Find A Way
A/N: Okay, I know the canon doesn't make any sense since Alois' soul was sealed in the ring as soon as he died, but for the sake of the story, let's pretend his soul gets sealed when he dies, which doesn't happen right away.
Summary: Alois Trancy's death wasn't instant. As he lays dying, he takes time to reflect upon his life... and Claude. One sided Claude x Alois. One-Shot.
Disclaimer: Black Butler, also known as Kuroshitsuji, rightfully belongs to Yana Toboso and I am not making any profit by posting this.
"Hoheo taralna, rondero tarel!"
Alois Trancy whispered the words he had spoken just a few minutes ago. He looked up at the sky, at the stars and at the moon, whose light gently filtered through the leaves of the tree he was lying under. The grass rustled as a result of a short gust of wind, and Alois' blond locks whipped against his face.
Something wet trickled down his cheeks. When it reached his mouth, Alois poked out his tongue and licked it off his face. It was salty. Tears, he realised. How disgusting.
An unwilling memory forced itself into his mind.
Skipping... he had been skipping through the forest. He had skipped through a cobweb with dewdrops. He had raised his hands to the sky. Had felt the snow, only to realise it was ash.
Alois violently shook his head, trying to rid his head of the intrusion, only to gasp in pain. He knew it was inevitable now: he was going to die. At the hands of his own servant, his own butler... his everything, no less. Alois had also known he would die young – he had a contract with a demon, after all – but he had never expected it to happen like this.
Another memory came.
Their daily morning routine. Alois always awoke seeing Claude busying himself in his room, placing clothes on his bed, telling him about that day's appointments, explaining the choices for breakfast. Alois would then be dressed by his butler, always taking a chance to try and get a reaction out of him, usually by taking off his clothes again. But there never was none.
Alois remembered how he didn't mind that, though. He could pretend.
How cliché, The blonde thought off-handily. Dying with your life flashing before you.
He didn't have the energy to resist, though, and let the memories take him, consume him.
Alois thought back to the happy days, where everything was perfect in his life, perfect between him and Claude. He remembered how, whenever he was scared, Claude would comfort him, promising he would always be by his side. He would caress his face and bring his own close. Alois remembered how he would feel his warm breath on his neck. He also remembered how he had once pushed him away.
With that thought, his memories took a twisted turn.
"Don't look at me!" Alois shouted, throwing the vase towards his butler.
His three identical demon servants bent down to the floor to pick up the shards, but stood back up when the Trancy head continued.
"I want to throw up when I look at you! You damned demons, just like him!"
Claude was unfazed, and slicked his hair back. He crossed his hand over his chest, slightly bowing down and closing his eyes.
"Yes, Your Highness."
"Don't call me that!" Alois slammed his hands down on the table, his whole body shaking in anger as he watched his servants bowing and exiting the room.
The memories started flashing, quickly changing from one to another. It hurt his head.
The night of the costume ball, where he had dressed up as a vampire. How he had danced on a happier day to try and get a reaction out of Claude, again getting none. All the little things that had happened between him and his servant. He missed them and wanted them back.
...Why? Why did it happen like this? Why was the world always out to get him?
Tch, Alois cursed himself inwardly. Of course he knew why. Ciel Phantomhive.
His whole life he had felt like he had been reaching towards something better, but it always slipped between his fingers, disappeared as soon as he got close. He knew Claude had never truly loved him, but he didn't care, as long as he was there it would be alright. And yet, Ciel Phantomhive was able to have the perfect relationship with his butler, Sebastian, and he took it all for granted. Alois had never been able to understand that.
His mind went back to the duel they had.
Alois remembered thrusting the sword downwards, only to have it countered and stabbed into his own body instead. He remembered crying, laying all his emotions bare, begging Ciel to spare him, shouting he was afraid to die. He remembered how the Phantomhive head didn't care and continued the attack. He remembered Claude saving him.
He also remembered the moment that changed everything.
How Claude had tasted Ciel's blood and became besotted with him.
It had all led to what happened just a while ago. Alois had opened his eyes only to see Claude standing before him with a dead wolf in his grip, the blood dripping onto his face, mixing with tears that had already formed. He had been scared then, despite his love.
"Hoheo taralna, rondero tarel!"
Alois scrambled up and crawled towards Claude, wrapping his arms around his leg, trying to make him stay with him, forever and ever.
"Don't leave my side! Ever! Claude!" he screamed, his whole body shaking with the sadness. He slowly stilled and looked up at his butler, the tears streaming down his face. "You are... you yourself are... My Highness!"
Claude lowered himself to Alois' level, kneeling into the damp grass and staring into the blue eyes belonging to his master. Alois blinked and gasped when Claude caressed his face, before leaning closer and wiping away the tears.
"For a mere butler, to go that far..."
He brought Alois' face even closer and the Trancy head smiled contently, wanting nothing more than Claude's love.
A sharp pain.
Alois gasped and his eyes swept downwards. He quickly averted his gaze when he saw all the blood. There was so much... It was on his hands, his clothes, his legs, his chest... Alois looked up at Claude, who had stood back up again and was now walking away, carrying a blood red ring in his hand.
Alois closed his eyes and let the darkness take him.
Well... that wasn't too bad for my first Kuroshitsuji story, I think... right? I apologise again for the lack of real cannon concerning Alois' death, but I just really wanted to write something about him. Because, personally, Alois is my favourite character in the whole anime.
Anyway, please, please review and let me know what you think.
And tell me if I got the characterisation right, because I'm not too sure about my take on Alois.
Oh, and check out 'Kuroshitsuji - Find A Way - (Claude & Alois)' by Mezobambi on YouTube. Because that video inspired me to write this.