Posting this one early because it's short. Enjoy! (Glad to see there's some of you around! Thanks for the comments. Keep writing them; tell me how you liked the chapter)

Chapter 9

Undertaker offers him a smile and a cup of tea, and Sebastian idly thinks that this is indeed the standard way to react: Put on the kettle.

"I see you've been contracted," the reaper – or ex-reaper – says pleasantly when they sit in the living room. Gregory looks like decoration in here, legs folded underneath him and pressed into the corner of the couch like a pillow. He only pauses to nod at Sebastian before he continues sketching. He looks a little bit paler than yesterday.

Sebastian jerks out of his thoughts with the soft throb of the healing contract mark. "No, you don't see."

"I don't, but now I know that you are indeed contracted." Undertaker shrugs, sipping his tea noisily. "Where is the mark? Underneath your clothes, hmm?"

"If that is a way to make me take off my clothes you are doing it wrong," Sebastian says immediately, earning a laugh from the reaper. "Ciel hid it."

"Of course he did, he's a smart boy," Undertaker mutters. Sebastian is not sure where the reaper got that information from, but it's true, so he just nods.

"Maybe not smart enough," he adds thoughtfully.

Undertaker looks up at that. "Pardon?"

Sebastian shakes his head. He's even gained Gregory's attention, but when the doctor refuses to share information, the artist just goes back to smudging random lines.

"The boy's mother has been sighted in London," Undertake says.

"Before or after you knew she was here?" Sebastian asks.

Undertaker's lips quirk. "After. But I have nothing to do with the reapers noticing her. She did that all on her own." He tilts his head to the side, the bones of his neck cracking. "Things are happening to demons. Nobody actually knows what these things are, but they are considered dangerous."

"Is it a disease?" Sebastian asks.

Undertaker shrugs. "Could be. I don't know. Maybe it's contagious and makes humans explode spontaneously. I thought I better tell you."

"In case I explode?" Sebastian asks with a grin.

"Yeah. I'm a good neighbour, you see?"

Gregory rolls his eyes.

They chat for another hour in which Sebastian is subjected to more tea and homemade biscuits which he accepts without second thought. Undertaker and Gregory have their own agenda, it's not like they are trying to gain anything from having Sebastian around. Besides, it's good to talk to someone outside of work who isn't his brother or Ciel.

When Sebastian returns to his flat he finds said demon lounging on the sofa, staring at the silent TV. Sebastian doesn't suggest he switch it on.

There is a crisp between the boy's lips, and he halves it with a crunch before he looks up to acknowledge Sebastian's presence.

The doctor sits down next to the demon. "I thought your kind doesn't require food."

"Might as well bridge the time until I get actual food," Ciel mutters distractedly. "You have to buy cake."

Sebastian frowns at the boy. "Get it yourself. I'm not your servant."

Ciel rolls his eyes and falls back into the couch, finishing the crisp. "I think I prefer sweet food," he muses. He pierces Sebastian with his gaze.

The doctor gets up and wanders to the bookshelf standing by the wall behind the couch, only so that he doesn't have to look at the demon anymore. Ciel won't have that; he sits up, glaring over the backrest of the couch. "You tricked me."

Despite the sinking feeling in his stomach Sebastian can't hide his amusement very well. Ciel's tone is quite accusing, whiny, like a child that didn't get what he wanted. "I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about," he says smoothly, fully turning to face Ciel.

"You very well do," Ciel says. "The contract. That's how you tricked me. Until you explicitly allow me to take your soul, you said, and for all I know it can take fifty years until you're ready for that."

Sebastian shrugs. "I wouldn't be so pessimistic about this arrangement."

"I'm not pessimistic, I'm angry!"

"You should have thought about amends, then." Sebastian watches as Ciel crosses the room in less than a moment, defiantly looking up at him. His cheeks are pink, probably from his hurt pride, but Sebastian would feel the same way if he was the one tricked. And by a mortal no less. Poor boy. "It's only one human lifespan, tops. That's basically nothing to you."

"Time is still time and now I'm wasting it waiting." Ciel narrows his eyes. "I am capable of starving. You will not like me when I'm hungry."

"I guess I'll go buy that cake, then?" Sebastian offers with a raised eyebrow.

Ciel narrows his eyes at him and if they weren't contracted, Sebastian would be sure that this was his death sentence. Instead Sebastian puts a hand on the boy's shoulder. "It's not going to be that bad, I promise."

"Just hurry up," Ciel whines, sounding pained. He looks at their feet now, scrunching up his nose.

"I'll… try," Sebastian says. They both know it's a lie.

Ciel shakes Sebastian's hand off with a sigh and something falls to the ground. Pushing the demon aside, Sebastian bends to pick it up and holds it against the light.

It's a feather. Judging by the size it must be one of Ciel's. Sebastian imagines it sticking to the boy's clothes after he's retracted his wings, waiting for this moment to fall down.

It's beautiful if not for one disturbing detail.

It's dark grey.