Chapter 9

"Oh Sebastian~" Vincent called from his seat on the couch. Echo was perched on his lap, blank eyes cast down at the floor. Sebastian stepped into the room with an inhuman grace.

"Yes, Master Vincent?" He asked. Vincent thought he heard a certain tone in the butler's voice.

How thrilling. The man that stood before him hated him and he could do nothing about it.

Vincent smiled innocently up at Sebastian, whose pale face was as blank as Echo's eyes were. "I knew you were standing outside the door. Is there something you wish to speak of?"

"It is Young Master Gilbert. He is not doing well."

Vincent made a clicking sound with his tongue as she shook his head. He adjusted Echo into a more comfortable position before he replied. "Such a shame. I worry about my darling brother. What do you suppose happened to him?"

Sebastian narrowed his eyes. "You know just what happened."

"You know just what happened, Master Vincent." Vincent corrected. Sebastian said nothing in reply. He merely stood there, his eyes narrowed as he glared down at Vincent. The blond smirked, looking away from the butler in black to rest his chin against Echo's shoulder as he ran his hands slowly up her front, stopping at her breasts. Echo's head fell back as she let out a little gasp, her empty blue eyes starring up at Sebastian in almost a pleading way before looking up at the ceiling. Sebastian watched this, and remained silent.

Vincent let out a satisfied sigh before his multi-colored eyes found Sebastian's again. He smiled. "You may go now if you wish. I merely wanted to see how my brother was doing."

Sebastian bowed stiffly and strode out of the room, leaving Vincent alone with Echo.

Vincent nuzzled her ear with his nose, making sure his lips brushed across the lobe. "I don't know what he's up to, Echo. But I know he is not here strictly because he needed a job. Perhaps someone is trying to spy on me?"

The girl shivered slightly as Vincent untied the ribbons that held her coat to her body and began working on the buttons on her shirt. He took hold of her hips when the shirt was half undone and turned her around in his lap so that she was facing him. She looked down at him, mouth slightly open and her eyes half lidded.

Vincent grinned. "Any subjections, my pet?"

"Phantomhive." It was not a questioned statement. Echo's tone was flat as she said the name. Vincent moved his lips upward so that they were gently brushing against hers. He smiled. "Ah yess… That would make sense now, wouldn't it?"

Outside the room, Sebastian stood in the corridor, listening in on the conversation. His eyes narrowed again when he heard the Phantomhive name being mentioned.

"I must contact the Young Master at once." He whispered. It had been a while since he had last seen the boy of whom he truly served. He smiled at the thought of the young Earl trying to take care of himself. Not to mention the other servants. He wondered how much damage had been by them. Sebastian sighed. Work just never seemed to have an end when you're one hell of a butler.

Slowly, Gilbert cracked his eyes open. The curtains had been drawn over the windows beside his bed, and there was a low fire crackling in the grate at the foot of his bed. He blinked. He was feeling better than he had the last time he had woken up. He was stronger, his stomach less likely to take a turn on him. His head wasn't pounding, either.

Gilbert's movements were sluggish, but he managed to sit up on his elbows without feeling like he was going to fall back over.

What had happened to him? He closed his eyes and tried to recall the past few days. Break had come to visit, and then there was Vincent's party… He remembered getting drunk and then… And then…

He had gotten sick from all the alcohol he had consumed. And he wasn't even of drinking age yet! But then… Who had…?

He remembered faintly waking up and seeing someone bending over him, wiping his face with a cool cloth and feeding him broth. Someone with a pale face, black hair, and dark red eyes….

"Ah, fuck!" He cursed loudly, pounding his fist on the mattress as his face began to burn. Sebastian. That creepy butler that Vincent had hired for him who he did not trust in the least… He had been at his mercy!

Gilbert fell back against the pillows and pulled the covers up over his head. This was too much. Then again… Sebastian had been almost gentle with him. He had taken care of him.

"What am I thinking?" He groaned. It was Sebastian. Untrustworthy, unreadable, unpredictable Sebastian.

Speaking of which, where was he? Gilbert was sure (as much as it made him shiver) that the butler had not left his side during the days he had been sick.

Gilbert sat up. Then fell back down as a dizzy spell made the room around him spin uncontrollably. He let out another groan as he covered his eyes with his arm. "Sebastian." Gilbert called out softly. If the man was there watching him and silently mocking him, then he at least wanted to know. But there was nothing. No one responded.

Gilbert peeked out from under his arm to look around the room with one eyes. "Sebastian?"

Silence.

Where is he?

He did not like this. He did not like this at all. What was going on?

But before he could think about anything else, his eyelids felt suddenly very heavy, and his brain slowed as a cloud of sleep swept through it. He might have been feeling better than he had been, but he still felt like shit.

His eyes closed as slowly as they had been opened, and somewhere in his still conscious state he felt a warm pair of lips being pressed lightly against his own. Gilbert let a small smile creep over his face.

"O-Oz…" He mumbled.

Sebastian smirked down at the now sleeping Gilbert. He was glad that he was able to kiss the teen goodbye before he went back to the Phantomhive manor.

In a way it was almost disappointing that Gilbert had not been aware of exactly who had kissed him. Sebastian wished that he could have seen him blush, looking up at him in wide eyes confusion before stammering or yelling at him in frustration. That would have been lovely.


A/N: I know I know, it's very short. But hey, now there's an actual plotline! Yayyy plotline~

Upcoming: What will Gilbert do once he realizes that Sebastian is gone? How will Ciel and Sebastian act towards one another after so many weeks of almost no comunication? Will they make up for lost time? And what exactly is Vincent planning...?

Please comment and tell me what you think of this ridiculously short chapter. O.o