She hadn't breathed or walked the earth in a thousand years or more—he'd stopped counting how many ages ago—but still he remembered her. Still recalled even her most trivial gestures, even the way she held her shoulders when she was trying not to laugh out loud at his rude jests and snide comments about their owners whispered behind their backs.

He remembered it all, every minute, everything. And here she was again, as impossible as that was. She didn't look a day older than the day he'd taken her soul, but here she stood on the temple steps, so fragile, so very beautiful, with eyes only for him, eyes so full of affection, her white chiton billowing in the soft evening breeze, soft black curls piled high on her head, her coppery skin glowing a soft peach in the slanting rays of the setting sun.

He saw her raise her hand to him and touch his cheek as sea birds wheeled overhead crying with their raucous voices, as she assured him it was alright, she understood and didn't hold it against him what he'd done to her, that she'd given her soul to him gladly, gratefully for all his hard work in her behalf, but why was she telling him not to make the same mistake twice and why was she calling him...

... Sebastian?

"SEBASTIAN!" He sat straight up eyes wide, staring back at the boy who had been bending over him frantically yelling into his face, looking at the child with a complete lack of recognition for a heartbeat or two, before remembering who and where he was, He shot tlo his feet in a rapid corkscrew, eyes wide for any sign of their angelic tormentors or evidence this was some sort of illusion. He staggered a bit, taking a few steps to keep from banging back into the cold hard earth again. When he had looked all around and up enough to satisfy himself there were no unwelcome tag-alongs and that they were truly back on the demon island, he dropped his eyes to the slight figure slinging to his left arm and frantically trying to get his attention.

"Damn it, listen to me when I'm talking to you!" the boy was yelling, and he cocked a heeled boot back and gave him a smart kick in the shin. "Are you all right!?"

"Well I was until you kicked me."

"Don't be absurd. You'd be fine if an elephant kicked you. But did they hurt you?!"

"N-no my lord," taking the boy's face in his hands and looking into his eyes searchingly. "But that is what I was about to ask you: are you truly unharmed as well?"

The boy nodded, then seemed to think better of his answer and took a quick inventory of arms, legs, fingers... "everything seems accounted for and nothing hurts, so...what on earth was that about then? What was their purpose do you suppose?" the boy stood up and paced a little way away and then back. "I mean what was the point? Why did they even do that to us?"

But Sebastian really wasn't listening to him. He was staring at his young master and thinking about his dream, or whatever that had been that he'd just experienced. After a moment's silence the butler spoke up.

"My lord, may I ask you something?"

The boy stopped pacing and stared hard. "Go on then," he said.

"All that gratitude, all those warm words you spoke in my behalf... the way you defended me to them... you were going to take every single one of those words into death with you unspoken, weren't you."

The boy was silent for a few moments, then his face flushed and hhe was unable to look his servant in the eyes.

"Well I certainly wasn't going to tell them to you."

"Why ever not?"

"Good god, demon, isn't your head big enough?"

"Ciel..." the butler chided gently.

"And have you laugh at me and mock me for such weakness? No thank you." The boy crossed his arms and turned away from him a little.

"Well," he sighed and grinned sheepishly, running his fingers through his hair. Suppose I deserved that..."

"You do. You never stop teasing me."

"Ciel Phantomhive," he said.

The boy dropped his arms to his side in surprise at being addressed in such a way by his butler.

"I am not teasing you now." The boy ran his eyes over his disheveled demon. Those creatures of light certainly weren't gentle in their handling of him. To avoid having to think too much about what the demon had just said the earl started tallying up the damage to the butler's suit of clothes. "Ciel," the butler spoke again."

"What."

"I said, I am not teasing you now."

"Maybe..."

"...yes?"

"Maybe that was what this was about: getting me to say... all of those things out loud, having you hear them?"

"And now you have done... are you sorry?"

The subject clearly embarrassed the boy. He stood there digging into the soil with the toe of his boot for a few moments. Finally he said "no," in a very small voice. Then more loudly, "no, I'm not sorry they were said. You deserve credit for a workmanlike job. For uncommon integrity to your aesthetics. And I ought to have thanked you for it a long time ago. Many times over, in fact."

"I am merely one hell of a good for nothing butler, and what I did is what I contracted with you to do. You really only owe me one thing."

"Well then? You should finish what you started. You should take it," the boy said with determination and a steady eye.

"Yes, I should." And with that he leaned in and gently took the boy's face in his hands and put his mouth over the boy's, slipping a arm around his slight waist.

After a moment of standing like that, the boy's knees gave and he fell against his butler who wrapped his arms more tightly around the boy and supported him as he slid to his own knees until they were both against each other, kneeling together on the cold ground.

After a long moment, the demon drew back a few inches.

With a little jerk Ciel opened his eyes. "What—" he muttered "Is that it?" The boy looked around him, bewildered to find himself still in the same place as when he'd closed his eyes. The butler said nothing but his lips began to curl up into a small, secret smile. "B—but, why am I still here? I thought it was supposed to hurt."

"Well it would have if I'd done anything more than kiss you." The butler smirked.

"You— but you- why would you— I don't understand."

The butler's smile widened. "Devils are very good with word play, Ciel, especially loopholes in contracts. Our contract stated that once you'd got revenge to your satisfaction, your soul was mine. And so it is. You belong to me, now."

"But—" the boy sighed and sagged as if the challenges of the day, the adrenaline and the shifting emotions had finally caught up with him. "I don't understand."

"Well, generally this particular loophole is used against a aster the demon has truly come to despise so that he may keep the human alive and in the flesh a bit longer for the purposes of tormenting him, to execute revenge upon one who treated him particularly badly during a contract."

The boy covered his eyes with his hands. "Was I that dreadful a master then?" He looked up at his former servant, eyes full of sadness and exhaustion.

"I am under no obligation to devour your soul, Ciel Phantomhive, not if I choose not to, and after listening to all that you said, I find I much prefer your soul right where it is. However, I claim it as mine from here on out. From here on out, Ciel Phantomhive, you belong to me."

The boy planted his fists against the broad warm chest he had fallen against and levered himself away as he asked, "but what does that mean, 'I belong to you'? I'm going to make a very unsatisfactory slave, Sebastian, especially compared to your record of service."

The demon met his former contractor's anxious expression with a serene smile. "For now, I propose we return to the mansion, where we can discuss the ramifications of our changes in status in comfort and at our leisure, tea at your elbow, feet up to the fire." And with that, the demon rose and offered the boy a hand to help him do the same. "Shall I carry you there?" he asked, opening his arms, inviting the boy to climb up and settle himself in the demon's arms once more, preparing to take flight.

"I suppose I can no longer order you to do anything now," the earl said as he touched the back of the demon's hand where the sigil of their covenant was even now fading away. The shy touch turned into something else when the demon turned his palm up and clasped the hand and it's tracing fingers.

"Officially, no, you cannot."

"That will take some getting used to," he sighed, staring at the butler's third waistcoat button. Sebastian slipped a forefinger under his tiny chin and tipped it up until he could see both of his beautiful, clear-blue eyes.

"But I think you will discover I am still quite amenable to acceding to my young master's wishes. So then: shall we?" he finished as he lifted the boy into his arms.

The boy gave a startled nod, and they were off.

THE BEGINNING...