I want to thank everyone who has been reading and/or reviewing so far. Akiru Chan and I love to read your comments, and they make us smile. I think we love this story as much as you all do. Read and review, flame if you must.
Akiru Chan and I have limited medical knowledge, so please forgive any errors you might find.
Disclaimer: Neither of us own Sebastian or Ciel, or any of the other Kuroshitsuji characters.
Ciel was slowly pulled from sleep by something licking his hand, which was hanging off the side of the bed. He grumbled to himself, gently pushing Seb away. He rubbed his eyes and, intent on going back to sleep, rolled over to his other side and...
Right onto someone else. Ciel's eyes widened and he let out a small shriek as he immediately jerked back, nearly falling off the bed in the process and accidentally kicking the person in the side as he struggled to maintain his balance.
A loud, pained grown filled the small room as Sebastian turned and clutched at his side. He had been in the middle of a lovely dream and the attack was so sudden that it left him winded and confused. He had no idea what had happened, only being able to grumble his displeasure to himself.
Ciel was shaking as his mind frantically tried to piece together what was going on. The last thing he remembered was falling asleep in Sebastian's arms, and then nothing. "Sebastian?" he asked tentatively, slowly stretching out his hand to feel for the man.
The older man seemed to freeze, scarlet eyes rolling over to focus on the frightened boy. "Ciel?" He asked in return. Sebastian looked just as shocked and unsure as Ciel did, both of their eyes wide and now fully awake.
"I-I didn't mean to kick you. Are you okay?" Ciel found Sebastian's arm, and he took hold of it. He had an apologetic look on his face as he scooted closer. "It just startled me. I'm not used to waking up with someone in my bed." Here he blushed a deep red, but there was more than embarrassment in his expression.
"We slept... Shit." The realization of the situation hit Sebastian and he cursed colorfully under his breath. He had promised himself that he wouldn't let this happen. What if Mey-rin had come in during the night to check on Ciel? What would she think if she saw doctor and patient curled up in a position that was far from suitable? For the moment, he didn't want to think about it. It still felt too early in the morning. "Are you okay?" he finally asked Ciel after a moment.
"Yeah, I'm okay." Ciel offered him a tiny smile. His breathing and heart rate had returned to normal by now. He stretched. "What time is it?"
Sebastian shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not sure." He fished out his cell from his back pocket and flipped it open. "Nine," he said, followed by the slap of the phone. Soon the time would come to start the day and get Ciel in for some testing. The only challenge was that Sebastian had to sneak back to his office to change and go through his morning routine.
Ciel blinked in surprise. "Really? I slept all night long and didn't wake up at all?" That was the first night in years that he'd been able to do that.
"It would seem neither of us woke up during the night." Sebastian shook his head and stood. Strained muscles stretched and he grunted as joints popped. Despite how well he might have slept, Sebastian was starting to feel the affects of sleeping in a crowded bed and with his clothes on. "I shouldn't have fallen asleep in here at all. But what's done is done."
A tiny smile crept across Ciel's face. He couldn't help but attribute his good night's sleep to the fact that Sebastian had been with him. Granted, that probably wasn't the case, but he figured there was no harm in thinking that in his mind. His stomach growled, interrupting him from his thoughts.
Garnet eyes rested upon Ciel, a light amusement showing in them. "I suppose you want breakfast?" Sebastian wouldn't be able to leave the office anytime soon, but he could send Mey-rin down to grab two plates to eat from the cafeteria. Eating hospital food two days in a row didn't settle well with the doctor, but he'd be sure to go out to get real food from a cafe for dinner.
Ciel nodded. "Sure. What do they have for breakfast? Or are you going to choose what I eat again?" He asked, sightless eyes narrowing at the doctor.
"No, but only because I haven't a clue what they'll be serving. You'll have to ask Mey-rin, or you could go with her." Sebastian didn't think Ciel would take the offer, but he threw it out there anyways. It would give the boy something to do while Sebastian got ready for the day and filled out some papers on Ciel's progress.
Ciel shook his head. "I'll just ask Mey-rin. I don't feel like moving around too much right now. I'm actually kind of tired a bit." He wondered if it was because of how much sleep he'd gotten; he'd heard that too much sleep could cause tiredness.
"How's your head?" Sebastian asked as more of an afterthought than out of any real concern.
"It doesn't hurt right now. I think it might again after the next treatment, though." Ciel was quiet for a moment. "Sebastian? Do you think it's working?"
"The pain is a good sign. It means your damaged nerves are repairing and that the medication is doing it's job." Sebastian stood and moved towards the door. He didn't have much more time to waste, not when he should have been up by eight. "Just wait until you start seeing blurred monochrome shapes. Then we know you are moving towards seeing again."
Ciel frowned. "That's going to drive me crazy, but I suppose I'll have to live with it. If the treatment even works, that is," he added, feeling pessimistic at the moment. "How many people have undergone this procedure?"
Sebastian laughed at that. "I suppose seeing that would drive some crazy, but you'll get used to it." He ruffled Ciel's hair and moved to stand next to the door. "I have work I have to do, but I'll send Mey-rin in to get your breakfast order. Then once you eat, you are free to do as you please. I'll be in my office if you need me."
Ciel scowled as the doctor left without answering his question. Sighing, he flopped onto the bed and curled up. Today was going to be very long and boring; he could feel it. He grumbled to himself while he waited impatiently for the nurse to come in. With a start, he realized that he was still wearing the same clothes as he had been the day before. That had him scrambling for his bag and hurrying into the bathroom to change. After quickly throwing on clean clothes, he exited the bathroom and almost ran into Mey-rin.
"Sorry!" She exclaimed and fretted over him to make sure she hadn't hurt in any way. "Mr. Phantomhive, I didn't see you there. I'm so sorry." Mey-rin continued her apologies with no end in sight.
"I'm fine," Ciel stated, looking slightly bewildered by her babbling. "Um, Sebastian sent you in here to get my breakfast order?" He questioned, hoping to get her attention back on track.
Mey-rin paused, a sheepish expression crossing her face. "Y-yes, he did. What would you like, Sir?" Her voice was shaky, with nerves most likely.
"Do they have waffles?" Ciel asked. He hadn't had waffles in a while, and he was hungry for them.
"Um... I believe so." She looked unsure, but didn't seem willing to voice it. "Shall I get you that and... What would you like to drink?"
"I'll take apple juice, please," the blue-eyed boy said, all the while wondering how on earth this woman had become a nurse.
It didn't take a second for Mey-rin to turn and leave the boy's room, with both Ciel's and Sebastian's orders in mind. The doctor had intercepted her moments before she had come to Ciel's room.
Ciel carefully walked over to his bed and snapped his fingers. Seb trotted over, pressing his head against the boy's hand, and gave a low whine. Ciel chuckled. "After breakfast, I'll take you outside, okay?" He wasn't sure if Sebastian would be free to go with him, but he didn't want to go by himself. That thought made his stomach turn, and he forced himself to think on something else. If he became panicked now, he wouldn't be able to eat very much.
A couple of minutes ticked by, and soon Ciel heard the nurse hurrying down the hallway. He glanced in the direction of the door, hoping that she would hurry up. He was starving.
Mey-rin poked her head in seconds later and placed the boy's breakfast on the table. "Enjoy!" she said and exited the room as quickly as she had come.
Ciel blinked, not having been able to tell her thank you. He shrugged it off, figuring that maybe she had other things to do. He sighed and began to eat. The waffles tasted delicious, and he quickly finished them, then drank his juice. He stood up and hesitated, not sure what to do with his plate. Deciding to leave it there for now, he grabbed onto the harness. "Come on, Seb. Let's find Sebastian."
Walking out of the room, Seb led him down the hallway and stopped in front of the doctor's office. Ciel went to open the door but stopped. What if Sebastian had a patient in there? He didn't want to be rude and intrude if that was the case. He stood there awkwardly, trying to decide what to do.
There was a moment of silence, only the jingling of Seb's tags in the empty hallway. A muffled, "Come in" sounded from the other side of the door, courtesy of Sebastian. The man had known the boy had been standing there, hearing the jingle of tags along with nails on tiled floors and Ciel's footsteps.
The door creaked open, and Ciel poked his head in. "I'm not interrupting, am I?" He asked, an apprehensive look on his face.
Sebastian looked up from his desk with a smile. He had already changed, sitting in navy slacks, a pale pink button up top, with a navy tie. For the time being he had discarded his white coat, finding it too restricting. "You're not," Sebastian said, putting a paper to the side. "In fact, I was just looking for a distraction." Filling out documents was the bane of the young doctor's life; he could do without such tasks.
Ciel smiled as he walked over to the couch and sat down. "A distraction, huh? I suppose I can help out with that." He tilted his head. "I have to take Seb outside. He hasn't been out since yesterday sometime."
"So to the garden?" The sound of a chair scraping on tile and the shuffle of fabric filled the room as Sebastian stood. He made a show of brushing wrinkles from his clothes and moved over towards where Ciel sat. The boy's hands were taken in Sebastian's own and he lifted Ciel to his feet.
Ciel glanced up and smiled again before shyly squeezing Sebastian's hands. They were warm and soft, and Ciel's own hands fit perfectly. A slight blush dusted his cheeks as he murmured quietly, "Will you kiss me first, please?"
Without preamble, Sebastian swooped down to lay a sugar sweet kiss to Ciel's parted lips. It was simple and innocent, over sooner than either of them would have liked. "I'll give you five kisses to trump that one if we hurry back," Sebastian promised as he pulled away and led Ciel and the dog to the door.
Ciel had to fight hard to keep from blushing anymore. It wouldn't be good if someone were to notice the two of them exiting his office and Ciel looking embarrassed. He trailed along after Sebastian and Seb, attempting to keep his mind focused on where he was going. It was hard to do since he had the promise of more kisses from the doctor. He pretended to scratch his cheek so he could cover his smile with his hand.
The elevator ride was quiet, and Ciel found that he couldn't stand still. He kept shifting his weight, anxious to be in the garden and then back in the office as soon as possible. He sighed.
"You all right?" Sebastian asked. Ciel looked more antsy than normal, but there was also a sort of lightness to the boy. It prompted a smile and Sebastian placed his arm on Ciel's shoulder, the affectionate gesture hidden within the elevator.
"Yeah, I'm okay." Ciel squirmed at the contact, leaning into Sebastian a bit closer than normal. He bit his lip; he didn't want to say that he was eager to get back to the office because Sebastian would guess it was because of the promised kisses, so he remained silent after that.
The elevator opened and they drew apart as they moved into the public eye and off towards the hospital gardens. The sky was overcast, it seemed, as they breached the safety of indoors and moved into the weather of the open air. Sebastian led them to the same spot as last time and waited rather impatiently for the dog to finish his business.
It would be noon soon and they would have to begin some tests before Ciel could relax until his next dose of injections. But it was still early and Sebastian would use the free time to spend it with Ciel.
Seb was soon done and looked expectantly up at his master and Sebastian, tail wagging furiously. He shifted towards the doctor, searching for a pat on the head.
Sebastian cleared his throat and looked towards Ciel, not even trying to see the dog. "Are you ready to head back?"
Ciel nodded, perhaps a bit too vigorously when he heard Sebastian chuckle. A blush stained his cheeks again, and he ducked his head in embarrassment. "Let's go," he mumbled.
The trip back seemed all the longer since this time, they had been forced to share the elevator with a weasel faced old woman who constantly made an odd sound in the back of her throat, like the croaking of a frog. When the elevator doors opened, she shot them a look as if they had done something wrong and made her way in the opposite direction in which Sebastian and Ciel were headed. If Sebastian had to guess, he would say she was headed to the gynecologist offices, a job that he never envied Dr. Sutcliff for.
Ciel's heart rate picked up the closer they got to the office. He swallowed hard, telling himself that there was nothing to be nervous about. Still, he couldn't squelch the butterflies from flying around inside his stomach as Sebastian held the office door open for him and followed him in. He stood awkwardly for a moment before going to sit down on the couch.
"Have a seat; we still have an hour before your tests are scheduled. Until then we can relax." Sebastian sat in his rolling desk chair and scooted to be in front of Ciel like he had done in times past.
Ciel settled himself onto the couch and felt Seb nudge his leg before laying down beside his feet. He bit his lip, his fingers gripping the edge of the couch tightly. A small smile crossed his face as he thought about how ridiculous he must look, and the tension in his body eased slightly.
"Your eyes are so blue," Sebastian said after a moment of silent examination. "It's so easy to forget that you can't see. It's really a travesty that eyes too pretty can't see the sky they mirror." It was almost poetic and Sebastian could have slapped himself for the sappiness of his words. But he had never taken the time, no matter the many occasions in which he had examined the boy's eyes, to actually take note of just how unique they were. Ciel's eyes were the color of the blue sky peeking through the clouds after a spring rain.
Ciel blushed and tilted his head away from Sebastian's scrutiny. "Thank you," he mumbled. It seemed that no matter what the doctor did or said, Ciel always ended up becoming embarrassed. He was fairly sure that the blush would soon become a permanent fixture on his face.
"No need to be embarrassed." Sebastian paused, and then thought of something. "Would you like to guess the color of my eyes?"
Blinking, Ciel frowned thoughtfully. He hadn't given much thought to what the doctor looked like. It wasn't really that important. "Um, brown?" He guessed.
"No quite." Sebastian took hold of Ciel's hand, the skin so smooth and warm. He brought it tenderly up to his lips and kissed each digit. "Try again." There wasn't much of a chance that Ciel would be able to pick out the doctor's eye color. It wouldn't be a surprise to Sebastian if he was only one in a handful of people to have scarlet eyes, but to him it made them all the more unique.
Ciel's face scrunched up in concentration. "Hazel?"
Sebastian pulled Ciel forward and the boy toppled ungracefully into his lap. "Wrong again," he said with a kiss to Ciel's forehead.
"Green," Ciel guessed again as he tried to arrange himself better on Sebastian's lap. He wiggled around until he was comfortable sitting sideways, his head resting against the doctor's shoulder.
A kiss was given to Ciel's cheek and Sebastian whispered, "Wrong again." The older man was finding this highly enjoyable, and he wondered just what he might give the boy if Ciel answered correctly.
"What about gray?" Ciel questioned. He had to be close to getting it right. There were only so many eye colors in the world.
"Going in the right direction, but wrong." At least now Ciel was thinking outside of the normal blue and brown color scheme. This time Sebastian laid a kiss to the tip of Ciel's blushing nose.
Ciel frowned. "Do you have colored contacts and you're trying to trick me?"
"Not at all. My eye are one hundred percent natural," Sebastian reassured. Once, long ago, Sebastian had sported a pair of grey-blue contacts when he had been meanly teased for the color of his eyes. It had been one of those foul experiences from middle school, and something Sebastian had long since forgotten.
"Black," Ciel sounded sure of himself this time as he awaited Sebastian's reply.
This time Sebastian laughed and shook his head, upsetting Ciel in the process. "No, no. That would be quite terrifying, don't you think? Someone with pure black eyes."
An irritated huff left Ciel's lips, and an annoyed look stole into his sightless eyes. "Then what color eyes do you have? Purple? Yellow? Orange? Pink? Red?"
"Perhaps you just have to wait and see. We'll make it a surprise, and give you something to look forward to once your eyesight is back." There was a humorous lilt to Sebastian voice; how close Ciel had come to guessing correctly, but it didn't count when the boy was just running off colors like he had. But, as a form of accomplishment for at least voicing the right color, Sebastian swooped down and laid a lingering kiss upon Ciel's moist lips.
Ciel had been about to roll his eyes and voice his irritation when Sebastian kissed him, and he immediately shut up. This was much better than nagging the doctor to find out his eye color. His eyes closed, and his hand came up to curl into the older male's shirt as their lips molded together.
A kiss meant to be short and sweet turned into so much more. Ciel didn't seem ready to let go just yet and Sebastian had no inclination to do just that. He pressed harder into the kiss, hands going to situate Ciel so that the boy could straddle his waist and deepen the kiss.
"Ciel," Sebastian breathed between kisses, mouth opening to pull in Ciel's tongue. He sucked on the warm, wet muscle as the boy's sudden moan vibrated against the older man's lips.
Ciel's hands trailed up Sebastian's chest to tangle in his hair, and he ran his fingers through the silky strands. A shiver coursed through his body as their tongues slid against each other. He moaned once more, unintentionally grinding down on Sebastian's lap.
The grip Sebastian had on Ciel tightened as the boy moved in less than innocent ways. Sebastian had no doubt that Ciel was unaware of just what he had done, and he tried to force his body to calm and not give into the heat that was spreading in his loins.
Another wiggle and the doctor was gasping and pushing down on Ciel's hips without realizing it. The pressure was fogging over his logical mind and he kissed back with fervor, mumbling a groaned "Ciel" as the boy continued his arousing movements.
Ciel was pleased when the doctor said his name, and he pulled back slightly from the kiss to nip lightly at his lips. He shifted in an attempt to find a more comfortable position, his tongue plunging back inside Sebastian's mouth as his hands rested on his chest.
"You need to stop that," Sebastian breathed, nails digging into Ciel. The doctor's own hips shifted up just slightly before he could stop them and he gasped as his semi-erect cock found some momentary relief.
Ciel's eyes widened, and for a brief instant, a hint of fear was present before it disappeared. His body trembled somewhat, and his fingers clutched Sebastian's shirt just a bit tighter as he realized what his actions were causing. "Sorry," he whispered against the older male's mouth.
Sebastian pulled away and pressed a small kiss to Ciel's cheek. "Don't be sorry. It felt good," he tried to console. There was no point to scare Ciel away at this point, or to discourage such actions. Had they been anywhere else, Sebastian would have never uttered a complaint. Even now he was tempted to throw caution to the wind, his body wanting to have that lovely friction once more.
Ciel nodded slowly, biting his lip before cautiously leaning over and capturing Sebastian's lips again. Despite Sebastian having said that it felt good, Ciel wasn't about to repeat the action; it was becoming too uncomfortable for him, especially since he knew what could happen if Sebastian became too aroused. That thought had him gasping into the kiss, but the doctor didn't seem to notice it, perhaps thinking it was a response to the kiss.
"Your kissing has improved," Sebastian commented offhandedly. It wasn't as if Ciel had even been bad at kissing, but now it was obvious that the boy had become used to the action and was confident. No longer did Sebastian have to fully lead, Ciel now took the initiative. It was something that Sebastian loved.
The blue-eyed boy blushed. "Thank you. Your kissing is good, too. I mean, I don't have anything to compare it to since you were my first kiss, but... I think I'll just stop talking now," Ciel mumbled, covering his red face with his hand.
Ciel's hands were pushed away, so that Sebastian could see the clear blue of the boy's eyes. "You're so cute when you get embarrassed." Another kiss was placed on Ciel's nose and Sebastian couldn't resist planting a second on a nearby cheek. His hands had since left Ciel's waist to press at a slender back, pushing the boy's small frame more firmly against the doctor's chest.
Ciel eagerly wrapped his arms around Sebastian's neck and nestled his head in the crook of his neck, breathing in his intoxicating scent. The tip of his tongue flicked out to taste the skin, and he felt the doctor give a small shudder in response.
"Please," Sebastian said, voice husky in lust. "Keep doing that." His large hands tangled in Ciel's hair and pushed the boy's face flush against his heated skin.
Ciel obeyed, continuing to lick the doctor's neck before slowly working his way up to his ear. He tugged gently at the earlobe with his teeth, then trailed slowly back down the pale column, where he began to suck on the flesh. All the while, he was mindful of the little noises that Sebastian was making, and he tried to please the man by doing what he seemed to like best.
Once more, things seemed to escalate as Ciel worked at pleasuring Sebastian in one of his most arousing areas. Already the older man could feel himself hardening to the point that would prove troublesome. His hips shook as he tried to keep them still, the boy on his lap only making it harder. Sebastian moaned and dug his fingers into Ciel's shoulders, not sure if he wanted to push the boy away or twist the two of them around so that Ciel was pressed into the chair with Sebastian hovering over him.
Ciel pulled back slightly, but soon reconnected their lips, his hands sliding through Sebastian's hair again. He licked Sebastian's lips, trying to coax his tongue out to play. His body shifted of its own accord, and Ciel found himself momentarily frozen as he waited to see what the doctor would do.
Tongues met without preamble and Ciel was kissed with all the enthusiasm that Sebastian could muster. It was frustrating that lines had to be drawn and all of Sebastian's pent up sexual frustrations could not be released on the boy. He constantly had to keep his mind in check as his throbbing cock begged and pleaded with him to show it some affection and relief. The temptation to touch himself was a great one since he could not ask Ciel for such actions, and he forced his irritation into the kiss.
Ciel moaned into the kiss. He had never felt like this before, and he had to admit that it was an enjoyable feeling. He still couldn't help but be apprehensive, even though Sebastian was doing a wonderful job of making sure that he didn't spook the boy. Ciel's fingers laced through Sebastian's hair, and he angled the man's head to kiss him better.
Sebastian pulled away then, and looked into the boy's glazed eyes. His breathing was harsh and the doctor fought to control it. "We should-" but whatever they should do was never voiced as a knock sounded on the office door making both males stiffen.
Ciel quickly scrambled backwards off Sebastian's lap, but his legs became tangled with the doctor's. He yelped as he fell to the floor in an undignified heap, almost bringing Sebastian down with him.
The door opened and Mey-rin poked her head in. She said nothing for a moment as Sebastian helped Ciel back up onto the couch in front of him like nothing had happened. "They're ready in radiology for Mr. Phantomhive," she said quickly. "I'll wait for you in the waiting room." Mey-rin disappeared to leave them alone.
"Looks like this puts our fun to an end." Sebastian tried to joke the whole thing off, but it had disturbed him. They had just been shown how easily it would be for them to get caught in all of this. Had Sebastian not decided at that moment to pull away, then Mey-rin could have very well walked in on them in a less than appropriate situation.
Ciel nodded. The close encounter, plus the kissing, had left him with adrenaline surging through his veins. His hands were shaking a bit, and he tried to hide it by shoving his hands in his pockets. "That was close," he breathed quietly.
"It was," Sebastian said and kept it at that. They didn't have time to wonder on it. He stood and took Ciel's hand so that he could do the same.
Almost as soon as Ciel stood, Sebastian let go of his hand so that he could hold onto the harness, and Ciel followed Sebastian out of the room. They met up with Mey-rin in the waiting room and the three of them set off towards the radiology section of the hospital together. Ciel stayed quiet, not comfortable enough around the nurse to talk. Instead, he busied himself with counting the number of steps it took to reach their destination.
The quick glances Mey-rin kept giving Sebastian and Ciel did not settle well with the man. She had always been a nervous woman, and it was easy to tell when something was bothering her. Knowing Mey-rin, it could have been as simple as misfiling a document, but still Sebastian was on edge. If the nurse suspected anything at all, then she could take it to the hospital board and have Sebastian's license revoked.
Ciel was oblivious to any tension in the air. He had just reached step number fifty-eight when everyone in front of him halted. The blue-eyed boy wasn't ready for such a quick stop and he bumped into Seb and stumbled. The dog let out a yip and jumped forward, startled. Ciel felt gravity take affect as he plummeted towards the floor.
Sebastian was there to catch him, but the contact was brief. As soon as the boy was once again steady on his feet, the doctor let go as if nothing had happened. He brushed his hands on his pants and opened the door in front of him. Some technicians walked past and one came to great them and led them to a room where another MRI would be conducted to measure the progress of the treatment. This time around they would be using contrast dye, which unfortunately for Ciel meant another injection.
They were led into a room where the technician set up to begin the process. Sebastian took Ciel by the shoulder and sat him on the examination table. "You're going to have to get a shot. It'll be simple and not in your eye. You'll get it here." The doctor tapped the underside of Ciel's left arm. "It's just contrast dye that'll show up in the MRI, and I can do it for you if you'll trust me."
Ciel yanked his arm away, holding it protectively to his chest. "N-no. Not my arms." He backed away from Sebastian a few steps, a look of almost horror in his eyes. He was trembling, and he began to feel like he couldn't breathe.
"This won't hurt a bit, don't worry." A gruff voice spoke.
He looked down, wondering what the man was going to do, when a needle pierced the skin of his arm. He cried out and tried to pull his arm away. Within seconds, his body felt like lead and he stopped struggling. He was aware of what was going on around him, but he was powerless to stop it. Even as the hands touched him and vile things were done to him, all he could do was just lay there, tears dripping onto the stone floor.
Ciel crumpled into a ball on the floor, his breathing ragged. He clutched his arms tightly, as if daring anyone to try to get a needle anywhere near them. He squeezed his eyes shut to escape the torment, but nothing helped.
For a moment Sebastian didn't know what to do. Two eyes weighed heavily on him, but seeing Ciel in such a state tore at him. Sighing, he knelt down and calmly patted the boy's head. "I won't give it to you in the arm then. It might sting, but I can try giving it to you in the neck," he tried to reason.
"I'd rather not have any injections at all," Ciel choked out. He was still shaking, but Sebastian's presence comforted him, and he managed to draw a ragged breath. "But if it's you, then okay. You can give it to me..."
"Do you want laughing gas, or do you trust me to give it to you without it?" Sebastian hoped that Ciel could stand getting the injection just once without the gas. He wasn't sure what the boy might say while intoxicated with the drug.
"Without, please," Ciel whispered. He wasn't sure if that was a good idea, but at the moment he didn't care. He was already panicking, so whether he had the laughing gas or not wouldn't make a difference. "Just do it fast."
Sebastian nodded, and reached for the cotton ball of antiseptic that he was handed by Mey-rin. He cleaned an area of Ciel's neck and leaned down just a bit to whisper "It'll be alright," into Ciel's ear. Next, Mey-rin handed over the syringe and Sebastian popped off the top. Ciel stiffened at the sound and Sebastian tried to calm him with words that went unheard to the others in the room.
"On three. One, two... Three." The needle was pressed in with a hasty gentleness and pulled out as soon as the dye had been injected. Everything happened in the blink of an eye. "All done."
Ciel sagged with relief against the doctor. It hadn't been as bad as he'd thought it would be, but he would be extremely grateful when he no longer had to have the shots. He gave Sebastian a weak smile. "Thanks."
Sebastian said nothing and stood. Mey-rin was the one to help Ciel up and back onto his chair. They would wait a few minutes for the dye to move through the boy's body and then they could proceed to the MRI. This time Sebastian would not be accompanying Ciel. The technician would take him and the images would be sent to Sebastian's office later that day. He would be worried, there was no doubt that he would be, about Ciel as he waited in the room alone with Mey-rin, but he knew that the boy could be brave when needed.
When the technician came for Ciel, the boy looked to be on the verge of a breakdown, and his fists were clenched tightly, his knuckles turning white. He wanted to call out to Sebastian for some words of comfort, but he held his tongue. People couldn't know the depth of their relationship.
He allowed the technician to take him into the MRI and settled in for the short wait. He consoled himself by thinking of Sebastian and hoping that they would be able to go back to the doctor's office after this.
The pictures were taken, and Ciel impatiently waited to be led back into the room where Sebastian was waiting. As soon as he was back with the others, the anxiety he had began to lift, especially when Seb trotted over and licked his hand.
"How was it?" Sebastian asked, coming over to check to make sure Ciel wasn't in some form of distress. Mey-rin seemed slightly concerned as well. They both agreed that it would be best to head back to their office and perhaps get some rest before Ciel needed his treatment for the night. Fortunately, that wouldn't be for a few more hours.
"It was okay," Ciel said distantly. He was exhausted, mentally and physically. The panic attack could have been a whole lot worse, he supposed, so at least he could be grateful for that. But all he wanted to do at the moment was relax in the office and maybe catch some sleep. Seb nudged his master's leg and whined, apparently sensing the turmoil inside of him. Ciel rubbed the dog's ear to soothe him. "Good boy, Seb."
Sebastian pulled Ciel along by the boy's elbow and Mey-rin followed without comment. As soon as they had left radiology, the boy was released to walk on his own. "You can rest in your room once we get back. Mey-rin or myself will come get you when it's time for dinner." Nothing more was said for the entire walk back.
Upon returning to his room, Ciel collapsed onto the bed and tucked himself into a ball. His eyes were already half-closed by the time his head hit the pillow, and in the space of a few seconds, he was asleep. Seb laid down by the bed, resting his head on his paws. His ears were up, as though he were listening for anyone who might want to harm the boy.
Sebastian moved into his office, not bothering to close the door behind him. In a huff he fell back into his chair feeling utterly exhausted. There was still a mound of paper work in front of him and he didn't feel like doing any of it. He sighed then and reclined back, eyes rolling up to look in front of him. Eyebrows furrowed as he looked in slight surprise at Mey-rin who stood by the now closed door.
"What is it?" He asked and looked back to his desk in a bored manner.
Mey-rin hesitantly approached the desk and cleared her throat. "I'm worried about something, that's all." She shuffled her feet nervously. "...I know about you and Mr. Phantomhive..."
Sebastian paused, face growing pale and his heart racing right out of his chest. He swallowed and looked up at the woman, staring straight into her eyes. "What do you mean?"
For a few pregnant seconds she said nothing. Mey-rin looked just as scared as Sebastian to say her next few words. "I've seen you two together. This morning, when you two were in bed I went to wake Mr. Phantomhive, but you were..." She trailed off for a moment and swallowed, looking suddenly determined. "What is going on between you and Mr. Phantomhive?"