"Sebastian!" called the youngest of the Macken brothers, wandering the mansion at night.
It was almost empty, only containing three people that evening. Alois wasn't there, Ciel wasn't there, and Elizabeth wasn't there; one was missing while the other two were still searching for him out in the cold for almost a full day. Ciel was determined to search the glen for the menace, even if it meant only using his sixth sense to do it.
Luka didn't care about any of that, however. He simply wanted everyone to be home where they belonged, and it made him worry to the point where he was robbed of sleep. His bare feet padded down the hallway, nearly freezing while he searched for the butler who was most certainly making his rounds somewhere. Squeezing the plush platypus in his arms helped calm his nerves, slightly, but even being left Steven couldn't alleviate all of his anxiety.
"Luka?" answered the butler, appearing behind the boy suddenly, causing him to jump while uttering a small squeak. "What are you doing up? It's way past your bed time."
"I couldn't sleep…" the Macken said, looking down at the floor. He shifted on his feet a tad before continuing. "I don't want to sleep until everyone comes back."
A soft smile appeared on the older demon's face at this. It was only natural that his master wasn't the only one who was worried. Luka loved Alois, too. His brother was missing, which was a definite cause for alarm, and judging by how the lad was practically strangling the plush in his arms, this was certainly the case. So, Sebastian crouched down, getting on one knee so that he was on the young boy's level.
"I know you're worried about Alois." He said in a gentle tone. "We all are, but he wouldn't want us to be. If he knew you weren't sleeping, do you know what he would do?"
"He would probably tell me I need to go to bed…" Luka answered. "Maybe try and help me fall asleep, too…"
"How would he do that?" the butler questioned, tilting his head. He was merely trying to make notes for future reference, but found himself surprised when the other demon's eyes started watering. The boy buried his face in the stuffed animal before trying to speak again.
"He'd stay with me…" he said, his tone sounding as if he were trying not to cry. Sebastian's smile dropped as he heard a few weak hiccups coming from the boy. It actually pained him to hear it. It hurt even worse when the lad tried to keep talking through them, occasionally having to stop in the middle to hiccup some more. "Sometimes—Sometimes he sings—sings to me." He forced out. "But he never leaves—until- until I'm asleep."
The older demon watched curiously for a moment before nodding. He then gently reached out and pulled the boy close, picking him up as he stood. The Macken opted to hid his face in the man's shoulder while gripping onto his uniform tightly, digging his nails into the fabric. Sebastian rubbed his back with the hand that he wasn't using to hold the boy up in a soothing fashion as he began walking to the boy's bedroom.
"It's going to be alright, now." He said reassuringly. "My master wouldn't dare let him be taken away. Alois will come back, I promise."
"Really?" the child questioned, tilting his head slightly so he could peek at Sebastian's face.
"Really." Stated the butler as if it were the most indisputable fact in the world. "But until then, I'll stay with you until you fall asleep." He added, gripping the doorknob.
"Okay." Luka answered softly. He seemed to have calmed down a bit, but his eyes were still watery and he still wasn't entirely convinced. Sebastian seemed certain, however. That must have counted for something.
Walking into the room and closing the door behind him, Sebastian glided over to the younger demon's bed and tucked the boy in. His smile reappeared as he pulled the blankets over Luka's frame, recalling something that he hadn't in a while.
"You know, when the master was only a little older than you, he would ask me to stay with him until he was asleep as well." He pointed out, looking back on it with fondness, almost.
"Ciel did?" questioned Luka, looking up at the man while getting settled. He couldn't imagine that. The Phantomhive was always so proud and mature. There was surely no way that he could have done something so childish, even when he was actually a child!
"It's true." The butler said before adding: "He would get angry with me if I suggested singing to him, however."
The boy giggled a little bit at the image. That managed to cheer him up. He could imagine the scene almost perfectly, knowing the two oldest of the household's demons.
"You can sing to me if you want." He half said, half suggested; thinly veiling his own curiosity to the point where it was practically transparent with his tone and phrasing. The butler simply chuckled at this and played along.
"Oh? And what should I sing, then?" he inquired, arching an eyebrow. He watched as the younger furrowed his own as he thought, closing his eyes a bit as he did.
"Well, there's this one song that Jim always sings, but I dunno what it's called." The boy answered. "I dunno the words, either, since it ain't in English."
"Is that so? What does the tune sound like, then?" Sebastian asked, prompting the lad to pause for a moment before humming the tune. The older demon's brows raised as he immediately recognised it.
"That's 'Suo Gân'." He said. "It's in Welsh. I'm actually surprised that Alois knows it."
"Can you sing it?" the boy asked, peeking out from beneath his blanket as though he were afraid to. He sunk a bit further into the covers as the man smiled at him, taking a deep breath.
"Huna blentyn ar fy mynwes
Clyd a chynnes ydyw hon;
Breichiau mam sy'n dynn amdanat,
Cariad mam sy dan fy mron;
Ni chaiff dim amharu'th gyntun,
Ni wna undyn â thi gam;
Huna'n dawel, annwyl blentyn,
Huna'n fwyn ar fron dy fam.
Huna'n dawel, heno, huna,
Huna'n fwyn, y tlws ei lun;
Pam yr wyt yn awr yn gwenu,
Gwenu'n dirion yn dy hun?
Ai angylion fry sy'n gwenu,
Arnat ti yn gwenu'n llon,
Tithau'n gwenu'n ôl dan huno,
Huno'n dawel ar fy mron?
Paid ag ofni, dim ond deilen
Gura, gura ar y ddôr;
Paid ag ofni, ton fach unig
Sua, sua ar lan y môr;
Huna blentyn, nid oes yma
Ddim i roddi iti fraw;
Gwena'n dawel yn fy mynwes
Ar yr engyl gwynion draw."
By the end of the song, Luka's eyes were shut and his breathing was slow. He was perfectly content where he was; starting to doze off at the song of the butler's voice. Gently, the man reached down and stroked the boy's hair with a gloved hand, making the lad smile.
"I love you, Sebastian." Luka sleepily said, genuinely surprising the man. Despite this, the word made the demon feel… happy, and a grin uncontrollably spread across the butler's face.
"Good night, Luka."
A/N: I actually didn't want to add the lyrics to the song, but I couldn't figure out how to avoid it...
I'm sorry, but Welsh looks like key-smashing when written out... It doesn't even look like it matches the pronunciation at all...
It's a really pretty song, though, and imagining Sebastian singing is somehow both calming, and absolutely infuriating.
Fuckin' hate that tool...
Until the next chapter, my duckies~!
