Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket or Black Butler. They, and their characters, belong to their respective creators.

Chapter Four - Tea Time

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Ciel entered the drawing room, taking up his usual seat. This was most troublesome. He hadn't really found out much about his unusual guests yet. He motioned for Kyo and Tohru to make themselves comfortable on one of the couches nearby as they entered the room behind him.

Sebastian entered the room behind them, pushing a dessert cart. "For dessert, we have a fresh baked apple pie accented with mint and Darjeeling tea." He proceeded to place a serving of pie in front of his master.

Sebastian moved the cart next to Tohru's seat. He had already served Ciel his slice. "A slice of pie, Miss Tohru," he asked as he lifted a plate from the cart.

She felt flustered all over again, like she'd been caught doing something she shouldn't have. She placed her hands nervously in her lap. "Um… oh… yes please." She looked up without meaning to and met his eyes. They looked like a cross between dark chocolate and red in color. She'd never seen eyes like his before, and those cursed by the Zodiac had interesting eyes, like Kyo's orange-brown eyes.

Sebastian paused after depositing her dessert plate, seeing her staring at him. "Is something wrong?" His expression softened to one of slight confusion and concern.

Tohru realized she was staring and dropped her eyes. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to stare! But your eyes are a very unusual color. I… it surprised me."

The butler chuckled briefly. "Yes, I suppose they are a slightly unusual color, aren't they?" He then pushed the cart around to the other side of the table to serve Kyo, who took his food without so much as a twitch.

Tohru blinked her large eyes, then smiled slightly. She looked down at the slice of pie in front of her. It did look good. Trying to follow the example of Ciel, she took the small fork and cut off a small piece. It was delicious!

Ciel watched his guests as he ate his pie. Of the two, he'd have to say Kyo was the more outgoing, even though Tohru had been the one doing the most talking during dinner. She seemed a rather flustered, overly polite girl. Kyo, on the other hand, gave his opinions very decidedly. Perhaps he was merely being quiet because there was food in front of him. Leaning forward slightly, he smiled serenely. "Are you enjoying your dessert, Tohru?"

Tohru almost guiltily looked at the plate. "Oh yes! It's very good!" She took another bite. It really was fairly good, not what she was used to, but good.

Ciel leaned lazily back in his chair. "I'm glad." He'd noticed she didn't seem to have much of an appetite and wondered if it was normal for her. After all, she was pretty thin. He had also heard of girls who purposely ate little to keep their figures slim. But she didn't seem the type to really worry about those kinds of things.

"I understand you are staying with the Sohmas," he said, tilting his head inquiringly. "I was curious about your relationship with them."

Tohru blinked and set her fork down before turning to face him. "Well… that is… they took me in when I had nowhere else to go. You see I don't really have any family of my own. Well, that's not entirely true," she added quickly. "I mean, there's grandpa but he lives with my aunt and cousins so Shigure decided I could live with them."

Ciel's expression clouded over slightly as he remembered the flames that had taken his parents. "I see." He wondered how she'd lost her parents, as it sounded that she had. "I am also without family."

Tohru almost jumped out of her seat. "No family! That's so sad! I'm sorry. How did it happen?" She wanted to rush over and hug him and erase the sad expression from his face but stopped herself.

Ciel idly played with the armrest of his chair, moving his fingers over the woodwork. "They died in a fire three years ago. I was their only child."

Tohru felt like crying. "That's terrible! I mean, when mom died a little over a year ago, I thought it was the end, but you have to keep going, right? No matter how dark the road is, there's always light ahead. Life doesn't end because someone leaves. At least that's what my mom used to tell me."

Ciel looked up in surprise. Her face was so earnest. How could she act this way, having lost her own parents? She seemed more concerned for him than for her own state. Did people like that really exist? People who were utterly unselfish? Impossible. "It happened a long time ago," he said, brushing it off. "I am the head of this house now."

Admiration shown in Tohru's eyes. "You're very brave," she commented. "It still makes me sad sometimes that my mom's gone, but we can't let the past hold us back from living our lives. No, that wouldn't be right. We have to keep going forward. It's the only way."

Sebastian turned to glance at her, hearing her statement. He exchanged looks with Ciel. What an interesting girl she was, a little bit like Elizabeth.

Ciel smile slightly as he looked down at his hands, now folded in his lap. "Perhaps you're right." He noticed that she hadn't mentioned her father. Maybe she'd been closer to her mother. He wondered if they had both died at the same time.

Tohru suddenly sneezed. "Excuse me!" She suddenly felt uncomfortable as three pairs of eye stared at her. "Ah! I'm fine!" She waved her hands in front of her, as if to ward off their stares. "It's just a little chilly in here."

Ciel glanced up at Sebastian, then back at Tohru. Her cheeks were still red. "Sebastian, it is a bit cold in here. Make sure the fire is well stoked. It wouldn't do to have our guests catch a cold. And bring the tea."

Sebastian bowed, signaling to Mey-Rin, who had just appeared in the doorway. "Of course. I shall see to it at once." He walked over to the maid and relayed instructions before returning leaving. He'd purposely left the tea behind.

Kyo leaned forward to look at her more closely. "You sure you're okay?" Why hadn't he noticed that her cheeks looked a little flushed? "If you've caught a cold…"

Tohru's face fell slightly. "It's nothing. Really. I'm fine."

Ciel the exchange without comment. Apparently she was also fairly stubborn.

Outside, the rain continued to come down, tinkling against the leaded windowpanes. It was definitely dark and dreary out there. Too bad it had to be a wet season.

Ciel idly played with the handle of his cane. "Shall we play a game of cards?"
Tohru almost jumped on the idea. "Oh! Card games are fun! Though I really don't know many. I mean… I know Rich Man Poor Man, and Sevens…."

Kyo rolled his eyes. "We don't have enough people to play Rich Man Poor Man. You need at least four for that one."

"Oh. Right." Tohru tried to think of any other card games she might know.

Ciel took out a deck of cards. "Sevens sounds interesting. Am I correct in thinking that your main goal is to try and reduce your hand to the fewest cards possible by laying them down in sequential order from seven?"

"Yeah," Kyo assented. "Then, if anyone has cards left, you add up the points. Whoever has the most points at the end loses."

Ciel smiled. "Sounds most intriguing. Shall we play then?" He began to shuffle the cards.

Kyo sat up from his perch and scooted closer to the low table in front of them while Ciel began passing out cards. "Since there's only three of us, everyone should get fifteen cards. The others can go on the table to be used by anyone." He folded his arms, looking somewhat smug. He might not be the best at Rich Man Poor Man, but he was pretty good at Sevens.

"Are cards of different suits allowed to be used in any given line," Ciel asked as he finished passing out the cards.

Tohru picked up her hand. "Well, in some variations, you can only use cards of the same suit, but maybe we should stick to the usual rules where you can." She studied her cards, stifling a slight cough with one hand.

"Hmmm." Ciel picked up his own cards and looked at them. He kept his expression vague. "Who goes first?"

Kyo picked up his cards, the fire of competition starting to burn in his eyes. "Dealer can go first, then it's clockwise around the circle." He smiled as he looked at his hand.

The earl glanced over at Tohru, who was apparently thoroughly studying her cards. He then looked back at his own. He had a seven and decided it was probably best to start with that. He placed the card down on the table. "It's your turn, Tohru," he said, realizing the girl wasn't paying attention to his move.

Tohru looked up from her cards. "Oh! Right!" She looked through her cards. She didn't have a seven, but she did have an eight. She placed it on the right side of Ciel's seven. "Kyo, your turn."

Kyo contemplated his cards. He did have a seven. He also had a nine and a six. Which one? Smugly, he put the six down on the left of Ciel's card.

Ciel raised one visible eyebrow. He looked at the extra cards on the table, then decided to draw one and placed it next to Kyo's six, a five of diamonds.

They had been at the game for almost ten minutes when Sebastian returned with a laden tray. The cups on it were more traditional in the Japanese sense. "I have brewed Gyokuro tea for the evening. It is a green tea, also called Jade Dew in the English tradition, for its rich color." He poured and passed out the tea, setting the teapot close at hand, but out of the way so that it wouldn't spill onto the cards. He didn't mention that it was also supposed to help boost ones health.

Tohru set her cards down long enough to receive her cup. She breathed in the fragrant steam. Somehow it made her feel a little easier. "Gyokuro? If I'm not mistaken, it's very similar to Sencha, though isn't Gyokuro a lot more…expensive…?"

Sebastian smiled in surprise. "That's right. You seem very well versed in tea."

Tohru flushed. "Well, not really. I mean, I know Japanese tea. We usually drink Sencha at home. I even sometimes make Matcha, though that one is usually used in the Tea Ceremony." She stopped at the surprised looks from all three in the room. "I mean... I know about other teas too, but mostly Japanese."

Kyo blinked a few times. "Really? I always just thought it was the same kind with something you added or something."

Ciel wasn't sure how to respond to any of that. How could someone who was relatively wealthy, like they'd assumed Kyo was, not know the difference between the different teas? He quickly schooled his surprise though. Maybe Kyo was merely so spoiled that he didn't appreciate the differences. It kind of reminded him of a certain Indian prince.

Sebastian cleared his throat to cover his own surprise. "I would say the young lady is quite knowledgeable about such things."

Tohru looked at her hands in embarrassment. "Not really. I mean, I know a little."

Ciel smiled. "There's no need to be modest about it. Tea is something to be appreciated." He recalled Kyo mentioning something about how taking tea strong was the only manly way to go about it earlier on in the day. Maybe he liked his tea so strong he couldn't differentiate the taste? That was a possibility as well, though less than likely. He liked his own tea fairly strong.

Kyo scowled. "Whose turn is it?" He looked pointedly at the cards laid out on the table.

Tohru fumbled with her cards. " Oh! It's mine!" She quickly looked through her cards. She only had a handful left. "Um…this one." She picked a king, finishing off one side of a run on the table.

Kyo pouted. His current king was now useless. "Pass."

Ciel placed his last card, an ace, at the end of one line of cards. "I believe that makes me the winner of the game. Shall we count points?"

Tohru and Kyo both turned over their hands. In the end, Kyo lost, with thirty-seven points against him. "Man! And I thought I might actually win this one!" He leaned back against the couch, his arms folded, clearly sulking.

Tohru picked up the cards. "I'm sorry, Kyo. Maybe next time we can play a game you'll win at." She finished picking up the cards and tapped them until they were straight before handing them over to Ciel. She almost dropped the cards before she could hand them to him though. A short spurt of coughing made her hand tremble and Ciel's fingers missed the deck, which fell to floor. "I'm sorry," Tohru apologized as she slid to the floor to pick up the fallen cards.

Ciel stared at his empty hand, his mouth slightly open. "Sebastian."

Kyo looked at Tohru with concern. "Hey." Knowing she would probably deny it if she asked, he decided to just skip to finding out the truth and quickly moved around the table to her side. He was about to place his hand on her forehead when a gloved one beat him to it. He looked up to see Sebastian's stern yet thoughtful expression.

"Hmmm."

Kyo growled. "Hey!"

Sebastian continued to hold his hand on Tohru's forehead despite Kyo's outburst, evaluating her temperature. "It would seem that you have a fever."

Tohru backed away, running into the couch. The cards she'd gathered fell back to the floor as her cheeks burned. "No… no way!" She looked down. "It's not possible."

Kyo put his hand on Tohru's forehead this time. "He's right," he said in an accusatory tone. "You do have a fever. Why do you always downplay them! Remember what happened last time? You should be in bed! You gotta stop worrying about what everyone else is feeling and worry about yourself once in a while! Seriously!"

Ciel leaned back in his chair, his expression also thoughtful but distant.

Sebastian leaned forward on one knee to peer directly into her eyes. "Master Kyo is right. You should rest. Colds, if left untreated, can become something much worse." He glanced over at his master, wondering what was going through his head. What would he do about this situation? It would be the most proprietary to have Mey-Rin care for Tohru, but the girl was pretty incompetent with even the majority of the most basic of tasks. Still…

Tohru's face fell. She moaned slightly, refusing to look up at Sebastian's compassionate face. "What a terrible thing to have happen now of all times."

Ciel came out of his reverie and looked over at Kyo. He noticed that the ginger-haired boy didn't appear to show any signs of illness. "It's a little surprising that you both haven't caught a cold," he said. "After the thorough soaking you both have had, I would have thought it inevitable."

Kyo snorted. "It takes a lot more than a rain storm to make me sick! Hell, I've been through worse! Training in the mountains makes today feel like a walk in the park!" He became very excited, until he realized where he was, and that both Ciel and Sebastian were staring at him. He quickly sat back down, this time on the floor so that he could keep an eye on Tohru.

Tohru's coughing brought all of their attention back to her. "It's really not that bad," she protested at their expressions. "Honest!"

Ciel sighed. "I'll let Sebastian be the judge of that. Since we cannot bring a doctor in, he's the next best thing. Isn't that right, Sebastian?" He glanced over at his butler, a hint of humor in his eyes. He was filing away the tidbits Kyo had slipped out.

Sebastian inclined his head. "Of course. After all, I'm one hell of a butler."

Kyo snorted again. He actually wished they had Hatori there, as much as he usually complained about him. He'd know exactly what to do in this situation. But Hatori wasn't there, and probably wasn't readily available. One thing was certain, he definitely didn't like the situation one bit.

Sebastian offered Tohru his hand. "If you please, it would probably be easier for you to be sitting on the sofa while I examine you."

She halfheartedly accepted his hand, letting him help her up onto the couch, where she sat, head down, cheeks red. The bun on her head felt heavy.

Sebastian moved to sit next to her, skirting Kyo, who was still sitting on the floor. He'd read enough medical journals since learning of Ciel's asthma that his knowledge was probably more than adequate for the circumstances. Unfortunately, he did not have any instruments on hand and would have to make do with his demon senses, which, of course, were far superior to a human's.

Kyo grumbled under his breath, but Ciel was right. Someone had to examine her, and he sure didn't know what he was doing. If the earl thought his butler was good enough… well, he'd have to trust that, even if he didn't like it. He did, however, move out of the way, retaking his original seat on the other side of the low table, watching every move the butler made like a hawk.

Not bothering to remove his gloves, partly because he didn't want to show the mark of his contract with Ciel, Sebastian gently placed his first two fingers on either side of Tohru's neck, feeling for any swelling in the glands. He also felt her pulse as he moved his fingers slightly forward, counting the beats of her heart against the ticking of the mantle clock.

"Please lean forward slightly and breathe in and out deeply," he instructed as he removed his fingers from her throat. When she complied, he leaned forward himself, placing his ear on her back between her shoulder blades to better listen to her breathing. He placed one hand on the back of the sofa for support so that he didn't lean too far. He placed his other hand around in front, resting it on her stomach. He then closed his eyes, listening.

Tohru tried to comply. Her second deep breath brought about a mild fit of coughing. She had to bend over a bit more, covering her mouth with one hand until it stopped. She returned to her original position once the coughing eased. "Sorry."

Sebastian moved with her to keep his ear on her back. After listening for a bit longer, he opened his eyes again and sat back up. "It's all right. It wasn't anything you could help," he said politely.

Ciel watched during the entire examination without comment. Considering they weren't in a hospital, he decided his butler was doing rather well, not overlooking anything his aunt would have seen to, if she had been still alive that was. It was still a bit hard to believe she'd been Jack The Ripper, and more so that she was gone. He glanced over at Kyo.

Kyo was holding his fists tightly against his knees. He wasn't entirely sure why, but he didn't exactly like the expression on Sebastian's face, a half smile that seemed to be keeping secrets. A little green fire started in his stomach, leaving him fuming about the situation. He crossed his arms as he glared daggers at Sebastian's back.

Sebastian put one hand gently but firmly under Tohru's chin. "Please look up at me," he instructed. She did as she was told while he put his other hand thoughtfully on his own chin, turning her face slightly to allow better lighting. Her eyelids looked heavy, like she was very tired, and her eyes seemed a bit cloudy as well.

"Now, if you would please open your mouth as wide as possible." He had to maneuver her head a little more, for lighting and visibility, as he looked down her throat. After about a minute of consideration, he removed his hand and sat back, pondering.

Ciel absently swung his cane from his chair, holding the handle loosely in one hand. It appeared that the butler's examination was complete. "What is your diagnosis, [i]Doctor[/i] Sebastian?" His expression remained neutral, though his eyes were dancing with suppressed laughter.

Sebastian stood, amused with his master's tone, but he gave his report professionally. "There is a slight swelling of her lymph glands and an elevated fever. Her throat is red, though there is no coating of the affected areas, indicating slight infection. Her pulse is slightly elevated, not entirely unexpected under the circumstances, and she is breathing with some difficulty, though I do not believe that she has contracted pneumonia. However, that remains a possibility if this is not treated with care in a timely manner."

Ciel twirled his cane in the air. "In other words?"

The butler smiled. "She has the beginnings of a rather nasty cold that might become pneumonia if left to its current course."

Kyo rolled his eyes. "No duh. I could have told you that! What she needs is lots of rest and lots of liquid. So send her to bed already!"

Tohru let her shoulders slump. "Oh…" She was always being such a burden! She mentally kicked herself. Why was it always like this? Why couldn't she be more reliable?

The earl sighed. Perhaps it would be better to follow their advice. "Very well. Sebastian, have Mey-Rin assist Miss Tohru, though I expect you to perform any doctorly necessities as I don't believe she is really capable of such things. At least until we are able to summon an actual doctor, or she recovers, whichever comes first."

"Very good, Young Master." Sebastian moved to ring a small bell, summoning Mey-Rin back to the room. "I will also have a mild infusion made for her and brought up as soon as she is adequately situated. Will that suffice?"

Ciel waved it off. "That will be fine. I leave her in your care. Also, have more tea brought, some Earl Grey would be nice."

Sebastian bowed. "Right away."

Mey-Rin entered the room at that moment. She curtsied. "You called, Mr. Sebastian?"

The butler walked over. "Mey-Rin, would you be so kind as to escort the young lady back to her room and help her prepare for bed? She is feeling unwell. We will have to lend some nightclothes until others are procured for her. Also, make sure her hearth is well stoked."

Mey-Rin stood to attention. "Yes sir, Mr. Sebastian! I'll see to it at once!" She moved over to Tohru's side. "This way, mistress."

Tohru stood, swaying slightly, but she caught herself. "Okay." In the blink of an eye, Mey-Rin was by her side, helping to support her as they left the room.

Sebastian left the room through another door, heading down to the kitchen. Today was certainly keeping him busy. He just hoped nothing else would go wrong.

Kyo stared at the table. At least the butler hadn't done anything out of place to Tohru, not that he'd noticed at any rate, but listening to one breathe by placing an ear on her back… he wasn't so sure about that. He was incredibly tempted to go after Tohru, just to make sure she made it safely into bed, and that no one would do anything they shouldn't to her. After all, she was far too trusting. But the butler did at least look and sound like he knew what he was talking about.

Ciel watched his guest for a moment. He saw a conflict of emotions flitting across his face. It was fascinating to watch. He felt that he might express similar emotions if he were in the same shoes, though that was a moot point. He now had Kyo alone and could thus observe him independently of his companion, who he would observe more at a later time. "I was wondering if you could tell me more about Tohru and your relationship with her. I gather both of her parents are dead, though she never mentioned how her father died."

Kyo looked up in surprise. He'd forgotten the earl was still there. He'd been so caught up in thoughts of Tohru and what Sebastian might to do her that the little green fire inside and swelled. "Huh?"

Well, his speech was definitely less formal. Ciel was beginning to wonder if Tohru wasn't the more sophisticated of the two. "Her father. How did he die?" He wasn't sure why he felt it was important, but he had to know.

"Oh." Kyo picked up his forgotten teacup. The tea inside had gone cold, but he wasn't drinking it as he stared absently over the rim. "I heard he died from complications when she was really young."

"Complications?" Ciel unconsciously leaned forward.

Kyo didn't look up. "Yeah. I don't know any details, but I heard he'd caught a really bad cold and didn't take care of it. Eventually he ended up in the hospital where he died. It shook her mom up pretty bad. She didn't like to talk about it much when I first met her. Maybe that's why Tohru always freaks out when any of us gets a cold…." He stopped, suddenly realizing what he'd just confessed. Not even Tohru knew he'd met her mom!

Ciel leaned forward. "Yes? Go on. What else?"

Kyo closed his eyes, regrouping himself. "She was passed from relative to relative while her mom got over her grief. In the end, she came out of it and they lived pretty happily until the accident."

Ciel's eyes went distant. "The accident that took her mother's life?" He saw the flames again, dancing around the room where his parents sat, unmoving. Had that been an accident? No. That had been established. It was why he was still alive, until he found out the truth of the matter and took care of the people who had shattered his family.

Kyo didn't realize Ciel wasn't strictly paying attention so he continued. "After that, I guess she was living with her grandpa, but things didn't work out so well when her aunt and cousins moved in so she tried to live on her own for a while. I guess no one thought she'd be crazy enough to try living out in the woods in just a tent."

Ciel started in surprise, quickly drawn from his memories. "She what!" He'd dropped his cane and the handle rolled away from his reach, hitting against the table.

Kyo looked up, not really sure why he sounded so shocked, but then again, he didn't really know Tohru very well yet, so it was understandable. "Well, no one said it was the brightest idea in the world. She does always think things through. You have to watch after her a lot just to make sure nothing bad happens. I mean, as if her being somewhat absented minded wasn't bad enough, if a burglar came, she'd probably greet him with a smile and invite him in."

Ciel was clearly astonished. Was it at all possible for such a person to exist? Someone so trusting and naive? Especially after the kind of life she'd apparently lived. It was beyond his reasoning to even fathom. And he still didn't know what kind of financial circumstances she had been raised to. After all, she seemed fairly expert on tea and her manners were definitely more refined. Her history didn't necessarily place her in a noteworthy position, but nor did it exclude the possibility.

Kyo rolled his eyes while Ciel contemplated. "Not that she lived out there long. Shigure and Yuki found her and took her in and she's lived with us ever since. Even Akito didn't mind, once he found out about it."

The younger boy looked up again. "Akito? Who is this person?" It was definitely not a name he knew.

Kyo was tempted to laugh. "Akito? He's the head of the Sohma family. Everyone lives to do his bidding." He added this last part bitterly. "He controls everything, dictating what we can and cannot do. If he doesn't like something, well…" he left his sentence hanging.

Ciel blinked. "He sounds rather cold hearted," he observed.

Kyo snorted. "It doesn't matter. All that matters is that one day I'll claim my rightful place in the family! Then that damn rat won't be able to say anything anymore."

One thing was certain, this Kyo felt deeply about things and he wasn't afraid to express himself. His history was a bit confusing, belonging to a well established family, large enough to have a head, and somehow not being able to claim his rightful place despite all of that. It was indeed most interesting. He might prove to be a useful tool, Ciel thought to himself. At the very least, he would be someone to keep on his good side in case it turned profitable later.

At that moment, Sebastian returned, bearing a different teapot and two matching cups with saucers. "I have brought the tea you requested," he said as he poured and served. "However, I might remind the Young Master that the hour is getting late. It might be wise to turn in before too long."

Ciel glanced over at the clock. As usual, Sebastian was right. "Very well. Only one more cup of tea then. I hope the young lady is adequately taken care of? It might be wise to have someone watch over her tonight."

Sebastian set the teapot down and removed the old cups. "My thoughts precisely, Young Master." He didn't need to mention that he'd overheard the entire conversation. "I believe Mey-Rin is still with her at this moment. I will check on them both shortly." He left with another slight bow.

Kyo took his cup of hot tea and sipped it. Now that he thought about it, it did taste different, strong, but not too strong, definitely not what he was used to though. "You've got quite an interesting butler," he observed, trying to act like he was used to such things. Well, Yuki was good enough as one, right? Not that he really served him or anything, but, if he had his way, it wouldn't be a bad spot for him.

Ciel smiled. "I only hire the best."