Once again sorry this is late. Things have been hectic... I might update sooner to make up for it. ^^
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Chapter Eight
Ciel tossed a mismatched sock across his room, stirring up the heap of freshly cleaned clothes to find a matching set. He almost yelled his frustration when he picked out the thrown sock's match and had to sprint across the room to retrieve it.
"I'm so late," Ciel huffed and hurriedly pulled on the socks. The alarm on his cell phone started buzzing, a reminder that he had to leave. It was all his aunt's fault. Really it was. When he had thought of dinner, Ciel figured just another decent sit down restaurant. He hadn't imagined that he would be dragged off to a formal establishment.
The whole ordeal left him scampering around trying to dig out his good clothes and trying and failing to tie a tie. Ciel had given up in a matter of seconds and decided to forgo the fabric noose. Carefully he smoothed out his navy button up shirt and looked around his room for his jacket.
Ciel almost called the whole thing off when he caught sight of it. "Soot!" He screamed, scaring the poor cat off the now crumbled and hair coated material. The jacket seemed a loss cause but Ciel went about patting it off as best he could. Soot sent an ugly look as he did so.
The cat had been such a menace since Ciel had let the thing into his apartment. She was apparently going through Sebastian withdrawals, worse so then Ciel. It went without saying that they both missed the man, but Soot was making up for it by clinging herself to Ciel's side. The young man couldn't go anywhere in his house without having a cat on him or his belongings.
Throwing the jacket on, Ciel rushed to the door. He grabbed his keys and sent a slight wave to Soot who was looking at him with a forlorn expression. "I'll be back soon," he added for the animals benefit. With the door shut behind him and locked, Ciel bounded down the stairs and to the street. He was going to have to make a run for it.
It was a good thing that his aunt decided on a place close by to save Ciel bus fair. He was slightly familiar with the establishment, though he had never bothered to enter. The restaurant was not a place to sit and have a causal lunch or dinner at. If anything it was probably reserved for business dinners, anniversaries, or a boy wanting to impress his girl on a first date.
Ciel battled with the revolving door out front, only noticing the regular doors to the side after it was too late. The hostess smiled at him, batting her eyelashes so much that Ciel wanted to ask if she had something in her eye. Once he told her who he was with, the girl quickly led him through the tables and serves towards a woman sitting alone and dressed from head to toe in red. It could only be his aunt. No one else he knew walked around like a living stop light.
"Aunt Anne," he greeted as he took his seat and gave a quick drink order to the girl before she hurried off.
"Ciel," she exclaimed happily, her eyes lighting up at the sight of him. They narrowed only slightly at the amount of cat hair on the jacket and she cocked her head to the side. It had been a while since she had last seen her nephew, but she was still fairly certain that Ciel was allergic to cats.
She pushed the thought aside for later on in the evening and leaned forward, looking over the rest of Ciel. He looked to be in good health, which was what really mattered she supposed. But his eyes held the slightest hint of longing.
She hummed and stored the question away for later as well. "How are you doing Ciel?"
"Good," was the short reply. He couldn't say he was in the mood to be talking about himself, nor did he feel like giving his aunt any reason to pry into his life. "How have you been?"
"Fairly well. Nothing horribly exciting but it is what it is," she answered. They paused to order their food and she sighed as the waitress left. Something was off about her nephew but she couldn't place her finger on it. She shrugged slightly, must be a male mood swing that she didn't know about.
Ciel hummed his acknowledgement but said nothing more as he sipped at his water. He would be lying if he said the sudden silence wasn't awkward. Despite the hum of talk around them, Ciel still felt uncomfortable and on the spot. How long had it been since Ciel had bothered to sit down like this with his aunt? Months? At least since he moved into his apartment over the summer.
It didn't help that his mind kept going back to Sebastian who had promised to be home tomorrow. Ciel was both excited and nervous. Not to mention he was intrigued as to what his gift would be.
"So, school's going well. Haven't received any calls about you flunking out already," she said with a small laugh that sounded forced. She cleared her throat and looked around the room, trying to see if their food was coming out soon.
When she realized that they still had to wait, she turned her attention back to Ciel. "Has anyone in your classes caught your eye yet?" she asked.
Ciel stiffened briefly but quickly composed himself. "No, can't say that I've been looking either." Which was the honest truth. He hadn't been looking when Sebastian forced his way into Ciel's life and he surely wasn't looking now. Ciel was perfectly content as he was.
The waitress came by then to fill their drinks and saved Ciel from elaborating further. He smiled and bid her a quick 'thank you' as she left.
A small huff left his aunt's mouth, as it seemed as though that conversation was closed. She took a sip of her drink and they sat in silence for a few more minutes before, finally, their food arrived.
She sighed happily, knowing that once they ate, they could leave. There would be no idle chatting at the end of the meal. Instead, they would separate and be on their way. It was simple and she concluded that this parenting stuff wasn't so hard after all.
Ciel busied himself with with his eggplant parmigiana. The meal was a blessing and a reason to keep his mouth from having to flap out meaningless words. He wasn't sure why they bothered with these sort of gatherings. They always ended badly in Ciel's opinion.
The check couldn't have come soon enough and Ciel didn't even attempt to take the bill, he never did. Instead he passed it to his aunt, and settled back into his seat and watched the people around him.
Since his dinner with Sebastian at the pub, Ciel had taken a sudden interest in people watching. He couldn't claim that he was any good at it. But he could pick out a couple a few tables away where the woman was constantly wiping her hands on her napkin and never meeting her dates eyes. Even when she smiled, the gesture never lit up her whole face.
Ciel felt bad for the poor fool. He was most likely getting dumped tonight.
With a small smile, they stood up and walked to the door. It was held open for them by a younger male dressed in the restaurants staff uniform. He bid them good night and swept inside, leaving them alone.
"That was a pleasant meal, Ciel. We should do it again soon." It was a lie, they both knew it, but sometimes it was easier to put up the fake pretense and pretend that they were a happy, mix matched family.
"Yeah, soon." Ciel shifted back and forth on his feet, looking off into the darkening sky. It wouldn't be soon; months later was not soon. Seeing now to be as good on time as any to leave, Ciel walked forward quickly to give his aunt a quick hug and kiss on the cheek. "Be careful." It was the only words of care he left her with as Ciel quickly turned and went back down the street towards his apartment.
-
Careful eyes watched as the student browsed the supplies that rested on the shelf. Paint brushes and canvas's lined the aisle and the student paced back and forth down the row to compare prices.
Sighing, they turned back to the book on quilting that was in their hands, their eyes darting to the aisle every now and then. He shifted his weight and put the book back, selecting another one to browse through.
A section on gardening caught his attention and he quickly scanned the article. He was halfway through when he looked up again and his body froze. Cursing silently, the male shoved the book back into its rack and jogged to the neighboring aisle.
The college student wasn't there. Slight panic settled in and he quickly moved to the next one over, producing the same results.
"Not good," he muttered to himself as he re-traced his steps. "He's going to kill me."
He raced past another aisle and skidded to a halt. Walking backwards, he paused outside the new aisle and heaved a sigh of relief when he found it occupied with the college student. He threw his hands up in the air. "Yay!" he shouted and then instantly clapped his hands over his mouth.
Ciel was just about to toss back a bottle of masking fluid on the shelf, irritation getting the better of him, but froze. His eyes scanned the aisle he was currently browsing and glared at the boy, no older then himself, that was staring at him with a guilty look on his face. Normally Ciel wouldn't pay the idiot much mind. There were always crazy people out there, but the fact that this was not the first time something similar had happened in the past few days made Ciel suspicious.
He carefully placed the jar onto the shelf and faced the boy fully. "Do I know you?" He asked, not taking the time to be polite about it. Ciel was already on edge. It was growing into the late afternoon and Sebastian had yet to show up at his apartment or call him. Friday had come too soon, and now it was leaving just as quickly. He was going to kill the bastard for making him worry.
"Uh, not directly," the other male answered with a slight laugh. "I'm Finny. I'm in another art class at your school, the one right behind yours. I recognized you while I was looking for materials, and wondered if you'd, um, like to be friends."
"Uh huh." Ciel sent him a skeptical look. He hadn't been aware of there being an art class after his, not with the way the Undertaker vacated the room after every class. "And what art class is it you're in?"
"Well, its not an art class per say," Finny answered. "It's a topiary class. It's new this year, so I'll be the first one to finish the class this semester." He grinned and dug around in his pocket. "I have pictures if you want to see my work!"
Ciel peered at the small picture. He had to give the kid props, the tree had been neatly trimmed into a very elaborate robot. There wasn't much to say about the subject choice but the talent and passion was definite in the piece.
"I didn't know we had a topiary class," Ciel finally said. "You're work is good." He added as an after thought. Something still wasn't sitting right with Ciel. For one, he hadn't seen this Finny character before this week and he was pretty sure he was being stalked.
"Yay, thank you!" Finny exclaimed happily. "Bard says that my art work sucks, but Mr. Sebastian says that I'll get better with practice."
Finny's eyes grew wide and he quickly covered his mouth with his hand. "Oops."
Blue eyes grew large for a fraction of a minute before glowering down into slits. Ciel knew something was amiss. He should have know that those two were involved somehow. A wicked smiled twisted his features as he advanced towards Finny, making the poor boy back up with frightful steps.
"I suppose this, whatever this is, is that bastards idea. Let me guess, he has you out distracting me while he's doing god knows what." Ciel was sure to jab a finger to Finny's chest for extra effect. "He better have a good excuse for all of this, or I'm going to kill him!"
Finny's hands waved around quickly. "No! Mr. Sebastian asked me to watch you, make sure that nothing happened while he was gone," he faltered. "I probably shouldn't have told you that. Oh, he's going to kill me. You weren't even supposed to know that I was here."
"Watch me?" Ciel said incredulously. "What does he expect to happen? I can take care of my damn self." It was safe to say he was fuming at this point. That little bit of information had become the topping on the cake and Ciel just wanted to strangle something.
Today was supposed to be a day to look forward to. Sebastian would be home, bearing gifts and promising a nice long weekend of just the two of them. Everything was going wrong. First he couldn't find the art supplies he needed, second Sebastian was late, and now he was being informed that his boyfriend found the need to have him watched.
"I'm going to kill him," Ciel finally mumbled and pushed passed Finny towards the entrance of the building. He would head home and wait for Sebastian. Then the man would be getting an earful.
Finny pranced around in place, wringing his fingers together. "Oh, Mr. Sebastian isn't going to like this at all," he muttered and chased after Ciel. Once he caught up, he grabbed Ciel's wrist and tugged slightly. "Wait, please," he pleaded.
He pushed his hair out of his face and cringed at the enraged look on Ciel's features. He knew that Ciel didn't have much patience left, but Sebastian's orders were clear to keep watch over him.
"It's not that Mr. Sebastian believes you can't take care of yourself. He just over worries at times, and he said that he feels better knowing that you're okay while he's away." He rubbed the back of his head. "He doesn't get great signal on his trips and can't call, so he just wants to know that you're doing alright."
Ciel deflated some. The thought that Sebastian cared enough for him to go through so much trouble to know that he was safe seemed endearing but Ciel would be sure to give the man a lecture upon his return.
"Next time he needs to send someone a little less conspicuous." Finny seemed to wilt at the words, but Ciel paid him no mind. It ticked him off just slightly that this idiot of a boy knew more about Sebastian's hidden secrets then Ciel did.
"Well, it's still early," Finny said as they walked out the doors. "Would you like to go to the bar or something?" He shoved his hands into his pockets and glanced around the street. A lone figure stood in the corner of the entrance way, smoking a cigarette.
A look of annoyance crossed over his features as he pushed off the wall. Finny squirmed as the man grew closer and yelped as a hand smacked him on the back of the head. "What was that for?"
"You weren't supposed to be seen, idiot." The man murmured. "Now what are we going to tell that bastard?"
"Good to see you again Bard," Ciel greeted, although he didn't sound at all pleased.
"Ah, so the shrimp remembers me this time around." The butt dropped to the ground and he toed it into the concrete. "Now what's this about going out to the bar?"
Ciel just eyed the two men, not too keen on following them to a bar. Being in either of their company when alcohol was involved sounded like a headache. He'd much prefer to go home and wait for Sebastian.
"I think I'll pass. Sebastian should be home soon, and I don't want to leave him waiting," Ciel said as he tried to make a quick escape.
"But you have to let me make it up to you," Finny cried, grabbing Ciel's wrist again. His eyes were downcast. "If you hadn't seen me, then I wouldn't have ruined your night. You have to let me make it up to you somehow!"
Bard sighed. "You might as well give into him. He won't stop until you cave, and if you don't; he'll try to give you puppy dog eyes. And that's something you don't want to see."
Seeing no way out of it, Ciel sighed and nodded his head. "fine." At the very least perhaps leveling Sebastian waiting would be a good form of revenge. "What place did you have in mind?" he asked, only half curious.
"Some place close," Bard answered as they started walking. "And we're not staying too late, we have things to do. Once the bar starts getting crowded, we're leaving," he said, the comment directed towards Finny more than Ciel.
Finny nodded. "An hour then. We can go to the new place that opened up so we can get in free." He turned towards Ciel. "I know the guy who owns the place, he's cool."
Ciel nodded and let the two lead the way. The hour surely couldn't pass by quickly enough. He could only be thankful that he would be subject to this mess for only a short while. Then he could return home to a comfortable bed, a demanding kitten, and hopefully a smiling Sebastian.
They turned down a side street and towards a part of town Ciel wasn't quiet familiar with. It was a rougher side of the city and he usually tried to steer clear of it. The street itself was known for it's bars and clubs; even more so for some of the illegal acts that took place behind the closed doors of some establishments.
"You sure you know where you are going?" Ciel questioned as he began to feel uncomfortable. Oddly enough he was now feeling grateful for having Sebastian order these two to keep him safe. At least he knew someone was looking out for him.
Finny nodded. "It's right here." He pointed at a newer looking building where a large bouncer stood outside a thick door. He nodded to the man as they approached the door and they were let in without a fuss.
The bar wasn't too crowded and they quickly found a spot near the side where they wouldn't be bothered. Once they sat down, a server came by and set two drinks down in front of Finny and Bard before turning to Ciel.
"What can I get you sweetie?"
Normally Ciel wouldn't bother with anything alcoholic, but right now he felt like he needed something to calm him. He quickly ordered himself a beer from the tap and waited as the lady bartender went off to fill his glass.
The beer was placed in front of him a second later, a golden crown of foam topping the mug. Ciel sipped at it, not caring for the taste so much as the warmth it spread through out him as he took bigger gulps. It had been a long while since he had come to an actual bar to drink and the atmosphere was somewhat welcomed. Ciel turned to Finny and Bard who both seemed to be staring at him as if waiting for him to speak.
"Nice place," he finally said.
Finny grinned. "Thanks! It's a pretty popular place once the sun sets and the college crowd comes in. They get pretty wild but its so much fun that you just can't help but laugh." He took a sip of his drink and leaned back in the seat as he gazed around the room.
Next to him, Bard rolled his eyes and focused on Ciel. "So you and Sebastian, you two really dating or was that just Carmella trying to pull my leg?"
Ciel's cheeks heated, and he averted his eyes to his drink. Two more generous sips were taken and he reclined back in the bar stool. He thought the question over, not sure if he should just lay it out for them or ignore the question all together. Finding Ciel had no reason to hide such a thing, he shrugged it off and turned to the duo.
"Something like that," Ciel mumbled.
Bard chuckled. "Never thought I'd see the day. He gets so into his work that I always figured he'd never find someone. Most of the family is happy; a few broken hearts but they'll live. At least you won't have to worry about meeting any of them. I doubt Sebastian would take you to any family reunions."
"No, I don't think he would." The sentence was said with some malice. Sebastian seemed dead set on keeping him out of his life just as he was determined to keep him in it. Everything had turned into a never ending contradiction. Ciel was beginning to despise the secrets quicker then he thought possible, but he couldn't bring himself to act upon his anger. He had promised not to pry and to wait till Sebastian opened up to him, but what if that time never came.
Bard waved his hand. "I wouldn't take it personally. We're his family and he keeps us at arms length most of the time. Usually longer. It's a job just to get him to come to a family get together." He sipped his drink. "If anything, you've accomplished something no one else has done yet."
"Can't say I did much. Sebastian was the one pulling the strings," Ciel said as he finished down his beer. "I was his poor victim." The lady bartender came back and refilled the empty mug, smiling as Ciel thanked her. The alcohol was fuzzing his head and loosening his tongue. It felt good to finally relax, even with the raging thoughts trying to push at his attention.
"Sounds likes Mr. Sebastian," Finny pipped up. "But you're on his side, so that makes you safe."
Bard gave Finny a hard jab in the side, making the younger male yelp in pain. "He doesn't need to know that," he hissed.
Ciel paid the slip little mind, he didn't want to know. Didn't need to know. That's what he told himself. No more question's; Ciel didn't need answers. Not about things that didn't concern him.
"Depends on your definition of safe," he said without thinking. "Sebastian's good with torture." A smile quirked on his lips and Ciel drank more of his beer. He could blame the flush of his cheeks on the alcohol and not on the memories his words sprouted.
"Really now?" Bard said and leaned forward more. It wasn't overly curious about Sebastian's sex life, but it was always a rumor in the family that Sebastian was asexual. The man never had one night stands and no one could remember the last time he had a relationship with someone.
He heard Finny giggling next to him, more than likely thinking the same thoughts. It was hard to imagine Sebastian doing anything other than his job. It was what the man lived and breathed for.
Finny turned to Ciel, asking the question they were both curious to know. "How is he in bed?"
Ciel opened his mouth as if to answer, then closed it quickly with a snap. A tomato red blush painted his face, reaching all the way up to his ears. His expression alone could be answer enough, but he frowned and turned away from the listening pair.
How could he answer something like that? Ciel thought it over, coming up with one word that would describe Sebastian's sexual nature. "A bastard," he said completely serious.
Both Bard and Finny burst out laughing. Out of all the things they were expecting, that was not the word. Sebastian was the one that caught all the girls eyes and could get anyone to do what he wanted. But it seemed as though Ciel was immune to this charm and was making things difficult for Sebastian.
It was probably what had Sebastian so interested in the younger male in the first place. And now that Ciel was next to him, they doubted he would let him go so easily.
"Well, we really shouldn't be talking bad about Mr. Sebastian right now," Finny said, trying to catch his breath "Cause...well, you know." He waved a hand towards the door, expecting that it would explain his reason.
Ciel looked at Finny for a moment puzzled. "You know?" He questioned, not catching on to the deeper meaning behind those words. The alcohol was most likely to blame. He was already almost done with his second beer.
Finny cocked his head. "Know what?" he asked. They blinked at each other for a moment before Finny grinned. "Are you going to give Sebastian a surprise when he gets back home?"
"Surprise?" No, that wasn't right, Ciel thought. Sebastian was the one who had promised the surprise. Ciel shook his head and finished off his beer. "Sebastian's promised me a surprise," he said. If anything Ciel would be more then happy to surprise Sebastian with a good lecture and another night on the couch for being late.
Bard chuckled. "Looks like Sebastian won't be getting any lovin' tonight." He grinned as Ciel's face tinted red and slapped him on the back. "Well, its getting late anyway and I'm sure you're anxious to get home and see him. Even if you're not going to give him a welcome home gift."
Ciel didn't see any reason why he should be getting Sebastian a welcome home gift. He was the one being left alone, not Sebastian. If anyone deserved a gift, it was Ciel. Soot as well, he added as an after thought.
They all stood, Ciel finding his legs a little less sturdy then he remembered. There was a reason he never drank. He was a light weight; two drinks were enough to do him in. Ciel felt tired and home sounded so good right now. Snuggling in bed with Sebastian sounded heavenly and the thought had Ciel leading their small group of three to the door.
They passed through the doors and gave the bouncer a quick nod as he examined the ID's of some students. Once the bar vanished behind them, Bard grabbed Ciel's arm. "Come on, we'll walk you home. You're a little unsteady right now."
Walking slowly, they made their way back to Ciel's apartment complex. Bard hung back as Finny guided Ciel to his building and watched from the ground as the male walked up the steps. Once he was certain that Ciel was inside his apartment, he turned around and trotted back to Bard.
"Any messages yet?" he asked quietly.
"Nothing. The lines have been quiet all day."
Finny frowned. "He was supposed to be back already."
A small grunt left Bard's mouth. "If he's not back by tomorrow afternoon, we'll send someone out. Just in case."
The younger male nodded and they walked away from the apartment complex, pulling their jackets tighter as the wind picked up. Ciel wasn't the only one waiting for Sebastian to get back home.
-
Ciel didn't know when he made it to his bed. He felt light and heavy all at the same time. When he had come home to an empty apartment it was the last piece to tip him over the edge. Some part of Ciel wanted to see Sebastian sitting on his sofa, impatient as having to wait. It seemed rather irrational to be this upset over something so small.
So what if Sebastian got held up with whatever he was doing. It didn't matter that Ciel was waiting back at home for him, completely unaware of where his lover was or what he was doing. Nothing mattered and Ciel shouldn't have felt like curling up into a small ball and fading into the darkness.
Soot was curled against his back becoming a comforting warmth. The cat was the only part of Sebastian he had at the moment, and he would take what he could get.
He coughed, and cursed himself as a tear escaped his eyes. Ciel knew it was most likely the beer fogging his mind and twisting his emotions. Where was his rationality when he needed it. He felt weak, and Ciel hated that. He hated it all the way up until he fell into a restless sleep.
Ciel could only hope he would forget all of this in the more. Somehow he knew he wouldn't be so lucky.
-
Bangs, insistent and demanding bangs. They shook the apartment walls and made Ciel jump from his bed. Soot was arched, hair standing on end.
Blue eyes frantically searched his bed side table. He clicked on his lamp and snatched his phone. The time made Ciel curse, it was only three in the morning. Another sequence of bangs hammered his door and Ciel fumbled from his bed.
He had no clue who it could be, and a part of him felt frightened for what awaited him on the other side of that door. Deciding it was better to be cautious, Ciel reached under his bed for his metal baseball bat. It wouldn't do much, but it was better then nothing.
Quietly he made his way to the door, Soot tracking him like a loyal watch dog. The bangs continued and Ciel could see the picture frame on the wall by the door rattle with each assault.
Ciel cleared his throat as he stared at his door. "Who is it?" He asked, hoping he didn't sound frightened. His past had taught him that nothing good came of frantic midnight house visits.
The voice that answered had not been what Ciel expected. He dropped the bat and breathed a sigh. It came as a relief to hear Sebastian's voice again after another week without him.
Smile firmly in place, Ciel undid his lock and flung the door open. Everything stopped in that moment. Ciel stopped breathing and his smile died upon his lips.
Only one whispered thought passed through the panicked fog of Ciel's mind.
Blood; so much blood.
To Be Continued . . .
