Time passed and the duo were starting to find this party to be unbearable. They very briefly spoke with Baldassare, and as "pleasant" as that was, it did not make for a full evening. For the most part, they stood around and chatted idly about things going on in Gehenna and about who was in attendance. Both of them took turns pointing out people in the community to each other and explaining who they were and what their role was.
Other than that, there wasn't much to do. Neither of them trusted the food. They couldn't. It was never a wise thing to do in these situations due to things like poison. There was also simply no telling what else might have been put inside.
Still, although they loitered, they remained in view. Wakefield couldn't see them doing anything peculiar, even if they weren't very sociable. Watching them, he was unaware that they were suspicious of him. He turned to face one of the women under his command and made eye-contact with her from across the room. He nodded at her and she nodded back before making her way toward the demon with a tray full of perspicuously perched glasses of wine balanced on top of it.
The woman was pretty and blonde, causing Wakefield to hope that the bluenette would take notice of her as she neared him. He did. Ciel and Alois both did, but not in the way that was hoped for. They didn't even look at her, but rather, kept their senses trained on her as they knew that she was one of Wakefield's underlings, but the look of her dress that matched all of the others. Unfortunately, their actions gave her more leeway to "accidentally" bump into Ciel.
"Oh!" she gasped as the glasses on the tray toppled over strategically onto the Phantomhive's suit. The sound of glass shattering on the floor drew the attention of the crowd, but the woman stuck to her script. "Oh my goodness! I'm so sorry! I should be more careful!"
While Ciel's attention was set on the setting stain on his suit jacket, the blonde was focused on the girl. This routine was familiar to him and made him uneasy. His attention then turned to the bluenette when Ciel looked up to face the woman.
"It's quite alright." the Watchdog stated, his expression and tone polite despite him knowing something was amiss. "Accidents do happen."
"If you come with me, we can get you cleaned up right away." the woman offered, her hands holding onto the bluenette's arm in order to lead him away. Although he had no intention of going with her, Ciel's attention was captured by the sensation of his free hand being abruptly grabbed as well.
Both Ciel and the vampire looked over at the menace, who was white as a sheet before realising what he did. Immediately, his cheeks turned pink, embarrassed by what he had done. Still, he couldn't let go of Ciel's wrist. He felt as though if he did and allowed the woman to take him away, something horrible was going to happen. In fact, he knew it.
"Uh..." he began, trying to come up with an excuse. Unfortunately for him, nothing came to mind. Smiling at the gesture, the bluenette wiggled his arm out of the woman's grasped and used his freshly freed hand to remove the blonde's hand. He then proceeded to empty the jacket's pockets and put his cellphone in his pants' pocket instead.
"Red wine stains like the dickens." the bluenette said while removing his jacket. He then handed the article to the woman, forcing her to take it, although she was confused. "Unfortunately, this kind of fabric doesn't let go of stains, either. You may try, though, but if it doesn't come out, just throw it away. Do tell me, if that is the case, however."
"Al-alright?" the woman replied, seeing that she had failed but knowing she was powerless to do a thing about it. There was no choice for her but to take the jacket and do as she was told. She had no doubt that the penalty for her failure was going to be steep, causing a nervous demeanor to come over her as she fled. Once she was gone, Ciel leaned back against the wall with his attention on Alois once more.
"Not the first time this has happened." he said. "I've learned since then not to fall for pretty blondes leading me away in shady places."
"It's happened to you before?"
"This exact scenario, actually. Well, sort of. Turns out, the 'she' was actually a 'he'. He's still my closest companion, though."
"Wait, that's why I knew something was up!?" gawked the menace with a reddened face.
"Bingo. That was back when we were trying to kill each other. It's the funniest thing. I'm almost nostalgic."
With a sigh, the blonde pinched in between his brows as he lamented his past choices. "I figured it would be funny if I could distract you even a little. What was wrong with me?"
"Nothing at all!" grinned the bluenette. "I like that memory. It was our first meeting. It was very clever, actually. My young and naive self fell right into it. It's funny now, but at the time I was really embarrassed."
"Yeah, you even lied and said you knew it was me from the beginning." replied the menace, cracking the slightest of smiles before conceding at seeing the other's face.
Ciel was smiling. He was actually, genuinely smiling while talking about this. It was hard for Alois to resist. The way the Watchdog looked at him with such fondness was enough to make his heart race.
"That's one of my favourite memories." the bluenette said. "If I ever got to full of myself, you always had that line to shut me down and put be back in my place. 'Oh, yeah? And who was drooling all over himself 'cause he thought I was a super hot chick, huh?' you'd say."
"Did you?" questioned the blonde while snickering at the other's rather poor imitation of him.
"Maybe." Ciel partially lied, although very unconvincingly.
"Too bad I danced with Lizzie, huh?"
"Very. I was disappointed."
"Well, there's a dance floor right there." Alois joked, gesturing to the center of the room. His jest confused the bluenette, however, as he didn't know whether or not the blonde was serious.
The menace could see the slight pink of his cheeks and could tell that the man was considering it. That on its own was enough to make Alois blush as well. Even though he was hesitant, he still was aware that he liked Ciel. Now there was some indication that the feeling may be mutual. The thought made him nervous in a way that he wasn't sure if it was good or bad.
"I wouldn't be opposed to it if his highness doesn't object." the Watchdog offered. He tried to conceal any genuine interest in the blonde by maintaining a casual, playful demeanor.
"Are you serious?" asked Alois.
"Sure. What's the harm in it? Unless you're strongly opposed to the idea. Then it wouldn't be any fun."
Pausing, the blonde looked down at his feet and pondered over the situation before he made his choice. Truly, he wanted to, but he was anxious. Ciel made him feel that way in moments like these, where the man became especially familiar with him.
"Won't it make you look bad?" he questioned, earning a scoff.
"As if I care. What's the worst that people could see? Two people having fun at a party?" Ciel presented while standing up straight and turning to face the other completely. "There's nothing to worry about. Well, other than the fact that there could be terrible things going on behind the scenes, but right now I'm talking about dancing, for the moment."
"You must be quite the lady killer, huh?" the menace asked, his smile returning. "I guess you're right, though. I should just trust my gut."
"Most people have a sixth sense without even realising it. It's when people over think things, that they make mistakes. What's your 'gut' telling you now?"
"That dancing could be fun." Alois said, smiling as he walked toward the middle of the room with the other man in tow. A bit of excitement was visible on the bluenette's face as they stopped and the blonde faced him, causing his heart to race.
Alois was still just as gorgeous as ever, and it was difficult for the Watchdog to maintain his calm demeanor. Sophistication continuously tried to make way for his more dopey tendencies no matter how much Ciel clung to it. With that smile in front of him and those icy blue eyes on him, Ciel wanted nothing more but to dote on the other man, but he would keep his habits under control. He had to, since he was going to be so close to Alois.
The two of them stood awkwardly for a moment as they decided how they were going to fit together. Ciel ended up taking both Alois' hand and his waist while the blonde's free hand rested on his shoulder. They weren't as close as usual, physically, but still moved like they rehearsed. Alois could see the edges of Ciel's lips struggle as the man tried to suppress a smile. The sight made the menace grin a mischievous grin.
"Oh, Ciel, you're so dreamy~!" he teased in a high-pitched tone. That did it. A laugh escaped him as his dance partner finally smiled. It was a wide, bright smile. It was closer to the smile from the Watchdog he had sought than before. While it was hardly "glowing", it made the blonde's heart race.
As time went on, his fun turned into unease as with every spin and twirl they made together, Alois grew more and more anxious. The way the bluenette seemed so uncharacteristically relaxed and the way the man looked at him was too much. Alois remembered him saying that he didn't dance less than an hour ago, yet here he was. It was almost intimate, in a way. Perhaps Alois was over thinking things, but his gut was trying to tell him something through the fluttering of butterflies, and it wasn't getting through. It was becoming overwhelming.
His skin tingled where the Watchdog touched him through his clothes and his face was growing progressively hotter. No longer could he look the other man directly in the eyes for very long. After a second, he had to look away each time. Noticing this, Ciel finally spoke up.
"Do you want to stop?" he asked.
"Why?"
"You seem uncomfortable."
"I'm fine." Alois poorly lied. Still, he could not look.
If he gazed upon that concerned face of the Watchdog, he might just fall apart. His fingers twitched on Ciel's shoulder as he desperately wanted to loosen his tie. He was sweating underneath his suit, despite the temperature being perfectly comfortable before. Alois could feel the heat radiating from the other's skin through the white shirt that covered him. His eyes focused on that spot, but truly honed in on the pale gold band that wrapped around his finger. In that instant, it felt as though he woke up from his daze, his eyes widening as he shoved the other man away.
Blinking, Ciel took a few steps back and stared at the menace in astonishment. That astonishment soon transformed into concern very quickly as his singular eye took in the sight of the man before him. Alois' skin was shiny with sweat and his eyes were wide as they stared blankly down at the floor. With shaky hands, the menace clutched at his face and then his hair while taking deep breaths in an attempt to calm down. Alois was not "fine". He was anything but "fine". It was glaringly obvious.
"Alois?" the bluenette called, stepping forward with his arms slightly. "Are you alright?"
"Don't talk." panted the lion. "Don't look. Just… Just stay away from me."
"Tell me what's wrong, at the very least so I can help."
When the blonde shook his head, the bluenette instinctively reached for his hand. "We need to get you out of here."
"Don't touch me!" Alois barked, slapping the other demon's hand away, startling him. Now it was Alois' turn to retreat backward, finally looking up. That was a mistake. He could see the worry and hurt on the man's face now, and it cut deep. Why was this man so concerned over him? Why couldn't he leave him alone?
He knew. Alois knew. He just didn't want to acknowledge it.
"Alois..." Ciel said aloud. The words were foreign to the both of them coming from the Watchdog's lips.
No longer could Alois cope with this unease he had been feeling. This lingering sense of unrest and dread that had smothered him for almost an entire month. No longer could he bear hearing Ciel say that name. It annoyed him. It upset him. Alois knew why. That truth couldn't be crushed down and further and hidden from his thought. He didn't want it. He shouldn't want it! That's what he told himself this entire time, but temptation sank in and a truth so good that it had to be a lie presented itself. It had to be a lie.
It had to be. Alois' mind could no longer run from truth, but his legs could. Turning, he took off, fleeing the Watchdog and disappearing deeper into the Wakefield mansion. The eyes of the household's head followed him while Thaddeus' lips formed a cocky smile.
"Alois!" called out the Watchdog, starting after him. Before he could, however, Wakefield's lackeys moved in, blocking his path.
"How terrible!" one of the women said. "Just leave him be, he'll apologise soon enough."
This was part of Wakefield's plan. Ciel was sure of it, now, but he didn't know how. All he knew was that this gesture was deliberate and it made him angry. Fists clenching, his eye changed from it's deep blue colour into a fiery crimson.
"Out of my way!" he roared, baring his fangs with a snarl. The very air around him changed, sucking the breath from the vampires as it knocked them back with its invisible force. Most took it upon themselves to heed his warning, but one or two needed further invitation, prompting the demon to shove them aside.
With that, he ran after his beloved, vanishing deeper into the mansion. This caused a wide grin to appear on the face of their gracious host before he dropped down from the railing overlooking the dance floor and landing with his shoes clicking against the hard floor. Holding up his hands, he faced a concerned crowd.
"Don't worry, everyone! I'm sure it's nothing! Just a typical lover's quarrel." he assured, causing the surprise to die down and be replaced with mere murmurs. He snapped his fingers at one of his servants, who nodded as he made his way through the doors that the duo went through. Both demons were unaware that he had followed them, as they had many other thoughts swirling around in their minds.
Even if Ciel caught up with the menace, what would he say? There was no convincing Alois of anything until the blonde calmed down, but either way, he needed to get Alois out of this mansion and fast. The mission had been compromised the moment that they split up.
Digging in his pocket, the bluenette quickly dug out his phone as he ran so that he could contact Sebastian and have him become the Phantomhive butler once more in order to retrieve them. To his surprise, however, he already had a message from the man clad in black. Opening it, he expected an update on Sebastian's findings, but never did he expect one of this magnitude.
"I have found evidence that Wakefield possibly has connections to the Scarlet Order." the message said. "Further information when we regroup."
That was almost enough to cause the Phantomhive to halt dead in his tracks. Possible Scarlet Order connections? This house could have been a death trap waiting to spring. Looking up from the device, Ciel looked in the direction he sensed his partner in.
"Jim… Please cooperate..."
A/N: Hellooooo
This was a tough one to write. The next one's gonna be a booger as well.
welp, better get on it, then...
Before that, though, I've got a question:
"Have you heard of mbti and if so whats your type?" by Guest
Yup. I'm an INTP. They actually made us take a test in one of my classes in highschool. I think it's pretty accurate. describing me to a T, but some would disagree.
What do you guys think? Do I seem like an INTP?
Also, we're out of character shet questions, so feel free to submit those, too!
Until the next chapter, my duckies~!
