The little doll's shoes began to rot away on his feet, the dampness of the attic finally ruining the leather and they slowly fell apart but the little doll paid no mind to this nor to the cold or this discomfort. Autumn leaves blew in from holes in the roof and the broken window, scattering in the little doll's lap yet this no longer bothered the pretty broken doll for he had seen the familiar black of a crow and its magnificent red eyes that sparked hope enough for that fire to be rekindled.

The sighting was momentary, the doll soon found, and he was alone once again with his thoughts, his sorrow and endless apologies. It was going to be another night of silent sobbing as the cruel spark of hope died in the doll's heart once more. "I miss you," he whispered to the wind but there was no one to hear him so Ciel sat and continued to wait.

Perhaps, if he waited long enough, Sebastian would forgive him for touching another man. He knew now that it had been wrong but, in a life of only Sebastian, how could he know any better? Surely this punishment, decades of loneliness and misery, had gone on long enough? Tears formed in his eyes and rolled down his porcelain cheeks until he exhausted himself and was found by sleep.

He thought he saw the familiar jet black flutter among the falling leaves the next morning, thought he saw those ruby eyes only for not even a full moment. The hope it spark hurt as it died and tears stung his eyes as he turned his face away from the window, no longer able to bare watching as life continued in the streets outside. His life began and ended with Sebastian; what else had he ever wanted but those arms around him and the love he had once been constantly showered with? What else had he ever needed? What else had he ever lived for?

The little doll didn't want to live, not without his owner. Not without Sebastian.

He sobbed quietly as the morning faded into the afternoon, crying until he couldn't anymore. The evening was spent staring at crumbling boxes long forgotten by the family who had once lived below. They had left the doll behind along with everything else that was old, useless or unwanted and the living doll was all three. With a wistful glance at the window, Ciel settled down to try to sleep which came easier after shedding so many tears.

Waking slowly, Ciel was warm... that was a feeling he hadn't felt in a very long time. Those big blue eyes opened only to find he wasn't in the attic; he was set on a chair in a small, plain bedroom with the curtains drawn and clothes folded on the bedside table. A door was open to a bathroom that was was bright and clean and Ciel hesitated before slipping out of his rags to use the shower. He had never used a shower before, used to being bathed by his guardian, but he managed to work it. Standing under the hot water, the broken doll began to use the soaps and products that were placed around the shower area, within his reach. It must have been an hour or more until a clean teen emerged from the bathroom wrapped in a towel.

Ciel dried best he could before dressing in the clothes he assumed had been left for him since they were exactly his size. After struggling with what limb when where, the doll crept out of the bedroom to explore and maybe thank whomever had allowed him the use of clothes and the shower but he found no one in the flat he realised he was in.

It wasn't very big with one bedroom, a small kitchen and a living-room. There was a small room with only a toilet and a sink which was on the left of the entry way. The little flat was well kept, clean and tidy but also lacking in personal touches. The pictures on the walls were only decorative and any ornaments were elegant but void of much personality.

Ciel returned to the bedroom and climbed into the bed, curling up beneath the sheets. It had been so long since the shattered doll had been in a bed, had been warm and clean; he was beginning to feel drowsy and allowed himself to sleep, unsure if he was actually allowed in the bed but, he figured, no one was here to tell him otherwise and it had been so long... The little ball under the sheets lost his thoughts as sleep claimed him.

The smell of cooking woke him and, while he didn't need to eat, he couldn't deny the ache in his mouth as it watered at the scent of bacon. Ciel slipped out of bed and cautiously made his way to the kitchen where a plate of bacon, eggs and toast sat on the counter. There was no one there so Ciel went to seek out the mysterious cook but he could find no one. Half an hour the teen waited before he took the plate and began to eat, filling his stomach for the first time in about a century. Washing up the plate and cutlery, Ciel made a bit of mess with the water and grabbed a kitchen towel to clear up.

Full, Ciel made his way back to the bedroom and curled up with a pillow, holding it close as he went to sleep.

That's how the days went by; Ciel found clothing laid out for him, food left on the table and anything else that was needed was taken care of. After about a week, Ciel was brave enough to watch the tv in the living-room and often fell asleep on the sofa only to find himself back in bed when he woke. He once left a 'Thank you' note for his unseen caretaker and it was gone by the next day.

Ciel woke to the sound of the front door click into place and he bolted upright. He hesitated before he slipped out of bed and snuck out of the bedroom in the hopes of getting a glimpse of his guardian. He followed the sound of light footsteps into the kitchen and his mouth fell open.

Raven black hair, crimson eyes and pale skin were a welcome sight after so many years but Ciel found he couldn't speak as Sebastian turned to him. "Hello, Ciel."

The doll made a noise that sounded like a squeak and a hiccough mixed together as he eagerly took two steps towards the demon he had missed so much, his hand outstretched for the man he loved as his vision blurred with tears of delight. A moment passed and Ciel stopped himself from throwing his arms around Sebastian, unwillingly withdrawing his outstretched arm as he realised that he may not be fully forgiven yet.

He wanted to ask for an embrace, to take those last steps towards the crow demon and to kiss him again but Ciel didn't dare, though he was sure his urgency was written all over his face. "H-how have you been?" he managed to choke out through his dusty vocal chords.

Sebastian was quiet for a moment and Ciel wasn't sure he was going to answer but then the demon leaned against the kitchen counter. "Fine," he replied. Ciel felt warmth at the sound of the elder's voice and the desire to throw himself around Sebastian's middle was renewed. He found himself taking a small, cautious step forward in the hopes of being as close to the demon as he could get away with. "You're shivering. Are you cold?"

Ciel shook his head, his lower lip quivering as he tried desperately not to cry. A mixture of sorrow and giddy joy shook him at his core and the little doll found it incredibly hard to force out his voice as he opened his mouth to speak. A shaky breath left Ciel's lips, "I- I'm just... so happy to... to see you again."

Sebastian's indifferent expression melted into something similar to Ciel's and he fell to his knees, dragging the little doll close to his chest and holding him tight. For a moment Ciel could only freeze in surprise but his arms wrapped around the demon in return and they clung to each other in the middle of the kitchen floor where they remained for a long while.

When they finally moved, Sebastian did not let go of the weeping doll in his arms; instead, they lay together in bed and held each other tight.

"I forgive you," Sebastian whispered at last.

"Sebastian," Ciel giggled as he tugged on his lover's hand as the demon pretended to try to lead the doll away from the ice cream stand. Those astronomic blue eyes, once riddled with sorrow and guilt, were bright with mirth and flashed with pleasure as he licked the ice cream Sebastian bought for him. They wandered home, hand in hand, as the doll at the ice cream.

A few months had passed since their reunion and nothing had really changed between the two lovers except the sex. Or... lack of. It worried Ciel that perhaps Sebastian's absent advances meant that the little doll was not quite as forgiven as Sebastian had lead him to believe or, perhaps, the demon was finding satisfaction elsewhere which he was perfectly justified to do but... Ciel wanted Sebastian to himself once more.

Opening the door to their flat, Sebastian let Ciel in first before he closed the door behind them and headed for the kitchen where be began to cook. Ciel watched the demon for a little while before he went into the living room and put on the tv while he waited for Sebastian to return to him. There was never anything interesting on in the daytime, all the interesting shows coming on sometime after 9 but that didn't stop Ciel from watching some drivel for the next half hour. He enjoyed the crime mysteries that were usually on, finding out who killed who and what weird motive was behind such insanity.

He looked up when Sebastian entered the room, sitting himself down besides the doll as he handed Ciel dinner then sat back to watch the tv while the teen ate. Life seemed so simple and easy now as the two slipped back into a normal routine around one another. There was affection in their life again, easing the loneliness that had engulfed them both. They were rarely apart now and Ciel was just fine with that but, even still, it hurt deeply in the hours they spent apart.

Setting his plate down, Ciel snuggled into Sebastian's side with a contented hum. He began to feel drowsy as he remained pressed into his lover, closing his eyes just for a moment...

"Ugnn," Ciel grumbled as he was set down carefully on the bed and tucked in. "S'Bastian..." he felt the other join him, hooking his arm around the doll's delicate little body and the teen snuggled closer. Tilting his head up, Ciel stole a sweet kiss from the demon beside him as his hands slipped up under the elder's shirt.

Sebastian froze, "Ciel..."

"Please?" Ciel pleaded quietly against his lover's lips, pressing himself closer as his fingers gently pressed into Sebastian's skin under the demon's shirt and began kissing along Sebastian's jawline, "Please?" he murmured in the demon's ear as he rolled on top of his lover. Sebastian didn't fight the doll's advances, letting Ciel grind against him as the teen kissed his lover's skin while unbuttoning Sebastian's shirt.

The little doll's mouth followed each button as it was undone, pressing kiss after kiss against his lover's skin while his hands fumbled with the demon's belt next. The way that mouth worked was like he was wordlessly worshipping Sebastian's body and the demon allowed himself to be at his lover's mercy, moaning almost silently as that clever, wicked mouth found the elder's groin. "Ciel, you don't have to... Shit..." he groaned as he felt Ciel take him into his mouth as deep as his throat could manage.

Moving his head, Ciel sucked eagerly as he thrilled at the sounds his lover made. He was very much out of practise but it all came back to him easily; every flick of the tongue, how deep and how much he sucked was all designed to please his lover and all memorised perfectly from all those years ago. The teen didn't stop, not until he made his lover orgasm as he swallowed around him.

Ciel sat up, wiping his mouth. Now he had satisfied the demon, Ciel was hesitant to do much else in case it was too much to ask for and it didn't help that Sebastian seemed to be watching him as if wondering what the boy would do next. He didn't know what to do; it was like he was a shy little virgin, frustrated and more than a little terrified of the rejection he was sure he would receive if he pushed too far-

"Mm..." Ciel found his mouth suddenly occupied with Sebastian's, their lips parting as their tongues touched and Sebastian's fingers brushed Ciel's sides as he pulled off the teens t-shirt only to reconnect their mouths again. It was easy to guide the pretty, flushed doll back on top of the demon and have their groins press together again. Clothes were discarded and Ciel gasped against his lover's mouth as he felt Sebastian enter him. With regular movements, Ciel found himself bouncing in his lover's lap as they made love for the first time in nearly a century.

"Sebastian..." he whimpered as the demon kissed his neck, holding the small doll close while their hips rocked together fanatically, "Oof," the boy grunted as he was suddenly rolled so that Sebastian was above him. For a split second, they froze, each unsure of one another but then Ciel rolled his hips and Sebastian responded enthusiastically. "Ah... Yes..." the younger gasped as he gripped his lover, their foreheads touching as Sebastian thrust desperately into the smaller. "Sebastian..."

Harder and faster, Ciel felt the demon move inside him with all the need and desire that the doll felt himself. It was blissful to finally have this again, to finally feel them connect as one being as ecstasy violently coursed through their bodies as they reached their climax together.

As they panted softly, Sebastian buried his face in the bridge between Ciel's neck and shoulder while pressing little, affectionate kisses against the skin. Ciel tenderly pet his lover's messy hair, closing his eyes as he enjoyed their closeness. It was a long while before either of them spoke but eventually the silence had to be broken and it was Sebastian's muffled voice that shattered it, "I love you. Always."

Ciel's breath caught in his throat. "I love you too." he promised breathlessly.

"It hurt... Knowing you had been touched by another... I wanted to make you hurt too," he tightened his hold on his lover ever so slightly. Ciel only listened, allowing his beloved to say what he needed to say, "You suffered and I didn't feel like it was enough. You were... you are so beautiful... everyone could see that, everyone wanted you... How could you suffer when you were so wanted?" The doll didn't say a word, still petting his lover's hair gently as Sebastian continued. "I wanted to hate you."

"I thought you did," Ciel admitted.

Sebastian chuckled and shook his head, pressing more kisses on his lover's skin. "I missed you. I missed you so much and... I couldn't... I couldn't watch you any longer..." his voice broke. "I came back and... you were... you were just dying inside... I couldn't... I..." Ciel felt warm droplets on his shoulder. "So I took you here. I wanted you safe but I couldn't see you... not after... Not after what I've done to you."

"Shh," Ciel cooed, finally understanding why Sebastian hadn't been intimate with him; he had felt like he didn't deserve it. "It's Ok."

Sebastian shook his head. "You were so pleased to see me. After everything," he nuzzled a little, "You don't understand what I did to you."

Ciel paused. "I... I didn't understand what I had done to you either." he shifted beneath his lover, "All I knew was that you were angry. It took me a long time to understand why."

Sebastian trembled. "I'm so sorry."

The doll shook his head. "It doesn't matter anymore." he murmured. "We forgive each other, we can start again... We can be happy."

There was silence for a few minutes before Sebastian sat up and took Ciel's hand in his own. "Yes." he agreed. "We'll start again."

Five years later...

Married life suited Ciel, especially the honeymoon which had been spent in LA... Not that either of them had seen much of the city. They had spent a good chunk of the time locked in their Hotel room, in bed and in the shower... and the sofa... and anywhere in the rented room. They had returned home with less underwear than they had left with but with most of the luggage still how they had packed it. With that over, the two returned to their easy lives that was once again filled with all the love and affection they both craved.

"I love you." Ciel murmured as they lay tangled in bed together.

"Love you too," Sebastian mumbled.

And they were happy.