The Present

Vex followed Elder Tomiko and Felix down towards the Nessus sanatorium, a single storey building topped with stone grotesques clad in hues of orange and grey lichen.

After continuous insistence that Vex didn’t know any ‘Ciel’ and certainly hadn’t slept with him, it had been decided that the best course of action would be to visit the man in question.

Felix strode forwards, obviously enjoying himself immensely as he pulled back the ward curtains like some sort of cheap magician doing a reveal.

Vex blinked as his eyes fell on the same aquatic demon that he had helped at the party nearly a month ago.

The man was sat on top of a high stool in a corner of Felix’s office, looking irritated more than anything else. His hair was an iridescent, metallic blue, slightly too long as it fell across his wide silver eyes, fanned with aquamarine lashes. He shifted in clear agitation as he saw Vex and the others.

“Why?” he snapped, looking horrified, “I said I didn’t want him informed!”

“Yes we know, Ciel,” Felix smiled. Vex noted with curiosity that Felix’s demeanour had changed around this demon, now becoming professional and comforting. Perhaps it really was just Vex the doctor had it out for. “But I’m afraid we had to still inform Vex. After all, his demonic DNA is embedded in your womb.”

Both Vex and Ciel visibly flinched at the word ‘womb’.

“Why did you do this?” Vex snapped, striding towards Ciel who stiffened and crossed his arms protectively across his chest. “How did you do this?”

“You think this was on purpose?!” Ciel retorted, looking distraught. His eyes flicked to Felix as if seeking help and it only served to make Vex feel even angrier.

“A summons? A curse?” Vex hazarded before freezing, his eyes catching again on Ciel’s coffee skin and azure hair, jogging something in the dark recesses of his memory. He let out a bark of grim laughter, far too loud for the small space and causing everyone to jump.

“Holy fuck – it was the dream wasn’t it? That was real – you made a physical bridge,” Vex spat.

“What dream –“ Ciel began but then stopped, his eyes going like dinner plates as he snapped his mouth shut, pale blue lips trembling in seeming horror. “No,” Ciel started again, but his voice was much weaker now and he wouldn’t meet Vex’s eyes. “No I didn’t do anything, I wouldn’t. Not on purpose!” Ciel cried, looking aghast and suddenly very ashen. “I promise.”

“Oh, you promise,” Vex huffed a derisive laugh, “that’s great.”

“Please…I…” Ciel whimpered helplessly. The sound set Vex’s teeth on edge, it was so despondent and pitiful.

“Have you informed my father?” Vex asked, turning to Elder Tomiko and eyeing her with a steely glare.

“Ah, no,” she shook her head.

“Keep it that way,” Vex bit out.

If Solomon Dubois found out that some penniless student had managed to impregnate himself with Dubois DNA then the hapless aquatic demon would probably find himself shipped off to some far flung ‘institution’ never to be heard of again.

“I’ll cover the termination fees,” Vex added with a heavy sigh as Ciel let out a shuddered gasp. Vex turned to note with dismay that a stream of tears were running down the other man’s face.

“Gosh, what they say about you Dubois men is true,” Felix announced jovially. “Your empathy and tact just know no bounds.”

“Well I think it is a very generous offer Vex,” Elder Tomiko simpered, “and quite an unnecessary one considering you played no part in this debacle.”

Vex shrugged, he just wanted to leave the sanatorium which smelled overpoweringly like citrus disinfectant and Felix’s cologne. Vex was pretty sure doctors weren’t even meant to wear cologne.

Vex turned to walk away, pausing to glance back at Ciel one last time. The other man now had his head buried his in hands, shaking as if he were sobbing.

A moment later, Felix had wrapped his arm around the blue haired student, talking in low tones that Vex couldn’t make out. Vex grimaced and slammed the door behind him. 

***

The next day Vex found himself zoning out of his lecture on the palaeography of Merovingian blood rituals. Kane was slumped beside him, doodling x-rated sketches in the margins of his text book.

Vex nearly had to rotate his head 180 degrees to try and make sense of one of the positions Kane had illustrated. Rolling his eyes, he gave up and scanned around the room.

Vex smirked as he noticed Kieran Ng glancing over at him from a few seats away. Kieran was half seer demon and had a heart shaped face with almond grey eyes and dyed coppery hair.

Kieran’s tail was polished like mercury, delicate retractable barbs lining the single ridge up the centre.

Vex licked his lips as he followed the barbs all the way up to Kieran’s ass. The other man had shifted slightly, no doubt to allow Vex a better view, despite Kieran’s wholly innocent expression. Vex chuckled appreciatively, sliding forwards on his chair

“Hi,” Kieran mouthed, grinning at Vex before picking up his pen and sucking it obscenely into his mouth.

“Vex, Vex,”

Vex sighed, turning round to Kane with an irritated glare, “What?”

“Aren’t you listening? Dr. Ogo’s been trying to get your attention for the last minute,” Kane snorted, gesturing down the lecture hall to where everybody was staring up curiously at Vex.

“Ah, sorry,” Vex cleared his throat and sat up straighter, “Could you repeat the question?”

“I didn’t ask you a question,” Dr. Ogo replied, “I have received a request, Elder Tomiko would like to see you in her office.”

“Now?” Vex blinked in surprise.

“Uh oh,” Kane laughed, “you’re in trouble.”

“Yes, now please,” Dr. Ogo continued before changing the slide on his presentation to one of a desiccated corpse.

“Doubt it,” Vex muttered, “It’s probably just Tomiko wanting me to persuade my father to come to the Saturnalia Ball.”

Vex collected his belongings and made his way towards the Elder Offices, to his confusion, Tomiko was already waiting outside of hers, looking rather anxious.

“Is it my father?” Vex asked, shouldering his rucksack.

“Ah, no,” Tomiko shook her head. “You had better come in Vex.”

Vex followed Tomiko in, freezing as he saw Ciel sat in one of the chairs. The other man looked exhausted, with dark smudges under his eyes and his tail wrapped around his leg like a child. Vex screwed up his nose in disapproval, he had seen toddlers who were better tail-trained.

“I thought we finished this business?” Vex sighed, ignoring Tomiko’s gesture to sit down.

“Well, there’s been somewhat of a development,” Tomiko informed him, her voice strained. “It would appear we cannot abort the fetus.”

Vex blinked at her before dropping his bag on the floor and striding over to the Elder’s desk. He could feel his tail arching menacingly but didn’t really care to try and control it right now.

His onyx horns, the ends of which were gilded in gold, flashed in the candlelight and Vex knew his fangs had descended from the rush of rust in his mouth.

“Tell me,” he began, his voice cool, sinister and measured, “you are joking.”

“Sorry I’m late,” the door opened with a loud creak and everybody looked round to see Felix enter. Vex felt his eye twitch with annoyance as Felix gave him a wide smile before winking in a friendly manner at Ciel. “Have you shared the exciting news Elder Tomiko?”

“Ah, well, I just informed Vex that we are having issues with termination,” Tomiko stuttered nervously.

“As in it can’t be done,” Felix announced brightly. “Not without killing the host.”

“And that would be a problem why?” Vex snapped, not caring how crazed he sounded and ignoring Ciel’s shocked gasp in the background.

“Oh come on Vex, be reasonable,” Felix grinned, sticking his hands in the pockets of his white lab coat. “It’s Ciel’s physiology, unusual mix.”

“Well then, that’s simple enough,” Vex announced, wheeling round to Tomiko. “We just need to find a real doctor, not some quack that my aunt bribed through medical school.”

“Oof, you wound me little Vexie,” Felix laughed, clutching emphatically at his chest. “But fortunately for you, Elder Tomiko has already confirmed my findings with an aquatics expert who agrees with me.”

“This is insane,” Vex stated woodenly. “I – this scholarship stalker can’t bear my child – what do you think my father will say? I’m a Dubois!”

“I’m not a stalker!”

Vex snapped round to see that Ciel had stood up, his hands balled into fists. His face had flushed purple and his silver eyes were flashing angrily.

“Yes you are,” Vex growled, prowling towards Ciel and standing close enough that he could see the dehydrated cracks in the other man’s blue lips. “You used some sort of dream magic to fall pregnant with my child without my consent or knowledge – I could report you to the Council of Ancients, all it would take is for my father to file a request and you’d be incarcerated in a hole so deep you’d never see the sun again,” Vex snarled.

As he was talking the blade of his tail had crept forward and run dangerously down Ciel’s cheek, not quite slicing the skin but near enough to cause the smaller man to start shaking, his quicksilver eyes straining to follow the blade’s movement.

“Enough Vex,” Felix’s voice filtered through the room, hard and cold and lacking any of his usual jest. “This wasn’t Ciel’s fault. We have already confirmed everything with Professor Stoker, you know he can sense lies.”

“Who of course, we shall fire immediately should you deem it appropriate Vex,” Tomiko hastened to add.

“Stop simpering!” Vex snapped, jerking round to her. He froze as Ciel let out a yelp behind him. Vex turned back to see a thin red line across Ciel’s cheek, droplets of blood already forming on the surface.

Vex dropped his tail numbly as Felix hurried over, elbowing Vex out of the way and pressing a handkerchief against the cut.

“I…I didn’t mean to,” Vex murmured quietly, but he didn’t think that anybody heard him. He took a few more steps backwards and clenched his jaw. Vex could feel a migraine coming on, the blood vessels in his head constricting painfully at the seat of his horns.

“I have already called your father’s secretary,” Tomiko announced, “And left a message at Ciel’s orphanage.”

Vex looked up at the word ‘orphanage’, he hadn’t even bothered considering Ciel’s family as he didn’t recognise the name ‘Rai’ from anywhere.

“I’m sure we’ll find a suitable place to send Ciel and keep any mention of this from getting out,” Tomiko hurried to say, “I know your father –“

“Don’t,” Vex stated, frowning as the word left his lips. “Don’t tell my father.”

Vex looked over to where Ciel was still talking to Felix in hushed tones, a small trail of blood ran down the other man’s dark skin, evidently missed by Felix’s ministrations.

Vex was the sole heir to the Dubois fortunes, he knew there was nothing that Solomon Dubois would stop at to ensure the right match and also to eliminate any obstacles to his visions of the future.

“Let him stay,” Vex announced, finally causing Felix to fall silent and everyone to look at him. “You’ve had pregnant students at Nessus Academy before.”

“Yes, but –“ Tomiko began, her eyes wide.

“And cancel the meeting with my father, I’ll inform him myself,” Vex interrupted her firmly. He spared a final glance at an incredibly shocked and wary looking Ciel before leaving the office.

“Hey – hey Vexie wait,” Felix jogged after Vex into the central courtyard.

“Don’t call me that,” Vex growled, “we aren’t close Felix.”

“Well we are cousins,” Felix smiled.

“You’re not a Dubois,” Vex retorted coldly as Felix’s smile faltered and his face tightened.

“Neither is Ciel,” Felix replied. “What do you reckon Uncle Solomon is going to make of him then? An aquatic halfling with a scholarship?”

“I’m sure he’ll be overjoyed,” Vex sighed, feeling exhausted. “What exactly is your point Felix or is this like your tail and lacking in one?”

“Oh yes,” Felix scoffed, “it’s so good you took the time to remind us all today just quite how sharp yours is.”

“That was an accident,” Vex snapped.

“We’re taught tail control in Kindergarten,” Felix chortled as Vex felt himself begin to grind his teeth in irritation. “Anyway, I simply wanted to ask, what are you going to do when Ciel starts to show? Are we telling people about the parentage? Should I start preparing my ‘Congratulations’ card? You know I’ve seen just the right one with a cartoon stork on it and something about welcoming a ‘bundle of joy’.”

“You are insufferable,” Vex gritted out. “Of course we aren’t spreading it around that the spawn is mine.”

“Ah, an indiscretion swept under the rug, how very Dubois of you,” Felix beamed delightedly.

“I’m letting him stay here!” Vex snarled, bearing down on Felix, both of their eyes flashing at each other. “What more should I do huh?”

“This won’t stay a secret,” Felix hissed in reply. “Things never do in the demon world.”

Vex rolled his eyes and stormed away, scattering a shocked crowd of students in his wake.

Unfortunately, Felix was right. Apparently the owner of the orphanage that Tomiko had called was a particularly loose-lipped woman and by the very next day rumours had already started to spread.