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2015-12-27
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Devotion

Summary:

Ciel struggles with transitioning into his new life after Sebastian pulls him from the cage, the stress of all of his new obligations while haunted by his trauma too much to bear at times. Sebastian comes up with a clever way to help Ciel learn to relax and trust again, while both of them learn about devotion and Sebastian begins to understand humanity through Ciel in a way he had never been capable of before.

Notes:

This fic was my KuroSecretSanta gift for QueensWatchCat. Happy Holidays to you!

And a thank you to KittehBS for beta-ing this for me.

Author’s notes: This story starts off sometime after Ciel is rescued from the cage. Because it is a one shot and not a multi-chapter fic (which it probably should be), I put the entire story arc into 17,000 words. There are quite a few places in this story where it transitions between scenes or events, that should normally be the end of a chapter for me. I did not go into detail with how long the periods of time are that pass between each transition. They could be months or years depending on the reader’s interpretation. It’s a pain in the ass trying to balance the laws of the 1880s with current age of consent laws and how people get worried over numbers so I just didn’t bother. In my view, Ciel is old enough to give informed and enthusiastic consent in the last section of this story. And, as you can see in this story, consent is an ongoing, necessary element of everything for Sebastian. So, whatever numerical age that would make Ciel, that’s how old he is.

Work Text:

Sebastian knew Ciel was special from the moment he first sensed him. Before he ever even laid eyes on the boy and saw his exquisite beauty, he was drawn to him in a powerful way. It was unlike previous humans he had made contracts with. Though to the untrained eye it would appear that Sebastian had all of the power and Ciel was under quite a bit of duress when he promised his soul to the demon, Sebastian was more desperate for the boy to agree to the terms than the boy – or anyone else – could possibly realize. As soon as he had gone to Ciel, he’d needed him in a way that was wholly different than anything else he had ever experienced.

Indeed, when it was all happening, when their contact was being created and Sebastian was taking his name and form, he didn’t think it was of much importance to consider what it was that was so different about this little human.

He didn’t pause to wonder about the pulse of something akin to pride that radiated through him and centralized in his hand when the boy opened his eyes and Sebastian saw his mark prominently and permanently displayed on Ciel.

All of those thoughts were pushed aside at first as a response to the lust and desire in contracting for a delicious soul.

That seemed to be most rational, as it was.

Ciel’s soul was so unique, so brilliantly beautiful and delightfully damaged – an innocent child that had been twisted and wounded to the point of despair – it seemed logical to the demon that his interest in the boy would be more intense than in previous humans.

All of that seemed rather sensible, particularly to a demon that hadn’t felt the range of emotions that humans were known to experience.

But as the days wore on, Sebastian’s interest in the boy only grew more consuming.

He had taken the role of his personal butler with the intent of hiding himself in plain sight. But looking after the boy, caring for him, was producing the most unusual emotions in Sebastian.

The boy had been through significant trauma during his time with the cult that Sebastian had not quite nobly rescued him from. It wasn’t unusual at all that the boy cried in his room at night when the house had otherwise fallen silent. What was unusual was that Sebastian was troubled by the sobs.

He tried, rather desperately really, to block them out. To ignore them or attempt to somehow enjoy them as he knew he should – he should thrive on the human’s pain. But, no matter how much resolve he searched for within himself to respond appropriately, he would pace his room anxiously while his hand throbbed and tingled.

Though sleep wasn’t necessary for him, Sebastian was restless and distracted, incapable of completing his late night tasks while the sound of the tiny boy crying filled his ears and thoughts.

He went to the boy to ease his own nerves, that was what he told himself. That perhaps he felt like he was belying their contract in some manner by ignoring Ciel’s needs.

Sebastian knocked gently on the boy’s door, asking if he might come in as he opened the door and lit up the dark room with the candelabra he carried.

He’d never felt obligated to go to his other contractors, even when they were in the depths of despair.

But when he looked upon the tiny human shaking beneath the mountain of heavy white blankets he had tucked in earlier and bid goodnight to he felt as though all of his insides had twisted into a knot.

“Young Master, are you alright?” Sebastian asked as smoothly as he could manage with the unusual tightness in his chest, taking a few steps closer to the imposing four poster bed that made the boy all but disappear in its belly.

“I’m fine,” the boy lied, sucking in sharp breaths between his sobs. What was he to tell a demon? That he missed his parents and his dog? That he was terribly lonely and frightened of being hurt, humiliated and abused again? That all of a sudden life was much too difficult and he was just barely handling it all? That he was still very much a child and unprepared for such heavy responsibilities? Sebastian didn’t have the capacity to care, nor would he even if he did.

Sebastian frowned at the obvious lie, finding his feet carrying him even closer still to the boy in spite of his mind telling him to leave.

“You seem distressed,” he said calmly, the flames of the candles flickering and casting light onto the boy’s petite form. “Is there anything I can do for you? Chamomile tea, perhaps?”

Ciel shook his head, his back to his butler, little fists clenched as he forced himself to hold back his truth. He could not allow himself to show weakness ever again.

“No. No tea,” the boy said in a strained voice. Tea wouldn’t help with the fear or the loneliness he felt.

“Very well then,” Sebastian said rather reluctantly, turning to leave the boy alone, hard as it was. He had given his best effort and asked Ciel if there was something he could do to assist him, something that was above and beyond anything he’d ever felt was required of him in the past. However, unlike any of the other selfish humans he had encountered previously, the boy didn’t ask anything of him at all.

Sebastian resigned himself to a frustrating evening of polishing the silverware while his hand itched beneath his glove and his feet wanted to carry him back to the boy’s room.

“Sebastian, wait,” came the broken voice that was newly blanketed in darkness.

“Young Master?” He paused and listened. The boy’s heart was racing and his breaths were shallow. The little thing was absolutely terrified.

“Stay with me,” came the meek command, sending a chill down the demon’s spine. “Till I fall asleep.”

Sebastian’s shoulders relaxed at the order, such a strange relief to have after a demand from a human for his time. Regardless of his existence being somewhat eternal, save for a few possible unfortunate scenarios, he found there were much better uses of his time than spending it with humans for mundane reasons. He enjoyed the thrill and excitement of a challenge, of manipulating them to complete tasks and commands, observing them at their most depraved. Watching a boy fall asleep would have seemed dreadfully tedious, and it confused the demon that being asked to do such a thing calmed him.

“Of course, my lord,” Sebastian said smoothly, setting the candelabra on the nightstand and pulling a plush chair near the bed. Ciel hadn’t asked for him to be close, simply to be present, but Sebastian chose to disregard that detail.

He could see the boy sigh and his shoulders relax somewhat from the tight little ball he’d wrapped himself up into, and Sebastian felt compelled to reach out and touch the boy’s back, to remind him that he was near. It went against all propriety to do so, however, and Sebastian folded his hands in his lap. It wouldn’t do to further upset the boy and be ordered to leave.

Ciel pawed at his eyes with his palms, lip trembling as he finally began to calm down. The terrible unease he’d felt had diminished significantly when Sebastian had entered the room and it baffled the boy as to why having the demon present effected him in such a physiological way. He couldn’t explain it, but having Sebastian beside his bed made him feel safer.

It was a queer thought, indeed.

Sebastian watched the boy’s heaving breaths soften and listened to his heartbeat slow, feeling a sense of peace when the tiny thing had visibly calmed and fallen asleep.

“What have I gotten myself into?” Sebastian murmured, late into the night as he watched Ciel sleeping soundly, unable to tear himself away. The boy had told him to stay until he had fallen asleep, but Sebastian was still there when the sun had risen and it was time for the curtains to be pulled open to start a new day.

Sebastian could no longer deny that Ciel was no ordinary human.

There was something very special about the boy and the contract they had formed.

And Ciel, as it was, seemed to be a creature of habit - something Sebastian was more than happy to cater to. Every night he listened for the boy’s cries and at the first whimper he would drop whatever he was doing and go to his young master’s side. It was nearly the same scene each evening it occurred, going on for quite a long time, with Sebastian asking Ciel if something was wrong and the boy fibbing to him that he was fine, then begging the other to sit beside his bed until he fell asleep. Sebastian opted not to change their routine in the slightest, knowing that with as closed off as the boy was it was entirely possible he’d send him away if he pressed or modified their little dance.

As much as Sebastian felt anxious and distressed when the boy cried, the nights that Ciel didn’t - when he fell asleep quickly after a long, tiresome day - Sebastian was lost. The separation from the boy set his nerves on edge and without a need for sleep, working around the estate to pass the time was rather lonesome.

Watching Ciel sleep was a much nicer way to relax, though Sebastian didn’t dare enter the boy’s room on those quieter nights. Of course, with the rest of the servants asleep, there was no one to witness the way he paced in the hall outside Ciel’s door or rested his head against the wall and listened to the way the boy would murmur in his sleep.

The pull that he had toward Ciel was foreign to the point that Sebastian was aware he should probably find it concerning. Such an attachment was without precedent. Yet, Sebastian couldn’t find himself to care much about it. It was something interesting and new, something that was like a spark of excitement after existing for thousands of years and repeating the same patterns. His affection to the small human was a beautiful enigma, fresh and captivating. He found that he rather enjoyed the complexity and newness of it all.

Observing Ciel in general was fascinating, someone so young coming into such power in a rather twisted and ugly way. The boy tried to conceal all emotions in the presence of others aside from anger and disgust - unless he was working on his acting skills and pretending he wasn’t loathsome of the company of other nobles or business contacts.

Sebastian saw through all of it.

The boy was hiding a great deal of pain that was just beneath the surface and there wasn’t much doubt to Sebastian that a small shove would send Ciel into a spiral of suffocating despair.

It was something that in the past, his instincts would have spurred him on to do. He would have relished in watching the human he had contracted with succumb to misery and become consumed with darkness. He would have salivated at the mere thought of it.

Now, as he watched the boy sit at his desk while he poured his afternoon tea, Sebastian found himself experiencing much different desires.

Oh, he did love watching Ciel beginning to hate everyone and everything else; watching him lose faith in humanity and having such sharp focus on revenge was a delight. But, Ciel was a complex little thing, and Sebastian found himself wanting so much more from him and for him. He wanted the boy to have his moments of peace and happiness, but he wanted to have the power to give him those things. It was a way to make their beings so very entwined that Ciel would belong to him wholly, regardless of their contract.

He wanted Ciel to need him as much as much as Sebastian craved him. For their dependence to be mutual. He wanted Ciel to teeter on the edge of his humanity and find his only comforts in a dance with a demon.

“Young Master, today I have prepared…”

“Enough!” Ciel interrupted, looking up from the paperwork spread across his desk that he was struggling to understand. “Why must you always prattle on about such useless things? I don’t care what tea you’ve made for me, I am busy and have work to do! Just leave it and be gone already!”

Ciel breathed heavily, his frustration evident. It was far too much to expect a boy his age to reasonably handle. He had taken over the affairs of a grown adult that had been seasoned with business knowledge for decades beyond Ciel’s.

Sebastian lifted his eyebrows at the outburst and then bowed with his hand over his chest.

“Forgive me, my lord. I will leave you to your work,” he said smoothly, looking over his shoulder once more before he opened the double doors and left the boy’s office. Ciel looked as though he was about to explode, burst into tears and toss all of the papers about the room. As interesting as that may have been to watch, Sebastian didn’t much want to be the cause of his tantrums. He had other roles in mind that were much better suited to his goals, strange as they were.

Ciel sighed when Sebastian shut the doors behind him, slumping down into his large, leather chair. He barely understood a word of what he was reading and felt terribly hopeless.

He didn’t want to let down his father, his family’s legacy, the Queen. He had such big shoes to fill and he felt terribly unprepared for it. His father had been incredibly successful and brilliant with both networking and business affairs. Ciel found that dealing with people at all was a struggle, particularly since the fire. After his time with the cult, he no longer wanted to be around anyone or pretend that life wasn’t as ugly as he now knew it was. It was impossible to let go of any of it and look at the world in the same way he had when he was naive and innocent.

Humans were a twisted, predatory bunch, selfish to their very core. Ciel could never trust them again or let his guard down. It was a frightening prospect.

Never again would he be able to relax or truly feel safe, not even in his own home. The closest he even came to that was when he slept with a demon from Hell beside his bed that he knew would kill anyone that dared to harm him again as per their contract.

It was such a small comfort and not nearly what the traumatized boy needed.

He longed for the nights he would crawl into his parents’ bed and sleep between them, how safe and loved he’d felt in that warm little nest. They were both gone now, along with Ciel’s belief that he could ever feel the freedom to truly relax ever again.

He knew far too much now.

Ciel stood from his chair, his heart heavy in his chest as he made his way to the window. He felt helpless in making the nagging fear that lingered after his abduction go away, something he was rather ashamed for. He was the Earl of Phatomhive, The Queen’s Watchdog, he needed to be strong and continue to press on. The world was a cruel, heartless place that wouldn’t coddle him.

Ciel’s shoulders hunched and tears sprang to his eyes.

He was so tired of having to hold himself together and be strong, act as though nothing that had happened to him had hurt him or effected him in any real way. It was draining all of his energy and he could barely stand it any longer.

Ciel pushed back from the window, unwilling to allow himself to fall apart and be so weak. Once it started, he feared he wouldn’t be able to get himself back in line. It was one thing to cry in his bed, but entirely another to break down while doing his work.

He needed to get some air.

Ciel half expected to be pounced at by one of his servants when he came through his office doors, but the manor was rather quiet. He supposed Sebastian had set them off to tasks elsewhere to keep things quiet for him while he was working.

Sometimes Sebastian was rather thoughtful that way, such a bizarre quality for a demon, really.

He stepped outside into the garden, the sun warm on his face and the brightness of the sudden light making him squint while his eyes adjusted from being squirreled away in his dark office. He was able to make out the unmistakable form of his butler, sitting on a wrought iron bench in the middle of the prize white rose bushes and he slowly made his way toward the demon.

As he got more near, he was able to make out the sound of Sebastian’s voice as he spoke softly to the orange tabby he held cradled in his arms.

Ciel froze, taking in the scene before him.

“Such a precious creature, beautiful and proud,” Sebastian murmured in a way Ciel had never heard him speak. The demon looked down at the cat with what looked like adoration - love, even. He stroked the backs of his fingertips over the cat’s white belly and rubbed his thumbs over the little socked feet and paw pads. The cat looked as though it was in heaven in the demon’s arms, purring with its eyes shut and completely relaxed, like it was boneless and entranced by Sebastian’s soothing words and gentle touches.

Ciel trembled, his knees wobbling and weak beneath him and his stomach dropping out. Pure, unadulterated rage boiled through his veins and it was at that very moment that even semblance of control he had clung to since his kidnapping evaporated.

“What in the blazes do you think you’re doing?” Ciel shouted wildly, scaring the cat from Sebastian’s arms who disappeared into the thicket of roses in the blink of an eye. “Carrying on in such a way with a cat? Have you lost your mind?”

Sebastian was stunned, quietly watching the boy as he processed his reaction. He had noticed Ciel was approaching, but hadn’t expected the boy to be angry with him - and to such a degree - for simply petting a cat.

“My young lord, I was only taking a few moments to relax along with one of nature’s most lovely creatures, I hadn’t intended any harm…”

“How nice for you to be able to relax, to be able to help a cat of all things relax!” Ciel spat, his eyes shaking as they filled with tears. “How difficult it must be for a cat, to need of nothing but a full belly and some foolish demon to pet them to feel peace!”

It was so terribly unfair. Some stupid animal was able to be soothed and calmed - by a demon no less - but Ciel, an innocent human being that had been brought to the brink of Hell already in short life couldn’t be afforded such a luxury.

“It must be wonderful to have no responsibility, to then be coddled as though one needs it, for such to all be wasted on an animal that could never truly appreciate what stress even is!” Ciel was screaming now, his cheeks flushed and wet with tears. “By all means, Sebastian, go concern yourself with the needs of cats! Clearly they have terribly difficult lives and need your comfort above all other things you could spend your time with!”

Ciel turned on his heel then and ran from the garden, his arm over his eyes, unable to stop the angry tears sprung him from him almost violently. He needed to get away from Sebastian, from everything, he had completely fallen apart and the demon had seen it all.

He raced to his bedroom and slammed the door, tossing himself into his bed and pulling the blankets over himself to completely cover his body and even his head.

He would likely go the rest of his life without anyone soothing him the way Sebastian had with that cat. His parents were gone and now he was expected to be grown, be a man and everything that came with the expectations of that and his role in society, business and with the Queen.

Sobs wracked his small body as he mourned what he had lost, all of the comfort and security he’d had that was no more. He longed to be held as that cat was, to be told in gentle tones that everything would be alright, that he was safe and protected.

It hurt terribly to see someone - something - else receive those reassurances but not him. It was everything he wanted, what he needed to make the suffocating fear, pressure and stress subside, but it was given to others.

Not to Ciel. Ciel was on his own.

And it hurt more than Ciel thought anything ever could.

Sebastian sat in the garden for a long while after Ciel had stormed off, deep in thought and contemplating how he should respond to the boy’s unprecedented reaction in spite of the rather overwhelming urge he had to go to Ciel’s side.

It was obvious he had struck quite a nerve with the boy - and rather unintentionally as well. It appeared, as strange as it seemed on the surface, that his little lord was jealous of a cat.

Sebastian had been around long enough to know that the boy’s issues ran much deeper than at what it first appeared. Yes, it was clear Ciel was jealous, but it was why he was jealous that had truly caught Sebastian’s interest.

Ciel was desperate for comfort, for coddling of his own. It made a great deal of sense after all the boy had been through, though Sebastian hadn’t been contracted to take on any such role. Indeed, he was caring for him much more in his role as a butler - one he had taken on willingly as a disguise - than he had ever been toward another human.

But, Ciel had needs that went far beyond being bathed, dressed and reminded of his manners and to practice the violin.

He needed to be able to feel safe again. The boy was deeply craving the ability to have the weight of the world taken from his shoulders if only there was someone to step into a role where Ciel could allow that to happen.

Sebastian smirked, rising from the bench as the sun began to set and turn the sky a rose colored pink.

It was exactly what he wanted, a way for Ciel to be dependant on him, to attach himself to Sebastian in the same way the demon had been drawn to the boy from the start.

It was a way to keep a part of Ciel soft, pliable, innocent even, but have it all to himself. The boy could hate the rest of the world and Sebastian could hold onto a private shred of beauty that would belong to him alone.

It would all come together brilliantly, as if it were meant to be.

Ciel stayed in his bedroom that evening until Sebastian called him for dinner. He emerged with rumpled clothes, messy hair and a sullen look on his face. It was obvious he had spent the remainder of his afternoon crying and was in no mood for conversation.

He ate in silence, picking at his food and pushing it around his plate, not really filling himself much. Ciel’s stomach felt sour and his chest empty.

He was still quiet and closed off during his bath and Sebastian followed suit, washing the boy without any small talk of things around the manor or with their assignments from the Queen to pass the time.

Ciel was so very small beneath his hands, a delicate, precious thing that was so easily breakable. He had, indeed, been shattered - but was not wholly beyond repair. Sebastian could piece the boy back together in his own way, entangling them with each other, creating and nurturing a part of the little Earl that would forever belong to him.

He dried Ciel and they returned to his bedroom where Sebastian had his nightclothes set out. He helped Ciel onto the bed and pulled the white night shirt over his head, revealing the small secret he had hidden beneath it, then went to the task of buttoning up Ciel’s shirt.

“What are those?” Ciel asked with genuine curiosity, his first spoken words since his meltdown earlier in the garden.

“Hmm?” Sebastian hummed, glancing up casually as Ciel picked up a furry white cat ear with a pink silk center affixed to a clip and looked over it with confusion. He had to bite back a chuckle. For as grown up as Ciel attempted to appear, moments like this he was absolutely adorable.

“Oh, those?” Sebastian said dismissively, standing up and folding the boy’s towel to be laundered. “They’re cat ears. Aren’t they lovely?”

“What in the world are cat ears doing here?” Ciel asked, his button nose wrinkled as his eyes narrowed. “And this?” He picked up a pink satin collar trimmed on the edges with white lace with a silver bell dangling from the center. Beside it on the bed were a pair of white, fingerless, elbow length gloves with pink paw pads sewn onto them and a pink satin bow with lace at the top. “What is the meaning of all this?”

Sebastian took his time in answering the boy, tidying up the room, all the while feeling Ciel’s eyes on his back.

“The young master was awfully upset this afternoon in the garden,” Sebastian started, calm and smooth as ever. “I thought that, perhaps, if the young lord received a bit of the kitten’s treatment he may not be quite so grumpy.”

Ciel balked at the demon’s words, his mouth falling open with a scoff. “What the devil are you going on about? Do you expect me to dress up as a cat? As though that would make my difficulties disappear? You may as well turn me into a real cat if you actually believe such a thing would make any difference!”

Ciel immediately felt uncomfortable, his cheeks turning pink with embarrassment. He had hoped that Sebastian would have the decency to ignore his earlier outburst, but instead, he had tried to come up with some sort of solution that was completely ridiculous and entirely missed the point.

“My little lord, I think it would grow tiresome for you rather quickly if I were to in some way turn you into a real cat,” Sebastian said with a chuckle, taking a few steps toward the boy so he could look down on the huffing little thing that still held an ear in his hand. “I thought that, perhaps, you might enjoy having some time in the evenings to unwind and be a bit pampered, like a kitten. You seemed awfully jealous of Mittens today…”

“I wasn’t jealous!” Ciel snapped, though without his usual bite. While what Sebastian was suggested sounded absolutely bizarre, he did wish that he could be treated as he had seen that cat earlier in the day, peaceful and without a care in the world. “Besides,” he continued, his eyes dropping away from Sebastian’s and down into his lap where his hands fiddled with the ear, “what difference would it make if I sat in my room wearing some sort of cat costume. Everything would be exactly the same, except I’d look ridiculous.”

“If I may, young master,” Sebastian said, taking a knee in front of the boy and catching his down turned eyes with his own. “I’d like the opportunity to show you what I am suggesting and why I believe it would be helpful for you. Do I have your permission to help you transform into a kitten?”

Ciel stared at him skeptically, visibly torn by Sebastian’s offer. He was so desperate to feel better, for any possible bit of comfort and peace he could have, but he was afraid to make a fool of himself chasing such things.

“Sebastian if I allow this and you ever speak a word of it to anyone-”

“Young master you have my word,” Sebastian said, shutting his eyes and crossing his arm over his chest to place a hand over his heart. “Anything that happens when you are a kitten will be private between us, just as our contract is. I shall never share it with another for as long as either of us live.”

“Fine,” Ciel mumbled quietly, glancing once at Sebastian and then looking away again. Sebastian had promised to never lie to him, it was part of their contract, after all, so if Sebastian said he wouldn’t tell anyone, Ciel should be able to count on that much.

Sebastian smiled just slightly then, letting go of a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. All he had needed was Ciel’s permission, a chance.

He pulled the gloves from the bed and Ciel bashfully held out each arm, allowing Sebastian to slide the silky material over his forearms until the thumb hole hooked and they were up to his elbows. The nightshirt covered most of the gloves, but it was no bother. It was still part of the transformation that Sebastian felt was necessary to get Ciel into the proper head space. A new kitten needed training, of course.

Sebastian stood then and picked up the ears, watching with amusement as Ciel rolled his wrists and looked at his pink padded palms with interest.

“Here now,” Sebastian said softly, taking the boy’s chin gently and holding it between his thumb and fingers as he slipped the clip on ear’s into Ciel’s hair. He pulled back his long bangs from his face, leaving only a light fringe that made the boy’s soft features look even more rounded and delicate than ever. He froze for a moment, his face close to the boy’s, innocent, confused, mismatched eyes staring back into his own.

Ciel was beautiful. More so than anything Sebastian had ever seen. He couldn’t even dream up an image that was more perfect than his little lord. And what was truly fascinating was that Ciel was completely unaware of just what a gorgeous creature he was.

“Almost ready,” Sebastian breathed, reaching for the collar without taking his eyes from the boy’s.

Ciel shivered when he felt Sebastian’s gloved fingertips brush against the back of his neck, fastening the silk and lace with even more care than when he dressed him each day.

“There now,” Sebastian said airily, moving just slightly back from the boy so he could look at him when he slowly opened his eyes.

Ciel was hesitant, looking smaller and more delicate than ever in front of the demon. He was thrown enough from his defenses that he wasn’t yelling or acting angry. He felt almost… hopeful, for the first time in a very long time.

He flinched when Sebastian brought his hand to his cheek, and the demon shushed the boy, gliding the warm cotton over Ciel’s flushed face.

“I won’t hurt you, my kitten,” Sebastian said smoothly, his words thick and luxurious like velvet on his tongue. “You have nothing to fear when you are with me.”

Sebastian brushed his fingertips into Ciel’s hair, combing them over his scalp. “You are precious and worthy of my protection, little one. I will always keep you safe.”

Ciel shut his eyes, his head tipping slightly into Sebastian’s touch. It was strange, but once he got past his initial humiliation at being touched in a rather inappropriate way by his demon servant, it did feel quite nice.

The boy sighed, his breaths shallow as Sebastian’s fingertips grazed over his face and though his hair like a whisper. It was so lovely, he yearned for more of it before it even ended. Each time Sebastian would lift his hand from his head to reposition himself, Ciel’s breath would hitch and he would stiffen, as though bracing himself for it to be over.

Sebastian noticed each nuance of the behavior his beautiful pet displayed, how he followed the touches with his own movements and his muscles relaxed. The way the boy craned his neck and exposed the flawless pale skin for him in an instinctive offering of submission the boy was far too innocent to understand. How he hummed softly without realizing the sweet sounds he made, the tiny gasps when Sebastian’s fingertips would tickle against the back of his neck. Ciel was pliable, willing and needy.

As Sebastian pet him, he showered Ciel with sweet words as he would a real kitten, though with his little lord they had so much more meaning behind them.

“Such a beautiful thing,” Sebastian whispered, watching the dazed boy teeter on the edge of consciousness, so desperate he had been for affection and to be given permission to relax. “You should be pampered and spoiled with tenderness, sweet thing as you are, my darling kitten.”

Sebastian pulled back the blankets on Ciel’s bed, guiding the boy slowly with his soft caresses into the warm nest. Ciel crawled into it quietly, opening his eyes and watching Sebastian with longing as the comforters were pulled over his shoulders. Ever so carefully, Sebastian slipped off the boy’s cat ears and gloves, removing the collar last from the sleepy thing trying his best to keep his eyes open.

Satisfied the boy had been adequately soothed, he set the items in his bedside drawer, looking back to the tiny thing in the bed when he heard the softest little squeak.

“Don’t leave,” Ciel whispered, pulling the blanket up so it nearly covered his face.

He couldn’t explain it, but even the thought of Sebastian leaving his side now made his stomach knot with worry.

“I won’t,” Sebastian promised, bending down to brush the boy’s bangs away from his forehead before snuffing out the lights and taking his seat in the chair beside his young master’s - his kitten’s - bed.

Ciel feel into a deep sleep rather quickly that night, relaxed and exhausted from his earlier fit. Sebastian found it quite impossible to pull his eyes away from his sleeping pet until he was forced to after the sun rose and his duties set to begin.

The following day, Ciel was particularly quiet. Sebastian chose not to tease him or pry, knowing full well that the night before had likely been a rather confusing experience that the boy needed to process. It had been a long time since he had been comforted and for it to come by the hands of a demon from Hell surely came with complicated feelings.

Sebastian went about his chores as he normally would, not treating his young master any different aside from giving him a reprieve from any knowing comments. He felt the boy’s eyes on him all day, even catching him staring several times, which was met with wide eyes, a quiet gasp and pink cheeks as Ciel looked away and pretended to be busy with something else.

Ciel wasn’t sure what to make of the encounter. It had seemed foolish, ridiculous, even, on its face. Yet, once Sebastian had put the kitten costume on him and gone about treating him as though he was a cat like the one in the garden, Ciel truly had felt better than he had in longer than he could recall.

He expected Sebastian to broach the subject with him at some point, but the demon never did, carrying about business as usual.

At the very least, it was evidence to Ciel that Sebastian intended to keep his promise that what had happened between them would remain a secret. It would appear as though it hadn’t changed their relationship, even though to Ciel it very much had, which was something hard for the boy to comprehend.

Indeed, the next few nights after his bath, there was no kitten paraphernalia laid out on the bed. Just Ciel’s typical nightshirt and bedtime routine. Each night, Ciel half expected, mostly hoped, that when he was ready to be dressed for bed, his kitten ears would be set out. He was put to bed as he always had been, though instead of crying over all of his loss and pain, he sat in silent disappointment in the darkness, alone and unable to bring himself to call out for Sebastian’s company. He wasn’t even sure what he would say if the demon asked him what he wanted besides that he didn’t want him to leave his side while he slept. It was still such a preposterous request.

Ciel’s shift in behavior didn’t go unnoticed by Sebastian in the least. He was rather astute as it was in understanding the boy’s emotional state, generally better than the boy himself. He could feel Ciel’s sense of longing when he left his bedroom at night, it was tangible, as was the boy’s intent when he shifted closer to Sebastian when the other washed his hair or wrapped him in a towel.

Ciel wanted to be touched again and was desperate for Sebastian’s comfort, but he didn’t seem to have the courage to ask the demon outright why he hadn’t done anything since that first night.

It was several days later when Sebastian had brought in the boy’s afternoon tea that he found Ciel sighing rather dramatically in his office chair. He avoided eye contact, though stole curious glances at his butler as he set up his tea, lamenting about how much stress he was under.

The little lord was putting on quite a show.

“I have so much paperwork to go over, documents to sign,” Ciel groaned, laying his arm across the large desk and resting his head upon it. “What I wouldn’t do for a break from all of this, it’s terribly stressful and I fear impacting my health.”

Sebastian had to hide a snort with his fist, turning his back to the boy and shutting his eyes momentarily to collect himself. It was blatantly obvious what Ciel was going for, thinking he was being indirect and sly when his little performance but quite the contrary. He may as well have begged Sebastian to pet him again, though it seemed the boy’s pride wouldn’t allow such a straight forward approach.

Of course, the boy’s handling of things only further amused the demon. Ciel was a rather intriguing little thing.

“My young master, that’s terrible,” Sebastian said with contrived sympathy, setting the boy’s tea in front of him.

Ciel watched his butler carefully, as if trying to gauge whether his act had worked and Sebastian had caught on.

“We simply cannot allow your work to interfere with your health,” Sebastian continued piteously, placing a plate of the boy’s favorite biscuits beside his tea.

“Shall I contact your business associates and ask them to direct their inquiries to someone else so you may get a reprieve?”

Sebastian delighted when the boy’s eyes widened and he sat up, shaking his head rapidly. The demon had already decided he would give Ciel what he was asking for later that evening, but it would be a waste not to play a little game with his young master when the boy had made it all too easy for him.

“No, Sebastian, don’t do that!” Ciel said with a frown, his brows furrowed and lip pouted in defeat. The last thing Ciel wanted was for any of the adults he now had to interact with to think he was a child or incapable of being treated like any other person they had business with. He was trying desperately to come across as an adult that was worthy of respect and being treated seriously. Having his butler tell them he couldn’t handle things would contradict everything he had been working toward, his entire reputation, which was fragile at best.

“Oh, but then what would the young master have me do?” Sebastian asked smoothly, looking down at the boy as he shrank in his chair. He wanted Ciel to ask him, to say it all directly and without shame, but he would give into the boy regardless.

Sebastian enjoyed petting his kitten enough to bend a bit.

“I… I don’t know,” Ciel stammered, looking back down at his desk and shuffling mindlessly through papers. “I’m sure you can come up with something else with how you’re always bragging about what an extraordinary butler you are.”

Sebastian smirked, bowing to the frantic, embarrassed boy. “Indeed, my lord. I will make sure you are not disappointed.”

He left the boy to his tea then, chuckling to himself as he went about the rest of his afternoon duties. The boy really was such a precious creature. His pride was enticing.

That evening, Sebastian could feel the stress radiating from the boy as he bathed him. A collection of conflicting thoughts of whether that evening he would be transformed into a kitten and coddled the way he so desired. It was cute, just how wound up the boy was, but too afraid of asking the demon who would give him anything he wanted.

Ciel’s relief was visible when they entered his bedroom and the boy’s stiff shoulders loosened up when he saw his kitten accessories on the bed beside his nightshirt.

Sebastian felt a rather unusual urge himself in that moment; to kiss the boy’s head and tell him that of course he had understood what he wanted.

The demon had never felt compelled to commit such a loving act before. The effect this little human had on him and his nature was remarkable.

Ciel was nearly smiling as Sebastian dressed him for bed and wordlessly began to transform his young lord into his pet. The boy’s eyes fell shut the moment Sebastian slipped the first ear through his silky hair.

“I’ve missed my little kitten,” Sebastian cooed warmly, indulging the boy whose heart was racing with excitement. “I do wish he would visit me more often. I find my time with him to be most relaxing and pleasant.”

A tiny grin from the shut eyed boy then, and Sebastian smiled himself. There was something about Ciel that made him feel warmth in his chest that was unlike anything he’d ever experienced. It was a rather addictive sensation.

Sebastian sat down on the bed beside him, reaching over to tuck a strand of slate hair behind the boy’s human ear. He was rather surprised when the boy not only leaned into his touch, but adjusted himself on the bed and crawled down to rest his head in his lap. Sebastian froze momentarily, his human heart skipping a beat at the charming sight.

The boy placed his hand timidly on his thigh, petite shoulders hunched up with uncertainty.

Sebastian had never seen anything quite so darling.

“What a sweet kitten you are,” Sebastian said softly with encouragement, lightly running his fingers through the boy’s hair and brushing it away from his face. “Did my precious pet miss me as well?”

Ciel gave a small, bashful nod, and Sebastian chuckled lowly, the backs of his fingers soft against the boy’s cheek.

“My kitten can come to me anytime for affection, he needn’t be afraid of rejection,” Sebastian promised, dragging his fingers down the back of the boy’s neck and over his shoulders, coaxing out little shivers from the tiny thing in his lap. “I do adore him so.”

Little fingers twisted into the fabric of Sebastian’s pants and his cheek nuzzled innocently in the demon’s lap, the boy’s breath heated and damp.

Sebastian bit back a moan, his eyes flashing red with desire. Such thoughts would only lend themselves to frustration. His kitten was unprepared for any such things and there was no need to rush him along. Sebastian was patient nnd after all, Ciel belonged to him for all of eternity. He could wait until the sweet little thing felt the stirring of similar cravings.

Petting him was enough, and Sebastian’s hand tingled and glowed beneath his glove as he watched the boy curl close to him and relax into his lap, eyes shut and thick black lashes fanning over plush, cherubic cheeks.

Sebastian felt fulfilled as well, in spite of the relatively innocent nature of their interaction. The relentless, restless need to be close to his young master and put his hands on him in the most tender ways had been sated for the time being. He could unwind and enjoy the serenity of having a beautiful creature submitting to his gentle touch in his lap.

Anything Ciel could give him would be enough, even if he found himself yearning to consume him in ways he’d never craved another human before.

When the boy’s breathing had evened out and Sebastian was certain he had fallen into a deep sleep, he reluctantly lifted the boy from his lap and laid him in his bed, pulling the blankets up around him and removing his kitten clothes, in spite of just how adorable he looked rested against his fluffy white pillow with those ears, those paws and most especially, his collar.

Sebastian removed that piece last, finding himself wishing that the mark he had already given Ciel was one that he could show everyone, that anyone that saw it would know what it meant.

That Ciel belonged to Sebastian and no one else.

In spite of the encouragement Sebastian had given the boy when they had last played, Ciel still seemed to be afraid to ask the demon to treat him as his kitten. Sebastian caught the shy glances that were in his direction, the way the boy would open his mouth to speak and then shut it with a frown, talking himself out of asking for what he needed from the only one that could provide him with such comforts.

Sebastian should have found it all entirely amusing, but it tugged on his heart in a way that he didn’t know was possible.

He found himself wanting to make things easier for the boy, something that went against everything he’d ever known of his own nature as a demon.

So sometime later when Ciel had tripped over a pile of laundry Mey-Rin had dropped clumsily in front of him, Sebastian rushed to his side immediately.

“Young master, that was quite a spill,” Sebastian said to the angry boy hissing and clutching his ankle, his eyes narrowed in the direction of his apologetic maid.

“Oh dear, I’m so sorry, young master, yes I am,” the girl rambled and Sebastian held up his hand calmly to stop her.

“It’s alright, just give the young master some space,” Sebastian suggested, reaching out to touch the boy’s ankle tenderly.

Indeed, it hadn’t been much of a fall in the least. Ciel had landed onto a pile of laundry and was clearly perfectly fine. That didn’t mean, however, that Sebastian couldn’t take the opportunity to spoil the boy a bit.

“I think it would be for the best if you stayed off that ankle for a bit, in the event that it is sprained you should be careful with it and allow it to heal,” Sebastian said smoothly, lifting the wide eyed and confused boy from the floor and pulling him toward his chest.

“There now,” he said, looking down at the bewildered creature in his arms, giving him a slight smile. “I will bring you to your office so your work won’t be delayed.”

The touch starved boy shifted slightly, curling his body against Sebastian’s chest and resting his head - rather unnecessarily as it was - against the demon’s shoulder.

He didn’t bother to tell his butler that he was perfectly capable of walking on his own. Sebastian had correctly presumed he wouldn’t.

Although, since the first evening Sebastian had transformed Ciel into a kitten the boy’s late night crying had seemed to taper off, their bedtime routine had a new kind of tension that Sebastian wasn’t quite sure how to manage that overtime became concerning to the demon. His intention was to gently nudge the boy toward a life that would be much more enjoyable and fulfilling for both of them, but he didn’t want to push or strong arm the traumatized little thing and cause him to shut down entirely. Ciel was a master at denying himself emotionally and allowing himself to hurt and wither away; Sebastian couldn’t allow anything he did to play into any of those inclinations the boy might have.

Every question and phrase said to the boy needed to be thought through with words chosen with the utmost care. Ciel was much more fragile than he might appear to a being with lesser awareness, one that wasn’t quite so in tune with the boy’s nature and personality. He was slowly opening himself to Sebastian, showing vulnerability - which the demon knew terrified the boy - and he mustn’t push anything too hard or too fast.

As Sebastian tucked the boy into bed one evening after Ciel had dragged out his bedtime routine longer than ever, the demon was hard pressed to just walk away from the tiny thing staring at him with such expressive, mismatched eyes. He looked hurt and it made Sebastian’s heart ache in that unusual but newly familiar way.

“Young master, I don’t want to overstep, but is there something bothering you?” Sebastian asked in voice that was so very gentle and careful, he barely even recognized it. “You should know your secrets are safe with me.”

The boy’s mouth opened and oh, did he ever look so terribly sad, his eyes glassy and his plush little lip trembling. He shut it then, unable to speak the words that would help himself, his eyes darting away with shame.

“It’s perfectly normal for a kitten to be lonely at night,” Sebastian said in that same soft tenor, drawing the boy’s eyes back to his own.

“But, I’m not a kitten, not really,” came the weak protest, the conflicted boy so desperate for reassurance from a demon from Hell.

“To me, you are very much like a cat,” Sebastian started, smiling just slightly to ease the boy’s nerves. “You are a gorgeous, regal creature, so very full of pride and purpose. You have no use for unnecessary things and you choose those you allow yourself to get close to with such discerning taste. You will use others to get what you need from them without a second thought, then go home and fill your belly with delicious foods and sleep in the softest place in the manor,” he chuckled, lightening the mood. “You are particular and precious all at once, the head of his household in spite of your diminutive size, commanding of both respect and adoration.”

Sebastian reached out ever so slowly and brushed the boy’s hair back from his forehead. “I always see the kitten that you are, even when you aren’t wearing your ears and collar. All those things do is let me know you’d like to be treated as such.”

Ciel was silent, deep in thought with everything the demon had said, his eyes impossibly wide.

“Perhaps it would be easier if it were to be part of our routine that I will sit here with you each night as you sleep, unless you say otherwise and dismiss me?” Sebastian asked, taking a seat in the chair beside Ciel’s bed, waiting for the slight nod he was expecting.

“You must hate sitting there in that chair,” Ciel said with a hint of unexpected sympathy, throwing the demon a bit off guard.

“I suppose it could be a bit more comfortable, but I really don’t mind it at all,” Sebastian replied honestly, watching the boy carefully. Those times when Ciel showed empathy toward him were a delight.

Ciel was quiet again for a long moment, staring at the somewhat perplexed demon across from him. Slipping into the comfortable state of annoyance he was accustomed to being in, the boy yanked back the blankets beside him and then rolled onto his side with his back to Sebastian.

His invitation was unmistakable, in spite of it’s seemingly reluctant delivery.

Ciel was still afraid to ask for what he wanted; it was easier to make it appear he was being put upon and only offering for the sake of Sebastian.

Of course, anyone that knew Ciel as well as Sebastian did would know that the boy would never invite anyone into his bed of all places that he didn’t truly want there for his own selfish reasons.

Even still, it was a surprise to the demon. He had expected it would be a long while before the two of them shared a bed. With Ciel being so hesitant to allow anyone into his personal space, Sebastian had thought it would only very slowly progress to such an intimate act for such a closed off creature.

He stood and slipped off his shoes and then his tail coat, draping it over the chair as he watched the boy’s back, his shoulders all hunched up as though he was angry.

Ciel was scared.

Sebastian snuffed out the candles and climbed into the bed beside the boy, resting on his side but not touching him, the room dark and still.

“Is that better?” Ciel asked with shy gruffness that was so endearing Sebastian grinned at his back; the boy so unaware of how cute he was that it was really so alluring to the demon.

“It is, indeed,” Sebastian said softly, a smile in his voice. “Thank you, young master.”

Ciel huffed loudly, shifting around a bit beneath his blankets. “You don’t always have to act as a butler, you know. It’s rather annoying. It’s simply a disguise, you can give it a rest sometimes, particularly when we’re alone.”

It was the second time the boy surprised Sebastian that evening.

“Oh?” Sebastian asked, stifling a chuckle. “My apologies. What would you prefer I act as when not in my disguise as your butler and it is just the two of us?”

“I… I don’t know!” The flustered boy snapped, thin arms flailing a bit beneath the sheets.

This was all really quite amusing for Sebastian.

“I think…” Sebastian started, smoothing that smirk away from his voice, “that it would make sense that whenever we’re alone, you should be my kitten and I your protector.”

“Because of the contract,” Ciel said with what hinted at disappointment, as though all the demon saw him as was a meal when it was clear the boy was longing for something more.

“No,” Sebastian said softly, fighting the urge to reach over and touch the boy that was just mere inches away from him in the bed. “Because of the collar. The collar is a promise to protect you, little one.”

“And what could I possibly give you in return?” Ciel said with a snort. “You already have rights to my soul.”

“Souls are a funny thing,” Sebastian said calmly, wishing the boy would turn so he could look into his eyes as he spoke to him and watch his emotions shift. “There is a difference between contracting one’s soul away and sharing it with another.”

“I don’t understand,” Ciel mumbled, crossing his arms over his chest and curling his legs up against his belly.

Sebastian smiled with fondness at the boy, not quite expecting him to understand the nuances of things that the demon himself was only beginning to wrap his mind around. “There is a difference between obligation and devotion, little one. In time, you will see that, I’m rather certain of it.”

Unwilling to allow the boy to simmer in anything close to despair, Sebastian continued. “You mustn’t worry yourself with any of this,” the demon’s voice so gentle again, Sebastian found that he barely recognized himself. “After all, this is meant to help you relax, not cause you further stress, little one. Whatever comes of our time alone together will be more than enough for me as you are giving it freely. As long as whatever you return is sincere and willing, I will be most satisfied with our arrangement.”

Ciel didn’t respond, considering every word that Sebastian had spoken since they had gotten into his bedroom with careful scrutiny. If all Sebastian wanted or needed in return for giving him comfort and a sense of security was whatever Ciel truly felt compelled to give, it didn’t seem like a bad arrangement at all. Sebastian had sounded honest, human almost, his words carrying a heartfelt weight that Ciel wasn’t quite used to hearing from the demon.

It was sometime later, after Sebastian had long thought he’d hear nothing more from the boy on the subject for the remainder of the evening, that he felt the tiny thing wiggle his way toward him until his back pressed against the demon’s chest. Sebastian smiled inwardly, his eyelids drooping with affection. He knew it must have taken a considerable amount of courage for the boy to initiate such contact and he was deeply proud of Ciel and also quite flattered. He knew that the boy didn’t expose such vulnerabilities willingly; it had been a calculated decision. Ciel was giving him some of his trust, a truly precious thing from such a frightened, closed off creature. Sebastian would nurture it and tend to it both delicately and with devotion.

“Would my beautiful kitten like to be pet?” Sebastian whispered into the darkness, earning a small nod as the boy’s hair brushed beneath his chin.

The demon dropped his head, brushing his nose into the soft slate hair as he began to comb his fingers through it. The boy smelled of his bath, the hints of lavender and honeysuckle clinging to his hair and mixing with his own, sweet scent that was uniquely Ciel. He was truly a pleasure, a rare indulgence for a demon that had lived for so long and suffered from the boredom and monotony of being eternal. The boy that was relaxing against his chest was truly special, a once in a lifetime for a creature that had lived more than his share of them.

Things had gone on rather well, in Sebastian’s opinion, after that night. They had a new routine of Ciel pulling back his blankets and turning away from the demon, then Sebastian would slip into the bed behind him. After a bit, Ciel would shift his body until he was up against Sebastian’s and the demon would pet his hair and whisper sweet words to him until he fell asleep. Then Sebastian would hook his arm around the boy’s petite waist and shut his eyes, allowing himself the delightful feeling of intoxication that came with being so intimately close to the human he desired in ways he’d never known he was capable.

It wasn’t until an incident quite sometime later while they were working on a case for the Queen that Ciel had lost his bearings again. One of the officers they had been working closely with had been brutally murdered and when Ciel received word, he broke down right in the middle of his foyer in front of his servants.

“There were explosives in that building Sebastian! Had we gone in there instead…”

“We wouldn’t have, young master,” Sebastian said firmly, standing in front of the panicking boy and trying to get his focus. “I would never allow such harm to come to you, I have promised you as much and I will always keep my word.”

Ciel was shaking, his breathing terribly irregular and worrisome for a boy with asthma, unable to truly hear a word that Sebastian was saying.

Sebastian shook his head firmly, dropping down to pick the boy up and hold him tightly to his chest, then looking over his shoulder at the concerned servants watching the scene.

“The young master appears to be having some troubles with anxiety. I will ask all of you to give him some privacy so he may relax,” the head butler said sternly, carrying the trembling boy toward the stairs that lead to his bedroom.

The servants agreed, calling out for Ciel to feel better soon, genuine platitudes from the carefully selected staff of the manor that wanted to protect the boy as well, even if not quite to the degree that Sebastian did. Nothing could truly compare to his devotion to Ciel.

“This is nothing but your fear, little one,” Sebastian murmured into the boy’s ear after the bedroom door clicked shut. “You know that I will always keep you safe and protect you. Weapons devised by humans are no match for me and my priority in any situation is your safety above all else. I will not let such a fate ever befall you.”

“Sebastian, I can’t,” Ciel gasped, his eyes glossy and distant as he tried to breathe.

In an instant, the demon had him on his bed, reaching inside his tailcoat for a small glass vial with a dropper.

“I’ve got you,” Sebastian promised, cupping the boy’s cheek and running his thumb over Ciel’s slick lower lip. “Keep your mouth open, just like that,” he commanded, filling the dropper and quickly placing several drops of the liquid that tasted somewhat like brandy onto the boy’s tongue.

“It’s an herbal remedy distilled in alcohol to help with your anxiety,” Sebastian explained, unbuttoning the boy’s jacket and shirt and removing them from his body hastily. Ciel’s heart was racing, but his breathing appeared to be stress related. It was important to stave off an asthma attack as quickly possible. He pulled Ciel’s cat items from the night side table’s drawer and slipped his ears into his hair, his gloves onto his otherwise bare arms and affixed the delicate collar around the boy’s neck.

Sebastian laid the boy on his stomach, climbing over him and straddling his bottom as he placed his gloved hands onto his shoulders.

“There we are, kitten,” Sebastian murmured, leaning down so his mouth was beside Ciel’s ear. “It’s just you and I here. I’m your protector, nothing can harm you when you’re with me.”

Sebastian gently worked his thumbs into the boy’s back, fingers gripping and tenderly rubbing into his tense shoulders.

“You’re such a beautiful kitten,” he continued, working his hands slowly up and down the boy’s small back. His hands were so large in comparison to the tiny thing beneath him that his heart seized in his chest. He had never quite understood what it was like to be a creature with the frailty of humans, how precarious everyday life was for them, how a simple virus or poorly cooked meal could put them on their deathbed. Sebastian hadn’t found it within himself to care or have much empathy for their mortality, but as he massaged the slight, delicate boy beneath him that had grown to be so very important to him, Sebastian realized his perspective had changed.

Ciel had to deal with his own mortality ever since the loss of his parents - something Sebastian didn’t ever need to have much concern for in his own existence. Losing others, dying himself without receiving his justice and truth, all of it was terrifying to the boy that understood better than most his age how life was simply held on by a thread that could be unceremoniously snapped at any moment.

Sebastian would never allow it.

Even now, as Sebastian was faced with a situation he had never experienced during his long lifetime, he had begun to understand its temporary nature and was fully rejecting that notion.

Before Ciel, eternity on his own with various meaningless contracts with humans scattered about seemed acceptable if not boring. But, now Sebastian knew what it meant to be enraptured by another, to be willing to give his own life if it meant saving the little one that depended on him and his protection to survive. He would not spend eternity without the boy.

Sebastian understood that the boy’s soul wasn’t enough. He wanted Ciel.

“Sebastian,” the boy murmured into the blankets, his muscles relaxing in response to the gentle, circular pressure against his back. “Sebastian, Sebastian…”

“You are so precious to me, little one,” Sebastian said earnestly, a fiery intensity in his eyes that the boy beneath him couldn’t see. “There is nothing in this world or any others that I wouldn’t give you; you deserve to be spoiled so.”

Ciel moaned softly, slender fingers kneading into the fluffy blankets beneath him, writhing against the bed at the demon’s expert ministrations. His eyes were shut and his mouth was agape, a small damp puddle of drool beside his chin. The boy had been brought to heaven by the hands of a demon.

Sebastian couldn’t help but find deep satisfaction in that.

He leaned down, blanketing the boy’s back with his chest, his lips against his sweet kitten’s human ear. Ciel was beautiful perfection in his submission, something Sebastian would earn fully or he might very well go mad with desire for enchanting little sweetness that murmured strings of nonsense beneath him.

“You’re such a good kitten, so soft and precious,” Sebastian purred, tracing his nose along the rim of the gasping boy’s ear. “I will protect you with my very existence, for what is it worth without my lovely pet.”

The boy hummed was pleasure and Sebastian chuckled softly, kissing the back of the Ciel’s neck lightly and pulling a sweet moan from him that was absolutely delicious in its want.

Sebastian kissed down the boy’s back, dragging the tips of his fingers lightly down his sides, tasting his salty skin and the tantalizing flavor of a noble boy that was pampered like royalty.

The boy’s muscles twitched and he squirmed against the mattress, overstimulated and his body not used to being manipulated in such pleasurable ways.

Sebastian rolled off of him and to the center of the bed, pulling the dazed, shirtless boy into his arms and resting Ciel’s head on this chest before covering their bodies with the comforters. They had never lain this way before, in such an intimate embrace. Ciel had always kept his back to Sebastian when they were in bed together, in spite of how the boy was always the one to initiate their contact.

The demon looped his arm around the boy, holding him securely against him, thumb rubbing against the soft, milky skin.

Ciel sighed, wrapping his arm around Sebastian’s body and nuzzling his face into his chest. All of his fear and stress had melted away and he felt nothing but comfort and peace in Sebastian’s embrace. He was strong and warm; it was wonderful to be held by him and protected, but it was even more than that. Ciel felt adored.

“Did you truly mean all those things you said?” Ciel asked quietly, fingering one of the button’s on the demon’s shirt.

“I cannot lie to you,” Sebastian murmured, running a hand up into the boy’s sweaty hair. “I meant every bit and even more that I couldn’t find the words to express.”

“You really think I’m beautiful?” The boy asked shyly, his eyes widening when Sebastian caught his chin and lifted it so he could see Ciel’s face.

“I think you are the epitome of beauty in every way,” Sebastian said with sincerity as he stroked the tips of his fingers over the boy’s delicate features. “The greatest artist in all of the world couldn’t dream up a muse more perfect than you are, little one.”

Ciel blushed fiercely, tucking his head back down and clinging to Sebastian. All of this suddenly seemed like much more than a game to calm his nerves, though the boy was afraid to ask what any of it meant for them. He couldn’t even be certain that any of it meant anything to Sebastian at all. He was but a demon, surely he could see beauty in things but it didn’t mean he responded with the same emotions a human would.

Of course, Ciel was dealing with a rush of those not quite uniquely human emotions himself in that very moment and he couldn’t begin to know for sure what those feelings meant. Did he desire more from Sebastian than comfort and protection?

Those things were lovely, but nothing had felt quite as wonderful as the man holding him telling him that he was beautiful and precious to him.

“Sebastian?” The boy asked timidly, his little heart beat picking up again.

“Mmm?”

“I like this,” Ciel admitted in a whisper, shutting his eyes and curling as close to the demon as possible.

Sebastian smiled, tightening his embrace on the boy and kissing his hair. “I do, too.”

Bedtime had changed after that night, Ciel no longer rolling away from Sebastian after getting into bed. He would watch shyly, a hint of pink in his cheeks while Sebastian removed his coat and shoes, then slip beneath the demon’s arm and be pulled to his chest. It wasn’t something they talked about, simply a new form of affection they had broken the ice with and now indulged in.

It was fortuitous that none of the other servants ever noticed the drool stains on Sebastian’s shirt before he was able to change into something more presentable.

It wasn’t until an incident during one of Ciel’s missions for the Queen that their pattern once again evolved after another comfortable clip of time.

Ciel hadn’t been thrilled at the prospect of having to disguise himself as a girl in order to go undercover at a ball they needed to attend in order to investigate another nobleman. He had hemmed and hawed over it for the better part of the day, but when he had glided down the stairs in a lavender ballgown and a wig of long ringlet curls in his natural hair color, all of the servants fell silent with just how strikingly beautiful Ciel was and how much he had grown up. Long bangs covered his marked eye and he wore a crown of small, dainty white flowers. He looked like an actual princess and Sebastian took a knee before him at the stairs, extending his hand to the boy to take his gloved one.

“My lady,” Sebastian said with chivalry, earning himself a glare from his little lord.

“I’m not a girl,” Ciel grumbled, his face hot with embarrassment. “I’m doing this for our work, nothing else, don’t go on about all of this…”

“I’m just getting into character, my lady,” Sebastian teased, and the boy glowered at him and crossed his gloved arms over his chest.

Ciel pushed past the demon in a huff to get to the carriage, dreading the long night that was ahead of him that would surely be filled with pathetic jokes at his expense.

That would have been a much more favorable outcome than what happened that evening, a minor inconvenience that would have simply been annoying.

Sebastian had actually behaved himself, for the most part - in spite of his insistence upon dancing together (which might have been rather lovely had the little Earl not stumbled clumsily over his “tutor’s” feet as they waltzed), and Ciel had decided to attempt splitting off from Sebastian so he could investigate the Lord’s office while he was distracted by Sebastian. It had seemed to be a rather simple plot that would have been easily executed, had Ciel not run into trouble in the hallway right as he stepped out of the office with the necessary paperwork hidden inside his dress.

“Aren’t you a pretty little thing,” a bearded man stepping out of one of the adjoining rooms crooned, putting himself directly in between Ciel and the office door he had shut behind him.

“Thank you Sir,” Ciel said with a polite curtsy, masking his frustration. “I’m afraid I must be going,” he continued, stepping to the side to bypass the older male.

“Oh sweetheart, I think you can find a little time for me,” the man chuckled lowly, grabbing Ciel by his forearm and backing him into the door until he had the boy blocked in against it.

“Let me go right now,” Ciel hissed, narrowing his eyes and attempting futilely to yank his arm away from the larger man’s grasp.

“The price is one kiss,” the man proclaimed coyly, leaning down to get closer to the squirming boy. His breath reeked of alcohol and there were beads of sweat on his forehead.

Ciel turned his head away, growling that it was his last chance to leave him alone before he screamed, and it was at that very moment that Sebastian appeared and pulled the man off of him like he was weightless and slammed him into the wall beside Ciel by his neck.

“I should kill you for daring to put your hands on my kitten,” Sebastian said lowly, his voice dancing the fine line between human and demonic. “I would enjoy watching you suffer.”

Ciel had never seen Sebastian lose his cool with a human in such a way. He was all about putting on some cool performance where he was absolutely unshakable, calm and serene as he slaughtered those that stood in the way of Ciel’s revenge.

“Don’t,” the boy blurted out, wincing as Sebastian tightened his grip on the man’s neck. “I just want to go home! Leave him be.”

Ciel was shaken enough from the encounter and seeing Sebastian with such a wild look in his eyes put the boy completely on edge.

“If I ever see you again, do not expect mercy,” Sebastian snarled, releasing his grip on the man’s neck and allowing him to fall choking to the floor.

“Before someone comes,” Ciel said urgently, snapping Sebastian’s predatory eyes from his would be victim to the boy begging him to leave.

“Of course,” Sebastian said more calmly, scooping the boy up into his arms and carrying him through several rooms before finding one with a balcony. He took Ciel outside with him, leaping from the banister into the moonlit night, holding the boy tightly as he darted across rooftops until they were far enough away from the party that no one would find them should someone discover the documents were missing.

Sebastian stopped atop a slate roof to check on his precious cargo, his face falling at the sniffling boy in his arms.

“I came as soon as I knew you were in trouble,” he said truthfully; his hand had burned as though it was scalded with boiling acid when he could only presume the other man had approached Ciel and frightened the boy.

“I’m fine,” Ciel lied, wiping a tear from his cheek. He was far from it - once again humans had shown him just how depraved and evil they were. None of his anger or bitterness was due to his one isolated experience. All it had done was opened his eyes.

“It was a pity not to kill him,” Sebastian said with a frown, brushing the long bangs away from the boy’s glowing eye and running his thumb beneath it to catch his tears.

“Why?” Ciel asked with raw emotion, staring back at Sebastian, unwavering. “You were different tonight, like it wasn’t a game anymore. Why did you want to kill him, Sebastian?”

“He touched you,” Sebastian said with irritation, wiping away more of the tears that streamed down the boy’s cheeks. “And he would have hurt you if I hadn’t intervened.”

“Is this about the contract?” The boy’s voice cracked and he looked up at the demon with his mismatched eyes that barely disguised his fear. “Because if it’s broken you won’t get…”

“No,” Sebastian interrupted, catching Ciel’s face in his hand and holding it firmly. “It had nothing to do with the contract. Our contract, our bond, is merely how I knew you were in trouble. It wasn’t why I was…”

“Angry,” Ciel said quietly, wrapping a small gloved hand around Sebastian’s wrist. “I’ve never seen you that way before. It was almost as though you truly felt something.”

“I was furious,” Sebastian said truthfully, loosening his grip on Ciel’s chin.

“Why?” Ciel pressed, turning in the demon’s lap so he could face him fully.

“No one else should ever put their hands on you,” Sebastian firmly, standing up then with the beautiful boy in his arms. Continuing the conversation could tread into dangerous waters, something Sebastian hoped to avoid. “It’s much too late for a kitten to be out. I think it would be best to get you home.”

Before Ciel could say another word, Sebastian was racing back toward the estate as the boy clung to him, terribly confused by everything that had occurred.

If Sebastian was able to feel anger, it seemed to follow that he was able to feel other things as well. Ciel was certain that the demon’s reaction hadn’t been an act. It was so real that it had actually frightened Ciel who was used to Sebastian being fully composed at all times.

Sebastian had been angry that another man had touched him - he had been jealous. What reason was there for him to feel such a thing if there wasn’t something more to whatever it was that was happening between them?

The demon brought him directly to his bedroom, bypassing the front door and going in through the balcony. He set Ciel down to lock the doors behind him, taken aback all over again when he saw just how gorgeous the boy was in the glow of the moonlight. The ballgown and soft color brought out his eyes and accentuated his delicate features more than ever. He was truly a one of a kind beauty.

“What is it?” Ciel asked, tipping his head in a way that made his long bangs move away from his marked eye and cause it to cast a soft, purple glow around the boy.

“You make a convincing young lady with your beauty,” Sebastian said earnestly, picking up the boy again and carrying him to the bed, placing him on it and taking a knee in front of him to begin removing his shoes. “Frankly you are more beautiful than any young lady I’ve ever seen besides.”

Ciel smiled then, a warm smile that was genuine and uncommon for him since the fire.

“Sebastian.”

The demon paused to look at the boy, one glittering sandal in his hand, caught by surprise at the sweet, knowing smile. The ballgown was puffed out around him and Ciel looked so elegant and graceful that Sebastian found himself speechless.

Ciel reached out, his heart racing, and placed gloved hands on either side of the demon’s cheeks, pulling Sebastian’s face to his own until their lips brushed against each other.

Sebastian was stunned, the boy’s lips as soft and sweet against his own as he had imagined they would be, though he hadn’t expected such a gesture to be forthcoming anytime soon. Then again, his young master - his little kitten - was a bright boy that had surely figured out that Sebastian was eager to return any affection that he was open to sharing.

Sebastian brushed a hand across the boy’s cheek to his wig, gently pulling it from Ciel’s head so he could run his hands through his real hair. He returned the boy’s slow, uncertain kiss passively and smoothly, allowing his inexperienced pet to take the lead and learn what felt good.

For Sebastian, every bit of it was amazing.

He stood slowly, looping an arm around Ciel’s cinched waist and lifting him so he straddled his lap when he sat down on the bed, tracing his fingers over the boy’s bare shoulders and down his arms. Ciel shivered and inched himself closer, the heavy ballgown hiding Sebastian’s growing arousal from the slowly writhing princess in his lap.

Ciel’s kisses were clumsy, though he was too inexperienced to realize, merely proud of himself for being brave enough to initiate his first kiss. He had decided right in the moment to kiss Sebastian and find out for himself whether the blossoming feelings he had for the other were returned.

He had never been more happy to have been right about anything.

After that night, Ciel was eager to practice kissing Sebastian whenever he had a chance. He would climb into the demon’s lap when he caught him reading a book in the library and sneak kisses when Sebastian would carry him about after making some excuse or another. Each night before bed they would fall asleep entangled in each others arms after soft kisses that had turned passionate went slow and gentle again.

Ciel wanted more, to be closer to Sebastian in some way, and the demon was continually finding the boy waiting for him in his bedroom with his collar and kitten ears on, eager to play.

Sebastian mused that the boy probably didn’t know anything else to do besides kissing, so he left it at that, catering to Ciel’s budding sexuality in ways that allowed him to feel comfortable and safe.

Sure, it drove him mad when the precocious little thing would mew in his ear when they were in public, making his blood run hot and straight to his groin. Ciel would then smile at him so innocently with such a devious glint in his eye, it made Sebastian absolutely wild with desire.

But, Sebastian had made a promise to the boy when he’d placed the collar around his neck that first night - that he would protect him and keep him safe - and that meant not pushing him to do things before he was comfortable and ready. He never wanted Ciel to give more than he truly wanted to.

Of course, Ciel was growing older. And when he was grinding erratically in Sebastian’s lap, begging for things he didn’t know the name of, Sebastian was hard pressed to deny his little kitten. It was selfless, really, releasing Ciel’s hardness from his shorts and slowly stroking his drooling erection while he mewed and tossed his hair. His lovely pet needed release and Sebastian had every intention of training him from the start to come to him whenever he was eager to be touched.

Although Ciel had proven to be full of surprises, keeping the demon on his toes, it was a particularly cold Christmas Eve when he had put his head butler into a downright panic. The manor was scarcely ready for the approaching holiday and all of the fanfare that would come along with it and all of the servants had mysteriously disappeared. Sebastian had made an elaborate list of all the chores that needed to be done, but there was no one around at all to do them.

Sebastian was beside himself, worried about disappointing his young master and all of the guests that would be coming by. It simply wouldn’t do to allow the holiday to go on with the estate unprepared for the festivities.

He could only hope that Ciel had sent the servants off on some short errand and they would return promptly, and when the thought crossed his mind he went looking for the little lord, hoping to get a proper explanation as to what had happened to the rest of the Phantomhive staff.

Sebastian was surprised his young master was in neither the library or study, the places he was most likely to spend a snowy, winter afternoon. Ciel’s bedroom, however, also had a rather grand fireplace, and Sebastian decided to check for him there before tearing the mansion apart.

He opened the door and nearly slammed it shut behind him, locking it quickly as he stared at the grinning boy on his bed.

The last thing he wanted was for someone to walk in on Ciel in such a state and see him.

Ciel was wearing his typical kitten attire, though instead of his plain button up night shirt, he wore a pale pink nightie of chiffon and lace that hung just barely below the curve of his round, ruffled behind with a fluffy tail affixed to his panties. The lace near the bust of his nightie complimented his delicate collar, something Ciel had no doubt done on purpose. It was tied in the front with a satin ribbon so that as his hips swayed the chiffon would flow to the sides and expose his tiny belly button. He wore white stocking thigh highs and on the bottom of each foot pink paw pads were sewn on.

He looked positively adorable and Sebastian needed a moment to collect himself, lest he completely lose himself to his lust.

“No one will disturb us, I sent them all away,” Ciel said with a nod toward the door that his shocked butler stood against. “I told them to take a holiday in London and stay at the town home. Everyone else thinks I’ve gone away as well, so we won’t be entertaining any guests.”

Ciel kicked his feet and twirled his tail, cocking his his head and grinning coyly at Sebastian.

“Aren’t you going to tell me how beautiful I am?”

Sebastian stalked toward the bed, stopping in front of where Ciel sat, breathing heavily.

Ciel laughed lightly, standing up on the bed and putting his hands on the demon’s shoulders. Sebastian looked absolutely wrecked already and they hadn’t even started yet.

“When you gave me my collar, you gave me your protection, care and devotion,” the boy said slowly, unbuttoning Sebastian’s tailcoat and sliding it off his shoulders so it dropped to the floor. “You gave me all of yourself and I finally know now how I can give myself to you. Not just my soul, but my self. Me, my devotion, I’m yours.”

Ciel leaned forward, pressing practiced lips against Sebastian’s eager ones; soft, wet, sweet and warm.

“Are you certain?” Sebastian rasped against Ciel’s lips, his fingertips brushing over the boy’s jaw and down his neck to his shoulder. He wanted nothing more than to have what his lovely kitten was offering, but this was nothing like creating a contract. He didn’t want Ciel to have a single regret.

“Yes,” Ciel whispered, lips brushing against the demon’s. “And take off those god forsaken gloves, would you.”

Sebastian chuckled at his sassy little pet, breath hot against Ciel’s hungry mouth. He stared hard into the boy eyes, swirls of red like fire alighting his own as he pulled the white butler gloves from his hands with his teeth. His contract symbol glowed and pulsed along with Ciel’s marked eye in perfect unison, as though they shared a heart and lifeblood.

The beautiful boy grinned deviously, the demon’s apparent lust only further encouraging him. Ciel was no longer the shy, bashful virgin he had been when Sebastian had first collared him. Now he was wanton and eager, aware of what his body was capable of and how Sebastian’s touch could make him feel.

Ciel fumbled at the buttons of Sebastian’s dress shirt with thin, clumsy fingers, until the demon lost his patience and ripped it open and shucked it to the floor, buttons scattering about the bedroom like confetti from a holiday cracker.

“Have you no self control?” Ciel chided and Sebastian shook his head with a snort.

It was taking every bit of it that Sebastian had left within him not to pin his haughty virgin to the bed and ravage him immediately.

“That I haven’t fully made you mine after all of your incessant squirming and begging while sitting on my cock should be proof enough of my restraint.”

“Oh?” Ciel asked, tipping his head and running his fingertips up Sebastian’s smooth, hard stomach. “I haven’t been yours since the beginning?”

“You were,” Sebastian said lowly, wrapping his large hands around Ciel’s slender waist. “But now you want to be. This will be much more enjoyable than marking your eye.”

“I should hope so, that was rather painful,” Ciel said with a toss of his hair that told Sebastian that he really didn’t mind.

“I shall be most gentle with you, little one,” Sebastian murmured, leaning forward and catching the boy’s mouth in a deep kiss as his strong arm hooked around Ciel’s waist.

Sebastian felt as though he had been waiting an eternity for this moment; it was the culmination of everything he never knew he was capable of.

It was no longer a wonder to the demon that humans did such foolish things over love.

There wasn’t a thing at all he wouldn’t do for the precious boy that had melted with submission in his arms.

He nibbled down Ciel’s neck, eliciting delicious gasps from the scrumptiously sensitive boy.

Black fingernails traced lightly over the ruffles on Ciel’s behind and then Sebastian gave one perfectly round curve a firm squeeze.

“I like these,” he purred, nipping at the boy’s collar bone and leaving light bruises on his snow white pale skin. “You should wear them beneath your shorts for me.”

“So you can be distracted by my panties while you’re supposed to be helping me with my work?” Ciel teased, running a hand into Sebastian’s silky black hair and giving it a gentle tug as his fingers twisted firmly into it.

“Would your work not be more enjoyable if there were necessary breaks for pleasure?” Sebastian slipped his hand between Ciel’s legs, running his fingertips over the boy’s covered balls and up the underside of his hardness.

Ciel gasped, biting down on his lip and pulling on the demon’s hair.

“Now, but you mustn’t make such indecent noises while we’re working, little one,” Sebastian said with a dark chuckle, slipping his fingertips beneath the top hem of Ciel’s panties and running them down the sides of his slick shaft.

The boy mewed, fragile hips bucking forward, his wet mouth hanging open with need.

“Such a spoiled little kitten, really,” Sebastian chided, leaning back to watch Ciel’s blissful face as he tugged his panties down and released his erection from its tight, lacy confines. “Just look at you, so entitled and demanding that I pleasure you.”

Ciel snapped his hips again, involuntarily seeking friction, and Sebastian smirked.

“How indecent, the way you all but beg for me to play with you.” Sebastian caught the boy’s ear lobe in his mouth and nibbled it, coaxing a low, throaty moan from Ciel. “You’re absolutely desperate for my hands on you and I love it.”

Sebastian wasn’t about to deny that he had trained the needy little thing to crave his touch, to depend on it for both comfort and pleasure while thoroughly despising the rest of the world around him. He had pieced the broken boy back together in the most appetizing way, filled with utter loathing for everyone that wasn’t him.

He scooped Ciel up so he sat on his forearm and lowered him gently to the bed, the boy’s slate hair fanning out over his stark white pillow and falling away from his face.

“Everyday I find you more beautiful,” Sebastian admitted, spoiling the hungry mouth beneath him with another lingering kiss. No matter how much time passed, nothing about the boy became boring or tiresome to Sebastian. He was more enthralled with him, more addicted and attached with each passing day.

It was clear that his dazed, lust drunk kitten was experiencing the same.

Sebastian kissed down Ciel’s throat, over his collar bone and across his pale chest until he came to the carefully tied ribbon that held the boy’s nightie together. Sebastian pulled apart the bow - that had no doubt taken his clumsy kitten quite some time to tie - with his teeth, making the chiffon fall to either side of his slender body.

He splayed a hand over Ciel’s soft belly, completely covering it with his own, and relished in the way he purred and wrought his fists into the blankets beneath them. He was still as petite as ever, likely never going to have the height his father did, though Sebastian didn’t intend to let him carry on into middle age. He would bind Ciel to him permanently long before then.

Ciel’s weeping hardness was fully exposed then, his panties still clinging to his thighs.

Sebastian had half a mind to rip them off, if only he didn’t want to play with his pet in them again later.

His kitten was panting, hips lifting from the bed as he tried to will Sebastian into slowly stroking him to orgasm as he had so many times before.

As much as Sebastian loved feeling the boy’s cum pulse into his palm and licking the tangy web of seed that slipped between his fingers, tonight he had other plans.

Ciel had said he wanted to give him everything.

Sebastian would be sure his lovely little one wasn’t disappointed.

Ciel hissed when Sebastian dragged the tip of his tongue up his slight length, watching with flushed cheeks as the demon lathed his tongue over the pearl of precum on the head of his cock and then sucked the whole of it into is mouth.

The young Earl, muttered a string of obscenities, twisting his hands into Sebastian’s hair. One shoulder hunched upward, then the other as Ciel tossed his head from side to side on the pillow, sweaty bangs sticking to his forehead.

Sebastian held back a laugh at the little lord’s wholly undignified behavior, turning his attention instead to massaging Ciel’s delicious cock with his tongue, tugging the panties down further as a tiny fist beat against his shoulder.

“Bloody hell, Sebastian, that feels incredible,” Ciel gasped, wriggling and twisted as the demon’s expert mouth sucked him off and stroked his slick tongue up and down his length, swirling it over his pet’s luscious little cock head.

“Language, kitten,” Sebastian chided teasingly, crawling back up Ciel’s body, covering his smaller chest with his own. He kissed him again, then got up from the bed, undressing completely while the boy watched him with longing, waiting for him to return.

He searched through Ciel’s nightstand for the vial of oil he used on occasion for massages, pausing for a moment and then looking back to the bed.

The way the boy stared at him took his breath away.

He had seen a fair amount of lust before, it being a rather common emotion with the humans he ran into throughout his existence, but what he caught in Ciel’s trusting eyes was something completely different.

Sebastian climbed back onto the bed, bracing himself on one arm above Ciel and cupping his face with his other hand, his thumb brushing over his plush cheek as the boy’s eyelids drooped.

This was exactly what it was that Sebastian had spent thousands of years shaking his head at humans for. How they would allow an emotion the demon could never understand to consume them so.

And now Sebastian found himself utterly submerged in it by the incredible boy resting his cheek in his palm and reflecting back to him the same look Sebastian was sure was in his own eyes.

He shifted his weight, pooling some of the oil into his hand and down his fingers, then hooked his arm beneath the boy’s leg and lifted it so Ciel’s ankle could rest against his shoulder. Sebastian dipped his head down, long bangs falling across his face only to be tucked away behind his ears by one of Ciel’s small hands.

“I promise I’ll be gentle, my little love,” Sebastian said with quiet seriousness, his hand falling between the boy’s parted thighs.

“I know you will,” Ciel whispered, his eyes shutting with a sharp breath as one of Sebastian’s long fingers brushed over his entrance.

“Relax, kitten, you’re with me,” Sebastian murmured, gently massaging the tight ring of muscle that had been hidden away until this very moment.

Ciel sighed, fingers tracing down the flexed muscles of Sebastian’s arm as he slowly worked the tip of his finger into the boy’s gradually softening rosebud.

He whispered sweet words to his pet as he always did when he wanted to soothe him, feeling Ciel’s muscles relax all around him as he carefully worked one finger inside the boy’s tight heat that all but pulled him inside.

His kitten was such an eager little thing.

Sebastian crooked his finger knowingly and Ciel’s eyes and mouth flew open as precum pooled onto his belly.

“There we are,” the demon said smoothly, rubbing the pad of his finger against the little pleasure button deep inside his pet.

Ciel whined and mewled, clawing haphazardly at Sebastian’s shoulders as he drooled onto the pillow, the pleasure so intense.

Sebastian kissed the inside of the boy’s calf and slowly, carefully slid his finger partially in and out of his snug channel, further stimulating him and stretching his virgin hole.

When the boy was humming with contented pleasure beneath him, he added more oil, slowly working in a second finger, then a third into Ciel’s wetness.

The way he moaned and his eyes rolled back with bliss made Sebastian so hard it was nearly painful, wanting to indulge in all that Ciel had to offer him but taking the time to properly prepare his precious pet.

“Sebastian,” Ciel murmured breathlessly, running the tips of his fingers over the demon’s sweaty cheek. “Make love to me, please, I don’t care if it hurts, I just want you inside me.”

Sebastian lost it then, so wrought with desire he could scarcely maintain his human form. Black feathers fell from his back, floating onto the white comforters around Ciel and peppering the white comforters with darkness.

“Yes, my pet,” Sebastian said lowly, his eyes flaring red and he slicked oil onto his heavy cock and lined it up with Ciel’s little pink hole.

‘Mine’ was what screamed inside of the demon’s mind as he pushed slowly into Ciel’s silken heat, his virgin love crying out at the stretch and the pleasure of having Sebastian take him just how he needed it.

Sebastian grit his teeth, staying still to allow the boy to adjust, staving his hips from pounding against Ciel’s plush ass so hard it would bruise.

Ciel lifted his hands, pressing sweaty palms to Sebastian’s cheeks and pulling him down for a sloppy, desperate kiss. The demon gently slid the rest of the way inside his little lover, the boy cooing against his lips as he bottomed out.

“You’re all mine now,” Sebastian rasped, kissing Ciel’s salty cheek as he began to fuck gently into the boy’s tightness.

“Sebastian, Sebastian,” Ciel babbled, his own cock brushing against the demon’s stomach with each thrust, stars bursting in his eyes from the pleasure.

“My name sounds delicious on your lips,” Sebastian said lowly, angling his hips to ensure his cock stroked his pet’s prostate and smirking when the boy yelped and dug his fingernails into his arms.

It wasn’t long after that Ciel came with a howl, hitting Sebastian’s stomach with hot cum that dripped onto his own belly as the demon was spurred on.

Sebastian growled, coming undone as Ciel tightened up around him and milked his cock, filling up his precious kitten with an inhuman amount of cum, coating his insides and painting them white with his seed.

He collapsed beside the boy, panting and pulling him to his chest, his arms wrapped around him tightly and Ciel’s face in his neck.

He kissed Ciel’s head and rubbed his face into his hair, wholly unwilling to let go of the tiny thing in his embrace.

It was certain now more than ever, he would never be able to let go.

Sebastian pulled the blankets over their exposed bodies, cuddling the exhausted boy close as the snow continued to fall outside, the crackling of the fire the only sound in the manor besides their intermingling breaths and the beating of their hearts.

The world was blanketed with white when they awoke on Christmas morning, still entangled in each others arms. Sebastian hadn’t bothered to draw the curtains the night before, nor did he have any inclination to perform any of their usual morning routines.

“Merry Christmas,” he whispered to the crooked eared kitten stirring against his chest.

“Mmph,” Ciel murmured, slowly opening his eyes and then tipping his head up to look at Sebastian.

Sebastian brushed his hair from his face, tracing his fingers over the boy’s delicate features, amazed all over again that anyone so perfect would willing give themselves to him, a demon, when he could surely have anyone on Earth or otherwise.

“Did you like your present?” Ciel teased, and Sebastian chuckled and ruffled his fingers into his hair.

“I do have something for you,” he said casually, smiling again when Ciel’s face lit up.

He kissed the boy’s forehead and got up from the bed, picking his tailcoat up from the floor and retrieving a velvet box from inside of a pocket. Ciel was grinning with excitement when Sebastian slipped back into the bed beside him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and handing him the box.

“It’s something I’ve been wanting to give you for a long time,” he explained, watching Ciel carefully as he opened the box.

Inside was a choker necklace made of platinum, intricately designed with brilliant sapphires and rubies going all the way around.

“A necklace?” Ciel asked, pulling it from the box and into his small hands.

“A collar,” Sebastian explained, taking the choker from the boy’s hands and into his own. “One you can wear everyday that is suitable for someone of your stature. So you do not ever need to be without my promise to you.”

Ciel blinked rapidly, staring back at Sebastian with such genuine adoration and happiness that Sebastian was quite speechless.

He unfastened the lace collar from around the boy’s neck and replaced it with his new one, smiling fondly when Ciel brushed his finger tips over it with a grin.


“A symbol of my devotion to you,” Sebastian said warmly, pulling Ciel back down into the bed against him and kissing his smiling lips. “Something I never knew the pleasure of until I found you, and now I’ve no intention of ever forgetting.”