“What about you? Do you enjoy being a reaper?” I ask Gloom, and he smiles.
“Honestly, I don’t hate it. It’s a job, you know? Somebody has to ferry souls to their final resting place, might as well be someone who can do it with a smile,” he responds.
“It seems like a difficult job.”
“It can be. But death happens, you know? It’s a part of being a living being. It’s not something to be feared, and it doesn’t have to be a sad thing, it’s just their next phase in existence.”
I look down at Gloom, really looking at him. He’s beautiful in a way I would have never expected for myself. But as his deep brown eyes gaze into mine, I realize he’s extraordinarily special. I never really pictured myself with more than one person, let alone the two people being the cupid I’ve been pining after foryears over, or this breath of fresh air reaper, but I’m not mad at it.
“Potential love match at three o’clock,” I tell him.
“My three or your three?”
“It’s the same three,” I say with a laugh, pointing at the two women drinking cocktails at the semi-outdoor bar.
“Definitely the woman with the longer hair who needs a nudge,” he confirms correctly.
“Do you need help?”
“I’ve got it, though I wouldn’t be against you rubbing all over me again, either,” he says.
But I give him space, letting him lineup his arrow and shoot. This time, his aim is right to the heart.
“Damn, you’re better than most cupids on their first day,” I say with astonishment. “I’ve had to retire so many cupids from the field because they couldn’t shoot for shit.”
“Guilty as charged,” Ladybird chimes in. “How are you feeling?” she asks.
“Better. Thank you for turning around my shit day, Birdie.”
She grabs my chin, and I smile down at her. “I’d do anything for you,” she says, and I lean down and she places a chaste kiss on my cheek. “Let’s get you home. We’ve got a big day of preparation for the event.”
I want to tug her face back to mine, but then I realize that would probably be even more confusing. I asked everyone to take things slow, and now I may have completely screwed myself over.
“Right, lots of party prep,” I say as she pulls away.
“I’ll see you boys tomorrow,” she says, kissing Gloom on the cheek before she pops out of existence.
“Is it me, or did her exit seem a bit sudden?” Gloom asks.
“That’s Ladybird for you,” I reply, realizing I don’t want to go home just yet. It appears like Gloom doesn’t either, as he walks alongside me.
“So, just how long have you been in love with her and suffering in silence?”
“Too long,” I groan.
“What’s it like?” Gloom asks. We trail over to a cemetery and sit on a stone bench.
“What’s what like?”
“Loving someone,” Gloom replies, and my stupid, massive cupid heart shrinks at the question.
“Well. Do you love your friends?” I ask him.
“Of course I do.”
“Magnify that. Love can be different for everybody. But the truly lasting kind? They’re your friend and your partner. It’s like having a best friend who makes your body and heart stand on edge. It’s the greatest feeling there is.”
“I want that.”
