TITLE: MALE ORDER BRIDE
SUMMARY: After being raised his whole life as a girl just to be sold as an undercover bride to a rich nobleman with some questionable choices in partners, Ciel takes matters into his own hands and arranges so that his childhood crush serves as his husband. However it's difficult when your fiancé has a boyfriend and next to no interest in your frilly clothes and girly makeup.
STORY PAIRINGS: Ciel+Sebastian, Alois+Calude
PLEASE NOTE: This story is rated M. According to the FF site, that means it has to be appropriate for ages 16+ WITHOUT explicit content, which includes adult language, themes, and suggestions. This story meets those requirements.
CHAPTER 5
"You make me take a damn test then you don't call me for weeks and out of the blue you leave me a note on my door tellin' me to meet you here so you can show me silverware?" Alois said rudely.
"I'm not showing you. For the last time… I'm teaching you," Claude said annoyed.
"I'm trying to teach you, there is no point in having this many forks at one table," Alois frowned. "Seriously, it's pointless. One fork is more than fine to eat everything on the fuckin' plate."
"Would…" Claude sighed exhaustively. "For that last time, would you not curse. That sort of language is vulgar and the mark of a lack of education."
"One fork is more than fine to eat everything of this gosh darn plate," Alois corrected.
"Better, but how about not even adding alternatives," Claude sighed.
"Can we just do something else? This is boring," Alois frowned.
"Okay, how about we discuss your backstory?"
"Backstory?" Alois' frowned deepened.
"You are the only granddaughter of a wealthy vintage architect who restores old villas and ancient castles. It's not a well-known or well respected business so I doubt we'll meet anyone who can recall any names from the field off the top of their hat," Claude explained.
"Vintage what now?" Alois frowned.
"You know what, I think we're done," Claude said getting up from the table they were sitting at. "Go ahead and forget about the car, I'm just… Clearly this isn't going to work…"
"Aw but I was just getting' the hang of all this," Alois teased and he picked up one of the forks holding it up. "See, this is a salad fork."
"Shrimp fork," Claude frowned.
"Shrimp fork," Alois corrected. "That's what I said, see you can't hear too well. I said shrimp fork."
*ding* *dong*
Claude glanced up… "Shit," he sighed.
"Now now," Alois said teasingly. "That sort of language is vulgar and the mark of a lack of education."
"Very funny," Claude said grabbing his arm. "Just hide in my room and don't come out unless I tell you."
"Wha… I can't even meet your friends?" he asked mockingly.
"This is not a joke, this is not a game," Claude said sternly. "You stay in this room, quietly, until I tell you that you can leave. Got it?"
"Whatever, fine…" Alois said plopping down on Claude's bed.
Claude left closing the door after he walked out. Taking a deep breath, he hurried over and answered the door to his apartment.
"Father," he said inclining his head. "Mother."
While the man standing before him was indeed his Father, the woman with him (while his Father's wife) was not his mother. Both of them had distinctly British features and looked nothing like Claude. In fact, the only thing that even remotely told onlookers that Claude was his son was that fact that they both seemed to share the same strong chin. All his other features however, were bestowed upon him by his Asian mother.
"May we come in?" she asked rather snobbishly.
"Yes, of course."
They walked in wearing formal outfits. His step-mother took out a handkerchief and placed it to her nose. As if to say there was a foul odor about. Sure his apartment wasn't the cleanest in the world, but any mess that was there was just clutter. It wasn't like he left food about. He was sure his apartment smelled fine, she was just trying to make him feel bad.
"We were thinking," his Father began wasting no time getting right to the point. "That we would have dinner and discuss business."
"Can we go out," the woman said throwing disgusted glances around his apartment.
"Yes, I was thinking the same thing," Claude's Father motioned her back to the door. "Get your coat."
Sighing he went over to his closet throwing his jacket over his shoulder, he thought he knew what this was about…
Ciel and Sebastian had been spending so much time together that there were moments Ciel almost forgot that their whole situation even existed. Sometimes it indeed felt like they were just dating, friends. He was almost beginning to forget just how long he had been living in Sebastian's home, and then his mother called…
"So, can we officially announce your engagement soon?" his mother had asked suddenly and without warning.
Ciel was taken aback having the question so suddenly thrust upon him. He frowned. "Uh…"
"Well you two have been living together for a while now, so I think you're pretty as used to each other as you'll get. Your father and I would really like to officially announce your engagement and we'll set the wedding date for a week after you turn eighteen."
"Uh…"
"Is that all you're gonna say? Uh? Is something wrong sweetie?" his Mother asked.
Yeah, Ciel thought to himself. He still doesn't know I'm a boy…
"Can I call you back Mama?" he asked frowning.
"Sure, but call me soon okay," she said happily.
Ciel hung up pondering. He couldn't tell him now. They had spent too much time together. It would be weird to tell him now.
"Ciel we're goin' out tonight!" Sebastian said happily. "Get dressed."
"Why?"
"I'm taking you out of course," he explained grinning. "Where would you like to go?"
Ciel thought for a minute. "The planetarium?"
"Really?" Sebastian said frowning slightly. "I guess if you want. Sounds kind of boring though."
His gaze fell to the ground and Sebastian smiled. "Sorry, they're not my thing. But if you enjoy them. Then that is where we'll go."
Smiling Ciel hurried off to his room to pick something to wear. His mother had taught him a lot about fashion. What goes with what. Etc. But he always found himself getting nervous each time he and Sebastian were supposed to go out. He never really knew what to wear, what Sebastian would like. If he found one thing cuter on him than another. He had never worried about his clothes to this length before. He just really wanted Sebastian to like him. His life depended on it, while he was pretty sure he liked him enough… But… if he couldn't make Sebastian genuinely love him. Then he could be thrown out…
He could be tossed aside. Then the only person who would marry him is…
He shook his head settling finally on a white sun dress with a see-through shawl. He looked at the white shoes that he had. Some were flats some were heels. Did Sebastian like heels on women? If so, how high a heel should he wear. Unfortunately, these were things he couldn't just ask him.
"Ciel are you ready yet?" Sebastian called after a few minutes.
"Yes I'm coming," Ciel said. He checked his wig one last time in the mirror. It was on straight, all the pins holding it in place seemed secure. He grabbed his purse and hurried out to Sebastian who was wearing a rather nice tailored suit.
"Don't you look beautiful," he said smiling holding the door open for her so they could leave. A limo was waiting outside.
"You didn't have to get a limo."
"Well today is a special night," Sebastian said smiling and they climbed inside.
The dinner went just how he was expecting. Another attempt from his parents to get him to wed a woman of station. Someone with a title. Someone their family could show of to make up for the fact that he was Asian.
He had only half listened to this conversation. One he had heard countless times. He was starting to think that maybe he should just marry whoever they say. Just to get them off his back.
They dropped him off back at home without a goodbye but rather a stern warning to think about what they had discussed. Then their car drove off and exhausted Claude went up to his apartment. Flicking on the light. It was quiet. Not that he had expected anything else, but… he wondered what it would be like to come home to a wife cooking him dinner. Or waiting up for him on the sofa. Someone who would say, "Hello darling. How was your day."
Just someone who would be happy to see that he was home and safe. Maybe getting married wouldn't be so bad after all. Having a wife probably wouldn't be terrible either. These days, how many people actually married for love anyway?
He plopped down on his sofa and undid his tie before staring up at the ceiling. There really wasn't anything else to do but go to bed he supposed. As he got up to head to his bedroom he noticed the place setting he had set out to teach Alois the proper way to eat.
The kid was probably home by now, and Claude decided he wasn't going to call on him again. He would just do what is expected of him. Regardless of whether or not he would be happy.
He opened the door to his room and was slightly taken aback to see Alois sitting on the floor. He knees pulsed up to his chest. He glanced up at him and smiled. "Is it safe to leave now?"
"You're still here?" Claude questioned as Alois got to his feet stretching.
"Of course I am, you told me to stay."
Claude blinked and then he remembered what he had said: "This is not a joke; this is not a game. You stay in this room, quietly, until I tell you that you can leave. Got it?"
"I'm just glad Luca had planned to see a friend today, but I really should get going now," he said passing by him.
"It's been a few hours, but you stayed… Didn't you know we had left?" Claude asked.
"You went somewhere," Alois said frowning. "I mean, I knew it had gotten quiet but I thought maybe you had moved to a part of the apartment I couldn't hear. Anyway, glad you made him home without totaling another car."
"That was you remember?" Claude asked.
Alois grinned. "See ya."
"Wait," Claude said. He walked over to his dresser drawer. He had bought a cheap spare cell phone in case he decided to keep Alois around, and now he was thinking. That maybe he did want to see him again after all. "Take this. I'll call you on it if I need you."
"Sweet," Alois said. "Aw, it's an old model."
"So?"
"You're rich, you could have at least bought me something I could download some games on," Alois teased.
"This is a phone for emergencies, and necessary calls. It's not for games," Claude sighed.
"You're no fun," Alois frowned putting it in his pocked he went to the door and Claude followed him.
"I'm sorry," Claude said.
"What about?"
"About leaving you in the room so long…"
Alois shrugged, "I had nowhere to be today and Luca is seeing his friends so it's not a big deal. I'll talk to you later."
With that Alois left and Claude shut the door. Who was this Luca guy anyway? Probably a boyfriend of his. He felt a small twinge of jealousy burning in his stomach and he shook his head. What was he doing? They weren't even going out. He had no reason to be jealous of anyone. Shaking the feeling he headed to his room to go to sleep.
The Planetarium was… as boring as Sebastian thought it was. A drolling voice discussed the planets and constellations while everyone sat back in reclining seats. He was about to ask Ciel if she wanted to leave. Though when he turned to look at her the lights from the current constellation they were showing was illuminating her face and her hair. Her eyes were wide and she seemed to be staring at the scene in absolute awe.
He smiled. He couldn't help it. She was so enraptured by what she was seeing. So engrossed by the lights and whatever knowledge the announcer was stating. He didn't care though. What he did care about was that look on her face, and he was starting to think it was worth going just to see it. He wondered if she loved space? As they were leaving he decided to ask her.
"What exactly do you like about Planetariums anyway? I mean I'm sure you've been to one before. Don't they all have the same things to say and show?"
"Yes, but… it's fascinating," Ciel said. By the time they had left it was already dark out so they could see the stars themselves now. She looked up at them.
"Sometimes you think, I have so many problems. My life is so hard. Yet we're so tiny. Seeing planets and stars kinda makes you realize just how small your problems really are compared to the whole world. It makes me feel like, my problems aren't so bad."
"Well it's not like you have too many problems anyway right?" Sebastian asked holding the door to the limo and the two of them got in.
"Oh... yeah. I guess not."
"Ciel… I know I asked you this already. But that was for our little scam that we had going. So I was wondering." He felt to one knee on the limo floor. "Ciel. For real this time. Will you marry me?"
"…" Ciel smiled. Honestly for the moment his secret really had slipped his mind, though a part of him didn't want to say yes, for more reasons than he could count, he did anyway. Because it was his only hope. "Yes."
Smiling Sebastian leaned forward and kissed him, which Ciel had not been expecting. It was brief though, but still made him flush embarrassingly.
"Wonderful." Sebastian put his arm around her smiling. "Man, to think I would fall in love with a girl. At least this way my Dad will be happy. I mean, I can give him grandchildren now."
Ciel felt his stomach fall through the floor, as he felt a bit regretful. He really shouldn't have said yes after all. Sebastian held him close the remainder of the limo ride back to their house. Ciel tilted his head down to avoid Sebastian's gaze, so he wouldn't see that he was crying.
The next day Ciel's stomach was hurting. It had started bothering him last night and continued right up to this morning. He was guilt ridden. That had to be it! He felt bad about deceiving Sebastian. So his body was punishing him clearly.
Ciel sat with his arms across his stomach and his forehead on the breakfast table when Sebastian came downstairs to eat. "What's wrong with you?" he asked as he grabbed a box of cereal.
"I don't feel good," Ciel answered truthfully.
"Oh… is it…" he stopped looking nervous. "You know that time of the month?"
Ciel shook his head.
"On a scale of one to ten how bad is it?" he asked.
"Six," Ciel answered.
Sebastian frowned thinking for a moment. "You need some rice."
"What?"
"My Mother used to make me eat rice whenever my stomach was upset. I'll cook you some. So, you go see if a shower might help you and when you get out I should have this done."
"Okay," Ciel said getting to her feet she suddenly gasped and collapsed to the floor holding her side.
"CIEL!" Sebastian gasped rushing over to her. "Okay, forget that. I'm calling an ambulance."
"An ambulance? No it's fine," Ciel said shaking his head. "It's not that bad."
She started to get up and let out a sharp cry.
"No don't move," Sebastian said taking out his cell phone. He made Ciel remain as still as possible while they waited for the paramedics to show up. She was put on a stretcher and the ambulance took off.
By the time they arrived at the hospital Ciel had fainted from the pain and so the nurse went up to him to ask him questions.
What's her name? How old is she? Does she have any allergies? Any preexisting conditions? All these questions were asked of him including more. Sebastian was appalled to realize he could only genuinely answer the first two.
"Is there any chance she could be pregnant?" the nurse asked with clipboard in hand.
Sebastian thought about that. They had not had sex. But… at the same time. They had only just become really official yesterday. So… Ciel had been free to see others if she wished. Gosh he had never even bothered to ask her if there was someone she was with or would rather be with, besides him. But she had said yes when he asked her to marry her. So if there had been someone else, then surely she would have told him…
"Sir," the woman said sternly. "Is their any chance—"
"I don't know," Sebastian said truthfully. "I'm not sure. Maybe."
The woman having received the needed information hurried off, and Sebastian sat there. Ciel's parents would have to be notified he presumed. He had left so quickly he forgot his cell phone and he went to the front desk to ask if he could call them.
"We'll do that for you Sir, don't worry," the woman said smiling. So Sebastian sat back down and waited. About thirty minutes later the same nurse from before returned looking rather stern.
"You come with me!" she snapped.
Sebastian got up following her and she brought him to a more secluded area. "Alright look," she snapped. "I get this whole transgender thing. I really do, my roommate back in college was transgendered. But when it comes to medical health we need to know a person's physical gender for health reasons. Alright."
"What?"
"Next time if a situation like this arises, just say she's a boy okay. We spent time making sure she wasn't pregnant, when we could have been spending that on finding out what's wrong with her. It seems though that she has appendicitis. It'll need to be removed. It's a fairly common procedure and she should be fine."
"Wait…" Sebastian said blinking at her. "Did… you just say that Ciel is a boy?"
"Yes," she sighed exasperated. But then the realization seemed to hit her as well. "Wait… you didn't know? I thought you said you two were living together?"
"We are," Sebastian said frowning. "But… she never told me…"
"Oh gosh, I'm so sorry. Please don't tell my supervisor. Patient confidentiality is taken very seriously. I didn't realize it was a secret and I—"
Sebastian had stopped listening however. Ciel was… All this time… She was a boy. She had never told him…
After what feels like 17 years I have updated. Okay, it hasn't been that long. But it's been quiet awhile. I hope you all like the latest chapter. Until next time Reviewers and Shadow Readers!
