"I agree." Alan nodded.

"Let's do something enjoyable." Alois thought for a bit. "Hmm… Crossdressing is enjoyable. It'd bring out the inner woman in us."

"Crossdressing?" Alan cocked his head. "Well, I have worn a dress before… It was kind of weird, though."

"I don't think my dresses could fit you though… They may be a bit short," Alois thought.

"Oh! We could go shopping!" Alan beamed.

Eric looked at the two like they were insane. "I think I'll pass on the crossdressing, but you two do what you want."

Alan grinned. "What color would look good on me?"

"You're eyes are golden yellow," Alois pointed out. "So a light green with black seams would be gorgeous!" He smiled, then turned to Eric. "You'll miss out on all the fun. But if you insist. Besides, we'd have to shave your beard."

"Not my beard!"

"Exactly."

"Light green sounds so pretty!" Alan beamed.

"You really are the woman." Eric rolled his eyes.

"Father? Could you be the carrier of all the supplies?"

"Okay. But you'll have to tell me exactly what you need."

Alois hummed a bit. "Just buy a green dress for Papa. Then get the blue one at my manor and pick a pair of shoes to go with it, okay?" His expression suddenly changed. "Do we need a corset?"

"I want to try a corset," Alan declared.

"Alan, you could break a rib like that!" Eric exclaimed.

Alan sighed. "I wouldn't put it on super tight."

"It's still a corset!"

"He's right, you know. No matter how you tie the back, you'll end up choking yourself." Alois thought of a past accident nervously. "It's basically like having one foot in the grave."

"And you're sick!" Eric argued. "You're bones are weaker and you could easily injure yourself. Besides… there's nothing to push up, Alan."

Alan huffed. "Fine. No corset."

Alois snickered. "Well, since you two are done releasing sexual tension, you need to get me those items, Father. So shoo!" He waved his hand at Eric.

Eric was about to protest before he decided to shut his mouth and just leave. As soon as Eric left, Alan swooned. "Isn't he amazing?"

Alois blinked. Did he hear that right? Was Alan in a dazed state because of… Eric? "Well, well, well… Someone has finally come to their senses," he mocked.

"I never denied my feelings for him. It's he who's in denial." Alan huffed and crossed his arms, but it was clear that part of him wasn't sure if Eric really did like him back.

"I'll make you totally cute to the point where Father won't be able to resist you! I swear in that."

Alan beamed. "You think it'll work?"

"Of course it would. You saw how he reacted when I mentioned crossdressing. His face was like a tomato." Alois chuckled. "So once he sees you, he'll fall for you."

"I hope it just works like that." Alan sighed. "I think he really does like me. We did… well… you know. But he still says that he's straight."

"People lie about things like this; whether they're straight or not." He shrugged, patting Alan on the shoulder. "Love is awkward to express at times.

Alan sighed through his nose. "I've just always wanted to marry. But I guess that will never happen."

"Hm? Well, we can add that to the list," Alois playfully remarked. "I bet arranging your marriage will be easy as long as you try to express your feelings more."

The door opened to reveal Eric holding a black and green dress, a blue dress, some hair extensions and several other things. "This dress may be a bit big on you, Alan."

Alois ran to Eric, grabbing the items. "Let's get you fitted for these, alright? I've seen Claude help me into clothes hundreds of times! Start undressing!"

"I'm out!" Eric blurted as he left the room.

Alan unbuttoned his shirt, letting it drop to the ground. His body was pale and hairless. He looked like a skeleton with skin. You could count each rib and his hips protruded from his body.

"Hm… Hold still." Alois began to help Alan into the dress. "Does… Is this part of the condition?" He cautiously asked, careful not to offend Alan.

"My skinniness? I wasn't always this thin. It's part of the disease. Loss of appetite is a symptom and so is weight loss. Combined makes me look inhuman, like a living corpse."

"When was the last time you ate?" He mentally slapped himself for the pressing question. He continued to lace the back of the dress, then moved onto fixing the braids of the wig.

"I think it was yesterday. I don't remember. Eric hates when I don't eat. He tries to make all this delicious food but I still end up forcing myself to eat." Alan sighed.

"Later on, I could try helping you. If you want me too… Claude said I'm terrible at cooking, but I can try again." Alois smiled softly.

"Claude? Who was Claude, if I may ask?" Alan looked down at the dress he was wearing, smiling a bit. He thought that he looked beautiful. Hopefully Eric would like it.

"Claude was my butler. Stern as he was, I think he was interesting. He was almost like family to me. Claude was special. But now I have you guys." Alois patted down a few wrinkles in the dress. "Finished!"

Alan looked at himself in the mirror. He studied the dress and his appearance. "I look amazing. You think he'll like it?"

"If he doesn't like it, then I'm the King of England." Alois pushed Alan into the other room where Eric was sketching. "Here's my new mother, Alexis. It's a suitable name, no?"

Eric suddenly stared, dropping the pencil that was in his hand. Suddenly, he stood, and before Alan could say anything, they were kissing. Eventually, they gently pulled away.

"E-Eric."

"You look beautiful, Alan."

Alois gave himself a mental high five and giggled. "So, when's the wedding?"

Alan was blushing a lot and giving Eric a certain look, a universal look. "Alois… Why don't you stay with Grell for about two hours?" Eric said, not moving his gaze from Alan's face.

"You can't just leave him with Grell."

"But…" Eric whined indignantly.

Grell? The same person that tried to kill him. "No, not him! I could stay with anybody but him. I could just hang around the bakery! Yeah… I'll do that."

"You know Grell?" Alan cocked his head.

"You cannot just hang around the bakery!"

Alois sighed in defeat. Honestly, he'd be surprised if the red-headed shinigami even remembered him.

"Well, if you don't feel comfortable around him, then let's not. What about William?" Alan suggested.

"Hm? I'd rather be with Grell than that stick in the mud. I swear, he's worse than Claude was."

"Fine. Eric, take him to Grell's house."

"Why me?"

"Because I'm wearing a dress. Do you want sex or not, Eric?"

Eric whined again. "Fine. Come on."

Once they started walking, Alois decided to ask a few questions. "When I'm at Grell's house… are you two… gonna, you know?" He gave him a weird perverted looking, snickering a bit. "Can you tell me all the details?"

"Uh… We will have sex. And he's gonna be wearin' that dress." Eric didn't elaborate. "Kid, I gotta tell you somethin'. It'll make you happier."

"Huh?"

"Eight hundred and eighty three. Eight hundred and eighty three pure souls I've collected."

"Does that mean Papa can be saved?" Alois beamed with excitement. "Like he'll be fine… no doubt about it?"

"If I can collect enough souls before he dies, he might just survive. He can't know, though. He'd hate me."

Alois pointed to a red house with a red door. "Is that it?

"Yeah, that's it. Now, if anything goes wrong, you get out of his house, okay? He can be a totally creepy pervert, okay?"

Alois nodded. They walked up to the door, and Eric knocked on the door. Grell answered it wearing a sexy red and black dress, black fishnets and very high black heels.

"Huh? Who's this brat?" Grell asked.

"Our adopted son."

"Hi… I-I'm Jim Macken." Alois gave Grell the kindest smile he could muster. "Nice to meet you." Maybe a whole new personality and name would throw Grell off for a second. He sent Eric a glare, telling him not to say a word.

"Alright, Jim. What a silly name…"

Eric suddenly grabbed Grell by the bodice of Grell's dress. "Grell, if you hurt him in anyway, I swear on my mum, I'll-"

"Yeah, whatever." Grell shrugged. Eric grumbled, letting Grell go. Eric hesitantly left.

"Come on, Jim." The walked into Grell's house. The house was covered in red everything and everything looked fluffy, soft and plush. "Want anything?"

"No…" Alois kindly replied. Then he grimaced. Being kind to the person that basically killed all your friends was quite difficult and very awkward.

"Alright. So what do you think of those two fools?" Grell sat and gestured for Alois to sit, who did hesitantly. "Won't they just kiss already?"

"Well, I'm not one to gossip… but they did kiss. Why else would they leave me with you? I mean… they need a bit of privacy with the work I did."

"That you did? And what did you do to get them together?" Grell sat in a rather unladylike position.

"Crossdressing." Alois shrugged. "Think about it. Seeing somebody you like in a totally cute outfit? You get pretty turned on by it."

"Perhaps I do like you…" Grell grinned, but it quickly faded. "People always think I'm a crossdresser. Little do they pay attention to my words. I try to keep a happy face, but they don't listen to me."

"Hm? Do you get judged for your orientation, too?"

Grell sighed. "Not orientation. Gender. Look, I'm sorry, this conversation suddenly got serious."

Alois flinched. Maybe that came out wrong. Not knowing what to say, he changed the subject. "So… my father said that you're a shinigami, too. Is it interesting?"

"Yeah. It's fun at times. At the same it, it's just work. It can be boring or fun or depressing. Will is a slave driver."

"I thought he was just boring…" The next thing he said risked his life, but he said it anyway. "Grell? I overheard my parents talk about souls that have not been collected yet. Have you missed any important souls."

"Probably." Grell shrugged. "You could say that I don't really care about my job that much. Why?"

"Oh, nothing. Just a tad curious is all." Alois awkwardly laughed. "I'm sort of hungry now… Do you have anything?" He attempted to change the subject.

"Yeah, dig through the fridge. Eat whatever. Or I can cook something. I'm kinda hungry, too. I fancy myself a rather good cook. A good woman needs to know how to cook for her man, no?"

"Really?" Alois beamed. "You can teach me to cook?"

"Alright. What do you want to cook?" Grell stood, very tall with heels.

"Something easy like… omelets?"

"Alright! The best part of cooking is eating it afterwards! That is, if you make it correctly." Grell practically dragged Alois to the kitchen, then began gathering ingredients.

"How long does this take? I'm rather impatient."

"Not too long~!"