A/N: Okay, so for some reason, I'm really nervous about writing this. :/ It sounds like a good story in theory, but ya know, I really don't think it's gonna take off or anything like that. But whatever, I'll write it for the hell of it. I hope you people enjoy it! 3

Chapter One: Noah's Ark

Sebastian sighed as he slammed the door on his sleek black Sedan shut, pressing the lock button behind him as he started towards his apartment building. His black tie was choking him and his feet were felt like they were about to fall off; work today had been grueling. He was stuck with filing every file in his boss' office, and that included his secretary's filing cabinet as well. The black-haired man had been on his feet all day, and he had to stay overtime just to get his own work finished.

The law firm that Sebastian worked at was a good job, don't get him wrong. He enjoyed the cases he worked and the salary he received. But it didn't help the fact that being a lawyer in the state of New York could be depressing as hell. Cases about murder, finances, major felonies, that's all Sebastian did. His belief in law school was that becoming an attorney would help him get a perspective on life, but it would still be exciting at the same time. He was sorely disappointed. It gave him the perspective he wanted, but it wasn't what he had expected; his job taught him not to trust anyone, so he only had a few friends to entertain him. Even he had to admit that his life was lonely.

Climbing the stairs to his apartment, foregoing the elevator that was crammed with people, he pulled out the keys to unlock the door. Pushing it in and slamming it behind him, he leaned against it as he closed his eyes and rested, if not for a small moment. He still needed to eat and sign some paperwork, and a shower was in order as well. After a moment of thought, he decided to shower first.

Pulling off his black jacket, he kicked off his shoes as he began towards the bathroom. He loosened the tie and tossed it on the floor of the hallway, too tired to care about the mess he was making. He stepped into his bathroom and shut the door behind before pulling his white button-up shirt off, and he caught a glance at himself in the mirror.

Frowning, he looked down at his bare torso, eyeing the satanic pentagram tattoo that rested just beside his naval. It was black and striking against his pale skin, and Sebastian's face darkened as the memories came back. This is the reason I'm in the court business.

Shaking his head to clear his dark thoughts, he tossed his shirt to the floor and pulled his iPhone out of his pocket, setting it on the counter. He unbuckled his belt and pushed his pants to the floor, followed by his boxers and socks. He turned the shower on, waiting for the water to get hot, when his phone started ringing.

"Damn it all to hell," He muttered, grabbing it off the counter and raising it to his ear. "Hello?" He asked curtly, not caring that he was being rude.

"Hey, Sebastian!" Bard's voice greeted him, and Sebastian sighed a little. "Bard?" He asked, his tone nicer, but still slightly irritated. "I'm about to take a shower, what do you want?"

Bard's booming laugh echoed at the other end of the line. "Good, get cleaned up then! We're going to the strip club tonight, and I'm not taking no for an answer."

Sebastian rolled his eyes, propping a hand against his bare hip. "We just got off work, Bard," he said, the irritation in his voice thicker now.

Bard didn't miss a beat. "So? We won't leave for the club now! And besides, we don't have to go in tomorrow, so we can stay there late! Plus, I heard there's a new stripper… you in?"

Sebastian opened his mouth to decline, but he decided against it. Knowing his friend, he'd never hear the end of it. "Fine," He answered, his voice resigned and tired. "But you're driving. I want some drinks."

He heard a saddened groan at the end. "Fine, but I get most of the money. I actually like to tip the ladies for their hard work,"

"Sexist," Sebastian snorted, moving to hang up as he called into the phone, "Be here at seven. I'm not answering the door if you're late."

He didn't hear Bard's mocking cry of outrage when he hung up. Sighing to himself, he stepped into the now-hot shower, relishing as the steamy water soothed his tense muscles. He wasn't looking forward to tonight, but he figured that Bard would buy him enough drinks so that he wouldn't remember most of it in the morning.

Bard had been on time, much to Sebastian's disappointment. As he answered the door, he wrinkled his nose as cigarette smoke filtered into his house. "Get out before my entire apartment smells like an ash tray," he said, pushing Bard back into the hallway as he turned to shut and lock his door. The blonde simply laughed and began walking back towards the car with Sebastian in tow.

They left the building and slid into Bard's beat-up Ford, pulling out of the driveway immediately. "Where are we heading?" Sebastian asked absentmindedly. He was leaning against the window with his chin resting on his fist, watching as the Manhattan lights whipped by in a blur.

"Noah's Ark, where else?" Bard laughed, tapping his cigarette on the edge of his open window. "Remember that stripper I told you about? I heard that they're coming with a new act for the main show. Bet it's gonna be kick ass."

Sebastian nodded, pretending that he cared. He wasn't about to act like he was going to enjoy this.

Noah's Ark was the most popular strip club in town. Some people went there thinking it was just a normal club, and they usually ended up staying, even when the strippers began to shed clothing. It was an upper-end club, one that you had to know somebody to get into. Luckily, Bard knew several of those people, and he refused to tell Sebastian how he did. The black-haired man shrugged it off, glancing around as they entered the large faux-circus tent. The building inside was thrumming with life, the very air reverberating with the bass tone of the music. The floor seemed to shake with the pounding feet of partygoers, and glitter floated in the air like a thick haze. Tightropes stretched across the domed ceiling, and scantily-dressed walkers illuminated by a spotlight made their way across the perilous rope. Dancers spun around poles on the ground, some dancing sexily in circus-striped iron cages, while the rest simply mingled in the crowd. Spinning wheels with girls strapped to them spun lazily as expert knife throwers hurtled their knives at the strippers, catching their clothing just right to make it tear off and earn a wild response from the crowd. Girls rode in and out on unicycles and minicars, all in explicit positions to flash the men as they wheeled by.

Sebastian could see why this place was such a big hit. It was entertainment and sex, fun and lust, all rolled up in one convenient package. One convenient, expensive package. If it hadn't had been for Bard, it would've cost the two men 200 bucks just to get in. Sebastian hadn't been one for expensive, fancy places, although he earned enough to go to one every night. That's one of the reasons he wasn't entirely keen on this trip.

Slapping him on the back as he slipped some money into the red-eyed man's pocket, Bard began to eye the crowd, looking for some ladies to "tip for their services", as he so eloquently put it. Laughing, he waved his coworker off, looking for a spot to get comfortable and drink this whole night away.

Wandering over to the bar, he plopped down on one of the comfy, circus-bench like barstools before ordering a lemon margarita on the rocks. He watched as the bartender made his drink, and as it was set in front of him, the man asked, "So, you come here to see the new act?"

Sebastian raised an eyebrow, shaking his head. "No," He answered, giving a meek smile. "A friend of mine dragged me down here for the act. Apparently, it's gonna be one hell of a show."

The bartender gave a dry chuckle. "One hell of a show, right," He snorted. "I've already seen the show. It's spectacular. You're gonna love him."

Sebastian's brow rose further. "Him?" He asked, confused. He was about to go on when the lights suddenly dimmed, and the crowd quieted as a drum roll began playing.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" A loud voice boomed over the speakers. "May I have your attention, please! It's a pleasure to introduce the newest addition to the Noah's Ark family! He—oh yes, you heard me right. He was found right off the streets, and we brought him in as a natural! Looks and acts like royalty, mind you—It is our pleasure to present the one, the only, The Earl Phantomhive!"

The spotlights suddenly careened towards a platform high up in the ceiling, illuminating a small figure that Sebastian had to squint to see. It was a boy, no older than the age of 15, and he was dressed… oddly. A feathery hat adorned his slate hair, and a bejeweled eye patch covered his right eye. He was wearing a puffy-sleeved blue-and-black striped shirt with a ruffled neck which was tucked into tight, black leather shorts. Blue-and-black striped socks with white frilled ends rose up to end at his thigh, hooked in place by a garter that matched his eye patch, followed by high-heeled boots with black top and midnight blue tips. No matter how strange the outfit itself was, it looked marvelous on the boy. Sebastian stared, captivated, as he lifted a silken blue ribbon from the ground, tying it around his waist before bending slowly over to attach the other end to the tightrope in front of him. Sebastian watched as the boy stepped onto the edge and… dropped.

He sailed through the air, his ruffled clothes fluttering behind him like a pair of wings. The crowd cheered as a heady, tribal beat began to pour through the speakers, and the boy was spinning in unison with each strike of the drum. His hair blew across his face as he executed a fast spin that ended with his leg up in the air, making the shorts ride up and reveal a bit more thigh. The crowd below roared with approval as he slowly came to a stop, hanging suspended over their heads.

The boy froze in the pose for a moment before twisting so that the silk around his waist came undone. He spiraled lower until he was hanging by a hand, and he began to spin lazily as he tossed his hat off. Someone in the audience caught it, but the audience remained silent as the music began to pick up pace. Sebastian noticed that even though it was tribal and risqué, it held a soft classical undertone, which made it perfect for the haughty boy spinning above him.

The young stripper lifted a leg to tangle it in the ribbon, using just that limb to hold him in the air as he skillfully began to unbutton his shirt in time with the music. He was spinning lazily as the shirt came undone, and, without a single warning off any kind, it fluttered off.

Sebastian's mouth gaped open as the male's chest was revealed to the crowd. A lattice-work of simple, black, circus-like designs encircled his torso, burning brightly against his slim, pale chest. Normally, Sebastian would have thought such a thing would look horrible on a person, but it looked fantastic on that boy. He was like a dull star, one that didn't capture attention by his brightness, but by his deep, solemn gleam. He was perfect.

Standing from his seat, the black-haired male pushed his way through the crowd, ignoring the cries and protests from the people he bumped. His eyes never left his gleaming star, and the attorney moved until he was directly under the boy. His head was tilted back to watch him, much like the rest of the audience around him, until three security guards pushed through into the middle. They pushed everyone but Sebastian outside of a red ring that no once had noticed on the floor, and one of the guards walked up to Sebastian and ordered, "Arms out, like you're going to catch someone."

Confused, Sebastian hesitantly put his arms out, and the guard gave them a firm shake. "He'll catch him," he said into the radio in his hand, and he stepped out of the ring.

Looking up, the boy twisted and twirled gracefully until bright white lights swept down on Sebastian, making his eyes narrow as he struggled to look up again. The boy was now looking down at him, a sultry smile on his face before he twisted once and let go of the ribbon.

Startled, Sebastian moved to catch his falling star, and with a small huff, he caught him. His eyes squeezed shut for a moment before he cracked one red eye open to look down at a smiling boy with a brilliant blue eye. Like the night sky, he thought, but he was startled again as the young stripper leaned up and pressed his lips against his ear, whispering huskily, "Thanks for catching me, pretty boy." Sebastian shivered as his sweet voice trickled into his ear, and he felt the boy slide his hands over his chest before hopping out of his arms. Sebastian turned as the young stripper strutted away from the crowd, and confetti soon began to fall as the rest of the show came in. He caught the boy's eye once and he winked at the black-haired man, who seemed to be in a daze.

Grabbing one of the workers, he pulled her over and yelled over the music, "Who was that?"

Looking back at him, the waitress gave him a smile. "Ciel Phantomhive," She called, cupping a hand over her mouth to make sure the man heard her. "Newest recruit. He's good, ain't he?"

Ciel Phantomhive… Sebastian made a mental note to remember that name.

Ciel Phantomhive.

And that's chapter one! :D I really hoped you guys liked it. I think it was OKAY, but you know, that's just me. :P I'd really appreciate reviews and favorites and such! :D 3