so little boy, say you want me

by shotacollector

Summary:

Clementine Adelia Stevenson has been engaged to the younger Phantomhive twin. Despite the age difference, affection flows easily between the two. Though one single event changes that flow forever. It seems as if Clementine is the only one who even remembers that the Phantomhives had twins.

Notes:

hiiii i love ciel so much i wanna baby him

i was searching around for popular names that ppl use for o!ciel and ik noel or sirius are p common guesses but i saw someone suggest elic and i Adore it ao bam, i'll be using wlic to refer to o!ciel and ciel for r!ciel

Chapter 1: May 1880

May 1880

The gardens of the Phantomhive manor are utterly breathtaking. Rose bushes nearly burst with brilliant red, pink and peach blooms. Fragrant lilac and lavender dust the edges of the roses, the soft purple hues contrasting against the vibrant roses. Tall and trimmed shrubs and trees cast gentle shadows along the twisting paths through the gardens and over the smooth tabletops of tea tables. Between the scents of the flowers, sweet pastries and English tea waft through the air.

Seated at one of the white metal tea tables are two young women. One is dressed all in red, blending with her vibrant auburn hair and bright red lips. The other has her soft brown hair in a looser style than the other and is dressed in softer tones of pinks and purples. The two drink from dainty porcelain cups delicately held between their fingers.

A young teen girl clutches her hands together, nerves filling her small body. Clementine Adelia Stevenson stands just slightly behind her father, worrying her fingers through the soft, white gloves adorning her hands. She keeps her gaze at the flowers of the gardens, starting to feel the faint touches of being overwhelmed tickle her sides. This is all so much, so sudden.

The older man takes his hat off and gives a small bow, "Good afternoon, ladies. It is a pleasure for you to allow us to visit."

The woman with brown hair smiles, her azure eyes softening, "Mr. Stevenson, it is very nice to see you again. Vincent is in the study. Tanaka-" She raises a hand towards an older butler standing to the side "-Will you take Mr. Stevenson to Vincent's study?"

The old butler bows with a hand pressed to his chest, "Of course, milady. Sir."

Clementine's father tilts his head down towards the women, gives his daughter a gentle squeeze to her shoulder and follows the butler towards the manor.Now left alone, the girl is now the center of attention of the young women. She stumbles into a quick curtsy, grabbing the sky blue fabric of her dress clumsily.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Phantomhive and, uh…" Clementine fumbles, realizing she doesn't know the woman in red.

Rachel Phantomhive breathes out a laugh that is nearly taken by the breeze, "This is my sister, Angelina Dalles-Burnett."

Clementine curtsies again, towards Angelina, "Mrs. Dalles-Burnett."

Angelina holds a hand up to her cheek, "Aren't you just the most precious thing! How old are you, little one?"

Clementine straightens, moving her hands to fiddle with the loose locks of dark brown, "I am thirteen, ma'am."

"And you traveled all the way here from New York City! How brave! Oh, Rachel, you lucked out with two wonderful girls for your boys."

Another soft as air laugh leaves Rachel, "Yes, I am so glad we have found such wonderful matches for them both. Come, Clementine, sit, have a cup of tea with us until Ciel and Elic get here. They both are playing with Ciel's fiancée, Elizabeth."

The young girl dips her head and takes the empty seat between the two women, smoothing her skirts as she sits. A maid steps forward to pour Clementine a cup of tea, and she takes it with a soft 'thank you' to the maid. Angelina reaches out and pets the girl's dark brown curls, "You are just so cute! Elic will love you, I'm sure of it."

Clementine blushes, her pale cheeks burning a soft pink, hiding her soft freckles and focuses on her tea.

"Mother! Mother!"

The three women look up at the excited voice and the sound of running feet. A small boy with dark, almost navy hair leads the group, hand in hand with a young girl with flowing blonde hair. Another small boy brings up the back, a little slower than the other two and identical to the boy. The only difference between the two are their eyes. The one at front has bright, glimmering eyes while the one in the back has softer, wider eyes. Clementine immediately makes note of the miniscule, nearly dismissible difference. She stands as the children near the table, all three gleaming with rosy cheeks and bright smiles.

"Ciel, Elic, Elizabeth, this is Clementine," Rachel introduces the girl.

Clementine smiles and curtsies, "Hello to all three of you."

The young boy holding Elizabeth's hand, Ciel, Clementine assumes, grins up at the older girl, "Hiya! I'm Ciel and this is Lizzy!"

Clementine bobs her head, then turns her attention to the shyer boy, "And you must be…?"

The small boy blinks up at her before glancing down at his shoes, fiddling with his shirt, "I'm Elic. It's very nice to meet you, Miss Clementine."

The older girl smiles, and crouches down a little to be closer to his level, "You don't need to call me 'Miss', we're betrothed afterall. Just 'Clementine' is fine, or anything you want to call me since I know my name is quite long."

Elic looks at her with those wide, gentle eyes and smiles softly, "Alright… Clem...?"

Clementine beams at the nickname, standing back up and holding her gloved hand out to the four-year-old, "Why don't you show me your favorite spot in the gardens?"

The little boy's smile grows and takes her hand in his smaller hand and begins to tug her away, "I really like the pond! It's really pretty and quiet."

Ciel and Elizabeth rush off, as Elic starts to pull the older girl in the same direction. Clementine shoots a quick smile towards the older women before following along after her young fiancé.

Chapter 2: May 1880

Notes:

some more little memory fragements to establish clementine some more

May 1880

"Your voice is funny."

"Ciel!"

"It's true! You were thinking the same, I know you were!"

Clementine sighs at the young boys and gently settles herself between the two on the bench they sit on, patting Elic's head, "It's alright. I know I sound very different from the people you hear regularly."

She glances towards Ciel, "And don't be mean to your brother. It wasn't a very nice way to ask where someone is from. Next time you meet someone with a different accent, ask where they're from. Don't point out how different they sound compared to you."

Ciel pouts and kicks his legs in the air. Clementine settles her hands in her lap, "I'm from New York City, over in America. My father owns a toy making company and he wants to start branching overseas and decided to start here in England. That's how he met your father."

She glances down to Elic, "Since we both have toy making companies, that's also why he and your father decided to arrange our marriage."

Elic blushes under her gaze.

"What's America like?" Ciel asks, his eyes wide in wonder.

Clementine smiles, turning back to the older twin, "It's quite different from here. The buildings are much taller and newer than here. There's also this really, really big park right in the middle of the city! It's huge! There's lots of trolleys too, which I haven't seen here. They're like short trains that go much slower along the streets."

Both boys are absolutely enraptured by the older girl's explanation of this foreign city. Their eyes both glitter from either side of her. Ciel leans forward and grabs onto her skirts while Elic holds onto her arm. They both beg her to tell them more and she can't help but laugh. She gently pats Elic's tiny hands and smiles at the two awestruck children.

"Well, there's this really big bridge called the Brooklyn Bridge that connects the islands-"

"It's islands?!"

"Yes, there's five main regions and a couple different islands. It's right on the Atlantic Ocean too, so there's lots of beaches, but Central Park is definitely my favorite place to be. It's that very large park I mentioned."

"Wow!" Ciel gasps, "I want to go there!"

Elic pouts, his tiny hands grasping onto Clementine's arm a smidge tighter, "She's my fiancée, I'll be going to New York City with her."

The sudden possessive quality the young boy's voice takes sends a shock through Clementine. She covers his hands with one of hers, "I'm sure both of you will be able to go there one day. It's less than two weeks of travel. In fact, it only took my father and I eight days to get here."

"Will you take me?"

The girl looks down at Elic, still clinging to her arm, giving her the most pitiful, guilt-inducing puppy eyes she has ever seen. Does he know he's doing that? It doesn't seem like it's on purpose. She can't help but smile.

"Of course. Once we're older and married, we'll travel the world."

Notes:

thanks for reading! let me know how im doing pls!

Chapter 3: February 1886

Notes:

its time for a skip! like i said this isnt a linear story

February 1886

At nineteen-years-old, Clementine Adelia Stevenson remains unmarried.

The past two months weighed heavy on her shoulders. Despite not being formally wed to Elic, she still donned mourning dresses for the past two months, and has no intention of wearing anything else until the two year mark of Elic's death, as expected of widowed women. Neither her father nor her mother pressured to find a new betrothal, their daughter deep in grief of her lost fiancé.

Sitting at her writing desk in her father's London manor, she traces the singular photograph she has of her and Elic with her finger, a hollow feeling floating through her chest. Due to the fire, nothing was scavengable to help aid in the mourning process; no hair, no photographs, no paintings, no clothing, no momentos, not even a body.

A gentle rap at her bedroom door jolts her from her reverie.

"Enter," She says, cringing when the first syllable cracks.

One of the three maids of the small manor enters her room, holding a tray of tea and a light snack, "Your midday tea, milady. You also received two letters."

Clementine stands and pushes her chair in, heading towards the small table near the window of her room as the maid sets the tray down and pours her tea, "Thank you, Emily. I appreciate it."

The young maid, Emily, bows at the waist, "Of course, milady. Enjoy."

With that, Emily leaves and closes Clementine's door behind her. The young woman sighs and picks up the cup of tea with one hand. As she sips her tea, she opens the first letter with the other hand.

Dearest Clementine,

Oh, I have the most wonderful news! I wish you had been there with me, but you shall have to come out as soon as possible!

I was at Ciel's grave, leaving flowers as I have done every weekend for the past two months. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw two figures and as I turned to see who had come to the cemetery, I half believed I was dreaming!

Standing there, with a butler in all black was my Ciel!

He's alive! He's here and well and alive!

I don't know what happened to him, he seems so, so terribly sad and so different from the Ciel we knew before this, but he's alive!

I am overjoyed to write this to you, I must plan a ball for us to be all reunited! I shall let you know all the details once I have them planned!

Your dearest,
-Lizzy

By the end of the letter, tears fall down Clementine's pale, freckled cheeks. Ciel's alive! Does that mean Elic…? Clementine drops the letter to the table before her tears can smudge the ink. Sobs wrack her small frame as she collapses into the chair, covering her face with her hands to try to wipe the tears. A cocktail of vastly different emotions fill her soul.

Joy for Lizzy and Ciel being reunited.

Pain for whatever the young boy could have gone through in the past months.

Grief for her still missing fiancé.

Anger that Lizzy had her love returned to her, yet Clementine did not.

Relief that at least Ciel is safe and survived.

Clementine chokes back a particularly loud sob, trying her best to keep her breakdown restrained to the privacy of her bedroom. By the time her tears dry, her tea is cold.

Rubbing her cheeks with one hand, she picks up the other letter.

My beloved Clemen,

I must apologize, I wish there was some better way to let you know of this rather than a mere letter.

Mother is sick.

She has been for quite some time, however as of the past month, she has been declining and quite rapidly from what the doctors say. We were hoping she would be able to make it until you and father visit in the spring, but we fear she may not make it. We both understand that father will likely not be able to come, but we hope that at least you may.

She has been worried about you since the (Several words have been scratched out as if the writer was attempting to find something more suitable than the last.) incident back in December. We hope you will come.

I understand if it's too much death to deal with too close within each other, but I know it would make mother happy to see you.

I await your response,
-Freddy

Fresh tears pool in the young woman's eyes from her older brother's letter. She sits it aside and stands, wiping her eyes as she leaves her bedroom. She needs to clear her head and the secluded garden behind the manor is her go-to location. She knows she has to let her father know of her mother's condition, if he doesn't already know and kept it from her due to the loss of Elic.

The cool afternoon air sends a chill down her spine, briefly wishing she had grabbed a shawl before heading out, but Clementine shrugs it off to hide between the overgrown ivy, irises and roses. It has become one of her safe havens while living in London. She had two others; the rickety dock at the pond on the Phantomhive estate and Elic, however both have been burnt to dust and ashes.

Sitting on a small stone bench beneath a leafless wisteria tree, she wraps her arms around herself and closes her eyes. In just a few hours, her life has turned upside down once more. Wasn't it enough that it had been flipped over once already just a short two months ago? Did God truly want to spite her?

Tears begin to spill once more before she can stop them.

Chapter 4: June 1880

Notes:

i promise there will be kissing and sex, i just gotta build up the characters! they wont be having sex until later, i promise i picked explicit for a reason

June 1880

Made lazy by the summer heat, Clementine lays across the small dock overlooking the pond on the Phantomhive estate. Elic lays next to her, his hands folded over his chest as he stares up at the passing clouds. The thirteen-year-old girl tilts her head at the four-year-old boy, then turns her gaze back to the fluffy, white clouds above the two of them.

One in particular grabs her attention and she points up at it, "That one kind of looks like a bird."

Elic turns to look at her, puzzled, "Huh? I thought it kind of looked more like a flower."

Clementine giggles, scooting closer to the young boy and nudging his shoulder with hers, "What do you mean! It's obviously a bird! See, those are the wings outstretched and that's the neck."

Elic pouts and raises his own hand, "No, those are the petals and that's the stem!"

"Hm," Clementine hums, pursing her lips, "Now that you say that, it does look a little tiny bit like an iris, though I still think it looks more like a bird in flight."

Elic huffs, "Now that you say it, it does kind of look like those tall birds that sometimes land around the pond."

"Herons?"

"I don't know, what's a heron?"

Clementine rests her hand next to her, "They're tall and often grey. They have really long legs, a long beak and a long neck, but their necks are usually curled up against their body unless they're flying or hunting."

Elic nods, resting his hand as well, "That sounds just like them!"

The girl giggles, then jolts when her hand touches the side of his much smaller hand. A blush flutters across both childrens' faces, but the young girl relaxes first and twines her pinky finger around his. Elic glances at her, his eyes wide. She returns his look of shock with a smile.

"I'm going to be your wife when you're older, we should get used to holding hands and kissing and everything else."

Elic's face bursts into bright red and he barely manages to sputter out a response, "K-Kissing? E-E-Everything else?"

It's Clementine's turn to have her cheeks flare, "Like what married people do. Mother told me about it before I moved here-" Her voice drops to barely a murmur "-About making babies."

Elic bolts upright, "Babies?!"

Clementine follows, her hands up in a placating manner, "Not now! O-Or anytime soon! When we're married! Only when we're married!"

The two children sit in silence, both facing away from the other to hide their bright red faces. The water laps gently at the shore of the pond and the wooden posts of the dock. Several bugs buzz around, filling the quiet early summer air. Wind rustles the weeping willows surrounding the pond.

"I… wouldn't mind having babies with you," Elic squeaks out, still unable to turn to face his fiancée.

Clementine turns to the young boy, biting her lip before brushing her hand against his. When he doesn't withdraw his hand from hers, she loops their pinkies together again. Elic tightens his pinky around hers. Feeling a little bit braver, she leans forward and bumps her shoulder to his, "I wouldn't mind it either."

The boy turns and gazes up at her, cheeks still flushed, "Okay. We will."

"When we're older," Clementine nods.

Elic smiles shyly, "Yes, when we're older."

Chapter 5: December 1885

December 1885

A frantic banging on her door wakes Clementine from her slumber. She rubs her eyes blearily, sliping from her bed in only her long nightgown. Her long, wavy hair tumbles down her back in cascading waves, settling well past her hips as she stumbles through the dark towards her door where the pounding hasn't relented.

"I'm here," she grumbles, yanking her door open, "What's all the fuss?"

Her father stands before her, similarly disheveled. Tucked under his arm is the sobbing form of twelve-year-old Elizabeth, dressed not all that dissimilar to the nineteen-year-old. Clementine immediately is fully awake, grasping the distressed younger girl and pulling her into her arms.

She pets the girl's blonde curls, looking up to her father in confusion.

His weathered face is dripping with grief, making him look even older than he is. He sighs and rubs his face, running his hands through his beard, "It's the Phantomhives."

Elizabeth burrows deeper into Clementine's arms, her sobs making her slightly smaller frame tremble. The older girl feels the breath catch in her chest.

"There was a fire… There are no survivors."

Before she knows it, Clementine is on the floor, crumbled under the girl in her arms and the sudden news of the death of Rachel, of Ciel, of Vincent, of all the servants. Of Elic.

She buries her face into Elizabeth's blonde tresses, her own sobs wracking her body and joining the choir of Elizabeth's. Clementine feels a presence behind her before both girls are wrapped in the large arms of her father who pulls them both into his lap.

The remainder of the night is spent with the two girls clinging to each other, wailing, tears bleeding together on dampened nightgowns.

Chapter 6: September 1880

September 1880

"Sorry I'm not as fun as Ciel."

Clementine's heart cracks at the tiny boy's confession. She stands from the chair beside Elic's bed and sits next to his bundled form on the much-too-large bed. She takes one of his smaller, fragile hands in both of hers. The boy's cheeks flare red at the gentle touch.

"I enjoy spending time with you no matter, Elic," Clementine says with a soft smile, "I don't mind if you can't run around a whole bunch or play lots like Ciel. I'm your fiancée, not Ciel's."

The small boy stares up at the older girl in awe, his big, soft eyes glistening. Clementine purses her rosy lips and brings one of her hands to Elic's cheek, swiping gently under his eye as a few tears wet his thick lashes. The boy leans into the touch unconsciously, eyes fluttering shut as he nuzzles against Clementine's palm.

"Would you like me to read to you?" The girl asks, feeling heat rise to her own cheeks as the boy seems to melt against her touch.

Blinking his azure eyes open, he nods, "I like hearing your voice. Do you have any books with you?"

Clementine nods, letting go of Elic's cheek and hand and leaning down to rifle through the small bag she brought with her. Elic watches as the older girl pulls out a small leatherbound novel, embossed flowers decorating the spine and cover. He can't quite make out a title along the spine, the lettering worn and faded from handling. Clementine smiles at him, a small blush creeping across her cheeks, "I brought a few novels with me. This is one of my favorites."

Elic gleams, beaming up at her, however it morphs to an expression of confusion as she stands up and sets the book on the side table. She puts her hands on her hips, pouting, "You, young man, need to lay back and get comfortable."

Her face breaks out into a grin as she fluffs the pillow behind Elic and gently takes his shoulders and guides him back, pulling the blanket up shortly after. The boy's face burns brightly and he sputters some soft protests. He doesn't get too far as the girl pats his head and returns to her seat upon the side of the bed.

She opens the book with a creak, the spine overworked from the numerous reads and rereads of it.

With a soft clearing of her throat, Clementine begins, "The Lady of the Camellias by Alexendre Dumas fils. Chapter one. In my opinion, it is impossible to create characters…"

Chapter 7: August 1888

Notes:

>:3

August 1888

Balls have never been Clementine's cup of tea. She loves to socialize, yes, and she loves people, but the atmosphere of English balls are not her taste. She prefers meeting people in nature, in parks and talking about their hobbies and books, not in stuffy ballrooms, in ill-fitted gowns and bragging about money.

The twenty-one-year-old stands off to the side in her navy and black ball gown. Elizabeth had invited her to this ball a month ago, nearly the very moment Clementine set foot on London ground for the first time in over two years. The younger girl met her at the docks, jumping into the arms of the older girl, nearly knocking the now much shorter of the two ove, and prattling on about how her and Ciel are doing, how she goes to so many balls filled with pretty dresses, how Clementine must join her to the very ball she currently finds herself at.

Taking a glass of some champagne from a butler manning one of the tables of food, Clementine retreats further away from the people, desperate for a moment to breathe. Being in London has brought about many painful memories of her dear Elic, making old wounds she thought to have healed back to the surface of her heart.

Taking a sip from the bubbling alcohol, she turns to one of her more recent pastimes: people watching.

She does love people, truly. Being around others on the busy New York City streets helped her heal from her mother's passing and from the loss of Elic only a few months apart. Being around people helps her ground herself and remember where and who she is. She watches the women in beautiful gowns of every color twirl and flutter through the throngs of people. A green dressed woman twists around, then is hidden away by a woman in a vibrant red dress who parts the crowd for a girl in a soft pink dress.

Clementine nearly drops her flute of champagne.

She couldn't bear to see Ciel after learning of his survival, opting to instead run away back to America to be with her dying mother and dear older brother Frederick. The pain of having to see someone with nearly the exact same face as her dead fiancé drove her across the ocean, unable to even bear to think of the torment that could cause her.

Yet the girl in the soft pink ball gown, with the bunches of matching roses decorating her long dark, almost navy hair and the single visible, azure eye forces Clementine into a brisk walk before she even realizes. Within moments, she's behind the slightly smaller figure, Clementine's hand reaching out to gently grasp the stranger's frail wrist.

The stranger whirls around, azure eye wide.

Clementine's mouth dries.

There's no doubt in her mind.

This is not some unknown young girl.

This is Elic.

This is her fiancé.

Her dark brown eyes water, blurring her vision softly.

"You…" Her voice jams in her throat.

Why hadn't Elizabeth said that Elic survived as well? He's standing right here! Alive!

Elic blinks, then laughs, voice high and wobbly, "I beg your pardon, miss, is something the matter?"

Does he not recognize her?

Is she wrong?

No, she knows the face of her young lover, even compared to his twin. She would know him anywhere.

Whatever is going on, she makes her choice.

"Oh, I am terribly sorry," Clementine responds, ripping her hand away from Elic's wrist, "I thought you were someone else. My apologies. Have a good night."

Without waiting for a response, the young woman turns on her heel, grasps onto the front of her gown and nearly bolts away.

The colors she had just been watching so peacefully blur together as she ducks onto a secluded balcony before her knees collapse from under her, a sob ripping through her chest. She shoves her face into her hands, not caring how messy her makeup gets from her tears.

Elic had been right there. The sweet, young boy she loves so much, so dearly. She knows it was him, not his older twin, dressed as a young girl.

It hurts.

It hurts so much.

Why had he not reached out? Sent a letter to her? Or her father? Or the company? Or just anything.

It pained her when Elizabeth not even so much as mentioned Elic's name, as if he had never existed, only talking of her beloved Ciel.

Yet buried in all this bottled up grief and agony and sorrow, there are two small beacons of light.

Relief.

Relief that he is alive.

Relief that she isn't a widow.

Relief that he survived.

And hope.

Hope that they can finally live.

Hope that he still remembers her.

Hope that he remembers the promises they made as children.

Hope that he still loves her.

Clementine's tears still flow down her pale, freckled cheeks once Elizabeth finds her, still crumpled alone on a balcony. The young girl gasps and pulls the smaller into her arms, reminiscent of the night they learnt of the tragedy of December fourteenth, 1885. She babbles apologies, thinking it was the suddenness of being shoved back into the same environment that Clementine had been avoiding for two years that caused her sorrow.

The older cannot bring herself to ask Elizabeth why she didn't tell her Elic survived as well.

Notes:

>:3c

Chapter 8: 14 December 1884

14 December 1884

Snow covers the grounds of the Phantomhive estate, dusting every bush, every tree, every surface with white. The orange rays of the setting sun glisten off of the granules of ice covering the ground. Bundled up in scarves and a thick coat, Elic pouts, dragging the tip of his boot in the fresh snow on the stairs leading up to the manor.

Seeing the small boy so downtrodden, Clementine drops down a couple steps so the two are closer to eye level with each other. She takes his tiny gloved hands in hers and brings them up towards her face.

"What's the matter, Elic? It's your ninth birthday, you should be happy."

The boy sniffles and looks away, burying his lower face into his scarf, "Do you have to go?"

Clementine blinks, "What do you mean?"

Elic turns his gaze down to his boots, "I want you to stay tonight."

"Well," She glances over her shoulder towards her father standing next to the carriage then turns back to Elic, "Give me just a moment."

She lets go of his hands and scurries down the rest of the stairs, right in front of her father. She smiles up at him, "Father, Elic asked if I could stay the night. He said that he would like me to stay, since it's his birthday."

Her father looks surprised, his eyebrows shooting up towards his hairline, "The young man said that?"

Clementine nods, "I'd like to as well, since it is his birthday, it would be nice to give him one more gift."

With a shrug, her father sighs, "Alright. You behave yourself while here, you are after all representing the company."

"Yay! Thank you, father," Clementine swings her arms around her father before dropping back to the ground and skips up the steps, wishing her legs were long enough to take two at a time. Once she's at the top, she pulls the pouting, bundled boy towards her, the top of his head resting against her breast and she presses a quick kiss to his crown. When she pulls back, his face is flushed. His soft, wide eyes are filled with hope as she gleams down at him.

"I can stay," She says with a smile that lights up the dim evening.

However inappropriate it may be for a young woman to stay the night with her fiancé seems to be overlooked by both families, given that even if they are betrothed, Elic is still only a nine-year-old child, even if Clementine is seventeen, nearing eighteen. The two merely seem overjoyed to be able to continue to be in each other's presence. Even as Elic tugs Clementine in the direction of his room, no one bats an eye.

Sometimes being the "spare" has its perks.

Elic closes his bedroom door with a giggle, yanking his coat and scarf off in a rush before pulling Clementine and tugging her onto his bed, the two bouncing a little from the force. The older girl erupts into giddy laughter, wrapping her arms around the thin frame of Elic and nuzzling her face into his hair. The boy laughs with her, twining his arms around her plush figure. The two pull apart briefly, merely gazing at the other. Clementine drags a hand up and pets the side of Elic's head, the simple movement dripping with adoration.

"I don't have a nightgown," She confesses, cheeks warm.

Elic thinks for a moment, "You can borrow one of my sleeping shirts! They're really big on me, I'm sure they'll fit you too."

He's so earnest about it, his eyes determined, a small crease between his brows, Clementine doesn't have the heart to tell him how wildly inappropriate it all is. Instead she merely smiles and nods, slipping from his grasp to work her coat off. Elic bounces from the bed, scampering over to his wardrobe to pull out two nearly identical sleeping shirts. As he hands one to her, Clementine stoops down just a little to kiss his forehead. With one last smile she dips into the connecting bathroom to strip out of her many layers and into the borrowed shirt.

The moment the doors are shut, she leans against them, her whole body flushed and warm. She buries her face into the shirt, surrounding herself with the gentle smell of violets and lavender. After a moment, she sets it aside and begins the laborious task of removing her many layers, starting with her outer skirts and blouse. Following shortly after are her petticoats and her corset, letting herself take a nice, deep breath before untying her boots and stepping out of her stockings.

Clad only in her drawers and chemise, half of her is tempted to just crawl in bed as she is, but the other half refuses to let her lose the opportunity to wear something of Elic's. It feels scandalous, it feels sinful, yet it excites her, it fills her with a strange joy and giddiness as if she is a child again.

So off go her chemise and her drawers and on goes the button down sleep shirt.

It only goes to her upper thighs, given that even if she is only a head taller than Elic, she has filled out her curves significantly. Her hips are wide, her breasts are full, her tummy is soft.

It feels like she'll be striked to Hell just by wearing it.

With a blush dusting across her cheeks, she gathers her clothing and neatly lay them over the chair tucked into the corner of the bathroom before finally ducking back into Elic's bedroom.

The young boy sits on the edge of his bed, still fully dressed as she returns. He beams up at her, perhaps a slight blush on his cheeks, though it's difficult to tell in the dimming light of evening.

"You're still dressed," Clementine states.

He's definitely blushing now, looking down in shame, "I usually have Tanaka or another servant help me change."

The boy seems even smaller as Clementine steps closer, bare feet quiet against the cold floor, "Do you… want me to help you?"

Elic looks away, but doesn't deny the question. So Clementine takes another step closer, now within arms length of Elic. His fingers dig into the shirt in his lap as the young woman slides in front of him. She gently turns his head to face her, "Yes?"

He nods quickly, then adverts his gaze again. With his consent, she reaches forward and begins to undress the boy. First goes his small bow around his collar, then his top, followed by the blouse underneath. She kneels down to untie his boots and tug his stocking off before guiding him to his feet to remove his shorts. As her fingers graze his waistband, she pauses, a blush across her cheeks before she pulls back. A brief hurt flashes across Elic's face, but it's soon dismissed by a sweet kiss to his forehead.

"I'm going to put your top on, then help you out of your bottoms, so that way you… won't… well," She trails off, but Elic quickly picks up where she was heading.

With a near violent series of nods, he shoves the shirt into her hands. With a soft laugh, she unbuttons the top few buttons and slides the fabric over Elic's head, helping his arms through the sleeves. Despite now being covered, Clementine can't stop her fingertips from lightly caressing the pale, soft skin of his chest and stomach as she helps settle the fabric down. Her fingers reach his waistband once more, this time she doesn't hesitate and helps him out of the remaining piece of his day clothing. As she gathers his clothes and folds them neatly, Elic crawls into his oversized bed to hide his burning cheeks from his fiancée.

Seeing the boy shuffle under the sheets, Clementine smiles, warmth filling her chest as she takes down her hair, letting the thick, dark brown waves fall down passed her hips. Running her fingers through it will have to do until she can return home tomorrow to properly brush through it. She climbs into the bed, slipping under the blankets and wiggling close towards the young boy.

Before he can even fully settle, a weight causes the bed to dip behind him and the blankets above him lift and shuffle around. Clementine watches as Elic rolls onto his other side, now facing her. With a smile, she brings a hand up from under the covers and cups his cheek. His eyes flutter closed at the touch.

He feels her slide closer, her weight and warmth now palpable under the covers.

As she slides closer, she memorizes the details of his face; his long, thick lashes against his soft, still lightly chubby cheeks, the way his hair frames his face, his rosy cheeks under her palm, his perfect pink lips set in the softest of smiles. She leans in closer, her dark eyes half closed.

"Happy birthday, my little prince," She whispers, feeling her own breath flutter back from caressing his lips as her eyes slip closed.

And then her lips are on his.

His lips are softer than the pillows of downy feathers surrounding them, softer than the rose petals in the Phantomhive gardens, softer than the fluffiest clouds in the sky.

His eyes shoot open at the press of her plush lips against his, but as quickly as it began, he melts against her mouth, eyes drifting closed once more and meekly pressing back.

Their lips mould together, dancing gently against one another before they both nearly forget how to breathe and pull apart. Clementine's hand still rests against his cheek and Elic finds his hands curled against her soft breasts. She smiles, drowsiness cascading through her features. She presses another kiss to his lips, quicker this time before dropping her hand from his cheek to his small waist.

As she settles in, eyes drifting shut, Elic copies her motions and presses his lips to hers. She smiles against his lips, briefly wondering if she might have created a monster addicted to kissing her now as he pulls away only to kiss her again and again and again.

She playfully swats his waist, "My little prince, I am trying to go to sleep."

Clementine feels his pout against her lips and can see his puppy eyes she knows he must know she's weak to. Without opening her eyes, she presses one last kiss to the young boy's lips before speaking against them, "I promise more kisses. Let's just sleep now, though, alright?"

Elic grins, pressing another kiss to her lips before shimmying down a little and nuzzling into the space under her chin, resting his cheek against the top of her supple breasts and wrapping his arms around her soft waist.

Wrapped in each other's embrace, the little boy and the young woman drift off into a peaceful slumber.

Notes:

TA DA theyve kissed

Chapter 9: February 1885

Notes:

clementines brother and mother are just visiting for her 18th birthday!

February 1885

"It's cold."

Clementine hums, wrapping an arm around the small boy and pulling him closer to her side. Elic winds his arms around her waist, pressing his face against her chest.

Another gust of cold coastal wind blows along the docks, causing both to shiver and cling closer to each other. No one gives either a second thought along the docks, many other families bundled and huddled together in a similar manner to the two small figures. Clementine nudges Elic, tilting his face towards hers with her other hand. Glancing around, she presses a chaste kiss to Elic's icy lips. The nine-year-old's cheeks burst into a bright pink while a shy smile curls across his mouth. He buries his face into her side.

"You can't do that here!"

Clementine laughs softly, playing with his soft hair, "It wasn't too indecent. It helped warm you up a little, right?"

The boy just whines into his oversized scarf.

Finally, the large passenger ship looms into the canal, slowly gliding towards the docks. A few people cheer, waving to loved ones leaning against the side of the ship. Clementine nudges Elic, "They're here!"

Elic peeks out from Clementine's side, watching in awe at the giant vessel. His soft eyes glitter at the sight, watching dockhands run around and direct the ship to dock. The gangway is placed and passengers begin slipping onto the docks. Clementine entwines her fingers with Elic's and pulls him along, raising up onto her toes to see over the crowd. It's not hard to miss the tall figure with a mop of dark brown hair tucked into a black top hat.

"Freddy! Over here!"

Clementine beams as her brother spots her smaller form, a grin splitting across his freckled cheeks. He parts through the crowd, and sets both his and their mother's luggage down as Clementine leaps into his arms. Frederick laughs, swinging his younger sister around and nuzzling his nose against Clementine's neck, causing the younger to squeal at the scratch of his stubble, "Happy early birthday, Clemen."

He settles her back down, making sure she's back on both feet before letting go. She smiles up at him before turning towards her mother and embracing the small woman as well.

Her mother presses a kiss to her cheek, a smile pulling at her eyes, causing small wrinkles at the corners, "You've grown so much! You finally got to my eye level."

Clementine grins then beckons the small boy who had accompanied her to the docks. Elic shyly takes her hand, entwining their fingers again. He bows his head at both of the newcomers.

"This is Elic Phantomhive, my betrothed. Elic, this is my mother and my older brother, Frederick," Clementine introduces.

The small boy manages a smile towards the two, "Hello, it's very nice to finally meet you."

Their mother lights up, rising both hands to cup Elic's face, "Aren't you just the cutest! Clemen always fawns over you in her letters, it's so wonderful to finally meet you. She loves you so much, young man."

Clementine's cheeks burn, "Mother!"

Frederick chuckles and lifts the luggage again, "She's not wrong, Clemen."

"You don't have to say it…" Clementine pouts, squeezing Elic's hand.

The older woman laughs, following behind Frederick as the group heads towards where the carriages are parked and waiting for their passengers. Clementine and Elic fall back behind the two others. She squeezes his hand again.

"I do love you, Elic," She says, staring ahead at the back of her mother, "I just wanted to tell you, not my mother."

Elic gazes up at her face, blinking with his little mouth forming a small 'O' before he beams, his face splitting into a huge smile, "That's okay! I love you too, Clem!"

Clementine turns her head and smiles back, tilting her head down to press a fleeting kiss on his forehead. Elic giggles and snuggles against her side as Frederick loads the luggage on the carriage with the help of their father's footman.

Notes:

ALSO bc i forgot before, my twitter is @bimbocrow, feel free to follow! i wanna post about this more there and i'll maybe post art there too so yall can see what clem looks like!

Chapter 10: 14 December 1880

14 December 1880

"Happy birthday!"

The group cheers as the little boys enter the sitting room hand in hand. Elizabeth bolts from her seat to wrap both in her arms. Ciel laughs embracing her back as Elic tries to shy away from the attention. Clementine steps in and carefully wrangles her fiancé from Elizabeth, hefting him into her arms and smiling at him as he sputters and clings to her neck, eyes wide and cheeks bright pink.

"C-Clem!"

The thirteen-year-old giggles and twirls the boy away, carrying him towards where both of his parents sit. She leans over, letting the young boy sit on the couch. She takes a seat next to him and smiles at the five-year-old.

"Happy birthday, Elic."

He blushes, fiddling with the buttons on his blouse. Then he suddenly blinks and whips his head up to the older girl, "I don't know when yours is!"

Stifling a giggle, Clementine smiles, petting the boy's head, "It's February 13th."

The boy's eyes go wide, "The day before Valentine's Day!"

"Mhm," Clementine runs his fingers through the soft, silky hair of the boy.

Elic smiles and goes to say more, but is interrupted at the announcement of cake and sweets. The young boy jumps up, "I'll get you the biggest slice! Wait right here!"

The girl can't help but laugh a little as her young fiancé rushes towards the large spread of every sweet imaginable. She leans back, a soft smile across her lips as the boy who's stolen her heart piles a little plate high with a multitude of sweet treats, just for her even if it's his birthday.

Chapter 11: April 1883

April 1883

Springtime flowers bloom within the immaculately groomed gardens of the Phantomhive estate. Underneath a fragrant wisteria tree, Clementine and Elic sit atop a picnic quilt, giggling between themselves over some light sandwiches and cake. The sixteen-year-old girl is dressed in one of her best spring dresses, a rich satin of soft blue with a white lace collar and decorated with pink silk roses. Her long, dark brown tressels piled onto her head with more roses, both real and silks, sewn into the curls.

Elic, on the other hand, wears his Sunday best. The seven-year-old's blouse is pressed crisp and tucked into a pair of navy suede shorts with a matching vest and black knee stockings. A simple blue ribbon is tied around his collar.

"Elic! Clementine! It's time for the photographs!"

Elic hops up and holds his little hands out to help his fiancée up. Clementine giggles, knowing that the little boy wouldn't be able to haul her up, but she indulges him, taking his hands in hers and pulling herself up. One of her hands stays entwined with his and they head together towards the rest of the Phantomhive family.

Rachel sits at one of the more elegant tea tables under the gazebo, Ciel and Lizzy at her side and Vincent standing behind her. The photographer fiddles with his camera, but looks up once the two stragglers arrive. Before they can set foot in the gazebo, he tuts at them.

"Ah, ah, hang on, you both need your separate portrait first. Stand over by the roses."

The two follow the photographer's instructions, standing side by side in front of the rose bushes, their hands remaining clasped by their side, hidden behind the bustle of Clementine's dress.

Notes:

just a short little one about the photo clementine had

follow my twitter @bimbocrow

Chapter 12: October 1888

October 1888

While normally it's her father dealing with the coordination of shipments, yet Clementine finds herself arguing with the dock workers to let her in to do her damn jobs.

"We don't let women in this area, alright? Go home missy."

Clementine gawks, "Excuse me? My father sent me down here to deal with the shipments of his toys. He is the head of White Deer Toy Company, Augustus Stevenson. He instructed me to come in his place!"

The dockhands snicker amongst themselves while the 'leader' leans forward, looming over Clementine's small frame, "Well… Maybe you could convince us… I'm sure that bossy attitude of yours would be gone the second you're under us."

Clementine reels back, lips curling in disgust, "How dare you!"

Before she can get far, the largest of the men circles around her while the leader grabs her wrist, "Now, now, no need for that."

Clementine screams.

Not in fear, not in anger, just screams, like a banshee, ripping her wrist from the man's grasp and ducking away from the larger one behind her who tries to grapple her. She backs away, eyes wide and dilated like a wild animal. Fear begins to flood her system, demanding her to run, to flee. But the anger that these men would just do whatever they please outweighs it.

"I'll scream again, you fucks," She spits out, "Get the hell away from me."

Only about half of the small group stalks closer, the more timid half scattering at her shrill screaming or the sight of the young woman turned rabid animal.

"Gentlemen, that is no way to treat a lady."

Clementine bristles at the deep voice of a stranger, turning her attention towards the man in all black standing behind the men, his eyes closed in a sinisterly sweet smile, his long, messy black hair falling into his face as he tilts his head and holds a white gloved hand to his chest. Something about him sends even more flight response flags throughout her body.

The men sneer at him, huffing amongst themselves if someone like him in his pristine suit and lanky form could do anything to them. Then, in a blink, all three men are knocked out, beaten and bloody while the butler in black dusts his gloved hands off, holding a hand to his chin.

"How bothersome."

He turns towards Clementine, his eyes flashing like a cat's in low light.

"My apologies, milady," The butler speaks to her directly, bowing low at the waist, "You are unharmed?"

The young woman nods, feeling the adrenaline begin to wear off, leaving her weak in her knees. Another figure emerges from where the butler appeared. He's small, perhaps only a few centimeters smaller than Clementine herself, dressed in a fine blue and black boy's suit with a black short cloak, an elegant top hat and an expensive looking cane.

The breath catches in Clementine's throat.

She would know his dark hair with that odd navy sheen anywhere.

She would know his wide, soft azure eyes anywhere.

She would know those rosy, pouting lips, those soft, pale cheeks.

She can't respond to the butler's question, dark eyes wide and vision beginning to blur as she takes a tentative step towards the young boy.

"El-"

"Sebastian, are you quite done? Did you find the source of the scream?"

The boy turns to the butler in black, not even looking towards Clementine. A thought to be healed scar cracks in her heart. Biting her lip to stop the wobbling, she takes another step forward, then another.

"My Lord? Do you-"

"Elic!"

Everything freezes. The boy stands in shock, his head whipped around towards the young woman a few meters from him. Sebastian stands stock still at the exclamation of an unfamiliar name. Clementine clutches her chest, tears pooling in her eyes.

The first movement is the young boy's lips, the rosy flesh parting slightly as his visible eye widens.

Clementine's knees nearly give out, "It's- You're- I- Elic…"

She wants to take another step forward but fears she would collapse if she tries.

"You have the wrong person," Elic states, looking over her shoulder, unable to meet her eyes, "I am the Earl Ciel Phantomhive."

Clementine's brows furrow, "You can't lie to me, I know the face of my fiancé. Do you… not… Elic, do you not remember me?"

Her voice cracks at the end, the tears spilling down her freckled cheeks. Something akin to panic passes over the boy's face and he finds himself stepping forward before he can stop himself.

"Please…" His voice is soft as he stands just out of arm's reach, "Please don't cry, Clem."

Her head jerks up, dark brown meeting singular azure. That's the breaking point, Elic takes the last step forward and buries his face into the crook of Clementine's neck. His cane clatters to the ground, his hands grasping into Clementine's bodice. The young woman embraces the boy in return, one hand gripping the base of his neck, the other digging into the back of his cloak. She sobs, wailing against the form of her beloved. Her shoulder grows damp and she feels the boy's body trembling in her hold.

"I knew I saw you," Clementine squeaks out between hiccuping sobs, "At the ball, I knew it, I knew it was you."

Elic's hands tighten their hold, "I'm sorry."

Clementine chokes out a laugh, "Don't! You're alive! You're here!"

She pries her head back, her hands cupping Elic's cheeks, wiping the tears from his eye. She smiles, widely, cheeks damp, "You're alive!"

Elic nods, returning his face to Clementine's shoulder, "I'm alive."

Notes:

they have finally reunited

is o!ciel ooc? idc this is my story and i saw that he would be soft to the only person to recognize him as /him/ and not ciel

Chapter 13: October 1888

October 1888

During the carriage ride back to Clementine's father's manor, one would not be able to seperate Elic and Clementine. The two cling to each other alone in the carriage as Sebastian took his place on the driver's perch. Clementine can hardly see through her tears, her hands holding Elic to the juncture of her shoulder and neck. Elic clings to her, like the child he truly is.

She gently guides his head up to face her, one hand cupping his damp cheek, the other running over his eyepatch.

"My little prince-" The old title bestowed upon him years ago causes fresh tears to prickle at the corner of his eye, "-Oh how I've missed you. I should have come to the manor sooner, I just- I thought it was your brother this whole time and I couldn't bear to see someone so similar yet so different to you. If I had just come sooner…"

Elic brings his hands up, one clinging to the wrist of the hand on his cheek, the other going to mirror Clementine, holding her cheek, "You didn't know. I don't blame you. You're- You're the first to know, to realize it's me. Not- Not Lizzy, not Tanaka, not even Madame Red."

The boy hiccups, "Why do they all think I'm him? Why did they not ask about me?"

Clementine's heart breaks and she pulls Elic back into her shoulder, her hands going to the back of his head and around his shoulders, "I know, love, I know."

He looks up at her, "How… how did you know it was me? No one's known?"

"I will always know who the love of my life is," Clementine says with a gentle smile, "I know your eyes. They've always been softer and wider than Ciel's. I know your lips, your eyelashes, your cheeks, that little furrow between your brows."

She brushes his fringe from his forehead and presses a kiss there, then one between his eyebrows, followed by one on his eyelid, then one over his eyepatch. She continues, kissing every inch of the young boy's face. He sighs softly, tilting his head forward to rest his forehead against Clementine's shoulder. He slumps against her, and she worries over him, her hands rubbing his back and head, cooing gentle words of love. He seems weary, as if aged a decade in two years. In the back of her head, she fears what the small boy has gone through to become like this, to become this heavy, this weighted down.

"Stay," Elic whispers, "Please."

"Always, my little prince, I will always be beside you."

Notes:

hmu on twitter! @bimbocrow

Chapter 14: 14 December 1888

14 December 1888

Dusk has fallen by the time Clementine arrives at the Phantomhive manor. She feels giddy, sneaking out of her father's manor like this. Never did she think that at twenty-one she would be doing this. Yet here she is. She knows that if she starts suddenly spending all of her spare time with the young Phantomhive, people will start to get suspicious. She promised him that she would not tell a soul of the truth, which does force her to watch as her fiancé gets doted on by her dear friend who thinks he's her fiancé.

But, at last she can spend the night with her young lover once more. Her father is out of town on business in France for a few weeks, allowing her to visit Elic more than usual.

And tonight, she has a gift planned.

The carriage pulls to a stop at the grand entry stairs and Clementine clambers out, allowing Sebastian to aid her as she nearly trips over her own skirts. The butler, at least, has the decency to only smile amusedly at her excitement, when most would likely straight out laugh.

"The young master is in his study. Shall I accompany you there?"

Clementine shakes her head, "It's the same layout as the old manor, correct?" When the tall man nods, she continues, "Then I know the way. Thank you, Sebastian."

The butler bows, and takes her small luggage case from her hands, "I shall set this in one of the guest rooms for you."

She bites her lip from asking if he could instead put it in Elic's room, but she knows that their predicament must be kept between the two of them only. And she will keep the secret of who he is to the grave, even if it means watching him marry and love someone else in public.

So instead, she nods and beelines straight to the study.

She knocks lightly on the door to the study and waits, rocking back on her heels.

"Enter."

With an excited grin, she pushes the door open.

Elic sits at the oversized desk in the oversized chair, looking even smaller and childlike. He glances up from his paperwork, his face perfectly neutral until he realizes who is standing in the threshold of the study.

"Clem," He says, setting his pen back into the inkwell, "You came."

"Of course," She says, stepping in and closing the door behind her. She takes several quick steps to the otherside of the desk. Leaning over the desk, she presses a quick kiss to Elic's lips, "Happy birthday, my little prince."

The young boy blushes harshly as the young woman pulls back and slides around to the same side of the desk to pepper his face with more kisses. He sputters indignantly, but makes no move to shove her away, instead melting into the touch. When she pulls back, she admires all the soft pink marks across Elic's face left from the faint tint she applied to her lips before leaving her father's manor.

Elic looks dazed as she gazes down at him. Blinking, he's quick to pull back to reality and huffs at Clementine, "Thank you, Clem."

The young woman runs her fingers through his hair, "I know we've already planned for me to spend the night, but would I… would you let me stay with you tonight? I miss having you in my arms and you have a lot of time to make up for."

Elic's cheeks flush under the faint lip stains, "What if Sebastian finds out? The bastard is too good at finding out secrets."

Clementine nods, "We don't have to, I want you to be comfortable."

He shakes his head, averting his gaze, "It's not that I don't want to, I… I would like that quite a lot, but…"

"I understand," Clementine cards through his silky locks once more before starting to retreat. Elic grasps at her wrists and pulls her back, making her stumble a little.

"Come to my room at quarter past ten."

Clementine smiles, heart swelling with joy in her chest, nearly bursting from her ribs. She kisses the top of his head, "I shall see you then."

Notes:

im Gearing up for Something Fun finally!!!! itll be Hopefully not the next chapter but the one after that! ;)

twitter: @bimbocrow

Chapter 15: January 1881

January 1881

A soft cough echoes through the bedroom, making the young girl flutter over the small boy wrapped under blankets. He sniffles as she wrings a little towel after dipping it in the bowl of cold water on the nightstand. Clementine gently places it across Elic's overheated forehead. He blinks up at her, unshed tears glistening in his azure eyes.

"I'm sorry," He mutters, "Ciel and Lizzy are outside playing…"

Clementine huffs, brushing some hair out of his face, "Don't apologize, Elic, I don't mind taking care of you. We're going to be wed, and as your future wife, I'm supposed to take care of you when you need it and you're supposed to take care of me when I need it. We support each other."

She sits on the edge of the bed, "Besides, it's cold out and I much prefer to be in here near the fireplace and just read."

The little five-year-old perks up, "Did you bring another book?"

Nodding, Clementine jumps up, "Yes! Father just gave me this book today. It's a collected work of one of my favorite authors!"

She pulls a black leather bound book from her bag, holding it up for Elic to see. There's an embossed raven across the cover and some sprawling filigree along the edges. She settles back on the edge of the bed.

"Who is it?" Elic croaks out, coughing shortly after.

Clementine reaches for the glass of water on the nightstand and helps the young boy drink, "His name is Edgar Allen Poe. He's a poet and a short story author. This is a collection of quite a few of his works. Father was going to wait until my birthday to give it to me, but since I mentioned how we had just finished Frankenstein and that I wasn't sure what to bring next, he gave it to me early."

Elic smiles after leaning back into the pillows, watching Clementine set the glass back down. She pets his head gently, makes sure his towel is set on his forehead correctly and opens the book.

Chapter 16: 14 December 1888, 10:15PM

Notes:

we did it folks

14 December 1888, 10:15PM

Dressed in only her thin, laciest nightgown, the one she always thought was the prettiest, Clementine sneaks down the hallways, a single candle to light her way. Not that she doesn't know the way, quite the opposite, but even when she was younger, the Phantomhive manor creeped her out at night.

The doors to Elic's room loom before her and she softly raps her and his special sequence.

Knock.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Knock. Knock.

With that, she enters the bedroom.

It's hard to see much in the dim candlelight, but from the shadows and dark masses, it has roughly the same layout and furniture as it did when they were younger. It sends a strange pang through the young woman.

She makes towards the large, canopy bed, settling the candle on the nightstand.

"Elic," She whispers, slipping into the bed.

"Clem," The boy whispers back, holding the blankets to help her settle.

Petting the side of his face, she opens her arms. Elic doesn't need to be told twice. He slots himself against her body, wrapping his arms around her soft waist, nuzzling against her modest chest, legs tangling together. Clementine buries one hand in his hair, the other rests on his narrow hips, pulling him as close as she can get him. He nuzzles into her, the stoic, cold boy melting away back to the gentle, affectionate Elic she knows and loves.

Her hand resting on his hip glides up his side. She passes a spot near his ribs that makes him jerk, twisting away. Immediately, she pulls her hand back.

"Elic? Are you okay? Are you hurt?" Clementine worries, nudging his head up.

It's hard to make out many details of his face in the dark, but she can see the glistening of his wide, soft eyes from the flickering candlelight. Her hands go to his cheeks, hovering for a second before he takes her hands in his and presses them to his face.

"It doesn't hurt anymore," Elic says in a whisper, his eyes lidded as he squeezes her hands.

Clementine rests her forehead against his, her heart aching, "What happened to you?"

His hands tremble and a soft gasp leaves his lips.

"You don't have to tell me, it's okay. I'm here for you, I'll always be here for you," She says, kissing his forehead, "I love you, Elic, I always will. I want to help you, if you'll let me."

Elic opens his eyes, meeting Clementine's gentle gaze.

"Please," He begs softly, eyes watery, "Overwrite their hands with yours."

Clementine feels her heart overflow, her own tears dripping down her cheeks as she pushes herself up to hover over Elic, "Of course, my love. This is for you, let me know the moment if you feel uncomfortable or if I move too fast or make you remember something bad. Tonight is all for you and about you."

With one more nod from Elic, Clementine rolls them both over, moving her legs to straddle him and leans over him, her hair falling like a curtain around them, shutting out the rest of the world. He looks up at her, pale skin glowing in the soft candlelight and the slivers of moonlight drifting through the curtains of the windows and Clementine's hair. His right eye, the one usually covered seems to be discolored, but the young woman doesn't comment on it. She just leans forward and presses her lips to his for the first time in three years.

They're just as soft and pillowy as Clementine remembers.

Elic presses back softly, his hands finding their way to the back of her neck, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. She leans on her elbows, caging in the thirteen-year-old boy under her. They part, Elic's soft breath against her lips.

"Are you doing okay?" Clementine asks.

The young boy whines and opens his eyes, "More."

Clementine smiles, "Of course, my little prince."

She leans back down and presses their lips together again, humming when the boy moves his lips against hers in a slow dance. His arms tighten around her shoulders, keeping her pressed against his small body. It's not until they start to lose their breath that they finally part. Clementine pants, catching her breath as Elic does the same, the two sharing the air between them.

"Do you want to keep going?" Clementine asks, brushing some of his hair from his face with one hand.

He nods, still panting softly, his eyes glazed.

"Alright," She smiles and leans closer, her lips just barely touching his, "Then open your mouth for me, love."

His lips part as they meet, hers parting and opening his mouth wider as her tongue dips into his mouth. He jolts and Clementine almost pulls away if it weren't for Elic's arms gripping her and keeping her in place. His tongue meets hers tentatively as hers wanders his mouth, mapping it out. She swallows his soft moans, the sounds going straight down to her lower belly.

They break apart for air, a thin string of saliva shimmering in the low light. Elic's whole face is flushed and the young woman can't stop the soft noise that leaves her at the sight. She brings herself closer, "I'm going to continue, okay? I'm going to kiss you in some other places."

Elic nods, leaving a soft kiss to Clementine's lips before tilting his head back, his eyes closed. The twenty-one-year-old smiles against his lips, then parts, only to press another kiss to the corner of his mouth, then to his chin.

She leaves a gentle trail down his jaw to his pale, thin neck. He stiffens for a moment, a moan leaving his lips before he can stifle it. Laughing gently, she presses soft kisses all along the column of his neck, pulling all sorts of quiet noises from Elic's lips. She drags her lips lower, to the little bit of skin peeking out from the collar of his oversized sleeping shirt. At the touch of her soft lips to the sensitive skin, Elic jolts, his hips thrusting up against her clothed crotch. His moan is loud and downright erotic.

She goes to pull away to check in on him, but he speaks first, "Keep going."

Pressing another kiss to his collarbone, she speaks against his skin, "As you wish."

She shifts her weight more to her knees, bringing her hands to his chest, splaying her fingers out before starting to unbutton his shirt. Her lips follow her hands, kissing each centimeter of newly exposed skin. Elic's hands fall from her shoulders, his hands curling by his head as he arches his back, pressing his skin to Clementine's mouth.

Once she reaches the bottom of his sternum, she brings her hands back, slipping under the fabric of his shirt to push it to the side. She raises her head to watch as his pale chest comes to view, rising and falling in time with his soft, quick pants. Her fingers find his little nipples, causing another, him to let out a louder moan. Clementine returns her mouth to the juncture of his neck and shoulder as her fingers circle the small pink buds.

"Is this good?" She asks, lips on his neck.

"Yes," He moans, arching into her touch, "Yes, it's so good, please, more."

A smile curls on her lips and she lightly pinches his rosy nipples. He moans again and she feels the vibrations across her lips. She tweaks them again, sitting up on Elic's lap. He looks up at her, eyes dazed, lips starting to swell from a combination of their shared kisses and his teeth running over the thin flesh.

"What…" He breathes, his voice faint, "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to help you out of your shirt, is that okay?"

When he nods, she gently pulls him up, his shirt slipping down off his shoulders. Her hands trail down his arms sliding the sleeves off of his body as she leans forward, pressing her clothes chest to his bare skin, her lips on his again. Elic's hands find her waist, his fingers bunching the lace. He gasps against her lips as she lightly grids her hips down on his.

Clementine pulls back, "Can I take your shirt off fully?"

"Please," Elic whines, his hips trying to find friction against hers.

Following his plea, Clementine quickly finds the remaining buttons and undones them, letting the fabric pool around Elic's hips on the bed. He buries his face into her neck, body shaking. She coos at him, petting his hair.

"You're okay, I've got you. I'm not going to let anything happen to you that you don't want," she whispers against his hair, slowly pulling back.

Her hands reach up to his face, wiping the few tears that have leaked from his eyes, "Do you want to continue?"

Taking a shaky breath, Elic nods, "Please. I need… I want to. I want to replace those feelings."

"Of course. We can stop at any moment, just say the word and we can just go to sleep. You're in control here," She says, then kisses him gently, briefly again.

Pulling away, she tugs at the hem of her nightgown, bunched at her hips. She eases it off, tossing it away besides the bed before settling back against Elic's bare, thin thighs. Through the dim light, Clementine watches as the young boy's eyes widen, lips parting just slightly. His hands twitch, hovering above her skin. She takes his hands in hers, resting them against her small breasts.

"You can touch me however you want. I'm your fiancée. You're the only man to have me like this; before, now and forever."

His eyes meet hers through the dark, "Truly?"

Clementine nods, pecking his lips gently and letting go of his hands, "Truly. I am yours. I have been since I was thirteen and you, four."

Elic blinks back fresh tears and buries his face in her neck, lighting squeezing his hands. It pulls a soft, surprised moan from the older woman. His hands are small, but her breasts fill them perfectly. His soft lips find her neck, mouthing at the supple skin.

"Soft…" He breathes, "You're so soft… Your body has give."

To make his point, one hand leaves her breast to squeeze the fat of her waist. She loops her arms over Elic's shoulders and sighs near his ear, "Feels good…"

Elic experiments with the woman in his lap. He finds her nipples, pebbled in the slight chill in the room, and rubs them with his fingers. He rolls them, pinches them, gently pulling them, testing to see what makes her moan the loudest. He mouths at her neck and shoulders, gently running his teeth over her skin. One of Clementine's hands finds the back of his head, the other trailing up and down his back. Her fingers find a small raised shape on the back of his ribs. He yanks away, biting back a yelp and shying away from her touch.

"Elic?"

Her hand immediately retreats, resting on his cheek to help ground him.

"They… they marked me," He whispers, eyes closed, "They branded me."

"Oh, love," Clementine murmurs, "Open your eyes, look at me, please."

He follows her request, fluttering his eyes open.

"You're right here," She says, meeting his eyes, "I'm right here in front of you. You're not there, you're with me."

He sighs, burying his face into her neck, "I'm here."

"Do you want me to ignore it or give it more affection?"

"Ignore it, please," He whispers against her skin.

Clementine smiles, "Of course. Now, why don't you lay back?"

With one last kiss to her neck, he lays back after she pulls the wadded fabric of his shirt towards wherever her nightgown landed. She runs her hands over his smooth skin. There's not much give to his own flesh, perhaps why he's so fascinated with her pudge. She meets his gaze and he nods, his hands curled next to his face. Her lips meet the pale flesh of his stomach. It causes a shiver through his body and she raises one of her hands for him to hold. He takes it quickly, entwining their fingers together as Clementine trails her lips lower and lower.

She lifts her head, finally casting her gaze down to his little cock.

He's not large, perhaps three or four inches long at most. He's bare of any hair and his foreskin covers the head of his cock. His balls are small and smooth, resting against his skin. His cock twitches under her gaze and she looks back up at him. She smiles, shimmying back up to kiss his chin.

"I'm going to touch you now, okay?"

He nods, unable to find his voice.

She rests her head against his collar, looking down to watch as her fingers circle around his cock. Her fingers touch, but she doesn't care. He's all she could have ever wanted.

He jerks his hips at the touch, whining loudly as she lightly slides her hand up and down his shaft. His back arches and his hands squeeze tightly. Clementine presses kisses against his neck in between watching his little cock disappear into her fist. It's hard, harder than she imagined it could be.

She pulls her head up, sitting up over his thighs. He whines at the loss as her hand releases his cock.

"Why… Why did you stop?" He asks, out of breath.

She swipes her tongue over her lips, "I need to slide your foreskin down, it should feel even better if I do that, okay?"

He sputters at her blunt words.

Her fingers skirt around the tip of his cock peeking from his foreskin. Elic jolts at the touch, clenching his eyes shut. Clementine focuses on his cock, fingers gently pinching and pulling the loose skin. The young boy moans and whimpers as her fingertips pet the head of his cocklet as it's finally exposed to the air.

Clementine gently rubs the over-sensitive head with her thumb, "There we go. How's that?"

"Good!" Elic yelps, "Good! Please!"

The young woman smiles, leaning forward to kiss his chin and neck, fingers circling his cock and pumping gently. He cries out, hands flying up to grab her shoulders tightly, "More! Please!"

"As you wish," Clementine whispers against his skin and begins to pump his cock faster, fingers tightening a little.

It doesn't take long for the little boy beneath her to come undone.

He pumps his hips, gripping her shoulders tighter as his moans become louder and more shrill. Then he cries out, throwing his head back and thrusting his hips up. His cock spills over Clementine's hand and between their bodies. She stalls her hand, but keeps it wrapped around his cock.

He pants, breathing heavily, body trembling from his orgasm. His lips part, trying to bring air back into his body. His eyes blink open, looking towards Clementine blearily.

"What…?"

She blinks at him, "Huh? Have you not orgasmed before?"

Elic shakes his head, tears dripping from his eyes, "No, I… They…"

Clementine doesn't make him continue. She kisses his jaw, "I'm honored to have helped you have your first."

It's only when she makes to move her hand away that she realizes he's still hard.

"Oh? You're hard still. Do you want to continue?"

Elic swallows thickly, "Please, please keep going."

"I will. Let's take the next step, okay?"

The young boy nods. Clementine releases his cock, her hand still sticky with his semen as she gently takes one of his hands. He looks at her in confusion as she guides his hand down between her legs.

"How much do you know about this?"

Elic shakes his head, "It wasn't… They weren't women…"

Clementine nods, "I'll teach you."

She takes his fingers gently and slides them through her bush, letting them dip between her lips. A soft gasp leaves her mouth at the feeling. They are so different from her own fingers.

"You're wet… and warm…" Elic gasps, his fingers starting to explore her cunt on their own.

She hums, dropping her hand, "Feels good…"

His fingers find her hole and she jumps, moaning near his ear, "There, put your fingers in there."

"I-In?"

Clementine takes his hand again, holding it still as she wiggles her hips and slowly lowers herself down onto his middle and ring fingers, "Here, your cock will go right in here."

Elic breathes out heavily, "You're so wet and warm."

His fingers explore her cunt, curling slightly, wiggling, rubbing against her inner walls. She gasps and moans, panting right near Elic's ear. The base of his thumb hits her clit, making her whine and jerk her hips.

"In me, I need you in me. Please Elic, please let me out your cock in me," She begs.

He removes his fingers, her hand finding the base of his cock to help steady it. He grips her hips as she lowers herself down onto his little cock. Elic gasps, moaning loudly as her heat envelopes him. His cock head nudges a soft barrier that makes her gasp. Taking a deep breath, she pushes herself down, feeling the barrier pop and her hips sink down the rest of the way.

Elic cries out and cums again, buried deep in her warmth. The young woman shudders at the feeling of his seed spilling inside of her. His little cock twitches, still hard.

"Again?" She asks, out of breath already, "Do you want to keep going?"

Elic moans, nodding his head against her shoulder. Clementine slowly raises her hips before gliding them back down to meet his. His fingers grip her hips, making small divots in the supple skin. She gasps against his shoulder, slowing fucking him, her arms pressed against the bed on either side of him. She gasps and moans, the feeling of his cum slipping out of her as they fuck. Elic has tears falling down his cheeks, his mouth open with moans and cries falling from his lips.

"It's-! I- Again!"

Clementine hardly has time to realize what he means before his cock spurts once again inside of her. She lets out a wavering cry and tries to slow down to let the boy rest, but he grips on her hips, thrusting up into her at his own pace.

"More, more! Please!"

The young woman whimpers, "You can have it all, I'm all yours."

One of her hands seeks out one of his, loosely grabbing his wrist to guide his fingers to her clit, "Here, rub here, please Elic, help me orgasm too."

He complies, his fingers twisting and rubbing her pearl, making her cry out loudly, throwing her head back and slamming her hips down on his cock. She looks down at Elic, then clashes her lips to his. Their lips dance as she feels herself finally, finally nearing that cliff. Elic kisses her back just as hard, his fingers busy pressing hard circles around her clit. He moans into her mouth as he feels her passage start to tighten about his member.

Clementine breaks away from the kiss as one hard thrust from Elic combined with his fingers on her clit sends her falling into ecstasy. Tears bubble at the corners of her eyes as her cunt clenches down tight on Elic's cock. The pulsing of her walls sends him over the edge hard, harder than any of the times before. He sobs against her neck as his cock finally starts to soften.

The woman collapses next to the boy, rolling onto her side besides him, panting. One of her hands rests on his cheek, wiping his tears.

"Elic? How are you feeling?"

The young boy rolls onto his side, facing her and burrowing into her arms, "Clem, I- Thank you."

"Of course," She coos, petting his head as he presses closer to her breasts, "I love you, Elic, so much."

Against her breast, she barely makes it out, but the young boy replies, "I love you too."

Notes:

theyve fucked!!!!

im half tempted to end it and leave it here but i also Know im gonna wanna write more about these two so ig let me know what yall think!

twitter: @333crow333

Chapter 17: 15 December 1888

15 December 1888

As per usual, Sebastian quietly opens the door to his young lord's chambers. Any usual butler would be none the wiser to what he is about to encounter, but he is no ordinary butler. A smirk grows across his lips before he can stop it.

Due to his unnatural hearing, he already knows what transpired in the night hours.

Yet the idea to torment and tease his young master brings him unspeakable joy.

So he opens the doors, struts to the windows and yanks the curtains nearest the large canopy bed open, minding the discarded shirt and nightgown tossed haphazardly to the ground. He turns to face the two occupants in the bed.

Clementine scrunches her freckles cheeks at the sudden sunlight, pulling the young boy closer into her bare chest. His young master grumbles and burrows himself deeper in her bosom. It draws a soft laugh from Sebastian.

"My lord, it is time to wake up now. No matter your… activities in the night, you must be up," Sebastian speaks cooly, though his shit-eating grin doesn't leave his lips.

The young boy jolts up, the blanket pooling around his bare hips. Clementine, now half exposed to the crisp air, groans and reaches out, trying to pull Elic back into her arms before cracking one eye open. She squeaks out a shrill yelp, grabbing the blankets to cover her bare breasts.

"Sebastian!" His young lord hisses, glaring at the butler.

"For breakfast today, I have prepared poached salmon, a selection of seasonal fruits and scones. For tea, you have Ceylon."

The young boy continues to glower while the young woman pales considerably, looking nearly on the verge of tears. Elic sighs, turning his gaze away from Sebastian.

"Elizabeth is not my fiancée. She is my brother's," He confesses, "Clementine is my true fiancée."

"What a predicament you find yourself in, my lord," Sebastian says with an amused chuckle, "For a moment I believed you committed adultery, although you two are still unmarried."

Clementine's face regains its color, though perhaps too much color as it is now bright red and burning hot.

"I also did not expect you to be the type to be attracted to older women," Sebastain notes, his grin growing, "Do you need my assistance in dressing this morning, or will your fiancée?"

"Out!" Elic shouts, "That is an order!"

Sebastian bows, "As you wish, my lord."

Although, the butler doesn't leave without making eye contact with the blushing Clementine and giving her a sly smirk.

Notes:

ok NOW i think i might end it, but if ppl want more just hmu and i may add to it here and there

Notes:

thanks for reading the intro! im planning for this to not be exactly linear, i just wanted to introduce clementine. im gonna be following the manga and starting from a point during the manga but intersperse it w memories of elic and clementine bonding and falling in love