No demon should ever be infatuated with a human. That was a lesson that Claude had learned the hardest possible way, and he intended never again to break that unspoken rule. After Ciel Phantomhive, the only human he had ever pursued to the point of nearly losing his own life, gave him that one glorious night in his bed he had decided that no human was ever worth contracting again. He took souls without regard to reapers or rules, moving through the world and feasting as he had done innumerable times before. He crossed the globe within a few years, consuming more uncontracted souls than he had in over a century.

He found himself in Switzerland after a time, a country that had never gained too much of his time or regard beyond his passing through. He was surprised to find a great variety in the flavor of the Swiss people. There were many scents to follow, many victims to choose from. He took a liking to the ones living in the mountains, as their taste was somewhat fresher from all the clear mountain air. While other areas of the world's people could taste basically the same, here there was a great difference between one person and the next. Had he cared enough, he would have been curious as to why this area was so different. He had to be sure that he spread out his killings once he decided to stay a while and sample what the country had to offer him. It would not due to have a host of reapers on him. The way he had been carrying on he knew they had to at least be keeping an eye out.

He was on his way back down the side of a particularly large mountain one night, close to a month after he had arrived in the country, when he came across a small town nestled just above a valley. It was a perfect balance between the highland villages and the cities in the lowlands. He had seen poor huts for homes high in the mountains, contrasting with the great stone and brick buildings of the lower cities. This place was a good mix of wooden and stone homes and businesses, a step between poverty and wealth. Claude walked the empty streets in the night, while all was still as death in the chilling grasp of winter. His own breath proceeded ominously before him, misty in the light of the cold moon. He sniffed gently as he passed building after building, assessing the prey sleeping behind their walls. Bitter, tart, sweet, smoky…a nice variety, but individually not interesting him.

The slow tapping of his footsteps on the frozen stone stopped as something interesting caught his attention. He drew in a deep, appreciative breath through his nose, his eyes closing slightly. That one smelled delicious. A variety within itself, rather than holding one intense flavor overall. Perfect. He turned to look at the building from which the scent was radiating. It was a print shop according to the large wooden sign hanging over the door and the large press he could see through the window. It was no trouble to enter the place. Human barriers were nothing to a demon. The large printing room was silent but for the ticking of a clock that came from upstairs. Claude followed the mouth-watering scent up a set of stairs and down a hallway, passing the ornate clock on the wall as he went. He pushed open the door behind which the scent was strongest, and had to hold himself back as an intense waft of it hit him.

In a small bed in the corner of a Spartan room lay the bearer of the luscious soul. Claude stepped silently closer until he was staring down at the bed's occupant. It was a young man, perhaps eighteen years of age. His sweet face was relaxed in sleep, and his golden hair spilled in long waves over his ears and neck. Claude reached out to feel a lock of his hair between his fingers. It was soft and fine. The young man unexpectedly stirred and actually rolled over onto his side, his back to Claude. The demon could not help but feel slightly amused; the position in which he slept would be the least of his concerns when his soul was being rent from his body.

He leaned one knee onto the mattress beside the boy, so he could lean over him. He gently placed his lips against the boy's, and was just preparing to draw out his soul when a solid blow landed in his gut. The boy had jabbed backward with his elbow and caught him hard. Had he been human, he had no doubt that it would have left a bruise. The next second Claude was punched soundly in the face and he withdrew, surprised. The boy was sitting up on his knees now, breathing hard and staring half-blind into the dark of his room, his hands in fists and held at the ready.

"I warned you Theo!" He called out in a shaky, but determined voice. "I told you to leave me be! I want nothing to do with you, understand? I told you 'no' and that's final!"

Claude cocked his head as he observed the young man. He was shaking, obviously frightened, and yet there was a fire in his spirit. It was almost as if he had been expecting this to happen, but had been caught unawares. Interesting. The demon stepped closer. The boy couldn't see him very well, but he could hear his approach, and he stiffened. His bed was stationed in a corner, leaving no room for retreat.

"Stay back you pervert!" He cried, shaking his fists in an attempt to intimidate. Considering he was sitting up on his bare knees in his nightshirt, he was not doing a very good job of it. "Don't you lay another finger on me!"

Quick as a demon could, Claude lunged forward and pinned both the young man's hands to the cold wall above his head. He gasped, taken by surprise at the swiftness of his defeat. Claude gazed into his face, and lowered one hand to hold his chin. The boy stared back at him, still unable to make him out in the darkness. But Claude could see him very well.

"You have brilliant green eyes." Claude said smoothly. With a meal this delicious, he felt he could play with it a little first. Said eyes widened at the sound of his voice.

"You're…you're not Theo…" He muttered fearfully. "Did he…did that bastard hire you to-"

"I work for no man." Claude responded, swiping his thumb over the boy's lips. They were a bit chapped from the cold weather, but they were full and rosy nonetheless. The next instant they parted and the boy's teeth had snapped down onto his thumb hard enough to break the skin. Claude did not react to this vicious attack, and even continued to rub his free fingertips along the boy's chin. This unsettled the lad, and he released Claude's thumb in shock.

"Who are you?" He hissed softly, "why are you here and what do you want with me?"

"You are pretty bold to demand answers of me." Claude said, "but I feel generous tonight, so I'll tell you…" He leaned in close, making the boy flinch as the demon's face neared his own. "…but first tell me your name."

The boy hesitated, but Claude tightened his grip on the slender wrists, and he spoke.

"Alright, alright! My name's Cedric!"

"Ah, such a fitting name." Claude truly could have cared less about such a trivial thing as a human's name, but he wanted to be able to whisper it into the boy's ear and make him melt. So he placed his lips against the gentle curve of Cedric's cold ear, and breathed against it hotly, making him squirm. "I'll tell you my business since you asked so kindly, Cedric; I'm hunting you. I followed your scent and now I fancy feasting on your delectable soul. It does entice me so…"

Cedric made what sounded like an attempt at a scoffing sound, but his trembling had increased. Claude could always tell when a human was wise enough to understand just how dangerous he was when only seeing him in his human form. Regardless of what they might have thought he was, if they picked up on the absolute aura of power emanating from him through his human farce they had more sense than they deserved. This boy, Cedrick, was one of the smart ones.

"You're going to…eat my soul?" Cedric asked, making an effort to sound skeptical, but failing.

"Well…" Claude let his fingers wander down the side of the boy's pale neck, "if you're a good boy and do as I say, I might let you live a little longer."

"Like hell!" Cedric cried, letting loose a frenzy of struggles to try and break free. Claude smiled. He was panicking now. He loved it when they panicked. He let the boy get in a few good kicks before he purposefully let him go. Cedric scrambled past him and his bare feet thudded against the wooden floor as he ran toward the door. Claude got there first, appearing before him so swiftly that the boy recoiled. Claude let his eyes blaze, and Cedric moved backward so quickly that he tripped and landed on his back. He leaned up quickly onto his elbows and stared at Claude with wide, fearful green eyes.

"Wh-what are you!?" He gasped, his fear rooting him in place.

Claude dropped to his knees, straddling Cedric so quickly that the young man lifted his hands as if to protect his face. Claude pried at his hands, and when he succeeded him getting them away from Cedric's face, he laced their fingers through his own in an eerily romantic gesture.

"I can be whatever you want to imagine me." Claude whispered, answering Cedric's terrified query. "For now, at least, think of me as the one who's going to strip you of your innocence and drown you in the world of carnal pleasures."

Claude leaned in close to press another kiss to Cedric's lips. They closed him out, and the boy moved his head, sputtering and gasping. His hands fought against Claude's to no avail.

"No!" He cried, "I wouldn't give in to Theo, I won't give in to you! Whatever you are, you won't be able to make me-"

Cedric's sentence was cut off as Claude flipped him swiftly onto his stomach, holding both of his arms down to the floor above his head.

"Who is this Theo you keep mentioning?" Claude asked softly into Cedric's ear, licking it gently and feeling how cold it was. Cedric flinched. When the boy didn't answer him right away, Claude bit the back of his neck.

"Ouch!" Cedric cried.

"Answer me."

"He's a fellow worker of mine here in the print shop!" Cedric all but bellowed, "He's always trying to touch me in ways he shouldn't, and I finally had to tell him directly to back off. He threatened to find me when I wasn't working and 'change my mind.'"

Claude clucked his tongue, then ran his free hand down Cedric's slender back, over his night shirt.

"You humans, so predictable. Why did you refuse him?"

The boy squirmed beneath him as a large hand began to cup and massage his buttocks. The hand slapped him smartly when he didn't answer right away and he got the message.

"I'm not giving myself to an pervert like that, it's just not right! Let me go! I won't let you do anything to me either! Let go! Let—"

"Do not force me to gag you, Cedric. Be a good boy; stay quiet and still for me."

"Over my dead body!" Cedric cried, struggling again in earnest. "Let me go, you bastard!"

Claude would ordinarily have done the prey in by this point, becoming weary of the fight, but he found this Cedric interesting. There was always a prey or two that put up an entertaining struggle, that were enjoyable to hold down and watch or scratch up a bit for fun. Cedric was one of those. So Claude let the boy struggle, kick, bite, howl, and curse helplessly for endless minutes. He knew it was only a matter of time before he tired out, and then he would have his way with him. Already an idea was forming in his mind that would allow him to take advantage of this situation more than he had originally intended.

Claude watched the boy's muscles moving beneath the nightshirt, the fabric rippling with his quick, jerking movements. He smelled blood from Cedric scraping his face against the floor accidentally. He gave a sinister smile as the boy bucked beneath him, driving his rear end upward against Claude's groin. The demon was already hard from playing with his prey, but he was patient, ready to wait until he could have the boy pliant beneath him. He decided to give Cedric the allusion that he was making progress, and released his grip on the slender wrists. The boy instantly twisted under him, maneuvering onto his back and instantly hammering his fists against every inch of Claude he could reach. The demon took it in stride, relishing the sting of pain as Cedric managed to strike him in the jaw a few times.

It took Cedric a surprisingly short time to realize that his efforts were having absolutely no effect. He stopped, leaning back on trembling elbows and panting in recovery. His cheeks were flushed and his eyes were bright and alert, his eyebrows pulling together in confusion.

"How much longer do you intend to fight me?" Claude asked softly, reaching out and stroking the back of his hand against Cedric's cheek. The boy's eyes narrowed and he instantly lunged forward, slapping Claude's hand away and resuming his struggles. The demon pinned his wrists to the floor, giving him more room to move than before. Cedric didn't last very long this round, but finally collapsed; panting so heavily that he couldn't afford wasting energy on anything else. Claude took the opportunity to haul Cedric from the floor and pin him to the mattress. The bed springs creaked as Claude leaned up on his knees to pull off his shirt. Cedric watched him fearfully, his eyes having adjusted to the dark with the help of the moonlight streaming through his window.

"Let's try this once more." Claude said in his silkiest voice, and began to delicately kiss Cedric's neck. The boy shivered, but remained still. The demon began to unbutton the nightshirt, pleased to see that Cedric was still too worn out by his struggles to defy him. While the pale, slender body shook beneath his hands, he made no more attempts to fight.

"That's a good boy." Claude said, sucking hard beneath Cedric's ear. The boy gasped, shifting a bit. "This isn't so bad, right? Do what I say and I'll treat you well."

"You're the lowest of the low." Cedric panted quietly. Claude responded by pinching his nipples a bit harshly. The boy yelped, his hands instinctively going to grip Claude's wrists.

"I don't really care if you insult me, but for the sake of teaching you your place…" He pinched again, and Cedric gave a muffled moan.

"What was that?" Claude asked, leaning down to rub the side of his face against the young chest, "I can't tell if you were in pain, or if you liked it." He blew softly against the fine golden hairs thinly scattered between the offended nipples, and then laved at one with his tongue. Cedric let out a harsh breath and arched his back.

"Stop!" He protested, but his hands were shaking on Claude's wrists.

"You don't really mean that." Claude said, covering the nipple with his mouth again.

"Yes…yes I do…" Cedric said, struggling to speak clearly. Claude pulled the boy up suddenly and ripped the unbuttoned shirt down his shoulders, tossing it to the floor. Cedric pushed against him fruitlessly as Claude clamped him in against his chest, running his broad hands all over his pale back.

"You're cold," Claude observed, burying his face in Cedric's golden hair, "I thought all that fighting would have warmed your blood a bit."

"Well, anytime a pervert puts his hands on me it chills me to the bone." Cedric hissed, twisting against Claude's iron grasp.

"Come, now," Claude murmured, groping at the fleshy softness of Cedric's sides and stomach, "I'm sure that you've had plenty of fantasies in that young mind of yours, no matter how hard you deny it."

He slid his knee forward to rub between Cedric's legs. The boy jerked, redoubling his efforts to free himself. He wasn't hard, but then Claude hadn't expected him to be.

"Hold still and you'll feel good too." Claude said, his tone less soft and sultry than it had been before. He had been sure to pitch it low and seductive, knowing that he could have a great effect on humans with his speech.

"N-no…" Cedric protested weakly. The more he moved, the more firmly his groin was pressed up against Claude's knee. He inhaled sharply as Claude's hand replaced his knee and groped him.

"You're young; this shouldn't take long." Claude whispered, reaching under the thin sleep shorts the boy wore and taking his limp member in hand. Cedric's spine stiffened like a wire, and he snarled, biting hard into Claude's shoulder. The demon grinned to himself. This one was not giving in easily. He tightened his grip, moving his hand up and down. As he continued, Cedric's bite on his shoulder loosened and he began to breathe quicker. His length began to harden and grow in Claude's hand as he continued to stroke.

"Oh! St-stop…" Cedric tried to protest one last time, but faltered. His grip on Claude's wrist and arm tightened and loosened in waves, his legs trembling against Claude's. The demon sighed as a drop of liquid seeped from the tip, and he could spread it across the smooth head. Cedric let out a sound that was inescapably lustful, and his hips moved forward without his command.

"There you are." Claude chuckled, and his hand instantly began to move rapidly, faster than Cedric had probably ever been able to stroke himself in the lonely hours in his bed.

"Y-you bastard..!" Cedric managed these last two words before he squeezed his eyes shut and began gasping, his thighs trembling violently in response to such brilliant pleasure. He bit into Claude's shoulder again, but this time to try and muffle his shameful sounds of pleasure. Claude was right; it did not take very long before Cedric's breath hitched, his body gave a quick spasm, and he shot out hot liquid onto Claude's wrist. The demon milked him slowly, draining out the last of his pleasure before lifting his wrist and licking away every ounce. It was delicious, just as Ciel's had mirrored his soul, so did this Cedric's. Claude made up his mind; he would make an extended meal of this boy. He would not eat his soul this night, but rather, something else.

"Get off me…" Cedric breathed heavily against Claude's shoulder.

"First you'd have to lean back on your own." Claude pointed out to him. "You're practically using me as a support pillow."

Cedric pulled back, and collapsed back onto the bed. Claude followed him, keeping him in his arms.

"Most people say 'thank you' after being pleasured like that." He said smugly.

"Piss off…" Cedric breathed.

Claude instantly took hold of Cedric's hair at the back of his head and pulled hard. The boy cried out softly as his head was yanked back so he was looking up into Claude's face.

"Cedric, thank me."

Cedric snarled, showing his teeth like an animal in defiance. Claude's fingers tightened painfully in his hair and his expression twisted into acquiescence.

"Thank you." He said through gritted teeth.

"Hm…" Claude said, pretending to think to himself, "say it again, and this time, say 'thank you, Claude.'"

"You have a name, you freak of nature?!" Cedric spat out, apparently still retaining enough energy to mouth off.

"Say. It." Claude gave a final yank to his hair.

"Thank you, Claude." Cedric repeated, tears forming at the corners of his eyes from the pain. The demon released his grip, and instead let his fingers stroke gently through the golden locks, soothing away the discomfort.

"That's a good boy."

TBC