Death's Fated Love

With one last look back at her father, and cupid, the god of fated love, Nic leads Selene out of the hospital room.

When they walk through the door, she looks around, taking in all the scenery around them. The falling leaves on the sidewalk, and the sound of cars driving down the street. He watches her smile as she takes it in.

"I thought we'd walk out and be in the antique store, just like we when left the shop, we walked right into the hospital. You're like the Goblin from the Korean drama." Selene smiles.

"I… I was hoping to walk you back," he says.

"Oh," she smiles and nods. "Is there more we need to talk about?" she walks toward the store and Nic is a step behind.

"What is your name?" Nic asks.

"Selene."

"Selene… the moon goddess. A pretty name."

"And you are Nyx? Goddess of Night."

Nic keeps pace with her to watch her chuckle at him. "That is my title," he says.

"Nyx? Not Thanatos, god of death?"

"I don't control Death, so not Thanatos. I am just an escort. Though he used to carry souls to the… underworld, he doesn't anymore. He's… like the CEO and I'm just the president. My job is to help put souls to rest… sort of like putting them to bed… at night. Anyway—the title was placed in my position long before I got the job. You can call me Nic."

"I can call you Nic, but that's not your name?"

"...yes." Nic looks at Selene as they walk down the street, past people walking their dogs, and students scurrying to class on campus. "I don't know my real name."

He watches as the laughter in her eyes gets replaced with confusion.

"Is that a 'Nyx' thing?"

"It's a 'me' thing. I was given the job of Nyx as a punishment, also… I have no memories of my previous life. Including my name."

"What did you do?" she asks. "To be punished with a job of ferrying souls to the other side?"

They walk side by side, the turn of their conversation slowing their steps.

"That I do not know either. All I'm told is that I didn't do anything horrible to children or things of that nature. But something bad enough to be punished and my punishment is to help those who have passed away find their peace, or receive punishment. To judge someone… to weigh their life isn't easy."

Selene stops, and Nic stops a step ahead of her and turns back to face her.

First, he looks at her mouth, and then her eyebrows, before finally, bravely, looking at her wide brown eyes to see what emotion there was.

He sighs, a weight lifting off of his chest when he sees it's not disgust or fear but sadness, maybe.

"Thank you for telling me that," she says, smiling and continuing to walk.

As she gets close to him and he walks alongside her, he's sure that if he had a heart, it would be kicking up a storm and working itself into a frenzy. It seems that even the dead could get butterflies and warmth all over. The closer he got to her, the more exhilarated he felt. And though they started walking at an acceptable distance for two people who had just met an hour ago, he was now so close to her that they could brush hands on the next swing.

"I've never told anyone that," he confesses. What he really wanted to say was, "I've never wanted to tell anyone and want them to accept me so badly."

She looks at him and he can't tear his eyes away from her. She stops and turns to him. "So why tell me?"

His heart, his head, his soul screams, "I love you" and it shocks him to his core. Instead he says, "I… I like you."

"You just met me."

"Yes."

She laughs at him, and it's like the sweetest of bells to his ears. He smiles at her and restrains himself from stepping closer.

"Before you became Nyx, did you ever escort souls?" she asks.

"No."

"Do you personally escort souls?"

"Only important ones. Like gods, benevolent magical leaders. Or the truly heinous, or the unbelievably pitiful."

"And do you make yourself know to their families or has anyone ever seen you besides the dead?"

"Only once. Years ago. I was escorting a fallen high priestess, and her daughter could see me."

Selene smiles and nods, looking down at her hands, and then looking back up at him with a soft smile. "And you bought her an ice cream come, and sat with her and held her hand… and she—I asked you if you were an—"

"Angel," he finishes.

"I thought I recognized you earlier. You haven't aged a day."

"That was my first job. Your… your mother was with us and she asked me to hold your hand since she couldn't. After we left, she told me that she just wanted to buy you ice cream, that your favorite was strawberry. So, after I helped her rest, I went back, and you were still there, so I bought you an ice cream. That was the only time I had ever done things like that for a soul."

He could see the tears swimming up to the surface of her eyes and hated that he made that happen, but he couldn't seem to keep his mouth closed.

"Please don't cry."

A tear escapes and he can't help stop himself as he reaches up and wipes it away, letting his hand linger a second longer on her cheek before dropping it.

"I never knew my mother was still there. Thank you for telling me that."

And then her smile spread on her pout lips and Nic was lost in the brilliance of it, and missed her saying that they were at the shop and she would go in until she said,

"See you next time."

He looked at her, wrapping himself in shadows to depart before he rushed to her to hold on to her.

"I hope not. I only come when someone dies."