J-C: Well, damn. It's really been a while, huh? :p

~Sasuke~: That's the biggest understatement of the year... -_-;

Naruto: Don't be mean to J-C! She might disappear for over a year again! D:

J-C: No, that wouldn't be the reason for me disappearing... . *glares at the writing blocks sitting in the corner* Eeeehhhh, I can only apologize so much for not updating for so long. A lot of things have changed for me over the year that I went AWOL on fanfic (and didn't say anything about... sorry, guys .), and I got caught up in a lot of real life stuff, and whenever I would try to sit down to write, I'd either be too lazy to think of anything or have a writer's block that I could write, at most, 2 sentences through. It was really bad, and I'm sorry for not informing you guys of this impromptu hiatus. But that's all in the past now! I've gotten my writing spark, and I'm going to do my best to have a proper updating schedule (as well as respond to any reviews I receive from here on out... again, sorry .).

~Sasuke~: All right, we don't have all night here . Hurry up and introduce the chapter that people have been waiting far too long for!

Naruto: Do it, do it, do it, do it, do it, do-!

J-C: OKAY, GEEZ! Alrighty, readers! It's been a long wait, but finally, HERE'S THE 23RD CHAPTER OF OHM! I really wanna say thank you to all of my dedicated readers for being so patient with me and for leaving such lovely reviews for my previous chapters! I appreciate every single one, and I will do my best to respond to all the reviews I receive from here on out! BRING OUT THE DISCLAIMER AND WARNINGS~! 8D

Disclaimer: I've been gone for a whole year! Know what I have to show for it? Not the rights to Kuroshitsuji, that's for sure! It still belongs to Yana Toboso! ^_^

Warnings: SEBAGRELL HINTS! Yes, this deserves it's own warning (I apologize, my SebaCiel fans) xDD Also, we've got LOADS of violence, some language, A HETERO PAIRING (WHAT IS THIS SORCERY?! O:), sexual situations/themes, AND A LEMON (wait worth it yet? ;D)

~Sasuke~: And FINALLY, after one whole year-

Naruto: HERE'S THE 23RD CHAPTER OF ONE HELL OF A MASTER!

J-C: Enjoy, everybody! ~^0^~

Chapter 23: The Graveyard

December 31st, 1888

Ciel didn't even have to open his eyes to know that something was wrong.

Well, not necessarily wrong, but something was missing… something that had been present for the past two weeks during which Ciel had been drifting in and out of consciousness. It had been a distinct warmth, a distinct scent, a distinct something, and Ciel just couldn't place his finger on what exactly it was.

Perhaps the fever has made me delusional… Ciel thought, taking into account the fact that he had been sick for a while, so his sickness could've affected his thinking and his perception of reality in general. But really now, could a hallucination make Ciel imagine that there had been something by his side every minute of every day for the past two weeks that he had been severely ill with a Coryza, hypothermia, frostbite, and a fever?

Ciel certainly didn't think so.

Slowly cracking his eyes open, Ciel stared dazedly at the ceiling, marveling at how intricately it was designed. There were little ridges and bumps that came together to form the looping stems of roses and other flowers, as well as animals typically found in gardens, such as butterflies and ladybugs crawling or flying on the flowers and leaves. Ciel had never stopped to look at the ceiling with so much attention before; in his defense, whenever he was staring at it, it was either during heightened states of bliss or right before he would collapse into a dreamless sleep. His head weakly cocked to the side as he continued staring at the ceiling. The recovering child wasn't sure why he was suddenly so fascinated with the ceiling of all things, but he just couldn't stop staring at it. He finally stopped when his vision started blurring from not blinking for a while; sighing tiredly, he slowly pushed himself up into a sitting position, leaning back against the headboard for support. He silently cursed, hating feeling this weak after being bed-ridden for so long.

I'm positive that the manor is in shambles… or at least partially burned in some areas from that damn flamethrower of Bard's. There's no way those bumbling idiots were able to keep up the manor's appearances without my constant reminders and scoldings. And if Sebastian's company hasn't gone under-

Ciel's eyes suddenly widened as he inaudibly gasped.

Sebastian… that's what had been missing.

When he would sometimes come back to consciousness from his feverish state, Ciel would catch glimpses of his crimson-eyed master watching him closely. When he would open his mouth to silently say something to the older male, the demon would simply smile and shake his head, brushing back Ciel's sweat-dampened bangs and telling him to rest. The boy would exhaustedly follow his master's order, not having the strength to fight against him. Sometimes, he would hear a faint, muffled voice speaking to him; he could never understand exactly what was being said, but it always soothed his pounding head and aching body. At times, Ciel swore that a song was being sung to him. When he would have a hard time breathing, which would jerk him out of his sleep and throw him into a panic, a soft, warm pressure would be applied to his lips, and he would feel his lungs fill with air and fall back into his dreamless, healing sleep. Assuming he wasn't having hallucinations, the scent, warmth, and presence that had been by Ciel's side while he had been recovering had been Sebastian's.

He turned his head to the unoccupied side of his bed; his conclusion was confirmed when he saw the faint indent of an adult-sized head and body in the pillow and mattress. He sniffed, once, twice, a faint smile developing on his face as he recognized his master's unique scent: ink, musk, and lavender. Ciel slowly ran a shaky hand over the neatly-made side of the bed; his eyes widened even more when it was cold to the touch.

Sebastian had been gone for a while.

Where is he now? Why would he suddenly disappear after being by my side for so long…?

Ciel continued absentmindedly stroking the area where his master had been lying for the better part of two weeks, his mind going through all possible reasons as to why Sebastian would suddenly leave his side. Why does it even matter if Sebastian's gone now? I've recovered… mostly. He probably realized that I wasn't going to die, so since the soul he's contracted to is safe, he felt that he didn't need to be near me anymore. Ciel bit his chapped lip as his hand stilled, his eyes looking confused. But… if I was so close to death… then why didn't he just kill me while I was weak and take my soul…?

Suddenly, the boy was brought back to what Sebastian had whispered against his lips in the middle of that snowstorm. A faint blush colored the boy's colorless cheeks, making him look like a hand-painted and carefully crafted porcelain doll. To Ciel, it felt like ages since that pivotal moment had occurred between them; if the dark-haired teen was to be completely honest, it seemed like it had happened in a dream or even in another life.

Could I really be the one thing in both of Sebastian's worlds that he cares about the most? He's lived for centuries… surely he has other, more long-lasting, things that he cares about. I'm just a servant… a sex pet that he's contracted to until the time of my death. Unless there is something else about me that he finds to be special... It can't just be my soul; he would've killed me a long time ago if he was just after that. It's asinine to think this… but it almost seems like… he's keeping something from me.

Ciel was brought out of his mental musings by the sound of his bedroom door quietly clicking open. Ciel smoothly moved his hand to rest in his lap as he turned to look at who was entering his room. A pair of concerned, red-colored eyes locked with his tired, dichromatic ones; he felt his heart drop for an unknown reason when it wasn't the red eyes of his master, but those belonging to Madam Red. The physician's concerned eyes quickly shifted to undisguised surprise at seeing the petite butler sitting up in his bed, fully conscious for the first time in days. The death god smiled with relief as she made her way over to the child.

"Ciel… It's certainly a surprise to see you awake after so long," she said softly as she sat on the stool set up beside the boy's bed. Ciel didn't say anything; he just continued to blankly stare at the immortal, his mind focused on why he felt so disappointed to have Madam Red sitting on that stool instead of Sebastian. I surely don't want him beside me right now… I'm far too tired to deal with his perverted shenanigans. Besides, he would just tease me and insult the entire human race for being so easily weakened by sickness…

"How are you feeling, Ciel?" Madam Red asked, jerking Ciel out of his train of thought. The dark-haired boy looked impassively at the woman for a moment before he shrugged.

"I feel fine," he mouthed, his face remaining emotionless. Madam Red smiled, feeling as if a huge weight had been lifted off of her chest. The entire time Ciel had been sick, the death god couldn't stop worrying about him, feeling as if the entire situation was her fault. She should've gone with Sebastian instead of blindly trusting the demon. She felt as if Sebastian had taken too much time; if they had arrived back at the manor just a few minutes earlier, Ciel would've healed much quicker since he still would've been conscious. Now, to have the object of her anxiety and worry sitting up and acting like his usual self made her feel the happiest she had felt in a while. She smiled softly at the emotionless boy, standing and moving the covers off of Ciel's body. Almost immediately, Ciel started shivering, and the doctor gave him an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry, dear, but I need to examine you to see how your body is healing…" she explained. Ciel blinked before looking down at his own body for the first time in two weeks. His face paled as he realized he was stark naked in front of the death god; trying to be smooth about it but failing because of his embarrassment and shock, Ciel pulled the covers over his body, giving the noblewoman a glare that clearly said, "Move the covers, and I don't give a fuck if you're immortal: I will kill you." Madam Red looked surprised by the child's abrupt action before she rolled her eyes.

"Honestly, what is up with the males in this house being so concerned about being naked in my presence? I have an older brother, for God's sake! I've seen his genitals so many times that I should have a surgery to make myself blind. Besides, I've had to do checkups on you throughout your recovery, so I've already seen you naked, Ciel," she added before she took the sheets from the boy's grasp and exposed him to the cold air in the room. Ciel shivered again, wrapping his arms around himself and giving the noble another death glare, although it was slightly weakened from his confusion over her statement about the other males being concerned with being naked around her.

Who else has she asked to be naked lately…?

Ciel shook off the thought, not really wanting to scar his mind with images of Madam Red doing anything lewd with any of the males in the manor… or anyone in general. While Ciel tried to block such thoughts from his mind, the noble took advantage of his distracted state and started her checkup. The death god was pleased to find that Ciel's extremities, including his nose, ears, and lips, were no longer an ugly blue-black color. Still, she needed to make sure that they could move freely on their own to check for any possible internal damage.

"Ciel, wiggle your fingers and toes for me," she asked with a serious face; she immediately lost her composure at the boy's bewildered look and started laughing. Ciel could only stare blankly at the amused death god, who was nearly holding her sides from how hard she was laughing. When the redhead finally calmed down, she smiled gently at Ciel, who was completely lost at this point. "You suffered a highly severe case of frostbite; superficially, your body looks completely healed, but I need to know if you can freely move your extremities," she explained, her eyes alight with amusement.

Ciel looked warily at the noblewoman before he sighed and started wiggling his fingers and toes, feeling like an idiot as he did so. The death god looked relieved when she saw him move them, and she jotted down some quick notes on a sheet of paper. Madam Red continued her examination of the small teen, sometimes asking for him to move or bend his arms and legs in fairly normal but some odd positions. When she found no worrisome movements or ticks to worry about, she breathed a silent sigh of relief.

"Everything seems to be working just fine! Sebastian will be quite pleased to hear that his pet will be back to perfect health in no time," Madam Red said enthusiastically. Ciel's ears perked at the mention of his master, and thoughts of the demon's whereabouts popped into the child's head again. He didn't want to give away just how badly he wanted to know this information, so he did his best to act nonchalant as he reached for a piece of paper and the feather pen by his bedside and wrote down his question. The doctor looked up when she heard a paper rustle, and she almost jumped at how close the piece of paper was to her face. Ciel kept his face emotionless as the red-haired noble took the paper. Her eyes quickly scanned the boy's elegant writing before she frowned.

"He left a few hours ago, Ciel. He didn't bother to tell anyone where he was going," she looked put-out. "Even when my brother clung to his arm and begged him to tell him where he was going so suddenly, he just brushed him off and walked out. He looked a little troubled by something, almost guilty, but I didn't care to ask." She dryly chuckled before adding, "He probably wouldn't have told me what was on his mind anyway. Damn demon…" she muttered under her breath. Ciel frowned at the physician's response as he sat back against the headboard.

A few hours ago, huh… That must mean he left sometime in the early morning hours. What could he have to do today that required him to leave his residence so early? He certainly wouldn't be completing some task for the Queen… He usually tells Tanaka about his departure and leaves in a carriage. Even if he was doing something for her Highness, he surely wouldn't look guilty about doing so. The same reasoning would apply to completing a hunting task for Satan, and even then, he would've been called by a portal at some point. Then what could it be that caused Sebastian to look guilty and to leave without telling anyone of his whereabouts?

Madam Red, upon seeing the boy's frown, decided to put Ciel's worries at ease. "Not that there's anything to worry about, Ciel! I'm sure he just needed to take care of some personal business; he's always so secretive about his personal affairs. He'll be back before nightfall, I'm positive," she said hurriedly. Ciel looked at her with a quizzical facial expression for a bit before he returned to staring blankly at the wall in front of him. The death god frowned before she gently touched Ciel's shoulder; as expected, Ciel stiffened at the physical contact, and his dichromatic eyes turned to look at her, now with a guarded and standoffish look in them. She smiled anyway and gently pushed the petite boy back down onto the bed.

"Anyway, you need to stop focusing on him and start focusing on getting better, Ciel. You nearly died again from this latest stunt of yours, and it hasn't even been a month since the last time you almost died! Just rest now, alright?" she finished with a soft tone. Ciel stared up at her before he sighed, brushing off her hand and nodding. Madam Red looked pleased at the boy's obedience to her word; even when Ciel rolled over so that his back was facing her, she wasn't at all offended. The woman dressed in red stood up from her chair and placed a sweet kiss on the top of Ciel's head. She laughed a little when Ciel flinched from the contact and glared at her over his shoulder before pulling the sheets over his entire body.

"Rest well, Ciel. Knowing Sebastian and his recent behavior, he'll be back when you wake up," she reassured before exiting quickly and quietly. Ciel didn't peek out from the covers until he heard the immortal's heels fade away, and even then, he waited for a few more minutes to make sure she wasn't going to come back and sneak another kiss or something from him. He rolled down the covers so that his head and neck were exposed again, but he stayed facing away from the door. His tired eyes roamed over where his master had been laying beside him for the past two weeks; shakily, his hand reached out and gently stroked the area. His eyes started to fall closed as sleep called to him again. Ciel's hand stilled as he slipped into dreams' comforting grasp, but it stayed resting over where Sebastian's heart would've been if he had been lying beside the small boy.

Come home soon, my lord…

XXX

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN SEBBY ISN'T HOME YET?! IT'S TWO-THIRTY IN THE MORNING!"

The sound of an overly flamboyant death god's screech is what jerked Ciel from his peaceful sleep. He silently groaned; the sound of Grell's "lovely" voice was certainly not on his list of things that he looked forward to hearing as soon as he came back to the real world. He rubbed his eyes, blinking owlishly as he tried to adjust to the now-dark room. Based on how dark it was and Grell's screech of rage, it must've been early in the morning. I certainly slept the day away… It felt quite nice, to be honest. If only I could laze around in bed all the time. Ah, that would be the life. Then again, Sebastian would surely throw a wrench in those plans and try to do something sexual to me while I was resting. Ciel sighed as his dream of lazing around in bed for the rest of his life was shattered and slowly rolled over to look at his bedroom door. He could see light from a candelabrum under the crack of his door, meaning Tanaka must be outside as well. Sure enough, the small boy heard his teacher's voice softly respond to Grell's exclamation.

"That is even more reason for you to keep your voice down, Master Sutcliffe. Ciel is trying to rest. Now, there is no need for alarm; Master Michaelis should be home any moment now-"

"I DON'T CARE ABOUT THAT BRAT!" Grell cut in, his voice reaching near-hysteric levels. "All I care about is my Sebastian and where he is! You said he was going to return 'any moment now' three hours ago! It's starting to snow!" Ciel's eyes widened at this new piece of information. He glanced over his shoulder out his window, and sure enough, he could see little flakes of snow swirling in the air. He ignored the worry that was starting to settle in the pit of his stomach and turned back to the door to listen to the rest of the conversation.

WHACK!

"Stop talking so loudly, Grell! I swear, if you wake up my patient-"

"I TOLD YOU I DON'T CARE-"

Sounds of choking and a valiant struggle could be heard, and Ciel sighed, wondering how such creatures could be in charge of determining who has the right to live and die. I do hope there are more serious and capable death gods or else the entire human race is certainly doomed…

"I can assure you both," Tanaka's voice calmly interjected, stopping the scuffle between the siblings, "Master Michaelis is perfectly fine. He always leaves the manor to attend to… personal matters once every year on the 31st of December. I am not sure exactly what it is he is doing or where he goes on this day, but I respect my master's privacy and freedom to do what he wishes for at least one day; you two should as well," the elderly butler finished. Ciel smirked, imagining Madam Red and Grell hanging their heads in shame at being lightly scolded by the mortal servant. His smirk faltered though as the worry in his stomach was replaced with a gnawing curiosity.

Even Tanaka doesn't know where Sebastian is? That's certainly surprising… I thought he had gained Sebastian's full trust after working under him for 50 years. What could be so personal that even the trust they have between them isn't enough for Sebastian to tell Tanaka where he's going every year on December 31st? And what makes the last day of the year so special to Sebastian? As he's said himself, he doesn't have any friends, and he doesn't seem to have many attachments to other beings…

Ciel's eyes widened as an interesting thought struck him, making him even more curious as to his master's whereabouts.

What if this day has a special meaning in relation to his past life as a human? But he said that he didn't have any memories of his life as a human being… unless he was lying to me. It's certainly not rare for him to deceive me with his words and actions. But even if today has a reverent meaning to Sebastian, what could've possibly happened that is so important to him that he leaves every year for it?

The sound of Tanaka clearing his throat jerked Ciel out of his mental thought processes, and his ears perked to listen to what the elderly butler had to say. "However, I cannot deny that this year, he is acting rather oddly. He has never been away from the manor for such a long period of t-"

"OH MY GOD, I KNEW IT! SOMETHING MUST'VE HAPPENED TO HIM! HE MUST BE DEAD!" Grell's voice, now hysterical, abruptly cut in. Ciel, even though he thought the death god was being overdramatic as always, couldn't stop his stomach from dropping at the thought of his master being hurt.

"Grell, you're being melodramatic… Sebastian is a full-grown demon. I'm sure he can take care of himself," Madam Red stated. Ciel's heart jumped as an anxious feeling enveloped him when he heard Grell's whispered response.

"What if he doesn't come back…? He has been acting so strange lately; he hasn't hit me as hard as he normally does to get rid of me, and he hasn't smirked for days! It's almost as if he isn't with us anymore!" Grell finished in a distressed tone. When neither Madam Red nor Tanaka responded, Ciel swallowed nervously, clutching the sheets beneath him.

What's happened to my master since I've fallen ill…?

When the silence outside of his door became too much for Ciel to take, the petite teen slowly sat up in his bed, looking around his room for something to cover himself a little more so that he wouldn't freeze from his bed to the door. Hanging in the corner of the room, Ciel could faintly make out what looked like a bathrobe; with a little more effort than it normally would take, Ciel stiffly scooted to the edge of his bed. He flinched when his bare feet met the cold wood, but he ignored the coldness and stood as straight as he could, feeling a tad weak since he was still recovering from his illnesses. He wobbly walked over to the corner, retrieving and donning the bathrobe with shaking hands.

Why is this house so cold? Surely the other servants are freezing from this ridiculously cold temperature! I'm just going to make the wild assumption that the nobles feel it's beneath them to make fires, and the other three buffoons are too incompetent to make fires on their own. I'm sure Tanaka can make a fire; he was the one who taught me how to make one! Maybe he just felt it was useless to do so for someone who was as sick as I was and couldn't even feel the effects of it.

Ciel knew that his thoughts about how cold his room was were merely distractions; he couldn't bear to keep focusing on thoughts of his master possibly freezing to death in the winter night. He was already overcome with confusing emotions over what the demon had whispered against his lips in the middle of that storm. He really didn't need to add anxiety and worry into the mix of emotion. Wrapping the robe tightly around his small frame, Ciel fixed his face into its normal cool and composed mask and shakily walked towards the door to his room. He could faintly make out the three adults' hushed whispers, which explained why Ciel hadn't heard anything from outside of his door for the past minute. With a confidence he didn't really feel, the child butler threw open the door to his bedroom, startling the death gods and causing Tanaka to raise an intrigued eyebrow.

"I'll find him," Ciel mouthed, staring down the older trio with a look that dared any of them to go against his word. Madam Red was the first to do so, her shock being immediately replaced with a look of disapproval.

"Absolutely not, Ciel. You are in no condition to be going out tonight. I told you, Sebastian will be coming home, so just go back to bed and rest," she ordered in a no-nonsense tone. Ciel defiantly shook his head, standing a little straighter so that he wouldn't show any physical signs of weakness. The death god's eyes narrowed, and she opened her mouth to snap at the stubborn boy, but Grell's gasp cut her off. Ciel focused his attention on the male redhead, raising a quizzical eyebrow at the reaper's look. Grell looked as if he had seen a ghost: his skin was paler than usual, his eyes wide and filled with fear. Tanaka, also confused by Grell's facial expression, put a hand on the immortal's shoulder.

"Master Sutcliffe…?"

"It's… It's snowing… harder…" Grell shakily responded, his eyes looking like they were in a horrified trance as he continued to stare out the window. The anxiety that had been sitting in Ciel's stomach intensified tenfold at the death god's observation; he looked over his shoulder at the window in his bedroom and swallowed, trying to get rid of the worry and anxiety he felt when he saw the snowflakes whipping in the wind and falling at a faster rate. From firsthand experience, Ciel knew that snow was a deadly thing, especially at nighttime. If the snow picked up, Sebastian could possibly get lost and die in the middle of the storm. Just the image of the proud demon dying, lost and hopelessly alone, made Ciel's heart twist painfully. Not even bothering to look at the three adults for their approval, Ciel began to walk briskly down the hall, determined to find his master before the conditions outside worsened. A hand on his arm stopped the boy in his tracks, and Ciel whirled around to face Madam Red.

"What do you think you're doing, Ciel?! You are still recovering from not only your hypothermia, frostbite, and severe Coryza, but also from the attack of that female demon. Your blood levels have still not returned to normal since then, meaning you will freeze at a faster rate if you go outside," she explained hurriedly, worry for the small child in her grasp expressed through her crimson eyes. When she could see that her words were having no effect on Ciel, she exclaimed with exasperation, "Besides, you don't even know where to look for him! It's a lost cause! Just stay inside… please, Ciel."

Ciel was a little taken aback by the plea thrown in at the end of Madam Red's speech, but he had already made up his mind. There was no way that he was going to let his master run off and possibly die tonight; there were so many questions he needed to ask the demon.

That bastard is not going to go and run off without offering me an explanation for his recent behavior or his apparent feelings towards me. I need to know… I just… I have to know.

"I will find him; I can track his mental presence, just like he tracks mine whenever we are separated," Ciel mouthed, his body language showing how impatient he was. I figure that if Sebastian can do that, in theory, I should be able to as well. I've never had to do this before, but now would be as good a time as any to at least try and see what happens.

"Let him go," Grell spoke softly, so softly that both Ciel and Madam Red could barely recognize the male death god's distinct tone. The noblewoman whirled around, still holding tightly onto Ciel, her eyes wide and blazing.

"What?! Are you crazy, Grell?! I know you hate Ciel, but to ask for him to do something so dangerous and stupid is too cruel, even for you," she spat the last bit, not even sure if the redhead in front of her was her brother anymore. Ciel was speechless. The dark-haired teen had expected for the immortal to screech and go into rage, saying that he would be the one to find "his" darling Sebastian, not "the slut of the manor." Curious, Ciel calmed himself down a bit, wondering why the death god was having such a sudden attitude change.

Grell's lime-green eyes locked with his sister's; his gaze was steady, but his voice remained soft, a slight shake to it as he explained himself. "Sister, I do hate Ciel. I hate him more than I hate anything in this world. If I could be the one to kill him, I would do so without a hint of hesitation or regret…" The flamboyant male's fists clenched by his side as he continued, no longer looking at Madam Red, but at the ground. "But… right now, what's important is to find Sebastian. He may be able to take care of himself, and he may want his privacy, but I can't just sit back and wait for him to possibly… to possibly never come back. And… I also know that I can't be the one to find him." Slowly, the softly-speaking death god looked up and right into Ciel's eyes; half-heartedly, he smiled, but the heartbreak was clear in his eyes as he continued.

"I love Sebastian. I've loved him since the moment those cold, dead, beautiful eyes of his first looked into mine. The moment he looked at me… truly looked, I knew that I would do anything for him. I knew that if I could, I would bear as many children as he wanted; I would die for him. I'm aware of how he feels towards me; even though he doesn't wish to marry or even really associate himself with me, I'll stay by his side for all eternity. When he beats, insults, or even yells at me… nothing makes me happier. It means that he's willing to show his true colors to me. He's able to take out his frustration and anger. In a way, it makes me feel like he needs me. But when you showed up, he changed. He wasn't so angry… he didn't look so cold to the world; hell, he even started being nicer to me, something that would only occur in a few social settings where his presence was mandatory. I noticed these changes, and I couldn't help but watch as he became even more unobtainable; I couldn't help but start to hate you as you pushed him away. He gave you things that I only dreamt of, things that I would never be able to have, and all you did was scorn, scoff, or get angry at him. You continued to unthinkingly do things to him, and I could only watch as the being I loved more than my own self continued to change for or because of you. When you fell ill from this latest stunt of yours… Sebastian… he reverted back to who he was when I first met him on that fateful day. It hurt more than anything. I didn't realize how much he had changed until he went back… and I realized, even though I hate to admit it, that he needs you.

"He can take out his anger on me, but in the end, it's you he truly needs. He needs you so that he doesn't lose himself… so that he doesn't turn back into… into that monster. While you were sick, Sebastian cut himself off from the world; only when he was taking care of you did I see glimpses of the demon he was becoming because of your influence. As I watched him through the crack in the door, looking down at you with tenderness and heartbreaking anxiety, sometimes even gently kissing your lips and whispering for you to get better, I… I wanted him to stay in that room for as long as he needed if it made him feel better. Today, though, even when he was in the room with you… there was no change. Something is really bothering him, and I'm so afraid… I'm afraid that I'm going to lose Sebastian forever. I don't… I can't lose him. He's my reason for existence, the reason for why I am who I am today. But… even though I want nothing more than to be the one to find him… I know that right now, he doesn't need me. Who he needs is you. You must be the one to find him, to bring him back, not only to the manor, but to himself. I never wanted to ask you for anything, Ciel, but… please… please find Sebastian… please… bring him home…" Grell finished, unshed tears making his eyes shine.

The hall was completely silent except for the redhead male's occasional sniffs as he did his best not to break down in tears in front of Ciel. It was already humiliating enough to admit all of that to his enemy, but Grell was desperate. True to his word, he was willing to do anything for Sebastian. Ciel, who was curious before, was stunned now. Madam Red had a sad smile fixed on her face, knowing how hard that had been for her brother to say. Tanaka, who had not spoken in some time, cleared his throat.

"Ciel… you cannot go out searching for Master Michaelis with just a bathrobe. At least put on the proper winter attire," he stated. Madam Red opened her mouth to object, but the elderly butler cut her off. "Madam Red, I realize you are worried for Ciel, but you cannot change his wishes. He wishes to find Master Michaelis, right, Ciel?" the old human asked, looking deep into Ciel's eyes. Ciel blinked, surprised by some of the emotion he was able to see in the elderly servant's eyes: worry, sadness, and fear. The petite child stood a little straighter, nodding confidently, before he removed his arm from Madam Red's grasp and walked hurriedly down the hall, determined now more than ever to find his missing master.

XXX

Sebastian…

Ciel could clearly see his breath fog in front of his mouth as he breathed harshly, feeling like he had been running through the snow for days when it couldn't have been more than a couple of hours at most.

Sebastian… Sebastian…

The snow was clinging to Ciel's eyelashes and his rosy cheeks; he blinked rapidly so that his vision wasn't obstructed by the white bits of ice that were starting to slow the longer Ciel continued to run.

Sebastian… where are you…?

His poorly-clad feet (he only had time to put on his regular work shoes) pounded on the compact and frozen ground beneath him, pain shooting sharply through his system with each footfall.

Sebastian!

His uncovered head was starting to pound from the cold air that was constantly hitting it, but he refused to allow his headache to distract him from searching for his master's mental presence.

Where are you?!

Ciel's heart was beating so fast that he felt as if it was going to burst out of his chest at any minute; even though it was working overtime, Ciel was still having trouble maintaining body heat.

Master…

Ciel opened his mouth out of habit to call for his master, but before he could even (futilely) attempt to say anything, he gasped loudly as his foot slipped on a patch of ice. Losing his balance, the petite boy fell to the side and tumbled down a hill. He landed face-first at the bottom of the hill with an "oomph". He laid there shivering for a bit before he slowly raised his head, huffing with frustration. Although his body was tired and cold, Ciel forced himself to stand up. He leaned against a tree, panting a little bit, as his body begged for him to rest. He furiously wiped off the snow that was still clinging to his face from the fall, blinking rapidly to clear his eyes so that he could better see his surroundings. The child butler could clearly see where he had fallen down the hill; there was a huge indent and several bumps from where his body had crashed through the snow. He mentally groaned when he saw just how far he had fallen.

There's no way I can climb back up that hill… It would be way too hard even if the ground was completely dry; it's so steep…

Ciel bit his lip, frustrated, tired, and now possibly lost. The petite boy wanted nothing more than to call it quits and collapse in the snow, but he was too prideful to admit defeat. Not only that, he had made a silent promise to Grell and everyone else in the manor to find Sebastian; there was no way he was going to go back on his word. Sighing tiredly, Ciel looked away from the hill and at the rest of his surroundings. He was still in the woods, but it seemed as if this was an area that was not as well-traveled as the rest of the Michaelis grounds. The ground was less flat; there were more rocks, and it appeared as if any path that could've been formed was thoroughly covered by the snow.

Ciel looked to his right and blinked. In the distance, it appeared as if there was an iron gate or entranceway, but at this point, Ciel wasn't sure if the cold was making him hallucinate or not. He slowly moved away from the tree, as if in a trance, and trudged through the snow, heading toward the entranceway. Ciel had one hand over his heart as he continued to walk, feeling as if something was physically tugging on it and pulling him toward the object in the distance. He was relieved to find that his mind wasn't playing tricks on him when he was close enough to touch the iron gate. Ciel winced when his hand came in contact with the cold metal, and he immediately retracted it, rubbing his hands together to try and make them a little warmer. He craned his neck upwards as he looked at the intricately designed entrance; his uncovered eye widened when he saw that there was fancy writing at the top. It read:

Beware all ye who enter here.

Ciel immediately scoffed at the cliché warning, not even feeling a hint of fear or hesitation, only curiosity. There must've been a reason his heart led him to this place. Maybe I'll be able to find Sebastian here… Ciel went through the entranceway, his eyes widening when he realized that he was standing in a private graveyard. There weren't that many headstones, maybe five or six at most. The child butler got down on his knees in front of the headstone closest to the entrance, carefully wiping away the snow that was covering the words etched into the grave marker. As expected, there was an unknown person's name, some Mariska bat Elisaveta (1); what caught Ciel's attention, however, was the date of birth and death: 1311-1326. Ciel's eyes widened as he remembered that conversation he and Sebastian had had in the hotel room during the Jack the Ripper case.

Sebastian lived during the 1300s… Is there some way that Sebastian may have known these people? Hm… that doesn't seem too likely; especially since he claims he doesn't remember anything about his past life as a human. This woman might be an outlier here… perhaps the other graves are from different times…

Brimming with curiosity, Ciel wiped off the snow on the adjacent grave marker, blinking at the name, Eli ben Rafael (2), and the date of birth and death: 1308-1352. Feeling his heart thrum with excitement for an unknown reason, the child servant crawled over to the grave next to Eli's and furiously wiped off the snow.

Sebastian ben Eli, 1324-1349.

Ciel's eyes widened to comic proportions as he felt himself freeze in place from shock. His hands shook where they rested over the engraved person's… no… could this be his master's grave? Thoughts racing widely in his head, Ciel fell onto his bottom in the snow, just staring blankly at Sebastian's grave; of course, there could've been a possibility that Ciel was wrong, that this was another Sebastian who was completely unrelated to his master.

"I see you have wandered a little off course, my pet…" a dark voice murmured from above. Ciel tore his gaze away from the grave, his eyes still wide as he looked into the face of his master, who was standing over the boy and the three graves. The shocked servant could only keep staring at Sebastian, who cocked his head to the side. "How strange… For centuries, no one has ever been able to find me here, and yet, here you are. How could that be?" When Ciel didn't respond, Sebastian straightened himself out and went around the graves to stand beside his butler. The immortal chuckled when he realized exactly why Ciel was so shocked.

"If you've deduced that the three graves in front of you belong to my parents and me, you truly are a bright child," he remarked, looking faintly amused. Ciel was finally brought out of his shocked state of mind by the tone of Sebastian's voice. For some reason, the tone didn't seem to fit the words that had been said. Ciel figured that if he was the one who was talking about his dead parents, he wouldn't be amused or cold about it. But what disturbed him more than the tone relating to Sebastian's parents was the fact that there was a grave for the demon that was currently standing next to him. Shakily getting to his feet, Ciel looked coolly up at his master.

'Why do you have a grave for yourself, Master?' Ciel asked.'Surely a Semihominis doesn't need to do something so ridiculous as to replenish his spirit or retain his physical appearance by visiting his place of death once every year,' Ciel said, relying on some of the supernatural books he had read in his free time to come up with a theory for Sebastian's odd behavior. The demon smirked, his eyes alight with amusement at his servant's theory.

"No, Ciel, I don't need to do something as ridiculous as that. I merely made that grave as a symbol of my death as a human being. It was more for a sense of sentimentality that drove me to do such a thing both for myself and for the humans that must've been my parents," Sebastian responded, looking over the three graves for only a second before looking back at Ciel. Ciel blinked, the wording confusing him a bit.

'Must've been…? Are you saying that you aren't sure if the people who are resting in the grave beside your symbolic one are your parents?'

Sebastian shrugged, his face and demeanor showing that he didn't really care too much about it. "Well, when I heard news that the man, Eli, died, I felt a strong emotion that I attributed to sadness and dug up his grave, burying him here. When I heard he had a wife, I figured that she must've been important to me as well, and I found her grave, dug it up, and buried her beside him. It was all based on speculation, really, and it's something that doesn't concern me too much. Besides, it's not as if these two humans are the reason I come to this place every year… I'm sure that's something that you are much more curious about. Am I wrong, my pet?" Sebastian asked with a dry smirk. The immortal male figured that if Ciel was able to find the one place that he had been sure to keep a secret from everyone, even Tanaka, it was only fair that the human knew the truth about why he was there.

Ciel was completely taken aback by his master's behavior, but he couldn't deny that the demon was right about his curiosity. His mouth set in a thin line, the boy didn't respond to his master's question, waiting somewhat impatiently for Sebastian to make the next move. Sebastian's smirk slowly fell as he regarded his pet for a moment before he sighed and beckoned for the boy to follow him. Ciel trudged after his demon master, doing his best to look completely nonchalant and uninterested in the matter; of course, Sebastian could easily see through his pet's façade, but he decided not to tease the boy about it. The raven-haired male led Ciel toward the back of the small graveyard, the only sound between the two companions being the sound of snow crunching under their feet. Ciel couldn't help but to notice that his master wasn't adequately dressed for the weather. Besides the large overcoat that Sebastian always wore whenever he traveled, the immortal was dressed in his regular attire. The child butler opened his mouth to say something, but he immediately closed it when his master came to an abrupt stop.

Ciel moved to stand beside the demon, looking over the two graves they were standing in front of. Deciding not to make any rash conclusions, he waited for his master to speak, not sure how these two graves in front of them were more important than Sebastian's own parents'. For a few minutes, Sebastian didn't say anything. The demon and human just stood silently in front of the two graves, the snow lightly falling around them. Ciel looked at his master out of the corner of his eye, having to take a double-take at the expression of slight sadness on Sebastian's face.

[He's sad? Sebastian has never looked like that before! What could these two graves possibly mean to him that's making him act like this…?]

Sebastian took a deep breath, closing his eyes and tilting his head back to the sky; when he reopened them and looked back at the graves, his face was back to its normal expression of cool indifference. He gestured to the graves in front of them, his tone as cool as his facial expression. "These graves belong to the two people who meant the most to me in my human life. They are also the last things I remember… on the night that I died 513 years ago," he started emotionlessly.

Ciel's eyes widened in shock as his head whipped to look at the two graves. His heart was beating fast with anticipation; he was finally going to find out about his master's past, something he had been wondering about for many months. It took all of his willpower not to rush the demon into an explanation, but he kept quiet, knowing that sharing a secret as important as this must be taking a lot out of the older male. Sebastian inhaled deeply, the only sign that this was a difficult thing for him to retell, and began to speak.

FLASHBACK

It was December 31st, 1349, and it was the day that Sebastian was going to propose to his long-time lover, Anastasia Whitaker. The young dark-haired man, with eyes a dark chocolate-brown, could barely contain his excitement as he exited his home and made his way through the expansive fields of grass that he and his father, Eli, would hopefully be toiling over in the spring when wheat and other crops would be planted. With a sparkle in his eyes and a kick in his step, the anxious and excited 25-year-old rushed through the fields, intent on meeting his lover in their secret spot at the riverbank, under the stone bridge. He hadn't been this excited in quite a while, considering that so many people were suffering and dying around him every day from the Great Plague (2). It was horrifying to have to go into town and see piles of bodies on carts, the ones loading the carts looking as if they would be joining the pile at any moment. As if the Great Plague could read his mind, the sound of a heavily-laden cart reached his ears, and Sebastian paused in his happy travels to watch as the cart headed to where the rest of the peasants lived, bodies stacked carelessly on top of the cart. He watched with bated breath before releasing a sigh of relief when the cart bypassed his humble home of thatch for another's. The smell of death and fear always made Sebastian feel sick; he couldn't bear to think of his father or Anastasia one day being loaded onto one of those carts. Before that morbid train of thought went any further, Sebastian focused on his current goal: proposing to Anastasia.

What Sebastian was attempting was dangerous; he, as a Jewish male (in secret, of course. No one but his family, lover, and best friend knew of his religion (3)), was about to ask for a Christian girl's hand in marriage. If anyone were to know, he would surely be killed; but as thoughts of his beautiful lover filled his mind, he found that he didn't give a damn: her beautiful chestnut-brown hair that hung below her waist, her cherry-red lips that were always upturned in some sort of a smile, her creamy skin that was soft to the touch and flushed just right during times of intimacy (these times were rare and never went too far; Sebastian could never think of soiling such perfection before marriage), her cute little pointed nose that crinkled whenever she would laugh, and her eyes. Oh, her eyes: like the most exquisite of honeys, they were twin pools of happiness, innocence, and beauty. At some times, if the light was shining just right on his lover, Anastasia's eyes would take on a golden hue. While others may have thought it was strange for someone to have gold eyes, Sebastian found that he enjoyed her eyes the most in that light; it gave her beauty an exotic and mysterious touch.

Just the thoughts centered around Anastasia made his heart flutter and his feet move even faster in anticipation for what he was about to do. No fears or threats could stop Sebastian now. He was young, he was in love, and dammit, he was going to get married. He had everything he would need to satisfy both his Jewish faith and the common practice of marriage in England. Carefully making his way down the gently sloped hill, Sebastian adjusted the straw hat on his head and felt in one of the many folds of his tunic to be sure that both the perutah and the Ketubah were safe and secure (4). He had read the Talmud countless times to ensure that this marriage, although it wasn't permitted since he, a Jew, was planning to marry Anastasia, a non-Jew, was still considered valid and that the children he was hoping to have with her would not be mamzerims (5).

When he reached the bottom of the hill, he stepped carefully on the marshy ground close to the riverbanks. He had heard countless stories about villagers and drunken fools that had slipped to their deaths from not being cautious. Since hardly anyone could swim, this area of the village was hardly visited, if ever. This made for the perfect spot for Sebastian and Anastasia to meet each other. There was little to no chance of someone ever coming by and seeing them; even if someone was walking along the hill, Sebastian and his love were still hidden from sight by the bridge. The only way anyone would know they were there was if they went to the edge of the river; the chances of that happening were slim to none.

Sebastian smiled to himself as he carefully made his way to the bridge. He had been dreaming of this day for so long; now that it was actually happening, he could hardly wait for sundown. Right before sunset was usually when he and Anastasia would meet each other; it was difficult to meet during the day because Sebastian was working in the fields. Night was not possible because of Anastasia's parents; night was also the time when Sebastian and his father would practice their religion in secret.

His heart fluttering, the raven-haired male reached into the fold of his tunic and felt for his items again; he knew they hadn't fallen out, but it offered him confidence and security to feel them there. As he neared the bridge, Sebastian braced himself; the area right before the passage under the bridge was the most dangerous part. Gripping tightly onto the stone, the young Jewish male carefully edged himself under the bridge; he had to duck a little since he was quite tall, even for someone of his gender and age. Only when he was safely under the bridge did he finally let go of the edge.

Sebastian rested against the stone wall of the bridge, releasing a breath that he didn't realize he had been holding. He couldn't deny that he was frightened; he was about to put his heart on the line for Anastasia. Thoughts about what he would do if she said no to his proposal filled his head, only adding on to the youth's already frazzled nerves. He swallowed and forced himself to calm down, pulling out the perutah in his tunic fold and turning it over and over again in his hand as he gazed out at the sky, willing for the sun to set faster so that he could finally ask his bashert the question he had been waiting to ask since his birth (6).

Nightfall

It had never been this hard for Sebastian to hold back his tears.

Ever.

The heartbroken boy stared up at the full moon, wondering why Anastasia hadn't come to meet him under the bridge. Since they had started arranging these secret meetings a few years ago, she had never missed a single one. Sebastian had even went out of his way in the letter he sent to her telling her that he wished to see her again, that the reason for this meeting was very important to him. Sebastian stared at the copper coin in the palm of his hand with forlorn eyes before he sighed. There was no point moping around in such a dangerous area; he was already tempted to throw himself into the river that continued to peacefully run a few inches away from his feet.

All the excitement and hope he held in his heart when he went under the bridge a few hours ago was replaced with disappointment and heartbreak as he stepped out from the bridge. He nearly stumbled back into the water when he suddenly came face to face with a pair of blood-red - no, now they were black - eyes.

Sebastian cried out as his foot slipped on the squishy ground underneath his feet. A strong hand grabbed his wrist and pulled him away from the dangerous area and higher up on the hill. Sebastian lost his balance from the strong tug and ended up falling face-first onto the grass, getting a mouthful of grass and dirt. A jovial laugh filled the night air, scaring some birds that had been nesting in the grass a few feet away. Sebastian growled, not in the mood to hear laughter or any other sounds relating to happiness. His head popped up from the ground, and he spit out the grass and dirt, wiping his mouth and shooting daggers at his best friend, Michael Bennett.

A striking lad of 26 years, Michael Bennett was the exact opposite of Sebastian ben Eli (aka Sebastian Godfrey by the rest of the community to avoid suspicion about his religious heritage). Michael had short, golden blond hair that never wanted to remain flat and sun-kissed skin from his days of working out in the fields. He was tall and quite muscular for his age; he wore tunics that showed off his muscular arms and had no problem bearing all before being shooed to the back of his home to bathe. He had a light smattering of freckles across his cheeks and the bridge of his nose, and his face was more rounded and boyish, giving people the impression that he was far more innocent than he actually was. He was outgoing and always had a smile on his face that caused nearly every lady that it was directed at to swoon. But the most mesmerizing thing about Michael were his eyes; Sebastian wasn't even sure what color his best friend's eyes were because the color constantly changed depending on the way the light hit them. Right now, the moonlight wasn't shining on them, so they appeared to be a coal-black.

"Michael…" Sebastian hissed as a warning, the dark aura surrounding him signaling to the blond male that he wasn't in the mood for his jokes. Michael wasn't the least bit bothered by the black-haired youth's glare or tone, wrapping his arm around Sebastian's neck and pulling him close, ruffling his friend's hair and laughing even more.

"Aw, lighten up, Sebastian! This isn't how I imagined my best friend to act after getting engaged to the love of his life… Where's that winning smile and those sparkly-looking eyes that come out whenever you talk about Anastasia?" Michael asked with a bright smile. Sebastian had told him about his plan to ask for Anastasia's hand in marriage a few days ago while they were walking into town to try and sell some of their crops to the merchants who were still alive and willing to trade; he, of course, had been ecstatic to hear that his shy best friend finally had the courage to ask the love of his life to marry him. He couldn't have been happier for Sebastian, wanting nothing more than for the chronically depressed boy to be happy.

Sebastian attempted to wrestle his way out of his friend's iron-grip, but the more he struggled, the clearer it became that Michael wasn't going to release him until he answered his question. Practically shouting in his friend's face, Sebastian finally responded, "I didn't ask her because she didn't show up tonight!" The second he felt his friend's grip around his neck slack, he moved out of Michael's hold and rubbed his neck, looking away from him. He really wasn't in the mood for the onslaught of questions he expected for the blond male to ask; all he wanted to do now was go home, read some of the Torah and pray with his father, and drag himself to his room and go to sleep, doing everything in his power to forget this horrible day.

"Oh… I'm sorry to hear that, Sebastian," Michael said after a bit. Sebastian blinked, not expecting for the chatty boy to say something so… simple. He made a scoffing sound and looked up at the night sky, still not in the mood to say anything. By nature, Sebastian wasn't the type of person who liked to openly share his feelings; still, Michael was probably the only person who, for the most part, could easily tell how Sebastian felt and what he would've said if he was more open. The blond lightly jabbed the depressed black-haired youth in the ribs, saying with a bright smile, "Well, I guess you'll just have to wait until your next meeting to ask her then, yeah?"

Sebastian's head jerked in his best friend's direction, his mouth forming a small 'o' as he stared blankly at Michael. The thought that he just had to wait until the next time he saw Anastasia to ask for her to marry him hadn't even crossed his mind. Michael laughed loudly at Sebastian's facial expression, wrapping an arm around his thin shoulders and pulling him close to his side. "I bet you didn't even consider that as an option, right? You're such an extremist, Sebastian! It's either it is or it isn't… I thought I told you to stop living in such a black and white world!" Michael said, looking down at Sebastian with a kind smile. Sebastian looked down at the ground, embarrassed by his extreme thoughts.

I almost killed myself, too… I really am hopeless when it comes to interpreting things that happen around me or dealing with my emotions.

"Well, I can't help but to feel disappointed… I've been waiting for so long…" Sebastian mumbled under his breath, still looking down at the ground. Michael blinked at his friend's statement before he snickered, looking up at the night sky. "I never imagined that you would be the impatient type… Chin up, Sebastian! Just wait a couple more days, and you'll finally have the love of your life tied to your side for the rest of your life," Michael responded, trying to improve his friend's mood. For a minute, Sebastian looked as if he hadn't heard what Michael said, and the blond opened his mouth to continue in his efforts when Sebastian suddenly looked up at him with a small smile.

"You're right, Michael… I can wait a few more days for her. I would wait a lifetime and more if I had to." His dark chocolate-brown eyes softened as he thought about his lover for a moment before he locked eyes with Michael, whose eyes were now a light violet. "Thank you… I don't know what I would do without you to help me see in shades of gray."

Michael suddenly looked embarrassed, rubbing the back of his neck as he laughed, looking away from Sebastian. "Yeah, you would've been dead without me around, that's for sure!" he declared before laughing again. Sebastian chuckled at the true statement before removing Michael's arm from around his shoulders and standing.

"Well, I should probably head home now. My father is probably worried s-"

"Come into town with me, Sebastian! You're going to be engaged soon; you have to celebrate with me, your best friend. And I will not accept a 'no' for an answer," Michael suddenly announced, standing and grabbing Sebastian's hand. He started pulling Sebastian up the hill and in the direction of the town, a determined look on his boyish face. Sebastian opened his mouth to protest, but he just sighed and acquiesced to his friend's impulsive desire, knowing that he wouldn't hear the end of Michael's whining and protests if he went against his wishes.

XXX

When they finally entered town, which was silent except for the occasional groans of pain from certain homes that had been hit by the Great Plague, the moon was high in the night sky, telling Sebastian that it was far too late for him to be out. "Michael, I really should be home now… my father is probably worried sick-!"

"I can't hear you, Sebastian~!" Michael cut in with a sing-song tone. "Oh, look! We're in town now! Time to celebrate!" he shouted with excitement, dragging Sebastian in the direction of a tavern. Sebastian rolled his eyes, finding this whole idea of "celebrating" his almost-engagement by going to a bar as a waste of his time. He couldn't even drink enough to where he got drunk, so it was clear that Michael was merely using Sebastian's marriage plans as an excuse to get drunk (6).

"GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA H!"

An ear-piercing scream suddenly filled the night air, stopping Michael and Sebastian dead in their tracks. Sebastian's keen hearing pinpointed that the sound was coming from the alleyway a few buildings down. Michael's grip on Sebastian's hand tightened before he suddenly pulled him in the opposite direction. The smile that was on his face had disappeared, being replaced with a deep frown.

"You need to go home, Sebastian. Your father is surely worried ab-…"

"Michael! Someone needs help! You can't expect for me to just-!"

"I certainly can expect for you to do nothing! Besides, judging by that scream, it's too late for that person anyw-!"

"How can you possibly say that, Michael?! Have you no hear-?!"

"I have a heart, but I also have a brain, which is telling me that it's not safe to go back! That person has probably been hit by the Great Plague!"

"Well, I have two arms that can shove you away and two legs that can walk me back to-"

"Sebastian!" Michael suddenly yelled, turning around and gripping tightly onto Sebastian's shoulders, staring intensely at him with maroon eyes. "Please… just go home. I'll handle whatever it is, but your father would never forgive me if something happened to you…"

Sebastian would've protested, not one to like being told what to do, but he noticed that Michael's hands were shaking on his shoulders, and there was clear worry and even fear in his friend's eyes. Sebastian sighed, not wanting to cause any unnecessary trouble for Michael. He nodded and brushed off Michael's hands. "Alright, but I can walk myself home. I don't need for you to do such a thing-"

"Sebastian~…"

A soft, alluring, and feminine voice carried along by the wind drifted into Sebastian's ears. The human's ears perked at the sound; not only did it sound familiar, it also sounded… tempting. It was as if the voice had verbally converted all of Sebastian's desires into one simple tone; he just couldn't resist that voice that had called his name in such a way. Sebastian swallowed, his gaze turning toward the source of the sound: the alleyway where the scream had just emitted from less than a minute ago. Slowly, he brushed Michael's hands off his shoulders, his body seeming to have a mind of its own as he walked toward the alley. His mind was screaming at him to run away, realizing the danger of going towards this voice.

Still…

The young Jewish male found himself standing at the mouth of the alley, squinting his eyes to see into the dark alley. He could faintly hear footsteps running after him and a desperate voice insisting that he go home immediately, but again, that voice called to him, drowning out all other sound and making everything else in the world seem so insignificant in comparison.

"Sebastian, my love… You've finally come for me…" the sweet voice cooed. A lily-white hand suddenly extended from the darkness, the unknown person's fingers inviting Sebastian to step farther into the alley. The dark-haired youth felt his hand twitch a little before it rose; gently, he took the stranger's hand, his eyes widening at how smooth and warm the hand felt. Sebastian was slowly pulled into the alleyway; he didn't care to look at his surroundings. His only focus was on the owner of that sweet voice, whose giggles sounded like the warbles of a baby bird.

His eyes did eventually adjust to the darkness, and once they finally stopped walking back into the alley, he turned the person around to finally figure out the identity of the owner of the sensuous voice.

His jaw nearly hit the floor as he stared into the face of his beautiful lover, Anastasia Whitaker. His breath actually hitched as he could only stare in shock and amazement, not understanding what his true love could possibly be doing in this dangerous place. Worry for his lover taking over anything else, he suddenly pulled the young woman into his arms, burying his face in her chestnut-brown hair and inhaling deeply, his senses assaulted with her lovely, unique scent… and a hint of something else, but Sebastian brushed that off as the smell of the surrounding air.

"Anastasia, my love, what are you doing here?! This place is not safe for you! The Great Plague could come for you tonight!" he hurriedly said, pulling away from her and looking over her with concern, praying to God that nothing horrendous had happened to her physically and that she hadn't seen anything that could possibly disturb her mentally. When he determined that she was not harmed, he felt his heart start to beat faster just from being in his love's presence, and he found himself swallowing nervously as he looked at her lovely face. Sebastian stared into her beautiful honey-colored eyes, falling into a trance-like state that seemed to happen to him every time he looked into her eyes. His hand gently cupped her pale face as he did his best to smile comfortingly to her, his thumb stroking her cheek and over her soft, cherry-red lips.

"Everything will be all right, Anastasia. I'll escort you home and slip away before your parents see me, and then we can meet tomorrow in our special spot," he managed to gasp out, practically breathless and having trouble keeping his composure, his love for her making him both anxious and giddy. "Oh, Anastasia, I have something very important to ask you and-" His hurried talk was abruptly cut short as his thumb brushed over something that was definitely not part of his beautiful love's lips.

Blood.

His heart loudly thumped as his eyes widened; it was if the blood had jolted him out of his love-stricken world so that he could finally see both his surroundings and his lover in a clearer light.

His hand shook against Anastasia's cheek as his thumb trailed down the thin stream of blood that was coming from the corner of the young lady's mouth. He swallowed as his eyes moved away from her lips to take in the rest of her once-unblemished face, which now had blood splattered all over; the red substance was on her cheeks, her forehead, her jaw… the blood was everywhere. His eyes trailed down her body and widened in horror when he saw that her left arm, all the way down to her dainty hand, was drenched in blood. There was so much of it that the material of Anastasia's long-sleeved dress was stuck firmly to her skin and her lily-white skin couldn't even be seen; some of the blood was still dripping off the ends of her fingers and falling into a pool of what he hoped was water… anything but blood.

And it was then, when Sebastian's eyes locked on the puddle of blood, that his focus completely moved away from his lover and to his surroundings. His shock-filled orbs noticed that there was a river of red that branched away from where it was pooling underneath Anastasia's hand, leading farther back into the dark alleyway. Barely able to breathe at this point, the black-haired male's eyes involuntarily followed the trail.

There, in the back of the alley, sitting propped up against the wall, was what Sebastian assumed was a human being at one point. Where eyes would once be safely nestled away were now twin black holes of darkness, with bloody tears pouring from them and running down the victim's cheeks until it dripped off the ends of the person's top row of teeth. No longer was there a lower half to this human's face. The entire jaw had been torn from its hinges, the skin bloody and torn to shreds from where it hung from the victim's face, the tongue flopping uselessly against the person's neck. The limbs were a tangled, broken mess, bones and muscle fibers poking out through holes in the ashen skin. The victim had been scalped as well, a large, bloody clump of hair and skin lying uselessly beside the body. And finally, where there once was a heart, was now nothing. A bloody, misshapen hole and shattered bone remnants were all that remained in that hole, and somewhere in the back of Sebastian's mind, he wondered where the heart could've possibly gone.

His eyes darted around the suddenly much-too-small-space, his heart thumping loudly as raw panic mixed with confusion. Blood was splattered all over the walls, the smell of it and the dead body being carried along by the wind that was starting to slightly pick up. Clouds were starting to gather in the night sky, but Sebastian paid no attention to them. A sudden flash of lightning illuminated the area, and Sebastian felt his blood run cold when he saw Anastasia smile. She smiled with pure glee and a hint of raw insanity, her eyes glowing gold for a second. Her perfect white teeth were now bloody and pointed, and bits of tissue could be seen in the cracks between her teeth. Even when the light from the lightning bolt faded away and the faint rumble of thunder could be heard in the distance, the possessed young woman's smile only continued to spread to inhuman proportions. Sebastian's hands, which were now resting on Anastasia's shoulders, shook violently as he broke out in a cold sweat, horrified by their surroundings and the sight of his crazed lover. His mouth was as dry as a field during a drought as he shakily opened his mouth to speak.

"Anastasia… what is-?"

"Sebastian~," the woman finally spoke, immediately shutting Sebastian up. Her clean hand moved to cup the Jewish male's face, her head cocking to the side as her smile receded to more human proportions. "You love me, don't you~? You would do anything for me, yes?" she asked in a sickeningly sweet voice, her fingers lightly dancing across Sebastian's jaw.

Sebastian swallowed thickly, his tongue feeling like it swelled to unreal proportions as he continued to stare at the love of his life; he was confused, distressed, horrified… and yet, he found himself slowly nodding, entranced like he always was whenever he was in Anastasia's presence. The blood-covered woman's eyes practically danced with glee as her fingers brushed over Sebastian's lips, closely followed by her own as she leaned up to whisper against them.

"Then… Kill your best friend. I know that you wouldn't tell the other villagers about what you've seen here, but there's nothing stopping him from doing so." She pulled back a little to lock eyes with Sebastian, practically pouting as she added, "You can do this much for me, can't you…? After all, you gave me this ring as a sign of your love for me when we were children, and I would hate to think that this ring is just a worthless piece of metal…" she trailed off as her blood-covered fingers lightly traced over the ring that was resting on the ring finger on her right hand; the blue stone in the center of the ring that Sebastian had received from his mother and gave to Anastasia as a birthday gift eerily caught the moon's last rays of light before the alley was shrouded in darkness, the clouds rolling in faster as the storm continued to approach.

The dark-haired male was completely frozen, all mental functions ceasing to work. Kill his best friend? Kill Michael? The thought was inconceivable, unbelievable, preposterous… and yet, he actually found himself considering it! The thought was immediately crushed as Sebastian was reminded of the Sixth Commandment: Thou shalt not kill (7). Just the thought of one of the laws that governed the young male's life was enough to jerk him out of his shocked trance.

What am I thinking?! Of course I can't kill Michael, no matter the reasons!

Sebastian's grip tightened on Anastasia's shoulders, convinced she was possessed by some sort of demon. His Anastasia would never talk like this, behave like this… like… like a cold-blooded murderer! The very thought that the woman he wanted to be his wife was the sole cause of all of this made his stomach turn and his head spin.

"Anastasia, darling, what has gotten into you?! You are not acting like yourself!"

"That's where you're wrong, Sebastian. In fact, this is the first time she's shown her true self to you," Michael's cold voice cut in. Sebastian turned his head to face his best friend, shocked when he saw the light-haired male holding an impressive dagger in his hand, his coal-black eyes trained on Anastasia. Anastasia's eyes widened slightly at the sight of the dagger before she placed her hands on Sebastian's wrists, intent on having him pay attention to her again.

"You see, Sebastian? If you do not kill him first, he'll kill me! Could you live knowing that Michael killed the love of your life when you had the chance to prevent my-"

"Hush, you vile woman! Enough of your brainwash," Michael harshly cut her off, walking toward the confused human and the lying woman. The sound of Michael's approach was the only sound that filled the night air, time itself seeming to stand still as Sebastian's eyes shifted to look at the weapon in his best friend's hand. On the handle of the dagger, there appeared to be two intertwining roses. The dark-haired male tore his eyes away from the dagger when he heard Anastasia's frightened whimper.

"Enough of this, Michael! You're frightening her!"

"Oh please, Sebastian, she's obviously acting. Something like her doesn't know the meaning of being frightened," Michael responded, pausing a few feet in front of Sebastian. His body language was tense, hinting that he would be able to move at the drop of a hat if need be. Sebastian shivered when he heard Anastasia laugh eerily.

"Oh, Michael, you speak as if you're better than me when you yourself long to have such a meal like this!" she said with a hint of glee before she smirked confidently, continuing, "And the use of that dagger in this situation would only get you in trouble, dear Hunter. I haven't eaten in many days, so I am no way feeding unnecessarily, and if anything, my killings have been adding onto the chaos that the Great Plague has caused!" Her eyes darkened as she snarled, "So back off!"

Sebastian felt like he was going to be sick. To think that Anastasia… lovely, sweet, Anastasia, could've done something like this… He whirled on his lover, his grip on her shoulders tightening, his eyes desperate, "Anastasia, stop speaking like this! Surely you have no idea what's going on here! And Michael, put that damn dagger away this instant! You both are not acting in your right minds… I would hate to think that the Great Plague has-"

The sound of twin laughs filling the air, one humorless, the other hysterically gleeful, caused shivers to go down the human's spine as a flash of lightning followed by a deafening rumble of thunder illuminated the alley once again. This time, when the light from the lightning faded, the glow from both Anastasia and Michael's slit eyes were the sole sources of light in the blood-filled space. Sebastian's eyes widened in horror at the sight, his hands falling from Anastasia's shoulders as he took a shaky step away from her, his mind reeling with all that was happening in such a short span of time. Anastasia flipped some of her hair over her shoulder as she licked her lips.

"Something as lowly as a pestilence could never fell a Pure-blooded demon like myself," she responded, an air of pride and arrogance surrounding her. Michael's eyes narrowed, his grip tightening on the dagger.

"You still call yourself a Pure-blood after you have started feasting on souls as well? You're both betraying your true nature and feeding unnecessarily by doing such a thing. Not only that, Anastasia Purus (8)," Michael paused as a smirk slowly spread on his face, his glowing eyes constantly shifting in color as he moved closer, "You attempted to murder one of Satan's hunters… I do believe you have broken three supernatural laws; therefore, Anastasia Purus, you are to be exterminated for betraying your demon nature, feeding unnecessarily, and attempting to murder a Hunter."

By this point, Sebastian had backed himself up against the alley wall, not even sure who, if anyone, he should trust right now. It was apparent to him now that both his best friend and the love of his life were not human; the fact that they were demons was causing his heart to race with fear and repulsion. He couldn't believe that he had been unknowingly associating himself with such vile creatures. Sebastian was so focused on his hateful and confused thoughts and feelings that he didn't notice Anastasia moving to stand in front of him until she was practically in his face. The human gasped with surprise, backing himself against the wall as his eyes widened.

"Anastasia…"

"Well, if I'm going to be killed anyway, I might as well feast one last time, hm~?" she said teasingly, her golden eyes glowing madly as they locked with Sebastian's, freezing him in place. Sebastian's eyes pleaded with this woman, his heart still foolishly believing that her love for him would stop her.

He was horribly wrong.

"SEBASTIAN!"

CRUNCH!

Sebastian's eyes widened in horror as fresh blood spattered on his face, his face turning as white as a sheet as he looked down to see a bloody hand extending out from the back of his best friend, who had jumped in the way to prevent Anastasia from taking the human's heart. Loud, hacking coughs filled the air as thunder rumbled, Sebastian's eyes tearing themselves away from the hand that was greedily clutching onto the still-beating muscle, blood dripping down onto the alley floor. Sebastian's mouth opened and closed several times, words seeming to escape him as he could only stare in shock at his friend, who was smiling at him over his shoulder, his eyes showing his genuine happiness even as blood trailed from the corners of his lips.

"M-Michael…"

"Ah, Sebas… Sebastian… Thank goodness… you're safe…" Michael managed to say between his coughs, tears of pain leaking out from his eyes that were no longer glowing. An annoyed 'tch' sound caused Sebastian to focus on Anastasia, who looked less than pleased that her meal had been taken from her.

"Damn you, Michael… You're such a fool!" With a sickening squelching sound, the female demon pulled the other demon's heart right out of his chest, allowing for the body to collapse onto the ground. "Why would you give your life for a worthless human like him?! Your love for him is sickening; and thanks to it, now I'm doomed to the same fate as you!" Sebastian watched, frozen, as the woman who had appeared to be an angel to him kicked at the nearly-dead body at her feet. The sound of the repetitive impact drummed at Sebastian's ears until he thought he was going to go insane. He just couldn't believe it; Michael… his best friend… The human's vision became blurry before a strangled sound escaped his lips. Pushing at the woman, he fell to his knees, pulling Michael's body into his arms, frantically brushing back Michael's blond hair to look into the demon's lifeless eyes.

"Michael! Y-You can't…!" Sebastian gasped out, grief clutching at his heart as tears poured down his cheeks. The human squeezed his eyes shut, cursing himself for crying like this, but the feel of a cold hand on his cheek caused his eyes to snap open. He sniffled as he watched Michael faintly smile, his eyes looking content. Sebastian released a shuddering breath as he grasped tightly onto his best friend's hand, gently knocking their foreheads together and shakily returning the small smile, watching as the life drained out of the demon's eyes. Michael's hand slipped out of Sebastian's grasp, and the mourning human could only watch as the knife held in his friend's other hand fell to the alley ground with a loud clacking sound. Sebastian's body shook with the force of his sobs as he continued to gaze down at Michael's face. Shakily, he put a hand over the other male's eyes and closed them for him as he gently set him on the alley floor.

"Michael never was the brightest demon. If he thinks I would want a heart like his over yours, he's sadly mistaken… It was such a waste," Anastasia commented coldly, her actions contradicting her words as she started devouring the organ she held in her hand. Sebastian's body stiffened as he listened to the sickening sounds of the monster behind him eating the other demon's… no, his best friend's heart. His smile turned into a frown as he felt rage overshadow his grief. This woman… this demon, had the nerve to speak so crassly about Michael! Sebastian saw red as he grabbed for Michael's dagger, whirling on the beast behind him with a wild cry and murder in his eyes, stabbing her dead in the stomach with as much strength as he could, intent on killing this damn bitch. Anastasia blanched at the unexpected motion before she roared with rage, grabbing for Sebastian's neck and raising him in the air before slamming him back down onto the ground, a sickening crack filling the air as the impact of hitting the stone ground broke Sebastian's back in several places, leaving him paralyzed. His eyes widened when he realized that, only able to watch as Anastasia's bloody lips spread in a cruel smile.

"Only a fool with a soul like yours would attempt such a stupid thing," she hissed, wrenching the useless dagger out of her torso and tossing it near Michael's body. Her grip tightened around Sebastian's neck, choking the poor human. Anastasia's head suddenly whipped to the side as a sound that only she could hear traveled to her ears. Snarling, she whirled on Sebastian, leaning close to him and smiling cruelly again. "Well, darling, it was certainly fun. You kept me greatly entertained with your continuous attempts to woo me, and I had fun playing your human game called "love". But you see, a creature like me doesn't need something as useless as that. But since you were such an entertaining player, I'll treat you extra special and take your soul instead of your heart~," she finished with glee before sealing their lips in a deadly kiss.

The pain that Sebastian felt at that moment was something he wouldn't wish on even his worst enemy.

A burning sensation that began from where his lips were connected to his former love's raced through his body, suddenly intensifying to feel like the burning fires of Hell; he felt as if he was being burned from the inside out. His eyes widened as the demon swallowed his pain-filled screams, his body starting to spasm and jerk violently as his hands clawed violently at the ground until they bled. Tears leaked from his unseeing eyes as he swore that his insides were on fire. Suddenly, his mind was flooded with memories and every emotion known to man; he saw things he didn't wish to see and felt things he didn't want to feel at speeds that made him physically sick. He felt like he was going crazy; he couldn't even pray to God for some release from all this pain and agony, the words for these prayers lost to him as his mind turned against him and continued to barrage him with memory after memory after memory.

For a few blissful seconds, there was absolutely nothing… no burning, no memories, no feelings… just emptiness.

And then, he felt a tugging at his chest.

Sebastian's eyes snapped open as his mouth was forced open by Anastasia's tongue, her eyes glowing with greed as the human felt as if he was vomiting up a horse. She continued to inhale, slowly pulling out the human's soul from his body. Sebastian felt darkness prick at the corner of his eyes as the large mass of something was pulled from his chest and forced to travel up his throat. He could swear that this mass was actually fighting back, doing its best to not be eaten, but the strength of Anastasia's magic easily overpowered it and continued to suck it out. Sebastian could feel pieces of himself disappearing as the first bits of his soul were eaten by Anastasia; emotions like happiness and love were the first to disappear, memories of his childhood quickly following. His knowledge of farming, the passages from the Torah… gone. The warmth of sunshine was replaced with the cold of winter air, love replaced with hate, friendship replaced with loneliness, family replaced with solitude, smiles replaced with frowns. Every holy and positive thought and feeling was replaced with unholy and negative thoughts and feelings, breaking Sebastian's heart. Tears of loss and sorrow slid down his cheeks as the monster above him continued to suck out the very essence of his being; Sebastian could feel his body's functions starting to slow, his muscles becoming lax and his vision starting to fade. He welcomed this darkness, just wanting for this slow torture to end. He couldn't bear to part with his memories, his sense of self, and yet, it was cruelly being taken from him anyway, temporarily being replaced with dark and hateful thoughts and feelings.

Suddenly, it all came to a stop.

And then, the real pain began.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HH!" Sebastian's scream of sheer agony rang out in the night as his eyes widened immensely; his scream easily dwarfed the sound of Anastasia's when a group of hunters who had taken her away from Sebastian as she was feeding literally tore her limb from limb with their weapons. Sebastian barely focused on that gory sight as his body, now, with only half a soul, began to change.

The dark magic that Anastasia had temporarily inserted into Sebastian's body to help remove his soul from his body was now trapped inside. The evil immediately went for what was left of Sebastian's soul, needing to stain everything in black and darkness. His human soul was practically devoured by the magic, the core of his entity swirling chaotically around as it started to mix and meld with Anastasia's magic, the light his soul once gave off shifting to that of swirling shadows. As this change was happening internally, Sebastian could feel strange and highly painful things happening to his body; each transformation felt like it took an eternity for it to take place, the pain only increasing with each change. Sebastian could faintly hear the murmuring of an unknown person's voice as he was taking a breath to release his next earth-shattering scream. The response sent chills down his broken spine.

"Leave him be. He won't survive the change."

The pain he experienced was incomparable even to burning for all eternity in Hell.

First, the feeling of millions of rusted nails continuously scratching and moving under his skin traveled throughout his whole body, making him want to tear off his skin. It was both painful and irritating at the same time, and Sebastian thought he was going to go crazy from just the feeling. Then, his eyesight failed him as he was blinded, shrouded in darkness and still feeling the unnatural feel of nails scratching under his skin. To add onto the pain, his blinded eyes widened as his senses were suddenly assaulted with both the light and heat from fire, centered in his tender eyeballs; he tried to squeeze them shut, but his eyes cruelly remained open, his tears drying as his eyes continued to burn, the tears being replaced with blood. To add onto the symphony of pain, every strand of Sebastian's hair felt as if it was being meticulously plucked from his scalp, his scalp feeling as if it had been repeatedly rubbed against an unfinished wooden table, leaving splinters in the tender skin.

Suddenly, the sound of every bone in his body breaking and collapsing onto his frantically churning organs added onto Sebastian's screams, temporarily choking the changing man as his lungs were crushed under the weight of his broken ribs. And just as easily as the bones broke, they suddenly fixed themselves… over and over. This process continuously happened for what felt like hours; each break hurt more than the last, his bones slowly becoming stronger every time they were magically healed. His muscles stretched, tender fibers being ripped to shreds at the rapid pace that they were changing, only to sew themselves back together, stronger than they were before. The black shadows from his changing soul suddenly rushed out from every crevice in his body, Sebastian screaming once again as he felt a burning cold sensation around every organ in his body, the magic working to freeze his internal organs in place exactly as they are now so that they will never age.

His gums bled and added to the blood that was covering his face and body as his teeth, specifically his canines, tore themselves from his mouth only to grow again at a rapid pace; the feeling of a rusted file began slowly filing away at the newly grown bits of bone, making the rest of his teeth perfect while his canines became fangs, growing longer and looking more deadly with each break and file. Every nail on both his fingers and toes was slowly peeled off; the bloody tips of his nail-less fingers and toes were slowly covered with new nails. These were pure black, a perfect match to his stormy black soul.

All of these changes happened at once, sending Sebastian's mind into a pain-filled frenzy, one thought certain throughout the process.

I'm dying.

Shadows rose from the ground surrounding the agonized body as the final changes were being made. These shadows, which acted like living creatures, slowly began to wrap themselves around Sebastian's body, whispering frenzied and evil things that raced straight to his vulnerable soul. Sebastian could feel the icy cold of the shadows as they grew closer to covering his face. His eyes, which still smoldered, looked up at the night sky for the last time as a human, tears slipping from the corners of them to mix with the blood.

And then, the shadows completely covered his body in a makeshift cocoon as the shift from mortal to immortal, pure to tainted, was made.

When the shadows finally disbanded, what lay in the blood-covered alley was no longer a human being. Alabaster skin without a single blemish, facial features that looked as if they were carved by the world's greatest sculptor, bones stronger than that of stone, muscles able to lift and carry weights thousands of times heavier than his own, nails as black as night, hair like the silk produced from silk worms and as black as midnight, canines as sharp as knives, a soul tainted as if it came straight from the depths of Hell…

Eyes as red as the blood spilled that night, which now gazed blankly up at the sky as rain began to fall on this motionless creature, doing its sole purpose: washing away the old and bringing in the new.

What now lay in this alley was certainly no human… that being had been washed away; it was the old.

The rain continued to pour down on the new…

The rain brought in the demon.

END OF FLASHBACK

Sebastian's carmine eyes slowly opened as he focused on the graves in front of him; the one on the left holding the mangled and dismembered body of his lover, the one on the right holding the heartless body of his best friend… the one who had protected him at the cost of his life.

And for what? I'm sure he did not wish for me to be cursed with this fate… Eternity… an eternity of darkness, suffering… loneliness…

"Once I recovered from the shock of such a drastic change, I changed my last name to Michaelis, feeling that I owed him something for what he did for me, even if it may not have gone according to plan. Besides, if I had a piece of the woman who I had loved up to my last moment as a human, which was foolish considering the monster that she truly was, inside of me for all eternity, he certainly deserved to have a piece of him with me as well," Sebastian said coolly, his eyes flitting to the demon's name etched in the headstone.

Ciel was silent as he watched his master put his hands in his pockets and tilt his head toward the night sky, his blood-red eyes closing again as snow lightly fell on his pale face. A humorless smirk spread on the immortal's face, his eyes remaining closed as he spoke again.

"Then again, I'm sure neither of them wish for pieces of themselves to be a part of the foolish creature who ended their lives. Perhaps it was my last bit of human sentimentality that made me gather up their bodies after my change and bury them here. It's foolish to think that a hole in the ground will ever truly give these creatures rest. Such evil has no place… no right to rest…" He chuckled as his eyes opened, his focus back on the graves in front of him, removing one hand from his pocket to brush off some snow that had started building on top of Anastasia's gravestone. "And yet, here I am, every year for the past 539 years, coming to pay my respects to the one who betrayed me and the other who died for me." His smirk widened as a flicker of pain appeared in his eyes before it was hidden. "'How foolish', you're probably thinking. And you are correct in thinking so, my pet, for why would the one who murdered the two most important people in his past life keep coming back, hoping despite the cold truth, that they have found rest? That they, somewhere in that cold hole in the ground, have found it in themselves to forgive the foolish human who killed them?" Sebastian finished with an odd hint of amusement, chuckling again as he shook his head.

Ciel was, again, silent, but not because he didn't have anything to say. In fact, the human butler had a lot to say to his demon master, but he was too shocked by how his master was referring to himself at the moment to get the words out. The boy swallowed, shakily opening his mouth before closing it, internally beating himself for continuing to forget that he could no longer talk.

Silently, Ciel reached out and gently took Sebastian's hand in his own, his own gaze focused on the two graves that held the secret of Sebastian's past life and his change into the demon he was today. Sebastian actually jerked a little, confused when he felt something wrap around his hand; looking down, his eyes widened slightly when he saw Ciel's little hand wrapped securely around his motionless one. Looking at the child butler, he opened his mouth to say something, but what Ciel said next shocked him into silence.

"Ci-"

'It's not your fault. It never has been and it never will be, my lord.'

Sebastian's eyes widened to comic proportions as he looked at his butler with shock. He had never considered the idea that it wasn't his fault; granted, he never told anyone about this, so he never heard any differing opinions. To finally hear the opposite of what he had been telling himself for 539 years was both a surprise and a huge relief.

'Their deaths would've happened eventually, Master. Although that's harsh to say, it is, in fact, the truth. Anastasia's feeding habits were starting to get out of control, what with her taking souls in addition to eating people's hearts. It was only a matter of time before she broke another rule, sealing her fate with the Hunters. As for Michael, he was a Hunter, my lord. It was to be expected that he would be killed on one of his hunts sometime in the future; again, it was only a matter of time.

'Now, there are several times when I sincerely wish that you would take the blame for your actions. In fact, there are so many times I wish you would take responsibility for your actions that I can't even count them on both mine and your two hands.' Ciel gave a pointed glare in his master's direction, their eyes locking for a few precious seconds, one pair amazed, the other sincere. Ciel eventually broke their eye contact, a light pink blush now staining his cheeks as he turned to look at the graves again, his heart starting to race as he continued.

'But now is not a time for you to be blaming yourself. Master… I can't stand seeing you like this. Seeing you speak with such difficulty, looking so guilty… looking like you're in pain… it's… it's just not right to me. You are... important enough to me that it's unsettling to see you this way…' Ciel's hand shook a little in Sebastian's as he finally admitted that secret to the much older man, terrified of his feelings and embarrassed that he was telling Sebastian all of this at this very moment. But there was no going back now; he knew that Sebastian needed to hear this, even if it only made him feel a little better.

'And for that reason, I think I can understand your feelings regarding what happened to you 539 years ago. I would not wish to witness the death of someone important to me; if you were to die in front of me, I would surely blame myself as well…' Ciel bit his lip as his grip tightened on Sebastian's hand. 'But I, for one, see nothing foolish about wishing for your most important people to finally find rest. Even if they were demons, you cared for them, my lord. They were the people who made you smile, who made your days brighter, who made you feel at peace. I would think it would only be natural to wish for them to find that same peace. I wouldn't think of myself as a fool if I were to visit your grave with those hopes, no matter how meaningless they would be in reality. Master, how you feel about these demons doesn't make you a fool; it makes you someone who cares. Perhaps it was your human sentimentality that made you bury them here, but it should be your love for them that keeps you coming back every year, not guilt and shame that you shouldn't even be feeling. I'm sure that Michael wouldn't want for you to feel this way about him, my lord. If he truly did die with a smile on his face, then he died with happiness, not with anger. Anastasia… well, she's a bit more difficult to interpret, but I feel that if she really wanted to kill you, she would've just taken your heart. She knew the Hunters were drawing nearer every second, but she took up the last of her time to take your soul; perhaps, in her own way, this was how she showed her love for you… by giving you an immortal life while she lost her own.

I know it must've been hard to lose them… to lose your humanity… all in one night. And that's why I'm saying this now, my lord: I'm here for you. I may not be enough, but maybe… over time, you'll come to trust me… to believe in me.

If thinking about them ever becomes too hard for you, my lord, or if you ever feel like everything is falling apart around you, I will be by your side. You are an important person to me, my lord. So … don't hurt yourself like this anymore. Don't think such thoughts about yourself… Don't physically hurt yourself… Don't just vanish without telling me where you're going… Don't… Don't leave me alone like that ever again. It wasn't your fault, my lord. So, forgive yourself. If you can't do that for yourself, then… do it for me…'

Silence.

For a few moments, all sound was muted around the pair as the demon could only stand with shock and the human silently died of embarrassment. Two different species stood together in the silence, the snow continuing to fall around and on them. A connection had been forged now with the words Ciel had just told his master, and the evidence of that connection was physically represented as the two males continued to hold hands.

But then the connection was broken as the demon pulled his hand from Ciel's grip, the boy's heart sinking at the action…

… only for the connection to become stronger than ever as Sebastian pulled Ciel into his arms, actually lifting him a little off of the ground and holding him as tight as he could without harming the boy. Ciel gasped loudly, his eyes widening at the unexpected physical contact before his blush darkened, his heart racing as he clutched tightly onto his master's arms to keep from falling, his feet dangling a little above the snow-covered ground. The child butler was in complete shock, not expecting for his master to embrace him like this; confused, Ciel opened his mouth to voice a question, but the feeling of Sebastian burying his face in the junction of Ciel's neck and shoulder caused him to close his mouth.

The servant's confusion increased when he felt the demon's warm breath ghost over his chilled skin, causing him to shiver. When he heard his master chuckle, Ciel attempted to look at Sebastian's face, wondering if the demon had gone mad with grief.

"How is it possible that words coming from a mere child of 13 years can mean so much to someone as old as I am? How can it be that you know me more than myself, that you understand my words even when I don't say anything at all?" Sebastian paused to chuckle again, his grip tightening even more on Ciel as he whispered against the boy's skin, "How is it that you can convince me to let go and forgive myself after 539 years of self-hatred? For centuries I have despised myself, cursed myself for every second of every day that I'm alive… and yet, tonight…" Sebastian gently set Ciel back down on the ground, but his arms remained around the boy's waist as his eyes locked with Ciel's. His eyes were soft as one hand migrated to Ciel's cheek, his thumb gently caressing the cold skin.

"Tonight, I've never been happier to be alive…"

Slowly, Sebastian leaned down; his now half-lidded eyes were locked with Ciel's the entire time as he gave the boy the chance to back away from him, to prevent their lips from meeting. Ciel could feel the supernatural being's breath on his lips, and they trembled with fear? passion? disgust? something as Sebastian continued to draw nearer. But instead of moving away or physically rebuffing the older male, Ciel relaxed in his master's hold, and when their lips finally met for the first time in weeks, Ciel and Sebastian's eyes slowly fell closed as the child butler felt something akin to content in his heart. Shakily, his small hands gripped onto the front of his master's coat as their lips slowly reacquainted themselves, the kiss slow and gentle, just like the snow falling around them. Somewhere in the back of Ciel's mind, he wondered if this display of affection was disrespectful to Sebastian's former lover, but another part of him found that he didn't give a damn.

The pair continued to kiss in the snow, their surroundings completely unimportant to them at that moment as they lost themselves to each other, Sebastian's hold tightening on his butler as he deepened the kiss. The blush on Ciel's cheeks was now as red as a cherry as they gently kissed each other. The snow continued to fall as they pulled away at times for air only to reconnect again, each kiss becoming more and more passionate to the point where Ciel's clothes were ruffled, Sebastian's hair was a mess, their lips were red and swollen, their breaths were quick and ragged, and their bodies were so close that they might as well be one. Even though Ciel's eyes were closed, he could feel something building in them, and when Sebastian pulled away from him to allow for him to breathe, Ciel's eyes slowly fluttered open, shimmering with unshed tears. The heartbreakingly beautiful sight took Sebastian's breath away, and he found himself frozen for a moment as he continued to take in his butler's beauty.

It was at this moment that Sebastian felt the need to say something, something that he had been waiting to say for years. He could feel the words on the tip of his tongue, his own heart beating just a little faster at the thought of saying these words, but as he continued to stare into Ciel's eyes, at Ciel's face, he could only say one thing.

"Ciel…"

XXX

Moonlight shone in the master bedroom of the Michaelis manor, bathing the otherwise dark room in its ethereal glow. The moon's beams shone on the wardrobe, the bedside table, and they even stretched so far as to illuminate the door leading into the connecting bathroom.

It was under the moon's light that two figures were moving as one on the master's bed, their wet skin from the bath they had stumbled out of in their hurry to touch, to feel, to have more, catching the moon's glow. Sebastian pulled away from the steamy kiss to allow for his trembling butler to breathe, drops of water from the ends of his wet hair dripping onto his servant's flushed cheeks. Ciel lay gasping underneath the older male, trying to catch his breath and calm his racing heart. Everything was happening so fast that the poor teen wasn't even sure which way was up anymore.

'Master! At least wait for me to dry us off! Your sheets are practically drenched and you yourself could fall ill…'

Sebastian cut off Ciel's mini-rant with a chuckle, his eyes shimmering in the moonlight as he gazed fondly down at his butler. "And here I thought my kisses and touches would be enough to distract you from such frivolous concerns…"

'Frivolous?! Illness is not-'

Ciel's mind went blank when Sebastian kissed him again, his heart racing once again when his master managed to slip his tongue past Ciel's lips. Ciel's hands gripped tightly onto Sebastian's shoulders as the demon greedily explored Ciel's hot cavern, the boy attempting to keep up with his master by tangling their tongues together. The child butler was pressed harder down onto the bed as the kiss continued, the wet sounds filling the air and causing Ciel's blush to spread all the way to the tips of his ears.

Sebastian observed all of this with intense eyes, priding himself on being able to reduce Ciel to an incoherent, flustered, and trembling mess every single time. "So lovely…" he muttered under his breath as he leaned down to plant hot, open-mouthed kisses down the column of Ciel's neck. Ciel's breath hitched as his leg jerked on the bed, looking at Sebastian with slight confusion.

'What did you just say?'

"It's unimportant… Stop concerning yourself with unnecessary things…" Sebastian murmured as he sharply bit down on the junction between Ciel's neck and shoulder. The young teen gasped loudly, his grip tightening on the sheets below as Sebastian started to gently suck on the sensitive area.

'But-!'

"That's an order~," Sebastian added teasingly, smirking against Ciel's flushed skin as the blue-haired boy glared down at him. Huffing with displeasure, Ciel forced himself to stop picking at every little thing Sebastian did and said, mostly due to the fact that his prickling contract eye was both annoying and bothersome. But also because the child butler couldn't help himself; to think that they, a master and servant, a human and a demon, a contractor and contracted, were about to make love with each other again…

…it was enough to make him want to cry.

[Why do we continue to do this to ourselves? Why do we establish rules, build up walls, only to break those rules and watch the walls crumble around us? Are we fools? Are we mad? How can it be that in a little more than half a year, he has become my most important person? We are only hurting ourselves every time we do this… with every kiss we share, every gasp that breaks the silence, every light touch on feverish skin… we are only making it harder for us on the day we have to say goodbye…]

Ciel's breath caught in his throat when he felt Sebastian's sinful lips start to kiss a trail down his abdomen, his back arching as the demon's cool hands slowly ran down his sides, causing goosebumps. The boy's eyes fluttered before his body quaked with silent laughter from Sebastian's light nips around his belly button. The demon smirked at seeing Ciel squirm from his ministrations, saying in a teasing voice, "Ticklish, my pet~?"

Ciel managed to control himself long enough to make his mouth stop twitching into a smile, huffing again and pushing at Sebastian's head. 'For someone who was so eager to do… this… you certainly know how to waste time…' Sebastian's carmine eyes practically glowed with amusement, locking with Ciel's and causing the boy's cheeks to heat up even more.

[But… I don't want to say goodbye…]

Ciel's eyes widened behind his wet bangs as his master moved down past his belly button. Lazily, his master traced the v of Ciel's hips with his tongue, never breaking eye contact with Ciel, even as he got closer to the teen's hardening member. Ciel wanted nothing more than to squeeze his eyes shut, truly mortified by both Sebastian's actions and his bodily reactions, but he found that he couldn't look away from the demon's lustful eyes. Swallowing with nervousness, the child butler was about to send a mental message to his master when all thought processes suddenly ceased as his master slowly licked up the side of his member.

The boy's hips bucked up in surprise before he quickly sat up, causing Sebastian to have to move away from Ciel's now-leaking member. Face to face, the two males sat, one looking embarrassed and panicked, the other surprised yet faintly amused. The air around them seemed to tremble with as much anticipation as what was building between the two males. A slight rustle of sheets indicated movement, and shockingly, it was Ciel who moved first. Very slowly, he leaned closer to Sebastian, his eyes already starting to fall closed before they even got within a few centimeters of their destination. The demon leaned forward as well, and their lips met once again in a shockingly chaste kiss.

Ciel's shaking increased as he slowly pulled away from the kiss, his eyes hesitantly locking with Sebastian's before he leaned forward again. This time, he kissed the hollow of Sebastian's neck, the demon raising his eyebrow in curiosity at his pet's actions.

"Ci-"

'Madam Red told me that you remained by my side for the past two weeks. I feel it's only right if I… service you tonight,' Ciel responded curtly, his actions sharply contrasting with his mental tone as he hesitantly kissed his way down Sebastian's bare chest, his lips wet from the dampness of Sebastian's skin and the wet kisses they had been sharing. Sebastian, understanding what Ciel was proposing, moved to lean back on his hands, watching his servant with intense eyes as Ciel got into a comfortable position.

Swallowing nervously, the child butler tucked some damp strands of hair behind his ears before he slowly swirled his tongue around the tip of Sebastian's prominent length, which twitched in response to the ministration it hadn't felt in quite some time. Ciel flinched, a little thrown-off by the unexpected movement, before he steeled himself.

[Come now, Ciel! You've done this before! Just… damn it! Just stop thinking for once, and just do it!]

Listening to his more impulsive side, Ciel stopped overthinking his actions and wrapped one hand around the base of Sebastian's member, starting to pump from the base to the tip. He knew Sebastian liked that, but he couldn't resist looking up at his master's face to take in his reaction. As expected, the demon's eyes were lidded, his mouth slightly open to release nearly inaudible pants. Ciel's eyes locked on Sebastian's somewhat visible fangs, a thrill of excitement running through him.

[He's so dangerous… and yet, I'm completely unafraid of what physical damage he could do to me.]

Ciel found himself boldly engulfing Sebastian's member, going down as far as he could without gagging on it before he went back up, gently sucking just to drive his master mad. A low growl came from his demon master, and Ciel smirked as he released his master's member with a 'popping' sound. His eyes had a challenging glint in them as he repeated his ministrations, loving that he was in control and could tease his master instead of it being the other way around.

Sebastian, meanwhile, was practically going mad from his pet's actions.

He's certainly gotten cocky, Sebastian thought as he ran a hand through his hair, using up centuries of patience to prevent himself from pinning Ciel down on the bed and taking him right then and there with absolutely no preparation. One of his fangs bit into his lip, a trail of blood making its way down his chin. The demon's eyes widened slightly when Ciel quickly leaned up to lick it away before going right back to sucking him off. A surprised groan escaped from Sebastian's lips before it was quickly silenced, his eyes narrowing at Ciel's amused ones.

"What a… naughty pet you've become," Sebastian stated, leaning back a little more to give Ciel some more space. Ciel only hummed in response, the vibrations causing some precum to leak from the tip of Sebastian's member onto Ciel's tongue. Ciel greedily slurped it up, actually having the nerve to wink at Sebastian. Sebastian's widened eyes lidded with amusement as he gripped onto Ciel's hair, gently pulling him off of his member. A string of saliva still connected the boy's lips to Sebastian's hard, saliva-slickened length, and the sight drove the demon crazy. He crashed their lips together, muffling Ciel's surprised gasp as he easily overpowered his servant and laid him back on the bed. Sebastian completely dominated the kiss, not even allowing for Ciel to take in any air as his tongue assaulted Ciel's hot cavern, exploring every nook and cranny. He could taste himself mixed with the different medicines Ciel had been taking for the past couple of weeks; underneath all of the bitterness, Sebastian could still taste a distinct sweetness, and that slight taste caused the demon to smirk into the kiss.

When Sebastian pulled away from the kiss, he was met with the sight of a miffed Ciel.

'What the hell, my lord?! You could've killed me just now! I couldn't breathe!' Ciel berated as he panted desperately. Sebastian merely chuckled, gently pecking Ciel's lips before he started kissing his way down Ciel's body, intent on having no interruptions this time as he made his way to his prize.

"Did you know," Sebastian murmured against Ciel's skin as he got closer to Ciel's intimate secret, "that the French refer to an orgasm as 'le petit morte'? Do you know what that means, my pet?" Sebastian glanced up at Ciel, smirking knowingly. Ciel looked slightly confused by the question before he huffed, thinking that Sebastian was trying to insult his intelligence.

'Of course! It means "the little death". I didn't know we were having an impromptu French lesson, my lord,' Ciel added sarcastically. Sebastian only chuckled, now face to face with Ciel's hole. Exhaling hotly against it and causing it to twitch and for Ciel's cheeks to redden, Sebastian ignored Ciel's sarcasm and continued with his point.

"Very good, my pet. 'The little death'… which means, Ciel, death by asphyxiation should be quite low on your list of ways that you could die," Sebastian finished before he suddenly licked the rim of Ciel's entrance, causing Ciel to sharply jerk, one of his legs reflexively kicking at Sebastian's head. Sebastian skillfully caught it, not missing a beat as he began to rim his squirming pet. Ciel's eyes rolled back in his head as he gasped loudly, his hands shooting out to tightly grip onto his master's hair. His hips bucked when the tip of Sebastian's tongue pressed against the tight pucker, his gasps becoming louder and more frequent as the wet muscle wiggled its way past the first tight ring of muscle. Ciel's mouth opened in a cry at the penetration, his cheeks reddening even more as his stomach did flip-flops. It had been so long since he had been pleasured by Sebastian, so his body was trying to adjust to all of the sensations all over again.

Sebastian watched Ciel squirm around on the bed, the boy's hair a mussed mess as Ciel's head whipped from side to side, as if he was trying to deny himself of the pleasure that Sebastian was giving him. The demon internally smirked. We certainly can't have that, he thought, pressing the tips of his fingers against Ciel's plump bottom lip, giving him silent instructions. Ciel's eyes fluttered open at the slight pressure on his lip, his hazy eyes locking with Sebastian's as the demon continued to flick and swirl his tongue around and inside of Ciel's hole. Shivering, Ciel slightly opened his mouth, allowing for Sebastian's fingers to slide inside. Lazily, his mind too distracted by Sebastian's actions down below, Ciel suckled on Sebastian's fingers, his tongue languidly wrapping around the slender digits, making sure to get them good and wet.

Sebastian watched as saliva dripped from the corners of Ciel's mouth, his pet's cheeks a beautiful red, his eyes lidded and glazed over with pleasure. So damn beautiful, Sebastian thought, gently pulling his saliva-slickened fingers out of Ciel's hot mouth. Sebastian pulled his tongue away from Ciel's now-wet hole, watching it twitch for a bit before he caught an impatient huff from Ciel.

'Get… on with it, asshole!' Ciel sent, clearly more embarrassed by having his entrance be stared at rather than angry. Freaking creepy… he always does that… Ciel thought to himself, forgetting to put up the mental barrier so Sebastian couldn't hear his thoughts. Sebastian only chuckled, amused rather than pissed by Ciel's thought.

"But, my pet, it's such a beautiful pink color. It's as cute as a kitten," Sebastian cooed, smirking widely when Ciel gave him an incredulous look.

'You did not just compare my….. to a cat…' Ciel responded, disbelief clear in his mental tone. Sebastian only grinned before he circled the tip of his index finger around Ciel's hole. "I love it as much as I love cats," Sebastian said before he carefully slid his finger inside of Ciel's tight entrance. A sharp jab of pain shot up Ciel's spine at the deeper penetration, his eyes widening as he gasped loudly.

"Relax, Ciel," Sebastian said calmly, slowly starting to thrust his finger. Ciel's hot and tight walls clamped around the demon's digit, and Sebastian couldn't help but to imagine how amazing those walls were going to feel around his member as he repeatedly thrust in and out of Ciel. The thought made the demon quite impatient to skip to the good stuff already, but he knew that tearing Ciel's insides wasn't exactly something the child butler would appreciate after not having sex for so long.

Ciel's eyebrows furrowed as he tried to focus on relaxing and continuing to breathe, but just like his body had to readjust to the pleasure, it also had to readjust to the pain. Gripping tightly onto the sheets, the child butler bit his lip as he forced himself to relax, his breath hitching at times when the tip of Sebastian's finger would brush against his prostate, a pleasure point that hadn't been touched in such a long time. Sebastian watched Ciel closely, making sure that he had truly adjusted to the first finger before he added a second, slowly starting to scissor them and meeting a fair amount of resistance. Ciel's breaths came faster and shorter, his hands trembling around the sheets as his hips jerked sharply away, the pain a lot more intense than before. Sebastian silently gripped onto Ciel's hips, keeping them in place as he continued to twist and scissor his fingers.

"Calm down, my pet, or else you might injure yourself," Sebastian stated coolly, locking eyes with Ciel's pained ones. Ciel managed to snort, looking at the demon with irritation. He didn't even bother to send his master a message, knowing that he would only be told to calm down and relax. Looking off to the side, the child butler released a couple of breaths, again, forcing his body into a relaxed state. Sebastian looked pleased by Ciel's efforts, beaming at his butler as he crooked his fingers, making a come-hither motion against Ciel's prostate as a reward for listening to him. Ciel's eyes widened to comic proportions at the bolt of pleasure that raced through his body, causing him to jerk violently on the bed, his mouth opening in a silent scream of pleasure.

Sebastian felt a pang of disappointment from the lack of sound coming from his pet; even after adding the third and final finger and getting the petite boy to adjust to them, not a single sound was emitted from Ciel except for gasps and pants. It was slightly unsettling for Sebastian, reminding the demon of how he failed to protect his pet from that damn mate.

My cute Ciel…

The boy was starting to move back against Sebastian's fingers, the pleasure turning his mind to mush. His hips rocked and rolled with the demon's digits, his eyes fluttering with pleasure as his hands tore at the sheets. Saliva made its way from his open mouth, his chest rapidly rising and falling as his gasps and pants filled the otherwise silent air. Sebastian was jerked out of his mental musings by the sudden tightening of Ciel's walls around his fingers. Smirking teasingly, a demonically amused glint in his slightly glowing eyes, Sebastian removed his fingers from Ciel's entrance, causing Ciel to give him a glare of pure irritation.

'Sebastian, you bastard!'

"Now, now, my pet," Sebastian responded calmly, positioning the tip of his member against Ciel's entrance and causing Ciel's breath to hitch, "I can't have you experiencing your le petit morte just yet~."

Ciel looked ready to retort, but Sebastian effectively silenced him by starting to slowly push inside of his pet. Ciel immediately stiffened, his eyes squeezing shut as he prepared himself for the world of pain he was about to experience. That pain came when the tip of Sebastian's impressive length finally managed to get past the first ring of tight muscle. Ciel jerked violently on the bed, his teeth grinding together as he whipped his head from side to side, the pain already overwhelming for him. Sebastian watched Ciel closely, pausing in his movement to give Ciel time to adjust. The child butler trembled like crazy as he shakily breathed, his chest rising and falling at an alarming rate. Sebastian leaned down to gently kiss Ciel's sweaty forehead. The boy's eyes fluttered open to look at his demon master, who was watching him with a surprisingly gentle expression.

"No need to rush yourself, my pet. We have all night… and possibly all morning~," Sebastian added, smirking suggestively. Ciel rolled his eyes.

'In your dreams, my lord.'

"How disappointing," Sebastian responded with fake disappointment, taking Ciel's distracted state as a chance to keep moving. He slowly continued pushing inside, stopping whenever it became clear that Ciel was in far too much pain for him to continue. After what seemed like an eternity to Ciel, Sebastian was all the way inside of him.

'Finally…!' Ciel said with exasperation, causing the demon to chuckle.

"I apologize… There's just so much-"

'Oh, shut up…' Ciel cut in, not in the mood for his master's ego at the moment. His body trembled violently with pain; he swallowed thickly several times, feeling like he was going to die from how big Sebastian felt inside of him. Sebastian, on the other hand, was in a state of bliss that he hadn't experienced for weeks. It was nearly enough for him to cum, but Sebastian was far too disciplined to do such an amateur-like thing, no matter how amazing Ciel's walls felt massaging around his member. The demon lord leaned down to place gentle kisses all over Ciel's face, dead set on distracting the teen from the pain of being fully penetrated after so many weeks. Ciel's face cutely scrunched up at his master's kisses, and he pushed at the demon's shoulders to get him to move away; instead, Sebastian wrapped his arms around his servant's petite body and pulled Ciel closer, causing the boy to gasp with surprise.

"I truly missed being like this," Sebastian murmured against the junction of Ciel's neck and shoulder, a pleased smirk forming on his face when he felt Ciel's pulse jump under the skin. Ciel couldn't stop his heart from racing at wild speeds as his master continued.

"I missed your warmth, your scent, your pleasured expressions," Sebastian said, slowly beginning to thrust in and out of his pet. Ciel gasped loudly, immediately wrapping his arms around Sebastian's neck and gripping tightly onto his master, his stomach doing flip-flops. Sebastian groaned softly into Ciel's ear when the boy's nails lightly bit into his skin, loving the little twitch that went through his servant's body. Even while thrusting inside of his tight servant, Sebastian continued speaking.

"I missed how perfectly your body moved against mine, how tightly you clung onto me, how violently you would tremble whenever I would hit your prostate." As if on cue, Sebastian thrust against Ciel's prostate, causing the child butler to violently tremble. Ciel's panting became louder and faster as Sebastian began to speed up his thrusting, occasionally pausing to apply pressure against Ciel's prostate for a brief amount of time, just to drive the poor teen crazy. Every time, Ciel's back would arch, pressing their sweat-slickened bodies more firmly against each other, his nails scrabbling against Sebastian's bare back making Sebastian shiver with pleasure from the slight pain.

The demon slowly licked around the shell of Ciel's red-tipped ear before he suddenly nipped Ciel's earlobe, causing Ciel's breath to hitch again. "Did you… miss this as well, my pet?" Sebastian asked, his brows starting to furrow as the pleasure began to get to him. For a while, Ciel didn't respond; even when the demon changed their positions so that the boy was bouncing in his lap, his hair wildly going in all directions as Sebastian tightly gripped his hips and made him ride his member hard and fast, the boy didn't respond to his question. This was partly because Ciel's mind was distracted by the hot length thrusting in and out of his entrance, but mostly because he was too embarrassed to admit the truth.

He had truly missed this.

He had missed feeling Sebastian's strong arms on his hips, around his waist, as they participated in their intimate dance together.

He had missed Sebastian's hot and wet kisses all over his body.

He had really missed Sebastian's passionate kisses that would devour Ciel's mouth and his entire being with their intensity.

He had missed the little moments of sweetness they had together; like at this moment, their left hands were intertwined as Sebastian thrust hard and fast inside of Ciel, hitting his prostate at random times instead of every single time to make the pleasure that much more pronounced.

He missed the feel of Sebastian's sweaty body against his own.

He missed Sebastian's musky scent.

He missed the intensity in Sebastian's eyes.

But most of all, he missed being the focus of all of Sebastian's attention.

'Yes… I… I missed this…' Ciel hesitantly said, his mental voice so quiet that Sebastian almost didn't catch his servant's quiet confession. A small smirk made its way onto the demon's face as he laid Ciel back on the bed again, slowing his thrusts so that they were slower and longer. This caused Ciel's eyes to flutter; he could feel Sebastian much more intimately now, and it caused his already hot cheeks to become even hotter. He mouthed silent exclamations of pleasure mixed in with Sebastian's name, his eyes locked with Sebastian's the entire time. Sebastian's eyes flitted to their intertwined hands, a sudden thought appearing in his head.

"But most of all, I missed the sight of this on your thumb," Sebastian said, pausing in his thrusting to look at Ciel's left hand. Ciel blinked, his rational side coming out of its pleasure-hazed state to analyze the situation. He could feel an odd yet familiar weight on his thumb, his head lazily rolling to the side to investigate. His breath hitched as his eyes zeroed in on the ornate ring on his thumb, the same ring that had been destroyed by Lizzie a couple of weeks ago. His eyes widened at the sight, in complete disbelief as he took in the intricately-designed silver band, the beautiful sapphire located in the center of the ring. Ciel couldn't even breathe, only staring with shock at his own reflection in the beautiful stone. Swallowing thickly, Ciel could feel his throat tighten as his hand trembled in Sebastian's.

[I… I thought I had lost this ring forever…! I… I can't believe this. Even after all I said… all I did… all the trouble I caused… he's still entrusting me with his ring… Why? Why does he do these things for someone like me? I… To Sebastian… I'm… so grateful. He asked how I knew him so well, yet I should be the one asking that… How did he know that I missed this ring so much? How does he know what is truly in my heart? How does he always know?]

"It was quite an experience having to put it back together; regardless, it was worth it to be able to see it on your finger again," Sebastian murmured, lifting their joined hands and gently kissing the ring on Ciel's finger. His carmine eyes locked with Ciel's, who had completely forgotten how to breathe at this point. "I hope this is where it will remain for as long as you are in service to me… my Ciel…" Sebastian added, his gaze unwavering as he looked deep into his servant's eyes, his soul.

Ciel continued to stare at Sebastian with an open-mouthed expression, the shock of having the ring back still not wearing off just yet. So many emotions raced through him as his heart beat erratically: shock, surprise, curiosity, relief…

Happiness.

Slowly, a small smile developed on Ciel's face, his eyes sparkling with unshed tears as he nodded once, his cheeks rosy with joy. The sight of his servant's pure-hearted smile took Sebastian's breath away before he found a small smile forming on his own lips. The demon gently rested his forehead against his servant's; the two males continued to look into each other's eyes, neither saying a word for several minutes. No words needed to be exchanged; it was enough just to be able to read the emotions in the other's eyes.

"Ciel…" Sebastian murmured, his eyes lidding as he gently joined their lips together in an amorous kiss. Ciel's eyes slowly fell closed as he responded to the kiss, their lips perfectly moving and molding together. Their grip on each other's left hands tightened as the stone in the center of the ring on Ciel's finger seemed to glow with the intensity of the feelings in the kiss shared between the master and servant.

I will save you, my Ciel. I will protect you with everything I have. I will protect your body, your heart, your soul… your smile.

With the determination that only a noble of Sebastian's stature could have, the demon thought as their bodies began to move against each other again, the kiss still continuing:

I will get your voice back, my Ciel, even if it kills me.

(1): During Medieval times, Jewish people did not believe in having last names; instead, they took the first name of either their mother or father depending on their gender. This was done so that people would be able to identify who was who's son or daughter based on the child's "last" name. In Mariska's case, since she is a girl, she took her mother's first name, using the word "bat" in-between her first name and her mother's, and used her mother's first name as her last name.

(2): Since Eli was a boy, he took his father's first name, using the word "ben" in-between his first name and his father's, and used his father's first name as his last name.

(3): During this time period, Jewish people were being persecuted in England and being driven out of the country. It was dangerous to admit to being a follower of Judaism, so it was best to keep quiet if you wanted to keep your home in England.

(4): Marriage is very important in Judaism, and there are certain rituals that have to be followed in order to correctly carry out the act of proposing and actually getting married. In order for a woman to be taken as a wife, the man must satisfy her in three ways: with money, with a contract, and with sexual intercourse. The perutah, the cheapest copper coin, is given more as a symbol than as actual monetary compensation. The act of the woman taking the coin symbolizes her consent to the marriage (no marriage can be done without the woman's consent), so the perutah would satisfy the first requirement. During the actual marriage ceremony, the man presents the woman with the Ketubah, a marriage contract, which states the husband's obligations to the wife, what to do at the time of his death, the obligations with supporting the children, and compensation for the wife if there is a divorce. The Ketubah obviously satisfies the second requirement. Do I really need to explain the third? Didn't think so~! ;)

(5): The Torah, an important religious text in Judaism, also states the conditions for marriage. There are different types of marriages: valid and forbidden. Forbidden marriages are basically incestuous ones, or ones that occur with certain close blood relatives' ex-wives, or wives of those who are not validly divorced. Children born from these marriages are known as "mamzerims", or bastard children, and they have regulations placed on them for being mamzerims. However, other forms of marriage, like between a Jew and a non-Jew, or one between minors, although not necessarily "valid", would not produce bastard children.

J-C: Ooooh, a look into Sebastian's past!

Naruto: And a silent promise to Ciel~!

~Sasuke~: Hn... Things might actually start getting interesting... *smirks*

J-C: Yep, yep! The plot for this arc is FINALLY taking off in the next chapter! I'm really excited to write some more action (I love my feels, but I wanna write some legit fighting stuff :D) Be sure to be good little reviewers and review this for me, mmkay~?! I love you all, and thankies so much for all your support and dedication through this writer's block!

Ja ne! ^_^