Author's Note: I want to thank all of you who had been reading and commenting 110 reviews! Thank You! I love you guys! There is a section in italics, it'a Ronald's memory. I hope you enjoy.
I will warn you that I do not have the eclair recipe. It's my own and I may not share... depends on how nice you ask.
Chapter 20: Dessert 7: Lightning Never Strikes the Same Place Twice: Part I
Claude's world seemed to spin, he knew Sebastian was in pain, he honestly had no idea about the scars on his back. He slipped his hands into his black hair and gripped at it, there was no hope now, Sebastian was afraid to fall, "Who?" he began and stopped as he closed his eyes. The woman was quiet as she looked at him, "I'm not sure, he had cleaned himself thoroughly," she replied. There was only one other possible person, Ciel. He grit his teeth as he began to realize what happened. Ciel was Durless' nephew, he could never tell her what he was really like. The dark and dominating young man who was now sinking his teeth into Sebastian, all he wondered was why and how Ciel was keeping his grip so tight on the young man. "I want to see him now," said Claude slowly. He felt the urge to just wrap the young man in his arms and hold him like a child. Allowing him to finally break down, to shed years worth of tears in a single night.
"Faustus, I'm not supposed to tell you, the only reason I am is because you seem to be the only one looking out for him," she stated hastily, her small hand wrapped around his bicep to keep him from darting to the young man. His golden eyes narrowed as he searched her face for a hint that she wasn't completely out of it. "Then what do I do?" asked Claude with irritation, "What am I supposed to do? Watch him break before my eyes?" Durless was silent as she slowly dropped her clipboard. "I can't watch that," he stated angrily. The doctor's expression changed as the conversation progressed, it went from one of sincerity to sadness. Her grip loosened as she watched him, "I'm in love with someone who can't love me back," he whispered. He held his hand over his eyes and drew a shaky breath. "You love him?" she asked slowly. Claude lowered his hand, he nodded slowly, "I want to hold him and protect him and yet, something goes wrong," he stated. Something always tore them apart. It was as though destiny was always going to have the upper hand and the cards were never in their favor.
"Claude, have you told him?" she asked after a moment. Claude stared at her, he had to lie to make Sebastian comfortable over his own selfishness, he couldn't risk losing a chance to simply spend time with him. He had taken a great enough risk by telling the man he was gay, now to learn that he was raped by someone who could be classified as the same based on their sexual preference made his chances even slimmer. "I can't," he said slowly, he promised to never pray on him just so he could stay near him. "Why?" she asked encouragingly. Claude pulled back and asked, "If you were in his position how would you take a confession from someone the same gender as the rapist?" his words were as sharp as the very knives he used. Slicing away all of his hopes of ever holding him. "I can't ever tell him, he will run and then I won't have a chance to see him. I would rather hide my feelings and still enjoy his company than have him leave me," he stated. To live a life of pain just to see the other be safe and smile, "Claude," she began only for the chef to draw a deep breath and head back toward the room.
"I don't have a chance in hell," he stated, "I never did." Sebastian was standing outside the door of the examination room in his clothing. "How do you feel?" asked Claude smoothly, there was a hint of concern in it as he looked at Sebastian. The Pậtissier was too thin, abused and needed to sleep in peace. All things which he couldn't provide without confessing, he couldn't be those healing hands, only a protector from afar. "It feels better," Sebastian replied, he was expressionless and Claude knew it was because of what Durless had told him. In reality he knew who had done it and wanted to rip Ciel limb from limb, however he lacked the proof. Ciel was still his boss and such a crime required evidence. "Good," he said as he smiled and looked at Durless. She cleared her throat and had managed to recompose herself.
"Well that's good, I would take it easy though, and you need a full night's sleep," she stated sternly. Sebastian nodded meekly, his black bangs swayed as his garnet eyes fell to the floor. "Chin up," Claude stated, "It's a new day." He knew it wouldn't mean anything to Sebastian but it was as much as he could say without sounding as though he knew what had happened. The Pậtissier sighed and looked at the Head Chef, "I suppose, we need to get back to work," he grumbled before walking down the hallway. Work, was the last place Claude wanted Sebastian to go, yet he had no right to deny him.
~~xXx~~
Alois looked around the terminal in search of a familiar blond, there were a number of people sifting through the terminal at Heathrow, he felt as though he would be trampled by a herd of ignorant gazelle at any moment. There was a dull rumble of shoes hitting the white linoleum floors as people walked by, pushing and shoving like salmon swimming up stream. It all irritated him. He sighed, "Why the hell did she have to go to Paris during the busiest time of year?" he asked. He looked around only to see Lizzy walk through. She was wearing a fitted vest which showed her belly button, white dress pants that hugged every curve. Her outfit was paired with bright red lipstick and stilettos.
His jaw dropped, her hair was short with a silk scarf around her neck. She slipped off her sunglasses and hat, "ALOIS!" she cried as she walked over and wrapped her arms around him. "Damn!" he commented. He hesitantly placed his hands on her back only to feel her soft skin under his fingers, why Ciel didn't give her more respect irritated him. She giggled and pulled back, she smelt of a light perfume, "You look hot," he commented and she hummed, "I went shopping," she replied lightly. Alois looked her over and nodded, he could tell and didn't want to know how much she had spent. He snapped his fingers and pointed at the case, immediately Ciel's chauffeur picked it up. "Wow he lent you a driver," she commented.
Alois sighed and looked at her, "You know him, he couldn't make it but I'm the welcoming committee," he remarked with a shrug. Elizabeth looked a little disappointed, he couldn't blame her - after all she was supposed to marry Ciel. "What has he been up to?" she asked curiously as Alois opened the door for her. The bartender looked at her and sighed, "Other than wanting to commit murder at the gala you left him at, working," he replied. Elizabeth leaned on the door and fiddled with her purse, that wasn't what she wanted to hear. "I see," she replied.
"Hey, cheer up, I'm sure Ciel has something special planned for you," he said with a hint of hope. He may have wanted Ciel for himself but she didn't deserve to be hurt. He wouldn't dare tell her that he believed her fiancé hurt the Pậtissier. He couldn't tell her that Ciel was up to something and that they were playing a game. It was different when he saw her in the hallway, but now sitting beside her, seeing her dressed to the nines, hoping to please Ciel, hurt. He was betraying her, he may not have liked her, or women in general but no one deserved a relationship like hers. "Alois?" she asked sweetly as she touched his arm lightly. The bartender jumped and replied sheepishly, "I haven't slept in a few days." Elizabeth giggled, it was a sweet sound, innocent and pure, nothing like Ciel. "Take a nap, I won't tell," she replied.
Alois leaned his head against the door and closed his eyes, "Alois, do you think Ciel loves me?" she asked after a moment. There was silence in the car, could he honestly tell her the truth that he only cared about the sex, would he lie, his head was in turmoil as he attempted to decide what to say. "Yes," he breathed. He couldn't make her cry on her first day back from Paris, he didn't have the gall to break her heart. "He loves you very much," he added only to watch her smile. He closed his eyes and pretended to drift off, silently begging for her forgiveness and praying she would never learn his feelings for Ciel or what Ciel was really thinking.
~~xXx~~
Ronald stared at the note he had received, "Why do I have to play carrier pigeon?" he asked with irritation as he walked through the doors to see Sebastian. His eyes settled on the Pậtissier, he was silent as he watched his fingers wrap around a whisk and slowly lift the silver instrument in the air. A steady slender strand of chocolate fell from the tip, the chocolate looked as smooth as satin and dark as night. Sebastian's red eyes were locked on it and he trembled, Sebastian's gaze was critical on how the chocolate fell. They seemed to analyze every detail as he focused solely on the chocolate itself.
Ronald felt as though he were somehow being drawn to the Pậtissier as he picked up a translucent pastry bag and turned it upside down. His nimble fingers slipped around a wide cone shaped steel tip, with a sharp edge. Sitting before the chef was a tray of golden elongated pastries, beautiful, soft and he could smell the faint hint of lemon and vanilla wafting off of them, it made the Head Waiter's stomach growl. He honestly began to wonder what the man was doing as he twisted the tip onto the bag, he hummed as he stopped before Sebastian's station, the Pậtissier hadn't even noticed him. All of his energy was aimed at the treat he was crafting.
The blond haired green eyed waiter had heard of the dedication and skill of the Pậtissier but never really bother to watch. He had heard a rumor that it was one of the most magical things to watch. Now he could understand why children gathered to watch Pậtissier through glass shop windows in Paris, it was a mysterious and spectacular art. His eyes followed Sebastian's fingers as he placed the prepared pastry bag on the table and reached for a silver whisk. The Pậtissier slipped it into a silver bowl a wave of vanilla greeted Ronald as Sebastian began to move the sweet white filling, scraping against the sides of the bowl rapidly. The thick white substance slowly changed as he began to fold it over it's self. Like the chocolate Sebastian lifted the whisk and looked at the thick white stream falling from the tip, it seemed lighter than before, a smile of satisfaction curved the man's lips as he placed the whisk in the bowl and grabbed a spoon.
Ronald was so enthralled that he actually shoved the sheet of paper back in his pocket, Sebastian slowly filled the bag and twisted the end, it was thick and looked a little familiar. His lips parted as he watched the chef gently lifted a warm golden yellow pastry from the baking sheet which had been covered with parchment. He turned it so the end was facing him and punctured the end with the bag. Sebastian's knuckles turned white as he squeezed the bag, after a moment he pulled it out and reached for a second bag he had filled, Ronald was confused, it was also filled with white filling, or at least that was what it looked like. Sebastian slowly added a small star like tuft on the end which he had punctured to inject the cream.
His burgundy eyes drifted over to the thin dark chocolate glaze, he hummed as he reached for a third pastry bag with a flat tip on it. The Pậtissier reached for a clean spoon and filled the third bag with the chocolate, only now did he realize that there was a hint of coffee mingling with it. Ronald closed his eyes and hummed with delight, chocolate, vanilla, lemon and a touch of coffee, all sounded wonderful. His eyes opened after a moment as Sebastian expertly added a thick ribbon of the delectable chocolate down the top. It was beautiful smooth and reminded him of silk. Sebastian smiled once it was finished and placed it on a small square of parchment before pushing it toward Ronald. "Since you've been so patient," he commented before looking up at him smiling softly.
Ronald stared at him, he honestly believed Sebastian hadn't realized he was there and blushed. He probably seemed like a small child spying on the Pậtissier. The éclair was still warm and he loved the smell, he hesitantly picked it up and with the star covering the hole from the injector first he took a bite. The cream was light yet not too light, a happy medium between a custard and a mousse. It melted on his tongue, he could taste the sweetness of the sugar, the tang of the small amount of lemon used and the mellow vanilla bean which oddly seemed to sing. It was accompanied by the dark chocolate which had been sweetened just a little, it was just as smooth as it had looked while falling off of the whisk, yet not thin. He loved the notes of coffee which followed it, filling in the lows, it was as though he had just taken a sip of coffee and popped this delectable treat in his mouth. He purred as he tasted the fluffy pastry, a hint of vanilla and lemon had been added to that as well.
Without a second thought the waiter took another bite and enjoyed himself, he knew William would go ballistic if he saw the waiter now, but he just couldn't help it. It was sweet, addictive and honestly made his day a little better. He hummed as he thought about the time he had snuck a box of éclairs in the picnic basket when he had gone on a date with William. In all honesty the date was a disaster, Ronald had managed to get them lost on the drive to Salisbury, gotten a flat tire, forgotten his credit cards so he couldn't buy petrol at the petrol station, forgotten to put the spare tire back in the trunk of his car, and had to fend off a rather persistent red headed Irish woman. There was even a torrential downpour, he could remember sitting in his beaten up red Volkswagen Rabbit and watching the rain hit the windshield violently, a small river was flowing across the road, his head hit the steering wheel and he groaned. It just wasn't his day. Through their adventure William hadn't criticized him, in fact he hadn't said anything. Despite the mess he was now part of, the brunet simply did what he could to help. It was unusual, Ronald had been expecting the man to chide him for his stupidity.
"Well, it could be worse," the Sommelier had said after a moment. Ronald shot up and shouted, "How the bloody hell could it be worse than this!" he pointed violently out the window. William sighed and looked at Ronald he had been wearing a navy blue jacket with a soft ivory sweater and a pair of jeans, "Simple, you could have locked your keys in the car, and we would have been outside," he replied.
Ronald blinked and looked at him, he was right about that, he boisterous laughter filled the car as he leaned back in the seat. William chuckled as he looked over at the man, "Thats the only thing?" he asked. WiIliam shrugged and pulled out his mobile only to discover there was no reception, "Well, looks like we will be here for a while," he commented. The blond sighed and ran his hand nervously through his hair, he really wanted this date to be wonderful and yet, it was a train wreck combined with a plane crash. William reached into the back and pulled out the white box, "What are these?" he asked curiously as he placed the white box, Ronald glanced at the box and replied, "Dessert." William stilled looked confused until he opened the box and grinned like a schoolboy, "You went to one of the most expensive bakeries in London to purchase éclair?" he asked curiously. Ronald nodded, he still was rather depressed until William reached into the back and pulled a silver thermos, "Coffee and dessert?" he asked sweetly. Ronald paused and looked at the Sommelier as he tipped the thermos with an inquisitive smile on his lips.
Somehow that made the date perfect and the one that they both loved the most, even if it was horrible. A soft chuckled filled his ears and Ronald snapped out of his food induced daydream and looked at the Pậtissier. He watched as he finished filling each of the elongated golden pastries and adding the stars to the end which had been punctured by the injector. Ronald jumped slightly, "I take it you enjoyed it," he commented. Ronald stared at the paper, there was a small pile of crumbs where the pastry had been. He nodded meekly and looked at Sebastian, "It was perfect," he said with a small smile, far superior to the ones which he had brought on the date. Yet, he was reminded of them, "Its funny the things we remember when we eat something," the waiter commented. Sebastian nodded in agreement, "it is," he replied. Ronald reached into his pocket and pulled out a note.
He hummed as he looked at it, "Lizzy is returning tonight and Ciel requested that you make something special for her," he stated. Sebastian's hands stopped working and he looked at the waiter, it was as though he were a deer caught at the headlights of a car. "Lizzy?" he asked in confusion. Ronald sighed, clearly he didn't know that Ciel was engaged, "Yeah, his Fiancée you've seen her, she was the curvy blond next to Ciel during dinner the night Ciel asked you to serve them dessert," he replied. He watched the chef stare at him, something was very wrong, he looked frightened and disgusted, it wasn't the reaction he was hoping for. It didn't make much sense, "I see," Sebastian said slowly as he placed the pastry bag on the table. Ronald nodded and handed him a note which was written in Ciel's rather harsh hand, "Here, the specifics," he commented.
Sebastian hesitantly took the sheet and leaned on the counter as his eyes skimmed over it. "She was in Paris for a show, he made an odd request though. He wants you to add Tribulus to a small box of chocolates for her," Ronald commented. Sebastian stared at him, he had a request similar to that one before, "An aphrodisiac?" he asked slowly as he set the paper down, "The haven't seen each other in quite some times, that's not a good idea." Ronald stared, he didn't know what it was but clearly Sebastian was more than educated on it, or at least knew what it was used for. "If he wants something like that he could just order it online," he spat as he pushed the page toward Ronald.
This was the first time he had ever seen Sebastian act this way, it was unusual and surprising to say the least, "You know Ciel won't budge on this," he replied. There was a pause as he looked at Ronald, he shook his head and clenched his fists, something was very wrong. "I won't do it," he stated firmly, "Dessert I can handle but drugging one's partner without their consent isn't what I see as fun. This stuff is dangerous," he stated. There was a pause as Sebastian looked at Ronald, "I won't," he reiterated as he crossed his arms and squeezed his biceps. There was something very off with the way Sebastian was acting, he hadn't seen the chef like this and others would chuckle and consider it a rather brazen thing to do. Sebastian saw it as disgusting, even in Paris it was a common practice to soften up a lover and make the night hot.
"Sebastian, when Ciel requests something you do it, he said that you could leave now to get the herb," stated Ronald. The Pậtissier looked up at the clock and groaned, "I'm not comfortable with this," he hissed. Ronald looked him square in the eye, "I don't care what is going through your head, you do as he asks or he will throw you out on the street," stated the waiter. He was quiet he had expected the Pậtissier to look frightened and yet there was a different emotions in his eyes, hope. "He will black ball you and make it impossible for you to work in London ever again," he hissed. Sebastian was still, he was clearly weighing his options, part of Ronald wanted to ask him flat out what was wrong with him, he seemed out of it. "I understand, tell Faustus I will be out for an hour to get something for the little master," he muttered as he slipped out of his jacket and into his rain coat. It had been raining again Ronald held out a black umbrella, "Here, borrow mine," he said softly. Sebastian looked at it and then to Ronald. "No thanks, I'll be alright," he said smoothly. Ronald watched the chef walk out the back door and roll his bicycle down the street before mounting it, he was clearly a Parisian.
Something was still bothering him, Sebastian looked terrified of the idea of infusing an aphrodisiac into the chocolate. "I should ask William why he's nervous, for future reference," he muttered as he walked back into the kitchen.
~~xXx~~
Angi stared at the name in the digital reservation book, he could remember Soma's face when he told him. There had to be a way out of this, they couldn't turn him away but having him appear on the floor would cause chaos. His soul purpose as Manager of Ciel was to prevent incidents like this from occurring. He drew a deep breath as he printed out the page and rose from his chair, he would have to face the guard dog sooner or later. With the white page in his hand with Ciel's logo on the top and the information below the header he walked up the stairs. He paused outside the door and knocked firmly, "It's Agni," he said nervously.
His heart was pounding as he waited for Ciel to give him permission. "Enter," called a gruff voice from inside. The tall Indian hesitantly opened the door and looked at the slate haired young man. "I'm afraid there's been a mistake," he said slowly. Ciel had been looking at an article until he heard the word mistake. His ears twitched like a dog who was about to snap and he immediately glanced up at Agni. "What happened?" he asked with irritation. It was the same tone he used for when Grell cost them money thanks to hitting on a customer, hush money. "If Grell has done something again I'll just take it out of his paycheck," he stated harshly.
Agni shook his head and unfolded the white sheet before placing it on Ciel's desk. "I'm afraid it's more complicated," he stated. The page felt as though it weighed a ton, Agni and Soma never made an error of this magnitude. Ciel picked up the page, never breaking eye contact, Agni bowed his head. He had never made an error this great, he kept the books, covered the checks, check employees and paid bills. This kind of error wasn't financial, he hoped it was, but it wasn't. Ciel's sapphire eyes widened, "What the bloody hell is this?" he spat. He shook the sheet and pointed at it furiously. "Ash Landers has made a reservation with his soon to be partner," replied Agni.
Ciel slammed his hands on the table, "I can see that, we can't call them and say we don't have room because then we would look like the fools!" he shouted. He had to figure out what to do, Ash was a traitor and a former employee. He was never supposed to return to the restaurant even as a customer. "How could you let this happen? You advise Soma!" Ciel shouted and pointed in the general direction of the desk that Soma worked at, his voice grew in volume as he began to tremble with fury. "Elizabeth comes home tonight, we are supposed to have a nice dinner and now you tell me that," he continued, "piece of fucking shit is going to be dining here?" Agni flinched, he rarely heard Ciel curse, in fact this was the first time he had heard it.
"Tell Claude, he can figure out what to do with his ex," he hissed as he walked around his desk. Agni stood there for a moment and waited for the rest of the command, "I'm going to chat with William, this better not happen again Agni," he hissed. The gray eyed Indian watched the sleek owner as he fixed his tie, "If it does you won't be working here much longer," he spat before storming down the hallway. Ciel was furious and ready to kill, in the past he had made things of this nature disappear with money and now he was going to thrust this on Claude's shoulders. He was about to tell the Head Chef that his ex was dining on the floor tonight, with a potential investor to become Sebastian's new rival. There was no way he could make it out of that in one piece.