University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Holland. November 26th, 1942
Sebastian looked through the oak shelves, a deep frown on his face. He was looking for one that focused on the lungs and heart that his professor had prescribed for the upcoming test but couldn't find it in sight. He mildly worried that they might all be out. That would be a grave issue. Sebastian needed to do well on this exam; it was expected of him by family at home.
After a couple more minutes of search the student finally gave up and made his way to the desk near the entrance of the library. He'd seen a dark haired woman who would probably know her way around the place well there earlier as he entered the library, but when he arrived only a small boy with navy hair was there, pouring over a thick tome.
"Er, excuse me." Sebastian said gently to draw his attention, a single sapphire blue eye looking at him almost scrutinizingly as if trying to judge his entire character just by the single glance. The other eye was covered by an ink coloured patch. "Is your mother around?"
The boy looked at him for a minute. "Is this your version of a joke?!" he demanded. "Just because not all of us are as vertically blessed as you and are destined to be short doesn't mean we're whelps!"
Sebastian drew back at the outburst, pushing his glasses up his nose. "I-I didn't mean that, I'm sorry I just assumed- I mean there was a woman here before and you looked like her-"
"Oh, you can stop your blubbering." the librarian remarked as he turned to grab a piece of paper and pen. "I have reason to apologize too. Those psychology students are starting to wear on me. They give you a single onceover then assume they know your whole life's story! Piss pots the lot of them." he mumbled then turned his head to give Sebastian a one eyed glare. "You're not a psychology student, are you?"
"No." he replied quickly, the hard gaze dropping immediately. "I'm a med student."
The boy nodded and turned to face him full-on once more. "Right. What is it you're in need of?"
"I'm looking for a book." Sebastian handed the smaller a piece of paper since he had no idea how to say the doctor's name.
"Quite a few people have been searching for this one." the boy nodded and stepped out from behind the desk to lead Sebastian down an aisle.
"So, now that you've figuratively slapped my wrist, do I get the honour of a name?" Sebastian asked simply for small talk.
"Ciel Spettro." the librarian replied shortly.
"That's… Uncommon." he replied awkwardly.
"It's okay to say you've never fucking heard the name." Sebastian was a little taken aback to hear that language come out of the boy's mouth until he reminded himself that the person in front of him was eighteen at the least, not a boy at all. "It's a family name, old. Stupid if you ask me, but the name is mine and that's what I shall be called by." Ciel shook his head as he brought a ladder over from along the railing on the shelf. "Apologies, I'm rambling."
"It's quite alright." Sebastian chuckled a little as the librarian climbed up and scanned over the shelves. "I'm Sebastian Michaelis."
"Michaelis?" Ciel questioned. "That's not a common name for this area. Have you recently immigrated? I don't know why you would with that bastard Hitler's uprising and all." Unlike anyone else who mentioned the German dictator, Ciel's voice did not get quiet, it stayed strong and he might have even gotten a little louder as he spoke, obviously outraged.
Sebastian cleared his throat as he looked around at the few pairs of eyes that had come to focus on them at the librarian's loud words. "Um, no. Well, we did, yes, from Great Britain, but that was almost right after the Great Fire in 1666. My family has actually been living in Switzerland since but I came to Amsterdam for higher education, but the name just hasn't changed much - it was Michalac before but changed over the years." Ciel nodded along but it was clear he wasn't just doing it, he was actually listening. That was a rather nice change from those who usually asked about Sebastian's family then ended up losing interest. "Spettro, you said is your last name?" the librarian nodded. "That's rather unusual."
Ciel nodded again, forefinger tracing over leather spines. "Yes. Loosely translated from Italian to mean 'phantom'."
When Ciel didn't give any more information Sebastian gently prompted, "It sounds like a nickname more than a surname, is there more to it?"
"My family ran the Italian drug cartels for years." Ciel explained shamelessly, voice almost as loud as when he spoke of Hitler. "Never getting caught no matter how much they were testified against, they were practically undetectable by any means - the city folk coming to call them specters because of it. The name slowly evolved to Spettro as the language changed, though it still meant the same thing to the people. Anything with the Spettro brand on it was feared and hated."
"You talk easily about a dark past." the medical student noted.
Ciel shrugged. "My grandparents were the last ones to carry on the Spettro legacy; my father never had a part in it. As soon as signs of The Depression started to show my family left Italy immediately before they could crumble. They thought it would be safe in Holland, a good distance from them and the past. Look what good it's done us." he scoffed and shook his head. "I wish you luck in your studies, we're all out of the book you're in need of."
Sebastian groaned. That was going to be a poor grade to send back to his family. "Thank you for looking anyways." he sighed and turned on his heel to leave but stopped. "What is Italy like?" he asked quietly.
"I don't know." the librarian said as he climbed down. "I've lived in Holland my entire life."
Sebastian faced him once more. "If I could, how old are you?"
"Nineteen." he replied, seeming almost bored by the questions.
Sebastian nodded. He was good at picking up on nonverbal cues after studying human bodies for so long. Ciel was silently asking him to leave. "Um, thank you again." he said and picked up his bookbag as he left.
Ciel was there every time Sebastian went to the library for the next two weeks. At first they had just said passing "Hello"s but slowly their conversations started to get longer. He learned that Ciel was a big C.S. Lewis fan and could tell you just about anything you wanted to know about him and dreamed of meeting him. Besides spending most of his time with his nose in a book, he had a pet ferret, a quirky little white critter he named Elizabeth - sometimes he'd even bring his pet to work to have her socialize, bathing it often to keep the the smell away. Sebastian also learned a few other things about the ebony haired boy, things he didn't say like his obvious love for the outdoors. Ciel had a nervous tick, too, so whenever the topic was either touchy or he was embarrassed about he'd swipe his hand unconsciously over his eyepatch.
It wasn't long before a friendship blossomed between them and Sebastian started to spend great amounts of time in the library with the Spettro boy. The thing was that the student knew he wanted more. He knew who he was, how he was. He was homosexual and he was proud of it. The rest of the world? Not so much. It was highly likely Ciel was part of the latter group. But Sebastian kept his tongue and grew close with the librarian. One night Ciel even invited him back to his apartment. When Sebastian's spirits lept he suddenly remember that it was because Ciel had a book the student needed.
The train ride there wasn't too long, followed by an even shorter walk until Ciel led him into a small apartment. It was, admittedly, cramped, but had a rather homey air to the decor. A blonde boy bounded up to them the moment they walked through the door. "Ciel!" he singsonged and the librarian sighed.
"Sebastian, this is my younger brother, Alois. What have you got in your hands?" he asked when he noticed his brother's cupped hands. The boy opened his hands with a wide grin.
"I've got a butterfly!"
"How ever did you find that at this time of year?" he asked before looking closer with a frown. "It tore its wing." Ciel noted.
"Actually… I plucked it off. It kept trying to leave me." Alois pouted but he still looked proud of himself.
The elder gave a sigh. "You cannot do that, Alois. It will die."
Alois' pout became more sorrowful. "I apologize, brother. I didn't mean to upset you."
"The only one upset is that butterfly. You should put it out on the rose bush Ms. Mey-Rin grows. At least then it will still be able to eat." Ciel looked around with a frown. "Where's Pluto?"
"He's in the room."
Ciel blanched. "I told you not to let him in there! I told you that if we kept him he wasn't allowed in the bedroom, do you realize how many priceless volumes I have in there?!"
The younger Spretto lowered his head shamefully. "I'm sorry, Ciel. He kept trying to lick the butterfly…"
His older brother groaned and rubbed at his temples. "Yes, yes, fine. Do me a favour and go play with Lizzie. Be gentle though, her paw's still injured from the thorn." Ciel led Sebastian back into the apartment as the blonde boy ran off to a cage in the corner.
"I didn't know you had a brother." Sebastian mumbled.
"Yes, well, bringing him to Amsterdam wasn't my choice. Down!" he commanded sharply when he opened the bedroom door and a white puppy jumped up, scratching at his knees. Sebastian waited patiently as Ciel gently ushered Pluto out of the room and closed the door, trying to get the mess sorted out. If he'd learned anything over their time together, it was that Ciel would tell everything on his own time, there was no need to prompt him to speak. "My family was in need of money so I offered to get a job at the college library when I saw the ad for it. They didn't want me to be alone so they sent Alois with me. I think in all truthfulness it was just so they wouldn't have to watch over him." he added quietly but with a prominent tone of bitterness.
"He seems to look up you." the student commented as he took a seat on one of the twin sized beds when Ciel gestured to it, looking around at the beige walls. Alois' side of the room had hand-drawn pictures taped all across the walls, not an inch of the boring drywall showing; even the bedposts were painted, the palette resembling Van Gogh's Starry Night. Ciel's side was much plainer: books littered the floor around the bed with a path carved through them to walk through, a shelf on the wall for more tomes, and a few black and white photographs of a Dutch countryside. One of the pictures had a much younger version of the Sprettos, Alois just a baby that a beaming five-year-old Ciel held in his arms and a couple behind them, smiling just as widely.
Ciel sighed and ran a hand through his raven hair. "He does. I know I should be kinder to him but… Well he's not like other fifteen-year-olds. He's clinically insane, diagnosed when he was seven. Seven. My family's never had the money to get him treated properly, not since Grandfather embezzled it before the move from Italy. My father never wanted anything to do with the money so he never bothered asking where it was before Grandfather died. Now it's just a treasure for some thrillseeker to stumble upon when they may. But because of his mental condition, Alois cannot handle going to school so I have to teach him myself - hence the number of books I bring home from the library."
"So what he did to the butterfly…"
"Something I'm entirely used to. He thinks he's figuring out a solution to problems, usually through violence since that's the easiest thing for his diseased mind to comprehend. I try to teach him otherwise but he really just doesn't get it. A few days ago he brought me a spider, all its legs pulled off but two, said the legs itched him when the spider tried to leave. He's got a thing for insects and the like." he smiled a little and searched through the stacks of books on the floor. "I don't blame him for what he does, he doesn't know any better. It's just a little frustrating sometimes."
Sebastian nodded. The obvious affection Ciel had for his brother was new. The librarian always seemed cold to human beings, enjoying his time in nature surrounded by flora and fauna. But he cared so deeply for his disabled sibling - it was a welcome change to see in his friend.
"You've never told me much about yourself." the elder Spretto said suddenly, turning with the neurology book in hand. "You know about my books, my brother, my ferret, yet you've told me so little of yourself."
Sebastian shifted a little uncomfortably and shrugged. "There's not much to say about me. My whole family's lived in Haarlem as long as anyone can remember. I came to Amsterdam to go to school. That's about it." he finished, raising his shoulders again in what he hoped looked like a careless manner but truthfully speaking of his family was not his favourite thing to do. Explaining their immigration was one thing, but having to talk about his father and mother? No. He'd prefer not to.
The suspicion Ciel had about it all was as obvious as the sun. He could tell easily that Sebastian was holding back something, something he didn't want to talk about. But he didn't push. He just nodded and set the book on the student's lap. "Very well. Tell me, what are you studying."
"Neurology." Sebastian smirked, earning himself an eyeroll.
"Yes, thank you, I couldn't tell that myself." he grumbled sarcastically. "What area? There's a lot to be discussed just by saying simple 'neurology.'"
"Right now, neurological disorders like epilepsy, Parkinson's, Narcolepsy, and Tourette's."
"Sounds recited. Almost as if you're quoting the professor exactly." Ciel commented and Sebastian shrugged. "You asked and I told you exactly what."
The librarian laughed. "You're rather insolent, aren't you?"
"You're rather a jackass, aren't you?" Sebastian shot back with a grin and Ciel rolled his eyes but they both chuckled, soon lapsing into a comfortable silence.
Sebastian sat for a moment more before he bit his lip. The urge to do as he wanted was so strong with his friend right there, right next to him; but he knew he couldn't. Ciel wouldn't want it, not that. Not Sebastian. But still he found himself pushed to action despite him telling himself he couldn't. Perhaps it was Ciel sitting there, looking so blissfully perfect, or maybe the quiet with only the sound of Alois giggling happily as he played with the ferret out in the other room and the thought of getting to witness all the little moments between the brothers, arms wrapped around Ciel's waist as they watched Alois…
Before he even realized what he was doing, the student found himself with his mouth against Ciel's, hand on his porcelain cheek. The navy haired man's eyes widened but surprisingly enough he didn't pull away. In fact Sebastian swore he heard the librarian's heart sing as he let his eyes drift shut, surrendering entirely before Ciel suddenly pulled back from the blissful kiss and looked down. "This is wrong…" he whispered. "You never even told me how old you were." he added as if to keep Sebastian from commenting on his first statement.
"Twenty-one." the student chuckled, palm not leaving the other's cheek.
"You're tall." Ciel replied lamely.
"You're short." Sebastian retorted.
"You're insufferable." the librarian scoffed even as their mouths drew closer once more.
"And you are very, very attractive." he murmured before their lips locked and Ciel's arms wrapped around his neck, losing himself in the gentle kiss. This one lasted much longer and it was heaven. It was slow, and sweet, and caring but that didn't make it lose its potency at all.
Ciel pulled back suddenly when he heard the telltale thumps of Alois running to the bedroom. As predicted, the boy burst in the room with a grin. "Ciel, Ciel, Ciel! There's an ice cream truck outside. Oh please can we get some?" he begged, giving his elder brother big eyes accompanied by an even bigger pout.
The librarian sighed as he viewed his sibling. "I'm sorry, Alois. We don't have the money for it."
Sebastian frowned at the look that washed over Alois' face and quickly dug his hand into his pocket. "Here, that should be enough." he said, dropping the coins he produced into Alois' palm.
"I can't ask you to give us this." muttered Ciel but Sebastian waves his hand.
"It was only my bus fare. My dorm's not too far away and it's a lovely night out, walking's fine."
Ciel nodded slowly and turned back to his brother. "Say thank you to Sebastian for being so nice."
"Thank you, Sebastian!" Alois grinned as he kept the coins close like a precious treasure.
"You're very welcome." Sebastian smiled and ruffled his hair.
"Now go get your shoes on quickly or else we'll miss him." Ciel commanded gently and his brother ran off. Then he turned to the student. "Are you sure you want to walk home? I'm sure I can scrounge up some coins-"
Sebastian held up his hand to stop him. "It's fine, really. I don't mind at all."
Ciel looked at him for a moment before sighing. "Alright. Just watch out for the soldiers. Those Nazis have become quite the nuisance." he mumbled and was quickly shushed by Sebastian placing his hand over the man's mouth
"Don't talk so loudly about that." he hissed out but Ciel shoved his hand off.
"I will not live in fear!" he said fiercely. "He's nothing but a tyrant and I will shout that from the mountain tops!"
"You should worry more for yourself than me." sighed Sebastian. "I guess I should go now."
Ciel nodded but kissed him once more quickly. "I'll see you tomorrow." he smiled, the expression returned by the student.
They both stood and Ciel called out to his brother to hurry up, telling him that after ice cream he was making pasta salad for dinner. Sebastian smiled and bade them both goodnight before stepping out into the chilly winter air, snow crunching under his boots as he shoved his hands in his pockets and kept his head down, ignoring the Nazi soldiers that reminded him it was almost past curfew. He could have sworn his lips still tingled from that last kiss.