Lemoncello (REQUEST)

Magician's Hat

For a long time, Alois keeps their secret. He's impressed by Claude's mastery of butlery, and his adaptation to human behaviours. While dull, drawling and seemingly emotionless, at least he can say with certainty that it isn't because Claude despises him. He loves Sebastian after all, and acts just as aloof with him. To celebrate his newfound comfort with exposing his butler to the world, Alois plans a ball. 

"It's be the fanciest of dress, Claude! Aren't you excited?!" he asks as they wander through the house, deciding on the decorations.

"Yes, Your Highness," 

"Wil you be in the fanciest of dress, Master?" 

"You know," Ciel sets his teacup down. "You've gotten awfully sarcastic since we arrived here,"

"I'll take that as a compliment," Sebastian refills his tea, then stares into his reflection in the liquid. He has allowed his true personality to expose itself more since he and Claude formed their bond. Like his mangled demon form, a horror to human eyes, it would give away his secret.

"Sebastian!" 

Ciel's wrath snaps him out of it. 

"Are you listening to me?" 

"Apologies, Master," 

The child huffs. "You've gotten more distracted as well,"

*

The night of the ball arrives. The starless sky falls over the forest, alighting its leaves, which a rainstorm has left wet, with faded moonlight distilled through the clouds. 

"No, Sebastian! I don't want to dress up!" Ciel wriggles out his butler's arms. 

"It's a fancy dress ball, Master," Sebastian's voice remains composed as he wrestles the child into his costume. "It would be frightfully embarrassing to be the only one not dressed up,"

With a lot more tugging, pulling, forcing and struggling, Sebastian places the final touch - a pirate hat - on Ciel's costume. 

"Why don't you have to dress up?" Ciel growls, knowing the answer.

"I am merely the staff, sir. Surely you wouldn't want me acting above my station?" he smiles. "That might alert the guests to something suspicious," 

The band plays a slow, dignified ballad as Ciel descends the staircase to the ballroom. The adults comment quietly among themselves that he looks 'jus dapper' and he forces his fringe down over the rest of his face to hide his flushed cheeks.

Alois, dressed in an even more embarrassing girl's costume, rushes over. He grab's Ciel's hands and spins him around while exclaiming his excitement. "Oh Ciel, you just look so pretty!" 

Dressed like this, with his long blonde extensions and childish countenance, Alois reminds Ciel of Elizabeth Midford. He shudders at the thought. But he doesn't get much time to think at all, as Alois whisks him into the crowd to dance, eat and, dreadfully... mingle. 

Wirth his Master distracted, Sebastian takes Claude's hand in his own. "Shall we check on the tea room?"

"Indeed, we shall,"

* 

Sitting on a sturdy chest, the butlers watch the moon through the tiny window by the ceiling of the underground cellar. Reserved mostly for tea, sweet, spicy and earthly aromas fill the room. Wordlessly, Claude leans against Sebastian's shoulder. Moonlight barely enters the room through the window, it dances off his angled face. 

"Do you know what I've noticed?" Sebastian ask. 

"I assume you'll tell me,"

"They may flash red when enraged, but your eyes don't catch the light," Sebastian takes his chin in his hand, moving his face across the light. Nothing. His eyes remain black.

"I am a spider," Claude says. It's all he needs to say. 

"Yes, how could I forget?"

"Why are you so fond of cats?"

"Hm?" a playful smile spreads across Sebastian's lips. 

"You are a raven. Shouldn't you despise the creatures?"

"No, not really. Cats are the perfect hunters. Whether they hunt mice, of ravens like myself, I can only admire them. Like ravens, black cats are beacons of death. We are natural allies,"

Claude breaks from his grip, instead facing forward. "I hadn't thought of it that way,"

*

"This tea is dreadfully weak," Ciel sets it down on the saucer. "Where's Sebastian?" He looks around of guests. Their large, obtrusive hats obscure his view of the floor. 

Hannah! You call this tea?!" Alois, who resembles a little girl throwing a tantrum, throws the cup across the table. 

"A-Apologies Master. Let me clean it and fetch you some more," she drops to her knees. 

"No need, we will get our own," Ciel gets up, desperate to get away from the humiliating audience. "I need to find my butler anyway,"

Alois gulps. He follows Ciel, starting to sweat. What if he really doesn't accept his butler/ What if he orders Sebastian to stop? What if they leave? Then he'll be alone once again, with nobody his age. Just servants he despises and a butler whose apathy is obvious. 

"There's no reason he'd be upstairs..." Ciel begins to search the ground floor - the pantry, which only reveals the triplets continuously making snacks to cart out to the guests. The adjoining pantry also empty. 

"The cellar," which Ciel recalls from his first night here. "We'll get tea in there as well," 

"Maybe we shouldn't..."

"Why not?"

Alois bites his tongue. "I... I have no idea," 

They descend the narrow staircase, so dark Ciel has to fumble for the door handle. And the door to the cellar swings open.

The secrets of the demon lovers are revealed like a rabbit from a magician's hat.