A/N: This is mostly a filler chapter. I also thought it was about time things lightened up a bit...how long will that last?

I'm not in love with Alois, Sebastian read. Ciel's laptop was sprawled over his chest, hands still over the keyboard. He was both beautiful and comical looking at the same time. Sebastian sighed and bent down, gently prying the laptop away. He typed.

I love you, Ciel. He quickly pressed backspace and set the laptop down on the coffee table. Ciel stirred a bit, mumbling something incoherent in his sleep. Sebastian smiled a bit, watched Ciel for a moment, and then left. He retired to his bedroom and fell asleep, the nightmares that had plagued him two nights previously left no trace. He only dreamed of Ciel, holding his hand, pulling him down the street, like Sebastian had seen the men called William and Grell doing.

When Sebastian awoke, he felt oddly refreshed. "I'm having dinner with Ciel," he said aloud, almost not believing it. "I'm really having dinner with him. A date. A real date!" He looked in the mirror; a grin stretched over his face. Sebastian felt like dancing, he felt like opening the window and shouting to the world: "I'm going on a date with the love of my life!"

And within a second, inexplicably, his overwhelming sense of joy dissipated. Typical. What if Ciel doesn't really like you back? What if he's just trying to be nice? He already knows you're in love with him, maybe he's just trying to make you feel better. That's what he does, right? He helps you, he makes you happy, he saves you. Time and time again, Ciel saves you. He admitted it himself once, that he was supposed to be your saviour, maybe that's all this is.

Sebastian shook his head. Stop over-analyzing this, Sebastian! He wouldn't ask you out if he weren't over Alois, right? He wouldn't be so cruel...But Sebastian knew that was a lie. Ciel could be cruel. Indirectly, unaware of it, unintentionally, but cruel nevertheless. Remember when he asked you if you loved him? He knew full well that you wouldn't be able to answer, and then he just flicked it off, like it was nothing. "But that's because of Alois. He couldn't get too close to me, because of him. But he's over Alois now." Again, Sebastian knew in his heart that that wasn't true. Ciel would always love Alois, at least a little bit. That was human nature. Just like Sebastian would always love Ciel, even if things never did quite work out. You can't stop loving someone, not completely. But things will work out, and I won't have to even think about not loving him.

He jumped into the shower; his hand was already mostly healed. For a moment, Sebastian contemplated scrubbing it again, until it was pink. But he couldn't bring himself to, remembering Ciel's face full of concern and terror. I won't make that mistake again, Ciel. I don't want to make the wrong decision.

After Sebastian turned off the water and toweled off, he dressed, pulling on a black sweater and black jeans with Converse sneakers. He combed his hair, letting it fall neatly right above his eyes. He rinsed the sink out and then rinsed the shower. After the bathroom looked sufficiently clean, Sebastian quietly walked down the corridor, trying not to wake Ciel. It was only about 7:30, after all.

"Sebastian?"

Too late. Ciel was awake, groggily stretching. "God, I'm sore," Ciel said, rubbing his shoulder. "Did I fall asleep when I was typing, yesterday?"

"I guess you must have been tired," Sebastian replied. "I-I set your laptop on the table, I left it on, just in case." Sebastian didn't tell him that he had seen what Ciel had been typing, although he was sure Ciel would figure it out. "I have to go to work now, Ciel. You'll pick me up then, for-for dinner?"

Ciel seemed to be in a different world. "Huh?"

"Dinner, you invited me to dinner." Sebastian shifted awkwardly.

"Oh, oh yeah. I'll be round the shop at say, six?"

"That would be perfect," Sebastian said, and he meant it. He wrapped a scarf around his neck, and put on his coat, closing the door, only once. He nearly flew down the steps, mood soaring high again, forgetting his momentary bad thoughts.

Sebastian walked, briskly, a spring in his step that had never been there before. He almost smiled at people as they hurried past him, going off to their own various workplaces. Sebastian unlocked the door of the book shop, flipped the open sign over, and closed the door, again, only once. Am I really getting better? Finally? It would be temporary. It always was. Eventually some new problem, some new conflict, would arise, and he would fall back into the depths of despair. At least Ciel will be there. I know he will.

Sebastian wiped off the counter and bookshelves, despite the fact that absolutely no dust had collected over the weekend. He picked up a random book, The Great Gatsby, and began to read, sinking into the chair behind the counter.

It was still dark outside, and there was no use wasting the electricity, seeing as the bills really couldn't be paid. The proprietor was still ill and hadn't bothered giving Sebastian the money set aside for expenses; it was only a matter of months before the shop would close.

The door swung open, and in walked a young woman with thick-rimmed glasses and pigtails. She strode up to the counter, and threw a pile of books atop it.

Sebastian stared.

"Got anything to say, Mister?"

Sebastian shook his head. "Are you alright, Miss?"

"No! No I am most certainly not 'alright.' Two weeks ago you told me you sold manga. These are comic books."

"I'm sorry, Miss. I'll-"

"Do you not know the difference?!"

Sebastian tried to scoot his chair closer to the wall. "I-I'm afraid not, but I'll refund-"

"Pathetic! Here, this is a manga." She thrust a picture on her phone at him.

Sebastian stared at it, eyes widening. On the picture was a young man with red eyes and black hair, standing next to a prepubescent boy. They were both drawn in a cartoonish way, with a Japanese flair to them. The man with red eyes looked strikingly like Sebastian, and the little boy looked like a much younger version of Ciel. "What is this?" He asked.

The young woman laughed. "As if I'd tell you." She shuffled the various books around, and pointed at one of them, randomly. "Do you see the difference between that, and this?"

Sebastian nodded.

"Good. You should buy some. 'Cause, no offense, but this place is a ghost town. Maybe if you actually sold some good stuff, you'd get customers."

Sebastian nodded again.

"You don't talk much, do you?"

Another nod.

The woman laughed, again. "I'm Mey-Rin. And you are-" She read his name tag. "Sebastian." Suddenly her eyes widened. She studied Sebastian more closely. "Bloody hell, no way!" She drew her phone out again, and snapped a photo.

"Wh-what are you doing?"

Mey-Rin was shaking her head. "The resemblance is striking. You're gorgeous, you look just like him! You just don't have the right eyes. Have you, by chance, ever been a butler?"

What is going on? "Umm, no. No, I haven't."

"What a shame. You'd be a great one."

"Oh, thank you-"

Mey-Rin cut him off. "Oh my god, do you know anybody named Ciel?"

Well, he is the love of my life. "Yes, yes I do-"

Mey-Rin cut him off again, with a loud squeal. Sebastian jumped. "Miss, are you-"

"Holy shit, I-I can't. I just can't. You should get Ciel and bring him here, like, right now! We can take pictures together. Do you cosplay? Oh my god, my brother has a suit, and we could paint your nails-"

Honestly, what on earth is going on? Is it almost six, yet?

"How does that sound?" Mey-Rin was bouncing on her toes, eyes glistening with- are those tears? Is she sad or happy? I can't tell. "Tell me, tell me! Can I paint your fingernails black?"

Is this what all social encounters are like? I hope not. "I'm sorry, Miss, but-"

"Call me Mey-Rin!"

"Oh, okay, Mey-Rin, I have no idea what you are talking about. If it would be alright, I would like to continue this book." Sebastian held up his copy of The Great Gatsby.

Mey-Rin frowned. "But-but..."

Sebastian looked away from her, and down at the open book in his lap.

"Sebastian!"

He jumped again.

Mey-Rin was staring at him, a deep frown etched on her face. "Can I at least take a picture with you?"

"Didn't you already take a picture of me?"

"Of you, yes, but not with you." Mey-Rin suddenly darted behind the counter, kneeling next to Sebastian. She held up two fingers, the peace sign, and smiled hugely. Sebastian, more confused than ever before, awkwardly smiled.

"Thank you! Thank you, thank you! Thank you a million times!" Mey-Rin admired the photo for a moment and hugged the phone to her chest. "Have a wonderful day, Sebastian!" She winked, waved, and then, she was gone.

"What was that?" Sebastian said aloud. He looked at the counter, there was still a pile of comic books. He jumped up, gathering them. When he opened the door, Mey-Rin was already long gone. He sighed and organized them, putting them in the comic section of the shop.

Sebastian continued reading his book for another hour or so, before deciding to clean. He bent down underneath the counter and took out the wipes, disinfectant, and a rag. He cleaned every inch of the shop. Hours hours went by, nobody came.

Eventually, Sebastian began to doze off. He drifted in and out of awareness, eyes still open, and then, they closed. He succumbed to the heavy darkness and boredom of the shop. He expected to dream of Ciel. Instead, he dreamed of Mey-Rin, a twisted, exaggerated version of the woman. She was chasing after him, an army of girls behind her. They were armed with pens and paper, pelting Sebastian with kisses, and assaulting his ears with girlish, delighted, screams. When Sebastian awoke from his short nap, he decided it had been a nightmare. Either that, or the most unpleasant dream in history.

The phone began to ring, bringing Sebastian fully back. He fumbled around, hesitated for a moment, and picked it up. "He-hello?"

"Sebastian, hey, it's Ciel."

Sebastian's heart leaped, as it always did when he heard Ciel's voice. He smiled, involuntarily. "Hi, Ciel," he breathed.

"Is it okay if I come a little early? I don't really feel like going to class today. We can go out for lunch, if you want-"

"I'd love to." Sebastian's smile widened. Anything to get me out of this cold prison.

"You're free, then?" Ciel's voice asked. "Surprising, I thought you'd be buried with customers."

It took a moment for Sebastian to realize he was joking.

"I'll be at the shop in a few minutes, okay?" Ciel hung up.

"Okay," Sebastian said, after the line was already dead. He smiled again, a feeling of euphoria overwhelming him. We're going to go on a date. It's really going to happen. And maybe, just maybe, we can be together. He crossed his fingers. Maybe he'll finally move past Alois. Maybe I'll move past my depression, my OCD, my, well, everything. Maybe life will finally begin.

Maybe. Maybe. Maybe.