They rested up for a couple more days before returning to the mortal realm to resume their collections. William wasn't quite certain that Ronald was up for it yet, but the blond insisted that he could manage. Grell and Alexander were called away to Treblinka; one of the killing centers in Poland. That left only William and Ronald as representatives of the London branch in Warsaw Ghetto, and the body count kept rising.

"January 20th, 1943," wrote William into his report journal, "On this day, my partner and I have thus far collected over twenty reaps in Warsaw alone. Other reapers from various branches are also in the area, but language barriers often prevent any meaningful communication between our units. Knox and I have moved further out from the center of the city, battling our way through lesser demons that have come to feast on souls like the carrion they are. We have ten more reaps to do in this area to fulfill our quota for the day."

He stopped at the body of a young girl—one of the victims of this conflict. She bore a number tattoo on her arm and her head was shaved. He knelt down beside her, considering reaping her before any of the hellspawn in the area could get to her. Unfortunately, he and Ronald were not assigned to the Polish and Jewish casualties. They were meant to collect the reels of the fallen Germans.

He sensed his companion come up behind him and he twisted a bit, looking up at him as Ronald's shadow fell over him. "Have you seen any other agents in the immediate area?" he questioned, reluctant to simply leave her there undefended until her assigned reaper came for her.

Ronald shook his head, "Not really. There were two but they suddenly ran off after they spotted a reaper distress signal further out. I assume they responded to that and ran to help the team that sent it. I collected two more off our list." he continued, holding up a clipboard and making sure he'd marked down the correct information, "We have eight more."

William sighed and rubbed his forehead, removing his hat to comb his bangs back into place. "I see. Well, there's little to be done for it. We must move on, it seems."

He spared one last look at the pitiable body of the child and he began to lead the way to their next target. He found a lesser demon already crouched over it when they arrived to gather the soldier's records, and he quickly shot his scythe out to pin it against a building before it could finish its meal.

"I shall dispatch this one," said the supervisor, his jaw tight with anger. "Please gather whatever records the creature has not already consumed, Knox."

Ron nodded and ran forward, raising his scythe as Will's pushed the demon off the target. He then brought it down in the man's chest and released the records, collecting them as quickly as he could—safely. Luckily, they had arrived just in time and very little had been lost.

"Didn't loose much on this one!" he called back over his shoulder at William.

William snipped the demon's head off, spilling its records instantly. Were it a greater demon, the attack would have only temporarily stopped it at worse or banished it back to Hell at best. Being a weaker sub-species, however, the demon fell twitching, killed by the attack.

"Well done, Knox." William retracted his scythe and nudged his glasses up further on his nose. "Now we can—"

There was a sudden explosion from a block away, making the ground tremble. An orange glow lit up the sky and William frowned, peering in the direction of the disturbance. He took out the death list to check it and he sighed. He was about to say that they could collect the souls of the Nazi officers that had been executed by the resistance after they took over the ghetto, but it seemed the Nazi's had begun an attempt to take the area back. There were more explosions and screams, and people started coming out of hiding to flee as Nazi police and military forces started razing buildings.

The resistance was clearly fighting back, since William's list gained two more names on it. More Jews and Polacks were likely appearing on other death lists than Nazi soldiers, though. "It seems we have more work to do than previously scheduled," he observed, closing the book. "Come, we will continue as planned and return to collect the new targets afterwards. Older deaths take priority at this time."

"And not get blown up…I like the idea of not getting blown up!" Ronald hated when the explosions started happening. Bullet wounds took a day, maybe two to heal up. But damage from a bomb could take months. And he hated being stuck in the hospital. He wanted to avoid it at all costs, especially after he'd been sent there once by a demon.

"Indeed." William started off, sticking close to the walls of the buildings and making sure he was still actively cloaked from mortal view. Maintaining such a cloak required some concentration and expended energy, but it was necessary to move freely amongst them without getting actively caught up in their conflict. He dodged a panicked, wide-eyed resident and pulled Ronald aside so that he wouldn't bump into him either.

They were currently moving away from the struggle, so William presumed they would be relatively safe from gunfire and bombs until they had to back-track to gather the newest targets. "Here," he said, turning a corner. He stared up at the lifeless, hanging bodies of SS Soldiers and Jewish policemen alike. He hadn't quite expected to find that the rebels had executed their own, but he supposed they considered them traitors—no better than the Nazi's.

~The depths that humans will sink to. So uncivilized. They are little better than demons.~

Withdrawing a handkerchief to fit over his mouth and nose, William gestured at the scaffold. "I will begin on the left, if you will begin on the right," he suggested.

Ronald nodded and ducked across to the right side, twirling his scythe in his hand as he readied to reap the first target he came to. "Watch your step, it's a little slippery over here." He informed his partner as his foot slid slightly in a puddle of blood. Luckily, he didn't loose balance or fall and he was able to start collecting the records quickly.

Despite the handkerchief he wore to filter out the stench, William nearly gagged as he began harvesting his first mark. He waved a carrion bird away that had been pecking out the corpse's eyes and he feared for a moment he might retch. Faster…he had to work faster. The smell, the putrid flesh…and above all, the reason behind it were all making him nauseous and light-headed.

He allowed himself to get in too much of a hurry and one of the reels went out of control, wrapping around his forearm. William cursed and quickly corrected the situation, bringing it back under control and drawing it into his scythe. Not before Ronald noticed, though. He saw the worried look he got from his companion and he forced his expression into a blank, neutral mask. He was seething inside at his slip-up even as he moved on to the next target.

~A good reaper must never allow the desire for haste to make him careless,~ he reminded himself. ~They are only collections…pitiful shells of creatures beneath us. We are the mediators, not their judges.~

It was so easy to tell himself that, though. It was much more difficult to continue believing it. William prided himself on being cold and unmoved by the plight of mortals, but the more time he spent here, the more difficult it was for him to maintain that sort of detachment.

Ronald was unable to shake the worry that hit him when he caught sight of his boss making such a rookie mistake as rushing and loosing control of the records. It was clear to him that William was embarrassed enough over it so he said nothing—but that didn't stop him from casting his gaze over periodically to check on William when he could afford to take his attention away from the records he was collecting himself.

Working his way over towards William, the smell became overbearing and he paused, pulling out a handkerchief and tying it around his mouth and nose so that he could have both hands free for the job at hand. It made him wonder how long these souls had been sitting there, and it was amazing that they hadn't been stolen away by a demon or escaped as ghosts.

William finished and he hopped down from the scaffold, a bit pale but otherwise calm. "Well then, that's finished," he said as he removed his handkerchief and put it back into his pocket. In hindsight, he supposed he could have simply stopped breathing until the task was complete. He made a mental note to keep that in mind for the future, and he felt another flash of annoyance with himself for not having thought of it.

He pulled out the death list and he retrieved the mapping device from his pocket. Glancing up at the smoke billowing skyward from are where the wall separated the ghetto from the rest of the city, he gave a curt nod. "And now the more difficult task begins. We shall have to pass through combat zones and destruction to reach the other targets, Knox. Are you ready?"

"Sorry…one thing." Unable to help himself, Ronald took William's hand and tugged his sleeve up to check his arm for marks. It had only looked like the records had only wrapped around him, but Ronald wanted to make sure they hadn't entered William. Seeing no marks, Ronald nodded and let William go without further word on the issue. "Okay, now I'm ready."

William very nearly asked what that was all about, but he already knew the answer. Adjusting his glasses in his customary, compulsory way, he nodded and started off. The chaos in the streets was disturbing to behold. The sour smell of mortal fear and desperation offended his nostrils. He stopped breathing, not wanting to smell it anymore. He ducked down an alleyway to avoid some of the combat in the streets as they neared their next targets. The SS troops and Nazi police were pushing back, trying to re-establish a foothold and hunt down all of the insurgents.

A man was shot down right before their eyes just as he and Ronald turned down the alley, and William grimaced as a glob of brain matter struck his cheek. He took a breath and he wiped it away hastily, leaving a smear of gray, pink and red in its wake. "H-honestly," he muttered—because it was the only thing he could think of to say. He swallowed when he saw bloody pieces of hair clinging to his glove from where he'd wiped off the mess, and he compressed his lips and quickened his pace.

"Senpai!" Ronald grabbed William's uniform jacket and yanked him out of the way as a shower of bullets flew by. "Get your head in gear! Pay attention! You keep making mistakes!"

He sighed after the scolding. "If you can't handle this right now we can go. We'll just take on the extra paperwork, okay? But you gotta tell me. I'm your partner."

"I'm fine," insisted William stiffly, determined to see this day's work finished. He hadn't risen to the top by slacking off on the job. He nodded toward another alley. "This way. I believe we can avoid the majority of this if we—"

And then the sound of fighting broke out in the alley. Of course, the rebels wouldn't be stupid enough to remain out in the open. Gunfire rattled and another explosion occurred…right down the alleyway that William had just been about to traverse.

"On second thought," muttered the raven-haired reaper. He looked upwards. Staying on the ground right now was probably not the best plan. "Perhaps we should take to the rooftops."

There were likely to be snipers there, but the majority of the violence was taking place on the ground. The one concern about hopping roofs in this situation was the lack of cover.

Ronald paused, studying William. "Are you sure?" He repeated. He didn't care which route they took. Both had risks, but he did care if William was breaking down.

"If you have a better suggestion for a path to take, Mister Knox, do share." William retrieved his handkerchief and he wiped absently at the remaining mess on his face. "Either way, we have a task to complete. I'll not risk losing these last targets to demons or soul decay."

"I don't know this area just as well as you. I'll follow you whichever way you want to go—as long as you are up to this. No more silly mistakes, okay? That's my job."

William inwardly cursed again. So he hadn't imagined it; Ronald had noticed his error. He needed to pull it together. It was his own idea to come here personally after all, and what sort of leader was he if he couldn't even reap a target without making a mistake?

"It is indeed your job," answered William with a smirk. "I'll leave the carelessness to you from now on. Let's go."

"Good." Ronald nodded and turned. "Which way, boss? Over, or through?"

"We'll try over," decided William, "and should that prove to be more troublesome than traversing the ground, we can drop back to the streets. Just watch for gunfire and grenades. It seems the Nazi's have decided to try burning their opposition out."

"No need to remind me. I for one, have no desire to find myself back in that stinky old hospital." Ronald nodded, crouching down and springing up to get himself to the rooftop.

William followed, and together they began running and leaping over rooftops with tireless, inhuman dexterity. William pinpointed their next target down beneath them and to the left, and he dropped down quickly to begin the collection. He trusted Ronald to keep an eye out while he did his task—and he would do the same in turn for the next one. This way they would each have a slight breather between reaping and still maintain a good momentum. Human souls didn't easily let go, and it did expend energy to draw the records for collection.

The pair collected records, checking off the names on their lists one by one until they were down to their last soul. It was Ronald's turn and he quickly hopped down from the roof, taking aim and twirling his scythe in his fingers before bringing it down into the target's chest to release the records, while William kept watch up above for any threats.

The victim's soul opened up and his records burst forth as normal, and Ronald straitened up to begin collecting. He frowned.

Normally, a reaper started the collecting after releasing them by cutting them and drawing them into their scythes from the point of the cut. It took time even for those who could handle making multiple cuts, but it wasn't working for Ronald. He slashed his scythe through the released records, only to find that his scythe passed through them as if they were little more than smoke. Trying again, he found the same thing happened. Again and again he tried, until he was swinging his scythe back and forth like a child picking up a cricket bat for the first time.

Giving up on the fruitless attempt, Ronald looked closer at the records simply extending up towards the sky. Not fighting back, not being collected, simply swaying like dangling ribbons.

Closer inspection, however, showed that they were not normal.

Had a demon gotten there first, they would be gone, nothing to collect, nothing to show. Nothing would have happened when Ronald brought his scythe down. Had an Angel gotten there to purify the soul, they would show signs of being burnt, missing parts of the records, and glowing a pure white. An escaped soul would show signs of forced release, and Ronald had even seen modified souls once…ones that continued after the end. But these were…blank.

"Hey, Senpai! You…might want to come look at this!"

William dropped down and came to his side, and he frowned at the strange reels. "This is highly abnormal," he announced, stating the obvious. "This soul appears…empty. As if someone removed all of the life events from the records entirely. The only supernatural beings I can imagine with the power to do that would be Shinigami, but I've only known of a couple with the power to alter records extensively…and it was nothing like this."

"Undertaker and his 'Bizarre Dolls'?" Ronald nodded, "But those were still collectible. These…I can't. Look." he swung his scythe blade through the records with the same result as he had before. "It's like my scythe is broken, but I used it just ten minuets ago!"

William gave it a try with his own scythe, just to confirm it was a problem with the reels and not his partner's scythe. He met with the same results as Ronald and he compressed his lips, shaking his head. "There is nothing we can do with this, save report in about it. I would say that we could attempt to transport the body to the other side as evidence, but we haven't a clue what might happen if those records pass through a portal. They could become hostile and pose a danger. Best to leave it and report our findings."

Ronald nodded and stretched his back with a sigh, "So, we should head back, then? Submit our reports and collections before taking a nice relaxing rest?"

"Yes, I think that would be wise." William looked around as the sounds of fighting and explosives got closer. "Come. We should head to our exit portal immediately. I would rather avoid getting caught in the middle of more firefights."

He still had bits of that one poor bastard's skull and brain matter clinging to his uniform, and he wanted to get out of the outfit post-haste.

"I saw that there is a sauna in the hotel we are staying in. We could go in there to relax, work up a comfortable sweat." Ron suggested as they turned to find their way to their portal.

William very nearly reminded him that this was not a vacation, but the boy already knew that. It was typical of Knox to try and find relaxation and fun whenever possible, after all. Truthfully after the day they'd had, he wouldn't mind a bit of indulgence himself. But first he wanted a long, hot shower.

"I'm not entirely opposed to that idea," he admitted, "but first…a shower."

He couldn't avoid a grimace as he glanced down at the mess on his uniform. At least he'd gotten most of it off of his face. He pulled out the location device and activated it as they walked, studying the grid whilst keeping an eye out for danger. He very nearly tripped on a body and he hastily caught his balance, glancing down at it with annoyance.

"Our exit portal is just outside the city perimeter," he announced. "At least this course won't lead us back into the thick of the conflict."

"Good, the faster we get back to the safety of our own realm, the faster we can relax and forget this stupid war for a few hours."

They made it to the portal and went through together. William frowned and put a hand to his head, suffering a moment of dizziness from traversing the realms. That certainly wasn't normal. A symptom of his stress, perhaps. With a sigh, he nodded at his companion and started up the steps to the foreign library.

It took them only ten minutes to turn in their daily collections, however the paperwork took a little longer than normal between having to translate it into German and the extra report about the blank records, which they had to send up to the German board for review.

Finally they got back to their hotel and Ronald lead the way into the hotel room. "You shower first. You still have brains on you." he offered, stripping out of his uniform.

William grimaced down at himself, and he made a disgusted sound. "Thank you. I don't envy the cleaners; the job they face."

He went into the bathroom and immediately stripped out of the soiled clothes, before turning on the shower full blast. He took his time with it, scrubbing his body for much longer than necessary.

He could wash away the blood and dirt, but he could not wash away the experience.

While William washed up, Ronald called down for two extra towels for he and William to use in the sauna; he also ordered them some dinner while he was at it. He planned to eat his while William showered and that gave William something productive to do while Ronald washed off the grime of working a war setting covered him in.

Room service arrived quickly and Ronald thanked them and tipped the young German who brought up his order before setting down to eat as he waited for William to be ready to come out. He didn't blame Will for taking his time after what he'd gotten splattered with.

William felt like he could just stay in there, letting the water beat down on his shoulders and the back of his bowed head. Eyes tightly shut, he couldn't seem to banish the memory of the things he'd seen from his mind's eye.

He opened his eyes and stared down at his feet, watching the water swirl around and down the drain. This was not him. He hadn't suffered a vulnerable moment since the day he'd endured the humiliation of being rescued by Sutcliff.

Opening his eyes again, William compressed his lips and decided he was better than this. Besides, it would be rude of him to use up all the hot water. He turned the shower off and stepped out with a sigh, grabbing his towel to dry off.

After finishing that, he combed his damp hair and donned his bathrobe. He looked at his soiled uniform in distaste; loathe to touch it again after getting clean. It wouldn't do to leave it in there for Knox to have to look at it, though.

Sighing, William used his death scythe to pick it up, and he backed out of the bathroom with it clutched gingerly between the blades on the end. His expression resembled that of a man handling a putrid carcass.

"Wow, great timing. I just finished eating," Ron said, getting up. "I ordered dinner for us. You can eat it while I get cleaned up and then we can go relax without further delay." He spoke as cheerfully as he could, slipping passed William and into the steamy bathroom. "Oh, and I had them bring us up fresh towels to use in the sauna so that we don't have to use our bathing towels."

With that said, the blond shut the door and the sound of the water turning back on could be heard.

Silently grateful for Knox's thoughtfulness, William went to the little table to eat. He stared out the window as he dined, hardly tasting the food. He listened to the sound of running water in the bathroom and he hoped he'd left enough hot water for his companion. Thoughts of that led to other thoughts he ought not be entertaining…thoughts of Ronald's nude body, with water rivulets spilling over it…

William compressed his lips with annoyance and gave himself a mental nudge. ~Oh, honestly…can I not keep my thoughts more appropriate?~

But at least imagining Ronald in the shower seemed to chase away the lingering mental images of the things he'd witnessed thus far in this war. He had to say, it was a far more pleasant picture to keep in his head.

Ronald showered quickly, simply washing off the dirt and grime as relaxing would come shortly. It took him only seven minuets to finish and get out. He toweled himself off and stretched, cracking his back. He then got himself ready for the sauna, wrapping his new towel around his waist and putting the hotel bath robe on over it for modesty on his way down to the sauna.

"Okay, if you are finished eating and have gotten into your towel and robe, we can head on down." Ron said, slipping out of the steamy bathroom and moving to find a cleaner pair of his shoes.

William glanced down at his half-finished meal, not particularly hungry enough to finish it. "This will do." He got up to retrieve the fresh towel, and he went into the bathroom to put it on before tying his robe shut again and putting on his slippers.

"I'm ready. Lead the way, Knox."

A few moments later, they were entering the sauna. William found to his dismay that his glasses immediately fogged up upon entering the steaming room. He tried wiping them off with his robe sleeve, but they just fogged up again. With a sigh, he felt his way over to a bench and he inadvertently groped Ronald's bum in the process.

"Whoa there!" Ronald gasped, stiffening as he hung his robe on a peg and slipped his glasses into it's pocket, "An invitation to the Sauna isn't an invitation to get so familiar." he teased, turning around, "Benches are over there."

He shut the door to the sauna and took a deep breath. The air was warm and damp, water sizzling on hot stones to create steam. The small room smelled sweetly of fresh cedar, the damp air strengthening the scent of the polished wood making up the floor, walls, ceiling, and benches lining the walls in different levels.

The sauna was also empty, giving the two reapers privacy for the time-being. Ronald took a pale of water and splashed some on the heated stones in the corner before he moved over to the benches and lay down across a mid-level bench, stretching out with only his towel for modesty.

"Come on." he smiled at William's blurry figure, "I think you'll really enjoy this. It's relaxing, and it has health and therapeutic benefits. No alcohol or noise."

William followed him to the bench and gingerly sat down upon it. He'd been to a sauna before once, but it was full of other men and the smell of sweat eventually drove him out. Ronald, however, didn't seem to stink much when he perspired—or perhaps that was just his own subconscious mind affecting the way he perceived body odors from him.

While Ronald certainly seemed relaxed as he lay down and sighed, William sat on the edge of his seat, hands clasped over his knees. He wished he had something to read or some paperwork—and then he realized what a ridiculous notion that was.

~Yes, very good…do paperwork or read a book inside a steam room. Brilliant idea, Spears. Why not attempt origami swans while you're at it?~

He was embarrassed over apparently grabbing Ronald somewhere inappropriate by accident, and he was trying to clear his mind of the incident.

Ronald glanced up at Will and sighed, "I'm not even wearing my glasses and I can tell you are tense. Come on, we are off the clock and have no more work until tomorrow. Enjoy it." He sat up and moved behind Will, grabbing his shoulders and pulling him back slightly as he began to rub his shoulders, "It'll help. Promise."

Will flailed a little and sputtered, but he made himself relax and tried not to fight his companion's efforts. "It really isn't necessary," he said…but he heard the lack of conviction in his own voice as Ronald's hands began to rub and knead his shoulders. His eyes closed and a groan surfaced in his throat. It felt…heavenly. Nobody had ever offered to do this for him unless he paid them for it.

"I know." Ronald shrugged, "But I also know it's nice to be spoiled sometimes. And you work harder than anyone I know. I may not be very good at this kind a' thing, but it's better than leaving my partner all tense and stressed. I know you think I slack off a lot, but doing things like this, relaxing and getting away from the stress of work, it helps more than it harms."

William bowed his head, enjoying the treatment all too much. Ronald had very attentive, talented hands. He seemed to find tension knots that William wasn't even aware he had, and every moment he worked on him relaxed him more.

"If you ever decide to take a side hobby," murmured the brunet, "I would like to suggest you consider masseuse as an option."

"I'm not that good at it." Ronald said, moving further down Will's back and finding more knots, "Sweet Rhea, your back is like a gnarly old tree—do you ever relax?"

"Hmph…I've forgotten the meaning of the word," admitted William dryly, "though I feel I'm beginning to for the first time in a while, thanks to you."

It wasn't at all like him to express such gratitude, but he felt Ronald honestly deserved at least that much. The chipper young agent was like an anchor for him lately, keeping him from slipping and reminding him of who and what he was.

"Maybe I'll have to do this for you after we get back to London, too, then." Ron suggested, "Can't have you this tense all the time…"

Catching himself leaning forward, his lips tempted to press a kiss to the man's exposed shoulders, Ronald pulled himself back and quietly reminding himself not to get ahead of himself or start thinking there was more between them than there was.

"If you want to lay down, I can reach more of your back more easily," he suggested.

"Mmm," murmured William, too appreciative of the treatment to argue with that. It did hurt a bit when the blond rubbed the particularly tense spots, but it was a good pain. He could feel the knots slowly loosening and he complied with his companion's suggestion readily, scooting over a bit before lying down on his stomach.

"Thank you, Knox," he sighed, again displaying uncommon gratitude. He hardly recognized his own voice, in fact. Was that what he sounded like, whenever he wasn't stiffly adhering to his detached stoicism? He supposed he must have spoken like that long ago, when he was still a youth in the academy. That was before he gathered the strength of will and determination to banish his personal feelings for the sake of the job…before his first reaping assignment with Grell.

"Now you're getting it." Ronald smiled warmly as he adjusted to kneel more comfortably next to William, his fingers and palms eased the knots out of his back and running along his strong back and shoulders. "This is nice, right?"

All William could do in response was groan with pleasure. He honestly hadn't realized how tense he was, until the blond began to work his magic on him. One arm flopped limply over the side of the bench, the fingers dragging the floor, while the other pillowed his cheek. He wasn't even that bothered by the fog covering the lenses of his glasses anymore. Against conscious thought, he began to imagine his companion's talented hands on other parts of his body and he just went with it, pretending for the sake of the fantasy that he was not Ronald's boss, they weren't caught up in the middle of the war and it wouldn't be entirely inappropriate for him to yank Ron's towel off and have his way with him.

It was a very pleasant fantasy, and William's lips curved into a quiet little smile as he allowed his mind to play it out. Unfortunately, said fantasy was causing a condition beneath his towel that was going to be very obvious once he sat up. He couldn't even care about that right now, though. There was only the hiss of steam, the feel of Ronald's hands on his body and his own depraved thoughts.

Ronald eased Will's back, shoulders, and neck until he stopped finding new knots and William seemed completely relaxed. With a smile, he lay back on his back again and looked up at the ceiling, "Thanks for putting up with me on this." he muttered, closing his eyes.

"Mmm?" Missing the contact but not one to whine about it, William opened one eye and turned his head. "Putting up with you on what? Coming to the sauna?" His thoughts were still on his fantasies and he flushed a bit with the realization that he was going to have to be stuck in that position for a while, until his arousal ebbed.

"That, and me working so hard at making you relax and just forget about work. I know you hate it when Grell-senpai tries to do so, but you really seemed to need this."

William snorted softly and answered in a dry voice. "Sutcliff's idea of relaxing me is to try and give me uninvited lap-dances. I find your methods far more tolerable."

Though at the moment, he doubted he would object to Ronald giving him a lap dance.

~Just stop it. Heavens, you are behaving as a letch.~

He kept his thoughts and his condition carefully concealed from his companion, maintaining a neutral tone of voice so that he wouldn't give away his little…what? Crush? Infatuation? Honestly, he didn't know what name to give his issue. The only reaper that William had ever felt a crush for was the Undertaker—and that was partly hero worship for a legend that was long-gone. The mortician was not the reaper he used to be…not by far. William respected him for his past service, but every time he'd seen him since his retirement, he felt like he was gazing at a shadow of what the man used to be. It saddened him inside.

What he felt for Ronald wasn't the same. He could only call it lust, and most reapers would not blame him for that. The boy was charming and he attracted admirers with hardly any effort; just like his party buddy Slingby—who Ronald had apparently had intimate relations with on more than one occasion.

William could just imagine the nosebleeds it would cause if the ladies in Human Resources that fawned over the two of them found out about their little trysts. He huffed with amusement at the thought.

"What's so entertaining?" Ron asked, hearing the amused huff escape William. He was pretty sure the man hadn't meant to let out escape, but it had, and now he was curious.

William tempered his amusement and made up an excuse. "The steam made me cough."

~If ever there were a time to check yourself, Spears, now is it.~

He tried to block out the image of those secretaries slowly flooding the entire floor with their nosebleeds at the sight of Ron and Eric kissing, but he was tired and a bit giddy. Another huff escaped him…and a chuckle after that. The harder he tried to stifle it, the worse it became.

~G-good heavens, I don't even have alcohol to blame on this! I've got to pull myself together.~

Ronald scooted to the edge of the bench he was laying on, being a level above William, and hung his head down in front of his face, "That's definitely a laugh. Is the heat getting to you? We have been in here a while." He sighed and got up, not yet ready to leave, "You know what's refreshing that I like to do when in a sauna or a hot tub? Give my body a shock. It feels nice. The shower right outside gives off cold water. I like to douse myself in it and then come back in." he suggested.

A cold shower…yes. That might shock some sense back into him and get rid of the issue going on below his waist, as well. William carefully got off his stomach and turned on the bench. "I think I shall partake in that suggestion," he announced, carefully adjusting his towel to be sure nothing was peeking out. At least the tent wasn't quite as obvious as before.

"I won't be long." William got up and left, keeping his back to Ronald the entire time to lessen the chances of him noticing the state he was in.

"I'll do the same when you get back." Ron shrugged, getting up to go splash more water on the heated rocks. Watching as steam rolled up from them and filled the small room again.

William went to where Ronald indicated, and he hung his towel over the side of the door as he stepped into the stall. He put his glasses up on the little shelf above the sprayer and he took a moment to brace himself. He cursed as he turned the cold water on and it struck his skin, giving rise to goosebumps. It certainly did the job of shocking him out of his strange, half-hysterical mood…and his balls were trying to retreat back into his body. He bore it stoically, turning around and closing his eyes with distressed little gasps. He turned it back off after a moment and he sighed, grateful that both problems seemed to be corrected.

"Well, that takes care of that," he murmured in satisfaction, and he reached for his towel—only to find it gone.

William wiped water out of his eyes and blinked, fumbling for the glasses he'd put up. Thankfully, they were still there, and he replaced them over his eyes and cautiously opened the stall door a crack, suspecting that his towel had fallen and landed outside. It was nowhere to be seen.

"Oh, bloody hell," groaned William. Could nothing go right for him, lately?

He poked his head out and looked around for any sign of the thief—or anyone else nearby. Seeing nobody, he hastily stepped out of his chosen stall and into the next one, hoping he'd find a spare towel there.

Nothing.

German curses filled the air.

Ronald sighed, waiting for William to come back. The seconds ticked by and turned into minutes. It shouldn't take so long to shock his body with cold and then hurry back into the sauna refreshed. Maybe William got lost?

After another minute or two of waiting, Ronald got up to go look for William. He really shouldn't have gotten lost. The shower was literally just outside the sauna—unless he'd gone to the pool instead. But the man didn't have swimming trunks and he really didn't strike Ronald as the kind of man to skinny dip, especially in a public pool.

Opening the door to the sauna, Ronald was met by a rush of sweet cold air, and the sound of unknown words being shouted in German. Maybe William had run into some people who had a beef with him or something?

"Senpai?" Ronald walked around to the shower stalls and stopped dead in his tracks. His wide eyes glued to the blurry vision of William standing completely naked. His glasses were not on, but he didn't need them to see a lack of towel which granted the man his modesty. For once, the lively blond was rendered speechless.

Unaware of his audience in his personal distress, William stood outside the third and final stall with his hands on his hips in an aggravated pose, lips compressed tightly. Someone had seen fit to help themselves to his towel—whether as a prank or because they lacked one themselves and were under the mistaken impression that his was free for the taking.

"Did they not hear the shower running?" he groused. He almost suspected Knox of doing it just to have a laugh at his expense, but he couldn't imagine the blond doing such a thing at a time like this—not when he was clearly so concerned with his mental health. Knox was a mischievous fellow, true, but he knew when to pick his moments and this was just plain mean.

~Perhaps I can sneak back into the sauna and grab my robe before Knox notices my state of nudity,~ he reasoned. ~He naps like a professional, after all. He'll probably be in a doze when I return, and I can be covered before he even acknowledges I'm back.~

Head down, William began to hurry back around to the other side of the building, inwardly praying that nobody came along and saw him. Of course in this part of Shinigami Europe, they might not care even if someone did spot him. They were a bit more casual about nudity here than at home; but he couldn't toss away his conservative modesty, all the same.

He didn't see his young companion standing there until he was nearly on top of him. In fact, he saw Ronald's bare feet before he saw anything else, and William's face flushed as he lifted his head and met the other reaper's wide, staring eyes. Naked of spectacles, there was still no chance that Ron hadn't gotten a good eyeful at such close range.

William hastily cupped both hands over his groin and cleared his throat. "Someone saw fit to help themselves to my towel whilst I was showering," he offered in a rushed, flat explanation. He couldn't move, and he flushed deeper when the blond's gaze traveled over him and fixated on the part he was trying to conceal. His hands didn't quite cover it all.

"I…I…" Ronald was unable to stop staring—eyeing the handsome man up and down. Even without his glasses he could tell that William was well endowed and it wasn't helping his imagination. He'd been working so hard at keeping things between them, for the most part, professional. To not let his secret attraction to the man out of control. But now William was standing in front of him, leaving absolutely nothing to the imagination body-wise.

~Damn it all to Styx, Knox! Stop being so bloody rude and disrespectful, you love-sick idiot! Don't forget he's your boss!~ he scolded himself.

"I'll—go get you a fresh towel. Go get your robe for now and—I'll be right back!" he squeaked, turning away and hurrying towards the front desk in the lobby.

Wishing he had a bag to put over his head as well as one for his groin, William zipped into the sauna—possibly moving faster than he'd ever moved in his life. He pulled the robe on thankfully and he stepped out into the cool air. It was rather pointless for Ron to fetch a towel for him now; he was quite finished with the sauna for the night after such an embarrassing episode. He leaned back against the outer wall of the steam room, tilting his head back and shutting his eyes with a sigh.

"Were I a believer in fate, I would be certain it was having a joke at my expense, now."

Poor Knox was clearly traumatized by the sight of his boss standing there in the buff when he came around the corner, and William regretted not seeing him sooner. He'd have called out to him from inside one of the shower stalls, had he any idea he was nearby, and the awkward situation might have been avoided.

Ronald got the new towel quickly, but took his time getting back, pausing in the halls to shove his face in William's fresh towel. "Get it out of your head, Knox. Not like the man wanted to be naked for your enjoyment! Stop thinking about it. Just forget about it. The man is probably embarrassed like crazy!"

With a heavy sigh, Ronald continued on and walked back to the sauna, "Got it for you." he said, holding it up as he approached William, hiding his pinkened face with it.

William took it, and he honestly didn't know what to do with it. His face was in the shadows, concealing his own flush of mortification. "Thank you."

He met Ronald's eyes briefly and he found he couldn't look away. There was something there…he was sure of it. His lips parted as their eyes locked, and he couldn't tell whether Ronald's blush was due to embarrassment over catching him in the nude, or something else.

"I…apologize," William said softly. "I was trying to get back inside and into my robe without you noticing. It wasn't my intention to…reveal myself to you that way."

He'd practically run over the fellow. That was what he got for not paying attention to where he was going.

Ronald shook his head quickly, "I'm sorry for staring—uh, lets just…forget it happened." he suggested, rubbing the back of his neck and shifting his weight from one leg to the other.

"Gladly," sighed William…though he couldn't 'forget' about it, nor could he forget about the lust he thought he saw in Ronald's eyes. "I think I'm going to retire for the evening, actually. I could use a good rest."

Still clutching the towel that he no longer needed, William sought out his slippers—which were thankfully still by the sauna door—and he put them on. "Goodnight, Mr. Knox. I would advise you not to stay up too late. We have another long day ahead of us, tomorrow."

Ronald nodded, "I'll…try not to wake you when I get back up to the room."

He didn't really care for staying longer after everything, but he wanted the time alone to calm his mind, and he was sure William would also appreciate the privacy for an hour or so more.

-To be continued