15
Good morning, lovely readers! I'm so glad it's Friday, I've been waiting all week to update. I really am excited about this chapter. For all of you that adore Grell to the ends of the Earth, I also love the flamboyant Reaper but I had to rough him up a bit.
I'm quickly running out of rewritten chapters, but fear not my darlings, I am writing quickly and trying to stay ahead so that I can update faithfully every week! I hope you all enjoy this chapter.
Lots of love,
Majix
Death had never appeared so final. So irreversible.
It wasn't often that the Earl of Phantomhive witnessed death first hand. Most times, Sebastian shielded him from such things when they proved necessary. He hadn't seen the death of his parents, something the bluenette was eternally greatful for, but this was almost as bad.
Shock laced his features as the boy watched Grell approach the body of Angelina and rip the red overcoat from her shoulders, sneering at her body as he did so, "What a disgrace~ Shameful, Madame!"
He slid long arms into the blood soaked sleeves and flicked the dripping crimson liquid aside with a practiced snap of the wrist, "I thought you were different, Madame Red."
Blazing green eyes stared down into her frozen features with contempt and Grell cocked his head, "But no. You let your emotions get in the way. And after all I did to help you!"
With a lewd pop, the reaper pulled the stilled death scythe from her body. He wagged his finger at the dead woman like a parent scolding a naughty child, "You don't deserve to wear the color red, not at ALL. I even helped you kill people that weren't on the 'To Die' list and this is the thanks I get. Hmph."
He turned his back on the woman and began stalking away, the dripping chainsaw hitched up against his shoulder.
The flamboyant male swayed his hips with attempted seduction as he made his way through the drenched alley and Sebastian made no move to follow.
Though it was obvious to Ciel that the issue of Jack the Ripper was eliminated courtesy of his Aunt's gruesome demise, the lust for revenge ran deep within his heart. In moments like these, it was no surprise to the Earl that he'd sacrificed his immortal soul in exchange for vengeance.
Darkness fluttered through his conscious with all the undying grace of a butterfly. Everything it touched twisted and thrived within the growing abyss that was his psyche. The monster hidden by his humanity dragged its claws across the bars, growling and screaming for release. It demanded blood for the reaper's actions. It howled for revenge behind his bicolored eyes.
And how he longed to release the beast.
His orders to Sebastian were absolute. It was rare for the bluenette to revoke one but in this instant, Ciel wanted to see Grell suffer by Sebastian's hand. He wanted to see the demon, not the wolf in the sheep's skin. He lusted for terror that only a fiend from hell could bring and the boy knew that a simple word would make it happen.
A word he was more than willing to give. Just this once.
"Sebastian."
Crimson eyes focused on the face of his young master and the steel resolve he saw there made the elder mentally growl with pleasure, "My Lord?"
Ciel looked to Grell, noting that he'd also stopped to eavesdrop on the exchange between himself and his butler.
"When you found my side, you agreed to remain as my butler on my orders. With that came the binding of who you really are and the extent of what you can do."
The elder cocked his head in understanding but said nothing. He remembered. He remembered locking his demon behind soft eyes and fragile human flesh upon his Master's orders. A small sliver of the butler wondered if Ciel was reminding him of this before he chose to punish his servant for the attempted actions towards Angelina but the icy rage behind those haunting mismatched eyes promised something all the more sinister.
Sebastian met the Earl's eyes and the depth of their demand made him pay even closer attention.
"Tonight, there are no limits."
Power slammed through the ancient's body like a tidal wave as the contract recognized the subtle order and unlocked the energy stored away. It caressed his senses with all the knowing of a long term lover while silently promising something new. The burn of approval made the monster within his flesh purr. Sebastian's eyes turned to slits, glowing with danger as he looked to his master. Surprise echoed through gaze but he couldn't take his eyes away from the boy. Even at full strength he'd never felt this much power. The sheer amount of it would have easily killed any lesser being.
Magic sung within the elder's veins and he approached his master, kneeling before the bluenette. "What are your orders, young Master?"
The Earl of Phantomhive glared daggers at Grell, "Play with your food before you consume it."
The reaper smirked at the boy and didn't appear to have any knowledge on what was about to happen. That suited Sebastian just fine. Only a fool would deny what his little Lord had just offered and the demon was no fool.
A temporary meal in the form of a death god. How exquisite.
Sebastian clasped his palm across his heart and gazed up at Ciel through dark lashes, sparing the boy nothing as he flashed him a purely predatory smile, "Thank you, my Lord."
Ciel regarded his butler with little more than a silent stare before dropping his voice below a whisper so that only his companion could hear him, "Make it painful, Sebastian."
The demon blinked and one set of maroon eyes became two sets of blood red ones. His smile became all the more omnious and Sebastian flashed the boy a grin, his lengthened canines on full display, "I wouldn't have it any other way, Master."
The elder in black stood and turned to the reaper, confidently striding towards his intended meal. His master, though cruel, could be quite generous when it suited him.
Endless pools of blood red met the neon green ones of his foe and he smiled maliciously as he caught the scent of arrogance.
The death god thinks this will be easy. A smirk came over the demon's features. And it will be. For one of us.
The rev of the chainsaw seemed to finalize the promise of battle and Sebastian closed his eyes for a second merely to breathe.
The scents of the mortal world glided over his senses like a physical caress. A sweet drift of true emotion twining itself around him and Sebastian took it all in. The lingering scent of blood mixed with desperation along with a combination of mossy cobblestone, revenge driven desire, and a twist of egotism held together with a dash of perfume.
"Coming back for round two, Bassy darling~? I dare say, I was willing to let you go without a fight." Grell wiggled his hips back and forth while blowing Sebastian a kiss, "But I suppose I AM irresistible~!"
Glowing red eyes snapped open and without a seconds warning, Sebastian darted across the space between them. Merciless fingers slammed as the pressure points in the reaper's left arm, a growl of satisfaction lingering on the demon's lips. He caught sight of Grell's terrified surprise as his supporting arm went undeniably limp and the elder flashed a sinister smile. The balance of the death scythe cracked immediately and Sebastian slammed his palm effortlessly into the redhead's forearm. A deep vibration seemed to ripple up Grell's arm as the chainsaw fell towards his body, the audible snap of bone piercing the space between them before the blades met flesh, ripping into the exact same spot where it'd caught Sebastian earlier.
Grell dropped the weapon in shock, both arms going limp before a scream ripped it's way through his parted lips. The reaper swayed on his feet but before he could make a move to run, Sebastian had already pulled his arms behind his back. The swelling muscles in Grell's forearm seemed to scream with protest but Sebastian paid the redhead no mind, jamming his knee into the intersection of the reaper's wrists and driving his weight down, forcing the once proud death god to his knees.
Nimble fingers wrapped around the smaller male's throat and Sebastian jerked him back, aligning his razor sharp talons against the steady thrum of Grell's jugular before pushing in all at once.
The reaper went completely still and Sebastian laughed as the utter submission he'd forced upon the redhead.
His voice dropped as he leaned in towards Grell, letting his lips just barely brush against the shell of his captive's ear, "What do you desire?"
Merciless talons dug deeper into the pierced artery and foreign emotion ripped its way across the demon's cortex. Dreams, desires and thoughts radiated through his demonic core and he sighed contently as he probed within the reaper's psyche. Sebastian could feel his resistance, the way Grell's conscious fought against his every intrusion, but Sebastian ripped through his barriers with a thought.
He searched for emotional connections within the gray matter, briefly gazing at each one before he finally came across the hidden compartment below all else.
Merciless eyes roamed across the surface of the safely guarded lock box, practically tasting the way Grell mentally begged him to stop. Fear radiated from the body in his arms and Sebastian dipped his head, capturing the thick scent before gliding the fingers of his astral form across the box's surface.
His voice lost the seductive nature of his human form as he directed his lips just behind the death god's ear, "What's in here that you don't want me to see? Keeping secrets, Grell?"
Ciel watched with unhidden curiosity as Sebastian held the red haired male tight against his body. The bluenette could see the terror playing across the smaller man's body with each passing second and he smiled internally at the obvious signs of terror.
The Earl arched a silent brow as he caught sight of something coming up from behind Sebastian. With a few moments of focused observation he realized that the appendage was a long black tail. It curled threateningly around his demon and sapphire eyes widened as a wickedly curved spike slid silently from the tip, glistening in the moonlight.
Sebastian slid his tail up under the back of Grell's shirt and pressed the razor sharp tip against his pale flesh at the base of the reaper's spine, "You're going to willingly open this box for me. I could break into it without a problem, but I won't."
A cry of surprised pain came from the redhead as Sebastian jabbed the tip less than a half inch below the skin, his voice dipping dangerously, "Now that we are, as you say, lovers, I wouldn't want to disrespect your privacy."
Grell said nothing and the coy smile returned to the demon's lips, "I was hoping you'd remain quiet. I hate it when I stamp the fire out to quickly."
Without warning, Sebastian pulled the tip back and slammed it home, easily piercing one of the fluid filled pouches between the vertebrate of the reaper's spine. A sharp thrill arced through the demon as Grell's pain induced scream reached his ears.
Panic coated the demon's palate as his prey finally seemed to realize the severity of his situation but before the redhead could make a sound, Sebastian split the small sac wide open, and pulled his tail free. Whimpers and whines filled the silence as the disk collapsed and the two vertebrate slid lower, clashing as they met.
Crimson pools of darkness darted to the face of his Master and Sebastian nearly groaned as he caught sight of the unabashed enjoyment he witnessed. The teen's features were alight with longing for more and the demon purred contently, ready to give it to the boy without question.
"I'm going to force those beautiful screams from you, Mr. Sutcliff." Sebastian repositioned the point of his tail just above the previous puncture site, "I'm going to destroy you both emotionally and physically while my Master watches you suffer by my hand."
He prodded the sensitive flesh threateningly, "Save yourself some of the humiliation and open the box."
The reaper remained stubbornly silent and the elder in black grinned before snatching a hand full of Grell's red hair, jerking his head up until he was eye to eye with the bluenette, "Stare into his eyes while I punish you, death god."
He forced the spike in with little effort and immediately destroyed the second squishy package, noting with satisfaction that the bones quickly mashed, pulling another lovely screech of agony from those perfect red lips.
The mental wards surrounding the reaper's secret thoughts seemed to melt before his eyes and Sebastian smiled victoriously before jamming the spike forward, sliding in deeper to trail alongside the spinal column as the demon ripped apart three additional disks.
He withdrew his tail and watched as the fight seemed to leave the other immortal. Deep waves of despair drifted through their forced connection and Sebastian sunk into the shared conscious, sliding one if his talons into the keyhole of the lockbox.
It opened with a whisper of a thought and the demon eagerly submerged himself within the other's exposed secrets.
Flashes of the youngest of three children, yet another boy when all Teresa wanted was a girl. Not enough money to try for another child. Glimpses of a confused boy who preferred dresses to pants, boys to girls, red to black. The anger of an older man when he voiced his questions. Awkward recollections as a young adult, constant questioning as he came into himself and accepted the things he could no longer deny. Clumsy, rushed moments with other boys that only made him feel inferior and left him unsatisfied. The meeting of a strictly professional brunette that buried himself within his work. Fleeting glances from afar, brief interactions and desperate longing for the other. Falling behind in work as he tried to forget his boss. Flaunting everything he had in the hopes of catching the other man's attention. Receiving nothing but over time and annoyed sighs of disappointment.
It was a whirlwind of feelings, and Sebastian tasted every drop of emotion that the reaper presented, purring contently as he pulled back and re-entered his own mindscape.
Red eyes met the blue ones of his Master as the elder leaned forward and let his lips gently brush against the ear of his captive, "How could he possibly love you, Sutcliff?"
The broken male stiffened and Ciel watched on as silent eyes begged for mercy. The Earl didn't have to be a genius to know what Sebastian was doing and it made the act all the sweeter.
The body is easy to break. It's fragile and given enough pressure it will collapse on itself, but the mind was different altogether. To break ones mind and leave them within a partially broken shell was something that Ciel deemed utterly appropriate for the demon. It spoke volumes about his normally closed off companion and the bluenette wondered in earnest how much of the show was really for him.
Sebastian wrapped his tail around the reaper's throat and let the blood stained spike graze over his Adams apple, "The least loved. Your mother never wanted you, did she? Even after she accepted that you weren't the daughter she wanted. And your father, how could he love you when he had two other sons to love and be proud of. Normal sons."
The demon's voice slid smoothly from his lips like oil on glass, mercilessly tearing the other apart, "But you still thought that you could be loved, didn't you Grell? If you just gave those boys what they wanted, a taste of something forbidden that their parents would kill them over. But each and every one of them left your heart bleeding in the ditch, didn't they?"
"You gave your love away to anybody that you could and they gave you nothing in return. It seems appropriate. Nothing for a nothing like yourself."
A smile shaped the butler's lips and he gave the other man's throat a squeeze, "Even as a death god you couldn't make anything of yourself. You escaped from the tedious land of mortals and actually expected there to be some kind of change. But the change never came, did it? I bet you found yourself right back in the same desperate hell that you thought you'd escaped."
Radiant eyes dimmed with each word spoken as Sebastian jammed his metaphorical claws into every soft spot the redhead possessed, effectively driving out his spirit, "That being said, I return to my original question: How could he possibly love you?"
Soft fingers brushed the fallen hair from Grell's face as if in comfort before continuing, "You're a mess, Sutcliff. You're used, and your body tainted by all the grubby hands that you allowed to touch you. Do you think a man as important as William would scrape the bottom of the barrel for a "woman" like you? Even if he did, I couldn't see him finding the will to keep you around, useless as you are."
"He needs nothing but his work, and you will never convince him otherwise. Not through your skills, your work, your mind, or your body."
Tears mixed alongside the endless raindrops and Ciel's eyes brightened in victory as the final flicker of hope was extinguished from those daring green rings. It would happen now. Sebastian would consume whatever he could from the reaper, be that a soul or a close substitute. The boy was minorly curious about how such a thing could be done and he watched with pained focus as his demon ripped the black tail from around Grell's neck and positioned the dangerous point just at the hollow of the redhead's throat.
"Beg me for it, Grell."
As the reaper opened his mouth to speak, a glint of silver reflected in the moonlight and Ciel didn't even have the change to call out in warning before an enormously lengthy pair of clippers forced the demon away from his prey with an enraged hiss.
The eyes of both master and servant looked up to the silhouette of an irregularly tall man with sharp glasses.
With a graceful jump he landed in front of Grell, as well as Sebastian, "Excuse the interruption gentlemen, but I am William T. Spears, the Department Manager for the London Division Shinigami Dispatch Association, and I'm here to collect that reaper."
Hope flickered within the reaper's darkened eyes before the dark haired man cut them off with an icy glare, "We'll speak of this later, Sutcliff. Murdering those not on the 'To Die' list, revealing our existence to a mortal," His eyes slid over to the blood caked death chainsaw, "Upgrading your death scythe without filling out the proper forms." Flat green eyes displayed nothing but indifference boarder lining on disgust.
The twitch of Sebastian's lips screamed that he wanted to argue but he said nothing as the superior death god grabbed Grell by the hair and jerked him up to his feet.
Emotionless eyes fell to the demon and William grit his teeth for a fractional second, "I apologize for any inconvenience that Mr. Sutcliff has caused you," He cast a dark look to Ciel that made the ravenette growl in warning, "Or your human."
He bowed ever so slightly and straightened immediately, clenching his jaw as the first signs of fire sparked within the pits of his eyes, "Disgusting. Having to bow and apologize to a creature not even fit to lick the scum from my shoes. Disgraceful."
Sebastian smiled pleasantly and said nothing as William passed him, dragging the defeated redhead behind him by his hair. He swooped the fallen death scythe from the ground and continued forward, unwilling to cast the demon or his boy another glance.
Sebastian watched their retreating figures until the darkness swallowed them whole. He returned his gaze to the boy and approached him soundlessly before kneeling, "I am sorry, master. I was unable to follow your orders as a butler should."
Ciel's eyes held a dazed and distant glaze as they stared down into the immortal's face. The rush of vengeance had passed and though momentarily sweet, it left him feeling less than satisfied. Weakness swept through his body like a stampeed and strength infused legs buckled under the weight of recent events.
Maroon eyes widened in shock and he caught the frail boy with little effort, holding him up with steady arms, "My Lord?"
Pride flared behind cobalt irises and he shoved Sebastian away with more force than he should've been able to conjur, "I'm fine, Sebastian."
The elder watched him carefully but made no move to offer assistance, "I'm just tired. Take me home, Sebastian."
Without another word, the ravenette scooped the boy into his arms and flew towards the manor through the ceaseless down pour of rain. Sizzles of human emotion echoed through the ancient's thoughts as he looked down at the bluenette.
Though originally ecstatic by the boy's lust for revenge and pain, Sebastian began to think that such a thing would bring about nothing positive in its wake. He could see the surrealism gloss over the Earl's features and as they made their way through the darkened streets of London, Sebastian began to wonder what those same features would look like when reality finally made itself known.