The feeling of someone's touch was what almost managed to wake Ciel up. A quiet sound of disapproval left his lips before the boy turned around, shielding himself from whoever it was that was trying to destroy his peaceful state of mind and pull him out of his calming darkness. Finally, he managed to find just the perfect position, the tiny bit of consciousness quickly fading away, leaving only the soft and cozy feeling of being cuddled up in blankets on a soft bed.

Sebastian was at a loss.

Having argued with himself for a few minutes, he had decided that waking Ciel up and reminding him to leave would be the best decision. First of all, they really weren't that close. You don't just sleep at someone's home when you barely know them. He himself didn't really mind but he could imagine that the blue haired boy would rather wake up in the comfort of his own home than at someone else's. The other thing was, he still had what his mother had said in the back of his mind. On the off chance that Ciel really did like Sebastian, it would do absolutely no good if the boy grew accostumated to sleeping here.

However, Sebastian hadn't expected that, instead of waking up when he'd poke Ciel's face, the boy would mumble a few sleepy words and then go back to sleep, cuddling his outstretched hand like it was some sort of plush animal. He eyed the sleeping male for a moment, taking in that calm and peacful expression that adorned his face. It would, after all, probably be gone a few seconds after he'd wake up. Sebastian himself knew pretty damn well just how good of an escape sleep could be. In those few hours, you don't have to live the life forced upon you, and for about five seconds after waking, you have yet to realize who, where, and, what you are. Sleep was nice, in Sebastian's opinion. The black haired boy sighed, slowly retreating bis finger and accidentally brushing over a lock of blue hair. He was amazed by the softness of the hair, the way it fell down Ciel's face like water running down a waterfall.

And for some reason, the blue color didn't make it look all that unnatural. The color suited Ciel, especially when his eyes were open and a few locks fell into his face, his fringe effectively covering half his face most of the time. The slight difference between the two shades of blue just helped each feature stand out a little more. Complete with a tiny nose, basically white skin and the pale pink lips, Ciel had all the features of a porcelain doll, only there was something that was everything but innocent in his face. The way he carried himself, showing each person just how broken he was, unaware of the fact that he was easier to read than he himself believed, but no less complicated, had, within a few weeks, been enough of a reason for Sebastian to want to try and read each chapter of this broken boy.

Ciel was like a piece of art, created by a tortured artist, looking at it would probably never make you happy, and yet you can hardly keep your eyes from staring.

In a way, he was the first... special person that Sebastian had ever met.

And wine red eyes opened slightly as that thought came to his mind.

He wished he could just get rid of that silly little infatuation he had with Ciel. Not only did Sebastian wish he wouldn't care at all because it would make things for himself easier, he also was afraid that, if he continued to behave this way towards Ciel, the boy might mistake it as some sort of affection.

And it wasn't.

Once Sebastian would be done staring at the same picture over and over again, even if he'd manage to fix Ciel, it would get boring. Sebastian was just human after all, always searching for something bigger and better than he already had, something more interesting. And broken things only really capture interest for as long as you believe there's something more to them than you can see.

The raven sighed as he pulled the blanket up so it covered Ciel entirely. He went to his mother's room, stealing a blanket and a pillow for himself; she had about 10 pillows and three blankets in her bed after all. Sebastian shortly debated on whether he would like to sleep in Claude's room, but decided against it. The relationship between the two really had never been the best and with the way Claude had been acting lately, it bordered on disgust what he felt for his half brother. He wouldn't be able to sleep well in that room.

Ciel still lay on his bed as he returned to his room, throwing the pillow on the floor right next to the bed and using the blanket as a soft thing to sit on as he turned on the TV and flipped through the channels. When nothing he was really interested in was on the TV, he opted to watch a cartoon show even though the humor was a bit too harsh for his liking.

The hours went by silently. Sebastian had always been a night owl, even if he didn't have anything special to do, the thought of going to sleep too early had never settled to well with him. At night, everything simply was better. And he'd enjoy the evening than to suffer the morning hours awake.

..

Ciel saw sharp golden eyes in his dream. A sickening smile was directed at him as a voice he very much despiced began talking.

"If you honestly believe that someone would help you without gaining something for themselves, you're dumber than I thought. You should know best what humans are capable of."

The boy winced, wanting to defend himself.

"I don't believe anything. And I won't ever believe in anything, or especially, anyone ever again. Just shut up, you don't know me at all." Anger. It was anger Ciel felt, deadly and poisonous anger. If only the other would shut up.

"I know how desperate you are for someone or something you can rely on in that pathetic life of yours, it's quite amusing honestly, the things you do simply because you fear that someone might leave."

Ciel went still then, knowing just how true it was, but how could he not try and to everything to stop people from leaving when be had experienced more than once how easy it was for them to go? But it had never once felt easy for him to be left.

"Sebastian's not like that, he's not like you," the words had left his mouth before he knew and he himself wondered why he just said them.

Somehow, Sebastian didn't seem like someone to drop him just as easily. Yet Ciel knew his mind wasn't the most stable with all the stress he'd been having lately and it had him doubting whether his judgement really wasn't biased when there, suddenly, someone just appeared out of this air and treated him with more kindness than anyone around.

"Well, who'd have known you'd fall into the claws of a new demon that fast? I'm sorry to say that he's a lot more like me than you would like to let yourself notice. In a few weeks at best, you'll be in just the same situation like a few weeks ago, why would he even want to be near you?

Who will you run to then?

When you have to face yourself again?"

Ciel fell silent and his eyes closed tightly. Why should Sebastian stay? He didn't have the answer. And maybe, that in itself was enough of an answer.

..

Sebastian's mother usually never woke her son up because there was no need to.

Today, however, it was two PM and there had been not a single sign of life from either Sebastian or the boy he had brought with him, and that fact coupled with her curious nature was enough of a reason for her to enter her son's room after her knocking went unanswered. The picture she was greeted with would have probably made her squeal if she was a teenage girl. Ciel was lying on the bed, disappearing underneath all the covers, while Sebastian seemed to have fallen asleep while watching TV, his head having fallen on the bed right next to Ciel's. Their breathing was pretty much in synch and a few locks of Sebastian's dark black hair fell into the younger one's face, though it didn't seem to disturb his slumber. Ciel's hand fell down Sebastian's torso, half curled around Sebastian's neck.

The TV was still running and she quietly turned it off.

She sighed dreamily before she quietly left the room. Her motherly intuition told her that Ciel was going to become an important person in Sebastian's life and she could only hope that this was the case. After all, since her husband, Sebastian's father, had died, she had feared that the boy would never let anyone come close again. He had denied over and over again that he even cared for his father, especially since the former soldier hadn't been there a lot, but she simply knew this wasn't the case.

He had cared for his father, had admired the strong and somewhat strict man, but after all the years he had spent mostly away from them, the disappointment and anger of being left had simply replaced the tender and loving feelings. Feelings seldomly were a black and white thing, one side was needed to feel the other.

She saw potential in Ciel, even though she barely knew about the boy, and even though he seemed to be quite the troubled teenager. But in her job, she had learned over and over again that the best people were the most likely to be broken by life, because they cared and they felt; sometimes a little too much. Unlike those who were able to regulate pain and sorrow and just live, a lot of good people had the tendency to get caught up in negative emotions. Of course, it wasn't the case for all, but oftentimes it took for a person to really sink to the water's ground before they would learn how to swim.

Still, she'd talk to her son about the scars on Ciel's arms and his underweight body soon, after some time of thinking everything over and learning a bit more about Ciel. Also, there was still some doubt in her mind concerning Sebastian. To see a person dear to you suffering to deal with these kinds of things was not something everyone could manage.

When the door softly fell in the lock, Ciel's eyes opened slightly for the shortest moment before they closed again. Sun fell into the room through the window that had remained open throughout the night, making the air inside the room not exactly cold but a little fresh. Blue eyes were forced open again, and then went wide. This wasn't Ciel's room. It smelled different, the bed and the sheets were softer and it definitely didn't look like it. A small hand was raised as Ciel pushed his bangs out of his face, the hair tickling his nose. And within only a second, a realization hit him.

This wasn't his hair. Right there, lying incredibly close to him, was Sebastian Michaelis. The other was so close, if Ciel had wanted to, he could have counted the other's deep black eyelashes. He took a deep breath, wondering if he was still dreaming. Meanwhile, his memories of yesterday began to return, starting with the fight with his father, ending with him being here in Sebastian's room. Parts were missing and he briefly wondered if it was the effect of the alcohol he had drunk. He couldn't remember falling asleep and much less, falling asleep with Sebastian right next to him. He had never slept so close to anyone. The thought had him blushing only a slight bit.

Though, he couldn't really say that he was sleeping right next to him, it looked a lot more like the other had fallen asleep while watching TV and his head had fallen on the soft bed coincidentally.

'Of course, why would he want to sleep so close to someone like me?' Ciel thought bitterly. Though, why should it upset him? Ciel had absolutely no right to be mad that Sebastian didn't try to be close to him, and it was not like Ciel really wanted him to be, the boy argued. He couldn't stand people coming too close to him.

The bitter taste of his dream was still on the top of his tongue however, and despite everything, he moved just the tiniest bit closer to the bigger body, the warmth that came from it showered Ciel's body with the feeling of calmness and comfort, two of the things the body desperately needed.

His eyes wandered to Sebastian's lips, and Ciel found it hard to look away again until he slowly managed to get out of his dream like state.

When he shifted slightly, pushing the blanket off himself as it was suddenly a bit too warm, he was shocked to see red eyes open and staring right in his face. He moved back a bit instantly, pulling the blanket back up as some sort of defense.

Sebastian chuckled quietly, "What a way of saying good morning. Have you slept well? You look like a mess," the older explained laughing, a hand reaching up to Ciel's head so be could make the boy's hair look somewhat more presentable.

Ciel's eyes were wide open, the way Sebastian talked to him so casually and took the liberty of touching him just like that was too much to take in all at once. Color came to his cheeks and he looked downright embarrassed as he lightly pushed Sebastian's hand away, but it only got worse as he realized that he was basically holding Sebastian's hands for a few seconds. His eyes traveled to their hands as they were not really interlocked but still touching, he then stared at Sebastian, who seemed more amused than anything.

Ciel swallowed and let go of Sebastian's hand.

'Shit shit shit, this can't be happening, what is all of this leading to?!' was the only thing going through his mind as he didn't dare to look at the other for another second. Ciel couldn't be falling for an older boy he had only just met weeks ago. A boy who, in some twisted way, seemed to care for him, but definitely not in a romantic way.

Sebastian, on the other hand, was slightly confused at Ciel's odd behavior since he had waken up.

"I didn't... Why did I even sleep here?" Ciel murmured awkwardly.

Sebastian smirked. "Oh, you really were that drunk?" His eyes shone mischievously, "Lets just say we had some fun yesterday night," he finished and there was a moment of deadly silence, Ciel's eyes as wide as plates, as he stammered, "Wait a second, y- you mean we.."

Laughter escaped Sebastian's mouth once more before Ciel could even finish what he was saying. Teasing the young boy was just too much fun, he simply couldn't stop himself.

"Oh god you actually believed me," he replied, voice hoarse from laughing, "no, god no. We didn't do a thing. You just happened to fall asleep and when I tried to wake you up, you cuddled my arm and simply refused to be awakened. You looked just like a tired kitten cuddled up in that bed. So I thought some sleep might be good for you and decided against waking you up."

An angry look was shot Sebastian's way, though there was also relief in Ciel's eyes. At least he hadn't lost his virginity without even realizing it. He was, however, pissed that Sebastian would joke about his sexuality just like that. Even though, maybe he didn't know Ciel was gay. He probably wouldn't seem to be as comfortable around him if he knew. Males just had the habit of instantly assuming that, if someone was into boys, they'd automatically be into them.

So maybe it was good Sebastian didn't know. After all, he could honestly do without having Sebastian think he was into him.

"That's not funny at all, idiot. So quit laughing," he protested, arms crossed in front of his chest. The action only had Sebastian laughing even harder, the tall body shacking in amusement.

Ciel eyed him with annoyance, "really, you can stop laughing now, it wasn't that funny." He was relieved to see that, eventually, the laughter began to fade, leaving only an amused smirk behind on Sebastian's face.

Sebastian's hands were raised in defeat, "I'm fine, it was just... That look on your face was simply priceless."

He got another death stare as a reply, though this time Sebastian suppressed the laughter. Teasing was only fun for so long until it became truly annoying.

"So, do you even have a headache? You don't seem to be in too much pain. Would you like some breakfast?" Sebastian asked, somehow hoping the answer would be a a'yes, I'd enjoy breakfast very much'. It would be quite the relief to know that the boy ate enough before he'd leave. Ciel just regarded Sebastian suspiciously, he had learned that people easily picked up on his strange eating habits if he wasn't careful enough. He silently wondered whether Sebastian would comment on it if he'd answer with a no.

Before the boy could shake his head and decline, Sebastian spoke up again though. "No matter if you're hungry or not, I gotta show you my mom's chocolate cake. She makes it with little pieces of chocolate on top and chocolate sauce on the inside, and let me tell you, that cake is the best thing in the world." Sebastian had a more than convincing grin on his face, knowing fully well that he had Ciel trapped. The young boy couldn't just say no after all that praise. It was a cruel move, but Sebastian honestly didn't care so much about being fair right now. He'd rather know that Ciel won't die of starvation anytime soon than to leave him the choice of what he was comfortable with eating.

A pale lower lip was being chewed on as Ciel's eyes searched for somewhere to look. Uncomfortable and awkward were the most fitting words for what he was feeling and the thought of shoving that food inside his mouth like he was some sort of animal on a farm, waiting for the day he'd be fat enough to die, had his stomach feeling unwell.

'Don't freak out, it's only food. Food you'll have to eat in front of someone, food that's going to be visible on your body. It's cake for fuck's sake, why couldn't he offer an apple or anything?'Ciel's eyes went unfocused for a moment, unbeknownst to the boy letting Sebastian see the emotion that shortly adorned Ciel's face. It was a mixture of fear and disgust; Ciel looked downright displeased with what he had said.

A smile was forced on Ciel's face. "I really do not feel so well yet, I'd prefer some tea and maybe I'll eat some of that cake of yours afterwards. Besides, I'm not much of a breakfast type." Sometimes, Ciel wondered if it was even worth it, keeping up that little facade of his. It felt just like anyone could see right through him either way, like the disguise he had simply made it easier for people to see what was really on his mind. It was always that with him, a game of pretense. Trying to show the right sides to everyone, burying the ones he hated and wanted no one to know about underneath a layer of calm indifference or some sort of acting. He honestly was more of an actor than anything.

'I probably lie more than I speak the truth.'

And just sometimes, he even managed to tell himself that there was no problem, so long until he believed it, only for his world to be shaken the next time he was forced to open his eyes.

Sebastian nodded at Ciel, frowning.

He gestured for the younger male to follow him as he got up, stretching his arms shortly. He briefly wondered how long he had been sleeping in that uncomfortable position. It sure felt like it had been a bit too long.

Ciel followed Sebastian wordlessly, feeling like he had disappointed the other. He himself didn't even know what the right thing to do was. On one hand, there was the belief that eating as little as possible was some sort of proof. Anyone could eat big amounts of anything, but fewer managed to keep themselves from doing enjoyable things like that. Only, after some weeks of dieting, it was just as hard to eat enough and not overdo it with the restricting. Combine that with the strange fear of eating in front of people he had developed, and you get the picture of how much of a complicated issue eating had become for him.

He had never wasted a thought on his eating habits until about one year ago, when his family life had began to fall apart and he had felt like nothing but a nuisance for all of those around them, being pushed from one parent to the other like some sort of room decoration that one became tired of seeing.

Ah, the good old times.

"What kind of tea do you want?" The words stopped the thoughts that were occupying Ciel's mind. He had the habit of getting lost in his thoughts.

He looked at the other with a small smile on his face. "Earl Grey please, if you have any."

As Sebastian began to search for the tea, he started speaking, looking at Ciel from the corner of his eye.

"Really now, Earl Grey? I would've expected some fruit tea or maybe green tea. But I don't know anyone else our age who enjoys to drink tea that doesn't taste sweet at all. They all even put half a cup of milk and more than a few spoons of sugar inside their coffee," Sebastian smirked, thinking about all the kids his age who liked to think of themselves as adults with their 'I love coffee so much'-act.

"Well, good thing I'm not like them and for your information, I hate coffee. And if I drink black tea, I want it to taste like just that, not like sugar water. That way, I neither have to deal with high blood pressure, nor with diabetes when I'm thirty," Ciel responded. It seemed Sebastian and him had at least one thing in common; the hatred for people their age who drank too much over sugared coffee. He snickered, 'what a great foundation for a relationship,' before looking away and blushing slightly. Or at least, it felt like that. When did this begin happening again? Even he himself could say that he probably looked pathetic.

Sebastian had prepared boiling water in the meantime, giving Ciel the opportunity to focus on the tea box Sebastian had picked some tea leaves from. It looked like finest quality tea, the contrast between the generally dark brown leaves and some bluish looking parts quite noticable. There was a slight smell of lemon clinging onto the box.

Ciel sighed, hoping that his color had returned to normal by now.

"Ciel? I'm sorry if the moment's not that fitting, but I wanted to talk about something a little personal with you. If you don't want me to, just say stop and that's what I'll do. We don't know each other for that long after all and I'd completely understand," Sebastian began as he poured the hot water on top of the brown tea leaves, making a cloud appear right in front of him for a few moments. The hot tea cup was placed on the table in front of Ciel and blue eyes followed the smooth movements.

Was it him or had that sounded somewhat... suggesting?

"U-uh sure, what is it?"

He had cleared his troath, but his voice still came out as a shaky whisper. The boy tried to cover it up with a cough, mentally preparing some sort of comment about his asthma in case Sebastian would try to tease him. A small hand was raised to his hair, twirling it around his finger a few times before wandering over to his ear and starting to toy around with his tiny black earring; a bad habit that showed itself whenever he was nervous.

Sebastian noticed very well that Ciel seemed a little nervous with how his voice had sounded and the way he couldn't seem to keep his hands still. Instead of teasing the younger male about it, however, he had decided to keep things serious, he had thought about it for quite a bit after all, and had eventually decided to offer Ciel some sort of help, officially that is.

"Whether you want to admit it or not, I know that for some reason, you're being picked on, or rather, assaulted byeventually a group of at least twenty people at school. I can hardly offer to be there and protect you all the time as though you're some damsel in distress, so-"

"There's absolutely no need for me to be protected by you, I can really manage on my own," Ciel interrupted, not letting the older boy finish his sentence. There was a certain amount of bitterness in his voice at the topic.

"That's what I thought," Sebastian mumbled to himself before continuing. "So it shouldn't be a problem for you to help me out with my training, would it? Ever since I was a kid, my father has been teaching me how to fight, so I now know the techniques, but I lack a training partnerhe since he passed away. And I think a bit of training doesn't sound that bad for either of us, now does it?" He continued with a smirk on his lips. If it'd make it easier for the boy when he felt like he wasn't receiving help but just being helpful himself, Sebastian gladly put himself in the position of the one to ask for it.

Despite all his planning and thinking things through, Sebastian was not sure how to read the boy's expression.

"You'd better not believe that I'm going to start calling you teacher from now on simply because you know more about fighting than me," he paused and heaved a sigh, " When do we start?" Ciel asked, face straight. Even though he'd rather die than admit it, he was secretly glad for the invitation. It felt like something to hold onto, and somehow, the fact that it was Sebastian he would be training with made things less... Unappealing.

Astonishment was apparent on the older's face. 'Well, that went better than expected for a change.'

He poured Ciel a cup of tea and handed it to the younger with a pleasant smile on his face. It felt a bit like training a defiant child, dealing with Ciel. Like the boy had yet to be taught what was good for him, and what wasn't so much.

The cup was taken from his hands with what could almost be called excitement. It seemed like the boy's mood was, for once, not quite as dark as usually, leaving a tiny hint of his happier self exposed, and Sebastian enjoyed to look at this side of the blue haired boy. Maybe it was the fact that he had let his guard down, the knowledge that there was now some sort of base for a friendship, Sebastian thought, and it made him glad. The second plus was that with a little training, Ciel would surely not be quite as easily beaten down by others anymore. And maybe, just maybe, the constantly ringing alarm clock in Sebastian's head would give him some rest, and he wouldn't be on constant watch like a guard dog protecting their master anymore if Ciel finally learned to deal with things himself.

A smile was directed at Ciel and the younger suddenly wasn't so sure where to look, his cheeks were heating up and his heart was beating faster than usually.

"As soon as possible, of course. I don't have a lot of things planned generally speaking, so it's pretty much up to you."

Wide blue eyes looked up at Sebastian and the latter swallowed at how intensely he was being stared at, feeling his throat tightening. 'I wish I had never looked at those photos, just now the look on his face was so very alike to when he was standing in front of the mirror... I've gotta tell him one day that I saw him naked. But how to explain that without sounding like a total creep?' Sebastian wondered.

"I don't have a lot of things planned either, I barely know how I manage to kill all of my time doing practically nothing of importance all day," the younger of the two confessed, only realizing a second later how weirdly depressing it had sounded, and he quickly added, "U-uhm I mean I don't have many things planned, just small stuff of no importance, you know? Besides, where do you even plan do your training? I barely think your room is big enough, and you probably don't want any of your furniture damaged or anything," Ciel changed the subject.

"We have a room in the cellar that's pretty much empty except for a small couch and a TV. There are also a few mattresses we can lay out on the floor so it doesn't hurt as much if you fall to the ground. How about you come here on Tuesday, and we'll see if you're an alright training partner?"

Ciel eyed him with a smirk,"yeah we'll see about that."

Sebastian nodded as he moved through the kitchen, preparing himself a simple sandwich for breakfast. "You really don't want to eat anything?"

Ciel shook his head slightly before answering. "I'm fine, I'll eat when I get home," he lied through his teeth. He got up and placed his now empty cup of tea in the sink, not wanting anymore. There'd be other things to worry about once he got home, like his father, for example. The man had been getting more violent lately and Ciel could only guess that it was because he was slowly realizing that he had no chance left with Ciel's mother. Back when they had broken up, it had been easy to see that Vincent had wanted her back. He was, however, too proud to make the final step and tell her. What made things even more complicated was the fact that one of the reasons Rachel had ended the relationship had been Vincent's lack of being able to express feelings properly. Couple that with Vincent's new lifestyle full of alcohol and women, and the rather sudden and unexpected problems arising with the company Ciel's dad had owned, and you get the picture. A dysfunctional couple, both better off without the other, yet one of them clings onto the hope of everything getting better one day. It didn't, however, so there was a need for someone to blame everything on.

And here Ciel was, hoping dearly that he would never and up like his father, but feeling like he was one the best way to become just like him.

As though that thought had been the final straw, the darkness was there suddenly, unexpectedly. Just as the feeling of falling began to make itself shown, something kept Ciel standing.

Eyes were opened slowly, and only now did Ciel begin to pick up on his unhealthy sounding breathing and the way everything was suddenly a bit.. distant. His whole body felt like it was hurting, like his insides were about to explode. The things he heard seemed to come from far away, but he knew they were right beside him. Anxiety was the main thing he felt, and for second, the boy was almost sure that this was it and he was going to die. He closed his eyes again, glad that he didn't have to deal with everything at once. Or with anything at all.

He felt light, like a feather that'd fly away with the slightest bit of wind. It had happened out of nowhere, one second Ciel had been talking, the next he had stood up, and next thing Sebastian knew, he had rushed over to his side, catching a shaky Ciel in his arms just before he could hit his head on the cold white kitchen floor. The raven forced Ciel to look up, holding his chin in place and shaking the tiny and bony body slightly at the same time. Even though it wasn't a heavy breathing, he was glad to see that Ciel's chest rose and fell as it was supposed to, albeit a tiny bit quicker than usually.

"Shit, Ciel!"

Sebastian then made up his mind. If the boy wasn't going to regain consciousness within the next few minutes, he was going to call an ambulance for sure, no matter what the exact reason for Ciel's sudden problem was. It was probably the look on the boy's face what made panic rise inside Sebastian. What if Ciel was going to die? What if this was some sort of serious illness? He tried to think of any illness that would fit, but couldn't quite come up with anything. It was just like holding a life sized doll in his hands, Ciel was so very thin and pale, but right now it seemed even more obvious than usually. It felt to Sebastian like any small movement he made could break the boy into pieces.

One of the lifeless hands suddenly made the slightest move to cling onto his shirt and it felt like the weight of a thousand stones fell from Sebastian's chest. He stopped breathing for a second.

"Ciel, can you hear me?"

A small nod was the only answer he got for the moment, but it was enough, more than enough. Sebastian then pulled Ciel into his arms, carrying him over to the couch like a bride, legs and arms still hanging down his sides. He could practically hear how much Ciel tried to concentrate on breathing, but the boy didn't say anything at first, his breaths being the only sound in the otherwise silent kitchen. It was only when Sebastian let go of him, placing the body on the couch as comfortably as he could, that a few words left Ciel's mouth again.

"Don't go away," the boy murmured, his voice sounding so very small and broken that Sebastian almost thought he had imagined that the boy said anything at all.

"I'm not going anywhere," he assured the other, a smile on his lips.

"You'd better not," Ciel mumbled with closed eyes, turning his head slightly so he was facing away from the other. A sound of displeasure left Ciel's mouth and he turned some more, still uncomfortable. It took him a few minutes of laying on the couch until he was able to think properly again. He slowly opened his eyes, blinking at the brightness inside the living room with its many large windows. His mouth fasted dry and he was grateful as Sebastian offered him a glass of water without assaulting him with words or worse, questions, right away.

Ciel drank almost all of the glass at a slow pace before speaking up. He eyed Sebastian who had decided to sit on the floor right beside the couch, leaving them in a position very alike to the one they had been sleeping in that night.

"Before you ask," Ciel coughed twice before continuing, "I'm sorry if I scared you, it's just that I have been having some..circulatory problems lately."

Red eyes scanned Ciel's face skeptically, leaving Ciel toying around with his earring once again. It wasn't like he had really lied, after all he wasn't so sure himself what had caused the breakdown, it could have been an asthma attack, or maybe even a panic attack, though he'd only had one once before. Or maybe, he should really not go days without eating anything. Maybe he had been too careless.

"To be honest, you really did make me worry, though that seems to be a habit of yours," the last part was spoken quietly and somehow, Sebastian wished he had kept it to himself.

"Wha-what did you just say? I mean, I couldn't quite head you." But he had.

"Never mind, I was just talking to myself," Sebastian shrugged and Ciel felt the tiniest bit of disappointment at those words. If it was true that Sebastian really did care for him, then that might mean that he actually liked him.

'What am I even thinking about? It's not like someone like him would ever truly care for me,' the boy scolded himself for his wishful thinking.

He sat up on the couch, staring at Sebastian in a calculating manner. The older boy seemed like he didn't hide anything from Ciel, he hadn't done anything wrong so far and yet, Ciel didn't know at all what to think about Sebastian Michaelis. People who seemed a bit too good to be true, turned out the exact opposite of what they seemed more often than not, in Ciel's experience. Yet, he somehow wished that Sebastian truly was different.

Blue eyes seemed clouded again for a few seconds, Sebastian realized. Whenever Ciel was lost in his thoughts, this seemed to happen. Whether Ciel knee or not, Sebastian couldn't tell, but he knew that Ciel seemed to think of himself as a lot more distant and cold than he actually came across. He wasn't sure whether the boy remembered the words he had spoken minutes ago, 'don't go away,' somehow, these words seemed to describe the boy better than anything. It was like Ciel was reaching out for someone, and Sebastian had just naturally taken over the role of the person whose hand he could take, even though it had never really been fitting for him up until now.

He couldn't remember a time he had been so worried about someone as he had been about Ciel minutes ago, which left him trapped. Even if he wanted to, Sebastian knew that there was no way be could just forget about Ciel and all the chaos the boy was in, but the worst part was that it wasn't only how broken Ciel was that pulled him in anymore. If he could get to see the young boy free of all the thoughts and feelings plaguing him, then it'd be worth all the trouble it might cause him.

"I think it's better if I leave now," Ciel finally spoke up and Sebastian briefly wondered why the boy's face seemed so red. Hadn't he been looking almost white just a few minutes ago?

Sebastian nodded, even though he felt like there were so many things he still wanted to talk about to Ciel. But maybe, now was neither the right place nor the right time. Before he'd get to know anything more private about Ciel, they'd have to be closer.

"Is it okay if I bring those back on Tuesday? What time was it again?" He spoke in a rushed voice.

"Whenever you have time," Sebastian replied smoothly with a smirk.

"How about late afternoon? I'll try to be there around four, but I can't promise that I'll make it in time," Ciel answered, not wanting to explain his reasons.

"And you're sure that I can let you walk around on your own just like that, when you were unconscious only minutes ago?" red eyes were serious as they looked Ciel right in the eye and he felt his blush increasing.

"I don't know how to prove it, but I promise I feel just fine. And stop acting like an overprotective boyfriend, I can still walk around on my own, you know?" he finished softly. Just as the words had left Ciel's mouth, his eyes opened wide and he looked away in embarrassment yet again.

He then was quick to stand up, only mouthing a short,"upwell, I'll see you then," and made his way to the door so fast, it seemed as if he was escaping a dangerous situation, which in a way, he truly was. He couldn't afford to start feeling.. things for Sebastian just because he was the only person in a long time to give him a feeling that made him feel like he mattered. He knew he had been looking at the black haired boy for a bit too long for it to be normal.

Ciel sighed as he stood in front of the door, hand reaching out to turn the door knob, but it was stopped before he could make his way out. A strong hand was holding his arm in place and it encircled the thin arm completely, leaving him unable to break away, even if he wanted to. Ciel could practically feel the presence of Sebastian's body right behind his back, the distance between them so small that it was almost not existent, leaving the young boy trapped between the door and the taller body. Ciel was trying hard not to let his mind wander, but he downright failed. Besides, his mind didn't have much wandering to do, he was positive the situation in itself would be enough to leave anyone who'd see them wondering about the nature of their relationship. How could a guy like Sebastian, who was obviously not into guys, just put him in a situation like that? Was it some sort of joke, or did Sebastian really have no idea how fast the action was making Ciel's heart beat. He let his head face downwards, leaning against the door with his free arm.

'Maybe it just seems suggesting because I have been staring at his lips for the last two minutes when we sat there like some sick pervert,' Ciel pondered, chewing on his lower lip, still facing the door. He hoped that Sebastian wasn't able to hear his heart beating so fast.

When the other didn't say anything for a moment and the tickling feeling inside Ciel's stomach only began to grow, he turned around faced him, trying to mask his thoughts as good as possible. Of course, Sebastian's eyes were, how else should it be, not at all shining with anything romantic and Ciel wished his stupid teenage hormones would stop playing tricks on him like that. Instead, however, there was something unreadable in Sebastian's eyes and they softened slightly only when he began to talk, the rest of his body still somewhat stiff. "I'm sorry if surprised you, you were just leaving so fast and.."

Deep blue eyes stared back at Sebastian and he had to pause for a moment. He suddenly found it a bit hard to focus.

"And?" Ciel asked breathlessly, not sure what he wanted Sebastian to add.

"And I wanted to give you my number so you could call in case you can't make it on time," Sebastian finished, noticing the way the younger's eyes were no longer focused on his eyes but instead on something a bit lower. He shrugged it off, even though he noticed the red color on Ciel's cheeks again.

The hand that had been holding Ciel's arm in place then moved to his hand and Ciel couldn't do anything other than holding his breath as it brushed over his. When was the last time he had been this close to anyone? Had he ever truly been so close to anyone except for when someone was beating him up? Probably not. As the hand left his, there was a piece of paper inside it, Sebastian's number written on it with a black pen. For a boy, Sebastian's handwriting was quite nice, Ciel noticed. He took a small step backwards as he suddenly lost the support of Sebastian's hand, accidentally bumping into him and panicking again until he heard a silent laughter from Sebastian and managed to relax a little.

Within a few seconds, Sebastian had moved away from him, leaving Ciel some personal space. He opened the door for the boy and let the small figure slip through it. When Ciel was outside, looking a bit less nervous than he had for the last few minutes, he smiled at him. "I'll see you then," he said pleasantly.

Ciel returned a small smile and waved the other goodbye as he started walking. Even though summer was just about to begin, he could feel the sun warming his skin instantly. He boy tried to ignore his fear of people seeing him in the short clothes and swallowed, bracing himself.

"I'm looking forward to it," he admitted without a thought before turning around and hearing the door fall into the lock behind him. A small sigh left his lips and he murmured to himself, "what am I even getting myself into?"

Sebastian, on the other side of the door, was asking himself just the same question.

..

Sorry for the long wait, I tried to make up for it with a rather long chapter. Thanks for all the feedback so far, and of course, if you liked the chapter, you are very welcome to leave a review and tell me what you think about it.

I thought about including the songs I listen to when I write the chapters, so for this one it would be 'Every you, Every me' by Placebo.

Once again, please forgive me for typos or the alike, I wrote this on my phone and was stoned 90℅of the time I was writing. So yeah, they finally get a little closer within the next chapters and there's gonna be quite some fluffy stuff I guess. I don't know if I'm moving a bit too fast with their relationship because I find it pretty damn hard to write a one sided kind of love, but at least it won't stay this way forever, of course.

MasterExpose: I personally imagine her a bit like Beast too, but without the extremely curly hair and with a less curvy body. More like some sort of hippie mom who somehow always looks nice and casual without even trying, I don't know :D