I waited in the  entry room, Sebastian having insisted that he could make this agreement  work with his employer, the young Lord Phantomhive. Myself, I was a  little less sure of things. Wasn't he supposed to be allergic to cats? I  was sure he would not want his butler to be visiting my home and taking  care of them while I was unable to do so. It was a horrid time to be  dealing with a broken arm, what with the kittens having been born just  recently.

If the young Lord agreed  though, it would be a blessing to have someone I knew already to be the  one taking care of them. Especially with the felines already  comfortable around Sebastian, since he came to visit them so often. At  first I had been a bit leery of having a strange man, even one so nicely  dressed, coming around so much just to play with and pet the cats, but  they seemed happy enough for the extra attention when I was too busy  cleaning or filling out paperwork.

Over time, I had grown  used to his random appearances around the small estate where I bred and  raised the cats. He would show up at strange times and stay for a while,  before vanishing again into seeming thin air. The first few times had  left me shocked, almost afraid of his return, but by the 5th time he had  come to visit I had already gotten used to his coming and going so  quickly and quietly. Besides, the cats seemed to like his visits, so who  was I to complain.

Hearing footsteps coming  down the hallway, I stood up and got ready to greet him. Although I was  hoping for good news, I was still expecting him to decline allowing his  butler to assist me. Turning to the open doorway, I could hear mumbled  arguing and felt my hopes sink. Hiding the frown on my face quickly, I  gave the entering young Lord a smile instead, still thankful that at  least Sebastian had tried.

"I'm sorry for bothering  you, Lord Phantomhive. I understand that it would be an inconvenience  to loose the use of your butler, so please forget it was even brought  up. Sorry to have taken up your time." Giving a low curtsy to the young  Lord, awkward thought it was with one arm in a sling, I gave a smile of  thanks to Sebastian as I got ready to leave the Manor.

I was too busy lifting  my small bag onto my good arm to notice the faint blush spread across  the 16 year old Lord's face, nor the widening of his one revealed vivid  blue eye. That did not stop the small smirk from growing upon the lips  of his more observant butler.

"Who said I was going to  decline? I can't let you strain yourself, trying to take care of  those... felines... when your arm is broken and in a sling. Until you  are healed, Sebastian shall attend to your cats while you rest and allow  yourself to recover." There was a strange mix of disgust and concern in  his voice, but I guess I could understand him not caring much for a  creature that he was allergic to, even if it was one as adorable as a  cat.

"Thank you! I appreciate  you lending me the assistance of your butler! Sebastian will be a great  help with the kittens while my arm recovers enough to take care of them  myself! Thank you Lord Phantomhive!" I was too busy smiling at the two  gentlemen before me to notice the slight frown he gave at hearing me  talk so familiarly about his butler, his frown growing when he noticed  for the first time that hearing him called by his title made him feel  just a bit more distant than he wanted to be from the (h/c)-haired young  lady in front of him.

"Please,  feel free to  call upon me and my servants should you need anything else, anything at  all." I couldn't help but widen my (e/c) eyes at hearing his words, but I  was not about to decline and risk upsetting the young Lord.

Confused slightly, I  still managed to give him a thankful smile, my eyes closing for a moment  at the happy thought of all my cats being taken care of while I reduced  my workload to what I could safely managed with a broken arm.

"Thank you, Lord  Phantomhive. I appreciate your assistance in my time of need. I'm not  sure how I would manage this without your help. Thank you." Again that  cold feeling in his chest at hearing the title instead of his name, but I  couldn't tell with how well he hid it behind that calm mask he wore.

"Please, call me Ciel.  I'm sure we will be seeing each other more often, since you will be  borrowing the services of my butler. I would like to think we could get  to know each other and what better way than to start by using each  others first names, right Miss...?" He left the question hanging as he  waited for my answer.

"Then please call me  (y/n). It is a pleasure to meet you, Lord Ciel. I look forward to  getting to know you better." I gave him another smile, this one more  warm and heartfelt.

I'd never thought to  meet someone so much higher in rank than myself, yet be treated so  kindly by them. It was a very pleasant surprise and I couldn't help but  look forward to learning more about this young Lord Ciel, who was so  much different than anything I had heard about him from others gossiping  as I passed by in the markets.

"Would you like to stay  for dinner? I'm sure it would be easier on you if you didn't have to  stress over making yourself a meal this late in the day." Hearing the  offer, I couldn't help but blush when my stomach gave a light rumble in  response.

Especially when I saw  the amused grin that caused his soft looking lips to curve upwards. What  was I thinking? Giving myself a mental shake, I smiled at the young man  before me and nodded.

"I'd appreciate that,  thank you. I'm afraid I hadn't been thinking of how late it would be by  the time we were finished and had not thought to even eat a snack before  leaving my house. I'm afraid I can me rather absent minding about  things that do not have to do with my cats." Laughing softly, I once  more didn't notice the soft hint of pink that spread across his cheeks.

"Sebastian, prepare a  meal for the both of us, something that will be easy for Miss (y/n) to  eat with only one hand. Miss (y/n), please come with me. We can perhaps  play a game of chess while we wait?" Nodding to Sebastian, he then  turned to me with a soft smile. "Follow me, my lady."

Blushing a little at his  gentle voice, I nodded and placed my hand on the arm he'd held out to  me, my bag quickly forgotten as it sat on the floor again near the seat  I'd vacated earlier.

"I would enjoy that,  Lord Ciel. Very much so." I was oblivious to how his heart raced at the  feel of my hand resting upon his arm, to how he turned his face away so  he could hide the blush that grew even darker at my voice and, most of  all, to the way his mind raced faster with plan after plan as he led me  into the dining room and over to a chess set that sat in one corner.

--------

Over the next few weeks,  I found myself often being invited to dinner at the Phantomhive Manor,  with the insistence that the young Lord Ciel did not wish me to push  myself and thus slow down the healing process. Those times I was not  invited, Sebastian was often to be found within my kitchens preparing a  meal for me. It was sweet of Lord Ciel to do so much for me and over  time I found myself slowly growing closer to him, to the point I soon  began seeing him as a close friend. One I could talk to about nearly  anything.

It was with this  thought, this feeling, that I turned to him when a letter from my Father  arrived one day, bearing news that I had not expected to ever hear.  When we walked quickly into the sitting room, I jumped to my feet and  rushed to him, the letter still crumpled within my hand.

"Ciel, please help me!  Father, he said... he wants... It's horrid! How can he expect me to..  with someone I don't even know! How could he do this without even  consulting me?!" Breaking down into tears, I rested against him as he  took the letter from my hand and began to read. If I had looked up, I  would have seen his once bright blue eyes grow as dark as the ocean's  depths, his smile upon seeing me gone and replaced by a frightening  scowl.

"Don't worry (y/n). I  will take care of this. You will not have to even meet this... person...  that your father has decided to engage you to. I'll take care of  everything. You just rest. Sebastian! Come see Miss (y/n) to a room. And  get her some tea to help calm her down. I'll be back soon and I want  her to be resting here in a bed when I get back. That is an order." The  firm yet caring tone of his voice set me at ease as I looked down at the  floor. If only I had looked up, even for a moment.

"Thank you Ciel. You are  such a wonderful friend, I really couldn't ask for a better person to  have in my life. Thank you." Trying hard, I was able to pull my lips  into a tiny smile.

"Shh, don't strain  yourself (y/n). I'll be back soon and when I am, I want to see a real  smile on your face. Okay?" I almost jumped in shock when I felt a quick  but gentle press of his lips against my cheek.

Several minutes later,  as I lay down in one of the guest rooms, I still found myself reaching  up to touch the warm spot on my cheek. I could almost feel his lips  still warm against my skin, a deep blush staining my cheeks the longer I  thought about it. When Sebastian came in, a strange smile upon his  lips, I nearly jumped in fright.

"Your tea, milady." He handed me the cup and watched as I drank from it.

As soon as I finished the tea, I felt myself growing tired, the stress of the day obviously catching up with me.

"I think I shall take a  nap while we wait, Sebast...." With a yawn, I faded into sleep, feeling  someone's arms gently helping me lay back before I was completely  submerged into my dreams.

--------

When I awoke, some hours  later, I saw Sebastian entering the room with another cup of tea.  Instead of handing it to me, he must have seen how eager I was to ask  questions, setting it on a nearby end-table.

"Sebastian? What has  happened? Did Lord Ciel talk to Father? Did he agree to dissolve the  engagement? Am I able to keep living at my home and continue working  with my cats? Please tell me Sebastian! Are we going to be able to keep  working with our kittens?!" I was almost panicked at the thought of  having to give up the cats and kittens we had both been taking care of  together, even before the accident with my arm.

Looking up at him, I  could see his deep red eyes soften at the mention of the kittens,  something I knew was as much a weakness of his as it was mine. I sighed  in relief when he gave the smallest of smiles.

"Bouchan was able to...  convince your father to see things his way. You will retain your estate,  and the cats, on one condition." The disappearance of that smile, not  matter how small, made me suddenly fearful of what this condition might  be.

"Please, Sebastian. What  is it my father demands of me in exchange?" Biting gently at my bottom  lip, I could only hope it was something that was possible for me to  agree to. I almost missed Lord Ciel entering the room.

"The only way he would  allow you to retain your estate and all the... creatures... living  there, was if you had a fiancee who would agree to such things. One of  high enough status that they would be able to take care of you and  maintain your... interests. So I offered myself as your suitor until  such time as you are healed. At that point you must make a choice. Allow  the engagement with me and keep everything you have in your name, or  refuse and you are back where you were before you came to me. I'm sorry,  (y/n). It was the best I could do." The young Lord gave me a sad gaze  before turning to Sebastian, who without a word nodded and left the  room.

"Lord Ciel? What do you  mean? Why would you want to be stuck with someone like me? I mean, I  like to think we are good friends these days, but don't you want to  marry someone you see as more than a friend? Someone you love?"  Fidgeting as I sat on the end of the bed, I reached out to grab the tea  that Sebastian had sat down earlier.

"Of course I want to  marry the girl I love. Why do you think I am doing all of this. I do  love you, (y/n). Very, very much." At his words, I almost spat out the  tea I had been sipping quietly, swallowing thickly as I nearly choked on  the liquid.

"But I'm just some girl  that breeds cats! The creature you are allergic to! How could it work  out if I am taking care of cats all day, you would be suffering every  time you come near me. You've been sneezing more than often enough when  you do see me and that is with me hardly doing more than petting them  from time to time. Sebastian has been doing most of the handling.  Besides... I'm sorry but... I'm not even sure how I feel about you right  now... I mean, you're a wonderful young man and I do adore you, but I  don't know if I love you like that... I'm sorry, Ciel..." Looking down  at the floor, I was far to upset at not being able to give him a better  answer to meet his gaze.

"It is okay, (y/n).  Until such time as you can give me an answer on your feelings, I will  play the suitor and appease your father. Sebastian shall continue to  take care of your... Cats. And I shall continue to wait for you, for as  long as I must." I felt strange inside as he pressed a soft kiss to my  forehead, one of my hands raising to touch his arm.

I was shocked when I  could hear the sudden sound of glass shattering, looking down to see the  tea cup had fallen from my numb fingers. Looking up to Ciel's face, I  found my vision swimming before me.

"Ciel... Wha's happen..." Once more, I slipped into darkness, but this time it seemed a much more fearful thing.

--------

"How much longer shall  she sleep, Sebastian? I didn't have all those people killed just to have  her sleep the rest of her life away. I want to be able to feel her  respond one of these times I kiss her. It's not like she can escape me,  not with you by my side. Besides, the happier I am with her, the more  time I will let you have with those... Creatures of hers that you fancy.  Now wake her up. That is an order." The young Lord never once removed  his gaze from the peacefully sleeping (h/c)-haired young lady before  him.

"Yes My Lord." The red eyed demon leaned forward, slipping something between the lady's lips before leaning back again.

Ciel could only watch  excitedly as her (e/c) eyes began to open, blinking slowly in the soft  candlelight. Her head turned towards the young man like she was still  half asleep, every movement seeming to take forever. Without making a  sound, she simply stared at him, her eyes filled with sadness before  slowly turning her head away from her onetime friend.

"Don't worry. You shall  learn to love me. After all, you have nowhere else to go anymore. Oh,  but Sebastian is still taking care of your cats. And he always will, as  long as you behave. You will behave for me, right?" The blank expression  never left the girl's face, her (e/c) eyes missing their usual gleam,  but the young man didn't seem to mind as long as she was awake.

Leaning forward, he  pressed a soft kiss against her lips, enjoying the lack of resistance.  Even if it had nothing to do with feelings being returned. Slowly  blinking her eyes, the young (y/n) could only pray that someday, the  screams hidden deep within her mind would be able to escape and stop  echoing about within her head. Otherwise she might just break and then  the young Lord Ciel would surely win this horrid game of his.