Gus Kinney: hello to the people who read this to the ones who read this today and the ones in the future me and sebbyninja666 came up with the ending so here it is chapter 10 and i call this ending chapter... the Queen's orders
Slowly opening one eye as I slowly swam to the surface of consciousness, the sudden brightness of the unfamiliar room I was in surprised me a bit. I blinked several times while my vision cleared and found Ciel sitting in a chair nearby leafing through a book obviously using it as an object to pass the time and not paying much attention to content. Relief subtly washed over his features when I stirred slightly, but he didn't let it show when he commented, "It's about time you woke up; I was starting to wonder if I would need to take you to a hospital."
The brightly lit room spun slightly after I had sat up too fast and I placed a hand on my throbbing head for several seconds. Once the dizziness subsided, I discovered a new bought of aches and pains covering practically my whole body. When I shifted into a more comfortable position the blanket slid from my torso to reveal the white gauze wrapped around there. It explained why my movements felt a bit restricted, but it was just taking longer than I would have liked for me to recall the events from the prior evening that led up to this. Even then a lot of bits were missing so I probably got drugged or blacked out for most of night. The whole thing was just getting frustrating. At the rate my memory was going with clearing things up for me it might as well have not bothered in the first place.
It took a couple what felt like hours of just sitting there before I had worked myself up into a silent panic. I had almost died. I mean it wasn't really that uncommon for my life to be in danger, at this point I had just started to consider it a part of my job. The thought of Ciel having been in my place was nerve-racking. He was just a kid, he had practically his entire life ahead of him and he faced death every time he decided to pursue another one of these cult cases and he didn't even seem to care. He could have died yesterday Blinking quickly several times, I found myself trying really hard to not cry. What's wrong with me?
Ciel tossed his book aside, where it landed on the nearby table with a hollow thud, and firmly ordered, "Calm down. If you get yourself all worked up now you will need a hospital. I refuse to considered responsible for your untimely demise."
Smiling slightly at the effort he was putting in, I worked my fingers through my knotted dark brown hair in attempts to calm myself. After taking a few deep breaths I weakly replied, "Kid, for a second there I could have sworn you actually cared about what happens to me."
A light pink blush coated Ciel's cheeks as he quickly looked away, not responding for quite some time. Piling up a bunch of pillows behind me, I propped myself up into a sitting position. With my head resting against the headboard, I studied Ciel. He closed his eyes for several seconds seeming exhausted. I could faintly make out light purple bags under his eyes and found myself wondering if he had stayed up all night.
He opened his eye once again as I shifted slightly, and I took the opportunity to beckon him over. At first he seemed hesitant to give in to my request, but he shoved himself out of his chair with a sigh and came to stand before me. Playing along he seemed mildly irritated when he asked, "What?"
I leaned forward and wrapped my arms around Ciel's small frame, wincing slightly as I pulled him against my chest. His face turned bright red and he squirmed around, profusely protesting against the sudden action. After a couple seconds of my stubbornness, he gave in and stopped squirming. I loosened my grip and Ciel shifted so he head rested against my chest, still not saying anything. Smiling slightly, I playfully commented, "You shouldn't stay up all night kid, you won't grow anymore.
His face darkened in hue before he sharply replied, "It's your fault! Maybe if you didn't go wander off and do stupid things I wouldn't stay up all night worrying about you." He was actually worried about me?
Ciel quickly averted his gaze when I tried to get a better look at his face and started squirming around again. I only held him closer while he protested against the action, claiming I was taking things the wrong way and he didn't mean what I thought he did. Although he stammered a lot and kept starting the sentence over, implying that he wasn't being very truthful. He grew flustered when I buried my face in his soft hair, and I was overcome with the scent of chocolate. As I closed my eyes Ciel gradually relaxed, and moved into a more comfortable position.
I could feel his heart fluttering against my own within the confines of his chest and smiled slightly, realizing just how small and fragile he really was. No matter how old he is, he'll always be just like a little kid. Ciel closed his eyes for several seconds, hesitantly wrapping his arms around me. Glancing down at him I could just see the little gears spinning in his head when he opened his eyes. He seemed to be slowly processing the whole situation and blushed for a few seconds, before growing irritated and slipping from my arms. He climbed out of the bed and decidedly stood just out of my reach. He ran his ringers through his slightly disheveled hair and closed his eyes for several seconds. "If that's all you wanted, I shall take my leave now." Ciel paused with his hand on the doorknob, and glanced back with an impish gleam in his dark blue eyes. "Sebastian will be in later to check on you."
After blinking a couple times, I smirked and replied, "Fine by me, I can't have you missing your nap time, kid."
Ciel sighed irritably, before opening the door and disappearing out into the hallway. Tossing aside most of the plushy pillows, I lie back down and let out a content sigh. I slowly came to wrap my arms around the pillow and lay on my stomach, finding it a lot more comfortable than my back, although I could shift around too much without aggravating my wounds. Suddenly finding myself exhausted, I closed my eyes, I don't think I'll mind spending a couple days here it might be a bit fun in fact.
Sighing softly, I flopped forwards on my slightly cluttered desk and glanced around my office. It was gradually growing cluttered as well. There were just piles of papers lying around that I didn't feel really needed to be moved at the current time. Frankly, I was too busy trying to concentrate on filling out all the paperwork that had been left for me during the course of my recent absence. At the rate I was going it wouldn't be done until Christmas, but it was just so boring. After the past month it just seemed so mundane and pointless, although I had somehow formulated the same opinion about just being back here. It just seemed like I was being downgraded.
Everybody just seemed completely unaware of what actually went on in this city and while it was probably for the best, I just felt sorry for them. There was this whole other world that majority of them would never even become aware of not that most of them would want to be aware of the immortal beings and other monsters that lived alongside them. Thinking back, I almost felt sorry for all the kids back at school who I had thought to be a bit mental for believing in all this stuff. Even now I sometimes found myself thinking all of it was illogical. I guess I do think too much.
Shifting slightly, I winced as I aggravated one of my unhealed cuts. After slowly blinking, I realized just how tired I was. I mean I didn't really sleep a lot yesterday; everything was just too empty since Abaroa went home for the holidays. Even if we didn't talk a whole lot it was nice to know someone was there. I never really noticed it before since I had grown accustom to being alone. Now it was just like there was this sudden emptiness that plagued me.
It was nice when Ciel checked up on me though. He claimed he just wanted to make sure I didn't wander off and get myself kidnapped while Abaroa was gone, but the subtle blush that coated his cheeks with the statement disagreed. With Sebastian gone, I had pulled him into my lap and tweaked every nerve possible. It was obvious Ciel wasn't going to stop acting all high and mighty, so I took it upon myself to be an obnoxious child. At some point during the experience he told me that was what I was acting like. I just ruffled his hair in response and he said if I wanted to make this (whatever that was supposed to mean since I didn't even know what 'this' was supposed to be) a game, he would gladly accept the challenge. I didn't know exactally what I had gotten myself into, but after issuing his challenge he slipped from my arms and sat clean on the other side of the room, refusing to talk about anything that would lead to a profound or even slightly entertaining conversation. If his purpose was to bore me out of my mind, then he had succeeded, but right before he left there was this impish twinkle in his blue eye that suggested the whole thing wasn't over.
I was too preoccupied with reminiscing about the relationship between Ciel and I to notice the secretary standing in the doorway. I had already forgotten her name, but the fact that she always seemed overly peppy for no apparent reason didn't really inspire me to do so. Next thing I knew she would always be trying to persistently make small talk with me and who knows what else. I didn't really want to get myself mixed up with that I really hope she just wants to ask me where Abaroa is. Even if he hadn't told me I knew they were involved with one another, the kid just needed to admit it.
"Hi Gus, am I interrupting?"
Eyeing the stack of papers that sat in front of me still requiring my signature or some sort of write-up and over detailed report I sleepily replied, "Not in even the slightest. What can I help you with?"
"Abaroa is still staying with you right?"
I knew it. "Yeah, unless he chose to up and leave, and decided I should keep all his stuff." I received a blank expression as a response and sighed, simplifying my answer. "Yes, only not right now because he went home for the holidays."
"Oh well can you give him something from me when he gets back?"
Rolling my eyes, I propped my head up with my hand. Since when did I get stuck playing errand boy for these two? "Sure."
Holding out my free hand she placed a weighty envelope in it before giggling and adding, "Thank you, it really means a lot. I'll see you around okay?"
I nodded slightly, and waved her off, stuffing the envelope in my pocket as she did so, so it didn't get lost on my desk. Now let's hope I don't forget it's in there.
Idly rifling through the thick stack I found myself wondering if I would be able to sneak off without anybody noticing. It wasn't like I was doing anything here besides lounging around. I mean I could take some of the stuff home and pretend I was going to work on it when I really planned on taking a nap. Although the word plan implied that it wasn't set in stone and with my luck I'd wind up with sudden and unwanted guests. I wouldn't really mind if it kept me away from the station. It just felt like I didn't belong there anymore. I might as well just go, I'm not doing anything here and I don't intend to either.
Shoving away from my desk, I pulled on my trench coat and wandered out into the main bullpen. I casually closed the door back and continued on, happy nobody noticed me; even the secretary seemed to fail to notice me sneaking out. I didn't really mind though, she'd probably ask a ton of questions that I wouldn't want to answer and I'd only wind up feeling guilty about leaving.
Stepping out into the dreary afternoon, I headed home. Everybody seemed to be bustling around at an unusual pace, but then again it did look like it was going to rain again and nobody really wanted to be caught out in another storm since it was only getting colder. I reminded myself that I needed to do the same today or tomorrow so I had the excuse to show up late. Then again it wasn't really a secret that I had been injured on the job (though it was classified as a stab wound) I could have probably gotten away with not going back for a couple more days.
It was a bit new to be experiencing this feeling of not wanting to go to work. I had always wanted to be a cop since my parents were killed, but now that I had closure, or as much of it as I was going to get, it seemed pointless. The worst part was I kept telling myself that I wouldn't ever find the person who did this so it was like a personal victory. Now I just felt my career was directionless and pointless. I almost asked myself what they would do if I stopped showing up. I mean I know I'd get fired or whatever, but I wanted to know how long the process would take.
Shoving open the door to my apartment, I jumped slightly when I found Ciel sitting in the chair he usually sat in sipping tea. "I was wondering how long it would take for you to finally leave."
Sitting across from him on the couch I asked, "What is that supposed to mean?"
Ciel flashed me a knowing smirk, something mischievous gleaming in his blue eye and he stared at me over the rim of his cup. "I knew you'd leave. Let me guess, you're bored now that you have a ton of paperwork to fill out and reports to write before you can even think about taking another case?"
I felt my eyes widen slightly with the accuracy of that statement. I didn't think it would be that obvious though, especially since the kid barely knew me on a personal level, ignoring the background check, and we hadn't seen each other since I went back to the station. It was a bit impressive that he managed to figure it out on his own, and his presence was welcomed so I didn't really mind; especially since Sebastian wasn't around. I just didn't know how I should have responded.
He took my silence as my answer and smiled slightly, "I thought so."
"So what, is wanting change really that bad?"
"No, but when you want to peruse something stupid and dangerous like this it is."
Smiling slightly, I studied him as he sat there, trying to not make eye contact with me. Eventually a slight flush coated his cheeks and he ran his hand through his shiny hair, "Do I detect an air of concern?"
His face darkened a couple shades and he still refused to meet my gaze. "No, but until I make my final report to the Queen you are technically still my responsibility."
Smirking I moved and seated myself in front of him, picking up on the concern that flashed in his eyes when I winced slightly. The way he emphasized 'technically' briefly made me wonder who he was trying to convince that he didn't want to be here. "Funny, because the last time I checked, I was a 25 year old man more than capable of taking care of myself."
"Not in my eyes, you have been kidnapped an awfully large amount of times for someone who can 'take care of themself'."
Sitting up I rested my head in his lap, staring up at him, "So what? People go missing every day and people don't go looking for them. You must care if you are continuing to reference it."
Earning a soft sigh, a couple seconds passed in silence before he reached forward and hesitantly ran his fingers through my hair. I closed my eyes and let him do what he wanted, enjoying the repetitive motion. Some of the few happy memories I had from when I was little came drifting back, leaving me with a warm and fuzzy feeling. When I opened my eyes again Ciel grew frustrated with something and stopped, quickly looking away. Smiling softly, I asked, "What's wrong?"
He just shook his head and looked away blushing, "Don't think I'm giving in to this, I still have the upper hand."
The realization suddenly hit me as I asked, "So this is the little game between us You are such a little tease, you know that." I planned on making things extremely difficult for him, so when he look back down at me with an impish smirk plastered across his face, I quickly got up on my knees and kissed him. His soft lips melded against mine. When Ciel leaned forward slightly, I pulled away grinning surprised that I actually enjoyed the experience.
Breathing a bit heavier than normal, Ciel seemed to process everything at a very slow pace, and I half expected him to hit me or something. He didn't though, he just seemed a bit scared, or in shock, and he didn't ever say anything or even move; it was terrifying. Damn, what did I just do "Kid look-
Ciel cut me off, sounding like he was on the verge of tears, "I don't know what the hell you took this as, but it's not like that!"
He glared down at me half-heartedly as I tried to coax his onto a different path, one that involved a more in-depth response. "Anger is a secondary emotion." Biting his bottom lip, Ciel closed his eye and I just continued on with this inward panic of having sent him into some downward spiral of complex emotions or something. It was scaring me a bit actually; I mean he was never this quiet. I would almost prefer it if he hit me or yelled some more or something, not sitting there slightly trembling and seeming like he was on the verge of some emotional breakdown that I knew I wouldn't know how to deal with.
When tears silently rolled down the sides of his face, I leaned forward in attempts to do something. I intended to pull him into my lap when he suddenly looked up at me through his thick, black lashes and flung his arms around my neck, dragging me into another kiss.
He gradually relaxed as I wrapped my arms around his small frame, gently pressing him against my chest. Our ragged breathing synchronized, while I could feel his heart fluttering against mine. One of Ciel's small hands moved to rest against the side of my face, and he stroked my skin with his thumb. Giving my bottom lip on final nip, Ciel slowly pulled away, resting his forehead against mine with his eye closed. Our breathing gradually returned to normal and I finally asked, "Are you okay kid?"
An impish smirk worked its way onto his face as he pulled away and settled back into his chair, "Of course, when am I not?"
There seemed to be this sudden determination sparkling in his blue eye that hadn't been there moments ago, like he had formulated some sort of convoluted plan while we were kissing, "Might I ask what is so amusing?"
Ciel leaned forward and stared intently into my dark brown eyes for several seconds before knowingly replying, "I have no idea as to what you are talking about."
Tipping my head slightly to one side I returned the gesture, only partially understanding the process we were about to delve into. I felt like I did on some level know what he was talking about, but at the same time I was completely lost. It was a new experience and I didn't know how I was supposed to react. "Neither do I so how about we mutually not understand anything together?"
Ciel rested against the back of the chair before cheekily replying, "No. I would rather not. I've spent as much time as I would like not understanding things while in your company."
Staring blankly back at him, I silently wondered what he was actually trying to do. For the fleeting moment that I felt like he didn't want to be around me and just wanted to spend some time alone. The determined gleam in his eye eventually led me to believe that he wasn't being sincere. Staring down at the dark green carpet, I slowly processed everything. He's treating this like it some sort of game.
Patting me lightly on the head, Ciel sarcastically asked, "What's wrong?"
Pouting slightly, I quickly replied, "Nothing kid, and even if there was it wouldn't be any of your business."
His eyes narrowed slightly, but he didn't say anything in retaliation. A silence fell over the room, but we just sat there, and Ciel wrapped strands of my short hair around his fingers. It didn't seem like it needed to be filled though, we were just enjoying each other's company.
After some pent up curiosity, I asked, "What brings you here anyway?"
Stopping suddenly, Ciel pulled his hand away and sighed, seeming to not want to bother with the subject. "The queen wishes for you to join me when I'm giving my final report, and don't ask me why because I don't know. Your guess is as good as mine."
Grinning impishly, I thought to myself, this kid knows me too well. Despite him telling me not to ask, I asked, "Well why do you think she wants me there?"
Ciel eye me wearily, as if I was about to say or do something stupid, not that I was planning on it. After a few seconds he seemed to grow irritated, forcefully replying, "I don't know."
Turning to face him, I then asked, "Then why are you getting so mad?"
Glaring down at me Ciel replied, "Because you irritate me."
"You irritate me at times too, but I don't complain about it.'
Sighing softly, Ciel glanced in the opposite direction and replied, "Forget about it."
"There's nothing to forget."
"You really don't stop talking do you?"
Grinning impishly, I replied, "Not when it is convenient for anybody other than myself."
Ciel flashed me an un-amused glare, once again acting like the adult in the room. Maybe this kid should act more like an adult if he is going to persist on spending time with be. It's obvious most of the time I'm not the responsible one. If I want him to let loose a bit then shouldn't I be the one acting like an adult to work some sort of reverse psychology thing? "That's really quite sad for a man of your age."
"How old do you think I am!?"
Messing up his hair, Ciel bluntly replied, "Obviously not old enough to know better."
"You're right, I don't, oh well there's always next year."
Sighing softly, Ciel patted my head a couple times in a patronizing manor; it was obvious he was ready for a change of subject. I didn't really have anything else to say though.
Turning back around, I rested my back against the chair and closed my eyes. Not long after Ciel resumed running his fingers through my hair as if nothing had happened.
~***~ I was struggling to keep my thoughts from wandering away while Ciel talked with the queen. I stared out the nearby window and watched as a few ships slowly drifted out towards sea, embarking on another journey to America. The only thing I had needed to say was a somewhat formal greeting before Ciel, thankfully, took over. My presence had seemed to fade into the background aside from the queen occasionally glancing at me out of the corner of her eye. For some reason it was a bit unnerving, it was like she knew something, but at the same time I didn't really know what there was for her to know. It was like when my parents would just give me that look and I just knew they knew I had done something I wasn't supposed to be doing and there was no point in denying it. After coming to realize that I wasn't sure I wanted to know what these strange, sideways glances were supposed to mean.
To be honest it was even a wonder I was here right now; the meeting had completely slipped my mind between all the procrastination and not sleeping I was doing. If Ciel hadn't come to pick me up this morning I wouldn't even be here right now. It made me temporarily want to pay a bit more attention to went on in my surroundings.
" It sounds like you had your hands full with this case, my boy."
A subtle, light pink blush coated as he quickly replied, "Not at all your majesty."
"Ciel, you are much too modest. In fact, lately I've been thinking a lot, and it would be a shame if something should happen to you while you are one of these assignments."
Still trying to downplay things Ciel confidently replied, "You worry too much, your majesty." Considering Sebastian always seemed to be hovering over Ciel when he wasn't physically present, he was probably right. I was surprised I had even had the small boy 'entrusted into my care'. I didn't mind, but it could get a bit frustrating at times since I couldn't tell what either one of them were thinking and it was nearly impossible to follow a conversation between the two of them since they just instinctively knew what the other was talking about.
"Even then, it would be nice to not worry about such things like that. I think it would be a good idea if you and Gus did some more work together. "
I saw Ciel sharply glance at me silently pleading for me to put a stop to this, but if he was going to treat this whole thing like a little game then I was going to give it right back at him. "It sounds like a wonderful idea, your majesty."
The queen failed to notice Ciel clenching his jaw when she replied, "Excellent." She shoved a thick envelope to Ciel before adding, "Then here is the next assignment for the both of you. I hope you don't find it too difficult."
Ciel's voice was obviously strained when he put on a fake smile. If he had been talking to anybody else he probably would have made some complex back-handed comment that nobody would understand until some time had passed and the topic had changed. "I'm sure it won't be; we'll get right one it." I joined Ciel when he slowly rose and took charge of parting phrases. I trailed along behind him and as soon as the door closed back Ciel let out an irritated huff and glared at me. I ruffled his hair and asked him what was wrong, already knowing the answer.
He stepped out of my reach and ran his fingers through his hair, bluntly replying, "You. I have been doing perfectly fine on my own and all of the sudden I need to babysit you as well. I'm not in any danger and it takes a lot more than bullets to keep Sebastian down.
Shrugging, I slowly closed the distance between us once again, playfully asking, "What, is there too many people caring about your well-being with in a 24 hour time span?"
"No, I like doing things on my own, now I have to worry about you."
Playfully nudging his shoulder I replied, "You don't have to worry about me. It'll get done faster if I help because you look generally suspicious hanging out downtown even when you're not all dressed up."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Hesitating, I tried to figure out just what I was trying to say. I didn't really know how to explain it myself, but it was obvious he didn't belong there. "I don't know you just have this noble air about you. It's just pretty easy to tell you don't belong there."
Staring intently ahead of him Ciel didn't respond and pretended I wasn't there. A small smile worked its way onto my face and I rested me arm on his shoulder as we walked, easily keeping pace with his considerably slow pace. Going against all my expectations, Ciel didn't shrug me off or step away until Sebastian showed.
Taking up a brisk pace, Ciel quickly switched gears, "I'll take this home for review and report back to you in the morning."
Stalling, I blinked at his sudden change in demeanor before answering, "Whatever floats your boat kid."
I tousled Ciel's hair and he gave me an irritated glare, obviously unamused with the gesture. Sebastian studies both of us with a curious gaze, smiling slightly and commenting to himself, "such fascinating creatures." My first reaction was to wonder what he was supposed to mean, but I had to remind myself that he was a demon. If he considered us so fascinating I'd love to see what went on in his realm. I mean I knew the general concept of what people perceived demons to be, but they seemed to be pretty far away from that. It seemed like it would be a bit more exciting than sitting in church. Wait just what does he find amusing?
I slowly exhaled in response, not really sure I wanted to know. I was probably right too, since Sebastian and I just exchanged knowing glances. Although I don't think either one of us really knew what the other really knew. It was like this silent, mutual agreement of knowing and not knowing. Even if it didn't make sense and I couldn't put it into words, it was entertaining. My mind had wandered since Ciel stopped acknowledging me in a friendly manner, and I found myself wondering how long it would take the demon to take a complete turn for the sadistic when he found out what we had done while he was gone. It was only a matter of time, I mean I wasn't going to tell him, but he wasn't a complete idiot.
~***~ Shifting slightly as Ciel continued on with his seemingly hour-long explanation of the case we had been assigned yesterday. I had stopped paying attention about five minutes ago. I got the general gist of everything though. Basically someone was trafficking humans and we needed to stop them. It wouldn't be that hard to do, we just needed to check ship records and port documents. It's take a couple days at most, and wasn't much of a challenge. I had done it a couple other times, so once you knew what you were looking for it didn't take much to spot fake records. You also checked supply records and other expenses of any recently ported ships.
I found my eyes slowly drooping closed as Ciel continued droning on. Geez, what is he even talking about, " are you even listening?"
Shaking my head, I sleepily replied, "Nope."
Letting out a slightly irritated huff, Ciel asked, "Why?" Opening my eyes and blinking slowly, I explained what he needed to do and for a second he seemed fairly impressed with my level of competence. He severely underestimates my skills. "Fine, Sebastian, you know what to do."
Sebastian bowed and replied, "Of course young master," before leaving Ciel in my care once again. A silence settled across the almost empty room, and Ciel glanced over at me a few times, seeming a bit bored. I didn't really blame him though; I mean he was dealing with something as simple as this. Although some people wouldn't know what where to begin with such cases. Some of them even wasted time trying to track down the people who had been sold into slavery and interrogating them when half the time they didn't speak a word of English and weren't stupid enough to sell out whoever had dragged them here in the first place.
"So kid, did you do anything fun yesterday?"
Eyeing me wearily, Ciel replied, "Are you really trying to engage in small talk?"
Shrugging slightly, I countered, "There's nothing else to say."
Studying Ciel while he didn't respond, I took note of him shifting slightly. He worked his fingers through his soft hair and averted his gaze, a slight smile twitching at the corners of his mouth.
Rising from where I was lounging, I settled myself on the floor in front of him, earning a pat on the head. Placing my head in his lap I closed my eyes and replied, "Once we get the list it shouldn't take more than a couple of days to track down the ship and its captain."
I didn't earn a response, although Ciel seemed to have been contemplating something while he absent-mindedly stroked my hair. I didn't really dwell on the thought, it would just be pointless and asking him what he was thinking about would get me any sort of response. If he really wanted to say something he would just do it. At least I assumed he would. Ciel was a very blunt person so he didn't seem like the type to hold back when something was bothering him, and if he was, there weren't any obvious physical signs that would suggest otherwise.
Picking my head up slightly when he suddenly stopped, I asked, "What's up kid?"
Ciel slightly shook his head, averting his gaze, "Nothing. " Slowly rising from the floor, I leaned forward and quickly kissed him before wandering into the kitchen with promises of tea.
I could tell Ciel was pouting as I put water in the kettle, when he replied, "You might as well not bother, if you going to just force it upon me. I know I'm not going to drink it."
Smiling to myself, I asked in response, "What's wrong kid, did you miss your afternoon nap?"
Throwing a quick glance into to living room I found Ciel blushing with his arms over his chest. "I'll have you know, I don't take naps, I'm not a child."
"In my eyes you'll always be a kid."
Ciel let out an irritated huff, giving me a list of reasons why he wasn't, but I didn't really hear most of them. It was nice to know how persistent he was, but nothing he said right now would change my opinion. Ciel would refuse to accept that and just come up with more reasons, so I was just going to let him think he was going to get his way.
Cold night air nipped at my hands while I quickly stuffed them into my pockets while I roamed down the barren streets with Ciel at my side. After an afternoon dedicated to poring over shipping longs, with the occasional distraction from Ciel's general feisty and somewhat manipulative demeanor he had taken on for the time frame, we had finally managed to find what ship was most likely to be trafficking humans.
We trailed along behind Sebastian, since Ciel had sent him ahead to do damage control, not really talking. I made sure he was walking slightly in front of me since he seemed a little lethargic and burnt out. I would have suggested I do it by myself, but with his persistence it wouldn't accomplish anything. In fact he probably would have just gone off and done it by himself without me just to spite me. He's going to make himself sick iif he keeps it up like this.
"Will you stop?"
Glancing down at him I asked, "What do you mean?"
Ciel sighed met my gaze, seeming annoyed, "Stop hovering over me, it's unnecessary and irksome."
"Telling me that you don't want me caring about you isn't going to change anything because I will continue to worry."
"Nobody asked you to worry about me so don't, I'm fine and if I wasn't it none of your business."
Shrugging, I bluntly replied, "I know, just like you pretend you don't worry about me. How long do you really think this cat and mouse game of yours is going to last?"
Smirking, Ciel lowered his gaze and continued to look ahead, "I have no idea, what are you insinuating?"
"You can only keep this up for so long kid, I know how people work, eventually the floodgates of your inner thoughts will burst forth and before you know it this game will be nothing more than a childish fantasy."
Laughing quietly to himself, Ciel simple said, "Children are quite good when it comes to games, where do you think the term 'child's play' came from?" He set a brisk pace and stayed several feet in front of me, not glancing back. Shaking my head slightly, I thought to myself, and he refuses to let himself be called a child.
The brightly lit cargo ship loomed before us as we made our way down the dock, although it was a lot less lively than it normally would be from what I have seen on recently ported ships. There wasn't anybody scrambling around to make sure everything was unloaded and things were running smoothly. Then again, there wasn't much to unload that wouldn't require discreetness.
Following Ciel up the gangplank, I glanced around the empty upper deck, before following him down below; shivering slightly at the eerie feeling I was getting from the whole thing.
Ciel barely glanced around at his bloodstained surroundings before abruptly sending me off on my own. "Go down below and assess the damage. I'm going with Sebastian to find the captain."
I didn't really have a chance to object even if I wanted too since they disappeared into a different part of the ship. It was probably for the best though; I didn't really want to know what Ciel did behind metaphorical closed doors.
Once alone by myself, I managed to find menace in almost every little thing that surrounded me. The general atmosphere of the whole creaky ship was just unsteady and ever shifting. I could hear the wooden sides groan in protests as waves from the harbor slammed into them. There was also water dripping somewhere in the darkness and the vessel itself was subtly rocking back and forth. Gingerly picking my way across the bloodstained floor, I resolved that it was better than worrying about Ciel. Sebastian was with him so it wasn't like he was in any immediate danger; I just still wasn't too keen on the idea of him having to get involved in all of this.
He already seemed to be miles away in his own little world and generally not caring about anything, but stuff like this wasn't going to change that. At least I didn't think it would but even then I wasn't the best person to make life choices. I just wanted to see him happy for once, was that really too much to ask?
Stopping in front of a large metal door, I nervously glanced around at my dark surroundings. There wasn't much to see other than several barrels and a bale of hay, but it still felt like something was lurking in the shadows. Taking a deep breath to calm my shaky nerves and racing heart, I timidly reached forward and rested my hand on the metal bar that kept the door shut. What's wrong with me? I've never been this jumpy on a case before.
The weathered and tarnished metal screamed in protest as I forced it from its dented placeholder. A soft thud echoed around the moonlit room as the door made solid contact with the wall and chains rattled somewhere in-front of me.
Cautiously venturing forward, I waited for my eyes to adjust to the lack of light, before crouching in front of the sixteen year old girl before me. She flinched as I examined the lock that bound her to the wall, obviously scared of something. Keeping my voice soft, I made general small talk, even if she couldn't understand what I was saying and didn't respond, while I took off my coat and handed it to her. The girl gratefully accepted it while I fiddled with the lock, which I was having a difficult time springing.
While I continued fiddling, I noticed a much smaller girl peer over the other girls shoulder. The lock finally gave way and the older girl coaxed the younger one into her lap while I undid her chain as well. She draped the coat around the smaller girl and took her into her arms when her chain was open as well. Once we were out in the bright light, I noted their similar appearance and figured they were sisters.
In the bright hallway, I tried to look for any signs of Ciel or Sebastian, but it sounded like they were still preoccupied with whatever it was they were doing. After some convincing, I managed to convince the other girl to let me carry her sister since she could barely stand herself. We paused briefly while she tucked her arms into the long sleeves before pressing on at a relatively slow pace so they didn't overexert themselves.
Pausing just before heading to the second deck, I slowly asked, "Is there anybody else here?"
The girl stared at me blankly for a couple seconds, before shaking her head and replying in broken English, "just us."
Nodding curtly, I slowly led the way topside. The older girl would occasionally glance back to make sure her sister was there and would take her outstretched hand for a couple seconds, or whisper something in their native t***. Ciel's guess at what language would be a lot better than my own since I had taken French practically all of college and half the time I barely recognized it when it was being spoke.
I heard Ciel before I saw him, but he sounded irritable and generally fed up with this whole thing. While I ascended the stairs to the top deck he inquired, "Did you find anything?"
The girl in my arms clung tighter to my shirt, and he sister his behind me as I came to stand in front of Ciel and Sebastian, "I found two anythings for you."
He sighed softly after studying the small girls, but didn't say anything in objection. When Sebastian materialized behind his master the pair seemed near hysterics and the older girl crossed herself several times, saying something in whatever language she was speaking. On the other hand, Sebastian seemed amused with the display and chuckled softly, "as if such theatrics would actually work."
Ciel glared at Sebastian and demanded, "Go bring the carriage around; we're taking them home with us."
Bowing slightly, Sebastian turned and disappeared into the darkness, leaving Ciel and I with the girls. The older one standing behind me wearily eyed Ciel, but didn't say anything. At the very least she seemed grateful for him getting rid of Sebastian. "Do they speak English?"
"Not much."
Shaking his head slightly, Ciel turned and headed down the gangplank, leaving me to follow with the hesitant girls. Smiling slightly, I gently took the other girls hand and coaxed her along. She didn't really have much of a choice though since her sister was half asleep in my arms.
Once safely in the carriage, the smaller girl perked up slightly, and climbed into her sisters lap. Both of them seemed extremely hesitant to hesitant to respond to any of Sebastian's questions, which cycled through various languages, and they kept glancing at Ciel to make sure he was still there.
Eventually the older girl whispered something to her sister and Sebastian's keen ears picked up on it, so he continued to question them in their native t***. It surprised me a bit that he was fluent in whatever he was speaking, but at the same time I had to remember that I didn't really know how old he was or how many different parts of the world he had been to before. In reality, it shouldn't have been surprising, but I just kept forgetting that he wasn't human. Looks really can be deceiving.
The outside landscape gradually morphed into a more scenic and wooded one; when the older girl finally started to slowly respond to Sebastian's questions. After a particularly long silence Ciel prompted, "Well?"
"Kamila and Al beta," each girl nodded in turn, before Sebastian continued. "They were orphaned a few months ago and like so many of their predecessors, were lured here with false pretenses of exciting opportunities in a new land."
Ciel slightly shook his head but didn't say anything, still seeming agitated. Despite wanting to, I knew better than to ask him is something was bothering him now. He'd probably just ignore me even after we had been left to our own devices. However, it was still a shot in the dark to assume he'd say something or even respond if I questioned him about it. Sometimes he was just too stubborn for his own good.
As we drew closer to the manor the girls seemed mystified with the sprawling, over-sized house. Their eyes winded slightly as we pulled around the gravel drive, and they intently studied their new surroundings. Before the carriage even came to a stop Ciel ordered Sebastian, "Feed them something and put them up in a room, I'll figure out what to do with them in the morning." Sebastian nodded then Ciel added, "And don't do anything else to traumatize them, we don't need them rambling about demons when we get rid of them."
Sebastian smiled, watching his master climb out of the carriage and promptly replying, "of course, young master."
Once we were all standing in the foyer, Sebastian relayed the plan for the evening in their language, and Kamila glanced nervously towards Ciel from her place in her sister's arms, and he bluntly stated, "He won't do anything rash unless you give him reason to."
She nodded slightly, resting her head on her sister's shoulder as they followed Sebastian; leaving me to slowly trail along behind Ciel. He led the way down various hallways; some of them seeming slightly familiar, while others seemed to be completely new, until he settled in the parlor in front of a blazing hearth.
Shifting slightly in my place across from Ciel, I watched him struggle with undoing the button on his black coat for several minutes. He would have been more successful with the task if he had actually been paying attention to what he was doing instead of wandering off in his own little world; regardless of that he seemed to be slowly growing more and more frustrated with the task.
Moving in front of him, Ciel didn't object as I took over the task for him, but once I had finished he firmly stated, "I was more than capable of doing that myself."
Not wanting to get him riled up more than he already was, I tried not to sound as amused as I actually was when I replied, "I know, I just wanted to do it for you."
He rolled his eyes before rising, and wandering off into the adjacent room, taking his coat off as he went. Once the doo had closed back, I slowly rose from my perch on the floor and wandered back to my chair.
In a feeble attempt to distract myself from Ciel's new irritable demeanor, I watched the flames dance back and forth. The charred wood the delicate tendrils were perched upon would occasionally crackle, and sent up a cloud of sparks. The constant back and forth motion of the flames, left in in a mystified trance, and I was completely entranced in the strange dance until Ciel's movement in my peripheral vision distracted me. Although he didn't pay me any mind as he settle back into his chair, he just stared off into outer space, once again living in his own little fantasy world.
Sighing softly, I settled into the soft, velvety fabric on the chair, I found myself studying him from afar. His dark blue hair was bathed in a slightly orange glow from the fire light, and drifted to cover most of his face when he propped his head on his arm. His shoulders were slightly hunched and is he didn't have his legs partially tucked under him someone else could easily fit next to him if the wanted to. I was just reminded of how small and fragile he seemed to be despite his age, and how tough he acted at times. Right now it seemed like he was a porcelain doll, and the slightest touch or gentlest nudge would shatter him. And yet, I longed to venture over there and occupy the empty space next to him; to pull him into my lap and feel the heat from his body melding with my own while I ran my fingers through his silken hair. Maybe then I could once again evoke some sort of emotions response other than those expressed in this seemingly redundant cycle of apathy and mild irritation.
He abruptly glanced over and his blue eye narrowed slightly when he asked, "What are you doing?"
Letting out a small huff, Ciel broke away from my steady gaze and stated, "Well stop, it's annoying."
"What's wrong kid? Am I not allowed to enjoy this 'game' of yours a little?" I paused, aiming to get a response, but in turn got nothing, so I pressed the subject. "Or is it that you just have no idea what's going on and you aren't fully prepared to accept that so you pretend you're angry. As I mentioned before, rage is a secondary emotion."
The slight outline of his jaw became more prominent when he looked away, purposely avoiding eye contact.
Against my better judgment, I rose from my spot and came to crouch in front of him. He refused to look at me as I took his much smaller hands in my own and kissed them, "it's okay to be afraid."
He pulled away and shifted so his legs dangled over the adjacent armrest, "keep telling yourself that, because it's just weakness. Your constant patronization and seemingly insistent need to try to emotionally support me what I don't want or need is just a nuisance."
Resting my forehead against the soft cushion I closed my eyes and softly replied, "I don't care."
"You should, because you are wasting your time."
Taking a deep breath, I found myself completely frustrated, and just wanted to give up, while at the same time, I just wanted to get him to care about something. Was wanting to see him happy just once really too much to ask? I didn't feel like I was wasting my time, even right now when he barely wanted to talk to me. "I don't care, and I don't feel like I am. I love you, and I don't expect you to care, but that doesn't me I don't have to."
Ciel paused for a long time, and the silence was filled with the crackling of the fire, but just as I though he wasn't going to respond Ciel stated, "You're an idiot."
"Good, I'm a happy idiot."
Hours seemed to pass before Ciel slowly came to rest his hand on top of my head, and he pet my hair. "You are such a stubborn child."
Smiling slightly, I replied, "I know, but one of has to be the child and it's obvious you aren't going to do it." When I peered up at him, he rested his hand against my cheek, slightly pinching the skin there.
His light blue eye bore into my brown ones when I sat on my knees and took his hand in my own. After earning no objection, I pressed my lips against the palm of his hand, earning a lazy and somewhat content smile from him. Returning the gesture, I closed my eyes when he moved his hand to the side of my face, gently holding it there with my own hand.
Ciel leaned forward and rewarded this evening persistence with a quick kiss, before he slid out of his chair and made slow strides towards his room. "I'm going to bed, do as you please."
A small smile worked its way onto my face as I rose from the floor, "goodnight kid."
The door closing back was the only response I received.
Ciel visibly tensed in next to me when we entered the Queen's chamber room. I myself could see why though since she had summoned her entire court for us. Whatever prickly mood Ciel had been in intensified tenfold in that instance. I wanted to discreetly grab his hand just to give him a reason to be irritated, but I decided against it. As much as he didn't want to accept the new arrangement that was being forced upon him, I actually preferred it. As much as neither one of us wanted to admit it to one another, I was going to worry about him once I was sent back to the Yard and he would worry about me, even if it was just the occasional 'I wonder what Gus is up to'. As much as I didn't want to admit it, I didn't even want to go back. Doing this just felt a lot easier; there were a lot less restrictions and paperwork to fill out. This whole process was just simpler and more direct. The fact that I got to spend all this time with Ciel was just an added bonus.
After bowing, I let Ciel take the reins on things. It was a nice system we had worked out and I like it this way because I didn't have to struggle to come up with responses to questions I didn't know the answer to. Plus I got too nervous for my own good, it was just better if Ciel was in charge of dealing with people; I observe, not interact.
"Your majesty it is a pleasure to be here today."
A smile appeared on her wrinkled face and excitement sparkled in her green eyes, "I'm happy to see you too my boy, you're looking quite well."
Returning the gesture Ciel replied, "As do you, your majesty."
The queen shifted her attention to where I floated in the background, and asked, "Has he been giving you any trouble; Ciel can be quite stubborn at times."
Ciel shot me an irritated glare when I ruffled his hair and I cheerfully replied, "not at all, he's just been a perfect ray of sunshine."
"That's nice to hear, I worry about him sometimes."
Smiling, we exchanged knowing glances and I reassured her, "there's no need too, he's been as safe as he could be of late."
Ciel glanced up at me, a somewhat sadistic smile plastered across his face and I could just hear him asking 'I wonder why that is' just to irritate me. Although I guess it was better I was the one getting kidnapped all the time, since it kept Ciel out of danger and I liked knowing he worried when I was gone.
"Good, it puts my mind at ease to know I'm enlisting a capable new recruit."
Ciel seemed to cringe slightly at the warning, although he took a lot of pride in serving the Queen, so her wording it so casually must have put him off. It was understandable, and I gently nudged him in attempts to slightly lift his spirits.
I smiled down at him when he glanced up, but he just glared and looked unamused and very unimpressed with the gesture. I shrugged slightly, and redirected my attention to what was going on; albeit it wasn't really needed since the queen wasn't addressing us.
Ciel nudged my hand with his own, briefly squeezing my fingers before sadly staring ahead of him. I knew there were some personal reasons why Ciel didn't want me doing this, but that didn't mean I wasn't going to. After everything, I really didn't just want to go back to going through the motions and pretending like all of this hadn't happened. I knew things practically nobody else knew, and certainly nobody else in the force either. I didn't want to. No matter how much he seemed annoyed by my presence, or claimed he didn't want to be around me and didn't care what happened, I knew he didn't mean any of it most of the time. And even when he did mean it, it didn't seem to matter. I'd almost die countless times as long as it meant he was safe.
"Gus, please step forward."
After I closed my eyes briefly, I took a deep breath and stepped forward. Some guy in white whipped out a thin sword and stood before me, studying me with mild disinterest. It was obvious he didn't want to be here, or at the very least be doing this. For once I could say I didn't have the slightest desire to completely bail out on this social occasion. "Kneel."
I obliged, staring down at the shiny floor. The content of the draw out address that followed evaded me, blocked out by the pounding of my heart in my own ears. The sudden excitement that bubbled through me caught me off guard, and I found myself struggling to stay still much like a small child would. " make you one of my guard dogs."
Slowly rising, I dipped my head slightly, not really able to do anything more than smile and take deep breaths.
Members of the court started gossiping almost instantly as I returned to Ciel's side, but he was already leafing through a folder someone had given him as everybody straggled out of the room and wandered off down the hall; something about a celebration.
The last person to leave was the queen, and she congratulated me, until I was left with Ciel and Sebastian. Playfully stooping Ciel height, I asked, "What's that?"
"What does it look like?"
Decidedly taking the question literally, I replied, "Paper."
Ciel sighed and elbowed me, before stepping away, "very good, you are capable of identifying common household objects." When I rested my arm on his shoulder, he stepped away and flung the folder into my chest, striding out of the room with Sebastian following closely behind. Quickly catching up Ciel bluntly stated, "We have a grave robber on our hands."
"What a death defying stunt."
He sighed loudly, and ran his fingers through his hair as I walked along his other side, "I have enough idiots to deal with at home; I don't need another one."
"What? It wasn't that bad."
Discreetly grabbing my hand, he smirked up at me, replying, "Dead men tell no tales."
Returning the gesture, I squeezed his hand and replied, "Apparently these ones do."
Sebastian looked back and for between the two of us several times, seeming amused before saying, "such fascinating creatures."
Gus Kinney: we hope that you like the ending here sebbyninja666 and i will be doing other stories together we do not own black butler or q ueer as folk we just wished we did thank you and until next time good bye and we hope you have your dark dreams