Crash! Bang! Slam! A storm was tearing through the barracks that morning and his name was Ciel Phantomhive. Grabbing the top of a locker, he pulled on it until it fell, dodging out of the way before it could land on him, only to move on to another.
"Why is this place a pigsty!?" Sir Phantomhive demanded. "I was going to go easy on you this morning because of how well you did last night, but this is disgusting!"
The recruits jumped as the second locker fell. Ciel was holding back. They knew that now. That didn't change the fact that he was absolutely furious at the state of their quarters.
"Dirty bloody clothes and trash on the bloody floor?! Grime on the lockers?! You idle pieces of garbage think you're hot shit, now, don't you? Now that you've shot a minuscule amount of ghouls, you think that you're good enough to let your standards slip a little, yes?!"
"Sir, no sir!" the group answered in unison.
"Shut up!" Ciel snarled. "You all have been here long enough to know what the standards are! Every single morning, this living space is supposed to be immaculate. Do you hear me? Immaculate! There is to be no dust, no garbage, and no crusty, disgusting, unwashed clothes on the bloody floor! All of you! Outside! Now!"
The demon was going to beast them within an inch of their lives. Push-ups, sit-ups, running in place, carrying weights up and down the parade square, and other pointless, menial tasks with the occasional humiliation were all thrown in. At one point, Ciel had them on their stomachs digging up weeds with spoons, he was so angry.
"If you're going to act like pigs, you can wallow in the dirt!" he shouted at them. "Pigs don't get to go to the Halloween party with all of the sections! Should I just tell the other sections that the Mens' Amateur Class is so mediocre, that they didn't warrant going?!"
"Sir, no sir!"
It was going to be the first time any of them met the other sections, and it was the only special occasion there was until graduation. All of the recruits had been looking forward to it from the very first moment they heard it existed. Music, junk food, girls, alcohol, and if they were lucky, some were hoping to score. It was obvious that the staff new this as well, as the NAAFI started selling condoms leading up to the party. The recruits had been deprived of all of these things for so long, that they were rearing to go wild. They had been practically dying to go so badly, that even the thought that Ciel would bar them from attending was enough to get them working harder. All of them knew for a fact that he would follow through on his threats. The cast on Carl Henderson's nose was enough proof of that. Sir Ciel Phantomhive always followed through on his threats.
"I don't bloody believe you!" the demon roared. "Prove me wrong! Show me that you deserve to go!"
In all honesty, this party was sort of a nightmare for Ciel. He was obligated to supervise and dreaded every second of it. Needless to say, he was fully aware that he was looking for an excuse to cancel, and he didn't really care. The only reason he did was because the recruits were looking forward to it, but he would still rather not see this side of them.
He wasn't even going to call his husband for backup, it was so bad. In his current state, Ciel knew that the blonde Phantomhive would just want to leave, and that was if, and only if he didn't maul someone first. Both of them agreed that it was probably for the best if Alois stayed home. It would be Ciel's turn to be irritable the next day, however.
He hated the grand balls of the Victorian era and he hated modern parties even more. He hated the drinking. He hated the courtship. He hated every last bit of it. Perhaps it would be Ciel who wound up mauling someone. The party was a few hours away and he was already on his last nerve. By the time he was satisfied with his troops' punishment, they had already fulfilled their exercise quota for the day. The demon had actually lost track of time and had to restructure his plans for the day around his mistake. That irritated him even further.
Eventually, he acquired a room to hold a lecture in, since they had missed their usual appointment. It was occupied by a different platoon. Fortunately, the lecture that day wasn't particularly "life or death". It was just on how they were expected to behave during the party. Ciel was very, very certain to explain what would happen if he caught them making an ass of themselves. Given his mood that day up until then, they believed him. They knew he could kick them into the sun and they weren't going to try and mess with him. It was a bit of a let down, however, as a few of them felt like it was going to hinder their ability to flirt with girls. Then again, those people were Private Gordon Cooksey and Private Carl Henderson, so perhaps it was for the best. The bluenette also gave them prior knowledge about what they were going to do the next day. They were going to do a five mile run, so it was in their best interest not to drink too much. Ciel was already aware that some of them were going to, anyway, and when that happened, there would be no mercy.
He felt bad about leaving the menace on his own. The party was projected to drag on into the wee hours of the morning, and he didn't like leaving Alois on his own. He knew that the blonde didn't sleep well when he wasn't there.
As for the menace, he was going to have the entire house to himself, at least until he left to stalk his next target. Luka and Sebastian would probably be back home from the Halloween festivities in Gehenna before he returned. As for Revy, he was going with his friends and would probably stay at one of their houses, but until then, he had to wait until nightfall.
That involved waiting around for Alois to decide to get up so that he could ask him a question. He waited in the dining room, wearing pyjama pants and a band T-shirt while he played on his phone. He texted his friends about what they were going to do that night and continuously checked the time again and again until he finally heard the eldest of the Macken brothers walk into the room. Alois' state of dress was quite similar to Revy's, only he wore house shoes and an old hoodie as well.
"Morning." he yawned, instinctively sitting in his usual chair next to the one at the head of the table. Reaching a hand into his shirt, he scratched his stomach before leaning on the table. "How's it going?"
"Fine..." Revy said, making an attempt to not sound hostile, but failing. His brother simply brushed it off as his usual teenaged behaviour.
"Cool." Reaching over to his husband's seat, he grabbed the already opened newspaper on the table in front of it and placed it in front of himself. Resting an elbow on the table, he began to read it. "So are you staying at Gerry's or Sam's house tonight?"
"Sam's is closer, but it's also smaller, so we don't really know." the revenant replied. "We'll figure it out later."
"Should probably do it before you pack so you know if you need a sleeping bag."
There he goes, giving Revy advice, like always. Couldn't he just refrain from showing off how much more knowledgeable about everything he was? He was right, though, so Revy couldn't even fume properly.
"I talked to Ciel last night." the young man said, watching as his brother suddenly froze.
"Oh, yeah?"
"I told him I wanted to go ahead and apply for that job at HELLSING." Revy added. He knew what his brother thought he was talking about by how he visibly relaxed at being wrong.
"That's good! I think it's a good fit for you."
"I need some suits, though. Ciel said he was busy until boot camp is over and to ask you to take me."
"Sure. When do you wanna go?"
"Dunno. Got anything going on today?"
Finally, Alois looked up from his paper. He didn't look particularly lost in thought, but it looked as though he was mulling something over. Then, with a light, but somewhat uninspired shake of his head, he uttered a soft "No." Sitting up a little straighter, he continued. "I don't have anything planned until tonight. Did you want to go today?"
"If we can."
"Sure. I don't see why not." Alois said, folding the paper back up. "I'll have to put on clothes, first."
"What? You're not going to go out like that?" sarcastically questioned Revy, only for the other to not bat an eye.
"No way. It's cold out there. I'll chap my cheeks!"
"I really hope you mean your face..."
Standing up, the blonde gave his brother finger guns. "I do not." he said flatly before turning around to go back upstairs. "You put on pants, too! Don't embarrass me in public!"
"You're the one who embarrasses me!" Revy shouted after him, but all he heard was laughing. After that, he was left with no choice but to stand up and go upstairs, himself.
Revy had no idea what he was supposed to wear, if he was going to shop for a suit. He knew that Alois was going to drag him into some posh store where everything was inhumanely overpriced, so the younger Macken felt a little bit of pressure to present himself a bit better. Sadly, all he had was a white shirt with a collar. As for everything else, it was jeans of both the blue and skinny variety. So he had the shirt and a pair of black jeans, he decided. After doing some digging, he found a leather jacket and decided that it was good enough to throw on, too.
He didn't look half bad. There was more that he could do with it, but he wasn't sure what. Then, all he had to do was wait. After what felt like Half an hour at least, a knock came at his bedroom door and when he opened it, he found that he had been shown up.
The blonde was wearing a dark blue suit with a purple, patterned shirt underneath. His tie was a darker shade of purple as well, but it strangely went with the outfit. His shoes, belt, and even the strap of his watch were dark brown while his his long coat was a lighter, but still earthy tone. He even wore a tie clip. Curses. Of course Alois knew how to dress formally. Though Revy had to admit, it was a lot more interesting than most ensembles he had seen. Maybe it was better than his brother was taking him instead of his brother-in-law, after all.
"Ready to go?" the Phantomhive questioned.
"Yeah. IS this fine for wherever we're going?" the youngerman questioned, prompting his sibling to look him over.
"Yeah. It's good! You could actually wear a red tie or something with it to dress it up a little and wear that to work."
"Really? I don't have any ties, though..."
"Don't worry. I'll get you taken care of."
The menace grinned at his brother, much to the younger man's confusion. How could someone who was crying so hard the night before be smiling so widely the next morning? It was absurd. Was it all an act? Revy certainly thought so and it irritated him. Why didn't Alois just share what he was thinking? Revy could take it. Revy wanted to know. He hated being excluded. Yet, he was also trying to be a bit lenient, but only because Ciel reminded him how hard it was on the menace to talk about. Alois was always an expert in masking how he was actually feeling when it suited him and that wasn't about to change.
After putting on his sunglasses, Revy followed his brother out the door and to the car. They were taking the Mercedes and Revy was glad. It was a thousand times better than his moped. It was faster, smoother, and most importantly, warmer! Alois' car even had heated seats, which the younger Macken was keen to take advantage of while he could.
After everything was locked and bound tight, they took off, shutting the front gate behind them. Revy wondered about the sound system in this car, but hadn't brought anything to listen to. Plus, he wasn't sure how the menace would react to his music. What kind of music did Alois even like, anyway? The more the revenant thought, the less he realised he knew about his brother. Revy was supposed to know everything about him! He practically was him! But, he deviated a bit once the reverent was granted his own mind. Somehow, not knowing irritated him.
"We're gonna go to a few stores." the blonde suddenly came out with, prompting the other's attention. "Suit stores are great and you can get colours you wouldn't usually think of if you look in the right places, but you're young and need something a bit more trendy when it comes to accessories and such."
"Do I really need that many?" the younger man questioned.
"Not unless you plan on wearing the same thing everyday." Holding up a hand, Alois listed off: "You'll need a watch in either silver or gold, or with a black or brown strap. Then, there's cuff-links, ties, tie clips, maybe some more sunglasses to choose from, some suspenders, if you're about that life… and you'll also need some shoes. At least you'll need a brown pair and a black pair. Then again, you wear mostly black, don't you?"
"I thought it was just suits, shirts, ties, and done?" Revy's glasses fell somewhat, revealling wide eyes. Even though he was smiling, he seemed deeply concerned.
"Nope. Men's fashion is a lot more involved than people think. I used to think that, too, though. According to Ciel, there's a bunch of rules, but according to Kris, they're breakable."
"We're not going to be going home for a while, are we..."
"Don't worry! We'll be back before dark! You'll make it in time to see your friends. Promise! If not, I'll drop you off."
Revy knew that Alois would keep his word to the best of his ability, so he didn't feel the need to press it further. The rest of the car ride was relatively quiet. Occasionally, Alois would make an attempt at starting a conversation with Revy, but it would always fizzle out after a few responses. The two had never really talked in depth before. They had the occasional conversation, certainly, but they never spoke intimately or at length about anything in particular. In fact, part of the reason why Alois said "yes" so quickly to this outing was because Revy initiated spending some time with him. He couldn't miss this chance.
It seemed one-sided, at times, but the menace wasn't the only one who wanted to shorten the gap between them. Revy did, too. Maybe it was age, but maybe it wasn't that the revenant simply couldn't stand Alois. There was sort of a push and pull to it- this paradoxical desire to both separate himself entirely from Alois, and this longing for him. He couldn't figure out what he wanted, really. Everything was still so new.
"Hey, Jim?" he began, causing the other's gaze to flicker from the road momentarily.
"Yeah?"
"Uh..." Come on, Revy, keep the conversation going! "So… Sebastian says you've been taking a few classes?"
"Yep. It's boring with Ciel at camp. I never have too much work, so I finish it off quickly and have nothing to do. So I signed up for some classes around town." Alois said.
"Like what?"
"Hmm… Yoga, cooking, baking, and a bit of piano. I haven't been very diligent at anything but the yoga, though."
"I thought you already knew how to play piano?"
"That was years ago. I haven't played since the 1800s, and I wasn't any good then! I totally blew off the lessons, so I thought I'd pick it back up."
"How is it?"
"Still boring."
"But yoga isn't?"
"Well, I don't like all the bullshit chanting, incense, and spiritual mumbo-jumbo, but it's nice to do something that involves exercise."
"I thought you'd be more into martial arts or something." Revy suggested. "Or was it too easy for you?"
"Way too easy. I tried it, yeah. It was dumb. It was more like dancing." Shaking his head, the blonde spoke rather passionately. "I mean, most of the moves depend on the other guy knowing what he's supposed to do for it to work! That's not how actual fights work. You'd get the shit beaten out of you. If both people have to memorise steps, it's not a fight. It's a dance. It's hard to say 'hi-ya' with a knife in your lungs."
"You're crazy..."
"I think the word you're looking for is 'practical.'"
"Do you and Ciel really like fighting or something?" the revenant inquired, genuinely curious. He knew what Ciel had said about the matter the night before, but he wanted his brother's input on it as well.
"Not particularly. We're just good at it." the blonde answered. "It's our job. Neither of us really like the idea of taking it home with us. Shooting is pretty fun, though, but that's not too weird. Even Luka likes it."
"Luka wants to be an outdoorsman, though. Not an assassin." Revy said, gesturing to his head. "He needs one of those fuzzy hats made out of animal fur."
"Maybe for Christmas. Or is we happen to find something. We probably won't, though." With that, Alois pulled into a parking space and turned off the engine. "First stop. Let's get you suited up."
"Don't say things like that." the other replied, opening the door and stepping out. "No dad jokes. It's bad enough when Sebastian does them."
"Yeah, but he has the right since he raised all of us rotten brats."
"I hear that you were particularly difficult..."
"Shut it."
With that, the smartly dressed menace opened the door and gestured for his brother to step inside. Immediately, Revy gawked at what he was seeing. There were suits everywhere. Suits as far as the eye could see. There was a sea of grey, black, and the occasional brown and blue, dotted with a few unusual colours here and there. There were odd mannequins without heads wearing dress pants, collared shirts, and ties. The whole building smelled musky like leather. The remnants of Revy's teenage angst reacted in a volatile fashion against it, immediately causing him to want to rebel.
"Don't worry, I won't let you end up in anything too stuffy." the Phantomhive said while removing his coat. He draped it over his arm as he began to walk ahead of his brother. "Come on. We need to get you a black suit, at least, because it's always good to have in case you have to be completely formal. Then a blue one for any interviews you may have before you get the job."
"Why blue?"
"Because a blue suit with a red tie says 'I'm trustworthy' to people. It's for when you have to bullshit your way into some place. I see a few around here that could be interesting, though, if we can find something that fits. How do you feel about maroon? Or patterns?"
"They're fine, I guess..." Revy said, reluctantly following his brother. They stopped in front of a rack of suits and he audibly groaned when Alois took one down and held it up.
"Don't whine. Just look." the blonde said, twirling the younger man around to stand in front of a mirror. "Look. The maroon and the light blue of your hair? Imagine it with a white shirt and a black tie for a second."
"Huh… It's… Nice?" spoke a rather surprised revenant.
"Right? You're in good hands!"
The smallest of smiles appeared on the revenant's face as he started to think that perhaps this wasn't going to be so bad after all. Then, however, the thought wavered as he saw a few other men out of the corner of his eye. Judging by how well-put together they were, they appeared to work there and they kept whispering to each other while glancing in his and his brother's direction.
"Let's grab you a few more things before we have them fitted." Alois said, grabbing his attention once again. He was already aware that they were being watched, but he wasn't too concerned. "We won't be able to bring them home today while they're being worked on, but Sebastian or I will pick them up when they're done."
"There's a lot that goes into this..."
"Yeah. It's a lot. I'm simplifying it, though. You don't need a seven-thousand pound suit, right?"
"What?! They cost that much!?"
"Nah. That would be obscene! But if any of the workers here offer to show you a Kiton, then you give me a shout, alright? Nobody needs an outfit that costs that much. You're not too offended if we go cheap, right?"
"Please don't buy me anything that costs that much. I'll be too afraid to wear it..."
"Thought so. I'm the same way, honestly. The only reason I'm wearing this is to get better service! Rich snobs are like that. If they think you have money you're willing to give them, they'll treat you real good."
"Excuse me, sirs," greeted one of the men in nice suits from before. "Is there anything I can help you with today."
"Speak of the devil..." muttered the blonde before wearing a smile on his face. It was fake. Obviously fake to the revenant, but the worker seemed oblivious. "We're looking for a few suits for this one. We're just looking around, for now, but we'll need them to be tailored before we leave."
"Of course..." The salesman was about to brush them off as windowshoppers who weren't actually intent on buying anything, but then his eyes caught a glimpse of something. Alois had reached ups to rub his chin, deliberately showing off the Phantomhive signet ring on his right hand. The sight of it caused the salesman's eyes to widen.
"Be sure to tell me if you need any help with anything!" He corrected, changing his tone significantly. He had his suspicions, but didn't have any proof of who the blonde was until then.
"Thanks. We'll do that." Alois replied, giving the salesman the chance to excuse himself before turning back to Revy. "Y'know, I was actually a little hesitant when Ciel gave me this, but it really comes in handy in places like this."
"Wouldn't he get mad since you're using his family name for something like this?" the revenant asked.
"No way! He'd actually be proud. He uses it for evil too, and likes it when I participate in the family traditions."
"Oh. I forgot for a second that you're both weird."
"I mean… That's sort of on you. It's kind of a hard thing to forget."
"Yeah, you got me on that…" Revy conceded. "So… What kind of suit do I need now?"
"Oh! A black one would be just handy to have, but if you see something, don't hesitate to say something! How do you feel about pinstripes?"
As time went on, Alois actually managed to find suits that Revy quite liked. Very few of them were typical colours. One was maroon, one was purple, one was light blue like his hair, one was olive green, and one of them was a red plaid suit. Then, he got the standard black, grey, and navy blue. Alois interrupted him whenever he looked at the price, so something told him that this was turning out to cost quite a bit of money. He didn't have the revenant try on any shirts, saying that they would get them somewhere less pricey and with more options.
"I know a place with more interesting designs." the blonde said. "More interesting ties, too."
"This is already way better than I thought it was gonna be." Revy stated, arms completely full. "Are we gonna go there next?"
"Yeah, but first, we gotta get these marked by the tailor." Putting his hand on his shoulder, Alois looked at his brother sympathetically. "This might not be fun."
At first, Revy hadn't the slightest clue as to what his sibling meant by that until he was standing on a box in front of a mirror, wearing one of the suits and having a grumpy, older man with a tape measure drawing on him. All he could do was side-eye the menace as the other man sat comfortably on a nearby bench, one leg crossed over the other, with the other suits neatly stacked next to him. Suddenly, Revy let out a squeak as an "X" was drawn on his rear end.
"Stop moving." the tailor instructed before sticking a few pins into the revenant's trouser leg.
"Just do what the man says, Revs. It'll be over before you know it!" Alois cheered on.
"There's still seven more to go!" the younger Macken brother growled through his teeth.
"Sorry, kiddo. Just think about how smart you're gonna look!"
Until that moment, Revy had actually been having a good time with the menace. He liked how considerate Alois was to his tastes. He liked how Alois didn't take things too seriously. The blonde wasn't stuck up at all, like Revy had thought. In fact, he joked about all of the things he didn't understand about rich culture, while talking about what he did have knowledge about in a personable way. Somehow, the idea had gotten into Revy's head that he had changed since dabbling in wealth, and there was truth to that. It just wasn't in the way that he had thought. The menace was still at heart, the same person he had always been. He had simply grown up and become a much happier person. It was up until the tailor that Revy's day had been going alright, and afterwards, as he sat in the car, Alois needed to make it up to him.
They paid and left with the adjustments to the suits ordered to be picked up later. After that, it was a quick ride to a building that Revy knew quite well. Arching his brow, he wondered what Alois was up to.
"The mall?" Revy questioned. "Don't tell me you're going to take me to Hot Topic or something."
"Why? Afriad I'll embarrass you in front of people you know?" the blonde jested, pulling into a space. "Nah, we're going to other places. I'm sorry, but you might have to set foot inside a slightly preppier store."
"You can't do that." his brother joked right back. "You monster."
"It's the only way, I'm afraid." Alois solemnly stated. With that, he unbuckled his seatbelt and stepped out of the car. "I could always drag you, if you don't want to walk."
"No thanks."
Revy hadn't the slightest clue as to what the other man was up to. Much to his dismay, instead of blending in, the menace stood out against the rather homogenous fashions that populated the mall. The vibrant colours that he wore made him look like a peacock among chickens, causing the revenant to wonder slightly if other men knew that they were allowed to wear other colours apart from blue and neutrals like black and white. Revy didn't know how his brother was going to spin this, but was willing to see him try.
He escorted the revenant into a rather trendy-looking store that he felt like some of his classmates from Warwick would go to. Externally, he groaned, wondering what on earth his brother had in for him now.
"Why'd you bring me to Fuckboys-R-Us?" he asked.
"There's women's clothes here, too, Revy." Alois replied. "This store is for both fuckboys and fuckgirls. Don't discriminate."
"Okay, but why are you trying to dress me like a fuckboy?"
"I'm not. They just have some neat patterned button ups, here." With that, the menace pulled a black shirt with orange tigers on it off of the rack. "Like this one. It'll go with most of the suits we just bought. The orange goes with almost every colour you have."
"Huh… Cool..." Revy answered as his brother held it up to him before replacing it and grabbing a different size. "I kinda like it…"
"It's not quite the clothes, really. It's sort of how you wear them." the menace said. "Wear them like a fuckboy and you'll be a fuckboy. Wear them like a gent, and you'll be a gent. Now..." he trailed off, reaching up and grabbing another shirt. "How do you feel about splatter patterns?"
Once again, Revy found himself to be having a good time. It was much more relaxed here than in the previous store and he was actually laughing with his brother. Suddenly, the menace didn't feel so far away. He was right there, on his level. Why had they never talked before? It was like Revy was reconnecting with a friend that he had known for ages, but this was perhaps one of the first times they had ever gone out with just the two of them and actually had a pleasant time. All this time, Revy thought they were miles away as he tried to escape his attachment to him, but they were still quite similar. Similar, but not the same.
Maybe being similar wasn't so bad. After all, they were brothers, so it was to be expected. Maybe instead of being the antithesis to what he perceived Alois as being, he could settle for that. They were still different in their interests, expertise, and way of thinking, sometimes, and that was enough. Even as Revy looked in the mirror, he could see it in both of them as they stood side-by-side. Alois was oblivious as he was simply holding up shirts for Revy to look at, but Revy could see it clear as day.
"It's weird." he said aloud, prompting the other man's attention.
"We don't have to get this one if you don't want." his brother replied.
"Not the shirt. The shirt is fine. It's just…" Revy corrected. "We don't look exactly the same anymore."
"We grew differently." Alois stated, seeing what the other was getting at, now. "I grew my way and you grew yours. Of course we look different!"
"Hmm..." It was obvious to Revy that his brother meant that literally. The revenant bought glamour potions while the demon shapeshifted. But with Alois, it wasn't always that simple, so Revy couldn't help but think there might be a double-meaning. "It's starting to feel a bit more comfortable. Like, my body is feeling more like my body. Well, for the most part, anyway… There's still- nevermind…" He stopped himself short and let out a sigh. "There's too many people here."
"We can talk about it later." Alois said, already knowing exactly what was meant. Then, instead of answering the way the thought the revenant would, Revy surprised him by blurting out:
"Oh my fucking god." The younger Macken's tone was not grateful or pleasant and it was only when Alois realised that Revy was still looking in the mirror that Revy's problem wasn't with him. "One of the arseholes from class are here."
"You're graduated, so you don't have to worry about dealing with him if you blow them off."
"Yeah, but he's fucking annoying. He's always going on about how his dad's worth millions and how I was only there because my brother married rich."
"Millions, huh?" Alois nonchalantly scoffed. "He's insecure. Probably jealous, too. He's going to have a hard time marrying up from there. Most people don't."
"You act like that's not a lot..."
"FUNTOM and its affiliated companies are worth more than a few million, let's just say. Let me guess, his dad owns a company or is a politician or something? Maybe has some small title."
"His dad is a knight."
"Yep. Called it." Alois chuckled, stifling himself before he shifted into full-out laughter. "It sounds really stuck up, but that's the language of these people. The Phantomhives may have lost the title of Earl, but if you wanna talk pedigrees? The Phantomhives have always been scary as shit to everybody around them. They're nothing and we could crush them any day of the week. I don't blame the kid for not knowing exactly who he's up against, but if his dad knew? He would tell him to stop immediately."
"Do I even wanna know what kind of shady shit you get into?"
"Probably not." Putting a hand on his brother's shoulder, the blonde told him: "Revy, don't ever be afraid of these people. We have power and we know people who have even more. It sucks, but if you want to scare them, you might have to… explain it to them why they should reconsider their actions in a language that they understand."
"Sounds like starting a dick waving contest."
"It is, but with money. It's kind of sad, really. Don't worry. If he decides to come over here, I'll put him in his place."
As if on cue, the herd that came in spotted Revy. It was just a group of posh teens who flocked around together. Some of them were from Warwick and some of them were from less prestigious schools and flocked around the former. Now Alois' eyes darted to the mirror and watched them. A small smirk appeared on his face as he saw them whisper amongst themselves, only for who appeared to be the "head youth" decide that they should all come over and talk to Revy. The revenant, on the other hand, was nervous, as while he wouldn't have to deal with them at school the next day if he said anything, the same went for them.
"Revy Macken!" the young man at the helm said with a less-than-pleasant smile. "Fancy meeting you, here. How are things?"
"Good." Revy replied, only looking at his former classmate from over his shoulder. "Just out with my brother."
"Hi." Alois waved, finding humour in the smirk on the other's face. He knew that this kid was up to no good and was practically challenging him to try.
"That's nice." Holding out a hand, the young man acted as though he was offering the blonde a privilege by shaking it. "Buckley Stockton, son of Sir Herbert Stockton. Pleasure"
"The Honourable Jim Phantomhive, husband of Sir Ciel Phantomhive. Charmed." Alois shook his hand regardless, changing his manner of speaking in order to appear more "posh."
"'The Honourable?' I've never heard of that before." Mister Stockton scoffed.
"I wouldn't expect you to, still being so new to things." the blonde replied, making sure to adopt a tone that was talking down to the other slightly. "Ordinarily, one would put it before the name of the son of a count, but it can also be used to address the same-sexed spouse of a baronet or knight."
"What would you call the son of a knight?" Buckley inquired.
"'The son of Sir Stockton,' I would assume. There is no courtesy title for that. Only in peerages do children have courtesy titles. Otherwise, you're just 'Bucklet Stockton.'"
"Buckley." the visibly annoyed younger man corrected, but Alois maintained his pleasant air.
"Right. That." the menace dismissed before going back to looking at displays. "Well, it was nice talking to you."
"Wait, I have more stuff I wanted to say!" Buckley declared, causing Revy to look over at Alois nervously. The menace on the other hand, winked at him before forcing the smile off of his face and turning around. He looked at Buckley somewhat incredulously, arching an eyebrow at his behaviour.
"Sorry?" Alois was not sorry. "I don't know if you understand. I'm here to shop with my little brother. You don't really have much reason to speak to me now that I've excused myself. Do you really not know how this works?"
Now the other teens were looking at Buckley and waiting for him to come up with something to say. The young man just stood there, shocked that he was being spoken to this way. To that, Alois pretended to sigh before adopting his fake smile again.
"Alright, I'll cut you some slack because you don't have much experience, but I outrank you. I am the husband of a baronet. You're the son of a knight. Those aren't the same thing, especially since you will never actually hold a title, yourself, unless you are awarded one. If you continue on like this, however?" Alois paused to suck air through his teeth with a concerned expression. "You're going to make that difficult for yourself."
"But… But... They're both called 'sir?'" It seemed as though the brat's world had shattered, and it warmed the hearts of both Mackens.
"Yes, baronets and knights are both called 'sir,' but they aren't the same rank! Baronets can inherit the title from their father, but knights? Those are awarded. And you probably shouldn't walk around, acting all high and mighty when it's really not that big of a deal. In fact, your father will probably want to know about this encounter today. Fortunately, I'm pretty understanding, since I'm not exactly a purebred, myself. I get it. Your dad's a knight and that's a big deal to most people. It's quite impressive to other people who don't have titles, but there are a lot of people who would take offense."
It was delightful. Purely delightful. Poor Buckley's eyes were as big as dinner-plates as he stared at the Phantomhive. "What happens, then?" he hesitantly asked.
"People talk." Alois said. "Nobles love to talk. The Phantomhives are very closely related to both equally and higher ranked nobles, all of which I'm on very good personal terms with. If you tell your father, actually, he should be able to explain it to you."
Reaching over, he fixed the collar of Buckley's shirt for him. It was an unusual gesture, especially for the menace, as he didn't normally do that with anyone, except for Ciel. Revy didn't understand what it meant, but to Buckley, the message was clear. Buckley was much smaller than Alois was, both in terms of physicality and overall power. It was an act of belittlement- an intimidation tactic.
"In the grand scheme of things," the blonde continued. "You and I are and will pretty much always be 'commoners.' Don't bark so much, or else you may get unlucky and cause somebody to actually bite. Hard."
Once he was done, he patted Buckley on the shoulder. Somehow, the young man felt as though he was being towered over by this strange blonde man. Alois was not just smiling at him. He was baring his teeth.
"I trust you'll take this to heart and reconsider your behaviour in the future." he concluded. He turned away to resume his shopping before looking back at Buckley from over his shoulder. "It was nice meeting you!"
Putting his arm around his brother, he cheerfully led him away. Once they were out of sight, he began to snicker, which turned into laughing. His amusement spread to Revy, who chuckled, despite still being obviously confused.
"What did you just do?" he asked, arching his brow as he waited for his brother to calm down. "I've never seen him so quiet… You must've scared the absolute shit out of him."
"He won't be talking to you again, anytime soon, mate." the blonde replied, still grinning from ear to ear. He spoke normally now, assuming his usual accent. "Bet you a tenner that we'll be getting an apology letter from his dad. Just you wait!"
"You have no idea just how much I would love for that to happen." his brother stated, his laughter starting to pick up, too.
They paid for their items and moved on to another store, carrying on and having a good time the whole way. They moved on to a department store and scoured the formalwear section. It was more casual than the first store that they went to. It was quite nice. Here, they found cuff-links and ties, as well as a few tie clips. Alois somehow managed to find one of each with a skull on it, much to his sibling's delight. All the while, they complained about formal things and authority figures, while pointing out the silliness of the aristocracy that they were apart of.
Overall, it was a successful venture. Revy got clothes that he was enthusiastic about wearing and also got to see a poncy twit afraid. He had a good day. By the end of it, he also felt closer to the menace and as though he understood him a bit better. He still wanted to know more about his mission, however. It was a burning question that couldn't be discussed safely in public. When they were in the car, their chatter quieted down as Revy thought.
"You tired?" Alois asked with both hands firmly on the steering wheel and his eyes on the road.
"Huh?" his brother reflexively asked, being pulled out of his own head.
"You got quiet all of a sudden." the menace observed. "It's been a long day. You still game for heading out with Gerry and Sam?"
"Oh. Yeah. I'll just hang out until then." Revy nodded. "I'm not tired, I'm just thinking."
"Okay."
There was quiet, as Alois didn't think it was wise to press it further. He was already pushing it, having been out with the younger Macken for so long that day. It was unclear if Revy was about to run out of pep in his step.
"Is there anything you plan on doing tonight?" the revenant asked innocently enough. "Ciel has that party thing. Are you gonna go to that?"
"No, I have stuff to do. If you come home tonight, you might be back before me." his brother said, keeping things vague.
"Is it a mission?"
"Unofficially, but yeah."
"What kind?"
There was a moment of hesitation before the blonde came out with: "I thought this sort of thing was 'too much' for you?" His evasiveness peeved his brother a bit.
"So you're going to kill somebody, then." the younger Macken thought aloud.
"I never said that..."
"You didn't deny it." Revy accused.
"Jeez, what's with the interrogation out of nowhere?" questioned the Phantomhive, shaking his head. Then, with a visible amount of reluctance, he answered: "Yeah. I'm gonna kill somebody. Is there an issue with that?"
"No, it's just..." the other paused to think of a good reason for asking. "You're a hitman. Not everybody knows a real life hitman, y'know. I was just curious."
"Well, alright." Alois didn't seem too keen on carrying on the conversation, but Revy didn't know if he was going to get another opportunity to ask, leaving him with no other option but to attempt to maneuver the situation and persist.
"So… Is it like, a big deal?" he asked tentatively, still testing the waters.
"It's a big enough deal to kill somebody over it. Scum like this, there's no helping, saving, or dissuading. You just gotta kill them and be done with it." The menace waved his hand dismissively as he spoke.
"Wha'd the do?"
"Buy and sell people. That sort of thing."
Folding his arms, Revy was obviously dissatisfied with that answer. He already knew why they were being killed. That's not what he was really wanting. Seeing this, the blonde shook his head.
"What's wrong?" Alois questioned. "What did you want it to be?"
"I just-" the revenant let out a sigh. "Can you be straight with me about this? I already have an idea of what's going on."
"Then why ask?"
"Don't you think you should have maybe, y'know, told me about it?" Revy asked. "I think I deserve to know this stuff."
"It's not that simple."
"Seems pretty simple to me."
"Revy, Jesus… I just- Do we really need to do this?" Reaching up, the menace rubbed his temple with one hand while keeping the other on the wheel. "Where did this come from?"
"I heard you and Ciel talking." the revenant stated, staying remarkably calm, given his known demeanor. "I know about the Pomeroys."
"Okay? And? What about them?"
"Don't you think you should have at least told me?" he asked, turning to face the other. "That's something that kind of concerns me, you know."
"Sorry, I've just- I've been busy, alright?"
"Too busy to explain it real quick?"
"That's not your business."
"I think it is!" Revy gawked, not wanting to belief that his was being dismissed so easily by his brother. Perhaps he was wrong in his interpretation of his character up until that point in the day. Maybe Alois really was above him. "It kind of is my business, seeing as though I'm affected, too! It's not just your problem, it's our problem! I thought you'd be able to figure that out..."
Folding his arms again, he thought that the last part of what he said would guilt a response out of the menace, so now, he waited and stared straight ahead. The answer didn't come, however. Instead, there was silence. Revy's eyes wandered over to his sibling, only to raise his brows as he saw the fidgetiness he was exemplifying. The blonde's eyes darted around as he looked for somewhere to park, eventually settling on a spot and pulling over. Never before had Revy been more terrified of his brother. He was sure that he was going to meet his fist.
But no, that isn't what happened at all. Once Alois was safely parked, he took his hands off of the wheel and folded his fingers. He allowed himself to squeeze them as much as he was comfortable with, as his strength would have damaged the car if he allowed his stress to transfer to the wheel instead. Slowly, he inhaled a few deep breaths as he tried his best to stay calm and collected. Naturally, he didn't want this to turn into unchecked aggression, as it would be inevitably be directed toward Revy. He didn't want to harm the younger man or his feelings, so it was very important to catch himself early.
After a while, Alois let out a shaky breath and tried his best to explain. "I… am not in the best of places right now." he said. "I'm doing my best, okay? I didn't… not tell you because I think you're stupid or immature, okay? I'm just trying everything I can to keep a handle on myself. The last thing I want…" Pausing, he let out a sigh and spoke bluntly. "You know how I used to get, right? I know you know. I'm trying not to do that anymore, okay? I'm dealing with my own bullshit right now on top of our bullshit and it's making it a million times harder."
"You were crying last night." Revy observed. "You said you were mad."
"I am mad. I'm pissed off and I feel like shit all the fucking time." Shaking his head, the menace closed his eyes. "I'm exhausted. I just… I need them to die. Then I won't have to worry about them being alive anymore."
"Will that really work?"
"I don't know. I really, really, don't know. Either way, I can't just sit on my ass doing nothing when I know what they're up to."
"Hmmm..." the revenant hummed, leaning back in his seat to think for a second. "I get where you're coming from. Maybe if I were as strong as you are, then I'd want to join you."
"You can regenerate-"
"I'm not talking about that." Revy interrupted. "I'm not like you. You're unreal. No matter how hard things get, no matter how much it hurts, you always keep moving. I… Don't think I'm like that. I'm not a good enough person to try. It makes me sick to my stomach..."
"The death, or..."
"Neither! It's what those fuckers did! It's what they do! I can't stand the idea of being anywhere near them, even if they're getting what they deserve. I just… I don't think I could take it..."
"I wasn't going to ask for your help." Alois replied. "It's perfectly fine to feel that way. I'm not really okay with being around them. Why do you think I've been so easy to set off recently? Poor Ciel has really had his hands full… Everybody has their way of dealing with it."
"Is that why you can't call it what it is?"
"What?"
"You keep being vague." Revy observed.
"There's no need to be explicit."
"We're the same. We both know what happened."
"Even less reason." the blonde said, resting a hand on the wheel even though the car wasn't moving. "We both know, so there's no reason to say it."
"Isn't talking about it supposed to help?"
"I don't want to talk about it."
"But what if I do?" the revenant questioned, putting a hand on his chest. "I can't exactly go to a support group, you know. Not even being able to control this body in those memories is a big part of-"
"Stop." the blonde grimaced. "Don't say anymore. I've already thought about it."
He drew his arms in closer to himself, crossing one and reaching up with the other to hold his chin. Staring straightforward, he couldn't bring himself to look at Revy. It was quiet between them. Alois couldn't continue until he composed himself again while Revy couldn't think of any way to respond. How could he?
"Hey… Jim?" he wasn't sure what he was trying to achieve by getting his attention, but he tried anyway.
"I'm sorry..." Alois cut him off. His hand moved upward on his face, stopping to cover his eyes. "I've never figured out how to say it, but… I'm sorry… So, so, sorry, Revy..."
At first, the younger Macken didn't know what he was saying. Then, the gears in his head began to turn and when it clicked, his stomach dropped. "I..." the revenant began. "No… It's not- I'm the one who possessed this body!"
"I still hate it..." Alois replied. "Nobody deserves that. Even if you possessed it, it doesn't make it 'right.' I know you hurt, too... I know that it's because of me... I just- I wish you didn't have to… I'm sorry..."
After a moment, his eyes widened as he felt a light punch to his arm. Turning his head, he saw the other man staring at him, his blackened eyes no longer hidden behind sunglasses. "Fucking idiot..." Revy accused. "Yeah, there's been shitty moments where I blamed you, but those were low points. Don't go around thinking I hate you or anything."
Turning to look forward, Revy looked out of the tinted windshield and continued. "I actually like the life I've got now and I like you, even if your nagging's a total fucking pain, sometimes. You're supposed to be the big brother, though, so tell me about shit when it goes down, alright? You can't leave me in the dark. Isn't it 'irresponsible' or something? And another thing-"
Revy stopped talking as he heard sniffling coming from the driver's seat. Fearing the worst, he turned his head to investigate, only to find his sibling looking back at him with tears pouring from his eyes. His expression contrasted greatly with the rest of him. The poor blonde looked like he was in pain from trying to suppress it, undermining the niceness of his clothes and causing the unearthly luster he usually possessed to vanish almost completely.
"Wha-?!" A wave of guilt suddenly washed over Revy. "Don't cry! I wasn't scolding you or anything! Really! It's okay!"
"Yeah, I know but..." Alois sniffled, trying not to sob. "I just love you so much..."
"What?!"
"You're my little brother! I care about you…" the menace's voice was strained. It was obvious that he was on his last legs. "I know that you hurt because of me… I want you to be happy. I'm glad..."
Looking down, all that Revy could do was mumble out a response. "Yeah, I love you, too..." Then, his gaze shifted back to his brother before reaching over to flick his forehead. "Now, quit crying. Somebody has to drive us home..."
A/N: Just a smidge shy of 9,000 words. Tsk, tsk... Oh well. hopefully, this will suffice for now...
Writing the military stuff is fun, but I wanted to write something else before it felt repetitive. We'll be back in a bit, probably...
This was hard to write. I thought everything was just going to blow up, but it just... didn't? I hope that's not too disappointing? These two are still kind of getting a feel for how to deal with each other, so I figured that they're still kind of testing the waters on how to talk about their shared past...
Uh... Let's see... What else...
School starts tomorrow, so I'll probably be writing less again. Now that the chapters have basically doubled in length, it might take me longer to update than it used to. Sorry, in advance. Then again, I don't know how the schedule will work out on that. We'll work it out. Either way, you'll get chapters. Promise~!
Until the next chapter, my duckies~!
