Chapter Twenty-Six:

The walk home was quiet. Not awkwardly quiet, just silent. No conversation of any size was held, they were just walking home in the company of each other.

That's the way that Sebastian enjoyed it.

Though, to his dismay, the silence was disrupted when they opened the front door to find Shigure trying to shove the cat into an English gentleman's suit.

"I AM NOT WEARING THAT STUPID THING!" Kyo fought with all of his might against the weight of the dog leaning against him.

"But Kyon-Kyon!" The dog whined with a pout, "You would look oh-so-good in it! I bet that Tohru-Kun would think you were cute! Right, wouldn't Kyo-Kun look dashing in a suit!"

The ongri found herself suddenly pulled into a conversation that she wasn't in. A heat rising to her cheeks and a faint red color coloring her cheeks, she replied,

"I think Kyo-Kun would look very handsome in a suit"

He starred at her with a faint blush on his own cheeks, the only way he knew how to react was,

"Are you stupid?"

And then he grabbed the suit in his hands with the clench of death and ran upstairs to change into it. Not because she wanted him to, but because he had to. Not because she wanted him to at all.

"Is Tohru-Kun going to wear a pretty dress?" Shigure asked, leaning toward her with a smile.

Sebastian pulled Tohru back closer to him and away from the perverted dog.

"She will be wearing something that I put together" He assured the man, his hands resting on her shoulders.

Shigure smirked at the two and looked them over,

"I am sure that she will look very nice in it" He smiled, seeing if something would happen if he took another step toward the girl.

Sebastian pulled her back ever so slightly, his eyes narrowing slightly. He didn't want filthy hands tainting his meal now did he?

"I was just about to go up and help her get ready for tonight" Sebastian said, pushing her up the stairs by her back, leaving an amused dog standing downstairs smirking and a blushing and very confused girl being led upstairs.

"I-I can dress myself!" She stammered.

"Actually, it is physically impossible. Seeing as you cannot put the corset on yourself and tighten it. Just as well as adding the bustle and pulling heavy clothing over your body. So assistance is very much needed"

Tohru's internal heat probably shot up about twenty degrees. There was no getting out of this one at all, and it sucked. The only person who had ever helped her in and out of clothing was her mother, and her father before he died but she didn't remember that, only the story about how her father had to help pull the shirt stuck over her head off when she was two.

"Are you sick?" He asked, though he fully well knew the real reason why. He was humoring himself merely in asking this question.

"N-No! It's just that-" They entered the room and he closed the door behind them, "The only person who's ever helped me change were my parents s-so…"

"I see" was his mere reply as he pulled out the dress, accessories, and womanly torture devices (which are commonly known as the corset and bustle)

All three men starred up the stairs as uncomfortable huffs and muffled screams were coming from the room, in which Shigure was sure that the poor girl was getting her innards squeezed inside out.

"What's Honda-San doing up there?" Yuki asked slowly as he starred upstairs confused, running a hand through his slick hair. Yuki was in his own princely get-up. It was very-well looking on him in all due honesty. Over a white button-up shirt was a princely jacket, light gray rimmed in dark purple on the edges of the collar and bottom of the jacket. Small designs were embroidered on the jacket (courtesy of the Prince-Yuki fan club who more than willingly put the costume together for him)

Naturally, he wore black slacks as well due to the lack of any other pants that would fit the description of "formal".

Kyo grunted, trying to mess up the hair that Shigure slicked back for him (the dog came out of the battle with some bruises and bumps but deemed it worth the struggle to see Kyon-Kyon looking so nice). He wore slick black slacks as well, and a white button-up shirt under the half-way buttoned up black jacket embroidered carefully with orange. (Courtesy of Kagura, who would be attending the festival to dance many dances with her dear Kyo-Kun)

"When the hell is she coming down? She's taking forever" Kyo more or less complained, his hands jammed in his pockets.

"Well, I have written many a book on the Victorian ages" Shigure began cheerily.

"No one wants to hear about your stupid books!" Kyo interjected.

"- And women in the Victorian ages wore much more than simply a dress" The dog continued, "Which proves very difficult to put on, as well as take-off~"

"Don't be vulgar" Yuki smacked the dog against the back of his head and he whined, clutching the spot he had been hit which was throbbing in pain from the force put into the hit.

"Ne~ don't be so violent Yuki-Kun!" He whined, sticking his lower lip out to pout.

Now Tohru, who made a failed attempt to hide behind her butler, who was quick to maneuver his way behind her, was struggling to walk down. This, though, was not due to the heavy articles of clothing but due to the fact that wearing clothing like this in front of people.

"Calm down my lady," he instructed her, dressed in a suit that very much resembled a previous tutor suit. Clad black suit excluding the white button up shirt under it.

Her face was red, redder than tomatoes that her and Yuki grew in their garden, as she walked down the stairs with clacking heels.

Kyo's eyes went wide as he tried to control his blush that was forming at his cheeks. Yuki's eyes went wide as well as he looked her over.

Sebastian had done a great job, she looked absolutely stunning.

(A/N: I thought that using Ciel's dress design was unoriginal, so I came up with a different one. Using the other design would be completely unoriginal… right?)

It was pink, yes, it was her color after all. There was a black belt around her waist along with a huge black bow on the back of her dress with the ribbons hanging down the back. It didn't lack sleeves, with the sweetheart neckline at the top and wrapped tightly around her body and slightly fluffled sleeves and flared out at the waist, the rest of the fabric was simply pink with black embroiders at the bottom. Her hair was done as well, pulled back tightly into one ponytail that was curled into spiraled locks of hair which had ribbons spun in them.

Kyo looked away to hide his blushing cheeks while Yuki complimented her dress. (Which of course she quietly thanked him, fiddling with her hands nervously)

"You look so cute!" Shigure chimed, his hands pressed in the sleeves of kimonos, "If Yuki and Kyo don't take you on a date then I will!~"

That deserved him a punch from both the cat and the rat.

"Don't stay stupid things like that!" Kyo snapped, his head throbbing.

"Or next time it will be worse" Yuki threatened, his own head throbbing.

"Yuki and Kyo are so mean" Shigure cried, rubbing his eyes, "Oh well~ At least Aya will dance with me tonight!" He smiled, only deserving him another hit against the head.

"Shall we be off?" Sebastian offered his arm to the blushing girl, looking down at her.

She starred at his arm before remembering that she was supposed to slip her own arm in it then slipped her hand in the crook of his arm. He started off out the door, followed by the trio behind them.

Since the household lacked in automobiles, they had towalk there which was treacherous for the girl in heels, which were actually short but she was not used to heels in general.

Eventually, they were joined by Hatsuharu and Momiji. Momiji was in all white while Hatsuharu was in black and white, which wasn't a surprise to anyone.

"Tohru! You look so cute!" Momiji cheered as he jumped up and down. "Take my arm! Take my arm! I want to escort you!" He linked his arm in hers, taking her away from the demon. Despite having to stoop to walk with him, she still smiled at him as he pulled, no dragged, her along, "Ayame and Hatori are supposed to arrive soon!" He added, "Aya was talking about getting Hatori the proper attire so they might show up a little late!"

Kyo sulked in the back due to the lack of attention that was given to him by Tohru.

"It Kyo-Kun jealous?~" Shigure teased, only getting him a punch in the face.

And eventually they made it there, where they were greeted by Kisa and Hiro. Hiro grumbled to himself as Kisa ran up to Tohru.

"Onee-Chan!"

"You're so cute!" Tohru wrapped her arms tightly around the tiger in the orange and black striped dress, hugging her tightly.

They were like that for a very, very long time until Kyo bonked her on the head gently,

"Are you coming in or what?"

"O-Oh yes! We should she what everyone put together, yes!" She unconsciously linked her arm into the cat's, who replied with a silent stare and a blush.

Looking over her shoulder, she spot Sebastian starring up at windows above,

"Sebastian-San, are you going to come?"

"Ah, yes, I just have to handle something and I will join you momentarily" He replied, looking over to her momentarily and then focusing his eyes back up on the coaches starring down at them.

~
Chapter Fin