TITLE: MALE ORDER BRIDE
SUMMARY: After being raised his whole life as a girl just to be sold as an undercover bride to a rich nobleman with some questionable choices in partners, Ciel takes matters into his own hands and arranges so that his childhood crush serves as his husband. However it's difficult when your fiancé has a boyfriend and next to no interest in your frilly clothes and girly makeup.
STORY PAIRINGS: Ciel+Sebastian, Alois+Calude

PLEASE NOTE: This story is rated M. According to the FF site, that means it has to be appropriate for ages 16+ WITHOUT explicit content, which includes adult language, themes, and suggestions. This story meets those requirements.

CHAPTER 1

Sebastian was the fifteen year old son of a very rich man who owned a rather large chain of hotels. He was currently wearing a tuxedo with a blood red tie waiting to attend one of his father's business parties in order to talk him up and allow the women to fawn over how big he was getting (as they did every year around this time).

He was waiting for an elevator as he watched (from the corner of his eye) a family enter the main hotel doors. It was the Phantomhives. Some rather up class citizens who came to his father's yearly galas. The family consisted of the father Lord Vincent Phantomhive. His wife, Lady Rachel Phantomhive. Their eldest son Vincent Jr. as well as their young daughter Ciel.

He turned to them as they approached.

"Good morning," he said smiling.

"My Sebastian, look how big you've gotten," Rachel said grinning from ear to ear while holding her daughter's hand. The girl had slate black hair like her father's but the stunning blue eyes of her mother and wore a particularly frilly dress.

"I'll be as big as Father someday," Sebastian said smiling.

"And ready to follow in his footsteps I'm sure," Vincent said smiling. "We'll be in to see your Father in a bit after we get the kids settled in."

"Ow!" whined the little girl as Vincent Jr. leaned over and tugged on one of her pigtails.

Leaning down so he was the boy's height he put on a serious expression and said, "Don't be so mean to your sister."

"He's not my sister," Vincent Jr. snapped, and Lord Vincent lightly slapped him across the back of his blonde head. His hair matched Rachel's hair. However his eyes were a dark forest green color. A color that matched neither parent, but it was not unheard of to inherit the eye color of a grandparent.

"We'll be going upstairs now," Vincent said walking onto the elevator as the doors slid open and his family piled on. Sebastian held his hand out to keep the doors open.

"I'll take the next one," Sebastian said smiling.

"Nonsense," Lord Vincent said kindly. "Please ride up with us."

"I have some things to check on here you guys go ahead," Sebastian said. He knew Lord Phantomhive. He was the kind of man to say things to be polite but not really mean them. It was better to not test this.

He stood back letting the doors begin to close when suddenly they heard a soft… "Bunny…"

He looked down to find Ciel had slipped away from her mother made it out of the elevator just as the doors were closing, by the time Rachel knew what had happened the door was nearly shut.

"I got her ma'am," Sebastian called to her. "I'll bring her up."

He took off after her through the crowd. This was kind of dangerous. Ciel was a very little child, short for even her young age. She could easily get tripped over or hit by a cart at her height.

Though he could see what she was heading after. There was a Bitter Rabbit doll (which he assumed she had dropped) lying by the entrance doors. She was heading straight towards it her arms outstretched just as a cart was heading her way. He lunged forward grabbing her around the waist sliding across the cart and rolling in time to save the bunny from being run over.

He sat Ciel on her feet afterwards handing the bunny back to her smiling. "Here you are," he said.

She took it slowly, her large blue eyes staring intently at him blinking.

"Alright," Sebastian said getting to his feet. "I'll take you up to your parents okay?"

"…"

"C'mon," he said taking her hand.

Though they were stopped by a man as he walked in the hotel. "Sebastian. Look at you. You're growing quickly."

"Ah, Mr. Gerard," Sebastian said smiling. He suddenly felt the girl clutch to his leg attempting to hide behind him.

"Is your Father here," he began, but stopped as he looked down at the pigtail that could be seen from behind Sebastian's leg. "Ah... little Ciel, is that you?"

He kneeled down reaching out he grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards him, which she tried to fight the whole way. "My, what a cute little dress you have on. It suits you perfectly."

She whined in a very childish way as she tried to pull her hand free and in turn go back to Sebastian.

"She got separated from her Parents, I'm taking her back there now," Sebastian explained.

"Oh I'll take her back," he said suddenly picking her up. "I need to speak with her Father anyway."

"Uh..." Sebastian said nervously. It was not polite to refuse their customers, but he had told the Phantomhives that HE would be bringing her back...

"It's alright," he said grinning. "Her Dad and me are good friends."

He grabbed the doll from Sebastian and turned with the girl heading to the elevators. Sebastian looked up... There was something in her eyes. A look of complete terror on her face. He had never seen a child so young look so scared.

The man went over to the elevators and watched from the corner of his eye as the man and the friends who had followed him got in. Ciel was already crying as the doors closed, and he watched the number above the elevator doors climb and stop at floor 16. The Phantomhives were to be on floor 20...

"Damn it!" Sebastian snapped hurrying to the computers so he could look up exactly which room Mr. Gerard would be in.

"Don't cry," he said softly to her running his fingers through her hair as he walked into his room, and he gave a slight wave to his friends as if to tell them he'd catch up with them later and then he sat Ciel on her feet as he hung up his coat. Immediately, she took off running and hid under his bed.

"Now now," he said. "We are to be married one day, the least you could do is come out here and talk to me."

"No!"

"Don't be like that, your Father has already agreed. When you turn 15, you'll be my bride? Aren't you happy about that?"

"No!"

"Alright enough of this," he snapped completely losing his patience before reaching under the bed and catching her by the ankles where he was easily able to drag her out. He picked her up laying her on the bed where she attempted to get away many times. "Now be still... I just want to enjoy you for a little bit."

Tears were streaming down her face as he pulled her ponytails free letting her hair fall down around her. "Now don't you look pretty..."

He was so distracted by the girl he was pinning to the bed that he hadn't even noticed the beep and click of a card swiping his door open. The next moment a fist collided with the side of his face and he was thrown back. Sebastian was standing there looking absolutely livid.

The sight that had met his eyes when he walked into the room... A grown man pinning down and leaning over a young crying child. Any decent human being would have done what he just did. Though his fist throbbed horribly now, and Gerard was standing again. Sebastian hadn't noticed just how much taller Gerard was than him until right then. He hadn't thought about the idea that he was a thin and a 15 year old kid and that this was a fully grown (at least 20) year old man. Who looked just as angry as he had been a moment ago.

"You're going to regret that you little punk!" he snapped suddenly grabbing Sebastian's collar and pushing him up against the bed's pillar.

"Me!? What the hell do you think you're doing to that girl!?" Sebastian snapped, luckily sounding braver than he felt.

Gerard spit some blood onto the floor. "What I do, with what I own, is none of your damn business!"

And with a force at least three times greater than his had been, Gerard punched Sebastian across the face and he tripped over a nearby chair falling back onto the ground. He saw stars, his vision was blinded for a moment. He blinked a few times regaining a bit just as Gerard leaned down grabbing his collar and pulling back his arm for another strike.

Though for a second time Gerard was struck in the face. This time with enough force that he was knocked out cold.

It was a scene that would have infuriated any man. To walk into a room where a young girl clutched a bed pillar crying, her hair and dress disheveled, and a grown man who had been beating his only son.

"Dad," Sebastian said looking up. "How did you..."

"I saw you running up here after grabbing the hotel key card so, I wanted to see what the fuss was," he said holding a hand out to him, pulling him to his feet. "If there was a problem though you should have come and got me."

"I didn't know if there was at the time," Sebastian explained. "He took this girl up to his room and..."

"Say no more," his Dad answered smiling. "You did a good thing. We will have security escort him out of the hotel when he comes to, and he will not be permitted back here again. Make note of the ID he used to register his room."

"Sure," Sebastian said wiping his bleeding lip on his sleeve.

Sebastian's father turned to the bawling girl. "Well hello little one," he said kindly. "Would you like to go back to your parents now?"

She nodded still sniffling.

"Take care of her first will you," his father asked kindly.

"Yeah," he answered, and with that his father (straightening his tie) left the room. Sebastian hurried over to her and picked her up. He grabbed her doll that Gerard had let fall near the door and hurried out. Not wanting to be here when he woke up.

It was odd, the entire walk to the elevators, and the entire ride up. She was bawling horribly and clutching to him as though her life depended on it. "You're okay now," he said. "That man isn't ever going to hurt you again. Kay?"

"…" Ciel's face grew slightly red from being addressed directly by him.

"Aren't you cute," he said smiling. When they got off the elevator he put her on the ground and fixed her hair back into the pony tails they were before. Then he handed her her bunny before taking her hand. They went up to the hotel door where the Phantomhive's were staying and he knocked on it. Ciel's eyes did not leave his face until the thank yous were exchanged by her parents and the door was closed.

…7 years later…

Sebastian had a problem…

A major one. His father sat before him a serious look upon his face, his formal suit (which he always wore) was perfectly fitted for him and made him look menacing.

"I'm… I'm sorry Father could you repeat that?" Sebastian asked. He had heard just fine, he was just in disbelief.

"I'm giving you four years to get married and begin a family or I am not leaving anything to you in my will. Not the hotels, not the money, nothing!"

"Father why?"

"Because I'm getting old, and I want grandchildren eventually!" he snapped. "You're twenty-two you ought to be settling down by now. Find yourself someone already."

"Father do you realize what you're asking?"

"What?" he snapped. "It's not like I'm giving you a month, I'm giving you four years! Four. You cannot tell me that with your looks you won't be able to find someone and settle down in four years. That's more than enough time!"

"Father, I…"

"Don't sass me boy!" he snapped. "I am your Father and this is what I demand."

"…" Sebastian sighed. "Yes Father."

"Now," his Father got to his feet. "I will be waiting for updates from you every step of the way."

He poked Sebastian with his cane.

"Yes Father," Sebastian said getting up as well he walked his Father to the door, and after a brief and awkward goodbye he closed it.

"Yes Father," he whispered putting his forehead against the door. "But what am I supposed to tell my boyfriend?"

Young Vincent walked down to his sister's bedroom and without knocking threw open the door. Ciel who was sitting at the vanity table looked up as he came in. Ciel wore a robin's egg blue nightgown with matching slippers.

"Fifteen huh?" he snapped smirking. "With your birthday in two days you're officially going to be assigned a husband, what kind of horney old man do you think is going to buy you?"

Ciel looked away from him annoyed.

"Sure would hate to be you right now."

"Shut up Vinny," Ciel snapped.

"What will you do if your secret is discovered?" Vinny asked walking up behind him. "Maybe something like—"

He grabbed ahold of Ciel's hair ripping off his wig, "Your wig falling off."

Ciel jumped up, "Give that back!" he barked.

"Why? What's the point of them buying a boy if they make you dress up like a girl?" he laughed running away from him as Ciel chased after him. Over the bed, around the desk, past the balcony windows.

"That is ENOUGH!" Lord Vincent shouted from the door's entrance.

Vinny immediately handed the wig back to him and Ciel plopped it onto his head. "Vinny go to your room."

Vincent Jr. was never one to disobey their Father and he hurried off to his room. Vincent turned to Ciel looking stern.

"There are lot of homosexual men in high society Ciel, though to take another male as theirs would not shine a good light on their stations. Many families raise their sons (aside from the first born) to be womanly so as to appear as a woman in public and be the male behind closed doors. That is desired by these men in our elite society."

"I know," Ciel said looking down.

"Don't look so upset, arranged marriages occur all the time at our ranks. Your brother as well has an arranged marriage."

"His marriage isn't going to be to some middle aged pervert," Ciel snapped frowning slightly.

"Don't you be talking like that when we take you to the marriage meetings," Vincent commanded. "If you behave I'll let you pick from the people you meet, if you don't I'm choosing him for you, got it?"

"Don't lie to me," Ciel sighed. "You have already picked Gerard..."

"Well, your mother and I talked about that and... well... We want your happiness to come first Ciel. Of the highest bidders we are going to let you pick. If you behave..."

"Really?" he asked, almost not daring to believe it. But part of him still didn't.

"Really," Vincent confirmed. "Now go to sleep, we have quite a few meetings to go to tomorrow."

Sighing Ciel pulled his wig off and headed over to his computer looking at the list of names which were his possible future husbands… There was a list of ten high society individuals all men older than thirty. It was all a part of a "Male Order Bride," website which was only accessible by noble blooded individuals and their dearest friends. He shivered at the idea of one of these perverted men kissing him, and touching him…

He shook his head trying to get the image out of it before going to the main webpage, and his eyes widened.

Someone had posted a new request, and it was…

Sebastian.

No way! Sebastian! That boy from the hotel. Every year when his father and the family took their annual vacation they always went to one of Sebastian's father's hotels. He was requesting a male order bride? Well, there was no way out of this for him, so if he had to be assigned a husband, why not his childhood crush? It was certainly a better idea than any other candidate on the list. He would just have to get Sebastian to be put on his list instead of someone else's. This shouldn't be hard, he knew how to hack.

After ten minutes of rearranging some things in the system. Sebastian's name and address was at the end of his list of potential husbands. He felt kind of bad, whoever's list Sebastian would have ended up on he wouldn't be on it now. That person certainly lost a really great potential husband. Though, at least it worked well for him.

Ciel interlaced his fingers in prayer, "Please let him like me…"

"You did what?" Claude snapped.

"Now hear me out," Sebastian said smiling at his own genius the following day. "This bride comes, and I have her stay here with me, and she'll be my girl for public outings and dinners and such. While my boyfriend and I continue to go out until such time as my Father kicks it. His health is bad anyway, I'm sure it'll be in the next few years."

"So you're just going to have some girl give up her life and her time to pose as your pretend wife," he explained.

"These girls are probably from poor families who really need money, why would she be upset as long as her family is getting a ton of cash huh?" he asked taking a seat across from him.

"Have you told your boyfriend about this?" Claude asked with a serious glare from over his glasses.

"Not yet, but I'm sure he'll be fine with it."

Claude folded his arms, "I can't help but feel that this isn't going to end well."

"Well, she should be here later tonight for our first meeting," Sebastian said grinning. "Wanna stay and meet her?"

"Perhaps another time, my boyfriend and I have a date tonight," Claude explained getting to his feet. "Good luck with your pretend bride thing."

"Yea, thanks," Sebastian said as he walked his friend to the door. When Claude left he couldn't help but wonder what kind of girl she would be…

Ciel sat in between his parents as they prepared to meet with one of the last few clients. Nervously, he straightened the hem of his dress frowning slightly.

"Be good," his father warned. "I know you don't like him, but this man is offering the most. At least give him a chance."

Ciel sighed dreading when those doors would open and they did all too soon. He looked up spotting the next possible husband for him. A muscular man with a short fancy beard and a crooked smile, he spotted Ciel and an instant grin spread across his face. Ciel felt a shudder run down his spine. He looked older than the man he remembered from that day. Well of course he was, but he meant severely older. Perhaps it was the beard...

He took a seat across from them smiling.

"Welcome," he said softly. "I have been waiting for this for a long time. I don't believe I've met your wife, Benjamin Gerard."

"Pleased to meet you," Rachel said smiling.

"Ciel say hello," his father ordered.

Ciel nodded in his direction, "Hello Sir."

"Well, ultimately the choice will be Ciel's on who he ends up with," Vincent stated immediately wasting no time, "However we will discuss all the options prior. So Ciel can make a sound decision."

His father and the man immediately launched into conversation about finances, what exactly Ciel's family would be getting if he was chosen to keep Ciel as his bride. After what seemed like quite a while of talking, the man turned to his Father. "I know this is unprecedented, but may I speak with Ciel alone for a while?"

Lord Vincent looked over at Rachel and the two exchanged questionable glances before Vincent nodded getting to his feet and Rachel followed shortly. "Dad wait…" Ciel said nervously turning in his chair staring at the door that closed behind his parents.

He felt a hand on his chin and his face was turned towards his possible future husband. His other hand came to rest on Ciel's knee.

"Well it's been some time since we've been face to face, Ciel," he said grinning. "I thought I should give you a little more incentive as to why you should pick me."

Ciel forced a smile and lied through his teeth, "I assure you Mr. Gerard you are one of the top on my list..."

"Even so, your Father said you still have one more client to meet with," he said.

"I do," Ciel answered as Gerard's hand fell from his face.

He knelt down pulling a rose from inside his jacket and he held it out to Ciel. Not wanting to be rude he took it whispering a quick, "Thank you."

He smiled reaching out he turned Ciel's face towards him, kissing him on the lips, and Ciel pulled away immediately. "Now now, don't be like that. We're going to be spending every night of the rest of our lives together after all."

Not if I can help it, Ciel thought immediately as another kiss was forced on him, he felt the hand on his knee tighten and was slowly sliding up as Gerard continued to kiss him. He attempted to push it back but wasn't strong enough. Ciel finally managed to stammer a "NO!"

This had been loud enough for his parents to hear in the hall outside, thus forcing Gerard to stop. Ciel's face was rather red as he wiped his mouth and pushed his skirt back down.

"We'll have quite a good time Ciel, I can't wait until its official. I'll be waiting eagerly for your Father's answer."

Ciel glared after him. Never, he thought. It's never going to happen!

Three minutes later Ciel and his parents were walking back to their limo. His father was checking the list. "All that's left is Sebastian Michaelis."

His parents both stopped in their tracks turning to each other.

"He wasn't on the list yesterday."

"Why would he… Since when is little Sebastian… that way?" his mother sighed unable to bring herself to say the word gay.

"We shouldn't go; his family and ours are too close of friends. It would be awkward," Vincent said.

Ciel felt his heart skip a beat and he spun around. "No, it'll be fine. If anything, this could bring our families closer."

Ciel nervously turned away, "It'll work out, let's hurry. It'll be rude for us to arrive late."

Ciel hurried off feeling nervous. Please let him pick me, he thought desperately. If he ended up with any of those other men his life would surely be over…

Ciel felt his insides twist as their limo came to a stop outside Sebastian's large house. Not quite as big as their mansion but still large. He stepped out looking, casting his gaze down immediately as his parents stepped out after him. He was whispering about a thousand silent prayers, and pleading with every God ever mentioned in history to make Sebastian pick him…

Meanwhile Sebastian had been fixing up the house to be welcoming. He wanted this girl to feel at home. After all this would be her home for some time. "Alright…" he said as the doorbell rang. "Showtime."

What he saw at the door however, every muscle in his body froze. The welcoming smile he had been practicing for the last half hour was now frozen in place. The Phantomhives… The Phantomhives were at his door. The father, the mother, and their young daughter…

Slowly he closed the door.

"Shit," he cursed under his breath. "Oh no… no no no no no no… What am I going to do?"

Wait, he thought. They must be here for something else. He would get them out as quickly as possible before his bride showed up. That's it…

The doorbell rang again, a little more diligently than previous. Forcing himself to look natural as he opened the door. "My apologies, I forgot something… Please come in."

He stepped back letting them inside, "So what can I help you with today?"

Mr. and Mrs. Phantomhive exchanged nervous glances. "You did put a request on the M.O.B. site didn't you?"

They were here for that! Damn it! Willing himself to calm down quickly he nodded nervously. "Uh, yea. Sorry, my minds a little… Anyway, please come into the living room."

Sebastian brought them in feeling their eyes shooting daggers into his back. Nervous wasn't a trait he displayed often. However that's what he was. Nervous. He hadn't realized they would be the ones showing up. Shit, what would they say if they met up with his father at a business meeting or something. He could just imagine Mr. Phantomhive making small talk with his Father at some random meeting and saying something like, "So it seems your son purchased my daughter..."

He shivered at the mental image. He wasn't even about to imagine the phone call he would receive after such an encounter.

"Well, as you know… Ciel is the offered bride. She has quite a number suitors and we intend to pick the one who offers the highest price and is most beneficial socially. What is it you have to offer us in exchange for her?"

"Uh…" Sebastian was a little taken aback at the rather abrupt switch in tone. He had never spoken with the Phantomhives when no small talk was involved. So to switch to a business tone so quick was well... and the way Mr. Phatomhive was speaking about his daughter, his eyes were flaming with anger as he began the meeting.

"Um…"

Why was he so nervous? Ciel thought to himself. There was no choice in the matter, Ciel found himself thinking. He would have to act...

"May I speak with Sebastian in private for a moment?" Ciel asked.

His parents glared at him. "Ciel we just started the meeting—"

"It's fine," Sebastian said. "I'd actually like to speak to Miss. Ciel too."

Looking like they didn't approve of the situation his mother and father got to their feet and stated they were going to take themselves on a quick tour of the garden out back. As soon as they we're out of ear shot Ciel turned to him with the intent of explaining his whole situation and hoping for Sebastian's compassion and assistance in it. Only, Sebastian spoke up first.

"Alright Ciel I'm in a bind. My Father isn't going to leave me anything in his will if I don't find a girl, but the truth is I have a boyfriend. Now, if you could just pretend for me until my Father passes away. Then, I promise you can live here and I'll buy you whatever you want… Well not that you need money… but… I'll make sure your stay here is comfortable at least…"

Convenient wouldn't have been the word for it. A miracle was probably more accurate.

"Yeah," Ciel said nodding. This worked out perfect for him. He could pretend to be Sebastian's bride without having to endure any of the... night time stuff that was sure to occur with all of the other suitors. Besides, even if Sebastian had wanted him in that way, he still would have picked him because the other options were... unacceptable! "Okay."

"Okay?"

He nodded again to be sure to be understood.

"Great… great. Okay, um… How much do you think your parents want?" Sebastian asked. It was rather awkward to talk about purchasing Ciel right in front of her but they both knew how this game worked. He hoped she wouldn't be offended.

"Um…" Ciel did some quick math in his head to convert his currency to the Japanese yen as that would be the currency Sebastian was most familiar with. "One hundred million yen."

Sebastian blinked. "Are you kidding?!"

He didn't have that kind of money. Sure he used the family card for every day purchases but he knew if one hundred million yen suddenly disappeared from the family bank account he could expect his father to be at his door the very next day to figure out where his money went.

"It's okay," Ciel said reaching into the bag at his side. "Do you have your own bank account?"

Sebastian knew he was referring to one not attached to his families funds, and he nodded. Sure he had his own account for documentation purposes but there was only about seven hundred dollars in there.

"Give me your account number and password," Ciel demanded.

"You're not thinking of robing me now are you?" he said laughing slightly and stopped upon seeing the dirty look he was casted.

"Just hurry," Ciel snapped. "My parents could come back at any moment."

Exchanging the information quickly, Ciel transferred the money from his own bank account. As his parents opened the doors returning from their tour Ciel whispered a hastened, "Don't tell them about this..."

"Are you done talking then?" his father asked stiffly.

"Yes," Ciel nodded.

"So, Sebastian. How much are you willing to offer for our Ciel?" his father asked.

"Um… a hun—" he suddenly felt Ciel step on his foot with his heeled shoe.

"He promised to outbid any offer," Ciel said taking before taking a seat.

"Any offer?" Mr. Phantomhive gasped turning to Sebastian. "Are you certain, the prices do get quite high…"

"Um… just like she said Sir. Any offer," he said going along with her. He just hoped Ciel knew what she was doing.

Mrs. Phantomhive was looking slightly nervous up till this point, and she chose now to speak up. "Sebastian, why are you interested in our little Ciel?"

Ciel's eyes opened slightly wider. His mother had not asked this question to any of the others they had met up with today. He turned quickly to Sebastian hoping the man could think on his feet. It had been some time since he had last seen him and didn't really know what kind of man he had become. Honestly, this scared Ciel slightly. For all he knew Sebastian could be the most sadistic of them all. Though he claimed to have a boyfriend, and though he implied nothing of that nature would be occurring, Ciel had been around far too many untrustworthy men to know they don't always keep their word.

Sebastian smiled smoothly. "I have adored your daughter from the moment I met her. First as the adorable child of my father's friend. Later as she grew I became fond of her even more. She has become quite the young woman."

"Sebastian… you do know our Ciel isn't—" Mrs. Phantomhive began only to be silenced by her husband.

"Of course he does, he was on the site wasn't he?" Vincnt snapped. Slightly annoyed at the woman's pestering.

Sebastian blinked not certain what they were talking about but not wanting to reveal he didn't know all the same.

"What I want to know is how you got the site address in the first place. Only those of noble blood are supposed to have access to that web address."

Sebastian really wasn't certain what to make of that one. In truth he had merely stumbled upon the site in his browser history and had wondered what it was. Excited at the idea of getting out of his family problem he clicked yes to every question and typed in his name and address so they would send him a bride. It was pure coincidence that it was Ciel who showed up.

Though he put on a convincing grin. "I have my sources my Lord."

"…" Apparently Lord Phantomhive didn't like that response but choose not to argue.

"We're leaving. We'll let you know our decision in a few days," he explained turning to leave.

Ciel stood up straightening her skirt before preparing to follow her father.

"Huh?" Sebastian blinked. "So I have to wait for your decision?"

"Yes," Mrs. Phantomhive said turning to him with a soft smile. "We'll discuss all the choices as a family and pick what will best suit Ciel for his future. We'll let you know soon."

So there were more applicants, for lack of a better word, than him? He glanced at Ciel's face which was remaining surprisingly unrevealing for the information that was just given. "Goodbye Sebastian," Ciel said bowing before the Phantomhives departed his home.

"Father please!" Ciel pleaded from the back seat. "You told me I could pick!"

"That was before I thought you were going to pick someone with no station at all!"

"Father he has offered to outbid all the others on the list. With the amount Mr. Gerard offered imagine how much that will be."

Anything, Ciel was willing to say anything to make his Father allow him to pick Sebastian.

"Other than wealth he has nothing going for him. He has no noble station; he won't raise our families' status in anyway. Gerard however is not only offering a beyond reasonable amount but he will increase your station as well."

Ciel stared down as his heeled shoes feeling rather desperate. "Father please! Don't make me end up with him…"

"He is what's best for you," his father explained. "End of discussion."

Ciel leaned back in the seat feeling more frustrated than he had felt in some time. Then sitting up quickly he turned to the last hope he had. "Mama…"

His mother had a softness from him that went far beyond anything his Father felt for his youngest son. She didn't like the idea of Ciel being raised as a girl. Hadn't liked it from the very beginning, and she would often help in convincing his Father of different things he needed… She had in the past, so he had no reason to assume she wouldn't help him out now. However she pursed her lips and turned to stare further out the window.

…he felt his last hope disappear…

What was that man going to do to him? For all he knew he might spend the rest of his days chained to the man's bed only being let out to attend parties and functions necessary for social status.

In the days that followed Ciel found it hard to eat. Every possible horrifying nightmare had crossed his mind on what a man like Gerard might do to him and the night when his Father would finally choose came. Ciel had the site loaded on his computer waiting to see which name would be checked by his father. He didn't know of course that Ciel had access to the site so he would see the moment his father approved it and exactly who he approved.

"C'mon," Ciel sighed. His eyes were so heavy but he didn't dare fall asleep. Not without knowing…

1:30 a.m.

2:30 a.m.

3:00 a.m.

"C'mon," Ciel sighed rubbing his eyes. "Please… just pick already…"

A soft bing suddenly sounded from his computer and Ciel pulled himself closer to the screen. There was a check…

Right next to Sebastian's name.

Ciel smiled as he turned off his computer, "Thank you Mama…"

He was certain she had had a hand in changing his Father's mind…

Hope you enjoyed!