"No Red, it's fine, really," Ciel said into the phone, assuring his aunt for the last time that it really was okay for her to not come home on Christmas Eve.
"Okay sweetheart, but I'll be back bright and early tomorrow." Which meant noon, if she really hurried.
"Sure, Red, definitely," Ciel indulged. He was cradling the phone between his cheek and shoulder while attempting to retie his plaid pajama pants so they wouldn't keep falling down past his hips.
"Love you," Red said.
"Yeah." Ciel hung up, rolled his eyes, and wandered back into the living room where his sort-of-boyfriend was running his fingertips over a shining silver row of boxed ornaments and pretending he hadn't been straining to hear every word on Ciel's side of the conversation.
"My Aunt won't be joining us tonight," Ciel said, as though Alois hadn't already figured this out.
"Sweet, sleepover!" Alois cheered, unable to see why Ciel might be bothered by this; he was much better company than some middle-aged woman anyway. The fourteen-year-old played idly at the hem of his oversized pullover—a loud, reindeer-printed affair that bore the phrase All I got for Christmas was this ugly sweater on the front—while he considered how fortunate this turn of events was.
"Decorate the tree, then we'll talk," Ciel said dryly, but one corner of his lips had quirked up.
"Pff, why do you think I'm here?" Alois hopped up from the edge of the couch holding a shining scarlet bauble in hand and using the other to tug the hem of his sweater down over his soft grey leggings. If Ciel thought Alois wasn't going to take this task seriously, he was dead wrong.
For as long as Alois could remember, his parents had been too drunk, too unconscious, or just too not-even-freaking-there to get a tree, decorate the house, or even buy presents. Alois typically filled the void by drowning his bedroom in tinsel and string-up-lights and watching Christmas movies every night of the month, but it had never been quite enough. When Ciel invited him over to help trim the tree, Alois had jumped at the offer.
Now, Alois danced around the lush, picture-perfect evergreen, examining it from every angle to find the right spot for the ornament in his hand. "Hm..."
"What are you waiting for?" Ciel demanded, cocking his head to the side.
"It's the first ball on the tree!" Alois snapped over his shoulder, "it has to be perfect."
"If you say so," Ciel muttered, but he was used to the blond boy's quixotic behavior and had begun to find it almost endearing.
"I've got it," Alois proclaimed, "Right...there!" Once the ornament was suspended safely from a strong, high bough, the blond stepped back to admire his work.
"I'm getting more gingerbread," Ciel said, but Alois only hummed and went right back to the boxes on the couch, rummaging for his next pick. Ciel shook his head in bemusement and turned back toward the kitchen.
Oddly enough, the tree was trimmed quickly and with little argument from either teen. Alois's notoriously short attention span never kicked in, and his usually fickle manic-energy endured for hours. Ciel ended up just watching Alois for the most part, unloading only two packages worth of ornaments onto the tree—delicate silver and gold snowflakes that had been gifts from his mother to his aunt. All the decorations Ciel remembered from his childhood had been destroyed in the fire that killed his parents three years ago. Still, he didn't let himself brood on it while he set the faux flakes on the tree. Actually, he was in surprisingly high spirits considering his usual Christmas-time attitude.
"Admit it," Alois set one last violet bauble on the boughs before spinning around to face Ciel, "you just invited me over so I could do the whole tree while you sat on your arse and ate cookies."
Gamely, Ciel raised a brow. "Are you complaining?"
"Nah, but I think you should at least thank me," Alois returned with a grin, "since I did such a brilliant job."
Ciel appraised the tree, spangled and glistening at every angle. "Actually, I think you over-stuffed it. Kind of gaudy."
"Oh, piss off," Alois huffed in exasperation, "it's flawless," the blond smiled, admiring his work, then frowned abruptly, "Except..."
"What?" Ciel had a sudden image of Alois tearing every last ornament off the tree so he could start all over again.
"Duh, it needs a topper," Alois said, snapping his fingers, "don't try and tell me you don't have one."
Ciel nodded and motioned wordlessly to a glossy white box in the corner. Alois clapped twice and tore it open, digging through the tissue paper until he found the gleaming crystal angel.
"Pretty..." Alois murmured, running his finger along an artfully cut wing. When he bounced up once again, the cheeky grin was back on his face. "I guess I'll have to put it up. There's no way you could reach."
"Shut it," Ciel scowled, "or I'm kicking you out."
"Tou-chy," Alois tsked as he wandered back to the tree. Without hesitation, the blond boy hopped up onto the arm of the couch, using his leverage to crown the highest bough with the crystalline angel. As he dismounted, Alois smiled happily. "There. Perfect."
"It is," Ciel murmured without even thinking, and Alois's eyes shined brighter.
"Fuck, I'm getting all soppy," Alois forced a laugh and rubbed the corners of his eyes where a few unexpected tears had started to build. When his traitorous emotions were back in check, the blond smiled lightly and leaned down to peck Ciel on the lips. "Sleepover time now, right?"
Ciel didn't pull away when the short kiss was done, letting their noses touch. He didn't know what to think of Alois's reaction, let alone what to say, so this was the best he could do. "Yeah" he said quietly, "alright."
A few more seconds passed before the young teens pulled apart. Soon the quiet spell broke and the teens snapped back into activity. While Alois cleared empty boxes off the couch, Ciel warmed up eggnog and lit the fireplace. With the house to themselves, the boys curled up together on the couch, watching The Nightmare Before Christmas and It's a Wonderful Life. They'd only just fallen asleep when the sun started to rise on Christmas morning.