The nasty smell of fresh blood and burnt flesh was the first scent that reached the red headed reaper's nose when he first entered the Phantomhive manor. He followed the smell to the newly wed's bedroom to find Ciel on the bed, curled up in Sebastian's arms, shaking while the elder stroked the younger's hair in an attempt to comfort the Demon King. On the floor, in the middle of the room, was the source of the stench.

"What the Hell happened here?" Grell wanted to know.

Sebastian made to move Ciel to get up but Ciel, still traumatised, would not let go. So Sebastian explained from where he sat. "The demon here was an assassin. Here to kill Ciel."

"What?" Grell demanded. "Why?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Sebastian asked. "The guy obviously felt threatened by the great power Ciel has over Demonkind. He didn't feel like anyone has a right to that power and that the Demon king should be taken care of."

"Ok, so why is Ciel shaking like a frightened kitty?" Grell asked posing with his hands on his hips, his eyebrows set in a firm frown.

"Because I was almost killed." Sebastian answered.

"The stupid idiot took the bullet." Ciel whispered.

"But. . ." Grell began then realized what the weapon must have been. "The bullets were specialized, weren't they?"

Sebastian nodded.

"Shit." Grell said and earned a soft chuckle from the younger demon. "I'll clean up. You two just relax." and the reaper set to work; removing the body, cleaning up the melted flesh and blood as the live demons watched from the bed. "Which one of you killed him because you made one hell of a mess?"

"Ciel." Sebastian answered. "He used his power to burn the bastard before using his Healing Touch to heal me."

Grell looked over at the small demon in disbelief. "Really?" he asked. Ciel didn't look like the type to burn and kill without mercy. Then again, the red head had leaned not to underestimate the young one.

Sebastian nodded, still stroking the little Phoenix's hair. "He's more dangerous than he looks."

There was a time when Ciel would have scowled Sebastian for such a comment but, right now, he couldn't find the strength or the will to do much more than just lie in Sebastian's arms. He had very almost lost Sebastian; he wasn't about to get in a mood with the elder demon just now.

There was silence as Grell finished his job.

After about twenty minutes, the red head seemed to realize the small demon spoken few words since the reaper's arrival. Grell looked at the young one who was still shaking but a lot less than he had been. The reaper approached the two demons so that he could see the 'child' better.

Ciel's arms were wrapped firmly around Sebastian's middle, his face was very pale - paler than usual - and his mismatched eyes were wide, staring and unseeing. He looked like a scared child watching a horror film.

"Ciel?" Grell said softly.

Those pretty, mismatched eyes of amethyst and sapphire snapped up at the red head. The young one didn't say anything, he just waited for Grell to speak but Grell straightened and looked at Sebastian. "I think he's gone into shock." said the reaper.

"I know." Sebastian said softly. "I think he's going a bit OTT, if you ask me."

"Sebastian," Grell said stroking Ciel's hair, "he's a lot more fragile than you think, you know. He's not the cold hearted earl you once knew. He may still give the impression that he is, sometimes but I know Ciel now. He's more tender hearted than you give him credit for. He watched you almost die, from the look of things. You have no idea how traumatized Ciel must be by that."

Frowning, Sebastian looked down at the small figure lying in his arms. "He's not asleep, is he?"

"No." Grell confirmed. "He's just staring at the floor."

"Hmm." Sebastian said. "So, why are you here?"

"I came to see how you two are." Grell replied. "I wanted to be the first to wish you a Happy New Year but I think that would be a little pointless now all things considered. I'm sorry you had to endure this."

"It's not your fault." Sebastian said.

"No but I still feel bad."

Sebastian laughed softly and continued to stroke Ciel's hair.

There was a long uncomfortable silence that was broken by Grell's impatient sigh. "Ciel, Sebastian's alright. He's not going anywhere."

The young one didn't answer.

"Ciel?" Grell crouched down before the young one. "Ciel, answer me."

Ciel's eyes flickered up to meet the eyes of the reaper.

"Are you alright?"

Ciel jerked his head in an affirmation.

Then he yawned and Grell couldn't help but smile at how cute the young demon looked.

"Sebastian?""Hmm?" the elder demon answered; slightly surprised the younger had broken his silence.

"Will you still be here if I go to sleep?" Ciel whispered.

"I'll be here." Sebastian promised.

Satisfied, Ciel closed his eyes and allowed sleep to wash over him. Soon he was breathing evenly, his grip of the elder's waist relaxed and he was off in Dream Land.

"Will he be alright?" Grell asked anxiously. The reaper had come to care deeply for the pair of them and hated seeing the younger in such a state.

"I don't know." Sebastian admitted. "This is the third time he's nearly lost me for good. I don't know how long it will take for him to recover this time."

"Third?"

"Yes. The first time it was of my own free will."

"What happened?" Grell asked sitting on the floor.

"He had just become a demon." Sebastian said. "I was angered. I had done everything the young Lord had asked of me and he couldn't hold up his end of the bargain. I wanted him to at least treat me with some respect. We got into a fight and I ended up wounding him with my words. I figured that, though it would break my heart, it would be best if I left."

"But you didn't leave in the end."

"No, I was leaving." Sebastian said. "He came after me."

"He did?" Grell was shocked. He remembered how prideful the young one had been, how cold hearted and how wrapped in his idea of dignity. "Really?"

"Yes." Sebastian smiled slightly. "Barefoot and still in his night-shirt and he begged me to stay."

"He . . . Begged?"

Sebastian nodded. "I was probably more shocked than you are."

"Then he must have already fallen for you," Grell mused.

"We've had that conversation." Sebastian chuckled. "He had fallen long before then. Do you remember the time Lady Elizabeth broke his ring?"

"How could I forget?" Grell asked. "Everyone was so surprised he had shown so much emotion."

"That night, Ciel revealed a side of him I never knew existed: his vulnerable side."

Grell started to laugh.

"What?" Sebastian demanded.

"Bassy, the boy was twelve years old." Grell chuckled. "Of course he had a vulnerable side."

Sebastian smiled. "I know that but he always seemed so. . ."

"Mature?" Grell interrupted. "Pigheaded? Proud?"

"I was going to say 'strong'." Sebastian sniggered. "But they work too." he looked down at the demon in his arms. "The point was, that was the night we realized we love each other."

"Let me guess, neither one of you told the other."

The pair laughed quietly, trying not to wake the younger.

There was silence for a while but it was a nice silence as they each thought back to the time when everything had seemed so simple.

"What about you? When did you realize that our feelings ran deeper than a simple 'master and butler' relationship?" Sebastian asked curiously.

Grell smiled. "When Madam Red was about to kill him." he said. "The look on your face . . . I didn't realize what it was at first but I did realize you cared for the brat a lot more than you let on, a lot more than you should."

Sebastian lifted an eyebrow. "You realized all that from just one expression?"

Grell nodded and moved back so he could sit propped against a wall. "I could also tell that sleeping beauty here felt the same way."

"How?"

"The look in his eye that appeared every time he looked at you." Grell said with a sigh. "There was always that look of adoration mixed with desperation, sorrow and pain. He knew he loved you but he thought he would never be able to have you. I came to the realization that all his bad moods, all those times he became angered for no clear reason; it was all because he was desperately in love with you and he couldn't say anything."

Sebastian rested his head against the headboard on the bed. "You're smarter than I gave you credit for." he told the reaper. "Tell me, did you really fancy me or were you trying to disguise your intelligence by irritating us?"

"Neither," Grell laughed. "I was trying to make Ciel jealous so the brat would finally tell you how he feels."

"It didn't work."

"No. I began to doubt he had any feelings for you at all when he sold you to me for a day." Grell said. "It was his birthday, I think. Yes?"

"Yes, I remember that." Sebastian grinned. "Lady Elizabeth had been kidnapped and Ciel was coming to her rescue. I thought he was in love with her. I realize now that he cared for her not because he was in love with her but, because, really, she was the only friend his age that he had."

The red head laughed. "You were jealous of her, though. Admit it."

"It's true." the elder demon confessed. "But something tells me she'd be envious of me now, if she was with us." he chuckled.

"Yes, you married her fiancé." Grell teased then became serious. "She loved him. I was the one that got to see her cinematic record. She loved him with all her innocent heart."

"Was she happy when she died?" Sebastian asked quietly.

"She was sick, tired and ready for death, or should I say me?" Grell mused. "But, yes, she was happy."

"Wasn't she always?" came the muffled voice of a sleepy younger demon.

"How long have you been awake?" Grell asked.

"Long enough for me to hear Sebastian confess to jealousy." Ciel said shifting out of the position he'd been lying in for several hours and finding a more comfortable one that still allowed him to latch on to his husband like a child. "If I go out, will you still be here?"

Sebastian frowned. "Of course but why d you need to go out?"

"I'm . . . hungry." Ciel said awkwardly glancing at Grell, hoping he wouldn't realize what the young demon meant. Of course, he had no such luck.

"You need a soul?" Grell asked.

Ciel let out a sigh and nodded.

"Why? You had one yesterday." Grell said. "I thought you wouldn't need one for another few weeks now that you're older."

"It's one of the side effects of using my powers." Ciel explained. "I get weak and a soul is the only thing that can replace that energy."

"What happens if you don't get a soul in time?" Grell asked.

"What happens if you leave a human baby in the middle of the desert with no food and water for a few months?" was Ciel's retort.

Well, that was one way to shut the reaper up.

Ok, this is all I can give you for now.

Hope you forgive me if I take forever on the next update.

Love you all

Your Dark little Secret

S

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