When Sebastian and Ciel reached the village Sebastian parked up, he got out and said "so what was you planning today then Ciel?" "The usual go hang out with our friends and things, but I heard that a few are back for Christmas" Sebastian nodded and walked with him. "It hasn't changed has it, everything is still the same" "not a bad thing, anyway let's go I didn't say you were here so it'll be a surprise" Sebastian nodded. they headed to where Ciel was meeting his friends, some they both shared through mutual friends.

They reached their destination it was a local pub that looked like it had been there from when the village was first built. they went in the inside had the traditional feel but also a modern feel to it, the decorations were up as well as the tree, faint Christmas music was playing in the background. "So why here?" Sebastian asked Ciel he looked saying "it's warm, plus it serves food and we basically have the function room to ourselves to talk as loud as we want" Sebastian nodded. he knew there would be a lot of questions and some drinking games maybe, Ciel went in "there he is!" he looked to see it was his cousin Lizzy who'd said that. 'of course, the full girly look, too much pink even Amalia and Sumire don't have that much pink' he thought. Lizzy had blonde hair that was in a neat bun, she was wearing a dress with thick tights Ciel didn't know why she wore that.

"Hey, so last one?" Lizzy said, "I think so?" when she saw Sebastian walk in she gasped and squealed, saying "you got Sebastian to come! where's Amalia?" she looked wondering if she'd come to. "she's out with my parents, and the kid there fostering for the holidays," he told her. Lizzy pouted and said "awe, are you here for the day or Christmas Sebastian?" he sat down taking his coat and gloves off "until Christmas, and maybe the new year I don't know about the new year yet" the group nodded. "Well, it is good to see you, Sebastian, it has been so long" Sebastian looked seeing Agni. he said "it has Agni" he looked to see basically their group of friends from high school, Ciel's cousin Lizzy, Agni who at the time was a foreign exchange student from India, Agni's younger cousin soma who was a bit older than Ciel, Bard and Meyrin who was in Sebastian's class at school.

"So Sebastian do you have anyone?" Lizzy asked "no" Sebastian was blunt about it. he had a ring around his neck on a necklace he always wore, Meyrin said "I'm surprised you don't" "oh, didn't you have a huge crush on him when you were in school?" Meyrin went bright Lizzy smirked at this. Sebastian shook his head "so what is it you do now Sebastian?" Agni asked, he looked and said "it's mainly being a father, Ciel's father does at times give me some work to do" Agni nodded. Sebastian looked and said, "so Alois isn't here?" "He is, but he told me this morning he's going to meet some family that's here for the holidays, they work out of town and things"

Sebastian nodded and had some of his drink, the conversation soon turned to school "Sebastian what's that on your hand?" soma asked. Sebastian held his left hand up and said "oh this I got this when I was 16, my home life at the time was not the best, most times I lived with Ciel and it was like a middle finger to my birth father for getting a tattoo" "yeah you went really into demons and things, you painted your nails back right" Ciel said. Sebastian nodded and said "yes my birth father wanted a perfect son, at the time and I wanted to rebel against him best way was a tattoo and going for a sort of Gothic punk theme"

"Ok, how did the teachers never see your hand?" Lizzy asked "easy gloves, fingerless ones no rule against it, and the days I couldn't wear it foundation" they nodded. Ciel said "yes when I saw you buying foundation when I was like 10 or 11, I wondered why until you explained" "do any of you still talk to like Grell, William or Ronald?" Meyrin asked "Grell sort of stalks my Facebook, in a word but nothing too bad besides that no" Ciel said "same I don't bother, but I see Grell doing that to Sebastian's socials" "hey Ciel is your family hosting a party this year?" soma asked, "oh yes, the Christmas party your family hosts one every year don't they?"

Ciel said "yeah they do it for family and friends, basically anyone in the village is allowed to come and things they never host when the village has its Christmas party, so people don't have to choose" Sebastian nodded and said "yes" "am I invited?" soma asked "if you've been sent an invitation then you have, I don't handle the list it's my mother who does" Agni chuckled and said "I take it you'll be cooking Sebastian?" he took a sip oh his drink "mmm, I most likely will or be asked to make Christmas sweets like Christmas cookies and gingerbread men"

"Oh Ciel, is it ok if me or Bard bring a plus one?" Meyrin asked Ciel raised an eyebrow and said "a plus one why?" "Well Meyrin put in to do like your parents do, she got a kid called finny he's about 10," Ciel said "sure kids are welcome" "perhaps he can help Sumire, and also make friends with Amalia" "Sumire, is that the girl's name?" Lizzy asked. Ciel nodded and said "yeah, she's shy around people she's got a faint scar on her eye" Sebastian got his phone out and said "here this is her" he showed them a picture of Amalia and Sumire. Lizzy squealed saying "she's so cute! I have to dress them up, ooooh I'm texting aunt Ann to take them dress shopping for the party, and see if aunt Rachel wants to come" she got her phone out "and, she's in her own world," Bard said "Lizzy she's very unsure of new people, even me and Sebastian she won't speak much to she's only just comfortable with my parents"

Lizzy said, "still" Sebastian shook his head and said, "Ciel it's easier to just let her do that, besides your mother would be with them but the party isn't until next week, so we have enough time to introduce her to everyone before the party" "yes I suppose you are right, and I hate it when your right" "what can I say, it's hard not being wrong" he smirked taking a sip of his drink. Ciel glared at him "cat-loving giant" Sebastian looked at him "sugar-loving dwarf, you know I believe that sugar stunted your growth Ciel, I do believe Agni told me you once got mistaken for a year 7 when you are in college" Ciel said "whatever, at least I don't have to duck every time I enter a room you giant, well when the rain and snow comes let us know won't you as it will hit you first better yet let's use you as a lightning rod"

Meyrin sighed "they're at it again" Bard laughed having some of his beer and said "yeah, but it's fun to watch them do this reminds us of school," Lizzy said "true it does, and it's harmless it shows how close they are if they can say that to each other and not offend each other, also Ciel helped Sebastian a lot from what he told me" the others looked "what do you mean?" Agni asked he knew a little about Sebastian, but not much she said "I can't say much, but not long after Sebastian turned 16 his father kicked Sebastian out, I don't know the reason but that night in the rain Sebastian turned up at Ciel's with just his school uniform, it was thanks to Ciel's father they got Sebastian's stuff and not long after that they adopted him that's all Ciel told me"

Agni and soma were shocked, Agni said "what reason could give a parent to do that to their child?" Lizzy said, "I don't know, but Ciel does but won't say, he values their friendship a lot and he sees Sebastian as a brother" they nodded. Bard said "now I think about it, back then when we asked about Sebastian's old man, he'd talk about the bloke like he had venom in his voice so my guess is it's a kind of tension that has been building for a long time and whatever happened that time was the last straw that made his old man snap and kick him out" they nodded. Meyrin said "you might be right there, but also that week Sebastian was absent and when we asked Ciel he said he was sick, but Sebastian is never sick" "he was at Ciel's, his parents helping Sebastian sort things out and to give him time to sort other things out"

"What are you lot talking about? it's like you're having a secret society meeting" Ciel asked. they jumped Meyrin and Lizzy squeaked "nothing!" they all said, Sebastian raised an eyebrow and said "if you say so" hours seemed to fly. Ciel heard his phone and looked and said "Sebastian wed better get back, my parents have just got home" he nodded finishing his drink and said "alright then, and I'll see you all while I'm here for Christmas" they all said bye to them as they left. when they got outside snow was falling "so did you enjoy that?" Ciel asked Sebastian looked and said "it was nice, I just don't want to run into him and her, if they hear I'm here they'll do anything to see me or make my life hell" "even if they did, no one would let them at all hell Tanaka's old and he was disgusted with that man" Sebastian chuckled and said, "yes, so is he still alive?" "Oh, he is he teaches kids some Japanese culture and things, but he mostly spends his days in the cafe having a cup of tea and reading his paper and such, he regularly comes to mine to talk to my father turns out they go way back, back to the point of my grandparents being alive" Sebastian chuckled getting into his car to drive he hadn't drank knowing he was driving.