Black Days

Chapter I

"Be sure to do the homework tonight; some of you need those points a lot more than others," the strikingly young teacher yawned. A handful of snickers bubbled up in response as friends goaded each other about needing extra points or failing the class. "Class dismissed."

The students clambered up and turned to make their way to freedom for the weekend, but before all could escape the teacher added on, "Oh and Ciel, see me after class." Most of the students were already on their way outside though, and none had the time to bother over teasing the unfortunate kid.

After a short moment the room was empty save for the teacher and the requested pupil. The teacher sat down at his desk and propped his feet up on the flat surface, peering over the top of his glasses at the rebellious looking young man before him.

"What did you need Mr. Michaelis?" the boy asked, obviously embarrassed and irritated.

"How have you been?" the teacher asked, blatantly ignoring the child's tone.

"Sir, no offense, but I really want to go home and have no time for idle chit-chat," Ciel answered through gritted teeth.

"Business as always," the educator drawled. "Then allow me to get right to the point." He sat up and narrowed his gaze at his young pupil, who returned the gaze fearlessly. "When was the last time you ate?"

The boy's mouth popped open, ready to respond to a different question, but was thrown off by the presented query. After a long moment, slack-jawed, he finally came up with a rebuttal, "That's none of your business!"

The teacher nodded sagely, mostly ignoring the rebuke. "If you're hungry I'd be more than happy to make lunch for you," he offered.

Ciel stared wordlessly for a long minute before snatching up his bag and marching towards the door. "I don't need your charity," he snapped without bothering to look back.

Michaelis frowned at this, letting out a long-suffering sigh.

Obviously malnourished but he refuses to open up.

The teacher found himself lost in thought for a time, until a fellow teacher barged in.

"Sebastian!" he called twirling into the room. "Let's go out for drinks!" Normally Sebastian Michaelis would aptly refuse to go out on a Friday night with his slightly over-zealous peer, but tonight felt like a good night to release frustrations.

"Sure," he answered, standing up and ignoring the shocked face of his peer. "I'll get my coat. What bar did you have in mind?"

"You've made my weekend!" the red-headed teacher howled, rushing out of the room, presumably to lock up shop for the weekend.

Maybe tonight Sebastian could drown his frustrations for a while, and maybe he could survive the pounding headache the next day, along with the guilt he had drowned the previous night. Sunday he would rest and prepare mentally for witnessing all the shit that happened in the halls that all the other teachers turned a blind eye to.

"Ready Sebastian?" the overly excited fellow teacher asked, grinning like a madman.

"Let's go," he answered, stand up and tossing his jacket over his arm.

The drive to the bar was uneventful, with Sebastian stewing over the young boy and the other issues of the school. The bullying, the abuse, the malpractice. It all made him sick.

"Hey Sabby, is something on your mind?" Grell asked, uncharacteristically quiet as he glanced at his companion from the corner of his eye. "You've been even darker than usual lately."

"Nothing more than the usual," Sebastian muttered, staring out the window with a forlorn look in his eyes. He tried to keep such emotion out of the classroom, but the façade usually fell through by the end of the week. Typically he would remove himself from everyone else before this happened, so Grell's hesitancy was not surprising in the least.

"If you say so…" the red head trailed uncertainly. "Oh! We're here!"

Sebastian broke his gaze from the darkness to behold the "bar" Grell had taken him to. A neon cowboy lifting a drink with mechanical motion accented the pink sign that proclaimed, "Gigi's Good Game." Men in cowboy outfits mingled with drag queens prancing into the bar, all chatting excitedly about the night's events.

"Grell?" Sebastian asked, closing his eyes and quelling his temper. "Is this a gay bar?"

"Maybe?" his companion answered uncertainly, fearing a backlash from his dark haired friend.

Letting out a slow breath, Sebastian nodded. "Okay, let's do this."

Looking positively pleased, Grell parked the car and jogged to catch up with some friends, leaving Sebastian to lag behind.

Any other day and he would have said no. Any other class and he wouldn't have agreed to going out with Grell Sutcliffe. Any other life time and maybe he wouldn't have found that poor child, with his sad face and uncertain movements.

He followed slowly behind the crowd, allowing the clamor to swallow him up, lost in his thoughts. The bar opened up around him, filled with smoke and sweet words. A few men winked at him and held up fans, daintily waving them as they whispered with their eyes trailing him.

It almost seemed like a costume party, rather than the bar it claimed to be. He saw everything ranging from straight up drag queens to cowboys to geishas. Some men were even dressed up as characters from shows, likely hoping to fulfill some kind of fantasy with their ideal partner for that character, if not themselves.

A loud man he at first mistook for Grell nearly ran headlong into him, laughing out an apology. "Sorry man, here have a drink!"

He proceeded to shove a sloppy shot glass into Sebastian's hand, not taking "no" for an answer. He was just going to dump the drink carelessly on the floor, but just as he was about to the alcohol called out with the promise of a faded memory.

Knowing he would regret it, Sebastian swallowed back the drink, making a slight face at the spotty flavor. After a few minutes it was apparent that there had been something else mixed into the drink, as room's colors started to sway and blur more than any alcohol could make them.

Somehow he found his way to the dance floor and was surprised to find himself swaying to the music a bit. A bartender dressed up in a flashy costume raced by on roller-skates, calling out free drinks. Sebastian's throat went dry and he grabbed one, downing it quickly.

After a while he noticed he happened to be dancing with someone, although he wasn't sure who. His partner needed a break after a few minutes, grinning happily. Sebastian followed him, not really sure why. They sat down and he offered to buy him a drink, which he accepted of course.

Sebastian talked with the man for a while, not really sure what they were talking about, but the man seemed to be having a good time so that was something. At least he could make this man happy, if nothing else. The man asked if he wanted a ride back to his place to hang out for a while.

Sebastian nodded and stood up, swaying uneasily. The man offered a hand, saying something about heading out to the car, when Grell suddenly re-appeared.

"Back off pretty boy," he snapped, slapping the man's hand away from Sebastian. "He's with me!"

Frowning in disappointment, the man backed away, but not before making a "call me" gesture. Grell flipped him off before guiding Sebastian to a table a little more out of the way than the rest. He helped his friend sit down just as a bartender came by with more drinks. Sebastian grabbed a couple of glasses and downed them quickly.

"Sebastian, what's up with you?" Grell asked, glaring at his friend.

"Nothing, just enjoying the drinks and whatnot," he answered innocently, slipping another shot.

"You almost went home with that guy!" Grell exclaimed, throwing his hands up.

Sebastian merely shrugged. "So?"

"You almost went home with a guy," the red-head explained, enunciating each word as if speaking to a child.

"You're not the boss of me," Sebastian muttered like an angry child.

Another round of drinks was offered and Sebastian willingly gulped up the burning alcohol. Grell looked at his long-time friend worriedly. He had never seen him so easily conform to something he would normally consider wasteful.

"Do you want a snack?" he asked worriedly.

"No, another shot would be nice though," he muttered, clutching his head.

"Maybe you should give it a rest?" Grell offered hesitantly. His friend glared balefully at him, before standing on shaky legs and walking off, ignoring Grell's protest behind him.

He still had him in his mind. That malnourished boy. He had to drown him, otherwise how would he get through the night? As he stumbled through the crowd, running into the men in costumes, he felt eyes on his back.

He turned and bleary eyes suddenly met very familiar, very confused, and very frightened eyes. He would have to drink himself to death to forget this moment.

"Ciel?" he whispered, although it would be impossible for the boy to hear him over the noise of the club. The boy—if it was indeed him, although Sebastian certainly hoped not—turned away and started to move swiftly away from Sebastian.

"Ciel! Wait!" he called, chasing after him. Sebastian didn't stumble once as he pushed men out of the way, ignoring their disdainful hisses. He followed as the boy ran out the back door, catching him just outside of the bar on a deserted parking lot.

Panting hard, the young boy struggled. "Let me go!" he hollered, kicking out towards Sebastian, who had a firm grip on the collar of the boy's costume.

"Now knock it off!" the teacher scolded, seemingly unaffected by his earlier alcoholic partaking.

"Are you stalking me?" the boy demanded, ceasing his struggles to instead glare at his mentor.

"Stalking you?" Sebastian repeated, taken aback by the accusation. "I should be asking you what you're doing in a bar! Under aged is only the first on a list!"

"Look, it's none of your business," Ciel answered angrily. "Now let me go so I can go back to work!"

"You work here?" he asked in shock. Realization dawned on the boy's face as he realized what he had given away.

"Shut up and unhand me!" he exclaimed instead, ignoring his slip-up. "I swear I'll call the cops and report you! I'll make sure you never work as a teacher again so you can't harass kids like me!" Sebastian roughly let go of the boy, not out of fear from his threat, but in an attempt to keep them on equal grounds with each other.

"You would call and report me for chancing upon you in a gay bar, but you wouldn't call to report yourself a starving child?" Sebastian demanded icily. "Not to mention the child labor laws at play here."

"Are you going to report me?" the boy demanded, standing his ground rather than taking off. "Send me to some child's home so I can be miserable and embarrassed?"

"Embarrassed?" Sebastian asked, dumbfounded. "Is that what this is about? Your pride keeping you from seeking out help?"

"Leave me alone!" Ciel yelled angrily, ignoring the questions. "Just leave me alone and mind your own business!" The boy turned to run, but Sebastian quickly snatched his wrist. Ciel twisted around to glare at him, not bothering to try and tug his arm loose.

"Whatever you're making tonight, let me pay you double," Sebastian offered, not pleading or bargaining. Just offering, free of any kind of threat.

"Double? And what do you want in return?" the boy asked warily.

"Just come home with me and allow me to make you one meal." The teacher returned the boy's even gaze, as their eyes silently struggled. After a long moment the boy shook his arm free and took a step back.

"Fine."

Without another word Sebastian swiftly sought out Grell, borrowed his car keys without much explanation, and drove himself and the boy back to his apartment.