Crazy For a Demonic Romance

~Chapter 1~

Plain, decent, plain, plain, plain, decent, plain, plain, decent... oh, that one looks okay...

Grell sat on a park bench, using that dreadful disguise to help him subtly pick out suitable candidates for a mate. It was something he hadn't done in a long time. On his days off, he'd usually go to find Sebastian and his little brat, but considering his message from Sebsatian a while back, he had a feeling that he wouldn't be able to play with them any more. On top of that, William had been keeping him on a very, very tight leash. Sometimes he felt like sitting up and saying 'woof' because it was so dreadfully strict. He was getting reap on reap, work on work on more work. He was barely getting a wink of sleep at night, which meant he had to use more makeup than usual, and it had been grating on his nerves for months now.

If it had just been a few days that he'd been restricted, he'd simply be teasing Ronald Knox about how he seemed to be getting all of William's precious attention (since that little blond rascal obviously had a thing for the raven-haired reaper), and he'd more than likely have the time of his life telling William just how adorable it was that he was jealous of 'Sebas-chan.' But that didn't work to his advantage - not this time. Will endured his taunts, and eventually, Grell grew bored of being the pet.

Indecisive as he was, things seemed to grow dull for Grell at a rapid pace. He once wished that the raven-haired reaper would give him all the attention in the world, and now, he was under the other's complete control. But being a captive would eventually get frustrating for any being, and Grell was no exception. His complaints could be heard for a month - the month that dragged into today. And today! Today was the day that William T. Spears crossed the line from discipline to utter animal abuse with his little red dog. Grell was now very much so pissed with the ravenette, no matter how strikingly gorgeous or deliciously cold the older reaper could be. And so, he put his foot down for the first time ever, asserting himself in the only way he knew possible.

He ditched work.

It was a stretch - he knew - but, after all, domestic violence wasn't his style. He could've sank his teeth into William's leg and made the ravenette cry for mercy before he gave his demands. Namely, less work. But, heartless as he was, that simply wasn't an option. What would he do if he left a scar on Will's flawless skin? The mere thought made him tremble, and not in a good way.

And so, he decided to be a bad dog, and seek out a new owner, or perhaps a fellow spirit in this sense. At the very least, a touch of freedom would've been nice.

Ah, yes.

Just a touch.

But as he was seeking out someone to hang out with, something caught his eye. He glanced over at the man beside him, and tensed to see the pinkish, metallic red luster of a demon's eyes. It faded the moment he glanced over at the other man, but the glimpse was most certainly long enough for Grell to know that it was most certainly not his imagination.

He coughed awkwardly, and the male glanced up at him, knowing perfectly well that his attention had been called. In his innocent disguise, Grell was almost certain that the other male wouldn't sense that he was a reaper, but if Sebastian could do it, than he wouldn't be too suprised if any other random demon could.

"What is a handsome man such as yourself doing out in a place like this without a woman by his side?" the reaper asked, and he thought for a moment that the red glint once more flickered in their piercing, yellow gaze. He couldn't make out much. The trademark pale skin and black hair were a given, and frameless glasses were perched on the bridge of this particular specimen's nose. But with the drab, shapeless clothes and black hat that he was wearing, Grell couldn't begin to tell what his body looked like, or if it was even 'handsome' at all.

"I could ask the same of you, reaper, although, I'd hardly call you handsome," sneered the other, and Grell pouted. Just who was this guy, anyway?

"Well, of course, silly, this woman isn't handsome - she is beautiful," the reaper corrected, "and because I'm so beautiful, I have to walk around in disguise, lest some horrid man prey on me." He easily caught the eyeroll that the demon dealt him, and he folded his arms, growing more agitated as the seconds ticked on. "Pray tell you're not such a horrid man. Mind at least giving me your name?"

"A foolish creature I would be to pull that," the other snickered, before looking up. Grell at last saw the whole of his face - the chilling, yellow orbs that seemed to slice through his heart, the slightly curved mouth in an alluring frown, and the smooth, flawless, almost ashen skin that stretched beautifully over his face. He had thin eyelashes and eyebrows, and his silky, black hair was swept over one side of his face, in an almost cute wave. "Even so, since you seem to be no real threat, I'll simply remind you that my name is Claude Faustus. And I believe we're already acquainted, Grell Sutcliff."

Grell quickly did a mental flip through of any and all men he'd spent a night with, and finding no such 'Claude Faustus,' looked back at the demon, puzzled. "Was I at the bar the other night, by chance?" he asked. "I've been working nonstop for a while now."

"No, no," Claude sighed. "Nevermind. I'm just seeking out a soul to feast on. I'll leave you to... whatever you're doing."

"A soul to feast on, hm~?" Grell hummed, before suddenly making a realization. He grabbed the hat that Claude was wearing, and the moment it was off, he could recognize the demon. "OH! You're that Claude! Right, thanks to you, I got some beautiful, lovelorn pictures of my Sebas-chan. My, I'm sorry. I didn't recognize you."

Claude frowned, and took off his glasses for a moment, wiping the lenses with his sleeve before he pushed them back onto his face. "I hate to admit it, but at the moment, I'm not in very good condition. I've been deprived of food for a few centuries now, and the single taste of Ciel Phantomhive's blood that I had only serves to aggravate me further..."

"Are you suggesting something sexy?" Grell snickered, grinning. He paused, then, realizing that something else was off. "I was under the impression you were dead. I wouldn't believe that Sebastian would let you live after what you did."

Claude drew up his cloak, revealing the expanse of his flawless, pale stomach, and drawing an inevitable blush from Grell as he continued to lift it. Eventually, the pale skin turned into white bandages, and the red-haired reaper let out a breath that he cursed himself for holding. A small, dusty red color showed on the bandages, died blood which proved that Claude was wounded, and it seemed as though whatever had stabbed him had just narrowly missed his heart. Grell coughed awkwardly, turning away, and the demon took the hint, letting his cloak fall down again. "Both Sebastian and Ciel lack talent when it comes to using a sword, it would seem. These artless wounds... they cause pain, but without fatality."

"Hmm... Hey! If you want, I could help you out!" Grell said, grabbing a hold of one of the demon's gloved hands. "I might not be able to give you my soul quiiite yet, but if it's blood to hold you off, I'd gladly suffice a bit. And, after all, I've been searching so long (about thirty minutes) for a man worthy of helping me annoy the heck out of William, and certainly it can't get any better than a genuine demon! Besides~ I've always found you demons just so attractive!"

"Are you... requesting a contract?" Claude asked, clear suprise in both his voice and expression. Grell looked back at him, considering.

"If you're all right with that, of course," he said. "I wouldn't want to end up like that Alois kid." The ravenette suppressed a shudder from the mere memory of Alois Trancy, his late master. He'd long determined that the blond child simply was not worth it. His cheeks still hurt from being relentlessly pinched, and his pride was out of the question. But Grell Sutcliff wasn't an immature brat in shorts that were simply too short. No, he was a much older being, more mature, and best of all, he was a reaper. Claude had never tasted reaper soul, but he had a feeling that it would be good. Sure, it was a far cry from what he was used to, but to be blunt, he was hungry.

He didn't think twice about an easy meal.

"Very well," he said, looking back at Grell. "Even though it's odd for a demon to contract outside of their domain (or with a reaper to begin with), if you know of a secluded place we can go to..."

"Heehee~ Well, ignoring the obvious innuendo in your tone, I guess I'll just take you back to the Phantomhive's mansion. The only ones there are the former servants, and I don't think they'd notice us."

Claude gave a small nod of agreement.

He had no idea what he was getting in to.

-End Chapter

Ah~ How fun. ClaudexGrell is a fun, sensible pairing, no? If anyone's looking for more ClaudexGrell stories, I would like to recommend Odji. She's epic. If it weren't for her, this story may have stayed in my pocket for a while longer. XD

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