Good Kitty (An Undertaker love story) Watty2014

Chapter Three

Since it was still cold outside, Undertaker insisted I borrow his jacket.

"We don't want a repeat of last night, do we?"

So I accepted his coat and we headed out to the town market. We bought various foods, fish being one of them. I think Undertaker is trying to spoil me into staying with him. If he keeps this up, he'll never get me to leave his side. Maybe that's his plan. I imagine it gets very lonely in his line of work with only the dead to keep you company. Having a living person, no matter their species, must be refreshing for him.

"What shall we have for dinner tonight?" Undertaker asked with his ever present smile.

"How about....filet salmon?" I suggested.

"I don't know how to cook fish." Undertaker admitted sheepishly .

"Don't worry. If there is anything my mom taught me other than fighting, it was how to cook." I gave him a reassuring smile and we continued our shopping.

I noticed, no matter what shop we went to, Undertaker never paid with coins. He would trade expensive looking jewels and other items. When I asked him why that was, all he said was:

"I have no need of the Queens coins. Blood money, it is." Undertaker didn't elaborate any further and the thin line of his lips said that was all he would say on the subject.

We walked in silence for several minutes before we came to a tea shop. "Would you like some afternoon tea, dear Kate?" Undertaker asked.

"I never really did afternoon tea. Don't get me wrong, I like tea, but when you're living on the streets with nothing but the clothes on your back, tea is hard to come by."

"Well then, how about you stay with me and we'll have tea everyday." Undertaker said.

"With milk?" I asked innocently and hopefully.

"Of course." Undertaker smiled.

"Yes!!"'I squealed in delight and hugged him tightly. Undertaker smiled wider than I had seen so far. When I realized what I was doing I released him with a quiet apology. However, before I could get the whole sentence out, Undertaker grabbed my arm and pulled me against his body in another hug.

"Never apologize for being yourself, Kate." Undertaker said softly in my ear. A shudder ran down my spine and goose bumps rose on my arms. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. His embrace was always so warm. I could have curled up into his arms and fall asleep.

After a few minutes, he released me from his hold and, I guess, gazed into my eyes. I couldn't see anymore of his face than his mouth and nose so I had to assume that is what he was doing. He placed a hand gently on the side of my face and smiled. I could feel the heat rising to my cheeks.

"Come, let's have some tea to warm us up and you can tell me all about you." Undertaker said, always smiling, always happy. It was infectious. But there was always something hidden in his smiles. Something that showed his true emotions.

Undertaker pulled me into the building and grabbed a seat by the window. A young woman came up to the table and took our order and left only to return minutes later with two cups of tea with beautiful white and red designs around the center and a small pitcher of milk at my request. I added a tea spoon of sugar and, of course, a little milk and it was perfect.

"So, Kate, tell me about your family. You've mentioned your parents before, are they still..." Undertaker didn't finish his sentence. I knew what he was trying to ask and found it odd that a man who worked with the dead for a living was hesitant to ask about it.

"No, Undertaker. My parents are long gone from this world." I answered his question. Undertaker frowned slightly.

"I see... How did they pass?"

"Well, there is this....occult. It is made up of all kinds of beings that believe we Were creatures are abominations and should be wiped out. The occult found our Pride, our family of Werecats. It was mostly made up of Werelions but they accepted my family as one of their own. They attacked our Pride and killed them all. I was in cat form and my mother hid me from them before she, herself, was killed. There were some casualties on the other side as well. Mostly humans. The next thing I knew there were two men among the bodies. They had these strange weapons and were doing something to the dead. There was a black mist coming from the bodies and they used those strange weapons to cut them. I remember them saying there was one body missing and they said my name. They were looking for me. So I ran."

"Do you remember what they looked like?"

"Yes. One had dark hair and golden green eyes hidden behind glasses. The other one was clad in all red: red hair, red clothes, red rimmed glasses, and he had the same golden green eyes as the first one."

"I see...Interesting." Undertaker said.

"What is it?" I asked. I could see the wheels turning in his head.

"Nothing, my dear. Those men you saw were more than likely Shinigami."

"Shinigami?"

"The more common word for it is a Grim Reaper. They are creatures that pass judgement on the dead and reap their souls. You were probably scheduled to die that day. That's why they were looking for you."

"How do you know that?" I asked, astonished.

"Well, my dear, it is because I am one of those Shinigami." Undertakers face was neutral. He was curious as to how I would react to learning he isn't human.

My eyes widened. I did not see that coming. He seemed too....weird to be a Grim Reaper. But it makes sense. He does work with the dead.

"So you're a....Grim Reaper." I said slowly.

"Yes, however, I'm retired."

A retired Grim Reaper. How odd.

"So, as a Grim Reaper, you worked with the dying. Then you retire and work with the dead? Why not change the job description? Why not do something that isn't so lonely?"

"I've lived for several hundred years. Death is all I know. I don't know how to do anything else." He said. "Besides, how do you know it's lonely? I always have plenty of guests."

"Every time you smile, every time you laugh, there is a hint of sadness there." Yes. I was sure that was the hidden emotion I've been detecting. "When you feel a certain way for a long time, you learn to recognize it in others."

At that moment, the door behind us opened, allowing a gust of cold wind to enter the building. When it reached us, it blew Undertakers bangs out of his face and I could finally see his eyes. They were the strange golden green color that I now assume identifies him as a Shinigami, but they had more of a darker intensity to them. Yet at the same time, they were bright and alluring. They were widened in shock, and I could clearly see the sad, loneliness in his eyes that I felt within myself.