Note:

This is actually an old one we wrote and have only just now gotten around to posting. Written RP-style.

Characters:

DareDreemer: Grell Sutcliff
StickieBun: Ronald Knox

Disclaimer:

Kuroshitsuji (Black Butler) and all characters therein belong to Yana Toboso. We make no profit from the writing of this fanfiction, and it is strictly for entertainment purposes only.

Also can be read at:

Archieve of Our Own (AO3)
DeviantArt

Rookie Mistakes

"The hell Ronnie...will you watch where you are swinging that damn thing!" Grell yelled, what must have been the tenth time that afternoon.

Ronald Knox, the newest team member of the Shinigami Dispatch Society, had been assigned to be Grell's new trainee. Due to a lack of on duty active reapers, the redhead had been told that he was to take on the job of mentor and train the young reaper. Grell of course, was none too pleased with the assignment; after all he was not a babysitter. In addition, it had been years since he last had a rookie under his wing; and while Ronald had potential, he also lacked discipline. He was quite young and awfully green, which irritated Grell to no end. At least his former and last 'greenie' had been tolerable. Ronald was just an outright mess.

"Will you watch out! There is another one behind you!" Grell shouted over the roar of the lawn mower, Ronald's scythe, as he made his way towards the blond.

The day had started out like any other day. The two reapers had set out on a reap, to collect seven unfortunate souls; all of whom had been caught in a snow storm and froze to death. To Ronald's and Grell's dismay, they weren't the only ones to show up at the reap. Shortly after arriving, as they set out to begin collections, five demons came sniffing around. Grell at first was excited, what with a little demon play to make the job more interesting, until he saw the blond out of the corner of his eye and was reminded as to who his partner was. Inwardly Grell grimaced; this was not going to be good.

"I know, Senpai!" Ronald scowled, turning around and swinging his scythe up at the demon, missing him as he dodged the attack. The demon twisted and kicked Ronald in the side, sending him flying at Grell. Bowling him over, this sent the pair of reapers rolling across the icy ground.

"Oomp...!" The wind was knocked out of the redhead as he hit the ground hard.

"Get off me! Can't you do anything right?!" Grell barked, shoving the rookie off of him.

He scrambled just in time to ward off the oncoming attack of another demon, his chainsaw biting into its flesh. The demon dropped to the ground, as Grell swung his scythe back around, slicing the demon in half.

"I took one hit! I've seen you take at least three!" Ronald shouted back, grabbing his scythe and running after another demon, mowing over it; blood splattering across the ground, "And this attack isn't my fault!"

Seeing movement coming at him out the corner of his eye, Ronald swung his scythe towards it, gasping as he spotted long trails of red right before the blades of his scythe caught them.

Grell was turning from the downed demon, when he felt the blades of the lawnmower snag his hair, his eyes growing large. The weight of the lawnmower taking him down once more. He looked up to see the 'green' reaper looking back down at him.

"I am going to cut you boy..." he growled.

"I'm sorry!" Ron switched off his scythe and hurried to try and untangle the red hair from his lawnmower.

The remaining demons came up behind him, one reaching out and grabbing him.

"You make this too easy, kid," he smirked.

Without a second thought, the crimson reaper cut his glorious locks with his chainsaw. Free, he scrambled to his feet, shouting at the demon, "Unhand him this instance!"

One of the younger demons charged at him, its white fangs illuminated in the lamp light.

"Want to dance with the red-death, do you now?" Grell mocked the oncoming threat.

He swung low slicing the demon's foot clean off him, sending him into the wet snow.

"What a pity. I was in such hopes for a second dance," he tsked as the demon landed on its stomach.

Grell brought his chainsaw down, thrusting into the demon's back, coating himself in demon blood.

Slowly, Grell raised his head and looked back over at the demon, which held the blond by the throat.

"I told you to let him go," he hissed as he circled the demon.

The other demon watched, unmoving. He was studying the redhead's every movement.

Ronald gasped and kicked out, he reached into his pocket, pulling out a knife and jabbed it deep into the demon's arm, managing to distract the demon's attention away from the redhead.

Grell brought the chainsaw down, slicing into the distracted demon's arm, the arm that still held onto the blond. The demon screamed out in pain, as his severed arm still clung to the rookie's throat. The final demon, who was younger than the rest of them, decided to flee rather than fight after seeing that their numbers had dwindled to just him and the one with one arm.

"My… my… my... It appears you are all alone... demon," Grell said pointedly, bringing the chainsaw up to the demon's throat. "You should have let the boy go when I first told you to. I might have been inclined to show a little kindness and let you go, but here you are...at death's door."

Without warning, the chainsaw passed through the demon's neck. The reckless youth was pushing the demon towards the rotating teeth of it's blade.

Ronald dropped to his knees and tore the severed arm away from his throat, tossing it aside and letting out a sigh of relief.

"That was too close for comfort," he muttered to himself before looking back up at the older reaper, "Senpai… I'm really sorry."

The stunned redhead stood blinking, before he realized the blond was speaking to him. Bearing down on the rookie, he shut off his chainsaw and dismissed it.

"What in the hell were you thinking?!"

But before he could continue on with his lecture, Grell became distracted by a lock of crimson and turned his attention to his butchered tresses.

"Oh... My hair... My beautiful, red hair!" Grell cried out, running his fingers through his unevenly cut locks.

"I…I thought you were a demon," Ronald admitted, rubbing the back of his neck, "I just reacted. I didn't mean to get your hair caught."

"How in the hell do you mistake me for a demon?" the redhead demanded, his hands on his hips and leaning over the blond.

"I saw movement! I had thought you were further away. I'm sorry, okay? It…it'll grow back."

"You are going to be written up for this boy... Not only did you get my hair cut, you didn't pay any attention to what you were doing. You could have killed me or yourself!" Ranted the redhead, wagging his finger in the rookie's face, "That whole stunt with shoving that...that damn demon. You could have decapitated yourself on my scythe!"

"Hey! It worked, didn't it?" Ronald pushed himself up and crossed his arms, the bloody knife in his hand still, "And we are both perfectly fine! It's not like anything important got chopped off!"

Grell ground his teeth together as his temper came to a full head. Frustrated and angry he began to poke the blond in the chest.

"Nothing important?! Chopped off?! My hair, you half wit! I had to cut my own hair with my own scythe, just to get free in time to save your sorry, green, reckless, arse!" he bellowed, his face having grown as red, as his lopsided hair.

"It is just hair!" the blond snapped back, "I said I was sorry! Rhea, you are annoying! Don't you think I have punishment enough having to untangle your unreasonably long hair out of the blades and gears of my scythe?"

"Why you little..." Grell hollered, grabbing the blond by the throat and throttling him.

"Aahck! S-senpai!" the younger reaper gripped the redhead's arm, "Stop!"

Becoming exhausted, the redhead let go of the rookie and dropped to his knees in the snow.

"My hair... My beautiful hair," he cried, before his anger came back. "William, you are going to pay for this. For teaming me up with this... twat."

Ronald narrowed his eyes at the redhead, "Well — I'm sorry you got stuck with me! But you know; you aren't much of a teacher! You are supposed to be helping me learn, not choke me when I mess up!"

He turned and walked over to his scythe, surveying the damage.

"Hmph... as if you would listen to me anyways. I have repeatedly told you to be mindful of your surroundings. You are careless and one of us is going to get killed if you don't stop."

Grell got back to his feet and walked over to the blond.

"Your scythe is damaged again...i sn't it?" he asked, annoyed.

Then summoning his own scythe, Grell walked over to the first victim, to begin reaping their soul.

"I…I can fix it," Ronald muttered, tugging at the tangle of hair jamming it, "And I was mindful…mostly."

Leaning on his chainsaw as he collected the cinematic record, Grell yawned, tapping his hand to his lips.

"What am I going to do with you...? I don't think I can handle this for another three weeks," he sighed.

"Four," Ron corrected, "Because we have that investigation coming up that extended my training period with you."

"Four? No!" Grell's exclaimed, eyes widening.

He pinched the bridge of his nose and then pulled the chainsaw from the victim's body, having fully collected the cinematic record within. He quickly moved onto the next.

"William... no," he grumbled to himself, but quiet enough that Ronald would not be able to hear.

Ronald sighed and slung his scythe over his shoulder, walking over to Grell, "Look... I really am sorry, Senpai. I didn't mean to catch your hair. Let me make it up to you."

"Huh...and how do you suppose you can make it up to me.? My hair, Ronald, was cut off. You cannot make it magically grow back," the redhead hissed.

"I'll pay for you to get it fixed. You know… evened out so it doesn't look like it was chopped off with a chainsaw, and I'll buy you a drink," the blond offered, shifting his weight from one leg to the other. "It's not like it's that much shorter."

Grell pulled the chainsaw from the body of his current reap and headed over to the next victim.

"You want to buy me a drink?" the redhead asked back, while pointing his finger at his own chest.

He let out a giggle.

"All right. I do not typically drink anymore, but I will let you buy me a drink, Mustard Seed, and tomorrow..." The redhead glared at the blond, flipping his uneven locks over his shoulder, "You can pay to get my hair fixed."

"Hey! Who're you calling 'Mustard Seed'?" Ron grumbled, following the older reaper around, as he was unable to reap souls until he got the redhead's hair un-jammed from his mower.

Grell looked directly at the blond.

"I do not see anyone else around here; well except for the dead, so that only leaves you!" Grell poked Ronald in the chest, "Mustard Seed!"

"Just because you're mad at me doesn't mean you have to start up with the lame nicknames, Senpai."

"I will call you whatever the hell I want. After today's stunt..." the redhead shook his head and let out a grunt as he moved onto the next body.

Ron set his scythe down, rather forcefully, "You can hardly call it a stunt! It was just a mistake! And it's not like you actually take the time to teach me anything! You just screw around doing your nails or hair until we have to come out to collect souls, then expect me to do things perfectly! Then you get mad when I make a mistake! Sure I know things from classes and passing my exam, but I was assigned to work under you for a reason! How do you expect me to improve when you won't even so much as give me a pointer here or there?"

The redhead began to grow irritated once more. His lip curled, his teeth ground together and he growled, "Listen here boy... I did not ask to train you. Nor do I want to train you. Reaping is not that hard. As for warding off demons... Use your bloody head! You can't go throwing your scythe around!"

Finished with the current body, Grell moved onto the next one.

"We don't fight demons at the academy! All we get is a three hour lecture!" the blond snapped, getting heated once more, himself.

And it was true. He didn't have experience fighting demons; and he had fallen asleep through half that particular lecture, but he wasn't going to admit that.

"I know you do not fight demons at the academy. I once attended, you know," the redhead scoffed, his patience growing thin.

He wanted nothing more than to be done and out of there. The young reaper was riding his last nerve.

"Do not push me 'Mustard Seed' or you will find my chainsaw up your..." he let the words trail off, as he moved onto the last victim.

"Then you should know I need more guidance right now," the blond grumbled.

"You want some guidance? Stay out of my way," the redhead snapped.

As the last victim's cinematic record finally came to the end, Grell yanked his chainsaw from the body and dismissed it. He turned and looked straight at the blond, eyes narrowing.

"Let's go I'm cold," he ordered as he began to head for the street, leaving the blood soaked alley behind.

Grumbling to himself, Ronald followed, dragging his decommissioned scythe behind him. Usually, he drank for the fun of it, but that night, he felt he needed it. Maybe he'd be best to visit William sometime and request to be transferred to a more reliable senior reaper to be trained under.

"Where are we going?" the redhead shouted over his shoulder.

"Whatever pub is closest," Ron replied, snappish.

After all, this wasn't a date. He wasn't trying to impress the infuriating redhead, so he didn't care if it was a nice pub or some sleazy dump with questionable patrons.

Rounding the next corner, Grell spotted a pub. The glow from lights inside, spilled out of the window and into the dark, cold, winter's night.

"There is one," he pointed it out to the rookie.

He looked both ways before crossing the street. The snow crunched under his boot, as he stepped up onto the curb, on the other side of the London street. He didn't care what kind of a place it was, by this point he just wanted someplace warm and a stiff drink.

Ron was quick to follow, dismissing his scythe as he stepped into the warm, smoky atmosphere of the pub. It wasn't one he had ever been to before, and it seemed to be a rougher one than any of his usual places. But a scotch was a scotch, no matter where you went. Ignoring the skeptical looks, taunting glares, and the occasional lewd glances the patrons gave him, he made his way to the bar, catching the tender's attention.

"One scotch and a…" he glanced at Grell, "Senpai, what do you drink?"

"Tonight, whiskey!" Grell answered, as he took in the looks of the crowd around them. He spotted a table with two chairs and made his way over to it.

"…and a whiskey," the blond finished his first order, pulling out his wallet and handing over the bills to pay for the drinks.

Once they were poured and slid over to him, he took them over to the table and handed Grell his, already tipping his own glass against his lips as he took his seat.

Grell grabbed the glass, he took a big gulp, the liquid burned his throat.

"Yuck! God, that's aw-ful!" he coughed out, his face turning pink.

"It's what you wanted," Ronald muttered, looking into the amber liquid of his own glass and swirling it about.

The redhead glared at the blond sitting across from him.

"I do not typically drink, 'Mustard Seed'. The most I usually drink is wine these days. So excuse me if I react to the flavor of a drink I cannot stand... but am desperate to drink," Grell sneered, then took a deep breath.

"Then don't complain!" Ronald tipped back his glass, polishing it off.

To spite the rookie, Grell gulped down the last of his whiskey.

"Yuck!" he shook his head, as the burning liquid from the drink trickled down his throat.

"Do not tell me what to do... boy!" the redhead pointed at the blond.

"We are officially off the clock, old man, I can do as I want!" Ronald caught a waitress as she passed and asked for another scotch.

Grell's voice deepened, growing dark as his eyes began to burrow deep into the blond's.

"Bring me a double shot of Whiskey. The boy is pissing me royally off."

"I only offered you one drink. Everything you order you are paying for," Ronald grunted, and looked up at the waitress, flashing a bright smile at her, "And keep mine coming."

"Why you little..." Grell gritted his teeth, he looked up at the bar maid, "Keep mine coming as well."

The younger reaper only smirked, "You can't honestly think I'd go broke letting you get drunk, would you? I still have a haircut to pay for."

"You are a rude, disobedient, young whelp. I do not care if you buy me another drink or not. I can afford my own." Grell looked at the blond, challenging him. "And yes, you do have something you need to pay for tomorrow. I will damn sure make you pay for that."

The bar maid reappeared with their drinks. The redhead quickly downed the first shot. His cheeks heated up, a pink hue dusting his cheeks.

"Is it..? Never minds," he dismissed the thought with the wave of his hand.

Ronald laughed, "Flushed already, Senpai? Can't handle your liquor?" he teased, tipping back his second glass, "I would have never guessed you were a light-weight."

"I am not a light-weight," Grell sniffed, closing his eyes, he turned his head away, "Just out of practice."

"Light-weight. I bet I could have seven drinks and still not be as tipsy as you after two!"

"I am not tipsy. It's just a bit warm in here."

The redhead slipped his coat off, as he began to fan himself. He downed the second shot of whiskey and motioned for the barmaid.

"My dear... please bring me a bottle of Rum," he grinned at the blond.

"Is that a challenge, old man?" Ronald asked, leaning over the flat wooden surface of the table and lightly tapping Grell's glass with his nail, causing a light ring to chime out of the red lipstick-stained container.

"My dear boy, I believe I have already had two full drinks and am not tipsy. You have yet to finish your second and start on your third. And don't call me old!" Grell slammed his fist down, his voice bellowing.

The barmaid placed his bottle of rum down in front of him, uncorking it. Grell snatched it up and tipped the bottle against his lips, taking a swig of it.

"Much better; I always did enjoy the sweetness of rum... hic!" the redhead licked his lips, slightly seductive.

"What were you? Some old sailor before you died?" Ronald tipped back his glass, polishing it off and thanking the barmaid as she, fed up by the reapers' fight, brought him an entire bottle of scotch. He refilled his glass.

"I would have thought you'd have more class than that."

"No you half wit... rrr... I was not no...hic!...bloody pirate. I started drinking Rum, while at the academy. It's sweet! Tastes better than that damn whiskey!" Grell spat out.

"You drink like a sailor," the blond shrugged, a smug smirk on his face as he tipped back his scotch. "You're sounding drunk already."

The redhead sat, caressing the bottle in his hands. He eyed the rookie, quirking an eyebrow, as an image of the young pup materialized in his head. The image causing his cheeks to grow hot. He was picturing the blond lying naked on his couch, eating grapes, like some Greek God.

Grell picked the bottle back up and sloshed down another swig of the sweet liquor.

~Stop it this instance, Grell! He is a twat. He insults you... But he is rather delicious looking.~

His thoughts, betraying his anger.

"Stop saying...hic!...that about me. I am not a vulgar pirate-sailor!" Grell demanded.

"I never said 'pirate', Senpai. Just 'sailor'," the blond smirked, "You could have been in the Royal Navy. I overheard you and Will-senpai talking. You both died about a hundred years ago."

As he downed his fifth or sixth drink, he could feel his judgment slipping, but he was still holding himself together better than the hiccupping redhead.

"I was not a...hic!...sailor. I tried to..." Grell clamped his hands over his mouth, before finishing his sentence. A bright red hue painted across his cheeks.

"Tried to…what?"

Grell lowered his hands and picked up the bottle, taking another sip. "Never you minds."

"No. Tell me or you'll be just some old drunken sailor from now on in my mind!"

"Are you, drunk yet?" the redhead asked, resting his chin on his hand.

Ronald smirked, "Nowhere near as drunk as you are."

He tipped back his glass once more, starting to feel the effects.

"I... hic!... am no'ere near...'runk." Grell pointed the bottle at the blond, "You how-ver are... hic!... are-liar."

He smiled, "I can tell you...are tipsy."

"I can talk normally, Senpai!" Ron snapped, poking his finger into the other's chest.

"Ow...!Why 'id you d' that for?" the redhead asked, insulted, as he downed the last of his Rum and motioned for another bottle.

"I am not...unk!" he insisted.

"Yes you are! Don't even deny it!"

Ronald poured himself another glass and downed it before standing up, the movement causing his head to spin. He glanced down at his bottle, when had he emptied it? Shrugging, he swayed his way away from the table and the annoying redhead, heading over to a girl sitting alone at a far table. He flashed her a grin.

"Hey, beautiful, can I get you somethin' ta drink?"

Grell sat there a moment looking at his dastardly cut hair and started to cry, "My hic!-air. My hic!-'eauti'ul...'air."

He looked over to where the blond had sauntered off to. Seeing him flirting with a young woman, the redhead got up and walked over to them.

"Hussy!" he hissed at the young girl. "He 'sss my hic!-ustard seeeeed." Swaying his, body rubbed up against the rookie's.

Ronald gasped, flushing as he pushed Grell away, "Go away, Senpai!"

"No!" The redhead pouted, taking another sip from his new bottle. "Rude. You left me hic!-lone."

"This isn' a date! You hate me anyway. Now leave, yer cramping my style!"

Ronald turned back to the girl with a grin, only to come face to face with a large ape of a man, who didn't hesitate to grab the lapel of his jacket and lift him from the ground, slamming him onto the table.

"You think ya kin jus' pick up my sister, runt?"

"Hey!" the redhead yelled. "Un'and...'im!"

Grell kicked the man in the shin. Losing his balance, he slammed into the wall behind him.

"Ooomp... Ow...! bloo-hic!-dy hell!"

He pushed himself back up, swaying as he tried to lunge at the man.

"Hey! I'mma nice guy! She looked lonely!" Ron shot back, kicking up after he snapped out of his daze.

The man brought his fist down slamming it into the blond's cheek. Grell's eyes narrowed on the man, he raised his hand above him and brought the bottle of Rum down hard on the back of the man's head.

"Don't touch my 'ustard Seed!" he barked.

Ronald covered his face with his arms as glass and rum rained down on him from around the man's head, right before the man slumped forward, pinning him to the table. Grell immediately started pushing at the man's over sized body.

"Get erff hic! 'im... You...you overs-stuffed turkey!" he fumed.

The man's body gave way and he fell from the blond's, but at the same time, Grell's foot slipped on the Rum. He was thrown forward and landed on top of the rookie.

"'aint Brid-hic!" he yelped.

Ronald groaned at the sudden weight pinning him down so soon after the previous guy was pushed off him, "Senpai, yer too drunk for this."

"'m not drunk, jus' clumsy," Grell smiled, looking down at the blond.

He began wiggling against the young reaper's body, trying to find the ground with his foot.

"Then r-relearn English!" Ron gasped, managing to push the wriggling older reaper off of him.

He rolled back onto his feet, his eyes meeting five other angry men, likely the other man's friends or gang. He sighed and ducked a slow punch thrown at him.

"I take it this is our cue ta leave!"

Grell ran over to their table on unsteady legs, grabbing his coat. He then turned to the exit and as he ran past the bar, he popped up onto the bar counter and reached behind it, stealing a few bottles of whatever he could get his hands on.

"Hic!.. Yes...! Gos...!" he shouted over his shoulder heading for the door, stumbling.

Ronald tossed a few bills at the barmaid as he passed her, stumbling out into the street after dodging a few men. He gasped, losing his balance and found himself tumbling forward into the gutter, scraping his knee and ripping his pants in the process.

He grumbled, "Redheads are bad luck."

"Psst...'is way." Grell called to the rookie, nodding his head in the direction of his flat.

Groaning, Ronald pushed himself up, so much for a relaxing evening. He couldn't even remember ever having to leave a pub this early…let alone get this drunk, this fast. He could have sworn that they had only been there for maybe ten minutes, yet he had polished off a whole bottle.