A Father's Emotions

VII

She sighs as Oriana pulls her along through a shop.

'You have to choose an outfit for the ritual,' Oriana says.

'She means ceremony,' Hope says to someone who looks at the pair strangely.

Oriana rolls her eyes before grabbing a few dresses in their sizes and heading to the changing rooms. 'In there.'

'I'm pretty sure we can't share a changing room.'

Oriana presses a brief kiss Hope's lips. 'Shut up or you're not getting laid tonight.'

Hope rolls her eyes and tries on the dress Oriana throws at her. She smoothes the material before raising an eyebrow. 'Are the slits meant to be this high up?'

'You're tall.'

'This isn't appropriate.'

'Then try another one on.' Oriana struggles zipping her dress so Hope presses a kiss to the skin before pulling the zip up. 'Oh, this is the one.'

'We don't have to be formal for this, Ori.' Hope rests her chin on Oriana's shoulder with her arms wrapped around her waist.

'So? It's our ritual, we should own it.'

Hope smiles at Oriana before taking off their dresses. 'We will.'

The pair dress and Hope takes Oriana's dress and pays for it before Oriana can.

Oriana turns before bumping into someone, yelping quietly in shock. 'Oh, the d**k who couldn't say that we're finished to my face,' Oriana comments.

'She's joking, right?' Someone says beside Krister.

'No, Salix.'

'You must be his brother,' Hope comments before noticing her dad.

He watches the stranger confused, the churning of his stomach being so different from the first time. As each time he falls in love it is because of different reasons. The moment he fell for Juno was when she was strong enough to sass his sister away from her own brother. The moment he knew he loved Hope was when she looked at him with her deep blue eyes. He knew he loved Karma because Karma could make him laugh. But this time, he cannot pinpoint the cause, whether it is the way the light falls upon his dark caramel hair, the light scruff of his beard or the what God? There's only death saying within his tattoo sleeve. Then there's the way that the shirt clings to his lean back along with the fitting of his trousers.

Then the confused blue eyes snap him out of his thoughts. 'Pa?' Hope asks on reflex before she can realise.

Krister, Oriana and Salix look over making Death dry swallow on a nervous reflex. 'Why did you say pa, I thought he's your brother?' Krister asks confused.

'He's the oldest in the group so we call him Pa.'

'Oh.'

'Can I talk to you?' Death asks looking at Hope who nods, heading towards him. 'Look, we need to be careful. I think we're close to working out who would have been after your mother.'

'That's great news. What about anything else? You coming home tonight?' Hope teases. She smiles as she watches her dad try and grapple his thoughts. 'We should head to lunch, we were going to meet with you anyway,' Hope reminds him, peeling his eyes away from the bag in her hand.

'Sure,' Death replies.

Salix steps forward as they're about to leave. 'You aren't going to introduce us, Ri? Salix asks making Hope look at Oriana with a raised eyebrow.

'This is Hope and Mortimer,' Oriana says before joining her hand with Hope's spare one. 'Hope being the one I told you about.' Hope smiles, tugging Oriana closer while Oriana ignores the quick look Death shoots her.

Salix looks at Death and then Hope. 'You guys half-siblings?'

'Yes, they are.' Oriana gives Death a sharp look when he goes to protest making Hope smirk.

'We should be going,' Death comments before spinning on his heels. Hope looks at Oriana with a grin knowing that Oriana had ruffled his feathers.

'Wait,' Salix says, reaching out for Death's arm. Death stops and looks back as soon as the jolting fingers touch his arm. 'Can I have your number?'

'Why would you want my number? I'm no one important.'

'If you're important to Hope, you're important to me because Hope is important to Oriana.' Death raises an eyebrow. 'Just let me give you my number then and text me later on.'

Death relents, passing over his phone on a new contact screen. He looks at Salix baffled as he stands beside him. His eyes observes as the male types in his name, adding an eggplant to the end making Death's eyebrows wrinkle in confusion. The guy types in his phone number and then presses the contact photo button to take a picture. Death started to think back to try and work out what the eggplant represents when something tugs his hair. When he looks, he realises it was someone as Salix still holds his hair. That's when Death knew there was no turning back. This guy had already wormed his way in within a matter of minutes rather than the month for Juno. His hair is tugged again making him grab the guy's waist with both hands, leaning his head down to look at him.

'You want to try that again?' Death asks lowly as Hope takes a picture.

Salix smirks as he watches the blue eyes. 'Probably,' Salix says. 'I asked if you wanted to take a picture but you zoned out.'

'Why would I take a picture with you when it's for your contact?'

'If it's my picture, I get to choose. Therefore, I choose to have a picture of us and it's to remind you of how good we look together that you'll regret it when you pick up somebody else's number.'

Krister frowns confused as he watches his brother. 'I thought you were meeting Francis tonight,' Krister says.

Death and Hope share a look. 'Who's Francis,' Death asks. Krister offers Death a card. 'The son of a bitch.'

She watches her dad concerned. 'We should really grab lunch,' Hope comments.

'I need to talk with your s**t of a cousin anyway,' Death grumbles.

Krister and Salix looks at Hope. 'He's your cousin?' Salix asks confused.

'Yes.'

Salix's eyes go to the male in front of him before plucking the card out of Death's fingers and tearing it up. 'It's not like I saved his number. He suggested meeting up, said he had to tell me about something. I wonder if that something was you?' Salix twists some of Death's hair around his fingers, tugging slightly to draw Death's face closer to his.

'I highly doubt that,' Krister scoffs.

'Was this the same cousin you were talking to before you ran into me?' Oriana whispers making Hope nod. 'Who's he?'

'Oh, Hope!' Love says making her look round to see Fear and Love.

'Fantastic.' Hope muffles her laugh.

'I need a word with you,' Death says, walking towards Fear. Fear looks at him confused before noticing Krister and Salix. 'Come on.' Death grabs Fear's ear and walks away as Fear yelps and Love watches baffled.

'What has gotten into him?' Love asks.

'Fear,' Hope comments making Love sigh.

'Those two love messing with him.'

'Are you able to make it in a few weeks?'

'Of course. I was always going to be there. Those your outfits?'

'I chose them,' Oriana says smiling at Hope. 'We'll be the best dressed there.'

Love smiles knowing it won't go to Oriana's plan.

He glares at his nephew. 'What made you think you could do that?' Death hisses, still gripping Fear's ear.

'I wanted to make sure that he was ready. You dive in headfirst and get consumed with people when you fall in love with them because you didn't notice your own partner's depression after she had Hope,' Fear rushes out.

Death lets go of Fear startled. 'What?'

'I opened the front door once and it was Juno, holding Hope and balling her eyes out. She looked absolutely clueless on what to do with her own child, shoved Hope at mum before locking herself in our main bathroom for two hours. I didn't want you hurting anyone else by accident because they don't understand how you work. Juno loved you because she loved the rush that came with you and who you are. She didn't love you as a whole but he will. Dad didn't choose your first soulmate, Juno did. But this time, he knows that he can take your s**t and will ask you for help. And this time, you have eternity to learn each other rather than a whirlwind two years.'

'Why did none of you say?'

'Same as the reason as not telling you about Karmi or Karma. We thought your sister told you.'

'Fantastic.'

'You'll be fine this time as something is already there. Dad just made sure you found him easier. It was always meant to happen this way.'