A/N: Happy (early) Valentine's Day! I have my reasons for posting this early haha XD I somewhat struggled with this chapter and I'm not too happy with the way it came out -_- But I hope everyone enjoys it! ^^

Warnings: Fluff, made up words XD

Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroshitsuji

Valentine's Day Special

The mass of people at the specialty chocolate store was annoying, they seemed to push and surge in waves while shouting their orders at each other as they waited in line. Other people floated near the back, looking over the menu and trying to decide what would be best to order for that special person in their life.

Annoying yes, but they were no were near as annoying as the tight arms that circled around Sebastian's neck, threatening to choke him.

It was Ciel who had wanted to visit the store, wanting to surprise his mother with a box of chocolates and it was with a great sigh that Sebastian had caved to the blue puppy eyes. Dangerous things, those baby blue eyes. They put the devil's silver tongue to shame, hands down.

The ride had been frustrating, to Sebastian at least. Ciel had to touch everything in his car, from the buttons on the door that controlled the windows and locks, to the radio. Two of Sebastian's radio stations had been changed and Ciel had complained loudly that Sebastian didn't have any good music to listen to. And then demanded that they stop by the store to pick up a CD of kids songs.

Sebastian had flat out refused that request and had instead turned the radio to the classical station. The sounds of the piano and violin had filled the car and Ciel settled down, listening to it without complaint. The rest of the ride passed in silence, with Ciel drifting off and Sebastian had his revenge when Ciel's head tilted to the side, smacking against the glass.

Ciel, for his part didn't scream or cry, and chose instead to pretend as though it didn't happen while Sebastian chuckled in the driver's seat. They made it to the store without any more problems and once there, Sebastian had surprised himself by executing a perfect parallel parking job. One that had him taking a picture of the parked car while Ciel yelled at him to hurry up.

The picture had earned him many compliments and words of congratulations on Facebook.

But the moment they stepped into the store, they realized exactly how crowded the place was. Ciel had clutched his leg as people pressed against them and at one point, was almost snatched away by a woman who thought he looked adorable. After that, Sebastian had scooped Ciel into his arms where he knew no one would be able to take him.

With the child pressed close to his side, Ciel had decided to further cement the fact that he didn't want to leave by wrapping his arms tightly around Sebastian's neck. The action had earned the attention of several women who crowded around them as they waited, wanting to talk with Ciel. But Ciel boldly declared that his mother was the only girl for him and that all the other females had cooties before burying his face into Sebastian's neck.

It had been humorous at the time and they were left alone after that, even though Sebastian could still feel their heavy gaze on his body even now, but now the suffocating arms were just down right…suffocating.

"Ciel," Sebastian gasped. "I can't breathe."

"Oh," Ciel said and loosened his arms slightly. "I didn't know that, I'm sorry."

Sebastian breathed a sigh of relief at the action and shifted his grip on Ciel as they moved closer to the counter. "Do you know what you want to get for your mother?" He asked.

Ciel shook his head. "Daddy always gets her roses and other nice things. I think flowers are silly though so I want to get her something else. And everything else costs too much."

"What about your father?" He questioned. "Don't you think you should get him some chocolates too?"

"Daddy is a boy though. I thought you only gave Valentine chocolates to girls. Besides, I made him something else."

Sebastian chuckled. "Your mother gives you chocolates on Valentine's Day, doesn't she?" He asked and watched as Ciel nodded slowly. "And you're not a girl."

Ciel's eyebrows furrowed. "You mean I can give chocolates to anyone?"

"Maybe not anyone, but there's nothing wrong with giving them to your family and friends," Sebastian answered. "People like it when they get gifts on the holidays. It makes them feel happy."

"Even you?" Ciel asked, glancing up at him as they took another step closer to the counter.

Sebastian chuckled and shifted Ciel on his hip, trying to ignore the niggling feeling that he looked like a parent. "Have you decided what kind of chocolate you're going to get your mother?" He questioned, changing the subject. They would be placing their order soon and Sebastian didn't want to be responsible for backing up the line even more.

Ciel shook his head and Sebastian reached for a pamphlet so they could look over everything that was offered. He wasn't sure what Ciel's price range was but he was guessing that it wasn't a large amount. And knowing Sebastian's luck, Ciel would pick something expensive and Sebastian would have to offset the difference.

The menu was held up for Ciel to look at and a small hand gripped the other side of the menu, holding it so they could both look over it. Sebastian felt Ciel's grip tighten around his neck again as the child looked at the prices and Sebastian had an odd feeling in his stomach that Ciel was about to cry. The prices were too much for Ciel to afford with the small amount of money his parents gave him.

After all, he was only six and there was no need to give a child more than a few dollars a week. It taught him the value of money and how important it was to save if you wanted something.

But Ciel had really been looking forward to getting something nice for his mother, specifically from this shop, as it was the best in town. And as Ciel had declared before leaving. 'Nothing is too good for my mommy. She's the best mommy ever and deserves the best chocolate.' It was endearing in a way and Sebastian could only smile.

Now though, Ciel was seeing his dream of getting something nice for his mother falling down around him and the smallest of sniffs alerted Sebastian that the child wasn't happy about it.

"Which one do you like the best?" He asked quickly.

A little finger pointed at a box of chocolates that was pictured near the bottom of the menu. Nestled inside the box were a dozen chocolate roses, delicately painted with a coating of white chocolate that had been dyed red to give it the look of a rose petal. "Daddy gets mommy flowers every year and she always likes them. So I thought it would be nice to get her chocolate ones too." Ciel sniffed.

Sebastian balked at the price, knowing that Ciel didn't have that much and quickly searched for something else the child could afford. But there were no other chocolate roses on the menu and Sebastian knew that the roses were what Ciel had his heart set on. "Why don't we ask if they can make half a dozen for you instead of a dozen," he suggested. "That way, there's only six. And since you're six now, it'll be a good way for your mom to remember them even more."

Tearful eyes looked up at Sebastian and he was rewarded with a bright smile from Ciel. "Yeah!" Ciel said excitedly before he sobered slightly. "Do you think she'll like it if there's only six?" He asked.

Sebastian nodded. "I'm sure she'll love it," he reassured Ciel as they stepped up to the counter.

He watched as the woman's eyes darted over him, then Ciel, and then back to him before a smile spread across her face, one that seemed to reach her eyes. "Hello, what can I get for you today?"

"Some chocolates for my mommy!" Ciel chirped and Sebastian watched as the woman practically melted at his words.

"That's so sweet," she cooed and gestured to the menu. "What are you looking at?"

Sebastian cleared his throat. "He's interested in your chocolate roses but lacks the financial means for a full bouquet so he was hoping that you might be able to make half a dozen instead."

The woman's mouth formed a small 'O' as understanding flickered across her face. She pondered the question for a moment before nodding slowly. "I don't see why we can't do that. It's a wonderful idea actually."

Sebastian heaved a sigh of relief, pleased that they would be able to handle Ciel's request. He had been worried that the store would be strict on their policies and turn the idea down. "How much do you think that would cost?" He asked. Although even if the price was cut in half, Ciel still wouldn't be able to afford it.

"We would probably cut the price in half, since it's half the amount of roses," the woman answered confirming Sebastian's thoughts. "Will he be able to afford that?" She asked softly.

"Ciel," Sebastian murmured and shifted the child again. "How much money do you have saved up?"

Blue eyes crossed in concentration as Ciel mentally counted the money in his head. "Ten dollars!" He said proudly and beamed at the woman. "I saved up a lot to get mommy this present. Can I pay for it now, Sebastian?"

"Let's see," Sebastian said and reached into his pocket for Ciel's wallet. "Why don't you tell the nice lady why you want six roses instead of twelve," he suggested.

Ciel smiled widely and immediately launched into his story, telling the woman that because he was six now, it would be better to give his mother six roses compared to twelve because they were the same number.

With Ciel's attention diverted, Sebastian quickly pulled out his wallet and pulled out a few bills to help cover the cost of the chocolates. They were slipped into Ciel's wallet and by the time Ciel was done with his story, Sebastian's wallet was tucked away with Ciel none the wiser. "Here we go, Ciel," he said and passed the object into Ciel's hand. "Let's see if you have enough."

"Kay," Ciel chirped and opened the wallet. Small fingers pulled out the bills and held them out to the woman proudly.

She smiled at him and silently counted the money behind the register so Ciel couldn't see that there were new bills in the mix before smiling at him. "You have just enough," she said happily and gave a quick wink to Sebastian. "Would you like us to make a card to go with the chocolates too?"

Ciel shook his head. "I already made one for my mommy." He paused and wiggled in Sebastian's arms, wanting to get closer to the counter. He stretched forward and beckoned the woman closer before pushing Sebastian's head away. "But can you make one for Sebastian? He's the bestest babysitter in the whole world. But don't tell him cause it's a surprise," he whispered.

"I won't tell him, I promise," she answered in a soft whisper and they pulled away. "Your order will be done on the thirteenth and you can pick it up at any time."

Sebastian nodded and gave a small smile. "Thank you for doing this," he said lowly. He jostled his arm, jerking Ciel slightly. "What do you say?"

"Thank you!" Ciel said loudly, a wide smile on his face. He attempted to give a wink but only ended up squinting both eyes shut and the gesture was quickly dismissed as being too hard. Instead, Ciel settled with a large smile and a wave as Sebastian thanked the woman again before moving away from the counter.

They weaved through the crowd and Sebastian heaved a sigh of relief once they stepped outside. He could finally breathe and relax now that they were out of the suffocating shop, and the only thing he wanted to do was take a nap when they returned home. "Let's head on back. Dinner will be ready soon and I don't know about you, but I'm starving."

Ciel nodded and waited for Sebastian to open the door before climbing into the seat. He was buckled in and Ciel bounced excitedly in the seat as Sebastian walked around the front of the car. He was happy that he had something to give his mommy and couldn't wait to see her face. The smile slipped from Ciel's lips though as Sebastian climbed into the car and he turned to look at the older male.

"Did you want chocolates too, Sebastian?" He asked, realizing that he didn't get anything for Sebastian except for a card.

Sebastian smiled and ruffled Ciel's hair. "You don't have to get me anything, Ciel," he said. "Don't worry about it."

Ciel frowned as they started moving and Sebastian concentrated on driving. He felt bad that Sebastian wouldn't get anything. Didn't Sebastian say that gifts made anyone happy? A sense of panic rushed over Ciel as he stared straight ahead. He had chocolates for his mommy and had made a pencil holder out of toilet paper rolls for his father with the help of Sebastian. But there was no gift for his babysitter.

Sebastian glanced at Ciel as he grew aware of the silence in the car. "What's the matter, Ciel?" He asked, wondering why Ciel was so quiet.

The child shook his head. "Nothing," he whispered, not wanting to let Sebastian know that he didn't have anything for him. Instead, he sighed and leaned against the window, watching as the scenery flashed by until the familiar estates rolled by and Ciel could see the house in the distance. He was quiet as Sebastian pulled up the drive and parked the car near the side of the house where it was out of the way before turning off the car. "You won't tell mommy will you?" He asked as Sebastian climbed out of the car.

Sebastian circled around the car and opened the door. "Of course not," he answered, lifting Ciel out of the car. The door was slammed shut and the car locked as they made their way back to the house. "Your secret is safe with me."

"Good," Ciel murmured as they entered the house. He squirmed to be let down as soon as they were inside and the moment his feet touched the ground, bolted off to his room.

Crimson eyes watched him go and Sebastian ran a hand through his hair. He didn't know what had come over Ciel on the way back but something had clearly upset him. Groaning, Sebastian rubbed his eyes and slowly made his way up the steps wondering if it would be worth the effort to see what was bothering Ciel.

He padded down the hallway and glanced at Ciel's room, noting that the door was closed. Sebastian sighed and waved a hand at it, dismissing the child as he headed back to his own room. Homework needed to be done and if Ciel's door was shut, then there was no way Ciel would talk to him. Perhaps once dinner was done, Ciel would be in a more talkative mood.

Valentine's Day Special

Inside his room, Ciel knelt before the box of toys in a desperate attempt to find something to give Sebastian. Ciel knew he couldn't afford to buy chocolates for Sebastian and it didn't seem fair to give Sebastian just a card. Not when Ciel was giving something bigger to his parents. Sebastian was his best friend and spent almost every day with him. He deserved something special.

A model horse was picked up and for a moment, Ciel considered it before shaking his head. Sebastian wouldn't want that. But what would Sebastian want? Candy would be the ideal gift because you couldn't go wrong with that but that choice wasn't left anymore. All the Halloween candy from last year was gone and it was too early for Easter.

Ciel sat back on his heels and looked at the box that rested before him. There was nothing in here that Sebastian would like and Ciel was just wasting his time this way. He stood up and paced back to the bed, flopping down on the plush surface. Bitter Rabbit bounced next to him and Ciel reached for the plush rabbit.

"What should I do?" He asked the rabbit, looking at the button eyes. They gazed back at him and Ciel clutched the animal tightly. It wasn't fair. Sebastian did so much for him and was always there. The past months had been the best in Ciel's life and all Ciel had done so far was give the man a kitty plush and a picture frame made out of popsicles.

Sebastian loved the kitty plush, Ciel knew that much. Her name was Soot and she often played with Bitter Rabbit in the afternoons in front of the fireplace. Ciel kept her company when Sebastian was at school and often times, she was propped against the rabbit in his room. Today, Soot was in Sebastian's room since it was the weekend and Sebastian didn't have school, but come Monday, she would find her way to Ciel's room.

Ciel huffed and rolled onto his back, placing the rabbit on his chest. "It's not fair," he muttered and closed his eyes. The plush animal was a comforting weight on his chest and Ciel absently brushed his fingers over the soft fur. His eyes opened and settled on the rabbit. "No," he whispered and his fingers tightened slightly on the animal.

You were supposed to give special gifts to the people you cared about, otherwise they had no meaning. But Ciel's most prized possession, the thing that was so special to him was Bitter Rabbit. If he gave that to Sebastian, then Ciel wouldn't have anything left.

But it would be something wonderful to give Sebastian.

But it was Bitter Rabbit.

Ciel shook his head and his teeth worried his lower lip. He was being greedy and it wasn't fair. Sebastian was never greedy. Ciel knew that Sebastian had a life outside of watching him but was often giving up that time in order to keep Ciel company. Was Ciel so mean that he couldn't give up something special as well?

He shook his head and clutched the rabbit tighter. Tomorrow was the day before Valentine's Day and after that, Ciel would give Bitter Rabbit to Sebastian. It was only fair and it would be the best present Ciel could give Sebastian. A stray tear leaked out from blue eyes and Ciel rolled over onto his side, sniffing slightly.

It wouldn't be easy to let go of the rabbit, but for Sebastian, Ciel could do it. He would do it. Because Sebastian was special. No, he was more than special; he was something better than special. There was probably a word for it, but Ciel wasn't sure what it was right now and would have to ask someone later on.

For now though, Ciel would enjoy the last few days with Bitter Rabbit until he gave him to Sebastian. It wasn't as though Ciel wouldn't see him either and Sebastian would probably let him play with the bunny so it wouldn't be all that bad.

"Sebastian will take good care of you," Ciel murmured to the rabbit and straightened out the small vest. "And we'll still be able to see each other, so it's not like its goodbye forever," he whispered, trying to reassure the plush. Things would work out in the end and even though Ciel would miss the bunny, he wanted to make Sebastian happy no matter what.

Valentine's Day Special

Sebastian nursed a cup of hot coffee Tuesday morning as he looked over a list of Spanish words. He had a quiz today in Spanish class and was silently cursing all the conjugation that he had to memorize. Who said it was a good idea to take a foreign language first thing in the morning? The cook was sending him a sympathetic look every now and then as the eggs were cooking and Sebastian pointedly ignored him.

Rachel and Vincent were home today, which meant Sebastian had a day off. Or as much of a day off as one could have with Ciel. The child was demanding and a small part of Sebastian wondered how long it would take before Ciel discarded him or grew too old for him. It would be at least another year or so before that happened and Sebastian grunted softly to himself.

On the one hand, it meant that Sebastian would have a job at least for the next year or so. But on the other hand, it meant that Sebastian was stuck with Ciel. It was a double edge sword that one, because Ciel had the power to drive Sebastian up the wall some days. But then other days, Ciel was an angel and Sebastian could stand him.

Ciel was considerably better now than when they had first met and Sebastian could even say that Ciel was growing on him. It seemed almost silly to think, considering how much Ciel had tortured him in the first weeks of the job but now they seemed to have a mutual respect for each other. Sebastian had even left a small bag of Valentine's candy on Ciel's nightstand table this morning.

He almost laughed when he thought about it, that it had come down to giving the child gifts when months ago, Sebastian had been ready to quit. Perhaps Ciel was truly worming his way into his heart.

The cup was set down and Sebastian gathered his papers, shoving them in his bag. "Have a good day, Bard," he murmured and hoisted his bag to his shoulder. "I'll see you this afternoon."

"Good luck on your quiz, Sebastian," the man said and held out his hand, offering a foil wrapped taco. "Make sure you eat. You'll need your strength for this afternoon. Ciel will be on a sugar rush by then."

Sebastian chuckled and accepted the breakfast with a smile. "And I'm sure you'll be watching me suffer from the kitchen, laughing at me and thanking your lucky stars you don't have to deal with him."

Bard smirked and poured a cup of coffee for himself. "How right you are."

Sebastian waved a hand, brushing the comment aside before heading to the side door. Puffs of white left his mouth as he stepped outside and slid into the cold car. The engine started with a soft purr and Sebastian turned the heat on, all the while reciting the conjugations to the verbs in his head.

Valentine's Day Special

Sebastian heaved a heavy sigh as he climbed up the steps leading to the large house. It had been a long day and Sebastian was determined to be in bed before ten tonight. Although he said that nearly every night and each night, ten rolled around with Sebastian still awake and working on the computer. The faint bags under his eyes told that he wasn't getting enough sleep and he vowed to get enough sleep tonight.

The door opened and Sebastian walked into the warm house, letting his bag slip from his shoulders. The door shut behind him and the bag was dropped to the floor, Sebastian silently counting down in his head. Ciel knew his daily schedule down to the 'T' and had memorized when Sebastian came home. Sure enough, the moment Sebastian hit one in his mental countdown; he was attacked as small arms tossed themselves around his waist.

"Sebastian!" Ciel called, slightly louder than usual and gave Sebastian the first hint that Ciel was on a sugar rush. "Mommy bought me a little Valentine's cake and I had it for dessert after lunch. It was so good!"

Sebastian groaned and ran a hand over his face, knowing that twelve dollars an hour wasn't going to be enough today. "How much candy have you had today, Ciel?" He asked, feeling the child tug at his arm in a silent plea for a piggyback ride.

Ciel giggled. "A lot," he admitted with a wide smile. "But I'm saving your candy for later 'cause they made me the happiest." He beamed, looking proud of himself before tugging at Sebastian's arm when he realized the man wasn't going to give him a piggyback ride.

"That's nice," Sebastian murmured and let himself be tugged forward. It was oddly quiet in the house and Sebastian wondered if Rachel and Vincent were hiding away somewhere to avoid Ciel's sugar rush. "Where are your parents?"

"They went out for an early dinner," Ciel said as they walked into his room. He plopped on the bed and patted the spot next to him. "I have a gift for you too," he chirped, looking pleased with himself.

Sebastian cocked his head and settled next to Ciel. "You didn't have to get me anything," he murmured.

Ciel shook his head. "But you don't have anyone else to give you a gift," he stated. "You don't have parents and you said you don't have a special person in your life yet," he said innocently.

"Thanks for reminding me," Sebastian said flatly, feeling his eyebrow twitch in annoyance. Not so much at the parent part, he had come to terms with that a long time ago, but for reminding him that his love life was rather nonexistent at the moment. He watched as Ciel squirmed on the bed and Sebastian cocked his head slightly, wondering what was going through Ciel's mind.

Ciel beamed and reached for card that sat on the bed. "I asked the lady from the chocolate store to make a card for you, cause she has prettier writing than me." It was placed in Sebastian's hand. "She was really nice yesterday when daddy and I went to go pick up the gift."

Sebastian's eyes darted over the calligraphy, taking in the words that flowed across the page. "To Sebastian, thank you for being the world's bestest babysitter. Happy Valentine's Day." He read aloud, finding some humor in the words. No doubt, Ciel had inspired the card and instead of saying something polite and formal, the woman had made the card more personal by adding a Ciel touch.

"It's very sweet of you to do this for me, Ciel," Sebastian said and carefully set the card aside. He had a box that he was keeping all the things Ciel gave him so he could look back at them years from now and laugh. "Thank you very much."

Ciel fidgeted on the bed and looked down at his hands, his excitement suddenly fading. "And there's one more gift. Because I didn't want to give you just a card when you give me everything." He shifted back on the bed and grabbed the plush rabbit, feeling tears spring to his eyes. Ciel shook his head and moved back to sit next to Sebastian telling himself that he could do this. "This is for you too," he said bravely, pushing Bitter Rabbit into Sebastian's hands.

Sebastian stared at the plush and then looked up at Ciel. "Oh Ciel, I can't accept this," he said softly and gently handed the rabbit back to Ciel. "I can't take this from you."

"But I didn't get you anything else," Ciel cried, tears streaming down his face now. He thought he was ready to give up the plush but now that the time had come, Ciel found that he wasn't ready to part with it after all.

"Ciel," Sebastian murmured and brushed away the falling tears. "I don't need anything else, the card is enough."

Ciel shook his head. "But you're supposed to get something nice for the special people in your life," he wailed.

Sebastian hummed. "You know what I would rather have?" He asked and Ciel's sobs subsided to soft sniffles along with an occasional hiccup. "I would rather have a card that you made. You can draw Bitter Rabbit for me and when you give the card to me, I'll have my own Bitter Rabbit." He mentally patted himself on the back, proud of the idea and how quickly he thought of it.

Small hands wiped at the blue eyes and Ciel sniffed again. "You want me to make you a card?" He asked, looking up at Sebastian. "You would be happy with that even though it's not chocolate or a toy?"

"I would be very happy with a card," Sebastian answered and ran his fingers through Ciel's hair. "But thank you for thinking about me that way. It makes me very happy to know that you were willing to give me something so precious."

Ciel smiled and caught Sebastian's hand before giving it a small tug. "I'll go make it right now!" He said happily. "I'll draw you all my favorite memories on there too, 'cause they make me the happiest."

Sebastian stood up and hoisted Ciel into the air, making the child squeal with delight and all previous tears were forgotten. "What memories are those?" He asked, tucking Ciel under his arm and carrying him like a bag.

Ciel giggled loudly and wiggled against Sebastian. "I'll draw you with a bow on your head from Christmas when you were my present. And New Year's too! When we danced together," he paused and furrowed his eyebrows in thought. "What else?" He murmured softly.

A small chuckle left Sebastian's mouth. "I'm sure whatever you end up drawing, I'll like it. And then once you're done, we'll go play with Soot and Bitter Rabbit. I think they want to have their own Valentine's Day too."

"Yes!" Ciel said excitedly. "Maybe we can make cards for them and that way they can exchange them too."

Sebastian smiled. "Sounds like a good idea to me," he answered.

It wasn't the ideal way to be spending Valentine's Day and Sebastian would've preferred to spend it with someone special (provided he even had a special person in his life). But if he thought about it, in its ways, Ciel was someone special to him. Maybe not special in the sense of a lover, but Ciel still had a place in Sebastian's heart. It wasn't the same, but it was better than spending the day alone.

Sebastian chuckled and mentally shook his head at the thoughts. He needed a vacation.