Author's Note: I had to break this chapter into two parts, I couldn't resist a certain long scene. I felt I waited long enough for it to come...

Thank you to the following people for adding this piece to your Alert Subscription: elleyeah, Syao Blossoms, and AnneteRuby.

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Thanks for all the wonderful reviews and PMs! You guys spoil me!

Grelliam3: I will continue this story, I'm glad you are enjoying and I hope you continue to fall in love with the world of pastries and those who create them.

Calli: I'm glad that you are eagerly waiting for my updates on this piece. I happen to see Claude differently than most, I don't like how they portrayed him in the series, he had so much potential and then they blew it out of the water. Thank you for reading ^^. It's always nice to open my email and see all the notes. It makes my day just a little sweeter.

Promocat: Pasties are hard. I'm glad that you are learning a great deal.

Vafreek: I'm glad that you are open to Claude and Sebastian with this story. I've always struggled with Alois, so forgive me if he isn't spot on all the time. I'm glad that you are intrigued and desire to continue reading.

Ringo Juisu: Thank you for your review! I apologize for the typo, and by the time you go to look at it, it will be fixed. Thanks for pointing it out. I'm glad you are learning a great deal about pastry, its fascinating and is almost like a character of its own. I wanted to do something cute and a little awkward, especially the admiring from afar, or border line stalking.

AnneteRuby: So many questions, which will be answered as the tale unfolds. I'm glad you found my story and have hungered for the treats. It makes me feel rather accomplished. Don't worry all the characters from Seasons I and II will appear. It's all a matter as what and when.

Thank you to all of those you who have been reading! If I didn't have so many readers I wouldn't continue.

Wow long thank you section…

On with the Chapter! ~

Chapter 7: Dessert 4: The Whimsical Citron: Part 1

After a little getting used to how the kitchen functioned Sebastian had mastered navigating the turbulent waters of the fiery kitchen. Claude was still hard on him and demanded perfection, which was to be expected from the head chef who was busier than ever attempted to fulfill the demands of the floor. Things went smoothly as the restaurant slowly grew in popularity once again, not only for the clean flavors of Claude, but also the creativity of the young pastry chef who was currently considered one of the best. There was one thing which was slowly eating away at Sebastian, he had told Claude parts of his childhood, without thinking he opened up. It frightened him, he had run from anyone who was interested in helping him before, yet now he was opening up to the one man who could destroy him.

He slowly walked into the kitchen and found a note sitting on his station, it was written on a sticky, and he stared, "See Soma," read Sebastian as he plucked the note off the clean surface and did as the note stated. Sebastian hummed as he remembered the purple haired Hindu he had met the first day, in truth the front of the house didn't interact often with the back, he usually only worked with William and a few select waiters, mostly Ronald. He slowly walked to the front of the house, it was radically different empty, it seemed far larger and more open when the diners weren't there. He hummed as he continued to the front desk, "Hello?" he asked curiously. "Hold on a minute," called a familiar voice.

The same young man stumbled out of the back with a headset on and a tablet in his hands, "Of course, well we have seen a jump in profit, I'm sure Claude can think of something," said the Indian quickly. His purple hair was held in place with an ornate comb, his dark skin contrasted the vibrant red and blue traditional clothing he was wearing. Sebastian stared at the young man who was wearing long white pants, sandals and wore several gold pieces. "Yes Ciel, well I'm certain we will be able to do it," he said with a note of confidence. He wrote something on the tablet with the stylus and took the earpiece out. His hazel eyes lifted from the screen, and he smiled, "Ah Sebastian, it's a pleasure to see you again, I apologize for not coming into the back of the house as often," he commented with a smile, "they keep me chained to this desk."

He chuckled at his own little joke and looked at him, "Well Ciel stated that he was going to have a few chefs cater to luncheon at a gallery opening this afternoon," he said after a moment. Sebastian stared at the Soma and began to wonder if Ciel was even in his right mind. Events took months to prep, "We can only spare you and Claude, we will be leaving Canterbury in charge," Soma continued as Sebastian stared at him blankly. "What?" asked Sebastian in a panic, "Is he insane? We don't even have the details!" Soma looked at the chef and sighed, it was clear he had grown accustomed to Ciel's whims.

He paused and looked over his shoulder, his jaw nearly hit the floor, standing in a black three-piece with his jacket over his shoulder. The gray vest hugged Claude's muscular torso and accentuated the firm lines of his chest, it was still buttoned and clung to him like a second skin. He gaped at the silk shirt which the man was wearing, it was loose around the shoulders, and the white gave him an heir of authority. The collar of his white dress shirt was unfastened showing off his powerful white chest. The black tie he had worn was in his hands as he stuffed it in his pocket. Even the man's pants were perfect, the tailor had clearly had a field day with this man. A golden pocket watch hung from his vest pocket, and his glasses glinted in the light, he honestly looked like he had walked out of a magazine. There was a white handkerchief peeking out of his pocket, the black Oxfords he wore had been shined to perfection, even a drill sergeant would stare at them. He slipped a hand through his violet hair and glanced at Soma, Agni was walking behind him, in a sleek charcoal gray suit, his impact was damped by the powerful aura of Claude. "Ah good you're back," said Soma with a smile. Claude nodded, even his stride screamed to have him prowl on the catwalk. Sebastian could only imagine Claude's tailors joy when he fitted the man for the suit. "Yeah, I still don't understand why Ciel sent me, I have nothing to do with the front of the house," Claude commented.

Sebastian hummed and looked at him, he started to wonder if Claude was actually that dense. Between his looks and aura, Ciel would have to be a moron not to send him. "How did it go? Did they give you any idea of what they wanted?" asked Soma. Sebastian felt very confused and began to wonder just what Claude had been up to. He was dressed to the nines and looked as though he were actually the owner of Ciel. The Head Chef hummed, "For the gallery opening they want us to preview it and craft dishes inspired by the show," he replied and looked at Sebastian. He paused and asked, "You just found out Ciel had farmed us out?" Sebastian nodded slowly, Claude looked as though he had been roped into a circus, unwillingly.

He sighed and crossed his arms, "Alright, we have access to the show in advance, the building fortunately has a kitchen, however oven space is limited," he commented, his golden eyes were closed as he started to walk through the plans in his head. Sebastian was impressed, he would have had to write this all down on a sheet to remember it. "There is plenty of counter space for two, they hired waiters for the lunch, however Grell will be functioning as the Head Waiter of the event, rather than Ronald. Knox is needed here to prepare for the evening," he remarked. Clearly he had everything planned, not a detail went unnoted, "Produce has been delivered to the location as well as assorted tools, all we need to do is look at the show," he commented.

"Agni will you be with them?" asked Soma curiously, Sebastian didn't recognize the man and began to wonder what their relationship to one another was. "Regrettably, however I will be back for dinner," he replied as he gently tucked a strand of hair behind the man's ear. Soma nodded, and Sebastian looked away, something told him he had just witnessed something far too intimate. "Alright, let's take a walk to where we will be working this afternoon," said Claude after a moment. He seemed calm and collected, Sebastian hadn't changed into his sauté pants and coat. He was running late that morning and had thrown on a pair of black jeans, a tee-shirt and a light jacket. Standing beside Claude was slightly intimidating, he looked like a model and Sebastian felt as though he were an extra.

With his bag in hand he followed Claude down the street, "What kind of event is this?" asked Sebastian after a moment. He walked quickly to keep up with Claude's long an powerful strides, "The premier of a dance troupe, choreographer, and visual artist," he replied simply. He felt even more confused than before, he had catered events prior to this in Paris, yet the combination wasn't one he imagined were possible. On top of the fact that Ciel didn't seem like someone who was interested in art. "The owner decided this?" asked Sebastian hesitantly, Claude adjusted his glasses and gave a firm nod. "With Vincent and Chamber's push, he did," he stated as he turned the corner and began down the next block. A pair of women stopped and stared at them, he had a feeling it was because of Claude. Sebastian chuckled after realizing that Ciel had been pushed into this by his own father and Chambers.

"Claude, why did Aleister Chamber push this? I thought the Phantomhive's weren't related to him," said Sebastian after a moment. He had done a little reading and learned that Ciel and his family were large in finance, specifically in technology and toys, Chamber was in medicine and law which was at the other end of the spectrum. "Alois' uncle," said Claude after a moment, his tone was still and very un-amused. "Alois' parents died when he was a child, later his brother was killed in a fire. Chamber met him after Earl Trancy died, he was adopted by the late earl," explained Claude. That seemed to explain a great deal of his general behavior, he seemed a little too carefree to be a simple employee. They stopped outside a large building with a banner hanging beside the door. Whimsy, was the name of the exhibit, Sebastian stared at the banner in confusion, it was a simple white banner with black print. Claude opened the door and slipped into the cool space, "Come on Michaelis, they are willing to give us a peak so let's not keep them waiting," said Claude impatiently.

Sebastian nodded as he entered the space, he had been to a number of galleries in Paris, however none of them seemed as particular as this one. He was surrounded by modern art, using lines and color to depict movement. "Whoa," he commented as he looked at several pieces on the wall. Out of the corner of his eye he could see an amused Claude, a smirk had curved his lips slightly, and he seemed more relaxed. A Chinese man stepped into view, he was dressed in turquoise and white, his eyes gazed at the floor, and Sebastian stared at the curvy young Chinese woman hanging off his arm. She wore a dress that was far too short with leggings and a pair of slippers. "Ah it's nice to see the little Earl has sent us such a wonderful warming gift, a pair of chefs," he drawled as he approached, his accent was thick and he seemed to have a never-fading smile. "Lau," Claude said with a smile as he shook the man's hand, "It's wonderful to see you again," he paused and nodded to the woman, "Ran Mao."

"It's nice to see you as well, who is this?" asked Lau as he gestured to Sebastian. His eyes lifted their gaze from the floor, and Sebastian found himself looking at a pair of dark brown eyes. "Sebastian Micahelis," responded Claude smoothly. Lau hummed and rubbed his chin, there was a glint of amusement in his eyes and Sebastian had a feeling Lau knew far more than he was saying. "The new pastry chef, it was nice of Ciel to loan me his newest toy," he commented before looking to Ran Mao. A wave of irritation surged through Sebastian, he wasn't anyone's toy. Not now, he was away from there and didn't like being called anything remotely similar. "Lau, he's a chef, not a toy," commented Claude in the same annoyed tone he had used with the Grower. Lau hummed and looked at Ran Mao. "Well then, let's get started," he commented.

Ran Mao nodded and walked over to the sound system, Sebastian watched her movements, she was graceful and seemed to effortlessly exude a sensual aura. A smooth and soft beat filled the air, and Sebastian hummed, obviously they were trying to set the mood. "All of this work was done by a young man from Tokyo, he will be here tonight," said Lau with ease. He stopped before a painting of a man's face, it was colourful, bright and filled with curvy designs. It reminded Sebastian of the icing of a wedding cake he had made a long time ago. The music grew soft and child like, it sounded as though a music box had been wound and was now playing, "Honestly why are we looking over the show?" asked Sebastian curiously.

Claude hummed, his eyes were locked on the painting, "I figured you could use a little inspiration," he commented. He was about to respond when he noticed the painting move. Sebastian paused and stared at it intently, "what?" he asked in confusion. His lips parted as he watched it move again and slowly realized that there was a person standing before it on a stool, covered with the same pattern as the painting. He hadn't expected this, his eyes followed the figure as he peeled away from the painting, the woman rolled onto the floor and moved with grace. Out of the corner of his eyes he noticed another one move, he walked away from the first as a young man who had been painted the same way the blocks of blue and red had been painted on the canvas moved as though he were an automaton from one of the shop windows in Paris.

It was delightful as he watched the pieces slowly come to life, "My god," he whispered as he watched a blue statue of a man wake from his slumber. The man looked at his hands with disbelief as he slowly twisted to test his new found form. Several other statues came to life before Sebastian's eyes, he was lost in a world of childlike wonder. He unconsciously began to clap for the skill of the dancers as they slowly freed themselves from their pieces. "Whimsy," he whispered as he looked at Claude, he had to capture this in a desert. His eyes followed the color and movements of every dancer as they continued. Lau was standing with his arms crossed as Claude watched them move, Ran Mao had vanished. The lights went out and Sebastian jumped with discomfort.

A shiver ran through him, and he wrapped his arms around himself, an eerie blue light emanated from around the corner. It drew him like a child to the moonlight, around the corner there were several large roses, made of white paper that seemed to glow in the dark when the black lights hit them. The music selection changed into something far more mysterious, he watched as a pair of black eyes flickered open and several women slipped out of the flowers. His eyes widened as he took in the sight of them floating across the floor. Moving with grace and skill, as though they were the roses on a bush, displaying themselves. Lights had been sewn into the fabric of the tutus and corsets, making them seem even more dream like. Ran Mao who was the head of the group moved hypnotically, her hands floated in the air as though she were about to bloom. Sebastian was lost in this world of color and child like imagination. The skilled ballerinas did a series of jumps before slowly wilting to the floor. "This is what I have to capture," he stated as he looked at the dancers who were slowly freezing once again, returning to their home's inside the pieces.

~~xXx~~

Claude stared at Sebastian, it was as though he had slipped into another place, after the preview of the evening to come, Sebastian looked as though he had ventured into his own world. He had decided on the dishes he wanted to prepare, however Sebastian hadn't said a word. It was as though all that mattered was capturing that single word in a dish. Claude watched Sebastian as he slowly picked up a lemon and sniffed it, his finger swept over the rough and waxy skin of the fruit and made him shiver. They were shopping for specific ingredients, he didn't have the correct tapioca pearls for his whimsical creation. Yet Sebastian seemed to be thinking differently as he selected what he desired to use.

There were several concerns which were of the Head Chef, the first being that there wasn't an actual meal, they were preparing hors d'oeuvres, two pastry based, and three non, this meant that guests had to be able to pick it up and enjoy it without making a mess. The second issue was the high end cliantel. Knowing Ciel he had invited a number of professionals and food critics to enjoy the opening on top of art critiques. "Tapioca?" asked Sebastian curiously. Claude hummed after a moment, he was slightly embarrassed that he hadn't seen Sebastian. He hummed and looked at the raven haired pastry chef. "Yes, I plan on doing something rather interesting," he commented as he looked over the contents of his own basket, he had selected a number of refreshing fruit flavors to mix with it and smiled. This was going to be a rather intriguing creation, a fusion of fun and imagination.

"Oh?" asked Sebastian as he tilted his head to the side curiously, his crimson eyes danced as they attempted to discern what he was going to craft. His golden eyes shifted to Sebastian's basket, it was just as intriguing as his own, he had selected bright and vibrant colors as well as flavors, blueberries, lemons, raspberries, and a carton of truffles. He hummed as he tilted his head to the side and looked at them, "What are you making?" he asked curiously. The burgundy eyed chef sighed and crossed his arms, "I'm not sharing unless you do so," he stated plainly. This surprised Claude, he hadn't expected Sebastian to respond like that. He had anticipated the chef to simply respond. "Okay then I will, however you won't understand," he stated simply.

Sebastian's burgundy eyes narrowed and after a moment a smirk curved his lips, "Try me," he replied with an air of confidence. It was clear Sebastian had interpreted this as a challenge, "I'll show you later," Claude commented before walking toward a register. He placed his packages on the table beside the register and Sebastian paused, he looked slightly concerned and stared at the items in his basket. Clearly now he had seen the price stickers, this was one of the best places to buy produce, and the price tag reflected that. "Put your stuff up here Michaelis," said Claude with a sigh. Sebastian was hesitant, his fun loving and mocking expression was gone, it had been replaced by one with concern. It was as though the man had just been told his relative was in the hospital, an expression which caught Claude off guard. "I can't let you pay for it," responded Sebastian quickly as he attempted to grab his produce and place it in his basket.

The Head Chef grabbed Sebastian's wrist forcefully, causing him to drop the container of strawberries back on the table, which he had attempted to snatch back. Claude gave Sebastian's wrist a squeeze, it was smaller than he expected, thin and delicate. It threw him off a little and he began to wonder why he was so thin, it felt as though he had touched Alois or Ciel's wrists, the pair were very finicky and didn't eat much. He paused as a new thought crossed his mind, Sebastian was very thin. It was almost alarming, however, he decided to avoid the topic for now, he needed Sebastian focused for the evening. "I'm not, I'm expensing it to Ciel," he commented as he pulled out a Plum American Express Card with the name of the restaurant on it.

Sebastian paused and watched as the young woman gingerly rang up the produce, "What?" asked Sebastian in confusion. Claude hummed as the woman dutifully said the total, Claude simply handed her the card and asked, "Credit or debit?" there was a note of surprise which suddenly turned into flirtation. It was probably the first time she had handled a car of that caliber. "Debit," he responded as the woman swiped the piece of plastic. Out of the corner of his eye, Claude could see Sebastian staring at his hand which was still locked in Claude's grasp. There was a look of fear in his eyes, "Sorry," said Claude slowly as he released him. He then turned his attention to the cashier, "Okay sir, I need you to sign this," she said with a grin. He noticed how she lifted her chest so he got an eyeful of her bust line. Internally he laughed as he swiftly signed his name and picked up the bag. "Thank you," said Claude before placing the pen on the island and gesturing to the other bag for Sebastian to carry.

He had managed to get out of the store, he could hear Sebastian's shoes hitting the pavement a step behind him. Something was bothering him, it wasn't until now that Claude realized other than the tale which he had heard the other day, he hardly knew anything about the chef. "She really liked you," commented Sebastian casually. He seemed slightly annoyed with amused Claude. He had expected Sebastian to shrug it off or joke about it, he didn't expect him to get irritated. He had lived in Paris after all, being hit on at a register with Sebastian's looks was probably a normal occurrence. "She was okay I guess," he commented with a shrug. He looked over his shoulder to see a not too convinced Sebastian. "You guess? She practically pressed her bust up to your face," he commented. Claude chuckled, clearly this was something Sebastian was familiar with, and seemed to be alright joking about.

"It's nice to know you were looking," commented Claude with a playful grin. He enjoyed hearing Sebastian laugh a few weeks back and now he wanted to hear it again. There was silence and he looked over his shoulder to see Sebastian attempting to hide a crimson blush which appeared across his cheeks. He was failing miserably and somehow Claude found this action endearing, he was alright with joking about it before. "It was a little hard not too, she did put them on display," he commented. The golden eyed chef chuckled, a grin of delight curved his lips as he continued to walk. "Well she can look all she wants, but she will get as far as the other women. No where," he commented as he glanced over his shoulder. Sebastian looked puzzled and Claude suddenly realized that it was time he told his employee the reason he was treated like a dog by Ciel and despised by Hannah. "Not your type?" asked Sebastian curiously.

Claude had attempted to suppress his laughter and finally gave up, he shook his head and responded, "Hardly." Sebastian gave him a sideways look, as though Claude had snapped and the Head Chef sighed. "Too vulgar?" asked Sebastian curiously. Claude shook his head, "Let's just say I prefer individuals who are," he paused and chuckled, "slightly more masculine." Sebastian hummed and nodded as he looked down at the pavement, he couldn't believe he was talking about his dating preference with the man he was attracted to. It was comical in more ways than one. "Oh, so you like girls like Hannah?" asked Sebastian. Claude's golden eyes widened and he stared at Sebastian as though he were an extra terrestrial. "No I'm not into her, well anymore," he sighed and rubbed his temple with his free hand. This was going nowhere. He drew a deep breath and looked at Sebastian, this was getting far too awkward for his taste.

"I'm gay," said Claude after a moment, "I only like men."

There was silence and he watched as Sebastian simply stared at him. He obviously didn't know what to say, "I don't hit on employees. Yes Hannah and I dated in college, her getting hired at Ciel was a complete coincidence," he stated, he didn't want Sebastian to feel uncomfortable. He just couldn't afford to be blamed for Ciel's money maker leaving. "I see, thanks for telling me," commented Sebastian as he swiftly walked past Claude, it was clear the chef was uncomfortable and Claude internally berated himself for saying anything.

Once Sebastian was out of earshot, Claude sighed and muttered, "Stupid. Stupid. Stupid! Fuck. I'm never going to get anywhere."

Translantion:

hors d'oeuvres: (Out-side of work) Small bites which are served before a meal, but have little to do with the meal it's self. They are used to tantalize the individual for the meal to come, the are often called "Amuse-bouche" or to amuse the mouth. In this instance Ciel is using it as a way to advertise and draw people into his restaurant forth eveing. It sets the bar for the meal to come.

~~xXx~~

As a side note, on my profile for Fiction Press there is a section called "PLAYLISTS" there I have the YouTube playlist which was used for this series. The list grows as I write and I add more pieces. All of them are annotated so feel free to take a look.

Thanks,

KDM