A Deal With Death

I sat curled up on the other side of his room just watching as he stopped throwing up and then fell to sleep.

I was scared that he would die; thought death had told me it wasn’t his time.

Death stayed with me for a while talking with me.

I think he knew I needed to have someone there with me.

He was still quite human underneath it all.

-Flashback-

“I’m not taking him,” Death told me his hand still on my shoulder.

“It’s not his time, not for a long while” he added squeezing my shoulder,

“How long does he have left?” I asked curious trying to get my mind off his situation.

“Decades, he will be 74” he nodded his head as if remembering,

“And me?” it would be handy to know now.

“67 and you won’t die naturally it will probably be a car crash or something like that” it was weird he already knew how I would die.

“How did you die?” though the conversation was about death it didn’t fell that solemn.

“Committed suicide” he confessed,

“And yet you hate them so much” I laughed feeling the dread leave me a little.

“Hypocritical aren’t I?” his voice was also lighter.

“Very” I couldn’t help but smile, I was joking with death, laughing with death.

“So I was wondering…” his hand slid from my shoulder

“Yes?” I prompted him,

“When you die would you like to take up my job, as death?” he asked me.

“Would I still look 67?” I asked as if I did choose to be death I wouldn’t really want to look 67.

“Well no one would really see you but no, you choose whichever age you want.”

“I’ll think about it” I told him, I had five years to choose and it wasn’t like he was getting older and he knew when I was going to die, so I couldn’t go anywhere.

He would find me anyway.

“Tell me when you decided, we have forever anyway, oh and you have the rest of the night off” and then he disappeared to leave me with Caleb.
-End-

I sat listening to his even breathing.

I had cleaned up his vomit, as disgusting as it was because it was more disgusting sitting there.

I was still in my hood it was warm and comforting.

I was glad death gave me the night off, I didn’t know what he was going to do but I didn’t really care.

Caleb stirred groaning, I sat as still as possible.

It had been five hours meaning it was now around 7:30 in the morning.

“Ow” he complained sitting up and holding his head.

He raised his arms looking at them and then looking over the side of the bed.

He looked confused and then began searching his room.

I sat curled in the corner watching him, my head covered in my hood.

His eyes sort me out and he crawled over the end of his bed winching and flinching as he did.

He came and kneeled in front of me.

I was supposed to be looking after him and yet he was crawling out of bed to look after me.

“Airlea?” he whispered trying to look into my eyes but they were now glued to the floor.

“Was it a dream?” he brought his hand up in front of my face but I stopped it.

Instead I lifted my own hands up and brought down my hood so he could see.

“It’s always been you” his voice was almost disbelief and sorrow.

“Always” I replied now looking up at him.

His eyes were wide and glazed, his face still pale.

His hand rested on my cheek and he wiped away the tears I didn’t know were there.

“I love you,” he told me out loud knowing who I really was.

I didn’t know what to say, I didn’t really know what I felt.

I dropped my knees and practically jumped into his arms wrapping my arms tightly around his neck.

I was so glad he was still alive.

I started crying and sobbing and hitting his chest.

“How dare you, you promised me, you bastard” my whole body was shaking.

“I’m sorry” he tired calming me down while running his hand through my hair.

“You promised me after last time, I can’t believe you” I gave up on hitting him and just clung to his chest.

“I’m sorry” was all he could say; there was nothing else he could say anyway.

“I hate you,” I said feebly not really meaning it and meaning it at the same time.

“I love you too” he kissed my cheek,

“I didn’t say that” I grumbled running out of tears and just holding him now.

“Of course you did” I could hear the smile in his voice.

I leant back from him so I could see his face.

“You’re an idiot,” I said before I kissed him without hesitation.

For a second he was surprised before he started kissing me back.

The feeling surging through my body was one I could only describe as absolute happiness.

When we finally broke apart our faces were alight with joy.

“I’m sorry for what I said” he apologised and he should have too.

“It’s all in the past,” I kissed him once more lightly.

“You are all that I know now, you are my life,” he whispered as our foreheads rested against each other’s.

Once he had told me that when he knew I was just Death’s Assistant.

Now I was both Death’s Assistant and his best friend Airlea, all that he knew.

“I love you,” I whispered listening for whether I was telling the truth.

My voice held no lie, I did love him and I was happy.