Accidentally deleted anon prompt, inspired by numerous SebaKag headcanons I had in tumblr: Sebastian called upon an extra help and surprised all when he revealed one particular fact about himself in the form of one individual (or something along that line).
Warning: dark implications
"Who are you?" Ciel blinked. His question was quickly drowned out by a white flood of light exploding in his home and then was followed by a rolling rumble of a thunder.
Despite how deafening the storm was, their newest guest tipped her waist, "Greeting," she declared, disregarding her drenched state and the stormy weather outside. "the butler of this household called upon m—"
"My dearest," Sebastian strolled past the startled Ciel and minded the old man who let the woman in, "you're absolutely drenched!" He lamented, tugging her soaked jacket loose.
"Your…" Ciel started, eying Sebastian's broad back, "dearest?"
He caught a brief grimace from the woman's hair-plastered face at that word, when Sebastian turned away to acknowledge Ciel's question, "Ah," the butler beamed, "this is my wife, Kagome."
She had a name?
Unlike her husband's radiating face, Kagome broadcasted nothing and her eyes—they were grayer than Ciel's, were blank. She bowed again, "Starting today, I'll be working for the young Lord Phantomhive and his household—so please do accept me into your folds, milord."
Stilling, Ciel wasn't sure what to say. Instead, he numbly nodded. Another monster in his home sounded redundant, but as his mind turned, he saw more benefits than drawbacks, "Ah, welcome. Don't mind the bare bone status…" He tried, referencing the lack of servants in his grand home.
For the first time, Kagome shot him a smile. It was small but it was there, "I've been made aware," for a monster, she seemed remarkably human, "your butler reached out to me for assistance. I'll do you proud, Young Master."
"It's late," Sebastian cut in, his hand compressed Kagome's small shoulder, "you should sleep."
Ciel paused, eying his newest servant. Something about her didn't match with Sebastian as his apparent wife. He couldn't put his finger on it—she was beautiful and she personalized elegant, even through her water-plastered hair (as of which Sebastian was fettling over, attempting to smooth it down while shielding his unprofessionalism with his back at his master) and dripping heavy clothes.
Unlike his butler's perfect Englishman appearance, from sharp angles in his features to his tall height, this Kagome looked as soft almost as she was petite. From her small eyes, raven-black hair, to the roundness in her face, Ciel was able to register she was from the East. It was an…odd match, to say at least.
It was as if they were the total opposite from one other.
This set Ciel at unease.
"Milord," Sebastian reminded, "it is late." Reluctantly parting himself from Kagome (Ciel swore he caught her closing her eyes from relief at this departure), he closed in to the young Phantomhive, "I'll see you in your bed." Stepping on the first step, Sebastian craned his head back to the awaiting old man, "Tanaka, will you please tend to her? I'll return shortly."
Giving the head butler a nod of acknowledgement Tanaka cupped Kagome's elbow, "Come, come, we should fetch you something dry to wear and a nice hot cup of tea, hm?" Willingly she followed without a word, leaving behind a trail of water in her wake.
Ciel took a step back and hitting his bare ankles with another step on the stair, when the trail disappeared just as quickly as she left them from the tail of her skirt. He grimaced at his butler's knowing smile, "Is she as human as you are?"
"She is my lovely wife." Sebastian replied, his smile deepening.
Turning away he gripped the rail and took to the upper floor, "You should tell her to be more human then. You're lucky Tanaka is getting into his years—or he'd ask questions I couldn't answer." Ciel quipped, referencing to the too-quick evaporation of the wet trace.
Sebastian chuckled and, although he knew Ciel wouldn't see him, he bowed, "Yes, milord, though if I may come to her defense," he started and stalled Ciel from reaching his room, "perhaps she'd wish to inform you without words? My dear is a clever kitten, that one."
"Hm." Ciel resumed his destination and bit back the urge to curl his lips in disgust at his butler's affections for cats, "Regardless, as her employer, I should interview her just the same." He shot Sebastian a glare, "I would also appreciate you informing me beforehand, earlier—this is quite last minute."
Breezing past his small master Sebastian twisted his hand on the doorknob and opened the door for Ciel, his smile brittle, "You did press a need for additional servants and it does fall on my responsibilities to hold interviews for the new hands, no?"
Ciel amended, "I'll let this one past," he took to his vacanted bed, "but next time, tell me beforehand. I don't need another servant half-drowned on their way here." At Sebastian's confirmation he flipped the cover over himself and grunted at yet another explosion of drumming thunders outside, "Also, do keep your…public affections to the minimum. I would rather not see such displays in my home." He refused to look at his servant's face, knowing he'd be displeased.
His lips thinning into a firm line, Sebastian bowed, "…As you wish, milord. I'll keep our relationships undisclosed outside our door then." Stepping back to the door he stated, "Sleep well, we'll see you in the morning."
Flames flickered and smothered out from its wick, blanketing the room in the darkness. Ciel sniffed and burrowed into his bed at the sudden flash of white from a lightning outside his window. The tree crackled its limbs against the glass, its sound unholy with the pummeling rain.
Ciel hoped the weather would die soon and unveil the spring morning to its sunny demeanor.
He'd hate to have it matching this Kagome's bitterness on her very first day as his new maid.
Ciel didn't remember falling asleep with how heavily his windows had been battered by the storm and kept him up, but at the light dancing across his eyes, he twitched underneath the cover. He hadn't had a moment to breathe when the brightness hit with full force, "Hmph..." he grounded the sole of his palm into his eyes.
"Good morning, Young Master," he stilled—this wasn't the voice he was used to. Ciel threw the duvet aside to see the woman from last night readying the trolley instead of his butler, "pardon my presence." Kagome tilted her head at his grabbing over his right eye, straightening the morning papers to him and kept his tea awaiting for his reach, "I know you're expecting…Mr. Michaelis," she tested his name, "but he requested that I am to wake you while he is readying the breakfast. He will come and help dress you in a moment. I hope," Kagome evened her shoulders, "that isn't inconvenient for you?"
Plucking the papers from her hands Ciel grimaced and dropped his hand, "That's fine, I guess." He remembered last minute Kagome was the devil's wife. Of course she knew about their contract in his eye.
"Until Mr. Michaelis arrives, I'll keep your company—if that is alright with you, of course." Kagome handed down the teacup in Ciel's expectant hands, "It's hot, be careful."
Swirling the liquid Ciel glanced upward to her, "…It's fine if you just call him Sebastian, you know."
"…Understood, I'll be sure to label him as such by you, milord." Kagome bowed.
Ciel blinked in surprise at the flavor of his tea when it flowed over his tongue, "…What is this tea?" He drew back and eyed it. It was…good. He thought Sebastian's brews excellent, but this one was the best by far. There was sweetness to it, but somehow it didn't taste artificial with the earthy tone. It was honey, he bet, but the color wasn't accurate either.
"Ah, is it not to your taste?" Kagome worried, "It's Earl Grey, which I was told was your favorite. Had I brewed it wrong?" She raised a hand to her lips and her brows were quirked high with incertainties.
She looked…so much more human than Sebastian was.
"Not..at all. It was the best tea I ever had." Ciel murmured, his eyes wide at the maid, "H-how did you brew it?"
Kagome kept her head down, "I added a small ratio of honey and milk, but everything else is the same as of how Sebastian brewed it." At his awed expression, she deflected, "He did mention that I have quite a talent to tea brewing though and insisted that I make the morning tea for you."
"I…you should make tea for me from now on." Ciel decided, startling Kagome.
She fretted, "Oh, good heaven, no—"
Ciel ignored her flustered state, though he did note just how different she was from Sebastian, "Do keep impressing me, Kagome." He downed the tea.
"Ah, I'll do you proud then, milord," Kagome pulled down her hands to her lap and maintained her expression to neutral, "would that be all?"
"Second helping, if that's alright." Ciel allowed the porcelain to slip from his hands and watched her to refill it. When the brown color reached to close to the lip of his cup, the door clicked open and in strolled Sebastian.
He was much more chipper than Ciel was used to and he grimaced at that, "Good morning, milord. I see that you liked the tea?" That face looked wrong on Sebastian, Ciel decided.
Blowing hot air off from his tea Ciel took a long sip. Swallowing the mouthful he nodded, "I do. I'm impressed—I didn't think anyone would outbest you in the tea brewing, but…" He trailed off, with a small part of him hoping to harm Sebastian's pride.
Instead, Sebastian's smile grew, "Even I cannot hope to achieve certain perfection." His eyes warmed at his wife.
"You flatter me," Kagome murmured, though she never looked at his way once. She nodded to the young lord, "if you wishes me to brew you teas from now on, I'll do so."
Ciel finished his tea, "Please do." He surrendered his cup and flipped his feet from the mattress to the floor, "If you'll excuse us, Kagome?"
Blinking, Kagome realized and gained a slight fluster on her cheeks at forgetting Ciel's need to get dressed, "Ah, yes, pardon me. I'll take my leave and take the trolley with." In a brisk, she'd packed everything up on the cart and then vanished from the room.
"She did leave you a good first impression, did she not?" Sebastian chuckled, his fingers pinching the shoulders of Ciel's nightwear to drag it off from his small person. Like Kagome's swiftness, the next thing Ciel knew, Sebastian tugged on his dress shirt, "She'll work hard to ensure your safety and happiness."
Humming Ciel picked up a foot, "I'll be the judge of that."
It was a spur of the moment. He'd been practicing his dart throwing, his time briefly freed from his work. A peek of white in the corner of his eye told him the new maid was with his butler, awaiting whatever order he had. Curling in his fingers on the sleek, painted wood, Ciel didn't think twice.
His hand blurred and the dart was gone, lunging at his new target.
It never reached its bullseye, snapping out from the air into a black-gloved hand, "You seemed to have lost this one, milord." Kagome closed in, murmuring as she returned the dart.
"Hm," Ciel said nothing else, resuming his little practice game.
Sebastian's chuckle was spine-chilling cool, "Pardon our young master, he have a habit of testing us, dear."
"I see." Kagome's reply was frank.
If there was ever a perfect time to test his maid's full set of skills, it was now.
The meeting with his father's old business partner was a trap. The man wanted Ciel Phantomhive dead and had struck multiple men on his property, intending to rid any and all potential competitions to his business. It was simple for Ciel to turn the tables against him.
After third 'veiled' attempt on his life inside of his own home, he wasn't ignorant to these of same terrible ilk's greed any longer. Sebastian lost interest in humoring his childish naivety then (he initially believed his father's partners would be the loyal sorts) and made clear of it. Since then, Ciel left Sebastian to clean up his pest problems.
But, this time, Ciel wanted to see his new maid's performance, "Let her take care of this one," he disregarded the bastard's sputtering. Sebastian scared him spineless at his catching the bullets from his gun, "I want to see how she does with the garbages." He can hear other men coming, stamping with no lick of orderly manner.
Novices.
Sebastian hummed and dropped his head into a brief nod, "Very well," he met Kagome's eyes, "do a good work, dear." He was almost crooning, something rubbed Ciel strange.
"Of course." She bowed, "Shall I let them come or shall I dispatch them outside to keep the mess minimal?"
Ciel waved her away, "I'll let you two clean up." He shot his former partner a glance and gestured at Sebastian to him, "Perhaps Mr. Adams should watch the performance with us."
Mr. Adams was colorless, but a laughter fled when the windows shattered and prompted Sebastian to shield Ciel from the raining glass, "You're dead, you're good as dead!"
Brushing the bits of glass from his trousers, Ciel shook his head and pressed away from Sebastian, "We'll see about that." When the last word fled his lips, he caught Kagome lifted the edge of her long skirt and crossed her feet. A proper curtsy.
"Greeting, strangers," she kept her pose and in spite of the guns pointing at her face, "but I'm afraid I cannot allow such ill manners to continue—" A gun exploded.
Something shiny rained from her skirt, glittering in the light.
In a blink, Kagome dropped to the ground and gathered every fallen object in her hands. A silver knife then appeared in the gunman's forehead, "Corrections are needed," she murmured in the midst of a deafening storm of bullets. A flurry of white and black flared from her legs, as she darted from each and every silver metal.
Things went deathly still. She hopped to her feet, almost dancing, and patted her skirt smooth, "A thorough clean up is sorely needed." Kagome sighed at the piles of fallen bodies at her feet and at several splotches of red on her apron. She turned her head to the wide-eyed lord, "How did I do, milord?" She grimaced at the hole-riddled wall behind him.
Ciel couldn't help a sputter. It happened so quick. She curtsied as a lady would to greet their unwanted guests, rained what looked like silver knives from underneath her skirt, and then proceeded to use them to snuff the life out of the intruders. Barely a half-minute later, she was finished and surrounded herself with dead men.
Seeing Sebastian's performance was one thing, but this Kagome was another. It was as if she made art out from her killings, flaws a beautiful addition on her dress, while Sebastian was meticulous down to the last detail and kept himself spotless. Neither were nothing short of breathtaking.
"Ah-ahh!" Mr. Adams was choking on his tears at the gory vision of his good men dead on the floor. There was no escape, trapped by the butler's hands on his shoulders. He whimpered at Sebastian's audible amusement, "Wh-what…?"
Sebastian was grinning, "She is quite lovely, is she not?"
Ciel shallowed his fear and plastered on an unimpressed mask, "Indeed, she did a quick job of her work. I expect no less from you two." Propping his hand under his chin, he blew air at the sorry sight of his business partner, "Too bad, I liked the potentials you were offering, but you got greedy."
Mr. Adams sobbed, kicking his feet in an attempt to get away from his keeper, "What a—are you three?"
"Do what you two like with him," Ciel dismissed answering him, bored, "I'm done with this game." He shifted from his seat, made to remove himself from the room. He'd rather not see what his inhuman servants planned to do to the sorry bastard.
Both bowed at his retreating back, "Yes, milord." They chorused.
Ciel stopped at the door and looked over his shoulder to Kagome, "Keep up the good work, Kagome." With that he was gone.
The door hadn't yet clicked its latch when the room, initially still with the afternoon light, was draped in pitch-black blackness. Mr. Adams couldn't find strength to scream at what unfolded in front of his very eyes, frostbites creeping down from his neck. He could only watch helplessly when the abomination stretched its spidery limb over to pet the maid's—who stayed largely the same saved for few features, cheek.
He wanted to stab his ears at the distorting voice the creature created, "Good kitten, you did me proud."
Kagome closed her bright red eyes, impervious to the monster's touches, "Thank you, dear." When it curled over her head, she added, "We should clean up quickly." She eyed Mr. Adams.
There was pity in these devilish eyes.
"Oh, yes, we should. We have so much to do." The monster rumbled its amusement, when Mr. Adams gagged on his own tongue at what was squeezing his neck, "So much to do." It practically giggled.
Coldness was all he remembered, with no end to the fires that struck to his skin.
He barely remembered the days before she arrived at his doorstep, half-drowned in the furious storm. Kagome, for all of her quietness before her husband, proved herself to be a good company. Within the chaos of his home she served as a true voice of reason to, not only to him, but to the rest of his new servants.
Sebastian tried—but he never truly understood humans as well as Kagome did. Though no one dared to criticize his disciplines, he simply wasn't good at keeping Baldroy, Finnian, and Meirin in line. Kagome utilized rewards and gentle corrections to encourage better behaviors, making the trios less of a court jester they were before in their early beginning as the servants in his household. She had done the same with Ciel, preferring using his failures against him than to lash scores on his wrists like Sebastian had done as punishment.
Ciel found he liked feeling like an idiot far less than having bruises on his skin and prompted him to perform better for later exams and assignments. Sebastian may be best at everything he does as a butler in his household, from accounting to scheduling. But, as he soon learned, anything relating to interacting with humans (from company to teaching) Kagome had far exceeded him.
(She was an excellent cook too, though, rivaling Sebastian's talents, but Ciel supposed that comes with being some odd centuries/millennia-years old demon.)
She was also the closest thing he could've called as a friend.
Unlike Sebastian's usual underhanded remarks to provoke Ciel's temper, Kagome'd starts easy conversations on everything and nothing and expected nothing in return for it. There had been times whereas Sebastian ignored his needs of parental guidances and abandoned Ciel to deal with his own dark moments, Kagome remained close and offered whatever company she could with few words. She pulled him out from the depth and helped him to learn how breathe again, reminding him of where he was.
Ciel dimly recalled one time where he accidentally eavesdropped on Sebastian and caught him expressing his displeasure of his dearest not paying him any attention at Kagome. Ciel remembered buffing him too, ordering him to let Kagome to do what she believed is best for him and his household. The butler never said anything else after that, though Ciel wasn't privy to what went on behind their door.
He'd rather not know at all, but even then, he still had pity twisting his heart. Ciel never forgot Kagome's forlorn look in her eyes from that stormy night. Whenever he could, he'd offer Kagome a small break from Sebastian—even if it was barely more than several minutes.
He sensed that she was grateful for those slight blessings.
Today was one of those days Ciel gave Kagome such a break and had her to run a handful of errands. He was bold enough to inform her to take her time in front of Sebastian and took sick pleasures into watching the butler's expressions darkening. It was also one of those rare times where Ciel was blessed with Kagome's genuine smiles before she left, almost rushing away from Sebastian's side.
Today also promised another round of shenanigans with the rest of his servants
"AHHH, FINNYYY—"
A crash rumbled across his room, the explosion felt.
Sighing, Ciel rubbed his face and burrowed deeper into his seat. He knew Sebastian would take care of whatever dilemma at hand.
It seems that whenever Kagome is gone from his home, the servants would revert to their previous selves of being clowns and break half the things they touched. Her absence was thoroughly felt. In some ways his household wouldn't survive without her, Kagome's presence too deeply rooted.
Debating if he should interfere and spare his servants from Sebastian's wrath, Ciel jolted when the door was flung open, "YOUNG MASTERRR—!" the trios piled over one other and squished the poor Meirin onto the floor.
He breathed when they righted themselves and helped each other up, "What…seemed to be a," Ciel twitched when Baldroy, Finnian, and Meirin all pulled up to his desk too close for his comfort, "problem?"
"Kagome and Sebastian is marrieddddd!" They chorused, all with a face of rejection.
Loudly sniffing Finnian sulked, "Masterrrrr, you knewww, didn't youuuu?" Like Baldroy, he had been harboring a crush on the quiet head maid.
Ciel picked his nails with a pocketknife he had on hands and relaxed into his seat, "Yes, of course I knew. What's of it?" Sebastian probably slipped this particular fact, to rub some salts in the servants' wounds. To very few's surprises he is a sadistic bastard.
He was aware both the chef and the gardener had been sniffing too closely to Kagome, but chose to do nothing about it. Ciel wasn't keen to get involved in martial conflicts, knowing they will resolve in due times. Sebastian might've been too miffed but couldn't find an opening to interfere without crossing his orders from his master.
Until now, apparently.
"Kagome didn't seem to be that close to him…" Finnian grounded a palm in his eye, sighing in dejection, "why didn't they tell us?"
Baldroy groaned, "That's plain cruel to misled us." Crossing his arms he kicked a foot to the ground, "Two whole years and we were never told?"
Unlike both males, Meirin wasn't wearing a face of disappointment, "They were married…" She colored her cheeks pink. A silly giggle fell from her lips. Ciel refused to give in the urge to wrinkle his nose at his maid. Out from his entire household, he found Meirin the strangest.
"I didn't think their married status is relevant," Ciel shrugged, swiveling the blade into its sheath and tucked it away in a drawer, "though I'm surprised you three never noticed they'd share the same room." He admitted.
Their cries were deafening, jolting Ciel with the suddenness, "How were we supposed to know that!?" Baldroy sputtered, "They get up before we do, and they turn in for the night after us!" The chef groaned in despair.
"Fair point," Ciel amended, "regardless, they're of the private sorts and they do care about their professional merits, so I highly doubt both Sebastian and Kagome are keen to share without disrupting their images." Tangling his fingers, he rested his elbows on his desk, "I must ask, how did you find out?"
Both of his male servants flustered and Meirin cleared her throat, "They went to Sebastian for relationship advice."
Ah, he nodded in understanding, "I see, he hadn't approve their interests in Kagome then. Sorry to hear." Sebastian must've gotten upset when they revealed who it was and exposed their married status. What a quite prick.
"I didn't think he…swung the same way as we did." Baldroy murmured morosely.
Ciel tried very hard not to choke on his saliva.
He'd gotten quite good at picking apart minuscule telltale signs of Sebastian's moods over the few short years. By a single twitch in his dark brow, Ciel could tell how incensed Sebastian was, "Are you not over their assumptions?" He noted, fighting a smile from climbing on his lips.
Sebastian overheard what the chef said. Although he'd dragged his servants elsewhere Ciel could hear how nearly his butler verbally welted the servants a good one for assuming his sexuality. Since then Sebastian's moods were a touch foul, much to Ciel's amusement.
Sebastian closed his eyes, his hands deft with refilling his master's tea, "It's not polite to assume, milord—and I do not like to be made unfaithful in front of my very dear girl." He settled the saucer in front of Ciel's hands.
"Aa, but Kagome wasn't here?" Ciel curled his fingers over the porcelain, biting his tongue of his disappointment that his drink wasn't from Kagome's batch. Something told him Kagome could care less of what occurred earlier.
If anything, it almost seemed like she resented being married to the devil.
Yet, Sebastian was far more disturbed at their relationships being threatened. Ciel grimaced at how much he felt he knew more about Kagome than his butler had. Strange, that.
"Walls have ears, milord," Sebastian reminded, before a smile bloomed, "She returned. Do let me greet her properly and I'll have her serving you her own brews in a moment."
He didn't miss Ciel's unease with his freshly-poured tea, yet he wasn't bothered. It was as he said: some perfections can only be achieved by others. Dismissing Sebastian with a wave of his hand, Ciel sighed when his butler disappeared through his door and slumped into his chair.
The tea was left untouched.
"Say," Ciel watched as his maid rearranged her cart for her brewing, "are you not bothered by your marriage being exposed?" He wondered.
Kagome paused, before she resumed, "I'm not entirely sure if I should be bothered by it, no." At her master's inquiring gaze, she bowed her shoulders, "It was nicer being left to pretend, I'll admit."
He frowned, "If you don't care about your…relationship," Ciel caught a flicker of her eyes and saw weariness within, "then why was Sebastian so bothered by others interested in either of you? If you're faithful, then it shouldn't matter so much."
A rueful chuckle sounded from Kagome's throat, "You're still young, milord," she cut the cheesecake in uneven pieces and ladled one onto the plate, "romance is never simple. Sebastian," she experimented his name (even after two years of using it), "disliked having his love," that word had an edge to it, disturbing Ciel somewhat, "for me being questioned." Kagome placed the plate down on the desk and readjusted his fork and knife into their positions.
"I don't think demons really understood that term," Ciel soured. The way Sebastian was peacocking around with Kagome felt unnatural, as if she was nothing more than a favorite possession of his. Humans, he decided he might have been biased, understood it best. His parents' love for him was clear, sincere, he remembered fondly.
He couldn't tell, for the life of him, if Sebastian's love for Kagome was just as sincere.
"He wouldn't know," Kagome pushed the saucer in front of him, saying quietly, "he was never a human."
His eye shot wide and realization settled. Ciel saw why he liked her teas so much. Curling his hands tightly around the gold-lipped porcelain he thinned his lips.
They tasted like how a human would've made it.
Imperfections enriched the flavors, with nonlinear amount of milk and honey each time. Expertly made, Kagome kept her brewing imbalance—but just right. Unlike Sebastian's who kept things too detail-oriented down to the very last grain and right on the instruction, she saw no needs for flawlessness. Unpredictability is human.
"You were, weren't you?" Ciel furrowed his brows, "A human…"
Kagome smiled grimly, saying nothing at all.
A/N: AYYY, so today is my birthday (June 28th) so here's the latest addition to LiA, since updating is my birthday traditions. :) So, here's my gift to you, my good readers. Thanks so much for sticking with me for so many years! Here's to a good year!