A/N: A shorter chapter today. Still, lovely and dramatic. And a little cute and sad. So, thank you for all your reviews and please keep them coming.

"Ronald," William groaned, tangling his fingers deep into Ronald's soft hair. "Damn it, Ronald…" The little blonde glanced up at him, massaging his hip gently as he worked. Gripping his hair tighter, William pulled him a little closer, closing his eyes and resting his head against the back of his chair. "This is a dream, isn't it?"

Ronald hummed in confirmation, and William hissed as his mouth vibrated around him. Yes, it was a dream. Of course it was a dream. There was no way Ronald could be on his knees between his legs like this in the waking world. William didn't think he cared anymore. It was enough. His desires for the little blonde had haunted him all day at work. Why couldn't he indulge a little in his dreams? At least he knew that was what they were. He wasn't going to wake up expecting Ronald to be there for him.

His fist clenched in Ronald's hair and Ronald moaned deeply. That was enough to push William to his limits, hissing out his name. The blonde swallowed and licked his lips, sitting back on his heels, offering him a soft smile.

"A sweet dream, I hope," Ronald purred, tilting his head slightly. William took a moment to catch his breath before nodding slowly. A bright smile spread across his face and the blonde stood, taking his hand and kissing them gently. "Then come to bed, William, I'll make it even sweeter."

William was sure his cheeks were tinted pink as Ronald pulled him up gently, as they were certainly heating up, and guided him back to his bed. Ronald fell back onto the bed, gazing up at him with half-lidded eyes and a soft, easy smile.

"Well, Mr Spears?" he said, tilting his head back slightly. "Don't go shy on me now."

"Remember who you're talking to, Knox," William said, sitting on the bed and leaning over him. "Remember who you're here to please."

"Obviously, since this is your fantasy, you like it when I tease you," Ronald said.

He caught William's tie and tugged him down into a deep kiss. William quickly took control again, pushing him further back against the bed, tangling on hand into his hair and the other sliding down his side. As Ronald moaned, an idea popped into his head.

"I know what you're thinking," Ronald said, gripping his shoulders as William's lips travelled lower.

"Good," William murmured. "Then do it."

He moved back slightly and let Ronald up. He stood up from the bed and sighed, his hands going to his hips. "You're a perverted old man, Mr Spears."

"You are my fantasy, Ronald, do as you're told."

"So mean, Mr Spears," Ronald said quietly. "What'd I say? Dirty old me." He stamped his foot and in the blink of an eye his outfit changed into a maid's outfit, the skirt falling around his ankles, and not showing much skin, or very tight. William frowned. "Although, you keep a pretty tidy place, I doubt I could do much cleaning."

"That's not what I had in mind," William said, glaring at the outfit.

"Oh, I know what you had in mind." Ronald frowned and patted down his skirt. "I could clean up your dirty mind. Or… perhaps sort out a tormented conscience?"

"Not in the outfit."

"How do people not know what goes on in your mind?" Ronald said. William sat back against the bedhead and folded his arms. "Hey, can we focus? I'm here for a reason, you know?"

"I was under the impression you were here so I could get you into bed," William muttered.

"And why am I here in your dream instead of actually in your bed?" he said.

"To wear the outfit I want you to wear."

Shooting him a dirty look, Ronald sighed and slipped out of the long dress. William watched the dress hit the floor at his feet, before realising that Ronald was now in a much better version. The skirt was shorter and puffed out by petticoats and the practical flat shoes were replaced by elegant heels, showing off his stunning legs and black stockings. William smirked and Ronald cocked his hip slightly, pouting down at him.

"Better?"

"Much. Now, what were you saying about making my dreams even sweeter?"

Ronald sighed and leant over to tip his chin up with delicate fingers, gently pressing a gentle kiss to his lips. The open collar of the dress gave him the perfect view of his smooth, toned, slightly tanned chest. William smiled and raised his eyes to meet Ronald's, slowly reached to the back of his neck, guiding the blonde's lips back to his.

"Now, can we please focus?" Ronald said, stepping away slightly.

"Come back here, Ronald," William said quietly.

He caught Ronald's wrist and gently pulled him down into his lap, hugging him close as he moved his kisses slowly down his jaw, savouring every second. So what if it was just a dream? It was all he'd ever have. He would never be able to hold the blonde like this in the real world. Sliding his hand up under Ronald's skirt, William realised he was wearing nothing under there. He chuckled and nipped at Ronald's ear.

"Ronald," he growled softly.

"It's your mind doing this," Ronald said, glancing away.

"Or you're just that eager," William replied.

"William," he said quietly between kisses. "You know I'm not real. I'm just a figment of your mind. It's a dream."

"A figment of my mind would be more cooperative."

Ronald sighed and shook his head. "Fine."

He shifted slightly and William hissed as Ronald's hot, tight unprepared entrance took his length. The little blonde moaned and tossed his head, gripping his shoulders. He frowned and held Ronald's hips, keeping him steady. Didn't it hurt?

"Dream," Ronald said, gently caressing his cheek. "Remember? I can do whatever you want me to. I don't feel a thing unless you want me too."

"Then you'll enjoy it?" William said quietly against his lips.

"As much as a being that exists only in a dream can."

Ronald smiled and William was about to tell him off for trying to ruin the mood but his voice caught in his throat as Ronald began to move. The blonde's soft moans were all William could focus on for a while before his gaze found Ronald's and he slowly reached up into his hair. His eyes, so big and beautiful, and glazed with lust and something else… something softer. Something that made his heart wrench, knowing Ronald would never look at him like that outside his dreams.

"William," he moaned. "Don't look so sad."

"I'm sorry."

He pulled Ronald down as his movements sped up, losing himself in a heated kiss, holding him close as he came, closing his eyes and trying to forget this was all just a dream. Ronald was lying against his shoulder, panting softly and gently kissing his neck as William stroked his hair.

"It's time to wake up, William," he whispered.

"I don't want to," William replied, kissing his cheek. "I'm perfectly happy here, with you."

"No," Ronald said firmly, lifting his head to gaze into his eyes. "You have to wake up. You have to face it." William shook his head slightly and Ronald smiled. "I'm sorry I let you down."

"You haven't let me down. I should tell you. I should let you know how much you mean to me. I shouldn't be so mean to you, how are you supposed to know I care if I just ignore you and treat you like everyone else?"

"William, you know that's not what I meant. You have to wake up."

"I'll be there for you next time. I'll protect you."

"William, this is just a dream." William shook his head again. "William. Wake up."

A sharp ringing filled William's ears and his eyes cracked open. His alarm going off for work. Rolling over slowly he turned it off and fumbled around for his glasses. Instead of finding his, his fingers found the thick rims of Ronald's glasses and his stomach churned as he rolled back over. He didn't want to face another day of work knowing Ronald wouldn't be there to ease the stress.

"William," Eric called over a banging on the door. "You awake in there?"

He sighed and sat up, finding his own glasses this time. Getting up, he slid them on and quickly got dressed as Eric continued to bang on the door. "Alright, I'm up."

Picking up his stuff, William opened the door. Eric and Alan were there. They looked worried. William really wished everyone would stop looking worried. It had been three days since Ronald's death. He had those haunting, vivid dreams every night, and every day he almost expected Ronald to appear at a reap, just to prove him wrong. To prove he was still alive.

But the day went slowly and there was no sign of Ronald. Of course there wasn't any sign of him. Grell was chattering on at his side the entire time and it didn't really help. During the day, he found himself at a graveyard. Grell was hanging around a little way off as he wandered through. He didn't know why, but he was drawn in a direction. There was a woman at the gravestone he was drawn to, dressed in black, crying over the stone. Noticing him, she glanced up and wiped her tears away.

"I-I'm sorry," she whispered hoarsely. "Did I disturb you?"

"No," he said. "It's quite alright."

"My son," she said quietly, running her hand over the head stone. "It would have been his birthday. He would have been twenty-eight. My dear, sweet Ronald. He was only a child when he died."

"Ronald…" He frowned and looked over the gravestone. Ronald Knox. That was why he was drawn here? "I knew your son, Mrs Knox." Her head jerked up at him and he adjusted his glasses. "He wouldn't want you to cry."

"I don't remember you, Mr…"

"William T. Spears," he said, adjusting his glasses again. "I was… close to him."

"I'm glad he had someone so close to him," Mrs Knox said, getting up and lowering her head. "Perhaps if he'd been closer to more people perhaps he would have been protected that night. Perhaps he would still be here. I'm afraid I need to go. It was very nice to meet you, William."

She hurried off and William gazed down at Ronald's grave stone. He was so young. He looked like he was around twenty, if he was so young it would have been around a decade since he was born as a demon. Seeing his grave just made his heart ache for the demon more.

"Will," Grell called. He turned slightly. "We need to go for our next reap."

William nodded and followed Grell down the path once more to their next reap. Seeing Ronald's grave and his mother just made him miss him more. It made him seem less demonic and more human. Like it was ok to miss him.

In the office, he sat silently trying to focus on his work but couldn't help overhearing some of the young, rowdy reapers laughing about dead demons. Had they laughed at Ronald? As he was killed, had they laughed? A sweet, young demon who was just trying to get through, who did his best not to hurt reapers, who would rather put his own life on the line to protect a reaper than help his own kind hurt someone. Had they laughed as he died? He didn't deserve death and he certainly didn't deserve to be humiliated and laughed at.

What was wrong with them?

"Will!" Grell cried.

His head snapped up and he realised the entire contents of his desk was all over the floor and he was shaking violently. What had he…? Grell threw his arms around him and William didn't move. Eric and Alan were staring at him from the doorway. He wanted to find Ronald and just hold him until the pain went away but he couldn't. Those disgusting, cruel, bloodthirsty reapers had slaughtered him and not blinked an eye. But then… he was no better was he? How many demons had he killed indiscriminately? How many demons had he murdered just like they had? Wanting to save one demon because he'd been involved with him didn't make him better than them. He had no idea who cared for the demons he killed. Perhaps there were other reapers suffering like he was because he'd killed demons they cared for.

"Will," Grell whispered, stroking his cheek. "It's ok. It's ok."

"It's ok to be hurting, William," Eric said gently. "Take some time off. Figure things out."

"No," William said, shaking his head and shoving Grell off. "No, I should keep working."

"Mr Spears." They turned to one of the elder with a few big, burly reapers. They strode over and caught William's wrists, pulling them firmly behind him, chaining them in place. The elder, a tall, elegant grey haired woman, turned and strode away. "I'm afraid, Mr Spears, I have some bad news for you."

"What's going on?" Eric snapped as William was pulled out. "Where are you taking him?"

"During a raid on demon territory a few days ago we were able to capture several demons willing to cooperate whose crimes do not outweigh their usefulness," she replied as William was pulled along behind him. The others were just a few steps behind. "Many of them were discovered to have committed further crimes and out of the ones left only one was willing to cooperate fully at a price we were willing to pay."

They stopped the holding cells and realised what was going on. There was one demon remaining. A demon who had asked for his life in return for his cooperation. Why didn't he feel afraid? He should have been afraid for his life but he wasn't.

"One reaper in return for the chance to save so many?" William whispered. "You'd be foolish to refuse, wouldn't you?"

"Exactly, Mr Spears," she said quietly. "I'm afraid he asked for you specifically. He said you killed someone he cared dearly for. It's a shame to lose such a valued reaper, but it is out only choice. Having a demon cooperating might just help us make things safe again."

William nodded. "I know. It's the right decision."

"No it's not," Eric snapped. "William, you can't let them do this. Not because of-"

"It's alright, Eric," he said quietly. "It is the right decision. It's the right thing to do and if it can save other reapers, then isn't that a good thing?"

"It is," the elder said, stepping over to a door just down the hall. William was pulled over and a pair of bright, glowing eyes was all that could be seen in the darkness inside. William's stomach churned. Now there was fear. "You're being incredibly brave, Mr Spears."

"It's for the best." He glanced over at Eric who tilted his head and sighed. There wasn't anything he could do anyway. If he refused, they'd simply force him to do it anyway. "Please, you three, go finish your work." They opened their mouths to argue but William glared over. "Go!"

They were herded out and William returned his gaze to the cell. He didn't want them here to see this. Not that he was going to break down and beg for his life, he wasn't going to lose his dignity over this but every second that past the churning in his stomach grew. His glasses were taken from his nose and a blindfold tied over his eyes. Just like the demons they killed. The demons they captured were chained up. It depended on the reaper but William always blindfolded them, Eric said Ronald had been blindfolded with his own tie. Rather telling considering the supervisor who killed him was known for looking into the eyes of the demons he killed.

"Would you like to be awake when it happens?" the elder asked quietly. William shook his head. He wanted to just go to sleep and let the demon do his work. "Alright."

There was a prick on his arm and he wasn't sure how long it was before his body grew weak and his legs gave out beneath him. The two larger reapers held him up and he heard a door swing open. He fell to the concrete floor and the world fell silent except for quiet footsteps moving towards him. Then there was nothing.

Absolute stillness and silence. And darkness.

Was this what death was like for a reaper? Just… nothing?

A soft hand caressed his cheek and slid down to his chin, tipping his head back. Ronald smiled and tilted his head, offering William his hands. Taking his hands slowly, William got to his feet, staggering for a moment before collapsing back. Only instead of the ground, he fell into a soft armchair. Ronald sat back in his own chair, leaning against his fist, watching him curiously.

"Ronald?"

"William."

"Am I dead?" William said slowly.

"Not quite," Ronald replied. "Do you want to be dead?"

"I don't know…" He'd done everything he wanted to do. "Are you dead? Are you Ronald's soul?"

"You want me to be," he said, tilting his head. "If I was, would you want to be dead? Would you want to stay with me?"

"What's it like to be dead? Could I stay with you or would it be different?" Ronald sighed and a mirror appeared in his hands for William. He frowned and gazed down at himself. His eyes were hazel. "What happened?"

"When reapers die, their memories are removed and their human memories are returned," Ronald explained. "You're sent to new world, much like the human world filled with only dead reapers. Or you can stay here in limbo, with me."

"I don't want to get my human memories back if means forgetting you," William said, shaking his head. "Ronald, I- you- no one has ever made me feel like you do. Ronald, I-"

"Shh," he said quietly. "It's ok, take your time. There's no hurry."

"But, my soul's going to be eaten by a demon," he argued. "I'll be dead soon. What happens then? And you never did say if you were really Ronald, or just something to make me feel better."

"If I was just something to make you feel better, wouldn't it ruin it if I told you I was?"

As the elder came out the holding rooms with the guards, Eric, Alan and Grell ran down, pressing against the door to the demon's cell. Inside, in the darkness, they could just about make out the demon sitting on the bed in the corner, the hellish glow of his eyes the only light, letting them see his shape, and the shape of William's lifeless body on the bed with him, his head in the demon's lap.

"That… thing!" Grell screamed, beating on the door. The demon's gaze lifted from William and up to the window. "It's killed him! How could they let it kill him? Will!" Alan grabbed Eric's hand and Eric squeezed back. William couldn't have done anything anyway. They would have forced him in there even if he'd fought. "It's like some tragic love story. He didn't want to fight without Ronald."

"No," Alan whispered. "He wouldn't-"

Inside William stirred and Grell gasped, banging his fists harder. "He's alive. Will! Will, wake up and fight this!"

The demon's gaze lowered to William, the glow from his eyes fading and in the last moment, Eric could have saw them return to a beautiful bright blue. A very familiar bright blue. His stomach churned and he clenched his fists as a lump formed in his throat. He caught Grell's arms and gently pulled him away.

"What are you-"

"He's alive," Eric whispered.

"I know, and we have to get him out of there before that demon does who knows what to him!" Grell cried.

"Eric?" Alan said.

"No," he said gently. "No, orders are orders. He wouldn't want you to sit here screaming like this. Come on. It's best to just leave him. He wouldn't want us here to see this."

He pulled them both away from the door and glanced back to the pair with a small smile. A tragic love story? Whether William and the others knew it or not, William was exactly where he was supposed to be.