He starts the day by washing his skull. Once he deems it to be shiny enough, he turns an uncertain glance Doughboy’s way. With his legs dangling over the edge of the sink, the little pile of dough lets out a great yawn before giving Grim a sleepy thumbs-up. Grim lets out a sigh of relief, then saunters over to his closet, combing through the rows of identical black cloaks until he comes upon one that’s just a little bit classier than the others.

“My guy, you’re looking fresh to death”, Tanner calls out from over the phone as Grim brings it to rest against the toaster in the kitchen. “Okay, now are you sure you wanna try these out? They’re fun, but they’re a little tricky.”

Grim just nods to himself, tying his colorful apron about his waist. He rolls up the sleeves of his cloak, then takes a moment to wash his hands before he muses, “I believe Angela would enjoy the effort. She appreciates those who embrace the  challenges in life. Or death”.

“Okay. But it’s your funeral.” At the glance Grim sends his way, he rolls his eyes. “You know what I mean. And hey, if you’re really set on this, you should make sure you have some bacon.”

An incredulous scoff is all Grim can give him as he gathers a clean bowl, spatula, and some spoons. “Is that not a given?”

“Well, have you checked?”, Tanner asks matter-of-factly, and Grim wavers for a moment before darting over to the fridge. “Well?”

Grim returns with an armful of butter, bacon, and pancake essentials, then says, “There is just enough for breakfast”. He sets everything upon the kitchen table. “Are you certain you do not want to attend? There would be more than enough.”

“I would, but I gotta raincheck.” A slight blush climbs to his cheeks. “The Edge wants to go to that new Butterfly Garden, and I already promised I’d take him.”

A smile tugs at Grim’s lips. “How very romantic.”

“Shut up, it’s not like I’m bringing home to meet my family”, Tanner retorts with a pointed smirk. “And don’t think I don’t realize that this is just a way for me to be a buffer between you and Ange.”

A huff escapes Grim before he explains, “It is less a buffer and more an extra wall. My sister has very little sense of a filter”.

“Man, I’m really gonna miss out.” Tanner lets out a dejected sigh, and if Grim had any eyes, he might’ve rolled them.

He sets about cracking the eggs. “I shall inform you of all that happens when next we speak.” His smile turns sincere then. “Enjoy your day at the Garden.”

“Yeah, yeah, I will”, Tanner says with a smile of his own. “And try not to kill your sister while you’re at it.”

As if on cue, Banshee comes bounding down the steps, shifting halfway down the staircase to fly over to where he stands behind the island. Sporting a wide-fanged grin, she then says, “So what’s on the menu today? Something caramelly?”

“Bacon and pancake cookies.” At the confused stare he gets in return, he shrugs. “It is merely tiny pancakes with bacon baked into them.”

The doorbell sounds then, and Grim grows still in place, bones trembling so fiercely they might as well be chattering. Banshee gives him a sympathetic smile before hugging him close. “Come on. The twins are at their grandma’s, so all you have to worry about is me. And I promise to be on my best behavior.” Of course, that being said, when she flies over to the door, there’s a mischievous glint to her eyes. She tosses open the door with a flourish of feathers, her eyes locked onto Angela with glee. “Well, if it isn’t our little angel.” Her eyes zero in on the tupperware container within her hands. “Ooh, what’s that?”

“Oh. Uh, hi”, Angela lets out before she passes the tupperware to Angela. Doughgirl affords her a curious stare, hiding out behind Angela’s hair before she takes a calculated step forward. “Well, you said you’re a pretty big fan of caramel. So I made some caramel flan. Grim said you liked flan, so I figured-”

Banshee just lets out a happy chirp before accepting the bowl from her as she calls out, “You figured correctly”. She flies back into the kitchen and winks at Grim whilst she searches for a clean spoon. “I see why you like her.”

“I’ll tell Daemon.” When she simply elbows him gently, he finds himself relaxing, silently instructing Doughboy to bring the box of butter over before Angela makes her way over to them. He offers her a timid smile. “Hello.”

Angela ducks her head and smiles. “Hey.” She then looks over where he’s just started the stove. “You, uh, want some help?”

“You are a guest”, Grim says, admonished. “You are here to eat, not help.”

A roll of the eyes escapes Angela before she explains, “Baking is my life, Grim. You can’t just invite me over for breakfast and expect me not to help. Come on, what do you need?”

“...I’m not very good at flipping.” He casts a sideways stare to where their doughkids have sat atop the bread box, seemingly deep in conversation, before he turns back to Angela. He scoops up the bowl of pancake mix and gives a lopsided smile. “Could you…”

Angela just smirks before she draws closer, wielding her spatula as he might’ve once wielded his scythe. “Like you even have to ask.” Once they’ve settled into a good rhythm, having already made three pancakes, she glances over where Banshee’s helping herself to her flan. “So. Grim says he got out of the family business. Are you-”

“Still in it”, Banshee explains, humming to herself as she scoops a spoonful of golden flan into her mouth. “I mean, the souls gotta get to where they’re going, and there are so many amateurs out there. Gotta make sure the job gets done and that it gets done good, you know.”

Grim just lets out a grunt, then muses, “It would not be so horrible to let someone outside the family assume control of the business. It would allow you time to pursue other interests”.

Angela looks between them both before she brings her pancake to rest evenly against the scorching hot skillet. “What, is it harder for them to do the work or something?”

“Not necessarily. But when it’s the family business, you kinda get protective.” She hops atop the kitchen counter and nods to herself as she digs into her flan once more. “I mean, you get it. Grim here tells me you come from a pretty successful family, too.”

All at once, Angela looks away, grimacing as she brings her next pancake down wrong. She shakes her head at herself before explaining, “I-I mean, yeah. The, uh, Sucrose family is made up of some of the biggest bakers in the world. Well, Overworld, I guess”.

“...Perhaps we could meet one day”, Grim says after a moment. “Like a, what do you call it, a barbecue?”

Angela’s silent for a moment. And then she blinks, seeming deep in thought. “Yeah, maybe.” The conversation stops then as the landline starts to ring. She smiles. “You, uh, wanna get that?”

“Stay as you are!” Banshee flies over to the landline in question. “I got it.”

Silence stretches between them before Grim quietly says, “Thank you for coming today. I am quite enjoying myself”.

“Well, I’m glad to hear that. Cause I’m glad to be here, too”, Angela says after a moment. Their lips meet in a gentle kiss, interrupted when Angela lets out a light laugh and pulls away. She lifts a hand to cover her lips, eyes bright with amusement. “You have, uh, syrup on your lips.”

Embarrassed, Grim lifts a skeletal hand to shield his face when Banshee suddenly clears her throat, her smile a tad strained. “Hey, bro. Can we talk a sec?”

“Yes, of course.” With a reassuring smile sent Angela’s way, Grim strides over to his sister, his smile giving way as he does so. “What is it?”

Banshee just takes in a deep breath before she explains, “It’s Dirge. He’s back in town”.