Declan's Dissertation of Death

*The Next Day- Nighttime*

Declan walked quietly next to his father.

"That mind of yours is going a mile a minute, isn’t it?”

He silently nodded, "They even managed to find someone who struck Fabian’s fancy, but then again, he knows how to talk to people, especially women. I haven’t even been on a date.”

Alaric stopped in his tracks. He turned to face his son. "Declan, are you telling me that you’re a virgin?”

He avoided his father’s eyes, "Would that be such a terrible thing? Does that disappoint you that I’m not some-”

Alaric took his sons shoulders, forcing him to look at him. "No. It doesn’t disappoint me. YOU are YOU. You are not me, you are not your brothers.”

Declan nodded and adjusted his frames. "Let’s hope my *wife* feels the same way.”

It wasn’t that he hadn’t wanted to, or that he hadn’t tried. Yet every time, he would grow nervous, worried he’d do something wrong. He wasn’t like his brothers his grandfather made that clear. While they all had powers, his were extremely unique. Declan could kill someone just by touching them, he also could send them to the heavens or hell. It was a responsibility he didn’t want, one that he suffered extreme training to learn to control. And though he had it mastered, he worried that the sex would make him do something he’d regret.

"Don’t overthink it son. Just take it one day at a time. Everything will work out just how it’s supposed to.”

Following his father inside the college, Declan looked around. "I don’t understand…why are we here?”

Alaric smirked, "For a lecture.” Opening one of the doors to the lecture hall, Alaric stepped inside first.

"Many people fear it, but I have learned to embrace the inevitable and perhaps that makes me a bit macabre but you’re sitting here listening to me of your own free will so…perhaps I’m not the only one who’s a little strange here.” Chuckles floated around the room, as Declan entered. His eyes widened to the size of plates seeing the lecturer.

He looked to his father in horror, "T-that’s Desiree McCoy…she’s a-”

Alaric smiled, "An extremely famous mortician and thanatology lector…I know.”

Declan watched her show faithfully, always thinking she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. Not only that, but he also loved hearing her thoughts on death. She was intelligent, witty and she literally studied the very thing he was. The way he cycled, the way different cultures handled him, and why he frightened people.

He looked to his father, "Please…please tell me it’s not her.”

Alaric remained silent but folded his lips to keep from laughing at his son's terrified expression. Declan almost cursed at his grandfather's sick joke. "I can't even talk to a woman walking down the street, and you want to marry one who tours the world and has millions of followers?"

Declan backed into the door, causing it to loudly thump. The entire room looked back to him, causing his face to turned beet red. Desiree tilted her head in question. Her jet-black hair falling against her caramel skin. She parted her red lips, "Well don’t just stand there, why don’t you share with the class?” Declan looked around the room, and then pointed to himself, Desiree nodded. "I figured the slam against the door was the cue that you wanted my attention.”

"NO!” He shouted a little too loudly, and she chuckled.

"So, you don't want *my* attention?" Declan almost darted from the room, hearing how sensual the words fell from her lips. "We were just discussing how different cultures view the symbolism of the Grim Reaper persona.” She leaned forward on the podium, "Thanatos...Yama, The Banshee and her warnings, the beautiful La Calavera Catrina…with all these different depictions, one is inclined to believe that in some form not only does it exist but maybe there’s more than one.”

Declan folded his arms to his chest, feeling comfortable with the discussion, "I would have to disagree. Various cultures have depicted a variant of things based on their cultural biases, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t all seeing the same thing.”

Desiree arched her brow, "That’s a lot of responsibility for one figure. A lot of people…a lot of souls.”

"And yet he does it so effectively that the rotation is never broken.”

"What makes you think it’s a man?”

Declan chuckled, "What makes you think that it isn’t?”

As she stepped from around the podium, Declan swallowed his spit. The red form-fitted dress matched the blood-red of her lips. She bit her bottom one, and Declan found himself unable to look away. "So let me get this straight. There’s one man who attends to the death and reaping of all the souls on earth.” She placed her hand to her lips. "What do you think his personality is like? Would you say that it is also wrong if I suggested him to be a bit of a loner…maybe even an overachiever? All that power with no one who understands would have to be isolating.”

A lump formed in his throat as she described him perfectly, without even knowing. She turned back to the class, "I know we’re speaking in hypotheticals here, but isn’t that much of death's experience? We don’t fully know and those who do, can’t really tell us can they? I focus on the positivity in death. We shouldn’t fear it just because it’s the unknown.” She smirked at Declan, "So what do you think? Is he the monster we assume? Or just misunderstood?”

Declan walked down towards her, "I think he’s the monster-he wouldn't get the title if he wasn’t…I would even go as far as to say he may be worse. Perhaps that's what intrigues you the most...but I’d be careful with that intrigue, you may just get *his* attention.”

Face to face, Desiree tilted her head and laughed, "Macabre banter. My favorite kind.”

"I quite enjoy sparring with someone so intelligent.” Declan saw her blush. He didn’t know where the rush of confidence came from, but Desiree managed to make him feel as if it was only them in the room.

A student cleared their throat, "Um, can you two nerd flirt on your own time?” The room laughed, and this time Declan’s face reddened.

Desiree turned to the class, "Oh, hush it, Johnathan. This is actually the perfect segway. It is my pleasure to introduce my co-lecturer for the remainder of the year, Mr. Declan Trevino. Starting Monday, you’ll be privy to not only my expertise but for his on the study of death.”

Delcan looked to his father with wild eyes, who swished his hands as if he was producing magic. Desiree looked to his father and waved smiling as Alaric waved back. "Alright. Thank you all for your time and remember don’t fear the reaper. Apparently, he’s a monster, but then again, so are most people.” She winked and Declan laughed.

As the class disbursed, he looked at her and tilted his head, "Is that a ring in your hair?”

She laughed, "Oh yeah! So funny story about that. I actually found it when I was in my teens, right outside a funeral home. A black diamond was always my dream and believe it or not the funeral director let me have it along with an internship. I put it in my hair because of,” she tapped her temple, "My passion for knowledge of all things dead and dark.”

*Nice granddad*

He thought smirking. She bit her bottom lip gently, "You know, if you’re free Monday after the lecture, maybe we could camp out here with greasy takeout and go over the syllabus…if you want of course.”

Declan scrunched up his nose, "I don’t know, lecture ends pretty late…I should mention I’m terrified of the dark.”

She placed her hand on his arm, "Don’t worry, I’ll protect you.” The two stared at one another for a moment.

"See you Monday, Ms. McCoy.”

"Please, call me Desiree.”

Declan stood next to his father outside of the college his face red, "I’m not sure, but I think she asked me on a date.”

Alaric laughed, "She did and look at that, you didn’t pass out! You actually were quite smooth and charming.”

Declan rubbed the back of his neck, "S-she’s an enigma…I don’t understand her, yet understand her at the same time and more than that-” he smirked, "I can’t wait to see what else about her I’ll soon discover.”