The house was once alive. The people in it were often referred to as "undead," but they were lively. At least once every two months or so, there were parties. Guests would come and talk and drink and dance and make merry. Laughter filled the halls. Even the servants joked and smiled with the mademoiselle and together, they were happy. The house was alive, happy, and healthy. It had been that way for so long that it never once seemed as though those times could ever come to an end one day.

Things were never completely "safe" with Iscariot around, but it was manageable. The staff of the house had learned how to keep things quiet and when to be loud. So long as they were careful, a very generous amount of freedom was afforded. The vampires of Paris could live their lives in secrecy, but could live their unlives in relative comfort. Mademoiselle Lapointe was in good company. She was happy and life was good.

But then, a few years ago, the faces who previously danced merrily with her started to become paler and thinner before some of them simply disappeared quietly all together. There were whispers about what happened to them. Mister Sauvageau disappeared while on a stroll. Some said he was taken, while others said he was shot. Madame Baudin's home was broken into. There was no one in sight—only blood and ash on the floor. Some just up and left, she thought. Their homes were bare, but not everyone was so lucky. Some of them, no one really knew what happened to them and no one ever would.

In order to avoid joining their ranks, Mademoiselle Lapointe finally fled, herself, leaving the home she grew up in in search of something new. She was hoping that Earl Phantomhive would allow her to stay with him, but instead, he pointed her in the right direction so that she could acquire her own home. She was certainly grateful for that, but she couldn't help but be a little disappointed.

She didn't know why she thought that he would be available to her after all of these years. It had been—what?—a hundred and seven years since she had seen him? Of course he would have changed—and she did like the changes—but so too would his marital status. He was already married and off the market. She didn't really understand why he chose a man, since he truly didn't seem like the sort to do so, but she had plenty of people in her halls who had similar inclinations, so she wasn't going to fight him on it. She was never going to become the Countess Phantomhive, and that was all there was to it. At least he was so kind as to try and help her find a spouse of her own. She never expected to find a potential suitor in her own home, however.

Her servants had dwindled after they fled France. At first, they were all together, but things fell apart when Joanna, the maid, was shot, things began to fall apart. The humans of Iscariot had some sort of magic, vampire-killing bullets. They couldn't even go back for her body.

They ran and ran to England and they managed to hold together until then. They had to split off from a few of them, as the boat wouldn't carry any more. They said they'd take the regular human ferry. Nobody knew if they made it or not. After getting settled, however, their ranks thinned out further. The cook went off to work in one of the restaurants in town and didn't come back, the other maid got a seamstress job at Andrea's, and the footman blew up at Renee, blaming her for Joanna's death before storming out. He didn't come back. That just left Renee and Serge.

But now Serge was not content with the way things were. She wasn't either, obviously, but she was doing everything she could to build a home for the two of them. If he decided that he could no longer stay there, whether it be because she did not return his affections or because he did not wish to serve whoever she chooses to marry, she knew that it would make her very sad. She would be lonely, even if she did find someone to woo her. The house should be full and if no one from before was in it, then she would be alone in this country. She wanted a familiar face to be near her, at the very least.

But she didn't quite know what to make of his suggestion, really. He was a good man. He was honest, dutiful, prompt, and all-around chivalrous in practically every way. He could be perfect to at least entertain as a possibility, and yet, he was still not fit.

A lady such as the Mademoiselle had certain things she looked for in a man, you see. He had to be kind and he had to last a good while. She only intended to marry once, so it needed to count. He had to have a decent, respectable job. She compromised a lot on that, quite frankly, being willing to accept soldiers—not even officers, but regular soldiers! The job Serge had applied to at the bank would have been fine, so long as it required him to wear a suit and a tie. He would then fit the basic criteria on top of the fact that Renee was simply fond of him. Yet, despite all of that, there was one thing that prevented her from accepting him. His reputation and his status were tarnished by one thing that he could never escape from in the eyes of society as she knew it.

Serge was a butler. Even in the past tense, it was a blemish on his status. She didn't make the rules, that was simply how it was—how it had always been. It was nothing against him, personally, but she simply couldn't be wed to a man who used to serve her. What would everyone else think?

Nothing. No one would care. Hence why it was so difficult for Ciel to find willing participants in her little game, here. The rules of engagement had changed. Why, Ciel, himself was very proudly married to a man who was once the lowest of the low—a complete and utter scoundrel—a blemish on society as a whole—and he wouldn't have it any other way. Of course, Renee didn't know all of that. She knew the man was a baronet who was not born with his title, but that was all. It took a lot for the man to hide his offense when she spoke lowly of "certain people" but he bit his tongue for his husband's sake, at the very least. Jim did not need him to defend his honour at every turn, especially when the person disrespecting him wasn't even aware of it. That said, both men grew somewhat exasperated when the woman arrived at the house—unannounced, once again—to give them the latest news about Serge.

"This whole endeavour has simply fallen apart, I'm afraid." she sniffled, gently dabbing her eyes with her handkerchief. "I don't know what to do without him. I could barely make it here on my own! I had to take… A taxi." She only mouthed those last two words before shuddering. "It was far more frightening than running to England!"

"He just… Ran off?" Ciel questioned, ignoring her comment. "Did he say anything, or..?"

"He said he had taken the job at the bank and that he rented a flat." lamented the mademoiselle. "He has a roommate, Ciel! Some lycanthrope who aspires to work in a bar… Sounds horrendously shady, if you ask me. I'm completely on my own and I haven't the foggiest idea how I'm going to cope. Serge did everything around the house. I had to run errands by myself the other day and it was an utter disaster! I couldn't find a single thing I needed! Dust is going to start piling up and I've looked everywhere for the duster so I could do it myself! Perhaps he took it with him…"

"Perhaps not." The Watchdog shook his head. "I'll tell the others that the party is off, I suppose… It's a shame. They were really looking forward to it. I'll… do what I can to help you out, but I can't promise that you'll have it all day, every day, now…"

A touch to his shoulder made the bluenette turn his head to glance behind him and look up. He didn't shirk the contact as fingertips ran along one shoulder to the other as the menace walked behind his chair. "Sorry to intrude," Sir Phantomhive began, inserting himself into the conversation. "I overheard you in the hall. I'm so sorry about Serge, Mademoiselle. It's very difficult, having to learn everything all over again. But, why don't we just have the party here?" he questioned, turning his head to face the bluenette as he took a seat on the arm of the other man's chair.

"What?" Ciel questioned, immediately on his guard. His beloved certainly loved parties, but he didn't love them enough to put all that effort into catering to someone like Mademoiselle Lapointe. While Jim didn't outright detest the woman and he was sympathetic to the fact that she simply didn't know any better in most instances of ignorance, he still didn't wish to be friends any time soon. Nothing in common, really.

"It'll be good to have your underlings around, won't it?" Jim suggested, acting as the devil on his husband's shoulder. "The space is far too big for just them, however, so we could also invite some of the more influential supernaturals in London. Even if she doesn't meet a potential husband in all of them, it'll be nice if she could make some new friends—and besides, it would be a useful networking event for you, too. Being introduced to them could prove useful in the event that you don't have me to act as a middle man for whatever reason."

It was a suggestion that the Watchdog was not immediately keen on. He liked seeing family and friends at the annual Christmas party, and he certainly enjoyed the birthdays of the other members of the house, but something like this? He would be lying if he said it didn't sound somewhat tedious. That said, he also realised that his beau had a point. Ciel didn't particularly enjoy networking events, but he did enjoy the influence he could gain from them. Truly, it was a difficult suggestion to say "no" to.

"It's a possibility." relented the Earl, tilting his head as he looked up at his husband. "I'll talk to Sebastian about the possibility of arranging something."

"I can talk to him. I might even be able to get some of the local restaurants to cater."

"Very well, but do keep in mind: I will not be serving fried mice in this house."

"Prude." The woman sitting across from them blushed lightly as the menace leaned down and pecked the top of Ciel's head before standing. Twirling around the chair again, he made his way back out of the room. "I'll hop to it, then. It was nice seeing you again, Mademoiselle."

"Oh! Uhm… 'Renee' is fine, Sir Phantomhive."

"Jim." the demon playfully corrected before ducking out and leaving the two to their own devices. The moment that followed was a bit awkward, however, as neither party that remained was entirely sure where to go from there. The issue was resolved for now, so why continue speaking?

Renee, however, wasn't done with her visit just yet, and spoke up to get things moving again. "He's a very nice man." she said. "You chose well."

"Thank you." Ciel replied, always happy to hear someone praising his beloved. "He's an excellent catch, if I do say so myself. He has all the perfect qualities of a head of the Phantomhive family and it's a downright miracle I found him and snatched him up when I did. I'm a very lucky man."

Renee had obviously picked up on the fact that the man was so receptive of flattery toward his spouse by now. Her acquaintance made absolutely no effort to conceal it—not that he would or should in any way. Listening to the way he spoke of the menace with such fondness and noticing the way that his face somewhat lit up when the discussion veered toward the topic, the mademoiselle couldn't help but feel a bit like maybe Jim was the lucky one. Oh, how it must be to have a man like Earl Phantomhive smiling so softly with such a tender expression at the mere thought of him! Her chest twisted inside as she knew he could never do so about her. Oh, how she yearned to have someone like that.

"What sort of qualities are those?" the woman inquired, raising her eyebrows in surprise as she caught herself. She realised what that must sound like. "I was wondering how they may compare to my own preferences, as a woman." she corrected.

"Well, they certainly are different, but that isn't because I'm a man. We're simply different people with different wants and needs. You want someone who will look after you in addition to being a companion. I, too, want a companion, but I also need someone who understands and respects my line of work—it's even better if he participates! He must be trustworthy, as I am trusting him not only with my name and legacy, but also my life! He must be strong, brave, and an excellent strategist… Jim is incredibly sturdy and strong-willed. It's truly amazing. But I also want someone who can be nurturing and make me laugh. I can relax around him, and be myself. I'm more interested in these things than career or pedigree, quite frankly. I don't care if he's a tinkerer, tailor, soldier, or sailor… As long as he's the person I love, then that's more than enough. My preferences affected my ability to fall in love with him, of course, but I've certainly had to be flexible on some things."

"Like what?"

"Well, for starters… he's a man." the Watchdog chuckled somewhat. "I always imagined that if I were to be in a relationship with someone, it would be with a woman! Obviously, that isn't how it worked out, however. At some point, I simply knew that it must be him. Perhaps I proposed a bit soon, but I had to make him a Phantomhive as soon as I knew."

"But how do you know?" Renee asked, unconsciously leaning forward in her seat. "How do you know when someone is the right one? I'm terribly worried that I won't be able to tell…"

"You won't know from one meeting. You simply pick the few that you find interesting and get to know them. You'll weed the ones who aren't right out and then you might find one who you'd like to court you. You might not, but you might. And even then, it could take a while before you know. Jim and I dated for… Oh… About… Five years or so before I knew? We were still in school for most of it, so it would've been too early to think about it sooner than that. Just very recently, I had a friend who got married and he had dated his wife for around four-ish. They chose to finish with university first. Then there's another friend's sister who married after a one-year courting process. It's simply different for everyone. You aren't going to know right away, regardless. There's a certain amount of investment involved."

"But how did you know?" the woman questioned again. "What changed that made you think it was time for marriage?"

"Oh, that's very simple. I just couldn't imagine us ever being apart and I desperately wanted to make him an official part of my family." Ciel stated. "I was no longer enough to by boyfriends, I wanted him to be my husband. I wanted him to be a Phantomhive and for us to build a home together. I could no longer imagine there ever being a time when 'home' did not involve Jim being there. It's difficult to explain… I feel like I'm not making any sense…"

"No… It makes plenty of sense…" Renee replied. A smile crossed her face. "That sounds… Really nice, actually. Having someone to belong to must be nice."

"It's not belonging to someone. It's having somewhere you belong that's nice."

She had a lot to think about as he lead escorted her toward the door. He had Sebastian waiting with a car to take her home, much to her relief. After all this time, Ciel wasn't still a good man. He was a much better man than he was before. And this was his place. His family was here. She would have to find hers elsewhere. The prospect of that was both exciting and terrifying, as there was no certainty that she would be successful and no certainty that she would ever have something comparable. Yet, if she did nothing, there was no chance of it ever happening at all.

This house was a good one. It was lively and full of love. It was a home and it welcomed her whenever she needed to seek solace from it. To her, it had always been this way, but to those who lived there, it was a process—just as hers would be. Her house would surely become a home, but first it needed to welcome her and give her refuge. Renee felt as though she could no longer have that, now that Serge was gone, but she knew that she needed to persist anyway.

Sebastian opened the door to the vehicle, beckoning her inside, but she took one last look at the mansion before she left. Looking directly up the steps, she saw the Earl staring back at her, giving her a polite wave. Directly above the lord, however, looking down at her from one of the upstairs windows was his spouse. The blonde smiled as he leaned against the windowsill, giving her a wave as well. Silently, she returned the gesture, looking up at him. With that, she turned her back to the mansion and stepped into the awaiting Rolls Royce. The door was closed behind her and she was whisked away. She was homebound and ready to adjust her preparations to the new plan.

The lord, however, stepped back inside shut the large, heavy, door behind him. He locked it, barring entry to those who may pose a danger to the family, or simply curious neighbourhood children on a dare or folks peddling their religious pamphlets—disturbances, all the same. The bluenette let out a sigh, allowing his shoulders to droop for a moment. Taking in a deep breath, he recomposed himself, straightening his back once more and resuming his role as the dignified head of household. He wasn't really fooling anyone who actually lived there, but it was the principle of it that mattered, according to the Watchdog.

With his guest out of the way, Ciel headed upstairs to see the man she was waving at. From the direction the mademoiselle was looking in, the Earl gathered that his beau was sitting in the nook overlooking the front of the estate, just one floor above the ground. Rounding the corner, he stared down the sunlit hallway. "Just like a cat," the Earl thought, "lounging around in the sun…" But as he drew closer to the window in questioned, he noticed that there was no shadow stretching along the floor and up the wall where the blonde should be sitting. Jim had either moved on from his spot or was playing one of his games and hiding from Ciel. Either was possible, but he decided to check their bedroom at the end of the hall, just to be safe.

Jim was laying on one of the sofas with his head propped up on a pillow leaning against the armrest. His legs were bent, allowing him to use his thighs as a table to place his lapdesk and laptop on. A sigh escaped him, slowly morphing into a groan as he reached up and rubbed his eyes.

"Working?" Ciel asked.

"Don't want to." the blonde replied. Sitting up, he closed the computer and placed it on the coffeetable next to him. Turning to sit on the sofa at least semi-properly, he outstretched an arm toward the other man. "Distract me."

"Shouldn't you finish what you were doing?"

"I can't, anyway. I need to wait on everybody else to weigh in, first." he explained while his beau took a seat next to him. "Someone asked the Small Businesses Commission in our department for funds to open a bar."

"What do you think?" inquired the bluenette with a raised brow.

"Waste of funding. Too little interest, quite frankly. Most restaurants sell booze in Gehenna and there's already a pub. There is no 'night life' like that in town and there's too few people to sustain it if there were. The place would be shut in two months. But, I have to be fair and allow everyone to give their opinion." Shaking his head, the menace seemed resigned to this fate. "What about you? How's your little girlfriend?"

"Don't call her that. It's insulting. Anyway, she's going to be fine, now that you've said you'll take care of it." Resting his arm on the back of the seat, Ciel sat sideways on the sofa with his legs dangling over the front so that he could see the menace to his right with his good eye. "I must say, I'm rather surprised that you offered to do that-Everso grateful, but surprised. I didn't think you really cared that much."

"I don't, really. She's not my friend." the blonde grinned. "I was just helping you out, is all. Anything for my sweetums, after all. I figured this way, you could get her out of your hair sooner, but also, I remembered that you weren't really acquainted with all of the high-ranking players and small business owners in Gehenna and thought it might be useful. I know you don't particularly like parties or networking events, but I know that you know they could come in handy someday."

A smile slowly spread over the Watchdog's face as he listened to his spouse talk. He didn't respond right away with words, but rather, with a laugh. The bluenette's head tilted backwards as he uttered a wicked cackle. The man had an evil thought and he found it immensely entertaining.

"You're starting to think like me." he said, propping his elbow on the back of the sofa and his cheek in his palm. "That's something an evil businessman would come up with. Have I been working you too hard by adding Funtom to your schedule, darling?"

"Pft-! No. I don't mind helping you out. After all, you've signed more than enough of my paperwork to be fair. That's just the sort of thing that happens when you're in a relationship with someone for a bit, I guess."

"Mm, probably. I more than likely have absorbed a trait or two of yours as well… I'm a lot more whimsical than I used to be, aren't I?"

"Pretty much. I mean, look at you… Wearing gold instead of silver? Feeling a bit flamboyant today, Pooch?" Jim laughed, reaching his hand out. Softly, his fingertips brushed against the side of his beau's face, stirring no resistance from the bluenette as Ciel simply allowed him to fiddle with his earlobe. Although, the Earl did arch an eyebrow, finding the gesture a bit silly.

"My earrings? You noticed them?"

"I always notice them. You're wearing the ones with the square, black, diamonds held in with gold today. I saw you putting them in this morning. You don't wear gold that often, so I was wondering if you'd wear them when I got them."

"I always wear the things you give me. You have good taste."

It was true, the Watchdog hardly ever bought earrings for himself, now that Jim was around. Shirts, too. Practically all of his "casual" clothes were a direct result of Jim's presence in his life. Previously, Ciel had insisted on hardly every changing the style of his earrings, but now he experimented with them often. He changed them out daily, although he had a few favourite pairs that he wore more than others. Studs were still the preference, especially if they were plain with a silver coloured metal, but he, too, could be a bit playful in his appearance—at least in this small, somewhat inconspicuous capacity.

"Is it weird that I really like the fact that you wear earrings?" Jim asked with a laugh. "It's cute. I feel like you'd look a lot stuffier if you didn't."

"Don't I already look a bit stuffy?"

"Mm, I think the long bangs, blue hair, eyepatch, and earrings put you just on this side of 'eccentric.'"

"Why, thank you. I'm glad you like it."

"Maybe Renee and I have similar taste? Maybe she's looking for someone sort of eccentric?" the menace suggested, prompting the other man to shake his head.

"Now you tell me? After weeks of working on this? Really?"

"I just now thought of it! I had this picture in my head of someone even snootier! I don't understand these posh people…"

"Am I not 'posh' in your eyes?"

"You're posh-adjacent. Still a member of the bourgeoisie, but worldly enough that you can sort of pass for a normal person."

"I was unaware that you knew about being an ordinary person." jested the Watchdog with a mischievous smile. He laughed as the other man pinched his cheek. "I think your standards might be just a bit skewed."

"You're the one who married me. What does that say about you?" questioned the menace.

"That I have impeccable taste, obviously." Ciel answered, playfully swatting his spouse's hand away. "Tell me, do you really think that I'm the sort to settle for anything less?"

"No way. You waited over a century to get your paws on this, didn't you?" Putting one hand behind his head to pose, the menace smirked. "You're just weirdly patient."

"Good things come to those who wait. However, I do think you might be spoiling me a bit, Jimmy. Not everyone has a husband who is willing to plan a party for one's benefit at the drop of a hat."

"I know. I'm great, aren't I?" Sticking his nose up in the air, the blonde waved his beau off in a faux-patronising manner. "Praise me more. Woo me, knave."

"You're brilliant."

"Yes?"

"Radiant."

"Mm-hm."

"You have incredible taste and style."

"Go on."

"You're absurdly handsome."

"Ooh, you know how much I love the 'h-word.'" Jim stated, pulling his legs underneath him, sitting on them as he turned his entire body to face the Earl. "I like hearing 'beautiful' and 'gorgeous,' of course, but I am a man, you know."

"I'm aware. I've checked." replied the bluenette, earning a playful swat to his chest.

"Hey!"

"What? I appreciate your masculine swagger as well as your form. You're a magnificent specimen, all around."

"You know, being called a 'specimen' probably wouldn't do it for a lot of people…"

"Perhaps, but you know me. I'm not most people."

"That's right, you help rich feeeeeemales find mates."

"I don't say 'females…'"

"Feeeemaaaalesss… A party for the males and the feeeeemaaaales… We're gonna find her some top notch specimens for smooching. Maybe a few other people will, too? Who knows? It's kinda like those parties back in the day that were like, just for the sole sake of finding someone to mate with. That's what I'm picturing."

"Technically marriage, but when you put it that way, it does make a disturbing amount of sense." Ciel paused, furrowing his brow and rubbing his chin in the way he did when he was made to reassess his perspective because of some nonsense the menace came out with. There were certain things about his previous way of life that he simply hadn't thought about with a more modern understanding. His current perspective was such that he could understand a few things, but others simply evaded him. They were "ordinary" at the time, so what was there to consider really?

He understood that the concept of arranged marriages was a bit… strange once he thought about it. Tethering himself to another person for the sake of romantic love was so much better for him, as much as he loved and cared about Elizabeth. Had he, himself gone through with it, he would undoubtedly have made a decent husband and would have cared for his bride in a similar fashion, but it still wasn't his choice. He couldn't find it in him to hold it against his parents and his aunt and uncle for making the decision for him, either. That was simply how it was done, despite them marrying for love, themselves. Most people didn't. Ciel just hoped that Renee chose based on the right reasons, really. She deserved to be with someone she loved and who loves her, but so did the other party. It would be cruel to allow them to go through with it if it was only for appearances. The Earl didn't want to be responsible for such a thing.

That said, it did bruise his ego somewhat to hear his spouse describe these things in such barbaric terms. Maybe it was barbaric, but he didn't particularly like the implication that he, too, was barbaric. It was difficult to be upset with him, too, however. From Jim's perspective, he had only ever known nobles to be barbaric, with Ciel, the Midfords, and Hellsings to be some bizarre exception.

Eventually, Ciel finally shook his head. "'Mating…' I'm a bit miffed at how accurate that could be. Marrying for love wasn't in vogue at the time, so it's painfully true. It's a bit embarrassing."

"Huh? How's that?"

"Embarrassment via association." the bluenette explained. "And due to the fact that a party like that is going to be in this house… It's really quite vulgar when you put it that way…"

"I'm mostly messing with you, so don't take it too seriously. I don't think it's really like that, since half of the point is to network. People go home with each other at parties all the time. It's nothing new or special. It's probably going to be a minority of the people there. The rest will probably just be there to network and for the excitement of being invited here."

"Why would that be exciting?"

"I don't know if you've noticed, but being an Earl who lives in a mansion is not exactly a societal norm."

The Watchdog simply nodded, feeling a bit dumb for not remembering that right away. Although he was a lot more down to earth than he used to be, it was during times like this when he realised that he still had a bit of a ways to go before he fully understood. It bruised his ego at times, but it was also one of the reasons why he liked Jim. Jim knew these things and had a tendency to speak freely. He wasn't particularly impressed with the aristocracy and didn't have any sort of reverence for them. Even modern commoners seemed to be impressed by a title, but not him. Perhaps he had simply seen it all and had lived in close enough proximity to know that nobles are people—people with too much pride and too much money. He had a sincere respect and fondness for the Phantomhives, however, and was immensely proud to be a part of the family—even going so far as to jokingly ask Ciel if he was alright with taking his blue blood and one day making purple together. The menace always giggled at how Ciel always seemed so excited about the prospect.

Some nobles would find it a travesty. A shame. A disgrace. Joining with a commoner diluted the purity of the blood. While Ciel did enjoy tradition, here and there, he also knew that his beau was particularly robust and sturdy. Jim was healthy and strong. Worrying about purity led to the fall of dynasties, so if he was going to mix with another person, he knew it should be someone strong. The thought didn't cross his mind when he decided to marry Jim, however. They were both men, so it wouldn't have been possible without some serious supernatural or scientific interference, but also, what was the point of having an heir to an immortal? That sense of duty was part of it, certainly, but Ciel wanted to start a family with Jim because he loved him and he loved the family they had amassed already. There was always room for more. He just wished that Renee could see it that way, as well.

What was the point in it for her? She was immortal and being a vampire, was infertile. Her kind simply couldn't afford the blood loss. Besides, they reproduced via biting, anyway. What did blood matter? Perhaps that was why she was willing to settle for a member of the middle class. Or maybe it was solely the fact that the aristocracy has been in decline for some time, and that finding supernatural nobles is even more difficult? He didn't know. He couldn't even assume, but Ciel cringed at himself as he realised what he was considering. Speculating about other people's intimate lives was not like him. It felt invasive.

"Who are you going to invite?" Ciel questioned before presenting his own theories. "Kris? Logan? Audrey is also a person of influence, given his ties with both HELLSING and his father's company… The Sybil sisters will also need to be invited, as well as Kyung-Soon Park. It would be insulting to Girasol if we didn't."

"Right. There's more than that. The members of the town council will have to be invited, for sure."

"I'm impressed. For once, you have more connections than I do."

"You may be an evil businessman who rules high society with an iron fist," Jim began with a smile. There was a somewhat wicked glint in his eyes that Ciel liked the look of. "But I am a diplomat between humans and supernaturals. This is my turf."

"I love it when you talk like that." grinned the Watchdog with a tilt of his head. His mouth widened and his eyebrows raised as the menace reached out and caressed his cheek.

"Control yourself, darling. We've still got plenty of work to get through today."


A/N: Hello, everyone~! Merry Christmas~! Happy Holidays~! Isn't this a nice present?

It's okay if you fake your reaction. "Oh, wow, thanks..." Pfft!

I'm sorry that this is so late. Things got a bit hectic at work so I was a bit tired coming home last week, so this week, I've been playing some serious catch up. I'm hoping to get another chapter out in a few days, since I still have the whole weekend, but we'll see how it goes. I never liked the WEEKLY schedule, but it seems like two weeks is starting to be the norm... I don't want that, so I'll keep doing the best I can!

I missed writing those two flirting. Can you tell? We love our embarrassing demons. Also, I feel like I write about the aristocracy a lot... I might give us a break and write about something else in the next chapter. Depends on how the flow goes. I wonder if it's gotten stale? Let me know if you think so or not. I'm looking for new nonsense to yammer on about.

Anyway, hope to see you all again soon!

Until the next chapter, my duckies~!