Chapter Text
Sebastian tucked Boo-Chan into his covers, “You must rest Master Phantomhive, your flu will only get better if you sleep.”
Ciel blinked a few times, “But, I have work to do and…” he trailed off, feeling exhausted, a nap sounded pretty good about now…
“Don’t worry, I’ll wake you for afternoon tea. Just please rest, you are looking dreadfully pale this morning.” Sebastian put his gloved hand on Ciel’s forehead, “You have a fever also, it’s settled. You won’t be doing anything today and possibly tomorrow.”
Ciel didn’t argue when Sebastian closed the curtains and gave a bow, “Rest well Boo-Chan.” And suddenly Ciel was alone. It was weird seeing the light peek through the curtains and hear the birds outside. Spring was blooming yet he was shrinking.
Maybe a quick nap…
After cleaning the house, twice; Sebastian ran out of things to do and was dreadfully bored, might as well check up on Finny, see if he planted the roses that Lizzy sent. Plus it might be something to distract him, Finny was so cute and innocent. It might be fun to mess around with him until the Earl woke…
Finny glared at the shears he was using, “C’mon!! Don’t go dull on me!” he shouted, hmm that wasn’t working, maybe a gentle approach, “I know you can do it Mr. Shears! I have seen you do it before!” he snipped at a loose branch sticking out of a bush he was cutting. It fell to the ground.
“Yayy!!” Finn danced about in happiness, “See I knew you could do it!” he hugged the shears to his chest.
“Do what?”
The garden boy jumped a foot in the air as he heard the butler’s voice over his shoulder, he flailed the shears in the air. Sebastian caught them with ease and laughed. His laugh made Finny's skin prickle.
“You should be more careful Finnian, when you use these shears.” Sebastian said with a smirk, catching the boy talking to the shears had planted an idea in the butlers head. He handed the shears back to their owner.
While the Earl was sick he could have his entertainment by messing with the gardener. Finn was a cute little innocent soul, wouldn’t it be fun to corrupt it? To make the Strawberry blonde blush and stutter? Like he was now?
“M-Mr. S-Sebastian! I didn’t see you there!!” Finn gasped, blushing madly, embarrassed that he had been caught talking to garden shears.
“Of course you didn’t, no one ever sees me coming,” Sebastian’s red eyes connected with Finny’s green ones for a moment, “Anyway, have you planted those roses?”
“Yes of course!” he beamed a smile.
“Show me, I don’t want Elizabeth to be disappointed.”
The gardener felt self-conscious as he lead Sebastian around the hedges and over to the rose garden. He could feel the butler’s eyes on his back, or was he just overthinking things? “They are still budding but in a few days there will be so many roses that we’ll be swimming in them!”
“What colors will they bloom?” the butler asked crossing his arms, it wasn't a terrible garden, at least it wasn’t in flames…
“All sorts! Pink, Red, Blue, Purple and Black…” Finn frowned at the last color.
“Do you not like the color black?” Sebastian asked, he almost laughed, he must find my suit horrid.
“No, it’s a fine color, it’s just that black roses always die the fastest and it always makes me sad to see them fall because they are so rare!” the redhead explained.
“I see, Black roses are rare I suppose, maybe we will get lucky and they will live over summer.” He took a step towards Finny, he bent down so his face was hovering right next to the blushing gardener, “Keep up the good work.”
Finny couldn’t form words, the butler had never gotten this close to him before!
The next thing he knew Sebastian was gone, only leaving his words in Finn’s ear and the faint smell of tea (the butler always smelled of it and wood polish) in his wake.
“Yes Mr. Sebastian,” he said aloud, he smiled, this was the first time he had ever complimented Finn! “I’ll make these roses live!” he pumped a fist into the air.
He could hear faint laugher from somewhere, he turned to see Sebastian smile and enter the mansion.
Oh how embarrassing, he buried his head in his hands. Sebastian had good ears and good sight, he keeps catching me talking to myself. He must think I am crazy.