*****It's been too long! Hello all! I am recovering from a hard family loss, but determined to finish this fic out! Have patience with me please! I'M EDITING AND UPDATING ALL THE CHAPTERS! ALL OF IT! CONTENT WILL BE DIFFERENT!*****
"Are you almost ready, Elizabeth? We can't be late, it'll make me look kept," Ciel Phantomhive called through the door of his fiancee's room. He was answered by a wail. "But Ciel, if we are going to announce our engagement tonight I simply must look my best and I can't find anything to wear." She whined. Ciel's jaw dropped. "You mean to tell me you're not even dressed yet?!" He shoved open the door in a childish fit of anger to find a very distressed Elizabeth standing in front of her wardrobe in her underthings.
Ciel froze as she turned around, a look of shock on her face. He couldn't stop his eyes from slowly traveling down her face to her full lips, parted slightly in surprise, to her gracefully slender neck. He swallowed as her bare shoulders gave way to the swell of her breasts straining against the fabric of her light blue camisole. Ciel licked his suddenly dry lips when he saw Elizabeth's nipples sticking out against the fabric. He forced his eyes away from that sight, but they continued traveling downward to the soft skin of her smooth stomach. A dark blush spread across his face. Almost unwillingly, his eyes ventured lower to where her hips sunk into her matching light blue panties. She shifted her weight self-consciously and drew his attention to her long, smooth legs and bare feet. When had Lizzie grown into such a breathtakingly beautiful woman?
Elizabeth snapped out of her state of shock and felt her cheeks burn bright red. His gaze seemed to hold her paralyzed, breathless and waiting. Waiting for what? His approval? His rejection? Her heart sunk, thinking the latter to be true when Ciel turned and said, "Wait here." He walked out the door, closing it behind him. She sunk to the floor at the click and groaned in embarrassment and despair. He's probably going to leave me here and go to the ball without me. Pushing herself up off the floor, Elizabeth grabbed a house robe and slipped it on. Forcing herself to think positively, she went back to skimming her wardrobe for a dress. Just as she was starting to get frustrated again, she heard the door to her room open. Ciel called her name in a low voice that sent shivers down her spine and stole her breath.
She saw his caution to not upset her and a lump formed in her throat. His concern was almost palpable from across the room. Elizabeth's heart throbbed with love for this one man. "I bought you something, Lizzie," he said in a curiously husky voice. Her heart momentarily stopped as her pet name rolled off his tongue. He walked to her room table and she saw a box in his hands- a dress box.
"You bought me a dress? Oh Ciel, you shouldn't have." Elizabeth said in a hushed voice, touched beyond measure. Her hand went to her heart, willing it to slow down. He opened the box and she crossed the room to see the unexpected gift. Shyly, she glanced up at him, touched beyond words. The soft clearing of his throat gave her pause and she waited to hear what he had to say. "I saw it in the store while searching for a present for your birthday. As soon as I saw it, I knew I must get it for you. And, since it's not your birthday yet," he turned her head toward him with a gentle finger. "That just means I have an excuse to buy you something else." Elizabeth felt happy tears in her eyes brought on by the emotion in his voice. She smiled, hoping that simple gesture could somehow express all she was feeling. Ciel closed the box and shrunk the distance between them as he leaned in and rested his forehead on hers. Everywhere their bodies touched, Elizabeth felt a warm, tinging sensation that took her breath away. Finally, he placed a tender kiss on her waiting lips. "Lizzie," Ciel whispered, waiting for her eyes to open. "I love you."
Elizabeth awoke with a small gasp. Touching her lips, she sighed happily, reliving the final moments of her dream. At once wide awake and full of energy, she bounded out of bed with the feeling that today would be a good day. Walking to the wardrobe to select the day's dress, she hummed a merry tune that matched her mood. She couldn't wait to get to breakfast to see her betrothed and eat Sebastian's fine cooking. A thought crossed her mind that made her pause in the middle of brushing her hair. Was my dream a sign? Is Ciel going to propose? Hoping against hope that the answer was yes, she hummed a happy song from her childhood as she dressed.
Ciel awoke to the sudden, blinding sunshine as Sebastian opened his curtains. At least, he assumed it was Sebastian's doing. He was blinded by his watering eyes and couldn't see much other than yellow blobs. "Sebastian, was that really necessary?" Ciel groaned and rolled over, pulling a pillow over his head. "Did you sleep any better last night, my young master?" Sebastian Michaelis asked with amusement in his voice, his shape appearing at the foot of the bed to block the blinding glare. From under the pillow, a muffled, "No," made itself heard. The pillow was lifted and Ciel sighed. "Sebastian, I just...I just don't know what to do." The black-clad butler was taken aback at the unexpected vulnerability in his master's voice. "Well, young master, I taught you all the steps, it's not my fault you have two left feet," he said, trying to jar his master out of this depressive state. It worked.
With near-demonic speed, Ciel whipped the pillow through the air, only to be further annoyed by Sebastian's easy catch. He despised being teased. "Does Lady Elizabeth know of this side of you? I'm sure she'd be quite intrigued," Sebastian said over his shoulder on his way to the wardrobe. Ciel kicked off the covers with a flourish and vaulted out of bed, intent on attacking the source of the teasing. He moved to stand too fast, though, and as soon as his feet hit the floor, he became so dizzy he swayed crazily. Sebastian appeared at Ciel's side to steady the cranky teenager. "Now master, is that really a good way to start your day? This day, in particular?"
Annoyed and embarrassed at the emotional display, Ciel pushed away from his butler and went to pull on the clothes Sebastian had set out. Not even sparing a glance at his chuckling companion, he defiantly marched from his bedroom in the direction of his private study. "My young master," Sebastian said as he appeared in front of Ciel to block his way, "Would you really leave our guest to dine alone?" Ciel, his face full of sleepy, disgruntled confusion, demanded, "What guest?" Chuckling at the half-awake 18-year-old in front of him, the butler replied, "Why, your betrothed of course."