;– Secrets Kept – Closed
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── ♣ ── “What were you doing to me…?” Sebastian asked, uneasily drawing his trickling wrist back towards himself and cradling it.
“I mean…whatever possessed you?” Sebastian felt even weaker than he had when he’d first gone to sleep, which of course was the result of Ciel drinking the blood he was already running desperately low on.
He was panting softly, a little out of breath, and Ciel clearly was as well. He looked like someone on the brink of bliss, and suddenly deprived of it. Yet there was also clearly a lot of guilt there. He knew what he’d done was not proper.
“You tainted my child.”
Sebastian glanced over his shoulder, goosebumps immediately rising on his skin. No one there, though in the darkness, it was awfully hard to be certain; shadows held all kinds of secrets.
Brushing off the chill for the dozenth time that day, Sebastian returned his focus to his dear Ciel.
The necromancer had no shame though, and he abruptly addressed what seemed to be the obvious answer to Ciel’s late night escapade.
“Did you do it because it made you feel good….?” he asked, gently nudging the boy’s flushed little cheek. And why had it made Sebastian feel the same way…?
──♚── Ciel seemed very embarrassed by what he had been doing. While he was drinking Sebastian’s blood, it had felt so good and so right. However, in hindsight, he knew there was something very wrong. Humans didn’t drink blood like that and enjoy it to such and extent. The boy scooted away slightly, seemed almost afraid that Sebastian would find him repulsive now.
❝I honestly… I woke up feeling hungry. From there, my body moved on its own.❞ Ciel hung his head in shame, the blush still apparent on his cheeks. ❝It felt good, for some reason… Yes. I should go sleep somewhere else, perhaps.❞
Suddenly, the boy felt a cold chill in the room. He glanced up for a moment, gazing into the dark corners of the chamber as it felt like something was…watching. It sent shivers down his spine, making him rethink whether or not he wanted to sleep on his own. He sat there in silence for a moment before the windows suddenly flew open and a cold gust of wind entered the room. Ciel yelled in surprise, the sudden sound and rush of air startling him. Before then, he hadn’t realized that his bladder was nearly full. However, it became apparent quickly as the scare had caused the warm liquid to begin flow between his thighs. His eyes widened and grasped as his groin, trying to hide the mess and hoping Sebastian didn’t see. Now he was completely humiliated, not only by his blood drinking, but now this. His father would never forgive him!
;– Secrets Kept – Closed
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── ♣ ── Sebastian, whose last few nights had been tormented by dreadful apparitions, had actually been sleeping quite well now that he finally had the tiny, broken boy in his arms.
Beautiful, fair Ciel, delicate as a porcelain doll, and just as pure. From the moment the devilish noble first set eyes on this boy, Sebastian knew he had to hold him close for the rest of his days.
But pure was never the right word to describe Ciel Phantomhive, not even before his death.
Now, there was a strange corruption – a desecration within this child, from his journey to and from the beyond.
As the ghostly necromancer lay sleeping gently between the gossamer sheets, hair veiling his resting eyes, he began to feel an odd sensation in his left wrist. It was unusual enough to rouse him from his slumber.
Sebastian did not open his eyes at first, letting his other senses do the talking. At first he’d felt very uncomfortable, but it quickly began to feel…different. He opened his eyes to witness the young Phantomhive boy suckling at his open wound, lapping up the blood, and clearly delighted to do so.
Strangely enough, the noiret had become aware of his own arousal before he even noticed Ciel’s.
“M-mh…Wh…what are you doing?” came Sebastian’s soft, sleepy voice, layered with husky notes of eroticism. It was unbelievable…with each little suck, Sebastian felt a delicious pulse that ran all the way down to his groin.
This – this wasn’t…normal. He’d seen and done a great many unnatural things, but he’d never had a boy he’d revived from the dead try to suck the blood from his wrists. And vampires were nothing more than a ridiculous myth – Ciel was more than alive, if the hot flush in his cheeks, breathy moans, and pitched tent in his night gown were any indication. Blood did not flow in the dead, and lungs held no air.
“Ciel…?” Sebastian had to draw his wrist back. Though unnaturally stimulated by Ciel’s lewd act, the demon feared there had been some sort of mistake in the ritual.
──♚── Ciel couldn’t help himself. His small form writhed as the taste of the warm liquid sent shivers down his back. He continued, nearly losing himself to the sensation before hearing his name snapped him back to reality. He stopped quite abruptly and sat up, looking quite shocked. The boy’s cheeks were flushed with arousal as a small trickle of the older male’s blood slid down his chin. He didn’t know what to say.
All at once it seemed, Ciel was hyper aware of the things he had down and the very real arousal that he was feeling. He locked his legs together, sliding a hand between them to try and conceal the tented fabric from his nightgown. He didn’t realize he was only making things more obvious.
❝Father.. I… I don’t know what…❞ His words trailed off as he tried to make sense of what exactly happened. He’d felt so hungry… Why did he drink his father’s blood? Worse yet, why did it feel so good? The boy realized his hunger had mostly been sated as well. No longer was his stomach yawning and begging for a meal. What was wrong with him? ❝I’m sorry..❞
;– Secrets Kept – Closed
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Sebastian merely gave a gentle, disarming smile in return, choosing not to answer any questions that might create plot holes in his story.
Instead, having briefly slipped into a gown of his own, he eagerly responded to Ciel’s offer and eased in betwixt the large satin sheets. It got quite cold in the castle, so filmy sheets like these could be undesirable when you wanted to curl up in bed and be warm…but Sebastian would trade the minor discomfort for the satisfying tactile sensation of sleeping on silk.
It made him feel like the nobility that he was, and after all, this was why people invented bed-warmers, and fireplaces.
The necromancer lay beside his creation for a few moments, his cool red eyes soft with affection.
He had done so much to make Ciel his own…..and finally, it had come to pass.
Tentatively stroking Ciel’s puffy cheek with one hand, the adult moved his body closer and gently drew the boy into a tender embrace. The raven had no intention to make Ciel uneasy, so he took his time and made every movement clear.
“My precious little darling,” he whispered, a gentle sigh making the candles in the room go out. “I will never, ever lose you again.”
──♚── Ciel felt the bed shift as Sebastian positioned himself between the sheets next to him. It felt a little odd, but he was sure this was right. It had to be. Sebastian had no reason to fool him, did he? The sheets were a little chilly, which made the boy more eager to scoot his body closer to the larger male. He glanced up, meeting the gaze of his father and noticed how softly those eyes peered at him. It made him smile. Nuzzling into the gentle touch, Ciel moved his own body in, meeting Sebastian halfway between the blankets.
At once, that bed felt more inviting. Sheltered in the arms of his ‘father’ he felt warm and comfortable, even safe. The poor thing was so exhausted, it took no time at all for him to drift off in the raven-haired man’s arms.
──♚──
Hours passed as the two males slept soundly in the comfort of the bed. It was nearly 3:30 in the morning when Ciel was awoken by the rumbling of his stomach. His mismatched eyes fluttered open for a moment as he glanced around. He was so hungry. Realizing that it was still very much before dawn, he closed his eyes and tried to ignore the yawning pit that was his stomach. He turned over on the bed, curling into a tiny ball, then tossed onto his back, but the pain was hard to ignore. Glancing over at Sebastian, he saw the older male was still asleep. The ashen haired youth sighed softly and simply laid there in pain before his eye suddenly caught sight of the older male’s wrist, still wrapped in bloodied bandages. Something about that sight made the boy’s body shiver… but in a pleasant way.
Almost as if his small body was moving on its own, he scooted closer. Laying his head on Sebastian’s forearm, he could smell the scent of the fresh blood. A warmth filled his small frame, making him bite his bottom lip. What was he doing? Why was his body doing what it wanted to? God, he was so hungry. Carefully, he reached out and began to unwrap the bandages around Sebastian’s arm. He only undid them enough that part of the wound was uncovered. It was just the right amount that a small dome of bright, red liquid rose from the cut. The sight of it made the boy shiver again, more pronounced this time. Without thinking, he leaned in and ran his tongue across it, swallowing what little bit he could get. It made him gasp from delight.
Ciel was trying his best not to wake the larger male, but the taste… The way it seemed to satisfy him and scratch some sort of itch deep inside his gut… it was amazing! The young boy continued to lap at the droplets of blood that appeared before finally locking his soft lips to Sebastian’s wrist. His cheeks flushed rosy pink, and his back arched slightly. Why was this making him feel so… strange? He was enjoying it in some odd way. This became even more apparent as a soft moan managed to escape from his throat and vibrate against the flesh of Sebastian’s arm. At some point, he stopped caring if his father would wake up and find him doing this. Maybe he even wanted him to.
;– Secrets Kept – Closed
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Sebastian didn’t miss a beat.
Beginning to dress Ciel in a comfortable nightgown (considering it was past midnight), he quickly spat out an answer.
“Well, my darling, it is not an easy thing to talk about. When you died so tragically, my heart was torn asunder. I did not believe I was able to bring you back, and so…..I gave your things away.”The dark noble sighed, brushing Ciel’s cheek with one black-nailed thumb.
These obsidian nails…They were not like this before the ritual. I suppose I have truly crossed the barrier into the most taboo dark arts…
And that was when he noticed that Ciel had them, too. It had gone totally unseen in the bath, amongst the bubbles and Ciel’s fresh wounds…but there they were. Ten tiny black fingernails, and matching toes.
Sebastian would have to research the meaning behind that.
“I hope you can forgive me for the mad decisions I made in my grief. Together, we will make new memories. There - all ready for bed.”Sebastian then stood back to admire his handiwork.
──♚── Ciel sat quietly on the edge of the bed as his small body was dressed in the comfortable, clean nightgown. He wasn’t expecting the answer that his father gave him, quite the opposite really. The blunette blinked in surprise to hear that all his past things had been given away after his untimely demise. It made him feel sad… maybe even a little upset, but he couldn’t really blame his father for such actions. After all, it was a terrible thing to go through. Maybe in his shoes, Ciel might have done the same thing.
❝Oh… I see.❞ Ciel tilted his head into his father’s touch and closed his eyes for a moment, enjoying his touch. He wondered if they had been this close before the accident? If only he could as least remember their relationship… that would have at least been something to grasp on to.
Ciel noticed in that moment the matching color of their nails. The boy had noticed his own earlier, but had chalked it up to a side effect of death, or maybe something to do with the ritual. Seeing that his father’s matched, it definitely must have been the magic. The boy reached up and took Sebastian’s hand in his small one, turning it over to look at the perfect black nails.
❝Is this something the magic did to us? I wonder if it’ll stay that way?❞ The bluenette yawned after he spoke, not really minding the color. He didn’t seem overly worried about it. After all, he was sure that Sebastian had everything figured out.
❝That’s right,❞ Ciel smiled lightly as he crawled towards the head of the large bed, ❝we’ll make wonderful new memories. I forgive you.❞ With that, the small boy managed to crawl under the silky covers and rested his weary head on the soft pillows. After he was comfortable, he reached towards the empty side of the bed and patted it with his hand, signalling for Sebastian to join him.
;– Secrets Kept – Closed
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A brief flash of alarm crossed Sebastian’s face, but it was quickly concealed. The same could not be said for the goosebumps that even a man as stoic and reserved as he had suddenly broken out into.
“Oh, some parts of the castle get mightily drafty,” he answered the curious boy, stroking his wet cheek. “T-the wind, as I said…”
Ever since he’d brought Ciel back, Sebastian had been unable to shake the feeling that he was being watched, that there was somebody else here with them that was not a servant of this castle.
But Sebastian did not have time for those thoughts. He had his ‘son’– that was all that mattered.
He said nothing more on the subject, and after the bath bundled his precious child into blankets and carried him off to the master bedroom to dress.
Sebastian was quite conscious of a question he feared being asked:
If Ciel had lived here before his death, shouldn’t there be signs that a child had inhabited the place? Children’s toys, clothes….?
──♚── Ciel enjoyed the bath, but when it was time to get out, it was nice being bundled in warm, fluffy blankets. He hadn’t realized just how cold he was until he felt the warmth of the covers. He snuggled into them in Sebastian’s arms and tiredly looked around as they wandered the hallways. He gazed once more at the paintings of people he didn’t remember that hung on the walls. Funny. There seemed to be several generations of royalty in portraits including adults and children, but there was none of Ciel. He felt a little confused, but he was tired, and starting to feel a little bit hungry. It could wait until after a nap, though.
Once they made it to the master bedroom and he was placed gently on the large, soft bed, Ciel looked at the decor. This was definitely the room of an adult. It must be his father’s room. He wondered what his own room looked like. Maybe it held some clue to his past? Perhaps seeing trinkets from before his death would jog his memory.
❝Father? What is my bedroom like? Will you take me there later? I was thinking that… Maybe seeing some of my toys, or clothing, or any sort of momentos would jog my memories. I’d very much like to remember our past together.❞
The young blunette gazed innocently up at Sebastian. Those mismatched eyes peered into him with naive trust. Ciel had no idea of the disheartening past they truly had.
;– Secrets Kept – Closed
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Sebastian considered Ciel for a long moment while he bathed the child in the dimly lit bathroom. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to let him know how much Sebastian had done for him.
“If I had died, I don’t expect you would have been revived,” he answered honestly. “The biggest danger on my part was the amount of blood I had to spill from my own veins under a full moon to power the spell.”
He lifted his sleeves to show Ciel his tightly bandaged wrists, which he’d had to stitch up himself. That had been quite difficult, with both wrists slashed.
“I’ll… fix it up later, when you’re all settled in, and I’ve had a chance to recover. Perhaps we could take a nap together,” he suggested, the first time he let hints of exhaustion enter his tone.
He pressed a wet sponge to Ciel’s back– no soap, it would irritate his wounds – and began to rub his skin in gentle circles.
“A lovely nap together, just father and son. I…want to be able to hold you in my arms and know that everything was worth it…you’re back, and you won’t leave again.”
“He is not yours.” That presence again– that voice, in his ear, a tiny whisper only he could hear.
It was angry.
──♚── Ciel took a look at the wounds on Sebastian’s arms and frowned a little. He was happy to be alive now, and he was so thankful he had been revived. Sebastian seemed to have suffered quite a lot, and in different ways. Ciel reached out, wrapping his small hands gently around one of Sebastian’s bandaged wrist and looked up into his eyes.
❝Thank you.❞
The young boy continued to sit obediently as he was bathed, just listening to his father speak. A nap did sound nice. The boy feeling a little tired, even if he’d only just woken from that eternal slumber. It wasn’t long before he was all clean. His hair was back to its normal ashen blue, the blood had completely washed out.
❝A nap with you sounds wonderful. Let’s do that.❞ As soon as Ciel agreed, a vase on a nearby pedastal suddenly slipped from its spot and hit the marble floor with a crash. The pedastal was perfectly sound and stable, and the vase was too heavy for any draft to push. Ciel jumped from surprise and looked over in the direction of the shattered vase.❝How… did that happen??❞
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Sebastian had been reluctant to tell Ciel how he died quite this soon… but it seemed he had underestimated the child. Ciel was coping remarkably well so far, even after seeing the damaged state of his body.
Maybe it was time.
Bending down, Sebastian gathered the boy into his arms with all the care and reverence of handling a beloved porcelain doll, and he gently lowered him into the warm water with a content smile.
“You were in an unfortunate accident,” he murmured, gathering a jug of the scented bath water and tipping it over Ciel’s head tentatively. “A very tragic one. Trampled to death by an out of control carriage, your tiny body crushed into the cobblestones…”
This, out of everything Sebastian had said so far, was the most truthful.
"But I loved you dearly…and although I am adept at necromancy, I have never attempted anything of this calibre. Reviving someone to be exactly the way they were in life is a near impossible feat. It…nearly cost me my own life,” he commented with a bittersweat smile, feeling twin pulses in his slashed wrists.
“But for you, I had to try. You are the sole joy in my life; my greatest treasure. My son.”
──♚── Ciel closed his eyes as the warm water from the bath enveloped his sore, bruised body. Initially, the water stung at his fresh wounds, but soon enough, it was calming and comfortable. He kept his eyes closed while Sebastian tipped the jug of water over his head, the dried blood that stained his normally pale skin was finally washing off. Hearing the horrible way in which he died made Ciel shudder. There was a flash before his eyes; a vague, fogged over memory of a carriage. But as quickly as it had appeared, it was gone.
❝That’s horrible… I’m glad I don’t remember it. But I’m sorry that you have to, father.❞ The young blunette frowned at the idea of such a memory being seared into the older male’s mind. How horrible he must have felt. Ciel couldn’t even imagine that sort of emotional pain. At the mention of Sebastian nearly losing his life, he looked up in concern.
❝You almost lost your own life? I wouldn’t want that to happen. What exactly did you have to do in order for the magic to work? I appreciate that you were willing to go so far for me but… I would have been very lost without you here to help me when I woke.❞
;– Secrets Kept – Closed
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“Good,” Sebastian remarked, tenderly plucking apart the lace that held together Ciel’s blood-soaked gown once he’d started running the taps of their enormous bath.
Ah, that gown had been so pure and white when Sebastian had first made it, and now it was a pink, sodden mess.
“Your body has been through a lot of trauma, so please prepare yourself. I did the best I could, but I am not a professional doctor and you still have a lot of healing to do,” he advised the boy.
As the gown was removed, Ciel’s body was unveiled, and it was as traumatised as the necromancer had warned. His smooth, pale skin was marred with inky purple bruises and a myriad of cuts, quite a few of which had been stitched back together.
His left arm appeared to have been totally severed at some point, as had his left leg, and both had also been stitched back on by Sebastian himself.
“We have to be as careful with your precious body as possible~” the raven murmured, taking a long moment to admire his handiwork. Ciel, his darling son, had to have been carved by angels. At least fallen ones, in any case. “More than anything, I wish to keep you safe.”
──♚── Ciel had been expecting to see a few cuts and bruises here and there. The warning Sebastian gave him didn’t phase him at all. However, when the messy white gown was lifted from his body, his eyes widened at the grisly sight. Whatever had happened to him must have been terrible. Part of him was glad that he didn’t remember.
Reaching up with his right arm, he covered his mouth in shock. The way his body looked… he looked like a walking corpse. Needless to say, it made the small boy feel a little insecure. He gazed at the many stitches, especially taking a long look at the ones on his left arm and left leg. How were his limbs even working at this point?
❝I… All these wounds… I really was dead, wasn’t I? What happened? I can’t remember at all…❞
The young boy reached up to rub at his temple, trying to remember something. Anything. His life was a complete blur and there was nothing he could do about it. After a moment of silence, he looked up to Sebastian with those wide mismatched eyes.
❝I trust you, father… You’ll keep me safe.❞ After he spoke, Ciel reached out to Sebastian for help getting into the bath. He still couldn’t walk on his own after all.
;– Secrets Kept – Closed
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Sebastian shrugged off the feeling of discomfort and carried the child upstairs.
“I apologize if it gets drafty around here,” he commented, eyes lighting back up whenever he looked at Ciel’s angelic little face.
Had he always been so pale….?
“Since we’re so high up, the wind is rather strong, so don’t be alarmed to see doors close by themselves, or things fall over…It’s merely the wind,” he mused, passing through one lavishly decorated corridor and into Sebastian’s favourite sitting room, which held an immense glass window that made it seem as if they were on top of the world.
“I do try to keep the castle as warm as possible, though. We have servants that will be happy to tend to a fire for you, or heat a bed warmer… but I must warn you, they are rather reclusive…”
It was important that his little boy feel as at home here as possible. This was going to be his home now, even if…it had not been, before.
After a few moments to let Ciel admire all that Sebastian had to offer, they left the sitting room and continued to a majestic bathroom made of pure marble and inlaid with gold.
Ciel’s caretaker – father – preferred the finer things in life. The things that he, as royalty, deserved.
“I’m going to undress you now,” said the noble, gently placing Ciel on a small seat besides the large, gaping bath. “And I want you to tell me all about how your body feels.”
──♚── Ciel seemed surprised to hear that there were servants. It made sense, though. A large castle such as this one couldn’t have possibly only housed two people and no one else. He nodded his head as he listened, feeling just slightly on edge about the thought of the wind closing doors or pushing things over. At least there would be a logical explaination for him to fall back on.
After seeing the beautiful sitting room, he expected the bathroom to be just as grand. As they stepped inside, he realized just how much so. The ceiling was vaulted, featuring a beautiful murel bordered by gold trim. Marble pillars surrounded the large inset bath, making it look like a grecian paradise. Ciel gasped, unable to speak for a moment. All of this was new to him, but he was sure he used to have fond memories of growing up in a place such as this. Was he a Prince, perhaps? He was finally snapped back to reality when his father spoke. A light blush tinted his pale cheeks.
❝Undress me…? Shouldn’t a servant or…❞ Ciel’s words trailed off. He wasn’t too sure what he was trying to say. But it felt strange. This man was his father, so it shouldn’t have mattered, but why did it feel wrong? He felt a cold chill run down his spine, like icey fingers against his skin.❝My body is really sore right now, but I’m not in much pain…❞
;– Secrets Kept – Closed
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━━━¦ ♣ ¦━━━
Sebastian took one look at Ciel’s expression and laughed softly. His cherished boy…Ciel had barely changed at all. The ritual really had been a success and…everything was going according to plan.
“Oh, my…You must take it easy,” he mused, kneeling at his side and gathering him into his arms. Ciel’s life was in Sebastian’s hands, in every possible way, and the necromancer was determined that its light never fade again.
“As I said, your body is in a delicate state. I spent hours repairing it before the ritual, given…such a ghastly thing had happened. But we needn’t burden you with unnecessary stress, such as ‘why’s and ‘how’s. All that matters is you are back, and I will look after you.”
He rose to his feet, hefting Ciel a little closer, together they began to leave the room.
“Let us go back up where it’s warm, and get you into some proper clothes…Perhaps prepare a nice tea….”
As he left, however, he could not shake the feeling that he was being watched. Accused, by eyes that bore into his dark soul, eyes that could read his every sin and bore an unimaginable sadness.
Sebastian paused, just once, peering over his shoulder with a hint of unease. Vincent….?
Of course not….Don’t be foolish…
And so, he continued upstairs.
──♚── Ciel still seemed mystified by what was happening. He held onto the other male as he lifted into his embrace. For now, he decided not to question anything. At this moment, he just wanted to be out of the bloody clothing and taken to a warmer place. Tea sounded nice as well. He hadn’t realized just how parched he was until Sebastian mentioned it.
As they turned to leave, Ciel felt it as well. It was that sharp tingle on the back of your neck when eyes gazed at you from behind. The young boy glanced around for a moment, but saw no one else. He didn’t feel threatened by this feeling; quite the opposite, in fact. He felt like whatever it was… It was watching over him.
Finally reaching the top of the stairs, the atmosphere was a little more inviting. The castle was still large and mysterious and cold, but at least the corridors were decorated with fine paintings and opulent carpeting. As they passed by windows, Ciel glanced out to see a vast, empty landscape only filled with trees and rolling fields. The moon was full, shining across the moor and illuminating almost as if it were day.
❝Tea sounds good…❞
