A/N: I have a confession to make. Instead of encouraging me, all the kind words had the opposite effect and scared the living daylight out of me. *shame shame* So, consequently, this next part took me a lot longer o write than I had hoped…sadly, this is still not the final part cause…well…I find it hard to continue! It’s turning out rather dark so any suggestions are appreciated.

Huge thanks to everyone who reviewed, especially those of you who told me that this isn’t OOC and that the concept is believable (ish) XD Love for all.

-x-

The sound of the door clicking shut seemed as loud as a gunshot in the silence of the mansion. It echoed along the corridors, under the doors and met the sleeping ears of those who were unaware that there was someone unusual in their vicinity. Someone dangerous. Someone feared…Someone who was biting their lower lip in frustration at being unable to speak and nervously hopping from foot to foot, one hand pulling irritably at their crimson locks.

“Do stop fidgeting,” Sebastian said quietly, laying a hand on Grell’s shoulder in an attempt to stop his movements. To his annoyance, the death god merely turned those large eyes upon him and began trembling even more than before, one sharp tooth sinking into the soft flesh of his lower lip as he struggled to keep silent. Sebastian watched with a carefully blank expression as a droplet of blood forced its way out of the wound and began to trickle down Grell’s chin. Sebastian sighed.

“Honestly,” he murmured, retrieving a handkerchief from one pocket and deftly wiping the blood away. “You may talk, for now, but only if you remain quiet. If you’re too loud I will eject you from this place immediately. Understood?”

Grell’s face broke into a radiant smile and he nodded vigorously. “Understood!” he said happily, just brushing the boundaries of ‘too loud’.

“Now,” Sebastian said carefully, not wanting to provoke an excited outburst of any kind, “What was it you wanted to say so desperately?”

“That this room is the most boring place I have ever been in,” Grell said instantly, resting one hand on his hip and brining the other up to cup his chin, an appraising look in his eyes. “I had been expecting something more interesting, you being who you are. It’s such a shame,” he glanced at Sebastian and pouted. “You’re just like Will. No sense of style whatsoever.”

Swallowing his irritation with difficulty, Sebastian smirked and trailed one gloved finger against the skin of Grell’s neck. He lowered his lips to brush against the shell of an ear.

“Ah, but surely a room should be measured not by how it looks, but instead by the purpose to which it is put. And I don’t use this room for sleeping.”

The reaper stilled, lips that had already been forming a response frozen in place. Sebastian’s smirk widened and he made sue to press his lips gently against the ear before taking a step backwards. Grell shivered from the loss of warmth next to him and half turned to face the demon, who was now hovering near the door.

“Sebas-chan?” he said quietly, voice quite different from the fluty tones of before. “What do you use this room for?”

Sebastian laughed quietly. “Remove your coat,” he commanded easily. Grell turned fully then and Sebastian couldn’t deny that a thrill raced through him upon seeing the change that had come over his guest. Once again, Grell had lost his arrogance and confidence and stood watching with wide eyes, lips slightly parted in uncertainty, rather than an attempt to seduce. He looked young, vulnerable, tempting. Sebastian hid a smile and wondered just how angry Grell would be to know that his attempts at seduction had no effect whatsoever and that his barely masked fear was infinitely more exciting.

“Remove your coat,” he repeated, his voice blank. “Or should I say, her coat?”

Grell scowled slightly, his teeth clenching and Sebastian realised that he had hit a real nerve. Who would have guessed that the creature before him actually had feelings beyond those he so happily expressed? It was interesting…but certainly not important. For a long moment, their gazes locked, two sets of eyes blazing in the darkness, one with anger and one with amusement. Eventually Grell sighed and, scowl still in place, let the long, red jacket tumble from his shoulders and fall. In the darkness, it lay surrounding his feet like a pool of blood.

“Good boy,” Sebastian murmured gently. “Now go and sit on the bed.”

Grell scowled for a moment longer before his features softened in defeat. His gaze lingered on Sebastian for a moment, as though he was wondering how dangerous it would be to turn his back on such a being. He went to bite his lip and found the small wound from before. Taking a breath, Grell ran his tongue over the wound before turning away and beginning to walk towards the bed.

He had only gone a few steps before the toe of one of his shoes caught on the space between the floorboards and with a small sound of astonishment, Grell pitched forward. He squeaked in shock as Sebastian appeared in front of him and stopped his fall, apparently with no difficulty. Grell hung over one of Sebastian’s arms for a few moments before flipping himself over to face the demon, who was smiling in amusement. Grell opened his mouth to say something in his own defence but found himself unable to voice the words. From this position, Sebastian was very real, very close and very warm. The arm supporting him was gentle, but Grell knew how much strength it held and he fought to suppress a shiver.

Watching all of this flicker across Grell’s face, Sebastian smirked and leaned down so that his lips were ghosting the reaper’s. He smiled as he felt the man in his arms begin to tremble and pulled away, grabbing Grell’s wrist and pulling him over to the bed where he was roughly pushed down into a sitting position.

“Sebas-chan!” Grell exclaimed with a mixture of shock and anger. “How dare you treat a lady so-“

“Don’t call me that,” Sebastian said coldly, voice quiet but sharp enough to silence Grell in mid-sentence. “I don’t think this is a time when you should be using affectionate terms. Do you?” Sebastian dropped to his knees in front of Grell and cupped his chin in one hand. “What did you come here for, Grell?” he whispered, lips still twisted in a slight smirk.

Grell blinked a few times before wetting his lips and answering. “I came here to find you, Sebas-ch”

“No. Perhaps I should have asked why you came to find me?”

Grell bit the corner of his lower lip before answering, gaze directed towards the floor. “I…wanted to see you.”

“Why?”

“Because…I was…”

“Why?”

Suddenly, Grell brightened and smiled widely, the trill creeping back into his voice. “I wanted to see you to show you how much I loved you, Sebas-ch-“

“Liar,” Sebastian said shortly. “You’re always babbling about love, Grell Sutcliffe, but I don’t think you truly believe in that at all, do you?”

“I-“

Sebastian crushed his lips against Grell’s, placing one hand against the back of the reaper’s head to stop him from backing away. He parted his lips and fearlessly ran a tongue across Grell’s lethal teeth. Grell gasped in surprise, cutting Sebastian’s tongue in the process. The demon drew back and ran a gloved finger over his tongue, the blood staining the fabric crimson. He closed his eyes briefly and made an appreciative noise before slamming his eyes open and staring intently at the man before him.

“Does this feel like love to you, Grell?” he murmured.

After a moment’s hesitation during which red eyes bored into his own, Grell shook his head, licking his lips absently.

“No, Sebas….Sebastian.”

Sebastian smiled and rose to his feet. “Good boy,” he said again. “I’m so glad we understand each other. Now…”

He turned and took a few steps away from the bed, while Grell watched him with catlike eyes. Sebastian slowly removed each of his gloves, setting the bloodstained one aside for cleaning. Back turned to Grell, Sebastian crossed the room to a chair in the corner and removed his black jacket before folding it neatly across the chair.

“Close your eyes,” he said, without turning.

“Why?” Grell asked immediately. Sebastian shook his head silently.

“Because I asked you to. That’s why.”

“But-“

“I think I’m going to bring back the rule that means you are not allowed to talk,” Sebastian said calmly. “Which means you can do as I ask, or you can leave.”

Grell opened his mouth to speak but shut it again silently. He cast his eyes towards the ground shamefully before closing them, a light blush creeping over his cheeks. Sebastian turned around and smiled in satisfaction. The shinigami looked positively delicious to him now. All of Grell’s muscles were tensed as though expecting a strike, hands gripping the sheets below him nervously. His lips were parted and in the silence Sebastian could hear Grell’s shallow breathing. Nervous, confused, ashamed…three emotions Sebastian had never truly believed Grell capable of and felt extremely proud that he had been able to incite them from his flamboyant guest. Taking a step forward, safe in the knowledge that Grell could not see him, Sebastian smiled widely.

Due to the loss of his sight, Grell’s other senses were working on overdrive. He listened carefully as Sebastian moved around the room, to the light sounds of cloth moving against skin and falling to the floor. The footsteps came towards him and the mattress dipped as Sebastian settled himself to sit behind Grell, who was perched on the very end of the narrow bed. There was a soft sound that could have been a soft laugh and Grell screwed his eyes shut more tightly, so as not to give into temptation and open them. As well as the weight behind him, heat was radiating from the demon in waves, the sort of heat that would burn instead of comforting. Grell began to tremble, cursing himself for doing so.

Still smirking, Sebastian turned so that he was facing Grell and kneeling on the mattress behind him. He raised one slender hand and ran a black nail down Grell’s jaw line.

“As long as you promise to look only in front of you, you may open your eyes,” Sebastian said quietly. Grell nodded and opened his eyes slowly, gaze sweeping the dark room before him, the clothes neatly folded over the back of a chair. Grell bit his lips to contain a gasp, realising now why the demon was radiating so much heat. Sebastian laughed again.

“Does it embarrass you?” he asked quietly, leaning in so that his lips were once again brushing against Grell’s ear. “Is that why you’re trembling?”

Shaking his head vehemently, Grell stared resolutely ahead, although the trembling continued. Sebastian inched himself forward until his chest was virtually pressed against Grell’s back and snaked his arms around his stomach. Grell’s eyes shifted downwards to look at the pale hands now clasped across his abdomen. All he could see were the lower half of Sebastian’s arms and yet it was terrifying. It was almost hard to believe that under the perfectly tailored suit and self-satisfied smirk lurked a living, breathing creature. The trembling increased tenfold and Grell gripped the bed sheets in an attempt to calm himself. No, he wasn’t embarrassed. He was frightened.

“No?” Sebastian said gently, biting Grell’s earlobe softly. “Then why so nervous? Is it perhaps that you’ve finally realised your purpose here? Hm? That you’re not here because you wanted to be here, but because I wanted you to be here. Well, I wanted someone here, at least.”

Grell lowered his eyes, his cheeks burning with shame that Sebastian hadn’t thought him capable of.

“You’re just using me, aren’t you, demon?” he said quietly, lacing the final word with venom.

“Are you going to leave, now that you know?”

“Would I be able to leave, even if I wanted to?”

Sebastian smiled widely and grabbed a handful of Grell’s hair before using it to pull the surprised man’s head backwards. Pressing his lips against the pulse jumping against the skin of Grell’s neck, Sebastian laughed quietly.

“No,” he whispered. “You wouldn’t.”