Sinful deception chapter 05: a moment of peace
A/N : hello once again my lovely readers, perhaps this comes out a bit earlier than expected but this is due to the fact that one of my class was cut short and ended at 10 am instead of 11. Yay for university~ no one has yet complained about these little notes about my life so hey why not continue. I feel like a coffee shop AU fanfic character., seriously.
Anyway enjoy chapter 5!
-o-
His whole body was starting to feel cold, and a sense of fear ran through his body. When he tried to swing his arms at whatever that was keeping him down they too fell immobilized next to his body.
His breath hitches as the pressure on his chest grew, it made it hard to breath and panic was evident in his eyes.
Ciel opened his mouth in order to scream but no sound came out; only a breathless sort of gasp. What triggered the sudden change in atmosphere though, was it his curiosity? After all, curiosity killed the cat or so they say. Some things were better left unknown.
His eyes were wide when he finally caught a glimpse of a silhouette. It was definitely larger than himself that's for sure –then again, even Alois was taller, and Lizzy had been too for quite a big part of their youth. So no surprise there.-
'I'm sorry' he repeated over and over in his head, his eyes wide. The deep chuckle that followed did it for the boy. He started trashing against his restraints, trying to break free, or at least reach for the mobile phone that was still in his left pocket.
A prickling, stinging sensation just fuelled his panic, it felt as if sharp claws were digging into the skin of his arms; as if telling him to stop, to not make this any harder than it was.
There was a knock on the door and a quiet "Young master?" before the red haired maid stepped into the room. behind the big glasses her eyes widened at the state of the young Phantomhive boy.
"Young master what are you doing on the floor." She quickly stepped closer to help him off the floor. He breathed a sigh of relief however and slapped the offered hand away. Not wanting to accept the otherwise well needed help. His pride was hurt, because something had gotten the better of him. Making him submit against his will.
He stood up, his face hard and walked towards his desk where his laptop was taking up most of the only free space still left. His hands gripped the dark wood, his knuckles turning white. "what is it Mey-Rin" his back was still turned towards the stunned red haired woman.
"ah- I well—" she nervously fumbled with the apron of her dress. She cleared her throat and tried again.
"Master Vincent want's to speak to you, he tried calling but you didn't pick up." He nodded and with one last deep breath turned around. A quick muttered "thank you" went barely unheard as he made his way out of the room as quick as acceptable without looking panicked.
"Is something amiss young master?" the soft tone in her voice made him stop in his tracks. His head lowered and for a split second he considered talking to her. It was no secret that the Phantomhive servants were seen as some sort of extended family.
But he shook his head no. "Everything is alright Mey-Rin"
Ciel ascended the staircase, making his way to his father's study that was located on the third floor of their mansion.(1) Ciel rubbed his left arm, still feeling the pressure of those hands and nails on his skin.
He was somewhat glad that he decided to wear the long sleeved version of his school's jumper instead of the short sleeved one. Because he was sure there were little flecks of dark red blood soaking through the white fabric of his white button up.
Knocking on the big wooden door always felt kind of special ever since he had been a child. Because this was his father's domain, the man he looked up to and that big imposing door only fuelled his admiration. It made him feel important too.
Ciel was greeted by a bright smile, a smile so much like his own –when he smiled that is.- Vincent stood up from his chair and went to sit in one of the arm chairs in the middle of the room.
Ciel took a seat in the chair he normally occupied, the one that had a view of the big window behind the desk.
"Amberlyne Thawkins." He simply said and slid a paper over the glass coffee table. Ciel scowled "what of that woman?" The older man smiled and nodded to himself
"I take it you don't like her at all?" he asked, even though he already knew the answer. It was fairly obvious after the exchange earlier today. The blonde woman certainly got a few comments from him and his wife.
He clicked his tongue. "No, no I don't. she's vile, fake, just another greedy little bitch."
"I noticed—" he paused, looking for the right words. "the choice is up to you." He told his son. "she got her warning—" he was cut off by Ciel.
"Fire her" he told his father. Why did he get the choice? Ciel was a clever boy, very smart, very good at judging a character and if the boy didn't like someone, he was going to make sure that person ran and never came back.
It was easier this way, less lawyers to use and less court visits.
-o-
"Oh come on, just once Ciel. Please? I'm your best friend." Ciel scooted farther away from the Blonde boy, creating as much distance as possible on the small school desk.
"That's self-proclaimed you freak." The other students didn't even look at the exchange anymore. Already too used to the commotion the two of the caused on an almost daily basis.
Most of the time it was Alois's form of affection that set Ciel off. Other times it would be one of his annoying habits. Either way, it was always the blonde that started it.
"Are you truly that stupid. Think of all the rumours." Ciel turned away from Alois and squished himself against the wall.
Now everyone knew about the rivalry between the Trancy's and the Phantomhive's that has been going on since the Victorian era -Though no one really knows what it is about.- so it was very surprising when the Trancy boy immediately latched onto the Phantomhive heir.
"But it's been so boring at home now that luka is on a boarding school. And come one, no one even cares. I come to your house all the time." Ciel slapped his forehead and sighed.
"no means no." he simply said and tried to focus on the math problems that were written in his book.
-o-
When Ciel got home from school, the mansion was bustling with activity. Mey-Rin was running around with several cleaning utensils, Finny was following her, there were angered shrieks and the sound of heals clicking on a marble floor.
He furrowed his brows and went to the source of the activity. What he found was well, either comical of just plain weird.
Amberlyne Thawkins was yelling something in angered German –or so he thought-, pacing across the marble floor and occasionally picking something up from a pedestal or the bookshelves only to throw it on the floor.
Vincent however was trying to ignore the tantrum that was being thrown by his former Personal assistant. When his son entered the room, he smiled brightly. "Welcome home." He told him and beckoned him to come closer.
Ciel carefully avoided the path of the blonde and took a seat on the windowsill near the chaise longue his father was occupying.
"gave her the sack?" he simply asked as he observed her behaviour a bit more in detail. Yep his first impression was totally wrong. But then again a paper can only say so much.
Finally after what seemed hours everything became quiet again as the woman stormed out of the room with her laptop bag in her hand. There was a startled female shriek –most probably Mey-Rin's- when the door slammed shut again.
"that went better than expected" Vincent told Ciel. The boy nodded.
" Do you have someone else in mind?" he asked the older man.
"Sebastian Michaelis, he's a bit younger, 25 but has a good review and a wonderful presence. Much better than Miss Thawkins." Ciel nodded, he had seen the application, he did indeed seem fit for the job.
"Could you sign this paper dad?" Ciel fished a slightly crumpled paper out of his school bag, the logo of his school printed on the top. "It's for the trip to the botanic garden."
-o-
For the past week, ever since that frightening experience, Ciel dreaded going into his room because that seemed to be the centre of his troubles. The warm presence had disappeared the day he asked for a name. and it was now replaced with a near constant chill that invaded his room.
He tried to stay awake as long as possible, keep the room as bright as possible and bundled himself up into his quilt whenever he sat down in his bean bags.
His dreams however were almost always invaded by that foul smelling world, with the horrid creatures. No longer were they pleasant and he no longer felt protected from it all.
Many times, Ciel had thought about talking to someone about it, Elizabeth, Mey-Rin, his mother, heck even Alois had crossed his mind once or twice. But not once did he go through with it.
Mainly because he still tried to imagine that it was just his tired mind that played tricks on him. Once or twice he thought about looking up what could be plaguing him but that just terrified him more.
Because if he found something that means there really was something he could not physically see and that terrified him even more.
The unknown was better left unknown, well for as long that's possible that is. At some point there is no denying anymore that something is real and another thing isn't. but that aside.
Thinking about what could happen, knowing that something could be haunting him, following him, looking at him, at any moment without his knowledge…
Perhaps he was over thinking it, exhaustion made his mind stray to subjects he'd rather avoid.
As Ciel sank down into the warm clutches of his duvet there was –for once- no menacing presence, no weird cold and no shivers. It was a welcome change and for the first time that week he felt like he could just go to sleep without any care in the world.
And just like that, within minutes he fell into a near dreamless sleep.
-o-
The following morning, for once, Ciel woke up fully rested and refreshed, he blinked his eyes a few times, trying to get used to the light that was invading his room. a relieved smile graced his face –instead of that usual smirk or grin- as he stretched his arms over his head.
His phone –that had been laying on the nightstand- buzzed and upon checking it, he saw he had 3 missed calls and 7 texts. All from Alois Tancy –with the exclusion of on text message from Elizabeth-
"What was so important that you had to—" he was however quickly cut off by the blonde's ecstatic voice yelling for the whole world to hear. Ciel had to move the piece of technology away from his ear as he listened to the loud ramble of the boy.
"ok so you know how I've been so lonely ever since luka is gone because well you know how my dad is and stuff. So the old man has actually gotten me my own butler isn't that amazing I mean not even you get your own butler but then again you got your parents and stuff. But get this. That man is hot." Ciel rolled his eyes and just put the mobile phone down on his duvet and put it on speaker.
Ciel was slightly tempted to say something along the lines of 'you homo' but refrained from doing so. Who was he to talk when he was dreaming about being pleasured by a man.
"he's very anti-social though, but I can fix that. And now the biggest plot twist of all. It's one of mister Canteburry's brothers. –the hot one though because there is always a hot one-
This peaked Ciel's interest. "ah really now?" there was a hum of confirmation. now that the blond had quieted down slightly it was easier to hold a normal conversation.
"You're not kidding right, Canteburry's Brother is your new butler." Something alike to a chocked on chuckle filled the otherwise silent room. "Didn't see that one coming, I mean, I would have expected his brothers to be—" he was cut off by a knock on the door and the voice of his mother.
"Ciel can you come down for a second?" Rachel smiled at the still partly bundled up teenager and waited for him to follow her downstairs.
"Got to go." He simply said and hit the end call button.
-o-
"This is Sebastian Michaelis, my new Personal assistant." Ciel felt awkward standing there -in his blue plaid pyjama pants and his old band t-shirt, his hair still messed up from his wonderful night of sleep and the bare toes that dug into the fluffy carpet.- because everyone was there, well dressed and welcoming.
He cleared his throat, lifted his head and straightened out his back before nodding in acknowledgement. "Welcome to the Phantomhive staff" Ciel said because that was the only reason he too was called down.
After several failed attempts at keeping Ciel away from the new workers –because he apparently found it entertaining to bully them out if he didn't like them- they finally must have found a person that could deal with the bullying.
The dark haired man smiled a bright smile and bowed in a respectful manner that only the well-educated knew.
This could prove to be interesting.
-o-
I am using the British equivalent of third floor here. this is if I am correct the fourth floor for Americans. At school they were very strict about using British English instead of American English because it was a pretentious school in Belgium. And I suppose it kind of stayed. Though I do notice that ever since graduating, I started using more American English too. But I'll always put a little note at the end to clarify which one I am using.
A/N: so that was it. Sebastian finally made his real appearance –other than the one at the interview.- and from now on the plot can really start to unfold. You'll get more on Ciel's past, the strange rumours, and of course the things that are haunting the poor Phantomhive boy.
How many of you were expecting Claude to be the new butler of Alois? well he isn't but he will be making his appearance soon to so no worries.
