Chapter warning:

Mentions self-harm – continuation from the previous chapter.

Mentions attempted suicide – continuation from the previous chapter

Chapter 3

"I love you." Sebastian whispered again for the sake of it, and Ciel smiled as he relaxed more into his boyfriend's arms, sighing, happier.

"I love you too," Ciel replied, nuzzling Sebastian a little.

"Ciel…" Sebastian began, on a slightly more serious note. Ciel didn't like the sound of that, he was going to get chided, or moaned at, at least.

"What is it?" Ciel replied, his voice seemingly depressed. Sebastian looked at him and kissed his cheek.

"Promise me you won't self-harm, or try to commit suicide again," he said. Ciel just looked up at Sebastian, retreating into himself for a moment or two.

I… I can't promise that. I didn't want him to know in the first place. It's who I am, how I get through things. I… I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for the self-harming being my emotional release. He stopped his thoughts and sighed. "I can't…. I can't promise," he said quietly. "You probably won't understand."

"Ciel..." Sebastian whispered, truly worried. "You're right, I don't understand. But I want to. I want to help you, like I promised I would. I'm not going to judge or anything. I just want to be there for you, to be the boyfriend that I have always been." He stopped and looked at Ciel. It was clear on the boy's face that it was something that he didn't want to talk about. Sebastian sighed and hugged him close again.

"If you don't want to talk, then that's fine. But you know I'll always listen if you want to talk about it, day or night, even if you wake me up, I'll listen."

Ciel smiled a little, at that, though mainly at the thought that Sebastian knew that one day he would talk to him about it, it was just something natural. Ciel would always end up crying about his problems to him.

And Sebastian always helped, though he did hope that Ciel wouldn't let it manifest and build like he did the last time, that everything would be okay, or okay in the end at least.

Sebastian eventually, after hugging Ciel for what seemed like an eternity again, stood up, pulling the boy with him. "Why don't we watch a movie or something, it'll take your mind off of things.

"Sure." Ciel replied with a shrug.

"Now what film?" Sebastian asked Ciel.

"I don't mind," was the response. "You choose." Ciel wasn't in the mood for making choices.

"I asked you to choose," Sebastian replied, adamant that it was Ciel's turn to choose the movie, when Sebastian chose he always chose a movie he knew Ciel would like.

"You know what I'm like with choices." Ciel replied, okay that was a fair point, Ciel often took a while to choose.

"Alright then" Sebastian replied placing a soft kiss on his boyfriend's lips. "Why don't you go get some snacks and things whilst I choose a movie?"

Ciel smiled and went to the kitchen and grabbed them chocolate, crisps and other snack things. He didn't care, it might have been early in the morning, but after that attack Sebastian wasn't going to let Ciel go to university, or out of his sight for the next few days. No Sebastian wanted to keep everything relatively calm to help Ciel recover properly, okay, well to an extent. Or so Sebastian thought.

Hmmm, what movie to watch, Ghost Rider, Dare Devil, The Shawshank Redemption. Sebastian mentally ran through a list of movies he knew Ciel liked, but they have a lot of violence, I want to keep him away from violence for a while. Though his chain of thought was cut off when Ciel entered the room with the snacks.

"What you chosen then?" Ciel asked.

"Titanic," Sebastian said with a teasing tone. Ciel stuck his tongue out at him.

"Come on, more interesting than that. Ciel whined. Sebastian just laughed.

"The Shawshank Redemption?" He suggested, "If you can stay awake."

"Sure," Ciel replied, "haven't watched it in a while."

Sebastian laughed again. "Only because you fell asleep whilst watching it."

"It's not my fault it's two-and-a-half-hours long." Ciel replied with a whine. Sebastian smiled and kissed his cheek.

"It doesn't matter if you fall asleep. I'm sure you can catch up with it tomorrow at some point."

Ciel sighed. "You're not letting me leave the flat tomorrow are you?" Sebastian shook his head.

"No I'm not."

"But I have things I need to finish." Ciel replied, "Remember the coursework deadlines in less than a week."

"And you'll do fine." Sebastian said, "You've passed all the others superbly. Letting yourself take one day off won't hurt."

"But it won't be one day." Ciel said. "It'll be two or three." He didn't need, no he didn't want to be stuck inside for two or three days.

Sebastian sighed inwardly and chose to compromise with the boy. "Tomorrow. Tomorrow you'll stay off university, and we'll see how you are then. If you're up for it then the following day you can go back to university. Okay?"

Ciel smiled and hugged Sebastian tight, "Perfect" he replied kissing him.

"So now that's settled, shall we watch the movie?"

Ciel nodded going and sitting in the bed next to Sebastian, cuddling up next to him as they watched the movie. Ciel ended up with his head on Sebastian's chest, Sebastian toying with his Ciel's hair, not really bothered with watching the movie, more intent on watching over his boyfriend, feeling very protective over Ciel at present.

Sebastian wouldn't sleep either, even once Ciel had fallen asleep on him, he didn't move a muscle, just lay there quietly, playing with a piece of Ciel's hair, thinking about what had happened.

Should I go to the police…? Sebastian began thinking to himself. Or do I leave it? Do I risk making things worse for Ciel by involving the police? Or do I let things continue, and let Ciel get hurt more? It was a double edged sword, either way, if he got the police involved or not, Ciel would get hurt more, and it hurt Sebastian knowing that, knowing that there was no escape for Ciel, in the short term anyway, after they had finished university, then well the pair could go on with their life, and those tormenting Ciel would go their own way, but that was a few years away, and Ciel might not last that long. In the end he just gave up on his thoughts, and looking up at the ceiling, occasionally glancing out the window watching the winter's sun rise.

It was a few hours later when Sebastian finally chose to get out of bed, despite the fact that Ciel was still asleep on him, he carefully shifted his sleeping lover and covered him with a blanket, allowing him to sleep more. He didn't want Ciel to wake, not yet, he deserved to sleep peacefully.

Sebastian slipped on a shirt and went into the living room, William was up and awake, still here, honouring what his friend had asked him the night before.

"How is he?" William asked, he was still worried about his friend.

"He'll be okay." Sebastian replied, "He's sleeping so…"

"I guess that's best for now. I take it you're not going into University today. "

Sebastian shook his head, "You should know me by now." He replied, "But we'll be back tomorrow." He added with a sigh.

"You sound like you don't want to." William stated.

"Well…" Sebastian began, "it's more of a compromise. Ciel didn't want to be off university for two or three days. So I said, if he's better later then he can go back tomorrow. Anyway, it's only seminars that we're missing today nothing big."

William chuckled a little, "are you sure you're his boyfriend." He asked, "Because you're protectiveness makes me think that you're his parent." Sebastian smiled a little at that.

"You know what I'm like" he replied, "I just want to let the injuries heal a bit before he goes back, but he's stubborn, and well you know what he gets like when he's stubborn." William nodded,

"But at least he's staying off university today,"

"Yeah, that's the one thing I wouldn't budge on." William smiled. "So…" Sebastian continued, "Want some tea."

"Sure" William replied.

Sebastian nodded and stood up going into the kitchen and making the tea. Coming back out about 5 minutes later with 2 cups of tea. He passed one to William before sighing a little.

"Do you honestly think I should inform the police?" Sebastian asked.

"If I were you, then I would. But you're not me and I'm not you, so what you need to think about is what's best for you and Ciel." William replied taking a sip of the tea.

"We both want this sorted." Sebastian said,

"But…" William continued, "Ciel doesn't want to risk more injury to himself. Correct."

Sebastian nodded. "A double edged sword, we go to the police, and he gets hurt more. We leave things be and he still gets hurt."

"What I don't get is why Cole and the others listen to the prick after Ciel. They know he's trouble, if they stopped doing what he said... well they probably would receive a slightly lighter punishment."

Sebastian glared at William for a second. "A slightly lighter punishment." He spat. "They're all just as bad as each other, they need ten tonnes of shit kicked into them."

"Would you do it," William asked, "will you go and kick ten tonnes of shit into them?"

Sebastian nodded, "I would…" he hesitated ever so slightly for a second, "Actually, no I wouldn't, because Ciel would get hurt more, and it'd make me just as bad as them."

William nodded, smiling slightly, glad that his friend had saw reason. "Urm, I hate to love you and leave you but I promised that I would go and help Midford with some work he doesn't get."

Sebastian waved it away, "It's okay." He replied with a smile, "I take it Edwards paying more attention to cricket than his studies,"

"Doesn't he always?" William replied, finishing his tea. "But then again he isn't a 'nerd' like us." He joked a little, and Sebastian let out a small laugh.

"No, he isn't." Sebastian paused, "but he's a clever chap if he puts his mind to it."

"Sebastian…" William said,

"What?"

"You're tired, go back to bed."

"Why?" Sebastian questioned.

"Because you sound like a teacher." William said with a chuckle.

Sebastian merely rolled his eyes and laughed. "Maybe I do, but you of all people know how worried I am about Ciel."

"Yeah I know how worried you are about Ciel." William replied, "Nothing ever changes, you've been head over heels since you met the boy in our first year."

Sebastian smirked slightly, "Indeed, but, you are just as in love as I, still you haven't done anything about your feelings towards Liz."

"I doubt she likes me." William replied, slightly down heartened.

"Never doubt what you're not sure about." Sebastian replied, "You never know, maybe she does."

William just shrugged, "Maybe." He said before standing up. "Maybe I'll talk to her today." He added, walking to the door. "Make sure both you and Ciel rest up and relax."

Sebastian nodded and gave him a joking salute. William smiled and left, closing the door gently behind him as to not wake Ciel.

Sebastian on the other had sat and finished his cup of tea, reading through some emails on his laptop, one seemed to catch his eye. A case update. He thought to himself. He had asked the team investigating Ciel's parent's disappearance to keep him informed and updated as to what was happening. So, there's still no physical sighting of them, he thought sadly, despite there being several bits of evidence that appears to make it look like they're alive. He looked up from his laptop towards the bedroom door, just how hard is it for him. His parents… the attacks… Sebastian really didn't know what the boy was going through, after all he hadn't really 'lost' the people he loved.

He closed his laptop and stood up going back towards the bedroom and standing in the door, just watching Ciel sleep. Gods did he look adorable like that.

Sebastian let a soft smile grace his lips, at least Ciel was safe, and that's what mattered for now. However there was still that nagging thought, the want to protect him more, but he knew Ciel wouldn't agree to it.

You're just being over concerned. Things will work out in the end. They always do. Not that it might be visible now but his life will be on the up-…. Yeah right… just after how long of hitting rock bottom. He can't take much more. The next attack might kill him… Sebastian thought to himself, before he felt himself being drawn into a mental argument.

You're just being over protective. – He wasn't, he was just concerned about Ciel. Ciel knew he wanted to protect him, Sebastian had told him that he wanted to protect him.

He doesn't want it. - Ciel might have said that he was being over protective and that it was annoying. But he has never said he didn't like the over protectiveness. Just the opposite in fact. He liked Sebastian being over protective, it helped him.

It's not doing you any good. – Sebastian didn't care if it made him worry, if his over protectiveness made him sick, he would still be over protective, and that wouldn't change.

You don't love him… - shut up

At least not as a boyfri- that was it, Sebastian shook his head, almost like a wet pup, how could he doubt his relationship with Ciel. That was… that was just wrong. He adored Ciel, and Ciel knew that, that was all that mattered. Being protective came with the territory, most people are protective of the ones they love. It was completely natural.

Sebastian looked at Ciel again before walking back over to the bed and slipping into the covers and cuddling up to Ciel.

He pulled Ciel close to him, placing a soft kiss in the boy's neck, nuzzling him slightly, as he did the one thing that he had said that he didn't want to do, he fell asleep.

Whilst Sebastian was falling asleep next to Ciel. At another flat a group of boys was stood talking.

"You left him there to die." A boy said, clearly he was the leader of the whole plot to torment Ciel. "Couldn't you have brought him to me? We could have had so much fun."

"We…" Cole replied, sounding a little hesitant, not the cocky shit that had attacked Ciel just hours before. "Michaelis was looking for the boy, we couldn't risk it."

"Couldn't risk it eh…"

Cole shook his head, "but we caused him pain. That was what you asked of us."

"So it was. But to have Phantomhive as my… pet… would be amusing."

"But what exactly would you do to him?" Cole asked, "I mean he wouldn't be much use. He's nothing but a burden to everyone anyway."

"I'll think of something. Just make sure you cause the boy as much pain as possible whilst I come up with a plan."

"Yes si-" Cole was cut short.

"Don't call me sir. I'm the same age as you." The other boy growled.

"Sorry. Trancy."

Alois Trancy, he was the one behind Ciel's torment. He was a jealous shit to say the least. Always wanting what he can't have. And yes, that included Ciel Phantomhive and Sebastian Michaelis. Though his motivations for wanting the two were completely different.

Alois certainly was a spoilt brat. His parents gave him what he wanted, and when he wanted it. Money, cars, clothes. You name it, Alois got it. But there were two things that his parents couldn't give him. And that made him angry. So that was when he decided that he would take those two things for himself. He didn't care how he got them… just that he got them. That was Alois Trancy.

"hey…" another voice spoke up, "just when can we have the fun that you promised us." Alois looked over at him from the armchair he was sat in, a glass of whiskey in one hand, the bottle on the table next to him.

"Patience Ash… patience." He replied, "The time will come. Don't you worry about that. Though I have a job for you. Will you be able to handle it?"

"Of course" Ash replied standing close to Alois, so he could whisper what it was that Ash was supposed to do to Ciel.

A smirk grew across Alois's face as he watched Ash step back and process that little order. "Enough fun to sustain the animal within?" Alois questioned.

"Certainly. But it'll have to wait, after all with the state that we left Ciel in, Sebastian wont be allowing him out of their flat for a day at least."

Alois merely shrugged at that. "I didn't give you a time frame." He replied. "you just have until I come up with a plan to get what I want." And what I want, Sebastian Michaelis, Ciel Phantomhive, is you. And I don't care how I get you. As long as I get you.

Authors notes:

I do not own the movies mentioned in this chapter.

Alois, Ash, Cole – just part of the group after Ciel.

The bit about Alois and the group after Ciel was just a small insight into what they were like. Though they were quite tame to be truthful.

Thank-you for sticking with the story.