Prompt: "You're happy being together with me, yes?", requested by sweet-pie-otome
Warning: Dark implications

Note: This and the following sequel (#23) will be turned into a full story, eventually. It is in the work currently. Look forward to it!

To say she was his childhood tutor, was an understatement. He'd latched onto her ever since their first meeting, and she was but fair few years older. Her tale was, he was told, a sad one.

She was found being auctioned off to the highest bidder. Being an exotic foreigner with especially blue eyes and composed like a porcelain doll, she was highly sought after. So highly sought after that the rumors had arrived to the Queen. Upset by the disgusting natures of the human trafficking she send her Dogs after those responsible and to shut the foul auction down.

Having literally no place to go the Queen told her Dog to take her in until she was able to find a suitable place for the 'pretty bird' as she called the girl. In the beginning the girl spoke very little, though her very intelligent eyes revealed all. He, then still a small child, clung to her for seemingly no provocation at all on her part. In spite of her lack of speech he still held on, talking for hours for everything and anything in her place.

Then, the previous Dog realized she knew very little English and, feeling foolish, found her a proper tutor.

It didn't take long at all for her to be speaking the proper English. Less time for his Father and Mother to realize just how smart she was. From math, literature, to even science she taught him freely. When his previous tutors stood appalled at her knowledge and being outsmarted by a mere girl and one tutor tried to attack her, they were all fired.

Only ones who remained were the music and elegance, and they were wise not to provoke his Father's wrath.

She stayed in their home ever since, and the Queen pretended to have never found a perfect place for the girl.

He loved her. He remembered saying this when he was still smaller than she and innocent. She never returned the same semblance, but instead warned him not to say such things so freely in front of others. And especially not Lady Elizabeth, she added, as her little heart would be hurt. Because she wouldn't be special to him anymore.

He didn't know why then, but remembered wondering why should he care? His Mother always said it was good to have a good heart, to love all who deserves it. And clearly, he loved her very much.

He loved her even more than Lizzie.

She didn't try to play too rough with him. She helped when he got sick, again and again. She didn't demand a single thing from him. She did everything he asked her to do and wished to do.

She stuck with him like glue, if only because he wouldn't let her go. She was quite like his personal stuffed animal he'd bring with everywhere. But, she never complained, not even once, much like a porcelain doll many thought she was. None minded her presence, grateful for their small boy's good health and cheer. None, save for his sourpuss aunt—in which even his Father ignored.

What harms could a small foreign girl cause? He'd say, with that sickeningly warm smile.She is an excellent tutor, so she shall stay, he then reminded that sourpuss aunt of his. Over and over.

She was a very good and patient tutor, who methods were considerably kinder than the most. It was through her that he learned so quickly.

When the tragedy struck, the very first thing and the foremost in his mind was:

Where is my Kagome?

Even when he was thrown in a cage, to be slaughter like a lamb, he still thought of her.

His soul marked by a demon's contract, her name never once left his corrupted mind.

In black ashes of his home, she was there. Waiting for him, like a dog. That was the first and last time he'd ever cried, as Earl Ciel Phantomhive.

Kagome was still the same, unfazed by very little, but at the same time, she wasn't. The ambush and the fire both didn't leave her unscathed. Her skin, once so perfect and pale, blistered and reddened from the fire, looking much like broken cracks in neglected porcelain dolls. These scars covered many parts of her body, leaving little to remain untouched. One of her eyes went pale, from a man attacked her right on her face for trying to protect him. He didn't remember that. Even her beautiful black locks weren't spared, having been cut by one of many men who tortured her.

She refused to yell nor would she cry, as they proceeded to damage her in every way imaginable. Though, later, to assure his nightmares and guilt, his butler stated she killed all but one. She was at least fortunate to keep her innocence intact.

Even undaunted by her bleeding wounds and fraying skins she pushed past her sufferings and grabbed a hold of a sharp weapon. She coldly killed them, with not single flinch. All because they started insulting her young master.

Then, when the smothering ashes were all that remained she proceeded to stay in the middle of it, still bleeding and her wounds gaping. She refused all who tried to help her, and fled when they forced her, just to return to the ashes of what once was her home. Eventually they gave up, leaving her to die and to lament her failures.

Even the demon was impressed, by her sheer determination to ignore her own personal physical suffering.

Covered in black soot and very little else, not even bandages, she dropped to his feet, apologizing to the hell and back for her failures to keep him safe. For the very first time, he saw her to make a very different expression. So, he wept with her, grabbing her still-larger yet emaciated form into his arms. Even when she tried to reject his touches, he held on.

Ciel never cared about her failures nor her ugly scars spoiling the beauty she always had. Kagome was always his porcelain doll, cracked or no. Even if he'd never see her expression to change, she was always warm.

She was his, always had been. No matter what anyone says, she is his. So, much like in his childhood, he kept her around, and in some ways, still treated her the same. Like she was his toy he'd always carry—his porcelain doll.

He couldn't fix the cracks nor could he fix her broken sight, but she looked much better since that terrible day. She was still growing her hair out as per his demand, but it was just long enough for him to rest his face in it again, like he used to in his naive childhood.

Again, Kagome wasn't fazed by his over-attention, though she often remind him to mind his manners.

Biting back a pout at her gentle words, Ciel sighed and straightened up from the bench, "Yes, yes. I'd just like to indulge myself, is all." He smoothed down his shorts and huffed at the warm sun.

Not even the sun could be as warm as his Kagome.

"I understand, Young Master," So gracefully she might as well be a ghost she stood up to her feet and patted the dust off her skirt, "but there's moderation for everything, even with personal indulgence." As she was saying this, she coiled her hair up and proceeded to pin it up.

"I'm already sinning, Kagome." He said, knowing how much she hated his butler. He couldn't put it past her—she always seem to know everything from the first glance. The fact that he lost his soul to seal a contract for a mere revenge, seemed to be the only thing she was ruffled by.

She cast him a dull glance, "Greed and sloth still wouldn't excuse your lack of manners, Young Master," Kagome tilted her head, "nor would it excuse your lateness to your next music lesson." She fashioned a glare at Sebastian in the closing distance.

He smiled at her in return, as he approached the Earl and his Doll, "Young Master, it's not good to be tardy."

"You should learn violin and piano—you'd be a far better tutor than Ms. Brica and Sebastian."

Cocking her head Kagome's lips thinned at his suggestion, "I'll do what I can, Young Master." She gave a brief bow, "I shall fetch you your tea in your room, when you are done. Until then."

Ciel turned at his feet, to greet his impatient tutor inside, "Have your hair down." It wasn't an order to be ignored.

Kagome caught Sebastian's quiet laughter, and what followed had gave her a tiny, unnoticeable frown, "You stated that it was I who led him down to the Hell," his smirk was chilling, "when we both know it was not the truth?"

The butler tipped his waist into a mocking fashion of a bow at the Doll, before following the young earl in. When they vanished from her half-sight, Kagome clutched at her chest, again wondering why she didn't bother dying. She caused nothing but disasters.

But, there was nothing to be done about it. It was far past the tipping point it was already too late for them all. At least she could do, is to follow the boy no matter where he goes, leashed or no.

The sun fell into the horizon, blanketing his room into a near-darkness. It was only small candle lights that kept it at bay, and one sat at a little side table as Kagome read her novel. It was at her squinting that had Ciel exasperated, "You know that is not good for your eye, Kagome."

She dragged her attention up from the book, and cocked her head at him, "You told me to stay with you. There were little else I can do to keep myself occupied." She said it so plainly that had Ciel glaring at her.

"Must we have this song and dance every night?" He slapped on the empty side of his bed, "Come to bed, now! You know I couldn't sleep without you by my side."

Shaking her head, she shut her book and moved to her feet, "And you know that is not appropriate. I am not your bride to be, therefore should not be in your bed. That role should fall onto Lady Elizabeth, once she and you are of age."

"And I care why?" Ciel huffed. Every damned night! "Society demands or no, get in the bed—that's an order!" He ought to end this ridiculousness soon enough—enough dragging her feet, his Doll will know her place beside him! Tomorrow he decided, he will hold a long overdue correction session with her, to never protest like this again. And over such a petty matter too!

Pausing at his demand Kagome saw no other option to disobey. The demon outside the door didn't really care—if no one from the finer society knew, he didn't care enough to correct the boy's manners. In fact he'd rather it to continue, to further corrupt their young master. She gave a barest of the nod, "Very well."

Settling her book onto her chair, she bit back a sigh and slipped underneath the cover with the boy. To think, in his youth, his parents saw no reason to bar her from being forced in the bed with him, just so he could sleep without nightmares. She could never say no to his selfish, if childish, demands, to not just sharing the bed, but virtually everything. Ciel, as innocent and sweet he used to be, was always a selfish child.

At least when it came to her.

Kagome was sad to say that while Ciel grew hardened, evil even, he hadn't at all changed toward her. His favorite Doll. Possessively keeping her close, even closer now.

She didn't react when Ciel fisted her nightgown against her waist, to pull her close. He huffed when he drew her face close to his, "I don't know why you even bother protesting, Kagome."

With a dull blink at his pout, she then slid her mismatched eyes shut and sighed, "You should sleep, Young Master. Good night." She didn't relax, into slumber, like Ciel hoped she'd be.

She tends to wait until he falls asleep, to leave his room to hers, so to sleep in her own bed. She was sneaky like that—but it wasn't something Ciel fully intended to let continue.

He humphed, but said nothing further.

Ciel's eyes glided over her crack-like scars upon her face, following each and every one of its split trails. He itched to touch them. He acknowledged they were unsightly to look at, but somehow his Doll still caught plenty of eyes, perhaps because of her porcelain doll-like resemblances.

He even had a trader to approach him once, asking if he could buy this 'servant' off of his hands.

Needless to say, it was a mistake the pitiful man wouldn't live to regret.

Kagome was no mere 'servant'. To Ciel she was more than that—more than anything in the entire world, that would ever dare to invoke that grinding sense of possessiveness. An insult to her, was an insult to his person. Even those who he kept at arm reach weren't spared from his wrath had they dare to throw even the slightest disrespect at his Doll.

The repercussions were just much minor for them, in comparison to the strangers he couldn't be bothered to learn the names of. Sebastian took slightly too much joys following those tasks Ciel set him upon and rarely protested. Kagome loathed when Ciel did this, to defend both her and his prides—but as always she didn't complain.

…was she happy? He wondered. She had to be, for there were no other places that will treat her as precious like he held her to be.

"Kagome," Ciel barked, knowing she wasn't asleep, "Answer me this." He paused to see her blinking her eyes open under the dim lights. He continued, "You're happy being together with me, aren't you?"

She didn't answer.