dreamgirl: Before any of you nag me about anything, I have done my research and what I am about to include may or may not have actually happened. I'll explain more at the bottom.

disclaimer: Really? Just...really? If you believe I own Kuroshitsuji, you don't deserve Sebastian...or Ciel!!!!

ENJOY!!!!

Chapter 13

A whole month had passed and now it was the middle of December. In the Phantomhive manor, the young earl was fast asleep.

'Ciel was running. His breath was coming out in short, brief pants. The room was pitch black, so he didn't know where to or why he was running. And then he heard voices screaming. The words were incoherent, but it was the scream of death. Ciel's chest began to burn but his legs wouldn't stop. Then he sae his parents pop out of nowhere. Ciel stretched out his hand but could not reach them. They quickly disappeared. As the darkness surrounded him, a pair of ruby-red eyes appeared and held a hint of amusement in them. The pain in his chest increased when he saw a pair of sharp, blade-like teeth grin and inch closer. The mouth opened wide and then…'

Ciel sat up abruptly and screamed at the top of his lungs. After a few seconds, the blue-eyed boy stopped screaming and began to breathe heavily. The young earl ran a shaking hand through his hair and slowly got over the shock.

Ciel laid back down and closed his eyes, mind blank as paper.

Then…there came a knock at his bedroom door.

"Young master?"

Ciel wasn't going to answer, but did anyway.

"Yes?" the boy's voice cracked.

The door opened and Sebastian entered, "I heard a scream. Is everything all right?"

Ciel turned over to face the window, "N-no, I am just fine. It was nothing".

Sebastian nodded and walked over to open the curtains, "Very well, my lord. It is morning, but there is nothing in particular in today's schedule. So, the young master may sleep a bit longer".

Ciel brought up an arm to shield his eyes and turned again onto his back and said nothing.

"Summon me if anything, my lord", the butler bowed and left the room.

Once he was sure the demon was gone, Ciel slowly opened his eyes and looked up at the canopy top.

"Morning, huh?" Ciel huffed.

A day to be dreaded.

After he had woken up, Ciel couldn't go back to sleep. In all honesty, the nightmare scared him shitless and the fact that it was the fourteenth of December didn't help him relax.

So now, the young Phantomhive lord was seated at his dining room table, prepared to eat breakfast at twelve o'clock in the afternoon.

Ciel had gotten out of bed an hour after his usual time but after the new chef, Bard, screwed up a simple order of scrambled eggs, Ciel had to wait until Sebastian remade breakfast. Now, seated in front of him were two eggs, sunny-side up, with loads of bacon and sausages.

Ciel picked up his fork and poked the eggs si that the liquid from the yoke flowed out and drowned his food in the yellow liquid. The young boy then picked up his knife and cut the meat into small pieces. Once everything seemed chewable for a baby, Ciel set his utensils down and took a sip from his glass, clearing his throat out with orange juice.

After that one sip, Ciel's face ashened, "Sebastian, get me a pail".

The butler, who had been standing at his side, questioned his master, "But young ma—".

"Now!" The earl yelled.

At once, the demon left and quickly returned with a bucket. Ciel snatched it out of his hands and hurled into it. Sebastian quirked an eyebrow but stretched out his gloved hand and rubbed his master's back soothingly.

Once he was finished, Ciel put the pail on the floor and coughed. The blue-eyed boy grabbed his white napkin and wiped his mouth.

Sebastian disappeared for a moment and returned with a glass of water, "Here, my lord, take a drink".

Ciel took the cup with a shaking hand and finished it in one huge gulp. He began to cough again and Sebastian continued to pat him on the back and set the empty glass in the table.

"What happened, my lord?"

Once the boy was done coughing, he took a deep breath and said, "I…I don't know. I just suddenly feel nauseas".

Without warning, Sebastian scooped up Ciel in his arms and brought him into his bedroom and gently set him down on his enormous bed. Having been too weak from retching out an empty stomach, Ciel put up no fight, not even a prideful remark. He just allowed his butler to tuck him into bed, fully clothed, and relaxed.

Sebastian had a concerned look on his face, "Are you sick, my lord? You didn't even touch your food".

Ciel smirked, "I did. I poked it around but it still didn't look appetizing. I tried to drink juice since my throat felt dry, but that didn't help".

The demon shook his head, "If you have enough energy to smirk like a little wise-ass, then you must be fine".

The boy's eyes widened.

"What?"

"I think that's the first time I've heard you curse", Ciel chuckled a bit.

"I doubt it. I'm a demon, after all. I am sure I have said a few imprecations here and there".

Ciel shook his head, "Nope, you never have".

Sebastian shrugged, "I guess it depends on my mood".

"I thought demons didn't have emotions. Or so I have heard".

"Mood and emotions are two very different things. Sometimes I may be in the mood to tease the young master, but I never feel ay emotions such as happiness or amusement. It is just because I feel like it, just as the young master feels like not telling me why he screamed this morning".

Ciel sighed, "And we're back to this. Listen, it was nothing".

"I see those lessons in lying have paid off well, my lord. But as I am the one who is teaching you the demon ways, I can see right through each—".

That's when the phone rang.

Sebastian put on an annoyed face but went to pick up the telephone.

Thankful, Ciel leaned back onto his pillow and thought to himself of how fucked up this whole day's been. As is to be expected from…

"I hadn't known it was the young master's birthday, my lord", came a sexy deep voice from a few feet away.

'Shit', the boy thought.

"Yes, well, it is none of your concern if it is or not", Ciel said arrogantly.

"Of course it is, my lord. It is a day to be cele—", the demon was cut off.

"Don't say it!!! Don't you goddamn say it's a 'happy' occasion. This day is full of sorrow and despair, not something to be celebrated. Because of this day, they had to have died", Ciel's hair covered his face as he bent his head.

For a few moments, Sebastian said nothing.

"It is painful, is it not?"

Ciel shot him a deathly glare, "How the fuck can you ask that? Of course it is!! You wouldn't understand, you're a demon after all".

"And you think I do not know the feeling of guilt, disappointment, and anguish? As you said, I am a demon…after all", Sebastian said suddenly having the look of a man who had lived and seen too much during his lifetime.

Ciel bit his tongue for he had nothing more to say.

"That was Madam Red on the phone. She called to wish you a happy birthday and wanted to apologize for not being able to come on such an important day", the butler said.

The air was tense and would've grown if the demon had left the room, which was what he was about to do. But a small hand stopped him.

"You like pain, right?"

Sebastian turned around, "If you mean distributing pain to humans, then yes, I take a small amount of pleasure in doing so as a demon".

Ciel looked up and made eye contact, "Will you…will you pierce my ears for me?"

The demon felt a bit of pride flow over him at the thought of hurting his master as he so wanted to do many times before.

The needle was held between Sebastian's thumb and index finger and was positioned in the center of the eleven-year-old's earlobe.

"Are you ready, young master?"

Ciel nodded as much as he could with Sebastian holding his ear in place.

The demon wanted to make it as painful as possible, so he didn't even warn his master as he stabbed the piece of flesh hard and began to move it around to stretch it out.

To the demon's surprise, Ciel didn't yell. He just bit his lip and said nothing.

So, Sebastian picked up a small, royal blue stud and slipped it through the hole and closed it at the end.

"I will do the other one now, my lord".

Ciel didn't both saying anything, he just waited patiently as Sebastian drove another needle through his left ear and repeated whatever steps he took for the previous one.

Once finished, Ciel got off the chair he had been sitting in and walked towards the mirror.

"Is it to the young master's liking?" Sebastian asked.

The eleven-year-old touched his ears and winced as they stung a bit, "These…these were my father's".

If he had not seen the look in his master's eyes, Sebastian would have been confused.

"I like them…a lot. Now I am a full-fledge Phantomhive", Ciel concluded.

"Oh? How did you know when you were ready?"

The earl shrugged, "I didn't. Today was the day marked as one whole year I have survived. One whole year I have to my name. I have died, but it has been almost one year since I have been revived".

"Almost poetic", the demon teased.

"Shut up".

"What is the young master's plan now?" the butler asked.

Ciel was quiet for a second, "It isn't a plan, but more of a short-term goal. I plan on surviving another year or two, at least, and getting my revenge on those people".

The young boy turned to look at the demon, "And to fulfill my end of the contract and feed you my soul".

Sebastian couldn't help but grin, "Sounds like a good plan to me. Shall we continue this year and start the next with a new perspective?"

"And what might that be?"

"For the young master, the ability to surpass any human in this life will be an easy task. As for myself, as one always says, 'patience is a virtue'."

Ciel just stared at Sebastian, "Doesn't that just mean you want my could no matter what and will just lie to yourself in expectance?"

"Optimism, if you will".

"Call if what you wish, but I shall not leave you waiting. I want to hurry up and have my revenge", Ciel said with great vigor.

"Maybe your new perspective should be as mine, 'patience is a virtue', my lord. You needn't make haste, the time will come".

"Whatever", Ciel huffed.

This year has certainly proven to be an interesting one. I cannot wait for the last…

"I'll […] make a heaven out of hell,

and I'll die by your hand which I love so well."

-William Shakespeare

dreamgirl:I have noticed that while his parents were alive, Ciel didn't have any piercing of earrings, so HA! And that will be the end of Ciel's first year. I hope you've enjoyed the story this far and in the next chapter, that is where the beginning of the end begins...PLEASE REVIEW!!!