IT'S FRIDAY THE THIRTEENTH. LE GASP.

This was just something random that I wanted to do since it is, after all, Friday the 13th and I fell in love with this pairing after I started watching Kuroshitsuji.

I hope you like it!

P.S. Friggatriskaidekaphobia is an intense fear of Friday the Thirteenth.

P.P.S. For those of you following "Miscommunication," I'm still working on the next chapter. I'm just kind of at a loss for a plot right now...

(-)

Sebastian had never known his young master to be superstitious.

In fact, Ciel practically spit upon those who were apprehensive to walk under ladders or shatter mirrors, and Sebastian had always been secretly proud of this. He had had one too many masters who were foolish enough to do things like throw salt over their shoulders and avoid cracks. (Though, Sebastian supposed, Ciel really didn't have to worry about breaking his mother's back.) Ciel did seem to have a problem with black cats, but aside from that, Sebastian could confidently say – no, his young master was not superstitious.

So why was Ciel avoiding him? Did he offend?

No, he had taken a thorough shower just this morning – at exactly 6:00 this morning – and dressed, as every butler should, in clean, fresh attire.

So, Sebastian decided to ask.

"Young master, is there any particular reason you have been rejecting my presence this morning?"

"No. Now go fix lunch."

"But young m-"

"Now, Sebastian. That's an order."

"Yes, my lord."

And after that extremely unimportant and fruitless conversation, Sebastian was left to ponder to himself while making Egg Benedict with chicken and rice dumplings. Oh, how Sebastian wished he was able to understand why exactly his irritating and confusing young master with a horrible Napoleon Complex was acting so distant.

As he stirred the rice for his chicken and rice dumplings to the proper consistency, the demon butler glanced at the calender that was tacked to the kitchen wall.

Friday the thirteenth. This date...it is said to hold some ominous significance to humans, yes? Sebastian considered this for a moment, but shook it off as he remembered Ciel blatantly admitting that he wasn't afraid of 'silly things that silly people make up.'

But what else could be bothering him? It isn't as if demons are in any sense 'good luck,' but should any misfortune befall the young master, I would be there to fix it. There must be some other cause, Sebastian reasoned, and, satisfied with the explanation that his young master was merely busy and didn't want any distractions, continued with his work.

"Today, I have prepared Egg Benedict, soft-breaded chicken and rice dumplings, Darjeeling tea and-"

"I can see that, Sebastian. I'm not blind," Ciel interrupted, glaring - what he would describe as menacingly - at his demon butler. "Just leave me to eat."

Sebastian narrowed his eyes at the boy a fraction of an inch, but, nonetheless, bowed respectfully and wheeled his tea cart out of the room, silently shutting the oak wood door behind him.

As the lock clicked, Ciel's tense posture loosened and he sighed heavily, sinking into his plush study chair. This was ridiculous. He was Ciel Phantomhive: the loner, the outcast, the left behind, the corrupted, the target of a demon, the marked; he wasn't supposed to be bothered in the least by superstitions. It didn't make sense. He had gone through so much all ready, so what could a fool's 'holiday' possibly throw at him that he wouldn't be able to handle? Not to mention that Sebastian was always-if-ever by his side and always-if-ever there to take on any problem Ciel couldn't face alone.

But, ironically, Sebastian was the problem.

Now, understand that Ciel wasn't by any means afraid of Sebastian, but somehow, it unnerved him to be so close to a demon on Friday the thirteenth. He was always a little bit edgy when it concerned this date, but he would never admit this to his butler; it was much too humiliating, and Ciel was sure Sebastian would be able to twist his predicament into some kind of weapon to destroy Ciel's pride, and like hell he'd let that happen.

Ciel exhaled another long-winded sigh, picking up his fork to begin his rapidly-cooling meal as his gaze traveled to the plate of fancily-prepared eggs and dumplings.

He promptly sat his fork back down as he eyed the food suspiciously.

I'm not taking any chances.

Sebastian's POV

"Young master, pardon the interruption, but it's time for-" I halted my sentence when I gazed into the study, seeing that the young master was sleeping soundly with his head lolled on the backrest of the chair. I chuckled quietly; even though I was quite cross with him for refusing to eat the lunch I prepared on the claim (excuse) that his stomach was upset, my young master certainly could be quite cute. And as much as I hated to stir him from his rest, it was bed time, and I am sure that a bed would be much more comfortable than that office chair. I strode over to his side, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder and giving it the lightest of shakes.

"Young master, it is time to retire for the night," I said quietly in my silky voice, and I could feel his muscles when they tensed suddenly. I was afraid I had startled him until I realized he was only shifting – and not waking up, I observed – to turn onto his side in the most comfortable way that was possible in that overbearing chair.

I sighed almost silently, and was about to give him another shake when he suddenly gripped my arm, pulling it in towards his body and snuggling up against it with his small hand grasped firmly in my own larger one. I blinked once. Twice. A third time, and then I smiled gently with an equally soft chuckle. The young master really was at his cutest when he was sleeping. If he was half as cuddly when he was awake as when asleep, I'd be one happy demon.

I used his position to my advantage and shifted my other arm under his knees, pulling him up from the chair and cradling him in my hold. The arms that were previously constricted around my arm instinctively curled around my neck, his small body nuzzling into my embrace. This really was almost too cute to handle, I thought as I chuckled once more and began to take him to his bedroom.

As made it to his room, I had to shift him onto one arm to open the door, and that apparently woke him as he began to fidget in my arms when he roused from sleep. He blinked his eyes to adjust to the light, and it was apparent by his expression that he immediately noticed the position he was in.

"What the- SEBASTIAN! What are you doing? Put me down!" he demanded, squirming and obviously trying to make it impossible for me to hang on to him. I sighed; if I had a bear trying to rip my arm off while Miss Elizabeth screeched in my ear and the Devil himself was trying to drag me to hell, I wouldn't let him go. Okay, Miss Elizabeth may make me hesitate, but still.

"Young master, please stop struggling. I assure you that I will put you down as soon as we get to your bed," I calmed, and he seemed to quiet down after that, but he still glared at me as if to say 'you win this round, but I'm not happy about it.'

We entered the room and I gently placed him on his huge mattress, which was laughably needless considering his size. If anything, he should have felt even smaller in that engulfing bed.

I quietly walk to the dresser, all the while feeling his eyes burning a hole in my back. I do wonder what has made him so upset today, but I know that asking (again) won't provide any answers.

After I have found his nightshirt, I stride back over to his bed and lean down to begin unbuttoning his petticoat, and he all but slaps my hand away.

"Stop," he snaps, snatching his nightshirt out of my hands, "I will dress myself tonight. Leave."

That's it, I can't take this anymore. This is getting ridiculous.

Leaning down, I bring myself to eye level with him so that I can look at him more directly.

"Young master, you know that I am a very dedicated butler that will do anything you ask, but I have a request of you, for once," I explain calmly, but his expression does not mirror my own. His eyes are wary and he leans as far away from me as possible.

"...What?" he finally grumbles.

"Why are you avoiding me? And please do not lie. I never lie to you," I decide that the guilt trip is a good path to take, and I can tell that he considers this question for a moment before he hides his face in his hands and heaves out a long-winded sigh.

"...I'm aprhfaid ofph phfriady the twherthweenth..." he mumbles out, but, even with my exceptionally good hearing, I can't make out a single word he says. I sigh audibly, grasping his soft hands in my own gloved ones and pulling them away from his face. His expression is laughably cute as he blushes from the contact and quickly tugs his hands away from mine, looking anywhere but my eyes in a shy manner.

"What was that, Young Master? I didn't quite catch it," I request gently, watching as his eyes shift even further away from me and focus on something completely unimportant.

I am afraid that he will refuse to answer me until I finally hear, "I am afraid of Friday the thirteenth."

I blink, realizing that my assumptions from earlier were right on target; he was afraid. My young master was afraid. Ciel Phantomhive was afraid.

I can tell that he's incredibly embarrassed as his downcast eyes shift to take in my expression, and I can also tell that he's surprised when he sees my warm smile.

I'm sure he thought that I would ridicule him for his childish superstitions, but in all honesty, it's so real and so sincere and so innocent and so...human that it just makes me smile and be proud that I'm here with him. Regular life or not, Ciel Phantomhive is still just a child, and it's quite endearing – even to a demon such as myself – to see these mannerisms from time to time. And they are much too rare.

"That is perfectly fine, young master," I say honestly, and watch as he blinks quizzically, "Many people are apprehensive when it comes to this particular day."

His questioning stare quickly morphs into a irritated glare – something I wasn't expecting. He makes a noise of disgust as he huffs and looks away once again.

"Whatever. I don't even care. This day is at it's end anyway; there is not point in discussing it further," he dismisses the conversation; this was something I expected. But I wasn't going to let him off that easily.

"Young master, excuse me for disobeying, but I feel the need to let you know that demons do not cause bad luck. Avoiding me for the expanse of the day wasn't going to shift the events," I explain carefully. He shoots me another glare and I can tell that I probably should have just kept my mouth shut.

And what he says next actually surprises me; that is no easy feat to accomplish.

"How do you know? How do you know that you're not the reason that I always seem to fall into life-or-death situations that only you can get me out of? How do you know that everything that happens to me isn't because of you? I'd never had any run-ins with grim reapers – or any other creatures of the supernatural, for that matter – until you showed up. You constantly try to embarrass me and damage my pride for your own gain; but I guess that's just how you demons get your own sick pleasure: Always toying around with your master's emotions...making them feel inferior and playing mind games. That's just what you do, right? Nothing else would explain these feelings I've been having!" as the Young Master finishes his rant, his body heaves up and down from physical and emotional exhaustion. He must have been keeping these thoughts pent up for some time now to release them so garishly all at once like that.

But, more importantly, did he really feel that I was the cause of his misfortunes? Trouble does tend to follow me – and, in extension, him – but I can say with certainty that none of these happenings have been my fault.

At least, not solely because I am a demon.

"Young master," I begin, and he looks into my eyes with a fierce fire blazing in his own, "I understand your concerns. I understand that you have been under a lot of stress in your lifetime, and I would do everything in my power to reverse things for you if I could. However, since that is not the case, I have tried to, at the very least, make things better for you by letting you control me as your chess piece and live beside me as a companion, if you wish to call me such. I will have to admit – many of the situations that you find yourself in are because of me, but not because of who I am. And I always get you out of whatever you get yourself into, unharmed, as you have acknowledged. I do everything I can to comfort you and keep you safe, I am protective and possessive of you, and I can honestly say that it isn't just because of your soul. The years that I have spent with you have been, without a doubt, the most exciting and entertaining in my immortal life.

"Concerning your feelings – yes, it is amusing to see you get upset and frustrated, but it is for no other reason other than that it is nice to see you show at least a bit of your human traits. All demons that I have ever come in contact with have been cold, unfeeling, and utterly boring beings to be around; you, however, are human, and being such allows you to show such a vast range of emotions and feelings that it is quite amazing to see the things you react to and how you react to them."

Young master's expression had softened, and I could tell that he was taking what I was saying to heart.

"As for those 'unexplainable feelings' you have been having...I'm afraid they will remain as such unless you elaborate," I finished, wondering how he would react to that. He blinked once. Twice. A third time until he seemed to finally process what I had said and that he did, in fact, have the ability to speak and that to apply that skill at the moment would prove useful.

"...I don't have to explain myself to you," he mumbled, and I felt my eyebrow twitch. After I had 'poured my heart out to him,' as they say, he wouldn't return the gesture.

"I am aware of that, young master, but wouldn't you like to set your mind at ease? You know that I would never lie to you," I repeat sincerely, and he seems to consider this for a moment before he sits up a little straighter, folds his hands in his lap securely, and glances up to me with a pointed look and an unexplainable blush on his cheeks.

If I was surprised before, I should have had a heart attack from what he said next.

"I think I am attracted to you," he says. Bluntly. Boldly. Simply. Calmly. Plain as day.

I am almost certain that we just stared at each other for a solid minute until I finally spoke; I could feel a smirk tugging on the corners of my lips.

"Is that so?" I inquire, and this response seemed to make his blush darken.

"Yes. I just said it, didn't I?" he snapped heatedly, and I suppose that it almost would've been threatening if his blush wasn't making him look so cute. I could feel the smirk I had been trying to hide finally stretch across my lips.

"Well then, what do you propose we do, young master?" I question, and he looks at me queerly.

"What do you mean? You asked, so I told you. There's nothing more to it," he said just as coldly as ever, but it didn't deter me. I wasn't going to let this go so easily.

"I think that there is more to it than you realize, young master. Did you even consider how I felt about all of this?" I asked, and I could tell by the look on his face that clearly said 'do I look like I care?' that he didn't. I sighed inwardly, but it was to be expected. I decided to goad him on, regardless. "Well, young master, would you care if I told you that I felt the same?"

His eyes widened comically as he heard those words. I smiled warmly; was he really expecting that I would reject him? Had he not caught on to those subtle, fleeting touches I had been giving him? Or the fact that I had moved to sit next to him rather that across from him during our carriage rides? He really was adorably oblivious.

I refocused on him when I heard him speak, "I...guess so..."

The response was almost whispered, but I heard him crystal clear. I smiled, leaning down to be face-to-face with him; he blushed slightly and scooted back as far away from me as he could. As soon as he felt that he was far enough away that he felt safe, he straightens up a bit, glancing to the side.

"It's late, Sebastian. You should just let me sleep," he says finally, and I'll admit that I'm a bit disappointed that he's so insistent on me leaving. I had been away from him all day long, just as requested, and now that this information was out in the open, I wasn't going to pass this up.

"But why?" I ask mock-innocently, and even at the distance he thinks is a safe niche, he isn't all that far away. He knows that, and his face beings to heat up again as I lean forward, getting ever closer to him. The sound of his pulse speeding up is a betrayal he cannot control. "Why not celebrate this holiday?"

He glares at me pointedly, sitting up straighter and narrowing his eyes at me.

"You know as well as I do that this is not in any sense a holiday, much less one that calls for celebration. Would you just get to the point?" he demands, and I don't think that he could have said anything to make me smile wider.

Leaning in close, I whisper against his mouth, "Certainly."

I press my lips to his own, my eyes sliding shut as he squeaks in surprise. The sound is just what I was hoping for, and it makes the temptation to simply take him right here and now shift into overdrive, but I decide against it (for now) and just savor the moment of his deliciously soft lips pressed to my own. They are petal-soft and have the lingering flavor of those sweets he enjoys so much.

I am pleased that he hasn't pulled away or tried to push me off of him; I knew that he wanted this just as much as I did.

Finally, when I'm sure I won't be able to handle the noises coming from him anymore lest he find himself waking up with a sore behind, I press one more quick kiss to his lips and pull away, smirking as I hear him whimper at the lost of contact and his harsh breathing from having exerted so much into the kiss. I slip off the bed and stand to rid myself of my coat, gloves, and shoes. Even though it isn't exactly proper for a butler to be without his full attire, I think that this is a special circumstance.

Not wanting to go overboard on the first night of our newfound 'relationship,' as I suppose you could call it, I lean over and pluck my master off of the mattress and sit down with my back against the headboard. I place him on my lap gently in the same position I would had I been carrying him, but this is much more comfortable.

At the sudden switch in positions, he seems to break out of his hazy state (at least a little bit) and starts to have a panic attack. "Sebastian! What are you doing? I didn't give you permission to do that!" he looks down at his position, blushes, and quickly adds, "Or this!"

"Is it not comfortable, young master?" I cannot resist teasing him, even as he looks at me with those big blue and violet eyes of his burning with embarrassment. Even with all of his frustration, he isn't answering my question. I don't mind. I am very content with this situation. Of all of the possibilities I had considered that might be plaguing the young master, I did not think that this would be one of them. Having him this close to me is something that I enjoy very much. No matter how many times I have carried him in my arms or dried him off after a bath, I doubt I will ever tire of this particular sensation. His very scent is like the finest perfume, something rivaling a soft chamomile tea and some sort of vanilla cake. It's quite soothing. It almost makes me want to sleep.

Actually...that doesn't sound like a bad idea at all.

"Young master?" I say, and he looks up at me with that same cute blush still spread across his cheeks. "May I make one more request?"

He sighs lightly and nods, looking away from me stubbornly. "You certainly are needy today."

I smile; I suppose that he feels he has nothing left to lose after what has aspired between us tonight.

"Would you mind if we slept like this? Just for tonight," I ask soothingly, and I run my fingers through his silky-soft hair. His blush darkens, and, to my enjoyment, nods only once in confirmation. He leans forward and places his head just under my chin, one of his hands gripping my white undershirt.

He scoots himself even closer so that he is curled up very tightly against my chest. Smiling contentedly, I use one hand to run my fingers through his hair and the other to wrap around him. I truly enjoy the feel of having him next to me like this. My place is at this boy's side, intimate bond or not.

As I made clear before, humans are incredibly fascinating things. Even their small dispositions – say, being afraid of a silly thing such as Friday the thirteenth – both intrigues and amuses me. While it is true that most humans are rather fun to watch, it is rare that one captures my interest the way my young master has. I wonder if I will really be satisfied with only taking his soul, when the time comes. For now, though, it does not matter.

Next to me, his breathing is soft and even. A few minutes pass and I find myself wondering if he has fallen asleep. Though that thought is cast away as he says, "Next time, don't use so much starch in your clothes. These aren't the most comfortable to sleep on."

Blinking, I smile and can't help but echo, "Next time?"

He fidgets, obviously embarrassed.

"Che," he makes a noise of superiority, "don't pretend it won't happen."

"Of course," I hide my smile as I tilt my head to press a soft, loving kiss to his hair. In response, he tilts his face up to look at me with his shining di-colored eyes, as if pondering something. Slowly, he leans up and presses a light kiss to my cheek, and I'll have to admit, no kitten on the face of this planet could compare to the cuteness of that action.

He pulls away and huffs indignantly, resting his head against my chest once more.

"I don't think I'm afraid of Friday the thirteenth anymore," he says, leaving no room for the comment he was sure that action would receive.

I go along with it, much too content with our position to tease him and risk being commanded to leave. "And why is that?"

"Well," he begins, "this isn't exactly bad luck."

And I smile, hugging him tighter.

(-)

Did you like it? I'd love a review!

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed :)

- Dawn