Claude has been kicked out of the house by Sebastian and is driving through the night. His mind is occupied with the last time he had seen his lover this upset, it was when they found Jasper. As he attempts to find the light in the impending darkness, Claude fights to work out what's happening. Alex goes to Kei for assistance, if Sebastian won't help him, perhaps he will. However she doesn't expect what she finds in his hotel room.

What happened to Sebastian when he found Jasper?

Why does Alex agree to be Kei's escort?

Will Claude's nightmare ever come to an end?

Enjoy,

~Kuro

P.s. I do not own Kuroshitsuji.

Chapter 73: Shattered Hearts and Broken Wings

There are many questions which are asked a day, one of them is if a tree falls in a forest and no one is around, does it make a sound? Well the same may be raised for the heart, is it possible to hear it shatter if there is no one else to hear it? Claude rounded another corner, he may not have had wings like his lover, but he had to find some way to get away. The sound of his own shattered heart was too much to bear. Waves of emotions smashed into Claude, each one doing more damage than the next. He just couldn't get Sebastian's face out his head, that look of disgust and despair haunted him. There was nothing, but disdain in those crimson orbs, pure hatred which was something Claude hadn't seen in eons. Tears stung his eyes and slid down his cheeks as he recalled the last time he had seen that expression.

It was the same as when they had found their son mangled and cold, that small lifeless body coated in bright red blood. Once beautiful bright orange eyes were now closed, he was alone and frightened even in the end. Sebastian had been attempting to patch up his relationship with his father and was about to go to the palace when he had learned of the attack. Claude could remember those sobs which wracked that beautiful slender form as he clutched the small body of their son to his chest. "Why weren't you here?" he croaked between sobs, "Why did you leave him?" At the same time Claude had left to deal with a group of demons who had set out to assassinate Sebastian. The maid whom he had left their son to was lying in the foyer, dead. Golden eyes filled with pain glazed over as he looked at what had become of the proud demon, "He was our son!" he cried. Claude knew that, "Sebastian I," he began only to see a pair of furious red eyes glaring back at him. "Don't, please, just don't," he hissed with irritation as he stood up and cradled Jasper's corpse.

Claude slowly reached out to touch Sebastian, only for his hand to be slapped away. "Sebastian," he murmured, he felt as though he had broken this. Claude was breaking as he watched tears fall from his lover's eyes. "I don't want to see you, right now," Sebastian managed to say as he walked down the hall. Before he even realized it, Claude was dashing down the hall after him, "Sebastian, please, let me in," he whispered, agony lacing his voice. He watched as the slender demon walked away, he didn't even look back. Claude's knees buckled and he fell to the floor like a ton of bricks. His world was broken; he didn't see Sebastian again until the funeral. It was a small reception, which Claude was thankful for until he realized that the one person who should have been there, wasn't. Lucifer wasn't there; he looked around hoping to see the demon only to see Sebastian standing by a lake in black. A piece of parchment was between his fingers and he could see the beautiful red ink from where he stood. The wind swept through and caused Sebastian's bangs to drift, the note tore violently at his fingers. Without a thought Sebastian slowly released it and looked up at the sky, "I should have known, he would never want something this damaged and useless for a son," he whispered before walking away. He allowed the note to fall into the damp grass, there was a small school of ducks in the water and Claude could tell Sebastian just wanted to run.

The spider slowly walked over to the note and gracefully picked it up, he stared at it for a moment and felt his heart break even more. It wasn't even written by his father, it was from a secretary.

Michaelis,

Your father is currently preoccupied with an uprising; he is unavailable to meet you with such short notice. He extends his best wishes for your happiness.

His heart clenched, there was no mention of their son, not a word of sympathy. The note was cold and distant. He watched as Sebastian continued to walk in a daze, crest fallen and broken. The sole heir of the Underworld had lost his son, his only son, and yet his father didn't appear. Claude crushed the note in his hand before running after Sebastian. Before the younger demon could even react Claude was crushing him to his chest. He could feel Sebastian's trembling body as he sobbed; his aching existence was tearing this proud demon apart. "Sebastian," whispered Claude as he squeezed the other demon closer to him, "Please don't push me away," he whimpered, his own resolve had been smashed to pieces. "Please," he whispered tears slid down his face and he nuzzled into Sebastian's neck looking for some comfort. He could hear his lover slowly breathe, tears fell between the two and Sebastian whispered, "Take me." The two words seemed alien to Claude, nights ago Sebastian had screamed at him to never touch him.

"Take me," he cried as he turned to Claude, his red eyes were filled with pain, "Please, take me away." Sebastian's hands shook as he slowly reached up and touched Claude's face. They were cold and soft, "I can't fly away, I'm trapped," he whispered, "I'm so trapped that I'm afraid I may start to fall apart." Claude leaned in slowly and captured his lover's lips. They were soft and filled with need, this wasn't a session for pleasure, this was to revive what was left of them, to ensure that they were both still alive. Claude and Sebastian returned to the mansion that night and stripped away their clothing, every article which could remind them of the pain they were currently enduring. Together they were both at their strongest and weakest points. Claude's hands roamed every inch of Sebastian and to his surprise he noticed how slender his lover had become. He could feel his ribs and he hissed, "You're killing yourself," he whispered. Sebastian's hot tongue slipped between Claude's lips as he slipped his fingers around Claude's wrists. He pulled back and whispered, "You're no better." His delicate figures traced the lines on Claude's wrist, "You're bleeding yourself," he whispered as he brought the injured wrist to his lips and slowly kissed it. Claude hummed and looked at him, "It hurts to be alone," he whispered as Sebastian slowly pushed Claude's shirt off to reveal Claude's powerful body. "Then let's hurt together," Sebastian whispered as he kissed Claude.

The rest of the night was a blur, as Claude and Sebastian passionately and roughly made love. They clawed at each other, sank their teeth into one another and even penetrated without stretching. All so they could feel alive, to escape their sorrow. When Claude woke the next morning he found a note on Sebastian's pillow, he had left for the human world to take a contract. Claude felt as though he had been thrown away, and yet he couldn't deny his raven his right to a contract. It wasn't until he was contracted to Alois Trancy that he learned of who Sebastian's new master was, Ciel Phantomhive. A boy who had lost his parents in a fire, at first Claude was furious, until he saw the boy and his lover together. Sebastian looked at him as though he were Jasper. He suddenly had no right to oppose this; it was allowing Sebastian to cope, to breathe even if he was breaking.

Claude was brought back from the memory as he slammed on breaks; a deer had appeared in the road. His tires screamed in protest and he felt his heart pound as he attempted to control the vehicle which was currently hydroplaning. "Fuck," he shouted as he slid off the road and into the darkness. He cranked the steering wheel as he felt his world stop. The sound of shattering glass and the moan of metal filled his ears as the car collided with a tree. It finally came to a stop and he felt his head violently collide with the wheel. He hissed as he slowly sat up, he was covered in glass and his own blood. There was little left of the beautiful carbon black car which he loved dearly. Just another thing he had managed to break in his moment of sheer agony. Golden eyes shifted as he attempted to access the damage, "I'm an idiot," he mumbled, his head was throbbing and his body ached all over from the tight grip the seatbelt had engaged. The rain began to pour and he sighed as he reached for his phone, "I'll call Canterbury and have him pick me up," he muttered before he came to the realization that Canterbury was no longer his secretary. In fact, none of the triplets belonged to him, his life line was nonexistent. He slowly slipped his phone back in his pocket and opened his car door, he had to get out of the rain, no matter how his body screamed in protest. As he attempted to free himself from the wreck he fell to the ground with a thud. He could feel the water seep through his clothing and the slick mud on his skin. This was perhaps going to be one of the longest nights of his life.

"There's no way Claude did this," she whispered as she looked over the evidence which had been spread through out the world. Even though all the accounts had Claude's name on them, something was wrong. She knew he held accounts all over the world, but he wasn't dumb enough to use the same name on all of them. Claude's motto was always to hide things in plain sight, this wasn't his style. Jodi was sitting at her kitchen table, the kids were enjoying ice cream. "Jodi, can I talk to you for a minute?" she asked after a moment. Rather than returning to Sebastian's home she decided to see Jodi, the further she could space herself from the situation the better she could look at all the angles and see what was actually unfolding. "Sure, sweetie," she replied as she walked away from the kitchen table. She was smiling broadly and seemed a little more relaxed since she had been able to spend time with her kids. Alex took a seat on their large green sofa and commented, "I don't think Mr. Faustus did this." Jodi looked at her in confusion, clearly she didn't believe her. "Look Claude is a lot of things, however he would never betray Sebastian or his clients, that's not his style," she commented after a moment as she opened the evidence. The sofa creaked as Jodi sat beside her and looked at the screen. "Al, I know you want to help but this is huge and we don't even know where to start," she said softly, her voice was filled with caution and Alex sighed. She was well aware of the risks, and the fact that she was staking more than just her career on this. Her entire reputation was going to be at stake if she came out with her statement. "We need evidence Al, you know that, and from what has been provided he looks pretty damn guilty," she stated.

Alex's brown hair shifted as she shook her head and continued, "I know them Jodi, better than anyone else. I'm telling you this isn't Claude's work." Alex sat up and slowly placed the laptop on the glass table, "where are you going?" she asked after a moment. Alex looked over at Jodi and noticed a look of concern on her face. Jodi had always taken it upon herself to protect Alex no matter what the cost. "To see the only person who can save Claude," she replied as she picked up her leather jacket and slipped into it. Jodi sat up, "Who?" she asked quickly. Blue eyes met browns as she replied, "Tonoin, he can save Claude, even if Sebastian won't." At that she was out the door and heading to the hotel he had been staying at. She could recognize the conference room in the background. The rain began to pour even harder and she looked at the street lamps, she felt as though she was prowling London in a Bond flick. She hummed as she walked up to his hotel, it towered above her, she didn't have a choice. If anyone could save Claude it was Tonoin. She slowly walked up to St Ermin's Hotel, it towered over her and she drew a deep breath. It's massive brick face with white columns dwarfed her, "You have to do this, you can do this," she whispered as she slowly entered the white lobby. She stared at the immense amount of white marble and slowly approached the concierge desk, "Excuse me I'm looking for Tonoin Kei," she said meekly. Shadow Pont may have made this place seem small, but she knew it's owners. The concierge simply nodded and picked up the phone after a moment he replied, "I'm sorry by Mr. Tonoin is currently engaged," with a smile, his white teeth strung a perfect string of pearls. Alex looked at him and stated, "Tell him Alexandra Stark is here from Artistry." He returned his attention to the receiver and stared at the girl, "Yes I see, I will make sure of it," he said prior to placing the phone back on the cradle. He looked at her and smiled apologitically, "Apparently he wants to see you, I've been instructed to escort you to the room," he said quickly. He got up from his seat and looked over at a pair of massive body guards. "They are Mr. Tonoin's guards, they will take you to his room. Have a pleasant evening Mrs. Stark," he said with a smile.

She fallowed the pair of black guards up the stairs and into the elevator, the doors slid open, and she felt a rush of panic as she fallowed them toward his room. "Enter," called Tonoin after one of them knocked. Her hand shook as she turned the door knob and stepped into the sprawling space. Standing before her in a tuxedo was the young half Japanese man she had become to acknowledge as her boss. "Mrs. Stark, it's a pleasure to see you again," he said softly. His voice was lush and soothing, it hummed in her ears for a moment and she nodded. He smiled and asked, "What can I do for you?" She looked at him nervously and noticed his tie was undone. "I need to speak to you about Faustus," she said firmly. It was taking everything to keep herself from shaking apart with fear. The last time she had been in a room alone with a man was with either Claude or Sebastian. He paused and looked at her curiously, his emerald eyes were locked on her wet clothing. "You're drenched," he said softly as he walked into the bathroom, his shoes clicked against the tile.

"I apologize," she commented as he returned with a plush white towel in hand. "It's not a problem," he said as he handed it to her. Alex slowly took it and began to dry her hair, "Now what about Claude?" asked Tonoin curiously. She watched as he settled in a chair with grace, he didn't move as fluently as Sebastian and Claude, but he was pretty close. His legs crossed over one another in a relaxed fashion, and she noted his poise. "Claude didn't steal the funds, believe me he would never do such a thing," she commented. Tonoin smiled and slowly stroked his bottom lip with his index finger. He looked perplexed, "I had the same thought, but how do you know?" he asked after a moment. Alex fell silent, how was she supposed to explain that Claude stashed money around the world, and he was skilled enough where he wouldn't get caught. Tonoin slowly stood up and walked over toward her, "You must be cold, let's get you into something warm," he commented as he slowly brushed the back of his hand against her cheek. Alex shivered as she felt the electricity flow through her. She stared at him and felt her heart pounding, this wasn't like what she had felt with Rin, this was poisonous and intoxicating. "Tonoin-san I'm here to discuss business," she replied and he hummed. His emerald eyes were like Sterling's, and yet he admired her differently. "I'm aware, however I can't let you get sick again," he said softly and he gestured to the white box on the table with a beautiful black bow.

"That's for you anyway, I was hoping to take you to dinner," he said as Alex slowly walked over and gently tugged on the ribbon. Nestled inside was a beautiful black dress, it had a sheer transparent back and a beautiful black bodice. A beautifully long skirt, with a slit which ran up both sides to mid hip with transparent panels on the sides. It looked as though he had brought the dress strait out of Shanghai. Her lips parted, this wasn't one of Intrigue's gowns, she had never seen anything like it. "Where did you get this?" she asked in awe as she ran the silk through her fingers. Tonoin chuckled and replied, "I brought it with me from Shanghai, I wanted to introduce it as an exclusive item, however after meeting you I felt there was only woman who belonged in that dress." Alex's ocean blue eyes looked at him, and she shook her head, "You can't buy me," she hissed. Tonoin smiled again and looked at her, his lips were curved in amusement. "I never intended to, however you allow them to dress you, I would like to see you in that dress around my arm tonight," he responded as he placed two other boxes on the table. "It's not a date, I need an escort and who better than the blooming Graphic Designer who floored the world in Switzerland to arrive with me," he commented lightly.

She could see how his eyes dance and she asked, "Is this what it will take for me to get your assistance in aiding Claude?" There was a pause and she watched as Tonoin attempted to gather his thoughts. He sighed and leaned on the table with his arms crossed, "If you escort me, I will do everything in my power to prove his innocence. You would be surprised the power I can wield," he said after a moment. His eyes were closed, he looked serene. She nodded, Tonoin didn't make her skin crawl and yet he bought her a dress, she paused and looked at him in confusion. "Wait, how did you know my size?" she asked curiously. Tonoin slowly walked away and responded, "Did you honestly believe I couldn't look at you and size you up?" he asked with a grin. She honestly wasn't sure how to respond, from most men this was something perverts did and yet he made it seem almost alright. "Hurry up now, I don't want to be late. Even if Claude advised against it I want to see what this auction is about," he said smoothly. It was as though her were attempting to crack a code. She nodded and walked into the bathroom, she was concerned with the back of the dress, it was possible to see her brand through it if she wasn't careful. "Wait I can't wear a bra with this," she stammered and noticed a built in bodice. She chuckled and looked at the dress, he thought of everything.

Her damp clothes fell to the floor as she slipped the sleek black dress over her head. It was soft and whispered as she felt it gently wrap around her. Silk caressed every curve of her body. She turned around to see a different woman in the mirror. Her eyes seemed even brighter and the dress made each curve even more pronounced. There was a knock on the bathroom door and she replied, "Come in." Tonoin slowly opened the door and looked at her, "Perfect, even the embroidery on the back is just right," he said reassuringly. Alex turned around and noticed the floral embroidery covered the brand. She noticed Tonoin's approving gaze, "Beautiful," he whispered as he picked up a comb and slowly ran it through her hair. "Turn and hold still," he breathed. Alex obeyed and felt him slowly apply make up, "Close your eyes," he instructed. She obeyed and felt him slowly run a brush across her eyelids, "Open," he said slowly as he pulled back. Alex looked in the mirror to see a stranger looking back at her, "That's you," he said softly as he placed his hands on her shoulders. He slowly turned and walked back into the suite, he pointed to the black box and she looked at the pair of sleek black heels, "You thought of everything," she whispered. Tonoin chuckled and looked at her, his bow tie was tied perfectly and he looked beyond stunning. "You're my escort. You should turn heads when you enter a room, and break hearts as you leave it," he said softly. Before he could say another word he heard a knock on the door alerting him to the arrival of his car. "Put this on," he said smoothly as he pulled a beautiful white fur, "It's still cold outside."

Claude's eyes opened after a moment only to hear a loud thud. He looked up to see several figured draped in black. His heart began to pound, the word's Sebastian's father had said were flashing in his head. He hadn't done a thing to the demon, "What do you want?" he demanded, he attempted to keep his voice level. There was a loud laugh and he heard a voice rasp. "Don't worry Faustus we know the truth, and in all honesty we don't care," is commented. The sound of it made Claude's skin crawl, "You," he gasped in terror, it was the same demon who had raped him so long ago. There was another round of laughter and Claude felt his heart pound, this couldn't be happening. "I brought friends this time Faustus," he jeered as he knelt on the ground and forcefully lifted Claude's face. Those same disgusting teal eyes were looking at him, and he shuddered with discomfort. He felt harsh hands grab him and hoist him up, "You know I could never forget you Faustus, I've been looking forward to this reunion for some time now," he commented as he unzipped his trousers. "Suck," he commanded as he held his length in front of Claude's face. Golden eyes narrowed with anger and he responded coldly, "No way in hell." The demon smiled and wagged his finger, "Be careful what you say Faustus, you may find yourself in even more trouble," he chimed. Before Claude could even process what was happening he felt a swift kick to his still healing ribs. The air was forced out of his lungs and he fell to the ground. His body screamed in pain as he attempted to get up, "Oh still injured from Sterling huh? Allen didn't mention that," jeered on of the demons. Claude froze and looked at him, Allen as in Allen Platt, this was even worse than he suspected.

"Fuck you!" screamed Claude at the top of his lungs as he felt another kick to his ribs and then one to his lower back. "Oh yes Faustus, we're going to fuck you," said the largest of the crew. He closed his eyes and attempted to pull away, only to feel like a child again, he was supposed to be strong enough to get away from this. He was supposed to be able to fight back, only he was scared stiff. The sound of ripping fabric filled the air and Claude struggled even harder, "No, stop!" he commanded only fro his tie to be shoved in his throat. Tears were streaming down his face, and his throat burned. Happiness never lasted for him, he was always dragged back into perpetual darkness. His eyes widened with terror as he felt a thick slimy length against his entrance. He wanted to scream, yet no words escaped. Without preparation, one of the demons slammed into him. His body tightened and he screwed his eyes shut. He tried to reach through his bond, even if Sebastian was upset with him, he would still come to save him, wouldn't he? He had to try, one of the demons pulled his silk tie from his mouth. "Come now Faustus, you should have know what would happen to you," he said before holding his length in front of Claude's face. "You're no good for anything else," the demon taunted before forcefully shoving his member down Claude's throat. He felt as though he were being choked, he couldn't breathe. Pain was what he deserved, agony for desiring love that was his sin; to love when demons were never allowed to.

He could feel his entrance bleed and he winced in pain, "Fuck he's tight," said the demon that was busy ramming into him from the back. Claude could feel their hands on his skin and yet there was no respite, Sebastian wasn't going to save him. He was on his own again. Suddenly he felt even more pressure in his entrance as a second length was thrust into him. His world spun in pain and he couldn't hold on anymore, he never wanted this. His body began to go numb as he felt them draw nearer to their release, he began to tune out their chatter, all he wanted to do now was die. He was vaguely aware of their release as he allowed the darkness to great him, it was an escape from the vile act which he had just been subjected to. If only he still had the Judas dagger, then he might be able to kill himself. Then he might be able to escape like Sebastian.

The Undertaker sighed as he slowly drove down the road; he had to make it to the auction before the tome hit the block. "I just hope Tonoin was smart enough to steer clear of the event," he said as continued down the road. However what he saw next shocked him, he could see a smashed Austin Martin on the side of the road. His eyes widened as he sprinted out into the dark, in moments his cell phone was in his hand and pressed against his ear. "Come on Grell, pick up," he whispered as he ran into the field. "Yes?" asked a hesitant voice on the other end of the line. "Grell I found Faustus, he's in the field, please tell me Ronald and William are available," he said quickly as he slowly reached down to check Claude's pulse. He couldn't believe the sight before him, the demon was covered in seamen and bruises. The brutal act was far too apparent and he felt his stomach churn. "What's he doing in a field?" asked Grell in confusion, "Shouldn't he be with Sebastian?" The Undertaker paused, his eyes were locked on the demon, and he couldn't tell Grell what had transpired. "He wrecked his car, Grell. I don't think Sebastian welcomed him home with open arms," he replied as he looked up, the auction was starting soon and he was an hour away. Grell hummed, "Well they are in William's flat in London, but I doubt either of them will be willing to care for a demon," he commented. The Undertaker sighed, of course this wasn't the best solution however, something was definitely better than nothing. He couldn't risk loosing Claude again; Sebastian wouldn't be able to bear it. At least with this arrangement Claude wasn't too far away.

"Listen I'm bring him to William's flat, please wait for me at the auction house. We have to get that tome no matter what," he said quickly, and like that he hung up. His eyes went to Claude; he slipped his arms under the demon and gently lifted him up. Claude was as heavy as last time, "Well at least this time I'm not trying to pull you out of a fire Faustus," he commented. His shoes sloshed in the mud as he carried the demon, his mind kept going back to the one question, "What on earth is going on here?" Claude was cautious and an expert in hiding funds, he would never get caught, nor would he steal from clients. He huffed as he finally made it up the hill and placed Claude in the front seat of his Bentley.

Grell hummed as he dialed William and Ronald, "Come on guys, pick up, this time I actually need you," he said quickly. On the third ring a tired William answered, "Yes Sutcliff, what can I do for you?" He sounded exhausted and Grell could hear Ronald moan in the background. Of course, they were sleeping after sex, which was just his luck. "Listen you two, the Undertaker is on his way he found Claude in a field pretty banged up," said Grell. William moaned, "Sutcliff, are you actually being a professional for once?" he asked teasingly, Grell could hear William unfolding his glasses in the background. "Yeah, yeah, listen it sounded serious," said Grell after a moment. William slipped back into work mode and responded, "I understand, I'll prepare a room." Grell promptly hung up after words and looked around. He could already see a number of demons who were on the black list for soul harvesting. "Focus Grell, you've got to focus this time," he said as he walked through the crowd.

Thanks guys for continuing this with me, for those of you who aren't aware I'm aiming for 100 chapters. I know it's a bit of a stretch however I'm so much closer now than I was before. Thank you darklittleobsession for you const reviews and PMs, I love those so keep it up.

Remember I can only improve if you point out what I need to work on so please review.

Laters,

KDRM