Ahhh, laziness. I'll admit I actually already had this chapter done by… last week, was it? But because I got my wisdom teeth pulled out last week my head hurt too much to try and update. BUT NOW HERE IT IS.
Another thing… CONTEST RESULTS ARE IN! And the winners are…
Art Contest: ~luvJesusInHeavn
Poetry Contest: ~Illusa
Yay! Congrats to both of you! And since you both have signed reviews, please leave me a review with an idea for a oneshot bonus that will be featured after the last chapter (or epilogue) of the fanfiction. I'm mostly open with ideas for the oneshot, but if there's a problem, I will either message you to request a different idea, or make any minor adjustments to fix it. SO YUP, please do so in this chapter if you do so wish to.
SO, without further delay, let's go onto questions before the actual chapter!
PLEASE R&R!
Disclaimer: Kuroshitsuji © Yana Toboso
Claimer: Everything else © me
From ~moonlight-gurl808:
To Sebastian:
"Would you risk your life for Anna?"
"Of course. The chances that I will find another angel worth my time and my affections is slim to none. Anna means too much for me to lose again."
"Did you change after meeting Anna?"
"Yes. Very much so."
To Anna:
"How many kids do you want to have?"
"A few would be nice…" *blush* "B-But really… it's up to Sebastian, I guess…"
"What would you name your kids?"
"Ummm…" *blush* "G-Good question… I don't know. I guess Sebastian and I will figure that out when we choose to have kids."
To Ciel:
"You jump into Anna's arms, how do you feel?"
*blush* "W-W-When did that happen? I-I guess I was washed with joy… I-I mean I was just caught up in the moment! I-I didn't feel anything! N-N-Not at all!"
"Are you happy that Anna and Sebastian are getting married?"
"… No…" *thinks: Yes… for Anna, at least…*
"What changes do you notice in Sebastian after he met Anna?"
"Less sarcastic, I suppose. And somehow, just somehow, he's become… kinder, in a way? No, no, that's not how to put it… Argh! Don't ask me! I don't know!"
From ~Queen Cupcake:
To ~Kisa-Kara-Chan:
"So how many chapters are left to the end of this story?"
"Errr… good question… about two or three left? Maybe an epilogue too, perhaps?"
"What are we going to see in the next book?"
"Lotsa things! I'd love to say, but I don't want any spoilers until well… maybe I'll reveal more about the next book in the last chapter or in the epilogue."
"Will there by new bad guys?
"Yup! I'm planning to involve the characters of Kuroshitsuji II (yes, the anime)."
"Will there be outtakes (such as what Anna's diary had said as well as what she had wrote when she was human)?"
"Ahahaha probably not. Just planning for the two bonus chapters for the contest winners at most."
To ~Anna
"How did you feel when Sebastian asked you to marry him? Like, what was going through your head? What were your thoughts?"
"I was absolutely exhilarated. It was definitely the last thing I had expected from him. My mind went completely blank at that moment."
"How was it in the 1st level of heaven? Like, what did you see, feel, and hear as well?"
"I was really happy there, but I can't say anymore than that because those are the rules. Sorry."
"What made you fall in love with Sebastian? What do you like most about him?"
"That's a really good question. I ask myself that every single day." *laugh* "I'm kidding. Well, there's always been some sort of… let's say, demonic charm, that just well… drew me to him, I guess. And as for what do I like most about him… his stubbornness is sometimes very adorable."
"And when the wedding comes are you going to have Vincent give you away? Or do you have someone else in mind?"
"Yes, Vincent will be giving me away as he is one of the lords of the household I am currently employed in."
"Did you ever get to see your birth mother and father when you were in heaven?"
"Yes! I'm always so happy to see them every time I go back and visit on a normal basis!"
To ~Ciel:
"How did you feel when Anna came back and your guys' wishes came true as well?"
"Very satisfied. I'll admit that for a moment I had actually thought I had failed."
"How did you feel when Sebastian asked Anna to marry him?"
"Well, surprised, that's for sure. I never imagined that a demon, more or less that demon butler, would ever marry. But I'll admit I was happy for Anna. She deserves at least a little happiness despite her difficult life."
"Before Anna made your wish, did you see Anna as a 2nd mother to you?"
"Yes. She had always been taking care of me like a mother would... don't tell her or Sebastian I said that though."
"Did you have any regrets?"
"Always do. But you'll never get me to admit what they may be."
"Did you see a change when Sebastian met Anna? Like how he was before and after he met her? What were the changes you saw?"
"Hell yes. Sebastian has become a lot more… err… compassionate, I guess? It's kind of… really weird."
"If your mother and father had another child, how would you feel? How would you feel to be a big brother to your baby sister and or brother?"
"… no comment…"
To ~Sebastian:
"How did it feel to have Anna back? What was going through your mind?"
"Ahhhh… relief, and… happiness, if I dare say so. Because the special thing with us is that because we are virtually immortal yet our fates differ should we die, we would be separated for eternity."
"Were you ever human? If you were, what do you remember and did you have any brothers or sisters?"
"Yes, I was human once, a long, long, long time ago. I don't dare speak of my past though, as there are things I do not wish to remember. But I will say this: I was the youngest of four children."
"What made you fall in love with Anna and what do you like most about her?"
"I was drawn to many things about her, and what interested me most at the time was her fierce compassion towards the human race. Though I'll admit I still don't completely comprehend, it's an… admirable part of her."
To ~Fang:
"How did you feel about Sebastian when Anna was going out with him?"
"Well… annoyed naturally. Anna's such a kind person, so I was mainly more worried that he would take advantage of her… because, well, he is a demon."
"What were the changes that you saw in Anna when she fell in love with Sebastian? Were the changes big or small?"
"Well…" *sigh* "Let's just say, Anna started off being more defensive than usual, as of course, she was in the presence of a demon. Then well… she grew to be more romantic and well… just more open, I guess…"
"How did you feel when Sebastian asked Anna to marry him? What were your thoughts about it?"
"Well, naturally as Anna's feline partner Sebastian had to get my permission too, so thus it didn't really come as too much of a surprise to me."
"Do you have a love or crush on someone?"
"Kylee."
"Do you have any brothers and or sisters as well?"
"Yup! They're all guardian cats for either spirits or angel partners."
From ~NamimoriHibird:
To ~Mr. Sebastian:
"What would you do if someone stole Annabelle from you and he's stronger than you?"
"Get stronger to 'steal' her back."
To ~Annabelle:
"Someone is flirting with Sebastian, what would you do?"
"Well, if he's really in love with me, it wouldn't matter."
Chapter Thirty-Seven: Tying Knots
"Annabelle Marie Phantomhive, will you marry me?" Sebastian implored, staring up into the angel's bright azure eyes as they welled up with tears of joy.
"Yes!" she exclaimed happily, throwing her arms around his neck as she hugged him tightly.
The Phantomhives clapped at the joyful occasion.
"Congratulations!" Rachel cheered.
Sebastian lifted Anna into the air, twirling her around before pulling her down to kiss his now-fiancée.
"I love you, Sebastian Michaelis," she whispered happily, tears streaming down her face.
He pressed his forehead against hers. "I love you too, Annabelle," he murmured, setting her down as they looked at the Phantomhive family. "And for our wedding, the Young Master has already – though reluctantly, I must note – agreed to be the, as they call it, 'Best Man', while Lord Vincent has so kindly accepted to be one of my groomsman."
"Rachel, I know you haven't known me long enough to be my Maid of Honour, but would you honour me by being one of my bridesmaids?" Anna requested as the newly-engaged couple pulled away.
"Of course!" she cheered happily. "I would love to!"
Fang flew into the angel's arms. "Congratulations, Anna!" he meowed, "I'm so happy you've finally found your true love… even though it is with a demon." And a troublesome one, at that, he added silently.
Ciel heaved out a heavy sigh. "How troublesome," he muttered under his breath. Then he spoke up, "I suppose our next few days will be filled with wedding preparations?"
"Oh, I don't expect anything special to be done for our wedding, after all, we are merely servants," Sebastian reasoned logically. "At most some organization from Anna's angelic friends, nevertheless, we are merely one hell of a couple."
xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx
After Anna had excitedly informed her friends in Heaven, immediately they were bustling with activity, arranging their dresses and their human covers. Though they were very much surprised that the demon Sebastian Michaelis had actually proposed to their friend, they were very pleased to hear so.
The Phantomhives were already beginning their preparations for the Head Servants' wedding, and Vincent had told the two to take the rest of the night off, allowing them to simply enjoy each other's company. Now they lay together in their bed, Sebastian's arm lying across the back of her waist as she rested against him, cuddling against his chest. The blanket was pulled up just under Anna's shoulders, and Sebastian had one hand behind his head, staring up at the ceiling.
"Your proposal came as such a surprise to me," Anna murmured. "It's not that I'm not happy about it, but what brought this on? You said so yourself that you found the process of marriage unnecessary."
He smoothed the ruffles of her nightgown as he chuckled, "That is true, however all I really did was just perform the duties of a wishing angel by making a single wish come true."
She lifted up her head to look at him. "A wish?" she noted curiously, her azure eyes sparkling curiously.
The demon smiled down at her. "Yes, a wish… Your wish, that is," he said matter-of-factly. "After all, your own heart's wish and dream was to fall in love, get married, and perhaps someday have a family, was it not?"
Anna blushed, having forgotten Sebastian's rather annoying-at-times eidetic memory. "Yes," she breathed, closing her eyes as she listened to his beating heart, "and I thank you for that. But I still can't help but be surprised by all this; by how far we've come. When I first met you, I didn't think you had a heart. I thought you were only a cold, heartless demon who only cared about devouring souls."
"Well, in order for me to successfully execute my disguise as a human butler, naturally I'd have to have a body as similar to a human as possible," he replied. "And that would include having a human heart."
She chuckled. "That's not what I meant, you know," she teased. "I never thought that I'd end up falling in love with a demon… I never even believed that demons could love… not until I met you."
Sebastian sighed as his embrace tightened. "It's annoying what you do to me, Annabelle," he admitted. "Learning to love you has taught me so many things about human emotions, not to mention it has sent me through various emotions of my own that I never even knew I had."
"You even moped after I died bringing back Ciel's parents," she laughed. "I never thought I'd see you do that!"
He frowned. "I did not," he denied defensively, "I was merely saddened by the fact that I would not see you again."
"Either way, you missed me," she teased, inhaling his scent deeply. "Like how I missed you. And in a couple of days, we'll be married officially here in the human world."
Again, the demon sighed heavily, "How troublesome. I really do find these processions known as 'weddings' absolutely ridiculous and unnecessary, especially for creatures such like ourselves." He pulled her closer. "However… I'm willing to go through the trouble just for you, Annabelle."
"Aww… that's so sweet," she cooed, reaching up to kiss him deeply. "Oh, speaking of 'go through the trouble', how did you get Ciel to agree to us getting married?"
Sebastian chuckled at the rather amusing memory.
xXxXxXxXxXxXxXx
"Since Annabelle has gone shopping for all of the ingredients necessary for tonight's dinner, there is something I must discuss with you, Young Master," Sebastian Michaelis said after pouring Ciel's afternoon tea.
"What is so secretive that the Phantomhive Head Maid cannot know about?" Ciel Phantomhive inquired curiously as he looked at his butler from across his desk.
"Young Master," the demon began, "as you know, Anna has returned to us here at the Phantomhive Manor like you so promised on your side of the bargain."
Ciel grinned triumphantly, and it made him look positively evil. "So, likewise, you must keep up your side of the deal and continue faithfully working as the head butler of the Phantomhives until my natural passing."
Sebastian sighed troublesomely. "Indeed I shall," he reluctantly agreed. "On that note, Young Master, I have a request, and a selfish one, at that."
"Oh?" the young earl noted as he sipped as his tea. It was rare for Sebastian to make a personal request from him.
The butler bowed deeply. "Please allow me to wed Annabelle," he requested without hesitation.
Immediately Ciel spat out his tea in utter surprise and shock. "What?" he exclaimed.
Sebastian couldn't help but chuckle at Ciel's response before returning to his more-serious demeanor. "Do not misunderstand me, Young Master. I truly find the concept of 'marriage' unreasonably orthodox and unnecessary," he explained, "However… due to a certain angel maid's own heart-wish… I have decided to grant her that happiness through marriage."
"I-I see," Ciel responded as calmly as possible. "And I suppose you've already given this a lot of thought."
He dipped his head. "I came to the decision I would a day after you had made the agreement with me if you were able to bring Anna back," he said.
The young earl glared at Sebastian for a long, hard moment. Though I'd hate to cater to the desires of this damn butler, he contemplated. This would be the least I could do to make my ancestor happy… I guess my permission for their marriage would prove as a sort of 'thank you' for her services…
After his heavy deliberation, he finally sighed. "Very well," he determined, "I approve of your proposing to Anna. However, you must also obtain permission from my father, as he too is an Earl of Phantomhive, and thus, your master."
"I understand," Sebastian replied with a deep bow, "thank you, Young Master. Obtaining permission from Lord Vincent should not pose as a challenge, considering both he and the Lady Rachel have known Annabelle for the past several years during their stay in Heaven."
"Tch," Ciel scowled. "Now go and continue your preparations for tonight."
xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx
"Ohhh…. So it went like that, huh?" Anna commented. "I'm surprised Ciel didn't object to it or anything."
Sebastian smiled. "Well, after all, he does owe a lot to you, considering you've saved his life countless times, whether directly or indirectly," he replied. "So I suppose he found it to be the only way he could really repay you without openly embarrassing himself."
Anna giggled, "Still part of his boyish charm, I suppose. At least now he will have more time to spend with Lizzy and his parents instead of focusing on revenge… considering it's now complete. Everyone who had played a part in the murder of the Phantomhive family that night so many years ago have all been paid their retribution by Ciel. At least now he can live out the rest of his life the way he wants to… hopefully as a little more normal child. Plus I hope he can smile a little more too. Then hopefully I can stop worrying about him and that crease forming in between his eyebrows."
Sebastian chuckled. "I don't think you need to be worried about the Young Master, after all, he has many supportive people around him to keep him in line, so I don't believe there should be any plausible reason for you to be concerned over him."
She sighed, "Nevertheless, now I hope that Ciel no longer needs to concern himself with the duties of the Queen's Watchdog, considering his father's returned now. Vincent will probably retake the position in order to prevent Ciel from necessarily getting his hands dirty. That said, Ciel will have more time to work on the Funtom Company, and-"
Sebastian kissed her, cutting her off. "You talk too much, Annabelle," he said, "and about the Young Master, nonetheless. You should be relaxing and just thinking about us. After all, you'll be stuck with me for the rest of eternity. Are you sure you want that?"
"Yes, I'm sure," she replied, nuzzling against his chest. "You do know how much I love you, right?"
"Almost about how much I love you," he retorted sweetly, a devilish glint shining in his red eyes. "It's great to have you back, Anna, especially now since I can hold you in my arms again."
Immediately Sebastian's mind began to trail off to when Anna had explained to them in more detail just how she had actually managed to be able to return to the human world.
xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx
"So it wasn't just my family's wishes that brought you back?" Ciel asked.
The maid shook her head. "It was a million souls' worth of support, so I should only really be thanking you for starting it." She smiled teasingly at his annoyed expression.
"A million?" the young earl repeated in surprise.
Anna nodded. "I know right?" she asked with a wide smile. "I'm really happy that I've been able to touch so many lives during my time as both a human and an angel."
Sebastian smiled. "Indeed," he agreed. "Humans so easily succumb to their emotions, and thus, humans are thus so easy to manipulate due to this weakness."
Her smile dropped a little. "That's not what I meant, Sebastian," she said strictly. "And no, I don't find it a weakness. After all, some people have triumphed successfully because they gave into their emotions. But that's aside from the point."
"You must have filled up your quota quite quickly," Ciel commented.
The angel laughed. "Just barely made it, actually," she admitted. "Like I had explained to you earlier, the very last soul that wished for Fang and my return was none other than little infant Adrian. If not for him, I wouldn't be standing here before you right now."
xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx
"It really is good to be back," Anna sighed, nuzzling her face against Sebastian's chest. "I really love you, Sebastian."
His arms tightened. "I love you too, Anna," he murmured.
She closed her eyes. "Can you believe it, Sebastian? Our marriage will be the milestone in which the very first eternal union between an angel and a demon will be formed."
He chuckled, "Strange, isn't it? Never really believed it would be possible… never believed that such an arrangement would even be possible…"
The angel rolled off him, curling up next to him, resting her cheek against his shoulder. "I know what you mean…" she sighed. "When I first found myself falling in love with you… I thought I was insane… I thought I was being charmed by your demonic tricks."
"I'll admit I was tempted to use some of my charms," Sebastian confessed, "however when I found myself becoming drawn towards you… I don't know… I just chose not to…"
Anna smiled. "After everything we went through together… no supernatural tricks or charms were needed to be used at all... we just… well… fell in love with each other… and that was that."
"Yes it was," he agreed, reaching over to stroke her silver hair as his ruby gaze indulged in the sight of her beautiful face and clear azure eyes. "Now sleep, Annabelle… we have much to plan in the next couple of days, not to mention get acquainted with the duties of marriage, after all, in a matter of days… you will officially become my lovely angel wife."
YAY! WHO ELSE IS EXCITED?
Next chapter: THE WEDDING! … right? I think? O.O should be… we will see…
PLEASE REVIEW!