Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/ works/5499014. Rating: Explicit Archive Warning: Underage Category: M/M Fandom: Kuroshitsuji_|_Black_Butler Relationship: Sebastian_Michaelis/Ciel_Phantomhive Character: Sebastian_Michaelis, Ciel_Phantomhive, Cerise_Phantomhive Additional Tags: twin_ciels, SebaCiel_-_Freeform, Vignettes, Christmas Stats: Published: 2015-12-23 Chapters: 1/? Words: 5227 ****** Twin Ciel Vignettes ****** by KittehBoesternchen, KuroKitty_(HaleYes) Summary A series of vignettes supposing that the "Twin Ciel" theory is true and both boys survived their time with the cult and made contracts with Sebastian. Notes These vignettes are based off of roleplaying threads between leviheichouackerman (Ciel and Cerise) and kittehbs (Sebastian). They are not in any particular order, just glimpses into the life that may have been if Ciel was a twin and they had both survived and made contracts with Sebastian. Ciel is the twin that (in the theory) would have been sacrificed on the table and Cerise is the "Ciel" that we have been following the adventures of. Sebastian had been up since the early morning hours. Actually, he hadn't even been to sleep. As a demon, and a rather powerful one at that, he didn't really need sleep even when posing in a human body, although he did enjoy the occasional nap. After all, cats slept up to twenty hours a day and if a noble feline thought that was acceptable, who was he to argue? He had been preparing dough all night, using cinnamon and vanilla liberally, cloves and cocoa and all kind of Christmas-y spices. The fat turkey had been slaughtered the evening before and prepared, ready to be pushed into the oven for its slow, low-temperature cooking that would leave it juicy and tender. Only the best for the little Lords, after all. It wouldn't be long until he had to wake the two of them, but for now, Sebastian enjoyed the peaceful silence in the large manor, all its inhabitants sleeping soundly; Bard and Finny in their shared bedroom, Mey-Rin in her solitary one, the boys curled up together in their parents' large bed, cheek to cheek as they were wont to do. He had finally finished decorating the tree that Finny had dragged from the forest after the twins had gone to sleep, the lights would brighting the large sitting room that would be where the Christmas celebrations would be held. This would be the second Christmas he would spend with the twins after pulling them from the dungeon he had been summoned to. Last year had been a little hesitant, a bit awkward, the first Christmas they had spent without their loving parents, but both boys had come a long way since then and Sebastian was sure this one would be warm and joyful. He left the dough to rise and went to wash his hands, checking his pocket watch. As much as he would love to keep the boys sleeping for a while longer - they wouldn't be underfoot like this, and they had been up later than usual last night - Sebastian was all for schedule and routine. He left the kitchen and wandered up to the master bedroom, carefully opening the door. There in the grandiose, over sized bed were Sebastian's identical, slate-haired masters, curled up together beneath the snow white duvets. Thin arms tangled around each lithe body in such a fascinating way that it was difficult to determine where one boy ended and the other began. They slept peacefully when they were this way in the mornings, nestled against their soft, warm counterpart. The beauty of just one of them alone was startling, but together it was a wonder. Perfection times two, neither one more delicious than the other, a veritable windfall for a demon that had only ever known one master at a time and none that could even hold a candle to a solitary twin Phantomhive. They were needy little things, constantly requiring his attention in more manners than he'd ever provided in the past due to a contract. Indeed he had known that two masters would likely be twice the effort, but the little twin’s demands were exponentially more than that. The first stirred and Sebastian watched silently as stunning mismatched eyes opened as the morning sun graced over his delicate features. A tiny fist wiggled free to rub over a cerulean eye, the wheels noticeably beginning to turn in the boy's head as he woke and the realization of the day's date set in. "Cerise," the boy said softly, giving his twin a gentle shake. "Wake up, it's Christmas morning!" The other boy yawned and curled closer to his brother, hiding his precious face behind the covers. "I'm sleepy," he murmured in protest, humming and nuzzling closer to his now wide awake twin. "But, Santa came!" He nearly shouted, giving his brother a more firm shake. "Don't you want to see what he brought for us?" Cerise's head finally lifted from his twin's chest; mouth wide with a yawn as he emerged from their little nest in the bed. "Presents?" The sleepy boy asked, perking up slightly. "Yes!" He jumped down from the bed, only to have the sleeve of his long white nightshirt grabbed by his brother. "Ciel, wait for me, I'm coming!" "Now, hold on," Sebastian said with a startled blink; rarely did either of his tiny masters opt for leaving the bed willingly, and without breakfast tea, even. He caught Ciel, the older of the two, around the waist and swung him up unceremoniously, smiling at the surprised squeal the boy gave. "Gentlemen don't run," he chastised the boy gently, with a smile, and dropped him back into bed next to his sleepy brother. "But the young master is right, little master, we must be up now. There is breakfast for the both of you and, yes, then there will be presents." He lifted a hand when the boys clambered to protest. "You will wash up, dress and have breakfast first. Even if it is Christmas, we must still be proper. What would Mey-Rin say if she saw you running around in your nightshirts?" He shook his head at them and went to tie back the curtains properly. His tiny masters were incredibly adorable even when they were pouting, mismatched eyes staring at him as if that would make him bend. Each of the boys had a seal, Ciel in his right, Cerise in his left, given to them the night he had taken them. Having two masters at the same time was almost unheard of, and he really should have eaten one right away for the other to succeed, but...he glanced back at them. No. He was greedy by nature; he had to have both. "But I'm not hungry," little Cerise whined sleepily and his slightly older brother glowered at Sebastian and wrapped his arm around his twin protectively. It was always particularly difficult to get Cerise to sit down for a meal that didn't consist completely of sweets and it made Sebastian's job as a butler all the more trying. He was sickly as it was, with his asthma making him more fragile than his older twin, and he it was of great importance for him to eat regular, healthy meals. "Sebastian, why must we follow such rigid rules, even on Christmas?" Ciel pouted, his glare following the demon butler as he made his way to the boy's shared wardrobe. "We haven't any guests in the estate, who would ever know if you ignored propriety just this once?" Little Ciel was already quite the diplomat, arguing on behalf of himself and his twin. There was no doubt his father would be proud of his heir. Would have been, rather, if Vincent had lived. As it was, Sebastian was the only being that was a guardian to the children of the prestigious Earl of Phantomhive. "Because the both of you are noble Lords and you must be presenting that image at all times, even if only we are here. Imagine what your aunt would say, should she visit unannounced." Frankly, Angelina would probably think it was cute, the boys running around in their nightclothes and thick socks, and she would proceed to cuddle the life out of the cute little things, but...no, Sebastian had an aesthetic and he would follow it. "You may be pirate ghosts in your dresses with your eyepatches on. No. We must be dressed properly." He chose their outfits with care, matching colors but lighter for Cerise to match their personalities. Ciel was just a tiny thing too, but more robust than his younger twin, a delicate beauty that was likely to run around on high energy all day, whereas Cerise was more fragile, and needed more loving care. "Now, please. Don't make me brush your teeth for you." Ciel sighed heavily, grabbing his brother by the hand and pulling him toward the washroom to brush their teeth. His patience was already worn thing and as it was, the longer they argued with Sebastian the longer it would be until they could open their presents. "Do you suppose Santa remembered to come?" Cerise asked with uncertainty as he trailed behind his brother. "Of course," Ciel snorted, letting go of his twin's hand in favor of his toothbrush. "Why on earth would you think he wouldn't?" Cerise shrugged, reaching for his own toothbrush and pushing in beside his brother at the sink. "You were scared last year," Ciel pointed out, his mouth full of foam and his words garbled in a most undistinguished way. "You thought because you'd made a contract with a demon that he wouldn't come for us, but he did. You have nothing to worry yourself over." "But Ciel," the younger twin said softly, earning a raised eyebrow from the reflection of his brother in the mirror. "After the things we've done this year, do you think Santa might..." Ciel set down his toothbrush and put his hands on Cerise's shoulders, giving them a firm squeeze. "We haven't done a thing wrong, Cerise. And when you see the pile of gifts you beneath the tree, that should be all the proof you'll ever need that there's nothing wicked or sinful about anything we've done. If Santa knows everything, and he still rewards you with gifts, that should be proof that the nonsense they preach at church is exactly as meaningless as Sebastian has said. We don't have to worry about God punishing us, so what else matters besides Santa?" Cerise considered his twins words, then nodded in agreement. "I suppose you're right. And with the things Santa knew last year, he still rewarded us handsomely." The boy cracked a small smile then, stuffing his toothbrush into his mouth. "I bet he brought me more than you." "Like hell," Ciel shot back, chasing after his brother back into the bedroom in a storm of laughter and pattering feet. Cerise ran behind Sebastian in a whirl, grabbing onto his black pant leg and drooling toothpaste foam onto him through his grin and panting. "Ciel's picking on me, he needs a good scolding." "I am not!" Ciel said defensively, looking up at Sebastian with wide eyes. "He's lying, on Christmas!" Sebastian had heard the young voices murmuring to each other first, muffled by toothbrushes and then louder; he shook his head as the boys came running out of the bathroom, not even close to being done in there. "How disgraceful," he sighed, leaning down to pick Cerise up, letting the boy sit on his forearm. "I understand it's an exciting day for the two of you, but," he nabbed up Ciel as well on his other arm, to carry the two of them back into the bathroom. "That's no reason to behave like wild barbarians." A caretaker had to be stern with his little wards at times so they wouldn't run wild; Ciel was the next Earl of Phantomhive, being the older, and Cerise was still a Lord even if his brother inherited their father's title by birth order. They were both noblemen. Sebastian put them both down in the bathroom again, in front of the sink. "You will finish your morning toilette, my little masters. And you will get dressed and have breakfast, and then," he told the hopeful little faces and beautiful shining eyes turned up to him, "only then will I let you see what Santa brought for you. Yes, he did in fact bring the two of you gifts." Sebastian gave Cerise a smile and wink, letting him know he had indeed heard their conversation, and the boy blushed. "Go on, now. The quicker you are, the sooner you can open your presents." Sebastian went back into the master bedroom to make the bed and lay out the boys' final outfits. He could hear his tiny masters giggling in the bathroom but he also heard the unmistakable rasps of the brushes so he didn't protest; indeed he had to smile fondly as he straightened out the covers. He had spent most of the time the boys were asleep decorating the tree - he had even sent Finny into town to purchase the electrical candles that had appeared in the shops. Knowing the servants, real candles would only end in a second inferno; Sebastian had barely been able to prevent a fire last year. The tree was hung with baubles and hard candies, stars woven from yarn and straw, festive and impressive in the room he had chosen. By now, he was sure Mey-Rin had started the fire in the fireplace and gathered the presents Sebastian had hidden to put them under the tree. He had made damned sure everything was perfect. The boys raced out of the bathroom rather ungracefully, bumping into each other and nearly tripping as they galloped full speed toward the bed. They were smiling brightly now, both of them, eager to get to their presents and play with their new toys. Even Cerise was wide awake and beaming up at Sebastian, his arms held out so that their butler could hurry up and dress them for the day. Sebastian had selected a pair of tiny, matching short suits for the boys. They were adorned with the finest silk ribbons and ruffles in the back of the coat that fell to their mid calves. Their white shirts were starched and pressed, lace billowing out the front and several inches below the cuffs of their sleeves. Black knee high socks with held up with buckles and each small stockinged foot was slipped tenderly into black buckled shows with heels that would click against the hardwood floors when they walked. "I'm going to finish my breakfast faster than you so I can open up the first present," Ciel announced as Sebastian tied a black ribbon in a perfect bow around the boy's neck. "That isn't fair!" Cerise protested, stomping his foot and crossing his arms. "If you're done then I'll be full and I'll open up my first gift at the same time!" "I'm older, I should be first," Ciel replied casually, giving his slightly younger brother a smirk. "You always say that and it never stops being stupid," Cerise shot back with a snort, turning then to Sebastian before them and tilting his head, making his long bangs fan over his face in a most beautiful way. "Sebastian likes it when I'm first sometimes, don't you Sebastian?" "My little masters are being entirely unreasonable today," Sebastian replied, looking up at Cerise from kneeling in front of where the boy sat on the edge of the bed next to his twin, his hands warm on the slender calf. He tugged the sock into place lightly. "Naturally, you will both start opening your presents at the same time if you insist on fighting. On Christmasof all days. What would Santa say." He shook his head with a light click of his tongue, fully enjoying the looks of pure terror that crossed the children’s faces. They truly were incredibly precious; here was a demon of hell dressing them for the day and the only thing they feared was not getting presents. Sebastian had made sure the boys had not been allowed into the actual Christmas room ever since the preparations started. He wanted to see their eyes light up like stars, their little faces bright and open in wonder when they were allowed inside and saw the tree with the presents underneath, wrapped in colorful paper and silky ribbons. But he would make sure they would have breakfast first. The demon rose fluidly and kissed each boy's forehead in passing. He was incredibly fond of the little brats, after all. "Come, then, my little ones. I made you your favorites for breakfast." He opened the bedroom door with flourish, motioning for them. "Go on." Ciel slid down from the bed, extending his hand to his brother who took it eagerly and followed him toward the door. As strange as it was to have the holiday without their parents, somehow Sebastian made it seem as though few things had changed. There was still a feast and their home - exactly as it was before the fire - was decorated beautifully. Best of all, Santa still came to bring them gifts and the mansion smelled like fried breakfast meats. They trotted past Sebastian, hand in hand, completely identical from behind. Indeed, it wasn't until Sebastian had marked them in opposite eyes that strangers were able to tell them apart. Sebastian, however, needn't ever rely on the marks as the boy's personalities were quite different and their souls - while both delectably enticing - were uniquely charming. He could tell the boys apart without even being in the same room with them, though he didn't let on so the twins could still play their games and tease him. The dining room table was set up with quite a spread; ham, eggs with hollandaise and biscuits, bacon and several types of sausages. There were pancakes dripping with syrup and fritters with powdered sugar. It was a feast fit for a king, but for two small boys. Instead of taking seats at opposite heads of the table they sat beside one another in the middle, never releasing hands until they grabbed their utensils, wide eyed and salivating at the food they had only moments ago attempted to dismiss in favor of presents. Bard and Mey-Rin helped plate for them, making comments on just how large the piles of gifts were and Mey-Rin agreeing they had such very good boys this year. Ciel shot a look to his brother as though to say 'I told you so' and Cerise smiled gleefully in return, the evidence that they were not as naughty as he had feared evident by Santa's actions. Sebastian went to check on the Christmas room for one last time, making sure everything was perfect for the precious twins before joining them where they had their breakfast. He even had to smile at the picture they made, sitting together and digging in with gusto - even Cerise didn't just pick at his food and complain but stuffed his round little face with pancakes - and he felt like a sappy old demon in that moment, because there was a warmth in his chest that one usually needed a heart for. Not that Sebastian's body didn't have a heart, it did. It was perfectly human to a degree after all. The emotions that one associated with it though, those he weren't supposed to develop. Ah, well. He had always been an oddball. When the boys were done eating, he swooped in to wipe their faces free of sticky syrup before he finally, finally let them run to the Christmas room. As he had expected, following them, their faces lit up the moment he opened the doors and the full splendor was revealed. "Look at the tree," Cerise said with awe, staring up at the masterpiece that towered over four meters tall. The boy's eye twinkled as the electric lights were reflected in it and he craned his head to look at the shining star atop it, his lips parted with wonder. The decorations had never been even a fraction as elaborate before Sebastian came into their lives. "Cerise, look at the presents," Ciel shouted with excitement, grabbing his brother's shoulder and bouncing at his knees beside him. "Have you ever seen so many gifts at once? I told you we were good this year!" Cerise's gaze turned to the piles of gifts wrapped beautifully beneath and around the tree and he gasped, turning to his brother with a bright smile. It was more presents than he and his twin had ever received, by quite a bit. "Come on!" Ciel gleefully grabbed his twin's hand and pulled him into the pile of presents, taking a seat beside him cross legged on the floor and picking up a box. "It's addressed to you," Ciel said, handing the box to Cerise and finding another with his own name on it in a similar shape. They opened their boxes in a storm of paper flying about the room around them, revealing matching plush rabbits with eye patches sewn on the eye that corresponded with each twin. They each kept the bunny in their laps as they pulled for their next boxes, unwrapping their gifts together in the kind of organized chaos only young twins on Christmas morning could manage. Not only Sebastian watched fondly; the servants were in the room as well and cooing quietly over the display. The little masters were so adorable, so precious. For once, they did seem their tender age, enthusiastically opening their presents, which were mostly the same for each of them but still slightly different, just like they were. There were so many toys they would be busy all day trying them all out, plushies, little whimsical mechanic things, an arc that would open so they could place wooden animals inside in pairs - this one amused Sebastian the most. If he had to pick two of each species, it would be these two. And cats. The rest of the spots would be for cats. Since it was a special occasion, he even sat down, crossing his long legs at the knee and watching how the servants bustled around them and gave them gifts as well before they went to finish their own duties. "Are you happy, my little ones?" "Yes, this is incredible," Ciel said, pulling a metal train from it's packaging and setting it up on the floor as he spread out on his belly, feet kicking up in the air behind him. "And Cerise was worried Santa wouldn't come! This was our best year yet!" Cerise pulled a candy cane from the tree and picked up his bunny, stepping carefully over his brother and making his way over to Sebastian. Ciel had been right, he'd been worried about whether Santa would have thought he was naughty. More than being happy about the presents, he was relieved that he was still good. Silently, he crawled into Sebastian's lap, leaning against his chest with his bunny tucked under his arm. He watched Ciel play, slipping the candy cane into his mouth, warm and light in the demon's lap. Sebastian had to smile; trust his tinier master to be overwhelmed with the display and needing cuddles. The younger twin had always been more in need of reassurance and stability - Ciel dealt with things the way exactly as a brash child would be expected to, dashing the issues away with absolute confidence that nothing bad of consequence would happen regardless. The elder twin had adapted to normal life after the cage better than his younger brother, even if it had been him being rescued mere seconds before the dagger plunged down into his thin chest. The demon uncrossed his legs to make space for the precious, frail little thing and curled one arm around the thin frame when Cerise settled in against him. His free hand began stroking the fine bunny-down hair, twirling the long fringe around his fingers like rings. "You're not done unpacking your presents yet, my little master," he told the boy warmly, bending his head to press a kiss to the top of Cerise's. Sebastian was comfortable letting his guard down when the servants were not close - although they would have cooed fondly at the display, it made for poor work aesthetics to see the head butler so soft. "Are you already good for a nap?" Cerise shook his head no, though the heavy breakfast and rush of adrenaline of opening gifts having passed was making him feel rather sluggish. He was content to watch Ciel play with their toys and sit with Sebastian. It was nice on occasion to have his full attention and not have to share it with his brother. He didn't truly mind sharing Sebastian with his twin, he loved Ciel very much, but one-on-one time with Sebastian was a rare delight. Cerise felt warm inside, content at knowing he was still good, that his feelings and actions over the past year hadn't been as deplorable as he had feared. He turned in the demon's lap, wrapping his arm that held his candy cane around Sebastian's neck and hoisting himself up to press sticky, peppermint flavored lips against their butler's. Sebastian was, after all, the reason they had a home and Christmas to begin with. Cerise was more grateful for that, for Sebastian, than the pile of gifts his brother was distracted by. The demon's sinful mouth curved against his in a pleased smile. Peppermint coupled with Cerise was surprisingly yummy. "Someone is feeling cuddly," he remarked quietly, his arm supporting the precious little thing where he was perched on his lap so precariously. His free hand stroked the soft little face, then pulled Cerise's head to rest against his shoulder, against the crook of his neck. For some reason, the feel of the boy's breath dusting against his skin was infinitely precious to him. It was a tangible reminder that this little life, as well as the one across the room playing with his mechanical train, belonged to him, that they were save under his wing. That they were his,these incredibly beautiful human children that made such breathtaking contradictions of good and evil, purity and darkness. Sebastian kissed the warm little forehead of the boy curled up against him. Cerise stuffed the candy cane back into his mouth, sucking on it as he clung to his new bunny and nuzzled his cheek against Sebastian's tailcoat. He missed their parents, but having Sebastian wasn't terrible. It was different, but good in its own way. The more time that passed and they spend with Sebastian, the more Cerise didn't think he could give the demon up if presented with a choice. He was happy with their arrangement. Ciel looked up from his train, eyes darting back and forth between his brother and Sebastian. "Cerise, aren't you going to play with me?" Ciel whined with a hint of jealousy, getting up from the floor and approaching the pair sitting in their father's favorite armchair. He clamored into Sebastian's lap, across from his brother, wiggling himself under the demon's arm. "It's no fun by myself you know." "In a minute," Cerise mumbled from around his candy cane, clicking his shoe against his brother's matching one and settling in against Sebastian. "I'm eating." With both his lovely little masters in his lap, Sebastian was as pleased as could be. He curled his free arm around Ciel and smirked at the boy, strumming his fingers over his ribs. "My young master seems restless," he commented teasingly. "Did you unpack all your presents yet?" It was always like this; whenever Cerise grew tired from playing and wanted to snuggle, Ciel would follow soon enough, but he would complain about it regardless. The only time Ciel was actually snuggly was when he was tired - or feeling exceptionallyplayful. "Cerise," Ciel groaned, kicking back at his brother's foot and narrowing his eyes. "You have all day to sit around and be boring. I need someone to play with me now." Cerise looked up at Sebastian, giving him a small grin from around his candy cane, then looked back to his pouting brother. "Alright, you don't have to cry about it," he said dismissively, sliding from Sebastian's lap to the floor. "I'm not crying," Ciel said defensively, hopping down and following behind his brother to their pile of gifts. Their disagreement was forgotten mere moments later, both of them on their bellies playing with their new toys together like the best friends that they were. They set up wooden soldiers and a cavalry, canons and turned boxes into castles and walls. There was wrapping paper all around them, like they were swimming through a colorful sea as they played. In spite of their sassy behavior, they truly did look like angels in the glow of the lights that were strung from the tree behind them. Sebastian chuckled softly at their antics. He was privately glad they had opted for the electrical candles after all because the boys were right beneath the tree, Ciel's leg was kicking one of the branches idly as they played and he didn't think he was able to get heart attacks but the thought of actual fire so close to the precious darlings... He sat and watched them for a long moment, just quietly listening to their chatter and the play pretend they made with their new toys but eventually Sebastian needed to check on the servants so they wouldn't slack off and quietly rose, brushing his hands down his tailcoat and pants. The boys didn't even notice him leaving, so submerged into their game. The servants were happily going about their duties, needing little directing for once...Sebastian thought this must be the atmosphere of Christmas, although it was a whimsical thought. The demon turned butler returned to the Christmas room, stopping in the doorframe and smiled at the sight, curling a hand to his mouth not to make any undignified sounds. So adorable. The twins had fallen asleep beneath the tree, utterly exhausted from the morning's excitement, their bellies full with breakfast meat and milk. Ciel held a wooden soldier in his hand, sprawled on his side with his head resting on his arm. Cerise was near him, the back of his head against his twin's belly and his bunny tucked securely under his arm. Stray pieces of wrapping paper covered them like blankets, making them easy to miss in the mess they'd created if one didn't know to look for them. They were completely at peace, beside each other as always, inseparable as they were. Lunch and afternoon tea was going to have to wait. Oh Sebastian was completely enamored by the little ones, curled up like kittens in a mountain of wrapping paper. He shook his head with a fond smile and walked over; the toy soldier was taken from Ciel's small hand and put down with the others, then Sebastian scooped the boys up, one in each arm and heads on either of his shoulders. They didn't even stir, pliant and warm in his arms. He encountered Mey-Rin on the way to the master bedroom, who blushed and waved her hands excitedly because the picture was so adorable but didn't make a sound to wake them; the boys were put down into their bed, Sebastian carefully taking off their little booties, two peas in a pod, only distinguishable in sleep by the placement of their eyepatches. The demon slipped both patches off, Ciel's first, then Cerise's; he kissed both their warm foreheads before drawing the blankets over them carefully. He'd wake them for tea - they had had enough breakfast and candy to allow them to nap through lunch. "Sleep well, my little darlings." They shifted immediately, completely in sync, even in their sleep. Ciel rolled onto his back and Cerise snuggled up to him, tucking his head into Ciel's neck, beneath his chin, his bunny on his twin's belly. Ciel smiled in his sleep, nuzzling his face into his twin's familiar hair and wrapping his arms around the other boy. They were absolutely inseparable, but Sebastian wouldn't want it any other way. Please drop_by_the_archive_and_comment to let the author know if you enjoyed their work!