Pitch Black

"Stop pacing, Leonhardt. You are making me uneasy."

The demon halted mid-step at the tone of his mistress's voice. Curling his claw-like fingers into a fist, he turned to face her. She sat near the window wrapped in a warm shawl, listening to the rain as she stared out into the night. He could taste her exhaustion and knew that she was close to sleep. She had over exerted herself, her mind and body needing rest to repair and replenish.

"Forgive me, my Lady. I do not wish to irritate you," he said quietly as he moved to her side. "Come, it is time to sleep now."

She lifted her beautiful face and smiled softly as she searched his eyes. Her fingertips grazed his injured cheek and sighed.

"You always knew me best, Leo," she murmured as she stood and allowed him to unlace the back of her gown in the firelight.

The fire from the hearth blazed warm and bright to ease the overbearing chill in the room. Naturally as a demon, he welcomed the chill of night but since he had found his mistress, he had adapted to the warmth that came with her. Women he knew, were cold creatures unlike human men. As such, he ensured that every room she entered contained a blazing fire that radiated warmth and comfort. This was no different.

He gently brushed her long curls over her bared shoulders to remove the jewellery she wore. The firelight played with her porcelain skin, giving the flesh a bronzed appearance that he so loved. He helped her step out of her gown and lifted the precious fabric to set it aside so it would not wrinkle. Whisking a white slip from a nearby chair, he draped his mistress in the silk and tucked her neatly under her blankets.

Her eyes sought his. "I'm sorry for earlier, Leo. I do not understand why his butler would do such a thing."

He gave his lady a reassuring smile. "Fret not, my Lady. It did no harm."

As he spoke those words, the thin cut disappeared before her eyes without a scar. She regarded him with a worried frown, a look that he was so familiar with that it made him smile and brush the hair from her forehead with the sweep of his hand.

"Goodnight, my Lady."

Her eyes lingered on his form as he turned to the hearth and waved his hand, ordering the fire to dim to smouldering embers that would produce more heat throughout the night. As he moved toward the door, the candles dimmed until the room was nothing but shadows. He felt her sharp gaze disappear when he reached the door, and listened to her roll onto her side facing the window. When the movement stopped and her breathing slowed in a sign of peaceful sleep, he slipped from the room soundlessly.

Night was meant for demons. His senses were stronger and his mobility faster. He moved through the halls carefully, sensing the other doing the same. For each turn he past, the lingering scent and aura told him how long ago he had prowled the corridor. Not wanting to run into the greater demon, he took a sudden turn and was surprised to find himself at an entrance to a rose garden. Drawn by the scent and atmosphere, he stepped out onto the patio through the double french doors and into the garden. The demon's scent lingered but the scent of another, a human, was overpowering. It carried the scents of rosemary, rose water, and a trace of sandalwood. He breathed deep, collecting the tastes and scents on his tongue as he closed his eyes.

The silhouette of a woman stood in the very same spot, tending the rose bushes. Long blond hair with a tiny, womanly frame. She carried a similar scent to the Lord of the mansion. Upon opening his eyes, he came to realise that it was his mother, or what was left over aura in the house. He had heard the stories, had been with his mistress when the news came of the Phantomhive fire. He understood that the event contributed greatly to the person that he had become.

Kneeling, he reached out to touch a beautifully red rose when his hand gave an involuntary twitch and his body froze at the intrusion. Clenching his jaw, he pulled away from the roses and rose to his full height. He cast an angry glance behind him, knowing the Phantomhive butler was watching him from the shadows.

Two pinpricks of red peered out at him from the darkness, watching and waiting. Chills crept up Leonhardt's arms involuntarily and he shook them in disgust. Sebastian stepped into the moonlight with a faint smile.

"I give you praise for your efforts," he murmured, referring to Leo's ability to withstand even just his intimidating presence.

The lesser demon gave an ungrateful snort in response. Turning away, Leonhardt tried to focus his attention on the roses instead of the threat looming behind him. His instincts were screaming for him to kneel, to submit in fear. The Phantomhive boy had gotten himself a very powerful demon, a high ranking one of his kind. While Leonhardt was just as strong and quick, he greatly lacked the ability to match up with the greater demon. He carried with him something that demons found impossible to have; feelings. He felt too much for his mistress and obsessed over everything that involved her. He could not remember when it started or where it had come from, only that it existed. He knew he could feel things no demon should be able to, and wondered at the impossibility that somehow he defied logic. What he would soon learn however, was that in actuality, it made him stronger.

"What business do you have with me?"

Behind him, Sebastian chortled in amusement. His aura seemed to reach outwards, drenching the area in shadow. The faint touch against Leonhardt's form sent shivers down his spine. The demon was amusing himself yet again, at his expense. Gritting his teeth, he flashed a scarlet glare at the butler who still stood near the entrance. He had not moved and yet it felt as though he stood flush against his back. The tingling began to grow into sharp pinpricks as it pushed against him, making his knees grow weak. On a snarl, he moved swiftly and broke contact.

"What need is so great that you must bother me so?" he demanded angrily, his hands clenching into fists at his sides.

That lazy smile irritated him beyond belief. He spotted a cobblestone walk that followed the edge of the mansion and moved toward it. He wanted nothing more then to end this conversation and remove himself from the intolerable demons presence. He felt the distortion and moved aside just as a clawed hand brushed against his chest. A growl rumbled from his chest as he side stepped away of range. Sebastian was no longer smiling and his aura was intense.

"It is rude to simply walk away from a conversation, Leonhardt."

He flinched when steel gripped his forearm and the world spun before his spine collided with the brick siding of the mansion wall. Eyes blazing red, he snarled as his fangs lengthened with rage. The demon's grip was like diamond; unbreakable. He felt a sense of self-loathing that he was unable to free himself.

Strong, unmovable fingers gripped his chin and forced him to meet the greater demon's penetrating gaze. Leonhardt's growl was low, long and threatening. His eyes blazed crimson, his pupils nothing but black slits. He was disgusted with the fact that he could be overcome so easily. His pride was wounded and yet he knew that if he played nice, his mistress would be safe.

Sebastian watched with intrigue as the calm settled into those icy blue eyes, and the growl was abruptly cut off. He stared back at him with disinterest, although wary. The entertainment factor of the chase suddenly dissipated as quickly as it had come, and he released the blond demon with a sigh.

"I have suddenly lost my interest."

He moved to step away, when a gentle breeze came forth and cast the lesser demon's scent across his face. The scent of the roses was strong, but there was a hint of something he could not decipher that made his senses tingle. Like a whip, he snatched him in his grasp and pressed himself flush against his body. Leonhardt stood petrified like a statue as his assaulter curved his face into the crook of his neck and inhaled. Confused, yet unable to move, Leonhardt was forced to stand there still as stone.

The tip of Sebastian's nose roamed up the side of his neck to the lower tip of his earlobe, before moving slightly into his hair. He inhaled three deep breaths, his chest expanding against his adversary's and Leonhardt fought the urge to struggle. The overcrowded sensations that began to cloud his senses roused feelings of claustrophobia. He struggled in the demon's hold and was bewildered when he was immediately set free. The cloudiness in Sebastian's glowing crimson eyes made him step away swiftly to place distance between them.

"What is the meaning of this?" he demanded in an anguished whisper. He touched his neck where the demon's face had been, feeling torn as to what he was feeling.

The butler was immobile, staring at his face with a stoic expression. His aura was unable to be suppressed but it was not hostile or overbearing. Leonhardt growled and took another step back, before turning swiftly into the shadows away from his reach.

Sebastian stood still as stone in the rose garden, staring at the place that the lesser demon had once been. His scent still tantalised his senses, the tingling feeling he had never felt before passing through his veins. Curious indeed, he wondered as he broke his statuesque figure and gazed at the moon.

His lips curled into that familiar, sly smile.

Very curious indeed.