A/N: Wahh... don't kill me... Sorry for not updating, I had a severe writer's block and I was completely stumped with what to do in Chapter 8 and I didn't want to post a chapter and have to change it later so in the end I put it off for ages... I'm sorryyyyy Throw a dugong at me or something if you have to, but my mind's been cleared and I've finally gotten another chapter done so HERE YOU GO ENJOY PLEASE! I LOVE YOU GUYS! -SeaweedNeko

"Young Master! Sebastian!" Meirin, Finny, Bard and Tanaka all gathered at the entrance of the mansion.

"Hey, what happened?" Finny asked. Ciel coughed, slightly opening his eyes and breathing heavily.

"The young master has caught a cold. That is all." Sebastian walked past them and immediately headed for Ciel's room.

Still coughing, Ciel let go of his neck and dropped onto the bed, trying his best to co-operate despite his numb fingers as Sebastian quickly undressed him. After getting into fresh clothes he was tucked into his warm blanket.

"Do you feel dizzy or anything?"

"No. I'm going to sleep now." Ciel coughed again before slipping the ring off his finger and setting it on the table beside his bed. Sebastian bowed.

"Have a good night." He picked up the candelabra and was about to blow them out when he saw Ciel staring at him. "Is there anything else you need?" Ciel quickly looked away, embarrassed.

"…Stay with me. That's an order." He mumbled.

"Oh? Are you mistaking me for someone again?" Sebastian smiled teasingly.

"No… It's just in case I wake up in the middle of the night so that I don't have to shout. That's all." He turned around in bed, and shuffled back slightly to give Sebastian room to sit on.

"Certainly." He sat down on the edge of the bed and blew out the candles.

Ciel's breathing slowly grew more even as he began to sleep. A few minutes later, Sebastian saw his eyelids twitch in the darkness, indicating that he was having a dream…or a nightmare.

"… No." He mumbled, then turned over. "…Stop." With each passing minute, he grew more and more restless.

"Please… No more pain…" Ciel grinded his teeth together as he continued to dream. "Stop…" Sebastian cautiously reached out and touched his back with his fingertips in concern. Ciel twitched, but then his breathing slowed again and instead of letting out small cries he went back to quiet whimpering. A few tears escaped his eyes and slowly rolled down his cheeks.

"My, my…" Sebastian smiled to himself. "Did I perhaps find out how to stop the young master's nightmares from coming back to haunt him?" He wiped the tears off his master's cheeks and leaned back into the headboard. "Now…" Sebastian began to wonder. Why would something as simple as a tap on the shoulder be enough to stop young master's suffering? Did it snap him out of a trance? Or did it somehow manipulate what was happening in the dream?

Beside him, Ciel let out a small sigh, then a cough.

"Se-*cough*Sebastian?" His weak voice broke the silence.

"I'm here, my lord." Ciel reached in the direction of his voice and unintentionally grabbed his hand, quickly letting it go when he realised it.

"You're still here?" He sounded surprised.

"Of course. Young master ordered me to stay with you, so I did." Sebastian put his hand on Ciel's head and gently pushed it back down onto the pillow."It is still too early to start the day. Go back to sleep, my lord." Ciel coughed again and closed his eyes.

"Don't ever leave me, Sebastian. That's an order." He said quietly.

"...Understood."

Ciel closed his eyes, and soon enough he was sleeping again. Sebastian quietly chuckled to himself.

"So for this whole time, he has been battling loneliness." He thought, looking down at Ciel's face. "What an unexpected and difficult enemy." There was another long silence.

"Sebastian…" A small hand reached up and grabbed his tie before dragging Sebastian down.

"Y-young master?"

"…" Ciel snuggled into his leg. A sigh escaped Sebastian's lips as he readjusted the blanket so that it was covering Ciel's whole body.

"It is time to wake up, young master." Ciel slowly opened his eyes- and just like yesterday- he quickly pulled himself away from Sebastian when he saw him staring down at him with a blank look. "Is something troubling you?" Ciel coughed.

"No, it's nothing." Sebastian smiled.

"Breakfast will be slightly delayed since I didn't want to wake up the young master…" Ciel blushed and looked away. Sebastian smiled as he brought out clothes to wear for the day and began to unbutton Ciel's night shirt. "Now, it's time to get dressed. I believe Meirin will arrive with the tea just about…" There was a timid knock on the door. "Now." Sebastian finished dressing Ciel and opened the door.

"Se-Sebastian?" The maid looked extremely flustered.

"Good morning, Meirin. Thank you for bringing the tea in my absence."

"D-d-d-did you spend a night with the young master? None of us saw you preparing breakfast, so-" Sebastian sighed. "Ah! Y-you don't have to tell me about it if you don't want to! I was just-"

"It seems that there is a small misunderstanding." He stepped around Meirin and rested his hand on her shoulder. "Please serve the young master his tea while I prepare breakfast." He suddenly leaned forward. "And don't spill the tea."

"O-okay!" Her face turned red in embarrassment. "Se-Sebastian, your face is t-too close..." He smiled, then left.

"*cough*Sebastian, what's the schedule for today?" Ciel asked as he sat down at the dining table.

"I have cancelled all the meetings for today. As a butler, the young master's health is my top priority." Sebastian bowed slightly and smirked at Ciel's annoyed expression. Suddenly, his smile vanished.

"However, it seems that we have an unexpected-"

"CIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLL!" Sebastian abruptly pulled Ciel's chair backwards just as something whizzed past where Ciel had been a moment ago.

"Elizabeth?"

"CIEL-KUN! I RUSHED HERE AS SOON AS I HEARD THAT YOU WERE SICK! ARE YOU OKAY? DO YOU FEEL NAUSEOUS? DOES IT HURT ANYWHERE? DO YOU NEED ME TO HELP FEED YOU?" Elizabeth's childish face appeared in front of Ciel's, which had a fork halfway in his mouth.

"Lady Elizabeth, please let young master finish his breakfast first." Ciel sighed as Sebastian pushed the chair back in front of his plate.

"Ciel-kun, I'm so sorry I was so mean yesterday. You couldn't breathe, but I didn't realise, so then you-"

"Oh my, it seems that Soma and Agni have come to visit."

"CIEL!"

"SEBASTIAN-SAN!"

"LET ME EAT MY GODDAMN BREAKFAST!"

A/N: :D Hope you enjoyed this chapter? I hope it was enough to make up for my long absence... T.T I'm sorry again, but I will try to get the next chapter up within 2 (or more like 10) weeks! Until then, enjoy the beginning of the circus arc/Season 3 of Kuroshitsuji! :DD 33 -SeaweedNeko