A/N: Hi! Don't I know you all from somewhere? Alright. I know that I have a little explanation here. I promise I'll keep this short and sweet. Lightning round FAQs: Yes, we're back to regularly scheduled programming. I came back last Monday, but I was too drained from the trip to do much of anything. No, we're not doing bomb week. Not yet anyway. I'll talk more about that at the end when we have a little more time together, but until then, I'll shut up and you can get back to reading, ok? It's been two weeks, so how about a quick recap?
Where we last left off, Sebastian was fresh off a trip from Hell to see Ciel through the doorway in the basement of Phantomhive Manor. He just needed a shoulder to cry on and sought refuge in the young lord's arms. Also, Ciel is currently in possession of the remote that controls Lucifer's shock collar that Marcelina was so kind to give him. Oh! And we're all cuddled up with Sebastian in bed. And now, we bring you to the next morning!
Do I sleepwalk or something? Because I sure as hell don't remember going to bed with Sebastian. But if he didn't mind, I don't either. Ok, Lumi. Back track. I had that weird ass nightmare with that weirder guy in white that said he knew me and that I'd be shown a path to salvation or something like that. Whatever it was, it was enough to freak me out and bring me to Sebastian's bed. He was a warm body. A really...really warm body. And I'm sure he wouldn't turn me away.
In fact, he was...holding me. Like he never wanted any harm to ever come to me. I've felt this before. Maybe with my dad when I was younger? No. Not him. I knew what snuggling with my dad was like. This was different. This felt so familiar. So safe. And I kind of wanted it to never end.
Don't even get me started on what kind of an angel this man looked like while he was asleep. The very image of purity. And I could just eat him up. I rested my head on his chest and laid there just a little while longer. That's all I'd need. All of a sudden, I felt a pair of arms tighten around me. Like a reflex, I curled into it. I guess Sebastian was cool with it.
"Good morning to you as well, Ms. Olivier," his voice shook me to my core, sending chills throughout my body.
"Oh..." the flames in my cheeks burned bright, "I'm sorry. I didn't know you were awake. I'll just...go then."
"I never said you had to go," Sebastian stopped me, "Are you alright, though? May I ask why you came to my room at two o'clock this morning?"
He was awake then, too? Really batting a thousand here, Lumi, "Well..."
"Perhaps a nightmare?" he assumed.
It's scary when he's in my head, "Yeah. I guess I needed something..."
How the hell was I going to describe this? I barely remember it. It felt like an insatiable itch in my brain that I wanted to scratch at until it bled, but it wouldn't do any good. Every time I go to scratch it, it moves. A lot of things have been like that lately.
"What is it?" Sebastian worried, "Please tell me."
"I don't know," I sighed out, "Something that felt tangible. Something that felt real. Something that felt like the only thing to matter."
"Well, darling," Sebastian held me closer, "Never hesitate. However, I must admit. It did catch me a tad off guard to find you in my bed. I believe the terms are you buying me dinner first."
"You're starting to sound like me," I giggled, "I'm not being a bad influence on you, am I, Sebastian?"
"Far from it," he cuddled me, "You're nothing if not the best influence. Are you up for some house hunting today?"
"I would love to go house hunting with you," I laid my head back on his chest. This felt right. Like this was meant to be. And I wasn't going to complain, "Where are we starting?"
"I was thinking," Sebastian laid me on the bed. What the hell, man? I was comfortable there, "we start with a townhouse near central London. Somewhere in the Westminster area. How does that sound?"
"Wonderful," my face lit up, "There's a gorgeous rose garden in Westminster, if I remember correctly."
"What did you just say...?" his head snapped toward me. I might as well have slapped him across the face out of a weird trance.
"There's a rose garden," I gave him a look, "It's in the Westminster area. I was doing a travel piece for the magazine and that was where I did a lot of my work. The weather had been beautiful and I couldn't sit inside, so I brought my laptop and worked."
"Is that all you remember of the rose gardens?" Sebastian studied my face very closely, "You don't remember anything else?"
"No." What the hell was with him this morning? Sebastian's been a bit eccentric since we met, to say the least. But something was off. Even for him.
"Alright then," he let out a heavy, depressed sigh, "I guess we should be off. Would you like any help?"
"With what?" I got out of bed and started digging through my bag for something to wear today. I wanted to go with a pair of really tight jeans, but I couldn't even find any. I could've sworn I packed some. But the more I dug through my clothes, the more confused I got. I don't remember packing any of this.
"Showering," Sebastian suggested, "Getting dressed. Getting ready. I can do just about anything."
"Um..." I blushed, "I'm a big girl. I think I can handle it."
Was he serious? I mean, I appreciated the sentiment and I'm sure he had all good and pure intentions, but that'd be a little uncomfortable. He did say he was a butler at one time. Maybe it just never left. But I was more than capable of taking care of myself. When I got up and went into the bathroom, my heart stopped. It had to be recently renovated. The shower alone could fit Sebastian and me at the same time. And I loved it. The bronze on the fixtures seemed like something I would've picked.
Oddly enough, the entire bathroom seemed like stuff I would've picked. The bronze on the fixtures, the clawfoot bathtub separate from the shower, the pedestal sink, the accent colors. This looked like something I would've done, right down to the letter. Whoever Sebastian's interior designer is deserves an award.
Aesthetics aside, what really sold me was the water pressure on the shower. That water pressure...Oh, god...It beat the hell out of me and it felt absolutely incredible. I wanted to live here. Despite how much I love my apartment in New York, I loved Sebastian's house in London. And with the beautiful Phantomhive Manor just down the road. This place seemed almost perfect. Like home. I'd have to ask Sebastian about its history. Something about it felt like an old, renovated cathedral.
"Hey, Sebastian," I walked back into the bedroom in a towel with no shame, "What are the specs on this house?"
"Oh, my, Ms. Olivier," he looked me over like a piece of candy, "Albeit inappropriate, might I say how ravishing you look right now?"
"Do tell," I giggled, doing a little spin for him, "You think so?"
"I'm sorry," Sebastian apologized, "You were asking me a question. What did you want to know?"
"What are the specs on this house?" I repeated.
"Three bedrooms, two bathrooms," Sebastian ran through them, unable to take his eyes off me, "Only two owners. Built in the mid-nineteenth century."
"Was this place ever a church?" I wondered, "Something about it feels very divine."
"Not a church," he assured, "We wouldn't want to burst into holy fire, would we?"
"Oh, come on," I jabbed, "So you saw me in a towel. Big deal. We're no saints."
"Very true," Sebastian's slight laughter warmed my heart all the way through, "You're very beautiful in a towel, though."
"Thank you," I blushed, curtseying a little, "Do you know anything about who owned this before?"
"The young Lord Phantomhive owned this at one time," he went on, "The day before he died, he fully signed over the rights to his butler."
"Why would he will it to his butler?" I wondered, "That's awfully generous."
"Because he had no one else," Sebastian's heart shattered in his eyes, "Lord Phantomhive and his butler were rather close."
"Sebastian," I felt like such a huge bitch. All I wanted to do was give him a hug and a blanket, but I didn't want to set him off, "Are you ok?"
"Ms. Olivier," he asked, "Have you ever wondered why I took such a special interest in the Phantomhive family?"
"Why?" A few ideas had come to mind. Special interest. Hobby, maybe. Possible relation. Obsession borderlining stalker levels. My mom had one with the occult for a while, but it made for some killer bedtime stories. Maybe that was the same with Sebastian and the Phantomhives.
"My family served the Phantomhives," Sebastian told, "Since the young lord was eleven. After Vincent and Rachel met their untimely demise. However, in the young master's will, he also freed us from his servitude. He wanted us to live our lives autonomously. I'm not sure what happened with their bloodline, but I know where his son is and there's a granddaughter somewhere in America, too."
"Your family knew the Phantomhives?" I had a lot of information to wrap my head around. So, that's why Sebastian gets so defensive when I bring up Ciel. I could understand, though. He probably heard stories about him from his grandfather. Going by the looks of their house, the walls of that place could tell a story or two, I'm sure.
"Yes," he nodded, wrapping his arms around me, "But enough of that. Shall we?"
"Ok," I wasn't going to push him anymore about it. That's one of those things that I know better than to ask him about it directly. All that aside, we had things to do today.
We were going house hunting. I get to be Sebastian's wife for the day. I don't know anyone that would object to that. Our first house was a townhouse in the middle of London. Judging by the outside, this place wasn't bad. Definitely out of my price range, but I'm sure Sebastian could afford it. The location was perfect, the outside was gorgeous, and I wanted to live here.
"Sebastian, sweetheart," I played it up for the real estate agent, wrapping myself around Sebastian's arm, "We haven't even gone inside yet, but I love this one."
"In good time, darling," he retaliated, shooting me a quick wink.
"Anyone would love this house," our real estate agent chimed in, "It was once owned by nobles. An earl."
"It's like they find you," I poked at my "husband", "It wouldn't happen to be the Phantomhive family, would it?"
"I'm not sure, dear," she thought it over, "I could find out, though."
"It's fine," I brushed her off, laying my head on Sebastian's shoulder, "I'm sure it did at one point."
Ring, ring!
"That's not me," Sebastian looked down at me.
"It's me," I took my phone out of my pocket, "Sorry. I have to get this. I'll be right back, ok?"
"Take your time," he kissed my forehead and sent me on my merry way.
I slid my finger across my phone screen, "Hello?"
"Hey, Lumi!" a sweet, little voice chirped, "It's Marcelina."
"Hey, Marcelina," I smiled, "What's up?"
"Where are you?" she asked.
Dammit! I totally forgot! Marcelina and I had a date, "I'm so sorry, sweetie."
"For what?" Marcelina wondered, "I'm sitting in the studio and I'm waiting on you. You coming down?"
"I completely spaced," I apologized all over myself, "I'm in London right now with Sebastian for the weekend. He said he needed someone to go house hunting with and after he finished my article on you, I couldn't say no."
"Relax," she shut me up, "It's fine! Great, actually!"
"You're not mad?" I bit my tongue.
"God, no!" Marcelina sang, "And if you're with Sebastian, that's even better! Besides, there's always next weekend. Now, I have a little time to make some new samples and do some experimenting. Just promise me you'll be in here next weekend."
"Pinky promise!" I assured, "Next weekend, I'm all yours."
"Awesome!" she squeaked, "Love you! Bye!"
Click.
My god, that girl had some energy. Then again, I could be like that, too, when the situation called for it. I can't believe I forgot about Marcelina. I had such a guilty feeling in the pit of my stomach. Did I just abandon her for Sebastian? She seemed to be pretty cool with it. In fact, by the sounds of it, she insisted.
"Ms. Olivier," Sebastian came out on the front porch, "Is everything alright?"
"Yeah," I let out a heavy sigh, "It was Marcelina."
"And?" he sat next to me, "What did she have to say?"
I laid my head on his shoulder, "You took me away from her, Sebastian."
With those few words, I felt him jump. Like I should've shot his puppy in the face while he watched. As if my guilt wasn't bad enough, "I'm sorry. I didn't know you and Marcelina had a prior engagement."
"It's fine," I settled him, taking his hand, "We're going next weekend instead. A simple rescheduling and everything's ok."
"What were you going to do?" Sebastian asked, his grip tightening a bit.
"She wanted me to come to her studio," I told him, "And we were probably going to jam. Marcelina's a really good piano player."
"I thought my piano felt different," his sadness had been quickly replaced by a soft smile.
"You play?"
"Yes, I do," Sebastian nodded, "I'll play for you one day, Ms. Olivier. I promise."
"Thank you," I cuddled into him, "What now?"
"I don't think this is the house," he graciously accepted my affection, "We have one left to see. This one is out in the country. Are you ready?"
"As ready as I'm going to be," I got back up, "Shall we?"
And just like that, we were off to the second house. This one was better than the townhouse. Much bigger than the townhouse. It reminded me of a smaller version of Phantomhive Manor. No wonder Sebastian liked this house. Honestly, though, I couldn't blame him. This place was pretty damn nice. I'd take this place over the townhouse in a heartbeat.
When we first walked in, this place felt familiar. Really familiar. As a gut reaction, I went toward the lounge. I don't understand. I've never been here, yet I could probably navigate this house with my eyes closed. Or wickedly drunk. Sure enough, this place had a fully stocked bar. Fantastic. A drink sounded wonderful right now anyway. I hope the current owners won't mind.
"Ms. Olivier," Sebastian came in, "What are you doing in here by yourself?"
"I'm taking a little bit of their brandy," I poured myself a drink, "Five o'clock somewhere, right?"
"Not here for another two hours," he wanted to take it from me. I could see it all over his face, but he wasn't going to. Instead, Sebastian poured his own and sat with me, "So, what do you think?"
"About the house?"
"Yes," Sebastian nodded, "What else?"
"I only saw in here," I pointed out, "I didn't even get the chance to look in the other rooms. Just came in here and made a drink. Almost felt like second nature, but like I shouldn't have been in here alone."
"I once heard that you should never drink alone," he tipped his glass to me, "Because drinking alone is too sad."
"Sounds like something I'd say," I chuckled to myself.
"Honestly, though," Sebastian topped off, "What do you think about the house?"
"It reminds me of Phantomhive Manor," I smiled, "Is this another forgotten Phantomhive property?"
"I don't know," he bit his lip, "By the way, Ms. Olivier, would you care to accompany me on a date this evening?"
"What?" I gave him a look, "That was a bit out of left field. Really?"
"If it's not too much to ask."
At this point, saying no to him was damn near impossible. Saying no to that face felt unholy, "I'd love to. Where are we going?"
"Near Phantomhive Manor," Sebastian pulled me back onto my feet, "Why don't you go back to the house and I'll get everything taken care of?"
"Ok," I fell into his chest. And I felt like I could be infinitely happy right here. Sebastian's arms felt like the safest and warmest place in the world.
I got in the back of a cab and went back to Sebastian's. That man makes it really hard not to fall in love with him. There was no fighting it anymore. I'm pretty sure my feelings for Sebastian could be called love. I thought of him on a regular basis. He was usually the main focus of my aimless daydreams in the office. Now that he was actually going to be working in the office, I don't know how the hell I'm going to get anything done.
Nonetheless, I had to go get ready for our date. I just hope to all holy and unholy that Regina doesn't figure out Sebastian from the office is Sebastian from my building and my date she destroyed me for. I pushed open the bedroom door where all my luggage was and found a deep blue dress on my bed with silver coordinates and a note.
This one.
All my love,
Sebastian
I don't know why I should be surprised. Sebastian was a hopeless romantic with heavy emphasis on the hopeless part, but I was falling for him. I was falling hard and falling fast, but I was perfectly fine. I knew who'd be there to catch me. I might not have had to understand why, but I'm pretty sure the feelings were mutual.
Wait a second. When did he even get this? How did he know my size? Because it fit perfectly on my frame. Like it was custom made for me. But it looked so Victorian and I loved it. I don't know how it got here or where it came from, but honestly, I didn't care. If this was what Sebastian wanted, I guess I'd be ok in indulging him a bit.
A/N: Let me tell you something, kids. It's hard as hell to get back in the swing of things when you've been gone as long as I've been. Writing this today was such an uphill struggle. I just hope to God it's not this hard to write for Ouran tomorrow. So, if the next couple weeks, chapters are up late at night or they suck, I'm sorry. I'm regaining the muscle here.
I wish I could say my vacation was pleasant. It was for about twenty percent of the time. The other eighty sucked nads. However, more pressing matters, I'm not doing bomb week this month. BUT! Starting on July 3rd and finishing strong on July 7th, I will be doing Kuroshitsuji bomb week. That is in stone in my planner in pen. Ok? So, another three weeks. We'll be alright until then, right? See you next chapter! xx
