"Fin, will you do my back?" Mey-rin held out the sunscreen bottle and loosened the straps of her bikini below her wide straw hat. The young blond accepted the lotion and started creaming her back, starting at her neck and shoulders and dragging his hands down her sides and spine to her lower back, where his fingers grazed the edges of her bottom.
This took place while Bard stared at them, mouth hanging open quite rudely, from across the pool. He watched intently as Mey-rin thanked him and tied her top before getting comfortable on the lawn chair.
Finny smothered some lotion onto his own body before performing a neat little dive into the cool water. Bard had been about to do a cannonball into the rooftop pool when he had spotted Mey-rin un-tying her bikini top and stopped to ogle at her, pervertedly hoping she would take it all off or drop the strings to expose her chest to him.
They were guests to the pool, and were the only ones occupying it at the moment. They had assembled at their friends' apartment for a day together after months of being apart, due to school.
"Found some towels." Ciel made his appearance in light blue swimming shorts, holding an armful of white towels he found stuffed in a closet, and dropped them onto an unoccupied lawn chair.
Mey-rin smiled and reached over to start the playlist she had arranged for their little get-together. The music was soft yet had a good beat. She kept it on low so they would be able to talk without yelling at each other over the music.
Bard, having recovered from a minor boner, joined Finny in the pool where they started racing each other.
Ciel handed Mey-rin a popsicle and joined her on a neighboring chair with his own popsicle. They quietly sucked their frozen treat, quickly lapping at the sides when it started to melt.
"How's college been, so far?" Mey-rin asked, inconspicuously licking some blue liquid from her fingers.
Ciel shrugged, "Ok I guess. Everyone's pretty stupid there." He paused to take half the popsicle into his mouth, sucking the juice out of it so it wouldn't drip onto his fingers. "Except me," Ciel smirked. Mey-rin scoffed.
"I know you've been keeping us updated but have you met anyone?"
"Mmh, like I said, they're all too stupid for me, but it's a pity, some of them are pretty hot." Ciel usually thought himself above others. It was one of the (dis)advantages of having had an expensive education.
Mey-rin opened her mouth to ask another question but Ciel beat her to the punch, "Mostly guys, yeah. Some of the girls too. But mostly guys." He was bisexual.
Mey-rin nodded, trying to keep her face as calm and collected as possible. On the inside she was positively dying. She had a thing for guys hooking up and the mere thought of her friend dating another man was enough to send her into a fangirl-frenzy.
"How bout you?" Ciel asked, biting off a small chunk of his popsicle and licking his lips.
"No one's really caught my fancy yet," she admitted, "although Bard won't stop trying to spot me naked."
Ciel chuckled. "I told you he had a crush on you since high school." She rolled her eyes at him.
They kept talking about the goings-on of college life and where they had applied for work while watching their two friends continuously race each other.
"One more," said Bard, taking his place at the edge of the pool.
"Come on Bard, we've raced a dozen times! I think we know who the better swimmer is by now," whined Finny.
"Just one more," Bard insisted. Finny huffed but joined his friend at the edge. They counted down and shot off. Finny was smaller, both in height and in weight, so he travelled quickly through the water. Bard on the other hand, was heavier-set with strong shoulders and legs, using power to break through the water. Finny won each of their races.
Bard wouldn't accept defeat from such a small man.
They kept racing until Finny gave up from exhaustion, where upon Ciel replaced him and let Bard win a few times before lazily drifting atop the water.
Finny and Mey-rin, the two of the group who were most obsessed with gay men hooking up, were quietly chatting about setting Ciel up with this guy they had met earlier that year.
"I don't know… don't you think he'll get mad at us?" Finny bit his lower lip.
"No way. He's gone too long without getting laid." Mey-rin paused a moment, "You too now that I think of it."
"Mey!" Finny scolded her, promptly turning bright red. "What? It's true."
Finny mumbled some nonsense under his breath before speaking up. "We were talking about Ciel. Do you even know if Sebastian is into guys?"
Mey-rin shook her head. She whipped out her phone and started texting.
"Who'd you text?"
"Sebastian. I asked if he was gay," Mey-rin admitted bluntly.
Finny seemed this was far too abrupt a way to determine if Sebastian was indeed into dick. "You can't just ask someone that!"
"Why not?"
"H-he might think you're into him!"
"So? I might be," Mey-rin wiggled her eyebrows at him.
Finny scowled. A soft buzz interrupted their little argument.
"What'd he say?" Finny asked, quite curious despite his previous outburst.
Mey-rin turned to smile at him, "Gay," she said simply. Another buzz.
"Wants to know why I asked. Had an inkling," she spoke as she typed the words out.
"What, not going to tell him you want to set him up for a blind date?"
"Of course not Finny, that's too direct."
Finny threw him arms up in exasperation.
They continued their pleasant morning until a family came up with two kids. Not wanting to spend time with anyone below the age of 18, they left.
They dried off in Ciel and Bard's shared room, Bard rushing off to go to work. Mey-rin, Finny and Ciel showered (one at a time) and debated which restaurant they should go to for an early supper.
In the end, they agreed upon a new Japanese place that offered fresh sushi.
As Mey-rin was getting dressed in the bathroom, Finny used the hallway mirror to fix his half-dry hair. He turned this way and that, using bobby pins to pin down the fluffier parts but he just couldn't make his hair look acceptable.
Meanwhile, Ciel had been applying a thin layer of eyeliner, using the edge of the mirror so as to not obstruct Finny's view.
Finny huffed and pulled out all the pins, staring at his troubled reflection. Ciel took a moment to peer at his friend. "Have you been working out Fin?"
"Uh, a little actually," the petite blond replied, frown disappearing from his face. "Why do you ask?"
"Oh no reason. Your ass looks better than the last time I came back," Ciel replied unabashedly, putting his liner away. Blood rushed to Finny's face as he sputtered incoherent words, hands flailing in mild-panic.
Ciel raised a coloured eyebrow at him.
"You… noticed?" Finny squeaked out. He gave up on his hair for the moment and sat on the bed, looking at Ciel through the mirror.
Ciel turned to face his friend, hands on his hips. "Of course. There's not much I don't notice. I also happened to see that Mey-rin has been wearing padded bras."
"I heard that, you bisexual perv!" Mey-rin called from the bathroom. Finny laughed softly from his spot on the bed. Ciel joined him, wrapping his arms around him. Ciel kissed his cheek sweetly and went to gather his wallet, leaving Finny in quite a shock.
Thankfully at that moment Mey-rin came out of the bathroom with completely dry hair (Finny rushed to use the hair dryer with a slight scowl) and fresh makeup. She paused the music emanating from her phone and checked herself out in the mirror. "You look gorgeous, enough already. You spent almost as much time as me in there, you know," Ciel chided, pocketing his room key. Finny emerged from the bathroom, a content smile on his lips at his now dry hair that was nicely parted and pushed out of his eyes with bright red clasps. It made him look very effeminate and cute, in Ciel's opinion.
They left the apartment and boarded a taxi.
They arrived at the restaurant 15 minutes later, paid the cabbie and went in. Soft, exotic music floated around the bulbous lamps situated evenly throughout the restaurant. Tables were laid out with exquisite tableware and cheap wooden chopsticks. An Asian waitress with red eye-shadow and a sly smile greeted them and escorted them to an empty table, leaving menus with them.
The place was pretty empty, seeing as they had come for an early supper. The sun was still up, albeit low in the sky, casting a soft end-of-day glow across the streets. They sipped their water and peered down the menu.
Finny, having already chosen, snapped his chopsticks and rubbed them together to get rid of any splinters. The waitress came by at that moment with wasabi and pink ginger to lay at their table. She scowled at Finny and returned to the back of the restaurant.
Ciel smiled into his menu.
"What did I do?" Finny asked innocently.
"In Japan, it's considered rude to do that, to rub your chopsticks together. It means you think they're cheap," Ciel explained, closing his menu as well.
"Well I didn't know that! And I don't think it's cheap. I just don't want any splinters in my food," Finny seemed distraught.
When the waitress came back to take their orders, Finny tried to make up for his mistake.
"I don't think this place is cheap, I just didn't know! So, could you, not, like, sneeze into our food… please?" The waitress seemed confused but didn't say anything. Mey-rin gave her their orders as Ciel silently died from laughter behind his napkin.
"Oh Finny… I—oh my god…" Finny's face started heating up again and he looked away, clearly embarrassed.
"I don't think the Japanese sneeze into customers' food if they're displeased. Don't worry bout it Finny. Ciel's just being an ass," Mey-rin consoled the blond, shooting Ciel a sharp glare from the corner of her eye. He wisened up and stopped laughing.
When their food came they dug in like animals, too hungry from their day at the pool to say much. Ciel hungrily stuffed his cheeks with sushi, while Finny took delicate bites, daintily dipping his California roll into some soy sauce. Mey-rin seemed to be having trouble holding her chopsticks as she dropped her shrimp tempura for the second time in a row. She gave up and took it with her fingers instead.
When they had made a good dent into their food Mey-rin spoke up.
"Ciel darling, seeing as you haven't had any luck in finding someone at your school, why don't you let Finny and I set you up with someone?" she asked, seemingly innocent.
"Nope," he replied immediately, stuffing another rainbow roll into his mouth.
"But he's gorgeous! And he's gay, I checked this time." Ciel frowned at her, cheeks bulging.
"He's two years older than you, quite tall with black hair. He dresses nicely too. A writer," Mey-rin explained, fishing for her phone to show him a picture.
Finny chuckled to himself as Mey-rin listed his profession.
"Wha'show funny bout bein' a wriber?" Ciel demanded.
"There's nothing wrong with being a writer. I just find his topics amusing," Finny said with a half-hidden laugh.
Ciel swallowed and whipped his head back to Mey-rin, "Whats' he write about?"
Mey-rin didn't reply, instead shoving her phone into his face. The picture shown was of Mey-rin and Finny, awkwardly smiling beside a tall, black-haired man who was indeed quite good-looking. They held books, no doubt attending one of Mey-rin's book fairs she so loved. At a closer look Ciel could make out what book they were holding. It was one of Mey-rin's favourites, from her private collection. It was gay erotica.
Ciel handed her back her phone and turned back to his food. "No," he said firmly. Finny let his laughter loose.
"His profession shouldn't deter you from a likely wonderful date and eventual hot night of sex." Finny stopped laughing and solemnly returned to his food.
"Fanks but mo fanks."
"Oh stop eating would you?" Mey-rin slapped his hand away from her plate and looked him sternly in the eye. "Give me one good reason why you shouldn't go out with him," Before Ciel could even retort she had started talking again, "You don't know much of anything about it to even argue my point. Don't knock it till you've tried it," she pointed a warning finger at him and popped a fried zucchini slice into her mouth, licking her fingers. Ciel didn't seem to have much choice in the matter.
"Are you free Saturday evening?" She asked, stuffing some hot rice into her mouth.
"Seeing as it's summer vacation and you're not going to let me out of this without a date, no I am not busy this Saturday," Ciel replied dryly. Mey-rin wiggled in her seat, "Perfect!"
Mey-rin left work on the next day and pulled out her keys to unlock her car. She got in and pressed play on her playlist. She whipped out her phone to ask Sebastian if they could hang out soon, preferably today. She hummed along to the song as she put her car in gear and drove home. Her phone buzzed just as she pulled into her parking spot.
Mey-rin turned off her music, got out, locked her car and proceeded to walk and text. Sebastian had an event the next day but he was free this afternoon, having struck writer's block on a new book.
Mey-rin sympathized with him, and offered to meet up at their local Starbucks. Sebastian agreed to see her in an hour. Mey-rin giggled to herself as she unlocked her apartment door and kicked it shut behind her. She stood still for a moment to listen, and when she didn't hear anything, called out "Finny?" and went to get herself a snack after an arduous day at work.
There came a muffled reply from his bedroom down the hall so Mey-rin went to tell him her news.
His bedroom door was ajar as she approached, pushing it open without knocking. Finny scrambled to his feet from his messy bed, a guilty look on his face. He blushed slightly but didn't reveal his secret. "Hey," he greeted her.
Mey-rin raised a questioning brow at him as she sat on his chair, but ignored his odd behavior in favour of relaying to him her news about Sebastian.
"I'm meeting Sebastian in an hour," she gushed happily, clutching the back of the chair. Finny didn't seem to share her enthusiasm. He nodded and gave a weak smile, and went to fetch a snack himself. Mey-rin followed him, picking up her bag of pretzels she had left behind. Finny scavenged around in their cupboards as Mey-rin expressed her enthusiasm,
"I'll ask him out on Ciel's behalf and then I'll come up with a date plan for Saturday. I think we should be there Finny, to support Ciel and help ease them together into a relationship. Maybe we'll have a dinner date, here, and Ciel can help me cook!" she smiled with relish at the thought. Finny hummed his false approval and stuck his head in the fridge.
"I have no idea what to cook though, maybe you could help, you're always so much better in the kitchen than I," Mey-rin batted her lashes flirtatiously. When Finny didn't say anything, Mey-rin realized that whatever was bothering Finny, was something he wished to talk with her. He would never express his need to talk, except through solemnness and excluding himself from goings-on.
"Finny what's wrong?" she asked, brows scrunching in worry.
"Hm? Nothing. Just… not a good day I guess," he closed he fridge and went back through their cupboards. Mey-rin bit her lip. "You sure? You'd tell me if there was anything, right?" Finny turned to smile at her, nodding.
She left to change out of her work clothes and into something more comfortable. Before she left the kitchen she noticed Finny's regular afternoon snack of salt and vinegar chips, lying on the counter, unnoticed. Finny was still busying himself in the cupboards.
She left half an hour later in some comfortable jeans and shirt, practically skipping as she told Finny where she'd be if he needed her. She walked the short distance, the sun beating down on her back as she did her hair up into a high ponytail.
The Starbucks was nearly empty by the time Mey-rin got there, joining the short line. She ordered her drink and waited for her name to be called out before selecting a two-person table near the windows.
As she waited she gazed outside, looking at passersby, wondering where they were going on such a hot evening. She didn't wait long before a familiar figure appeared on the street. His black hair was tied back into a small bun, five o'clock shadow already apparent along his jaw. He wore a thin grey shirt with dark jeans and laced oxford shoes. He smiled at her as he came in and went to get himself a much-needed coffee. He joined her and they exchanged pleasantries.
"How's the new book coming along?"
"Not so well. The characters don't interact well. I'm worried it won't work out, pity actually, it's a good idea," he explained, the corner of his lips flicking up into a smile.
"There's plenty more ideas where that one came from, I'm sure."
"You're too kind," he full on smiled this time. Mey-rin beamed, pleased she was able to lift his spirits.
"How have you been, since the last time I saw you?" Laughter was strung with his words, having seen her not two days before, at the convention where she had taken a picture of them and Finny. The very same picture she had showed to Ciel the previous evening.
"Quite well actually. An old friend of mine came back from college the other day and we spent some time together," she recounted.
"Does this have anything to do with your having asked me about my orientation the other day?" he chided gently, leaning on the table with one arm bent.
Mey-rin was shocked, a wide smile on her face. "It does actually. My friend has been lonesome for some time now and I wish to remedy that," she explained expertly.
Sebastian chortled. "Alright. What is his name?"
Mey-rin dug around in her purse for her phone to show him a picture of Ciel, reflecting her actions from last night.
"Ciel, he's a bit younger than you but I'm sure he'll match you in wit. Ah, here we go." She riffled through her many pictures and found a good one of herself and Ciel, taken the day he'd left for college. He had slightly longer hair then and hadn't worn as much makeup as he did now, but he was smiling and it was well focused. Mey-rin handed him her phone and waited patiently as he admired her friend.
Sebastian couldn't deny Ciel's good looks. His natural hair colour was showing at the roots and he had an earring on his left ear. Sebastian didn't have much experience in the past with boyfriends, but he found this man alluring never the less. Despite his young face, he seemed smart, aware and cunning. Sebastian wasn't one for blind dates, he rarely had time as a writer, but something about Ciel made him want to try this blind date business. Worst case scenario, it would go to waste and he would have experienced something he could use in his writing.
Sebastian handed her back her phone and sipped his drink, refusing to meet her excited look.
"Well? What do you think of him?" she nearly squealed.
Sebastian turned to look at her, a devilish grin on his lips. "I don't know him my dear, I can't give you my opinion on him just yet. But I do like that picture of him. He seems… captivating," he pointed out. Mey-rin seemed positively delighted at this.
"Are you busy this Saturday? Would you like to meet him?" Sebastian laughed at her urgency.
"No, I'm not busy. What did you have in mind? For us to casually meet and hit it off? I'm afraid it's not always that easy," he demurred.
"I was planning on an early dinner, with friends. You know me and Finny, we'd invite our other friend, Bard. You know half of us and we know Ciel," she countered slyly. Sebastian inclined his head towards her as a point well made.
"Alright then. Saturday it is."
When Mey-rin arrived home not too long after Sebastian had agreed to a blind date with Ciel, she found a note from Finny telling her he'd be at Bard's place with Ciel. She hurried off to join them.
She knocked, heard someone grunt 'come in' and opened the door. Finny and Ciel were lying on the old couch, watching a movie together. Finny's head had been in Ciel's lap, where black fingernails were caressing blond hair. Mey-rin smiled at them before slipping off her shoes and joining them on the couch. She had just sat down when the credits started. Ciel laughed at her stunned face as Finny sat up, rubbing his groggy face.
"What's the news?" he asked, turning the screen off.
"He's agreed to meet Ciel Saturday," she was beside herself with glee "Sebastian seemed pleased when I showed him your picture."
"What picture could you possibly have showed him? I look terrible in all of them," he claimed hotly. Mey-rin passed her phone again to show him the picture dating back almost a year. Finny peered over his shoulder. Ciel made a noise of discontent.
"It's not your worst photo," Finny pointed out, pulling out his own phone. He selected a picture of Ciel with his nose pushed back, eyes wide and his tongue sticking out. Ciel scoffed at the indecency. "It would be absolute ridicule if you had showed him that one."
Mey-rin slid her finger across her screen to show him the next picture. It was taken at the same spot, not ten seconds later with their best double chin expressions. Ciel's face twitched.
"I think you'll be glad to know Sebastian didn't go through my pictures. He's a proper gentleman," Mey-rin huffed, proud at her selection of a possible-boyfriend for Ciel.
"You've known him for two weeks you can't know that!" Finny countered.
While they bickered Ciel took Mey-rin's phone and flipped back to Sebastian's picture. He hadn't taken his time to look the first time and only now truly realized how tall this Sebastian fellow was. Mey-rin was a good two inches taller than him. Sebastian was a whole foot taller than her! Good lord. Ciel couldn't deny he had a thing for tall men.
His black hair was pure ebony, reaching halfway down his neck. He was cleanly shaved in this picture, making his striking features even more so. He could barely discern what colour his eyes were, even when he zoomed in. His lips were quirked up in a small smile and Ciel's heart gave a flutter.
He was well-dressed, Ciel wouldn't deny it. He had a black and white striped tee with a black waistcoat and jacket, rolled up to his elbows. Dark blue jeans and pointed black shoes finished the look, along with several bracelets and a ring.
Taking it all in Ciel realized he was all legs, with a shorter torso. How dreamy.
Ciel handed Mey-rin back her phone without her realizing he'd taken it in the first place.
All of Friday Mey-rin relayed her plan with Bard who was to cook the meal, along with Finny's help. She insisted on taking Ciel clothes shopping but he refused. He didn't think a blind date needed a new outfit. He had plenty of suitable clothes with which he was comfortable. After Mey-rin left, Ciel removed his black nail polish and applied a fresh, new coat.
On Saturday morning, Ciel woke up to Bard's grumbling in the bathroom. It was nearly eleven. Ciel's arm sprung for his phone and immediately texted Finny, telling him there was an urgent matter to take care of.
Ciel waited for Finny, and texted Mey-rin good morning, putting her doubts to rest as he confirmed he would be at her apartment by three thirty that afternoon. Finny knocked on his bedroom door and came in, a curious look on his face as he spotted Ciel still lying in bed.
"I need your help," the pale boy admitted, looking the blond boy dead in the eye.
"What is it?" Finny seemed slightly agitated, worried there might be something terribly wrong.
"I don't know what to wear," Ciel replied simply, earning a groan from Finny. "Mey offered to go shopping with you yesterday!"
"I don't need new clothes, I just need some help picking out what to wear," Ciel grumbled. His hair was slightly rumpled from his sleep and he didn't have a shirt on. Finny tried to stop the blush that was creeping onto his cheeks.
"Oh, alright. Go shower first, you stink."
Ciel beamed and hugged his friend, "Thank you thank you!" and hurried off into the bathroom. Finny rolled his eyes and made the bed while Ciel sang in the shower. He started looking through his friend's closet and picked out some possible shirts and pants. When Ciel emerged from the bathroom he had a towel wrapped around his waist and dripping hair, drops splattering onto his naked chest.
"Ciel put some clothes on!" Finny nearly shouted, throwing a shirt at him. Ciel laughed and whipped off his towel to reveal bright blue briefs. Finny scowled at him.
He started showing Ciel several possible outfits for him as he got comfortable on his newly-made bed.
Finny suggested a blue tee with a black waistcoat and short shorts, or possibly a sweater and tie with a small jacket and knee-length shorts and boots.
Finny had nearly emptied his closet by the time Ciel voiced his complaint. "Nothing works! How can I have nothing to wear? I should have gone with Mey, damnit!" Finny crossed his arms and popped a hip out, a stern look on his otherwise innocent face.
"Ciel Phantomhive, you have asked me for my help and I will not give up until you look positively drop-dead gorgeous on this date of yours, do you understand?" Ciel nodded his head sheepishly. Finny nodded and went to scavenge his closet once more.
"Aha!" he exclaimed a moment later, holding up a pair of black suspenders with silver clasps. Ciel raised an eyebrow at Finny's discovery.
"What about these? I've never seen you wear them before."
"I wore them once 'cos I thought they'd look good but I gave up on them. You're not serious are you?" Ciel wasn't convinced suspenders were a good idea. Now it was Finny's turn to raise an eyebrow, he was quite serious.
"Just try them on with these," Finny tossed the knee-length navy blue shorts, "and this," he threw a thin graphic tee at him and sent Ciel scurrying into the bathroom to dress. A minute later Ciel appeared, looking damn fine. He seemed to have misjudged the suspenders. They held the shorts in such a way that defined what little ass he had.
Finny whistled at him and Ciel rushed over to give him a tight hug. "Thank youu!" Finny released him and checked his phone. "Yikes, it's one thirty and you haven't eaten breakfast yet."
"Or done my makeup!" Ciel gasped. Finny laughed as the boy ran back to the bathroom to apply some eyeliner.
Half an hour before they were due at Mey-rin and Finny's apartment, Ciel had finished his makeup and had shared a light breakfast with Finny.
He was currently pacing the apartment nervously. Bard had left a few hours ago to start preparing their early dinner. Finny had been checking Sebastian's Facebook profile for Ciel, though he didn't seem to update it often. Mainly just advertising new book releases and pictures with cats.
Finny's phone vibrated with a text from Mey-rin scolding them to get their asses down there. He got up off the couch and faced Ciel, "It's time," he declared seriously.
Ciel nodded and they left, took the elevator down and when the doors opened, crossed the threshold and knocked on Mey-rin's door.
They heard thundering footsteps just before the door was whipped open to reveal a slightly pissy Mey-rin.
"Where the HELL have you guys been?! Bard's making an absolute mess of my kitchen!" she yelled at them.
Alright, maybe more than just slightly pissy. She turned on Ciel "I texted you! Why didn't you come down sooner? I said I needed help taming him!" she stormed back into the kitchen where more yelling ensued. Finny and Ciel exchanged a look and stepped inside.
They heard a smacking sound and an "Ow! The hell was that for, you termagant!" "Don't touch the dessert, Shrek!" Ciel sniggered to himself at their petty fighting.
They turned the corner into the kitchen/dining room and Ciel's breath caught in his throat. It was clean. So clean. Last week's spaghetti sauce stains were gone from the walls, all the dishes from the past year had been washed (or stored somewhere else), and Bard had shaved! Oh and the smell! It didn't reek of old food or dirty dishes anymore – they had worked so hard for this blind date that Ciel could've told Sebastian to fuck off and he'd have had a wonderful dinner with his friends.
But that was not the case. The doorbell rang quite suddenly. Mey-rin had opened her mouth to shout at Bard some more but stopped short. Finny gave a small gasp and checked his watch.
"He's 15 minutes early!" he whispered eagerly.
Ciel's face had gone pale, his blood seemed to have dropped to his stomach, if that was possible. He wasn't ready for this. He wasn't ready to have an awkward first date with someone he'd never met, in front of his friends!
No. He wouldn't let his petty fears get the best of him. Everyone had first dates. Ciel had had a few in the past, and he'd survived them all. He took a deep breath and marched forward, determined. That, and Mey had given him a small push forward.
He opened the door and there was Sebastian. Ciel almost had to tilt his head back to look at his face clearly. He had showered recently, as wet coils of hair curled around his neck. He'd pushed it back, seemingly to keep the water droplets off his shirt and face, but Ciel thought he looked marvelous that way. His face looked nearly flawless, his nose straight and his eyes… ember coals rolling beneath his feminine black lashes. His lips were slightly red and when he saw it was Ciel at the door, he bit his lip.
Ciel took his mesmerized eyes off his face and tried not to gawk at how well-dressed he was, especially considering he spent most of his time locked in his house.
He had a thin silver necklace with words engraved on a little disk that lay on his collarbone. His chest bore a low cut off-white shirt with a long, black scarf that reached down to his waist. He wore an olive-green shrug rolled at his elbows. He had fading black nail polish, like Ciel and a ring. Thin black pants hugged his long legs and suede shoes covered his feet.
Ciel smiled and opened the door further, inviting him in.
"Hello," he greeted nervously. Sebastian returned the smile, effectively turning Ciels' legs to jell-o.
"I'm Sebastian Michaelis." He held out his hand for Ciel to shake.
"I'm Ciel Phantomhive," he shook his large hand. They stood there awkwardly for a moment too long and they both turned away and laughed quietly. Ciel's cheeks turned a light pink.
"If our evening is full of silent pauses like this one, then I hope to have a very awkward evening with you, if it makes you blush so splendidly." His compliment only increased Ciel's blush, which in turn widened Sebastian's smile. He spoke with a fading English accent that Ciel found endearing. There came a soft noise from the direction of the kitchen and they turned to see Mey poking her head from behind the wall. When they noticed her she broke into a smile and rushed forward to hug Sebastian,
"Oh I didn't hear you come in," she gushed, lying through her teeth. There hadn't been a sound since the doorbell; Ciel had forgotten they were even here.
"Of course, hello Mey-rin, how are you?" He was so polite - Ciel couldn't help but bite his own lip to contain his glee.
Ciel hadn't noticed earlier as Sebastian held a small cardboard box out for Mey-rin. She was flattered and went to put it in the fridge.
Sebastian and Ciel stayed where they were, preferring to enjoy a little time on their own together before an evening surrounded by others.
"So Mey tells me you write for a living?" Ciel offered as conversation.
Sebastian nodded, "Yes, erotica for the most part," he replied quite bluntly. He smiled softly. Ciel liked it when he smiled. It appeared that his 'resting face' was an ever-so-small smile.
"Do you use an alias?" Ciel wondered. They started walking towards the kitchen.
"My editor seemed to think it was a good idea at the beginning, but I never cared for hiding myself. My first few books are by another name but now the covers show my own." He seemed pleased. "Mey-rin let slip to me you just returned from college for the summer. Have you settled well into your new school?"
He seemed genuine. Even if they had both been forced into this thing, Sebastian didn't seem like he was going to half-ass it, or make it a living hell. Either he was doing this to please Mey-rin (Ciel knew how difficult it was to say 'no' to her) or he was trying to make it through the evening without causing any damage.
They joined Ciel's friends in the kitchen where introductions were made to Bard (he hadn't joined Mey and Finny at the bookcon) and drinks were made for everyone while they waited for dinner.
Half an hour later, supper was not yet ready. Mey-rin was beginning to get a bit impatient. Bard, noticing her jitteriness, snuck off into the kitchen to check on the food.
They had all migrated outside on Mey-rin's fairly small balcony, as it was a warm summer evening with a light breeze. The sky was painted all sorts of pinks, oranges, purples and blues, the sun slowly descending past the horizon cast a bright glow over the city.
Mey-rin and Finny were talking in low voices to each other, watching Ciel and Sebastian out of the corners of their eyes. Mey-rin was so proud at having chosen such a fine suitor for her friend that she barely noticed Bard leaving.
A minute later there was a loud noise from the kitchen, almost like an explosion, and the fire alarm started. Everyone outside gave a start and rushed inside, asking Bard what had gone wrong. He was on the floor, his face and most of his clothes, a dark ash black. His neat blond hair was impeccably black. He rubbed at his eyes, leaving smears around them as he turned to look at everyone, a sheepish smile on his face.
Mey-rin marched straight up to her oven and peered inside. She gasped and reared on Bard, bent over so as to scream directly in his face.
"What have you done to my oven? What have you done to supper?! Bardroy what kind of stupid stunt did you pull now?!" She was positively livid.
Bard cowered on the floor, leaving a bigger blacker mess. "I—"
"Ugh what's that smell?" Finny's face contorted in disgust as he plugged his nose, his tiny hand waving in front of his face to disperse the smell. Mey-rin sniffed the air too and made a face.
"What the hell did you do?!" She screeched at Bard. Everyone made noises of disgust and left for the balcony once more, Bard lagging behind.
When they had all gotten a few lungfuls of fresh air they all turned to look at Mey-rin yelling her head off at Bard.
"It was taking too long to cook so I went in and decided to speed along the cooking," he scratched the back of his neck nervously, avoiding Mey-rin's furious gaze.
"So what did you do?" she whisper-yelled.
"I, uh, farted, in the oven…" he admitted shyly. Mey-rin just stood there for a moment, too shocked to say or do anything.
"You did what?" she hissed.
"I farted in the oven to make the cooking go faster, ok?" Before Mey could begin her obvious outburst, Finny interjected with,
"Bard, how does farting in an oven," he enunciated, "make cooking faster?" Bard shrugged.
"Y'know, gas and flame… makes more heat… cooks faster…" he mumbled. Mey-rin gave choked noise and started flailing her hands about and shaking Bard with a wild look in her eyes.
Meanwhile, Ciel was mortified and Sebastian just stared at this commotion with a sort of absent horror and amusement. He nudged Ciel lightly,
"Did he actually? Break wind in the oven?" Ciel nodded weakly,
"It's exactly something that he would do." Sebastian giggled. Ciel stared at him with his mouth open, incredulous. His friend had just mortally embarrassed him in front of the best-looking man Ciel had ever laid eyes, and here was said man, giggling.
Sebastian's giggles turned into laughter, and before long, he was bent over crying with laughter. Ciel smiled and laughed along, unable to resent his friend any longer. They clutched the railing for support as their faces turned red.
Neighbours from above and below them peered out of their balconies to see what the ruckus was about.
An hour later, they were all seated in the living room eating delivered pizza. There was only one couch so a few had seated themselves on the floor. An empty cardboard box lay at Bard's feet as he leaned back on the sofa and let out a belch. Mey-rin scolded him and swatted him with her napkin. Finny, Ciel and Sebastian all looked at each other and laughed silently. They were beginning to think that, although this blind date had been for Ciel and Sebastian, it seemed that Mey and Bard would be the ones to kiss each other goodnight later on. Ciel was hoping they would. There was so much going on between the two.
After they finished the last of the pizza and turned on the television for some American Idol, Sebastian nudged Ciel and motioned that they go out on the balcony for some privacy.
Ciel closed the glass door behind them, leaving it open an inch; there was still some smoke in the kitchen. He turned to join Sebastian, who was leaning against the cool balcony railing, their eyes locked on each other.
It was nearly night now, the sky a dark, clear blue with few shining lights spotted here and there. A few hazy clouds smeared the edge of the horizon as a plane fly by. Below them, dozens upon dozens of people walked the streets, entering stores or restaurants, sitting outside on terraces for a late dinner or emerging from the theater across the street. Cars honked faintly in the distance, muffled chatter and laughter bubbled up to the duo on the seventh floor balcony.
It was so calm, so serene. Ciel was at peace, he didn't want to be up here with anyone else. They had spent a wonderful evening. Sebastian had been the perfect guest, charming even Bardroy (who was as straight as straight can get). When the pizza had arrived, he'd helped distribute it and complimented Mey-rin on her superb pizza-ordering skills.
His friends had been good sports too; refraining from confessing any embarrassing stories about Ciel. Sebastian had proved to be a great conversationalist, jumping in to fill in awkward moments of silence.
But now, here on the balcony, they were silent. Merely enjoying each others' presence after a memorable first date.
Ciel chanced a peek at the handsome man beside him. Sebastian was already looking at him. They shared a smile as Ciel failed to hide his flustered cheeks.
"Would I be too forward if I asked to kiss you?" He spoke softly, as if speaking too loud would ruin this calm serenity.
Ciel thought about it for a moment and decided that, no, he wouldn't mind kissing Sebastian.
Ciel looked at him, a cheeky little grin on his boyish face, and shook his head, "It wouldn't be too forward at all."
Sebastian's lip quirked up in a small smile as he slowly brought his face closer. Ciel leaned forward, his eyes wide with anticipation. His deep azure eyes stared into Sebastians' luminous crimson ones as they bumped noses. Eyelashes fluttered as their eyes shut and pressed their lips together in a soft embrace.
Ciel's lips were soft and plush, tasting faintly of the orange he had for dessert.
Their lips made a satisfying smacking noise as they reached out for each other, Sebastian gripping the shorter boys' shoulders as Ciel reached for his hips, running his hands around to his lower back. Ciel leaned up on his toes, sweetly deepening their kiss as Sebastian's hand trailed upwards to cup his delicate face. They kissed one last time before pausing for breath. Both were panting slightly.
Sebastian ran a light thumb over Ciel's cheek, marveling in this moment. They tilted their heads for another kiss but were interrupted by a loud banging on the glass door.
Ciel jumped slightly and saw Mey-rin, Finny and Bard eagerly staring at them making out. He gave them a look, instantly cut off Bard's congratulatory clapping and sent them away.
He turned back to find Sebastian hiding a chuckle behind his fist.
"I'm sorry, you're friends are… unique." Ciel rolled his eyes, "Yeah that's one word for it."
Sebastian leaned down and captured his lips in a searing kiss that cut off any other words. Ciel was only too happy to comply and wrapped his thin arms around the taller man's torso. Sebastian's finger lost themselves in Ciel's silky hair, gently pushing their bodies closer.
The day ended on a promising note, with Ciel walking Sebastian home – he conveniently lived a few blocks away. They held hands the entire time, basking in their newfound emotions. It was dark by the time they kissed goodnight, after exchanging numbers and promising to meet up again soon.
Ciel walked home, an unknown weight seemingly lifted from his shoulders as he tried his best not to skip.
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