That Shinigami...Nursing the Wounds
The brougham came to a halt at the foot of the steps to the Phantomhive Manor. Lined up outside the grand double doors in formation were the servants of the household. They quivered anxiously with watery eyes. The driver jumped down and aided his weary passengers from inside his carriage. Gingerly, Ciel-sama and Sebastian-san slowly ascended the steps. Behind them, Collins-kun hung back and paid the man a generous sovereign for his services to them. With a glowing grin, the driver all but floated on his merry way back into the city.
The shinigami sighed and regretted it immediately as she took a sharp breath and held her front again. This will be one hell of a healing process she thought, glancing up at the young earl and his butler, who was equally if not worse for wear.
"Uwaaaaaaaah! Young mastuuur we thought Mister Sebastian and you'd gone and drowneeeeed!" Finny wailed, the water works overflowing as he and Mey-Rin smothered the poor boy with affection. Ciel struggled and protested but was mute against their cries.
"Ah jeez, I told ye that Sebastian was with him and that 'e would be fine" Bardroy huffed, rubbing the back of his neck, though one could see on close inspection that the chef's eyes were dark and red from worry and lack of sleep. Sebastian smiled pleasantly at the welcome party and was joined by Collins at his side. Bard turned to her in surprise. "Look what the cat dragged in" he exclaimed. This caused Finnian and Mey-Rin to pause and look at her in surprise.
"She too was a passenger on board. Her former employer unfortunately was among the deceased" Ciel-sama explained, finally freeing himself from his loyal employees' clutches.
"Whaaaaaat?! You were on the Campania toooo!? We're so relived you're alive!" Bard shouted and pulled her into a one armed hug. The others stared at him in amused wonder and he felt the change in the air. He frowned and pulled out a cigarette. "I mean, you're alive. Good to have ya back. You are back right?" he smoothed out the creases in his apron. ~~~-kun chuckled at smiled.
"I'm back so long as I'm needed. I'm taking no other answer than 'yes' to my volunteering to look after those two after that shipwreck. Sebastian, as I understand, was injured trying to save the young master when the ship sank and Ciel-kun has been running a fever the whole journey back. So I'll be the one to take on the mother-load of duties, if you'll have me and aid me" she winked. At this point, the trio tackled her to the floor.
"Sir, yes, sir!" the chorused, laughing with glee. Ciel and Sebastian shared a look of uncertainty. They were glad to believe Ms Collins was here to help them get back on their feet, but what if she had a hidden agenda? She was still an extremely loyal shinigami so was she there as a decoy? Undertaker had been...From behind the open door, Snake shyly peeped his head out.
"Sssssmile, Black. Welcome home. Thank goodness we're all safe...says Emily" he whispered. He was still shook after having been with them aboard the Campania and been forced into taking a lifeboat with Elizabeth under his master's orders. He was eternally grateful that Smile and Black had put his life ahead of theirs. He had been devastated when they were separated and he had no idea if they had survived the whole ordeal. It went without saying that he was the most relieved and most thankful servant in the Phantomhive Manor that day. Ciel-kun walked over to him and shook his hand.
"Thank you, Snake. We're glad to be back and that you are here to greet us. That you all are here to greet us with my house still intact" he told them mockingly over his shoulder. Everyone grinned up at the Young master. And then he let out an almighty sneeze. Pulling out his handkerchief, he inhaled deeply and held it to his nose. Standing up, everyone filed indoors.
"I'll make some tea" ~~~-san announced, dusting herself down and making her way to the kitchen. Ciel-kun nodded gratefully.
"Sebastian and I will be in my room. Bring it to me there" he ordered and went his own way with his shadow close behind.
In the kitchen, ~~~ went through the pantry and searched through the many containers of tea leaves for one which she felt would make the Earl feel better. Finny and Snake took a seat.
"Bard-kun, would you be able to make the young master something light to eat, please?" ~~~ asked him sweetly. Rolling up his sleeves, he beamed a toothy grin.
"You betcha! I'll make him my special egg and soldiers!" he fist bumped his open palm and got to work.
"So what was the ship itself like, you know, before it went down?" piped up the gardener. Collins-san returned to her search while she pondered how to answer. Chamomile, Ginseng, Assam, Irish Breakfast, Green Tea, Summer Fruits, Earl Grey.
"It was real fancy. All the passengers were dressed like they were about to meet the queen on the upper class decks. The lower class were real relaxed looking though everyone was either drinking or gambling, whichever deck you were on" she said, locating peppermint tea. She took it out and began to spoon out the leaves into the tea-pot Mey-Rin had retrieved for her.
"Sounds like it was a really nice ship. I wish we had had the chance to see it, you know, without the whole iceberg accident" Mey-Rin said, taking her seat by Snake, who fidgeted uncomfortably. The subject of conversation was not much to his liking. ~~~ leaned against the counter beside Bardroy, watching as he lit the match to get the stove going. Unconsciously, his hand wandered to some dynamite which he had concealed in the cupboard, but she caught his wrist and shook her head at him.
"So tell me, how was house sitting? It must've been awfully quiet in a place as big as this" she changed the subject. The water came to a simmer and Bard dropped the egg in gently.
"Ah you know. It was quiet without the young master to wait on, and we had the odd unannounced guest to see to" Bard answered mysteriously. They all knew that by this, he meant some enemies of the Queen's watch dog had dropped by for an unwanted visit.
"I take it they had a fun and satisfying visit?" she said coyly.
"Would you expect anything less?" sang Finny. ~~~'s eyes shone with amusement.
"Never". The whistle in the kettle began to blow. She removed it from the stove and poured the hot contents over the peppermint leaves, allowing it to brew. Turning back, she spotted Bard had edged his way to pick up his flame-thrower. Dashing behind him, she dragged him by the collar back to his place before his fingertips could brush against the device. Over the hob, she held slices of bread on a fish-slice with him to crisp up. They continued with their small talk until the Earl's light meal was ready. Preparing a tray with the help and coordination of Mey-Rin, ~~~ brought it up to the young master's quarters.
Balancing the tray on her arm, she pulled down the door handle and entered the master bedroom. Inside, she found that Ciel had changed into his nightdress and was resting in bed with Sebastian folding his clothes by the dresser. The door shut behind her and she brought the tray of food and tea to the bedside table.
"I've brought you some peppermint tea to open up the sinuses and Bardroy had made you a boiled egg with buttered sourdough and chives. He also left some salt and pepper on the side if you need it" she said, laying the tray across his lap for him after he had sat up. Ciel blinked at her, sniffling as he cracked his egg open while the shinigami cut the toast into chunky strips for dunking.
"He managed to boil an egg and make toast without anything exploding?" he mumbled incredulously. Collins-san stood upright and folded her arms across her chest.
"If Sebastian had a little bit more patience, I'm sure those three would develop even more skills than they currently possess. He just likes the intimacy of his job too much, I believe" she poked her tongue out at the demon who had finished the folding and turned to raise his eyebrow at her.
"Really? The intimacy?" he teased. Eyes glimmering mischievously, the shinigami nodded and walked over to the window.
"Oh yes. Your Cinematic Record revealed that much at least" she commented casually. This caused Ciel to look up from inhaling his eggy toast.
"Oh yes. What did you reapers see when he was hit by Undertaker's scythe?" he asked curiously, his mouth full of food. Sebastian stared at her, not betraying any emotion whatsoever.
"Just of what the first few weeks of your contract entailed. From his rescuing you and returning you to Madam Red, to the restoration of your mansion, learning what you like and don't like, etc, etc" she waved her hand dismissively. Silence followed as they tried to gauge if she was being completely honest. Ciel leaned back against his pillows and raised his tea to his lips with a light 'hmph'.
"He really was useless to begin with" he sniggered into his cup. Sebastian rolled his eyes and held his hand to his chest, pressing it firmly.
"I'd like to think my capabilities have enhanced since those early days, since I am now one hell of a butler" he mocked arrogantly, the true shade of his irises showing. Ciel saw this and put down his cup with a grave expression. He coughed hoarsely into his hand.
"Speaking of, ~~~-san, why is it your eyes are different to all the other shinigamis' we've encountered?" he questioned. Sebastian turned to her curiously as well. Her icy orbs darted between the two of them and she didn't move a muscle, debating on whether or not she wanted to tell them. Sebastian moved to advance on her when she didn't answer right away, but she held her hand up to stop him. She motioned for him to sit down in the armchair by the bedside and seated herself on the window sill.
"As you know" she started, "shinigami are near-sighted. We all require lenses to correct our vision. We also all branch off into various divisions within the society. When I was younger, a relative of mine had joined the branch which manages and caters to vision correction. He went a little manic and thought he could experiment with correcting the eyes themselves. I was very green at the time, and wasn't strong enough to stop him from using me as a test-subject. He tried to fix my eyes as they were but ended up destroying them completely" she explained with a heavy voice. They listened to her story in silence, respecting her for letting them know this part of her history. "In the end, the higher ups of the society found out and he was exterminated. His research, however, was filed and studied by the others in his field. While they had been forbidden from trying to accomplish something so far from tradition, they took pity and were allowed to seek a solution to my problem. My eyes were removed and I was given these prosthetics of sorts. They gave me the option of picking what colour I wanted my new lenses to be. I wanted navy blue because it's my favourite colour, but not being able to see, I didn't know what shade I would actually be given. My eyes are light blue because a darker shade would interfere with my night vision. So I guess that should answer your question. My eyes aren't really my eyes, as I said on the ship" she concluded, looking up at them. They said nothing for a bit.
"That does explain it. Looks like I'm not the only one to have been subject to others' wild fantasies" Ciel coughed, trying to empathise rather than sympathise. Now, he felt more at ease with her than ever before. It reminded him of how comfortable he had been to show her his vulnerable side at the inn after the Noah's Ark troupe had been exterminated. She gave him a lopsided smile in turn and faced Sebastian.
"And no, I don't need your help in getting my revenge. My eyes are marred enough as is".
"I really doubt you have much to offer me" he retorted, his eyes alight with their natural hue.
They stayed with Ciel for a while longer until he had finished and wanted to rest. He ordered Sebastian to rest also, though he was loathe to do nothing until his wound had healed entirely. They walked down the stairs together and Collins-san told him she would come to his room after she dropped the tray into the kitchen and reassure him that she would plan out the evening meal. Mey-Rin took the wash-up and ~~~ instructed Bardroy that he was to make up a hearty stew for supper. She employed Snake to ensure he didn't use any unorthodox methods in his cooking. Satisfied that they were up to the task, she moved outside and began to collect some medicinal flora from the garden. She had asked Finny to pound them in a pestle and mortar to make a paste.
"What's this for, ~~~-sama?" he asked, eyeing the green purée he had created.
"It'll help clear up mine and Mr. Sebastian's wounds quicker" she explained. This pleased the optimistic boy and he happily handed the paste to her. She went inside and navigated the halls until she came to the head butler's room. She knocked on the door before letting herself in. She looked up and saw the demon lying on his bed, surrounded by cats and kittens of all shapes and fur types.
"Uhh..." she stuttered, not knowing how to respond to the sight. He looked so serene and, dare she think it, harmless with all those felines clambering and cuddling into his chest. He sighed pleasurably and opened his eyes to look at her.
"The young master commanded me to relax. I'm obeying his orders" he justified himself. ~~~ closed the door behind her and crossed the room to sit on the bed beside him.
"Fine, each to their own, I suppose. But I've brought you some actual medicine. These herbs are a remedy used to treat wounds caused by a death scythe when dealing with deserters" she informed him, scooping some of the mix onto her fingertips. Sebastian inspected the mix with intrigue, sniffing its contents to try and detect what was used as future reference. He proceeded to oblige her by unbuttoning his shirt. She fought off a blush and began to massage it into his nasty wound. He cringed away from her but held still when she gave him a stern look that convinced him to endure the discomfort.
"So how is it you know of this remedy? Being a reaperling, one would assume you would never have had to deal with deserters" he grunted, closing his eyes as the chemicals and anti-oxidants kicked into action. A warm, tingling sensation burned in the anointed areas.
"I'm a book-worm. I know too much theory and am working on practical experience" she breathed, moving around to do his back. She continued her work in silence, admiring the smooth flesh of his mortal form which shivered and erupted in goose-bumps. Stopping what she was doing, she tilted her head curiously, staring at the back of his head.
"That was hardly me, was it?" she laughed nervously. Over his shoulder, the face of a white Persian appeared and purred with delight.
"No, it was Dahlia" he chuckled. Purrs and meows rang out around the room and ~~~ sweat-dropped. She stood to leave but fell back on the bed when she was tripped up by Missy. She clamped her teeth shut and held her breath as her back collided with Sebastian's knees.
"OW!" she cursed, feeling the sinews of her wound stretch at the front. Ruby eyes peered down at her teary eyed ones. Movement brushed against her shirt and she thought it was another cat. She gasped and grabbed the demon's wrist when the tingling sensation of the herbs took effect on her own injury. She blinked rapidly and held her breath as Sebastian sat with her in his lap, dabbing her ointment onto her wound through the gaps left by the buttons of her shirt. He had been careful not to undo her raiment without her consent, which she appreciated. He stared her down until she swallowed uncomfortably and let go of his hand. He resumed his work with a smile that spoke a thousand witty remarks. She averted her eyes to the ceiling and waited patiently until he had finished. Sitting up, the cats invaded the warm spot she left behind her.
"You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours" he whispered hotly in her ear. Gazing into his eyes, she took a shaky breath.
"I believe you've done more than that. I owe you my life, remember?" she reminded him.
Rewind to the Campania
Sebastian had just launched Ciel far away from the sinking ship with a life-ring to keep him a float wherever he landed. The demonic butler knew it was only a matter of time before the cold waters chilled his master's nerves and forced his major organs to fail and shut down. Charging through what remained on the cruise ship, he found and loosed and life boat with oars into the waters. He discarded his jacket into the raft while it was still dry, albeit sticky with his vermillion blood. He was prepared to go in aid of his master, when his sharp vision could see not far from where the life boat had landed, the other half of the liner was falling slowly to the deep. From that half, out floated various trunks and belongings. Several lavish vases and ornaments bobbed to the surface alongside dead bodies. The moonlight glinted off the blade of an idle death-scythe. Calculating that he had enough time, Sebastian dived into the icy water and pushed his way down wards. He neared the sinking wreck and squinted into the darkness. Floating against a fallen beam was ~~~ Collins, unconscious with crimson bubbles emanating from her form. On the beam, her duelling blades teetered and slowly fell away. The demon cut through the sea and managed to grab on to one of the swords. He made to grab the other but the pain of his injury kept him from moving fast enough. He watched as it slipped from his grasp and determined that it was lost forevermore.
Kicking to the surface, he carried the young shinigami and one half of her weapon to the life boat. He flung her out ahead of himself and panted for air when he had secured her in the raft. She appeared to be dead, her skin had turned blue with the low temperature. Fearing the worst, he began to blow air into her lungs and beat at her chest. He knew reapers probably couldn't die from drowning, but he needed to be sure. Within less than ten seconds, ~~~'s eyes sprang open and she coughed up salty water, pushing Sebastian away from her so she could refill her lungs with air. He sat back on his knees and held his side in relief. ~~~ shuddered and lay back with half-closed eyes. The demon's eyes lit up through the night, giving her something to focus on and stay awake. He held up her sole surviving sword.
"The other got away" he told her quietly. This loss caused her to feel quite miserable. She nodded and closed her eyes, falling back out of consciousness. She felt like a part of her had died, having become accustomed to a double bladed weapon. With no time to spare, Sebastian covered her with his jacket and slid back into the sea, pushing the life-boat in the direction of his young master.
Fast-forward – Present
The memory of the incident was fresh in her mind, and she would never forget the kindness she had been shown by a demon. If it wasn't for him, she would have gone down with the Campania ship and who knew if she'd ever have returned. Her wound needed attention so she may have expired due to lack of medical attention. Or perhaps the aquatic life would have recycled her while she was vulnerable. Truly, she owed her life to the noxious beast which sat holding her by the chin there and then. The purring of the felines vibrated against them and resonated throughout the room. Exhaustion weighed down heavily on their eyelids and they fell back to rest against the pillow of the single bed.
"I think it's time we both got some rest" he whispered, his breath gently tickling her nose. His right arm stretched under her head while his left gently brushed through her hair.
"I thought demons didn't need sleep?" she whispered shyly, looking up at him from beneath her eyelashes. He touched his forehead against hers and closed his eyes, his expression the epitome of peace and bliss.
"We enjoy the occasional slumber. More so when we are badly wounded and need to heal" he murmured. ~~~ nodded and scooted to her side, rolling into his embrace for a well-needed afternoon doze. There the two supernatural creatures stretched out to rejuvenate, indulging in the physical contact and sharing each others' warmth with a litter of felines.
It was early evening when the sound of fine china crashing against the floor could be faintly heard across the lower levels of the mansion. One eye popped open and ~~~ sighed discontentedly into Sebastian's still unbuttoned shirt. The demon did not stir, so she assumed he was still out of it. Slowly and tenderly, she tried to pry his grip off her to go check on what all the ruckus was about, but as soon as she had moved his left arm from her waist, it clamped down and carefully pulled her against him, avoiding aggravating their wounds.
"Sebastian, I should go-" she whispered but he shushed her with his finger to her lips.
"No. I believe they are capable of handling it themselves" he said sleepily. She tilted her head and looked up at him.
"That's a lie and you know it. You think they're a trio of fools. Go back to sleep" she dead-panned.
"I wasn't asleep to begin with. I was merely trying to relax".
"And I'm merely trying to keep my word of maintaining the household while you relax. Go back to your meditating then".
"If you go, I'm not keeping to my word".
"You have your cats here. Let them keep you company...".
"...*meow*...fine" he mumbled, replacing her with Missy. ~~~ got to her feet and headed out the door.
"Nice to see the hierarchy of your priorities is in order" she muttered to herself as she paced the hallway. She easily found the scene of the noise. In a room where various sets of plates and dishes were stored, Mey-Rin was stooped over picking up the pieces of a shattered bowl. "What happened?" ~~~ startled the maid with her appearance.
"Oh! I was polishing these plates for the young master! I thought he might like to eat from these tonight to uplift his spirits but with his condition, I figured they were in need of an immaculate cleanin'. Now they're ruined!" she sobbed, shoulders slouching with her distress. ~~~ squatted next to her and patted her on the shoulder. Mey-Rin flinched, expecting the worst.
"You're very considerate for thinking like that. I'm sure if you told Ciel-kun of your intent, he'd be touched. How's about you select an alternative set for him to eat from instead and give that a wipe down? I'll handle the clean up" she suggested. Mey-Rin's jaw dropped in shock that she hadn't been scolded.
"Alright! If you say so, I will!" she beamed, her mood brightening up drastically. ~~~ nodded to her and left to fetch a broom and dustpan. On her way down the hall, a loud yelp of pain could be heard from the kitchen. She took off running in that direction and bumped quite literally into Finny en route.
"Sorry Finny!" she apologised, nursing her wound gingerly as she resumed her race to the kitchen where the angry yells continued. She failed to notice that her blood was now seeping through her clothes once more. Bursting through the door, she asked what was wrong.
"I thought tha' bugger was an ingredient of me stew and went to add it in to boil but the bugger bit me!" Bardroy cursed, pointing at one of Snake's pets. The cobra hissed and coiled around its master's neck unhappily.
"You sssshould watch your actionsss...says Bronte" Snake scowled at the chef. Before they could get in each others' faces, ~~~ stepped between them and held them apart at arm's length.
"Oi, oi, cool it hot heads. Bardroy, your hand is swelling and changing colour. You're going to need a dose of anti-venom from Bronte so apologise, now!" she ordered, poking him in the chest. Glancing at his hand, he paled when he realised that she had told the truth.
"Blimey! Alright, alright, I'm sorry! Crikey make it stop. I'm feelin a weakness comin' on" he sat down on a nearby bench and broke out in a mild sweat. His hand had turned a sickly green colour and was bulging with fluid.
"Snake, please obtain the anti-venom and try to keep your friends from slithering into harms way in future, both for their sake and the sake of others, hm?" ~~~ addressed the footman. She strode over to the cabinet where doctoring utensils were stored and pulled out a needle. Snake nodded solemnly and did as she asked. He hissed to Bronte and communicated to her that she was to be milked for anti-venom. He filled half a jam jar with the stuff and passed it to ~~~, who proceeded to fill the needle and inoculate the chef. He swayed slightly and they waited for the effects to wear off.
"Hey, ~~~-kun, you're bleeding...says Wilde" Snake hissed with concern, the tail of one of his pets pointing at her abdomen. They looked down at her middle to see it coloured completely red. At this, Bard fainted.
"Oh lord" ~~~ groaned. It was just then that Mey-Rin came through with cleaned china. She saw Bardroy passed out on the floor and ~~~ bleeding and almost dropped what she was holding, only for Snake leapt up to steady her.
"Wh-wh-what happened?!" she stuttered. Collins-san sighed and waved her hand dismissively. Her head swam slightly with the blood loss.
"We're fine. Just a little weak from our individual accidents. Can you see to Bardroy for me? Snake, can I count on you to serve the young master his supper? I need to go clean up" she requested politely. They did as she asked, babbling about how they'd manage while she had a lie down. She disappeared back down the corridor, only to grow dizzy and stumble against the wall. Her vision left her blinded momentarily, so she stopped to breathe slow steady breaths. When her vision returned, Sebastian was standing in front of her and pulling her into his room.
"I'm fine, I just need to bandage it-" she tried to stop him but he forced her to sit down on a chair beside a washing basin filled with water.
"How am I supposed to relax if you're stumbling around the place with a gaping wound? That is rather unsightly for a member of the Phantomhive servants" he tutted, rolling up the sleeves of a fresh new shirt he had put on. ~~~ rolled her eyes and unbuttoned her chemise. No shame at this point. He's most likely seen less modest women in more provocative situations...like that Beast girl. He quirked an eyebrow at this, retrieving a wash cloth and helped her to clean the blood away.
"Hmmm, should I get used to seeing more of you?" he teased, referring both to her present appearance and the fact that they had been spending more time with each other. She scooped some water up and flicked it at him playfully.
"If you do, we'll know that we've crossed several boundaries. Is that what you want?" she asked, sounding both light-hearted and serious. If they were going to ignore all the myths and tensions between their species, they would be up against a lot of hate and disapproval. There was also the fact that their case was unheard of, so there was no guarantee that this thing they were dancing around would end well. Sebastian dropped the rag into the pinkish water and rested his hands on her knees. His gaze bore into hers, searching for his answer. She waited with heart roaring anticipation.
"Lady's choice" he toyed, running his tongue over his dry lips, enjoying pushing her to the brink.
"You demons really do live to tempt others" she pouted, unable to sit back into the chair as she was already seated at its edge.
"We tempt for a price" he murmured, waiting in her in silence. His fingertips drummed against her leg and she fought the urge to fidget nervously.
"What's this going to cost me?" she blew a gentle whoosh of air from her unsteady lungs.
"The real question is what will it gain for you?" he raised his head to be at eye level with hers, closing the wide gap that had once separated them.
"I'm not sure" she hesitated, mentally chickening out. C'mon ~~~, he's got a contract. Whatever the hell this is is going to be strictly casual and a big joke. The same, however, could not be said for her physical impulses.
"Care to find out?" he squeezed her knees and she knew instantly that there was no way she could deny taking a risk any longer. Her hand boldly shot out and snatched up his cravat. Wrapping it quickly around her tiny hand, she pulled him close and their lips met in a firm kiss. The heat in the room around them felt like it had increased, but that was only the blood rushing to ~~~'s face, as she blushed furiously by her impulsive move. She pulled away and hid her eyes under her hair, mortified. What if he had been playing around?! He's probably laughing at you righ- Her inner neurosis was interrupted by a gentle caress that coaxed her out of hiding for another soft act of passion. He was sure to leave her feeling breathless.
"Well...this just got interesting" she panted. A demon, with a contract, mixed up with a shinigami, whose superiors hate/love said demon, and at any moment we could be ordered to kill the other. Greeeeat! she thought sarcastically.
"My dear, a Phantomhive butler who cannot interest an object of his desire isn't worth his salt" he smirked seductively, his mouth hovering closer to hers.
"And a shinigami who can't keep up with the enemy isn't very efficient" she countered, pulling away swiftly and getting up from her seat, careful not to knock over the basin of water. She smiled at him over her shoulder as she redressed her blouse in front of the full length looking glass.
"Speaking of, the Shinigami Society, you're not per chance staying here as per some ulterior mission they've assigned to you now are you?" he asked running his hands across her middle and neck from behind. She glanced at his reflection in the mirror.
"Really? You think I'm here as part of a mission? That I got fatally injured just to get back into the watchdog's house? I'm committed but that's a bit extreme" she marvelled sardonically.
"Then why are you still here? I would think that after the event with the Undertaker, you'd report back immediately" his eyes burned in the mirror, his head inching lower and closer to hers.
"Well, like I said I'm fatally injured. I'm of no use back at the Dispatch Squad if I can't be dispatched to collect souls. I'm probably labelled as 'missing in action' for now and will report back when I'm back on my feet once more" she leaned back against him, her shirt fully buttoned by now.
"So you don't have to go back right away and recover under their supervision?" he purred into her earlobe, nipping at it.
"I do...but I feel like staying here. I'll make up an elaborate tale of how I found refuge until I recovered by bearings and returned to submit my very delayed report" she wriggled in his grasp, unused to the intimate attention he was giving her. "And besides, there are things here that might help me with my recovery" she whispered, watching his expressive orbs meaningfully. He paused in what he was doing and stared at their image.
"Going rogue then, are we?" he teased, hugging her back tightly to him. This was something she felt a bit more comfortable with. She took a breath of relief and relaxed her shoulders.
"Is any of what we've just done appropriate by any standards?" she twirled in his arms to grin cheekily up at him. Her hair fell lazily over her shoulder and shone with the minimal light in the room.
"Touché. The young master will be relieved to hear you're not against us" he smirked, tilting her chin to look up at him. Their noses were poised to connect and strands of their hair drifted like magnets attracted to the other. He was disappointed when she slipped from his grasp, picked up the basin and flitted away to the exit.
"On that note, I'd better go check on the young master, seeing as you mentioned it" she waved to him over her shoulder, leaving him with a seductive wink.