Chapter 1
Two males walked the long road in the dead of night one was smaller than the other with pale skin compared to the other's dark tan both their features shrouded in shadow. "We are almost there Tenshi we should rest we have been walking for a while." The tanned one said steering the smaller to a semi clear stop under a thick tree watching the smaller carefully in case he fell from exhaustion. the smaller just went where the elder guided him too tired to say otherwise and too weak to get out of the other's grip. sitting in the semi shelter of the branches and trunk from the snow and wind the smaller curled up asleep in the elder's warmth.
"The mansion is beautiful." Yami nuzzled Atemu waking briefly remembering something. "I cannot believe this is a copy of the original manor. I remember the parties here my Aunt Rachel and Uncle Vincent would have here. Mai will be bringing Yugi safely tomorrow, right?" They had left their 3 year old with their demon maid to transport the day after they arrived for safety reasons.
"Yes, Love, she will be here with our little light by tomorrow evening." Ruby eyes glanced around 'so another demon has laid claim to this cousin of my lover's. Sebastian, you old bird, finally came out of your roost didn't you. This will be a fun game to play with you.' "rest my love i will watch is that not what a lover should do?" Atemu asked watching Yami slip into sleep while light from a lantern came. "So the Raven has come to see the Cobra. What brings you here Sebastian?"
"Sleeping out in the snow is not good for one's health." came the friendly reply as the black-clad butler stepped into view and ruby met ruby. "Oh dear," the english-accented butler said. "Surely you did not walk here? A carriage would have made the journey easier, 'old friend'." The last few words dripping with sarcasm. "I may be old, but i am still younger than most. Mai will be here at sundown with the last of My Lover's family i have no interest in this boy you claimed Sebastian he is yours to keep. Shouldn't we be going?" Atemu asked with a smirk of his own placing his arms under Yami's shoulders and legs.
"I cannot be sure. I have a long history of dispatching those who say they mean no harm only to force me to permanently remove them from the picture. Your master's room is prepared as well as a warm bath and food... providing our cook has not manage to burn dinner to a crisp once again." Atemu glanced at Sebastian with a bored look. "Unlike you Raven, i have a young one to feed and a mate to care for while you flutter about unchained to family ties you so graciously cut when you flew the coop." Atemu said as he started to walk the snow melting around his feet and heat as hot is the dessert floated around Atemu's body as he let out a puff of smoke and ash from his lips.
Sebastian turned to the Cobra. "A Demon and a human have created a child? You'll have Hell after you. Don't give me that look, I may have sampled the buffet, if you pardon the metaphor, but actual mating and reproduction is... unheard of."
"It wasn't when i last came here. What changed its views?" Atemu asked as they neared the Mansion seeing a boy no older than 13 gazing out looking for them. "Your Master i presume Sebastian?"
"Ciel Phantomhive. A rare soul. I grow hungrier every day. As for your questions, there are the Collectors *Yes, made it up* or demons who collect rare souls for the fun. They may decide your child would make a valuable prize. Half demon and half human? How exotic and it would fetch a high price be it the soul alone or the child could be sold as a pet."
"I can smell his soul from here how fitting you would look for one as dark as your feathers. You would also be surprised that not everything goes by biology with us when light and dark are mixed into one, twice." Atemu said walking up to the young earl with Yami in his arms. "Sir..." Atemu bowed his head keeping Yami level while Ceil looked at his cousin.
"Welcome to Phantomhive Manor. I am happy to meet you in person. Yamiko speaks highly of you in his letters. Practically gushes more like. You must be an excellent butler... perhaps we could switch." he said to ruffle Sebastian's feathers.
"It would be rather rude of me to do that as i don't think Sebastian can handle one of Yami's... Tantrums nor would he handle caring for a three-year-old soon coming with Lady Yami's maid Mai tomorrow afternoon." Atemu said with a side glance at the Raven Demon Sebastian.
"I was not aware Yami married or had children." Yami had not mentioned this in case the letters were intercepted.
"He didn't want you to worry, and in case someone was looking through the letters he thought it best not to mention it Sir Phantomhive." Atemu said. "Will her husband be joining us?" Ciel asked missing the smirk completely. /Hmm...not too bright/ he mused. /But then he IS a child/
"I suppose Lord Motou will come Sir Phantomhive but it all depends. Excuse me Sir Phantomhive but I must get Lady Anku cleaned up then to bed before she catches a cold from her wet clothes." Atemu temporarily put Yami down on a chair by the door taking off Yami's hat as long tri colored hair tumbled out from the hat making Sebastian raise a brow at how feminine Yami looked as well as the pronouns Atemu had been using 'lady Yami? hmm shouldn't this person be addressed as Lord Yami.'
"My cousin is a Futa and can be referred to as a male or female." Ciel said as Yami was carried away to the warm bath. Yami mumbling the name 'Yugi' as they disappeared.
"Apparently, demons do not possess deformities or birth defects?" Ciel questioned in a bored way but he was curious about demon anatomy. They slept merely as a luxury and had no taste for human food. He knew they could alter their appearances or simply wear clothing such as gloves to hide unusual features such as naturally black nails or their Faustian Seal if they were under contract to better blend in among humans and perform tasks at a speed and efficiency no human could ever manage.
"No, we demons have no such thing as it had been weeded out and destroyed because of its... Uniqueness..."
"Yami would be destroyed with his child as he is mated with a demon." Ciel said. Sebastian's eyes widened with surprise. "I'm not an idiot!" Ciel snapped. "My parents looked at each other the same way those two do. I suppose you're happy knowing you'd never sink so low, am I right?"
"Quite but it's more what Atemu had said earlier that has me intrigued especially when he was not a demon born."
"What do you mean?"
"Some demons are humans that are killed in a gruesome way other demons or pure ones are born in Hell. I am a pure born Atemu is a mortal turned demon betrayed by the person he loved and killed by fire.
"How are they transformed?"
"Their memories are taken into particular stones when they go through a metamorphosis usually by the last animal they had contact with or a token of the animal on their person when they died. Atemu, in this case, has two other forms because of how he died." Sebastian said looking at the time. "Oh, dear Young Master dinner should be just about ready."
"Please make sure Baldroy isn't making his famous charcoal steaks. I nearly cracked four teeth last week."
"I gave him explicit instructions on tonight's dinner but i will go and make sure everything is correctly done before i fetch Lady Yami for dinner." Sebastian then left and went to the kitchen while Ceil contemplated on checking his cousin.
Yami sighed as his husband/butlers washed her hair. The hot bubbly water was amazing with any type of soap or shampoo she desired. But still her heart ached as for now, it was not whole. She stared at the framed photograph Atemu had placed on a chair beside the tub to protect it from water damage. Yami sat with Atemu knelt beside him. Both beamed with pride at the treasure in Yami's lap. "It's been so hard being separated from him." Yami said.
Yami let his crimson amethyst orbs gaze around the room then into his lover's ruby eyes. "I wish Yugi was with us right now Atemu I don't like being so far from him," Yami said standing when Atemu was done, climbing out of the bath. "He will be here before you know it, my love. Perhaps, if I hurry, I can meet the carriage and bring it here noon tomorrow. I want him here as well. A safe new home for all of us. Did you see the lovely dresses this country sells in its shops?" he asked hoping to calm him wife as he brushed the long hair free of any tangles and braiding it. "They're pretty Ate but are they really for me?" Yami asked. "Anything for you and look here!" He held up tiny dresses. "For our little one as well. Fit for a princess, I think!"
Yami chuckled then laughed "you're acting like Pegasus Atemu it doesn't suit your standard character at all." Yami said smiling as he picked out a warm yet straightforward dress from the wardrobe "huh i wonder how they knew red and gold were some of my favorite colors." Yami wondered to himself. "I find purple, red, and blue to be the most pleasing." Atemu said happy that his act had made his bride smile. "The Frost Fair will be upon us soon as well as Ciel's birthday. I imagine both will be highly entertaining."
"Knowing my cousin nothing will be dull here for long," Yami said smiling putting on the dress with Atemu helping by lacing up the back while styling Yami's braided hair in a bun that looked like a rose. Placing a kiss on Yami's cheek, Yami blushed a sweet pink with a soft smile on his lips. -knock knock- "dinner is ready my lady." Sebastian's voice called his tall form watching the door unlock and open to reveal lady Yami awake with two-toned eyes he never had in his life as a demon seen before now. "We will be down in but a moment." Atemu said. In other words: Fuck off! Sebastion bowed and went on his way.
/Interesting. They have a contract but a very different one. Rather than her soul, she gave her heart/
"Your home is beautiful." Yami told her cousin. "It's exactly identical to the manor we played Hide and Seek in so long ago before Auntie Rachel forced us to bed. Where is Auntie Angeline?" she asked looking about as if the energetic Madam Red would stroll in demanding tea or a chess game.
"She has recently passed you're the only one left that i know of now except for Lizzie," Ceil said
"Are you and Lizzie still..."
"Engaged yes we are... What about you and Atemu?
"Pardon, my Lord," Atemu said. "I am simply the King of Butlers not..."
"We're among family, Atemu." Yami said. "Please sit with us and tell them the truth."
"Huh as you wish Anku," Atemu said with a soft loving smile sitting beside Yami who started to explain what happened over the past five years of his life. "Roughly five years ago on my eleventh birthday, i started having dreams and visions of demonic, angelic or mixes of the two lands i called Wonderland. My parents and sister thought i was going mad with stress and had finally cracked. I was sent to a psychiatrist that was the best of the best he turned it into the Alice in Wonderland book while keeping me locked away under the pretense of house arrest. Six months after that i stopped talking about it to people and just locked myself in my room only coming out to eat and to clean up. A year later i received a letter in the mail that was laced with an expensive perfume i loved. The message proclaimed to be from a fan of the Alice in Wonderland books and wanted to see the 'real deal' as an experiment. I got scared and gave the letter to Father he had the servants move my things to a different room while i stayed with my sister for a few weeks. This was the second mistake."
"Cousin Rebecca? How is she? And what mistake?"
"She is dead Ceil along with Mother and Father they've been gone for almost three years."
"does it involve the love letters and staying with your sister?" Sebastian asked pouring tea for Yami and glad he did not have to serve the viper.
"Yes, a few weeks into the move while everyone was asleep a man came into the house." Yami squeezed Atemu's hand at the memories flooding his head trying to keep the tears down.
"I woke up tied and gagged to Rebecca screaming in pain as the man raped her right in front of me while cutting her open. When he was done he dragged me out of the house and set it up in a blaze. I was found a month later chained up in a basement half mad. I was then sent to an asylum until i was able to return to society nine months later. While i was in the asylum, i made my contract to Atemu after stumbling across him while he was in the middle of playing with his meal." Yami said coming to the end of his story. "Meal?" Ceil raised a brow. "Just a former client. Not tasty at all. A stupid deal anyway. She demanded eternal beauty and men at her feet and agreed without even knowing her soul was the price." Atemu said. "But Yami... he was different. I felt no hunger but something deeper. Love. He asked for the death of his tormentor and I asked for... his heart. It's basically a marriage for demons. He sweetened to deal by allowing me the freedom of selecting my own souls as I still needed to feed. And here we are. Sebastian, a true butler would notice a spot on my lady's spoon."
Atemu said seeing a grass green spot on Yami's spoon making the raven go anime blue knowing who it might be. "Atemu you may have the title of King but i suspect Sebastian to have the title of Knight, Lord, or Duke. Besides this looks as if the gardener had accidentally brushed off his gloves in the kitchen when Sebastian wasn't there." Yami said. "so Ceil what has been happening since you last wrote to me? You had told me about having recently gained a dog or wolf and finding out your Raven was a cat addict."
"Pluto. A nuisance. Tramples the grounds constantly and yet Finnian is insistent he just needs love. Sebastian knows I'm allergic to cats and yet he leaves out cream for them constantly or tries to bring them inside. How is the meal? And your room?"
"Atemu can help with Pluto when he returns tomorrow afternoon with Yugi and Mai. The food was excellent and the room is perfect how did you remember my favorite colors were red and gold i never told you that in my letters."
"My lady, I took the liberty of sending a letter of my own." Atemu admitted. "Just a few details including your night time medicine and Yugi's diet as he eats like a demon and human."
"The dresses? I know Ceil hates those things even as kids when we dressed up in them. Certainly, you didn't request Sebastian to make them?" Yami said with a raised brow tasting the warm tea humming in contentment mentally at the warmth that soothed his still chilled body.
"He mentioned your colors and I bought them based on that." Sebastian clarified. "It seems he was unaware of our style of dress. I hope you like them. I know your country wears considerably less and thinner fabric." Yami giggled a bit. "I like the styles just nothing puffy and in a bright pink too girly for my taste." /Atemu how long until i must take my medicine?/ Yami asked mentally. /Just before bed. You know it makes you sleep better at night. I say you should get to bed after dinner as you look exhausted/
/mm./ Yami said while listening to Ceil's adventures trying not to nod off as they moved into the lounge. "Go to bed, cousin." Ciel said gently. "Yes," Atemu said. "The sooner you sleep, the sooner Yugi will arrive."
"Alright I'm going I'm a going. -yawn-"
"Alice in Wonderland." Ciel said. "I remember the story. Had I known you were locked up, I would have sent for you."
"You were only ten Ceil."
"Someone should have notified Tanaka at least. What Asylum? They will be shut down at once."
"Atemu already took care of that when he started fixing up my mental state. You were obsessed with burning that place to a cinder anyway and with how broken i was it drive him over the edge. Soon after Atemu came up with a way to help me stay mentally sound and calm through a unique brew only those with exceptional eyes can read. If i remember correctly, you wrote it in hieroglyphs when you finally came to the right mixture of things." Yami said standing up giving Ceil a bow then a hug. "Good night cousin I'll see you in the morning."
"Do you and the viper have an unfriendly history?" Ciel asked as Sebastion cleaned up the table.
"Yes, he was in a way like a tutor of the old style when i was just starting out on my own. He was also one of the few ancient ones left living in Hell from what you call Egypt. But like all demons the closer you are to another the more significant the rivalry will become once a demon reaches their adulthood and is allowed out of their tutor's shadows." Sebastian said while Atemu came back down with a frown on his face.
"I'm a cobra Sir Phantomhive; a viper sounds degrading to one as myself. It's like calling Sebastian a pigeon or a crow." Atemu said with a bow to the young Earl then turned on his heal and went to the kitchen taking off his gloves showing not a mark on them or the natural black nails Sebastian had. "Will Yami live forever then as they are married?" Ciel asked yawning. Bed sounded very nice. "I don't know Young Master all i know is that something feels a bit off with Lady Yami. Time for bed Young Master we have an appointment to keep tomorrow." Sebastian said rousing the young boy and getting Ceil to start walking to his room.
Atemu held his wife after giving Yami his medicain who held a small pillow imagining it was their child. "soon love soon Yugi will he here and our family complete."