Ciel awoke to a very unusual sight. A sleeping demon wasn't something everyone saw on a day to day basis especially when that demon was as strong as Sebastian. Sure lesser demons like Pluto slept like humans, but not Sebastian... He watched in mild amusement for awhile before realizing just how badly the raven was twitching and frowning, looking almost frightened. "Sebastian?" he rolled over and shook the butler lightly, not wanting to frighten him and wind up dead before the demon knew what he was doing.

The blood stained scene faded away as the demon was woken, red bloody walls, torn bodies, dead companions all disappeared into black. He let out a whimper as his red eyes snapped open. Sweat had stuck his raven hair to his skin, little beads of it were across his forehead and down his neck. He groaned, his head ached, and his stomach felt queasy, but his chest felt the worst, tightened up, twisted. As he sat up and woke fully, his vision cleared from its sleepy blur. The walls of the Master bedroom weren't bloody or torn up. The room was neat and tidy as he always had it. When his eyes found Ciel, they widened. "Bocchan? You.. you're alive?" he whispered, cupping his cheeks gently. "You're not dead.. not dead!" He kissed the boy's forehead, and fervently raced his fingers through his hair. "How did you.. how are you.. you're alive."

The small boy blinked a few times. " don't be foolish Sebastian of coarse I am alive!" he near scolded when he realized what had happened. "it was a nightmare, probably."

"Demons do not have nightmares." He muffled, burying his face in his hair and holding him closely, his hands still trembling from the scenes in his mind. "I'm sorry.. it.. killed you all.. finny, pluto.." he paused, his eyes finding the demon dog. "Pluto lives too!" he choked out then, throwing his arms around the dog as well, running his fingers through his fur. "Pluto." he sighed. "I'm happy you are okay. Both of you. I thought I lost you."

The dog made a happy yipping noise and licked Sebastian's face.

"if I can take demonic medicine who is to say you cannot have nightmares?"

Sebastian pat the dog happily, though he had to shut one eye to avoid getting drool in it. He smiled and laughed lightly. "It's good to see you again, friend." he uttered softly.

He held the Earl to his side with his other arm and tried to coddle them both equally. "I suppose it is possible.." He agreed then. "I watched you have them so many times, but I.. I never knew how terrible they were."

The boy frowned slightly and cuddled in close. "they can be... Quite frightening... Sad... Even painfully..."

"I do not wish to have one ever.. ever again." The demon sighed, unable to get the images of Pluto and Ciel's dead bodies from his mind, and all the blood, all over the walls, the floor, and him. He swallowed. "I wish I could stop you from having them as well."

The boy shrugged, " there simply another part of life... Not a good part, but a part none the less..."

"I.. just need to get back to work.. and clear my head." He mumbled, rubbing his temples. "My apologies, Bocchan."

"it would do you far better to stay and talk about it..." the boy stated firmly but more gently then usual. Pluto and I will not breath a word... "

Sebastian casually scratched the dog behind his ears and inhaled lightly. "I don't quite know what happened.. something broke in.. it destroyed everything.. and everyone inside.. the walls, the floor.. there was nothing not covered in blood, not destroyed. I just walked in and there it was, a massacre. I found Finny and Bard in the downstairs main room. Finny was dead. His chest was torn apart. Bard didn't seem to realize, or he was in denial. He demanded me to fix Finny but I couldn't.. I couldn't do anything for him. But he threatened to take his own life, so I pretended to for his sake." His fingers gripped the Earl a little more. He didn't really feel better talking about it. It just made the scenes come back almost like a film whenever he closed his eyes. "I found Pluto next. Someone.. something had tore him apart and pinned him to the wall, stuck in his dog form. I helped get him down but he died in my arms.. and then I found you, Bocchan.."

The boy listened intently and silently, trying to picture it in his head as he spoke. Those were the worst kind of dreams... And the ones best known to the earl. "go on..." he encouraged gently.

The raven passed his hand through his messy and still damp hair. The lump was back in his throat. "They.. it.. whatever had gotten in there.. you had been hung from a rope, and your body was a mangled pile. There was so much blood.. I don't know how you were still breathing. Just like Pluto, when I got you down, there was nothing I could do. I couldn't help you.. I failed you.. but worse, I killed you. You were in so much pain.. I knew there was no saving you, I asked if you wanted it to stop, and you could hardly even nod. I broke your neck to put you out of your misery. You were dead. It was my fault."

The little earl shifted a little and put his arms around his butlers neck, a head rested on his shoulder. "all this means is that you will have to work harder to make sure that never really happens... Stop what you can, change what you can, fight what you can..." the boy whispered, "that's what I do... Every day..."

Sebastian blinked his eyes, caught off guard by how genuinely concerned the Earl was. He put both arms around his small frame and breathed him in. It was comforting, another new thing to him. "Thank you, Ciel." he whispered, the only volume he could go without his voice cracking. "I will do my very best to make sure nothing of the sort happens. It is my duty to keep you safe after all.. you and everyone in this manor. I will make sure you are all safe.. because I care about you."

The small boy smiled and kept his arms around the raven for a time before slumping back in bed. The sun had not yet risen and he closed his eyes tiredly. "your welcome to stay until morning..."

"I think i'll take you up on that offer." He muttered, laying down next to him and the demon dog. He felt more at ease than before, but he was still feeling the effects of the nightmare. However, he was content to lay there and not sleep, and just listen to the soft breaths from the boy beside him, and the snores of the dog.

Pluto lay on his back and, arms and legs twitching in his dreaming. Ciel soon followed him into sleep, not able to stay awake at this time of morning. When the little earl did finally wake though he had a light shiver, the effects of the addiction slowly setting in.

Sebastian had watched Pluto as he slept, amused by the twitching of the dog and how peaceful he and the Earl seemed to be. He hadn't been able to sleep himself, but after nearly his entire life without it, one day didn't make him suddenly need it. As the sun came out, and Ciel woke, he pet his hair out of his face. "Good morning."

The boy looked scruffy in the morning which was unusual considering how little he moved about. "do you feel any better Sebastian?" the earl asked in a bored tone though the concern was still there.

"Yes, I do.. I feel much more myself now." He said, patting the dog's head as he yawned and stretched. "I will begin my morning tasks if you are alright, Master."

"please do... And make sure to give something healthy to finny and bard before bard takes it upon himself to cook..."

"We do not want that, hm?" He laughed softly as he dressed himself and combed his hair into place, making himself presentable. He respectfully bowed to his young Master and then opened the bedroom door. "Do you want to come downstairs and eat? And Pluto are you staying up here?"

"I will come down, after you dress me. I think I feel back to normal today, though I cannot tell."

He placed his palm against his forehead and then his cheek and against his chest lightly. "Your temperature seems to be normal.. you've got proper color.. You should be alright to come downstairs and be out of bed.. just do not over exert yourself, okay?" He said, undressing him from the waist down, and moving to get him fresh clothing.

"I will be fine I am sure." the boy slowly sat up and took his book. "once breakfest is ready please come get me."

Sebastian nodded as he dressed the Earl in comfortable clothing that still of course announced that he was upper class, royalty and high powered. Of course. Nothing but the best for the younger. "I will return shortly." And with that, he maneuvered out of the bedroom and down to the kitchen to cook.

The boy took to his now nearly complete book. He did adore this story no matter how childish it was with its dragons and fairys. "good boy Pluto..." he pet the dog, rubbing his belly.

Meanwhile down the hall in the chef's bedroom, Bard sat next to his bed with a cup of warm milk in hand, somehow not burnt. He didn't trust himself to cook, because he didn't want to leave Finny. "Here ya are Fin.." He offered it to the sleepy blonde as he woke. "I got ya somethin' warm to drink.. in case you're not hungry or anythin'." The older beamed. "How'd ya sleep?"

The blond rubbed tired eyes. "good... I want to go back and have a nap but the little lord should have someone tending to the garden." the boy was of coarse not healthy enough for that at all but he wanted to try.

"You can nap some more!" Bard said, rubbing his back gently. "The garden will be fine for another couple days! An' i'm sure Sebastian can handle it til you're back." He smiled. "The little lord will not want you hurting yourself and being ill longer, right?"

"no but I should at least look at it..." the boy sighed, "or Pluplu... I miss him..."

"Why don't I go get Pluplu to come visit?" Bard suggested, still smiling. "He'll come and make ya all happy again, I know it."

"yeah sounds great!" finny grinned, he missed the dog dearly.

Bard gave a nod and tousled his hair before he hopped up and went to Ciel's room, knocking lightly. "Master? Have you seen Pluto? Fin's kinda lonely an' I was wonderin' where he went off to so I could bring 'im to cheer up the poor guy."

"he is in here." the master stated bluntly, gesturing to his sleeping companion. "but I don't think he wants to go anywhere..."

"Oh.." the elder blonde mumbled, rubbing the back of his head nervously. "W-well what do I do now? I dunno how to make 'im happy!"

"just take him by force if you have to." the boy turned the page of his book.

The chef gave a nervous look at the dog and shuffled over to him, patting his head. "Hey Pluplu, you wanna go visit, Fin and cheer 'im up a little? He misses ya tons."

The human form of the demon hound rolled over onto its back and huffed contently. It was warm and comfotable in the earls bed and that's where he wanted to stay.

"Aw come on Plu! I can't cheer Finny up meself.. I tried and nothin' I do is good enough." The blonde frowned. "I wanna do somethin' for 'im. come on!"

"What on earth are you shouting about?" Sebastian sighed at the doorway, gloved hand on his hip. "Your breakfast is ready, young Master." He added, nodding to the Earl.

"bard wants Pluto to visit finny, but he is far to comfortable for his own good here." the earl explained and got out of bed slowly. "perhaps you can lure him with food."

Sebastian gave a smirk and shook his head at the comfortable demon. "Your bed just seems to be too comfortable for demons." He said with a light tone of teasing in his voice. "Pluto.. I have a thick cut steak with your name on it if you'd like."

The human dog sat up quickly, toungue dropping from his mouth. Demon hounds always thought with there stomach.

With a chuckle, Sebastian headed out of the room. Naturally he couldn't just not have something for the dog or he'd go right back to bed, probably Ciel's. He first served the Earl, placing each dish out and pouring his tea as he would normally, and then he got the steak from the kitchen and returned to the dog. "You can have this only if you go and visit Finny to cheer him up, deal?"

The dog barked a yes and quickly jumped up licking the demon butler excitedly. If something ever did happen to Pluto, he would never know this effectionately from a demon hound again. Generally they where not this friendly to his kind.

Sebastian made a bit of a face to the tongue running over his cheek, but he gave him a pet or two, and then rewarded him with his steak. "Alright, off you go." He waved him off then. Despite how he had disliked him at first, he'd grown to like the hound. It was nice, after all, to be around someone of his own kind.. sort of.

The boy snorted a little laugh. "he has one thing on his mind..."

"I'd say two, eating and sleeping." Sebastian said, stirring the earl's tea. "I hope breakfast is to your liking."

The boy took the cup and sipped slowly. "it seems sufficient."

"There were a few calls earlier.. Miss Elizabeth wishes to come see you." He said. "And one of your business acquaintances is throwing a party of some sort this weekend and has requested you to attend."

"I don't want to see lizzy..." the boy stated firmly."

"I did not think it wise to tell her you were ill or she might have barged over right away.. next time she calls I will tell her you are away on business." The demon said. "Though.. she will come round sooner or later.. she IS your fiancee."

"I don't care, keep her away..." in truth the small earl was ashamed. What he had done with Sebastian should have been for lizzy whether he loved her or not.

"Very well, Bocchan." he replied quietly, clearing away the empty plates that were on the table. "Is there anything else you require, my Lord? Or should I go tend to the rest of the house now?"

"no, I am alright. See to it that everything runs smoothly, and then check on finny."

"Alright." He murmured, leaving the Earl to his breakfast as he tended to the manor, cleaning and making well sure nothing was out of order. Then, as ordered to, he checked on the smaller blonde. "Finny? Are you feeling well this morning?"

"acctually..." the boy ran his fingers through the demon dogs hair. "I feel a lil off color..." he shook his head slowly, "please don't tell bard."

"It'll be our secret as long as you're not worse off due to it." He replied, checking the blonde's vitals. "You seem to be running a fever.." He checked on his stitches. "Have you been taking the medication to keep infections away?"

"yes of coarse." the boy shot back quickly, almost too quickly. "maybe I missed one... When bard umm... He..." the boy blushed.

Sebastian raised a brow. He had an idea of what he was trying to say but he didn't want to mention it in case he was wrong, and embarrass the boy. "When he what, Finny?"

"he was getting... Changed... And I... I looked... And dropped the pill.. it's in bed... I couldn't look for them or he would know I was staring!"

"Are you sure this has only happened once?" He asked, rather amused. "How many pills have you accidentally dropped? or rather, how many times have you stared at him get changed?"

"twice... So six pills... I think there under the bed or in it..." the boy tugged at his hair in frustration.

"Hm." Sebastian slid an arm around Finny's frame and lifted him quite easily out of bed. With his other, he picked up and set Pluto onto the floor. Then he stripped the bed down, and several little pills came rolling out. "It is nothing serious, Finny.. we just need to get you taking them again.. If you get infected it is not good." He muttered, casually redressing the bed with clean sheets as he held the smaller. He laid him back down and tucked the blankets around him loosely, and settled Pluto back on the foot of it again. "Would you like a drink so you can take them now?"

"yes please." the gardener was very thankful not to be busted doing something so foolish but it was hard not to look when the chef was so shameless around him.

"I will return quickly with one." Sebastian said, nodding as he turned and left the blonde to his business. As he went through the dining room, naturally he paused. "Everything alright, Bocchan?"

"I feel... Strange..." the young earl took a deep calming breath. There was a chill deep within his veins he could not explain.

"Strange..?" He asked, brows furrowing together, a frown stirring on his lips. "Strange how? Do you feel sick again?"

"I think... It is an effect of the addiction... I feel chilled even though it appears warm in here..."

"It is likely that the effects are wearing off again, Bocchan." He explained. "As long as you do not feel ill.. we can prolong doing anything about it."

The boy nodded slowly and nibbled his toast. "as long as I do not feel Ill... " he sighed and closed his eyes.

"I have completed my duties, young Master.. would you mind if I go and see someone about something? I would not be long." He asked on his way back through with a drink for Finny.

"no, go ahead..." the boy waved the demon off and stared at his food a little longer.

With a nod, Sebastian excused himself from the room, and went to Finny. "Here you are young Finny.." He said, setting the glass next to him. "Make sure you take your pills, hm?"

"I'll call you if I... Drop them again..." the boy blushed and nodded.

"Please do." He chuckled, giving him a gentle pat on the shoulder before he left him and the manor all together.

He had hoped he wouldn't have to go back to see the reaper. not this much anyways, but he couldn't help it. The reaper knew more about these things then he did, and he would have answers. hopefully good ones. "Reaper, we need to talk. I have questions, you have answers.. possibly solutions."

"solutions to what?" the strange man was stuffing a small boy who looked a lot like ciel into a coffin.

"This.. addiction thing. This whole mess." He said, frowning at the small boy and the coffin. "I am aware you said there was no way to stop it, but maybe there is. What if Ciel sleeps with someone else, hm? Surely it would counteract it?" He crossed his arms over his chest. "I've been thinking a lot about things that could stop it. It's so very bothersome.. to him."

"oh sleeping with another demon would cure him alright." the reaper smiled, "he would be cured of all his pains,troubles and worries as he would be dead before they even finished themselves." the undertaker put a pillow behind the boys head, propping him up so he looked a little better for the funeral. "sleeping with another human on the other hand... That would do nothing at all..."

"Hmph.. well.. what about marriage? That's a holier than thou sort of thing.. so much ridiculous religion shoved into it.. would that fix it?" He sighed, feeling his hope to end the whole thing fizzle out quickly.

"oh? I suppose no one has ever tried that? It might make the effects more bearable... Maybe prolong the time he could be without you as it depends much on the humans feelings as delicate as they are... I doubt it would cure much of anything however."

"I certainly did not mean myself. I meant if he married off in general. He will soon be married to Miss Middleford after all, as he should be." He shrugged. "There's just one other thought I had wondered about. I know it would sever our contract, so I thought.. maybe it might sever this bond as well.. What if I died? If I no longer exist, our contract can no longer be valid, so perhaps.. just perhaps this too would break."

"no I'm afraid not, the little lord would waste away without your touch and die not long after... If another demon got to him quickly enough he might have the pleasure of dying a quick death as lesser things are attracted to addicted humans... It would seem once taken by a demon they... Taste better..."

Sebastian felt the scowl burning in his throat but he didn't let it out. "I will not have something else touch him." he muttered. "And I will find a way to end this.. I have to." he frowned. "It'd be ever so nice if you'd assist just a little you know. Don't you want to know if there's a way to stop this? You seem to know everything about everything."

"there are plenty of things you can do to stop the little lord from dying from this, but nothing you can do to break the bond now you have made it without killing him." the reaper shook his head, "have you tried pushing your thumb into his chest over his heart? That's suppose to work quite well though is painfully for the human I'd imagine..."

"That works for what? Stalling it, letting him have an hour or two to himself?" He raced a hand through his hair. "Funny how we have a medicine that can heal anything, but nothing that can eradicate this mistake of mine. I can't reverse time, I can't give him something to magically give him virginity again or anything to that sort." He paused to rummage in his jacket pocket. "I brought you more photos in any case.. I'll return the book sometime this week also."

The reaper took the pictures with a grin. "oh this will go very nicely in the new book." the undertaker chirped to himself before stepping back to admire his work. "you could give him a vial of your blood on a necklace... It would mean a part of you is always touching his body and would ward off the illness... And other demons..." the undertaker grinned again, "you cold even try making him drink it though demon blood is poisonous he should be able to handle it now... Well... I don't know what effect if any it would have but beggars can't be choosers." he stepped forward again and readjusted the boy, he was getting slightly upset that the your boy was simply not sitting right in his coffen the way he invisioned.

"Hm.. I will try those.. or at least.. that necklace part. I don't feel too keen to poison him again." Sebastian uttered, watching the reaper as he worked. "Why do you do that? Make them look pretty and all when they're dead? Do humans really find that appealing? Looking nice in a coffin?" He scrutinized the small boy, reminded very much of Ciel. He never wanted to see him in a coffin, pretty or not. He thought over the idea of getting Ciel to drink the blood though, even though he'd said he didn't want to at all. Perhaps after a steady while of taking the demonic medicine he had, and after he and the earl once again slept together to help him get through a few more days, he could try it.. plus, he knew now the alcohol wasn't the full reason for him being ill, it was the addiction being started but not finished.. maybe the boy would be capable of taking blood without being poisoned. He was still unsure. He'd try it if the necklace failed though. He had to. Anything to stop and sever the bond that the Earl never wanted.