Hello people! How is everyone? Hope and wish you're fine. Time for a new chapter and for Selina and Sebastian to... enjoy a beautiful scenery, I guess :D. So, I won't keep babbling, I'll let you dive into it right away!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kuroshitsuji or its characters. I entirely own only my OCs, arcs and ideas/themes not mentioned in any form of the franchise (manga, anime, games, movies or musicals).

Chapter 21: The Tutor, In a Romantic Stroll

Around eight in the morning Sebastian left the bed, where Selina was still sleeping deeply with a light smile on her red from his kisses lips. He stretched, flexing his muscles, enjoying the abundance of energy he was feeling running through his veins. An abundance that he had not felt for a long time and was struggling to gain by cultivating and waiting for his master to complete his revenge.

"Master? Oh yes, my young master!" He thought surprised by himself for forgetting.

At that moment, Selina turned and lied on her back partly exposing her breast and throat, both adorned by the traces his lips and teeth left on the smooth skin. Seeing her movement and her flesh peeking out of the covers Sebastian felt a warmth pooling in his loins exciting him once again. He took a deep breath to calm down… not that he succeeded it since the air was filled with the smell of their lovemaking and of their bodies entangled for the greater part of the night. He sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. A strange idea, based on observation, started forming in his mind as he kept staring at the deeply sleeping and very pleased woman.

"If my hypothesis is correct… do not think you will get away from me that easily after the end of young master's contract, my strange… beautiful… so beautiful Selina. Not until I find a way to some answers, at least."

He quickly got dressed and left the room, only to return half an hour later right when Selina started wriggling in bed waking up. With a smile he sat in an armchair to enjoy the sight of the woman's sensually, perfectly - in his eyes - shaped body stretching in a very cat-like manner. After a few minutes, Selina opened her eyes, saw the bed empty beside her and sat up allowing her eyes to scan the room in search for the demon. Sebastian smiled more as he saw her gazing around with a look not at all surprised to not find him there… but that did not mean she would not get angry at him. When her blue irises landed on his dark figure slumping in the armchair, her eyes opened wide in surprise.

"Oh… you're here…" She said softly with a cool look on her face trying to mask her relief and folded the sheet around her body as she got ready to get out of bed.

"Of course… where would I be? My partner is here after all." The demon said with a smile very similar to his usual fake one but a little bit different too.

Selina paused in the middle of her movement. "Are you making fun of me?" She asked as her eyes were ready to throw daggers at him.

Sebastian shook his head and got up. "Not at all. We most certainly must work together today for the final chapter of this case."

"Oh, wow… thank you for making me the honour." Selina said a little bit mockingly. "And what exactly are we to do for the final chapter? Shall we discuss and decide it together, as partners do, or should I just follow orders?"

"Hmm… actually our killer decided what our next move should be." He said as Selina stepped on shaky legs towards the washing basin, cleaning herself with a cloth, before hiding behind the dressing screen. "When I got out of bed, it was already eight o'clock, and since you seemed not willing to wake up any time soon, I went to the kitchen to make sure you would find some breakfast. I found Mr. Bates there and we talked… He seemed really excited to see me and hear you were still resting. Actually, his eyes twinkled full of innuendos, proving the old Ackerman right… He preys on couples that are quite passionate and active in bed. Anyway, he was very enthusiastic, suggesting me to take you to Porthdwidden cove, spend our day at the beach there; have a picnic and see the sunset, because the place is so romantic."

Selina's face appeared behind the screen with a blunt and little ironic look in her eyes. "Let me guess… he 'convinced' you and as soon as you agreed, he 'remembered' he has some urgent matters to address that will keep him away for the entire day."

Sebastian smiled pleased. "He actually said he might be out of St. Ives for a couple of days. Immediately after that, he ordered the cook to prepare us a basket for our picnic with everything we desired and ran to find us a small carriage we can drive there."

Selina fluttered her eyelashes. "Aw… how 'thoughtful' of him. I feel really flattered right now. He wants his toys to be full!" She cupped her cheek with her hand and her voice was so ironic and mocking that Sebastian could not help but laugh, enjoying her impersonation of a flattered, bashful lady. "And he intends to 'grace' us with his presence for two whole days! Lucky, lucky us!" She finished while shaking her head.

She disappeared behind the screen once again, but instantly felt a hand turning her around and found her naked body pressed on Sebastian's pristine clothes as he was kissing her with great fervour, devouring her lips. When things got heated reaching a level that would not allow them to leave the room anytime soon, they both pulled back breaking the kiss. Sebastian ran a gloved finger over her swollen lips.

"When you act like that, you make me wonder if you really are a demon and have deceived even me." He whispered, his breath caressing her red rose face.

She smiled. "It depends on how you look at it. I say that I am not a demon… at least not yet. But if you asked the demons I have killed… they would swear otherwise." They remained silent for a while gazing at each other, until Selina sighed patting Sebastian's chest telling him to let her get dressed. "So, the plan is to put him down when he attacks us, or we play along until he drags us to his cabin?"

"I guess our master would choose the second option, so that he would know the man's motives, plus we have to find out what the ghosts that have been reported are." Sebastian said still holding her in his arms.

"Considering the seals we saw I have an idea, but I would like to make sure first. And if my idea is correct... I will place some protective spells on me as an extra precaution measure."

"Hoh, do you not trust me, dearest, in protecting you sufficiently? I told you before, I look after my master's pawns and... even more when I like them." He finished with a low, seductive voice that sent pleasant shivers down Selina's spine.

"I do trust you, especially after the silent, mutual understanding you had with Miranda over protecting each other's precious human, but... you know the saying 'better safer than sorry'. Now… I guess I should wear the entire Victorian undergarment ensemble to be convincing and I should not take my weapons with me." Selina was not pleased at all.

Sebastian was nodding in agreement. "I believe you can take some of your daggers, hidden in the folds of your drawers, you must have seen to the possibility of having to hide them there."

"All right then… but you will have to help me with the corset." She then sighed deeper seeing quite a malicious smile on the demon's lips. "Oh poor young master… I think I will gain a deep, first-hand knowledge of how he felt when you squeezed him inside the thing for Druitt's party." The only answer she got was Sebastian's deep chuckle as he released her and moved to her suitcase to find the needed clothes.

{~}

"Can I ask you something?" Selina asked and went on when Sebastian nodded. "Back in the circus you knew right from the beginning the children were not there and then in Kelvin's manor you knew they were; so how is it that now you could not sense the souls of the women, other than that feeling of being younger than what they should?"

She was seating next to Sebastian in the small two-seater carriage that had been provided to them by Bates. Sebastian pulled the horses' bridles to make them turn to get to the cove. It was almost already noon since they left the resort, two hours after Selina woke up.

"It is not that I did not sense them. Demons can mainly sense the existence or not of a soul or many souls, the stronger the demon the more information for the soul they can obtain. I could sense there was an equal number of living bodies and souls and that these old women felt younger than what they should but… to be honest… I was fooled by that." Selina looked at him confused and he grinned. "Do you know how many old souls feel younger as close as they get to the moment of death?"

"Really? How can this be? I mean… humans are physically so tired when they get close to death…" She had the look of a cat watching something extremely interesting, her eyes wide open focused on him, like he was the centre of everything for that moment. Strangely enough, Sebastian really liked that look on her.

"As I said before… humans are so arrogant. When they get close to death they reconsider, they get scared or realise how sweet and precious life is. In a way, they wish they could turn back time and live again."

"And that desire is mirrored on the aura the soul emits. Interesting!" Selina said supporting her chin on her upright palm.

"However… although being a witch you may not be able to sense that change when it is normal - maybe because as a human you too will reach that same point eventually - but you could sense it this time, because it was out of the ordinary. The death was untimely and extremely violent."

Selina nodded deep in thought, but then her brows furrowed. "No, I won't reconsider anything when the end of my time comes. I do not really mind dying after completing my mission. Plus, I know what will become of my soul after my death. Unless something overly dramatic happens that will make me regret killing fifteen people in cold blood, I will end up with vibrant red eyes and a hunger for souls."

Sebastian was watching her quite surprised by how cool she seemed, even though she was practically saying that after death, her soul would turn to a demon. Usually humans had no knowledge of that and even if somehow they knew, they were in denial, always believing they were good, righteous and deserving a place in heaven.

There was a theory in the supernatural world, that demons and angels were made out of humans souls – long after the human death, when the physical body had turned to dust – and on which side they would be reborn depended on the feelings the soul experienced and nurtured during life till the moment of death. If there were positive ones they would become gracious angels, but in case of negative ones they would turn to vicious demons.

It had some logic, since reapers too were created by the souls of humans committing suicide, but demons hated so much the idea of once being humans - even if they had no memory of it any more - that chose to ignore the theory. In contrast, they preferred to believe they were just creatures of another dimension. Something not entirely false since each kind had indeed a dimension on their own; angels their orderly, sunlit Heavens, reapers a part of a so called Purgatory, where they built their headquarters and demons their chaotic, darker Hell; and these dimensions connected to Earth, the mortal humans' plane, in various places and with various ways.

"By the way, how are relations between demons?" Selina asked casually.

"Erm… not the best I am afraid." He finally answered her after a while.

"Oh, okay. Then you can kill me as soon as my soul wakes up as a demon and we'll be done with it." She said in a quite carefree manner.

Sebastian pulled the bridles again, harder to make the horses stop since they reached their destination. Then he leaned closer to Selina.

"I believe I would still prefer to do other stuff to you, even if you become a demon, although… I find really enjoyable that greyness of your soul… it is beautiful, and fascinating. I would rather have it not changing, at all."

His nose was lightly touching Selina's, who was looking at him with big, round eyes, and then he tilted his head and captured her lips in light, small kisses. Selina was left speechless accepting these kisses that made her shiver pleasantly. However, what was utterly strange was that she did not sense only lust in them; they were not like every other kiss Sebastian had given her since he started toying with her like that. She actually felt like a tender, caring lover who could really harbour beautiful feelings for her was kissing her, his fingers gently stroking her chin and then following the line of her throat intensified that impression. Unconsciously she shivered more and felt her body ready to melt in the demon's arms.

After a few seconds, Sebastian broke the kiss, cleared his throat and collected himself, as his otherworldly red eyes were trying to shift back to his human mahogany ones. Selina followed his example and fought back the blush on her face. Sebastian got out of the carriage, took the picnic basket Selina gave him in one hand and helped her get down with the other. She took back the basket, as he tied up the horses on a tree with a big shade to protect the animals and some grass at the roots, so they could eat during the day. Then he came back, insisted on carrying the basket and offered his arm to Selina "as any husband worthy of his salt should be doing for his wife". Selina laughed lightly and accepted his offer; he always amazed her by how deep in his role he could get if he wanted.

They were heading towards the sunny beach when Sebastian spoke. "Can I ask you something too?" Selina gave permission and he continued. "You have told me that the people you murdered took everything from you and I admit I was curious to find what was that; as you already know I made many assumptions in my mind. However, after meeting Miss Miranda, my instinct tells me that what you lost has something to do with her, at first at least."

Selina smiled a little bitterly. "Your instinct is correct as always." She took a deep breath. "My mother and Miranda's father were siblings and they were very close. Naturally their children grew up together, also like siblings. When I was nineteen, I was living alone in our manor…" She paused and laughed seeing Sebastian's expression, obviously saying he could not picture her as the lady of a great estate, not since he knew how unladylike she could be. "Relax. They are more like our master's town-house, even smaller, but are considered as small manors in my time and they usually belonged to upper middle-class families a century ago. Our parents were part of such a family. Anyway, I was living on my own there and Miranda moved in with me. It was refreshing, exactly what I needed to keep me sane, but… a year later she… was murdered… inside the house."

Sebastian's brows flew high in surprise; thankfully he was wise enough to keep his mouth shut and not express his feeling of understanding if someone wanted to kill that insanely pure creature, he himself was tempted quite a few times. Instead he preferred to ask "Why?"

Selina took one more deep breath. "She was at the beginning of her career as an Architectural Historian, which means researching and evaluating old buildings with a historical value. At the time she was investigating a… toy factory a little less than a hundred years old, but it was built in a very Victorian style with great finesse, thus making it more valuable. It was also important because the founder was a… British lord." At that point she could not contain herself and started chuckling, seeing Sebastian's surprise growing greater by the second, until a proud and quite arrogant smile settled on his lips. "Do not show that face to our master, because he will misunderstand you, start thinking you care about him and will scare him to death, poor boy."

"It is only natural for a butler of the Phantomhive family to be proud of his master's success in the future." Sebastian shrugged his shoulders innocently.

"Aha… and jumping to conclusions, I never said our master was the founder." She looked at the butler with a teasing light in her eyes. "And in no way I will confirm or deny your assumption. Now… do you want to hear the rest of the story or not?"

"Yes, please, my lady. I am all ears." He bowed his head.

"Okay. Miranda was close to completing her work on the factory, which meant that she evaluated it as really important for the history of our city and that it should be turned to a toy museum of the company. But then, a shady businessman appeared and wanted to take the building and turn it into a club. If you think a pub is noisy, smelly and generally disgusting then I do not think you will enjoy our 21st century clubs, at least the kind he wanted to make. Men like him use the façade of such a place, taking advantage of the masses of people cramming themselves while drinking and dancing to the rhythms of deafening music, to actually do other kind of deals in the shadows." Sebastian nodded, fully understanding and showing he was not a stranger in that kind of practices. Selina was not impressed and went on. "The dispute between him and Miranda was very strong, there was no chance she would yield because she loved that building, and if she won, her career would skyrocket. But the man was also determined to win…"

Selina fell silent for a while, her eyes pinned to the horizon, obviously not looking at something specific.

"You were the one who found her?" Sebastian asked after a while, his voice soft.

Selina nodded. "Yes. I came back from work one day and… I found the house broken in. When I entered, I saw her… lying on the floor among smashed things and furniture… her throat sliced open. The police..." A slight mocking tone in her voice. "...could not find evidence for the killer and never paid attention to me that I was certain who was it. The thought of Miranda becoming a part of the list of people I had lost, never to see them again and even worse, turning to just one more unsolved case for the police, drove me crazy. Therefore, at some point… I took matters in my own hands." She quickly returned to her usual cool self although the pain in her eyes turned to hard cruelty. "I blackmailed a demon, used him to confirm the man had no supernatural support of some kind, and once he assured me that that was the case, I simply killed him and his gang; seven people were his more trusted ones that executed his orders. And thank goodness I did it before he started ruining the factory to make it into that club of his."

Sebastian nodded, his eyes never leaving the face of the woman sitting next to him on the picnic blanket, since while talking they had reached a nice spot and sat down preparing their lunch. He was always so impressed by the quick changes occurring on her, emotions parading on her beautiful features with an almost inhuman speed and her mood followed accordingly… at least that was what she showed.

"Let me guess, the dispute was over as soon as Miss Miranda was murdered, and a large sum of money solved the toy factory issue for good." He said as he was serving her some of the food provided by the resort cook.

"Of course. But after that, the fact that the new owner and his people were strangely massacred inside the factory, did not appeal to any new buyer; thus the building became public property and I, along with the real estate agency for which Miranda was working, persuaded the necessary people to finally turn it into a toy museum featuring the toys of the lord's company. When Miranda was allowed from the guys upstairs to reveal her new self to me, it was too late, I had already taken my steps to darkness and I still do not regret it… That's the story." She shrugged her shoulders and started eating.

Nothing indicated she had just shared a story of events really painful to her. She just narrated a very dark period of her life to Sebastian, events that must have led her to utter desperation and misery, but now she looked like that story was someone else's life and she just had the knowledge of it.

"You really are a strange woman… a strange human." Sebastian said right before he bit into the finger sandwich in his plate.

Selina paused and looked at him a little bit confused. Was there a subtle hint of admiration in his voice just now or her ears deceived her?

"Thanks. I do not mind being strange." She answered hesitantly. And then she realized that Sebastian was eating. "Wait. You're eating? Are you actually eating? You can't eat, you don't eat, so... why are you eating?"

"Because the cook made food for at least three people and I do not expect you to consume most of it. You will burst and I need you to be swift and quick when we shall be fighting Bates… It is a pity for so much food to go to waste. Also, I can dissolve human food in my stomach, I just do not need it or taste it therefore I do not prefer it." He answered naturally.

"So, you are, or at least acting, as a demon, with a high sense of morality, when it comes to protecting your master's purity, and environmental concern, when it comes to wasting resources." She laughed, obviously having fun. "You really are a strange man… a strange demon, Sebastian." She continued laughing, but turned her gaze to her plate not wanting him to see how much more she liked him for being strange, somehow different from the demons she had met until now.

{~}

They spent the rest of the day strolling around the cove, talking about various things and curiously enough laughing, when each shared with the other stories of their adventures, Selina of the times Miranda tried to help her in exterminating demons but failed majorly, and Sebastian of various instances with his master. Sebastian was once again left speechless when Selina declared she could not take it any more, took off her short boots and stockings and rushed into the water to cool off her feet as she was holding her skirt up. She really enjoyed the cool water and expressed her desire to swim wearing only her bathing suit. Having a really mischievous twinkle in her eyes she described to Sebastian how the future bathing suits are and she could not help but laugh when the demon looked quite scandalized – if that is possible for a demon – after obviously picturing the woman in his mind wearing a so revealing clothe.

At sunset they resumed their place on the picnic blanket and sat side by side, admiring the beautiful blood red and purple colours the sun cast on the calm, crystal clear waters of the cove. At some point, Selina glanced towards Sebastian, and felt her breath hitch for a moment seeing how handsome he looked under this light and how it reflected in his eyes, making them scarlet red and more alluringly dangerous.

"I am having such a great time with you, even though I believe you disagree… although I'll never know for sure. I have met quite a few demons in my short mortal life and only one lived another day… They were indeed beasts and it never bothered me killing them… but I'm beginning to think it would bother me very much having to kill you, Sebastian. And that is what scares me!" Selina thought and instantly felt her cheeks turning to crimson red, and that was why she turned her eyes on her naked wiggling toes still drying.

She looked away and lost the chance of seeing the demon studying her, from the corner of his eye at first and then turning his gaze fully on her. How dazed he looked while taking in her shining gold locks, cascading on her shoulders and softly embracing her sun kissed face and rosy cheeks. Her eyes also reflected a gold light as it was filtered through her long lashes.

Suddenly, he looked quite dumbfounded, like he just had a great realisation. He kept staring at the woman, as if he was seeing her for the first time, and then, ready to give in, he started leaning closer to her, but an unknown aura getting close to them stopped him. It greatly resembled the one in Bates' cabin. Selina must have felt it too because her eyes opened wide, her heart started beating faster and she began turning to Sebastian. The demon was faster and placed a kiss on her ear while whispering.

"He is here, but he feels different. I also smell chloroform, if he tries to drug you, let him… Now, follow my lead." His voice was cool and business-like, but the kiss that stole Selina's lips as soon as she nodded in agreement was like fire incarnated into Sebastian.

He kept kissing her with passion as his hands embraced and glued her to his body. Selina indeed followed his lead and returned the kiss with fervour as she also embraced him; soon she let out a moan of need, and even she was not sure if it was an unconscious reaction, caused by Sebastian invading her mouth once again with his flaming tongue, or a conscious choice, to tease the approaching human. Whatever it was, made Sebastian respond similarly making Selina quite dizzy. When they felt the human almost upon them, they broke the kiss. However, Sebastian kept holding her and caressing her cheek while trying to even their breathing.

"My Selina, my love!" He said in a soft voice instantly bringing Selina back to reality since she could tell it was fake by the tone; a tone that usually went unnoticed by humans, but not to her after studying the demon under the name of Sebastian Michaelis for quite some time. "I want us to be together for-" He went on but was suddenly cut off as a thump and a crack was heard.

Selina felt his body going limp and his head and torso dived down landing on her lap. When she looked down, saw a gash on Sebastian's head at the back and blood staining his raven hair; she then realised the sounds were from a metallic object bashing his skull. Knowing, but still praying he was actually all right, she started screaming in terror and calling for help and her "love, darling Sebastian". She managed to squeeze some tears from her eyes, but right then heard a rustling of clothes and a rag was violently forced on her face by a male, strong hand, while another grabbed her throat tightening lightly so that she would stop screaming. The rag was drenched with chloroform and soon Selina allowed herself to take a few breaths that started making her dizzy, losing her senses. However, before she blacked out completely, saw something really confusing and disturbing… the hand holding the rag was indeed a masculine one, but it wore a woman's bracelet out of pearls.

Before giving any thought to it, darkness came rushing and took her in its deep embrace.

Aaaand action! No, wait... that's for next week! Sorry for the tiny spoler, but I guess you have already realised that next week things will happen. Therefore, I won't say much. I'll just thank you all, once again, for following and supporting this story. You people are simply amazing!

Till next time! Bye! :D