AN: Thanks so much for the reviews! I'm glad that everyone is liking the story so far :) I absolutely LOVED Grell and the Undertaker at first sight, and when the anime showed them interacting together I fell in love with the pairing! I hope that you all enjoy this chapter as much as the last as well! Sorry that its a bit shorter, but I didn't wanna start the next part and leave it feeling cut off :/
Warnings: A bit of blood and gore in this chapter, enjoy it!
Chapter Two: Tea Time Questions
A week had passed since Grell had encountered the Undertaker, the deserter reaper who was wanted by the Reaper Association for his illegal tampering with cinematic records. The dastardly man had only recently returned to the area after years of hiding.
Though Grell was aware of the repercussions of associating with a criminal, he couldn't help but feel drawn back to the Undertaker's shop for another visit.
Though the silver haired man was odd and kind of annoying, he did bring back an air of excitement and danger, something that Grell had desperately been missing since the loss of his lovely red-eyed demon. Grell was all about danger and passion, after all, so it was only natural that he would be drawn to the curious older man.
His conversation with the Undertaker regarding his feelings about reaping had given him much to think about as well. It was comforting to know that others had experienced the same exact boredom with reaping that he had, though the choices he was left with gave no cause for comfort.
'But that all can wait!' Grell thought to himself as he stared up at the sign of the Undertaker's shop. 'Today, I plan to take advantage of the Undertaker's invitation! Oh the danger, William would be so upset with me if he caught me skipping out on work to visit a wanted man!'
Grell mentally flinched at the thought of a huge stack of paperwork awaiting him later in the afternoon, but he would worry about that later.
Grell walked forward, opening the door to the shop and filling the store with the sound of squeaky, un-oiled hinges. He let the door close behind him, taking in the view of the shop. Undertaker was nowhere to be seen, though the light layer of dust that had encased the shop not long ago had now been removed. The dark shop was quiet as death.
"Undertaker~…" Grell called out in a sweet voice, "I know he's here somewhere, the shop was unlocked." He muttered to himself.
Heavy footsteps sounded from farther into the shop, and a moment later Grell was greeted by the person he had been seeking. Undertaker stood in his usual attire, eyes masked by long silver hair and an almost-too-big grin on his face.
"Ah, what an unexpected surprise! A lovely guest for me to entertain! You'll have to forgive me, but I'm just finishing up with a customer so you'll need to wait a bit." Undertaker revealed, lifting his hands to show Grell.
Grell felt his heart speed up at the sight of Undertaker's blood covered hands, the bright liquid dripping to the floor from the man's long finger nails. The older man looked lovely stained in red, and Grell wanted to see more.
"Oh, no worries my dear Undertaker! I'm actually quite curious, do you think that I could watch? I promise not to be a distraction, unless you want me to be…" Grell flirted, wiggling his hips invitingly and causing the Undertaker to laugh happily.
"I see, hehe. Please then, M'dear, follow me!" Undertaker said with a cackle, motioning for Grell to follow after as he turned and retreated back into the shop farther.
Grell walked fast, trying to catch up to the taller man. Following the Undertaker down a steep set of stairs, Grell was met with the smell of death and embalming fluid. In the middle of the basement sat a silver colored table, which held the deceased body of a young woman. A stand and tray stood next to the table, holding a multitude of medical instruments.
It looked like it could the description in a horror story, and Grell loved it.
Undertaker led him to the table, picking up a scalpel carefully, and continued to elongate the slice in the abdomen of the woman. The stench of blood filled the air, and Grell watched as the Undertaker reached inside the woman as though it was the most natural thing in the world.
"What are you doing?" Grell asked curiously.
"Hmm?" Undertaker hummed, as though he had just remembered that Grell was observing him. "It's been a hobby of mine to remove and study the organs of the dead. You would be surprised what you can learn from the dead. Besides, it's not like she's using these anymore, hehe." Undertaker replied with a giggle.
Grell watched with morbid fascination as the Undertaker removed the organs he wanted and placed each in their own jar full of embalming fluid. He shivered in delight at the sight of the older man with his sleeves pulled up, arms and hands covered in blood. He felt almost entranced.
His dazed concentration was broken by the sound of the Undertaker's booming laughter. Grell jumped, his eyes darting to the face of the silver haired Undertaker, who was watching him with interest and laughing. Grell glared.
"What are you laughing about?" Grell snapped, doing his best to keep his eyes on the Undertaker's face as opposed to his lovely red hands.
"You're staring at me rather intently, and with such a look in your eyes as well. Are you enjoying watching me work, M'lady?" Undertaker teased, his bright smile plastered to his face.
Grell felt the need to blush, though he didn't know why. He felt a small amount of anxiety creep up on him at the thought of being caught staring, his heart speeding up a bit. Had William caught him staring in such a way, Grell had no doubt that he would receive a quick smack to the head along with a lecture about paying attention. Undertaker, however, only seemed amused and pleased.
"Well of course, I did ask to watch you didn't I?" Grell snapped again, though this time not nearly as harshly.
"I see, I see." Undertaker said, nodding to himself. "Well, in any case I've finished here for now. All that's left is to sew her up and embalm her. After, I'll make some tea." Undertaker said with a smile as he made his way over to a sink across the room.
Grell watched in disappointment as the Undertaker washed his hands and arms, removing the crimson stain from the porcelain white skin. Grell couldn't help but notice the small scars littering the Undertaker's arms. Many years of reaping would certainly cause such scars. Grell had a few of his own, though he kept them hidden well.
Grell stood silently as the woman was sewn shut and painted with embalming fluid. The process went quickly enough, and soon Grell was following the Undertaker back up the stairs and into the kitchen. The kitchen, Grell found, was surprisingly normal looking. It was small and a bit cluttered, but homely. He watched silently as Undertaker put on some tea.
"Are you hungry, M'dear? Working with the deceased always makes me hungry for some reason, hehe." Undertaker revealed.
Grell shook his head no, watching as the Undertaker walked over to his jar full of cookies.
"It's a wonder you're not fat with the amount of cookies you eat." Grell teased as the silver haired man munched happily away.
"Hehe, thankfully my job keeps me moving quite a bit or I probably would be pleasantly plump!" The Undertaker admitted with a chuckle.
The pair chatted casually until the tea was ready, taking turns teasing each other and flirting. The Undertaker's pleasant yet creepy laughter sounded often, and Grell was surprised to find himself not only getting used to the booming sound but quite enjoying it. When the tea was finally ready, the men filled their cups and wandered back into the main shop.
Grell sat down happily on a solid black coffin, watching Undertaker take a seat on the edge of his desk nearby. After taking a sip of tea, the Undertaker spoke.
"So, what brings you to my shop today M'dear? I hadn't thought that you'd be back again so soon, not that I'm not enjoying your company."
"Oh, that horrible William! He buried me in paperwork this morning, and of course none of my cases are interesting at all! Such a cruel man, that William~. But you," Grell said, studying the Undertaker, "You are not boring in the least. And since you left an open invitation, how could I resist such a charming man?" Grell coo'd.
"Not boring?" Undertaker asked, giggling to himself. "I'm the epitome of boring! An old, dusty Undertaker!" The man cackled.
"I'd dust you off!" Grell cried out with a wink and a grin, causing the Undertaker to roar with laughter.
"So what you're trying to tell me," Undertaker managed to say, his laughter finally dying down, "Is that you're visiting me because you're avoiding your work?" The older man questioned.
"…Yes. Though you are quite interesting, even when dusty." Grell confirmed. "Besides, I could have those papers signed and filed quickly if I wanted to. And tea sounded lovely. Women often act upon a whim you know~.
The Undertaker's smile filled his pale face, full of amusement. Both men sat silently for a moment, enjoying the comfortable atmosphere. This time though, Grell was the one to break the silence.
"I think it's all Sebastian's fault," Grell said suddenly, "The boredom I mean. I was able to ignore it before, because he and the Phantomhive brat were always up to no good. Life was never bland with everything those two were involved in. Oh, how he drew me in with those lovely red eyes, and made me stay with the promises of death and destruction~!" Grell cried out dramatically.
"Hehe, those sound like strong feelings. Could it be true that such a lovely and respectable reaper such as yourself was tempted by the lies and seduction of a demon?" Undertaker questioned, an undertone of mirth in his voice.
"Of course not," Grell said, a bit of irritation seeping into his voice. "I'm not foolish enough to fall for the lies of some demon! As lovely as the man was in that lie of a body, it was the devilish things that he did that drew me in! Everywhere the brat and Sebastian went, a trail of death followed. And with them went excitement! Oh how I miss that excitement!"
"Hehe, seduced by death. How fitting for a reaper." Undertaker said with a giggle.
"So tell me, what are you seduced by?" Grell questioned, his smile showing off his sharp teeth.
"Hmmm…? Such a personal question." Undertaker muttered, taking another sip of his tea, successfully finishing the cup. "The truth, I suppose." He answered finally.
Grell gave a questioning look, not understanding how anyone could be seduced by the truth, nor understanding exactly what the Undertaker was saying. Undertaker seemed to notice this as well, and he began to explain.
"The truth is very rare, you see. It is often times ugly and withheld. People lie about everything these days, from their feelings and thoughts to the way they spend their days. This is the reason I truly love my job, you see. My customers never lie to me, as they cannot speak." The Undertaker said with a soft chuckle.
"I quite enjoy your job too, you know. How lovely you looked earlier today Undertaker, bathed in blood red. It suits you well you know." Grell teased. "But alas, my tea is almost gone, and soon it will be time to head back to work! Oh, parting is such sweet sorrow!" Grell said, standing and wandering over towards the sitting man.
Undertaker's smile dropped slightly, a questioning look showing on the visible part of the Undertaker's face, much to Grell's amusement. Standing only a few inches away from the taller man, Grell smiled and gestured to Undertaker's hair.
"May I?" Grell asked, motioning to move the hair from the Undertaker's covered eyes.
Grell watched as the Undertaker tilted his head slightly, before his smile grew once again and the man gave a nod. Grell immediately closed the distance between them with his hand, taking a hold of the silky silver strands and flipping them upward against the Undertaker's large hat. Acidic yellow and green eyes stared back at Grell, captivating him for a moment. They told so much about the Undertaker, told of his wisdom and intelligence. They made Grell feel like a foolish child, seeking attention from someone untouchable.
'So like my own, and so not.' Grell thought to himself. Grell smiled, feeling a slight blush trying to creep its way onto his pale cheeks.
"You asked earlier why I was here. It wasn't a lie you know. You're quite captivating and not boring at all. I would very much like another open invitation for tea, dear Undertaker. Surely you're not as cold as William, hmm?" Grell asked, his gaze holding the Undertaker's. The man's eyes really were stunning.
The dazzling grin Grell received in return made his heart skip a beat.
"Of course you're welcome to return, M'lady."
Grell sat at his desk, happily filling out his paperwork for the day. Upon his return to work, William had smacked him upside the head with his death scythe and reprimanded the red headed reaper, much to his annoyance. Grell had tried to explain to William that he would be more willing to complete his paperwork had the subject matter been more interesting, but it had only successfully doubled the pile of work resting on his desk.
Grell gave a sigh, glaring half heartedly at the paper he was currently working on. The punishment Grell had received from William had been worth the reward he had gained in the end though. His day had been anything but boring. Not only had Grell gotten to watch the Undertaker at work, but he had also seen the man's captivating eyes yet again!
'It's no wonder the man keeps his hair in his face, if people could see what he was hiding Undertaker would never get a moment's rest!' Grell thought to himself with amusement.
The afternoon slowly turned into evening as Grell filled out his paperwork, each case as boring as the last. All were people meant to die soon, and Grell had the task of sifting through information to confirm the date, time, and place of death for each individual.
The stack of papers dwindled down until Grell had only one left. A flood of relief hit him, happy to finally have the paperwork out of the way. Picking up the last paper to study it, Grell's jaw dropped. The picture of the soon to be deceased stared back at him with haunting blue eyes, and Grell dropped the paper just as quickly as he had picked it up.
Ciel Phantomhive's name lay firmly in ink on the paper, as if taunting him. Immediately, Grell checked over the information. Date of death was only a few days from the current date, and the place was a small town only an hour outside of London. Grell noted that he had been assigned to reap the soul, earning a gleeful squeal.
"Oh, how fate will bring us together again, Sebastian! Oh, how I've missed those lovely red eyes of your, and of course I'll be sure to cover you in a bit of blood for staying so far away for so long!" Grell cried out happily, his voice ringing clearly throughout the silent room.
Glancing at the cause of death for the Phantomhive child, Grell suddenly felt perplexed. The reason for death was not listed, which had never happened to him before. Curiosity rose up in Grell, wondering what exactly that meant.
A brilliant smile filled Grell's face.
'Soon enough,' Grell thought to himself, 'I'll get all the answers I seek, I'm sure of it! Such a cruel, cold man Sebastian, to leave me alone and wanting for so long!'
And with that thought in his mind, Grell finished his last paper, happily awaiting the date that would soon reunite him with the demon of his dreams.
AN: Ooooh, plot twist. Hope that this chapter was everything you all wanted it to be and more! Next chapter will get a little dark, exploring Grell more and diving a bit into his past. And of course, there may be another encounter with the Undertaker as well. No, we will not be encountering Ciel and Sebastian next chapter. Soon enough though ;)
Review? And let me know of any spelling mistakes please? *leaves cookies*