((I'm really happy with how this fanfiction is turning out, but I'd love your guys' opinions on it. A big thank-you to all the faithful followers of this story! You guys give me the encouragement I need to continue it, you really do!))

*Ciel's POV*

Ciel Phantomhive awoke the next morning with a new kind of determination. As he dressed himself, having awoken before Claude had arrived to wake him, Ciel went over his 'plan of action' repeatedly: I will not dwell on Sebastian Michaelis. He left on his own accord and has not returned, therefore there is no point in desiring otherwise. Claude is here, in the present, and that is what I need to focus on. He deserves a chance to suck this poison out of my veins, even if I have to be completely ensnared in spiders' web for him to succeed.

*Hannah's POV*

The door pushed open to reveal the Manor's maid, a soft smile on her painted lips. She adverted her gaze, seeing that Ciel was still buttoning his shirt, "My apologizes, my lord. I came to see if you'd slept well."

"Yes and… thank you, Hannah, for last night's advice," Ciel told her thoughtfully, the last button now in place as he tied the bow around his collar. He looked at her then as determination sparkled in his eyes, his voice confident, "Given the night to think, I believe I'll follow what you've said. You were…right, after all." There was a small pause, but he kept speaking before she could reply, "Find Claude, tell him that I'd like my morning tea now. That ginger bled he so fancies would do - in fact, request it for me. Tell him I'd like the pot brought to the library."

A smile lit up the maid's features at her master's words as she gave a quick, excited curtsy, "Yes, my lord, right away." Turning on her heel, she shut the boy's door behind herself as she swiftly made her way down the hallway and the staircase, to the kitchen where she knew Claude would be that morning. "Claude," she greeted, unable to contain the pleasantness in her voice, "The young master has request you bring him a pot of ginger tea to the library with you."

"Really?" Claude's voice was full of disbelief was he turned his attention to the demoness, "He specifically asked for that?"

Hannah nodded in confirmation, taking the tea out of the cabinets for Claude and setting it on the counter as she spoke, "He did." She paused, trying to find of a vague way to word her thoughts without actually telling the other demon that she'd spoken to his master. After a moment, she decided on, "The young master seems quite happy this morning."

*Claude's POV*

"Does he?" Claude mused softly as he moved to prepare the master's tea, not taking the maid for her word. "We'll see about that," he found himself muttering as he worked. A few minutes later, he'd set the full tea-pot and the accompanying tea-set on a tray. Nodding at the maid, he told her, "If you've lied to me about the master's requests, I'm going to be very cross with you."

The maid merely smiled, shaking her head at him as she asked, "And what reason do I have to lie? The master's orders are absolute, after all; isn't that what you've always said?"

Choosing to ignore her question, Claude turned on his heel and made his way towards the staircase. If Hannah had been accurate, then the young master would be waiting in the library for his tea. Hopefully, his good mood wouldn't vanish upon his butler's arrival…

*Ciel's POV*

When Claude finally entered the library, Ciel was lounged comfortably on the sofa that sat in the center of the reading area, his feet up as he turned the page of whatever book he'd found. He wasn't really reading it, just skimming over the text for appearances. Glancing up at the door opened, he dog-eared the page before setting the paperback to the side. A small smile found its way to the Earl's lips as he greeted his butler, "Good morning, Claude. I take it Hannah relayed the message?"

"Yes, my lord," the demon seemed to hesitate as he stepped closer, setting the tray on the coffee table that sat in front of the sofa. He then took a moment to pour Ciel a cup of the hot beverage as he spoke, "She said you'd requested the ginger blend. I don't recall you ever doing that before."

The Earl shrugged his shoulders, trying to play off the suspicion, "I recall you quite like ginger tea. I thought it appropriate." His own attempts at pushing the butler's curiousness betrayed him, however, because he hadn't meant to say the second sentence at all. For a fleeting moment, he hoped that the demon hadn't heard him… but, of course, he had.

Claude cocked his head to one side as he handed the master his tea and asked, "Appropriate for what exactly, my lord?"

Gulping, Ciel tried yet again to push the questions aside, "Ah, never mind that… have some, if you'd like; I'm quite aware that you don't need to drink to survive, but that doesn't mean you can't." He sipped at the spiced tea, watching the butler over the rim of his mug as he added, "Besides, it'd be bad etiquette to deny your master's request." He kept his words light, teasing, not wanting this conversation to turn sour.

The butler's suspicion was more than visible in his golden eyes as he nodded, "Very well, master." Pouring himself a cup of the tea he'd prepared, he slowly moved to sit at the Earl's side, leaving plenty of space between them - almost to the point that it was too formal.

Rolling his eyes discretely at the butler's actions, he made their positions slightly more casual by unfolding his legs and setting them across the demon so that his calves rested on Claude's lap. "As to my schedule," he commented lightly, "Clear it. I'd like to spend the morning like this." He gestured vaguely at the two of them with his free hand as he sipped at his tea, shrugging, "It seems preferable to paperwork anyways."

"Yes.. my lord," Claude's reply was hesitant. A smile finally started to appear on his lips as he took a drink from his own tea-cup

From there, they launched into a casual conversation about the Manor's decor, then onto the Queen's current policies, and so on and so forth until they were chuckling at one another's witty comments; it was halfway through one of these laughs that Ciel found himself yawning, rubbing his eyes tiredly. The daylight had came and went hours ago, and a quick glance at the library's clock revealed that it was nearly midnight. He wasn't sure how he'd spent so long talking to the butler, but it hadn't been entirely unpleasant; in fact, he'd rather enjoyed himself.

Claude's voice was soft, almost tired despite the fact that demons rarely slept, "Master, perhaps you should retire to your bedroom. It's gotten quite late." Even with this said, the butler made no move to get up from the sofa, nor did he move the Earl's legs off his lap.

Yawning again, Ciel shook his head as he turned around on the couch so that his feet rest against the arm of the couch, his head against Claude's side. "I believe… I'd rather stay here tonight, if you don't mind," he mumbled as he let his azure eyes shut. The demon he sat with spoke no words, but his arm moved to hold the Earl close; Ciel sighed contently at this, murmuring a final, "Goodnight then, Claude…"