His Butler, Sidetracked

Sebastian entered Ciel's office quietly, pushing a cart laden with an engraved silver teapot and various teatime minutiae with one gloved hand. The boy at the desk did not acknowledge him, but from the way his shoulders tensed Sebastian could tell that he knew he was there. "Bocchan, it is time for tea. Put down your work for a while." Ciel looked up irritably, not ceasing to scribble with his pen. "I don't have time for that, Sebastian. I have things to do." Sebastian paused. Bent down as he had been, today's Ciel was little different from the one of five years ago, but sitting up straight the boy—young man—could have been an entirely different person. His previously girlish face had elongated, although his uncovered eye was as immense and emotional as ever, his frame was lankier and his shoulders just a little wider. Ciel was less pretty now, and more… handsome. Sebastian stopped himself, his eyes had begun to drift towards Ciel's lips and the triangle of pale skin left exposed by the collar of his shirt, and pushed the cart into the room.

Ciel tensed when he heard the door open. He had known that Sebastian would be coming, but the demon's entrance had still made him uncomfortable. Sebastian had had that effect on him recently, making him start and feel as if he had butterflies in his stomach. It had gotten so bad that Ciel had decreed a year ago that he would bathe and clothe himself for the foreseeable future. He had seen disappointment in Sebastian's eyes, but he couldn't let the demon see the effect that he had on the youth when his gloved fingers ghosted over Ciel's exposed skin or began to unbutton…Of course Sebastian ignored him when he told him he didn't have time for tea (which was true). He worked furiously while the man expertly filled the china cup and uncovered whatever it was that was that smelled so delicious on the tray. Ciel's stomach, against the instructions of his ego, growled loudly when he detected chocolate. Sebastian chuckled quietly, placing the small plate and the cup and saucer on top of the document Ciel was working on. "I have prepared chamomile tea along with a dark chocolate soufflé, mint infused whipped cream, and a berry compote. I hope the young master enjoys his snack." Ciel was far too embarrassed to answer and let the demon leave silently. He was relieved when he had gone. The scent of the soufflé was tantalizing. He had resolved not to eat it, but it was on top of his work and he would have to get rid of it somehow…

Sebastian reentered perhaps half an hour later and noted with satisfaction that all that remained of the snack he had brought were the dishes on the cart. "I take it you appreciated my creation, Bocchan." As he had expected, the boy did not answer, but his attitude was much less irritated than it had been. Sebastian allowed himself a small smile. Ciel was still a child in some ways (like his love of sweets), and Sebastian's favorite pastime was bringing out his juvenile idiosyncrasies. Sebastian stopped, recalling the sobering news that he had just received. "I have also come to inform you, Bocchan, that the Lady Elizabeth has decided to pay a visit." The demon added casually as he rearranged the dishes on the tray so that they would not clink loudly while he rolled the cart. As he was standing within a foot of the young man, Sebastian clearly saw the muscles in Ciel's neck tense. The young man's pen froze over the paper as he croaked, "When?" Sebastian stifled a laugh at Ciel's reaction. Honestly, he didn't blame his unhappiness. Elizabeth turned the house upside down every time she visited, which was more and more often as their marriage approached. Sebastian himself held little love for the high-pitched and giggly young woman and even less for the adoring way she stared at Ciel with her unattractively dewy eyes. So it was with feigned nonchalance that Sebastian said, "Why, later this afternoon."

Ciel's insides froze. Elizabeth was coming. Soon. This was the last thing he needed. Ciel had piles of papers to look over and letters to draft and who knew what else. He certainly did not have the time or patience to deal with his fiancée. It wasn't like Ciel didn't like Elizabeth. He did, he even loved her to some extent, but as the years had passed the brotherly affection he held for her had ceased to be enough. She was no longer the innocent girl who longed only to make everything cute or to make Ciel pay some attention to her, Elizabeth was a young woman in love. Ciel noticed the way she looked at him, but for his own sake he pretended to be oblivious. He couldn't even begin to imagine responding to her advances. She was like his sister. His annoying, high-pitched, attention seeking, loving sister. Ciel was called back to alertness when he noticed a low chuckle emanating from Sebastian. Ciel's brows furrowed in vexation. "I don't see anything funny about this, Sebastian." Sebastian covered his mouth with a gloved hand, but he could not hide the smile in his eyes. "Of course it is not funny, but you do have a little something on your face."

Sebastian watched as the young man's face flushed with embarrassment. He swiped ineffectively at his face, only managing to make the smear of berry sauce on and around his small mouth even larger. The sauce stained his usually pale lips a delicate pink, which Sebastian couldn't help but want to taste. He stifled another small laugh as he said to the flustered youth, "It's still there. Why don't you let me get it?" He reached out and Ciel's response was immediate and alarming. The young man jerked backwards and away from Sebastian's questing hand. A pang went through the demon's heart, although he did his best not to show it. He forced a reassuring smile, "I don't bite." Ciel scowled. "Fine." Sebastian reached out for a second time, then halted. If he wiped the youth's face with his glove on, he would either have to wear the stained gloves or go bare- handed until his spare pair finished drying. Neither option was particularly appealing to him, so he gently pulled off his right glove with his teeth. Ciel flushed, if that was possible, an even deeper shade of red.

Sebastian reached out for the third time, and his fingers just grazed Ciel's soft skin when the young man pulled back in surprise. "Your fingers are freezing, Sebastian. Either get it off some other way or fetch me a mirror so I may do it myself." The demon was perplexed. If he could not use his gloves and his fingers were too cold, what did this young master expect him to remove the smear with? Then, he had idea.

Ciel's lip was still tingling from where Sebastian's finger had touched it, but that was only partly due to the cold of the man's skin. He knew his face was bright red and was doubly mortified for being mortified in the first place. There was absolutely no logical reason for him to react the way he did to Sebastian's touch. No reason for the electricity when their skin met or the warmth that radiated from his stomach all the way to the tips of his fingers. None, unless…But he could not, would not even consider that. Sebastian's burgundy eyes glittered with mischief and Ciel felt a sense of unease begin to blossom. The demon's face was suddenly far too close. And then Ciel felt the warmth of the man's tongue sliding across his upper lip. The contact made him gasp and he tried to lean away, but he was utterly immobilized. His heart pounded in his ears, his stomach felt as if it were filled with hummingbirds, his breathing hitched. Sebastian stared unblinkingly into his face, eyes unreadable, and Ciel realized what he was doing. He was licking whatever it was off of his face. Effective, sure, but bloody unsettling. It wasn't a kiss, Ciel reassured himself. It was simply Sebastian's unconventional solution to his problem.

Sebastian ran his tongue across Ciel's lips, tasting the sweet sauce there. He had seen his master's sapphire eye widen comically and had heard his heartbeat quicken when he had leaned forward. Surely the boy hadn't thought he was going to kiss him. That would be entirely inappropriate and completely against his butler aesthetic. That wasn't to say Sebastian did not want to kiss Ciel. He did. He longed to stop playing his master's frustrating game and make his feelings, which he knew were reciprocated, known. But no, Ciel would marry the Lady Elizabeth and live a nobleman's life since Sebastian had decided he would rather live with Ciel as his unloved servant than to live without him as a free demon. This, he thought as he gently removed the last blemish from Ciel's perfect mouth, was as close as they would ever get. Sebastian withdrew an inch and looked over his handiwork. His master's delicate, pale, delicious looking lips were clean. Sebastian knew it was time to draw back and replace the literal and figurative distance between them, but… He met Ciel's eye for a moment. It was provoking him, daring him to set aside his duty for once and act.

The demon had moved back, leaving Ciel with a strange sense of disappointment and vulnerability, and was now examining his face. Suddenly, Sebastian's dark eyes flicked up to meet Ciel's. Something different was in them, something he had never before seen in the man's eyes. Ciel felt himself blush again, but held Sebastian's gaze. It was a challenge, although he had no idea what he was daring the man to do.

Then Sebastian leaned in and kissed him.

Should he pull away? Definitely. Was he going to? Never. His eyes closed. Ciel's heart felt as if it would burst. Heat engulfed his body as if he was a dry twig in a lighted fireplace. Against the orders of Ciel's ego, he felt his arms wrap around Sebastian's neck to pull him closer. This butler obeyed, twining his arms around Ciel's waist and deepening the kiss. They kissed searchingly, pleadingly, passionately as if they were drowning men whose only air was each other. Before he knew it Ciel was no longer sitting in his desk chair, but enveloped by Sebastian's warm embrace. The demon smelled of wood fires and chocolate and lavender soap and some unrecognizable spice that reminded Ciel of something wild. He drank it in, pressing himself so close to the man that he felt as if they could become one person. He could feel Sebastian's heart synching with his own. And then, abruptly, it was over. Ciel's eyes snapped oven and he was suddenly aware of how cold his office was. He was breathing hard, so was Sebastian.

Sebastian watched as the trembling Ciel sank back into his chair, hand drifting up to his lips. He opened his mouth to speak, but was unable to utter any sound at all. His wide blue eye begged Sebastian not to leave, but the demon turned away and steadied himself on the cart. Although it was the last thing he wanted to say, he murmured "Lady Elizabeth is coming within a few hours and you have a great deal of work to do today." Sebastian cursed himself for the unsteadiness of his voice and closed his eyes to collect himself. "Yes." Ciel's voice was just as shaky as his had been. The single syllable, and the long silence that followed, felt like an arrow through Sebastian's heart. Wasn't he going to say anything else? Sebastian had just laid his heart bare in front of the youth. Was Ciel going to go on as if nothing had happened between them, as he had done after the fever a few years ago when a delirious Ciel had whispered, "I love you." in Sebastian's ear? Every moment seemed like an eternity while Sebastian waited, heart pounding, for another word. "But," Ciel's soft voice rang like a shot through the air, "I should like to resume our conversation after dinner."