No True Pair

Title: That Butler, Distracted
Author: ivoryandhorn
Fandom: Kuroshitsuji (manga~)
Characters: Ciel, Sebastian
Rating: PG
Warnings: none
Prompt: Week 1 -- Trapped in a dangerous situation, Ciel Phantomhive sees a side of Sebastian Michaelis that he never knew existed
Notes: ~1500 words.

Summary: In which Ciel learns about one of Sebastian's curious peccadilloes at a most inopportune moment.



The first inkling Ciel had of Sebastian's unusual predilection occurred during what should have been an otherwise entirely ordinary afternoon. Sometime around four or so, as Ciel was in the middle of the hellish mathematics assignment Sebastian had devised for him and that he was halfway convinced contorted numbers in ways which man was not meant to know, came the usual discreet knock upon his study door. It was with great relief that Ciel called for Sebastian to enter. He was, by then, more than ready to refresh himself with his afternoon tea—a bit of tea (Ceylon, if he recalled his instructions to Sebastian correctly) and whatever appropriate snack his butler had devised in the face of Bardroy's culinary incompetence.

Yes, afternoon tea sounded wonderful. And if he could contrive to spill some on his mathematics textbook and avoid finishing the rest of the assignment, well, so much the better.

Sebastian entered Ciel's study as gracefully as if he had been born and bred to be butler from the day of his birth—if he had ever been born. It was too easy to forget Sebastian's true nature, when he passed so easily for human among the other servants, and Ciel laced his fingers tightly to prevent himself from fidgeting with the eyepatch while Sebastian could see.

"Young master," Sebastian said by way of greeting, inclining his head carefully to prevent spilling the tray in his hands. "It is time for afternoon tea."

"Yes," Ciel said eagerly, sitting up in the face of cake and tea. He impatiently pushed his books aside as Sebastian approached to make space, but his excitement was rather rudely marred by an inexplicable urge to sneeze.

Sebastian neatly dodged without spilling a thing, of course, and before Ciel could so much as grope for his pockets he had already whipped out a clean linen handkerchief and pressed it into Ciel's hand. He had the vague impression of his butler leaning over him in concern, upon which he sneezed yet again.

"Are you ill, young master?" Sebastian asked, reaching forward. Ciel sniffed into his handkerchief as Sebastian felt his forehead and probed his cheeks and nose, leaning in deeply to peer at his eyes.

Ciel sneezed three times in quick succession and shoved his butler away, stumbling out of his chair. He sniffled hugely and bunched up the handkerchief in his hand. "I'm not sick," Ciel said crossly. As Sebastian rounded his desk to approach him, concern still painted on his face, Ciel dodged away once again. "My allergies are flaring up."

Surprise flickered in Sebastian eyes as he looked down in concern at his hands and back at the abandoned tea tray. "Allergies, young master?"

"To cats," Ciel clarified. He sneezed again into the handkerchief, feeling crosser than ever. "You haven't been near any cats recently, have you?" he asked suspiciously.

Sebastian just gave him a pitying glance. "Young master, what possible reason could I have to handle a cat?"

Ciel glared up at him. "It's the middle of June. What other reason could I possibly have for sneezing?"

"I'm sure I don't know, young master," Sebastian said serenely, approaching once more. Ciel tried to dodge again, but he felt another sneeze overtake him and somewhere between rearing back with the tingle in his nose and hurtling forward with the force of it, Sebastian had managed to come close enough to scoop him up.

Ciel squirmed in his arms in alarm, something not aided by his continued sneezing. "Put—" sneeze "—me dow—" sneeze "—this inst—" sneeze "Sebas—!" sneeze. The last one left him feeling light-headed from the force of it.

"You are clearly unwell," Sebastian said, as he padded down the hall. "I shall call for Dr. Durless immediately. It would be best if you were to rest for the afternoon, and perhaps also the aft—"

"—s an order, Sebastian," Ciel finally managed to gasp.

Sebastian stopped dead in the hallway. After a long pause, he sighed long-sufferingly and said, "Yes, my lord," before gently lowering Ciel to the ground.

Ciel sniffed and scrubbed at his nose with the handkerchief. "Have Tanaka serve me tea instead," he said scowling. "And get rid of any cats near the manor!"

Sebastian bowed. "I will send for Tanaka immediately, young master, and see to the presence of any and all felines on the grounds."

"See that you do," Ciel snapped. As Sebastian stepped past him down the hall, he sneezed one last time.



---



Ciel thought no more on the incident until two weeks later, during his riding lesson. The stables were set deep in the Phantomhive estate, well out of the way of Finnian's unique hand with the gardens. Sebastian smiled as he appeared, already leading a pony out onto the wide, empty arena.

"I took the liberty of saddling Seraphina for you today, young master," Sebastian said with a decorous bow. "I am afraid that Thompson is still not yet over his cold."

"I suppose it can't be helped," Ciel said irritably. He liked Thompson, who was a generally affable beast and also the one most familiar to him. He hadn't ridden Seraphina since she'd shown up in the stables apropos of nothing save Sebastian's apologetic murmur about liberties taken with stable's funds. As if the demon truly meant them.

"Please warm up as usual, young master," Sebastian said, cupping his hands as a stool for Ciel. He boosted him easily into the saddle, and Ciel settled into it with the force of habit, already reaching for the reins. Seraphina shook her head dubiously as Sebastian stepped away "I will explain today's lesson further when you have done so."

"Alright, alright," Ciel grumbled. Carefully, he attempted to maneuver Seraphina closer to the fence. She stamped her foot before responding, and Ciel quashed the first flush of irritability in favor of retaining control, over himself, over the horse. He had to remain calm. Sebastian watched calmly from behind the fence, gaze cool and unreadable. Ciel knew he wasn't in danger, not as long as the contract held, but even so his back itched between the shoulder blades as Seraphina followed the curve of the fence away from the demon.

Two laps walking. Seraphina tossed her head irritably, stopped once or twice out of what Ciel could only assume was sheer stubbornness. He thought he heard a soft chuckle, soft enough that Sebastian could deny having every done any such thing, but Ciel refused to give in and respond. Eventually, he managed to goad Seraphina into a trot, though she spent a good half a minute refusing to move first. He was convinced Sebastian had done this on purpose, the bastard; Thompson likely wasn't sick at all. It was the sort of thing he would do, wasn't it? Three laps at a trot, and he hissed under his breath as he struggled to get the stubborn horse to move into a canter—

Suddenly, without any warning whatsoever, something small and grey dashed out into the arean, just before Seraphina. She whinnied frantically and reared almost before Ciel had time to process what was happening. There was a horrible moment where he felt himself flung free of her saddle, hovering in the air for one impossibly long second, and then he was falling—

—and landing in Sebastian's arms. However, he had scarcely any time to catch his breath before he'd been unceremoniously dropped onto the dirt below, Sebastian walking off with great intent in every step. Seraphina, apparently calmed by the butler's abrupt appearance, trotted over to nudge aside Ciel's loosened helmet and gnaw musingly at his hair.

Ciel irritably batted her away and scrambled to his feet, dusting himself off; he could see Sebastian kneeling in the dust just ahead, murmuring soft words to the focus of his attention. "What on earth were you thinking?" he demanded, striding over. First Seraphina, then being thrown, and then being dropped, and now—Ciel reached out and shoved Sebastian aside. "Doing such a ridiculous thing—"

"…silken footfalls," Sebastian murmured to himself. The bewildered looking kitten crouched beneath his shadow, looking very much like it would rather not be there. He gently scooped one tiny paw in his fingers, caressing the fur with his thumb. "Your coat tufted with the rawness of youth, but already your spine hints at the sinuous grace you shall soon grow into, and though you beauty is yet untempered it remains without parallel…"

Through another sneeze, Ciel could see the kitten let out a tiny yowl and bite down on Sebastian's gloved fingers.

"…and your strong will, which will surely send your foes fleeing before your amber eyes…"

"S-Sebastian!" Ciel repeated helplessly. He sneezed again, knowing he was holding onto Sebastian for support, which only infuriated him more. "Sebas—oh!"

Sebastian blinked suddenly and looked upwards, as if shaken out of a reverie. "Young master?" he queried.

"Don't young master me!" Ciel snapped. Sebastian rose and gently guided him away from cat, with a backwards gaze of longing. "I told you to get rid of any cats—"

"I assure you, young master, I was merely doing as you ordered and seeing to the presence of the feline—"

Ciel glared blearily up at Sebastian. "You—get rid of it! I don't want any cats on the manor grounds at all!"

Sebastian looked down at him sorrowfully. "But young master—"

"That's an order!"


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