"You bastard!" shouted a distraught older woman before the sound of the back of her hand striking the Phantomhive's cheek echoed throughout the room. She recoiled, taking a step back from the demon before clutching at her hand. She felt as though she had just slapped a marble statue, yet Ciel seemed unfased.
He stood there with a bored expression, wearing his military uniform at a party for other soldiers. This woman, who now hunched over in front of him with tears streaming down her cheeks was the mother of one of the men in his crew. Was. She had a son no longer.
"Are you quite finished?" Ciel coldly inquired. "We're in the middle of a war, not some kind of leisure club. People die. It is nothing astonishing or new in the slightest."
"You… you heartless brute!" Obviously, the Phantomhives words did nothing to console the woman, as she continued to sob uncontrollably. "You could have saved him! I heard it from the others! You could have turned back and saved him, but you didn't! You let him fall from the truck and you let the Nazis get him!"
"Going back would have put the lives of everyone else in danger. Don't be foolish."
"Liar!" she shrieked. "The others say you do this always! One man, you allowed to go blind!"
"He pointed a gun at me and it jammed. He pulled the trigger while doing something he shouldn't. He paid the price. That was his fault, not mine." spoke the Watchdog, earning another slap that did nothing but annoy him.
"You leave wounded behind!"
"Am I supposed to bog everyone down as they try to escape by making them carry those who are destined to die there?" The woman raised her hand again, but this time, he caught it and gripped it tightly. "Do not do that again. You're only hurting yourself."
By this point, the band had stopped playing and people who had been dancing and being jovial before were now staring. Flickering his eyes around the room, he saw their faces, and decided to release the woman's arm. Cautiously, the fanfare started up again and people turned their attention back to having a good time. As the woman seemingly had nothing else to say to him, he took this as good enough reason to start walking away.
"He knew the risks when he enlisted." he said before walking past her. "War is the result of many men together, lashing out violently. Instead of blaming one, blame the situation. We are all stuck in this mess together. Would it have been better if it were somebody else's son, instead?"
His words did not reach the poor woman, as she continued to sob. The moment he continued walking, some bystanders came to comfort her, an observation that was not lost on the Phantomhive. "What cowards..." he thought to himself. "They only ever come when everything is already over..."
Navigating his way through the party, he did his very best to avoid people and for the most part, other people did their best to avoid him. Yet, even with this mutual understanding, he still somehow managed to run into the exact person who did want to talk to him. It was announced with a hearty pat on the Phantomhive's back, knocking the breath out of him with an "oof!"
"Phantomhive! No need to be a sourpuss! Loosen up! Have some fun!" grinned a certain Sir Arthur Hellsing with a drink in one hand and a woman in the other.
"It's a bit difficult when the other guests seem to despise me." answered the demon. "I never did like parties, even as a human being. I didn't want to come in the first place."
"Then why did you?" Arthur questioned with an arched brow.
"Because if I don't do as you say, I'll lose my house again and be hunted down as the monster that I am."
"Blimey, you really need to lighten up." Turning to the woman on his arm, the Hellsing mouthed to her the word "later" and patted her on the rear as she turned to leave them alone. "Listen, Ciel, my boy-"
"I'm older than you."
"Right… Be that as it may, I think the word 'monster' is a bit harsh for you." he said to the Phantomhive. "You're getting there, but you can't let it. Don't let people like that get to you. They're always looking for a reason why their boy had to die. They're overcome with grief! If the moment permitted, I know you would have done everything in your power to save that man."
"I didn't, though." Ciel said. "Quite frankly, I don't know if I even cared. A good part of me just… doesn't. How else could I have looked that woman in the eyes the way I did?"
"You tried to comfort her in the best way your amount of tact would allow-"
"No, Arthur. I was just stating facts. The truth is, I saw her, understood her pain, and then… felt nothing. I didn't feel sorry for her. I didn't feel any sort of regret. In all honesty, Arthur, if met with the same situation, I can't tell you if I would have done anything differently. That includes the chance of there being a way to save that boy. It didn't bother me in the slightest."
Arthur looked at him with upturned brows. What a poor, pitiful creature. He was undergoing the changes experienced by many of his kind. It was a demon's natural life-cycle, yet, Arthur still believed that the Phantomhive could be saved.
"You are concerned with the aftermath." Arthur stated. "You worry about what it means. You know that you're fading."
"I do not want to fade."
"What is there to remind you of yourself?"
Irritably, Ciel removed his glove and shoved his open right hand in Arthur's face. On the joint that connected his fingers to his palm was a faint white line on his skin, marking him permanently. With a surprised expression, Arthur reached up and held the demon's hand in place so he could look at it more closely.
"A scar?" he gawked. His astonishment was not unwarranted. The Hellsing's eyes quickly moved from the hand to the person it was attached to. "But you can regenerate?"
"It's from when I was human." Ciel explained while wiggling his hand out of the other's grasp. "Naturally, I could get rid of it whenever I so choose, but I'd rather not."
"This is your reminder?" the human asked, to which, the demon hesitantly replied:
"One of many."
The band continued to play on in the background and people sang of the inevitable victory that was to come. It wasn't fitting of the atmosphere, however. No, it was far too jovial to fill the silence between them.
"I'm trying." the Phantomhive finally said, destroying the lull in their conversation. "I can't promise you that I'll get there, but… know that I don't want to lose myself."
"Then don't lose yourself, Ciel." spoke the other. "You have the ability to do so."
"The ability, perhaps, but maybe not the stamina." With a sigh, the Phantomhive folded his arms and looked away. "I am… tired, Arthur. I fight myself every time I fight for England and I've just about had enough."
No matter how hard Arthur tried, there was no way that the Hellsing could cure him. In fact, Ciel would not improve all that much until decades after his death and only after he had reached an all-time low. After witnessing the destruction of his home for the second time since the Blitzkriegs that struck London when the Millennium organisation attacked, Ciel, in his desperation, did one of the most sinful thing that a person of any species could possibly do. He was a demon who played at being "God."
A century of conflict, loneliness, blood, and death was bound to drive him a bit mad. All that time, he was holding onto himself with everything he had, but this? This was the final straw. He would frame it as him seeking out a challenge that might actually be worth his time, but perhaps the truth was somewhat stranger than that. Why Alois? It wasn't merely because the menace was the person whose soul he could drag back to the mortal plane like he had said, although that was certainly a massive portion of it. It was not only Alois who defeated him, but it was also Alois who had granted him his demonity. It was Alois, who had subsequently stripped him of his humanity and caused him this agony that would never end. It was Alois who was one of the last people to ever see him as a mortal, and it was Alois who would grant him his revenge. By defeating Alois, he will have killed the one who had caused him this nightmare, and by killing Alois, he might have killed the last part of him that kept him in the light. Or, on a much darker note, perhaps the demon expected that just like before, Alois would defeat him again. This time, instead of granting him unending life, he would instead take it away.
But just as it was Alois who had stripped him of humanity and rendered him a brute whose sense of morality was slowly and painfully fading, it was also Alois who returned it. There was proof now, even as the Watchdog lie sleeping in his rivals arms, having sought safety and comfort from him. Yes, Ciel sought out this man's affections of his own free will, although he stirred against the man due to his dreaming self.
"Mmnh..." he groaned, furrowing his brows and nuzzling his face into the fabric of the shirt his beau was wearing. It was in fact his shirt, but Ciel hadn't time to concern himself with that.
"Shhh..." Alois hushed, reaching up to run his fingertips through bluenette locks to soothe his beau. "It's okay."
In an instant, the blonde's magic touch caused Ciel's body to relax again. The strain in the Watchdog's expression vanished and he seemed much more peaceful, now. With one hand, Alois continued to pet his beau's hair and with the other, he played on his phone, now only half-paying-attention-to Sue Perkins making puns about baking on television. There wasn't much thought in his gesture, but even in sleep, Ciel's mind was put at ease. In fact, the man was so comfortable where he was, that he accidentally let out a snore.
Quickly, Alois blocked his mouth with his wrist so that his snickering at the sound wouldn't wake his husband. That was cute! Too cute! Alois couldn't believe how cute Ciel was being. The Watchdog was cuddling with him so sweetly as he slept. He was perfectly defenseless, but knew no harm would come to him where he was. The blonde was immensely pleased by how open Ciel was with him, and did not wish to betray him, but it was difficult for him to resist taking a picture of him despite being specifically asked not to.
It was about another hour before Ciel started stirring again and this time, he seemed to actually be in the beginnings of waking up. Then, he took in a sharp, but deep breath and removed an arm from around the blonde's middle in order to rub his eyes. Sleepily, he opened them, only to be overwhelmed by the light and closing them again.
"Morning, Poochini." the blonde greeted as his beau propped his chin on his chest in order to face him.
"Morning..." Ciel mumbled, obviously waiting to be kissed and with a chuckle from his spouse, he was. He didn't seem ready to be awake, but this wasn't a problem.
"You're awake just in time to go to bed." Alois teased.
"Mmn..." was all the bluenette managed to reply with. "I like it here..."
"I know, baby. Take your time." While this is what the menace said, he did take the opportunity to twist and stretch, now that he didn't need to worry about waking Ciel anymore. He had been in the same position for hours, so his body was a little stiff.
Sadly for the Watchdog, his squirming forced him to wake up a little more and he finally opened his eyes. Lifting himself up on his hands, he allowed Alois some room. Thus, his beau lifted his back off of the sofa by pushing on the arm of it with his shoulders. He raised his hands above his head with a loud groan, lifting up the bottom of his shirt in the process, exposing his navel. Suddenly on impulse, Ciel grabbed his sides, lowering his head toward the blonde's abdomen. Straight-faced, he took a deep breath and blew a raspberry on his husband's stomach.
"Ah!" Alois shrieked before his surprise turned into uncontrollable giggling. It didn't help that his spouse had also slipped his hands up his shirt and started adding to his ticklishness. Red-faced and between laugher, he managed to force out a quick: "What the fuck, Ciel?"
"Sorry, I couldn't resist." the Bluenette stated with a grin of his own. "I like your stomach."
"You say that about everything."
"Yes." Ciel answered quite seriously, causing the other to laugh again.
"First thing after waking up and this is the first thing you do?" his husband questioned with an arch of his brow. "Are you completely awake?"
"I'm working on it." With that, the Watchdog laid his head on the other's abdomen. With a somewhat wistful sigh, he pondered: "It's already late, huh? We wasted the whole afternoon."
"It's not a waste. You needed it. You were kind of a mess." Reaching down, Alois put a hand on his husband's head and patted it. "Do you feel any better?"
"Quite a bit, actually. It's kind of odd. I didn't exactly do anything."
"That's exactly what you needed to do to help it pass."
"Probably. I feel like it gave me weird dreams, though."
"Really? Like what?"
"I'm not sure… I've already forgotten."
"Ah, that's how dreams are, a lot of the time." Alois replied. Looking down, he snorted at his beau. "Are you comfortable? Is there no other way you can lay on the sofa?"
"I have to check if our romp from this morning took." Ciel jested.
"Get the fuck off me." ordered the menace with a roll of his gentle petting soon turned into pushing as the menace forced his spouse to move. While Ciel found humour in it, Alois pouted while holding the other man at bay with his feet. "How very dare you? I'm an incredibly masculine man, mind you. Do you wanna to fight?"
"I know you are. You're an incredibly handsome gentleman." chuckled the Watchdog. "But even still, you make cute faces when I tease you."
"You know, I was being nice and refrained from teasing you, earlier today, you know that? I had so many plans in store, but did I do them? No. No I did not."
"And for that, I am immensely appreciative." Pausing, the bluenette couldn't overcome his curiosity. "But what sort of 'plans'?"
"Oh, y'know. Typical stuff. Probably would border on sexual harassment if you weren't obsessed with me."
"Oh my God, Jim..." the bluenette chuckled while shaking his head. Meanwhile, the other man finally took the opportunity to sit up and stretch, all the while making the horrible sound of popping his joints.
"I was even gonna up the ante by promising to do anything you wanted if you won." Alois stated, pausing to stretch his vocal chords with a particularly loud pop. "Then again, since you weren't really up for it, that would actually be sexual harassment, even if you're my adoring husband."
"If I won, I probably would have just asked to take a nap like I did this afternoon."
"Yeah… Sort of a waste, but I really don't blame you."
"I'm still rather keen on that shoulder rub idea."
"That's something I'll do any time you want! All you have to do is ask!" giggled the menace.
"I know exactly what you're getting at, but if I have to trade in tokens or win a bet to get you to do it, then what's the point? That's just nasty."
"What, your secret fantasy that you won't tell me about?"
"No, those are rather uninspired, to be completely blunt." Ciel stated in a shockingly nonchalant manner. "It would be nasty to ask of you something that is unenjoyable or uncomfortable, and downright disgusting if I did it knowingly. That's the main reason why I don't ask."
As he spoke, his husband listened to him with a big grin, practically reveling in how much Ciel cared about him. Scooting closer to the other, he sat right up against the bluenette, having lost his ability to pout any longer. He asked: "And what's the other reason?"
"It's somewhat embarrassing, as you may imagine."
"You should tell me sometime. I'll tell you mine, no problem. Who knows? Maybe we match up in a few places and wind up trying something new?"
"Wait, you… you don't mean now, do you?"
"Well, no, not necessarily." Alois answered. "We already did it this morning and you haven't been feeling well today. It's fine if you take a while to think about it."
"I see…" Ciel replied. He didn't look at his husband, instead opting to stare off into the distance as though he were already deep in thought.
"Your libido has kind of taken a hit from the depression, hasn't it?"
"I suppose."
"So it's fine if you want to skip a few days."
"Jim..."
"No, really. It is. I'm not being passive aggressive or anything..."
"Jim, listen."
"Yes?" Alois cut his carrying on short in order to turn his head to face his beau. In response, Ciel blinked at him before saying:
"You looked really good in your uniform." He paused, allowing the other room to speak, but he only giggled. "Really good. And then you started with that evil mastermind bit? I had chills."
"Okay, that part wasn't supposed to turn you on, you goof!" the menace insisted, playfully swatting at his beau's chest.
"You think I'm attractive when I'm being bad, and that's a sentiment we sort of share."
"Are you hitting on me? Are you even up to be hitting on me?"
"I'm feeling a bit better. Mostly, I think I just want your attention and affection."
"Could've fooled me, with the way you crawled all over me and used me as a pillow and a teddy bear rolled into one."
"It makes me feel better." Ciel closed his eyes and let out a sigh, lifting his head to kiss the other's cheek before laying it back down on Alois' shoulder. "It's weird, but I don't want to be alone, for once. I could lock myself away and brood on my own, but… things are just more comfortable this way."
"I'm flattered." Grinned the menace, shifting so that he could rest his arm on the back of the sofa and around the other demon's shoulders. "If it makes you feel better, I'm gonna give you so much attention and make you feel so cozy that you won't even know what to do."
Chuckling, the bluenette replied: "Sounds good. I'm afraid it will be a bit boring for you, though. I know you don't like to sit still for long..."
"You forget, I'm also a sucker for your cute little face. We could always do something while we cuddle. We could talk, watch a movie, or listen to music… Just take your pick."
"I don't really have a preference..."
"Oh, c'mon! Isn't there something besides me that makes you feel happy?" inquired the blonde, practically demanding that Ciel reveal to him some hidden mystery. "It can be anything! I promise, I won't laugh."
"Really? You? Not laughing?"
As if taking an authentic oath, The Honourable Jim Phantomhive raised his right hand. "Honest to God, I solemnly swear that I will not." he said.
Skepticism riddled the bluenette's expression as this was said. He didn't buy it. Not for one single moment. Alois simply enjoyed teasing him too much to be actually capable of living up to the challenge. In fact, it was entirely plausible that in the eyes of the dreaded blonde menace that it was his duty.
"Well, then..." cautiously began the Watchdog, "As you know, I've been around for a while. It shouldn't come to a surprise that I've acquired an extensive knowledge of many things..."
"Right..?" Alois nodded along, unsure of where this was going.
"Jim," Ciel paused to let out a breath. "I'm actually a serious fan of disco music. I'm especially fond of the Swedish disco, pop, and rock group known as 'ABBA'."
Immediately and predictably, his husband betrayed his promise not to laugh. Clutching at his stomach, he practically howled at other demon's words and it took a good while before he eventually calmed down enough to be spoken to. Shaking his head, Ciel tsked.
"See? First thing you do is laugh." he said. "You promised."
"I'm sorry baby, but your face was so serious!" breathlessly cackled Alois while wiping away a tear. When he looked up at his beau, he stared at him for a long while, analysing his expression. Slowly, but surely, the menace came to a shocking and somewhat embarrassing realisation. He had laughed at his husband, and the possibility existed that he was in fact perfectly serious.
"Wait, are you for real?" Alois questioned with raised brows.
"Who knows? Maybe I am, maybe I'm not." his spouse cryptically answered, when suddenly, an lightbulb went off in the blonde's head.
"Wait a minute! Then that means… When you gave Revy that old record player in the attic… All those records were actually yours?!"
"Why are you acting so astonished? That's hurtful." While the bluenette jested to the best of his ability, his face did turn red and he seemed less sure of himself, now. "You see me wearing headphones while working. Did you seriously think that I only listened to classical music?"
"I don't know what I thought, to be honest. My mind has been completely blown. All this time we've been together, you've been secretly listening to ABBA. That's just… Well, it's kind of amazing, really. Why was this even a secret? If I remember right, you actually pretended not to know who those records belonged to when we found them?"
"Well, the peppy sounds of 'Dancing Queen' don't exactly go with my preferred image, now do they?"
"It is peppy. I can see why it would cheer you up. Just… wow…" Despite his best efforts not to, the menace still gawked. "I'm gonna have to add some stuff to the car playlist, now. Is it on your computer?"
"You don't have to do that..."
"Yes, I do. You ride in the car with me all the time! We should totally put some music on that you really like! Tell me some songs you want on there and I'll add them. We don't have to do it right now, but preferably before the next time we go driving around together."
"I'll keep that in mind… So, I must divulge both my sexual fantasies to you, but also my favourite ABBA songs? Do you want me to write them all down on one piece of paper?" While the Watchdog was obviously joking, Alois treated this with utmost seriousness.
"Sure, if you want. I don't really mind, as long as I'm informed."
With that, Ciel was left with no other option but to roll his eyes. Truly, his beloved was simply too much. He was an absolutely ridiculous being. Yet, even after all of this, there was still more to come from him.
"I have just one more question, though." he continued, puzzling the Watchdog even further.
"What's that?"
"After all of this, how on earth did you ever still believe you were straight?"
Suddenly, the Watchdog was sent into a fit of coughing, as he had accidentally choked on his own spit. It didn't help that he also wanted to laugh at the same time, so it took him a while of respiratory upset in order to make any kind of response. He coughed a few more times into his fist before making his answer.
"It's not that difficult." He began. "Until very recently, same-sex relations were not seen in a very positive light. It simply wasn't talked about, at best, and at worst it was put on par with the most horrid and taboo of human atrocities. Then there is the fact that I found women attractive as well, so since bisexuality was never even heard of, I was able to brush it off as nothing."
"That makes sense." was all his beau could reply. In truth, Alois hadn't been expecting such a serious and plausible answer, but that was simply the way the Watchdog was. "It was even criminal, until..? Phew, gosh… when, exactly?"
"That's a bit messy. There were silly regulations that didn't fully legalise it up into the 90s." Waving his hand, Ciel listed things off. "Sodomy was illegal until this year, public displays of affections were illegal until that year, gay pubs, bars, and clubs were unlawful until this other year… They even had laws against how many people could be involved, so it was actually against the law for gay men to have threesomes at some point. People actually went to jail for this."
"Jesus fucking Christ..." Alois gawked while introducing the palm of his hand to his forehead. "You're not fucking with me are you?"
"No, because like I said, that would have been illegal."
"Oh my fucking God, Ciel..."
"Once, I was in the middle of a sting for the Yard that involved me having to go into one of those places. I can't remember if it was legal at the time… It was the 70's, I think." Pausing, Ciel stopped to think. "It wasn't, I believe. I remember because I had to consider if I wanted to arrest some people in there."
"Isn't that what the sting was for?"
"No, it was actually drugs. That was probably the most terrifying drug sting that I have ever been on."
"Thought the gays were gonna get ya, huh?" jested the menace with a nudge of his elbow.
"You joke, but at the time, yes! That's what people seriously thought. There are people who still think that right now." With disbelief, the bluenette explained the situation. He was both bewildered at the persistence of that belief in soceity as well as the fact that he had at one time thought the same thing. "Then again, I'm also quite certain that I was excited. I remember being very anxious. I lashed out at things that would never have bothered me before. The knowledge of the kind of people that were around me combined with the fact that I too, shared a similar 'interest'? It was like I was with my people. Still, even though I now recognise that feeling as simply being excited, back then, I mistook it for unease and you know how proficient I was at handling feelings."
"Oh my God, you poor thing..." Alois couldn't help but giggle at the mental image of his husband surrounded by handsome men dressed in 70's fashion, terrified and stubbornly resisting the idea that he might actually be having fun. It certainly sounded like something he would have done. Truly, it was too much for the blonde to bear and he was sent into a fit of hysterics as a result.
"I was incredibly shaken. There were men lighting each other's cigarettes and obviously flirting with one another. I saw more than one with their hand on another man's knee or even his thigh! The scandal was simply too much for me. The Yard really wanted me to arrest some of them. I couldn't, though. I mean, I could have, realistically. There was certainly enough evidence. But morally or ethically? No. I couldn't. At the time, I had no idea why, but now I do. I am one of those shady miscreants and on some level, I think I knew."
"Did you ever go back? After it was legal, I mean?"
"No, not until I went with you and the others." explained the Watchdog. "I wasn't as excited while there, however. It was certainly nice to be around other people who also are attracted to the same sex, but it didn't give me the same sort of butterflies."
"Is it perhaps because you're married and if a guy hits on you, it doesn't matter?"
"Most likely. That and the lack of fear."
"Well, I'm sorry for ruining your time, there." spoke the menace in faux-apology. "I couldn't let anyone hit on my man."
"I honestly had no idea that one guy was flirting with me until after you told me." Ciel replied. "It just didn't occur to me. You might be onto something when you say I'm obsessed with you."
"You're incredibly monogamous." the blonde said, leaning over to kiss the other's cheek. "You're very much suited for the married life. Then again, so am I..."
"Did you think that I would never propose to you?"
"I don't know what I thought. Part of me thought that because we already lived together and because we're both men, it shouldn't make much of a difference, but y'know… I think it totally does. It just feels more… official. Like we're somehow more secure in the idea of being together? I did notice a serious change after we got married..."
"Oh yeah? What was that?"
"You became less embarrassed about things." Alois pointed out, tapping the tip of his husband's nose with his index finger. "You're a lot more 'loud and proud' about all the mushy, touchy-feely stuff. Is it because you feel more secure in your standing with me?"
"Well… Yes. I think that's a big part of it… I don't know, it's just as though because you agreed to be my spouse, we're a more unified team? We're in this together and in order to be a team, we need to work together and be completely open in our communication."
"Were we not a team before?" teasingly questioned the menace, smirking as his beau immediately felt the need to backpedal.
"Ah, well… We were, most definitely."
"It's alright, I like being married, too. In fact, I think I might even prefer it! I quite like being a 'Phantomhive' for some reason. I think that's the extent of my snootiness."
"You like being a Phantomhive, but not the snootiness that comes with it?" gawked the bluenette without any shred of sincerity. "Don't you know that it comes with the territory?"
"What can I say? I'm a rebel, babe. I don't know if I'll ever understand it completely." Putting his hand over his heart, Alois said: "I do love being a Phantomhive and am really proud to be a part of the family, but respectability politics? They're confusing."
"They're confusing for everyone, Jim, and I know you love being in the family. Have you got it in your head that you're going to throw a Christmas party every year?"
"You caught on to that? Yes. Yes I have." the menace nodded. "But don't worry, you only have to help sign Christmas and birthday cards. Next is Integra's, so don't write anything mean."
"You've already memorised everyone's birthdays?"
"Not everyone's. I have them written down, though. I'm missing the new baby of the Midford clan, though. What's Sir Midford's oldest son's name? James? Peter? It was something boring..."
"It was James, Jim." Ciel reminded.
"Did he have a son or a daughter?"
"A daughter. And I'm afraid to tell you, but they're doing the whole 'pink is for girls' thing with her..."
"Heterosexuals must be stopped."
"I know. Pink wasn't a 'girl's colour' until Hitler." the Watchdog stated. "I don't care for any social trend set by Hitler. If I ever have a daughter, I'm dressing her in blue."
"So was that little jest of yours in fact a hint at something?" Alois looked to his spouse with a grin, wiggling his eyebrows as the other man's face grew redder.
"Well… I… Uh…" floundered the bluenette while covering his mouth. "Not now, at least. Perhaps someday..."
"I know, I know. I just like teasing you, is all." his husband laughed. "Nobles are really into having kids, aren't they? You're not exactly in any danger of needing an heir anytime soon. Still, you'd make a pretty good dad."
"It would be extremely complicated, with our line of work." Ciel pondered aloud. "Tuck the kids in bed and hope they don't get up and wander around when we come back covered in blood?"
"Oh, don't grizzle it up!"
"It's something we would have to worry about."
"Well. We could always just worry about it when we want to start expecting."
"Agreed." nodded Ciel, but there was something that did bother him. "Nobles aren't obsessed with having children, though." he added, having needed to have the last word.
"Rubbish. Nobles are completely obsessed." Alois insisted. "You agree who your children are going to marry before they're even born! Then there's all the rituals around choosing someone with 'good breeding.' Sort of like trying to pair the best corgis together to make award-winning show dogs. Really, there's not much need for all that."
"Now that's a bit harsh..."
"Am I wrong?" He looked to his spouse expectantly, only to receive silence as the other man tried to think of an argument. "I'm not wrong, am I?"
"Well… No, not really..." the Watchdog admitted somewhat ashamedly.
Picking up on his bashfulness, the menace decided to alter the course of his words. "I know you can't help the circumstances you were born under. Or the culture around you. Personally, I just think it's just one of your silly quirks." he said. "Sometimes, though… I dunno. I feel kind of like the odd man out? There's a lot that I can pick up on and understand with time, but sometimes, there's still stuff that just goes over my head."
With a concerned expression on his face, Ciel looked to his spouse. "Like what?"
"Like how a lot of rich people think that they're somehow better than the poor." Alois replied. "Better than, well… me, just because they won the parental lottery. You see people working three jobs being treated badly by people who drive up to the restaurant they're working at in cars worth three times a year's worth of salary for them, all because the wealthy don't see them as human. Because as you know, they just didn't work as hard as mister 'my-daddy-owns-a-company' to deserve the same amount of decency."
"I… hadn't noticed..." That was shameful. Looking back, Ciel did perhaps know the pattern existed, but he also might not have recognised it happening before his eyes like his husband did.
"It's a common thing to happen." the other informed. "It's just about to the point where I might slap the next person I see do it! The worst is when they look to you like you're supposed to agree with them. It's like? 'Fuck off, you piece of shit. I'm not your mate!'"
The subject admittedly made the bluenette squirm a bit with discomfort, as he had been well-off for almost the entirety of his life, save a few decades of maintaining a low profile while hiding in France before the war hit. Even then, he lived comfortably and didn't need to worry about money. Meanwhile, the other demon mugged the elderly in hopes of finding money or something to eat in their bags as a child.
"I'll keep it in mind." Ciel stated. "I have seen it a few times when meeting with my staff in restaurants. I'll be sure to correct their behaviour."
"I'm sorry, I'm… mostly just ranting."
"No, no. You're right, as discomforting as it is. It shouldn't be allowed to slide." Pausing, Ciel added: "Have you ever called people out when they look to you for approval?"
"Hell yeah, I have. They can fuck right off." For some reason unbeknownst to him, Alois' words caused his husband to laugh. "What's so funny about that?"
"No, it's not that what you did is funny, it's more that… I don't really know. I just like seeing you so passionate about things. You really do like standing up for other people. It's kind of amazing. You're like a blonde, bisexual, Superman."
"Who says that Superman isn't bisexual?" the menace questioned. "I've always thought he would do well with Batman. It's kind of an ideal situation, isn't it?"
"Well, they both know each other's secret identities and issues, they get along swimmingly, and they have common interests, ideals, goals, and aspirations..." It was as though a lightbulb had gone off in Ciel's head. "Huh… I suppose you're right? Why hasn't this been done?"
"Because the heterosexuals who make comicbooks are either cowards or fools that don't recognise great chemistry." Alois' grin widened at his husband suddenly bursting into laughter.
"Sounds about right!" the bluenette said, resting against the other. While laughing, he patted his beau's knee before eventually resting his hand on it. Looking down at the hand and then to Ciel's face, the other Phantomhive chuckled.
"Oh, no, there's your dreaded 'hand on the knee'." he teased, prompting the other to roll his eyes. Moving his hand slightly higher, Ciel shot back.
"How about this?"
"Now it's on my thigh! That's even worse!"
"God Lord, Jim, you're right!" Ciel spoke with mock horror. "If we don't do something soon, something awful is bound to happen!"
"Are you hitting on me?" the blonde inquired with a smile and an arch of his brow.
"Embrace me, Jim." his beau answered with a smile of his own. "Keep me safe in your manly arms."
"You never did a twirl for me in that uniform, come to think of it..." Alois pondered while not-so-subtly hinting at something.
"Maybe next time. It's dirty in the wrong ways." replied the Watchdog.
"Oh? And what are the right ways?"
"I just told you. Weren't you listening?" Ciel questioned. "I said I wanted you to embrace me. Was that not explicit enough for you?"
"Well, I'm pretty sure that's about as 'explicit' as I'm going to get out of you, but I'll gladly work with it, if you'll get up and move to the other room. After all, we do have all night, since you slept already."
A/N: I couldn't think of a title for the chapter, so it's not especially good.
This chapter is 6,464 words long. I just couldn't end it! For some reason, these two have excellent chemistry together and can talk to each other really easily? What is UP with that?
Probably the longest chapter I've written in a while.
Apparently, a lot of people seem to feel nervous about asking character questions because of all of those awkward questions from middle-DLTD. I don't especially mind them, really, so you wouldn't be bothering me in the slightest. You can ask almost anything. Curious about the world? Wanna know about what a character is doing off-screen? Shoot away.
Come to think of it, who should I write about next chapter? I thought I'd give the characters a break from like, murders and stuff, so probably something normal? I dunno... What are these people up to?
Ugh... I have no ideas...
Until the next chapter, my duckies~!
