…Let's pretend time and space do not work the way they should and somehow this lovely Arthur "Wordsmith" wrote several (or maybe not several but more than one or…something…) books of Sherlock Holmes and published them and it did not take him several years like logic says it should. Let's also pretend Ciel and Sebastian are mischievous enough to notice the HolmesxWatson subtext…wait, well, they are. So, bear with my messed up logic because this was written for the sake of…being a fangirl … and because there are not enough fanfics about the adorable and absolutely loveable Arthur "Wordsmith" and I love him and I totally think Ciel was flirting with him and sending him seductive stares and was very close to actually start molesting him ok no is my weird mind talking … and for the sake to laugh at him, because the idea of they noticing the subtext and asking Arthur about it was really funny to my stupid brain. So, yeah, please, don't kill me because I know there is very little fidelity/logic to how things actually went in…well…reality. So. Yeah. *goes to hide in a corner*
And…also this is… unrevised because I don't believe there is actually someone reading this. So. Yeah. Badly written. Maybe someday I will fix it (the eternal lie of us writers, eternal lie). And English is not my language. And I usually kill it. Yeah. Forgive me.
Also…I think Ciel is so Out Of Character…Pft… But is my first time writing him (and I almost NEVER write fanfiction…I believe I only have written fanfiction like three times on my life…and certainlyNEVER Ciel…and this is the first time I publish a fanfic somewhere…)
I am so embarrassed but I need to practice controlling and writing other characters which are not mine and well…ugh…*hiding hiding*
Also: this is slightly Arthur "Wordsmith" / Ciel Phantomhive which means...slash...nothing graphic or too...erh...slashy, though.
-So, Mister Wordsmith- the Earl's relaxed posture and that half lidded eye were only making Arthur more and more uncomfortable, it became worse when Ciel crossed his legs in a movement which was most distracting even amidst the swirl of terrified dizziness overtaking Arthur's head.
His shaking hands gave a particular notorious jerk and some of the delicious tasting tea spilled over onto the porcelain plate.
The young Earl smiled that mysterious and seductive (It was so wrong to think of it as that but there was certainly no other way to explain the curve of those malevolent lips!) smirk that had Arthur's eyes glued to it the first time he ever made it and still had that effect he was absolutely not proud of; dear god, it was humiliating to feel all shy and embarrassed, blushing even, because of such a minimal act coming from a child.
But somehow Earl Phantomhive was able to intimidate him with even a blink or a word, with a movement and a curl of the lips, with that shining amused eye that made Arthur feel like a teenager.
Was really the Earl the child and Arthur the adult or was it the other way around?
Unnerving and obvious were those childish features screaming the unlikely truth.
Ciel Phantomhive was a child with the cunning and dangerous intent of an adult, but a child nonetheless.
Arthur remembered the moment when he was able to actually see the young Earl in a vulnerable state and it only served to scare him even more: was the Earl being sincere back then? Was he trying to look innocent in his presence?
That mischievous eye laughing at him and giving him shivers was far from innocent.
He was both glad and anxious at the fact that the butler was standing beside the door, at his back, and he was unable to see what kind of perturbing expression he was making right now.
Arthur was terrified and had not been able to sleep since the moment he received the letter from the Earl three days ago inviting him over to the estate to have some tea and talk.
Talk.
Arthur spent hours checking his books and tried to remember every little thing he had ever uttered about the source of his inspiration to write his novels, searching for something he had wrote or said which could have made them angry.
He found nothing.
It was not calming him, though.
Those horrible words he was never going to forget repeated on his head endlessly the entire three days of waiting.
We are always watching.
His mind was numb out of fear and all his limbs cold, he did not notice when his attention started to drift away but the Earl said something and he did not hear it and suddenly whatever word the boy said was of utmost importance.
-I am sorry, what did you say?- he all but stuttered, almost not daring to speak but doing so anyway, and Ciel's smile widened.
-You look tired, Mister Wordsmith- his voice was light and oblivious, like he did not know Arthur was scared out of his mind-. Have you not been sleeping well? I see you are very nervous but you should not be, like I just said but you did not hear: I called you here to talk about your new books.
There it was.
He surely did write something which upset him.
He went stiff from panic and Ciel seemed to be enjoying it even more, like a cat playing with a mouse, and Arthur inconveniently remembered what his childhood cat used to do with the mice it hunted and he wanted to throw up.
Ciel inched closer on the sofa, resting his elbow on his knee and his face on his knuckles.
-I really mean it Mister Wordsmith, you should calm down otherwise your visit with lose all its purpose since you will not be able to talk at all in this state- he huffed with disappoint-. And I am always eager to hear you utter those amazing words you are so skilled to put on paper. I wonder if they will sound as good in your voice rather than ink.
That eye was glistening again and Arthur gulped.
His mind was blank but he tried to answer:
-W-what is that y-you want to talk a-about? Di-did you di-dislike something?
Ciel laughed softly.
It sent painful shivers down Arthur's back.
-Oh, Mister Wordsmith, I believe you are not writing those novels for me, are you? You should not care so much for my opinion on it, unless you have actually been thinking of me while writing?
Arthur's heart skipped a beat because he had been.
It did not matter where or when, nor the weather or how was his day nor his troubles nor the people he saw; every time Arthur sat to write those particular books it was not the butler the one on his mind, even when he was most involved on the plot itself, neither the murdered people nor the situation at the Phantomhive manor itself, but the Earl.
Luckily for him Ciel did not wait for his answer, apparently having been answered enough with the uneasy gulp Arthur took from his tea cup.
-No, is actually the opposite. I was greatly impressed, especially with those Holmes and Watson characters- Ciel took a gulp from his tea and his smile turned playful.
For the first time since his arrival the butler spoke and Arthur almost broke his neck and burned his lap with the hot tea for trying to turn back and see him and jumping at the same time.
-If you allow me, Mister Wordsmith, I must agree. I was quite surprised to see how close those two are portrayed- his voice and smile were heavy with meaning.
-My, Mister Wordsmith, I did not know you were fond of such sinful things- the Earl whispered maliciously.
Arthur felt his whole face lit on fire.
He tried to defend himself but failed miserably, too submerged into embarrassment and with his voice lost in stutters and incomprehensible exclamations.
-E-earl what you are implying…!- he finally was able to let out.
-Is the only possible and credible explanation- finished the boy.
-B-but is not…!
It actually was, but Arthur did not expect people to catch on to that so easily.
Then again, these were the frightening pair which still tormented his mind and they just had to keep on reading his books and then call him into that detail, did not they?
He wanted to smack himself.
Why on earth did he have to add that?! It was his creative process and it was not his fault he could not refrain it, but why did not he think this could ever happen?!
He almost wished he had indeed been invited to be killed rather than this.
-It is- the boy's voice was final and smug.
Arthur tried to hide his defeat with the tea cup but the Earl was still studying him.
-And even if it is not- he continued- at least you are not uncomfortable with the idea at all, are you?
Something made Arthur stop dead in his tracks and not even try to think of an answer.
There was something dangerous underneath that question which there was no way he could easily respond; the Earl's expression was serious now, the playful glint mixed with something sharp, heavy, looking more like a snake and Arthur felt that if he answered he was going to be caught in those fangs.
If in a bad or a good way he was uncertain.
His breath was getting harder to get and his heart was pounding madly in his chest; a back part of his head wondered if they could hear it, but his main focus was in that depredatory expression.
-I am not- he answered slowly, wondering what reaction he was going to receive but deeply suspecting it.
He was not wrong.
Earl Ciel Phantomhive smiled broadly and innocent:
-I see. I will keep it in mind for maybe this knowledge will be useful in the future.
And it was not an invitation, Arthur knew, it was a demand.