'Ello my lovely readers ^-^
Well~ here is chapter 8 for all of you.
Once again, I don't own Kuroshitsuji/Black Butler because if I did, SebaCiel would take the term 'Canon' to a whole new level.
Chao,
Majix
Pain. It wracked every inch of the young boy's body with every movement. Each breath felt as if he was bursting within his own flesh and a thin sheen of sweat coated the bluenette's pale skin. Ciel struggled to keep his eyes open as a dull throbbing coursed through him at a painstakingly lazy rate, making him squirm.
"Sebastian! P-please! I can't take it!"
The stoic butler steadied him with a brief touch and he continued as if the boy hadn't spoken, "Young Master, if you please. Just endure it a little while longer. I'm almost finished."
Ciel could've sworn he heard the crunch of bones as he was pushed harder. He clenched his fists and cried out in agony, "Sebastian stop!"
The elder smirked playfully as he pulled the strings taunt and restrung them all the way until they were practically invisible. The demon had to admit, he'd pulled the corset especially tight, especially for a boy. There were so many lewd and provocative comments that the man longed to verbalize, but his flawless etiquette as a butler held his tongue.
"All done."
Ciel pushed himself up from the wall and almost fell over. The corset was the latest torture that Sebastian and Angelina had deemed necessary for even a chance at success with the Viscount, but this was by far the worst. Every breath made his ribs ache and he constantly felt as though he was going to pass out. The lack of oxygen let Ciel view the world through a glossy sheen of surealism, and the boy was infinitely greatful for that. There was no way he could have stomached the thought of what he was about to do without that sense of detachment.
First, they'd taught him the art of eating with the correct fork, leaving him to feel slightly embarrassed by his lack of knowledge but that mild humiliation was only the beginning. It seemed that the rules governing how a lady should eat were vastly different than the rules of etiquette he'd learned.
From there it'd only grown as he was schooled on how to walk, talk and basically how to function as a human being all over again.
However, the absolute pinnacle of the evening had been when Sebastian made him assume the submissive position as a dancing partner and his Aunt watched Sebastian lead and teach him the various body stances and dipping positions. The very thought of it made Ciel shutter with distaste as he tried to move gracefully in the mercilessly tight fabric.
"Is all of this really necessary?"
The bluenette grit his teeth as the exclamation sent another wave of pain down the length of his rib cage.
Madame Red sighed and flipped her hair nonchalantly, "Of course it is. Even the most immature noble woman is taught these things and a man as social as the Viscount Druitt will notice if you can't do even the simplest Waltz."
He sighed in defeat and glanced helplessly at the clock. The ball was in less than three hours and Ciel had not a single doubt in his mind that both Madame Red and Sebastian had many more humiliating and painful lessons to teach him before it was time to make their appearance.
Color flooded his cheeks as he stared into the flawless reflection of the mirror. A chill glided down the Earl's spine as he examined himself. His body felt foreign, and aside from his dark blue eyes, Ciel saw nothing of himself.
The lacy pink dress clung to his forcibly curved body, the sleeves hanging just off the shoulders, revealing creamy white skin. Black silk elbow gloves contrasted sharply against the boy's milky complexion and brought out the delicate shade of the dress. The dress itself was heavy but the material was soft and airy, seeming to attach effortlessly to the roses that clung to the center. His navy blue ringlet curls stood stark against the cream colored ruffles clinging to his shoulders. Faded maroon makeup made his eyes feel heavy and as Ciel gazed at himself through the familiar dark blue eyes, he felt alien within his own skin.
He swallowed heavily and was suddenly glad he'd insisted upon only having the butler help dress him, "Sebastian."
The elder raised a silent eyebrow and tied the last bow on the back of the dress, "My Lord?"
The boy couldn't form words as he continued to stare helplessly at his own reflection. Blood he could handle, drug smugglers and slave traders were as easy as breathing but not this. This was unnatural.
Ciel took a deep breath and turned around to face Sebastian, smiling pleasantly, "How do I look?" His voice was thick with accent, easily masking the male undertones of his natural sound.
The smooth richness of the bluenette's voice made the butler pause. As the demon took in the Earl's appearance, a knot formed in the pit of his stomach. He was dazzling. The faint insecurity that radiated from the boy's body like perfume made the elder's mouth go dry and his gaze darkened, "Stunning, My Lady."
In all the time since they'd made the contract, Sebastian had never wanted to consume Ciel's soul more than he did right then. With undying grace, the man in black stood and turned from his Master, the monster within his flesh growling, demanding attention. He was so venerable, so fundamentally strong but undeniably delicate. A true meal fit for a king. A sinister smile met the demon's lips as he perched a thin pair of glasses on his nose, glancing at Ciel from the corner of his eye.
He, or rather "she", looked so unsure of herself. He could feel the continuous waves of discomfort and frustration rolling off the Earl like a perfectly balanced shore. The male in the pink dress looked so terribly lost and the sly butler couldn't help but to smirk. However, just beneath all that insecurity glowed a dazzling sense of determination and a twisted view on justice that refused to be extinguished. They balanced themselves out nicely within the boy and Sebastian couldn't help but to notice how revenge driven his young Master had become. The wolf in the sheep skin, indeed.
"I need to speak with my Aunt. Meet us down in the drawing room when you've finished whatever preparations you deem worthy of tonights... social experiment."
A scoff rung through the butler's mind like a bell at the young Lord's choice of wording, and a predatory smirk lingered on the elder man's lips "Of course, My Lady. I shall see to everything."
The Earl cast him a chilling glare at the second mention of his assumed title, his deep blue eyes flat and void of anything beside icy irritation, "Do not mock me, Sebastian. I may be a proper lady now, but by the end of the night I won't be. And I'm not beneath running your bones into the ground like an overworked mutt. Is that clear?"
Sebastian raised an eyebrow and clasped his hand over his heart, "Crystal, my Lady."
As the boy spun on heel and tried his best to avoid stomping from the room, as well as slamming the door. Sebastian watched with idle interest, a slow smile curving across his mouth at Ciel's threat. He must be feeling especially sadistic today, which in the butler's view, was never really a bad thing. It always proved interesting, especially if he himself wasn't the punch line to the Master's joke.
As Ciel braved the stairs in search of his Aunt, he felt an entirely new wave of determination flood through him. Though the circumstances, as well as the means to the end, were not ideal in any way, shape or form, the Earl was confident in their hastily thrown together plan. That undying streak of brilliance within him drove the bluenette day by day, and for the moment, it drove him to the Viscount.
Ciel grit his teeth as he stumbled slightly on the last step, an entirely new jolt of pain striking his ribs as he was forced to catch himself. Bloody ridiculous. How women managed this on a daily basis was beyond him and if he had his way, all corsets would be banned and considered inhumane.
The chorus of laughter easily directed the young Phantomhive to where Madame Red, as well as Lau, had decided to wait for him. Upon his entrance, he was immediately caught in a tight and smothering embrace from Angelina as she shook him, cooing over how adorable Sebastian had made him.
For a brief moment the boy hoped that perhaps he would fair much like a goldfish in a bag, and if she shook him long enough, he would simply turn belly up and float to the surface.
The morbid thought left the boy smiling as he pried the over zealous woman's fingers off of him, breathing as heavily as he dared.
As he caught sight of her, Ciel was momentarily dumb struck at how beautiful she had become in such a short amount of time. The dress she wore was tight in all the right places and unlike himself, she seemed to have no issue with her own hidden corset. Well trimmed ruffles sat against the front of her hips and the way the dress clung to her legs vaguely reminded him of a mermaid. The dip in the front was modest but decently riské enough to show that she was a strong and powerful woman. She wore elbow gloves to match and of course, the material was a striking and flamboyant shade of red.
"Oh Ciel, your butler truly is wonderful! Just look at how beautiful you look!"
Ciel grit his teeth and swallowed the sharp comeback that came so naturally to him with refined effort, "Tell me again, why am I in this ridiculous dress and this unyielding torture device?"
"Because, Darling! I have always wanted a daughter to attend all of London's most fabulous balls with! I suppose that I'll just have to make due with a niece instead."
An annoyed sigh escaped the boy's lips and though he knew she was merely joking, it practically pained him to hear his entire existence laid out as such, "Angelina,"
The way he drew out her name made the redhead tsk and cross her arms, "No need to be such a spoil sport."
Her initial irritation completely faded and she plopped back down into her chair, "I have arranged for my brilliant niece to attend the Viscount Druitt's final ball of the Season as a personal favor. Lau will be my ever present lover, and I suppose Grell will be.. well. Grell."
The butler looked terribly offended and he quickly tried to voice his opinion before Angelina's own voice trumphed his, "And of course, Sebastian will be your tutor."
At the mere mention of his name, the butler seemed to appear out of thin air beside Ciel, "All is set and ready to go, My Lady. Shall we?"
Ciel swallowed. The moment of truth. Everyone in the room seemed to look at him, silently asking if he would, indeed, go through with this charade, with the exception of Sebastian. The demon knew that once the bluenette decided on a course of action, no matter the cost, little would sway him. It was both a noble and foolish trait, but try as he may, the tutor in disguise had yet to discover whether or not tonight's performance would end with a hollow victory.
Perfume hung heavily in the air like a thick fog within the ballroom. Every woman wore her own scent and as they mingled, the boy trapped in the pink dress felt as though he would suffocate. Layers of lace, silk, satin and cotton were all within touching distance and he couldn't begin to count the number of women crowding the floor. Dresses in every size, shape and color spun and drifted on the dance floor with their respected partners as the orchestra played each piece flawlessly. Alcohol seemed to be all around him and the familiar scent of champagne overwhelmed his senses. On top of it all, they had yet to spot the Viscount. All in all, it was Ciel's worst nightmare.
Sebastian stayed an acceptable distance behind him and the bluenette briefly contemplated how the demon was dealing with the over abundance of stimuli. The Earl idly wondered if the mixed company of different scents bothered the butler.
Just as he'd been instructed, Ciel plastered a soft and welcoming smile on his face and wandered the floor with small and dainty footsteps, making sure to lift the bottom of his dress with each step. All he really wanted to do was go home and complain. His feet hurt beyond comprehension, his ribs ached, he still felt dizzy, the dress was heavy, and he was hot. There were so many more complaints that he could think of, but none of them could be uttered without swearing, which he'd been specifically instructed not to do.
Which Ciel could understand. If a lady were to swear in his company, he'd be both startled and appalled but as a man, all he wanted to do was to tell each and every man that kept pawing at him to either piss off or to shove it.
As the young "Lady" walked ahead of him, Sebastian was pleasantly surprised that he didn't appear to be male. In his mannerisms at least. The crowd around them made the demon want to burst out of his skin and consume each and every one of their souls out of pure irritation. All their chatter and the pointless conversations. Ignored flirtations, over dramatic demands for attention, pressured laughter, and above all, ignorance. It made his stomach churn. Each and every individual in the room was more shallow than the last. Some could say that they weren't really all that bad, especially since each one contributed to a charity of some sort; but in the end, that just made them all the more lacking in character. They donated their wealth for the bragging rights, not because they actually cared about what happened to the people it went too.
As his gaze fixated on Madame Red, he silently noted that while among the others of society, she immediately melted into the crowd. Flocked by men who desperately wanted her favor and attention. It was disgraceful and more than a little sad.
His eyes roamed the ballroom and he was less than surprised to find that Grell wasn't among the cities most superficial individuals. The butler could claim to be shocked, but he truly wasn't. The man was off doing better things.
"Oh my goodness! All the lovely dresses, I can't believe how beautiful they all look!"
Both Ciel and Sebastian froze at the sound of the Earl's future wife. Her voice was unmistakable and the bluenette whipped his head around at record speed to make sure his ears weren't deceiving him.
The Marquee's granddaughter stood off to the side, marveling at all the women on the dance floor and the sight was like a bucket of cold water down the Phantomhive's spine. A flood of panic wracked his senses and he immediately looked up at Sebastian.
The young Master's distress was written on every feature on his delicate face and the butler could see the beginning beads of sweat appear on the boy's brow as he cast yet another frantic glance towards Elizabeth.
The butler turned tutor placed a hand on Ciel's back and quickly guided him away from the girl in the yellow dress, "Don't worry young Mast -, My lady. We'll just stay over here for a while and I'm sure she won't notice us."
Ciel wondered if fate had a sadistic sense of humor, for the moment Sebastian finished speaking, Elizabeth turned her attention to both of them, "Oh my! Hey, you! In the adorably cute pink dress!"
Sebastian cast a discrete look over his shoulder and bristled as he realized that the young Master's fiancée was hurrying towards them at an alarmingly quick pace.
The gentle palm against the bluenette's spine suddenly became slightly more forceful as Sebastian expertly weaved them through the thick crowds of people on the center floor. However, as hard as they tried, Elizabeth seemed to keep perfect pace behind them. The elder grit his teeth as they failed to escape the girl's attention.
With each step Sebastian could feel the bluenette's muscles tighten and become rigid as Ciel's carefully structured female idiosyncrasies quickly started to revert back to his normal everyday mannerisms.
As they stepped in front of an especially large group of people, Sebastian jerked the Earl down behind an overly large cake entered near the far wall.
"Why is she here, Sebastian?!"
Ciel leaned against the table and frantically looked for Madame Red, only for his hopes to be immediately diminished. She was completely flocked by men. Including Lau.
"If she sees me, the entire investigation will be blown open in front of all the nobles... AND the Viscount."
Sebastian lowered his voice sharply, "It would also become quickly apparent that the young Lady is actually the young Master."
Fear gripped the boy's nerves as the full weight of the situation crashed down on his conscious. Anxiety dulled the reawoken ache in his ribs as he began to hyperventelate, "If she sees me.. the Phantomhive name will be tarnished for generations!" His throat tightened as heat crept up to his face, "I would have to explain being caught in a dress to my future wife."
He swallowed hard and quickly tried to dab his face with a napkin just as Sebastian had taught him, "What are we going to do, Sebastian? We still haven't found the V-"
"Viscount Druitt! It's so lovely to see you again. It seems that you get more and more handsome each time I see you!"
The overly exaggerated tone of the woman's voice instantly caught the bluenette's attention and he searched for her before easily matching her voice to her face. The Duke's wife was excitedly talking to a tall blonde man that Ciel assumed to be the Viscount.
The Druitt was nothing like what Ciel had imagined. The man was about as tall as Sebastian with rich blonde hair that settled around his shoulders. He had high cheek bones and dazzling blue eyes that settled against pale snow white skin. A glass of champagne sat between his fingers as he easily conversed with the dark haired woman.
A little flutter danced in Ciel's stomach as he watched the Viscount talk with Duke Baliey's wife, Helen. His charisma was absolutely infectious, and she hung on his every word. The way his body language worked with the flow of his words was stunning and the Earl didn't have a problem imagining him luring an unsuspecting prostitute into the alley with a smile smile and a handful of words.
The demon covertly glanced around the room for Elizabeth before nodding at the young Phantomhive, "You'll have to greet him first. I'll stay here as another man could make him weary of you."
Ciel cast him an annoyed glare before mustering his courage, taking a deep breath and standing, quickly weaving his way between men and women on the dance floor as he made his was over to the blonde.
Duke Baliey had joined his wife in talking to the Viscount as Ciel arrived behind the suspected murderer. He stood tall and smiled warmly, "Good evening,"
As Ciel prepared to curtsy, the shriek of Elizabeth finding the mystery girl in the pink dress met his ears, making him cringe as he dashed away from the Druitt and back into the mass of the crowd, breathing heavily as he tried to get as far as possibly from his fiancée.
He yelped in surprise as Sebastian suddenly wrapped his long slender fingers around his wrist, tugging him over to the farthest wall, "This way, my Lady."
Ciel followed the demon without question, breathing heavily as they scooted through the crowd. Sebastian momentarily paused to catch the attention of one of the servers, cleverly directing him towards Elizabeth with the request of a lemonade. The Earl cursed his footwear and huffed in frustration as they finally stopped on the opposite wall. So close! A string of colorful curses rang through his thoughts before Sebastian's musical voice pulled him free, "This has become more difficult than we originally planned."
Ciel gave him a death glare and bit back his sarcasm, groaning quietly as the orchestra played in full swing and the men and women paired up for the next dance.
"I see no other way."
Ciel looked up questioningly at Sebastian before understanding dawned on him. He looked at the dancing crowd with horror and realized that there was no other way. Elizabeth was directly opposite of them and waiting for the dance to stop before she continued her pursuit of him. The Viscount was standing across the room talking to another noble and the only way he could get over to him before Elizabeth caught up to him would be to dance across the floor with Sebastian over to where he was standing.
A bolt of fear raced through the Earl's nerves as he instantly recalled the last time they'd danced together. The strange wave of peace and the inability to breathe afterwards. The zing of connection that he couldn't explain.
Sebastian offered the bluenette his hand and smiled knowingly, "As your tutor, it will be perfectly acceptable for me to dance with you."
He bowed slightly, clasping his free hand over his heart like he'd done so many times before as he continued to offer Ciel his open palm, "May I have this dance, My Lady?"
Dread almost buckled the Earl's knees and he swallowed deeply, a warm feeling lingering within the pit of his stomach as he thought about dancing with Sebastian. A small part of him that he tried to ignore whispered that the peace he'd felt on the previous occasion had been anything but bad.
He didn't want to admit it, but since then he'd tried to duplicate the tranquil feeling, to little result. The frightened part of his conscience wondered if he would feel it yet again with the elder before him.
A flicker of fear grasped the boy's heart before he accepted Sebastian's open hand with a timid smile.
The elder in black returned his smile reassuringly and Ciel couldn't help but to relax. Yes, he was about to dance as a woman in a group of unsuspecting nobles, and he was running the risk of not only ruining his investigation but also being exposed by his fiancée, but as he shyly glanced up at Sebastian he knew that the man wouldn't let either of those things happen. For the first time, he really did trust Sebastian. Not because of their contract or the fact that Sebastian was a demon, but because he'd never let anything happen to him before and he was more than positive that he wouldn't let him down this time, or any time in the future.