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The acrid tang of opium smoke clawed at Ciel's throat, clinging to his clothes like a shroud. The dim, cavernous den felt like a cage, squeezing the air from his lungs. But the most suffocating thing of all was the stubborn prince standing before him.
“Why won’t you just leave?” Ciel’s voice was steady and loud, “Wasn’t Agni’s passing enough of a lesson to you? There’s no need for you to—”
“Agni died protecting me, don’t you forget that,” Soma cut him off sharply, “he believed in me, and I know he believed in you as well! How dare you tell me to leave when he sacrificed everything?”
“I know damn well how he died!” Ciel retorted, “He died because you two idiots stayed by my side, no matter what I did or said.”
The prince’s silence was heavy as he watched the boy, fixated on the slight frown creasing his face.
“I warned you Soma,” Ciel laughed bitterly, “I told you to keep away from the very beginning.”
“And I stayed!” Soma exclaimed, placing his hands on the kid’s shoulder as he did so, “And I will continue to stay despite it all!”
Ciel couldn’t help but hate the expression on the prince’s face. Despite the evident fatigue, his eyes gleamed with determination, mirroring his own.
The earl could only avert his gaze, his voice barely above a whisper, “Then that makes you a fool.”
Those words only strengthened Soma’s resolve even more as he clung to Ciel, “Then a fool I shall remain, by your side.”
Ciel clenched his fists clenched at his side, knuckles turning white. “Can’t you get it through your head already? Aren’t you hurt enough? Agni is gone, and he’s gone because of me! I couldn’t save Agni, and you are ignorant if you think I'll be able to save you from the literal destruction I attract!”
Soma's breath hitched in his throat. Tears welled up in his eyes, blurring his vision, as his hands trembled on Ciel's shoulders. "Agni's death wasn't your fault, Ciel. He chose to protect me, because he loved me. I know he'd want me to be safe, but he'd hate it if I abandoned you. Running away wouldn't honor his memory, would it?"
“You think this is about honor?” The earl put his hands on the prince’s chest, roughly pushing him away. Turning away, his voice cracked as he spoke, “This is about survival! If you stay here, you’ll die!”
Soma took a step forward, reaching towards the earl again, but this time, enveloping him in a hug, “Then let me die knowing I did something right, protecting you! Living with the guilt of abandoning you would be a worse fate than any danger this place holds.”
The young boy stiffened at the sudden contact, "Your loyalty is misplaced, Soma," he said, his voice breaking. "I’m not worth the sacrifice. Not Agni’s, and definitely not yours."
A phantom pain lanced through Ciel’s chest as Agni's reassuring smile flashed in his mind's eye. His parents' tear-streaked faces swam into view, followed by a cascade of others – Madame Red’s kind eyes, a flash of Joker's manic grin, even Snake's stoic expression. They were all ghosts in the halls of his memory, a constant ache in his soul.
Soma's choked laugh, laced with tears, sent a tremor through Ciel. Clinging tightly, Soma whispered, "This is nothing fancy! This isn't a sacrifice, this isn't some grand gesture. All this, Ciel, is love. It's friendship. Agni didn't die for some noble cause, he protected me because that's who he was. I choose to protect you, not because of your title, but because you're my friend!"
Silence descended like a heavy shroud, pressing down on them both. Soma held the boy close, feeling the warmth of his body against his own. The air grew thick with unspoken emotions. Then, a barely perceptible movement. Ciel's arm, stiff and hesitant at first, slowly wrapped around Soma's back.
Ciel rasped out the words, his voice rough with unshed tears. "You're a fool, Soma. A stubborn, kind-hearted fool." He leaned into Soma's embrace, the tension slowly draining from his body. Despite his defiance, gratitude flickered in his eyes.
"I still can't promise I can keep you safe," Ciel mumbled, the words muffled against Soma's shoulder.
Soma gently placed his head on top of Ciel's, letting out a soft sigh. "This world may be a viper's nest, Ciel," he murmured, his voice laced with quiet determination, "but we will face it together. Like... like two vipers in a viper's nest, perhaps."
A small smile, genuine and hopeful, crept onto the young prince's face. "Besides," he added, a touch of amusement returning to his voice, "who else will make sure you eat your vegetables and get some proper sleep? You look like a ghost who’s been haunting this den for years"
The young earl laughs bitterly at the prince’s words, "Two vipers, you say? More like a lone wolf burdened with a persistent stray…But I suppose that’s fine, as long as you don’t mention anything about vegetables or sleeping schedules to Sebastian or I swear I'll…!” Ciel's voice trailed off, the harsh edge replaced by a weary sigh. He slumped slightly in Soma's hold, the weight of his burdens finally pressing down on him. After a long moment of silence, a barely audible whisper escaped his lips, "Thank you.”
Soma's grip on Ciel softened, but he didn't pull away entirely. He studied the boy's face, the shadows beneath his eyes a testament to countless sleepless nights. With a sigh, Soma carefully scooped Ciel into his arms. The once defiant earl felt light as a feather, his breathing shallow and uneven. "Let's get you to bed, okay?" He said gently.
Soma carried Ciel with surprising ease, the boy's slight frame a stark contrast to his own. He navigated the dimly lit room, his movements quiet and careful. Reaching the ornately carved bed, Soma gently lowered Ciel onto the soft sheets.
A tide of protectiveness washed over Soma. He couldn't leave Ciel alone like this, not after the heavy conversation they just shared. With a soft sigh, Soma shed his jacket and boots, careful not to disturb the sleeping boy. He settled onto the edge of the bed, the thick mattress enveloping him.
The flickering candlelight cast long, inky shadows across the room, but Soma barely noticed. His gaze remained fixed on Ciel, the boy's normally sharp features softened by sleep. Perhaps, for a stolen moment, he could be the boy burdened by grief, not just the earl consumed by vengeance.
Hesitantly, Soma reached out a hand, hovering just above Ciel's forehead. The heat radiating from his skin confirmed his suspicions – a fever burned beneath the surface. Soma slowly withdrew from the touch. He wouldn't risk disrupting Ciel's sleep further. Soma pulled the thick covers over both their forms, the soft fabric a warm embrace. In the flickering candlelight, he closed his eyes, a silent prayer escaping his lips. "Goodnight, Agni. Please, watch over us."