Chapter 19: Down And Dirty

Ciel had made up his mind to get to Alois without help as much as possible. He slapped away Claude's hand as he made his way up against the slope of the roof. "Don't touch me!"

Claude's ears flattened and had a pouty expression. He sat crossed-legged on the top, flat middle of the roof and seemed to mock the young struggling noble by staring at him. Ciel cursed under his breath as he slipped down the slope of the roof again. He was tempted to call Sebastian because there seemed to be no other way but to go up. "No! I will not call him!"

"Ciel! Hey Ciel!"

A vein throbbed on Ciel's annoyance. "What?"

… Somehow that call was a bit memorable in many ways more than annoying.

"You're really going up for real?" Alois teased him. "What's taking you so long?"

Ciel slipped again. "How in the world have you gotten up there?" He demanded. Climbing up the slope of the roof seemed impossible. "Are you… a cat or something?"

"MIAOW!" Alois meowed and Claude looked at the two boys in a confused expression before shrugging. Ciel growled in frustration.

… Somehow Alois was being annoying again and that was the missing bit.

"Hey, tell you what!" The blonde shifted on his seat on the chimney's rim. "If you manage to get up here on your own, I'll tell you how to get up there~"

"Oi, isn't that a bit useless since I've managed to find out how to get up by myself?" Ciel gritted his teeth. The blonde was really enjoying teasing him.

"Aw! You found it out!"

"You're too obvious, you twit!"

Ciel found his footing again and pulled up.

"That's it! Now run up quickly!"

"What?"

"Run up! Don't care about where your feet lands!" Alois instructed as he flailed his arms about. "Just go up! UP!"

Ciel pretty much scrambled up and actually didn't care where his feet landed; as long as he could pull himself up he was fine.

"GogoGO!"

… And Ciel found himself at the top in no time. The noble blinked upon landing his knees on a flat surface and found himself looking down at another slope he might fall directly down. His victory was taking a while to sink in.

"Miaow~" Claude poked his head.

Ciel snorted. "Ah. It's you…"

"YAY! GREAT GOING CIEL!" Alois stood up and clapped. "WELL DONE! WHEEEEE!"

"ALOIS DON'T JU—!"

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"—ump… Nevermind…"

Claude still had the initiative, at least, to help Ciel down and prepare the bath for Alois. Speaking of Claude, he had managed to take his glasses off simply because Chesie allowed him to and was not interested in minding spoiled brats.

"You've quite a mouth, demoness…" He muttered as he scrubbed off the ash and soot on his master's arm. Alois flicked some water at him. "You were saying something?"

"No, your highness."

"Say, Claude…" The blonde's lively eyes seemed to dim in thought. "Stop."

Claude silently did as he was told and looked at him; expecting an outburst or a sudden revelation or tantrum…

"What do you think about love?"

"Excuse me?"

"Ah…! Nevermind!" Alois shook his head and pulled his butler's hand to and fro. "Continue scrubbing me!"

Claude had the urge to roll his eyes at the topic. Time and again, the child would ask about what love really means. As a demon, his understanding about love was that it was destructive and illogical; the wretched emotion that compels one to act without thinking and a distraction from attaining whatever goals.

… Or so he thought. Honestly thinking, love was a complete mystery. Whoever in their right mind could love a damned and despicable creature—

… Oh wait. His master wasn't in the right state of mind and that must be enough reason why he was 'his' highness after all that. He expected that the boy would forever despise him from the treachery he had (normally) done (as a demon) but surprisingly, as always, the boy continued to love him along with the demoness Hannah, the one that the temperamental child would always humiliate and hurt.

… Funny how humans are so unpredictable.

"Claude, you're not scrubbing me hard enough!" Alois pouted and splashed water at him again.

The demon left off contemplating. "Forgive me, your highness."

"So now, scrub me harder here… Ah~" Alois pulled his hand and set a rhythm and pressure on a spot near his neck. "Harder…!"

"Yes, your highness."

Claude was secretly amused at how his master's demands would always concern about pleasure and affection. He felt proud that he was always needed for something as insolent and immoral as this; some sort of a guilty pleasure besides seeing Sebastian Michaelis struggle hopelessly against his trap.

He accidentally let out an annoyed growl.

"Something's distracting you, Claude~" Alois splashed water at his face completely. The demon winced and shook the ash-sodden water out of his eyes. "Tell me the reason why. And no L-Y-I-N-G!" He grinned and wagged a warning finger at him.

"It's… Sebastian Michaelis, your highness."

"Fuh~" The blonde stuck up his bottom lip; childishly as always. "Knew it~"

Claude wondered how the child could decipher his mind.

"Exciting, isn't it?" Alois shifted position and reclined against the tub as if he was on a chair. He lifted his leg and crossed it teasingly against his other lifted leg. "Have you fucked another demon before, Claude?"

… Now, that was one topic he wanted to avoid for many, many reasons…

"Answer me, Claude."

… Being an alluring demon, and ONLY being that was quite embarrassing as a demon who wanted to serve the Almighty for a second time. Demons should be corrupt and impure beings; one who didn't respect any boundaries, authority and—

"ANSWER!"

"No, your highness!"

… The fact that he had declared it out loud was enough for him to be condemned as an angel.

"Oh… my… God…"

Claude bit his lip and avoided eye contact. He felt ashamed again as he recalled how he was mocked by other experienced demons that he was—

"Claude, are you a prude?"

… That, exactly—

"Michaelis will be my first."

… Of course, he could smell a woman's essence somewhere around him whenever he was close enough. Most likely, Sebastian knew that he was an inexperienced demon because he never had any other smell around him.

"Hey! That can't be!" Alois splashed water everywhere. "So, if not a demon, what about a human? Have you fucked a woman or some random guy for instance?"

"…"

… Again—

"Jesus! You're unbelievable Claude~" Alois said with a pouty expression. "So, I am not beautiful enough for you to fuck me? That old fool must be delusional to—" He paused. "So Claude, do you even know how to fuck?"

"A bit." The demon replied and felt his contract mark burn agonizingly for disobeying but he masked his pain through his stoic expression. He could not speak about his 'purity'. The mere thought of it annoyed him to no end. He could not explain himself why his carnal desires are so stagnant. Perhaps there were certain qualities that he could find desirable; being with a seductive and temperamental master confirmed that he was not attracted to such behavior and at the same time, what actions could be seductive and not. But obviously, not enough to be satisfactory. The first attempt in Sebastian's room was quite helpful…

"Hmm… How can I teach you somethings?" Alois crossed his arms and put a thoughtful expression.

Claude smiled. What was there in Ciel Phantomhive that he was attracted to? The mix of childish purity and the impurity of vengeance and hatred in his soul? Perhaps that criterion could help him set his find to compel him to do carnal sins. Sebastian couldn't possibly be pure and impure; he was completely impure.

"Hey, Claude!" Alois pulled suddenly his feline ears and it made him yeowl on instinct. "E-excuse me, your highness!"

"That's so cute!" The blonde giggled. "Ah no! Don't let Sebastian found out any of your weaknesses! You should find his first!"

… 'Too late', If Claude could only say it. Sebastian had found his weak points when they were in his room to dress him up in that disgusting maid outfit.

"I know! Books have everything!" Alois declared. "Why don't you go and look for books that tell you how to do that? They should have something like that! Or if not, you could go back and look in my mansion."

… That's a nice quest. Really.

"Now finish bathing me! I want you to do something!"

A knock on the door tolled in Ciel's annoyance of not being able to fall asleep. "Come in!" He grunted.

Maylene and Finny came out halfway from the door. "Young master?

"Any news about Mr. Tanaka and Sebastian?"

Maylene looked at Finny anxiously. "W-well… we have called Lady Middleford's residence to ask if they had been there."

"And?"

"T-they did. Sebastian had dropped the luggage there and… what was that about the dress? Anyway!" Finny continued. "But they're not here yet!"

Ciel stared at them.

"We didn't tell them about Mr. Tanaka and Sebastian's absence!" The maid assured him. "We don't want to alarm her this late at night."

"Good." Ciel sighed. "You may go sleep in your quarters now."

"But…!" Finny protested. "We must be awake!"

"You're not at ease without Sebastian!" Maylene said. "We aren't either! And Mr. Tanaka!"

"You have stayed up late enough." Ciel shook his head. "You still have your duties tomorrow. I can't have sleepy and sluggish servants for tomorrow… I mean, this morning."

"We won't sleep without Mr. Sebastian and Tanaka!" Finny declared. "Right, Maylene? We have to protect the mansion from intruders!"

"Right!"

Ciel shook his head in disappointment but at the same time, he felt proud of their devotion. Even though they are incapable of doing their duties as a maid and a gardener, they still have that rare spirit of loyalty and devotion; something that he would not trade for any other able servants. But then again, their abilities for combat are enough to redeem for their failures. He left his bed and approached them. "Thank you Maylene and Finny. I appreciate it. But you should go to bed now. I'll handle this myself."

"But…"

"That's an order, Finny." Ciel said with a concerned eye for them. "Go to bed. You too."

Maylene and Finny looked at each other. "Yes, young master."

"Speaking of…" Ciel noticed that the usual three were not together. "Where is Bard?"

"Oh..." Maylene bobbed a bit. "He's waiting for Claude to return."

Ciel frowned. "Claude? Why?"

"Lord Trancy ordered Mr. Claude to get something." Finny said. "And Bard is making sure he returns."

Ciel thought about it. Whatever could Alois be up to? "I'm sure he will not stray away like Sebastian. Claude is a more disciplined sort." He lied. If memory served him right, Claude was a bit disappointing for him, compared to Sebastian's service. "Tell Bard that he should get some sleep and that is an order from me."

Maylene and Finny looked at each other again.

"Orders must be followed, right?" Ciel emphasized. "Now go."

"Yes, young master!"

When the servants had gone, he pondered about Alois. The blonde was almost going back to his annoying and loud behavior when they had talked on the rooftop. With Claude gone, perhaps that indicated that the blonde had finished bathing.

"I wonder what he's up to?"

Claude arrived at the Trancy mansion less than a second; urgent or not, he was determined to educate himself of 'somethings' as his highness had termed.

"Look for a book about human intercourse. No further questions." He said while ignoring Hannah's giggling at his wiggly ears.

Thompson, Timber and Canterbury whispered to one another as usual; forever subjected to silence by their demon mistress perhaps. Speaking of Hannah, the demoness maid also helped in Claude's search for a certain book. Her three chamber lads helped in putting the discarded books back in their previous place.

Apparently, the triplets were more intrigued about Claude's appearance of a half-cat rather than the book they were requested to look for. They kept watch of the swishing tail and wiggling ears and often whispered to each other if they have found something of interest about the feline appendages.

"I didn't expect this from you, Claude." Hannah teased as she picked up a book. "And for my highness to find out your secret~"

Claude's tail swished in annoyance. "Quiet."

The demoness continued to tease him. "And a seductress to fuse with you? Isn't that quite helpful?"

"No."

"Michaelis is fascinated with cats."

Claude's ears twitched as he discarded another book. "Stop it this instant."

Hannah giggled deviously. "I haven't heard a virgin demon before." She turned to the triplets. "Have you, my boys?"

Thompson, Timber and Canterbury stared at her for a bit before pointing at Claude. The condemned demon growled before tossing a book away.

"I thought so." Hannah giggled and handed him the right book.

A/n: The mention of the ever awesome Hannah! And yeah... Claude... I was making fun of him a bit... *shot*

And... again, I'll be asking for a month off. The finals are coming fast for me. No Christmas breaks for me :(