Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Kuroshitsuji Or Any Of Its Characters. Those Rights Belong Rightfully and Solefully To Miss Yana Tobosa.
Xxx
Large, grey pillows blocked out the sun, turning the world into a narrow room with a light bulb flickering on and off. The lightning above flashed constantly, illuminating the obsidian London sky with streaks of blue and silver. Rain bucketed, drenching those unfortunate enough to be caught in the downpour. The spray of the sky's tears ricocheting from the ground was hidden by the thick fog blanketing the Earth like a bed sheet.
Elzabeth looked up, frowning at the amount of rain that could have put the cataclysmic downpour in the tales of Noah to shame. It was too late in the season for rain…Shouldn't it be snowing instead? After all, it was nearing Christmas.
The reaper scanned the weeping fluffs of dismal black and grey above through her misted glasses. Today was such a sad day. Why it was such, she didn't know. To the ivory haired reaper, it seemed almost like the gods were grieving.
But for what?
Shaking her head, she stayed under the cover of an overhang above in an alleyway. The bitter wind stirred the sodden clothes of the blonde whose odds had certainly not been in his favor when he took his time flirting with a cute brunette on the street, during his search for his partner, and got caught in the sudden rain. However, Elzabeth had been under the shelter of a balcony of an apartment in the building she was leaning against.
Their shoes sloshed in the trash of the alley turned into goo by the water turning streets into oceans as the drains and sewers backed up. Keeping her arms crossed, the reaper shivered, watching as her breath formed in the air in front of her. So cold, yet not cold enough for snow.
Just rain—bitter rain.
Ronald's hands dug deep into his wet pockets as he sulked and followed the female reaper in front of him with a frown. And to think, he was so close to getting that girl's number. Wait, what was her name again? Michelle? Mickey? Mildred? Well, it was something that started with an M. Whatever; it wouldn't have worked out anyways. Sighing heavily, Ronald let his fly away fringe stick to his wet forehead as he trudged through trash and water. Humans could be such messy creatures; their inventions never seemed to work just quite right.
"Hey Elz, y-ya think, after this, we can go, and the two of us can have dinner together t'night?" Ronald suggested, trying to push the other's buttons again as he chuckled.
As expected, Elzabeth rolled her eyes with a sigh, shivering with a snort. "No, Ronald. I do not think so. How close are we to the target?"
"Well, judging on the progress we made, I'd say we're about another half hour away…" he muttered, sneezing with a miserable scowl.
"WE HAVE ONLY TEN MINUTES TO GET THERE!" hissed the reaper as she spun around with her teeth gritted.
Snorting as he flipped strands of wet, yellow hair away from his polychromatic eyes, Ronald let out a small chuckle. "Relax, princess, we're almost there. My point is pick up the pace; I'm freezing my ass off here, honey."
Elzabeth nearly strangled the cocky senior with her gloved hands, yet she only huffed, whipping back around with a growl as she stomped through deep puddles with her high-heeled boots. She'd kill him later, she knew she would, but it would do her no good on her record if she killed him while on duty. Maybe a little closer to her upcoming death, she'd get rid of the nuisance finally.
Ignoring the triumphant chuckle behind her, the reaper braved the stinging rain attacked her bare skin like thousands of icy whips. With a single leap, Elzabeth made it to the top of a roof and quickly ran along the edges of the rooftops laid out in front of her. Ronald grunted with a displeased frown as he followed the white reaper up to the expanse of concrete spread out before them.
Elzabeth saw the yellow mop of a head in peripheral vision and couldn't resist the temptation to look to her left at the blonde grinning at her.
"Come on, Elz! Too slow" he shouted over the thundering storm with a laugh as he took off without her in a challenge that was quickly accepted.
"Honestly…" muttered the reaper, shaking her head as she sped up her already fast pace with ease.
Slick shoes splattered in large puddles as the beings wet with rain ran along the rooftops of London. A delighted laugh filled the shaking, thundering air as Ronald tilted his head back into the tsunami of water wept by the black sky. Ronald sped up even more, jumping up to take advantage of a brick chimney and ricochet off it over the space between rooftops acting as a man-made canyon.
Elzabeth's eyes softened with a quaint fondness at her senior as she ghosted the other's footsteps, and eventually, she too jumped off the side of the chimney and front flipped over the spacious gap. Easily catching up with her challenger, she passed him with only the slightest smirk.
Blinking in surprise, Ronald's mouth opened slightly before he smiled and laughed, letting the other win with a shake of the head. Elzabeth was too sexy for her own damn good.
As her heart beat in her chest with joy, Elzabeth looked over her shoulder, offering that small smile to Ronald that was quickly received and returned. She felt so…free like this. It was a rush—a feeling she wished would last forever. And then it all ceased as she felt her heart clench in her heaving chest.
The Thorns of Death…
'No, not now—not in front of Ronald! He'd tell William!'
She kept going, pain blinding her only until she felt a hand try to pull her down—the hand of gravity. A white boot slipped on a wet edge of a rooftop, and green-yellow eyes widened beneath glasses.
"ELZABETH!"
Ronald watched as she dropped from his sight, and he dove after her before he grabbed her outstretched arm and pulled her towards his chest as they fell. Managing to get his feet under him before they hit the ground, Ronald gasped as they landed on their feet, slipping and stumbling forwards as Ronald held the reaper in his arms protectively. They began to fell, but it was impeded by the wall now pressing against Elzabeth's back. All she could make out was the black of Ronald's tuxedo jacket as she stood there in his arms with wide eyes and a trembling breath.
"I got you…I got you…" A wet, gloved hand combed through tangled, white locks as the blonde nuzzled the top of Elzabeth scalp with a relieved sigh. It seemed more like he was speaking to himself than Elzabeth at the moment—trying to tell himself that she was truly alright.
"Ronald…I'm fine," muttered the reaper as she came out of her trance of fright; her heart was no longer being squeezed by the thorns in her body. "Let go…"
Reluctantly, the reaper started to reply as his grip loosened on the reaper only slightly, and he looked down at Elzabeth. Raindrops rolled down his face from the still pouring rain, and a drop dripped from the tip of his nose as he blinked. The ivory haired figure in his arms blinked owlishly at his close proximity that was too close for her general comfort. Then he got started to get a little closer, and she started to try to lean back, but there was a wall behind her prohibiting her escape. The hand in her hair slyly slid from her hair, a finger running along her jaw before Ronald cupped her chin between his forefinger and thumb. He was going to kiss her!
Maybe, it wouldn't be so bad if she gave in. She'd be lying if she said that it wasn't tempting at all, but…what would William do? Eyes half-lidded and breath shaky with anticipation as they were barely inches apart, she could faintly smell the unique scent of the cologne Ronald usually wore combined with the aroma of rain and mist. Her hands started to hold Ronald's jacket a little tighter, eyes nearly closed when she felt her lips just hovering over Ronald's, and before Ronald could dare to seal the deal, Elzabeth snapped from her trance.
Eyebrows furrowing, Elzabeth grit her teeth and shoved the reaper off her with a displeased growl. She turned, shaking slightly like a dog that had just came inside a dry house after a rainstorm. Lemon-lime eyes narrowing with malice, she glared as she looked over her shoulder and tried to straighten herself out, and she tried to ignore the pitiful look of a slapped-puppy on the blonde's face. "I thank you for your valiancy in catching me after my fall, but we are still on the clock, and we still have a target to reap. My suggestion is to put our job before you start taking advantage of women. Save that for after hours in your home."
Elzabeth shook her head, deciding to leave the alleyway by walking down the street and into the full-on rain on the main road. Ronald merely stood there, dumbfounded as he blinked in surprise. He had been so close on trying to sway her, and she still wouldn't budge. Naturally, he knew it wouldn't be this easy, but now he was starting to understand what his mentor felt after being repeatedly rejected.
With a somber sigh, Ronald hung his head, closing his eyes as he obediently started to follow the reaper who had nearly given in to his subtle seductions.
Xxx
How dare he? How dare he try to kiss her?!
Elzabeth grit her teeth, hands balled into fists at her sides as she defiantly marched through the rain towards their target that was soon to be reaped. Honestly, of all the things Ronald pulled, that was likely the lowest, most dirtiest, most...most...Elzabeth was out of words to describe him. There was really only one word that kept coming to mind: idiot. But who was really the idiot here? She had wanted it too, didn't she? It was so tempting to give in, to finally know what another pair of lips would feel like against her's. NO! She couldn't think like that!
Mind turning towards the thought of what had happened before she fell, the reaper sighed and lost all malice and frustration that had built up inside her. It had been close—too close. With her impending doom not far away in her future, was that the true reason she had shoved Ronald away? Did she not want him to get attached?
A kiss could change everything.
A kiss would…
…No. Elzabeth shook her head slowly, eyes turning as cold as a winter storm's bitter breeze. A kiss would do nothing. She'd stay as emotionless as ever, no matter the predicament.
Not far from here, Elzabeth could see the outline of a woman coughing in the rain, trudging through the street across evening traffic—her target. Watching from the shadows with her bright green eyes, she waited patiently, listening to the signaling of a honk of a horn and a thud as the woman rolled under the car with a pitiful cry. Scythe in hand, the reaper approached the crowd of people, cloaked from mortal view, and kneeled next to the dying woman they pulled out from under the still running car. Oh well, another mortal less…four more born somewhere in the world…Brilliant. Humans were like rabbits.
Elzabeth reaped the woman with no remorse, paying little attention to her monotonous records and filling out the report with frightening accuracy—without Ronald.
Just where the hell was he? Probably off goofing around and proclaiming how close he was from getting a kiss from the most "unkissable" person in all the realms.
Elzabeth walked away from the scene now surrounded with ambulances that had arrived too late to save the woman, letting her scythe disappear from her hand and ignoring the coiling sensation around her heart. It had been happening more frequently, and she only hoped she could get home before she had another attack from the Thorns.
Boots sloshing in muddy rain puddles, the storm had quieted down to a light sprinkle; though it didn't matter, she was already soaking wet from head to toe. White hair hung in her face dismally as she walked through an alley towards the wall that she preferred to make her portals back to the reaper realm. And then she saw it. A heap of blue and red lay limply on the cold, cement ground. Was that really what she thought it was?
The sickening smell of metal and rotting flesh blanketed the air in a choking aroma. Elzabeth should have been used to this by now, but the strings these scenes pulled hit her like a wave.
Eyes wide, Elzabeth quickly walked forwards, kneeling next to the unmoving body to gently flip it over. Her breath, visible in the cold air, caught in her throat before she confirmed suspicion. "Hollis…"
The poor, mute Shinigami was limp in her arms, tiny chest barely moving and glasses snapped and broken. Blood was splattered on her face, coating the front of her clothes as well. And Elzabeth could smell it; the sickening smell of metal and rotting flesh blanketed the air in a choking aroma. Elzabeth should have been used to this by now, but the strings these scenes pulled hit her like a wave.
The rain was still coming down as it soaked the limp body, browned blood running into the russet puddle beneath them like lazy gravy and dying the knees of Elzabeth's once white dress pants. Her mangled lip and obviously broken nose were caked in running, brown blood down her once pale face now black and brown with bruises. Hollis's once bright blue hair was an ugly brown color in the large, bloody, watery puddle she lay in.
"Holy shit! What the hell happened?!" Ronald was standing behind her with wide eyes, keeping a distance from the two. He knew full well of Elzabeth's portal habits, and in his hope to catch up with the reaper, he had followed her here only to see the body of Hollis Harvey in her arms. "Is she…?"
Elzabeth shook her head, looking back at the blond whose image was now blurred even with her misty glasses. "No…she's still breathing."
A deep sigh of relief escaped the blonde's lips before he came forwards, gently taking the tiny Shinigami from Elzabeth's arms. "I'll take her to the infirmary for you, just go ahead and make the portal."
Standing, Elzabeth placed her hand on the wall, closing her eyes as she let out a breath and let the world around her dissolve from her consciousness. A bright light formed at the epicenter of her palm, swirling with energy as it slowly grew and took up the wall before them. Once it was stable enough, Elzabeth backed away, allowing Ronald to bring the small reaper into the realm before she followed him in. Their dismal surroundings faded into a bright white medical facility, beds strewed along the walls to their left and right—empty beds. They were side by side, IVs hung to the wall above each bed and to the left, though Elzabeth doubted they had been used for years. It wasn't often that the infirmary received many patients; therefore, there were not many nurses, nor doctors, to maintain it. The leader of those nurses, and the one who spent all her time there, was Brooke Easton, a violet-haired Shinigami who was, on most occasions, drunk. Elzabeth left Ronald's side, leaving wet footprints on the usually pristine tile floor as she went in search of said nurse.
Feet lay propped up on the desk outside the infirmary, the nurse, clad in a very scanty nurse's uniform, was fast asleep with a book in her lap and a bottle of booze on the counter-empty.
Elzabeth growled, rolling her eyes as she swept the high-heel clad feet from the white surface, causing the nurse to become unbalanced in her chair and allowing the book to slip from her lap and onto the floor with a heavy thud. A half-snort was Elzabeth's answer before the nurse stirred, opening one eye groggily. "Wha' the hell you want, Spears?"
"I found it my obligation to inform you that Hollis Harvey has been admitted to your infirmary as you have obviously failed to notice as such," was her blunt, monotonous reply. Snickering, the reaper left back to the medical ward, knowing that Brooke would follow shortly (as soon as she got over the obvious hangover she would likely experience).
Ronald was sitting there on the edge of the bed, holding the smaller Shinigami's hand gently in his own and stroking it with his thumb. A spark of light jealousy ignited in the ivory-headed reaper watching the scenario, though she quickly abolished it from her mind. Now was not time for such things.
Xxx
Elzabeth and Ronald stood in the hallway now, side by side as they waited on Brooke to come out from the infirmary and give them the news on Hollis.
Down the hallways they could hear the mindless chattering of their coworkers, keyboards and typewriters clicking endlessly, and even the occasional on and off of the water faucets in the bathrooms; after all, good personal hygiene was encouraged in the workplace. It echoed and bounced spontaneously through the large Dispatch buildings, acting as a temporary distraction from their thoughts.
Arms crossed, Elzabeth leaned against the wall, looking at her feet absently. The clenching of her heart may have stopped, but it was nothing compared to the nagging reminder of how close Ronald Knox had been just hours ago. The feel of his breath lightly ghosting her skin, warm, gloved fingers cupping her face, and the way those beautiful, green and yellow eyes stared at her as if they had meant to hypnotize her. Why hadn't she given in? Obvious-the answer was simply obvious. William would never dare give in to such a temptation, that was all the answer she ever needed. However, in her logical mind, it didn't quite sit right with her. Seldom, she would see those longing glances he'd thrown at a particular redhead before they grew cold again. Was he feeling the same thing? Tortured by Grell Sutcliff like that for centuries? Or was she just merely seeing what she wanted to see? Seeing what she wanted to believe? Would Ronald do the same thing like that to her, but in a different way?
Sighing heavily, Elzabeth pushed the thoughts away, eyes closing before she felt a hand lightly touch her shoulder. "She'll be fine Elz..."
Elzabeth looked up with owlish polychromatic eyes, blinking as she found her gaze at the blonde returned sympathetically. His hair was disheveled, as was hers, clothes still fairly soaked and it dawned on her that neither of them had bothered to change or fix their appearances during the long three hours they had been standing there in wait.
"I am well aware of that Ronald, my concern lies not with Hollis Harvey."
Ronald blinked in modest surprise before he tilted his head the way he always did when he was curious and spoke. "Really? What about then?"
Elzabeth turned her head away, looking down the hallway that merely ended in a T; her gaze meeting nothing but a wall. "Personal things, Ronald."
"The kiss?" Ronald received no reply. "Err...the almost kiss?"
"Ronald, that wasn't even an 'almost'. My reaction was merely delayed by the shock of falling. Had I been in the right state of mind, I would have pushed you away much sooner." Elzabeth moved her shoulder, causing Ronald's hand to fall from its perch.
"I don't doubt it." Blinking in surprise, the white haired reaper looked back at Ronald as he continued. "I get it, Elz. I really do. You don't know any better. Any affection you have, William convinced you it was taboo. For that, I'm compelled to wack 'im upside the head. Won't do that 'cause I'd likely be fired, but you get the point. There's a fine line between keeping your emotions out of the job and ignoring them completely. Both Grell-senpai and I told William to teach you that, and obviously he isn't the greatest listener in the world. You lost your childhood because of that, and you don't know what it feels like to actually have fun. I bet your definition of fun is reading expense reports and doing your job. We don't need another Spears, Elz. We just need you. I need you. I know there's something in there, you're not completely gone. When we 'almost' kissed, I could see it. You were tempted. You wanted to, but you couldn't let it because I know, that you thought that whatever William wouldn't do, you shouldn't do. I'm patient, Elzabeth. I can wait. But, if you never return my feelings, at least I want to give you a taste of what fun...what freedom is."
Elzabeth just stood there, dumbstruck, when Ronald finished his little monologue. Where had that even come from? It sounded like a modern Shakespearean speech, or a movie script...maybe even a paragraph in a fantasy story. It was too good to be true. Too...unrealistic for a Spears. Martin's words echoed in her head: "The Spears' reputation: cold ass pencil pushers." Was that what everyone thought-even Ronald Knox?
"Eh? Speechless, huh? I guess a lifetime with someone really lets you see who they truly are...So, when you want a real kiss, you know where I am." Ronald offered her a cocky smirk, a small hum of self-humor making itself known.
"I will...keep that in mind..." she whispered, looking up when the door nearby opened and closed-Brooke Easton.
The nurse looked around, frowning at the two when she couldn't find what she was searching for. "Where is Mr. Spears? I told his secretary to send him down here at the first possible moment."
"Haven't seen 'im, doc," he said, smirking at the glare he received from the nurse.
Brooke Easton had all of the qualifications to be the head of the medical staff; however, it was due to her drinking that she was never promoted to Head Doctor.
"Don't call me 'doc'," she muttered before rolling her eyes and stuffing crossing her arms. "Furthermore, would it be too much to ask for the two of you to fetch him for me? This is something he is going to want to see."
Ronald nodded, cutting Elzabeth off before she could answer. "Yeah, we'll get 'im. Come on, Elz." Gesturing with his head down the hallway, he started off without the younger reaper, hands in his pockets. The only thing Elzabeth could do now was follow.
Xxx
"Where have you been, Sutcliff? Your shift started at three this morning, and it's nearly noon now."
William sat at his desk, where he seemed to have a permanent residence, hands folded on the desk with Grell Sutcliff standing across from him.
The redhead merely scoffed, rolling his eyes as he turned his head away and crossed his arms. "Well I'm here now, aren't I? It's not like I skipped out on the entire thing. Besides, I know my shift has been covered by little Ronnie and Elz. It'll be good for them, don't you think, darling?"
A weary sigh plagued the supervisor, pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. "This is the fourth time this year, Sutcliff. I have no choice but to deduct your wage and deny you your requested leave of absence-"
"B-But Will I-!" Grell was cut off by a hand that William had raised and a menacing glare.
"In addition, I expect you to make up your paperwork and stay with unpaid overtime to make up for the hours that you have neglected. No exceptions, Sutcliff."
Grell's teeth gritted, his eyes narrowing into deadly daggers. He couldn't...He wouldn't dare to take his vacation away from him. He'd been planning it for months...years even! And it had only been four days in the past year! As much as he loved William, this was one thing that made his blood boil. Steam seemed to pour from his ears, and he could imagine his teeth crushing that perfect, pale throat...blood rushing into his mouth and draining that stoic man of whatever he had left of his life. Oh, to end that miserable, pitiful existence of his. It was cruel to attack someone that couldn't attack back, and Grell had behaved for centuries no matter how the other treated him. This was the straw that broke the camel's back.
A threatening step was taken; a confused look in response.
That look in the redhead's eyes was nothing but murder. Even William T. Spears knew how dangerous and volatile the ginger could be, and he had tried to be on the fine line of strict and fair. However, this time, he had crossed it. And the consequences would not be in his favor.
"Sutcliff? Grell Sutcliff, I hope you understand that this is Dispatch policy. I have no control over-"
A hand gripped William's tie, tugging him forwards to meet Grell halfway between the desk. His stomach dug painfully into the side of the desk, and William found those teeth too close for comfort...way too close. The surprise he had experienced had caught him off guard, staring wide eyed at the reaper who was face-to-face with him. "Sutcliff, it's against regulation to-"
"I don't give a damn about regulation, Mr. Spears. Give me my fucking vacation back or I swear I'll-" Grell screamed, eyes wide as William managed to regroup and grab his wrist, twisting his arm back and slamming him face first into the desk. That had held its firm grip on the wrist who's bandages were hidden beneath two sleeves. However, Grell could feel the injuries reopening, bleeding onto the gauze that kept it from staining his clothes.
"You have no right to threaten a superior, Sutcliff. In light of code 91-12, you have been suspended from your duties as a Grim Reaper. I expect you to leave immediately once I release you. Is that clear?" William didn't receive a response, and when he looked at the redhead's face, all he saw was pain. And then he saw the blood between the cuff of Grell's sleeve and the black gloves he wore (embroidered in ruby letters: G.N.S). He hadn't been holding the reaper enough to cause that kind of damage. At most there would have been bruising, but...blood?
William's hand moved to the redhead's sleeve, trying to see the wound before Grell screamed, twisting from his grip and slapping William across the face-hard. "Don't touch me, you bastard! That...That is no way to treat a lady!"
Wide eyes stared at the redhead, dumbfounded as they watched Grell storm out of the office, door slamming with pure malice.
William blinked a few times before he slowly sat down, remembering that truly hurt expression on the poor redhead's face. No, there was nothing poor about Grell. He should not sympathize with a man who had broken regulation time and time again, including just a few minutes ago when he was so close to killing him. All William had done was follow code, but for once in his life, he began to doubt whether or not it was the right thing to do. Shaking his head, he ignored the ringing phone on his desk in front of him. Whatever it was, it could wait. Paperwork was the only thing that was going to bring him any peace at the moment.
Surely the phone call couldn't be that important.
However, that image never left his mind, and the guilt never left his heart.
Xxx
Hey~ It's been quite a long time hasn't it? Sorry I missed my last update, but for some reason I get sick really easy during November and December. If it isn't the stomach flu, it's the cold. If it isn't the cold, it's strep throat, &c...
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this particular post. Sorry, it took so long to write. To make it up to you guys, I'm coming with a whole new story called: The Phantom of the Theatre. It will star the reapers and some of the main characters of Kuroshitsuji in The Phantom of the Opera. Main star is, of course, Grell as Christine, William as Viscount Raoul, Undertaker as the Phantom/Erik, Ronald as Meg Giry, Angela as Carlotta, and Ciel and Sebastian as Armand Moncharmin and Firmin Richard.
I'm still working out a few kinks, but I hope to be publishing this story the day after Christmas! I'm really excited for this, and I can't wait to share it with you guys!
Before I forget, the theme song for this particular chapter is: The Heart Wants What It Wants by Selena Gomez. Yeah, kinda cliche I know, but whatever. Get over it. I'm just trying to get to my 5,000 words mark, so I'm just going to blather on about that. Blah, blah, blah.
I want to wish a very merry Holidays to everyone. I send my love to everyone everywhere! Thank you for staying with me this long, if you are still reading, and I would like to say that I very much appreciate! Once again, I send my regards to all you readers out there! :D Especially, crazigirl, who i know is probably going to read this minutes after I update this story. Because she is a stalker...not really, but I appreciate the fans like that! Okay, made it to 5,000 words, I won't bother you anymore XD
Merry Christmas~!