I am your king.

Chapter II | Part VI

Adrian was snuggled against Vincent. Sleeping on the ground was a disgrace and a nuisance but there wasn't any choice. He'd barely gotten any sleep with those two making noise the entire time. Just when he thought maybe sleep would finally greet him, Vincent got up and his head smacked against the ground. He kicked open the door and opened the balcony window. A small boy crawled up.

"Sir," he held out his hand. "Please help."

"Ciel, what are you doing here?!" Vincent grabbed his hand and yanked him up. "You're much too young to be sent on any missions. Has my mother really gotten so desperate without me?"

"No," Ciel clung to Vincent. "I just missed you."

"What is the meaning of this?" Rachel pointed. "Do you have a wife and son?!"

"What?" Vincent stifled a laugh. "You think I-?" he couldn't contain it.

Ciel frowned. "The Phantomhive family, no matter how distant the relatives, always have a way of looking distinctly similar. If you know of the Phantoms, why don't you know that much?"

"A whole family that looks just like Vincent," Adrian nearly fainted from imagining it.

"Ciel, there is no need to be rude. She is the princess," Vincent ruffled his hair and picked him up. Ciel clung to his neck.

"She is no princess of mine," he stuck his tongue out.

"For someone that is almost an adult you aren't very mature," Vincent placed Ciel back on the ground. He picked up the blankets on the bed and swung them off, to reveal Lau sleeping soundly. Vincent blew on his neck. The male jumped up and shrieked.

"Are you the Devil?!" Lau frowned.

"No, but I'm friends with him."

"I hate you," Lau shed a tear. "I was having a good dream too. A nice getaway boat with beautiful people surrounding me."

"Are you hungover?" Vincent crossed his arms.

"No, I wasn't drunk."

"Good," he smiled, a devious grin, and grabbed Lau by the arm. He dragged him to the balcony and threw him off.

"Was that a wise thing to do? Won't someone see him? Or hear him screaming?" Rachel asked.

"That's not my problem," Vincent smiled.

"Do you have a grudge against him or something?"

Vincent ignored the question and shoved the two newlyweds toward the bed. "Sleep. You need to at least pretend to like each other. I need to talk to Ciel."

Vincent put on his spare uniform and closed the balcony's window door. The two Phantoms sat on the balcony. "Why are you here?"

"I needed to see you," Ciel couldn't hide his concern. "She is planning something on the day of the coronation. You must be careful."

"Me?"

"Yes, you. She is after your head because she can't stand your betrayal."

"What is the point in that?" Vincent sighed. "My head will mean nothing to her once I'm gone."

"She wants to back you into a corner and drag you back."

"It's dangerous for you to be here, Ciel, you should go home."

"You are my home," Ciel sobbed, hugging Vincent once more. "I miss you so much. You're like a father to me."

"I'd be a terrible father."

"Not to me."

...

"No matter how many times I do this, I really do hate it." Grell scrubbed and scrubbed but the wine stain wasn't getting any better. He sighed and sunk to the ground. He wanted to face plant into the river and wash away with the current.

"Did the royal guard get caught up in the celebration?" William sat down next to Grell. The redhead nearly jumped out of his skin.

"No, the merchant fellow spilled a lot of nonsense onto him." Grell sighed and continued scrubbing. "What are you doing here, General?"

"The Queen is planning for the coronation and I have been given a day off, apparently."

"What does that have to do with you being here?"

"Do you have a problem with me being on my own property?" William pointed to the small abode behind the two of them. Grell had completely forgotten that William didn't live with the other knights.

"Why are you talking with me then? Don't you hate me?" Grell frowned.

"I don't hate you. It's my job to follow rules, that's all," William stared at the water. He looked at Grell's reflection through the ripples. "Your hair is a lot shorter now."

"It's been like this for a while," Grell reached up touch the haggard edges. "I keep meaning to ask Vincent to even it out a bit. He seems good at that kind of thing. I just haven't found the time."

"Do you miss your long hair?"

"Hm, no, not really. It was such a nuisance."

"Then why did you grow it in the first place?"

"You don't remember?"

"Remember what?"

"You were the one that said I would look better with long hair," Grell smiled albeit awkwardly.

"Did I?"

Grell nodded. He adjusted his glasses and spoke in a William falsetto, "You know, Grell, short hair simply doesn't look quite right on you. Long hair would be much nicer." Grell let out a long sigh. "It's a shame I couldn't have kept it. I look weird now, don't I?"

"Different doesn't equal weird."

"Hm," Grell ran his hands through William's hair. He messed it up and parted it in an unusual fashion. "I don't know," he laughed. "Different on you is quite weird."

"That's because I'm not beautiful."

Grell, upon staring into William's eyes as he said that, was unable to fully process that he'd just been indirectly called beautiful. As his brain struggled to catch up, the uniform he'd been trying to clean was swept away by the current. "Oh no!" Grell jumped up and rushed after it. He tripped over his own feet and just barely managed to grasp the sleeve as he fell face first into the water.

"Are you okay?" William made no effort to assist the fallen servant but his voice was oddly comforting.

"I might get sick but I didn't injure anything, I think," Grell sighed, standing up.

William stood up too. He wiped the dirt off of his pants and gestured to his home. "You should come inside and get dried off."

"Me?" Grell pointed to himself. "Go inside there?" He pointed to the door. "But you never let anyone inside!"

"I'm not a demon, Grell." William opened the door. "I'm partially to blame for you falling; I won't let you get sick now too."

"Oh," Grell nodded. "Makes sense."