Turning the news on low Sam left his door open slightly. He had gotten in the habit at this time of night to keep it open just in case one of his neighbors needed his help with something. One time he had heard Mister Alexander down the hall fall down the stairs and had gotten help to him just in time to save him. Humming to himself he put away the food.

(if he did that, then Grim is gonna be not so happy. 8D That was probably one of his.)

"A subway train leaving the station at eight-o-clock tonight suddenly crashed, leaving forty-five dead, thirteen injured.The cause is unknown, but witnesses say they saw a mysterious man, who may have somehow tampered with the train's controls, making it impossible to stop as it made it's way into a large barricade that was set to repair a tunnel after another subway crashed just a few weeks ago, when this man was seen on the security footage.He stands at around six foot four inches, and has short black hair and distinctive hawk like eyes, say witnesses. Like the last crash, what's thought to be this man's voice came on the PA system right before the subway crashed. Last month's message was 'May Mr. Teatime meet fate', and this crash's message was 'One month in the hourglass'.Anyone with this surname is to be on the alert of anyone who meets this descripti--" The news reporter was suddenly cut off with horrible sounding static, and the channel flipped to a music channel playng the song 'Don't fear the reaper', then moments later it flipped back to the news, where that reporter seemed to be having a heart attack, with the crew surrounding her, begging the person behind the camera to turn it off, and call an ambulance.

After the feed cut off, the station went to static again, and the man described in the news report seemed to be on the feed of a webcam, smiling widely. He waved to Sam, and seemed to be looking right into Sam's eyes, as if he could see him.He said "Hi", and the news then came back again, and the reporter was fine again, although her eyes had changed from a dark brown to those of that odd man, speaking of a completely different story.

(Grim says hi! 8D )

(it was not a near death but he would not have been able to walk had Sam not come to his aid)

Standing there Sam’s eyes grew wider and wider as the story unfolded. His hands shook as the woman talked about the anouncments over the PA system. His hands went numb as she seemed to died. His mind raced on all that had said and what had happened. He could have been on that train but no he was not. The person could have said any name but no he said Teatime, which you would not just pull out of thin air. And now he said that he had only a month in the hourglass, and that song. He was in shook he knew it by the time the man showed up. If he was to believe what the news said as true he was to die in a month and Fate was his personal reaper. Fate would find him in the kitchen a knife with its point in the floor near his foot his hand to his mouth and his eyes wide.

(hi Grim)

In the other apartment, Fate was watching the news and rolled his eyes at the story. "You can never be subtle, can you Grim." He turned it off before teh talk of the PA system was said, and he turned on his music, to that same song.He began to sing, and Sam's tv turned off, letting him hear Fate's voice just slightly through the open door. "All our times have come, here but now they're gone..Seasons don't fear the reaper, nor do the wind the sun or the rain.We can be like they are, c'mon baby, don't fear the reaper.Baby take my hand..Don't fear the reaper. We'll be able to fly, don't fear the reaper. Baby I'm your man.. La la la la la.. La la la la la.." Fate took his iPod with him as he finsihed the first verse and got to the part in between them, singing the last part as he walked between apartments.

he knocked on the door of Sam's apartment and walked in, looking around a bit before finding Sam. "Sam..Are you alright?..Oh Gods you were watching the news weren't you.Dammit Grim.." Fate closed the door and knelt in front of Sam. "Please..None of that was a lie, me trying to get closer to you so it would be easier. I don't play with people's hearts and I can't..I can't change fate, although that itself is what I am..That's why I'm like this, that's why my hands do that to you..That's why I didn't kiss your lips.It's thirty minutes before death for my touch, only a minute and a half for the lips, even shorter with what time you have left.."

"I..I lied to you, to make you happy, to keep you going, I thought for just a second maybe for once I can feel mortal, convince myself I'm not what I am..Please don't be so scared of me.." Tears welled up in Fate's eyes and he hugged Sam. "Please forgive me..I..I never lied other than me trying to get your spirits up about your life..Never once."

“One month…” tears started to fall down his cheeks. “It true I have one month, no more.” His mind raced with everything that he had not done but said he would, everything that he said he would go see and never saw, everything he had wanted to learn but never did. “Only one month.” He was in shock and his mind was tying its self up in knots trying to think of what to do next. He wanted to see the world but then he wanted to help those less able to get the help. Finely his mind realized that Fate was in the room with him. “You’re here to take me? Gods let it be peaceful.”

"Not yet..In three weeks, you'll see past this mortal mask, in four, I'll take you, however you'd like it..I was intending to try to get you to fall in love with me quick, so I could give you my kiss..It's painless, fast, and I'll be there to lead you out instantly..The afterlife Isn't what you think it is from christian beliefs, or of any other..It's like being reborn..You'll still learn, you can see new sights, meet famous people that died.." Fate smiled, keeping eye contact with Sam and gently stroking his cheek. "Don't fear me..Don't fear me as Death, don't fear me as Fate, don't fear me as the man you met just hours ago.Live your life normally here for another month..Don't do anything crazy.Just..Act like you never saw that.Grim only showed that to you.Everyone else saw just a short story of the crash, nothing to do with you.The..News reporter you saw is a female reaper, no one else saw her but you..You also saw how Grim took her, I'm guessing, knowing him."

Fate sighed. "One moment.." He left the apartment, grabbed Sam's hourglass and returned. "This..Is yours." He turned it over, showing that no sand fell back to the other side. "I can't give you any more time, but..It's part of our code, that if you figure it out or if some reaper is an idiot and does what Grim did, you get whatever you want for your final day.You get to say goodbye to anyone, see anything you wanted to see in the mortal world within your last days.As much money as you need, everything."

Gingerly taking the hourglass he looked down at it then back at Fate. “Anything?” his voice quivered at the thought. He could see anything and he could do it with Fate. Suddenly the whole love at first sight thing flew out the window. Reaching up he pulled Fate down into a quick kiss. He hoped that it would not kill him but he did not care. If he was to die, then well kissing this man was going to be the best way to die.

"Yeah, anyth--Mmh!" Fate said, interrupted by the kiss, which he deepened, until his mortal body had to breathe and until it was getting dangerously close to him killing Sam right then and there. "I-I have to wait a month to do that..Higher ups don't like it when we take people early, even by accident.." He blushed. "I'll do anything to make your last month happy.Eiffel tower, great wall of china, anywhere..I have to admit, I'm very glad that Josh or anyone else didn't get to know me any better..I would have to either erase everything about me, or take them on the smae night as you.Only way to make it so we're not suspicious."

Leaning back Sam nibbled on his numb lip. Waiting for feeling to come back into them before talking he thought of what he might like to do. “Can we give my mother some money to live off of? Dads shop did not go so well after he died, and most of my money has been going to keeping her living comfortable.” Standing back up Sam smiled. “You blushed again.” Now that he knew why he could not look in Fates eyes, he could. He found it kind of odd but it made sense in a non sense way. “And you said I could see sights after I am dead. What can I not do there that I could do here in the month I have left.” He gently set the hourglass as far back from the edge of the counter as he could.

"Yeah, I can.I can give her whatever she needs to live a happy life until it's her turn.I won't tell you how long she's got, but let me tell you it's quite a bit.I'm not sure why you got so little.." Fate sighed. "The afterlife is sort of like a mirror of this world..But it's different. The sights are different, the cities are all in the same places but named different things..So the 'seven wonders' here are different there. Up there, down there, where ever you think it is." Fate said, holding Sam in his arms gently. "Also that's impossible to break.I can with my scythe, but I don't want to, that's for sure.It's invunerable..You even get to keep it in the afterlife, as sort of some sort of trophy that you lived as long as you were supposed to, no untimely death.If you don't like the hourglass, It can be a clock, a pocketwatch, anything you can think of that would hold a similar symbolicness to it..I'm rambling."

“Are you saying that it can be a pocket watch in this world or the next one?” Sam asked as he went back to working on the dinner that had gotten interrupted. He was happy that he now knew that his mother would live long past him that she would not die because of his death. Then the thought struck him… he was going to tell his boss what he TRULY thought of him, and then quit. Or would it be good to quite first then say what he thought of him?
“So tomorrow I quit my job, would like you along for that if your allowed.” Sam tossed the meat into the pot to cook. “Then I would like to go see my mom say good bye to her but not… you know.” He waved his hand around showing that he was not going to tell her that he was going to die. “if I told her that I was with you would that shorten her life?”

"The next world is endless..It'd simply be a memory of your time here." Fate said, watching Sam. He slipped into a british accent a bit when he next spoke. "I can be if you'd like, I can even appear in my normal form if you'd like, only to him..Freak him out a bit." He gained control back to his voice a bit and he coughed. "Sorry, losing control of my voice there." He said, this time in an irish accent. "Gods damnit, I'm getting too excited..And you can tell her about who I really am, but only within a week of your death..I can take you to her after you're done with this world and you can say everything you want about me..If you were to call her now and tell her I'd have to et someone assigned to her to get her to go the same day as you, or just make that conversation never happen in her mind..Just how it works, can't have the world knowing about us until the apocalypse..Which is FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR ahead.2012 is bullshit, the mayans got bored by then and said 'you know what, we wrote far enough ahead'..Either that or that mayan was just joking around, either way, it's not even close to 2012." Fate laughed. "We reapers think those apocalypse movies and games and such are hilarious because they're all so rediculously wrong.."

“No no I don’t want my mother to die. I just wanted to tell her that….” He turned away from Fate so he could not see the rosiness coming to his cheeks. “Well that I love you and I am going to spend the rest of my life with you. I just want to know that she won’t have a heart attack or something and die because I told her.” He turned back and held out the spoon with a bit of chili on it. “You do still eat right?” Sam offered it to him t try. “And I just am planning on saying to my boss what I really think of him and would like you as support. I don’t need him seeing you as you truly are. Just be there as my friend.”

"She won't, if you mention nothing of who or rather what I am.." Fate said, seeming to completely regain control of his voice again. "I still eat..My mortal body needs it, my other body justs likes doing it." He chuckled, and tried the chili. "Mm..That's really good, best chili I've ever had..And I've lived since before that dish was even invented.Not just saying that because I love you." The reaper smiled, then kissed Sam's cheek. "Alright, can do.That should be interesting, knowing how long you've worked there..I hope it's not creepy that I know almost literally everything about you.I kind of had to to be able to even, you know, do this.Grim apparently didn't beleive me when I said I didn't need backup..Or he just wanted to screw with me. He does that a lot."

Tasting the chilly Sam scrunched up his nose. “ugh that is not the best that I have ever made,” he put the spoon back in the pot and stirred. “it will be a bit longer but it will be good. Don’t you worry.” He turned back and smiled. “There is a fine line between good and great when it comes to food, one has to learn how to hit that line before going over it.” He turned back to watch the pot. “so do we have to fly on a plane to get to my mom or do you have some sort of power that can just get us there. Because I would like to plan out all I would like to do if we have to take a plane.” Pulling a loaf of French bread out of the bag Sam started cutting it up. “Could you get the jar that is over there?” he pointed to a shelf in the far corner, to a mug shaped container with a flat lid on it, it was a blue glazed ceramic pot. Inside if Fate were to lift the lid he would find a dish attached to the lid that went into the water in the main part upside-down. In the dish was soft butter. “you know you did not answer my question about the hour glass being turned into a pocket watch in this world.”

"Still better than anything I've ever had, you're good.Why didn't you become a chef?You can always do that in the next life I guess." Fate placed the jar on the counter beside where Sam was working. "Ah, I can use my powers to transport us, that's hjow I get from city to city so fast.Before here I was in Germany, which was just a couple days ago.." He spaced out for a moment as he leaned back against the counter, but came back to his senses when Sam spoke again. "Ah, I can make it one now, if you want to take it with you, makes it more compact." Fate snapped his fingers and the large hourglass became a small gold pocketwatch with a matching chain attatched.

“I thought of doing that when I first left high school but did not have the money to go to school for it. It was into the workforce to help my family and me, or go live on the streets.” Sam said as he quickly buttered up some bread. “Then when I had a little bit of money save up to go I realized that I could not go and do it for a living. I love it too much to just make a living on it.” Taking the spoon out of the pot again he tasted it and smiled. Holding out the spoon to Fate he pulled the pot off the burner. “Now that is ready.” Sam smiled at the pocket watch. “Thank you; I like the pocket watch better then the hour glass. It just makes me more comfortable around it. I don’t have to look at it and see how much time I have if I don’t want to. But if I want to know I can just pop the cover open and see.”

(Dude.Sam.Out of my head.Stop stealing my brain meats with your opinion on becoming a chef for a living. >w> )

"You are very very good at it, though." Fate said, as he tried a bite now that it was done. "Ah, even better." He chuckled. "That's understandable..I can change it back to an hourglass after your time is up if you'd like. Sort of morbidly funny story: One person wanted it as an alarm clock, and they had a heart problem they didn't know about until one of us came along..You see where I'm going with this..Also, I just figured out why my eyes are so creepy: I haven't blinked since I met you.That'd do it..I forget some things sometimes." He laughed a bit, embarrassed.

“Well then I guess I will just have to be your personal chef in this and the next life.” Sam quickly put the Chili in a nice cool bowl to stop it from cooking its self passed the point of good. Then he carefully put the pocket watch into his pants pocket and attached the chain to his other pocket. “That must have been one rude wake up.” Sam said smiling then placed the bowl at the small table. “I think I would like to keep it as a pocket watch, I really don’t like the hourglass look and well…” he smiled.
“Now that I am quitting my job I can dress how I like to, it will fit perfectly with the look.” Sam’s favorite way to dress was in slacks, a button up shirt, a vest and a nice double breasted jacket. Sometimes he would wear a news boy cap and sometimes he would wear a bowler hat. But he had been told by his boss that he was not allowed to dress up fancy in the office if he wanted to move up. He had even threatened to fire Sam if he ever comes in dressed that way again. “I don’t care if you don’t blink, then we both have very scary eyes and I won’t feel out of place.” As he had been speaking he had been setting the table with the food and dishes.

"I'd sure like that, nice alternative to the other reaper's cooking..Gwyn burns everything he touches, Charon's too clumsy, Grim's too lazy.." Fate sat down, watching Sam rather closely. "Am I going to feel underdressed?" He joked, chuckling a bit."You look awful handsome in fancy clothes, I'll say that..I prefer the modern average twenty something look, tshirt and jeans, no need to match colors.One problem about being a reaper: dress code is very bleak and depressing.It sure does make reapers with bright eyes stand out.You think my eyes are creepy, you should see Gwyn. The man has no centers to his pupils, just rings in extremely bright blue eyes..Your eyes aren't creepy, not to me at least.." He began eating quite happily, not caring that he had burnt his tongue a bit already just a couple of bites in.

(Fate has my bad habit..I can't just fucking wait a bit for it to cool down, gotta eat chili's deliciousness RIGHT NOW. XD

“I can always go without the jacket, if it would make you feel better.” Sam smiled as he watched Fate eat the Chili. “I don’t think there is ways of doing first aid to the tongue so please don’t burn it too badly.” Reaching out Sam brushed away a piece of chili from Fates chin. “Maybe you should have some buttered bread in between some of those bites.” Taking a spoon full Sam slowly blew on it to cool it. “So why do you have to wear black all the time? Can you add a splash of color to your wardrobe?”

"No, it's fine, alhtough I don't know how you could wear that in summer..Ah.." He blushed a bit when Sam noticed that he had been burning his tongue a bit. "Good idea." He took a piece of bread and nibbled it a bit, even dipping a corner into the chili every once in a while. "I can, but it looks awkward with my eyes I think.I don't mind grey, it's one of my favorite colors, but I think I put a little too much into my job sometimes, dressing in complete friggin' monochrome..Not my fault I can't find any shrits that are both bright colored and with some sort of skull or something on them..I can teleport, I can speak any language I'd like buuuut I can't conjure up my own wardrobe." Fate laughed.

“it is quite easy to wear it in the summer, just go without the jacket and make sure all the fabrics breath well.” This meal was turning into a much better time than he had thought he would have, but then it was also the sadist meals that he had had so far. “You know it is kind of sad knowing that you’re going to die in a month and you can do nothing about it.” He thought of the deaths of all those people on the subway train. “Why does not everyone see their reapers a month before they die?”

"We only visit one person on our list like this, the rest are 'side missions'.The subway trains were Grim being lazy.Gwyn will lead the thirteen survivors..We usually only visit possible..Candidates.As the world's population grows, there aren't enough reapers to handle all of the people, and some of the older reapers retire, so we're constantly needing new people..We look for unique people..Mostly of looks. Eyes are a common thing to look for. Gwyn and Grim were born with their odd eyes..They're both special though, they had reaper fathers or mothers, but their other parent still lived, or was given more time so they could have birth or raise the child..Their eyes came from that immortal parent.But, say..One of the new guys, he died recently, one of his eyes goes completely in the other direction of his other eye, and I think we have a couple with one eye being a different color than the other..You see where I'm going with this." Fate smiled, then took another bite of his chili. "You don't have to, no one HAS to accept unless they're the son or daughter of one of us, but it's one reason I chose you.."

“So you choose me to be a Reaper? Did you choose me as one before or after you fell in love with me?” nibbling on his chili Sam wondered what he was going to do. Did he really want to be a reaper and to take all those lives? He had never really been one of those men that played those bloody games that everyone seemed to enjoy. “What would I have to do? How can you kill someone you get to know so well? What happens if you can’t kill them? or is it just like on that TV show dead like me. Your just taking the souls before the truly die so that the soul does not have to remember the pain of the death?”