dropped the amulet in the clear liquid and let it sit there for a few moments, before pulling it out and hanging it to dry. I flopped to the side and meowed softly, hoping Sebastian would pet me again. For the time being, he seemed lost in thought, and hardly paid me any mind. He's been doing that a lot, I wonder what he's thinking about.
I wasn't about to be able to ask him anytime soon, so I wormed my way under his arm and settled myself in front of him and waited. Sebastian still hadn't given any sign that he noticed me sitting there so I tapped his nose with my paw a few times and meowed. His eyes flicked down to meet mine, and I sat back, purring. I rubbed my face against his hand while he stroked me absentmindedly, still off in his own little world.
He stood abruptly and slipped the new necklace over my head. Nothing happened at first, but I slowly shifted back into a human. The wooden bench groaned with my added weight and I slipped to the floor to stand in front of Sebastian. "Thanks, I guess I'm going to have to work on not turning into a cat."
Sebastian nodded,seeming to look just past me. Whatever he was thinking about, it was obvious I wasn't going to be able to help him, or get any sort of verbal response to anything I said. I figured I was better off somewhere else for both our sakes, and stepped around him, hoping I'd be able to make my way back upstairs okay. Maybe later he'l be back to his old self.
I started when Sebastian hugged me from behind and tilted my face towards his, trying to get a better feel for what he was trying to do. "What is it?"
He kissed the top of me head and didn't say anything for a few moments. An eerie silence settled across the crypt-like room before Sebastian finally broke the silence. "I'll come find you later."
"Um… okay."
"Don't get lost."
"I won't." Neither one of us attempted to move, and I placed my hands over his, waiting for whatever was prompting his sudden clinginess to subside. No one thing could have just brought this on, but I wouldn't be any help trying to figure any of it out. I wasn't one to get all touchy-feely about things. I wasn't good with my words. Sebastian never seemed to mind, he seemed content just to hold me for a few minutes before straightening up and pulling away from me. "There's something I have to take care of."
I nodded and stepped back into the darkness, heading in what I hoped was a straight line. Upright it was a lot easier to make my way around, but it felt like hours before I finally stepped into the hall again. Milo pounced on me from his 'hiding' place along the door jam and playfully bit my leg, gazing up at me with his blue eyes. "Well now, look who's talking to me again." He meowed and pranced away a few steps, before bounding back and headbutting me. At least Milo can spend the afternoon with me.
~*Years Later*~
I nudged open the door to Sebastian's new study and dropped my necklace onto his desk. The metal clinked against the hardwood, but he didn't look up, pretending not to notice my presence. I think I did it this time. He still didn't look up, and paused before realizing I had spoken. "That's nice."
My ears flattened against my head and I huffed. You didn't even look.
"I'm busy." Rolling my eyes, I started purring and went around the other side of the desk, slowly worming my way into his lap. Which wasn't very easy since, the small piece of furniture wasn't really made for huge animals. Sebastian let out a frustrated sigh and leaned back and I settled myself the best I could. "Yes, I see."
I yawned and idly twitched my tail, having no intention of moving any time soon. He had been ignoring me all week and I wasn't about to watch him keep himself locked away in here until Ciel popped up and sucked him into the black hole that followed him around. "Adrian, you are not a lap cat."
I'm in your lap, so right now, I'm a lap cat.
"Sitting on me does not make you a lap cat. You are larger than Precious, and she is definitely not a lap cat."
I paused thoughtfully, shifting around a few papers with my tail. But I'm not her. I am me. And I am your lap cat.
His eyes flashed pink and I swiped my tongue along his jawline and nuzzled his neck. You can't stay mad at me.
"I can try." I rested my head on his shoulder when he ran his fingers through the fur around my neck and slowly started to change back. I didn't exactly know how far I would get, but this was a huge step up from the past dozen or so times I had tried to pull this off. I thought I would be naturally gifted when it came to shape shifting since I spent so much time as a partial cat, but I guess it didn't work like that. I still turned into a cat sometimes if I kept the necklace off for too long. I was a lot better at spell casting. Years of alchemy were finally paying off.
I clipped the metal necklace back into place then draped my arms over Sebastian's neck and sighed contently. "This is much better." Sebastian looped his arms around my waist and nodded in agreement. "When's your shadow stopping by?"
Sebastian frowned and yanked me closer, "If anything it my shadow it's you. But I can say I don't know. He operates on his own schedule and I'm not going to interfere with it."
I pulled Sebastian in for a kiss and flattened myself against him. It's been way too long. I should have thought of this earlier. He slipped his fingers into my hair and deepened the kiss leaning forward so my back was pressed against the edge of the desk. Here I was thinking I had been interrupting, but he seemed all too eager to get lost in something else. I didn't think I'd actually get this far.
I started when something hissed loudly in the hallway, followed by a loud thud and running footsteps. "What was that?"
Sebastian sighed and leaned back, running his hand along my thigh. "Ignore it. Draco can handle it." Another loud crash made me doubtful. What the hell was he chasing after? How many of his pets got out? I wasn't about to deal with Ciel and a bunch of snakes roaming around. "It's fine." He brought my hand to his mouth and slowly sucked me back in to what was going on. I didn't believe him in the slightest, but I wasn't about to go investigate, and neither was Sebastian. Between Pyros and Draco, whatever was going on would be dealt with.
"Fine, for now." Sebastian's teeth grazed my neck and I gave his hair a warning tug. He had gotten into the habit of biting me and I wasn't in the mood to deal with it. Consider it punishment for shoving me into magic practice for the past week. He rested his face on my shoulder and smirked up at me, "I wasn't doing anything."
I rolled my eyes and slid to the ground, freeing myself from his grasp. "That's all I came for. Have fun."
He sighed and rested his arm in my path. I could have easily went the other way, or duck under it, but I suppose I could play along with him for now, "Leaving so soon?"
"You're busy, I'd hate for you to have to send Ciel home empty handed. I can always come back later."
He frowned and hooked his arm around my waist again. "Or, here's a thought, you stay and I finish this later."
"I don't know… that sounds irresponsible."
We didn't bother to look over as Ciel portal himself into the room and interjected, "that's because Sebastian is irresponsible."
"I wouldn't say irresponsible… I simply, misplace my priorities from time to time. Is that a crime?"
Ciel and I exchanged knowing looks. He wasn't helping himself by admitting he didn't do what he was supposed to. But I guess he was feeling chipper now that I had wormed my way into one of his 'misplaced priorities'.
He pulled me into his lap when I stood to go and slipped his hand into mine, while Ciel settled himself into the chair opposite. "What haven't you gotten to? I'm starting to look bad."
"Nothing that will make you look good." Ciel's eyes flashed red and Sebastian smirked, already pushing buttons. I sighed softly and got comfortable. This was going to be a long afternoon and it looked like Sebastian wasn't going to let me leave anytime soon. He was lucky I loved him so much or I wouldn't have put up with all of this another day in the house hold.
Gus Kinney: thats it everybody and if you want to know why its called labyrinth its called that cause of Adriana's life
