Elio was dying. That's a fact.

The past few weeks were hard for him. It was no longer something he could deny, no longer something he could push aside. The pain in his body has become unbearable; even the painkillers don't serve their purpose to ease the pain anymore.

And yet, he still lives on. He still had things to do before the inevitable.

Those few weeks have been a blur of work, pain, and pretending. He still went to his shifts, still forced a smile, and still swallowed painkillers every after breaks that barely worked anymore. There were debts to pay, things to arrange, and, most significantly, a visit he had been putting off for too long.

His family.

Elio had avoided them for almost a year now, ashamed of the failures and disappointment he caused to them. He wasn't sure if they'd welcome him back after all this time. He's confident their rage is still there, especially in his father, who expected so much in him, yet he failed. But he wanted to see them, just once. Even if it means he will look at a distance and never to approach.

Just once.

And then he could go in peace.

But he had so many things in mind besides that plan. That includes going out with someone, eating in a restaurant, or walking in a park. When he comes to think about it now, the last time he had a date was in college. He dated a girl back then but was so busy ruining his life with the wrong circle of friends that he and the girl did not work out. Then, he also dated a guy, but their relationship was controlling, which never worked out either.

Maybe dating was not meant for him.

Then he remembered Grimm.

The moment Grimm's handsome and elegant face flashed in Elio's mind, his heart beat a hundred times faster than it was supposed to be. He blushed from his cheeks to the tip of his ears. He can't deny anymore his feelings for the man. But he also cannot push it. A dying man looking for romance? That will be an impossible thing to accomplish.

But he was interested in learning more about Grimm. More on a personal level than just a mere acquaintance. He also wanted to know more about the shop and how they managed to build an entire shop overnight!

Then, Elio's mind was settled: He would revisit the shop to see Grimm.

-----

It was Sunday morning when Elio walked to that familiar road to the Shallowmoore Alley, where Grimm's funeral shop stood guarded by the ash trees. As expected, several customers were going in but never went out. It was weird at first, but it was not his business to butt in. He just brushed off the idea and went inside the shop.

The air was thick with the scent of incense when Elio stepped into the funeral parlor. As expected, when he walked in, every head turned toward him as if they saw something unusual. Both customers and staff lingered their eyes for too long as if he was an object of attraction. Their expressions were unreadable; he could not understand what they were thinking then.

It was the same when he last visited. Like they were seeing something, they weren't supposed to.

Like he was already a ghost.

Elio was so conscious he tried to look at himself in a mirror, wondering: Do I look dead? Does cancer make me look like one?

Elio ignored it. Something that he learned the hard way.

The young man decided to pass by the holding area and approached the counter, where a young man with light brown hair and a lazy smile stood, polishing an urn.

His name was Kenny—one of Grimm's assistants.

Elio leaned against the counter with a tired smirk. "Is Grimm around?"

Kenny looked up. When he first sees Elio, he almost drops the urn in his hands.

"I'm sorry?" Kenny asked while his gaze was fixed on Elio.

"I'm looking for Grimm. Is he around?" Elio asked the question again.

"He's busy. Do you need something? Do you have an appointment with him?"

Elio shrugged. Now that he has thought about it, securing an appointment for the next time he visits might be a good idea. "Not really. I just wanted to talk."

Kenny chuckled. He was amazed that this person had all the guts to dare come to the shop to 'talk' to that man.

"I'm starting to like you, you know." Kenny said, "I like your courage to go here just to talk with the boss."

Elio tilted his head in confusion. "And...is that weird?"

Kenny grinned. He scanned Elio from head to toe as if Elio embodied that word. "Weird, yeah. But kinda interesting, too."

Then, after a while, Elio asked a question.

"Can I ask you something?"

Kenny nodded. "Sure, go ahead."

Elio was hesitant at first, but he did ask anyway. "Does Grimm...date?"

Kenny blinked, then laughed loudly, making everyone turn their heads at the counter. "Hah! No. Not at all."

Elio's face brightened, and he felt something in his chest loosen. It was weird and stupid that this thing about Grimm not dating anyone made him hopeful.

However, is there any good reason for someone like Grimm to be interested in a dying man like himself?

Elio didn't notice when Grimm finished his work. He stood beside Kenny, wearing his usual black suit, with his silver eyes watching Elio with something unreadable.

"How are you, Elio?" Grimm's soft and calming voice made Elio's heart skip a beat. "I'm glad to see you here. Do you need anything? Is there anything I can help you with?"

Elio hesitated. He didn't have a reason for coming. He just wanted to see Grimm.

Which was pathetic.

So he said the first thing that came to mind.

"I just wanted company."

"Is that so?"

"No, boss," Kenny's sudden comment put Elio in a state of shock. "He's asking if you're dating someone."

Elio's face turned red the moment he noticed Grimm was gazing at him.

"Is that true?"

"No!" Elio shook his head and hands, trying to deny the fact. "That's not what I meant!"

Grimm studied Elio's reaction for a moment. Then, out of nowhere, he said, "Do you want to go out with me?"

Elio nearly choked. "N--no! That's not--!'

Grimm, not entirely satisfied, studied Elio's reaction again, but this time, he rephrased his question into a request.

"Then, go on a date with me."

Elio's heart almost stopped. "What?"

Kenny looked between them, wide-eyed due to the unusual turn of events. "Wait, what?"

Grimm didn't repeat himself. He just watched Elio, waiting.

Is he...serious?

Elio swallowed. "You don't date. And above all, I'm a guy. You never dated a guy."

Grimm tilted his head. He never denied the fact as he hummed thoughtfully. "Yes, I don't. But does it matter if it is a girl or a guy?"

Yes, it does! Elio wanted to shout it aloud. But he focused on one question: "Then why ask me?"

Grimm tilted his head, his expression as impassive as ever. "Because I want to."

Elio's heart stuttered.

That was a dangerous answer.

Fuck!

Grimm, now starting to get impatient, stepped closer to Elio, close enough that Elio could see his reflection in those silver eyes.

"I want to take you on a date, Elio."

There it is! That kind of certainty. As if this was something Grimm had already decided long before he ever spoke the words.

"You sure about that?" Elio asked, his voice quieter than before.

Grimm nodded. "Yes."

Elio shook his head again in disbelief

"Unbelievable."

He had spent his life avoiding things like romance. What was the point? He was dying. No future, no stability, no time.

And there was Grimm.

Asking him on a date as if time weren't slipping through Elio's fingers.

----

Elio patiently waited for the situation to calm down before asking the older man about his plan to get him on a date.

"Are you sure you do want to go on a date with me? Isn't it a bit quick?" Elio asked him the third time to ensure it was real.

And for the third time, Grimm gave the same answer: "Yes."

Since there's no doubt that the man was sure of going on a date, Elio asked an important question: "Okay. Then tell me, what's your ideal date?"

Grimm considered the question for a moment, then he answered.

"Nothing in particular. Something simple for a date.

"That's it? Nothing else?" Elio asked as if he was expecting a better answer from the older man.

"As long as you are with me, there isn't anything I might consider ideal for a date..."

Elio's breath caught on to that answer. He never expected that smooth, almost flirting-sounding response from a very intricate man like Grimm. They started as total strangers, then suddenly, this? He had never considered it before.

Grimm and him. Dating.

Elio sighed, shaking his head in defeat. He ended up giving a slight smirk. "You're a smooth talker, you know that?"

Grimm smirked in response. "So, is that a yes?"

Elio froze for a moment. He collates himself. For a moment, his heart stuttered in his chest.

"Is...next week okay?"

A soft line of approval appeared on Grimm's lips. "Then, I'll pick you up at six."

Then there we have it. It's official. It's a date.

-----

Elio left the funeral shop in a daze.

The cold night air did little to clear his head. His legs moved independently, but his mind was stuck on one thing.

Grimm asked him on a date.

Elio ran a hand through his hair, exhaling sharply. What the hell just happened?

Grimm wasn't the type of person to do things without reason. Every word he spoke had weight, every action carefully chosen. And yet, today, he had stood there, looked Elio in the eye, and asked him out.

The idea was so absurd that everything that happened there was unbelievable.

He had never thought of Grimm in that way. Or maybe-maybe he had, but only in the fleeting, ridiculous way a dying man might entertain impossible thoughts.

Grimm was untouchable.

A mystery. A shadow lurks at Elio's life's edge, watching, waiting.

And now, suddenly, he wanted to take Elio on a date?

Why?

The more Elio thought about it, the more restless he became.

He wasn't some fool clinging to false hope. He knew precisely what he was: a man with one foot in the grave.

Dating? That wasn't for people like him. That was for people with futures.

With time.

And yet...

Grimm had asked anyway.

Not out of pity. Not out of obligation. But because he wanted to.

Elio swallowed, feeling something uncomfortable, a twist in his chest. He knew better. He should say no at that time. He should ignore the stupid warmth in his ribs, the ridiculous flicker of want.

But he didn't want to say no.

Not this time.

For once in his life, he wanted to say yes. 

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