Chapter 10

A furious knock rattled her cabin. Seir groaned, tempted to smite them at the spot.

Winter had hit England and hit it hard. She absolutely despises the cold, going so far as to say she'd rather die than brave the chill for her next meal. Excessive enchantments have been scattered throughout her small home, turning the temperature far higher than the hottest of summers, yet with the snow frosting her windows she got cold just from looking at it.

Thus, fortifying her small property with a plethora of traps and barriers that could destroy a country, she nestled in her cocoon of clouds and fell asleep for what she could only assume was weeks. She really hadn't been expecting company at all - her secluded abode was in the middle of a dense forest, and she'd be hard pressed to find visitors on a good day.

They knocked again, to the point where the windows threatened to shatter. She didn't have the will or the energy to move.

"Seir!"

With her lack of response, the door was wretched open, and in charged a fuming Grell.

That explains why the traps didn't go off, she sighed to herself as she peered at him. She really wasn't expecting to see him for a good long time after he got dragged back to headquarters.

"Where are you?!"

His first idea was to head for the bed, and he stomped over to the mess of pillows and blankets. Taking a wild stab, he shoved his hand into the cushions and grasped the first solid object he found, violently pulling it towards him and fishing out a comatose Seir.

"What the fuck was that?!" he roared, shaking her by her wrist.

Her head flopped around like a flimsy doll's. It was hard to register what he was saying. "...what?"

Disgusted, he dropped her and she collapsed on the bed in a heap. "With Sebby! Two months ago! I needed you and you left me!"

"...Too loud."

"I thought we were friends," he continued, now speaking loudly but not quite shouting. He plopped himself on the bed next to her, crossing his arms like a petulant child. Seir pulled the covers over her, feeling the chill of winter invade her sanctuary through the open door.

"Cold…"

Grell growled. "Who cares?! I'm asking you - "

Seir sent him her worst death glare, promising eternal pain and suffering if he didn't do as she asked. Begrudgingly, he crossed the living space and slammed the door shut.

"Hungry…"

The reaper stared at the pathetic demon before dragging a tired hand down his face. He felt like he aged a thousand years in the mere minute he's been here.

And thus, he had set out and retrieved a poor unfortunate soul who happened to be skating along the frozen Medway River and was now waiting for his friend to finish her meal. After a few minutes she decided she was thoroughly satisfied and kicked the corpse off of her sheets, which she realized she would inevitably have to wash. Wiping her lips with the back of her hand, she beckoned him over.

Though still angry he complied, and was surprised when she pulled him forward by the arm and pushed up his sleeve back to reveal the Seal of Seir, still as perfectly etched into his skin as the day she placed it.

"What do you think this does?"

"Let's you track me and walk through your barriers, you said." He sniffed, not quite knowing how it was related.

"I also said it protects you, dumbass." Seir pushed his appendage away, angry that the reaper had the nerve to disturb her hibernation. "I wasn't worried because it's designed to protect your body against a fatal blow, though it would have depleted the energy I've infused in it and I'd have to draw another one."

Grell paused, frowning. "You never told me - "

"I did," she huffed. "You just never listen."

Given that he didn't exactly have a reason to disbelieve her, the reaper sat himself on the bed, pacified. "Well, if it makes you feel better," he murmured. "I was demoted to assistant at the society until I can reap some actual 'troublesome' souls."

"You deserve it," she chuckled.

It was another beautiful night. The storm has long since passed, and remnants of frost scattered the city's walkways like dust collecting in the corners of a room. Snow reflected the both the radiance of the moon and the soft luminescence of the city lamps, causing them to glow with an iridescent sheen against the dark cobblestone. Windows across the metropolis glittered like fireflies from her high vantage point, and the painting of stars against the sable canvas of night made the entire city look like the picture of perfection.

Too bad it was still too cold for her tastes.

Seir couldn't pause to admire the picturesque scene any longer than a few moments lest she lose her companion, who himself was enjoying regained his freedom to the fullest extent. Leaping across the icy rooftops, the two of them traversed the scope of London faster than any carriage could possibly take them. The humans that roamed the streets this late would never notice them under the cover of night, as they scaled the buildings far too quickly for them to even realize.

She greatly wished she could go back to her original plan of hibernating until winter receded, but Grell had adamantly refused to leave her until they could spend some "quality time together". He somehow even managed to guilt her into doing so when she wouldn't relent to his pestering.

And so, quality time with Grell meant letting him drag her wherever he wanted for a day.

At last, they stopped on the roof a building in one of the shadier areas of London. The reaper stretched his arms in contentment, breathing in the cold air and feeling rejuvenated. "Isn't this great?"

"No," came the terse reply, crossing her arms in a vain attempt to retain heat. To her chagrin, Grell picked her up and twirled her around, laughing like a prepubescent girl.

"Lighten up! Who knows when I'll see you again~"

At his statement, her lips clamped shut. She couldn't find it in her to tell him to stop.

With his grip still firm around her frame, he suddenly froze as still as a statue. The reaper sniffed the air like a dog, and with her ear against his chest she could hear his heart rate pick up. Seir was confused for a moment before she realized that something had caught his attention like a bloodhound on a scent trail. Dread filled her, and she could only latch onto his arms as he took off at the speed of light.

The reaper scaled the distance of London faster than they were travelling before, leaping on the rooftops as if they weren't coated in ice. She could hear him murmuring nonsense about "hot men" and "radars".

She could only grimace as the winter chill bit her nose.

"We stopped… for this?"

The pair were watching, one in pity and the other in interest, at the Phantomhive child being dragged around by a feral man on a leash. The lavishly suited though unkempt stranger was fixated on a stray dog, whining and clawing pathetically on all fours in resistance to Ciel's grip.

Grell giggled, gazing at the boy's current guardian with a suggestive grin. "He's gorgeous~ Why does that brat get all of the hot ones?!"

He's hopeless, she groaned, dragged a hand down her tired face. "Grell, that's not…"

Her left peripheral was suddenly empty, and she blinked. He wasn't next to her anymore.

"...If I knew how troublesome he was, I would've killed him," she grumbled. Landing silently behind him, she zoned in on his ramblings about attractive men, barely restraining himself from leaping on the 'handsome' stranger who in turn seemed utterly disinterested in him, or his surroundings in general. The Phantomhive boy just seemed perpetually angry, and now was no exception as he glared at the redhead in disdain.

Grell finally noticed the noble boy's gaze and smirked knowingly. "Sorry, did you want to avenge your precious auntie?"

Seir could see his grip tighten on the leash, however minuscule his human strength was. "Shut up," he ground out.

The reaper pouted mockingly. "I don't see Sebby here… what's a boy like you going to do?"

"Shut up!"

In response to Ciel's mounting fury, his companion growled. Grell blinked.

"Ah, he's your guard dog today?"

Snarling, he leapt towards the reaper, whom opened his arms more than willingly with a cheer. To his major disappointment, he realized that he was not the target of the shaggy man's desires only when he was long gone and Ciel has just brushed past him. The boy barely made eye contact with herself before he had already turned the corner, entirely focused on whatever his objective was this unfortunate night.

"Oh," the reaper whined. "Come on!"

"You're an idiot." Cuffing him on the back of the head and ignoring his cry of pain, Seir took to the rooftops to pursue the hellhound. It only took a moment for Grell to catch up to her, to which he looked at her as if she was crazy.

"Why are you chasing them?" An accusatory eyebrow lifted itself, and she could only scoff at his asinine assumption.

"You're not gonna let them go that easily, and I told you we'd spend today together." His face morphed into one of happiness, involuntarily drawing her sneer. "I'm not seeing you for another decade after this, you wench."

"I love you too," the redhead managed through a watery smile. It didn't take more than a few moments to reach the boy, cutting off their brief exchange, who had stood back as his pet charged forward to an unassuming shop across the street.

"To-Die list, number four hundred ninety three: butler and puppeteer to the house of Mandalay, Drossel Keinz," Grell recited beside Ciel, who whipped his head at the reaper's sudden appearance. Curiosity briefly flared in his sapphire eye as he gazed at the mystical book in his hands.

"What're you waiting for?" Seir chided impatiently. Ciel blinked, and the human didn't need anymore prompt than that as he dashed after the feral man, whom had crashed through the display window without hesitation.

The trio barged into the shop, eyes landing on the demon dog as he shook a doll in his mouth fervently. Upon noticing their arrival, however, he bounded over to Ciel and placed the toy in his lord's expectant hand. There was a pause in the boy's movements, as if something about the doll cause him enough hesitation to give it a second look. From the corner of his eye, Ciel noticed an open door that led to the back of the shop. Taking a moment to gather his wits, he sprinted back outdoors without a glance at his party. Grell and Seir followed closely behind without a word, and the three of them were greeted with a gargantuan mansion that honestly looked like it was out of a disgusting fairy tale.

Truly. The architecture seemed horrendous and tacky to her standards, and the integrity in some parts of the edifice was severely lacking. Rooms stuck out of the house with seemingly no support whatsoever, almost as though a child had pieced the building together with all of the misshapen pieces he had in his possession. Sutcliffe clearly had a different idea of architectural beauty when he outwardly commented on its beauty.

He had no sense of the term 'aesthetically pleasing'.

The boy turned to face the both of them, his features determined. His tone was nothing but confident and authoritative when he simply stated, "Protect me."

She only paused to register his audacity (yet again) and audibly scoffed. Grell did the same.

"What?" he asked in disbelief.

"I'll grant both of you any request."

"Please," the reaper waved his disinterest. "I'm not so easy that you can buy me - "

"You can do whatever you want with Sebastian for a day," he interjected, a knowing smile on his face.

Grell hesitated, taking a moment to process his offer. When his obtuse brain finally connected his thoughts, he squealed - squealed - and leaned in very close to Ciel. "Does that mean I can kiss him?!"

"Whatever you want."

"Count me in!" he shrieked, absolutely bought in to the whims of the arrogant child. Seir, on the other hand, crossed her arms, disinterested.

The Phantomhive boy frowned as he turned to the more enigmatic of the two. Grell was one-dimensional as far as his desires went, but he lacked too much knowledge on the woman to gain her assistance without much argument. Seir herself was none too keen to assist him on whatever merry quest he'd embarked on.

"My offer still stands to you," he said, making eye contact with her burgundy irises. Boredom was all he found on her face.

"You have nothing of interest to me," came the curt response. Grell latched onto her arm, bleeding from his nose.

"Give me your day with Sebby!" he cried. The demon felt no remorse as she shook him off with enough force to decapitate a normal man. Ciel was at a loss. It was clear to him that she would not be swayed by any human wants or needs.

Grell smirked internally. Still riding his high on what would be an excellent day with his husband-to-be, he felt enough pity to throw the boy a bone.

"You know," he started, swaying on his feet innocently. His companion was already suspicious the moment he opened his mouth, and her face promised pain if he said anything remotely incriminating. Too bad for her - he wasn't feeling very loyal at the moment. "You rich folk sure know how to spoil yourselves, am I right?"

Ciel raised an eyebrow at him, not quite understanding.

"Your beds must feel like clouds - " The demon snarled as she was at his throat at an instant. She had an iron grip on the collar of his shirt as she easily raised him off of his feet in an attempt to strangle him.

"Do you like luxury?" the boy asked in genuine curiosity. Her venomous "no" was overlapped with the reaper's wheezing "yes" before she wrapped a delicate hand around his neck. Ciel completely ignored the thrashing redhead as he rubbed his chin in thought.

"I can get you the largest, softest bed in existence, with sheets made from Chinese silk and stuffed with eiderdown," he started, theatrically waving his arms around like a businessman making a pitch (which, in all honesty, is what he was doing). "I have a spare room in my mansion with floor-to-ceiling windows that happens to capture all of the sun's heat and has the best view on the estate. It is in the most silent part of the mansion, and we can have only the finest cuisine delivered straight to your bedside for every meal."

He could only watch in suspense as she remained motionless, not even blinking when Grell's movements started to slacken in her grip.

"...How many books do you have?"

He held his breath. "I have an entire library."

"I'll be staying there as long as I please?"

"As long as I rule the estate."

The reaper collapsed at her feet in a heap as she released him without warning, gasping for air. Seir turned up her nose in disdain at the pathetic excuse for a death god, never once facing to address the human. "I expect I won't be disturbed."

"Of course," he returned, releasing the air he had held in suspense.

Ironically, he mused, she was too easily swayed by human desires.

Author's Note:

-This chapter is a bit longer than usual. ^^