"Ho ho ho," Tanaka came bouncing in looking for you. The sun hit almost every corner of the room and you were asleep in the armchair with a book in your lap. He pulled on your sleeve trying to wake you up. "Mmm.." You tried to turn over knocking the book on your toes. Jumping up in fright you lifted your feet in pain. "Shi- oww, oh Tanaka."

"Ho ho ho." You leaned back into the armchair trying to relax your heart from the rude awakening. The sunlight on your face felt nice, you didn't wake up too hot or too cold for once. You did wake up late. Extremely late... A couple of hours late.

"Oh my God Sebastian is going to kill me, isn't he?" You got up and started straightening the little area rambling on and on while Tanaka stood there with his fun-sized self. "I couldn't sleep, and I found this really great book and I must've fallen asleep and no Mey-rin to yell at me to get up ya know, don't exactly have things to wake me up in a library of all places-" you were cut short while fluffing pillows by Sebastian entering the room.

"There you are, where were you this morning?" Not wanting any trouble, you decided lying to be the best option.

"Uh well, you always start me off with the library I thought it best to just, go ahead and start and get a little ahead today."

Stupid.

You looked at the floor hoping he won't catch you in your little lie and nearly had a heart attack seeing the book on the floor when you accidentally dropped it. "With your hair in that state?" He closed his eyes and shook his head, and you took the opportunity to kick the book under the chair masking the sound it made with a cough. He sighed, "It can't be helped. Come here, turn around."

You blinked at him but did what he said anyway. Turning around you noticed Tanaka was still there, he had a pillow in his hand fluffing it. Sebastian's fingers combed through your hair like it was nothing, you could barely do that with an actual comb. Gathering it up into a ponytail he used the ribbon to tie it tightly and proceeded to twist it around, tucking it snuggly into the ribbon. "There, what do you think?"

Tanaka looked up at your hair, "Ho ho ho."

You felt your hair. "Where'd you learn to do hair so well? What institute taught a butler all of this," you turned to the smirking butler.

"No institute necessary, I'm simply, one hell of a butler." Your anxiety was building hoping he'd leave, so you could put the book back. "When you're done, I want you in the kitchen. Understood?" He started walking away but turned back to you, "Oh and Madame Red will be joining the young master this afternoon in about an hour so do hurry. I prefer Grell out of the kitchen," he shut the door on you.

"Ho Ho Ho."

"Yeah yeah, I know Tanaka." You and Tanaka straightened out the rest of the library, well he just watched you mostly and fluffed already fluffed pillows. He took up the book you kicked under the chair and looked up at you. Taking the book from him, you flipped it over in your hands feeling the material, it was an old book. "Do you think anyone will notice that it's missing for a while?"

"Ho Ho Ho," he stared up at you. "I think I'll take that as a no? Let's go I can't lie to save my head all the time he's too smart." Dropping the book on your bed in your room, you made your way to the kitchen.

~

Down in the kitchen, (which hasn't been destroyed all day, new record), Sebastian was teaching you how to properly prepare the little pastry stand. "This is a three-tiered serving stand. You use it for variety and style instead of a normal serving plate. More to enjoy with the tea instead of having just one thing. It is also used to organize the pastries like so, scones on the bottom, they're bigger than the rest of the food and not often touched, gives it balance when you're bringing it and taking it away. Next, you have finger sandwiches in the middle, they are eaten more than scones are and are smaller, but since they are to be eaten in moderation and we do need the young master to eat dinner, you'll put it in the middle. Not too big and not too small. Finally, the smallest tier on top is made for small sweets, try and limit these to about three, no more than five depending on the number of people you're serving, I don't want his teeth to rot. These aren't touched as much as finger sandwiches but this is the young master we're talking about."

The explanation was so much, you preferred him to just tell you where it was supposed to go, not a whole history lesson on why.

"What about the little jams there?" You pointed to a minuscule container of bright red jam on the counter.

"Ah, this you put in the middle of the cakes. It is normally eaten with scones, so they won't choke on it from eating it alone. Now! Set it up; we have roughly eight minutes before Madame Red arrives. I have to go prepare to greet them. Make the tea as well."

You started to prepare the snacks for them. "Scones here, finger sandwiches there and maybe four small sweets it's only two people so two each, and the jam. Perfect," Sebastian didn't tell you which tea nor did he set out a tea for you to prepare. Good grief...

'Earl Grey would be too bitter to have with the taste of these foods. A blend should do well with this set.'

A few minutes later Sebastian came back to a perfectly done pastry rack and well-blended tea. "Splendid you catch on quick. We'll have your English lesson after Madame Red leaves." Groaning you took up the refreshments to the garden where the young master and Madame Red were waiting to be served.

"Oh Y/n dear, so nice to see you again." You smiled shyly and curtsied a little, hoping to skip your lesson and convince Sebastian to cancel it you tried to be the most respectful you could.

"The pleasure is mine ma'am." You noticed Grell wasn't there but decided not to question it he was probably with the other servants.

~

"Excellent job today, unlike those other three..." he took off his tailcoat and opened up the water, rolling up his sleeves he asked you to pass the dishes. Reaching for the dishes you noticed the way his forearms flexed. Skin on the butler was rarely seen, snapping out of your train of thought you removed the saucers and cups from the tea cart and started handing them to Sebastian. "Well, they're living their life to the fullest I'd say, enjoying themselves here is not an easy task." The scent of the soap drifted on the air, taking the wet dishes he handed you, you wiped them down with a dishrag.

"Oh? Having fun here is difficult?"

"No, just being a servant in general, not a lot of people find that fun or exciting... then again not all servants work at the Phantomhive manor."

He chuckled, "It is quite a unique household isn't it? Assassins, a military officer, a guard dog and superhuman strength all bunched in one."

You scoffed, "You didn't say what you were."

While you were drying the last dish he turned off the water and smiled at you, "I'm simply, one hell of a butler."

You rolled your eyes and wiped the counter while he unrolled his sleeves and put his tailcoat back on. "Time for your lesson in the smaller kitchen."

Groaning you deliberately dragged yourself to the smaller kitchen and dragged a chair very loudly and dropped yourself in the chair. "Do I have to teach you to be lady-like as well?" he took out glasses and placed them on the bridge of his nose, damn he looked hot. "I'm a servant no one caresss." Pieces of paper and a pen were waiting for you on the table. "Now, I've written down several situations, you will respond to them how you would react in real life, that includes your actions and words."

A half an hour later you submitted your papers to him. Adjusting his glasses, he read through your papers. "All perfect, although this situation could be a little better. You're still mildly aggressive. You must take care not to let that show. Here let's act it out."

Standing up he put his hand out. "Y/n, dance with me." Placing your hand on his shoulder, while he wrapped his around your waist the both of you started moving. Tripping over your own two feet with the sudden backwards movement, you stumbled often. "Now imagine knocking into a duke of some sort and he yells at you for being so clumsy, calling you slurs and making snide remarks about your dancing," he pushed you back making you lose your balance but held you tightly in place, inches from the floor you looked up, "What would you do?" Besides the embarrassment, you felt anger for the "duke" to call you out like that.

Gritting your teeth, you muttered a "Sorry my Lord" and said you'd hang your head in shame without making eye contact. "Try it with less aggression, a soft tone. As if you felt bad." Taking a few breaths you held all the anger in your chest and put on a fake sweet voice. "Sorry, my Lord."

"A little softer, you want them to accept it, or what passes for an acceptance." Exhaling through your mouth you calmed down, "I'm sorry my Lord."

Pulling you up so close, you inhaled the scent of tea and roses from him. "Perfect. We do have to work on your dancing though, and perhaps one more lesson after this. You need to control your emotions and mannerisms while serving the nobility."

"Haha, I don't think we're there yet."