While Ciel and Sebastian accompanied Miriam to her carriage to send her off, Hades staggered down the halls of the Phantomhive manor. One hand tightly clutched the bandages over his head as the other stayed against the wall, helping him keep his balance as he struggled to walk forward. It was a miracle he even made it up the staircase, really.
"U-Um... Excuse me, Master Hades..?" An unfamiliar voice spoke up from behind the boy, the tone of her words just oozing nervousness.
Ebony locks swayed softly as the boy glanced over his shoulder and to the maid, smiling warmly as he spoke. "You must be Mey-Rin! It's a pleasure to meet you!" He beamed happily despite his ghostly complexion and pained expression.
"Ah, y-yes! It's a pleasure to m-meet you too, young master!" She exclaimed, bowing repeatedly. "Oh, right!" She uttered, lightly hitting herself on the head as she remembered why it was she approached him in the first place. Her brows knitted together as a look of concern formed across her face, "Are you feeling alright? Your face is very pale, you've got fresh blood on your bandages, and you seem to be having trouble walking... Mister Sebastian told me to keep a close eye on you when he's not around so that I could assist you in his place, so..."
"Ah, I see... Well, if it's no trouble to you, would you mind helping me back to my room?" He inquired with an apologetic smile, laughing lightly as he lowered his hand ever so slightly to twiddle a strand of his hair with the tips of his fingers. "I'm perfectly fine aside from my head hurting a little bit. I think I just need to lie down for a short while."
"O-Of course! It's no trouble at all!" She nodded energetically, quickly making her way to his side so she could put her arm around him to offer some support as they headed down the narrow corridor.
Actually being up close and personal with him like this, she could see that he was sweating and that his body was hot to the touch despite his cold, sickly appearance. It was worrisome, to say the least. However, Mey-Rin kept her thoughts to herself and continued helping the boy to his room.
Ciel and Sebastian soon reentered the mansion, only to be immediately greeted by Mey-Rin, who stood before the two of them with an uneasy air surrounding her.
"Jeez..." Ciel sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger in an annoyed manner. "What is it, Mey-Rin? Did you break another tea set?"
"Ah, n-no, actually..." The maid stuttered, awkwardly twiddling her thumbs. "It's just that Master Hades doesn't look very well, and-"
"Where is he?" The tone in his voice mixed with the sharp expression his single cerulean hue held sent chills down the servant's spine.
"In his room!" She squeaked, shrinking back a few steps so the two could proceed past her.
The bluenette didn't even offer another word or passing glance as he brushed by the girl and hurried up the staircase, his demon butler shadowing him the entire time.
"Hades, are you-" Ciel started, swinging open the large open door that led to the room his friend was currently occupying. "-okay..?"
Raven locks spilled down past milky skin and dirty bandages, lying messily atop the feather-stuffed pillowcase as Hades lied sound asleep in bed. The duvet was kicked off the mattress and discarded onto the floor, and the boy responsible for such was laying in the most uncomfortable-looking position.
A soft chuckle emitted past Sebastian's lips as he stared at the scene before him, "My, the young master has incredible sleeping habits. I'm amazed he managed to fall asleep so quickly."
Ciel facepalmed at this, "Should we leave him like this, or..?"
"Hm..." He crossed his arms over his chest as he lifted his index finger up to his chin in a contemplative style. "It might be best to keep him awake for a few hours, just to be safe. He did hit his already injured head fairly roughly earlier; we wouldn't want him to fall into a coma."
With that said, the bluenette ushered for the servant to leave. "Go ahead and tend to your duties, I'll take care of him."
"Yes, my lord." Pale lips lulled, grinning ever so vaguely before he exited the room, shutting the door behind him.
Slowly, Ciel's feet moved forward, leading him to the side of the bed that sat in the center of the room. He looked down at the other, watching the small rises and falls of Hades' chest as a bittersweet feeling arose in his heart. However, he quickly brushed off these feelings as he extended his arms out, shaking the sleeping boy with gentle force. "Hades, wake up."
Almost as if on cue, Hades jolted up, eyes widened with fear before their sights landed on the person in front of him. "Oh, it's just you, Ciel..." He spoke breathlessly, bringing a hand up to his chest in attempt to calm down his racing heart. "You nearly scared me to death..."
That was... odd. While it was a normal thing for someone to become frightened upon being forced awake, that expression that lingered in Hades' eyes- even if it was for the briefest of seconds- was anything but normal. He had looked utterly terrified. Maybe Ciel was just overthinking it, but this reaction was unsettling to him.
"Why did you make Miriam leave?" Ciel questioned, ignoring all of the thoughts that flooded his mind on things that he really wanted to ask.
"Ciel, do we really have to ta-"
"If you won't tell me that, then tell me what happened at your manor." He interrupted, raising a brow. While the merciless earl act was something he was exceptionally skilled at, it was actually incredibly difficult for him to keep up with right now. Ciel didn't want to be cold and insensitive to Hades, but he needed to know what happened. Whether or not this method would work was unknown to him, but he at least had to try.
"I'd much rather eat cake~!" He cooed, completely unfazed by the front Ciel had put up despite never experiencing it being directed at him before. "Lets cut the chatter, and pick up our platters!" He exclaimed with a toothy smile, gesturing a double thumbs-up.
"I'm serious." Ciel deadpanned, numbly in awe at the other's display. Honestly, though, he was glad that Hades didn't seem to take his cold attitude to heart. Unfortunately, that wasn't what mattered right now. The queen ordered him to find out the truth and report it to her as soon as possible. It's already been a week since this case was given to him, and even now with Hades in his manor, he still hasn't the faintest clue as to what happened.
A sigh slipped through rose petal lips, "Option number one it is, then..." He then peered up at the bluenette as he lightly tilted his head, an apologetic smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "But if I have to answer, can I at least have some medicine first? My head is pounding, and talking about topics that make me anxious will only amplify that pain."
Expected that he would go for the first choice and avoid speaking of the incident, but at least he was willing to give some insight on something. "I'll go get some." He replied, pivoting on his heel to head for the exit. "Stay put until I return, alright? And don't you even think about falling asleep again, you hear me?"
"Loud and clear, boss." Hades saluted, holding in a giggle. He watched as Ciel left, a big grin spreading across his face once the boy was finally gone. "I heard you..." He uttered silently into the emptiness of the room, "...but I never said I'd obey." And like the child he is, Hades carefully tiptoed to the other side of the room, delicately opening the door as he made a discreet departure. "Besides, playing a little game of hide and seek seems like much more fun than blabbing about the unnecessary things."