Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Cover Art by Dieingcity

It wasn't unheard of for a demon to be parented by two men. Demonic men were capable of becoming with-child, though it was a rare occurrence. But William's mother being male wasn't what made him different, separating him from the other children of his generation of demons. The fact was; he had been different from the day he was born.

Demon children drink blood, not yet able to take a human soul; and newborns would suckle their parent's blood. However, when his mother; Sebastian, had offered him his blood, he had cried, his tiny black nails growing out into claws as he tried to get the blood away, hurting himself in the process. Desperate to get nutrition in their son; Claude and Sebastian moved out of Hell and into the Mortal Realm, finding that their child would drink milk.

As he grew, his mother and father had found ways of sneaking blood into his other-wise human-like diet, keeping him healthy. It worried them how reluctant their son was to the demon ways.

William soon grew from a playful little baby into a quiet and curious little boy. He was intelligent for his age, with a natural thirst for knowledge that led him to explore everything he could reach; however, being a young child he was still very naive and often got into mischief without really meaning too.

A warm breeze drifted in through the open window, cooling the stuffy house; it was the beginning of summer, and about three months until William's next birthday. William sat inside his house, listening to his mother as he tried to teach him about Demon culture. His mind began to wander, he could see the window behind Sebastian, showing the clear blue sky and the green leaves of the trees. William smiled to himself, daydreaming of being outside in his secret spot; reading the books he had stored there, books he found far more interesting than what his mother was trying to teach him.

"...And it's important to always remember that you never make a contract unless you are sure you'll complete it. A voided contract will painfully kill you, and...William, are you listening?" Sebastian asked, snapping his fingers in front of his son's face.

William jumped at the loud snap in his ears. He flinched "I swear I was listening!"

"Oh? And what did I just say?"

William panicked, his mouth saying the first thing that came into his head "...a good Shinigami always wears glasses?"

Sebastian blinked at the ruby-eyed boy and sighed, "Will, I know you are fascinated by reapers, but you need to learn about demons. You are one and eventually, you'll reach the age where you need to consume souls. Your father and I can't always protect you." He stood up and walked over to a bookshelf, pulling down a black leather-bound book and held it out to him, "Here. Maybe you'll be more interested in reading about it."

William took the book, opening the cover and flicking through the pages gently. He loved to read, but somehow even a book couldn't interest him in Demons. He didn't want to learn about their customs and culture, even if he was one. William smiled, trying to act grateful, "Thanks Momma." he said, "Can I go outside and read? "

Sebastian sighed and nodded, "Behave yourself; and don't go too far." he nodded.

"I know Momma," said William. He put down the book and hugged Sebastian "Thank you!" he picked up the book again and ran outside.

Sebastian frowned, watching his son run off out the back door; he was really starting to worry about his baby boy's lack of interest in demonology. Which was highly dangerous for his future.

Claude walked over to Sebastian, having just finished washing the dishes from lunch "How are the lessons going?"

"Not good...he just won't listen to his lessons, he never can answer my questions...I'm at a loss of what to do, Claude." Sebastian frowned.

Claude frowned along with Sebastian. He sighed, hugging the crow "Maybe we need to be firmer with him and stop him filling his mind with reapers" he said "It's harsh, but it'd be for his own good"

William ran out into the back yard, running right to end where a large tree stood He climbed the ladder that was nailed to the trunk, scrambling into the tree house that was hidden among the branches. He tossed the book his mother had given him to one side, not at all interested in it. He ran to the wooden chest on the back wall, pausing when something caught his eye. In the distance, something long and silvery was snaking through the sky. Several more joined it, twinkling in the sunlight. William's eyes lit up, recognizing it from his books, "Cinematic record!" he breathed, amazed by the sight. He clambered onto the chest and out of the little window, climbing along the branch and dropping onto the street below.

Sunlight glinted off the large blade of a curved sickle the handle of the scythe adorned with an intricate skeleton design. The reaper, clad in a black suit and a trench-coat leapt back with ease and the cinematic record attacked with the soul's desperate attempts at clinging to life. Gloved hands gripped the handle and the blade was swung, cutting through and absorbing the records effortlessness.

Pale lips twitched upwards as the reaper rested his scythe over his shoulder, his long silver ponytail blowing in the wind. "This job is getting too easy." he muttered to himself, adjusting his glasses. "Of course it always gets interesting when a demon comes around." he chuckled, I know you are there."

William gasped quietly, freezing in place. He remained as still as he could, hoping the reaper would move on

The reaper turned around and looked down at William, "Such a little guy, aren't you? What are you doing outside of Hell? I bet you are still feeding off blood, so why come here? You can't be looking for a soul, could you?" he grinned, walking closer to the boy.

William squeaked in fear, starting to tremble. He tried to back away and tripped, landing on his bottom. He stared up open mouthed at the reaper, trembling more.

"What's the matter little demon? Afraid?"

Back at the house, Sebastian stiffened, a cold shiver running up his back as his motherly instincts kicked in, "Will!" he suddenly pulled away from Claude and ran out to the back yard, "William!" not sensing his son, he took off, leaping over the fence and running down the street, following the faint scent of the young boy.

"N-n-n-no, s-s-s-sir..." William continued to tremble, his shaking getting worse. He tried to scoot backwards, only succeeding in scooting into the wall

"Tsk, tsk, lying already, hehehe~" he lifted his scythe from his shoulder and brought it back, "I could so easily stop you from being the cause of more paperwork and headaches before you are old enough to have the chance~" he started to swing his scythe forward. "But I—"

There was a sudden growl and the reaper was knocked back, tackled to the ground under Sebastian, "How lowly of a reaper to kill a child!" he snarled, barring his fangs, his eyes flashing.

William screamed as his mother tackled the reaper, bursting into tears. He started to run away, Claude dropped in front of him. William ran straight into his arms, hugging him very tightly, "D-Daddy!" Claude held his son close and jumped onto the rooftops, trying to get William out of harms way.

"Nevertouch my son again, hear me?" The crow snarled, slicing his claw down the man's face and across his neck, "Or I'll not let you live next time!"

"Hmm? How odd. I didn't think demons had a sense of family...interesting." the reaper chuckled.

Disgusted, Sebastian got up and left the reaper on the ground as he headed back to the house.

Claude arrived back at the house, he opened the door and carried William through into the lounge. He sat on the couch and held his son close, rocking him as he cried.

Sebastian returned moments later, rushing over to his family and wrapping his arms around them, "Will, are you okay? Did he hurt you?"

William wriggled around in Claude's arms and latched onto his mother, clinging to him tightly. He hiccupped as he tried to answer Sebastian's questions.

"Shh, shh, It's okay, William, my love..." The mother cooed, hugging him close, "He can't hurt you now. You're safe."

William snuggled Sebastian, hiccupping a few more times before slowly calming down. He sniffled and started sucking his thumb; a habit he had long outgrown.

Sebastian sighed and brushed the boy's messy hair out of his face, pressing a kiss to his hair.

Claude wrapped his arm around Sebastian, stroking William's hair with his hand, "Oh William" he said "What are we going to do with you?"

William sniffled "I-I'm s-sorry..." he said, his voice muffed by his thumb.

"What were you doing out there? You were supposed to stay close and read your book." Sebastian sighed, "I was scared we'd loose you..."

"I saw the cinematic record from the window of my tree house" mumbled William "I just wanted to see it up close"

"They are dangerous, William. If records are playing, a reaper is there. They don't hesitate to attack demons. They are almost as bad as Angels."

William frowned "Reapers aren't bad like Angels" he said "They guide the safe passage of souls, how can they be bad?" His words had obviously come from the books he loved to read.

"What makes them bad to us, William, is the fact that they see us as the enemy and treat us as such. The souls they collect also happen to be our only food source. It's a fact that prevents us from getting along. And while some of us demons do wish we could feed off something else, we can't. Reapers see it as we are stealing from them."

"Who says it's our only food source?" said William "Who says we couldn't eat other stuff if we wanted?"

"We've tried, Will. Blood stops working once we hit adulthood. Human food does nothing for us. We can eat it all we want and we would still starve to death."

"...what if a Demon doesn't want to eat souls?"

"He'll starve." Sebastian sighed, "William...Claude and I have been trying to be understanding parents, but your whole interest in reapers is starting to put you in harms way. You need to learn about our own kind."

"I don't wanna learn about my own kind, it's stupid to lower yourself to being a slave just for a meal" said William. He reached up and took Claude's glasses, putting them on himself "I wanna be a reaper"

"...You can't change what you are..." Sebastian said, hurt in his voice.

Claude sighed and very gently took his glasses back from his son. He carefully slid them back onto his face "William, go up to your room, alright?" he said "Mommy and Daddy will come and talk to you later". William pouted and reluctantly slid down from Sebastian's lap. He shuffled out of the room and ran up the stairs into his bedroom, slamming the door a little.

Sebastian flinched at the sound of the door slamming, "...He...is ashamed of what he is...Claude, what if he hates us for it?"

Claude pulled Sebastian into his arms, hugging tightly "No love, I think he's confused" he said "He's filled his head with reapers and forgotten he's a Demon" he kissed Sebastian's cheek "I think it would best if we got rid of anything to do with reapers, if its not there to distract him, he might focus on what's important"

"..He'll be upset..." he muttered, "I just don't want to loose him..."

"I think we have to be to cruel to be kind, love" Claude said, "If we don't, we will lose him"

Sebastian nodded, "A-Alright..." he sighed, "I just couldn't stand it if he hated us."

Claude hugged him tight, snuggling him "I know love, I know"

Sebastian sighed, "...when should we do this?"

"Let's give him some time to calm down first" Claude suggested.

The crow nodded, "I just don't understand his fascination with reapers..."

"I don't get it either" said Claude "But I never dreamed it would lead him into trouble"

"That why I never stopped him..." he nodded in agreement.

Claude hugged Sebastian "It's not your fault daring" he said firmly

He shook his head, "He's been his own person from the beginning. We still have to fight him to get him to have blood when he needs it... and now he doesn't want to be a demon at all..."

William sniffled, crying softly as he walked around his room. A little kitty backpack was sat in the middle of the carpet, already filled with several books. William went to his dresser and pulled open a drawer, taking out several pairs of clean clothes and socks and adding them to his backpack. He walked to his bed and picked up his beloved teddy bear. He looked at it a few minutes before hugging it tightly, more tears falling down his cheeks, "Take care of Momma and Daddy for me" he whispered. He placed the teddy back on his bed neatly. He zipped up his backpack and put it on, taking one last look around his room before silently heading out of the window.

He knew he wasn't meant to be a Demon, even if he was one. He was going to seek out the Shinigami academy and become a reaper.

Sebastian walked up the stares, knocking lightly on William's bedroom door. "Will, baby, we need to talk."

Upon not receiving an answer; Sebastian pushed open the door and stepped in. His eyes widened at the sight of the room. Books were missing from shelves, drawers were left open and empty, and the window stood open, the breeze blowing the green curtains gently.

He ran over to the window, horrified that the boy's scent was already gone. "Cl-CLAUDE! He's gone!" he screamed in a panicked voice, beginning to shake.

Claude darted up the stairs, bursting into William's room "What?" He gasped as he looked around the room, his eyes widening as he saw the empty shelves and drawers. He ran to the open window, "William?"

Shaking, Sebastian walked over to the bed and picked up the teddy bear that had been left behind, tears stinging his red eyes as he hugged it to him. "We'll find him, right?"

Claude hurried over to Sebastian and hugged him tightly "Don't talk like that love,"he said "Of course we'll find him, he's just a kid, how far could he have gone?"

William walked the busy streets of London, dodging around the crowds of people. He ducked into a nearby alley way and sat down on the ground. The poor boy was in a little over his head here. It was all well and good going to the Shinigami academy, but William unfortunately had no idea where it was. He thought for a few moments, "If I want to go to the Shinigami academy...I need to find a Shinigami!" he grinned at his idea. He closed his eyes and concentrated hard. When he opened them again, his once red irises were a bright green. He walked out of the alleyway, looking for a reaper.

A small boy about a year younger than William skipped through the streets with a wide, pointy grin on his face. His hair was long like a girl's and was the brightest of red, his eyes a glittering green, and he wore a white dress with red trim. His skipping came to a halt when he saw William leaving an alley, and he ran over to him, "Hi!"

William jumped as someone ran up behind him. He turned around, blushing a little when he saw a pretty red headed girl He backed away, holding his kitty back pack up protectively, "H-Hello..."

The redhead giggled, "You don't have to be afraid! I don't bite." he spun around, watching his skirts flair out before holding out his hand, "I'm Grell!"

William blinked and took Grell's hand, shaking it nervously "I-I'm William..."

"Nice to meet you, Will~" Grell smiled, "You look lost. Did you loose your mommy?"

William gulped nervously, not quite believing what he was about to say. He took a deep breath "I don't have a mommy."

Grell blinked, "You don't have a mommy? What about a daddy?"

William shook his head "I don't have a Daddy either.

The little redhead's mouth dropped open, "Where do you sleep then? Who takes care of you? My mommy left daddy and me, but I still have my daddy to take care of me. Come on! I'm sure Daddy will help you!" he grabbed William's hand and started pulling him along down the road.

"Wah!" William's eyes widened as he was pulled along. That went surprisingly easier that expected. Either he was a very skilled liar, or this red head was extremely gullible.

The redhead continued to pull William along until they reached a small building, tucked away in an alley and almost hidden. He reached up and opened the door, pulling Will inside, "Daddy! Are you home from work yet?"

William blinked as he was pulled into a dank little shop. He looked around, shaking in fear as he found himself surrounded by coffins and skeletons and all manner of body parts.

"Daddy!" Grell called out again.

"I'm here, princess, Daddy's in his office." A voice called back.

Grell smiled and ran over to a door, pushing it open and freezing; "Daddy! What happened?" he gasped, watching his father finish stitching up a series of deep cuts across his face and neck.

"I ran into demon problems at work." The silver haired reaper chuckled, "Be a dear and go fetch some fresh water for the clean-up?" the man looked down at his child with a smile, his green eyes catching sight of the boy behind the redhead, "Oh…hello…"

"This is Will, Daddy. He says he doesn't have a mommy or daddy. Can we keep him? Please?"

"…go get the water, hun." The reaper said, and watched the bubbly little redhead hurry out. "Well. I didn't expect to see you again…and with my darling daughter at that, little demon. I didn't kill your mother, you know. He's probably worried sick about you.

William trembled badly in fear as he stared up at the powerful reaper, his appearance made more fearsome by the raw wounds. William swallowed deeply,

"I-I h-have no m-mommy and daddy" he said "I-I have left the Demons, I-I w-wish to become a r-reaper..."

"Oh don't look so scared. I'm off the clock. I don't live in my work, you know." The man muttered, walking over to the shelf on the far wall and taking down a jar, "Cookie?" he asked, offering a bone-shaped treat to the boy.

William reached out shakily and took the cookie. He examined it carefully and sniffed it a few times. Deciding it was okay, he began to nibble the edge.

The reaper smiled and took a cookie himself before setting one out for his daughter, sitting on a coffin and crossing one leg over his knee. "Now… you say you want to be a reaper, hmm? Is that why you have glamoured your eyes green, my dear?"

William nodded, he took and bite from the cookie and crunched it happily. He was enjoying the sweet taste.

"You realize you wouldn't even be able to get past the gates into the reaper realm because of your blood, right?" he sighed.

"Nuh uh, other Demons have done it" said William, taking the half eaten cookie from his mouth. He unzipped his backpack and pulled out one of the books. He flipped to one of the carefully book marked pages and held it up for Undertaker to see. The pages showed a detailed article of a Demon who had not only been able to sneak into the reaper realm and become one of them, but had also developed a relationship and started a family with one of the females.

"Ah, yes, you have done your research, haven't you? However, to become a reaper you must give up what makes you a demon…for good. And that is incredibly painful." He got up and moved closer to the boy, "And you won't be able to go see your parents again for a very long time. You may never see them again. And by these scars your mother gave me earlier today, I think it's safe to guess he loves you more than you seem to know. Can you handle never seeing him again?"

William looked away "I'm not the son they wanted" he said "I'm not like other Demons, I don't want blood or souls for nourishment, I'm a mistake" He felt tears prickling the corners of his eyes, he quickly wiped them away "If I'm out of the way, they can have a better son.

"Children are rarely what the parents expect when they have one. My own daughter is a perfect example. We had expected a son. A strong young boy…instead, he likes to wear dresses and plays with dolls…he became a daughter rather than a son. But that doesn't mean I don't love Grell any less. I can turn you into a reaper, Will, but you need to think long and hard about what that would do to your parents."

William closed his eyes, fighting back the tears that were threatening to spill. It hurt him, thinking about never seeing his parents again, but, he knew what he had to do. He took a deep breath and opened his eyes, looking up directly at the reaper, "I want to be a reaper"

A sad look dulled the man's eyes and he sighed, "Very well, if you are sure." He said, walking to his office again, shuffling through a chest, "…the only reason I am doing this for you is because of the fact that you are a demon…who if left alone would end up causing problems for the dispatch…taking you away from your parents…that makes this difficult for me. After all; it would kill me if someone took my Grell from me."

"I'm back, daddy!" a soaked redhead giggled, his skirts and hair dripping as he carried a bucket of water in and set it down.

"I can see that." He chuckled, "Did you go swimming in it?"

"I tripped! It spilled all over me."

The reaper chuckled, "Go get a warm bath and change your clothes. Daddy has a few more things to talk to Will about." He smiled, leaning over to kiss Grell's moist cheek.

"Okay!" he ran over to Will and hugged him, "Don't be too shy, okay?"

"O-Okay..." William watched as Grell skipped away, leaving a trail of water behind him. he looked up at the silver reaper, sniffled and quickly looked down at the floor. He blinked rapidly as tears welled up in his eyes. His lip quivered and he burst into tears, sitting down on the floor and crying his little heart out.

"It isn't too late, you know. You can still go home." He said, stooping down and wrapping his arms around the boy. "I won't change you unless you are sure."

William sniffled and wiped his eyes with his hand, feeling better after his crying spell. He swallowed deeply and looked up at the man once more "No, I want to be a reaper"

"…I am a man of my word, Will, This really is your last chance to back out." he said in a low voice, almost like he was pleading with the boy not to take this path.

William remained firm "I know what I want to do" he said "I want to be a reaper"

With a sad sigh, the reaper nodded and took the boy's hand, leading him into his office, sitting him down on a table. "…Take this." He said, holding out a small white ball with a intricate sigil carved in and shimmering a gold tint, "It'll lock your demonic energy away so I may start the change safely.

William looked at the ball curiously in Undertaker's hand. He held out his hand, a scorching pain seared up his arm as soon as the ball touched his skin. William screamed loudly, tears in his eyes as the pain intensified. His vision grew hazy and white, he bucked his little body trying to get away, but his arm and his hand refused to move. The white of the ball began to swirl around, clouding grey and then turning black. The gold sigil changing to a glowing red. As it painfully drew William's demonic energy out of his body.

"Shhh, shhh…it's okay." The reaper took out a knife and cut a slit in William's wrist, deep enough to let the blood flow out easily. He then slit his own wrist, less deep, and pressed it to the boy's lips, "Drink."

Willaim trembled violently, whimpering and whining. He tried to resist the blood, but his parched lips moved of their own accord and drink the sweet liquid.

The reaper kept an emotionless gaze as he watched the young demon start to change. His glowing red eyes starting to fade; an acidic green and gold swirling around in William's irises until they set in, the boy's vision immediately going blurry, no longer perfect. The boy's fangs shortened, and his nails faded from black to a normal soft peach that matched his skin.

The boy's cut dribbled to a stop and the silver reaper pulled his wrist back, taking the now tainted ball from the boy's hand and began to wrap his wrist carefully, "There, there…it's over." He muttered in a soft tone, moving over to a shelf and grabbing a pair of small red glasses, "These are Grell's spare glasses…We'll get you your own later." He said, slipping them on the boy's face. "You need to keep this a secret. You can't let anyone know you were born a demon, got that? Not even Grell can know. We'll say you were born a reaper in the Whales division, and your parents were killed in a demon attack. And you lost your glasses and somehow ended up here in London." He scooped the tired and weakened boy up in his arms, "Why don't you rest up while I make dinner?" he suggested, carrying him to Grell's bedroom and laying him down on the bed, "…I'm James, by the way. You ought to know, as you'll be staying with us."

William nodded weakly, only vaguely aware that James was talking to him. He curled up on the bed, holding the soft blanket close. His head ached, his tummy churned horribly. William kept his mouth firmly shut so he wouldn't start throwing up.

"Do you need anything?" James asked, stroking the boy's hair.

William shook his head, wanting to sleep. He retched suddenly, his eyes widened as he covered his mouth with his hand, though it did little to help.

"…Should have asked for a bucket." He sighed, walking over and grabbing one from the closet, handing it to the boy, taking the soiled blanket and carefully setting it aside before replacing it with another from the end of the bed. "I'll also bring you some water. You should feel better in a few hours. Call if you need anything."

The reaper grabbed the blanket again and left, taking it to be cleaned.

Later that evening; Grell opened the door and pulled himself up onto the bed, kneeling next to William, shaking his shoulder gently, "Will…Daddy says it's time to eat…are you feeling better?"

William groaned a little as he felt someone shake him, pulling him out of a good dream. He wriggled out of the cocoon he had made himself with the blanket, blinking at the bright light, "F-Food?" he mumbled. His stomach growled, making William blushed.

Grell nodded, "Uh-hu! Daddy even let me help!" he wiggled excitedly.

William wiggled completely out of the blanket and carefully slid onto the floor. He looked around, panicking when he realized he couldn't see. The glasses James had given him were lying on the bed.

"H-hey! Not so fast!" Grell snatched up the glasses and climbed out of bed, pushing the glasses carefully onto the boy's face with a slight blush. "Always take care of the glasses! Didn't your mommy ever teach you that?" he gave him a friendly smile and took his hand.

William blinked as Grell tugged him through the door. He raised his hand and touched the glasses on his face, "Momma..." he wondered what his Momma was doing, whether he was looking for him.

To be continued...

Chapter Text

The evening air was damp, the promise of rain blocking the darkening sky and blotting out the stars as a man lay in the alley, facing his own death as his weak heart gave out. Glowing red eyes met his own brown gaze, and a fanged smirk appeared on the unholy creature's face.

William watched from the shadows as the man took his last shaky breath. He tensed, sensing something that shouldn't be there. He walked forward, pushing his glasses up with his scythe,

"Honestly, do you have nothing better to do than interrupt my work?"

"I am simply trying to enjoy my meal, death God." the demon hissed, crouching over the dying man's body defensively.

William readied his scythe "You are soiling the soul I am required to reap" he said "Please find somewhere else to skulk around"

"I got here first! You were late, reaper! Now it's mine!"

William raised an eyebrow as Big Ben began to chime behind him, "I am never late, demon" he said. He pointed his scythe at the imp and pulled the trigger, attempting to push the fiend away.

"No, you were late!" The demon charged cat-like, dodging the scythe and springing up, tackling the reaper, biting down deep into his shoulder.

William grunted as he fell back, the weight of the demon pinning him down. He screamed loudly as the demon's fangs pierced his shoulder, he struggled and kicked the demon away.

The demon released his shoulder, backing away and standing straight as he fixed wide red eyes on William, "…Just what are you?"

William panted a stood up slowly, wincing as his shoulder stung. He reset his scythe "I...am a reaper!" he lunged at the demon, attacking him furiously.

"No, you look like a reaper." The demon hissed, jumping back, "You taste of something else completely." He smirked.

William growled and continued to attack the demon, lunging at him clumsily as he couldn't move his injured shoulder.

"Demon~" the demon teased, "You are quite the mess, aren't you?" he snickered, avoiding Will's scythe as if he was dancing.

"Be quiet!" snapped William. He glared and lunge forward, forcing his scythe into the demon's stomach.

The demon gasped, glaring at the reaper, "…I hope you starve…" he gurgled, blood dribbling down his chin as his records were released.

William swiftly collected the demon's records and turned away, leaving the demon in a heap on the floor. He cried out as a bolt of pain shot up his shoulder, he clutched it and fell to his knees.

Fighting through the pain, he collected the man's soul and made his way back to the reaper realm to get his wound looked at, at the infirmary.

"Will~" Grell's sing-songy voice cut through the quiet halls of dispatch, but hardy disrupted the reapers hard at work, being used to the noisy redhead who was now skipping past their offices to fling his arms around William's shoulders, hanging off him, "Oh Darling! I missed you!"

William continued writing out his papers, barely flinching as Grell draped himself heavily about his person. He sighed, pushing up his glasses with his ink pen "Don't you have more important things to be doing, Sutcliff?"

"No." the red reaper cooed, "It's my day off. I came to see you."

William sighed again, pinching the bridge of his nose "Go home Sutcliff" he said, slightly sharper than he had intended "I'm far too busy to put up with your shenanigans"

"But it's noon! You're entitled to a lunch break! I made you lunch!" Grell pouted.

"I'll be working through my lunch break, as usual" said William "Thank you for the lunch though, leave it in the break room and I'll eat it later"

Grell's smile fell from his face, "But I wanted to share it with you, Will…today's the day we met…"

William paused for a few minutes. He cleared his throat "...I'm sure I don't know what you mean..."

Grell's frown was replaced by a hurt look and he straightened up, throwing down the lunch he had worked hard making for the two of them onto the desk, "Fine! I'll go find some other way of occupying my time!" turning on his heel he stomped over to the door and threw it open again, slamming it as he left, the force he used cracking the wooden frame and causing a frame on the wall to be jolted crooked.

William kept his focus firmly on his desk, not even looking up when Grell slammed the door. He sighed and adjusted his glasses, rising from his seat and walking to the picture frame, carefully straightening it. William turned to return to his desk, he gasped and stumbled a little as a jolt of pain raced down his arm to his hand. It had been a week since he had, had a run-in with a demon, and his wound, though healed, still have him pain every so often. The doctors told him that they couldn't find a reason for it so he tried to ignore the pain. His fingers began to tingle, William carefully peeled off his glove, his eyes widened. Each of his fingernails was covered in tiny specks of black.

William returned to his desk and sat down on his chair. He picked up his pen and tried to continue his paperwork. He sighed, unable to concentrate. His mind felt clouded and fuzzy. William rubbed his forehead and placed his pen on his desk. He stood up and left his office, quickly slipping through the dispatch offices and out into the grounds. A long walk seemed like a good idea, some fresh air ought to clear his mind. William portaled to the Human Realm, needing to be away from reapers for a while. He landed in the streets of London and began walking, not caring where he was going. His feet led him through the busy shopping district and towards the smaller markets. William slowed his pace, this area seemed familiar. Too familiar.

The house on the end of the street was in dire need of attention; weeds overgrowing the path up to a rotting porch, the windows boarded up, and paint fading and chipping badly. Daily, pedestrians passed by without notice. Faded into the background as if it didn't exist. And yet, it seemed to call out to the standoffish reaper.

William walked up to the house, staring at its unkempt appearance. Despite the years of neglect and disrepair, something about this house appealed to him. He grabbed the rusty gate and tried to open it, it creaked loudly and fell to the ground, the hinges broken. William raised an eyebrow and carefully stepped over it, picking his way through the weeds and garbage. He finally reached the rotting porch and boarded door. He tried the handle, the door was firmly locked. Glancing around, William took out his scythe and very quickly snipped the lock. He put his scythe away and opened the door slowly, walking inside. The interior looked better than the outside, everything was more or less intact, just covered with years of dust and mildew. William walked further, glancing at the furniture and fixtures, reaching out and touching the decor on the wall. He frowned, feeling uneasy. His heart began to race,

"Why...Why do I feel I've been here before?"

Above, there was the sound of floorboards creaking under weight, An old flight of stairs leading upwards catching the reaper's attention, and a flickering light leaked out from under a door.

William frowned at the creaking, blinking as the flickering light caught his eye. He walked to the old staircase, moving up it cautiously. The rotting wood creaked, strained underneath William's weight. The reaper quickly darted up the last few stairs, worried the whole thing might collapse. He sighed a little in relief and adjusted his glasses. Slowly, he walked towards the flickering light. Something crunched beneath his foot, William looked down. An old photo frame was laying on the floor, the outer part broken from the fall. The surface was covered in thick dust and grime, blocking out the original picture. William picked it up carefully, holding it gently in his hands. He began to slowly wipe away the filth, revealing part of the photo. William froze at whatt he saw. A little Demon boy, no older than 8 or 9, smiled up at him from the picture. The boy was sitting on someone's lap, their arms wrapped around him protectively, lovingly. William began to tremble, his has shaking badly. He dropped the frame, it shattered loudly on the floor. William backed away into the far wall, his eyes wide and panicky,

"N-No...t-this isn't real..." he slid down the wall until he was sitting, his head in his hands. A heavy guilt was starting to settle on his chest. William growled, "No! I am a reaper!"

Footsteps echoed through the empty house and the door to the room opened to revile a tall demon; clad in a pristine swallow-tailed coat, his long hair falling around his cheeks. In his hand he held an old teddy bear, but on his face was a scowl, "What are you doing here? You have no reason to be, reaper! Get out of my house!"

William froze when he heard that voice. His whole body shook, his blood running cold with fear. He slowly looked up, his face paled when he saw the Demon standing before him. He was familiar, far too familiar. William quickly scrambled to his feet and backed away, "N-No...you can't b-be..." he stuttered. He turned "Leave me alone!"

William ran, trying to get away. He stumbled, crashing through the rotten staircase. He laid in the wood and the mildew, unwanted memories flooding his head.

Sebastian sighed, "I'm not attacking." He muttered, leaping down to help the reaper up, "You are just unwelcome here. No humans come here so you can't have a soul to collect. And I'm not here to hunt, I pose no threat to your work. Just leave me to the past." He turned away, holding up the bear, a tear glittering in the corners of his red eyes, "Leave me to my grief."

William brushed the dust from his suit, coughing a few times. He turned to leave, grateful to be leaving the house. Something caught the corner of his eye, William turned back. He saw Sebastian holding up the teddy bear. The toy was worn and threadbare in places, a few of the seams had clearly been resewn multiple times. William stared at the bear,

"T-Tatty..." the bear's name jumped into his head randomly, bursting from his lips before he'd even realized he'd said it out loud.

Sebastian jumped, spinning to face the reaper, an unusually emotional expression on his face; for a demon, "How can you possibly know that? How long have you been here spying on me?"

"...H-he's mine...well, w-when I was a c-child..." William didn't know why he was saying all these things, but somehow he couldn't stop himself. He grew angry suddenly, glaring at this strange Demon with his childhood bear, "Why do you have him?"

"No! This bear belonged to my son, not a damned reaper." He hissed, hugging the bear to him, "It's the only thing I've got left!"

William didn't respond, still staring at the worn teddy bear. He was no longer thinking rationally, strange memories clouding is mind. All he could think about was taking the teddy and running away as fast as he could He took a small step forward, he cried out suddenly as white hot pain started burning behind his eyes. He fell to his knees, taking off his glasses as tears began to pour down his cheeks. The pain vanished as quickly as it appeared. William looked up, his eyes were now a vibrant red.

Sebastian wasn't looking at William; his ruby gaze focused on the bear in his hands as he caressed it with black-tipped fingers. He ignored William's pain, assuming the reaper had gotten his foot stuck in the rubble or something. He turned away and walked into the other room, sitting on the old broken sofa, "I'm so sorry, William…Just…come home…" he sobbed quietly out loud.

William frowned as he heard Sebastian from the other room. He scrambled up and ran into the lounge, "How...how do you know my name?" he demanded.

"Coincidence." He scowled, "I named my son William. My mate and I raised him in this house. And then he was gone…and we couldn't find him…" a tear rolled down his cheek, "…Was I such a bad mother?"

A heavy guilt settled on William's chest. He felt his lip quiver, a single tear escaped the corner of his eye, "...M-Momma..."

"That's not funny, reaper. And people say demons are the cruel ones. Just leave this pl—" Upon whipping around to face the reaper, Sebastian froze, his eyes widening as his ruby eyes met William's, "W-Will..?"

William felt his heart beat faster, the guilty feeling growing heavier. He stared at Sebastian, his whole body trembling,

"...M-Mother?"

He was confused and scared. He didn't know how, but he knew this Demon was his mother. William turned away holding his head, pain throbbing as more memories poured into his mind. He bolted, not caring where he went as along as he was out of that wretched house.

"W-William! No, C-Come back!" Sebastian gasped, dropping the nostalgic bear to chase after his son.

William kept running, desperate to get as far away as possible. His foot caught an uneven part of the sidewalk, he grunted as he hit the concrete. He laid still on the ground, starting to cry. He felt physically and emotionally exhausted. Eventually it all came too much and he passed out, giving in to darkness.

Sebastian walked over to his son-turned-reaper and gently picked him up, glancing around before leaping to the roof tops and heading over to the manor where Claude was contracted with a young blond; Alois Trancy. They had kept their relationship hidden from their masters; but they did call on each other when they could. He walked to the back entrance and knocked lightly on the door.

Claude hummed to himself quietly as he prepared his master's dinner. He looked up as he heard the knock at the door and walked over, answering it. He frowned when he saw Sebastian, carrying a pale and passed out man. Claude could only assume the crow had lost what was left of his marbles,

"Sebastian, love, what on earth is this?"

"I thinkhe's our son…" Sebastian said in a soft tone as he slipped into the kitchen, laying him down on a bench and kneeling next to him, "I found him at the house…"

Claude watched as Sebastian laid the man on the bench. He sighed, turning away,

"Love, William is gone" he said "I know you miss him still, but he's not coming back"

"Claude…look at him. I mean, really look! He looks just like you…only with neater hair. He recognized our William's bear…his name is William…I don't…think he remembers much, but I'm sure he's ours! I thought William was gone too…you know I did. But…this reaper…he isn't even a reaper…" he trailed off, realizing how crazy he was sounding, "…He called me 'Mother'."

Claude turned back and walked silently over to the bench, kneeling down and looking at William very closely. Sebastian was right, the resemblance was so uncanny it was almost like looking in a mirror. Claude's expression softened, he reached out to touch William cheek. Pain stung his chest, Claude sighed and withdrew his arm, standing and turning away. He couldn't do it. He couldn't build his hopes up only to be crushed by pain as they fell once again,

"Take him to the Servant's quarters" he said "He can stay there until he wakes and I can have him out of the Manor without Master Trancy suspecting a thing" He walked to the stove and began serving up his master's meal,

"And, Sebastian, do yourself a favor and leave our son and the house in the past where they belong."

"But…Claude…Our son…he…he's come back…" he whispered, "After so long…The whole reason we started contracting with humans is so we could stay up here longer…to find our boy…and now…how can you deny him?"

"I can't live my life expecting him to come back Sebastian" said Claude, angry tears appearing in his eyes "I refuse to get my hopes up and watch them fall any longer" he put the dinner plate he was holding on the kitchen counter and walked over to the bench, picking William up. He began to walk away, "I moved on, I think it's time you did the same"

"He's our son, Claude! I won't give up on him!" Sebastian nearly yelled as he followed the spider demon, "I need to hope. All these years…When he first left you promised me we'd find him!"

"I was wrong! Alright?!" shouted Claude, not caring how loud he was being "William is gone, our son is never coming back!" he turned away, tears flowing freely down his cheeks as he walked into a spare room. He placed William on the bed and turned to Sebastian, crying openly, "He's gone for good, Sebastian" he said "And it hurts to know you think otherwise"

"Even if we tried for another child we couldn't replace our William! Why…How can you still deny he may be alive still when he could be right in front of you? He looks just like you! I…I just want our baby boy back…"

"Enough Sebastian!" yelled Claude, taking the smaller Demon by the shoulders.

Sebastian stared up at his mate, Tears rolling down his cheeks and a painful lump in his throat, "But…what if it is him?" he whispered before smacking Claude's hands away and backing up, "Maybe I have lost it. Maybe I have gone insane…And I'm sorry I tried to give you hope that our son could have finally come home!"

William groaned quietly, starting to stir. He raised his hand and rubbed his eyes, frowning when he couldn't feel his glasses, "…my...glasses?" he sat up, opening his eyes, which had returned to their usual vibrant green, and looked around.

Hearing William awaken, the crow turned his back to his lover and sat on the edge of the bed, brushing a lock of hair out of the reaper's face before taking the glasses out of his pocket where he's put them for safe-keeping, and slipped them onto his face, gently.

William stared at Sebastian, shaking as he slid his glasses back onto his face. He shuddered and shoved his hands away "Don't touch me, Demon!" he snapped, glaring.

Sebastian blinked, a clearly hurt expression upon his face, "…Will…What have they done to you..?"

"If you are implying something is wrong with me, you are sadly mistaken" said William, climbing off the bed and straightening his suit "I simply do not wish to have your kind pawing me like a couple of common mongrels"

"…our 'kind'? William…have those glasses blinded you?" Sebastian blinked, desperately clinging to what he knew he had heard from the reaper's lips.

William sighed and summoned his scythe, using it to adjust his glasses,

"I don't know what kind of game this is Demon, but I want no part in it" he said "Kindly let me leave so I can return to the dispatch, and this once I will turn a blind eye and not dispose of you like the filth you are"

Sebastian paled, hurt crossing his features once more as he nodded and stepped aside.

William nodded, "Thank you" he said, curtly. He pushed his glasses up and walked past Sebastian, walking out of the Manor and heading straight to the dispatch.

"I'm not crazy…I know what I saw…I know what I heard…" Sebastian whispered to himself.

Claude walked over to his mate, wrapping his arms around him from behind "It's alright love." he said, softly "Maybe you should get some rest, hmm?"

To be continued...

Chapter Text

Grell sat in William's dark office, clutching a book to his chest as he waited for the reaper to return. The man hardly left his office, so he had been surprised when he had found the door locked and the cold-hearted man to be nowhere within the reaper realm. Of course, breaking in had been easy. The man hadn't locked his window.

William returned to the dispatch and returned promptly to his office. He unlocked his door, frowning when he saw Grell "How did you get in here Sutcliff?"

"Window." The redhead said simply, standing up. "Will…we need to talk. I know Father told me not to but I can't…handle the hurt of you not remembering anything of our childhood anymore. It seems like you blocked out everything before we started the academy."

William sighed, mentally reminding himself to have the window lock fixed. He looked at Grell, not having any clue what he was talking about "What on earth are you rambling on about Sutcliff?"

"This!" Grell pulled William back to the sofa William kept in his office and set him down, sitting next to him and shoving the book into his hands. "We practically grew up together, Will, and you act as if you only knew me since our days learning to be reapers." He said, urging the man to open the album.

William tried to get up, but had sat down and thrust the book into his hands before he could even move. He sighed and looked at the album carefully. Something told him not to open it; against his better judgment, William ignored the voice and opened the book to the first page.

An old photograph of Grell and William playing happily in Undertaker's shop was pasted into the middle of the front page. Grell was holding a doll and William was braiding Grell's hair, a determined look on his face as he fought tangles, trying to make it perfect.

"See?" Grell said softly, "William…I've loved you for a very long time. As a friend…as a brother…and now…it's something more."

William stared at the photograph, he reached up slowly, touching it delicately with his fingers. His hands began to shake, he cried out as his eyes began to burn with the same searing pain he'd felt at the house. He dropped the book and fell from the sofa, holding his eyes and crying in agony

"Will! William, are you okay, darling?" Grell gasped, falling to his knees next to William, holding his shoulders, "What's wrong?"

The pain faded as quickly as it had struck. William stared at the floor for a few minutes, panting. He lifted his head, his eyes were once again a vibrant shade of red. He looked at Grell, a frantic expression on his face "W-What's happening to me?"

Grell yelped, startled, and backed away across the floor, his shirts getting caught under he heel and slowing him down, "Wh-what's…Will, What's happened to you?"

"I...I don't know..." gasped William, his fear growing by the minute. He winced as his gloves grew suddenly tight. He ripped them off, his fingernails had grown into claws, "W-What...a-am I?"

"You…have the eyes of a demon…" Grell gasped out in a whisper, his back pressed against the wall.

"D-Demon...?" William growled, pounding the floor with his fists "I-I...I'm not a Demon! N-not anymore..."

"Wh-what do you mean, 'not anymore'?" Grell choked out, cautiously crawling closer to the red-eyed, black-clawed reaper and shakingly reaching out to touch his shoulder.

William tensed a little as Grell touched his shoulder, but he didn't move away. He closed his eyes, "I...I think I was born a Demon...He shuddered as the memories slowly returned "I...ran away...Undertaker turned me into a reaper..."

"Th-that's impossible! I found you! You had green eyes, not red…you came from Whales…Father took you in. How can he have changed you into a reaper? It's impossible! You are a reaper…you are…"

"I-I'm not..." William raised his head and looked at Grell, two of his teeth had changed into fangs "…I'm a Demon..."

"Impossible! Will...I...I don't know what's happening to you but...you can't be a demon!" he shuffled closer, reaching out to touch William's cheek.

William moved his head so Grell could stroke his cheek, "Look at me Grell" he said softly "This is the real me"

"The...the real you? Will...I don't understand."

"I was born a Demon, not a reaper." He repeated in annoyance.

"Will…I…" Grell leaned forward, pressing his lips to William's, "I can't begin to understand what's happening…But you are still William Spears."

William blushed as he felt Grell's soft lips against his. A low rumble echoed from his chest as he started to growl involuntarily. He moved closed to Grell, suddenly needing to be close to him.

Grell blushed and slipped his arms around him, "We can fix this…I'm sure we can, darling. Just…let me stay with you…help you."

William wrapped his arms around Grell, holding him close and growling a little more "You would...stay with me?"

"Of course! William…all I have ever wanted was to be with you. I know I flirt with other men in the office but…You are the one I have feelings for." Grell whispered.

William nuzzled Grell, feeling his cheeks heating up, "I...I have feelings for you too..."

"You do..?" the red reaper got a stubborn look on his face, "Then why do you always push me away?"

"I was...scared" said William. He wasn't sure why he was suddenly sharing this with Grell, but it felt right, and it was a distraction from the reality of what he was. The lie he had been living. "I've never felt like this before..."

"After all we have been through, you were scared of letting me love you?" Grell pouted.

"I know, I know, it's silly"

"'Silly'? No, it's cruel!' Grell snapped, "You were cruel."

"C-Cruel?" said William, blinking a little. He moved away from Grell slightly, his words hurting

"Yes! Cruel. I hid none of my feelings for you all these years, and you acted as though you hated me. It hurt, Will."

"If I hurt you, I promise it wasn't intentional"

"Well, you did." Grell breathed, and…Will, I don't know how much more hurt I could handle…but…" he reached out, taking William's clawed hand, "I can't quit you."

William very gently held Grell's hand, being careful with his claws "I am yours for as long as you need me" he said, softly

"…Why now? Because this…thing is happening to you?"

William growled sharply, now feeling frustrated. He moved away and stood up, "You just don't get it, do you?" he said, "Do you want to know why I couldn't tell you my feelings? Do you know what its like to see the man you love hanging off some other man's shoulders as soon as your back is turned?" he started to walk away. He stopped and turned, his eyes flashing, "I'm a selfish man, Grell" he said "I don't share, I want all of you or nothing at all"

Grell's eyes widened as he remained on the floor of the office, looking up at William, "…Woman. You should know that by now." He muttered, adverting his eyes, "…And you could have had all of me years ago. I'm single, Will. I have the right to keep my options open when the man I want to be with ignores I exist unless I'm causing him problems. You may be selfish, but I need attention!"

"Just because I choose to show some decorum and not hang from your elbow like a primate all day long doesn't mean I was ignoring you" said William. He turned to face Grell, he pushed his glasses up, "Remember all those mornings there were cups of tea on your desk? Or those evenings when you feel asleep doing overtime, you'd wake up with a blanket around you?" said William "Who do you think did those things, Grell?"

"It could have been anyone! You aren't my only friend! Alan's my best friend, Eric's like a brother to me when we aren't fighting, and Ronnie has gotten to be close too! I never thought it could have been you…you act so…cold."

"I'm only cold because I have to be, when you four mess up it's my arse on the line." William sighed, his expression softening "Just because I distant myself, doesn't mean I don't care."

"Will…" Grell pushed himself to his feet, "You distancing yourself is what drives me to flirt with other men. Even if you are a demon…" he sighed and took a strong stance, "I don't care what you are. I just want to be close to you!"

"Then promise me you'll be mine and mine alone" William walked over, wrapping his arms around Grell "You can have all of me, if I can have all of you."

Grell nearly melted under the man's ruby gaze, a strange feeling washing over him, causing him to submit, dropping that hint of irritation he held towards William, "…Take what you want of me. I'll be yours…" he whispered.

William held Grell closer, his eyes began to glow just a little. He growled softly, gently stroking Grell's hair "What do you wish of me, Grell?" he asked "I belong to you now."

"Just…that you stay close…don't push me away or hurt me anymore…make me feel like I am yours so I'm not tempted away again by the smile of another man…" he paused, hugging him tight, "Just…love me, and I'll forever be yours, mind, body, and soul."

William tilted Grell's chin up gently, softly stroking his cheek "I will always be by your side, I promise" he leaned down and captured Grell's lips in a deep kiss, closing his eyes and pulling him as close as possible.

Grell smiled into the kiss, feeling as if his dreams were all finally coming true. Until, he felt a burning sensation diving deep into the skin on his hip where William's left hand rested. Yelping, he pulled away, clutching his hip, "Wh-what was that?" he turned away, lifting his skirts up so that he could see, finding an intricate seal practically glowing with demonic energy marring his perfect skin. "On Rhea!" he gasped in realization as to what it was.

William frowned as Grell yelped and turned away from him, "Grell?" he reached out to touch Grell's shoulder, he winced as he left had suddenly because to throb and sting. He lifted it up, his eyes widening in panic as he watched a demon seal etch itself onto the back of his hand.

"Y-you really are a demon…" Grell breathed in shock, "…I think… Oh sweet mother Rhea, I think you contracted to me."

William's eyes somehow widened even more. He backed away, freaking out a little, "W-What?!"

Grell looked up from the contract mark and looked at William, dropping his skirts again, "I…I don't understand…Why is this happening?" he whispered.

"I...I don't know" William sighed and closed his eyes. He never thought not listening to his mother about contracts would ever come back to bite him so spectacularly in the ass.

The redhead hurried forward and reached out, grabbing Will's wrist, "Come, we have to get you out of here. You look like a demon and if anyone sees you…"

William frowned a little with worry. He got an idea and scooped Grell into his arms, "I know where we can go" he ran swiftly out of the dispatch, into the human realm and to the old house.

Grell stayed silent, his eyes taking in the old house's appearance, "…What…is this place?" he asked.

William gently placed Grell on the floor. He blushed just a little, "...this is where I grew up."

"Where you lived? Before you came to live with Father and I?" Grell glanced around and spotted the broken picture frame, picking it up and looking at it. His eyes widened, "This man…I know this man…" he looked at William, "You said you didn't have parents!"

"I lied alright? I lied so you would take me to the Shinigami realm." said William, turning away "I ran away from my parents when I was ten and I haven't seen them since."

"Why?" he demanded, "What's so great about being a reaper that you could break your parents' hearts like that?"

"You think I don't regret what I did? I know I hurt them, I know what I did was wrong" William sighed "I loved my parents dearly, and I still do, but I'm not the son they wanted, I'm sure they're better off without me"

"I think that's utterly crap!" Grell snapped, but sighed, "…But it's in the past…we can't change it. But I'm still mad you lied to me."

"I'm sorry, I was young and confused and I didn't understand what I was doing" said William. He sighed again and started to walk around the house "I still miss my parents, even now" he thought back to his encounter with Sebastian, remembering the harsh words he'd said to him.

"Maybe you can find them again…" Grell suggested, "I know I've seen this man walking around London." He said, handing the photograph of William and Sebastian over to Will.

William carefully took the picture, slowly wiping the rest of the grime away. He sighed, "I don't know, I wouldn't even know where to start looking"

"Well, you have time. You can't go back to work looking like that!" Grell pointed out.

William examined himself briefly and sighed "That is true" he said. He looked at the picture and carefully removed it from the broken frame. He stroked the image of Sebastian gently "Mother...please forgive me..."

To be continued...

Chapter Text

The following day, Grell got up and went to work early. William couldn't return to work. His eyes wouldn't fade away from their bright red state, and not wanting William to be seen as a traitor, Grell went to cover William's shift, as well as his own work and collections.

He sighed, hurrying from one collection to another, sliding to a stop when he sensed a demon near his next collection. Seeing a demon standing next to a young boy near the body of the soul he needed to collect.

"I don't have time to play with you today, Demon, even if you are cute~" he giggled, raising his chainsaw, "Step away from that soul!"

"Sebastian, what is it?" the boy asked with a bored look on his face.

"A Death God, sir."

"Will it hinder our investigation?"

"Most likely." Sebastian nodded.

"Then get rid of it."

"Yes, My Lord." The demon bowed before charging at Grell, silver knives in his grasp.

"I said, I don't have time to play!" Grell growled, his chainsaw roaring to life as he clashed with Sebastian.

Amidst the flashes of silver, painful kicks, powerful blows and the splatter of blood, Grell brought himself up to head-butt the demon, his eyes widening as he recognized Sebastian's face, causing him to falter, "You…I know you…"

Sebastian used the redhead's hesitation to turn things around, slamming him into the ground, silver knives cutting into his throat.

Ciel watched as Sebastian effortlessly began to fight the Death God, a look of indifference on his face. His eyes lazily followed his butler as he darted around, skillfully fighting without breaking a sweat. He saw the redheaded Death God falter and fall, Sebastian on top of him, "Have you finished playing, Sebastian? Finish him off so we can go, that's an order"

"No! I…I know your son!" Grell gasped.

Sebastian paused, "…My son is gone."

Ciel frowned, a small amount of annoyance on his features "Did I stutter Sebastian?" he demanded "Don't make me repeat myself."

Sebastian's eyes glowed magenta from the command and he raised his fist, knives sliding between his fingers.

"Not the face!" Grell gasped, "WILLIAM!" he called out, feeling his contract throb on his hip.

A loud whoosh echoed around the area as William's pruning pole appeared, extending from the rooftops and knocking away the cutlery in Sebastian's hand, "You called, my love?"

Sebastian stared wide-eyed at William. His grip loosening on Grell, letting the redhead scramble out from under him and over to William.

"Will!" The redhead clung to him, "Your mother's under orders to kill me…I…I didn't want to fight him."

William held Grell close, "You don't have too" he said, softly. He looked up at Sebastian, a little fear in his eyes, "M-Mother..."

Ciel sighed "Another one? He said "Get rid of them both Sebastian, and be quick about it."

Sebastian stood up and approached the two reapers, "So which is it? Are you my son, or are you a reaper cruelly manipulating my broken heart? My mate thinks I've gone insane because of you!"

William gasped a little, Sebastian's words stinging. He let go of Grell and stepped into the light, showing off his bright red eyes and fangs "Mother...it's me."

Sebastian stepped closer, his eyes brimming with tears, "…William? Will.." he seemed unsure of himself but finally his motherly instincts kicked in and he pulled William into his arms, "Will, Will, I'm sorry…Whatever I did to make you leave, I'm sorry! Don't…don't leave again."

William clung to Sebastian, also starting to cry "M-Momma...I'm sorry...I'm so sorry..."

Grell watched with a small smile, "So can I reap that soul or not?" he asked, pointing to the body, "That's seriously all I came here for."

Ciel sighed loudly in annoyance. He pulled off his eye patch, his seal glowing brightly "I have lost my patience, Sebastian!" he shouted "Kill them both, that is an order!"

Sebastian stiffened, "…My Lord…You know I will follow your every order…every one, except this." He turned, his eyes glowing bright, "You can not order a demon to murder his own son…his heir."

Ciel raised his eyebrow, "...You have a son?"

"Yes, I do. I have a life outside our contract, my lord. My mate and I started forming contracts in order to be able to stay in the Human Realm longer without returning to the Underworld for what we call the Heat each year, so that we could continue looking for our son. And now he has returned to me…Oh William, I missed you so much! I was worried…" he ran his fingers lovingly through William's hair, knocking a few strands loose.

William cuddled Sebastian tighter, a soft growl rumbling in his throat "Momma...I'm so sorry for leaving you and Daddy...please forgive me..."

"It's okay…But you are going to your father to convince him I'm not crazy and…Oh, William." Sebastian kissed his forehead, "I'm glad you're back, safe."

"…I'm collecting the soul if no one is going to stop me." Grell said, turning and shoving Ciel aside, turning on his chainsaw and releasing the records as he let William have a moment with his mother.

William continued to cuddle his mother, growling softly in happiness. A silvery flash caught his eye as Grell collected the soul. William turned his head, watching the reels as they were pulling into Grell's chainsaw. His eyes began to glow, hunger started to build in the pit of his tummy. A small line of drool dribbled from the corner of his mouth

Sebastian raised an eyebrow, looking down at William's hungry look, "…Have…you not feasted before? I know…you had had the eyes of a reaper…I assume they did something to suppress your demonic heritage…"

"J-James took my Demonic powers...I don't r-remember how..." William continued staring at the reels; his body was starting to shake.

"…You need to feed soon. Now that your demonic powers are back and you have been exposed to out food source as an adult who can no longer state himself with blood alone…the hunger has caught up with you…You are starving." Sebastian said, sadly.

"B-But...I was taught the v-values of a reaper..." said William "I...c-couldn't..." he shook more, falling to his knees suddenly.

"You'll die, William!" Sebastian said, kneeling down and continuing to hold his son, "You have to. I…I can't loose you again." Frowning, he pulled back and removed his tailcoat, loosened his tie, and unbuttoned his waistcoat and shirt half way to move it aside, exposing his shoulder, "Here, drink my blood, it'll state you for a while at least…keep you in control of yourself."

William tried to resist, pulling away weakly from Sebastian. He groaned, his eyes slowly slipping closed.

"William. You called that redheaded reaper your 'love', right? Drink, at least for him! Leaving your mate alone is the worst thing you could possibly do."

William forced his eyes open a little, turning his head slightly to look at Grell. A single tear fell from his eye as he took in the beautiful red hair and green eyes of his love. He turned back and carefully rested his fangs on Sebastian's shoulder, biting down weakly.

"That's a good boy…" Sebastian said gently, stroking William's hair, "Take as much as you need."

William drank from Sebastian deeply, gagging a little as he got used to the taste. He closed his eyes, slowly enjoying the warm liquid on his tongue.

Grell finished collecting the soul and looked at Ciel, sneering, "That's all I was here to do. No need for you to try and have me killed, brat!" he huffed, dismissing his scythe and turning back to look at William, watching him drink Sebastian's blood.

"You were in the way, reaper," said Ciel "I was merely moving you out of the way." He turned away from Grell to face Sebastian. He sighed, "Are you almost finished Sebastian?"

Sebastian ignored his master, allowing his son to drink deeply, his eyes moving to Grell, "…Thank you, reaper…for taking care of my baby boy."

Grell nodded, "I've loved him since the day we met when I was nine." He said softly, "Even when he turned into a cold workaholic."

William finished drinking from Sebastian, he pulled back licking stray drops of blood from his lips. He felt nearly full and satisfied, a rosy glow filled his cheeks, "Where is father?"

"He's contracted to the Young Trancy Earl…in that mansion I had taken you before." Sebastian said, "…Be careful…he's dealt with the pain of loosing you differently than I…"

William frowned, looking at Sebastian with curiosity "How do you mean?" he asked "Is he okay?"

"He…he gave up on hope…" Sebastian said, sadly.

William gasped a little, his chest aching with guilt, "I have to go see him..." he took Sebastian's hand "Momma…come with me?"

Sebastian frowned and pulled away, approaching Ciel and kneeling, "…My Lord. I never ask for favors, but…" he glanced back at William.

Ciel sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, "You have my permission, just make sure it doesn't interrupt my schedule."

"You know I can take care of everything on your schedule within ten minutes if you allow me to do so. I don't think my son should go see his father alone."

"Very well, do what you must, Sebastian."

Sebastian nodded, "Thank you, My Lord. Please return to the carriage and have the driver take you home. I'll have everything completed before I return myself."

"Very good" said Ciel. He turned and returned to his carriage. The driver snapped the reins and the horses trotted away

Sebastian turned to look at William, and then glanced at Grell. "…There is a demonic link between you two. Have you marked the reaper as a mate…or have you accidentally formed a contract?"

William held up his hand, showing the seal, "...I am contracted to him..."

Sebastian sighed, "I tried to teach you…"

William turned away, his cheeks red with embarrassment, "I know" he mumbled

The demon sighed, "Come. Let's go speak with your father."

Grell frowned, "Darling…meet me after work?"

William walked over to Grell and hugged him "Of course, my love." he kissed him tenderly and returned to Sebastian.

Sebastian put his arm around his son's shoulders and led him to the Trancy Manor, approaching from the back towards the servant's entrance. He paused, "Wait here…I'll get him." he said before approaching the door and knocking.

Hannah looked up as she heard the knocking. She wiped her hands on a clean towel and walked over to the door, answering it "Oh, hello Sebastian, Claude isn't here, he's out in the gardens somewhere."

"I see…is he with young Trancy, or is it safe for me to approach him?" he asked.

"Master Trancy is in his study with one of his tutors" said Hannah "It is fine to approach Claude."

Sebastian nodded, "Thank you." He turned and turned towards the garden, looking for his lover.

Claude hummed softly as he walked around the flowerbeds in the grounds, clipping flowers to make up some vases for the manor. He stopped, sitting down at the stone table. He slid his hand into his tailcoat pocket and pulled out his pocket watch. He fipped it open, a picture of Sebastian with their son was tucked into it. Claude felt a few tears well up at the corners of his eyes. He stroked the picture gently.

Spotting Claude, Sebastian approached slowly, slipping his arms around his lover, "…Claude…"

Claude jumped a little and he turned, "Sebastian..."

"I'm sorry…I didn't mean to startle you, Love." The crow said, gently.

"It's alright, darling" said the spider, nuzzling the crow tenderly. He growled softly "I'm glad to see you."

Sebastian gave a soft smile and breathed in his lover's scent, "…Claude…about our son…"

Claude sighed deeply "Not again..." he said "Sebastian...I don't have the strength..."

"Please…bear with me once more. This is the last time. I promise." The crow pleaded.

Claude looked at his mate, seeing the pleading in his eyes. He sighed again and placed a gentle kiss on Sebastian's forehead "Very well."

"Thank you." The raven smiled, taking his lover's hand and leading him through the garden to where he left William.

William was sat by the manor's rosebushes, watching a spider weaving its web between the sharp thorns. He looked up, sensing Sebastian approaching him.

Claude followed Sebastian obediently, wondering if he was doing the right thing. He saw William sat by the rosebushes and recognized him as the same man Sebastian had brought earlier. He pulled his hand away from his lover, "Sebastian..."

"Claude…please, you said you would…this one last time." Sebastian pleaded, "If…I'm wrong…then once our contracts both end…we can return to Hell…I promise."

Claude looked at Sebastian, still unable to resist the pleading in his lover's eyes. He took Sebastian's hand once again "Alright, fine."

"Thank you." The crow gave a slight smile and led the larger demon over to William, pushing him towards their son.

William looked up, shuddering slightly when he saw the large Demon looming over him. His eyes widened when realized who it was, he quickly stood up "F-Father…"

Claude looked back at William, following him with his gaze as he stood up. Shock began to spread across his features as he realized his son was stood in front of him "W-William?"

"He's…been with the reapers." Sebastian said in a low voice, "That's why we couldn't find him…all this time."

Claude took a few steps forward, he reached out and gently stroked William's cheek. He played with a few strands of William's hair, smiled and started to laugh. Tears appeared in his eyes, "William..." he pulled his son into a hug "You're home..."

Sebastian watched his family with a small smile, stepping in a moment later to embrace both men. "I knew I wasn't crazy…I knew you have come home at last…"

William hugged his parents tightly "I'm sorry for leaving..." he started crying again "I'm so sorry."

"Ssssh, don't cry" Claude hugged Sebastian and his son, "It doesn't matter, we're a family again."

To be continued...

Chapter Text

Grell slowly walked down the street, stressed and tired from covering his own work, and William's. He wasn't used to it. He hardly ever finished his own work load on time, let alone two. But he had managed to cover both and keep William's true identity a secret. But he knew he wouldn't last a second day. He needed to talk to William about it. Maybe James could help…maybe he could turn William back into a reaper…

No, he knew that was impossible. They were contracted now. William was too far into his adult demonic life to be able to return…

William had to leave London. He had to seek safety. The Higher Reapers would find out what William was sooner or later, and they'd hunt him down…they might even see the contract as proof of Grell's own betrayal…

Sighing, he looked up at William's old childhood home, hoping William was there. They hadn't actually talked about where they would meet. Just that they would. And this was the only place the tired redhead could think of.

William sighed quietly as he sat on the windowsill of his old bedroom. In his lap, a small pigeon was quietly roosting, cooing gently as William petted it. The demon had found it during his travels around London and had quickly grown attached to the little bird. William sighed again as he stared out of the broken window, he winced as his stomach began to ache. Ever since he had taken his mother's blood, he had been craving more of the crimson liquid. The act of drinking blood still repulsed him a little, but he couldn't quell the constant itch to find more, to feel the warmth as it trickled down his throat and into his belly. William frowned, trying to rid his mind of such thoughts. The pigeon cooed loudly, flapping its wings as William inadvertently dug his claws into the little bird. William blinked and quickly released his grip, the bird hopped out of his lap and onto the sill, ruffling its feathers angrily. William looked at his companion guiltily, he reached into his suit pocket and pulled out a bag of bread crumbs, offering a couple as a peace offering.

"I'm sorry, I got carried away" he said. The pigeon cooed excitedly and pecked up the crumbs. It hopped onto William's shoulder and nuzzled him. William smiled, "You're welcome."

"Will?" Grell's voice drifted up through the drafty house, "Darling, are you here?"

The pigeon cooed curiously and hopped down from William's shoulder, flying towards the sound of Grell's voice. William jumped down from the sill and followed, "Grell?"

"Oh good, you are here." Grell smiled, tiredly jumping over the hole in the staircase and walking over to snuggle against his love, "I was worried I came all the way out here for nothing."

"Where else would I go?" asked William, holding Grell close. The pigeon cooed and landed on Grell's head.

Grell looked upwards, feeling the bird land in his red locks, "If he poops on my head, I'm not going to be a very happy lady. I'm so tired…" he said, burying his nose in William's shoulder and breathing in his scent.

"Some people think that's lucky" mused William. He nuzzled Grell, kissing the top of his head "Would you like me to put you to bed? You look exhausted."

"I see nothing lucky as to needing a bath because of it…I doubt this place has running water…or heated water that still works…" he sighed, "Will, I can't keep hiding the truth about you…I barely survived one day of taking care of both our work…"

William sighed, feeling guilty; "It's not like I wouldn't return to work if I could." He cuddled Grell tightly, "Maybe we should just leave, go somewhere the Higher can't find us."

"Run away? Maybe it's best…" Grell sighed, "But can we run away tomorrow? I'd like to rest for a few hours at least."

"Of course, my love" said William. Gently, he hooked his arms around Grell's knees and picked him up, holding him close to his chest. He carried the red reaper upstairs and into the bedroom. Unlike the rest of the house that was in a sorry state of disrepair, the bedroom had been thoroughly cleaned. William carried Grell over to the freshly made bed and laid him down on the crisp bed linen,

"Get some rest, love, I'll keep watch."

Grell reached out before William could turn away, drawing him closer and down onto the bed, "Stay with me? No one's going to be looking for either of us tonight…"

William smiled and lay down beside Grell "Alright, I'll stay" he wrapped his arms around the red head protectively "Get some rest, I'll be right here next to you."

Grell curled up against him, moving to press his lips to William's and run his hands along his chest with a content purr.

William kissed Grell back, closing his eyes and tangling his fingers in the red reaper's hair.

"Mmm~" the reaper hummed and pressed closer to the reaper, "…We've shared a bed many times as children…But this time…I don't want it to be innocent…" he breathed against his lips.

"As you wish..." breathed William. He kissed Grell again, nibbling the red head's lip with his fangs. Gently, he trailed his hands down Grell's back, slipping them into his pants and teasing the red reaper's pert buttocks.

Grell smiled, his hands moving along William's sides to his tie, pulling it loose before working open his buttons.

William shrugged his shirt off, enjoying the breeze on his bare skin. He raised his hand and slowly began to undo Grell's neck ribbon. He dropped it on the floor and gently popped open Grell's shirt buttons. He pushed the garment open and leaned down, kissing along Grell's bare chest softly.

"I never…thought we'd end up like this…" Grell smiled, his lips feathering over William's collarbone.

"Neither...did I..." breathed William. He shivered as he felt the light touched of Grell's lips. His tongued snaked out from between his lips, the tip of it grazed Grell's nipple teasingly.

Grell paused, looking up at William, "…You are doing this because you want to, right? Not because of our contract?"

"I don't recall being ordered to do anything." said William, reached up and kissing Grell's cheek softly "Am I doing something wrong, love?"

Grell shook his head, "Just making sure this is you…and not the demon." He muttered against William's lips, stealing a kiss.

"I assure you, love, this is all me." William reassured him. He kissed Grell deeply, closing his eyes and nibbling Grell's bottom lip with his fangs. He trailed one hand lazy down Grell's exposed chest, slipping it into the red reaper's pants to tease his sensitive area.

"Mmm, good~" Grell grabbed him, pulling him down and rolling so that he was on top, straddling him. "Because I mean to enjoy this fully."

"As do I" said William, teasing Grell more. He tilted his head and nibbled Grell's neck, leaving behind a little love bite.

Grell tugged at William's belt, pulling it free and capturing his lips as he pushed Will's pants from his hips.

William moaned as Grell captured his lips in a tender kiss. He closed his eyes, deepening the kiss as he reached up to Grell's pants. He snapped the belt with his claw, the bothersome fabric followed soon after.

Grell watched as his tight pants were cut by the demon's sharp nail, "Well, we'll need to get me new clothes before we run away together." He teased.

"That can be arranged" said William, softly. He leaned down slowly and gently started to tease Grell's inner thigh with his long tongue.

"Mmmm~" The red reaper shifted lightly on the bed, his eyes closed and his fingers gripping dark locks of hair on the demon's head.

William continued to tease Grell, his tongue probing anywhere it could reach. He started to move lower, very gently licking Grell's member.

Grell let out a long moan, his grip tightening in William's hair and his hardened member twitching against his tongue. William started to suck, teasing the tip with his tongue. He whined a little, his own member starting to throb slightly.

"Will~" the reaper hummed, his fingers trailing down his toned chest towards his hip.

"Nnn, m-may I take you?" moaned William, his member throbbing again for attention.

"Yes…" he moaned, "I'm all yours, Will!"

William placed two of his fingers in his mouth, sucking then until they were covered in saliva. He started to play with Grell's buttocks, moving a finger to tease Grell's entrance.

"Mmmm~" Grell hummed more, urging the demon on. "Please, Will…" he whispered.

William gently slid his finger inside Grell, moaning at the tightness. He added another finger, scissoring them up and down to stretch Grell.

Small gasps left Grell's lips, and his fingers ghosted over William's hardened member teasingly. William gasped as Grell did so. He stretch out the fingers inside Grell, his claws grazing Grell's sensitive area.

"AHH!" The reaper's body jerked upwards as his walls were scraped. A deep blush painting his cheeks, "Darling….take me roughly?"

"With pleasure" whispered William. He gently removed his fingers and carefully positioned himself. He grabbed Grell's hips and thrust forward roughly, groaning.

"Nyahh~" Grell sang out a moan as he felt William, at long last, enter him, stretching him out and filling him completely. "Oh, Will!"

William grunted, gripping Grell's hips tighter and thrusting roughly in and out "Nnnn...G-Grell...so tight..."

The redhead began to writhe under the demon, moaning as he gripped the sheets of the small twin-sized bed, ignoring when his head smacked the headboard a few times.

William growled deeply, the sound rumbling from the bottom of his chest. He gripped Grell even tighter, his claws digging into the delicate skin. He lifted Grell's rear and thrust even harder and faster.

"Ah-AHH-Ahn! W-Wil-ll-ia-m-mmm~" It was a dream come true for the redhead. A dream he'd had since they had become of age, starting at the academy as students…staring at him across the library, and trying to steal moments in the halls or the office… This had always been what it was for. To be loved by the cold reaper—or, rather demon as it had turned out. To have his attention, his heart…of course, his lust was simply the cherry on top. But to be in William's arms…it felt so right.

William moaned loudly, shivering violently as heat began to pool in his belly. He scraped his claws along Grell's back, thrusting as deeply as he could. Years of pent up lust were bursting out, pushing William further and further. He held onto Grell as tightly as he could, now that the red head was in his arms he had no intention of letting go. He growled even deeper than before, the heat in his belly burning intensely.

The reaper moaned out in time with his lover's thrusts, joyful tears running down his temples as he slid back and forth over the bed's sheets, the pillow falling to the floor. Each second he was brought closer and closer to his climax, the pressure building intensely until finally, with one particularly hard thrust into his sweet spot, Grell sang out, his body arching up stiffly as he spilled out over his stomach, "Ahhh-h-ah~"

William shuddered hard, he threw his head back as he continued to growl loudly as he was pushed closer and closer to the edge. His eyes snapped open, his irises glowing bright red. He dug his claws violently into Grell's hips, almost lifting him clean off the bed as he thrust as deeply as possible. An animalistic roar tore from his throat as he climaxed, throwing his head back and showing his fangs. He furiously spilled his seed inside Grell, growling with each wave.

Panting, Grell fell limp, his contract starting to tingle and throb pleasantly as he calmed from their lustful high. "Will…" he moaned, reaching up to pull the demon down atop him.

William obediently laid on top of Grell, cuddling him happily. He closed his eyes and growled softly, the sound almost like purring. His seal began to tingle, William ignored it and held Grell close, feeling perfectly happy and content "I love you."

A soft smile curled the redhead's lips, "Will, I—" he cut himself off, his contract starting to glow, and he felt, actually felt, his very soul shift in his body, as if breaking away. His eyes widened in fear, "W-Will…"

William's seal began to glow as well, it pulsed gently along with Grell's heartbeat. William raised his hand and gently stroked Grell's cheek, tears appearing in the corner of his eyes "G-Grell..." a few tears slid down his cheek, softly falling onto Grell's skin "The c-contract has been fulfilled..."

The reaper's eyes squeezed closed as he suppressed the fear twisting his stomach, "I…can feel it…" he pushed up against the demon, clinging to him, "But…I'm not ready to go…"

"G-Grell..." William whimpered, hunger began to rise in his belly and his fangs began to extend more. He gently stroked the reaper's hair, more tears falling from his eyes until he was sobbing "Grell...I have too..."

"I…I know, darling…" he pulled back, his skin glowing blue as his soul drew close to the surface, "At…least I can always be with you…" tears fell down his cheeks, "I love you."

"I love you too..." William sobbed harder. He caressed Grell's cheek and leaned close, capturing his lips in a tender kiss. He closed his eyes and deepened the kiss, savoring the moment as long as he could. Slowly, William began to pull away, gently taking Grell's soul with him.

Grell's dainty hand gently pressed against William's cheek until his soul was ripped from him completely and his body fell limp onto the bed, his glistening green eyes dulling.

William swallowed the soul, disgusted on how good it tasted, and watched as Grell fell limp. His eyes widened. He picked up Grell and cradled him in his arms, more tears pouring from his eyes. He closed them and let out a mournful, grief filled howl.

Soft foot steps approached behind William, and a gentle hand fell on his shoulder, "William…" Sebastian's voice was soothing and gentle. It couldn't have been helped…"

William continued to hold Grell close, trembling as he cried "I...I killed him..."

The demon sat down, pulling his son into his own arms, "He lives with you, now."

William pressed his face to Grell's hair and cried harder, his tears soaking into the reaper's crimson locks.

The older demon sighed, saying nothing more as he comforted his hurting son; rubbing his back and letting him cry over the loss of the redhead.

William cried until he could cry no more, his sobs now only sniffles and hiccups. He looked down at the red head in his arms, stroking a long lock of hair gently. Carefully, he placed the red reaper on the bed and covered him with a blanket. Softly, he kissed Grell's cheek, leaning close to his ear to whisper, "See you soon, love…"

William stood from Sebastian's arms, crossing the room to the closet in the corner. He opened the door, inside were his scythe had been hidden. William took it out, examining it carefully.

The crow demon stood up, turning to watch his son, "…William?"

William sniffled and carefully slid his fingers over the blade of the scythe. He lowered it t the floor, holding it at an angle so the tip was pointing at his chest. Fresh tears appeared in his eyes as he began to cry again. He moved his hand over the trigger shakily and pressed it.

Sebastian stiffened, "WILL! NO!" He ran forward. It was only five steps away, and yet, the demon wasn't quick enough. Reaching his son's side just in time to catch him as he started to fall, staring in wide-eyed horror at the scythe blade piercing through his chest and protruding from his back. Cinematic records bursting forth to tell his short life story as the life started to fade from the young demon's eyes.

"Will! WILLIAM!" The crow took the scythe out and threw it aside, leaning forward to lick at the wound, desperate to heal it, to save his son.

William's looked up at his mother weakly, his eyes half closed. He winced, closing his eyes as his breathing grew labored. More of his record poured out, his body began to grow heavy.

"Will…" Sebastian held William to his chest, crying over his body as the young demon took his last breath. Despair overtook him and he lost himself into a sobbing mess, trembling. His stomach twisted painfully, making him feel like he would be sick.

His baby boy was gone. He had just come back, and now he was gone forever.

 -End-