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“Ciel! Hey, wait up!”
Ciel stopped in his tracks, turning around. McMillan was running after him once again. He fought back the urge to sigh. Right, he had to put the act up again, forcing a small, convincing smile onto his face. Typically he’d be annoyed at how often he’d have to do as such, especially in a large, public building like a school. Yet for some reason, it felt like he could force it a little less when it came to McMillan.
Wonder why that was…
“Hello, McMillan. Did you need something?” He greeted.
McMillan smiled, stopping when he was close enough to have a proper conversation. “Not really! Just wanted to see how Drudge work was for you.” He responded, taking a moment to examine Ciel for a bit. He had expected him to be at least a little bit tired, considering how much effort he must have been putting in. His first day there was proof of that- the dining hall was completely spotless.
Yet here he was, not so much as breaking a sweat.
“Is something the matter?” Ciel asked, raising an eyebrow while managing to keep his annoyance under wrapped. He hated the feeling of being studied, but of course, there wasn’t really a way he could properly say as such.
“Oh, no!” McMillan shook his head. “I’m just wondering how you do it… I don’t know what kind of work Clayton has you doing, but you don’t look tired at all. It’s impressive, honestly!”
‘I swear, if Sebastian ends up getting me in trouble one of these days…’ The young earl thought, but smiled through it. “Oh, it’s nothing really. Like I said, cleaning and tea making is my hobby. It’s all small work, truly.”
“Honestly, Phantomhive, you’re incredible!”
Ciel couldn’t help but freeze at those words. He was sure he’d heard that praise a multitude of times, and he always brushed it off, but this time was different. It caught him off guard. “I…” He fumbled for a second. “I am? Surely you’re joking- it isn’t that impressive.”
“Oh, but I mean it! Besides, you became Clayton’s Drudge within a few days!” McMillan insisted, giving him a warm, genuine smile. “You really are amazing, Ciel. Even if you don’t see it.” He reached over, placing his hand on the shorter boy’s back.
After taking a moment to process the touch, Ciel gently moved his hand away from him. “I’d… appreciate it, if you didn’t touch me so suddenly.” He attempted to change the topic.
“Ah-! I’m sorry.”
“No, no, i-it’s fine. Just… Well, be more mindful, or at least ask first.” The young nobleman stated. “Anyways, I should head off to the gazebo, should Clayton need me for anything.”
McMillan nodded in agreement, smiling before Ciel turned to walk away. “See you later, Ciel!”
“...Likewise, McMillan.”
—
Later that night, Ciel found himself in “Mister Michaelis’s” office. They intended to reconvene to discuss what their next move should be in regards to their investigation, but Sebastian very quickly noticed his master’s distraction. His eye seemed unfocused, and even in the dim candle lighting, he could see a slight tinge of red on Ciel’s face.
“Is something troubling you, young lord? You’ve been glaring at the table for the past three minutes.” He asked, setting a cup of freshly made lavender tea down on the table.
“It’s of no importance. Just mildly stuck in thought is all.” Ciel dismissed, taking a sip.
Sebastian couldn’t help but smirk a little bit. It would seem a new opportunity would present itself. “If you say so, my lord.” He sat across from him. “I must say, it’s nice to see you make friends. You and that McMillan boy looked really close!” He smiled, hiding his teasing tone with a voice of sweetness.
Ciel snapped his eye to the demon, glaring at him with a slightly flushed face. “Be quiet. We aren’t ‘close’. He just likes to talk to me, is all.”
“You weren’t? Then what would you call it?”
This damned demon…
“He- I-” Ciel groaned, facepalming. “...Shut up.”
Sebastian chuckled. “Very well… However, we do need to discuss the details of our next step.” He stated.
Ciel nodded in agreement. Though, even as they spent a good few minutes discussing what were to come next, his mind still lingered on McMillan. He tried to fight it, he really did, but he just kept coming back to mind.
His big, cheerful smile. The fact that even when Maurice Cole tried to sabotage him, he diligently stuck by his side. His Scottish accent, and how high his voice would get when he was happy or excited. He was just like a puppy.
A puppy that had gotten very attached. And, whether he liked it or not, he had gotten attached as well.
After the meeting with Sebastian was over, Ciel sighed- going to retreat to his sleeping quarters for the night. He mentally chided himself, especially now that he managed to accept that these were the feelings he had. His initial plan was just to keep McMillan at a distance, but it was obvious that this wouldn’t be the case. His plan failed. He mumbled under his breath, the familiar red tint on his face.
“So much for not getting attached, I suppose…”