William T Spears was very used to being disconnected, uncaring and cold towards his peers, it was something that people had grown to expect from him.
Once you have made a name for yourself, it is hard to deviate from it after all.
William was seated in his office, which was steadily becoming more of a home to him that his actual quarters, frozen in position with his face buried in his hands and his sharp elbows holding his leaning weight on the desk.
Before him was the usual towering pile of paper work that he despised, as engulfing and seemingly never-ending as always. But this evening, it was untouched. A single sheet had been delicately removed from the top of the pile and placed in front of him. The harsh lucid, black ink that burned in contrast with the crisp white of the parchment delivered another complaint.
William hadn't got past the initial first few lines of the document, he couldn't read on. To read what he had read so many times, painfully approved so many times, and bitterly sent on to his superiors so many times. He could practically guess what the harsh words said, words such as useless, worthless, disgraceful, pitiful, and shameful where bound to be used. He didn't expect anyone to understand. To understand what it felt like to read these cruel comments about someone he cared so much about… let alone to understand what it was like to relay them on to that very person, to see them try to conceal the hurt in their face.
William sighed into his hands, the sound long, drawn and cracked. He raised his worn face to the ceiling and fixed his piercing emerald eyes there. It was only then that he realised he was not alone; he could hear a faint shuffling coming from behind the slightly open door, accompanied with stilted breath, which begged it couldn't be heard.
"Come in, Sutcliff." William sighed, straightening up in his seat and pushing his ebony glasses further up his nose. He closed his eyes fearing that the sight of his visitor would cause him to cave, desperately willing composure to his features.
Grell shuffled in, trying to make as little noise as possible, closing the door gently before standing in front of William's desk. He wrung his gloved hands in front of him, and nibbled on his lip, nervous. Had William realised how long he had been stood there? Did he know that he had witnessed the minute but still very real pain that flashed across his handsome features when he read the damned parchment that lay abandoned in front of him? Did he-
"Grell." William snapped Grell back from his thoughts, his lowered eyes widening behind the veil of crimson hair.
"There has been another complaint about you." William had not moved, his eyes still lowered he continued.
"This is the third time this week. The fourteenth time this month…"
"W-William… I-I…" Grell started, not sure of what he was going to say. The complaints didn't bother him, he was used to them. But what did bother him was William; he looked so pained, so drawn.
"A-are you alright, Will…?" He half whispered, leaning forward to push a stray strand of hair from his bosses face.
William abruptly slapped Grell's hand away with the back of his own, his eyes open now and burning angrily. He rose from his chair and slammed his palms on the desk in front of him, causing the towering paperwork to tumble to the floor, but he paid it no heed.
"Grell! This is serious! You cannot keep going on like this! There are only so many complaints that can be filed before we are forced to remove you from your post! Do you know what that would do to me? If…If I had to be the one to send you away from here, to permanently banish you from these premises?" He yelled furiously, causing Grell to fall a step back in shock, his abused hand still hovering in the air.
"William…" he breathed, disbelief entwined in his voice, never had he heard something like that from his superior, from anyone.
"W-what… it would… do to y-you?" Grell stammered, his bright eyes wide. Since when did anything that happened to him affect William? Sure, this might mean he had to work overtime, but it had never caused him such an outburst. But it wasn't that that shocked Grell so much, it was the immense guilt and pain that was mixed with the fury in Williams face.
"Don't! Just… don't." William spoke as he shakily sat back down, his arms quivering and chest heaving, gripping the edge of his desk so hard his knuckles whitened.
Grell didn't know what to do, or say. He just stood there, feeling helpless and dumb as words refused to form in his mouth.
"Why can't you try? Just try to do well?" Will murmured, letting his muscles relax, the anger falling from his face, leaving only the now very evident sorrow to adorn his features. He moved his still slightly shaking hand across the desk, to lay it gently on the redheads gloved one.
"Just once." He spoke just above a whisper, moving his other hand to gently touch Grell's chin, and guide his face slowly closer to his own, the next words sighed so quietly against his lips, Grell wasn't sure if he even spoke them.
"Jus once, for me."