A Wee Disclaimer: This chapter is kinda what it says on the tin. There's no smut, but it's a bit dirtier than most. A bit suggestive. A bit spicy. So, if you're not down with that, you can get away with skipping it and not miss a whole lot. OR, you can read until things start to venture into saucy territory and then skip to the 11th paragraph from the bottom of the page. Whatever you wanna do.

This whole thing is because I wanted to write just one line of dialogue and that's it, so you won't hurt my feelings.

Thank you, and I hope to see you again soon!


Jim's voice strained as he stretched his arms high above his head. With a grunt, they fell back at his sides. He had been working hard lately. Maybe this party was just what he needed. The ballroom was clean and almost prepped. He had sent invitations last week and everything was coming together for the "who's who" of London's supernatural underground to arrive in a few days. The menace was somewhat impressed with himself, especially given the short notice. It was his snap decision, but still.

Between this and the ORSAP situation, he had his work cut out for him. The latter situation was stabilizing, however, so it seemed as though he could pass on more control to the taskforce he sent out there soon—with him still being the primary person in charge of the operation, of course. The international supernatural agency community as a whole was very interested in what they were doing and luckily for him, he had the support of quite a few of them. Others remained neutral, but only one wasn't happy with the situation. As far as anyone was concerned, however, Iscariot would just have to suck it up. This was all due to their mishandling of the situation.

Hopefully, this would cheer Renee up some. Although they weren't necessarily friends and they were distant acquaintances, at best, it would be awful if she had to uproot herself again in order to head back to France so soon. In truth, Jim didn't think that she would find what she was looking for here at all and didn't expect her to. Hopefully she could make a friend or two, but he was mostly only helping his spouse. It was unlike the Watchdog to go through this much effort for someone he wasn't close with, so naturally, Jim was interested in seeing how this panned out. Moreover, it was simply high time Ciel got acquainted with some of the important faces in Gehenna.

Jim was not at all jealous of Renee in the slightest. It did occurr to him that many people in his situation may think there is some funny business afoot between their spouse and an old acquaintance who expressed their intention to marry said spouse, but he knew what Ciel looked like in love and true to his word, didn't have that look on his face whenever he spoke to Renee. That said, his unusual behaviour did make the menace feel a bit uneasy.

Ever since he had defeated Johnathan, Ciel seemed lighter—more cheerful and eager to help, even when he didn't necessarily want to. He also seemed to feel guilty about entrusting everything to Jim. Occasionally, he would duck in while the blonde was working and ask if there was anything he could help with, but really, there wasn't, so Jim told him the truth. Although this would temporarily satisfy the Watchdog, he would be back to ask again later in time.

He fluctuated between serene and anxious, basking in the tranquility of life as it was for them right now, and then feeling a sense of impending doom the next. His Christmas and Halloween preparations were keeping him busy at the moment, but he still felt like he ought to be doing something—anything, about a situation that he doesn't know the nature of, strictly because it doesn't actually exist.

These weren't his people who were venturing into his house. They weren't Jim's either, truly, although they were a lot closer. Displaced nobles who were now quite ordinary and honest folk who worked for a living in less grim trades—they were more in line with who the both of them tried to be, despite their inherent limitations. Ciel was very particular about the company he kept and allowed into his home. It was perfectly understandable of him, being who he was, but the rules were always different. He needed to be authentic, humble, and charming with people whom he does not know and he cannot be aloof. He wants these relationships. He doesn't want invaders to ruin the unusually peaceful life that he's cultivated. Moreover, should he make a fool of himself, that may reflect badly on Jim as well. It was one thing for him to appear cruel, but it was another for Jim to suffer because of it.

He could be thinking any number of things, Jim knew. Jim also knew, however, that Ciel had been trying his best to be a "decent" person for some time and therefore, he wanted to make this strange transition as easy as possible for his spouse. For that, he was more than willing to take on a burden of two in his stead if it might help, no matter how strange they may be or how unnecessary Jim may believe them to be.

Ciel was a good man, after all. He had been that way long before he defeated Johnathan, but it took seeing a real monster to get the idea through his skull, it seemed. He had a troubled past, yes, and he had done some heinous things, but as far as Jim figured, who hasn't? After all, Jim was an admittedly "disturbed" individual, yet somehow, Ciel found loving him irresistible.

"That is in the past," he would say. It was hypocritical, when one juxtaposed that alongside his harsh judgment of himself, but Ciel believed it. After nearly killing him, his remaining living family, trying to kidnap him, and committing any number of cruel acts, Ciel still found Jim lovable—and that was only the stuff he knew about. The things that he didn't know—the things that were simply too horrible, too evil, and too painful for Jim to profess outside of therapy—were inconsequential to him.

"You will tell me when you're ready," the Watchdog would say. "Even if that day never comes, that's your business. I'll still love you, either way."

The thing that had really stuck with Jim all of these years about the bluenette was that whenever he said that, he felt as though he could believe it. Ciel could lie about many things, but he had vowed to never lie to Jim about matters of great importance, but even before then, Ciel was special in that aspect. He could say it, and he could mean it, and Jim would always know. Jim was important to him, but more importantly, Jim could feel it. He felt it every day. For an Evil Earl-a twilight walker who struck fear into the hearts of man and monster alike, Lord Ciel Phantomhive was able to light up any room he walked into, even if Jim was the only one who could see it. It was why he smiled when he sensed the Earl appear behind him, walking into the ballroom in order to inspect the blonde's work.

"Careful, the floor's been polished." Jim warned, indicating that the floor may be slick. Immediately, the Watchdog's steps became more careful as he made his approach. "Come to scrutinize my work, dear husband?"

"No, husband, I'm here to be nosy." Standing at his beau's side, he put an arm around him, gripping Jim's bicep that was furthest away from him. "It's cold in here."

"We haven't turned the power back on to this part of the house." answered the menace. "You're the one who wanted to save money on electricity."

"Yes, but you should wear a jacket. I can bring you one, if you like."

"Would you? That would be nice. Sure you're not too busy?"

"Not at all. I always have the time to be horrendously fussy over you. It's part of my job, too, you know. Besides, I really ought to make myself useful to you, with all the work you're doing for me. Thanks again, by the way. I really appreciate it."

"You've said that, like, fifty times." said the blonde with a slight laugh.

"It is important to express gratitude when one feels it, especially if it's toward one's spouse." Turning his head, the Earl kissed Jim's temple before letting go of him. "Wait right here. I'll go get your jacket."

Fussy as always, when it came to family. But, Ciel has long since accepted this part of himself, as had Jim. In fact, it was one of his more endearing qualities, as far as the menace was concerned. Although there were times when the Watchdog could be a bit excessive, it was nice to be doted on. Ciel always backed off when asked and gave Jim space when he needed it, but the blonde always appreciated the gesture. It was nice to be reminded that he was cared about from time to time. Sometimes, he needed it. Other times, he just wanted it, but he never had to wait long. Despite his past clumsiness and reluctance to admit that he both enjoyed receiving and giving affection, Ciel was rather generous with it these days. He was older, wiser, and generally more confident than he once was. Even something so simple as putting an arm around Jim was sufficient enough to make the blonde's heart flutter from time to time as he occasionally remembered its significance. The warmth of another person was something that he knew to never take for granted. Since he had felt it, he actually felt the cold after his husband walked away.

There was once a time when he was starved for it. Affection. Love. All of it. Jim sought it ravenously. Even now that he had it and had had it for several years by this point, it was still occasionally shocking. Sometimes, it occurred to him just how much of a support system he actually possessed now and how much better he felt in general. He was loved by his family, friends, and people alongside Ciel. Ciel was just the closest. It was Ciel with whom he entrusted his secrets and sorrows and it was Ciel with whom he entrusted his life. His touch was always kind and affection radiated from his fingertips, seeping into the Lion's flesh and bones. It took root there, making him feel at ease.

Jim's body was a temple and he took the sanctity of it most seriously. Most damage, he could shrug off, knowing that the pain was only temporary. It made him vicious in combat. The title of "Lion" was most fitting, as his ability to shake off injury with impunity made him a menacing sight, but "temporary" was the key word. There was some damage that he knew could harm his mind, his heart, and his ego, and this was something that he would not allow at any cost. Even someone far weaker than him could witness him bear his fangs should he feel threatened in such a manner, but Ciel never saw them. Ciel was able to make contact from the smallest, most innocuous gestures of affection, to the more intimate ones. He was able to witness Jim in states that were vulnerable and not be mauled by the Lion. It was because Jim loved him, of course, but it was more than that. Jim knew that he could not only trust the Watchdog, but also that he could have faith in him that he would never, ever, take that privilege he had and use it as power to crush him.

It went both ways, however. Jim witnessed and held knowledge of things that no one, living, dead, or otherwise, knew or had ever known. Glances both loving and longing, touches that were overwhelmingly kind, expressions that Ciel could only make in Jim's presence, words that were nurturing, soothing, drenched in love, desire, or both all at once—the Lion carried them all within his heart. In the dark, he felt a warm hand caress his face and sweetly brush his hair out of his eyes. Instinctively, he pressed his cheek into Ciel's palm as though it were obvious that it belonged there.

"I love you," the Watchdog would say, his voice low as he stared back at the menace with mismatched eyes—one of the purest, deepest blue Jim had ever seen, and the other a dim purple; glowing, yet never emanating light. It moved Jim at times in ways that he simply could not bear.

But that night, something unusual happened—something that made it intolerable to meet the Watchdog's gaze. Jim laid on his back, blocking out the dim light of the room around him with his hands concealing his face. The warmth he felt was now gone and all that was left was a scalding heat burning his palms, spreading all the way to the man's ears. His beau, however, seemed nonplussed, laying on his side with his head propped up on his hand as he rested his elbow against his own pillow, staring at the menace just to the blonde's right.

"Jimmy…" he called out to no avail. The menace did not answer him or even peek through his fingers in order to sneak a glance in the Watchdog's direction.

"Jimmy…" Ciel called again. "Jimmy-darling…" This spurred a very reluctant groan from the Lion as he continued to bask in his own shame.

"Jimmy… My love…" the Watchdog began again, doing his very best to maintain a neutral expression. "It wasn't a weird noise…"

"Yes, it was!" lamented his beau, finally removing his hands from his face. He slid them upwards along his skull, tangling them in blonde hair. "It was super weird! How the hell does a person even make that noise?!"

To that, the other man felt the corner of his mouth twitch, but he did his very best to refrain. "I don't know. It's just an 'is,' I suppose. It wasn't strange, though. There's no need to be embarrassed…"

"It's so embarrassing, though! I don't know what's wrong with me, lately…" Jim answered, finally turning on his side to face the other man with a heavy, heavy, sigh. "A few days ago, I cried… Then I was too fast… And now this! I don't even want to think about what's going to happen next time…"

"I can understand how those things may be embarrassing in the moment, but I don't mind them. Not at all. It's normal to get emotional when intimate and although I was admittedly concerned the first time it happened, it's an honour to be the subject of such feelings. Moreover, in regards to your speed, I actually find it quite flattering…"

"Glad you got an ego boost… It still sucks to be the one leaving your partner hanging…"

"But you didn't though? You're always courteous-"

"Alright! Alright! Bloody hell…" the menace interrupted, reaching out to cover his husband's mouth with his hand. "What happened to Mister 'Victorian Shame?' I remember when you'd never be able to admit to that… You were so cute back then. Now, you're just mean to me."

"'Mean' to you?" the Watchdog inquired, gently prying the other man's hand off of his face with his free hand. Turning his head lightly, he kissed Jim's palm and wrist. "I could never. Although experience has changed things a bit, my goal has remained consistent. It doesn't matter to me what sort of sounds you make, as long as they're sounds of you enjoying yourself. It excites me just as it always has. Surely, you've realised this by now? It's only natural, when you're with the one you love…"

The bluenette's eyes flickered to the side, slyly sneaking a peek at his husband's face. The serious expression he wore on his own visage changed as he gave the blonde a wide grin that crinkled the corners of his eyes as his mouth pushed his cheeks upwards. Jim's brows were raised and his eyes were wide; his gaze was transfixed on the Watchdog's good eye, shuddering as they both saw right through one another. His expression delighted the bluenette, who immediately felt the need to comment.

"Ah… You're very red…" he observed, facing the menace head-on as he watched the look of surprise on his beau's face morph into a pout. "How cute…"

"You're evil…" huffed the menace despite making no effort to move away from the other man. "You're an evil, evil, man…"

"And I'm yours." Ciel replied, shifting so that his head was pressed against his pillow. "And I need you close to me, now."

Without hesitation, Jim coaxed his hand out of his husband's grasp and snaked his arm around Ciel's waist, pulling the two of them closer together as Ciel used his freshly freed hand to pull the covers up to their shoulders. "I apologise." softly spoke the Watchdog. "I've been very clingy lately, haven't I?"

"Has all this talk of love gone to your head?" questioned the menace in jest.

"No… I think things are just changing." Ciel said. "For the better, of course, but it doesn't make it any less frightening. You're just so comfortable. It's easy to feel safe like this…"

"I tend to think the same thing…" Jim replied, grinning to himself. The muscles in his arms tensed as he squeezed his beau around the waist, pulling him closer as he kissed his chin. "I don't mind. You're not bothering me, but you know I'll let you know if you start. You can be cute when you want attention, too."

"Am I not too much?"

"No. I mean, yes? You're not 'too much,' is what I mean… You can cling to me all you want. I'll be here and I'll keep the monsters away."

"Even if I don't want to leave you alone?"

"There's times when you do?"

"You know what I mean…" the Watchdog pouted. "Surely, you've picked up on me checking in on you from time to time."

"Yeah, I have. You've gotten rusty, Phantomhive. You used to be way more subtle than that. Aren't you supposed to be hidden in the shadows or whatever?"

"Keeping work and home life separate is important." Ciel stated. "Although, when most of my Funtom work is done from home, it can make things difficult. Between it all, I've been a bit stressed, I think…"

"So you want me to relieve the tension?" questioned the menace, arching an eyebrow. "And here I was thinking you just liked me."

"Oh, don't even pretend I don't. It's just silly."

"I guess so. After all, you are completely and utterly obsessed with me. Can't leave me alone while working, always needing to cuddle, wanting me to take care of the noble rod almost every day…"

Suddenly, the Earl choked on his own spit, pulling away from the menace and propping himself up on his elbow again. He coughed into his fist while his husband snickered with a wicked expression on his face, clearly entertained by Ciel's suffering. Playfully, the bluenette swatted the other man's shoulder after finally regaining his composure.

"Don't ever say that again." he halfheartedly scolded. "It's not attractive at all."

"Sorry. Let me try again…" Jim answered, pausing to ponder for a moment.

"Please don't…"

"Watchdog's willy… Phantomhive's phenis… No, no wait-that one sucks… Heh… 'Sucks…'"

"You're terrible… Just awful…" lamented the Watchdog, rubbing his forehead. His beau was quick, however, and had a retort already line up.

"Not terrible enough to divorce or kick out of bed, apparently." the menace teased, gesturing at the furniture underneath them. "You love~ me~! You think I'm sexy~!"

"Stop it."

"You want to kiss~ me~! You want to touch~ me~! You wand to cuddle~ me~! And have babies~ with me~!" Jim let out a yelp followed by a mess of giggles as his husband pushed him over, pinning him to the mattress with his body on top of him. The rambunctious blonde, however, was not threatened in the slightest. "What? You wanna wrestle? Or go for round two?"

"Either could be fun in their own way… Whoa!" Falling hard against the mattress, Ciel's eyes went wide as his husband easily flipped the two of them over, trading places with him.

"Fine by me! Winner gets to be on top this time."

"Oh? Sounds to me like you just want me to make a noise like you did, earlier. You're so mean, wanting to try and embarrass me like that…"

"I thought you said it wasn't a weird noise? Liar. How dare you lie to me, your dear husband?"

"I didn't lie. It wasn't weird at all. In fact, I enjoyed it. You know how I like your voice… I was merely commenting on your imagined shame. Regardless, even if you were to win, revenge won't get you anywhere, I'm afraid."

"It'll get me off, from the sounds of it." quipped the menace. He spoke without a moment of hesitation, his words lashing at his beau and making the Watchdog's face turn pink. Grinning down at his beau, the blonde swept the other man's bangs out of his face so that he could see even more of it. "Besides, you said it yourself: you've been stressed lately. This way, I'll do all the work for you. We both win."

It was a "logical" suggestion, in Jim's own strange way. His husband couldn't help but find reason to it, but then again, his mind wasn't really focused on facts right then, but instead on the attractive man looming over him. Pressing his mouth into a thin line, Ciel tried to keep his eyes focused on the blonde's face, but just for a moment, his gaze flickered downward. Their eyes were locked at the time, so there was absolutely no way that Jim couldn't have noticed. Still, they were both adults, they were married, and given what they had just done, the Watchdog reckoned that he had nothing to be ashamed of.

"Fine." he stated. "But let's forgo the wrestling, shall we? There's only so many hours in a night and I don't wish to tear apart our bedroom… Or have explain why it's in shambles to Sebastian…"

"Logical and reasonable as always." grinned the menace, pecking his beau on the lips. "I'm glad glad, though. Having to kick your hunky arse isn't exactly the sort of foreplay I'm into. I suggest you get good and comfortable, though, 'cause we're gonna be here for a while."

"Is that a threat?"

"No, it's a warning. I didn't call you 'hunky' to be cute." Jim informed, sticking out his tongue for emphasis—a rare gesture, these days, but not something that Ciel could ignore. The Watchdog's eyebrows raised and his eyes went wide. Much to the other man's delight, Ciel's face shifted from pink to red, all the way up to his ears, making them a target for the blonde. While the menace wasn't particularly into them, he knew of many ways to get under Ciel's skin. It wasn't that Ciel's ears were sensitive, either. It was merely that they were linked to the suggestion of something dirty—a fact that Jim knew and would use in order to engage in psychological warfare against him. As much as Jim liked being spoiled, he also liked to spoil his beau from time to time. Either way, he had the Watchdog wrapped around his finger.

Renee was the furthest thing from the Earl's thoughts. He simply didn't have the capacity in his mind in order to dwell on either her or his business. It was just himself, and Jim. Renee undoubtedly wouldn't be able to imagine him in such a position. It was definitely for the best, however. She was sort of sheltered against most matters of this sort, so she would undoubtedly be scandalised.

Instead, she sat in her house at that very moment, blissfully unaware as to what her friend acquaintance was doing instead of preparing for the party. Her "day" was just beginning, really. While she occasionally attended to business during daylight hours, it really threw off her schedule, so she did so sparingly; Usually, if she needed to call the Earl.

She had awoken just before sunset, slipped on her house slippers and set about her business. One of the perks of Serge not being home anymore was that she could walk around outside of her bedroom wearing practically anything. It was comfortable, she found, and because she didn't have any classes to teach that day, she was free to have somewhat of a lazy morning and forgo getting properly dressed for a little while. At the very least, until she was finished with breakfast.

She wasn't really used to preparing food just yet, so she's had a few mishaps in the past, like accidentally melting the plastic of one of her bloodbags and exploding another in the microwave. She took one of the bloodbags out of the refrigerator and heated some water in a kettle. It was a method she had read about in a book meant to teach new vampires how to cope with their condition, and with modern technology, it was something even she could do, she was pleased to find. No fire necessary.

It was sort of nice, being more independent. It certainly gave her something to do during the day, even if there were still many things that she needed to outsource. Her clothes, for example, were taken to the cleaners and she hired someone else to do much of the cleaning; especially in the kitchen and bathroom. Some things, she was simply afraid to mess up, but others, she had no idea where to even begin. Still, she was surviving, somehow, and that was good enough, for now, even if there were a few things she couldn't let go.

That said, she was starting to think that maybe she should marry a man who is more capable and dependable for such things. She loved the allure of the gentleman, yes, but perhaps Ciel was right. Perhaps men could be gentlemanly while taking on attributes of those who were in less glamourous positions. Currently, she found herself wishing for someone who could clean what she couldn't. That would have been very nice.

After eating, she got dressed and did her hair and makeup, then went about her chores. When she was finished, she had lunch, and tried to come up with something she could do for the rest of the night. Ultimately, she decided it would be best to curl up on the sofa in the sitting room in front of the fire and continue reading one of the books she had bought from the local bookstore.

While she still wasn't entirely sold on the idea of staying in Gehenna, she had to admit that there were a few things she liked. There were many wonderful novels and stories penned by supernaturals for a supernatural audience, there were artists who painted, drew, and made various household wares, and the people were nice enough, she supposed. She liked her students. She liked her neighbours, and her house was getting cozier, with more furniture and personal touches slowly turning the structure into a home. Maybe she would stay for a few years, she thought. After all, she had all of the time in the world, so it wouldn't be wasted. She just hoped that she could get along with everyone at the party. It was in a few days, and although she had everything ready, she still felt nervous. Everything about this place broke the rules that had been established for almost her entire, long, life. She just hoped that she wouldn't make a fool of herself in front of everyone.

But those thoughts were almost universally shared throughout the guest list, quite frankly, with practically all of the newcomers worried about what to expect. Veteran Phantomhive party guests like Kristopherson, Logan, and Audrey, however, already knew the drill. It was going to be fun. All they needed to do was dress nice and be sociable, and everything would be fine. Hell, even if they didn't, everything should still be alright. After all, it wasn't as though the Earl was known for being a social butterfly.

Old suits were washed, new suits were rented, shoes were polished and accessories were picked out. Hair gel and cologne was bought. Internet tutorials on how to apply it were watched. The men, too, wanted to appear their best. They went over notes. Wallace practised dancing in his room, hoping to make his steps perfect. Solomon made sure his dress cape was up to par, ensuring that the furs were fluffy and clean. Carl bought a new, somewhat pricey watch, hoping that the status symbol would impress. Richmond repainted his nails, making sure the black was uniform and shiny. Falchion dug his good suit out of the closet and had the hole in the pocket mended at the tailor's. Caroline simply got everything he needed together in the week prior to the party, somewhat nervous about attending his first event as someone with status, rather than a servant. Finally, Gordon Cooksey went out and bought condoms, as he was Gordon Cooksey and that was the sort of thing he did.

With everything coming together, everyone was ready, or as ready as the ever will be. It was a lot to anticipate, really. This wasn't merely a casual date, this was potential marriage, they were rushing into. Furthermore, some of them may need to give up their humanity should they be chosen. It was perfectly understandable, for one to be nervous. But, there was nothing they could do but clean up the best that they could and march forward into the glitz and glamour of the unknown.


A/N: So you made it! Hello! I sort of wonder if it was a bit much to put a disclaimer at the beginning, but I know we don't usually go there and that some people just aren't really into it, so I felt like it was probably best to err on the side of caution.

Anyway, so that's a thing. I'm only disappointed that there wasn't more cuddling. There should be more cuddling! I just thought of the "it wasn't a weird noise" joke and really wanted to write it. That's all this chapter was lmao.

As for the stuff that wasn't shown, you can write your own fanfics about that. Here at DLTD, we're WHOLESOME, goddammit.

Anyway, stay tuned for the end of this storyline, because I've been working on a doozey of an arc for after it. I'm still working out the details, but it should be fun! This should be fun, too. Prepare for a lore dump and some awkward social interactions uwu. Y'know, as tends to happen with this sort of thing.

Until the next chapter, my duckies~!