Chapter Text
Ciel Phantomhive was a normal child of nobility, as far as the rest of society was concerned. He lived in an elaborate manor with his father, mother, and twin brother. It was manned with dozens of staff; maids, butlers, cooks, gardeners, and even a coachman. Every whim was attended to without question. He had gourmet food at every meal and far too many toys to play with.
However, he was the sickly twin. His asthma made him weak and unhappy. He was constantly kept indoors whenever the weather turned cold, the biting winds choking up his lungs and driving him into a fever, leaving him bedridden for days.
So he stayed inside, lest he suffer terrible illness, day after day, as the winds of winter blew past his big window. The boy helplessly watched his brother and cousin play in the snow, ivory cheeks were flushed rose, snowballs were chucked back and forth with their weak little arms. Snow sprinkled in their hair. The other children’s playful enjoyment felt like something carefree and perfect, as though it were pulled straight out of a romanticized novel, something that he was destined to never be a part of.
Ciel tore his eyes away from the window. He couldn't stand to watch any longer. He knew it would just make him more sad, just make him hate his brother more. His identical twin.
They may have been identical in looks, but it was in looks alone. Their temperaments, their personalities, their health…
Ciel’s brother was born exactly two minutes before him, and was far healthier, making him the eldest. The heir. And the moment he knew, he rubbed it in Ciel’s face, constantly paraded around with the fact that he would be Earl once he was old enough. Ciel would have to find something else to do with his life.
His life was ensconced in loneliness. Even though his brother and he shared a room, a bed, a play area, they rarely spoke. It had been a year since they had found out who would replace their father, and a year since they had embraced each other.
Why did his brother have to make everything so difficult? If he didn’t let it go to his head, they could have stayed friends. Best friends. But now he was just an insufferable, entitled little boy who wanted to show he was superior at any cost.
Even the family dog didn’t want to be in Ciel’s presence for longer than a few moments. It always stuck to his father’s side, either laying next to his reading chair or lounging under his desk until it was called to be a hunting companion.
When Ciel wanted to play with it once, he tugged on its huge neck, gleefully saying its name over and over again to get its attention.
But the beast just nipped at him.
So much for that.
The servants were nice enough to him, brought him tea and cakes, and his parents loved him, but they were busy people. Busy running an estate and toy company, not to mention answering to the Queen of England herself. Ciel thought it was silly for a toy and candy maker to be talking to the Queen, but he figured it was just adult stuff that he didn’t understand. There were lots of things that he didn’t understand.
Like how something peculiar decided to follow him like a bad dream.
It started a few days ago. In the corner of his vision, he saw a dark figure sometimes. Tall and lean with limbs that seemed too long for a human. Cloaked in black with crimson eyes, and he swore it had some sort of a face, however distorted. Did it smile? Perhaps. It was too dark to tell most times.
He thought it was a trick of the light, or his mind deceiving him in the evening. It watched him, but hardly moved. Those eyes were unblinking and nearly predatory, but he didn’t feel threatened. Should he?
He found himself thinking about it, day after day, wondering if he’d gone insane or not. It wasn’t normal to be seeing things like this, or at least he thought-- no one in his household, or anyone he met, talked about seeing strange figures that seemed to disappear just as suddenly as they appeared.
Ciel played with his food, the delicate slices of roast falling part on his expensive china plate. He twirled his fork around and around, messily mixing together the so-carefully prepared portions. Big baby blue eyes stared out the big window of the dining room.
There it was again. Tall and dark with red eyes. Like burning coals in a fire pit.
It was hard not to be captivated by it and stare like a moth to lamplight. Ciel set down his silver-polished fork and swallowed his last bite of roast. “Mummy…” he called quietly at the dinner table.
“Yes, Ciel?” Rachel answered calmly, not bothering to look up from her own meal.
“What’s the tall man outside doing?”
Rachel’s fine brows knitted together as she answered, more annoyed than anything else. “Is it the gardener, sweetie?”
“No, he’s not dressed like he’s supposed to. He’s got red eyes.”
That’s what set off the alarms in her mind. Rachel’s eyes snapped to Ciel before following his gaze, staring into the part of the window he was. “What man?” she asked again, her heart rate beginning to settle when she discovered that no such man was outside. An intruder on their property would cause such a headache.
His brother took a big bite of his dinner and sneered. “You’re being weird.”
Ciel’s lips pursed together, tearing his eyes from the window. “Am not!”
“Boys,” Rachel snapped. Her sons quit their bickering and cast their eyes to her, instead. “Ciel, you would do well to stop your distracted mind. It’s rather frightening.”
A quiet, subdued, “Yes, mummy,” was uttered nearly into his plate, but not before sending a sour look his twin’s way.
Dinner was eaten and the table was cleared, but the boys were denied dessert. It was late, the sky was dark, and Rachel believed sugar would only invigorate Ciel’s already overactive imagination.
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
Tanaka laid out his young master’s simple nightclothes on the elaborate bed the boy sat on; a simple white nightshirt that hung to his knees and almost draped off the ends of his fingertips. The tiny thing nearly swam in it.
“Come, young master,” the old man beckoned, bidding Ciel to stand on a small stool so they could be level in height. His old bones creaked too much to bend his weary back.
Without a word, Ciel stood where he was asked and simply stared into the darkening corners of his room as he was undressed of his daily clothes. The short pants and a pea coat were replaced with his nightshirt, the soft fabric slipping over his skin, and he sighed at the familiarity.
Gloved fingers slipped pearl buttons through their respective holes. “I’ve been told you have been distracted today, young master.”
It took a moment for the question to register in his mind. “Huh? Oh. Yes, I suppose so.”
“What has your mind wandering, if I may be so bold?”
“I keep seeing something. It's strange.”
“May I ask what you see, my lord?”
Ciel didn’t hesitate to answer. He trusted this old man that he and his brother sometimes affectionately called Gramps. “A man… I think. It’s shaped like a man.”
“Oh?” he prodded.
“Tall. Red eyes. I don’t know why he’s….” the boy trailed off, unsure of many things. He had so many questions.
He chuckled. “Perhaps you’ve been peeking into your father’s frightening novels, my lord. Such images can invade your mind.”
Ciel didn’t answer as he was helped from the stool and into bed, heavy covers peeled back so he could climb inside. Dozens of pillows and layers upon layers of blankets swaddled his form to banish the chill from his body. He turned to grab his teddy bear that patiently waited for him each night, donned like the Queen’s soldiers. Ciel pressed his nose against the bear’s soft head before tucking it under his chin.
“Do you need anything else, my lord?” Tanaka asked sweetly, tucking the covers beneath his chin.
“No,” came his soft response. “Thank you.”
His old face wrinkled even more as he smiled. “Good night, my young masters. Sweet dreams.” The candelabra was swiftly blown out as Tanaka left them, the door closing with a soft click.
"Finally,” his twin grumbled from his side. “You two were too loud.” His brother had already been tucked in bed just a few moments before, but Ciel knew for a fact that their short conversation was nowhere near loud enough to truly disturb his twin. Ciel just sighed, opting to turn over, back facing his brother, the dim light of the moon peeking through a gap in his curtains and falling upon his pale skin.
His brow furrowed. He couldn’t sleep. Not now. How could he after seeing what he did at dinner? That was the longest he’d seen this mysterious figure. Most times, it disappeared after a few minutes. But tonight it stayed and returned his gaze until his mother distracted him.
His eyes followed the slit of light from the gap in his curtains, and so he quietly slipped out of bed and padded over to that great big window, drawing back the curtains on one side to see what waited for him in the dark world beyond the safety of his family manor. He clutched his bear in his arms, tightly wrapping his arm around its fat little tummy.
"What in the bloody hell are you doing?" His brother questioned, tone irritated and flat. “We’re supposed to be in bed.”
“Shut up!”
"Are you being weird again?" His twin frowned, and Ciel chose to ignore him rather than waste any more breath.
His gaze out the window was met with exactly what he expected. The dark gardens, lit by moonlight alone. The lanterns on the walkway paths weren’t even lit by their single flames. He could see the shapes of the slight maze of hedges the gardeners built, the water fountains, the statues of angels. A few dead trees, stripped of their leaves from the winter’s harshness.
He huffed in irritation and set his bear on the windowsill, back pressed against his chest so it could watch with him as he continued to stare into the illuminated gardens. Searching, searching, as if this thing would pop up out of nowhere at his whim...
Why did he want to see it, anyway?
Was it curiosity? Some sort of warped interest in the unknown? But it was scary. It was unnerving to look at and was bound to give him nightmares, anyway.
His eyes began to droop as he thought. Even his brother’s little snores were reaching his ears. It was a distraction, after all. Something new and interesting to pull him from the dullness of everyday life. Study, eat, play, if he was lucky, and sleep. Mass on Sundays.
Big sapphire eyes caught a red iris, glowing under the moonlight. It was tall for an iris. Or was it a rose?
Then it moved.
Ciel’s eyes shot open. Something emerged from a cluster of flowers and shrubs.
There he is!
Ciel slipped into his little rabbit slippers and held tight onto his bear, one small hand wringing the end of his pyjama shirt as he descended the big stairs in the main hallway. The boy crossed the checkered tile floor to the back door, deftly avoiding servants and creeping about like a quiet mouse. He twisted the golden doorknob, and found it unlocked. Why wouldn’t the servants check twice to make sure it was locked?
Shaking the thought from his mind, he slowly pulled the heavy mahogany door open. It creaked loudly in the quiet night, making Ciel nervously look over his shoulder in case anyone heard him.
He crept out into the cold evening air. Outside was dark and scary, the small half-moon only just lighting up the garden enough for him to find his way. The gravel path crunched beneath his slippers, too loud for the quiet surrounding him as he made his way through the garden, looking for the dark figure he’d seen from his bedroom window. A shiver rippled throughout his body, the cold air from outside making the little boy wrap his arms around himself and hug his bear a little tighter.
Ciel searched as far as he could before he felt his limbs would freeze up. He found himself by the white roses he loved so much, walking past his mother’s prized blue irises. But try as he might, he couldn’t find the odd man. Ciel sat down with a huff on the garden’s stone bench, his mood sour from having failed so quickly. He kept his bear in his lap and fiddled with the buttons on its jacket.
"Are you cold?" A voice asked from behind him, and a heavy coat was wrapped around Ciel's shivering shoulders. It was far too big for him, the large fabric swathed his diminutive figure. That voice whispered into his ear, “You shouldn’t be wandering about in the middle of the night.”
Ciel gasped, nearly leaping from the bench. He was sure he was alone-- no one came into the gardens at night. He turned around and stared up at a man he'd never seen before. Ciel looked up into the man’s face, observing his features with a close eye. He had those ruddy eyes he’d been looking for earlier… but this couldn’t be him. He looked too normal. Raven-black hair framed his pale face and high cheekbones, his slender jaw. This man seemed twice as tall as he was and donned himself like a nobleman. Rich tones of ebony and dark crimson complimented his complexion like none other, and Ciel couldn’t help but think he looked like a vampire from Polidori’s story. Ciel’s eye was drawn to the shiny silver chain hanging from his waistcoat pocket, it must have been for a pocket watch of some kind. His cravat even sported a gorgeous ruby at the top. “I'm not supposed to talk to strangers,” Ciel said quietly.
The man chuckled, voice deep and velvety, “your mummy and daddy taught you well.” He walked around the bench, around the arch covered in curling vines and flowers, taking a knee before the child. He held Ciel's delicate hand within his midnight gloves, bowing like a servant would with all the grace in the world.
“My name is Sebastian,” he said, pale lips brushing the back of Ciel’s hand, crimson eyes flickering up to meet the boy’s, alluring and dark. “I’m not a stranger any longer, am I?”
“No… I guess not.”
“May I sit next to you, Ciel?”
Ciel nodded wordlessly, nearly sinking into the coat wrapped so nicely around his shoulders. He stared down at his bare legs, watching them kick before realization dawned on him. The heavy wool’s comfort almost had him forgetting about his alarm. He swallowed, looking up at the man sitting next to him. “How… How do you know my name? How do you know which twin I am?”
Sebastian just smiled. His red eyes crinkled in delight, and he said, with a voice like silk, “I’m your guardian angel."
Ciel stared up at him. Blank and confused.
“Haven’t you noticed me watching over you?”
“Well…” Ciel clenched the edges of the coat wrapped around his shoulders and drew it further around his body. “Angels are supposed to be… bright, and… wearing white. You’re… scary.”
Leave it to a child to be honest beyond belief. “Am I truly that scary?”
Ciel bit at his lip. “Red eyes are scary.”
Sebastian couldn’t contain the smile pulling at his lip, his eyes burning crimson and fuchsia.
“Perhaps,” the man titled his head, “aren’t you a big boy, though? Are you really afraid of me?” And oh so predictably, the boy’s cheeks flamed red, blushing and embarrassed at appearing weak and small. Looking like a baby.
“No,” the boy stubbornly declared, even though he still felt scared. That feeling in his chest intensified as Sebastian’s pupils narrowed, sharp and thin like the eyes of a snake.
“Good,” the man’s black gloved fingertips raised the boy’s chin, hellish crimson meeting innocent baby blue. Ciel was lost in those ruby depths, little fingers fiddling with the fake buttons on his teddy’s uniform. “Who do we have here?” The man effortlessly changed the subject, scarlet eyes flickering down to the teddy bear clutched tightly in Ciel’s small hands.
The boy’s eyes lit up as he hugged the bear closer, “this is my teddy...”
“Really, now?” the man hummed, brushing his fingertips over the soft brown fur.
“He’s a soldier,” Ciel happily explained, holding out the bear for Sebastian to see. “Like the ones that fight in wars and protect the Queen.”
Sebastian nodded, “they’re very honorable, aren’t they? Protecting everyone?”
The boy only nodded happily. “He protects me, too! He fights off all the bad dreams.”
“Of course he does,” he replied, and the side of Sebastian’s lip pulled up in a smirk. Ciel didn’t even notice the way the man’s hand rested on his back, slipping lower to hold his slim waist closer.
“And do you love your teddy bear, because he protects you?” The guardian angel crooned.
“Mm-hm,” the boy hummed, nodding enthusiastically. He cupped the bear’s cheek in his hand and smiled at it.
“I’m here now, Ciel, I’m here to protect you too. Whenever you're lonely or afraid, you can always find me in the garden, waiting for you. ” Sebastian promised, his voice like velvet and Ciel was lost in that crimson gaze for a moment, lips parted just so, cheeks flushed pink all of a sudden, his young blue eyes irrevocably drawn to those hellfire depths.
“Okay…” he mumbled, sheepishly averting his eyes, Sebastian’s gaze too intense, it made him squirm. “You’ll… you’ll do anything? To protect me?”
Sebastian only nodded to him, “But of course. It’s my job as your guardian.” He smiled, “Do you want to know how I found you? How I became your guardian?”
“Uh-huh,” he said, his voice still uncertain.
“God specially picked me for…” he trailed off, a gloved finger poking playfully at the tip of Ciel’s dainty nose, “...you.”
Those eyes lit up. “Really?”
“Indeed. He’s been watching over you, over your family, and decided I’d be the perfect fit for you. We’ll have a wonderful time together, Ciel.” Big, gentle hands patted Ciel’s lower back. “Now go on, little one, off to bed with you. I don’t want you to catch cold and keep you from your good night’s sleep.”
Ciel took one step forward at the man’s urgings, but looked back. “Will… will I see you again?”
Sebastian nodded. “I will be right here when you need me.”