Stay With Me

The manor was unnaturally quiet that evening so that that even the softest noise roared and raged like an invisible storm hovering overhead. Sebastian walked down the long hall, pausing only once to glance up at the large clock and noting it was slow. The steady ticking was like a heartbeat, low and monotonous, but now that heart was slowing slightly as it winding down to a complete stop. He knew that he should take the time to rewind the clock so that it ran correctly, but some part of him felt reluctant to do so. Everything within these four walls should be in perfect working order at all times, and it was his job to make sure of this, but he could only stand and look at the clock. Somehow he knew it was wrong to fix it just yet.

Tearing his gaze away, he continued his trek down the hall until he came to a simple, unassuming door. No one could have guessed what lay beyond as he politely rapped gently before opening the door to step inside. A single candle had been lit by the bed, but it did little to dispel the gloom that hung in the room like a shroud. Mey-Rin was sitting in a small chair, her face buried in her hands as her shoulders shook from her silent weeping. Tanaka was lying in the nearby bed, his frail frame not looking much bigger than Ciel's beneath the twisted sheets, as the meager light highlighted his form. Wordlessly, Sebastian stepped forward and straightened the sheets before looking up at the withered, old gentleman. His weak eyes were open slightly, but their pierced into Sebastian deeper than even a reaper's scythe.

Tanaka was dying.

Mey-Rin was still crying, so Sebastian walked over and placed his hand upon her shoulder. She looked up suddenly, and it was obvious that she had been unaware of his presence before his touch. "I'll stay here with him," Sebastian whispered, "You go and keep a watch for the doctor with Finny and Bard."

She nodded slightly as she lifted up her glasses to wipe away her tears. "Yes-s, Mr. Se-Sebastian," she sniffled before exiting the room as quietly as a shadow.

Sebastian wasn't tired nor did he have need of rest, but he took the seat recently vacated by Mey-Rin as he looked over at Tanaka who was still watching him intently with what appeared to be a tiny smile upon his face. In all of his countless years, Sebastian could never remember feeling exactly as he did in this moment. He had seen death and had been the cause of more than a few fatalities himself. It was an unspoken acceptance that human lives were fragile and fleeting, and it had never caused Sebastian much concern...until now. He knew that Tanaka was dying, but what he didn't understand were the unfamiliar tightness in his chest or his reluctance to even voice what was happening in this room. Unsure of what to say, he simply sat there as he stared into dark eyes of this man who had taught him everything about being a proper butler. Perhaps, he had even taught him more than that.

"So, this is the end," Tanaka said, his cracked voice slicing into the silence that had surrounded them.

"We've sent for the doctor," Sebastian offered immediately, "He should be here very soon."

Tanaka chuckled his all too familiar chuckle, but it was painfully weak. "I'm afraid I'm beyond the help of a doctor," he whispered, a tear escaping his eye and slipping through the folds on his face. "How odd it is for me to cry now. I've lived a long life, and I had so much happiness. Still, it's hard to accept that this is the end."

"Perhaps it doesn't have to be," Sebastian replied, surprised at the words tumbling from his own mouth, "There may be another way."

Tanaka smiled gently. "I appreciate the offer," he said, "And I know you could do that." There was a soft pause as Tanaka freed his gnarled hand from the sheets and reached for Sebastian, who took his hand immediately. "I know what you are," he whispered.

Sebastian's eyes grew wide as the old man's words fully registered. A part of him wanted to deny it, but he could see by the look in those slightly dimming eyes that it would do him no good. "You do? But how?"

"I've lived a long life, and I've seen many things," Tanaka answered mysteriously, "Although I believe I've seen more, learned more, in these last few years than I could have ever imagined." He smiled again. "I thank you for your offer, and it is more tempting than I care to admit. But, I've lived as a human, and I think I'd prefer to die as one. You can do one thing for me though."

"What?"

"Sit with me until the end," Tanaka whispered, "I know how foolish this much all seem to someone like you, but I'm afraid."

It didn't seem so foolish to Sebastian, and he agreed readily. Silently, they sat together, Sebastian still holding onto Tanaka's hand as they waited for the end. Tanaka's breath grew more ragged and fainter until it finally ended altogether. Sebastian was reluctant to release his hand, but he finally did so as he stood up to look down at him lying in the bed. He had died with that the same, tiny smile he had greeted Sebastian with.

He knew a reaper would be here soon, and for the first time he actually hoped it would be Grell. Sebastian wanted to view the cinematic records, and Grell would be the only one who might possibly allow him to do so without much resistance. Sebastian had to look because there was one thing he was still unsure about.

He was still trying to figure out exactly what Tanaka had meant to him, but at least he might be able to learn what he had meant to Tanaka.