A/N:
Here is the second chapter!
My apologies, it may be a while before I get around to writing more.
Merry Christmas everyone!
Claude opened his eyes. His blurred vision made it difficult to decipher the contents of his whereabouts, but he could just make out a lump at the foot of his bed.
The butler blinked again and lifted a hand to feel his forehead. It took him a moment to realize that his head had been wrapped in bandages.
"Alois?"
The lump at the end of the bed stirred. Alois raised his head to look at him.
Even through the darkness, Claude saw that he had been crying.
"Claude!" Alois screamed suddenly, throwing himself at the demon.
The young earl sat beside his beloved butler, cradling his head the way a mother might.
"What happened?" Claude asked meekly, shifting his weight so Alois could maneuver himself into a more comfortable position.
"Well," Alois began, stroking the demon's hair, "I shall fill you in. At the ball, you sort of fainted. You hit your head on the edge of the table. I mean, I was with Ciel andーClaude?"
It took a moment for the young earl to realize that Claude had begun to tremble. His eyes had widened to the size of saucers and, with his hand upon Claude's chest, he could feel the wild thumping of the demon's heart as it ricocheted off the inner walls of his ribcage.
"Claude!" Alois shook him by the shoulders, his nails digging into the silky fabric of Claude's coat. "What's wrong, Claude-y? Speak to me, please!"
Visions of the kiss reeled in the back of Claude's mind; he saw the heels of Alois's high topsーthe way it had raised after the kiss.
The way he had giggled and pulled back with a giddy smile.
As quickly as he had dived into the panic, Claude regained his composure shortly.
"I'm fine," Claude said as he fixed his glasses more properly on his nose. "I just remembered something, young master; there is nothing to fret about."
Alois nodded, although concern still lingered behind his cerulean eyes. "I sure hope so."
It was quiet for a moment. Alois's hands rested in his lap, clasped tightly, his head bowed as though in prayer.
"Where is Hannah and the others?" Claude asked finally.
"Gone. Hannah took the triplets somewhere; I believe she said that they were going to buy more groceries."
"We have plenty of food."
"I suppose she wanted to guarantee a safe supply."
Claude shook his head. "I'm not ill, if that's what you are all worried about."
Alois tugged at his bangs, hiding his face behind his hair. Claude took his hands. He brought them to his lips and kissed the delicate skin, his lips wet against the earl's knuckles.
"Enough!" Alois snapped suddenly, letting his hands slip from the butler's grasp. "I hate the way you do that."
"What?"
"Stop pretending to be okay. I know something has been gnawing on your conscience for the past few days. Why won't you tell me? Am I not significant enough to hold your trust?" Alois smoothed back a stray hair of Claude's, pushing it behind the other's ear.
Claude stared blankly at him.
Alois continued. "Look at you; your hair is damp and greasy; you haven't been fulfilling your duties as a butler andー" Alois paused, his voice breaking. "Claude, I want to help you."
"Lift your legs."
"What?"
"Lift your legs, Alois. I want to get up."
Scowling, the blond vacated the bed, sliding off of Claude's legs as he did so.
Alois watched as Claude buttoned his shirt, slicked back his hair and moved over to the window. He continued to stare as Claude looked through the panels of glass, his mind somewhere else.
"Claude? Did you hear what I said?"
The butler nodded, still gazing outside. The curtains danced in the breeze, the light from the rising sun glazing the fabric in gold.
Claude swallowed hard as he heard the clacking of Alois's heels on the floorboards as the blond went to join him at the window. They stood in silence until a cough ripped through Claude's throat.
Alois glanced up at him. He took notice of his butler's throbbing temples, how they pulsed in an effort to suppress another string of coughing.
"Claude." Alois spoke more gently. He squeezed the demon's hand. "Tell me what's wrong. It pains me deeply to see you in this state. I am not so young and immature that I cannot separate grief from agony. And you, I'm afraid, have crossed that border."
"Have I?" Claude asked, his voice thin.
"If I remember correctly, when you were in one of your normal moods, you would absolutely beg to satisfy my needs; you would complete each one efficiently and swiftly. Now, I don't know. You've gotten more sluggish, more forgetful." Alois's eyes widened as he recounted on something else. "You have also stopped dining with me!"
"My, you are perceptive, my Highness."
"I'm concerned."
"There is no need to be."
"Claudeー"
"How long had I been asleep?" Claude asked, drumming his fingers on the windowsill.
"A few hours. It's five o'clock in the morning right now."
Claude watched as a group of travelers dragged their luggage along the cobbled path of their front lawn. One of them swatted at their head as the stone fountain sprayed them.
"I cancelled a meeting with Ciel earlier today. He wanted to talk to me, but I said that I needed to look after you." Alois nudged his toe against the wall. "It was my first priority."
Claude hardly remembered what he had been looking at. Who were those people standing on their patio? They looked awfully familiar.
"Ciel understood," Alois continued with a sniff. "He said he would contact me later."
The figures waiting there had blurred. Claude rested his forehead against the cool glass, still watching the two hazy shapes. "We have visitors, Alois."
"Oh!" Alois followed Claude's gaze. "Is that Ronald and William?"
When Claude didn't respond, Alois yanked on his coat. "Are you coming down with me orー?"
The butler shook his head, forehead still pressed to the window pane.
"Very well." Alois flipped up his collar, giving the demon one last look before heading to the door.
The first thing that happened when Alois finally freed the key from the padlock was an abrupt scream of delight from none other than Grell himself. Almost instantly, Alois found himself wrapped in a tornado of fiery red hair.
How had he not seen him?
"Grell, release him." William T. Spears adjusted his glasses before yanking on a fistful of red hair.
"I haven't seen this sweetheart in ages! Look at his chubby cheeks!" Grell howled, pinching the earl's face.
"You shall see him plenty." William's lip curled in contempt. He turned to Alois, a look of pity and solemness finely carved into his features. "You'll have to excuse him. After his visit to the Undertakerー"
"Who could never be as fine as you!" Grell sighed dramatically before falling into William's arms.
"Excuse me," Alois frowned. "Could any of you get to the point? I'm a busy fellow; at the moment I've got a butler to look after."
The three reapers exchanged funny looks. Ronald sighed before removing a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe his glasses.
"Willy, why don't you do the honor of notifying him?"
"Don't call me Willy!" William growled, his cheeks turning a delightful shade of pink. Ronald only laughed and gripped the brunette into a hug.
"Could we come inside?" William asked.
"Alright. Make it quick." Alois stepped back to allow the three men to enter.
"I'm sure you are aware that demon's hardly ever get sick, am I correct?" William asked, taking a seat on the couch.
"I know."
"You still know that they do get ill sometimes, am I right?"
"Claude doesn't!" Alois said suddenly, his tone defiant.
"Well, I didn't exactly say that I was referring to him."
"Sebastian is sick?"
"No, no. He's fine." William folded his arms over his chest, narrowly avoiding the earl's gaze.
Alois sat back, defeated. He hated it when people toyed with his mindーlike a cat with a ball of yarn. At the moment, William was grinding on his last nerve, twisting and throwing loops around him to evade him from the evident truth.
"What's going on?" Alois asked, suddenly hostile. He wanted to slap the stupid grin from Ronald and Grell's face.
William was about to speak until a thud from upstairs hushed them all.
"Fuck!" Alois gripped the arm of the chair, his face ashen. "Claude!"
The three reapers watched as the boy bounded up the stairs, frantic and careless as he took the steps two at a time.
Alois fled down the hall, the clacking of his heels more urgent with each room he passed.
"Dammit, Claude! Answer me!"
Alois swerved left and right, gasping for air as he desperately tried to remember which room they had been in earlier. He screamed out again, tears rolling down his cheeks as he waited for a response.
Why couldn't he remember?
A strangled cry from somewhere sent Alois speeding in the right direction. He rounded the corner of Claude's bedroom to find him crouched against the wall, exactly where he had left him beside the window.
"Claude!" Alois choked as he rushed to his butler's side, dropping to his knees beside the quivering body.
The demon lay rigid against the wall, his nails like claws as they tore into the carpet. His back was arched, his teeth gritted in obvious agony.
"Claude! Claude, what's wrong with you?" Alois screamed, his hands hovering over the demon's back.
Alois looked about the room in a blind panic. As his gaze combed the floor, he saw that Claude had removed his coat and that its tattered remains lay at a heap at the foot of the bed.
Suddenly, Claude gripped at his chest, letting out a low hiss as he attempted to disguise his pain once more.
Alois pulled at his hair in desperation. Hannah and the triplets were gone. The reapers, he figured, would have vanished by now. He began to sob as he watched Claude's doubled up form.
ThenーAlois realized something.
Yes, he remembered now! He had seen it countless times in nature documentaries and biological films.
He had seen spidersーthe way they curled up when tortured. They didn't scream; they didn't holler out. Yes, he had seen the wayーwhen someone pulls the wings off a fly or punctures the body of an insect with something so small as a pinーthey shrivel up wordlessly.
Alois's brain cleared. He tried to think. He needed to think!
Without a second thought, Alois attempted to pull Claude's hands away from his stomach. He would not allow his spider to wilt this wayーClaude would live.
"Claude!" Alois wailed, fresh tears pooling at his eyes. "Claude, stay with me!"
But the demon's form was too tight; Claude had locked himself into a fetal position.
As Alois yanked at Claude's arm, something snapped. The butler's arm went limp.
The earl lifted the lifeless arm above Claude's head. It appeared his butler was shielding something. Now only one arm guarded his chest.
Alois kicked off his high tops. If he was going to get anywhere with this, he may as well make himself more comfortable. He grabbed hold of Claude's other arm and pulled.
Againーsomething snapped.
Suddenly, Claude shrieked. It was the most horrible sound Alois had ever heard. It was the sound of an animal half dead.
Thenーsilence.
Alois couldn't make out Claude's expression; his head was hanging in agony and his hair was covering his face.
"Claude!" Alois moaned. He attempted to brush Claude's hair out of the way. The demon flinched. It was then that Alois noticed a dark red patch on Claude's chest.
Had he been guarding his heart?
Droplets of blood stained the floor; Alois saw Claude's lips. They were smeared in the crimson liquid.
"Claude?" Alois whimpered. He felt frightened now. His heart thumped against his chest as though desperate to escape its cage. He was too afraid to even touch the demon.
Suddenly, a pool of blood gushed from Claude's mouth, puddling at his knees and forming something of a red halo.
A whimper escaped Claude's lips as he kneeled closer to the ground, his hair brushing against the floor.
"Claude?" Alois had gathered enough courage to come closer. "Are you okay now?"
What a stupid question! Of course he wasn't okay!
Claude went limp. His body suddenly collapsed in on itself as he laid there in a puddle of his own blood, his eyes glassy and unfocused.
"Claude!" Alois screamed. He finally touched the man, lifting the demon's head to cradle in his lap.
At Alois's touch, Claude's eyes faded from red to goldーnormal.
Alois bent over him, licking at his salty lips as he struggled not to cry. "Don't worry, Claude. You're okay now. It was probably a minor heart problem."
With the pad of his thumb, Alois wiped the trickle of blood from Claude's lip. He hugged him close. "I knew something was wrong," Alois sputtered, "Claude, you should have told me you were suffering!"
Claude blinked. The first sign of life since the incident. His mouth twitched as though he wished to say something.
"Yes, my beloved Claude?" Alois hoisted the demon into a sitting position before taking him by the shoulders to look him straight in the eye. "Let it out. You can tell me."
But Claude only jerked out of his grasp before doubling over to vomit forth another fountain of blood.
Alois slipped his fingers around Claude's convulsing form; his fingers worked their way down his chest and around his stomach where he hugged him gently, being careful not to aggravate Claude's already sore abdomen.
"Claude. You need rest. I'm putting you to bed. The doctor will be here in the morning to check you out." Alois scooped Claude up, bridal style, surprised at how light Claude had become.
It looked as though everything was up to him. Hannah and the others still hadn't returned.
After tucking Claude into bed, Alois sidled in beside him, figuring that he may as well keep his butler company.
On a normal night, he would have bounced on Claude's belly, laughing and begging Claude to pay attention to him. Tonight, however, Alois would have to be content with just lying there next to him.
"Claude?" Alois asked, slicking back the demon's hair. "I need to know something."
"Hm?" Claude asked, turning his vacant eyes to Alois.
Alois swallowed, hearing the strain in his butler's voice. "You don't have to speak if it hurts. I just wanted to know if any of this has to do withー"
Claude shook his head quickly.
"Okay. So, are you really just sick?"
Claude nodded, somewhat tentatively.
"I'm sorry. I should of known. I'm just glad you finally admitted it. Please, in the future, do tell me if you feel sick. I may be your master, but I am not cruel." Alois embraced Claude once more, cupping the demon's face in his hands as he leaned over to kiss him.
Claude's eyes widened. He pulled back in shock. "Aloisー"
"Don't be silly, Claude-y! Every master gives his butler a goodnight kiss. You're my best friend, after all."
Friend.
Was that all Claude would ever be to him?
The confusion about his emotions made him feel sick again. Claude closed his eyes. He was a demon; he wasn't supposed to feel this way. He wouldn't.
"Look at you, Claude. You're shaking like a leaf. You're sweating too." Alois unbuttoned Claude's shirt before discarding of it on the floor. "Feel better now?"
The demon didn't respond. His eyes had returned to their emotionless state. He would let Alois do as he pleased. He would not feel anything when his master touched him.
Alois did touch him. He giggled and traced patterns on his chest. Upon receiving no reaction, Alois tweaked his nipple.
Claude swallowed. A reaction.
Alois smiled and played with the demon's cheeks. "Aw, Claude! You're so sweet when you're blushing!"
Forgetting about his previous decision, Alois clambered onto Claude's torso, perching his butt on demon's lower stomach as he bounced a bit, giggling. "Claude, you're bouncy! You're my very own carousel!"
When Claude coolly avoided his gaze, Alois poked him in the stomach.
"Laugh, Claude! I want you to laugh!"
Alois frowned before flopping down on the other, entwining his fingers with the demon's. Cheek pressed against Claude's stomach, Alois sighed. "Please get better soon. You're even more boring when you're sick. Your whole body is burning up, Claude. Even your tummy is warm."
Alois raised his head, tears pricking at the corner of his eyes. "C-Claude?"
But the demon had fallen asleep, his chest rising and falling with each breath. Alois hoisted himself up before leaning over to kiss Claude's feverish cheek.
"Sleep well, Claude."
The doctor arrived at about seven o'clock in the morning. Before that time, Alois had notified the hospital and explained to the doctor of his whereabouts.
Alois had been kneeling beside Claude's sleeping form, playing with his hair and rubbing soothing circles on Claude's stomachーhe liked that.
"Mr. Trancy?"
The voice startled him. Alois leapt to his feet. "Please help him. He's been very ill andー"
"Shh, shh." The doctor pulled up a chair beside Claude's bedside. "It's okay, boy. Tell me everything from the beginning. As much as you can."
Alois swallowed as the man perched a clipboard on his knee, pen poised in his hand.
"Well, Claude has been sick. In the beginning, I knew something was up. He had lost a lot of weight; he hardly spoke and he stopped following his normal routineー"
"How so?" The doctor interjected.
Alois rubbed the back of his head. "He wouldn't fulfill his normal duties such as washing up or mopping or anything. He became sluggish; he would sleep for much longer than normal. Plus, that is not natural for a demon."
"I see. Now, I remember you mentioning something about a serious incident last night?"
"Oh, yes! Last night, I found him curled up in pain. He was completely stiff, and at one point he screamed out. Of course, he never does that, but he must have been hurting badly. Also, he kept vomiting up blood." Alois realized that his hands were shaking. "I-I think he was having stomach and chest pain. I figured it might have been a heart attack of some sort."
The doctor sighed. The pen had stopped moving. He got up and went over to Claude before placing a hand on the demon's forehead.
"I'm sorry to tell you this, butー"
"What?" Alois's eyes widened. "But what?"
"I don't know what's wrong with him. It isn't an ordinary human sickness, but rather, something of its own. Something unknown to my research. What I do know is of his internal bleeding. It may be fatal for all we know. I'm sure, however, that plenty of fluids and rest shall cure him. It may break the fever at least."
Alois's face contorted. He stood rigid, petrified into pure shock.
"Oh, there was this note left for youー"
Suddenly, Alois had thrown himself at the doctor, hands cupped around his neck. "You son of a bitch! Is that the best you can do with your fucking research? You piece of shit; I hope you burn in hell!"
A couple nurses who had escorted the doctor released the doctor from Alois's grip. They hurriedly left the room, footsteps pounding down the steps as they attempted to escape the earl's wrath.
"You useless piece of shit, you! I hope you die a painful, horrible and bloody death, you bitch!" Alois screamed after them, blinking furiously to keep the tears from falling.
He knelt beside Claude once more, hands enveloped in prayer. "It's okay, Claude. You'll get better."
As he was recovering, Alois noticed the crumpled sheet of paper on the floor. He picked it up before smoothing it out to read.
Alois,
He who perches upon the gallows waits.
He, being the black of night, the scavenger, the winged.
Do not be surprised nor disappointed.
You knew it too.
It was not signed. The doctor had found it. What was going on?
Then, Alois remembered. He had an appointment with Ciel.
To be continued. . .