Days passed and gradually, things began to return to normal. Alois was still elated to be home, uttering deep, content sighs as he put his feet up after school. Even those godawful couches in the office felt comfortable. That was expected, however, given his previous arrangement.
He started sleeping again, laying contently in his own bed with his spouse. Even if he wasn't sleeping, there was just something about it that was welcoming. Being in his husband's presence again was pleasant as well. It had been weeks and Ciel was still doting on him profusely. It wasn't as though the menace minded, however. He missed the bluenette's soft touches and the sound of his voice, causing him to take great pleasure in the other man's presence. It relaxed him. He felt safe again.
Alois really noticed the things that he missed. Even the smallest of gestures, like the way Ciel would absent-mindedly tuck a stray hair of the blonde's behind his ear while listening to him talk. The menace noticed how Ciel would wear earrings that he picked out for him, even if Ciel wasn't really into the style, just because Alois was the one who gave them to him. Alois missed holding hands and leaning against his husband as they sat on the couch, and he missed everyone coming together to watch their favourite shows every week. He missed the way Luka would try to lean on him and gain his attention. He missed the way Revy pretended not to care, but feigning not feeling left out poorly. Really, Alois missed everything, and he was glad to be home again.
He didn't even mind that work had to be done. While Alois still had school and such, he was content with the time he had at home afterward. There was enjoyment to be found in discussion of work as well. The demonic duo were asked to come up with ideas for a solution to the problem of Gehenna's sudden increase in population. With all of the supernaturals coming in due to the Scarlet Order, both in turncoats and in immigrants and refugees, they were running out of buildings to house them in.
Many buildings already housed multiple families at once, and business owners typically lived upstairs from their stores. The church housed as many as Sister Dorothy could take in, and it broke her heart that she couldn't house all of them herself. Some took to building makeshift shelters out of whatever they could find, despite it being the tail end of January. Gehenna was booming in both positive and negative ways. If a solution was no found, the problem ran the risk of getting out of hand.
"Well, where can you put them?" questioned the menace. "Are there no more old buildings at all?"
"There's a handful, but most of those are in disrepair…" answered his beau.
"Surely there's more abandonned places in London… Supernaturals seem to draw to places like that like flies."
"That's true, but it's very dangerous to have multiple Gehenna's in a densely populated city like London." informed Ciel. "But I get what you're saying. Existing structures can be made use of in ways that are long term. That's what Gehenna started out as, after all."
"Surely there's some old military base or whatever that can be renovated." suggested Alois. "Instead of building things that are new, one can simply fix things that are old!"
"Still, that would take quite a bit of money."
"It's going to take cash, either way. H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. took the Scarlet Order's funds, didn't it? I'm willing to shell out some cash too, if I have to."
"That's true as well." nodded the bluenette with a small grin as his husband fiddled with his cell phone. "How much money do you have, though."
"This." Alois said simply, showing the bluenette his screen. Ciel took the device from his hand so that he could see better, only to raise his eyebrows.
"How did you get this much?" questioned the Watchdog.
"Scotland Yard and H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. work don't exactly pay minimum wage, you know." the blonde replied with a smug smile. "That, and I hardly ever spend it, so it's been collecting interest for a while."
"Impressive. Maybe I should start having you pay a few bills, then." Ciel teased, only to earn a shrug from his husband.
"I wouldn't mind, you know. It's my house, too."
"I'm kidding. You don't have to." said the Watchdog, shaking his head. "Or, we could come to some kind of arrangment. I can handle bills and other expenses to keep things up and running, and you could handle the family stuff, fun stuff, and personal projects. Sound fair?"
"Not really. What do you mean 'fun stuff'?" questioned the blonde.
"Trips, and that sort of thing. Recreational stuff."
"And 'family stuff'?"
To this, Ciel paused, furrowing his brow as he came up with an answer. In truth, he really didn't know what he meant. However, his mind caught up as he saw the nasty smirk appearing on his husband's face.
"I thought you said we should be married a while before we start a family, Ciel~?" Alois teased as he poked the other man's shoulder. His beau's face changed in shade as the other Phantomhive jumped to defend himself.
"We were talking about it the other day. Shut up." he said. "There's other stuff, too, like Luka. Luka is family. So is Revy. Even Sebastian."
"What would I buy for Sebastian?"
"You bought his Christmas presents, didn't you?"
"Ah… That's right. Are you just not as family oriented?"
"I'm plenty, I think… It's just that you wanted to pay for something."
"You're a total goof, you know that?" giggled the menace as he leaned back and rested his head on his spouse's shoulder. "That's why I love you, though."
"Jerk."
This conversation lasted a while longer, covering this and various other topics along the way. Mostly, they tried to come up with ideas for how a new community would be created, forcing Ciel to look back and remember what little he did about the formation of the original "Special Supernatural Containment Zone." In truth, he wasn't a very big part of this, so he couldn't recall much. Some, however, was still something.
It was decided that this idea would be brought to the attention of the council as soon a possible. After they sorted out quite a few points and figured out how to explain the idea, they called Integra that afternoon. As always, she was difficult to read, but said that she would bring it up for debate in the next meeting and would consider it.
For now, that was all that they could do. Hopefully, something would be sorted out soon, however. It was uncertain as to how much longer things would stay stable, as the threads were beginning to snap. People were suffering in the conditions they were forced to live in, so it was imperative that a solution be reached soon.
A/N: I needed a boring chapter. I'm sorry. I NEEDED it.
Important stuff in here, though. Important stuff.
Now I'm going to deviate from our world's reality for my next trick, as the place I'm thinking of no longer exists.
I can DREAM
It's an alternate world and timeline. I do what I WANT
I got a question:
"This question is for u hatewesal...do u have waddpad?" by LOLITSMEKATIE
Nope. Now, I did have an AO3 for a while, where I was posting the old chapters of DLTD, but then I forgot I had it and stopped putting anything on there mostly because I just don't really care for the format tbh halshgliuhgilasuhgaliuh
Until the next chapter, my duckies~!
CHARACTER SHET
Question: "Question to ciel..If the future hold...For now are you willing to be a father? Or does it make you happy? Or are you ready to be a father?" by toDAZZLINGDARKNESS
Ciel: "I think I would be open to it. Just not now. Sometime in the distant future, maybe. Though, if I'm honest, I don't think I would be very good at it..."
