Chapter 2
Starry Eyed
Ciel tapped his fingers on the table most irritably as Alois' voice droned on, talking to the yellowed eyed man, who was clearly bored next to him. The blonde could talk for hours and barely breathe while doing it. He felt something jabbing him in the side, he looked next to him at Sebastian with a glare noticing he poked him with his fork.
"Why are you poking me cutlery?" Ciel asked, somewhat amusingly with a half smile. He just couldn't help but smile when either talking or looking at the man.
"It's fun..."Sebastian said and point him again. "You need to be more fun, Ciel." He went in to poke him again but Ciel moved away, waving his hand.
"Stop! What are you talking about? I am very fun!" Ciel said, raising his head and rolling his head in disbelief that his best friend would say that!
"Oh yeah, Phantomhive? Okay, then tell me what you call fun." Sebastian said, smirking, knowing Ciel really didn't know what fun is.
"Well...uh, you know..." Ciel paused a moment, getting nervous by the way his friend was looking at him. He blushed hotly and said a few more, uh and um's before saying, "...Chess...?" He said rather questionably.
Sebastian began to laugh. "Really?! Haha, you don't know what fun is?"
"Chess is so fun!" Ciel retorted. "I always had fun playing it with my dad..." Sebastian stopped laughing. Ciel poked at his bagel, not looking up at Sebastian. His dad was the one who taught him how to play and he always loved to play.
"Sorry...I guess anything can be fun; when you're with the right people of course."
"It's alright...what do you call fun?" Ciel then questioned.
"Well, it involves get off my ass." Sebastian pointed out. Ciel stuck out his tongue. "Whenever we hang out, I call that fun."
"Does that mean I'm fun?" Ciel questioned.
"No, not really." The man said bluntly. Ciel's face formed into a pout.
"I'm fun and you know it." Ciel retorted.
"Your about as fun as a wet blanket." Sebastian chuckled.
"Shut your mouth." Ciel ordered. "You know you're not funny, right?"
"Yeah, I'm hilarious." Sebastian winked, cause the boy to blush and look away.
"Ye-yeah right." He said, flustered. 'Dammit.' He thought. 'Why is he so damn charming.' Ciel clutched his fork, and poked at his food that Sebastian had paid for, for him. 'What's this mean?' Ciel thought. He felt so twisted inside. He bit his lip feeling the sensation course through his stomach. Butterflies? Why was he so nervous? Did he really...?
He could feel Alois' eyes burn into the top of his head. He looked up, already aware of the smirk etched onto his face. Eyes fixated on Ciel and eyebrows furrowed together making it look as if he had something diabolical up his sleeve. Ciel scoffed and picked up his drink and took a sip, ignoring Alois all together.
"So, what shall we do today. Shop, go to the beach, go on an adventure?" Alois asked, gaining everyone's attention.
"Well, whatever we do, I still have to go to the bank." Ciel said.
"Sounds good to me, let's walk around and delve into what catches our eyes." Alois declared standing and leading the group. Ciel just shrugged and they all left.
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On the way to the bank they all -mostly Alois though- decided to shop in town. Ciel. Got out his money and off they went. Alois and Claude lead and Ciel and Sebastian strayed to the back. Alois was talking, as per usual, and hanging onto Claude. The taller man seem to pay no mind to it. Alois was the clingy type, if not Claude then with Ciel. When Claude was not around, Ciel was technically his best friend. It's not like Alois was unbearable, he was tolerable-most of the time. He was a good person, really, it's just he is so immature.
It was warm and was one of those day were it wasn't raining. So they decided to walk. They stopped at multiple stores-clothing or of the like. Aloud insisted they stop at this smoothie place that he insisted was absolutely fabulous. It was good. After they got lunch and Claude claimed he had to leave for football (soccer) practice so Alois went with him and waved a goodbye to the two. Ciel exhaled a sigh of relief knowing he wouldn't have to babysit the blonde all day.
"You want to come back with me. We could watch a movie or something; Tanaka has to work till five." Ciel offered.
"Sure, let's go." Sebastian said. It took them 15 minutes to find Sebastian's car and another 15 to return back to Ciel's home. It was nice to hang out and relax with Sebastian before he had to leave. He had this feeling of dread deep in his chest.
"When do you leave?" Ciel asked out of the blue.
"2 weeks." Sebastian said. He watched Ciel face twist into some form of sadness or another. "Hey, you know I'll always be there to talk to you. You won't be alone." Sebastian said. Ciel was silent, looking at the cordless controller in his lap. "Hey..."
"Promise me..!" Ciel began. "Promise to call me every night. A-and if you can't, find time to text me...I don't know how to deal this year."
"Promise." Sebastian smiled. "Don't worry, okay? No matter the distance, I will never let you feel alone." Sebastian looked Ciel deep in the eyes making his cheeks heat up.
"O-okay... Thanks." Ciel mumbled.
"If I couldn't do that much what kind of friend would I be?" Ciel smiled smally. Sebastian smirked, catching the small blush on his friend's face.
Later Sebastian left shortly after Tanaka got home. There was some small talk but nothing more. Sebastian and Ciel said their goodbyes and that was that.
"Did you have a good day my boy?" Tanaka asked, smile ever present on his face.
"Yes, it was a nice day." Ciel said, and that was that.
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Two weeks came and went and by that time Ciel only had three days till he started school again. The heaviest feeling of dread was dropped upon his chest. All he did that day Sebastian left was lie in bed, a huge pit in his stomach. Ciel felt-truly-alone. He understood that he had Tanaka there and occasionally, Alois, but he felt that he could only tell Sebastian certain things. It was sad really. Ciel wasn't ready for his Junior year. Not in the slightest. This year was the most important.
He felt so small these days, like everyone stepped around him, carefully like he was a baby; so breakable and fragile. Yes, his parents dying did a real number on him, but he didn't needed to be treated as if broke all his limbs and needed to be waiting on hand and foot. He rarely did anything these past few days leading up to the beginning of the school year. Depression took over him. Sebastian hadn't talked to him since he left. He did promise to get a hold of him once he settled in. Ciel had to keep reminding himself that Sebastian would still fine through for him. He promised him he's never be alone. Ciel trusted Sebastian and he knows he would never let him down or go back on a promise.
Not that Sebastian had left Ciel realized how relevant his feelings for his friend were. He didn't want to believe it but he could understand it. Sebastian was the closest of anything Ciel had. They were always their for each other. Ciel had been there while Sebastian was bouncing around foster homes until he was legal to live on his own. And now, Sebastian is there for Ciel as he learns to live without what Sebastian had to live without practically his whole life.
Sebastian was there, the night the fire happened. He was talking to Ciel over the phone. They were laughing and having a good time; until Ciel heard a loud noise. When he went to investigate, all Sebastian heard on his line was Ciel scream and glass shatter then, the line when dead. He wasn't to far at the time and he worried greatly as Ciel's friend and raced to the boy's house. Ciel doesn't remember, nor does he know, but before the firefighters got there, Sebastian went in and carried Ciel-unconscious at the time-out of the burning building. He had no idea whether his parents were home at the time or else he would have jumped to their rescue as well. Ciel and his parents were like family to him. He regrets not seeking inside a second time.
Ciel has no recollection of this. All he remembers is waking up in the hospital, bandage over his eye, on an air pump- because of the smoke inhalation- and Sebastian right there; next to him the whole time. He also remembers Sebastian being there for him after he was told his parents perished in the fire. That was the first and last time Sebastian ever saw him cry. He never wanted to feel so vulnerable again.
For a few days after the fire, Ciel stayed at Sebastian's until custody agreements were worked out. It was the most tiring time of his life. He was in and out of court like nobody's business. It was tough, but Sebastian helped Ciel pull through it. Tanaka had a tough time getting custody of his nephew under the reason of his health issues. He wasn't really old, he was in his late 50's. He just had some heart problems that laid into factor. And also how well Ciel knew the man. He knows Tanaka very little in person, but knew a lot from his father. During the process of Tanaka gaining custody of Ciel, the bluenette found out Tanaka wasn't actually related to Ciel at all. He was his grandfather's good friend. He was always around Ciel's father, Vincent, a great deal while he was growing up. It's been so many years that Vincent forgot that weren't related directly. But, if anything, Vincent would have wanted Tanaka to have custody of his son, if the death of both mother and father had occurred, which it had.
Ciel didn't have many living relatives. He had one aunt, but she lived so far away and he barely knew anything of her. He just knew her daughter, his cousin Lizzie. Before she able to stay home by herself, her mother would bring her to her cousin's home when she had to travel, which was a lot. He doesn't see her much anymore.
Suddenly, Ciel's phone vibrates on the bedside table. He jolts and makes an irritated sigh. He plucks the phone from the stand and reads the caller ID. He rolls his eyes and clicks his tongue, "Trancy." He muttered. "What do you want?" Ciel asked, irritated as usual.
"Oi?! Now is that how you say hello? Very rude Ciel!" Alois says. Ciel just rolls his eyes again. "You know, now it's just you and me until Claude and Sebby come back for a holiday."
"Ugh, don't remind me." Ciel said. "And quick calling him Sebby, it's creepy..."
"Awe, it's so cute the way you said it!" Alois said.
"Shut up!" Ciel growled. "Stop suggesting disgusting things!"
"No it's not! I think you guys would make an adorable couple!" Alois said. Ciel sighed but didn't say anything. Then in an all too uneasiness serious tone, Alois said, "Do you have feelings for Sebastian, Ciel?" Ciel stood still. It's something that's plagued him for weeks.
Ciel blushed, 'Do I?' Ciel wondered. He could hear and feel his heart pounding in his chest. He felt uneasy and uncomfortable at the question, but he knew. "Yes." Ciel said, swallowing hard. Before Alois could make a snide comment, he added, "and it scares me." Ciel really meant it. Having feelings for Sebastian scared him because he meant so much to him; done so much for him. He didn't want to sever that connection between them. "I'm scared to lose him as my best friend."
Alois was silent for a moment. He was usually rash with his comments. With this he felt awkward teasing Ciel about this. It felt mean and he didn't want to. He loved to tease Ciel a lot, but he wasn't going to this time. It was a delicate situation, as far as one goes and Alois knew how much Sebastian really meant to him and he wasn't going to tick him off or make him feel bad for having these feelings.
"What? Your not going to make fun of me?" Ciel asked, embarrassed that he just spiked something personal with someone he wasn't so close with.
"No," Alois mumbled, timidly. "I'm not."
"You're going to tell Sebastian though right? Because that's what you would do. I know you Alois; I know when there is an opportunity to tease me, you take it." Ciel said, slightly ticked off.
"No, Ciel, I won't. I promise. And this is a true promise that you can only trust me with once in a life time." Alois said. "Oh, but I expect a promise from you in return."
"What, then?" Ciel mumbled.
"I haven't decided yet, but when the time comes, I want you to be there for me too!" Alois said. "Well, all I wanted to do was bug you. Anyway, see you Monday, then?" Alois asked.
"Yeah," Ciel muttered, standing up. "Oh and Alois..." Ciel twitched and swallowed hard. Alois hummed in anticipation. "Thank-thank you..."
"Anytime!" Alois said in his usual flamboyant style.
"Bye," Ciel twitched again.
"Goodbye Ciel!" Alois exclaimed. Ciel hung up the phone and sighed.
This school year would be difficult for sure. He really wasn't looking forward to it. He sat back down on his bed and contemplated contacting Sebastian. 'Should I?' Ciel thought. 'No, no. He might be busy. I'll wait till he calls me. Yeah...okay.' Ciel decided and he laid down. Before he knew it he fell asleep.
