A/N: New story! This story pretty much wrote itself, haha and I'm really excited to post it ^^ I hope y'all enjoy it! Many, many thanks to socialbutrfly1379 for being my amazing beta again! She was awesome working on this story :3

Warnings: Language, mentions of alcohol use

Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroshitsuji

The sound of a roaring plane thundered overhead. It seemed to shake the ceiling above but no one paid attention to the loud noise. It was all too common at an airport and no one batted an eyelash at the noise. Instead, they continued to rush about the airport, running from one gate to another while others milled about around the shops.

Another plane took off, nothing but a slowly shrinking line of silver in the evening sky. It vanished into the sunset before another plane took its place. The flow of planes remained steady, a constant dance of landing and taking off. A symphony of thundering roars and screeching tires, along with the loud chorus of people moving throughout the terminals.

It proved interesting to watch for the first hour or so, but it quickly lost its appeal after the fifth hour. Fingers drummed against the armrest and Ciel resisted the urge to look at his phone again. The sinking sun told him exactly how late it was and how long he had sat waiting in baggage claim.

A frustrated noise left his mouth and Ciel twisted around in his seat to look at the moving carousel. A lone bag shuffled around on the conveyer belt and Ciel wondered how long it would take until someone came to claim it.

"Wonder how long it'll take for someone to come claim me," he muttered under his breath.

He turned his attention back to his phone and the game he played on it. It had faithfully kept him entertained for the past two hours but as his frustration mounted, it quickly lost its appeal. With a disgusted sigh, he slipped the device into his pocket and stood up. His legs protested the motion after sitting for so long and Ciel leaned over to stretch his back.

It popped pleasantly and Ciel straightened up again before grabbing his bag. He needed to walk around for a while or he would go crazy from sitting still. That, and the nearby security guards kept giving him curious looks with each hour that passed. No doubt, they wondered about his situation and monitored him for any more suspicious activity.

It only helped to fuel Ciel's frustration and he stomped away from the baggage claim. Not for the first time, Ciel cursed the person responsible for his current suffering.

The glass doors slid open and Ciel stepped outside, wincing as hot, dry air rushed forward to greet him. It pressed against his face and instantly wrapped around his body in an uncomfortable embrace. The sounds of vehicles driving by and horns blaring joined the chorus that was the airport, and Ciel scanned the nearby cars for any signs of a battered yellow car.

He didn't see any, not that Ciel expected any less, and he trudged over to the nearest bench to wait again. His stomach growled and demanded food as he sat down, and Ciel clenched his hands together in a failed attempt to keep it quiet.

This wasn't how Ciel envisioned his trip to unfold when he left this morning. He expected to wait for a while before Alois picked him up, but five hours pushed his patience. He only hoped that this wasn't a sign of how the remainder of his visit would play out.

A blur of yellow appeared in his peripheral vision and Ciel perked up. He scowled though as a taxi drove by and a string of curses left his mouth. "That's it," he swore and fumbled for his phone. He punched in a number and waited impatiently for Alois to pick up.

"Ciel~," a voice slurred after several rings and Ciel pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "Ciel, 'm soooo drunk right now."

"Alois," Ciel seethed. "Where are you?"

A giggle. "Home with the guys." A loud clatter sounded through the speakers, followed by loud, obnoxious laughter in the background. "Dropped the phone," Alois said after a few seconds, barely finishing the sentence before bursting into laughter.

Ciel gripped his phone tighter. "Alois. When are you coming to pick me up? I've been at the airport for hours." Silence stretched across the speakers and Ciel pulled the phone back to check his signal. He still had his bars and the call remained connected. "Alois?" he tried again.

"W'at are you talkin' 'bout, Ciel?" Alois finally said. "You don't come 'till next month."

"I told you yesterday that I would arrive today," Ciel spat. "Or were you drunk then too and you can't remember any of our conversations anymore?"

Alois giggled again. "Maybe," he teased. "Oh man, the room is spinnin', Ciel. McMillan always gets the best booze."

"Alois!" Ciel practically shouted into the phone, drawing several strange stares in his direction. He pointedly ignored them. "How am I getting to your place if you and the rest of your roommates are too drunk to even walk? I'm not taking a taxi all the way out there. I don't have that kind of money."

"Relax Ciel," Alois said. "Why are you so worked up? You're not in town yet."

Another bout of laughter echoed through the phone and Ciel ended the call in disgust. He knew this would happen. Perhaps not exactly this scenario, but something close to it. A part of him had hoped that Alois would come through in the end and prove him wrong, but that part now remained shattered at Ciel's feet.

He had never been so mad with Alois before, but this incident easily took the cake. Three months ago, Ciel had booked his tickets with the confirmation from Alois that he would pick him up at the airport. Alois had promised up and down to be there when he arrived and that they would spend the summer together to celebrate Ciel's recent graduation.

With a frustrated snarl, Ciel grabbed his bags again and made his way back to the baggage claim. He didn't want to stay at the airport tonight and he had a feeling the security guards wouldn't let him. Furthermore, by the time Alois slept off his hangover, it would be close to noon and Ciel didn't plan to wait that long in the airport for Alois to come pick him up.

Provided Alois even remembered their conversation come morning. Somehow, Ciel seriously doubted he would.

The doors slid open, sending cool air rushing over his body but Ciel barely felt the comfortable air as he searched for the nearest security guard. After a few seconds of looking, he spotted one and Ciel dragged his bags over to the man. The officer visibly tensed and a wary look settled over his face, no doubt concerned about the irate person headed his way.

"Can I help you?" the man asked.

Ciel nodded. "Can you tell me where the nearest hotel is?" he asked, trying his best to remain polite but his frustration filled his voice and he ended up spitting out the question. "My bastard friend left me stranded here," he added.

The officer winced at his assertion and he nodded. "Come with me and I'll check if they have any vacancies. The nearest one is on the airport grounds, but the rooms are usually booked."

"Great, just great," Ciel muttered under his breath and followed the officer to the security office. "Do you happen to know how much a room costs?"

"I want to say the rates start around a hundred."

Ciel swore and his hand tightened around the handle of his bags. The reason he agreed to stay with Alois, despite his extreme dislike of Alois's roommates, was to save money. Staying at a hotel for an extended time would quickly eat into his budget, something Ciel couldn't afford right now.

"Have a seat," the officer said as they entered the office. "And I'll make some calls."

"What's going on?" another officer asked. He looked at Ciel with curious amber eyes and Ciel threw himself in the nearest seat, uncaring what the man thought about him.

The first officer grunted. "He's stranded. Friend left him at the airport so he needs to find a place to stay for the night."

Amber eyes blinked and the man stood up. "Just take a taxi."

Ciel scoffed. "He lives almost half an hour away. Do you know how expensive that would be? Plus, he's too drunk right now to even remember that I arrived today, let alone this month." Bitterness crept into his words. "I would rather not show up at his place when everyone there is drunk off their ass."

"You should choose your friends better."

"Claude!" the first officer exclaimed and smacked him in the arm with a clipboard. "Don't say that. The poor kid has been stuck here since, what, noon? Have you even had anything to eat since you landed?"

Blue eyes narrowed. "No, to your question," Ciel said to the first officer and turned to Claude. "And so you know, my friend wasn't always like that. It was only after he moved down here for college that he changed for the worst. Now all he does is go out partying every night and skipping classes because he's too hung over in the morning to function properly. I blame his roommates. He was never like this before he left."

Claude smirked. "Pity that happened," he said and turned to the other officer. "Go get him something to eat, Ronald."

Ron nodded and scurried away. Ciel watched him go; silently wishing that Claude had gone to get the food instead of Ron. At least then, he wouldn't have to stay with Claude in a cramped office. He looked back at Claude and scowled when he realized amber eyes still watched him with amusement. "What?" he spat.

"What are you going to do if your friend doesn't come and pick you up tomorrow?" Claude asked. "You can't stay at the hotel airport for the remainder of your trip. Well, I suppose you could but I feel that would be rather boring. Especially if you came to see the sights."

Ciel bit his lip and looked away. The thought had already crossed his mind and Ciel didn't know what the best course of action was. He knew Claude was right. He couldn't stay holed up in the hotel for the remainder of summer or until Alois came to his senses. At best, that would be a month, seeing as Alois didn't expect him here until the following month.

He wanted to see the downtown sights and other nearby spots that Alois always raved about, and he couldn't exactly do that when he remained on airport property. For now, he had no choice but to remain at the airport but after that remained a blank.

"I won't let him ruin my trip," he finally said. "I'll find a different hotel to stay at for the rest of my trip and do the things that I came to do."

The smirk on Claude's lips grew wider. "And how do you plan to do that?"

Ciel huffed. "I'll do some research tonight at the hotels business center and go from there. I'm not that incompetent that I can't take care of myself, you know."

"Never said you were," Claude stated and stretched his arms over his head. They lowered and he pushed his glasses up after they slid down the bridge of his nose. "But if you're going into the city, as I'm assuming you are, how do you plan to get out there?"

Ciel faltered at the question and his fingers twirled around each other as he thought about the question. He could always take a cab, but he still preferred a different means of transportation. The hotel costs already hurt his budget and he didn't want to add cab fare onto the growing list of expenses. "I'll look for a hotel that offers shuttle services. Or rent a car," he stated at last and shot Claude a nasty look. "Unless you have another idea."

Claude circled around the desk and leaned against the edge. Ciel watched him warily, uncomfortable with the knowing smirk that seemed permanently stained on Claude's lips. It made him uneasy and Ciel hoped that Ron came back soon. He didn't want to remain alone with Claude for any longer than he needed.

"Do you like music?" Claude asked suddenly.

The abrupt change of subjects caught Ciel off guard and he blinked at Claude. "What?"

"Do you," Claude repeated slowly. "Like music?"

Ciel nodded. "Yeah. Why?"

"What kind?"

"Is there a point to all this?" Claude gave him a look and Ciel threw his hands up in the air, exasperated. "All kinds, okay? Does it really matter what kind of music I like?"

Claude chuckled and crossed his arms over his chest. "What about classical?"

"I don't have anything against it," Ciel said. "I played the cello when I was younger."

If anything, the answer made the smirk on Claude's mouth deepen and he pushed away from the desk as the door opened. Ron entered with a small bag in his hand, eyes darting between them at the tension in the room.

"I found a bagel for you," he said and handed the bag over to Ciel before turning to look at Claude. "Did you check the hotel?"

Claude nodded. "They were booked, but I have a better place for him to stay."

Ciel sputtered and almost dropped the bag. "You never even called the hotel. And there's no way in hell that I'm staying with you." He paused. "Or any other place you had in mind."

The smirk on Claude's face dropped slightly and Ciel watched him practically age before him. "Look, I'm not happy about this any more than you, but you need my help and I need yours." He ran a hand through his hair. "And before you protest, you won't stay with me. I'd rather lock myself in the jail before letting you set foot in my apartment. My friend though is a different story."

"I told you I'm not staying anywhere but a hotel," Ciel stated hotly.

"Just hear me out. You're not exactly in the best place to argue right now. You're stranded and you have no way of accomplishing the things you wanted to do without spending money that you didn't plan on spending," Claude snapped and Ciel clamped his mouth shut despite himself. "I'm trying to help you out here and dammit all, I'm desperate to help my friend right now."

Ron shifted in the corner, breaking the tension with his movements but not the silence. Ciel swallowed heavily and stared at Claude, noting the tension in his shoulders and in the lines of his mouth. They told a story of stress, not from the job but from something outside that and amber eyes told the remaining story.

Desperation flickered through the depths of Claude's eyes and if Ciel looked hard enough, he could see a veiled plea that bordered on begging. And someone as proud and annoying as Claude didn't beg easily. But beyond that, the emotion that swam the deepest was that of concern.

The look made Ciel lower his eyes and gaze at the tiled floor beneath his shoes. He toed one of the lines as his fingers clutched each other in a tight embrace.

"I'm listening," he said softly. But in the quiet room, the words sounded like the crack of a starting gun fired at a race. They tore through the silence and ripped down the tension that had grown ever since Claude last spoke.

A heavy sigh left Claude's mouth and he tugged off his glasses. "Trust me when I say that I'm desperate. My friend is running himself ragged by keeping himself locked in his apartment and slaving over his work. Every time I see him, he looks worse and I'm worried that he's going to end up breaking down with no hope of coming back." He set his glasses on the desk. "He needs to get out for a while and take his mind off his work before it consumes him."

Ciel watched as Claude clasped his hands in front of him. Amber eyes focused on a random spot, seeing but not seeing. "My friend, he's a good man. Better than most, and I'm not just saying that because he's my friend. He's been through his own trails and came out on top. It's not always easy to do that." He blinked and opened his mouth to say something else, but closed it last minute.

"And where do I fit into all this?" Ciel asked cautiously once he knew Claude wasn't going to speak again.

"You want to see the sights around downtown," Claude said. "And I want my friend to get out and take a break from work. This way, we both win. Plus, you get a free place to stay and it beats paying for an expensive hotel."

Ciel frowned and leaned back in his chair. "What's the catch?"

Claude gave a tight smile. "There's one small catch, but it's nothing that you need to worry about. He doesn't have a criminal background, he's not violent, his place is always clean, and he's not a sexual fiend. He has a steady job, lives in a nice neighborhood, and is smart." He cocked his head. "Did I leave anything out?"

"What's the catch though?" Ciel pressed.

Claude shook his head. "He obviously doesn't know that I'm planning on having you stay with him." He shrugged. "I'm sure he'll protest and fight me, but he won't hold that against you if you stay. If anything, he'll give me the cold shoulder for a while."

"How do I know he won't kick me out after you leave or that he'll even accept me in the first place?" Ciel asked. "I'm putting a lot on the line if I agree."

It was a lie and they both knew it. Ciel had nothing to lose from accepting the offer. If Claude's friend turned him down, the worst that could happen was that Ciel would have to stay at the hotel as he originally planned. But if he stayed with the man, then Ciel would save several hundred dollars.

"He's not the type of person to do something like that," Claude answered and slipped his glasses back on his face. "He won't dislike you for something I did."

"And why do you think I'm the right person to help your friend? We just met, you and I, and you don't know a single thing about me," Ciel pointed out.

"You like music."

Ciel blinked and leaned forward. "What?"

Claude inclined his head. "You're right, I don't know anything about you. You could go in there and rob him blind if you wanted. I told you I'm desperate." He shifted his weight. "But you like music."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Ciel pressed.

"My friend is a composer," Claude stated. "And a damn good one at that. You two share an interest in music and that alone is enough for me right now. Plus, I know a little about your personality and your mind just by how you acted in this room. I'm usually a good judge of character and I know you won't do anything to my friend."

A heavy sigh left Ciel's mouth and he rubbed his arm as he weighed his options. With nothing left to lose, he knew he should accept the offer. Claude's friend sounded like a nice person from all that he said. Ciel only hoped that Claude wasn't playing up his friend and that this whole thing wouldn't backfire on him.

"If something happens to me while I'm at your friend's place, I'll come back and haunt you," Ciel said. "Or I'll sue you for all that you're worth."

Claude grinned and placed a hand over his heart. "I swear upon my life that my friend won't do anything against you. Me on the other hand," he trailed off with a low laugh and reached into his pocket. "Here, your temporary roommate. Just so you know that I'm not trying to pull a fast one on you."

Ciel stood up and crossed the small room, accepting the phone. Two figures stood in the picture and Ciel quickly picked out Claude. He glanced at the other person and traced their features with his eyes. "What's his name?"

"Sebastian Michaelis."

Ron snorted with laughter and Ciel jumped at the noise. "Sebastian is going to kill you, Claude. I don't think he's quite forgiven you for hiding his music notes last month."

Claude scowled. "I had to try something to get him to stop working. He says his muse has vanished but slaving over those booklets all day isn't going to make it come back. This is the next best thing I can think of aside from locking him up."

Ciel tuned them out as they continued to argue in favor of looking at Sebastian. He was a hairsbreadth shorter than Claude was and had a leaner build. Dark hair framed his face and looked longer than Claude's. They both smiled at the camera, dark sunglasses covering their eyes and ice cream cones in their hands. It looked like they were at a picnic and even though Ciel didn't know much about Sebastian, he couldn't help but feel at ease while looking at the picture.

"He looks like a nice person," he said and passed the phone back to Claude. Attractive as well, but he kept that thought to himself.

Claude accepted it and tucked the phone back into his pocket. "He is. He's the best friend a guy could ask for," he said softly.

Ciel sighed and shook his head. "I can't believe I'm saying this," he started and ran a hand through his hair. "But I'll give him a chance and stay with him."

Both Claude and Ron smiled at him, looking pleased. Ron clapped him on the shoulder. "You won't regret it," he said. "Sebastian has an amazing apartment. Plus, he has this smoking hot maid that cleans his place. I keep telling him to hook me up, but he keeps misplacing my number." He laced his fingers behind his head and let out a disappointed sigh.

"They're not dating," Claude broke in before Ciel could ask. "He's single. And I tell you that not because I'm trying to hook anyone up, but to put your mind at ease. No one likes to hear other people going at it in the middle of the night."

Ciel nodded, grateful for that reassurance. He already felt strange about staying at someone's place when he didn't know them, but hearing them have sex would only make things even more strained for him. "Thanks for that."

Claude grunted and looked at Ron. "Cover for me while I take him to Sebastian's apartment. I won't be gone that long." He turned to Ciel. "Get your bags. I'm sure you're anxious to get out of here and into something more comfortable."

"Yeah," Ciel agreed and followed Claude out of the office. He felt grimy and his stomach still growled, demanding food. He hadn't had any time to eat the bagel Ron brought him but with any luck, he could get some better food at Sebastian's apartment.

"Thank you for this," Claude said as he climbed into the car.

Ciel made a soft noise of agreement and leaned his head against the window. The sun had set already, giving way to the night sky and the airport looked like a tree filled with lights. Planes continued to take off and land as the car moved down the road, and Ciel watched one take off before they left the airport behind.

Silence settled in the car as they sped down the highway and towards the city. Even from a distance, Ciel could see the tall buildings standing opposing in the dark. Their dark shapes remained nothing but shadows in the night with a few lights to help further define them. They looked down at the people and cars below, watching them with open eyes and finding the busy bustle of life interesting.

Silly humans, they seemed to say; rush, rush, rush, that's all you do. And while you rush, we remain here, standing silently but strongly as we watch you run yourselves ragged. Such is the life of a building. We see you, but you do not see us.

The buildings grew closer, tall concrete jungles filled with steel and glass. From their spot on the highway, Ciel could see their tallest points scrape against the night sky. As though the tower antennas at the top wanted to steal the very stars from the skies.

They looked foreboding yet beautiful bathed in darkness, but Ciel still couldn't wait to see them in the daylight. Or in the sunset; backlit by the setting sun and tossing everything into an array of colors.

"Just a little further," Claude said, breaking the silence as they turned off the loop and took the nearest exit.

Ciel nodded and watched the skyline from the window. It didn't shrink as they continued down the new road and Ciel could only imagine what view Sebastian had of the city. Ron had said that he had a good apartment. He never thought that it would include the view as well.

The car came to a stop in front of a long line of apartments and Ciel stared at them in awe. "This is where he lives?" he asked and unclipped his seatbelt, still staring at the buildings.

Claude nodded. "The Arts District. It's close to the symphony hall, so it's easy for him to access the building if he ever needs it." His fingers clenched the steering wheel and he turned to look at Ciel, eyes serious behind thin glasses. "There's one other thing about Sebastian that I didn't tell you."

Ciel tensed and his hand reached for the door handle in case he needed to run for whatever reason. "Another catch?"

"Somewhat," Claude answered as his fingers loosened and his shoulders slumped slightly. He seemed to debate with himself, as though he didn't want to tell Ciel at first before he sighed in resignation. "It's not my place to say but I'm sure you'll figure it out quickly. You're a smart kid."

"Okay," Ciel mumbled, because what else could he say?

Claude leaned back in his seat. "You can change your mind now, if you want. But I promise you though that Sebastian is a good man. He can give you a tour of the city and can get you into places that most people never have access to." He ran a hand through his hair, looking flustered. "But if you would rather not stay with him after you meet him, I'll take you to a hotel of your choosing and I won't hold anything against you."

Ciel gnawed on his lip. He hadn't expected that curveball and he didn't know what to think about it. "Can I meet him first?" he asked. That would make or break things for Ciel.

"Of course," Claude answered and climbed out of the car. "Although I warn you now that he's not going to be happy with me when I tell him what's going on."

"I don't blame him," Ciel said with a small grunt. He followed Claude up the small set of stairs and waited patiently next to him. He scoffed as Claude rang the bell several times. "Is that necessary?"

Claude smirked. "It's how he knows its me."

Ciel nodded but didn't say anything further. He didn't know what to expect and his heart sputtered wildly in his chest. He nearly jumped when the speaker next to the doorbell crackled to life. "Honestly Claude, must you rape my doorbell in that manner?" a deep voice asked and Ciel blinked in surprise at the voice.

A low chuckle left Claude. "Is there any other way? Hurry up and answer the door old man. I'm supposed to be at work right now."

"I should make you stand outside even longer for that comment," Sebastian stated but Ciel heard the lock sliding on the door before it swung open.

He recognized Sebastian instantly from the picture and Ciel shifted slightly next to Claude. Sebastian didn't look at him, didn't even bat an eyelash in his direction, and Ciel felt awkward standing on the porch. By now, he should've noticed that Claude had company and at least acknowledged him, but Sebastian remained focused solely on Claude.

Ciel worried his lip, wondering if he should back out now while he had the chance. If Sebastian treated him this way when Claude was around, how would he treat him after Claude left? Claude never said anything about Sebastian acting rude, but Sebastian's actions felt rather impolite.

"So why did you skip work to come see me, Claude?" Sebastian asked, his arms crossed over his chest as he leaned against the doorframe.

Claude cleared his throat. "I wanted to introduce you to someone," he said and an eyebrow rose slightly. "Sebastian, this is…," Claude trailed off and looked at Ciel, a small frown crossing his lips. "You know, I never asked your name."

"I can't take you anywhere," Sebastian muttered and ran a hand over his face. "You're supposed to be a cop, Claude."

"Seems as though he needs some more training," Ciel quipped and tensed as Sebastian finally turned to look at him. He shuffled his feet, the awkward feeling magnifying as Sebastian's face looked at him but his eyes gazed at a spot well over his head.

Claude hummed. "Lower," he said softly.

Instantly, curious eyes slid down and looked at Ciel. "You're short," Sebastian stated.

Ciel bristled at the words. "Well sorry for being vertically challenged. Not all of us can stand as tall as you two."

Sebastian chuckled and held out his hand. "I apologize, that was out of line for me. I'm Sebastian."

"Ciel," he answered and reached for Sebastian's hand. "It's nice to meet you."

Sebastian had a firm handshake and Ciel gave his approval. His father always said that you could tell a lot about a person by their handshake. Perhaps Sebastian just needed Claude to introduce them before he would acknowledge Ciel. It seemed a bit strange, but it wasn't overly rude as Ciel at first pegged Sebastian.

Their hands fell to the side and Sebastian cocked his head. "You're from England?" he asked. "South England, if I had to guess."

Ciel sputtered and he stared at Sebastian. "I, yes. I lived in England when I was a child but that was years ago. How did you know that? I thought my accent had faded by now after living in The States for so long."

"Sebastian has wonderful hearing," Claude said.

"You have just a minute amount remaining," Sebastian said. "I didn't hear it at first, but I caught it eventually. It's a very nice accent."

Ciel flushed. "Thanks," he mumbled.

Sebastian smiled slightly before turning his attention back to Claude. "So why did you show up on my front porch with someone you just met?" he asked.

"Can we come inside for a bit? I'd rather not stand outside talking when it's much more comfortable inside," Claude stated.

"You just want something to eat," Sebastian accused but stepped to the side regardless, letting them inside. "Take your shoes off, please. Mey-rin just cleaned earlier this afternoon."

Ciel toed his shoes off in the foyer and looked around the large apartment in awe. Ron wasn't kidding when he said that Sebastian had an amazing apartment.

He tore his attention away the spiral staircase as soft tones reached his ears and Ciel glanced at Claude as he followed Sebastian. Sebastian's hand stretched out before him slightly until it bumped against a table and his fingers trailed along the surface of the table with a light touch.

"I don't need your help, Claude," Sebastian said with a sigh as Claude's fingers curled around his arm. "I've done this for years now."

"It eases my mind," Claude answered as they walked side by side. "So what do you have to eat in this place anyway? The kid hasn't eaten yet either."

They came to a stop and Sebastian looked over his shoulder. His eyes focused on a spot somewhere to Ciel's left even though his face pointed in his general direction. "Are you coming, Ciel? You don't have to stay in the foyer."

Ciel nodded numbly as Sebastian turned back around and they started walking again. His body refused to move forward though as his mind struggled to make sense of the situation. He stumbled backwards as a thought crossed his mind and his leg bumped against the nearby coat rack. It wobbled slightly and Ciel reached out to straighten it.

His fingers stopped inches from the tall piece of furniture and Ciel quickly pulled his hand back. He had his suspicion earlier when Sebastian started walking but the object in front of him confirmed his thoughts. The blaring red and white stick stood out in stark contrast to the darker jackets that hung up around it, and Ciel swallowed heavily. Now he knew what the true catch was that Claude remained reluctant to tell him this whole time.

Sebastian was blind.