Have you ever been awarded for doing something bad? I can finally say I have and it gives you the same feeling when you have done something good, satisfaction. On this very gloomy chilling day, I've been awarded a luscious ice cream sundae. Three ice cream scoops of a black raspberry chip, strawberry, and coffee. I chose to drizzle it with rainbow sprinkles, and hot fudge, of course, with the bright cherry on top, and the chocolate wafer on the side.

I licked my lips as I picked up the long adorned spoon and promptly, took a spoonful of the black raspberry chip ice cream I could gather from the bite-size spoon. Nonetheless, the soft sweetened frost fell into my mouth, melting away.

I turned my gaze to the rained window, watching nothing but an empty street. No cars passing and no people passing. There was no one inside the ice cream parlor either. Except for Grimm, the employee behind the counter, and me. It seemed the world had been scared off by the murky sky, but then again, no one usually comes to eat ice cream in November or at eight o'clock at night.

"I wish you were my friend when I was alive." My head snapped to Arabella's voice. She was still here, waiting by my side for Grimm to take her. Despite her chilling presence, her words brought warmth to my heart.

I slowly shook my head. "Who said we can't be friends now?"

"But I'm-"

"Dead. So what? Are ghosts not allowed to have friends?" I stuck the spoon into the ice cream and crossed my arms. "After everything, I did for you. You know I could go to jail, right?" Arabella becomes quiet, too quiet, and I immediately straighten my posture to tell her I was joking. I sometimes forget when I talk to people (which is not often), I sound a bit aggressive, but it is not my intention. Well, sometimes it is but not right now.

Arabella speaks up."I never had a friend who would go to jail for me." Then she laughs like an empty bottle that has been uncapped, it comes out like an echo with some light breeze.

My shoulders ease as I pick up the spoon and dip it into my sundae.

Grimm finally comes back from the counter with another two sundaes. He places the strawberry-flavored sundae next to me, almost breaking the glassware. He did it to get my attention, and now he has it. I keep the cool spoon in my mouth as I lift my gaze to see a mint chocolate chip sundae in front of him.

Arabella's laugh quietened.

He sits down in the booth, keeping a steady glare toward me as he shoves the spoon into his sundae. I looked back down at my sundae as I feigned innocence of his irritation.

Grimm wanted to get the jumbo sundae of ten scoops to share, which bothered me because something as fulfilling as ice cream should not be shared. But I decided to be nice until I heard him say he wanted to mint chocolate chip.

I don't like toothpaste ice cream, and I never took Grimm to have poor taste buds.

He finally spoke. "We could have spent less money."

"Yes, we could have just bought you toothpaste," I answered back.

Grimm said agitated, "It is not toothpaste. It is mint." Yes, I thought once again, mint is found in toothpaste. It's the same thing.

I kept my eyes on the sundae, "You also shouldn't be stingy with your money." My mouth twitched as I twirled the spoon around. "It's not very God-like." Arabella coughed out violently.

Grimm fumed. "I'm not being stingy. How could I be stingy when I just bought three sundaes for thirty-five dollars? It should've been twenty-five if we got the bigger sundae." He went on. "You should know I have an abundance of money, you wouldn't be able to finish counting it in a day or a week, and that's not including the jewels and antiques I have."

I shouldn't be enjoying this. I shouldn't.

He added on. "I could buy this ice cream parlor. I could buy this whole street."

I nodded as I stopped twirling the spoon and met Grimm's offended face. "Then go buy it," I said flatly.

His face fell, erasing all traces of annoyance but seemed a bit dumbfounded. He could make good use of his money, except I don't think Grimm liked my little encouragement.

He took a spoonful of his sundae, looking away as he muttered. "I don't want to." I bit the inside of my cheek to stop the smile forming on my lips.

He shouldn't be capable of making me smile. He can't do that.

Abruptly I say, "If you ever want to show off your money, take me with you. I'll help you spend it wisely." I placed the spoon in my mouth meanwhile the corner of Grimm's mouth lifted slightly in an amused sort of way. That was not the reaction I wanted.

"Are you guys like a thing?" Arabella said out loud. My lips clamped together on the spoon. Why would she ask that? Uneasiness seeped through my body preparing itself to be pulled apart. I couldn't let that happen.

But Grimm responded vaguely. "We're the Capturer and Crier of Souls." Relief washes over me, but there is a tiny part of me that is annoyed, and Arabella seemed like it too.

"But are you guys, like, together?" She asked.

I moved the spoon from my mouth, and this time I answered her.

"No."

"Yes."

I lifted my gaze to glare at Grimm. He was doing it out of spite, and now, I really—really—wanted to stop this grotesque pulsating noise I felt.

I made myself loud and clear. For him and myself. "No. We're not together. We're only helping each other for a while." It was the harsh cold truth and I needed to remember it. This is temporary because one day, Grimm is going to leave. The moment he gets his wings back, he will walk out of my life and I'll return to mine only now I'll be hunted by my father's enemies. But his deadly shadow will follow me until my last breath is his.

A life ended, is where we will meet again.

Grimm settles his hands on the table and something frighteningly passes his eyes. I think for a moment, he might conjure the skeletal-shadow claw again, and this time he will let it engulf me. But the wind chimes on the door hit the frame notifying us all a customer walked into the parlor. Grimm broke his gaze from mine as he turned his head to the side.

I went back to looking at my sundae which was now rundown and could do nothing but cling the spoon around the tall glass. I was almost tempted to break it.

Arabella quietly said, "Oh I—"

Grimm interrupted her as he welcomed someone. "Ivy." 

I snapped my head in the direction of a woman dressed in a black pantsuit and standing at the end of the booth. She looked very unhappy to be here but she was pretty. Her brown hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail, bringing out her heart-shaped face. Rosy cheeks, lips pressed into a firm line, and red-ember eyes.

I had no doubt she was a demon.

"Did you bring what I asked for?" Grimm said.

She lifted her hand revealing two large black bags and handed them over to him. Grimm took it as he spoke again, "Perfect. The soul, Arabella, take her with you. I'll take care of her when I come back."

Ivy gave him a curt nod. She turned to my side and extended her arm out but when her scarlet eyes met mine, she gasped.

"You—"

Grimm stopped her. "Ivy, the soul."

She raised her chin. "Yes," Her eyes lit further as she looked at me. "My liege." She said it as if it was supposed to sting me but it only made me raise a brow at her. I didn't understand her hostility, I have never met her so, why was she looking at me like I committed a crime? I didn't like that so I kept staring at her, evenly.

"Go," Grimm ordered.

Arabella's snow-like presence brushed my arm but before she left, she said one last thing. "Thank you for everything and thank you—for being my last true friend." It pulled me away from looking at Ivy and I turned my head where I imagined Arabella stood. I wish I could see her.

"Anything for a friend," I say.

Swiftly, Ivy turns her body with her arm out moving briskly, and not long after, the wind chimes hit the door. She was gone.

I turn back to face Grimm, not wanting to be in his company any longer. "We're done, right? I need to go—"

But Grimm had other plans. He slid one of the black bags across the table. "Hans is currently waiting for us. We have a guest, we must attend tonight. I don't think you want to miss this opportunity."

My brow pinched together as I took the black bag from the table and opened it to see, wool, black clothing. I closed it and crossed my arms.

"What is it? Where are we going now?" I asked too impatiently.

Grimm got up from the booth carrying the other black bag in his hand. "It's a surprise. But put on the coat unless you want your clothes to smell like smoke." I did not like this one bit. "I hope you'll be ready when I get back." He said as he headed to the bathroom.

I don't like surprises, but I was too curious to reject the offer. 

I opened the black bag and pulled out the black coat completely, and my eyes caught the attention of the glimmering sewed-on buttons. Twelve—no—thirteen silvered skulls rimmed around in obsidian with embellished swirls encircling the skulls. My thumb grazed over one of the buttons feeling its roughness and heaviness. They also felt and looked expensive.

The rest of the coat was thick. Its shape almost looked like a cloak, but the buttons made that exception. Each one sits opposite from the other making the style a combination of victorian and military.

Without wasting any more time, I shook off my coat and put on the thick wool coat before Grimm came out. This cloak-like coat swallowed my body covering my neck down to my legs, leaving the front of my shoes to peek out. At least the heeled boots I wore didn't drag the coat on the floor.

I moved my fingers quickly to clip each silvered skull button. As I went up, the coat began to hug my body and cinched my waist. Maybe it wasn't too bad. I pulled my hair from the back of my neck letting it cascade down to my waist, it seamlessly blended with the color of the coat.

"Let me see you."

I hastily clip the last button on the loose strap and enclose my neck. I spun to Grimm, and—Oh my—He changed his clothes as well. 

He got rid of his black suit and replaced it with a black, slim, longer coat. It defined his broad shoulders and chest and made his appearance look sharper. The collars of his coat were long and pointed like the tips of a dagger. Then there was the silver-toned chain clip hanging, but I noticed a tiny scythe hung in the middle, between the small space of the collars. His coat was also decorated with plated skull buttons, but unlike mine, they ran a straight line.

He displayed regal wickedness in his uniform when there should have not been anything regal about it. And the madness came again. The sudden violent desire overwhelmed my hands to run them up and down his body until they found themselves tangled in his inky hair. I wanted to ruin it, he shouldn't be so perfect.

I stopped there. This was as far as I can fool myself to have these delusional thoughts about him. I pressed my hand against my chest trying to slow my bothersome heart.

Grimm marched toward me, taking my hand from my chest. "Where are your gloves?" He reached for the bag behind me. But I was too focused on the touch of his soothing cold hand weakened all my senses and rationality.

I then felt the lace fabric slipping through my fingers, "I can—" I tried moving my hand away but Grimm pulled it back bringing my whole body closer to him and my hand landed on his chest included. I craned my neck to the side as I met his hypnotic stare.

"Allow me." He whispered it like a secretive plea.

Grimm brings my hand up gently and slips the lace fabric again through my fingers as his fingers graze my skin like a feather, slowly and shivering. He drew a line from my arm to the tip of my hand and without thought, my hand flexed to reach for something I could never have.

His body loomed over mine, my body almost pressed against his and if I moved any closer, I could—I could—have him. But despite our closeness, he still felt far away. It was like I was on the ground watching the midnight sky, and because I had been staring at it for so long, the stars became closer, and I believed I could catch them. And my hand, foolishly, goes up and clenches it around a star, but when I open it, there is nothing but an empty palm.

Grimm takes a step forward and I take one back. He frowns. I spun back to the table and picked the cherry off my puddle sundae, and ate away my frustration. 

Grimm's presence comes behind me, "We need to get going. Hans has been waiting for us." I almost want to bite his head off for that. I readjust myself, pushing my shoulders back as I turn to him with a reserved poker face.

Unaware of my thoughts about him, Grimm's hands come near my face and I don't move again. His knuckles brush my hair from lifting the hood from the coat as he places it on my head.

Grimm said softly, "You need to stay warm."

But I'm growing fond of the cold, I want to say.

I turned to pick up the umbrella and bag. I dragged the umbrella on the floor as Grimm's footsteps followed behind me but he managed to open the door before I could touch the handle. We stepped into the dead frigid, wet night. Grimm snatched the umbrella and bag from my hand but then took my arm and looped around his as if it belonged there. I hated how natural it felt.

"So, are you going to tell me how you did it?" He asked as we walked at the same pace.

I didn't know what he was talking about, so I continued to stay quiet and played with the cherry stem in my mouth.

He insisted. "The scarf, the knot not tied. How did you do it?"

Oh, that.