Chapter 16

Ciel set alone in his study, lost in thought.

Finny had accidentally killed some flowerbeds in the garden. Mey-rin had tripped and broke another tea set. Bard had tried to cook a whole chicken with his flamethrower. Tanaka sat in a corner drinking tea. Above all, Sebastian was up on his feet fixing everything.

It was a very normal day in the Phantomhive manor, considering everything that had happened in a not-so-normal week.

There was a knock at his door; Sebastian coming with the afternoon tea.

"Come in," Ciel called, placing some paperwork in front of him to make himself look busy.

Sebastian walked into the room wheeling in a tea cart. There were also a small stack of Houndsworth bean cakes sitting among the cups and saucers.

A look of disgust crossed Ciel's face, "There are still some left?"

"I'm afraid so, my lord," Sebastian replied, "And you shouldn't consume so many sweets."

"Oh, shut up, will you!"

The butler only smiled, irking him more. He knew Sebastian was back to his old self as he only smiled whenever Ciel would snap at him over trivial things, such as a bean cake.

"I've learned something about you," Ciel piped up as Sebastian served him his tea.

"Oh?"

"It's not so much instinct is it? Everything comes naturally to you."

A confused look settled on the butler's face, "Sir?"

"I mean, not everyone can just walk up to the devil and ask for that sort of enchantment. That takes a certain amount of courage. Nerves of steel, huh?"

Sebastian was silent for several seconds before he let out a chuckle.

"I suppose you could say that."

"Back at the Trancy mansion, the butler Claude Faustus said that Satan wouldn't give him any information he asked for. He said that he was not in his good graces."

The butler's chuckle escalated to a dark laugh.

"That's because Claude is defiant when it narrows down to taking orders from Satan. I'm in his good graces, because I take his orders while also making my own decisions. I'm not completely submissive to him, nor am I a stubborn son-of-a-gun like Claude. I'm a bit of both, you see."

Ciel nodded as he poked at a bean cake with a fork.

"On that note," Sebastian continued, "I've learned something about you, as well, young master."

Ciel looked up at him, "What?"

Sebastian smirked, "I've never had a master care so much about me that they pleaded for my life and allowed themselves to be seen crying like you did earlier in the week. No one bothered to weep for me, period."

"I did not weep for you!"

"Oh, please, master. You wept like a woman."

"Knock it off! What's your point with that, anyways?"

"It's like I said; I've never had a master stoop to such lengths for a mere servant. Such a kind young master."

Ciel turned from him, "It wasn't kindness. Any master would stoop to some sort of desperate measure to make sure there's servant was all right. I was just concerned, is all."

"I'm very rarely shown concern, as well. Never mind. Call it what you like, sir."

The young earl nodded as he reluctantly stuffed a bean cake into his mouth.

"And one more thing." He piped up.

"Yes?"

Ciel shot him a playful glare.

"Never try anything like that again."

"Never try anything like that again."

Those words stayed with Sebastian for the rest of the day and well into the night. He considered that in order, as well, so there was no disobeying that. He'd be chained to Ciel until their contract was carried out.

After finishing his nightly rounds, Sebastian went out into the garden and sat by the stairs. Pluto was sound asleep, meaning he wouldn't be a nuisance to him until dawn.

It only took a few minutes of waiting for his company to arrive. A black cat with long, soft fur, emerald green eyes, and a giant plume of a tail padded up to him and brushed against his leg.

"Took you long enough, " Sebastian said with a smile, "I was starting to think you would never show up."

"Meow!"

Sebastian up picked the cat up and placed her on his lap. He patted her stomach and stroked her paws, scratched behind her ears and under her chin. The cat purred and purred with delight, eating up all the attention she could get.

Suddenly, there was a loud whine, and the cat was gone from Sebastian's lap. The cat's meowing and purring had woken up Pluto. In his humanoid form, he flung the poor creature away from Sebastian and curled up on his lap.

Sebastian let out and irritated sigh.

"Why do these things always happen to me?"

A disturbance in him brought his attention back to the mansion. Pushing Pluto off of him, he dashed back inside and up the stairs. The source of the disturbance was coming from Ciel's bedroom, and the closer he got to it, the stronger the feeling became. Pluto was galloping right behind them, barking and howling down the halls.

Sebastian didn't even bother knocking. If Ciel wasn't in trouble he was suffering from a really bad nightmare; well, night terror, was more like it. He threw open the door, sliding on his heels to take in the situation.

Of course , Ciel lie in bed, thrashing in his sleep; throwing his sheets and pillows this way and that. This has to be the worst one yet, because tears were streaming down the boys face. His head tossed left and right in the pillows, his fists slammed down on the mattress beneath him, and his legs were kicking out wildly. It was as if he were fighting something off.

"Young master!" Sebastian shouted as he rushed to his side. He gripped his shoulders firmly and attempted to shake him out of this horrid nightmare, "Young master, wake up!"

"N – no!" Ciel muttered in his sleep, "No! Stop! Stop! Don't touch me! Mother! Father! Sebastian!"

"Young master!"

Whether it was he was too caught up in the commotion not to notice or Ciel had moved faster than he could blank, Sebastian missed the boy's hands dive under his pillows and to draw the pistol that was always kept under them. A loud pop was heard before Sebastian felt an intense pain erupt from his throat. Something hard slammed against one of his back teeth, effectively knocking it loose from his upper jaw. Ciel had shot him!

The noise from the gun going off and the recoil of it was more than enough to shake Ciel out of his nightmare. He heaved for breath, sobbed, and glared all at same time.

Sebastian was looking at him with astonishment as he clutched his bleeding throat. The young earl had never struck him with any sort of weapon before; aside from a couple of darts, perhaps. For Ciel to actually see him as some sort of threat in a nightmare was shocking to him.

Ciel, getting over the hysteria from his dream, looked at him in horror as he took account of what was in front of him. The barrel of his pistol was smoking and Sebastian was standing in front of him, looking at him in shock and bleeding from the throat.

"My god, Sebastian!" He gasped, "Are you . . . Are you all right?"

Sebastian nodded slowly, "I . . . I think so."

"Are . . . You sure?"

Two fingers strayed into the butler's mouth, "Yeah . . . I think the bullet knocked a tooth loose, though."

With a groan, the butler yanked the damaged tooth out. Another grew in rapidly to replace it.

Pluto was looking back-and-forth from Ciel to Sebastian whimpering with concern.

"I'm perfectly all right, master," Sebastian said, uncovering his throat. Where the bullet had entered was now healed, "My question is are you all right?"

Ciel was still trembling, but he nodded, "I think so . . ."

The butler nodded and moved back towards the door.

"Sebastian!" Ciel suddenly called, "Stay with me . . . Until I fall asleep."

Sebastian nodded, "I will stay here."

Ciel laid back down and Sebastian covered him with his blankets.

For a few moments, it seems as if Ciel had drifted back off to sleep. That is, until he sat up suddenly and buried his face in his hands as his sobbing started again.

"Young master," Sebastian leaned toward the young teen, "what's wrong?"

There was no answer. Instead, Ciel threw himself into the butler's arms and wailed as if his life depended on it. It was clear to Sebastian that whatever had happened in the dream was something god-awful.

Not knowing what else to do, Sebastian held him closer; pressing the boy's head to his chest as his hands clutched the collar of his tailcoat. Nightmares only ever got this bad with humans, and Ciel had only ever had a nightmare this bad once.

"Musing through memories,

Losing my grip in the grey."

And, thus, the demon began to sing.

"Numbing the senses,

I feel you slipping away.

Fighting to hold on.

Clinging to just one more day.

Love turnes to ashes,

With all that I wish I could say."

As he sang, Ciel was taking deep breaths, trying to calm himself. He listened to the steady beating of the demons blackened heart.

" I'd die to be where you are.

I try to be where you are."

The rest simply came back through memory.

"Every night,

I dream you're still here.

The ghost by my side,

So perfectly clear.

When I awake,

You'll disappear

Back to the shadows

With all I hold dear.

With all I hold dear,

I dream you are still here."

By the time Sebastian had finished the song entirely, Ciel had been lulled back into sleeping. Pluto was curled up on the floor in a much similar state.

Carefully – trying not to wake him – Sebastian laid Ciel back down in his bed and covered him once more.

As he stood to leave, Pluto lifted his head.

Sebastian looked at him.

"The master is allergic to cats. You are a dog. The young master likes dogs . . . You can stay here tonight."

Pluto smiled happily and morphed into his large, wolf form. He was just small enough to fit into a room without taking up too much space. The hound walked over to Ciel's bedside and rested his large head on the end of the bed.

Sebastian blew out whatever candles were left burning and the left of the room.

"Good night, master."

THE END