AN: This fic has been floppin' around in my head for quite a while now, and I've finally decided to put it into words. It will be a multi-chapter fic, and I'm estimating it at around ten chapters or so, though it could very well turn out to be longer. This fic will be a ClaudexGrell fic, and I can only hope to corrupt more people into liking this pairing ;)
There is no particular place in the anime where this all fits in, honestly, and it does not keep to the anime's plot at all. Just an FYI.
Warnings for this chapter: Swearing, violence
Dreamscape
Chapter One: Runaway
"Oh, what a bore~!" Grell murmured as he walked through the outskirts of London.
It was late, nearly midnight, and the red head was just finishing his last reap of the day. The elderly woman whose soul he had been sent to collect died quietly in her sleep, dying at home of old age. Her life had been long and relatively uneventful, and it had nearly caused him to die of boredom to watch it. With the last reap of the night complete though, the bright eyed man happily made his way back into the town, eager to return home.
'This is the LAST time I take on of Ronald's shifts! I don't care if he had a date or not!' The red head thought to himself. Normally he would've turned down the request, but of course Ronald had pulled out the puppy-dog eyes as he pleaded and begged Grell to take his shift.
The red head had relented, of course. Ronald was too cute for his own good, and who was he to get in the way of blossoming young love? Besides, with luck he would be asking his darling subordinate to do the same someday.
The night was clear and peaceful, the town's people quietly resting inside their homes. The area was pleasant too, and reminded Grell of the far off dreams his heart longed to fulfill. Someday he too would own a small house in the country, red preferably, a handsome husband to dote on, and children if fate was kind enough. Of course, he would never be able to bear a child…
A piercing scream broke through the night air, and Grell jumped, startled by the sound.
Pulling out his to-die list, the reaper flipped the book open to the current date, searching though names and their time of death. 'There are no souls scheduled to die at this moment.' The reaper thought as he closed the book again, sliding it into his vest.
Another scream tore through the air, and Grell found his curiosity peaked. Forgetting his desired destination, the red head began to walk towards the source of the sound. The voice sounded young and terrified, and as the reaper entered the wooded area just off the roadway, he could hear hysterical sobs coming from the source.
A bit farther inside the tree line, the reaper found the person he had been looking for. A young boy, around thirteen or fourteen, with light blond hair streaked with blood and terrified blue eyes. Nearby, two dark haired men chased the boy, toying with him and laughing.
When Grell looked a bit closer though, the sight of glowing red eyes revealed the truth. The child was not being tormented by humans, but by demons. A man with long brown hair and a pure black suit took a swipe at the boy as he tried to escape, causing the child to fall to the ground as he narrowly avoided the strike.
"Claude! Please help me Claude!" The blond screamed between sobs.
Tears streamed down the boy's face as the pair circled him, and Grell knew he could stand aside no longer. Demons were only allowed to eat the soul of a human contracted to them. It was obvious that was not the case here, and as a reaper he was obligated to save the child from his cruel fate. After all, William would be very upset if the soul ledgers were thrown off come morning.
Pulling the cord to start his chainsaw scythe, the reaper burst forward and took both demons by surprise, the pair narrowly escaping as he swung his scythe at them. The boy stared at him with a shocked awe as Grell stood before him, and the reaper gave a slight smile before turning his attention to the demons.
"My, my~! What do we have here? Surely you both know that it just isn't proper for a demon to take a human's soul without a contract." Grell said as he wagged his finger scoldingly at the pair.
The man with long brown hair scowled, while his partner, a man with spiky black hair and a similar suit gave a light laugh, his glowing red eyes twinkling with amusement.
"What a surprise, eh Victor? I've never seen a reaper before, and he's so pretty too!" The raven haired demon said as he studied Grell intently, a devilish smile on his lips. "But you really should mind your own business, reaper. You're outnumbered."
Grell could hear shuffling behind him, thin arms wrapping themselves around his leg in a desperate attempt to keep him from leaving. The reaper ignored the awkward feeling in his chest as a sobbing face was pressed into his pant leg, wincing at the thought of the snot and tears he would have to clean from his clothing later.
"I say we eat him." The brown haired demon said suddenly, taking a few steps forward towards the red headed reaper and the child hiding behind him. "He's getting in our way after all, and I bet the soul of one of those elusive reaper's would probably taste pretty damn good. What do you think, Lucas?"
As the two demons nodded their heads in agreement, Grell turned his attention to the child clinging to his leg. Pulling the hands from his leg, the reaper turned to the pitiful looking child. Tears flowed out of fearful blue eyes as the boy looked at him helplessly.
"P-Please! Don't let them kill me! Kill them, please!" The child begged. "I'm an Earl! I-I can give you whatever you want, just save me!"
Grell rolled his eyes as the hysterical boy. This child could offer him nothing that he wanted, but he would save him none the less. It was his obligation, after all.
"Quiet down you brat, and go sit near the tree." Grell said as he pointed to a large oak tree behind the boy. "If you run I won't be able to protect you, so don't try anything stupid~!"
With that said, the reaper turned back to the pair of demon behind him. The pair had begun their approach, and Grell brought up his scythe, revving it threateningly.
"I hope you boys know how to show a lady a good time~! I'm dying for a fight to the death!" The red head said with a laugh, bursting forward and swinging at the pair for the second time that night.
Lucas leapt out of the way of the oncoming blade and into the treetops above, while the second demon dropped below the blade and landed a punch to the red head's abdomen. As his breath was forced out by the punch, the reaper brought his leg back and landed a quick kick to the side of the demon's skull, sending the man flying into the tree line.
A hand buried itself in Grell's long red hair from behind, catching him by surprise. Turning slightly, the smaller man watched as Victor gave a sadistic grin before yanking the red head backwards by his hair, throwing him to the ground roughly.
"You damned reapers, who do you think you are to tell a demon what to do? I won't waste my time contracting with a human! Why should I, when I can just tear their souls out of their bodies? Who wants to do all that damned work?" Victor snarled.
Grell gripped his scythe tightly and swung it backwards, catching the ranting demon off guard as the metal sliced into the demon's soft abdominal flesh. Blood poured out of the wound along with the demon's record, and another quick swipe put an end to the demon's life.
Out of nowhere, a strong kick to the jaw sent Grell's glasses askew and his vision was marred with black spots. The moonlit forest blurred together, and as the reaper went to fix his glasses a strong hand wrapped around his throat, lifting him into the air and away from his scythe.
"Such a bother. You should've left while you had the chance reaper." The brown haired man sneered as he lifted the red head's face to his own. "I was never very fond of Victor thankfully, but he did have a good plan. Yes, I'll devour you thoroughly, reaper."
As Lucas leaned forward with a devilish grin, Grell drew his leg back and kicked at the demon's gut as hard as he could, the other man's grip on his neck faltering enough to allow him to escape. Scrambling for his scythe, the red head snatched up his weapon and spun to face the angry demon behind him.
"A disgusting demon like you isn't worthy enough to devour me! What audacity, what nerve~!" Grell spat as he ran towards the demon, scythe held high.
Grell brought his heavy blade down hard, the demon narrowly avoiding it as he rolled out of the way and stumbled to his feet. Lucas spun and kicked out towards the red head, but the reaper was quicker, and caught the other man's leg before it could connect. With a sadistic grin, the reaper kicked his own leg out, connecting with the demon's lower back and bringing the man to his knees.
Red eyes filled with cold fury stared into Grell's own, and a moment later they were gone as the demon darted into the forest with a snarl.
"This isn't over, little reaper!" Lucas called behind him as he darted through the forest, disappearing from sight.
Panting heavily as he watched the demon retreat into the night, the reaper's attention was drawn behind him as the blond boy he had protected staggered to his feet. Blood dripped down the child's face from a large wound on his head, and his expensive outfit was marred with blood, dirt and tears. Grell sighed and began to approach the boy who appeared to be in a state of shock, his eyes wide and his breathing shaky.
"Well my dear, you're safe now~! I'll be going, so be sure to run home quickly!" The reaper said as he stopped in front of the child, giving a slight smile.
The smile morphed into a look of shock as the boy gave a fearful cry and threw himself at the reaper, arms securing themselves around Grell's thin waist. Arms lifted towards his chest as he stared at the grubby child clinging to him, the red head couldn't help but feel a bit frustrated. The brat was safe now, and was no longer his problem.
"Don't leave me! I-I'm lost, and C-C-Claude didn't come!" The boy sobbed into Grell's stomach, his words muffled slightly. "I'm afraid, and it's s-so dark! Please, don't l-leave!"
Grell stood awkwardly above the child, debating over shoving the child off and running or staying to comfort the youngster. With an exhausted sigh, the reaper pulled away from the child and sat down, leaning against a tree, laying his scythe on the ground. The upset child followed suit, wrapping his arms around himself as he sat trembling.
'The gash on his head is bleeding pretty badly.' Grell thought to himself as he brought a gloved hand up, moving to brush aside the boy's blond hair in order to see the wound better. To his surprise, his hand was struck away.
"Don't touch me!" The blond snarled, his eyes filled with malice and rage.
Grell could feel his own anger and impatience rising. The kid was clinging to him for comfort one minute, and then screaming at him the next! A furious look overcame the red head as he responded back to the child next to him.
"You've got some nerve, you little brat! I could be heading home right now you know, I've done my job! But instead I decided to help you, so the least you could do right now is show some damn respect!" Grell snapped back, his patience exhausted.
The boy looked surprised for a moment, his light blue eyes wide and shimmering with tears before he looked away, drawing his knees to his chest.
"I'm sorry." Came a soft reply.
Rolling his eyes, the red head reluctantly reached out again and brushed the boy's hair away from the bloody skin. The wound on his head was dirty and but superficial, and the reaper removed his hand a moment later.
"So, what's your name?" The child asked suddenly as he lifted his head from his knees. "It'd be nice to know so I can give you a proper 'Thank you.'"
"My name? Oh darling, I am the queen of queens, the lovely Grell Sutcliff, a reaper to DIE for!" The red head cried out dramatically, an arm outstretched before him and another clutched to his chest.
"A reaper?" The boy asked in wonder. "You mean like… a grim reaper?"
Grell gave a toothy grin, showing off his sharp teeth as he gave a wink and a nod. To his surprise, the child didn't seem fearful at all. The boy responded with a slight smile and held out a small hand for him to shake.
"Well, my name is Alois Trancy, earl of the Trancy household. Thank you for saving me, Mr. Sutcliff." Alois said before turning his gaze towards the forest in thought.
"Miss." Grell corrected.
The blond gave a questioning look, confused by the seemingly random statement. 'How irritating.' The red head thought to himself as he stared at the blond child. With a huff, he elaborated.
"It's Ms. Sutcliff, not mister!" The flamboyant man snapped, a small frown on his face. "If you're going to do a proper apology, you should do it right!"
"What in the bloody hell are you on about? From where I sit, you're a man!" Alois snapped back, seeming unamused with the correction.
Grell gritted his teeth, the red head did his best to keep his temper under control. The blond was pushing his buttons in all the wrong ways, and the reaper was horrible at holding his tongue, even around children. He had to admit though, the boy's fierce personality was much preferred to the broken and terrified side of the boy he had seen just moments before.
As Alois's tongue darted out to wet his chapped hips, the red head was greeted with a surprising sight. A demonic seal rested on the boy's pink tongue. 'That would explain quite a bit.' The reaper thought to himself. 'Those demon most likely saw the boy's tongue as well at some point, and knew that he was a soul worth feasting on for their kind.'
"I assume by the seal on your tongue that your demon is fluttering about somewhere? How lazy of him to leave me to defend his master than to come to your rescue himself!" Grell said bitterly, eyes darting around the darkness as though wary of an attack.
The blond startled slightly at the statement, then an angry look overcame his features. Grell was silently surprised how quickly the child's moods could change. His personality rivaled the red head's own quite a bit, and he was slightly impressed.
"Don't speak about Claude that way! It's not his fault!" Alois snapped. "I-I ran away earlier tonight. Even with the seal that connects us, I've gone so far that it will take him a bit to get here." The blond revealed in a softer voice, his anger dissipating to leave behind regret.
With a slight yawn, Grell turned his gaze to the stars. He really didn't mind sitting with the irritating whelp of a boy, at least, not since the child had aroused his interest. It was rare for a demon to contract with a child, and the reaper was sure that the boy must have had a tough life to corrupt him to this point.
"Why did you run away?" The red head asked as he stared at the twinkling stars through the tree branches.
"Claude is so… cold. I wanted to see if he would worry if I was gone." Replied the child as he lowered his legs, apparently feeling a bit more comfortable with the situation.
Out of the corner of his eye, he watched as Alois wiped his face on his sleeve, the wet trails on his cheeks helping to remove a bit of the mud and grime that clung to the child. 'Cold? Yes, I've felt just as he's feeling so often during the past. Such cold men…' With a small, teasing smile the red head replied.
"Well, I bet he's worried now! Imagine the look on his face when that damned seal alerted him that you were in danger and he couldn't find you~!" The reaper giggled.
A small smile broke out across the blond's face, and he gave a light laugh.
"He's probably pretty mad, but he'll hide it well. But he's as trapped in my web as I am in his, so I'll toy with him as I like." The boy said with a slight smile that hinted to the more malicious side of him.
'A web? A spider demon, ack!' Grell thought with a wrinkle of his nose, a shiver trailing up his spine. He had never been fond of spiders, though he had never particularly feared them. The promise of a spider demon, however, gave him goosebumps as images of a giant mutated spider falling from the tree tops and onto his head came to mind.
Grell glanced around the trees warily.
"So, you're a grim reaper huh? What exactly do you do?" The blond asked suddenly, drawing the red head from his thoughts.
"Well~, it's the duty of the grim reaper to move though the world unseen and collect the souls of the dying. Our blades cut down to the soul and release the cinematic record, or the memories, of the dying. It's beautiful, really! We watch the records, and then we slice them with our blade, effectively killing the human. We collect the records and store them for judgment day~!" Grell explained eagerly.
His job, though full of paperwork, was something he enjoyed thoroughly. He enjoyed talking about it. When he had been human all those years ago, he had felt a pull to end the lives of the living, and he even acted upon that urge. All reapers had, though. It, among other things, was something every reaper had in common. They had all taken a life before they died.
"So you mustn't like demon then, right? They eat the souls you try to collect, after all." Alois asked, his eyes wide and filled with questions.
Grell blushed slightly as his thought drifted to Sebastian Michaelis. Perfect black hair, dark red eyes, a lean yet muscular body…. A shiver of delight ran down the reaper's chin, and he resisted the urge to cry out in rapture as the attractive image of his favorite butler came to mind
"Ah~, that's not quite true! They hide behind such delightful facades, so beautiful to look at! And if they're proper and use a contract, most reapers have no issue with demons." Grell revealed. "Demons like those you've just seen, they're the ones that reapers dislike the most. They don't seek to contract, just to prey on the weak and devour souls until their hunger is sated. Even worse, they mess up our ledgers." The red head said with a scowl.
"I'm not weak though, not with Claude by my side! Shouldn't those damn demon be able to sense that I've contracted?" Alois questioned, his voice revealing his irritation with the situation as his eyes fell on the demonic body not far from them.
"They did. They most likely thought they could overpower your darling demon, two against one. And demon are so fickle~! They have very particular tastes, you see, so all that seal really revealed…" Grell said as he reached out to pinch the boy's cheeks with a grin. "…is that you taste delicious!"
The blond blushed and swatted the red head's hand with a playful smile.
"This is true, your Highness." A voice said suddenly, cutting though the quiet night around them. "After all, I intend to make one hell of a feast out of you."
Grell jumped in surprise, nearly falling over from his sitting position. Out of the darkness of the forest emerged a dark figure, and the red head could see the demonic eyes glowing red though the shadow of the night. As the man moved closer, the reaper could barely contain his excitement.
Strong, masculine features, pitch black hair that fell into his face slightly, and narrow eyes that seemed to pierce anything they looked at. And right now, they were piercing his own. Heart pounding, Grell took note of his proper attire. 'Another butler, perhaps? He did say he was an earl, after all. Seems familiar.'
The demon's red eyes faded to a inhuman yellow color, and the demon set his sights on his master, who smiled happily at the sudden appearance of his demonic butler.
"Claude!" The boy cried out as he scrambled to his feet. "I knew you'd come for me!"
Grell stood as the boy wrapped his arms around the demon's waist, burying his face into the man's suit. Claude placed a comforting hand atop his master's head before pulling away and kneeling, meeting his master's eyes.
"Our contract is not complete, and yet you've fled me. Are you no longer interested in my services?" The demon questioned.
"It's not that!" Alois cried out as he shook his head. "You're so cold, Claude. I just wanted to see if you'd come for me if I ran. I wanted to see if you still cared." The boy whispered, hanging his head as a light flush of embarrassment tinted his cheeks.
Grell watched silently at the exchange. He was pleased he had been ignored, contrary to the usual, as some demon would attack reapers on sight. It didn't seem that would be the case with this one, at least.
"Your Highness, I am contracted to you. It is only fitting that I come to your side at a time of danger. And you need not seek out my attention, as I will be by your side until the end." Claude said in a monotone voice, his yellow eyes staring into his master's own.
"Oh Claude, I knew you cared!" The boy exclaimed. "I'm sorry I ran away! I was attacked by demon's you know, but Grell saved me! He's a reaper, Claude!" Alois said happily as he gestured to the forgotten reaper.
The demon's gaze landed on him, and Grell gave an uneasy smile as the demon got to his feet again. Claude approached him silently, his face void of emotion and bowed respectfully.
"I am Claude Faustus, butler of the Trancy household. I thank you for protecting my young master when I was unable to." The demon said before straightening up and adjusting his glasses. "Grell, was it? I must say I'm surprised, it's rare for anyone to see your kind."
The red head gave a toothy grin as the demon studied him meticulously. The man's golden eyes then flickered to the scythe on the ground nearby, looking over the weapon with curiosity before his attention turned back to the reaper. Falling back into his trademark stance, Grell replied.
"Yes, I'm Grell Sutcliff, a reaper to DIE for~! And of course you don't see us around, demons and reapers don't interact very often until it's a dispute over souls. Though, the handsome look you demon hold does draw me out time and time again~!" The red head giggled as he let his eyes wander over the demon's form.
'Handsome~…' The reaper thought to himself with a small smile, a light blush darkening his cheeks.
A soft breeze blew through the forest, the cold wind giving the red head a chill. The demon before him was regarding him with curiosity, his narrow eyes analyzing any information he could gather. The demon opened his mouth to speak, but Alois's words cut him off.
"Claude, I'm cold, let's leave." The child whined as a shiver shook his small frame. "Thank you again for saving me, miss Sutcliff. If you ever find yourself on the far side of the city, stop in for some tea! Claude can be so boring~!"Alois said with a small smile, exhaustion showing on his young features as the demon swept him up in his arms.
"I'll be sure to take you up on the offer, darling Earl! But for now, I'll take my leave. Until next time~!" The red head exclaimed, silently pleased that the blond had referred to him by his preferred gender.
In a flash he was gone, his inhuman speed carrying him back towards the city. It had been a long night, after all, and he was eager to return home.
Claude moved through the city quickly as he felt his young master shiver in his arms. The night was cool and damp, and though he wished to return to the manor as quickly as possible, the demon stopped running a moment later atop a rooftop. Setting his master on his feet, the demon slipped his suit jacket off and slipped it over the child's shoulders.
"Can't you get us home faster?" Snapped Alois, wobbling slightly where he stood.
The demon quickly gathered his master back into his arms, watching as the child cuddled into his jacket. The blond's head fell against Claude's chest with a light thud and the demon leaned down to whisper to the young boy.
"It would do no good for you to get sick, your Highness. We will be home soon, please be patient." The demon's deep voice replied before beginning to run through the city again.
Silence fell between the two again as they moved quickly across the rooftops of the houses. A soft yawn sounded from the child in his arms, and the demon found himself amused. His master was still but a child, and the night's events must have tired him out quite a bit.
Thoughts of the night's escapades brought up a bitter feeling in the demon though. Other demon's had sought out his young master's soul, and had that reaper not shown up his long awaited meal would've been stolen out from under him.
His Highness had been quite impulsive, running away from home as far as he had, and that was another cause for irritation and concern. His master was reckless and foolish, a child in so many ways. The demon had mistakenly assumed that because his master was attached to him, he would not leave the demon's side. But Alois's insecurity seemed to win out over his desperate need for attention. It was a mistake that he could not allow to happen again.
"Claude, are reaper's as rare as you said?" Alois questioned suddenly, breaking the demon away from his thoughts.
"Yes." Claude confirmed with a nod. "They are known to stay hidden in the shadows of the world, collecting the souls of the dying. They are rarely seen, and their numbers are said to be scarce."
"He was nothing like anyone I've ever met before. He wanted me to refer to him as a woman, he yelled and screamed when upset, and he didn't treat me as if I would break from cruel words…" Alois revealed, a thoughtful look on his tired face. "I want him."
Claude gave his master a curious look, though he suspected he knew exactly what his master wanted. The reaper had acted unrefined and wild, and has inadvertently sparked his master's curiosity. It was childish. It was spider-like.
"I want to entangle him in my web and tear off his bloody red wings so he can never leave me." The blond said softly.
"A creature of his nature is much harder to capture than a human, your Highness. It would require a gentle touch, luring words… A slow seduction into the darkness." The demon said, a sly smile tilting his lips just slightly.
His master's small hands dug into the demon's shirt, and bright blue eyes looked into his own with a look of desperation and need.
"You'll help me, won't you Claude? He could be useful you know, he's very strong! He could help fulfill my wish!" The child cried out, desperate for a response.
"Yes, your Highness."
AN: Wow, certainly one of the longest chapter's I've ever written. I make no guarantee's to how often I'll be updating the fic, though it should be at LEAST once a week. I know, I know, usually I'm updating about twice a week ;.; I'm being a slacker.
Anyways, let me know what you thought? Even a quick review is better than nothing~ :D