Archive of Our Own ^beta

(Ciel is aged at 14 while reader is 13) 

Ciel nervously paced around his room, teeth chewing at the skin of his thumb as his feet carried him back and forth across the area at the front of his bed. He pulled at the collar of his sleep shirt, clicking his tongue, every so often glancing at the dark, oaken door to his room, waiting and wondering. 

Silence surrounded him, to the point where there was that annoying static ringing in his ears, and while he usually appreciated silence, he found it rather bothersome at this given moment. 

Planting his feet on the floor, index finger tapping at his forearm, he momentarily gazed at the large collection of pillows pushed up against the headboard of his bed, slightly tighter together than usual. 

That had been his doing. However, one was starting to slip.

With a tsk, he strode over to his bedside and pulled the corner of the pillow case slightly upwards, then, huffing, sat down on the clean linen sheets. 

Legs folded over one another, the tapping of his forearm continued, each one subconsciously causing his fingernail to dig deeper into his skin, surely leaving a temporary crescent behind in its place. One cobalt blue eye peered up at the clock on the wall, hour hand on the 9 and minute hand on the 8. 9:40 PM.

Where was she? Surely she hadn't been caught. She was rather crafty and hellishly sly when she wanted to be. This ought to have been easy. 

Especially since she had done it so many times before.

~~~~~

*7 years ago

Ciel's small frame pitched forward as he broke into a fit of coughs, body achy and sore from the hellish cold that had plagued it. His throat burned with every painful hack, nose congested, and eyes watery as his lungs showed him no mercy. 

Wiping his nose on his sleeve (even though his Mother told him not to), he sniffed and sadly peered out the window from his room at the bright, full moon that was high in the night sky, its whiteness beautifully pristine against the purplely-blackblue canvas. It was a lovely sight, but he couldn't help it as a small frown etched over his lips.

Out of all of the days of the year...why did he have to get sick on Halloween?

He had been so excited to go out with his parents and sister. To skip around the streets of London in their costumes on the hunt for massive amounts of candy. But of course with an October chill in the air and his costume far from being on the levels of warm enough, Ciel was made to stay home in his mother and aunt's care while his father took his sister out for the night. 

She had been reluctant to go, persistent to stay by her brother's side in hopes that he would get better sooner, but after a few pushes from her parents, and even Ciel in saying that he didn't want her to miss out on the fun because of him, she had, with time, decided to oblige. But not before running into Ciel's room just as she was about to leave with her fists clenched, empty candy bag in hand with the declaration that she would bring enough candy back for the both of them.

Ciel smiled weakly and thanked her, watching her giggle and run off with their father, grasping his large hand with her smaller one. After they left his room (and after another dose of cough medicine) Ciel had stood from his bed, shakily making his way over to the large window of his room. He peered down, watching as the carriage that had picked them both up exit the terrain of their property, horses pulling and clopping towards the city.

That was 2 hours ago, and now at nearly 8 at night, Ciel sat by himself in bed, staring out his window, breathing slightly broken and nose stuffed up to his throat. 

Usually, he didn't go to sleep this early, but he couldn't help the heaviness that had begun to take over his body, most likely from the effects of his cold. Sleep sounded wonderful, but he also wanted to wait for his sister and father to return home. Perhaps he could rest his eyes for a few moments? Surely they wouldn't be gone for that much longer. He could afford to close his eyes for a minute or two. 

Laying his head back on his pillow, Ciel allowed his heavy eyelids to flutter closed, breathing evening out as the fire of candle on his bedside table seemed to flicker out, leaving him in a tranquil darkness. 

~~~~~~~

He wasn't sure how long he had been asleep. 5 minutes? An hour? Until a soft poke against his arm and light whispers of his name lulled him out of his unconscious state. The tone was innocent,  pure, and though slightly squeaky, angelic.

"Ciel?" the voice questioned softly, "Are you awake?" 

He groaned, head turning a bit, and he opened his eyes.

The room was rather dark, the moon serving as the only source of light as its silvery beams glistened through the window's still open curtains, highlighting the small stature of the unknown individual at his bedside.   

However, once his vision grew less fuzzy, head less foggy, he realized that he was staring back at a face, a familiar one, one that was looking and blinking at him with a pair of deep, matching blue eyes. And upon that eye contact, the individual's face lit up with a grin, hands bracing the edge of the bed, wrists adorned with lace from the nightgown covering her form . 

"Ciel!" She exclaimed in a whisper, grabbing his hand. 

"Mmmh...Y/N?" the boy asked, sleepily rubbing at his eye, "What are you doing here? Why aren't you with Father going Trick or Treating?" 

The girl giggled, "I already did, silly. We got home over an hour ago!" 

Ciel's eyes widened slightly as he looked over at the grandfather clock in the corner of the room. Though it was hard to see because of the night's dark shadows, he could make out the face of the clock. 10:37 PM. Guess he had been asleep longer than he thought. 

"You did?" he mumbled, voice slightly scratchy from his sore throat, "Then why are you in here?"

"I wanted to see you!" You chirped.

Ciel sighed, "But Y/N, it's late. And surely mother and father are still awake. What if they catch you?"

"They didn't notice me when I snuck past the parlor." you shrugged, "And I closed my bedroom door so that way they won't think anything of it!"

Another sigh fell from Ciel's lips. You were too cheeky for your own good and sometimes got away with the most bizarre things. But that was something he loved about you. Even being in slight disbelief, he could feel the inklings of a smile tugging at his slightly chapped lips. 

"So what was so important that it couldn't wait till morning?" he questioned, and you beamed, two holes in your mouth from missing teeth. 

"I wanted to give you something!" you squeaked, "One second."

Suddenly, you ducked downwards, a rustling sound below, before you popped up just as quickly and shimmied your body up onto Ciel's bed, kicking your feet in assistance. He could then see that there was a large, tan colored bag hanging from the crook of your elbow, certainly full to the brim with whatever was inside it. Once you were situated across from him, you slid the bag down your arm, using one hand to pinch the top. Then you flipped the bag over and allowed it's contents to fall onto the bed in one giant heap. 

Ciel's eyes widened, mouth going slightly agape at the mountain of candy that stared back at him. 

Packages of colorful jelly beans, foil and cellophane wrapped toffee, chocolates, fudge, peanut brittle, mints, cream filled caramels, assortments of licorice, bonbons, and even confections from their family's corporation, distinguished by one of the Funtom's Seals. 

There was so much it was nearly overwhelming, but Ciel couldn't help but smile widely at the sight. His sister had certainly kept her heartfelt promise. However, that smile diminished slightly once he had raised his intention to thank the female in front of him, only to find her unwrapping a chocolate and popping the whole thing into her mouth. Ciel stared at you incredulously.

"Y/N, what are you doing?"

You looked at him, head tilted confusingly to the side as you chewed.

"Eating."

"Well I KNOW that. But chocolate? This late at night? You'll get cavities." 

Regardless of your brother's words, you plucked another sweet from the pile, unwrapping it.

"You know you're starting to sound a lot like father, Ciel." you giggled, placing the candy in your mouth, "Besides, it's Halloween! Today was made for eating candy."

Using your thumb and index finger, you gathered several cream colored candies from the pile, and Ciel's eyes softened at the sight, recognizing them immediately as you held them in your tiny, cupped hands.

"I even asked for extra custard drops since I know they're one of your favorites. Oh and lots of chocolate too!" You said happily, kicking your legs, "Father had to help me carry the bag because it was so heavy and I almost dropped it on the way to your room, so I had to drag it instead. But I just wanted to show you that I kept my promise! Just like I said I would! " 

Ciel chuckled softly at your excited demeanor, raising his hand to ruffle your hair, which caused you to giggle more, dropping the candies to grab at his wrist. 

"And you certainly did," he said warmly, "Thank you, Y/N." 

Several more little giggles fell from your lips at your brothers affection, and you could hear as he too started to laugh lightly, until his breath suddenly caught  in his throat, dry coughs plaguing the air as his hand left your head to clutch the part of his nightshirt that was draped over his chest. 

Each one still rattled his body, deep and congested, stuck in his diaphragm, making him almost struggle to catch his breath. He thought for sure the medicine and hot tea he'd been drinking all day would have helped, but alas, it didn't. 

A soothing hand could be felt rubbing comforting circles into his shoulder blades, another moving to lay over his own hand he had gripping onto his shirt. His eyes were shut, tears slightly prickling the edges, and since his sister was the only one in the room with him, he knew it was her giving him the silent support. 

Several more seconds went by before Ciel felt he could finally regain his breath, the process slow, but surely occuring. The burning in his lungs gradually began to subside, the clutch on his nightshirt loosening, the pain lessening. He relished in the feeling of being able to breathe normally again, taking as many slow inhales through his nose as he could, the soft, calming touch of his beloved little sister never faltering. 

Once the coughing fit was finally over, Ciel couldn't help but collapse onto his pillow, breathing deep, utterly exhausted. 

He felt a tap on his shoulder and opened his eyes, only to see his sister staring back at him, sapphire eyes glistening with worry. 

"Are you alright, Ciel? Do you want me to go and get Mother?" she asked, voice small.

He coughed again, this time only once.

"No." He shook his head, closing his eyes once more, "I'm fine. Don't worry."

Biting your lip nervously, you looked down at the bed, focused on the pile of candy that still sat next to you and your ill brother. You hated seeing him so sick and only wished that he would get better as soon as possible...

The gears in your brain clicked and you gasped softly, reaching out to the side.

A small crinkling sound could be heard and Ciel opened his eyes to find your fingers working hastily at the rappers of one of the candies, specifically, a custard drop. Once the marble shaped confection was free from it's clear confines, you shifted closer, holding it directly in front of Ciel's mouth. 

"Here," you offered, "Eat one. I bet it will make you feel better."

"Y/N, what if-"

"What Mother and Father don't know won't hurt them," you pushed, "Besides, you're sick and I think that's enough of an excuse to enjoy something sweet. Especially after you've been taking that icky medicine all day." 

Ciel chewed on his lip. You did have a point there. Even thinking about the doses of medicine he had taken that day made him bite his tongue in disgust, not to mention the horrible taste it left behind. That, and the terrible increments he'd suffered from cotton mouth after waking up from a nap that had made his appetite falter throughout the day, as nothing really tasted that good. But as you held the candy in front of his mouth, Ciel had actually felt his stomach growl for the first time that day, over something that could hardly be called a meal.

You could certainly be very convincing when you wanted to be.

Leaning forwards slightly, Ciel parted his lips, and you smiled, plopping the cream colored drop into his mouth. 

It took less than a second for sweetness to blossom over his taste buds, so inviting and wonderful and delicious. Such a simple, little piece of candy was, in that moment, on the pedestal as one of the best things he'd ever tasted. 

You giggled at his widened eyes, and you could swear they were sparkling, so pretty in the silver moonlight. Seeing your brother happy considering that just moments before he was anything but was a wonderful feeling. 

 It shocked you however, to see him reach towards the candy pile after finishing the one you had offered to him, pulling away with a small package of jellybeans in his hand. He wasted no time in opening them, immediately popping 2 into his mouth. You beamed, following suit with a piece of peanut brittle. After that, he helped himself to a chocolate, and you, a Funtom lollipop.

 That's how things continued for close to an hour, the two of you helping yourselves to candy, talking and laughing while making sure you were quiet enough so as to not attract your parents' attention. You told Ciel about the houses you visited and about some of the other costumes the other children wore. How you admitted your bag had been even more full than what you came home with, since you had given a small bit of your candy to a few orphans that were eyeballing other children that walked by, to which your father had told you what a noble action it was. 

Though you were young, you were wise, smart, caring, and undoubtedly, very sweet. Sometimes the polar opposite of Ciel. But as you two snacked and spoke late into the night, it was a reminder at how strong of a bond you two had. You both had your ways of making eachother feel better and you had only hoped you succeeded. 

And that next morning at breakfast (after sneaking back into your room and clearing up any evidence of empty candy wrappers) you were happy to see that Ciel was sitting at the table, eyes bright, smiling, just how you had wanted him to.

You had run over to hug him, taking your seat immediately after to tuck into breakfast and while your parents chatted amongst themselves, you and Ciel couldn't help trying to keep your laughter about your late night festivities to yourselves, which proved to be quite the challenge indeed. 

You and your brother shared many secrets with each other, but this was, by far, the best one.

~~~~~

*Present

Ciel chuckled fondly at the memory. To think it had been 7 years since that night. It was still a humorous thought looking back on it. To compare how they were as children to now. It wasn't too often, but you two had been quite the sneaky pair of siblings when you wanted to be, and it was mostly you that had initiated it. And he knew very well that it could get you both into trouble.

But after your parents died, that trouble making had saved him more times than he could count. Dumb little distractions, stupid shenanigans, pointless conversations that wasted time. He was immensely grateful for all of it.

Glancing up at the clock again, the hands showed that it was now a few minutes past ten. 

No harm in getting them out now. 

He stood up from the bed and walked back around to the other side, now face to face with the large pillows that decorated it. Using one hand as leverage against the mattress, he used the other to pull the fluffy mounds back towards him, revealing a brown paper bag that had been hidden underneath, top folded over to protect the items inside. It crinkled slightly when he picked it up, hanging decently heavy from his fingers as he sat back, pushing his pillows around so they sat how they were supposed to. And it was then he finally heard that anticipated knock at his door. 5 knocks to be exact.

With a start, he stood once again, this time leaving the bag on his nightstand, and allowed his feet to carry him to his bedroom door. It was a natural reflex for him to open it since he knew it was only you who knocked like that, as you had done so for as long as he could remember. And sure enough, it was your face that came into his line of sight upon pulling away the oaken barrier between his room and the hall. 

A teeny smile immediately graced his face upon seeing you standing before him clad in your night time attire and robe, yourself beaming as he moved off to the side.

"Happy Halloween." You sang, and Ciel's smile grew, using a quick hand to usher you inside. You followed his silent command and entered, ears catching the soft click of the door as he shut it behind you. 

He turned to face you, back pressed to the door. 

"Did anyone see you? The servants? Sebastian?" He asked. 

"I don't think so," you confirmed, shaking your head.

"Good." He nodded, "Honestly, it's almost foolish of me to ask that anyways. What are they going to do? Kick us out of the manor because of something we've been doing since we were children?" 

A smirk crossed your lips at his sarcasm, taking small strides towards his bed and he followed suit. 

"To think that you were always so hesitant to do this," you chortled, "Now look at you. Nearly bouncing on the balls of your feet like a child in a toy store." 

Ciel rolled his eyes, "Why do you insist on bringing that up every year?" He asked, sitting down next to you, "Do you enjoy taunting me that much?" 

"Why? Does it show?" You teased, and Ciel scowled, causing you to bite back a laugh.

"I'm kidding," You eased, shaking your head again whilst folding your hands in your lap, looking down at them, "It's just nice to see you so happy and excited about something. Surely you can admit it's a rare feat nowadays, even when I'm concerned. I suppose it's sort of... refreshing in a way." 

You glanced upwards at Ciel's face, catching his softened features in the candlelight. With another quickly approaching smirk, you leaned forward and poked his cheek, his once settled blue eye widening slightly.

"Not to mention adorable." You gushed.

A bright shade of pink immediately coated your brother's face and he scoffed.

"S-shut it, you…" he stuttered, pushing your finger away and you stifled a laugh, pulling away to put some distance between you both.

"Alright, all jokes aside," you started, voice now a little more serious,"I think it's about time we celebrate this harrowing night our way."

You tilted your head towards the paper bag on his nightstand, having not gone unnoticed by you and your keen perception.  With a nod, Ciel stood to retrieve it and was next to you once again mere moments later, fingers working to unfold the top. 

It was exactly what it sounded like. Similar to what you had done for Ciel all those years ago on Halloween had turned into your own little tradition. In whatever way you had acquired candy whether through trick or treating or some other factor, you would both save it and bring it to either your or Ciel's room after curfew, dumping it out and having your near sinful fill until satisfied. 

Trick or Treating had indeed been your method up until your parents had died, and having been overage and too busy running the manor, handling paperwork, and taking on requests from the queen to go out, you both settled on a new way to celebrate that was both beneficial to you and the children that would come to the manor for trick or treating just how you both had done. 

When you were younger, you and Ciel recalled helping your parents create goody bags for Tanaka to hand out the children while the four of you would go into town for the night and you both decided to continue that tradition whilst keeping your own, now putting your servants to the task. Of course, this meant purchasing large amounts of candy from the market, sometimes requiring more than one trip into town. But it was worth it to see the happy, young faces of the children. 

And to make it slightly easier for you both to snatch up a few pieces for yourselves.

As Ciel continued to fumble with the paper bag, you scooted a little closer to his side, "How much were you able to get?" You inquired, and you saw his mouth twist into a childlike pout.

"As much as I was able to," he huffed, voice slightly bitter, "Sebastian was watching those three like a bloody hawk the entire time, especially Finnian. I was only able to take away what was left after they finished the first batch."

You laughed. That was completely understandable. You and Ciel weren't the only ones in the manor that liked sweets.

Now having the bag fully open, Ciel turned it over to dump out it's content's, resulting in a satisfactory amount of candy to pile up before you two, wrapped and colorful, glistening in the candlelight. You clasped your hands together. 

"Oooo...not bad Ciel." 

"There could have been more…" he said lowly, folding up the bag as you smoothed your hand over the decent sized pile.

"Oh, it's fine." You drawled, nonchalantly waving your hand, "Once I add my share we'll have more than enough."

Ciel watched as you reached into the left sleeve of your robe (which was rather big) resulting in you pulling out another brown paper bag, identical to the one he had had, only yours looked slightly more full than his had been, sloppily twisted at the top. 

However, despite the messy state of the bag, opening it and releasing its contents showed a heavy amount of candy that was still intact, certainly creating a more than mediocre pile between you both. A satisfactory "humph" arose from you, hands crumpling up the now empty paper bag. 

"Just like I thought." You confirmed, "More than enough. I guess volunteering to assist in making the last of the goody bags was a good move on my end." 

Ciel's eye shot up, mouth agape "You didn't..." but you broke him off before he could continue.

"Calm down, I didn't take much." You eased, finger grazing your chin, "Just a handful...or three. And just like you it was more leftovers so it's really not that big of a deal." 

Sighing heavily, Ciel pinched the bridge of his nose, shaking his head in disbelief. "I don't know what's more impressive. Your sneakiness or your cleverness." 

"Hm." You thought, " I'd say the latter. But that's only because I prefer to be thought of as such. Besides, you know you can be just as sneaky as me. If not more." 

Ciel scoffed, "Name ONE time-" 

"When we found that stray dog outside in the rain covered in mud and you convinced me to help you bring it inside." You recalled, a mischievous glint in your eye that made your brother recoil slightly. But then, laughter tumbled from your lips, cheeks tinting a happy shade of light pink.

"Remember how dirty the floors got? And how FURIOUS Mother was? But Father was standing behind her trying not to laugh because we were absolutely drenched? Oh it was such a mess!" 

Your laughter continued to flow through the room, arms encompassing your stomach at the memory, and Ciel soon joined in as a few chuckles rumbled from his chest. 

"That it was. But it was fun, though." 

"Yes," you agreed, wiping your eye, "Loads of fun." 

It was then that you both looked down at the untouched pile of candy between you two.

"Ciel?" 

"Yes?"

"Close your eyes."

His brow furrowed slightly, "What are you trying to pull?" he asked, and you frowned.

"How childish do you think I am?" 

"Well-" 

"Nevermind don't answer that." You said hastily and Ciel snickered. But then, you watched as he abided your wishes and closed his eyes.

In a quick maneuver, you reached downwards at the candy pile, grabbing at a certain section where a specific candy lay. 

"Good. Now hold out your hand?" 

He did so with no hesitancy.

With a smile, you gently laid the tips of your fingers in his palm, releasing the item you had been holding and pulled your hand away. 

"Alright. Now open."

"Should I be afraid?"

"Depends." You shrugged, eyeing him, "Are you fearful of your own flesh and blood?"

"I could never be." 

"Then there's your answer." 

Taking that to heart, Ciel opened his eyes, vision refocusing as stared down at his cupped hand.

Now, sitting in the center of his palm, small and round, wrapped in cellophane, was a custard drop. 

One of his favorites. 

He glanced up at you, quietly observing how you sorted through the candy pile with a serene little smile on your face, and after a few moments, selected a golden foil wrapped chocolate from the very top. There was a small crinkling sound as you unwrapped it, momentarily revealing it's rich, brown color before you popped the whole thing in your mouth, humming at its sweetness.

Suddenly, an image of you as a little girl, sitting next to him whilst kicking your legs over the edge of his bed, face covered in chocolate flashed through his mind. And now, looking at you, after all these years. The person he was closest to, his family, one of the biggest positives that his life had to offer him, had changed so much but so little at the same time. 

He thought back to what you had said earlier when you greeted him at the door as he placed the custard drop in his mouth, and now even he couldn't help but admit...

What a Happy Halloween it was indeed.