A/N: Don't you just love me? I have updated once again! I may even update tomorrow as well, you never know! Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter, the budding romance between Alois and Claude, and the seemingly distructive relationship that Sebastian and Ciel are forming. Things will be getting ugly a bit on down the line, I can promise you that! Please review after you read!

Warnings: Vulgar Language, offensive slang/slurs, alcoholic consumption.

Act IV

Alois had just gotten off the phone with Ciel, feeling quite accomplished at talking his best friend into a more relaxed state. Slipping the celular device into the back pocket of his form-fitting black cotton short shorts, which was paired with a tasteful creamy cashmere sweater that exposed his shoulders. For once, it wasn't a tight top that showed off his feminine-esque figure, but clung baggily to his torso. His legs were encased in pale thigh high socks, his favorite, and they were elongated by the high-heeled knee-length black boots he wore. Ciel always joked that he dressed like a high-class hooker, but Alois quite liked his fashion sense; he would never be caught dead in those horrendous faggy nerd vests that the slightly shorter male seemed to have a strange love for.

With a self-satisfied sigh and one last look at himself in the restroom mirror, the manic blond strutted from the room and headed back to the party. It was barely 8, and yet the celebration was in full swing; alcoholic beverages were being generously served, and it looked as though quite a few people were already heavily drunk. Several of the cast members were "getting friendly" on the dance floor, which caused Alois to snicker in delight. There were sure to be many regrets tomorrow morning, when people woke up with pounding hangovers in bed next to someone they didn't even remember fucking. An odd kind of mirth filled the blond as he pictured the horrified expressions that would be painted on their faces. Hell, it even seemed as if Leffew was flirting with the old geezer of a Director! He nearly gave a derisive snort at the thought. Nothing would be more horrible than to wake up next to that bag o' bones.

Shaking the snarky, better-than-thou thoughts from his head, Alois headed over to a pretty female who held a tray of what looked like champagne. He took a flute without her even giving him a questioning glance; that was the most wonderful thing about the caterers the Director had gotten for the cast party: they didn't card. Sipping merrily at the bubbly beverage, cerulean eyes calmly scanned the crowd. He hadn't really gotten acquainted with the cast himself, and he was glad that he was going to have Ciel to leech onto, once the nervous blae-headed boy got here.

Alois had been bobbing his head to the beat and rocking back precariously onto his heels when he saw him. He could feel his jaw drop as he took in every gorgeous inch of the tall, pale man with curious melted gold eyes and dark plum locks. His hair was such a strange shade, such a deep purple that it appeared almost black, and it made his flawless skin stand out. He was tall, but not too tall, Alois' preferred height in men, and even through the suit that he wore, the blond could tell that he had perfectly chiseled muscles. He wanted to swoon at the sight of such a gorgeous creature before him, but he got a handle on himself. Closing his mouth firmly and mentally shaking himself, he sneakily peaked at the man. He was obviously part of the cast... Was he the one that was playing the lead's butler? Instant jealousy pierced through the blond; if Ciel got to work so closely with this Greek God, Alois would absolutely lose his mind at the unfairness.

With an irritated huff, Alois chugged the rest of the champagne and practically slammed the flute down onto the nearest surface. The loud clink caused the server to eye him warily and take a few steps away, as if he were volatile and would explode at any moment. He shot daggers at her, frown marring his doll-like face. Stomping away from the annoying woman and hardly paying attention to his surroundings, he yanked his phone out of his shorts and checked to see if Ciel had bothered to show up yet: no such luck. He stopped marching around aimlessly and just glared at his blank cellphone screen.

With his eyes downcast, he didn't notice the off-balance drunk Director before it was too late. A sharp shove to his back took him off-guard as Henry tried to catch his balance. A tiny squeak left Alois' lips, and he closed his eyes, bracing himself for the pain and embarrassment of being sent sprawling onto the floor. While he did make impact, it wasn't with the hard, cold marble; instead he felt himself pressing into a warm, soft and yet firm chest as strong arms wrapped around his hips, almost possesively. Cerulean eyes opened slowly and looked up into the swirling molten gold depths of the man he had been admiring from afar.

A soft "oh" left his pale lips, and he could feel a warm blush dusting over his cheeks. "Hello," Alois said, though it came out as more of a breathy whisper.

A sexy half-smile curled the corner of one of the man's lips. "You should be more careful, little dove." Oh, his voice was deep and smooth, and it had a hint of roughness that suggested at a habit of smoking. "You could have gotten hurt."

Alois' blush deepened, and he bit his bottom lip, his heart pounding so hard in his chest that he feared the man holding him close would feel it. All too soon the taller male released his hold, and the younger found himself missing the comforting warmth of the embrace. He shyly looked up at the man from underneath his lashes, one hand coming up to nervously tug at a strand of ash-blond hair. "Um, thanks for catching me. I'm Alois," he offered a dainty hand.

"Claude; and it was no trouble," he stated, that delicious half-smile still curling his lips as he took Alois' hand and bent slightly at the waist to press a gentle kiss to the back of his hand.

Alois felt his knees get all wobbly and weak, and all thoughts of Ciel flew out of his head. The normally cocky and confident blond felt truly self-conscious for once in his life. Was his hair a mess? Did his outfit suit him? Oh, God, was Ciel right? Did he truly look like a high-class whore? Claude was so perfect, and Alois felt so... not. No man had ever been able to render him shy and demure, because he viewed all men as play-things, people he could throw away once he grew tired of them. But not him, not Claude. This feeling he was getting towards was uncomfortably unfamiliar, but not entirely unwelcome. Even if it is a little scary, a tiny voice whispered the thought.

"Would you like to dance with me?" Claude asked, snapping Alois out of his weird thought process.

With a wide grin, Alois nodded and allowed Claude to pull him out onto the dance floor.

"I fucking hate you Alois! You are a goddamned liar. Escort me to the cast party and be my date for the night, my fucking ass! Because you practically abandoned me, I'm at the mercy of some peasant," Ciel angrily hissed into his phone, leaving another particularly nasty voicemail for Alois. "Some best friend you are," he snarled before hanging up.

Through the 5 angry messages Ciel left for the manic blond, Sebastian listened with that stupid smirk on his face. The tall, lithe man leaned against the alley wall, the barest hint of a chuckle leaving his lips. Ciel turned angrily on his heel to glare at the man that towered over him, as if it was his fault that Alois had forgotten about him. Trying very hard not to get caught up in those dangerous sanguine eyes, he brought his gaze down to his chest. A mistake, he thought too late. Sebastian was certainly tall, much taller than Ciel would ever be. If he had to guess, he'd say somewhere in the 6-foot range. While he was thin, his shoulders were broad, with narrow hips; he was not at all lanky. The outfit he was wearing was casually chic: a burgundy dress shirt, three buttons undone at the top, left untucked and hanging over pressed black slacks. His sleeves were rolled back to his elbows and he wasn't wearing a jacket of any sorts. The hint of his chest peaking out showed muscle definition. The younger male bet that He had large his body was completely wrapped in delicious muscles. He may have been muscular, but he wasn't beefy, and that was a plus in Ciel's book. Sebastian had large hands, larger than Ciel's, at least, and it made a stray thought wander into his brain. If his hands are that big, does that mean...?

As if someone had thrown cold water on him, Ciel stopped that thought dead in it's tracks and banished it. Masking his shock with anger, he gave a steely-eyed glare at Sebastian's chin. "Why the hell are you still here?" He spat, waving his arms in a dramatic gesture.

Pushing himself off of the wall, Sebastian practically glided over to his shorter counterpart, looking down at him with those sanguine eyes. "I was hoping you would allow me to escort you inside. I had only come out for a smoke break, so I know exactly where the ballroom is." He paused, waiting patiently for Ciel's answer.

The blae-haired male scowled, crossing his arms over his chest. He didn't know exactly where the party was being held, and he didn't want to blunder around like a fool looking for it. He also did not want to go in there alone, though he wasn't sure if heading in with this Sebastian, who seemed to make him angry (amongst other things, but he wasn't quite ready to admit that yet) just by existing.

With a sigh, Ciel surrendered. "Fine. You may be my escort," he said with a sneer.

Sebastian smiled with his eyes closed, before taking the younger male's arm in his. Ignoring the sputtering and futile protests of Ciel, he led them out of the alley and into the the hotel. One elevator trip and a walk down a long hall later, they found themselves outside of a grand doorway. "It's right through here."

"Might as well get it over with," Ciel mumbled bitterly.

"Ciel, m'boy, you made it!" The Director exclaimed with drunken delight.

"Ciel's here?" a female's high-pitched voice rang out, and several of the cast members stopped what they were doing to come and greet him. A pink and blonde ball of fluff assaulted him first, her squeals of delight piercing his ears and making him wince. "Oh you are so cute! I'm so happy that you'll be playing my fiance! Oh, I'm Elizabeth, by the way."

Gasping for air, Ciel tried to pry himself out of her grasp to no avail. Elizabeth held him with an iron grip, and he squirmed uncomfortably. Everyone began talking to him all at once, commending him for his auditioning performance, or welcoming him to the cast. It made him feel flustered and extremely umcomfortable; he didn't like all the attention, not one bit. Once again, his fight-or-flight instinct was warring inside of him.

Sensing the discomfort and anxiety that Ciel was feeling, as the boy was practically chewing off his bottom lip, Sebastian stepped in and smoothly detached him from all of the boisterous actors. "I think the staff have replenished the champagne," he stated simply, but he efficiently distracted the clawing, fawning harpies from Ciel. They wandered off in small groups, going off to dance or to drink more alcohol. Sebastian watvched them all leave, making sure none of them were coming back to harass the already frazzled actor.

Ciel shot a grateful look at Sebastian, but didn't let him see it; his pride would simply not allow it. Instead, he scanned the crowd of people, his eyes landing on the blond crown of his best friend. He appeared to be deep in conversation with some tall bloke with purpley black hair and smoldering amber eyes. The stranger was definitely tall, perhaps not as tall as Sebastian, but close. They were off sitting in some secluded corner, two drink glasses resting on a table between them, hardly touched. Ciel rolled his eyes, then flagged down the nearest server. He picked up two flutes, both for himself, and slammed them back, one after the other. He made the server stand where she was while he finished off her tray. The heady buzz of the champagne settled in and calmed his frazzled nerves.

Sebastian raised one narrow brow at him, crossing his arms. "You might want to slow down your intake; wouldn't want to get sick, would you?"

Ciel gave one long-suffering sigh, rolling his glassy eyes up at the ceiling. "Have we not already discussed that I don't want you to butt into my personal affairs when they are none of your business?" He lowered his gaze and gave Sebastian a dour look. "Besides, I can handle my liquor. Can you, you giant fucking beast?"

Sebastian snorted, and bowed slightly, his smirk returning. "Challenge accepted."

Both males made their way around the ballroom, downing any alcohol that they could find. Ciel wasn't kidding when he said he could hold his liquor; he wasn't even swaying or stumbling. He looked perfectly coherent, and the only thing that hinted at drunkeness were his glassy eyes; his speech wasn't slurring or in any way impaired. Sebastian, however, felt like the room was spinning. He would sway from time to time, but other than that showed know outward signs that he was wasted out of his mind. He could feel his stomach turning uncomfortably, but he would be damned if he tossed his cookies in front of Ciel. He tried to maintain his composure, but he found it increasingly difficult when his shorter counterpart kept on raking him with eyes the color of blue roses. Everywhere those hypnotic eyes touched him, it felt as if his skin was searing, but it wasn't unpleasant.

Thoughts of taking the boy that had managed to pique his interest to his room and ravish him began running rampant in his head. He wasn't in his right state of mind; he wanted to take his time seducing the younger male, to win him over, to make Ciel his, but his alcohol-impaired brain seemed to be forgetting all that. With a deep breath, Sebastian closed his eyes tightly and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"The Director rented out some rooms for the cast. I snagged a keycard from him for you, so you can head to room 2403 whenever you feel like it. I will be retiring, however." The haughty smirk that spread over Ciel's lips told Sebastian that he knew he had won this little drinking game. "Until we meet again," Sebastian murmured, feeling slightly vindictive at the thought of Ciel's victory. He leaned down over the blae-haired male and pressed a searing kiss on the corner of his mouth.

Ciel tensed up, watching in stunned silence as Sebastian turned from him and left the ballroom. After several moments, he reached into his pocket to check the time on his phone. As he pulled it out, a keycard fell out of his pocket. "Sneaky bastard," he muttered to himself.

Deciding to exit the party as well, leaving behind the boisterous drunks, Ciel headed up to the 24th floor. Finding his room and letting himself in, he stripped down to nothing and crawled in between the sheets. "I don't like him, and I don't trust him," he said out loud, thinking of the way Sebastian seemed to devour him with his eyes. It made a shudder dance it's way down his spine. "And I never will," he added firmly, and for good measure.

And yet, as he drifted into an alcohol-induced sleep, he thought of nothing except for sanguine eyes, that dangerous smirk, and the kiss that left a torturous desire behind, burning through his veins.

E/N: If you received notification of update, all I did was fix spelling errors, add a few sentences and descriptions here and there. No new chapter yet, I'm sorry. Do you think this chapter is lame? If so, please review and give constructive criticism, but don't be giant meanies. Did you think this chapter was awesome? If so, review and let me know! Reviews always get my creative blood pumping and make me a very happy author. Enough of my bullpoopie tired as hell rambles, I hope you enjoyed this, and goodnight!

Oh, I forgot to mention, but: Ciel having a high tolerancy for alcohol and being almost impossible to get wasted out of his mind, is an important plot point. No matter how much or what he drinks, the most he gets is buzzed (kind of strange for someone so petite, I know, but just go with it!) but never truly drunk. He is always in control of himself, and his actions. Please keep this in mind for future chapters, as it will all make sense why I am making sure this is burned into your brains. Please remember this~ It's super important, and will later be part of a turning point in the story. That's all I will say on the matter. (I might have given too much away already .;;)

On another note, you'll notice that Claude and Alois are actually going to have a very healthy relationship. I think they deserve it, or rather, Alois does (I'm still quite upset with Claude, because in the anime... he... ;n; All Alois wanted was his love! -goes off to cry-). Anyway, Ciel and Sebastian are going to have a bit more of a volatile relationship. It will be dangerous and perhaps a bit unhealthy. I've always been quite fond of the songs that declare how much they hate a person but that they can't seem to stay away from each other. I kind of view Sebastian and Ciel as magnets: always repelling eachother, and yet always being drawn together. Kind of like my most favorite yaoi ever, Gravitation.

Again, sorry for all my ramblings. I do tend to go off on little tangents, don't I?

Kisses, Ritsy.