AN: I don't own Twilight and Kuroshitsuji, also some of the quotes that are used in this fanfic are from the anime/manga. They are far to awesome to not include.
I apologize for the lack of updates to all my ongoing stories...life has been busy and it seemed I won't be getting much break any time soon. Nevertheless I would still try and post chapters when I can.
This is unbeta'ed version.
So close - John McLaughlin
Bella stepped out of the shower with a content sigh. Nothing beats warm shower for aching muscles from morning hell exercise from yours truly demon Butler extraordinaire. Regardless of the pouring rain outside, she was able to do her morning exercise no problem on the underground training ground made by the raven haired butler. Which came no surprise to her since was used to both demon's habit springing up things on her. Sometimes.
Wrapping soft fluffy towel around her, she made her way to the bedroom for change of clothes.
Dressed in a earthy coloured dress with flower pattern at bottom, cream wool sweater, black leggings and a headband for her lose hair she deemed herself ready for the rest of the day.
-x-
It wasn't long before they had resumed their research. Ciel and Sebastian was in charge of files that came from the demon realm library while Bella searched for human myths and legends with a help of a laptop alongside her. As for their furry friends, Pluto took upon himself to lounge in front of the lit fireplace with jinx still covered with bandages snuggled on top of his fur. Despite what many people believed about the ongoing war between cats and dogs both creatures had no problem being in the same room with each other. Though there were still some hostility between them they had found a way to coexist with other peacefully. And the reason that made it possible was, Bella. They had come into agreement to make their mistress/saviour happy and making those who wronged her pay….dearly. She had accepted them as friends though she may disagree and say they are 'family' despite what others portray them to be . For Pluto, he once again had found another human to protect and love aside from his demon masters and for Jinx, he had finally found a family who accept him and love him unconditionally. Both vowed to protect what they had now and had no intention of losing it any time soon.
-x-
"Any news on his location?" inquired Ciel, bringing the brunettes attention to the two demons.
Sebastian shook his head. "Unfortunately no my Lord. But the search is still on going."
"Who are you looking for?" Bella asked, looking up from her own research.
"The first demon who created a contract with a human, Mephistopheles. He granted Youth, knowledge, earthly pleasures, and magical powers for the human's soul."
"So he is real then?"
Both demons nod.
"Yes, but unfortunately he vanished roughly 25 years ago and never been seen from then. "
"So no one really know why he had vanished?"
"No one knows my lady. But those who were close to him say that he acted differently before he was never seen again. He was somehow calm….a character he never was, also he tend drift and turn the rest of the world out. Some say he was killed but others said he went to hiding."
-x-
The sun has set over the manor turning the sky from a gloomy cloudy to dark blue almost black. Looking out the window she stretched and let out a yawn.
"Tried my belle?" murmured Ciel against her brunette locks. Tightening his hold of his mate.
As the day turned to night, the couple had opt to call it a day and relax on each other's arm.
Said mate hummed in agreement before snuggling deeper like a kitty on his firm embrace. Feeling of warmth, comfort, safe and love envelope her.
He chuckled.
Looking at the darkening forest his thoughts drifted. Never would he imagine that years after that fiery night, he would be this close to another person. After the death of his parents he had distance himself from anyone, avoiding contact physically or emotionally. Though over the years there were moments that was unavoidable thinking back at times where Elizabeth and madame red would smother him with hugs. But with those he can't help but be rigid in contact. Now ever since meeting Bella, he himself was the one initiating embraces - something which will only be known by the manor occupants and no one else, he had a reputation as a demon to uphold after all. With Bella he yearns for contact, her warm though that sends his heart beating like humming bird and skin tingling.
Looking at the time it was nearing twenty past seven. Over the shadowed corner of the room the young demon sensed his friend and butler waiting, with a subtle nod he gave the signal to proceed with his task.
"Isabella... " her name rolled his tongue like velvet chocolate.
" Yes? " she asked, peeking through her long lashes. Brown eyes meet with odd blues. Today is one of those days she let her other eye free from the white cover. Though she would never tell out loud it also helps a lot when navigating, until now she still have her moments where her coordination is terrible.
It was then Sebastian chose to enter with pair of thin coats draped over his arm.
Ciel shifted and stood up pulling Bella along.
"We are going somewhere." Unfolding his sleeves and putting his coat on.
"Where?"
"If I tell you then it wouldn't be a surprise. "
"But…." she pouted.
"No buts my Belle." He then placed his hands over her eyes from behind.
As her vision turned dark, all she could hear was their steady breathing and the thump of her heart. Small fluttering of what felt like feather ghosted her skin, cold swallowed every direction but thanks to Ciel she felt warmth and protected.
It only lasted for a second until the fluttering feathers stopped. The smell of forest, rain and grass enveloped her senses.
She took a deep breath. "Where are we?" It smelt a lot like Forks but a same time quite different that she couldn't place what it is.
Hands that covered her vision disappeared but she hasn't yet took a peak.
Lacing his calloused hands with her small delicate ones he whispered. "Open your eyes my Belle."
Opening her eyes she meet is darkness. Looking around all she can see is shadows. She frowned in confusion.
"5….4…..3….."Ciel counted down but still looked ahead.
And when he hit zero everything appeared from the shadows. The overcast that covered the luminescent odd sized moons and dark sky passed by and unveiled their surroundings, like bringing life to darkness. They were in a centre of a field filled with what looked like lilies and lotus, it would had looked normal flowery field except all closed flowers even the small buds were pale silvery blue an unusual colour and cannot be found in the human world.
'lunae declinatio' or Moon drop flowers they are called, only found in a nameless island hidden deep within the demon realm. Flowers not known for beauty - for when they are in full bloom they could make a fresh clean cut gem or the clearest blue water from the highest mountains pale into comparison - but also their medical value, a single drop of their dew bathe in moonlight said can cure any poison whether they are natural or made and also can slow down aging that could make any human seemed immortal. However because of it's astounding medicinal properties they only bloom every 500 years and only grew somewhere well hidden from everyone.
Bella was just about to spoke when Ciel stopped her. "Before you say anything….keep looking ahead." referring to the flowers in front of them. If Bella thought the closed buds look beautiful like pearls and couldn't get any better, the next few seconds made her utterly wrong.
As if someone had place them all in a self timer, all the flowers that were closed bloomed all at once and out fire fly like large pollens, fluttered out and into the open air.
Bella was speechless.
As the ember colour pollens danced around the field, it reminded her so much of a fairy dance she had once read when she was little. It was magical.
"Wow…" she exclaimed in awe.
Turning towards his mate he held out his hand. "Would you like to dance my lady?" he asked, a smug smile playing his lips. Seeing his mate's awed expression can't help but stroke his ego, he hoped to see that reaction and more in the near future.
She glared playfully before curtsying and accepting the offered arm. "Of course my lord. I gladly accept."
Wrapping his arms around her waist, he brought her closer. Though there were no music playing, it didn't matter to the couple. All it mattered is the person right in front of them. The right partner to dance the song of their heart.
-Flashback-
"Pardon my directness my lady, but formal dance are quite regular occurrence and at events such as banquets and dinner parties it is an irreplaceable cultural skill, " staring her intently he continued. "If you wish to be a lady and show 'everyone' in present you aren't the shy broken girl we found it is only natural for you to be able to dance. Even if you refused to dance with anyone. "
She looked at Ciel for help but was shocked to see him paled a little. She wondered why would he paled, seeing as a sophisticated gentleman he would imagined he had learned how to dance when he was little as a part of his studies.
"You have nothing to worry about. I shall take on your dance lesson so rest assured my lady, you are in good hands." Sebastian reassured Bella. He turned around to set the portable radio but by the time he looked back where Bella was ,the was an empty space and door was ajar.
"I will never dance !" she shouted while running for her life.
Sebastian let a eerie smile grace his lips and in a flash he was back in the room carrying Bella like a princess.
"Now..now Miss Swan..." he chided.
Sighing in defeat she grumbled, crossing her arms like a petulant child. "Fine. Ill...Ill learn how to dance" saying the last with so much distaste.
….30 minutes later...
"It seems you have a talent for dancing my lady if you put your mind to it. I can't help but think of certain someone who I taught before that has almost have no talent for dancing ...always stepping over feet or tripping…..." Sebastian trailed off, looking at Ciel from the corner of his eye who is currently shooting daggers at him. If looks could kill.
"Uhmn...It may be because I have a great teacher!" She smiled then tilt her head to the side, curious to who was the previous student. "And who was the 'someone'?"
"Sebastian..." Ciel warned, too low for human ears to hear.
"Unfortunately... I had long forgotten the name," his lips twitching fighting a grin.
"What's wrong?" Bella looked at the demon butler perplexed to is why they stopped suddenly.
"Well now you have the basics done, I can't help but notice your difficulty to keeping up with me ...you body is stressing trying to reach up...this won't do at all, nope not at all. But worry not for I have a solution for it."
Taking Bella's hand he directed her to Ciel.
"Young master if you would please? Now, before you say anything Miss Swan the young master here is the perfect partner he isn't too short or too tall plus he is an excellent dancer if I say so myself. " All thanks to me of course, he internally added.
"Shall we Miss Swan?" the young demon asked leading her to the space provided.
Sebastian turned off the radio and picked up a violin seemingly out of nowhere and start to play a melody.
"You are doing great my lady."
It felt so right. There was no limitation or worry, just going with the flow.
"I guess what they said was true...you just need the right partner." She said with a smile.
I guess dancing wasn't so bad after all...
-Flashback End-
"What's wrong?" He asked looking into her eyes.
"Nothing...It's just your eyes...they are so beautiful to be covered." Because of modern science Ciel hardly wears eye patch in public all the time to hide his seal. Ever since the invention of contact lenses, sometimes use them instead wearing an eyepatch. But because of the contact being blue, putting it on top of his eye makes them more darker than normal. Therefore his eyes mismatch but in a beautiful way, one bright blue like a cloudless sky the other a slightly darker blue like a priceless sapphire gem.
"I should be saying that to you."
She shook her head. "My eyes are just your common brown ones that many of the population have. They are nothing special. As for covering them, I still don't know how can you stand putting contacts on and off...I mean you literally touch our eyeball !"
"It takes lots of practice my dear Bella," mirth twinkling in his eyes.
"Still...I don't like them..." she grumbled. Remembering times she had tried putting contact lense only to fail miserably. In the end she gave up after her so many tears and colourful curses.
Looking back up she spoke, "You know, you have the same eyes as your mother."
Ciel's eyes widen at what his mate just said. Thinking back to all the conversations they had, he never once went into detail what his parents looked like. Also there are no portraits in the mansion of them, so he wonders.
How does she know?
She stopped and thought what she had said. The memory of the meeting sprung up, remembering what she had promised to his parents. "Argh!...I can't believe I forgot about it. But does it mean it wasn't just a mere dream?"
"Isabella?"
"The dream...I had a dream ...It was the night you kissed me. I woke up in the grassy garden just few feet from the manor patio and waiting for me on the patio are your parents. They introduced themselves ….and we talked."
His blue eyes dimmed and looked away. "Then they must dislike me for what I had become after they had departed..." Self loathing and sadness crept deep within him.
Taking his face into her hands, fierce chocolate browns looked into his blues."No, they are not disappointment whatsoever. Infarct they are sad that they had left you at such a young age...Despite the fact that they are dead, they still receive glimpse of the land of the living. They know what you have been through, from that night to the present. "
"Before I left the dream world, they told me to pass a message to you...They said they love you very much. Never doubt them Ciel. "
-x-
Soft breeze blew through the meadow, Bella snuggled closer to Ciel as they both laid on the soft grass looking up into the starless night sky.
Ciel propped to his elbows bringing Bella's rapt attention from the twin silver moons to him.
"My Belle?"
"Ciel, is there something wrong?" she asked, worried about the frown set on his mate's face.
"I…" He looked away. Ciel, a demon and ex-human who is known to be heartless to his enemies is scared...no beyond terrified. No matter how hard he push his thoughts away the feeling of losing his mate entirely shook his very core. Seeing her lively chocolate brown eyes turn to glassy and unseeing. He can't help but think 'What if'.
Get a grip! God what's wrong with me?!
As if she knew what he was thinking. She grabbed the back of his neck and brought him down to a intense kiss filled with hope, reassurance, trust and love.
"It's in the past Ciel. What is done is done. There is no turning back time. I trust you Ciel that you will find a way."
Bringing her left hand to his large ones, he brought it up to kiss the tips. With his other, he removed one of his rings on his left thumb and placed it on her ring finger.
Bella sat there in shock. Ciel had just given her the ring he never remove. It was an ornate silver piece that holds emerald-cut deep blue stone. What she didn't know is that it is one of a kind family heirloom that had been passed down for generations. It is the only thing left of his parents that has not been reconstructed by demon powers.
Cupping her face he stared into her misty chocolate brown. "I will find a way Isabella…..I promise you."
A/N: Please review !
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