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He is afraid of the microwave
From what MC understands, it happened when they were away from home.
Somehow, Casper had ruined their microwave by cooking eggs. He refuses to elaborate in any way on what had really happened and how he destroyed the machine with eggs out of all the things. When MC questions him from time to time, Casper only furiously blushes and answers vaguely. So, something had happened that he knew was a bit embarrassing.
And it was.
He looked at the time. Quarter past seven. MC should be getting home soon.
Tightening the straps of his apron, Casper set to work. This time, he wanted dinner to be more special than usual. During their lunch break at work, they had called him and ranted about the stress and the another load of work they had just received from their boss. "That means I'm gonna come home a little later than usual. Sorry love," MC sighed, rubbing their temples.
"As long as you get back in one piece, I have no doubts about you and your abilities," Casper spoke from the other side of the phone. His response earned a giggle from them.
"However," said Casper while getting out the necessary tools, "To be your light at the end of the tunnel, I shall prepare a special dinner for you."
"Ooh," MC replied back, amused. "Can't wait to see what you're gonna brew up. Try not to explode anything, m'kay?"
"You have my word for it."
Well, apparently not because the eggs exploded.
When Casper saw the clock, he realised there wouldn't be enough time for the eggs to boil on the stove. He said this dinner was supposed to be special and if MC came home to him still cooking, then it would completely destroy the ambience! He wouldn't allow it. So, Casper plopped three eggs in the microwave and set the timer for four minutes.
In the meantime, while the eggs were "cooking", Casper washed the dishes. He was a firm believer in keeping the kitchen clean while cooking. If one plate ends up dirty in the sink, then by the end of the day a whole pile of dishes– BOOM
An explosion awoke him from his thoughts and Casper immediately rushed to the microwave. He opened the door and a wave of burnt eggs hit him, making him cover his nose. The inside of the microwave was covered in darkened yellow and white flesh, with some of the yolk pooling at the bottom This is bad. Really bad.
In a desperate attempt at salvaging it, Casper grabbed some paper tissues and tried cleaning it but to no avail. The burnt eggs stuck to the microwave. When he tried to turn it on, nothing happened. He tried again, but nothing happened.
No, no, no, no, no, no, this cannot be happening—
"I'm home– Wait, is something burning?!"
---
After getting a new one, his avoidance of the device is clear. When MC warms up leftovers from the day before, they can feel his eyes glaring at the microwave from afar. When making a small cup of hot cocoa, he boils the milk on a stove.
Casper, in his true Casper way, denies the allegations. "I have no reason to be afraid of an electric cooking machine that is incapable of damaging me in any way," he says proudly.
"Uh-huh. Sure," MC rolls their eyes playfully. "Go turn it on then."
"No."
He insists on washing their hair
The bathroom smells like a fragrance of cherry blossoms and coconut. The mirror on the wall is foggy, with a few droplets of water dripping down. Quiet jazzy piano music plays in the background. They are sitting in the white bathtub together, soft pink bubbles floating on the warm water. Casper sits behind MC, soaking their head and hair in the warm water and untangling the knots.
MC jolts when Casper pulls on their hair a bit too hard "Jeez, are you trying to pull my hair out?"
"Your hair is a tangled mess, you are simply reaping what you have sown for not brushing it today," he replies nonchalantly, his long white hair spread across the tub.
When MC picks up a few strands of his floating hair, it somehow feels even softer to touch. They twist it around their finger. "Maybe I just wanted a pretty reaper guy to do it for me—ow! Okay, that was definitely intentional!"
It takes Casper a lot of his willpower not to blush. "Stay still, this pretty reaper guy can't do your hair routine if you keep squirming around," he grumbles, his brows furrowed, and pulls back MC's hair even more.
They hiss at the discomfort, feeling their neck go stiff and ache. "You owe me a massage after this!" MC groans.
Casper in response leans over, one brow raised, "If you can behave a little longer, maybe I will." He carefully applies a luxury brand natural shampoo, massaging their scalp gently with the tip of his fingers. MC sighs at the feeling, immediately forgetting the pain in their neck and relaxing themselves against Casper's chest.
"In case you didn't know," MC speaks after a while, forming a scoopful of bubbles into a beard on their face. "I can wash my own hair. Crazy, I know right?"
"Oh," Casper sighs dramatically and rolls his eyes. "Can you really? Because using the cheapest shampoo you could find from the supermarket is not washing your own hair."
"It gets the job done."
"Clearly not if your ends are splitting like a tree branch."
"Ouch."
"You have gotten lazier with yourself and I cannot watch from the sidelines while your hair deteriorates. A cheap shampoo from the local supermarket is simply not enough," Casper sighs. He grabs the shower handle and gently washes away the shampoo. If MC wasn't feeling a bit pissy and teasing, they would be putty against his touch.
"I think 'deteriorates' is a bit extreme." They raise their hands from the water to do air quotations. "My hair's still intact!"
Casper narrows his eyes. "Barely."
"You're dramatic," they pout and wipe away the bubble beard. In reality, they know he is right but refuse to go down without a fight and some teasing.
"And you cannot tell me you're not enjoying the pampering," he smirks and moves his fingers to tenderly massage the back of their head, right behind their ears. His nails ever so slightly scrap against their skin and it's just enough to turn putty.
"Hmm, fair enough," MC hums and closes their eyes, blissfully enjoying the sensation.
Casper smiles proudly, carefully washing away the rest of the shampoo with clean water and preparing the conditioner and other bottles of hair care products.
He falls asleep during movie nights
They call out his name and Casper blinks a few times, raising his head. When MC's smug face greets him, he scoffs and returns to the comfort of their shoulder.
"Don't tell me you are already falling asleep," they squint at him. "The movie just started."
His attention falls back to the movie and Casper is somewhat interested in it. Some old rom-com movie MC found in their watchlist and put it on for their weekly movie night. The living room is dark, save for the desk lamp the two are now too lazy to turn off.
Casper rests comfortably on top of MC, his head on their shoulder while their arms are embracing him. With one hand on his head and the other on his upper back, MC feels surprisingly relaxed under the pressure. It's like an extra weighted blanket. Casper was hesitant at first and suggested that MC lay on top of him instead, but eventually gave up when he saw MC's stubbornness. He can't deny that it feels good.
"Am not sleeping," he replies sluggishly and softly rubs his cheek against MC's shoulder, head turned towards the TV but eyes closed. "I was simply resting my eyes. The light is blinding me."
"Sure you were. If you wanna go to sleep, just say so," MC smiles and caresses the top of his head. The gentleness fuels Casper's sleepiness further and he is holding onto dear life not to fall asleep. When they plant a kiss on his head, Casper falls deeper and deeper into their embrace.
He says something back but it comes out muffled and unintelligible. Seconds later, quiet snores fall from his mouth and MC doesn't wake him.
"You are so adorable, Casper," they whisper softly and wrap their arms around him, holding him like a flower. "I love you."
In his sleep, Casper buries himself deeper into MC's shoulder.
There is always a bowl of fresh fruits
Some days are better than others, and this entire week just happened to be terrible.
Nothing world-shattering happened but MC was stressed out of their mind due to work. Times like these happen, where the load suddenly expands and one randomly selected employee has to bear it on their shoulders. MC just so happened to be that unfortunate employee.
Casper took notice of it too. Their after-work rants have become more frequent and hot. He could only offer advice and words of support as MC cursed out every shitty co-worker and even shittier customer.
Shortly after coming home, they greeted Casper with a tired cheek kiss—who blushed in response as usual—and told him they were going to take a nap. Concerned, Casper asked what had happened and MC dismissed his worries, only saying they were tired from work.
Casper, in the cute pink apron that MC got for him as a gag gift, watches as they go to their room and quietly close the door.
When they awaken from their nap, groggy and in desperate need of a drink, they turn around to see a bowl of neatly decorated fruit on the dresser. Frozen grapes, apple slices shaped like bunnies, diced mango and strawberries instantly make MC drool. The smell is so sweet and tempting that it clears their grogginess and thirst.
MC pops a frozen grape into their mouth and revels in the crunch and sourness. Soon after, the bowl is empty and any implication of it containing fruit is the red and yellow sticky liquid at the bottom.
They put the bowl back on the dresser with a sigh and make a mental note to themselves.
---
When Casper opens the fridge door in the morning to make breakfast, a plate catches his eye. Alongside a plate of peeled kiwi slices, oranges, bananas, blueberries and watermelons, there is a note. When he finishes it, Casper doesn't hide the lovestruck smile on his face.
Returning the favour <3 Have a great day today, my love!
- MC
He is getting better at baking
Around an hour ago, Casper had banned MC from entering the kitchen or asking what he was doing. MC immediately figured out he was going to bake something but still went along with it.
Casper's pastries have always been questionable. The last time he made chocolate cookies, he had added too much butter and the oil overflowed the entire tray. To add salt to injury, the cookies came out bland. The last time Casper tried to make a cake for MC's birthday, he had forgotten to add baking soda and it came out resembling something of a pancake.
Seems like his past failures haven't destroyed his determination yet, and now MC can smell delicious brownies cooking in the kitchen.
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Casper is stressed. There are too many bowls and somehow all of the spoons in the house are covered in flour or brownie mixture. The sink is full of dishes and the thought of having to wash them is giving Casper a headache.
He made a note to thoroughly follow the recipe and not skip any steps. With a nervous sigh, Casper gets to work.
---
One hour later, the kitchen noise falls quiet. When MC hears him slamming the oven door shut, his footsteps close by and he finally opens the door, the sight hits him like a truck.
Casper's hair is in a high ponytail, his cheeks are flushed and his smile is awkward but proud. Covered in flour and egg yolk, the pink apron MC got him as a joke is wrapped around his waist. He is holding a tray of delicious-looking soft brownies for MC to see and marvel at.
But they don't know which looks more tastier: the brownies or their reaper.
And he is in that pink fucking apron holy fucking shit how can he look so adorable what the fuck—
"I have a great feeling about these," he says proudly, eyes shining, and places the tray on the bedroom table. "I followed the recipe word by word and left no room for mistakes. If it turns out bad again, it must be some higher lord messing with the results."
MC takes a bite and their eyes widen. The brownie itself is soft and not as sweet as MC thought it might be. Then the melted chocolate hits and they feel like they're in heaven. Not too sweet to make them sick. "I think these are your best ones yet!"
Casper shuts his gaping mouth and coughs. "Were you doubting me? O-Of course I would have not failed—"
He is interrupted by MC shoving a piece in his mouth. "Here, try it yourself."
Cautiously, he chews and MC grins as Casper's eyes widen by the second. It was truly worth all the stress and work. "Huh, so you weren't lying."
"Why would I lie? These are genuinely good!" says MC, unable to contain their happiness. Maybe they could tease him about this, after all, they always find a loophole but eventually decide not to. The moment is sweet and they want to savour it. They look over to their reaper, whose eyes are still shining and munching away at his successful patch of brownies.
Casper looks down and hums in agreement, smiling. His heart flutters at their approval. In his mind, he is already brainstorming what to bake next.
He likes being treated like a princess
This is getting rather ridiculous, is Casper's only thought when he caught on MC's antics one day.
The past week has been off, to say the least. It started with gentlemanly behaviour, like opening doors and insisting on carrying the heavy grocery bags. All that he could brush off as MC being MC again, but when they swept Casper off his feet—literally—and carried him to the bedroom in a bridal style, he knew something was going on.
The odd behaviour continued, from regular massages to doing the simplest tasks for him, like combing his hair and spoonfeeding him. Casper hesitantly decided to humour this and go along with their antics to perhaps get some answers but was left more confused and flustered.
"Seriously, what is up with you?" Casper asked, cheeks red. A pink bunny headband wrapped around his head, pushing away his white hair, he sits on the edge of the bed.
MC, sitting on his lap, squeezed some moisturiser on their fingers and gently swirled it on Casper's face. "Am I not allowed to pamper the love of my life?"
"I don't— I do not need pampering. Even a child could do something as easy as this." Casper's nose scrunched when MC finished with the moisturiser and squeezed his cheeks together.
"With how complex and structured your skincare routine is, I honestly doubt it," they left a quick kiss on his lips and turned away to grab a bottle of face oil.
Now he stares at the bouquet of flowers in their arms in bewilderment. It reminds him of the night he showed up at their window, but this time the roles are switched.
A note is snuck between the flowers. It reads: 'For my cute princess <3'.
"I am not a princess," he says firmly, crossing his arms, "nor am I cute." Casper shyly takes the bouquet, holding it like a glass vase he fears he might break. He pulls it closer and smells one of the roses. When he feels the blush of his cheeks darkening, Casper buries his face deeper into the bouquet.
MC knows him too well by now. Avoiding eye contact, furious blushing, arms crossed, signs that they have successfully stolen his heart once again.
"That's all you have to say? Your lack of self-awareness kills me," they pout, a grin threatening to break out.
"I am very self-aware, thank you, and it is telling me that I am no princess nor cute! Grim reapers cannot be cute!" Casper's arms tighten around the flowers.
"You're an ex-reaper, though. So now you can be cute—and a princess," they add.
"Absurd. You are an absolute fool." He shakes his head and peeks out of the block of roses and tulips that are conveniently hiding his blush, and sees MC giggling at him.
Casper is caught off guard when MC suddenly kneels on the ground. Before he can question them, they gently take his hand and plant a kiss on it, their eyes closed. When MC looks at him through their lashes, his panicked and flustered reaction stares back. Casper's red eyes are widened and even if the flowers are blocking the view, they can tell with certainty he is flustered beyond words.
"Only for you, my princess," they say—at least he thinks they say that. The heartbeat in his ears is too loud.
He doesn't respond. MC gets back on their feet and wipes off the imaginary dust off their knee. When their eyes meet again, Casper is staring like a deer frozen on the road. "You are," he manages to breathe out, "unbelievable."
"Thanks, babygirl. Love you too."
He wants to say the words that are pumping out of his heart and flowing through his body. A million different ways to express these emotions, things he never imagined he would ever say to anyone. But the strange feelings are too abstract to put into words.
This human—this unbelievable human—who was just supposed to be another job, another soul to collect, another ordinary human in the crowd of millions, is the sole reason Casper is no longer a reaper.
It's absurd.
It's preposterous.
It's foolish.
So when complex words and metaphors fail to help him describe it, he picks out the simplest thought racing in his mind.
"You're beautiful."
MC tilts their head. "You mean the flowers?" they smile awkwardly and raise an eyebrow, confused.
"No— I mean yes, but," he staggers, "you are beautiful."
Where are his snarky replies and wit when he desperately needs it? It is so unbelievably pathetic, Casper thinks to himself, his eyes shut.
But he doesn't need to say more. MC knows what he wants to say, even they can't put it into words. But they know and it's enough for the both of them.
Monthly picnics are a must
In the basket are Casper's and MC's favourite food that they made together. The whole morning and early afternoon were spent gathering the ingredients and cooking, making a mess in the kitchen they swear they will clean up once at home.
"The road to our favourite spot is worthy of an adventure movie. Two lost adventurers simply trying to get back on track and avoid any enemies that might come along the way," MC says, doing their best fighting pose. Though Casper knows they're exaggerating, he can't help but play along.
"The dark forest is unforgiving, punishing any fool who dares venture in too deep," Casper continues, avoiding the branches and carefully stepping over any rock and root. He holds to the wooden picnic basket on his arm firmly, a hand supporting the bottom.
"The sharp branches try to hold them back from continuing, but to no avail! The two adventurers march through completely unbothered!" MC's voice is loud, at least louder than usual. It echoes throughout the forest and surely scared away a few wild animals. Casper can tell they are excited, and he is too. It's one of the few times the two get out of the busy city life.
"In the shadows lurk creatures, watching their every move and waiting for the perfect moment to strike," says Casper, his voice more upbeat.
"But the two adventurers bravely go on, for their favourite spot," MC dashes through a bush and does a small victory pose once out, "is right here!"
What greets them is a small, undisturbed lake, isolated deep in the middle of the forest. Despite Caspar's and MC's picnic tradition going on for some time now, the sight never fails to blow them away. The two wipe away any branches and leaves and quietly settle down on the edge of the lake, close enough to see a couple of tadpoles swimming in the murky water.
"Man, I can never get enough of this place," MC says, out of breath, scouring the area. They take a few deep breaths, turn to Casper and smile. "How did you even find it?"
"When you have lived for hundreds of years, you tend to find gems like this," Caspers says and lays out a large checkered picnic blanket, swiping away any wrinkles. "Now, time to feast."
MC falls on the blanket with a sigh and stares at the blue sky above them. Casper beside them neatly lays out the food containers and utensils, all while keeping an eye on them with a soft smile. Once finished, Casper takes off his jacket, folds it neatly and puts it down.
"Here," He pats his thighs, alerting MC. "Rest your head on my lap. The ground cannot be comfortable to lie on."
"Oh, that's awfully suggestive of you, Grimmy. Where did that come from?" asks MC, pretending to be shocked as they shift themselves to rest on Casper's lap. They play with the strands of his white hair, staring fondly at him.
"From my immortal heart that is unfortunately keen on keeping you happy and alive," replies Casper unenthusiastically, but MC notices the playfulness in his voice. By now, they have gotten increasingly better at detecting his intentions just by his tone.
They chuckle and smile widely. "Doesn't sound so unfortunate to me."
"That is because you are on the receiving end. I, on the other end, have to tolerate your immaturity."
"Yeah, poor you. Must be difficult to handle all of that blinding beauty and awesome personality," MC smirks and smugly flicks their hair, earning an amused huff from their reaper.
"Exactly, you understand me," Casper smirks back and the two share a laugh.
They chatter about mindless stuff, anything that comes to mind is shared between each other and the forest like a secret. The food that took hours to prepare is consumed along the way, the bowl of fruits is the first to go.
The chatter eventually dies down and the two bask in the sunlight. Casper can't remember when, nor is it that important, but between him talking about soul babies, MC had moved from his lap to braid his hair. When he finished his monologue, it finally registered in his head and gently touched the braided hair.
Not done just yet, MC picked a few white clovers and wildflowers and carefully tucked them between the braids, decorating Casper in colourful flowers. They lean back and inspect their masterpiece proudly.
It's cliché and kind of sappy, but Casper thinks back to when they first met each other and the bet. How strange and absurd he thought MC's behaviour was, how their teasing made him feel things he had never felt before, how days were duller than usual without them. He would've never imagined that they were now the love of his immortal life.
Their smile painted his grey, grim world yellow and their laugh awakened something pink in his chest. Their soft kisses on his cheeks and lips leave behind a red warmth. Everything seems so colourful and exciting now: busy streets, flowers in the neighbourhood gardens and waking up in the morning to see them.
"MC", Casper murmured, caressing their head and watching their chest rise and fall as they rested on his lap. "I wonder if you know just how radiant you are?"
It's quiet and getting dark, but in his own little world that no one can see or get in, the sun is still shining.