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The grandiose study in the Phantomhive Manor was cloaked in an atmosphere of subdued tension as Ciel Phantomhive, adorned in his usual aristocratic attire, sat across Alois Trancy.
"So, dear Ciel, have you finally accepted my invitation to engage in a friendly game of chess?" Alois purred, his tone laced with thinly veiled sarcasm.
Ciel's lips curled into a disdainful smirk as he lifted his gaze to meet Alois's. "Hardly friendly, Trancy. Merely a temporary diversion from our more pressing matters."
Alois chuckled softly “How could I forget? Tell me, Ciel, have you made any progress in apprehending the elusive serial killer plaguing our fair city?"
"Indeed. Sebastian has been gathering information, but the killer's methods are proving to be quite... elusive."
"Such a pity," Alois mused, idly tracing the rim of his wine glass with his slender fingers. "One would think that with your esteemed reputation, you would have no trouble sniffing out a mere mortal."
Ciel's jaw clenched imperceptibly, a flicker of annoyance crossing his features before he composed himself once more “We are doing just fine”.
Alois leaned forward, his icy blue eyes glinting with mischief. "Oh, I have no doubt about that, dear Ciel. After all, you have your loyal butler by your side, don't you?" He gestured towards the door with a smirk, insinuating Sebastian's presence.
"Sebastian's capabilities are not to be underestimated. Unlike some, he doesn't rely solely on theatrics to achieve results."
"Ah, but theatrics can be quite effective in their own right, wouldn't you agree? After all, one must entertain oneself while waiting for the wheels of justice to turn."
“Why are you actually here, surely you wouldn’t come all the way over to the Phantomhive manor just for you to be so interested in a case” Ciel asked while leaning back in his chair.
“Let’s go on a date”
Ciel's expression remained impassive “what”.
"I said, let's go on a date, Ciel. It'll be delightful, I promise."
"You must be joking, Trancy. I have neither the time nor the inclination for such frivolities."
“But the killer is into blondes, all of the victims were blonde” he smiled “Surely you can understand where I’m going with this”.
The implications were clear, but Ciel refused to let himself be swayed by such manipulative tactics.
"Using yourself as bait is reckless and foolish, Trancy," Ciel retorted sharply. "I will not entertain such a reckless plan."
Alois leaned back, his smile never faltering despite Ciel's stern refusal. "Ah, but Ciel, where's your sense of adventure? Besides, it's not like you to turn down an opportunity to outsmart a killer, is it?"
The room fell silent as Ciel got up from his chair.
“Tomorrow at 3 p.m, don’t be one minute late, we’ll start at the London bridge”. His tone left no room for argument. "But make no mistake, Trancy. If anything goes awry, I won't hesitate to punish you”
"I wouldn't expect anything less from you, dear Ciel. Until tomorrow then." With a flourish, he rose from his seat, adjusting the cuffs of his plum purple frock coat before sauntering out of the study, leaving Ciel to brood in the dimly lit room.
–
“Don’t you think you dressed too fancy for catching a criminal?” the younger asked and Alois rolled his eyes.
“We are supposed to be on a ‘date’ , I think I dressed just fine”.
Ciel's eyes narrowed slightly, a silent warning to Alois not to push his luck. "We're here to lure out a killer, not to frolic about like fools."
"Of course, of course," Alois replied, "But that doesn't mean we can't have a bit of fun while we're at it."
Ciel scoffed and started walking faster.
They’ve been walking around the bridge for a while but no one caught his eye, everyone just seemed to go with their business.
Suddenly, Alois's attention was snagged by a figure lurking in the shadows near the edge of the bridge. A sly grin curled at the corners of his lips as he nudged Ciel discreetly, inclining his head towards the suspicious person.
"There, Ciel. I think we've found our target," Alois murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.
Ciel followed Alois's gaze, looking to…Sebastian?
“What?” he quickly turned to Alois but the blonde was already hugging him.
“Happy Birthday!”
"Alois, what in the devil's name are you doing?" Ciel demanded, his tone sharp with irritation.
"Surprise, dear Ciel! Did you really think I'd forget your birthday?" Alois exclaimed, pulling away from the embrace with a grin plastered across his face.
“What does all of this mean?!”
“Well I knew you wouldn’t let anyone prepare a birthday party for you, so I had to plan something” Alois said happily.
“So the criminal never existed?”
Alois chuckled, his laughter echoing in the cool evening air. "Oh, there was never a criminal, just a little ruse to get you out here for your surprise party”.
Ciel's expression remained the same, though a faint flush of color touched his cheeks, betraying his embarrassment.
“Sebastian was in this plan too?”
Alois nodded gleefully.
Ciel knew he should be mad, that Alois wasted his time, that Sebastian was part of this, that there was a birthday party even though he clearly didn't want one, but he couldn’t when he looked at Alois’ expression.
"Fine," Ciel conceded with a reluctant sigh, "You've managed to surprise me, Trancy. Consider it a small victory."
Alois went back to hugging Ciel “Let’s go , the restaurant is at the end of the London bridge”.
He didn’t waste a second before dragging Ciel with him, he only stopped when they got in front of the building.
“Oh and Ciel?”
“Mh?”
Alois pulled Ciel by his collar and left a small peck on his lips.
"Alois, what..." Ciel began, his voice trailing off as he struggled to find the right words to say.
But Alois simply grinned "Consider it a birthday gift Now, shall we proceed with our dinner plans?"
Ciel hesitated for a moment, his gaze flickering between Alois's playful expression and the bustling restaurant behind them.
Ultimately, he nodded, a reluctant yet genuine smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
"Very well, Trancy. Lead the way," Ciel replied.