Chapter 14: Masquerade

A/N: I really tried, and wanted to get this chapter out before Halloween since it is kind of a Halloween themed chapter, but I failed... *sigh* Shh, just pretend it's still October.

-The~Candy~Craving~Demon

Ciel was sore, but he wasn't going to let it show. He scowled as he ran his hand over over the new purplish bruise-like marks that now lie on the upper half of his body. For a while he stood staring at his shirtless reflection, contemplating how to cover up the hickey on his neck.

"Ciel...no... Please don't go...please don't leave me alone." He heard the blond mumble quietly.

Curious, the slate haired earl, peered his head out of the bathroom and towards Alois' bed. The blond was still sleeping soundly, his body curled inward in the fetal position, his fingers clasping the sheets. He's sleep talking, Ciel thought as he listened to the blond's gentle rhythmic breathing. I wonder what he's dreaming about.

"Alois, wake up." Ciel said, gently shaking the blond. "I have to leave for school soon."

The blond rolled over onto his other side, his back facing the other teenager. Half asleep, he mumbled, "It's too damn early and I'm tired. I'm cold without you here. You should get back into the bed so I can siphon your body heat." Alois then curled up tighter, shivering, his teeth slightly chattering.

"Well first off it'd probably help if you put some clothes on. You're going to catch a cold sleeping naked without at least a blanket on."

The blond shivered again, shuddering, his teeth chattering loudly. "I- It's c- Cold. Please, I need you Ciel. Stay. For me."

The bluenette rolled his eyes, sighing. He then gently sat at the edge of the bed, gently leaning back, resting his head onto Alois' side. "I thought you said you were cold. You feel pretty warm to me."

"That's because I'm a demon now, so of course my body temperature's warmer. But being a demon doesn't make me any less immune to the cold." The blond then pulled his legs in tighter. "However, my blood will always run hot for you."

"Alois," Ciel started slowly, "Are you feeling okay?" He had once recalled Sebastian mentioning that if a demon went too long without eating, more specifically a human soul, they would be engulfed by an icy numbness, almost like frostbite, nearly overcome with the urge to devour, developing excruciating hunger pangs until the urge was fulfilled, essentially how a vampire was created.

"Cold." The blond earl replied stiffly.

"Are you hungry?"

"I'm hungry for your warmth."

"Bloody hell." Ciel cursed under his breath, sitting up. "I'm not going back to bed."

"Why not?" Alois whined, rolling back over onto his other side so he were facing the bluenette. "You care more about school than your boyfriend? How cruel." He continued to whine, his bottom lip protruding into a sulky pout.

"I want to be successful in life. Not riding on my parents' coattail, I want to have a company of my own, aside from Funtom." Ciel said thoughtfully, daydreaming slightly about what his future had to hold.

Alois sighed melodramatically and rolled his eyes, muttering under his breath. Then suddenly a thought occurred to him. "Hey, when's the Halloween ball? I saw flyers for it plastered on the walls around the building, when I went to school yesterday."

"It's tonight. It's a masquerade ball, quite suiting considering it's All Hallow's Eve."

Alois grinned, smirked was more like it. Ciel felt his stomach tie itself into a knot, he found the blond's expression unsettling. "We should go," Alois started. "...as a couple. With matching costumes. I want to show everybody that you're mine. And mine alone, that Ciel Phantomhive belongs to me." Alois singsonged, giggling as he sat up and draped his arms around Ciel's shoulder's.

The bluenette's face flushed a deep shade of red. "N- No. I don't think it's a good idea."

"Why not? What? Are you too ashamed to show me off? Are you afraid of the rejection and the pitied looks you'll receive once people realize you're homosexual?" Alois asked almost mockingly, staring the other young earl down with a narrowed, bone-chilling, ice cold glare.

"N- No." Ciel stammered nervously. "That's not the reason why. I love you, dumbass, and you know that." Ciel said, but he was lying. That was the precise reason why he didn't want to. He didn't want to be judged by others, he just wanted to blend into the shadows, into the darkness, where no scornful eyes could find him. He loved Trancy without a doubt, but he couldn't stand being looked at with disgust and disapproval, because in reality, he may of always had a stoic composure on the outside, and his walls may have looked impassible, but truthfully, his self esteem was just as fragile as the blond's.

Alois stared daggers into the bluenette's dark cobalt eyes, searching in the impossibly blue ocean for the web of lies. "Why?" Alois repeated, his lips pulled into a tight a scowl, his words covered in ice and dripping with venom.

"B- Besides, there aren't any tickets left, so it's not like we can go anyway." Ciel stated bluntly, itching for the subject to change.

Alois crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm sure I can dig up some dirt somewhere, and get some poor soul to give us their tickets..."

"Trancy." Ciel said firmly, his mouth twisted into an ugly scowl. "You shouldn't blackmail some poor innocent couple. Have some dignity."

"I'll find a way to get tickets to it somehow. But we're going." The blond stated firmly, standing his ground. "And don't lie. I know you're ashamed to come out of the closet and admit you've sexuality, I was in that predicament too, at one point. If you're uncomfortable being around me in public, I'll wear a wig and a gown, just for you, if you really care about you're public image that much. I'll suffer through wearing a corset for you, but it's only because I love you so much mutt." The blond said, averting his gaze as his cheeks grew warm. "It'll be like the first time we met." He said smiling sheepishly. He then added, giggling, "And I'll seduce you all over again." He then lunged at Ciel, knocking him backwards, down onto the mattress, straddling him. Alois then nuzzled his head against Ciel's shoulder, playfully nipping the tip of the other teenager's ear.

"Ooh, what about this mask? I think it's suiting." Alois said, shoving the said item into Ciel's face.

The bluenette groaned. "I'm not wearing that. When I agreed to go to the Halloween ball with you, I never agreed to wear such a ludicrous costume." Ciel huffed, crossing his arms and upturning his head arrogantly.

The blond pouted, deflating slightly. His eyebrows furrowed, Alois then began to look around the store filled with assorted costumes and other ghastly and ghoul-like odds and ends. "Oh! How about this!" The blond said smirking, a snicker escaping his parted lips. He then held up a mask that was yellow and rubbery, red latex feathers and a beak attached onto the mask. A rooster head. In his other hand was an unopened candy bag filled with suckers. He then shoved the bag of candy into the bluenette's arms and slipped the mask over Ciel's head.

Ciel gasped in surprise, but once his brain had comprehended what had happened, he pursed his lips and stared at Alois unamused.

Alois still wearing a smug grin on his face, barely able to contain his laughter, he then joked, "You're a cock sucker~ Do you get it?" He said bursting out with laughter, doubling over as his smile only grew wider.

Ciel knew that what the blond had said should've been beyond him, he knew he shouldn't of been snickering at the blond's corny and inappropriate joke, hell he knew he shouldn't of even been grinning, but he was. Pulling the mask off, still grinning, he elbowed Alois in the side. "Shh, Alois keep your voice down!" He barely managed to say without breaking into more laughter.

The duo was definitely earning a few odd and questionable looks from other nearby fellow shoppers, turning heads, and capturing interests.

"Hey Phantomhive," Alois said, fidgeting nervously, his cheeks flushed, as he twiddled his thumbs anxiously. "Do I have to wear a mask? I mean I shine with such resilience and beauty, it'd be a shame to cover up my gorgeous face."

"It's a masquerade ball. That's the whole point." The shorter of the two earls deadpanned, rolling his eyes.

Alois pouted, narrowing his eyes and scoffing. Side-glaring at Ciel, he then sifted through the masks lined on the shelves, shoving and discarding ones he disliked aside. There were various assortments of costumes, anything from felines to skulls, but there was one mask in particular that caught his eyes. It was solid ebony, the edges of the mask dipping into sharp points and curves, slowly stair-stepping, each point getting longer as you got closer to the top. In many ways, the creases and patterns carved into the material resembled black angel wings, each point resembling a string of feathers, the frame of the mask getting narrower as it dipped into a curve just between the wearer's eyes, the side parallel to it, ending in a sharp tipped beak, snuggly resting against the wearer's nose.

The blond held it up to the light and studied it, turning it over in his hands. He wasn't sure what he found so fascinating about it, but when he picked it up, he instantaneously knew that that mask was the one. Slowly, he moved the elastic that secured the mask to one's face aside, gingerly holding it up on his face with his hand, staring into the small mirror, staring at his reflection. The jet black definitely complimented his cerulean irises nicely, making them stand out amidst the sea of black. However, he noted the mask seemed to bring out the cold, and icy harshness of his eyes, even more so, which he wasn't really sure how that was even humanely possible.

He gritted his teeth. The wings. That was what had drawn him to pick it up. Aeron. The wings reminded him of the fallen. Over the past few months he had been in a coma, he'd grown to become fond of the damned, cursed, creature. After having all of those subconscious conversations with the fallen, he had found out they were two halves of the same whole. They had both been betrayed and used as stepping stones to reach a higher goal, just stray pebbles cast aside from a concrete path.

He had woken up in that hospital room, cold and alone. There weren't people there to hug him or coddle him, there wasn't anyone there to praise him for pulling through, there was just...there wasn't anything. Nothing but the consistent beeping sound of monitors to comfort his newly awakened presence. He vividly remembered there being a curtain between him and some other patient, and he could remember feeling another presence, one that was familiar and oddly comforting, but it wasn't Sebastian. Although, he never got the courage to ever rip open the curtains like he had wanted to. That was when he had ran, when he had left, when he had desperately wanted to find Ciel. And that he did, showing up at St. Augustine in the middle of the school day to surprise his newly found lover, to get the comfort and reassurance he so desperately wanted and longed for.

But he felt that presence now, the same one he had felt when he had been in the hospital. It wasn't as direct as when he had been sitting in that room filled with a disgusting amount of white, and marble tiled floor, but it was definitely there, like it was looming over him.

Help me..., A voice whispered inside of him, but he couldn't place it, but it was so familiar. He felt a chill race up his spine as he shuddered.

Ciel placed a gentle hand on Alois' shoulder, noticing the anxious look of paralyzed fear in the blond's eyes. His boyfriend's hands were trembling, shaking the mask that was held within them. "Alois?" He asked slowly. "Is everything okay?"

Snapping him out of his trance, Alois shook the thoughts he had been harboring, out of his head, stiffly nodding in response to the slate haired boy's question. His grip unconsciously tightened around the mask.

"Alois tell me." Ciel demanded, grabbing the taller's shoulder roughly and jerking him towards him.

The blond pursed his lips and averted his gaze. "I can't. You wouldn't understand."

"I would if you told me."

Alois shook his head furiously. "No you wouldn't. He then shoved the mask into Ciel's hands. "Go ahead and pick out whatever you want me to wear for the party, just make sure it's cute and reveals A LOT of skin so I look sexy. I have something else I need to attend to."

"T- Trancy! Where are you going?! This whole masquerade ball was your idea in the first place damnit!"

Abruptly, Alois then left, strutting out of the store, the one inch heels of his boots clacking loudly against the marble tiles, the bell above the door chiming, almost as if it were taunting Ciel.

Alois let out a heavy sigh and turned his head skywards, up at the tops of buildings, when suddenly a bright scarlet medical cross caught his attention. He felt his soul pulse and writhe in agony.

He hadn't even realized he'd been walking towards the hospital until he stood in front of it's automatic doors, the glasses sliding open for him to enter with a 'swish'. He wasn't sure what he was doing here, or why he was going inside, but he felt like he was being dragged here against his will, almost like a dog on a leash. He didn't know where he was going, but he found his feet dragging him into an elevator, pressing the button for the first level of the underground floors.

His footsteps echoed loudly down the hallway, the sound ricocheting off of every wall and reverberating back through his ears. It was dark and cold. He shivered as he rubbed his arms. He looked up, a sign strung up by old rusty chains, labeled the wing he was currently in as, 'Underdwellers'. He felt a chill transcend through his spine.

He continued down the long corridor, peering into the open doors he passed. Slowly he stopped at one room in particular, room 666. He swallowed dryly, as he grabbed the door handle and gingerly pushed the door open. The room was separated in half by a curtain that acted as a wall, one side was left pulled open, the hospital bed empty and the the heartbeat monitor blank, presumably where he had been staying. He anxiously eyed the white cloth wall that stood in his way. He felt the presence again, his soul seemingly pulsing again and his heart contracting. Squeezing his eyes shut and exhaling slowly, he flung open the curtains.

His face paled and his heart rate began to rapidly increase, his heart pounding so fast and so hard, he was sure the organ would rupture and burst straight out of his chest. "Wh- What is this?!" He gasped, his voice quivering. He stumbled backwards, tripping and falling with a loud thud. His pupils dilated in disbelief and he felt his blood run cold. This has to be an illusion, someone has to be toying with me! There's no way..., He thought.

He was vaguely aware he was trembling, aware his bottom lip was quivering, aware his stomach was tying itself in knots. His breathing uneven, he slowly pulled himself up and stepped closer to the hospital bed to confirm what he was seeing was real.

There was a limp unconscious body, stretched out across the mattress, tanned skin with multiple white jagged scars tainting the skin, a sweep of messy jet black hair brushed against their forehead. A black pentagram on their hand, ram horns protruding from their head, ebony angel wings sprouting from their back.

Save me..., The desolate voice echoed in the blond's head again

"A- Aeron?!" Alois stuttered, rushing to grab the fallen's wrist, searching for a pulse. It was weak and unsteady, but he managed to find one.

Alois, help me..., The familiar and somewhat malevolent voice continued to urge in his head.

Alois rubbed his temples and squeezed his eyes shut. His mind was sent into a dizzying array of confusion at trying to comprehend and wrap his mind around everything. Why was Aeron's body here?

Alois' ears perked up as he heard two sets of echoing footsteps transcend through the hall, each step getting louder and closer. That's when he heard two voices conversing, their voices carrying slightly into the room.

"So I understand that the fallen is trapped in a dormant state of consciousness, but how exactly do we intend to extract his soul from the blond kid?" One voice echoed. "Especially considering we don't even know where the patient escaped to..."

"That's not important." The second replied monotonously. "We've devised a way to essentially 'reincarnate' Aeron Erebus to an extent. The probability of it succeeding is actually really low though..." he trailed off.

"Oh? And what exactly do you plan to do?"

"Well first, a ritual of sorts must be performed. A seraph blade must be taken to his chest, engraving the pentagram on the blond boy's hand into his chest, and it's crucial for the contract mark to be identical to the real one. Then some of Trancy's blood must be trickled into Aeron's mouth, and down his throat. Afterwards, then this needs to be chanted, O chara magis Daemonum, surge! Noverit universitas vestra coram universo patere hominibus similes daemones."

Alois' shoulders tensed. The chant was in Latin. He looked to Aeron and looked at the tray of surgical instruments sitting on a cart nearby. Sucking in a breath through his teeth, he grabbed the one most reminiscent of a seraph blade. Slowly, once the footsteps and voices had passed, he rolled up Aeron's shirt. Exhaling slowly, he then poked the tip of the blade into the fallen's skin, carving out the pentagram imprinted on his hand. Pulling the blade out as blood began to surface on the cuts, Alois held his hand out and compared the two pentagrams, studying his work. Identical.

Letting out a sigh of relief, he then took the blade and swiped it across his wrist. Wincing, he then tilted Aeron's head back and placed his wrist against Aeron's parted lips, rivulets now beginning to trail down his arm, as well as into the fallen's mouth. Before he started chanting, he hesitated. Why was he doing this? It's not like he was obligated to. He looked at the fallen's limp body, a wave of guilt passing through him.

Alois...please help me. Please drag me out of this abyss. I don't want to be alone anymore, the voice in his head echoed.

Swallowing his conflicting thoughts and his doubts, he then began to repeat what the man in the corridor had said. "O chara magis Daemonum, surge! Noverit universitas vestra coram universo patere hominibus similes daemones."

He stood staring intently at the fallen's body, unsure of what to expect. As he was about to pull his gaze away, a loud inhale and a gasp arose out of the fallen, catching the blond's attention. Suddenly Aeron quickly jerked upwards as his eyes fluttered open to reveal deep violet irises, causing Alois to flinch.

Aeron quickly looked around until he locked eyes with Alois, his own eyes just as wide as the blond's.

"It- It worked...?" Alois uttered in disbelief.

Aeron was speechless and at a complete and utter loss for words as he looked down at his own hands, at his own body. He was back in his own body. Getting up out of the hospital bed, he ran over to Alois and wrapped the fledgling demon in a tight embrace. "Thank you, my precious fallen angel."

Alois was stunned for a few seconds unable to move, his mouth agape, but he suddenly grimaced once he made a realization. Quickly shoving the shorter fallen off of him, he looked down at his clothes in disgust. "Ugh you smeared your blood all over my clothes. Disgusting." He sneered, his lips curling back in distaste. Letting out an overdramatic sigh he then turned on his heel and began to strut towards the door, his designer boots clacking loudly with each stride.

"Al- Alois wait!" Aeron called, firmly grabbing a hold of the blond's still bleeding wrist.

Alois winced. "What do you want?" He asked with almost too much sarcasm and a fortitude of attitude. He needed his pills. He needed his lithium. His emotions were spiking again. He thought it was a shame that becoming a demon didn't solve his bipolar disorder.

Aeron's muscles stiffened as his nose prickled. "You're a full demon now aren't you?"

Alois glowered, rolling his eyes. "Yes I'm a demon. Do you have a problem with it?" His voice came out jagged and sharp, like a double edged sword. His eyes then involuntarily flashed crimson as if to further prove his point.

"Was that due to Sebastian's doing?"

Alois pursed his lips, pulling them into a tight line. "I can't say. I don't know. Nor do I want to know."

"Trancy, where is Sebastian." The fallen demanded, curling and uncurling his fingers into a clenched fist.

"You will not kill him. Ciel cares about that damn demon, and I care for Ciel, so you will not. If you do anything to hurt Ciel, I'll make you regret your life choices."

"Just know that I still won't forgive Sebastian for what he's done, no matter how many half-assed apologies he tries to spew at me."

Alois exhaled sharply and pressed his hands firmly on his temples and rubbed, squeezing his eyes shut. Without a second thought, momentarily forgetting Aeron was watching him, Alois pulled out the prescription bottle with his pills, and shook it gently to hear it rattle for reassurance. Sighing, he then unscrewed the cap and dumped the required dosage into the palm of his hand, the capsules resting firmly in the dip of his palm. He then proceeded to pop the pills into his mouth, swallowing unwillingly, grimacing at the grimy aftertaste.

"What purpose do those serve?" Aeron asked curiously.

"Bipolar disorder. They help stabilize my mood swings and keep my emotions in check." Putting the cap back over the mouth of the bottle and screwing it back on, the blond glanced up at the violet eyed fallen. "You mentioned before you have the ability to teleport didn't you?"

Aeron nodded slowly, an eyebrow raised.

"Ciel." Was all the blond said as he brushed platinum blond strands of hair out of his eyes, his cheeks flushing slightly.

Aeron grinned. "I'm glad you found someone who truly cares for you, but remember, he's only human, so be careful, human's are fragile creatures, so don't get too rough." He advised with a suggestive wink.

The music blared and played into Alois' ears, making him want to sway and spin in circles. Giving in to the urge, he spun on his toes, causing his dress to extend and puff out as he spun. "Olé!" He called happily, clapping his hands together above his face.

He may have been a guy on the inside, but right now, on the outside, he looked 112% female. With the help of Hannah, which in turn was accompanied with a fortitude of ridicule and abuse from the blond, he was able to squeeze into a corset, a lacy risqué bra and lingerie and all. Then of course there was the platinum blonde wig, the one that spilled strands halfway down his back, the same one that he had worn when he had first met Ciel, however it was now tied up into pigtails on either side of his head, the strands of hair held up by large lavender bows, tied up much like when Ciel had dressed up like a girl.

Much to Ciel's pleasure, as well as to his dissatisfaction, the dress Alois had chosen revealed a lot of skin, especially considering the fact that the attire for the Halloween ball was supposed to be formal wear. He wore a long plum dress with a tail that was only a few inches from touching the ground, ending in rolling ripples, the fabric pulling tightly against his form. A slit was cut across one of the thigh sections of the dress, revealing his thin slender leg, as well as another large slit that began in the cleavage area, winding and swirling down his chest and off to his side, the fabric being pinned together by thick shiny metallic silver threads at two inch intervals, triangular cuts in the side of the dress revealing Alois' sides. Along his neck was a solid diamond encrusted necklace, a sapphire pendant hanging between his collar bones, complementing his eyes. Then to top off his outfit, he wore his usual Prada one inch heel boots, the violet laces tied up elegantly into bows.

As much as Ciel hated to admit it, Alois was god damn beautiful, enough to the point he'd occasionally have to catch himself from drooling. His cheeks burned like raw acid and he was sure they were glowing bright red, but luckily the mask on his face and the dim pastel lighting hid the growing blush on his face.

"Who is she?" He heard one guy mutter in astonishment, as the two passed by, the guy whistling under his breath. "Does she go to Nightingale Westridge?"

Ciel turned and shot them death glares over his shoulder. If looks could kill, all of the guys who had been ogling Alois, would've been dead by now.

"Ciel? Is something wro-?" The blond started, concerned, noticing his boyfriend had lagged fairly far behind, nearly out of his sight, however, the next thing he knew he felt a hand clamped over his mouth and and a disgusting firm hand snaking at his partially exposed waist.

He felt another person's warm breath brush against his ears and against the hairs on the back of his neck. He shivered and shuddered. "Hey babe, what're you doing here without your boyfriend? Oh, if you don't have one, or if he ditched you, I'd be happy to take his place." Their voice hissed, their tone laced in lust.

Acting on impulse, Alois plunged his newly acquired fangs into his attacker's hand, biting them, causing them to yelp and back away. Tasting the blood on the tips of his teeth, the sweet savory metallic taste lingering on his lips, his pupils dilated and the icy blue of his eyes was washed over and completely overcome by scarlet. He felt his heart throb and contract in his chest as a pang of hunger shot through his body. He wanted blood. He needed blood. A dark grin shot across his face.

"If you want to play with this kitten, you gotta play rough." Alois said coyly, twirling a long strand of hair around his finger.

The guy who had been harassing the blond, nodded absentmindedly, grinning dumbly. Smirking, the earl grabbed his wrist, dragging him through the crowd.

Alois swallowed dryly, breathing raggedly. His hands were trembling in anticipation. He was starving, and no matter how many dainty hors d'oeuvres he ate, his hunger seemed insatiable, each dish only making him hungrier and hungrier. He ran his tongue over his lips hungrily, eying the unknowing boy's neck.

Suddenly he lost control of himself, his urges getting the best of him, overpowering his mental denial. He quickly lunged at the boy once they had gotten out of the stuffy ballroom, out and away from the crowd. He now was on top of the other boy, pinning him down with his demonic strength.

"Wh- What're you doing?!" The boy cried hysterically, his dark brown pupils dilating, his bottom lip quivering in fear.

Alois grinned, flashing his fangs as he began to laugh maniacally. Without hesitation, the blond then plunged his fangs into the boy's pale neck, guzzling down and swallowing the thick steamy concoction down his throat greedily. He felt the boy twitch and squirm under his grip, but he continued to down the ichor until his source had been drained entirely.

Gasping and pulling away, retracting himself away from the boy, Alois licked the remnants of the scarlet fluid off his lips, running his tongue over his fangs, rivulets of blood dribbling from the corners of his mouth. The body beneath him had gone still and limp. Gritting his teeth, he slowly got off of the boy and pressed his ear to his chest, listening and waiting intently. Nothing. No heartbeat, he didn't hear anything. The blond's breath hitched. He knew what he would find and he knew the results weren't going to be favorable, but he checked regardless, a small, almost nonexistent spark of hope igniting within him. He put two fingers on the boy's wrist, checking for a pulse. Non-responsive. Absolutely nothing, no pulse, no rhythmic rise and fall of his chest, no occasional twitches, nothing.

Alois dropped the boy's limp hand, his irises widening in disbelief, his face falling pale. "H- He's dead." He muttered quietly, his hands shaking. He hadn't intended to kill the other boy, his plan was just to drink enough to quench his thirst and quell his hunger. Alois gritted his teeth and looked around frantically, anxiously. "Shit shit shit shit!" He grumbled under his breath.

What the hell do I do with the body?! Oh god what if I lose control again, and attack Ciel?! His heart contracted and he felt like he was suffocating just at the thought of his actions turning to him hurting Ciel. He immediately shook the thought out of his head.

The blond's breath hitched, he slowly pulled himself up off of his knees and stared at the corpse in front of him. He suddenly stumbled and backed away in fear as he looked at the cold empty hollow eyes that stared back at him, fear still captured within his dead irises. Luka. Those eyes, they reminded him of Luka.

Alois felt his stomach suddenly lurch forward. He felt like he was gonna puke. His emotions were so skewed, he didn't know how he was supposed to feel.

"Why so troubled, my angel of death?" A voice purred from somewhere behind the blond.

Alois' muscles instantly tensed. "I- I didn't-"

"Hmm...he's dead is he not?" Aeron asked, eying the lifeless body that had collapsed onto the ground.

"He is..." Alois croaked hoarsely. "I- I was just so hungry though and I- I couldn't control myself."

"Massacring the mundane is entertaining and all, but remember, they're fragile, so if you plan to keep that boyfriend of your's you need to restrain yourself and learn some self control."

"That's the problem!" Alois yelled. His whole body was trembling now. "I can't control myself! It- It just happens!" He clenched his fists tightly, his fingernails digging into his palms. Then in frustration he yelled, "I've been needing more and more blood, and the hunger pangs, they- They just don't go away! Aeron, what- What do I do?! I... I don't want to hurt Ciel." His voice broke down into a weak low whisper.

The fallen couldn't help but grin. "If you want that hunger to go away, you need to make a contract. Long term contractless demons eventually become vampires." The fallen shuddered. "Disgusting creatures." He mumbled under his breath.

"Do you have a contract?" The blond asked weakly, looking down into deep rich violet eyes.

Aeron smirked. "I don't."

"Then why aren't you lustful for blood?" Alois asked skeptically, his eyes narrowed, his tone dripping with venom.

"Because I'm a fallen." He said slyly, smirking. "As a fallen I don't need souls or ichor to survive, I just kill for fun." He said shrugging. "Besides, I became a fallen by binging on souls."

"I want to be a fallen!" Alois pouted, his bottom lip protruding into a sulky pout, his arms crossed firmly over his chest.

"Hmm..." Aeron said, feigning contemplation. "You don't have the capabilities." Aeron said jokingly, laughing, slapping the blond on the back, sticking his tongue out tauntingly.

Alois groaned and grumbled complaints under his breath. "So in all seriousness, to quell this hunger, it'll go away if I create a contract?"

"Affirmative. Soul's are the only things that will truly satisfy your bloodlust. I suggest creating a contract with someone you care about, contracting will only make your bond stronger."

A contract..., Alois thought, concentrating deeply, the image of a certain slate haired earl filling his head.

"Now come on, I'll help you get rid of the body. I'll teach you the ropes of being a demon since you're still a fledgling. I'll treat you like the brother I should've had." Aeron said, picking up the corpse bridal style, temporarily snapping Alois out of his thoughts.

Although, as his dress and his long twin tails swished as he assisted Aeron, the same thoughts kept replaying over and over again in his head, like a broken record.

A contract...

A/N: Thanks for reading! All feedback is greatly appreciated, so please review. I have finals this week and next week, so I figured I should get this up before they start. Now I'll excuse myself so I can go cry in a corner and dread the upcoming days for finals.

-The~Candy~Craving~Demon