"I don't understand." Alfie walked backwards until he bumped into the couch and sat down. Nothing made sense. Why would he draw wilted flowers in a stick figures hand and name him Koda when they hadn't even met yet? "Connor, tell me what's happening before I unintentionally kill you."

"You drew that when you were little," Koda said quietly, staring at the crayon drawing. "How did you know?"

"I don't know- I didn't know. I don't remember doing it."

Molly, seeing their distress, moved to sit down in between the boys, reaching up to rub their backs. Koda looked like he was going to pass out, and Alfie looked like he would put a foot through her canvas, or more likely, Connor's head.

"Connor, we need to know what's going on," she said sternly, to Alfie's surprise. But Alfie's grandmother- Molly's mother- had been a medium, so Alfie could only imagine the things his mother had dealt with and experienced. "These boys can't take more secrecy. They may be in danger, but it's a threat to their health if you keep them in the dark like this. I can't protect my boy if I don't know what he needs protecting from."

Koda felt it again, the twang of jealousy because Alfie had a mother who loved him and showed it with pride.

"Very well." Connor's blue cloudy eyes pointed to somewhere near Koda's feet. "The story is true."

"The story?" Alfie questioned.

"Your story." Connor lifted a finger, pointing in the direction of the drawing. "That story." Everyone's gaze turned to the stick figures. The sun was glaring through the window, illuminating the orange crayon. "Molly, tell me Alfie's story." Connor rooted himself to the edge of the couch, leaning forward with a sense of eagerness and exhilaration.

"Alfie used to tell me that he would one day have a sidekick boyfriend. He said that the stick figure he always drew next to him was a sidekick for the person who sucked souls out of people, and that's why they were going to be such a good couple because the boyfriend took the souls, and Alfie helped the souls with their unfinished business." Molly was staring at Koda from the corner of her eye. "How can that possibly be true?"

"How can it not?" Connor sat back and felt for his coffee cup. "The evidence is on your walls, in your vases, in Alfie's stories."

Koda had never felt suffocated by air until now. His ears were ringing, and his chest tightened until his lungs struggled to inhale. "I don't understand," he whispered. "How can that story be real?"

"In this day and age, how do you know if anything is real?"

Alfie looked up, fixing his eyes tightly on Connor. "Stop it." The bitterness in his tone rolled easily from his tongue. "Stop confusing Koda. Stop confusing all of us. Connor, you clearly know what's going on, so just tell us! Stop with these stupid responses where you edge around the real answer."

Molly rested a hand on her son's knee, squeezing it to tell him to calm down.

"Alfie, the answer is right in front of you. The flowers die when Koda is near them, your soul-sucking boyfriend that you made up when you were little is named Koda. It's obvious, isn't it?" Connor said before taking a small sip of his drink. It had cooled unnaturally fast. It was almost icy, but he didn't mention that.

"What's wrong with me?" Koda didn't know if he wanted a reply.

"There's nothing wrong with you." Connor frowned staring somewhere in front of him. He could see faint outlines of where he assumed they were sitting from the direction of their voices. "You're very special Koda Oaks. You're special to the medium community, you're special to a certain someone, and you're special to Alfie."

"What I- why?" Koda rubbed his eyes until they stung.

"When did you turn eighteen?"

"Connor, just-"

Connor lifted a hand to silence Alfie. "I'll get to the point, just answer my question."

"Almost two months ago," Koda answered.

"And when did your mother start to write in her journal?"

"Almost two months ago."

Connor nodded. "You may question why strange things have only just decided to happen to you, but the coming of age is a rule that applies to most cultures, even one that includes the paranormal."

"What is happening to me?"

Connor fell silent, tapping his finger against the mug like he was thinking of how to arrange his words. "You are the sidekick of someone who takes souls. Any guesses of who that might be?"

Alfie twisted a ring with a tiger's eye stone fused into the silver. He could feel the beat of his heart in the side of his neck, the pulse in his fingers and toes, the shiver down his spine, the uncomfortable prickle of his hairs standing on end. "I think I know." Eyes moved to him, and he avoided Koda's gaze because he didn't want to see him so anxious and stressed.

"Tell me." Connor had moved forward again, his eyes widening with anticipation.

Alfie took a breath, staring at the drawing on the wall. "The Grim Reaper." Then he watched Connor's reaction, expecting him to frown again and tell him not to be absurd, but he didn't. Connor nodded his head once with a smile.

"Correct."

Koda's brain exploded into a million painful pieces. How could he believe something so ridiculous? "No. I can't do this." He stood up without looking at anyone and hurried to the door. He moved swiftly down the corridor and heard little feet running after him.

"Koda!" Alfie jogged to his crush and grabbed his hand, pulling on it until he slowed down. "Don't leave, not now! It's not good to be on your own right now-"

"Then what do you suggest I do?" Koda snapped, yanking his hand away. "You don't believe him; surely you don't."

Alfie smoothed a hand down his face, softening his tense features. Of course, he believed Connor. His mentor was right; the evidence was dangling in front of him. "Come with me." He grabbed Koda's hand again, despite him trying to pull it back. Alfie only gripped harder and dragged him down another corridor.

Koda gave up quickly and followed Alfie to a familiar black door.

"My office is the most relaxed room in the house," Alfie said while entering the room. "Have some tea, smell some lavender, or touch my crystals if you're that desperate. But please calm down. You're not rational when you're stressed, nobody is."

Koda stood in the middle of the room as Alfie sat on his table next to his crystal ball. Koda's head was spinning with crazy thoughts, but as soon as the door to Alfie's office closed, they switched off, and the room silenced his mind, leaving behind only his emotions. Pictures of stereotypical Grim Reapers burnt into his eyes. He was planning on dressing up as the Grim Reaper for Halloween in a few weeks. "Everything is so stupid! Everything!"

Alfie leaned back on his hands and softly swung his legs as Koda started to pace back and forth.

"The sidekick of death? Really? How totally unbelievable!" Koda's humourless laugh made his eyes even darker as he gripped his hair. "I can't be. I mean- how- I don't-" He turned back to pace across the room. "Why am I caught in the middle of this-this-" He groaned and turned again to pace towards the window. "I think I'm dreaming. I'm obviously dreaming. What does a sidekick even do? Assist in taking souls?" Koda laughed again, shaking his head. "I can't believe I'm even thinking about that."

As he turned to pace towards the door, somewhere in the depth of his mind were his cogent thoughts. Flowers die when he's around them. The life gets sucked out of them at unnatural speeds. Enya talked about a 'him' in her journal. Was his mother talking about her son? Enya noticed a darkness at night when Koda was sleeping, and it all started happening after his eighteenth birthday, the age of adulthood. Alfie- a medium- predicted Koda's fate and Koda didn't have a reason not to believe him. He trusted Alfie.

"No," he said out loud, turning back towards the window. "I don't even want to begin to-"

"I think it's kinda hot."

Alfie's words stopped Koda, slicing through him like a hot knife. He turned with a hand in his hair and an open mouth. Alfie was sitting on the table, looking unfazed and as calm as ever. "What?" he whispered.

"Well." Alfie didn't break the contact with Koda's wide eyes. "You're apparently the sidekick of the Grim Reaper. That's the coolest thing ever, and in my opinion, makes you even hotter than what you already are."

Time stopped for Koda, and the insanity paused when Alfie was the only person who could make him focus. Koda was told by another medium that he was the assistant of death and Alfie didn't look at him like he had two heads. Alfie still had the same sparkling eyes, the laid-back shape to his lips, the carefree posture. To Alfie, it apparently wasn't a big deal, and Koda knew there were very few people who would think that way. He had to fight for Alfie Willow. He couldn't push him away, not if he were the only one who would really understand him.

Alfie was about to tell Koda that they would figure everything out together and that he didn't have to go through the days alone, but he didn't have the chance to get his words out because Koda stormed up to him and gripped his cheeks. Alfie's breath caught in his throat when his crush stood in between his legs and leaned over him, pressing their foreheads together.

Koda closed his eyes. The throb in his chest was not just from his heart; it was from the overwhelming affection that wanted to squeeze out of every pore. So he let it.

Alfie froze when Koda kissed him. Their lips pressed together, Koda's hands suddenly moved from his cheek to his back as his arms wrapped around Alfie to pull their bodies closer.

Koda kissed him hard. The passion oozed from him like he would never get another chance. The medium's taste was addictive, his warmth was welcoming, and Alfie's hands that clasped the back of his neck were reassuring when he kissed back equally as hungry for passion.

All of Koda's stresses melted straight into Alfie like the medium was kneading them out of him. Just like yesterday, it felt so right and so natural to kiss him, especially when they kissed with the desire to fulfil each other's cravings. Their lips moved together quickly as Alfie's legs wrapped around Koda when he gave him a long and deep kiss.

Alfie wanted to lean back against the table and push everything off it so Koda could climb on top of him. He was mildly aware of how the steam was rising with each kiss and how the heat was getting more and more intense. He knew if he parted his lips for long enough an unfamiliar tongue would be in his mouth. Alfie would not have minded at all, but Koda slowed down as feelings that were restricted for somewhere very private started to unlock.

Their kissing turned to slow and meaningful kisses, soaking up the physical touch and the smoothness of each other's lips. Then Koda pulled his head back enough to stare into Alfie's eyes. His pupils were large and glowed with lust. Koda never wanted to let him go. He wanted their bodies to remain pressed together forever. So he hugged him tightly, feeling Alfie rubbing the top of his back and tenderly massaging his neck.

"I'm gonna get you through this, Koda," Alfie whispered, and Koda could only hug him tighter, fighting back his tears of gratitude.