For the damned | ✓

18

THE REAPER WAS STARING at her as she sat down, but he did it so expectingly he looked like a puppy waiting to be praised. It was genuinely adorable and she supposed he was right about friends visiting each other, but usually that also meant the other person being there. She felt a bit conflicted, because she had anticipated some time to think everything through, but she'd never sent him away. The fact that he had come here on his own was probably a big enough step for him, considering how he hadn't even wanted to be close to her at first.

"Did your work go well today?" she said.

"It did," he said, holding her gaze still," I asked a few souls as I guided them what the right approach would be with friends and they gave me tips, so here I am. I'm relieved you don't seem angry, after all, I am intruding."

"Souls?" Theresa asked," are you spiritual or something?"

He seemed to ponder on that, folding his arms before slowly nodding.

"I guess," he said," but not voluntarily."

"Your parents?" Theresa said sympathetically," I understand, religion is also something I grew up with." She got to her feet then, smoothing out the non-imaginary wrinkles in her skirt. "Anyway, I'll leave you guys be. Delilah -" When she looked up Theresa pointed at her, face serious. "- I demand you'll tell me everything when I return."

"I will, Tess," Delilah chuckled.

"Thank you for keeping me company," the Reaper said.

"You're so polite," Theresa said," I don't know where you found this one, Delilah. All the college guys I talk to don't even remember names, never mind their manners."

He waved at her and Theresa noticed the bones tattooed on his hand, her lips parting. She seemed like she had a lot to say to her, but instead simply gave Delilah a proud thumbs up and left. The only sound in the room was that of the door clicking shut, the Reaper sitting silently beside her. Still, he looked at peace with the quiet, breaking it only when he realized he forgot to say something.

"I brought you a gift," he said," because I heard that's proper when you visit someone."

"You did?" Delilah said, surprised," that's so sweet, you didn't have to."

He waved a hand and something appeared in his hands, his face serious as ever as he offered it to her. Delilah wasn't sure if she had seen it right, but when she accepted it and felt the weight of a large bag of lemons in her hands she knew she had.

"Lemons," she said, unable to keep the smile off her face.

"The best human delicacy there is," he said solemnly.

"Thank you," she said, taking one out," ironic, considering life gives you lemons."

"When does life give you lemons?" he frowned," life is not a divine entity, it's not supposed to be able to give anything. Has someone been lying to you?"

"It's not?" she said," I thought there'd be plenty of gods governing life, but -"

She stopped talking then, because her curiosity had made her forget for a moment. Of course there was a god governing life, but unfortunately it also was his dead lover. With a shake of her head she tried to change the subject, hoping that she didn't remind him of his past too much with her insensitive remark.

"Thank you for the lemons," she said," I don't usually eat them, but -"

His hand was suddenly on the back of her head as he let his forehead rest against hers, noses brushing and breath mingling. The sudden proximity made her lose her balance, but he quickly placed a hand on the small of her back, pulling her in closer before she could fall.