DELILAH HAD BEEN IN her room when Helio had told her it was time, but it had been midnight when her heart had shattered. She hadn't cried in a long time now, but her tears never gave her shame. It was proof she had loved, proof that he had existed. Mateo had been her best friend for longer than she could remember. All she had ever wanted was for him to be happy.

When Helio's scythe went through him and he disappeared she closed her eyes, before opening them again when Helio carefully placed a hand on her shoulder. He had made them invisible, but that didn't keep her from feeling like Mateo's family was still seeing her, the three of them standing frozen on their frontyard, like he would return if they waited a moment longer.

"I'm sorry," Helio whispered, glancing at his hands, like he personally had killed Mateo," for your loss."

"Thank you," she smiled, her tears catching the moonlight," he's in good hands now, right?"

"He is," Helio said, voice quiet but still ever so clear," I will guide him to his destination, Delilah, until he finally can be at peace."

"He's pleasant company," she said," you'll have fun guiding him."

"Are you alright?" he said.

"I am," she said, softly wiping her tears away," I always knew this would happen, sooner or later. Besides, death is not the end of the road. I will see him again, one day."

"Come back inside," a girl said then, holding who Delilah presumed to be her mother as she waved at her brother," it's cold."

"Yeah," the brother said, gaze fixated on where Mateo had been standing before, lowering it after," it's cold."

They headed inside, the mother standing in the doorway for a moment longer. She breathed out words in the evening air then, so quiet Delilah almost couldn't catch them. And with that she was gone as well, the door clicking shut behind her.

"I miss you, Teo," she had said.

He had almost heard them.

That too, broke Delilah's heart. Still, it was a different kind of mourning when you already knew someone was dead, one she was all too used to. When she looked in Helio's eyes she could see he understood, but of course he would. Through all this time, he had always been able to understand her struggles with her powers, with the connections she had built with them. They may not have the same gifts, but their heartbreak tasted just the same.

"You can go, Helio," Delilah reassured him, gently taking his hand in hers and squeezing it," it's alright, I'll be fine. Go do your job."

"I will," he said, not letting her hand go," but first I'll guide you home, Delilah."

"I am not a lost soul," she said.

"I know," he replied easily," but I still want to be around you."

It felt strange to hear him say that, especially considering how strongly he had been against being around her at first. Still, she was glad for it, a smile back on her face as they started walking, hand in hand. The quiet evening air carried them along, Delilah pointing at the stars and telling stories about them as Helio listened.

"That constellation is Andromeda, do you see?" she said, tracing it with her finger.

When she looked at him, his gaze was on her instead of the lights above, soft as he nodded.

"What is it?" she said, extending her other hand to cup his cheek," is something on your mind?"

This was the first time they were seeing each other again after Niccolo had shouted at him in her classroom, the emotions of that day having risen up so high she knew he was probably suppressing them again. With his high workload and the pressure he put on himself she wasn't surprised, but she wanted to make sure he knew he could rely on her if he wanted to.

After all, that was what friends were for - though, were they friends? The word felt wrong on her tongue, like the air tasting of a storm to come, and she stared at him for a moment. Even now he was handsome, but not simply in the way that his features were aligned nicely, but in the way where it felt like his presence alone could thrill you, like he caught stars in his eyes and fortunes formed on his lips about her heart. At first she had admired him only, as the great Grim Reaper she had heard so many fairytales about, but that glamorized image of him had changed.

She had seen the way his insomnia slept beneath his eyes, the way he was confused by any kindness as if he was undeserving of it, the way he so easily granted that same kindness to others. His heart was so big and yet he seemed to think it was only supposed to give, never to take. Most importantly, she liked the simple things about him, how he enjoyed lemons unironically, how he was both careless and careful at the same time, how he so adorably tried to learn human customs but never quite got them.

She liked him.

Oh my, she truly did. Her heart skipped a beat at the revelation and she had to resist the urge to pull her hand back, as if the skin was seared by his body heat. Suddenly she was conscious of everything, the way their hands were intertwined, his cold breath on the palm of her hand, the vast sky above and the small space in between them.

"Thank you for checking in with me," he said, the sides of his lips tugging up in a small smile," I am fine though, now I'm with you."

For a second she wanted to confess, to fall in the concept of starstruck lovers which she always had enjoyed, to let fate carry her along and place her heart in her palms, open for everyone to see. But she couldn't, she knew she couldn't. It would be selfish, with everything he was struggling with. He was still mourning, no matter how much he was healing at the same time, and this revelation was one no one was waiting for.

That was fine, because she hadn't gone in this relationship expecting them to be lovers. So with a smile she slowly tucked a lock of hair behind his ear, fingers grazing across his skin, knowing that having him close was enough on it's own. Besides, she always had wanted to experience the idea of love, so even if it would remain unrequited, that wasn't a problem. That pain too would shape her.

"I'm glad," she said," I know a lot of things were said before with Nico and if you ever want to, know I can be a listening ear, always." She smiled up at him. "Also, thank you for the notes, Helio. They were really useful."

His gentle expression became bashful then as he turned his gaze downwards, nodding at her.

"I'm glad they were," he said, eyes flicking back towards hers," and I will, Delilah. You have become quite important to me, it's a strange feeling."

"But a warm one, right?" she smiled.

"Right," he repeated softly.

She pulled her hands back and his face fell, but he covered it up again a moment later. Still, she didn't allow herself to dwell in that hope, instead beaming at him.

"By the way," she said," my birthday is coming up, I'd love if you were there."

"Of course," he said, his scythe appearing again in his hand as he slashed it through the air casually. An agenda was projected into the air in the part where he had done so, full to the brim with appointments. "I'll be there."

"Do you not get stressed?" Delilah said, waving at the underlined scribbles on each corner of the page," you should take more holidays, Helio, you deserve to have some time off."

"Stress is an emotion," he said matter-of-factly," and I turn my emotions off every business day."

"So basically every day for you," Delilah said.

"Yeah," he nodded," I do not have time for tears until summer, I scheduled it."

"Helio," Delilah scolded," you shouldn't suppress all your feelings as much as you can."

"It's okay," he said," it builds character, it added this extra charm of trauma and apathy that I now carry." Before she could say something he tapped on the screen, looking back at her with a tentative smile. "When is your birthday? I'll free my schedule."

"It's on Halloween," she said," there will be a big party I'll be attending and afterwards a small gathering with friends underneath the stars. I'd love if you were there during all of it. I know you hate large group gatherings, but I'll be by your side through it all and if you want to leave, you can just tell me."

His gaze was undecipherable as he nodded then, almost shyly.

"I'll be there," he promised.

"Delilah! Delilah, is that you?"

Helio blinked, taking a step back, and a moment later he was gone. Probably had gotten surprised by the sudden shouts in the dark, but Delilah had already recognized the voice before she could do any of that. When she turned around she locked eyes with Roshan, a confused frown on his face.

"What are you doing here alone in the dark?" he said.

"I was with a friend," she smiled," heading home now."

"A male friend?" Roshan asked, before scoffing when she nodded," and he didn't offer to walk you home? The bare minimum of chivalry we had seems to be dead as well."

"It's fine," she said, hooking her arm through his," are you going home now? I'll go with you."

"I am," he said, nudging her playfully with his shoulder," I was with my boyfriend, but considering we have school tomorrow I decided to take a late night walk back and hope I don't get hate crimed."

"A valid concern," Delilah said, sighing at the state of the world," still, I'm glad I found you on the way back."

"As am I," he beamed," the walk would have been lonely without you, I already had my taser in hand. And it's always fun to see the birthday girl up close."

"It's not my birthday yet, Rosh," she smiled.

"Not yet," he grinned," but I already know it will be one hell of a party."

Unfortunately she did not yet know how true that was, the clock ticking slowly to it's end.

All Niccolo's predictions came true after all.