Chapter 14: Kiss

...

...

There was an eerie silence that floated through the room. It was the type of silence where you could hear each little thing that stirred. Every surface of the room was painted black from the ash like it had been dressed in a shadowy cloak.

The blood red feather that lay on the mound of the previous Loren Knight looked incredibly obscure and unnatural against its surroundings. It quivered slightly as if there was something buried in the ashes it sat upon. As the mound slowly shifted a pale hand awkwardly reached out, followed by another that clawed at the floor's surface. The hands shook as they worked to pull out the rest of its body. Soon a pale head of hair surfaced—it was Loren.

He gasped as he crawled out from the ashes, completely bare to his surroundings. He breathed heavily as he collapsed and gripped his arms firmly. He felt like he was going to crumble into pieces.

"What… what just happened?" He whispered breathless.

"We have been reborn." A sultry voice spoke.

Even in Loren's shaken state he could still recognize that voice, the voice that had spoken to him earlier. But it sounded much more sinister and demonic than it had sounded originally. Loren pushed the thought aside and assumed it was just his imagination.

"Reborn...What…what do you mean…exactly?" Loren managed to mumble.

"It is exactly as I have said. We, as in you and I, have been reborn into something new and improved." He said silkily.

"Improved?"

"Yes, very much so—let's just say we have become better. But I will go into more of the details later on. For now we should find us some clothes, I detest being so uncovered." His voice gradually became more casual.

Loren shakily sat up but made no attempt to stand.

"Is something the matter?"

"How could there not be?" He asked exasperated. "Nothing… makes any sense."

"Hmm. Yes, everything does seem pretty unbelievable. I guess you would want me to explain it to you?"

Loren looked up expecting to see a figure standing before him but there was nothing. He didn't know what to say or where to look—it was strange talking to someone that was not there yet the voice spoke so clearly in his mind.

He swallowed the bitter taste in his mouth. His throat was parched and his lips were cracked and dry.

"Tell me everything."

.

.

.

Ciel and the others were silent as the cinematic record stopped playing and the screen became black. He blinked a couple of times and looked up at Sebastian who wore a peculiar expression.

Shiloh carefully closed the book and placed it on the surface of the desk.

Sebastian's eyes scanned Shiloh carefully. "It would seem you have lost your edge." He stated.

Those silver eyes looked over at Sebastian. His expression was chilling and his aura radiated of superiority, it sent shivers down Ciel's spine. With Shiloh's good nature and casual attitude he had almost forgotten that this man was a devil—something more superior than a demon.

Shiloh relaxed his shoulders and his expression softened into a smirk. He clucked his tongue before speaking. "So it would seem, though the same will happen to you in time, my dear Sebastian." His eyes slowly trailed over Ciel. "It is not just the contract that binds you to him."

The two men stared at each other, neither one blinking or lessening their intensity.

"Sebastian." Ciel finally spoke. "We should show great hast and return to the mansion. We need to revaluate the situation and make a plan in capturing Loren, or Phoenix—whatever you wish to call him. Let's just go." He spoke quickly but never stuttered.

Sebastian averted his gaze and looked to Ciel, the blazing in his scarlet orbs immediately subsided, changing back into the eyes of a calm and diligent butler.

"Yes, my Lord."

.

.

.

Back at the manor Ciel sat in the study, absently sipping his tea as Shiloh and Sebastian conversed. They both spoke quickly and in great detail of everything they had gathered, making suggestions and possible ways to capture a crafty character like Phoenix.

Ciel sighed and took another sip of his tea. He was far too tired to come up with any of his own ideas—even if he did he was certain that they had already been mentioned.

"Master Ciel, if you continue to drink so much tea I'm going to start calling you Earl Grey."

Ciel looked up to see Leo grinning and kneeling against his chair.

He smirked. "I can't really disagree with you there."

Leo nodded and leaned over, grabbing a sugar cube and placing it in his mouth. Ciel saw Leo as a very graceful and elegant being; he didn't seem the type to be acquainted with demons—even though he himself was one. Maybe it was his white hair or vibrant green eyes that made him somewhat angelic, he didn't quite know.

"How is Aless?" Ciel asked.

Leo shrugged his shoulders. "She's been better. It will just take her a bit of time to accept the news—but I'm sure she'll be back to her old self by tomorrow. She's a lot tougher than she looks."

"That's good to know." He murmured, sipping the last of his tea and placing his cup down with a small clink.

Shiloh nodded to Sebastian and then looked to Ciel once their conversation was finished. "Master Cial, Sebastian and I have come to the lame conclusion that the easiest way to capture Phoenix is to simply hunt him down like dogs." He said with a grin.

Sebastian grimaced a bit at Shiloh's choice of words. He despised being referred to as a dog. The very fact that he was named after the dog Sebastian always annoyed him, but at the same time it pleased him that he had received a name from his young master.

"You're right, that is a lame conclusion." Ciel sighed and stood from his chair. "And what else?"

"Our best option is for us to wait until late evening when there are a minimum number of witnesses." Sebastian said matter-of-fact and continued on. "You and Lady Alessandra will also have to stay in the care of Kyou and Leo when we are in the city so that we are able to move more freely. It is also in your best interest." He added.

Ciel closed his visible eye and made a small nod. "Since we have a few more hours to spare I will retire to my room for the time being..."

.

.

.

.

Ciel sighed as he sat down on his bed. "Who would have thought that when he called himself Phoenix he meant it quite literally? Being reborn from the ashes is quite absurd."

"Yes~, in a human's eyes it would be." Sebastian murmured as he stood before his master.

Ciel nodded with a melancholy expression. He had a dark foreboding feeling for some reason, like something was nudging at him, warning him that something bad was to come.

"Young Master, are you feeling unwell? You look pale."

"Oh, I'm fine..." He reassured in a quiet voice which was far from being anywhere near convincing.

Sebastian's brow furrowed a bit. Even though the two had confessed their supposed love for each other there were still times when Sebastian felt a distance between them.

"Ciel..."

Ciel's eyes widened a bit when he heard his name being said in such a way. "What did you call me?" He questioned, trying to make his voice sound angry and annoyed. But it was a difficult task for he didn't feel either of those emotions. There was something about the way Sebastian said his name that made him almost happy—like they were equals and not just master and servant.

"Please don't hide anything important from me, especially your thoughts and feelings." Sebastian spoke, completely ignoring the boy's question. "I'm here, so please use me at your will. Be it to listen or to speak, to fight or protect, to love or be loved~." He purred in a silky voice. "I will do anything and everything if it is you."

Ciel didn't say anything for a long time until he found the air to speak. "What are you getting at exactly? Explain it simply." He hated how his voice wavered like he was nervous, but something about those words made his heart fly.

Sebastian made a small chuckle. "What I mean is I'm here for you. Not just as your loyal servant, but as your lover as well."

Even if Sebastian was being completely serious he couldn't help but have that grin that was so closely related to a smirk—especially when he saw those cute little cheeks of his master's get dusted with a soft shade of pink.

"L-Lovers?" Ciel stuttered, voice rising in pitch slightly.

"That's what we are, yes~?" It seems only appropriate with everything that has occurred." He smirked and leaned in close enough to whisper in his ear. "Wouldn't you agree, Ciel~?"

"D-Don't call me that—I'm still your master."

"Mm~, that you are, but should a master be so blatantly under a servant's influence~?" He murmured. "I am but a lowly servant and yet you still love me with this fragile little heart of yours." He said simply, hearing the boy's heart beat pick up in tempo.

Ciel gnawed on his bottom lip. "Just... stop talking." He said, unable to come up with a liable argument.

"Is that an order?"

Was it an order? He hadn't intended it to be, for he still wanted to hear that silky voice to caress his ears with every word—even if all he would hear were teasing remarks.

"No... It was a request..." He mumbled and then licked his dry lips. "Sebastian... do you really love me?"

"I love you with as much as my demon self will allow." He made a soft, almost tender smile as he gazed into that one sapphire blue eye. "When I'm with you I almost feel human again."

Ciel's blush soon returned and he shifted his gaze to try and relax his mind. Sometimes he felt that he could drown in those captivating red orbs that looked like endless pools of crimson.

"I'm glad." Ciel murmured gently, a small smile gracing his lovely features.

"Tell me Young Master," Sebastian began as he sat down on the bed next to him, wanting to speak at the same level. "What convinced you that it was love?"

What had convinced him? That was a very good question. One that was not very easy to answer without possibly embarrassing himself.

"What convinced me..." He repeated in order to buy himself more time before he attempted to answer. "The dreams." He said simply.

"Dreams~?" He asked in an amused and curious tone.

"Y-Yeah..."He said, looking in the opposite direction. "I started to have some, shall we say, strange dreams with you being the main subject..."

Now this intrigued Sebastian all the more. "Define strange for me, Young Master."

"Well... you know..." God, what was he supposed to say? He couldn't just go ahead and tell him—'oh yeah, I had some really perverse dreams and they all involved you'. He couldn't see that one going very well.

Sebastian took Ciel's chin between his thumb and finger, gently angling it back so that he could look at him directly. "Please tell me."

Ciel stared into the demon's eyes, swallowing the lump in his throat before speaking. "In one of my dreams... we kissed." He said the last words in barely a whisper.

Sebastian for once had a fairly genuine smile grace his face as he stared at the younger male.

"Oh~?" He leaned in a bit closer. "How would you like to make that dream a reality?" He asked, speaking in that slow and seductive tone that would have the women throwing themselves at him in an instant. His eyes gleamed dangerously like a predator admiring his prey.

Ciel subconsciously licked his own lips as his eyes stayed fixated on his butler's. The way he looked at him with those eyes made him unable to pull away and had his heart doing summer-salts.

"If you don't say anything I'll take your silence as a yes~."

He should say something right? He should try to stop him—halt his actions before he did something he might regret... but he couldn't speak. All he could do was gaze at the older man unmoving.

Sebastian had given Ciel a good sixty seconds to speak before doing anything, but his master still said nothing. So with that, he kept his word.

He leaned in even closer, eyes glued to Ciel's as hand moved to caress his face gently in the palm of his hand. "Close your eyes~." He whispered silkily.

Ciel did just that, eyes slowly fluttering shut without a fuss. As calm as he looked on the outside the same could not be said in regards to his heart and mind. He was surprised he didn't just have a heart attack then and there as he waited in anticipation.

Sebastian then took the initiative, shutting his own eyes and closing the small gap between them. His lips pressed against Ciel's delicately, merely putting a small amount of pressure against his.

Even though the kiss was small Ciel could still feel a small tingling, like he was being shocked with tiny bolts of electricity where their lips met. Almost too soon Sebastian slowly pulled away, eyes soft but still intense.

"Was it as good as your dreams~?" He purred in question.

"Better." Ciel whispered breathlessly. "But, there was something about it... like it was missing something..." He said, trailing off.

That smirk soon crept back onto the butler's lips. "That's probably because it wasn't a very deep or passionate kiss like in your dreams~." He teased, putting extra emphasis on those two words.

Ciel's cheeks went beat red. "S-Shut up you..." He muttered as he looked away.

Sebastian smirked even more. "Perhaps a small childish kiss isn't enough for you then..." He whispered, leaning in again and capturing his lips.

Ciel's eyes widened and then immediately closed as he felt those soft subtle lips press against his even more than before.

Sebastian still took things slow as he opened his mouth ever so slightly, urging Ciel to move his lips against his as he did. His tongue tracing over the boy's lips slowly and then ever so gently slipping past them into his mouth.

"Mmn~." Ciel's eyes widened and then tightly shut at the invasion of his mouth.

He clung to the older man as a strange sensation consumed his body and mind. He could feel that skilled tongue caress the walls of his small mouth and massage against his tongue as it danced with his. He was forced to let Sebastian take the lead, for he had no knowledge in this activity what's so ever. But being lead in this sort of thing didn't bother him at all.

After a few more passing moments Sebastian broke the kiss gently, a small string of saliva connected between them for a split second. "It seems you enjoyed that quite a bit~." He purred, looking calm as ever which pissed Ciel off a bit since he was breathing quite heavily.

"You... you should prepare the carriage..." Ciel breathed, trying to change the subject before his pride was hurt anymore than this. His face was flushed and his lips were wet as he looked at the clock to see it was nearly time to leave.

Sebastian held back a chuckle as he stood and bowed gently. "It will be ready right away~." He said, making his way to the door and then stopping before looking back. "Oh, by the way, you might want to clean yourself up a bit before coming downstairs Young Master~." He smirked, before closing the door behind him.

Ciel cleared his throat, his gaze looking to his reflection in the mirror, which only made him blush more and quickly look away.

He'd never seen such an expression on his face before.

It was one of complete love and infatuation.