Tell Anyone & I'll Rat Us Both Out

The rapid tempo of his nails on the polished wood of his desk would probably drive any in his company insane with the incessant tapping – were there anyone in his company to drive insane in the candle-lit study. He held the receiver to his ear, listening to the silence on the other end, waiting for it to break as he stared at the sheet of paper in front of him. The messy scrawl was testament to his lack of sleep, and the prolonged strain of staring at it in little light was driving a headache into his temples.

His mismatched eyes were starting to flutter closed as exhaustion continued to creep about his body, making limbs and lids heavy, when the sound of the other end of the line being picked back up jolted him awake again. Readying himself to snap and snarl should the voice that greeted him be yet again that of the butler's, he'd practically slumped against the desk in relief – because he honestly did not feel like trying to get that bastard to get his bloody master without telling him why again – when the voice snapped, "Do you have any idea what time it is!"

"Can't say I've taken a look at a clock for some time, Trancy, no."

"I'd call you lazy but that'd mean you be in bed at this time of night instead of waking me up."

"Well, the faster you answer my questions and sooner you stop with the bitching, the faster you can return to bed. Do we have a deal?"

"I'm perfectly aware of why we have these late night conversations, Ciel. Hurry up already."

The hints of a smile quirking his lips, he fixed both eyes on the paper again, dragging the candle closer as he squinted at the page. "This is probably going to be repetitive."

"When isn't it?"

"What have I said about you asking questions during these conversations?"

"Not to."

"Exactly. So shut up."

"You're no fun."

"Alois."

"Don't 'Alois' me, you're the one that suffers if we don't have these conversations, remember?"

"Shut up."

"If I shut up none of your questions get answered, do they?"

"... And yet you wonder why I do not invite you over more often, Trancy."

"Hurry up."

"Then hush and let me think for a minute, will you?" he huffed, once again trying to focus on his writing. Trailing his finger tip down the parchment, following the lines, trying to pin-point the moments that he was struggling with. "No one's died recently, correct?"

"Didn't you have Sebastian massacre a shack full of people somehow involved in the illicit drug business just the other day?"

"I mean people who matter, Trancy – and answering a question with a question doesn't help anyone."

"No, no one who matters"

A pause, and another correction to his question, "No one who matters to me?"

"Hm, well-"

"Alois!"

"No. You're easily riled up tonight, aren't you?"

"Some of us have had even less sleep than you, remember."

"Some of us don't get out of the wrong side of the bed in the morning, regardless of whether we've slept or not."

"Can you just stop with the jibes and answer my questions so I can actually go get some sleep?"

"No."

"You're a bastard."

"Apparently nothing new."

"Can we just get this over with?"

"Only if you invite me over for dinner tomor-... tonight."

"Fine."

"Next question, then, quick quick."

"Hush." the blunette huffed, eyes lowering back to the page. "It... wasn't my fault, was it?"

"Was what?"

"Their deaths."

"Who's deaths?"

"My parents. Playing dumb doesn't suit you, Trancy."

"Saves you asking the same question three different ways again."

"Smart ass."

"Next question. Aren't we meant to be quitting the jibes?"

"You didn't answer the last question."

"I wasn't there, so I can't really answer, can I?"

"Mhm. Stop being such a smart ass."

"Anything else you wanted to ask rather than insulting me?"

"Give me a minute."

"Any longer and I'll fall asleep on you."

A grumble was the only response the older Earl received as the mismatched eyed boy went back to staring at the page, lids fluttering as the candle's flame did. "Uhm...Mm..." A slight dip of his head, stopping sharply as he straightened again. Another sag of the small boy's thin frame, and a clatter as his eyes slipped closed.

"Ciel?"

"... Ciel?"

A soft snore.

"You rude brat."

Click.