Kuroshitsuji: The Beginning Chapter 4

Chapter Four: The Butler, Feeling?

Sebastian stepped into the small room in the servant's quarters that would serve as his own whilst he stayed with Ciel. He would make no use of the bed as his kind needed no sleep but he sat on it as he listened to Tanaka in another room as the old man tucked himself under the sheets.

The gloves Ciel had given him made Sebastian's fingers itch and he pulled them off aggressively. He flexed his fingers and stared at his black nails; what had the young master called them? 'Ghastly'? Charming, thought the demon. He traced his slender fingers across the mark of the covenant on the back of his hand and sighed; he wondered how long this master would last. The longest he had ever spent with someone he had made a contract with had been just over a year, and by the end of it they were practically begging him to take their soul. It wasn't that he'd mistreated them, no, he always cared for his master as well as he possibly could. It was just that the people he made contracts with were always so lonely, with no friends or family to speak of, and they always ended up in the same situation: pleading for death. And if that mean that Sebastian would have to kill them, then so be it, it wasn't like he was particularly fond of any of them. Somehow his new master felt different though. He couldn't quite understand why but for some reason Sebastian felt protective of the boy, like he needed to keep him safe…

He stood up quickly and ran his hand through his black hair. What was he thinking? Wasn't this boy just another soul to devour? Wasn't he just waiting for him to complete his vendetta and then be rid of him? The demon turned and looked at the white gloves lying on the bed; the boy had gotten them from a drawer in his bedroom so they were obviously precious in some way. So why had he given them to Sebastian? He just couldn't comprehend the boy's thinking and it was making him more and more aggravated as he pondered over it. Instead of continuing to dwell on such matters Sebastian stormed out of his room and made his way to the kitchen.

The kitchen was small but well equipped; a large wooden table sat in the centre of the room and a generously sized oven rested against one of the walls. When he'd rebuilt the mansion Sebastian had also restocked the pantry exactly as it had been before the fire, but that left much to the imagination. There were a few jars of preserves and some dried kippers but that was about it. He made a mental note to stock up on more desirable items for the young master tomorrow. Perhaps he'd even learn to bake and make some desserts for the young boy; he remembered that the daughter of one of his previous masters had loved sweet things, especially cakes, and thought that perhaps all young children liked things like that. Sebastian smiled involuntarily as he thought about making delicious treats for Ciel and then slammed his hands down on the wooden table in front of him, making the oak groan under his strength. He had to stop thinking about the boy as someone he cared about, it just wasn't in his nature to care for or even like the humans he made contracts with and he certainly didn't want to change that fact. After all, he'd always gotten what he'd wanted at the end of all of his contracts: a soul.

As Sebastian began to search the cupboards for something he could prepare for the young master's breakfast (yes it was early but the demon had nothing better to do) a blood-curdling scream echoed through the mansion. He dropped the half-eaten pot of jam he was holding and caught it quickly before it had time to smash on the floor, so as not to wake Tanaka, and dashed up the staircase to the young master's room. The screaming had stopped but Sebastian was certain that it had been Ciel and by the sounds of it he was in some sort of pain.

The black-haired demon burst through the large door to the young master's room and stood in the dim candlelight as his eyes adjusted to the sudden change in atmosphere. At first glance Sebastian thought that Ciel had gone but, with the help of his sharp vision, he saw that the young boy was still in his oversized bed. Ciel had a pained expression etched onto his face and his hands were curled into fists as he clutched his pillow. It must have been a nightmare, thought Sebastian, and then he grinned wickedly; how could the boy not be having nightmares? His parents had been burned alive and now a creature from a hell dimension was living in his home, it was a wonder he hadn't died from shock alone. A tiny groan whispered from between Ciel's lips and his frown deepened. He rolled from one side of the bed to the other as his pillow became wet with tears and then his eyes slowly drifted open, his right glowing cerise in the dark room. Sebastian stood up straight, his fists clenched at his sides, as Ciel began to speak,

"…smoke… I can't find her… Father!" The last word came out as a strangled croak as his nightmare continued. The boy's bright eyes slid shut and his small hand reached out in front of him as he tried to grab something that was no longer tangible, something that would never be.

"My my," whispered Sebastian, "You will never get a good night's rest if you continue to dream about such nonsense." Without thinking Sebastian sat down on the edge of the four poster bed and brushed Ciel's dark hair from his damp forehead. Immediately Ciel began to relax; his muscles became less tense and the crease that had formed between his eyebrows faded until it was nothing more than a suggestion of a shadow. Sebastian continued to stroke his cold hand over Ciel's face, tracing the line of his nose and his small jaw, when suddenly something clutched his other hand tightly. The young master's fragile hand was gripping Sebastian's so strongly that his nails left tiny half moons all over the demon's skin. Sebastian didn't move; he became like stone as he stared wide-eyed at the hand clutching his own. It was warm and slightly damp but something about the boy's strong grip told Sebastian that his new master was far from weak; he was someone who knew what he wanted and would do anything to get it, much like Sebastian himself.

The warmth of the sunlight shimmering through Ciel's bedroom window made his eyes flutter open ever so slowly. He rubbed the back of his hand over his eyes and squinted into the light as it pooled on the crumpled sheets surrounding him. His face felt stiff somehow and as he sat upright he felt the dampness of his pillow where his tears had leaked freely from his exhausted eyes. He flushed a deep pink and pulled the covers tighter around himself as Sebastian knocked lightly on the door.

"En- Enter," Ciel stammered.

The sleek demon entered the room pushing a small silver trolley, on top of which stood a matching silver teapot, a teacup and saucer and a rather large selection of breakfast options. Sebastian pushed the trolley to Ciel's bedside and poured him some steaming tea whilst gesturing to the breakfast options,

"I have prepared some scones, some poached salmon and some toast with marmalade or jam. Which would the young master prefer?"

Ciel stared blankly at the food and the shifted his gaze to his butler, "You prepared this?"

Sebastian nodded and rested his hand against his chest, "I hope they are to your liking."

"Nnn…" Ciel was distracted by the fact that Sebastian's hand was bare, he wasn't wearing the gloves he'd given him. Sebastian made a fist with his exposed hand and placed it behind his back as he internally scolded himself for not realising sooner. Ciel was still too drowsy to press the matter any further and so opted for the scones, which he quickly devoured.

"I went to the liberty of purchasing this for you whilst you were sleeping, sir." Sebastian pulled something small and black from his pocket and untangled the thin string swiftly with his long fingers before handing it over to the boy. Ciel looked at it, feeling the smooth material between his fingers, and then moved his large eyes to Sebastian, "What is it?"

"An eye patch, sir."

Ciel's mouth formed a small 'o' shape as he flipped the eye patch over and over in his hand, "How did you get it so early in the morning?"

A thin smile spread across Sebastian's face, "A butler who could not achieve such a small task is not worth his salt."