Author's Note: roses are red, violets are blue. sebastian swallows souls, but i swallow somethin' too ? ﾟﾍﾆ? ﾟﾑﾅ
im making corrections and slight revisions as i go so as always, please excuse any and all errors ?
Warning: language
Disclaimer: I do NOT own Kuroshitsuji/Black Butler. All rights to Yana Toboso.
Amend
Sebastian stood up and got out of the tub and walked back over to his own. He proceeded to quickly dry himself off and get dressed as he watched Ciel who had remained sitting in the tub, almost as if he were in shock.
Once dressed, he walked back over to Ciel. He grabbed him underneath his arms and pulled him up, helping him out of the tub.
"You have to get dressed before they come back." Sebastian said, patting Ciel's body down with a towel.
Ciel flinched and snatched the towel from Sebastian. "Don't look at me!" He shouted, not wanting Sebastian to see his most vulnerable and private areas, even though it was too late. Respecting Ciel's request, Sebastian folded his arms and turned while the younger dried off.
Just as Ciel adjusted his uniform pants around his waist, the door opened again revealing two staff men, Drossel and a displeased Ash.
Sebastian turned back and looked Ash up and down with half-lidded eyes and He looked over to Ciel's mortified expression, fearing of what was to become of him.
Ciel stood still, his shoulders tense and arms tight at his side with his chest rising and falling heavily.
"Come." Ash turned and the staff walked to grab the two. Sebastian rolled his eyes as one of the men firmly grabbed his arm, but he didn't fight it. Ciel stumbled as the other man pushed him forward to follow behind Ash and Drossel, Sebastian following at the end.
Entering Ash's office, he requested that the staff stand just outside the door but asked that Drossel remain.
Several minutes of silence passed. Drossel stood as a mannequin would: expressionless and still. Sebastian, annoyed but nonchalant and a tad bit enjoying the discomfort and inconvenience he caused Ash. And Ciel, frightened.
Ash sighed and held his arms behind his back and leaned on the front of his desk. "I expect nothing less from you," Ash said with his eyes on Sebastian. A small smirk peaked on Sebastian's face. He couldn't help but be amused as he feared no 'punishment'. Ash knew that well, but it didn't stop him from continuing to inflict it when Sebastian caused trouble. Ash then shifted his gaze to Ciel. "But you, Ciel, you are not off to a good start."
Ciel swallowed hardly and clenched his jaw, but held eye contact.
"I'm sure William informed you that behavioral fits are not tolerated, yes?" Ash asked and Ciel nodded.
"What am I to do then?" Ciel looked around before finding Sebastian's eyes. Ash looked back and forth between the two. "He doesn't have the answers, Ciel."
"Your attempt at foreplay is sickening." Sebastian spat, making Ash and Ciel snap their heads to him. "Just give us our punishment so our wounds can heal faster."
Ciel's brows knitted, silently cursing Sebastian for this was his doing. Had he stayed in his own tub, this would've never happened. However, Sebastian did ask Ciel if he was sure about wanting him to get out when he asked, but he indirectly declined because he desired the closeness and affection.
Ciel could see hints of sadism in Ash. He toyed with his position and it only prompted Ciel to question the man's capabilities further. Sebastian was familiar with Ash's sadistic tendencies and only he would step in between Ash's propensity for humiliation.
He didn't want Ash to take pleasure in taunting Ciel. That wasn't his place.
"Very well." Ash smiled. He pushed himself forward from the desk. He circled around and disappeared from view when he knelt down.
Ciel glanced at Drossel who maintained his usual impassive expression. He then turned to Sebastian who gave him an empathetic look and mouthed the word 'Sorry.'.
Ash emerged from behind the desk with a rod in his hands. Ciel's eyes widened. Surely Sebastian wasn't being literal when he was referring to healing wounds. This treatment of mental patients was outdated, unethical and frankly, barbaric. Ash wouldn't really beat them. Would he?
"You're joking, right?" Ciel asked as Ash strolled from behind the desk.
"He's unhinged." Sebastian commented lowly.
"Not as unhinged as your deviance, Michaelis." He pointed the rod at Sebastian. "I thought by separating you and Faustus, you'd learn something, but you just went and found another unfortunate soul to indulge in your perversions. Don't you get tired?" Ash tilted his head.
"Not really." Sebastian held his hand up to check his nails mockingly.
Ash reached forward to Sebastian, grabbing him firmly and forcing him to bend over him desk as he pulled his pants down just below his bottom.
"Hopefully you will be after this." Ash said, resting a hand on Sebastian's soft bottom, rubbing it in circular motion.
The sight disgusted Ciel and flame of rage burned in his stomach. For Ash to be appalled by Sebastian's sexuality, he seemed to have his own perversions himself. Ones he needed to attend too. Ones he himself needed a psychiatrist for.
Sebastian was right; He is unhinged.
"Still tender from the water..." Ash mumbled as he squeezed Sebastian's cheek. Ash raised the rod, but was stopped by Ciel's pleas.
"Stop! Please stop!" He shrieked, hands trembling. "He was in my tub because of me. I asked him to." Ciel lied in an attempt to save Sebastian from his beating.
Ash blinked at Ciel, rod in hand and arm in mid air.
He couldn't bear to see Sebastian in such a state. It wasn't right. It was humiliating. It would've been emasculating had Sebastian displayed weakness and fear, but he didn't. Another quality Sebastian had that he admired: He was brave. He faced consequences head-on and never showed any inkling of care, even if he did secretly.
Now while it was Sebastian's blame and he was responsible to face the consequences of his actions, it was always Sebastian protecting him and taking the brunt of punishments for him and now it was his turn to return the favor. Sebastian had just made a commitment to him and this was the least Ciel could do to prove his commitment as well.
"I don't need saving, Ciel." Sebastian stated, still bent over with his bottom bare, unblemished and perfectly clear. "I'll be okay."
"I thought you said you remained unbiased in your profession. What about this is unbiased or professional?" Ciel questioned Ash in a demanding tone.
"I am professional and unbiased, Ciel. This is equal treatment. You're next." Ash smiled.
"And you don't see anything wrong in what you're doing?" Ciel breathed.
"When God approves, you can never be wrong." Ash stated matter-of-factly.
Before he could further protest, Ciel flinched and turned his head to the side, avoiding the sight of Ash quickly raising the rod and bringing it down on Sebastian repeatedly.
The sound of the rod hitting and Sebastian's grunts filled the room and Ciel couldn't do anything, but stand by idly. He had failed. The one chance he had to save Sebastian slipped away from him. A harrowing guilt raced through him and the only thing he could do was wait until Ash was done with Sebastian to take his place.
Amend
Ciel laid on his side, clutching his pillow and dried tear stains painted his cheeks.
He wanted so bad to lay on his back as laying on his sides were wearying and putting painful pressure on his thighs, feeling his circulation being cut.
His behind swelled and throbbed. The stinging waved through his lower back and he cursed Ash. His own parents never even raised a hand to him.
This was nothing like his punishment before of simply being sent to the padded cell, but he did remember William saying punishments varied and supposedly that was up for Ash to decide based on how he personally felt about the individual behavior.
His behind burned sending another prickling wave through his lower back and thighs. He groaned and clutched his pillow.
'Damn Sebastian...' He thought. 'This is all his fault anyways.'
Yet, he still harbored guilt for not being able to save him. Sebastian saw Ciel as someone who should be inviolable. Ciel had shown no sign of living a life of any experience in physical labor or fighting that would thicken his skin and endurance. He knew Ciel wasn't prepared for whatever punishment Ash dished out and if he could take the brunt or at least half of it to ease the pain, he would.
Besides, if Ciel could stand in between Sebastian and his consequences, Sebastian wouldn't have let it happen either way. He refused to remain silent and while Ash displayed a flicker of sadism, so did Sebastian. He enjoyed upsetting authority figures like William and Ash without fear of penalization.
Ciel's eyes opened when he heard his room door slightly creek open. The light from the moon illuminated his room and shined on the entrance, showing Sebastian slipping inside.
Unlike Ciel, Sebastian's face showed no sign of hurt, resentment or anger from what took place earlier. It was as if it didn't happen. Or perhaps Sebastian was used to being under Ash's mercy and it was of no consequence to him and he was able to endure pain well.
"Ciel..." Sebastian whispered.
After their beating, Ash had demanded that the two be separated and he hadn't seen Sebastian for the rest of the day. Ciel returned to his room and only was allowed to leave for eating and bathroom usage while Ash most likely put Sebastian on time-out in the padded cell.
Sebastian left the door ajar and sat down on the edge of Ciel's bed, placing a gentle hand on his side. "Does it still hurt?"
"What do you think? First my burn and now this." Ciel hissed. "And what are you doing in here?"
"I wanted to check on you." Sebastian softly rubbed Ciel's side in comforting circles. Ciel leaned into it, playing it off as if he was shifting his position. He wouldn't admit that he loved the attention even though he was frustrated.
"Please Sebastian, I don't want another beating again." Ciel breathed, fearful that they would be caught again and forced to endure another painful punishment.
Sebastian stopped rubbing Ciel and moments passed before he brushed his thumb back and forth on him and his eyes lowered. "I apologize..." Sebastian trailed off before he stood up.
It was too late to reach for Sebastian as he had quickly slipped out the room and closed the door behind him.
"Sebastian..." Ciel softly called out, hoping he would come back to reassure him that he wasn't upset.
Ciel closed his eyes and sighed hearing the clicking of the door and it echoed through the room; Sebastian not bothering to respond and leaving Ciel to rest.
Amend
Morning routine of getting washed, dressed and sent to the dayroom for medication and breakfast ran smoothly as any other morning. Of course Sebastian wasn't there, but Ciel did find it odd. He thought Sebastian wouldn't attend kitchen duty due to yesterday's events even if he didn't seem bothered by it.
Ciel sat on a small love seat near his and Sebastian's table to take pressure off the lingering pain and numbness on his behind. Ash certainly didn't hold back when dishing out lashes.
Ciel waited for Sebastian's arrival to speak to him about last night; wanting to apologize for making Sebastian feel unwanted or guilty after turning him away. He propped his elbow on the chair-arm and held his head, closing his eyes. His body felt weak and his scabbing wound began to itch again. The hot water from yesterday spiked the irritation and caused Ciel to scratch again. He thought applying the antibiotic cream would serve to prevent from itching, but it only cooled it for a few minutes. Ciel tried to resist the urge, but he couldn't help himself. His stomach growled and he reached back to scratch as Drossel approached him.
"Phantomhive." Drossel called. Ciel looked at the ginger with knitted brows and eyes of confusion and nervousness; fearful that Ash had sent the man to fetch him for further reprimand. "You're called for kitchen duty."
'Kitchen duty... That would mean I would be with Sebastian.' Ciel thought happily. Although, who would approve of this after what happened yesterday? If anything, the two would be expected to be separated so it couldn't have been Ash. But it didn't matter in this moment and he could question it when he saw Sebastian. Ciel pulled himself up from the chair and tailed Drossel into the kitchen.
The wooden doors to the sunlit kitchen opened, the light making the room glow a honey brown. Sebastian said that the building had undergone renovations, but the kitchen was modeled more homely and Victorian as Ash's office.
Two ovens and poofers, a large stove, a large wooden island and metal serving carts. Outside of the small chatter and clinking of utensils and rustlings movements of meal preparation, the atmosphere was gentle and welcoming.
Ciel's eyes immediately found Sebastian at the island, holding a bowl with mix and whisking it. Ciel looked back at Drossel that gestured for him to enter. Ciel hesitantly walked over to Sebastian, not knowing if Drossel would stop him from approaching the male, but surprisingly he didn't. Drossel took his leave and Ciel stood next to Sebastian and smelled the pancake mix he was whisking.
"Hey..."
"Feeling better?"
"Not really." Ciel put a hand on his waist. "You?"
"I don't feel any way." Sebastian smiled.
"You're not upset?"
"With Ash? No." Sebastian chuckled. "He's always been... touched. Even after all these years some things never change, do they?"
"Well, I meant from last night."
"What happened last night?" Sebastian raised a brow.
"When you came to my room. I didn't mean to make you feel like I was mad at you. I was just shaken up by that beating." Ciel laughed nervously and Sebastian's eyes softened.
"You can't hurt my feelings, Ciel. You don't have to apologize." He assured with a small smile. "I should be the one apologizing to you. It was my fault after all for getting in your tub, but I do find it cute how you attempted to stop Ash's 'disciplining'."
Ciel blushed and looked down. "I was trying to return the favor for you protecting me."
Ciel felt a tingle rush up his spine as Sebastian place a quick peck on his forehead. "And thank you for trying." He whispered.
Ciel returned a quick kiss to Sebastian's cheek. "You're welcome." Ciel mumbled.
Sebastian was stunned for a moment before a smirk spread across his lips. "Very bold."
"How did I get to be on kitchen duty anyways? I know Ash wouldn't approve this."
"He wouldn't. William would though."
"Probably did a lot of convincing to get that approved."
"Mm. Not necessarily. William can be helpful when he wants to be. Ash on the other hand..." Sebastian trailed off.
"And you convinced me he wasn't some psychopath." Ciel crossed his arms.
"I never said he wasn't, just that he wasn't your psychopath."
"You have a nice way of being selective with your wording." Ciel hummed sarcastically.
"I promised not to lie." Sebastian responded as Ciel began scratching once more, the scab being chipped away every time Ciel's nails grazed it.
"You should stop doing that." Sebastian glanced over to Ciel, continuing to whisk the mix. "You're only going to irritate it and make it bleed."
"What else am I supposed to do? My antibiotic cream isn't helping." Ciel continued scratching.
Sebastian set the bowl down without a word and disappeared into the back, quickly returning with a first aid kit.
He nodded for Ciel to walk with him to the sink to apply cool water to the burn. He opened the kit and took out a large gauze and adhesive tape and dabbed the burn gently with a napkin until dry.
Ciel turned his head down and watched from under his arm with soft eyes as Sebastian worked, taking notice of the gentleness and care in his touch. Once finished drying, Sebastian reached over to the cutting board and picked up a tomato slice. Ciel looked in confusion as to what he was doing, but didn't question it. He trusted Sebastian and allowed him to do whatever he was doing to help.
Ciel's back arched at the coldness of the tomato and it made Sebastian smirk and his eyes glow at the reaction. He placed the tomato directly on the burn and then the gauze over it, holding it in place with the adhesive. Sebastian patted it gently to make sure it stayed and looked up at Ciel who turned around and looked down at his left side in curiosity.
"And what exactly is this supposed to do?"
"The lycopene in tomatoes help alleviate pain and inflammation. It also helps prevent blistering and speeds up healing. You can replace it or just take it off in a half hour after the itching stops."
"Huh... Who knew." Ciel mumbled to himself. "Thank you."
"Of course." Sebastian smiled. "Should I tend to your ass next?" He asked, holding in laughter.
Ciel's eyes widened and he stammered, face red. "Shut up!" He mushed Sebastian's face making him chuckle. He stood upright and closed the kit and pushed Ciel forward back to the island.
"Finish whisking the mix and I'll prepare the eggs." Sebastian said as he walked to the back to return the kit.
Ciel nodded, still flustered and moved back toward the island as instructed to help him finish preparing breakfast.
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