3.

Ciel couldn't believe he had let Sebastian convince him into sneaking out, but supposed that in the end he hadn't needed much coaxing at all. He didn't want to stay inside and if the alien could guarantee he'd be home in time for Claude, then he was sure as hell going to take him up on the offer. He still wasn't sure how the other planned to accomplish this, but supposed that it didn't matter. There were probably a lot of hidden talents Sebastian had that he was unaware of.

They made their way out of the house, Sebastian shrugging the robe back on as he did so. Ciel hoped that none of the neighbors were watching but he really couldn't bring himself to care. The fresh air filled his lungs and he enjoyed the feeling of the sun on his face as he walked along beside Sebastian.

"So," Ciel said. "Where are we going?"

"Where do you wish to go?" Sebastian asked. "I'm not familiar with this town yet. I would ask you to show me around, though perhaps another time. It appears we have to keep things covert today."

"Well, I had planned to go and get my bike," Ciel said. "I kind of left it at the forest preserve last night."

"Then we should start with that," Sebastian said.

They picked their way over the familiar route they had taken the previous night. Ciel wondered if there would still be police swarming about the area, something he hadn't previously thought about. However as they drew closer, he could see no signs at all of any law enforcement. This was good. Last thing he needed was anyone asking him questions.

He went straight to the spot where his bike had been. He'd left it off to the side, and hurriedly kicked some leaves over it. However, where it had been was just bare grass. Ciel felt his chest tighten. He liked having the bike. It gave him a sense of freedom to get places quickly, and now someone had most likely stolen it. There was really no other explanation.

"It's gone," He said. "I left it right here."

"Perhaps it will turn up yet," Sebastian replied. "This is a smaller town. Someone can't easily hope to steal it and actually use it without being seen."

Ciel supposed that this was true, but it still didn't help at the present. He sighed heavily. Retrieving the bike had been the only thing he had intended to do that day and now having failed that, he was completely open once again. He glanced back down the road, wishing that the hollow feeling in his stomach would go away. The bike wasn't especially important to him, he could always buy another, but he still felt a bit apprehensive about being out and away from the house when Claude had ordered him to stay.

"Do you like the beach?" Ciel asked.

"I am not overly fond of water, however, warm sand is something that I find quite pleasant," Sebastian said. "Still, on such a fine day as this aren't you worried the beaches might be crowded?"

Ciel grinned. "I know of a good one almost no one ever goes."

He started off in the direction of the lighthouse. He had considered taking Sebastian there, knowing that Undertaker would never rat him out to Claude. He knew that if Undertaker got wind of Sebastian's true nature then Ciel wouldn't ever get a word in edgewise, and he wasn't quite ready to share the alien with anyone else just yet

Sebastian followed silently, but Ciel found if he concentrated hard enough he could just hear the faintest of clicks from the heels on Sebastian's boots. He thought about how the other looked beneath his robe and fought a losing battle to keep the smirk off his face. He glanced at the alien, who walked along with his hands hidden inside his sleeves, wondering what the other was thinking about.

"Have you lived here long?" Sebastian asked, as though in answer to his question.

Ciel nodded. "My whole life actually. It's a nice town. Truthfully I'm surprised it's not bigger considering the industry we have here, but most people just commute in to work at the bigger factories or Funtom Labs."

"Labs?" Sebastian's voice peaked with interest. "There's a laboratory here? What do they specialize in?"

"Something having to do with space," Ciel said. "My dad worked there, but he was always rather secretive about what he actually did. Whenever anything gets published about it however, the articles always have to do with the planets and finding new discoveries there. I think they try to focus a lot on biological and chemistry components. Learning about the planets and sustainability and such."

"Finding alternate life forms?" Sebastian said. "Seems I landed in the perfect place."

Ciel realized how it must seem to Sebastian. The sarcasm was thick in the other's voice, indicating that he had no desire to be captured and become someone's next entry for the Nobel Prize. Though Ciel was pretty sure that Sebastian could more than hold his own against any humans. They should probably be more scared of him than the other way around.

"I'm not going to tell anyone about you," Ciel said. "I promise."

Sebastian hummed and Ciel wondered if he didn't believe him. Of course, the other had no reason to trust Ciel. They barely knew each other; it hadn't even been twenty-four hours. Still, he hoped that the alien could sense he was telling the truth. He knew what it was like to not trust people and be afraid of what might happen to you. Not that he thought Sebastian was afraid. Ciel was one tiny human and Sebastian had firepower and could make himself invisible. And those were just the abilities Ciel knew about.

They walked along past the lighthouse toward the other side of the coast. Most of the beaches on this side were rockier, and often were overrun with various sea creatures. Natives and tourists alike didn't want to bother with them when there was so many nicer ones near the campgrounds at the forest preserve and other areas, so they were also largely undisturbed.

Ciel had loved to go exploring when he was younger, both on his own and with his two best friends, Elizabeth and Soma, and they had enjoyed spending many days at one hidden alcove in particular. This was where he was making his way now with Sebastian in tow. The breeze was blowing gently across the water, sending spray into his face. He breathed in the scent of the sand and the ocean, familiar smells that signified home.

He rounded the bend and a perfectly clean stretch of sand stretched out before him. Ciel kicked off his shoes, letting the sand run between his toes and waded into the shallows, sighing as the cool water lapped about his ankles. Out here, things could be any way he wished them to. He didn't have to worry about Claude, or school, or the people in town with their pitying glances and whispers. He didn't have to dwell on the loss of his parents or how his life had spiraled so terribly out of control in directions he would never have imagined. He was free from those things.

He glanced back at Sebastian who was still standing far away from the water, wrapped in his cloak looking like the grim reaper on vacation. It was so out of place and amusing that he burst out laughing and couldn't stop even when his sides began to ache. Walking back toward the other, his giggles subsided, but he caught sight of the confused expression on Sebastian's face and lost it all over again.

"I fail to see what is so amusing," Sebastian said.

"I'm sorry—it's just," Ciel managed when he finally came up for air. "You just look—so ridiculous dressed like that. Like death."

"I can bring about your death if you don't shut it," Sebastian growled, but his tone implied that he wasn't actually angry. "Perhaps you are just saying that because you wanted me to do this again…"

His voice trailed off as he slipped out of the robe once more. Ciel had thought he'd committed every detail of Sebastian's appearance to memory, but it was different seeing him in the afternoon sun as opposed to a half-lit living room. He couldn't help but stare, never letting his eyes rest in one place too long, resisting the urge to reach out and touch the other.

"So, how did you come across this place?" Sebastian asked.

"I discovered it years ago with my friends," Ciel said. "Soma and Elizabeth. We were probably about eleven. Sometimes I come here to clear my head."

"It's a rather calming space," Sebastian agreed. "These friends of yours—they go to your school?"

Ciel nodded. "We're all in the same grade. I've known them practically my whole life. Truthfully, I'd probably lost without them."

"It is good to have good companions," Sebastian said. "Makes life's journey more bearable."

Ciel wondered if Sebastian realized he often sounded like a self-help book, but he found it amused him. He liked all the little oddities about the alien. Honestly if he hadn't seen Sebastian crash land in the forest he might have just thought he was a regular human, albeit a very good-looking one.

"So, why is it you talk the way you do?" Ciel asked. "I noticed you have an accent."

"I've been to Earth once before," Sebastian said. "That was nearly a hundred and thirty years ago. I found myself in England for a time and I suppose it just stuck. It is a rather pleasant sounding variation."

Ciel barely registered the fact that Sebastian was at least a hundred years old. He didn't know how long aliens lived, but he assumed that it was probably much longer than humans. They had to be very skilled at fighting off all sorts of illnesses, probably having cured the most deadly on Earth and many more not even known in this world.

"Anyway," Sebastian said. He gestured toward the water. "I am not going in there."

"Why not?" Ciel asked. "Can you not swim?"

"I actually can swim just fine," Sebastian said. "However, I prefer fire and heat. Not water."

"I think you're just scared," Ciel snorted. "You'll probably melt if you dip even one toe in—"

The next second Sebastian had raced at him with more speed than he'd ever seen anyone move. He supposed this was what had happened the previous night in the forest, but he'd been running away at the time and hadn't dared to look behind him. One moment Sebastian was about six feet away from him, and the next, he was right next to him, gathering him in his arms and racing into the surf.

Ciel didn't even have time to imagine how awkward this position was, one of Sebastian's arms wrapped around his back and the other slipped under his legs. He'd seen Vincent carry his mother Rachel like this every year across the threshold of their house on their anniversary. He'd thought it was cute when he was younger and slightly embarrassing as he'd grown older, but he'd always admired the love his parents had had for one another, and hoped that one day he might be able to find someone he felt that way toward as well.

He wrapped his arms around Sebastian's neck to steady himself, amazed at the strength in the other's arms. Sebastian had made it almost up to his knees and he twirled, purposely trying to splash Ciel as much as he could. The alien's crimson eyes glinted with amusement as he effortlessly made his way through the water.

"Not afraid," Sebastian said. "Though you might be if I were to just toss you in here."

He made a move as if he meant to do it and Ciel tightened his grip. He was more than capable of swimming but he didn't want to have to deal with wet clothing.

"Don't you dare," Ciel warned.

"Or what?" Sebastian said. He leaned forward, preparing to dip Ciel down into the water. "What will you do about it?"

"You're a devil, you know that?" Ciel rolled his eyes.

"Not the first time I've heard that one," Sebastian clicked his tongue. He straightened however and turned to walk back toward the shore.

When he had almost reached it, he let go of Ciel's legs so the other could put his feet back in the water. Ciel wasted no time in getting Sebastian back, splashing water at the other one. This turned into a bit of a war and both of them ended up getting quite a bit wetter than they'd have liked. Finally Sebastian ended up pushing Ciel right into the water, but Ciel grabbed the alien's arm and brought him down with him. They both landed with a tremendous splash in the shallows.

"Seriously?" Ciel spat, rubbing the water from his eyes. "This is just great."

Sebastian chuckled lowly. "You should never start a battle without first knowing your opponent. You play to win, but so do I."

The words sent a shiver down Ciel's spine. He was fairly sure that Sebastian wasn't just talking about a water fight. He stood up, water dripping from his sodden clothing and made his way toward the shore before he could make a rash decision. He'd made the mistake of falling for a handsome face before, and though lust pooled in his belly at the thought of being with Sebastian, he was not going to make the same mistake again.

Sebastian followed him after a moment, the water seeming to just disintegrate from his body as he exited the water. Ciel grumbled. Of course Sebastian would have some sort of magic jumpsuit and boots that would just evaporate water. By the time the alien reached him, only the ends of his ink black hair were dripping.

All at once his head snapped up and he froze as though he were listening for something. His eyes glowed and he grabbed Ciel and his robe, pulling them both toward him and…

Ciel found himself inside his house at the foot of the stairs. He was still dripping wet and Sebastian was standing next to him.

"What the hell was that?" Ciel asked. "We were just—"

"No time to explain," Sebastian said hurriedly. "Claude will be home in five minutes. I suggest you shower. I'll clean up the water here."

Ciel was about to argue, but decided against it. If Sebastian was right, and he had no reason to doubt him, then Claude would be home soon and he didn't need to see Ciel smelling like the ocean. He started for the stairs and Sebastian caught his wrist.

"Today was a good day," Sebastian said. "You're fun, Ciel."

Ciel smiled. He was overcome by the strong urge to lean forward and kiss Sebastian but that would be too soon. And anyway he was still with Claude. Claude! He nodded and raced toward the bathroom, hoping he could shower away any traces he'd been out in the next three minutes. Despite this, his heart was pounding for an entirely different reason and it had nothing to do with fear.

Things were fine with Claude until after dinner. Then he finally decided to exact his displeasure over Ciel's transgression the previous day. The younger boy felt Claude's arms encircle his waist, holding him against him. Ciel forced himself to relax into the touch, not allowing his body to freeze up.

He tried to channel how things had been when he and Claude had first gotten together, the things he'd felt. Claude was his first serious relationship and he'd just been so excited and head over heels for the other man, though he now saw there had been signs at the beginning that heralded things to come. If only he'd paid better attention.

"I've been thinking about you all day," Claude murmured, nipping at his ear. His hand stroked along Ciel's crotch and Ciel shivered at the touch. Claude took it to mean he was interested. "Looks like you've felt the same."

Ciel thought about how he had spent his day, and realized that Claude had been on his mind. However, Sebastian had kept those thoughts at bay for the most part. As soon as they appeared, he'd say something to draw Ciel's mind in a different direction. Especially when he'd taken off that robe…

Claude's fingers were working quickly at the button of Ciel's pants and he pushed them down, his lips slowly kissing along his neck and jaw at the same time. The younger felt his underwear following a similar path before Claude bent him rather roughly over island. Ciel's cheek pressed against the cool granite countertop, and he found himself vaguely wondering if Claude had remembered to close the windows that faced the backyard. The last thing he needed was anyone seeing them this way, especially that woman that lived behind them. He smirked in spite of the situation; she would be so mad, even if she couldn't have Claude.

He tried to ignore Claude's hands as they ran themselves under his shirt, stroking at his sides. Before, this sort of thing would have driven him wild. In a way it still did, but strictly because his body was simply reacting in a natural way, not because he actually felt any affection for his partner. Fortunately, it was still enough to fool Claude.

Claude grabbed Ciel's wrists, holding both of them together on the counter in one of his hands while the other one trailed down his thigh, reaching forward to cup his half-hard length. The older grunted appreciatively. He removed his grip and resumed with his slow caressing of the others body, running his hand teasingly over the other's backside, squeezing the soft, pale flesh.

All at once his hand was gone and returned a moment later, coming down to smack hard on Ciel's ass. Ciel squeaked as his hips snapped forward and made contact with the island, lending a dull ache to the unexpected pain on his other side. He had no time to recover before Claude hit him again, twice more in quick succession. A whimper escaped from his lips and he hated himself for it. He didn't want Claude to hear he'd hurt him.

This wasn't the first time that Claude had spanked him, but it had been quite a while since the last. He supposed though that forgetting the older's birthday was cause for some sort of punishment and he had a feeling that this was just the beginning of how he was going to make things up to his boyfriend.

"So, little Ciel," Claude whispered, leaning close to Ciel's ear. He'd draped himself over the other's body and Ciel could feel Claude's arousal pressed against him. "Why are you being punished?"

"I forgot your birthday," Ciel said. "Claude, I'm sorry, I—"

But Claude didn't let him apologize, instead dispensing three more slaps. Ciel groaned and strained against Claude's grip, but the other was too strong and his wrists remained trapped, holding him in place.

"Stop struggling," Claude ordered. "Or I'll double it. Now…how old am I?"

"What?" Ciel asked. Another smack.

"I said, how old am I?" Claude said.

Ciel wanted to tell him he was too old to be acting this way, but didn't fancy the repercussions of that one. He was already in an embarrassing enough position as it was. It appeared he was taking too long to answer as Claude struck him twice more.

"Twenty-five," Ciel said. "You're twenty-five. Fuck."

"Correct," Claude said and Ciel could hear the grin in his voice. Of course he'd be enjoying this. The sadist. "You've had more than half now, and you're going to take the rest. And then? Well you tell me…"

His voice trailed off suggestively and Ciel didn't have to imagine what it meant. He was going to get laid that night, something that any high school boy would be into. And Ciel was interested in sex, just not sex with Claude any longer, even though the older man was quite skilled. He squeezed his eyes shut and waited for everything to be over.

Claude chose to administer the remaining sixteen smacks with no pauses in between. Ciel tried to keep silent, but it stung and he couldn't help himself. He knew that the other was doing it on purpose. Ciel truthfully had a bit of a pain kink and did enjoy these sorts of things under the right circumstances. Only these days with Claude it wasn't fun anymore, the older male liked to exploit it, using pain as a punishment instead of a manner of pleasure for Ciel. This was also why it had taken him a bit to realize Claude was actually abusing him. Even now, he could feel his own arousal growing as Claude worked him over, and he felt disgusted with himself for liking it a bit.

An hour later, after Claude had brought him upstairs, he slipped out of the other's bedroom toward his own. He was grateful that the other hadn't wanted to cuddle, but that had never really been Claude's style. His bottom hurt from the spanking and from Claude pounding against it afterwards. He pulled on a pair of pajama pants, wincing as the fabric rubbed his skin and crawled into bed.

Ciel wished that Claude hadn't come home. He'd rather have been with Sebastian. Tears pricked at his eyes as he thought about the alien. Though he'd never admit it to anyone, there had been some moments when he and Claude were having sex that Sebastian's face had flashed in his mind and he'd imagined that Sebastian were the one he were with instead. The thought had made things a little more bearable but also cut him even more deeply when he realized it wouldn't happen.

He was sure that Sebastian wasn't interested in humans; he appeared to be from a rather sophisticated alien race. And even if he perhaps wanted to entertain the possibility of the other taking an interest in humans, he was pretty sure that Sebastian wouldn't want him. He had nothing to offer the other. He was damaged as Claude had said, and that was fine with Claude who enjoyed someone he could manipulate and keep under his thumb. But Sebastian…Sebastian would choose someone more suitable.

Ciel sighed and closed his eyes. At least Sebastian wanted to be friends and that was something. He didn't want to think about what would happen when the repairs were complete and Sebastian disappeared into space, because he would probably never see him again. Cocooning himself in the blankets, he tried to calm his nerves and relax. He needed to get some rest before school the next morning.