Between Life and Death

Break Down Doors Part 3

●LIFE●

Life continued to stare at the door long after Death had left, as though expecting him to walk in again. She couldn't get over how comforting it was to be wrapped protectively in his strong arms, how his breath felt as it tickled her ear, or, heaven forbid, how firm his torso was beneath his tight, silky shirt. Damn those abs. Just the thought of him had her cheeks heating up, and she wanted to slap herself for it. What did he do to make me change my mind about him? What is different about him now than before? Has he changed at all? Why did I feel so upset when he almost got himself killed? Why do I look at the door so longingly?

The door suddenly opened, halting her train of thought. Her heart leaped at the possibility that it could be Death, but she tried not to look too disappointed when it was Mercy who came in.

"So? What did he say?" Mercy asked, raising an eyebrow and smiling mischievously.

"Death just came in and thanked me for healing him." Even at mention of his name Life began to blush, not going unnoticed by Mercy's gaze.

"Did he do anything else?" Mercy asked, eyebrows raised, the question ending in a lilt.

"N-no!" Life sputtered, and then righted herself. "It's not what you think it is - we're both still recovering, neither of us would even think about doing something so... frisky. Besides, it's only been a day since we both passed out."

Mercy, still with the smirk, asked, "Then what was it that makes you blush?"

"I had begun to get a little bit emotional at the fact that he almost died, and when he saw that I was crying, he just came up to me and hugged me. I guess I didn't know he could be so... sweet," Life said with a smile. Then, remembering Mercy, she quickly hid her joy away underneath a mask of indifference.

Mercy's smirk became a genuine smile as she said, "Yeah, he is. And the good things don't stop there, either - but you'll have to find out for yourself."

"You know, all my life I've been trying to figure out what kind of person Death is - he had so many different personalities - but I think I'm on the path to finally get my answer," Life whispered, and to this, Mercy beamed, her smile brighter than the sunlight that flitted through the windows.

"Multiple personalities indeed. Good luck on your quest to find the true personality," Mercy replied, and walked out of the room.

For the next few days, Life sat alone, lost in her thoughts, with only herself (and the occasional pop in of Mercy and Truth) for company. They only came by for small talk, however, and she was left alone for the majority of the day. During the long days, she would try and read books on shelves dotted around her room. However, at nights, she didn't sleep very well, and she found herself waiting for daylight the way a lone pup waits for its owner. Finally, the door opened to reveal who she had been waiting for.

"It's nice to see you in good spirits, Life," Death said with a small smile as he closed the door behind him. The tight shirt he had been wearing before replaced by his usual dark robes, and Life found herself slightly disappointed.

"Same to you, Death," Life said back.

"Hey, about before -" Death began, but Life cut him off.

"It was exactly what I needed. Thank you." Death looked a bit surprised for a moment, his eyes wide, and then replaced his shock with a smile.

"I have a quick question. May I ask it?" Death asked with a playful smile on his face.

For a moment, Life was confused as to why he had such a playful smile when she realized that he had quoted her exact words from only about a week before. "You have already asked one. My time here is done," Life responded, exaggerating with a deep voice, earning a laugh from Death.

"All playing aside, I actually have a question," Death said.

"Shoot," Life replied, holding up a finger gun.

"You've already met Truth and Mercy, right?" Death asked, and Life nodded.

"Well, they're part of my court, and I wanted you to meet the rest of them. I know you already saw them when I was... hurt," he said pointedly, clearing his throat slightly, "but I wanted to give you a formal introduction. Would you like to?"

Life nodded, a smile growing on her face. "Yes. I would like that."

Death held out a hand to help her out of bed, and Life took it, heartbeat accelerating when their hands met. Even once they had left the room they were still holding hands, and the action did not go unnoticed by the servants.

Death guided Life down endless halls until they ended up in front of a door. It was only then that Death dropped Life's hand, and he opened the door for her. "Milady, I would like to introduce you to my court," he said as the door swung open.

The people in the room were gathered around a large fireplace, some sitting in chairs and others lounging on the ground. All conversation froze as soon as Life walked into the room, and everyone turned towards Life. Under all of the focused attention, Life felt herself blushing, especially as she realized she was wearing merely a loose fitting shirt with baggy pants.

"Everyone, I would like to formally introduce you to Life," Death said with a dramatic sweep of his arm at Life. "Life, that is Justice, Vengeance, Fury, and Time. You already know Truth and Mercy, so I don't need to introduce you to them."

With every new name Death mentioned, he pointed to a person standing in the room: Justice was a tall woman with a simple white dress shirt with some long, white pants to go with it. There was a scabbard with a sword around her waist, and a sash tied around her wrist. When Death pointed to her, she gave a nod and a smile, her brown hair curling around her ears.

Vengeance was an average-sized man who wore a black suit with dark grey dress pants. He was armed with a whip and had steely grey eyes that looked like they had been forged with the purest silver.

Fury had jet black hair with red tips, and wore clothing that humans classified as "emo." It was the look in his eyes that frightened Life - his stare was cold and malicious, like a resting tiger ready to pounce. When pointed at and named, he gave a tight lipped smile that seemed more like a grimace that anything.

Time was a very tall man with light grey hair, and he was wearing a suit and formal dress pants. In his hands was a pocket watch, and a sickle hung from his belt. When introduced, he bowed slightly, his pocket watch swinging and reflecting the light from the window.

Everyone smiled at her, and Life waved shyly back. Noticing her hesitation, the court laughed good-naturedly.

"Welcome," Justice said, her voice silky.

Fury grunted and nodded towards Life, Vengeance doing the same. Time smiled and said, "Hope you enjoy your stay here, and feel free to talk to us." Then he added with a glare, "Though don't expect any kind words from Fury. He has the maturity of a four year old."

Ignoring the last comment, Truth butt in and said, "Yeah, well she better talk to us 'cause we're her only living company! Everyone else here is dead!"

Life froze at Truth's declaration, but Death put a steadying hand on her shoulder, and she relaxed.

"Guys, don't freak her out too much. She just got here after ruling over the living for a few hundred million years. This is her first time in my realm - make her feel welcome."

"Well, I was doing that, until Truth decided to open her mouth," Justice retaliated.

Truth met Justice's glance, a her eyes gleaming with humor. "Haven't heard you contribute anything good for a few millennia, Justice, so I wouldn't be talking," Truth shot back.

Justice laughed, and Truth followed suit. Death smiled at Life as he said, "This is my court, Life, and this is my home."

Life glanced longingly into Death's eyes, then thought to herself, Then let your home be mine, too.