Ciel buckled his suitcase shut, he had finally managed to pack everything he would need for the Neandate Islands as their flight was the next day. A few things had had to go in Vex’s bag as it was much bigger, along with Ciel’s new large fluffy coat in a bright pea green.

Vex had taken great amusement in informing Ciel that the coat’s exact shade was called ‘kelp’ on the website and Ciel had tried to hide his responding vivid blush.

He knew that Vex remembered what had happened in their shared dream, the way Ciel had allowed the magic tendrils of seaweed to spread him so obscenely wide, all for Vex’s viewing.

Due to the humiliating association, Ciel had refused to even try on the coat when it had first arrived but eventually, whilst Vex had been out at lectures, Ciel had shrugged the thick woollen garment on in front of a mirror and found himself smiling happily at how comfortable and snuggly it was. 

“Shit, shit,” Vex swore, stumbling out of the bathroom and fiddling with his cufflinks, teardrop rubies that looked like pricks of welled blood. “What time is it?”

“Eight,” Ciel replied, trying not to stare. Vex was dressed in a fully black suit, far smarter than Ciel had ever seen him before, given that the other man tended towards sweatpants.

Vex’s horns were freshly polished and gilded, gleaming gold against deep obsidian black. His silk shirt stretched perfectly across his broad chest and his expensive suit had clearly been tailored to the millimetre. Everything about Vex’s appearance screamed sex, wealth and power.

“Have fun,” Ciel offered lamely as he looked down at his own raggedy pyjamas and bare feet.

“Try not to miss me too much,” Vex winked as Ciel rolled his eyes, watching the other man leave the room, a wake of silence descending after him. Ciel sighed, hauling himself up onto his bed and wiggling his webbed toes in a moment of indecisive boredom.

He could hear the waltz of classical music drifting across the courtyard from the Fountain Room. The Nessus ballroom was named purely as there was a large wall mosaic of a fountain surrounded by peacocks on one side.

Faint notes of laughter and the clinking of champagne glasses echoed above the neighbouring rose bushes.

Ciel slid back out of bed, his curiosity piqued as he opened up one of the iron lattice windows and leaned out into the freezing air. Great, stretched out cars that looked like they were from the twenties were rolling up and depositing smiling demons clad in finery and winter furs.

One particularly striking demon with waist-length fiery red hair was also sporting a metre high fascinator that appeared to be comprised of taxidermied scorpions, all of different shapes and sizes, glazed with iridescent colours.

Ciel couldn’t help but feel his eyes widen, a small smile on his lips as he took in the marvels. Several guests had obviously painted their horns with some sort of bioluminescent substance and they glowed ethereally, pale blues and greens in the deep indigo night.

A gentle knock on the door made Ciel jump, losing his grip on the windowsill and allowing his hand to slip onto a layer of icy frost.

Ciel hissed at the cold, quickly closing the window and wiping his hand on his pyjamas before hurrying over. He knew that Vex had taken a key so it was with slight hesitancy that Ciel cracked open the heavy, oak panelled door.

“Felix!” Ciel exclaimed in surprise. The other man was stood in the hallway wearing a grin along with a beautiful and ornately patterned blue suit.

Felix’s blond hair was gelled back in tamed waves and small sapphire gems hung delicately from his twirling ivory horns, the base of which had been dusted with a type of sparkling blue glitter.

“You look amazing,” Ciel flushed as he stuttered over the compliment.

“Thank you,” Felix beamed before presenting Ciel with a large bag with some designer’s name inscribed across the front.

“What’s this?” Ciel frowned.

“A suit and shoes,” Felix nodded, walking into the quarters and closing the door behind him. “I figured you might not have one and to be honest Ciel, I would be honoured if you would come to the ball with me.”

“Me?” Ciel squeaked in shock. “Vex said I shouldn’t go.”

“Yes, I heard,” Felix sighed before adopting a slightly wicked smirk, “But I’m pretty sure he only meant you shouldn’t go with him.”

Ciel let out a laugh of disbelief before falling back against Vex’s bed, sitting down with the bag in his lap. “Felix, this is very kind of you but…” Ciel trailed off, a million excuses and reasons on the tip of his tongue.

“But nothing,” Felix huffed. “Come on Ciel – the Elders have gone all out this year and everyone’s there. You deserve to come and have some fun, albeit without alcohol and a reasonable bedtime,” Felix laughed. “Besides, you’ll have your doctor right beside you – what could be more sensible than that?”

Ciel smiled as he chewed on his lip. “Okay then,” he said quietly, but evidently Felix heard him as the other man triumphantly clapped his hands together. “I’ll just go change,” Ciel held the bag close to his chest and walked over into the bathroom.

A moment later he slid out the suit from the bag. It was a stunning deep teal with a dark inky blue shirt, swirling wave patterns were sewn across the silky fabric. Ciel couldn’t believe how perfectly the outfit fitted his shape. He supposed Felix must have all his measurements from being his physician.

Ciel was pretty sure the shirt had even been let out slightly at the front to allow for the gentle swelling of his pregnant stomach.

There was a body length wall-mounted mirror in the bathroom that Ciel always tried to avoid but he was convinced Vex spent most of his time in front of. Now, however, Ciel crept cautiously towards the reflective surface, taking a sharp intake of breath as he saw himself.

The teal fitted so well with his complexion, serving to make the still visible patches of red rash less obvious. The shirt was high necked with beautiful rose shaped silver buttons.

Even the shoes, which looked shinier than anything Ciel had ever owned, were deeply comfortable. Ciel noticed too that his tail, which was in its usual position of nervously stringing itself around his leg, was less blatant due to the deep teal of the trouser fabric.

“Should I do something with my hair?” Ciel muttered to himself whilst threading his fingers through his slightly wavy azure locks. It had honestly grown a little long but Ciel had been so distracted by other events that he hadn’t got around to giving himself a haircut recently.

He opened the bathroom cabinet door and skimmed over the products on the upper shelf that he knew belonged to Vex. Ciel wasn’t really sure what most of them did but he spread a small dollop of what he hoped was a pleasantly scented gel through his hair, taming it back before frowning, the effect still looked a little messy.

Ciel glanced behind him at the elastic band Vex used to hold the shower scraper up, he quickly untied it before coaxing his hair back once more into a small, but much neater ponytail.

“Okay,” Ciel breathed out, nodding at himself. He didn’t have any impressive horns to gild or exotic tail to buff or bejewel but hopefully the suit was still making up for all that. He exited nervously out of the bathroom whereupon Felix let out a low whistle.

“I knew that would look good on you,” Felix announced with a pleased expression. “Come on then, let’s get there before all the best canapés are gone.”

Ciel smiled, allowing Felix to link their arms together and guide him towards the sounds of rousing music.