Hello Lovelies!
I know, I know, this was a little late, but I think it will be worth it! I made sure to make it a little bit lengthy lol Also, I'm sorry for being really lame with Joker's speech patterns. They're kinda complicated and I've never really been able to get the hang of them, so please forgive.
I hope you've all been well and I'm really excited to see what you all think of this chapter! I hope to hear from some of you! Thanks to everyone who has commented, or started following this story!
As always, I don't own any of the characters. I make no profit off of this. All belongs to the ever wonderful Yana Toboso.
Ta,
Majix
Upon his late arrival, Ciel found Alois already in bed, most likely fast asleep. That was more than fine by him. After everything that happened between the pair just a few hours before, the dark haired Earl wasn't sure if he was ready to face his blonde tormentor. There was no telling what Alois would do with the knowledge he acquired. Alois was, of course, savvy to the secrets behind the symbol in Ciel's left eye but the teen was unaware of the blonde's potential understanding of the heavily scarred brand he caught sight of during their struggle. It was a severe lack of control on Ciel's side that left the Earl less than pleased, unsure of how exactly to his mind bogged down under the weight of many an unsolved riddle, questions surrounding him at every angle and the exhaustion hanging heavily over his head like a sword, the teen just didn't have the mental capabilities to try and figure out an entire array of possible explanations that he could offer in the face of the blonde boy's upcoming curiosity.
To his utter surprise though, Ciel had been met with dark and peaceful silence as he entered the shared tent. Alois had his back to the teen, breathing quietly, not greeting the younger man in any fashion and regardless of whether he was actually asleep or not, the blue haired youth found himself exceedingly grateful. There was suddenly more than enough time to come up with a proper course of action.
On shaky legs, Ciel moved through the darkened space, shedding his damp clothes with a small shiver, dropping them without thought or pause as he approached his designated bed. Ciel had no misconceptions about his current living arrangements. He knew that the bed wouldn't be nearly as comfortable as the one he usually slept in at the manor but as he dropped heavily to its surface, the boy couldn't help but to feel that it was the most comfortable and inviting surface he'd ever slept on.
To the surprise of no one, Ciel was fast asleep before his head hit the pillow, never once noticing the golden eyed spider that lingered in the darkened corners without a web to call home.
The next morning, Ciel Phantomhive was awoken by the sounds of carefully concealed shuffling. Regardless of his groggy state and the urge to just sit up and identify what'd dragged him from unconsciousness, the blue haired teen laid quietly in his bed, listening to the hushed movements of what he assumed was Alois getting ready for the day.
In his line of work, it eventually became imperative to recognize and understand the variance between certain types of similar sounds. For instance, the subtle differences between somebody casually waking up, moving around a shared space, searching for various items, getting ready to leave and the carefully muffled sounds of somebody doing the exact same thing whilst trying to make as little noise as humanly possible told the Earl quite a lot.
It seemed, if he wasn't mistaken, that Alois was trying to avoid him.
The thought brought a partial smirk to the boy Earl's lips. Apparently he wasn't the only one shaken by the events of the previous evening and, regardless of the embarrassment he felt over it, Ciel couldn't help but to harbor a bit of smug satisfaction over the entire situation. It also gave him the smallest amount of insight into the unfair advantage of knowledge being held over his head. If the blonde teen's actions were anything to go off of, which they might not have been considering that Ciel still hadn't turned over to confirm his theory, it would aid him in the quest to fill in missing blanks. It hinted at the idea that, perhaps, Alois didn't know as much about the Earl as they'd both originally thought.
At the time, upon seeing Alois staring at his naked torso, he felt exposed, furious, raw and eager to escape by any means possible but as he went over the event in his mind Ciel could recall the look of bewilderment that sat apparent and unmistakable on the other boy's features. Alois obviously knew about the contract he held with Sebastian, so logically, his startled alarm should've had very little to do with the exposed binding symbol. In the present instance with the information he currently held, Ciel was much more inclined to believe that the blonde's shock stemmed from the mark of ownership branded into his enemies flesh. The previous day, in one of the more tense moments between them, Alois had been very nearly offended by the idea that Ciel had endured hardships. That knowledge combined with the unmasked look he'd glimpsed upon the reveal of his scar only cemented the groggy youth's belief that the other boy was, in fact, ignorant to some of the darker aspects of his life.
In the face of all the uncertainty surrounding the mysterious boy that shared his tent, Ciel didn't fault himself for the pleasure he felt at capturing such an honest and open expression on the blonde's face. It was a victory of sorts, the beginning stages of knowing his enemy.
With that in mind, "Smile" sat up with startling abruptness, not bothering to reach for his eye patch before turning to face his self declared foe. Sky blue eyes widened with alarm, the blonde's entire body going taunt and unmoving as he stared into the unperturbed eyes of his companion. There was awkwardness there, an unannounced layer of uncertainty and, in an instant, Ciel knew that his previous assumptions were correct. With a single glance, the confident Earl was absolutely positive in his assessment that Alois wasn't ready to be faced with the ramifications of his actions. He hadn't worked out the many potential reasonings behind what may or may not have happened to the blue haired boy he so desperately sought to destroy. In a way it was amusing, to see his adversary so exposed in his confusion, to put him on the spot so suddenly when the other teen had obviously been trying to put off their unavoidable encounter for a later time. It made Ciel feel powerful, gave him back a bit of the control he lost the previous evening, but just as fast as the mask had been unveiled, it was back in place.
Where he'd previously caught sight of alarm there now sat a flat and unmoving slate of indifference.
Alois tipped his head in acknowledgement before resuming his search for whatever it was that he'd been missing in the first place, "Finnian."
Ciel returned the nod but said nothing, content to linger quietly in the tense silence between them as he watched the blonde teen move around their shared space. As the seconds ticked by Alois seemed to pull himself more firmly together, loosing the awkward edge that'd given his discomfort away so completely. He appeared solid, emotionally disconnected and just as he had from the moment they'd met and rather than being frustrated by that, Ciel found that he was very nearly impressed.
The lack of conversation flowed on between them, growing heavier with each passing second. There were questions, accusations and a mutual sense of curiosity that connected the two teens, making the quiet atmosphere feel more like a war zone before a battle than anything close to comfortable. Ciel didn't hold out much hope for that sort of atmosphere being defused any time soon, in fact he was almost positive that the older boy would leave without another word spoken between them, putting off the confrontation for another time. Such was the reasoning behind his surprise when, rather than exit immediately, Alois lingered beside the edge of the tent, his posture stiff.
Hesitance stretched on between them, neither making a move for fear of starting something that couldn't be stopped and just when Ciel was positive that the other boy was going to leave without saying whatever it was that raged on behind those deceitful eyes, Alois turned to look at him, his gaze meeting the mismatched one of his enemy, "One question. Just one."
"Yes?" The boy responded with a single brow raised in question.
Alois turned to face him, his stance practically defensive, "What did you do it for?"
"What did you sell your soul for?"
Even without proper phrasing Ciel knew without a sliver of doubt what the other boy was asking. Part of him wanted to lie, wanted to make up something more logical and less associated with the trauma of his past but as the blonde stared at him,waiting to see if he would actually respond, Ciel came to the conclusion that there was nothing else in his life that he would have bothered trading his immortal soul for, and he wasn't willing to sully his character by lying about it. There would be questions, ones that would most likely lead to the truth about his scar if the conversation got that far, but Ciel was not a being of cheap explanations. Even under the guise of a lie he couldn't stand the idea of the one other human being in the world who knew about his contract thinking that he did it for something as petty as fame, riches or power.
"Revenge."
If Alois was shocked by that response in any way he didn't show it. Ciel thought that had more to do with a desire to overcompensate for his earlier slip up than anything else, but he couldn't be sure. In truth, he wasn't incredibly surprised by the lack of expression. The Earl would've been much more shocked had the teen appeared anything other than indifferent. However, he'd expected some sort of follow up question, the tiniest hint as to whether or not the blonde believed him and, if Ciel was being honest with himself, he was unspeakably disappointed when Alois turned on heel and stalked out of the tent..
Much like the day before, the Circus was alight with activity.
As it stood, the present day was the troupe's last performance. Afterward, there would be a single day of rest and then the group would move on. Though he wasn't sure why exactly, the general consensus amongst the circus was that the first and last show presented in each location was always the most exciting, always the most well orchestrated and everyone seemed to agree. It didn't matter that they'd done the acts dozens of times before, or that they would be doing the same show again somewhere else in a week, they still showed the same enthusiasm for the first and last performance.
Personally, Ciel found the idea less than appealing, repeating the same things over and over again in a different order with minor adjustments, but he supposed that was life. In a way, at least.
With his current position, communication wasn't as immediate as he would've liked but as there hadn't been any news of missing children the teen was forced to assume that if it was going to happen, the next 48 hours would be the available window of opportunity. With any luck, either he or Sebastian would find hints of any incriminating actions and they would have the case solved within a few days and be free to head back to the manor.
The blue haired teen let out a huff as he hauled the box he was currently carrying up on top of the others. For as much traveling as they did, the circus had a ridiculous amount of stuff that, for some reason, had to be constantly moved. Ciel allowed himself a moment to lean back against the carefully stacked crates, breathing heavily. Part of him wondered where Alois was hiding out. He'd been all up and down the circus, dragging the same boxes that he moved the day before all over god knows where and he hadn't caught a single glimpse of the blonde teen anywhere.
A frown of concern captured his lips, making the boy subconsciously cross his arms over his chest. He didn't like not knowing, didn't enjoy being kept in the dark and not having a firm grasp of his enemy's whereabouts. However, it seemed there really wasn't anything he could do about that at the moment without drawing unnecessary attention to himself. With a sigh, the Earl hopped up on top of the crates, settling in right against the edge and tilted his head back, staring up into the sky, watching as more and more stars made themselves known and the light slowly bled away.
"Enjoying the view?"
Once upon a time, Ciel might have startled at the sudden sound of his butler's voice, but now it only made him relax further, a small glimmer of liveliness making the boy's one visible eye glitter as he tapped the back of his heels against the wood panels of the box.
He made a nonconsequential sound, not tearing his eyes away from the darkening sky overhead, "Just waiting for the calm to make way for chaos."
Sebastian appeared in his peripheral vision just off to the teen's side, looking just as put together and solid as always, "Zugzwang."
With a calm expression, Ciel turned his head a fraction to look into his companion's face, a rare flash of confusion crossing the teen's features, "Pardon?"
The demon's gaze remained attentive, flitting from person to person, watching their surroundings and keeping his voice fairly low but even so, Ciel could tell that the majority of the immortal's attention was still focused on him, "ZugZwang, my Lord. Not an incredibly popular phrase. In fact, it's actually quite obscure for the moment, but no doubt it will eventually spread out and gain popularity."
Sebastian halted in his assessment and turned to look the Earl in the face, a coy smile curling the corners of his mouth, "It's a chess term. It signifies that the opposing player will either be defeated or at a severe disadvantage no matter which piece they choose to move."
The boy snorted, both amused and flattered by the term that was so obviously directed at him. In any other setting he would've been mentally flogging himself for the slip and for showing such undignified action but for the moment, it was all relative to his assumed identity, "And is that where we are in the investigation, Sebastian? Near the breaking point?"
The smile that lingered only as a hint moments before stretched across the dark haired being's face, his grin appearing more predatory than anything else, "One can never be sure, young Master. Who knows when the tides will turn?"
It was obvious that the elder knew something but Ciel didn't push. There was always a certain amount of pleasure that came with the surprise. Obviously it wasn't anything overly large or concerning, else Sebastian would have made more explicit mention of it, "Who indeed, Sebastian."
They shared a knowing look before Ciel turned his attention back towards the sky, content to linger partially disassociated with the world around him, pleased with the small waves of warmth brushing against his skin from the butler's close proximity, "May I ask you something?"
Though he wasn't looking at the man's face, Ciel could practically see the older man's arched brow of surprise, 'When have you ever hesitated to do so in the past?"
A smirk tugged at the boy's mouth before fading away.
There hadn't been much time to talk about what'd happened between them the night he woke up from his blackout, With the introduction of a silent threat that Sebastian didn't believe actually existed, their fight and the near constant demand of their environment it'd been almost impossible to find a single moment alone, let alone a good place to sit and talk about revealed emotions. Such things were probably better suited for the manor or the townhouse where they had the benefit of privacy, but with all that'd happened and the loss of control the blue haired teen felt in concern to Alois, he wanted nothing more than to reconnect with the one person that he knew would never hurt or betray him.
"You said, quite some time ago," Ciel paused, choosing his words with care, "That demons were capable of emotion, just like humans."
He paused, darting his eyes over towards Sebastian and taking in the blank look tinged with uncertainty present on the dark creature's face, "I did, my Lord."
Ciel continued, "You also said the other night that you didn't know if you could ever love me."
The demon appeared uncomfortable, or at least, as uncomfortable as Sebastian ever got. If the Earl didn't know him as well as he did, the distinction would have gone right over his head. As it stood though, he caught the barest flickers of it before the demon could smuggle it away, "Yes, I recall saying that as well. Forgive me, young Master, but I still haven't heard a question being spoken."
A fleeting smirk crossed the boy's features before they once more became serious, "I was just wondering if it was possible for demons to love."
Sebastian turned to face him and as Ciel's mismatched eyes caught sight of the expression present just below the immortal's unshakable mask, he wished that he would've waited til they were alone to ask. There was no room for in depth discussion as they were, not when every word had to be chosen with consideration of who might overhear, not when Ciel had to practically whisper the word demon every time he spoke it.
"Of course we can."
A small pucker appeared between the Earl's eyebrows just above the bridge of his nose as he considered the bluntly spoken statement, "But.." He paused, trying to consider a polite way to phrase what he wanted before throwing courtesy to the wind, "It is a.. human emotion."
"No, it's a word. What matters is the connection that the word implies."
Sebastian frowned, 'Disregarding, for a moment, the fact that I was once human and more inclined towards emotions than those that were born between the union of two immortals, it is still possible for us. However, it is very rare for one of us to fall in love with a human."
Despite being fairly comfortable with his lover and knowing that Sebastian wasn't trying to insult him in anyway, Ciel could still feel himself rising to the defense of his species, "Why? Because we're so beneath the notice of your kind?"
The older man chuckled, "In some cases, yes." He paused for a moment, finding amusement in the near offended look that crossed the boy's face, "However, it usually stems more from the fact that mortal life is fleeting."
Sebastian leaned his back up against the taller set of crates beside Ciel, staring out into nothing in particular as he explained, "I am still fairly young by the standards of my kind. I've brushed shoulders with beings that have walked the Earth before Christ was ever born, before there was ever a name for our kind among humans. To them, the life of a human is a mere blink of the eye, the passing of a single grain of sand through the hourglass. With all their knowledge, all their experience, the idea that humans are beneath them is not to unfounded. In addition, the experience gap is another obstacle. It's hard to relate to somebody and to find them interesting when they are barely out of the stages of infancy in comparison, when they haven't had the opportunity to learn even a portion of what you've experienced."
Ciel sat quietly beside his companion, slightly cowed with the response he'd been given before replying in a quiet voice, "What about you then?"
Sebastian raised a brow in question, 'What about me, young Master?"
The teen frowned, slightly frustrated with having to spell it out for a creature that was usually so adept as knowing and understanding everything, "Why do you find me appealing when I am little more than a child in comparison?"
Silence fell between them as Sebastian stared into the face of his Master. There was calculation there, a sort of thoughtful fondness that made the Earl's stomach tight with emotion but before he could cast the question aside and move on, the dark haired immortal was offering him one of those enduring smiles that the Earl loved so much.
"Ciel," The utterance of his first name sent a shiver down the length of the teen's spine, drawing his attention even more firmly towards what the demon was getting ready to say, "You are, by far, the most interesting human that I have ever encountered. Life is fleeting, but that's what makes it beautiful."
The immortal reached out and gently brushed the back of one of his fingers along the curve of the boy's cheek, "You're a contradiction, an inextinguishable light among the many dwindling souls walking beside you. One that has known pain, suffering, somebody who has seen the darkest sides of humanity and still found it worthwhile to walk outside the shadows."
"You are exquisite, my Lord."
The blue haired Earl offered a rare and genuine smile, looking up at the older man through dark lashes, a faint blush staining the youth's cheeks but before he could open his mouth to say something intimate in return, Sebastian was stepping away from him, putting a good amount of distance between them.
A betrayed look flashed across Ciel's features, his eyes reflecting a carefully concealed layer of hurt but before he could demand answers, movement caught his attention. Turning his attention towards it, the blue haired boy was surprised to see Joker jogging towards them with an expression of both panic and relief, carrying Wendy on his back while her acrobatic companion kept pace alongside them.
"Smile!" The redhead stopped in front of them, breathing heavy as he resecured Wendy, making sure she didn't slip off, "I've been lookin' fer yeh everywhere! We need yeh in the main show. Wendy sprained 'er ankle and she can' perform!"
Mismatched eyes went wide, "Me? Why don't you just have Seba- Er, Black fill in for her."
Joker huffed, sparing a glance over towards the raven haired elder, "We can'. Peter is the on'y one tha' could do acrobatics on the swing without a net an' there's no way he'll be able ter hold Black's weight."
Ciel's heart beat frantically within his chest at the idea of actually trying to escape in front of an audience. It was one thing to get himself out of some cheat rope, especially when tied to an old chair with minimal amounts of people watching but to do it for real, strapped down securely in front of a large audience during a performance was something completely different. The thought both thrilled and horrified the blue haired teen and he chanced a glance towards Sebastian, trying to convey all the things he couldn't say in front of these people.
Will you be there to help? Will you make sure I don't make a fool out of myself? Will you use your power to free me if I can't do it myself, regardless of whether I can voice the order or not? Can I count on you?
The most subtle of nods calmed the teen's thundering heart and he returned his full attention back to Joker and the other two first-stringers, displaying a confidence he hadn't been capable of before, "Absolutely."
Instantaneous relief crossed the circus leader's features, a wide and sunny smile returning as he hooked his elbows more firmly under Wendy's knees, "I knew we could count on yeh, Smile! Hurry an' get into costume, one of the powder girls will help yeh with makeup."
Before Ciel could respond, the three of them were off, dashing through the circus towards the infirmary, leaving Ciel standing startled and slightly amused next to Sebastian.
Taking the opportunity, the blue haired boy turned to his companion, his voice low and commanding, "This may be our best chance to search through their tents. While everyone's distracted, I want you to search through their things, undetected, and search for any clues that might lead us to the origin. I want to find out who's funding the circus and how all the first-stringers are related. Make sure not to leave a single trace that you were ever there and I want you back in the main performing tent two full minutes before I'm set to go on. Understood?"
Sebastian dipped his head and clasped his hand over his heart, "Yes, my Lord."
"Now! Ladies and Gentlemen! Fer our final act of the ev'ning, prepare t' be amazed, dazzled by a daring master of escape! Talent like no other, skill 'o the highest degree! No prison on Earth could ever dream 'o holding him captive! Even the devil 'imself couldn't escape in such style! Please allow me to introduce one 'o the youngest members 'o our cast to ever perform, but don' make the mistake 'o underestimating him! I give you, SMILE!"
As the audience gave an enthusiastic round of applause, Ciel took a deep breath, trying to swallow down the knot that'd lodged itself in his throat. Adrenaline pumped wildly through his veins and his legs felt like jelly as he stared out at the open ring. Nervous eyes glanced over at Sebastian, taking comfort in the supportive smile the demon sported. He knew, logically, that the demon wouldn't allow him to fail. There was no fear of humiliation with him standing by and he also knew that the sooner he got it over and done with the sooner he would be able to meet back up with his lover and discuss whatever the immortal found. Judging by the demon's smirk, he'd definitely found something of importance and that alone inspired him to paste a wide and impossibly faked smile across his face and dash from his place in the shadows, loping out to the center stage with a flourish.
Acting the part, Ciel danced around, making a flourish of his costume and gaining the approval of the audience, making a show of himself, laughing and pretending to be more of a child than he'd ever been before approaching the seat in the center.
The chair itself was tall, metal in nature and appeared as an electrical chair. It was fitted with leather straps and the iconic headpiece that made it the most recognizable. The legs were scorched, giving it the appearance of having undergone multiple rounds of death inducing shocks which only served to make Ciel roll his eyes. It was unrealistic but theatrical and he could see why they chose it. Hooked up to it were an array of wires, things that looked, for all intensive purposes, like they would do damage, but were in fact harmless. Despite knowing that Sebastian would free him right as the time was about to run out, it calmed the teen's nerves to know that, even if that hadn't been the case, no real harm would come to him.
Ciel sat in the chair, getting comfortable as various members of the circus came forward to layer him in bonds, strapping his neck, wrists, chest, ankles and thighs to the seat with thick leather bands, laying a criss cross of chains over his torso for show before snapping the helmet into place as Joker continued on with his opener, "Tonight! We shall watch as the youn'est member 'o our troupe desperately tries teh escape from certain death! Should he fail in 'his task, lethal amounts 'o electricity will be pumped th'ough his body, making the chair his final resting place! Good luck, Smile!"
The band started playing a sort of countdown tune as a sheet was pulled up all around him, cutting him off from view and leaving only the teen's silhouette for the crowd to see.
In the name of putting on a good show, Ciel struggled against his bonds more than necessary, squirming and jerking against the straps that held him in place, trying to appear more panicked than he really felt. Without even having to consider it, the blue haired Earl knew that he wouldn't have been able to escape. The women who helped secure him hadn't left any wiggle room in the restraints wrapped around his wrists, and the leather was sturdy. There was very little give in them at all, and the helmet combined with the strap around his neck made it nearly impossible to start trying to wiggle free. So, in the interest of putting on a good show, Ciel made the effort to appear as though he was doing things when he was actually just pretending. He thrashed against his bonds, making distressed noises and squirming for the audience, smirking at the idea of coming out the victor to everyone's surprise when they dropped the sheet and he was standing up from the chair.
Just outside of the ring, Sebastian watched on with amusement. He knew that the little master would need his assistance but the boy was putting on a good show. It looked real enough. He appeared to be in genuine distress, fighting against his bonds but the demon knew better. However, when the countdown reached it's end, as the curtain fell and the immortal sent out a subtle wave of his magical power, the ancient being felt his heart go cold in response.
Because there, to everyone's amazement, with the fabric pooled around the floor, was an empty chair, all the restraints still intact and the daring escape artist nowhere to be found.