Thank you for reading! I don't own any of Black Butler! Please let me know if you enjoy! Updates on the second and fourth Saturday of each month!
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Two months after her condition's discovery, the severity of Ciel's sickness began to vary by the day.
On occasion, she would find herself too ill to lift her head while other times, she would have enough energy she hardly remembered the delicate state of her body.
Sebastian stayed loyally beside her.
Although he had sworn his devotion to Vincent and the Phantomhive household, Ciel had become his primary concern.
Rachel and Vincent's increasingly frantic scramble to host a hasty wedding meant they were too busy to follow the young lovers as much as they would have liked.
While Baldroy, Finny, Snake, and Mey-Rin had all been asked to keep an eye on Sebastian's visits with Ciel, none of the other Phantomhive servants would dare go against their new head of staff.
For the time being, Vincent had chosen to let Sebastian remain at his post, which proved to be a convenience for them both as they secretly met throughout the day and night.
Although the symptoms brought on by her condition could still be debilitating at times, her suffering didn't slow her appetite for Sebastian.
As the weeks went by and Ciel's pregnancy began to advance, Sebastian was never selfish enough to ask his employer directly for time with his fiancé, though he gladly took those chances when presented.
One afternoon, while Rachel and Vincent gave a tour of the kitchen to the caterers they had hired, Sebastian brought a tea cart to Ciel's room.
He smiled softly as he found his darling asleep in her bed after he entered when his knock was met with no reply.
While Sebastian never sought to invade Ciel's privacy, given her condition, he couldn't brush aside an unanswered inquiry.
As Ciel snoozed, he gently pushed the cart inside the doorway and walked over to her bed.
The open curtains allowed the warm sunlight to stream through the window and hover over Ciel's belly.
A smirk curled Sebastian's lips while he sat down on his darling's bedside.
Careful not to disturb her, Sebastian slowly pulled the bedcovers down to expose Ciel's torso.
His breath hitched as he saw the barely visible swell of her occupied womb.
The frilly clothes Ciel wore covered any noticeable change in her figure, but her thin nightshirt failed to offer the same layered concealment.
A part of Sebastian wished he had resisted Ciel's feminine wiles long enough to wed her and take her to a house of their own.
On his inheritance, they could have rented a small cottage somewhere in a peaceful village and spent the rest of their lives in quaint, domestic bliss.
He pushed his thoughts aside as he deftly used his gloved hands to lift Ciel's nightdress up to her chest.
Regardless of how much his eyes wanted to wander further down, Sebastian forced his stare to focus on the soft mound that held the life he and his darling's love had created.
Ciel sighed in her sleep as Sebastian pulled his white gloves off with his teeth and laid his bare hands on her abdomen.
His large palms nearly covered the entirety of her womb, but that didn't lessen the amusement in his smile as he let his hands drift gently over the little curve.
It intrigued him to imagine what it would be like once-
Sebastian's eyes widened as Ciel furrowed her brow suddenly and moved in her sleep.
He let out a quiet gasp as her sapphire eyes cracked open without warning to stare at him.
Ciel half sat up as she blinked in surprise to see Sebastian on her bed with his hands cradling her small belly.
As her grogginess vanished, the sight made Ciel want to lie back and beckon him closer.
"Good afternoon, my lady." Sebastian purred with a charming smile.
"Sebastian……" Ciel breathed, "I….I've been asleep, I didn't hear you come in."
"...And I chose not to wake you." He replied as he lifted his hands from her abdomen.
Ciel couldn't hide the pout that formed on her lips as the man she loved deprived her of his touch.
Her pout deepened as Sebastian thoughtfully pulled her nightshirt down.
"I didn't say you had to stop." Ciel frowned.
"It is not my wish to trouble you, my lady." Sebastian replied as he stood, walked over to the tea cart, and brought it to Ciel's bedside, "I merely came to offer you a bit of refreshment, if you're feeling well enough this afternoon."
"You could never trouble me, Sebastian." Ciel said quietly.
A large, covered dish sat on the cart beside a steaming pot of tea.
Sebastian noticed from the healthy colour in his lover's cheeks and the hungry way she looked at the food he revealed as he removed the dish's lid that nausea did not plague her that afternoon.
"Are those chocolate scones, Sebastian?" Ciel asked with repressed hopefulness in her voice.
"They are, indeed, my lady." Sebastian answered, "Chocoloate, with a hint of raspberry in the center, just as you requested."
He smirked at the hungry look in her beautiful sapphire eyes before he smiled and asked, "Do you feel well enough to enjoy one?"
After Ciel nodded eagerly, Sebastian withheld the chuckle that threatened to escape his throat as he poured his fiancé a cup of tea and served one of the treats he had personally baked for her pleasure.
Ciel sat comfortably in her bed as Sebastian watched her eat with zeal.
He prided himself on his skillful baking as his expectant darling refused to stop at one scone.
Mere minutes later, Ciel had consumed the entire plate as she dabbed at her mouth with a napkin.
Sebastian noticed the slight glint of embarrassment in her eyes as she complimented him, "They were delicious, Sebastian…….Though I suppose a lady should not eat so much."
"It pleases me that they were to your liking." Sebastian replied with a handsome smile, "And it makes me glad to know you were able to eat with a good appetite. If you desire, my lady, I'll bake some more tomorrow."
"I'd like that very much." Ciel quietly nodded as she sipped her tea.
A grin curled Sebastian's lips as he watched.
He could hardly wait for their wedding.
Finally, they would be able to focus on each other without the burdensome task of fearing ostracization or trying to hide.
As Sebastian gazed at Ciel, he dreamed of the months ahead.
He envisioned finding his beloved lying in bed with one arm over her heavy belly, her swollen breasts cradled in the buttery sheets.
"Sebastian?" She blinked as she pulled him from his pleasant daydreams.
He drew in a breath as he gazed into Ciel's face and asked, "Yes…..my lady?"
"What are you thinking of?" She frowned.
"I'm merely dreaming of you." Sebastian replied with an honest smile, "And of the family you and I will create together."
Ciel blushed softly at his words but her demure embarrassment didn't stop her from reaching her arms out towards him.
Sebastian smirked as he leaned forward and gladly accepted his lover's embrace.
His lips met hers as Ciel pulled him down while she sank back against the mound of pillows that had been piled behind her.
Sebastian intertwined his fingers with Ciel while he thoroughly enjoyed the taste of his delicious lover.
Whether or not coupling would be risky to her health and their unborn, the couple had no particular qualms about kissing during her pregnancy.
Sebastian silently reminded himself to ask his question to the midwife who had begun coming to the manor every week for Ciel's visits.
The couple both hoped she would mention that lovemaking would be a safe form of leisure for them as newlyweds.
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One week later, on a particularly rainy morning, Sebastian anticipated the midwife's arrival.
He hoped to have the exact conversation with her he desired, but as he waited, Rachel and Vincent brought him and Ciel incredible news.
"Your father and I have worked it all out." Rachel nodded at her daughter.
Ciel blinked as Sebastian stood next to her while Vincent declared, "We managed to change the wedding from October without much backlash…….You two are to be married a fortnight from today! Hopefully we've moved quickly enough to still pass the birth off as premature."
Sebastian glanced over at Ciel in time to see her breath hitch and her eyes widen.
He wasn't particularly concerned with the date of their nuptials, if scorn fell on his lover should her condition be discovered, then he intended to take her to his homeland or somewhere else where they could live peacefully.
Sebastian entertained himself with musings of setting up house with Ciel in an Italian villa or a German cottage.
However, the happy look on her face told him that regardless of her rebellious spirit, society and its customs meant more to her than he realized.
Sebastian's gladness doubled later that day as he spoke to the midwife once she concluded Ciel's latest exam.
The woman whom the Phantomhive family had hired had been used by nobles to assist during unexpected pregnancies many times before.
She was even skilled, polite, and discreet enough to maintain her professionalism while Sebastian asked his obscene question.
"Oh no, Mr. Michalies!" The midwife shook her head, "Lady Ciel's doing just fine! If she asks for you once you two are wed, I hardly think it would place her or the child in any kind of danger."
Sebastian nodded politely as he waited for the midwife to finish packing her bag.
As he escorted the woman out of the manor and into her carriage, he couldn't help the grin that formed on his lips while he watched her drive off into the distance.
Soon, he would be married to his beloved and when the moment came, he would not have to worry about threatening the delicate life inside her womb.