The sky seemed to glow a bright, deeply saturated baby blue, hugging the rays of the sun within the sparse clouds drifting by. Long, harsh winter nights had given way to blooming spring days, the heliophiles of the Earth swarming out into nature, basking in the life-giving beams of light as they went about their everyday tasks.

She sat amid the throng of humans, Her slim legs crossed upon the stool of the small outdoor bistro table, flashing a short, almost flirtatious smile at the all-too-charming waiter as he placed a tall glass filled to the brim with a thick, vanilla milkshake upon the coaster at Her table. She watched him walk slowly away, turning back to throw coy glances in Her direction as he stumbled to give the other customers their orders. With a satisfied smile, She reached for the glass, the candy striped straw barely touching Her lips before a voice called out,

“Now just what are you doing out in the town with people on a beautiful day like this, darling?”

She turned sharply to meet the man’s gaze as he casually strolled towards Her table. He was a dashing gentleman, the type of man you stumble into and realize for the first time can be found outside of the wide, Technicolor screens of the movies. His plump lips stretched into an innocent grin and She almost felt bad as She watched the waiter’s shoulders fall in dismay in response to the presence of Her new guest.

“For all their nuisance, I have to admit, humans know the palette better than any other species.” She said, taking a long satisfying sip of the shake before popping the whipped cream-coated cherry between Her own ruby red lips.

“Are you sure you weren’t human in another life?” he arched a brow, leaning back in his seat as he watched Her remove the stem from Her tongue, perfectly knotted, as it was a habit of Hers to do.

“What other life?” She frowned.

“I don’t know. I was trying to make a joke. Isn’t that something people say? ‘Were you so and so in another life?’”

She laughed, a sound more akin to a scoff, “You’ve been spending far too much time in that ditch of an underworld, Luhan. I think you’ve lost touch with humanity.”

“Have I?”

“Certainly have.”

“Why do I get the feeling you’re just fooling with me?” he tilted his head, his lip twitching with a smile.

“I would never,” She replied, slurping from Her straw again, “And anyways, how would you know? ‘Dead men tell no tales’, isn’t that right?”

“Oh, they tell more tales than you think, love.” He smiled, leaning forward to rest his elbow upon the table, propping his chin upon his palm, “They positively will not shut up sometimes.”

Her lips twitched in a frown as She took another long, contemplative sip of Her drink. Luhan observed silently, the amber pools of his irises sparkling beneath the sunlight. She reciprocated his gaze, leaning back in Her chair to glance over the young man’s physique.

He was young, like Her, although he appeared even younger, especially, She noticed, when he stared, his wide, pure doe eyes like those of a glass doll, reflecting the world in a glimmering light within their surface. Upon his shoulders rested a crème white blazer, complemented by a crisp powder blue dress shirt and jeans, his ivory oxfords resting on his knee as he folded one leg over the other. His entire demeanor seemed to give off an air of nonchalance She very nearly despised. In his fresh attire, with his innocent visage, one could hardly guess he spent his days in the company of the dead.

“What are you doing here, Luhan?” She diverted her gaze to the coaster lying flat upon the table, effectively eliminating any thought verging on affection She might have been forming, “This isn’t your realm- Last I checked, at least. Or has God changed His mind?”

“No,” he shook his head, still smiling, “No word from God, not for me, at least.”

He paused for a moment, looking at Her expectantly. Once a short ‘no’ fell from Her lips, he continued, “I only wanted to see you, love. It’s been so long.”

“Not nearly long enough.” She mumbled.

“So many deaths in the winter, it’s hard to find time to for oneself, you know?”

“No, I wouldn’t. They’re all quite alive in these parts.”

“Well, it’s hard, trust me.” He sighed, his eyes softening, “When I couldn’t visit, I tried sending letters. But you know how the spirits are. Once they find their way back to Middle realm, it’s all you can do to keep them from returning home, always in such a rush, as if they still have to prepare for work in the morning or something.”

“How strange.” She replied blandly, attempting not to roll Her eyes.

Luhan let out a laugh, the sound tinkling within the air like the keys of a piano. “Don’t be upset with me, love. I wasn’t the one who chose for it to be this way.”

“How is it that even though you’re bound to the underworld, you somehow always manage to sneak your way up here?” She asked, ignoring his plea.

“Who sneaks? I took the gates, like usual.”

“You’ve been speaking with God, I know it.” She grimaced, up the last few remnants of Her drink. “You just don’t want to tell me, you selfish bastard. Just like last time.”

She pushed her chair back with force, the legs screeching against the floor as She stood up, strutting away from the small bistro. Before She could even reach the corner of the block, a warm hand encompassed Hers, twirling Her on Her heel to face him.

“You know that’s not true, love.”  Luhan pouted, somehow still able to appear happy.

“Liar.”

“Why would I lie to you?” he chuckled, taking ahold of Her other hand, pulling Her just slightly closer. The red of Her lips turned down even further.

“Why did you lie to me last time?”

The young man leaned in closer, his hand trailing from Her arm to Her neck, slowing caressing the smooth plains of Her cheek with the pad of his thumb. His breath tickled Her skin like small blades of grass tickled the back of one’s neck as they lay flat against the earth’s surface at night. “If there was anything I could do to make you happy, you know I would.”

She bit her lip as She gazed down at his own soft ones, breathing just against her cheek. Her brow furrowed in frustration, as if deciding if it would be worth it to bring herself just a little bit closer. Her teeth pressed down hard upon Her flesh as She forced her eyes up, catching his gaze.

“Then let’s make a bet.”

“A bet?”

She nodded, taking a step back, only slightly satisfied at the look of disappointment in his eyes. “God isn’t speaking with you. Nor is He speaking with me. I’d say it’s fair to take matters into our own hands at this point, right?”

“What are planning?” he tilted his head, “What kind of bet?”

“I want to switch.” She frowned, Her lip jutting out almost childishly, “I’m bored to death of these  humans. Every damn day, it’s the same pissing and and putting on airs of importance. Do you know how distorted mankind’s sense of self importance is? I haven’t seen it anywhere else in the universe! They’d actually thought the Sun revolved around them until a few centuries ago, if you’d believe it. I’m very close to suicide, Luhan, if such a thing is even possible for us.”

The young man let out a laugh, his eyes forming small wrinkles at the corners. “Do you really think you’ll enjoy the world of the dead any more, love? It can be downright dismal sometimes.”

She rolled Her eyes, placing Her hands on Her hips, “If you can deal with it, I’m sure I can. Flowers practically grow where you walk, Luhan.”

“What’s that got to do with anything?” he feigned hurt, his lower lip trembling as if with the burden of tears.

“Well, you make them grow, and I smash them behind you with my heels.” She shrugged, “Don’t you think this setup is more fitting anyways? You love coming to the surface.”

He tilted his head, his eyes squinting up at the Sun in thought. A deep breath raised his shoulders, his hand coming up to ruffle the haphazard strands of his auburn tresses.

“If it makes you happy, love, I’ll do it.” He sighed, “But I choose the bet. Is that fair?”

She chewed Her cheek for a moment before consenting. “I suppose.”

“Great,” he grinned, his eyes forming crescents, “The bet will be simple. We find a dying man or woman, one who is on the verge of suicide, and you talk them out of it. If you can succeed in talking them out of taking their own lives, I will give up my position to you. God can sort out the details later.”

“And if you win?”

“If I win?”

“Yes,” She folded Her arms, “If they kill themselves. What do you want?”

He curled in his lips for a moment, his bright eyes gazing around the landscape in contemplation. “You forgive me, and I can visit you here every night from now onward. Deal?”

“How is that fair?”

“I think it is.”

“I want another deal.”

“I’m sorry, love. This is it.”

She narrowed Her eyes at him, Her red nails digging into Her arms. With one last moment of contemplation, She sighed, “Fine. Deal.”

As the words fell from Her lips, he leaned forward, his pink lips hugging Hers in a chaste, short kiss, a grin stretching across his features as he pulled away. “Let’s get started then.”

*********************

Luhan held his hand out, his fingers gently wrapping around Hers as he guided Her along the beams of the bridge. Her heels clacked against the metal loudly and every now and then, She would glance down to take in the roaring waters beneath the man made contraption.

“There’s no one here, Luhan.” She spoke loudly so as to overpower the sound of the river coursing below.

“Come on,” he breathed, hopping off the beams and into the small gap of walk space between the rails and the driving lanes. He turned around, holding his arms out wide. With a tinge of red upon Her cheeks, She hopped down, allowing him to catch Her by the waist, his arms quick to wrap around her small figure, pulling Her close against his body in the narrow space. A complacent smile stretched his lips before he pulled away, walking ahead of her down the lane. “They’ll be here soon. I can sense it.”

Bashfulness gave way to arrogance as She let out a scoff, folding Her arms and treading behind the tall figure. “’Sense it’ he says. What kind of bull is that? Since when have you been able to ‘sense’ these things?”

Luhan shrugged, the smile never once wavering as he placed his hands in his jean pockets, his broad shoulders rising and falling in a deep breath. “Some time now, love. I’m surprised you haven’t developed something similar.”

Before She could retaliate, the loud, obnoxious humming of an all too aged vehicle rumbled from down the otherwise empty bridge. A short, rusted yellow buggy rolled over, sputtering to a stop just about halfway down the bridge. Luhan bit his lip, frowning as the engine faded to silence, nothing but the sound of the wind and chirping birds within the nearby forest occupying the spaces between the vehicle and the beams.

“Is this….?” She mumbled, glancing up at him for a moment, the somber expression on his face enough to answer her question.

The driver seat door creaked open, the small car shifting as two feet grounded themselves upon the street, removing their weight from within the vehicle.

It was a woman, tall and lithe, her fragile frame clothed in a dusty gray pencil skirt and blazer. Her chestnut hair fell in tangled waves about her back, the watch on her wrist falling around her hand as her slim wrist reached to shut the door.

“Her name is Naeil.” Luhan whispered, drawing closer to Her.

“Why is she here?” She whispered in return, Her eyes never leaving the woman. Naeil ran a hand through her hair, allowing Her to get a clearer look at her face. She was a fairly young woman, as far as humans went, likely no older than 30. Her skin was a clear, pale ivory, the blue notes of her veins almost visible beneath her temples. Her lips were small and thin, as if they’d shriveled up from a lack of use, and her eyes swirled a blank, hazy gray, as gray as her blazer, grayer still. In all Her time upon the surface, She had never seen a person truly ready for death. Her realm was, after all, the realm of the living.

“Luhan,” She turned to face him, finding the woman’s gray eyes uncomfortable. Luhan stood just behind Her, his warm gaze something of a comfort amid the foreign sensations. “Why is she here?”

“That wasn’t part of the agreement, love. You just stop her before it’s too late. The why is not important right now.”

“But how can I-“

“You can do it.” He smiled, that kind, sincere smile She always hated to stare at.

A loud clang shocked Her to attention as She turned back to the woman, who had now found her footing upon the beams, her thin legs shaking just slightly at the knees.

“Make yourself known, love.”

“Excuse me,” She spoke clearly, taking a few short steps towards the center of the bridge, where Naeil seemed to be headed.

The woman jumped, a hand instantly going to her heart as she let out a cry.

“W-Who are you?” Naeil cried out, her voice so shaken the words sounded as if they’d traveled through an ocean before reaching Her.

“Might I ask what you’re doing, ma’am?” She asked, ignoring the inquiry, “You’re not going to jump from there are you?”

“Please,” the woman whimpered, “Just leave. I’d rather- rather not-“

She bit her lip and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath before finishing, “-Have someone watch it happen.”

“I’m terribly sorry, ma’am but I can’t just leave you to die like this. It would be unethical.” She explained clearly, a hint of pride sounding in her tone and the professional manner in which she believed her case to have been presented.

“This is none of your business, so, if you don’t mind, I’d like you to leave. Now.” Naeil snapped back, her grip on one of the vertical beams tightening as her heels shook against the metal.

“Please calm down, and let’s discuss this like-“

“Leave now, or I’ll jump!” Naeil screeched, her face burning red as her eyes blurred with tears.

She clamped shut, slightly taken aback. No human had ever spoken in such a way to Her before. She was, to be quite modest, unerringly reasonable, Her arguments always sound, always logical. She could not be argued with, so who was this woman to threaten Her with suicide? What had She said to instigate such hostility?

“Why are you doing this?” She asked rather unabashedly, “What was it? Your job? Your husband? What are you doing on that beam?”

Naeil stammered in response, her voice caught amid the overwhelming sobs that fell from her lips.

“Please leave,” she cried, “I don’t want to do this anymore.”

“Why not?” She interrogated further, folding her arms. Luhan cleared his throat, himself remaining unseen to the woman.

“I’ve lost everything, alright?” Naeil shrieked, “Is that what you want to hear? Was my life itself not enough, do you people need to take away my right to death as well? Is that it?”

“You people?” She narrowed her eyes, ignoring the soft calls of her name from Luhan, “Who is ‘you people’? And how on Earth has anyone taken away your right to live?”

“All of you!” she sobbed, “You people condemn and condemn and judge and accuse and wear a woman thin until she’s nothing but hollow body! And when that’s all that’s left, you take that too! You people- You- All you people- you’re monsters!”

“A human can be stripped of every Earthly possession they have, nothing takes away their life but Death and God.” She stated, Her eyes focusing fiercely upon the woman trembling on the beam. “Or themselves, if they’re truly ungrateful.”

“Earthly possessions?” Naeil scoffed, “And what about the others? What about the things that aren’t Earthly possessions, huh?”

The woman took a step towards Her, the clack of her heels echoing upon the beam, “What about a person’s passion? A person’s happiness? A person’s innocence? Who’s responsible when those are taken away? What about a person’s livelihood? A person’s chastity? When those get taken away, when your very will to live is ripped from your very body how can that person be blamed if they want to end it? How can they be responsible for wanting to rid themselves of this filthy body once and for all? Tell me!”

“Love, please.” Luhan stepped forward placing a gentle hand upon Her shoulder, “Don’t let her do this. Talk her down now, please.”

“Ma’am, if you would only listen-“

“No!” Naeil screamed, her entire body shaking with the force of her voice. The beam creaked, her heels slipping. She watched as the woman’s eyes widened for an instant, a second of a second, the dead gray of her pupils burning with life before she vanished into the depths of the river.

It wasn’t until She felt Luhan’s arms pulling her away from the edge of the bridge that She realized she’d reached her hand out for the woman. Her back pressed against his chest, the heavy breath of his torso pounding against her spine. Her lip trembled as She rested her head between his shoulders, closing her eyes.

“Why, Luhan?”

He remained silent for a moment, his hands caressing her sides soothingly. “She was by a coworker.”

“Ah.”

“When she tried to tell her boss, he covered it up. To protect the man.”

“No one believed her then?”

“No. They didn’t.”

“That’s cruel, Luhan.”

“What’s cruel, love?”

She let out a sigh, placing her hands over his own, laced around her waist. “Giving me a task you know is impossible to achieve.”

He paused for a moment, bringing his head down to rest his chin upon her shoulder, “Do you really think so, love?”

“She was perfectly right. Humans are monsters. And she was better off dead. How could I argue that? You take good care of the dead down there.”

“Love-”

“If you love me, why trick me like this? Twice?”

“I only want you to be happy.”

“And how exactly does this succeed in accomplishing that goal, Luhan?” She clenched her jaw, “How does forcing me from the underworld, away from you, away from death and into this God forsaken hellhole of greed and pride even remotely help me to be happy? How? You lied. You’ve been talking to God this whole time. You conniving little and your impossible bets!”

His grip on her waist tightened, the gentle, kind expression fading from his face. He turned Her around, holding onto her hips as he leaned forward, his forehead resting against hers, “God never listened to me in the first place, love. All I can do is try to understand why.”

“And have you? ‘Great Luhan, ruler of the Dead’, have you understood God yet?” She spoke lowly, her words sharp and bitter.

“I think today I have.” He smiled, bringing a hand up to cup her cheek. She shifted from his touch, frowning as he laughed.

“You’ll still need some time here, love, before we can be together again.”

“What for?” She whispered, a hint of sorrow coloring her tone. “How can I save these humans when they don’t want to be saved? The smartest of them all would say himself death is better than the life they have now. Their souls don’t want to stay here. They all want to join you, down there. I want to join you down there.”

His thumb rubbed soothing circles into Her cheek as he smiled gently. He leaned forward, slowly, cautiously encompassing her lips with his own, the honeyed taste of her lipstick leaving an all too sweet flavor upon his tongue as he dragged his lips away hesitantly, instantly desiring her kiss again the moment they parted.

“Do you know what tales the dead men tell me about, love?”

“What sort of tales?”

“Life.” he breathed, placing another gentle kiss upon her pouting lips, “And until you understand that, you’ll never understand Death.”