Chapter Text
Through my mask, I look up from my champagne. Beyond the golden embroidered linens covering the mahogany tables, my eyes settle on Ciel Phantomhive who is mid-dance with his betrothed, Elizabeth Midford. Perhaps it would be better to call it struggling- the child simply has two left feet.
The slow thrum of the live orchestra filtered through the ballroom of Phantomhive’s Manor. I chose this spot for a reason; it was secluded enough that I could pay attention to the audience and observe, yet not private enough for people to get suspicious of my distance.
I need to understand
his
obsession with the soul. Even Claude seemed to fall victim to the enticement of the Phantomhive’s flavor.
There’s reinforcements here too. Instead of wearing uniforms, the trained guards that
Vembralatens
… Wait, what do the humans call him again? Sebastian Michaelis? Ah yes. The guards that Sebastian hired opted for elegant tunics and buckskin britches, however, they were surely still armed. As was I, keeping my blood-stone dagger close to my side, but hidden under my ruffled black dress. The thickness of the ruffles provided ample coverage to keep the sheath concealed from any on-lookers. The cold hilt, fabricated from bones of a Death Shepherd, laid firmly against my skin, never warming to the touch.
This masquerade was the perfect opportunity to get out and remain anonymous. Sebastian might be old, but I’ve learned to conceal my energy from even the primals.
“Bard, refreshments need to be replenished this instant.” The elegant demon reminds one of the blond headed guards gracefully as he drifts across the floor with a tray filled to serve the guests. He was light on his feet serving the patrons in attendance and swapping out empty dishes with replacements. Everyone was in awe at the style and efficiency of the butler.
Which probably worked to their advantage. It took the spotlight off of Ciel’s sloppy footwork.
An unmasked woman in a fox pelt scarf and a pale blue satin dress that barely covers her thighs pulls Sebastian to the side. She hasn’t been afraid or ashamed to be seen flirting with the nobles here.
She leans back, her spine forming a sensual curve. “I can assure you that I have a portfolio of talents that will benefit the Phantomhive business. Please talk some sense into the brat.” She promises with a low, smokey voice before sipping on a little more wine and trailing one of her index fingers down the front of her corset suggestively.
Sebastian offers her a courteous and respectful smile before handing her another drink. “I’m sure you do, Miss. Please schedule an appointment with the Young Master to discuss your business proposal. It is not within my authority to accept such offers, I’m afraid. You see, I am just simply one hell of a butler.”
As he bows, his dark hair slightly falls in front of his mask, styled with artful vision. His facial features from under the nose part of the mask are unblemished and sharp. The tuxedo he wears is extravagant and reflective of the Phantomhive coffers.
Instead of entertaining her ongoing questions further, he gives her a half-hearted apology, then turns his gaze to me before politely excusing himself. The tray gets left behind on the refreshment table for Bard to take care of.
Fates, he’s heading in my direction, making my heart skip a beat.
I gulp down another mouthful of champagne, the sweet bubbles tickle the back of my throat, easing some of the invasive dryness.
The devil comes to a halt in front of me, extending a gentle, yet firm, hand. Embers from the chandeliers shine brightly and reflect magnificently on the golden metal adorning his white gloves. His crimson eyes instantly take on a warm and citrine hue. “Might I have this dance?”
Unease blossoms in the pit of my stomach when the soft drawn out notes of a string instrument distracts my attention. The rise and fall of intimate classical music somehow mixes with the gaze of several disapproving patrons. It appears many of them wished to dance with the butler.
Needing to keep up the facade, I slide my hand into his and flash the sweetest smile I could conjure. “It would be a pleasure.” My stomach churns in time with the music as I suck in a sharp breath. His lush light lips upturn into a right-sided smirk. Despite not being able to see his entire face, this alone makes me acutely aware of how handsome he is.
With a practised motion, during a phase of the song with accelerated rhythm he guides me across the dance floor through means of twirls and calculated steps while supporting my waist. I almost feel weightless during the movements; he clearly knows what he’s doing.
‘Let’s see how skilled he really is’. I hold his infernal gaze and begin to dip backwards, quickly the palm of his hand lodges perfectly into the flat of my back to pivot the angle of the dip. He’s good at reading body language, how very charming.
The music slows into a lulled cadence while I recover my form. He pulls me closer for an extremely slow waltz and his lips near one of my ears, the hot air almost making me hold my breath. “And what brings you here tonight, Ms?”
I open my mouth, but the words fall silent as a raging heat spreads across my cheeks.
My body briefly goes rigid, but I continue to dance in order to avoid gaining more unwanted attention from the seething voyeurs. Using the same discreet method, I lean in to question him next with a hushed whisper. “The same reason that many others gather here.” I instinctively reach for the knot at the back of my mask to ensure it’s still there. Everything is still tight and intact.
There’s a strange, eloquent glint in his eyes as he speaks with a lower tone. “I know a face, whether it’s half hidden or not. In fact, It’s my duty to know everyone here.” He brings a hand to my face to brush a thumb along my bottom lip. “And I know for a fact that I haven’t seen your lips or your eyes in this manor before.” The touch is almost maddening, holding a strong current of electricity with it.
As if on queue, the beat of the song picks up simultaneously to the thump of my heart. The butler turns me and presses his chest against my back so we could transition into a harmonious tango.
One of his hands stretch in front of me to rest on the abdomen part of my stomach. He moves with the same inherent predatory grace and fluidity that belongs to an alpha wolf. A fearsome, wild animal that waits for the perfect moment to unleash everything he has. The fact that he prowls in a similar manner equally fascinates me and horrifies me. “This is indeed a masquerade... But, could you be a darling and tell me who you are?”
I lay my head back against his clavicle, stretching my neck to look up at him while we pirouette around other dancing couples.
I can tell how a person is feeling just by looking at them, all it takes is focus. Physical pain or arousal is usually hot, but the kind of pain that can’t be seen, anguish, is almost always cold. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but... these gorgeous crimson eyes radiate with both heat and frigid coldness.
It’s like he’s been starving for centuries.
His lean muscles flex and bunch against my body through his tuxedo as he spins me to face him again. Warmth from his skin permeates through my dress. The expectant look he gives me signals that I’ve waited long enough to reply. “It would be proper etiquette to introduce yourself… When you attend a ball that you didn’t receive an invitation to.”
Shit.
By this point, every attendee to the ball has stopped to watch the butler and I dance away to the music. He arches a brow in amusement while a gradual grin reaches his eyes. “And I’m willing to bet you already know who I am, don’t you.”
I was wholly caught off guard by his quick assessment.
He chuckles, maintaining pace with me and the dance. The sweet scent of tea wafts from his clothing, it mingles with champagne being served by Bard. I can’t help but inhale the deliciousness of the combination. In my peripheral vision, I catch sight of Ciel gripping onto a table and Elizabeth tugging at him in an attempt to get him out for another dance.
“And if I do already know who you are?” I quip, moving my right leg back in sequence with the masked devil.
“Then I have several more questions that need not unintended ears.” He muses, eyeing the servants to confirm everything is under control before pushing me towards the main hall of the manor. My lips twitch at the wry humour, but I stifle the smile.
I’m stunned by the sudden retreat, but I don’t retaliate. The room was beginning to get too overbearing anyways with everyone watching.
In a matter of a few stuttering heartbeats, he strode forward, guiding us towards a wall with a strong, yet careful grip, as if he were acutely aware of his strength.
Once my back made purchase with the cold stone bricks, his body pins against me, arm barring me like a prisoner. “Now, do pray tell. What are you? You have a soul intact, but smell of the hells.”
I gulp as he holds my gaze with unfaltering intent. So much for hiding my energy from him. “I am a demi-demon.”
His eyebrows arch in surprise. “A Demi… I’d thought them to be extinct for quite some time. Which begs the question, why would the last of your kind be here of all places?”
If he finds out that I was interested in learning about Ciel’s soul, this may all go south. Maybe I can partially divert the conversation. “My turn to ask a question. There’s a profound starvation etched into your very being. Why do you deprive yourself?”
Sebastian licks his lips, eyes flashing with ether. “A delectable dinner is best served when at the peak of hunger and anticipation, wouldn’t you agree?”
“The type of meal that’s all-encompassing? Spicy, bitter, yet sweet and braised to perfection?” I surmised. “Yes, that would be enjoyed most at the apex of hunger.”
“So you do have a refined palette. I must forewarn you, the boy is spoken for.” The threat in those words are eminent and final. The pressure of his presence doubles until the stone wall nearly rips into the fabric of my dress. The heat coming from him, topped by his intense strength, is nearly intoxicating.
There's so much pressure that the sharp metal intricately sewn onto his white gloves knick the skin on my chest.
Sebastian stills and eyes the blood, perplexed and with… feral desire.
Uh oh. This isn't good.
“Do you know why Demis were nearly wiped out?” I asked, reaching for the blood stone dagger sheathed in the ruffles of my dress. Sebastian doesn’t respond to my movement, still fixated on my very life essence.
“It’s because the flavor of our soul is unparalleled. A huge hit with the demons. If tended to carefully, you could feed off one soul for an eternity. But most cave in to their craving and devour the entire thing in one sitting. It’s like a drug.”
That got his attention; he was practically salivating.
The next card needs to be played carefully because I'm not sure how my strength will match his. While he has insurmountable will power, starvation can drive many to do uncharacteristic things.
Bringing the dagger to the side of his neck, I flash a smirk. “I’m willing to let you have a taste... So long as my soul remains intact and you let me leave here alive.”
“Interesting. You believe yourself to be in a position to strike a deal?” Sebastian's voice was powerful, yet hoarse, cracking slowly, simultaneous to his will power.
“Kill me and eat me if you'd like. But a refined gentleman like yourself knows not to eat dessert before the main course. Do you really wish to ruin the anticipation of Ciel's soul?” I murmur as a shudder ripples through him. His breaths become labored and shallow.
A demon prides themself on only making one contract at a time. If I can take that pride, I will gain leverage.
“But if you sip the surface like a fine, aged wine, it does not satiate the hunger fully, nor does it stave the anticipation of the meal. Think of it as a light appetizer. So, I offer once more. Just a little taste in exchange for my freedom.” The incision on my chest has already healed. I bite down on my lower lip to draw blood in invitation. All he must do is seal the deal with a kiss.
Sebastian swallows, his eyes flashing equally with need and strain. “Simply one sip as a trespassing fee. Do not return to this manor afterwards.”
“Agreed.”
Lips crashing onto mine, one of his hands lace into my hair. The demon's tongue lapped at the blood and drawled at my essence. There was nothing sweet or soft about this kiss. It was hard, overwhelming, and claiming.
When I pull away to catch my breath, he hauls me back in to deepen it, tongue hastily reaching in to snake around mine. He tastes of the sweet tea that matches his scent.
How can something so sweet, be so rough? It startles me, panic flares in my stomach. But so did something else, something far more powerful. A pleasure that I haven’t experienced in years.
I feel the stroke of his tongue in every part of my being. It was in the shivers that erupts on my skin, in the inexplicable heaviness in my chest, and even lower still in a throbbing pulse. I shudder, my nails dig into my skin slightly.
Body still pressed against mine, I feel the brush of his long, hard- Without warning, he breaks the kiss and tilts his head, lips now just as swollen as mine with a tinge of red.
“Letting you leave would be a waste, wouldn't it.” There was almost a musical lilt to his words. “Won't you tell me your name?”
Thoughts oddly slow and skin humming, I blink open my eyes. Soft feathery hair falls in front of his pools of Crimson-lined honey, his features shadowed in the soft flickering lights. He picks up a strand of my hair before trailing my jawline, causing me to choke on a whimper.
A chuckle rumbles from him and through my body. With the anguish that I sense inside of Sebastian, I can’t help but wonder if he laughs often- and this was a real, genuine laugh.
My lips try to move, but they don’t. “Fine, have it your way. But I have to ask, if you don’t want me to know who you are, why are you letting all of this happen?” His hands gesture to our rather close position, any boundaries of personal space already crossed.
I wrinkle my nose at the question. “Those disarmingly good looks that are visible to the eye and likely also exist under the mask? You must be more than aware of your appearance, Vembralatens.”
The smile on his face grows when I use the infernal equivalent of his name. “I am. It has led to quite a few people making questionable life choices. Is that the type of choice you want to make tonight, Zariel?”
Son of a- He knew all along?!
I push against his chest to try and create some distance, but he keeps me close. My lips still tingle from the kiss, the weight of his presence becoming a welcomed feeling. “It is, isn’t it...?” Every syllable is slow, pronounced, and spicy.
This is exactly how he gets his way. promises, seduction, a silver forked tongue. The kiss shook my foundation. I could stop here, or... ‘Am I really considering this? Gods...’
Tremors rock me, can he feel them as they pile in my stomach? It's one of the many infuriating things about still having humanity imbued in my soul.
I nod slowly in response to his question “Yes.” Dampening my lower lip with my tongue, I feel dizzy and a little faint. And I never feel faint, not even in the face of danger. Could it be from him siphoning my life essence?
Those impossibly thick lashes of his lower, and his gaze is so intent on my mouth that it was like a caress. He traces the outline of my mask until his fingers rest on the satin ribbon keeping it together.
“Let's remove this” He whispers, face drawing in closer to mine as he snaps the material. Mask falling to the floor, my curly black hair falls loose.
Then he truly looks at me. The metal of his glove trails down the side of my throat, my sternum, and pauses at the v-neck line of my dress.
“How about this?” Heart hammering against my chest, I nod and begin going weak in the knees. A strike of amusement crosses his features. His fingers were deft, finding their way inside the fabric and follow along the rapid rise and fall of the swell of my breasts.
“I’m intrigued by you... and it’s very rare that someone intrigues me, princess. I was going to retire my young master to his chambers after the ball and indulge in a very boring night of cleaning. But now that we've crossed paths, I have a suspicion that my night will be anything but boring.”
Sebastian's lips brush against mine once more as his hand cups my breast and his thumb swipes the hardened nipple. Bolts of pleasure course through me, my body reacting on its own and arching into his touch.
My disjointed thoughts scatter even more, soon forgetting that we are still in the middle of the main hall of Phantomhive Manor. “...Not here” I gasp, melting against the wall behind me.
“Do you really think anyone will notice? Listen carefully.” The words bring me back to focus. The music is still resonating in the ballroom, along with a sequence of harmonious steps. They're still dancing.
My cheeks flush, and, upon seeing my revelation, the devil lowers his head, taking one of my nipples in his mouth and begins to suck delicately at first. When I whimper, the suction becomes much more intense. Liquid heat pools between my, now trembling, legs.
“I-I...” Just as I’m about to plead, the main door to the ballroom opens. Sebastian quickly pulls away, and hauls me into the room to the left of us. His hot breath washes over me as he stares into my eyes with amusement.
I lean in to take his lips in mine, feeling his hard length press against me just makes me want more. He reaches to pull my dress up over my stomach, a hand inching towards my swollen and aching clit.
A fist pounds on the door, silencing my accumulating desire. “Sebastian, are you in there?” A male voices calls out with a slight desperation. “It’s Finny, sir.”
He stiffens in my embrace, but remains silent before deciding to bite against my bottom lip to draw more blood. I softly groan, instantly wanting those teeth in other places.
The banging on the door intensifies. “Sebastian!”
“Incompetent...” Vembra curses, clearing his throat and manages a level headed response. “I am thoroughly busy right now. Is everything okay?”
Finny continues to knock more. “Sorry, but Bard knocked over all of the champagne and Mey-rin made a bigger mess trying to clean it up. A couple of patrons had a slip and fall.”
His voice lowers “Duty calls, princess. I must obey my contract.” The menacing tone unequivocally turns me on even more than I was before.
For the longest moment, he doesn’t move, wanting to stay here and continue from where we left off. “I’ll come back once order is restored... You'll wait, won't you?” His fingers tip my chin up to look at him. A sense of longing electrifies the air between us.
The cold anguish that resided in the windows to his soul is replaced by a raging fire that threatens to consume me whole. And I
want
it to consume me whole.
“I’ll wait for you.” My breath falters as he smiles and moves for the door.
However, the moment he latches on to the handle, it was like a switch flipped. His demeanour completely changes; A powerful, disastrous aura silently slithers behind him... masked by the promised duty of a professional butler.