Vex took a steadying breath as he stared at Felix in front of Elder Tomiko’s desk. “That’s ridiculous,” he repeated, although it was starting to sound lame even to his own ears.

“Agreed,” Elder Tomiko nodded enthusiastically, “I can hardly think your father would approve.”

Felix had just finished informing them that due to the power instability of Ciel’s demonic core, the pregnant man would need to feed off of Vex’s core for nourishment.

“It just means you have to spend more time together,” Felix sighed as if Vex was being a brat. Vex tensed, he hated when Felix made himself out to be the reasonable, mature one.

Vex thought of the yellow rose in Ciel’s hair the other day. He knew full well that the Blake family crest was a yellow rose bracketed by two vipers.

“I’m busy,” Vex snapped, “I’m in my final year and taking double classes. I don’t have time to babysit –“ Vex winced at his unfortunate choice of words, “- to be stalked by Ciel.”

“Well there is an easy solution for that,” Felix replied brightly. “Let Ciel move in with you. Your chambers are plenty big enough thanks to Uncle’s generous patronage of the Lethe Society.”

“Move in with me?” Vex repeated woodenly. “I’m not playing house here Felix! You’re just making this shit up to try and torture me aren’t you? What’s your game you puff pastry cream horned –“

A knock on the door make Vex fall short, it swung open to reveal one of the Elder secretaries, an ancient man with a beard longer than he was tall. It trailed across the flagstones like a grey wire brush gathering cobwebs and dust in its wake.

“Dr. Blake,” the man croaked, “your visitor has arrived.”

“Oh Mother is here! Excellent,” Felix trilled. “Vex, I don’t suppose you would like to join us for –“

“Never,” Vex snapped, his aunt had always creeped him out, unblinking yellow eyes and the same unreadable intentions as her slippery son. Felix smiled, raising an eyebrow as if he had expected exactly that response, he walked carefully past Vex, leaning in only to whisper.

“You know without feeding from your core, Ciel will probably die, but then I suppose that really would make things easier for you wouldn’t it Vexie? Like father like son after all.”

Vex suppressed a shiver as Felix slipped out of the room leaving only a nervous looking Elder Tomiko. Vex bowed before stalking out himself, powering down the marble corridor and out into the main atrium.

He sighed, staring at the bubbling fountain of blood, vampire squid pulsating through the wine dark ripples. Vex was aware of his status, of how it always seemed to attract those wishing to simply elevate themselves. He knew that nearly every con possible had been attempted on his family, every honeyed word, every sycophantic simper. Vex had been raised in a world of wealth, power, ulterior motives and duplicity.

“There you are,” Kane announced, jogging over. “I thought we were going to play squash at noon?”

“Sorry,” Vex muttered distractedly, “I was called to an emergency meeting.”

“Speaking of emergencies, you know your little aquatic demon nearly just knocked me off my feet!” Kane exclaimed looking amused. “I was coming out of the bathroom on the basement level and I don’t think he could hold it in much longer.”

“Did he…look alright?” Vex asked unsurely. “That’s what my meeting was about,” he clarified as Kane raised a bemused eyebrow, “he’s sick or something.”

“Ah, that would explain the weird smell,” Kane nodded, “I thought that was just his fishy side.”

“Ugh,” Vex groaned tipping his head back. He had a free afternoon, plenty of time left to go and play a few enjoyable rounds of squash with Kane but for some reason there was a tight knot in his stomach.

Along with being a dream-manipulating stalker, Ciel was clearly a psychopath. One that after this year was over Vex would thankfully never have to see again.

However Vex had used his one signet ring favour on making sure Ciel was safe, if the crazed little piranha halfling went and drowned in the toilet now then it had all been for nothing.

“Second bathroom on the right,” Kane sighed as if reading Vex’s mind. “Just follow the sound of retching.”

“Thanks,” Vex muttered, nodding to his and friend and heading for the stairs.

***

“Hi –“ Vex began as the bathroom door swung open to reveal a terribly green looking Ciel, however just as quickly the door was slammed shut again. “Figures,” Vex huffed, rolling his eyes and knocking on the oak panelled door.

“You realise there’s only one way out of that room right? Unless you can swim through the drainpipes.” Vex only just refrained from making a snarky reference to Ciel’s demonic heritage.

“Why are you here?” Ciel’s voice rasped through the door, it was croaky and pained and caused Vex to wince in uncharacteristic sympathy.

“You’re sick aren’t you?” Vex stated, “Felix told me your core’s unstable or something like that?”

“I’m fine,” Ciel hissed, throwing open the door again.

“There’s something gross dribbling down your chin,” Vex lied as Ciel flushed and immediately scrabbled at his face with his sleeve. Putting other people on the back foot was something that had always come naturally to Vex, he had learned from his father after all. “I assume that was your lunch?” Vex enquired, trying his best to sound apathetic.

“I’ve just got an upset stomach,” Ciel admitted quietly, his silver eyes downcast as he shuffled awkwardly. “I’m sure the medicine Felix gave me will kick in soon.”

“Not if you’ve thrown it all up,” Vex huffed.

“It – it wasn’t oral medicine,” Ciel replied, his expression tightening.

“Oh my,” Vex scoffed, “you really have been spending quality time with the good doctor haven’t you?”

“It was an injection you jerk! In the arm,” Ciel snapped. His irritation with Vex seemed to be causing a little more healthy colour to flood back into his face. For some reason the sight seemed to go some way in quelling the knot in Vex’s chest.   

“Whatever,” Vex shrugged, frowning at the place behind Ciel’s right ear where the yellow rose had been tucked. “Anyway, we need to go get your things, if you have anything worth bringing that is. If all your outfits are as dire as this one then I suggest simply burning them and starting afresh.”

Ciel let out an angry noise as he looked down to regard his own clothing. Vex smirked, clearly he had struck a nerve. Despite it being a complete disaster Ciel was obviously very meticulous about his appearance, his shoes always polished and his cardigans always neatly sewn and mended.

“Wait – what are you talking about?” Ciel asked suspiciously before his face shuttered darkly. “This is because of what I said to you isn’t it?”

“What are you talking about?” Vex frowned.

“Because I said those things to you in the library,” Ciel continued as Vex tensed, he had tried to laugh off and forget the ridiculous spiel Ciel had reeled off that day. “You ass,” Ciel hissed, his voice breaking halfway. “You promised I could stay here at Nessus – you said you wouldn’t let your father send me away and –“

“Wait!” Vex held up his hand in sudden comprehension. “You’re not leaving Nessus, Ciel.”

“Then where am I going?” Ciel demanded suspiciously, crossing his arms over his chest. His irritated expression was serving to make him look like some sort of spiny puffer fish.  

“To my room,” Vex groaned, this was proceeding in an even more awkward manner than he had anticipated. “Didn’t Felix tell you about the plan for you to feed off my core? Apparently you’ll keel over and perish without me, like some kind of parasite I guess,” Vex added with a huffed laugh, trying to regain control over the mood.

“That’s ridiculous,” Ciel replied, but his voice was less forceful than before.

“Oh good, we agree on something,” Vex rolled his eyes. “Look, if you don’t want to move in with me, that is just fine but don’t blame me for not offering when your core fragments and you shuffle off this mortal coil.”

“Wait!” Ciel yelped as Vex turned to walk away. “Will I really...will I really die? It’s just a stomach upset isn’t it?”

“Ask your doctor,” Vex shrugged. “What the hell would I know about your body,” Vex paused, feeling a nasty smirk cross his face. “Well, I mean of course other than how you –“

“Shut up,” Ciel barked, already anticipating where this was going. The blue tips of his pointed ears seemed to be throbbing with a reddish hue. “What do you mean move in with you? As in…your bedroom?”

“My quarters,” Vex corrected, “I’d hardly call my suite a ‘bedroom’.”

“But there’s only one bed?” Ciel blanched.

“It’s great you can count,” Vex nodded, “bodes well for the intellect of your unborn spawn. I’m having another bed put in obviously, I’m sure you can make do with a single right?”

“I don’t know…” Ciel fidgeted with his hands, picking off dry flakes of skin as Vex wrinkled his nose in distaste.

“Should I be insulted that you would rather die than share living quarters with me?” Vex asked, slightly surprised and wary when the beginnings of a small smile crossed Ciel’s face.

“Yes,” Ciel replied bluntly, still half smiling to himself in a way that almost made Vex wanted to join in.

“You’re an insufferable brat,” Vex laughed at last, giving in to the urge. “Come on,” he sighed, “I’ll even carry your suitcase, how about that?”

“In that case I want to bring all my favourite rocks,” Ciel replied, uncrossing his arms and beginning to walk down the hall towards the dorms.

“Insufferable,” Vex repeated but found he couldn’t quite summon up the biting tone he had intended.