QVR: Roxas is now an official member of the Phantomhive family. Yay~
A/N: Holy shit, 3D is finally out! Officially! The +$10 for MoME was totally worth it. And the $170 I shelled out for a 3DS just for this game. Yeah, I'm that obsessed. I bought a PSP just for BBS. But hey, P3P was awesome too.
Also, I decided that I'll continue posting here until I get deleted/get reported, at which time I'll be sure to inform you all where I'd go since I'm not to drop anything.
Please remember that for me writing is very hard in the summer.
Chapter Eight: Lessons, Lessons, and More Lessons
"Recite that line one more time."
Roxas cleared his throat, eyes wandering to the shelves of endless hardcover books of various shades and titles as he tried to remember the words his tutor wanted for him to say perfectly at his second attempt at speaking a brand new language. "Les personnages sont très...um..."
Sebastian opened his eyes, staring at the blond intently. "Oui?"
"Très...noirs?" He ran his fingers through his spiky blond locks, staring down at the book. "I have no idea what I'm saying." How else could he describe the image of the figures in the darkness as by the artist, a rendition of...what looked familiar, but Roxas wasn't sure. Japanese seemed to work just fine for the people in England. For some reason.
The butler sighed. "Lord Roxas, the young master has specifically told you that you must at least be fluent in French if not English."
Lies! Sebastian was just testing him again, wasn't he? Like always. "But I speak English just fine -"
Sebastian slammed his pointer on the desk Roxas was slouching into, making him sit right up at attention. The butler picked up the picture, studying it before folding it to place in his pocket. "You need to know French. It is required and is part of the curriculum. Then there is Latin."
"But why - "
"However, seeing your posture right now makes me believe that we should take a break from languages and move into etiquette." Roxas widened his eyes in horror as Sebastian nodded to himself, turning to the chest of tutoring tools and the blond really did not want to see the assault rifle needed for this lesson.
A chime from the grandfather clock indicated that the morning lessons were over. Sebastian closed the chest, making the Nobody sigh in relief. The butler did not miss it. "Hmm. Well then, saved by the bell you believe? It is of little importance. We shall continue the etiquette at lunch. Now, if you would excuse me, I must make sure that lunch will be served." And in a flash, the demonic butler was gone.
Roxas was still relieved, etiquette practice at lunch meant that the rest of the staff would be there and Ciel would be able to view the cruel and unusual punishment that Roxas would have to endure as lessons.
Because certain lessons were more like training than actual lessons.
But hey, at least now he knows that there are way too many bears loose in the Phantomhive estate. Waytoo many. What in the hell were the architects thinking? Or was it just the forest nearby?
"Ah, Roxas, there you are."
The blond turned to the calling of his name across the room to find his master at the door, leaning on the side before making his entrance into the Phantomhive library and to the blond, who was putting away his study resource materials.
"I was hoping to talk to you before we get to the dining hall." Ciel narrowed his eyes and flashed Roxas a minuscule smirk as he kicked the only student desk in the room that the blond was still currently seated in. Roxas jerked out of the chair, hitting the carpet not as gracefully as he would have liked and Ciel smirked wider at the scene.
"Hm, you may need to work on your grace." The earl shrugged, turning away and examining the chest of Sebastian's study aids. "I'll get Sebastian right on that." He flipped through the locks, trying to get a peek inside.
"Er, Ciel, je préfèr nous allons -"
The Phantomhive Earl was clearly not listening, peering down into the chest and poking at various things with the pointer. He would have retorted by now.
Roxas couldn't help but shiver, wondering if Ciel was still mad at him.
It has been about ten days since Roxas had woken up from that little coma of his, and Ciel avoided him for about a week. Mei-Rin said it was because the young master was so stressed, but Roxas was worried. What if Ciel hated him now? He didn't want that.
For the past three days, Ciel would stop by the library and tell Roxas to walk with him to the dining hall after his morning lessons, but very few words were exchanged between them - if any at all.
Perhaps today would be a different arrangement?
"Hmm." Ciel was still admiring the chest of training tools that Sebastian used. He pulled out a bundle of bananas, studying it before just placing it back down in the chest.
Roxas didn't know what to do; he could only hope that Ciel had forgiven him.
Roxas was too busy speculating, too busy wondering, he didn't notice when Ciel began his walk back to the door. When Roxas snapped back to attention, Ciel was already outside and in the hall, clearing his throat. Roxas quickly scampered after him and they began their short walk to the dining hall in silence, as the blond feared.
The sounds of their footsteps were slightly muted by the carpet they were walking upon, Roxas contemplating on how to start a conversation but not knowing how to do so.
Soon enough they ended up in front of the door with no word spoken in between, and Roxas remembered something. "Oh! Didn't you say you wanted to ask me something?" he asked. A few moments passed and Roxas thought that Ciel didn't hear him. He was about to repeat his question when Ciel turned to the blond, who subtly backed down under the power of the Earl's gaze.
"It's simple enough, but I'm rather famished so let's dine first. I'm interested in how Sebastian plans to teach you etiquette during lunch."
Roxas was to retort, but the doors soon opened and the Phantomhive butler escorted them inside for their luncheon.
The meal started off silent, no one saying a word with just the three oddities of nature by their stations, two eating and one on standby.
The appetizer course continued with the silence, but it was a very short course as salad wasn't very interesting. Ciel pushed it aside after a few bites and Roxas copied him, so Sebastian quickly served the next course since if Ciel wasn't budging, neither is Roxas.
"Lord Roxas, would you like to demonstrate what you have learned to the young master?" Sebastian whispered as he served the main course.
"Uhh..." Try not to blow it now! Roxas took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Ciel paid him no mind as Roxas opened them and reached for a fork to eat his piece of meat with.
"Wrong fork," Ciel corrected without even looking up. Roxas slowly lowered his hand and placed it down before he reached for another piece of silverware.
"Spoons are not necessary for this dish." Ciel called as he cut into his cut of beef, stabbing into it to place in his mouth.
"B-But the sauce -"
"Sebastian, I'm disappointed." Ciel sucked on the tips of his fork with his hand on his cheek and elbow on the table. He peered at the demon at the corners of the room. "It's been more than a week; I expected more than..." He made a small shrug towards the blond that was currently poking at his steak with the spoon Ciel had told him not to use. The Earl rolled his visible eye. "This."
Roxas could hear him, but he really had nothing to respond to that, and Ciel was speaking to Sebastian. He shrank into his seat, still stabbing with the spoon, albeit more slowly.
"I think we're done here." Ciel stood up, pushing the chair and stepping out. "Send me my dessert with tea in my study; I have work to do." The little lord started to leave, Sebastian following closely.
"Uh, Ciel?" Roxas asked quietly. Sebastian already had his hand on the door handle, and pushed it open slightly, but Ciel turned back to the blond.
"What is it?"
"Uhh..." It's over, he screwed everything up. "What was it that you wanted to tell me?"
"I'm surprised you remembered." Ciel turned completely to face the blond. "I'm...disappointed."
Roxas blinked. Yes, he just said he was. "In Sebastian?"
"...Yes. In Sebastian." Sebastian rolled his eyes but pulled the door for his master. Ciel stepped out shortly after, giving the blond one second glance. "Do not try to summon me; I will fetch you if I need you. Remember that." He walked away without giving Roxas a chance to reply.
Sebastian still lingered however. "We shall work on this, Lord Roxas. The rest of the lessons for today have been cancelled; feel free to choose to spend your time however you'd wish to spend it." Soon after he left as well, leaving Roxas alone in the dining hall.
Roxas sighed and deflated in his seat after a few moments of silence. He swirled the peas and carrots that remained on his plate with the same wrong spoon, sighing as he placed his head to hand and leaned into the table.
He groaned, pushing the plate and resting his head on the table, scratching his hair. "I don't know what I'm doing wrong."
While now he knew that his inquires have not been withheld from the Earl, it would seem that it was just annoying him. And now Roxas was most likely to be ignored; perhaps Ciel won't even walk with him to lunch anymore.
His ears picked up something coming from the outside, making his head shot up and he looked at the door. "Mei-Rin, do you need any help?"
At that moment, Mei-Rin stepped inside the dining hall, balancing a stack of plates with two hands, wobbling slightly. When it looked like she was about to fall, Roxas quickly got up from his seat and was next to her in a flash, helping her balance the porcelain.
"A-ah, Lord Roxas!" Mei-Rin dropped the plates, but Roxas quickly managed to save a majority of them with only a few casualties. The two winced at the sound of the shattered ceramic plates on the floor, staring at them for a few moments before Mei-Rin bend down to pick up the pieces. Roxas placed the plates he managed to save gently in the cabinet they were to be placed in before bending down to help her.
Mei-Rin wouldn't have it. "Lord Roxas, please - "
"Nonsense, Mei-Rin," he replied as he picked up the pieces along with the maid. "It's the least I can do."
"But your hands - "
Roxas made a grab for her own palm. "You should be more concerned with your own hands." He removed the handkerchief in his pocket and wrapped it around the various cuts that Mei-Rin had received from the sharp material.
"But, my lord - "
"Please, call me Roxas, just Roxas, Mei-Rin," the blond requested as he picked up the last of the porcelain and placed them aside. "I…really am not comfortable with the titles and formalities. You were the one who treated me when I was sick, weren't you?"
"Y-yes, but - "
"I must insist on this, Mei-Rin," the blond confirmed, softly squeezing her hand before releasing it. He turned from her as she put away the shattered remains of what used to be tableware. "I…I really don't like being called a lord. I'm…just not used to it."
Wrong. He's been called many titles before, Lord being just one of them. Highness, Majesty, Liege, Superior, the Key, Number Thirteen.
It was a reminder of the past that he desperately wanted to leave behind him.
"Um…Pardon for the intrusion, erm, Roxas, but you seem a little down." Mei-Rin placed her hand on the blond's shoulder, back from disposing of the dangerous, sharp pieces of porcelain. She smiled softly at him as he turned to face her. "I may not be able to do much, but please allow me to help you to the best of my ability."
Roxas wasn't usually in the company of women - Larxene scared him and he didn't have the chance to speak to Xion - but the kindness of Mei-Rin spoke to him in a way that touched his non-heart. Sure she was a little clumsy, but her heart was in the right place. And she was calmer and less annoying than Elizabeth at least what he could tell from the short time they spent together.
Sebastian went over very slightly the basics of the family unit - it was still a very confusing subject that just didn't click in the Nobody's mind - but Mei-Rin was almost what Roxas imagined for what a mother should be. So…whose side of the Phantomhive family he was supposed to belong to.
He bit his lip, but he really didn't know what else to do at this point. "Mei-Rin," the blond whispered softly, "Can you give me some advice?"
She blinked before smiling widely. "Of course, my lord! Err – " She stumbled. " Roxas! Just Roxas. So sorry." She bowed her head for forgiveness. "We are to serve you as if you were the young master! What would you need assistance with?" She was dazzling, but at least there weren't any sparkles.
Roxas assumed that by 'we', she meant the rest of the Phantomhive staff save the one Sebastian Michaelis. "Well..." Roxas blushed as he turned his head. He looked up and scratched it, not wanting to meet her eyes. "It's about Ciel. I dunno; it's like he hates me or something."
"The young master?" The maid placed her hand to her chin, looking off at an odd distance as she retracted into her thoughts. "He does come off as cold, and we have all seen the past ten days..."
Roxas sighed. "I just don't know what to do."
The two sat there in silence, Roxas wallowing in self-pity and Mei-Rin deep in thought.
Finally, Mei-Rin broke the silence. She placed her formed fist to her other open wrapped palm, smiling widely. "I know what you can do!"
Roxas looked up to her like a confused puppy. Mei-Rin explained, "You should do something that will make him happy!"
He blinked once more. "Something...that will make him happy?"
Mei-Rin nodded madly. "Yep, yep!"
Something that would make him happy, something to make up for the terrible mistake that he did from falling into that strange coma of his.
Something that would allow for Ciel to forgive him.
He grinned. The blond stood up, surprising the maid with his speed as he brought her up with him. "Mei-Rin, you're a genius!" Roxas hugged her tightly. "What should I do?"
The maid was blushing furiously. "I'm happy to have been of service to you, Roxas. Anything to help!"
"I know!" He immediately released her. "Can I help you with your maid work?"
She was still dazed. "I'm…I'm sorry?"
"Please! Let me help you!" He made a dash to the door, where he rightly assumed where she left her cleaning supplies. He grabbed a ragged cloth and bucket of water, rolling up his sleeves to his elbows so that they wouldn't get dirty, and dashed down the hall, where the grand staircase from the entrance of the house needed some scrubbing.
"Lord Roxas, please wait!" But Roxas wouldn't wait, now that he was finally given a purpose. He wasn't completely stupid; he knew that the lessons from Sebastian were more of an assessment and training exercise about his new life - concerning the languages, the etiquette, the basics that everyone knew such as family, maybe even getting lost in the backyard and encountering all those bears. It had taken all of his will power to follow Sebastian's orders to not use his mystical abilities. It was the longest he's ever been without fighting something.
It made him slightly off-edge.
He placed down the bucket of water by the stairs, but realized that the bucket was practically empty. Mei-Rin could be heard from where he came from, following after him. Roxas didn't think he spilled any water… His fingers twitched, itching to do something that he hadn't done in a long time. He quickly summoned his blade and fired a blizzard and fire spell in rapid succession at the wooden bucket to make water. He should learn a water spell. And maybe rename that thunder spell 'lightning' while he was at it.
Mei-Rin turned at the corner with a new bucket of water, and Roxas quickly dispersed his blade behind his back. He knew when to keep secrets. And if Sebastian being a demon was a secret, then his abilities were a secret as well. He smiled as charismatically as he believed he could. "Mei-Rin, you don't mind me helping, do you?"
She shook her head as she place down the other bucket on the other side of the stairs. "I understand that this is something that you need to do." She raised her own ragged cloth. "So we can work together!"
Roxas grinned. "Thank you!"
"Please just go outside, Lord Roxas."
"But - "
Sebastian sighed. "Thank goodness I had to go fetch the tea; who knows how much damage you two would have done to the stairs."
"Lord Roxas!" Roxas turned to Mei-Rin, and he guessed that Sebastian would supposedly disapprove of the informalities between them. She bowed low. "I'm sorry! We were accidentally using shoe polish!"
"I'm sorry!" Roxas bowed his head in shame. "I thought that that was what was needed to be done!" Wasn't she supposed to be the expert in these things?
Sebastian sighed once more. "Please just go outside, Lord Roxas. Mei-Rin, please carry on with your other chores. I shall fix this mess."
"But what about - " He looked down the hall where Sebastian had came from before turning to Mei-Rin in concern.
The maid bowed again. "Please do not worry on my account, Lord Roxas. It was my fault. Feel free to go outside and admire the gardens."
"Yes, please, Lord Roxas. You have yet to have been to the gardens save just before you fell ill." For that tea party that ruined everything.
"Ah…fine." Roxas turned and abandoning the two made his way out the front door to admire the grounds. Closing the door gently behind him, he remembered that there was a passage from the front and back yard, so he descended down the front steps leaning towards the right to search for the black gate hidden by the vines.
It took him some time, but eventually his fingers brushed against the tracings of a wooden door. Finally finding it, he pulled on the handle to find it locked. Not a problem. He switched out his keyblade and unlocked the gate and quickly sneaked inside, closing it shut behind him and banishing the blade from whence it came.
The first sight that he saw was the gardener snipping away at the bushes happily, just snipping and snipping until there was practically nothing left and were left with the trunk and branches with very few leaves. The gardener…Finny, Roxas thinks his name is, took a good look at it, nodding with acceptance before moving onto the next bush. Scissors ready in hand, soon Finny began to snip once more.
As he was snipping, the various leaves and bits of branches flying in the air, Roxas hesitantly called out, "Um, excuse me?"
Finny momentarily halted, turning slowly to the blond and his mouth transformed into a wide grin. He dropped the scissors and was next to Roxas a few seconds later, grabbing his hand and shaking it furiously while bowing slightly. "It's a great honor to finally meet you, Lord Roxas! I don't know if you know me, but I'm Finny and I'm the gardener around here. I've mostly been outside here, and…usually Sebastian takes you out to the woods. But it's nice to meet you!"
Ow, ow, ow! This guy had a strong grip! He fought back a wince but Roxas' return smile was starting to wane as his hand actually began to hurt slightly very uncomfortably. He must have shown the discomfort on his face as Finny quickly released his hand and backed away slightly, bowing low.
"I-I'm sorry! Please forgive me; sometimes when I'm excited I forget my own strength." He scratched his head as he laughed nervously.
Roxas just shook it aside. "Please do not worry about it; it's nice to finally meet you, Finny." He smiled softly at him. Finny grinned widely back and Roxas found himself a few inches off the ground and the breath pushed out of his lungs as he was suddenly in a hug with the gardener that only lasted a few moments before he was released. He quickly worked to get back his oxygen, and missed a little of what Finny was saying.
"…do for you, my lord?"
Oh…Oh! "Do you need any assistance, Finny? I have some free time and am not so sure how to spend it."
Finny looked scandalous. "And you would like to spend that free time helping me with the garden?"
"Uh…yes?"
Luckily, Finny was just surprised as soon he just grinned. "You're one odd noble, Lord Roxas. Whatever were you doing before having reached the Phantomhive household?"
Roxas widened his eyes. "I, uh…" Fuck!
Finny widened his own eyes. "Oh gosh, I'm so sorry! That was terribly rude of me!" He bowed low, and Roxas heard him mutter under his breath, "Sebastian's going to kill me," before he said aloud, "Please forgive my incompetence, my lord."
Well thank Kingdom Hearts he wouldn't have to answer that. "O-oh, don't worry about it. And, please. Just call me Roxas."
Finny took a big sigh of relief. "Well, okay, Roxas." He grinned. "Would you like to help me in the garden?"
Roxas took his own sigh of relief. "Yes please!"
"Please just go inside, Lord Roxas."
"But - "
Sebastian sighed as he pushed up the bangs off his face and took a good look at the two blonds in front of him, one covered head to toe in dirt and the other soaking wet. "Thank goodness I wanted to check on the yard work, who knows how deep you two would have dug up the yard."
"I'm sorry, Lord Roxas." Finny laughed nervously as he bowed to both the butler and the newest master of the house, squeaking all the while. He addressed the butler, "We somehow got invested in creating a lake if the young masters ever decide to take a dip to cool off."
"…All because I said I was thirsty," Roxas added off-handedly as he looked back to the seven feet hole they managed to dig up after finishing up with the greenery, which were all similar to the bushes that Finny worked on before the blond arrived.
"And you've ruined your clothes." Sebastian removed a brush from his inside breast pocket from his jacket and dusted off the excess dirt on the blond's nose, making Roxas widen his eyes and jump back behind Finny as a built-in instinct. Sebastian's malicious grin was only for a moment but Roxas sworn he saw the amusement from the blond's terror in those crimson eyes. That was close, much too close. He faintly heard Sebastian say, "What would Lady Elizabeth say?"
"I'll wash them!" Finny volunteered, taking a hold of Roxas' hand and removing his robin egg blue vest. He would have taken more but Roxas quickly raised his hand.
"Please, it's fine, I'll wash them myself." He held out his hand for his vest which was quickly handed back to him. "I'll go inside and look for Mei-Rin to show me where the cleaning supplies are."
"I'll come with - "
"You'll stay here with me, Finny." Sebastian was smiling to hide his annoyance. "I'll need your help with this project."
Roxas started to walk back inside, to enter from the back door, when he turned back and gave Finny a small wave. When Finny gave him a big wave in return, he made his way inside.
"Hmm, now where would Mei-Rin be?"
Roxas wanted to make a quick stop back to his room and change, but it was such a big mansion. Was he ashamed to admit that he was lost? Yes. But did he know when to give up? No.
So let bygones be bygones and skip changing as Roxas continues wandering around the mansion for Mei-Rin as he tracked dirt all over the carpet.
"Woah!"
Roxas jumped as he was too focused on whether to make a left, a right, or just continue. He turned to the new voice.
"Say, you do know that you're tracking dirt, right?" The man…Roxas thinks his name was Bard - he recognized the cigarette - took a closer inspection to the floor. "It's not much, but it's added work on Mei-Rin's part."
Mei-Rin! "Do you know where Mei-Rin is, please?" Roxas asked, really wishing that he dusted himself outside so that the maid wouldn't have extra work. He had to inhale his breath and try his hardest not to cough in the man's face. "I want to wash my clothes."
Bard was about to reply when a loud grumble erupted from Roxas' belly. The blond blushed. "A-ah, I'm sorry, I didn't eat much at lunch…" He did not want to remember lunch just yet thank you.
"Tell ya what." Bard placed his arm over Roxas' shoulder, picking him up and wrapping him in his apron. He tossed his cigarette in a nearby trash bin. "I'll give you some clothes so that you won't track any more dirt, and I'll whip you something to eat."
"B-but - "
Bard lifted him up bridal style, making the blond blush deeply in his arms as the rugged American looked down at him and began walking. "You're the new master of the house - Lord Roxas, right?"
"Y-yes?" Roxas squeaked, still smelling the cigarette on the man's breath. "B-but please just call me Roxas."
Bard laughed. "Ah, yes, Mei-Rin told me that you wanted to drop the formalities and that you wanted to help the young master when she stopped by the kitchen. Sure, I can call you Roxas. You may already know, but I'm Bardroy - but Bard's just fine - and I'm the cook here." He added under his breath, "If only Sebastian would even let me cook for the young master." He looked to Roxas. "But I'll be sure to fill you up!"
"A-ah, thank you…" Roxas didn't know what else to reply to that.
"And change clothes." They walked inside into a room and Bard placed him down on the floor and Roxas found himself in the kitchen. Bard walked over to a closet nearby where he kept his extra chef jackets and aprons. He pulled on that was getting too small on him and handed it to the blond. "It's not much, but I'll have to do while I make you something. Any requests?"
"Sea-salt ice cream," Roxas found himself answering softly as he took the handed clothes, but quickly shook his head. "I mean, anything's fine. Whatever can be provided at your own convenience." He looked around and spotted another door. "Can I…?"
"Ah, not that one." Bard pushed him to the one opposite. "I need the pantry, but the ammunition closet would do."
Roxas was a little concerned. "…Ammunition…?"
"To cook the food with!" Bard readied his arm as he grabbed a ladle. "I'm gonna cook you up something so quick and delicious that by the time you're done changing it'll be ready."
"O-okay…"
"And maybe we can cook something up for the young master," Bard added, and noticed when Roxas immediately lit up.
"O-okay! I'm going to go change now!" Quickly he scampered off to the ammunition closet to swap clothes, shutting the door behind him. Bard's eyes lingered on where the blond was for a few moments before he went off to work.
"I heard that Lord Roxas was calling for me?" Mei-Rin called from the door leading from the hall. "Finny's with Sebastian for the final preparations. And he's getting yelled at for digging up the yard so he probably won't make it." She stepped inside and watched Bard chop up some cabbage, potatoes, and an onion and placed a pot next to the skillet with the sizzling ground beef. "Oh! Whatever are you making?"
"The young master was right," Bard said quietly as he placed the veggies inside the pot. "The Lord Roxas is not used to his new noble lifestyle. Heck, I'm still not even used to it! I'm always on edge and feel like I have no time to take a breath and relax. But I'm going to take my time with this dish, for the other master's sake."
"That was why we were told to treat Roxas as if he were but a commoner, but we were to know our place," Mei-Rin replied as she watched and helped out, mixing the meet and placing in some salt and pepper. "I…am really curious on what he did before he ended up here, but again, it's not our place to know."
Bard said as he reached for the skillet and added the meat to the veggies, "No, but perhaps in time he will share it with us. He's…almost like the opposite of the young master. The young master is so headstrong and cold, while the lord is shy and warm. It's…a nice contrast of opposites. I hope that this charade can soon be done and over with so that Lord Roxas can get used to his new home."
"Shh, what if he can hear us?" Mei-Rin worried, looking around. "Speaking of which, where is Lord Roxas?"
Bard continued to mix the food until everything was distributed. "He's in the soundproof ammunition closet," he said, tilted to it with his head. "I know that noble clothing is confusing, so you may want to check in on him." He raised the wooden spoon to his lips for a taste test. "Wait, check this out first, I'm not so sure on the flavors."
Mei-Rin turned back and tried a bit of the food to be served to their newest master. "It's great, hard to believe that an American can make such great Bubbles and Squeak."
"What kind of name even is that?" Bard retorted as he moved the pot to the table, grabbing three bowls and spoons. Mei-Rin simply laughed as she made her way to the closet and Bard began to pour the food.
Mei-Rin knocked on the door. "Lord - I mean, Roxas? Are you alright?" She placed her ear to the door.
Hearing a distinct 'help me please', she took hold of the doorknob, turned it and pushed gently to find the blond mixed in fabrics with his body contorted in such a way that Mei-Rin knew he was very, very flexible and fit. But of course, Mei-Rin knew his body more than anyone, perhaps even more than Roxas himself. Even if she could not after all this time understand his hair. She giggled softly at the scene and helped a blushing lord out of his noble clothes picked out by the young master's fiancée and into plain chef clothes.
After they got outside, Roxas bowed to her in thanks. "Thank you, Mei-Rin, I don't know how these clothes work." And Sebastian sure as hell wasn't going to help him after all this time. Roxas still got shivers from the demon's caresses of his body. He unconsciously shivered at that moment, but Mei-Rin paid it no mind as the maid shook her head for the thanks that was unnecessary. She grabbed the dirty clothes before she brought him to the table and the three began to eat the strange peasant dish that is Bubbles and Squeak.
They ate in silence - because if Roxas wasn't going to speak then neither were anyone else.
And as they were almost finished with their meals, however, there was one thing that the cook needed to know.
"How is it?" Bard asked, both servants looking to the blond for an answer.
"How's…what?" Roxas asked back, confused. He continued to eat, albeit more slowly.
"Does this…" He raised the bowl then placed it back down. "comfort you?"
"Uh…" Being not from this world Roxas did not know what he was being served was peasant food and was still unaware of the fact that the servants were trying to make his assimilation into the Phantomhive household as smoothly as possible. So he just answered, "…Yes?"
The two servants took a big sigh of relief as Roxas just finished his last spoonful, bowl empty. "Thanks for the food!" he declared.
The food here was much better than there. They would always cook in shifts - Roxas not spending enough time long enough in the organization to get to that level - but he always knew that Saïx, Lexaeus, and Marluxia cooked the best meals that were always different. Axel's was okay - just too spicy in his opinion. Xemnas didn't cook, Xigbar could care less and usually made spaghetti, and Xaldin just served pizza. Vexen treated dinner as an experiment and uneaten food was usually thrown in the radioactive disposal bin and pizza was called again. Zexion simply served finger sandwiches - great for reading and drinking tea, he said. Demyx couldn't cook at all and they went pack to pizza again. Luxord cooked a lot of food - like a Vegas buffet, he told Roxas once - but it wasn't great. And Larxene refused to cook because of stereotyping women to cook or something like that. Roxas assumed that Xion didn't cook either, under the same situation as his.
"Did you like it?"
He smiled. "It was delicious; thank you." He was about to get up and place his dishes in the sink as he did when with the Organization when Mei-Rin made a grab for his arm.
"Please, Lor - Roxas," she corrected herself as she grabbed the dirty dishes. "Let me handle that as you cook something for the young master."
"Really?" He turned to Bard, eyes betraying his excitement. He knew that Ciel liked sweets - he did too - so maybe they can bake a cake or something that were always served for dessert or during tea.
"Sure!" Bard opened a cupboard that revealed the home of various books of the culinary arts. He pulled out a cookbook of various foods. "What would you like to create?"
"Hmm…" Roxas shook his head as he grabbed another cookbook, this one more pastry oriented. He flipped through it before just putting back in the shelf. "Can I try making something on my own?"
Bard blinked, but smirked and nodded as he put back the other book in the shelf. "I don't see why not."
"Please let me clean everything, Lord Roxas."
"But - "
"Please, I insist." Mei-Rin took the various bowls and spoons as Bard took a swipe of one of the cookies that Roxas managed to create, biting into it.
The man widened his eyes. "Wow that's salty!"
"Wait for it!" Roxas begged, watching the man's face very closely to know whether or not he has failed in his attempt. He dusted off the flour that caught onto his sleeve from the new clothes that Mei-Rin grabbed for him while the cookies were baking.
Bard's eyes softened, then stared at the cookie as if it was an oddity. "And…now it's sweet."
"Sea-salt cookies!" Roxas exclaimed, checking the time and finding it to be a little over six. "Do you think that Ciel would like them?"
Mei-Rin took one and tried it. She savored it for a few moments before swallowing and answered, "Well the young master does enjoy his sweet things. Please take this." She grabbed a small bag and a sky-blue ribbon and handed it to Roxas. "We can go and give them to him!"
Roxas placed the cookies inside the bag before he tied it with the ribbon. "Okay! Where would he be?"
"Hmm." Bard and Mei-Rin looked at the clock. "I believe he would be in the garden," the chief asked as the maid added, "Please let us escort you."
"Okay." He smiled softly as he took the bag of cookies and followed the two down the hall and out to the gardens where he was only a few hours ago. He reached out for the door but Mei-Rin and Bard insisted that they open it for him. After a few moment, he reluctantly agreed and was surprised when the two opened the mahogany glass doors that were covered in a mix of dark midnight and sky blue silk,
It had completely transformed from the short time he had been in the kitchen. The hole he and Finny had dug was completely transformed to be a small pond and everything was decorated in lights and lanterns. The various flowers and trees were transformed into blooming sakura blossoms as well as roses of various shades, the nature defying blue and black being included. The fireflies added more light to the area as Roxas stepped out and found the staircase also wrapped in the silk ribbons by the door, and there were a few tables covered in white underneath the blanket of twinkling stars painted across the swirling blue and black canvas that made the sky.
"You were unable to fully enjoy your beautillion ball," a familiar voice called from behind him, and a quick turn of heels revealed for that to be from the Ciel Phantomhive whom has made himself scarce for the past ten days. Roxas dropped the bag of cookies but Sebastian quickly caught it and made it back to his place with no one the wiser. "I know that it's kind of late to do this, but figuring out how to make everything work with my hectic schedule delayed this." He held out his hand and smiled sincerely.
"Welcome to the Phantomhive household, Roxas."
Hesitantly, Roxas reached for it and sincerely smiled back. The Phantomhive servants, including that demonic butler of Ciel's watched from afar as Ciel pulled the blond in and the two began to dance, Sebastian taking out a violin and playing a whole orchestra for them to dance to as Ciel led and Roxas followed one of the dances that Sebastian had taught him in the week of silence between the two.
And for the first time since the two had met, they knew that even though there were to be many complications from this business relationship, many questions from this inclusion of family ties, and many sad memories of the past with previous associates that now believed the other was gone from the worlds, they felt - if only in that moment - that there would be no regrets.
A/N: Okay I'm out until I'm done with this game. Reviews would be lovely and affects the status of the next chapter. Thanks for reading and have a good day!