Ciel's Curse
Rated: M

Genre: Mystery/Drama/Action

Anime:
Black Butler- I do not own the Characters used in this story.

Written by: HellsingInsaneGirl666
-Warning: Highly Graphic Mental Images will appear in this chapter-
[Not anything bad…-ish]

Chapter: 11

~

Claude knelt into the back seat. Feeling as the memories had begun to etch themselves into his mind, etching into something he could never forget. Even if he tried to.

"… Everything will turn out okay… My little spider." Alex sobbed. "…I'm dying… aren't I?"

Alex's voice cried out into his mind, never ending. He relived the memory; watched her degrade into dust. Again. And again. Being ripped apart from the very existence she inhabited. As if time had caught up with her. He remembered, suddenly, a furthermore distant memory of her.

"I found her in the forest. The following winter. She was unscathed and unclothed, she was buried under a thin layer of snow by the time I had discovered her."

It was this memory, which brought him comfort for some peculiar reason. He still had not figured out how she ended up there in the first place, after he clearly watched her die long before. Could this death, be the same? This time- be no different? Claude stopped thinking. He was petrified he was giving himself false hope. Even if it was just a glimmer, he tucked it away. Far away into the depths of his. He buried his head once more into his arms, before taking in a sharp breath of cold air. Claude clenched his fists, pushing himself off the seat he stood in the darkness outside the car. He shut the door, stopping himself from slamming it. He hated himself for what he was about to do.

"I am a demon." He said. "And she was nothing to me." The lie stung his heart, making his throat tight, he swallowed the tears. "That's the raw truth." He had to return to Sebastian, and Ciel. His journey was far from over. Gritting his teeth, he rubbed his temples. "She was nothing to me." He repeated. Claude's voice was almost a growl through his locked jaw. He stood by the car for a moment, taking in the dark, taking in the lies he fed himself. He refused to feel as Sebastian did. He refused.

"Okay." He said. The lies leached over his mind, taking over his body. His body, no- his shell. It felt numb and it was quick until he felt nothing at all. That weakened smirk, it played back onto his lips. He reached up, wiping away the tears that welled in his drying eyes. He refused to give himself senseless hope, senseless pain. He refused to be drowned with her memories.

Claude smiled. Looking upon the darkness that consumed the rolling hills, the night sky that twinkled the very same shine that stole her away from him. He opened the car door, getting in he was going to return to them. To Sebastian, and Ciel. He wanted answers more than pity.

~

Ciel let go of Sebastian slowly. Returning his hand, Sebastian yanked his hand back from Ciel. Holding it close to his chest. He didn't know what that was, or why Ciel did that in the first place. Ciel's eyes were wide, and he was taking shallow breaths. He took a stumbled step back from Sebastian who was still knelt on the ground. Sebastian too, was also breathing shallow. Beads of sweat welled up on his forehead. He rolled his eyes upwards he looked at Ciel, he could tell Ciel wanted to say something. But he didn't. Ciel looked- almost scared and Sebastian could take a guess why.

When the two connected hands, the last memory the two shared together relived itself. Sebastian watched through Ciel's eyes, he watched as Ciel struggled in the clear tarp. He could feel the weight of the tarp crushing down as if it were happening at that very moment. It was hard to breath, no- Sebastian couldn't breathe. He tried, he didn't need to but at that moment it felt like he did. At that moment, Sebastian was Ciel. He could see the water rippling overhead, the balcony blurred and stretched underneath. Disappearing slowly, white noise echoed under the thick water. Everything was muffled, the only sound was his own thrashing against the water, the tarp, the muffled sound of his screaming butler and the laughter of the other men behind him. But there was something else, something deep within the fear, panic and sadness. Sebastian could feel a burning desire. A desire of what could only be described as detest. It was more than hatred. It was something stronger than anything Sebastian could ever dream to describe.

This fact also reamed true for Ciel. Ciel lived through Sebastian's eyes, as he saw himself being pushed off the edge. He could feel how hard Sebastian had struggled, and how pained when he couldn't. He heard the laughter of the men and the way Sebastian's voice broke as he cried, I can't. Ciel also felt the agony when the waves grew silent and how torturous it was for Sebastian, when the men held him there for another hour just to be sure. He felt what Sebastian felt when the men let him go. Watching, feeling as Sebastian dropped to the floor like a weight, but not before using the last of his hope to dive in over the ledge. Not caring about the men who held him there. To feel how it was when the only thought through his mind was him, it was 'Ciel'. He felt Sebastian's pointless hope for Ciel. That he still might be alive… When Sebastian dived in and tore Ciel out from the tarp, shredding it to get to him. Holding Ciel close when he did get to him. Swimming up, he saw Sebastian lie Ciel on the concrete, and he felt Sebastian's heart break. A feeling which Ciel was certain demons could never feel.

Ciel glanced up, taking slow deep breaths he suddenly looked towards the road. He knew Claude was coming back, and something else as well. Something he needed to take care of. He took a long breath. Slipping off his glasses, he wiped the blood tears from his eyes which had started to well in his eyes during the flashbacks. He looked to Sebastian, Ciel was still hunched over slightly. His legs bracing him so that he wouldn't stumble again.

"Sebastian. We still need to talk." Ciel said, his voice was quieter than he would've wished. Sebastian too, was still aching from the experience. His heart was throbbing, and the pit of his stomach had dropped further into his gut. But he nodded, looking up he saw that Ciel was pointing to the bar.

"We can talk in there. I need to take care of something before Claude returns." Ciel walked towards the bar, taking a step onto the chipped white deck. Sebastian took a breath of relief, relaxing a bit as he watched Ciel's distance grow further. He reached up, wiping away the beats of sweat that swelled on his forehead. He took a moment before he adjusted, pushing himself from the ground, the light gravel scraped underneath as he moved his leg; propping himself up. He didn't want to talk about what just happened. It made him sick even thinking about it. Ciel vanished into the silhouette of the bar, closing the dainty wooden brown door behind him. Sebastian wasn't sure if he should wait for Claude or go in with Ciel. But he decided to wait for Claude instead.

It was quiet. It was dark and Sebastian sat at the edge of the creped deck waiting for Claude. It was cold, and it had been at least five or ten minutes when Sebastian had decided to wait for the other demon. Sebastian didn't ask how Ciel knew Claude was coming, he didn't ask a lot of things as of late. Sebastian was leaning into his hands, balancing them on his knees. Ciel was inside and he was being really quiet, he wasn't making any noise as if he wasn't even in there. And Sebastian still wasn't sure of this 'business' that he had to take care of. Mostly, Sebastian was thinking about what had happened between Ciel and himself. He was trying to remember that feeling, trying to put words to what it was in that brief moment it had happened. It was odd, something he never felt before. It was, as Sebastian had come to start to describe, a mixture between betrayal, hate, rage, and then something else. He was still trying to figure out which word best described that last piece of the puzzle. That last piece of the emotion.

He was still trying to figure this, when the darkness was interrupted by headlights from down the gravel road. Sebastian arranged his posture reacting to it, lifting up his head he rested his hands behind him on the deck, ready to push himself into a stand. It was Claude, who else could it be? Claude's large black SUV pulled up next to Sebastian, turning the key it went silent, the engine crackling softly. Claude didn't immediately get out of the car. Sebastian pushed himself up walking up to the dark reflection of the glass. He looked past that, only to see an expression he knew all too well. It was the face Sebastian saw in the mirror every morning, the expression of loss. Sebastian immediately knew not to ask about Alex. It was too obvious, no matter how much he would try to deny it.

Claude took a breath, he needed more. This was what was driving him now. He needed to know he needed to know why and most of all he wanted to break the curse. He opened the door, stepping out of the car he glanced at Sebastian. His body said, 'I'm fine' but his eyes said 'pain'. Sebastian didn't nod, he didn't ask, and most of all he didn't acknowledge what had happened. He knew, and Claude knew that he knew. Claude took a breath.

"Not a word." Claude whispered shutting the door behind him. Sebastian didn't even acknowledge him, he just turned back towards the bar.

"Ciel's in there, he-" Sebastian's words were interrupted by a sudden and strange sound. Both Claude and Sebastian looked at each other.

"Was that?-" Sebastian asked Claude. Claude's eyebrow was raised.

"-Puking?" Claude nodded. "Sounded like it." The sound happened again. Both Claude and Sebastian ran into the bar, hopping on the porch and opening the tattered door, the lights inside the bar were on. But only one or two which were highlighting the bar and a few tables. Leaving the outskirts of the bar in shadow. It happened again, louder now. It was clearly coming from the bathroom and Ciel was nowhere to be seen, and it certainly did sound like Ciel. Sebastian for one, would know. He walked towards the bathroom door, weaving through the few standing tables and chairs, and a few wooden pillars.

Sebastian knocked on the door and the sound paused. Sebastian froze. Reaching for the handle he turned it slowly, creaking open the door. Sure enough, Ciel was bent over the toilet. His heavy black coat crumpled in a pile by his knees, revealing his black shirt and skinny jeans. He knelt on an out of place lime green fuzzy rug. Like this had been where Ciel was living. Sebastian did notice however, that Ciel was a bit more muscular than the last time he saw him. Sebastian couldn't envision Ciel at the gym, much less putting on his own pants. His arms were propped on the seat, slicking back his vivid blue-black hair from his broken eyes. His sunglasses too, were off his face and sitting on the edge of a blue tinted sink. Even Ciel's shoes were off. They sat on the opposite side of the toilet next to the far wall. While his feet revealed a pair of dark blue and black stripped ankle socks, and it was clear that he had been in there for a while.

Ciel shot Sebastian a glare, not departing his face from the toilet.

"Get out." Ciel snarled before suddenly gagging. Vomit erupted from his mouth. It was strange though. It was far from anything 'normal'. The vomit, well, it was almost like tar. Thick, heavy, bubbling black sludge. Ciel was shaking a bit; as he held the edge of his face making sure he didn't lose aim. The puke slowed from his mouth, his tongue out, he spit a large grotesque lump of black into the toilet. Long, dense saliva hung from the edge of his lip like melted plastic. Which, led back into the toilet filled floating chunky black goo. Ciel moved his hand, wiping it away from his lip. Then the smell happened, as it finally hit Sebastian like a brick wall. It could only be described with one word. Sulphur. Pure, raw, never ending Sulphur. Sebastian was almost certain, that Ciel was puking Sulphur from how concentrated the smell was. Aside from the fact that Ciel's sludge was black… "I will be with you in a minute." Ciel's voice hinted a threat in there somewhere. As he moved his arm back into place to hold his face. Meanwhile, Sebastian wasn't sure on what the hell he was watching. His mouth fell slightly open.

"Ciel? Are you actually puking? Sick? You?" Sebastian asked stunned. Stunned, because after everything, Ciel was acting as if he was this amazing thing. But now, here he was, vomiting some substance that humans would bend and vomit themselves; if they witnessed it. Ciel chuckled. Giving an odd smile.

"No, actually. This is normal. Now get the fuck out…" Ciel paused, lurching forward another round of vomit, black sludge exploded into the toilet from his mouth. Ciel's jaw opened to an extent that was almost not possible and it was steaming… Ciel gagged. His body jerked back instinctually, Sebastian was still holding the door handle. His eyes wide with, 'what the fuck am I seeing?' Ciel took a breath, coughing from the puke. "Please." He uttered, his voice weak.

Sebastian nodded still wide eyed. Closing the door as another gag happened. Sebastian turned to Claude, who had taken a seat at the bar resting his head in his folded arms. His back stretched backwards, sitting on the barstool. He looked almost like a sleeping cat. Sebastian walked towards him, he took a seat by the demon. He wasn't going to talk about it, this he promised himself. But… he couldn't stop himself. He had to know.

"Can you tell me what happened? Claude?" Sebastian asked. Claude lifted up his head a bit, plopping it back down into his arms for a moment. He nudged it back up.

"Why is Ciel puking?" Claude evaded. Sebastian glanced back to the door, these puking sounds were much more violent. As if he was practicing projectile vomiting for a world record. Sebastian shrugged, sighing.

"No idea. But seeing how he is… He will probably tell us." Sebastian sighed, "Eventually." He smiled subtly. Reaching out he poked Claude. "Hey." He said. "You still didn't answer my question." Claude burrowed his head.

"She's dead. That's all." Claude's words were muffled in his arms. Sebastian understood why he was acting this way, but he still wanted to know.

"That's not just all, also you are acting like a child and nothing like a demon." Sebastian stated to Claude. Claude lifted his head on that one.

"Hypocrite." He snapped. Sebastian knew full well he was being one too. But he was doing it on purpose. Sebastian smiled.

"Damn right I am, now tell me exactly what happened." He smiled halfheartedly expressing sympathy rather than an actual smile. Claude grit his teeth. But he pick himself up into the sitting position.

"Okay. She, kinda…" Claude lifted his fingers into a twinkling motion, "evaporated, into crystals. Or something." He dropped his hands, Sebastian flashed back to when Ciel was washed with crystals. Quickly putting two and two together; Sebastian bit his knuckle.

"Oh- goodness." He whispered glancing back to the door Ciel was behind. Claude nodded.

"Yep. I already know. Ciel ate her." Claude's hand balled into a fist as he fought the memory from coming back. Sebastian nodded, acknowledging he was right. He glanced to the bathroom, both demons had ended up drowning out the puking noise in the background. If they didn't, each time that it happened they would have cringed in annoyance. But that wasn't what caught their attention to the bathroom, it was instead the sound of flushing. Sebastian didn't know if he was done or going for round two.

Nope. The sound of the sink turning on confirmed Sebastian's suspects. Claude jerked back to Sebastian.

"A part of me thinks she didn't really die." Claude mouthed under his breath. Both heard Ciel moving around in the bathroom, presumably, putting back on all his clothes. Sebastian shot a look to Claude. Before he could answer however, the door to the bathroom opened. Sure enough, Ciel's coat, shoes and glasses were all returned to their proper place on Ciel. Ciel had cleaned himself up in the sink, not a trace of what was coming out of his mouth. Ciel flipped off the bathroom light, walking forward towards the two demons.

"You're right Claude. She didn't." Ciel boded giving a weak smile, he was in front of them now. Claude glanced at Sebastian and Sebastian was hawking Ciel. Ciel, returning the gaze, rested his hand on the bar. Plucking out his index finger, he walked backwards tracing the bar as he walked. Rounding the corner, he was now behind it. Ciel ducked down behind the bar, glasses clinked as he shuffled through them. Sebastian glanced at Claude just as Ciel popped back up. Setting glasses on the bar, he pulled out a few bottles of whiskey, tequila and margarita mixes.

"Drinking? Really Ciel? Aren't you a little young to be drinking?" Sebastian asked, Ciel stopped what he was doing. His face fell into an extremely obvious 'are you fucking serious' face.

"Sebastian." His voice seeped of annoyance. "I am a hundred and twenty-seven years old. I think I am old enough for a fucking drink. Or two." Sebastian quickly recoiled in shame.

"I… forgot." Even Claude rose an eyebrow and scrunched his face in incredulity. Ciel rolled his eyes, resuming his previous actions.

Ciel mixed drinks expertly, while Claude reached over, grabbing a nearby half empty Tequila bottle. He slid it away from the others slowly, Sebastian rose an eyebrow at this, while Ciel, didn't care as he clearly watched it happen. Claude then removed a large Monster energy drink from his deep overcoat pocket, mixing the two together, he poured the entire can into the bottle itself. He drank the Tequila straight from the bottle. Pretty much trying to ignore what Ciel had said earlier. Keep Ciel's words from his mind. While Sebastian waited patiently for the drink Ciel was making him.

"Ciel?" Sebastian asked. Ciel didn't break from what he was doing, but he did roll his eyes up to look at Sebastian. "What was it?" Ciel knew what he was referring too. He paused, taking breath he looked at Sebastian through the glasses. Claude still didn't know about Ciel's eyes…

"That?" Ciel started, "Sebastian that was refusal. Determination. Will. Sebastian… that was the raw of my soul." Claude glanced up, lost in the conversation between them. He was also somewhat loopy from the monster mixed tequila. For Sebastian however, that last piece of the puzzle had fallen into place. Claude was confused.

"What are you guys even talking about?" Claude asked quietly, he didn't want to be rude and interrupt them, but he wanted to know too. Ciel glanced to Claude.

"Just something that happened between Sebastian and I. By the way…" Ciel tilted his head. "Alex says hi." Claude grit his teeth. Ciel poured a bottle of whisky into a glass. He slid it over to Sebastian who was almost finished with his first glass, while not breaking his eye contact with Claude. "So does Alois." Ciel grinned dropping his gaze to the bar for a moment. Claude whipped his head to Ciel.

"What?" Claude asked, Ciel's smile grew larger.

"Oh yea…" He said looking back up to Claude and Sebastian. "I forget you have no idea…" Sebastian leaned forward.

"Speaking of… why the hell are you using his name?" Sebastian asked taking a tasteless sip of his alcohol. Claude tossed Sebastian another can of unopened monster. Sebastian, breaking his moment of concentration, started to wonder where Claude kept all of these cans. Ciel poured himself a glass of tequila into a tall shot glass.

"Why?" Ciel chuckled and then smirked. "He said I could."

The two demons glanced at each other.

"He found me. Later down the road." Ciel casually stretched setting down his glass. "I'd say, that was about," Ciel crinkled his fingers, counting them quietly. "A few years ago just about, you know; before he starved to death."

"What?! Ho-" Claude was cut off, setting down the bottle.

"-Alois was a demon, Claude. Demon." Ciel snapped. "He made a deal with Hannah after you left, or so he told me. Quote on quote, 'I didn't ask, Hannah offered, and I accepted because I wasn't done.'"

"Wasn't done with what?" Claude asked, his eyes wide.

"Hm, he didn't say. And I didn't ask. But I am pretty sure it had something to do with you… no actually yes, it was all about you." Ciel grinned. "But, who am I to judge?" He shrugged, "Does it really matter now? He's dead, starved to death. And it was a lot faster since he hung around me." Ciel paused for a moment glancing up. "Well actually, 'dead' isn't the proper term for someone who got eaten… right guys?" Ciel smirked, sliding off the glasses Claude was finally seeing what Sebastian had long saw before him. Claude looked away from it, he couldn't look at it. But it all made sense now. Especially how he was eating souls, even consuming demon souls. But it seemed, he was the only one who could. Sebastian grimaced, looking at his eyes again.

"Come on," he said, "you have explain everything now." Sebastian asked, Ciel smiled.

"Gladly." He replied. "But let's take this to my house, Claude there looks like he is about to pass out." He nodded towards Claude, he was right. Claude was swaying softly side to side. Sebastian nodded agreeing with Ciel, reaching out, he grabbed Claude. Ciel slammed one hand onto the bar, heaving himself, he did a cartwheel over the bar with ease.

"Really Ciel?"

Ciel smiled.

"Please Sebastian, I'm not exactly a noble anymore. I've learned how to have fun." He said with a smirk. He walked to the far side of the dark bar, opening a side door that led to more gravel. "My house is back here." He stepped out into the cold, leaving the half boozed demons behind. The door remained open behind him.

"Wait!" Sebastian called after him. "Are you going to tell me why you were puking?!" Ciel replied, but his voice was distant.

"Yes!" He called. "But can you hurry the hell up?" Sebastian sighed, turning to Claude.

"Time for some answers…" Sebastian whispered, catching Claude right as he passed out.

~To Be Continued~
Having an internal battle, whether or not I am a good writer. The only way we can both win, is if I just write without thinking.
Hope you guys enjoyed ^^