"Get the hell up already!" a senior Shinigami shouts, and you jump awake, sitting bolt upright, sending Magic Plays flying around you.
"I'm up!" you shoot back, half awake. "I'm up," you tell yourself more subduedly, giving your head a shake to assure yourself that you are in the land of the wakeful.
A book suddenly slams on the top of your head, jarring you're teeth in your head and making your vision blur for a second as your ears ring. "Wake now?" a familiar voice asks from behind you, and you slowly turn your head, the book still on it, to see your brother giving you a disapproving look as he adjusts his glasses.
"William... Spears... You. Are. So. Dead!" You throw aside the book, grab your death scythe, and take off after him, raising the Reaping tool up as the blade unfolds from the handle. "I have always wanted to be an only child!"
He doesn't run very far, or very fast, before spinning around, holding up a hand, and forcing you to stop abruptly so your face wont slam into his palm. "That's far enough, my darling baby sister."
You give him a droll look, and using your scythes blade, move his hand out of your face. "I am going to chop your fingers off if you put them in my face again, Billy."
He closes his eyes, holding in his instant retort at the use of the nickname you had given him as a child. "What ever happened to the little sister I knew and loved?"
"I ate her," you say bluntly, lifting a brow at him when he opens his eyes again. "Now what gives? Why the rude awakening, and the book?" You rub your head, giving him a disgruntled pout. "That really hurt, you know?"
William sighs, placing a hand on your head of hair. "Apologies for the book, but you shouldn't sleep at work. You work at work, dear sister."
You have your scythes blade up under his chin in an instant, the sharp edge grazing his smooth throat. "What do you want? Never do you say "dear sister", and "darling baby sister" all in the same conversation without wanting something. What is it?"
He pushes your scythe away, saying without anymore subterfuge, "I returned from a job the other day to discoverd that... I was without an item that I needed."
Your eyes widen, and after a second, you say with growing wonderment, "You screwed up!"
"No, I-"
"You totally screwed up, Billy!" You laugh at him, your dark hair bouncing with your amused movements. "This is a priceless moment. I should get a camera, but you wont sit still for ten seconds, would you? No, of course not, and a picture would not savor this moment as well as it needs."
William takes a long breath, holds it, then lets it out slowly before asking, "Can you please pay attention for five minutes while I speak?"
You hold up a hand, taking a moment to contain yourself, at the same time, relishing the moment, then drop your hand, and give him a grin. "Ok, you have my attention. What does the flawless screw up need help with?"
He groans, pushing up his glasses so he can rub his eyes as he says tiredly, "Sister, please. I cannot return to get this item, so I need you to do it. This isn't a soul recovery, it's an item recovery. You're after a pocketwatch. It belonged to my last client, and I need you to get it."
"Why?" you ask, leaning on your scythe, the blade rocking slowly on the floor as you sway with it.
"I won that watch in a poker game," he finally admits, looking away. "I want it back, and I want you to get it."
"Why me?" You lift a perfect brow at him, your stormy eyes watching him closely.
"No matter how much we may disagree with each other, I always know I can count on you when I give you a job," he says as an explanation. "I would really appreciate this, Savi. Just bring me back the watch, and... I'll owe you one!"
Your eyes turn to meet his, and a slow grin spreads across your pale alabaster face. "I like that idea. So, where is this pocketwatch?"
"It's still with the body, which should be in the cemetery."
v You v
|The Cemetery|
"If I were a fresh-dead body, where would I be buried?" You walk through the desolate cemetery, your black leather shoes barely sinking into the moist top soil as you pass between graves. You stop as you spot a open grave, and slowly grin. "Where would I be? Why, in a fresh grave, of course." Walking over, you gaze down into the open grave, and stamp your foot into the dirt when you see that it's empty. "Damn. Empty."
"And who might you be? Come to mourn the dead before they're buried?"
There's a chuckle, and you look to your right to see a man dressed in full black, with a black top hat, and long white hair. You can see what looks to be a scar across the bridge of his nose and cheek, and there may be another scar around his throat. With the moon as your only light, you can't tell. He tilts his head to you, his grin turning into a frown, and after a moment, sets down what he's holding, and kneeling, strikes a match and lights the lantern he'd been carrying. Lifting it up, he brings you, and him, into illumination.
"What is a lady doing out in a graveyard in the middle of the night?" he asks, considering you closely.
You point down at the empty grave, and not answering his question, ask, "Who is to be buried here? Where is the body?"
A grin spreads across his face, and moving uncomfortably close, he steps up behind you. Holding the lantern over your shoulder to cast the candles light over the grave, he asks by your ear, "Are you interested in death, now, little lady? Does death intrigue you?"
"This body is what I am interested in, and that is all." You move his arm from your way, and stepping from the warmth you'd felt coming from him, move to stand in the chilly evening air on the other side of the hole in the ground. "So, where is the body? Or more specifically, its effects?"
"Its effects?" He seems puzzled for a moment, then turns to look down towards the funeral home at the far end of the grounds, and the cart parked there. "There is the body, on the cart, ready to be brought up and buried." He snickers, now holding his lantern between both hands as he slowly sways. "No final party for him. No, no. That one had no family nor friends."
You look over at him through the corner of your eye, and make a guess. "So I take it that you are the caretaker of these grounds?"
He turns to grin at you. "You could say that. I am the Undertaker. And you, lady? Who might you be?"
You don't answer that question, either. Now that you know where the body is, you need to search him for that watch. William had specifically asked for you to be back before morning. You have quite a bit of time. It's only just past midnight. "Is the bodies effects with it?"
The Undertaker notices your evasion of his question, and gives you a perturbed look, but doesn't comment, instead doing the same thing to you, and ignores your question by asking, "Why are you so interested in this body?"
You send him a look. He is really getting on your nerves. You're not creeped out by him, not in the least, you rather find him interesting, but if he doesn't start telling you what you want to know, you're going to chop him up into so many pieces, there wont be enough of him to feed through a sieve. But as a lady, you don't pass this on, just say more nicely, "I would really appreciate it if you gave me his effects."
He scrutinizes you for a long moment, then scoffs, looking away. "Are you related to him? If so, then you need to pay for his funeral."
You tear your cute bonnet from your head, throw down the delicate umbrella you're carrying, and stab a finger at him, demanding, "I am tired of playing nice! Give over his effects before I break you over a headstone!"
He stares at you for a second, then grins widely, chuckling as he brings a hand up to hold by his mouth. "Now that sounds fun!"
You glare at him. "You are pushing my patience, Undertaker."
"This is interesting, though. You're not related, but you're after something he has. What is it?"
"Undertaker!" a voice calls, and you and the gravekeeper turn to see a boy, no more than twelve, making his way through the cemetery towards you, accompanied by an older man, who, by his dress and manner, the way he walks just a little behind the boy, you can guess to be the boys butler. The two stop a dozen paces from you and the Undertaker, and barely sparing you a look, the boy says, "You had a man end up in your care recently. He has a silver pocketwatch with him. Give it to me."
Your ear perks, and you turn to glare at the two newcomers, but meet the gaze of the butler. He sends you a smile, which you don't return, just clench your fist and spin around to face the Undertaker. "I came for that pocketwatch, too! If you have it, give it to me."
"I don't know your reasons for wanting the watch," the boy says, giving you a narrow-eyed look, and you notice he's wearing an eyepatch over his right eye, "but I will have it."
You grab the Undertaker by his collar, and giving him a jerky shake, state, "I was here first! Hand over the watch!" You start frisking him one-handed, and within seconds, discover a hard bulge under his coat.
Almost instantly, the boy says, "Sebastian!" and you're hand is grabbed and pulled away before you can grab the watch from the Undertakers coat.
"Oh," the pale gravedigger makes a disappointed sound. "I didn't mind her searching me."
You send him a glare, and before the butler can pull out the watch, you pop him in the nose with your elbow, sending him back a step, just far enough for you to stuff your hand into the Undertakers coat. He lets out a sound of surprise, but you ignore him, jerking out the pocketwatch from where it had been in a pocket on the inside of his coat. "Got it!" you declare, but before you can store it away, the butler snatches it from your hand.
"Thank you, miss," he says, giving you a courtly smile. "But this belongs to my master."
You kick him in the shin with your pointed boot, and make a grab for the watch, but he barely flinches, and doesn't let the watch go, instead he pulls it up out of your reach, and steps back from you, making you stumble forward as you grab for it. "Give it to me! I need that!"
"So do I," the boy says, holding out his hand for the butler to drop the pocketwatch. "Come, Sebastian. We're done here." But as he turns, you glare at his back. The little brat! How dare he...
"Do not turn your back on me!" you growl, the wind picking up around you. You reach down to the parasol you'd been holding, and with a swift shake, in a burst or sparks that seem to evaporate the umbrella, expand the handle, and your death scythes blade from it, revealing yourself to be a Shinigami, surprising both the boy, and his butler. "Give me back that watch!"
"Sebastian." The boy barely looks concerned as he orders his butler. "Make sure she doesn't stop us."
"Yes, my lord." The butler steps between you and his master, but with a swing of your scythe, the wind from the strike sends him flying out of your way, right into a stone angel's arms.
You raise a hand to him, fingers splayed, palm out, and with no expression on your face, close your hand into a fist slowly. The stone angel seems to come to life, wrapping its arms around the butler, capturing him in a concrete embrace. "I wont be dissuaded." You walk over to the boy, and without the protection of his demon butler, he looks a little less sure of himself. He's still standing confident, but without that stark assurance. You hold out your hand, palm up, and ask nicely, "Please, may I have that watch?"
"I have taken this in the name of Her Majesty Queen Victoria. You cannot have it!"
You narrow your eyes on him. "Then I will take it."
"Sebastian!" the boy shouts, looking past you for just a second, but his butler is still contained by the stone angel holding him hostage.
"Give it to me!" You make a grab for the watch, but he pulls back, and turning tail, runs, abandoning his butler as he makes his escape. You take off after him. Him being only a human, you easily get in front of him, blocking his escape, and he can't stop fast enough. When he collides with your dresses skirt, you grab him, and holding him with one arm, snatch the pocketwatch from his hand by its chain. "Thank you, dear boy." You kiss his brow, and toss him aside, letting him stumble away to fall to one knee.
Glaring over one shoulder at you, he picks himself up, dusting his bruised knees as he says evenly, only a hint of his temper showing, "I want that back now. Give it to me or I will have my butler take it."
"You mean your demon butler I have captured?" You sling your death scythe up onto your shoulder, resting the handle behind the blade next to your neck as you walk back over to collect your bonnet. You dust your bonnet, but before you can put it on, you feel hands creep along your hips, up your ribcage, and around to your shoulders. Freezing up, you can't move as you hear the Undertaker chuckle from behind you.
"You must be the Stone Maiden Shinigami that I heard tell of," he remarks, snickering behind your ear.
He stands almost a foot taller than you, so you can feel him looming over your smaller frame, and for some reason, his fingers tapping out a slow rhythm on your collarbone doesn't bother you, just sends shivers through you. His hands are a little rough from the work it takes to dig graves and tend the dead, and with that thought comes another. He tends the dead. He touches them, with these hands, the hands that are stroking a circular pattern on your neck right now.
Before you can react, you hear cracking, and the hands still as you look to see the butler breaking free of the stone angel, shattering the arms with the help of the red-head standing beside him. You narrow your eyes to get a better look at the man, but it's when he lifts the scissors he's holding that you know who he is. "Grell Sutcliff," you scoff. "What is he doing here? My brother said he was on probation."
"He's in lust with Mr. Butler," Undertaker tells you, and you send him a look before noticing that he's right. You tilt your head as you watch Grell fawn over the black butler like a cat in heat.
You wrinkle your nose in disgust, curling your lip as you scoff, "He is a nasty excuse for a Shinigami. He gives our kind a bad name."
"You sound just like your brother when you say that," Undertaker chuckles, placing his hands on your shoulders. As he leers up behind you, his fingers slowly massage your muscles, making you relax against him. "You're so tense. You should try out one of my coffins. You'll sleep like the dead!"
"That would actually be nice," you sigh, but suddenly shake your head, stepping away from him as you say quickly, "No! I am here for business! Business!"
He chuckles, lacing his fingers together as he watches you. "You'd better run along if you have what you were after, then. The young earl over there doesn't like to share."
Before you can reply to him, you hear the boy give his butler an order, and quickly leap back to avoid his heel as it slams into the ground where you'd been. You press a hand to your throat, shocked. "You really intended to hurt me with that one! How could you? I am a lady, after all."
"Are you flirting with my Sebastian, you hussy?!" Grell hisses, snipping his scissors at you. "Stand back, Sebby! I'll take care of her!"
"Hussy?!!" You gape at him, your temper flaring up and rising vengefully. "Who are you calling a hussy?!"
"I'll let you two handle this," Sebastian says, stepping back with a smirk.
"Yes, do." You narrow your eyes on the red-headed Shinigami. "You are simply aweful. There is no question why you are still single. The answer is written all over your ugly face!"
"Take that back!" Grell yells, attacking you, but all you do is step to the side and lift your scythe so he runs into the flat of the blade. "Ow..." he moans, falling to the ground. Picking his face up, he ganders at your scythe, and now seeing you up close, he recognizes you. "Savannah Spears?! William's little sister?"
You slam your boot's heel into his face, pounding him into the ground, and step over him, crunching his teeth beneath your foot as you walk on. "I will be going now." You slash your death scythe through the air, returning the blade to fold along the handle, reducing it to a shorter length, and its parasol form, and walking away, you slowly spin the little umbrella.
Undertaker watches with a grin on his face, chuckling as he says, "She was fun. I like her. I hope she comes by again."
"Sebastian! The pocketwatch!" Ciel Phantomhive orders, and his butler jumps into action.
You whirl around to block his attack with your parasol, and as he hovers there in the air for a split second, you spin to kick him in the gut, sending him flying through the air to flip and land again on his feet a distance away, dusting his waistcoat off like there's some dirt there. "I have no intention of letting you take the pocketwatch from me!"
"You can hide out in my shop for awhile," Undertaker suddenly says, grinning. "It's an unnofficial sanctuary. They can't touch you there."
You look at him with wide eyes, and smile. "Really? Well, if that is the case, then I guess I will impose on you for a time." You look at the boy, his butler, and the Shinigami taken in alliance with them, and stab a finger at Grell. "I am telling my brother on you, and when you get back, you will be in sooooo much trouble!"
Grell suddenly changes sides, racing after you as you lift your skirts to run to the mortuary. "No, wait! You can't do that! Don't tell William! He'll take my scissors away!"
"I hope he does!" you yell back over your shoulder, glancing over to see the Undertaker running along with you, a cheerful smile on his face. "Glad to know you are on my side," you say softly, and he turns his head to you, grinning wider.
"You can help me reorganize my shop!" he says suddenly, all but giggling. "I've been meaning to decorate for a time, but with it being just me there, it isn't so easy."
You don't comment, just race into his shop, and give a cry as you trip right over a casket sitting in the middle of the room. Your scream is cut off as you fall into the coffin and it closes, locking you inside. "Get me out of here!" you shout, kicking your legs, unable to roll over so you're at least lying on your back. "Undertaker! Get me out of-" The lid is opened, and a hand grabs the ribbon around your waist, pulling you up from your skirts. You are practically thrown into the air, and are caught by strong arms. Looking up, you blink to see that it's the Undertaker holding you.
"Oops," he chuckles. "Forgot to move that one. At least it wasn't occupied."
"At least," you say softly, almost in a daze. He sets you back on your feet, and you push back your soft hair, a little shaken. You catch movement through the corner of your eye, and look to see the boy, his butler, and Grell standing in the corner of the room. You step behind the Undertaker, using your foot to hook your parasol where it had fallen, and kick it up into your hand, catching it so you can have a weapon. "They cannot touch me?"
"Nope," he confirms, nodding. "No force may be used against ones will here, so you can just run along home, Earl, Mr. Butler. The little lady will be staying the night."
"What?" You look over at him, but at his hidden expression behind his hair, you just turn your attention back to the three brooding figures. "Y-yes, that is right. I will stay here as long as it takes, or until my brother comes." Which should be in the morning, you tell yourself.
William wont let you be even a minute late. If you are, he'll come looking for you. He always has. You may fight with him, but he truly cares. No matter what you're doing, if you're not back by a certain time, he'll come looking, which, in this instance, is good. You can't take on both the demon butler and Grell. Each separately, yes, but not together.
Ciel stares at you for a long moment, then shrugs, turning for the door. "Grell, with me. Sebastian, wait until she comes outside. The moment she steps foot out that door, grab her, and get that pocketwatch."
Sebastian bows, saying, "Yes, my lord."
Once they're gone, leaving just Sebastian, you watch him skeptically as you inch closer to Undertaker. "Do you have some place for me to rest? It is late, and I never get any sleep back at the library."
Undertaker rushes over to open a casket, motioning to the padded interior with a gleeful grin. "How about trying out one of my coffins? This time the right way."
"And what about him?" You motion to Sebastian. "How am I to be sure that he wont try to steal the watch once I am sleeping? There is no way to be unwillfully forced when someones conscious is unaware."
"True, but I can watch over you."
Sebastian gives you a smile, stepping away from the shadows as he holds out a hand. "Or you can give me the watch and I can be gone from here? I'm sure you have better things to do."
"Nope," you say with a smirk, dropping the pocketwatch down the front of your dress, leaving the chain hanging out from between your cleavage. "I got nothing else going on. This is actually a favor for my brother, so I am not officially on the books."
Sebastian's eyes take on a glimmer. "Oh? Really? Then you used your death scythe off the record?"
You think about that a moment, and though he is technically correct, you're actions will be excused, and you tell him so. "I was being threatened by a demon," you state plainly. "A Shinigami may defend themselves with their death scythe if they need to. I wont be reprimanded, or demoted, not like Sutcliff."
Undertaker offers you a hand, and after a moments hesitation, you take it, and he helps you into the coffin. "I never thought I'd get such a lovely lady into my casket." He snickers, looming over you.
You settle yourself down, and are amazed at the comfort inside the coffin, and the size. "It seems big enough for two," you comment, and see him smirk. "Did you make this one?"
"Oh, yes, I make them all." He chuckles, sitting on a small stool beside the coffin. "It keeps me busy when I have no new "guests" to entertain."
You smile, folding your hands over your stomach. "Is that so?"
"Mhm," he nods, reaching down to trail his long nails along your exposed throat. "You don't mind?" he asks, referring to his touching.
You shake your head, resting your head to the side with a sigh, closing your eyes as the feel of his nails exploring along your neck sends shivers through you. "That actually feels good. You should give me a massage after I get a nap. You have nice hands."
This makes him pause, his smile faltering. "My hands are... nice?" He lifts them up to hold before his covered eyes, looking through the fall of his hair to his fingers. He looks down to ask you something, but stops when he notices your stopped breathing, and realizes you're asleep. So, with a sigh, he looks over to Sebastian, still sitting in the corner on a coffin, watching him with that continual easy-going smile. "Are my hands really that nice?" he asks, lifting said hands up.
Sebastian stands from where he's sitting, and walking over, inspects the Undertakers hands, and after a moment, shrugs. "They look fine. An artist would like them."
"Oh?" He looks down at them again, then shrugs, dropping them back to his sides. "Want some cookies?" he suddenly asks, and rushing over to his shelves, gets a jar, and bringing it back over, opens it to reveal some bone-shaped cookies.
"Thank you." Sebastian takes a cookie, and moves to sit back where he'd been, but doesn't eat the cookie, instead flicks it out the window while the Undertakers back is turned. "Are you retiring soon? The young lady has already, um, expired."
"Expired?" The Undertaker snickers, walking over to the coffin you're sleeping in again. "Yes, that is a good word for it. Shinigami sleep without a heartbeat, after all, like the dead."
"So is that a yes?" He gives him a slow look, planning to take the pocketwatch once everyone is asleep.
"Yes, I think I'll take a nap." Undertaker steps into the coffin with you, surprising Sebastian, and with a wave of his hand, wraps an arm around you, and closes the coffin on you and him, and Sebastian can hear a lock click in place.
Sebastian sighs, folding his arms. "Well, that just ruined my plans."
|The Next Morning: William's POV|
William Spears walks into the funeral home where he'd last heard from his sister. "Where could she be? She's late." He looks around, then spots Sebastian sitting in the corner, awake. "Have you seen my sister? She was in this area last night."
Sebastian stands, fixes his jacket, and nods his head to the coffin in the corner of the room as he heads for the door. "I have a household to run, and I've spent the entire night waiting for those two to come out, and they haven't. I need to get home."
"Those two?" William looks to the coffin curiously, and walking over, stabs his scythe into the small lock he sees. Wrenching it open, he kicks the coffins lid off, and his mouth drops at the sight inside. His glasses slide unnoticed down his nose, giving him a perfect view of his little sister, her burgundy dress rumpled, as she sleeps in the arms of the Undertaker, a man William admires and respects. That's the only reason he doesn't stab his death scythe into the coffin and really kill the man on the spot. As it is, he has to fight back the urge to drag him out and beat him bloody.
Giving the coffin a sharp kick, William clears his throat loudly, waking his sister and the Undertaker at the same time. Pushing his glasses up, he asks calmly, "Did you get the watch, Savi?"
His sister sits up tiredly, yawns, and pulls the watch out from between her breasts by the chain. "Here. I could not leave because of the butler and his... boy. And report Grell Sutcliff. He attacked me."
"Attacked another Shinigami? He's going to get his scissors taken away."
"That is what I told him." She yawns again, looks to see the Undertaker smiling up at her from where he's lying in the coffin. "You been there all night?"
He nods, snickering. "Uh-huh. You're very soft to sleep with."
She looks up at her brother, shrugs, and just lies back down. "If that is all, I have the day off. I am going back to sleep." Grabbing the coffin lid, she closes it, sealing herself and the Undertaker away again, and William has to grit his teeth as he hears the Undertakers delighted giggle.
"That man..." He composes himself, turns on his heel, and walks out, leaving them together. "I guess she's found herself a new friend. She never could sleep well without someone with her."
Your POV
Once you hear William leave, you peek open the coffin, look around to make sure he is gone, and close it again, subsiding. "Guess that is taken care of... Hey, what you said about this place being a sanctuary... is that true?"
He chuckles. "Not a bit."
You smile into the dark. "You mean you lied?"
"I omitted the truth. Just because I said things aren't done by force here, doesn't mean they can't be."
You give a short laugh followed by a sigh. "You are a very interesting man, Undertaker."
He listens to your slowing breathing, and unable to help it, Undertaker asks, snuggled up closer, "Not going to go home yet?"
You shake your head, closing your eyes to go back to sleep. "Nah. It is a weekend, and Billy said he would cover for me if I did this for him." You shift yourself, getting more comfortable, and sigh. "I like this coffin. I just might have to come back to use it."
He chuckles beside you. "You can come sleep in my coffin any time. I wont mind at all. In fact, I rather enjoy the company."
You smile, reaching over to take one of his hands. "You have nice hands. I would come back just to see them. I wonder if you will let me draw them sometime."
"You would want to?"
"Oh... yes..." You doze off, snuggled against him. "I would."
He grins wide, his fingers laced with yours, and can only say, "Well, then, I guess I'll be seeing a lot more of you, then, my dear."
Here you go, buddy! XD
I made this for my friend Savi because I got her addicted to Kuroshitsuji, and now she loves Undertaker. ^.^
I love him, too, but I can share. heheh
Well, that aside, I hope Savi, and everyone else, enjoyed, because this is my first one shot for the anime
Kuroshitsuji, or Black Butler.
I hope to write more for it since a friend got me addicted, but until that time comes, I hope people keep reading this and enjoying. =3
