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"Highness, Sebastian Michaelis wishes to speak with you." Claude announced in his bland voice.

Alois made a noise of irritation in his throat and scowled, "Well, Claude, then tell Sebastian that I'm busy and I will chat with him later."

Ciel remained huddled under the sheet as Sebastian stepped into the room with a frown on his face. "I'm afraid the matter can't wait, Earl Trancy, and I'll thank you very much to remove yourself from my master."

Under the covers, Ciel's cheeks were apple red as Alois scowled menacingly at Sebastian while he crawled off of Ciel, slowly stood from the bed, and crossed his arms at the Phantomhive butler.

"Alright, Sebastian," Alois huffed. "Please be aware that it's only out of respect for Ciel that I take such cheek from a lowly butler like you."

Sebastian grimaced, fighting the nausea that turned his stomach as he imagined the cheek that Alois had been trying to take only moments ago….

Sebastian's grimace turned into a sly grin. "I am well aware of your intentions towards my master, Earl Trancy."

"I doubt that very much." Alois scoffed.

"I follow my master's orders, that is my place as a butler. However it is also my place to hold her well being as my top priority. Therefore, I will allow you to court my master, Earl Trancy, platonically, of course, but I will be watching very closely." Sebastian said with a dangerously kind smile.

Alois blinked his ocean-blue eyes in shock.

Sebastian was….going to allow him to pursue a relationship with Ciel?

"...What?" Alois asked in disbelief.

"...Platonically, as I said, and only as long as your pursuits amuse my master." Sebastian repeated. "I will not tolerate one as distinguished as my master to be saddled with the shame of illegitimate heirs or venereal disease."

Alois narrowed his eyes at Sebastian.

The blonde was angry and deeply offended.

How dare Sebastian imply that Alois was…!

"On the contrary, Sebastian," Alois retorted. "I'm perfectly healthy and I assure you, I will see to it that any heirs I sire with Ciel will be perfectly legitimate."

When Sebastian heard Alois's statement, he narrowed his eyes at the arrogant smirk on the blonde's lips.

Sebastian was seething.

To think of his precious, pure Ciel married to one as disgusting and vile as Alois Trancy….

Sebastian resisted the urge to lean over and vomit all over Alois's boots.

No, that still wouldn't have been enough to purge the image from his mind….,,,

"If that's all, then, Sebastian, you and Claude may go now." Alois said with a grin that was too triumphant for Sebastian's liking.

"I don't believe you have very good listening skills, Earl Trancy." Sebastian replied calmly while he walked over and stood beside the bed, eyeing the lump of covers that Ciel was hiding under. "Due to the conditions that I have set into place defining your relationship with my master, I cannot leave you two alone, especially in a bedroom, with her underneath you."

Alois growled, "Claude!"

"You already agreed to Sebastian Michaelis's terms, highness." Claude reminded Alois while he adjusted his glasses. "Consider how you may complicate things if you order me to attack."

Alois grit his teeth.

Sebastian smirked.

Alois's mind raced as he thought furiously…...

….How had Sebastian found out?

Was it intuition…..?

…...Or something more?

Alois looked over at Claude suspiciously.

The whole situation seemed odd to Alois.

"Very well then, Sebastian." Alois spat as he walked over to Claude. "Ciel can have my bed for the night. I'll see her for breakfast in the morning."

Alois stormed off in a rage and Claude closed the door behind them as they left the room.

Sebastian stood in silence beside Ciel for a long time.

"Young master, I know what's happened. There's no need to hide, you'll have to face me, along with the rest of the world, eventually." Sebastian said in his low, smooth voice.

A rustling noise came from the covers as Ciel gradually unburied herself.

Sebastian glanced over at her and Ciel pouted at him.

"Do you still have your virtue, bocchan?" Sebastian asked Ciel.

Ciel looked furious and her cheeks blushed an even deeper shade of red. "Of course I still have my virtue, Sebastian! Do you think that I would-?!"

"My question was not a slander against you, bocchan. Young ladies can be easily seduced by young men who make empty promises." Sebastian replied, taking care to insult Alois underhandedly. "Shall we go home? I'll be sure to tell Claude, then Earl Trancy can have his bedroom back for the night."

"...I suppose." Ciel frowned.

In an instant, Sebastian picked Ciel up out of bed and rushed her back to the carriage, leaving her unattended only long enough to go and deliver his message to the other butler.

While Ciel's carriage pulled away a few minutes later, the bluenette caught Sebastian giving her a calculating look.

"Are you angry with me?" Ciel asked.

Sebastian could not lie.

"No." Sebastian replied honestly. "I'm not angry with you, I'm just disappointed that you would approach Earl Trancy for such things and not me."

Ciel looked surprise.

Ciel and Sebastian had certainly shared a few flirtatious moments, many lingering gazes, and unspoken communications, but Sebastian had never implied anything, he had never reached out to Ciel.

Had Sebastian just been waiting for her?

Ciel sighed to herself and looked out the window.

Though the idea of being with Sebastian was intriguing, Ciel couldn't help herself….

As the bluenette gazed up at the moon through the carriage window, all she thought about was being back in Alois Trancy's arms, uninterrupted and uninhibited.

"Ciel is gone…." Alois whispered, his eyes wide and staring into an invisible void of despair after Claude broke the news to him that Sebastian had taken Ciel home.

"For the night, highness. You can invite her again whenever you like, or perhaps she will invite you." Claude suggested.

"Ciel is gone…." Alois repeated, closing his eyes remorsefully.

Claude didn't understand why the blonde was so devastated.

"Sebastian Michaelis would not have allowed you two to spend the night together. You wouldn't have seen her anyway." Claude said very matter-of-factly.

"That doesn't matter!" Alois cried, turning his gaze onto Claude angrily. "I would have known she was here!... In this dreadful, empty house! ….With me!"

"Hannah and I are here, so are the triplets." Claude said calmly.

"That's not the same." Alois pouted, flopping down hopelessly on his bed, the bed that Ciel herself had laid in only moments ago.

Alois didn't notice but Claude narrowed his eyes.

Claude was growing tired of Alois's unnecessarily emotional response to Ciel's departure from the Trancy estate.

"Let me know if you need anything, highness." Claude said quietly before he bowed and left the room.

Ordinarily, Alois would have cried out for Claude to stay with him but Alois was too angry.

Alois was angry that Sebastian had interfered…..

Alois was angry that Claude hadn't stopped Ciel from leaving….

Ciel….

Alois rolled onto his side and pressed his face into the pillows, inhaling deeply.

When the blonde exhaled, he wore a bittersweet smile.

Ciel….

The pillows and the sheets were scented with the sweet, delicate smell of Ciel's porcelain skin and her silky, bluenette hair.

Alois changed into his nightshirt himself and fell asleep, burrowed into the covers and pillows, trying to inhale every last hint of Ciel.

In Alois's dreams, he wasn't alone.

Ciel was there with him….

Beside him….

In his arms~.