/ I've brought back this story with a bit of edits made to the original chapters. I'll be posting the others tonight, and will work on writing chapter six thereafter.
Flashback from years before now.
"What do you mean, you're leaving?" William asked, his face a mask of confusion as he looked at the older reaper. It wasn't unheard of for a grim reaper to go AWOL during some strange mid-afterlife crisis, but… the Undertaker was the best of the best, and the very thought of him walking out of the reaper's realm seemed impossible.
But that same ancient reaper only shrugged as he explained, "William, I've been doing this for a very long time. I've been at the death-bed of men, women, and children alike; in that time, I've seen all there is to see and… I've grown bored, William, of watching as others die and knowing that nobody will notice when I meet my maker; it seems likely that you or any of the others would simply nod your head and walk away if I were to die. And that… that, William, troubles me."
"That isn't true," the younger argued despite his usual composure. His eyes were wide with surprise at the accusations that the elder had thrown his way. "I mean," he started again, shaking his head in a wild attempt to compose himself, "Of course we'd notice. You're a legend, 'Taker—"
It was then that the older man interrupted Will and taught him something that the younger would take with him the rest of his life, "I am a legend of death, yes, but I've never had a chance to live. Retirement… it will give me a chance again." He paused, and his luminescent eyes seemed to soften as he added, "What does it matter to you, Will?"
"It matters because I—"
"—Hello loves!" Grell Sutcliff interrupted as he pushed the doors of the Undertaker's room open. He wore a bright smile on his face that revealed every razor-sharp tooth that grin held, and his red coat was wrapped tightly around himself against the Winter's cool air.
Will groaned in exasperation as he snapped, ,"Now is not the time, Grell!" He flashed a glance at the Undertaker then, who seemed completely oblivious to what William had been about to say.
Pouting, the crimson reaper asked, "Not the time? How could you say that? You're not even working this time!" He stomped his foot in a show of anger as he muttered, "It's not right to treat a lady like this, always blowing me off—"
"—Hush now, Grelle," the Undertaker's purr interrupted, instantly evaporating the actress' annoyance. He waved a hand in dismissal then as he added, "We're trying to talk about something; I'll fill you in later. Until then, make yourself scarce."
Grell huffed but turned on his heel to leave regardless of his irritation, "Fine, fine. I'll see you later then, 'Taker. And you too, Will! You owe me a drink still!" With that, the crimson reaper disappeared out the door once again, leaving William alone with the elder once again.
"Now, what were you going to say?"
Will's jaw set with annoyance, his eyes blazing despite his usual neutral appearance as he snapped, "Just forget about it, 'Taker. Do what you want." He turned around to leave, only to have the elder catch his arm, "What do you want?"
The other reaper sighed heavily, "I want to know what you were saying before Grell showed up. I asked you why it mattered if I retired and I want an answer to that."
The words all flew out of William's mouth at once in the same moment that he ripped his arm away from the Undertaker's grip, "It matters because I like you and now I'll never have an excuse to talk to you. Just… just piss off, 'Taker." He stormed out of the room without another word, only to run into Grell who'd been waiting in the hallway. "Damn it, Sutcliff—"
"—I'll talk to 'Taker for you," the feminine reaper said with a smile, simply patting Will on the shoulder before going around him and heading towards the older reaper's room. "Consider it a debt paid, Will."
Later, Grell had found William again in the privacy of his room. "I talked to him," he jumped straight into the conversation, flopping down on the edge of Will's bed as he elaborated, "He told me to give you this." He held out the small slip of paper, and Will could only take it, scanning the scrawling text:
Meet me at the bar, William.
I'd say we'll talk, but we probably won't.
So we'll drink.
See you at eight.
-Undertaker
"This better not be one of your jokes, Sutcliff," William warned as he folded the piece of paper in half and tucked it into his pocket.
"Why would I bother with a joke like that?" Grell scoffed, "I told you that I wanted to help and that's what I'm doing. So hush and get ready; you've only got a couple hours before you've got to be at the bar and I simply will not allow you to go on a date looking like that."