“So I hear you met Uncle Solomon?” Dr. Blake asked cheerily whilst jotting down Ciel’s weight on a clipboard.

“Yes,” Ciel replied with a barely suppressed shiver, sitting himself down on a nearby bed. His ankles were still smarting slightly from where Kieran’s barbs had hit them.

“Yeah,” Dr. Blake laughed, noticing Ciel’s reaction, “he’s a real treat. You can tell where Vex gets it from right?”

Ciel shrugged, although Vex could be intimidating, in Ciel’s opinion, Solomon Dubois was in a different league.

“I’m prescribing you some pre-natal vitamins,” Dr. Blake announced, walking over to a nearby cupboard.

“Oh, I um, I don’t have a medical allowance,” Ciel mumbled, feeling his cheeks flush.

“Consider them on the house,” Dr. Blake winked as Ciel smiled gratefully back at him. So far, Dr. Blake was nothing like his cousin. He had been incredibly supportive towards Ciel and was nearly always smiling. He was also quite handsome with golden hair and twisted ivory horns like piped icing.

“Thank you. Ah, Dr. Blake I was wondering –“

“Please Ciel, call me Felix,” the doctor said, laying a gentle hand on Ciel’s shoulder. Ciel couldn’t help but feel slightly flustered, this was the most attention and physical touch he had received since the academy year began.

“Felix,” Ciel nodded. “I was just wondering when I might start to show?” Ciel wanted to brace himself for the entire student body gawping at him. Plus, he wanted to try and let out some of the waistbands of his trousers in time. He had already watched some sewing tutorials online and was pretty sure he could manage an approximation of an elasticated hem.

“Hmm,” Felix replied thoughtfully. “Honestly it really depends on your demonic sub-genes, we can’t even give you a reliable due date until we get more consistent growth and can formulate some projections. I would imagine though, in a few weeks.”

“That soon?” Ciel’s eyes widened and his hand instinctively moved to his stomach, the palm flattening over his knitted cardigan.

“I reckon so, yes,” Felix replied. “That’s just based on what I know of the Dubois demonic line of course.”

“I see,” Ciel gulped, he had almost forgotten that the baby inside of him was half of someone else.

“I am corresponding with an aquatic demonology expert in Lilithia,” Felix informed him in a reassuring tone, “just to make sure we’re fully prepared.”

“Thank you,” Ciel gave the doctor a small smile. Ciel was well aware that barely anyone knew anything about aquatics and that study of that brand of demonology wasn’t encouraged or well respected.

“You’ll need to massage your tail regularly,” Felix added as Ciel blinked dumbly at him. “During pregnancy there’s a risk of fluid retention.”

“Oh, I um,” Ciel blushed as they both looked down at his very meagre spindly tail that ended in a small webbed fin no bigger than a betta fish. “I’ll do that.”

“Your cut’s healing nicely,” Felix stated, reaching over to brush Ciel’s cheek where Vex’s tail had sliced him, “I don’t think it will even leave a scar, although we should probably do something about your scaly patches.”

“I-“ Ciel opened his mouth when a breeze gusted in through the open doorway and Vex appeared along with his friend Kane. The latter was sporting a sizeable swelling on his neck and was perspiring profusely.

“Ah yes, the hell wasps are in swarming season again over by the orchard,” Felix announced brightly, striding over to Kane as Vex stared at Ciel in surprise.

“What are you doing here? What’s wrong?” Vex asked stiffly as he abandoned his friend to Felix’s ministrations and walked over to Ciel.

Vex was wearing sports gear, clearly having come from some sort of training session. His skin was shiny with sweat and his burnt chestnut hair was slicked back in waves around his horns. A short sleeved, tight fitting black shirt emphasised his musculature and he was sporting metal runic wristbands.

“Nothing,” Ciel shook his head, willing himself to look away. “Just a check up.”

“Did Felix give you the vitamins I ordered?” Vex asked after a moment’s awkward silence.

“What?” Ciel frowned in surprise when the doctor himself came hurrying back over.

“Right, I’m going to need the room I’m afraid, it looks like the wasp larva is lodged behind the trachea. Ciel, we’re all done for today, I’ll see you tomorrow at the same time?” Felix asked, happily prepping a half foot-long syringe whilst Kane paled in the background.

“Do you really need to come here every day?” Vex pulled a face.

Ciel felt his heart drop, he really enjoyed his visits to the doctor - at least it was someone to talk to. Honestly he probably didn’t need to see Felix daily but so far the other man had been kind enough not to point that out.

“Someone has to look after your unborn child,” Felix replied with a smirk as Vex’s face shuttered and hardened.

“See you tomorrow Felix,” Ciel said quickly, scooting up off the bed and heading towards the door before exiting out into the courtyard.

“Wait,” Ciel heard a voice behind him and turned round to see Vex standing and looking uncomfortable. “Where are you going now?”

“Back to my dorm,” Ciel cocked his head quizzically.

“Why are you limping?” Vex asked after another moment’s pause.

“Oh,” Ciel glanced down at his feet, he honestly hadn’t even noticed that he was. “It’s just some wounds on my ankle.”

“Kieran,” Vex sighed in understanding. “When you were fighting he got you with his tail didn’t he?”

Ciel nodded miserably.

“Come with me,” Vex instructed, brushing past Ciel and walking in the opposite direction to Ciel’s dorms.

Ciel opened his mouth to protest but closed it again as he saw Vex pause and glance cautiously back at him. Instead, Ciel decided to follow the other man as they traversed across the courtyard and through a series of winding passageways in one of the Dubois patronised annexes.

As they kept walking Ciel noticed that there were fewer and fewer windows, the dark shadows of the stone hallways growing and the sounds of students milling about outside fading.

Ciel wrapped his arms around himself, he didn’t believe that Vex was leading him into a trap. After all, if the other demon had wanted to ‘do away’ with Ciel surely he wouldn’t have bothered with the charade in front of his father.

A moment later they reached a massive door, sealed with runic locks that Vex clearly knew the password for.

“This is a club lounge,” Vex explained as the door swung open to reveal a massive space spread over a split level with vaulted blue ceilings decorated with astrological patterns. “It’s for members of the Lethe Society.”

“Wow,” Ciel murmured in shock, the walls of the space were half glass, like some sort of giant conservatory and there were shelves and shelves of books and various trailing plants with emerald leaves glinting in the sun.

There were only a few students sat in wicker chairs and chatting with each other. The rest, Ciel presumed, must be down on the orchard fields basking in the glorious sun that day.

“My room is this way,” Vex informed him, looking somewhat pleased at Ciel’s reaction.

“Wait, your room?” Ciel snapped his head round but Vex had already stridden off. Ciel quickly hurried after him, following Vex up some flights of marble staircases hemmed with classical stone statues until finally they reach the other man’s quarters.

Vex’s rooms were almost palatial and nothing like the cramped dorm that Ciel shared with seven other students.

“You have a kitchen!” Ciel burst out, noticing the small cooking area with a hob and microwave oven. The floors were carpeted in a rich royal blue and large gable windows allowed an unobstructed view across the grounds.

“Take off your socks as well,” Vex told Ciel as he slipped off his shoes by the door.

“Why?” Ciel asked with a frown.

“We’re going to have to treat those wounds of yours, Kieran’s barbs carry a pernicious venom,” Vex shrugged.

“How do you know that?” Ciel asked, already guessing he probably didn’t want to know the answer. Intimate knowledge of another person’s tail was probably indicative of past physicality and Ciel didn’t think Vex would have ever got into a fight with Kieran like Ciel had.

“Why do you always sound so suspicious of everything?” Vex huffed “Do you think I’m trying to trick you and brought you here to chop off your feet or something?”

“No,” Ciel protested weakly, although truth be told he had been wondering if Vex had reconsidered the threat of his father’s henchmen. 

“I only know because everyone knows,” Vex rolled his eyes, “Kieran regularly boasts about his tail’s venom and even runs a tail account online,”

“Oh,” Ciel tried not to look too shocked at that information.

“Well aren’t you the judgmental little prude?” Vex laughed a moment later and Ciel figured something must have still shown on his face.

“I’m not!” Ciel scrunched up his expression with irritation.

“Kind of funny considering your situation,” Vex smirked, turning back round and beginning to rummage in some sort of cabinet.

Ciel wasn’t quite sure what possessed him to throw his rolled up sock at the back of Vex’s head but he had never been particularly good at controlling his anger.

Ciel bit his lip as Vex froze, standing up a moment later and turning to Ciel with an incredulous expression.

“Did you just throw your sock at me?” Vex asked, his inflection deviating worryingly close to a growl.

“I-“ Ciel began before hardening his resolve, “You deserved it! You were rude.”

“Rude?” Vex repeated dumbly, staring at Ciel in abject confusion as if Ciel had just informed the other man he liked to moonlight as a human cabaret dancer. “Because I stated the obvious?” Vex’s face hardened again as he began to prowl towards Ciel across the room. “You’re going to have to grow thicker skin and fast because pretty soon the entire college is going to be calling you a – “

The second sock whizzed through the air, whacking Vex right across the nose.

For a second, both men stood stock still, their eyes widened in surprise before all hell broke loose. Vex let out an angry roar as Ciel yelped and tried to make a run for the kitchen. However, he was no match for Vex’s speed and a moment later Ciel found himself thrown across the massive bed, bouncing violently on the mattress.

“You little –“ Vex snarled, pouncing onto the bed himself and crawling over to Ciel before clambering on top of him and pinning the smaller, thrashing man down. “Stop!” Vex hissed as Ciel attempted to ram his knee up into Vex’s crotch but simply managed to jerk into his thigh. “Stop you little psychopath!”

Ciel let out an angry whine as he found Vex’s immovable strength plastered on top of him, constricting his movements.

“Get off me!” Ciel bit out, his voice cracking as he strained to try and lift himself up.

“Not until you calm down,” Vex muttered, his chest heaving with panting breaths.

“I hate you!” Ciel half screamed, finally managing to arch his hips up enough to allow his tail to slide out. Ciel watched, as if witnessing it from afar, as the webbed fin at the end of his thin tail slapped Vex across the face.

Vex’s expression didn’t even change as he glared down at Ciel. Ciel felt himself flush with shame, the hit had probably been no more forceful than a piece of wet tissue.

“Well now I guess we’re even,” Vex stated, his voice hard and cold. The older man sighed a moment later, sitting back on his haunches and shaking his head down at Ciel. “There’s something wrong with you, you know,” Vex told him.

“Don’t – don’t say that,” Ciel replied, his voice tight and strung out. It wouldn’t be the first time Ciel had heard such an accusation, although normally it came from Mrs. Cruxa back at the orphanage.

Vex remained silent, sliding off of the bed and going back to rooting through the cabinet before he drew out a pot of gelatinous ointment. “This works for most venoms,” he said, chucking the pot next to Ciel before closing the cabinet door and walking over to the kitchen.

Ciel sat, hugging his knees as he watched Vex retrieve a mug from a cupboard and switch on an expensive looking coffee machine.

Ciel knew he should get up and go but for some reason his body wasn’t cooperating, he still felt shaky from being pinned down. He kept waiting for Vex to snap at him to get the hell out of there but the other man just seemed busy with making his drink.

“Aren’t you going to apply it?” Vex asked finally, glancing up as if nothing untoward had happened between them.

Ciel nodded, despite Vex already having looked away. He grabbed the ointment and unscrewed the lid, pleasantly surprised by the faint smell of lavender.

Once Ciel had spread an even layer across the puncture wounds on his ankle he went to return the medicine to the cabinet, thankful that at least the argument had spared Ciel the embarrassment of Vex realising Ciel had webbed aquatic toes.

Ciel couldn’t help but quickly glance about the contents of the cupboard. There were a few trophies stacked up in a careless pile, ripped textbooks, a couple of expensive looking watches and a first aid box containing a variety of packages, including several tubes of personal lubricant, some of which claimed to be flavoured. Ciel felt himself blush as he noticed a pair of handcuffs hiding behind a liquor bottle.

“Casing the joint already?” Vex asked as Ciel flinched. He hadn’t noticed the other man approach and couldn’t help but shiver as Vex reached past Ciel and firmly closed the cabinet door.

“I – I should go,” Ciel swallowed thickly, turning round and avoiding bumping into Vex as he crossed back toward the door and began redressing himself in socks and shoes.

Vex didn’t say anything, instead he retrieved his coffee mug and leant against the kitchen counter, watching Ciel with an indecipherable expression.

The other man remained silent even as Ciel left the room, closing the door carefully behind him and letting out a deep breath he hadn’t realised he’d been holding.