Your Own Skin (Black Butler)

Keep It Together

When Grell awoke, the bedroom was just beginning to lighten from the break of dawn, but William was already up and getting ready in the bathroom. She climbed out of bed, stumbling when she couldn’t see a damn thing. Oh yes, William was as blind as a bat. She knocked something off the nightstand before she found his glasses and slipped them on.

“Will?” she called to him, frowning as it came out in Will’s voice. She never would get used to that. She tried to put on her slippers, but Will’s feet were bigger than hers, and her heels hung over the back of the shoes. She shuffled to the bathroom, blinking at the bright light. “Will? Is everything okay?”

“Yes,” Will was standing at the mirror, but Grell could hardly recognize herself. He had removed her glasses chain and pulled on a pair of plain black slacks that Grell didn’t even remember owning. He was still wearing her regular buttoned up shirt, but had matched one of his plain black ties with it instead of her red ribbon. He also hadn’t put on her vest. Her long, red hair was pulled up into a high ponytail, reminiscent of the hair style that she had seen in his fan photos of the Legendary Reaper. The look brought out all the hard angles of her jaw, all the masculinity of her body, and he hadn’t even put on any makeup to soften her appearance.

She tried to speak but her throat constricted. Her eyes burned as though they wanted to spill tears, but these eyes were unaccustomed to such emotional displays. So she just stood in the doorway, staring in open-mouthed horror at the man who stood before the mirror. It was like Will had transported her back in time to Academy. It was as though he had undone all the work she had done over the years to feminize herself in a single morning.

“I thought of someone else I could try visiting, so we don’t have to rely on Michaelis and his fickle master,” he said as he retrieved his deathscythe from where he had left it leaning against the wall. He turned to her and instantly his facade broke at her expression. “Grell? Are you alright?”

She managed a weak nod, “Yes, you just…” she searched for the right words. “You make me look so different from what I’m used to.”

He sighed, “I tried to put on the makeup that you showed me last night, but…” he glanced to the countertop at the array of opened makeup containers he had tried. There must have been a dozen of them, from foundations to concealers to eyeshadow. Now that she was closer she saw that William had indeed put makeup on, but it wasn’t right. He gleamed in the light and she was pretty sure he had used a concealer as a foundation, but still her heart leapt at the fact that he had tried. Somehow the horror that had filled her at his dress and initial appearance subsided a bit. He had tried. Even though he hadn’t a clue what he was doing, he tried because he knew it would make her happy. She wiped at a tear that streaked down her cheek, possibly the first that Will’s body had shed in ages, and wrapped her arms around him. Will stood there in shock as she squeezed him tight, burying her face in his hair to keep him from seeing the possible tears.

“Grell?”

She pulled back finally and sniffled. “Thank you for trying, dear. I never thought you would even do that.”

He gave a weak smile. “I tried. I didn’t do a very good job, but I thought that it would look suspicious if the others spotted me.”

She nodded. Up close she could even see the eyeshadow he had slapped on. At least it had gone in the right place. She blended it in with her thumbs, then gave him a long kiss.

When she released him Will looked even more concerned. “Are you sure you’re alright?”

“Yes, I’m fine now. I love you, do you know that?”

He gave a warm smile this time and pushed up the red glasses. “I know. Just don’t be late for my evaluation, alright? It starts at nine o’clock.”

“I know,” she sighed. “We’re trying to have a moment here.”

“Yes, but I need to get going. I want to make sure I won’t miss him.”

She stole another kiss from him before he headed out. It was a good thing he was leaving so early though. He looked like William trapped in her body, especially since he insisted on bringing his deathscythe with him.  He never was very good at blending in.

She turned to look at herself in the mirror, her William in the mirror. She had far fewer tools at her disposal. “Alright girl, think like a man. What does William do in the morning exactly?” She glanced to his razor sitting on his end of the countertop and frowned. Being a shifter, she never had to shave herself, but William still needed to. She felt her chin and the hard bristles that stuck out. She couldn’t go to his evaluation looking like this, but she hadn’t ever really had to shave her face before. She picked up the razor with a shaky hand and found his shaving cream. Even a small slip of her hand could mar her beautiful William’s face.

“Keep it together, girl,” she said as she applied the cream to her jaw. “Don’t you dare screw this up.” She put the razor blade to her face and gently dragged it across.