Title: Vice and Versa
Author: ShadowTacticianVI
Posted: May 2nd, 2010
Updated: May 19th, 2010
Chapter Words: 993
Rating: T (Language, violence, eventually dark themes - that's Kuroshitsuji's fault)
Full Summary: Years back, before contracts with demons were a means to an end and at a time when the Millenium Earl's name was unheard of, two boys met across a white field and exchanged smiles. There were years of silence, years of resentment, yet in the end, simply knowing the other was there was enough. Each burdened with their own fate and curse, Ciel and Allen go through their lives—sometimes just trying to live.
Disclaimer: I'll probably forget to put this in the rest of the chapters, so yeah, just refer to this. Soo…I in no way, shape, or form, own Kuroshitsuji or D. Gray-Man. It'd be pretty obvious if I did *wink*.
1. Snow Wish
Cold, chilly days weren't uncommon in London, and they often heralded a blanket of snow. Slushy, dirty snow that just made everyone's lives so much more troublesome. Allen scowled at the ground and shook off the slushy bits on his battered, oversized shoes. He lifted his gaze, but before he knew it he was flung to the wet ground by a group of men in particular hurry.
They were a rowdy, boisterous group and despite the stormy, cloudy light that denoted day, Allen bitterly noted the odor of alcohol that clung to them. "Hah! 'nd I tell him he shoul' just shove it up dere b-but—ahaha! They don't know what dere sayings!" His lip curled but he stayed huddled on the muddy road until they passed.
As their derisive laughter faded, Allen struggled up, dully feeling the chill twice as strong as before. The brown wetness made his tattered shirt cling to his pale skin and made him want to fall into a string of coughs. A shiver caught him unawares, but Allen forced his face to stay stone still. Attracting attention and crying wasn't going to help him—more likely it'd just make him a target for beatings and stress relief. He threw his head back instead and stared up at the sky.
Soft, white puffs of snow floated gently down. Somewhere up there, he imagined heaven was hovering slowly, throwing out snow like confetti. One time he had hidden in a church and just listened to the pastor talk and the children sing hymns. Just out of sight, he listened to their words and the vivid picture his mind painted of snowy wonderlands and beautiful settings. His gray eyes softened just a bit as he remembered that day. The odd look in the pastor's blue eyes. The two, small coins pressed into his right hand, the other, cradled out of sight. The whispered directions and the understanding yet disappointed feeling when no one showed up.
Footsteps sounded and Allen jerked out of the way, just noticing the carriage riding through the street. People moved to the sides, each hurrying out of the horses' way lest they gain lethal injury. It was regal, decorated carriage that held no place here. The horses were well bred and fleshed out, leaving Allen wondering what the passengers looked like if the horses were that fed.
As the carriage rushed right past his spot, Allen caught sight of the curious, innocent face pressed against the glass window. A mop of dark, slate blue hair and bright, blue eyes. For some strange reason, those eyes flashed up to his and held his gaze. With a lidded stare, envy buried just under the surface, Allen watched as the carriage led its passengers through the filthy streets of London and became just a small shape in the distant hills beyond.
Quickly, as if it never happened, life returned to normal and the streets became filled with sweaty, rushed bodies once more. Eventually, Allen joined them too, but his eyes couldn't help but linger on the white hilltop, so much purer than the slushy mess beneath his feet. Somewhere over there, was that boy playing in the snow, making little snowmen and snow angels? His eyes swung to the heavens again, but instead of the accusing, questioning look before, his gaze was of wonder.
One day, he'd like to see snow just as beautiful as the priest had described.
"Mother, there was a boy out there." Ciel tugged on the elegant blue dress and stared up imploringly with his own blue, jewel eyes.
Rachel looked back and smiled softly. "A boy? Out on the streets, you mean?" They were the characters of a picture perfect family; happy, beautiful, and without any troubles. At least, on the surface.
Ciel scrunched up his face for a moment, before nodding. "Yeah, there was a boy on the streets." Although it was a statement, there was a questioning look in his eyes, and Rachel felt sympathy seeping into her reply.
She gave her son a small smile than tried her best to give him an answer he would understand. "Sometimes… boys and girls…sometimes their mommy and daddies can't…support them so they send them outside."
"To play?" Rachel's smile faltered and she wondered if she should lie and agree, but she couldn't tell the blunt truth and break her poor Ciel's heart. The carriage hit a bump in a road, and Rachel hit a catch in her breath. A short squeal caused her eyes to shoot up, panic just edges away.
"Father!" Shoulders relaxed and the smile on her lips felt a little more genuine. Lord Vincent carefully pulled Ciel back up to his mother's lap, a small smile of his own dancing.
Sharing that smile with her, Lord Vincent continued the explanation she left off. "Yes Ciel, after all, playing outside is a lot more fun than being stuck inside all day, right?" He poked his son playfully when Ciel's forehead creased in a pout, obviously preferring to hide away and play pretend with his toys inside the manors.
Nonetheless, his statement served its purpose, distracting Ciel from the harsh and dirty truths of the world. As Rachel fondly watched her husband tease their son playfully, she wondered how her little, innocent Ciel could ever grow up to become the Phantomhive Earl. Lord Vincent moved with quiet graceful danger and an easy, mysterious smile. Her little Ciel... Full of bright grins and innocent wonder… Somehow, she didn't want Ciel to ever get better at being the future Earl.
One week later, a man with bright striped pants and a woefully out of place top hat passed through the slums glancing just briefly the boy huddled under the bridge; the memory would linger for a few more weeks yet. On the other side of town, Earl Phantomhive received another missive from Her Majesty and left with promises of a return within two weeks.
A/N : Whoooo~ Yay new story. Let's just hope I can keep writing it XD. So, new story, it's going to be all about Allen and Ciel. There's…not really a straightforward plot, it's more like a series of one-shots on what will be their growing relationship. I don't plan on there being any shipping's, because well, I have absolutely no experience with writing romance. Oh! And well, there's a lot of assuming in my writing, so you won't understand this very well if you haven't watched/read Kuroshitsuji (Black Butler) and D. Gray-Man yet. They're really awesome though, so you should really check them out. Kuroshitsuji is way shorter and darker than D. Gray-Man, and then -man is more epic and has more characterization.
If anyone is a fan of my other stories, here's my most sincerest apologies for my lack of work on Blue Diamond. *Bows until forehead hits the floor * I'm so sorry! There's not much I can do to make it up besides continued Blue Diamond, but as it is, truthfully, I'm not very interested in it at the moment. I'd like to say I'll finish it one day…ehehe…And it's possible because I do have the entire outline written out.
Wellll~ Thanks for reading this at least! Any and all reviews are welcome and super appreciated even if I might not reply to all of them… Thanks! Next chapter up...hopefully within a month? We'll see.