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990 Words
She eyes the hesitant male in the kitchen from the table. 'What have you done?' Hope asks.
'Your mum passed away last night and Karmi is your brother Karma,' Death responds.
Hope laughs. 'Great April's fools, pa, really beats last year's.' she watches Death's expression to spot the tear before he wipes it away. 'You're not joking.'
Cerberus whines as he rests his heads on Hope's lap.
'And that's a three-headed dog,' Karma whispers making the pair in the kitchen look at him.
'Yeah, definitely wasn't joking. Fantastic,' Hope mumbles.
'What is that?'
'Cerberus, he was the three puppies. This is his main form.'
'Oh. I thought Hercules had him.'
Cerberus whines, pressing into Hope more. 'Yeah, we got him back.'
'Can I invite some friends over, help me settle into my room?'
'Sure.' Hope looks at their dad. 'You know who is coming over later, bringing Coco with her because Rus decided to ambush her last night. Behave.'
Death smirks as he holds his hands in the air as a gesture of innocence.
A little while later the doorbell goes making Cerberus bark as he bounds up to it, shifting into his three forms. Hope smiles as she opens the door before noticing Krister stood behind Oriana.
'Kris! Ori! You made it,' Karma says making Hope look back at her brother.
'Say what?' Hope comments.
'I was already coming over,' Oriana says releasing Coco off her lead and she darts off playing with the other puppies. 'Your sister beat you to it.'
He looks at the four adults confused with the tension in the air. 'What's going on?' Death asks leaning on the doorframe.
Hope almost groans when she notices that he had disposed of his entire outfit apart from his boxers for some reason.
Oriana looks at Hope with an eyebrow raised. 'I don't know, what is going on?' Oriana comments.
'Really? You're going to be the one to pull that card out when you brought Keith with you?' Hope responds.
'It's Krister,' Krister corrects.
'I don't care. I give up with all of you.' Hope goes up the stairs.
'Hope,' Death calls out moving from the doorway.
'f**k off!' Hope yells back.
'That's her gone for a while.'
Oriana sighs before following Hope.
Karma looks at his dad confused with the look he's giving Krister. 'I'm going to the kitchen,' Karma comments.
'Good idea, I'll have a hot chocolate,' Death says as Karma passes. Once Karma is in the kitchen, Death pins Krister to the wall. 'Listen very carefully or I'll be paying you another visit, understand?' Death hisses.
'Where's the hot chocolate?' Karma calls out.
'Cupboard closest to the oven,' Death responds. His eyes narrow on the human. 'You will terminate your relationship with Oriana as it is never going to work. I don't care if you somehow think she's the one for you because she isn't. If you opened your eyes, you would see that. Understand?' Krister nods making Death move away. 'Good.'
Her eyes watch her soulmate baffled. 'Excuse me?' Hope asks, her back on the library window.
'Having fun lying to me and sleeping with him?' Oriana replies.
'Look who's talking.'
'I'm not sleeping with him.'
'Then why are you with him?'
'You don't get it, you've never got it. I was trying to make you jealous.'
'No, you hurt me, not made me jealous. That's the sixth time you've done that.'
'You're not sleeping with that guy?'
'Why would I sleep with my own dad?!' Hope slaps a hand over her mouth as Oriana looks baffled.
'That guy is your dad?'
'Yes.'
'How?'
'Are you leaving him?' Hope watches Oriana to see the confusion on her features.
'What does this have to do with that?'
'Are you leaving the leech downstairs or not?' Hope's sharp eyes watch Oriana's every movement.
'Why?'
Hope moves closer to Oriana, trapping the woman between her and the bookcase. 'Are you leaving him and continue what we did last night? Or are you going to keep living a lie?'
'It's not that easy.'
'It is, I'll protect you. They can't hurt you when you're with me but they can when you're with him.'
Oriana watches Hope's eyes. 'You're an i***t,' Oriana whispers before pressing their lips together. 'I was going to break up with him when I pulled up but he got out of.' Oriana's sentence stops at Hope's lips pressing to hers again.
'I'm Hope.'
'I know.'
'And my dad is Death.'
His eyes watch the guy sat awkwardly on the furthest end of the three-seater sofa away from where he's lead across the two-seater. 'Do you not want a drink?' Death asks, sipping his hot chocolate. Karma looks between them as he sits on the three-seater with a tea in his hand.
'I'm good, thanks,' Krister mumbles. His eyes meets Death's briefly before his fingers start a text for Oriana. He locks his phone after he sends it and looks at Karma. 'Thanks for inviting me to the party last week but I really need to go. I don't think you'll need me here. I'm sure your brother will help you settle in fine before your dad gets here. I'll text you later.'
'Sure,' Karma replies, watching as Krister darts out of the house and his car speeds away. 'Did he just say brother?' his eyes go to Death's to see the grin on his face.
'Yeah, he did,' Death says before laughing.
'What did you say to him?' Karma watches his dad curiously, wondering why his mum left.
'Not important.'
Karma laughs with Death, glad to distract himself from the grief. 'Can I still work?'
'Of course, I'm not stopping you. You don't have to change your life because you've started living with me. Just operate as you always did.'
'You up for evening movie sessions under a blanket?'
'I still let Hope braid my hair.'
Karma laughs finally realising that he'll be okay.
- Writer
