All For Your Attention/By: Earl Alois Trancy

Alois paced back and forth in his room as an angry look plastered across his face; how could he run out crying like that? It just wasn’t like him; he would have never done that in a million years so why did he suddenly feel the urge to cry? Alois grabbed at his head as he tried to calm the thoughts that were racing through his mind; a long sigh passed his lips as he sat himself down at the edge of his bed.

“What’s wrong with me…?” Alois thought as he kept his hands on both sides of his head and leaned forward over his lap, another shaky breath passed his lips as he tried to relax. Once he calmed down from his anger a little he tried thinking of what possible reason there could be that made him actually run out of the cafeteria crying. It couldn’t be from Elizabeth’s taunting, he would have never cried because of what that blonde whore said. He would have punched her lights out if Claude hadn’t stopped him….oh…Claude…

“Get to your lunch period Alois; I don’t have time for you to hang out in the classroom today.” Claude had said to him just before he went to the lunch room….no…that couldn’t be why he had cried…Alois swung his hand back and slapped himself hard across the face, a red mark appearing on his pale skin as he got up to go to the bathroom. He quickly went in and kicked the door shut behind him as he went to the sink and turned on the water, once it was nice and cold he moved his hands under the running water and splashed some on his face.

“Get a hold of yourself.” Alois said out loud as he grabbed a towel from the side of the sink and dried his now soaked face, he laid the towel back at the edge of the sink and stared at his reflection in the mirror. There was now a red hand mark on the side of his face where he had slapped himself, he carefully placed his fingertips on it and rubbed the throbbing flesh gently. He hopped the red mark would be gone by tomorrow, since it was very noticeable against his snow white skin.

The blonde haired boy walked slowly back to his bed and threw himself down on the soft mattress, he stayed like that for god knows how long, just staring at the high ceiling above. The only sound in the room was his light breathing and the pitter pattern of something else, maybe rain; he was too deep in thought to check or even care.

Was he really that in love with Claude that he would cry over the smallest rejection…he did love Claude and want Claude to love him back but…if he got so upset just like that then…his love must be deeper then he though. It was just a total shock to him the Claude had actual rejected him, he always allowed Alois to come to his office…why had he not wanted him to come? Alois rolled over onto his stomach and buried his face in the sheets, inhaling deeply he could still smell the scent of the butler from the night he had slept in bed with him. The blonde tried to get the thought of Claude’s rejection out of his head since it was practically eating him alive at this point.

“Maybe he just had a meeting…yes that has to be it. Claude loves me, of course he would love for me to come to his classroom, he just had to go to a meeting today.” Alois thought, trying to force himself into denial to calm himself.

“Claude!” Alois called out, his high voice echoed through his empty room with no response following it. He rolled back over onto his back and sat up abruptly, sitting and staring at the door for several minutes waiting for his golden eyed butler to come in. After nearly twenty minutes of complete silence Alois slid off his bed and walked out of his room, ready to look for the older male.

“Claude!” Alois called out again as he walked down a long hallway and down the grand staircase, the clack of his heels echoed through his empty mansion as he walked across the tiled floor and into the kitchen. The only servants there were the triplets who were at work making the young master’s dinner; they only made small glances at the young earl who had entered the room. They looked at each other a bit nervously as they all felt Alois’s piercing blue eyes on them, he watched them closely for a moment before turning around and going back out of the kitchen since Claude obviously wasn’t there. As he turned around he gasped when he was met with his other servant, standing not too far from him. A snarled look came across the boy’s face instantly as he stared at the woman through angry crystal blue eyes.

“What is it Hannah?” Alois mumbled as he folded his arms across his thin chest.

“I heard you calling for Claude; he is not here at the moment since he had a teachers’ meeting with the head masters from your school. Is there something I can do for you?” Hannah asked as she bowed her head to the young earl. Alois just glared at her and shook his head.

“I don’t want you I want Claude, when will he be home?”

“He said he will be home late tonight, so it is more likely you’ll get to see him tomorrow in school then tonight.” Hannah said, still keeping a light smile on her face to keep her master calm. Alois’s finger nails dug into his arms at the woman’s answer, he wasn’t going to go to sleep until Claude got home that was for sure. His butler had always slept with him and it wasn’t going to stop now, Alois pushed passed the tall woman before going back up the grand staircase and into his study.

The blonde had his dinner brought into him that night as he kept himself busy with his work for the Queen, since god knows he wasn’t going to bother with that useless homework his annoying professors had given him to do. A loud yawn escaped his lips as the sun gave way to the full moon that lit the large office the young teen continued to work in. Alois gently laid his cheek against his hand as he dipped the tip of his quill pen back into the black ink, his eyelids felt heavy as he continued writing documents he had put off for a while now. The only reason he was doing all this work was to keep himself awake for Claude...but it had proven to be harder then he thought. His eyelids finally became too heavy to stay open and the boy slowly drifted off into deep slumber.

Since he was already fast asleep he didn’t notice the light blue haired woman enter his office and pick up his small body in her arms. Hannah carried her master to his bedroom and gently laid him down in the king sized bed, she made sure to be careful when taking off the sleeping earl’s shoes since she knew she would get a harsh punishment is she were to wake him. Once his boots were off Alois suddenly rolled over onto his side, his body expecting to meet with another larger body…but there was nothing. Hannah moved the warm blankets over him before blowing out the candle she had on the nightstand and leaving the boy to his peace.
Later that night…

Alois’s eyes shot open and he quickly sat up in the bed only to be met with pure darkness, he put a hand on his heart as it beat quickly from the nightmare he had just had. He swallowed thickly as he used his other hand to feel around for his butler, but all his small fist was able to grab were the silk sheets he slept under. He tried to squint in the dark to see if Claude was further across the bed but it was already pitch black and there was no visibility whatsoever.

“Claude, where are you?!” Alois cried out as he frantically moved both hands around the bed, trying to find the male who always came into his bed to keep him comforted. The blonde hated to be alone…he just…he couldn’t be alone. His head quickly turned to his bedroom door at the sound of it slowly opening, a large smile spread across his face as he watched his butler come into his room holding a candle for light.

“What do you need young master?” Claude asked as he stood at the boy’s bedside, Alois went on his knees and wrapped his arms tightly around the taller male’s waist in a constricting hug. His head nuzzled against Claude’s chest as he tried to get as close to him as possible, a light sigh came from the golden eyed butler as he set the candle stick down on the nightstand and sat down on the edge of the bed with the boy.

“Why didn’t you come into my bed?” Alois growled as he looked up at Claude, still keeping his arms tightly wrapped around him.

“I had to take care of a few things.” Claude placed a hand on the blonde’s chest, forcing him to lie back down in the bed. He pulled the blankets back over his thin body and went to poke at the fire in the fireplace to make sure his master had enough warmth.

“Sleep well, your highness. I still have a few things I need to take care of so I will not be joining you tonight.” Claude said over his shoulder as he closed the door behind him, even after the man had left Alois continued to stare into the pitch black darkness…feeling like someone had just punched him in the gut.