Author's Note: roses are red, violets are blue. sebastian is daddy and i'll make him one too ;) please excuse any and all errors
Warning: none
Disclaimer:Creedmoor Psychiatric Center is a real institution, yet fictional in this context for the story. I do NOT own Kuroshitsuji/Black Butler. All rights to Yana Toboso.
Amend
Ciel lowers his head to hide his tear filled eyes and stands to leave. "Sorry. I didn't know this was your table."
The man chuckles. "You don't have to leave. I appreciate the company. Sit."
Ciel slowly takes his seat once more and carefully eyes the crimson eyes man before slightly blushing at his appearance, not knowing how to read him. but he stays on guard.
He sits across from Ciel and stares at him, twiddling one of the white chess pieces between his thumb, index and middle fingers.
Ciel watches his hands and takes note of the strange black nails on the man, while the other eyed him up and down.
Ciel's stomach growled, reminding him he had not been fed that day as he was discharged from the hospital rather early before breakfast and sat in the inmate holding center in courthouse for several hours before seeing the judge.
"Sounds like your stomach is crying as well." The man smirks.
Ciel keeps his gaze down, not wanting to make eye contact, knowing his face would redden again at the sight of him.
Moments of silence pass by and the man maintained his gaze on the younger.
"I see you're not much of a talker."
"I wouldn't know what to say..." Refusing eye contact and the other man smiles.
"A 'hello' would be a nice start." Amusement in his voice.
"...Hello." Ciel says lowly and the man chuckles.
"Hello to you too."
"Michaelis, lunch preparation awaits you." A strange voice calls from the dayroom front doors. Ciel and the man, now known to Ciel as 'Michaelis', turn towards the door to see an odd looking young man in staff uniform. Light ginger flared hair and amethyst eyes peaked from the doors.
The raven haired male sighs and stands. "Of course..."
With the older male turned around, Ciel looks at him as he stands, only to catch his eyes before he takes his leave.
"I hope your stomach can hold on just a bit longer till lunch." He said before walking away.
Ciel's eyebrows furrows and he blushes once more for not being able to take his eyes away from the male. They captured him and it was intimidating. His built lean body and beautifully crafted facial structure didn't help at all.
The door closed behind him and Ciel finally found himself to break away, his stomach growling once more.
Amend
Ciel found that the food for lunch was surprisingly amazing for something being served in a psych ward.
While it was wonderful, it didn't fill him and Ciel still found a sense of longing hunger. Craving more of the food to be satiated.
Refusing to join the rest of the patients back in the dayroom, Ciel lay on his bed, staring at the wall. His eyes snapped over to his door as he heard light knocking, but saw no one standing on the other side from the small window on the door.
Ciel rose and walked towards the door. He placed his hand on the handle, but the small opening just below the handle flipped towards Ciel and a bowl of food served from lunch sat on the slate.
Ciel bent down to grab the bowl and then kneeled to level his eyes with the opening only to see familiar crimson ones looking back at him.
"I didn't think that portioned served at lunch would fill you up, so I sneaked you some more."
"Thank you... Michaelis." Ciel said as he grabbed the bowl.
"I believe my first name is Sebastian. Michaelis is my last name." Sebastian smiled.
"Sebastian... Sorry..." Ciel corrected himself. "I'm Ciel. Sorry I didn't say anything earlier."
"I know who you are." Sebastian says matter-of-factly. "And it's quite alright. No need for apologies."
"You know me?" Ciel questions with furrowed brows.
"I think after your name and face being plastered on the news everywhere for the past month, this whole country knows who you are."
Ciel looks down in embarrassment.
"No need to be embarrassed. We're all here for something. I don't think anyone admitted here is qualified to judge."
Ciel keeps his head down and says nothing.
"Why don't you come back out to the dayroom with the others? Do they scare you?" Sebastian teases.
"No, I just haven't had a lot of sleep. I was woken up pretty earlier today for court and the hunger only made me even more tired." He answers honestly and Sebastian hums.
"Well, I'll leave you to get your rest then."
"Thank you... Thank you again for the food, Sebastian." Ciel gestures the bowl.
"Of course." Sebastian gives a small smile before standing up and taking his leave.
Ciel sits back down on his bed with the food cupped in his lap. His eyes look over the food and soften, thinking of the warm and generous favor that Sebastian did for him, a stranger, that could have got him in trouble.
He takes the fork and begins to dig in, savoring every bite.
Amend
After Ciel finished the food Sebastian brought him, he set it on the small beside table next to his medication and fell asleep.
It was unhealthy of him to do so, but he couldn't help it. Comfort food, it was. And whoever made that definitely has talent in the kitchen.
Dozing off to sleep, Sebastian's face and those warm velvet red eyes cemented in Ciel's vision. He frowned at the thought, not because he didn't like it, but because he didn't understand it. He didn't understand the pull Sebastian had that caused him to appear and be... Enticing.
He should repay the favor somehow, but how?
The kind act from Sebastian was so thoughtful and he replied the interaction in his mind several time before sleep overtook him.
While Ciel slept, Sebastian and the rest of the patients were brought into the patients' sleeping quarters for room check.
No need for Sebastian to travel long down the hall as his unit was nearby the entrance and directly across from Ciel's.
Sebastian and the rest of the patient stood just outside their open doors, waiting for William to arrive.
Sebastian eyes Ciel's room as the light ginger haired man from earlier knocked on Ciel's door before unlocking it to wake him.
The man puts a hand to Ciel's arm and lightly shakes him.
"Phantomhive, you need to wake for a room check."
Ciel's eyes flutter open and looks up at the man confused.
"Hm?"
"A room check will be happening momentarily. Please wake."
Ciel sluggishly rises from the bed and slips on his patient shoes before standing outside his door.
He rubs his eyes at the bright light and notices Sebastian stand just a few feet from him, leaning against the door opening with arms crossed.
He immediately looks away as he sees the Sebastian is eyeing him.
"Got enough rest?"
"Somewhat..." Ciel mumbles.
"Quiet, Michaelis." The ginger ordered.
"Yes sir." Sebastian says under his breath with a smirk.
A few moments later and the door to the patient quarters open, William tepid inside with his same stoic expression.
"Thank you Drossel for getting them up." William says as he walks past the ginger haired man.
"Of course sir."
"Okay, you lot. Room check is in process. I hope we don't have the same issues as before." He says, starting with the first room to his left where the silver haired, red eyed man resided.
Ciel looked over at the man as William entered his room. The man had a content smile on his face with his tongue hanging out, drool trickling down his chin.
Ciel wondered if the man has always been this way. If he suffered from some type of personality disorder that caused him to behave like a dog.
Whatever it was, Ciel pitied the man, but also found it interesting that from his supposed lack of comprehension or awareness, he seemed fairly happy despite his mental ad environmental conditions.
He heard a sigh come from William before he emerged from the man's room.
"Pluto..." William started. He held a chewed bone in his hand, the marrow almost cleaned out. "How many times have I told you that bones do not belong in the room?"
'Pluto. That's an odd name for a man.' Ciel thought.
Perhaps due to the man's behavior as a dog, it would make sense.
Pluto just smiled widely and barked at William.
"Just hopeless." William sighed and adjusted his glasses with his staff. Drossel came behind him with a bag that William dropped the bone into and proceeded to the next room, until he got to Sebastians.
Ciel watches as William stops in front of Sebastian and glares at him, only for Sebastian to meet him with an amused smile.
"Michaelis..."
"Spears."
"I'm in no mood for you to give me a hard time today."
"You're never in a mood."
"I won't find anything troubling in here again, will I?"
"Innocent as an angel." Sebastian smirks.
"I doubt it." William enters Sebastian's room.
Moments go by with nothing but the sounds of shuffling from William in Sebastian's room. He strolls back out with a book in his hand and holds it up for Sebastian to see.
"The Divine Comedy?" William raises a brow.
"Is reading a problem?" Sebastian cocks his head to the side.
"I just find it an interesting selection." William tosses the book at Sebastian's face, but Sebastian doesn't flinch and catches it just inches before it hits his face.
"Just a reminder of what's awaiting me after I'm long gone." Sebastian keeps his amused smile as he flings his arm back in his room, tossing the book on his bed.
"Damned soul."
"You flatter me."
"Hm." William rolls his eyes as he proceeds down the hall, Drossel following behind him with the bag.
William continues with his search and while most of them didn't have anything, he found a variety of things from different patients rooms. He made his way down the hall and U-turned to finish his check.
He stopped in front of Ciel and looked down at him with blank eyes.
Ciel looks down and steps to the side and William steps in. He notices the bowl and spoon sitting on Ciel's beside table, but doesn't grab it right away. He continues to look through Ciel's dresser, checking his sheets, pillows, clothes and mattress, but found nothing. He grabbed the bowl and walked out of Ciel's room.
"Phantomhive." William sighed.
Ciel's eyes fix on the bowl and silently cursed to himself. He completely forgot that it was there and his heart begin to race.
While he took notice that William didn't come across as irritated enough that he would issue punishment on those that had items in their room, he remembered what William said earlier about punishments and how they vary.
Hopefully, because Ciel is new and if he had the opportunity to explain himself, he would be spared from any potential punishment.
Before Ciel could speak, he heard Sebastian's voice interject.
"I gave that to him William."
William spins on his heels with raised brows to face Sebastian.
"You did?"
"I did."
"Since when did you have a change of heart to be generous?"
"I simply want to help."
"That's rich coming from you. So, you're taking responsibility for this contraband?"
"Food is contraband?" Sebastian raised a brow.
"I don't have the patience for this childlike banter, Michaelis."
"Oh?" Sebastian smiled. "Does that mean we can't play swordfish anymore either?"
A few giggles can be heard down the hallway at Sebastians comment and William frowned and snatched the back of Sebastian, gripping a fistful of his hair.
"Temper temper~." Sebastian chuckled and teased as William began to drag him out of the patient's quarters by his hair, forcing Sebastian to face down.
"Damn demon..." William grumbled under his breath. "Drossel, wrap up room check while I deal with this beast." William said, exiting the hall with Sebastian and Drossel nodded.
"Always antagonizing Mr. Spears. Sebastian must have a death wish or a masochistic kink." The tall blond man next to Ciel says to himself. He sighs and walks back into his room after Drossel finished room check.
"For those that are heading back to dayroom until dinner, please follow me." Drossel says as another staff member walks in.
The patients that wanted to be in dayroom walked to Drossel to guide them back. "For those that wish to stay until dinner, you'll be secured in your room." He says before leaving with the dayroom patients and passing the keys to the other staff member to lock those in that stayed.
Ciel retreats back to his bed, thinking of how Sebastian took the blame for him and also what was to become of him after William dragged him off.
From what the blond man said, Sebastian and William seem to have some history together seeing as how they bicker back and forth and Sebastian doesn't seem to fear reprimand from William after antagonizing and teasing him.
He hoped that whatever was happening right now between Sebastian and William didn't result in him getting hurt. Yes, Sebastian did antagonize William, but he knew it was to take the pressure off of him. He couldn't help but feel guilty.
While Sebastian was the one that brought the food to him in the first place, he did it with good intentions.
Perhaps that's why Sebastian felt it was his responsibility to take the blame, being that he's the one that brought it to him.
This was the second time in one day, the first day that he met him and he has went out of his way to look out for him. He just felt more inclined to repay him somehow in return.
Ciel's mind still racing on Sebastian's wellbeing and wishing that he was okay. Still tired, sleep found its way to Ciel easily, his eyes growing heavy and slumber overtaking him.
Amend
By the time Ciel and the rest of the patients were collectively gathered for dinner, Sebastian did not return. He didn't return to patient quarters and didn't see him among the group of those that returned to the dayroom.
He stood in line with the rest of the patients, moving down to claim their food trays. Ciel looked around for Sebastian but saw him nowhere.
William and Sebastian had been gone for a few hours now and no one has seen or heard from them. William couldn't have served a punishment too harsh, could he? Sebastian's comment was inappropriate, but William, from the impression he left on Ciel was that such childish antics could't get under his skin. But it seems like Sebastian and his antics could.
Was the bowl in the room that serious? He didn't think so. William seemed irritated, but he didn't give the impression that this incident would result in punishment. At the most Ciel would receive a warning, but maybe Sebastian knew something that he didn't and Sebastian prevented it.
Guilt rushed over him again.
Ciel moved up the line to grab his tray and found an empty table to sit at. He looked down at the food and a decent portioned was served of rice, mixed vegetables, and poultry. It smelled divine. Ciel scooped up some vegetables, rice and a few baked chicken strips on the top. He took a bite and almost moaned at the taste. Wonderful flavor burst in Ciel's mouth. Again, whoever made this definitely has talent in the kitchen.
Not rushing and wanting to make the food last longer, he was mindful.
To take a break from the food and refresh himself, Ciel picks up his cup of water. Taking a sip, his eyes set on Sebastian who was coming from behind the serving counter. He held his tray in one hand and walked over to an empty table and sat down.
Ciel found himself unintentionally staring at Sebastian until Sebastian looked over to him. Ciel immediately directs his gaze down for a few seconds until looking up once more to find Sebastian still looking at him. He smiles and nods his head, gesturing for Ciel to come sit with him.
Ciel carefully stands and collects his food and water and make his way over to sit with Sebastian who was playfully moving around his food with his spoon.
Ciel sits down from across Sebastian and searches his face or arms for any marks, welts, burns.
"Are you okay?" Sebastian asked, taking a sip of his water. He noticed Ciel looking at him, concern plastered across his face.
"I should be asking you that."
"What for?"
"From earlier, with William."
"Oh. That." Sebastian chuckled. "William and I are past our days of fighting."
"He looked pretty pissed…"
"He's always pissed. I just enjoy teasing him. I find it amusing after all these years I'm still able to get under his skin." Taking another sip of his water.
"So, he didn't hurt you?"
"Physically? No. But his bitching did cause my ears to bleed a tad bit." He smiles and Ciel lets out a little chuckle, a genuine one and the first that he's had in a while.
"So, you can stop feeling guilty now. William wouldn't have done anything to you. A warning was the most 'punishment' you would have got." Sebastian states, almost as if he could read Ciel's mind.
A relieved Ciel let out a small sigh of relief and a smile.
"Eat before your food gets cold." Sebastian says before sipping more of his water.
"Do you know who made this and lunch earlier?" Ciel asks before taking another bite of his food.
"I did."
"Really?" Ciel looks at Sebastian in amazement and Sebastian nods.
"I help make the food schedule and do the majority of the prep and cooking."
"I was actually surprised that this place had great food."
"Did you expect flavorless food or slop?" Sebastian chuckles.
"…Yes." Ciel admits with a small smile. "You're a really great cook."
Sebastian eyes soften and smiles. "Thank you."
Moments pass as Ciel continues to eat, more than halfway through his meal and he looks up at Sebastian. Sebastian propped his elbow on the table and used his hand to cup and uphold his face. His head was slightly lowered and his black locks of hair fell to the side of his face as he continued to playfully move around his food in his tray with his spoon.
"Aren't you hungry?" Ciel stops to ask.
Sebastian stops, but keeps his posture. He looks up at Ciel through his raven colored hair and intimately locks eyes with Ciel.
"Starving." He said lowly with a smirk.
Ciel blushes and looks back down to his food.
"Why don't you eat? The food is good and it is yours after-all."
"It's not what I'm hungry for." Sebastian straightens his posture. "You can have mine if you want."
"Are you sure?" Ciel asks warily. He doesn't want Sebastian to go hungry.
"I don't like hearing your stomach cry. You can take it being that you enjoy my cooking that much." Sebastian smiles and slides his tray to Ciel. "I'll be alright. I'll find something else to eat before we retire."
"Thank you." Ciel's eyes soften.
"Of course."
A silence came over the two as Ciel continued to eat and Sebastian crossed his arms over the table and looked around the dining area to see how the rest of the patients responded to his cooking and he was pleased.
Once Ciel was finished with his meal and water, Sebastian gathered the two trays and placed the cups on top.
"I'll take these. The group is about to head back to their rooms before lights-out." He says standing up.
"Are you coming back with us?"
"I have to stay back to clean the kitchen and re-organize the dayroom. By the time I get back, you all will be fast asleep." Sebastian says and Ciel looks down in disappointment.
Sebastian has been the only kind soul here and seeing that Ciel will be here for a while and Elizabeth and Alois can't be here with him, it would be nice to have a companion. A friend.
"I'll see you in the morning for breakfast." Sebastian reassures with a smile.
Ciel nods and looks over when the staff calls for the patients to head back to patients quarters. He begins to stand.
"Have a good night." Sebastian says.
"You too." Ciel watches Sebastian walk to the back as he joins the group.
Staff leads the group from the dining area and back to their rooms. Every heads to their rooms and staff secures them in.
Ciel pulls his covers over him and lets out a sigh. Feeling satiated from dinner and a relief of loneliness lifted off of his shoulders, considering that Sebastian will be his new companion throughout his time here.
The heaviness in his stomach traveled through his body and Ciel dozed off, letting sleep be his time machine into his next day at Creedmoor.
Amend