Author's Note: It's been a solid three days since we posted a chapter. And my god, is this a long one. *shivers* You have no idea how terrifying writing this scene was. We had to do research and we still probably fucked up a lot with shit. I dunno. Anyways, here's a huge ass chapter for you guys. This is also the second to last chapter, so please enjoy your stay at the Phantomhive Manor. *tears up*
A week had gone by and Ciel still hadn't broken it off with Claude. He flung a hand over his dual-colored eyes, inner turmoil bubbling to the surface of his mind. He knew his relationship with Claude was wrong, but it felt so good. And what was that about Sebastian, saying he loved him? There was no fucking way Sebastian actually liked him; he was straight!
He groaned, turning onto his stomach on his bed. A knock came from the door and he looked up as it opened. His mother, Rachel Phantomhive, stood at the door. "Ciel, honey, what's going on?" she asked in a tender motherly tone.
"Mom, can I ask you for some advice?" he questioned, sitting up on his knees to make room for his mother.
"Of course, sweetheart." She sat beside him and looked at Ciel expectantly.
Ciel shifted uncomfortably, his teeth grazing his bottom lip. "Okay, so I have this friend…" Rachel smiled knowingly. "And he's kinda sleeping with this older guy that's married."
"Well, your friend should know better than to interfere with marriages," she said sternly, raising a perfectly shaped eyebrow. Ciel's face heated into a sweet wine color. "What else?" she asked.
"Well, he's also got a crush on a good friend of his," Ciel found himself admitting. Is that what that was? A crush? On Sebastian, no less? He nodded, his eyes shutting for a brief second. A knowing smile spread across her lips. "And he's not sure if that guy likes him, too."
"Has your friend asked the other guy?" Rachel questioned, putting a hand over his on the bed. "Because I think he might actually find his crush is mutual."
Ciel stood up and ran his hands through his hair. "What if it's not, though, mom? Plus the thing with the married guy. Besides, how do I… er… I mean, my friend pick which guy to go with."
Rachel thought for a moment. "Well, if I were in his position," she began while winking, "I'd dump the married guy and wait to see if his friend actually liked him back." She stood up and hugged him hard. "Please tell him to follow my advice, baby. Before the guy's wife finds out." She pulled away and kissed his cheek, then walked to the door. "I love you, Ciel," she said gently.
"I love you, too, mom."
Ciel fell back onto the bed with a determined look on his face. Monday would be the day he broke up with Claude.
Monday morning, Sebastian stood in front of Ciel's locker like every day. He crossed his arms, eyes on the ground as he waited. "Ciel!" he heard someone shout. Hazel eyes rose from the floor to lay upon the school librarian. Ciel rushed toward Claude and smiled at him.
Rage boiled through his veins, splashing around into his eyes and turning them into a deep crimson. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been this angry. Probably when he almost killed Alois. He pushed off of the locker he'd been leaning against and stalked off in the opposite direction.
He flung open a door and walked straight into an office, ignoring the protests coming from the secretary. He slammed his hands down on the desk now in front of him. Doctor Hannah Anafeloz stared back at his fiery red eyes in complete shock. "Can I help you?" she asked, her voice wavering a bit.
"Dr. Anafeloz, my name is Sebastian Michaelis. I need to speak to you about your husband," Sebastian responded harshly. "I have knowledge of Claude having an affair with a student."
Hannah's eyes widened even further. "My husband would never cheat on me," she countered, leaning back in her chair to cross her arms. "I think you might be mistaken, Mr. Michaelis."
Sebastian's nostrils flared as his eyes flashed an even darker vermillion. "If you don't believe me," he quipped, "just read his text messages. The student has confided in me that they have been sexting and meeting up in Claude's personal office during his free period."
"The student is a boy?" she mumbled, clearly unable to believe any word Sebastian was saying. "Who is it?"
Sebastian released the desk under his nails and very calmly stated, "Ciel Phantomhive."
Hannah sat down next to Claude in the teacher's lounge, ready to eat her lunch in peace. She opened her bag and then looked at her husband. "So I had six children put into In School Suspension today," she said, taking out an apple and biting into it.
"That's nice, dear," Claude responded, eating his sandwich and continuing to read his book.
She sighed and took another bite of her apple. After a couple minutes, she looked at Claude once more. "Honey, can I see your phone?"
He raised an eyebrow, but pulled it from his pocket and handed it to her. She took it and crossed her legs, aiming the screen away from Claude. She unlocked it and immediately began scrolling through his texts until she came across the name Ciel. He didn't even try to hide it? she thought to herself, a small pout forming on her lips. She instantly scrolled through the messages, trying her hardest to mask the shock that was bubbling to the surface. She turned the screen off and put the phone back onto the table.
"I'll see you tonight, Claude," she said as she stood up. She grabbed her bag and leaned down to kiss his cheek. "I'm going to eat lunch in my office. I still have some work to do."
Claude barely looked up from his book to smile at her coldly.
"I love you," she snarled in his direction.
"That's nice, dear." His eyes had gone back to his book.
Hannah stomped off, anger flooding her facial features. Ugh! How could a stupid brat snatch my husband? My fucking husband?! No one touches my husband, but me. Who the fuck does this Ciel Phantomhive think he is? She slammed the door to her office closed and sat down, opening the 'Student Files' page on her computer. She typed his name into the system and growled loudly when she saw his grades: straight A's, no unexcused absences this semester. She didn't even recognize his face. He'd never been to her office!
So the fuckboy's a goody two shoes, huh?
She picked up the phone on her desk and dialed. It rang twice before someone picked up. "Woodside School District, this is Melody speaking. How may I direct your call?"
"Hello, please direct me to Mr. Landers and Mrs. Blanc."
"One moment, ma'am."
She was on hold for a good minute. "This is Ash and Angela."
"Ash, Angela, darlings, this is Hannah Anafeloz. I need a meeting." She pursed her lips. "Tonight."
Angela scoffed, "Hannah, dear, we are very busy people."
"Yes, and we're booked this afternoon," Ash added.
"I said tonight. I mean tonight."
They both didn't say anything for a moment before Ash cleared his throat. "We'll see what we can do."
"Yes, dear. We'll call you if we end up having an opening," Angela calmly stated. "We'll be in touch."
They hung up.
Hannah looked at her computer, staring at a picture of the adorable heterochromatic boy.
"Enjoy your stay at Woodside Secondary School, Ciel Phantomhive. These last few weeks… could be your last."
Hannah sat in front of Ash and Angela, looking at them with a raised eyebrow. She was grateful they'd made room for her, as always, that night. She gave a small smile at them before starting, "I want a boy expelled."
Angela leaned forward in her seat. "What has he done?"
"Oh, he's done nothing to the school," she said cheerily. "He's sleeping with my husband."
Ash's eyes widened. "Well, Hannah, you know your husband is an employee of our school district. As the school board, we will have to fire him. The student has done nothing wrong except being taken advantage of."
"Um… No, Ash, I want this boy expelled. My husband did nothing wrong." Her voice had gone from happy-go-lucky to dead serious. "Claude is innocent. I want this boy gone. He is not going to ruin my marriage."
Angela put her hand out to shush Hannah. "The most we can do is pretend you never brought this to our attention and Claude can keep his job. If you don't take this, we'll have to fire him."
Hannah rolled her eyes and stood up, glaring at them. "If you won't do something about this, I will." She turned on her heel and stormed out.
Ciel pulled the mail from the box, skipping through it as he talked on the phone. "I don't know, Grelle. I mean, I don't have a boyfriend or anything. Prom doesn't seem that big a deal to me anymore."
Grelle groaned on the other end. "Come on, Ciel, it'll be fun." She started whining, "All us girls are going and Bard and Finny. And I heard a little bird named my annoying brother say he's bringing a friend."
Ciel stopped shuffling through the envelops. "What kind of friend?"
"Oh you know, the hot and gay kind?" she said with a giggle. "You know you wanna go!" she sang.
"I'll consider it," he said with a huff, a small smile playing on his lips. He began sifting through the papers again. His fingers stopped when he came across an envelope with his name on it, addressed from Woodside Municipal Court. "Grelle, I'm gonna call you back." He hung up the phone without another word and ran inside. He dropped the mail on the table beside the door and began running to his room. When he finally sat on his bed, he tore into the envelope and read the contents:
Dear Mr. Ciel Phantomhive:
By order of the city of Woodside, England we hereby request you to attend court on March 2, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. You are summoned to defend the case of Hannah Anafeloz vs. Ciel Phantomhive on the terms of sexual assault of Claude Faustus. Please have ready all materials you feel necessary to prove your innocence. Failure to comply will result in the automatic win of Hannah Anafeloz and your arrest on the grounds of sexual assault.
Signed,
Judge Aleister Chambers
Ciel stared at the paper for a few moments.
"What the fuck?"
March second rolled around too quickly and Ciel was definitely not prepared for the day. He sat in the defendant's chair, fidgeting with a loose string on his slacks. Every time he looked around, he noticed how nervous everyone looked. Claude was sweating - probably fear of being fired or thrown in prison, Hannah looked plain pissed off, Sebastian seemed distraught. Ciel himself was just scared. He bit his lip as Aleister Chambers waltzed into the room and sat in the judges seat.
"We're here to discuss the case of Hannah Anafeloz versus Ciel Phantomhive. Let's get to it, shall we?" he said, motioning for court to begin. "We'll begin with the plaintiff's opening statement."
Hannah and Claude's lawyer stood and began with his speech. "Your Honor, good morning, my name is Thompson. On January eighteenth, two-thousand fifteen, the defendant in this case began to pursue my client, Claude Faustus, in order to have sexual relations. We have record of several text messages and two witnesses to the crime. At the conclusion of the case we will ask for a verdict of guilty." He sat down and smiled politely in Ciel's direction, making his stomach turn with fear.
His own lawyer stood to deliver his own opening statement. "Good morning, your Honor. My name is Canterbury. I represent the defendant, Ciel Phantomhive, and we wish to plead not guilty, under the account of my client's age."
The trial started and each witness slowly made their way up to the bench. The bailiff, a woman named Kristine, escorted them all. First went Claude, then Sebastian - the only person outside of Ciel and Claude that knew, and finally it was Ciel's turn. He made his way up to his seat, looking around at everyone with a nervous expression. Kristine held a bible out for him and he set his left palm upon it, raising his right hand.
"Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth so help you God?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I swear," Ciel responded, nodding. His lawyer came up and looked at him with a small smile.
"Ciel, please tell me when you began pursuing Claude," Canterbury said.
Ciel bit his lip and thought for a moment. "I had just gotten out of an abusive relationship in which I had not pressed charges and I found myself in the school library, where Claude… I mean, Mr. Faustus worked as the librarian. I noticed he would stare at me from time-to-time and I ended up asking him why on January eighteenth. I didn't pursue him until around the twenty-ninth when we were both in his office and I asked if he had ever been with a guy."
"Was that the day you and the plaintiff began having sexual relations?" his lawyer asked, looking at Claude and back to Ciel.
Ciel shook his head. "No, we didn't have sexual relations for about a two weeks. I was still getting over my relationship and only took to reading in Mr. Faustus' office during my free period at school. Then one day, he asked me what it was like and asked to kiss me. That's when our actual affair started."
Canterbury paused in his pacing for a moment to look at Ciel. "So what you're saying is the plaintiff came on to you, correct?"
"Yes, sir," Ciel stated plainly.
"Now, Ciel, if you could please just state your age, birth date, and grade," his lawyer quipped.
"I am seventeen years old, born on December fourteenth, nineteen ninety-seven, and I am in a junior in highschool." Ciel sat up a bit straighter, knowing full-well he was on the last question.
"Thank you, Ciel." Canterbury looked at Judge Chambers. "No more questions, your Honor."
"Does the plaintiff's lawyer have anything to say?" Aleister asked as Canterbury made his way back to his seat. Thompson stood up from his chair and walked around his table.
"Yes, your Honor." He turned his gaze on Ciel. "Mr. Phantomhive, when you started your relationship with my client, were you aware he was married?"
Ciel gave a confused look. "Yes, of course. It's known throughout the school."
"Uh-huh. And with that in mind, did you also know that you were being watched enter my client's house on the night of February fifteenth?"
Ciel could physically see Sebastian pale in the audience. "I was not aware of that until Sebastian Michaelis brought it to my attention the next day." He sat back in his seat, crossing his legs.
"And what relationship do you have with Sebastian Michaelis?"
Canterbury stood up and shouted, "I object! Your honor, I don't understand what the plaintiff is trying to achieve with this question."
Alester rolled his eyes. "Overruled. Thompson, please continue."
"My question still stands, Mr. Phantomhive."
"Sebastian and I have known each other since I was born. He's my closest friend."
Thompson smirked. "If that is the case, why would he tell Dr. Anafeloz about your relationship with her husband?"
Ciel's mouth dropped in shock. "T-This is the first I've heard of this," he answered honestly. "I had no idea he was the one who said anything."
"So you admit to keeping your relationship a secret," Thompson said triumphantly. "Mr. Phantomhive, it was you who pursed my client, was it not?"
Ciel stood up, slamming his fist against the cage-like structure in front of him. "No! It was mutual. Claude came after me just as much as I came after him. We pursued each other." His cheeks heated with a dark flush of color as whispers interrupted the room.
Judge Chambers began striking his gavel. "Order! Order!" he shouted, quieting everyone instantly. Ciel plopped back down into his seat.
"No more questions, your Honor," Thompson said, bowing his head and making his way back to his chair.
"You may step down, Mr. Phantomhive," Aleister said. Ciel went back to sit beside Canterbury, hoping to whatever God may be out there that he was not guilty. Judge Chambers looked through his notes, quiet for a moment as he thought. "With the knowledge I have gathered today, I hereby declare the defendant, Ciel Phantomhive, not guilty. The plaintiff, Claude Faustus, is sentenced to two years of prison on the grounds of sexual assault and the title of sex offender."
Ciel felt a smile come across his lips as he turned to look at Sebastian. His friend was giving him a grin, as well, but it was a bit sadder. Obviously they had some talking to do. Hannah gave a pained half-scream, half-sob as Kristine came over to Claude with handcuffs. Ciel watched as the metal clamped around his wrists. Hannah grabbed for her husband frantically.
"He's innocent!" she shouted, holding onto his arm as Kristine dragged him away.
"Hannah, let me go. This is my problem. Get the fuck off." Claude pushed her away with his shoulder.
"You didn't do anything, this is wrong!"
"No, what I did was wrong. You acting like I'm not at fault is wrong. Now go."
"Claude, please! Don't let them do this!" she shouted, trying to cling to him once more.
"I said get off, bitch!" he growled at her. "I'm fucking fed up with you and this pretend happy marriage we let on! I slept with Ciel Phantomhive and I'd do it again because you're a fucking cunt!" He pushed her off of him once more. "I want a divorce, Hannah. Goodbye."
Hannah stood there dumbfounded as Claude finally was taken into custody. She then turned to Ciel, anger flaring as she pointed a perfectly-manicured nail at him. "You," she spat. "This is all your fault." Ciel's eyes widened in surprise, though he honestly knew it. This had been what his mother warned him of. "You ruined my marriage. You selfish brat."
Ciel felt tears burn his throat as he stood up. "I-I'm so sorry," he choked out. "I never wanted this to happen."
She rolled her eyes, laughing maniacally. "You never wanted this to happen? Then don't sleep with someone's husband! Fucking whore, that's what you are! A goddamned gay whore!"
Ciel felt the tears boil over and he ran from the courtroom, Sebastian following behind him. The blueish-gray haired boy wiped at his multi-colored eyes frantically as he ran, trying his hardest to stop crying. "Ciel!" Sebastian called, reaching out a hand and gripping his arm. Ciel yanked away, turning to glare at his best friend.
"Don't touch me!" he shouted. "I broke up with Claude, just like you told me to, but you still had the audacity to run to Hannah like it was nothing? You didn't even ask me! I broke it off with him and you… You just…" Ciel's tears really came now, hitting his cheeks like white-hot acid, burning into his skin. "Why would you do this to me, Sebastian?" he cried.
"I didn't know!" Sebastian retorted, reaching for Ciel once more who just stepped out of his grasp. "Ciel, please…" he whispered, giving the saddest face he'd ever worn to his best friend, his life, his true love.
"No… I-I can't do this, Sebastian. You act out without thinking. You just made me put someone in jail." He put his arms around himself, trying to hold in the sobs that were raking and convulsing through his body. "I'm done, Sebastian. Okay? I'm done. We're not friends. We can't be friends. I'm sorry."
"Ciel, wait!"
Ciel turned on his heel without so much as a second glance and ran off, leaving Sebastian to sink to the floor on his knees and proceed to cry.
HellsButler's A/N: OH MY DEAR GOD THIS WAS A LONG ASS CHAPTER!
I don't know how the hell we did this. Bella's crying right now cause we're almost done with the story. All together this was a very complex, intense, emotional chapter for everyone.
Also, I would like to profusely apologize for the letter and the court scene. We don't know shit about any of this. We tried our best. And we hope you enjoy it.