Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was late in the evening when the youth in red postman uniform had managed to finish his letter deliveries for the day. Red autumn leaves decorated the somewhat solemn neighborhood. Another peaceful day has passed….or so Victor thought. While strolling the street, two giant shadows suddenly enveloped him.

“Isn’t our favorite postman” one of the giant statures swings his arm around the much smaller figure in red and smirks. In fact, both of them smirked joyfully as if they found an interesting toy to mess with. The smaller one can only tense up and stand still, waiting for whatever the two men want to do with him.

“Relax Grantz, no need to be so tense. Aren’t we friends already”. Friends….the youth thought that he never considered them or anyone as his friends but alas, he can’t refute the man’s bold statement.

“The boss’ mood soured lately, some idiot managed to know something he weren’t supposed to know and…y’know, some top secret transaction or some shit”, the man had said nonchalantly. Hearing this made Victor shocked, his eyes looked up to the two tall men before him instantly. Inside his head, he wondered if them being here because Big Daddy suspected him of snitching. He started to tremble at the thought, and at the same time, he reached into his pocket to grab his note and pen.

“I didn’t do anything” Victor showed his writing to the two men who both began to laugh. “I thought we told you to relax, it isn’t why we’re here”.

“Then why?” he wrote again. “Big Daddy invited you to come over, so we better head there now. We’ve already kept him waiting quite a while.” The two men then started to drag the tense postman with them.

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Victor was led to a secluded warehouse by the dock, there were a couple of people inside with a kneeling figure in the middle of the building.

“Ah Victor, my favorite postman finally arrived. I’ve been waiting for you” the man with the most intimidating aura of the bunch spoke to greet Victor with a big smile on his face and gestured for him to come closer. Victor offered a small bow and walked up to the man everyone called Big Daddy. Upon getting closer Victor managed to see Big Daddy’s figure and the kneeling man more clearly. Big Daddy’s fist was covered in dark liquid that seemed to gleam beneath the dim light of the warehouse. The kneeling man, Victor realized, was beaten up beyond recognition. His face was swollen and blue, his body covered in gruesome bruises and dark blotches all over. It dawned on him that the dark liquid on Big Daddy was actually the blood of the pitiful man. Realizing it, Victor trembled and stopped in his tracks.

“Do you like what you see Victor? You see, this motherfucker decided to brazenly cross me. The impudence of this good-for-nothing trash is beyond me” Big Daddy said looking at the barely conscious man with eyes full of venom. “Why are you standing there? I told you to come” he again commanded Victor to come closer, and so he did albeit slowly.

In this distance, Victor could see the dying figure much more clearly. Unfocused eyes, disfigured faces, and teeth scatter on the ground giving Victor a rough idea of how much they have endured.

“Look carefully Victor, this is the fate of anyone who dares to defy me” and without warning two gunshots rang, causing him to flinch and close his eyes. After a moment, Victor opened his eyes while his ears still ringing painfully. What greeted him was a horrifying gore.

He was clenching the strap of his back while staring down at the pool of blood when suddenly Big Daddy grabbed him by the hair and pushed his head closer to the horrifying scene. So close that his face almost touched the disfigured corpse. In this close proximity, Victor could even see the cluster of freckles on the man- no, on the corpse’s face, the arch of his brows, the strong jawline, and the color adorned his head that was mostly hidden away by dry blood. Victor trembled violently while trying his best to stay quiet and not to puke, biting the inside of his cheek so hard he tasted iron. The foul smell of blood didn’t help with the dreadful scene before him. At some point Big Daddy let him go and started to lecture his subordinate, Victor couldn’t focus, his mind running too fast that his surroundings became a blur. Due to the apparent ringing in his ears, Victor couldn’t make out exactly what Big Daddy was saying to his underling, something along the line of loyalty if he could guess. At some point, Victor heard Big Daddy’s dismissal so he started to walk away. Just as he was about to go through the door, Victor heard Big Daddy’s advice to his subordinate.

“Find a mute who can speak. That’s someone who can keep a secret”
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It was still dark when Victor suddenly woke up in a cold sweat. Yesterday’s event replayed in his dream causing shortness of breath so he tried to calm his racing heart. “I’m fine, Big Daddy trust me” he said over and over again like a mantra to calm himself. He looked through his window to see that the sun had not risen yet, but he got up anyway thinking that he would not be able to go back to sleep so might as well start his day early. He couldn’t rest well that night, which is apparent by the slight dark circles around his eyes when he looked at himself in the mirror.

“When will this end, I wonder” Victor absentmindedly thought. Although deep down he didn’t mean it, not exactly. In truth, Victor liked to be trusted, he took enjoyment in knowing other people's secrets no matter how mundane it was. It is weird considering Victor is not the type of person who craves human relationships but loves the feeling of being trusted. The thought of another letter to send gives him the energy to walk out of his home. Who knows, maybe today he will find some interesting secrets.
He was about to go out when he remembered. “Wait, last night’s letter!” he hurriedly checks his bag and sighs in relief. Victor is careful with all of his letters, but this one letter is extremely important so he had to make sure he didn't lose it. He took special care in all of the organization’s correspondence. Not wanting to mess up and betray Big Daddy’s trust. He took out the letter, inspecting it for any damage before putting it back into his bag.

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Victor arrived at the post office quite early so the building seemed emptier than usual. He grabbed the letter he was supposed to send and headed out. In the stack of letters in his hand lies secrets that he will pry open. Before getting out of the post office he stuffs the letters into his bag.

In a secluded corner, he took out his trusty butter knife and matches. Making sure that he was in a safe place, Victor lights the match and heats his butter knife slightly. “That should do it” his delicate hand held the knife to cleanly peel open the wax seal of the letter in his hand and took out the content.

Dear Annette

I know I’ve been a horrible brother. The days I’ve neglected you since the day Mother died are inexcusable. However, just give me a little bit more time. I promised you that I will return to you.

I can’t say exactly what I am doing at the moment. But rest assured that after this, not only that I will come back, but I also managed to deliver justice for our parents. Believe me when I say that Father never did those horrible things.

I know that you forbid me to look into the case further. But I have a very promising lead and will get the prove of it soon. I am sorry to not heed your warning but I simply could not rest until the person who condemn our father and killed our mother locked up behind bars.

Wish me luck sister

From your dear brother, James

A tale of vengeance, how exciting, Victor thought while putting the content back into the envelope and reheating the wax seal. After Victor resealed the letter, it looked as good as new and none will be the wiser. He had done this for quite a while so he was pretty confident in his ability. As he had not been found out yet meaning that he did a pretty good job at concealing the evidence of his misdeed. “Hmmm….I wonder what kind of crime their father falsely accused of” he mumbled in his head. “Maybe a money corruption? Illegal transaction?” as Victor kept on questioning the letter he recently read, he opened several more letters before deciding it was time to deliver them. Starting from the letter from James.

“Take a left here and the house should be….there?” in front of the supposed recipient’s house Victor could see several people dressed in black. “A wake?” he thought while hesitantly walking closer to the crowd.
“Excuse me, I’m sorry to bother you but I’m looking for Annette” he wrote in his note and showed it to a lady who seemed the least sad standing just by the door. “Hmmm? Oh, you can find her inside. There’s not a lot of people there so you should find her near the coffin” Victor offered his thanks and went inside to look for the recipients.

Inside the house of solemn and quiet, it seems like the siblings do not have a lot of grieving acquaintances because the house is eerily quiet. Victor found the grieving sister with no difficulties but he was hesitant to give the letter to her so he waited a while before grabbing the woman’s attention with a small wave of his hand and pointing to the letter in his hand.

The woman, Annette, looked at him with empty sunken eyes before directing her gaze to the letter. Reading the name written on it, the lady’s eyes widened in shock and quickly grabbed the letter from his hand and tore it open. Victor was stunned by the sudden movement from the woman and he watched as the woman’s expression turned into that of devastation and started to sob violently. Her sobs were heard, causing several people to crowd the lady and try to console her.

Although the gaze was not directed at him, Victor still felt unease and backed away from the crowd as best as he could. However, away from the crowd he saw the opened coffin and looked at the inside. It was a man Victor presumed was James. His face, albeit pale, looked smooth and peaceful. Victor was about to turn around and leave but something caught his eyes. He saw that man before. That face. It’s the man from yesterday.

Chapter Text

To think that he would send a letter with the senders present right beside the recipient, lifeless, really made him think how twisted fate can be. Victor could only stare at the corpse in the coffin for a little too long before deciding to hurriedly go before anyone could spot him staring creepily at a corpse. He lightly sprinted to the door, scurrying away from prying eyes. Luckily everyone’s attention seemed to be focused on the crying lady near the coffin so he could easily get out. Or so he thought. “Oomf” Just before he got out, he bumped into someone quite harshly and fell on his butt.

He was trying to soothe the sudden pain in his behind before someone spoke to him. “Be careful…this is a wake” Hearing it, Victor looked up to see a man clad in grey staring down at him. The man was wearing a mask so Victor could see his expression and that emotionless eyes did not help whatsoever. After a few seconds, it dawned on him that he was making a scene and that everyone’s attention turned to him.

“Oh god” he thought. The stares, he hated the stares so much. It became difficult to breathe and think, he couldn’t stop trembling. For a second the pain from falling was forgotten and Victor hurriedly stood up and bowed slightly to show his apology before scurrying away from the stares. He was so anxious to leave that he failed to notice his surroundings as all he could think of at that moment was to get away from the stares.

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The man clad in grey was dusting himself when he noticed a letter on the floor. A blank envelope with no address. “Must be the postman’s, hope he’s still not far” he grabbed the letter and headed out to hopefully find the postman. He looked around but failed to spot that bright blonde head anywhere, thus souring his mood. “Don’t tell me I have to go to the post office to return this….what a nuisance” he said to himself, mentally cursing his luck. Not really feeling like going to the post office right away and opted to return it later when he felt like it. He tucked the letter into his pocket “If it’s important then it’s the postman’s fault for being careless”.

“Mr. Carl” a woman’s voice called out to him so he looked back. Aesop mentally cursed himself as yet another disturbance occurred yet he remained professional and turned towards the voice to address it “How may I help you Ms. Parker?” he spoke briefly with no emotion in his tone. The women were still crying, albeit not as intensely as before “I *sniff would like to express my gratitude to you for….’fixing’ my brother….considering the circumstances of his body I never thought that he could look so peaceful….so from the bottom of my heart. Thank you Mr. Carl” she bowed deeply while clenching her hands together.

“It is merely my job as an embalmer” he said curtly. “If there’s nothing else, I would like to excuse myself” Just as the embalmer said that, the woman suddenly looked at him seriously. Her eyes were no longer crying but still wet and swollen. In a shaky voice, she said “Actually Mr. Carl…I would like to talk to you privately. Could you please come with me” Feeling confused, the man just nodded and followed her to a room.

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The woman, Annette, closed the door and muttered a whisper that Aesop could not hear. “Excuse me? I’m sorry but I don’t quite catch that” he said but only met with an awkward silence so he waited until the woman spoke again.

“Mr. Carl….you’ve seen many corpses…haven’t you” Aesop was taken aback by the absurd question. “Of course, I’m an embalmer so I’ve seen quite several corpses in my lifetime” What is she getting at, Aesop wondered.

“So, you’ve seen different kinds of death have you not?” to that Aesop only nodded. “Tell me….the state of my brother's….body, does he look like someone who was in a car accident?” Aesop then realized what she wanted to talk to him about. He thought it was weird, the autopsy that he received stated that James Parker died of a car accident. Yet he saw a bullet wound, messily modified to look like a wound caused by an accident on the body. In addition to the other injuries and bruises on the body, while Aesop is not an autopsy expert, he had seen many corpses and he thought that there was no way that this man died in a car accident. However, he thought that the man was involved in something deep for even the police covered the reason he died. Thus, Aesop was unwilling to ask questions and just did as he was hired to do, embalming the corpse so it was appropriate to be presented in the wake.

“He was a little different compared to the others I’ve seen” he said curtly and before the woman could speak again and make this into a hassle he continued to talk “However, the autopsy report stated that it is due to an accident so it must be true. I apologize but I must be off now, I’ve paid my respect to Mr. Parker so excuse me” without waiting for her to respond, Aesop quickly walks off. Whatever she has going on, if it's not about another embalming project then he fails to see if it's any of his problem. Ms. Parker seemed to say something to stop him but Aesop couldn’t care less, there was still someone he needed to embalm right now so he didn’t want to waste any more time than he already had to.

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It was quite a sunny morning and while he was out Aesop thought that he might as well buy some fresh flowers to decorate the coffin for his newest client. The walk to the florist is quite a relaxing stroll. Despite it being sunny out, there weren’t too many people here. “Hmmm the client did not specify what flower they want….maybe a chrysanthemum just to be safe? Or carnation?” Aesop mumbled throughout his walk to the florist but just before he passed a grocery store he spotted a bright blond hair with the iconic red cap.

“Good timing” he thought while rummaging through his pocket to find the letter he needed to return. If he could return it now then there would be no need to go to the post office so Aesop was hurrying. When he finally took out the letter, however, the postman was already quite far.
“Really? Earlier too, that postman sure is quick on his feet” Aesop started to feel irritated to know that he needed to jog to catch up to the postman and so he did.

Aesop followed the blonde into a park before losing him and by that time he was slightly panting. “Where is he?” really, how could such a small guy be that fast? Aesop likes to think he is relatively fit and exercises regularly to maintain his health, yet he was having trouble catching up. “To think that a single letter can be this much of a nuisance” he grumbled while walking through the park to look for the postman.

It took about 30 minutes of searching before Aesop decided that it was not worth the effort. For all he knew, the postman might not be in the park anymore. With a sour mood, the embalmer decided to leave before hearing a quiet hum. He stopped in his tracks, something about that soft humming sound interested him so he tried to follow the direction of the voice. It was hard as the voice was pretty faint but he managed to find it nonetheless.

The voice led Aesop into a secluded area and in front of his gaze was the blond postman, holding what looked to be a sleeping cat on his lap. On his side were several other cats eating canned fish, a squirrel enjoying a pile of assorted nuts, and a couple of birds pecking bread crumbs on the ground. The picture of the blond stranger basking in sunshine, surrounded by stray animals, with the most serene smile was quite a sight to behold. The postman’s eyes were closed but the small smile was still persistent on his face, while gently stroking the sleeping cat.

Aesop for once, could not look away as he watched the stranger. He looked like someone out of a fairy tale with how the animals seemed to adore him. Aesop met the postman before, several times actually, but he never bothered with him, never paid attention. When Aesop heard the doorbell ring and opened it to see the postman holding out his letter for him with a small smile plastered on his face. Aesop merely took the letter from the blonde’s hold and immediately shut the door. Never once did he show any interest in the postman. However, looking at him right now Aesop couldn’t help but think.

“His face….his smile….he truly has a face made for eternal slumber”

Chapter Text

Aesop had been watching the sun-basked blonde for quite some time now, his initial agenda of returning the letter suddenly lost as he was completely in a daze. Unknowingly however, he stepped forward, wishing to see the sight more clearly. His movement alerted the stray animals and they began to scurry away, this of course, alerted the postman who opened his eyes. Such a shame that those expressions and sweet humming stopped, Aesop wouldn’t mind enjoying it for longer. In fact, he wished for it. Oh, how perfect would it be if Aesop lay him down in a bed of yellow roses, his favorite flower that so happen to be a perfect fit for the postman. Embalming him would definitely be an honor.

Aesop was so lost in his thought that he failed to notice that Victor was eyeing him confusedly with one eyebrow raised. His stares little by little made the blond lad nervous. “Why is he staring at me? Do I have something on my face?” Victor thought while touching his face and tidying up his hair to make sure that he didn’t look silly before standing up and collecting his belongings. Only when Victor started to turn around and walk off that Aesop finally speak. “Wait”

With that Victor stopped his track and looked back, waiting for the creepy man to state what he wanted. “We’ve met in the wake earlier” Aesop reminded which Victor realize that he was the man he bumped into. “Come to think of it I haven’t given him a proper apology” Victor then took out his notepad and wrote an apology for the man he inconvenienced.

“I am deeply sorry for crashing into you sir, and for running off without properly apologizing to you. I hope you are not hurt anywhere” Victor showed his notepad with an apologetic expression. He hoped that the man would be kind enough to forgive him and not charge any compensation for whatever he caused. While Victor was feeling anxious, Aesop was admiring his handwriting. A light and loopy cursive that is nice to look at, definitely different than his barely readable writing that’s for sure. Aesop also noticed that the postman preferred to write rather than speak. Aesop judged that he was not a mute as he heard him humming, so it must be a psychological condition. Something compels this man to deny his own voice. “Really how can this man be more perfect? Not only his face is a literal art but he is also as silent as a corpse” Aesop was ecstatic to find someone he so desperately wanted to embalm. The occasion did not come often after all. So, he has to play his card right, he needed to be close to the postman.

“It’s fine, it’s just an accident. Moreover, I was actually worried for you. That was quite a fall you had back there. Does it hurt?” Aesop rarely plays nice with anyone, but if it’s the postman, he doesn’t mind being a gentleman. Which seemed to work as faint blushes started to adorn the postman's seemingly soft cheeks when he remembered the rather embarrassing accident. Smiling, Victor started to write again. “I’m quite alright, the fall did not hurt that much, thank you for the concern sir.”

“That’s good to hear, wouldn’t want anything bad to happen to our trusted postman”

Hearing the word “trusted” got Victor visibly excited, his eyes shining, blushes becoming more apparent and his smile grew wider, a very sweet sight to behold. Of course, the obvious rise in mood did not go unnoticed by Aesop. Trust….Aesop made a mental note. The postman seemed to give a positive reaction to being trusted, good, this would be useful in the future.

“Your words are too kind Mr. Carl” Victor wrote which made Aesop a little surprised. “You remembered my name” It would be a lie if Aesop said that he did not feel a tad bit happy to be remembered by his muse. However, unbeknownst to him, the reason that Victor remembered him was because Victor found the letters he sent and received were interesting. As an embalmer, Aesop would often encounter many ‘stories’, it is due to his letters that Victor managed to gather information. Who died, who planned the funeral, and how are they planning it. Every request the embalmer receives gives pieces of information regarding the deceased. Were they loved, were they mourned and grieved for, or were they hated and neglected. Usually, if someone gives a very detailed request on the funeral, like which outfit they wanted the deceased to wear, and what flower they wished to adorn the coffin, Victor would assume that they are cherished and adored. On the contrary, the one who was just tossed into the care of the embalmer with little to no personal request was scorned and disliked. The letter also gives information on the household situation. It was always exciting to read and deduce that Victor couldn’t help but look forward to every letter of the embalmer. But Victor can’t tell him that, especially just after the embalmer commended him as the trusted postman. “Yes, I often had been tasked with delivering your letters to the funeral parlor so I remembered the name”, he also loves the name “Aesop” which is the same as the author of his favorite book. Victor found it funny that both “Aesop” managed to give him entertaining stories to read.

“Right….I want to apologize about that” Now Victor was tilting his head in confusion, wondering what the embalmer did that needed his forgiveness for.

“I’ve met you so many times yet I’ve never even bothered to ask for your name. Unfortunately, I would often get too caught up in my work that I fail to ask” he lied smoothly. Before now, never once did Aesop show any interest in the blonde thus never once did he wish to know his name. Now, Aesop felt slight regret.

“Then nice to meet you Mr. Carl, my name is Victor Grantz” He showed him his name with a bright smile. “Victor Grantz” Aesop said in a low almost inaudible voice. The name flowed smoothly out of his lips and Aesop found that he liked the way it sounded.

“Nice to meet you too Mr. Grantz” he smiled through his mask, hoping that the postman could feel his genuine feelings. In response, Victor only nodded, a smile still adorning his small face. How long has he been smiling?

Their interaction is cut short when Victor looks over his watch and realizes that he already wasted too much time than he should. “I’m very sorry but I have to go. These letters won’t deliver themselves” So soon….Aesop found himself not wanting to part just yet but he can’t possibly demand him to stay. Now they are only acquaintance….for now. However, with the mention of letters, Aesop remembered the reason why he chased the postman in the first place.

“Speaking of letters, when we bumped into each other I noticed a letter on the ground. This should be yours” Aesop handed the blank envelope to Victor.

And just like that. The atmosphere became heavy.

Upon setting his eyes on the single letter in Aesop's hand, Victor’s smile falters at once. He had begun to tremble. “This can’t be” he immediately checked his bag and lo and behold….the letter that was supposed to be in his bag, the one that he was supposed to guard more carefully, wasn’t in his bag anymore, it was in the hand of the stranger in front of him. The way Victor acted confused Aesop greatly….the reaction…is way too severe for a mere letter with no address. A letter that supposedly would have to be given back to the post office anyway because of the lack of address. Something is not right. They were having a pleasant conversation just a minute ago. Now Victor looked as if he had seen a ghost, he was pale and letting out a cold sweat.

“Mr. Grantz is something wrong-” Before Aesop could finish, Victor snatched the letter from his hand and ran. “Wait! Mr. Grantz!” Aesop tried to stop him but Victor was too fast. Before long Aesop could not spot that sunny hair any longer.

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“I messed up I messed up I messed up I messed up I messed up” Victor’s mind was loud. Constantly reminding him of his grave mistake. “Did Mr. Carl open it? No, he wouldn’t have, but what if he did? No, why would he?” he then remembered that if Victor opened people’s letters, what was stopping Aesop from doing the same? How can he know that Aesop never opens the letter? Victor couldn’t know the difference when he resealed a letter, how would he know now? He anxiously inspects the letter, looking for any sight that it has been opened before. “But how would I know???” Victor was now visibly panicking. To think of it, Mr. Carl was not a very hospitable person. Victor has seen him talk with someone, even outside of the funeral home. The embalmer was known for his extremely cold demeanor. He has heard people gossip, that not once did the embalmer ever show any sympathy for grieving relatives. So why….did he show random kindness to him?….to someone who inconvenienced him not too long ago. Unless….

Chapter Text

Aesop was dumbfounded, while he admits to himself that he was not the most tactful person, he truly did not know what he did wrong. He was just simply giving back a lost letter, in fact, he thought that Victor would be grateful instead. “No, this won’t do” he can’t let Victor go now when he was already eager to bury him. “I should talk to him again and sort this out” It’s fine, he’s not in a rush, Aesop can just slowly and carefully insert himself into the postman’s life. They met often enough with how often Aesop received letters. Although he was confused as to why Victor suddenly ran off like that. His expression….Aesop finds himself disliking it. It was full of fear, nothing like the serene and gracious look the postman had earlier. Maybe Victor was so dedicated to his profession that he would never want to mess up. But he looked too scared, with cold sweat and heavy tremble. Almost seemed like he held the secrets of the world and was afraid of anyone finding out. Whatever it was, he hoped that their next meeting would go smoothly.

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By now Victor has already calmed down. While it’s true that in the back of his mind, he thought that there was the possibility that Aesop had read the letter secretly, he just has to hope that the content of the letter didn’t contain anything “dangerous” or that the embalmer won’t do anything. Aesop doesn’t seem like a righteous guy from what he had heard, maybe he didn’t care and won’t report it to the police. While Big Daddy has paid off several policemen to do his bidding, there are still several that Big Daddy didn’t get ahold of. Victor tried to get it out of his head. However, Aesop acted so strangely towards him that he just couldn’t relax. Did he want to blackmail him? If so then it’s better than him blabbering Big Daddy’s secret to the police. Deep inside, Victor felt dejected. “I let down my guard” he thought Aesop was sincere with him. From childhood, Victor learned not to trust people. People lie as easily as they breathe….but maybe it’s because Victor was alone for so long, that when the taller man showed him an ounce of kindness, Victor wanted to believe it was genuine.

“Our trusted postman he said…is he mocking me?” Victor sighed, this day just couldn’t get any worse. He needed to focus and so he lightly slapped both his cheek. It was rare for Victor to make mistakes “Maybe it's because I lacked sleep last night…just can’t seem to focus” To get it over with, Victor made his way to the address of the letter that ruined his day.

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Although the address was not directly written in the envelope, Victor knew exactly where the letter needed to go. He arrived at a pretty secluded laboratory on the west side of town. The owner of the laboratory conducted business with Big Daddy quite often. He did not know what exactly the deal was as Victor never took a peek at any of the organization’s letters, it was just too risky. But he was involved enough with them to know several deals. For this laboratory in particular, it was human trafficking. Alive or dead. And maybe some smuggling here and there.

Victor showed his face to the security guard who then opened the gate for him with no questions asked. Normally, all letters were to be given to the security guard, because the laboratory did not allow people in easily. However, Victor was different. His letter was to be handed directly to the owner and so he was given a leeway to enter the premises.

When he got inside, he made his way to the assistant’s office and knocked thrice. It took quite a while before the assistant opened the door to greet him.

“Ah Grantz, haven’t you been here not too long ago. Wasn’t expecting you to be back so soon” the assistant, Mikhail informed me. “Let me take you to Dr. Percy” Mikhail then leads him to see the owner of the laboratory. On the way, Mikhail was making small talk to which Victor only replied with the occasional nod. The way to Dr. Percy’s was quite long and they went through a long corridor and dark staircases before arriving.

“Doctor, another letter from the organization has arrived” he opened the door to let Victor in. It’s not the first time Victor was there, but it never fails to give him chills. The room smelled strongly of chemicals and the presence of dead bodies (maybe alive but what did he know) strapped onto hospital beds creeped him out.

“Tch, what now” the large man, Dr. Percy, was clearly irritated for having his work interrupted. So without further delay, Victor handed him the letter which Dr. Percy immediately shredded open and read.

Victor was about to go when Dr. Percy was shouting and slamming his hand to the table, startling both Victor and Mikhail. “What! That incompetent bastard!” Dr. Percy angrily exclaimed which made Mikhail ask “What happened Doctor?” Dr. Percy was about to answer but then looked at Victor for a second. “What are you still doing here boy! Go wait outside” At that Victor hurriedly got out of the room.

It is no surprise that not many people were fond of receiving Big Daddy’s letter, Victor had experienced people projecting their anger and desperation with Big Daddy’s letter onto him. Sometimes the person would beg Victor to talk and persuade Big Daddy, like he can talk to him in the first place. The begging and crying were fine, Victor could handle it. He might feel sorry for them, but overall, there is nothing that he can do, so most of the time he just left. However, some people can get violent instead. It was quite often too. Whenever that happened, Victor would go home limping and covered in bruises. There were also times when it got really bad and Victor wound up in the hospital with several broken bones or fractures. It made his day significantly harder for him as he couldn’t function properly and thus couldn’t work. Remembering it made Victor anxious. Dr. Percy was big and looked quite buff for a scientist so Victor could only hope that Dr. Percy wouldn’t take out his anger on him. He would hate to be back in the hospital so soon.

Outside, Victor can still hear Mikhail and Dr. Percy talking with the latter sounding louder. “Just how the hell did one measly man manage to get past him?” Dr. Percy asked, bewildered. Victor wondered what had happened. “What should we do Doctor? How did the organization handle the man?”. At the mention of a man, Victor got an inkling of what happened. Yesterday, just after Victor got out of the warehouse, he was given the letter to be delivered. So, it's most likely that Big Daddy did not summon him just to teach him a lesson, but to also give him an urgent letter to be delivered. Likely regarding James Parker, the man he saw in the warehouse. Somehow, that man did something that jeopardized Big Daddy’s business with Dr. Percy. “Probably for revenge,” Victor thought when he remembered James’ letter to his sister. If he remembered correctly, James was talked about following a lead but did not say what lead it was. Maybe right after he acquired what he wanted, he was unfortunately got found out….and finally met his demise.

“The organization has already handled it, but it seems that he was working with someone and they haven’t found them yet so we were asked to stay low for a while….Damn it!” Victor heard Dr. Percy shout again and both he and Mikhail were now arguing about what to do “Just right before the test too”, he heard Mikhail grumble. “Do I need to stay here or….” Victor wondered as he still had many letters to be delivered but he was told to wait and it’s been quite a while now. Thankfully Mikhail emerged from the room with two letters in his hand.

“Grantz, here” he gave him one letter addressed to Big Daddy, “and can you deliver this too, preferably tonight” Victor was given another letter for someone named Andrew Kreiss, Laz Church Cematary. What would a laboratory have a business with the church Victor couldn’t figure out. “Make sure that you deliver it to him in person, and it has to be late at night, he’s the white-haired gravekeeper there” Oh it’s him. He’s got some nasty rumors about him, although Victor can’t say for sure if it's true or not because he never met the guy. “Don’t go inside the church though, you won’t find him in there, he’s always somewhere in the cemetery” Victor nodded and he was escorted out by Mikhail.

“Well, I guess I’ll deliver the normal letters first before heading to Big Daddy….and lastly to Laz Church,” Victor thought before beginning his way to do his job as usual.

----

It was already late afternoon when Victor was done with the post office’s letters, now he was marching to the organization’s headquarters. Victor memorized the way he needed to take in the back of his head due to how often he was there. The place was camouflaged as an ordinary hotel as a front. When Victor needed to get there, he was not allowed to go from the front, instead, he went through a specific path that led him to the near back of the building. There was a metal door with two guards always present.

Both of the guards looked at him and opened the door which Victor went through. The door led to a long and barely-lit corridor with multiple doors at each side. However, there is a metal double door at the end of the corridor that leads to a staircase, which also leads to another similar corridor. When Victor was there for the first time, he thought that it looked like a catacomb with how each wall looked alike and the suffocating feels as if he was lost forever. It took quite a few visits for him to remember the way to Big Daddy’s office. Although now he has no trouble getting there, Victor does not know what each of the rooms are for. Usually, he heard men arguing, machine noises or sounds of TV coming from some of the rooms, but he also heard wailing voices quite often. Regardless, Victor kept on walking despite everything he had heard.

Before he knew it, Victor arrived in front of Big Daddy’s office. He knocked thrice and waited to be let in. “Come” he heard the cue and opened the door to a big and luxurious office, with a large man sitting in the center of the room.

“Victor, what do you have for me boy?” Big Daddy asked after he puffed out a smoke from his cigar. Without further ado, Victor handed him Dr. Percy’s letter which Big Daddy immediately read. “Tch, I take it the mad scientist was not pleased when you delivered my letter right boy” To that Victor could only nod. “To think that some measly motherfucker managed to cause this much trouble in a day….I shouldn’t have killed him so easily, don’t you think so Victor” Now Victor was in distress as he didn’t know how to reply. He didn’t want to make the man angrier than he already looked but he genuinely didn’t know what to do.

While Victor was in his own thoughts, Big Daddy stooped up from his seat and approached him. Victor felt a strong grip on his left shoulder. “If only more people were like you Victor. As silent as a corpse. Then I wouldn’t have to deal with this troublesome thing ever again” Victor was petrified as he felt the grip tighten. He was doing his best to fight back a wince when the grip began to hurt. “Really, people need to learn so shut their mouth” Big Daddy finally said and released his grip on Victor’s shoulder.

“There won’t be any new letters for a while, so you don’t need to come here for a couple of weeks” Victor merely blinked at the news. To think that the problem was that huge for Big Daddy to stay low. “Hah, for a man who never speaks, your expressions really give it away” the large man said while laughing. “Well, since you’re that curious” Victor really wanted to hide his face now. Faint blushes adorned his cheeks and he wondered if he needed to wear a mask to hide his expression. “There’s a dirt mole in our ranks” Yeah Victor figured as much. James Parker must have someone backing him up and giving him the leads. “So before I find out who that mole is I need to be more careful….especially with you” Big Daddy was often friendly with Victor. While his action often terrifies the blond somewhat, the man never shows animosity towards him. So the sudden cold tone terrified Victor immensely. He started to tremble and let out a cold sweat again. Just how many times in a day does Victor need to feel this he doesn’t know. But he couldn’t help to blame fate for the bad luck he’s had today.

Big Daddy seemed to notice Victor's distress but decided to continue with his cold voice. “All of our correspondence, all of our secret, went through you” By now Victor was shaking terribly, hoping that the intimidating man was just messing with him and would be back to his usual self. Victor was taken aback when all of a sudden the man choked him and lifted him up midair.

“If I somehow found out that you run that mouth of yours to anyone, I’ll make sure that you will be begging to die” It hurt, Victor couldn’t breathe, he couldn’t think. The world slowly turns into a blur. “Answer!” Really, how does he think Victor could answer if his hands kept strangling him, cutting the air to his lungs. Fortunately, Victor managed to do a weak little nod and thus he was let go.

‘Thud’ he fell to his knees on the floor, gasping for air while holding his bruised neck. His face flushed and tears came from the corner of his eyes. “Let’s just hope that you’re smart enough to know what’s good for you” Big Daddy simply said while going through his desk to grab an envelope.

Victor was still gasping for air when Big Daddy lifted him up to his feet and started to adjust his uniform and dust him off. “There we go, good as new” he said nonchalantly as if he did not just strangle the poor blond. The larger man also picked up Victor’s hat off the floor and ruffled his hair before putting the hat back on his head. “While it is true that I will be watching you closely, just think of this as a vacation. If you’re not the mole then there is nothing to worry about” The man then handed out a brown envelope to Victor which he received with trembling hands. “Some allowances for my favorite postman, treat yourself to something good. Off you go now” He led Victor outside gently. Victor still doesn’t get what just happened. One moment he was being threatened and then he was given an allowance. Nevertheless, Victor just wanted to get out of there.

Chapter Text

It’s been quite a while but his neck still ache. Those forceful hands did not throttle his airway any longer but Victor still couldn’t breathe properly. It hurts. His throat, his head, it all hurt. The pain had forced Victor to lean against the wall, trying to ease the agony. Accompanied by the rapid thumping of his heart, he slowly dropped to the floor with one hand on his throat and another on his head. It took quite longer than he anticipated but finally, the pain subsided albeit not entirely. “I want to go home….” He couldn’t help the fleeting thought, today was a rough day and he couldn’t wait to just go home, soak in a warm bath, and sleep. Regrettably, Victor still had one letter remaining to be sent, and he had to do it late at night too so Victor couldn’t go home as quickly as he had hoped. It was still early in the evening, so he had several hours to waste. He could go home first to spend time, but his house is quite far from Laz Church and Victor wasn’t sure that he still had the energy to walk the extra miles.

After some consideration, Victor decided that he would just wait by a park bench or something. “It’s fine, tomorrow won’t be this hectic, it’s just for today” With his newfound strength, Victor stood up, his legs still a little bit wobbly, and he was still lightheaded, but he stood up anyway. Fixed his hair and hat, dusted his uniform, and adjusted his satchel. After he deemed himself presentable enough, he started to walk, away from this dark and threatening place. However, he hadn’t taken a lot of steps before he heard his stomach grumbling kind of loud. “Let’s get food first” he thought while blushing, glad to know that nobody heard the sound of his stomach.

-----

Aesop was not able to concentrate on his work at all. His encounter with the blond mute kept on reappearing in his mind. When Aesop remembered what he saw earlier in the morning, his soft blond locks, sweet and serene smile, unblemished and charming face, his silence. It had made the body in front of him and the others before them looking inadequate and unsatisfactory. He let out a sigh, Aesop’s mind was preoccupied entirely with Victor and it had an impact on his job. He should’ve been done or at least about to finish embalming right about now, but it wasn’t even close to finishing. “An all-nighter again it seems….” Aesop had worked tirelessly yesterday, embalming James Parker’s body as quickly as possible despite the horrible state of the deceased. Working throughout the night with no sleep and only accompanied by bitter black coffee. Now that he thought about it, he ran out of coffee beans because of that. Aesop was not eager to go out but just thinking of continuing working without coffee actually made him cringe.

“Let’s get this over with” He took his coat, glove, and scarf. Opening the door to the cold autumn wind, Aesop headed out to buy coffee beans, and some take-out on the way.

-----

The evening air chills him down to his bones “I should’ve put on more layers” Aesop quietly grumbled. The wind was definitely colder tonight, a sign that winter is coming. But he managed to convince himself that it was fine, his workplace was not too far from the grocery store, and he could just grab the coffee quickly, buy some bread or something (he gave up on takeout) and immediately run back home. Or so he thought. When another gust of wind came up, Aesop decided that he couldn’t do it. Scanning for a nearby establishment, Aesop spotted a small restaurant and quickly went inside. Without the cold wind blasting in his face, Aesop welcomes the warmth of the restaurant. He was not the type to dine out, but it’ll have to make do. Luckily, it was a small and quiet restaurant with very few visitors.

A waiter approached him and led Aesop to his seat. However, in the corner of his eyes, he spotted that blond mop of hair that managed to distract him all day long. It was Victor, seated on the lone corner of the restaurant, reading a book with a steaming mug and half-eaten bowl of soup in front of him. He was so engrossed in his book that he failed to notice Aesop staring at him. The grey-haired man was staring for so long that he momentarily forgot that the waiter was waiting for his order.

“Excuse me? Would you like some time to look at the menu?” the waiter had asked him, probably weirded out by how Aesop gawking at another patron. “cough-pardon me, I’ll have a coffee and….roast chicken with mashed potato” Aesop quickly ordered the first thing he saw on the menu to make the waiter leave.

After the waiter told him that his food would arrive shortly, he continued his ‘observation’ of Victor. In his head he was thinking of what book he read, did he like it, what part he liked, what kind of books he read, etc. His head was full of Victor, thinking that if he knew Victor’s preferences he could strike up a conversation with Victor easier, and perhaps even bond with him. It was his goal to get close to the blond man, after all, he couldn’t just ask someone if he could embalm them. Aesop had learned that the hard way. So, it was vital that Aesop learn all he could about the quiet postman.

Throughout his observation (staring), Aesop realized that for a man so quiet, Victor was very expressive. Joy, shock, irritation, relief, touched. Aesop can clearly see it in his face. It was endearing to see and Aesop couldn’t help, but absentmindedly say “cute” only to realize that the waiter had arrived with his order….he hoped that he didn’t just say “cute” out loud.

“Here are your orders, enjoy” the waiter said while putting his order on the table. Aesop just shrugged, realizing that he did not care whether the waiter heard him or not. Thus, Aesop began to eat, while watching Victor’s ever-changing expressions. Feeling content and warmth in his chest despite the coldness of the autumn night.

Chapter Text

The atmosphere of the restaurant was pleasant despite the raging cold on the other side of the wall and Aesop was actually enjoying his time outside of his cave for once. His food was long gone and coffee had been refilled thrice, yet Aesop couldn’t bring himself to go home just yet. By this time, Victor had finished his book but was still taking up a spot in the restaurant. The blonde occasionally looked at his wristwatch and outside the window. “Is he waiting for something?....or someone?” Aesop wondered. As the clock continued ticking, the blond man was visibly tired, his eyes droopy, bobbing his head up and down trying his best to stay awake. This made Aesop wonder why he hadn’t gone home yet. A postman’s job is not supposed to last until the evening, and considering that Victor was already here with a portion of half-eaten food, Aesop concluded that he’s been here for a while now. But why wouldn’t he just come home if he looked that tired? It made Aesop curious.

After half an hour had passed, Victor raised his hand for the waiter. Aesop looked at the time, it was already 9 pm, then he grimaced. He’d spent too much time here and neglected his work, it was supposed to be a quick outing to the store. A sigh escaped his lips, tonight would be a long night, he was sure that he wouldn’t be able to sleep with how much his work piled up. However, his negativity was cut short when he heard the restaurant door open and Victor already went out so Aesop called up the waiter to pay. Hoping to catch up with Victor.

-----

Right after Victor opened the door, his sleepy face was slapped by the frigid wind, instantly waking him up. Victor braced himself for the coldness he had to endure when he looked through the window, but facing this temperature head-on was challenging. He had his coat on, yet the post office-issued coat was proven to be too thin when faced with tonight’s breeze. It took all of Victor’s willpower not to go back inside and order another steaming cup of tea but he had already been there for too long and the restaurant was about to close. Victor looked outside for a second then he moved his feet. It was still a little early for the delivery, but Victor couldn’t wait any longer, he wanted to go home so badly. The postman just hoped that the gravekeeper would be there and he wouldn’t have to wait for him in this weather.

He was not far from the restaurant when he heard his name being called. “Mr. Grantz!” he knew that voice, it was the voice of a man who made his morning filled with anxiety. When Victor looked back, lo and behold, it was the embalmer coming up to him. “Why are you going there? There are only the church and cemetery in that direction” Aesop told him like he didn’t already know, Victor is a postman after all. The grey-haired man looked like he was expecting an answer. However, Victor was wary. In addition to his suspicion of the embalmer this morning, he also felt strange that the masked man met him again out of nowhere. Aesop seemed to see through Victor’s alertness so he tried to explain himself “The restaurant was close to the funeral parlor so I decided to have dinner there, to think that we would meet again” Aesop explained in the hope that Victor did not view him as a stalker (as if he did not just stare at him throughout their time there). Luckily for Aesop, Victor seemed to believe him somewhat, albeit not entirely. Victor then pointed at his bag and mouthed the word ‘letter’ in hopes that the man understood what he meant. “At night? In this weather?” Aesop’s question made them both realize that they were having a conversation in the middle of the frigid weather. Their surrounding was devoid of any human being. Most sane people would carry their conversation inside where it's warm. Both of them were shivering. They looked like idiots.

Victor wanted to say that it was not his business whatsoever, but instead, he raised both of his hands to his mouth and blew. Hoping that his breath could warm his shivering hand. Now not even bother to face Aesop as he was struggling to keep warm. “Should I just run again?” Victor contemplated as couldn’t be bothered to reach for his notebook to write his reply. However, a warm coat was suddenly draped around his shoulder.

“You looked like you needed it,” Aesop said while trying to adjust his coat on Victor to which and latter could only blink in confusion. The coat was warm, way warmer than the low-quality post office-issued coat that Victor had put on. The blond was still silent, still couldn’t comprehend what happened. When Aesop begins to unravel his scarf to put on to him, Victor backs away. The blond was shaking his head and waving his hand, signaling the embalmer that he did not need any of this. Victor then proceeded to take off the coat but Aesop stopped him “If you won’t take the scarf then at least take the coat, my office is nearby so I’m fine” Aesop explained as he readjusted his coat on the shorter man. “You still have a letter to deliver and you were shivering so much” Aesop added. Victor could only stare at him, confusion and guilt present in his eyes, he clearly felt bad for taking his coat when he saw that the embalmer was also shivering. Before Victor could refuse again, however, Aesop started to walk away, he said “Just take it” before bringing up his pace and leaving the blond man.

Victor was confused as to why he did that. The way he draped the coat over him, the way he adjusted it felt so kind, so gentle. Victor didn’t understand why the embalmer was this nice to him today. Before today, Aesop had never acknowledged Victor. He would take the letter in Victor’s hand and slam the door in his face, never once did he say thank you to the postman, and never once did the embalmer spare as much as a glance.

The quiet man inspected the coat the embalmer lent him. It was a little bigger on him, the sleeves went past his wrist and covered most of his hand. The coat was comfy and had the lingering warmth of its owner. Now Victor didn’t feel as cold as he was feeling earlier. It was nice, he thought. The blonde had been worried about being exposed to this cold wind for too long but now he was feeling more confident. Thus, the walk to Laz cemetery wasn’t so bleak anymore.

Throughout his walk, Victor wondered about ways to repay the kindness Aesop had given him today. Whether the embalmer approached and helped him with an ulterior motive or not, a good deed is still a good deed in Victor’s book.

Without realizing it, Victor was skipping throughout the journey. Feeling warm despite his long day and the cold wind. Unbeknownst to him, however, a certain pair of eyes from the alleyway were locked onto him. Watching from the shadows.

Chapter Text

With the extra layer of coat providing the postman the much-needed warmth, he strolled through the street merrily despite the chilly weather. “I should write him a letter to show my gratitude,” Victor thought while smiling. Despite being a mailman, Victor never writes anyone a letter except to his uncle. Furthermore, his letters to his uncle were brief and purely out of formality. While Victor doesn’t have a close relationship with him, he puts a roof over his head and food on his plate. So tried his best to maintain communication and show his gratitude by checking in on him, asking how were things, and sending parts of his salary to help the old man. Despite the annual letter he sent, never once did Victor receive a reply. Besides his uncle, Victor had nobody else, thus the idea of sending someone else a letter excites him.

Victor was completely emersed in the idea of writing a letter, thinking about how he would word his thoughts out on paper so that the embalmer could feel his appreciation. He was deep in his own head, thinking of phrases when he finally arrived at Laz Cemetary. The graveyard was quiet and solemn in the day, but at night, it was eerie and gloomy. Victor gulped before coming in, it was the first time he visited the cemetery at night and he couldn’t say he enjoyed it.

The garden lamp provided little help with lighting the darkness of the cemetery. Victor kept scrunching his eyes trying to see through the darkness, walking slowly and carefully so as to not bump into any tombstone. The cemetery was vast and Victor wondered where could the gravekeeper be. It felt like he was walking for hours despite it not being that long in reality yet he saw no sign of any living things. He was growing tired and cold….and scared. He couldn’t help but jump at the slightest noise or movement from the bushes. He was not scared of ghosts….or so he thought. Needless to say, Victor was alone most of the time so darkness never bothered him. But when you’re in the cemetery at night….alone, the mind wanders. Suddenly out of the blue, he remembered those horror stories he recently read…. the story his roommates shared when it was lights out….and the story of people who “saw” a mysterious figure in the graveyard. Just when Victor needed to be brave, his brain decided to relive all the frightening tales he knew of.

“Stop it brain!” he tried but to no avail, his overactive imagination ran wild. Suddenly, he was hyperaware of his surroundings and he heard it….the sound of footsteps and something dragging through the dirt. Victor was petrified. It was behind him. Getting closer and closer. He wanted to run but his legs won’t move. The footsteps were getting so close to him that he could hear ragged breath and Victor could feel some tears forming in his eyes. He was too scared that he couldn’t move an inch so he just shut both his eyes shut. Hoping for whoever or whatever that is to leave him alone. But the footsteps only grew closer. Victor clenched his palm and teeth, bracing for something. Without him knowing, a pale and rugged hand reached out to him slowly. When those hands finally touched his shoulder, the postman jumped and let out a silent scream then went down to fetal position while closing both his ears with his eyes still closed tight.

“A-are you okay” he heard someone say hesitantly. It took quite a while for Victor to brace himself and calm his racing heart. He slowly looked behind him to see a ghostly white figure clad in black. One blood-red eye staring down at him. The first thing Victor thought was a ghost. The very thing he refused to believe was standing right in front of him, Victor felt like passing out. Luckily the ‘ghost’ seemed to know what happened in Victor’s head so he reassured him albeit aggressively. “Hey! Why are you looking at me like that? Thought I was a ghost or something?” the ghostly man then clicked his tongue “Tsk, just because I’m pale you thought I was a ghost?”

Realizing that what he was seeing was no supernatural entity and that he just offended a real-life man, Victor stood up and tried to apologize. Which was hard for him as he couldn’t speak. Victor shakes his head and reaches out to grab his notepad. Quickly he wrote “I’m deeply sorry if I offended you, I didn’t mean to. I was just scared due to being alone in this dark place” and showed it to the pale man. Which proves to be a bad idea. The white-haired man scrunched his eyes and leaned closer to Victor. “Too close,” Victor thought as he was beginning to feel uneasy. “Tch can’t read shit in this light” Hearing it Victor was in distress as he can’t communicate if the other people couldn’t read what he wrote, so he tried to sign. Which judging by the pale man’s confused face, signing is no good either. Feeling dejected, Victor slumped his shoulder. “Just say it directly! What are you? A mute?” the man said and when he received no reply and Victor could only look down, crestfallen “Wait-are you really a mute?” The pale man asked suddenly feeling bad. “sigh….sorry….I guess” Victor could only nod in reply to the man’s hesitant apology.

They were quiet after that exchange and the air grew awkward quickly as both of them couldn’t say anything, seemingly not used to communicating with other people. “Cough” The unknown man cleared his throat seemingly had enough of the awkwardness so he began to speak. “A-anyway, why are you here? Nobody usually visits the cemetery around this time” Victor then remembered what he came here for. He looked through his satchel to grab Dr. Percy’s letter. Victor then looked back at the man. White hair….shovel, the man seemed to be Andrew Kreiss, the cemetery’s grave keeper. Feeling that he found the right man, Victor handed the letter to him.

Seeing the letter in the blond’s hand, the grave keeper won't even bother to try and read the envelope. Instead, he motioned Victor to follow him and so he did. Victor wondered why and where the man was taking him. Both of them walked for a little while until they were both under a garden lamp. Victor then remembered that it was too dark for the man to read and handed the letter to him again which this time the man accepted. He took the envelope a little close to his face and read “For me?” he mumbled then looked back at Victor “Why would a postman send a letter this late at night?” he said accusingly as if he was interrogating Victor. As a reply, Victor wrote “Dr. Percy” a little large on his notepad, and showed it to Andrew. “Wait so you’re….Big Daddy’s pet-errr I mean messenger….” Andrew tried his best to save it but Victor already heard. In fact, he heard it a lot. When he delivered the organization’s letter, the recipient would sometimes throw derogatory terms at him. One of them is that he was Big Daddy’s or the organization’s pet, doing everything for them obediently without any questions. Unfeeling towards the victim and just blindly following orders like a good pet. Victor himself couldn’t refute it. Although it still stung whenever he heard it. Big Daddy always called him his favorite messenger and he prided himself on it so he tried not to mind those words too much. But it still lingers in the back of his mind, occasionally reminding him that they were just using him and when they’re done using him….

Seeing Victor lost in thought, Andrew quickly snapped him back to reality “Your business here is done now right? Best get out of here then” Andrew practically shooed the blonde away, seemingly not wanting to stay in the awkward atmosphere any longer. Victor could only smile apologetically and nod before turning his back to part ways with the grave keeper. Unfortunately, however, the darkness and the unfamiliarity made Victor unable to spot the exit. “Which way did I come in from again?” he tried to remember. All he could see were the countless gravestones that adorned the land and he couldn’t see very far as it was not only dark but also foggy. Under the unfortunate circumstances, Victor could only gulp and hope for the best. He might be a little lost along the way, but he’ll surely find the gate eventually….he hoped.

Seeing that the postman taking too long to scram, Andrew sighed and walked past him. Before he could get too far from Victor, the pale man looked back and motioned Victor to follow him. “Come….I’ll show you out” To that, Victor was silent for a moment before smiling brightly in gratitude and striding towards the grave keeper cheerfully. While it was dark, the grave keeper could see the smiling face quite clearly. He looked at the curved lips and seemed to be lost in thought, unable to remember the last time someone smiled at him like that. It felt foreign to the lonely grave keeper who mostly receives disgusted stares and insults. Seeing a genuine smile full of life directed towards him….he liked it.

“What are you smiling for….” The taller man said in a quiet voice, barely audible to the shorter man. Victor looked up to him with a confused stare as if asking the other man what he had said. But Andrew merely dismissed him by looking away, a single “nevermind” escaped his lips

The two of them walk in silence. However, unlike the previous awkwardness, the silence was enjoyable to both of them. Despite the grim place and the cold air, it was nice. So, without even noticing it, they arrived at the cemetery’s entrance.

Andrew stood still inside the graveyard while Victor stepped outside and looked back at the pale man. In this light, Victor could see Andrew more clearly. Pale and scared face, long white hair, red eye, calloused and firm hand, hunched back. It’s the first time Victor saw a person that pale before. He heard rumors of the grave keeper’s appearance before. Many people called it an illness so they stayed away from him. Saying horrible things about how he was contagious, cursed, about how he is a monster. Some even claimed that he killed his own mother. Looking at him now, Victor remembered just how awful people’s words can be. All Victor sees in front of him is just an ordinary man, just like anybody else albeit a little paler than the norms.

Feeling the blonde stare at him, the albino man hunched his back and tried to hide his face with his hair. Looking as if he was trying to hide….as if he was ashamed. “I know….I look….j-just don’t look at me….” The man’s stutter made Victor realize that he had made him uncomfortable so he quickly averted his gaze and smiled apologetically at him. “….Just go….” Was his only reply.

Before walking away, Victor began to write again. “Thank you for seeing me off! I hope we see each other again someday” he showed his writing to the taller man while giving him the same bright smile as earlier. Slowly, Andrew peeked over to read it and looked at the blonde’s smile, savoring it for one last time before nodding and turning his back. Victor could only watch him go deep inside the cemetery until he could no longer see the man’s silhouette.

Chapter Text

Aesop was miserable. He had worked two days in a row without rest. He couldn’t even drink any coffee last night because he failed to buy some. His eyelids felt so heavy, his eyes kept on twitching and his head was killing him. He wondered why. Aesop remembered that it was not the first time he had not been able to sleep for two days, yet this time it felt like he was dying. After a particularly heavy sneeze, Aesop questioned “Did I catch a cold?”. He remembered last night’s event. Looking back, giving away his primary protection against the cold air was not the brightest idea. Aesop couldn’t say he regretted it though. It was a necessary sacrifice to mend the horrible first interaction he had with Victor. At least, now he gave a good impression to the postman. So, if it means that he’ll have to endure runny nose and constant sneeze for a while, he’ll just have to bear with it.

The sleep-deprived man looked back at his work and squinted his eyes, his vision blurry and unfocused. Thinking that maybe some light might help him see, he slowly walked up to a window and opened the curtains. Bad idea. Just after the sunlight had greeted him, his eyes stung uncontrollably and the aching in his head grew spontaneously. The sunlight was by no means harsh yet it managed to damage the sleep-deprived man. He groaned and closed the window as quickly as he could. His eyes felt dry and sting and the sudden exposure to brightness managed to intensify his headache. The poor man shied away from the window and tried to alleviate his pain by lightly massaging his temple. He wasn’t given enough time to do it for long though as he heard the doorbell ring. The loud sound irritated him.

Aesop wanted to curse.

He staggered towards the door while still clutching his head, fully intent on giving whoever poor souls stood on the other side of the door a very hostile glare.

Aesop rashly opened the door, forgetting that his eyes were still sensitive which caused him to shield his eyes with his arm. “Tsk” By now his irritation grew. He shielded his eyes for a while, letting his eyes get used to the brightness before slowly lowering his arm to finally see who was in front of him.

He didn’t expect it to be this quick for them to meet again. In front of him was a person radiating with light, but this time, the light didn’t hurt his eyes. In fact, the presence acted like a serotonin boost to the weary man. His earlier sulky mood was replaced with adoration once he was basked in the presence of his recent muse.

“Mr. Grantz….I didn’t expect to see you so soon” His voice came out hoarse and croak. Aesop cringed at the sound of his own mouth and cough to soothe his dry throat. In addition to his ragged appearance and the dark circles of his eyes, Aesop looked like a sick man in Victor’s eyes. This made the blonde postman frown in guilt, fully believing that he was the cause of the embalmer’s current state of health.

Victor clenched the strap of his satchel while pursing his lips, looking like he wanted to convey something before pulling out his notebook and writing. “Are you feeling alright Mr. Carl” he showed to the undertaker. “What-no-” Before he could finish Victor showed him his notebook again. “This man writes very fast” Aesop thought before reading the notebook again.

“I am truly sorry! It’s my fault for using your coat even though you should’ve needed it” The poor postman truly looked remorseful with his glistening eyes and shrinking in shame to make himself smaller than he already is. “It’s fine….please Mr. Grantz, you don’t need to look like that. It was me who willingly gave it to you so you don’t have to feel bad” Aesop tried to reassure the postman, yet to no avail, Victor was still unconvinced but didn’t press on the matter further. Instead, he slowly handed a letter to the embalmer with a shaky hand, looking very nervous. “For me?” Aesop took the single envelope out of his hand and inspected it.

His name was written in a very beautiful cursive and to his surprise, the envelope gives off a faint scent of vanilla and cinnamon. “Was it the wax?” Aesop thought before being interrupted. “I wanted to convey my gratitude to you, Mr. Car. So I decided to write you a letter” Victor did? The letter was from Victor? For him? After processing the situation, Aesop felt ecstatic that he quickly yet carefully opened the wax seal.

Seeing his letter was going to be read in front of his presence sent the postman into a spiral of anxiety. He wanted to stop the embalmer from opening his letter but it was too late. Aesop already pried the letter out of the envelope and began to read it right then and there. Victor reaches out to grab it but Aesop quickly evades his hands and moves the letter out of the postman's reach(while also surprised at his own sudden fast reflex). Aesop then read the letter thoroughly, unbothered by the distressed muffle Victor let out.

----

Dear Mr. Aesop Carl

The coldness of last night caught me completely off guard, so I donned only a simple coat and nothing else. When I walked out of the restaurant that night, I admit I was in distraught by the cold.

However, you took me by surprise when you suddenly reached out to me and wordlessly put your coat on me. Despite the shivering air, I managed to stay warm thanks to your compassion.

I wanted to convey to you exactly what I thought through this letter as I am not very good with face-to-face communication. Thus, I am writing this letter to show you my utmost gratitude for the kindness and selflessness that you have shown me.

It had made me contemplate our meeting before last night. I had shown a bad side of me to you. I shouldn’t have run off and left you without an explanation or a simple goodbye. For that, I deeply apologize and hope that you will forgive me. It was shameful of me to treat you like that when you have only shown me kindness so far.

I wanted to repay you for your goodwill to me in any way possible. If there’s something that I can give or do for you, please don’t hesitate to tell me. As long as it’s in my capabilities, I will do my utmost best to assist you.

Sincerely, Victor Grantz

-----

By now Victor gave up trying to get his letter back and was playing with his hand while looking down instead. He was fidgeting and restless. Once in a while, he stared up to look at the reading man. Trying to discern any indication of emotion on the embalmer. It was hard due to the surgical mask covering the man’s face. As a postman, Victor loved to see people’s reactions when receiving a letter from him, so being unable to see what kind of face the embalmer was giving kind of disappointed the blonde. In addition, it was the first letter he ever wrote so deep down Victor was eager to see any reaction despite being too nervous.

He waited for the embalmer to finish reading and felt like hours had passed even though his wristwatch indicated that it’s only been around 10 minutes

After what seems like forever, Aesop finally folds the letter back and puts it inside the envelope again. The gesture looked so delicate, making it look as if the letter in his hand was the most precious thing in the world. The taller man stared at the letter in his hand one last time before facing the blond postman yet again.

Chapter Text

From all the responses Victor thought he would see, he never expected it. Throughout their numerous encounter, the embalmer never shows his face fully. It was always hidden behind a surgical mask, making the man seem unapproachable. However, after keeping the letter safe, the embalmer’s hand suddenly reaches up to his face. Those hands who delicately handled Victor’s heartfelt letter before were now slowly taking off the embalmer’s mask, fully revealing the face behind.

At that moment, Victor saw a smile. A smile so small and composed. However, despite that, Victor could see the pure adoration in the other’s eyes. It had made him giddy and warm. It was the first time Victor ever felt this way and it excites him.

“Thank you, Mr. Grantz….for the letter. I can feel your sincerity through the thoughtful words you have written and I have to say….this is the first heartfelt letter I have ever received. So from the bottom of my heart, thank you” It was a lie. There were times when family members would send him gratitude letters like this, for embalming a loved one to be as ‘alive’ as possible for a ceremony. But he didn’t need to tell Victor that.

Victor blushes madly at Aesop’s compliment. To think that the letter he wrote managed to elicit this kind of response had made him flustered. The postman figured that by now he must’ve looked red as a tomato so he tried to hide his face with his fringe and looked down on the ground.

Seeing the way Victor tried his best to hide his blushed face made Aesop let a small chuckle which prompted the mailman to turn away from the embalmer completely. Aesop felt it was a shame to cover up that kind of face, but the more he thought about it, he was glad Victor couldn’t see his face now. Aesop couldn’t trust himself to maintain the kind and approachable façade he tried his best to do. Thus the postman was unaware of the predatory gaze in front of him.

“By the way, Mr. Grantz” Aesop called out after he was certain his ‘real’ face remained hidden, “you said in your letter that you’re willing to do something for me” To that, Victor slowly turned towards the grey-haired man again, face not as red as before. The blond man then nodded and looked at him expectantly yet a little nervously. He didn’t know what Aesop wanted and he knew full well that there was not much that he could do. So Victor prayed that the embalmer’s request would not be too outrageous.

“I think it’s a bit presumptuous of me to ask this of you” Victor gulped nervously scared of the embalmer’s demand. In his head, Victor already accounted for a couple of situations. However, he couldn’t help but be surprised when Aesop finally told him his desire. Victor truly hadn’t thought of it.

“I wanted to be your friend….if you would have me of course. I don’t want to force you to do something you don’t wish to do” The statement had left the blonde dumbfounded. The request was…. incredibly easy. Too small that it made Victor pause and think. From all the embalmer could’ve asked of him, he chooses to be his friend. To make sure, Victor began to write. “Are you sure?”

“Why wouldn’t I be sure?” Aesop asked

“There must be something else you want. If it’s not too outrageous I believe I can do it”

“Haha….is it that hard to believe that I just wanted to be friends with you”

Well, Victor was dumbfounded yet again. People tend to leave him alone and never give him any mind. At school up until now, nobody bothered to reach out to him. He was mute after all. Most people told him he was a hassle to talk to. He had friends….well more schoolmates now that he thought about it. They were around him just because circumstances forced them to. Never once did anyone talk to him out of necessity and obligation. So it made Victor wonder why in the world would Aesop want to be friends with him of all people.

Seeing Victor took too long to answer, Aesop continued to speak.

“You….don’t want to?” the undertaker quietly said. In his head, he thought that maybe he was too fast in his approach. He tried his best to be the kind of person everyone liked just for Victor. But seeing Victor's hesitancy of being friends with him, made dark memory to slowly resurfaced. Was it a mistake to ask? Nobody wanted to be his friend before so he didn’t know what gave him the audacity to ask of it to Victor. He was beginning to see red. Scratched writing begins to cover the blonde’s darkened face.

“FREAK”

It was hard to breathe, yet Aesop tried his best to maintain composure. He wanted to scream “Leave me alone” so badly but he knew. It was just a bad memory. He is an adult now, and not the pathetic and helpless child he used to be. He knows. He knows yet the memory still replayed in his mind over and over again, paralyzing him. He was now back in his school uniform inside a cramped and dark locker, banging on the door and begging to be let out. But the door won’t budge….the door won’t budge the slightest. He felt the metal wall slowly crushing him alive and he could hear laughter. Mocking him. The laughter was heard all around him and it was loud. He wanted to cover his ear but the way the walls crushing him so tightly, it was impossible. He couldn’t move, he couldn’t breathe.

Suddenly, the door abruptly opened. Showering the dark and cramped space full of light. He could see the familiar mop of blond hair he recently adored.

And he was back.

------

Apparently, Aesop became too quiet which concerned Victor. When Victor saw the dark and gloomy look on Aesop, he panicked thinking that he offended the embalmer by taking too long to answer. So, he tried to grab his attention. He wrote and he waved but the embalmer was still unresponsive. Victor tugged his sleeve lightly, but it didn’t work. Thus, he tugged harder, still not working. “Should I slap him awake?” Victor intrusively thought but quickly shook his head. The temptation was still there though and his hand grew itchy wanting to slap some cheeks. Thankfully, common decency won over his intrusive thought so Victor chose to tug even harder, almost pulling the embalmer’s arm. And it worked! Aesop was suddenly jolted awake (Victor tried not to think of how disappointed he was for not being able to slap someone).

The suddenness had made the embalmer to be a little disoriented, but he was visibly staring shockingly at Victor which made the postman grow nervous. “He couldn’t know that I wanted to slap him just now….right?” he questioned in his head while looking away from the embalmer’s gaze, silently hoping that the embalmer didn’t have telepathic or mind-reading capabilities.

“But why is he staring so intently?” the stare made Victor even more nervous, he thought that maybe Aesop was still in his head so he tugged his sleeve again, gently this time.

“O-oh sorry….I spaced out didn’t I?” Victor only nodded. “It seems that the lack of sleep slowly catching up to me….again, I apologize” Aesop added and Victor only smiled and shook his head, signaling that it was fine and he didn’t need to apologize. Aesop breathed in relief but it was short-lived as he remembered his demand.

“And the….friend thing….maybe I was getting ahead of myself-” Aesop tried to salvage what he could but Victor cut him.

“I would love to be friends with you Mr. Carl!” written on his notebook.

“….Really?”

Victor opened the next page of his book to show a pre-written page. “He must’ve already written his answer when I spaced out” Aesop concluded.

“But it hurt my conscience to be repaying your kindness with something as small as that” Aesop wanted to argue. Being friends was the only thing he wanted but before he could voice his opinion, Victor turned on a new page with another writing already on the paper.

“So, I propose that we be friends naturally. You can take your time to come up with something that you truly want and you can just tell me whenever you figure it out!” Victor smiled sweetly while he was presenting his writing to Aesop, and he couldn’t help but feel something fuzzy in his stomach. He couldn’t understand how he managed to be more in love with that smile. It strengthened Aesop’s resolve. Someone this bright and pure should not be spending his time in this wretched world. At first, Victor just wanted to embalm Victor due to how he looked. But now, Aesop was convinced that Victor would be happier in the afterlife. And he wanted to make him happy. But not now, he had to wait and let Victor live for just a little while. Let him be happy in both life and death.

“Yes….I like that idea very much” Aesop answered with a smile to which Victor nodded eagerly, still with the sweet beaming smile of his.

“If we’re friends now, does that mean I can call you….Victor?” Aesop saw how elated Victor had become, it was lovely to see Victor bouncing happily.

“Yes you can, Aesop” It was just a simple act as a friend, yet it meant the world to Aesop. It was the first time since his mother for someone to refer to his name this fondly.

Both of them looked at each other for quite a while, both smiling at each other.

“So….Victor, it seems like it's lunch hour….care for lunch together?” Aesop bravely asked. It was the first time he ever asked someone out on lunch so he was a bit unsure of what to plan but he couldn’t let this good mood go to waste.

Before answering Victor seemed to think first while looking at the embalmer up and down. “Maybe not today” he showed to the embalmer.

“Was it too fast?” Aesop thought, brown furrowed in contemplation which Victor picked up on.

“You looked like you needed to rest” he showed again. This comment made Aesop remember the state he was in and cringed at himself.

“Yes….you’re right….it looks like I’m in no state of going out at the moment” he chuckles lightly.

Not knowing what else to say, Aesop figured that if it was time to say goodbye….begrudgingly. But suddenly Victor started to write again so Aesop waited patiently for him to finish.

“Because you got sick for my sake, I’ll take care of you for the day!”

“Really? You don’t need to do that though….you always seemed so busy. Just yesterday, you had to deliver letters until late at night”

“It’s fine, it was a one-time thing and I am not as busy as I was yesterday” Victor lied smoothly, he couldn’t say that his biggest patron, the mafia, was growing suspicious of him so they laid him off temporarily. To stop the embalmer from asking him any more questions Victor quickly writes again.

“I just have a couple of letters left to deliver and then I will be back” and he marched off, not leaving any room for the embalmer to refuse.

Chapter Text

Victor has been running around delivering letters as fast as he could. He didn’t have that many letters for today so he should’ve been able to take it easy. However, he was determined to help out his new friend so he tried to finish his job early, even if it meant getting a little out of breath. During his deliveries, the blonde kept on thinking of what he should do as it was the first time he ever got to take care of a sick friend.

“He looked like he hadn’t eaten yet…so maybe I should buy something easy to eat? Hmm…will a porridge be all right? Or maybe soup is better? Oh! What about fruits? But what kind of fruits?” Countless ideas kept on popping in his head, but rather than helping him, it made Victor even more unsure of what to do. He tried to remember his sick day but unfortunately, nothing helpful came up. He was always alone after all. Whenever he was sick, his uncle just gave him some medicine and that’s it. He still needed to feed himself as his uncle never really cooked him anything besides stocking up on canned food that Victor needed to prepare himself if he wished to eat. It was better when he got sick in school because there were nurses who would take care of him. But the nurse’s treatment was kind of similar to his uncle's. They would give him medicine and leave a cold porridge and a glass of water on his bedside table, and then they were gone most of the time.

As time passed and Victor had just delivered his last letter, he grew nervous. The reality of his inability to take care of someone has dawned on him.

“Am I qualified to take care of anyone?” he murmured dejectedly. He wanted to back away but unfortunately, he already promised Aesop….confidently in fact. Just how can he gather up that much confidence to promise something he never does astounded himself.

However, after much consideration. Victor decided to just wing it as he goes like he always has. Nobody taught him how to be the secret messenger of a gangster group yet here he was. With his newfound determination, he marched on to the drug store.

“Bark!” a small French Bulldog suddenly appeared and pounced on his leg playfully. It’s tiny paw hugging him tight with tongue hanging and tail wagging affectionately. The large round eyes and smushed nose made the dog look extremely cute in Victor’s eyes. The aspiring postman then kneeled down to give the adorable bulldog a well-deserved scratch behind the ear. Pleased with the attention, the tiny dog barked and licked his hand before rolling on the ground and presenting their tummy.

“Haha….do you want a belly rub? Here’s your belly rub” Victor spoke ever so quietly, a voice no one but himself was able to hear. Being rubbed in the stomach, the dog began to relax and let out a satisfied woof. It was short-lived however, as Victor suddenly heard an unfamiliar voice behind him.

“He seems to like you a lot” Hearing it, Victor immediately stopped rubbing the dog’s belly and stiffly stood up straight. An action which displeased the dog as it began to push his snot against his leg, trying to get the postman’s attention again.

“Woah woah! Relax! You don’t need to be so alert, I won’t do anything” said the man. Victor could only look down while facing the man, intending to apologize and be on his way.

“Hmm….I’m apparently in luck; I’ve been looking everywhere for you….Mr. Victor Grantz right?” Hearing his name being called out, Victor looked up to face the man in front of him. He was a middle-aged….wearing a police uniform.

A Police is looking for him.

Instantly, Victor grew nervous. Cold sweat starting to form. “Is he with Big Daddy?...or not?” the question raging in his head. If he is a police under Big Daddy’s influence Victor shouldn’t be in any trouble. If not, however, things will get complicated.

Seeing Victor stood still as a statue, the man began to speak “I came to find you just to ask a few questions….I hope that you’ll cooperate”.

That simple sentences sent Victor’s head in a spiral. “He’s onto me,” he thought as he tried to do his best poker face. “Relax…relax…just relax….it’s okay….it’ll be okay just please….stop trembling!” he kept on chanting in his head, all while trying to get his hand to stop trembling. However, it seems that he didn’t do a very good job concealing his anxiety when the dog on his feet began to look up at him and whimper, seemingly able to sense his uneasiness.

“Now this place is hardly appropriate to hold a conversation, so how about we sat down with some coffee? There’s a good place 5 minutes from here that I recommend” Victor didn’t even need to think twice, he had to refuse. While the police himself is dangerous, it’ll be even more dangerous if Victor gets caught talking to a cop and to be frank, Victor is more scared to anger Big Daddy than the police. So he frantically writes to turn down the offer.

“I’m deeply sorry but I’m quite busy at the moment so if you’ll excuse me, I need to be going” he showed up and started to walk away but was stopped by the officer immediately.

“Then let’s talk here, it’ll be quick. I just want to ask a few questions for today and we can continue the rest another time” the man said while grabbing Victor by the arm so he couldn’t escape.

Feeling lost and didn’t know what to do while a cop grabbed him by the arm, Victor slowly nodded and accepted the reality of the situation he got himself into. All while silently praying that he wouldn’t get into any trouble.

“Thank you for the cooperation Mr. Grantz” thanked the man while Victor could only mumble “As if I had a choice” silently in his head.

“Now since you’re busy, I’ll get to the main point. Are you familiar with a man called ‘Big Daddy’?” There it is. In an instant, Victor knew what it was all about. The organization has drilled it in his brain that under no circumstances he is allowed to speak anything related to Big Daddy and the organization if he wishes to be alive. So Victor immediately shakes his head in denial. An action which visibly displeased the older man greatly.

“There’s no use to deny it Mr. Grantz. You’re the infamous mute messenger correct? You’ve worked directly under Big Daddy’s order. Dealing with all of the critical and sensitive information of the organization” the man accused to which Victor only denied again with a shake of his head. Making the law enforcer frustrated.

“I know you are Mr. Grantz, if you keep denying it I’ll have you arrested for aiding and abetting-” Before the man could finish, Victor showed his notebook which wrote “Proof?” a simple word that silenced the law enforcer quickly. Victor knew that he had no proof, otherwise he would’ve arrested him on the spot. All his dealings were done as secretly as possible, and all the police Big Daddy bought over made sure that no record and traces of Victor being the organization's messenger would ever be brought to light under any circumstances. Which means that the officer in front of him had gotten an insider information but it was only a hearsay and not a concrete proof. It seems that there was really a mole in the organization.

Feeling that he couldn’t get anything out of Victor, the officer finally sighed in defeat. “All right….fine….” he sounded exasperated.

Victor bowed a little and turned around to leave but was stopped by the tiny dog who was still hugging his feet with its tiny legs. Victor felt guilty for getting the whimpering dog off him, wishing that he could continue to rub its belly instead of parting.

“His name is Wick,” the officer said “It seems like you’re a good guy Grantz, it’s extremely rare for Wick to get this attached to a stranger….well that or maybe you’re just great with animals”
“The latter, obviously” Victor thought as he never considered himself as good, otherwise he wouldn’t take on this unsightly job. But being told that an animal liked you especially, made him somewhat happy to know. Victor then decided to give Wick a last scratch behind the ears before he said his goodbye.

Looking at the blond guy playing with his dog happily, the older man couldn’t help but give him a lecture “Be careful boy” Victor looked up at the man confused at the sudden concern “You’re dealing with dangerous men who will do anything to get what they want….at the end you’re just a tool for them” hearing it Victor was quiet for a while, profusely contemplating on the advice he just got before replying.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about”

----

Aesop was frantically cleaning his place. He was quite busy these past few days so he couldn’t have the time to clean. Be that as it may, his place was not really messy to begin with. At the core Aesop is a meticulous and neat person, so his place was never anything but tidy. He himself knew it, but he couldn’t help but try his best to make everything spotless. It was because Victor would visit. If it were any other person, Aesop just couldn’t care less. He was always presentable and professional anyway, so he never had any reason to clean maniacally like he did now. He shouldn’t have done it though. He realized that his head and body had grown significantly heavier since this morning and now he even has trouble walking straight.

He clenched his jaw when another wave of pain went through his head “Ugh….I need to rest” As he was about to sit down, the door rang abruptly.

“He’s here already?” checking his surroundings, the grey-haired man concluded that he’d done a decent enough job and the place seemed spotless. But right after he got up and walked towards the door, he came across a mirror and cringed to himself. He looked significantly worse than he did this morning. He thought to himself that he should focus on making himself presentable instead of cleaning. Not that it matters now because Victor was already at his door and he didn’t want to make the postman wait any second longer than he had to. So he combed his hair with his finger and then opened the door, revealing the person he had waited for on the other side.

Victor was showing up his notebook when the embalmer opened the door “I’m back!” it simply said. But when the postman managed to look at the embalmer properly, concern was instantly visible in his face. He didn’t write anything, but looks as if he wanted to say something but held it back. Even without any voice or writing, Aesop knew that Victor was currently fretting over him based on his gesture.

“Ah….I must’ve looked terrible right now….” Victor nodded vigorously and urged the taller man to come back inside and rest, guiding him by the arm to make sure the sick male didn’t fall. A gesture so foreign to the embalmer yet he couldn’t find himself disliking it, so he let himself be led inside.

Inside with the sick man on his arm, Victor grew confused. He didn’t know where to put Aesop. He didn’t think that Aesop had a room here considering that it was his workplace and not his house. He wanted to ask if there was a break room anywhere but with his hand occupied, he couldn’t write. Fortunately, Aesop seemed to notice his predicament and answered the postman’s unasked question.

“There’s a bed in the break room on the second floor. It’s where I got to take a rest” Aesop looked at Victor’s face when he said it and the way the blonde’s eyes began to light up and lips formed into a grateful smile, made Aesop crave more of it. He wanted to be needed.

The walk up the stairs to the break room went without a hitch as Aesop was not that sick that he couldn’t walk properly, but still let Victor guided him nonetheless. When they finally arrived and Victor let Aesop down on the bed and their bodies parted ways, the embalmer instantly felt regret over the lack of touch. Yet he refused to say anything, afraid of being too forward too fast and scared away the light he grew fond of.

Chapter Text

When Victor laid Aesop down to rest, both of them fell into an awkward silence. Well awkward for Victor at least, because he couldn’t help but be flustered over the unfamiliarity of the situation. That and the embalmer’s constant stare which forced the blonde to shy away, uneasy.

However, the awkward silence was instantly broken when the sickly male let out a cough, which prompted the blonde to remember the reason he was there. Victor looked around the room and found a small pantry. He hurriedly grabbed a glass and filled it with water before hurriedly back to the grey-haired and giving the water to him.

“Thank you” Aesop then slowly moved and sat on the bed, no longer lying down, and took the water from Victor’s hand. It was only after Aesop had taken a big gulp of water did he realized that Victor was carrying a paper bag. Realizing his curiosity, Victor then opened the bag to show him the inside of it. Aesop peeked over he saw a loaf of bread and a bunch of vegetables.

“Do you mind if I borrow the kitchen? I will clean it up after” Victor asked to which Aesop agreed. “I don’t mind but….the kitchen is rarely used so it could be quite dusty….and there are mostly coffee mugs there….” Aesop was mentally cursing himself for not cleaning the kitchen beforehand. “It’s fine! I only need a pot and a knife anyway” Victor wrote and after Aesop told him where the kitchen was, he excused himself. Leaving Aesop alone in the room much to the embalmer’s disappointment. But at the same time, knowing that Victor was out there cooking for him and taking care of him, made him feel things he never felt before and he couldn’t figure it out. Was he happy? He didn’t like Victor as a “person”, he just figured that he would fare better as a corpse, solemn and serene. The world is not a kind place, and he truly believed that Victor was meant to die. And he would be the one to send him to the afterlife, ending his tiresome journey.

Yes, that was his intention.

But right this moment, he felt grateful that Victor was here….alive….despite knowing that he shouldn’t feel this way. It went against the teaching of his mentor after all. To force Victor to live in this wretched world was selfish…. so he buried the thought deep inside his mind. For now, he should be focusing on building trust. Little by little he will make Victor embrace death as life’s final destination and salvation. For that, he needed to be focused and patient.

“Don’t worry Victor, I’ll personally make sure to guide you away from the dark” the embalmer muttered quietly.

----

The first thing that Victor thought when he entered the kitchen was that it looked abandoned. And as Aesop had said, there’s nothing but kettles and coffee mugs lying around. The kitchen was quite cramped with only a lousy table, a lone cabinet, and a small stove. “Looks more like a coffee station than a kitchen” the blonde commented and searched through the cabinet, hoping that there was at least a pot.

When he saw a pot in the far back of the cabinet, relief washed over him as he would be at quite a loss of what to do with the ingredients he just bought. After rummaging a little more he also found a knife. “Good, now I can start” Victor merrily made his way around the kitchen, washing the pot and the knife while humming quietly.

Fortunately, Victor can proudly say that he can cook very well. After moving out of his uncle’s house, Victor began to learn how to cook and found himself to be fairly good at it. Not that anyone ever tasted his cooking though so frankly he didn’t know for sure if his food was good or not. For all he know his tongue might be biased because it was his own cooking. So albeit a little nervous, Victor still has confidence in his ability. Anyway, it was just a simple soup, he could make it with his eyes closed.

Victor was busy cooking when he heard the doorbell rang. “A client?” he questioned and was in dilemma whether he should answer it or not. He could open the door and say that Aesop was not feeling well but he didn’t want to be impudent to the embalmer and do something unnecessary. So he decided to tell Aesop instead. He let the pot to simmer and headed towards the door. However, just when he was about to turn the doorknob, he heard footsteps coming down and towards the door. “Aesop must’ve heard it” so Victor walked away from the door, intending to continue with his cooking. But all of a sudden he heard a familiar bark and voice. It was a voice he had heard not too long ago.

Fearing for the worst, Victor turned the door open slightly to check and to his surprise, it was the same police officer he met earlier in the morning.

“W-what? Why is he here?” by now Victor was panicking. He thought the officer had given up on him so he couldn’t figure out why on earth would he follow him here. Feeling puzzled, he decided to eavesdrop instead. Keeping the door open slightly and focusing on the voices.

Aesop was holding his temple, clearly annoyed with the dog’s barking “Can you please just make the dog behave?” Wick’s excited barking and his attempt to come inside had clearly bothered the embalmer greatly. The officer had made several attempts to calm the dog down but couldn’t fully manage it.

“I’m deeply sorry! He is normally very well-behaved, I don’t know why he was so eager to come inside” The dog owner looked guilty and distraught that his dog was behaving abnormally and kept on trying to force his way inside. “Did he recognize my scent?” Victor thought, hoping that the dog stopped trying to come inside and reveal him to his owner.

“Wick! Stop it!” the officer sternly scolded the dog and Victor felt really horrible when he heard the dog letting out a sad whimper and hid behind his owner’s leg. He wished he could come out and soothe the poor fella but he had to stay hidden.

“Again, sorry for the inconvenien-” the officer tried to apologize again but was immediately cut short by the embalmer. “Can I help you, officer?” Victor was surprised to hear that kind of tone coming from Aesop. The undertaker had been anything but kind to him these days that he forgot before they properly introduced themselves, Aesop was very cold and reserved to him. Whenever he had delivered a letter to him, Victor never saw any emotion coming from the grey-haired man. When Victor looked at him, all he ever thought about was how his appearance went hand in hand with his personality. Grey and dull.

Hearing the embalmer’s cold response, the law enforcer cleared his throat and briefly replied “I want to ask you about a certain client of yours” Victor gulped while Aesop only nodded and signalled the man to continue.

“It’s about the death of James Parker”

Hearing the oh-so-familiar name, Victor paled.

Chapter Text

In general, Aesop never cared for the living. To him, the only thing that mattered was death. Thus, Aesop couldn’t be bothered by murder. Death by murder ultimately meant that someone else had guided a lost soul onto death’s embrace. In a way, it had helped him somewhat by making the process faster. All Aesop had to do was add the finishing touch. However, it irked him when the killing got too gruesome. He was confident in his embalming skills, but he would rather not see a body being tarnished like that. Most of the time it was impossible to perfectly restore the face if it was deformed beyond recognition. When it happened, Aesop couldn’t help but be annoyed. Looking at his work at the wake would only be a reminder of his inadequacy. So, when a stranger disturbed him and reminded him of a job he was clearly dissatisfied with, Aesop was evidently miffed.

“I fail to see how I need to be questioned. Might I remind you that I am merely an embalmer”

“I am fully aware of the fact Mr. Carl, but first let me introduce myself. I’m Officer Coleman and I’m here on behalf of Ms. Annette Parker concerning her deceased brother” Aesop merely raised his eyebrows at the introduction, quietly questioning what else the woman wanted of him.

“To tell you the truth, Ms. Annette Parker relayed to me your conversation with her. That you thought that the body was unnatural”

Nonsense. Aesop never understands the need to investigate death. Why couldn’t the living just accept death?

As Aesop was just about to speak, he remembered that Victor was near and could potentially hear them. From what Aesop gathered, a crime syndicate and police corruption could be involved, making this death to be quite sensitive so it would be best if Victor does not know. So Aesop gestured for the police officer to back away so he could walk out and close the door shut, preventing any unwanted information from slipping unintentionally.

“There should already be an autopsy report regarding the death of James Parker, so I suggest you look into that before disturbing me with meaningless questions”

For a second, the officer looked disturbed, like he wanted to say something but held himself back. Brows furrowed in contemplation. But before he replied, Aesop questioned the man again.

“I’m merely trying to get a second opinion-”

“Unless…you went rogue” To that the older man was stunned.

“You should’ve seen the report, and the preparator has already been detained. The case is basically deemed over. Doing a secret investigation without permission like this is meaningless”

“It’s not over!” the older man raised his voice in anger to which Aesop replied with silence. The distraught man clenched his fist and looked intensely at Aesop.

“There’s an even deeper issue to this case and you know it too Mr. Carl. The report….and preparator….were all lies! There’s someone behind it, behind most of the death in this city!”

Aesop looked at the man with boredom in his eyes. Such a savior complex….he was never a fan of such a display of self-righteousness.

“So you must understand that by helping you of any kind, might put me on the radar of this….evil-lurking someone. And with most of the police force, I assumed, being accomplices of the crime, how can you guarantee my safety?”

Hearing Aesop’s defenses, the uniformed man was left speechless, unsure of what to say.

“Look officer, I’m sure you wanted to bring justice to the victim, but please understand your position. Label me heartless if you want, but I just couldn’t see how I should help you when I know for a fact that the case involved powerful people outside and inside the police force”

“I-I can assure you that none of my co-workers are aware of my activities! And as you already know, the report of the case was not credible. As the last person who had access to the body, possessed adequate knowledge on the matter, and was unaffiliated with anyone….you’re the last person that I can ask. All I need is the ‘correct’ autopsy of the body and I’ll be on my way. You won’t be in any danger and nobody will ever know”

“And what would you do if I gave you the report?”

“Of course, I will-” Before the man could reply, Aesop corrected his question. “Apologize, let me rephrase it. What can you do?”

Hearing the mortician’s inquiry, the law enforcer finally realized the helplessness of his situation. Aesop didn’t have to spell it all out for the man to understand. He was alone in this. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t figure out how to solve this. A mere report from a simple undertaker would not be reliable enough.

Seeing the man's vulnerability, his dog companion looked up to him sadly and whimpered while trying to climb up the man to comfort him.

Such a pathetic duo, Aesop had thought. So full of light yet also full of naivete at the same time. Aesop couldn’t care less anymore. So without any farewell words, Aesop quickly opened the door and went inside, leaving the dejected man to his own device.

Just when he was having a good time, someone just had to come and bother him. Nevermind. Aesop calmed himself and walked back to the break room. But as he was about to walk up the stairs, a delicious smell came from the gap in the kitchen door. Feeling drawn to the aroma, Aesop decided to check on Victor. The closer he gets, the more prominent the smell becomes and when he finally opens the door mouthwatering fragrant welcomes him whole. The comforting aroma of herbs and savory smells relaxed him. It awakened a distant memory of his home….with his mother in the kitchen.

Sensing somebody had come in, Victor turned around to acknowledge Aesop’s presence. The blonde gave him a shy smile and then asked “I was about to tell you that you have a visitor but you are already on it”

“Yes….I heard the doorbell already so might as well welcome them immediately”

“Was it a client?”

It was not, but Aesop couldn’t tell him that the police came to question him. “Yes, it was just work” he lied perfectly and in turn, Victor nodded his head.

“Let me help you get up. The soup is done so I’ll bring it up to you afterward”

Aesop offered a small smile behind his mask and waved his hand to refuse “It’s fine, I can walk up on my own” To his reasoning, Victor only frowned slightly then nodded again.

“Okay, then you go on ahead. I’ll prepare the soup for you and I also bring medicine! You should take it after eating”

“Thank you, Victor….I appreciate it” Aesop thanked him sincerely. To think that there is someone who would take care of him again after so long, warmth the grey-haired man.

“I’m going first okay” Victor nodded and gave him a thumbs up with a happy smile, making the embalmer completely forget about his earlier irritation. As the grey man went out of the kitchen, he couldn’t see the postman’s tight grip on the knife, his signature smile not leaving his face. It was only after he knew for sure Aesop was far did the blonde let down his smile. Staring at the kitchen door with a blank stare while wordlessly mouthing

“Liar”

Chapter Text

Victor bit his nail anxiously. He had wanted to know what Aesop had talked about with the cop. Unfortunately, Aesop had taken the talk outside and closed the front door shut, thus preventing Victor from eavesdropping. He was contemplating getting closer to the door, but he refrained due to how risky it was. Aesop could’ve opened the door without warning or Wick would’ve been able to smell Victor was nearby. It was fine if it were only Aesop, but the police officer was dangerous. Albeit he knew that he had made the right choice not to eavesdrop anymore, the anxiety of not knowing things greatly disturbed him. He wanted-no….needed to know. It didn’t help his curiosity when Aesop lied to him. Truly, Victor never appreciates being lied to. He forgives Aesop for his first lie. When Aesop had told him that it was his first time to ever receive a gratuity letter, Victor passed it off as a little white lie. So, to think that Aesop lied again and with such ease, made the blonde to contemplate if there were more lies than he realizes.

However, despite all that anxiety, the rational part of his brain continuously reassured him that Aesop didn’t have any obligation to tell him anything. They barely knew each other and even people that are close lied to each other all the time. It’s safe to say that Victor never really trusted anyone….even himself. He admitted that although he hated lies, he was not free of the act. He had deceived others plenty of times before, pretending to be their trustworthy neighborhood postman while dealing with local underground syndicates and peeking through their private letters. He remembered an elderly woman once praised him for carrying her groceries, a group of children thanking him for getting their ball which was stuck, and a blind man's appreciation for guiding him through traffic….they all compliment his kindheartedness….calling him a good person. If only they knew….of how hypocritical and apathetic he truly is.

After a small sigh escaped his lips, Victor decided to put his anxiety aside and focus on the present. With a warm bowl of soup in his hand, Victor headed to the breakroom to take care of Aesop as he promised he would. He thought that maybe he could figure out a way to know what Aesop had talked about discreetly.

The blonde postman knocked on the door softly and waited for an answer before opening the door and letting himself inside. He was greeted by Aesop weakly waving at him while sitting on the bed. Victor replied with his signature smile and handed the bowl to Aesop.

“Ah, thank you” the grey-haired thanked before admiring the warm soup and holding it up his face to smell it. He smelled it for some time, taking in the savory aroma of the warm vegetable soup to enjoy it. When he picked up the spoon and scooped up some soup, Victor began to grow nervous. It was like he was back in his school days, waiting for the teacher to announce his grades. Aesop, oblivious to Victor’s nervousness, blows on the soup a couple of times before eating it. Not long after, his eyes widened slightly and he took another spoonful, and then another.

“Victor this….this is delicious. It’s very flavorful yet it’s not overpowering. The herbs, vegetables and beef mix well and it tastes very comforting” he took another scoop “and not to mention the smell is divine” Aesop hadn’t stopped devouring the soup Victor made while not forgetting to compliment it whenever he could. A gesture that pleases the blonde immensely. His cheeks rosy from embarrassment yet he didn’t hide his face this time, presenting his shy yet proud smile for Aesop to admire. Seeing Victor’s reaction made the taller male take a mental note of how praises left a positive impact on the quiet man. Testing his luck, Aesop continued the praises only to see how much compliment would Victor comfortably accept before growing uneasy. Grey eyes stared calculatingly towards the blonde’s expression. Only when Aesop deemed that Victor had had enough that he stop the stream of compliments pouring from his lips.

Feeling flustered, Victor decided to prepare the medicine and wet towel while Aesop was busy feasting on the soup.

“The pharmacist told me you need to take this thrice a day after eating so I’m going to put the rest of the medicine here okay. Also, you might get drowsy after taking it” he relayed after Aesop was done eating and handed him a pill with a glass of water which Aesop obliged.

“Thank you….I’ll be sure to take them”

“All you need now is to rest! I’ve prepared a cold towel for your fever, just lie down and I’ll put it on you”

“Okay….” Victor gently urged him to lie down and covered him with a thin blanket he found nearby before applying the cold towel atop his forehead. Making sure that the damp cloth would not fall before sitting down on a nearby chair. Silence soon overtook the room as neither of them talked, yet the silence was strangely nice. Both of them just bask in each other presence with no words necessary. Once in a while, Victor would wordlessly change the towel and check Aesop’s temperature. It was a gesture that the embalmer never thought he would be glad to receive from someone other than his late mother. It was strange. His obsession aside, Victor is basically a stranger to him. Despite being labeled as friends already, it didn’t change the fact they had only gotten acquainted pretty recently. It was so unlike him to be this comfortable with the presence of someone alive. However, something about Victor just calmed him for some reason. Maybe it’s because Aesop had already considered the blonde as a corpse that he felt at ease. He had always been at ease when surrounded by death, maybe it was why Aesop had such a liking for the postman. His dear silent friend, quiet as a corpse yet warm like the living.

After a while, Aesop’s eyes started to grow heavy, a sign that the medicine had started to work. Despite the drowsiness, the taller male still tried to stay awake. Not wanting to be overtaken by sleep just yet to appreciate the company of his new-found friend. Nevertheless, the lack of sleep and the medicine had managed to win and Aesop soon drifted off to sleep.

It was only after the whole ordeal that Victor felt the situation with Aesop had become strange. He didn’t realize it at first but now that sleep had finally engulfed the embalmer Victor finally felt it. This whole situation felt too unfamiliar….it felt too….domestic. Bringing him medicine, a home-cooked meal, looking at his vulnerable state….it was startlingly intimate. How did this happen? Volunteering himself like this for a man he didn’t really know was purely spur of a moment decision on his part. He couldn’t help it. Seeing the mortician after last night’s event just made him grow immensely guilty. Victor never liked to be indebted. He didn’t like to be a burden like how his uncle used to tell him. Like how he felt when he realized that his mother abandoned him….throwing away the very thing that’s been holding her back. It made him feel worthless. So, when he saw a slight opportunity to repay his debt, his mind decided to do it right then and there.

Although, the presence of the cop managed to complicate things a little.

After making sure that Aesop was fast asleep, Victor stood up, packed his belongings, and placed a goodbye letter on the nightstand by the bed. He looked at Aesop one last time before making his way downstairs quietly. On the first floor, he began searching for the office. The building’s layout was fairly simple. A wide corridor with stairs at the end and the entrance at the other end. Two doors on the left and three on the right. Victor already knew that the kitchen was on the right side nearest the stairs so that left four rooms that he had to check. The first room is right next to the kitchen, a simple supply room with various chemicals, sheets, and equipment. The last room on the right side is a simple restroom for the guest. On the left side, nearest the entrance was a decently sized office with sofas, probably where Aesop talked to his clients. Victor observed the office intently. Memorizing the bookcase, cabinets, and table before looking through them. One thing he learned by working with the underworld is that you have to remember how you place things so you know whether someone went through your things or not.

After carefully searching through the cabinets, Victor finally found what he was looking for. The case file for James Parker. He opened the case to find the obviously tampered autopsy report and found small notes on the paper, a big question mark written right next to the cause of death, and some pen circles on the picture of the body (Something that Victor refused to properly look at). It then dawned on Victor that based on his little notes, Aesop didn’t believe in the police report and it was probably the topic that he talked about with Officer Coleman earlier. With slight uncertainty, Victor concluded that Aesop might have working with the rouge officer. If so then Victor is in quite a predicament. He couldn’t have Aesop working with Coleman….or Big Daddy’s business might be in jeopardy and put Victor in a pretty bad spot. His brain told him to stay away from Aesop to avoid conflict with the organization. It would be awful if they somehow found out Victor was in contact with Coleman and Aesop if both of them were indeed working with each other as the organization is trying to weed out potential mole at the moment. The idea that he might’ve become a suspect terrifies him immensely. Thus, Victor knew what he needed to do.

However….

Deep inside, he wished that it was all just in his mind. Aesop doesn’t seem like a person who would care that much for justice. He remembered when Aesop read his letter….his first ever letter. Oh, how nice it would be if he met someone he could exchange letters with. Maybe for once, he could show off the numerous stationery collections he managed to accumulate throughout the years. Embossed envelope, high-quality papers, and scented candle wax! There is so much that he could do. Sigh, it was such a shame that he didn’t do anything special with his first letter. But he didn’t know whether Aesop would like it or not….and he was kind of embarrassed. He was prone to overthink when nervous, so he decided to just do regular a letter instead, which he now regrets.

There was also the way Aesop talked to him….and the way he looked at him. He had that….look in his eyes. One that Victor doesn’t understand quite yet but he felt the warmth it gave him. Nobody ever looked at him that way. Victor wanted to believe in that warmth a little more so he shoved his concern back into the back of his mind.

Moreover, he just agreed to be friends….it would be rude to take back his words and stay away. Yes….it would be very inconsiderate of him. Maybe if he was careful enough there wouldn’t be any problem?….he just needs to be extra careful.

Chapter Text

“Maybe that’s enough for today” the blonde thought before putting the file back into its place exactly as it was before. It was when he noticed a small picture frame in the corner of the desk. A fading image of a beautiful woman with long silky hair and a smile sweet as honey. Lush bushes of rose surrounded her lean frame, one thing for sure was, that her face reminded him of Aesop’s own face. The smile Aesop gave him after reading his letter looked exactly like the smile on her face. So she’s the reason Aesop got those handsome face from, Victor thought. 

Looking at the photograph made Victor realize that while he knew about a lot of people’s stories through the letter Aesop received, he didn’t know Aesop’s own story. What secrets would he learn about his new friend? Victor was eager to find out. Maybe if he could look around for a bit. He needed to anyway, friendly or not, he was still a little skeptical of Aesop. With the newfound justification, the blonde thought that if he managed to learn more about the man, maybe he could figure out Aesop’s intention with him. Aesop might be a serial killer for all he knows. Victor had read and seen a couple of people who seemed like a normal and harmless person but turns out had hidden a pretty dark secret underneath. He would know, he read many secrets and works for an underground crime syndicate. It’s kind of funny that Victor could actually bring all those people behind bars if he wanted to with all the secrets he possesses. But he won’t. He took immense comfort in knowing something he shouldn’t and he wasn’t about to share that with anyone else. 

Victor had searched through the office for several minutes; however, he grew more disappointed the more he looked through the room. Besides the picture, there is nothing personal inside. It was all work, work, and work. Files of body Victor already knew of, books and notes on embalming, catalog, etc. Is embalming all he ever thinks of? Home or work spaces usually have something that reflects the life of the occupants. Family photos, plants, books, decorations, notes; that kind of stuff can usually give Victor a rough idea about a person. So when he looked at the bare space that is Aesop’s desk, it bore him. A single photo of his mother and judging the yellowing paper he figures that the photo was probably several years outdated.  Does Aesop not have another picture?   Perhaps she died early,  Victor deduced. 

The embalmer’s barren workspace created the image of a motivationally driven and a perfectionist man. Despite the numerous stacks of books, there was not a speck of dust ....but there was a vain odor of cleaning products. He wondered if Aesop was a clean freak because he made time to clean despite being sick. Aside from that, he couldn’t make out any of his hobbies or social life from here.

Albeit disappointed, Victor decided to give Aesop the benefit of the doubt that being an embalmer wasn't his only identity and he might've put most of his stuff back at home and not in his office. It bore the blonde immensely however and by the time Victor had already done double-checking everything, he was visibly sulking. There are no exciting secrets after all. Despite hoping that Aesop is a normal man without any questionable background, Victor couldn't help but look forward to witnessing some twist. 

It is what it is I guess , Victor shrugged and got ready to move on to the next room. He went out of the office and closed the door quietly before walking to the next room with the large double door. It opened with a creak and Victor hoped that Aesop was not a light sleeper otherwise he could not explain why he was lurking around. After waiting for a while and deemed the situation safe enough, he went into the room. Inside, Victor was immediately greeted by the aroma of wood and flowers. In front of him are the numerous selections of caskets and flower arrangements. He walked slowly to admire the woodwork of the deathbed and finally reached a particular grand-looking one. Victor touched the wood and let his finger run along the length of the smooth surface of the coffin.  I wonder how much money this cost , he wondered before looking at the price display and his eyes were instantly widened in shock.

How can a casket be this expensive? I mean, sure it looks better than the other casket but why are the prices so different?  

The confused blonde begins to compare the ridiculously expensive casket with the others but is still very much perplexed. 

Maybe the inside is different? Victor wondered as he began opening the casket to see that his guess was correct. The inside of the coffin was silky smooth and soft, definitely better quality than his bed at home.

…..

Looks comfy

Victor was admiring the inside bedding of the coffin, rubbing his hand over the silky fabric and pushing against the soft cotton inside numerous times to imagine how comfy it was to sleep in. For sure Victor wouldn't mind sleeping in this kind of coffin if he was a vampire. Too bad that dead people can’t feel anything, it seems like a waste to buy a coffin this expensive if the dead couldn't appreciate it. 

He was playing around with the coffin when his eyes caught a door in the corner of the room. But when Victor wanted to open it, it turned out the door was locked. 

Hmmm, what room could this possibly be Victor wondered, his curiosity overtook his mind that he didn't hear footsteps coming down the stairs. It was only when the door was suddenly opened that woke Victor up from his daydream.

“Victor? What are you doing here?” Aesop asked in a hoarse voice and it took Victor everything to not run away and never turn back….well that and that Aesop was blocking the door and thus Victor couldn't escape. His palms were sweaty and he was trying his best to be steady and be as natural as possible, eyes looking around, anywhere besides Aesop in search of an excuse before landing on an open casket he didn't get to close earlier. Thinking that it was the best bet, Victor pointed to the open casket in hopes that Aesop understood what Victor was trying to say.

“Are you interested in that coffin?” Yes! Victor immediately nodded his head vigorously. It seems like a bad excuse but it's the only thing Victor can think of at the moment. What he did not expect however was that Aesop started to run- no walk ... at a surprisingly fast pace towards him with his eyes full of determination. He didn't look sick at all!

“You couldn't have picked a better one, it's the best coffin I have. It was crafted by one of the most skilled woodworkers I know. The man  had  more than 50 years of experience with creating exquisite woodwork so I guarantee it's top-of-the-grade handiwork. The coffin is also made from the finest material. It is made from genuine mahogany, a wood of that caliber is durable and rot resistant, moreover……” 

Oh my….

Victor didn’t realize that his random, spur-of-the-moment excuse could lead the embalmer to explain the origin of the coffin in such detail. From the place the wood is harvested, to the date and artisan history….but, Victor surprisingly enjoyed it.

“As you can see, the inside is of high quality as well. You can easily look at the shiny silk it donned, it is actually mulberry silk, one of the most expensive silk, and is filled with the finest duck feather….”

The more Aesop talked, the more Victor found him endearing. He thought Aesop lacked passion for how void his workspace was. But now he realizes that he is actually full of passion ....his work is his passion.

“Some clients have told me that they don’t see the point of a coffin being this extravagant, to which I always answer that we also have other good quality but affordable options as well. Death is a sacred event after all, I only want to present the best option available to provide the best resting place for the deceased. It is an act of respect…..”

Seriously, how can a man that “gray” be so colorful

Victor couldn’t help but smile fondly at the embalmer’s excited rambling.