"I'll go speak to Claude."

"There's no need," Claude said, appearing uncannily in the doorway. "Did you think I wouldn't know when my master was in the house?" He slumped into a chair.

"There are too many people in my room." Ciel said.

Claude and Sebastian both turned to glare at him.

"Right," the young earl said, "forget I said anything." It was as close as Ciel would ever come to an apology.

"You know that I have to return to the Trancy Manor, Sebastian."

In an uncharacteristic display of anxiety, Sebastian ran a gloved hand through his hair. "Yes, I know." It was this that caused Ciel to realize how much Claude meant to Sebastian. He had never seen Sebastian in the least bit disheveled.

Ciel cleared his throat. Both of the butlers glared at him again. "Well, I hate to ruin your moment, but I'm sure Alois is going to accuse Sebastian and I of some sort of devious plot."

"Well, I did kidnap his butler, even though said butler wasn't exactly unwilling," Sebastian said with a smirk.

The comment earned him a faint smile from Claude. "So how are we going to keep Alois from attempting to kill you and your Young Master?"

"Surely you and I are capable of that."

"But I am obligated to do Alois' bidding," Claude pointed out.

"Of course, if you decide to disobey, the contract would be void, and you could go home. On the other hand, then you wouldn't get his soul."

"And, as with all things, we need to eat to live. If I wasn't cultivating Alois' soul, I would have to find another."

Sebastian nodded. "At least Ciel and Alois live in close proximity to each other."

"I think I'll go stall Alois while you two say your goodbyes." Ciel hopped off the bed and headed for the door.

Sebastian stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. "Thank you, Young Master."

Ciel nodded, and headed down to the parlor.

XXX

Alois was out of his seat the minute Ciel entered the room. "What have you done with my Claude!"

Ciel smirked, taking a seat in a wingback chair, with his back to the windows. Even he could detect the tremor of fear in Alois' voice. Still, he couldn't find it in his heart to feel sorry for the boy. "I have done nothing to Claude."

"Of course you have! He wouldn't leave me voluntarily! Either you or that damn butler of yours did something to him."

Ciel took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Let me explain something to you about Claude. And about Sebastian."

Alois looked suspicious.

"Please take a seat," Ciel said graciously.

Alois sat.

"Claude and Sebastian have been seeing each other. Romantically. Apparently for centuries."

"That's not possible!"

"Oh," Ciel said with a small smile, "I assure you that it is."

"You would never do something like that, would you Claude?" Alois asked, wide eyed.

Ciel looked up. Claude and Sebastian had stepped silently into the parlor. Alois scampered across the room, and wrapped his arms around Claude's waist. Sebastian gritted his teeth to prevent himself from saying something unsuited to his station.

Claude pried himself away from Alois and knelt down to look the boy in the eyes. "What Ciel said is true, Alois. I am in love with Sebastian, and always have been."

"But," Alois sniffled, "You promised you wouldn't leave me."

"And I won't. I am still Your Highness' loyal servant."

Alois looked up at Sebastian with malevolence in his eyes. "So if I ordered you to kill Sebastian?"

"I would not." Claude said coldly. "Any other command, I will obey, but I will not harm Sebastian."

Sebastian, standing behind Ciel with both hands on the earl's shoulders, smiled in satisfaction.

"And if I ordered you to kill Ciel?" Alois looked pleased with himself, running his tongue over his lower lip, allowing Claude to catch glimpses of the seal imprinted on the boy's tongue. Ciel thought the seal was in bad taste. Why would the demon have put Alois' seal somewhere were it could not be covered? For example, with a tasteful eye patch. Though Ciel had to admit, he sometimes had trouble with depth perception.

Claude adjusted his glasses. "Then I would attempt to kill Ciel, and Sebastian would of course defend him. And since I will not harm Sebastian, this could likely end in my demise."

Alois practically growled in frustration. "Fine. We'll speak about this later. Claude, we're going."

"Yes, Your Highness." Claude bowed, and sending one last look at Sebastian, followed his master out to the waiting carriage.

XXX

With his guest gone, Ciel sighed. That boy had been giving him a headache. "Sebastian, I believe I'll take my tea now."

Sebastian bowed, his smile hidden. He believed that his young master had handled the situation admirably. "Yes, My Lord."

XXX

Alois sulked in the carriage, his arms folded across his chest as he sank into the purple upholstered cushions of the carriage. "You left me."

Claude calmly raised an eyebrow behind his glasses. "You poured a pitcher of Holy water over my head."

The young earl Trancy shrugged. "I told you I was going to punish you for speaking to me the way you did."

"Yes, I wished to speak you about that, Your Highness." Before Alois had a chance even to blink, Claude was on the other side of the carriage, grabbing him by the shoulders and pinning him to his seat. "You will never speak to your staff in that fashion again. You will not offer your staff physical abuse ever again."

Alois squirmed, whimpering. "Claude! You're hurting me!"

Claude ignored his master's complaints. "And if you neglect either of these conditions, I will take it upon myself to correct you." Claude smiled, his eyes flashing with demonic energy. "And I will enjoy it."

Then Claude was back in his own seat, hands calmly folded in his lap. "I have been learning things from Sebastian about a butler's proper duties. It is a butler's duty to do whatever is in his master's best interest, even if his master doesn't wish it. If that includes correcting a spoiled and headstrong child, then so be it."

Alois looked at him with large blue eyes. Claude observed that, when his master was silent, he was much more agreeable.

XXX

Sebastian stood by the heavy curtained windows and watched the Trancy carriage roll away. When they had disappeared, he sighed and turned back to Ciel. "Is there anything else you need at the moment, Young Master?"

"No, Sebastian, I'm fine." Ciel hesitated a moment before asking, "Are you all right?"

"I am fine, Young Master. And you shouldn't be worrying about me. After all, I'm just a butler."

Ciel scoffed. "Hardly."

XXX

((Not really sure where I'm going from here. Shall I make them fight at Alois behest? ))