Having settled their differences for the time being, the demonic duo set out to have a pleasant day together. Ciel had eventually convinced his spouse that it was perfectly alright with him if they went to an ordinary pub rather than a fancier and more expensive establishment and while the menace wasn't entirely convinced, he was also relieved. Every time they went somewhere upscale, Alois ha trouble reading the menu, but was too stubborn and too embarrassed to ask for help. Each time, he somehow managed to order perhaps the most revolting food that the restaurant had to offer, leaving him both embarrassed and ill while he was forced to sit and wait patiently while his husband finished eating. He knew that Ciel had a taste for expensive and somewhat pretentious things and wished to indulge him in return just like the Watchdog does for him, but he had his limits. His palate simply couldn't bear it. Despite the fact that the pair had put their cultural differences behind them for the moment, Alois still couldn't help being bothered by it.
"What's the matter, darling?" questioned the bluenette while the pair stood arm in arm inside a watch shop.
The pair had finished eating and since the menace was in need of a new one, they had stopped by. Ciel insisted on paying for whatever Alois picked out and his husband didn't mind. Even though it wasn't an equal exchange, Alois paid for lunch just as he insisted he do so, and in truth, the idea of spending a lot of his money on a watch caused him emotional pain. Still, the outing was bringing up a bit of a rough memory as the blonde looked at a display of Rolexes.
"Nothing." Alois sighed. I'm a little worried about picking something out. I'd like something with leather straps, but I have no idea what the fashion is at the moment."
"Leather lasts a long time, so it's a good choice." the Watchdog noted. "Why are you worried?"
"Remember that lady from the FUNTOM Christmas party?" questioned the menace. "She laughed at the watch I gave you. It was the same year, but it was already outdated, apparently. I have no idea how to tell the difference, so I'm not sure what to pick. I also don't really want to replace a watch every two months, especially one that's this expensive, so I don't really know what to do about that."
"What woman?" Ciel had to stop and think for a moment before he remembered her. He thought back to the last Christmas party FUNTOM threw and vaguely recalled a supposedly wealthy woman teasing him for the watch he wore. At the time, he paid her no mind, really. She wasn't important enough for him to acknowledge, let alone remember, nor did he want to since she insulted a gift he received from his husband. The only reason why Ciel remembered her at all was because the menace was upset afterwards, believing himself to have accidentally caused Ciel some social embarrassment.
"Oh, don't concern yourself with that old cow." the Watchdog finally stated in a sure fashion. "If she thinks that she's going to impress anyone with her knowledge of watches, she has another thing coming. It's my favourite watch, you know. You have good taste. Not only that, you put a lot of thought into it, so of course I'm going to like it. Just go with something you like and would like to wear and it will be perfectly alright."
Taking a deep breath, Alois tried to regain his composure. "I know. I think I just get in these moods where I suddenly worry about this stuff..."
"I know. It's alright. I'm still not mad at you from earlier. Don't force yourself to be someone you're not, Jim. You're wonderful as you are. Do you think I married you for some knowledge on what watches are trendy?"
"No, but did you really marry me for being able to threaten people with improvised billy clubs?"
"Well… If I'm being entirely honest, yes, a little bit..."
"What?!" Alois gawked, convinced that his beau was messing with him. When he looked over at the other man, he saw him smiling.
"Jim, one of the things about being a Phantomhive is that you are by nature 'unusual.'" the Watchdog chuckled. "You are not only the most logical choice for my spouse, but also the most interesting. I would be lying if there were times I didn't get caught up watching you assemble a gun. You get this really lovely look on your face when you're concentrating hard on something. And when you put it back together and pull the trigger to hear that 'click?' It makes me go a bit weak in the knees."
"Oh my God, you're so weird..." the menace answered, finally allowing a smile to grace his face. A slight rose tint dusted his cheeks at the bizarre compliments, knowing that they were perfectly genuine. "Only you could do that."
"Liar. You like it when I'm evil as well."
"True. I think that's just our thing." Alois stated. "It's better to be strange together."
"You know what would really make that woman upset, though?"
"What?"
"Not only do you not follow the rules, but you also fail to follow the rules while outranking her by poncy twit rules."
"Really?" laughed the menace. "How?"
"You're married to someone who is knighted and she's married to a regular businessman. You would be given priority over her, hipster clothes and all."
"That makes me feel a lot better." Alois grinned. "So you think the leather is okay?"
"It seems like a perfectly good choice, dear."
"But should I go with black or brown? I wear lots of black, but brown also goes well with purple, according to Kris."
"What about this one?" questioned the bluenette.
"Ooh! That one's nice! I'd like one with numbers instead of just lines, if they have one, though." Pointing to a different watch in the case, he added: "I really like this one, but I don't know if I like it enough to shell out three hundred pounds for a watch."
"I thought I was paying?"
"Yeah, but three hundred pounds? I can't make you pay that!"
"Why not? It doesn't hurt me any. It's only three hundred pounds."
"Are you implying that three hundred is cheap?"
"For a watch, yes." Gesturing to a different display, the Watchdog added. "The cheapest rolex over there is over three thousand."
Turning his head, he faced the menace and saw a massive mixture of emotions swirling about him. "What is it?" Ciel asked.
"Nothing… Nothing… If I can't say anything nice, I won't say anything at all..." The menace laughed, but it didn't seem like he found this funny at all. "Don't spend that much on a watch for me, okay?"
"Okay..." The shock appeared to be a bit much for the blonde, but his husband was appreciative on how he handled it this time. "So this one it is, then?"
"That would be wonderful." Answered Alois, regaining his composure. "Thanks, babe."
"I'm happy to do it." the bluenette replied with a smile before summoning someone to fetch the watch from behind the glass.
The time was then set, the battery was tested, it was wrapped neatly and put into a small bag for them to carry it out of the store with, and then Ciel paid and the pair took off on their way. All of the cute packaging, however, was immediately removed once they sat down in the car so that the menace could place the watch on his wrist. Raising a brow, his husband looked over at him.
"I thought you were left-handed?" the bluenette questioned, pointing at the watch.
"Oh, I'm ambidextrous. Didn't you know?" answered his husband before smiling. "I thought you were supposed to know everything about me?"
"I knew that. I just forgot." huffed the Watchdog upon having his credentials questioned. "How do you decide which hand to put it on?"
"I dunno. Whichever one's more convenient, I guess?" answered the other. "So, where to next?"
"Well, you said that you wanted to go dancing, didn't you?"
"Do you know a place?"
"No, I was hoping you had an idea." the bluenette stated. "All I could find were clubs and I can't dance in those."
"Aw, don't wanna show me your sweet disco moves?"
"I have my limits."
"We could drive around until we think of something." Alois suggested while turning the key. "You could get on google in the meantime."
"Sounds like a plan." Ciel replied while pulling out his phone. "What about… a 'museum of oddities?'"
"What kind of 'oddities' are we talking?" his beau questioned while backing out of the parking spot.
"The usual. Shrunken heads, strange artifacts..." Blinking, Ciel squinted to see that he read the page correctly. "'Amy Winehouse's poop?'"
"Pass."
"Yeah, I thought so..."
They drove around while the Watchdog continued his search, finding this and that to do. Some things didn't open until evening, some things were so riddled with tourists that it wasn't even worth going, and others were just crap. It wasn't too bad, however. Both of them were having a good time, even though they weren't really doing anything at all. They were able to talk and mess around. Alois spent a great deal of time trying to see if Ciel would sing along with ABBA, but unfortunately, it would be much easier to attempt to pull crocodile teeth despite the fact that Alois was absolutely certain that his beau knew all of the words.
Eventually, they found things to do. They went to a pet store for the heck of it and both of them got to pet puppies while debating on whether or not they would someday get one together. They strolled through the park, they swiped free samples at more than one bakery, and they carried on til their hearts were content. They never did find a suitable place for dancing, however. By the time the sun was setting and the various clubs were preparing to open in a few hours, they weren't sure if they were up for it. They had other matters to concern themselves with. For example: whether or not they would actually go home that night.
"The amount we spend on hotels is ridiculous." the blonde chuckled. "I don't know why it's somehow fun, though. Is it the unfamiliar setting?"
"I think so. Just by being in a different place than usual, it adds a little bit to it." replied the bluenette with a nod. "I'll need to know if we're going or not soon, however, in case I need to cancel the reservation."
"You already reserved a room?" gawked his beau. "Bit arrogant of you, don't you think? What makes you think I would want to go?"
"It's a 'just in case' thing, given our track record. I'm not expecting anything."
"Sure, you're not… You probably just wanted to use their spa, right?"
"Come to think of it, I'm still owed a shoulder rub..."
"So we're renting a hotel just so I can massage your shoulders for you?" laughed the menace at the absurdity of his spouse. "You're so needy..."
"You've been clinging to my arm all day." pointed out the Watchdog with a scoff. "You hardly have room to talk."
Nodding, the blonde knew that Ciel was correct and tried to think of something to come back at him with. Then something occurred to him. "Did you make while you were still mad at me?"
Then, silence. In response, the Watchdog crossed his arms. "I got less angry as I stopped to think about it."
"With your dick, huh?"
"With my heart, because I love you very much and want to give you a romantic evening. But, if you find it distasteful, I can always cancel and we can go home." Ciel could tell that Alois was grinning without him even looking over at him. He sensed it in the air as he looked out the window at the city moving past. "Where are we going?"
"To the hotel." Alois answered bluntly.
"I didn't tell you which one, though?"
"You always pick the same one. I know where it is."
"I don't know if that's a good or a bad thing." confessed the Watchdog. "What exactly does that say about our relationship?"
"That we spend way too much on hotels but get a lot of ass." replied the menace in his usual comedic fashion, prompting the other demon to laugh.
The pair actually showed up at the hotel and opened the trunk of their car. They always kept an extra set of clothes there in case they ended a mission covered in blood, brain matter, or soot, but it was also perfect for when date nights ended in a particular way. Now, don't be mistaken and believe that the pair does this every time. Oh, no, sometimes they simply wish to go home and go to sleep. On occasion, however, they don't feel ready to go home yet and deal with their responsibilities there. Where things go from there is between Ciel and Alois and is not of anyone else's concern.
Things were going well. They walked into the lobby and Ciel got his wallet out as the pair approached the front desk. Immediately, they were noticed by the man sitting behind it. He seemed a bit taken aback by the eyepatch fastened to Ciel's head, but quickly recovered with a convincing customer service smile as he greeted them.
"Hello." the man said. "Checking in?"
"Yes, I have a reservation for Ciel Phantomhive." the Watchdog answered.
"Okay, just give me a moment..." the clerk replied while typing on his computer. He clicked around for a bit and a frown commandeered his face as he stared at his screen. The Phantomhives looked to one another for a moment, wondering if there was a problem, only for the man to stop and explain.
"I'm sorry," he began, "but it looks like you've accidentally been put in a room with one king-sized bed."
"That's fine. That's what I made the reservation for." Ciel stated.
"I can have you moved to one with two queen-sized beds, if you like."
"No, no, the king is fine. That's what I wanted."
"Hang on a minute, I'll see what I can do..." the clerk said, completely ignoring what the Phantomhive was saying. He continued to click around on his computer before clicking his tone in disapproval. "I'm sorry, sir, it would appear that there actually aren't any queen-sized beds still availible. I can change your reservation to two singles, though."
"No. Don't do that. We want the king." Annoyed, the Watchdog spoke slowly and clearly in hopes of getting through. "I made a reservation for one king-sized bed because I wanted one king-sized bed. I do not want any other room. I want the room that I made a reservation for."
"But there's only one bed?" the clerk confusedly inquired. "There is a lounge area with a sofa in it, so I suppose one of you gentlemen could sleep there. I seriously can change the room for you, though."
"It's fine. We will sleep in that one bed together. It's. Fine."
Ciel had been in a perfectly good mood all day by this point, and he and his spouse wanted to stay in the hotel because they were in such high spirits that they didn't want to go home yet. That is why they came in the first place. Yet, in the span of a few minutes, Ciel was cross. He tried desperately to hold onto his patience, but it was starting to wear thin.
"Hold on, I'll change it for you..." the clerk said.
"Right, that's it. Go get me someone with more than three brain cells to talk to." blurted out the Watchdog.
"Sir?"
Placing a hand on the desk, Ciel leaned forward and bared his teeth. "Go get your manager. Now. Your job is now on the line and I'm no longer patient enough to be kept waiting."
"But sir, I-"
"Now."
Hesitantly, the clerk picked up the phone and began to dial. The expression on his face was clearly indicative that he had not a single clue as to what he had done wrong. Placing the phone to his ear, the man spoke with his manager.
"Yeah, I have this guy and his brother, here, wanting to check in, but they're not listening to me." he said into the phone, prompting the demons to look to one another incredulously. "His reservation is for a king bed, but there's two of them. I told them I could change it to a room with two beds, but he got cross with me."
There was a pause while the manager spoke on the other end. It would seem that the clerk listened to at least someone. "The name?" he asked. "Phantomhive. Uh… He's got blue hair and an eyepatch. The other one is blonde."
Another pause. "Okay, then. See you when you get here." With that, the clerk hung up and turned to the rather peeved patrons. "He said he's on his way to sort this out."
"Good." the bluenette coldly stated, very obviously taking advantage of the fact that the other man was sitting so that he could look down on him.
They didn't need to wait very long, however. The manager was swift in getting there, even going so far to try to hide the fact that he was jogging as he rounded the corner. Upon seeing the Phantomhives there, however, the colour drained from his face. He paused to adjust his suit and then walked as briskly as humanly possible over to the front desk.
"Sir Phantomhive! What a pleasure it is to have you and your spouse back at our hotel." he started with. "What can I assist you with?"
"Your desk clerk keeps trying to downgrade my reservation despite my insisting that yes, I did indeed reserve a solitary king-sized bed for my husband and I." Ciel explained. "I would very much like to check into the room that I requested."
"'Husband?'" the clerk echoed with a massively perplexed face.
"I will see to it immediately." the manager stated, shooing his employee out from in front of the computer so that he could do his job for him. The manager checked the pair in and produced for them their keys. "Here you are. Please, do enjoy the rest of your stay. I deeply apologise for my employee's behaviour."
"Thank you very much." Ciel replied, looking over his receipt. He was pleased to see that wasn't charged the full amount. The manager had given him a discount for the inconvenience, although that wasn't his ambition. He simply wanted the room he requested. Holding out his arm, the Watchdog gestured for Alois to take it. "Shall we?"
"Let's." answered the menace. The pair then walked arm in arm as the desk clerk stared after them in confusion.
"What was that about?" he asked his manager, to which the other man sighed and said:
"When your replacement comes, I want you in my office as quickly as possible…"
A/N: I didn't have any ideas, so here's this. Next time, I'll do something based on what y'all told me you'd like to see! I just started writing before anybody could say anything...
That last bit was just annoying... It's apparently a common thing to happen to same-sex couples. People assume that they're siblings when they look nothing alike! It is not my intention, however, to portray hotel staff members in a negative life. I'm a very controversial artist, I know.
Let's see... Let's see...
I think that's all I have to talk about? I'll be going, then. Gotta start writing some nonsense.
Until the next chapter, my duckies~!
CHARACTER SHET
Question: "Miranda, is there any particular supernatural creature you find especially exciting or fascinating to learn about?" by FartFerret 69
Miranda: "Oh, that's so hard! I don't know what to pick! I pretty much like them all! Though, the further from 'human' they are, the more I like them. Right now, I'm really fascinated by the bone structure of ogres. Because of their height, they have to have rather thick bones in order to support the weight, but if the thickness of their joints exceeds a certain amount, they have trouble moving. I believe it may actually have to do with ogres being said to be slow and clumsy in legends, but sadly, it isn't how they're meant to be and it causes ogres with the condition quite a bit of pain. We're hoping to figure out some way to at least slow down or alleviate symptoms, but unfortunately (maddeningly!) we all have other projects on top of this one and simply don't have the manpower to focus the attention we need to on it. We need more people."
