Between Life and Death

Dancing With Death

To the cinnamon rolls out there, I am giving you a slight profanity warning (nothing too intense). Thanks for reading and enjoy the chapter!

●DEATH●

Death smiled as he watched Life timidly socialize with the rest of his court. While at first she was soft-spoken and hesitant to speak, she began to laugh heartily along with the others, Truth and Mercy trying to coax her into conversations with the others who were less... friendly. For the first time since their battle, she seemed at rest, and it lifted Death's spirits to see her so happy, to see her smile. Fury prodded curiously at Life's shoulder, earning a slap across the face. Everyone else erupted with laughter, and Death smiled again when he saw Life's shoulders shaking from her laughter. There was nobody who deserved happiness more than Life.

Too lost in his thoughts to notice his surroundings, he yelped when he saw Life in front of him, curiously peering up at him.

"I thought these were your friends. Why aren't you talking to them?" Life asked cocking her head to one side. "I just met them and I've already talked to them more than you have today."

Death chuckled. "Too many things on my mind for idle chit chat, I'm afraid," he admitted.

Life pouted. "Aww, are you afraid to talk with little old me? Let loose, Death," she said as she playfully punched his shoulder. "Live a little, enjoy yourself."

"I'm immortal, Life," Death pointed out. "I have all the time in the world to 'live life.'"

"Fine, suit yourself." Life huffed and crossed her arms. "Don't come crying to me when you're lonely 'cause you don't have any friends," she called over her shoulder as she walked away.

Death snickered at the sheer amount of sass in her voice, then strolled out of the room to begin his daily chores, trying not to stare at Life's form from the back, her generous hips swishing back and forth.

"Hey, Death?" a familiar female voice called out behind him as he was walking through a hallway, servants nowhere to be seen.

"What is it, Mercy?" Death asked without turning around.

"It's Life," Mercy responded, not quite meeting his eyes.

"What about her?" he prompted, trying to hide the staining of his cheeks at the mention of her.

"She's been asking about what happened the day you brought her here."

Death whipped around to face Mercy. "Come again?" He asked, his face a mask of shock.

"She wants to know what happened the day she was brought here," Mercy repeated, and Death's eyes went wide at the memory of what she had done.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" he demanded.

Mercy shook her head while saying, "She didn't seem very sure of herself, like she didn't want to know, or was trying to forget. I thought she wouldn't be so desperate to know -"

"No wonder she's been acting so different around me as of late," Death muttered, half to himself. "It was like a forced kindness."

"Sorry," Mercy said sheepishly. "What should we do?"

"Nothing," Death replied. "We wait and see what she does. If she doesn't do anything, then fine, we don't do anything, either. If she asks me what happened that day," Death sighed, "then I'll tell her. She has every right to know."

Mercy nodded solemnly then smiled sadly. "Too bad she doesn't remember anything from before."

Death tilted his lips to the side and said, "It was for the best, Mercy. I had no other choice," then walked away.