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

[PetalsAndThorns]

Two updates a week apart? It’s almost like I actually planned this with a posting schedule!

I always mean to reply to people who left comments when I update next, but usually it feels like it’s been so long that replying feels silly. But I’ve decided to screw that!

@PoisonPassion: Aren’t they though? Together they make a perfect combination~! You definitely should write some, that would be exciting!

@JQLovesSneezes: Thank you so much. Sass/snark offs are my favorite things. I can’t always write them, but when they flow there’s nothing like it. Thank you for waiting and being here when I returned!

@nervousloony: Thank you! >u< I know~! I love working with workaholic characters. They’re so lost when they can’t do it anymore. And yeah, Ciel is adorable, and half of the reason why I like the series is the weakness inherent in his character, side by side with the strength. But man is it fun to flip the tables! >D

@Vongola Undicesimo: And so shall we all. >3

Past comments:

@Spoo: I’m really glad that you weren’t disappointed! Even though I was new to Ciel’s character when writing this, he just appeals to me so much~

@MissMercy: Thank you!

@Pyrus_Fangmon: Thank you!

@Sitruuna: Thank you so much! Those scenes were so fun to write, and feeling out their relationship to each other~

@SneezyHolmes: Thank you! I’m sorry it was such a stupidly long delay before it was continued! XD;;;;

@Akahana: Neither can I! >D

@BlackScatter: Thank you! It’s the rarity that makes it so special. ^^

@RiversD: Thank you!

@8littlefoot: Thank you!

@Natto: Thank you so much! I know I take such long absences from posting, but I always love coming back and reading the voices of people again. You have a wonderful way with words and encouragement, I hope you know that.

@Kawaii-Kushami: Thank you so much KK~! I’m touched to be one of your favorite authors. And it’s always nice to come back after vanishing for so long.

@Zane: Thank you! I am ever glad to be a facilitator to squeeling!

@ouranlover02:

@ThatRandomFetishPerson: By the power of otaku and hikikomori Done!

@ShyFox: Thank you!

@Spamanolover96: *offers fic on a plate*

---------------------------------------

Part 3

Flames danced across Ciel’s vision, the heat pressed against his face in a hard, dry wall. Ciel stumbled, his legs shaking beneath him. He turned to run and went crashing into a wall of metal bars. The metal caught him in the cheek, searing heat scaring his flesh and hands as he clung to them, screaming as he tried to beat his way past. Beyond the bars the flames were drawing closer. They surged, and then drooped for a moment and through them Ciel caught sight of two figures sitting together as the flames encircled them and closed in toward them.

“Mother! Father!” Ciel was screaming now, beating against the metal. “Mother! Father! Run- Help- Run-!” His voice couldn’t seem to make up its mind. He gave up grabbing the bars and tried instead to reach through, the metal pressing against his chest and singeing his nightshirt.

“Mothe—” There was a crack of fire and a spark burst in Ciel’s eye. Ciel screamed. His eye was burning. He clutched it, stumbling back and hitting the ground heavily. Flames leapt up through his fingers- his eye was on fire. The heat spanning out through his face and down his body- He slapped himself, trying to stamp out the fire.

“Bocchan-”

Something dark emerged from the flames, pressing them down wherever it touched. A pair of cold hands reached through the heat, Ciel felt them closing over his shoulders, felt a cold palm pressing against his chest. Cold sinking into his skin.

Then he was rushing- his body dragging through the air as something lifted him- the walls fell away and only the dark of the night sky was left.

The smoke broke and Ciel gasped for air—

“You’re safe, my lord,” Sebastian spoke softly. His hand gently stroked Ciel’s back as the boy sat, crumpled forward, coughing and gasping for air. “Relax, and breathe.” Sebastian instructed. Ciel’s shoulders were trembling beneath his hand. The boy closed his eyes. Sebastian felt his muscles begin to relax. As they did the tension drained from his shoulders and his torso drooped forward.

Ciel reached a shaky hand up and held it over his cursed eye.

“I’m sorry,” he managed to breathe, soft shame in each word.

“It is not a master’s place to apologize to his servant,” Sebastian’s voice replied. Ciel’s mouth set in a firm line. The words seemed to remind him who he was and he straightened up.

“My apologies,” he said. “For disturbing you. I’m fine.” His tone had cooled again, though it was still weaker than normal.

“You did not disturb me.” As he spoke, Sebastian gently placed a hand on Ciel’s chest and pressed his master to lie back down. He resisted for moment, and then relented and let himself sink back into the warm sheets.

“Does you eye hurt?” Sebastian asked, a hint of concern in his tone. Ciel hadn’t removed his hand from where he had it pressed against his marked eye.

“It’s hot,” Ciel replied from beneath the sea of blankets. Slowly he turned toward Sebastian, his other hand reached from the blankets and snagged his butler’s arm. Sebastian watched, the smallest hint of curiosity in his crimson eyes. Ciel’s fingers slipped beneath the sleeve of Sebastian’s shirt and closed around the skin of Sebastian’s wrist. Against the night air, Sebastian’s skin burned like standing too close to a fire. “Just like you.”

Sebastian blinked and his eyes widened as he realized—

He can feel my fever?

Ciel looked up at his butler through black locks, and he smiled.

“You look surprised.”

“I’ve… never been in this position while I had someone marked before…” Sebastian was compelled to respond truthfully.

Ciel hummed thoughtfully through his smile. “So there are things you don’t know.” His eyes sparkled, tired but returning to life. Ciel rolled on his side and turned away from Sebastian.

“I’m fine now. Go back to sleep,” he commanded.

“Of course, my lord.”

~*~*~

Ciel stirred to the feeling of a body against his. His head was tucked up against a shoulder, his arms wrapped loosely around an arm that he clutched against his chest like a stuffed animal.

Mother—

The thought was so automatic it hardly took form as a word in his mind. As quickly as it came, the thought was demolished.

This was not his mother. It was wrong. It was nothing like her at all.

It smelled wrong. And it was too bony and strong. None of the soft curves that had cushioned him as he slept as a child.

And it was cold.

Ciel slowly let his eyes crack open. Outside the window, dawn was just beginning to break. The first hints of early morning light spilled in through the window and fell across his bedmate’s face.

Sebastian’s eyes were closed, his face tilted toward Ciel with a calm, relaxed expression painted across his features. There was no devious tilt to his brow, no sharpness in his eyes, and no cutting smile. Only soft lashes and gently parted lips on ashen skin.

Ciel shifted, pushed himself up on his elbow and rubbed his eyes, his black hair tumbling messily into his face. He’d half expected the smallest movement to rouse Sebastian, but his butler didn’t stir.

Ciel ran his eyes over Sebastian again. He had a slowly growing feeling in the pit of his stomach that something was wrong.

Sebastian’s chest wasn’t moving…

“Sebastian?” Ciel asked softly, his voice quiet from sleep. He got no response. Ciel reached a hand out and held it over Sebastian’s mouth. He felt no breath. His heart was beginning to thump now, fear rising in his cheeks as the last traces of sleep fell away into startled alterness.

“Sebastian?” Ciel repeated. He reached a hand forward and pressed two fingers against Sebastian’s neck, feeling for a pulse.

He felt nothing.

Ciel forced his breath to come as calmly as he could manage. He shifted his fingers.

Surely, surely he’d just missed the artery.

“Sebastian?” he repeated at full volume this time.

No response.

Ciel felt something twist in his stomach. His head had gone suddenly light as his fingers fumbled with the buttons on Sebastian’s shirt, undoing the top few and pressing his palm against Sebastian’s chest.

No pulse.

“Sebastian!”

Before he knew what he was doing his body was bolt upright. His hands placed on Sebastian’s shoulders, shaking him roughly as fear coursed through his veins.

“Sebastian-!Sebastian- wake up!” Sebastian’s body drooped limply in Ciel’s hands. “Sebastian!”

Suddenly black lashes fluttered into life, and slowly blinked opened.

“Bocchan.” Sebastian’s voice was husky with sleep. Usually well kempt black locks tumbled into his face and splayed out on the pillow around him. Sebastian’s eyes slipped into focus and something like concern touched them. “What’s wrong?”

Relief struck Ciel so hard he thought it might send him crashing into the sheets. His arms suddenly felt weak beneath his weight and he felt cursed tears prickling at the back of his eyes. He bit them back with every fiber of his being.

“You weren’t breathing!” he gasped out, cursing himself as he heard his voice shake. Sebastian blinked up at him. “Your heart wasn’t beating!”

“Of course not…” Sebastian replied softly. “My heartbeat and breath only exist to allow me to blend in among humans. They serve no actual purpose,” he explained in a tone still full of sleep’s calm. “Naturally they stop when I’m unconscious.”

There was silence as Ciel took a few breaths to steady himself. Sebastian watched his master compose himself.

“I’m sorry for scaring you,” he said gently, one hand stirring from the sheets to reach out to Ciel’s cheek.

“Don’t you ever do that again!” Ciel slapped Sebastian’s hand away sharply. “Don’t you ever dare do that again! Not without telling me! Not without warning me! Don’t- Don’t you ever!” Ciel’s tone cut like a blade. All of the weakness eclipsed now by the raging flames of fury. His soul flared around him as always, striking Sebastian with a force. Sebastian drank in its warm, fiery taste. A nice morning treat.

“I won’t. I promise.”

“That was an order! Say it! Make the promise like you mean it!” Ciel’s eye flashed.

“Yes, my lord,” Sebastian sealed the contract.

Ciel continued breathing heavily, his fingers curled into the sheets around his knees. The excess energy fizzled in the air between them as he tried to calm himself. Ciel drew a deep breath and returned his face to its neutral expression. He turned away from Sebastian then, and slid off the bed.

“Stay here,” here commanded before he made his way toward the door and vanished to the other side.

“Yes, my lord,” Sebastian replied into the empty walls.

~*~*~

Sebastian stirred to the feeling of something wet pressing lightly against his cheek. He shifted his head- the soft cushion of the pillow was no longer there, instead his head was resting on a pair of slim legs.

He opened his eyes.

Ciel was staring down at him, face impassive as ever, but a hint of his usual, sharp smile appeared when they made eye contact. Ciel was cleanly, if a bit sloppily, dressed now in new clothes. Sebastian lay in his bed still, his head resting on Ciel’s lap. He wondered at how his master had managed to maneuver him into this position without waking him. The light from the window had moved well past dawn and into the afternoon. Had he really been that far unconscious? He’d only meant to return to meditation…

“Awake?” Ciel asked. Sebastian had just started to nod when his brow crinkled, his eyes falling heavily lidded and he turned his head away from Ciel, untangling a hand from the sheets.

“Hhhhhhh—hhuhhh-kkihhshhh!” He stayed where he was, hand held to his mouth as he waited for the next set to come. His breath wavered on the edge- a hint of irregularity evening back out before finally he drew in a gasp and buried his face in his hand. “Hhhuh…hhihhh—hhhh—Kkkuhhshhhhh!Hh—KKssshhhh!Kssshhh!”

“Your fever’s rising,” Ciel informed him as Sebastian rolled his head back, swallowing a groan. With a bit of effort, Sebastian turned his grimace into a laugh.

“Of course it is. It’s heaven’s blessing. Trying to burn away the darkness in my soul.” He smirked through cough that rattled in his chest. Sebastian lost sight of Ciel’s face as he leaned out over Sebastian, reaching for something on the night table. There was the soft swish of water, and when Ciel returned to view, Sebastian felt something suddenly cold press against his neck, just beneath the join of his jaw. A shiver ran down his spine and with a slow breath out, he leaned lightly into the cool cloth. Ciel’s face showed some curious surprise at this.

“I’m surprised you could even feel that,” he commented. “I expected you wouldn’t be able to feel anything short of an ice block to the face.”

Sebastian chuckled as Ciel withdrew the cloth, only to jerk slightly in surprise as the sudden cold pressed against the other side of his neck.

“Normally I wouldn’t,” he muttered. “But when you are very warm, even things that are not cold feel cold to you.”

Ciel rewet the cloth again, and this time he pressed it to Sebastian’s forehead. Sebastian let his eyes close for a second at the touch. They decided they’d like to stay closed for a few extra moments.

Without vision, he took in the feeling of his master’s legs beneath his head, the soft cushion of his waist pressing lightly to Sebastian’s cheek. The scent of Ciel’s rosewood dresser on his clothes, the steady, slow rhythm of his breaths, the touch of cool cloth on his forehead. Ciel shifted and a moment later Sebastian felt fingers running lightly through his hair, combing it back out of his face, fingertips pressing lightly into his scalp.

Sebastian felt stupidly catlike, and even more stupid for enjoying it.

His mind seemed to be fuzzed over. Despite his best attempts at keeping conscious, careful thought, his mind began to wander, thoughts popping up from the woodworks and before he realized what he was doing, he’d begun mumbling them aloud.

“The house is going to catch fire…”

“…Excuse me?”

Sebastian turned his face slightly in toward the scent of his master.

“Bard will run out of prepared food soon, and he’ll cook. I need to get up to put out the fires…”

“That’s not your problem at the moment.”

“It’s always my problem,” Sebastian mumbled. “Who else’s problem would it be?”

“Leave it to Tanaka, he managed this house for years.”

“He was a younger man then. And there will be so many broken things to repair… And the garden…”

“Is this really the best you can manage for fevered ramblings?” Ciel asked, a touch of condescending disbelief. “No secret regrets from your past? No inner concerns about the morality of consuming souls? No wistful examination of immortality in a mortal world? Your fevered thoughts are of housework?”

“None of those other things are imminently threatening to set the house where my master lives on fire,” Sebastian replied dully. Ciel was rewetting the cloth and dabbing it lightly against Sebastian’s cheek. Sebastian turned slightly further in toward Ciel exposing more of the side of his face and neck to the cloth. “Does this disappoint you?”

“Possibly.”

“My apologies, then.”

Ciel dabbed the cloth down Sebastian’s cheek, to his jaw, and back behind his neck.

“You’ve gotten worse.”

“Have I really?” Sebastian asked dryly.

“How do you feel?” Ciel asked.

“I am a demon, I don’t-”

“Bullshit. Even if you don’t have human experiences, your body gives you messages somehow.”

“My body is giving me the message that I should get up before Bard lights the kitchen on fire.”

Ciel thwaped Sebastian lightly on the side of the head with the cloth. Sebastian’s face curled into a badly concealed grin.

“Sebastian.” Ciel’s tone became more serious. He drew the cloth back to get a full view of Sebastian’s face, pale and turned into the crook of his lap. “This is an order. I want to help you, but I don’t know how. What can I do to make you better?”

“There are no human technologies that can heal a demon,” Sebastian replied for what felt like the hundredth time.

“There must be something!” Ciel pressed. “Something that will help! In any way.”

There was silence for a moment. And then Sebastian spoke.

“…There is something… that would help…” he said slowly. “…Improve my spirits… at least…”

“What is it?” Ciel asked immediately. Sebastian cracked open an eye.

“…My lord will not like it…”

“Shut up and tell me.”

~*~*~

Ciel pushed open the door, a sour look on his face and a basket in one hand that he was holding as far away from himself as he could physically manage. He dropped the basket on the bed and then backed himself away into a corner of the room.

“There. Just take it!” he snapped.

Sebastian pushed himself up slowly. It seemed to take more effort than it should, but his face was warm with a smile, and he reached out toward the basket, clicking his tongue invitingly.

“Here lovely. Come, show your beautiful face,” he cooed warmly. In the corner Ciel rolled his eyes. Tentatively a furry black head peeped out of the basket. A fluffy tail swished in the air, and then the full silky body sprung out and began sniffing around in the sheets. Sebastian’s smiled grew softer.

“Hello, my dearest,” he said, reaching out to stroke the small cat’s ears. “How kind of you to visit me. I’ve been thinking of you.”

Ciel buried his face in his hand. The cat purred and rubbed her head against Sebastian’s hand, giving a deep stretch that pressed her tail toward the ceiling. Sebastian lifted her in his hands and tucked her up in his arms. He leaned down and pressed his nose into her long, inviting fur. His eyes closed as he drank in her embrace.

“Hhh—tiichhhh! Huhh—tiichhhh! Huh---ticch!” Ciel grimaced and pressed a knuckle against his nose. “It’s only allowed in this room, understand?” Ciel said sternly.

“Mmmhmm,” Sebastian replied absently. He’d drawn back from the cat again and was stroking its fur. The cat let out a soft, purring meow. Sebastian replied with a gentle trill in the back of his throat like a purr.

“Sebastian, you cannot speak to cats—are you nibbling its ears?! Good god, you’re a five year old!” Ciel exclaimed before he turned on his heel and stormed toward the door.

“Leaving?” Sebastian asked. Ciel turned around back to respond and buried his nose in his hand.

“Haah-tihcchh! Haa-tchhhh!—Of coursshh-haa-tcchhh! I am. I’m not going to stay in the same room as that--!” Ciel waved his hand in the air, in lieu of finding a word to describe the monstrosity that Sebastian was currently cuddling.

Sebastian smiled, his head tilted to the side with the cat pressed against his cheek.

“I thought I was too interesting of a specimen to leave unobserved.”

“Hiih---tiichhh!—Goodbye, Sebastian,” Ciel said coolly and then vanished through the door.

“Thank you, master,” Sebastian replied to the empty room.

---------------------------------------

A/N – Don’t worry, Sebastian lovers. There will be more from Sebastian to come. I know this chapter was lighter on him, but trust me, his torture isn’t nearly over yet.

Edited February 9, 2015 by PetalsAndThorns

[Vongola Undicesimo]

Ooooh good gosh! This just keeps getting better and better! I especially love Ciel and Sebastian almost aggressively worrying about each other. It reminds me a bit of the murder arc, accept genuine emotions on Ciel's part. And once again I've got to agree with Ciel about hoping for some juicy information in Sebastian's fevered ramblings.

[SterlingSilver]

Just have to say I've been following this lovely story for a while now and I am SOOO happy you're continuing it~!! The slow, sweet pace of Sebastian's illness is really roping me on. And Ceil's very tsundere caretaking is adorable x333 I absolutely cannot wait for more~!!

[KazeNoUirusu]

In the huge and churning sea that is this amazing story, this is probably a really dumb little thing to comment on, but:

"Stupidly catlike" is a wondrous turn of phrase. cx

[shingetsu]

Seeing an update to this just made my day~!! I do love when strong characters show some form of vulnerability--that goes for Ciel as well, so the post nightmare scene was really touching. Also I'm glad you found some way to mix in his cat allergies into this~(my favorite parts of the show!) I wonder how much worse Sebastien's 'cold' will get? :OOO It makes me Awwww!!! to death when I see Ciel worried about him <333

[PetalsAndThorns]

Vongola Undicesimo: *laughs!* I’m glad you enjoy it! Aggressively worrying over each other is such a perfect way to put it. It’s like the tsundere concern olypmics. (Well, not really. That would be something almost terrifying.)

BlackScatter: Thank you so much! >u< I’m really glad you’re enjoying this fic!

KazeNoUirusu: And yet it is though, isn’t it. And fits Sebastian so well.

nervousloony: ~<3 Thank you! That praise means a lot! I do love how Sebastian and Ciel are different types of strong. And it’s wonderful to see both unraveled in different ways.

Chapter 4

It was late in the evening, bordering on 9 o’clock. Ciel had returned to Sebastian’s room some time ago. He wasn’t entirely sure when. The demon had been fast asleep when he’d entered, and Ciel hadn’t disturbed him, but had sat by him, reading, and watching, and thinking. At the moment he sat, leaning forward so that his cheek rested on the sheets of Sebastian’s bed, resting and watching the demon with a thoughtful gaze.

The door clicked open softly.

A pair of footsteps creaked lightly on the floorboards just inside the door.

Ciel went rigid.

That wasn’t Mey-rin’s tread. It wasn’t Finny’s, or Bard’s, or Tanaka’s, or Lizzy’s…

His heart hammered as he lay perfectly still with his cheek pressed to the sheets.

It wouldn’t be the first time kidnappers or assassins or arsonists or worse got into his house. But it was the first time since his parents’ death that they got in without it being a part of Ciel’s plan.

Sebastian wasn’t there to watch the trees.

Had they snuck past Bard, Finny, and Mey-rin? Or were there three corpses waiting for him in the hallway.

Ciel turned his eyes without moving his head to look at Sebastian’s slumbering form. Grey, withered, sweat glinting face and slow breath. Would he be able to fight in this state?

Unlike in his own room, Ciel didn’t have the revolver he stashed beneath his pillow.

Hardly audible voices whispered in the candle lit half darkness.

He didn’t dare move, didn’t dare show whoever it was that he was awake. The footsteps drew nearer. Ciel could feel someone at his back, looming over him, staring down at where Ciel lay half on the chair, half on Sebastian’s sheets.

Working on adrenaline and a pure shot of fear, his body waited like a coiled spring—And then in one blurred moment he released.

He spun himself around in the chair and lunged at the person behind him. His hand closed around what felt like hair and he yanked the intruder off their feet and down to his level.

“Ahhh!”

“Souma-sama!”

“Ciel! Ow! Let go!”

“Ciel-dono!”

A hand landed on his shoulder and Ciel flinched instinctively away. The figure it belonged to was far too tall. But the adrenaline was slowly leaking out of his skin. His grip loosened on the lock of hair as he took deep breathes to calm himself.

“Souma?” he gasped. The young prince was supported with one hand to stop himself from collapsing onto the sheets and the other holding the lock of hair that Ciel had grabbed. “What are you doing here?!” Ciel snapped, terror eclipsed by indignant fury in an instant. “What are you doing in my rooms?! Have you not heard of knocking?!”

“My sincerest apologies, Ciel-dono,” Agni, who had just helped his prince straighten up, dipped into a deep bow that brought his nose to the level of Ciel’s knee.

“We thought you might be sleeping, so we didn’t want to knock and wake you up,” Souma explained, running his fingers through his hair to straighten it back out.

“If you’re truly concerned about that, then stay out!” Ciel snapped. “What are you even doing here?”

A groan came from beside Ciel. “Why are people yelling?” came Sebastian’s hoarse voice. The three of them instantly went quiet as Sebastian stirred from the sheets, and pushed himself slowly up. Souma took a discrete step backwards so that Agni just so happened to be between him and Sebastian.

“Master Sebastian,” Agni dipped him a deep bow. “We heard you’d taken ill and grew worried. We’re sorry for bursting in on you like this.” Souma peered around Agni’s shoulder to catch a peak at Sebastian. For all that the butler’s posture was forced into a straight line without the support of the headboard, his hair was tousled and stood up at odd, uncombed directions. The dawn light streaming in through Sebastian’s window illuminated the grey lines of wear on his face and darkened his already cool eyes in shadow.

“Is it true then…?” Souma whispered, peering around Agni’s shoulder. “Are you really ill?”

Sebastian turned to him and offered a lopsided smile that tilted his eyes, but didn’t brighten them. Souma tensed up and scooted another step behind Agni when they made eye contact.

“No. This is simply what I look like in the morning before purifying myself in the tears of virgins and consuming the souls of children. I apologize that you had to see it.”

Souma took another step behind Agni, so that only the tips of his eyes were visible around his servant’s shoulder.

“He’s joking,” Ciel assured him. Which he was. About the virgins at least.

Agni’s brow was furrowed with concern.

“I mean no offense, my lord Sebastian, but you look very poor indeed.” He stepped around to Sebastian’s side of the bed, leaving Souma fully exposed once more. Souma scooted, as casually as possible, to be behind Ciel instead.

“How did you even find out about this?” Ciel asked, running a hand through his hair and looking pointedly at Souma.

“Finny sent word to us. He was really very worried. We stopped reading at the line that said Sebastian might not last the week and ran immediately to the carriage!”

“Finny…” Ciel muttered in exasperation under his breath. Beside him Sebastian was trying to do much the same.

“I believe rumours of my death have been greatly exaggerated,” Sebastian commented as civilly as he could.

“With all respect and observations of your authority, master Sebastian,” Agni said, “When were you last able to take nourishment? Finny told us you haven’t been able to take food for days.”

He reached for Sebastian’s wrist. Sebastian moved it away.

“I thank you for your concern, but you have troubled yourself unnecessarily.”

“My apologies,” Agni drew back at once.

“No! Don’t let him get away with that! You have to let Agni take a look at you! He’s a very skilled physician.”

“Souma-sama-”

“He studied the styles of my home, and Western medicine.”

“Passingly-” Agni inserted, trying not to flush.

“There’s no one better to inspect you!”

“That being said-” Sebastian started.

“Just answer their questions.”

Sebastian blinked down at Ciel.

“My lord?” he asked.

“It will be faster than talking them out of it. Just make it quick, and honest. That’s an order,” Ciel replied. Sebastian’s brow furrowed in surprised when Ciel said “honest”. A question flickered across his eyes as he and Ciel shared a glance, but Ciel simply nodded at him to get on with it.

Sebastian frowned, but let out a humming breath and turned back to stare at the wall across from him, closing his eyes.

“I have had touches of nourishment, but… it has been awhile since I’ve had a full meal,” Sebastian answered honestly.

“Days?” Agni asked as he took Sebastian’s wrist. This time Sebastian didn’t stop him.

“Yes.”

“How many?”

“…I’ve lost track of the exact number.”

“More or less than a week?”

“…More…”

Ciel found it strange to hear a touch of reluctance in Sebastian’s voice as he answered. The concern settled on Agni’s face only deepened. He placed a hand on Sebastian’s forehead and his eyes widened.

“Heavens above,” he hissed. Souma was shifting ever closer as his fear of Sebastian fell to his curiosity.

“Is it bad?” he asked.

“My temperature tends to run warm,” Sebastian said around a small, almost embarrassed smile. “Please take that information into account.”

“Have you traveled recently?”

“No,” Ciel replied for him. “Why?”

“I’ve never felt a fever this high, and I’ve certainly never encountered one close to it in London. How did your symptoms start?”

When Sebastian hesitated to respond, Ciel stepped in.

“Sneezing. Fever set in early. And he collapsed in the kitchen.”

Agni’s eyes widened and Souma drew in a sympathetic cooing breath behind Ciel. Sebastian shot Ciel a glare.

“My lord exaggerates,” he stated. “I took a seat while cooking. Some of our servants took it wildly out of proportion.”

“Where you feeling dizzy at the time? Weakness? Pain?” Agni inquired, pressing light touches up Sebastian’s arm. Sebastian hesitated to reply once more. Ciel frowned, curiousity biting at him like the sting of frost. He’d never… been able to ask these questions… About what Sebastian felt. That wasn’t true… He supposed he was always able to ask. But he’d never thought that the answer would be anything but clever diversions, or descriptions of an unfeeling existence. But Sebastian’s hesitation… Ciel only regretted that this was happening with Souma staring invasively over his shoulder. It felt like an intrusion on a conversation that should have happened in a dark room between himself and Sebastian alone. He wanted that…

“Haahh—”

A hitched breath caught the attention of the room.

“ha—ttchhh!”

In surprise, Agni, Souma, and Sebastian all turned to look at Ciel.

“Oh no!” Souma exclaimed flopping onto Ciel’s shoulders and enfolding him in a lung squishing hug. “Ciel! Not you too!” Souma’s concern was mirrored on Agni’s face.

“Ciel-dono-”

“No- stop it! Ge—hahhhh—hhaa—tcchhh!” Ciel covered his mouth with difficulty, given how tightly Souma was clinging to him, and jerked in the prince’s arms. “Get off! I’m not sihhh—tchhhh!”

“Cieeeeel!” Souma squeezed him even tighter.

“M fne!” Ciel tried to snap through a face full of prince sleeve. “Ts jst th’ ct!”

Sebastian tried not to laugh, failed, and a moment later had doubled over coughing, his fingers curled into the sheets for support.

“Master Sebastian…” Agni touched Sebastian’s back lightly. Souma’s grip loosened in his distraction, and Ciel was able to fight his way out, eyes fixed on Sebastian.

“Apologies,” Sebastian managed when the fit subsided, his breath coming deep and deliberately. He kept his face ducked in his hand as all the eyes in the room bore down on him.

Agni looked up to Souma.

“I think it might be best if I conduct the rest of my session with Master Sebastian alone. If your majesty and Ciel-dono might step out for a moment.”

“Of course!” Souma chirped, drowning out Ciel’s “-No!”

“I can take care of Ciel! You take care of Sebastian,” Souma volunteered enthusiastically.

“For the last time, I’m not sick! It’s just the cat! Augh- stop that!” Ciel objected as Souma swept him up in his arms and carted him struggling away. The door closed and shut out their muffled argument.

Slowly Sebastian sat back upright, and let out a breath.

“Better?” Agni asked. Sebastian blinked at him. Agni gave a light smile. “It is difficult to be seen weak before your master,” he said simply. Sebastian was silent for a moment.

“Yes… It is…” he agreed.

“As to my earlier question. About the incident in the kitchen, if I may.”

Sebastian closed his eyes.

“Was it dizziness?” Agni asked.

“…Yes,” Sebastian’s voice was soft, but in the now empty room there was space for it to be heard.

Sebastian remembered the moment as the room around him dimmed and tilted. He remembered slowly setting the knife down, steadying himself on the counter, and slowly sinking down to the floor.

“Did you black out?”

“…I suppose… I might have…It’s not an experience I’ve had before… I don’t quite know how I’d tell…”

“Have you had other symptoms? Pain? Rash? Swelling?”

“…My head… hurts…” The word did an extra roll before releasing from Sebastian’s tongue, as if it wasn’t quite accustomed to forming those sounds. “…And I am very, very hot.”

“Really?” Agni asked, a touch of surprise in his tone. “You feel no chills?”

Sebastian shook his head.

“With your permission, master Sebastian,” Agni said. “I would like to make a full examination. It will require that I have access to all of your body.”

Sebastian gave a small laugh and half a smile. “You heard my master. I am yours to do as you will.”

“I should like your permission as well, master Sebastian,” Agni said seriously.

Sebastian regarded him through half lidded eyes. “What a quaint notion… And yet, you have it.”

“Thank you,” Agni bowed his head.

With careful hands, Agni stripped Sebastian of his loose undershirt, now clinging to his skin with sweat. The shirt stripped away to show a slim torso, all sculpted muscle and pale, almost grey skin. The sharp jut of collarbones drew shadows to the divots in his neck. Agni folded the shirt neatly before placing it in the hamper. When he returned, he was somewhat surprised to find that Sebastian was wearing his white gloves in bed. Come to think of it… Agni thought he’d seen Sebastian’s right hand bare the first time he’d reached for his wrist, before they’d all been distracted by Ciel. Had Sebastian slipped his gloves on in that moment…? But why?

Agni moved to remove them. Once again Sebastian drew back to stop him.

“Apologies,” he said. “There I must ask you to refrain.”

Agni was somewhat taken aback. Was this something of Western culture that he’d not yet experienced? He knew the ladies liked to keep their gloves on in polite company but… To wear them to bed…

“It is of absolute importance to you to keep them?” Agni asked.

“Yes,” Sebastian replied. “Everything else can be removed, but pray leave these on.”

Agni was absolutely having difficulty comprehending this, but he’d long ago come to the conclusion that the English were set in some of their crazy customs, and Ciel’s household seemed to be especially extravagant in their oddities.

“As you wish.”

Sebastian did not argue again as Agni asked him to strip from his trousers and down until Sebastian lay naked on the sheets, but for his pair of white gloves. Once the rest of Sebastian’s clothing had joined the shirt in the hamper, Agni placed an arm behind Sebastian’s back, touched his other hand to Sebastian’s chest, and gently pressed him to lie back. Sebastian allowed him, but his posture never swayed. From sitting to lying down, his torso remained in the same rigid line he customarily held it.

Agni pulled the blankets back from the bed to give himself room to work. Then, with light touches he began running his hands across Sebastian’s body. Checking for sensitive spots, tenderness. His fingers traversed first Sebastian’s chest, resting over his heart to take his pulse, then down the center of his body, over his abdomen, down his sides. Gliding smoothly and slowly, and pressing lightly into the muscle as he went.

Sebastian greeted every touch with the immovable rigidity of stone. Not so much as a twitch in his expression showed any indication that Sebastian could so much as tell that the rest of his body existed.

“…Your reflexes are off… Can you feel my touch, Master Sebastian?” Agni asked.

Sebastian’s lips curled into a smile.

“I can feel you,” he replied, never moving his red gaze from the ceiling. “But I have… something of a high pain tolerance. It can take a bit… more force than is normal to trigger my reflexes.”

Agni hummed under his breath and drew back.

“Please turn over,” he requested. Sebastian obliged, presenting his back. Agni performed the same set of tests on the new side, to much the same effect.

“I am going to begin work on you now. I may not be able to speak as I work. It will be something like massage. I beg you not to be surprised.”

Sebastian chuckled into the pillow.

“That would take some work,” he muttered. Agni had already drawn back and was carefully unwinding the bandages from his right hand where they drifted into the sheets beside him. He held his hand just before his chest, closed his eyes and offered a prayer. As the last sacred words ended in his mind, he drew in a deep breath and evened out his chakra. He soothed it into a gentle, neutral stream before gathering it in his right hand.

Sebastian lay splayed out on the bed, all pale grey skin on off white, cream sheets. Agni knelt next to him.

He started by simply running his fingers along Sebastian’s back, finding and tracing the meridian lines that mapped the curves of Sebastian’s body and the flow of his energy. With slow deliberate breaths, he began to feel the hum of energy beneath his hands.

There was the taste of Sebastian, cold, dark and slithery. Agni felt it pulsing beneath his hands. But atop that energy, Agni felt something foreign- out of place within Sebastian’s body. Hot, fiery, pulsing and hissing with crackling heat as it ate away at the black that was Sebastian’s chakra.

Agni was somewhat taken aback. Normally in this work, fever heat came from the patient’s own energy. Like the heat put off by a man after a long run, the soul spilled out heat in its battle against the invading energy of the illness. That didn’t seem to be the case with Sebastian. Instead the fever seemed to be some sort of external raging, fiery beast, carving Sebastian’s very spirit from his body to make room for itself.

Agni pressed into Sebastian’s back, kneading the muscles, lightly at first, and then steadily harder. Energy could not flow through tense muscles. It shut down the meridian lines, like a tube squeezed together.

The light touches that were as much as Prince Souma could handle failed to even stir the steel cut and taughtly strung muscles of Sebastian’s back. Angi could feel the hardened cast of years of tension holding Sebastian’s torso in a rigid line.

He pressed harder, digging his fingers into the muscle. Still they seemed to barely shift and the energy beneath remained stagnant. Agni increased the strength he was using. The amount of pressure he was using should have been snapping Sebastian’s spine and still his patient didn’t respond. Agni explored deeper, channeling his own energy into his hands until they glowed in his third eye a bright, blinding blue. He traced his fingers along Sebastian’s spine and found the point perfectly between Sebastian’s shoulder blades. He bore down on either side of Sebastian’s spine with mortal strength and spiritual energy.

Sebastian gasped, and his shoulders gave a violent jerk. Agni loosened up immediately.

“I felt that…” Sebastian murmured into the pillow. His tone was almost one of awe.

“Did I hurt you?” Agni asked quickly, apology bleeding into his voice.

“No…” Sebastian hummed. “…I think it was… good…”

“Please warn me if I come close to hurting you. Tap me if you cannot speak.”

Sebastian hummed in lazy agreement, and Agni let his hands return to Sebastian’s back. With muscle and energy he kneaded the muscles of Sebastian’s shoulders. With touches that should have cracked bone, he finally felt the muscles begin to shift and loosen. As he worked, the hissing white fire would seep away, and for a moment the cold flow of black would return to that space.

Sebastian drew in another gasp as Agni’s fingers found a sensitive point.

It had been a long time since Agni had worked on someone this tensely strung, if he ever even had. He’d forgotten the almost divine pleasure of watching such a perfectly composed man slowly unwind, string by string, muscle by muscle, inch by inch.

It was slow work. Agni spent long minutes working away at single sections of muscle before they would finally begin to release.

Once Agni could feel the energy stirring to life and moving freely once more beneath Sebastian’s skin, he began to coax and pull the fire. He gathered it like a shepherd, and drew it up Sebastian’s spine, through his neck and up to the top of his head. Sebastian’s body arched into Agni’s touch as the rest of his body curved away from wherever the gathered fire sat. Agni pressed a single finger lightly to the very top point of Sebastian’s skull and with a burst of his own energy, he opened Sebastian’s crown chakra. The pent up fire trapped within his skin spilled out like hissing steam.

Sebastian gave a shuddering gasp and buried his face deeper into the pillow as a shiver rolled from his head down his torso. Sizzling, biting heat spilling out and cool fresh, clean energy rushing in to fill the void. Agni trailed his fingers down to Sebsatian’s right hand, touched his finger to Sebastian’s right palm, through the glove, and opened the point there too for energy to flow out. He trailed his touch then down Sebastian’s legs and opened the points on the very bottoms of his feet. Then he returned to his final point. Sebastian’s left hand.

To his surprise when he touched his finger to the center of Sebastian’s left palm, the energy there felt different. Unlike everywhere else in Sebastian’s body, his hand wasn’t burning. The white-hot fire faded as he ran his fingers down Sebsatian’s arm, and when he reached Sebastian’s palm, they were all but gone.

There was something else there instead.

Another energy mixed in with Sebastian’s, breaking the cold black flow with a soft, pulsing, pale blue spark. Agni felt worry for a split second- generally another energy in a single part of someone’s body meant infection. But this didn’t feel quite like that. It felt familiar…

The white hot energy didn’t seem to be able to eat away at the pale blue energy like it could Sebastian’s own black. And each time the small fragments of fire tried to leap and hiss and bite at Sebastian’s energy, the blue energy would pulse and the fire would hiss back away.

When Agni opened the channel in Sebastian’s right palm, it was like opening a window beside a dying candle. The fire winked out.

Black and blue spilled up Sebastian’s arm, lightly tumbling toward his chest as the blue ate away at the fire, and the black settled back in. As the two energies reached his chest, a violent shiver ran down Sebastian’s spine, trembling his entire body with its intensity.

When Agni’s hands returned to his muscles, he found that they were still shivering lightly beneath the skin, like lingering ripples over a pond. He continued to massage, a mixture of trembling muscle and careful, sharp, deep pressure.

As he worked, he felt Sebastian’s ribcage expand suddenly beneath his hands. Once, twice- he loosened his touch just as all of the muscles in Sebastian’s body went suddenly, jerkingly tense.

“Hehhh—kshhh!kshhh!kshhh!—hhaahhh-ahhh---Kihhshhh!” Sebastian’s sneezing was soft, buried and stifled in the folds of the pillow.

“Do not stifle, please,” Agni instructed softly, his voice distant, entranced. “Let the healing do what it must. Let what must escape escape.”

Agni didn’t wait for a response before returning to the work of carefully unwinding years of knots and tensions. As inhibition fell to shivers, light touches, and deep, careful pressure, Sebastian’s torso melted into the sheets. What had so recently been a plain of unyielding steal had now become a minefield of sensitive skin and exposed pressure points. Sebastian tried to hide the pained, mewling moans in the pillow, biting down on the fabric as Agni’s hands found new sensitive spots and aches that Sebastian hadn’t even realized existed. His hands nestled into the sheets, tightening around them as the runaway wisps of air pressed out of relaxing lungs threatened to escape as an appreciative moan.

Once more Agni felt Sebastian’s chest beginning to expand. Agni was beginning to learn the signals of Sebastian’s body. He lightened his touch once more just as, sure enough, Sebastian’s lungs stuttered in a desperate little gasp.

“Hahh—ahhh—hhahh-hhh-hahhhkkiiiSHHhhuuuuu!” The un-stifled explosion could be felt in every tensing muscle of his body. It sent a tremble running all the way down Sebastian’s spine as a wave of feverish heat passed through him and out. His body was already gearing up once more. Cotton and dry feathers from the pillow tickling at his nose as his lungs expanded and his body jerked out of his control. “Hahhhh---hhaaaa---hhihh—KIHHHssssSHHUUuuu!” Somehow after hours of Agni’s touch, the sneezing itself felt like a massage. Gather, tense, release, gather, tense, release… “hhiihhhh---KKUHHSHHHHhhhSSHhhheuu! Unnghh…” Sebastian sank heavily back into the sheets. The cold hit hard and fast and left him limp, shivering, and bare.

~*~*~

Agni stepped quietly out the door, careful not to disturb Sebastian. He had just turned to walk down the hallway when he stopped abruptly to avoid kicking the object sitting just outside the door.

“Ciel-dono,” he exclaimed. The words didn’t have much energy behind them. He didn’t have much energy left. He felt as if he’d just been in a daylong fight. Ciel looked up from the book he’d been reading as nonchalantly as possible. Agni smiled softly.

“Where is Souma-sama?” he asked.

“Playing cards with Bard. In the drawing room,” Ciel replied. “So?”

“His fever has broken. He’ll be bed bound for another few days, I’d guess, but he is likely on the recovery.”

Ciel’s stood up in one movement before he seemed to remember himself.

“What now?” he asked.

“Now, I think we must give him some time to himself…” Agni said lightly. “But I think that he should much like to see you tonight. Perhaps give him a few minutes, and then enter.”

Ciel nodded. Attentive, though his face had never strayed from the distant, slight scowl he usually wore.

“This must be very hard for you,” Agni commented, his eyes softening out, the lines of his exhaustion showing plain, but warm. “It is difficult to see someone you love, even if they are but a servant, in pain. I fell ill once. On a hunting trip, a few days out from home. I believe Souma-sama spent four of those five days of my illness in tears.”

“I think you over estimate my compassion,” Ciel said dully. He cast the door a blank look. “I could not cry over Sebastian. Even if I wanted to…” Agni watched Ciel’s young face staring emptily at the door. A single blue eye yearning to express a connection it had never learned to feel, and never learned to show.

“I think you underestimate yourself,” Agni replied gently. He fought the temptation to crouch down, afraid the earl would see it as condescension. “Everyone is emotional, only in different ways. Souma-sama is publicly emotional. He radiates from one experience to the next in full view of the world. Unless I am very much mistaken, you are privately emotional. Yours are small glimmers, tucked and hidden away in small corners and crooks of your soul. And that is fine. I only hope that someday you will be able to share those hidden treasures with another.”

The two of them stood in utter silence for what seemed like minutes. Finally Agni spoke once more.

“I think you may go inside now.”

Ciel nodded. He took the handle, paused as if he were about to say something, then clicked the door open and vanished inside.

The scent of warm herbs, temples, spice, sweat, and freshly extinguished candles met Ciel’s nose as he stepped in. He stood by the doorway, watching Sebastian’s bed tentatively for a few minutes. Sebastian did not stir to greet him.

Ciel stepped further into the room, awkwardly approaching the bed. As he got close he caught sight of Sebastian. The demon lay splayed out on the sheets, his face buried in the pillow, his pale skin covered from the middle of his torso down by the blanket. As Ciel stepped closer he thought he saw Sebastian stir and stopped. When no more movement followed, he chanced another step forward.

To Ciel’s surprise, as he drew up to Sebastian’s side, he found that the demon was shivering. The movement radiated down his spine in small bursts, like ripples on a lake in a light dust of rain. The cat was back from beneath the bed once more, and had curled up in the crook of Sebastian’s neck between his shoulder and his cheek. Ciel considered using all of his powers of glowering to send angry vibes at the creature, and decided it just wasn’t worth it.

Instead he leaned down and ran a hand through Sebastian’s hair. It was silky to the touch, tipped with sweat. Ciel could just see the side of Sebastian’s face, turned slightly toward Ciel to draw in breath.

Breathing, true to his word.

Ciel reached out a hand and ran it lightly over Sebastian’s bare shoulder, down over his ribs, feeling the rippling muscle beneath.

Suddenly Sebastian’s side jerked. Ciel snapped his hand back. Sebastian drew in a breath. His still sleeping face contorted. His eyebrows creasing and his nose giving a minute twitch before he drew in another shuddering breath.

“Hhhhhuhhhh…-huhhhh…” Sebastian crinkled his nose and turned his head down into the pillow just as his entire body gave a jolt, bouncing lightly on the bed. “Huhhh---kkiihhhttsSSSssHHuuuu! Unghhh… Huhhhh….uhhh…hhh---kkiiihHHttTttSSHHHheeuuu! Unh…”

When Sebastian turned back his eyes were blearily open. They widened slightly as they took in Ciel.

“My lor—”

Ciel put a finger to his lips and silenced Sebastian. He reached out a hand and drew it downward, indicating that Sebastian should close his eyes. Sebastian did.

Ciel leaned lightly forward, supporting himself on the edge of the bed, and planted a kiss on both of Sebastian’s eyelids.

“What can I do?” Ciel whispered as he drew back. Without words, Sebastian reached out and closed a hand around Ciel’s arm. Ciel’s hand came to rest on top of it.

“I’ll stay,” he whispered.

Sebastian smiled.

[SterlingSilver]

It took me five billion years to finally get over here and comment, but oh man, was this worth the wait. I was hoping for some weak, adorable, sneezy, feverish Sebby and boy, did you deliver!! This is so amazing I don't know where to begin. I love the accurate characterizations, the poignant one-liners, the sneeze-spellings, the entire MASSAGE SECTION OMGH (I actually got a little jealous, that sounded so relaxing xP). But seriously, you do such a wonderful job of giving readers a slow build and delicious pay off <3

Gather, tense, release, gather, tense, release… “hhiihhhh---KKUHHSHHHHhhhSSHhhheuu! Unnghh…” Sebastian sank heavily back into the sheets. The cold hit hard and fast and left him limp, shivering, and bare.

UNGH This is so raw, and that moan at the end of his stifled sneeze <3. Just... so perfect.

Ciel found it strange to hear a touch of reluctance in Sebastian’s voice as he answered. The concern settled on Agni’s face only deepened. He placed a hand on Sebastian’s forehead and his eyes widened.

“Heavens above,” he hissed. Souma was shifting ever closer as his fear of Sebastian fell to his curiosity.

“Is it bad?” he asked.

“My temperature tends to run warm,” Sebastian said around a small, almost embarrassed smile.

I also really liked this part. The moments when Sebastian was embarrassed were just really cute/endearing to me <3. I really enjoyed this part, and if you happen to write more, you can bet I will be back to read it! >w<

[truth]

oh myyyyy eeekk

that was so amazing amazing I love Agni and you portrayed his wisdom so well and

cieeelll and of course of courSe Sebastian ultra hot as always

I actually laughed out loud at the bit about 'virgin tears'

[KazeNoUirusu]

I'm explooddinnnggg, I cannot

This has to be one of the sweetest things I've ever read. All of it. I'm always so impressed by people's stories here on the forum, because they're fetish stories, but often, they go so far beyond that. This is just genuinely brilliant writing. I cannot get enough of Kuroshitsuji character development and you have given me ALL THE CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT.

I adore the way this chapter explores Ciel's protectiveness for Sebastian, starting with the blue energy that Agni perceives and then following up with the absolutely precious ending. It seems like such a reversal of roles - one would normally think of Sebastian as the protective one - but it still makes total sense.

Ugh. Ugh.

Please, more.

[KazeNoUirusu]

I actually laughed out loud at the bit about 'virgin tears'

Oh yeah, and also this. Sebastian's sarcasm is more perfect than solid gold, even when he's sick. cx

[Vongola Undicesimo]

Oh wow this was brilliant! Sebastian feeling things for the first time and Ciel not wanting to admit how much he cares and the entire massage and shivering Sebastian and feverish Sebastian and the spellings once he finally stops stifling and AHHHHHHH!!

[valemari2012]

Ooooooohhh!! Finally I can comment in this precious history!!! I'm new in this forum and I'm from Perú :'D speak (or writing in this case) is a little hard for me and... I try to don't use the traductor for this comment ( unfortunately I use it to reading this history ) . Although I don't understand much this kind of text, I love it very much!!!!! ... I'm doing my best to write this comment because really I love it TwT follow please!

[bazzpop00]

This was amazing!! this was one of the best things ive read in a long time XD and I love how well you kept them in character!

[snidterno]

I love this! Everyone was so in character that it almost felt like canon. XD Sebastian is just great in this.