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.

"You don't feel sick," he noted, pulling back his head a bit as he examined her.

"Do I look feverish?" she said, placing her own hand on her forehead.

"I don't know," he said, mist drifting around them like wisps of clouds, glittering silver," you were acting different than usual."

"What?" she blinked.

He placed his hand on her neck then, fingers pressing down softly as he tilted his head to catch her gaze.

"Your pulse is quite fast," he murmured," are you sure you're alright?"

"That might just be the position we are in causing it," she said.

His eyes widened suddenly, letting her go like he had been burned. The low, clear tone his voice usually took had changed into something a lot quicker, his words tumbling across each other.

"I apologize," he said," I shouldn't have touched you."

"No, it's fine," she reassured him, leaning forward to shorten the new distance he had created between them," why did you pull back?"

"I -" he began, his hand placed slowly on his heart as he frowned at it," I think perhaps I'm the one down with a fever. I feel a bit warm."

"It could be a blockage of your chakras," Delilah suggested.

"I can't get human illnesses," he said matter-of-factly.

"Don't worry, it isn't an illness," she said," you can fix it quickly if you know how."

His eyes gleamed curiously, but he didn't show any of it on his face as he scraped his throat.

"So," he began," if someone were to try to get rid of this thing, how would they go about it?"

"Okay, so mimic my position," Delilah said, crossing her legs in a lotus position easily.

With a voice full of disbelief and mild horror he shook his head.

"I'm not flexible, so I'll pass," he said.

"Aren't you like the most powerful person in this universe?" Delilah said.

"Yeah," he replied," doesn't make me flexible though."

"It's fine, you'll learn quickly," she smiled," for now you can just sit cross-legged."

"Wait a minute," he said, holding up a hand," I said someone, I never specified I would do this."

"Who else would you ask this for?" Delilah said as she grabbed his hands and squeezed them," I'm your only friend."

"Curse my honesty," he scowled," I should have just told you I get along with everyone. For all you'd have known then I could be having parties with the gods everyday."

"That genuinely sounds like fun," she said.

"No," he said," you don't understand, they all are able to form one coherent thought collectively and that is about how they can cause trouble without me punishing them."

"You have to punish them too?" Delilah said," they genuinely overwork you."

She jumped to her feet then as she remembered something, grabbing it off the shelf and sitting down in front of him again. He stared at the lemon cakes she was holding, before looking back at her, lips parting.

"I bought them for you," she smiled," you can eat them next time you take a break." She held up her hand, voice warm. "Promise me you'll take a break alright, because knowing you, this will probably be the only time you take off for the next few centuries."

There was something in the way he looked at her then, like she was an angel in the light of stained glass, a field of poppies blooming on no man's land. Surprise flashed across his face as he placed a hand on his heart, the stars residing in his eyes exploding in supernovas. When their gazes locked again he gently took her hand, intertwining their fingers as he placed it against his forehead, before closing his eyes.

"This counts as my break," he murmured," everything feels as work, but not you." He opened his eyes again and she stared right into them, the galaxy glittering softly in his irises. "I was thinking of you all day."

When she didn't reply he softly placed her hand back in her lap, but she pulled him in for a hug before he could do anything else. His cloak swished around her, his silky hair brushing her neck, her words catching in the space between her lips and his collarbone.

"You're welcome to take a break with me anytime," she said.

As soon as she pulled back a bit he placed a hand on her cheek, voice hesitating. "Delilah -"

"What is going on?"

Delilah's attention turned towards Mateo, who had just appeared out of the floor and was pointing at the Reaper, frown on his face.

"Have you come to take Delilah?" he said," I won't let you."

A loud karate yell escaped his lips then as he jumped at the Reaper, ready to tackle him. Delilah's lips parted, ready to remind Mateo that he was a ghost and couldn't fight him, but right at that moment he tackled the Reaper, all three of them looking surprised.

Mateo was the first one who spoke, smile sheepish and his hands on the Reaper's collar.

"Fuck."