Did anyone order a soft (human) Sebastian who owns a plant/garden store and is an ex-bodyguard and is in love with the really sweet baker Agni from across the street? No? Well I wrote this anyway so take it from my feeble hands. Most of this was written very, very late. Like at 1am-ish late. While sick.

Despite that, I hope y'all enjoy this small bit of word vomit. Do let me know what you think, I can always use the feedback. Thank you!

Autumn was Sebastian's favorite time of year. Perhaps that was strange, considering he owned a glorified flower shop. Still, even as the chilly breeze threatened death upon the plants set outside his shop, he thoroughly enjoyed the season. He couldn't quite describe his love for autumn. He didn't have the right words. It was just a feeling he would get, standing outside with his jacket on and a scarf wrapped around his neck, crunchy leaves beneath his feet and his thermos of hot tea or coffee in his gloved hands. Every day during October and November, he would walk the few blocks to work just to indulge in that unexplainable feeling. Just to feel the cold set into his hands every time he shifted his mug into the other hand. To hear the crunch of a leaf beneath his shoes. To feel the breeze tousle his already messy hair into a more windswept mess.

Sebastian had never met anyone else who enjoyed this sensation. Not really, anyway. Not as much as he did. He knew Ciel loved to kick up huge swaths of colorful leaves; both of them adored the bright shades of red and golden hues of yellow with just the right amount of surviving green and rotten brown mixed in.

But the young boy didn't really love autumn. He was a winter kind of person, though Sebastian could understand why. With allergies that powerful, winter was the one time of year the boy wasn't sneezing and coughing up a small storm. That, and he appeared to just like the snow and the twinkling lights. As any young child would.

Speaking of which, Ciel burst into sudden laughter at his side, and Sebastian looked up from his thermos to see why. His young companion had been kicking up the large piles of leaves as per usual, but this time it appeared someone had been caught in the crossfire.

A tall man with bronze skin and braided white hair shook yellowed leaves from his hair and green coat. When Ciel attempted an apology, the man chuckled deeply, a strangely rustic sound that reminded Sebastian of the deep purr of a lion or tiger.

"No need," The man rumbled, a genuine smile spreading across his face as he held up his hands. Almost like he expected them to be in need of placating. "I'm quite alright. That is quite a kick you've got there, young man. Not many can move like that without some practice. You've got good form."

Ciel shrugged at this, though from his flushed face, it was obvious he was a bit flustered. Not anyone could recognize the calculated grace and speed in which the slate haired boy moved. Seeing as how he wasn't going to speak up, he did so himself.

"He takes classes at a local studio." Was offered in explanation, though Sebastian was careful not to mention that the studio was a dance studio for ballet. Ciel liked to keep his hobbies personal and private. "He's a natural at most things he tries for, though."

He could feel a pointy elbow jab into his side, but he ignored it in favor of flashing the man a smile. He chuckled again, that sound sending shivers down his spine. This feeling was the same enjoyment he got from autumn, but as if someone had cranked up the volume on it. He wasn't quite sure if he liked it. It was certainly interesting. The stranger was, too, with his handsome face, strong arms and warm eyes. There was the potential for danger in those eyes. Something beastly that lurked just beneath that kind smile and baritone voice, a constant threat of pain should something go amiss.

Sebastian wasn't sure why that thrilled him. It just did. Like crossing paths with a big cat, delighted to get so close, yet scared and anxious of the predator before him.

Smiling, he took the plunge head first.

"I'm Sebastian." A hand held out, an offer, a peaceful gesture.

"Agni." The hand was taken, and silvery purple met crimson red in an unspoken promise of the days to come. "I have to run, errands and all that, but I just opened a bakery a little ways down the street. Why don't you two stop in some time?"

A man who looked like this, baking? And so close to his own shop? Sebastian wondered if this was punishment for something he had done as a bodyguard.

"Ah, of course! I have my own shop down that way, I'm sure we'll see each other again."

With that fragile promise, Sebastian continued down the street, reaching back to tug Ciel along with. He had to resist the urge to look back, knowing that there was no way someone like Agni would spare a second glance at him. He just looked on ahead. Everything would be forgotten once he got to work and lost himself in fragrant dirt and green ferns.

"So, I found out where Agni's bakery is." Sebastian froze, hands buried deep in a bag of damp soil, listening as Ciel continued. "It's in that empty space next to Hannah's bar. Y'know, the one right between her place and Claude's tattoo parlor? Not the most welcoming spot, but its already popular. Alois said that their strawberry tarts are pretty good, maybe we should stop by, like Agni told us too."

The boy was leaned over the front counter, clicking away at his laptop as he spoke. Even as Sebastian rose from his stooped position and shook off the dirt from his hands, he didn't look away from the screen. Honestly, it was a common sight. Especially with all the advanced classes and pre-college courses he was taking. The boy had no time to dawdle, even when he was helping Sebastian with the shop.

"If we did go, we'd have to close up. That's lost business, Ciel." He fondly brushed his hands over the drooping fronds of a spider fern; their shop neighbor, Claude, tended to buy them for his shop windows. He wasn't sure why, though. His parlor was dark and gloomy and smelled of smoke and burnt skin; something colorful and bright would do much better to calm his...clients. Turning to walk towards Ciel, he passed a little row of tall bamboo shoots with tiny flowers blooming along their stalks. Those would do well.

Of course, Claude wouldn't listen to it. The only colorful flowers that man ever bought were for Hannah, and so far he didn't seem to have much luck with those.

"There's no one even in here, Sebastian." Ah, Ciel, the ever constant voice of disdain. "I think we can afford to lock the doors for a measly twenty minutes. Besides, didn't Hannah ask you to bring down those sunflowers she ordered? We can bring those while we're down there."

He was right; although the bar didn't open for another hour, Hannah was no doubt already there preparing for the day. And there wasn't anyone browsing his stock at that moment, either. Just a few people stopping to glance through the large glass window before they continued on their way.

"I really shouldn't leave the place unattended." Even to himself, his argument sounded weak; faltering. He was floundering for a reason not to see Agni again.

"It's not unattended. The cactus watches over the shop." Ciel motioned to the worn out tapestry above him, where the art depicted a black cacti with red spines and a large flower that resembled a watchful eye. "Seriously, it's creepy. You could at least switch it out every once and awhile."

"Hannah thinks it's nice."

"You don't even like Hannah, why does her opinion matter here?"

"I do like Hannah! I just don't like her suitors coming in here to buy roses from me...or telling me how much they want to put their two inch dicks in her."

"I did not need to hear any of that." Ciel glared at him, finally turned away from his laptop. "Now you owe me a coffee and a chocolate scone."

There was no way he was getting out of this, was there? With a sigh, Sebastian wiped the rest of the dirt from his hands before he removed the black apron from around his waist. The young boy, of course, wasted no time in shutting his laptop and grabbing his coat. He was always eager to get out of the shop that tormented his allergies so.

Sebastian took longer, running his fingers through his hair and attempting to look like he hadn't been engaged in physical labor. He was sweaty, covered in dirt and smelled like a whole assortment of plants and flowers; he was sure it was unpleasant. Still, the best he could do was tidy himself as best as he could. Not quite satisfied, but well aware of Ciel getting impatient by the door, he picked up the shop keys and followed the boy out into the autumn air.

After dropping the sunflowers off with a rather pouty Alois and, with instructions to come by later to see Hannah about another order, Sebastian and Ciel headed towards the quaint little bakery that had to be Agni's. There were no signs to find the name of the place, but it had not deterred people from the lovely shade of purple that it was painted, with the bright yellow flower pots underneath the big windows. Sebastian thought that violets would make a great statement with a bit of mint and rosemary planted in those empty, overly neon pots.

As soon as they entered, they were hit with the smell of warm pastries and brewing coffee. The bakery was busy. Almost every table was occupied, and it took ten minutes for him and Ciel to make it the front counter, where a cheerful looking teenager was manning the register. His cheer wasn't the only unusual thing about him; the youth also had purple hair tied up into a tight bun, a few small hoop earrings in both ears, and he wore a necklace of gold beads with his dark blue uniform. As Ciel stepped up to the counter, he beamed at the younger boy - only to receive a sharp scowl in return.

The scowling wasn't out of the norm for Ciel, but Sebastian found himself chuckling at the display anyway. For his part, the teenager just kept smiling. He must be related to Agni somehow, the both of them were so optimistic and positive.

"Hi! Welcome to our bakery, I'm Soma!" Wow, even his voice was loud and cheerful. "We only just opened, but our baker, Agni, works double time so we always have fresh products! See anything you'd like to try?"

Ciel didn't hesitate, spouting off what he wanted in a quick, upset sounding voice. He went to find them a table, leaving Sebastian to finish the order and pay.

"My apologies. He's not one for being very friendly." The teenager - Soma - shook his head as he apologized.

"Don't worry about it. I ran into him earlier and I think I offended him somehow."

"Everything offends him. I wouldn't take it to heart. I'm Sebastian, by the way, and that was Ciel."

"Oh! Agni mentioned you guys! He said you have a shop down here, too. Is that right?"

"Ah, yes, I own the small garden store just down the street. It's next to that posh boutique with the ugly designer baby clothes?" At this, he heard the couple behind him giggle, quietly agreeing with the comment about the boutique. Soma seemed amused by it too, if his smile was anything to go by.

"Didn't peg you for a gardening type. But I know the place, made fun of it on the way in. Those are really ugly baby clothes. I'd love to chat, but I should keep the line moving, what was your order?"

Sebastian managed to get a large chai tea and a muffin before the people behind him starting getting impatient. He stepped out of the way, smiling at Soma as he did. He caught a brief glimpse of a tall man in an apron carrying a tray of bread, and realized that it must've been Agni. That man could sure move. He stayed by the counter, occasionally peeking over it to try and catch another look at the elusive baker, while waiting for a somber girl with short dark hair to give him his and Ciel's drinks and food. Once he had them in hand, he found Ciel seated by the window, playing some game on his phone.

"So, you already met Soma? Why didn't you tell me that?" Sebastian set Ciel's overly sugary coffee in front of him, eyeing the boy's brightly lit game and overwhelming dings and music. That was bound to bother someone.

"Didn't seem all that important, besides," Pausing to bite into his chocolate scone, the boy chewed thoughtfully, swallowing before he continued. "You were preoccupied with your plants and seeing the sweet baker with the great ass again. Didn't want to bug you with my problems."

Lies. Ciel was never reluctant to complain to him about something or someone.

"Language, Ciel. He mentioned that he upset you, though. Did he? If he did, I cou-"

"He kept asking about my eyepatch. Wouldn't shove off when I told him to."

"Oh. Well, I'll talk to him. Let him know you're a private person and don't like being bothered. He's also new to the area, he might have been trying to get to know you." Sebastian sipped his tea, which burnt his tongue it was so hot, but was actually really good. "In a really bad way, but he could be nervous. You were like that, remember?"

"I was eleven. He's like, seventeen, I think. He should know better."

"And I agree with you on that. He should have left you be when you asked him to. Why don't you give him another chance?"

"Only if you talk to Agni again. And tell Claude to piss off when he tries to buy more spider ferns, like you want to." Sebastian sighed, stalling as he dug into his muffin. It was warm and buttery, better than anything he could make at home. Not that his own cooking was bad, he knew he could've gotten a job as a chef when he retired from his first job; however, Agni must have had some sort of godly power for baking.

"Fuck, this is good."

"Sebastian."

"Sorry. If it makes you happy, I'll do that. But I won't tell Claude off. He's stupid for killing his plants, yes, but he also hasn't figured out that I hike up the prices for him. Let him waste all of his money for dead ferns. You have his stupidity to thank for your coffee."

Looking back towards the counter, Sebastian could see that there was no longer a line and no one waiting for something. Soma seemed to have struck up a conversation with the somber girl, actually getting her to smile at something he said. He seemed like an ok kid. A little too brash with his words, but decent. There was a sudden scrape of wood on wood, and Ciel was getting up, taking his empty plate with him up to the counter. As soon as he made it to the counter, the two teenagers stopped talking and turned to him.

Even from where he sat, Sebastian could hear Soma greet Ciel, and he watched as the boy was drawn into the earlier conversation. Good. That boy needed more friends other than the kind of creepy son of Hannah's.

As busy watching his sort of son play nice with Soma and the girl, he almost didn't notice Agni until the man was standing next to him.

"You're a quiet person." Sebastian slid his gaze up towards the other man, noticing that he seemed startled by him.

"I don't mean to be. Is um, Ciel your son? You two just seem...close."

"It's a complicated subject, actually. I'm not his dad, not even related. I'm more or less all he's got, though."

"He's adopted, then? I adopted Soma awhile back. I know how it is, it can be really complicated sometimes."

Sebastian eyed the taller man, watching him slide into the seat Ciel had just been in. He didn't bother to correct him, that he hadn't adopted Ciel at all. Like he had said, it was complicated.

"Is it just you and him?"

"Yeah. I...yeah, it's just us."

"Same with me and Soma. Being a single father...it's tough. I mean, it's really difficult, trying to be a role model for a young kid and also working and just, um..." Sebastian looked up from his chai tea, smiling faintly. Agni's attempt at relating with him was endearing, it really was.

"Being alone. Being by yourself, struggling alone while the world wants to do you in. Yeah, parenting is just like that. I've been told you get used to it."

"I've had Soma for almost seven years. You don't. Get used to it, I mean."

"I've had Ciel since he was, nine, ten. He's fifteen now. You've definitely got me beat there. Hannah is another single parent here, she has a son, Alois. He and Ciel are the same age."

"Hannah? She owns the bar next door, doesn't she?"

"Considering it has her name in the title? Yes, it is rather obvious."

"I don't like to presume things."

"Unless it's about me?"

Agni laughed, startling Sebastian enough for him to set his beverage back down. He had a beautiful laugh. God, this was so his punishment, wasn't it?

"You are an enigma, my friend. You dress like a wealthy scholar who lives in a big city with a glamorous apartment, yet your physical appearance seems that of someone who has spent a lifetime fighting. When you said you owned a place down here, I thought you meant like a book store or an antique shop."

"I own a garden store. I grow plants and sell them."

"Now, see, you just don't seem to be the type. Did you have a job before then?"

"I don't care to talk about it. Sorry, but its rather personal to me. Um, When did you guys move here? Do you live close by?"

The conversation veered off into something about the neighborhood, and Sebastian let himself relax into it. Agni was easy to talk to. He was bright and happy and optimistic, speaking in such gentle tones that it didn't matter what they talked about; it was soothing to listen to him. Like that early morning podcast Ciel listened to every Sunday. Just soft and slow enough that it calmed the nerves and made the air feel peaceful, natural. Agni had the same effect. It wasn't until Ciel came back over that he even realized how much time they'd been there, talking like a pair of chatty soccer moms.

They bid both Soma and Agni a good day and went back out into the cold, heading back towards the shop. Neither of them spoke. As soon as they entered the shop again, Ciel went off to his spot by the counter, jabbing at his phone and opening his laptop. Sebastian stood there, slowly pulling his scarf and jacket off, breathing in the sweet scent of flowers and damp soil.

He kept thinking of Agni's smile, his soft voice, the kindly way he would set his hand on top of Sebastian's as they conversed. It was stupid of him to feel so weird about it. His split with Ash had been a long time ago. He shouldn't feel like he owed the bastard anything, not with what he put all of them through. Sebastian looked over, at Ciel, and wondered what he thought. The young boy tended to bottle things up, but he had always expressed his dislike of people rather loudly.

He hadn't complained about Agni or Soma. Was that a good sign? He hoped it was. Agni was so good, and Sebastian was...was he ready to go back to not being single?

"I like Agni." Ciel had moved away from his laptop, his allergy medicine in hand. He was making an odd face, like he couldn't decide whether to sneeze or scowl his legal guardian. "I know you do, too. He's nice, and I guess Soma isn't that bad."

Sebastian didn't reply, folding his jacket over the back of a chair and waiting for him to continue. Ciel took a deep breath, like he was about to plunge into freezing water. He was plunging into something, that was for sure. They both seemed to be doing that.

"You're not as good at hiding things from me as you might think." Not surprising. He was a very nosy child.

"The past few years have been really rough, for the both of us, I'm just trying to keep the stress off you as much as I can."

"Ash hurt you more." The mention of his ex made Sebastian take a sharp breath, hands curling and nails biting into his palms. "I don't remember a lot, but I remember you driving us to stay with Tanaka. You were crying. I'm sorry I didn't know how to deal with it and I'm sorry I'm difficult to deal with."

"You're...you're worth the trouble, Ciel. I wouldn't have taken you with me if I had thought otherwise. I just don't want to repeat any of that. We're not ready for a big change."

"I think we are." Ciel moved, sneakers squeaking on the wooden floors as he crossed the room to Sebastian. "Sebastian?"

"Yeah?"

"You deserve to be happy."

"Do I, though?"

"Yes. You do."