His Maid, Her Butler

Soma recovered quickly, returning to his usual cheerful self in no time. They stayed longer than Ciel had expected; as a week drew near, they were not finished with their visit. They were starting to get on Ciel’s nerves, but he kept quiet for the sake of Elizabeth, who adored Soma and Agni. You went about doing your usual chores each day, though you noticed Sebastian and Ciel watched you to more than your liking. Ciel also watched Sebastian, making you wonder as to what was going on. Brushing it off, you tried not to let it get to you. Tanaka, Finny and Bard had all left for the weekend on a granted vacation. Mey-Rin and yourself were the only ones left to do their chores, though Agni insisted he help out.

You were working in the kitchen when Mey-Rin ran in with a piece of paper, handing it to you. “This was just delivered; the delivery man said it was for you.”

Taking the note from her, you unfolded the parchment and read:

To the Head house-maid of the Phantomhive estate,

Greetings. I am writing this to you in the asking of your audience. I would be delighted if you would grace my shop with your presence, in order that we may discus a topic of some importance. Meet me at two o’clock this afternoon.

Sincerely, Undertaker

Gripping the note, you shoved it deep into your apron pocket. Mey-Rin jumped at your movement. “Is everything alright, Miss Orea?” she asked, concerned.

Looking towards her, you hid your feelings with a smile. “Yes, everything is quite alright. Nothing to worry about.”

Nodding, Mey-Rin went on to weed the garden. Agni ventured into the kitchen next.

“Ah! Miss Orea, just the person I wished to see.” He stood in front of you and bowed his head in greeting.

“What do you need?” you asked, grabbing several things from the cabinet at once. You lost your balance as you stepped back to put them on the counter. “Whoa!”

Agni rushed for you, grabbing every piece of dishware that tumbled out of your arms before it hit the floor. “Let me help you.” He took the rest of what was in your arms and placed it neatly on the counter.

“Thank-you for that,” you said gratefully. “That saved me from having to replace them.”

Agni laughed. “No need.” He slapped his hand against the counter then, startling you. “My question!”
You cocked your head in his direction. “What is it, Agni?”

“My Prince would like to know if you would like to accompany him this afternoon for a walk in the grand park in town,” Agni answered.

You thought about the note. You could skip the meeting with Undertaker and go with Soma, but having a strong inkling as to what Undertaker wished to speak about, you had to refuse. “I am sorry, but I am busy this afternoon. I must go visit an old friend of mine,” you said apologetically. “I truly am sorry. Why not ask Mey-Rin? She is out in the garden right now.”

Agni’s face fell at your answer. “That is sad to hear, but I do wish you and your friend a well time.” Facing the door, he began to make his way outside. “I will take your offer and ask Miss Mey-Rin in your place.”

You smiled. “She will be delighted.”

With that, Agni left and you were once again left alone in the kitchen. That gave you the opportunity to think about what Undertaker had requested. ‘He knows; He could tell that day he came to the manor. I could see it in his face when I ran out to Sebastian that he recognized me.’ You chuckled to yourself, a memory passing in your mind. ‘He is an old friend of mine. It is nice to see he is doing well, even if he is running a funeral parlor.’

Finishing the replacement of the dishware, having cleaned the entirety of the kitchen, you sought out Sebastian to let him know of your arrangements. You caught him in an unsuspecting manor. Outside on the steps, he sat holding a kitten. He had a look of utter happiness, coddling the furry animal in his arms.

“Such a beautiful creature, truly exquisite.” Sebastian rubbed the kitten’s back, it purring contently.

You watched from your hiding place at the window, tears falling. You wished you were the kitten, being petted by Sebastian; it hurt to see him taking pleasure in an animal instead of you. He never noticed you, but you sat and watched him till he let the kitten go and he returned to work. You rushed off towards your sleeping quarters as he reentered the manor. Shutting the door behind you, you fell to the floor and burst into tears. You could not hold them back, try as you might. You felt foolish for crying so much, telling yourself to pull it together and act like a respectable woman. The clock on your nightstand chimed and you darted for your wardrobe. It was a quarter till two and you hustled to dress yourself for the outing. You settled on a dull red dress and cream shawl. Grabbing your hat off of the chair, you rushed out the door and through the kitchen. Sebastian met you there.

“I am leaving for the afternoon,” you said as you passed him on your way out.

“Where to?” he asked, having caught him off guard.

“I was to visit a friend and time escaped me, I really must hurry now.” Waving, you left a dumbfounded demon standing in the kitchen with his mouth hanging open.

You ran as soon as you were out of sight from the manor. You ran through town as fast as you could, keeping an eye out for Undertaker’s shop. You found it on the outskirts of town. Opening the door, you cautiously entered. It was dark and the floor was littered with coffins. You hit several of them as you tried to make your way to the front counter.

“Hello,” you called out, looking around at all the odds and ends.

“So you came.” A coffin lid moved and Undertaker sat up in it.

“Ah!” It scared you, not expecting him to be there.

Giggling uncontrollably, Undertaker stood. “My, my, never thought I would see you like that, though the look on your face is quite hilarious.”

Pulling yourself back together, you faced him with a serious expression. “You sent me a note telling me you wished to speak, so speak.”

Placing the lid back on the coffin, Undertaker sat on it. “You’re quick.” Patting the space next to him, he beckoned you to sit.

You sat and stared at him hard. “What is it you are wanting?”

“You must have already figured out why I called upon you,” he said, tilting his head in your direction. You frowned. “I knew it was you the moment you appeared. It has been a long time, Orea.” Removing his hat, Undertaker ran a hand through his hair, uncovering his green eyes.

You could not help but keep your eyes locked on him. It had been three centuries since the two of you had met; he had been a high ranking Reaper and was working in the Main Branch when he had stumbled upon you. He became a dear friend of yours; keeping you company on nights when you couldn’t leave the office or you had a long night with the Records. It had pained you when he left, seeking a different life for himself. Now here he was, beckoning you to his side.

“Why do wish for me to be here?” you asked, fidgeting uncomfortably.

Scooting closer, he wrapped an arm around you, pulling you to him. “Can I not reunite with my dear friend?”

Pushing him away, you scooted to the far end of the coffin. “I know there is more than that.”

With a depressed sigh, he stared up at the ceiling. “I can see Sebastian has not yet realized who you are yet. How are you handling that?”

“Fine,” you lied.

Undertaker scoffed. “I know you better than that.” He glanced at you, his eyes sparkling.

Your shoulders fell forward. “How do you think?”
He shook his head. “That bad, ey?” Reaching out, he took your hand.

You accepted, squeezing it tightly. “He has no recollection at all of the past. The contract with Ciel has completely wiped it from his memory. I am hoping the bond will recognize I am near and tell him something, but it has been two years so far and there has been nothing.” Your head fell into your hand and you wept silently.

Undertaker wrapped an arm around you in an attempt to comfort you. “He will come around soon, you will see.” There was a smile in his words. “If there is one thing I know about Sebastian, he cannot stay away from something he desires, even if he does not know he does.”

You let out a strangled chuckle. “And how do you know this?”

He burst out laughing. “The man is brilliant with jokes and is persistent in finding what he is seeking. He and his master have come to me many times seeking something and he has always stepped up and made me laugh as the price for the information.”

“Sebastian making jokes, now that is something I did not know he possessed.” You snickered and rested your head on his shoulder.

“How are the Records coming?” Undertaker asked out of the blue, switching subjects.

“Well,” you replied, “it is tiring going through them each night with the addition of the household necessities. There are so many right now that it is making my head swim.”

Undertaker patted your shoulder. “Why not bring some here and I can go over them for you. Business is slow at the moment, so I have some free time on my hands.”

You sat up and looked him in the eyes. “Are you sure you want to help? This is a job that I am tasked with.”

He nodded, smiling. “I am familiar in the way you sort through them, I believe I know how to handle it.”

You wrapped him in a hug, your happiness about to burst. “That is wonderful! It will take a load off of me.” Placing your hands on either side of his face, you smiled. “Oh, I could kiss for this.”

“Why not?” Taking you by surprise, Undertaker leaned in and lightly kissed your lips.

It took you a moment to realize what he had done; when you did, you slapped him. “What was that for?!”

Rubbing his cheek, he snickered. “You said you could kiss me, so I did instead.”

You frowned. “I am married, Undertaker, do you forget?”

Undertaker stood and waved a hand around in the air. “Yes, yes, perfectly well.”
There was a tone in his voice that sounded hurt. You bowed your head and turned your face from him. “I am sorry it was not you.”

Understanding what you were talking about, he waved it off and laughed. “There is no need to apologize. I am not as interesting as a demon.”

You jumped at his words. Grabbing hold of his coat as he passed in front of you, you looked at him with shock. “That is not true at all. You are as interesting as ever. You can make anyone laugh just by being who you are, even if it does scare some away. You always are seeking some type of way to pull a prank and enjoy a good laugh at someone else’s misery.” You smiled. “More importantly, you have been there for me since right after I took over as the Reaper head. You are a prized friend who I do not wish to see upset, though I cannot give you what you truly wish for.”

Sighing, he grabbed your arm and pulled you into his embrace. Resting his lips by your ear he whispered, “I thank-you for the compliment.” He caught the end of your ear in his teeth and nipped it, making you flinch. “But if that demon wishes rid of you in the end, there is a lonely bachelor waiting in the nearest coffin.”

You pushed at his chest, teasingly. “Sebastian would never get rid of me; in fact, he cannot. We are bound completely.”

Undertaker made a mock frown and stuck out his tongue. “Well that puts a completely different light on the subject now doesn’t it?”

You laughed, your spirits lightening. “Oh my, I do miss the old days when we would act like this. You always ended a fight with a way to make me laugh and forget I was ever mad at you.”

He nodded and swung you around, making you laugh with delight. “Ah yes. On those all-nighters when you would be stressed out and every little, slightly negative, thing would make you blow over.”

Wriggling out of his arms, you nodded. “Exactly.”

Sitting back down on the coffin, he stared off into space. “I am glad you answered my letter and came. I have had a splendid time.”

You grabbed your waist, rolling your eyes inwardly. “It has been nice to catch up after so long, we must do this again soon.”

Setting his green eyes on you, he beamed with delight. “When you bring me the Records, we shall have tea; what do you say?”

You smiled, nodding in agreement. “That will be wonderful.” Making your way for the door, you turned your head back around and stared at him. “I will return by this weekend. I will see you then.”

“I look forward to it,” replied Undertaker, a mischievous grin painting his face.
With one last smile, you exited the shop and headed back to the manor. Your fingers played with your lips, remembering the feel of Undertaker’s on them. You shook your head fiercely and set yourself straight on course. But you couldn’t get it out of your head. He had been in love with you this entire time and you had not known it. You did feel sorry for not realizing it, but there was no undoing the past. You loved Undertaker dearly, though it was only as a friend and not in the way he wished for it to be. Sebastian was your mate and your heart was bound to him and him alone. Nearing the manor, you stopped and stared at it from a distance, still thinking. ‘A demon and a Reaper, both after the same person. Only one can take the prize and it has already been claimed. A sorry loss for the one unable to catch the prize, a heavy heart it inflicts. The memory of them will always carry on, but the closeness has faded and a silent acceptance must be made.’ Pulling yourself together, you walked back into the manor, arriving in time for dinner.