A/N: We're getting close to the end here. I'm kinda nervous at this point, because I'm not great at wrapping up stories... *grimace* But I think this should turn out all right.
Title: Young Young Master
Author: liketolaugh
Rating: T
Pairings: Slight Ciel/Elizabeth
Genre: Friendship/Drama
Warnings: Little!Ciel, slight violence
Summary: Ciel is deaged, and Sebastian finds, to his delight, that this Ciel is every bit as manipulative as his older self – even if he is a far sight happier.
Disclaimer: Sadly, Black Butler is not mine.
Freckle twisted the blood soaked rose between her fingers, staring at it mournfully. It had been beautiful before, white and spotless, clutched in Smile's dirty hand. But had that been Smile? She remembered that Smile had been really undersized, true, but that boy she'd stabbed… surely he hadn't been that small?
It didn't matter, really. Her fist clenched and angry tears started to leak out of her eyes again. Smile had killed her family. She didn't care if she killed just Smile, or his family too! He deserved it!
Overtaken by another fit of fury, she threw the bloody rose across the room, and it hit the opposite wall, falling to the ground and leaving a red splotch on the wall. She glared at it for a moment before turning to face the wall.
"How could you?"
A voice, small and vulnerable, sounded behind her. She whirled, wide-eyed.
There in front of her was a small boy, looking at her mournfully. There was a large bloody stain on the front of his shirt, right where she'd stabbed the boy. He was paler than before – he looked almost… transparent.
Her eyes widened in shock and fear. No…
"You killed me," he repeated sadly. "How could you?"
"I-I…" she stuttered. "I thought you were… You looked like… Who're you?"
He didn't answer. "Why didn't you try before?" he asked, eyes looking up at her pleadingly.
She felt helpless under that gaze – it pierced her to the core and drew out her innermost secrets. "I didn't have anythin' I needed… no weapon, no way in, y'see."
He tilted his head and then shuffled his feet, eyes widening, impossibly, even more as he looked up at her. "What changed that?"
"Why're you askin' these questions?" Freckle asked desperately. Why was he haunting her like this?
He looked down and hugged himself. "I want to know," he whispered, sounding vulnerable. "I want to know why you killed me… I want to know how."
"I went somewhere," Freckle confessed. "This boy… blond hair, blue eyes… he sent me to a place."
"Where?"
"Near the palace… it was a pure white house. Clean, all creepy-like. There was a woman there, gave me the knife and told me how to get in."
The boy smiled sadly. "Thank you."
Freckle didn't answer.
The boy looked down. "Ciel could have killed you before… he regrets sparing you." He looked up, eyes intent, penetrating to her very soul. She frowned, suddenly realizing that those eyes looked very… alive… "Now he won't."
He reached into his coat and pulled something out. Freckle didn't even have time to react before a gunshot echoed through the small room and a bullet buried itself deep into her brain, and she knew no more.
Ciel watched apathetically as blood spilled from the brand-new hole in the brown-haired girl's skull. Then he looked toward the door and asked plaintively, "Can I wash this makeup off now?"
The door opened and he heard a chuckle from the other side. "I will attend to that immediately," Sebastian said, smirking in amusement down at the corpse. "That was quite the show, little master."
Ciel smiled brightly. "Thanks!" he said happily, pleased with the shock-fear response he'd gotten from Freckle. She'd been completely convinced! Then he winced, a hand darting up to the bloody spot, and he let out a little pained sound.
"No more walking for you, Ciel!" Soma asserted, frowning as he entered, too. Worry tingled a bit. He winced as his gaze landed on the bloody corpse and he looked away hurriedly, adding slimy disgust to overlay his emotions.
"Just so," Sebastian agreed, bending down to pick Ciel up. Ciel made a face at him and felt a little shock of amusement. "It will be quite some time before I can allow you to walk, I believe."
Ciel let out a groan, but laid his head on Sebastian's shoulder, sulking slightly. "Why not?" he whined.
"It would hinder your recovery, Lord Ciel," Agni explained, having followed Soma in. "But may I say, you did your job excellently." Ciel felt a little surprise and a hint of admiration and wariness.
Ciel smiled at him, sulking forgotten. "Thanks, Agni!" he smiled. Then he frowned, looking down at the body with interest. "What do we do with her?" he wondered.
"I will dispose of it," Sebastian dismissed.
"Make sure you do," Ciel agreed.
Sebastian carried him out of the room and they were quickly followed by the two Indians to the sitting room, where Sebastian carefully set Ciel down in a way that wouldn't aggravate his injury. "Do remember to stay off your feet, Young Master," chided Sebastian when Ciel immediately shifted to get off. Ciel huffed and moved back, wincing again.
"What are you going to do now?" Soma asked, curious.
"Well, that house she mentioned is going to have to be visited," Ciel mused. "And that woman will have to be killed as well, of course." He frowned. "But if I am not allowed to stand…"
"If I may, Young Master," Sebastian inserted smoothly. Ciel looked up at him curiously; he felt expectant and confident. "I could perhaps go and dispose of her myself? If we were to wait for you to recover sufficiently to go after her, she would have time to make another attempt on your life, which may be more successful than this one."
Ciel instantly dismissed the idea. "No."
Sebastian paused, not expecting that at all. This version of Ciel seemed far less stubborn than the older one… but apparently, he didn't know what was best for him, either. "No?"
"No," Ciel agreed. "You will most certainly not leave me out of this, Sebastian! That is an order!" His voice rose with each word, and he sat up more, eyes blazing with anger. "I will not sit idly by while someone else takes my revenge for me!"
Sebastian remained frozen in shock for a moment longer, before he smirked and bowed. "Yes, my lord."
Right! So stuff actually happened here. That first part? That was fun to write. Seriously. It was. :D Was it fun to read? *grin* Heheheh. Well, please review and let me know what you thought of it.
