This was not the first time Elio went on a date with someone. He'd grab whatever he had in his closet whenever he had one. He does not put much effort into his looks and never bothered to prepare for any conversation starters.
But for some reason, his date with Grimm was different.
Elio stood in front of the mirror, frowning at his reflection. His closet was messy—clothes scattered everywhere, shirts draped over the bed, pants tossed onto the chair. He tried different outfits matching the date, but nothing felt right.
Most of his clothes didn't even fit him anymore.
He had lost so much weight that his old jeans hung loose around his hips, and his shirts sagged against his frail frame. The sight of himself—a body slowly deteriorating, hollowed out by illness made him feel so miserable.
"This is stupid!"
He threw another shirt on his bed and tossed himself onto that bed right after.
"Should I call off this date?" He asked himself, slightly disappointed. But he cannot manage to call off the date. He was looking forward to it the whole week, and he didn't want Grimm to be disappointed in him either.
Elio looked again at the pile of shirts and jeans in his closet. Despite everything—despite knowing that none of those shirts and jeans would look good on him—Elio wanted this, and that was enough.
After many tries, Elio finally settled on a simple black sweater and dark blue jeans. It's nothing fancy, but at least it fits.
As part of his finishing touches, he fumbled his fingers through his hair for a freestyle look. There was no denying that he looked sick whenever he saw himself in front of the mirror. His skin was pale, his cheekbones sharper than they used to be.
But for the first time in a long time...
...he felt good about himself.
-----
Meanwhile, Grimm was urgently finishing his work at the funeral shop. He was so focused on his work that no one in the shop dared to bother him with trivial matters (unless it was very urgent). His staff noticed. The shop at that time was filled with murmurs while stealing glances at their boss.
"Is he in a rush or something?"
"I don't know. Maybe?"
Then, all of a sudden, Kenny leaned against the counter with an all-knowing smirk.
"Well, our boss there has a critical appointment later. So you need to sign those release papers to him before six."
Those who heard Kenny got so intrigued that they went straight to him to get more gossip about their boss' private affairs.
"Is that true? Since when?"
"Tell us more, Kenny!"
Kenny tried to calm the crowd, asking them to lower their voices. "Grim has to be somewhere later..."
"Somewhere important?"
"Is that funeral related?"
"No." Kenny corrected. "He has a date."
After that, there was silence.
Then...
"A DATE?!"
The entire shop went still. Staff members who had been going about their duties turned to stare. Some of the customers even looked up in surprise.
Kenny noticed the crowd was getting louder, so he shushed them, fearing Grimm might have heard them gossiping at work.
"Keep your voices down, will you?" He said, then continued, "As I was saying, our boss is going on a date. And guess what, it's the young guy who went here last week!"
One of the staff gawked at him. "With—wait. With that guy?!"
Kenny nodded. One of the staff whistled in disbelief. "Really?"
And while most of the staff were busy at the counter listening to Kenny, they heard Grimm's voice calling from its office.
"Kenny, please come here for a moment."
Kenny straightened up his black uniform and rushed towards Grimm's office.
"Yes! Do you need something?" Kenny almost tripped at the doorway, catching his breath.
Grimm's tiredness escaped his breath. He closed the folder in front of him. Then, after a moment, he said, "I need your advice."
Kenny blinked. Confused. "My what?"
"Advice. On dating."
A mix of excitement and disbelief burst out from Kenny in the form of laughter. "Oh, my! This is good! Mr. Grimm himself is asking me for dating advice!"
Grimm gave him an uninterested look in response to the apparent teasing of his staff.
"Tell me, is giving flowers to a guy a good idea?"
Kenny excitedly stepped closer to Grimm with a teasing smirk. "What do you think?" Grimm was quiet for a beat, considering every detail in connection to the question. Then, he said, "Yes."
Kenny's grin widened. "Then, maybe bring some flowers. But don't pick those flowers we have on display. They are funeral flowers, not something you would bring on your first date, especially to a dying guy like him to boot."
Grimm was satisfied with the advice.
"Okay. I'll take note of that."
----
It was almost time, and Elio was nervous. He kept running his fingers through his hair, checking his looks in the mirror, and making sure he smelled pleasant as if this was his first date.
And then, after a while, he heard a soft knock at his apartment door. He took a steady breath before opening it.
And there stood Grimm.
The man typically wore dark, sharp attire. But tonight, he seemed different. He had swapped the funeral parlor suit for something more relaxed—dark trousers, a tailored button-up, and a long coat. He still appeared refined, but there was a certain warmth to his look this evening. In his hands, he carried a small bouquet of daisies.
Elio pondered in amazement as he gazed at the bouquet.
At least he did not bring me those funeral flowers on display in his shop...
Then, after that quick thought, Elio shifted his attention back to Grimm.
"So, you brought flowers?"
Grimm extended them toward Elio, saying, "I was informed it was the right gesture. Do you not like them?"
Elio accepted them, chuckling lightly and shaking his head. "It's not a requirement to give flowers on a date, especially when you're planning to give it to a guy..."
Grimm tilted his head, uncertain if he had done something wrong.
"Did I do a bad thing?" he asked, almost innocent.
Elio grinned. "No, it's a good thing."
Before they went out for their date, Grimm noticed Elio's getting paler than the last time he saw him. He got concerned and did not think twice. He reached Elio's cheeks to check if it was warm to touch.
It did confirm his suspicion.
"You're having a fever..." he said with a hint of concern.
"No, I'm okay..." Elio awkwardly stepped back, shaking his head with a small, tired smile. "A little fever isn't stopping me from going on this date with you."
Grimm was still watching him, unreadable as ever, but his gaze was different—something softer.
After a long silence and pause, Grimm finally sighed. "At least take this." He took off his coat and put it on Elio's shoulders.
Elio stared at it for a moment before letting out a quiet laugh. He shook his head while his grip tightened on Grimm's coat covering his shoulders.
"Thank you," he said.
Grimm smirked, but there was warmth in his expression.
"Shall we proceed?"
"Yes."
----
The two proceeded to their first stop, a small, local movie house that played older films. As they walked together, Elio noticed that everyone was staring at them.
Elio tried to ignore it at first.
But as they walked towards the movie house, he couldn't shake the feeling of eyes following them. It wasn't just a passing glance or idle curiosity—it was something more.
Elio suddenly felt conscious about himself as he walked along with Grimm. At first, he thought it was about him going out with someone like Grimm, who knows how to steal attention using his looks and elegance. But as they went along, he noticed the difference: those stares were not meant for two guys dating out in the crowd but something beyond that. The gazes were eerie, as if they were staring at someone who wasn't supposed to be there.
That thought gave him slight chills in his arms, making every hair on it stand.
"They are staring at us, do they?" Elio commented, wanting to think that he was just imagining things. Grimm, however, didn't even dare to glance back.
"They are. But it's not you that they are staring at; it's me."
Elio blinked in confusion. "Huh?"
Grimm stopped walking. He faced Elio and brushed off the strands of hair covering the younger man's face using his hands.
"Don't worry about them, okay?" He leaned his head slightly towards Elio near his ears and whispered, "People are not used to seeing me out in the open. So it's me, not you."
Elio felt his cheeks flush the moment Grimm whispered in his ears. He unconsciously touched his ears in response to the sensation...
This man's unbelievable!
Even so, that didn't clarify everything.
Now that he thinks about it, it felt similar to when he visited the funeral shop: the same kind of gazes and anxious expressions. However, in this instance, the focus was not on him but on Grimm.
He pushed the thought away as they arrived at the cinema.
It could be his imagination.
Eventually, they reached the theater. Before settling into their seats, they purchased a large bucket of freshly made popcorn to share. From there, he saw some couples being lovey-dovey; some were not really into watching the film but doing something else, which made Elio slightly uncomfortable.
When the movie starts, Elio can steal a glance at Grimm. He wondered if this was Grimm's first experience in a movie theater. The older man seemed genuinely intrigued by the film on the big screen and how people reacted to it. His expression was pure and innocent, as if this was his first time.
Maybe...
Elio was quite satisfied just seeing the normalcy of things between him and Grimm...Even if it was just for a few hours.
Then, finally, the last stop of their date was at the diner. They arrived at precisely eight in the evening, where Grimm could reserve a table for two people. The restaurant was fancy; soft lights at the ceiling, engaging background music, and the smell of the food enticed Elio's declining appetite.
Elio ordered pasta, while Grimm opted for strawberry cake and no-sugar coffee.
"So," Elio swallowed as tension and anxiety both clumped like a ball in his throat, "You don't talk much about yourself, do you?"
"No, I don't," Grimm replied. After a brief silence, he added, "I rarely go outside the funeral shop. I'm not also good at conversing with people. With the deceased ones, yes."
Elio raised an eyebrow. It sounded like a joke, but Grimm's expression indicated otherwise.
And then, there was silence.
This was the first time Elio had a hard time starting a conversation. Most of the time, it was smooth, and the topics were limitless. But now, he can't generate even one topic to make the most of their dinner.
But Elio wasn't sure if he wanted to know all of Grimm, even though that's one of the things he wanted to do.
Perhaps not tonight.
So, instead, they talked about small things. About the city, the people they had seen today, and the ridiculous mall prices.
And for a little while, Elio forgot he was dying.
-----
After eating, they went outside the diner and stood under a street lamp, waiting for a cab to pick them up. None of the two spoke within those silences, as if they were waiting for each other to break that wall. Elio shifted his weight, his hands tucked into the coat pocket Grimm lent him. That coat did help him against the cold breeze. His fever had faded a little, but there was still a lingering heaviness in his limbs.
Still, it wasn't the fatigue that weighed on him the most. It was the thought that Grimm may not entirely enjoy his company.
"Did you...enjoy our date?" Elio asked hesitantly, curious about what the other man thinks about their date. He doesn't know if the older man enjoyed it or if it felt tedious.
There was another silence between them before the older man spoke in response.
"Yes, I enjoyed it."
Elio felt a slight twitch in his chest. Maybe happiness? Relief? He looked down, suddenly feeling warm despite the night's cold air. "Well... I'm glad."
Then—
"Elio."
He looked up. Grimm oversaw him like he was trying to say something.
Elio swallowed. "Yeah?"
Grimm hesitated, just for a second. Those pauses give Elio the impression that Grimm is trying to convey something important, but suddenly, he hesitates.
But he didn't push the man to talk. He let him be.
Then, finally, after a long pause, Grimm said, "Thank you."
Elio frowned. "For what?"
Grimm's lips curved slightly upward. "For tonight."
Something in Elio's chest constricted—not due to pain, illness, or anything else. It was something he hesitated to label.
He compelled himself to smile, nudging Grimm's shoulder playfully. "Hey, I appreciate the day too, and you paid for almost everything. I'm kind of ashamed, but...thank you."
Grimm laughed softly at the joke. "It does not bother me to pay for our date. After all, I was the one who asked you to go out."
"So, would you consider asking me again?"
Grimm smiled as if he was considering asking Elio again for a date.
"Sure...."
And for the first time, Elio felt that Grimm might be less enigmatic than he seemed to be...
Maybe...