Kuroshitsuji (Sebastian) - Heaven's Fever (4/?)

[PetalsAndThorns]

Hey! So, yeah. I've been gone for a really long time. I still owe people things from last November that I swear I haven't forgotten. >< I fell into a funk over the winter and was just overwhelmed during the Spring semester. I don't know if I'll be active again, but I wrote something and wanted to put it out!

I've never really been super into Kuroshitsuji. But I've watched and read a bit of it. And I really, really like the characters of Ciel and Sebastian and their relationship. So I decided I wanted to write something for them. Even though I think the fandom's been dead around here for a few years ^^;;;

This first chapter is a lot of text without many sneezes. I may continue it, or I may not. I always say I'll continue things, and then never do. So I don't want to get anyone's hopes up. But it's possible.

Also, it's hardly edited, so I apologize for the inevitable typos.

Anyway! With no further ramblings! Here's a thing!

The actual things starts here!

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Heaven's Fever

“I cannot thank you enough for giving me shelter during this storm,” the priest said as he stood on their doorstep. He clutched his meager belongings in his hands as his carriage waited behind him.

“It was nothing,” Ciel replied with a gracious smile. “The Phatomhive household wishes to bring happiness where it’s needed.”

The priest gave a gracious bow and then vanished behind the closing door.

~*~*~

The winding road clattered away beneath the carriage wheels as the priest gazed out of the window his carriage. He watched the landscape whisk past. A forest of mixed treetops opening into a glimmering pond of blue—

A sudden realization hit him and he whipped round to look at his belongings.

“Is there something wrong?” asked the driver from beside the priest. “Did you forget something?”

“Oh! No! Nothing!” the priest quickly replied. “I just forgot the holy water that I’d prepared. Not to worry though, I can easily prepare more when we arrive,” he said, relaxing back in his seat. “And it’s the least I could give back to that sweet child who gave me shelter. Every household can benefit from God’s cleansing.”

~*~*~

“Look out!” Mey-rin’s voice pierced what passed for silence in the Phatomhive household. Bard looked up from where he was sweeping the floor just in time to see Mey-rin flying through the air, her feet whisked out from beneath her as she went toppling forward, a pitcher was sailing from her clutching hands directly toward Sebastian who had just entered the room. In one swift movement Sebastian reached out and snagged the pitcher from the air before it could go shattering into the floor. Unfortunately, he couldn’t control the tilt of the pitcher as it flew, and by the time it had come within reach, all of the water had already come spilling out the top hitting Sebastian like a wave.

“I am so sorry!” Mey-rin peeped, rushing over. “Please forgive me! That was all my fault! Ah! You’re soaking!”

Sebastian gave a heavy sigh and lifted the collar of his coat, feeling the damp seep through the fabric of his gloves.

“Luckily it was just water. Please watch where you’re going in the future, Mey-rin,” he said sternly, returning the pitcher to the maid’s hands. He turned to look around the room.

“…I believe I told you to start tidying up in here this morning, did I not? I gave the order at nine o’clock exactly as I remember. And as I remember I assigned Bard and Mey-rin to do it.”

“…Yes… You did…” Mey-rin replied sheepishly.

“Well then, if I may ask, why is Finny here instead of in the garden? And while we’re on the subject, why is the bookshelf on top of the bed?” Sebastian asked with a smile that managed to be simultaneously sweet and ominous.

“Well… that’s… because, you see…” Mey-rin began stuttering. “Bard had this idea, you see. That this would go a lot faster if we didn’t have to clean around the book shelf—so we called Finny in, and he was just going to move the book shelf just a little, teeny bit, but then Bard thought he saw the mouse we’ve all been trying to catch- so he went to stomp on it- but it was just beneath Finny’s feet- so Finny accidentally kicked him-”

“Kssshhh!”

“-and then Finny almost tripped and the books started falling out and-” Mey-rin came to a sudden screeching halt midsentence. Behind her Bard and Finny had both stopped what they were doing and were staring as well. Sebastian gave them all a cool look as he lowered his hand back to his side.

“Why, may I ask, are you staring at me?”

“Sebastian, did you just…” Finny began.

“Oh no! Where are my manners! You’re soaking wet!” Mey-rin immediately returned to her usual state of blind panic. “You need to get out of those clothes immediately—” her voice cut off again as she suddenly turned a brilliant shade of red and retreated to a corner of the room with a kerchief clamped over a heavy nosebleed.

Sebastian ran a hand through his damp locks and sighed again.

“I think that you have done enough… work… here today,” he said. “Please leave the rest to me.”

“But Sebastian…” Bard started.

“Bard, please help Finny arrange the rocks for the young master’s garden wall. And Mey-rin, please make sure all of the lamps still have oil,” Sebastian instructed them. He chose tasks that he hoped they’d have trouble screwing up- or at least that they wouldn’t screw up so quickly that he could come and take it over before that happened.

“But Sebastian, you should get dry first! We can take care of this room while you do that,” Mey-rin insisted. Sebastian simply smiled at her.

“A butler who can’t do this much isn’t worth salt,” he said. “Now go.”

“Yes sir!” they all chimed in unison before vanishing out the door. As they left Mey-rin lingered by the door for a moment, a slight feeling of uneasiness in her chest for some reason she couldn’t figure out.

“Kkssshhh!”

She jumped as another sound came from the room behind her. Slowly she shifted to peak around the doorframe. By the time she got close enough to see inside Sebastian was already back to collecting the books from where they’d fallen to the floor. His back was to her as he worked. She watched him for a little while, admiring his speed and graceful step as he moved. Almost as if he were perpetually dancing…

“Mey-rin.”

The sound of his voice made her topple over into the doorway.

“Is there something you need?” he asked, still without turning around.

“No sir!” she squeaked before turning and dashing away down the corridor.

~*~*~

“Good afternoon, young master,” Sebastian said as he made his way through the door, a tray of snacks and a tea pot perched on the cart he was wheeling. “It’s time for tea.” He brought the cart up beside his master’s desk. Ciel let the book he’d been reading snap shut and tossed it to the floor.

“Today’s tea is a Ceylon Sonata,” Sebastian said as he prepared his master’s cup.

“Your hair’s wet,” Ceil observed as he watched his butler pour the steaming water over the leaves.

“Yes, sir,” Sebastian replied, finishing his preparation and placing the cup before his master with a warm smile. “Mey-rin had a small accident. I’ve already dealt with the matter.”

Ciel took his cup and leaned back in his chair as he waited for it to cool enough that he could drink it.

“We also have scones made with Belgian chocolate, freshly grown strawberries and whipped cream,” Sebastian continued, setting the arrangement out for his master to choose from. He then made his way around the desk to pick up the book and return it to the bookshelf.

“Are you enjoying your studies?” he asked.

“No more than I enjoy anything else,” Ciel replied apathetically, closing his eyes as he drank in the scent of his tea.

Ah, so he’s in one of those moods, Sebastian observed.

“I’m done with those,” Ciel said bluntly, nodding at a pile of books on the corner of his desk. “Put them away. And I shifted some books when I was looking for them. Make sure everything’s back in order.”

“Yes, my lord,” Sebastian replied. Ciel set down his tea and picked up a scone, flipping open the remaining book he’d kept at his desk. Unlike the others it wasn’t an educational text. It was a novel. One of the few pleasures he allowed himself. He knew he shouldn’t be reading while he ate, but that was why he ate alone. No one could chide him there, or feel insulted, or talk at him. Ciel liked to keep busy with something, anything to keep his mind from wandering… He didn’t usually like the places it went.

“Kiihhshhh!”

A sharp, soft noise snapped his attention away from his novel in a single second. He looked up over the pages at where Sebastian stood tidying the bookshelf, his posture perfectly normal. Ciel blinked at him as he tried to work out if what he’d thought had happened had actually happened.

“Are you well?” he asked. Sebastian turned back with a smile that mixed kindness and curiosity.

“Yes,” he replied. “Why would I not be?”

Maybe he was just hearing things…

Ciel frowned and returned to his book with a wave of his hand for Sebastian to get back to the job at hand.

“No reason. I thought I heard something.”

Ciel continued working through his novel.

Maybe three minutes had passed, Ciel was halfway through his scone, when another sound broke the silence.

“Huh—Kiiihhhsshhh! Kiihhihhshhh!”

Ciel dropped his book again- ready this time he caught Sebastian in the act of pitching forward the second time. He was facing away from Ciel toward the bookshelf, but Ciel could see his shoulders give a sharp jerk and his head snap forward, leaving his hair drifting more slowly back into place. The demon tried to return to his work as if nothing had happened, but this time there was a direct witness.

“Sebastian!”

“Yes, my lord?”

“Did you just sneeze?”

Sebastian hesitated only for a split second before replying, “Yes, my lord. I apologize. Please excuse me.”

“Why?” Ciel said.

“Because I am truly sorr-”

“No, not that!” Ciel snapped. “Why did you sneeze?”

“…I couldn’t say…” Sebastian replied. Ciel gave him the kind of pouting frown that made most people (mainly Lizzy) want to pinch his cheeks. Sebastian couldn’t stop himself from smiling at the sight.

“…Can you fall ill?” Ciel asked, realizing that this was the first time he’d ever wondered. He’d always assumed that just wasn’t possible for demons…

“Not generally, no…” Sebastian replied. “It is very uncommon. Please don’t concern yourself, master.”

Ciel wasn’t sure he accepted that answer, but he sensed that he wasn’t going to win this argument at the moment, so he tabled it for the time being and returned to his book. But for the moment his thoughts were far from the pages. He kept stealing furtive glances at Sebastian as he worked. Looking for any difference in the butler’s usual appearance. Aside from the damp hair, he looked perfectly normal…

Sebastian finished rearranging the bookshelf. By the time he left it the shelves nearly sparked. He took the empty plate and cup from his master’s desk and returned them to the cart he’d brought them on.

“You’re done with lessons for the day, sir,” Sebastian said as he worked. “For the next hour you will be looking over the financial report from India. At six o’clock, you’ll be looking over some new designs that have been submitted…” Sebastian’s voice trailed off and Ciel quickly lifted his eyes to watch the butler.

Sebastian had just carefully set the teacup on the tray. He was now lifting his hand toward his face, long black eyelashes fluttering over red irises. A moment later Sebastian turned on his heel to face away from Ciel. This time his back wasn’t perfectly to Ciel. Instead the boy could see the profile of Sebastian’s face as his eyes drifted shut and he pressed his nose against the back of his hand.

“Huhhh—kiiissshhh!Kiisssshhh!Kiiihhhsssshhh! Huhh—kihhhshhh!”

The legs of Ciel’s chair scraped against the floor as he stood up.

“Sebastian!”

The man straightened up, giving Ciel a sincere, apologetic smile.

“My apologies, my lord.”

“Shut up!” Ciel snapped sternly. Sebastian did as he was told. Ciel surveyed him closely.

“You look pale,” he commented. Sebastian’s smile only softened.

“I always look pale, my lord.”

Ciel didn’t reply. He simply looked Sebastian over suspiciously.

“You’d tell me. If something was wrong. Right?” he asked finally.

“You are the first person I would tell,” Sebastian replied solemnly.

“Promise?” Ciel asked.

“I promise,” Sebastian replied with that same smile. Like he was consoling a five year old. “Thank you for your concern, my lord. I’m touched,” he continued, his smile was playing with Ciel now- teasing. Ciel felt his cheeks color and he flopped back into his chair.

“Get out,” he commanded.

“Yes, my lord,” Sebastian replied.

~*~*~

“Didn’t Sebastian say he’d make dinner? I thought he told you not to even set foot in the kitchen after…”

“Sssshhh. He’ll never know. We’ll just sneak in, make the food up- by the time he knows it’ll be too late to complain,” Bard cut in over Finny as the two of them made their way silently through the halls. They reached the door to the kitchen and Finny pushed it open as quietly as they could. They both blinked in surprise as they peaked at what lay inside.

Dinner had already been started. Sebastian must have beat them to it. But it was strange. Everything was only half prepared. Batter sat waiting to be poured into its mold. A roast sat with its decorations sitting half chopped on the cutting board beside it. And Sebastian was nowhere in sight. The two of them stepped into the room.

“That’s strange…” Finny said to himself. “Sebastian never leaves anything half finished…”

“Don’t complain!” Bard replied brightly. “This is our chance! Grab me an apron an—” His voice stopped abruptly. Finny turned to see what had distracted him and he let out an involuntary gasp.

“Sebastian!”

To the right of the door Sebastian was sitting on the floor, his back resting against the wall behind him. One long leg stretched out on the floor before him, the other was tucked up to his chest. His face was angled down, black hair spilling into it, concealing his expression.

~*~*~

“Bocchan! Bocchan! Bocchan! Bocchan! Bocchan! Bocchan! Bocchan! Boccha—”

“What?!” Ciel snapped slamming his book down on his desk as Finny burst through his door, tumbled over his own feet and face planted in his master’s room. It took a moment or so for Finny to catch his breath, during which time he kept blabbering about something that Ciel couldn’t for the life of him make out.

“Finny, Finny- Calm down,” Ciel commanded. “You’re making no sense, Finny. Just take a moment.”

Finny took a moment to breathe. When he’d finally regained his breath he straightened and burst out.

“Bocchan- it’s Sebastian- He’s collapsed in the kitchen and he doesn’t look well at all!”

Ciel stood in shock as the words sank in, then he was darting out around his desk and dashing through the halls.

~*~*~

He crashed through the doors to the kitchen where he found Bard and Mey-rin both frantically trying to stop Sebastian as the supremely irritated butler continued to chop vegetables.

“Let us do that!”

“You should sit down!”

“Or lie down!”

“Bard, Mey-rin, I’ve told you twice to leave the kitchen. If I have to say it a third time…” he trailed off ominously just as Ciel came crashing through the door.

“Bocchan!” Mey-rin exclaimed as he entered. Ciel stood in the doorway panting, looking from one figure to another. Sebastian’s eyes met Ciel’s and the butler frowned and immediately looked away. Ciel felt something insulted thump in his chest.

“My sincerest apologies, master,” Sebastian said without looking up from his work. “It seems that these three have come to some dramatic conclusions and needlessly inflicted their hysteria on you. I accept full responsibility for letting Finny out of my sight to disturb you.”

Ciel’s hands curled into fists at his sides.

“Get out,” he commanded the others. “Leave us alone and go to another room.” The three obeyed without a second warning. Sebastian tsked. He wasn’t used to Ciel’s commanded being obeyed more readily than his own. He’d have to train them better…

“Sebastian.”

“Yes, my lord?”

“Look at me,” Ciel commanded.

“I’m in the middle of preparing for dinner, my lord. I’ll play games with you later.”

Furious Ciel reached up and whipped the eye patch from his eye.

“Sebastian,” he all but shouted, the pale white star gleaming against his purple iris. “This is an order. Stop what you’re doing and look at me.”

Slowly the butler’s hands came to a stop. He let the knife fall to the cutting board and slowly raised his head to smile at his master.

“Yes, my lord? Is there something I can do for you?”

“What happened?” Ciel asked.

“Those three saw me taking a rest and wholly over reacted. I do apologize for my laziness on the job. A true butler should never--”

“They told me you collapsed.”

“They over exaggerated.”

“Did they?”

“Yes.”

“Is that the truth?”

“Yes.”

“Come here.”

Sebastian was still for a moment, and then he came around the table and stood before his master.

“Kneel,” Ciel ordered. Sebastian dropped to one knee and bowed.

“Look at me.”

Sebastian turned his face up, black hair spilling over sharp cheekbones. Ciel reached a hand forward and placed it on Sebastian’s forehead, his fingers brushing a few lock of black aside.

“…Liar…” Ciel said in the coldest growl that Sebastian had ever heard from him. There was a darkness in his tone that sent a chill down Sebastian’s spine. In his cool anger Ciel’s soul flared around him, taunting Sebastian with it’s delicately refined taste. Sebastian couldn’t stop himself from smiling. Where his limbs had gone cold with aching chills, Ciel’s coldness rushed in like a flickering blue flame that stoked the fiery pool of his own spirit.

“I am no such thing, my lord” Sebastian replied softly.

“You told me that demons don’t fall ill,” Ciel said coolly.

“I told you that it was extremely rare and unlikely.”

“You told me that you’d tell me if you were ill.”

“I said that you would be the first person that I tell. I haven’t told anyone.”

Ciel bit his lip to keep his temper down. He brushed Sebastian’s hair behind the demon’s ear revealing more of the demon’s ash pale skin. Sebastian always had a pale, almost grey complexion. He did not usually have lines of exhaustion pressed against the skin beneath his eyes. He didn’t usually have the faintest touch of a flush in his cheeks, so faint beneath the grey that it almost looked purple instead of pink.

“I hate you,” Ciel said as he finally released his lip and allowed himself to speak again. A smile flicked Sebastian’s lips but at the same time his eyes went softer.

“I am sorry to hear that, my lord.”

“How did this happen?” Ciel asked.

“…I fear that our guest, the priest… may have forgotten some of his holy water, and that our dear Mey-rin may have spilled some of it on me this morning…”

“…Is it bad?” Ciel asked.

“It shouldn’t be,” Sebastian replied. “I have gotten the water off of me. But the charms sank into my skin before I realized what had happened.”

“Is there anything I can do?” Ciel asked. Sebastian replied to that with another smile.

“My lord, what sort of butler would allow their master to tend to them?”

Ciel ignored this comment. “Will human medicine work on you?”

“Most likely not, my lord,” Sebastian said. He continued before Ciel could come up with more questions to ask. “Your concern is touching. But I promise you that my current state will not affect my ability to serve you. A butler who can’t work through such a small inconvenience as this isn’t worth salt.”

Ciel frowned down at his butler, and then pulled his hand away.

“To your room,” he commanded.

“…That is not necessary, my lord.”

“I don’t want to explain to those three why even though you’re clearly ill you cannot contaminate the food.”

“I can easily take care of—”

“To your room,” Ciel repeated.

“My lord.”

“That’s an order!” the star in Ciel’s eye flashed and Sebastian’s eyes widened as red fire flashed across them. He knelt on the floor, gleaming cat’s eyes staring up at Ciel, his face somewhere between shock and betrayal.

I’ve been dismissed…

It stung somewhere deep in his soul.

I am unfit to serve my master. He wants me gone.

Sebastian dipped his head, his hair tumbling from behind his ear.

“Yes, my lord.”

Edited April 6, 2015 by PetalsAndThorns

[Spoo]

I can't remember the last time I read a Kuro fic, and this did not disappoint. You've got some gooooood stuff going on here, Petals. These lines were brilliant:

“…Liar…” Ciel said in the coldest growl that Sebastian had ever heard from him. There was a darkness in his tone that sent a chill down Sebastian’s spine. In his cool anger Ciel’s soul flared around him, taunting Sebastian with it’s delicately refined taste. Sebastian couldn’t stop himself from smiling. Where his limbs had gone cold with aching chills, Ciel’s coldness rushed in like a flickering blue flame that stoked the fiery pool of his own spirit.

I really felt that coldness, man. Gah! I can't wait to see where this goes.

[MissMercy]

Do continue! This writing is lovely.

[Pyrus_Fangmon]

Oh! Oh! Oh! This is lovely, oh so very lovely! Please do continue! You must!

[Sitruuna]

This story is awesome, ok. I like they way you write Sebastian and Ciel (and that even if you've not read it much, you obviously have captured the type of relationship they have quite well).

In his cool anger Ciel’s soul flared around him, taunting Sebastian with it’s delicately refined taste. Sebastian couldn’t stop himself from smiling.

“I am no such thing, my lord” Sebastian replied softly.

“You told me that demons don’t fall ill,” Ciel said coolly.

“I told you that it was extremely rare and unlikely.”

“You told me that you’d tell me if you were ill.”

“I said that you would be the first person that I tell. I haven’t told anyone.”

Ciel bit his lip to keep his temper down.

That's great. Seriously. Delicious.

[SneezyHolmes]

Dear God. This is amazing, can't wait for more!

[Akahana]

This looks promising!! I can't wait for some Ciel caretakering <3

[SterlingSilver]

Oh my goodness! It's so rare to see Sebastian the one in need of care-taking, and you portray him so believably! I am really, really excited for more <3

[RiversD]

AHHHH! *flails*

You're so good at this! Everything, just... guh. I love you.

[8lifflefoot]

This is so incredibly well written!! The characterization is simply astounding!! Please continue!!

[Natto]

Ahh, you're posting! I'm glad you're feeling a bit better since winter. Anyway that was delightful! It's been a while since I've seen any Kuro, but this really rings true to what I remember. All the character dynamics seem spot-on. This is probably the first story I've ever seen with Sebastian being ill--I suppose because it's hard to make it plausible--but you managed to make it work beautifully. Thanks for posting, and I'll be very appreciative if there's more.

[Kawaii-Kushami]

Oh gosh this is written so well /)////(\

i love how you spell his sneezes and the way you wrote everyone's interactions were wonderfully IC (if i remember correctly from when i watched kuroshitsuji)

also, the way you found a way to make even sebastian sick was just genius.

im glad to see you back, even if only for a bit; you happen to be one of my favorite authors here. uvu

[Zane]

I absolutely LOVE THIS!!! You completely nailed the characters! I think I actually squealed when I found out this was about Sebastian. I mean who does not love him? I mean he really is "One HELL of a Butler." anyway thanks so much for writing this and I so hope you continue with more sneezy Sebastian.

Edited June 5, 2014 by Zane

[Bobsuperawesome]

Yus!!!!

[KushamiQueen]

For the love anime and manga, please add another part to this GLORIOUS MASTERPIECE!

[Choobat]

SHIT JESUS THIS IS AMAZING AND I NEED MORE ASAP

[SpookyBoi]

MORE PLEASE!!!!!

[shingetsu]

I'm extremely desperate for more... I don't think I've read a Black Butler sneezefic before, but this was certainly a memorable first. I adore the concept of demons getting sick by holy water. And Ciel is terrible, just quite simply terrible, at pretending he doesn't care. Sebastien's sneezes are just what I expected of him~ Please, please, pretty please continue??

[PetalsAndThorns]

This is not an update, but it is a promise for one!!!

I'm sorry to have kept you all waiting so long for a continuation! But I have been working on it! I have a bunch written already! I've just been struggling with the very first scene. I have like, three different versions written, so I need to figure out how to compress them into one and make them flow into the next bit. But I have it! It’s there and it's coming! I promise!

You all are amazing and wonderful and filled with magic and candy! I cannot tell you how amazing it is to have comments still coming in on this, for real! Even when I fail to reply, every comment gives me little happy flutters~.

More is on the way!

[JQLovesSneezes]

This is so beautiful <333333 Sebastian is so cute omg xD Your writing style is gorgeous, too!!! I can't wait for your update! Keep you the great work

[PetalsAndThorns]

What's this? Oh my god? An update? What devilry and lies!

Finally! I am so sorry this took so long! Really! I kept poking at it, because it never felt the way that I wanted it to. >< I also have a large chunk of what happens next written and with any luck I'll post it this year!

Without further ado!

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Part 2

Ciel let his papers fall to the desk in front of him. The agitation steadily growing in his limbs finally overcame his studious attitude. He kneaded the heel of his palm absentmindedly against the fabric of his eye patch as he leaned back in his chair and gazed absently at the wall across from him.

The unusually prickly energy in his limbs informed him that he really couldn’t sit any longer and he pushed himself to his feet and left his office to try and work off some of this excess energy by pacing the halls of his mansion.

His steps took him to circle the halls close to where Sebastian’s room was located, while consistently skirting the actual door. He’d been going through this circular dance for perhaps a twenty minutes when passing the halls close by Sebastian’s door, he caught the sound of murmured voices. He turned down the corridor, getting close enough to pick out some of the words.

“…gone?”

“But …ere though?”

“…eak it down? … in case…?”

“…Bad idea…”

“But…”

“What are you three doing?”

Bard, Finny, and Mey-rin gave a collective squeal, banged their heads where they’d been huddled in a circle, and whirled to face their master. All of them quickly scrambled to show their respects.

“We were just…” Finny began hesitantly.

Ciel looked beyond them, he could see a tray of food with a cup of tea carefully placed on the floor just beside Sebastian’s door.

“Mr. Sebastian hasn’t eaten anything all day,” Mey-rin continued where Finny had stopped. “He won’t let anyone in his room.”

“We made him something to eat!” Finny inserted over Mey-rin, gesturing wildly at the tray of food. “We tried to get him to come out and take it, but he said he didn’t need it- so we left it, thinking maybe he’d take it when we weren’t looking, but we came back just now and it’s all still there! And if Mr. Sebastian doesn’t eat he won’t get better! And if Mr. Sebastian can’t eat at all we need to send for a physician immediately and-”

“Finny.”

“-In this weather, who knows how long it will take for a physician to arrive and-”

“Finny.”

“-I was trying to tell him this but he just ordered us to go away and pay attention to important business but-”

“Finny.”

“-Now he won’t even open his door and—”

“Finny!”

SLAM.

Finny gave a high-pitched squeal and whirled around, stumbling over his feet and landing hard on his backside. The door to Sebastian’s room had slammed against the wall and now stood open. Just inside stood Sebastian. His tall, slim figure barely visible against the jet black interior of his unlit room. Only the glow of his pale white skin, the white fabric of his white shirt under black vest and tailcoat, and the gleam of his crimson eyes stood out against the darkness.

His face was cool and the black hair that tumbled into his eyes did nothing to dull their sharp glare.

“Finny,” he said in a dark voice. “You will not trouble your master with your own insignificant trifles. And you will listen to him when he gives you a direct order.”

Sebastian did not take a step outside of the doorway to his room, but his presence seemed to loom out over Finny as if he were standing directly over him. In the flickering light of the gas lamps it almost looked as if his shadow were, indeed, stretching out across the floor to bear down on the gardener.

“Knock it off,” Ciel snapped irritably. He stepped in front of Finny, his foot coming down hard on the shadows and they seemed to break, or crack, and then recede back into Sebastian’s room. “Finny, Mey-rin, Bard. Get back to your chores,” Ciel commanded, not taking his eyes from Sebastian.

The three hesitated for a moment, but seemed to pick up on the air between Ciel and Sebastian, and thankfully they obeyed. Sebastian watched them go with a sour look on his face. This was the second time in one day that they had refused his orders only to obey the same order from his master. Such behavior was unacceptable and he really did need to find a way to imprint on them the importance of submission…

Ciel stepped forward, picked up the tray and stepped past Sebastian into the room.

“Light.” Ciel commanded. A candle flickered into life in the corner of the room. Ciel set the tray down on a trunk, as Sebastian’s desk was layered with papers.

“In the future,” he said as he settled on the trunk himself next to the tray. “Just pretend to be eating. You’ll cause much less upset that way.”

“It is not a butler’s duty to waste food,” Sebastian replied, still standing beside the now closed door.

“It is, however, your duty to appear human. Sit.”

“Yes, my lord.”

When Sebastian didn’t move from the door, Ciel turned back to look at him.

“Seba--?”

He stopped when he saw Sebastian turned away from him, a familiar tension in his shoulders.

“Hhhhhehhhh---kkkshhh!kksshhh!Kiihhsshhhhh!” His shoulders jerked as he stifled a small run of sneezes into a gloved hand. “Please excuse me,” he apologized as he turned back, giving a small, apologetic bow. “I would recommend that my lord should return to his rooms and his study. I am in no state for my master to behold.”

“I told you to sit down,” Ciel replied testily. With a small sigh, Sebastian did as he was told. Ciel looked from the papers scattered across Sebastian’s desk, to the bed so perfectly made that it looked as if not so much as a flea had ever slept in it.

“Have you rested at all?” Ciel asked accusingly. Sebastian gave him a tired, but amused smile.

“My lord ordered me to my rooms. My lord never gave me orders about what I was to do once I reached it.”

Ciel glowered and crossed his arms in agitation.

“Well I’m ordering you now! No work- that includes paperwork and housework- until I say otherwise.”

Sebastian frowned as his eyes pulsed with the received command.

“My lord,” he said, a bit desperately. “What am I supposed to do?”

“Rest,” Ciel replied, not quite a snap, but a distant cousin of it. “Use that bed for something other than decoration.”

Sebastian cast the thick, tartan blanketed mattress a disapproving frown.

“Beds have never exactly been… my cup of tea…” he said. Ciel raised an eyebrow.

“Would you prefer I sent for the undertaker to bring a coffin? I could arrange it for you, but I think those three might have a fit when they see it go into your room.”

Sebastian chuckled, with a sardonic smile. “I’m not a vampire,” he commented. Ciel shrugged.

“To each his own. I don’t care if you rest in a bed, a coffin, a crypt, a closet, or the floor. Just so long as you do it.”

Sebastian gave a heavy sigh.

“Yes, my lord. I will. I promise.”

Silence.

“Is there something else, my lord?” Sebastian asked when Ciel failed to give any indication of movement.

“I’m waiting,” Ciel replied impatiently. Sebastian raised an eyebrow.

“Are you planning on watching me all evening?” he asked.

“I’m planning on watching you until you’ve done what I ordered you to do,” Ciel replied. “And in any case…” He smiled lightly, propping his elbow on his knee and his chin on his palm. “I rarely get opportunities to observe your weakness. It’s far too valuable an opportunity to miss.”

A smile curled Sebastian’s lips as his tilted his head in amused curiosity, a lock of black hair slipping into his eyes.

“Do you enjoy watching my weakness, my lord?” he inquired. Ciel tilted his head, almost mockingly, to match.

“Yes,” he replied. Their gaze went unbroken for a span before Ciel nodded sharply toward the bed. “Get on with it.”

Sebastian’s smile flickered, but fixed back in place. He rose slowly and crossed to the bed, sitting uncomfortably on the edge as Ciel’s eyes bore into his back.

“Do you generally sleep fully clothed?” Ciel asked. Sebastian turned to regard him over his shoulder.

“I don’t generally sleep at all. Clothed or otherwise.”

“Then I’ll give you a piece of friendly advice, from someone who’s done it before. Most people don’t sleep with their tailcoat on.”

“I shall take that into my deepest considerations,” Sebastian replied with a smile. Ciel let out a long breath, and then stood up. Sebastian heard his footsteps come around the bed, and then Ciel was standing before him, hands on Sebastian’s shoulders, pressing the black, wool coat down over his arms. Sebastian blinked, and moved to put his hands on Ciel’s arms to stop him.

“My lord—I can—”

“Apparently, you can’t,” Ciel replied sharply. “Don’t hinder me.”

Sebastian’s hands drew back from Ciel’s arms, and his tailcoat slipped down his back and crumpled behind him on the sheets.

“My lord,” Sebastian continued. “It is most unseemly for an earl to see his butler at anything but fully, and respectably dressed. Let alone to be tending to his own butler’s clothing.”

“It’s even more unseemly for a butler to neglect his health, and talk back to his master. Perhaps you will think about how far you forced me to degrade myself the next time you’re considering being difficult.”

Sebastian couldn’t stop himself from smiling secretly at this new game that had unfolded between himself, while Ciel’s eyes focused on his buttons. He watched Ciel going about intently gathering Sebastian’s tailcoat in his hands, and then as Ciel tried to fold it. Sebastian’s face crinkled as he tried to suppress his laughter, but when halfway through Ciel’s attempt at folding it one of the arms flopped out of his half folded pile, Sebastian had to clap a hand over his mouth to stifle the laughter. Ciel shot him a sharp, dirty look.

“You don’t fold a tailcoat, my lord,” Sebastian managed around his lingering, badly suppressed laughter. “It goes on a hanger.”

Ciel turned scarlet and tossed the tailcoat away over the back of Sebastian’s desk chair.

“Fine-! You can deal with it yourself when I give you permission to work again,” Ciel huffed. Sebastian watched it land jaggedly across the back of the chair with a small wince.

“But, my lord-” he objected. “It will wrinkle-”

“That’s just the price you pay.”

“Please, my lord. It will only take a minute. Just let me-”

“And you get to stare at it.” Ciel continued as he started on Sebastian’s waistcoat.

“My lord-”

“Messy and unfolded.”

“That’s-”

“Until you’re well. So you’d best hurry and get better or it will stay like that.” A moment later the waistcoat followed the tailcoat to perch untidily on the back of the chair.

“You are a cruel and unusual master,” Sebastain proclaimed in abject defeat.

“Well spotted,” Ciel commented as he started on the buttons of Sebastian’s shirt. He settled lightly on Sebastian’s leg to get a better angle for them. He’d checked Sebastian’s closet, and Sebastian didn’t seem to own a single nightshirt, so he would have to stay in his undershirt for the night. Still Ciel loosened the button at Sebastian’s neck. Ciel knew from experience how stifling it was to have a tight collar pressing constantly in around your throat while your skin burned with fever sweat. Sebastian’s complaints seemed to have died down. Ciel was noting this, when suddenly Sebastian’s hand caught Ciel’s and held it back away from him. Ciel looked up in surprise to find his butler’s hand held over his mouth.

“A moment, please, my lorhhdhh,” the final syllable came out with a breathy gasp and Sebastian turned away as his shoulders jerked.

“Hiihh—kishhhh!Tttkkhsshhh! Hahhh---kktsshhhhuuu!”

Ciel felt Sebastian’s hand jerk slightly tighter around his wrist every time Sebastian sneezed, and Ciel felt his leg jerk slightly beneath him each time. When Sebastian straightened his eyes blinked, still gathering their wits back around them.

“Bless you,” Ciel said automatically. Sebastian blinked in surprise, and then pitched sharply forward once more.

“Hiiaaahhh-KKTChhhhh--unnnhhh!” The final sneeze was notably sharper than the others, ending in a slightly desperate breath out. When his eyes blinked back open they turned to Ciel, a touch of annoyance in them, his nose still buried in white-gloved fingers.

“I hardly think that that will do me any good.”

Ciel had to bite back a giggle with everything he had in his body so that it only came out as a small smirk. He fought the strong desire to bless Sebastian again, just to see what would happen. But he decided that that would be too heavy handed. He’d just have to keep that in his pocket to test later.

“You know,” Ciel commented. “They say that when you sneeze, your soul can fly out. That’s why you bless people.”

Sebastian snorted wryly.

“If only that were the case. I could have fulfilled my contract with you many times over by now.”

Ciel felt his cheeks turn faintly pink, and he turned away.

“Under the covers with you.”

“My lord-” Sebastian objected again. “I do not feel warmth, nor cold, and I take neither comfort, nor healing from either. Is this really necessary—”

“Sheets. Now,” Ciel commanded. Sebastian gave in with a deeply dissatisfied expression as he leaned back against the headboard, his long legs stretching out to fill the bed. Ciel drew the sheets up to Sebastian’s waist, completing Sebastian’s humiliation.

“Do demons use the privy?” Ciel asked. Sebastian raised an eyebrow at him.

“…No… my lord…”

“Good. This is an order. You are not to leave this bed without permission.”

“My lord—!”

“No arguing.”

Sebastian’s mouth clamped shut of its own volition. His lips twisted into a frown, and he folded his hands in his lap and closed his eyes, trying to cling to the last scraps of dignity that he could scrape from the bottom of this situation. Ciel stood back and crossed his arms with a smile.

“Much better,” he proclaimed. Sebastian gave him a look that wasn’t so much dirty, as haughtily rejecting everything about his current situation. Ciel smirked back.

“Welcome to the world of the vulnerable,” he said in a tone that showed that he was enjoying himself far too much. “Human kind hopes that you enjoy your stay.”

Ciel looked around the bed, searching, his eyes scanning the ceiling and walls all around them. He frowned.

“Where is the bell pull?” he asked.

“…My lord, I am a servant. I don’t have one.”

Ciel frowned at him.

“What do you do to call the others?” he asked.

“I find them,” Sebastian replied slowly, as if explaining to a child.

“That’s stupid. Remind me to have one installed in your rooms,” he said, standing from the bed.

“Of course, my lord,” Sebastian replied in dry obedience as Ciel strode to the door, and vanished from the room. Sebastian let out a breath once the door had closed and leaned back with an agitated frown.

What in Hell was he supposed to do with himself now?

He stared at the bookshelf, wishing he’d had the foresight to situate it closer to the bed. But would that count as working, he wondered. He didn’t have any pleasurable texts in his possession…

His mind pulsed again with the command not to work as he contemplated it, and he sunk down slightly in the bed, massaging his forehead. Commands didn’t usually hurt, but apparently they made headaches worse. Before today, Sebastian hadn’t even known what a headache was, outside of how to care for his master when he had one. He hoped he would soon forget. If this was what Ciel had been experiencing, Sebastian could suddenly understand why he became so suddenly and absolutely irritable whenever he had one.

He felt another strange feeling that had been, unfortunately, growing more familiar as of late beginning to take its roots. There was a light prickling somewhere behind his nose that forced his features to act in ways he hadn’t commanded them to. His eyes eyebrows creasing, and his nostrils twitching completely unbidden by him. He crinkled his nose as his breath began to hitch.

“Hhhuhh---” He pressed the back of his hand against his nose in the hopes of pressing the prickling back to wherever it had come from. His body drew in another gasp.

“—hahhh—”

The prickling burst and opened its wings to spread down his spine and the back of his neck as he pitched sharply forward.

“Haahhh----kkshhhhhh!” Like a flight of birds all taking off from the shore at once, another set of prickling wings unfolded in the wake of its brother. “Hahhh---kiishhhhh! Hhh---kkiishhhhhh!Kssshhhhhh!—Hahh---hhhhuhhh---ha—KIHHsssSSHH!”

A tremble ran down his spine with the final jerk that left his eyes fluttering into focus.

“Bless you,” came a voice, and it was like a second round of birds from across the pond had decided to follow their cousins into flight, all scrambling for the air in the hopes of reaching the sky first.

“Hahh—ksshhh!kkshhhh!kkshhh!hihh—kshhh!kshhh!KIHHssshhhh!” Sebastian’s hair spilled messily from behind his ear and scattered into his face, as his body was overcome with the shuddering fit. His nose was left humming like a limb that’s fallen asleep and just begun to wake back up.

He looked up to see Ciel standing just inside the closed doorway holding a tray laden with a teacup and pot, the pot streaming thin wisps of mist from its spout. Sebastian didn’t dare level accusations at his master, but he got the feeling Ciel was blessing him on purpose. Ciel smiled, carrying the tray to the bedside table.

“I thought you had gone to your room,” Sebastian commented, definitely not hinting at anything, as Ciel settled lightly on the edge of Sebastian’s bed and poured the tea he’d prepared into a cup.

“You thought wrong,” he replied, offering the cup to Sebastian.

“My lord,” Sebastian said with a heavy sigh, trying to figure out where to start with how ridiculous this was. The fact that he didn’t feel the warmth humans felt? The fact that he had no need to drink? The fact that herbs were about as effective on a demon as catnip was on humans?

“Look at where complaining has gotten you, and then rethink what you’re about to say,” Ciel suggested. Sebastian closed his mouth, and took the cup with a frown. He looked down at the deep, amber liquid, and with an internal shrug, he decided he might as well have a drink he could feel.

The air around the tea distorted slightly, and a moment later, the tea began to steam, and then bubble in the cup. Sebastian drew it to his lips and took a deep drink. The scalding water was actually, surprisingly pleasant as it slipped down his throat.

“Doesn’t that hurt?” Ciel asked from where he was watching curiously beside Sebastian. Sebastian opened his mouth and let a cloud of steam escape.

“No,” he replied as he watched it dance toward the ceiling before it curled and faded into nothing. “Anything less and I couldn’t feel it.”

“Interesting,” Ciel hummed as he watched. “Would you have preferred it if I brought you a cup of molten lava?”

“That would quite ruin the china, my lord,” Sebastian replied, taking another drink of now simmering tea.

Ciel gave a half smile and sat back. They sat in relative silence as Sebastian drank.

“My lord,” he commented as he drank. “As much as I am sure you are enjoying yourself, there is work to be done. And if you will not allow me to tend to my affairs, and neglect your own, there will be repercussions.”

“I shall take that into my deepest considerations,” Ciel parroted back to Sebastian. He made a motion to grab something, and stopped halfway through, and shook his head, remembering the lack of a bell pull. He stood and vanished from the room once more. Sebastian allowed himself to briefly entertain the idea that Ciel had taken his advice and returned to his work. It only took half a minute before Ciel had returned. A few minutes later there was a knock on the door. Ciel opened it, and when he closed it again, his arms were laden with his study books, market figures, and design proposals. He set them on one of the free sections of Sebastian’s desk and returned to sit on the bed beside Sebastian, a book in his hand.

“…May I rea-”

“No.”

Sebastian bit his tongue as he glared at Ciel before returning to his busy schedule of staring at a wall. After a minute or so of boredom, he closed his eyes and dropped into meditation, slipping away from the situation into the dark recesses of his mind.

Some hours had passed by the height of the candle when Sebastian let his eyes open again. He became aware of a pressure at his side and looked down to see that Ciel was no longer perched on the edge of the bed. Instead he now sat with his legs tucked up on the bed, pressed lightly against Sebastian’s side for room on the thin mattress. His book sat open and upside down on his stomach, and his head was bowed forward, his chin resting on his chest. His breath was coming slow and steadily.

This Sebastian knew how to handle. With a touch as lightly as a passing breath of wind, he lifted the book from Ciel’s chest, closed it, and set it beside the tray on the night table. Then with light touches and minute shifts, he lifted Ciel’s legs and coaxed him down until his head reached the pillow. Then Sebastian drew the sheets up over his master’s legs and up to his shoulders. Ciel shifted and burrowed deeper beneath the sheets.

Sebastian smiled slightly despite himself.

This much he could still do.

Tending to his master was never work.

With a flick of his hand, the candle winked out.

[truth]

ohmygodsohmygodsohmygods yes yes yes Black Butler is my life I cry everyday.

Sebastian's sneezes are so hot and sleeping Ciel at the end was the cutest thing ever.

We need new Kuroshitsuji on here. Maybe I'll write some.

[JQLovesSneezes]

This was ADORABLE!!!!!!!! <3333333 I love how impatient you made Sebastian and how sassy you made Ciel!!! Your writing is beautiful, and totally worth the wait!!! Thank you for posting this!

[shingetsu]

*SQUEEEEE* The wait was worth it~! We all knew Sebastien was a bit of a workaholic...he needs literal orders to take care of himself. And Ciel's so caring in a tsundere kind of way that suits him perfectly. The writing is so beautiful and praiseworthy that I could read the same words over and over again and I won't get bored. It's usually Ciel getting sick (or asthmatic) so it's nice to see a sort of role reversal. This is basically PERFECTION in fanfic form so kudos

[Vongola Undicesimo]

“I rarely get opportunities to observe your weakness. It’s far too valuable an opportunity to miss.”

A smile curled Sebastian’s lips as his tilted his head in amused curiosity, a lock of black hair slipping into his eyes.

“Do you enjoy watching my weakness, my lord?” he inquired. Ciel tilted his head, almost mockingly, to match.

“Yes,” he replied.

I feel ya, Ciel, I feel ya.