Disclaimer: The events that will transpire are intended to entertain you, the reader. If you feel that these events are highly unlikely or purely stupid, it's because it is meant to be. Hence why the genre is humor. In other words, don't be trollin'. Enjoy the chapter!

Rated T cuz Mer's a big perv. You are warned.

To Sebassy-chan: Oh, YAY~! I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thank you so much. Without you, I probably would have missed out on making Mer more real because at first, I was like, "Mer can be every fan girl mashed into one, single-minded baker." Then I realized that she's not just that. She's a girl who thinks she knows what she wants, but is actually confusing it for something entirely different. So I'm very, very happy that you enjoyed it. Mer can try all she wants, but she'll never get rid of the pervert at heart.

XII. The Baker, Genuinely Surprised

My pie finished baking and, as I was preparing to take a slice to the Young Master, I felt a pair of eyes watching me. I ignored them, trying not to break my focus. Don't know why I needed a particular amount of concentration to carry a pie, but anything not to let myself revert to the way I was. I ascended the stairs, looking over my shoulder discreetly to give in to my paranoia. My eyes met no one in the foyer, or at the bottom of the stairs. I sighed silently, then turned them back ahead.

Of course.

Long legs greeted me when I was halfway up the staircase. They belonged to Sebastian, at whom I casually nodded my head as I went past him in hopes of completing my first task of the day. I continued going right, his footsteps falling lightly behind me.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Sebastian," I said, trying to ease my nerves in the disconcerting silence.

"Good afternoon, Miss Sullivan," he returned, a sultry undertone in his voice that only meant I hadn't imagined his…distracting display earlier. I pretended to be none the wiser to it as I kept my eyes on Ciel's afternoon snack. Avoiding his gaze was not helping me become any less nervous. Get yourself, together, Mer! You're eighteen; practically an adult, now!

"May I ask why you are following me?" I asked the butler, his mere smile enough to send chills down my spine.

"We have the same destination, is all," he simply answered, his maroon eyes dancing with some disturbing emotion. His attention was on the pie I was carrying. "Cherry, correct?"

"Yes," I confirmed.

"You have a natural talent for baking, Miss Sullivan."

Was he just now noticing that? I was offended at his true comment, for some reason. I chose not to let that show on my face as I replied.

"Yes, I do. I believe that is why the Young Master hired me, but we all have our individual talents. Even you, Mr. Sebastian."

He seemed mildly surprised at my jab. He was surely capable of many things (now, considering his demonic nature), and I was hoping that he would just nod in agreement and spare me the details. Sebastian quickly pieced together his composure, breaking the silence once again.

"I hardly call being able to tie a cherry stem in a knot only using my tongue a talent," he casually said, face free of any deviousness. "More of an amusement."

Just a little, the inner pervert stirred. I successfully knocked her out and there was a brief feeling of triumph that washed over me. Sebastian didn't seem to be disappointed at my concentration. Instead, he insisted on keeping my ears entertained. Has he ever been this talkative before? What had to change for him to be this way?

"If memory serves, those are marasca cherries?" he questioned. He didn't even wait for me to confirm his suspicions. "I've used those before in one of the Young Master's desserts. Most cherries, to be exact."

He went on to list all of the cherries he used in baking for Ciel: Lambert, Montgomery, Bing, Royal Ann, and Rainier. So on and so forth. He acted as if it was some kind of amazing past-time he was engaged in and it was starting to get on my nerves when he stopped to ask me something, yet again.

His black hair shifted as he leant forward, the platter the pie slice was on saving me from certain violation of privacy. His voice was lowered to a whisper, like what he had to share with me was conspiratorial. The arms of his tailcoat nearly brushed either side of my face, and I cursed my blood, because it rushed straight to my face.

"Miss Sullivan, do you have knowledge of any other cherries I should try?" the cunning devil asked, his eyelids low and irises glowing a strange color. That was the dirtiest pun that I ever heard come from him! The inner pervert jolted from unconsciousness, smirking at his forwardness. Oh, why? I stuffed her back in her dirty little world, trying hard to keep a grip on what I was doing and ducked under Sebastian's arms.

"I-I apologize, Mr. Sebastian. I have no suggestions for y-you," I shakily explained, as I calmly knocked on Ciel's study, resisting the urge to acquaint my hand to my red forehead once I remembered that the demon had the same destination as I did. There was no way to escape this man, was there?

The demon Sebastian was gone, the predatory look on his face replaced with a somewhat discouraged frown.

"How unfortunate," he said, sincere. I heard Ciel's command to enter the room, slightly relieved when I saw that his demonic butler wasn't going to follow me in. I bowed as best as I could with a platter in my hands and presented his afternoon snack to the blue-eyed boy. He looked suspiciously at me.

"Is there something wrong, m'lad? I didn't forget the silverware again, did I?" I interrogated him. The boy sighed, as if he knew something improper was happening.

"Nothing, Mer. Thank you. You are dismissed," he finally spoke. I took the cover off of the pie slice for him, bowed for the second time, and left the room. Sebastian wasn't anywhere to be seen. I heard him yelling at the servants, though. Thankful, I went downstairs to the courtyard to visit my friend, Pluto.

He was in human form this time around, dressed in a suit, and pounced on me as soon as I was in sight. He nuzzled me roughly and I had to yank his hair to get him to stop. He whimpered, not used to me being that aggressive towards him.

"I'm sorry, Plu," I affectionately apologized, ruffling his sky-blue tresses. He knocked my hands away. "Plu?"

"Don't ya coddle up to me, now, Mer," the suddenly coherent dog-man snarled. He had a harsh-sounding (Irish?) accent. He was fixing his hair and straightening his suit as he stood up like an ordinary man. "The damage is done now, ain't it?"

I was in shock. "Y-You're talking…"

"Oh, so Sebastian bein' a dust-cleanin' demon wasn't strange enough for ya!" exclaimed Pluto, whirling around to turn his back on me. He crossed his arms over his chest. His shoulders drooped. "You've never hurt me feelins more than ya did now, Mer!"

He was totally disregarding that I accepted the fact he was a human that could turn into a dog. Or was the other way around? I shook my head, placing my hands on his back.

"I'm truly sorry, Pluto. Will you ever forgive me?" I pleaded, pouring the sweetest sugar into my voice. Pluto hummed in thought, then immediately had me in his arms.

"Ah, I can't stay aggravated at ya!" he growled fondly, burying his nose in my hair. I laughed nervously, tidying myself up. He was still the Pluto I knew though. I guess being a dog couldn't completely leave his energetic character.

"So…does Finni know?"

" 'Course he does! He's a good playmate."

Something warm bloomed in my chest. "Am I, too?"

"No," he curtly responded, killing my mood. He smiled, a fang protruding from his mouth. "You're more like a good friend. I only talk to anyone who bothers to talk to me."

I hummed. "Then why don't you talk to Sebastian?"

A blush darted across his face then. "You've seen how 'e's treated me. 'E hates dogs! But the man's plain irresistible! That's why I liked hearin' ya plot about 'im." He chuckled, rubbing the back of his head bashfully. "Kinda like you're livin' me dreams."

I couldn't believe that Pluto and I had shared the same goal at one point in time. Was that why he ran around naked, sometimes? So Sebastian could chase him around and be attentive to him for just a moment?

Why didn't I think of that? lamented the inner pervert, kicking her foot dejectedly.

"I'm sorry to tell you this, Pluto, but I'm not pursuing after Sebastian anymore," I told him. He tilted his head to the side sharply, his wild hair tousling at the movement. His lips were frowning and his wine-red eyes were wide with astonishment.

"No!" he exclaimed, grabbing my shoulders. "You can't give up."

"Pluto, I've already decided. I…won't go back to that," I urged, my hands gently removing his large ones from my forearms. He yanked his hands down at his sides, balling them up into fists.

"There you go, makin' me aggravated again!" he seethed, baring his teeth. He started growling at me. I went to argue against his anger, but he beat me to it. "Who are you?"

"What are you talking about?" I asked, honestly confused.

"You're not the Mer I know. Where is she?"

"If you're talking about the improper one, she's not here anymore."

Pluto scoffed, rolling his eyes. He was down on the floor, nose on the ground and pacing on all fours.

"I ain't talkin' to ya until ya get 'er back," he notified childishly, scratching his ear with his foot. " 'Improper' Mer might've been a bit forward, but at least she never gave up so quickly. Like you."

That wounded me. Deeply. My vision was distorted and I didn't know why until Pluto stopped grooming himself to glance at me. The livid expression on his face dropped and he brought his arms around me, apologizing profusely.

Apparently, I was crying.

He pulled away from me, wiping my tears with the handkerchief from his breast pocket.

"I didn't mean to make you cry, Mer, but it's the truth," Pluto said, crouching down to his hunched position again. I looked behind me and Sebastian was nearby. "Don't lie t' yourself. You know where t' find me."

He scampered off behind me, barking happily as I wondered what I should do.

A/N: Wow, Pluto speaks. Who would've thought that was his ulterior motive? I know you can't tell now, but I'm actually laying out the plot for the upcoming The Sea and The Sky as I write this. Anyway, I hoped you enjoyed this chapter! Leave a Review! Six to go…I think.