Welcome to Gaia! :: View User's Journal | Gaia Journals

Duration: April 2014

Status: Ongoing

William T. Spears, Darling, Grell Sutcliff - Me

Sebastian Michaelis/Reginald Scot, Undertaker - Brush of Magic

Comments: Oh the feels~

***

"Darling, I'm home!"

The reaper was truly in high spirits. His morning jog was without any incident and proved to be a leisurely stroll. There was something breathtaking about watching the sun slowly rise into the sky and brightening up the landscape. The sun's warm rays bathed the field of green and flowers with light and energy, chasing away the darkness of the evening. Fluffy, white clouds decorated the clear, blue skies and hinted of fine weather for the entire day.

William entered the threshold of his home, a towel around his shoulder as he wiped away the excess of sweat on his face and neck with one hand. The other hand held the pair of running shoes that was lined with dirt and mud that he'd tied together by the laces. His hair was shiny slick with moisture from his morning run. The man paused to park the pair at a corner he designated for them on the side, not too far from the coat rack as he made his way deeper into his way, giving his hair a quick comb through and began to peel off the damp shirt.

Still no Darling came to greet him. "Darling...?"

But the other cat in his house was there to bid him a good morning upon his arrival.

The man tipped his head in acknowledgement greeting him good morning in turn as well. He was just about to cross the space into the kitchen when Sebastian effectively pinned him on the spot with what he said. It made William pause to double take at the demon's words.

Drawn up what? The reaper had a questing look on his face as he tried to let everything that Sebastian said to him sink in. He let the towel on his shoulder drop as he stopped, leaning against one of the lounge chairs of the receiving area and gave the butler a very long glance.

"You prepared the bath. You also made breakfast." As much as all were declarative statements in nature, there was something with how William said them which made them effectively inquiring in nature. "And lastly, you managed to get yourself ready for work in---" He looked towards the direction of the wall clock then back at the demon, "...an hour's time. How---Wait, never mind. That was rhetoric, Scot. Of course... But of course. I almost forgot." A chuckle. He couldn't help but chuckle a little over this. How did he used to say it...? That catchphrase of his. That.

He didn't know what to say. He was actually out of words for that moment in time. What was William supposed to say? "I... I don't know what to say, Scot. I could start by saying 'Thank you' to express my gratitude but at the same time I must confess that I feel overwhelmed by this. I understand that you're simply acting out as you always do but... I think I will need some to adjust to all these."

***

Sebastian was a bit amused that William had called out to the cat and that he was the one who answered with his presence. Darling. Honestly, he didn't know what he would do, should he be called a pet name, or the name of a pet on the regular basis and knowing that it was meant for him. Suddenly, he felt especially grateful that there was a cat wandering around the apartment. That way, he knew, right away, that such a title was reserved for her and not meant for him, a common butler, who had never been called anything that sweet in his lifetime, nor expected to. He would not know how to even handle it, if a term of endearment like that were purposefully directed at him by someone he respected (Grell was not in that list of people).

The demon stood there, calmly and patiently, as his master worked through what had just happened. Everything was prepared for him. His bath was nice and hot and just waiting for him to get in, his laundry was all done and his suits were all pressed, so that he could just slip right into one of them, his breakfast would be ready for him by the time he was ready to eat it and he would have a wonderful packed lunch to take with him that would be the envy of all of the other reapers, considering how they could only dream the cafeteria would make something that good. Sebastian had fulfilled all of the man's early morning needs as well as having taken care of his own.

Then as his master started chuckling, a crack of a smile broke out on the edges of the butler's lips. An incredibly sincere one. Why? Because William was thinking of his catch phrase. He did not even need to say it, because it was in the man's mind right at that moment. It was the thing that he had forgotten for but, a moment and was now remembering. That he was, quite simply, One Hell of a butler.

"Mm, my master needn't thank me. It is my duty and pleasure to serve you, my lord. However, for what it is worth, I appreciate the sentiment and will take it as a compliment of the highest regard. And I understand, Shujin. You are.. not quite like any of the other masters I have ever served under. You are not a king, a prince, a noble, or even a shaman. So, forgive me, but I, too, will be adjusting as time goes on to serving.. well.. quite simply, a dedicated reaper."

With that, he finished cleaning up the kitchen. But, that small smile creasing at the sides of his mouth remained. It was nice to be appreciated. The demon pulled out the pot pie right as William had emerged, dressed and pressed and ready for anything. He carried the steaming dish to the modest two chair table in the kitchen, placing it down in front of his master and setting the table for him, modestly, placing everything in the right place, even if it was so simple a meal to eat.

"I present you with your breakfast, my lord. It is a breakfast pot pie, a meal of my own creation. I do hope that it will be to your satisfactory."

***

Fair enough, he thought while watching Sebastian's retreating back as he made his way back into the kitchen. Life was rarely a one way street and it sounded fairly logical to him that both of them would have to need to adjust to this brand new living arrangement. He breathed out heavily through his mouth and ran a hand through his tousled hair then wiped at his face. Then the reaper looked down at himself and felt very self-aware.

To start it off maybe William had to stop this ridiculous habit of moving about early in the morning sans any shirt after his morning jogging. It was...rather immodest by their norms.

It did cross his mind that the butler probably wouldn't be as unfazed by the sight of his body out in the open, the man minded. After all, the demon was a man himself and what William had, surely Sebastian owned his own set of as well. The idea of being so...bare to someone else that was not his life partner made him feel uneasy. Not even around his superiors and colleagues had beheld him this naked. (Office intramural events excluded especially if he slated to compete under the sport of swimming as that necessitated one to be next to naked in scant swimwear) The reaper quickly raised the towel over his head to hide his expressions and made his way into the bed chambers. There was enough awkward moments already than he would like for that morning.

He didn't also want to give his newly hired any...ideas. Of any kind.

William froze at the doorway when he saw his suit and essentials laid out on the bed. Did Sebastian even have to go that far as to---Oh well. Yes apparently he did. So not only did the joy of preparing breakfast taken from him but even picking his look for the day. He stopped and sat by the edge of the his bed, looking over the selection that the demon laid out for him and sighed heavily. It seemed that Sebastian seemed to even know what he was planning to take out that day. As far as he knew, demons did not have the ability for telepathy. He let his light green eyes roam over the charcoal tweed blazer, jet black vest and green necktie... Even the pants. Even down to the pants that almost always paired up with that particular blazer.

A pair of feline eyes was observing him wrong way up. Darling was lying upside down on her perch on the bed, meowing low and softly when she noticed the apparent distress of her master. She flipped onto her paws then made her way down the sheets and patted his thigh. The reaper looked at her, smiling then patted her small head. The cat snuggled to the touch, closing her eyes and sighed appreciatively.

"You didn't greet me this morning."

"Big cat was busy. I didn't wanna disturb him."

...Big cat? Darling called Sebastian 'Big Cat'? The thought made him laugh. Why did the little queen call the demon a cat? He figured it must be some coping mechanism of kind to having a new person in the house, "Oh?"

"He seems to know what you like too."

William groaned, nodding at that. Seemed like the master wasn't too happy at being so easy to read or that Sebastian was more perceptive than he would like. But hey, he was a cat, too. William should have expected that. Felines were special in a strange way like that. Wasn't that what he loved about her? Weird! The cat snickered then nudged her head against his waist, "Go wash. He prepared that too. No smelly stuff though. Just hot water. It'll get cold. No music too."

Somehow, something told the reaper that the demon would eventually come to discover those things on his own in no time. The thought made him shudder as he took his bath; his skin covered in a sheet of goosebumps despite the warmth that the drawn out bath offered.

So it seemed that starting that day, breakfast was hardly going to be ordinary now. The sight and smell that assaulted his senses felt like overload to him. Never had he inhaled such flavor in one breath since---since then! William had always prepared simple meals and preferred just as much even when dining out. Heck, today's morning was supposed to be scrambled eggs, bread and slices of something meaty. Instead there was this meal set in front of him that he'd never seen before. Apparently one of Sebastian's very own. What was in there... Cooked ham, some kind of...sauce? Gravy maybe. Then something earthy. And that baked smell of crust... The reaper's face was scrunched in concentration as he tried to take in more of whatever the butler managed to create out of the contents of his storage. Witchcraft... That was the only thing his poor mind could figure to explain everything that had transpired so far.

"Huh. I didn't even think that it was possible to conjure such...a meal out of what I had on hand."

He was dumbfounded. The utensils, glass. mats and everything... William was neat and impeccable about order but he'd never been this systematic. This and that there, then over here... It almost didn't feel like home to him anymore. This was simply too much. He had his hand on the back of the seat but did not pull it back to seat himself. Instead, the man remained on his feet, gripping the chair and looked as if he was at a grave loss of what to do. Eventually he let go of the seat and abandoned the idea of breakfast, then re-entered the bed chambers.

Darling, who had been following after him since, nearly got squeezed in between the door and frame when the man shut the door so swiftly behind him and didn't even give her a chance to follow right after. She jumped back and glared at the door, hissing with her tail at full mast. The feline pushed the door and found that he had let it in place. She frowned. It was good as locked as far as the cat was concerned. It wasn't as if she could turn the knob and strut in even if she wanted to.

But someone else could.

"BIIIIIIIIIIG CAT OPEN THE DOOOOR."

As if Sebastian could understand her meowing. The only thing that probably came out 'human' in her meows was the word 'door'. No harm in trying right?

***

The butler did not know what he had just observed, but it made him a bit anxious in truth. His master had told him that he had not thought it possibly to make something like what Sebastian had prepared just by what he had in his kitchen, looked at the breakfast pot pie, given a strange look and then left the room. The demon blinked twice, comically, staring at the door of the man's bedroom. Once he recovered from the shock of his master having left without a word, the demon's brows furrowed ever to slightly and he began to tap his cheek in thought, slowly, as he paced around the kitchen, attempting to figure this whole mess out.

Had he done something wrong? Acted improperly? Was his appearance not satisfactory? He looked himself over a few times, before going back to his thoughts. Then, his eyes popped open wide and he slowly turned his gaze to his new number one suspect. The pot pie sat there innocently enough. Sebastian narrowed his eyes at it, suspiciously, before crouching down to be eye level with the pie. He looked it over with eyesight far superior to any humans or reapers alike and analyzed the flaky crust. Well, it seemed satisfactory enough. Next, the smell.. yes, it had all of the right things to draw a human to it.

"So.. why then did he.." he trailed off, before he heard something from the bedroom.

Darling was unhappily pawing at the door. The demon raised an eyebrow, before looking at the cat and then, at the door. He very carefully then turned the knob and opened the door just the slightest cat-sized crack, before shutting the door silently, once more and going back into the kitchen. But, that is when a look of realization flashed upon his features.

That single most prominent expression that his master had displayed. That look of.. uncertainty. No! There was more to it! Sebastian closed his eyes and thought through every human expression he had ever seen, cycling through them as if it were a library catalog. But, where did he find that expression? Not in any human, but.. in himself.

"Red tie.. green tie.." he muttered to himself, as he realized that their looks, while his master's was more so in intensity considering how demon's expressions tended to be minimum in relation to any other humanoid, were practically identical.

The demon's expression soon softened. His master was overwhelmed. All of this was happening too quickly for him and so, he had gone to 'decompress'. Sebastian sighed and placed a hand twelve inches of so over the hot pie and closed his eyes. He was emitting a great amount of heat to keep the pie warm, until his master was able to process all of this and be able to eat his breakfast. Patience, Sebastian reminded himself, was one of the most effective virtues of any servant.

***

She took pride in her special spot in William's heart to get her way in things. However it surprised Darling to find that the man was so caught up in his mood to not even notice her presence. That or the reaper decided to ignore that Sebastian had opened the door for her to slink her way in. The feline was laying on her paws inches away from her master's seated form. But he didn't do anything but just sit there, slumped forward with his elbows propped on his lap while he clasped his hands together and tucked his chin over them, looking rather contemplative and uncaring of the world. She couldn't help but feel somewhat insulted at how he didn't acknowledge her. Slighted would probably be the best word for it.

"You hurt the big cat's feelings."

Bright green eyes darted to the side at the words. Oh?

"He was really surprised you blew him off like that. He did his best you know."

"He has a name. It's Reginald Scot," William straightened up and rose from the bed, and picked up the folded pair of glasses he'd set on the bed side table. "Why do you call him 'Big Cat' in the first place?" There, glasses were in place now. A slight adjustment there... And yes, ready for the day.

Darling paused at the inquiry and looked at him. She blinked twice. Why are you asking something so obvious, William?, the feline tried to say with the look on her face with how she fixed her features and peered at him from the bed. Sadly, the reaper didn't quite catch it and simply returned her knowing look without really getting anything much of it.

Exhaling deeply through the mouth, he reached for his pocket watch to check the time and realized that there wasn't any time to brood forever. The reaper tugged at his jacked, fixing himself and decided to face the music.

Something told Spears that today was going to be a rather long day. What better way to start a very strenuous day than a hearty breakfast? Sebastian did whip up quite a feast for him and it would be rude not to at least have a bite or two of the butler's original creation. He'd have to hand it to the demon for being so creative to manage something out of his meager supplies.

William briefly met the butler's gaze but did not say anything and gave a small, polite nod of the head and pulled himself a seat. He felt resigned to his conditions with his eyes downcast yet not completely accepting everything that had and would come his way. The silence was heavy between them and it was not doing for his nerves. But it was taking too much out of his person to fuel his initiative and brave saying the first word for some reason. Sighing, the reaper parted his lips then shut them again, pressing them close into a thin line. No... Not like this.

Raising a hand to his face and lightly pinching the bridge of his nose, he attempted again and was much more successful. "Good morning."

...good morning. A measly good morning was all he could manage. Pathetic.

The reaper cleared his throat. It was a definitely a start though. "Scot, I am not Ciel Phantomhive." Harsh. Perhaps a little too direct than he should have been but there was no other way to put it, William thought. "Do not treat me in the same manner. I do not need to be want to be treated like an invalid. I have lived in a frugal and chaste manner for so long and as strange as it may sound, I do enjoy things this way. Extravagance does not suit me. A few good well earned luxuries, perhaps but nothing more than that." He laid his gaze upon the morning meal and leaned against his chair, sighing heavily. It was a fine pie indeed. The reaper was willing to bet his incoming pay that it tasted as good as it looked, "You don't have to go out of your way for my sake to return the favor of the previous afternoon. You never had to in the first place, should that be the case. I appreciate your actions but I believe we need to set some boundaries and rules if we want this set up to work."

But at the same time, William wasn't quite sure if it was alright to do the honors of cutting through it himself or asking Sebastian to do it for him. How did this set up normally operate by? While he was aware of how help staff were supposed to aid their masters and mistresses at every step, the reaper was not intimate with the nuances of it and found it to be an excess. This was tragic. He had no clue what to do in his own home. And he was the head of the Dispatch?

"To get the ball rolling, so to speak, how about you tell me what kind of housework you've done in the past and are accustomed doing,"

***

Sebastian had lifted his hand from over the pie when he heard the door to the other's bedroom slowly opening. He then turned to see his master approaching. A nod was given, which he returned, closed eyed and more deeply, since if a master nodded to him or bowed, he always did so that much more deeply out of visible respect for their station in life. Sebastian recognized his master's awkwardness and the thick silence that had settled between them. But, the demon was not one to attempt to alleviate awkward situations. He had no experience with that. So, he tended to let it fix itself, let others around him fix it, or go along his business, leaving it behind, as he usually had more pressing things to attend to. So, he waited until his master finally decided to speak. An awkward greeting? He would wait for longer then that.

Finally, his master cut to the chase. But, really, what he had done was cut into the butler's feelings a bit. How abrasive was this reaper!? Sebastian swallowed down any feelings of pain, dismay or insult. His master didn't know. He couldn't have known. So, he would not bear him any ill will. He didn't know what he had been put through. He was ignorant to all of that torture and bad treatment, so he would thus, get rid of those unnecessarily negative sentiments that had been stirred up in him at the other's comment. He waited for the other to speak his peace on the manner, taking it all in and carefully considering each point his master was making, like a good servant. But, really, the other had reminded him that he was not to be treated like a royal. So, Sebastian felt that it was necessarily to alert his master to a truth on the other side of the coin that William was ignoring.

"If I may, Shujin, the contract we signed was very specific. I am to serve you and cater to your desires. While I understand that you are not royalty or anywhere near such a station in life and I know that you wish not to be with the way you speak of your lifestyle and your desire for it to remain modest, but I must remind you of my own position in all of this. I, One Hell of a Butler, am not a room mate."

Sebastian had laced it in just the right way for that last statement to sting back just as much as his master's previous comment had stung him but, for a different reason, entirely. It was because he was pointing out that William was trying to treat him in a way that was not applicable to the contract they had in place. That he was being sentimental of his old lifestyle before Sebastian had come along and was resisting change that might make things positive and better for him, rather then embracing all of the good that having a demon servant could do for him. In other words, he was resisting Sebastian's help. But, after he had said it, he regretted his outlandish use of verbal liberty, even if he had meant every word.

"... Forgive me, my lord for being so brash. It is just that there is nothing more loathed amongst the serving demon society then a demon who will not give their all to serve. A lazy, unproductive servant.. is a disgusting waste, indeed."

With a sigh at the end of his statement, he then sat down in the chair across from his master's, since he did understand, to some extent, what his master was getting at. Standing was a butler thing to do.. sitting was more casual.. and being obedient enough to answer these sorts of questions was somewhere in between.

"The chores that I am accustom to taking care of are as follows. Doing laundry, ironing, putting said laundry away, varnishing furniture, sweeping and mopping floors-"

The list went on for thirty minutes straight, more and more chores right on top of the others from the mundane to the extravagant! Over one thousand tasks had been named! But, the most interesting amongst them were surely, "Pleasuring humans through the act of intercourse to get whatever my master seeks from them at the time", "Doing something.. unspeakable to get the Undertaker to laugh in order to get precious information for my master's sake that can be gotten no where else" and finally, "Tolerating the red headed reaper by the name of Grell Sutcliff, if it so pleases my master at the time."

From that long, on going list, one thing could certainly be deduced. William was on one side of the spectrum.. and Sebastian was on the complete opposite end. The behavior William wanted out of him was too casual by Sebastian's standards and the way Sebastian was acting now was too formal for William's. A compromise would have to be reached.

***

Sebastian posed a point.

But at the same time, the reaper found a clause that made everything fall apart in the butler's argument: he had to cater to his desires. This was far from how William would have liked on any given day. However, he could not find it in himself to make any further issue that he'd already done because before his morning jog, he did instruct the demon to 'do as he please' to entertain himself during his absence. Sebastian had only acted on what was natural and had felt right to him. So did William. It wasn't as if they had come to a compromise of kind just yet on how the conduct of their daily routine should be like.

When the butler apologized for his words, William shook his head and quickly dismissed it with a wave of the hand, "No offense intended. The problem therein lies with the fact we're not on the same page, Scot. You've served men and women above my ranks. You were simply acting on your nature, yes I understand that. So was I. We need to halfway so if you please...," The reaper raised his open palm and nodded, "Your chance to speak on your list of capabilities, if you will. We can start from there."

Time came to pass and the reaper's eyebrow quirked at the litany of activities the butler was capable of. William nodded, listening attentively but as it went on, the man's face contorted into shock and surprise at the right timing at the mention of murder, seduction and espionage. A faint blush crossed his cheeks at the tasks that included sex somehow. He did chuckle at the mention of his tolerance towards one certain Grell Sutcliff. But all in all, there was no denying that hearing out the demon's list of capabilities lit up a fire of expectations in the line of their future field work, whether if he was to be accompanied by Sebastian or if he would dispatch the demon on his own on assignments.

If the butler would only play his cards right, there was a high chance that he would be a model employee in no time, Spears thought. There was even a chance that Sebastian could surpass him, and to the man that was a lot.

"You do realize that he's my second in command at the Dispatch," the man said hiding his chuckles behind a hand, "And since you'll be working under me, you'll be getting quite an eyeful of that one for the entire day. I'm afraid you'll have to exercise tolerance once more. But in this situation, it's not so much for my sake but for yours, Scot. You're more than aware of how overbearing Sutcliff can be in expressing his affections when you've caught his eye." The way he spoke clearly reflected that William was speaking from experience. But he spoke in mirth and amusement rather than groaning out loud in disdain. It would probably be surprising to Sebastian to find that William didn't hate the loud mouthed reaper. Just as it was surprising to Spears himself.

"Thank you for that very thorough list, Scot. I'm afraid you won't be able to make much use of your wide scope of talents in my service. In hindsight, I realize you had lived quite an exciting life in the past with your previous masters... I don't think I can live up the challenge so bear with me on this." Once again, he couldn't feel overwhelmed. But at least in this situation, the reaper had literally asked for it and he'd have to be man to deal with this. "In any case, this is my routine on the other hand, give me your thoughts about where you can possibly contribute, then we discuss."

The man's work schedule was from Mondays to Fridays with an optional Saturday halfday. He woke up at five in the morning and engaged in self advised calisthenics in the English countryside that was home to a property with sprawling acres of land and trees but was long forgotten by it's human owners. By seven in the morning, Spears was out of the house, after having breakfast and bath. Work began at eight and ended at six in the evening. Overtime was only up to ten in he evening owing to some office policy to chase hard workers off the premises and prevent breach of labor laws. William also shared that his morning exercise consisted of daily jogging and alternating days of weight lifting and boxing. On Saturday afternoons, he went to the Battle Dome or swam.

It was clockwork precision how the time and day of the reaper's activities were put to order. So a day like this where William's precious routine had been thoroughly ruined... It was truly out of the ordinary.

***

Sebastian made a dejected kind of sigh and slight pout, shifting his eyes away as he did so, not realizing what a cute, put out expression he was making as the other told him that he would have to once again tolerate Grell and his ways. Didn't William realize how difficult it would be for him to not attempt to hurt the red head, when he made obvious passes at him, or got too close to his person for comfort? He could not help, but to feel uncomfortable in said flamboyant reaper's presence. Everything about him stood against what the demon butler represented. Commonsense, order, propriety, professionalism.. was there nothing they had in common? No ground upon which both of them could stand that would make dealing with the man easier? There was nothing he could think of. Not a single thing.

But, despite all of the trouble Grell would undoubtedly give him, he nodded at his master, no matter how painful agreeing to such a thing was, to tell him that he would, indeed, respect Grell. If not for the red head, then for his own sake, considering how Grell would out rank him in this new line of servitude that he was entering into, meaning that, as upper management, a pissed off Grell could very well make his professional life a living Hell, especially since Grell had a nasty side to him that was not easy for others to survive. He was not Grell's love interest, anymore, the handsome and cunning Sebastian Michaelis. He was just another face in the crowd now and if Grell lacked infatuation with him, the demon could only imagine how he could potentially be handled or treated by him. It was best to walk on the line on this one, where it was safe, then taking a leap off into the pit that was error.

"Mm, I learn new skills with each new contract that I gain, Shujin. So, if my old set of skills is no longer applicable to the situation, I can learn other things that may aid my master and quickly."

Sebastian took in the way his new master's schedule worked, before nodding after a few moments of considering matters.

"My lord, I understand that your schedule is very important to you, or you would not have taken the time to mention it. I, as your servant, will do my best to think this over today and attempt to devise a way that I can be a help to my master, without my caring for him being a noticeable shock to his system. However, I must say that having extra time in the mornings is not a bad thing. Please indulge me and give my alterations to your morning schedule a try. I will be efficient without being.. over bearing and overly opulent." he said.

It would take work to trim away all of those little extras he was used to doing and working with bare bones of service, until he figured out what it was, exactly, that William wanted in a servant. Humans seldom even knew what they wanted, themselves, even when they stated what they wanted. That could surely go for reapers, as well, he deduced. So, he decided to ponder and observe William, making adjustments here and there, until he was at the perfect place in between, where William wanted him. But, he needed time, a chance, patience and a willingness to shift a little on his master's part as well.

***

It was wrong to laugh at someone else's expense. Rude as well.

However William was finding it difficult to contain himself and remain a visage of etiquette with the face the butler was making when he reminded him about the reality that was working with Grell Sutcliff. He was making a weird grimace then, the kind that one made when trying the hardest to keep a straight face. A small snort did escape his lips for all his feeble attempts.

"Don't make that face now, Scot... You make it seem so impossible when it's not. Think about it this way, I've been around that one for as long as I can remember and I'm still in one piece. I don't see how you can't cope either." The reaper leaned back and rested a hand on the surface of the table and hummed, "Sutcliff's... quite harmless really. He's all talk but no bark in terms of sexual harassment. But then it could be because I'm his superior so he wouldn't dare lay a finger on me. I haven't heard of any reports against his behavior besides moments where he feels excessively handsy. When it comes to that point, you have every right to defend your dignity. Preferably with an audience so you can have witnesses when it's time to file your report. But don't say this came from me."

His other hand found it's way on his face, calmly adjusting his lenses and obscuring the smirk on his mouth, "I don't think you should be so worried about him. You can think of him of something like---a housefly. Crude I know but... It's quite the pest and when pushed to shove, you have no choice but to simply swat it off. Otherwise, if that doesn't cross your path, don't bother." Yes, William just called the red haired reaper 'that'. "If I were you, I'd be more worried on how you'll fare managing the paper and field work. If it comforts you, I'll handle your transition so I can personally supervise you. Should there be any need for remedial classes, we can continue it here in the house."

House. Not a home. William was quite firm with that. It was house with Sebastian. But home for Darling. Strange how subtle things like that showed so much.

Overbearing... Overly opulent... That got the green eyed reaper thinking.

William paused his absentminded drumming on the wooden table and looked around. His house was plain. It wasn't even the kind of plain that meant poverty. It was the kind of plain that spoke of lack of taste or a touch of glamour. It wasn't even elegance in simplicity. The reaper's shoulder sunk slightly as he repeat those two words in soft murmurs before turning to Sebastian, "Tell you what, how about we do it this way... You had me thinking. Perhaps I am living a little too simply for a man of my rank and status. And perhaps... You could serve as a beacon for me to uplift myself to something more appropriate. However! We shall keep a standard of never living in excess... I simply can't envision myself living that way. So---how about we do it this way: let's do this slowly, Scot. One step at a time."

He suggested that they would work on a transitional routine that was progressive in nature. To start if off, Sebastian would only be allowed to do certain tasks he'd been used to that William was agreeable to such as cooking, laundry and drawing the bath, etc. The rest that were not too agreeable would be done on certain occasions only. A good example was the butler's penchant for extraordinarily prepared food that did not look at home on his dinner table, like the breakfast pot pie. The demon would only be allowed to do so on certain times of the week until such time that the reaper no longer found it shocking enough to be served such delicacies. For this routine to happen, they'd have to work closely with one another to assess and make adjustments.

***

Finally a compromise had been met.

It would have been a complete victory had Sebastian not been so kind to remind them both of the time. At the mention thereof, he turned his chartreuse green eyes towards the clock fixed on the wall and flinched slightly at the fact they were both going to be late.

So much for a grand debut for Reginald Scot. What an outrage to be late on the first day.

"I'm normally out of the house by 7:00 in the morning. But it's far past such a time and if we don't head out soon, we will be..."

William was cut off by the acidic groan of his stomach that protested in hunger.

"---be late," finished the reaper as he cast his eyes downwards and sighed. He had been this preoccupied not to pay heed to yet another basic need that proved to be a nuisance from time to time: to nourish and feed his body with something filling.

There was a moment of silence in the small apartment that only magnified the sound of the ticking clock. He looked up at the time then at the table and eventually nudged the breakfast pot pie that Sebastian made towards the butler's direction.

"Cut it and give me a serving. I am hungry and I do not wish to insult your cooking. If I'm late, I will be late. So be it. I can deal with a few tardy moments. It won't be the end of my career if I came in late so I could enjoy breakfast. Please, Scot. Do the honors."

The Dispatch Division would have to wait. As if the entire division would erupt into a seat of chaos and disarray simply because he decided one fine morning to have his breakfast than skip for the sake of a clean record. There had been no calls from Hopkins to inform him of anything that had gone amiss during his absence yesterday so William would like to assume that things were good under Sutcliff's temporary leadership. It was simply going to be a few minutes, an hour of delay at most on his part.

What could possibly go wrong during such a time?

***

The demon sighed inwardly, as he noticed that his master was hungry, he had yet to touch a bite of the breakfast pie he had made, being too concerned what everything else going on and that they were going to be tardy. If only William had done less talking and more eating with that mouth of his. But, that was a human for you and obviously, reapers as well. They had the chance to eat whenever they wanted, practically and they always took such a luxury for granted. It seemed that his cooking was going to go to waste, without his master even trying it and seeing how much his skill at it could benefit his body and his taste buds. But, that is when, much to the demon's surprise, that his master asked him to cut out a serving for him to eat, not wishing to insult his cooking, even if it meant that his schedule was going to be disrupted further, by being late. Sebastian smiled a little in spite of himself.

"Of course, my lord."

Sebastian quickly and skillfully did just that, before placing it on the plate in front of William, before taking the rest of the pie, wrapping it in a protective paper and sticking it into the ice box. He also put William's lunch nearby, so that the other man could take it with him. Sebastian waited with baited breath as he watched his master partake of the first bite. What would he think of his cooking, anyways? Would it be to his satisfaction? Would he find that rich, unique foods the likes of which his demon delighted in making, suited him better then he originally would have guessed?

***

He chewed slowly, almost too carefully and closed his eyes to focus on the explosion of flavors inside of his mouth. William was trying his best to tune into the taste of every ingredient that had been put into the mix, identifying them individually and beginning to appreciate the butler's talent in cooking. Nothing tasted 'off' to the reaper's tongue. Nothing out of place. Everything had been properly blended to full circle of savory temper.

Simple items you could find from any kitchen were put together in such a skilled manner to produce something so rich in aroma and substance. But not only did it taste well and good, the pie also looked visually appealling. It was certainly a feast for the eyes as well. The color of baked crust was something that the reaper found very attractive about the pie.

Finally, he swallowed.

Then continued to eat in silence. Until there was not a crumb left. It was rather comedic how the man struggled to pick at the crumbs and ensure nothing was left on his plate.

Sebastian would come to find that William was not a talkative eater. Meals were a very quiet affair for the green eyed man. He treated meals with sacred quality, focusing his energies to the sole task of chewing, tasting and swallowing until he was done. The reaper ate in small portions, preferring to take them slowly to properly enjoy the constituents of his meals from inside out and envision the process of its preparation till it's cooking. This was perhaps the nearest thing to religion that the butler's employer actually had.

"This is very good."

Deep inside, William felt grossly embarrassed at how he'd raised his voice at the demon for interfering with his routine of his morning meals by preparing this masterpiece of a breakfast. He could hardly cook anything out of simple techniques which was primarily why he wasn't very picky with his food. How dare the reaper put to question Sebastian's good deed on going out of his way to make such a wonderful meal on his behalf. How dare he indeed.

If there was much time, he would have liked seconds but that wasn't quite the case. Sighing, he got up and glanced briefly at the clock, frowning at the position of the hands on the clock that told him he was very late already. William shrugged his shoulders and pushed the chair back. "Put away everything, Scot. I'll pick something up from my study and we head out. First order of the day is to check on your records at the Personnel Department then I'll show you to your desk at the Dispatch."

Then once everything was properly set up, perhaps he would invite the Undertaker for a quiet chat during the afternoon. William figured the funeral director would appreciate seeing that all went according to plan and Sebastian was beginning his employ at the Dispatch Division. He also had to finalize the matters regarding his new unit and bring Sebastian over, after they botch clocked out, so they could both have a look at it. The reaper wanted the other man's opinion and suggestions over the new interiors of their shared apartment from the decorations to the facilities. What would be kept from the previous and what new ones that would have to be purchased as deemed fit?

Sure the Undertaker mentioned that this would definitely throw Scot into a loop but it wasn't his intention to make the demon uncomfortable. Rather, William wanted to house him in decent living conditions that would befit both of their positions in life. He wanted to ensure that the servant was well cared for in more ways than one.

***

Sebastian knew that his master enjoyed his cooking long before he had even said anything. The way he was crumb hunting toward the end of the meal said quite enough. The demon always gained a great deal of satisfaction from feeding his masters and seeing them enjoy it. Perhaps it was because good quality food was so important to the demon. Because said creature did not get to eat very often, typically, such a thing was understandable. But, what he had not expected to hear from his master was a compliment. An actual complement! He had not received one of those from a master in such a long time. At that moment, his mind went back to a place he wished that it hadn't. To that cold, mostly empty mansion that was far too big for only two people.

Sebastian! Get over here, now! You're never here when I need you!

Yes, Boccan?

This soul is disgusting! Go out and get another!

But, I prepared it the best that I could. Unless a demon prepares a soul, himself, through time and patience, there is not much flavor to be-

And that is when Ciel had smacked him in the face, as usual.

Go out.. and get.. another one!

Yes, my lord.

And with that, the butler took off into the night, once again, his eyes appearing saddened without him even realizing it. The bandages he had put over his wrists were beginning to come unfurled. The butler had bathed the soul in his own blood and suffering.. and yet, it was still not enough to satisfy his master, who did not appreciate the effort that went into preparing a good meal, whether as a human, or as a demon. He didn't appreciate the efforts of his butler. But, now, it seemed that Sebastian had found a master who did.

"Your compliment warms me, my lord."

Once the other had told him to put things away and described their first order of the day, the demon nodded, before he put everything up. While the other was getting something from his study, Sebastian had picked up the lunch he had prepared for his master, prepared to take it with them. He had not told him that he had prepared lunch for him, after all and did not wish for his master to go without a hearty meal at lunch time, just because he had neglected to alert him that something good was prepared for him.

Finally they left the apartment and for Sebastian, it was his first look at the reaper world, through the eyes of a reaper. The first thing he noticed was the large, white hallways that they walked through. The floors were white and so were the walls and ceilings. It gave off a sterile heir of order right away. As they walked away from the area of the dorms, they passed quite a few areas that the demon found interesting enough to warrant a glance. There was a bar of all things decorated with red couches and low lighting, a large gym-like room with an enormous arena tucked into the middle of it and a cafeteria, where reapers were currently eating the usual cheap, yet lousy menu items that had Sebastian pausing at the doorway and shaking his head ever so slightly, as he gripped his master's lunch a little close. Did no one stop to think what they were putting into their bodies? It was despicable! But, he had no time to think of that. So, he continued on, following his master obediently to their first location of the day.

It turned out that the secretary on duty that day had found Reginald Scot's new file quickly enough. She looked it over, before nodding.

"Ah, yes, this got processed in yesterday. Glad to have you with us, Scot." she said, following the usual tradition of calling the other by his last name for the sake of professional etiquette.

"I am glad to be here. Thank you." Sebastian said in the slight accent he assumed, since he was suppose to have come from Wales, of all places.

He was obviously convincing enough and soon, the paperwork was stamped and William was given the go ahead to start the man on his work, now that he had officially been transferred to England's dispatch department.

***

"There's something missing..."

The head of the Dispatch Division paused in midstride. William stepped to the butler's front, slightly blocking his right of way and reached into his jacket. He took out a box and cracked it open. Inside were a pair of glasses. But they looked very distinctly different from the ones that were perched on his employer's face. They were a rimless pair of glasses with it's temples and bridge made of silver. Carefully unfolding the glasses, he slipped them onto Sebastian's face and adjusted them for him, tucking the earpieces in place. He made sure not to disrupt the set hair and brushed any strays that fell upon the lenses.

"There. That's more like it. My one last gift for your debut."

He stepped back to observe his handiwork, nodding in approval at the smart looking employee that stood in front of him. William extended his right hand to Sebastian, giving him the box that once contained the pair of glasses.

"We have mandatory eye exams every six months as part of our health plans here so you have until then to figure how you'll pass that. As you recall, reapers are all terribly nearsighted," the reaper reminded as they made a final turn towards the wing of the Dispatch Division. The receptionist greeted them both a pleasant good morning at the sight of Spears. True enough, the pretty redhead at the front desk did have glasses of her own too. She adjusted them as she tipped her head down, returning to the paper work after smiling at her rather later superior coming in for work.

Odd, there was a champagne flute beside her. Drinking? This early in the morning?

William's hand found it's way around the door knob of one of the double doors inside. How suspicious. It was unusually noisy behind the wooden doors. He could hear the shuffling of feet and loud hushing noises. There was also the faint sound of music beyond the threshold. Something was amiss. The reaper briefly glanced at Sebastian before finally opening the door and stepping in.

He was greeted by a shower of ribbons, confetti and loud popping noises. The next thing the division head knew, he was covered in in a slather of ribbons in red, baby pink and white. Confetti had found it's way on his neatly combed back hair and well pressed suit.

What the bloody hell...

Irritably, William wrenched his glasses off his face and flicked off the pieces of colorful confetti that stuck to the lenses and turned his eyes all around. He gasped in abject horror at the colorful rows of rectangular blurs that now littered the sides of the office roof. Some even crisscrossed over each other through the middle and ended at the corners. There were other just as distracting flashes of color everywhere else too. Putting his now clear glasses on, the reaper found that they were party banners with flaglets of every shade of the rainbow. But that was not all there was to it! It was as colorful as a Venetian festival in here.

Well not quite considering the color motif was suspiciously in mostly shades of red.

The entire office had been rearranged with the tables lined up into one long table set with plenty of food to feed the entire division five times till the week was over. Clumps of arranged flower bouquets that was predominantly consisting of large, red roses decorated the normally plain looking office area and added to the festive ambience. The in-house England division's orchestra was even playing at the far corner with someone William couldn't identify singing. He had to hand it to the ringleader of the fiasco because the entire office now colored in shades of red seemed like it had been decorated by an able and creative hand.

BUT STILL.

At the center was a tall and elaborate cream white cake swathed in candy cake red flowers. How quaint, it had a bride and groom pair of figurines at the very top. The bride was wearing red from top to bottom. How very quaint indeed.

To the far end of the office, right above where the door way to William's office would be was a large banner, so huge even a nearsighted reaper could read it from any given distance that read 'WELCOME BACK WILLIAM T. SPEARS'. Of course it was painted in red. It had to be red.

And the employees? They were the epitome of 'when the cat is away, the mice will play.' They were lounging about with plates of food and drink, here and there. There were even people from the other divisions in this part of the office. They were of course just as engaged in the party. Hardly working and engaging in festivities that were unwarranted, too gawdy for William's liking and plain disruptive of the already established work routine in the division.

An unfamiliar face carrying a tray of drinks appeared in front of William and cheerfully greeted him, "Good morning! Would you like a drink?"

Surprisingly, he took one and drank it up straight then returned the now emptied champagne flute back on the tray. The rather put out reaper looked about and found an empty chair. He climbed on top of it and shouted at the top of his lungs, "WHERE THE BLOODY HELL IS SUTCLIFF?!"

The music came to a halt and the room was suddenly quiet. You could hear a pin drop if you happened to be a klutz to drop one at the moment.

***

Sebastian was surprised when his master told him that something was missing. Had he forgotten a cufflink? Was his necktie not straight? But, that is when his master pulled out a box. Sebastian blinked twice, curiously, as his master opened it. A pair of reaper's glasses. The demon was surprised. Sure, it was the perfect thing to complete his appearance as a reaper, but he was still in awe that his master had thought this out so well. Sebastian closed his eyes, allowing his master to place the eye wear on his face, properly. It was nostalgic in a way that William could not possibly have known. It reminded him of when Ciel had presented him with the pocket watch for the first time. It seemed to the demon that through every contract, he was given one special item by his master's that he protected dutifully, since it was precious to him. This was surely the item of this contract. A pair of glasses that suited him perfectly.

"Thank you, Shujin." he muttered softly, before slipping the box into his inner jacket pocket.

He was not at all concerned about the eye exam. If he could not even fake the nearsightedness of a reaper then what sort of servant would he be? Sebastian followed his master into the offices. He, too, noticed the alcoholic beverage glass on the desk. Was the life of a reaper so stressful that alcohol on hand was necessary? It made the butler curious as to what would be behind those upcoming doors- Oh dear. Before he even knew it, his master and him were covered in confetti and ribbons. The demon raised a slim eyebrow at the partying going on around him. This was not at all what he had expected. He glanced at his master. Well, well, it seemed that this was not what he was expecting to find here, upon his return. Sebastian could not help, but to smirk. Oh yes, those copious amounts of red in the celebratory decorations around them. It reeked of Grell. And to think that William had told him to be tolerant of the love crazed, chain saw wielding reaper?

We will see who is the more tolerant one the moment Shujin gets his hands on him. he thought with an edge of sadistic mirth to it.

The party had, as expected, gone completely silent when William had stopped it after one quick drink and a shout. Sebastian's now emerald green eyes shifted around as everyone stared at the two of them. First, it was solely at William, but when they noticed a new face, they all looked curiously at him. He stayed quiet and still. He would wait for the Grell issue to be solved first and for his master to introduce him, as was proper.

***

William angrily tapped his foot from his perch, looking down at everyone in attendance with a heated glare as he quietly judged them all. A good number of people cringed under the acidic pair of light green eyes through the lenses. They refused to met their superior's countenance, afraid of what they would see reflected there. Surprisingly, there was even some that actually...swooned. Clearly they were not from the Dispatch Division if they could view the angry reaper as a sight to behold. Something along the lines of 'Wow, Chief's in top form today!' That or they had long lost their minds or were in need of an eye check up soon enough.

Of course no one would answer.

He could see how some flinched, itching to say something but would be pulled back by a nearby companion with a shake of the head.

If they spoke against Grell's behalf, well... The redhead could be pretty creative at getting back at others that dared to cross him. No matter how petty the circumstances may be. His flamboyant second in command's bouts of vengeance ranged from harmful little pranks to full scale situations that would put anyone in mortal danger.

Once, one of the new recruits from the General Affairs nearly lost their life, or close to it, when she unconsciously ingested peanut oil in her meal that triggered a very terrible allergic reaction. She couldn't breathe and if weren't for the chivalrous Knox, that one would've bitten the dust already. It came to the superior's ears that Grell and that recruit had argued on the pettiest of things. They were arguing about him. Yes, as in him William T. Spears.

They were discussing the most effective means to seduce the head of the Dispatch Division. Things like ropes and scanty underwear were thrown about. Even talks of lewd things one could do with your tongue.

It was embarrassing really. You'd think with both of them being adults and all, they would have long left their childishness six feet under or something. But apparently that wasn't the case.

Now that he recalled, one of the tamer things those two had proposed to capture his frigid heart (Their expression, not his. It was insulting to be called frigid, thought William as he sulked inwardly at the memory. He was not!) was that they had to prove to be the ideal woman in the home, work place and parties.

Then it clicked.

Grell was throwing a party to showcase he was a gracious hostess, that he could be a gracious hostess. The reaper was already overly confident in his abilities on the job so there was no need for him to show off to William in that respect. so that left...

William drew a hand to his face with an audible smack as he slumped forward, groaning softly at the realization. What kind of karma did he do to be slated with such an idiot like Grell Sutcliff?!

Speak of the devil...(not quite)

The doors to his private office swung open and out came a vision of red and white (Didn't he express indomitably to Hopkins that under no circumstance would his office be made available to anyone else but him?!) It didn't take a genius to guess who was the figure dressed in a overly large felted red hat decorated with bursts of white lace roses and ostrich feathers dyed in contrasting black and cream. Even if William couldn't see the face underneath the brim, the familiar stride and sashay of hips of that body wrapped in a flattering and form fitted woman's suit in crmson red brocaded consisting of a jacket with elbow length puffed sleeves that extended in a tight wrap on Grell's forearms. There was a fanciful black ribbon wrapped around the embroidered high neck inner blouse made of light silk and embroidered details. To finish off his 'working girl' look, was a long red skirt that dragged across the floor.

"DAAARLING~ WELCOME BACK!"

Spears wasn't quite prepared to be pounced upon even at such a height.

Bloody hell... He knew reapers were swift and agile creatures but somehow the sight of any good looking man almost always made Grell break the speed record.

The pair toppled down in a crash of limbs, tables, some food here and there and flower pots breaking. Grell didn't care though. He had the stoically handsome William T. Spears cradled in his arms. That was more than enough for him.

The other reaper however swore he was seeing stars after the impact of the assault and hitting his head hard against whatever it was that had hit his cranium.

"I WAS SO WORRIED ABOUT YOU </3," whined the redhead as he held Spears close, "You left me to do all the work! Don't you know how unfair that all was to me? You must reward me for all that work."

It was hard to miss the suggestive purr at the end especially when the redhead traced a finger down the lapels of his jacket like that.

***

Sebastian watched the crowd's reactions to William staring them all down, as if he was a going to burn them alive with just one scalding glance. Some were afraid, as they should be in the demon's opinion and others were attracted to the man who could command the attention of an entire room with just one simple raise of his voice. The smallest of smiles appeared on the demon's plump lips.

As expected of my master.

However, interrupting these triumphant thoughts of pride deep in the demon's heart concerning the amount of presence his lordship commanded out of his underlings was the horror in head that bounded toward his master at an impressive speed.

THUD!

The demon's eyes flashed red for a fraction of a moment when he saw his master get tackled and squeezed practically to death by the abomination that was the jolly red reaper. So, Sebastian did what he did best in situations like these. A gloved, white hand closed around the collar of Grell's 'working girl' jacket, before lifting him straight up with no effort whatsoever. He then turned full circle and dropped Grell, like the pest he was, right on the floor. He then turned back around and scooped William up by his shoulders. He placed him upright, before brushing his hands together, like he was getting rid of dust from them, as he gave a disapproving glance at Grell.

"Honestly. I can see that you are the cause of all of this chaos. I was told when I transferred from Wales that I was going to see a dispatch office that was as efficiently run as a captain commanded a tight ship. Must you deprive me of normalcy on my first day, then, Sempai?"

Yes, he had just called Grell sempai, acknowledging him as one who had been in the Dispatch department longer then he had and who thus, had something potentially, to teach him. He was playing his part perfectly, slight accent and all. Sebastian truly was a chameleon. But, part of such a title, coming from the demon, was truly sincere. It was not that he needed to be taught how to Dispatch, even if that was true, as well. It was that he needed to be taught how to be a reaper. It was that way with every new contract. The demon had to learn a new role, each and every time, salvaging what skills he could from his prior contracts to make him more adept at it, so that he could learn more quickly his new place. But, this situation was a bit different. He was not serving a human. He was serving a reaper. This role was sure to be his most difficult yet. But, He would rise to the challenge and give it his all. What kind of butler would he be if he couldn't even do that?

***

All too soon, he was wrenched by a strong hand away from his dearly beloved William T. Spears. Grell let out a high pitched screech as he felt himself lifted off the ground, hands thrust out helplessly and clawing at the slowly diminishing figure of his 1st in command rubbing gingerly at his temples with a disoriented glaze over his brightly verdant eyes.

"KYAAAAAAA~!!!"

The redhead was dropped unceremoniously on his rump against the rough floor of the office. How cruel! He was a lady! A lady to die for! Who would dare---?! Properly put out and incensed from being manhandled, he gracefully got up to his feet, anger in check (Must remain calm and composed, exercise poise and determination) and demanded a proper exp---Oh, wow.

Grell's mood evaporated all too quickly as he narrowed his lush green eyes with obvious interest on the vision of a man in his formal attire of work. Unfortunately for the new employ, all of his carefully articulated and accented words addressed to the 'sempai' were lost on the reaper. He raised a free hand to cutely grasp the temple of his glasses, openly admiring the other man. Nope, didn't matter if this was the prime suspect of a brute who had maltreated him moments prior.

Who was this one? He had not seen this one until now. Was this one new? The redhead demanded to know of his name...! He must know of it! The second in command let out a soft dove's coo and then extended a gloved hand towards Sebastian's personal space, insisting that this one pay his respects to him and treat him appropriately. The redhead sighed giddily with an expectant look on his well made up countenance, wiggling the back of his hand towards the butler in a wordless command for him to kiss the back of his hand.

Oh god... That stare. That heated look. It was sending chills down his spine! Such a cold, hardened glare. Almost as brutal as William's very own! But of course, his superior's steely pair of green eyes would be always be of top rate. The new guy wasn't so bad though!

He was quite pretty that day. Beautiful even if you wish to be in Grell's good graces. With his brushed dusty rose cheeks and painted red lips, the redhead was radiant and quite a stunning image of a sophisticated professional woman of that era.

"Oh Daaarling~ Who is this?," the redhead asked in a sweet falsetto once William had gotten back on his feet, though wobbly and still not quite seeing straight. "He looks absolutely divine! What is your name, sir?"

Clearly, the head of the Dispatch wasn't quite feeling up for the challenge to answer any questions. He wanted to go to the infirmary and take some medication for the splitting head ache that assaulted his sense. Now.

And off William went. But somehow the doorknob and him weren't the best of friends at the moment.