"Thanatos!" she called out, walking through the dark cavern halls she grew up in.

"What?" he said behind her.

She whipped around to face him. He who is most hated. He was really beautiful in every way with flowing black hair, sharp features, and pale skin. But his frozen and hate-filled eyes could bring anyone to their knees. He who she loves.

She said, "Didn't I tell you not to be so strange? Why not materialize in front of me?"

He frowned. "Why did you call for me, Macaria?"

Her face flushed at his harsh tone. "Why are you so cruel to me? I just wanted to talk to you about those last two humans."

"Make it quick."

She took a leveling breath and said, "Why did you make their death… excessively painful?"

He smirked and coldly said, "What does it concern you?"

She banged her hand on the cave wall. "Because dammit, they were mine to take and just because I was a little late, you went and did that!"

He strode to her. Every step meant to strike intimidation. Too close for comfort, he said in a hushed voice, "Repeat what you said slowly. You were late. Someone had to take them."

"They were meant for the Islands! You influenced an animal attack when I would have influenced a poisonous gas in their sleep. They didn't deserve to die in pain!"

"Where they are meant to go does not concern me. I did what I had to do to keep the world in balance. You should have as well."

"But my brother-"

He cut her off, "Your brother is more important than your duty?"

"It's not like that and you know it to be true!"

"Here is what is true: the Fates set a time for someone to die and you retrieve the souls pre-determined for the Islands of the Blessed and I go and retrieve the rest. If you find yourself unable to go, I have to do it. Princess, you volunteered for this. You can always go back to simply lounging in the Islands."

Crossing her arms, she said, "Didn't I tell you not to call me that? And if memory serves me right, you used to 'lounge' with me."

"You are the King's daughter. I had to be nice to you."

When they were little, he was as rough as any young boy especially towards her. Even though he was older, she never let his malicious attitude deter her from trying to be his friend. She even remembered that time she tried to kiss him because she naively didn't understand why her parents did it. Eying the man in front of her, she noticed he'd changed little from that time. Only his heart seems to be missing.

"Liar," she smiled as she replied. Looking him dead in the eye, she continued, "You loved to play with me on the Islands. You used to laugh."

Sensing the challenge, he answered, "You expect something in me that is impossible. Every god and mortal hates me. Don't aspire for something more."

"Thanatos, you dare tell me how I should feel!"

He grabbed her arm. They materialized in the room with some mortals. There was chaos sounding outside and an armored man held a blade to a child's neck.

"No!" she screamed at Thanatos.

Thanatos ignored her and stared patiently at the man. The boy bled out slow enough to make some choking sounds and cry. Macaria crossed into his plane of reality. She laid his head onto her lap and ran her hands soothingly through his hair. Crying and trying to make some shushing noises, she could only watch helplessly as the young boy died in pain. She merely glanced at the man who scurried away at her startling presence. She quietly said to the man before he left, "I would kill you myself, but your soul is not meant for the Islands."

The boy's soul looked at her with wide eyes. She left the body and opened her arms to him. He ran to her embrace and sobbed.

"Shh… I can tell you're a good boy. I'll take you somewhere good, I promise," she said through her tears.

They materialized at the Islands of the Blessed. She kissed the boy's cheek. Giving him her legendary warm smile, she said, "Go along, young one. Forget the life you once suffered. You are home."

He nodded shakily and walked away. She materialized to her room.

"How could you?" she asked without turning around.

"The boy was destined to die but not at your hands."

Feeling the ghost of pain, she brought her hand to her neck. "Not that way… never that way."

"Princess," his tone forced her to turn and face him, "I can't make you happy. For the longest time, I've tried to show you that. I am Death. Hate me like everyone else and stay here. It's best for you."

She pushed him hard enough for him to fall and lost her balance, stumbling atop him. He looked up at her in bewilderment. "Damn you, Thanatos. Damn you to Tartarus! You think I don't know full well that certain things have to happen! We can't influence humans. Why do you want me to hate you so desperately? Accept the fact I love you, even if you do hate me!"

"You," he blinked, "think I hate you?"

"Why else would you change so suddenly a few years ago? You went from being my friend to my spiteful partner in death dealing."

"Macaria," he whispered and pulled her down for a kiss, "I love you."

"Then why?"

"I can't make you happy because I cannot change. You don't smile all the time like you used to when you stayed out of the mortal world. You should avoid the pain of the mortals. You should avoid me."

"You're a fool." She leaned down to kiss him softly. "Look around us. The mortals that are meant for this place shouldn't have to wait in my father's dreadful chamber so why let them suffer more than they should?"

He kissed her deeply. She shivered at the feel of his hands on her hips. He flipped them so he was on top of her. He kissed down her craned neck and slowly disrobed her. His hands ran down the length of her naked body.

"Thanatos," she moaned.

She took off his clothes and kissed down his body. Before she can touch his lower regions, he pulled her in for a heated kiss. When he pulled away, he held a fistful of her brown locks and brought them to his lips. He worshipfully whispered, "You're so beautiful."

His hand cupped her between them and she gasped as desire shot through her. Her toes curled and her bent thighs trembled in anticipation. Only one finger drove in and she shook with overwhelming pleasure. Withdrawing his finger, he gently pushed her thighs open. He entered slowly, inch by inch until, as both were gasping and panting, he reached the hilt. Bucking her hips, she encouraged movement. Teasingly, he moved slowly at first but picked up speed as she started to beg for it. His hands roughly moved from her thighs up her sensitive stomach to her breasts. They came together in a powerful explosion.

Lightly floating down from the heady pleasure, she said, "Thanatos, I love you."

He kissed her lips. "I love you, Macaria, forever."

And so, the two gods of death finally admitted their love for each other. Thanatos' heart grew less cold because he would always have his most cherished goddess's love.