just to hide outside your door

ch 2 - slithered here from eden

"Hold still, my lord," Sebastian mumbled firmly as he tried to smooth out the navy evening coat Ciel had reluctantly and haphazardly thrown on in attempts to make this party end as fast as possible.

His ever eccentric fiancée decided to throw a rather unnecessarily massive masquerade ball to welcome the summertime in England at Phantomhive Manor. As the years had progressed, the whimsical lady Midford had grown very popular in high society with her porcelain skin and ringlets of sandy blonde hair. Ciel has been told many a time by many drunken older men how lucky he was to have a bride so attractive.

Those comments made his stomach queasy for a number of reasons; He knew keeping bloodlines pure in aristocracy was of great importance, but he could only ever think of Lizzy as a sisterly figure, a relative, not someone he'd want in bed with him. His belly churned even more so at the concern that he just couldn't seem to find her as enticing as everyone else around him seemed to.

He was aware of her beauty, her symmetrical face, her pale skin, large eyes, and shiny blonde hair. She was giggly and innocent, a devoted and loyal daughter, sister, and fiancée. She was fashionable, feminine, and seemed excited about being a future wife and homemaker to a rich noble. He just didn't know if he really wanted said noble to be him.

Lizzy, women in general, people in general, bored him. He wanted one person and one person only. Finnian.

For weeks they continued their little game of small talk in the parlor room, locking eyes at dinner, and hearing each other's true thoughts through beautiful flowers. As Sebastian rebuttoned his coat, Ciel fought back a hard blush thinking of the delicate white camellias left on his pillow by his secret beau meaning, "You're adorable".

They were a response to Ciel's playful white clovers he'd left in the greenhouse by Finny's gloves holding the meaning of "Please think of me".

"Are you ready to escort Lady Elizabeth?" Sebastian's question broke Ciel's dreamy trance and he swallows hard, nodding his head in agreement but wishing he'd be struck dead on spot.

Lady Elizabeth was at the edge of the stair railing where it met the wall, concealing herself from the crowd until her grand entrance with her fiancé could be achieved. Her dress was a beautiful style mauve with black chiffon detailing. The dress was silk and was perhaps a little too low cut for the taste of the elder lady Midford. The sweetheart neckline of the bust accentuated her budding figure, and her waist had been cinched impossibly tiny. She had on a bright pink lipstick she saved for the most extravagant of parties, and her mask was black chiffon matching her dress woven to look like lace. Ciel couldn't help but think her exaggeratedly seductive appearance was more of a costume than the mask itself.

She smiled big at him as he approached from the far end of the hallway, Sebastian chuckled at the lack of discretion Ciel exercised taking in Elizabeth's scandalous appearance. He gulped once again, forcing a smirk upon his lips to seem calm and normal.

"Don't you just love my outfit!?" His affianced's shrill voice was one thing he noticed, would likely never change. She grabbed his hands and practically bounced with glee as they prepared to enter the party. Sebastian cleared his throat and gave Ciel the signal to walk himself and Elizabeth to the center of the steps.

"The young lord, Ciel Vincent Phantomhive, and his beautiful fiancée, Miss Elizabeth Ethel Cordelia Midford are proud to welcome you to the masquerade ball of the century!" Sebastian's showy voice and prideful tone sent an eye roll through Ciel's body. He was ready to grab her arm and whisk her down the steps so he could get the torture of social engagement over with, but his eye was caught.

From across the room, exiting the kitchen Finnian laughed at something Baldroy whispered to him as they carried our plates of cheese and meats as appetizers from the crowd. They'd made cheap-looking cloth masks but Ciel found it cute considering the surplus of expensive and overpriced fashion presented in his ballroom that evening.

Elizabeth's voice stopped his gawking, and he awkwardly turned his head to look at her masked face, she chuckled and flinched, as if she was returning to her own persona of fake happiness.

"Shall we join them, or would you rather watch the servants pour wine all evening?" Her slight sarcasm earned her some respect in his book, but he knew he needed to begin his pretending for the evening. He smiled as warmly as he could muster and the pair floated down the steps arm in arm.

-

As the party was wrapping up very late in the evening, Ciel had found himself, frankly, drunk out of his wits. He'd used an unexpectedly strong wine to keep him from having to talk to the more annoying individuals that were too well trained to interrupt him as he drank. With every sip, he longed for Finny's soft hand holding his own. His freckles scrunching up as he smiled at Ciel.

Finny, back in the kitchen watched nervously as Ciel poured himself another glass of the expensive alcohol Sebastian purchased for the guests. He inhaled sharply as a business partner of the Funtom Company laughed mockingly after the drunken teen.

Sebastian rolled his eyes as he mined more garnishes for the fruit plates, muttering rude comments about Ciel's behavior as Mey-rin and Baldroy washed dishes uncomfortably.

Many guests began to leave around midnight, leaving only a few unwanted visitors and the very agitated Elizabeth Midford. Finny watched as she plopped down in her ginormous dress in the chair next to her intoxicated promised.

"You're making an embarrassment of your name!" She whimpered. Finny wasn't close enough to hear what he remarked back, but judging from the sigh that escaped Elizabeth's mouth, it was just enough to save him from a public fight with his fiancée.

Ciel stumbled from the main hall into the hallway of the guest rooms. Unable to bear the thought of Ciel causing any harm to himself whilst intoxicated, he rushed from the kitchen and into the hallway, ignoring all stares from the other servants.

"Young master! Young master! Young- oh for christ's sake, Ciel!" The mention of his name made the tipsy noble turn his whole body around to face Finny. He smiled goofily at the gardener, earning him a genuine laugh. He paced over to him and in his drunken state, forsake all care for appearance and wrapped his stalky arms around Finny's waist, he rested his messy slate hair under his chin and sighed in happiness. Finny was walking on air.

The two stayed like this for a few seconds when the surprised gasp of Elizabeth Midford erupted a panic within Finny, he whipped his head around to see his lover's fiancée looking confused as her beau had his body melted into that of his gardener, his cheeks flush and a deep smile etched into his mouth.

Finny hesitantly released his boss and walked over to Lizzy, looked pleadingly at her and said,

"He's a little drunk is all! I was just trying to help-"

"Save it, Finnian." The blonde woman looked back at Ciel and then right in Finny's eyes.

"I'm going to trust that you can make sure he'll be ok for the evening?" Her face was contorted in that of insincere concern. Finny nodded his head rapidly.

As Elizabeth made her way out of the hallway, Finny returned to Ciel's side.

He placed his warm hand on the small of his back and hoisted his legs up to carry him bridal style. The pair laughed as Finny carried him to a guest bedroom.

Crawling into the immaculate bed, Ciel whines as Finny went to leave the room. The gardener turned back around to say good night, and Ciel grabbed him by his shoulders, pressing their lips together and holding him still. Finny ribbed the soft skin of Ciel's ivory cheek and when the pair broke, a warmth like no other spread across his entire body.

He went to bed that night dreaming of kissing Ciel once again, but in a field of red salvias, for a promise of "forever".