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It was early December and the first day of their holiday away from reaping. The other reapers had taken the news without question; always the faithful workers. Tessa slept in simply because she could, even though she didn’t need sleep. When she woke, she pulled on her fluffy blue robe and went downstairs. She found her boss sitting in the den, flipping through channels on the large flat screen tv.
”Morning, Tessa,” Death said, never looking away from the television. Tessa shuddered; sometimes she hated how he just knew she was there.
”Good morning, sir,” she replied, rubbing the back of her hand against her eye and taking a few steps into the den. “Sleep well?”
”I don’t require sleep, Tessa. You know that.”
”Yeah, neither do I. Still, it’s nice to shut down for a few hours, become oblivious to everything.” Not that you aren’t oblivious enough, Tessa thought. “You could probably do with some of that, you know.”
”Probably,” Death mumbled, eyes skimming the list of available movies and tv shows onDemand. “What were your plans for today?”
”I dunno,” the corners of Tessa’s mouth pulled down in thought. “It’s a toss up between going out and shopping, or staying in my pjs and watching tv with you.”
Death smirked and glanced over at Tessa, standing in her robe at the end of the sofa. “Alright, Tessa. I’m going to watch Doctor Who; let me know if you want the card.”
Tessa quickly weighed her options; she could stay here and have a Doctor Who marathon, or she could put on actual clothes and go to the mall, where everyone else was doing their Christmas shopping.
”I’ll be right back,” she said before going back upstairs and brushing her teeth.
When Tessa came back down, Death was still sitting in the den, tv paused on the opening sequence of Doctor Who. Tessa leaned over the back of the couch, shoulder to shoulder with her boss.
”I’m going to make some hot cocoa, do you want some?”
”Oh, yes, please,” Death replied, standing up and following Tessa into the kitchen.
An island sat in the middle of the kitchen, where Death sat atop a barstool, watching Tessa pull out ingredients. She boiled some water, then mixed in cocoa, sugar, and a pinch of salt. Then she turned down the heat, stirring in some milk. When she was done, she poured the liquid into two mugs and added cream to each cup.
”You know, you don’t have to wear that suit all the time,” Tessa teased as she set a mug down in front of Death.
”Would you prefer if I walked around in my underwear, then?” Death returned lightly, watching Tessa out of the corner of his eye.
”N-um, no,” she stammered, unable to stop the mental image from forming in her mind. She turned away, going to the fridge for the whipped cream. “It’s just, I’m sure there are more comfortable things upstairs you could be wearing.”
Death shrugged as Tessa closed the fridge door and began to shake the bottle of whipped cream. “Clothes are clothes.”
Tessa nodded slowly as she sprayed a mound of cream on top of the liquid in her mug before handing it to Death. He sprayed a bigger pile and handed it back to Tessa, who returned the bottle to the fridge.
”Would you mind taking mine in there with you?” Death asked as he stood, picking up his cane before disappearing.
Tessa knew better than to question; she picked up both mugs and left the room, using the bottom of one to flick off the lights as she went. She walked down the hallway to the den and set the mugs on the coffee table. She had just pulled a blanket out of the closet when Death reappeared next to the sofa.
”You were right, Tessa. This is much better.” He was wearing a pair of black sleep pants made of soft cotton and a gray, long-sleeve shirt. Tessa smiled.
”I bet. Ready?” Tessa sat down on the sofa, unfolding the blanket. Death picked up his mug and joined her, setting his cane up against the table. She spread the blanket across their laps and leaned forward to grab her own mug. Death draped his arm across the top of the couch, feeling more comfortable than he had in a long time. Tessa relaxed back on the couch and found herself nestling in to Death’s side before instinctually straightening again.
”It’s alright, Tessa,” Death assured her. She returned to her previous position slowly, taking a sip of her hot cocoa as Death pressed play.