A Test of Friendship Chapter 9

The rest of the day and tour passed quickly and Grell had taken time before they left the office to call for reservations for two at a rather fancy restaurant in the human realm. Once that was done, Grell and William checked out of the office and raced towards the human realm. They arrived there and once there, slowed their speed to walking pace and walked the rest of the way to the restaurant.

Grell and Will went in and Grell gave his name at the counter and they were taken to their reserved seats. The waiter took the reservation tag, introduced himself, and left them to the menus to decided what they wanted.

William looked around the restaurant, "It's a rather fancy place you've taken me to…"

"Yes, there's nothing near as fancy in the Shinigami realm," Grell said, "Pathetic, isn't it?"

William look over the menu briefly, "It's all rather expensive. Are you sure you can pay for it all?"

"Oh yes, I've had spare money set aside for who-knows-how-long for this. I've always had this place in mind, but you've never really wanted to go out to eat, and I wasn't going to let you pay this time, seeing what you've been through," Grell said.

"Hm…" Will said, looking over the menu. He found what he wanted and set the menu down, noticing Grell wasn't looking at the menu, "Are you going to find something to eat?" William asked him.

"Oh I'll just order another of what you're having," Grell said.

"Suit yourself…" William muttered.

"So… you said you wanted to be briefed on a few things?" Grell asked.

"Yes…" William said, "Namely I want to know more about my past. How… our "relationship" came to be…"

"Alright," Grell said, getting a little nervous, "Well, to start, we met when we were very young, just new Shinigami. We trained in the same class to become Shinigami and were paired together to reap our first soul- the final test to become a full-fledged Shinigami. And really… I was a bully then."

"A bully? I find it hard to believe that…" William said.

"Oh it's true alright," Grell said, "I hated being paired for that task with you, a B average student, when I had AAAs."

"Really? You had AAAs?"

"….In one subject, but it was still a higher grade than yours and I was pretty arrogant back then, I admit," Grell said.

"Then how had you come to like me?" Will asked.

"You stood up for yourself," Grell smiled, "You were tired of me treating you how I was, you were focused on the task at hand, and fought back when I attacked. I got distracted and you hit me, from the front, from the back, the sides, from above and below…" he blushed and closed his eyes at the memory.

William just stared at him.

"You became increasingly cold and extremely focused on the tasks ahead, so it was no wonder you flew up the ranks and became Manager of the Dispatch Division. I may sometimes slack of as well, but I was right behind you, actually. I can be rather serious and hard working when I have to be.
That's how I became a Dispatch Officer, instead of just an officer."

William nodded slowly and before he could say anything else, the waiter came to see if they were ready to order. William ordered and Grell said he'd have the same. The waiter left with their order and Grell and Will got back to their conversation.

"You never really showed much emotion or care for your subordinates, at least at first…actually no, even after awhile you never really seemed to care as long as the job got done. But I suppose that's because you say you work with incompetent people and that's why you always had to spend long hours into the night doing overtime… You never seemed happy really. If anything, you were sadistic, taking pleasure in hurting others, or causing them to do work they shouldn't have had to do. I honestly found it a rather…attractive quality in you."

"Is that so?" William asked.

"Yes, very much," Grell said. He fell silent, looking at the table.

"Is something wrong?" Will asked.

"Well…" Grell said nervously, "I've not actually been that truthful to you…I'm sorry, William…"

"About what?" William asked.

"Well… the truth is… we're not actually in love…" Grell said.

William sighed, but the nature of the sigh Grell was unsure about, whether he was relieved or angry, it was unclear.

"If that's so then why did you say that we were?" William asked with an unreadable tone.

"I… I just wanted to know what it would be like to have you returning the affections I give you," Grell stuttered, "But… it seems that you're not sure how to show affection…Are you angry?"

"I am not really that angry, but I am slightly upset that you found my lack of memories an appropriate time to take advantage of me," William said.

"I'm sorry," Grell said again, "But… if you don't mind my saying this in this way, and I don't really mean it like this, I was sort of experimenting… and this experiment did bring up some results… And it just makes me that much crazier for you!"

"Well, are you going to say what it is?" William asked sipping some water from the glass the waiter had brought.

"My dear sweet William, you're a very shy man," Grell said with a smile and a blush.

"I am not shy-"

"Oh, but you are," Grell said, folding his arms on the table and leaning over it, getting closer to Will, "Since you've lost your memories, you've been very quiet, definitely not as loud as you used to be. You haven't said too terribly much to me and seem act rather indifferent towards me, unlike you had been before."

"How was I before?"

"Cold, cruel, sadistic, like I was saying, somewhat antisocial, you did have the bout of depression, and I was not lying when I told you I reassured you that I was your true and only friend. Actually.. I would go as far to say that we are more than friends… now that I think about it, you've never been with anyone else, male or female, you've spent the most time with me out of anyone else within the past 100 some years, you get insanely angry and dare I say jealous when I spend time with this certain Demon I admit to having a crush on," at that William twitched.

"You have a crush on a bloody Demon?" he asked, a hint of anger to his voice.

Grell smiled more, "See, you didn't like that. Hmmm, don't deny it now, dearie. You give a new meaning to the phrase 'madly in love' because the only way you can show affection is through anger and yelling, hitting, kicking, or thwacking me with your Death Scythe. You never act that way towards anyone else. Poor man, you're so shy and self conscious about your feelings, or expressing affection, all you can do is lash out and yell at or hit someone!"

"That's not true," William growled, pushing up his glasses.

"Ah, and you do that often in situations awkward or uncomfortable to you," Grell said, "Don't deny what I tell you, for I know you better than you do at the moment. I can tell you for sure that none of this is a lie. I swear on my life."

Grell giggled a bit.

"What is it?" William asked.

Grell smiled, "You just don't know how happy I am to be here with you, William."

William gave a small smile in return, "I admit… I have not been not enjoying the time I've spent with you."

"I'm glad to hear it," Grell said.

Then the waiter brought their food out, hoped they'd enjoy their meal, and left.

"It smells amazing!" Grell noted before taking a bite.

William stared down at it, the heavily spiced, hot, and somewhat greasy fumes of the meal rushing up towards him, overwhelming his senses. He swallowed hard and felt his stomach turn.

He looked at Grell who was slowly eating his meal, savouring every bite, then glanced around at everyone else who were either eating their food unnaturally fast, or eating slowly, the loud, mixed conversations made his ears ring and head spin. He was suddenly very aware of everyone in the restaurant, every sound, every smell, and was completely taken over by them, his head spinning and throbbing painfully.
He tried to calm himself down as he shakily picked up his glass of water and took a sip. The refreshing cool feel of the glass on his lips and the icy water cooling him down calmed him a lot. He looked at Grell, completely oblivious to how he was just feeling, which he was glad for.

He looked down at his plate of food and slowly and still shakily, scooped up a small forkfull of food and put it in his mouth and chewed slowly and swallowed. As he started eating more, he started to feel a bit better.
   
   He and Grell didn't say much as they talked, though nearing the end of the meal when William was starting to get full, there was a stabbing pain in his head and a wave of vertigo and nausea swept over him. Without a warning, William stood up and ran out of the restaurant. He heard Grell call after him as he did so, but didn't stop and after a second, he ended up in an alley where he got violently sick.,
It was about five minutes later when Grell left the restaurant and found William who had one hand on the alley wall, bent over with his eyes squeezed shut, sweating, and eyebrows furrowed. He was aware of Grell, but didn't move.

"Sorry I took so long, William, I had to pay for dinner…." Grell said, "Are you alright now?"

William's answer was shaking his head no slowly before he vomited again.


"We need to get you home so you can get some rest, Will," Grell said.


William's eyes opened and widened and he was about to say something before he was interrupted by gagging, though this time he didn't throw up.

After a minute of making sure he would be able to stomach speaking, William said hoarsely, "I…don't… 'member…live…"


"What was that, Will? I couldn't understand you…" Grell said, putting his hands on Will's back gently.


"I don't…remember…where I…live..-!!!" Will gagged, clapping a hand over his mouth.


"You're saying this now?" Grell exclaimed, "Nevermind it, it doesn't matter… can you move yet?"


William straightened up, though kept one hand on the wall for balance. Once he was steadily standing, he let go of the wall and nodded at Grell.


"Alright, good," Grell said, "Let's go. I'll help you if you need it."


"I… I should be alright.." William said, throat bruised and voice rough.


They headed back to the Shinigami Realm and slowly they made it to an average sized white house with a red roof and red trim. Grell pulled out his keys and unlocked his door, opening it and letting William in first.


"I suppose you'll just have you stay here for the night until you can get your personal files tomorrow at work…" Grell said, "You look like you could used cleaned up… come with me." Grell led Will upstairs to the larger bathroom and he pulled out from one of the bathroom drawers an extra toothbrush and set it on the counter, "I'll be right back," Grell said, heading out of the bathroom, down the hall, and into his room to grab one of his white v-neck t-shirts and a pair of black sweatpants for Will.


Grell headed back to the bathroom and put them on the counter, "Alright, Will, how about you get cleaned up here and I'll try to find somewhere for you to sleep?"


William just nodded.


"There are extra bath towels in the cupboard below the sink and you can put your dirty stuff in the basket by the toilet," Grell said, "Let me know if you need anything."


"I will…" William said before shutting the bathroom door.


He sighed and looked at himself in the mirror and took the bandage off of his head to look at the unsightly gash that was still healing and the bruise that had formed around it.


William sighed and grabbed the tooth brush and toothpaste Grell had provided and brushed his teeth before he stripped and took a hot shower.


After he had finished with his shower and had dressed in the clothes Grell had given him, he headed out of the bathroom to find where the red Reaper was.


He glanced down the halls and saw the there was someone in the large bedroom down the hall, so Will headed there to sure enough see Grell there, changing out the sheets and blankets on the very impressively sized red bed.

"You can have my bed for tonight," Grell said, not looking at Will when he came in.


William just stared at Grell for a second. He had changed clothes. No longer was he in his normal work attire, but he had put on a bright red v-neck and dark red sweatpants and had his hair pulled up in a high ponytail.

Grell looked at Will, "Is there… something wrong?" He asked, noticing William staring at him.


"No, there's nothing wrong… Th-thank you for letting me use your shower…and your clothes…" Will said.


Grell smiled and came over to William, "It was really no problem at all, sweetie." Grell's eyes wandered from William's eyes to above them, near the side of his head, the ugly bruise visible even under William's rather long bangs. Gently, Grell carefully moved aside Will's bangs and frowned. He saw enough of the wound needed to be genuinely concerned when William pulled away.


"William," Grell said in a serious tone- a tone William hadn't heard before, "tomorrow you need to go back to the hospital. In fact, it'd be in your best interest to go tonight by the looks of your wound. Your headaches accompanied by your being dizzy and vomiting is not a good thing. There was nothing wrong with the food, for we ate the same thing. You have been acting like your head's bugging you all day…"


"I.. I'll be-"

"Don't say 'I'll be fine'!" Grell exclaimed, "William this is serious. Why hasn't your head healed yet? Sure we can't heal as fast as Demons, but he can heal a hell of a lot faster than humans can. And your head doesn't look like it's healed at all since your injury."


"The doctor had told me that here was one of the places I was stabbed with my Death Scythe," William said.


"Death Scythe wounds don't quite heal that easily you know. A wound like this isn't good," Grell said.


There was silence and then Grell sighed, "Let me finish putting new blankets and pillows on the bed for you…."
Grell then thought about something briefly as he was finishing up putting new pillows on the bed, "You know… why the hell did Liam only put a bandage on your head instead of actually doing something useful about it!?"


"I believe it is because the wound has gotten worse… it wasn't this bad when I was there…" William said he winced as his head decided to start throbbing again with a dull aching pain, "Nnn…I need….to sit down…" William couldn't even make it towards the bed before he started to collapse.
The last thing he remembered was Grell yelling his name and running towards him before all was black.