deaths_head | the talk (fic)

When he was four years old, Cole Marteniz developed a strange habit neither of his parents thought much about: when he would play quietly on the floor of the parlor with his father, he always draped Raggie, his little security blanket, over The Shade's shoulders. Unabashedly, The Shade always wore it with pride, his massive body lounging on the floor as the two built with Cole's beloved wooden blocks, that bright blue square of satin-trimmed fabric only just covering his broad shoulders.

The Shade thought nothing of it: Cole was a budding life mage, a nurturer by design. He would glower up at Courtney every time she giggled at the ridiculous sight of the mighty Lord of the Vale wearing Raggie, sprawled on the ground and building castles with his bright, talkative, and intense little boy.

It was idle curiosity one night, while he lay on his stomach to help Cole build a sprawling block city, that The Shade fingered the silken edge of the blanket on his back and thought to ask about it.

"Hey, partner?"

"Yessir, Daddy?"

"How come you don't give Momma your Raggie? Maybe she's cold."

"I'm not." Courtney replied from the sofa with a smile, making a show of tugging her own thick throw more securely around her shoulders.

Cole shook his head in agreement, gaze never lifting from the tower he was building intently. "Momma not cold, Daddy. You cold."

"I promise you, I ain't." he replied, watching Cole intently as he leaned forward on both his elbows.

Soberly, Cole stacked his last block and pulled himself to his feet, moving over to put his little arms around The Shade's neck. The gesture surprised him, but he returned the hug until Cole drew back to look down at him.

"You gives cold hugs. Momma's hugs is warm."

The Shade sobered a little as Cole plunked himself down right beside his father, glancing up at Courtney to see her own features stricken as she met his gaze. They both knew the question would come one day, but The Shade knew neither of them expected to have to face it so soon. He was still a baby...

"It ain't something a blanket can fix, partner." The Shade replied gently.

"Not blanket. Raggie! Raggie's magic."

The Shade sighed, nodding. "Yeah, that it is...it's magic and it protects you, but that ain't it, Cole. My hugs are cold 'cause I'm dead, you 'n me both are. Momma's not, she's alive."

He caught Courtney's unhappy look, but he held her gaze and shook his head just a little. It was better not to avoid it, to just say it and answer his questions as they came. At least then they could control what he knew, help him understand the things that confused him.

Cole frowned, visibly distraught. "But...but we gots bodies. Dead peoples don't move."

"Yes, that's true, but Mrs. Potter at the flower shop an' Miss Justine, your teacher? They're dead." The Shade pointed out gently. "But just 'cause someone's dead don't mean their life's over. They just give cold hugs like Daddy, that's all."

"Did I die?"

The Shade shook his head, shifting to swing his legs around so he could sit up straight. Reaching for Cole, he pulled him into his lap, then very pointedly took the blanket from around his shoulders and bundled Cole up in it, making him giggle once he was done pouting up at his father the same way Courtney often did.

"You, partner, are a very special little cowboy." The Shade drawled. "See, I died a very long time ago, so I made the Vale and we all live here, but you? You was born this way. You ain't no soul, you're a real little boy." He poked Cole's chest gently with one long finger, smiling down at him. "You're magic, the same way Raggie's magic...heck, the same way Momma's magic. You know when you have bad dreams and get in bed with us? Do I give cold hugs then?"

Cole scowled thoughtfully, then shook his head, scooting closer to press his ear to The Shade's broad chest.

"You make thumpy sounds in dere." he agreed, patting The Shade's chest. "Like Momma."

"That's my heartbeat. Momma has one 'cause she's alive."

"Where they go, Daddy?"

"I need magic to put 'em there. Here, watch this." The Shade glanced up at Courtney, who was regarding him curiously as he drew back just enough to skin off the black wifebeater he wore. Picking up Cole, he wrapped him up in a big hug, growling playfully to make his son giggle. Cole's cheek rested against his bare shoulder as he hugged his father back, his little hands against bare skin, and The Shade slid a hand under the back of Cole's t-shirt to rub his back as they sat there for a few minutes.

There was a long silence, and The Shade thought Cole might have fallen asleep when the little boy suddenly lifted his head, drawing back with a gasp and wide eyes.

"Daddy! Your hug is warm!" Cole breathed.

The Shade nodded with a grin. "Yup. That's magic hugs from my little cowboy right there, I tell you what."

Cole beamed, flinging himself at The Shade again. Laughing, he held Cole a little tighter, and over Cole's shoulder he saw Courtney watching them, grinning though her luminous eyes were overbright with tears. He frowned at her questioningly, and in return she simply shook her head and kissed her fingers, blowing a kiss in his direction.

Instead of catching it, The Shade just shut his eyes and pressed his face against Cole's little neck, grateful for that rush of living power that leeched from Cole's body into his.

And, from that night on, instead of giving Raggie to his father, Cole used his own little body to give his father life instead, flinging himself into The Shade's arms until he felt heat in his skin and a heartbeat in his chest again.