Chapter 6

When he woke up the next morning, Gilbert felt as though he had been trampled by a dozen horses. His head pounded so fiercely it was painful just to open his eyes mush less move. Instead he just lay in bed as he tried to make sense of why he would feel awful. The pervious night seemed out of focus in his mind. Gilbert bared his teeth and gripped the bed sheets until he heard the sound of fabric tarring. It was almost soothing. He slowly opened his eyes, blinking watery eyes against the sunlight.

He was only able to remember a couple things, but it was enough to make him all the more frustrated with himself. Sebastian was a demon… Not a monster from Abyss, but from hell itself. Gilbert decided not to think on the subject just yet. It had taken years for him to find out what he now knew; he would have time to think on it.

"This feels worse than a hang over." Gilbert muttered as he got up and pulled the faded blue curtains to block out the daylight. His hands started shaking, and Gilbert swore under his breath. He reached into the dresser drawer and pulled out a pack of cigarettes a box of matches. Grumbling to himself, he stuck one in his mouth and lit it. He breathed in the fumes and broke out into a coughing fit. Gasping for breath a few moments later, he lit another match, this time holding it at arms length. Furniture was over turned; crusted pottery and shards of glass littered the floor. The floor rug had been ripped to shreds. Gilbert swore again under his breath and stifled another fit of coughing as he made his way into the dinning room. The roughly carved wooden chairs looked like they had been thrown haphazardly around the room, but other than that everything seemed to be intact. The spread of the little cottage seemed to be covered in black feathers.

He was not sure which, but he knew that the feathers had either come from Raven or Sebastian himself. At the corner of his eye, he saw something out of place sitting on the low wooden dinning table. Turning back around, he stared. A single red rose, thorns and all, was lying there. Gilbert reached for it and picked it up slowly, twirling it between his fingers. Tiny specks of blood appeared on his hand, but he paid them no mind.

"So, you're a demon, Sebastian?" All the Nightray could manage was a hoarse whisper, but he continued speaking to the rose.

"A demon… A butler…"

The rose flew into the air and landed into the fire place.

"A monster whom I lust for."

Gilbert threw the match he had been using as a light into the grate along with the rose. The fire blazed, and Gilbert Nightray took another smoke from his cigarette as he watched smooth petals blacken and shrivel.

"And I won't let you stand between me and my Master."

"Where have you been?"

Sebastian was just shutting the front door of the Phantomhive mansion when he heard a familiar voice sound from behind him. He turned, and bowed to his master who was glaring at him from atop the staircase.

"Were you calling for me, Young Master?" Sebastian asked, crossing the threshold to stand at the foot of the staircase. The butler in black had to resist the urge to chuckle. By Ciel's untidy appearance, Sebastian could only guess that he had tried to dress himself that morning. The ribbon he wore as a tie around his neck had been knotted several times and the strings now hung uneven over an incorrectly buttoned shirt that hung down almost to the teen's knees. His dark green jacket was tucked under his arm. The heat of summer was brutal even in the early hours of the morning. Through uncombed bangs Ciel continued to glare at Sebastian.

"No."

Now Sebastian did laugh under his breath as he climbed up the steps. He looked down at his young master with his usual, playful grin. Ciel stood as tall as his shoulder. The cloth eye-patch still covered his left eye which displayed the contract between the two of them.

"Trying to do things on our own now, are we?" Sebastian teased. To his satisfaction, Ciel rolled his eyes and grumbled something that sounded like "damn demon" under his breath.

"Here."

Bending down slightly, Sebastian straightened the boy's clothing, unheeding the others protests. When he was done, he straightened and bowed, placing one hand over his chest and peering at Ciel through half-lidded eyes.

"You still didn't answer my question, Sebastian."

Sebastian stood at full height and looked down at the other with an amused expression. Ciel however, looked as cold as ever.

"Well? You can't lie to me."

Before he could answer, something seemed to click in the others mind. He leaned forward and sniffed the others shoulder. He took a step back, looking repulsed.

"You smell like Cigarettes."

It was true, he probably did. Gilbert's house reeked of them and he had just spent most of the night there.

Ciel was now looking him full in the face, and Sebastian stared calmly back, eyebrows raised slightly.

The Phantomhive smirked slightly.

"The other human again?"

"It is as my lord says." Sebastian said.

Ciel broke eye contact with the butler and shook his head.

"Right." He mumbled, staring down at the ground. The young Earl pushed passed Sebastian, who watched him walk down the stairs. Before he could reach the landing, Sebastian had caught up to him and grabbed his arm on impulse.

"Sebastian, What-?!" The look on his butler's face made Ciel stop in mid-sentence. In the demon's usually cold and emotionless eyes, the boy saw something he thought he would never see: Sebastian was almost looking at him apologetically.

They stood looking at each other for a long moment.

"You're still my soul, Young Master… All I want is you."

Ciel couldn't believe was he was hearing. He knew that this was the truth, but never, ever had Sebastian spoken of their contract in such a way. He just stared, dumbstruck, at the demon. In the 8 years that he had served under the Phantomhive name as his guard dog, Ciel had never seen Sebastian look so sincere. The younger one felt the pressure on his arm relax and then release completely as Sebastian let go of him.

"Then at the end of my life, Sebastian, it will be yours. Thoughs are your terms, are they not?" Ciel asked, his voice shaking slightly with emotion that he had not felt in a long time. Sebastian smiled, and for a second Ciel was reminded when he stood at the top of the half-built bridge after defeating the perfection-loving angel, Ash. The beautiful demon had looked so out of character with such a warm smile. Now, he had that same smile on his face.

Something passed between master and servant that would never be said allowed, but they both felt it. Master and Servant, Demon and human, Predator and prey, one was never to be without the other for the rest of eternity. It was more than a contract that bound them together.

Suddenly, Ciel flashed back to several years ago when a camera had been found by the other servants. The camera had allowed things from the other worlds to be seen in them. Sebastian had known that the most precious thing to his master was himself, but no one ever knew what Sebastian felt.

"Sebastian." Sebastian looked back down at his master.

"This is an order," Ciel said. "Tell me. What is it that you hold dear?"

Sebastian smiled.

"Why, my Young Master, of course."

Ciel did not move away when Sebastian reached up a hand to cup his face gently. In fact, Ciel smirked, a satisfied glint in his eyes. He did not lean into the touch, but merely closed his exposed eye. He felt Sebastian untie the string that held the eye-patch in place. It fell to the floor. Ciel then looked up at his butler; the contract on his right eye glowed softly.

No one ever needed to know of that particular moment in time. Neither Sebastian nor Ciel ever spoke of it, but they both knew that it would never be forgotten.