26/ Truce
The terminal let out into the middle of the city. With the number or reapers rushing to and fro to catch their scheduled trains, none of them could spare a moment to realize that one of the odd group that walked briskly toward the exit was a demon. Perhaps the baseball cap pulled low over Sebastian's face helped with that; or maybe it was the thick plastic glasses.
It was probably the glasses.
"All right," William said, looking up at the arrival and departure screens. "We have exactly two minutes to get to our next terminal. Grell—what are you doing?!"
"Just a second," Grell said, turning slightly, his phone held out in front of him as he dragged one arm around Sebastian. "I'm taking a selfie!"
William closed his eyes and sighed. "One minute and fifty-three seconds," he continued.
"I can make it in a minute and thirty seconds," Grell said, smiling as he took another photo.
"So you say," William muttered.
They did manage it; barely. By the time the three had made their way into Grell's flat (William muttering about the detour, although he was the one that had left his paperwork there) the sun had turned to a blazing glimmer of red on the horizon. Everything in the flat was cast into brightness with pools of black at its feet.
Grell went into another room to change, hanging his coat up in the hall. William knelt down, picking up his paperwork and frowning at it with what seemed like deep suspicion, brushing crumbs off it as he put the pages in their proper order. He took out a pen and began to mark them up, sighing. "I don't know how I will explain this," he said. "Almost a full day late."
"I thought that was all the backlog?" Grell said, buttoning a pinstripe blouse as he re-entered the room, before flopping down on the couch with a groan and waving a hand for William to give him part of the stack.
"It is," William said.
"...So? They haven't even set a schedule for that, yet."
"I set a schedule," William retorted. "And I plan to be done with everything our department will be liable for by the time the year is out."
"You should invite me to the New Years party," Grell said, flourishing a red pen.
"Every employee gets an invitation," William said. "Even you, Sutcliff."
Grell rolled his eyes. "As a date, Will!"
William opened his mouth to retort, then stopped, a look in his eyes that Sebastian couldn't quite place, it looked so strange on the reaper's face. Mischief? "Well, I was considering inviting whomever managed to complete the largest amount of backlog paperwork. As a benefit, you see."
"Ooh!" Grell said, stabbing his pen down as he wrote. "You're so cruel, Will! You would make me slave away so! And for a 'maybe,' nonetheless!"
"I trust your enthusiasm," Will murmured drily.
Grell looked up to see Sebastian standing beside the couch, watching them.
"Bassy dear, feel free to speak up whenever you want to go. Or stay—I really don't mind."
"I think I will go," Sebastian said. He didn't quite fancy hanging around while nothing more interesting than paperwork was going on, and he could tell that the two reapers were settling down into an uncomfortably domestic rhythm that made him feel both annoyed and wistful. At any rate, he couldn't stay here forever—and heaven forbid if he'd wanted to, even for a moment.
"All right," Grell said, going into the hall to put on his shoes and coat. William stood up as well, and he stared at Sebastian, while they listened to Grell rummage around in the closet for what felt like much more time than necessary.
"It wasn't a pleasure," William said.
"Of course," Sebastian said. They paused, awkwardly. At last, William held out a hand.
"I don't suppose I shall ever be possessed of the good fortune of never seeing you again," he said. Sebastian looked down at his hand for a moment, honestly surprised, before he collected himself and shook it, politely. William flinched, an expression of pure revulsion on his face, and wiped his hand on his jacket the moment Sebastian let go.
"All right!" Grell said, flouncing back into the room, now with his coat and a pair of sparkling heels. "Are you ready?"
"Quite," Sebastian said, and took Grell's arm.
/
The End
Notes: The story will continue in "Dogwood and Chestnut", when Ciel finally comes back to America and decides to give Sebastian his gift... (see link in profile :)
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