The cricket tournament was always followed by a magnificent boat parade, where the winning team was parading around in front of the Queen. It was quite the honor, and Ciel probably would have looked forward to it if it wasn't on a boat. He had never been particularly fond of boats, and the incident on the cruise ship hadn't increased his affection. Perhaps the ship experience had traumatized him for life, and he would forever be cursed with the irrational fear of boats and other water-based methods of transportation?

But no. He didn't feel a surge of panic upon seeing the little boat, bobbing a bit in the water. He got onto the thing just fine and didn't want to jump off when his teammates set off and started rowing towards Windsor. Then again, maybe he didn't want to jump off because he couldn't swim.

Eleanora wasn't present at the actual parade. The butler had had to leave a bit early because of some problem with the young Master's wardrobe, and he had left her a little note asking her to meet him on a little hill, overlooking the Thames. They could watch the ceremony from there and miss all the crowds and earsplitting cheering.

He was waiting for her when she arrived. He had spread out a little moonlit picnic and kissed her hand when she approached him. He poured out some of his special nonalcoholic unholy wine and they made several toasts: to the successful cricket victory, to sexy professor costumes, to the fact that the young Master was several kilometers away from them on a boat.

It was a beautiful night. Eleanora sighed and rested her head on Sebastian's shoulder; he sat back and kissed her head. She looked up at him and smiled; he smiled back and thought about how lovely she was, her eyes sparkling in the moonlight. He thought about how lucky he was to be bound to such a gem for all eternity. He felt his heart swelling up with a wonderfully warm feeling, a feeling which he had come to recognize whenever he was with her.

"Eleanora," he said, cuddling her closer to him, "I love you." He paused, considering. "I never, in all of my years, thought that I would say that to a human."

Eleanora's smile slowly disappeared. But his smile just widened.

"You don't have to say anything right now," he said. "I just wanted you to know that, I do love you. I love you more than I have ever loved anything or anyone. And you don't have to say it back to me right now. I don't mind if you're still confused or even if you still hate me—I know that you'll say it eventually. And I can wait until you're ready to love me back. And even if you'll never be ready, I'll still be waiting." He beamed at her, wondering what she would say.

Eleanora was silent for a time. Then she glared up at him.

"Now, isn't that just like you?" she scowled. "You just always have to play the hero. You'll wait forever for your cute little damsel in distress, is that right? Even if I never return your feelings, is that it?"

"Well…Yes." He gave her a confused smile. "Is…Is that a problem?"

"Damn right it's a problem! Why are you always so arrogant? You just go around assuming things about people, and then you say the most idiotic of things. What if I've been ready for several days now? What if I've been ready for hours? What if I'm ready right now? What will you do then?"

"Are you ready? Really?" He grabbed her hands and stared deep into her eyes. "Really?"

Eleanora scoffed and looked away.

"Of course I am," she said, and he could see that she was blushing, despite making every effort to hide it.

"Then say it," he said huskily. "Please say it now—if you're truly ready."

"I'm not going to scream it out to the world, if that's what you're waiting for."

"Then whisper it."

"First turn around and close your eyes."

He did so. He felt her hand nervously clenching over his'. Then he felt her breath tickle his ear as she breathed,

"I—love—you."

She then released his hand and looked away again, blushing even more furiously than before.

"Do you mean it?" he asked, gazing at her seriously. "Do you really mean it?"

"If I didn't mean it, would I have said it? You just can't lie about shit like that, you know."

"So…You love me?"

"I already said that I did, didn't I? Or have you gone deaf in your demonic old age?"

"Oh, Eleanora," he whispered. He pulled her closer and she didn't resist; she smiled up at him again and they kissed. "Eleanora, I love you so much…"

"I know," she said quietly. "I love you too…"

They were so engrossed in another kiss that they didn't even hear the screams as the boat on the Thames rolled over, or the laughter that followed the scene. They didn't see the young Master grab the side of the overturned boat and haul himself partially out of the water, spluttering. They didn't hear and they didn't notice and they didn't care.

But Ciel noticed. After he had finished coughing, he had looked around at the crowd, wondering where his butler was and why wasn't he coming to help him, or at least prepare to. And then he noticed Sebastian and Eleanora sitting in the distance, their kiss illuminated by the fireworks which lit up the sky.

"Oh," Ciel thought as he stared at them. "Isn't that nice?"

This idea was quickly overthrown by another, far more urgent one:

"Grell is going to kill her."

THE END

Author's Note:

Thank you all for reading! I hope you enjoyed it. If you did, please look up my other stories! Thanks again!