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A/N: Hello again. Thanks for waiting patiently, guys. I was really busy last week and didn't have a lot of time to write...that, and I'm lazy. Hey, has anyone seen the new Batman movie yet? Christian Bale in a fancy suit...*drools* Anyway! On to the story!

XxxxxX

Ciel noticed that a change gradually came over him. Well, a few changes, actually. It wasn't anything overwhelming or shocking, nothing that would cause anyone to be concerned. They were in fact so subtle that even he didn't notice them at first. Maybe if he had, he would have been alerted to danger.

One thing was that he became increasingly more dependent on Sebastian. When the butler insisted on doing things like cooking his meals and bringing his clothes to him in the morning, that was fine. He also didn't mind when the spirit drew a bath for him(of course he kicked the man out shortly afterwards so he could bathe in private). Everything else he did himself. His parents had raised him to be independent.

But somehow, that all changed. It all started when he was getting dressed one morning. Usually, the spirit left after handing him his clothes, but that morning he stayed. Sebastian had slowly brought his hands up to the boy's shirt. He hesitated before started to undo the buttons on it.

Ciel knew that he should have said something or put up some sort of resistance. But for some reason this felt...oddly natural. He didn't mind at all when the butler undressed him and then redressed him. It felt like a common, everyday thing. He also didn't say anything when Sebastian went so far as to brush his hair.

At first, he only allowed this to happen in the morning. He told himself that he only did it because he was tired. But then Sebastian started dressing him at night, and then every time he needed to change clothes. And though the butler never said anything, Ciel could tell that the spirit was happy with how comfortable they were with each other.

Another thing that happened was that he allowed Sebastian to bathe him. That started the same way that the dressing did. One day while he was in the tub, Sebastian started to scrub his back. The feeling caused him to relax, so he didn't mind. He almost protested when the butler started to wash the rest of his body, but then that strange content feeling came back over him.

It was like Sebastian had been taking care of him his entire life. Besides, it was a butler's duty to do these sorts of things, wasn't it?

XxxxxX

He had never been the most social person in the world, but he always managed to have plenty of good friends and acquaintances. And even though he was often snarky and had a short temper, they still clung to him like a lifeline. He could be friendly when he wanted to be, and those moments made them love him even more.

His anti-social feelings had become stronger as of late. Every time his friends tried to talk to him, he either cut their conversation short or simply ignored them. He couldn't bring himself to listen to their obnoxious chatter anymore. After a few days of that, they finally confronted him.

He was standing outside of the school, waiting for his mother to come pick him up. It was Friday, which meant that he could go a full two days with just his butler's company. What's more, he only had one more week of school before summer break. He was looking forward to it. It would give him a chance to relax.

He was bending down to tie his shoe when he was shoved to the ground. He looked up to see an angry Alois and Soma standing over him.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" he demanded as he stood back up.

"Right now, you're what's wrong with us!" Alois answered. "You've been treating us like crap all week! What's your problem?"

"It's true, Ciel," Soma added, sounding sad. "Tell me, what have we done to anger you? I cannot have my little brother upset with me."

He snorted in response. "You still insist on calling me your 'brother'?" he sneered. "You presume far too much."

He started to walk away when Alois grabbed his shoulder and spun him back around.

"There you go again, you prick!" the blond yelled.

To his surprise, Ciel slapped him across the face – hard. He staggered back and stared at his friend in shock.

"Don't touch me so easily!" he yelled. "Who do you think you are?"

"Oh, so what? Does rich boy suddenly think he's so high and mighty? You move to a damn mansion and you think you're better than us?" Alois retorted.

Suddenly, Rachel's car pulled up close to them. He took that as his cue to leave. Without saying a word, he turned on his heel and started to walk away.

"Fuck you, Ciel!" Alois yelled. "Just fucking walk away! But don't expect us to ever talk to you again!"

He snorted again and kept walking. Did they really think so much of themselves that they assumed that he would actually want their company? Ridiculous. He would choose solitude over them any day.

As they drove away, he never noticed Soma sobbing loudly or Alois angrily kick over a trash can.

XxxxxxX

The breaking point came a few months later. The Midford's were going on a cruise for the holidays, so they decided to celebrate his birthday a month early. In the past, he would have been happy for the celebration. But now, he just grumbled. Why did they insist on celebrating such a pointless thing? Ever since the incident in That Room, the thought of his birthday reminded him of fire and death. It didn't feel right to celebrate. He voiced his thoughts to his butler.

"Now, now, young master, don't fret," Sebastian soothed as he finished tying the boy's tie. The whole family had decided that they would dress formally tonight. Ciel had adorned a simple gray and brown suit. "They are your family. It won't be that bad."

"Probably," he sighed. "But my cousins can be a bit...overbearing. I'm afraid that I might lose my temper."

"I'm sure that you can stay composed, my lord," the butler said with a smile. "Just remember, they are guest in your home."

"I suppose you're right," he said as he put on his ring. He had never worn it in front of other people before, but tonight seemed like a good excuse. He then made his way downstairs.

As he entered the dining room, Lizzie instantly ran over and hugged him tightly. He almost stiffened at her touch, but instead forced himself to hug her back.

"Happy early birthday, Ciel!" she squealed. She was wearing a bright pink dress that hurt his eyes a bit.

"Hello, Elizabeth," he greeted quietly.

"Oh, what's with this 'Elizabeth' stuff?" she asked. "You always call me Lizzie! And what's with that suit? It's not cute at all. It's very drab!"

Me forced himself to smile. "I rather like this suit," he said simply. Really, the girl had no manners.

Apparently, her mother thought so, too. "Elizabeth!" she snapped. "Don't insult him like that! Especially not at his birthday party!"

Of course, Lizzie instantly apologized to both him and her mother. He simply nodded in reply. His uncle merely smiled at his daughter's antics while his cousin Edward sent a glare in his direction. In his eyes, his little sister could do no wrong.

His parents soon came in, and then they all went to sit at the table. Ciel could feel rather than see Sebastian standing behind his chair. It made him smile a bit.

After the adults talked about the upcoming cruise for a bit, his mother finally noticed her son's new accessory.

"Ciel, where on earth did you get that ring?" she asked.

They all turned to see what she was talking about. He held up the ring for them to see.

"I discovered this whilst exploring the house a few months ago," he explained. "After doing some research, I learned that this ring has been in our family for generations. I thought that it was only fit to wear it."

"Ooh, it's so pretty!" Lizzie cooed. She quickly bent over and snatched it off his finger. "Is this a real diamond? It matches your eyes-"

"Give it back!" he demanded.

They all turned to look at him in shock.

"Ciel-" she started.

"Don't just take things without permission!" he yelled. "Don't you have any sense? Give it back now!" He didn't know why he was so upset, but he knew that he had to have that ring back.

"Why are you being so mean to me?" she yelled back. "I just wanted to look at it! Alois and Soma were right, you've changed! I don't like you anymore! Here, take your damned ring!"

With that she threw it to the floor, causing the fragile band to shatter. He looked at it in shock for a moment. He then snarled at the now crying girl and started to raise his hand. He was stopped by a cold, invisible force holding his arm down. Instead, he sighed sadly and picked up the broken pieces.

"Excuse me," he said quietly.

He walked back to his room and sat heavily on his bed. He gazed sadly at the broken band. Perhaps there was a way to fix it? Suddenly, Sebastian appeared before him and gently took the ring from him.

"You've grown very attached to this, haven't you?" he asked the boy.

He nodded slowly. The spirit started to say something, but then they heard footsteps coming toward his room. Sebastian vanished just before his parents came into the room. He could tell by their faces that they were upset.

"Ciel, we need to talk," his father said solemnly.

"About what?" he asked. Talking was the last thing he wanted to do, but he knew he didn't have a choice.

"What do you mean 'about what'?" his father yelled, all patience with his son gone. "For starters, how about that little stunt you pulled down there? How could you treat Lizzie like that?"

"She broke a precious family heirloom in a fit of childish rage," he said, sounding indifferent. "Was I just supposed to smile and look the other way?"

"She was just looking at it!" Vincent yelled. "You didn't have to snap at her like that! You even made her cry!"

He wanted to say that making her cry wasn't very hard to do, but decided against it. "Fine, I'll go apologize if it makes her feel better," he offered. Not that he really thought he had to...

"They already left," his mother told him. "Poor Lizzie was crying her eyes out. Frances thought it was best to take her home. And you will call her and apologize tomorrow."

"Why should I have to apologize?" he demanded. "I told you that I didn't even want them over in the first place."

"They're your family and they should be able to see you on your birthday!" Vincent shouted. "Honestly, why are you being such a brat?"

"That's something else we've been wanting to talk about, darling," Rachel said. "It seems that ever since we've moved here, your attitude has changed completely. You've just grown so distant and mean. Tell us, when was the last time you've talked to your friends?"

"I do not have friends," he said in an even tone. "I do not require them."

"What are you saying? That you don't need other people?" his father demanded. "All you ever do is hang around the house. You never talk to anyone, you never call anyone, and you never go out unless we make you. Why are you so reclusive?"

"I find that solitude suits me quite well," he replied. "I prefer to be alone."

"Darling, you never acted like this until we moved here," his mother observed. "And that's why we've decided that we're moving back into our old house in London. This is something your father and I have already discussed numerous times. We think that it will help you open up again."

"You think the house has anything to do with this?" he asked. "No, it is simply me. You can either accept that or not."

"Enough!" his father snapped. "We're moving out in four days. Start packing!"

With that, they turned and left.

XxxxxxX

A/N: I think that turned out nice, how about you guys? Only one more chapter to go!

Review!