Chapter 6 - The Silent Slaves

Sunday morning Ciel wakes and smiles at the feeling of a warm hand brushing his hair away from his eyes. "Good morning."
"Good morning Youn-, Ciel. Your phone has been vibrating since three am."
Ciel groans, "Who could possibly-" He swipes his phone from the nightstand while Sebastian brings over his tea and breakfast. "Alois."
Photos of the blond with glitter flaking off his face with a crown made out of glow sticks are followed by encouragement to come out and party with him. The most recent message declares, "You're coming tomorrow! We'll pick you up at ten!"
"He wants me to go with him to some party." Ciel retrieves a scone.
"Are you going to go?" Sebastian opens the curtains to let in the autumn morning.
"I don't particularly want to… but I should at least try to get along with my peers… I'll go, but I'm bringing a packet of salt."
Ciel withdraws the phone. Whatever, he types back, thinking that plenty of agreement, then knowing the overly friendly nature of the other boy, he adds, Just shut up about it until then.
 "While you were sleeping I began to search for The Eye of Ouza, and found something quite interesting."
Ciel swallows a dry bite of his caramel pastry. "Go on, don't leave me in suspense."
"I found a virtual community of the others that are under the sun."
"How do you know they're like you?"
"There's an old friend of mine moderating. They meet up on Sundays. We can go see if they know who might have taken it."

***
Thick dark clouds follow as they drive downtown, and the sky bursts as they exit the vehicle and walk down a particularly trashed alleyway. The directions send them deep until it opens up to a raised cement stairway leading to a door with red paint peeling down in strips.
A man in a leather jacket leans against it, salt and pepper hair over his eyes. A fogged up crystal bottle lazily droops from his hand.
When the pair's footsteps get the man's head lifts and a broad smile overwhelms his face.
"Thirteen!" the man is up faster than Ciel can render, to shake Sebastian's hand. "I was starting to think you'd never be back under this… what happened to the sun?"
Before Sebastian can say anything there's a deep cry of pain from just beyond, though muffled, it still could be heard down the expanse of the alleyway.
Ciel tries not to tense up but the unknown concerns him.
The slouchy smiling demon bangs on the door. "We've got visitors!" he announces.
The door rattles and a girl appears around Ciel's age leaps out.
"He's passed out anyway." She wrinkles her nose, crinkling the spatter of freckles and twists an old pair of pliers around her wrist. "Sebastian?" the girl questions when she notices him looming a few feet away. "W-We didn't think you'd made it."
"Why did everyone think you were dead?" Ciel asks. Surely they must not see each other for very long amounts of time.
"We thought the reapers got him for burning down London." The leather clad man jumps down from the steps. "We were used to you rising every few years, didn't expect a hundred year nap."
"I can't stay long, I need to get Ciel out of the rain."
"Ciel is it?" The man pops his neck to the side. "Sorry, I'd invite you in but-"
"I understand. Actually, you see what they know. There's a place near here that knows how I like my tea, I'll~"
"There's a cafe around here?" The man takes the pliers from the thin girl.
"Moonlight Cafe."
"Once we've finished up here we'll all come meet you there and tell you all we know."

The Moonlight Cafe had not changed. Same uneven checkered floor. Same blue glow coming from the cartoon crescent moon on the roof.
Ciel finds his old spot by the large window in the corner. It's not long before a pair of soft eyes land on him and the waitress walks on over.
"Where have you been, kid?" she asks, but is relieved to see her old regular well washed with tidy tailored clothing and unharmed but for an eyepatch.
"I… met someone. I took a leap and trusted someone, and I've got my life back and more."
"I'd like to meet her…"
"He'll be here soon enough with who I'm going to guess will be a rowdy group. Prepare yourself for that, but until then, may I have some tea?"

He couldn't have been more right. In twenty minutes nine bodies follow Sebastian through the doors, all talking and holding up phones, asking to share numbers. Some typing away on their historic flip phones, other's snapping photos.
The crowd is varied, with the oldest looking being the man they'd met in the alley, now with a guitar thumping against his back, to the youngest a three year old on the shoulders of a very tall shapely demoness with long silver hair.
Introductions are made but Ciel catches only some names and numbers.
"Why the numbers?" Ciel wonders as they drag chairs and tables over to sit with him.
"Names come and go. The originals decided in 1000 AD that after a new generation came, we'd have to regulate ourselves," 26 explains.
"New generation?"
"There're ten to twenty new summoning names added each century," the woman with silver hair informs him as she sits next to 26. Ciel can recall she's number 19, Hannah, and the small child on her lap with an inky mark on his chest is Luca, her master. Her voice is soft and almost… tired.
"Aren't we supposed to be talking about The Eye of Ouza?" Freckles, number 371, cuts in. "Because I have some thoughts." Her voice is sharp and daring.
"You know who has it?" Sebastian inquires.
She lets out a single bark of a laugh and leans back in her seat. "We know who it could be, but we haven't decided if we're going to tell yah."
Ciel raises a brow. "Why not?"
"The angel," supplies MeyRin, 26's tether. "They don't want an angel to have The Eye."
"It belongs to us!" snaps one of the two boys who has not sat down in favor of gawking at the pastry display. Ciel can't recall which one is Bard and which is Finny, or even which is the demon.
"The Eye of Ouza should be in the hands of demons," the other growls.
"Just not who it's currently with," 26 adds.
"I don't think I understand, what exactly is the Eye of Ouza?"
"It gives the user the ability to turn a mortal into a demon," Sebastian carefully tells him.
"So you must understand why we don't want to hand it over to a vengeful angel," 26 drawls.
Ciel can feel all the eyes on him now, human and glowing demon alike. "I believe I do now."
This is their only way of sharing their eternity with someone. His eyes fall to the demon next to him for a split second. They've only just begun whatever it is they are.
"I agree now that I know, but the angel still needs to be taken care of." How would the angel proceed if they did not return with the Eye of Ouza? Would it enslave all the nuns? The entire church? The whole city?
"We'll help you with that if you get the Eye," 26 tells them.
"Then who has it?"
"909."
"We don't know what they look like, we can only see a summoning record," Mey Rin informs. "I'll text you what we've got."
"Thank you."

***
"I shouldn't go, I should be helping you look for leads and tracking down 909." Ciel sets down his spoon, finished with the dinner that Sebastian had prepared.
"If you don't want to-" Three thuds on the door make Ciel groan. "Do you want me to send him away?"
"No, that's alright. I'll just stay for an hour or until I can leave without anyone noticing…" Ciel trails off as the man approaches his stool, still taller than him. There's another set of knocks but they don't hear as they share a tender exchange.
"Text me every hour or I'll worry," Sebastian admits when their lips part.
"I will," he promises. Now he wants to stay even more, but as more knocks thunder through the manor, Ciel reluctantly slides down to get the door a hand in his pocket full of salt.

***
Alois didn't have bad taste. More extravagant and less safe, but the music actually feels good unlike that in Capulet, and the drink the blond made for him is delightfully sweet and tart. Alios does most of the talking, but after his second drink he's stopped caring.
"Do you want to see the rest of the house?" Alios offers.
Ciel shrugs. "Sure." He takes out his phone. It's still a few minutes before his hour mark but he sends Sebastian a quick, still safe, it's not so bad, as reassurance and puts his phone back before getting up to let the blond show him around.
Ciel occasionally will add a 'what's that' or 'what a shame', but otherwise doesn't say much as he's dramatically waved to look at the antiques and relics.
Ciel has happily finished his next drink, and now that he's starting to feel it's effects, he decides to not get another. If he comes back after too many Sebastian would turn down his advances for sure, and after this weekend's events, he'd like to see more of the demon.
"Are you listening?" Alios asks.
Ciel looks up. "No, sorry, I was lost in thought." They're in a guest room that seconds as a museum for butterflies all tacked up like sacrifices.
"That's alright. I don't really care about any of this anyway. I just thought you might, because you're the aristocratic collector sort."
Ciel nods. "I do know a good deal about the trade."
"I just wanted to talk more with you. You're not very approachable, you know?" This sounds odd coming from the perpetually happy extroverted teen.
"I know. I don't make friends easily."
Alois sits down on the duvet and patts next to him.
"I've been only my own since my parents passed two years ago. I was homeless until recently. I know that's just an excuse, but I'm…"
"You must have been so lonely…"
A chill goes up Ciel's spine at the husky undertone of those words. Something's not right.
The boy with the mismatched eyes goes completely still when he feels Alois's warm breath against his face, then his-
Ciel stands abruptly, cringing inwardly. Had he led the blond on? No. Ciel had been reluctant and unaware the entire time they've known each other.
"I…" Alois starts to say, his eyes a storm of wild emotions.
"I already have someone, sorry. I should go home." Once Ciel's feet start moving, he's running down the stairs and out the door, until he's found a bench to even out his breathing.
After a hit from his inhaler, he grabs his phone.
Can you pick me up?
The response is immediate. Certainly. The demon doesn't ask where he is or even why he's wanting to come home so soon.
Ciel leans his head back against the cool iron bench. The autumn air is so refreshing against his alcohol induced flush.
Whoosh. Powerful obsidian wings stir up a flurry of red and orange leaves. Well polished black oxfords touch the ground without a sound and soft black hair settles back around the demon's moonlit face, sporting the faintest of smiles.
"You can fly and you didn't tell me?" Ciel scoffs, crossing his arms over his chest.
Sebastian scents the air, looking for what caused his tether to close himself off. Underneath that decadent chocolate smell is the tart smell of vodka and a ghost of…
"It takes a lot of energy, and before you decided to trust me, I didn't know if I could expend that much effort." Sebastian draws closer and leans over the boy to take in a lungful. "You smell like another-"
"It wasn't my fault." Ciel stares up at the stars. "I didn't even notice he was trying…"
"Another demon," Sebastian finishes. "Is that kid the only one you were around?"
Demon. Ciel's mind runs through the night. He'd talked to a dozen people briefly. "It was a party, there were lots of people."
"Do you know any names or have any photos?"
"N-no, only the ones he's sent me." Ciel sounds tired and Sebastian sharp ears pick up on it.
"Alright, let's get you home. We can talk about it tomorrow."
But the mortal holds up a hand. "I… I didn't-"
Sebastian laughs. "I know, you wouldn't have come running to me if you had."
"Are we-" His body feels heavy. It's late, and he hadn't run like that in some time. He didn't know how to ask.
"Tomorrow-" Seeing Ciel start to object to putting the conversation away, he lifts him into his arms successfully quieting him. "Tomorrow I'll tell you my history and if you still want to be with me, I'll be happy to have you."

Ciel had fallen asleep sometime during the flight through the cool night sky, but no matter where he'd fallen asleep Sebastian would have made sure he would wake in his own bed.
Ciel makes a deep sound of protest when his phone wakes him. How can he think about school when there's so much else that's more important? The weekend had not been restful.
A silver tray is set before him giving him a reason to sit up. The smell of Taylor ham and melted cheddar is enough to rouse any man.
"I don't want to go to school," Ciel admits shyly after his first bite through warm brioche.
"I'll call and let them know you're ill."
Relief. Ciel's tight muscles that were braced for a long day, relax as though he's sinking into a hot bath.
"Are you really going to tell me about your past?"
"Eventually, but we don't have time for all of it today. I assumed you'd want to know my sexual history first."
Ciel lips pressed together into a fine line. "I do." Ciel is curious, and has so many questions, but he also worries. Had Sebastian's heart belonged to someone long before Ciel was even born? Had he been so active that the idea of a simple relationship with a single fragile mortal be boring?
"Ciel, it's okay," Sebastian tries to comfort. "What are you so worried about?"
"I'm just freaking myself out. Go ahead." Ciel shows he's ready by taking another bite of his breakfast.
"You must know that every mortal I've ever met is long dead, and I've barely had friends, much less someone I care about as much as you. Does that calm your worry?"
"Very much." Ciel sighs. When did he get so good at reading exactly what I need? No, he's always been this way.
"Suppose I'll start from the beginning. I was too angry to even think about more than killing my masters for nearly a hundred years. It wasn't until after the supposed crucifixion that I even considered pleasure beyond bloodshed."
"Makes sense. I'd be pretty pissed too if I woke up in some assholes basement that I couldn't say no to." Ciel sips his tea.
"After so long I feared that loss of control, once I had it. If for any reason I had a moment of unsupervised freedom, I did not want to just be serving someone else's whims. So, I only got involved with those who I knew I would never care about. Mostly nuns."
Ciel avoids choking on his tea with a hard swallow.
"It was fun, until 1800 and some change, when I was summoned by a beast tamer. I hated her with my whole being, but that didn't stop her."
"She…" Ciel hands are balled up in the sheets.
"I was everything she hated in the world and with a set of orders I could not refuse. I was unable to do more than plan her death. It wasn't long after."
"No one should have to go through that."
"I know that now, but after I just dedicated myself to being an excellent server. It was wealthier and wealthier men that had monopolized summoning names. I kept busy, out performing myself each day."
Ciel sets his tray aside to crawl onto Sebastian's lap. "You don't have to-"
"I enjoy serving you. Don't think I would do anything I don't want to without an order." Sebastian firmly squeezes him, finding that he does feel better about continuing surrounded by Ciel's scent.
"There isn't much to note after that I had a lot of work, things for myself. Inventing terrible things to get back at humanity when masters were busy. I can't recall any faces or names, not because of time but because I just didn't bother.
"It wasn't long until I was summoned to Talia, my master before you. She was the sort that doesn't think ahead more than a move or two. I must confess, I used her. Once she trusted me, I was gone and I burned down London. It was beautiful. She was hurt, rightfully so, and she destroyed what I believed to be every account of my summoning name before she took her life."
"Thank you for sharing this all with me." Ciel tucks his face into the demon's neck. "So this'll be your first real consensual relationship?"
"That's right. Sounds kind of pathetic when it's said out loud."
Ciel shakes his head. "No, I'm glad. I think I can cope with all the firsts others got to be part of if I know I'm your first partner."
This makes Sebastian smile genuinely, optimistic. Ciel's phone buzzes from his nightstand. Ciel would be unable to reach but Sebastian easily swipes it off the mahogany and turns it on.
"Looks like your friend's got the morbs about last night."
Ciel glances at the string of messages.

I'm sorry if I scared you.

Can we talk about it?
 You're not gone because of me, right?
"How do we know if he's a demon?"
"I could tell if I smelled him, but I doubt he'd let me get close enough. You could tell if he lost control, but I don't want to put you in danger.
"What if he's 909, though?" Something in Ciel's stomach is telling him that if Alois is really a demon then he's likely 909, afterall, how many more demons could there be in this city?
"We'll have to be careful. We need a plan. Let's start by having him meet you somewhere."
"That park from last night is close to his house and the school, and fairly private on weekdays."
"Sounds good."
Sorry I didn't message you sooner. Can we meet up? Ciel sends the simple message. The response is instantaneous.
Absolutely. I really am sorry Ciel. I should have asked first.
Ciel still doesn't know how to feel about Alois. Maybe he had misjudged his schoolmate. He had always been nice to him.
Noon at P. Magnolia Park?

Author Note: Lots of new writing coming from me soon! An omega-verse Ciel x Sebastian one included. Will be based in the 1890s with a human(ish) Sebastian.