Gloom

"You didn't think it was pivotal for me, your fucking matchmaker, to know that women were on the table?" Love says, pacing back and forth in the breakroom as we all stare at her.

Her boyfriend, Death, is smiling up at her like she's the second coming of Christ, while Juliet sits on Mors' lap listening to her tantrum.

"Men are usually the ones dishing out what I'm looking for. Plus, there aren't many female reapers to choose from. But that cupid, Ladybird, did it for me." I sigh out her name dreamily.

Juliet, another cupid who has infiltrated Purgatory with her charms, gasps. "You're into Ladybird?"

"Who's Ladybird?" Mors, my best friend who feels more like a sister, asks at her cupid girlfriend's astonishment.

"Only the most intense, meanest cupid in all of Cupidale," Juliet says, and I give her a shitty look.

"She's not mean, she's authoritative. Don't even get me started on that hot zaddy that's running your realm," I say, biting my knuckles and leaning back in my chair. "It's official. I want to live in Cupidale."

Death and Mors look at me with uniformed, shocked looks, and I shrug at them.

"What? Sorry, I'm not a mopey asshole like the two of you. Have you had their food? It's fucking delicious. Plus, where else can you walk around and just casually see people fucking outside mid-day? Cupidale is the shit."

"Cupidale is the shit," Love says in agreement, even if she's still irritated with me.

"Do you not want to live in Purgatory?" Death asks, his question clearly laced in fear. I can only picture the looming, moody reaper roaming miserably through the pink cobblestone streets. The imagery makes me smile at his expense.

Love gives her boyfriend a smile and shakes her head. "No, baby. Purgatory is great too. I love living here with you. But Cupidale is pretty spectacular."

"So rewind," Juliet says. "You're into Ladybird and the Head Cupid?"

"I'd literally let them destroy me," I say, clutching my hand to my chest, and Love sighs in frustration.

"You agreed to help me with this event, Gloom."

"And you agreed to find me true love. It's taken for fucking ever?—"

"It's been a year. People wait lifetimes, sometimes even multiple, to find their true love," Love interrupts, exacerbated.

"Yeah, well, for the last year I've gotten to watch you four assholes be madly in love. Excuse me for being bitter."

Love rubs her forehead with the palm of her hand.

"You reapers are so fucking needy. I'm going to take a hotter than hell bath. We can talk about this tomorrow. The event comes first, Gloom."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," I reply as Death and Love head back to their apartment.

As soon as I can see that they're out of earshot, I turn and face Mors and Juliet, more so looking at the curly haired cupid who's finally come into her own.

"Tell me everything you know about Ladybird and Cupiō."

Mors glares at me, but her girlfriend tells me everything she knows.

Fuck this event.

I'm about to be a part of the hottest cupid sandwich I could have ever dreamed up.

Love brings me to a restaurant in Cupidale called LT.

"What does LT stand for?"

"It's Lady and the Tramp themed," Love says, bringing out her bright pink folder filled with information about the event.

"I would not mind something long and hard between me and Ladybird," I say and she sighs and pinches her nose.

"Let me get through the talking points and then I'll be the perfect wing-woman."

"Will you pop out your pretty pink wings to mean it literally?" I ask and she rolls her eyes at me, but smiles.

"You're lucky I find you so charming, Gloom."

I smile at her. "Whoever named me when I became a reaper should serve jail time."

"Just keep it in your pants until I'm done talking about the event."

I hold up my hand like I'm taking an oath. "I promise."

The moment I promise, however, Ladybird comes strolling into the restaurant with a fuck me power suit on, with Cupiō hot on her heels wearing a too tight dress shirt, with the sexiest harness spread across his chest.

What the fuck did I just promise Love?

Cupiō pulls out Ladybird's chair, and she sits down like she fucking owns the place.

I want her to own me.

"Gloom," Ladybird greets me, acting like Love doesn't even exist.

"Lovely seeing you again, Ladybird," I tell her, resting my chin on my palms. Her lips twitch in amusement, and I glance over at her boss, who doesn't seem as amused. "Great seeing you again, Head Cupid," I tell him sweetly, and the older man blushes.

It's precious.

"Ohhhkay. Shall we get started?" Love says in that lively way she always speaks. She hands out a pink packet to each of us and clears her throat. "I've listed in detail everything that we need to make this event happen. The only thing I really need is budget approval and a way to get all of these beings into the realm."

"We can create a portal with the invitation. As long as they have the invite, they can come and leave Cupidale within a forty-eight hour period," Cupiō says, licking his finger and leafing through the papers. "This proposal is really well thought out, Love. Good work."

When he compliments Love, Ladybird arches an eyebrow and glares over at my cupid friend.

Interesting. It seems like there might be some already pent up tension between the two cupids I find myself interested in. Love has all but said that cupids are more than eager to share. Could it be possible that I could actually have them both?

"Love is brilliant," I say, and it only takes a moment for Ladybird to turn that glare on me.

Hot, intense, and jealous? What fucking luck, and I didn't even need a magical shamrock to be blessed with this gift.

"Most beings of the veil have so much money, they don't know what to do with it all. Why don't you have a cover-charge or at least a cash bar to help cover the cost? Cupidale shouldn't have to fund the entire gathering," Ladybird says.

"How much would your time cost?" I ask, and Love kicks me under the table. "Ouch, asshole," I hiss at her.

"That's a great idea, Ladybird. Perhaps all the vendors of Cupidale would split revenue to support the event?"

Cupiō grunts his agreement, clearly liking the idea of supporting the local businesses and not dipping into his realm's vaults to pay for the event.

"Ladybird is great with handling vendors and has all of their information," Cupiō says, and Ladybird perks up.

Oh yeah, there's definitely something going on between these two.

"Are you two a couple?" I blurt out and Love smacks her forehead next to me in frustration.

Ladybird looks over to Cupiō, and he glances back at her.

"Okay. Great. Well, all the key points are taken care of. Ladybird, I'll send you an invite list and a list of vendors. We'll hold the event outside in the main park. If you need anything else, just summon me," my cupid friend says, before popping out of existence.

Wing-woman, my ass.

Cupiō glares at me, and Ladybird stares at him.

"Ladybird is my assistant," he says, clearly against his will.

What a stupid cupid.

"Then you'd be all right if I asked you to dance?" I tilt my head over at Ladybird.

She licks her lips, and a smirk takes over her lips.

"I'd love to dance."

"You would?" Cupiō replies, and I can't tell if it's because she rarely dances or because she's interested in me.

"No one ever asks me to dance," Ladybird says, shrugging off the comment, and I wonder how often she does that.

I push back my chair, round the table and hold out a hand, which she takes, and I lead us to the dancefloor. Multiple cupids gasp in surprise, and I wonder if it's a reaper dancing at this fine restaurant or because it's Ladybird who is dancing with me.

She's a tall cupid. I've only got about an inch on her as I grip her hips and she tosses her hands behind my neck, her fingernails tentatively grazing against my closely shaved head.

"What is it that you want, reaper?" she asks, and I note that multiple cupids give us a wide berth.

"I thought that was obvious."

She appraises me for a moment before glancing back at the table where Cupiō is currently glaring daggers at me.

"You like him?" I ask her, hoping that I don't sound insecure.

She sighs as we sway to the light melody of the music. "He just sees me as an assistant and I don't think it would work, anyway."

"Why? Because you're both confident and know what you want? Well, besides the fact that neither of you realize that you both want each other."

"We're both cupids. I think I'd know if he was interested in me," she says, her gaze locking with mine.

"I'm interested in you," I say boldly.

I'm not usually the one to initiate. If anything, I usually get off on the chase. But it hasn't done me any favors in the past. If I want the cupids I'm interested in, I'm going to need to be direct.

Ladybird drags her nail along the shape of my jaw.

"In just me?" she asks.

"He's not so bad, either," I say, nudging my head toward her boss and supposed crush.

"I'm not sure you know what you're getting yourself into," Ladybird says, her fingertips soft against the side of my face.

"I'm more than eager to find out," I tell her, and she smiles.

"Is that what you are? An eager, ready to please little reaper?" she asks, and I nearly melt into the fucking floor.

"That's exactly what I am."

Her lips twitch, and I find myself wanting her to kiss me, but she doesn't. Instead, she slides her fingers to grip my chin, pulling me close, but not close enough.

"Why should I give you what you want?"

I swallow, and she glances down at my lips before meeting my eyes. I'm not sure if she's waiting for me to retreat, or what she expects, but my answer takes her by surprise.

"You shouldn't. You should make me work for it," I tell her.

It's then she gives me a full-blown, wide smile. I realize at that very moment I'd do whatever she asks of me to see her smile like that again.

"And him?" she says, pointing her head toward Cupiō.

"He's something you want?"

She nods her head. I was already into the larger-than-life, yet somewhat sad, cupid who's currently seething about sitting alone at the table.

"I'm keen," I tell her, and she smiles.

"Then be a dear and make it happen," she says, removing her hands from my neck.

My hands are still on her hips as I blink at her.

"What?"

"You said you wanted to work to earn me. Well, you can start now. Go flirt with Cupiō and let me watch."

"If I do well?" I ask, wanting to know my reward.

"Show me that Cupiō has interest in both of us and I'll let you pleasure me before you portal back to your miserable little realm."

My hands drop from her hips as I lick my lips and accept her challenge with a ridiculous amount of enthusiasm.