Meeting Grandfather Death.
Prologue
Kid smiled up at his father from his place on his lap, the small five year old reaper giggling happily. His father had taken off the funny outfit he wore to work and was now sitting on the couch wearing black jeans, a simple black muscle shirt, and his long hair tied up in the signature high ponytail Kid had come to idolize, with his son on his lap and the tv playing 'Shrek'. In his ears there dangled two sets of earrings on each side, a pair of black studs and below that black crosses hung from his earlobes. Lord Death looked down and saw his son smiling up at him with a big goofy smile.
"What's up huh Kiddo-kun?" He lightly tickled his sons sides "What's with the big smile?" He chuckled softly.
Through his giggles and desperate attempts to make his father stop tickling him, Kid through his tiny arms around his fathers neck and said "I'm just happy to be with chichi-ue!" He laughed, his voice full of childlike innocence. Finally the shinigami stopped the playful torture and ruffled his son's hair, placing a kiss on the top of his head.
At that moment the phone rang shrilly and Death groaned, annoyed at someone interrupting his time with his precious son, knowing he already spent far less time with Kid than he would like to. Kid slid off his lap and turned his attention to the tv, giant smile still plastered on his face though now it was lessened slightly. Death patted the top of his son's head as he walked to answer the phone, calling over his shoulder "I'll be right back Kiddo."
The phone shrieked again and Death snatched it from it's place, annoyance radiating off of him, "What is it?" He half growled, expecting someone to beg him to come back to work for some minor detail, but unable to completely stamp out the kindness in his voice.
"Now is that anyway to speak to your father, Corvus?" answered a deep gravelly voice calling Death by his birth name, he'd not been called that in nearly 200 years.
"My name is Death, father." He spoke coldly, gone was the warmth from baritone voice.
"As is mine boy." he answered, unaffected by the clear lack of affection between the two.
"Your aptly suited name, father, is Satsujin* you are no longer Death by title. You of all people understand this, henceforth remember that and call me by my name." Death had always been ashamed of his birth name, not because it was silly or strange, but because it was what marked him as the son of Satsujin, the previous Death God. However, Death suited him much better, not because it sounded evil or because it was his job. It suited him because people spoke it with the same ease as if he were a human with a slightly odd nickname.
"As you wish boy, but more importantly I hear I am a grandfather, is this true?" Satsujin continued, no signs of having taken him seriously.
Death sighed, he should have known this was coming. "Yes father, you have a five year old grandson." Even speaking to his estranged father, Death felt some pride surge into his voice at the thought of his son.
"Excellent, and what is the Child's name? Could it be you went with the traditions of old and named him after a form of death like Jisatsu**? Or perhaps you chose the route I undertook with a latin name, maybe Mortis? Or after a demon, Incubus sounds pleasant. Or Wrath after the sins." Satsujin chuckled, it was a long standing tradition to name a reaper with a powerful or intimidating name.
"His name is Yasashi Death The Kid***. No one has ever called him that though, and mostly everyone simply calls him Kid or Kiddo." Death stated.
"Yasashi? What sort of name is that for a Shinigami? And really? Kid? It's as though you want people to ridicule him!"
"I don't want them to ridicule him. I want them to learn to respect and trust him. To accept him for who he is."
"Who he is...? He is a shinigami! A God of Death! One who stoically watches on and brings souls to their eternal resting place or punishment!"
"But there is no reason for him to enjoy it the way you do."
"Very well Corvus as you wish. I want to meet my grandson."
THAT Death most certainly did not expect, he did not even react to the use of his name.
"Y-you want to meet Kid? Really?"
"Yes, I wish to meet young Yasashi. I am his grandfather after all."
"You're not planning on doing something terrible to him are you?" Death's voice was only thinly veiling his accusations.
"No Corvus, I will not do anything terrible to him."
"Why do you want to meet him?" Death gave up on his father, he would always call him by that name regardless of what he said, just as he would more than likely always call Kid 'Yasashi'.
"I am his grandfather and I am capable of human emotions such as love."
"Could have fooled me."
"Corvus enough, I know you think I was too hard on you but I did what I did as a good parent ought to."
"I'll think about it." Death conceded, despite all his bluster it was true that Satsujin was not a terrible father, strict and unskilled at showing his emotions yes, but not evil like his father before him, Fukushu****. Fukushu had put his son through many evil and unspeakable things. It was a wonder Satsujin had turned out as kind as he had. Satsujin had spared the rod on his son more often than not, and his request to meet Kid spoke volumes to Death.
"I will welcome you to our ancestral home this Saturday, son."
"Bye dad." Death hung up and sighed, he had not been to the ancestral home of Seppuku in centuries. It was named as such because the Shinigami who built it believed very much in the honor code of life and death.
Death walked back over to the couch where Kid was now watching the end credits to Shrek and singing along to 'Believer'. He puffed in annoyance, he'd missed more than half the movie and Kid was probably feeling neglected. Scooping his tiny son up into his arms and plopping down on the couch with a bounce Death gave Kid his best cocky smile, his long bangs covering his left eye and giving him the appearance of a carefree young man. Sometimes Kid couldn't believe his daddy was over 800 years old.
"Who was on the phone Chichi-ue?"
"Well, it was your grandpa Kiddo-kun."
"Chichi-ue's Chichi-ue?"
"That's right, and guess what little guy."
"What?" He looked so adorable with his big innocent eyes and look of wonder that Death couldn't help but snap a quick picture with a flick of his wrist. Kid blinked away the spots caused by the flash.
"Haha, sorry Kiddo, I couldn't help it." Kid beamed, happy that his father wanted to take pictures of him all the time. "Anyway as I was saying, your ojiisan wants to meet you because you're such an amazingly special boy." Death smiled and nuzzled the top of his son's head.
"Really? Ojiisan wants to meet me?" Kid's little mouth hung open and Death snapped another picture mumbling something about getting a bigger album under his breath.
"Yes Kiddo. He wants to meet you, so we're going to visit him Saturday. In the meantime, do you wanna go visit Uncle Spirit?"
"Do I have to play with Maka?" He asked warily, when he was three Death had taken him to see Spirit and it was one of those rare occasion's where his Godfather's daughter was home. As they'd approached the house, Kid on his father's shoulders, Maka ran out of the house screaming at her father. She called him a lecher, though Kid couldn't hear it from where he was, and it made Kid angry that she was yelling at him. Since then Kid had refused to ever play with the mean girl named Maka.
"No Kiddo, haha, you won't have to play with Maka. She's with her mother at the school today."
"Okay!"
Smiling, Death set his precious son down and walked over to the coat rack holding his hand. He put his on his own cloak, gloves, and mask before bending down to put a smaller cloak on Kid. Scooping him up again and carrying him in one of his arms.
"Ready Kiddo?" He said in that odd high pitched voice he always used when he wore his work clothes. It sort of bugged Kid, he liked his daddy's real voice much better.
Spirit opened the door to his home, hair tied back, loose cotton long sleeve, and sea shell necklace giving him the air of a surfing beach bum.
"Well if it isn't my favorite godson in the whole wide world!" Spirit cried, taking Kid from Death's arms. Death had to bite back his low growl at having his son taken from him, but this was Spirit and Kid's smile was enough to placate him. Kid laughed and hugged his godfather, happy to see him in what he in his childish mind had dubbed his "happy clothes". Kid was very perceptive, even as a child, and although he didn't understand why he knew that Spirit was happier in his informal attire. Death had been amazed at how easily Kid saw this, he didn't know that Spirit's wife was demanding and wanted him to be 'more grown up', and wear suits. Maka always took her mother's side and Spirit didn't want to do anything that might make Maka think any less of her mother.
The three of them sat at Spirit's table, Spirit bouncing Kid on his knee and playing rock paper scissors with him. Death smiled beneath his mask as he sipped his tea, Spirit acted like such a little kid sometimes, it was good for Kid to be around a playmate. Even if the playmate was a married man with a child of his own.
"You cheated Kiddo!" Spirit cried with false indignation, after letting Kid win again for the fifth time in a row.
"No I didn't! I'm just good!" Death stood from his chair, noting that it was nearly time for lunch.
"Kiddo, pb and j." Death said the magic words. Kid instantly turned all his attention to his father and jumped off of Spirit's knee screaming in joy.
"PB & J! PB & J!" He jumped up and down in joy. His father smiling at the obvious love affair his son had with a simple peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Death chuckled and handed his son a perfect sandwich. He smiled and tugged on his father's robe to give him a kiss on the cheek of his mask. He went back to the table and munched on his sandwich with gusto, though taking care to not ruin his perfectly symmetrical appearance.
"I'm taking Kid to visit my father on Saturday." Death said quietly, watching his son.
"Really? You're taking him to see Satsujin? Why?"
"He wants to meet Kid."
"Wow, well that's great I guess. Want me to take care of stuff while you're gone?"
"Yes, that's the main reason I wanted to come talk to you. The DWMA is pretty stable right now so I'm not going to check in at all ok Spirit? If something happens I'll have a mirror on me so you can contact me, and my cellphone of course, but I won't have a daily check up or anything."
"How long will you be gone?"
"I'm thinking maybe a week or so? It'll be good for me to spend some quality time with Kid and if my father wants to get to know him, all the better." Spirit nodded and wiped away some stray jelly on Kid's cheek.
Saturday morning Death got up early and padded to the kitchen in a pair of black boxers covered in skulls and a black tank top. His long hair in a messy braid. He set about making breakfast when he heard tiny feet running down the stairs. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and turned to face the entrance of the kitchen, arms open waiting for the inevitable tackle hug from his baby boy. Kid jumped into his arms and giggled softly.
"Kiddo, we're meeting your Ojiisan today so we have to look really nice okay?" He said as he sat kid down on a chair.
"Like when you go to work?"
"No no, like when Uncle Spirit goes to those nice parties and wears a fancy suit." Kid made a small o with his mouth in understanding.
"So I get to dress up?"
"That's right Kiddo."
Death straightened the small skull clasp at the base of his neck, smiling at his son in his white button up shirt, dress shorts, and knee high socks. Death himself would, for once, leave his home in something other than his cloak and mask. He was wearing his almost military looking suit, it fit his lean frame perfectly, Kid thought he looked like a dark version of the princes in those Disney movies. The tattered overcoat fluttered softly with his movements and Kid thought his daddy looked very handsome. He leapt up and stood in front of the mirror, trying to be as handsome as his daddy.
"Look daddy! I'm handsome like you too!" He said smiling and striking an adorable superman pose.
"Yes you are little guy." Death chuckled as he bundled his son in a miniature version of his work cloak and put a tiny version of his mask on the side of his head. It was a way to show the world that this was his son and he was not to be messed with. He picked up Kid and carried him to their car, a hearse, and drove away.
*Satsujin is the Japanese word for Murder
**Jisatsu is the word for Suicide.
***Yasashi is the word for Benevolent
****Fukushu means Vengeance