It's late, and the young man with the ruffled black hair pauses in his work to remove his glasses and rub at his burning eyes. It feels so good to close them, and for a moment he sits there on his bed in the dim light, letting the weight of sleep tempt him a little too far. He forces himself to snap awake. There is an exam tomorrow. He is already a B average student, barely on the passing line. It's time he reformed himself into a student with better work ethic.

Especially since he had started rooming with him.

William had experienced the misfortune of meeting Grell Sutcliff when he was first enrolled. The eccentric bully had plagued him in nearly every class, always sitting just to the right, or just to the left, or just behind him. He was always there between classes, too, his high voice taunting and tugging at William's self- esteem and patience. Grell Sutcliff was a pestilence, and one that you couldn't rid yourself of easily.

Where was the red- haired nuisance anyway?

Come to think of it, William hadn't seen him the whole day. It was a rare occasion in which the trainees had received a whole day off, but as far as William was concerned, it was meant to be treated as a prolonged study hall, not a whole 24 hours to flit about and waste time however you pleased, which was precisely what Grell Sutcliff had spent his day doing.

No matter, William didn't worry himself about his young roommate's absence (yes, he had also been paired with Grell for rooming- what the odds were he didn't know, but they were extremely unfortunate), and instead took it in stride as a nice, peaceful break. It didn't matter as long as William was left alone.

All he wanted from Grell by this point in their enemy- like relationship was to be left alone. Asking for anything else was useless and insignificant to simple peace.

The day was almost over now, but he was nowhere near finishing his work. He had to improve his grades as they were not the best they could be. Average was no longer good enough, not if he wanted Grell's endless taunting to cease.

As soon as he replaced his glasses and adjusted them on his nose, just as he was lowering his gaze back down to the history book, the door suddenly swung open with a loud crack, and William started violently.

He watched in irritation and exasperation as a stumbling Grell sauntered into the room, a bottle in his fist. He turned and looked at William, who glared back, and immediately burst into laughter.

"Did I scare you, Willy?"

"It's 'William'," William corrected quietly, frowning at his roommate. He narrowed his eyes slightly. "…Are you intoxicated?"

Grell gave Will the most sardonic look he could apparently muster, and said in a slurred form of his real voice, "Not in the least, Willy. I am-"- he hiccupped abruptly- "completely sober."

He hesitated for a moment, looking truthful, before his sincere look was shattered with a smirk, flashing those ludicrous teeth of his. He bounded over to the bed and leaned close to William, so that the brunette could smell the alcohol on the insane trainee's breath.

"No shit, Spears. You want some?" He shoved the bottle in William's face, who batted it away in disgust.

"No, I don't. And I don't think you're allowed to be drinking."

Grell narrowed his eyes and staggered slightly before straightening up a little.

"And who are you to tell me what to do, Spears?"

"I am a fellow student who would rather not have to listen to you ramble drunkenly on-"

"Yeah, yeah…" the red- haired nuisance waved a hand in disrespectful dismissal. "Just do your homework, Willy Will-"

"It's Willia-"

"Yeah, whatever."

Despite the furious buzzing in his head, William forced his jaw shut. It would be futile to try and argue with someone in such a state. As it was, it was futile arguing with Grell when he was sober.

William looked down at his papers again and exhaled patiently. He was the better man here. He couldn't care less about Grell's grades, and if he wanted to throw away the perfect A's he just loved to shove in William's face, then let him. He just wanted to be left alone.

There was a shifting of weight on the bed and a violet squeak as Grell carelessly plopped down. William froze for a moment, blinking, and slowly turned to frown hard at the intoxicated young man, the exasperation in his chest rising.

"What are you doing?"

Grell blinked, intentionally looking hurt at Will's harsh tone for a moment, before suddenly scooting closer with a wide grin, rumpling the sheets and causing the black haired boy to shrug away in annoyance.

"It's my bed too, Will."

"Your bed is over there."

Grell slowly looked backwards to his bed as if to make sure it was actually there, before turning back with half lidded eyes and forming an intellectual response.

"….So what?"

The red haired trainee pawed lazily at Will's sleeve, and he jerked his arm away. He wanted no part of the boy's antics. Especially right now, when he was trying to work.

"Grell, just shut up and leave me alone, would you?" There was a time when he had been respectful and patient with his roommate, but those days were far behind him now. Now he cut beating around the bush and went straight for the blatant cold shoulder.

To Will's complete and utter shock, Grell nodded.

"Very well, Spears. As you wish." He sighed dramatically, punched Will's shoulder in what he had obviously thought was a playful manner but hurt rather badly, and tipped the bottle back, hungrily licking up the last drops of his precious beer. Grell? Agreeing? Well, at least he had agreed to be quiet.

It hadn't been more than a minute since the precious contract was made when Will felt soft hair and a weight depositing itself on his shoulder. He frowned down at the young man, who was presently resting his head against William like a child.

"Grell. Get off of me this instant," William commanded sharply, but Grell simply gazed up at the dark- haired boy lazily and carelessly.

"Oh, come off it, Spears. I'm already starting to feel a headache coming on, and if you're gonna be a waste of space, you may as well make yourself a comfortable waste of space."

William jerked away, the insult actually leaving him a little indignant- feeling. He wanted to argue that he wasn't a waste of space, he was just dedicated to his work, which was in fact a polar opposite of a waste, but he couldn't find it in him to fight the redhead, who was too stubborn to be swayed out of his views anyway.

Sutcliff made a pouting noise and simply flopped down backwards onto the bed lengthwise.

Fantastic, William thought. Now he is even more in the way.

"Just leave me alone, all right?"

"Fine." William could hear him yawn. "I promise." Grell's tone was mocking and from his lazy position, and William frowned at his papers in irritation.

After a minute or two of a suspicious William doubting the other trainee's actual weariness, he came to realize that the other man was really and truly out cold, sprawled out the way he had thrown himself backwards.

As time passed and Will worked, Grell's gentle breathing seemed to help him find a rhythm in his writing, oddly enough, and for once the other trainee's presence was not distracting his reading. Quite contrary, as a matter of fact; it was almost… comforting…. to move his leg slightly and feel the warmth of the other student there beside him. For once in his life, Grell Sutcliff was not a pest. William was even annoyed by Grell in his sleep because of the manner in which he did it, tossing about and cursing soundly to some unfortunate individual in his dreams. But he was quiet now. Quiet and comfortable.

The students stayed like this for the next fifteen minutes, and when William finally closed his book and finished up his assignment, he looked down at the peaceful boy beside him. Grell was still out cold, his arms carelessly slung over his head and his slender chest rising and falling gently. William had to shake the red- haired boy to wake him up, but softly. As much of a nuisance as Grell Sutcliff was when he was awake, it almost seemed a crime to startle him when he was so calm like this, the rarity it was.

"Sutcliff…. Sutcliff…. Wake up."

Grell opened his eyes, and by the look of blurry confusion, he wasn't as drunk as he had been about twenty minutes ago.

"….Spears…?"

"Yes. You fell asleep… near me…"

Grell Sutcliff frowned a little.

"Hm. I thought I had… mm…. nevermind. Whatever."

"Yes. Whatever," William agreed as Grell sat himself up and stretched, voice manipulated by a yawn.

"I had a dream…"

"Very nice." William was going to use the excuse that he had to work and couldn't be bothered to hear the story now, but he had just placed his pen down. He looked down at his finished paper. He could always pretend that he had more to write yet- Grell wouldn't know if he did or not- but truth be told, he was tired of holding that pen. Listening to a foolish dream couldn't hurt anything but the other boy's dignity, if the story was strange enough. There was no harm in repositioning himself to face the other trainee and hoping that the conversation would be brief.

Grell didn't seem in a hurry to convey his vision, however, because he shook his hair out and stretched a couple of different ways before William finally prompted impatiently.

"…Are you going to tell me or not?"

"I never said I was going to." Grell smiled mockingly.

William looked back expressionlessly, unamused.

"Fine. I'll go to bed, then."

He was actually a little disappointed. Most likely because he was so tired. He was stressed and exhausted, and his emotions weren't quite normal at this hour.

"…Okay. I'll tell you." Grell smirked cockily, the tip of his tongue sliding up to push against a pointed canine tooth absent- mindedly, emerald eyes drifting up to the ceiling in apparent thought, the corner of his lips tugging upward slightly in a half- smile. William studied him quietly from across the bed, his heart fluttering a little in his chest. He frowned inwardly at the feeling. He knew what it was, and the realization of this familiar emotion hit him like a brick wall.

Oh no.

It was the first time he had looked at Grell and felt that kind of breathlessness. Oh no, no, no…. this wasn't real…. It couldn't be….

Grell ran his fingers through his shaggy, messy hair, and his mischevious eyes once again lazily found William's straight, dutiful ones, the mind behind them presently panicking and distracted.

"I dreamed…. That you and I were on duty… as full out shinigamis…" His voice was slurred, but not from alcohol. He didn't sound tired either. He did sound, however, as if he was putting it on. Talking slowly because he suddenly somehow knew William would grow restless and impatient and ask to hear more of the dream, and faster. And then he would tease Will for his interest in Grell. But he couldn't know about William's sudden feelings for him… could he? William himself hadn't known until mere moments ago, and he was still stubbornly denying it.

William bit his lip a little with a frown, vowing not to seem too interested although his damned heart leapt suddenly once more.

"And I was your boss. And… you died."

William had not seen that coming. The excitement flooded out of his body and he made sure to seem uninterested, replacing his look of disappointment with the similar one of apathy.

"That's the end, I hope?"

"No." Grell answered, immediately.

William frowned again. What was he playing at?

"You want to hear what happened next?" the red- haired boy asked in a hushed voice.

"Not particularly," William lied.

"Shut up. I know you do."

William opened his mouth to argue, but Grell continued on, either oblivious to William's resentment or uncaring. Knowing the trainee, probably the latter.

"Just before you did…. you told me you were sorry."

The air was suddenly tight with tension and William's sudden intrigue. Sorry? Sorry for what? Grell leaned forward a little, eyes deep and sorrowful, as if he was about to relate a tragic monologue.

"…. Sorry for being a stiff dork and rule- follower. And you wished you had followed in my footsteps and been a real man in your life instead of wasting it away in the library all day."

Grell snickered and broke the serious mood, and William pulled back from leaning in, having not even realized he had been until now. A wave of angry realization swept over him as he recognized that this whole dream thing had simply been a lead up to another taunt.

He looked away, hurt and embarrassed, cheeks feeling hot with an unwelcome blush.

"You tell terrible stories," he countered lamely, too late for it to have been good even if it had been a formidable comeback.

Grell stopped laughing abruptly and frowned at Will.

"Oh, shut up, you baby. It was a joke."

William looked away again in irritation, still blushing and hating himself for it. He just wanted Grell to disappear.

It was quiet for a moment as he struggled desperately for an insult good enough to get Grell to just go back to his own bed, when Grell suddenly spoke again, voice quieter.

"And then you said you loved me."

William nearly started he was so shocked. He stared at the young man before him, trying in vain to mask his surprise and suddenly rapid heartbeat.

"….What?"

"You said you loved me." Grell smirked a little. "Is it true, Spears? Hmm?"

He was obviously joking, but William's throat was dry and he was finding it hard to form sentences. He felt as if he had been caught red- handed, as ridiculous as it was.

Grell slid closer on the bed, suddenly devious, and Will's chest rose and fell rapidly. He was trying to regulate his inhaling, but it was all off and strange.

"Don't be ridiculous," William finally said, weakly and unconvincingly.

Grell looked at William and cocked his head to the side. Maybe he was still drunk. He had to be.

"Then why are you breathing so funny, Spears?"

William parted his lips to reply, flustered.

He was interrupted as Grell suddenly leaned forward to press his lips against Will's briefly, before jerking away as William stared at Grell in absolute shock.

Grell had stolen his first kiss!

But William couldn't register anger or even annoyance. Just the swelling in his chest and the loss of breath that Grell had taken as well.

There was a speechless moment in which William's mind was fuzz and blur, and then Grell leaned in again, his lips slightly parted as well this time. Mind completely surrendering control, Will responded passionately, tugging and pressing against the other's full lips. Grell made a soft humming sound, bringing a hand up to Will's cheek, holding him to himself, kissing rhythmically as Will's head buzzed and his stomach fluttered.

Grell Sutcliff was kissing him.

The lingering taste and scent of alcohol mixed with Grell's cologne to create a spicy, sharp scent, which churned something deep in the pit of Will's stomach.

He parted his lips as Grell's tongue stroked along his bottom lip. Will couldn't process anything and couldn't keep up with the other's expertise after a while, and soon stopped responding, hands moving up to hold Grell's face as the redhead worked on him, "mming" softly into William's mouth as he pushed against him.

They sat there kissing for a minute before finally breaking apart slowly, William's eyes opening wide in bewilderment, blushing crazily, but Grell's remaining closed with a soft smile playing on his lips.

"S-Sutcliff…" William's heart was fluttering quickly in his chest.

"I knew it," Grell murmured suddenly, before suddenly covering his mouth. "Oops." He turned to flop back down on the bed and roll over. "Goodnight, Willy."

"Wh- ….I-I…"

"Ah, ah, ah… I promised to leave you alone, remember? I broke my promise once already, silly me."

How Grell remembered that suddenly from his drunkenness, William didn't know, but the smirk was evident in the boy's voice. William sat there, disbelieving and breathless all at once as he watched his roommate fall asleep as if nothing had happened.