Reader in the World of Black Butler - Chapter 2

Kuroshitsuji/Black Butler Fanfic

Chapter 2 – Going Home

The sun had begun its descent beneath the horizon. You walked the streets of your city back to your hostel. The streets were still busy as people made their way home or to the pubs and you tried to avoid pedestrians and carriages as you went. Only a few more streets and you’d be – home? It wasn’t home – not really – but it was somewhere to lay down your head at night with a measure of security. You were looking forward to walking into the common room where the fire would be blazing and you could have some dinner.

You hadn’t been eating properly since you left Mr Hawthorne’s service, since you were trying to ration your money. But tonight you could afford a hot meal. Your stomach felt tight and painful. Your feet, legs and back all ached. Your eyes wanted to close and all you wanted to do was sleep.

You stumbled on an uneven paver and fell forward, crashing into the person in front of you. The man swore at you and pushed you roughly away. Tears began streaming down your face as you continued on your way.

It all seemed so hopeless. All you wanted was a job. You were a hard worker, honest, reliable. Why wouldn’t anyone give you work? Maybe you would have more chance if you wore a fashionable new dress and a smile but you couldn’t muster up either of those.

You finally turned the corner onto your street. It was getting cold now. You wrapped your arms around yourself for warmth. Even your coat wasn’t enough to shield you from the chill air. Cheery light shone through the hostel’s windows, beckoning you with its promise of warmth, food and sleep. But just before you opened the door, a voice called out to you: “Miss (l/n)!”

You spun around, panicked, searching wildly for the owner of the voice. No-one knew you around here, besides the innkeeper. Was it a policeman? Were you in trouble for something?

Someone was walking towards you from a carriage parked along the road. Your heart sped up with fear but you stayed where you were, watching the person approach, knowing you could flee into the hostel at the slightest sign of trouble.

With the onset of night, it was difficult to get a good look at the person until they drew nearer to the light streaming from the window behind you. When you saw who it was, you stopped breathing for a moment.

The man was very handsome. His hair was a deep black and he had aristocratic features. He wore a black tailcoat, brown vest, black velvet tie and crisp white shirt with black trousers. They say black is a slimming colour and this man’s black clothes accentuated his height and lean build. But what really took your breath away was his smile. It was so gentle and disarming, but at the same time, you thought you saw in it something you couldn’t trust.

“Good evening,” he said with a graceful bow. “Are you Miss (l/n)?”

You wanted to say, I wouldn’t have stopped if I wasn’t, but instead what came from your mouth was, “Yes.”

“Ah, excellent, I was afraid I may have misinterpreted Tanaka’s description.”

“Tanaka?” He couldn’t be talking about the Tanaka you met only hours before, could he?

“You met with him earlier, I believe. About work at the Phantomhive mansion.”

Is this man a mind reader? “Yes, I did,” you said, feeling a bit puzzled.

The man smiled again and bowed. “Forgive me. I have not introduced myself. I am Sebastian Michaelis, the butler to the Earl of Phantomhive. I have been sent by my master, the Earl, to escort you back to Phantomhive.”

Puzzlement became shock. You hadn’t been expecting this at all. Tanaka had said tomorrow morning was the earliest you could expect a reply and you were being sent for two hours later? This was either something very good or something very bad.

“May I ask, Mr Michaelis – Mr Tanaka had said I shouldn’t expect a reply until tomorrow morning. Why has it come so swiftly?”

The man tilted his head at you thoughtfully as though something about you puzzled him. “Tanaka spoke to my master immediately after you left and he believes Tanaka was right in his recommendation of you. He plans to hire you immediately and wishes to meet you.”

Your eyes widened as what he said sank in. He was offering you a job! How quickly this was all happening!

“Right now?” you asked.

“If that’s not too much trouble.”

“Oh, it’s not,” you quickly assured him. “I just haven’t had dinner yet or cleaned myself up.” You looked down at your crumpled dress and dirty boots and put a hand up to feel your hair. The wind had blown it around and you winced as you felt the knots. “And it is quite late.”

“We can provide you amenities when we are back at Phantomhive: a meal, a bath, fresh clothes, a room to stay in.”

“Ah ...” Were you a guest or a prospective employee? “I really couldn’t impose like that.”

“It wouldn’t be an imposition at all, Miss (l/n).” The man, Sebastian, smiled sweetly at you, and you felt yourself relinquishing.

“What if he doesn’t like me?” you said, without thinking. Your doubts had a way of getting themselves voiced without your permission.

“Master Ciel? I see no reason why he shouldn’t.” Sebastian noticed your continued indecision. “Miss (l/n), the master has expressed his desire to meet you and I’m sure he would be quite put out if you did not come. I have no doubt he will be pleased with you once he meets you for himself. It will only be a short meeting, then we can get you settled in.” He sounded so sure about all this.

“Settled in?” Your voice rose with disbelief.

“We will provide you with accommodation, of course.”

“But I haven’t even got the job yet,” you protested.

Sebastian gave you a confident smile. “The meeting is just a formality. Might I suggest packing your things?”

With those words you knew you had both a job and a new home. You wouldn’t be coming back here. The thought made me sad. “Okay. I won’t be long.”

“I will wait here for you, then.”

You dashed inside.

Whereas before this encounter you would have stumbled over to the fire and defrosted yourself there for a while, you now raced across the room, threading your way between other patrons, and flew up the stairs to your room. Standing before the door, you pulled the room key from out of your pocket and unlocked the thin wooden door.

Your room was bare apart from a sink on one wall, a single bed, a bedside table with an oil lamp on it, and a skinny wardrobe. Opening your wardrobe revealed carefully folded garments and a couple of dresses hanging up on wooden hangers. On the floor of the wardrobe was a medium-sized trunk which you proceeded to lay on the bed and fill with the contents of your wardrobe and bedside table. You had very little: a hairbrush; a small vial of perfume; a dagger with a sapphire in the pommel; a small toy rabbit; your coin purse; an elegant silver pen; a cosmetic bag that contained face powder, talcum powder and a make-up brush; and your clothes.

You closed the lid on these and took a deep breath, gazing one last time around your room. This was the last time you’d be seeing it.

Clutching your trunk to your chest, you raced back down the stairs and into the overly-hot common room, straight over to the counter. The innkeeper stood there, busily serving her customers. Mrs Baynton was a spritely, middle-aged woman. Her hair was greying but she was by no means frail. In the time you’d been staying here, you’d seen her separate a brawl between two burly men, then kick them out on to the streets.

At first, she didn’t notice you, until you called out “Mrs Baynton!” over the roar of the other patrons.

She turned to you, her eyes taking in the trunk in your arms. “You found someplace then?”she asked kindly.

“Yes.” You brought the key out from your pocket, one last time, and passed it over to her. You smiled broadly. Packing your things and returning the room key really cemented the fact that this was really happening.

“I’m happy for you, love.” She walked around the counter and opened her arms to you. You put down the trunk at your feet and wrapped your arms around her. She embraced you warmly. It reminded you of your mother.  “I wish you all the best, dear. Drop by if you’re ever in the area. I’ll be happy to see you.” When she pulled away, there was a look of sadness mixed with pride there.

“I will,” you replied ardently. “I will.” You picked up the trunk again. You swallowed past the lump in your throat. “I’ll miss you. Thank you for everything, Mrs Baynton. Goodbye.” You waved as you moved off, Mrs Baynton waving too.

And then you were outside. After the stifling heat inside, the cold out here came as quite a shock. Your body began shivering. It was also much darker than it had been ten minutes ago.

Sebastian was waiting beside the carriage, but made his way towards you when you emerged. You got another shock, seeing him materialize out of the darkness. He looked so handsome, smiling gently at you like that.

To distract yourself from Sebastian, and avoid blushing, you looked behind him at the carriage he had come in. Your eyes widened at the extravagance: the black velvet curtains on the windows; the two sleek black horses at the reins; the gold detailing around the doors; the Phantomhive coat of arms on the door. You couldn’t ride in that! The only carriages you’d ridden in were service wagons and open carriages. Never anything so fancy.

“Are you ready to go then, Miss (l/n)?” Sebastian was before you now, a hand extended, palm up.

You looked down at Sebastian’s outstretched hand, wide-eyed, wondering if you should take it. He seemed to expect you to. You noticed then that he wore white gloves.  Gingerly, you placed your hand in his, not daring to look at his face. He led you to the carriage where he opened the door for you and helped you inside, stepping in after you. When he was sure you were seated, he rapped on the wall behind him and the carriage jolted forward.

You were seated across from him, your trunk on the seat beside you. The only light came from a single lamp that swung erratically from the roof. The shadows it scattered in the box were slightly unsettling. The curtains were drawn and you felt suddenly scared. Trapped.

“Are you comfortable?” asked Sebastian amiably.

“Yes, thank you.” You were comfortable in the physical sense – the seat was very plush and it was warmer in here than outside – but you couldn’t say you felt comfortable sitting here, in his presence. Maybe you would have felt more comfortable if you could have had a window to stare through.

“Do you know much about the Phantomhive family?” Sebastian inquired.

“Well, I know what everyone else knows: that the Earl is the owner of the Funtom Company and that he is very wealthy. And,” you finished quietly, “about what happened to his family.”

“Indeed.” Sebastian appeared unmoved by the mention of the Phantomhive tragedy and glossed over it. “Do you know much about the Earl himself?”

You frowned. “Not particularly. I understand he is quite private, despite being seen at many social events.”

“Have you ever seen him yourself?”

“From a distance, and there was once a picture in the paper.”

“What do you think of him?”

You sensed this had turned into an interview of sorts; as though to get to the Earl, you had to go through his butler. So you knew you had to be careful answering this question; you didn’t want to accidentally insult your prospective employer to his own butler. But you were going to be completely honest. “I think he must be very intelligent. He is so young and yet he wields so much influence. But sometimes I wonder what that must be like for him.” You lapsed into silence. For a twelve-year-old boy, being in charge of a huge company like Funtom must be overwhelming and lonely sometimes, even though you knew he did an amazing job.

“The master manages very well.” Sebastian leaned back casually. “I am proud to work under him.”

“I hope I may as well.” The words were out of your mouth before you had even thought. You ducked your head, hoping you hadn’t been too forthcoming.

Sebastian gave no response. You looked up carefully and saw his attention wasn’t even on you anymore. You weren’t sure whether to be relieved or offended.

The silence stretched out. Comfortable and warm as you were, coupled with the rocking motion of the carriage and the rhythmic sounds of the horses’ hooves clattering on the road, you found yourself beginning to doze. You rested your head back on the bench and closed your eyes. It was just too hard to keep them open now.

Soon, you fell asleep.

Sebastian knew this, but he let you be.

While you slept, he studied you. He noted your long knotted (h/c) hair, your pale smooth complexion, your slim build, your pale pink lips, your plain brown dress and jacket, your black tights and your rough brown boots, the serene expression on your sleeping face. He rested his elbow on the windowsill and put a hand to his mouth to hide his smile.

But it couldn’t hide the mischief in his eyes.

The carriage rolled to a stop. Sebastian rose quietly and bent over your sleeping form. Gently, he put an arm around your shoulders and the other behind your knees and lifted you effortlessly. The movement didn’t rouse you, though you nestled subconsciously into his shirt front. Sebastian smiled smugly and proceeded to carry you out of the carriage and up the stairs into the mansion.

Waiting at the entrance were the other staff members: a young maid wearing glasses; a tall rough-looking man in a white coat, an apron tied at his hips, a cigarette between his teeth and goggles around his neck; a slightly-built teenage boy with his hair clipped back from his face with hair pins and a straw hat hanging around his neck; and Tanaka, standing in the back. When Sebastian stepped inside, their faces, excited at first, turned to expressions of surprise and concern. Glad that they had not made an outburst and woken you up, Sebastian explained quickly before they could jump to conclusions. “Please remain quiet. Miss (l/n) is thoroughly exhausted and fell asleep in the carriage. I believe she needs to sleep for tonight before she meets Master Ciel. Mey-Rin, can you please prepare a room for her in the servant’s quarters?”

Mey-Rin, at hearing Sebastian address her, blushed. “Y-yes. Right away, Sebastian.” She moved off quickly.

Sebastian called out after her. “Please be careful.” She had narrowly missed knocking into a table with an expensive Chinese vase on it. He shook his head slightly, hoping that any moment he wouldn’t hear something crashing to the floor. Then he turned his attention to the other staff.

“Bard, please make something for Miss (l/n) so she can eat something when she wakes. Something small, that doesn’t require a blowtorch.” His voice rose at the end, along with one eyebrow.

Bardroy, the house chef, had his attention on you, almost mesmerised, but he snapped to attention now. “Right-o. I think I got the perfect meal.” He grinned widely and marched away in the direction of the kitchen.

“Finnian, I’m trusting you to take Miss (l/n) to her room. Treat her gently.”

Finny blushed as he took you into his arms. You breathed in deeply before relaxing against his body. His face turned even redder.

Sebastian watched as Finny walked away in the direction Mey-Rin had disappeared. He held you like you were made of bone china or glass. That was good. The child was incredibly strong. To him, you might as well be bone china or glass. All it would take is a tightening of his arms around you and he’d crush you.

With those important tasks now delegated, Sebastian could go and speak to Ciel. But he had forgotten Tanaka, who still stood at the entrance with his gaze fixed on Sebastian. Sebastian knew he wasn’t waiting for orders.

“You didn’t drug her, did you?” Tanaka asked, his brown eyes suspicious.

“She came willingly,” Sebastian said matter-of-factly.

“Indeed.” Tanaka didn’t sound convinced.

“I think she’ll fit in nicely here. She’ll come in very useful.”

Tanaka raised his eyebrows, his forehead rippling into creases. “So the master has approved her?”

There was no doubt in Sebastian’s voice when he said, “Not yet. But he will.”