Chapter Thirteen
"Lizzy, is something wrong?" Ciel asked awkwardly over his cup of tea, watching his cousin's green eyes flit down and her cheeks flush in embarrassment for staring. An all-too familiar knot of uneasiness tightened in his stomach again.
The blonde stumbled for the correct words. "N-no, Ciel," she politely replied although his name came out trembling, forcing herself to look him in the eye, to behold her drastically changed cousin. "Everything's perfectly fine…though, it is rather stuffy in here, don't you think?"
In the absence of a butler Ciel stood, trying to ignore how Elizabeth flinched at his unexpected motion. He strode over to the large windows that overlooked the garden, his eyes squinting as soon as he stepped into the bright sunlight. He returned to his chair with hopes that the tension would have disappeared, but it had only thickened.
After frightening three farmers with his appearance and stumbling his way through brushes and thickets in the dim morning light to finally convincing a man with a carriage that he was indeed Ciel Phantomhive, an English noble, Ciel had made it home. His misery had faded when the Middleford's mansion had come into view, his heart thumping wildly with familiar pleasure, of being back with his family. He'd have gone all the way back to his true home, but even the footman he managed to hire had appeared rather spooked.
His welcome was everything but warm. His Aunt and Uncle took several steps back, Elizabeth had nearly burst into tears, and at least one servant had fainted just from hearing the news. After their initial shock and once they let him explain, he had actually been accused of being an imposter, and had been threatened to be kicked out. Hastily defending himself, the Middlefords had reluctantly accepted him on the terms of calling his parents to see for themselves.
Ciel had never felt so…he couldn't describe the feeling he had felt when even his own parents looked at him as if he were a stranger. His mother had nearly gone into hysterics, yelling that her son was dead. His father simply looked at him with eyes flooded with uncertainty.
He was well aware that he'd gotten pale in his time away. Sunlight was harsh to look at, his eye now so used to the dark. His physique had shrunken considerably, as he had eaten sparingly from what Sebastian could find along with the elixirs. Cuts and bruises littered his skin from the skirmishes he'd managed to get himself into during the time he was gone. He wasn't quite sure if anyone had actually seen the bite marks on his neck – though he took extra care to hide them – but one thing Ciel was certain of was the fact that he looked much like a vampire.
It'd only make sense to think that his family would believe that he'd been attacked by the viscous creature of night – his disappearance was around the time the attacks had been transpiring, after all. However, no matter how many times he tried to reason with his hesitantly accepting family, he could see fear in the way they moved and looked at him.
"Vampires cannot come out during the day; they'd burn up, and clearly I'm not," or "See? I still have a taste for sweets and Philips' cooking," and even, "You see the crucifix in my hand, don't you? I swear it doesn't harm me in the slightest," were some of his exclamations to make them all believe.
Several weeks passed after that, and although the threats had ceased, Ciel's family still had their obvious doubts. His Aunt and Uncle didn't visit as often, and Elizabeth's stays also drastically declined, and that was by her own choice, not her parents' wills. His own parents often went away without him, and they scarcely invited as many guests over. It was as if they were hiding him from the world, embarrassed or even scared of the judgments they would receive.
Ciel had seen his own headstone, too. And while it was a shock that upset him to his very core, it definitely made him clearly understand his family's views of his sudden return. To their knowledge, he was supposed to be dead, not a relative that looked startlingly similar to a walking corpse that sucked blood.
And while Ciel relentlessly reassured himself that he'd gain his color back – and he had, if only a little – and become used to the sun's light again, even he had started to develop his own doubts. Misgivings that his family would never accept him, always thinking of him as some kind of warped imposter or supernatural monster. It hurt, given how happy he was to be back, acquiescent family or not.
Those qualms were starting to haunt him as he cast his eyes down as if to hide from Elizabeth's frightened ones. Out of everyone, he had honestly thought she'd be the one to stand by him; she had been by his side all his life. But clearly the past months events had shaken the blonde up to the point where she had fallen into fear's grip, not even trusting the word of her own cousin.
She purposely forwent his name. "You…you're dead, co-cousin," she said quietly, appearing uneasy. Elizabeth took to her feet, moving to stand behind her chair as if he would attack her for saying such a thing. From there she slowly inched for the door. Ciel remained in place.
Sighing and resting his forehead against his knuckles, Ciel whispered, "Perhaps I am." With all he'd gone through, who was to say he wasn't?
"You are to take the route that'd lead to the Middleford estate. Notify me when we are a mile within it and I'll direct you from there."
Looking quite uncomfortable, the footman nodded. Ciel handed him a piece of paper with a large sum of money scrawled on it. All the servants that he knew and loved even feared him and bribing them to do tasks was not what he had expected to have to do to make them act like servants. But now Ciel would do them all a favor.
The carriage jostled along their hour-long trek in the dark. Ciel sat stiffly inside; his hands clasped together, his eyes shifting to the small curtained window every now and then. His chest ached, screaming regret. Several times he almost shouted for the footman to turn back around, but he stopped himself every time.
His family saw him as dead. They couldn't fully accept his return and abnormal appearance. Time wouldn't make them see differently, and the more exposure to society he received, the more he'd bring his family name to shame. Somewhere it had turned from a personal trouble to a matter of family pride, and Ciel never wanted to soil such a thing.
An hour slipped by quicker than expected. The driver tapped on the top of the carriage once it stopped fully and Ciel stuck his head out the door's window.
"Take the left road in the fork and follow for three miles. You'll come to a dead-end with a clearing," he instructed, settling back inside. His stomach churned as the carriage started forward again.
The next three miles seemed to take an agonizing amount of time. The blue-eyed boy couldn't count how many times he'd shifted in his seat. Several deep breaths did absolutely nothing to curb his nerves and Ciel weakly scolded himself to stop acting like some frightened girl.
The carriage suddenly came to a halt.
Letting the footman open the door, Ciel mustered what confidence he had and exited the coach. There was a chilly bite to the air now, and his feet grew cold in the long, dewy grass. The clearing he'd ventured into months ago was dark and misty, the only sounds of the surrounding forest being that of scurrying animals and the occasional hoot of an owl.
Pulling his light cloak about his person a little more firmly, Ciel turned to the confused-looking footman. "You may go now," he said.
The man's eyes bugged for all but a second; obviously he had not been expecting that kind of order. Ciel held up a hand before he could blubber some nonsensical objection.
"I'm not about to answer any of your questions, but know this: I won't be a bother to you nor my family any longer. Please, continue where you left off before I returned to everyone's lives. I'm terribly sorry." The words left a slightly bitter taste in his mouth, but Ciel spun on his heel and started walking away from the life he once knew and loved. When he reached the edge of trees, the carriage was gone.
Empty.
Ciel stood with his back to the mouth of the cave, his blue eyes dull. Everything had been pitch dark. He'd even blindly felt around, and the blankets and half-melted candles were gone. The only sound that filled the cavern was that of dripping water from the springs in the back, but Ciel didn't dare venture that far in. It would be a fruitless attempt anyway.
"Damn it all." He wanted to fall to his knees, he wanted to crumble in self-pity; yet all Ciel did was clench his fists and bite his bottom lip in frustration. Of course, he should have known that Sebastian would move on after his own departure; he'd even said so himself. Vampires were always moving.
Shivering in the early autumn chill, Ciel berated himself for acting so irrationally and if anything, selfishly. Of course he would think abandoning his family for a creature of myth would do good rather than bad. He had to be so arrogant, didn't he? His throat clenched and he scuffed his boot against the rock, a short whoosh of breath escaping his lips in a silent, choking sob.
Taking hold of himself before he became a mess, Ciel started back through the woods, not quite sure of his destination. With each step he became more and more disconcerted with himself. He couldn't return home now. Although he didn't know how his family would react to his second disappearance, Ciel knew that he couldn't go back this time. He wouldn't admit it out loud, but it would hurt him much more than it would any of them.
Carelessly pushing back some branches with his hand to clear his path, Ciel's breath caught in his throat when one of the thin limbs cut his skin. Never minding the stinging sensation, the boy continued on, making the mistake of not looking where he was going. His chest suddenly hit the ground with a hard thump and he groaned at the impact and escalading aggravation of his situation. Hot tears gathered in the corner of his eye, yet he didn't let them fall.
"Aw, does the kitten have a boo-boo?"
Tensing, Ciel flipped to his back faster than he could remember. Dirt ground into his small wound, but he didn't pay it any mind. Bright blue eyes filled his vision. "Alois?"
The boy grinned, showing his fangs. "Claude, Claude! It is him; I told you so, you blockhead, didn't I?" Hands pulled Ciel to his feet, and then the vampire had him in a choking hug. Eventually the blonde noticed the human's flailing hand against his shoulder and let him go. "What are you doing all the way out here, kitty? You're far away from home again."
Trying no to wheeze as he took a shaky breath, Ciel halfheartedly glared at Alois, his gaze shifting as Claude came into view a second later. Composing himself as best he could, Ciel decided to not skip corners. "Returning home didn't work out like I thought it would." No one said he couldn't be vague.
Alois pouted, appearing as if he'd embrace Ciel again as he stretched out his arms. "Poor kitten," he cooed. He turned, his expression immediately turning opposite. "Claude, can we keep him this time?"
Ciel took a cautious step back as he caught the sparkle in Alois' eyes. "What? Of course you can't."
But the blonde ignored him and pulled him close, wrapping an arm around his waist, his other hand gently petting the boy's head as if he were a cat. Ciel just barely felt his eye patch slip away as fingers gently undid the string. He was suddenly jerked around and Ciel had to blink a couple times before he could see clearly.
To his dismay, Claude appeared hungry and Ciel felt his stomach sink. Surely they wouldn't turn on him after all they'd been through…? The boy gasped as Alois cinched him closer still, and he felt like a small twig about to snap in half. The golden-eyed vampire walked slowly to them, bending ever so slightly as he focused his attention on Alois.
"Let him go," Claude said sternly, calmly.
Alois visibly sunk, yet his hold on Ciel tightened, as well as his resolve. "No, we get to keep him, Claude!" he declared. "Sebastian had his chance and he blew it. The kitten's family didn't want him, so he's ours now since we found him first. You should consider us lucky Angela didn't find him before us!"
The older vampire's expression was one of exasperation. It was like talking to a five-year-old. "Alois," Claude said, his look turning almost deadly. "Let him go." And when the blonde still refused to listen, "Now."
Ciel wondered if Alois would try to make a run for it, but eventually his grip loosened and he was free. Wobbling on his feet for a second, he was instantly supported by Claude's hand on his shoulder. The hungry look was back again, but Ciel had the faint feeling that the vampire wouldn't try anything even though Sebastian was gone.
"It's hardly my business to know why you're back, and I won't ask," Claude told him, and Ciel was glad for that. Alois was shooting resentful glares at his maker. "I'll have you explain everything to Sebastian."
The last statement caught Ciel off guard, and as he was about to question the other, he was suddenly lifted into the older vampire's arms. His protest was cut short when they started travelling at top speed, never hitting a tree or preying animal in their zigzagging path.
Ciel was thoroughly chilled to the bone when they arrived at an old, abandoned house. Tall grass swayed in the gentle breeze, adding to the heavy silence surrounding the area. The two-story building was dark, showing no sign of life within. Chafing his arms as Claude set him back on his feet, Ciel knew better than to think the place empty.
He could feel his apprehension return as he realized he was about to meet the creature he'd been seeking out from the start. Alois bounded up to the front door, his previous mood gone and replaced with excitement. The blonde knocked on the door and then stepped back. Ciel followed Claude, exchanging expressions with Alois as he pressed the door open without invitation.
Holding back his curiosity to ask questions on customs, Ciel continued to trail the vampire into the dirty house, his vision adjusting slower than he would have liked. Alois must have noticed, for his hand was caught by the other, and he was pulled forward. "Sebastian sure picked some place to settle," the blonde remarked with a mix of wonder and distaste.
Ciel didn't have much of an answer for that, but he had to wonder about Sebastian settling down at all. He could see this as a resting place of sorts, but what good was a whole house? Everything was covered with dust and strewn about. There was nothing personal or of value. Furniture was placed here and there, but Ciel doubted Sebastian ever took the time to sit down and enjoy their comfort.
His attention was drawn back by Claude starting down a creaky staircase that led to the basement. Still holding Alois' hand for guidance as it was even darker down there, Ciel kept a hand to the gritty wall as he descended down. Claude had already found and lit a lone candle and was standing to the far wall.
Knocking swiftly but almost silently, Ciel watched as nothing happened. Claude stood staring at the wall expectantly, and it was then that the boy understood that Sebastian was probably somewhere behind it. After a minute Claude tapped again, a little louder this time. When he was about to try a third time, the panel moved back. It was then that everything became a dizzy mess, for Claude suddenly shot away from the wall almost too fast for Ciel to see. The human stumbled as Alois' hand was ripped away from his. Seizing his balance, Ciel turned around to see where they had gone, but the two vampires were out of sight.
Hardly understanding their motive for leaving, Ciel was about to climb back up the stairs after them when he was enveloped in a tight, well-known embrace. His breath caught in his throat as a face buried itself in his neck.
His eyes scanned the ceiling as the vampire held him close. At first Ciel stammered for something to say, but decided not to break the silence. A tongue dragged up his neck and he thought Sebastian would bite, but that familiar mouth continued up until his lips were claimed.
Kissing back, Ciel was unaware of Sebastian gliding back into the hidden room. Behind his eyelid, however, he noticed the change in light, and the temperature was warmer than it had been. The boy pulled back for air when he noticed their positions changing drastically.
To say Ciel was startled would be an understatement; he felt frightened for the longest second as he realized what Sebastian was relaxing into. The bright color of red hit his vision first, and then the shape. He managed not to blurt out his uncertainties as he took in his straddling pose over the vampire.
"You weren't lying about the coffin," he remarked matter-of-factly, a little stunned as he tried to comprehend the myth being a reality.
Sebastian chuckled, his elongated fangs out for Ciel to see. "You'll get used to it." He raised his hands, long fingers smoothing over the boy's cheeks and stringing through soft blue-grey hair. Ciel hummed in approval, missing the other's touch.
Eventually Ciel sunk into the vampire's touches. He nestled up against Sebastian's chest, his arm draped across the other's waist. He'd never thought that a coffin could be comfy, but it was. They relaxed in comfortable silence for a while, both merely enjoying one another's presence. It was when Sebastian's fingers started curling around the base of his neck that he broke said silence.
"Are you hungry?" he asked quietly, shifting so that he could look at the other properly.
Sebastian's eyes blazed bright at his words, but the vampire shook his head. Ciel caught sight of the fading cross burn on the pale neck. "Not right now," he said softly, smiling gently.
It was ironic; Ciel had first come to kill the vampire before him, only to be seduced into his coffin…and so much more. He'd been sent home on account of Sebastian's worries for him, only to be quietly shunned by those he loved. And now he was back with the vampire. Somewhere Ciel wondered whether he should be angry with Sebastian for what he had to go through in the past few weeks, but he wasn't. The vampire probably knew exactly how his family would react to his reappearance. Ciel bit his tongue so he wouldn't accuse Sebastian of setting this whole scenario up.
Sebastian picked up on his silence. "They would have accepted you within time."
Ciel resisted the urge to make a huge outburst. Instead, he averted his eyes down. "You were watching?" he half-accused calmly.
"Just an assumption on my part. Why else would you be back?"
Was the vampire provoking him on purpose? Was it possible his family would have eventually come around if he remained with them long enough? The very prospect made him very happy, but Ciel knew deep down that he had to stick with his choice. "I'm staying with you," he said firmly, glancing back up at Sebastian and holding his burgundy gaze, which to his relief appeared pleased. "It'd be too much for…them again if I returned."
Sebastian smiled fully, wrapping an arm tighter around Ciel. "I'm glad to hear it."
Pecking the vampire underneath his chin, Ciel sighed with content. Sebastian seemed to be fine without the details, and he didn't want to delve into them anyway. What was done was done, he'd made his choice, and there would be no turning back.
"Are you sure you're not hungry?" he repeated, tracing the other's lips with his finger. A tongue darted out to swirl around the digit, causing Ciel to moan softly.
Carefully but swiftly, Sebastian switched their positions, leaving Ciel on his back and the vampire hovering over him. White fangs glistened dangerously, but the boy knew they'd cause him no intentional harm. A nose buried itself against his throat, and Sebastian inhaled deeply, collecting his heavenly scent. "I'll be fine for a few days…I need to get reacquainted with you before I bite." Eyes half-lidded, Ciel drew his hands through black locks of hair, trying to pull Sebastian closer, but the creature only pulled away, to his dismay.
"I must ask you something very important," the red-eyed vampire said, bringing Ciel's attention back to full-focus.
Blue eyes searched the sobered face, but Ciel was hardly worried about whatever it was Sebastian would ask of him. He nodded in acknowledgement.
"Let me turn you."
When their twisted relationship had first started, this question had never been brought up. Ciel had wondered, however, and he was pretty sure Sebastian considered it too. He knew that back then, he'd been scared of such a concept, of becoming a creature of the night. But now, with a solidified future with the vampire…Ciel smiled.
Propping himself on his elbows, Ciel pulled Sebastian to him by the back of the neck, capturing the vampire's lips. Releasing the other with a soft sucking sound, he craned his head to the side a little and repeated for the third time, "Please drink, you must be hungry."
Licking his lips when Ciel wrapped his arms around him as he leaned down, Sebastian kissed the delicate skin before allowing himself to indulge.
A/N: So that's the end T.T I'm hoping it's not too open-ended (I seriously suck at ending fics – no pun intended), but I suppose that if enough people want it, I can put up an epilogue. But if it deters anyone in the slightest, an epilogue will not, I repeat, will not be full of heavy, graphic smut. I'm just saying this to avoid discouraging readers...as well as the fact that I don't want to write anything like that for this story. Chapter eight was enough. -.-'
Anyway, a huge thank you to everyone who has read, alerted, faved, and reviewed this little fic of mine! It's been so awesome to be posting a fic again~! Thanks once more, and any kind of feedback would be appreciated!