12. Happy Hour Confessions

JO here...

I remember posting this chapter to celebrate President Obama's re-election in 2012.

I'm proud to say I've edited this chapter to the point where I am not cringing at it too much. Honestly, I don't know how you people do it. I'm so picky about reading fanfic nowadays. Thankfully my writing improves substantially as the chapters continue, which is also what keeps me going in other fics too.

Btw, a certain someones do make an appearance. Enjoy ;)

EDITED: 06/27/23

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroshitsuj

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12. Happy Hour Confessions

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Just as they were about to begin, Sebastian gave me a quick glance.

"I suggest you take note of my footwork, Miss Hero. I will test you on its positioning in a bit."

I gawked. "What? You're kidding!"

He wasn't. They began without another word.

Agni was the first to strike, but Sebastian quickly dodged right before thrusting his foil forward. Agni saw the blow and crouched, evading only to follow with a counterattack. Sebastian saw no threat in the attack. In response he stabbed his blade at the Hindu mark between Agni's brows. The shock was instant, but he was quick to react. Before contact was made, Agni smacked the foil away using his own.

Sebastian appeared mildly surprised by this. Agni's determined expression did not falter.

Apparently, this signaled for them to get real serious and boy, was it on.

I was on pins and needles the whole time. I watched the scene unfold with wide eyes. The fight was captivating in its brutality, the concentration and skill the two butlers displayed a thing of rustic elegance.

Placing their feet forward, their foils zoomed at each other. The tips were only an inch away from their faces, both rolling their heads back in time to allow the blades to glide harmlessly over their noses. No blood drawn. They stepped back, clearly ready to finish the duel. They went at each other once more. The tips of their foils met with equal force. Neither one was giving in. Sebastian and Agni both decided to apply more force. Their foils ended up snapping in half like brittle twigs. Broken pieces arched high towards the ceiling before falling. Sebastian caught them with ease. He smiled wryly.

"Oh dear. The blade is broken," he said.

Everyone was shocked into silence by the outcome. I clapped happily as I approached them.

"We cannot continue then," said Agni. "This match is a draw."

"Too bad," Lau sighed.

"Dudes! You guys did amazing! Agni I'm so proud of you!" I chirped happily. Agni blushed lightly at the praise.

"Hmm, Ciel's khansama fared pretty well!" complimented Prince Soma, joining me.

"I'll say. Who would have thought this would come out in a draw? Good thing I didn't place any bets," I joked. Turning, I saw Ciel sport that cute dumbfounded look that easily betrayed his thoughts. The very one that said, did that really just happen? I grinned, returning to his side and touching his shoulder gently. "Ciel?"

"A draw?" he murmured.

"Agni's the best fighter in my palace. You are the first to fight equally against Agni!" Prince Soma revealed, facing Sebastian, clearly still impressed with him.

"But he just fought against Sebastian," Ciel said aloud, still not with us.

I patted his shoulder. "I know. Agni really held his own against a devil!"

I hope someone got that. I noticed Sebastian smirk. I grinned.

"I like you Ciel's khansama! I shall excuse you today in deference to your skills," Prince Soma declared. Sebastian bowed humbly.

"I am most honored," he said.

"Mister Sebastian, thank you for being my opponent," said Agni, bowing just a bit.

"My pleasure. Mister Agni is a very quick study. I never would have guessed you were but a beginner," Sebastian complimented in return.

I leaned against Ciel from behind and smiled at his rather unpleased, cute face. I poked his cheek. "Cheer up. At least you didn't lose."

"I didn't exactly win either," Ciel admitted, face sullen.

"You win some, you lose some. That's life." I smiled before giving his back a final whack. "Buck up, kiddo!"

Agni noticed our exchange and came over. "Lord Ciel. I apologize for my earlier actions. Does your arm still hurt?"

"N-No."

Agni smiled. "I'm glad."

"Sebastian," Ciel called. The demon butler dutifully came over once Agni wandered out of ear shot. "What is that man? Don't tell me he's a, you know, a..."

The thought of Grell had him shuddering. I giggled.

"No. Agni's not a grim reaper," I told him.

"Miss Hero's right. He is human," Sebastian confirmed.

Ciel sighed in relief. "I see."

Prince Soma appeared suddenly and distracted Ciel, challenging him to another duel. More importantly, Sebastian seemed suddenly lost in thought which gave me the excuse to back away quietly towards the exit. I was about to step out into the hall when Sebastian's voice froze me in place.

"You wouldn't happen to be skipping out on your lesson, now would you Miss Hero?" His velvety voice called pleasantly.

Shit.

"Just give it up would you?"

I made a break for it, hoping against hope I'd be able to make it to safety before he caught me. But to be honest, I don't know why I bothered. Literally two seconds later, before I could so much as blink, I was thrown over Sebastian's shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

"Now, let's see if you got the footwork memorized," he said, smile polite and friendly. I struggled, punching and kicking him without success. Needless to say, I made quite a spectacle of myself once we were back inside the room full of gawking people.

"Oh, come on!"

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Inside the Phantomhive Townhouse kitchen, an impressively decorative room of brass pots and sturdy wooden counters, a blond chef had just finished listening to a retelling of the gossip that took place earlier that day.

"Alright! I can't let that Indian show me up!" Bard declared with determination, holding his frying pan like he would a baseball bat right before battering up. "Today, I'll do my best to—"

"No thank you."

Sebastian's straight face held not an ounce of sympathy as he bypassed Bard and swiftly grabbed the frying pan from his hand. "I will cook, so please do not do anything."

We're already half an hour behind schedule, Sebastian mused, his mind wandering to his young master and Prince Soma's second and third duel, not to mention his demon mate's slow progress to finally get the footwork right. He sighed. There was much to teach that one, clearly.

"—and I'll have you know I'm really good at it!" Bard ranted, panting.

Sebastian blinked, not having listened to the chef in the least. "Oh, I say! Please do be quiet for a spell—"

"Mister Sebastian. May I come in?" interrupted Agni.

Both Sebastian and Bard turned to look at the Indian butler peeking through the door.

"Sebby, I'm coming in too," came a familiar voice, pushing Agni further into the kitchen. Hero's presence was demanding, his attention entirely riveted on her. Though she still looked disgruntled from his fencing lesson earlier, her overall mood seemed chipper. Sebastian would attribute that pleasantness to dinnertime being right around the corner.

"I was wondering if I could help you," Agni timidly asked.

"Eh? Mister Agni, please just relax," Sebastian insisted.

"Come on Sebby! Agni's pretty good in the kitchen!" Hero's smile was bright on her lips.

Ah, the things he could do to them.

Agni blushed in response. "Oh I wouldn't say that, but we can get things done faster with the two of us. I shall do whatever you ask of me!"

Well, the idea wasn't a bad one. At least he'd be a lot more useful than Bard. Sebastian consented.

"Then, may I ask you to prepare the gooseberry sauce for today's main dish and the cottage pie?"

"Of course!"

"I wanna help too!" Hero chirped, her hand raised.

Sebastian cocked his head as he considered her. She doubled the wattage in her smile, her eyes expectant. How could he turn down such an eager demon mate? He chuckled.

"I suppose you could, but I think it would be better should you come with me."

Hero paled. "If it's another lesson, forget it!"

Sebastian gave her an innocent smile. "Worry not. That is for another day."

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I groaned mentally.

It was bad enough I was forced to learn fencing footwork—Sebastian really was a strict teacher—but now I feared he was fully committed in teaching me the sport! The horror! I crossed my arms and tried not to let my dismay show, lest he torture me some more. He had a way of sensing my weakness, the bastard.

"Fine," I mumbled.

Sebastian smirked. He took out a few recipes from his recipe box in a special cabinet he kept under lock and key from everyone, namely Bard. Once he found the sheets, he handed them to Agni. Bard once showed me he had a similar box but it was nowhere near the impressive size of Sebastian's—which was probably why the blond chef kept trying to break into it and why Sebastian kept it secured.

"Here are the recipes," he said. "They are my own, however, taking your diet into consideration, let us use minced chicken for the cottage pie."

"I appreciate your thoughtfulness," said Agni with a grateful smile.

"Psst!" I hissed in Agni's direction. When he noticed me, he bent slightly so I could whisper in his ear. "You should probably let the others help you out too. They may be of an idiotic nature but they're still impressionable and very willing to help."

Agni nodded in understanding. After Sebastian finished admonishing Bard for the third time and warned him to not get in the way, he left the kitchen and I followed after him, lifting my skirts to keep up.

"So, what did you plan on doing?" I asked, taking out the apple I had swiped from the secret fruit bowl. Sebastian had a lot of secret hiding places for the food in case Bard messed up, which was often and an unfortunate drainage to the kitchen budget. At least Ciel's wallet can take the hits.

"There are a few things I must get from storage for the dining room," Sebastian explained before pausing, his ears having picked out on the munching sound. He turned and looked at me. "Where did you get that?"

"The apple? In the place where you keep the fruits hidden so Bard doesn't accidentally destroy them," I explained. "I didn't realize you had acquired a hefty stash.

Sebastian sighed, but resumed his walking. "It takes a lot of fruit to make your hand-made juices, Miss Hero. Though I suppose I shouldn't be surprised you knew where I kept them and other certain items hidden."

I smiled. "Relax. I'm not actually psychic. I just like to peruse the kitchen. I used to go there a lot when I would inspect the oven several times a day when I first got here. Sadly, the oven has refused to be magical and time travel."

I noticed Sebastian frown at my words, his brows furrowing. If I had to guess, he must not be happy to know that I, his supposed demon mate, yearned to go back home. But what was he expecting? That I'd smile and stay in this strange world filled with handsome demon butlers and crazy grim reapers and all kinds of other fucked up shit? Maybe, if only because Ciel was here, but really, home was where the heart was. Still, I could see that Sebastian wasn't pleased by the prospect.

He better not think of ruining my plans to go home.

"Do you wish to go back?" he asked carefully.

Of course! But I controlled myself.

"It'd be nice to go back. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm lovin' this place with each passing day, but I have friends back home. Not to mention my dad who's probably worried sick that I'm missing."

"You mentioned your father, but what about a mother?"

"Oh. Phil isn't married. He's still a bachelor, even when he found me and decided to adopt me. He's gone out with a few women, but none of them clicked. The only mother figures I had were the nuns in the orphanage I grew up in."

I smiled, picturing good ol' adorable Phil with his chestnut waves, brown eyes, and goofy proud smile whenever I did something amazing. I could also see his alarmed eyes open wide if I did anything that took away ten years off his life simply from the worry. Hmm, I should really go easy on him when I get back. The man was probably having a crises over my disappearance and he tends to take everything personal.

Sebastian frowned in thought. "It seems odd that a single man who's never had kids would want to adopt one, especially from a foreign country. I presume he's American?"

I guess it would be odd, but that's just typical Phil for you. Sure, he was predictable, but every once in a while, the man had a surprise up his sleeve.

"Yup. All-American. His family roots can be traced back to the Civil War. But what's so odd about my adoption? I was a cute, adorable kid, you know. I've had many offers of adoptions." Sebastian arched a brow. I winced. Okay I was fibbing. No one wanted me and I didn't expect them to. "It's just that as soon as I opened my mouth or saw anyone get bullied, I become sort of not so cute and adorable."

Sebastian chuckled. "I can imagine. Then what changed his mind?"

"I dunno. He said when he returned to his hotel, it was like something told him to adopt me, to take me away from Casa de Maria and keep me happy and fed over in America," I answered. "The rest is history."

By the time I finished my tale, Sebastian and I made it to the storage room. I whistled upon seeing a bunch of stuff covered in white sheets. "So, uh, what are we getting exactly?"

"That box over there," Sebastian pointed to a left corner. Said box was wooden and looked small enough to carry

"Easy!" I said.

"It's actually quite heavy," he added as I ambled over. "I suggest you carry the other small box next to it. It contains the candles I need."

"Puh-lease. I can do this." I flexed my fingers before bending my knees and picking it up. And damn. Sebastian was right. It was heavy. "Okay I see what you mean, but it's nothing I can't handle. I'll just use my inner super strength!"

"…your what?"

I crouched once more and concentrated intensely before gripping the wooden box. In a matter of seconds, I was lifting it over my head. "See? Easy."

Sebastian blinked for a few moments before shaking his head. He walked over and grabbed the smaller box. "Well, I see you're enjoying the benefits of being my demon mate."

I almost toppled over as I followed him out. "Uh, what? Benefits?"

He looked back, his lips curved into a smirk.

"I suppose I forgot to mention that being a demon mate assures you with special abilities to guarantee your survival until your demon comes along. It's mentioned that each demon mate possesses different skills that are compatible with the respective demon."

This time I blinked. So all this time, my freaky unnatural strength was because I was Sebastian's demon mate? Huh.

I remembered the first time I used my strength. The nuns at Casa de Maria hadn't known what to make of me when they found me. In fact, I first demonstrated my freaky strength that night.

I sat with the mother superior in her office along with the other sisters, discussing how I came to be on their doorstep when a black roach made its appearance. It had had the poor women screaming. The little evil critter crawled under the desk. Wanting to allay their fears, I lifted said heavy furniture to squash the bug with my bare hand.

I blinked.

In hindsight, I was kind of a strange child. I wasn't a very expressive kid back in the day so killing a roach bare handed definitely wouldn't have made me flinch, though it did traumatize the nuns. I quickly shifted away from the memory and concentrated on walking.

"Hey, didn't you say you once met a couple? A demon and their demon mate?"

"Yes," said Sebastian, turning a corner. "That was years ago, in Egypt, during Snefru's reign I believe. The lovely lady had been claimed but it was interesting to see the legend at work. She could sense when someone spoke a falsehood."

I whistled. "That is interesting! My dad could use that at work. Did she seem happy? Being mated to her demon person?"

Sebastian looked momentarily surprised. "Happy? Hmm, well she didn't look upset. I would say she looked comfortable. She wouldn't stop spouting sweet, nonsensical nothings about her mate."

I laughed. "That's good. She must have been in love."

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The sentence caught Sebastian off guard a bit. In love? Even though that was basically the mission of this whole courtship and competition with his young master, Sebastian hadn't really thought of Hero's feelings in the matter and whether she would be happy and willing to fall in love with him.

Love.

What a queer emotion. It was so unstable yet strong in its depth. It was something every human craved in one form or another. How was he supposed to make Hero fall in love with him when he himself didn't understand such a volatile emotion? But, he reminded himself, the point of this competition was to make Hero choose one of them. So all he had to ensure was that his demon mate chose him.

He smirked.

It was time he employed his seduction skills. Hero was after all, sixteen. She was of an appropriate age to be wooed and no doubt, considering her strange upbringing, she wouldn't faint at the slightest bit of interest that strayed from the platonic.

Even with the small amount he emitted without trying, Hero seemed receptive. And a receptive female was an easy catch.

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We finally made it to the dining room. It was a large room with a long dark mahogany table currently uncovered. I tossed the box where directed. It landed with a heavy thud, something jangling inside. I walked over and lifted the lid out of curiosity. Dull silverware. That'll need some polish.

I suddenly had a desperate desire to not be the one to do so.

"I think I'll head back to the kitchen and see how Agni and the others are holding up," I said quickly, replacing the lid. "Ciel's trying to keep himself busy so Prince Soma doesn't bug him."

I turned and was about to step forward when I slipped on nothing and shrieked for half a second. Sebastian caught me with ease but my heart still pounded away like it ran a marathon.

That was close! I exhaled in relief.

"Thanks Sebastian. You saved me from a possible concussion." Instead of helping me up, the demon butler picked me up without the slightest bit of effort and placed me on a nearby chair. "Hey! What are you doing?"

"You might still have suffered some sort of injury. I'm merely checking to make sure."

If he didn't have such a straight face, I would have thought he was kidding. Wait a minute, he was kidding, right? Sebastian's gloved hands touched my exposed skin lightly. It was just enough to give me goose bumps. His face was suddenly close to mine. I froze, my face blushing like mad. Was he, was Sebastian trying to…?

I quickly brought a hand to cover my lips. "Sorry dude, but you're not going to kiss me that easily."

Sebastian tilted his head, his smile innocent and confused. "You assumed I was going to kiss you on the lips?"

I blushed harder but nodded. "Where else?"

He chuckled. "My dear, I wasn't going to kiss you on the lips. I promise."

I arched a brow but let my hand fall to my lap. "Well then what were—?"

And that's when the son of bitch kissed me!

Sort of.

He technically didn't lie because he didn't kiss me on the lips mind you. Instead, it was at the corner of my mouth. The contact was tender and hot, searing the spot his lips touched. I froze, inhaling sharply. Sebastian smirked and let his lips travel down the side of my jaw. The sensation was soft but felt like liquid fire. Heat caught the back of neck before it traveled to the spot at the back of my shoulders that soon spread into goosebumps.

Oh my…

With my hair pulled back into a ponytail, Sebastian had easy access to my exposed throat. I shivered involuntarily when he rained several kisses on the sensitive surface and teeth scraping lightly against the skin. My face was aflame as my shoulder hitched up to defend against this sensual onslaught.

I've only ever seen this in my soaps so my experience on handling this was exactly never. Oh god, why was I so vulnerable there? Was that bit of skin where my neck met my shoulder always so sensitive? I could feel the goosebumps reaching my sides. I placed my hands against his broad shoulders. His muscles were very much firm underneath the black material of his coat. Oh my god, this was seriously too much!

Sebastian sensed that I was seriously out of whack because he remained fixated on the vulnerable spot that had me gasping and sending heat pooling low in my belly.

"S-Seba—!" My eyes widened when I felt said demon butler's tongue stroke that particular spot on my throat. My head touched the back of the chair. My grip lowered to his biceps before tightening. One of Sebastian's hands made it to my back before traveling low to where I'm guessing the demon mark was. His incredibly erotic tongue slowly yet leisurely made its way to the shell of my ear, hot breath blowing against the skin.

Oh my fucking golden banana nut muffin!

My mind was reeling from the overload of sensations. This had to stop, but my body refused to tear itself away from Sebastian's overwhelming embrace and even hotter ministrations. Gah! What was a hormonal teenage girl to do? My leg lifted to rest on the seat, skirts bunching around my hip as my knee touched his hip.

Sebastian smirked. I felt the shift of his lips—his incredibly sinful lips that should be banned from earth—as he chuckled quietly. "Are you enjoying my attention, Miss Hero?"

He blew softly in my ear. I shivered.

My face was hot and my mind was in shambles, but I managed to blurt something out. "Y-You weren't really checking to see if I was injured, were you?"

"How clever of you to figure it out so soon," he joked with a devious face.

His hand on my lower back held me steady as he used the thumb on his other hand to stroke my cheek. I was like a trapped rabbit and it didn't help that I was ensnared in his hypnotic gaze.

Oh Amanda, you really have no idea just how enthralling a demon's gaze could be.

My breathing hitched when his face came close, close enough that his lips were mere centimeters from mine. All it would take was for one of us to lean forward. An inconsequential amount of inertia for one of us to emit. Then we'd be kissing. Actually kissing. My mind was fogged up with lust, my imagination beginning to run wild as sixteen-year-old girls are wont to do. We were so close. What would it be like to kiss him? His lips felt wickedly good against my cheek, but against my lips? Madness! At least that's what I thought.

However, we never got to see what it'd be like because in the next instant, both Sebastian and I heard footfalls down the hall outside the dining room.

Sebastian sighed at the interruption. He could still kiss me, but I knew he wouldn't. He'd want me to savor it, to savor him and his effect on me. He wouldn't want anything to steal my attention away from him. As it happened, my face was equal parts startled and embarrassed as reality hit us like a freight train.

Had I really just involved myself in some foreplay with Sebastian?

"We shall have to continue this another time I'm afraid," Sebastian said to me. He grabbed my hand and gave it a quick chaste kiss before helping me stand. I took a few unsteady steps forward, awkwardness setting in.

What do you do after…all that? Should I look him in the eye?

I needn't have worried for long. Lau appeared by the threshold of the dining room.

"Oh? I thought there wasn't anyone here," he said, face amused. "What were you two doing alone?"

"Getting silverware," I answered hastily as I looked away from Sebastian. "Anyways, I better go help Agni in the kitchen."

With that I made my hasty escape, face probably red like a boiled lobster. My olive toned skin had better hide that blush before the whole household knew what I was up to. Er, forced to endure I mean.

Oh god, what would Ciel think?

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Back in the dining room, Lau turned to look back at Sebastian. He carried on arranging the silver candle holders on the table like nothing was amiss.

"My, my, Miss Hero was certainly eager to escape to the kitchen now wasn't she?"

"Indeed," was Sebastian's smooth unruffled reply.

Lau cocked his head. "You know, I get the feeling physical intimacy is one way to go about this competition but seeing as how Hero is positively naïve in that respect, well, I wonder how she'd take that kind of attention."

"It would unsettle her for sure, but Hero is a near master of self-denial," said Sebastian. He eyed the unlit candle. "As a result, she'll probably laugh it off as a great joke afterwards."

Which means I have to show her I am not doing this lightly, he thought.

Sometime later, after completing several other tasks to the height of perfection, Sebastian returned to check up on the Indian butler and his demon mate. "How are things going, Mister Agni? Miss Hero? Are they coming along well?"

Sebastian paused at the scene before him. Gracious! The trio was gathered inside the kitchen and had somehow not blown it up yet.

Agni turned to Sebastian with a smile. "Yes! We are doing fine!"

"Mister Sebastiaaaan! Look, I mashed the potatoes for the pie!" Finny exclaimed happily.

"I chopped up the onions and I'm doin' the garnish! Cos I'm a chef!" Bard bragged.

"The table has been set to, it has!" Mey-Rin admitted with a blush.

"And I supervised everyone and made sure no one got hurt," Hero added with a smile. He could tell from her face that she was trying very hard to forget about his seduction attempt from earlier. Judging by the way she gripped her fan, she was definitely going to employ more evasive tactics in the future. Which meant she saw him as a serious threat and not some joke. Excellent.

Agni approached him and smiled.

"Thanks to everyone the food should turn out delicious."

Sebastian blinked several times, his shock internal. Had the trio not been destructive in their help?

"Erm, that's all very well and good," he said. He was slightly peeved the trio chose now to be useful when they were always useless to him. As Hero would say, what gives? Speaking of, he eyed Hero's wide-eyed but wary gaze. "Why is Miss Hero clinging to your back, Mister Agni?"

Hero giggled. "Was that the only thing you noticed?"

"Ah! Miss Hero wanted to verify my capabilities as a butler so she was testing me to see if I can handle her weight on my back as I go about my tasks," Agni explained cheerfully.

She stuck out her tongue at Sebastian. "And so far he's been holding up pretty well. I mean I could have made some sort of homemade dish myself but since you absolutely insisted on tonight's menu…," she trailed off purposefully. Sebastian gave her his unperturbed look. She grinned. "Oh well! You know, clinging off Agni's back is pretty fun. Makes me feel tall."

Or it was an excuse to minimize her vulnerability around him. Smart girl. It would only work for now since dinner was a foot and there's still so much to do. At least for him. Perfection comes at a cost.

"Nevertheless," he said. "I think you should give Mister Agni a break. How long has it been going on?"

"An hour or so," Agni replied.

"But who's counting?" Hero cheerfully added.

"Mister Agni is so strong," Mey-Rin complimented with a blush.

"Sheesh, I don't know how he does it," Bard muttered.

"The man is bawss," said Hero, her strange lingo falling on confused ears. "Anywho! Agni, I gott say, I'm impressed. You pass with a mega A+!"

Agni was no doubt confused, but still he managed a blush and smile. It was a good thing Hero wasn't interested in those types of boys. Pretending to be a goody-two-shoes grated on Sebastian's nerves.

"Thank you, Miss Hero," said Agni. "Such a compliment coming from you is great praise indeed. I am deeply honored you bestow me your attention."

She patted his back before hopping down. "It's not attention Agni. Its friendship; we're friends."

Agni's surprise was genuine and last a solid a minute before his features relaxed into a dazzling smile.

"Yes! Of course."

Hero soon left the kitchen. Sebastian knew it was primarily to avoid him and he couldn't blame her. If he had another chance to seduce her, he'd take it. Her mark needed claiming for not just her safety but his satisfaction. And nothing short of a contract would make Sebastian cease his search for complete satisfaction.

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Dinner finally came around and the menu was Mackerel with gooseberry sauce and cottage (chicken) pie. I had to admit that the types of food Sebastian be servin' was a little weird to me, but hey, at least it was delicious. Still, I wouldn't mind some Popeyes or Subway or even some McDonalds every now and then. Thankfully I wasn't bothered by my favorite missing foods as much as I thought I would. Of course, it helped that Sebastian's cooking made me miss home a little less.

"And so—who is this woman you're looking for?" Ciel asked Soma after a while.

"She has waited on me since I was born. She's like my nanny. We've been together ever since I can remember. Father has no interest in me," Prince Soma confessed. "And mother is so desperate for his attention that she has no time for me either. I was always alone in the palace, but Mina was always by my side. She was cheerful, beautiful, and taught me many things, just as an older sister might. I was never lonely if Mina was with me. I loved Mina and Mina loved me." Prince Soma's face darkened. "But he, a British noble came and took Mina away to Great Britain!"

I winced at his loud tone but stayed silent.

"What do you mean?" Lau asked.

Prince Soma looked up and casually twirled the fork around his fingers.

"Queen Victoria, Empress of India, recognizes the domestic administrative rights of Bengal, but in truth, the political advisor sent from Great Britain controls most of the politics. So the reality is that we're not much different from a colony."

I scowled. "Ugh. Politicians can be real sleazy bastards, especially American politicians. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised the same would happen in other parts of the world."

Prince Soma nodded in agreement. "Indeed, and three months ago, he came as a guest of that political advisor. That fellow set his eyes on Mina at my palace and took Mina away to Great Britain by force while I was out inspecting the town!"

That volume! To think Sebastian and Ciel dare complain about me! In response to Prince Soma, Ciel's expression remained bored.

"So you came to Great Britain to retrieve your woman," he said.

Prince Soma pouted as he munched. "Yes! I'll get her back and we'll go home together."

Gosh isn't that romantic? Problem was that Mina was already married to West so that scenario was highly unlikely.

Ciel sighed. "Still, you are going a bit overboard just for one servant girl—"

Prince Soma exploded. "There is no such thing as 'overboard' in this case! The palace without Mina is like an empty box!" He grabbed Ciel. "Can you not understand the despair I felt when I was forcibly separated from Mina? Can you not understand just how sad I—"

"Can't say I do."

Prince Soma paused as he felt the atmosphere become icy. I groaned mentally. Just when Ciel was starting to look somewhat chipper! Now he'll spiral down into a mini depression. I sighed.

"The despair caused by such a trivial occurrence doesn't amount to much. I don't understand it, nor do I want to." His blue eye was absolutely glacial. "There are things that cannot be recovered no matter how much one may struggle. There is also despair from which one cannot escape. You might not quite be able to grasp that, though."

He shook himself from Prince Soma's grasp and walked to the door.

The Indian prince's fists began trembling. "But, but still, I don't want to be alone in that palace…,"

Everyone was silent as Ciel left. I huffed, loose curl flying briefly before settling down on my forehead.

"Don't blame him, Prince Soma. Ciel's been through a lot and you're entirely justified to feel the way you do." I got up and glanced at the unfinished food mulishly. As much as I wanted eat the rest, deep in my heart I knew Ciel was a priority. Not to mention little blue wonder had a point.

I glanced at the Prince. "Just know some people don't understand the way you feel."

Like myself for example.

I've never been alone—alone at home didn't count and even when I lived with the nuns at Casa de Maria, the place was always so crowded that I never felt lonely despite being dubbed the orphanage's social pariah. I've always had great friends and mentors and teachers who were concerned for my well-being. Not only that, my dad's dog Noodle was great company too. I was never truly alone and I was content with that. Thanks to the many people who cared one way or another, my personality became better. I guess that's why I'm scary optimistic and annoyingly tolerant.

But still, I thought as I left the dining room in search of Ciel, there was this eerie feeling that came over me at times. It was a cold dark feeling that made my chest heavy and had my skin crawling. It was like I suddenly became empty, only a husk of a person, an empty shell. It was a foreign sensation but felt alarmingly familiar at the same time. Was that what true depression felt like?

I shivered, shaking the lingering feeling away. Maybe I should see a therapist when I got back. From observing others, feelings like that were often dangerous if left uncheck.

It didn't take me long to find Ciel. He was in the townhouse library, a narrow but tall room that housed dark wooden shelves filled with books from floor to ceiling. It was nowhere near as large as the one in the manor but it serviced what someone would need while in town.

I sidestepped a few free-standing shelves and intricately carved antique tables. The patterned carpet underneath my shoes muffled my footsteps.

Ciel stared out one of the two tall windows. The light from the moon outside illuminated his thin frame. By his lonesome he made a lonely figure, as if it were him against the world. My heart ached for him.

I decided to be spontaneous and place my hand over his uncovered eye.

"What—?" he began.

"Guess who?" I said playfully.

"Hero?"

I let go. "Ding, ding! We have a winner!"

He turned around, face softening. "What are you doing here? I thought you'd finish dinner."

"And leave you here alone to sulk?"

He flushed. "I'm not sulking, just remembering."

I crossed my arms. "You know, Prince Soma isn't accustomed to living a hard life but that doesn't mean his feelings for Mina is something trivial. He's been a neglected child and Mina was a life line in that empty place he calls home."

Ciel sighed. "I suppose."

I hesitated. I disliked putting my two cents in business that wasn't mine (ironic I know) but sometimes my mouth runs away from me. "I know what you suffered is worse but there's only so much some people can handle. Just saying. Besides, Prince Soma is still immature in some respects so you gotta make some allowances."

"I would have noticed but there are some instances where I draw the line. Especially if it is something as trivial as that," Ciel muttered darkly.

I shrugged. "Maybe to you but to him it's a big deal. He's not perfect, after all. You should cheer him up some. He is a long way from home."

"You're telling me to cheer him up? Aren't you asking the wrong person?"

I smiled. "It would be more meaningful if it came from you. And I think he wants to be your friend."

Ciel looked miserable. "Friends are troublesome. I don't need anyone else but Sebastian and you."

I placed a hand on my hip, flattered by his words, if not a little worried. "But Ciel, we aren't always going to be around. You'll need other friends to anchor you."

His hand shot out to grab my wrist. I nearly started by his quick actions. I stared at his intense gaze, his tense shoulders.

"You aren't leaving." It was a mixture of a command and a plea. I mentally sighed. His co-dependency on me would have to be a conversation for a different day.

I playfully ruffled his hair. "Well, aren't you a sweet person. Why do you need us?"

"Sebastian because he's my butler and you because you're mine," Ciel explained simply.

I blinked several times. Well, there went the sweet.

"Alright Mister Power Player. I concede to you for now, however, how do you plan to cheer Prince Soma up?"

Later that night, Ciel approached a sullen Prince Soma. He tossed a deck cards on the table and sat across from the surprised Indian prince.

"You wouldn't know the rules of chess, but you should know how to play old maid, right?"

From the doorway, Lau and I stayed hidden, peeking from afar. I should have felt bad Ciel was going to get rejected but the scene that about to happen was too funny! And I needed to think about other things other than Sebastian and our little interaction earlier. And Ciel's not-so secret fixation on my stay becoming a permanent one.

I paused before wincing. Oh jeez, there was no helping me.

"I'm done for the day. I'll play with you until bedtime," Ciel offered charitably.

Prince Soma smiled wryly. "Ciel."

"I'm not doing this for you. It's only because I've nothing better to do at the moment and Hero insisted she was busy with something else."

Here it comes!

"Ah, sorry," Prince Soma said, holding up a hand, "but I have plans for the evening. I'm busy, unlike you!"

Ciel blinked, body freezing as his eye grew wide with unadulterated shock.

"Agni, we're leaving," Prince Soma declared, standing. Agni appeared out of nowhere and wrapped a thick shawl around his master. "Hahaha! See ya! You've got to go to bed early or you'll never grow any taller, little runt Ciel!"

I couldn't hold in in. I busted out laughing hysterically, hugging myself as I walked in with Lau.

"Ahahaha! That was so fucking funny!"

"I say Earl, what a rebuff!" Lou laughed. Ciel turned and gave him the death glare while simultaneously crushing the card in his hand. "Why whatever is the matter? It was only a harmless rejection."

"Shut up! And stop following me!" He demanded as he grabbed my hand and dragged me away from both the room and Lau, still giggling mind you.

"Being kind is overrated!" He declared with indignation

I continued to laugh.

.

It was morning the next day and I couldn't help but feel alert, which was really rare for me. Ciel couldn't sleep much because I was still laughing and he was still smarting over his bruised ego. He announced that never again would he be openly kind again. And I guess I should feel bad, but Ciel kind of deserved it.

When the first vestiges of light hit the window, I was out of bed and stretching. Ciel sat in bed, face clearly irritated with the sun and me.

"Oh come on Ciel. It happened yesterday. Today is a new day so cheer up!"

He muttered something under his breath. I smiled and gave him a hug. After all, hugs were the best type of medicine there was and it's free! Once I let go, his cheeks were flushed.

"Hero!"

"What? You look like you needed it."

He sighed. "It's like you regard me as a child. It makes this courtship a lot harder to carry out."

Well he had a point but he was just so cute! It was hard to take him seriously sometimes. Not unlike Sebastian who belied respect with a mere glance of his red-brown eyes.

I shrugged. "Well can you blame me? I'm sixteen. And you're thirteen."

"What does that have anything to do with anything?" he demanded.

"My inner mind is like aw when I see you," I tried explaining. "I can't help it."

Ciel sighed and laid back against the pillow. "I'm going to have to use other methods."

Mmm, that can't bode well for me. "Don't beat yourself up too badly over that. Take all the time in the world."

"I don't have enough time," he answered, tone serious. That made me pause. Well, what do I say to that? Thankfully Sebastian appeared, interrupting the awkward atmosphere between us.

"Pardon me, sir, Miss Hero—oh? The both of you awake at this hour is quite unusual," he observed as he brought in the breakfast trolley.

"I'll say. I should be feeling like a zombie right around now," I mused, grateful when Sebastian handed me a cup of clear water.

"And I couldn't sleep well because I was too damned irritated," Ciel muttered. He took the newspaper Sebastian handed him. "Those two didn't get back till late last night, after all. Not to mention that Prince Soma, as her 'future husband', wanted to tell Hero goodnight before he went to bed! I mean really, if he says that one more—" Ciel stopped when he noticed the headlines:

ANOTHER MYSTERIOUS ATTACK!

A COFFEEHOUSE IN PICCADILLY CIRCUS SEVERLY DAMAGED!

Later that afternoon, Ciel, Lau, and I sat in the drawing room, discussing the latest mysterious attacks. It didn't surprise me Agni would do it again and I wasn't worried too much over it either. This attack would be his last since all West needed from him now was to make the special curry. But I didn't tell Ciel or Sebastian that. I mean, why ruin the fun?

"Let's be frank. That duo has seemed terribly dodgy from the start!" Lau announced as he read over the article.

"How would you know it was them? There are tons of suspicious people roaming the streets of London at night. Has the Jack the Ripper case taught you nothing?" I chided Lau as I continued knitting.

Knitting.

Shut up, yes I knit and I can crochet too, but that's boring though so I don't do it often, except when Grandma Sanders requests for it. I was taught how to do these menial tasks as punishments when I was in the orphanage—the nuns decided that solitary confinement and rulers were useless against me so they had me sew, knit, embroider and do all manner of dull needlework as my punishment for being unnecessarily disorderly, i.e. beating kids up. But really, I think it's because they found I had a knack for it.

But enough about that!

"Quiet Lau." Ciel ripped open an invitation, looking at it as if it were the cause of global warming. "However, Hero is right. I can't fathom why they would cause those incidents." He paused when he found a letter that wasn't a party invitation. He ripped it open and read the contents, looking quite contrite but resigned and determined at the same time.

"What is it Ciel? Why such a face?" I asked.

He jumped a little and hastily hid the letter. "No, nothing."

The hell? I arched a brow in suspicion. That reaction to the letter didn't exactly look like nothing, but I decided to let it go. For now. Mainly because I was starting to sew the difficult part of my design.

"So," Ciel continued, "going by their behavior, the theory of a grudge against colonial rule seems weak at best. Even if they think ill of Anglo-Indians, attacking them indiscriminately entails too much risk."

"Absolutely," I absently agreed, making sure the yarn went where it should—by the way, you should have seen Ciel and Sebastian's faces when they saw me knit! I'm not kidding when I say I'm a woman of many talents; except for playing an instrument. And trying to make things look cute.

Ciel crossed his arms. "In the first place, if they were indeed the perpetrators, would they leave the town house in blatant view of my sight as they did? That's like practically begging me to suspect them. Just thinking back on it makes me angry!"

"You're just peeved because Prince Soma keeps saying he's my future husband," I added, pleased by how fast I was finishing this thing. Maybe I should add Knitting Whiz to my future headstone. "You do realize he was joking, right?"

Ciel huffed, looking away. "Regardless, it irritates me. He won't take a hint to quit it!"

"Well, then!" said Lau. "To expedite matters, you just have to trail them during the night."

I looked up and wrinkled my nose. "You mean stalk them in the freezing cold? I'd rather have you dress me up like Paris Hilton and tweet to the cyber universe that I think Lindsey Lohan is my role model."

I received blank stares all around. I giggled but that quickly trailed off into a sigh. This was going to be a long night no doubt. And I didn't even get to finish knitting the scarf!

.

Night fell.

Prince Soma and Agni left the townhouse in search of the missing Mina. We discreetly followed them from a distance, me shivering like crazy as I peered over Ciel's small body. The snow fell in steady amounts and I sighed dramatically. As pretty as the snow was, I'm still not used it or its freezing cold weather. Good thing I dressed in men's wear tonight. No way am I freezing my butt off in a dress!

"By all appearances they really are just trying to find someone, hmm?" said Lau as we spied on Agni and Prince Soma walk around, approaching random people and showing them Prince Soma's hideous caricature of Mina. They've been at this for hours now. How are they not freezing?

"In order to obtain information about someone in England, the first stop should always be the local pubs and clubs," Ciel confirmed, a puff of white fog coming from his mouth. My eyes remained fastened to it. "They aren't doing anything out of the ordinary—Hero why are you smiling?"

"I just saw a puff of white fog come out of your mouth. Look! Mine too! Sorry, I thought it was cute," I smiled apologetically.

Sebastian chuckled. He opened his pocket watch and inspected the time. "One in the morning. They will be returning to the townhouse shortly. Let us head back."

Finally!

I gladly followed everyone, eager for the warmth of my bed. Er, Ciel's bed technically. Just as we passed a street, I saw something out the corner of my eye. It had me stopping and backing up. I looked left and squinted at the two figures walking farther away from the street lights.

Hmm, they looked kind of familiar…

I took a few steps forward just as the taller figure turned around. I gasped.

What in the hell? Was that…was that Claude? Claude Faustus?

What was he doing over there? I rubbed my eyes and looked again. The two figures had disappeared, as if they had never been. But really, they probably just turned a corner to the next street. I was about to go charging after them for the truth when Ciel's voice stopped me.

"Hero?" he said, appearing around the bend. One look at him and my curiosity was quelled for the moment.

I smiled, dutifully running back to him. "Coming!"

Still, I couldn't shake the image of Claude—as in creepy, hot Claude Faustus, Alois's Claude—from my head. Had I really just seen him? Nah, it couldn't be. I mean, why would he be here? Wasn't he in the anime? And wasn't I in the manga world? I scratched my scalp in confusion before shaking my head.

Nah. It had to have been a trick of the light.

.

"Come Claude! I want to go home! Honestly, this stupid task Her Majesty has me eradicating is beyond irritating. Especially in this weather!"

A beautiful blond boy of about fourteen dressed in a dark purple cape coat grit his teeth as he walked angrily to a nearby parked horse carriage. He stopped and looked over his shoulder at his butler. Said butler had stopped walking. His head was turned as if looking back where they had rounded the corner.

"Claude?" called the boy, tone impatient.

Claude ignored his master for a second, having sensed something unusual about the female figure he saw stop and stare at them. He narrowed his gold eyes for a moment, unsure what to think and why he would be wasting precious time over nothing. When another insistent call came from his master, he silently sighed. He returned his attention back to the blond boy.

"Yes, Your Highness."

.

The Phantomhive townhouse sat cold and immobile against the raging snow.

Later that night, once Prince Soma was snugly situated in the guest bedroom, a lone figure quietly exited through the front door. They looked back regretfully before continuing through the front gate and into the slushy streets of London.

Perched on the townhouse roof, Sebastian the demon butler glanced at his pocket watch. "Two forty-five in the morning. He is on the move as expected."

When he arrived inside, Ciel and Hero were waiting in the bedroom salon for him.

"Young master, he is on the move as Miss Hero predicted," Sebastian confirmed.

Hero yawned. "Didn't I tell you?" She stood up and stretched. "At least I have a great excuse for sleeping in tomorrow, er, today. Now come on Ciel!"

Ciel had almost nodded off when Sebastian arrived. He stood now, adjusting his coat. "All right then let's—"

"Wait!" called a familiar voice from the doorway. Hero smiled knowingly.

Ciel was taken by surprise, as was Sebastian. "You…!"

"Take me with you as well," Prince Soma asked. "I was aware that Agni would sometimes go out after I'd gone to bed. I want to know what he's up to."

"Well the more the merrier!" Hero agreed.

Ciel nodded. "Very well."

.

Following Agni, as it turned out, was pretty simple.

He led the entire group straight to a large gaudy mansion somewhere near Hyde Park. The whole gang hid behind the brick wall surrounding the house. Agni soon entered inside. I envied him for escaping the cold. Dressing up like Paris Hilton didn't sound so bad in hindsight.

"He went into the building," said Lau.

"If memory serves this is…huh, now I'm starting to get the picture," Ciel surmised, hand on his chin.

"I'm glad we're all getting the big picture here but can we go inside now?" I added, shivering violently despite the two jackets I had donned on before we left Ciel's place. Two! Imagine if I had only worn one. I'd die!

"What do you mean? Whose house is this?" Prince Soma demanded impatiently. Lau came from behind and tried calming him down.

"Now, now, your Highness. Patience, patience," Lau's face became serious. "It will be clear once you've gone inside, and then you will be forced to face the truth, whether you like it or not." He smiled. "You and I both, kay?"

Silence reigned before Ciel spoke. "By 'you and I', I take it you haven't a clue either?"

"Yes! Who lives here?"

We all face palmed. I sighed and clutched my cloak tightly. Dang nab it! It was cold out here and these guys were still talking! Screw that!

I left the boys explaining to Prince Soma that Harold West lived here to approach the wall. I dug into my knapsack for my black gloves, some rope, and a piece of metal that used to go on an old necklace of mine. I attached the rope to the metal piece to create a decent hook. I stared at the tree branch arched over the street. I twirled my rope and let it swing to the branch. Luckily the metal allowed the rope to wrap around twice before holding fast.

With that I tugged to make sure the connection was secured. Once that was done I climbed up—rope climbing week in gym class was a Godsend. When I was finally close to the ledge of the wall, I leaned to the left and grabbed hold of the brick support before sitting on my perch. I undid my rope escapade and the necessary equipment was returned to my knapsack. I swung a leg over the wall and looked back at the still chattering boys.

"A-hem! Can we get a move on?" I asked them loudly.

They all stopped and stared at me in shock.

"Hero!" Ciel exclaimed worriedly. "How did you get up there?"

"Detective extraordinaire." Need I say more? "Now hurry it up men!"

"But how—" Ciel was interrupted when Sebastian grabbed him and literally hopped over the wall. "You idi—"

"It's faster this way," Sebastian explained.

Lau and Prince Soma caught up with me. Lau looking as fresh as a daisy while Prince Soma was exhausted as a marathon runner. They both jumped down, one gracefully, the other clumsily. Sebastian approached me and held out his arms.

"Jump, Miss Hero. I'll catch you."

"You better!" I leapt and closed my eyes, expecting to hit the snow when I felt myself embraced by strong warm arms. I opened my eyes and found Sebastian smirking at me. "Don't give me that lip mister! And do something about the dogs!"

Ciel arched a brow. "Dogs?"

They growled as if summoned and Ciel stiffened, turning around to find four vicious looking Rottweilers glaring hungrily at us. I snickered behind my gloved hand.

"Those dogs, sweetie."

"Ciel! Hero!" Prince Soma cried. With me still in his arms, Sebastian used his little demon trick to subdue the hounds without having to lift a single finger.

"Oh? The hounds are falling back," Prince Soma observed happily.

"Heh, what cowardly guard dogs Mister West keeps," Sebastian mocked. I shifted in his arms.

"Um, you can put me down now," I told him. Sebastian did so and I dusted off my clothes. Lau had disappeared but judging by the shuffling noises coming from around the side of the mansion, we knew he was there. Lau had managed to knock out all the guards unconscious by the time we found him. Ciel and Prince Soma stared at him doubtfully.

"No, what do you take me for?" he said. "I didn't kill them. I simply put them to sleep! It's a four-thousand-year-old method from China."

Ciel shook his head. "Never mind. Let's stop dallying and find him already."

I shivered again. "For reals."

We sneaked inside easily enough, the halls of West's home dark as a basement cellar. Thankfully though, it was blessedly warm. Our steps were muffled by the green carpet underfoot, the silence in the hall noticeable as time went on.

"There does not seem to be any guards inside," Sebastian noticed. "I can hear many voices coming from the second floor, however. What say we go upstairs and have a look?"

I grinned. "Game."

It took us little time to find ourselves eavesdropping on Agni and West in the hall outside the salon room they were using. When I peered through the slim crack of the door, I had to admit, West kind of looked good in that sleazy millionaire way. Probably explained why Mina chose him.

"You've done a splendid job. Don't look so tormented, old chap. Why not have a cigar and relax?" West offered, pleased as punch. Agni took the hint and sat in the couch, but remained silent as West continued to chat. "This is a first-class Havana cigar I bought from James Fox, the Royal Warrant holder. Well in any case, the plan has been executed to perfection so far. Everything will be resolved in a week's time."

I yawned. Heard it. Still, I forced myself to listen as West bragged about Agni's talented hand and all that jazz. Without context and a dirty mind, that would have been a perfect set up for some sexual innuendos. I was so busy being amused by my own mind that I missed Agni mention Prince Soma's trigger: Mina. He burst into the room without a second thought.

"You bloody f—" Ciel's words were cut off by Sebastian's hand clamping down over his mouth. "Mmph!"

"He knows the young master and I. Let us see how things proceed before rushing in," he said by way of explanation.

I giggled. "Ciel, were you about to say a no-no word just now?"

The boy said nothing, mostly unable to.

In the room, Prince Soma stood before Agni. His face twisted in rage.

"What is the meaning of this, Agni? Have you known where Mina was all along?"

"Ah, so that's your master, hm, Agni?" inquired West, not too bothered by the fact that someone had broken into his home unannounced. You'd think he'd be concerned by that.

"You," Prince Soma said through clenched teeth, facing West with Agni at his back, "are the swine who took Mina away. Agni! Knock him down!" The poor Indian butler struggled with himself. Prince Soma looked over his shoulder, surprised there hadn't been an immediate response from his loyal butler. "Agni, what are you doing?"

West snickered. "Agni, throw his annoying Highness out of here."

"Wha—?" exclaimed Prince Soma in shock.

Yeah this was going to end badly. Sebastian sensed that and sighed.

"It would seem a quarrel has ensued," he said.

I rolled my eyes and sat next to Ciel. "La der. What'd you think was going to happen?"

"Though there's no mistaking West's involvement with the hangings," Lau whispered, crouching to meet our eye level, "based on their little chat they no longer seem to be 'incidents of the underworld'. And that means it's all outside of the Earl's jurisdiction, as it has to do with polite society and all."

"Indeed," Ciel agreed.

"But informing the Yard is a pain, so what do you say we beat them silly and go home?" Lau suggested.

"That doesn't sound half-bad. But I have another idea. Let's leave West at large for a while," Ciel suggested. "Tonight, we'll be leaving here with the thick-headed Prince.

Lau smiled. "But West knows what you two look like, right? So someone else will have to handle this."

"He doesn't know what I look like!" I grinned.

"Please let me handle it. I have a good idea," Sebastian interrupted.

"Hey! I want in on the action!" I protested, crossing my arms.

Back inside, Prince Soma confronted his long-time butler.

"Agni, what is wrong with you? Explain yourself!"

Agni struggled to come up with a valid excuse. In the end, he simply told Prince Soma he had nothing to tell him.

"Please leave now," he insisted, head bowed.

Prince Soma could not have been more shocked if he'd been electrocuted. He whirled on West and grabbed him by the lapel. "You bastard! What have you done to him?"

"Please stop!" Agni begged, grabbing hold of the furious Indian prince.

"Let me go Agni! Why are you doing as he says?"

West's face twisted in irritation as he glanced down. "Well I never! My Gieves & Hawkes suit is all wrinkled."

"Agni! Get your hands off of me!" Shouted Prince Soma.

"Y'know," started West. "For those chaps who are a bit hard of hearing, a good beating always does the trick. Agni, give his Highness the Prince a good whack to shut him up."

Cue dramatic music. Goodness this was worse than watching Desperate Housewives.

West laughed. "Haha! What's wrong? I'm not ordering you to kill him. I'm only telling you to rough him up a bit to get him to bite his tongue. Aren't I a nice fellow?"

I scoffed. I've seen hobos nicer than him.

"Agni…"

"Agni!"

Oh shit! The raising of the hand! In a flash Sebastian was between them. It shocked the hell out of both Agni and Prince Soma. When Sebastian turned to look at them, a mounted taxidermy deer's head stared back at them. And of course, that was when I laughed hysterically at everyone's reaction.

"Wh—Wh—Who the hell is this?" exclaimed West in stunned surprise. He freaked when the deer head turned its head to look at him.

Sebastian bowed. "I, nought but a humble deer, have come for this prince."

I banged on the wall as I placed a hand over my mouth to prevent any giggles from escaping. Ciel looked blue.

"Well, he did hide his face but…"

Lau chuckled. "Putting on that mounted deer head and going in was a stroke of brilliance, Master Butler!"

"It sure was," I said with a grin. "I'll give him kudos for that and stay put like he asked."

West quickly freaked out like a wuss and ordered Agni to kill Sebastian. When Agni went into his own Super Sayan mode, he started wrecking the place like a demolition ball. I laughed when he smashed West's valuable items, further messing with West's sanity.

I turned to Lau. "We should get going. Carry Ciel would ya?"

Ciel flushed. "What? Why should he carry me?"

The hallway around us began to shake and bits of plaster and whatnot began to rain down. Lau picked the gawking Ciel up without difficulty—the boy was as light as a bag of chips, after all. Lau smiled.

"Hero has a point my lord. This is starting to look a mite dangerous. We should take our leave now, Earl."

"Wha!" Ciel uttered in surprise as Lau dashed away. I was about to follow them when a strong tremor shook the house, causing me to stumble into the battleground. I steadied myself and saw a flash of black fly right by me.

I looked behind me and saw Agni zoom towards me with a scarily intense face of concentration. Panicking, I jumped out the way just as he destroyed the wall next to me, unleashing the chilly winter breeze into the salon room. To my surprise, I stood next to West. His face was paler than usual and tears rolled down his cheeks as he surveyed the mess that accounted for a quarter of his stately home. I shook my head.

"Man up, West! Material possessions are always temporary."

I walked to the gaping hole overlooking the snow-covered lawn. That was when Ciel finally ordered Sebastian to take Prince Soma and I away.

I blinked. Me?

"As you wish," Sebastian replied.

An arm suddenly wrapped itself around my waist, lifting my feet off the ground. I yelped, quickly wrapping my arms around Sebastian's deer head to keep from falling. I gave his new look a critical stare.

"You know," I said, "as hilarious as the deer head is, it's also kind of creepy."

He chuckled before leaping into the night. I held onto my Sherlock hat as we landed safely on the snow. We both looked back to see a crying Agni stare after us from the decimated second floor of West's home.

I frowned.

Poor Agni. Things will get better, just not any time soon.

Back at the Phantomhive townhouse, we all sat in the drawing room discussing Agni's mad skills. Unlike my comrades, I was half-asleep, half-listening to them and half-dreaming of Latino cuisine. I yawned and closed my eyes, head resting on my palm. The last time I was up this late was because of a TV show marathon of "The Mentalist". And my birthday, of course! New Year's gets kind of crazy and my dad takes to lumping the two dates together, not that I mind.

"Because of his intense devotion to his 'god' and 'master' Prince Soma, he can invoke power that is beyond human," Sebastian explained, his smooth voice a pleasant sound to my ears. "It is power that our like cannot boast, that which is born of belief in and love for another, a power known as 'faith'."

Sebastian gave Ciel a smug glance.

"True," I said, opening my eyes. "The pastor next door to me likes to say one tiny mustard seed of faith is enough to move a mountain."

"Hogwash," Ciel scoffed.

I rolled my eyes but smiled. To each his own.

"Then why," Prince Soma began, "did he betray me? Why did he willfully abandon me!"

In a fit of rage, he lashed at the porcelain before him all the while shouting. "Why? Why does everyone leave my side? Why?"

In the sudden glass storm, my tea cup full of hot chocolate spilled onto my lap. I jerked upright from my seat just as Prince Soma dashed out the room. I flapped my hands in the air, the burn stinging like mad.

"Hot! Hot! Hot! It's hot!" I cried, tears springing to my eyes but refusing to fall.

Sebastian was beside me in an instant, damp handkerchief in hand as he dabbed at the hot liquid on my pants.

"Hero! Are you alright?" Ciel asked, jumping up and coming to my side.

"Hot! The hot chocolate was just hot is all," I said, trying not to grimace at the uncomfortable sensation on my thighs.

"That's got to hurt—oh? What's this? You seem to have a streak of red on your face?" Lau observed as he too got up and came to inspect me.

"Red?"

Ciel peered at my face, his eye widening in shock as he stared at a spot below my eyes. Sebastian did not look amused either.

"You have a cut on your cheekbone," Ciel pointed out.

I lifted a hand to my face and winced when my skin touched a raw sliver of skin. "Oh. One of the glass shards must have cut me. No biggy."

"But its bleeding," the bluenette insisted, gaze suddenly very angry.

I brought my hand away and saw red on my fingertips. I rolled my eyes. "Oh, it's nothing. I'll get it treated after I change. By the way, no amount of dapping is going to help, Sebastian."

He stood up and I turned to leave, briefly wondering if the Victorian era had any ice. If not I could use the cooling gel I had in my mini first aid kit which was currently tucked safely away in my knapsack. I swear I can never leave home without it.

I quickly rushed to the room I shared with Ciel. I kept almost all my stuff there. There was no point going back and forth.

Really now Prince Soma, what a tantrum!

.

Back in the drawing room, everyone stared at the space Hero vacated. After exchanging glances with each other, they stared at the broken porcelain on the carpet.

"Oh dear," Sebastian sighed. "There goes the Haviland tea set. I had it sent for because I thought it would be perfect for the young master. Not to mention Miss Hero got hurt as a result of the prince's rage. I do believe," he said, gaze darkening, "that he needs to be retaught his manners a touch."

In the guest room, Prince Soma lay in bed, covers wrapped around him as he wallowed in anger. Time seeped away from him like sand through fingers when he heard it.

A click.

Someone had entered his chamber. Unannounced and uninvited! The audacity! The insolence!

Anger consumed him.

Prince Soma sat up, face twisted in rage as he turned his head to the door.

"You knave! Who gave you permission to enter—"

He was interrupted when Sebastian approached the bed and none too gently whisked the covers away from the older boy's body. The force harshly threw the Indian prince from the bed.

"Wha! You insolent fool—"

"Which of us is being insolent?" Sebastian interrupted again. "Doing as you please and leaving a mess in the wake, even going so far as hurting your hosts." His gaze was absolutely glacial as he stared Prince Soma down. "Had you been anyone else, you would not be standing here breathing."

Prince Soma sucked in a breath as he caught a glimpse of something inhuman, cold, and frightening in the butler's gaze. He found swallowing to be difficult.

"What a fine pest you've made of yourself," Sebastian continued bluntly. "You are in England, at the resident of the Earl Phantomhive. This is neither your country nor your castle. Here in this place you have absolutely no right to order anything of me. Here you are nothing more than a whelp."

It amused Sebastian to no end how easily susceptible humans were to a few whispered words, how easily their faith crumbled under life's realities. Though all he said to the prince was true, deep inside he was still angry.

How dare this insolent human harm his demon mate. His anger made him further mock the prince without remorse.

Though Hero claimed to be strong (and maybe she was physically), mentally she was rather weak. She was vulnerable and naïve, unfamiliar with the world's harshness, its wickedness, and its sensual carnality. She was pure from it all. The thought brought a strange sense of approval to his mind.

Despite her claim to be steeped in familiarity of the world's sins, she knew nothing. Not like him who was secularism incarnated. The way Hero went about herself proved it. He suspected there was more to her though.

For one thing, her past before she stumbled upon the nuns beckoned his curiosity. Something about it seemed suspicious for some reason. She probably lived an ordinary life before she was kidnapped, but still, his fixation remained. Anything about her interested him, truth be told, and if anything, or anyone, dare raise a hand against her, they would find Sebastian to be a most unmerciful creature.

Prince Soma turned from him and ran for the door. Sebastian was quick to block the way, one hand firmly placed against the door's wooden paneling.

Sebastian stared down his nose at the prince and smirked. The prince backed away in fear.

"Ah, but I am not wrong, am I? I see, now that reality is thrust in your face, you have decided to affect the role of the tragic hero." He frowned. "You go about your tantrum like a spoiled child, even going so far as to hurt Hero." A soft chuckle. "You truly are pathetic. And you call yourself her future husband?"

Prince Soma appeared shocked. "I, I—of course! I promised! She will surely stay by my side because she knows I mean to keep my word! Unlike everyone else who said they'd be by my side!"

How utterly delusional, Sebastian thought.

"That's because no one serves another without a reward," he informed him harshly. "Even a three-year-old understands the principle. Not a one of them ever loved you and Hero is no exception."

"Let's leave it at that," came a new voice. Sebastian turned around and spotted his master over by the door.

"Young master."

The young master looked away, expression cool. "I might have ended up just like him. If not for…that one long month…"

.

After twisting and turning myself before the mirror, I smiled at my new outfit. Luckily, I wasn't burned too badly from the tea earlier and the cooling gel from my bag certainly helped. As I grabbed my night robe, I paused, a feeling of forgetfulness filling me.

I was forgetting something. But what? Then it hit me.

Oh my gosh!

Sebastian was going to royally mess with Soma's mind! And Ciel was going to recount a bit of what happened to him during "That Month".

I hurried out the room, but stopped short when I realized I didn't have the foggiest clue where Soma's room was. Dammit! I have got to start memorizing the floor plans of this place or something because honestly, it just might save my life.

I stumbled around, checking into rooms only to find them empty.

Eventually I heard Ciel's voice. I rounded a corner and saw an open door.

That's gotta be it!

As I approached, I stopped before the door when I realized Ciel was inside talking about what had happened to him during "That Month". Thanks to the manga I could picture a scared little boy running around his home, searching for anyone, only to find everyone murdered. Then, large hands grabbing him, kidnapping him. The branding on his delicate skin as if he were cattle before he was forced to participate in a grisly satanic-like ritual. I couldn't be sure how much more he suffered by those people and frankly, I was terrified to know.

Something like grief briefly choked me, tears leaking. I shivered, wiping them harshly away.

I have never experienced such foreign feelings before; sadness, grief, despair, starvation, depression, abuse, loneliness, humiliation—unless you count coming to school with different shoes on once.

I've been fortunate enough that Casa de Maria had been a place that treated its orphan charges right. That Phil himself was a beautiful human being who tried really hard at fatherhood. That Amanda was such a patient and incredible friend. Don't get me wrong, I'm not impervious to negative emotions, but for some reason, I don't feel those emotions as strongly. It's like numbness takes over, which is alarming in and of itself, but at least I'm not emotionally overcome.

After thinking over Ciel's confession, I realize how easily I could have fallen by the way side with a twisted personality. Or worse. Most times, if I feel a wave of negativity coming on, I would distract myself. I liked keeping myself feeling light—it made living easier. But with denial comes empathetic ineptitude. After all, what gave me the right to cheer anyone up from the black pits of depression and despair?

I leaned against the wall and absently listened to Ciel talk. When I stuck my hand inside the pocket of my robe, I found myself touching my iPod. I took it out and turned it on. The battery was almost at half. Seeing the screen light up and feeling the cool glass screen against my fingertips with its sleek modern design, a sudden bout of homesick took hold of me.

I gritted my teeth.

I hated feeling homesick. I knew I missed home. A lot. But there was nothing I could do about it for now, therefore wasting time on feelings of longing was pointless and would only lead to no good.

Still.

I scrolled through the pictures in my photo gallery and found a picture of me during my fifteenth birthday. Since I was of Hispanic origin, Phil wanted to respect and honor my culture and heritage by throwing me a quinceañera—something the local Latina mothers in our neighborhood zealously helped out since Phil was an endearing but clueless gringo. Needless to say, I had a pretty smashing birthday at the local community center where a lot of Latino families in the neighborhood I was vaguely familiar with were invited to.

I smiled, remembering the hectic but fun filled night. It was also the one time I felt comfortably feminine—my dress had been a big taffeta confection of pink and white.

The joy of that night had been exhilarating and I remembered wanting everyone else to feel just as happy too, if only for a night.

I blinked. And then it hit me. Another realization.

It didn't matter if I hadn't gone through Ciel's pain and would probably never understand it or experience it. Hopefully. I just really wanted him to be happy and at least genuinely smile for once. I wanted him to laugh and enjoy his life while he still had it. I wanted that for him so badly.

I turned my iPod off, resolved to enter the room.

If Ciel was determined to see this "revenge" of his to the end, then I was equally determined to make him enjoy his life a little more, even if weird things did tend to happen. That's probably the only real thing I can give him since everything I owned could be counted on one hand.

Speaking of, I'm still iffy about this whole courting thing. Not sure how that's going to pan out for Ciel. My feelings for him were there, but I wouldn't call it romantic any time soon. And then there's Sebastian and his little seduction stunt earlier. I'm horrified that it felt so good. Seriously! What am I supposed to think? Had to stay away from that one for sure.

"—enough of this prattle," said Ciel as crossed the threshold and turned the opposite way from me. "Sebastian, I want to talk to you about West, come."

"Yes sir."

I decided to make my presence known. I ran up to the little Earl.

"Ciiiiiiieeeeeell!" I called as obnoxiously as I could, just for giggles.

Ciel stopped and turned, eye wide with surprise. "Hero?"

I smiled. "I've returned from war and come back a veteran."

Ciel rolled his eye. "Is your thigh hurting?"

"It's fine. All better and I even placed a Band-Aid over my cut, see?" I said, moving my hair out of the way. I showed him my epicly awesome Mickey Mouse Band-Aid—my favorite cartoon character evah.

Ciel squinted. I could tell he was debating whether to ask about it but since he knew he wouldn't understand, he decided against it. Sebastian joined us and together, we all went downstairs. I didn't worry over Prince Soma, knowing he would follow and change his ways. As if on cue, heavy steps sounded until the Indian Prince appeared behind us.

"Ciel!" He called out.

We all stopped and turned to face him. The expression on his face was pitiful. He bowed his head and stared at the carpet underneath his feet.

"I, I am ashamed of myself. I'm seventeen but I'm still an unseasoned fool next to you. I was a spoiled child in the nest my parents gave me and never once tried to understand others. I knew Agni was troubled, but I didn't even try to talk to him about it. But now I want to know. I want to confront him and Mina and ask them why they left me."

He looked up, eyes shining with determination. "So please. Let me join you in—"

"I decline," Ciel interrupted.

Prince Soma blinked. "What?"

"I have no desire to babysit a charge as naïve yourself," Ciel added as he walked away, dragging me along in the process. "That said, my parlor door has been locked."

Prince Soma suddenly glomped Ciel from behind.

I giggled, thrilled to have another member in the Glomp Ciel Club. Huzzah!

I could tell Ciel regretted opening his mouth by his grumpy expression.

Prince Soma turned to face me and did his I'm sorry hand gesture.

"Hero, I apologies for hurting you when I snapped earlier. It was not my intention. As a future husband, I am most ashamed of myself. Are you alright?"

I could feel Ciel's irritation grow over Prince Soma's presumption. Sebastian merely smiled. Apparently, he didn't consider Prince Soma competition.

I smiled and waved Prince Soma's apology away. "La der, sweet one. No need to worry."

Prince Soma's shoulders relaxed before smiling. Once apologies were delivered, we returned to the drawing room where Lau was waiting for us. It was obvious that West wanted the Royal Warrant and all those incidents were to eliminate the competition from the upcoming Curry Contest in the Crystal Palace.

The Crystal Palace.

My eyes sparkled when it was mentioned. I've read about its spectacular opulence of cultured treasures from around the globe in Victorian novels and fantasized about going there in spirit—it was, after all, no longer standing in modern times. To think I had a chance to go in person! Thank you, time travelling oven!

After confirming that the Queen would attend the event, we finally had everything figured out.

"What will become of Agni and Mina?" Prince Soma asked.

"Who knows," shrugged Lau.

"We now know these incidents having nothing to do with our side, the Underworld. And we're not running a charity," said Ciel, yawning.

Prince Soma looked crushed. "I understand. This is my problem. I will think about what I can do to solve it on my own."

I smiled. So the boy was growing up. Ciel looked pleased and stretched.

"Good attitude," he said. "Then I'll get on my work. I was summoned to London in winter on a fool's errand. Don't I deserve some reward for my troubles?" Sebastian smirked and I giggled. "A royal warrant is granted after three years of gratuitous service and one's showing at a fair. The fair will be held in one week. And fortunately for us, the top competition is unable to participate. Therefore, if our Funtom Company participates and wins against West, the royal warrant will be ours."

Judging by their shocked expressions, no one expected Ciel to make that move.

"I always thought this plan was very conniving," I mused aloud, "but it's also genius."

Ciel smirked. "I was considering moving into the food business after obtaining a warrant for our confectionery and toys. If we were to get a warrant at the curry fair, it would be the talk of the town."

"Indeed. It'll be quite trophy worthy to mark the launch of Funtom's culinary line," said Lau. "But you only have one week to set up a culinary department. Will you be able to prepare specialists in curry, cooking equipment, stores and such in time?"

Ciel sipped his tea. "We won't be needing any of that. Isn't that right, Sebastian?"

Sebastian placed a hand over his heart. "As butler to the Phantomhive family, it goes without saying that I can manage something like this. The royal warrant will b—"

"Impossible!" interrupted Prince Soma, standing up.

I laughed at Sebastian's face, bringing a hand up to stifle the giggles back.

Prince Soma explained to everyone that there was a reason Agni's right hand was called the Right Hand of God. Cooking was not fighting and that you had to know which spices to blend to create the perfect combination of curry. It was no secret in Bengal that Agni was a whiz, his curry unmatchable in its perfect excellence.

"That is why Agni, with his 'Right Hand of God' is called Kali's Right Hand!" Prince Soma finished dramatically. I held up my hands in a don't shoot me gesture.

"I swear I didn't do anything to bless his hand," I joked.

See there? I made a funny!

"I've never had any curry that tastes better than his. That's why I told him to offer me his right hand forever," Prince Soma finished.

"Lol, I can't believe you saved Agni for his mad cooking skills alone." I shook my head. "Oh well. This week ought to be entertaining."

Sebastian chuckled. "Well, well, I seem to have found myself against a formidable adversary."

"I'll say," I said smiling. "Curry Contest here we come!"