It was a two days before Christmas, and snow was in the air. Shops were trying to sell their best items before they closed down for the holidays. There were people singing Christmas carols in the streets and everyone seemed to be nicer with each other. The entire city was covered in ribbon, holly, tinsel, and evergreen trees. Even the horses pulling the carriages were decorated with ribbons and holly.
I stood by the kitchen window on the second floor of a funeral parlor with a cup of Earl Grey tea in my hands watching the festivities. I had been transported to Victorian London due to a nasty encounter with a demonic cat, and a strange man found me lost and injured in a graveyard.
At first, I was unsure if I could trust him, but the creepy man nursed me back to full health and let me stay with him in his shop. He was an unusual person to say the least, but he has a good heart.
Footsteps came up the stairs and I was brought out of my musings. I looked over to see the man I was thinking about just now.
He was dressed in black with long silver hair with the tips brushing the backs of his knees. There was a lone braid that was tucked behind his right ear, and he had a black hat with a long ribbon trailing down form the top. Most of the time, the black outer robe he wore covered his hands, but this time one could easily see the long black finger nails he sported.
A giggle brought my attention to his face that had a large grin directed towards me. Just above his ever present smile was a scar that ran up from the right side of up his jaw over the bridge of his nose. The rest of the scar was covered by a waterfall of silver hair that also covered his eyes. As I looked over his visible features, he took off his hat and brushed his bangs back.
The scar continued up over his left eye and disappeared in his hair, but what always captured my attention were the unique eyes he had. The color was a melding of green and yellow, making his eyes a chartreuse color. The man standing before me went by the name of Undertaker to everyone but me. I called him Adrian Crevan. My sly, black fox.
He was a mortician now, but he use to be a grim reaper. After he retired from soul collecting, he opened a funeral parlor in London. I guess working with the dead was something no one ever wants to give up. Another giggle brought me back to the present. The reaper had walked over to me and was munching on a bone shaped biscuit. I smiled at him taking a sip of my tea.
"How was your day, Adrian?" I leaned against the kitchen counter as I asked him. The silver haired man just gave me a wider grin as he brought one of his arms out from behind him. A long box wrapped in black paper with a purple ribbon was in his hands. I set my tea down on the counter to take it from him.
I had a puzzled look on my face for a second as I considered the package. I pulled the ribbon off the box and set it aside. After I had removed the wrapping paper, a white box lid soon followed I gasped as I looked inside.
I pulled out a beautiful purple and black ballroom dress. It was sleeveless with the majority of it a deep purple with a black bottom layer. It had black beading on the corset part of the dress in the shapes of leaves, and a black see through shawl to go over my shoulders. ( . )
My eyes sparkled as I gently pulled out the fabric out and held it up to me. A large smile was on my face as admired the dress. I carefully placed the dress back in the box and lunged at the silver haired man. My arms wrapped around his waist in a tight hug. I had closed my eyes and I kept repeating thank yous with my bright smile.
The mortician's arms came around my shoulders to return the hug. Adrian was laughing in delight over my reaction. He patted my back a few times.
"You're welcome, love! I'm so happy you like it!" I pulled back to beam at him. I bounced in his arms in excitement before I stopped short for a second. I pulled out of the man's arms. The reaper had a confused look on his face as I dashed into the bedroom.
"Don't move, Adrian! I'll be right back!" I called over my shoulder. Walking to the far side of the bed, I dropped to my knees and lifted the covers. I pulled out three small boxes from under the bed and walked back out.
Each box had different colored paper and ribbon. The first one I handed to the reaper was silver with a white bow. He lifted an eyebrow at me as he opened the first little box. His face lit up in delight when he pulled a new pocket watch chain. His old one had finally broken when he was trying to move several heavy coffins to make room for a large number of guests.
Before he could pull out his watch, I handed him a navy blue box with a black ribbon. Snatching the gift out of my hand, he tore the paper off and pulled out a brand new watch. It was silver, but it had a black fox resting a paw on a skull on the cover.
He was standing in stunned silence before an arm wrapped around my waist and pulled my body flush with his. I made sure the last box didn't get crushed in the move. A set of slender fingers wrapped around my chin pulling my face up. He gave me a quick kiss as he sneakily pulled the last gift out of my hands.
This box was black with a gray ribbon. Adrian pulled the bow and eagerly unwrapped the gift after he let me go. This was the gift I was slightly nervous about. I anxiously watched his face closely as he pulled the lid of the box. A hand reached in to pull a long chain that had a locket on it. On the front of the oval, a rose and skull had been etched in the metal.
The reaper gave me a look as he opened the locket to see a picture of the two of us one one side, and a small lock of copper colored hair on the other. I bit my lip was he studied the gift. The next thing I knew, Adrian's mouth fused with mine. My eyes widened and I went lightheaded. I felt a tongue trace my lips in a request. I gave a small moan and opened my mouth. The lips against mine curled in an attempt to smirk as that wicked tongue slipped in my mouth.
I was in the process of melting into mush as I felt one of the reaper's hands trail up my back and cradled the back of my neck. The other arm had curled around my waist and lifted me off my feet. This brought me closer to the mortician's height, and I looped my arms around his neck.
The sliver haired mad man pulled back after he took a tour of the inside of my mouth. He rested his forehead against mine, and we gazed in the other's eyes. I saw a grin curl on his lips after a couple of minutes.
"We need to get ready. The second part of your gift will soon be here.~" I was placed on my feet and I looked at the man in confusion. He put the box containing my dress in my arms and nudged me to the bedroom.
With a questioning expression, I went to go put on the dress. I was tickled to find that the garment fit perfectly. I went over to the small vanity the mortician got a few months back for me. I brushed out my hair noting that it reached past my shoulder blades now. I pinned the copper locks up in a bun, but left my bangs and a few long strands down to frame my face.
I put on a pair of black boots and the thin shawl. Looking at my reflection, I noticed my checker with the amethyst heart really went well with the dress. I gave a smile and walked back out the door. The mortician had his back to me as he fiddled with something in his hands. I cleared my throat that made him jump slightly.
Adrian shoved whatever was in his hand in his pocket. The reaper had on a very nice black suit with a white button down shirt on underneath a waistcoat and jacket. His new pocket watch chain glinted in the light against the darkness of his waistcoat. The man had traded his traditional high heeled boots with nice dress shoes.
I admired the picture he made. His face was still fully visible to me, but I had a feeling that would change when we got to wherever we were going. As I studied his face, I saw a soft smile. He came over to me and brushed the back of his fingers on my left cheek. I smiled back at the handsome gentleman in front of me.
"You look like a vision, love. I knew that dress would be perfect for you." The silver haired man picked up a black cloak and placed it over my shoulders. I watched him pick up a normal top hat and placed it on his head. A heavy, black coat was draped across his arm, and the other arm gestured to the stairs. I gave the man another look before I walked down the staircase.
The mortician opened the front door for me, and I saw a carriage waiting for us at the front on the shop. The driver opened the door for us with a slightly creeped out smile on his face. I was helped into the carriage with Adrian following me.
We sat on the back side of the cabin as it pulled away from the funeral parlor. I looked out the window, watching as twilight fell across the world in a splash of lavender, amber, and orange. I looked over at the man when he spread the coat he brought over our laps.
"Where are we going, Adrian?" The reaper chuckled as he covered his eyes again. I resisted the urge to pout when those chartreuse orbs were hidden behind starlight locks.
"The Earl Phantomhive invited us to his Christmas ball this year. He must be in the Christmas spirit to ask me to come to a ball, but I thought you might like to visit our favorite source of entertainment." I cocked my head as a grin came over my lips. I leaned against the warm body beside me as I hummed in agreement.
The rest of the trip was spent in silence. It wasn't often that we enjoyed just being together. I looked out the window to see an enormous house coming closer. The Phantomhive Manor was a large sprawling estate with a magnificent garden, and I admired the area with awe.
We got to the main entrance in no time at all. A cold breeze made me shiver as the reaper offered me his arm. I smiled at him as he escorted me to the door. Sebastian greeted the two of us with a mild look of surprise.
"Undertaker, Miss Cal, welcome to the Phantomhive Manor." I gave the demon a smile as we walked in the warm house. He took our coats and the silver haired man's hat. I looked around as the butler lead us to the ballroom. The house looked as elegant as I imagined all Victorian homes would be at this time. I heard a multitude of voices as we entered through the doorway.
The ballroom was packed with people. Along the far way was a buffet of different finger foods, and a small band was playing in the corner of the room. Adrian lead me over to a quite corner of the room as we waited for our host to come by and see us. Most of the people here kept trying to sneak glances over to the two of us, and whispering behind their hands.
I could see a few of the men around the room give the mortician dark looks, and I had to giggle at that. I suppose it doesn't matter what time it is, men will still be men. The little orchestra began playing a song that made the reaper grin. My hand was grabbed and I caught a devilish smirk out of the corner of my eye. He pulled me to the dance floor ignoring my protests.
"Adrian! Stop! I don't know how to dance!" I hissed at the man as he came to a stop in the center of the dance floor. He just gave me a grin as he took my left hand is his right one. The mortician wrapped his other arm around my waist and I placed my right hand on his upper left arm. He leaned down to whisper in my ear as he pulled me closer to his lean form.
"Don't worry, love. Just look at me and follow my lead.~" Adrian straightened his posture as the music weaved an ethereal melody. I took a breath as we moved, and I tightened my grip on his hand. The silver haired man just squeezed back reassuring me with both his firm grip on my body and charming smile.
I caught a flash of glowing jade eyes through the silver strands, and seeing the warm, loving emotion directed at me help to relax. I got a large smile as he lead me in a waltz across the dance floor. With all of my attention focused on the Cheshire smiling man, the rest of the world melted away into the background.
Adrian twirled me around causing his long starlight locks to surround us like a shimmering cape. The tips brushed the exposed skin on my back causing me to shiver in the man's arms, and I was brought closer to him. The music began to morph into a different song that had the mortician seamlessly adjusting our speed to match the new pace.
I was able to follow along without any hiccups, and man leading me gave me a proud look. The music sped up and I was spun around. I let out a laugh as I returned to his strong arms. The longer I danced, the more fun I had. I never knew how many songs we danced to, but I could have cared less. When the orchestra struck up one last song, I instantly recognized it. I thought it was strange to play Danse Macabre at Christmas time, but I put it out of my mind.
I lifted an eyebrow and had a questioning smile on my face as I looked up at my partner. One chartreuse eye peeked out of the fringe, and I saw a dangerous gleam. I had no doubt in my mind that he could keep up with the song, but I wanted to try. I was having so much fun that I had forgotten that I really didn't know how to dance.
The slow part of the song was easy to dance to, but then the music sped up. My dress swished around my ankles as I made quick turns on the dance floor. Adrian used my left hand to pull me away from his chest so our frames were almost side by side.
We danced in circles keeping time with the melody, never looking away from the other. The grin the reaper had threatened to split his face in two, and I'm sure mine wasn't much better. The song was tricky to dance to, because the tempo of the music would change in speed very rapidly. The slow pace gave me a chance to catch my breath and I tried not to pant while we danced.
The song was winding down, and I seemed to be keeping up with the mortician as I made another quick turn. Just as the last quick paced part of the song was almost over, my foot got caught up in my skirt, and I lost my balance. I had a look of shock on my face as I realized what happened. I squeezed my eyes to brace for the impact of falling on the floor, but Adrian did some quick maneuvering.
His arm snaked around my waist while his other hand tightened on my left one. He followed the direction I was falling in and spun us around several times while pulling me back to his chest. I got my feet under me as the final notes of the song were played. We waltzed during the last of the song before we slowly came to a stop.
The reaper gave me a devilish grin as he leaned over my face causing his bangs to reveal his eyes. A blush stained my cheeks as I gazed up at that handsome face. My mouth was slightly open and my eyes were wide with surprise, and I was out of breath. I was pressed flush against him by the tight hold he had on me. I swallowed as he purred in my ear.
"I told you not to worry, didn't I?~" I nodded to him in a daze as he straightened back up. The sound of applause brought me back to the world around us. As I glanced away from the mortician, I saw we were the only ones on the dance floor. I felt the flush on my cheeks burn brighter under the massive amount of attention.
My dance partner just chuckled as he released my hand, but he kept the arm around my waist in place. I saw Ciel make his way over to us as we left the dance floor. He was dressed in a dark blue suit with a small matching top hat resting on his head, and he had an impressed look in his visible eye.
"That was splendid. I never knew you could dance like that, Undertaker." The silver haired man cackled behind me making a few of the other guests glance at us in mild alarm.
"Theeeeere iiiis a lot about me you don't knoooow, mi'lord!~" the boy's eye twitched sat his response, but he didn't comment on it. The little lord must be in a good mood if he's not snapping at the crazed mortician. I gave our host a warm smile.
"Thank you for inviting us, Ciel. I am having a wonderful time in your lovely home." My statement distracted the child from glaring at Adrian, and he gave me a polite nod and excused himself. There were more chuckles coming from behind me as the master of the home left to greet some of his other guests.
"He needs to lighten up. There is only so much time he has to enjoy being a child." I whispered as I watched Ciel. I knew he had taken over as head of the Phantomhive family, but I was hoping he could still enjoy what little childhood he had left. The arm around me tightened and I heard a hum of agreement from the man behind me.
"I wouldn't worry too much about it, kitten. I'm sure the Earl will live for a long time, and perhaps his little fiancée will open his eyes to the joys he has become blind to." We observed a young blonde hair girl in a red and pink dress give the navy haired boy a large hug. She seemed to radiate light and other positive emotions.
I felt a smile curl on my lips as Ciel interacted with the girl with a look of great fondness and attachment. I couldn't help but think that they were a nicely match couple. She just might be the key in making sure that boy's soul would not be swallowed in darkness.
Adrian left me by a large window to go get us some refreshments. While he was gone, a blond aristocrat approached me with a flourish. He was wearing a white suit with a multitude of ruffles, and around his was a necktie that had a gaudy red stone sewn on it.
"Oh! What a lovely young woman! Dressed like a beautiful rose in a sea of plain white lilies, she is a vision of radiant color! Her sweet scent has captured my heart!" He lifted a hand to his forehead as he went on. I glanced around the room trying to slowly edge away from the strange man.
Just as I was about to make a break for it, the blonde man tightly gripped one of my hands. I forced a polite smile on my face as he kissed the back of my hand. I saw Ciel over the Casanova wannabe's shoulder angrily pointing in the man's direction while he exchanged heated words with his butler. Sebastian had his eyes closed as he held a hand to his forehead.
"My delicate rose, would you allow me the pleasure of knowing your name?" He offered me an overly charming smile as he waited for my response. I gave a strained smile as I subtly tried to pull my hand away from his tight grip.
I saw most of the people around me shiver as the temperature in the room suddenly plummeted. Ciel and Sebastian were giving a cautious look over to the opposite side of the ballroom. I slightly turned my head and saw Adrian out of the corner of my eye. I fought the urge to gulp in fear at the sight of him.
He was scowling and had his hands twitching as if looking for something that wasn't there. I caught a flash of jade green as he made his way over to me. The shadows in the room darkened as he stepped closer to the blonde. My eyes were drawn back to the aristocratic man as he wrapped an arm around my waist.
"My lovely maiden, are you stunned speechless over my passionate words? Perhaps you will recover your words if we were to excuse ourselves from the party." How can he not feel the murderous glare burning holes in the back of his head? I peeled his arm off my waist and I stepped back out of reach.
"I am flattered at your words, sir," I said with another forced smile. "However, I am not available as my date is just now returning from speaking with the Lord of this manor." I gestured to the looming reaper behind the blonde man. When the annoying aristocrat turned around, I saw him flinch at the insane smile on Adrian's face.
"Thank you for keeping her company for me while I attended to business, good sir!~ We shall be excusing ourselves now.~" I suppressed a snicker as the blonde paled listening to the mortician's tone. I took the arm the silver haired man offered me, and we left the white clad man.
Adrian took me over to a balcony and we went outside. The air was crisp with the possibility of snow later in the night. The change in temperature was welcomed as the ballroom was getting very warm with other couples dancing. The mortician takes my hands in one of his and leads me over to the railing. I smiled as I felt one of his thumbs rub over my knuckles.
One of his unique eyes was revealed and a nervous look crossed his face. His other hand was in his pocket holding onto something. His eyes kept darting around the empty space. It looked like he was trying to build up his courage for something. I cocked my head and gave him a warm smile which he returned. Adrian took a deep breath and pulled me closer to the warmth of his body.
"Cal, I know it hasn't been long since we've known each other, but these last half of the year has been wonderful. Before you fell into my life, I was just existing. Watching the world go on around me, never being apart of the happenings, just observing people going on with their lives. I didn't feel like I was really living until I met you." The silver haired reaper spoke in an uncharacteristically serious tone, but his words were melting my heart.
"Kitten, you have brought joy, laughter, and anything else I could wish for back in my existence. I want to offer you the same gift you have given me. Already I can not imagine walking back into my shop without your warm smile to greet me, or seeing you come and pull me away from my work to remind me to eat. I don't want to picture home without seeing you in the kitchen fixing us a delicious meal, or seeing you sleeping peacefully in my arms at night." The man's voice had grown in confidence before he paused.
I felt tears prick at the back of my eyes. If he doesn't stop saying such sweet things I'm going to hit him. He let go of one of my hands and brought the other one to rest over his heart. A soft smile was on his face and his eyes were full of love as he squeezed the hand over his heart.
"I had been alone for so long with no one bothering to look beyond the persona I adapted to live in the mortal world. In all my years of existing in this realm and the others, I never thought I would find that one person who would see past everything I built up to see the man I am." He pulled his hand out of his pocket, but kept it in a loose fist. I could tell he was holding something, but it was hidden from my sight.
By this point my smile had faded, and I was struggling to hold back my tears. I shivered a bit as the night air chilled me down to the bones. The mortician took off his coat and placed it over my shoulders before he took ahold of my hand again. My other hand was covering my mouth as Adrian knelt down on one knee.
"Cal, my kitten, my angel of laughter, the flame burning in my heart… I don't want to picture another day in my life where I'm not allowed to call you mine." He dropped my hand to open the small box he pulled out of his pocket. I gasped when I saw a ring inside.
It was a gold band with beautiful, delicate swirls etched in the sides of the ring. The top of the ring held a honey amber stone that reminded me of the warm glow a fire gives off to light and warm the people around it. The stone itself almost gave off that very glow, and I slowly shifted my gaze back to the silver haired man's face. Both of his eyes were visible, and he had such a hopeful look on his face.
"Would you do me the honor of marrying me?" His words were a little shaky, but I hardly noticed as I lost the fight with my tears. I held one hand over my mouth and the other one was gripping the warm jacket over my shoulders in a death grip. I was so speechless and I was trembling.
Throwing decorum out the proverbial window, I lunged forward to wrap my arms around his neck. He put an arm around me out of reflex as I buried my face in the crook of his neck.
"Yes…yes, you lovable, sweet, slightly insane, wonderful man! Yes!" I felt Adrian's tension and nerves melt out of his body as his other arm joined its brother holding me close. A slight hysterical laugh bubbled up from his throat as he stood up.
He spun around in circles with me in his arms in utter joy. After a few more spins, he set me back on my feet and took my left hand. The silver haired mortician's face held an expression of reverence as he slipped the ring on my finger. He admired the look of it against my skin, but soon his gaze turned to my eyes.
I still had a few happy tears falling from my eyes, and I felt a large hand cup the side of my face. Adrian used his thumb to brush the tracks off my face as he lowered his face to mine. I placed my hands on his chest. I enjoyed the feel of his heart beating against the palm of my right hand.I felt the cool touch of a snowflake land on my cheek as his lips met mine.
I smiled into the kiss and pulled myself closer to him. There we kissed in the winter air under a flurry of snow.