Sorry for the wait dearies, do forgive me.

Warnings: Mega mindless fluff

Disclaimer: I don't own the show, manga, or characters.. Just the plushies...teehee


Chapter IX

'Why does my body feel so heavy?' Rayna woke, feeling sluggish. She sat up slowly, opening her eyes only to shut them back tightly and hiss at the sunlight streaming in through the window. 'What in the bloody hell happened last night?' The duchess opened her eyes again, this time very carefully. She looked around the room before her eyes settled on the desk by the window. She smiled, seeing quite a few more of those pretty blue roses, and also a red one as well. Something in the back of her mind made her feel somehow that there was something wrong with the picture, but she ignored it, her stomach rumbling as her eyes flitted to the breakfast tray beside the vase. She slowly and painfully walked to the desk and sat down, ignoring the throb in her head as she began eating the jellies and scones. As she ate, she noticed the newspaper, rolled neatly. She unrolled it, mid-chew, and immediately choked on her scone. Smack dab in the middle of the front page was Sebastian and a woman. Kissing. And she was that woman.

"Bocchan, you've been acting most peculiar since last, have I displeased you?" Sebastian knelt before his master, a frown on his stoic features. Ciel did not answer, looking out the window. "Master, I cannot read your mind. Please speak up when you wish to communicate your opinions to me. Until you do, I will be outside, trimming the hedges." The butler stood and left the younger demon in solitude, thinking about the events of the past few days. In his hand were scraps of newsprint. 'Damn these bloody emotions…' A tear fell onto the scraps, and the paper burst into flames.

"Ah fresh air, perhaps this is just what I needed…" A still very much hung-over duchess walked through the gardens, holding her parasol to block the sun. She hummed faintly, not wanting to upset her head any more than necessary. She came to a swing, tied to a sturdy low branch on a lovely apple tree, the buds in full bloom. Adjusting her skirts and sitting down her parasol, she sat, admiring the flowers around her. She felt the wind suddenly pick up and a few blue petals flew past her face, caressing her cheeks like a lover. She looked around, and found it quite odd that she did not see the bush from which they came. She could not dwell on this however, because in a second Sebastian was at her side, his jaw tightened. She looked up at him, worried," Is something the matter, Sebastian?" The demon butler looked around once more before relaxing, "No, my lady. I'm terribly sorry… For interrupting your quiet, and for last night. …I'd promised to keep you from the alcohol, and I failed. Forgive me." He put his hand over his chest, down on his knee. Rayna blushed, remembering the article in the news she'd read earlier. "I-It is fine, Sebastian." She looked away, not daring to look in to those crimson orbs. Sebastian smirked and rose, stepping behind the swing. "My lady, I suggest you hold on tightly." "Huh?" Suddenly she was gliding through the air, giggling, and holding on tightly. Her skirts billowed around her, and her hair came loose from her bun, the wind whipping it around. Sebastian chuckled, pushing her and watching her swing. "I haven't done this since I was a little girl!" "Oh? That's no good then, I must send you higher." Sebastian pushed with more force. Rayna laughed whole-heartedly, as her cousin watched from his office.

"Oh dear, why can't I get this bloody sketch right?" Rayna sighed, perched in a tree, high over the gardens. The owls were out now, the moon high in the sky. As far as she knew, she was the only one awake, as Sebastian had retired to his room about an hour earlier. Although it was chilly, she felt no cold, having gone numb from sitting in the same precarious position so long. How she'd manage to get so very high in a long silk nightgown astounded her, but then again, she was quite an unconventional woman. The wind rustled the silk of her gown as she tried once again to draw the toy Ciel had requested. It was to be a music box depicting a man and woman dancing. Everything was perfect except the faces. She could not come up with features for either of them. 'What music they'd be dancing to would help… Ciel, dammit why can you never be specific?' Suddenly a melodic noise filled the duchess' ears. It swept over her like a blanket of warmth, rich and gentle at one time, making her close her eyes to let every note linger just a while longer. She opened her eyes to see Sebastian at his open window, right next to her. He was playing a violin, staring directly at her. Suddenly gaining inspiration, Rayna scribbled and sketched until the faceless dance partners on the page were she and the butler. Separated by only a few feet of air and a window ledge, in the pale moonlight, Rayna felt as if he were performing a solo just for her.

And he was.