akiruchan: (SebWater)
[personal profile] akiruchan
Title: The Devil's Canvas
Chapter: 41 (part one)/?
Authors: Akiru chan & Disgruntled Minion
Pairing/Characters:  Sebastian/Ciel
Rating: M
Summary: Ciel's skin was marred with ink and blood, telling tales twisted in darkness. What an evil path the devil walks, tainted hands staining the innocent canvas. For the most beautiful art is painted in blood.
Warnings: Violence, adult content, yaoi, and language

Chapter Forty-One

The car pulled up in front of the mansion and Sebastian glanced around. It was still early in the morning, around three or so, and Sebastian’s body ached for a soft bed. He hated the after effects of stake out assignments like the one they had just pulled. Sleep tugged at his mind and he wanted nothing more than a bed to sleep on and then a warm meal in the morning.

The only plus side of such assignments was that they would have time off for the next few days. It would take a full day and night of sleep for their bodies to start recovering and Sebastian had no doubt that they would wake up tomorrow around two and have a nice romp in bed before falling asleep again.

His eyes darted to the backseat of the car which was empty and still clean despite his previous want to take Ciel in the backseat. With an annoyed huff, Sebastian circled the car to pull his bags from the trunk. When he had arrived at Ciel’s location, the room had been cleared, with the exception of the horrible stench from the dead bird.

At first, Sebastian had feared the worst, thinking that Ciel had been kidnapped. But there were no signs of struggle or anything left to suggest that someone had taken him. It wasn’t until Sebastian had reached his car that he remembered Tanaka telling them that there would be a chance that he would send someone to pick Ciel up.

It had annoyed Sebastian that the old man hadn’t called to inform Sebastian of such a change or even left a note. Not as though Tanaka could’ve called him on his phone, as the device was back at the parlor, but Tanaka had their radio frequency and could’ve alerted him that way.

Sebastian pushed aside the annoyance as he moved down the hallways. A hot shower was in order before he could welcome sleep with open arms. And if he was lucky, a quick round of shower sex before sleep. The thought made his lips twitch and he knocked on the office doors before moving inside.

Tanaka glanced up at him from behind the desk and offered a small smile. “Welcome back, Sebastian.” He tilted his head to the side and tried to peer around Sebastian. “Is Ciel lagging behind you or did he fall asleep on the way to my office?”

Sebastian’s eyes widened slightly and he felt his blood run cold. “Ciel’s not here?” He asked and his fingers tightened around the strap of his bag.

A frown crossed Tanaka’s face and he leaned back in his chair, looking suddenly tense. “Not that I’m aware. He should have come home with you,” he informed and reached for his cell on the desk. There were no missed calls. It was possible that Claude had gone ahead and picked Ciel up without Tanaka’s orders to do so, but the man would have at least called to inform him about the change of plans.

“The room,” Sebastian croaked and paused to clear his throat so he could deliver his report properly. His first fears were quickly becoming a reality, and babbling like an idiot wouldn’t help to give Tanaka the full scope of the situation. “The room was cleared out when I went to pick up Ciel. All his belongings were gone and nothing was left behind to indicate that he had been taken.”

Sebastian paused and let his mind wander back to the past hour or two. “He never mentioned that anyone had picked up on his location or had hinted that someone might know where he was. We were clean the whole way through.” His hand flexed once, trying to work circulation back into his fingers. “We were never attacked and there were no signs that anyone knew we were there. I didn’t see anyone else staking out the area around us. No patterns of the same car, and no vehicle was parked on the side of the road for hours.”

“No signs of a struggle?” As it was, there were no outright signs to be worried about thus far. Ciel hadn’t been there for Sebastian to pick him up, but perhaps it was the boy’s doing rather than any outside source. “Was he upset when you left to retrieve him? Anything that might cause for him to want to leave before you?”

“No,” Sebastian answered. “Bored, yes, but he wasn’t going to leave because of that. I had promised to treat him as soon as our assignment was over and I know he wouldn’t have left before then.” There was no reason for Ciel to leave before him. The younger male had been too excited about the prospect of having sex in the car to just up and leave without a word.

Tanaka was silent, an anxious worry beginning to write itself on his face. Looking up, he settled Sebastian with a stern look. “You are sure there was no one within the area, no signs that you might have been watched? There wasn’t even a moment where your guard was down to allow someone to slip past?” The old man’s eyes were hard and every bit the imposing man that he could be.

Ciel’s pleasure filled moans filled Sebastian’s mind and he masked his face carefully. “No, Sir,” he said firmly. “Throughout the full three days that we were there, never once did we see anything that posed a threat. I had a visual of possible human trafficking but at the time couldn’t follow the lead. After that night, the warehouse was cleared out again and remained empty.

“Ciel never reported anything in his area, either,” Sebastian continued. “He said that he entered clean, but I only watched him for so long before I left. And I know I entered and left clean. The seal was still on the car and I checked to make sure that nothing was placed on it for tracking purposes.”

The phone in Tanaka’s hand was flipped open and he quickly dialed a number. He could only hope that someone else had picked up the boy for whatever reason. It seemed like a long shot at this point but one could only hope. The line was picked up and Tanaka spoke quickly. “Have you had contact with Ciel in the past five hours?” There was a pause in which the old man frowned, the lines of age on his face deepening. “I want his whereabouts now; question all you can.”

A suffering sigh left his mouth and he stood, needing to move. “Claude never went to pick him up, but I’m having him question the rest of the family.” Once more, a hard look was leveled upon Sebastian. There had to be something that explained what had happened. As it stood now, it seemed as if the boy had just vanished. “What had Ciel been doing previous to you leaving? Would he be given any reason to leave without you, anything at all? You never heard anything over the radio.” There was a strain in the man’s voice, a product of worry and frustration.

Sebastian shook his head. “I know for sure that Ciel would’ve waited for me. The last hour or so, he was tired and bored but was still watching the streets and camera for any heat sources.” His throat tightened at the last words that Ciel had spoken to him. “Ciel wanted to take a nap and sounded drowsy when I had last talked with him. That was the last contact I had with him before I left my location.”

If Ciel had fallen asleep like he wanted to, there was a chance that someone could’ve slipped in and taken him away. With Ciel being sleepy and exhausted, he wouldn’t have put up much of a fight. Guilt tore through Sebastian, knowing that Ciel’s drowsy state was brought on by their actions earlier in the night. If they hadn’t done such a thing, then Ciel would’ve had a better chance against his possible attackers.

For a moment Tanaka said nothing, an unnerving blankness crossing his face. “And you found it irrelevant to wait until now to tell me this? So there was a possible moment in which someone could have infiltrated.” There was something odd in Sebastian’s demeanour and Tanaka was finding his anger over the situation rising. This wasn’t like Sebastian to be so withholding. Something had happened, and it seemed as if the man was unwilling to release the details. “Is there anything else you’ve neglected to tell me?” Tanaka asked, voice suddenly dangerous.

Sebastian winced slightly, feeling as though he was ten again and Tanaka was reprimanding him for endangering an assignment by leaving behind a bag of food and forgetting to clean up his location. His eyes closed and Sebastian let out a small sigh, knowing that Tanaka wasn’t going to like the words about to come out of his mouth. “There was, Sir,” Sebastian said slowly and he lowered his eyes respectfully. There was no denying what had happened earlier and it was something that was going to come back to haunt Sebastian now. “We...we indulged ourselves, Sir.”

It didn’t take long to figure out just what Sebastian was trying to say. Tanaka’s eyes flashed and he turned to fully face Sebastian, standing only a foot away. Despite the height difference, Tanaka was no less intimidating and the man knew that very well. “You did what?” He hissed, anger and disappointment clearly visible.

Crimson eyes looked down at Tanaka’s shoes before they slowly rose to meet the older males gaze. “I’m sorry, Tanaka,” Sebastian said lowly, guilt lacing his words.

The slap that resounded throughout the room was entirely unexpected if not very much deserved. “How could you?” Tanaka asked with a tight tone, emotions being kept in check. “You know better, and I expect better coming from you. Do you have any idea what you have done?” It was hard for the old man to grasp just what either his grandson or Sebastian was thinking in indulging in something like that.

Tanaka knew them to be far more affectionate with one another than he’d like to be aware of, but he trusted them to know the proper time and place. “If Ciel is killed because of your stupidity, then it shall be on your shoulders.” There was no forgiveness offered to Sebastian, and Tanaka wouldn’t even bother to give such false hope.

Sebastian stayed silent, knowing that he couldn’t blame anyone else other than himself. Tanaka was right. Being the oldest and the one with the most knowledge in the field, Sebastian shouldn’t have let Ciel get away with such a thing. It was a mark against himself, showing that he wasn’t as trained as he should be. And that more than ever, Ciel was his weakness.

It was something that Sebastian had been turning a blind eye to, but no longer could he hide from the facts. Such actions had caused Ciel to be taken and had put his life in danger. Danger that Sebastian had been trying to keep Ciel from since the very beginning.

“I’ll find him,” Sebastian stated, ignoring the burning pain in his cheek as he spoke. “I’ll find him and bring him back home.”

“Go back to where you were stationed. Search Ciel’s room and hope you find some leads.” Tanaka shook his head and retreated back to his desk. He suddenly felt so tired and so old. The thought humored him darkly and he wondered how he had been so lucky to live this long. Hopefully he could give his grandson the same fortune.

Sebastian inclined his head and turned on his heel quickly. There was no time to waste and the quicker he could get back to Ciel’s location, the faster they could start to look for him. There had to be something that he had missed the first time and Sebastian was determined to find them.

He moved out of the office and shut the doors quietly behind him. The mansion was quiet still and would probably stay that way. For now, Ciel’s disappearance would be kept silent until they had proof that someone else had him.

“You messed up,” someone stated lowly from the shadows.

Sebastian turned slightly and his lip curled at the sight of Claude. “Keep going, Claude,” he goaded. “Keep talking so I can punch you right in your annoying, fucking mouth. Give me the pleasure of shoving my fist into your stomach so I can hear you gag and retch.”

“I don’t think I’m quite the one you wish to harm at the moment,” Claude continued to talk, falling in step next to Sebastian as they continued down the hallway. “But please do refrain from doing anything too drastic to yourself. I’d hate to clean up the mess.” The self loathing was more than apparent to Claude. It practically painted Sebastian’s features an ugly green, making it seem as if the man would be sick with regret at any moment.

What had happened, Claude did not know. From the phone call Tanaka had given him, he had assessed that Ciel was missing, and added with Sebastian’s behavior, it was evident that the man blamed himself. “What happened?” The question was asked out of curiosity and something Claude would not acknowledge as concern.

“Nothing that needs to be told to you,” Sebastian answered quickly and turned down the hallway. The foyer loomed before them and Sebastian sucked in a deep breath before coming to a stop and turning around. “Why the hell are you still following me, Faustus? I told you that this doesn’t concern you.”

“Blame it on curiosity or just my amusement over the situation, but I might as well tag along. Tanaka asked me to locate Ciel, so I figure following you would be my best course of action at this point.” Claude didn’t waste a moment in gathering his jacket and some weapons from the the coat closet. He checked the clips and two guns into the waistband of his slacks. “And I’ll find out what happened sooner or later. After all, that’s sort of my job.”

Sebastian stopped in front of the front doors and stared at Claude. “No. Tanaka asked me to find him. He only asked if you had seen or heard from him, and then to ask around.” He placed a hand on Claude’s chest to keep him from moving forward anymore. “It’s my job to find Ciel and bring him back home. Not yours.”

Claude’s eyes hardened and he removed Sebastian’s hand with some force. “Then I’m coming with you to make sure you don’t do something stupid.” Golden eyes bore into scarlet and he pushed past Sebastian towards the door. “If the worst were to happen, I trust that you don’t want to face that alone.” No words were needed to define what the worst would be. Claude could only hope that Ciel was found alive; otherwise, he was not looking forward to the headache a tragic outcome would cause.

“And why would I turn to you in a situation like that?” Sebastian snarled as he spun around to face Claude’s back, and his eyes flashed with anger. “You don’t think I would turn to someone else? Maybe Carmella or Finny? We’re through, Claude. We’ve been through for years now. What other reason would you have to offer your support? To shove your relationship with Alois in my face as a way to mock me of what I once had with you? Or perhaps to taunt me, showing me that I’ll never be happy again because Ciel is gone?”

“Don’t confuse my intentions,” Claude spat. “I care little with wasting my time finding amusement in your heartache. But you will come to me if things turn for the worst, because I am the only one who could possibly fathom what you would be going through.” It was no lie. Claude knew that Ciel was as dear to Sebastian as Alois was to Claude, and it was because of that that he could understand Sebastian’s pain.

Sebastian recoiled slightly at the statement. He didn’t want Claude to know what he was going through and could possibly go through himself if the worst were to happen. It meant that Claude was showing sympathy or trying to find something that they could relate to. And Sebastian didn’t want Claude that close again.

Because despite everything that had happened between them, from their years of dating to their breakup, and up until now, Claude was the closet person he had to a brother. A brother that was twice removed and was only related by a marriage from another relative that was only half related to the family, but family nonetheless, and family leaned on each other during the rough times.

And right now, Sebastian’s pillar had crumbled and fallen away to rest at his feet in pieces. He was falling and drowning in darkness without Ciel. While Sebastian had always welcomed the darkness, it was different now without Ciel at his side. It felt more empty and darker than it had been when the younger male was there.

More than anything, Sebastian didn’t want to lean on Claude if something had happened to Ciel. Such a thing would only be seen as weakness and people did stupid things when they felt weak and helpless. He didn’t want Claude to be the small pinpoint of light in his darkening world if Ciel was gone.

“You know nothing,” he finally croaked and crossed his arms across his chest; a defensive move but at the time, Sebastian couldn’t bring himself to care. “You don’t know a thing.”

“Don’t lie to yourself. It doesn’t become you.” The door was held open and Claude waited patiently. He had to acknowledge that the situation settled no better with him. No situation with Sebastian left Claude feeling comfortable, and this was no exception.

Sebastian shifted slightly, debating with himself before letting out a long-suffering sigh. He was wasting time by standing here and arguing with Claude. Even though he hated the man, with the two of them searching, there was a chance that they could find something quicker.

He took a step forward with a small amount of hesitation before placing another foot before him. He was doing this for Ciel. And if it was for Ciel, Sebastian would put up with Claude. But he still needed to set one thing straight with the older male. “I still hate you,” Sebastian said as he brushed past Claude.

Claude smirked and placed his hand on Sebastian’s shoulder, pushing the other away. “And I loathe you. Glad to get that straightened out.” The shove had some meaning behind it, driving Sebastian in the direction of Claude’s car opposed to the dark blue vehicle parked near the hedges.

For a second, Sebastian balked and turned to face his own car, wanting nothing more than the familiarity of it. But Claude’s hand was tight and persistent on his shoulder, and with a small grunt of annoyance, Sebastian turned towards Claude’s car.

“Good boy.” Claude patted Sebastian on the back and then released the man altogether. He would tease Sebastian, but Claude knew when to back away or face injury. Now was not the best time to gamble with Sebastian’s patience, so all teasing was kept to a minimum. Once at the car, Claude moved into the driver’s seat and started the engine while he waited for Sebastian to climb in.

The younger male slid in without a word and shut the door quietly behind him. “Warehouse district,” Sebastian said softly, telling Claude where to go. There would be no need to give the older man directions until they actually reached the district, something Sebastian was grateful for. The less talking he had to do with Claude, the better.

Unfortunately, Claude had other plans as he drove down the dark drive and pulled onto the desolate street that would lead to the main road. “I’m still waiting to hear what happened. So far, I’m inclined to guess that you were an idiot again and forced your little prince charming to frolic off into the wolf’s den.”

Sebastian’s lip curled. “I didn’t force him anywhere and he didn’t leave on his own accord, either.” He glanced out the window to watch the street lights flash by as they pulled out onto the main road. “And you would do well to curb your curiosity before it gets you killed.”

Claude’s eye shifted from the road to look Sebastian over. “By you? I think I’ll survive.” The bored expression went back to the street as they merged into heavier traffic. It was early but there were still a good amount of people out.

“I highly doubt that,” Sebastian stated and his eyes tracked a car that passed them. Probably someone trying to get to work early enough so they could leave earlier that afternoon.

“You’re not the only one who’s improved their skill.” There was a bite to those words, yet none of it showed in Claude’s expression. He remained impassive and focused on his driving, changing lanes and speeding past a truck.

Sebastian didn’t bother to answer, choosing instead to let Claude think what he wanted. There was no point in arguing such a topic; there would be no winners and they could debate the subject for hours. And given the current situation, it was something that Sebastian didn’t want to fight now.

They lapsed into silence and Claude allowed for it. He wasn’t in the mood for probing when answers weren’t forthcoming. Scenery changed and they headed into the more industrialized part of of the city, the shops and people looking less kept and distinguished. It was simple to pick out the homeless, but neither Claude nor Sebastian gave them more than a glance as they drove by.

“Turn here,” Sebastian said after almost thirty minutes of silence. He pointed to an old worn out sign that would fall off the pole at the next strong storm. The familiar scene quickly came into view and Sebastian shifted in his seat, anxious to start looking for anything that could tell him where Ciel was.

The change in Sebastian’s demeanour did not go unnoticed by Claude. He felt his own body tense for what could come of this situation. There was a possibility that their presence was expected and they could face anything from armed men to bombs. Somehow none of those seemed as bad as finding Ciel dead. If that came to pass, then even Claude was beginning to wonder what he would do with Sebastian.

“What building?” Claude asked.

“This one,” Sebastian answered and pointed out the building Ciel had been staying in. He glanced across the street and checked their surroundings once more. It was still quiet due to the early morning hour, but within an hour or two, the streets would be full of people trying to get into the factories.

The car pulled over and they both exited with slow and cautious movements. Claude grimaced at the stench of the streets, but he pushed his disgust aside. “Such lovely property,” Claude drawled sarcastically as they moved into the interior of the building. He didn’t even bother trying to guess what it could have been prior to foreclosure.

Sebastian didn’t say anything as he moved down the hallway, his gun already drawn. They didn’t know what was waiting for them and Sebastian silently feared the worst. He’d rather face a room full of armed men than see Ciel’s dead body scattered out in pieces across the room. He swallowed the bile that threatened to come up his throat at the thought and silently took his position near the door.

There was hesitation as Claude stood only a breath from Sebastian’s body, his eyes roaming all about him, gun pointed down the hall. “Do you want me to go in first?” A stench, although light, was permeating close to where they stood. It turned Claude’s stomach but not for typical reasons. It was the smell of death, and it did nothing to settle his growing anxiety.

Something had died in that room, and Claude was hoping it wasn’t anything of concern. A part of his brain supplied him that a freshly killed corpse wouldn’t be smelling this soon, even with the heat. Images of disembowelment, blood soaked floors, and severed limbs entered Claude’s mind, along with the smell that came with such things. He could only hope that wasn’t the picture painted out in the room.

“Something died here,” Claude forewarned, although he knew Sebastian could smell it as well. It was a smell they were well acquainted with and one you could never miss.

Sebastian nodded briefly, preparing himself for whatever the room could hold. He sucked in a deep breath before steadying his gun. With a finger, he pointed to himself, then held the finger up, signaling that he would go in first.

Claude slid around him and stretched his arm out until his hand quietly wrapped around the door knob. A small twist showed that it was unlocked and Sebastian gave a sharp nod to the older man as his shoulders rounded forward and the gun was leveled at chest height.

The older male twisted the door knob all the way to the side and pushed the door into the room, allowing Sebastian to round the door frame. His eyes quickly took in the area that had once served as the living room to a family before he moved further into the interior.

Claude was struck by the nonthreatening appearance of the place as he moved in. It was dirty and falling apart, but free of any of the morbidity that he had been expecting. They did a quick sweep of the place and met back in the middle. “There’s nothing.” Which was odd considering the smell of death and the apparent lack of anything dead or decaying.

Sebastian breathed shallowly through his mouth. “Ciel had mentioned that it smelt this way when he first arrived at the place. I think an animal had died.” His stomach turned and he felt bad that Ciel had had to stay in such conditions for three days. He did not remember the stench being nearly as bad as when he had come to retrieve Ciel, but his mind had been else where then. “The room’s clear, but we still need to look for any signs of struggle or something to suggest that he had been taken,” Sebastian stated and moved to latch the door shut so no one else could get in.

So far, and at the surface, Claude couldn’t ascertain if anything was out of place or worth further inspection. There hadn’t even been signs of a forced entry. He moved over to the window and the only spot that showed signs of movement and tampering. “I’m guessing he was positioned here.” Claude pointed towards a crude outline of a body, where the dust had been disturbed and compacted from weight. “He was lying down at one point. Perhaps knocked out?” He looked up to Sebastian for the man’s opinion, hoping to get a clearer picture.

“He had wanted to take a nap right as I was getting ready to leave and come pick him up,” Sebastian answered and moved next to Claude. He squatted down and balanced the weight on the balls of his feet as he looked at the outline. Pivoting slowly, Sebastian turned around until he could see the front door and checked the ground for any footprints.

“Well that was unprofessional. I figured you taught him better than that, or did you just bore him to death.” Perhaps his last choice of words weren’t the best, but Claude couldn’t bring himself to care much when he couldn’t take them back.

A low growl left Sebastian’s throat. “We had been on assignment for three days straight with no sleep. I doubt your precious Alois could handle even two days.” Sebastian cursed low under his breath as he continued to look around the area for anything that could be helpful.

Cool gold eyes slid to stare at their companion. “But he isn’t Alois. Ciel will one day lead this family. He should be above such things. And you,” Claude gave Sebastian a hard look, “should know your partner’s shortcomings and plan to compensate for them. To make such a mistake isn’t the Sebastian I know.”

Sebastian’s head snapped to the side and the muscles in his legs tensed as he glared at Claude. A small smirk on the other male’s lips made the tension snap and within a second, Sebastian tackled the older man to the ground. They hit the ground with a loud thump and Sebastian’s hands bunched into Claude’s shirt. “You don’t know a damn thing,” he snarled. Anger at himself and his actions bubbled in Sebastian’s stomach and threatened to overcome him at any moment.

Ciel was Sebastian’s anchor. He wasn’t sure when it had happened, but Ciel had become the one constant thing in Sebastian’s life. The younger male was what pushed Sebastian forward now; gave him a reason to keep fighting and at the same time, kept him sane. Ciel had somehow become Sebastian’s world. But the only thing Sebastian knew was that he couldn’t stand the thought of living without Ciel. The younger male had worked his way so far into his life that such a thought terrified Sebastian more than he was willing to admit.

The anger that had mounted at Claude’s words rushed away and Sebastian’s hands uncurled, pressing flat against Claude’s torso. His body lost all strength and he slumped forward as he lowered his head onto Claude’s chest. “You don’t know anything,” he murmured.

Claude’s head fell to the side, looking off into the room and not daring to look at the man above him. With an awkward grace, his hand came up to settle on top of Sebastian’s head, feeling the soft hair that he had once known. “The two of you are nothing but idiots; you belong together, that’s for sure,” Claude whispered, voice lacking any emotion. “It’s a good thing that boy is headstrong; he won’t be easy to kill. But whatever ends up happening, I’m sure he’ll be back soon enough to give me a migraine. Such is my luck.”

Sebastian chuckled weakly and squeezed his eyes shut once before letting out a shaky sigh. He needed to control himself now and act as he used to, with cold-hearted determination and a clear head. Sulking and feeling sorry for himself wouldn’t get them anywhere, and Sebastian was tired of feeling that way.

Turning his head to the side, he inconspicuously wiped his nose on Claude’s shirt in order to ensure that his nose wasn’t running anymore. With the matter taken care of, Sebastian rolled off the older male and stood up, cold and focused eyes darting around the room. “Check the footprints throughout the whole room. The amount of dust should make it slightly easy to find.”

For a moment, Claude contemplated making a comment about his now sullied shirt but he knew that now wasn’t the time. Things had gotten too out of control, and he wouldn’t allow something like that to happen again. He stood quickly and turned his attention to the prime areas for traffic. There was a path where the dust had been pushed aside, but no distinctive tracks could be found. If Claude looked at it closer, he could almost assume that something had been dragged over the area to clean off any tracks.

[Part Two]

Profile

akiruchan: (Default)
Akiru chan

January 2012

S M T W T F S
1234567
891011121314
15161718192021
22232425 262728
293031    

Style Credit

Page generated Jul. 15th, 2025 10:36 pm
Powered by Dreamwidth Studios

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags