Nevermore

Extra warnings: Future M/M, anal + oral sex, shouta, references to past rape, blood/gore/violence. This chapter: mild m/m + shota, making out.

The Mark

….

Sebastian wasted no time in making himself presentable before attending to his master's morning routine. Ciel had insisted that Sebastian take care of himself first, though the reasoning behind this was a desire to lay in bed for a few minutes longer. Not sleeping, no, but… relaxing.

He was back before Ciel was satisfied with the time he'd had to lounge.

Sebastian always seemed to smell of cinnamon and cloves, a sweet but spicy smell that reminded Ciel of holiday desserts. Sometimes he wondered if this was from being in the kitchen so often or if it was some sort of cologne. Perhaps all demons just smelled like pumpkin pie. As the butler lead his master into the bathroom, Ciel stared at the well-tailored fabric shifting over the smooth flat plains of the taller man's back and silently noted how that perfectly postured walk caused those long coat tails to sway evenly.

The teen yawned, wondering idly if he'd taste of cinnamon and cloves as well, then frowned and shook his head, flustered and uncomfortable with his own train of thought. Of course Sebastian would not taste like any sort of spice! He would taste like skin! Whatever skin tasted like.

Ciel blushed again and stared at the floor like it had just insulted him.

Sebastian, sensing his master's discomfort, turned to face him once they were safely alone and in the bathroom. Ah, pink cheeks. Perhaps he could make those pink cheeks turn red. "Is something the matter, Young Master? You appear to have a fever…" One glove was slipped from the demon's hand, the back of it elegantly placed to the frowning teen's brow, though it was quickly shoved away by the boy in question with an embarrassed huff. "I'm fine, Sebastian. Just tired." The demon simply grinned and turned in one swift motion to run water into the bathtub. Boiling water had already been prepared and sent up, so he poured that into the cold water that had come from the tap, creating a large amount of steam but a very nicely warmed bath. Lavender and rose oils were added to scent it.

While the steam was settling, Sebastian cleaned Ciel's teeth, though the boy seemed unenthused about the idea of his servant doing this for him. Soap and a washcloth were readied by the large claw-footed tub and the contracted demon removed his black butler's blazer, leaving him in his vest and blouse which had its sleeves rolled up to the elbows. It was quite rare to see any part of him other than his hands and face – even a little forearm was something that only Ciel ever saw. Gloves off, Sebastian knelt down before the young master who stood only in his nightshirt, which reached just past his knees. It always felt… different… when Sebastian undressed him without gloves. Somehow, the clinical element was removed, leaving Ciel feeling vulnerable under the demon butler's careful touch. Those hands reached up to start at the top button.

His hands were warm.

Ciel's thoughts travelled back to waking up with the butler's arms secured around him in a protective embrace and he couldn't help but look down at the man's face, one he'd never really bothered to examine before. He'd known that Sebastian was obviously what most would consider handsome, but to be honest, the demon was, quite simply, hauntingly beautiful, even for a man. Not only that, but there didn't appear to be a single flaw on him, at least not that Ciel had noticed. His hair was so soft looking, too. In fact, Ciel hadn't even realized he'd reached down to lightly run his fingers through the demon's raven black fringe until the demon in question stopped halfway down the row of buttons, staring at Ciel in unabashed surprise.

They both stared at each other for a moment, the younger of the two seemingly stuck in position like a little statue, hand poised just at his butler's temple with a lock of hair sliding between his fingers while the older male just blinked up at him as if contemplating how to react. Ciel's heart began to thud.

Why had he done that?

Sebastian grinned when Ciel yanked his hand away as if burned, eyes as wide as saucers. "I was just… don't stare at me like that. I was simply curious as to whether your hair feels as soft as it looks!" Pause. "I mean… I…" Ciel cut himself off, aware that he was only incriminating himself further by unintentionally complimenting the demon. Now Sebastian would use this against him, for sure.

The unreadable grin spread further along the strangely pretty mouth of that devil butler. "Well, does it, Young Master?"

Ciel nodded quietly, so embarrassed that he couldn't even think of an intelligent reply.

Sebastian was well aware of the younger boy's state of flustered embarrassment and only felt encouraged by it. There was nothing, of course, in their contract that said anything about teasing his master (or thinly veiled sexual harassment, for that matter). "I'm glad that my hair pleases the Young Master." The last few buttons were unfastened and Ciel hardly even noticed until that frustratingly perfect devil was snaking upward, lips dangerously close to Ciel's bare skin on the way up, until he was standing straight and sliding the unbuttoned nightshirt from Ciel's dainty shoulders. Why was he doing it so slowly? Ciel's cheeks felt so hot that they might melt away.

"Young Master." Sebastian purred. "I am here to serve you – in whatever way you see fit. There is no need to have an asthma attack because you've touched my hair. I won't bite." The tall, dark haired man leaned in over the stunned and silent Ciel who was trying desperately to look dignified. Lips touched the boy's ear – almost, sending shivers from warm breath down his spine. "Unless you ask me to." Ciel was very near to reaching out for him and grasping the collar of that shirt. In fact, they were standing close enough that he could feel the taller male's body heat until Sebastian was suddenly gone.

As if nothing out of the ordinary had happened, Sebastian folded up the worn nightshirt and discarded it to be washed. Ciel stood with his back ramrod straight and his cheeks a hot pink. "You-" The earl paused, still quite flustered. "You are so indecent, demon!" Sebastian grinned but didn't reply. Instead, he guided the flustered teen count to the bath and helped him into the lightly steaming water (though he was smacked away twice).

The bath went at a seemingly slower pace than usual, though in reality it was just Ciel feeling unbelievably flustered and embarrassed, unable to rid himself of such unpleasant feelings when the reason for such emotions was sliding soap-lathered fingers and a cloth across his naked body. Good lord!

However, Sebastian seemed content in his small victory and did not pursue the matter of Ciel's blushing cheeks any further for the time being. The boy was dressed without event, glad that his cocky butler had let up on the teasing.

Not to be outdone, however, Ciel was particularly stony on the carriage ride toward town. Any orders given were sharp and short. He made as little eye contact with the butler as possible.

Sebastian didn't like this, no, not one bit. However, being a faithful and obedient butler meant doing as his master said, and when his master said to 'shut up and stop smiling as if you are having unclean thoughts' it had better be done… for a while, at least.

Ciel was well aware that matters of Heaven and Hell were irrelevant to him – he knew his fate. His soul would be consumed and would then cease to exist. No Heaven, no Hell. Nothing. Only Sebastian. It was what he wanted, and it eliminated any 'Christian' or 'moral' reason to abstain from sinful activities and thoughts. Still, what was 'right and proper' for a Victorian gentleman had been shoved deep into the recesses of the young Ciel's mind. He was well aware by that point that the thoughts he'd been having about his butler were far from acceptable in proper, hetero-normative society. It was frustrating. On top of that, Sebastian was… well, Sebastian. He was not just a demon, he was a monstrously frustrating demon who seemed hell-bent on teasing Ciel right out of his mind and into a mad-house! Certainly even a demon could understand how improper it was to stand as close as he had that morning, or touch his lips to his ear, or flirt so obviously…

The earl's heart thudded against his chest and he felt his face warming. When he was sure Sebastian mustn't have been looking, he chanced a glance in his direction. Of course, being Sebastian, the demon's eyes immediately slid right toward him, expression somewhat expectant, smile demure.

"Stop that!" Ciel complained, voice sharp.

Sebastian wasn't entirely sure what he was supposed to stop doing, but he lifted a single brow and looked back out the window at the passing countryside while Ciel silently fumed.

'I should be figuring out how to deal with this parasitic demon anyway, not thinking about Sebastian in inappropriate ways, like how handsome he is when he turns his head at just that angle...' Ciel cursed his inner monologue and attempted to divert his attention elsewhere. Yes. He was still hungry and Sebastian had promised breakfast in town. Houses were slowly becoming more frequent and the sheep and farms less so as their carriage drew nearer to town. The streets soon became cobbled, no longer gravel or dirt.

As Sebastian promised, the teahouse was one of the finest in the city, though still nowhere near as good as his butler's own tea and cooking. However, it satisfied the hungry teenager. Sebastian, as usual, did not eat.

Afterward, they were soon back in the carriage and en route to the Undertaker's 'shop'. The trip was much shorter than the previous, as they were already in town. Ciel's feet shifted uncomfortably as the carriage slowly drew to a stop in front of the seedy looking structure. He hated dealing with the Undertaker. A glance in Sebastian's direction told that the demon wasn't any more excited than he.

'At least I won't be suffering alone.' Ciel thought, placing his tall top hat upon his head, its height a symbol of his social status. Sebastian ushered the boy out onto the cobblestone street, placing a protective palm against the small of the teenager's back as he lead him toward the Undertaker's door. To most it would seem inconsequential, but Ciel knew that this simple action meant that Sebastian had his hackles raised, likely due to both the attempted possession and the fact that he simply didn't like for Ciel to enter the private space of a reaper.

The door opened with a merry jingle, unfitting for the dark and dank of what was to be found inside. At first, there appeared to be no sign of the Undertaker, but Sebastian's eyes slid quickly to a coffin at the far left of the store, propped against the wall. There was the sound of movement behind its closed lid before a pair of spidery white hands seemed to crawl out of one side of the lid, pushing it open like a door. Connected to those hands were the arms of the Undertaker himself, looking as dusty and creepy as usual. Ciel covered his nose and mouth with a handkerchief to avoid breathing in too much of the formaldehyde stench.

As both master and servant stood trying to look as unbothered as possible, the creepy coffin maker grinned, closing the casket against the wall to shuffle toward Ciel with a smug and knowing expression. Sebastian visibly tensed, apparently on guard against anything and everything that came near Ciel.

The Undertaker, of course, picked up on this. "Protective, are we?" He cooed, his voice that mocking tone that he never seemed to deviate from. "I could have sworn three of you entered, but there are only two! Is the young earl hiding someone in his shirt?"

"Not quite." Sebastian answered, stepping forth to deal with the reaper so that Ciel could sit down. The teenager did so but kept his gaze upon the undertaker (and the handkerchief over his mouth). Fingers wriggling excitedly in the air and clawed nails clicking, the reaper shuffled uncomfortably close to Sebastian, who didn't react in any way other than to narrow his eyes minutely. "So what is it you've come to visit me about? I am not aware of any deaths related to either of you and the young earl here has made it abundantly clear in the past that he is uninterested in a preemptive coffin…" There was a pause as he silently regarded the two stony males. Ciel looked uncomfortable in his own skin and Sebastian looked just about ready to cart the boy off and hide him in a cupboard. "Could it be your friend there?" Undertaker pointed at Ciel's middle, causing the teen to momentarily flick his gaze toward his midsection.

Sebastian smiled in that infuriatingly polite way he always seemed to manage. "So you've noticed My Lord's passenger." Rounded pupils narrowed into dangerous slits. "We were wondering if you had some inkling as to how to get rid of it."

For a moment, the Undertaker's expression was… well, not quite mocking. Of course, it was hard to tell what kind of face he was making under that hair of his. Still, his demeanor changed. "Count." He started, drumming those long nails over a coffin lid in thought. "How long as your… passenger… been with you?" He seemed minutely confused, which was odd for him.

Sebastian was ready to answer for him, but Ciel made quite the face in his butler's direction, which caused him to change his mind about that. "Just a few days, as far as I am aware. It has been entering through my dreams…" That was all the Undertaker needed to hear. "You've had it for several days and the thing hasn't possessed you? My my, aren't you a surly little thing?" Those fingers went to wiggling excitedly in the air. Ciel grumbled at having been called little as Sebastian took over. "What exactly do you mean, Undertaker?" The demon's thin brows drew into the barest hint of a frown.

"Certainly you of all people would know how quickly souls are claimed, Butler. This thing obviously wants your master's soul but for some reason cannot take it. I believe that the secret for removing the Earl's parasite lies in discovering the reasons for why it hasn't already begun to take control of it in the first place." That toothy grin spread further upon the reaper's impossibly wide mouth, much like the Cheshire cat, but creepier. "Would you like some tea? Oh, I suppose you two won't be visiting a priest. I doubt there is much to be done there anyway, it would be dangerous to separate you two long enough to perform one of those ceremonies anyway." Ciel hadn't even been given time enough to answer before the Undertaker went ahead with the brewing of tea. The young earl blanched at the thought. Last time he'd been foolish enough to accept tea from the Undertaker, it had been served in beakers. Not only that, but he used teabags – on strings!

"No thank you, I'd rather not-" Ciel was handed a cup of tea. It was in an actual cup, but it had a chip on the lip and there was a discoloration from having been used to hold coffee one too many times. He didn't want to know where the china had come from or how old it was. The style was nearly… rococo, but in shades of black and white. Weird. Ciel stared at it before handing it off to Sebastian without a word. Sebastian put it down on a coffin lid, obviously nowhere near worried about hurting the Undertaker's feelings.

Undertaker did not care in the least; in fact, he seemed to find the entire interaction wholly amusing. "Soooo… Young Earl, for your friend to have entered, there must be some weak point on your body, like a large open wound, missing limb… a missing tooth, anything that bleeds." He seemed to go into a temporary state of half-bliss, thinking about injuries. Probably mortal ones. "I have no such thing." Ciel stated simply, eyeing Sebastian as if he knew what the hell Undertaker was talking about.

"It does not have to be a fresh wound, so long as it connects to the soul, meaning…" The mortician didn't have time to finish.

"I know where it is, Young Master." The butler's gaze slid toward Ciel, his mouth a taunting smile. As frustrating as it was for Ciel to not know what he meant, he was too proud to ask while Undertaker was present. He'd wait to ask Sebastian later, or try to figure it out on his own first. It was his own body, after all! However, despite all that, he was glad that at least Sebastian seemed to understand.

"I do hate to sound rude, but how does that help us, exactly?" The 'surly' teen crossed his arms over his chest, that one visible eye trained upon Undertaker, who shrugged somewhat.

"I'm not sure this has happened before, so I'm not entirely sure. I thought it was a bit of useful information though, in case the place needs to be re-opened to let the thing out again when the time comes…" Undertaker was somewhat passive aggressive, wasn't he? Then again, all three of them were.

The most passive aggressive of them all placed a gloved hand to his chest and gave a slight bow of thanks to the Undertaker. "I certainly hope that we do not become so desperate that such a barbaric act would become necessary." His frown was dark as he stood up straight, Ciel soon doing the same.

That really made Ciel want to know what they meant. In fact, it made him downright nervous.

As Sebastian turned and Ciel politely tipped his hat to leave, the Undertaker called out. "I'll put that one on your tab."

Ciel rolled his good eye and Sebastian remained deadpan to avoid doing the same as he unhitched the steps and opened the door to the carriage, helping his contractor inside. He soon followed, sitting directly in front of Ciel after closing the door and flipping the steps back up so that they wouldn't drag upon the street.

"Your scar, My Lord." Sebastian said simply. Ciel hadn't even had to ask.

Still, the boy stared at him, then took a moment to process – the burn scar. The mark. Though the memories were unpleasant to think about, Ciel distinctly remembered his attackers claiming that the mark was of the 'glorious beast' or something of that nature. It would figure that the same mark would be used by a lesser demon as a portal to get inside him.

"Shit." Ciel cursed. He wasn't normally one to use such common and poor language, but it was really the only thing that properly conveyed his thoughts on the situation.

"Damn it all." He swore again, putting his face into his palm, glowering darkly. He could feel the mark burning into his side as if it were freshly branded into him. Tight heat swelled in the boy's chest, a feeling somewhat familiar. It felt like crying, almost, except stopped midway, choked down by some unseen force. At least Sebastian wouldn't have to see him cry, that would be humiliating. As he sat there, Ciel's expression became a grimace.

…and Sebastian had switched to Ciel's side of the carriage so quickly that the boy hadn't even seen it happen. Arms wrapped around his middle, a gloved hand over the place that they both knew the accursed mark to be. Instantly, it stopped burning, as if cooled by the demon's indirect touch. "Sebas-" Those arms tightened when he sensed that Ciel was about to tell him to let go, dragging the smaller male up into his lap sideways, propping Ciel's cheek upon his shoulder. The top hat slid off to the side before rolling off onto the seat, unnoticed. Ciel was about as stiff as a rock for all of thirty seconds, unsure whether he should be angry, scared, embarrassed, or insulted that his butler – a demon – was embracing him in such an intimate… comforting way. It was like he actually gave a damn.

Ciel's bottom lip trembled before he bit it. Perhaps this once he would just allow himself to be weak, he would just allow Sebastian to do as he pleased, which seemed to be simply to comfort him at that moment. There really was no use hiding his feelings from the demon – even if he didn't show them, Sebastian knew.

Slowly and somewhat reluctantly, small pale fingers finally lifted about the demon's neck and fisted into the black cotton of his jacket, face burying itself into the warm flatness of his butler's toned chest. The sweet and spicy scent of cinnamon and cloves tickled at the boy's nose, along with another less obvious, less artificial scent… a more indescribable touch of what could only be called Sebastian. Ciel inhaled, calming significantly. He could feel the demon's heart beating, which was surreal in and of itself. And comforting.

Sebastian might've chuckled but it was hard to tell – it could have been a purr, for all Ciel understood. The ride home would be at least an hour's travel by carriage, and this was just the beginning of it. Sebastian allowed Ciel to calm and settle against him for a good twenty minutes or so, wondering momentarily if the boy was going to fall asleep on him.

"Young Master." His voice called softly, soothingly. It would be bad for Ciel to fall asleep.

Thankfully, that head lifted, one brilliantly blue eye peeking out from beneath slate bangs. He appeared to be trying to hide his face in Sebastian's shirt, the prideful little thing. "Yes?" He mumbled, voice somewhat muffled against the cloth. His cheeks were an appealing rosy hue and the more he pulled back to allow his face to be seen, it became apparent that he'd also been gnawing on his lip, as was made apparent by the reddening of the two flower petals of flesh. Sebastian simply looked down at him for a moment, contemplating wordlessly. He smiled, which earned a deeper flush from Ciel, who was now forced to remember their bathroom encounter earlier that morning. His fingers clutched the demon's shirt tightly with either nervousness or determination.

Sebastian, on the other hand, seemed to have his smile set on 'charm' and though Ciel hated it, it was working. Not only that, but those eyes were glowing for some unknown reason, pupils trained directly upon Ciel's face, which blushed at the attention. "What are you staring at?" He murmured, squirming a little. Perhaps he should get up and off of Sebastian before he made a rude comment or started mocking him again.

"I was simply thinking that it would be nice to kiss you right now, Young Master." His voice was low but entirely unapologetic. Ciel, on the other hand, was turning the same color as a cherry or a tomato. "You… you indecent…!" The boy stammered, unable to convey his thoughts properly.

"You say this yet remain in my lap, clinging to my collar…" Sebastian continued to tease mercilessly, that sugary sweet smile clinging to his lips as usual. Ciel straightened his back so that while in Sebastian's lap, he straddled him in the seat and placed a finger to the demon's chest 'threateningly'. Their faces weren't more than an inch or two apart. "Listen here, demon. You are the one that pulled me up here like-"

Ciel had to stop talking because Sebastian had effectively silenced him with his mouth. He was kissing him. It wasn't forceful, harsh, or insistent, merely a feather-light and affectionate brush of lips against lips and a flutter of lashes. Ciel's finger dropped and he stared at Sebastian, dumbfounded.

"Forgive me, My Lord, I could not help myself." Sebastian was obviously not regretful in the least.

Ciel seemed to be having some inner battle as he sat there upon Sebastian's thighs, hat on its side on the seat beside them, and eyes blinking in wide-eyed surprise. It was only when Sebastian's hands snuck back around the boy's middle did Ciel seem to come back to life.

Sebastian had kissed him.

"You're so… despicable. You terrible, awful, demon! That… that is not funny. Do not toy with me like that! I am not here to amuse you, Sebastian." Ciel appeared legitimately upset, which in turn upset Sebastian as well.

Carefully, he lifted the angry boy and slid him onto the seat next to him, watching Ciel's red-hot expression with keen interest. "I am not laughing, Young Master." One gloved hand sought out a smaller hand – also gloved, but only about the knuckles and fingers. Ciel nearly jumped at the contact. "No games."

Ciel sniffed indignantly but seemed appeased. He'd turned his face away, but allowed Sebastian to move in close enough for the young earl to shyly rest his head against the demon's shoulder. They rode the majority of the way home like this. The silence was companionable, but still somewhat stiff, as if waiting for something to happen. It was when they reached the gravel road on the final stretch toward the Phantomhive estate property, then the long and winding cobblestone driveway, that a change in the atmosphere changed.

Sensing that the time alone with his butler was soon drawing to a close (the only time they were truly alone was in a moving carriage), the delicate teen peeked up from beside Sebastian's shoulder. "Sebastian…" He started, voice less demanding than usual, a touch of uncertainty there that was truly a rare occurrence for Ciel Phantomhive. "Yes?" Those red eyes flicked down toward Ciel questioningly.

"Ah… Pass my hat over to me, we'll be arriving soon." That china blue gaze slid to the floor, only occasionally sliding back toward Sebastian, especially when the demon leaned over gracefully to pluck the hat from the other seat, dusting it off before handing it over to the young earl. Ciel accepted it silently, staring down at the wide brim and fondling the bow tied about it as if still in thought.

"Sebastian." He repeated.

"Yes, Young Master?" The taller male replied, voice overly patient, perhaps expectantly so.

"I…" Pause. "…would like for you to do that again." He flicked at the bow on the hat anxiously, biting his lip and avoiding eye contact with the demon, who was now very curious. "Do what, My Lord?" The feigned innocence was frustrating. Ciel knew what he was doing and should have known that he would do it, too.

The earl clenched his teeth. "You arrogant demon, I know you only want me to say it aloud. Kiss me. I want you to kiss me, Sebastian."

There was no gloating, no devilish grin, not even a chuckle. Sebastian simply swooped in like a bird of prey and stamped his lips over Ciel's, claiming them thoroughly this second time. The teen's littler body trembled nervously, unsure what to do with his inexperienced lips. This was fine with Sebastian, who found the young earl's inexperience to be quite charming and sweet. He lead as if teaching Ciel what to do, slowly massaging their mouths together in gentle undulations, cupping the younger male's cheek to turn his chin to the side to avoid teeth clashing when Ciel's lips parted, unintentionally inviting Sebastian's tongue which slid in sneakily like a serpent and caused poor little Ciel to nearly have a heart attack in surprise.

The young earl hadn't specified what kind of kiss or how long he'd wanted it to last, after all, and all of the precious little sounds of surprise and the delicate whimpers he made only served to encourage the sinful demon. Just when Sebastian thought that the littler male was too afraid to reciprocate, his cute little tongue began to seek out the butler's own, earning a growl of appreciation.

Ciel's heart felt as if it would pound right out of his chest at that very moment. He couldn't believe he'd asked Sebastian to kiss him. He couldn't believe that Sebastian was kissing him. Again. Parted lips uttered some incoherent sound of enjoyment as Sebastian's hold about his waist tightened, Ciel's own arms looping about the demon's shoulders to pull their two bodies closer. It was as if he was being hypnotized by his butler's lips and tongue and it was one of the most strangely satisfying feelings he'd yet encountered, yet at the same time it left him craving more, though just what more was… well, he hadn't decided yet. Sebastian's lips were warm, like the rest of him, his tongue and mouth hot and slick. It felt funny when their tongues touched, yet it gave the boy a thrill each time it happened. A hand went into Sebastian's hair at the back of his head and the earl silently marveled at how soft it was even while they devoured each other's mouths.

When the kiss ended, Ciel was slightly winded and flushed, lips rouged from pressing against Sebastian's own. He said nothing, simply stared through those long lashes with half-lidded eyes at his demon who gave an extra 'peck' on the mouth and then licked his own lips as if enjoying the taste, smiling.

"We appear to be home, My Lord." Sebastian stated.

Ciel turned to look out the window. That was odd, he hadn't noticed the carriage slow or come to a stop at all. He put his hat on and turned to face the door, sucking in a lungful of breath.

When Sebastian opened the door for him, the blast of cold air off of the English moors nearly knocked Ciel off his feet, not in its force but in its chill.

When had it gotten so warm in the carriage?

…

Author notes:

This chapter was full of shounen-ai and I hope it was satisfying enough to hold you guys over until after I get a bit more plot out of the way (stupid plot, gawd, gtfo of my porn, plot!). I hope I didn't make the boys too terribly OoC in this chapter, it was kind of a challenge to get them to finally kiss without making them do things that are totally out of character. OTL

PS: If you spot typos, let me know.