Kuro Kishi : Akuma no Joō - Dark Knight: Dark Queen (A Fruits Basket x Kuroshitsuji Crossover)

Chapter Six: Shigure Meets The Butler

Chapter Six: Shigure Meets the Butler

Shigure Sohma had been in his office, supposedly working on his latest manuscript. He figured he only had a few more days of free time before his editor came after him for the finished masterpiece, which, of course, he would playfully tell her wasn't done yet, even though he had secretly finished it the night before. His head perked up at the sound of Tohru's sweet voice calling out that she'd returned home.

He stretched, yawning a bit as he stood. He glanced at the clock. She was a bit later than usual. Perhaps she'd stopped at the store on her way home? And then he heard her call out something about having brought over a few friends. He inwardly cringed. Was it Arisa and Saki? He had nothing against those two, but they were strange and had come, upon occasion, too close to discovering what was going on with them for comfort.

He let out a sigh. Well, there was nothing for it. After all, he was the one who'd told her that her friends were just as welcome there as she was. Perhaps it had been too big of a concession on his part, not that he didn't like her friends, but he did want her to feel at home in every sense of the word, for Kyo and Yuki's sake, but mostly for his own. After all, if he could get her to somehow figure out how to break the curse....

He stopped in surprise, halfway into the front entryway. "Um... hello." He blinked a few times. "Who do we have here?" It only took him a moment to mask over his confusion as he put a hand up to scratch the back of his neck. "Ha ha ha! Hello! You must be Tohru's friends! Come in! Come in! We don't stand on ceremony here! But please excuse the mess! We haven't had time to clean up today." He looked guiltily at the mass of papers in the main room that he'd left there after lunch. He'd meant to have them picked some time ago.

Ciel blinked at this rather interesting adult who was wearing a loose looking robe over some other garment he couldn't name. It was similar to Lau's usual attire, but just as dissimilar at the same time. He looked like a rather untidy sort of person, and rather an idiot. But he refrained from voicing these opinions. After all, it was this man's house he was visiting, and not his own. He had to be cordial. "Thank you."

Tohru popped out from behind a wall, where she'd disappeared for a moment. "I'm going upstairs for a bit to put my things away and get the laundry started, but I'll be right back!" She glanced at Shigure. "Um, Shigure, do you think you could entertain them for a minute while I'm gone?"

Shigure was about to offer a protest, after all he was busy pretending to procrastinate in his den, but he changed his mind. "Why not? Go on up! We'll be down here when you get back!"

Ciel exchanged a glance with his butler as their strange host ushered them into the sitting room. "Tohru does the laundry here?" He was going to ask if they didn't keep a servant but stopped himself. Was Tohru a maid then, and not a personage of wealth and importance, or an adoptive family member?

Shigure shrugged with a smile as he led them to a few low chairs and cushions. "Have a seat," he offered and moved to sit cross-legged on a cushion. "Actually, Tohru does most of the household chores here. I guess she doesn't tell many people about that. She keeps house for room and board, you see. Besides, she's an excellent cook!"

Ciel had to blink rapidly at this development. But if she was only a servant, than why did she go to school with Kyo, who was part of the main family? And why did she behave more politely than even his own servants? But then, wasn't it a servant's job to be like that? "You mean you use her as a maid?" It came out before he could think about what he was saying and he felt a slight nudge from Sebastian, who had seated himself to his left.

Shigure looked up in surprise. "A maid? Heaven's no! We consider Tohru an equal member of the household! It's just that I'm usually so busy, and Yuki doesn't have a clue which end of a mop is the end. And Kyo, well, he's a decent cook but he's not much help when it comes to the usual chores." He laughed. "Though he is a better cook than Yuki is."