Deal
"Ciel… what are you doing? Unhand me this instant!"
Alois Trancy struggled to get out of Ciel's grip, to no avail. Normally he liked being handled so rough, especially since Ciel had never been willing to participate, but this was out of his control.
It frightened him.
Ciel Phantomhive ignored the other boy and continued to push him forward, keeping Alois' arms pressed tightly behind his back. The blonde stumbled, masking Ciel frown. Alois may have been blindfolded, but he should at least be able to control his own two feet…
Alois Trancy was truly pathetic.
After a few minutes, the two reached the cellar stairs. Ciel maintained his grip, attempting to have Alois walk down first, but the blonde hesitated.
"Go on, already." Ciel demanded.
"Ciel…" Alois whimpered. "Just tell me what you're planning on doing… I'm pretty open minded, you know… wouldn't it be more fun to tell me?"
"No." The dark-hair boy twisted Alois' wrists, making him flinch. "Now go."
The older boy nodded, gulped, and took a step down. Then another. And another. Until finally they were at the bottom.
Ciel ripped the blindfold off Alois. He gasped, freezing for a moment, before turning to Ciel.
"And just what the hell was that all about?" He demanded, pressing a finger against the other boy's chest. He had regained some of his confidence now that he could see again. "Honestly, Ciel Phantomhive, if I had known you were this kinky…"
Ciel slapped his hand away. Alois blinked, but his shocked expression quickly turned into a frown.
"What gives?"
The dark-hair boy didn't give an answer, he simply peered up the staircase.
"Claude, is the doorway sealed?"
"Yes, my lord…" was the answer.
Alois stepped back as Claude appeared from the shadows.
"C-Claude, what is going on here?" He couldn't hold back his shivering. The other two were staring at him so intently. It felt as if their gazes were burning right through him.
But no… no… he shouldn't be afraid of them. These were his two favorite people in the world. Claude, his loyal demon butler, and Ciel, the person he had been obsessing over for quite some time. They were both his. All his.
He had no reason to be afraid.
Yet the look in their eyes… suggested otherwise.
"Why did he call you 'lord?'"
The two said nothing and turned their gazes towards each other. Ciel nodded and Claude walked off. Alois felt his annoyance peaking.
"Hey, stop ignoring me, what are you two up to?" He stomped over to Ciel. Just as he was about to place his hands on him, however, he felt his wrists being grabbed and pulled behind his back. Before he could open his mouth to protest, Alois found himself being gagged.
He spun his head around, not surprised to see that Claude was the one tying him up. Tears were starting to well up in his eyes. Alois attempted to hold them back, not wanting to look weaker than he already did, but the fear was overwhelming.
He had no idea what was going on, why this was happening, why these two were acting this way, and he was just… so damn scared.
His attention was brought back to Ciel when he felt a kick in his stomach. Alois fell to his knees, where Claude pinned him down. The tears were pouring down his face at this point.
"And you're sure none of the others will interfere?" Ciel asked.
"Those triplets aren't of any concern, it's Hannah you should worry about." Claude answered coolly. He kept hold of Alois while adjusting his glasses. "But relax, I've taken the proper precautions to ensure she will stay out of the way, master."
Master.
Alois writhed beneath Claude's grip.
Why did he keep calling Ciel that?
Why were they doing this?
He shouldn't be afraid… he shouldn't be afraid… they were Claude and Ciel, the only people he cared about.
But… they shouldn't be acting like this, either.
What was going on?
Alois heard something faint – a ripping sound. Ciel had torn off his eye-patch.
"Claude, as our contract stimulates, you will assist me in killing Alois Trancy."
Alois felt his blood run cold.
Claude nodded. "Shall I finish him off now, then?" He moved his grip from Alois' back to his head.
"No, I will take care of that myself. Just hold him still until I get back." Ciel walked off in search of something.
Claude smiled to himself. "Such confidence… revenge only means something to him if it's done by his own hand."
Alois turned his face up as much as he could, silently pleading with Claude. The demon looked down at him, expressionless.
"What is it? Our contract is complete, you know. You have obtained Ciel Phantomhive, and Sebastian Michaelis is dead. No matter what, you won't be leaving here alive."
Alois dropped his head in defeat. So that was it, then…
After Claude had killed Sebastian in their Dance Macabre, they withheld Ciel against his will. He had belonged to Alois up until this point.
So they… made a contract? Claude… betrayed him?
It made sense for Ciel to go through with it – theirs was a simple contract, but it needed to be made. Without it, Alois had five demons protecting him. But now… but Claude…
Why had Claude done it?
He was right, after all – Sebastian was gone, and Ciel Phantomhive was his. Their contract was complete. So why not just eat his soul, then? Why make a new contract with Ciel? Was he going to somehow devour both of them?
Or was it something else…
Was Alois simply not good enough for him anymore?
Admittedly, he had detected a lack of desire from Claude the past few days. As if everything he was doing was out of obligation instead of culminating. In fact, he barely even looked at Alois. He would come in, if called, do his chores and be done for the day. Alois hadn't noticed any new fixation on Ciel, but then again, he had kept the boy close to him at all times.
But there was that one time…
Ciel returned, carrying a sword in his hand. He stood before Alois, whose head was forcibly turned up by Claude. He now stared at Ciel, tears still streaming.
Sebastian's marking was gone from Ciel's eye and replaced with Claude's.
Alois had never seen eyes like that, eyes that were so full of hatred. Not even in the villagers from so many years ago. Disgusted they had been, yet they never had a look of pure loathing.
Eyes that held nothing but the desire to kill.
So Claude and Ciel had plotted against him. Even with Alois' paranoia, they had found a way to go behind his back and arrange all this.
That one time…
Ciel refused to bathe with Alois. It was his last act of defiance. Alois had grown cocky, deciding it would be better to have Ciel eventually just give in and come along willingly than to put up a fight. So he gave him this.
Alois kept Claude close during those few minutes Ciel was away from him. Hannah and the others would look after the dark-hair boy when he bathed, standing by the door or guarding the grounds outside the window. He preferred to be alone, but they offered him no chance of escape.
Alois would snicker to himself at the thought of Ciel's frustration.
It was a particularly cold night, that one time, so Claude had gone to fetch Alois a cup of tea. A few sips and Alois felt… strangely tired. It was late, and he had already taken his bath, there was nothing left to do but wait for Ciel to come to bed. Still, Alois had never become so fiercely tired in a short matter of time. He didn't even finish his tea.
The last thing he saw was Claude, staring intently at him. But he couldn't read the demon's expression.
Next morning, he awoke with Ciel in his arms, as usual, except something was off. Ciel had never slept so soundly. He had always fidgeted in the other boy's grasp while they slept, as if even in sleep he couldn't wait to get away from Alois. Yet there he was, resting peacefully against the blonde's chest, not a care in the world.
Alois would've been pleased by this new detail, had it not been for the extreme headache he had. Claude opening the curtains didn't help. Alois groaned and hugged Ciel tighter, waking the younger boy up.
Ciel's calmness broke and he swatted Alois' arms away as he always had before. Alois, though irritated, didn't retaliate. He didn't have the energy this morning, and Ciel yelling in protest certainly wasn't going to make his headache any more durable.
Had he only noticed, though…
The heavy silence between Ciel and Claude.
Normally Ciel Phantomhive had no issues pointing out any flaw, no matter how small, the butler made. Claude would frown and continue his work. But the aura of irritation between the two had been gone that morning, erased. They had avoided eye contact at all cost.
Alois hadn't noticed. Nor had he cared.
Aside from swatting him away, Ciel was being moderately friendly to Alois that morning. It had surprised him, but he was all too thrilled to go along with it. When he had clutched onto the younger boy's arm on their way to breakfast, Ciel hadn't flinched. And when Alois played with his hair or rubbed against his jacket, Ciel didn't push him away.
In fact, he had even given Alois a small smile.
Alois should've suspected something; he should've realized just how sly Ciel Phantomhive was. But this had been ecstasy.
After all those months of hunting him down, tracking him, researching every detail, Ciel was finally his. Ciel was his, and so was Claude. Sebastian Michaelis – the demon who had killed Luka – was dead too. And now Ciel Phantomhive was returning Alois' affections.
Everything was going perfectly.
"Say, Alois Trancy…" Ciel had started. "How about you and I play a little game later on? If you're not too busy, that is…"
The blonde giggled. "Oh, Ciel, I know it's only been a few days, but even you should realize by now how dull this mansion is…" he had gotten up from his seat and walked over to Ciel, pressing his forehead against the other's. "I'm so glad you're here now, everything's more interesting with you around."
Ciel shivered, as if he had been fighting back the urge to smack Alois across the cheek. But the blonde hadn't noticed – all he had seen was the smirk Ciel wore, and his words to follow:
"I'm glad to be here, too."
And now, here they were.
"Alois Trancy." Ciel started. The blonde grimaced at the sound of his name. Did he have to say it so harshly? "Through your actions, you have damaged my pride. And now you'll atone with your death."
He lifted the sword high above himself. Alois hung his head low, not fighting at this point.
Oh, Ciel…
Claude had made a wise move, gagging Alois like that.
What did you tell him, Claude? He wondered. That it would prevent me from calling out to Hannah? Heh… that may be true, but it wasn't your concern, was it?
Poor Ciel, he'll never know the truth, will he? I had nothing to do with his parents' murder. He traded his soul away for revenge, twice now. Soon as I'm dead, you'll devour his soul.
Will I end up in hell, then? That's a good laugh – I was always in hell. Maybe I'll see you there, Claude. Oh, how that would please you, wouldn't it? My soul, wandering by your side forever, and you would be unable to get a single taste.
Sounds quite lovely, actually…
But no matter. At least when I die, I'll know the truth. You never loved me. None of you ever loved me.
So let Ciel believe this lie. Let him die for the revenge he already achieved. Let him kill another pawn.
Because at least I know the truth.
I have the last laugh here.
And Ciel brought down the blade.