Posted: July 16, 2010
Updated: July 16, 2010
Chapter Words: 3,690
Rating: T
Full Summary: Years back, before contracts with demons were a means to an end and at a time when the Millenium Earl's name was unheard of, two boys met across a white field and exchanged smiles. There were years of silence, years of resentment, yet in the end, simply knowing the other was there was enough. Each burdened with their own fate and curse, Ciel and Allen go through their lives—sometimes just trying to live.

Disclaimer: Don't own. Well actuall—Ow! Didn't have to hit me that hard…

SEMI IMPORTANT A/N: So all did not go to plan and this comes out two months later than it should have. Heh. Anyhow I edited a bit of last chapter, but they're small so I'll just explain it here. Ted (the dog)'s name is now Sebastian cuz that's what canon says it is (or at least wiki or something) and I'm trying to stick to it when I can. Ciel is now 5 and about to turn 6 because timelines are insanely hard to connect, and… think that's it.

As for questions, sorry 'bout that. At the end of last chapter, Allen tells Ciel 'I'll get you some high heels.' and that's supposed to be a joke about his height and need to be taller. And you know, Ciel does wear high heeled boots so, hah. Uhm. Mana has not yet entered the picture and looking on some timelines that might be not canon….. Oh and I'm sorry for any OOC characters (Allen), just trying to contrast Ciel and Allen. Hopefully I can smoothly transition Allen to the polite, kind boy we all know and love later. Thanks for all reviewers, now let's get to reading and you can see the real A/N at the end of the chapter.

3. Snow Lights

"Wait! W-what's your name? I'm Ciel!"

"Yeah; you told me that 10 minutes ago."

"Well?"

"…Allen."

"'Kay! Thanks again, so much! I'll see you later, Allen!"

Footsteps sprint off.

"… Yeah. It's a promise, then?"

"Ciel, can you tell me what happened? Your mother and I were both very worried." Ciel shifted uncomfortably under the combined, burning gazes, guiltily staring down at his folded, gloved hands. He wanted to tell his father, anything that would make him smile at him, but when he thought about it…

'"Hey, your dad is a lord, right?"

"What?"

"Uh…does he have a lot of money and people listen to him?"

"Yeah of course! Father is the best!"

"…Maybe we shouldn't tell anyone about this? I don't think they'll be very happy if they know about you playing with me…?"

"What? But Father and Mother alw-"

"B-but... You—you said that you wanted to see me again sometime, right? I—who knows if it'll happen, but I know it'll never happen if you tell your parents, so, so… Let's keep it a secret, please."'

Ciel shifted again and recoiled when he felt a hand rest on his shoulder. "You can tell us anything Ciel," his mother told him in her soft, soothing voice. "We won't be angry at you; we just want to know if anyone made you run out into the woods or if you saw anyone in the woods." Worry lingered beneath her voice and Ciel's hands tightened, mind racing to find some way to get out of this questioning. Allen… Allen was probably right after all. Ciel just had a gut feeling that any chance he had of making a friend in Allen would die if he told his parents everything.

In all honesty, they only made it out of that forest safely with the help of a generous amount of luck. It was super cold, and Ciel couldn't have helped but to notice how cold and quiet Allen was. Not that he knew the boy's name at that point; it had kept slipping his mind to ask him. But at the same time, Ciel had still needed to find Sebastian, and despite the coincidence of Allen finding a cabin to stay for the night… Ciel wasn't a mean person, but frankly, Allen couldn't find his way out of a cardboard box.

But in the silence of the night, it was actually Allen that caught the sound of Sebastian's barking. It was exhausting, trekking through all the snow and tripping over roots to get to the source, but Ciel hadn't been able to help the half laughter, half sob of relief when he finally saw Sebastian's shaggy, dark brown coat. Allen even had a smile on his face, and with a little nudging, bonded a bit with Sebastian before they moved on. Thankfully, through the natural tracking ability Sebastian had and a little bit of Allen's common sense, they found their way back to the path. And said their goodbyes, just before hiding beneath the shadows of lantern light…

"Ciel?" How could he tell them? His dad and their friends didn't see any of his interaction with Allen, so they didn't know yet. Allen didn't want them to know…

Ciel never considered lying. His parents were his world, that and Sebastian. He would never purposefully lie to them. He didn't think.

'I

"Uhm, Sebastian ran off, but… It's not Sebastian's fault, I think he heard something…It wasn't snowing yet.""

never

"I saw a cabin but it was quiet and no one was there. There wasn't even any smoke from the chimney, or any lights."

meant

"I fell a few times and kicked a lot of snow around. But then I realized we—me and Sebastian—were lost."

to

"Sebastian lead us—me, he lead me back to the path and I picked a direction. I heard your voice, Father, and I was so…really happy to be back home."

lie.'

Ciel gingerly hugged his mother back, hardly hearing the relief in her voice or the murmured reassurances of his father. When his mother began to stand back up, his grip suddenly tightened and the talking shushed.

"…Oh you poor boy. Are you hungry? Do you want to eat something before going to bed?" Ciel mutely shook his head. With that, a careful hand rested on his back and rubbed soft circles as he was picked up into a pair of strong, sturdy arms. "Are you sure, Ciel? You've been such a good boy, your father and I wouldn't mind if you'd like to eat some sweets or open one of your presents early," worry still coated his mother's voice.

Ciel tiredly glanced up and gave a small smile. "I'm okay. I'll wait for my birthday and it'll be better." So he was peacefully carried up the stairs, and steadily up the steps to Ciel's darkened room.

A deep, gentle chuckle echoed in the silence. "I thought you said you were too old to be carried like this?" Even so, Ciel relaxed with the much missed heat that encircled him.

The young boy was soon tucked in his bed, multiple layers of blankets packed to prevent any such cold from taking root. Soft voices disappeared and only a lingering touch of a lullaby remained. Warmth surrounded him into the night, the presence of family never leaving him. Even as his consciousness left them.

This memory would fade away like all the rest, consumed by raging flames in a wave of inevitable destruction and retribution. The velvety fabrics that surrounded him, the quality wood that held his weight, the bright, elegant blue curtains that shielded against the light, and the smiling photograph that looked down at him from the shelf… It would all disappear in four short years.

With a troubled smile, the two extra occupants left the room.

Downstairs, lanterns lit up the place as two silhouettes solemnly sat on the luxurious couch. Outside was a starlit night, signaling just how late the whole night's events had kept the both of them up. She glanced anxiously at him before she too, was comforted in the hold of her love's arms.

"Don't worry… He said he didn't see anyone and the cabin was already abandoned. He wasn't hurt at all besides a few scrapes from falling. And who knows, Rachel… Even the Queen is wrong sometimes. He was an old man living alone, away from the city. It is very likely that he died naturally; not from any premeditated plans."

She silently shook against him, so very worried and so very glad that despite all the fears of the night, her child came back to them safe and sound.

"Let's get to bed, shall we? As soon as the sun rises, I'll be out to check that cabin and I will make sure no one out there is waiting to hurt our child." The light blew out; a wisp, the remnants.

"I knew this was a stupid idea," Allen grumbled as he trudged through the snow, thankfully in clear weather. The bright, dazzling sunlight and pale wonderland would've left many a traveler envious, were it not for Allen's still thin clothing and less than stellar footwear. He could swear he lost all feeling in his toes hours ago.

But even if the view didn't quite make up for his chills, and his sneezes continuously threatened to trip him into the snow, Allen didn't quite feel…miserable. Not the way he'd been feeling the last few weeks as the days inched closer and closer to zero degrees, and his stomach stopped doing flops every time he thought about how this would be his coldest winter yet.

After all, in the past there would always be a traveling circus that'd come by right around December, in time for Christmas. It wasn't particularly spectacular or popular, but there was usually some abandoned tent Allen could sneak into, so it was good enough for him. But it was already the 13th and they hadn't shown up yet. Worse yet, when he was faced with that little boy's teary eyes and sniffles, Allen lost his resolve to borrow that guy's cabin for more than the night. Ah well. It was pretty freaky anyway, and he didn't think it was very moral of him.

Allen squeaked as he tripped over a hidden root along the path, wearily sitting up again to spit out some melted snow. With a sigh, Allen was about to stand up and start walking to the usual circus grounds again, when a faraway shadow caught his eye. Squinting into the glittering snow and sun, Allen could just barely make out a figure; adult size if his eyes weren't mistaken. It was walking alone with no companion, nor carriage to bring it along.

With a frown, Allen slowly stood up and kept a curious eye on the gradually approaching figure. It was strange for anyone to come up here, on foot nonetheless. Suddenly his own image popped up in his mind and Allen roughly shook his head with a hint of sheepishness. 'Well, strange for anyone who doesn't live on the streets.' And Allen was pretty sure this man was at least middle class. He wore the fashionable top hat and a white, tailed coat that almost blended into the ground.

As the man came closer, Allen was suddenly hit with a wave of uneasiness. Feeling slightly uncomfortable, Allen wondered if he should keep walking or just stand immobile until the man passed. But that was just awkward, right? Allen felt like cursing himself; why hadn't he hid in the trees? At this point, it was too late. There was no way the man hadn't noticed him by now.

The sound of crunching snow became more pronounced amidst the still morning, and with a small gulp, Allen forced himself to start walking again. Yet then, the other man stopped, now just several meters away and tilted his head up, eyeing the moving child. Chilled, Allen could now fully see the man's face and realized he had a rather Cheshire like grin on, matched with wavy brunet hair and eerie gold eyes.

"That's it, boy. Don't stop now; keep walking."

Jolted out of his stare, Allen couldn't help but freeze again, as the man started walking again. The mocking words echoed in his head, somehow not connecting with the person he saw. As if in slow motion, Allen tracked the stranger's movements from the corner of his eyes, perturbed by what might have been a hint of approval in the man's gait. Yet, Allen didn't say a word, didn't make a sound until the sound of footsteps faded. And then, when he turned around, he couldn't even say he was surprised by the sight of an empty path, without a man in sight.

His eyes shifted down, but before he could study the snow, a blast of wind buffeted him. The rush of sound helped clear the last of the daze from him, but as Allen stood back up, he could clearly tell that had there been any footprints left by the mysterious man, they would've all been brushed away now. Allen exhaled, but another, weaker gust of wind drew his attentions to the sky. What used to be a blue, clear sky was now gray and cloud covered.

There was one last glance, then Allen pushed the matter away for later reflection. With a contemplating frown, Allen hurried down the path, eager to find shelter from the snow aided wind, if not in a circus, than at least in an alley.

Long, silent minutes passed, and the frown on his face did not fall. Footsteps constantly hurried to their location and Allen's gray eyes drifted in mild boredom. A twinge of numb pain gave way to a shiver, but Allen continued on. 'Just one more hill… then it goes downhill and it won't be long 'till I pass the circus field and I can see civilization again…' Heavy pants showed Allen's fatigue and the cold mist that hung in front of his face with each breath didn't lift his mood.

That man earlier didn't seem cold or tired at all… Did real clothes make that much of a difference?

An almost-slip on a rock lead Allen to a pause, breath catching in his throat. But he made himself carry on, dragging his feet uphill, wondering if it would've been possible to simply go around the hill… but he was already up anyway. Soon he'd be able to see the great smog of London and the familiar droll buildings and walls.

Except—Allen stopped in shock and promptly slipped on the rocks again, barely catching himself from face-planting with his left hand. A sharp wince got out before Allen switched hands and slowly stood again, distractedly nursing his deformed arm as he stared at the sight before him. The dull buildings a little farther to the right received no attention from him—nor anyone else it seemed. In that common circus ground wasn't the mediocre, run of the mill carnival that had been his haven these past few winters…but a bustling, raging, bright sea of lights, people, and colors.

Allen hesitantly stepped forward again, something long unfelt stirring in his chest and lightening his eyes. It looked so fun.

A snap decision was made there, and then, carefully to avoid and more falls, Allen ran down the hill. Brown hair flapped in his face, cool air caressed his skin, and as he got closer and closer to beaming festivities, the radiance reflected in his eyes…

He was more a child then, than he ever was. For his smile.

Bright lights twinkled; a haunting, chaotic melody was the backdrop to their scene. Allen couldn't help the wide, amazed eyes that popped out, nor the steadily growing smile on his face. It didn't matter that he couldn't play any of the games or go into any of the tents and see their acts; hearing all the laughter and being surrounded by all the happiness was enough.

Allen gazed around in awe, spying one lady handing out balloons. "Wow…" Allen unconsciously headed closer, marveling at the 't' design splattered everywhere on them. 'Wait…' Allen's face brightened as he realized they were sparkle designs, or maybe four-pointed stars. He smiled, and was about to turn back around before a gloved hand rested on his shoulder. "Eh?"

"Little boy; do you want a balloon?" Allen looked up, about to apologize for any wrong he did before he realized the hand on his shoulder was gentle and he was being offered a gift.

"I-I…" Allen felt like he couldn't speak. Somewhere, deep in his mind he questioned if such an act of kindness could be true.

"It's free, here, take it." She handed it to his left hand, not even noticing any abnormality in his defective hand. She just smiled kindly, before walking back to her stand and handing more balloons to eager children, never complaining even when some let go of theirs. She just gave them a new one and told them to be more careful.

Allen stared at her before sliding his gaze to the ribbon in his hands. A small moment of panic hit him when he realized it was slipping out of his numb hand and he floundered to grasp it. A small sigh of relief sounded when the balloon stopped ascending. Then of course, Allen truly took the time to admire it. A white ribbon lead straight up to a bobbing, red balloon with large, white sparkle designs on it. A wide smile spread across Allen's face and he swore to himself not to carelessly let go of it until the end of the day, when it could fly free.

With that, Allen gripped the ribbon tightly before he started walking around again, a slight hope in him for another pleasant surprise.

"Hey! Look at him! His nose and hair are red! Can we go look, Daddy?" Allen turned to glance at a young brunette girl, just about Ciel's size. Grasped between her hands was a sleeve; her dad's he assumed.

"Ah, of course Dani—a, a clown? "

"Daddy?"

"Aha…ha…nothing sweetie, just uh… Oh look at that candy stand! I'll get you something there instead, princess." Allen couldn't help a smothered giggle, wondering what was so scary about a…clown, was it? Curious, Allen scooted his way through the crowds, heading towards the direction the little girl had pointed towards. All the while, he made sure no one bumped and popped his balloon. Thankfully, the ribbon was really long and the balloon hung just above most faces.

Yet, there were so many people. Allen still couldn't help the giddy feeling in his stomach. There had never been this many people in the past years, but the design on the entrance archway was still the same. A bit spruced up, but Allen had recognized the shining lanterns, the hanging beads, and the bright words 'Circus' on the top, decorated by twisting, swirling designs of metal. A diamond patterned black and white wall was set up to either side, and it looked incredible. It was the same group, but it seemed so much livelier and well-off.

Not to mention, plenty of new acts. There was only one main tent in the past and a lot of stalls. Now, there had to be at least 3 other tents besides the gigantic one. And there was never a clown before, or at least, no one ever talked about there being one.

Finally, Allen spied a break in the throngs of people, and surged there in an effort to see where he stood. Only to freeze in surprise.

He made it out of the crowds alright. Simply out of the frying pan and into the fire.

It felt like hundreds of eyes were staring at him, and for all he knew, hundreds were. But the stare he felt most, was the one in front of him, outlined in bright blue, surrounded with a stark white face, and topped off with frizzy red hair. 'Is this…a clown?' Allen felt sweat trickle down his neck and gulped. 'It looks like a demon!' Immediately, Allen's head slammed downwards, refusing to look at the….at It, at all.

"Hello there, little sir." A gentle, bemused smile. There was no reply. After a moment of quiet murmurs from the crowd, the clown looked nervous. "Hmm…perhaps you'd like a balloon animal?" The clown pulled out a small plastic, purple…bag? Allen thought balloons were big and round and…floaty. Like the one the nice lady gave to him.

The clown seemed to raise an eyebrow at him, and Allen felt like he was just asked a question…but he wasn't sure what. Slowly, Allen attempted to pick up his foot and stepped back, but he seemed to forget the second part—you know, the important 'step back' command. A surge of mortification rushed him, and he blanched. He set his ragged, shoe-covered foot back down.

"…Do you have a favorite animal?" The clown wasn't oblivious, he could clearly tell the boy was afraid of him but he couldn't see his parents anywhere. He considered 'shutting up' to be a possible, wonderful solution but it might look bad in front of the crowd…. Maybe he could charm the kid over? Show him clowns weren't anything to be afraid of? A big grin stretched his face and he did his best to look amusing. Hopefully after a year of this job, he was better now.

Still, Allen stayed stone still. What was the clown doing? Why would It want to know his favorite animal…? Balloon…? Allen sneaked a peek to the side, hot embarrassment making him want to look away from the numerous eyes that stared straight back but… His eyes dropped and he could see several balloon-like things, but they were all…twisted? If he cocked his head (not that he did—frozen and all), he supposed they looked a bit like creatures. But he couldn't recognize most of them. He could see a blue cat…maybe…and this green one that had a really long head. 'Perhaps they were…'

A dark aura surrounded Allen.

'…demon animals?'

Silence followed that thought, and Allen ended up confused enough to lift his head and look at the clown in the eye. A deadpan, straight face stared back. "…I don't know what gave you that impression, but I don't make—t-those aren't demon animals."

Crickets chirp.

What the clown had expected was a timid plea for the scary man to go away, or a shy answer of an animal, or maybe even screeching cries of terror. Not that honestly clueless, reflective tone, questioning the presence of demon animals. Demon animals. The following stuttered apology/begging-for-my-soul was a little more in character, but he couldn't even enjoy that (not that he would) under the cacophony of laughter and confused "What's so funny?" statements.

"AH? I said that aloud? I-I'm s-s-sor-sorry! Y-you wouldn't eat me right?" Fists waved wildly in the air; possibly reminiscent of a berserk monkey. Maybe he should put that into balloon form.

Honestly.

Mana Walker was many things, not all of which he was proud of, but he was not amused.

Omake~

"Hey Alleeeennnn~"

"Hmm?" Allen's eyes peek up over the worn out cards in his hands, curious, wide eyes staring back at Ciel.

Ciel gazes stonily at Allen, a sharp contrast to his sing song voice. "You surrreee you've never played Old Maid before?" Ciel peeks down at his own two cards and scowls at the evil queen of spades that just wouldn't leave his hand!

Allen sweatdrops and laughs uneasily. "I've never actually played card games before…I just like shuffling them to practice my left hand." Ciel doesn't stop staring, but a thoughtful look in his eyes breaks his mask.

…

"What?"

Two cards slap down. "Hah! Joker beats all! I winnnnnn—oomph! Owwwwww….Alleeennnnn… You hit me!"

Vein pops out. "Just because you know the game doesn't mean I don't know my own deck…Jokers don't wear dresses!"

"They can in India—I, uhm, learned that today. Nnnngh~" Tongue sticks out.

*sigh*

A/N: How was that? Yay…finished a chapter only two months late. You should be warned that last time, I was about a year late… Something like that. So read the author note at the top for what was changed in chapter 2 and the answer to the most common questions I got in reviews …I guess my humor needs some work. But that reminds me, thanks EVERYONE for reviews! And favorites and alerts! I'm sorry I didn't reply to any reviews, but I was a bit busy and I have trouble on what to say and…yeah. XD Thanks a lot and do know I read every one!

So uhm. More bad humor in the omake but I was just reading up on trivia on the two characters to get to know them better (I haven't really been keeping up with the manga and the anime is all finished and not entirely reliable), and wanted to incorporate some of that… early. So all constructive criticism is welcome and if anyone knows some solid dates from the two series, that'd be really helpful. Like, one thing that keeps getting varied is when Mana dies in relation to how long he's been with Allen, and same with when the 14th dies. And when Ciel's place burns but that's a bit more reliable; when he was 9/10 right? Heh, just trying to get it all right.

Thanks for reading, sorry for lateness, please review, and expect next chapter by September! Or August if Snow Lynx 95 gets around to beating me up.

Just noticed the omake was in present tense…Hah.