Time passed. More time was spent between Yuki and Ciel. They would laugh together, annoy each other, and mock each other. Sebastian knew it all. The earl was downright smitten. He could only infer and hope the mysterious ice girl had something back for the boy. If not now, only a matter of time. Elizabeth would surely speed up THAT process.
"Oh goodness…" Yuki wiped a tear of mirth away from her eyes as she looked at Ciel's furious expression. He had officially lost at a simple game of chess.
"You lost and I won!" Yuki smirked as she pointed a gloved finger at Ciel.
"B-But!" Ciel started to falter, and was cut off when the door opened.
"She is right, you know, young master," Sebastian smirked as he poured tea for the both of them.
"So how long have you been playing chess?" Ciel smiled after ordering Sebastian to put away the chess pieces.
Yuki took a sip of her tea.
"I don't know. I learned it on my own, and then I just challenged random people. A lot of people beat me before I got the tricks memorized on how to skillfully play," Yuki sighed, "Don't worry, it just takes a lot of patience. It can be one frustrating game to handle."
"I know that," Ciel chuckled as he sipped his own tea.
Yuki smiled.
"So how did you first get introduced to chess?" Ciel smiled.
"I saw a chess set being sold at one of your toy shops," Yuki smiled, "On one Christmas my parents bought me the chess set and said I can learn how to play on my own."
"It must have been lonely trying to do it all by yourself," Ciel arched an eyebrow.
"Nonsense, Ciel. It was fun. Besides, the chess set came with detailed instructions on the descriptions of each piece, how to set up the board, and how to move the pieces," Yuki sighed as she sipped her tea delicately.
"Did you do a lot of things on your own?" Sebastian asked. Ciel almost forgot his butler was in the room.
"Yes," Yuki smiled, "But that didn't mean my parents forgot me or neglected me! Until that incident…"
Ciel nodded. He knew.
"Sebastian, you may leave now."
Sebastian bowed, then put the tea cups on the tray and left the room. Ciel sighed and looked at his ever growing paperwork on his desk.
"What is all of this work? It doesn't look like the ones from the Queen," Yuki curiously eyed the paperwork. They didn't have the official seal from Queen Victoria.
"That because it isn't," Ciel grimaced as he signed another paper.
"Then who is it from?" Yuki tilted her head in confusion.
"Well, I have to sign a bunch of contracts and write endless invitations," Ciel sighed miserably, "While my fiancé does the decorations for the ball."
Yuki felt a pang of jealousy go through her. Why would Ciel go through such extensive measures to make his fiancé happy? Did he love her?
No, Yuki thought possessively, He doesn't love her THAT way.
Ciel noticed the blank look on his attendant's face and said, "I only do these stupid balls or else Elizabeth will get in way of my work from the Queen."
"I see," Yuki said.
Then a knock came at the door.
"Come in," Ciel said.
"Your fiancé will be here any minute, young master," Sebastian grimaced on the word 'fiancé'.
"Always dropping by without a formal notice. And this day is getting better and better," Ciel grumbled.
Yuki stifled a laugh as she followed her young master down the stairs.
"CIEL~~~!" a high and annoying screech filled the whole manor. Yuki's eyes bulged out. Was it her imagination or was the interior decoration…pink…?
"W-What in the world?" Yuki had to stop herself from spewing profanities here and then.
"I know, right miss? She always does this when she drops by. Not to mention she dresses me up as a maid each time," Sebastian grimaces. Yuki puked.
"I am sorry but that doesn't sound funny…" Yuki paled.
"I never wanted it to be funny," Sebastian's mouth was pulled into a thin line, "Glad you don't find my misery amusing."
A fluffy tornado of pink and blonde wrapped up Ciel into a huge hug.
"Elizabeth-"
"I told you to call me Lizzie! Lizzie! Lizzie!" Each time the annoying blondie punctuated her name she banged her fist into Ciel's chest. Ciel, disgusted, shoved her away from him.
"As you wish, Lizzie."
"So what is her logic with getting Master to calling her such an informal name?" Yuki asked.
"Now where did formalities pop out?" Sebastian smirked at the navy haired girl. Yuki glared back.
"I am just using it or else his fiancé could murder me," she whispered.
"I know. Just wanted to annoy you. To answer your question, she wants him to call him that name hoping they could move up romantically, as far as her inner theatre goes. They aren't really going to get anywhere near marriage," Sebastian said quietly, a smirk planted on his lips.
"How do you know…?" Yuki asked.
"I am simply one hell of a butler."
An irritation mark grew on Elizabeth's head. She jabbed a finger in Yuki's direction.
"And WHO is SHE?!"
"My personal attendant."
"Why not a male?"
"I find her more capable of attending to my personal matters like Sebastian," Ciel said.
Yuki smiled and Sebastian smirked.
"Anyways, you better not make her hate you, Lizzie. She will be designing the party," Ciel smirked.
"Why not me?!" Lizzie screamed.
"If I remember correctly, winter themed parties do not have pink in them," Yuki stepped forward and put a hand on her heart and did a half bow.
"I am Yuki. Pleased to meet you, my lady."
"Hi. I am Elizabeth Midford. Ciel's fiancé," Elizabeth glared at Yuki. Yuki wanted to pry all the hair off the annoying blonde's hair for her lack of formality.
"Glaring at me will not get your dream party decorated," Yuki smiled nonetheless, "I think you should let Young Master go back to his work, he is hard at work writing invitations and signing papers for your dream ball."
Those magical words convinced Elizabeth to nod along with her, though she didn't smile at the girl.
"Fine then, darling. Go work hard," she tried to push only her fiancé up the stairs but Ciel caught Yuki's hand.
"Young master, why do you want my help? Won't you need peace and quiet while doing your work?" Yuki tilted her head. Ciel sweat-dropped. Damn she was right.
Elizabeth nodded furiously, hoping Yuki was enough to convince him to let her go, therefore minimizing the contact between the two.
Ciel shook his head and said, "No I need your help. Come with me."
He tugged her once more.
"Why not me?"
"Because, Lizzie, she is my personal attendant. You aren't."
And with that, he didn't wait for his fiancé to say anything and tugged her up the stairs.
He slammed the door to his study, making Yuki flinch. She yanked her gloved hand out of his and sat on the chair opposite to his desk.
"So what do you need help with?"
"Life," Ciel groaned, rubbing his face.
"I am sorry," Yuki smirked, "But you need to be more specific."
"And more importantly," Ciel grumbled, "Why did you call me such a formal name? What did I tell you about name calling?"
"Ciel, I was perfectly aware about that. I knew how much you enjoy me calling you by your first name. However I knew your fiancé would have my throat if I called you in such a manner and I knew she would pester you to no ends on why did you give such a right to me. It would cause a problem and when I saw her glomping you in a hug today I knew my suspicions were right."
"Well she is getting on my nerves. But thank you for thinking about both of our welfares before doing such an action. For one moment I thought you hated me," Ciel smiled.
Yuki smiled, "No, I would never."
Ciel smiled and then Yuki started to reach for Ciel's paperwork. Ciel stared at her in shock.
"What are you doing?"
"Hmm? Well this is awfully a lot of things to do. At this rate you won't be able to spend time with your fiancé," Yuki started signing papers that Ciel had to, in his identical signature.
"How did you re-create my signature?" Ciel asked and then Yuki's words sunk in, "And what do you mean you want me to spend more time with Elizabeth!"
"Well to answer your first question, I spent hours of carefully watching how you looped your whole name in cursive on the paper. Each loop is different considering you like to threaten me by making me remember how to write your first and last name in calligraphy," Yuki smirked, "And for your second question, you may not know it but Elizabeth hates me."
"So?"
"So? If she hates me she might think I am keeping you all for myself. Might as well get rid of suspicions, right?" Yuki sighed sadly in her mind as she put another stack of papers in the 'done' pile.
"But I do not want to see her until the party and get it over with."
"Of course you do."
"Yeah and I am lying aren't I?"
Yuki snorted as she socked Ciel in the shoulder, "I never said you were. I was just being sarcastic."
Ciel grumbled.
"Plus, if I do some of your workload this is our time spent together. And we all know how much you crave to spend time with me, right? Now it is doubled that your fiancé came," Yuki smirked.
Ciel blushed bright red.
"Ahh, got you. Now come on. Those invitations aren't going to write themselves," Yuki chided Ciel.
"I could always ask Sebastian to write them…"
"Then you are being lazy and then Elizabeth can take use of your free time as time to spend with her. She even might make you cross dress," Yuki smirked.
"How do you know about that?" Ciel asked.
"Now what kind of personal attendant would I be if I didn't know your darkest secrets?" Yuki smirked identically to Sebastian. Ciel frowned.
"Ohhhh he is so going to get it. That was only ONE MISSION. I hated every single minute of it," Ciel frowned.
"Come on it can't be that bad."
"Oh yeah? How would you feel if you had to cross dress as a guy?"
"Indifferent."
"Wha?"
"I mean, I do not wear skirts unless it is the end of the world. I think the first incident is going to be at the ball when I have to wear my first dress. So I wouldn't feel too bad having to cross dress. Just a little awkward because I have to act like a gentleman instead of a lady."
Ciel face palmed.
"Of course. Bad idea to ask you."
"You know, you can always ask Meirin. She likes her maid uniform," Yuki smirked.
Ciel frowned.
"But asking her to do that might make her cry."
"Then ask your fiancé to cross dress. She seems very feminine to me," Yuki giggled. Ciel chuckled.
"Ah there is no end to your mischievousness, is there?" Ciel smiled.
"Well the moment I become all gullible will be the day you have to take me to the psychiatrist," Yuki smiled and laughed along with Ciel as they split up the long piles of paperwork and divided and conquered the endless tasks.
oOo
The sound of feathers was soft but to the two teens, it seemed amplified.
"Oh gosh, I am beat!" Ciel rubbed his eye.
"No kidding. Having to write your name in calligraphy is so tiring to the point I almost misspelled your name. I almost wrote Phatohive on one letter. Though I got alerted and remembered to add an 'n' after 'a' and an 'm' after 'o'," Yuki rubbed her eyes.
"You suffered? What about me? I had to write the same letter infinite times. Do you know how many people are coming?" Ciel looked like he wanted to choke Yuki.
"Care to entertain me?" Yuki wearily looked at her master.
"150!"
"Wow that is going to be a crowded party," Yuki's eyes nearly bulged out of her eye sockets.
A knock sounded at the door.
"Come in," Ciel said.
"Done this quickly?" Sebastian lightly smirked as he closed the door.
"Yes, with the generous help of Yuki," Ciel rolled his eyes and sunk back into his chair, only to be whacked upside the head.
"What?!"
"Is that sarcasm I smell here? For your information I didn't really have to help!" Yuki playfully yelled at Ciel.
"Wow, she flawlessly copied your signature. Even I am still adamant that this is signed by you," Sebastian showed one of the million contracts that Yuki signed. Ciel eyed it closely. He was right.
"Good job. You do have a sharp memory," Ciel smirked.
Yuki raised her hand to prepare for another smack, or preferably a fist coming down on his cranium.
"Is THAT sarcasm?" Yuki asked.
"No! I swear!"
"Oh," Yuki smiled lowering her hand and instead patting Ciel lightly on the shoulder, "Then you're welcome. One of the many jobs I should be able to do as your attendant."
"PERSONAL attendant, must I add?" Sebastian smirked.
"Uh-huh, whatever makes your boat float," Yuki rolled her eyes.
"Is Elizabeth still here?" Ciel asked, eyeing the frilly pink cat ears on top of Sebastian's head, "Give me that."
"Thank you, my lord," Sebastian smiled for fraction of a second as he watched Ciel snap the kitty cat ears in two and chuck them in his trash bin.
"Well?" Ciel asked.
"No. I finally persuaded her to go home," Sebastian said.
"Oh, good."
Then Yuki's tummy grumbled loudly.
"I told you to keep quiet!" Yuki scolded her belly in such a comical way that Ciel chuckled.
"I-I am really sorry for that. I guess I am hungry. You should be, too. I mean, who wouldn't be after doing extensive paperwork?"
"Well it was twice my normal load."
"Yeah. So I will go make something!"
"Sebastian will."
"Okay."
"Sebastian, go make something for us to eat."
"Yes, my lord," Sebastian smirked and bowed and left the room.
"So why can't you take it off, you know, those gloves? How do you eat with those?" Ciel pointed out the gloves, a question he never asked ever since she got here.
"Well, I kind of got used to it. I just take them off in my bath and I have to put my hands in HOT water or else I might freeze something. Ciel, the reason I need these special gloves is because I do not know how to control my powers without them," Yuki sighed.
"Is there anything that can help it?"
"I was told that one feeling can help it…" Yuki rubbed her chin.
"And that is…?" Ciel prompted her.
"I really do not know, Ciel. I have to find out. And once I figure it out, then I won't need these, so I could burn them," Yuki sighed, "I have to find out through experience."
"Is there any way to get around it?" Ciel asked.
"Wow you must love shortcuts," Yuki sighed.
"No, that's not it."
"Oh."
"Well?"
"The only way to find out is through time. Something will trigger it, and I might not realize it, but I will find out through clues. Something that can thaw a frozen heart," Yuki said, putting a finger to her lips, "I wonder what it is?"
"You will find out, Yuki. I will help you," Ciel reached over and grabbed the navy haired girl's hand. Yuki looked over at Ciel and felt how warm his hand was through the gloves. Almost like her powers felt controlled under his warm touch.
What is this feeling that seems to control my powers?
.
.
.
TBC