Fic: "Killing Time" (Kuroshitsuji, "Bicentennial" universe, Will/Grelle, PG)
(OH MY GOD, YOU GUYS. YOU GUYS. THIS IS THE MOST I HAVE EVER WRITTEN IN THIS SHORT OF A TIME SPAN EVER.)
Title: Killing Time
Series: Kuroshitsuji (Anime Canon)
Rating: PG
Pairing/Characters: Will/Grelle, the barest, most obtuse mention of Servantrio OT3-ness
Disclaimer: I own none of the characters or ideas contained herein. I am not making any money from this.
Summary: "I know exactly what I'm doing."
Note: If it's fanfiction for fanfiction, does that turn around and make it canon? Set in the "Bicentennial" universe. Oh god help me, I took so many liberties here. Much like every encounter I've had with alcohol, this is much less interesting than I thought it would be and ends rather abruptly. (_ _);;;;; (Also, I spell it "Grelle" here so it will mesh with the rest of the Bicentennial canon. /I'M SO PRETENTIOUS.)
Oh, and it'll really help if you read Five Thousand before you read this. This will make a lot more sense.
~~~
9:54 PM
Everything smelled like burning. Not like smoke, like burning: the somewhat smoky but mostly hot sort of scent usually present around bonfires or disaster sites. In this case, the scent originated from the latter, which was why the air conditioning was running, the ceiling fan was on, and the windows had been opened. That was also why there were three reaper uniforms hanging outside from an impromptu clothes line made of an old phone cord.
The owners of said uniforms were lounging across the living room furniture (well, one of them was halfway in the kitchen, but still) in various sorts of sleepwear. One of them, her habit of occasionally sleeping naked being discovered earlier that day ("I'm going to burn those blankets, anyway, but the least you could do is not remind me why."), was in a nightgown that, to everyone's shock, actually reached past her knees. (Everyone was willfully overlooking the fact that it was made of the slinkiest of satin.)
The other two were in flannel pants in curiously similar shades of plaid (odds were one was a designer brand and the other was a knockoff of said brand). The only real difference between these two outfits was that one was topped with a well-worn deadmau5 t-shirt, and the other was topped by nothing at all ("I didn't pack any other shirts! It's not like it's that important, seriously, no, Spears, you don't have to let me borrow one, it's really okay. No, I mean it. Your clothes all smell like Sutcliffe's perfume.").
There was currently no one else in the room. Had some unknown presence been looking down on them (a little bird outside the window, perhaps), and wondered how this was possible, given the lengths the owner of said kitchen and living room had gone to in order to keep the place secure, the answer would come in a moment, when the door was opened, not by the demon himself, but by a blonde and bouncing science experiment who lived with him.
"Oh, is the fire out, already?" he asked, setting several ridiculously-heavy-looking bags of groceries on the counter behind Ronald.
"About an hour ago," Ronald replied, not bothering to move until a box of frozen something or other touched his back, whereupon he jumped straight off the island and landed on the floor. Because it was Ronald, he managed to land on his feet.
"Explains why the house smells all smoky," Finny shrugged, putting the groceries into the refrigerator armfuls at a time. "What have you all been doing?"
"Well, first thing we did was take a shower," Ronald resumed his perch now that some of the groceries were out of the way. "Don't tell Sebastian this, but those two were actually in there at the same time - saves water, I suppose, but it was Sutcliffe's idea, so I don't know..."
"Is that really necessary, Knox?" William shot him a glare over his glasses that was weakened somewhat by the redhead effectively snuggled into him at every point possible. He earned a far-too-happy smile in response.
"Now we're just sort of wondering what else to do," Ronald swung his legs in a way that may or may not have been intentionally close enough to William's hair to brush at the ends in a very annoying fashion.
From somewhere near Finny's feet came the sound of frantic, pleading mewing.
"Evening, Georgina!" This boy was like sunshine, it was unbelievable. "Yes, I know this is usually when Mister Sebastian comes home to feed you, but he's out doing something right now, so I'll have to do it, instead!"
There was the sound of rustling, then clinking as the bowl was filled with something completely disgusting to a human palate but apparently delicious to Georgina, as evidenced by the sharp "Nya!" when she leaned in too soon and was struck on the head by a stray kibble.
"Speaking of which, where's he at?" Ronald had now abandoned all pretense and was trying to see how much of Will's hair he could move before he got ticked off enough to move his hand from where it was clasped with Grelle's and slap his leg away.
"I don't know; he never says." Finny shrugged.
The group had fallen into a comfortable silence for a minute or so (Ronald having stopped his hair-tousling game once he realized that the reason Will hadn't let go of Grelle's hand was that she was most likely asleep) when the door was opened at last by the apartment's actual tenant.
"Who on earth left the windows open--oh, right." He caught sight of the reapers taking up entirely too much space on his sofa and put on a frown that was much less sincere than it looked. "I suppose the fun's over, then?"
"Sebastian!" Grelle shot upright and proceeded to flop her arms gracelessly on the back of the sofa (okay, apparently she wasn't asleep). "Darling, anything yet? Any progress?"
"No, and I'll tell you when there is." Sebastian hung his coat on the rack by the door. "How about your end? I hear it was devastating." He punctuated that last thought with a smile that reached all the way to his gleaming red eyes.
"It was so much fun~!" Grelle let her head fall onto her arms and sighed dreamily. "Oh, I love a good fire. The excitement, the tension, the heat and passion and drama of it all! Such a romantic way to die, consumed by flames and burned away to the very core! Ah, it was lovely! I swear, my scythe blades are still warm~"
"I do hope that isn't a euphemism," Sebastian murmured to himself, giving Georgina an affectionate pet (it earned him little more than a glare; she didn't like to be bothered while she ate). After going back to his room and changing out of his work uniform, he came back into the living room and took a seat in the armchair on the other side of the room.
".....I'm bored." Grelle intoned, sliding back down onto William's chest.
"Fascinating, Grelle. Please don't enlighten me as to what sort of ideas you have as to alleviating that boredom." Sebastian wasn't even looking at her, instead content to squeeze the paws of a satiated Georgina who had made her way to his lap.
"As much as it may shock you, Sebastian darling, my thoughts were completely wholesome."
"..."
"...Mostly."
"I've got an idea!" Ronald jumped up again, this time intentionally, and immediately made his way to the kitchen cabinets. "How much do you have in the way of alcohol, blondie?"
"Uh!" Finnian just stared at him. "Not...much..."
"Well, there isn't any beer...is...Sebastian, is that Bloody Mary mix?"
"I'm legitimately shocked you haven't found it, yet, given how often you're in my kitchen."
"I have a very focused method of searching," Ronald said, emerging with said mix and a bottle of vodka. "Anything else?"
"I brought a bottle of claret," Grelle said brightly.
"You what." William sat them both up and stared at her.
"I'll bet you did, Sutcliffe," Ronald shook his head in amusement. "Go get it."
"Why?" Finny blinked owlishly. "What are we doing?"
"We're gonna play a game." Ronald looked downright thrilled at the prospect. "A game as old as alcohol itself. A game that separates the men from the boys. A game called--"
"I truly hope you aren't referring to Never Have I Ever," Sebastian raised a highly dubious eyebrow.
"Oh, come on!" Ronald was already pouring drinks. "We've got the day off tomorrow, and I know alcohol doesn't do that much to you unless you want it to, so don't give me that. It'll be fun!"
Grelle, by this point, had already gotten the wine from her suitcase and was getting Finny to uncork it. Sebastian shrugged, leaning back and resting his head in one hand.
"Oh, alright." The grin playing at the side of his mouth betrayed his reluctant tone.
---
By the time everyone had been poured drinks (a Bloody Mary for Sebastian and Ronald, wine for everyone else), the atmosphere was rather mixed. Ronald and Grelle were downright bouncing in anticipation, William and Sebastian were hesitant but on board, and Finnian was looking at them all like he hadn't ever heard of this game before (what had he done for the past two centuries?).
"Okay, here's how it goes!" Ronald began, holding his glass high in the air.
"I know how it goes," Sebastian still hadn't moved Georgina from his lap, and as such looked somewhat like a displeased noblewoman with a drink in one hand and a cat beneath the other.
"I don't!" Finny leaned forward from his seat on the floor by the coffee table. "How does it go?"
"First!" Ronald set his drink down and held up one finger, looking very serious about what he was saying. "You say something you've never done. I'll show you: I've never had sex in Sebastian's apartment."
"God, you went straight for it, didn't you, Ron?" Grelle looked at him with raised eyebrows.
"Now!" Ronald seemed to be ignoring her. "If someone in the room has done that, they take a drink. Like Sebastian's doing, but that's a given because really, now."
"Mister Sebastian, why are you covering your eyes?" Finny asked.
"Because I absolutely do not want to see if the Spears couple partook of their wine in response to that."
(They did.)
"Then!" Ronald was still in serious-instruction-mode. "The next person says something, and so it goes. You learn a lot about people this way. So, Boss? Anything you've never done?"
"Yes, actually," William adjusted his glasses calmly. "I've never worn a dress."
"Oh, William, that's just not fair," Grelle was nevertheless grinning into her wineglass.
Sebastian drank, shrugging at the stare he received from Ronald and William. "To be fair, the dress did fit, at the time. If you understand what I mean."
"Figures," William rolled his eyes, catching sight of Finny downing a mouthful of claret as he did so. ".....really."
"It was a long time ago," Finny qualified. "I had to get out of a city without anyone recognizing me, and I hadn't cut my hair in a while."
"Okay...." Grelle seemed to be imagining Finny in a dress, judging by her increasingly unfocused expression. "I've never been inside a casino."
"I used to work at one!" Finny took a sip between sentences. "It was great! They had me work as a bouncer!"
Ronald sputtered on his drink.
"A bouncer."
"Yeah! Because I don't look strong, so no one takes me seriously, but then if they try to get away with something, I can haul them into the security office! Or, I could haul them into the security office, I suppose. I can't really work somewhere more than seven or eight years at a time."
"Huh, I suppose not, in the human world." Grelle looked thoughtful for a moment before jumping back upright. "Sebby! How about you?"
"Simple," Sebastian gave her a downright cheerful look, "I've never been inside a church."
---
After a few rounds of this (the most eye-opening of which was Finny's "I've never been to a hospital", clarified by the fact that it was technically a laboratory), the only really sober one, to the surprise of none, was Finny. Sebastian was rather drunk and running out of ideas, Ronald was now lying on the island rather than sitting on it, Grelle was leaning on William like her life depended on it, and William was holding her close and occasionally giving Sebastian completely random death glares.
They had also given up on going in order and were now calling out things as they thought of them.
"I...." William looked into his glass as though expecting an idea to materialize from it, "I've never gotten my hair caught in my death scythe."
"That was one time," Grelle said, finishing her fourth or fifth glass, no one could remember. "I swear, you're all being unfair on purpose."
"I got one, I got one!" Ronald propped himself up on his elbow, "I've never been married." He looked at them as though that was the most brilliant thing anyone had said in human history, despite the fact that he had knocked his glasses askew in the process of getting up and they were now dangling from one ear.
"Oh, fuck you," Grelle poured herself a glass and took a sip, William following suit wordlessly (alcohol seemed to make him rather quiet).
"Well..." Finny looked conflicted, "not in the traditional sense..." He took a sip nonetheless, a reverent look passing through his eyes.
Sebastian just looked down at Georgina, who was purring up at him (this was her third round in his lap; she had gotten distracted by bits of dust and shadows on the wall a couple of times). His drink went untouched.
"What do you think, Georgina?" He asked, "Do you think I should wait? Do you think I can wait?"
"Willy, dear~" Grelle sighed into her husband's shoulder, pointing lazily at the two of them. "Just look at that. Isn't it just touching? I miss Cardenio so much. Why couldn't we bring him here? Why does he have to be at the groomers? I mean, I know this place allows pets, just look at that! Cardenio adores Georgina, I know he does!"
William murmured something about the cost of boarding the dog for this long, but even Grelle didn't hear him completely.
"I abjectly refuse to allow that thing into my house," Sebastian glared at them both, looking more petulant than threatening, "let alone allow it anywhere near my precious Georgina."
"Yeah, Samoyed fur is hard to get out of the furniture," Finny nodded. "Besides, I can't even take him outside, now! I don't want him getting into my marigolds; I just managed to get them to bloom."
"MARIGOLDS."
The entire room turned to look at Sebastian, who had stood up (much to Georgina's annoyance) and was currently staring into space as though he had just discovered the secrets of the universe. With no warning, he fumbled through his pocket and retrieved his cell phone, half-handing and half-throwing it to Finny.
"Finnian," his tone was a somewhat slurred version of the sharp, serious commands that had gone many years without use. "We need to take a picture."
"O-of what?" Finnian looked somewhere between terrified and about to explode with laughter.
"The marigolds."
"But...it's dark outside!"
"My phone camera has a flash, it's fine."
"Is that what woke me up this morning?" William set his glass down a little harder than perhaps intended.
"Just trust me," Sebastian grabbed Finny's arm and half-dragged him outside, "I know exactly what I'm doing."
They were out the door in a matter of seconds, their words growing unintelligible.
"I guess..." Ronald lay back down and rolled onto his back, looking up at the ceiling in wonder. "I guess the game's over, huh?"
"I'd say so," William stood up and brought Grelle up with him. "Come on, Knox," he motioned for her to help get the highly inebriated reaper on his feet.
"Have I ever told you," Ronald leaned his head on Will's shoulder, smiling like a fool, "how much I love you both? Because I do. You're my...my best friends. Ever."
William and Grelle just smiled to each other as they set him down on the sofa, placing a side pillow under his head and a blanket over the rest of him.
He was asleep almost instantly.
Title: Killing Time
Series: Kuroshitsuji (Anime Canon)
Rating: PG
Pairing/Characters: Will/Grelle, the barest, most obtuse mention of Servantrio OT3-ness
Disclaimer: I own none of the characters or ideas contained herein. I am not making any money from this.
Summary: "I know exactly what I'm doing."
Note: If it's fanfiction for fanfiction, does that turn around and make it canon? Set in the "Bicentennial" universe. Oh god help me, I took so many liberties here. Much like every encounter I've had with alcohol, this is much less interesting than I thought it would be and ends rather abruptly. (_ _);;;;; (Also, I spell it "Grelle" here so it will mesh with the rest of the Bicentennial canon. /I'M SO PRETENTIOUS.)
Oh, and it'll really help if you read Five Thousand before you read this. This will make a lot more sense.
~~~
9:54 PM
Everything smelled like burning. Not like smoke, like burning: the somewhat smoky but mostly hot sort of scent usually present around bonfires or disaster sites. In this case, the scent originated from the latter, which was why the air conditioning was running, the ceiling fan was on, and the windows had been opened. That was also why there were three reaper uniforms hanging outside from an impromptu clothes line made of an old phone cord.
The owners of said uniforms were lounging across the living room furniture (well, one of them was halfway in the kitchen, but still) in various sorts of sleepwear. One of them, her habit of occasionally sleeping naked being discovered earlier that day ("I'm going to burn those blankets, anyway, but the least you could do is not remind me why."), was in a nightgown that, to everyone's shock, actually reached past her knees. (Everyone was willfully overlooking the fact that it was made of the slinkiest of satin.)
The other two were in flannel pants in curiously similar shades of plaid (odds were one was a designer brand and the other was a knockoff of said brand). The only real difference between these two outfits was that one was topped with a well-worn deadmau5 t-shirt, and the other was topped by nothing at all ("I didn't pack any other shirts! It's not like it's that important, seriously, no, Spears, you don't have to let me borrow one, it's really okay. No, I mean it. Your clothes all smell like Sutcliffe's perfume.").
There was currently no one else in the room. Had some unknown presence been looking down on them (a little bird outside the window, perhaps), and wondered how this was possible, given the lengths the owner of said kitchen and living room had gone to in order to keep the place secure, the answer would come in a moment, when the door was opened, not by the demon himself, but by a blonde and bouncing science experiment who lived with him.
"Oh, is the fire out, already?" he asked, setting several ridiculously-heavy-looking bags of groceries on the counter behind Ronald.
"About an hour ago," Ronald replied, not bothering to move until a box of frozen something or other touched his back, whereupon he jumped straight off the island and landed on the floor. Because it was Ronald, he managed to land on his feet.
"Explains why the house smells all smoky," Finny shrugged, putting the groceries into the refrigerator armfuls at a time. "What have you all been doing?"
"Well, first thing we did was take a shower," Ronald resumed his perch now that some of the groceries were out of the way. "Don't tell Sebastian this, but those two were actually in there at the same time - saves water, I suppose, but it was Sutcliffe's idea, so I don't know..."
"Is that really necessary, Knox?" William shot him a glare over his glasses that was weakened somewhat by the redhead effectively snuggled into him at every point possible. He earned a far-too-happy smile in response.
"Now we're just sort of wondering what else to do," Ronald swung his legs in a way that may or may not have been intentionally close enough to William's hair to brush at the ends in a very annoying fashion.
From somewhere near Finny's feet came the sound of frantic, pleading mewing.
"Evening, Georgina!" This boy was like sunshine, it was unbelievable. "Yes, I know this is usually when Mister Sebastian comes home to feed you, but he's out doing something right now, so I'll have to do it, instead!"
There was the sound of rustling, then clinking as the bowl was filled with something completely disgusting to a human palate but apparently delicious to Georgina, as evidenced by the sharp "Nya!" when she leaned in too soon and was struck on the head by a stray kibble.
"Speaking of which, where's he at?" Ronald had now abandoned all pretense and was trying to see how much of Will's hair he could move before he got ticked off enough to move his hand from where it was clasped with Grelle's and slap his leg away.
"I don't know; he never says." Finny shrugged.
The group had fallen into a comfortable silence for a minute or so (Ronald having stopped his hair-tousling game once he realized that the reason Will hadn't let go of Grelle's hand was that she was most likely asleep) when the door was opened at last by the apartment's actual tenant.
"Who on earth left the windows open--oh, right." He caught sight of the reapers taking up entirely too much space on his sofa and put on a frown that was much less sincere than it looked. "I suppose the fun's over, then?"
"Sebastian!" Grelle shot upright and proceeded to flop her arms gracelessly on the back of the sofa (okay, apparently she wasn't asleep). "Darling, anything yet? Any progress?"
"No, and I'll tell you when there is." Sebastian hung his coat on the rack by the door. "How about your end? I hear it was devastating." He punctuated that last thought with a smile that reached all the way to his gleaming red eyes.
"It was so much fun~!" Grelle let her head fall onto her arms and sighed dreamily. "Oh, I love a good fire. The excitement, the tension, the heat and passion and drama of it all! Such a romantic way to die, consumed by flames and burned away to the very core! Ah, it was lovely! I swear, my scythe blades are still warm~"
"I do hope that isn't a euphemism," Sebastian murmured to himself, giving Georgina an affectionate pet (it earned him little more than a glare; she didn't like to be bothered while she ate). After going back to his room and changing out of his work uniform, he came back into the living room and took a seat in the armchair on the other side of the room.
".....I'm bored." Grelle intoned, sliding back down onto William's chest.
"Fascinating, Grelle. Please don't enlighten me as to what sort of ideas you have as to alleviating that boredom." Sebastian wasn't even looking at her, instead content to squeeze the paws of a satiated Georgina who had made her way to his lap.
"As much as it may shock you, Sebastian darling, my thoughts were completely wholesome."
"..."
"...Mostly."
"I've got an idea!" Ronald jumped up again, this time intentionally, and immediately made his way to the kitchen cabinets. "How much do you have in the way of alcohol, blondie?"
"Uh!" Finnian just stared at him. "Not...much..."
"Well, there isn't any beer...is...Sebastian, is that Bloody Mary mix?"
"I'm legitimately shocked you haven't found it, yet, given how often you're in my kitchen."
"I have a very focused method of searching," Ronald said, emerging with said mix and a bottle of vodka. "Anything else?"
"I brought a bottle of claret," Grelle said brightly.
"You what." William sat them both up and stared at her.
"I'll bet you did, Sutcliffe," Ronald shook his head in amusement. "Go get it."
"Why?" Finny blinked owlishly. "What are we doing?"
"We're gonna play a game." Ronald looked downright thrilled at the prospect. "A game as old as alcohol itself. A game that separates the men from the boys. A game called--"
"I truly hope you aren't referring to Never Have I Ever," Sebastian raised a highly dubious eyebrow.
"Oh, come on!" Ronald was already pouring drinks. "We've got the day off tomorrow, and I know alcohol doesn't do that much to you unless you want it to, so don't give me that. It'll be fun!"
Grelle, by this point, had already gotten the wine from her suitcase and was getting Finny to uncork it. Sebastian shrugged, leaning back and resting his head in one hand.
"Oh, alright." The grin playing at the side of his mouth betrayed his reluctant tone.
---
By the time everyone had been poured drinks (a Bloody Mary for Sebastian and Ronald, wine for everyone else), the atmosphere was rather mixed. Ronald and Grelle were downright bouncing in anticipation, William and Sebastian were hesitant but on board, and Finnian was looking at them all like he hadn't ever heard of this game before (what had he done for the past two centuries?).
"Okay, here's how it goes!" Ronald began, holding his glass high in the air.
"I know how it goes," Sebastian still hadn't moved Georgina from his lap, and as such looked somewhat like a displeased noblewoman with a drink in one hand and a cat beneath the other.
"I don't!" Finny leaned forward from his seat on the floor by the coffee table. "How does it go?"
"First!" Ronald set his drink down and held up one finger, looking very serious about what he was saying. "You say something you've never done. I'll show you: I've never had sex in Sebastian's apartment."
"God, you went straight for it, didn't you, Ron?" Grelle looked at him with raised eyebrows.
"Now!" Ronald seemed to be ignoring her. "If someone in the room has done that, they take a drink. Like Sebastian's doing, but that's a given because really, now."
"Mister Sebastian, why are you covering your eyes?" Finny asked.
"Because I absolutely do not want to see if the Spears couple partook of their wine in response to that."
(They did.)
"Then!" Ronald was still in serious-instruction-mode. "The next person says something, and so it goes. You learn a lot about people this way. So, Boss? Anything you've never done?"
"Yes, actually," William adjusted his glasses calmly. "I've never worn a dress."
"Oh, William, that's just not fair," Grelle was nevertheless grinning into her wineglass.
Sebastian drank, shrugging at the stare he received from Ronald and William. "To be fair, the dress did fit, at the time. If you understand what I mean."
"Figures," William rolled his eyes, catching sight of Finny downing a mouthful of claret as he did so. ".....really."
"It was a long time ago," Finny qualified. "I had to get out of a city without anyone recognizing me, and I hadn't cut my hair in a while."
"Okay...." Grelle seemed to be imagining Finny in a dress, judging by her increasingly unfocused expression. "I've never been inside a casino."
"I used to work at one!" Finny took a sip between sentences. "It was great! They had me work as a bouncer!"
Ronald sputtered on his drink.
"A bouncer."
"Yeah! Because I don't look strong, so no one takes me seriously, but then if they try to get away with something, I can haul them into the security office! Or, I could haul them into the security office, I suppose. I can't really work somewhere more than seven or eight years at a time."
"Huh, I suppose not, in the human world." Grelle looked thoughtful for a moment before jumping back upright. "Sebby! How about you?"
"Simple," Sebastian gave her a downright cheerful look, "I've never been inside a church."
---
After a few rounds of this (the most eye-opening of which was Finny's "I've never been to a hospital", clarified by the fact that it was technically a laboratory), the only really sober one, to the surprise of none, was Finny. Sebastian was rather drunk and running out of ideas, Ronald was now lying on the island rather than sitting on it, Grelle was leaning on William like her life depended on it, and William was holding her close and occasionally giving Sebastian completely random death glares.
They had also given up on going in order and were now calling out things as they thought of them.
"I...." William looked into his glass as though expecting an idea to materialize from it, "I've never gotten my hair caught in my death scythe."
"That was one time," Grelle said, finishing her fourth or fifth glass, no one could remember. "I swear, you're all being unfair on purpose."
"I got one, I got one!" Ronald propped himself up on his elbow, "I've never been married." He looked at them as though that was the most brilliant thing anyone had said in human history, despite the fact that he had knocked his glasses askew in the process of getting up and they were now dangling from one ear.
"Oh, fuck you," Grelle poured herself a glass and took a sip, William following suit wordlessly (alcohol seemed to make him rather quiet).
"Well..." Finny looked conflicted, "not in the traditional sense..." He took a sip nonetheless, a reverent look passing through his eyes.
Sebastian just looked down at Georgina, who was purring up at him (this was her third round in his lap; she had gotten distracted by bits of dust and shadows on the wall a couple of times). His drink went untouched.
"What do you think, Georgina?" He asked, "Do you think I should wait? Do you think I can wait?"
"Willy, dear~" Grelle sighed into her husband's shoulder, pointing lazily at the two of them. "Just look at that. Isn't it just touching? I miss Cardenio so much. Why couldn't we bring him here? Why does he have to be at the groomers? I mean, I know this place allows pets, just look at that! Cardenio adores Georgina, I know he does!"
William murmured something about the cost of boarding the dog for this long, but even Grelle didn't hear him completely.
"I abjectly refuse to allow that thing into my house," Sebastian glared at them both, looking more petulant than threatening, "let alone allow it anywhere near my precious Georgina."
"Yeah, Samoyed fur is hard to get out of the furniture," Finny nodded. "Besides, I can't even take him outside, now! I don't want him getting into my marigolds; I just managed to get them to bloom."
"MARIGOLDS."
The entire room turned to look at Sebastian, who had stood up (much to Georgina's annoyance) and was currently staring into space as though he had just discovered the secrets of the universe. With no warning, he fumbled through his pocket and retrieved his cell phone, half-handing and half-throwing it to Finny.
"Finnian," his tone was a somewhat slurred version of the sharp, serious commands that had gone many years without use. "We need to take a picture."
"O-of what?" Finnian looked somewhere between terrified and about to explode with laughter.
"The marigolds."
"But...it's dark outside!"
"My phone camera has a flash, it's fine."
"Is that what woke me up this morning?" William set his glass down a little harder than perhaps intended.
"Just trust me," Sebastian grabbed Finny's arm and half-dragged him outside, "I know exactly what I'm doing."
They were out the door in a matter of seconds, their words growing unintelligible.
"I guess..." Ronald lay back down and rolled onto his back, looking up at the ceiling in wonder. "I guess the game's over, huh?"
"I'd say so," William stood up and brought Grelle up with him. "Come on, Knox," he motioned for her to help get the highly inebriated reaper on his feet.
"Have I ever told you," Ronald leaned his head on Will's shoulder, smiling like a fool, "how much I love you both? Because I do. You're my...my best friends. Ever."
William and Grelle just smiled to each other as they set him down on the sofa, placing a side pillow under his head and a blanket over the rest of him.
He was asleep almost instantly.