Greetings, Lovelies!

I got a lot of really nice feedback on the last chapter so I just wanted to give a huge shout out to all the people that took the time to tell me what a great job I was doing and how they felt about the direction of the story.

Apologies that the update is late, my Muse has been a little bit rude lately and I haven't been getting through the content as fast as I'd like but I still think that you'l enjoy it. Not gonna lie, I've got a few projects in the wings that've been calling my name. Oh! By the way, big thank you to all the people who have given my HP fic a chance! I really appreciate it.

Chapter is a bit short this week but don't worry, there's more to come(:

Ta,

Majix

"Another demon and a boy?"

Ciel could feel his strained patience growing thin as the demon repeated himself, "Yes, that's what I said, Sebastian. Are you deaf as well as unable to comprehend simple statements?"

Despite the sharp edge of the harshly spoken words, Sebastian merely smirked, brushing soft blue strands from the eye Ciel normally kept hidden, "I heard you well enough the first time, young Master."

A very nearly pained sigh came from the Earl as he laid his head against the immortal's thigh. After the deeply sentimental moment they'd experienced together earlier, both beings instinctively sought the cool detachment that came with their work, but neither could bare to part with the other. It was unspoken, not to be brought up or prodded, but both of them respected it without complaint.

So there they remained, with Ciel's lying in an old bunk, effectively masked by Sebastian's extensive magic as they lounged together, speaking of the case with the faint scent of sex surrounding them.

"Young Master," Sebastian appeared slightly hesitant to speak as he stared down into the face of his ward, "I don't mean to foolishly imply that you're wrong or mistaken, but there was nobody else."

Twin brows pulled together into an expression of near bewilderment, "What do you mean? He was right there, Sebastian. You couldn't have missed him."

The demon shook his head, "At the time, I admit myself distracted by your apparent agitation but the boy you spoke of was alone. There was no other beside or around him."

Unease made the youth's stomach clench, a feeling of growing dread leaving a bad taste in his mouth, "He was there!" The teen insisted.

When met with Sebastian's blank look frustration quickly bled through the uneasy feeling housed in his heart, the teen's defenses rising, "I know what I saw. He was there! Tall and imposing with black hair, pale skin, glasses and yellow eyes, wearing a servant's uniform."

"Young Master, I assure you -"

Ciel grit his teeth before rudely cutting the immortal off, "Save it, Sebastian."

With as much dignity as the pride-bruised Earl could muster, Ciel pushed himself away from his lover, standing and pulling on his clothes as best as he could.

Sebastian stood from his place, reaching the younger man, "My Lord, allow me."

But Ciel would have none of it. He slapped the immortal's hands away with a deathly glare, "I don't need your help, demon."

An exasperated sigh sat heavily on the elder's lips as he watched Ciel struggle with his clothes, the teen growing more aggravated by the second, "Young Master, this is -"

Ciel hissed, "Don't."

The teen glanced into a conveniently placed mirror and though it wasn't anywhere near as neatly as Sebastian would have done, it would have to do. His shirt was full of wrinkles, his cravat slightly skewed to the side, his hat uneven but his eye patch was straight and that was all that really mattered anyway.

Besides, he was supposed to be sick. It wouldn't do for him to look pristine in any case.

Before the younger man could make a move to leave, Sebastian caught him by the arm, his fingers squeezing the boy's wrist slightly, "Pardon the unprofessionalism of my actions, young Master, but what exactly has you so clearly worked up?"

Ciel's mismatched eyes blazed with fury as he whipped around to glare at his companion, his heartbeat thundering within his ears as anger drenched his thoughts in negativity, "Perhaps it's because you would sooner believe that I was seeing things than to admit that something occurred without your notice!"

Offense immediately made itself known among the demon's features, "Apologies, my Lord, but the very idea that a supernatural being, a demon no less, could stand throwing distance away and slip by unnoticed is, quite frankly, an absurd notion."

Unflinching, Ciel stared down his demon, his nostrils flaring at the sheer arrogance being displayed, "Well that absurd notion is exactly what happened, you pompous mutt!"

Despite his desire to enjoy the gobsmacked expression on his lover's face, Ciel jerked his wrist away in a huff, raking one last scathing glare along Sebastian's body before turning away to leave.

As the blue haired youth shoved his way from the tent, he hoped that maybe Sebastian would come after him but reason informed him that the demon knew better. The sappy sentimental portion of the Earl's heart clenched when he was proven right in his assumption but the logical half of him knew it was for the best.

Had the immortal followed him, once again trying to convince him that the golden eyed man didn't exist, the teen would've screamed.

In a sense, it made Ciel glad that he hadn't told Sebastian about his unconscious experience. If the man couldn't accept that something slipped by right under his nose, Ciel hated to imagine how he would've reacted to the teen's dream-like hallucination.

With the mysterious warning still fresh in his mind, Ciel took to wandering aimlessly through the circus, divided between trying to work through his livid feelings towards Sebastian's disregard and his undeniable desire to find the blonde boy in the purple coat. He shouldn't have been difficult to find but as Ciel made his second full circle around their temporary grounds, he began to think he was mistaken in that assumption. It could be that the other teen was asleep, or that he'd left the circus but something told the Earl that wasn't the case.

In a display of sheer stubborn will, Ciel began his third round, shoving all his anger away to focus on the faces he passed, even going as far as to peek inside the nearly empty Mess Hall, as well as the infirmary. All wielded less than pleasing results, so as the teen continued walking, he found himself more frustrated than ever. Sebastian refused to believe him, and now the blonde boy was nowhere to be found, almost as if he too was a figure of the Earl's supposed imagination.

In his haste to continue on, Ciel failed to notice the brown haired tightrope walker rounding the corner until a surprised grunt escaped him as they collided, his reflexes barely fast enough to catch the startled girl before she toppled over. It was strange not to be the one that fell upon impact but the teen didn't think to much about that, focusing instead on gently pulling Doll forward until she was steady on her feet.

Despite nearly walking through her, the girl's smile was warm and appreciative, her visible eye alight with amusement as she looked him over, "Smile, I was just looking for you! Glad to see you're up and about."

Ciel chuckled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck in what he hoped appeared almost sheepish, "Yeah.. I'm feeling a lot better. Apol - I mean, sorry for running into you."

She waved off his apology with an easygoing smile, "S'fine. Happens more than you'd expect."

They shared a genuine laugh at her statement before Ciel's features returned to their previously serious expression, "Why were you looking for me?"

"Oh! Right. Joker is looking for you."

The teen frowned, "For what? Is it because I fainted?"

She appeared very nearly confused for the briefest moment before understanding seemed to dawn, a bright smile capturing her lips, "No, no, nothing like that. I mean, I'm sure he was probably worried but you aren't in trouble or anything."

She laughed and waved off the thought as though it was the most ridiculous thing she'd ever heard, "He's going to assign you a bunk."

Ciel sighed in relief, the brief flicker of tension pushed aside for the time being, "Do you know where I can find him?"

Doll nodded and pointed towards the main tent, "He was talking to Dagger over there just a minute ago. He's probably still there."

He nodded in understanding before offering her a customary smile, the action not quite meeting his eyes, "Thanks Doll, I'll let him know you found me."

His words were met with a grin and a heartfelt wave of parting as she stepped away from him, her focus already elsewhere, "Okay! See you 'round, Smile!"

And just like that, the girl was off, humming to herself as she strode purposefully away, her arms swinging with a certain carefree personality that, for some reason, didn't match what he'd seen in her eyes.

However, rather than dwelling on the reasoning behind Doll's happy portrayal, the blue haired teen went in search of Joker.

Under cover of the silent darkness within his shop, the Undertaker sat quietly, lazily shifting through the contents of his overflowing deskspace. It wasn't an uncommon sight, but on this particular day, his eyes lacked their usual playfulness, for once showing the true agelessness of his weathered soul. It was not often that the silver haired reaper lingered in the shallow pools of seriousness but after the previous night, the Keeper could no longer ignore current events.

Up until last night he'd only guessed at his brothers actions, at the nefarious plan his twin spun like The spider's silk he so favored, but no longer was it an enigma shrouded in the mystery of confusion. His brother, the charcoal to his silver, had fiddled with the timeline and the Creators knew about it. Of course the immortal had hoped that it wasn't so, that Claude was merely being mischievous in his growing age but the ripple of power that'd crossed The Undertaker's subconscious in the early hours of the morning told the reaper that his wishes were made in vain.

Contact had been made by the beings above, and he hadn't been the recipient. For the Elders to speak to the two of them without prompt or catastrophe was near unheard of. In all his years, the reaper could count their encounters with the older beings on one hand and the message had always been for both brothers. Never in all that time did Undertaker find a situation where he or his twin were singled out for an incoming command. It was absolutely unheard of, but then again, nothing like this had ever happened.

The Undertaker's darker half broke the rules, the most sacred of their laws and he'd gotten a human intricately involved.

The immortal released a tired sigh and leaned forward, pushing various papers and knick knacks from the desk's cluttered surface before finally finding his favored blue urn. With practiced ease, Undertaker unscrewed the top, fishing one of the bone shaped cookies from its depths as the elder tilted back in his chair, settling precariously on the chair's hind legs.

It was forbidden to play within the lives of mortals.

In his line of work, the mortician never really struggled with that aspect of his duty since his customers were already dead but the same could not be said for Claude. The demonic Keeper was greedy, staring for days on end into the many possible threads of the future, willing to dance outside the lines that governed them both if it meant he'd gain something in return for his supposed bravery. However, despite the morbid nature of it all, the Undertaker couldn't help but to flash a malicious sort of grin to the darkness, a sinister smile that would be kept locked away, known only to himself and the dead within his shop.

The wheels had been set in motion, and there was no stopping what would come. His Twin was arrogant, naive to think that he'd do something as foolish as change the timeline without attracting the attention of the Creators. Though the silver haired reaper wasn't often one to wish ill will upon others, the thought of his rebellious brother being put in his place was undeniably appealing. Not that the silver haired reaper wasn't rebellious in his own way, but never in such a blatant and disrespectful manner.

It was, however, unfortunate that the little Earl was dragged into it, tangled in the various webs of confusion and deceit. Even with a demon at his side the boy was at a loss for information. But even so, the Undertaker didn't doubt that the boy knew something was amiss, he was remarkably perceptive that way, much like his predecessor.

In a rare show of angst ridden thoughts, the green eyed being looked to the one of the many locked desk drawers, the signature grin falling from the reaper's lips as he considered the events of the past. Within the locked oak box sat a lone photograph, surrounded by nothing but the dust of years past, his only surviving memento from the infamous Vincent Phantomhive.

Making friends with mortals was nearly unheard of within the supernatural community, but to call Vincent anything other than friend would've been an absolute stain to his memory. The previous Earl was one of the most clever and interesting beings that the silver haired reaper ever had the good fortune of meeting, among men or gods. Years they'd danced among the line, trading information for stories, jokes, laughs and all that time, the Undertaker was positive that Vincent knew exactly what he was. Nothing was ever said, no declarations or accusations, but the Undertaker always had a feeling that Vincent could see right through him, down to the very core of his immortal soul.

In turn, he'd known the exact moment of the Earl's passing, felt it in the recesses of his mind and, in the stilled silence of the moment, the reaper grieved.

Saddened green eyes pulled away from the depths of memory to stare into flickering candle light, the gears within his mind slowly changing direction.

The current Earl in himself was a mystery, a near perfect reflection of his father in a completely different way. So incredibly young with the fires of revenge burning bright and unrelenting within the pits of his heart. No doubt that the boy's demon had tasted his soul once already going by the state of their emotional tension but the silver haired reaper had done one better. He'd seen. Below the flesh, under layers of muscles and a scattered network of nerves, veins and arteries, he'd seen what laid hidden and locked away under the demon's seal, the brightness of Earl Phantomhive's damaged soul as clear as day.

The Undertaker's coy grin returned.

Sebastian had no idea what he was dealing with, nor did Claude. Neither of them could see the boy's true worth, of the sheer potential that laid buried deep in the boy's psyche and that in itself would be a right laugh when it all came to fruit.

With renewed spirit, the Undertaker leaned back in his chair, crunching his cookies happily as he considered how the Earl would react when the truth finally came out, and for the first time in a near century, the immortal allowed himself to kick back and watch it all unfold until he was needed, trusting that Earl Phantomhive would have more than a few tricks up his impressive sleeves.

As it turned out, Joker wasn't in the Main Tent.

To Ciel's dismay he'd missed the redhead by a few minutes and, despite the boy's quick departure, was unable to find him. Irritation flowed thick and heavy in the teen's veins as he wandered aimlessly around once again before a quick flash of the troupe leaders outfit finally lead him in the right direction.

"Joker!"

As predicted, the elder slowed to a stop and turned towards the sound of his name, a relieved smile coming to his face as he caught sight of the newest member of their circus trying to catch up to him, "Oi, Smile! Good to see ya up and about."

A quick flicker of deja vu ripped down the Earl's spine at the familiar greeting but he quickly stored it away for later thought, throwing a hastily assembled grin towards the older man, "Doll said you were looking for me?"

Joker nodded enthusiastically, easily falling into step beside the teen as they weaved through the camp, "Aye, jus' wanted to show ye where you'll be sleepin' and make sure you were al'ight after last night."

Ciel's was grateful for the sudden flush of color that painted his cheeks as he tried to appear mildly embarrassed, "Yeah, I'm fine."

A sheepish grin captured the blue haired teen's lips as he glanced up at the man beside him, "A bit too excited, that's all. I've never performed for a crowd before."

The irony of what he was saying wasn't lost on the blue haired Earl. In a moment of weakness, an amused grin briefly crossing the teen's lips as he considered that fact that almost anybody who'd ever seen that particular magic trick inevitably ended up dead by the hand of his lover.

Joker frowned but appeared relieved by the confidence of the boy's statement, a thoughtful look crossing his features as he considered his companion, "And when you perform?"

The younger man laughed, waving it off with an air of confidence, "Don't worry, won't happen again."

Joker didn't look entirely convinced, but he dropped the subject as the pair continued on through the maze of employee tents, The tension between them growing into near awkwardness before they stopped at a seemingly random tent along the far left side.

"Here we are," Joker smiled, his easy-going nature returning at a moment's notice, "Won't be overly cramped since 'ou only got one other person sharin'."

The elder clapped him merrily on Ciel's shoulder, making the teen jump in surprise, "I'm sure 'ou'll rise up to first string soon 'enough, Smile. Catch ya later."

Ciel's watched through flat and calculating eyes as the older man retreated, his eyes finally narrowing with suspicion as the redhead turned a corner. Despite his seemingly pleasant personality and the genuine glow of his smiles, Joker rubbed Ciel the wrong way. There was something wrong with him, something unspoken and no matter how helpful he was, how carefree he appeared, Ciel's always felt like he was hiding something dark and nasty underneath the falsities of his actions.

The Earl sighed, his features pinched in annoyance before turning back to his declared quarters, a disapproving frown making itself known as the teen eyed it up. It wasn't anything special, larger than some of the others ones he'd seen on their path to find it, but not necessarily appealing. With a frown, Ciel slipped inside only for his heart to nearly stop at what greeted him.

There, in the last place he sought to look, looking comfortable as ever on one of the two cots, sat the blonde haired teen in the purple coat.