Second story, YEAH. School started, and homework got the best of me. I know I promised all of you guys more fluff, so here it is. Three weeks later than I would have liked. I forgot how much I loved to write. Like last time, apologies for the grammar mistakes! I'm always learning! :)

p.s. Miss Grenfell is a reference to Neneko's Phobia, her online doujinshi. If you haven't read it, hightail there and DO (after reading my fic, of course.) I also stole a line from that doujin and placed it here as well, so, eh heh heh. That line's hers!

Music referenced in here: The Devil's Trill by Giuseppe Tartini (version by Vanessa Mae is awesome as well) and Canon in D by Johann Pachelbel.

So without further ado…

Trills

"Does the young master play an instrument?" Sebastian asked one day, while serving the afternoon tea in the study. It had been only a month since Earl and demon contracted. After fixing the mansion and hiring new servants, Sebastian had been busy arranging the finest tutors in all of England for Ciel's daily education. He was interested in signing Ciel up for music classes—all the nobles' children did.

Pause.

Ciel said nothing for a second while he tried to think of a suitable lie, and then gave up when he realized his lack of an immediate response already answered for him. He grimaced, remembering the hours of grueling practice his father forced him to put into that blasted torture device.

"Interesting," Sebastian purred, handing Ciel a cup of tea. "Might I ask which instrument…?"

"The violin," Ciel bit out, taking the proffered cup and saucer. "Mother wanted me to see if I had inherited her talent. She was a gifted violinist when she was little." He sipped his tea in irritation. "I am not taking violin lessons, Sebastian."

"And why not?"

Ciel leered at Sebastian. "Because, according to the fifty-six violin teachers my parents have hired for me, I am unteachable," Ciel smirked into his drink. "Every time they were…dismissed… my parents had to bribe them to keep silent about my inability. What a shame it'd be, if the praised Rachel Phantomhive, one of the most prodigious violinists in the world, had a son that couldn't even draw a bow without breaking some strings. I'd like to see you try to find me a tutor," he scoffed, setting down the tea.

The butler didn't even blink.

"Why are you bringing me here, Sebastian?" Ciel snapped. He did not want to be in this room.

"We are in the music room, my lord, because I've taken it upon myself to hire a violin tutor for you," Sebastian replied, "Miss Grenfell will be here momentarily."

"Sebastian!" Ciel growled, "I said I wouldn't take any lessons! What did you not understand about 'unteachable'?"

"Surely the young master meant that as a figure of speech…"

"It's not a joke! I can't play the violin! I can't! I will not! I hate it!" Ciel yelled, going as far as stomping a foot on the floor.

"My, isn't the young master acting like a spoiled child right now? I wonder how Miss Grenfell would react to that. After all, she has travelled all the way from Devon to teach you, my lord, and she is only a moment's away from arriving. It would besmirch the Phantomhive name to turn her away now," Sebastian grinned. "You'll have the lesson, young master." His eyes softened. "I am sure the young master is not as bad as he thinks he is."

Ciel narrowed his eyes, knowing he lost the argument. "Fine!" he snapped. "Wait and see."

Wait and see indeed.

Sebastian sat in through the whole lesson, interested in Ciel's so called "unteachability". (Ciel had protested, declaring that Sebastian had work to do around the manor, and Sebastian had coolly dismissed that, saying that he had already done all of the chores available and that dinner was already prepared and was currently baking in the oven.)

Poor Miss Grenfell had kept a forced mask of composure on through the entire session, and got up to leave an hour ahead of schedule. At the door, she stated that while she acknowledged Ciel's talent, it, regrettably, was not what she had been looking for.

Sebastian nodded serenely, muttered words of thanks for her time and how it was such a shame Ciel would not be continuing his lessons, and then shut the door.

…

Sebastian waited for the sound of her carriage to fade away, and then let out a long fit of giggles he had been keeping in for the past hour.

"What!" Ciel growled from the top of the stairs, finally daring to show his face.

Sebastian started walking back up the stairs. "My-my-lord, I-am-so-so-so-rry, it's-just, your-playing—," unable to continue, he continued chuckling, until he reached the top of the stairs. "There…there are no words for what I heard just now."

"Indeed! Now, if you'll please excuse me," Ciel barked, face red with embarrassment. He turned on his heel and started marching in the direction to his study.

Oh no, you don't. "You're not excused," Sebastian threw back, quickly gathering Ciel in his arms before he got too far away. The butler turned the opposite direction and started walking back to the music room.

"Sebastian! Put me down!"

"Now, my lord, your schedule calls for two hours of violin lessons today, and if I am not wrong, you've only committed an hour so far. You still have lessons." They approach the music room, the door still ajar. Sebastian set Ciel down on the carpet.

"If you haven't noticed, Sebastian, there's no tutor here. I cannot learn without one, you imbecile!"

Sebastian gave a small smile and bowed. "Then it would be an honor if I were allowed to teach the young master violin."

Ciel blinked, then scoffed at that statement. "Can you even play?" he asked, haughtily.

"Doesn't the young master know?" Sebastian hummed, gliding over to where the abandoned violin lay. He gathered the delicate instrument and the bow.

"What?" Ciel snapped. Sebastian approached the child until he was only a few steps away, and looked down at the defiant eyes. Ciel glared back at the towering height.

"They say the violin is the devil's instrument."

And Sebastian began to play.

The demon started with slow and sad melody, a tune for a dead love or lost paramour. His eyes were intent on Ciel's, an eerie demonic red, which Ciel thought strange. Why would his eyes be red now? He didn't give much thought to that though, as he quickly lost himself in the sad and depressing tune. Ciel found his eyes stinging a little, and pointedly ignored the feeling. The tune felt familiar, and he's certain he had heard this piece before, but from where? It definitely wasn't played with this much skill…

But even Sebastian's skill didn't stop Ciel from quickly becoming bored. A sad piece was lovely and all, but they were usually quite depressing, and are very overdone.

"You are boring me, Sebastian-"

The demon smirked at the complaint and started playing more rapidly, with more power and precision. The violent melody filled the room. The music was devilish and chaotic and as the notes sped up to an impossible speed, Ciel found it harder and harder to breathe. Ciel had never heard anything more captivating. Not even his mother's beautiful sonatas could compare to this. Only something otherworldly was capable enough to play like this. As Sebastian drove his double stop trills into a more romantic lilt, he bore his demonic gaze right into his young master's. All Ciel could do was stare. He was shocked to feel tears rolling down his eyes, and he furiously wiped them off. He would not allow some stupid water to blur his vision.

The violin's music abruptly jumped back into the sad melody, and Ciel's tears continued flowing. "W-why…?" he stammered.

"Hm?" Sebastian hummed merrily, not stopping in his playing. "I used to be in a contract with Giuseppe Tartini. Not too far back actually, perhaps three or four contracts ago," Sebastian mused, his voice melting with the music, "and he wished to become better at violin. I do believe he stole this sonata from me, even though there were many misinterpretations… Well. This is the original Devil's Trill."

The depressing melody faded away, and Sebastian started the chaotic trills again. "So I taught him some of my skills," he shook his head. "He was an impatient student. After a fortnight I decided I couldn't stand him, and ended the contract prematurely. He lost all the skill he had gain during my time with him, of course, but he somehow remembered this sonata…"

Sebastian finished the piece with a flourish, and bowed to Ciel, who was still more-or-less frozen in amazement.

"Why do you want to teach me?" Ciel garbled, finally remembering his question.

"Souls with the most despair play the most beautifully," the demon sang, "And even if you can't see it," Sebastian leaned in and took in a deep lungful of Ciel's scent, "your soul is the most beautiful I have ever seen. For it is full of despair. For it is as white as sin. And if that is not reason enough, remember that I am your loyal butler. I live only for you. All I ask for in return is for you to play." Sebastian smiled.

Ciel still looked dubious, and Sebastian smiled sadly. "My lord, many humans would—have—and will, offer their soul to learn the art of violin from me. Since you've already offered your soul to me, I might as well. With a soul that pure," he pushed the violin into Ciel's hands, "I want to see what you can do."

Ciel clutched the violin to his chest, still warm from Sebastian's grasp, and murmured only three words.

"Teach me, Sebastian."

It was three weeks since Sebastian played his devilish sonata in the music room. Lessons transgressed wonderfully, and though Ciel was prone to throwing fits, Sebastian found himself more patient than usual.

He watched the child play, forehead knotted in concentration and eyes determinedly focused on the music sheets in front of him. Sebastian's eyes softened fondly. It was heartwarming to see his master so determined to play his favorite instrument well. Suddenly, he blinked himself out of his thoughts, noticing an error.

"Young master, you are letting your violin point to the floor. Tilt it back up."

Ciel grumbled something incoherently, and did as told. He continued to play. Sebastian sighed. He knows the reason for that face. The boy was irritated—he had been trying to play Canon in D for the last few days, at Sebastian's urging. And while Ciel's playing had improved miraculously since Sebastian started training him, it wouldn't be wrong to say the piece was a level a little too high for his current level. He frowned.

"My lord, perhaps it would be best if we backtracked to a simpler piece—"

"No," Ciel snapped, determined to play the melody correctly.

Sebastian let out a long breath, maneuvered behind Ciel, and wrapped his hands around the petite ones. The boy stiffened, feeling the entity behind him. He instantly felt warmer with his back pressed flushed to Sebastian's chest. The demon's hands were warm around his own, helping him guide the bow across the strings.

"Young master," Sebastian hummed into his ear, "you are drawing the bow too jerkily. The bow should always be smooth and slow. It is fine to not be able to catch up. You can always play faster, later, when you have mastered playing it correctly. If you continue to draw the bow like this, you will develop a bad habit that is very hard to fix later on.

"Let the music flow into you, let the violin play itself. The violinist is only a mouthpiece for the music. Let the music possess you, control you! Understand it, breathe it, pour all your emotion into it. Play from your heart, from your soul! Most people play without their soul. But I believe you are able to."

The music, sickeningly sweet, flowed out, product of the soul and the soulless. Time stopped for the two, and the only thing both of them heard was the voice of the music that emanated throughout the room. For that eternal moment, it was only them, playing the most beautiful rendition of Canon ever heard by mortal ears.

They continued playing, just like that, together, until the music came to a close. Sebastian reluctantly released his master's hands, and Ciel found himself missing the warmth. Sebastian returned back to his spot in front of the music stand, and smiled.

"Play again," he commanded.

And Ciel began to play.