The Guide to Everything
I'm so glad you guys liked the last chapter! I'm not sure how long Grell will have the William puppet for, so let's see how long it lasts.
Chapter 11: Puppet Care
William was still furious with himself. It had been days since he had thrown his puppet at Grell. Days since he had seen his little cloth self. There was no telling what Grell had done, or was planning to do, to the poor thing. Come to think of it, William wasn't sure he wanted it back.
He did have a few other puppets: his Ronald puppet was still in great shape, as was the Father puppet. No one had even seen his Eric Slingby or Alan Humphries puppets. His Undertaker puppet was still in his pocket. He also had several others locked in a drawer at home. The only other puppet he had with him was a puppet of himself. This one was ready for bed, in his striped pajamas and little night cap.
While cute, he was not dressed to teach Ronald and Grell anything.
Lost in thought, he did not realize Ronald was trying to get his attention until he felt the younger Shinigami pulling at his sleeve. He looked nervous.
"What is it, Ronald?"
Ronald glanced around and then leaned closer to whisper, "Grell has your puppet."
William could only sigh. "I know," he admitted. "What sorts of vile things is he doing to it?"
"He's got it pinned to his jacket, and he's claiming you gave it to him."
"I threw it at him. There's a difference!" Ronald winced as though he expected to be whacked over the head for telling William this awful news. "Where he is?" William demanded.
"Follow me."
Ronald led William to Grell, who had commandeered a bench and was playing with the puppet, humming a tune as he did. "What do you think you're doing, Grell Sutcliff?"
Grell looked up at the sound of William's voice. "Why, playing with the best present you've ever given me, of course!" William reached for it, but Grell managed to wiggle out of William's reach. "You gave it to me! You just can't take it back!"
"You're not even taking care of him properly!" William snapped back.
"Oh?" Grell asked. "And how did you take care of him? Because I did let him sleep on my pillow." Grell giggled at that.
"You don't pin him to your jacket, for one thing!" William snapped, ignoring that flirty tone that had found its way into Grell's voice. "That leaves pin holes in him!"
Ronald, completely ignored by the two of them, settled down on the other end of the bench to watch. He didn't realize how attached William seemed to be to his puppets. He did, however, expect Grell to win at this exchange, though he would not tell William that! He had to wonder, after the puppet had been in Grell's position, why William would even want it back.
"Don't tell me you have a little bed for them!" Grell was saying.
"I have nothing of the type!"
"And do you wash them each day?" Grell asked, smiling in a teasing sort of way.
"Of course I wash them each day. Do you wash yourself each day, Grell?"
Grell, almost as though he expected William to try to snatch the puppet away from him, suddenly tucked the puppet down his shirt. William's eyes widened in horror. "Is this appropriate puppet care?" he asked with a wink. "Want him back? You've got to come get him!"
Ronald looked quickly from Grell to William and back again as though he was at a sporting match. Grell, in his usual fashion, just took things a little too far. When William merely turned on his heel and stomped off, Ronald breathed a sigh of relief. He had fully expected to be forced to pick up Grell, piece by piece.
Grell giggled to himself as he removed the puppet from his shirt. "Guess he doesn't you that badly," he told the puppet. "Maybe I should make a Grell to go with you."
Ronald gulped loudly. If William was unhappy with Grell having the William puppet to begin with, he would be furious at Grell for making a Grell puppet to go with him!
