Death Watch

Chapter Six

Seeing Red

Ciel lay back in bed, having woken before his butler, which was unusual for him. His mouth went dry thinking about the events that had transpired last night. He still couldn't believe he had let the demon do that in the first place. Damn curiosity! It got the better of him sometimes. He didn't blame Sebastian, as he had been in a state of sobriety that was obviously still compromised by his having taken that drug. Fool of a demon! He shook his head; he would never understand the ways and the true motivations of that devil's mind. Which was just as well, he figured. His mind wandered, and a strange arrow of electric shock jolted through his body, thinking about it… He had never felt something like that before. To be sure, it wasn't like he had never kissed someone before. He and Lizzy had engaged in a few chaste experimental kisses just a few months ago. She had wheedled and pressured him until he had finally broken down, but then they had both been awkwardly hesitant and fumbling in the actual act. And then there had been that time with Finny…

They had both been very drunk, of course, he recollected with a fresh sense of embarrassment and agony. It had happened about six months ago. They had snuck down to the wine cellar together, indulging in some rare boyish exploits. Gleefully opening a bottle of the best bourbon the manor stocked, they had proceeded to get supremely and properly pissed in a matter of hours. Laughing and fooling around, they had ending up rolling around on the floor play-wrestling with each other, when Finny had just planted his mouth right on his, to Ciel's utmost shock and discomposure. He had always known of Finny's great love and almost idolization of him, but he hadn't known that it ran in any kind of direction other than simple admiration. He had a fuzzy memory of the kiss going on for quite some time, their bodies beginning to grow heated. It was all very vague after that, but ended with the memory of Finny finally falling asleep, passed out, on his shoulder. Gently extricating himself, Ciel had then laid the boy down with his own jacket beneath his head for a makeshift pillow, and made his escape, wobbling off to just barely make it back to his bed before passing out himself. The two boys had never spoken of it since, and for many weeks had avoided each other at all costs, still feeling a little uncomfortable around each other to this time.

But this… this had been different. Why? He didn't really want to think about it; and it wasn't worth thinking about anyway, since he knew that it wouldn't ever happen again.

But a small part of him wished it would…

He gnashed his teeth in frustration at that realization. He hated it; hated everything about it; hated his life, sometimes. The feeling of resentment bubbled up in him, towards the world that had been so cruel to him, towards the others that had done those things to him, and not just him… Pain bit at his heart, remembering the searing hot iron being pressed to his back; remembering the one... the one who had been there for him, the one who done what he could to comfort him, and then… Urrhg, he growled through gritted teeth in misery and despair thinking of that time so long ago. Sometimes the pain was just too much. Sometimes he was glad that his life as well as his soul was forfeit; fated to be devoured; and sometimes he even looked forward to that time. Ah, to have that sweet release, the surcease of all pain and suffering, forevermore. Yes, that was something he, if not desired, at the very least did not fear. His fate was sealed, and he was quite content with his ordained doom.

Sebastian finally appeared with his tea and morning paper as usual, greeting him politely, if a little sheepishly. After handing both to him and draping a warm wrap around his shoulders, he retreated back a step and made a slight bow. Raising his head, he spoke dolefully.

"Master, I would like to make a more formal apology for my behavior last night, now that I am completely… myself again. It was inexcusable. I take great pride in staying true to the butler aesthetic, as it is something I hold dear, and as such, I hereby once again humbly beg your forgiveness."

Ciel could only shake his head with bemusement at his butler, so sincere-seeming in his supplications. His bronze-penny eyes gazed innocently at him, albeit with a glint of mirth and deviousness to them, as always. Ciel sighed.

"You are forgiven, Sebastian. Just don't let it happen again. Such an occurrence will not be tolerated." Raising one eye brow, he added gleefully, "Besides, as you said yourself, you don't need drugs-you have me." He grinned with satisfaction at the look of horror and mortification upon his butler's face at hearing the words that he had spoken in his inebriated state repeated back to him. His eyes narrowed looking back at Ciel with a betraying hint of a sly smile peeking out from the edge of his mouth, making Ciel wonder what revenge he might be plotting in return.

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It was a dreary, chilly, early May day in downtown London, nearly a month now since the demon drug incident. The oily reek of burning coke wafted in from all around, puffing smokestacks making the skies dark with ash. Ciel's nose crinkled in an attempt to block it out as he waited on the street corner in the south part of the East End for his butler to return from doing a few shopping errands for the mansion. Ciel had wanted to check out a new toy and candy store that had just opened recently, under the pretext of doing market research. His pockets bulged with tasty evidence that he would just have to thoroughly sample later on when he got home; what he had sampled so far had proved,from a competitor's perspective, to be most worrisome, he mused, although not too unhappily. Sebastian had been cutting back on his sweets lately at home, saying that he had done research to support a new theory that excess sugar and fats were the cause of the scourge of skin blemishes that every teenager seemed to suffer, him not the least. He had gone along with his butler's new course of nourishment, consisting of a majority of fresh produce and dark grains and legumes, and only an occasional sweet treat, to his displeasure. But it had, he had to admit, seemed to be effective, at least; and it certainly helped having one of the world's premier chefs as his very own butler, with every dish, whether it be turnips or cabbage, a gourmet delight. Turning his head suddenly, Ciel heard a sound that made his brow furrow, a strange whimpering sort of sound. He swiveled his head around, trying to determine its location. It seemed to be coming from some ways down the street, so he started making his way in that direction, out of curiosity.

He heard the sound again, and followed it down an alleyway, until at the very end, hidden behind some old wooden freight bins, he found the poor soul from whom the sounds originated. Sitting with his back against the wall and holding his head against his bent knees was none other than the grim reaper, Grell Sutcliff, sobbing uncontrollably.

Ciel couldn't help being dumbstruck by the sight of this proud shinigami, usually nothing if not exuberantly, annoyingly playful and cheerful, now reduced to a weeping, pathetic mess.

"What's wrong?" he said with disgust, shaking his head, wondering why was he even bothering to stick around, much less question this despicable creature as to his distress.

Grell's head popped up at the sound, his eyes red and puffy but with an expression of surprise and then expectant pleasure on his face as he spotted Ciel. "Se..." He looked around, and then back at Ciel. A look of confusion now suffused his face. "Where... Is Sebastian here?" His look of delight now dissolved back into disappointment, and then to intense dejection and misery.

Of course he had only one thought on his mind, and that was for the object of his unrequited affection. Ciel shook his head in disgust and bafflement. He would never understand the bizarre attachment and actions of this reaper. A godlike entity, with powers over the very lives and deaths of all beings, running pathetically around after Ciel's butler, himself a vicious demon at that.

"No, he isn't," he snapped. "Why?"

"I thought I..." the reaper started, then stopped. "Never mind. Just leave me be." His chest heaved and he put his head in his hands, resting on his knees. "Why does he have to be so cruel?" the red head wailed. Ciel wondered just what, exactly, had transpired this time, to make the shinigami quite so utterly heartbroken. In spite of himself, Ciel felt a twinge of sympathy for the poor creature. He just looked so pathetic, his long red hair strewn about him, shoulders heaving with his now loud and drawn out sobs.

"Why? Why?" he wailed into his hands once more, as over-dramatic as ever, Ciel observed.

Despite telling himself he could care less, curiosity piqued at Ciel, and he barked out impatiently, "Stop that infernal racket this instant, and tell me what's wrong!"

"Mmm... Why should you care, little boy?" the reaper asked insultingly, and then resumed his sobs, but which had now at least lowered in intensity to a mere whimpering.

Why should he care, he wondered? Verily, this was the creature who had murdered his aunt with his terrifying death scythe, had viciously swiped the blade across her body, spilling her blood as well as her cinematic record, revealing the inner secrets of her past for all to see. And then discarding her with no qualms or regrets, simply for having disappointed him with her sudden weakness in being unable to kill her very own nephew, completely disregarding and disdaining his former strong feelings he had professed for her up until then. But then again, she had not been completely innocent in the affair, herself… She had made her choice, had murdered all those girls, and then had simply made one incorrect move; hesitated, and lost.

"Heartless, soulless demon," the red head went on in a pitiful high pitched whine. "Brought me to within sight of the gates of heaven, and then, when I didn't have the information that he wanted, tossed me aside like a piece of trash; didn't even have the decency to finish what he had started, the bastard!" Fresh sobs broke over him, and he placed his head in his hands, resting on his knees once more.

What had Sebastian done to him, he wondered? What dealings had he had with the shinigami lately unbeknownst to him that would have had the reaper making such blatantly false references to his butler having had any such sordid… He stopped in his tracks, from the direction that his thoughts had been going in. He knew exactly what dealings Sebastian had no doubt had with the reaper; what exactly he must have done. He had, after all, told him to get the information from the perverse grim reaper any way he saw fit… A jolt of disappointment went through him at the thought; he wasn't sure why. Disgust; that was it, of course. He hadn't even realized his butler would do such a thing. He had known him to use such methods before with the occasional female target, in order to extract information. But to do so with a male… Of course, Grell wasn't exactly male in the conventional sense, it was true, he reasoned, what with his perverted tendencies towards other males, which thought made him feel at least a little better. But then that made him remember, to his shame, that there was also the fact that he, himself, wasn't completely free of such perverse inclinations apparently, as was shown by that last incident with his butler... He shook his head of those thoughts, and distracted himself by shifting his focus back on the still sobbing reaper.

"Just go away, little boy; go home to your butler, that cruel, handsome devil, and leave me here to die. My life is meaningless without my heart's desire, and it is pointless to continue, knowing there's no hope of ever having it." His sobs got louder again, and his shoulders shuddered with each wail that wracked his rather slight form. To his chagrin, Ciel felt an odd kind of sympathy for the reaper; he wasn't sure why.

"There, there. Shush now," Ciel said, as compassionately as he could; but the shinigami apparently didn't hear him.

"Shush already!" he shouted this time; he was starting to get even more annoyed than usual with this red headed reaper. This time, having heard him, the reaper paused a moment from his sobbing to glance over at the boy standing before him. His eyes were wet, so Ciel knew he was truly crying, but his features smoothed out for a second as he looked at Ciel. Immediately, though, he buried his head back in his arms, and gave another moaning sob.

Ciel couldn't stand it. He had to do something, if only to shut him up. He crouched down next to the dejected form, and reached out to softly pat the shinigami's shoulders. " Shhh… Shush… Just shush already, okay?" The red head started at this, his sobbing coming to an abrupt stop. Peering almost shyly from his bowed head through his feathery fringe, he looked at Ciel. Ciel looked back at him. The reaper's green and yellow-flecked eyes glowed at his, glistening with tears. His mouth trembled, and then his lips pursed together. A small smile actually crept up from the corner of his mouth. Suddenly, he threw his arms around Ciel, wrapping him in a tight hug.

"It's so sweet of you to care, young earl," he murmured. "Thank you." He continued with his embrace, even leaning his head on Ciel's shoulder. Turning his head, he ran his nose through Ciel's hair, brushing his ear slightly as he did so. Ciel jerked. What the hell was he doing?

"Mmm... You smell like Sebastian."

Ciel rolled his eyes in exasperation, and then looked at him disgustedly. Of course, the shinigami was able to detect his butler's scent on him, especially since this particular grim reaper was sensitized to that one scent above all others.

"Well, I'm not," he said, wishing he had the hardheartedness to just throw the reaper off, and leave him to wallow in his own sorrows, and couldn't quite understand why he did not.

Grell was looking into his face with a curious, almost searching look; his greenish cat's eyes exploring his features. "No, you're not." He smiled as he continued to peer at him. "But you're certainly rather cute, now aren't you?" His smile widened a little, until the sharp edges of his teeth peeked through his carmine-tinged lips. His smile got bigger, and his tongue came out to lick his lower lip a little and then hang slightly out from the side of his mouth. Ciel shivered as he then felt one long bright red painted fingernail scrape lightly down his cheek.

He quickly pulled farther away from the shinigami. What the hell was this reaper thinking? He couldn't possibly be... "No. Just... No," Ciel puffed. "Don't even think about it."

"Don't worry; I have no interest in... children." Here, Grell seemed to hesitate before saying the word. Was he thinking that Ciel wasn't actually a child, anymore? It was true, though; and for some reason Ciel felt the need to confirm it.

"I'm not a child."

"No; no, you aren't, are you," the shinigami agreed, seeming a bit surprised. Then he grinned. "Well, when did that happen?"

Ciel's eyes widened as he felt Grell's hand come to the back of his head, and wind his fingers in his hair. What the hell was this blasted shinigami thinking? And also, why did that have to almost feel good, he seethed to himself, gritting his teeth and then hissing a little as he felt Grell's fingernails scrape along his scalp. He expelled a little breath, and then tried to regain his composure. Knocking Grell's hand away from his head, he sprang up and backed away from the now widely grinning shinigami.

"Get away from me, you disgusting freak!" He wondered who he was more disgusted with though, himself or the leering redhead.

Grell's eyes narrowed, but then he smiled again, mischievously. Slowly and gracefully he rose up off the ground, and came towards him. Ciel backed away a step, but the reaper was already standing before him, grinning widely, and he felt his arm go around his waist.

"Ah, don't worry, my sweetling. I can retract these fangs of mine most effortlessly, in order to oblige your fragile human form." And so saying, the shinigami's unnerving row of sharply pointed teeth shifted before his eyes as he watched into normal human-looking ones. Ciel shivered with terror at the sight, and wanted to flee, but found himself frozen to the spot. What had he walked into here? Why hadn't he just left the grim reaper as soon as he saw who it was, he chastised himself? Fear coursed through his veins, and he tried desperately to free himself from the reaper's embrace, twisting and pushing, feeling the solid hardness of the reaper's chest beneath his vest. But it was in vain, as Grell closed the space between them completely now, trapping his hands where they were. Now that they were both standing, Ciel realized he was almost as tall as the reaper, only a few inches shorter, actually. They stood nearly eye to eye; chin to chin. Not to mention mouth to...

Nooo! Ciel inwardly screamed, as the shinigami's lips approached his. He tried to struggle, but in vain. A reaper's strength far outmatched any humans.

"Sebas..." he started, but his yell was cut short by the shinigami's lips on his. Soft and warm, they pressed sensuously against his own, drawing on them eagerly but sweetly. Shocks of tingling delight rippled down through him, the sensations bringing back the memory of his butler's lips on his, and the kiss they had shared a month ago. Remembering that made him long for more, though he knew it was in vain. And yet, he realized, trapped as he was here and now, he could have at least a taste of it, could imagine and indulge himself, if he so desired... He found himself responding to the shinigami's kiss just as eagerly, moving his lips in sync with his, bending into him, drinking in the sweet sensations that cascaded thence. The reaper's grip on him loosened just a bit, and he felt a hand gently caressing his cheek, then fingernails lightly scraping along after it. He shuddered in pleasure at the feel of it. His own hands went up, seemingly of their own accord, and sifted through Grell's startlingly soft red tresses, to grip the back of the reaper's head and neck. Ciel's head tilted back and his eyes closed as Grell was now trailing kisses down and under his chin, his feathery hair tickling his face and neck. And then the reaper's mouth was back on his, and his veins were surging with electric sparks, shooting down his body, into his every nerve ending, every extremity. It was a glorious feeling, he had to admit.

But then he remembered who he was kissing.

"Oh, god!" he gasped, as he tore away from the grim reaper, a look of pure horror on his face.

"Well, demigod, actually," the reaper replied. "But I'm flattered, nonetheless."

The reaper leaned in towards Ciel again to continue where they had left off, and Ciel immediately recoiled, taking a step back, successfully this time.

Ciel's mind whirled as he tried to get his bearings, complete mortification overcoming him at what he had done. He had just kissed the reaper! He had kissed Grell Sutcliff, and he had liked it. He felt himself reeling in confusion and the lingering effects of the kiss. Grell pouted.

"What's the matter, my little lord? Now, don't try to tell me you didn't enjoy that." He stepped closer to Ciel in turn, and wound his arms around his back, running them up to his neck and drawing him closer, despite Ciel's struggles. Bringing his hands up once more to Grell's chest, Ciel pushed with all his might, shouting through gritted teeth, "Grell, stop!" He swerved his head away from the reaper's approaching lips to avoid their contact with their intended target. "Let me go!" he screamed at the top of his lungs. Fear began to course through him anew now, as the reaper held him fast in an unrelenting grip, no matter how he struggled.

"Grell, get away from him." A deep voice resounded down the alleyway.

Relief flooded through Ciel at the sound of that voice. He relaxed, feeling completely at ease; safe now, knowing his butler was there to put an end to his ordeal. To his vexation, Grell responded by only pulling him closer to him, his hand cradling Ciel's head down against his chest.

"This is none of your business, demon. Now just run along, and leave the two of us here together; we wish to be alone. Be off with you!" Grell simpered peevishly. Ciel rolled his eyes at the audacity of the reaper's statement.

"Geroff me!" he struggled to speak through squashed mouth as the shinigami pressed him harder against his chest. "I do not…" His words were cut off when he was suddenly thrown backwards a pace, and he staggered to keep his balance. Looking up, he saw the red head now sprawled out on the pavement before him, his butler standing over him, black coattails flapping in the wind. Ciel took a deep breath, and smiled at the pleasant sight.

"Took you long enough, Sebastian," he chided his butler.

"Well, I'm here now. Come, young master, let us…" His butler's words were cut off by the whirring, bone-jarringly loud sound of that mysterious machine, the reaper's chillingly bizarre weapon that he wielded as his chosen form of death scythe, which he had seemingly pulled out of nowhere and now swung at the demon's head. The demon easily leaped back, raising his hands and blocking the reaper from further action by holding the rotating blade between his two hands, the contraption still roaring with ear-splitting intensity. Grell growled in frustration, and tried to leap forward past Sebastian's grip, but only ended up being flipped head over heels, the chainsaw still in his hand, to land once more on the pavement in a heap. The demon then sprung up and landed on top of him, one elegant black shoe on the shinigami's chest, pressing down into him mercilessly. But with an almost effortless twisting leap, the reaper was up once again, and the two now stood, facing each other off with equally venomous glares.

"Sebas-chan, darling," the reaper purred, now trying for a sympathetic response from the main object of his affections. "You know I only really have eyes for you, it was just a one-time thing, to try to get my mind off the way you treated me so abominably last time." Sebastian simply frowned at the reaper, and took one small half step closer to him, the reaper backing up apace with him, fear now erasing his smirk.

"Never come near my young master again. If you do, I swear I will confer upon you that one thing which you love above all others: death. Just the thought of something as disgusting as you ever touching my master again in that way makes me ill, you foul, pathetic excuse for a divine being."

Grell's face contorted into a seething mask of rage at that, and the next instant he was slashing and leaping at Sebastian with redoubled fury. The demon parried and sidestepped with ease however, and then launched himself at the reaper, landing a blow to his stomach, and then a swift double kick to the reaper's legs, knocking them out from under him. Grell staggered and fell to his knees, but then quickly sprang back up.

"You sure care a lot about that boy's soul," the reaper leered angrily through pointed teeth. "Much more so than if you were just after a good meal, even one you've been waiting years for. If I didn't know better, I'd say you were interested in more than just his soul."

"I find the very notion of such a thing repulsive," the demon replied.

"You can't deny it, Bassy," Grell jeered. "You're totally smitten with him. That's why you don't want anyone else to have him."

"Goddammit Grell! Please cease your idiotic babbling." Sebastian's eyes were shooting furious daggers at the shinigami.

"Methinks thou doth protest too much." The shinigami's yellow-green eyes narrowed. "I doubt you'll even be able to take the boy's soul, when the time comes! You are completely in love with him, admit it." Sebastian rolled his eyes in exasperation and grittedhis teeth, but replied calmly.

"I'll admit I am somewhat smitten with him-his soul, that is." He smiled darkly. "That is precisely why I am going to take such great pleasure in devouring it." Ciel felt a frisson go down his entire body at his butler's words, and shivered.

"Uhhg!" Grell exclaimed in disgust. "You are a foul, noxious beast, just as Will says, and I don't know why I ever wasted any of my precious time on you in the first place."

"And you are a loathsome, perverted creature, and I quite wish you hadn't. I would have been much happier, indeed." And with that, Sebastian lunged at the red head once more, and with a flash of limbs quicker than any human eye could see, had disarmed the reaper, flinging the buzzing weapon up in the air behind him. He then began cheerfully pummeling the now distraught shinigami, aiming always for his face, as he knew full well how important that particular part of his anatomy was to him. Blow after blow was rained down as Sebastian advanced on him, backing him eventually into the wall of the building. Grell's eyes were wild with pain and fear, as he pleaded desperately, "Please, Sebas-chan! Please, Bassy, darling! Not the face! Not the face!" His pathetic wails turned to whimpers as he sank down to the pavement of the alleyway, and tucked his head in between his knees, shielding his head with his hands. Ciel found himself actually feeling sorry for the sobbing creature again, and he wondered what was wrong with him for feeling that way. In any case, once more he found he couldn't stand to see the red headed shinigami so thoroughly wretched, and he acted almost without thinking.

"Sebastian, stop!"

His butler froze in mid-blow, his arm pulled back, ready to pummel the reaper one more time, and turned to look at Ciel, a look of sheer frustration mixed with fury on his face. "Why, master?" he asked, contempt obviously visible along with his anger at the command.

"I… I just think he's had enough, is all. I just… I just want to get home. Come, Sebastian." With that command, the demon had only one answer he could give.

"Yes, my lord," he said with bowed head, although Ciel could tell it was said reluctantly. He then strode down the alley, only looking back once to see if Ciel was following him. When Ciel caught up to him at the mouth of the alley, Sebastian turned smartly on his heel and continued left. Following, Ciel glanced back once more to see the reaper watching him, a strange, blank look on his face, and shuddered just a little, for some reason.

Sebastian hailed a passing cab within minutes, and after helping Ciel in, instructed the driver to take them to the manor. Once settled in the carriage, Sebastian looked across the seat at Ciel somewhat guiltily.

"Master, I apologize for not having gotten to you sooner, and for not preventing that disgusting creature from having… assaulted you like that," he stated in a tone of what seemed genuine regret.

"Well, it did take you long enough," Ciel replied, with a level of venom that surprised himself. "Why the delay, Sebastian?"

"Hmm? Ah; yes," the demon replied, smirking. "Well, when I got there, I have to admit, I wasn't quite sure whether or not to interrupt. At least, for a moment, it looked like you were rather…" He grinned wickedly at Ciel. "…enjoying it."

Leaping up to stand before the demon, albeit a little shakily with the jostling of the carriage, he shouted, "How dare you!" and slapped his butler hard across his face. "You are totally out of line to suggest such a thing!" The demon's brows rose, but he displayed not a touch of surprise or dismay on his suave features. Ciel sat back down onto his seat with a huff.

"You're one to talk, in any case," Ciel continued, fuming. "Grell told me what you did to him. I imagine it was to get the information out of him, as I requested, although I have to wonder why you didn't report back to me sooner on this. In any case, I have to admit, I never imagined you using… those particular tactics on him. I thought you despised him; apparently not enough to keep from wanting to engage in such… activities of that sort with him." He felt a surge of satisfaction at the sight of his butler's face, which now pleasingly displayed a hint of flushed cheeks. Ciel continued.

"But in any case, to get that far, and then to just leave him in the middle of it…" He smiled leeringly back at the demon. "Not very gentlemanly of you, was it? Rather cruel, actually, I would say."

The demon smiled back at him and said with a smirk, "Jealous?"

Ciel was seething this time so much he couldn't even find the words to express his anger. He clenched his fists, trying to ease his anger. It wasn't worth getting upset about, he decided. He succeeded after a few moments in keeping his rage in check, and settled on deflecting his discomfiture with a taunting comment.

"So, smitten by my soul, are you?" The demon's brows lifted at this, his face reflecting his obvious quandary as to what to say in response to that. Ciel chuckled. The butler's features then relaxed into a smirk, and he answered.

"Well, yes, I do prefer my meals to be of the finest ingredients, it is true." His smile widened. "And your soul will make one of the highest quality and most enjoyable feasts I have ever indulged in." Ciel's own eyebrows rose at this and he frowned. The demon grinned back wickedly at him.

"So, is that really all I am to you then, just a meal?"

"But of course, my young lord. Why should you expect anything different? You know me well enough by this time." Feeling oddly disturbed by this for some reason, Ciel tried to determine why.

"What gives you the right to just kill and take the souls of any being you have a hankering for? Do you think you are somehow better than us?"

"But we are better. Do you think that we demons couldn't decimate your entire human population in a day if we felt so inclined? Have you not seen the wonders that I am capable of? Humans are mere pitiful creatures, living lives of misery; nasty, brutish, and short, compared to us."

"Ah, but Hobbes was referring to the state of man if he weren't civilized." Sebastian looked back at him and chuckled.

"Ha! And are you really so civilized now, do you truly think?" Ciel could only shake his head at that and remain silent. The butler continued.

"In any case, the fact remains that we demons need such creatures as you for food. Why shouldn't we be entitled to take the lives and souls of any such inferior beings that we require or just desire?"

"Might makes right, eh?" Ciel smirked at him. "Well, I have to wholeheartedly agree with you on that one, Sebastian," he conceded. It was true, though; it was his way of thinking, as well. "It is one thing we both can agree upon, I guess." The demon said nothing in return, only gazed back at him with one brow raised, and a far off look in his eyes that hinted of amusement.

"Master, I was going to report back to you on it soon enough; I just didn't see the need to do so with any haste, as the task turned out to be a futile one. And yes, I did, indeed, as you surmise, use such… tactics. But only because I was simply following your bidding, and I deemed that to be the most effective method to use with him. As I was correct to assume. Unfortunately, the wretch revealed that he knew nothing about who the actual murderers were, and had just been bluffing to save his miserable life during that fight so long ago. I of course had no more use of him following the garnering of that information, nor the desire to have any further dealings with him, and so I left accordingly."

Ciel digested all these revelations, and nodded in acceptance. He was actually rather relieved for some reason, although he felt a slight disappointment at that the reaper had known nothing, after all. The thought of the demon engaging not only in such sordid relations with another male was bad enough; but the thought of him actually enjoying it was something he was glad to know was false. He greatly respected his butler; he took pride in having such a capable and upstanding servant. He was a credit to the Phantomhive family name, and household. He always did what he felt was his duty in order to most efficiently fulfill his master's wishes. What boy could ask for a better demon to protect him and serve him and aid him in his quest, in return for the surrendering of his soul? He chuckled darkly to himself. He smiled at this reasoning, glad to have an understanding of his feelings in this situation, and spent the rest of the ride back gazing at the scenery passing by outside the carriage window.