Stuff happened over the past week. And… I needed to talk to somebody. No, that's wrong… I needed to rant to somebody. I remembered in one of my stories, I mentioned being upset and a whole bunch of people jumped up, offering to help. That was a couple weeks ago. Desperately wishing these offers still remained, I took one reviewer up on it. I ranted, she listened and she advised. Knowing that people would spend their time doing that for me is amazing. So… this story is for you Kanigye… I wasn't sure how to thank you because I'm really bad with words… But um… thanks… God, I'm such an awkward turtle.

Ciel hadn't left his room in days, no... weeks. Despite being a demon, he normally ate mortal food but lately, he had been refusing anything offered or brought to him. He claimed he was sick and couldn't attend school or even leave his bedroom. Sebastian knew demons couldn't get sick but when Ciel brought their contract into play, Sebastian had no choice but to obey.

Ciel also refused to see anyone. He didn't want to see his friends who came to see if they could help. He didn't want to see his classmates who came to help him with his missed school work. He especially didn't want to see Sebastian.

The elder demon, who was obligated to help, came in to see Ciel multiple times throughout the day. In the beginning, Ciel would just order his butler out, who would then have to comply though he was often seen with a look a kicked kitten might have after he was brutally sent away.

But that didn't stop him. Sebastian continued trying to get his little master to speak to him, to tell him what's wrong. Ciel eventually gave up on sending his persistent butler away and allowed him to stay.

Though his attempts to coax the problem out of the boy failed miserable, Sebastian would never give up. He stopped asking what's wrong and began just talking. He'd tell Ciel about what he had done so far that day and what he planned to do. He'd tell about the ridiculous newspaper headlines and the horribly hilarious screw-ups the humans made on a daily basis. He would just talk and talk and he always watched Ciel, who was usually curled up in a ball on his bed, with no movement other than his slow, sometimes shaky breaths he took.

Gaining confidence, and running out of things to say, Sebastian began coming into Ciel's room and sitting on the boy's bed quietly, slowly stroking his hair. Ciel though rather tense at first, reluctantly began to relax, though never leaving the loose fetal position, which couldn't be comfortable for days on end.

One day however, that changed. Sebastian, who was about to leave, made to get up, only to have his wrist grabbed with surprising desperation. Sebastian looked back in shock, then slowly sat back down.

Ciel didn't offer Sebastian an explanation, nor did he even turn to look at his demon, instead stayed with his back to him. The only movement he gave was a slight turn of his head, further into his pillows. He put Sebastian's hand back on his hair and a faint pink tinged his cheeks. The faint frown that had decorated his face for multiple weeks now, twitch upwards slightly, before falling back down.

"D-Don't leave," Ciel whimpered pathetically.

"…Is that an order?"

With his blush slightly deepening and his usual haughty exterior completely falling to pieces, Ciel whimpered again, "No."

Why Sebastian asked this remains a mystery. Because even though it wasn't an order, he stayed by the side of his little master. Perhaps he desired to see who the boy wanted. Did Ciel want his butler?

Or did Ciel want Sebastian?

Time seemed to stretch between the two. Seconds became minutes and minutes became hours. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing. In reality, Sebastian was only there for an extra ten minutes or so, but to Ciel, and himself for that matter, it seemed like ten hours.

However, after these ten minutes/ hours were up, Sebastian had planned on leaving again. Though he wanted more than anything to stay, he couldn't if he intended on staying on schedule. He was about to tell his 'inner butler' exactly where to shove his schedule but common sense overruled; if he wanted to keep helping Ciel in the most competent way possible, a schedule was needed. No matter how much they both hated it.

Though the elder hadn't moved yet, Ciel, as if he could sense his butler's intentions, sat up, spun around and leapt into Sebastian's arms, in one swift movement. Sebastian, despite being shocked beyond belief, responded positively and hugged his master close. Ciel hadn't opened up or even moved in days and he certainly never seemed to desire obvious physical attention or affection like this, especially in front of his demon. But Sebastian was not about to ruin this moment.

Rubbing Ciel's back with small comforting movements, Sebastian rocked back and forth while sitting there. Ciel hugged Sebastian tighter and buried his face in his butler's chest. And with this, for the first time in centuries, Ciel began to cry.

"Y-Young mas-"Sebastian's question was cut off by a particularly loud, tormented sob.

"S-Se-Se-SEBASTIAN!" the cry ripped itself from Ciel's throat.

Sebastian, truly startled by his master's behavior, decided to shut up then and there. Sitting there, rocking back and forth, with his master in his lap and his schedule out the window was probably the greatest help he could offer at the moment.

Ciel repeated his butler's name over and over, with varying degrees of desperation, anguish and trust. Clawing at Sebastian's back in a futile attempt to find something to hold on to, to keep him anchored, Ciel's helpless frame shook and trembled.

Sebastian adjusted himself and Ciel so they were sitting in the middle of the bed, the younger resting between the elder's thighs and leaning his damp face against his chest. Slowly, but much too quickly for Sebastian's taste, the bedroom began to darken. The sunlight entering through the windows started to fade, as Ciel began to calm down. His small fingers finally found the neck of Sebastian's shirt and he continually tugged on it. His sobs slowed slightly. He shuddered occasionally and these shudders shook Sebastian as well.

Only when the young once-earl had gotten to the weeping point rather than the sobbing point did Sebastian try to speak to him again, "Young master? It's okay, I promise, it'll be alright." He didn't ask what was wrong, all Ciel needed to know at this point was that it would be okay.

"No, it won't be Sebastian. You don't get it," Ciel accused, voice hoarse from his seemingly endless hours of crying. He looked up and glared halfheartedly at his raven-haired butler, "You don't get it and you never will."

Hugging his young charge tighter, Sebastian chose his words carefully, "You're right, I don't get it. Would you care to explain?"

Ciel, who had lost forgotten about his pride, buried his face back into Sebastian and shrugged, "You still wouldn't get it."

Taking the younger's face in his hands, Sebastian smirked, "I've been alive longer than you. Try me."

Wide blue eyes looked up into caring red ones. The boy shook with one last small sob before nodding, "Okay."