AN: Thank you to everyone who has been patiently reading this and sorry for taking so long to update. This is a long chapter and it's been on the go for a while. Once again, I do not own any of the characters. Hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I did writing it.
Chapter 4: The Party, England
They had returned from a trip into town to run some errands to find the house, once again, prettified. It was absolutely glowing with cuteness. Ciel froze in the entrance of the manor waiting for the tell-tale sound.
"Ci-e-l~"
A moment later he was glomped by a girl with tightly curls blonde hair wearing a frilly dress, who began to swing him around the room with a look of such delight on her face. Hayate looked at the scene slightly shocked, while the other servants looked on in resignation; they had already been attacked by the girl.
"I missed you, Ciel," the girl said, after she had put Ciel down who looked at her with unfocused eyes, swaying slightly.
"Lizzy! What are you doing here?" Ciel asked, looking at his fiancé sternly, thinking: not again. "Does Aunt know where you are?"
She pouted. "Of course I got permission, silly. Auntie Angelina said it was time you had a ball, and I'm organising it. It's going to be so cute!"
Ciel sighed. He knew he wasn't going to able to stop this, especially with Lizzy and Madame Red ganging up. "Fine," he said gruffly, "have you organised the guest list, entertainment, catering?" Lizzy looked despondent, she clearly hadn't even considered these things. Ciel decided to press home his advantage – maybe he could get out of this after all. "So then how do you suppose we hold a ball if no one's going to come and they have nothing to do when they get here?"
Lizzy looked even more depressed. "That's true, isn't it..." She thought about it for another moment then suddenly brightened. "It's alright though, we still have time. I'll do the invitations and you can do the food and music. There, it's decided."
Damn, Ciel thought, I was so close. He sighed again, and called for his butler. "Hayate, you need to organise an orchestra for tonight as well as food for..." He shot a question Lizzy. "...for about a dozen guests."
Hayate bowed and left, and went looking for a list of contacts that Sebastian should have kept to try and track down an orchestra last minute. He finally found what he was looking for in Sebastian's desk draw. The first group he contacted were very reluctant to accept the job and were on the point of refusing him until he told them who he was. After that they readily agreed after that after a fervent apology for not realising who he was. He put down the phone looking thoughtful, just who was this boy to hold so much sway? It surely couldn't just be the reputation of his predecessor or his title. With the orchestra sorted he went to find the other servants to see if they had progressed at all with the preparation of the mansion for tonight ball, or at the very least hadn't destroyed anything.
He found the servants in the kitchen with Bard about to burn down the kitchen and the majority of the food store with his flame thrower. He had a pair of goggles over his eyes and a look of grim concentration on his face. "Here we go―" he called to the other two, who curled themselves into balls, knowing what was about to happen. Before he could set the thing off, Hayate sighed and tapped him on the shoulder. Bard jumped and turned to look at Hayate guiltily and after a moment Finny and Maylene deemed it safe to extract themselves for their respective balls.
"What are you doing?"
Bard continued to look at Hayate guiltily, rubbing the back of his head with one hand. "I-I-I was just trying to cook this meat..." He trailed off and then when Hayate didn't respond he said quietly: "with my flame thrower."
"I'm sure you've been told not to use the flame thrower for cooking. Leave the cooking to me." Hayate pulled a piece of paper from a pocket and gave it to Bard, gently taking the offending weapon from him. "If you want to make yourself useful, please layout the ballroom as shown on the diagram I just gave you. Take your time, there's no need to hurry, and please try not to break anything." Bard looked from the piece of paper in hand to the smiling face of the butler and shrugged and went to go and do his newly assigned task with one last longing look at his flame thrower.
After Bard had left, the other servants looked at Hayate expectantly.
"Um, is there anything we can do?" asked Maylene tentatively. "Sebastian never lets us do anything."
"Maylene, could you get me some large platters for the food and then some wine from the cellars and bring them to me. Finnian, would you like to help Bardroy with the ballroom, there are some heavy things there so be careful. I'm sure you two can manage that."
Their eyes glittered at being given something to do and with smiles on their faces and an enthusiastic "yessir!" they left too. Hayate scanned the kitchen and scoured the pantry seeing what supplies were available to him. He piled the things he needed onto the bench, the decisions made about what he was going to make. His hands moved in a blur, knife blade flashing as he chopped ingredients and piled them into bowls. The kitchen heated up as he tossed together food on the stove, flames and food spiralling up into the air. He had just finished when Maylene came into the kitchen carefully carrying a large stack of plates. He quickly took them off her hands before she could drop any and deftly arranged the food on the dishes.
After he'd tidied up her checked the time and sighed. There was so little time and so much to do; guests would be arriving in a couple of hours. He went off in search of Bard and Finny and found them, surprisingly, where they were supposed to be and even more surprisingly that just about finished arranging the ballroom without appearing to have broken anything. He surveyed the room as the servants continued to work, straightening the occasional piece of furniture. He saw that the pair had done a reasonable job. The doorbell rang so he left them to finish off.
When he answered the door, it turned out to be the orchestra. He led them through the mansion to the ballroom and got some food and water for them and left them to set up. By this time the servant had finished their assigned tasks and Bard and Finny followed Hayate into the entrance hall where he began speed cleaning. They were joined a few moments later by a slightly out of breath Maylene. He was a blur of movement; the servants - who could only look on in admiration, mouths hanging open - only seeing after images. Hayate returned to in front of the trio leaving the hall sparkling in his wake.
He returned to the kitchen to make final food preparations having dismissed the others, telling them to go and get ready for the ball. He heard the ring of a bell and knew he was being summoned by Lizzy. He set aside what he was doing and went to investigate. He knock on the door of the guest room Lizzy was using and after a moment entered. He saw Lizzy in the middle of the room, smiling happily at him, already ready for the party.
"Is something the matter, Lady Elizabeth?" he asked curious as there seemed to be nothing wrong with the scene in from of him and she didn't appear to need anything. He felt a presence behind him and began to turn around and gets hit solidly in the back of the head before he can see who it is. Hayate tumbled to the ground, consciousness fraying as blackness enveloped him and his thoughts slipped away.
Hayate awoke in a darkened room with a headache. He lay stretched out on a bed. He could make out the outlines of the furniture in the room from the moonlight from the rising moon streaming through the curtains. He sat up groggily, his head pounding, and gingerly felt his head, his fingers finding the lump on the back of his head. As he retracted his hands his fingers brushed something soft and silky protruding from his head. He frowned and explored the object on his head with his fingertips, discovering small curved triangles covered in a short silken fur attached to a band. Under that band lay a strip of frilly fabric with lacy edges running from ear to ear flattening the hair underneath it.
He looked down at himself and his eyes widened in shock. Gone was his usual suit and necktie and in its place was a while pinafore with ruffled hems over a sky blue dress with puffed sleeves and flared skirt that went to his knees. It was an exquisite dress but it was not something he wanted to wear or be seen wearing. He scrambled off the bed and began fervently searching the room for his clothes. He turned the whole room upside down, throwing the contents of the wardrobe onto the floor, up-ending the drawers in the desk, but there was no sign of his clothes. He pulled open the door and staggered out into the corridor. Hayate heard the distant tolling of bells. It took a moment for the meaning of the bells to sink into his still groggy head. It was time for the ball. He didn't have time to search for his clothes. He slowly made his way to the ballroom, reluctant to show himself like this but he had no other option.
Hayate pulled open the double doors to the ballroom and was assaulted by the colour and sound emanating from the room, sending his still tender head spinning. He crossed the threshold, quietly closing the door behind him. The hall was ablaze with colour. Looking around him he saw many unfamiliar faces as well as the few familiar ones. To the side he sees the servants eyeing off the food but enjoying themselves. Towards the back he notices Lizzy in animated conversation with a bored looking Ciel. There wasn't anyone out on the dance floor yet and the orchestra was playing in the background. A loud lyrical laugh brought his attention to a small group of people with a voluptuous woman at its centre her head thrown back in carefree laughter. She was lounged in a chair and wore exclusively red, a half empty wine glass in one hand and a fan in the other which she was using to beckon a tall thin man with glasses and a long pony tail who was standing in front of the wall behind her. Next to the woman dressed in red stood a man in Chinese dress with a young woman wearing a very short China dress that accentuated her features clinging to his arm. The man was smiling and he was looking at the woman in red and laughing at her jokes but he seemed to be alert and constantly scanning the room.
Hayate went over to the food and drink tables and collected a tray of drinks, passing the servants on the way who watch him as he passes.
"Waah! Cute," cried Finny. To which Maylene nodded fiercely, a tendril on blood leaking out of one nostril. Bard looked on unimpressed but his eyes followed the boy as he made his way with his drinks towards the Earl. "I wonder who that maid is." Bard thought aloud.
Hayate reached his master and his lady and offered them both non alcoholic beverages, commenting on how beautiful Elizabeth looked in her dress. Ciel frowns slightly as he looks at the 'maid', he doesn't recall ever employing anyone like this...but there is something familiar about her.
Lizzy bobbed her head in acknowledgement of the compliment, her eyes sparkling as her cute radar went crazy as she took in the maid dress, cat ears and the hint of a cat tail peeping out from behind the dress. "Wai! So cutttteee~!" cried Lizzy almost bursting with excitement. "You look so cute, miss."
Hayate looked startled. And then relieved. It seemed he hadn't been recognised at least. He smiled at her dazzlingly, enchantingly and bobbed a small curtsy. Lizzy was left reeling from the force of his smile as he moved on, an after image left on her retinas from its brilliance.
The 'maid' was now approaching the cluster of people. He offered her drinks tray to the Chinese man. He waited uncomfortably as the man inspected him through hooded eyes. Hayate stood firm under his gaze but gave an inward sigh of relief when he grinned at him and took two glasses, giving one to his companion, who Hayate now realised had also been inspecting him.
Hayate moved on, with a mental shake, and approached the woman in the centre of the cluster of men, offering her a wine glass. She looked up at him from her reclined position and gracefully look the glass from him muttering her thanks and turned back to her admirers and continued with whatever story it was she had been telling. Hayate looked up, sensing eyes on him and looked around discretely. His eyes locked on the man who he had assumed to be the woman's butler. The man was eyeing him with a calculating look and quiet yet creepy smile playing on his features and the soft lighting of the hall glinting off his glasses. It gave the thin man and aura of menace. It was gone a moment later when the man realised Hayate was looking dead at him. Hayate was shaken from his ponderings by tugging on his sleeve. The red woman was offering him his empty glass. He took it and placed it on the tray, giving her another of the same. She took the glass with one hand and grabbed onto him with the other stopping him from pulling away.
"Let me have a good look at you," the woman muttered, dragging him in front of her. Hayate took the opportunity to study the woman properly. Her face was already slightly flushed from drink even though the evening had barely begun. Cropped vivid red hair framed her face as she peered at the boy intensely. Suddenly she reached out with her free hand and pulled him into a hug almost dislodging all the glassware from his tray. Discarding her glass, she reaches up and strokes his cat ears feeling the silky softness between her fingers. After a moment she released Hayate from her embrace and smiled widely at him, her eyes revealed a deep sorrow despite her joviality.
"I wish I had a daughter like you," her light tone laced with sadness. She downed her glass of red wine and grabbed another off his tray and then composed herself. "I'm Madame Red. Are you a new maid here?"
Hayate bobbed a small curtsy and nodded in response. Before he could reply he felt a tingling in the back of his neck. He looks around, searching for the source of the sensation and sees the man from before, watching him.
"Ah Madame, do you know that man over there," he pointed towards the suspicious man against the wall who was still watching them. "It's just...he keeps staring at me."
Madame Red turned around in her seat to look where Hayate had indicated. She waved a hand dismissively at him. "Oh, Grell? Don't mind him, he's harmless. He's just my useless butler."
The orchestra started playing the first waltz and Hayate took the opportunity to escape, politely excusing himself. He made his way back to the refreshments tables and replenished his tray. He watched as one by one couples made their way to the dance floor. Hayate saw Finny drag Maylene out on to the floor and spin her in circles, squeals erupting from her lips as she was spun faster, joy on Finny's face, terror on Maylene's.
Bard approached him and gruffly asked him for a dance, scratching the back of his head with one hand, a sheepish look on his face and his eyes averted. Hayate looked around him, hoping that the request had been directed to someone else, but sees no one else in the vicinity. He considered. Then consented. It was a ball after all. He allowed himself to be led out onto the floor. The pair cut across the room, Bard's sweaty hands enclosing Hayate's as he brought him out of a turn. They dance in silence, Bard's steps out of time with the music as he concentrated on his feet. Hayate was watching his feet too, trying his hardest not to get them stepped on by his flustered dance partner.
When the dance ended, Hayate quickly extracted himself from Bard's arms and retreated to the relative safety of the wall, leaning heavily against it. The headache that had momentarily been forgotten came back with a vengeance, aggravated by all the spinning. Once his head had calmed down, he pushed himself back off the wall and went about his duty serving people on autopilot until the night had ended and the last guest had finally left.
Hayate listlessly made his way back to his room, on the verge of collapsing from exhaustion, blood pulsing through his temples and his eyesight wavering. He stumbled into the room, leaning heavily on the door frame in a bid to stay upright. The pale moonlight streaming in through single window softly illuminated the scene. Neatly folded on his bed lay his clothes. He groaned at the sight of them, having finally found them but the question of who put them there would have to wait. He threw off his cat-maid outfit, shoving it into the closet, chucking his day clothes in after it, too tired to care. He tugged on his nightclothes and crawled into bed. Within moments he was dead to the world.