Chapter One

This is my first ever AU, so reviews and constructive critique are very much welcomed!

Warnings: yaoi, violence, angst.

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It had been eight hundred and fifty-four days in counting. Corporal…no, only Mr. Sebastian Michaelis now, sat in his confines, chalking off one more day on the blackened, dirtied wall. Every now and then, a lock would click, or one of the prisoners would scream or yell from the rough beatings of the guards, but he paid no attention.

Claude. The ex-soldier ground his teeth in infuriation, a desperate feeling of anger and betrayal washing over him like hell-fire. How could Claude have done this to him? They had never been close. Yet they were, at the same time. Their relationship had always been a love/hate one, a passionate, searing flame that burned within both of them, never enough to make them happy, but always too much to give up.

He could remember the brutal feeling of Claude's lips travelling down his spine, nipping and growling in fearsome lust, the hot whisperings in his ear, the feeling of scalding flesh against his own. That hatred and love mingled in such a dangerous, appealing mixture, that called to him through primal instinct. Claude had been cruel, but always too beautiful, too much to give up.

Until one night. That night when he had found Claude, his Claude, wrapped in the arms of another man… no, boy. One of the young recruits. Blonde, a little bratty, who encompassed everything about both love and hate that Sebastian had ever known. His temperament would swing from loving to cruel in a flash. Perfect for Claude. That monster.

And he had seen them. The way that boy's head tossed back in anguished pleasure, as he impaled himself on what always should have been Sebastian's. Claude's expression of cruel ecstasy, a face which Sebastian had thought belonged only to him.

But no, it didn't. It belonged to Claude, and Claude only. None of his lovers could ever own that expression, never claim it as their own. And Sebastian had left him. Good riddance to bad rubbish, and all that. Now that Claude was gone, he didn't even miss him.

But Claude had wanted his revenge. As usual, he still wanted to hurt him, even now. Not through violence, like it used to be. Instead, he had done the cruelest thing he could. He had destroyed Sebastian's pride. He had told the authorities that his colleague was gay. His colleague. Was that all Sebastian was to him? Not even a friend. And he could get rid of Sebastian so easily, without even a second thought. To have him locked up behind bars. And for what? For the crime of love.

There was a sudden clash and a clash of metal as the jail door was jerked open. The ex-soldier glanced up. The prison guard thrust a small boy into the cell, leaving him in a broken pile on the ground.

"This is yer cell-mate, Phantom'ive." The guard sneered. "'E's in 'ere for sodomy. If yer lucky, 'e might not rape ya. Don' fancy yer chances much though."

He gave a roaring laugh, slamming the bars behind him as he left.

The boy… Phantomhive… sat silently in his corner, staring at the wall. Sebastian gazed at him, without a word. The boy was bruised from the inevitable cruelty of the officers, his lip cut, and a little trickle of blood dripping down his chin.

What Michaelis really noticed first though, was his eyes. One was a stunning cerulean blue, matching the shade of his hair with a dull elegance which seemed to be more appropriate for royalty than one like himself. The other, contrasted completely. A shocking violet colour, quite unnatural, and certainly unusual. Maybe it was fake… Sebastian didn't know. It was impossible to receive such a beautiful eye colour purely from any mortal birth.

A rope bit into the flesh of his wrists, his hands slowly growing grey from the lack of circulation. So beautiful and hideous at the same time.

He coughed politely. The boy didn't look at him, merely gazing dully down at the floor.

"Um… Master Phantomhive?" he ventured. "Do you wish me to untie you? Those look dreadfully painf…."

"I'm fine!" the boy snapped. "Keep away from me!"

Michaelis blinked. How discourteous. This child should really learn some manners. Of course if it was to do with his up-bringing, then it certainly couldn't be helped…

"May I ask, if you please, what you are in here for? You are quite young to already be in jail, Master Phantom…"

"Theft. And don't call me "Master Phantomhive", like that."

Sebastian smiled. Although there was nothing pleasant in the boy's tone, at least he had responded.

"Then what am I to call you?"

The young Phantomhive's reply was terse. "Don't."

Sebastian sighed, and returned to scribbling on the wall, the chalk rough in his hand. Every now and again, it would screech, like nails on a blackboard. The boy behind him shuddered.

"Would you stop that?" the child snarled.

Sebastian smirked to himself. Quite the little Lord, this one. Although, of course, it was quite pleasant to have some company after all this time. Other than the absolute thugs he did the "public service" with. And anyway, this one was sort of entertaining. It was quite amusing to wind him up like this. The angry flush that crossed the boy's face was quite adorable.

"If you don't mind me saying, Master Phantomhive, you don't seem like a boy from the streets."

"What do you mean?"

"You aren't as timid as most of them." Sebastian watched the boy's expression carefully. Phantomhive pursed his lips, and made a non-committal shrug. As if there was something he wasn't quite willing to tell. But Sebastian would coax it out. After-all, he was one hell of a soldier.

"I take it you weren't always on the streets then?" he continued. "I wonder where you could have come from? A runaway, perhaps? Or maybe a prostitute's son?"

The teen snarled, slapping Sebastian round the face roughly. "How dare you insult my lineage, you bastard? I will have you know, I am the son of Lord and Lady Phantomhive! I am nothing short of royalty and you…!" his face paled in realisation at his own words.

The black-haired man smiled. So easy to get information out of this one. One blow to his pride, and he will tell you everything. He drew closer to the boy, whispering in his ear, "And I wonder what the son of Lord and Lady Phantomhive is doing on the streets, hmm? Run-away, little one?"

"Or disowned?"