Death the Kid would never forget the day of his father's funeral. The students of Shibusen stood at the steps of the school, tears in their eyes, and grief in their hearts. No one dared to speak a word as Professor Franken Stein stepped out of the school. He stood at the very top of the steps, gazing down at the students. This was not a normal funeral, not by any means. Because while they grieved their fallen leader, they also were waiting to welcome the next in line. In Stein's hands, he held something long, black, and torn. The tears ran faster as the students come to realize what he held. This was the cloak of the fallen Lord Death. Stein was expressionless, despite the lingering sadness that remained in his heart. At each side of him, he had a professor. Spirit Albarn stood to his left, his face pale, and tears staining his cheeks. He kept his expression as strong and calm as he could. But he was unable to hide his great sadness. And Marie Mjolner was at his right side. She was having a much harder time hiding her sorrow. She kept her head bent to the ground, her shoulders trembling, and tears falling down her cheeks and off of her chin. Franken Stein was quiet, watching over the students and scanning the crowd. Until his eyes fell on one young man. The student he was looking for.

"Death the Kid," he said aloud, calling for him. The students were still, and only one swam through the crowd and to the steps. Death the Kid, the son of Lord Death, stepped to the front of the sea of students, and climbed up the steps. He kept his head up high, and his eyes facing front. But his face was just as pale as the others, and his golden eyes seemed rather dulled. His dark hair was decorated with the three lines of Sanzu, all of which wrapped all the way around his head. There could only be one Lord of Death in this world. And when all of Kid's strips had connected, he had taken his father's position as such a high power. In doing so, his father had withered away, all his power being given to his son. So now, it was up to Death the Kid to care for the students, watch over the school, and protect Death City. No, not just Death City. The world. It was up to him to protect the world from Kishen and Witches. He was the new Lord Death.

Before the eyes of the students, he stepped up to Stein, and stood before him. Stein gave him a little bow of respect, before handing him the cloak. He held out his arms, and held it tight, the black silk draping over his arms. Lying on top of the dark cloak, was his father's mask of white. It was terribly cracked, and one of the eye holes had been completely broken off. The damage that came with his death was devastating, and Kid knew it could not be fixed. He took in a slow breath, and let it out. Holding the mask in one hand, he draped the tattered cloak over his shoulders, and held it around his neck to keep it still. The students watched him as he turned to face them. Tears welled in his bright eyes, but his face stayed strong.

"My fellow and former peers," Kid proclaimed, his voice loud enough to be heard by all, and managing to keep it steady. "I thank you all for being here to wish my father farewell. He ruled over this school for years, and protected us all, teaching us the path to righteousness. Along the way, he has demonstrated such bravery and kindness that I can only pray to hold as well." His eyes traveled to the ground, and he took a moment to formulate his words, before facing up again and speaking. "As I grew, he instilled in me the lessons he learned from the mistakes we made. I knew I would be taking over his role someday. I never imagined however, that it would be as soon as it was now. So, it is with a heavy heart, that I accept my father's position. There will be no more following, only leading. I pray that you will all assist me in my coming tasks and responsibilities, and be patient with me. I will be learning alongside you all, how to adapt to something so new." He bowed his head, and allowed the tears now to fall. "Thank you all so much. May my father forever rest in peace. His job is through, and it is time for him to lie. Now, it is my turn."

Two years. It had been two years since that day. Kid still lived in his big manor in Death City, but now that his soul was bound to the city, just like his father's was, he could not leave. He kept in the city, going from the school, to his house. He kept watch over the students, and protected his home. He worked with the Death scythes in every corner of the world, keeping watch for any threats or new witches. In those two years, he worked, he fought, he hurt others, and was hurt right back. He watched students loose their lives, and even came close to loosing his own. It was a difficult, and very strenuous thing. But he knew someone had to do it. He loved his job, and his students. But...there was one thing he loved most. Or...one person.

Death the Kid dragged his feet as he walked to his house. 'Too many steps...' he muttered to himself, rather worn. He had been at the school for the past two days, never getting the chance to go home. He was exhausted, and wanted nothing more then to change out of his clothing, and into something more comfortable. He wanted to rest his weary body, and get rid of all the stress of the day. But more then anything, he wanted to see 'him.'

Upon entering the house, he breathed out a heavy sigh and leaned against the door. Kid used one foot to slide his shoe off, and then did the same with the other. He pushed them both so they were neatly sitting by the door. He was pleased to see 'his' shoes were resting on the other side of the door, nice and straight, just as he had been asked. Now they were an equal distance from Kid's shoes as well. He was happy to see that. Kid's OCD was still present, but was managed fairly well. It was no longer as extreme, but it still had him antsy when things were not straight. He ran his fingers through his hair before sighing once again.

"Soul..." he called out tiredly. Only a moment after he had called, Soul Eater Evans began to descend the stairs, smiling softly.

"Hey Kid," he said casually. "It's been a little while. How did everything go?"

"Fine I suppose," Kid answered, slipping of his suit's jacket and hanging it up. Once he had, Soul came and embraced him. Soul was Kid's lover of about ten months now. The two had begun living together about four months ago, and Soul was proving to be a great member of the house. He could slack a little in the chores, but he did his very best to make Kid happy. But there was something else about him that Kid liked. And a certain way he made him feel.

Kid allowed his body to grow a bit limp against Soul's taller figure, letting his fatigue overtake him. "Tired?" Soul asked him, running his fingers through his hair.

"Absolutely," Kid nodded. "Two days without sleep. It does awful things to you." Soul frowned as he broke the embrace now.

"You've gotta take better care of yourself. It's not gonna be cool if you get sick because of this," Soul warned him.

"I'm aware," Kid responded, shaking his head. He wasn't in the mood to be lectured right now. Soul seemed to see that in his eyes. So he said nothing more. Instead, he placed one hand on his back, and another one behind his knees before lifting him up and into his arms. Kid didn't protest. He instead leaned into his chest and made himself comfortable. This was the special way that Soul made him feel. He helped him feel comfortable and loved always. And he loved it more then anything.

It was neither Soul, nor Kid that discovered caregivers or littles. Rather, it was Tsubaki who brought it up. She brought the idea up a month after the two boys started living with one another. She knew how hard things were for her friend, and how he likely needed something to remedy his stress and worries. When she had brought it up, Kid refused at first. But when he saw how casual Soul was about it, and even how willing he was to do something like this for him, it warmed his heart and made him re-think things a bit. He loved the thought of being wrapped in Soul's arms and cared for as a child. Well, so long as no one else knew of it anyhow. Speaking of which...

"Careful with Liz and Patty," Kid murmured. "If they see you carrying me then-"

"Shh," Soul interrupted. "Don't worry about it. They went out, and won't be back for awhile. I think they were heading out for the night to go and mess around or something. So we've got the place to ourselves tonight."

"Wonderful." He was so glad to hear that. Usually, they had to take great pains to hide their routine or keep this a secret from the girls. But now that they were alone, everything would be fine right? Soul climbed the stairs, carrying Kid in his arms. Once upstairs, Soul walked down the hall, and to the door at the end. This door was forbidden to the girls. Kid had made it very clear to the two of them that they were to never ever enter this room. And if they did, they would be seriously punished. Both sister had agreed, and had thankfully followed his instructions. Still, he couldn't help but worry that one day, they would disobey. He simply prayed that he could trust them.

At the door, Kid reached into his trouser pocket and handed him the key to the room. Soul balanced Kid in his arms as he unlocked the door. waiting for them, was the nursery the two of them had put together. The black and white theme of the nursery kept the room rather dim, even when the lights were on. "What do you feel like wearing to sleep?" Soul asking, setting Kid down on top of his padded changing table. "The pajamas with feet, or the two piece, or something?" He offered, opening the dresser and looking inside.

"I want...the onesie," he answered after a bit of thought, resisting the urge to chew his nails. Whenever he did that, his nails became uneven and he couldn't properly fix them. That always caused a bit of a fit. He waited for Soul to pull out the black onesie with the white trim around the arms, legs, and neck. Once he had, he had Kid lie back on the changing table and helped to change his clothing. He removed his white shirts and black pants, and boxers. He then changed him into some padding that was covered in stars, and his black onesie. The whole time he dressed him, he spoke softly to him and massaged his stomach in order to sooth him. His soft, yet somewhat gruff voice was rather satisfying to him. He felt rather relaxed, and began to doze right there on the table.

"Hey, don't go falling asleep on me like that," Soul chuckled. "C'mon, time for bed," he said, lifting him off the of the table and back into his arms. Soul approached the crib, which bars were lowered. He set him down inside the crib, and lifted up the bars. Kid curled up inside of the crib, feeling the stress from the day slowly fade away. Soul reached into the little crib and ran his fingers through his soft, dark hair. His fingers were a bit thicker then Kid's, and nearly taller. The sensation of such familier appendages made him feel really good. He nuzzled into those fingers, his eyes shut, and his breathing slowing a bit. Soul's other hand traveled down to his lips, his black pacifier in his hand. He knew how Kid liked to have it with him for comfort. He accepted it rather quickly and held it between his lips. With Soul comforting him and soothing him, he quickly fell asleep inside of his little crib.

Once he was sure his little one had fallen asleep, Soul quickly left the nursery and crept down the stairs. Kid would likely sleep right through the morning, since he had been gone all night. So while Kid slept, he may as well get some stuff done. When he entered the kitchen, he cringed a bit. Right. Best to start on the cleaning first...

As the sun wavered high in the sky, Kid slept, comforted by the dark blanket around his shoulder and the pacifier secured in his mouth. He felt a lot more relaxed then he had lately. And he really had Soul to thank for that. Sometimes, he wondered if he pushed himself too hard. But he usually disregarded that idea. To be the Lord of Death, meant that one had to work hard, every single day. And he knew that. He had spent 17 years preparing for that until his father passed away. He was an adult now. He could not be complaining of such a workload. But of course, his body would still protest against him. Being little like this was good for his physical and mental health in a sense. He was glad he had this. He knew that some people might turn to much more harmful ways to calm down and relax. But in this way, he was not harming anyone. Nor was he being a pain to himself. He was comforted with this knowledge. And he was more then willing to continue this lifestyle, so long as Soul would let him.

When the clock struck noon, Soul was sitting patently on the couch, waiting for his little one to call for him. He had the television on, and was watching a film without too much interest. Today felt like such a lazy day to be honest. He had his feet up on the coffee table, and his hands rested behind his head. Kid sure was sleeping well wasn't he?

He was suddenly alerted to a soft mumbling sound. He looked up and smiled a bit. Kid was trudging down the stairs, dragging his dark blanket, and rubbing the sleep from his golden eyes, his black pacifier still dangling from his lips. "Hey there little man," Soul greeted, holding out his arms for him. "You should've called me, I would have gone to get you instead." Kid ignored him and instead came into his arms, cuddling in his lap. "Still tired huh? I can tell. Poor guy, taking a five hour nap like that," Soul laughed softly. Usually Kid would scold his partner if he slept through the morning like that. but he supposed he could understand why he slept for so long like that, and decided not to say anything. He ran his hand up and down Kid's back. "You need daddy to change you?" He whispered softly into his ear in his tired voice. He could practically feel the heat from his blush radiating onto his cheek.

"Nu-uh," Kid responded. Soul wasn't sure if he was telling the truth at first. But when he felt Kid squirming on his lap, he quickly understood. Kid had only been little for about three months. And he was still getting used to being diapered. So sometimes, he just needed a little reassurance before he could use them. Almost as though he needed his approval. Soul couldn't hide the little smirk he had on his face. Kid had been a leader for the past two years. But when he was little, he just wanted someone to tell him what to do. And it was Soul that he often looked to in such cases. Soul chuckled as he continued to rub his back.

"Daddy doesn't mind okay? It's fine if you need to use it. I'll change you right after, promise. That's what I'm here for," he said, kissing the nape of Kid's neck. Kid let out a soft little whine as he hid his face further into Soul's neck. Soul used one hand to carefully unbutton the snaps on the crotch on Kid's onesie, exposing his star-covered diaper. That made Kid blush even harder. As much as it irritated Kid, Soul just loved it when he was embarrassed or flustered. It just made him look even cuter then he already was. Soul gave a few more kisses, keeping one hand on his back, and the other cupping the padding just a bit. After a little bit of this, Kid relaxed. Soul could feel the warmth beneath his fingers and how the cloth expanded just a little. "There we go. That's my good boy," Soul praised. Someday Kid wouldn't need his help for such a thing once he got more comfortable But for now, he just needed a little extra push.

Soul waited for a bit until he knew Kid had finished wetting himself. "You want daddy to change you now?" He asked. Kid nodded. "Mmm, will you tell daddy what you did?" He heard Kid whine once again, which only seemed to encourage him to continue on. "C'mon. Tell daddy what happened. Then we can get you cleaned up. Promise." Kid slowly lifted his head from Soul's shoulder and pouted at him a little. But Soul's smile told him clearly that he was not planning to be cruel or unkind. He only wanted to tease him a little. Kid huffed.

"I...I wet myself," he admitted to him.

"That's right. But that's alright. All little boys do," he soothed, standing up, taking Kid into his arms with him. Kid clung to him as Soul walked back upstairs and to the nursery. He set Kid down on his soft little changing table before getting what he needed. Soul hummed softly as he pulled back the bottom of the black onesie a bit so he could have proper access. "Wow, you sure went a lot didn't you?" Soul teased as he undid the tapes. Kid covered his hands with his face tightly. "But I guess that's to be expected. You slept for such a long time. It's a good thing we're here though. Otherwise, you might have leaked all over the ground little man," Soul said. As he wiped Kid clean, he noticed that he hadn't responded to his words. Uh-oh. Did he take it a little too far? Soul was still learning a little about boundaries and how much his baby boy could handle. Sometimes he crossed those lines by mistake. But he was still learning. He powered the new diaper before taping it securely around Kid's waist. Once that was done, he kissed the backs of Kid's hands that were being used to cover his face. "I'm sorry. Did I go too far cookie?" he asked. Kid only nodded. "Daddy's sorry. I'll try not to do it again okay? Please don't be mad at me. Will you tell me what you didn't like?" He always made sure to ask. He wanted Kid to be as comfortable as possible.

Kid peeked out from between his fingers. He looked a little irritated. "I don't like when daddy makes me say it," he said to him. Oh right, having to admit he had an accident. Yea, that's what he thought too. That was likely what made him most embarrassed, and then everything just snowballed afterwards.

"That was too far? Alright, daddy won't do it again. I promise." Soul lifted Kid back into his arms once he was a bit more comfortable, and they went back downstairs together. He sat down on the couch and cradled Kid in his arms. The way he was clinging to him, he could only guess that he was craving some cuddles. They hadn't seen each other in a long time, so it was understandable. Soul held him tightly in his arms, rocking his back and forth as Kid made little cooing sounds behind the pacifier.

"So sweet. I must be the luckiest guy in the world. Because only I get to see you like this. No one else." He planted a few more kisses to Kid's forehead, careful to be gentle with him. "You know, I wasn't so sure where this whole thing was going to go at first. the whole, little-big thing. But to be honest, I'm actually pretty glad that we got to do this. I like it a lot more then I might have guessed. And I've got you to thank for it. Love you cookie."

Kid smiled and was able to mumble past his pacifier, "I love you too." He nuzzled into his chest, making himself comfortable by listening to his daddy's heartbeat. It was soothing, and at an even pace, which comforted him quite a lot.

"Little man, let me tell you something," Soul said, lying down on his back now, with Kid lying on top of him. "Since I've been with you, I've never felt a stronger urge then I do now to just protect someone. When I was with Maka, of course I wanted to protect her and keep her happy. But it was different. That was partnership and friendship. but this? This is love. And it's such a great feeling. You probably think I'm just a big cornball now don't you?" He laughed. Kid gripped tightly as he lie his head down on Soul's chest.

"I don't. I think that's a wonderful way to feel. I want to protect you and love you too daddy. Forever and always. You make me so happy, every single day! And I'm very happy for that. So, I don't think you're corny. I think you're...really cool." Soul laughed aloud.

"Yea, I'm just the coolest aren't I?" He laughed as he pat Kid on the back. He sighed a content little sigh as he lie back, closing his own eyes for a moment. "you're a real swell guy, you know that? You took over for your father, and you really took great care of this place. And I'm proud of you for that." Kid didn't answer. When he looked at Kid, he could see he had a bit of a sad look in his eyes. "Oh! Man, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up anything painful."

"No, it's fine," Kid said with a shake of his head. "I'll never stop missing him. And it will never not be painful. But life goes on. And it won't help to just never talk about it. Bottling it up will just make it feel worse."

"That's true. do you want to talk about it now?" Soul asked him.

"Mmm, not really. I just wanna cuddle."

"As you wish," Soul chuckled. He wrapped both arms around Kid, holding him close. "Such a good kid you are, you know that?" Kid only smiled in return, closing his eyes as he listened to his heartbeat. Soul couldn't tear his gaze away from the little boy that rested on his chest. He could feel his heart swell a bit with the pride and the joy he felt for him. "What a good kid. I love you to pieces. And don't you ever forget that."