"M-my lady." Catherine stammered. Silence hung in the room like an unwanted guest. Lizzie sighed.
"I came down to visit you earlier but Sebastian was here and I didn't want to interrupt." Catherine's eyes glazed over. "I heard him say you were being hunted."
She knew. Her beautiful, innocent, young mistress knew. Knew what a monster she was.
"That bullet didn't kill you because you're angel side wasn't affected, right?" Lizzie asked, tilting her head to the side.
Catherine nodded slowly. Her mind was fuzzy, blank and fuzzy. The colour drained from her face.
"It's alright, Cathy." Lizzie smiled a small smile. The young girl placed her delicate hand on the maid's. "Whatever you are, you still jumped in front of that bullet to save me. You had no reason to, we don't have a contract. I'm very grateful to you.
Catherine looked at her mistress for what felt like the first time. She looked at her through her own eyes, not through the eye of a maid, too meek to speak up. She smiled wanly. Of course it took her near death to finally see her like this, just who she was. That beautiful sweet girl.
"Well, I suppose it was going to happen sooner or later," she murmured with a sigh, "I'm not the best at keeping secrets."
The room was quiet again.
"Were you lonely?" Lizzie asked, Catherine raised an eyebrow, "You said you didn't go to school or socialise with other children as a child, so were you lonely?"
"Loneliness was never a thought that crossed my mind. I didn't have friends but as a child your interest darts form one thing to another in the space of a second, so I didn't have the time to ponder on loneliness." Catherine paused. "I think I felt the only people I needed were my parents." Tears threatened to roll down the maid's face but she held them back and smiled, weakly.
"What about now they're gone, are you lonely now?" Lizzie's expression was filled with curiosity.
"Now they're gone... Now they're gone, you could say that yes I am lonely." Catherine's smile faded.
"You've got me haven't you?" Lizzie smiled.
Catherine thought for a moment. "Yes, my lady, I have got you."
The maid's arms reached out and pulled Elizabeth into her chest. She nuzzled her face into her mistress's hair, breathing in that beautiful, pure fragrance. Lizzie sighed and snuggled into Catherine's embrace.
They lay there, intertwined, happy to be in each others arms, happy to be together.
Lizzie sat up after a while.
"Catherine, to me you are no longer a servant." The girl paused. "You are a friend."
Elizabeth leaned across and planted a chaste kiss on her new friend's cheek.
Catherine's heart was in flutters, dancing around her chest, beating harder than ever. Her cheeks flushed a deep red, her icy exterior melted.
Her first friend.
She wrapped an arm around the young girl's slim waist, pulling her mistress closer. Elizabeth stared at the thin, pale arm that had appeared around her stomach, surprise in her eyes.
I love her.
Catherine rested her forehead on the girl's and stared deep into her forest green eyes.
I have always loved her.
Her other hand gently stroked Lizzie's smooth cheek. Her eyes closed as she felt herself lean in to Elizabeth. The young girl showed no sign of resisting when her eyes closed as well.
My heart beats faster for her.
Inches, centimetres, millimetres, they were so close.
Until-
"SEBASTIAN!" Catherine and Lizzie shot apart, as the manor shook from the young boys distressed yell.
"C-Ciel?" Lizzie asked, questionably. She stood up, refusing to meet Catherine's eye, and rushed out of the room. Catherine was left speechless.
xxxxx
Ciel darted into the hall, screeching the name that had angered him so. He was angry, angrier than he had ever been before. Sebastian had dressed him, brought him breakfast and tidied his room and had not said a word about the night before. Why was he pretending that it had never happened?
"SEBASTIAN!" He called out once more, before the butler finally appeared in the hallway, eyes filled with the innocence Ciel knew he never had.
"You called, my lord?" Sebastian asked, impervious to his master's enraged look.
"Why are you pretending that nothing happened!" The young boy yelled.
"Happened when?" Sebastian questioned, putting on a confused act.
"Last ni-" Ciel started.
"Ciel, I heard you yell, are you alright?" A flushed, panting Elizabeth asked from behind the young earl.
"L-Lizzie." Ciel stammered. Oh God. Oh dear God. If Lizzie had heard what he was about to say, the Phantomhive name would be ruined forever.
"My Lady Elizabeth, good morning." Sebastian bowed his head to the girl.
"Good morning, Sebastian." She turned back to Ciel, "Ciel, you look unhappy?"
"I-I'm fine, Elizabeth. Sebastian was just taking too long with my cake." Ciel replied, awkwardly.
"Oh, okay." Elizabeth didn't look convinced. But she shook it off and turned back to the butler. "Sebastian, would you help me pack my things, Catherine and I are leaving this afternoon."
"My lady, I believe that is not a good idea. Catherine is still in a very fragile state, she should stay here and be kept under a close eye by Dr Downham." Sebastian replied.
"But she is not safe here, she would be safer at home." Elizabeth was firm in her answer.
"She will be no safer there than she will here."
xxxxx
Elizabeth finally agreed to stay another night, for Catherine's sake. Ciel avoided all interaction with Sebastian and stayed holed up in his bedroom, feigning a cold. Thoughts darted through his head like lighting bolts.
He had slept with Sebastian. He had to come to terms with that. Did he like it? Y-yes, yes he did. Did he love him? Again, yes he did. Very much.
Why was Sebastian pretending it never happened? Did he regret it? Does he love someone else? Was what Lizzie said true? Did Sebastian love th-that maid?
Ciel began shaking, he hugged his knees and buried his face between them.
He heard a knock on the door, "My lord? It's time to prepare you for bed."
Was it dark already? Ciel lifted his head up to the window to see that night had arrived, and the grounds were glowing white in the soft light of the moon.
"My lord?" Sebastian asked again.
"Yes." Ciel croaked. He straightened himself out and cleared his throat as Sebastian came through the door.
Nothing was said, no eye contact shared. Sebastian dressed his master, like he did everyday, as if nothing had changed. But oh it had.
Ciel lay down, ready to let sleep take away the pain he felt in his heart.
"Goodnight, my lord." Sebastian said, blowing out the candles by his masters bed. Ciel mumbled some sort of goodnight and closed his eyes.
As sleep began take him, he felt a brush of warm, soft lips press into his temple. Ciel turned around in shock but there was no one there and the door was closed.
Author's Note
Hi again! I really hope you liked this chapter, I'm not too sure about some parts but please let me know with your feedback!
Meow cats r awesome: I've always thought that even thought Lizzie puts on that annoying, girly act in the series she's actually a very mature and intelligent young woman, and such an under appreciated character, which is one of the reasons I wanted to write about her! I'm glad you liked the chapter.
Anonymous Guest: Wow that was your longest review yet! So this will probably be my longest reply. I am sorry again for the wait for the last chapter, I was away with friends and then school started and things got stressful so I never had time to sit back and write. My editor had to keep reminding me that I needed to update :/ I bet you're not as bad at writing as you think, your reviews are beautifully written and brighten up my day every time I get them, so I'm sure your writing is just as amazing, maybe even better. I'm afraid I haven't heard of that show, but I googled it and it looked pretty good, and I also can understand that what happens to a character can really affect your mood for the rest of the day! Even if you were grumpy that day, I agree that there were some flaws in that chapter, I think I really needed my editor for a chapter as big and important as that one! Just a side note from me, you would be an incredible editor when you're older and I hope you get to be! And honestly, even after this fanfic is finished (which is sooner than you think I'm afraid) I would like to find a way to read your work, stay in contact and help you as much as I can :)
Next chapter will be soon(ish)