Eating habits. Of course.
"Eat," Ciel said the following supper, putting down his silverware. It was the main course - roasted chicken, fish filet, spinach pie and boiled mushrooms and mashed potatoes and a more than generous selection of food to choose from.
Genuine confusion crossed Sebastian's face. "Is the dish not to your liking?"
"I like it. Now eat."
"It wouldn't be proper of-"
"I order you to. You can choose anything you want."
"...Yes, my lord," said Sebastian and he leaned in towards his master.
Ciel was close enough to see the precise moment when Sebastian's pupils turned into slits, the moment wine-red irises flashed a brilliant crimson, a glow that raised the hairs on the back of Ciel's neck - ah - he shivered, because this feeling was too familiar, too similar to when he was preparing to jump off the building.
He shivered because it felt as if Sebastian was staring at him without seeing his face but instead inside of him, caressing the fluttering thing called his soul with a simple gaze. It struck a chord frighteningly near his heart, the unadulterated fear but at the same time, at the same time, he wanted, he wanted-
Don't think. He averted his eyes, but to be frankly honest it didn't help much because he could feel warm breath on his cheeks, tinting them rose, coiling around the shape of his own lips, the beautiful promise of death.
Sebastian's white-gloved hand curled into a fist against the equally immaculate tablecloth.
"Do you always play with your food like this?" Ciel asked softly.
The red glow faded as suddenly as it came. Sebastian promptly picked a chicken leg from Ciel's plate and bit down on it. The bone snapped clean in half with a sickening crunch.
One of them was breathing unevenly. The other wasn't breathing at all.
"Excuse me," the butler said smoothly and left, black swallow tail trailing behind him.
Ciel didn't touch the rest of his dinner that evening.
.
"Are you afraid of death, young master?"
A snort. "Of course not."
"Oh?"
"Death only has one card to play. Life is much more terrifying, in my opinion. It has a full deck."
.
