Chapter 11

Vincent sat down next to Gilbert on the couch and took his hand.

"Brother, you're very warm." He said, putting a hand on his forehead. Gilbert didn't care at the moment. He felt delirious and dizzy, and he wished he had never left his bed. It wasn't that much of a big deal; Sebastian's whereabouts weren't that important. It's not like the man was really hiding in every shadow, watching every move he made. He could easily get back to sleep not knowing where he was and not have to worry about it. Sebastian was, after all, just a simple butler, hired by Vincent or not. Sure Sebastian was eerie and creepy, and he snuck up behind him at the most unexpected times…

Oh, fuck. Who was he kidding? He needed to know where Sebastian was before he so much as rested his eyes.

"Here, I'll help you back to your room."

Gilbert's stomach clenched as Vincent offered him his help. He looked up at his younger brother and pulled his arm out of his grasp.

"I can do it, thank you." He said, rather curtly. He stood up and was out of the room before Vincent could say anything more.

He walked slowly, keeping one hand on the wall to steady himself. He had to find Sebastian. He had to know what that creep was up to, if he was being watched from the shadows… He realized that he really, really needed to stop freaking himself out.

But still…

Just out of paranoia, he looked over his shoulder to find that he was alone in the empty, candle lit hallway. Somehow being alone did not feel any better than being watched.

He had to take his mind off the subject somehow. What time was it, anyway? All the windows he passed had the curtains drawn lightly so that not even a flicker of sunlight could be let in. That is, if there was any sun.

"Maybe he's down in the servants corridors." Gilbert mumbled to himself as he took a left down a side hallway. He had to stumble down a couple of steps before he reached the basement.

Through his brain fog he vaguely remembered what had happened the first time he had come down this hallway on his way to the library. How long ago had that been? A month? A week? Just a couple of days? The third guess was stupid; he knew it had been longer than that.

Gilbert stopped to rest, leaning his back against the cool stone wall and resting the back on his hand against his forehead. He wished he could think straight. He hated being ill and he hated how his brain could turn itself around in circles over a freaking butler. His mind took another turn, and he remembered what it had been like one time when Oz had had a cold. He had been kept in bed for two days (against his will, of course) and Gilbert had stayed with him, listening to the blonde's complains and gripes about how he 'wasn't that sick'.

Gilbert hadn't cared, not in the least. If anything he was worried about his precious master and had wanted him to get better quickly-

"Ooohh.."

…The Hell was that? Gilbert picked his head up and looked around. He had sworn he had heard someone… moan?

"Oh…M-Mr. Sebastian… H-harder…nehhg~"

Sebastian?! There was a grunt, and what sounded like something big and heavy be moved across the floor several inches - something roughly the size of a bed. Another exclamation of surprise and… pleasure?!

It was coming from behind the doorway right across from him. Gilbert pressed his ear against the wood and nearly jumped back when a woman shrieked, then giggled. Then, he heard someone else, a man, so it sounded, chuckle. Low, soft, and so utterly unmistakable.

He heart movement from the other side of the door. Words were being exchanged, but he couldn't quite catch all of them.

"I thank you, Miss Anne." Anne. Damnit! He knew her. She had no family and had been taken in as an orphan to work in the House. Even after something like that, he found he didn't have the heart to tell on her and have her fired.

"It was my pleasure, Sebastian-sama."

Holy shit was that really-?!

Gilbert leaped backward just as the doorknob turned from the other side, and out stepped Sebastian, clad in black and fixing his tie. He was looking over his shoulder, grinning Anne before carefully closing the door behind him. He was looking very pleased with himself he had just… just… DAMNIT! He couldn't even find the words to describe what had just happened. Wait a second… This was not uncommon. This was the first time he personally had heard something such as that coming from the maid's corridors, but that still didn't mean it was that big of a deal. Why the hell did he care who Sebastian fucked?

Sebastian's red-brown eyes found Gilbert then, and for a moment they flickered with surprise. But that was gone, and quickly as it came. He bowed low to Gilbert, grinning at him slyly. "I believe I have told you once before that it is not proper to eves drop, Young Master."

Gilbert mouth opened and closed several times, almost saying the words which seemed to be caught in his throat. Finally, they all came out:

"Where the hell have you been?!"

Why. Do. I. CARE?! It was really starting to bother him that he could not find an answer to that question. And why had he said that, of all the things that were running through his mind? He should have at least yelled at Sebastian for scolding him like a child.

Well, you are kind of acting like a child, Gil.

Sebastian smiled as him. There was a flicker of something behind his usually unreadable eyes; something that did not belong there. Was it… Sadness? Gilbert blinked, and it was gone, and, standing before him, was Sebastian; tall, dark, and sinister. Just like Gilbert knew him to be.

"Young Master? You were looking for me? My deepest apologies. I was here." He nodded over his shoulder at the door of which he had just come from behind. Gilbert could still here Anne giggling from behind it. "You were sleeping so soundly I thought you wouldn't notice."

"No, I mean before. You were out. Vincent said you had errands to run."

He saw Sebastian's eyes narrow before they were hidden behind a curtain of sleek black hair as he bowed his head. "I am afraid that is true, Young Master. I had personal business to attend to that was to take place outside the Nightray Manor."

Gilbert looked over his shoulder and up just to keep his eyes away from Sebastian's soul-searing ones. "Hm. Whatever. You damned pervert."

"Again, my deepest apologies. But, Young Master,"

Gilbert looked at him sideways. He was very sure the position he was currently in looked very strange to those looking on, but he didn't much care. "Hm?"

"You said that you were looking for me. Is there something that you needed?"

"What?" Gilbert asked stupidly. What had a needed? He had woken up to find Sebastian gone and- "Oh! Uhh…" He mentally spanned himself for sounding like such an idiot.

Sebastian chuckled, putting his finger to his lips as if to try and hide it. The sound made Gilbert's already sore back go ridged. "Oh my," the butler said, playfully. "Was my Young Master worried because he woke up and I was not by his side? Where you, perhaps, jealous?" (Why did it sound like he had just said that exact thing not too long ago?)

Gilbert's fits clenched and his teeth ground, which was not helping his steadily growing headache at all. He was many things, he had to admit, but of all of them, there was no way he was jealous of anything or… anyone Sebastian did. And that was the second time he had been accused of being jealous as far as Sebastian was concerned.

"No, I was not. Am not." Gilbert snapped. Sebastian didn't even flinch. He just met Gilbert's cold gaze with an even colder, lifeless stare, with that stupid grin plastered onto his face.

That was really that last thing he saw before his head gave a painful throb that send him down to his knees. He felt a hand catch under his arm, and he was half aware that he was being lifted to his feet and hurried out of the servant's corridors. As if he was watching from elsewhere, he saw Sebastian lift him gently up onto the bed and pull the covers up to his chest.

Sebastian watched solemnly as Gilbert's eyes closed and his breathing became steady and slow, his chest rising and falling evenly. He knighted, and rested his forehead against the tips of his fingers as he watched the dark haired boy sleep. Then he turned on his heel and walked out the door, closing it softly behind him. He leaned against it in a moment of weakness and heaved another sigh.

He muttered words under his breath that were totally out of his character. "This is… extremely annoying."

"Oh, Sebastian! There you are!" Sebastian looked up, and Vincent was stride towards him.

Vincent smiled his child-like smile as he approached Sebastian. It sent thrills through his heart to see the look of utter hatred that spread across Sebastian's face as he saw him.

"There you are!" He said again as he stood in front of the tall, thin butler. "Gilbert was looking for you."
"Yes." Sebastian said flatly. "He is resting now."

Vincent made a tutting sound and shook his head as if in disapproval. "My poor Big Brother. I hope he gets better soon."

"It will only take a few more days of rest before he's on his feet again."

Vincent looked up at Sebastian, eyes shinning with glee. The butler was impossible to read, and he knew all too well that he could also be an incredible danger, but he also knew a way to stall. Vincent knew what Sebastian was here for, but he wanted to see just how long this little game could last.

He held out an envelope to Sebastian, sealed with the symbol of Pandora. "Here." Sebastian took it. "Give to my brother once he's awake."

Sebastian bowed stiffly. "I shall."

Again, Vincent smiled at him before almost skipping away.

A/N:

Hello everyone! Long time no see!

I know it's been a while, and this story seems to be dragging on and on, but worry not, I HOPE to make things fit together soon.

So, as you can already tell, Sebastian is, again, at the center of everything. Vincent's being a creeper, and poor Gil is just as confused as ever.

It might take a while to write chapter 12, seeing as I have so much reading to do and only a short amount of time to do it plus everything else that is going on in my life, but I promise you it will happen.

I read over this as best I could without getting too bored, (I hate my own writing. When I read it, it makes me sleepy and pissed) but if I made any errors please let me know.

Comments are welcome and thank you for your support!

~Thorn of the Rose