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The Phantomhive Manor stood silent under the weight of fresh snowfall, its windows glowing warmly against the December darkness. Inside, preparations for the New Year's celebration were well underway, though the young Earl showed little interest in festivities.
Sebastian moved through the hallways with his characteristic grace, mentally cataloguing the dozens of tasks still requiring attention. The silver needed polishing, the guest list required final review, and the kitchens demanded his supervision. Yet his thoughts kept drifting to his young master, who had been unusually sharp-tongued even by his own exacting standards.
He paused outside the study, balancing a tea tray in one hand while the other reached for the door handle. Through the wood, he could hear Ciel barking orders at Mey-Rin about some trivial matter concerning the arrangement of flowers. The maid's stammered apologies were cut short by another curt dismissal.
Sebastian entered with a practiced smile. "Your afternoon tea, my lord."
Ciel didn't look up from the stack of correspondence spread across his desk. His small fingers moved swiftly through the letters, sorting them with mechanical efficiency. "You're three minutes late."
"My sincerest apologies. The preparations for tomorrow's celebration required-"
"I don't care for excuses, Sebastian." The boy's voice was ice. "Just ensure it doesn't happen again."
Sebastian set the tea service down with barely a whisper of sound. As he poured, he studied his master's profile. The soft angle of Ciel's jaw was set with determination, his uncovered eye focused with laser intensity on the documents before him. There was something almost brittle about the way he held himself, a tightness in his shoulders that spoke of more than simple aristocratic posture.
"Will there be anything else, my lord?"
"No. Leave me."
Sebastian bowed and retreated, closing the door softly behind him. In the hallway, he stood for a moment in contemplation. The boy was always demanding, always maintaining that fortress of ice around his heart. It was necessary, Sebastian knew, given the darkness of the world they inhabited. And yet...
Just once, Sebastian found himself thinking as he descended the stairs, it would be... pleasant to see him act his age. To see some softness in those eyes, some trace of the child he should have been allowed to be.
The thought surprised him. Demons didn't wish for things. They made contracts, they collected souls, they served their purpose with perfection. They didn't indulge in something as human as wishing.
Sebastian dismissed the notion and returned to his duties. There was still much to do before midnight.
The next morning arrived with the bitter cold of January first. Sebastian prepared breakfast with his usual efficiency, though something felt different about the manor. The air seemed to shimmer with an unusual quality, as if the very fabric of reality had shifted slightly while the household slept.
He brought Ciel's breakfast tray to the bedroom at precisely seven o'clock, as always. "Good morning, my lord. Happy New Year."
There was no response.
Sebastian set the tray down and approached the bed. Ciel was still asleep, which was unusual. The boy typically woke at the slightest sound. More concerning was the faint flush coloring his pale cheeks.
"Young master." Sebastian's voice was gentle. "It's time to wake."
Ciel slowly opened his eyes, though his gaze was unfocused and glassy. He started to sit up, then winced, one small hand pressing against his temple.
"I'm fine," he said before Sebastian could speak. His voice was rougher than usual. "Help me dress."
"My lord, you appear to be unwell. Perhaps-"
"I said I'm fine." Ciel swung his legs out of bed with determination, though Sebastian noticed the slight tremor in his movements. "We have guests arriving this afternoon. I will not spend the day in bed like some invalid."
Sebastian recognized that tone. There would be no arguing with it, not directly. "As you wish, my lord."
He helped Ciel dress, noting the boy's elevated temperature when his fingers brushed against skin. Ciel's breathing was slightly labored, though he disguised it well. The stubborn set of his jaw announced that he would acknowledge no weakness, no vulnerability.
Foolish child, Sebastian thought, though the observation lacked its usual edge of clinical detachment. There was something else there, something almost like concern.
The day progressed with agonizing slowness. Ciel maintained his facade of perfect health through sheer force of will, greeting guests with cold politeness, conducting business with his usual sharp acumen. But Sebastian saw what others didn't: the way Ciel's hand shook slightly when lifting his teacup, the increasing pallor of his skin, the tightness around his eyes that spoke of a growing headache.
By late afternoon, the guests had departed and the servants had retreated to their quarters. Ciel sat in his study, staring at the same page of accounts he'd been attempting to review for the past twenty minutes.
Sebastian entered with fresh tea, though he doubted the boy would drink it. "My lord, you've been working for hours without rest. Perhaps-"
"I'm aware of how long I've been working, Sebastian." Ciel's voice was sharp, but there was a brittleness to it now. "I don't need you to…"
He stopped mid-sentence, his eye going distant. His hand lifted to his forehead again, and Sebastian saw the exact moment when the boy's carefully maintained composure began to crack.
"Young master?"
"I'm fine," Ciel said automatically, but his voice wavered. He tried to stand, and Sebastian saw his legs buckle.
In an instant, the demon was there, catching Ciel before he could fall. The boy was burning up, his skin radiating heat even through his clothes. Up close, Sebastian could hear the congestion in his breathing, see the glassy quality of his eye.
"You are not fine," Sebastian said. "You're running a significant fever, and you've been pushing yourself all day when you should have been resting."
"I don't have time to be sick." Even now, even struggling to remain conscious in Sebastian's arms, Ciel tried to maintain his authority. "There's too much work, too many things that require my attention. I can't afford to show weakness-"
"There is no one here to see it, my lord. Only me."
Sebastian adjusted his grip, lifting Ciel fully into his arms. The boy was so light, so fragile despite the steel of his will. For a moment, Ciel tensed as if to protest, but then his head dropped against Sebastian's shoulder with a small sound of surrender that the demon suspected was entirely unconscious.
"I'm taking you to bed," Sebastian announced, carrying his master toward the bedroom. "You will rest, and you will allow yourself to be cared for. That is not a request."
Ciel made a weak sound of protest, but he didn't have the strength to do more than that. His fingers curled into Sebastian's waistcoat, holding on with a grip that would have been fierce if he'd had any energy behind it.
They reached the bedroom, and Sebastian moved to set Ciel down on the bed. But as he tried to lay the boy down, those fingers tightened in his clothing, refusing to let go.
"Young master, you need to lie down so I can-"
"Don't." He whispered the word with difficulty. Ciel's eye was closed now, his face pressed against Sebastian's chest. "Don't leave."
Sebastian froze. In all their time together, Ciel had never asked him to stay. Had never shown this kind of vulnerability, this desperate clinging need for comfort. The fever must be affecting his judgment, lowering his carefully maintained defenses.
"I'm only going to get medicine," Sebastian said softly. "I'll return in just a moment."
But Ciel shook his head, his grip not loosening. His whole body was trembling now, whether from fever or something else. The demon stood there, caught between duty and something else, something he couldn't quite name.
Finally, he made a decision. With careful movements, Sebastian shrugged out of his tailcoat while still holding Ciel in one arm. It was an impressive feat of dexterity that would have been impossible for a human. Once free of the garment, he wrapped it around Ciel's shaking form, cocooning the boy in the fabric that still held warmth from Sebastian's body.
"There," he murmured, finally managing to lay Ciel down on the bed. The boy was still clutching his coat, wrapping it around himself like a blanket. "I'll return shortly with medicine and water."
This time, Ciel didn't protest. His eye had closed, his breathing evening out slightly despite the congestion. Sebastian stood for a moment, looking down at his master. Even ill and vulnerable, there was something compelling about him, something that made Sebastian's carefully ordered existence feel strangely... inadequate.
He turned and left the room, moving with supernatural speed toward the medicine cabinet.
Sebastian was gone for perhaps five minutes. He gathered what he needed with efficient precision: fever reducers, a basin of cool water, clean cloths, a pitcher of fresh water for drinking. He arranged everything on a tray and returned to the bedroom, his mind already planning the care regimen his master would require.
He pushed the door open with his shoulder, carefully balancing the tray. "Young master, I've brought-"
The words died in his throat.
Ciel was asleep, curled on his side in the large bed. Sebastian's tailcoat was still wrapped around him, held close to his chest. The boy's face was peaceful in sleep, the constant tension that usually marked his features smoothed away by unconsciousness.
But that wasn't what made Sebastian stop in his tracks.
Protruding from Ciel's dark hair, barely visible against the pillow, were two small, perfectly formed cat ears. They were the same midnight blue as Ciel's hair, twitching slightly in sleep. And there, extending from beneath the coat wrapped around him, a long, fluffy, and clearly feline tail peeked out.
Sebastian set the tray down slowly. This was magic, clearly, and powerful magic at that. To affect even a demon's contracted master... He thought back to the strange quality of the air that morning, the shimmer of reality that had seemed off.
New Year's magic. Wishes granted by forces old and wild, the kind of ambient power that humans had once worshipped and feared. And he foolishly and carelessly wished for Ciel to be more... sweet. More like the child he should have been.
The universe, it seemed, had a sense of humor.
Sebastian approached the bed, studying this transformed version of his master. The ears twitched again, responding to some dream. The tail curled around Ciel's body, the fur incredibly soft-looking. Even in this state, even with these incongruous additions, Ciel remained stubbornly himself, still clutching Sebastian's coat like a lifeline, still fighting vulnerability even in sleep.
One of the cat ears flicked in Sebastian's direction as he sat on the edge of the bed, and he realized Ciel was more aware than he'd thought. The boy's eye opened slowly, still glassy with fever but more alert than before.
For a moment, they simply looked at each other. Then Ciel's hand lifted to his head. His fingers encountered one soft ear, and his eye widened.
"What..." he started, then stopped. His hand moved to feel the other ear, then reached around to find the tail. His face went through several expressions in rapid succession: confusion, horror, and finally settling on resigned exhaustion. "Sebastian. Explain."
"I believe," Sebastian said carefully, "that you've been affected by New Year's magic, my lord. A wish was granted, and this is the result."
"What wish?" Ciel's voice was weak but sharp.
Sebastian considered lying, but what would be the point? "Ugh, mine, actually. I wished to see you... softer. More like a child should be."
Ciel stared at him for a long moment. Then, inexplicably, he laughed. It was a weak sound, broken by coughing, but genuine nonetheless. "A demon who wishes like a human. How absurd."
He tried to sit up, but Sebastian pressed a hand gently to his shoulder. "You need to rest, my lord. Ears and tail aside, you're still quite ill."
"I look ridiculous," Ciel muttered, but he didn't fight when Sebastian arranged the pillows behind him and helped him into a sitting position. "How long will this last?"
"I don't know. New Year's magic typically fades within a few days, but there's no telling for certain."
Sebastian dampened a cloth in the cool water and pressed it to Ciel's forehead. The boy's ears flattened slightly at the touch, another unconscious feline gesture that Sebastian found oddly endearing. He pushed the thought aside and focused on practical matters.
"You need to take this medicine," he said, preparing a dose. "And drink plenty of water. The fever needs to break, or the illness could worsen."
Ciel accepted the medicine without complaint, which told Sebastian exactly how terrible the boy must be feeling. After drinking the water, Ciel slumped back against the pillows, his new ears drooping with exhaustion.
"Sebastian," he said quietly, his eye already closing again. "Your coat..."
"You may keep it for now, my lord. If it provides comfort, I see no reason to take it back."
A small sound escaped Ciel, something between a sigh and a purr. The tail curled more tightly around his body, and he burrowed deeper into Sebastian's coat, his face disappearing into the fabric.
Sebastian watched him drift back to sleep, noting the way the cat ears twitched in response to various sounds in the manor, the way the tail swished slightly when Ciel shifted position. It was strange, seeing his master like this, vulnerable and soft in ways Ciel would never normally allow.
Be careful what you wish for, Sebastian thought wryly. Though he had to admit, there was something... pleasant about seeing Ciel like this. The constant armor dropped, the endless performance of strength set aside. Just a sick child who needed care and found comfort in the scent of someone familiar.
The demon settled into the chair beside the bed, prepared for a long night of watching over his transformed master. Outside, snow began to fall again. The New Year stretched ahead of them, full of unknown possibilities.
But for now, in this moment, there was only a sleeping boy with cat ears, clutching a demon's coat, the most precious thing in the world.
Sweet indeed, Sebastian found himself smiling.
Perhaps his wish hadn't been so foolish after all.