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 6


Ciel was… All this time… She was a boy. She had never told him…

He didn't know what to think. Or feel. Ciel was transgender?

He frowned. He had never know anyone who was transgender before. He was wondering how he should act. Had she maybe expected him to know all along? Should he apologize for not knowing? Should he feel pity? Should he go on pretending he doesn't know?

The rest of his and the nurses conversation had passed in a blurr. He wasn't even entirely sure what she had said, but at some point in it he had promised he wouldn't tell her supervisor. When Ciel was done in surgery she... he... was taken to a private room and Sebastian was told he could sit with him... her... Though it would be some time before he... she... woke up. He didn't even know how to think about her. His mind was so used to assigning a gender to a person and then how he treated them was dependent upon that.

When he walked in, Ciel was sleeping peacefully on the hospital bed breathing lightly. His hair was short... Why was his hair short? He then noticed a wig had been folded neatly and placed on top of Ciel's clothes in the corner. So Ciel even wore a wig. He walked over to him and let his fingers brush Ciel's short hair gently. It was so soft...

Walking over to the wig he picked it up. It too was soft. He had a feeling that Ciel wouldn't want to wake up without this. So he let the wig's strands unravel and he brushed through it gently to make it look right. With the utmost care he tilted Ciel's head forward and placed the wig upon it sorting the strands and tresses until it looked how Ciel would usually wear it. Staring down at his face Sebastian felt his chest almost melt.

Ciel would wear a dress everyday. Do his makeup, and put on this wig. He was trying so hard to be a girl. No... he was a girl. That's all their is to it. Ciel wished to be a girl, and so he was. Picking up her hand he brought the back of it to his lips and kiss her hand softly. "I promise to always see you through whatever lens you wish me to wear."


"Ugh!" Alois sighed. He was sitting upside down on Claude's sofa.

Claude had his head in his hands feeling exhausted. Why did he ever think he could turn this street punk into a respectable girlfriend.

"Go put on the clothes... we'll try this one more time with the outfits on..."

"What does it matter if I'm wearing the clothes? How is that supposed to improve my dancing?"

"Because if you have the outfit on you might get in the mindset better. Just do it alright..."

"Whatever," he climbed to his feet and went into the other room to change. Claude went over to the radio to choose a new song. Perhaps something even slower than the last song would help Alois get in the rhythm. He came back a few minutes later in his wig and a purple dress. Though he wasn't wearing the heels Claude had found for him. "Now the shoes," he said.

"No way, they hurt my feet!" Alois snapped.

"I don't care. They don't hurt that bad, and for events and parties you'll be expected to wear them..."

"Well I don't have to wear them while were practicing at least..."

"You're going to have to get used to them eventually, so put them on!"

Begrudgingly, Alois went back into the room and stumbled out with the heels on. He was clinging to the wall like people who don't know how to ice skate do at skating rinks.

"Oh c'mon, it's not that bad..." Cluade said walking over he took his hand and helped him out into the center of the living room as the music started up again. "Now just like I showed you..."

They started dancing, Alois kept an eye on his feet the whole time while Claude stared at him. He actually was rather pretty. He doubted anyone would think Alois was a boy in this get up. His eyes were concentrating on his feet so intensely that Claude could just stare at him without worry of being caught. He noticed Alois' lips were moving and he quickly gathered that Alois was counting steps. Claude smiled. He was really cute... when he wasn't cursing or being his usual dumb ass self.

The song ended and Alois looked up at him for the first time, and that little glance upward made Claude's heart skip a beat and he let go rather quickly.

"What's wrong?" Alois asked frowning.

"Nothing..." Claude said heading over to the radio so he could turn off the next song that had automatically started.

"Whoa," Alois said checking his watch. "I gotta go."

"No," Claude answered setting the radio to play the previous song once again. "You're staying here until we get this right."

"Really I can't," Alois said, "Luca is waiting for me."

Claude felt his fist tighten. I'm jealous, he found himself thinking. I'm actually jealous... Who the hell is this Luca guy anyway?

He turned and saw Alois had removed his shoes and wig and already had the dress unzipped and half pulled down before he went into Claude's bedroom and closed the door. Damn him...

If he's going to be working for me to pay off that car, then he should leave when I say we're done. Not when that Luca asshole wants him to be home. A few minutes later Alois came out wearing the clothes he came there in. In fact, those were the clothes Alois often wore when he came over. Claude thought about it a second. Other than the girl clothes he had bought for him, Claude had only ever seen him wear two outfits.

"Don't you have any other clothes beside that?"

"Oh, not really. Their was a fire a few years ago, it destroyed almost everything we had," Alois explained grabbing his bag Claude did notice that the pants he was wearing were a few inches too short for him. "Well, I'm off. I'll see you tomorrow."

He had half opened the door when Claude pushed it shut. He turned frowning up at him.

"I believe I said you're staying here until we get this right," Claude explained rather slowly.

"I'm not rich you know. I spend my mornings here to fulfill my obligation to you. Then I spend the afternoons with Luca until I have to go to my evening job."

"You're not still—"

"No," Alois snapped. "I quit doing that sort of work, like you asked after I took all those stupid tests. I work at a late night restaurant."

"Stay here..."

"I can't. I hardly get to see Luca as it is. Right now we only have afternoons to be together, well except for early mornings when I get up and make him breakfast."

Alois opened the door again only to have Claude closed it once more.

"Okay, let me explain to you how doors are supposed to work."

"Don't leave."

Alois started up at him. His expression looked hurt. "Claude what's wrong?"

Claude frowned. He knew he shouldn't ask this... but for some reason an overwhelming feeling of loss seemed to fill his chest at the idea of Alois leaving again. "Until you're done pretending to be my girlfriend. You should live here. Forget Luca."

"I can't leave Luca are you nuts?" Alois snapped looking angry.

"Does he really mean that much to you?" Claude frowned avoiding his eyes and suddenly Alois understood... He thinks Luca's my boyfriend, Alois thought to himself and he couldn't help but smile.

"Yes," Alois stated simply. "He means that much to me."

With that he wrenched the door open quickly and hurried off down the hallway. Claude stood there for a good few minutes feeling a mix of having been jilted and jealousy.


When Ciel's parents had gotten there they seemed more worried about the scar the surgery had left.

"We'll pay as much as is necessary to have it fixed. I know a good reconstructive surgeon who could make it look like the scar was never there," her Father explained to Sebastian in the waiting room while Ciel's mother had gone in to speak with her.

"What? Why?"

"Well you were thinking of returning her weren't you?" Vincent asked frowning. "I mean her body is scarred now, so her price shouldn't be as high."

"Is that seriously what you're thinking about right now?" Sebastian asked feeling more than a little appalled. "Your child just had surgery and you're worried about what sort of scar it might leave. You should worried about if she's okay or not."

"I know she's okay," he snapped, clearly insulted. "I spoke with the doctors before we came up here. I was worried you might return her after an incident like this."

"I..." Sebastian couldn't believe he was hearing this. "I love your Daughter. I'm not returning her for any reason."

Vincent's face lit up a bit and he smiled. "Well, that's good to hear. But it's still a bit unfair to you. I'll reimburse you a portion of your money for her anyway. Expect it in your account by the end of the week."

He clapped a hand on his shoulder as Ciel's mother walked into the waiting area. "Ciel seems fine. A little sleepy, but otherwise she's completely alright."

"Excellent," Vincent said. "Well, I can still make that conference in Spain if we get a flight out now. See you later Sebastian."

With that Vincent left, he didn't even go in to see Ciel. Frowning, Sebastian walked back down to Ciel's room. His own father and he didn't have the best of relationships, but Sebastian knew that if he ended up in the hospital for one reason or another that his father would come see him.

He walked into Ciel's room and found her staring up at the ceiling, but she tore her eyes from it and smiled at him. "Hi."

"Hi," Sebastian answered. Ciel had woken up just as his Mother had arrived. So Sebastian had left to give them space and time together. So this was the first time they had spoken since Ciel had gotten out of surgery.

"I guess... My appendix was the problem..."

"I guess so," Sebastian answered sitting in the chair next to her bed.

"My scar will heal almost completely too. I'm going to make sure to put some oils on it to make it disappear quicker and—" at the start of this sentence Ciel's fist had clutched her covers and she looked back at the ceiling.

"Man you and your Father."

"Huh?" she looked back at him.

"I don't care about your scar. For your sake I hope it fades away as much as possible. But personally I don't care if it completely disappears or stays quite visible forever," Sebastian said. "All I care about is that you're healthy."

"..." Ciel had opened his mouth to say something but closed it again. This clearly had not been the reaction she was expecting... A nurse walked in an announced she was checking up on her.

Sebastian wondered if he should tell her. About the fact that he knew, but her confused frown was so adorable. She wore it the whole time the nurse examined her. He decided not to. Somewhere down the line he would find out regardless, and she would ask since when did you know and he could tell her since your operation. Then she would see how wonderful he treats her between then and now and she would feel so loved and cherished. Yes, he was going to make her feel loved and cherished. Which is really what every woman wants. Right?


Alois missed the next week of their, learn to be a good upper class girlfriend lessons with Claude. Claude hadn't fully realized how much their time apart had affected him, until he walked in the door after that week. Claude felt his heart sink in his chest as Alois turned to him smiling.

And Claude decided in that second.

"We're going out," he explained.

"I just got here."

"Well, you missed over a week of lessons and now their is no more time. I have to start letting the public see me with you. So they'll know I have a girlfriend and my parents will get off my back about marriage proposals," Claude explained. "So we're going to do a trial run. I'm gonna take you to a nice restaurant and you're to act the part the whole time we're there."

This wasn't necessarily true. It could have waited another week. But, he wanted to take Alois on a date, and this was the easiest way to get him to agree to it.

"Alright, I'll just. Go get changed then," Alois said feeling confused by Claude's tone of anger. He went into Claude's room and over to his closet. Claude had two in here, and had emptied one of them to put up all of Alois' girl clothes. He picked a long purple dress with a slit in the skirt. Thigh high stockings, elbow length white gloves, heels and a matching pashmina shawl.

Then he put on his wig, threw on some lipstick and was ready in about ten minutes.

When he walked out of the room he spun around to show Claude his outfit and Claude immediately (and secretly) called the restaurant he had just called to cancel their reservation. He then called another place and made one, because the first venue did not match the classiness of the outfit Alois had chosen and Claude didn't have the heart to tell him to change.

Then he called a limo service so he could take her there in style. Alois was being silly the whole ride there. Talking about how this was his first time in a limo and playing with any and all buttons. He opened the small bar in the fridge and read the names of all the bottles though he didn't actually open any. Then Alois looked up and saw the sun room and got very excited. "Oh my god, oh my god! I saw this in a movie once. We have to do it!"

He opened it up and stuck his head out. Immediately pulling himself back inside his wig completely messed up, as the strands had blown about everywhere. "Shit it's windy up there!"

Claude laughed making him sit down he took a comb out from his inside jacket pocket and combed the wig's strands back into submission.

When they arrived at the restaurant Alois calmed down considerably. He did not goof around, and as Claude had wanted he was trying to remember his manners and decorum.

They were shown to their seats and Alois looked around smiling, "So, Clause. Do you come here often?"

"What are you doing?" Claude snapped frowning.

"I'm pretending to be a girl," he explained this part softly so just the two of them could hear. "So I think you could pretend this is our first date. Thus I'm getting to know you."

"You called me Clause..."

"I'm supposed to be a self entitled white rich girl with a trust fund, I don't give a fuck what your name is..." Alois explained, and an elderly couple not too far away turned slightly looking appalled at Alois' use of language.

"Keep your voice down," Claude said.

"So, Clause," Alois said again stressing the wrong name. "I hear you're rather rich. What do your parents do?"

"It's Claude," he said, and Alois giggled with mock embarrassment and whispered, "Oopsie..."

"And my parents don't do anything, their in line for the British throne."

"Oh," Alois said feigning surprise. "Royalty huh?"

He interlaced his fingers sat his chin upon them and stared at Claude smiling.

"So if I married you, I would be. A princess?"

"Well... yes and no. My family don't acknowledge me because I'm the result of my Father cheating on my Step-mother."

"Oh," Alois said nodding. "That's why you're all Chinese and shit..."

"I'm Japanese," Claude explained.

"Self entitled rich bitch, you gotta make me care..." Alois explained grinning.

"Okay, stop trying to be rich, just because someone is rich doesn't mean their mean. Well, sometimes it does. But not everyone. Look, for now just act like you. Can you do that?"

"..." Alois frowned. "Why did we go through all those lessons if you we're going to have me act like me."

"Okay," Claude said frowning. Clearly he wasn't getting it. "I mean, follow the rules I told you, but don't try to create a persona. Just, be you within the guidelines I set."

Alois suddenly looked a little lost. "I'm not good at being me..."

He was suddenly shifting in his chair looking a bit uncomfortable. The sudden change was slightly alarming for Claude. He never seen him acting like this.

The waiter brought the food they had ordered and they sat in awkward silence until Claude spoke up. "Tell me about yourself, the real you and not some made up personality."

"Uh..."

"Let's start with why you were gone for the last week... What we're you doing?"

"Well, Luca was sick. So I had to take care of him..."

Claude gripped his fork unnecessarily hard. He noticed Alois was fidgeting even more and he looked as though Claude had suddenly asked an incredibly embarrassing question that he didn't want to answer.

"Well if he can't take care of himself..." Claude snapped. "Tell me about your family then."

"Didn't I tell you this before? I'm an orphan," Alois explained.

"Oh," Claude said frowning. "When did... I mean, How long have you been an orphan?"

"About seven years. My Mother died, and I never knew my Dad. So he could be alive... somewhere..."

"Ah..."

"Her name was Alisanne," Alois explained he said the name with a thick French accent. "And she was the most beautiful woman in the whole world..."

"I'm sure she was," Claude answered smiling softly. Alois had gotten the same look on his face that he did when he talked about that Luca asshole.

"Can I pretend to be the bitchy rich girl again," he asked frowning looking almost... sad. "I'm good at pretending."

"No, today you're going to be you, because I don't like the bitchy rich girl."

"Ugh," Alois frowned.

"And you don't want to wear those gloves while you eat," Claude explained. Watching as Alois' white gloved hand had almost touched some steak sauce when he reached for his knife.

"Oh sure," Alois said and he started to take them off, but stopped. "Actually I'd rather leave them on, it's kind of cold..."

"Alois," Claude said frowning. "It's not customary to eat with your gloves on, besides they're very expensive."

"Then, I'm not really hungry."

"Don't be ridiculous, this food is expensive, I can't send it back now anyway, you already ate some of it."

"..."

Suddenly the strangeness of this action seemed to hit Claude, and he lowered the fork with the food he had been about to take a bite of. "Why don't you want me to see your hands?"

"..." Alois was avoiding his gaze. He removed his gloves and he noticed what looked like bruises on his wrists, the kind you might get from having your wrists bound.

"What happened?" he asked reaching across the table he took hold of one of Alois' hands to examine it more closely. Then he frowned. "Did that Luca guy do this?"

"No!" Alois snapped, sounding somewhat angry now. "I just, did something stupid, and paid for it. Let's just eat okay."

"Tell me what happened," Claude snapped immediately.

"No, I don't have to," Alois spat back crossing his legs and folding his arms. "And if you push the subject and I'll start crying uncontrollably and cause the biggest fucking scene you've ever seen."

Claude frowned.

"That right, bitchy girl is back," he said grinning before taking a drink from his glass.


Ciel was looking at his scar in his bedroom mirror. It looked to be healing nicely. As well as could be expected for being a week old scar. He hoped like crazy it would heal well and wouldn't be too visible. Despite what people might think, he was very self conscious about his looks. The lessons he had with Hannah all those times had taught him how to be a good and submissive wife, and above all maintaining a perfect outward appearance was her top rule.

A scar, an injury, an accident, he had long since been told that these could easily end a marriage forever shaming his family and ruining his future for a somewhat decent husband.

Out in the kitchen Sebastian was on the phone with Grell. Since they had broken up they had somehow managed to stay friends despite Grell trying desperately to get back together with him. But Sebastian had long since made it clear that he loved Ciel and would not be anything more than a friend to Grell. So Sebastian was calling for advice.

"I don't know what to do..."

"Okay calm down," Grell said sighing. He was sitting in his room painting his nails. "What's up now..."

"I've been running it over and over in my head this past week, and... The girl I'm dating, you know... Ciel."

"I'm vaguely aware," Grell snapped sounding annoyed.

"Well," Sebastian looked out to Ciel's room to make sure she hadn't come out. "She's transgender, like... physically she's a boy."

"Oh... is she now?" Grell said suddenly much more interested in their conversation. "So..."

"So, I don't know what to do. She doesn't know I know, and I'm not sure I want to tell her. It might embarrass her..."

"Well, try to get her to bring up the subject."

"I've tried, she doesn't want to tell me. I... I just don't know how to deal with transgender people... Do I treat her like a boy? Or like a girl? Or does it depend on the situation."

"You treat her like a person," Grell explained. "She wouldn't be dressing like a girl if she didn't feel that way on the inside. So if a gendered situation comes up, treat her like a girl, but above all just treat her like a person."

"That's easy for you to say, but you're not living here... You don't get how hard this is. I'm always worried about upsetting her. Or saying something insensitive. I mean, ugh... This would be so much easier if I had a friend who was transgender and had dealt with this before..."

"What..."

"I mean... You know, if I had known someone who was transgendered before her, then I would know how to act around her. How not to upset her."

"Sebastian..."

"Yeah?" he answered.

"Fuck you!"

Grell hung up and Sebastian stared down at his cell phone... "What was that all about?"


Hey look at that! I updated and it wasn't 14 years after my last post. XD
Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy!

It's kind of strange, most people in comments and PM's thought Sebastian would be angry. I wasn't sure why. I wonder if people just assume this is something met with anger. Well, I didn't want to do that. Sebastian was understanding even if he is worried about offending her. As people should be when learning someone they care about is transgendered.