Ciel loosened his tie as he headed for the car. His first day at a new school had been a long one. There were no houses, everybody wore the same color, and most of the American accents hurt his ears. If this was the most prestigious private school in the city he could only imagine what horrors a public school would hold. He could have crumpled in relief when he saw Tanaka standing by their silver Audi. It was the family car and while Ciel longed to feel the wind whistling past his ears with the windows down in his father's Maserati, he had never been happier to climb into the Audi's soft, heated interior.

"Wait for me!" cried a high pitched voice.

Ciel raised a hand to stop Tanaka from closing the door behind him. "Alois, who said you were coming home with me?"

"Where else am I supposed to go?" Alois crossed his arms, bending down to peer into the car at his friend.

"Nobody told you to stow away when I moved."

"But nobody else likes me! Well, neither do you, but you put up with me! I would have been all alone in London."

"Get in the bloody car." Ciel slid over and rolled his eyes as Alois clapped his hands together in victory. It had been two weeks since his birthday and Alois had been staying with them since they arrived in the States, but he had thought his friend would find other living arrangements by the time school started. God knows he had the money. He had just decided to take up residence with them rather than be lonely.

"How were your nerd classes?"

"My honors classes were acceptable, I suppose. Father promised these are the best teachers money can buy."

"All the things you could want your father to buy you, and you choose education."

Ciel looked over at Alois as Tanaka pulled away from the sidewalk, wondering not for the first time how he tolerated him. "Unlike you, I believe there's more to life than sex and partying."

"Don't sound so judgmental, seventeen is the age of consent here."

"Wonderful. One more year and I can start legally behaving like you."

Alois stuck his tongue out and turned to stare out the window. He would likely pout the rest of the way home, or until the next time he got bored and wanted someone to talk to, whichever came first. Ciel took advantage of his silence and took a book out of his messenger bag. He was already familiar with the book he had been assigned for his honors English class so he was taking a crack at War and Peace. He was surprised there wasn't an indention where his nose had been in it for the past week.

A few miles later he felt the car glide to a stop and tucked his book away. He strode in to the house, shrugging out of his navy blazer with silver piping. At least the school uniforms were faintly reminiscent of the ones at Weston. He found his father in his study, pouring over paperwork. Vincent looked up and pointed to the chair across from his desk.

"Tell me how your first day was."

Ciel settled into the ebony wood chair that matched the rest of the furniture in the room, drawing some comfort from being a study so similar to the one in London. It was a bit smaller but other than that he could almost pretend he was back home. "It wasn't as boring as I expected."

"I should think not, you placed a year ahead."

Ciel waved his hand, embarrassed by the way his father practically glowed with pride. "How has work been?"

"Steady, just the way I like it."

"Sir."

Ciel had been growing steadily more convinced over the years that uttering the word "work" summoned his father's accountant from wherever he may have been before he popped into existence at the sound of Vincent's call. True to form, William stood in the doorway, holding his briefcase. He was the picture of a workaholic. The only time he seemed pleased was when he was crunching numbers for the company, and Ciel couldn't remember ever seeing him in a different suit.

"Father, I'll leave you two to your work. I'd hate to see Mr. Spears start having withdraw symptoms." He smirked at the twitch of the accountant's eyebrow as he passed him; there was no love lost between them.

"Oh, Ciel?"

He turned around in the doorway. "Yes?"

"Dress for dinner tonight, we'll have company."

"Okay."

Ciel took the stairs to his room two at a time. He wanted to get another chapter in before he had to get ready for guests. There had been an assortment of high ranking business men and women in and out of the house since they moved in. He knew how long it would take him to get ready down to the minute, he had been getting prettied up for guests since he was a small child. He folded himself up on the bed and flipped to his marker in War and Peace. The book was a monster, it was no wonder his shoulder hurt from carrying it around in his bag.

He had barely opened it when he heard the front door downstairs and voices that he could not discern. He rushed into the closet and began changing in case the guests were early. It wasn't his problem if they were, but he wouldn't be the one who made a poor impression. He fastened his slate gray slacks and buttoned up a blue shirt. He paused halfway up, recognizing it as the one from his birthday. That night taunted him every time he thought about it. He had tried to forget the bass vibrating under his feet, the people grinding lewdly on each other, and most of all the bartender. No one had ever seemed interested him in the way Sebastian had. That's his job, he reminded himself. He pushed those thoughts from his mind and ran a hand through his hair before he went downstairs.

"Are you sure you won't allow me to help? I do love to cook."

Ciel froze on the bottom step. No way. He heard the maid stutter her way through an answer. "Y-yes sir I'm sure, I am!"

He rounded the corner into the main room where Mey-Rin was giving a hasty goodbye and retreating into the kitchen. In her wake, in all black, was Sebastian. He stood talking to Tanaka, who said, "Please take a seat and I will bring you some refreshments. Mr. Phantomhive is in an important meeting, but he will be with you as soon as he can."

"Please, don't go to any trouble on my account. I did not mean to inconvenience you by arriving early, I only meant to offer my assistance in preparing dinner."

"You're our guest and we will give you nothing short of Phantomhive hospitality."

Tanaka's voice had an air of finality that discouraged Sebastian from arguing. He did not sit, instead choosing to examine the trinkets and photos in the living room. Ciel made his way back up to his room in as much silence as he could manage. It wasn't like him to be shy, but seeing Sebastian had thrown him for a loop. He didn't think their paths would cross again. He didn't think he had wanted them to, yet his heart had skipped a beat when he saw him. Sebastian's voice twisted his insides into a pretzel and the way that outfit clung to his body wasn't helping. It was just snug enough to make Ciel wonder what was underneath.

He heard the sound of squealing brakes in his mind as he closed his bedroom door and brought that train of thought to a halt. Everything about it was wrong. Sebastian had to be in his twenties not to mention he worked for Ciel's father. Also, Ciel had never had a relationship, he had no chance of someone with as much experience as Sebastian surely had. He didn't want to think of how many places that silver tongue had been.

His door came open and he staggered forward, almost falling over. He straightened up with a glare. "Don't you believe in knocking?"

"Not when it's your room. Did you see who's downstairs?" Alois asked.

"Yes, so what?"

Alois looked like he had given up on Ciel entirely. "He's fucking gorgeous. I want one."

"He's off limits! If you're going to be under this roof, you are not to flirt with anyone associated with my father."

"Fine you killjoy. You better come downstairs though, I think it's almost time for dinner."

Ciel sighed and followed his friend. He hadn't realized how long he had been leaning against the door fighting with himself. It was sad, really. He was better than that. He pulled his shoulders straight, called on years of experience with charming his father's guests, and walked into the dining room. He was relieved when Tanaka pulled out the chair across from Sebastian rather than next to him. Reddish brown eyes burned into him as he sat down. He folded his hands in his lap and met Sebastian's stare.

"I hope you've been making yourself comfortable," he said.

Sebastian raised his glass of dark wine. "You have a splendid home, Mr. Phantomhive."

"That's what everyone calls my father, just call me Ciel. Less confusing," he added, not wanting to seem like he wanted to be on a first name basis for any other reason.

"Gladly, Ciel."

Ciel's hands clenched in his lap. If he had thought Sebastian's voice was something before, it was nothing compared to how it sounded saying his name. It rolled off his tongue and on to Ciel like a caress. This was no accident if his heated gaze was any indication. Ciel was torn between nervousness and disbelief. He had some nerve, coming in to the home of his employer and looking at his son like a piece of prime meat. It had been one thing when Ciel could assume he was just in his element at a nightclub, but this was on purpose. He had never been looked at in such a way and it angered him to no end. At least, he hoped anger was what he was feeling.

He was saved from the tense conversation by his father coming to the head of the table and tapping the side of his glass. "To new adventures, and old friends," Vincent said.

Everyone raised their glasses and took a drink. Ciel and Alois had each been given enough champagne for the toast. He sat his glass down as the bubbles tickled his throat. Sebastian had said he knew Vincent, maybe it shouldn't have been such a surprise for him to show up. He just didn't think they were close enough to have him over for dinner.

Ciel contributed little to the conversation until he heard his name. "Hm?"

"Do you think you would be up for it?" his father asked.

Damn. He had spaced out and missed the question, and he didn't want to ask his father to repeat it. "Of course, whatever you need."

"Why thank you," Sebastian said.

What had he just agreed to? "So what are the details, then?"

"The gala starts at six Saturday evening, could you be there at four, perhaps?"

"That would be fine."

Rachel beamed. "He's got his father's work ethic."

Ciel spent the rest of dinner dreading whatever he had just committed to that involved Sebastian and a gala. After the meal he dismissed himself as soon as it was polite. He went outside and sat on the stairs, listening to the city. Seeing the skyline silhouetted against the orange horizon, he could understand why it was famous. As much as he disliked New York he had to admit it was a beautiful sight. He folded his legs against his chest and propped his chin on his knee. The door opened and closed behind him.

"Never a moment's peace," he muttered, assuming it was Alois.

"Excuse me, I didn't mean to bother you," Sebastian said.

Ciel looked over his shoulder. "Sorry, I thought you were someone else."

"You wouldn't mind if I joined you, then?"

"If you'd like." He would rather Sebastian didn't and would have told him as much if he was anyone else, but his father liked him so he had to play nice.

Sebastian's sleeve brushed his own as the bartender sat next to him. For some time, he watched the sunset. When he next spoke only a few pink streaks remained in the sky. "I know you weren't listening in there." At Ciel's guilty silence, he said, "Underworld can also be reserved for the right amount of money. There is a charity gala being held this Saturday and your father wanted to enlist an extra set of hands."

"Ah."

"Since I saved you the embarrassment of calling you out in there, may I ask a question?"

Ciel glanced over at him. "Am I supposed to be indebted to you because you weren't rude to me in my own home?"

"Your response only drives me further to ask, why do you dislike me?"

It wasn't the question he was expecting. He didn't know what he thought Sebastian would ask, but it wasn't that. He stared at the strange man through his gunmetal colored bangs. "It's nothing personal, I'm just not what you would call a social butterfly."

"I would come closer to calling you a jeweled wasp, lovely to look at but not something to play with."

Ciel snickered. "I'm not deadly unless I hit you with my bag for school. But thanks, I think."

Sebastian stood up and held out his hand. "You're welcome."

He took Sebastian's hand and let himself be pulled to his feet. Instead of the ones he wore at work, his gloves were black. Ciel couldn't help but wonder why he always wore them. There was a chill in the air but nothing to get bundled up over. A tingle went down his spine as Sebastian let go. He was almost desperate to return to his book, to something familiar and easy to understand, the complete opposite of the way Sebastian made him feel.

"Thank you for having me this evening."

"It was our pleasure."

Sebastian smiled and walked down the stairs. At the bottom he stopped and looked over his shoulder, the slight breeze blowing his hair out of his eyes. "You shouldn't underestimate how dangerous you are. It's in your blood, after all."

He mulled those words over long after Sebastian was gone, and even as he lay in bed that night. They never started making sense. Nor did the trickle of anticipation that slowly filled him the closer it got to Saturday. He fell asleep trying to figure out Sebastian. He looked and talked like someone straight out of one of Ciel's books set in the Victorian era. His eyes were indecent, but his words were proper. He seemed too refined to be working class. Ciel wondered if things would be different if they had been born into the same sort of life. Even if he succumbed to his curiosities about the new things he was feeling, Sebastian would still be a sheep in a world where the Phantomhives were wolves.