Disclaimer: If I owned Kuroshitsuji or anything affiliated with it, do you think I'd be writing fanficition about it?

I'm sorry. says Bernie.

I miss you. says Darla

Snake? say Bernie and Darla.

Snake says nothing.

As a group, they had placed the two serpents in the ground last week, and Joker was convinced that they had buried the fair-haired man along with them. The two snakes had died at the same time, most likely due to old age. He wasn't sure what the expected life span of a snake was, but he had heard that the pair had been with the younger since day one. A day of silence was expected. Perhaps even a number of days. But this was coming up on a week without a single word from the reptilesque man.

Biting lightly on his lip with his sharpest tooth, he made his way over to the serpent charmer's tent with great caution. He was aware that it was pointless, for the only snakes that ventured freely would never bother him again, but old habits tended to die hard. Pushing aside a single flap of the tent, he stepped inside.

"Snake?" he asked softly, scanning the room for the other man.

No reply.

Moving further into the tent, he peeked around, calling out his name again. "Snake?"

A rustle.

Dropping to his knees, he eventually found him curled beneath the bed, golden eyes half lidded and drained of all life. Had it not been for the steady rise and fall of his chest, the painted man could have easily mistaken him for dead. With a gentle smile, he fell on all fours, stomach pressed against the ground.

"How are you doing?" he questioned, voice gentle and visage welcoming. Over the past week, it had been impossible to tell. After every show he did with the temporary serpents- which he claimed to not get along with through his manner of interaction with them- he retreated back to his room, letting the handlers take care of the reptiles rather than accepting them back to his tent. Frankly, the number of bites had increased, and Joker was tiring of tending to them.

As expected, there was no verbal response, but his eyes lit up slightly in recognition of his words. Inwardly, Joker sighed. At least they were getting somewhere. Shifting closer to him slightly, he was satisfied by the way the younger male didn't move further away as the gap between them lessened. Rather, he blinked slowly, as if accepting his fate, which made this a lot easier for him. Moving even closer, they were soon mere inches apart, the both of them covered by the canvas of the bed above them. He couldn't help but shiver; it was cold under the shadows.

"We've been missing you," he prompted, trying to get a response. The only one he got was an imperceptible frown and a slow blink.

I don't believe you.

"Alright then," he mused with a warm smile. "I guess I can't speak for the others, but I have certainly been missing you," he confessed.

Silence. He was contemplating it.

Taking this as a good sign, he reached over, resting a hand on the cool skin of his neck. The texture was somewhat rough, but the pulse under his palm said enough. The way it picked up under his touch, the muscles tensing as if to back away, yet he remained still. Joker appreciated that. Dragging his thumb soothingly across his jaw, he continued to smile warmly, slowly relaxing into the contortion of his lips. While he often smiled for the show, it was always a different smile- one that made his jaw ache and teeth clench. The one he was offering his comrade was genuine, and he could only hope that he had enough sense to see it.

Golden eyes slid shut. He had retreated. This wasn't good.

Braving the final steps, he tipped Snake's head forward slightly, brushing soft lips against cool, slightly chapped ones. This wouldn't be the first time he had to offer romantic affections to keep someone on board, but it was the first occurrence with the reptile charmer. Beast, for instance, and even Dagger. But the opportunity had never come up for him to lock lips with the unique specimen before him. He was grateful for this chance.

As expected, a sharp inhale was heard and his eyes snapped open, his entire body tensing up once again. Slowly, Joker moved skilled lips against his, coaxing him into a state of relaxation. A state of trust. The ring leader was trustworthy, and he could put his everything into him, including retrieving him from the shadows.

Including finding new slithery companions.

Easing into the kiss, Snake finally let his eyes slide shut again, though for a much different reason. Heart skipping beats, he knew that it was wrong. But it was so right. Besides, this would be his only chance. Who else would ever find the need to kiss a- a freak like him? Nobody, that was who. Humming softly in content, it was the only sound he had made in seven days, and Joker cherished it.

Dragging his tongue across the bottom of his lip, he relished the surprised gasp that came from the younger as he slipped it into his mouth. It wasn't easy to bring the forked tongue into play against his own, but once it worked, he was glad it did. With the part down the middle in a way that resembled a snake as much as the rest of him did, it made for a kiss that Joker had never before experienced and wouldn't be opposed to experiencing again. Letting his hand travel downward, he rested it against the snake charmer's hip before pulling away.

Meeting slightly dilated eyes with his own gaze, the sound of their soft pants mingled harmoniously, and he decided that he loved the sound. Smiling in satisfaction, he trailed his hand back up Snake's body before resting it on his cheek once again, cool skin slowly beginning to heat up with a blush.

"So, what do you say? Are you coming back out?"

Silence.

"Yes…says Snake."

Ah! So, there was my first Kuroshitsuji fic! There's a shameful lack of Snake love on here, especially Snake/Joker, so I decided to aid that. Reviews are love, says author. :-)