I had two very powerful ideas for this ending. The two endings split after the trial. I will be uploading the alternate ending as a seperate chapter sometime today, I believe. It all takes place after the break half-way through here. Thank you for reading Addiction and I hope you enjoyed it.

Two days of agony were long and endless to William's battered and pained body. He was woken from a shaky slumber by Ronald, dressed by Grell, and taken down to the dais. Some shinigami, working under various departments, were gathered, ready. The four members of dispatch stood in the front of the crowd.

Delirious William looked around. They put his glasses on his face and his eyes turned up to the officials before him. Black suited, they shuddered at the sight of him.

William's hair was matted to his scalp and his body shook with fear. Tensing up, he realized that there was nothing holding him down, nothing holding him back. Jumping up, he meant to bolt away. Several hands held him back, pulling hard as he struggled. Breaking free, he made a mad dash forward, leaping off of the dais, snapping one of his legs. Determined, he jumped up and meant to rush forward. He was caught by Ronald and held tight. The shinigami picked him up and held him close as he wandered his way back up onto the tall dais. William's leg finally registered pain before he began to whimper.

Chains were snapped around his ankles and wrists, and, in panic, William struggled and pulled, letting out a cry. His eyes darkened with fear and he struggled. The crowd murmured, staring in shock.

"William T. Spears."

The shinigami didn't stop pulling, his panic growing. The official only spoke louder over his struggle. "You are brought here to be an example to other shinigami and to be tried under most unfortunate circumstances. Your rank. You rank above most other shinigami at the management level of dispatch. You have high honors and status, and we have no complaints about your character." There was a pause as William let out a scream, holding his head, crying. Heat was burning him inside out.

The crowd behind the four dispatch shinigami was growing. Whispers, rumors went through the crowd, shouts of surprise and awe. Someone laughed. The shinigami looked up from his place, and his panic worsened. Pulling at his restraint, he tried to squirm his wrists from them, crying. "However, as of late, you have become a demon's pet. You have allowed yourself to lust and become addicted to the noxious being. After examination, we have determined that your condition is not curable by separation from the demon, and the demon in question cannot be terminated." There was hushed silence. "Who is your master, William?"

The shinigami flinched at the word master, pulling at his restraints harder, feeling blood run down his wrists and hands. Looking out at the crowd, he noted an odd face in the crowd mocking him. The amused expression, the demon wearing a pair of glasses, older trainee glasses, a suit, carrying HIS scythe…. It was mocking…and at the same time, it was hope. "I..I don't have a master," he looked up, pleading, hoping to bargain his way out. His face was flushed at the sight of the demon.

"That is a lie, William. You do. Tell us who he is. We could help you."

William whimpered and caught sight of the demon again. He had one finger to his lips and had his head tilted in amusement. Smiling, he shook his head and William's body pulled at his restraints harder, shaking, hoping to break the chains. "I..I don't have a master! I'm fine! I'M FINE!"

The official's face turned red and he was holding himself back. "William! Control yourself!" William let out a hiss and cursed, screaming as pulling on the chains broke both of his wrists, fracturing them harshly. He screamed as if he had been touched by something foul, and shrieked a curse.

"Give us his name!"

William narrowed his eyes and pulled again. He screamed and his shoulders dislocated. Arms dangling limply, tears streaming from pain, William was a pathetic sight on the dais. Subjected to humiliation, he allowed his body to collapse down and himself to lay there. "I..I have no master," he protested weakly.

"So then you have no objections to us killing all the demons within the London area?"

William tensed up. Wincing with pain, he made himself sit up. Looking out to the crowd again, he was capable of seeing all horrified faces, staring at him, shocked and pained. That he, one of the most stoic, most strict, most firm shinigami could fall to something like this. Sebastian smiled and fixed his glasses, leaning on William's scythe. "N..not at all."

There was silence and the official smiled, kneeling to William's level. "You're terribly hot, aren't you?"

The shinigami's eye twitched and he spit in his face. The official stared in shock and wiped it off. One of the others pulled him up and, in rage, the official kicked William sharply in the jaw. Falling to the side, William shook and stared up, his glasses skewed, mouth bleeding. He turned his head, spitting it out onto the dais, shivering. His pale body could barely take anymore abuse. It was ready to give out. "I'm tempted to make your execution public," the official hissed.

William didn't respond at first. His mind was still processing the situation, incapable of letting him move or react. It felt deeply the pain it was going through now, and it wanted to make it stop.. But it wasn't at it's limits yet. Ready to give out or not, nothing was letting him die. The official stood up and cleared his throat, face burning with anger. "You have been sentenced to private execution. This will be carried out at noon today and your body will be taken care of."

The shinigami looked out at the crowd and then down at Sebastian. "…..I understand," was his whispered reply. William's body shook and he tried to keep himself from breaking in fear. Looking down at the other four, he took in their expressions. Eric was remaining stoic and firm, rubbing Alan's shoulders in comfort. Alan couldn't look, he was too tired and stressed for any of this. Grell was openly sobbing into a handkerchief. Ronald was trying to remain stoic, his face composed, his usual party-boy attitude gone. William's chains were released, but a collar was snapped on. Before he could think to escape, William was dragged along, hissing and gasping with pain, his bad leg dragging. The crowd parted and he looked at the people as he passed. He didn't dare meet eyes, but he felt different and they felt odd to him.

Passing things by, he felt dated. He felt lonely.. He felt dead. Closing his eyes, the walk stretch onward until he was led into a chamber. "Would you like the other members of dispatch to be there? We understand that you all were close." William shuddered and nodded.

"Y..yes.." His voice hoarse, he looked back. The demon was nowhere to be seen. Shivering, William turned his head and felt himself be dragged once more. Crimson eyes closed, he didn't think he could look at anything anymore.

"You will be executed with your death-scythe. We will review your record as if this were a normal reaping and you will pass on. Do you have any regrets?"

William shook his head. The heat on his body was persistent, unyielding to the feeling of dread and depression that was creeping into his gut. It began to tie his insides into nervous, unyielding knots. He tilted his head, his glasses sliding on his nose. Shaking, he saw where he would be forced to stand. Where he would watch them break his glasses. And where he would certainly die.

He stood as they stood him up straight, blindfolded him, and fixed him up nice. His heart pounding, he shook and four shinigami entered the room. Grell had stopped sobbing and was clinging to Ronald's side. Ronald had pet his hair and was watching with a blank face. Gulping, he looked at Eric and Alan, who stood close to one another. There was silence in the hall.

"William T. Spears. You are a demon addicted shinigami. If you do not die now, you will die of withdrawal. Do you understand?"

The injured shinigami nodded and paled at the sound of his sentencing. He gulped and held in a breath. "Do you have any final requests?"

"…I want the blindfold off," he whispered with his torn up throat. The officials looked at William with concern. "I want to see every one of my last moments, just like everyone I've reaped."

"What's the use, you won't be able to… You're blind without your glasses."

"..I'll see what I can," he muttered. They obliged, removing the blindfold from his face. He gave Ronald a soft look and Grell an approving nod. He tried to give a straight face, calm and serene, but all he could muster was blank fear. Shuddering, he watched them take up a scythe similar to his own. 'But hadn't the demon been holding that? Is that your final mockery, Sebastian? Knowing that you had touched the instrument of my death? Is this how you win? Is this how you finally best me?' Taking a deep breath, William stood up straight and looked at the scythe's spear-like end.

An official took William's glasses. Giving him a look, he closed them neatly and snapped them in half at the nose. William focused on the blurry spear point. Watching it, he knew that finally, the moment was there. The end lunged forward sharply.

(this is ending 1)

William expected instant pain. William expected the record to play, his body to fall sharply to the floor, his blood to spurt and his life to finally give out. It didn't come. His broken leg failed to support him. Instead, his blurred vision saw a black form handling the pointed end of the spear expertly, sneering to his officials.

"You're going to kill him and not let me have any say? How rude," Sebastian sneered.

"You don't have a say in this, demon!" the official hissed.

Sebastian laughed. "Don't I? After all…" Pulling the spear away smoothly, he broke it over his knee in several pieces before tossing it aside. "I am his master." There was silence and the other dispatch shinigami stared. Alan's face brightened slightly. "You see, after the discussion I had with Master Humphries, I've realized something."

"And what is that?" There was disdain in the official's voice. William, who attempted to sit up, was only pushed back onto the floor by Sebastian's hand.

"You see… If I live to irk shinigami, and to simply not-starve, what fun is it to kill your mortal enemy? What measures will his family take to remove any meal I might have from me? Even if it costs them overtime." He gave a look to the four dispatch members.

"So your purpose here is selfish."

"Obviously." The demon looked amused and looked at William. "You've had him so frightened that he's hurt himself. How pitiful."

William would have glared at him if he hadn't been so weak. Letting out a whisper, he looked up at him. "Are you taking me home with you, or are you going to release me?"

Sebastian tilted his head. "I honestly hadn't thought of that one." Kneeling down, he lifted William's bruised chin and smiled. "You're mostly injured and useless to me in this state. And they would only try to kill you again if I took you back. So, as delicious as you are this way," he muttered, leaning down to kiss him, he pulled back, "I release you from me, William T. Spears."

Standing, his coat tails brushed over William's cooling body. The shinigami, looking upward, felt heat leave his skin. Letting off a soft moan, his weakness to the demon left him and he closed his eyes. The world fell dizzy, ill, fuzzy, and then black. He lay on the floor of the hall while Sebastian sneered. The officials there stood there, in stunned silence.

"You actually let him go? It's THAT simple?"

The demon tilted his head, resting a hand on his elbow, sneering. "Well, not THAT easy… but easy enough."

"…You're not welcome here, you know."

Sebastian's smile widened. "Oh, I know. I just assume I'm going to be questioned more."

"Yes…"

"Like why I would wait until now?"

"…I'd assume that's pure sadism," Grell said from the side. Sebastian nodded.

"Of course. I've never seen so much misery and loneliness from one soul before. Is it possible your boss fears death?"

Grell grabbed his chainsaw, having never taken it from his side. "WHY YOU~!"

Ronald held him back. "William was as brave as he could be, Demon."

"I know. But only because he knew they were going to break his glasses." Nudging the discarded pieces on the floor with his foot, he looked toward the dispatch members again, ignoring the other shinigami. "He's forever tainted now, you know."

"We know," Alan spoke up. Sebastian smiled.

"I'm free to take him up again."

"You won't release him next time, will you?" Grell hissed, implying that there would be another time.

"Maybe not for another few centuries. But perhaps I won't. Maybe in that time he'll switch sides."

"You can't just switch sides, demon," Eric stated bluntly.

"You can. Just as much as humans can." His eyes turned fuscia for a moment before be began his stride out the door. Alan's eyes followed him. He felt that he had made a difference. The four dispatch members looked toward the officials.

"So..I guess the boss…." Ronald scratched the back of his head.

They shifted. "Send him to the hospital. Put him in intensive care. Make sure that the demon can't get in and he can't get out…. This has never happened before… No demon has never willingly let a shinigami go…"

"This one is just a little bit different," Alan stated, eyes following Sebastian's shadow.

"…Different?"

"He's more sadistic than any demon I've ever met." Looking down at William, he smiled.

"I guess that's a good thing," Eric mused, "At least for the boss's sake."

For once William seemed at peace. Contented. His body was missing the strain of the demon and he could calm his nerves easier. But his leg was twisted and his wrists bruised and slightly deformed. He was lifted onto as stretcher in less than half an hour and moved to the hospital.

It didn't seem that he would wake up at first. Each one of the dispatch members kept a strong watch on their lists as they worked their double shifts to cover their boss's catatonic state. They kept watch to see if William's name would ever show up. And they would take turns sitting with him. Grell would sit the first, Ronald the second, Alan and Eric would sit up together for two nights… Just because.

When William opened his eyes for the first time in a month, his body was healing, but he was still a mental wreck. His eyes were green again, but just around his pupil there lay a hint of crimson. His arms were bandaged and set, as was his leg. His shoulders had been fixed the first day and felt nice… But he felt missing. He felt backwards. Looking up at the ceiling, everything was blurry.

No doubt that the others were off at work. Running a hand through his hair, his whole being was torn into pieces. William's character was slowly being put back together. It felt good to be in control again. Shifting under his blankets, he sat up and his bare chest was exposed to the cold. Shivering, he pulled them closer and looked around again. The demon let him go.

He was free to take him back one day, but he was shocked that Sebastian had actually let him go. And he knew that now he owed him something, and that made William sick to his core. Scowling, his face contorting with disgust, he felt hate for the creature again, and this made him smile. Falling back into bed, he thought again.

His reputation was ruined. His title was compromised. It was likely that he was going to have overtime for years before this could be ironed out. He needed both new glasses and a new scythe… Briefly William considered transfer…but that would be just as hard. And the demon would stalk him. Closing his eyes, he didn't know if he had learned from his mistake, or made a larger one by letting Sebastian keep him alive. "I can't ever escape you. That's what you meant. As long as I live… I'm yours." Scowling, William suddenly felt chained again. Stress of being the demon's pet had left him, but now he understood why they were forever chained. If the shinigami lived…it wasn't because he made it out on his own…. Only Grell had managed to survive withdrawal…and he had only been touched once…and by accident… Other shinigami… Shinigami like William… If they lived, the demon let him do so. He was owned forever. And nothing he could do would change this.

Laying back into his bed, he let sleep claim him until he felt someone by his bed. "Hey boss, I brought you something," Ronald whispered. He sat down a thing of flowers. "I know it's not really my style, but Suttcliff senpai said I should bring you some."

"…Grell always says that," William muttered, looking up at him. Ronald's stunned face lasted about a second before he hugged William close.

"BOSS! You woke up."

"…Yes…." He lay there and let Ronald hug him before the closeness got to him. "You can let go anytime."

"How're you feeling?"

"…Decent," he lied, giving a convincing smile before laying back into his bed. "Do you know when I start again?"

"Whenever they take you in to get new glasses and your scythe back."

They were silent. Ronald shifted a bit before speaking again. "…. You still belong to him, don't you?"

"Until the day I die."

William's voice was firm, his face taciturn. "We can try to make it better…."

"…If he ever takes me back Ronald… he'll just keep messing with me. This isn't a happy ending."

"….We're death gods, everything we see ends in death. Nothing's a happy ending."

William nodded before looking out the window. The evening light seemed to contrast with the emotions that shot inside him. "No.. Death doesn't get a happy ending."