Chapter Text
He's scared, brown eyes wearily glanced over to the door after hearing another pained groan erupt, panic and worry consume his tiny head as he rushes to the ebony wood with a gold handle.
"Calm yourself m'boy."
A large hand gently pulled him away, brown eyes looking up, meeting peridot ones that barely see through messy bangs.
"But mama's in pain and needs help." His little voice whimpered when another groan broke through, sharp and choked, the man's hand ruffled choppy brown hair "I know kiddo but trust me your mother will be fine, this pain is not bad."
"But mama sounds bad."
"I know but she isn't. All women sound like her when they're in labor." The man assured smiling softly at the little boy with fatherly mirth and adoration, it melts away the remaining fear in his eyes and gives way to understanding, at least an understanding that only a seven year old can process at that age.
His mama was hurting but he knew that she was having a baby, she had told him that the baby would be out soon, shame the 'out' Jackson assumed hadn't been pleasant to grasp, seeing his mama hunched over the kitchen counter hours prior to her being in bed with women he's only see at the hospital, didn't sit well with him.
"Will the baby be okay?" Jackson asked his father after a few minutes of concern when the cries of his mother subsided, hands at his side twitching not to bolt and grab the door again.
"Don't worry champ." His father's smile is like the sunlight coming through the window "Both your mother and the baby will be fine."
"Promise?"
The man nodded pulling the child for a hug
"Promise." he murmured, pecking the small crown of his son's head, running circles over his back, he quickly covered his mouth when a harsh tickle emitted, body jolting and he turned his head from Jackson who looked up.
"Papa?"
His father gently pushed him away standing to full height, heavy steps bounding down the hall towards the bathroom, he hunched over the sink spitting out what's built up in his throat taking a ragged breath.
"Papa."
Green eyes flicker towards the child in the doorway "...'m fine Jack." his voice hoarse and he wiped his wife with his elbow.
"Are you sick?" Jackson asked entering the bathroom only to be stopped by another coughing fit, his father's hand out in a stopping motion as the man turned to spit in the sink again.
"Papa."
Meeting his father's eyes again, Jackson can't see that well in the dark but he does know something is wrong, the child's worry only growing when he hears his mother's groaning increase into a scream.
"Mama…Papa…Mama…" brown eyes water almost instantly, the tiny boy shaking, not sure what he should do.
"Hey, hey shhh kiddo it's okay." His father crooned gently, taking him in his arms, "Papa's sick and Mama's hurting, I'm scared!" Jackson sobbed out big fat tears spilling down his face, his father frowned at the sight, heart aching.
"No, no sweet boy you got it all wrong. Papa isn't sick."
"But Papa's coughing and Mama said coughing means someone's sick, so papa is sick!"
The man chuckled softly at the analogy, shaking his head with a reminder to tell his wife whenever he had time to talk not to instill too much fear of sickness in their son, it's bad enough he worked with sick people.
The man would've assured his kid that he was fine and that everything will be okay when the beginning of a whistle broke through Jackson's and his wife's cries, it made goosebumps stand on his skin and the hold on his son tightened, green eyes wide and body slowly turning around.
"You came." He says to the hooded man coming out the shadows of the house "Please don't say it's time, not now."
"Unfortunately, te has quedado sin tiempo."
the figure–man says in a rough grave tone, it holds finality and causes the man's eyes to water in response when the shine of twin sickles reflect on the light.
"P-please…not in front of my son." His voice breaks and he doesn't want to let the child go "My wife–just a few minutes, please."
The figure halts, head cocked to the side in contemplation? The reaction unknown to the two who he presents himself to, then a sigh "You're already on borrowed time as it is Overland."
"Oh have mercy why don't you!"
"La tuve. I gave you a week."
"The day hasn't passed yet! My wife hasn't even given birth to our second child and my son–" the man clenched his teeth, he knows he can't bargain, knows the inevitable is near but he just can't help but fight against it, against the sting of–
"Who's that papa?"
Looking at Jackson the man frowned when his son's curiously big eyes stared at the stranger in their home "He's…" he swallowed the bitter taste building in his throat.
"He's a friend."
"A friend, really?"
"Yeah, he's here to visit…"
"Is he here to see mama?" Jackson asked with curiosity and interest in his eyes, his father weakly chuckled, shaking his head.
"No, he's here to see papa."
And he turned back facing the man.
"Isn't that right, Reaper?"
" Sí ." The man–Reaper nodded slightly, approaching the two males though Jackson's father took a step back.
"Wait."
"Overland." Reaper growled low and Jack shivered when he caught a flash of red.
"He's scary…" Hearing the child's voice the growling stopped as quickly as he came, the man sighed, shaking his head.
" Una hora ."
"Pardon?" The blonde man looked questionably at the hooded man who growled again irritated "One hour." He repeated levelly, his red glare piercing the blonde who smelled of triumph–the nerve!
"One hour." The man parrots as if reminding himself of this, grinning.
"Thank you."
"Don't make me drag you out the house Overland."
With a flick he's gone, the whistled tune echoing in his wake. "That man's scary papa." Jackson whimpered, holding onto his father "I know kiddo but he means well, he's just bad at communicating." His father tells him chuckling softly.
"What's that song he was playing?" Jackson then asked with childish curiosity, his father shook his head "Don't know, but it's a song he whistles everywhere he goes."
"Sounds sad."
"Yeah." The man ruffled brown tresses, only to stop and grin when the sound of a newborn baby crying erupts through the walls of the house, joy and relief shining in his eyes as he looked down at Jackson.
"Come let's go and meet your baby sister."
Nodding Jackson takes his father's hand and the two Overlands walk to the door where mother and newborn baby girl are, tired but warm honey eyes welcome them and the blonde haired man knows it was worth the gamble with death.
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"She's beautiful like her mother."
"I think she looks more like you Ed."
"Please I'm not this good looking, besides if she does look like me then thank God she didn't inherit the Overland blonde hair." The man laughed, running a hand through their newborn daughter's dark tufts, a giggle tears through the woman of brunette and soft brown eyes and his heart swelled with burning love for her. Oh how beautiful she looked just as she did when they first met, to leave now just felt wrong.
"Edwin."
She called and he couldn't face her, not when he had little to no explanation, no way to tell her that he wouldn't be there to raise their children together or that he'd be leaving early before they could build more.
"I heard the whistle."
His eyes snap wide at her face, smile tense and eyes soft "I thought it was me he'd come for during labor."
"Eloise." Edwin's voice choked in brittleness, eyes stinging hotly.
"But you…" she shakes her head "Oh darling how soon before you go?"
"He gave me an hour." Edwin murmured.
"Oh God." Her breath shuddered and silent tears spilled down her face, he reached cupping the warmth, feeling the softness that he'd soon leave behind.
"Eloise, my darling love please don't cry."
"I can't help it Ed, I thought my time–but yours, is it Scarlet?"
"Afraid so love." Edwin nodded, refusing to meet her eyes knowing they're glassy.
"Did Jack-"
Another solemn nod "Unfortunately I couldn't keep the coughing at bay, our boy cried and I think he knows but I lied so he wouldn't think I was that sick." A trembling sob spilled through trembling lips "And the Reaper came, I panicked…couldn't let our boy see, I refused to back down and let death take me. Not when I knew I had to-"
"You refused Death?" Eloise laughed "Oh Edwin, such fire even now?" She almost sounded bewildered by the nerve of the man who grinned dashingly–eyes bright.
"I'd refuse God if it meant having more time with you and our children."
The smile is sweet and loving, Eloise's hand cupped his cheek and he leaned into it, pressing a soft kiss to her palm a soft murmur emitted and Edwin and Eloise both look over twin smiles at the sight of Jackson curled beside their daughter in the makeshift cot at the end of the bed.
"Already close." Was the tender chuckle.
"Means he loves his sister."
Edwin hummed, "At least I know he'll protect her with his heart when I can't." his eyes sadden "But I wish that I could've at least seen him grow up, wonder what kind of man he'd become and if he'll live a life full of fun and adventure."
"He will." Eloise says through tears "Because our son has your wit and mischievousness, because he's a sweet boy who already makes everyone laugh."
"I wish…" Edwin shakes his head, wiping his eyes "Nevermind, you already know."
A nod "I do."
The man sniffled "I'm so happy that you became my wife Eloise."
"And I'm happy that you became my husband."
He kisses her sweetly, she kisses back a shaky whimper when she tastes blood causing her to pull away panicked.
"E-Edwin…"
Touching his lips Edwin sighed at the blood, a resigned expression.
"Times up."
"Edwin." the man gave her a small smile wiping the blood from his lips to kiss her forehead "I love you." He whispers before leaning over the cot, a tear dropping on baby Stephanie's brow that he wipes away before he pecks her head then Jack's, green eyes softening on the small child.
"You won't understand, maybe you will…still I'm sorry I lied to you son."
Jack stirred but didn't wake, Edwin could see himself in his boy, the light trail of his freckles around his nose, the arched eyebrows and slightly pointed ears, he chuckled, garbled and choked, knowing he was leaving his little clone behind.
"Look after your mother and sister for me."
Was the last thing whispered in Jackson's ear before his father's body slowly falls on the bed with a smile, Eloise immediately springs up out of the covers reaching for him, pulling her husband's body against her crying.
"I'm sorry."
Eloise snapped her head up frowning.
"It was already gone…my Edwin went above an hour didn't he?" She asked Death with wet eyes brushing her husband's blonde hair from his face.
"Most likely his soul slipped out during that duration I had given him. He exceeded the limit before I could come and take it myself."
"So in other words, he beat you to it."
The hood came off revealing the man of silver hair and burning red eyes.
"He neither beat me or himself, in the end like everything and everyone he succumbed to death." He says forwardly, a testimony to his job and accomplishments reaping souls be it harsh or honest.
"Mama?"
Eloise gasps, turning her head "Jack."
The child groaned tiredly, sleepy eyes opening "Mama…" brown eyes squinted making out the figures through a sleepy haze, vision clearing. "Oh you're Papa's friend." He says when Death's hooded frame comes to view, the man regarded the child for a second then nodded.
"I am."
"Are you here to see papa again?" Jackson asked a little more awake, the child doesn't see his mother's stricken face focusing on the man who looked contemplative on whether or not he should answer before he resigned to the inevitable and nodded once again.
"I was but my business here is finished so I was just leaving."
"Oh so does that mean papa's still here?"
"Jackson " Eloise's voice strained and the child looked up to see that his mother had moved from the bed "Is he not here?"
Jackson asked, sounding disappointed, it almost made her break down. Luckily Death himself beats her to it "I'm afraid your papa has to be away on business and won't be home for a while." He tells the child who looked at him confused.
"Business?"
"Yes, he was called in on a little journey to help a patient and won't be able to return home. He sends you his love."
And Jack's confusion changes to immediate understanding–well the understanding that his father went to work something Death used to his advantage to hide the cruel truth, at least until Eloise can tell the boy what really happened.
"But why did papa leave and not say goodbye? He always says goodbye to me before he goes to work."
Oh if only Death could tell the child what's become of his darling papa, the look Eloise herself gave him could send anyone running for the hills but he remained calm, crouching down so that he's level to Jackson's small frame.
"Sadly your papa had urgent business and couldn't say goodbye, but I assure you he did kiss you goodnight before going."
"Really he did?"
"Sí." Death nodded at the child who smiled wetly less upset "Then can you give him a kiss for me when you see him?"
Eloise flees the room as if death was on her tail, the hooded entity watches her from the corner of his unnatural eyes sensing her distress and sighed, he hates being the bearer of bad news when it comes to innocent people.
"Mr?"
Looking back at the child who looked so much like his father Death shakes his head from his musings and scooped Jackson up in his arms.
"C'mon let's get you back to bed, chico ."
He says bounding out the dark room that hides Edwin Overland's corpse by the edge of the bed, walking with Jackson in tow.
"So Mr you and papa are friends right?" Jackson asked curiously at Death who hummed "Yes for the most part we're acquainted with each other."
"Then that means you know me right?" The child pressed on with childish innocence that sparked and rattled the man's nostrils with purity, red eyes softening "Of course, your father made sure I did."
Jackson grinned brightly "Yay then that also means we're friends!"
Well this was new to Death who paused momentarily at the statement "Friends huh?" Jackson nodded "Yeah, papa's your friend so I'm yours too!" he declared giggling, Death's lips twitched at the claim, finding it kind of cute despite the circumstances of his visit to the child's home.
"Well then." Death hefted Jackson so he didn't fall when he moved "Guess that makes me your friend pequeño ."
"Yay I'm friends with papa's friend!"
This kid was a ball of giddiness, Death already senses future headaches but he doesn't seem to mind, now approaching Jackson's bedroom the entity moves towards the little bed further inside and gently puts the child in.
"Okay chico, this is where I leave you." Death says after tucking the child in without fail or struggle, he turned to leave when Jackson called out the man looking over his shoulder.
" ¿Qué pasa pequeño? "
"Will you…" Jackson sat up with big brown eyes shyly looking up at burning red ones unafraid of the unnatural color.
"Will I?" Death inquired with a raised brow.
"Will you please whistle that song for me?"
"Huh?" Death blinked owlishly if anything, the request taking him back for a loop.
"The song…please play it again" Death blinked again, and again, and again until he ducked his head laughing lightly.
"Well, well, like my song do you?"
Jackson nodded "It's pretty."
"Pretty?" Death chuckled, shaking his head "Unbelievable." He says more to himself bemused by it all, Jackson doesn't understand the man's reaction and frowns.
"Is the song bad?"
Death shakes his head again "No chico , it's not." The meaning behind it could be depending on the interpretation though.
"So will you play it?" The child asked again and Death nodded softly, "Okay but if I do this you must go to sleep after, deal?" He asked Jack after approaching the bed sitting at the edge, the child nodded and Death felt a tiny tug at his lips before he began to whistle the song that he plays wandering the earth.
The song fills Jackson's ears like a symphonic chord, the melody beautiful and little by little the boys eyes flitter close growing heavy with each note until darkness washed over him and he sleeps.
And Death stays whistling at his bedside, running a hand through messy hair.
"G'night papa." The child murmured low and sleepily leaning into the touch, Death retracts his hand slowly standing up.
" Buenas noches Jackson."
Closing the door behind him Death walked away.
"Are you finished here?" Looking up he sees Eloise with Stephanie in her arms, the woman's face hides pain but he knew she still cried.
"Sí, I am."
"Good, please go and never show yourself to me or my kids again."
He knows she's hurting so he doesn't call her out on being rude, he's aware that he took her lover from her so soon, but he couldn't change what's been done, he is Death and taking souls was part of his job no matter how cruel it seemed.
So with a nod in her direction Death bounds for the door whistling the tune to her before he's nothing but a reminder that Edwin is gone and Eloise falls to her knees cradling her newborn close silently weeping.