teehee

this is my first time writing both Reaper and Ccino but I hope I did them justice anyway <3

and they're humans (kinda? Reaper is weird) cuz aren't they always haha

CW/TW: many mentions of death and people dying, although not in detail and pet death.

—☕️-💀-☕️—

There was nothing the God of Death wanted more than a hot, steaming cup of coffee. His job wasn't an easy one, it was only natural that he would want a pick-me up every so often. However, today was particularly cumbersome.

Contrary to popular belief, it was not he who decided when someone would die. He was simply the guide to the afterlife. Yes, he reaped souls, but only when it was their time.

Unlike his brother, Papyrus, who took those who died painlessly, those who have no malice in their hearts and no will to stay in the world of the living anymore. He was not so lucky. His job, the one he had to do although did not want to, was to take those whose final moments were full of pain and anger.

Deaths that happened prematurely, and disturbingly.

It was always rough, no matter the day. Many days were spent consoling children who died young, and placating those full of malice and vengeance with the belief that their lives were taken too soon. He was often left working overtime, getting caught up with ghosts who either didn't realize what had happened, or were full of grief and strife, wandering the world with no end in sight.

Despite how used to the routine he became, there was always the pity, the sadness, he felt whenever he had to guide a small, frightened child soul into the afterlife. More often than not, they blamed themselves for their death. He always thought that he had grown numb to it all, he was there to do a job after all. He was not.

And today has been filled with those types of deaths. He was particularly exhausted, and a cup of burning hot black coffee sounded amazing.

There was one coffee shop that he had not been to in a long time, but made the best coffee. It was a small place, it had cats and one cutie of a barista.

The barista, who was also the owner of the shop, knew him well. They were close for a while but both of their jobs separated them. An anti-climatic ending to their relationship, to be honest.

Reaper, for that was the God of Death's name, appeared across the street. It was an urban area, although much quieter than the average city. His form shifted rapidly, trying to find one that would be suitable. He had many forms that he could take, depending on who he was with and what they perceived Death to be.

More often than not, he took the form of a skeleton. A black cloak and a large scythe as his weapon. If he had to choose a "default" form, then that would be it. Although, for such a place, he would have to take another.

If he were a mortal, it would've been a ballsy move to cross the street, it being busy and two lanes.

But for a God of Death, he had no need to fear being hit by a car. His cloak became a dark, leather trench coat that went past his knees, muscle and dark brown skin folding over his bones.

The scythe which was on him always became silver earrings in newly formed ears, and silver rings that glittered in the light. The hood that often shielded his face became black hair that sat in loose curls. His hair, which he always got used to having relatively quickly, often fell in front of his face. He made no bother to move it. He was now a bonafide human.

Well, almost.

Of course, no matter the form he was still a God. And he looked it too. There was an uncanny feeling about him.

When Toriel, the Goddess of Life and the Hearth, made her mortal appearance, she attracted those to her. He, however, unnerved those around him.

Mortals feared death. They could not understand it. Even in his mortal form did he appear uncanny and frightening to those not used to his appearance.

And even if they were? His sunken-in eyes and black scleras, his boney appearance, and general demeanor often set off their uncanny valley.

Reaching the other side of the street was no problem, standing in front of the doors, cats in the windows and looking at him in anticipation.

Not out of fear, but because they knew him. It had been a long time since he last came into the shop. He went to push open the door, but he hesitated.

It was a bit silly, a God such as he hesitating. But he couldn't help but feel nervous, butterflies bashing against his stomach. It had been so long, could the owner, the barista, have forgotten?

Reaper would have liked to slip in nearly undetected but the gentle ringing of a bell as the door opened gave him away. There was no going back now. He walked over to the counter with a swagger that he didn't really have.

If he was anyone else, the cats would have walked up to him and rubbed against his legs, purring. However, even the animals could sense what he was, even in his mortal appearance.

"Just a moment!" A voice called from the back.

That made Reaper feel a little better. The owner hadn't seen him hesitate outside. Across the room from the entrance was a counter, similar to a bar.

If Reaper was remembering correctly, the building was originally a bar, and the owner had bought it out and renovated it. It now being a quaint cat coffee shop.

Reaper wasn't sure why he continued to call the owner as "the owner" in his head. He knew the name of him, they used to be close. Very close.

It was pointless to continue that line of thought. Ccino was his name, and he was very creative and sweet. His renovations to the bar were incredible. From the wallpaper to the decorations, it was an aesthetic dream.

With the cute and friendly cats and the welcoming smell of coffee, just stepping into the cafe would put you at ease. And on top of all that, the coffee served was fresh and Reaper hadn't found a better place in the Multiverse.

Plus, Ccino was a real cutie, which was the cherry on top.

"Sorry, today's been slow and," Ccino cut himself off as he appeared behind the counter, slipping his gloves on his hands. No words were said for a long while, his dark brown eyes not moving from Reaper's pitch black ones.

"...Hi."

"Hey."

There was an awkward silence as they just looked at each other, unsure of where to start the conversation.

"Would you like your usual?"

"Do you remember it?"

"Of course!" Ccino clasped his hands together, smiling. Reaper missed that smile. It was as if Ccino went on auto-pilot as he began to make Reaper's order.

There was never a time when Reaper ordered something else than what he normally did. He always got an iced coffee, a caramel macchiato with an extra shot of espresso to get him going.

Even when he was going to a place where the temperatures barely went above freezing, if he was able to bring a coffee, he would. And if it was Ccino's coffee? Then it chilled him more than any cold temperature could.

He wasn't sure what it was about the coffee that Ccino made that made it better than others. Perhaps he made it with love. Reaper snickered at his sappy train of thought.

As he did so, he realized that he had been staring at Ccino, resting his head in his hand. Ccino glanced over, and smiled back at him.

"How have you been?" Reaper perked up, surprised at the question.

"You know how it is. Workings' a drag but someone's gotta do it." He chuckled slightly, although he knew that Ccino could see his tired eyes and the weight that came with them. Ccino could only give him a sympathetic smile in response.

How could one confort a literal God? Despite the daunting task, Ccino knew his way around it. Just making him coffee was comfort enough. "How about you? How've the cats been?"

"Hm? Oh! Work has been fine. Business has been a little slow this week, but that happens sometimes. Espresso gave birth to a litter recently! I don't let them into the cafe until they're a bit older and litter trained, but they're all very cute. I can show you them if you'd like."

"I appreciate it but, ah, I got a detailed explanation of them from Tori."

Ccino flushed for a moment, brushing back his blonde hair to behind his ear. "I didn't realize that she...handled those types of things."

"She's the Goddess of Life, anything living she handles." Reaper laughed, his eyes drifting next to Ccino, where a ghostly tabby cat floated by his shoulder, purring wildly.

Seeing ghosts was part of his job, but it was always bittersweet to see the ghosts of pets curled up on their owners lap, or trying their best to comfort them when they had passed, to little avail. He would have to reap that poor tabby eventually.

"...Have you seen Swirls? He..um, passed away a few weeks ago." The break in Ccino's voice was obvious. Reaper tried not to get too attached to just about anything, but Ccino was the opposite of him in that regard.

Not like Reaper could blame him. He loved his cats, and held them close to his heart. He knew all of their names, even the ones that looked similar. He could tell you what toys they loved, what treats they liked and those that they refused to eat.

These cats adored him, as he often raised them from birth. Reaper commended him for it. Running both a coffee shop and taking care of a billion cats was not an easy feat. Ccino's heart always broke when one passed. He knew that was the nature of things, but he couldn't help it.

His heart was big, and it was one of the many things Reaper loved about him.

"He's still here. With you. I haven't gotten to him yet."

"When do you...?"

Reaper shrugged, although what followed the nonchalant action was something Ccino wasn't expecting, "Whenever he, or, more accurately you, feel ready. Allow yourself to grieve a bit more Ccino."

Ccino smiled at him, taking a second to collect himself before finishing off Reaper's coffee.

The ghostly cat trotted through the cabinets and brushed against his legs. Unlike mortals, he could feel it when ghosts and other apparitions touched him. Very few mortals had this ability: to commune and interact with the dead.

The coffee was set down in front of him, and once they had both made sure that their hands wouldn't touch, Reaper picked it up. He took a big swig of it, feeling the cold coffee trail down his throat. His eyes shut as he did so, and he didn't see the fact that Ccino hadn't moved. Instead he leaned closer to Reaper.

"What happened to us?"

Reaper nearly choked on his coffee at the question. He coughed, holding a hand up to cover his mouth. Ccino looked at him with concerned, large eyes. The smile that was usually on his face was lost.

"Wha-" He wheezed, "What do you mean?"

"Well..." Ccino paused, clearly contemplating having this conversation at all. He wasn't the type for confrontation. Having any heavy conversation was difficult for him, and Reaper knew it.

The fact that he had been the one to start it told Reaper that it was important, very important. Reaper set the cup of coffee down, waiting. Ccino took a breath, hiding behind his sweater for a moment.

"We were, um, dating, and then we weren't, and then you came back in here and it's as if no time has passed at all." The tone of his voice didn't sound upset with Reaper for coming back in.

Quite the opposite, actually. He sounded like he was a little relieved about nothing changing.

"Work, I guess? We both got busy, me with my job, you with yours. We were together at a bad time." He shrugged, taking a sip of the coffee, "Nothing wrong with that."

As Ccino scratched the neck of a fluffy maine coon who had jumped up on the counter, he nodded.

Usually the cats weren't allowed on the counter due to health and safety, but sometimes Ccino was a little lenient about it.

Especially when the only customer was Reaper, someone who was not only not allergic to cats, but also couldn't die. The cat, who was named Melon (NOT Ccino's idea, by the way. It was given to him by the son of a long time customer when Melon was first born. How could he say no?), purred under his touch. His eyes drifted from the door over to Reaper's face.

Reaper had a face that unnerved the majority of people. And when they had first met, it unnerved Ccino too.

Ccino remembered that day very clearly, how could he not? Reaper had come in not five minutes after Dream, a good friend of his who was also the elusive Guardian of Positivity, had left.

Perhaps it was a coincidence or maybe word spread around of his cafe from Dream. Regardless, he had been visited by two different god-like beings that day. The first time Reaper came to visit, the cats hated him. They hissed and they scratched the air in his general direction, although never actually getting near him.

The other customers who were in the building also felt the aura of tension and fear that he brought. Many of them left, heads down and avoiding looking at him. Only a couple people remained in the building, although Ccino could tell that they wanted to leave as well.

Despite how nervous Reaper had made him feel initially, Ccino swallowed his fear and asked him what he wanted once he had sat down. He was wearing the same outfit that he always did, and his hair fell in the same way on his face.

It was impressive how he got that. Ccino would learn that Reaper was a creature of habit, sitting in the same spot every time, wearing the same outfit, and ordering the same coffee every time. Their first meeting, despite everything stacked against Reaper, went exceptionally well.

Even though Reaper still frightened him, his lax posture and nonchalant demeanor put Ccino at ease. As Ccino made the first caramel macchiato of many, they began talking.

At first it was a bit odd.

A God and a mortal had little in common, so the fact that the conversation they had went well was a surprise. Ccino found Reaper hilarious, with his quick wit and dry humor.

And on the other hand, Reaper just enjoyed talking to Ccino. He was kind, chipper, and didn't cower before Reaper. Being the literal embodiment often had people begging for their lives.

Sometimes he just wanted a coffee, he never meant to traumatize the poor souls working at whatever coffee store was available.

It took only a couple more visits for Ccino to stop being surprised at his arrival, or for asking what he wanted. Ccino picked up on the "same drink every time" quirk Reaper had.

They developed a friendship relatively quickly and eventually Reaper started flirting with him.

Ccino flirted back...in his own way.

Unlike the God of Death who appeared to have little or no inhibitions, Ccino was more subtle. Adding little hearts to his cups and other things like that.

Despite never actually saying anything in person, they both knew that they were dating. Or at least in some sort of way. Ccino even asked to confirm it. Ccino had to admit that while at first he was unnerved by Reaper's face, he learned to love it.

The God's face was uncanny, sure, but was just as alluring to look at. To find all of the features in it that he hadn't seen before. He loved all of Reaper, to be honest.

And then they just...stopped talking.

Reaper got busy and Ccino really had no way to contact him, and he had gotten busy as well. It had been a few weeks since Reaper's last visit, and they had managed to pick off like nothing had ever happened.

"...Reaper?"

Reaper removed the cup from his lips, black eyes looking up through his black hair. "Yeah?"

"Would you," Ccino's cheeks flushed, and he hid it by picking Melon up and putting him back down on the floor.

The cat meowed in annoyance but trotted off to do other cat things anyway. He then began to clean his work area to keep his hands busy and his eyes away from meeting Reaper's.

"Would you like to try again?"

"Try again?" Reaper repeated, his voice soft. A grin grew on his face and he leaned forward. Ccino gasped as their faces were very close, and he could feel Reaper's faint breathing on his nose.

"I would like that. A lot, actually." Reaper smiled at him.

"I would like it too." Ccino whispered, fidgeting with his fingers as he did so.

"Great!" Reaper clasped his hands together, in a manner that was oddly cheery for him. Ccino felt like he was going to pull something. Which, in all fairness, was he about to do. "We should kiss to celebrate."

"What?"

The incredulous look that Ccino gave him only made Reaper's grin widen. Ccino knew that he was joking, although he didn't know how just yet.

The hardest part about being friends, much more partners, with the God of Death, was that physical contact was out of the question.

A single brush on a hand would spell the end. Although he didn't expect at all what Reaper actually did.

Ccino put a hand up to his hand and snickered. From across the counter Reaper had hunched down slightly, rustling around in his pockets for...something.

Slowly, he pushed a small chocolate kiss across the counter. Ccino laughed and took it from him once his hands were far away.

Once he unwrapped it, he put the chocolate in his mouth, allowing himself to savor it. He never really got chocolate all that often. Since cats tended to eat whatever he ate and chocolate wasn't exactly good for them.

"Would you like another for the road?"

To Reaper's surprise, Ccino had noticed the empty cup before he did. Maybe it was because of him working in a literal coffee shop but he sort of had a natural sense for that sort of thing.

"Oh, hah, yeah I would."

"I'll get right on it then!" Ccino chirped, smiling at him.

Reaper felt his heart begin to race for the first time in a while.

—☕️-💀-☕️—

slowly making my way through requests <3 dw yall

-Fallen

3212 Words