A Father's Emotions

VI

She looks at the phone confused before going down the stairs almost immediately. 'What did you do?' Hope calls out as she goes into the lounge, looking at her dad suspiciously.

'Who says I did anything?' Death responds with a smirk.

'You threatened him, didn't you?'

'Am I really that easy to read?'

'Yes. I already had it sorted.'

'Oh.'

Hope smiles at her dad before looking at the puppy that had stumbled into her leg. She bends down to fuss Coco and notices Oriana's baffled expression. 'What?'

'There's three of them,' Oriana mumbles confused as she watches Cerberus.

'They're adorable, aren't they?' Death says, not looking at them as he scrolls through his phone.

'She's seeing Cerberus,' Hope corrects standing up.

'Yeah, Cee, Bee and Rus. They're adorable.'

'Pa, she's seeing Cerberus.'

Death looks at them with wide eyes before focusing on Oriana's expression.

'Cerberus as in hellhound like in mythology?' Oriana asks cautiously.

'Yes,' Death says carefully.

'I thought Heracles had him?'

'Temporarily.'

'I'm okay with this. I'm okay with this. That's Cerberus, you're Death, you're Hope and. Who's he?’ Oriana gestures at Karma.'

'Karma.'

'Oh, the irony.' Oriana's eyes roll back and Hope darts forward in time to catch her unconscious form.

'Fantastic,' Hope mumbles.

'She has a point, the irony is hilarious,' Karma comments.

'Shut the f**k up.'

'I thought uncle Love said she'd be welcoming.'

'Shut up!'

Death looks at the pair confused. 'How did she know that?' Death asks.

'I told her,' Hope whispers as she runs her hands through Oriana's hair.

'Why?'

'Because she accused me of sleeping with you.'

Death frowns. 'I don't see how us falling asleep on the theatre sofa-'

'Not that sleep.'

'Oh.' Death frowns as he looks away. 'That's weird.'

'Says the one who stopped ageing visibly at twenty-five.'

Death raises his middle finger but the smile on his face betrays him. 'Is she okay?'

'She'll be round in a couple of minutes.' Karma places a glass of water on the table. 'Thanks.'

Oriana groans as she opens her eyes.

'You don't have to move if you don't want to,' Hope says quietly.

'I can keep Cerberus to his puppy forms if you would prefer that,' Death offers.

'It'll be alright. Just too much information at once,' Oriana mumbles, pressing her face into Hope's stomach. 'What does this mean now that I'm your soulmate?'

'Immortality after a ritual.'

'That sounds cool.'

'I like her.'

Hope rolls her eyes, smiling fondly at Oriana. 'Does it include tattoos?' Oriana looks at Death who shrugs one shoulder.

'Can do. Something ties you two together and you feed off her immortality. If she dies, you die. So, don't let her be killed.'

'Something like what?'

'No idea. Was never able to do it.'

Oriana looks at Hope who shakes her head. 'Oh.'