Well!

Here we are! Chapter 20. I've never stayed with a piece of writing this long! And I still have so much further to go, and I actually find myself so very excited for that. So much to come.

I know that it isn't Friday (or in some cases Thursday) but I completed two more chapters and I really wanted to post. I really miss seeing your reviews in my inbox! (Especially from VeryBerry96 and NVCiel, you guys are practically my muse) And I couldn't wait until Friday, or even Thursday to post.

I hope you all enjoy this chapter. It took a little while to complete and I actually had to rewrite the second half of it after an unexpected SD card malfunction.

As always, I don't own Black Butler/Kuroshitsuji. If I did, SebaCiel would be utterly Canon in the most graphic way possible.

I love you all, all you fans out there made this work entirely possible. Thank you for believing in me.

Ta,

Majix

The overwhelming and unmistakable scent of curry permeated every inch of the Phantomhive residence. It'd been hours since the elder started cooking, and as time went on, the manor continued to play host to the complex and ever growing scents of Sebastian's creations.

It'd started simple enough with chicken, a little on the spicy side with extra pepper; a dash of lemon juice. But the 26th son had quickly dismissed it, stating that the sauce was bland and the chicken wasn't right.

Every dish since then had been deemed unfit for one reason or another. Though Ciel declined to participate in testing each and every one of his butler's creations, he always made sure to appear when they were called in to taste.

More than the rest of them though, Ciel payed specific attention to Sebastian.

For the first few dishes, the butler didn't seem to mind them being cast aside but with each new plate served, the bluenette could see his annoyance grow. Being a prideful creature himself, the Earl understood where he was coming from and if the teen had to guess, he'd safely assume that Sebastian was no longer fooling around. Despite not being able to eat human food, or choosing not to, Sebastian knew how to cook. It was one of the very first things Ciel had demanded that the demon learn to do flawlessly.

Over time, the butler had grown to use cooking as his way of showing off. Sebastian was no stranger to spices and unique ideas, so when Prince Soma continued to sent the dishes back, it was a constant blow to the man's pride.

As the fiftieth combination was sent away, Ciel watched his butler leave with seeking eyes. His pace was just a step more brisk than usual and the small shift alone seemed to unbalance Sebastian in the eyes of the bluenette.

He stood and unthinkingly followed the butler clad demon through the halls and into the kitchen.

The smell of cooking meat and spice combinations lingered heavily in the air. The endless mixtures made it impossible for Ciel to tell which dish was which but he assumed that it wouldn't be much of a problem for the ancient. The Earl vaguely wondered how the demon was able to create such things when he couldn't taste what he was making but he dropped the idea in favor of the small stool in front of where the demon was standing.

It struck the teen odd that the singular piece of furniture was there to begin with but in the back of his mind he already knew that Sebastian had provided him with the seat.

"Is there something I can do for you, young Master? A snack, perhaps?"

A lone sapphire eye gazed at the incredibly tall man and he ignored the question in favor of looking at his butler. As he stared, small bits and pieces of fractured thoughts swept through his conscious. Distant and hazy memories of intoxicated ramblings as he'd sat in his office, drinking liquor and letting his mind wander. Most of that night was still a mystery to the teen but parts of it were starting to come back in random fragments.

He vaguely recalled wondering what it would be like to have a normal conversation with the man. Perhaps not traditionally normal, but Ciel wondered what it would be like to talk to him about things other than business. They spoke of cases and his revenge, orders and his company, but never anything personal.

Ciel watched on as Sebastian moved like a ghost from pot to pot, stirring slowing, making sure to get every level of the pan.

He was so utterly focused on the motion that Ciel was completely unaware that he'd opened his mouth to speak until the words started flowing out, "How do you do it?"

Sebastian looked up at the blue haired teen in vague curiosity, somewhat intrigued by his master's question, "My Lord?"

The teen felt frozen as he realized that the question really had slipped by unnoticed, but the bluenette summoned his pride and went on, "Cook, Sebastian. How do you cook?"

A finely shaped brow arched at the Earl's question and Sebastian silently studied his face, "I don't understand, young Master."

Ciel stood from his seat and crossed over towards the stoves, glancing in to each of the slowly simmering pots, "You don't eat the same food as mortals."

A smirk graced the demon's lips at the blunt statement, "No, my kind prefer something a bit more.. substantial."

"Can you taste it?"

A thoroughly confused Sebastian turned to face his master, glancing down into one of his eyes, "I can. It merely tastes like dirt."

Ciel frowned, "Then how do you make it so perfect?"

Sebastian turned back to the cutting board and picked up his knife, cutting the chicken where he'd left off, "It's my job to make it perfect."

A flush of irritation crawled down Ciel's spine as the butler brushed his question aside, "That doesn't tell me how you do it."

The teen's response stilled the dark haired demon's steady slices before he cast a look over to the blue eyed male, "You actually care to know?"

Ciel thought for a moment. Did he really care? A quick evaluation of his thoughts left the boy reeling as he realized, with a start, that he actually did care. It genuinely impressed the bluenette that Sebastian was such an incredible cook when mortal food tasted like dirt to him and a growing portion of Ciel wanted to know the secret.

"I do."

Sebastian studied his master's face with deep contemplation. His brows were relaxed but the teen's gaze appeared slightly startled. Ciel's hands were still and the fact that he wasn't fidgiting made the butler's curiosity grow. The faintest brush of color touched the blue haired male's cheeks as Sebastian continued to study him but the butler couldn't seem to stop.

It was rare indeed when Ciel chose to speak. To the demon, there was a big difference between talking and speaking. When Ciel addressed his company or his lessons, he talked; it was direct, sometimes questioning, and left little room for comments or deviation. But when Ciel chose to speak, it reminded the ancient of how humans survived the passage of time. His voice was strong and unwavering, the tone of unabused power. Sebastian wouldn't have been surprised if his father was the same way; a leader from the shadows.

Though aware of the ravenette's power, Ciel rarely asked how he accomplished the things he did, no matter how impossible. It was the unspoken cog work between them: Ciel gave the order, Sebastian completed it without fail, and life continued. However, within the confines of the manor's kitchen, the Earl was asking him about his cooking ability of all things.

The longer Sebastian neglected the question, the more uncomfortable the bluenette felt, but his pride refused to back down. Many times the depth of his pride led to trouble but in this instance, he was glad for it.

For the first time, Ciel sought to understand more about the elder male. He wanted to know how he could perfect a skill beyond all human capabilities within hours, despite not being able to judge it on those same standards.

But more than that, Ciel wanted to talk to his demonic companion.

"It has to do with memories."

Ciel's uncovered blue eye widened in near comical surprise. Part of him hadn't expected the raven haired man to answer but now that he had, the sapphire eyed teen was even more interested, "Memories?"

Sebastian turned back to what he was doing, and the younger male frowned in disappointment before the demon's liquid velvet tone filled the room, "To make contracts, my kind have to understand desire. Human desires are often a mystery. Things such as wealth are easily obtained,"

The ancient cast the teen a look from the corner of his eye, "But others can be tricky. Things like revenge... or love."

Ciel swallowed thickly but sat back on the stool and presented himself with all the dignity that was expected for a noble such as himself, "I don't understand how that pertains to cooking."

Practiced fingers scooped up the sliced chicken, dumping it in yet another pot of curry before Sebastian turned to his contracted, "Demons view the memories of others through touch. Its original purpose is to view the mortal's deepest desire and to find where it stems from."

Maroon eyes lingered on the Earl's face, "But it has other uses as well. For example, cooking. I, myself, cannot taste the food correctly but if I were to view the mind of a chef, I could easily find the memories of what basil or cinnamon tastes like, in small amounts as well as larger quantities."

The explanation sent a small wave of excitement through the teen and he leaned forward, "Is that how you gather information as well?"

The tell-tale smirk glided across Sebastian's lips as he slowly stirred the pot in front of him, "At times. Sometimes I like to spice it up." Sebastian dropped the last comment as he added the spicy pepper flakes into the darkening liquid.

At the obvious pun, Ciel flashed his companion one of the soft smiles that rarely graced his features and the small gesture completely threw the demon for a loop; truth be told, the entire situation was throwing Sebastian for a loop.

It was unlike Ciel to ask these sort of questions but Sebastian found that the conversation didn't bother him in the slightest. It was easy, and the Earl was genuinely interested. It surprised him.

Despite being thoroughly impressed by his power, many humans found his kind disturbing and generally made that opinion very clear. The ancient male assumed it came with the time period. Though never out right encouraged, the days of witch craft were over and the age of God fearing religion was upon the mortal world.

Ciel leaned forward, intent on shooting the ball into the demon's court with a witty response before the sound of footsteps racing down the stairs caught his attention.

Moments later a breathless and distraught Mey-Rin burst into the kitchen, gripping the door knob for dear life, "Mr. Sebastian!"

Maroon eyes darted to her face, "Yes, what is it?"

"Bard was 'elping Finny in the garden, he was! An' they managed to light the bushes on fire!" She seemed to dance nervously on two feet, "Finny tried to put them out, he did; but it di'nt do any good!"

Dark eyes closed in annoyance and Sebastian pinched the bridge of his nose in obvious irritation, "I see, I'll be there right away."

She left in a dash and the butler slid the top onto one of the pots before heading for the stairs, "It seems I'm being called upon to avert disaster. Please excuse me, young Master."

Petal pink lips turned upward in an amused smirk, "Good luck."

The demon gave him a backward glance and a wicked grin, "I don't need luck, my Lord. I'm simply one hell of a butler."

At the end of his statement, the ravenette seemed to be almost swallowed into the shadows of the hall, leaving Ciel alone in the kitchen. In a fluid motion, he stood from the lone seat and curiously wandered the enclosed space of the kitchen. Of all the rooms within the manor, this was perhaps the least explored by Ciel. Even when his parents had been alive, he had little reason to come down here.

Several pots of curry sat simmering on the heated surface of the stove but the blue haired teen ignored them in favor of the one Sebastian had been carefully tending while they spoke. Nimble fingers snatched the lid, letting the rush of steam escape before he leaned over and inhaled slowly.

Though unspoken, it was no secret that Ciel loved good food; something that caressed his taste buds with flavor. He usually declined anything spicy but the scent permeating from the simmering pot made his mouth water with curious longing.

The scent of complicated spices and tenderizedmeat made the young Earl's stomach clench, despite having lunch just hours before and without thinking, Ciel grabbed a spoon and collected a generous amount in the shallowly curved utinsel. Careful of the heat, the bluenette blew on it cautiously before tasting.

Flavor exploded on his tongue and though his pride would never admit it in a million years, the teen felt his knees almost buckle below him. But after the initial burst of flavor, a low heat settled on his tongue, warming his mouth slowly before the sensation enveloped his stomach as well.

Even with the lingering heat on his tongue, the bluenette could still taste the faint recollection of spices, the ghost of something delicious. Though rooting for Sebastian's skills, the teen was still loathe to admit how near perfect the dish was, but prince Soma would undoubtibly find something wrong with it.

Not wrong, per say. Just not good enough.

Ciel plopped back onto the stool, still holding the cool neck of his spoon and he began to think of Agni. The white haired butler's curry had to be truly divine if it was better than Sebastian's creations.

He gazed once more at the other pots before casting them away in favor of the lone concoction in front of him. The answer was right there and in this moment he felt unconventionally close to his own butler. They were both seeking the same answer, weren't they?

It could be argued that Sebastian was only seeking the answer on his Master's orders but they both knew the truth: it was a challenge. Despite being confident in his skills, Sebastian liked proving that he was the superior being, even if he chose to appear humble. This particular bump in the road was irregular, a human creating something that a demon could not, and Ciel knew that just wouldn't do. Even if the warrant wasn't on the line, the bluenette was sure that Sebastian would've still sought to conquer Agni's curry, even if the satisfaction was merely for himself alone.

The teen was quite similar to Sebastian in that way. He liked to win, to stroke his pride as well as his ego with the claiming of victory. Puzzles intrigued him, especially complicated ones and as Ciel sat in the kitchen, staring at the slowly boiling curry, he couldn't surpress the desire to win this round. He wanted to be the one to find the answer.

Or perhaps, he just wanted to be a bigger part of it.

In recent times, Ciel had been forced to admit to himself that Sebastian factored in majorly to his ever growing list of victories and though he didn't mind that, the teen wanted to remind himself, as well as Sebastian, that the King still played the most important role in the game.

Ciel was in no way threatened by the roll Sebastian played in his life, as well as his cases, but it was becoming more and more common for the demon to capture the action demanding rolls. This wasn't exactly surprising to Ciel. Despite his extensive mental capabilities and his logical mindset, he was still human and had nowhere near the amount of strength his demon possessed. But this particular challenge wasn't about strength, was it?

It was a puzzle, a strategic inquiry for the best possible combination of spices; flavored that contrasted but complimented each other.

He was more than positive that the butler would figure it out eventually but something quiet within the Earl's conscious desired this victory. He wanted to be the one to discover the mystery ingredient that would put their curry creations on par with Agni's.

The bluenette took another small bite of the delicious curry but the spark of flavor on his tastebuds didn't conjure the same inspiration that sugar did. The teen smirked to himself and slowly began wandering the kitchen, looking for something sweet to kick his logical mind into gear.

After searching fruitlessly for a few moments, Ciel finally came upon the warming box. Mismatched eyes snuck a glance at the empty doorway before investigating, his stomach rumbling as the Earl caught sight of the silver mixing bowl Sebastian reserved for chocolate.

His eyes fluttered with undisguised excitement as he whisked the bowl from its warm container and snuck a finger full. A burst of ghosted flavors arced across his tongue and Ciel gasped in surprise. The smooth, rich taste of the chocolate curled around the spicy flavor of the curry with all the grace of a long time lover. The two opposites seemed to mesh like cogs within a clock and Ciel quickly found himself making his way back to the curry pot.

He dipped the tip of his spoon into the rich chocolate before scooping up a healthy amount of curry and plopping it into his mouth. The contrast was more intense the second time and thick lashes fluttered closed as he rolled the exquisite taste back and forth across his tongue. The sweetened cocoa merged easily with the spice and the Earl could feel the steady increase of heat against his palate. It tasted divine.

Earned arrogance danced across the teens features and he smirked, understandably pleased with himself as he took two large scoops of the whipped chocolate and dropped it into the curry pot, stirring it quickly as the bluenette cast another look to the door.

No doubt Sebastian would return within moments and Ciel wasn't quite ready for the demon to know about his addition to the curry pot. With a mischievous grin, Ciel replaced the silver bowl in the warming box and made his way to the dining room, content to sit and wait for the Prince's reaction to their joint creation.

Sebastian strode through the halls with obvious purpose as he carried the fifty-first bowl into the dining room.

He'd returned to the kitchen to find that Ciel had already left, and a quick glance into the simmering pot told the demon that it was time to be tested. Despite being ordered to create the perfect curry, the butler's nerves were wearing thin. Perfection was often impossible to achieve but to the demon, fifty tries was a bit excessive. Curry was by no means a simple and easy dish to make, especially when compared to Agni's apparent God-like creations, but Sebastian was a demon, and the thought of being bested by a mere mortal was unacceptable.

The eyes of his master watched him carefully as Sebastian set the steaming bowl in front of Prince Soma, no longer bothering to tell the other man what was in it. He could see that the dark skinned male was growing weary, obviously full and tired of testing spoonful after spoonful, dish after dish. But he didn't once complain other than to tell Sebastian what areas were lacking.

Soma quickly scooped up a spoonful and stuffed it into his mouth, however, unlike the many other times where he chewed quickly and spat out his response, the Prince's movements slowed. The motions of his jaw seemed to linger and dark eyelids slipped closed over glassy chocolate brown eyes as the 26th son savored the bite he'd just taken.

Sebastian watched the Prince with curiosity and noticed the smug look that suddenly overcame Ciel's face.

"This is amazing! Extraordinarily delicious!"

Soma stared down at the bowl in wonder before looking up at Sebastian, "What's in it?"

The demon easily rattled off the names of various spices and heat levels, and the Prince nodded as he listened, but when Sebastian finished the man shook his head, "There's something missing. An ingredient you didn't name."

The butler arched an eyebrow in question and quickly rescanned his memory, checking off each ingredient that he'd added and already named, but he was coming up short. He'd named everything.

"Chocolate."

Both heads snapped towards the Earl's spoken voice and he leaned back in his chair, the look of smug satisfaction never leaving his face.

"Pardon, young Master?"

The bluenette leaned forward and rested his elbows on the edge of the table, "Chocolate. That's the ingredient you missed."

Sebastian opened his mouth to tell the teen that he hadn't added chocolate to the mix, but Ciel easily cut him off, "Of course, you didn't add it. I did. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have quite a lot of work to take care of."

Maroon eyes stared at the Earl, glazed with an impossible combination of irritation, contempt and pride. The boy was clever, there was no denying that, but as Sebastian watched the teen walk away, he couldn't help but to think of just how far his little master had come, and in turn, how much further he still had to go.