A/N: I'm back! I come bearing a short one-shot, which can be considered a prelude to Winter Fireworks, but can be read as a stand alone. I have one more story for this series ready to go, it's just missing a summary :3 I promise I'm still writing, it's just really slow going with work and practice. I'm also a bit hesitant to post after the whole ebooks-tree fiasco that happened a while back, but I've been sitting on this story since just before I left Japan, so I'm biting the bullet, lol.
Many thanks to my beta reader Silverwing26!
Warnings: Fluff, nothing but fluff
Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroshitsuji
Winter Snowmen
Soft snow crunched underfoot as Ciel made his way across the white covered landscape. It had him sinking up to his knees and his legs burned slightly with the effort that it took to walk through the serene fluff. However, he considered it good exercise even though the cold air burned his lungs and nipped his nose.
His fingers curled in his pockets, forming fists as best they could in the thick material of his gloves. They stayed warm thanks to the thermal lining and Ciel silently thanked Sebastian for getting them for him.
He nodded to someone as they passed him and then paused to look up at the darkened sky as several flakes of snow started to trickle down from the darkened clouds. They floated gracefully and quietly, landing with a soft kiss on his cheek. They caught in the fabric of his scarf and on tips of his eyelashes, weighing them down and wetting them when he blinked.
With a quick motion, Ciel brushed them away and continued walking through the town. The snow kept its steady fall, fat but fluffy flakes coating everything they touched. It looked picturesque, like something straight off a postcard and he couldn't help but laugh when a small team of dogs ran by him. The sleigh they pulled cut a neat path in the snow as a child giggled amidst the ringing bells on the sled.
Their happy barks echoed throughout the town and intermixed with the laughter and shouting that already filled the air. Together, they joined with the slowly falling snowflakes, creating a happy atmosphere despite the frigid temperatures.
Ciel brushed the gathering accumulation from his ski hat again and continued along his way. He chose the unbroken path, cutting his own despite the semi-plowed trail next to him. He found something comforting and pleasing about breaking his own way, and considered it part of the charm of the winter town. He slowed when he reached the town park, the large tree in the middle of the ground shining brightly. The lights shone softly and sent multiple colors dancing along the white snow, dying it with their touch and children happily made snow angels under their burning gaze.
Blue eyes darted around the wide park and quickly found the figure they searched for. Sebastian wasn't hard to spot when he wore his favorite ski hat. Ordered from an online company, Sebastian wore it whenever the temperatures turned cold enough. From the front, the simple black and red trim hat didn't look all that strange, until one saw the rest of the hat. Long twin pieces of fabric extended from the back of the hat and tassels decorated the end in several different colors.
Sebastian claimed they were horns, but in reality, they looked more like floppy rabbit ears. Ciel took great delight in teasing Sebastian, often times grabbing the long pieces of fabric and shaking them like reins before smugly telling Sebastian to "giddy up." Sebastian would simply give him an unamused stare, leaving Ciel in a fit of laughter.
Yet, for all that they looked like rabbit ears and for all the teasing Ciel gave him, Sebastian refused to abandon the hat. Without fail, he would wear it every winter – although Ciel swore that he liked wearing it because he could tease Soot with it, the tassels providing endless entertainment for the kitten. Not that Ciel could complain. Because even though he teased Sebastian relentlessly about them, he found that the hat made him look rather endearing.
It brought out the softer side that Sebastian showed him in the privacy of their bedroom and accented his loving nature. One that only Ciel had the pleasure of knowing and seeing Sebastian in his hat always brought a small smile to Ciel's face.
"Hey honey bunny," Ciel said as he approached, barely able to keep himself from cracking up. Sebastian rolled his eyes at him and Ciel pecked him on the cheek to placate him. "I tease, you know that."
"I do," Sebastian answered and tilted his head more to capture Ciel's lips in a warm chaste kiss. "Although I think you're secretly jealous of my awesome hat and just want one for yourself."
Ciel rolled his eyes this time and batted Sebastian away. "As if. You look like a dork. A rabbit dork."
Sebastian's lips quirked. "What's wrong with rabbits? They have an awesome sex life if I'm not mistaken." He cocked his head in thought. "I believe there's a saying about 'going at it like rabbits'."
"Rabbits are also cute, cuddly creatures that deliver Easter eggs," Ciel pointed out and he reached out to touch the dangling pieces of fabric. One hung over Sebastian's shoulder while the other brushed against his back, the soft fabric catching the flakes. The white pieces of snow stood out against the black and Ciel brushed them away.
"You have a rabbit though," Sebastian countered and leaned forward to tweak Ciel's nose. "And you like to cuddle him when I'm gone."
Red licked across Ciel's face at the mention of Bitter Rabbit and he grumbled under his breath. "Fine," he relented and let go of the tassels. "You made your point."
Sebastian chuckled and nuzzled Ciel's cheek. His lips brushed against chilled skin and his breath puffed white when he whispered into Ciel's ear. "I love you."
The blush grew and Ciel pointedly ignored his burning ears. "I love you, too," he murmured back, heart pounding against his chest. No matter how many times Sebastian said those three words; they still had his heart quickening and his blood racing. Years might have passed since Sebastian first confessed his love, but each time, they still brought about the same reaction in Ciel.
A low hum left Sebastian's throat and he backed away. "Shall we make our snowman then?"
"Yeah," Ciel said, pleased with the change of subject. He let Sebastian lead them over to their supplies and he looked down at the small bucket. "This is our spot I'm guessing?"
"You would guess correctly," Sebastian answered and knelt in the snow to smooth out the patch for their snowman. "What do you think of this place?"
Ciel glanced over Sebastian's shoulders, taking in the Evergreens that lined the edge of the park. Snow weighed down their branches and only the barest patches of green still peeked through the white. They cut a jagged line across the darkened sky and seemed to reach for the heavy clouds above. "It's nice," he said and turned around.
The town glowed softly behind them, smoke curling through the air from the chimneys and people milling about. All throughout the park, people built snowman without care of age and they all laughed happily with each other. Further away, a group of school kids had started a snowball fight and their screams of delight easily pierced the air.
"It's like taking a step back in time," Ciel mused and turned back to Sebastian. "Hard to believe this place is only an hour drive or so from where we live."
Sebastian smiled up at him. "You just have to take the chance to venture off the beaten path every once and while," he said. "Now, come help me. I don't want to make this snowman all by myself."
Ciel gave him an exasperated look but knelt in the snow nonetheless. "This is good snowman making snow."
"It is," Sebastian said and started to scoop some snow into the bucket.
"What are you doing?" Ciel asked in confusion.
Sebastian cocked his head. "Making a snowman."
"With a bucket?"
"Of course," Sebastian stated and flipped the bucket over. "How else do you make them?"
Ciel shook his head. "You start by rolling the snow into a ball," he said. "I knew you were southern, Sebastian, but I thought that you still would've known how to make a snowman."
Sebastian huffed and he started to shape the snow in front of him. "I never made a snowman back home. Well, I did but it only stood a few inches tall." He paused to examine the snow. "But I made them several times when I lived abroad. This is how they make them for their festivals."
Ciel squatted next to Sebastian and watched as he continued to smooth and pile the snow into a ball. He had to admit that it was better than rolling it and required less energy. "That's interesting," he said finally and leaned his head against Sebastian's shoulder. "I thought snowman making techniques were the same across the board."
"In theory I'm sure they are," Sebastian answered. "A snowman is a snowman no matter what, but their shape can vary differently depending on culture."
"How so?" Ciel questioned and he crawled around to the other side to help smooth out the bottom ball. He liked it when Sebastian talked about his time overseas, finding the stories fascinating. Although some proved just plain weird at times.
Sebastian hummed softly. "Where I was, they only use two balls for a snowman. One for the body and one for the head. Quite different from ours," he said. "But the shape comes from the culture actually."
"That's pretty neat," Ciel murmured and watched as Sebastian packed some snow into the bucket again. He felt that it looked more like building a sandcastle than a snowman, but it was just one of Sebastian's endearing traits. "After we build this one, I'll show you how to build a snowman from here."
"I'd like that," Sebastian said as he plopped the head on his snowman. His hands rounded the snow into a neat ball and in no time at all, he drew a face on it. "There. Not the best, but it's still a snowman."
Ciel chuckled. "A foreign exchange snowman," he said and pulled Sebastian to his feet. "Come on. I want to show you how to make one of our snowmen."
He led Sebastian to a spot not too far away and gathered a handful of snow, packing it tightly to shape a ball. He placed it on the ground and started to roll the ball in the snow, letting it grow as he went. It crunched under his hands and boots, and it didn't take long before he had a decent size. Ciel straightened up and dusted the snow off his gloves.
"There," he said and gestured to the base. "That's how we build them. You repeat the same thing for the other two balls and then stack them to form the body."
He held out his hand to Sebastian, silently asking him to help. A warm smile flickered across his lips when Sebastian set a tightly packed ball into his hand and they went to work rolling the next one. They rolled it together until it reached the desired size, and Ciel had to stop Sebastian from making it too big.
Ciel had a feeling that Sebastian just wanted to keep rolling the ball until it became too big to move. The little trickster in him would probably get a kick out of it.
Together, they lifted it up and set it on the first one. "We'll pack a little snow around them to keep him from wobbling," Ciel said and did his best to shape the snow further. It took life under his hands and Ciel made a pleased noise once they finished. "Just one more."
"He's going to tower over his friend," Sebastian joked as they started to make the last ball. "Did you bring a hat for him?"
"I thought we could use yours," Ciel answered. Sebastian gave him a horrified look and Ciel simply laughed. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding," he soothed.
Sebastian grunted and didn't say anything as they set the head on the body. It did indeed tower over the first snowman they made, but Ciel found that the contrasting sizes added a nice appeal. He set a hat on his head while Sebastian designed the face and Ciel had to stop him from making the snowman look terrifying.
"Aren't you the little Calvin," he muttered under his breath. Sebastian laughed and called it payback.
They finished and took a step back to admire the finished snowman. Its cheerful face matched that of the smaller one standing next to it and Ciel felt a small smile stretch across his lips as well. They looked good together and silently, Ciel found some irony in the fact that his snowman stood so tall over Sebastian's, when in reality, Sebastian always stood taller than he did.
He snickered under his breath and Sebastian gave him an inquisitive look. Ciel simply shook his head and reached for Sebastian's hand. "This was fun," he said and looked up at Sebastian when his boyfriend gave his hand a small squeeze.
"It was," Sebastian answered and brought his hand up, pressing a kiss to the back of his gloves. "Let's go for a walk."
"In this snow?" Ciel asked but didn't protest when Sebastian started to walk towards the line of trees that kept them company for the past half hour. The snow remained untouched here, crisp and still a shining white. It looked pristine and Ciel felt guilty with each footprint he left as they walked through the virgin snow.
The trees wrapped around them, curling through what was probably a walkway during the spring. Ciel could only imagine how the trees would look when snow didn't cover everything and green filled the area. It made him want to visit again in the spring so he could see the flora in bloom and Ciel silently stored the thought away for later.
Sebastian kept a silent pace next to him, his face pensive even though a faint smile ghosted across his lips. Ciel cocked his head and briefly squeezed his hand. "What's on your mind?"
"Just thinking," Sebastian answered as they continued walking. Behind them, the noises from the park had faded away, leaving nothing but their voices and the hushed tones of snow to surround them.
"About?"
Sebastian gave him a lopsided grin. "You."
Ciel laughed lightly, the sound muffled by the snow filled trees. They embraced the noise and greedily stole it away, soaking in the laughter like rays of sunshine. "Oh you," he said, hoping Sebastian wouldn't see the flush on his cheeks. There were times when Sebastian could become so caring and it often made Ciel wonder what he had done to deserve someone like Sebastian.
"I can't think about my wonderfully attractive boyfriend?" Sebastian asked innocently as they rounded a gentle curve.
Ciel stiffened and gave Sebastian a scathing look. "You better not be planning something," he stated and jabbed his finger at Sebastian's chest. "I get what you're doing now. Taking me out here all this way where no one can see or hear us. Pervy bastard."
Sebastian smirked but didn't say anything. Instead, he gave Ciel's hand a tug, leading him off the pathway. A small incline stood before them, thick snow covering the steps that led up to a gazebo. "Watch your step," Sebastian said as he started to walk up the snowy steps.
Blue eyes furrowed at the faint illumination near the top of the hill. It tossed dark shadows throughout the interior of the gazebo and Ciel could do nothing but follow Sebastian to the top. He knew Sebastian wouldn't answer his questions – smug jerk – and the only way to get answers was to keep going.
They reached the top and Ciel looked around, his eyes instantly settling on the source of light. Short cylinders of snow sat scattered throughout the building, each housing a small candle inside their body. The flames nestled safely inside the small concave gave off a soft glowing light and tossed faint yellow light across the snow.
The mounds of snow lined the gazebo, further illuminating the two figures that sat in the middle of the snow-covered floor. Ciel cocked his head at them, instantly recognizing them as the snowmen that Sebastian liked to make. Their short bodies barely reached his knees and Ciel turned to look at Sebastian, confusion painted across his face.
"What's this?" he asked.
Sebastian didn't answer right away and for the first time since Ciel had known him, Sebastian looked nervous. It put him on edge and a trickle of worry worked its way through him. He waited for Sebastian to say something and nearly jumped when his boyfriend grasped his hand again.
"Sebastian?" he tried again, hoping for some sort of answer.
He didn't get any and instead, Sebastian simply led him closer to the snowmen until they stood in the center of the gazebo. "What do you think?" Sebastian finally asked and gestured to the area around them.
Ciel looked at him curiously. "It's nice," he said carefully. "Did you do all this?"
Sebastian nodded. "I wanted to surprise you with this."
"Not that I'm complaining," Ciel started and peered around them once again. "But why did you want to surprise me with this?"
A gust of breath left Sebastian's mouth, ghosting white before him and temporarily obscuring his face from Ciel's vision. He gave Ciel's hand a tentative squeeze. "We've known each other for several years," he started. "And have dated for several more years. The years you've been by my side have been the best in my life. We've shared good and bad times, and I hope to make more memories with you as the years pass. Because I love you so much and there's no one else that I can imagine asking to spend the rest of my life with than you."
He moved to kneel down in the snow in front of the snowmen and Ciel stared at him, his eyes wide. "Oh god, you're…," he started, only to have his words die in his throat as Sebastian reached for a small lump of snow that sat in between the snowmen.
Fingers brushed away a fine layer of snow, revealing a black velvet box nestled carefully in the snow. It stood out in stark contrast to the white around them and Ciel found himself unable to look away as Sebastian plucked it from its spot. His heart raced uncontrollably against his chest and he vaguely realized that he had a death grip on Sebastian's hand.
"Ciel," Sebastian began and Ciel could only watch as his boyfriend of five years opened the small box in his hand. A slim silver band rested inside, cradled lovingly in the black fabric and Ciel swallowed heavily. "Will you marry me?"
The answer stuck in his throat and Ciel trembled where he stood, the question still lingering in the air. He could see Sebastian's hopeful look and Ciel's mind yelled at him to speak but he found that his tongue could only sit heavily in his mouth. Sebastian had successfully stunned him and to his horror, tears started to prick the corners of his eyes.
"Sebastian," he choked out and rubbed at his eyes in an attempt to his emotions at bay.
His gaze darted around the area again, taking in the softly falling snow outside the gazebo. It covered the landscape with its muted touch and hid their tracks, giving them nothing but privacy. The candles continued to glow, the flames flickering and dancing in their mini houses, tossing out a mix of shadows and light, adding to the intimacy.
And through it all, standing in the middle of everything, was Sebastian. He had found his way into Ciel's life and seemed determined to stay no matter what. And Ciel knew that he wouldn't want it any other way. He wanted Sebastian in his life, both now and in the future.
Ciel stumbled forward and dropped to his knees while falling into Sebastian's arms. "You're such a romantic fool," he blubbered as Sebastian's arms embraced him.
"Is that code for yes?" Sebastian asked hopefully.
Ciel nodded against Sebastian's shoulder and buried his face into his neck. He inhaled deeply, breathing in Sebastian's scent and taking comfort in the familiar cinnamon smell. "Yes," he breathed, embracing Sebastian tighter. "Yes. A thousand times, yes."
Sebastian gave a breathless laugh – although it sounded more like a relieved laugh to Ciel's ears – and he pulled back just enough to catch Ciel's lips in a searing kiss. Ciel melted into the touch, letting Sebastian carry him away on a stream of emotions. He clung to Sebastian's touch and drank in his taste. No matter how many years passed, Ciel doubted he could ever get tired of Sebastian.
They parted and Sebastian's hand covered his. Slowly, he peeled away the glove on his left hand and Ciel held his breath as Sebastian slipped the chilled ring on his finger. It fit perfectly and for several long minutes, Ciel could only look at it, admiring the contrasting silver against his pale skin. The metal had started to warm against his finger and it didn't take long before its weight felt normal.
"Beautiful," he muttered.
Sebastian hummed and brought his hand up, pressing a kiss to the ring. "I agree," he said, holding Ciel's gaze.
Ciel flushed hotly but he couldn't bring himself to chastise Sebastian. Instead, he reached for Sebastian's face and drew him into another kiss, this one slow and tender. The new ring slid against Sebastian's cheek, warm and smooth, and Sebastian's hand came up to grasp his as they continued to kiss.
Nothing else existed around them as they indulged in each other's touch and Ciel let Sebastian pull him down until the snow cradled their bodies. The candles tossed shadows about them, hiding them from the outside world while the snow continued to fall around their small sanctuary. Nothing could intrude and in this moment, nothing else existed but them.