The Shinigami Nursery 2 (Sequel)

Chapter 6 - Reunion

Undertaker had an ulterior motive for searching the reaper realm for Ronald on his own. He was very sure Ronald was here, and if he was he wanted to talk to the young reaper alone, without Mr Stick-Up-His-Ass or Lady Grell scaring the boy off. As soon as he crouched on the roof of his funeral parlour, he smelled the fresh sea air and thick oil preserving ships through the docks, the sweetness of casualties calming him. That was one reason he chose that location for his funeral parlour all those years ago; he'd always loved salt. The aroma, the taste, the look and feel between his fingertips. It reminded him of crystallised carbon.

He slashed though the fabric of dimensions with his scythe, ripping through realms and daintily hopping through the portal.

The play park hadn't changed, a testament to how fun and joy survived through the ages. Maybe needing a little tune up once in a while, given the paint had been replaced - probably several times. "Hey Ronnie," he smiled as he noticed the reaper sitting on the swing, letting the faint breeze blow his hair back at the shed. Ronald pretended not to be startled. "You never did get to ride these swings as a child, did you?"

Undertaker sat in the adjacent swing, lightly swaying his legs and body to get a light lift from it. Back and forth. "No. Because by the time I was confident enough I was living in a government facility!" He snapped. "Why didn't you fight for us?! Or had you just gone too insane to remember you had kids?!"

Undertaker pursed his lips, typing his hair back with a silk black ribbon, shaking his head to get the fringe out his eyes. "A lot of things are resurfacing for you. And a lot more horrible things will, if William was telling the truth about what happened in that facility. But Ronnie, I fought for you ever step of the way. He higher ups, I've never been popular with them and my parenting style was... not to their liking either,"

Ronald nodded slightly. "Why'd you wait so long to tell us? Why didn't you reappear into our lives once we'd left?"

"Honestly, I didn't think you'd want me to. You had your own lives. Your past foster father would have only gotten in the way,"

Ronald chuckled at that. "You're wrong. And a lunatic,"

"I've been called much worse," they shared warm smiles, drinking in the way the light bounces off each other's pale skin. "Let's go home,"

"Home, Uncle Undie,"

Undertaker cringed. "That sounds so creepy coming from an adult. Call me Adrian now,"

"Okay, Uncle Adri,"

"You're an ass,"

***

Grell and William sat quietly in the funeral parlour. It had become awkward, but both were somehow relieved. There was the assumption that now Grell knew about William x Undertaker, that he wouldn't make any sexual advances. Of course this was a wrong assumption, but the two remained too reserved to comment. So they sipped tea, William watching in a strange intrigue at the dainty way Grell extended his pinkie finger when lifting the cup just to the edge of his mouth, drinking a small amount without slurping.

He was, in so many ways, a lady.

Honestly, William didn't know what to think of him and never had. "Grell," he spoke roughly, voice tensely wavering on the edge of hoarse whispers. "Are you...I mean, a girl?"

The redhead raised a curious eyebrow, lowering his arm slowly. "What exactly do you mean?"

"Are you...transgender, or whatever?" The shinigami was trying too hard to conceal his obvious discomfort. Which didn't help Grell's situation, a million possible answers hurling through his head. He was trying to figure out how to explain this as well as possible in a way the horridly conservative prude would understand.

"You know what gender roles are correct?"

"Yes, vaguely," William answered. He'd heard the term but had never explored the meaning in depth.

"Well, I know I am a...man. But I've never really been masculine. I love pink and dresses and being called a woman. But I don't want to transition or anything. I'm still a man I just like traditionally feminine things," Grell paused, sighing. "That doesn't really make it any clearer does it?"

"Nope," William admitted, laughing behind his glasses. "You're, kind of cute when you're flustered,"

Grell blushed brightly, his face the same scarlet as his hair. "Th-Thank you," he absentmindedly brushed a loose strange behind his ear. "You're always cute," he smiled.

"I never really realised how much your eyes sparkle in candlelight,"

The two slowly inched together, eyes darting uncertainly around. A strange concoction born of passion, lust and shame began to stir their senses. A familiar reaction in their loins. A desire, a need. William had always been too proud to admit his attraction for someone so apparently depraved. But together, alone, the idea of their intimacy didn't seem so bad.

When their lips touched, it was like a firework lighting the dark skies clouding their vision. The soft, tender actions breeding acquiescence to their primitive minds.

A rip in space, and the blue portal to be shinigami realm opened. Out of it clambered a slightly dishevelled Ronald and Undertaker.

"Oh my god!" Ronald pointed at the scene. Undertaker just laughed.

"Called it!" He raised a hand, anticipatory of a reviving a high-five, while everyone just stared at him in utter confusion.