The bathroom light flickered on and running water could be heard across the house. Ian looked up at the mirror and was greeted with a ghost of his former self looking back at him. He knew this dream all too well. He knew his ghost would show him taking a flower shape pill, a flash then him being chained up to a bed and being whipped by a man with dark fiery red hair. His ghost moaning out in a mix of pleasure and pain. He begged for both more and for it to stop when the skin broke.

“Not until you remember who your master is!” He hissed.

Another flash and Ian was faced with the fiery red hair man, no longer in the bathroom, he watched the eyes turned fully black as the world below him cracked and a second man could be seen, chained to the crumbling walls, black curly hair that kissed his forehead ever so gently, deep brown eyes looking around in fear until they lock on his.

“Ian, Ian help me! Please love!” The scared man begged.

“Andrew!” Ian ran to the edge and stopped as the corps of people he knew climbed up and blocked him from running to the aid of the scared man.

“This is your punishment for betraying me, pet! Now, come to master or let this man die!” The fiery red hair man said, pointing his cain at Andrew.

Ian shook in fear, unsure what to do or say. He just let the ground under him shake and pull him in as a loud beeping could be heard.

***

Ian shot up, sweat dripping as he felt around for a warm body next to him. He found only sheets but the smell of coffee snapped him out of the terror he saw in his dreams. He pushed off the blanket and fumbled around for a pair of boxers.

“Last thing I need this morning is a sore ass.” Ian mumbled as he pulled up black colored shorts.

One quick walk out of his bedroom he found breakfast being prepped and coffee finished brewing. On the floor was a black and brown kitten, eating his bowl of mixed wet and dry food. He smiled when he saw the man who was hanging off a cliff moments ago in his dreams standing happily as he mixed a bowl full of some kind of batter.

“You should be sleeping, love dove.” Andrew said as he finished mixing everything together.

“Yeah well, I just woke up.” Ian smiled but his body shook as he watched Andrew walk around.

Andrew didn’t look up until he tapped the whisk on the side of the bowl a few times. When Andrew did look up, he could see that Ian was shaken over something, another nightmare. He put everything down and went to pick Ian up to carry over to the couch for morning snuggles.

“I know you don’t want to talk about it but everything’s fine. We’re both here and together. Nothing bad is happening now, or ever!” Andrew said as he ran his hand threw Ian’s hair.

Ian felt himself relax in his boyfriend's lap, lying his head against his chest and take in the smell of some fruity bath soap and the dryer sheets they used. He felt better after a minute, he didn’t want to talk about the dream but he felt like falling asleep in his lovers lap and Andrew could tell.

“Better?”

“You just holding me is better than any drug out there.” Ian commented.

“Good thing you can’t market this.” Andrew joked.

“Yeah…” Ian signed and snuggled into his boyfriend's chest and closed his eyes.

Andrew felt bad about having to move his boyfriend but he wasn’t even finished with starting breakfast. He pecked his boyfriend on the lips and ushered him to take a shower and get dressed while he got breakfast made. Ian pouted but got up. Andrew hummed as he went back to making breakfast.

“You know he’s gonna explode one day. His emotions, his past, the sickness that haunts him, he’ll explode and he’ll be a mess.” A voice said.

Andew looked over at the cat as he sat on the counter top, his black fur looked like a cloak that belonged to a grim reaper, jagged edges hanging over his face, shoulders and back, under it was dark brown fur.

“Didn’t I tell you to sit on the bar stools.” Andrew scolded.

“I’m kitten size in this form, I cannot see over the counter.” The cat pointed out.

“Turn human then.”

“I cannot control my form. I’m still young.”

Andrew groaned at the cat then picked up the freshly washed berries from the sink.

“Ian is scared from his dream, you holding him made him relax.” The cat stated.

“I know, five years of Ian’s nightmares and me holding him afterwards always does the trick.” Andrew was proud of this.

“But for how long? How long will Ian keep his feelings bottled up?”

“Hush, Grim, let us enjoy our morning.” Andrew said.

Grim rolled his eyes and hopped down.

“I want a pancake, by the way!” Grim said as he went to his bed.

“I’ll leave one out for you.” Andrew turned around and turned on the stove.

***

Ian couldn’t help but smile as he unplugged his phone from the car speakers. It was his turn to pick the music they would listen to on their way to work, he picked a movie soundtrack that he use to love when he was in high school. Andrew had never seen this movie and wondered why he even let Ian pick the music.

“Ian, I swear next time let me pick the playlist!” Andrew said as they got out of his truck.

“Oh shush, I haven’t heard the soundtrack in years. Forgot I even bought it.” Ian said as he put Grim on his shoulder.

“Can you guys explain what the hell Zydate even is?” Grim asked as they went inside the police station.

“Very powerful drug that helps with glamor surgery. Found in corps in the Repo opera.” Ian gave a shorthand answer.

“Why couldn’t we have listen to something more normal, like Linkin Park, or what's on the radio.” Andrew asked as they walked to the back.

“Cause it’s just the same three songs over and over again.” Ian answered.

“Can I play with your phone today?” Grim asked as they entered the locker room.

“I brought stuff for you to play with, my phone is not one of them.” Ian told Grim.

Grim pouted as he jumped onto the tops of the locker, walking alongside his master and friend. Ian leaned on another locker and watched his boyfriend put his coat away and pull out the work laptop he left behind the night before. The two men kissed before Ian called for Grim to follow him to the elevator. They greeted coworkers as they walked by, making small talk until the two get to the silver colored door.

“Ian, you’re late! I needed you an hour ago!” A gruff voice called from down the hall.

Ian froze out of habit when someone would yell at him. He turned around and was faced with his boss, chief Lucas.

“Hey boss…” Ian said in a slow voice.

“Ian is a heavy sleeper sir. He tends to not hear his alarm go off, highly doubt he would have heard his cell.” Grim said.

“Oh Grim, you tagged along today.” Lucas said.

“He’s still in that phase where he has no control over what form he takes. He’ll be a cat one moment and the next a teen who has a large appetite and we really like to not come home and all the food had been eaten.” Ian explained as he picked up the cat.

“Ah, familiars, such strange creatures. Anyway, we found a body and we don’t know if you can bring it back for questions or not.”

The elevator dingged and the two men walked in.

“Let me get Grim set up in my office then I can get started on the body.” Ian said as they watched the numbers pass by.

The machine dinged and the doors slid open. Ian waited for his boss to step out first before he did. They walked quietly until the reached a locked door. Ian had to fish out his keys from his pockets, apologizing while he did so. With a click the two walked in and Ian walked to another set of doors, one that leads to an office. Lucas watched as Ian unlocked the door and got the familiar set up before going to the body that laid in a freezer.

“So boss, can you tell me what happened?” Ian asked as he got out the latest murdered corps.

“Found him on the side of the road, no one knows who he is or how he died.”

Ian nodded and quickly moved the body to the table to revive.

Ian was a highly skilled necromancing witch. He could bring back the dead either as a fully functioning human or as a brainless zombie. He found peace working for a police department, solving murders. Ian would say it made up for the years of bad he had done. It was a sight to see the man bring a dead person back but they wouldn’t last long, the dead didn’t belong to the living anymore.

“Where am I?” The dead man asked.

“Torent Police morgue.” Ian answered.

“What? I’m dead? But how?”

“I don’t know but my boss, chief Lucas, can help us solve your murder. Can you give us your name, date of birth, hometown and phone numbers so we can alert your loved ones about your death?” Ian pulled out his clipboard.

“My name is Lewis Potel. I’m from Las Vegas, came to Colorado to uhh…”

“Buy weed? Isn’t it legal in Las Vegas?” Ian asked.

“To meet my girlfriend, Brook. We had been dating for two years online and we were going to meet face to face.” Lewis explained.

“Okay, can you tell us your date of birth and any phone numbers we can call, like Brooks number.” Ian asked.

Lewis nodded and rambled off a list of numbers, one of them was the number for Brook, the other was his cellphone since he could recall it was with her last. Detective Lucas had a feeling he knew what happened to the poor man and Ian did too.

“Alright, any final words you would like me to write down for any family?” Ian asked.

“Just for my mom. Tell her I’m sorry about our last fight. I shouldn’t have left things unfinished or unsaid.” Lewis wanted to cry but found no tears to shed.

“Okay, I’ll be sure to tell your mother to come here and bring you home to be buried.” Ian said.

“Cremated. Las Vegas is having a problem with necromancers.” Lewis stated.

Ian nodded and wrote that down for the man’s mother to do. He moved out of Lucas way and watched as his boss questioned the man. Ian pulled out a sheet with the words ‘deadmans bingo’ and played a game with himself, listening to Lewis’ last days. He gleefully smiled as he marked everything off, getting a bingo on two rows. He wouldn’t tell his boss about his little game, he would be told to stop it.

“Looks like I have everything I need. Ian, please uh, re kill, Mr. Potel.” Lucas said.

Ian nodded and folded the piece of paper to hide in his pocket and returned Lewis to the world of the dead. He felt bad for the man, the woman he loved betrayed him and he wound up on the side of the road, dead.

“I’m glad it’s not me.” Ian would think as he went to his office to process paperwork.