Ezekiel wiped the sweat off his sleeping lover's forehead with a cold rag. He sighed. He was, honestly, at a loss of what to do. As far as he knew, they had two options: One, to fake Adrian's death and run away, or two, they could find some way to blend Adrian's new appearance with everyone else's.
Neither option would be simple. The young butler knew he did have to speak with his father, he had experienced this before with Ciel. Ezekiel groaned in exhaustion and fell asleep beside his lover.
The next morning, Ezekiel was sick again. This was the fourth morning in a row. Adrian could hear him gagging and coughing from the bathroom. The older boy sighed. They had one night of pure bliss, only to end up with days of misery following. One of the odd things about Ezekiel's illness was that it only came about in the morning, and throughout the day he would complain of being hungry. A thought came to Adrian's mind, but it was hastily dismissed. That could not be possible...or was it? Ezekiel is a magical being after all, not human… Adrian chastised himself for thinking such nonsense.
Yet, that "nonsense" filled him with relief, and strangely some joy. These feelings were also dismissed without a second thought.
Ezekiel hung up the phone with a sigh. His father was coming tomorrow. He had no idea how he was going to explain what happened to Adrian, and what has been happening to him since. Ezekiel has been too fatigued to do anything, he has been vomiting every morning, craving food, and yet flinching at the mere sight of it. Adrian has been hovering over his shoulder almost constantly now. He is clearly paranoid that something dreadful will happen if Ezekiel is left alone. In the meantime, Ezekiel has been terrified. Despite the fact that he is not human, he feels as if he is going to drop dead at any given moment.
"Ezekiel please rest, I'll take care of it," Adrian pleaded. Ezekiel nodded, almost reluctantly lying on the bed.
"Call your father… Tell him I'm most likely very ill," Ezekiel mumbled, fatigue catching up with him. Adrian sighed and nodded. It felt like his life was getting worse by the day. Adrian half-heartedly dialed the number to his home's brand new phone.
The head butler, Jonathan, answered, "Hello, this is the Taylor manor. May I ask who is calling?"
"Hello Jonathan, this is Adrian Taylor. May I speak with my father? It is urgent," Adrian told him.
"Of course young lord, right away," the older man answered hastily. There was a pause, and soon his father spoke.
"Hello, my son. What is the matter?" by the sound of his voice Adrian could tell his father was exhausted. He took a deep breath.
"Father, Ezekiel is very ill. He is suddenly extremely fatigued, revolted by food yet at the same time hungry, and he is vomiting every morning," Adrian was beginning to tremble.
"Are you trying to deceive me, boy!" Earl Bartholomew roared.
"N-no Father! It's been going on for days now and it won't stop!" Adrian began to shake violently. His response was met with silence. His father hung up. Adrian hung up the phone as well and ran to the bedroom he was sharing with Ezekiel, who flinched awake when his lover burst into the room.
"Ezekiel we have to leave now! My father is enraged!" the older boy's voice trembled as he spoke. The butler nodded, cautiously making his way out of the bed to assist Adrian in packing.
They had travelled for an hour and a half in the carriage when Ezekiel started to feel ill.
"Hold on, please Ezekiel… Only thirty more minutes until we reach the Earl Phantomhive and your father," Adrian pleaded, looking back at Ezekiel for a moment. The carriage had a hole in it from Grell breaking through. His father hadn't bothered to get it fixed. Ezekiel's only response was a groan.
"Master, what is wrong with me?" the young butler asked his master weakly.
"If only I knew…" Adrian sighed.
Another half hour passed and they arrived at the Phantomhive estate. Adrian rushed to the front door, leaving Ezekiel and Rain in the damaged carriage. Adrian knocked frantically. Soon after, Mey-Rin answered the door.
"What is it you need, Lord Taylor?" she asked, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose.
"Get Sebastian, it's urgent," the young man ordered.
"Yes sir!" Mey-Rin said with much enthusiasm. The clumsy maid quickly left, leaving Adrian at the door, and soon returned with Sebastian Michaelis in tow.
"Yes, Lord Taylor?"
"It's Ezekiel. He needs help," Adrian started bluntly. Sebastian's eyes widened at the mention of his son, and rushed to the carriage.
Ezekiel awoke lying on a couch in the Earl Phantomhive's living room, with Rain curled up on his chest, and Adrian sitting beside Sebastian on the nearest couch, whispering. The two demons went silent once they heard Ezekiel stir.
"Lord Taylor explained to me what happened. I have informed Ciel that the both of you shall be staying, and that the Earl Taylor shall not be alerted of your presence here," Sebastian started. Ezekiel nodded. "As for what is wrong with you… Since you are a hybrid, you are the only one with the power to find out," Sebastian sighed. "This means that you have to concentrate on what is happening with you without any disturbances. In short, looking inside yourself." Ezekiel looked at the floor, on the verge of tears. The eldest demon frowned, and stood to shut the glass doors to the living room to block out anything that could disturb his son. Ezekiel briefly looked up at Adrian and tried to focus. The young hybrid could barely wrap his mind around what was happening.
A half hour of silence passed.
"This can't be true!" Ezekiel's panicked cry broke the silence. "It's not possible!" Adrian rushed to Ezekiel, wrapping his arms around him tightly in an attempt to comfort his distressed lover. Sebastian smirked knowingly at Adrian's reaction before turning his attention back to his son.
"What did you find, Ezekiel?" his father asked softly. Shame darkened the hybrid's features.
"I looked everywhere for the problem...but the only thing I could find was that I… I'm pregnant…" Ezekiel's broken voice responded. A look of shock and disbelief appeared on Adrian's face. Ezekiel covered his face and cried hysterically.
"Ezekiel," Sebastian started gently. "Since you are the spawn of an angel and a demon, it is possible, on one condition. In order for this to have happened to you, a male, you have to have wanted the child. The magic in your blood can only physically create what you desire to be real," Sebastian finished. Ezekiel nodded, shaking. He curled up into a ball on the couch and murmured "I'm sorry" continually.