Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

It was fall, a beautiful time of the year in which the leaves became a landscape of reds and oranges and the trees prepared themselves for the chillier temperatures of winter ahead. Little animals scurried about gathering nuts and filling their bellies for the inevitable hibernation that would take place only a few months from now as farmers reaped the bounty of the harvests that Mother Nature had so kindly bestowed upon them this past year. Amidst the foliage and changing season, a young man hurriedly walked down a sidewalk, his pace increasing as he glanced at his watch and noticing what time it was.

Ciel Phantomhive loved this time of year; he loved the weather filled with crisp, sunny days and all the holidays that would pop up like Halloween and Thanksgiving. Summer had never been much to his liking, being fair skinned, he burned easily and, therefore, did not do well at the beach. Spring was a lovely season if he could just manage to breathe properly from the combination of pollen and asthma that permeated the air. Winter was, well, there just wasn't anything good about winter in Ciel's mind; too many bad memories and awful events surrounding his birthday and Christmas to even consider that time of year enjoyable. Not to mention all the snow and ice storms that seemed to plague this part of the country.

"Shit!" He hissed as he took another look at his watch; he was going to be really late now. Gripping the strap of the backpack over his shoulder, Ciel took off running, cursing up a storm as he went. "Fuck, fuck, damn, fuck!"

The 20-year-old college student hit the grassy courtyard just as the cathedral bells at St. Victoria University finished ringing and cobalt blue eyes scanned the area for any stragglers like himself; unfortunately, there were none. Running up the church's stone steps two at a time, the slate haired youth ducked through one of the open doors and into the entrance, keeping his panting to a minimum as to not be discovered.

A strong voice echoed throughout the old structure and Ciel peeked around the corner to in order see when the priest's back was turned and he could sneak into a seat. Spying a mop of blond hair in a pew near the back, he smiled, knowing exactly where he would be heading the second the opportunity arose. When the robed orator turned his back, Ciel made a beeline for the empty spot next to his friend.

Plopping down, he sighed with relief for having pulled off his mission impossible so successfully, slumping down a bit so others would not notice his sudden appearance. A slim finger reached over and poked him in the cheek, earning an annoyed growl and glare from the truant young man.

"Quit it." He whispered viciously, swatting away the probing digit and glancing up quickly to make sure no one heard him. "Don't you know you're supposed to be paying attention during a sermon, Alois?" Ciel sat up straighter, trying to look contemplative on the outside as he grumbled at his friend. "You might miss something important that will save your immortal soul." A low giggle was emitted to his right at the observation.

"Really, Ciel? Are you really going lecture me on the importance of paying attention in morning mass when you were late again?" Alois arched an eyebrow doubtfully, icy blue orbs dancing with mischief. "What's that make it, the third time this month?" He smirked before pretending to listen to the man at the pulpit again. They didn't want to be caught having a discussion during a sermon since there would be hell to pay; literally.

"It's not my fault." Ciel defended quietly. "The way I see it if the good Lord wanted me attend mass on time would He have woken me up 15 minutes earlier." He grinned and it was Alois's turn to roll his eyes. "I was just waiting for divine intervention." Ciel wiggled his eyebrows playfully.

"I want to see you try to explain that to Father Spears later." He informed, nodding his head towards a stern looking man preaching to them up front. "I'm sure he'll totally agree with that theory." A sushing sound from the row behind had them ceasing their conversation and listening instead to the lesson from Corinthians.

When mass finally ended, Ciel and Alois collected their belongings and followed the rest of the student populace outdoors and into the morning sun. They had about ten minutes to make it to their first class of the day and neither felt the need to get there any faster than necessary; especially Alois who absolutely abhorred having to take advanced business calculus with Ciel.

"So, why were you late this morning?" The blond needled as they sauntered across the courtyard side by side. He was looking down at the grass, scuffing up his shoes on purpose as he tried to think of any excuse to keep from going to class. "Bard finally refused to drive to your rich ass around all the time?" Alois teased.

"No." Ciel retorted, giving him a stupid look. "Bard drove me. I just got up late, that's all." He huffed as they continued walking, annoyed that Alois had to bring up his financial status in conversation once again by mentioning his chauffeur. Glancing over, he scowled. "Will, you quit dragging your feet? If you keep up that pace, class will be over before we get there."

"Do you think that's at all possible?" The blond's face brightened considerably at the prospect of not spending 90 minutes in his own personal version of hell. "What?" He asked, seeing the reprimanding look Ciel shot him.

"Remind me again why you decided to take this course since you hate math so much." He asked, quickening his steps so Alois would unconsciously match it. "It's not like it was required for your major." Opening a door, the two stepped into the math building and proceeded down the long crowded hallway.

"I took it because I need a math credit and you were complaining about how we didn't have any classes together this semester." He pointed out, then placing his hand dramatically over his heart. "And me being such a good friend threw off the shackles of my own insecurities and offered my GPA up as a sacrifice to the math gods. All for you, Ciel Phantomhive." Alois exaggerating his feigned distress loudly.

"Well, thank God, you're a theater major and not a business major." Ciel snickered as they entered the classroom and sat at their assigned seats. "Because you would never graduate if that were the case." His friend hummed in agreement, digging into his backpack to retrieve his notebook. "Besides, I don't have time to tutor you in every subject, just this one." Pulling pen out and a folder, Ciel situated himself and waited for their professor.

"Oh, I know." Alois nodded, slinging his arm around his friend's shoulders and pulling him close. "Just consider your tutoring payment for me switching my schedule around to accommodate your inability to be without my wonderful presence for an entire day." He giggled as Ciel pushed him off his person, grumbling something about how he needed to find a new best friend.

The room quieted down as the professor entered, students shutting off their cellphones and getting out their textbooks as they waited for the lecture to begin. Most groaned as their superior announced that they would be having a pop quiz first thing today. Ciel leaned over, shielding his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Speaking of, you still coming over for a study session this afternoon?" He whispered as a low chorus of whines were heard as the exams were being passed out. Ciel sat back in his seat and glanced over at a pale faced Alois.

"Oh yeah." The blond mumbled as he grabbed his test sheet, handing a copy over to his friend. "I'm going to need that and a miracle if I ever want to pass this course." Ciel sniggered at the admission before hunching over the paper to attack the first set of equations.

A loud groan filled the dining room as a heavy thunking sound followed. Ciel sighed at the melodramatic action of Alois banging his head in frustration on the antique oak table, the only thing cushioning the impact were the pages of his open calculus book. Not wanting to watch the blond throw himself a pity party, he got up and wandered into the kitchen to grab another bottle of water.

After their classes ended for the day, the two met Bard outside the courtyard and the Phantomhive driver took them to Ciel's house to study for the rest of the afternoon. Well, to Ciel it was a house, to everyone else including Alois it was an enormous mansion. The drive only took about half an hour from the university, the well maintained property situated right on the outskirts of town where such a structure could have been built by avoiding all the zoning restrictions.

The Phantomhive estate was styled after an eighteenth century noble's home in England; built by Ciel's great-grandfather it had been passed down to the eldest child in each family's generation. Made of dark granite and surrounded by a stone and wrought iron gate, the massive building was impressive as well as intimidating, boasting the family's wealth and power within the community. However, to Ciel it was just home, the place he had lived his entire life with his parents until their unfortunate passing. Since then, he had lived there with his mother's sister, Dr. Angelina Durless who became his legal guardian, and he was happy that he didn't have to leave after his parents' deaths.

Walking back into the dining room, Ciel plopped into his seat again and took a sip of his water. He watched as Alois worked furiously on a problem, face scrunched up in concentration at the equation he just couldn't seem to grasp. Ciel chuckled as a slew of curses left his friend's lips, declaring the mathematics as his new nemesis in life.

"You know, math doesn't emote." He teased, earning a deadly glare from light blue eyes. "No matter how many awful things you call it; it's not going to care." Alois mumbled a swear directed at his friend who handed him the bottle to have a drink. As he extended his arm, Ciel winced, the action not going unnoticed.

"Your back bothering you again?" He asked, taking a swig of the clear liquid. Ciel stuck out his lower lip as he rubbed his achy shoulder blade. "You know what your aunt said if it started hurting like before." Alois gave him a pointed look to which he shook his head.

"It's not as bad." Ciel lied badly. "I think I just slept wrong last night, that's all." Turning his attention back to their books, "Besides she's a hypochondriac who frets over every little thing." He grumbled, averting his gaze and pretending to look busy with what he was reading.

"No, she's a doctor." Alois pointed out, not letting him drop the subject. "And she just wants to make sure you're ok." Ciel glanced up and scowled at the statement.

"First of all, she's a gynecologist which means she's not qualified to diagnosis anything on me since I'm a man." He informed, annoyance thick in his voice. "And two, how can I be ok if she keeps me off the fencing team. It's the only thing I love to do more than, well anything. What?" Brow furrowing at the skeptical look the blond was giving him.

"Really, Ciel? Really? That's the thing you love to do best? Fencing?" Alois leaned forward, watching his friend blink rapidly in confusion. "You mean, you honestly love swinging around an old sword more than more than jerking off?" He whispered with contrived horror in his voice.

"Jesus, Alois! Is sex the only thing you ever think about?" Ciel admonished, a disgusted look on his face. The blond giggled and sat back, loving how he just touched a nerve on his virginal friend. Ciel might be a genius and the heir to the Phantomhive fortune, but he was as pure as the driven snow when it came to matters of physical intimacy.

"Mmmm, it's not the only thing." He hummed, tapping his chin as if in deep thought. "Sometimes I think about food. Oh! And if I'm feeling really good, I think about eating while having sex. Ow!" Alois yelped as an open palm whacked him upside the back of the head. Rubbing the assaulted area, he stuck his tongue out at his attacker. "Don't get all huffy because you're saving yourself for the 'one'." He grimaced at the last word. "You know, you should really talk about that with Father Spears in your next therapy session." Ciel sighed and shook his head; he was not about to bring up his lack of sex life with the clergyman with whom he had been having regular therapy sessions since he was little.

After Vincent and Rachel Phantomhive's murders, the church had taken it upon themselves to watch over the only child of the couple. Father William T. Spears seemed especially interested in keeping Ciel close to the church and began seeing him in monthly therapy sessions to help him cope with the tragic loss. Spears became like an uncle to the young man, helping him traverse the difficult road of accepting his parents' deaths and guiding him into the person he was today. Without this intense help, Ciel wasn't sure what would have happened to him, but the priest was probably his most trusted confidant; aside from Alois.

"I hate to tell you this, but not everyone feels the need to jump on every piece of hot ass that walks by." Arching an eyebrow and giving him a knowing look. "Some of us actually see sex as an emotional and special thing that should be experienced with someone that they love and-"

"Blah, blah, blah. Hearts and rainbows and unicorns and butterflies. Pfft!" Alois huffed, sitting back in his seat and grinning. "Sex is nothing like that at all, Ciel. I hate to disappoint you, but the first time you do it, you either won't last long or it's gonna hurt like a motherfucker." His friend winced, blushing at the blatant statement. Ciel couldn't confirm or deny what sex was like; seeing as how he had never been intimate with anyone else before.

"Whatever." He groaned, wanting to end this conversation as soon as possible. Motioning towards their books, "Come on, let's finish this up so you can go home and I can actually get some peace and quiet around here." Alois giggled before going back to studying the frightening combinations of numbers and equations.

By the time they finished, it was close to ten o'clock and Ciel was ready for sleep. He had Bard drive Alois back to campus while he gathered up their materials and stuffed them into his backpack. A text message on his phone from Aunt Angelina informed him that she would not be home this evening due to an issue at the hospital. Resigning himself to spending the night alone, Ciel grabbed his belongings and began the long trek up to his bedroom.

Along the way he stopped by a non-descript door and paused to gaze at the dark wooden barrier between him and what was inside. Everyday Ciel walked by it and everyday he wondered what lay beyond the solid oak, even though he already knew what the room was; it was his father's private office. Even when Vincent Phantomhive had been alive, no one except for him and his wife, Rachel, were allowed to set foot inside the sacred space. Ciel remembered how he had tried once to scoot in behind them when he was little and he also remembered the heavy spanking he got as punishment for it.

The recollection brought back a memory of his Aunt Angelina locking the room after the funeral, telling him that it was no place for little boys to be playing around in and that one day when he was an adult he would be able to have the key. When that day was, Ciel wasn't sure as he was already 20 and soon to be 21 on December 14th and he had yet to hear anything about obtaining that precious key. Thinking about his birthday, he cringed slightly as he made his way up the stairs and into his bedroom; no good memories there.

Dumping the heavy bag on the floor, Ciel stripped himself of his clothing before making his way to the bathroom. Turning the shower on full blast, he stepped in and let scalding liquid pour over him, the thick steam enveloping his senses. Closing his eyes, he let his mind wander back to the conversation he had earlier with Alois that evening.

It was true that Ciel was waiting for someone special to experience physical love with, unlike his friend, who seemed to think that he should share his body with anyone and everyone at times. It wasn't that he didn't feel arousal or even attraction towards other people: whenever that biological need arose, he would take care of it, but the young man could honestly say that he have never felt the stirrings of passion in his heart for another human being. Ciel's priest/therapist had diagnosed him as being emotionally closed off, the result of having lost his parents at such a young age. However, he tended to disagree with the theory.

Ciel was raised Catholic, his parents having been faithful followers of the church, tithing a considerable percentage of their earnings to the institution. Coincidentally, the university he attended presently was also built around that exact same church. Therefore, when it came time for Ciel to go to college, it was a no-brainer where he should apply. Also, it had been one of the conditions of his father's Will that he attend and graduate from St. Victoria University if Ciel ever wanted to inherit the lucrative family business, Funtom Co.

When Vincent passed, the company went under the control of the vice president, Mr. Tanaka. The man took up the mantel of running the business in the owner's memory and keeping it profitable until Ciel was old enough step up and take the helm; that is, if he met all the requirements in the Last Will and Testament of Vincent P. Phantomhive.

Number 1) Ciel Vincent Phantomhive must attend and graduate from St. Victoria University and earn a degree in business, marketing, or finance. Number 2) at least 10% of Funtom Co.'s yearly earnings must be tithed to the university to be used however the church sees fit. Number 3) Ciel must be present at St Victoria's Cathedral on his 21st birthday no later than 11:30 pm. If any of these conditions are not met, the company would be forfeit to the current CEO, Mr. Tanaka.

Ciel never really questioned the contents of the Will or what was expected of him. The first condition made sense since in order to run Funtom effectively he would need a degree in one of the three listed subjects; the second also was logical since the university was his parents' philanthropic endeavor and continuing the donations was something that Vincent and Rachel would have done had they lived out their lives; however, the third one puzzled the young man slightly. He didn't understand the reasoning behind him having to be at the church on his 21st birthday at the exact time he had been born; how could the future of the company possibly be affected by something as trivial as that?

When Ciel asked Father Spears about the motivation behind the prerequisite, the stern man had given him an odd look from behind his thin glasses. In the end, the answer had been 'because it is what your parents wished for you to do' and Ciel wasn't going to be a brat about not wanting to fulfill his family's last request. Besides, where else would he be on that day? Ciel already spent almost all his free time at the church, when he wasn't in class, at fencing, or at the estate, the house of worship was practically his second home. There really was no other place he would rather be than in the comfort of the place where he felt loved.

Opening his eyes, Ciel realized he was still in the shower, his daydreaming having taken him completely out the present reality. Sighing, he turned off the faucet and reached out to grab a towel. A sharp pain shot through his upper back and he gasped as he fell forward, grabbing the towel rack as to not slam face first into the tile floor. He groaned as he felt the muscles between his shoulders spasm uncontrollably, gritting his teeth as he stumbled to the sink and wiping the mirror clean of condensation.

Blue eyes stared back at him, wide with pain and fear; knowing that he really should tell his aunt about the recurring issue, but not wanting to risk being taken off the fencing team. Ciel remembered the first time his back started acting up as it had been the morning just after his 20th birthday. At the time it hadn't seemed like anything unusual, just a small twinge that could have been from sleeping wrong the night before. By the second month, the pain had increased exponentially and he finally made the decision to tell his aunt about the issue.

Angelina had listened to her nephew's symptoms, a concerned expression marring her pretty face before suggesting that they see a specialist. The woman had tried to soothe Ciel's anxieties, telling him that everything would be alright; however, in her red eyes he saw fear and trepidation lurking. He loved his aunt, but the young man could tell that she knew more than she was letting on about his condition.

After numerous doctor visits and tests, none of the results conclusive, a specialist finally diagnosed Ciel as having severe late life growing pains. The treatment prescribed was rest and a limiting of strenuous physical activity which Angelina took to mean no more fencing team. Ciel argued and fought for the right to do the one sport he had always loved so dearly and in the end his aunt had caved on the stipulation that if the young man's symptoms worsened, he would have to quit the activity immediately.

It was with this in mind that Ciel now clung to the edge of his bathroom sink, eyes screwed tightly shut as he fought to control his breathing. He just needed to push through the pain and in a few minutes it would be gone and he would be fine. A low growl left his lips as the muscles stretched and strained, the tissues feeling as if they were on fire; and then, it stopped.

He collapsed to the floor, panting and sweating, holding back tears of relief as another episode had passed. What was wrong with him? Why all of a sudden did it seem that his body wanted to attack itself? Lifting his head, Ciel made a silent plea to God above to help him and end his suffering. Eventually, he collected himself and dried off before flicking the light off and going to bed.

Crawling on top of the thick duvet, Ciel curled up into a tight ball. Too tired to change into anything he lay there naked, his body exhausted and mind tired from thinking about so many heavy things in the span of just one evening. When sleep finally did come it was deep and dreamless and Ciel stayed unconscious until the following morning.

Tomorrow would be another day, one that hopefully would be free from the frightening episodes that made him feel like his body was trying to tear itself in two. However, as Ciel slept, events were already happening; things that, unbeknownst to him, were more directly related to his current state than he could ever imagine.

She was cute. Her auburn hair falling gently around her petite shoulders and large brown eyes that lit up when she laughed. The girl was a freshman at St. Victoria's, majoring in world religions and had plans to one day join the peace corp. A look of undiluted hope would come over her face whenever she spoke about going to a third world country and helping the destitute populace build shelters out of supplies sent by the United Nations. Such valiant ideas could only belong to the young and pure; unaffected yet by the true horrors the world had to offer. She had such promise and could bring so much good to those in need; that is, until now.

There she laid, her body broken and twisted, by the side of the road. The only things she would be helping now were the bugs and worms that would eat away at her decaying flesh. All her plans and dreams to build a better world had been snuffed out in an instant. It was amazing how fragile a human life was; one second the person was there and next they were gone.

She had fought back, those brown eyes wet with tears, that sweet voice choking out words like 'please', 'don't' and 'why'. Her lithe fingers tore futility at the hold around her throat and in a last ditch effort she attempted to scream; the sound muffled as another mouth clamped over her own and stole her breath. She moaned quietly as all the strength left her body, as the very essence that was HER was sucked out and devoured by her attacker.

Once shining eyes turned dull and lifeless, all the color had faded away to leave only wide black pools in their place. Her body convulsed before going completely limp; an empty husk now that the sweet soul was no longer present. Now just a physical shell that would rot and return to the earth from whence it came; ashes to ashes, dust to dust.

She lay there, growing cold on the side of the road under the midnight sky as the perpetrator sauntered away, not bothering a second glance at what used to be a living, breathing human being. The act had been an order, her death needed to happen so that she would never fulfill her destiny of one day becoming a great humanitarian. Her passing, however, had also been a much desired meal; a soul so tasty and fragrant.

In the end, she would not lay there to rot; forgotten by all. By dawn, she would make headlines as the small community learned of the killing of one of their very own and the first part of a bigger plan was being set into motion.

 Author's Note: Here we go again, my little monsters. Another fanfic filled with love, pain, mystery and, yep, delicious smutty action. (Don't kid yourself, you love all the sweaty SebxCiel action and who can blame you?)

Anyway, enjoy the start of this story; there will be a lot of twists and turns coming up. So, please review and share your theories on what you think is going on. Because I write these things for YOU! (My Life for Yoooouuu!) Anyone know what move that line is from? Hehehehe.