A/N: Disclaimer: I know the song did not come out until after the war, but if Ciel can have a Nintendo in late 1800s England, Edith Piaf could have released this song a few years sooner. Lol. I did almost go with L'Accordéoniste as it would have been around at the time, but La Vie En Rose was in my head and more appropriate for the story.
o O o
She was hot and sweaty. Her face was smudged with grime and her makeup smeared. Wisps of hair had long since fallen out of place. She was tired.
They all were.
William couldn't remember when he'd last gotten a full night's sleep and was just as much covered in grime and sweat as she was. A sight for sore eyes, yes, even she, yet he pushed on to get all the souls recorded from the bodies strewn about the small French city. Everyone was helping with the war. A few of the younger ones remained in London to cover things there. Until then, Every branch had sent dispatches to various locations to help with the increase in death counts. He had hardly seen Grell, or any of his branch, since she was dispatched at the very beginning of the war in and later, himself and most of those viewings had been from afar, as was today.
The fighting had long ceased in the town, but the dead were many. An agent, German, he thought, leaned against a shell torn wall and puffed a cigarette. A French agent all but collapsed beside him. The German offered the other a smoke. William did not see if the French agent accepted it or not. His attention was back to his last reap of the night.
No. It was day now. The early morning sun filtered through the cloudy sky. Grell stood amongst the carnage attempting to fix her hair, but her victory curl was done for. Putting away his tools, William approached her. "Sutcliff…" was all he could say out of all the things he was thinking.
"William," she replied warmly, turning to him with a weary smile before looking distraught and turning away. "Don't look at me, I'm a mess."
"We all are," he replied.
"Yes, but, this is different."
"How so?"
"I don't know! It's just different," she said a little irritatedly.
"I'll take your word for it."
Silence passed, neither knowing what to say or do as they awaited their next orders. Another battle site? A day or two of RR? Neither knew except that this war was seemingly never ending and the likelihood of them not seeing each other again for a long time was probable.
Somewhere in the town, a song began to play loudly over a speaker or a gramophone, William didn't know, but it sounded romantic and the sort of song she liked. He took her hand and moved into position. "I'm not very good, but would you dance with me?" Her eyes were wide and simply nodded in response. He led her in a slow dance as the song wasn't a fast song, to his non practiced benefit.
"What is she singing about?" he asked. Perhaps he should have asked her how she had been. It was likely the same as his answer to that question. "Something about roses?"
"Pink, darling, pink. It's about seeing the world through rose colored glasses. Somewhat. Mostly it's a woman being happy and carefree with the man she is helplessly in love with…"
C'est lui pour moi
"It's only him for me," she translated softly.
Moi pour lui dans la vie. Il me l'a dit, l'a jure pour la vie
"And me for him for life. He told me, he swore to me, for life." She all but whispered.
Et, dès que je l'aperçois, alors je sens en moi, mon coeur qui bat
"As soon as I notice him, I feel inside me, my heart beating."
Des nuits d'amour à plus en finir un grand bonheur qui prend sa place. Les ennuis, les chagrins, s'effacent. Heureux, heureux à mourir
"Endless nights of love bring great happiness. The pain and bothers fade away. Happy, so happy I could die." She held him tightly, clinging to him.
Quand il me prend dans ses bras, il me parle tout bas, je vois la vie en rose
"When he takes me into his arms, he speaks to me softly, and I see life in pink."
Il me dit des mots d'amour
"He speaks words of love to me…"
Des mots de tout les jours. Et ça m' fait quelque chose
Il est entré dans mon cœur
Une part de bonheur
Dont je connais la cause
C'est toi pour moi, moi pour toi dans la vie
Il me l'a dit, l'a juré pour la vie
Et dès que je t'aperçois
Alors je sens dans moi
Mon cœur qui bat
The rest of the song played out as he kissed her. Someone was repeatedly shouting the war was over. His hands were in her red hair and her arms were wrapped around his neck as they celebrated to themselves.
La vie en rose indeed.