Chapter Text
Astre heaved in exhaustion, pain, and a combination of the two. The events of the past days were too much to handle right now.
To summarize, Ciel had gone completely insane after Undertaker resurrected him, and he had decided he wanted Astre. To be considered just some property, like a pet, was jarring to the younger twin's mind. Despite having been so strong, so brave, having sacrificed so much, he was still nothing other than a sick, sweet and adorable little brother to Ciel. No, not Ciel, Ciel was earen by Sebastian, the one roaming the world right now is just a broken body depending on memories to function. Memories were a feeble replacemenr for the soul.
After he and his (family) servants had gone into hiding, he had managed to get three out of the four blood suppliers before he had been captured. He had managed, through tears and blood, to convince the servants to run away, to plan somewhere else or to save themselves, he didn't care which as long as they didn't end up in danger.
He had been brought to court, only to find out his dead twin was "adopting" him. He had been saved from prison, only to end up in a far, far worse cage. A gilded cage, with soft beds, good food and servants at his every beck and call, but a cage no less. He was reminded of that now, the bars of the cage oppreasing and suffocating him, the cage made out of his mockery of a brother holding his cheeks tenderly, looking at him as though simply looking at him brought him greater pleasure than going to heaven.
Astre couldn't make a sound, his voice abandoning him as they looked at one another, living and undead staring at each other in the eye. Before long, the undead brought the living close to himself, protecting him against the world with his body. This position brought back so many memories, good, bad, and terrible. He smirked twistedly, splaying his hand against the heaving chest of his little brother, feeling the warmth and the butterfly beats of the frightened heart within. His dearest, his most precious raised a shaky hand against the colder one over his heart. This earned the boy a kiss of approval, he should initiate contact more in the future. A future shared by the two of them, in this manor, in this room, on this bed.
Well, at least with that chain on the younger brother's ankle. Ciel smiled at the handiwork of Polaris, keeping the precious brother safe in their childhood bed.
He pulled the spare against him more and moved them to lay down in the blankets and pillows, cuddling him in a position so similar to the one they had been in so many times, it made Ciel almost tear up. He kissed the younger on the forehead instead, squeezing him until he was gasping for breath, stuttering out a name that would look just as good carved on his flesh as it sounded coming from his mouth.
"C-ciel...."
He hummed, satisfied, reluctantly pulling away to address the younger twin with some form of dignity, despite his craving to coo loving, soft words to him all day, all night, all week, all month, however long it took for Stockholm Syndrome to kick in and make him respond to his love.
"Yes, Astre?" He couldn't help the affectionate wobble in his tone, saying that forbidden name, the one that had been locked away for almost four years.
The said brother flinched and looked down, guilt filling him, probably. He put his tiny, porcelain hands against his chest in an absolutely pitiful attempt to push him away. Ciel decided to indulge him, scooting away just a little, and immediately regretting it, feeling the amount of warmth he lost from this single centimeter apart. He really wished there was a way to keep in contact all the time. He stopped indulging, pulling the protesting younger brother even closer than before, cooing with affection.
The affection stopped immediately when a small, clear voice sounded in the little air between the two of them, "Leave me alone, you're not Ciel!" "Excuse me?" He said, livid, squeezing the younger's face between his palms, causing him to cry out a response.
"You're not my Ciel! You're j-just his body running on memories! My Ciel is in Sebastian!" He was tearing up, small drops sliding on Ciel's fingers, and the Earl would have licked them away if his brother were being good.
But he wasn't, so all he got was rough fingers, squeezing his little neck, until the string of foul words was cut short. He placed their foreheads together, seeing the way their pale skin paled even further as the younger twin looked in his eyes. Seeing nothing but darkness and twisted affection, he closed his eyes, until the older twin suddenly let go.
He gasped and coughed, twisting his fingers in Ciel's nightshirt, the older brother petting his hair until he calmed down, and looked at the volatile Bizarre Doll. The said Doll sighed and tutted, looking so big brotherly and disappointed that Astre's words died in his throat out of old habit.
"Now now, i know that, Astrey. It isn't an excuse to reject me, however," he brought them close to one another. "At least i am still a part of your big brother. Are you really that picky as to not accept your big brother just because he had his soul eaten by a vile, disgusting monster?" He looked him in the eyes, pulling them so close their noses were touching.
Astre's words withred and burned wihin his mouth as he looked down in shame. The older twin smirked at this submissive action, nuzzling closer comfortably. He stroked his hands over his brother's neck, making him quiet down even more.
Manipulating the naive younger brother didn't get any less fun with age. Younger, he would often guilt the other into staying with him whenever he wanted to go somewhere else, forcing him to hold onto his hand, imprisoning him tightly and controllingly. He would make the other feel awful for not letting Ciel hug and kiss him, would play his feelings until they turned to guilty worship and love. Would make him feel inferior to himself, simply for the pleasure of steadying his trembling state of mind with affection and sweetened words. He loved the dependent look he would see whenever he looked into his mirror's eyes.
That look had faded over the time they had spent apart. No worries, he just had to reinforce that his love and affection were the things his brother should covet. He could use his old tactics and strategies to make the younger have that lovely, lovely look of subservience again.
Ciel hummed with his lips against the small cheek of his brother, the feeling making the little one try to sink further into the sheets, allowing more room for Ciel to conquer, close that gaping distance between them. Even the boundaries of their bodies were enough to irk Ciel endlessly, don't even talk about clothes or stuffed toys getting between the two of them. As a child, Ciel was more than happy to rip apart things separating, be they stuffed animals or living things, like cats, or other children. He forbade Lizzy from going near him with a look scary enough to make her nod as fast as she could, and anyone else? Well...they would never go near Astre after Ciel had a chat with them.
He forced his brother into his lap, kissing his face all over, despite the unresponsive stare he got in return. No worries, his affection will soon be the only thing making his brother wake up in the morning. He would make the younger as desperate for him as Ciel was for the younger twin. He would make the younger willing to die for him, and him alone. He would isolate him until he went crazy, and then come back to enjoy the attention. He would love Astre until they both went insane.
After all, it's his duty as the elder brother to keep his precious little brother taken care of.