Cuts and Cake:

Summer Chapter:

It was the summer holidays and Sebastian, Ciel and his aunt were on holiday in Cornwall. Ciel had found sixth form work challenging even with his intelligence so he was glad for the holiday, especially after his exams. His idea of a perfect holiday was to laze around the house reading books and drinking Earl Grey Hot Chocolate on days when it rained heavily.

So he wasn't happy when he was dragged to the beach by his aunt and Sebastian. Currently he was carrying the picnic basket and was hanging around with Sebastian whilst his aunt was searching for a space in the sand for them to sit.

He winced when his aunt shouted at him from some distance away because everyone in the vicinity turned to stare at her. Ciel had an idea that was her intention. She liked attracting attention.

"She had better not have chosen a spot next to seaweed," he shuddered and trailed after Sebastian who was already walking over to her. "It smells."

"It's the insects that crawl all over the seaweed that are more of concern," Sebastian replied. "I should have put insect repellent on you as well as sun cream."

"It's fine," Ciel said hastily. "Sun cream feels slimy enough."

Fortunately his aunt had chosen an area far away from stray seaweed. It was also next to a family with young children that were currently subjecting him to an intense stare. Ciel glared back and one of them burst into tears. Sebastian unsuccessfully tried to suppress a snort.

"Stop upsetting children," Angelina admonished lightly. "You loved coming to the beach when you were little so try not to spoil it for anyone else."

"Yes, Aunt Ann," he said, remembering that his aunt did have old photos of him on the beach with his parents and her.

Once all of the towels had been laid out and the parasol was up, Ciel sat down on a towel directly underneath the parasol and opened a book. He had no intention of sunbathing or swimming, he was still wearing a hoodie and was only wearing swimming trunks because they were easier to get sand off. He didn't come to the beach willingly so he wasn't going to take part in any of the activities associated with the beach. The only thing he was looking forward to was the picnic as Sebastian had made it.

"Are you coming for a paddle?" Angelina asked. "Sebastian is coming with me."

"Someone has to keep an eye on our things," Ciel answered without looking up.

"I'll stay with him in case he gets lonely," Sebastian said and sat down next to Ciel. "I think the lifeguard over there is your type, Angelina."

She peered in the direction he had gestured to and rushed off. Ciel closed his book and stared after her.

"She will be down there for ages now," he commented. "At least she is responsible enough to not pretend she is drowning to catch the lifeguard's attention like some people would."

"That is true. By the way, we aren't leaving here until this evening," his boyfriend informed him.

That was not welcoming information to Ciel. He had assumed they would be leaving in the late afternoon when the tide started to come up the sand. He could tolerate a few hours on the beach, not anymore than five.

"According to the weather forecast, today is going to be the hottest day on record so you will have to take off that hoodie at some point," Sebastian continued on.

Ciel knew Sebastian was telling the truth. Already he was feeling unbearably hot even though he was in the shade.

"That's all the more reason to leave earlier," Ciel griped.

A shadow fell across Sebastian's face and Ciel looked up to see his aunt had returned.

"It wasn't my idea. Sebastian asked if we could stay a little later so he could go for a romantic evening stroll with you across the sand."

At this revelation Ciel blushed and decided not to argue anymore about it.

"It was supposed to be a surprise," Sebastian groaned. "Why are you back so quickly?"

Angelina picked up her red straw hat from the top of her bag, placed it on her head and sat down on the other side of Ciel.

"There was a child who had been stung by a jellyfish so all the lifeguards were crowded around him. I didn't want to get stung either so I came back here."

"There are jellyfish around? I'm not going swimming," Ciel said immediately. Not that he had any intention of swimming in the first place.

"Ciel, move from under the parasol. I'm older than you and need more shade," she ordered. "You need more Vitamin D anyway."

Reluctantly Ciel moved and allowed his aunt to sit in his place. She did have a valid point so he didn't protest. Now that he wasn't in the shade he could feel the rays of the sun beating down on his head.

"When it reaches midday, Ciel needs to take off his hoodie. I don't want him to get heatstroke. A&E is full of tourists that have major sunburn or heatstroke at this time of year."

Again she had a point so he didn't put up too much of a fight. Angelina seemed to be relieved that he wasn't protesting as she didn't push it further and changed the subject.

"Do you know what other beach related cases we get at the hospital in the summer?"

Ciel shook his head, his interest piqued and Sebastian said he couldn't guess either much to his aunt's surprise.

"Sand on beaches is full of faecal bacteria and other nasty bacteria as well as bugs. You won't catch anything like typhoid or dysentery by simply sitting on the beach. The sand, bacteria and bugs enter your body through a certain orifice if you understand. There are always cases every summer of people thinking it was romantic to do that kind of thing on a beach."

With the last line Ciel caught onto his aunt's meaning and shuddered. It had never crossed his mind that the beach was a good place to do that, but he was glad that she had explained it in case Sebastian had previously had an idea like that. Sebastian had some strange ideas sometimes. He glanced over at Sebastian who looked disappointed and nudged him sharply in the chest.

"I am not ending up in A&E for that!" Ciel griped brusquely.

Angelina smiled kindly at him. "I thought I should explain that before I ever leave you two alone on a beach for an extended period of time."

The raven haired teenager cleared his throat awkwardly. "I didn't really have any intention of doing that. You can't really get any private beaches in this country and I wouldn't want either of us to get ill," he told Ciel and pulled him into a hug.

At midday Ciel reluctantly took his hoodie off so he wouldn't get heatstroke and was handed a flask of Iced Earl Grey Hot Chocolate by Sebastian.

"I made this so you can get your caffeine fix and keep cool. Tell me how it tastes," his boyfriend instructed.

The teenager took a tentative sip and tasted a mouthful of tea, chocolate and ice. He sighed happily in contentment and Sebastian knew well enough to take that as a compliment to his culinary abilities.

"Where would we be if I couldn't keep my boyfriend cool and supplied with caffeine?"

Ciel smiled and carried on drinking it. His aunt leaned forward.

"Never mind the latest thing you've got Ciel hooked on, what's for lunch?"

"I was going to bring an ice cream cake to the beach for lunch, but it's too hot so I made a cake with tiers of chocolate, strawberry and vanilla to represent ice cream," Sebastian explained.

Angelina sighed in exasperation. "Is there anything else besides cake?"

***

The afternoon passed by pleasantly for Ciel as he was left to read his book undisturbed and he enjoyed the cake that Sebastian had made. His boyfriend dragged him down to the sea to watch him swim and didn't push him to come in with him which Ciel was glad for as the sea was a little too rough for his swimming capabilities.

At high tide the beach was mostly emptied of visitors that wanted to go home. When the tide started to recede Sebastian and Ciel went for a walk. Angelina waved them off happily and told them to be back within an hour. Ciel noticed that the sea was calmer and the sun was lower in the sky causing the light to bounce off the sea in an attractive manner.

"Are you happy that we have come on holiday together?" Sebastian enquired once they were halfway down the beach.

"I am enjoying the break from A-levels," Ciel answered, knowing full well that it wasn't the answer his boyfriend was looking for.

"Besides that," Sebastian sighed.

"I like spending time with you," he said more truthfully.

"That's more like it," Sebastian smiled. "I am enjoying the holiday too. Normally you are too busy studying to spend time with me and tell me to go away. Now you don't have that excuse."

He stopped in his tracks and bent down to kiss Ciel on the lips.

"Usually I would have a textbook in my face by now."

To get him back for that comment, Ciel grabbed his face and pulled him down to his height and pressed his lips to Sebastian's. His boyfriend responded with enthusiasm and they remained that way until they had to part for breath.

"I only hit you when you try to go further," Ciel corrected him.

Sebastian's eyes moved tellingly to the right before he smiled again.

"I was only joking, I don't mind that you are very focused on your revision and coursework," he paused. "If that means you will kiss me like that more often."

Ciel rolled his eye and repeated his manoeuvre and again Sebastian was very happy to participate. When Sebastian started to move down his neck, Ciel stopped him there as he was extremely unwilling to go any further than kissing on a beach.

As they walked hand in hand back to his aunt, Ciel reflected that he didn't mind coming to the beach anymore.

***

I was debating whether or not to create a writing guide for Kuroshitsuji because I see a fair amount of mistakes in other Kuroshitsuji fanfiction and I don't like telling people they have got things wrong as I feel like I will hurt their feelings. It's points like things not existing in the 19th Century and Briticisms. Would anyone read it?  <---- It exists now.