AN: Hello again~! Thanks so much for all the reviews, favorites, and follows! For those of you who have been awaiting some UndertakerXGrell fluff, I bring it to you now! Prime romance begins this chapter! :3 Thanks for waiting so patiently! And of course, enjoy the chapter!
Warnings: Bad joke and Grell being Grell
Chapter Five: Teasing
As Grell began to regain consciousness, he became aware of two things. First, his whole body ached as it hadn't in years, reminding him of past fights and injuries. Second, he was trapped in a very confined, pitch black space.
As Grell, on the edge of consciousness began to awaken, he tried to shift his body into a more comfortable position. The confining space did not give way though, and panic rose up in Grell, causing him to throw his body forward and his head to smack into a solid wall.
"Oww!" Grell yelped as he brought his arm up awkwardly to grasp his throbbing skull.
Grell reached out into the darkness surrounding him, pressing his hands up against a solid surface only inches away. The texture allowed Grell to figure out its make, wood. His head was cushioned though, and pressing his hands to the walls at his side, Grell knew exactly where he was.
A coffin.
'Must have stopped breathing in my sleep again,' Grell thought to himself. 'Well, at least I'll get to scare someone!' He thought happily. To his surprise though, the lid to the coffin began to move, lifting free and releasing Grell from his imprisonment.
"My, my, awake already?" A familiar voice sounded, the dark figure leaning over him as his eyes adjusted to the light.
A grinning Undertaker looked down on him, his hair flowing forward and tickling Grell sensitive skin, golden acid eyes peering at him. The light of the room seemed to make Grell's head throb even more, and he covered his eyes with a hand, letting out a soft groan.
"My head hurts~. Grell whined.
"You should refrain from smacking your head into my coffin then. It surely didn't help, hehe, and you'll break the coffin." Undertaker chided teasingly, "Lie there and relax a moment, M'dear, and I'll bring you a cup of tea."
Grell listened to the soft footsteps retread out of the shop, undoubtedly heading to the kitchen. With a soft sigh, Grell forced himself to sit up. His body was stiff, but he had been injured much worse in the past. Opening his eyes, Grell surveyed the quiet shop. All was as he remembered.
But, what Grell didn't remember was how he had gotten to the shop.
Memories of just hours before flooded his mind. Grell remembered fighting Sebastian, and Sebastian's disinterest in Grell's advances towards him. He remembered destroying part of the old building they had been inside, the collapse injuring all parties involved. He remembered chanting and demonic eyes. He remembered trying to approach the demon and his fallen master, striking his head as he was attacked, and…
He remembered Ciel, with his own glowing eyes. So that was what the papers had meant, when the child was dead, but with no cause. A demon was certainly not living, though not completely dead either. Grell had blacked out after seeing the child awaken in a demonic state though. How had he gotten back to the Undertaker's shop?
The echo of footsteps approaching drew Grell's attention as he turned his head in their direction, spotting the Undertaker approaching him, tea in hand. Grell accepted it when it was presented, taking a sip of the delightfully warm liquid, allowing it to sooth him.
Undertaker took a seat on the edge of his desk, reaching over to his urn full of cookies and popping one into his mouth. After a moment of silence, Grell decided that he needed answers.
"How did I get back here? There were towns closer than this, and that place was deserted." Grell asked, watching as the Undertaker finished chewing and swallowed his cookie, and then grinned.
"Hmm? If you'd like information, you know I have a price M'dear~. I've let you get away with enough free information in the past after all. This time, I expect payment!" Undertaker announced with a cackle, approaching the red headed reaper, tea in hand. "Tell me a joke, pretty little reaper." Undertaker said, eagerly awaiting Grell's response.
Grell gave a flat look, searching his head for an appropriate joke to suit the Undertaker. Ignoring his throbbing skull, Grell considered a few tasteless jokes he had heard over the years. After a moment, Grell gave his response.
"There was a man sitting home reading his news paper while his wife was shopping at the market. While reading, there was a sharp knock on the door. It turns out to be a doctor from the hospital in town.
'I've got some good news and some bad news,' said the doctor. 'The bad news is that your wife was in an accident, hit by a carriage. She lost her arms and legs, and is going to need help eating and going to the bathroom for the rest of her life.'
'Oh my God...' says the husband. 'What on Earth could be the good news?'
The doctor replied 'I'm just kidding. She's dead.'"
Obnoxious laughter filled the shop regarding the morbid joke, and Grell was momentarily pleased that he had come up with a joke to make the man laugh to easily. Once the laughter died down, though, Grell watched the Undertaker expectantly.
"Ehehehe, a suitable joke for sure! And as you have paid the price, my information is yours, M'dear. I brought you here." Undertaker revealed, giggling every so often to himself.
"You?" Grell asked in disbelief. "But why were you there?"
"Well," Undertaker began, "I got a tip that some old friends of ours would be nearby, and I couldn't resist saying 'hello' to them. I hadn't expected for you to show up though, so I sat and watched nearby. Hehe, you did quite a bit of damage there you know, completely destroying that building~." Undertaker stated with a laugh, causing Grell to blush slightly.
Grell felt his face redden, remembering how angry and hurt he had been that Sebastian had once again shot him down, had refused his advancements and affection. He had acted out of anger, and successfully brought the building to the ground in a fit of rage. One question still remained in Grell's mind though.
"Why didn't you just leave me there?" Grell questioned, staring at the silver haired reaper from where he sat inside the coffin.
"Does it matter?" Undertaker questioned back, placing his tea down on a coffin nearby as he made his way over to Grell again.
"If it didn't, I wouldn't have asked!" Grell snapped, allowing the Undertaker to take his tea away reluctantly. Grell watched as the older man set the tea down beside his own before coming back over and lifting a pale hand up to poke at Grell's shoulder. "Ah~!" Grell yelped, startled.
"Hmmm… Take off your shirt." Undertaker said suddenly, poking at the injured shoulder again.
Grell swatted the Undertaker's hand away, a scandalized look coming over his face along with a slight blush at the bold demand. A playful smile then graced his features, as Undertaker giggled slightly to himself, obviously realizing how his statement had sounded.
"My, My~! I see my savior is expecting payment for his good deed~?" Grell asked, his eyes gleaming playfully as he shrugged off his coat and began working on his shirt. "To make such demands of an injured woman, how cruel! Show some mercy, dear Undertaker. Be gentle~?"
Undertaker responded to the man with a roar of laughter, and Grell felt himself grin even wider. Though Sebastian and William had responded with passionate violence to his advances in the past, Grell almost found himself preferring the Undertaker's reactions. The man would accept his advances, and even flirt back! Or simply listen to him rant and rave, and giggle along happily.
'And,' Grell thought to himself, 'He is a very hand~some man as well…' Grell studied the laughing Undertaker as he tried to calm himself enough to converse. Lovely long silver hair, eyes to die for, though they were hidden most of the time… Grell allowed his eyes to wander the Undertaker's body, remembering back to his fight with the man. His body was lithe, but firm-looking. Grell resisted the urge to reach out and run his fingers along the Undertaker's abdominal area, to feel the muscle he was sure was there.
"Ehehehe, now settle yourself M'dear!" Undertaker said finally as he reached up and helped Grell slip the shirt off his injured shoulder, revealing red and tender skin. "I would never take advantage of a maiden in such a way, I promise this state of undress is strictly for medical reasons~."
Undertaker leaned closer to the exposed skin while pressing on the reddened area where he had been injured in his fight against. A mixture of pain from Undertaker's sharp nails running along his skin and the hot breath the Undertaker released sent a shiver down Grell's spine.
"Hmmm, this is healing very nicely." Undertaker said finally, pulling away and helping Grell maneuver his arm back into his shirt.
Grell winced a bit as he adjusted his stiff shoulder into the shirt, and began buttoning the white shirt up again.
"So, are you going to answer my question?" Grell said as he finished re-buttoning the shirt, and slipped his coat back on. His green eyes looked up at the Undertaker with a mix of curiosity and frustration.
A grin fluttered back to the Undertaker's pale face, and Grell resisted the urge to part his hair and reveal his face. Grell was positive those beautiful eyes were sparkling.
"I enjoy your company, M'dear." Undertaker said with a giggle, "Would've been a shame if something happened to you. So I brought you back here and placed you in a coffin to rest, hehe. Now let me see that head of yours." Undertaker said firmly, grasping Grell by the chin and tilting his head down.
Grell, surprised by the sudden contact, swatted the hand on his chin away and jerked backwards. His head pounded at the sudden movement, but he ignored it.
"Don't just maneuver me to do as you please! I'm a delicate maiden! You brutish Undertaker!" Grell snapped, glaring daggers at the silver haired man who stood above him, the smile wiped from his face.
Within a split second, Undertaker had Grell by the back of his head, fingers entangled tightly in his blood red hair. The man gave a yank, turning Grell's head upward and causing Grell to give a yelp in pain, a shiver running down his body and his breath speeding up.
Undertaker's face was now only a few inches away, his acidic eyes peering out from underneath a curtain of silver. Slowly, a sadistic smile made its way to the Undertaker's face. Grell could barely contain a moan.
"Now M'lady, I am trying to be kind to you and see to your needs. The least you can do is cooperate with me, hmm?" Undertaker said in a husky voice. "Now, allow me to see your head." Undertaker said, his voice authoritative as he allowed his hand to slip out of Grell's silky hair.
Grell immediately dropped his head down, a bright red blush gracing his cheeks and a giddy feeling racing through his chest. He hadn't encountered this dominating side of the Undertaker since the man had first come back, and it thrilled him. Perhaps losing Sebastian wouldn't be so bad after all.
Undertaker gently parted the hair on the side of his head, examining the wound closely. Long hairs caressed Grell's shoulders, tickling slightly and causing him to squirm.
"Be still." Undertaker said, placing a large clawed hand on Grell's slender shoulder.
Grell forced himself to stop, and the Undertaker's hand lifted again. The wound on Grell's head stung as a bit of hair surrounding it was moved, and Grell hissed in pain. After another minute, Undertaker pulled away again.
"This one is almost healed, though it will be tender for the next day or two. That demon did quite a number on you, hehe." Undertaker said, his brilliant smile returning as though the domineering part of his personality had never presented itself.
Grell was intrigued.
"Actually, the damage from my shoulder was my own fault," Grell admitted. "When I made the building collapse I got hit with a piece of debris. How long have I been here anyways? William is going to be pretty mad. He does look best when angry though! Hand~some!" Grell giggled, imagining his boss ranting and raving.
"Hehe, office hours will end in about an hour. You'll have to get going soon, M'dear, should you hope to catch him in office." Undertaker said, turning to look outside at the darkening sky.
'Yes, because I know what happened in his office after hours!' Grell thought to himself as he debated the proper way to get out of the coffin. Standing in it seemed rude, but there seemed to be no other way he could be able to get himself out. At least, not without some help. A sly thought entered Grell's mind, and his attention turned back to the Undertaker.
"Oh, dear Undertaker. I need to get out of this coffin, but standing on the soft cushioning could easily ruin it and cause more work for you!" Grell cried out, batting his eye lashed flirtatiously, "Do you think you could help me out~?" Grell coo'd as he held his arms out towards the grinning Undertaker.
The Undertaker laughed and moved forward, allowing Grell to wrap his arms around the man's neck. Slipping one hand behind Grell's back and the other underneath his knees, Undertaker lifted Grell out of the coffin with ease.
"My! So strong, and charming too!" Grell cried out as he allowed his head to rest of the Undertaker's shoulder, "Perhaps my attention would be better spent on yourself? You'd treat a lady right, wouldn't you Undertaker~?" Grell flirted, smiling a dazzling smile that showed his white pointed teeth.
Grell felt the Undertaker's chest rumble with laughter as he was set down gently on the floor. After gaining his balance, he tried to back away from the Undertaker, only to have a set of firm hands grasp him by the waist.
Undertaker tilted his head slightly, allowing the hair that covered his eyes to drift out of his face as he leaned forward and touched his forehead to Grell's. A smile hit up his features, and a few soft chuckles escaped him.
"I would certainly treat you right, M'dear, hehe." Undertaker giggled, and Grell felt himself go weak in the knees.
Pulling back, the Undertaker let go of Grell's waist and snagged a gloved hand in one of his own. The clawed hand wrapped around Grell's slender fingers, and brought the back of his hand up to the Undertaker's lips.
"Until next time, M'lady." Undertaker's deep voice rang out, allowing his lips to caress Grell's hand.
Grell's heart hammered in his chest, and he felt torn. He didn't want to leave, but he knew that he needed to get his paper regarding the Phantomhive boy to William. How cruel the Undertaker was, sweet talking him so, knowing that Grell couldn't stay.
"Your passionate words set my heart on fire, Undertaker~!" Grell said, finally pulling away and smiling happily. "So cruel, to treat me so well knowing I cannot stay! But I will be back soon enough, you devilish man!" Grell promised with a wink as he walked towards the door.
"Hehe, I look forward to it Grell." Undertaker chuckled from behind him as Grell closed the door.
Grell couldn't stop his heart from racing. Never before had someone so openly accepted his affections, and certainly no one had returned them. Grell resisted the urge to turn and go back to the Undertaker's shop, to see how far he could push the man…
Grell felt a shiver race through him as he remembered the Undertaker's hand entangled in his hair again, that cold yet husky voice sounding from only inches away, hard eyes setting his soul aflame. Grell wondered what those soft lips would taste like upon his own.
Grell let out a soft moan at the thought as he sat at his desk writing his mission report. Grell knew that he had to finish the report soon for William, but his mind was filled with anything but the mission he had been on earlier that morning.
The Undertaker was so intriguing! Grell couldn't believe that he had taken so long to notice such a thing! Lovely eyes, a strikingly handsome face, even with scars… A nice personality, though he could be rough when necessary. Oh, perhaps Sebastian's rejection was a good thing!
Grell shook his head, a huge grin plastered to his face. There would be time to think about the Undertaker later, after the paperwork was finished. Right now, he had to finish or William would throttle him! Not that it wouldn't have its perks.
Grell delved into his paperwork, egger to finish it so he could leave. A few minutes later, Grell stared down at his complete report. He wasn't sure how William would react to the fact that Ciel Phantomhive had been turned into a demon, but Grell was almost positive that the higher up would be mad.
Grell sighed to himself as he stood, snagging his papers up and heading towards Will's office. Knocking gently, Grell allowed himself inside the room.
"Will~iam! Sorry I took so long, darling! I'm sure you were beside yourself with worry!" Grell cried out as he danced forward towards William's desk.
William sighed deeply as he turned his attention away from his remaining paperwork and towards Grell. Grell watched as the dark haired man's eyebrows twitched in annoyance, and it made him giggle to himself.
"You had one reap to accomplish, Sutcliff. Only one. It had been several hours since that soul was to be taken, yet you're just now dragging yourself into my office. Please explain this." William responded coldly, his hard eyes staring into Grell's own.
"Well Will~," Grell began, clearing his voice a little. "I may have had a litt~le problem with the reap today…"
A silent glare was sent in Grell's direction, and he continued his explanation.
"The soul I had to reap was Ciel Phantomhive's soul. I'm not sure if you remember, but he was the kid who had contracted with Sebas-chan~! So today was a wonderful day as I fought against them both to reap the boy's unwilling soul, full of passion and blood and anger! And…" Grell said as cheerfully as possible, "In the end, the boy was turned into a demon! It was my first time seeing that happen, Will! Such a rare thing~!"
William's scythe ripped through the air so suddenly, Grell couldn't dodge it as it smacked him in the head, making his skull throb angrily. Giving a yelp and a wince, Grell gave William an irritated glare. The scythe came back again, this time snatching Grell's paperwork away and bringing it to himself.
The room was silent as William read the report and details of death. An angry huff was released every so often, and Grell did his best to remain silent while William went over the work. With any luck, William would see reason and realize that the loss of the Phantomhive's soul was not his fault. With Grell's luck however, he would get his scythe replaced with a stapler.
After a few minutes of looking over the report, William finished reading and set the paper down, motioning for Grell to sit. Grell complied, awaiting his punishment.
"Did you receive the closure you have been seeking?" William finally questioned, his voice calm and even toned.
Grell looked up in surprise.
"You mean you knew?!" Grell cried out, slightly offended that William knew Sebastian had affected him so much.
It was unbecoming for a woman to be so easily read by a man! Oh, the shame! Grell couldn't help but feel flattered though, it was sweet of William to take him into consideration after all. 'Oh, Ronald is so lucky to have stolen William's heart~! I'm so jealous!' Grell whined to himself.
"Oh course I knew, I'm not a fool, Sutcliff. It was soon after that disgusting demon and his human companion left that you began to slack off even more than usual. You always said that you were in love with that demon, and with the personality changes you experienced after he left it was easy to deduct that you needed to speak with him again should I ever expect you to get back to normal." William explained.
Grell felt confused now. Sebastian's leaving had triggered the feelings of boredom and distaste for his job, but now that Grell had spoken to his unrequited love, Grell didn't feel better. Being a reaper would still be the same, even without a longing for Sebastian in his heart. Had William really believed that Sebastian had been the root of the problem?
"So, do you feel better now, Sutcliff?" William asked, his voice made it clear that he expected an answer.
Grell found himself torn. It would most likely be frustrating for William should he tell the truth, that he didn't feel better. Even with a new love interest, even with his emotions in check for the moment, being a reaper looked no more appealing to him than it ever had. Should he lie? Grell found his lips moving before he could even complete the thought.
"I do~! You're such a sweetheart, William! Ronald better watch out, or I'll have to steal you back!" Grell coo'd, giving a shark-like grin.
"I don't think so!" A voice from behind called out.
Grell turned, spotting Ronald in the doorway peaking inside, a goofy smile on the boy's face. Ronald pushed the door open and stepped into the room, closing the door behind him.
"You said you had a new mission for us, William-sempai?" Ronald asked with a wink, causing an uncharacteristic blush to grace William's face.
After a moment of his mind rolling around in the gutter to figure out WHY his boss could've been blushing, Grell gasped and looked up at William in shock. The shocked look faded quickly as a grin overtook it.
"Will, you naughty~ boy! Do you let him call you that durin-"
"Enough!" William called out, smacking the palm of his hand down on his desk and making a loud bang.
Grell laughed to himself, and heard Ronald laughing behind his hand as well as the blond took a seat in the chair next to Grell's own. Both men watched as William ran his hand through his neat black hair, disheveling it some. After a moment, William spoke again.
"Please do try to be professional while in the work place, you two! And yes, I did have a new mission for the two of you." William said as he pulled out a folder and opened it, pulling out two copies of case notes and handing them to Grell and Ronald. "There have been a few deaths over on the south side of the city that have not been on the 'to die' list. Because of this, the two of you will be investigating the area for the next week or so, to figure out who is involved with these killings. A demon's involvement is highly suspected, though we have had a similar case where a reaper was involved." William stated, sending a blood-chilling glare towards Grell who grinned nervously.
"I'm not involved in anything this time, William! Promise~!" Grell whined, his large green eyes pleading for William to believe him.
William scoffed, and Grell grinned in return. He was happy to have gotten this case, perhaps it would bring some excitement! Grell already had a new prospective love interest, how lucky would he be should he receive an interesting mission where he would possibly fight a demon?
"Was there anything else, William-sempai?" Ronald asked, breaking the silence.
"No, that is all. Please begin this assignment tomorrow. I expect a progress report a week from tomorrow." William said firmly.
The pair nodded, each looking at their paperwork. Finally Grell stood and smiled at the two.
"Alright~! Since I'm not needed for anything else, I'm going to head home! You two be good~!" Grell cried out as he excused himself from the room, speeding up his walk a bit to escape from William's wraith at his joking comment.
William and Ronald watched Grell leave the room. As the door clicked shut, Ronald turned back towards William, who looked annoyed and exhausted. Standing, Ronald made his way over to William and sat on the desk in front of the dark haired man.
"He sure was in a good mood today, huh William-sempai?" Ronald asked, a teasing tone in his voice as he said the word 'sempai.'
"You, Mr. Knox, should be punished." William snapped, "Giving Sutcliff the idea that I allow you to call me 'sempai' during intercourse!'
Ronald giggled.
"We both know you like it!"
AN: Next chapter starts off with a lemon between Ronnie and Will :3 And, the lovely Grell has a new mission! I wonder what issues will arise with this? Did you guys like the UndertakerXGrell moments as much as I did? :o Oh, and as per the usual, let me know if you find any spelling errors or anything like that! Or just let me know you like the chapter, that works too~!