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The Jerk Complex	By : CorCordis Category: > Black Butler (Kuroshitsuji ???) Views: 2565 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Black Butler/Kuroshitsuji. I'm making no money from this.

Chapter List
- 1
- 2
A/N: This will mark my first foray into the Kuroshitsuji fanfiction world. Be gentle. This story takes place in the present (2014), working under the universe the anime created. There may or may not be references to the manga, though to be honest I haven�t planned THAT far ahead yet. Really, this is just an excuse to write, and get Sebastian naked. Huzzah.
Hope you enjoy~
******

CHAPTER ONE: Dancing in the Dark
Maia lifted her arm before her, blocking the air of her yawn with the back of her wrist as she blinked rapidly to dispel the moisture gathering in her eyes. Shaking her head just a fraction, enjoying the tingling sensation of suddenly too much oxygen, she set back into the second batch of sweet bread she had been kneading. She spared a glance for the clock face, pleased to see that she was still a good fifteen minutes ahead of schedule. And Heaven forbid any of her customers were forced to wait an extra minute for their coffee and pastries.

The shop was a modest one � it boasted a single counter with seating space for three, and two small bistro tables along the opposite wall of windows. She had a pretty, antique display case to store samples of that day�s sweets and pastry. The floors were imitation Greek Marble, scuffed and worn from decades of shoes. The counter stools squeaked when you turned on them. The cash register drawer got stuck on occasion. And the biggest money sink she�d had in the past five years was that stupid espresso/cappuccino/whatever machine that sat collecting dust at the coffee station. No one ever bothered to ask for something more than coffee or tea anyway, so she still couldn�t pin down what craziness had made her decide to drop that few thousand on it. Now it sat as a testament of her failures, and she glared at it every chance she could.

Not that Maia was in a habit of failing. Sure, the shop wasn�t making as much money as it used to. And sure, she couldn�t afford to hire any extra help, which meant she spent a full 15 hours there every single day, which in turn put a serious damper on her social life � not that she had had one to begin with, really, but hey. Facts were facts. Besides, she always had Sundays � the doors to the shop remained closed, and her little one bedroom apartment upstairs would become her safe haven of locked doors, drawn blinds, a glass of white wine and Netflix.

Her �recently watched� list was filled with every romantic comedy she could get her hands on.

Maia frowned as she rolled the dough across the cutting board, dusting it with flour as she went. It wasn�t that she wasn�t interested in dating � she just didn�t have the time for it. Her life was literally in this kitchen. Her love was in every pastry she baked, every cup of coffee she poured. This business was her baby, and she outright refused to give it up for anyone. If she drowned her loneliness in the cinematic likes of Patrick Swayze, Julia Roberts or Cary Elwes to compensate, well� that was nobody�s business but her own. And besides, it wasn�t like she was a complete social hermit. She had friends.

Well, one friend whom she rarely got to see, but spoke to on a nearly day-to-day basis, anyway. And bless her heart, Maia couldn�t imagine going through life without Hannah. Adorable, boisterous, loud-mouthed, opinionated, loveable Hannah.

She glanced up at the clock again as she slid the fresh tray of sweet rolls into her old style masonry oven. Her thoughts had caused her to slow her progress, and though she wasn�t late, she had lost at least 10 of her 15 minute head start on the day.
The time for retrospection was over. She had work to do.

*****

Maia smiled at her last customer of the morning, handing him his change with one hand, and his little paper bag with two raspberry scones inside with the other.

�Thanks again, Ross.� She said, turning to begin the cleanup of her latest purchase.

The man, Ross, an elderly gentleman who hadn�t bought a new pair of shoes in the last fifteen years, returned her smile with one of his own, �When are you gonna close up this shop and let an old man enjoy the pleasure of a pretty girl�s company, hm?�

Maia laughed, shaking her head at the man, �I will once you can convince me that Candy wouldn�t scratch my eyeballs out for even glancing at her man.�

Ross�s smile went from warm to downright dazed, his eyes sparkling a little at the mention of his wife�s name.

Maia didn�t mind the old man�s flirting � old men were apt to flirt with young ladies. But more so, she knew how completely devoted Ross was to Candy, how she had the man wrapped around her finger since the day they met, 60sum years prior. They had been married in the spring when they were both only 18; they had three children together, and currently enjoyed the affections of 8 grandchildren.

Maia couldn�t help but feel a little pang of jealousy as she watched Ross leave. The man had so much love in his life, had enjoyed it for nearly 80 years. She missed the days where he would come to the shop with his wife, where she could eavesdrop on them as they occupied one of the two tables, bantering playfully over fresh coffee and peanut butter twists. And all the while, their hands would be linked; their fingers laced together, Ross occasionally brushing his thumb over the back of Candy�s hand. Those days were some of Maia�s favorites, where she could see true love and romance spread out right before her.

Who needed a love life when she could live vicariously through others, right?

She dusted her hands off on her jeans, nodded sagely to herself as she started to wipe down the coffee pot. Ross usually signaled the last of the morning rush customers, and she had about forty five minutes before the late-start people would be coming in. These people were those who didn�t work the usual 9-5 office jobs. They were generally younger, people who worked fast food or retail jobs and as such didn�t have to get up at the crack of dawn to make their commute into the city. She had time to start a second round of pastries in the kitchen, as well as scrub down the used dishes and clean the floor before the first wave of late-starts came through.

She was just about to turn toward the kitchen when she heard the little bell above the door jangle, the signal that she had a customer.

She frowned a little, setting down the small stack of used coffee mugs. It wasn�t unusual, of course, for a few strays to make their way into her shop off schedule. The town was mostly built around tourism, and though it was the off season, there would still undoubtedly be the occasional out-of-towner. Perhaps someone just was passing through on their way to the city. It wasn�t unheard of. Still, she had to force down the annoyance as she passed through the swinging door onto the main floor of her shop to greet the new arrival.

Oh. Oh my. Certainly not regulars.

Standing in the middle of the shop were two men, and Maia had to wonder how they had made it through the streets unscathed by the town�s female populace, for they were both completely gorgeous.

�Um-�she cleared her throat, suddenly, strangely dry �Hi. What can I get you?�

Her voice nearly trailed off in a squeak as the shorter of the two turned his attention toward her, as though he hadn�t even noticed her presence, his one visible, blue eye so bright and piercing Maia could swear she felt a pain somewhere in her chest. She had to consciously keep herself from taking a step back.

*****
Sebastian watched the small woman with some interest, his eyes narrowing behind the lenses of his sunglasses. Her reaction to Ciel and himself was not very unusual � the young Earl had grown into a relatively handsome man over the centuries; or rather, he had learned enough to cloak himself as one when traveling among civilization. Still, as he had warned his young master many, many years ago, despite the talent one has, it was impossible to hide all demonic aspects. Even he himself could not hide the blackness of his nails, or the unmistakable aura he emitted. Humans, despite their mental slowness and complete dullness of instinct, somehow subconsciously knew there was something �off� about them. They may not be smart enough to run, but some sort of primal intuition inside of them gave them enough of a warning that most people remained understandably cautious.

He watched the young woman forcibly stop herself from stepping away from them, commending her on her nerve, though mentally shaking his head at her for her lack of judgment. They were dangerous things. She shouldn�t be welcoming them anywhere near her.

�Do you have Earl Grey?�

The woman blinked at Ciel�s question, as though she were surprised he would breach the silence that had formed around them. Then, she did something most unexpected.

She laughed.

Both Ciel and he were taken aback by her reaction, but he noted how her shoulders relaxed, how her posture showed her relief.

�Yeah, sure. Have a seat, guys. I�ll be right back.� With a flourish of long, auburn curls, she pushed opened the swinging door to the back of the shop where Sebastian could hear the sounds of tin and delicate porcelain being maneuvered about.

Ciel was the first to sit, the round leather seat of the counter stool squeaking with age. He followed suit, resting his elbows on the counter top.

�You�re sense of smell has only grown stronger, Master.�

Ciel hummed, his eye watching the kitchen door intently.

�Surely you know by now that to masticate is beneath you?�

�I�m not masticating. I�m choosing to take pleasure where I can find it. And drinking tea brings me pleasure. Surely this is something you would encourage?�

The acid in his tone was enough to make Sebastian rankle, but he could find no fault with his Master�s argument. Since Ciel had aged, his Demonic powers growing, Sebastian had done his best to explain the changes his Master was going through. Though the transition from Human to Demon was a seamless one, at least physically, the young Earl was not at all prepared for the barrage of smaller, subtler changes he would have to face.

His senses were greatly enhanced, now, as well as his reflexes. Couple that with the equivalent of puberty, and the boy was a right mess for several decades. Add to that, he had outright refused to eat for nearly five years after his change, and as a result had withered greatly.

Even now, the young man would only take sustenance once a year, and even then, it was a struggle to convince the once-Human to do so at all, let alone take enough to keep him going for another 12 months. With his age, he was not required to eat very often anyway, which was a small blessing for both himself and Sebastian. It was a large enough chore to find a soul corrupt enough that Ciel would not rip himself apart with guilt for months after, let alone convincing the Earl that his continued existence was important enough to endure.

Frankly, Sebastian was long sick of the child�s dramatic outbursts over the whole ordeal. He needed to eat, so he must eat. End of story; move on with your damned life.

He was just about to launch into another internal tirade when the young shop owner exited the kitchen. She pushed the swinging door aside with the curve of her hip, twisting to show the items in her hand.

On a pretty, rosewood tray, she carried a cheaply made, but well used porcelain teapot with two matching cups and saucers. Beside them was a copper tea kettle, steam still pouring from the spout. Laid out next to them were a tin steeper and a small can emblazoned with the words �Organic Loose Leaf Earl Grey Tea�.

Sebastian had to admit that he was somewhat impressed with the girl, now. There were few in this barbaric country who even knew loose leaf tea existed. Ciel, for his part, barely held a wanton moan in check as he watched the woman pour the hot water into the tea pot, only to drain it down the sink and refill it. One must never forget to warm the pot first; it was only the socially acceptable way to serve tea, after all. Sebastian glanced up at the girl, finding himself smirking at the expression on her face.

She was smiling, but it was a quiet, amused smile, not meant to attract attention. She did not want her customers to think she was making fun of them, but Ciel�s reaction to her tea set up was enough to please her. The young Lord closed his eye, breathing deeply of the scent of the tea as it steeped in the hot water.

�How strong would you like it? Colored water or thick enough to chew?�

Sebastian chuckled, ignoring the questioning expression his Master shot him, �My young� friend, likes his tea quite strong, though I believe I will take mine somewhere in the middle of this spectrum you have created.�

The woman smiled again, carefully pouring Sebastian�s serving into the little teacup. He noted that there was a small chip along the saucer�s rim, though he found the effect to be enchanting rather than off-putting. In fact, the entire shop seemed to have some strange charm to it that he couldn�t quite put his finger on. Though he had never experienced it, Sebastian suspected that this little shop had what many human�s had called that �feeling of home�. It was warm, the smells were delightful but subtle, and the furniture was worn in and comfortable. There was nothing overstated or garish. It was all simple and elegant, and he had to admit, that it seemed to reflect the owner perfectly.
*****

Maia had to pat herself on the back for her composure; it wasn�t often that supremely gorgeous men found their way into her shop, let alone gorgeous men with accents. Really, for a romance junky like herself, it was like she had stumbled into the garden of Eden and fell face first into a big ole� pile of pure awesome. Not that she could really do anything about it (who had the time, after all?) but she didn�t see the harm in admiring the goods. So I�ll just do some window shopping. No harm, no foul.

She set the now full teacup down on the counter before the hottie in the sunglasses, allowing herself a longer glance than she had before. Beautiful, well-kept hair. Clear, unblemished skin. An impressive build from what she could see. Obviously moneyed, if the cut of his clothes was any indication. Definitely a damn on the hotness scale.

She darted her eyes to the left, doing a quick perusal of the other man, as well.

Slightly shorter than the black-haired yum-machine, but no less impressive. His hair was a lighter shade of black, almost blue under the lights, cut in such a way to hide a portion of his face; and immediately, Maia could see why. Beneath the fringe was an eye patch, and though she could see no scarring peeking through, she could tell the man was self-conscious about it; the way he kept that side of his face hidden, turning away just enough to draw attention to his left side was obvious to her. Still, despite the flaw, he too showed an excellent build and a sort of old-world good looks you normally only saw on novel covers (her own collection held quite a few � thank you, Fabio!).

She slid his own cup of tea over to him, collecting her kettle and pot as she watched the men from beneath her lashes.

The shorter man with the eye patch sipped at the tea, his visible eye closing slowly as he held the liquid in his mouth. For a moment, Maia thought he would spit it back out, but he eventually swallowed, exhaling slowly, a slight shiver racing over his limbs.

�It pleases you?� the black-haired-take-me-I�m-yours man asked.

�Immensely. I haven�t had a decent cup of tea since you refused to make it for me any longer, Sebastian.�

Ooooh, Sebastian. Me likey.

But on the trail of that thought, Maia felt something in her brain click. The way the dark haired man turned to the other, his curiosity evident, and the slight smirk as he asked. The suggestion that their relationship was intimate enough for one to bring the other tea�

Curses. Foiled again.

Well, she figured, at least they made a cute couple. And she only felt slightly guilty for ogling a taken man.

Rats.
*****

For the first few minutes of their visit, Sebastian could feel the pleasure radiating off of the young woman who served them. She genuinely enjoyed serving her customers, and it showed in her mannerisms, her expression, and in the energy she exuded. One could call it an �aura�, but he could taste it for what it was. It was her soul, shining brightly against the rustic, earthy backdrop of her shop. The flavor of it mingled with the tea, leaving a pleasant tingle against his palate. It made him want to lick his teeth to catch the last remnants.

But once Ciel had sampled the Earl Gray, he immediately sensed the change in her mood. Giddy pleasure had shifted so abruptly to cool disappointment, Sebastian had wondered if they had offended her in some way. But a look at her showed she still smiled, she was still glad to be serving them; her eyes had simply ceased to wander between them, taking them in as though she were imprinting them on her memory. Now she only looked on occasion, glancing up and back down again as she gathered her implements.

With an exhausted smile, she cradled the tea tray against her hip, �Well boys, if you�ll please excuse me a minute, I�ve got to start the prep work for the mid-morning rush. Gimme a shout if you need anything else.�

�Of course, Miss.� Sebastian said, when Ciel only nodded, his attention completely engrossed in his tea cup.

He turned to the boy, resting his cheek against his palm, watching the Lord savor every millimeter of warmed liquid. Eventually, the other Demon grew irritated with the scrutiny and turned a glaring expression toward him.

�Is there a problem?�

�I was just wondering how much longer you plan to nurse that swill, Master? In case you have forgotten, we are on a schedule.�

Ciel snorted, taking another sip, �I am almost finished. You may leave payment on the counter for the proprietor.�

Sebastian nodded, fishing through his coat pockets for the little leather wallet. He frowned at the frayed edges, making a mental note to pick another one up soon. He plucked a ten dollar bill from the fold, sliding the corner beneath his saucer before standing, offering his hand to his Master. The younger man merely snorted, standing on his own and turning away from the counter.

�Come along then," Ciel grumbled, "Unless you planned to flirt with the tart some more and really throw off our time table.�
*****

Maia huffed happily as she turned the key in the lock Saturday evening, two weeks later. It had been a busier week than usual, with college starting again next month, and she looked forward to the coming work load. Most of the student chose to eat on the campus, but their parents? Oh boy, their parents couldn�t go five minutes without a cup of coffee! It was promising to be a very profitable season, and she couldn�t wait to experience it.

At least, that was the attitude she had clung to over the past couple of weeks.

Still forcing herself to smile, she wrapped her scarf around her neck, tucking the ends into her coat before she reached down to retrieve her knapsack. The door to her apartment was on the other side of the building, a quick, two minute walk, but even so, it had been getting progressively colder, and she didn�t relish having to crank the heat up in her home until she had absolutely no choice in the matter.

She had just turned to head down the alley when she heard a distinctly familiar, irritating voice.

�Well, hello again.�

Maia winced. That voice had been so hot when he had first come into her shop. Now it just rankled inside her brain.

�I was just wondering how much longer you planned to nurse that swill, Master?�

�I would never flirt with a common girl like her, Master.�

�I am far too attractive and rich to even let her lick my shoes.�

Well, maybe that last one she had made up in a fit, but it sounded like it something they could have said. Hannah had agreed with her, after their two hour conversation, bashing the two men to Hell and back. She loved that Hannah, she really did.

Still, she turned, plastering her usual how-may-I-help-you? Smile on her face. She hoped it didn�t look too much like a grimace.

And there he was � tall, dark and delicious, dressed all in black, his shoes shined, his cologne smelling of propriety and cold, hard cash. It was sickening, infuriating, and Maia despised herself for feeling her stomach flutter at the mere sight of him. He still wore his sunglasses, despite the setting sun, and aside from his neck and face, not a single inch of his pale skin was showing. Still, he looked amazing, and it only irritated her all the more.

It was so unfair.

�Ah, welcome back,� she said, �I�m sorry, but I just closed the shop for the night. We open again Monday morning, seven sharp.�

She had just began crouching down to take hold of her bag again, when he responded, freezing her in place.

�That�s a shame. I did so enjoy the confections before. I had hoped to bring some home to my� friend.�
Okay, enough was enough. How dare he show up here looking annoyingly gorgeous, and then have the nerve to drip honeyed words of pure bull? Maia could take insults to her person; she could handle outright rejection, but to blatantly insult her livelihood behind her back, then act all pretty and sweet to her face?

She refused to stand for it.

She smiled at him, malicious and leering, gratified to see the corners of his mouth turn down at her expression, �A shame, is it? Well, I guess you and your mini-me will just have to wait for Monday to have another cup of my �swill�, now won�t you? Now if you�ll excuse me, Sir, I have things to do.�

She had the satisfaction of seeing his lips thin as she spoke, a brow cocking right before she spun on her heel, heading down the alley way. Her indignation was still strong enough she didn�t worry about going down a shadowy path with a stranger at her back.

Maybe she should have.

�Wait! Miss!�

She waved her hand over her shoulder, dismissing him. Unfortunately for her, this rich stranger wasn�t very good at taking rejection. She didn�t even hear his expensive shoes hitting the pavement as he ran to catch up with her, didn�t know he was coming until she felt his hand grasp her shoulder.

Instinct kicked in in time with her adrenaline, and she swung violently around, her knapsack arching around in front of her, connecting harshly with the side of his face.

She watched the alley light reflect off the sunglasses as they went flying, smacking into the brick wall and shattering into several pieces. Her body hung limp, shocked by her own reaction, surprised to find him still standing there, his face turned in profile, his longish hair casting his eyes into shadow. Despite the poor lighting, she could distinctly see a trickle of blood from his now-split lower lip.

�Ah� Ah, crap.�

Sebastian would never say that he was easily surprised; he had lived a very, very long time, and had seen and done it all. But still, he could easily admit that this woman�s reactions had taken him aback, even the littlest of bits. She was quickly proving unpredictable; someone as small and delicate as she should never have tried to strike him, someone with nearly a foot in height on her; someone who put forth great pains to ensure those around him knew on subconscious levels that he was to be avoided.

Still, the taste of blood lingered on his tongue, and the stinging sensation in his lip would not be explained away. She had struck him, and though he could see her trembling in shock at her own actions, her reaction at the time had only confirmed his suspicions of her two weeks ago. The girl put her soul into every action she took, and for the briefest second as she had swung that infernal bag towards his head, he had seen the bright light of her soul shining around her like rainbow, nearly blinding him.

It made the air taste like burned bread and chocolate. It was a bizarre combination, to say the least. It was no wonder his Master bade him to return to the shop, to seek her out again. What Ciel really wanted with her, Sebastian did not know, but he would not fail to carry out the boy�s orders.

�Oh my God I�m so sorry! Are you okay? Of course you�re not okay, what am I thinking, holy jeez your glasses I�m so sorry!�

As she rambled, Sebastian lifted his gloved hand to his mouth, dabbing at the wound. It was already healing, the sting quickly fading.

�It�s quite alright, Miss. It was my own fault, chasing after you in such a way.�

�Shut up no it�s not! C�mon!�

She grabbed the hand he had been using to prod at his sore lip, and with a lot more strength than her small body belayed, dragged him back down the alley toward the doors of her shop.
*****

�You know, I keep thinking about what you said� that you shouldn�t have chased after me. I think you�re right. This is completely your fault.�

Sebastian allowed the corner of his mouth to quirk, and imitation of smile, as the wound on his lip was still healing and he didn�t fancy the skin splitting back open.

He sat on one of the counter stools in the shop, she right next to him, and an open first aid kit on the counter beside her elbow. She was gently dabbing at his chin with a cotton ball soaked in rubbing alcohol, trying to clean the blood from his skin before going after the actual cut. Her little brows were furrowed in concentration, her eyes focused intently on her work, and all around her, her soul flared in dancing colors.

It was very interesting to see waves of light change shapes and hues, and he had to stop himself several times from reaching out to run his hand through them. The air had taken on a new, distinct scent as well: cinnamon and vanilla. He breathed it in, deeply.

�I hardly think we can shift the blame entirely onto me. It wasn�t I who swung a bag filled with bricks at my head.�

She winced, the color of her soul shifting abruptly to a pale yellow, shrinking down until it was nearly invisible, �I�m sorry about your sunglasses. They were expensive?�

Around six hundred dollars, if he remembered correctly, but he reminded himself of his current objective. His Master wanted the woman pliant to them, to trust them, and he would not disappoint.

He smiled a little more, reaching out his hand to set it atop her knee.

�Not so much to make a fuss over, I assure you.�

The woman�s body shot rigid, her hand stilling at his lip, her eyes darting to her leg. Sebastian could sense, even before she spoke, that she was angry.

�Get your hand off of me. Right now.�

He complied, uncertain of where he stood with her, then. He could damn near smell her attraction to him, so what was the problem? Her eyes turned back up to his, piercing and furious.

�I don�t know what your game is, but you�re going to leave me out of it.� Her words may as well have been hissed at him, so filled with vitriol and spite as they were. She went back to cleaning his lip, much less gently than before, and he afforded her a wince.

�I wish I could say I will, but I have no idea what you�re talking about.�

She rolled her eyes, turning back to the first aid kit for the small tube of antiseptic gel, �Yeah, right. I saw the way you and your boyfriend acted. You�re not exactly subtle.�

Boyfriend? What??

�Then you turn around and start hitting on me? I don�t care which way you swing, buddy, but I don�t appreciate being played with. So after I patch you up, you�re going on your merry way and I�ll thank you not to darken my doorstep again, cappisce?�

It took a few moments for her words to sink in, but when they did, Sebastian couldn�t help it. He laughed. Loudly.

She drew away, taking him in as he allowed the laughter to erupt. The expression on her face only made it worse, her brows furrowed, her nose scrunched up in confusion. He waved a hand at her, asking her without words to give him a moment to find his composure.

�My dear Lady, I- I assure you, you are assuming much.�

She frowned harder at him, and it nearly sent him back into his laughing fit.

�The young Lord and I are the farthest thing from romantic partners. I am his Butler, his Servant. That is all.�

Her lips parted, releasing a tiny breath of recognition, realization coloring her eyes. The aura of her soul flared, making the hairs on his neck stand on end as it reached out to caress against him. It drew away just as quickly, as did the set of her jaw, clenching hard. She crossed her arms indignantly.

�Okay, fine. So my gaydar pinged wrong. What about that comment you made about my tea? I know I didn�t mishear that.�

�Ah,� he glanced away, the expression exaggerated for her benefit, �My Lord comes from a place where propriety is paramount. Tea is� something important to him. It has been many years since he has been home. I�m afraid no matter what one does, one can never recreate the familiarity he craves.� He looked back to her, pinning her with his gaze so she understood his words, �I myself have never been fond of tea. I apologize if my comment offended you, but I assure you, my Lord Phantomhive enjoyed it very much.�

She looked down at her lap, still frowning, and he could sense the vulnerability within her. The young woman appeared so strong and defiant on the outside, but like all women, her crusty exterior hid softness beneath. He pushed the advantage he had found, exploiting the weakness, and gently pulled one of her clenched hands away from herself, holding her fingers delicately.

�That is why I returned today. My Lord requested I deliver to him another cup of Earl Grey, and I could think of no better place to find it.� Sebastian bent over the fingers he held, pressing a whisper of a kiss against her knuckles, then glanced up at her through his bangs, �And for the record, I definitely was flirting with you, then.�
*****

Ciel glanced at the clock as Sebastian returned to their rented room, across the street from the strange little coffee shop. He had watched the Demon�s interaction with the woman carefully, before they had retreated into the shop, and though he would never show it outwardly, he was anxious to see what his Butler had discovered.

�Well?�

Sebastian glanced at his Master, taking his time to remove his coat and scarf before giving the man a full report. His lip still stung where she had put the antiseptic on, and his cheekbone still carried a faint throb.

He sat in the chair opposite the younger Demon, relaxing and enjoying the way the young Lord tried in vain not to squirm.

�She is definitely interesting.�

Ciel scoffed at the lame explanation, �I could have told you that. Was I wrong? It was her soul that drew us to that place to begin with?�

Sebastian nodded, reaching up to dab again at the cut on his lip, �There are, of course, other people in this world with the same problem; they do not know how to erect walls between themselves and others to keep those sorts of displays in check, but I do not recall meeting anyone who has such poor control over it. It amazes me the girl has not exhausted herself entirely.�

�Well, what do you suggest we do?�

Sebastian could feel his eyes burning, the glow of his Demonic power ebbing out, belaying his hunger, �We could always eat her, my Lord. She would be a feast to sustain us for years to come.�

Ciel curled his lip at the Butler, rising to pace, his agitation obvious. Sebastian knew how hungry Ciel was, how close they were to the yearly anniversary where the boy would need to hunt someone, to enter into a contract with them, to devour their soul. It had always been cruel people, someone deserving of oblivion, but Sebastian knew that he, like himself, was affected by the soul across the road.

�That is out of the question. I don�t care how enticing she may be. You felt it, just as I did: she is pure.�

Sebastian felt the beast within him growl, ravenous for the flavor of purity. It had been so, so long�

�Are there other demons in the area?�

�No, my Lord. None within several thousand miles.�

Ciel nodded, and Sebastian knew where he was going with his thoughts. He sought to make sure the girl was safe from others like themselves. It had always been a weakness in his Master, though Ciel fought hard to deny it. The boy did not like to see the weak brought to harm, and though he worked to maintain a cold surface, there was softness in the child he had never been able to grow out of.

It made Sebastian sick.

�This is what we�ll do,� Ciel said, turning sharply to face his servant, �We will remain here for the time being. Every place breeds some sort of evil. I will scour the town; try to find someone that will suit our needs. In the meantime, you will watch over the woman, be sure she comes to no harm.�

Sebastian nodded, though the idea of playing nurse maid pained him.

�And what of her inability to shield herself? If it was indeed her soul that called us here, then others will be soon to follow.�

Ciel frowned at that, looking down at the floor, considering.

�Is there no way to teach her to shield herself?�

�Not that I am aware of. Short of entering into a contract with her, she-�

�No!� Ciel shouted, slamming his fist on a nearby end table, �Under no circumstances will she be making a contract with you. That�s an order.�

Sebastian felt the magic move over him, compelling him to comply with another nod.

�We will simply need to research and think of something in the meantime. For now, we will retire for the night. I expect you to visit her in the morning, learn about her, and find out what caused her to be so vulnerable. Maybe by going back to the beginning, we can fix the present.�

�Of course, my Lord.� Sebastian intoned as his Master moved through the living room, into the only bedroom the small apartment afforded. He made his own way to the window, peeking through the blinds at the building across the street.

It was a tall, brickwork box shape, the majority of the first floor an abandoned workshop. Only the woman�s coffee shop and apartment were in use, and he could see the light at the far corner lite, signaling she was awake in her own home. From where he stood, he could feel the lure of her soul calling to him. If he concentrated enough, from this distance, he could almost feel the exact emotion she was experiencing at that moment.

Frustration. Embarrassment. Arousal.

Well, that was hardly a surprise. He was by no means a vain creature, but even he could admit that he was something to behold. What was the point of being a Demon if one could not seduce when necessary?

And that was when it dawned on him, what he was going to do.
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The Jerk Complex