I published this years ago, but I just now realized I used male pronouns for Grell and I'm honestly so ashamed of myself that I went back and fixed it. So here.
"Why, exactly, did you drag me out here, Sutcliff? I have paperwork to do and-"
"Lighten up, Will~!" Grell interrupted. "Your paperwork can wait 'till tomorrow, I promise." She said reassuringly. She was dragging the annoyed shinigami by the wrist through Hyde Park and garnering some odd looks from the other patrons, though Grell paid them no mind. After all, when one has bright-red hair and shark-like teeth, she learns to deal with being stared at. William, on the other hand, squirmed under the many unfamiliar gazes. He wasn't exactly used to being looked at.
William sighed and yanked his hand away. "Honestly, Sutcliff," He shook his head and pushed his glasses up. "At least tell me why we're here?"
"We're going ice skating!" The redhead exclaimed in excitement. William scowled, but realized resistance would be futile; what Grell wanted, Grell would find a way to get. That much had been proven time and time again in the years that William had known him. She plopped down onto a bench and began yanking off her high-heeled boots. With an exasperated sighed, Will followed suit. "Oh, come on, Will, don't look so depressed!" Grell flashed her superior a Cheshire grin. "It'll be fun." There was an almost mischievous glint in the shinigami's moss-green eyes. After lacing up her skates (red, of course), she stepped fearlessly onto the ice, but Will hesitated. "What is it?" The redhead pivoted abruptly when she realized that the taller shinigami had yet to follow her. She tilted her head to the side and smirked. "Don't you know how to skate?" She teased.
"Yes!" William retorted a little too defensively. "It's just been a while."
Grell laughed and reached out to take Will's hand. "Come on, it's just like riding a bike. You'll be fine!" She tugged gently on William's hand, pulling the dark-haired man onto the ice.
"I never liked bike-riding much, either," William mumbled as he slid unsteadily onto the slick surface. He and Grell glided easily, albeit slowly, for a few yards, Will sticking close to Grell's side. However, without warning, he felt himself begin to slip and grabbed desperately for the closest thing that could provide support. His hand closed around Grell's, just barely able to keep himself from falling. He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, adjusted his black leather coat and light blue scarf, and looked around to ensure that no one had seen the small mishap. "Honestly," he muttered to no one in particular.
Grell squeaked in surprise to find her hand in Will's, and her fingers captured the man's before he had a chance to pull away. "You okay?" She asked teasingly, expression of surprise having morphed into her customary shark-like grin.
William shot her a glare but didn't retract his hand. Though he would never admit it, Grell's was pleasantly warm, even through their gloves, and seem to fit into his perfectly. A few minutes passed and the memories of how to skate slowly began to return. William, now much steadier on his feet, relinquished his hold on his subordinate's hand, much to the latter's displeasure. Grell frowned and began to complain in her normal, obnoxious way, so Will tuned him out and turned his attention to their surroundings. Strings of lights glittered like stars overhead against the backdrop of the cloud-covered night sky. On the old Victorian bandstand that served as the centerpiece of the rink, a band played Christmas music that mingled with the scent of pine trees and hot chocolate in the cold air to create a warm atmosphere despite the chill. However, these things didn't distract Will for long. Time after time, his eyes fell on Grell, who was moving with impossible grace across the ice. A soft breeze ruffled her long, blood-red hair and she idly raised a gloved hand to adjust the black trimmed hat with dark red fur that rested on her head and throw the end of her red scarf back over her shoulder. William watched with strange curiosity, as if it were the first time he had ever seen Grell. The shinigami finally felt the other's gaze and returned it, a look of confusion on her face. "What is it?" Her expression contorted into one of horror. "Do I have something on my face?"
"N-no, I was just… Umm… Just-" William stuttered, and then sighed. "No," He quickly averted his eyes, ignoring Grell's flirtatious remarks and mentally kicking himself for staring in the first place, let alone his very uncharacteristic "recovery." What's gotten in to me? He wondered. It's like I've never seen him before… But that's utterly daft; I've known him for centuries. He chastised himself, but his eyes, of their own accord, drifted back to the shinigami at his side. The crimson hair, the ivory skin, the delicate feminine build, it all seemed so… Different. New… Beautiful. It must be the lighting that makes her look so... changed. William concluded unsurely, trying to avoid the truth as well as he could. He refused to admit that maybe, just maybe he felt more for Grell than friendship. That, perhaps, there was a chance for them to become something special, or that he actually wanted that.
Grell grinned once more, her attention turned back to his companion. "See, not that bad, right?" Without warning, her gloved hand reached out and grasped William's, and she moved closer. She looked up at William with glittering moss-green eyes, her sharp grin soften into something sweeter and warmer.
William sighed, giving in. "I suppose it's nice to get a break from work," he admitted. He glanced around, as if checking to make sure no one they knew was watching, and then curled his fingers around Grell's in return. He tried his best to ignore it, but he couldn't deny the surge of warmth the simple closeness brought forth.
The flirtatious, Cheshire grin Grell often wore melted into a real, genuine smile. It was a rare thing, Will realized, to see her smile so warmly. The difference from her normal grin was subtle, thanks to her sharp teeth, but William had known the redhead long enough to pick up on it. He tightened his grip on Grell's smaller hand slightly, a tiny smile playing on his face. As they skated in amiable silence, snow began to fall from the grey skies overhead. Grell's smiled widened. "It's snowing!" She exclaimed excitedly. Though snow had a tendency to mess up Grell's hair and create icy conditions that seemed to magically strip him of all of his grace and balance, the redhead adored it. At that moment, it only added to the perfection of the moment they were sharing, just another piece of the puzzle falling into place. Now there was just one more thing Grell wanted, though he knew it was a long shot…
Grell's excitement made William forget any doubts he had ever had about going on this little excursion; it made up for the paperwork the shinigami knew was currently piling up on his desk, made up for the freezing temperatures and for the unwanted attention and for the embarrassment. William smiled at the redhead, realizing that maybe it was okay to let his walls come down sometimes. The words and thoughts and feelings that William had pushed away out of misguided fear mere minutes before flooded his heart with welcome warmth. Without so much as a word, William suddenly stopped at the bandstand's steps, his tight grip on Grell's hand ensuring that the other did the same. "What are you-" Grell's question was cut off by William's lips meeting hers. She gasped in surprise, but soon melted into the warmth, her arms snaking around Will's neck. The kiss ended all too quickly, and Grell stared at her superior in shock. "Will…"
William, too, was shocked. He hadn't exactly intended to kiss Grell, in fact, he had no idea what he intended to do, but the kiss wasn't at all unpleasant. He smiled, his arms resting around Grell's waist. A glimpse of green in his peripheral vision made him glance up, only to see what he already suspected. Sure enough, mistletoe hung above them, and this time Grell took the initiative, grinning as she reached up to kiss the dark-haired man once more, deeper this time. The kiss broke off and the redhead suddenly flung her arms around William, resting her head on his chest. "Merry Christmas, William." She said softly.
"Merry Christmas, Grell."