Free His Soul to Take by C.M. Torrens

would open for him.
    "Robert, please take it back. You have no idea what you're asking. Fear makes you do stupid things. Don't make the same mistake I did."
    "I won't take it back! What's wrong with wanting to stay with you? Don't you want to stay with me?"
    "Of course! How could you think I wouldn't? But this is a curse—"
    "How can it be a curse if we can stay together?"
    "But we can't! It's not called a curse for no reason."
    "Do you know it wouldn't work?"
    Simon hesitated. “No, but—"
    "Then you don't know it wouldn't work."
    He let out a growl of frustration. “But if it didn't, you risk being here forever. You don't seem to grasp what that's like. No one sees you, Robert. No one hears you, no one to speak to but the dead. Not a century, not two centuries, but until the end of time itself."
    Robert stared at him a long moment. “How long has it been for you?"
    Simon blinked at the sudden softening of Robert's tone as his blue eyes lost their glow of anger. “Centuries. No, more than that. I was a Byzantine solider, once upon a time. That was a very long time ago. I've watched deaths in such horrible manners you can't even imagine. The tortures people are capable of, the suffering of plagues, and cries of children. Please, Robert. Please, don't do this. I beg you. Not for me."
    Robert said nothing and turned away.
    Simon cursed softly as a soul began to call. “I have to go again. Just please think about what I've said."
    He moved to close the gap between them and watched the tension seep from Robert's shoulders. Simon reached out to touch his shoulder and brushed his lips to Robert's cheek.
    "I'll be back as soon as I can."
    Robert nodded.
    Turning away, Simon grabbed his coat and left. Back to work.
    * * * *
    Robert sat in the kitchen sipping coffee. His mind kept turning to his impending doom. Simon hadn't said as much, but his actions spoke louder than words. He was going to die soon, and his personal Death was just waiting for his number to be called.
    The thought sent a chill down his spine.
    That was unfair. Simon was the type of guy he had always wanted. Strong, quiet, great in bed—had a job.
    Robert snorted and stared down into his coffee.
    One day his job would be to take his soul too. Everything dies. How could eternity be so bad with Simon there? What was wrong with wanting to stay with him? Curse be damned.
    Getting to his feet, he paced the kitchen, but nervous energy drove him outside. Doors didn't lock against Death. Simon opened them as if locks didn't exist. Sitting in the kitchen wouldn't prevent Simon or any other Death from coming to visit.
    When Simon was with him all these thoughts faded. He didn't think of anything but him. The taste of his lips, the strength in his arms, the subtle scratch of his chin. When he was gone all he thought about were the bad things. The dark things that seemed to disappear in Simon's presence. Robert felt safe when they were together. He could let go and never even think harm would come. As soon as he was gone, strange, or maybe not-so-strange, notions clouded his mind. Death was his lover. Things couldn't get much stranger than that.
    He stepped outside, heading in no particular direction. He just needed to be out.
    Lost in thought, he didn't see the Reaper creep up beside him until he was walking at his elbow.
    Robert jumped and took a step back, staring at him. Everything about him was very much like Simon. Simple, average, easy to miss. His eyes though... Simon's eyes were dark and haunted. This Death's held an almost malicious gleam that sent an icy ripple through his bones.
    "And so we meet again,” he said.
    "Who are you?"
    A dark smile pulled at his lips, showing a perfect set of white teeth. “Death, Grim, Thanatos, Angel of Death, Reaper, whichever you prefer."
    "What do you want?"
    "I like you. What's not to like? Not often you people look at us. Though I was hounded once for three days by a gypsy woman while I waited for her time to come.