Mutual Friends of Death (Undertaker Romance)

To Business

A/N Thank you to everyone who is still reading this! I did just start a new story featuring Attack on Titan called Unexpected Courage, and you should all check it out! I hope you enjoy this next installment! Thoughts are in italics. I would really appreciate it if you commented, or voted so I can personally thank you for reading!

It was another few weeks before Undertaker heard from the interesting female demon. He had just begun to lose hope and blamed himself for setting his price too high when she walked into his shop once more. Well, it was more like she stormed into his shop. Her hair was a little windblown, and she made sure to slam the door behind her, growling and baring her teeth the moment it closed. Undertaker blinked a few times before chuckling at her sudden appearance.

~Well, hello there, dearie~ She immediately snapped to face him, her eyes glowing a faint silver, but she quickly recognized him. She took a few deep breaths before letting the tension leave her body and allowing her eyes to return to their original gold. He grinned a grin that did not quite reach his eyes, but no one could see them in order to notice. She truly was a demon, that much had been proven just within those few moments, and he wasn't quite sure how that changed things. The female in front of him was no longer his fragile Amelia, but a strong demon; one who was used to getting her way through fear and whose threats were to be taken seriously, the Lady Raduriel.

Since her last visit, the mortician had made it his personal goal to learn more about her. The difficulty he had in finding any information told him quite a bit. She was an extremely private person who had an innate curiosity. She did not spend any length of time in this realm, much preferring to stay in Hell, yet she had a thirst for knowledge. She would occasionally appear in this world to see what changes had been made and what was happening in current events. He was able to find records of the rare reaper disappearance that had a tendency to correspond with her visits. He could not be positive it was her who kidnapped them, for no bodies were found and there were no trials to be followed. The reaper would simply disappear and never be found again. There wasn't much of a pattern to the reapers chosen, either. Both males and females were taken, young and old, new recruits and veterans. It seemed to be random. But, the fact that they corresponded to her visits made him wary of the demon in front of him. He may have been a legend, but even he wasn't quite sure of her strength. Few of the demons he had interrogated had dared to speak a word about her, even when threatened with death, and those who spoke all mentioned even Satan being unsure of her. They mostly spoke of rumors, not facts, but even that impressed him. This demoness in front of him must have been quite powerful to be known throughout Hell, yet, even though she was well known, she was still able to keep an air of almost complete mystery. Even after his research, he could not say for sure that he knew anything about him, but he at least had a few starting points from which to ask questions if she ever decided to take him up on his offer. He brought himself back to the present moment when she began to walk towards him. She stopped in front of him, huffed, crossed her arms, and looked back at the door with her eyes narrowed.

"Tell me, Undertaker, are all human men so despicable? Do they have the tendency to try to force themselves upon single females despite the female not wanting the attention?" Undertaker was so surprised by the sudden question and the chosen topic of it that he was silent for a few moments before bursting out in laughter. She allowed him to laugh for a few moments, but she quickly became impatient for an answer. She shifted her glare from the door to the giggling mortician in front of her.

"As amusing as your laughter is, I, for one, do not appreciate being laughed at, Undertaker. I suggest you practice a least a little bit of self-control so that you don't ruin my own." He continued to giggle but made somewhat visible efforts to show that he was trying to calm down. She sighed and preoccupied herself with looking around his shop. As he began to calm his giggles, he watched her.

~No wonder those men tried to catch her attention. She really is quite beautiful, even looking like this.~ The dark purple dress highlighted her golden eyes and was fitted just enough to hint at her curves. Her beauty was quite perfect and otherworldly. Undertaker was a little surprised that she was able to get away from the humans without leading a group to his door. He cleared his throat when he had finally calmed down enough to speak.

~If you come here for information, dearie, you must be able to pay the stated price. Do you still wish for an answer?~ She paused for just a moment before turning to face him from across the shop.

"Ask your question of me first, and I will decide if it is worth the information I seek." Undertaker nodded slowly as he began to think of a good question.

~I believe that to be fair. Hm... Perhaps we shall start with this one. Am I in any danger?~ Raduriel tilted her head slightly as she blinked.

"Excuse me, but I don't know if I quite understand your question. Are you asking me if I know of any plots to end your life, or if I have any plans to harm you?" He grinned crazily but was watching her closely, prepared to react if necessary.

~Well, people do seem to have a tendency to go missing when you visit this world, Lady Raduriel.~ She narrowed her eyes and watched him closely, observing his behavior in return.

"I believe we should be frank with each other, Undertaker, especially since we are the only two here. You are a reaper and I am a demon. Yes, there is a correlation between my visits and reaper disappearances, but...no. I don't believe you to be in any danger from me unless you give me a reason to be upset with you. I do not harm those who are useful to me. So I suggest we both relax and come to an agreement that we will at least give proper warning before trying to kill the other." His grin became a bit more genuine as he clapped his hands together in front of him.

~A marvelous idea, pet. I think I can accept that answer. As an answer to your first question, no, not all human men are like that, but most are not used to seeing demonesses that are so much more beautiful than the females of their own kind. A female being seen with a male is a good way to ward off such vultures in this world. After all, humans see females as the weaker sex, and those males with bad intentions see them as easily overpowered or persuaded.~ Raduriel nodded slightly as she began to think. After a little while, she spoke again.

"So, if I wish to draw less attention in this world, I should find a male to walk around with me as I explore?" Undertaker nodded.

~That is the easiest way, I believe.~ Raduriel thought for a few more moments before giving him a small, yet genuine smile; one that made him happy when he saw it.

"Thank you for the information, Undertaker. I believe this is quite possibly the start of a working relationship. You have proven yourself to be rather useful. I shall think about what you've said and come back when I think of more questions. Good day, Undertaker." She bowed her head ever so slightly in his direction before disappearing in a column of silver smoke. When the smoke cleared, she was gone.