Work Text:
Crouched beside Life's wheel, Death stared at the baby, and the baby, settled in the grass and solemnly chewing away at his pacifier, stared back.
"Well?" Life asked.
"Well..." Death said, and then again: "Well..."
Both of Life's snake heads looked disappointed. "You don't like him."
"No! No! I didn't say that. I just wasn't expecting him to be so..." He gestured at the baby, which looked like nothing so much as a chunky snake in a nappy. "...skin-covered."
Life smiled. "He gets that from me."
Death blinked at the baby, and the baby blinked back. Death cocked his head to one side, and as he did so his skull rattled. The baby spit out his pacifier and laughed. "Oh, you like that, do you?" Death asked, and tipped his head to the other side. The rattling set the baby into fits of giggles, kicking his legs and flailing his tiny fists. Death smiled. "He's kinda cute if you get past the skin thing."
"And you're so good at that." Life gave him a quick peck on the cheek. A single zinnia bloomed there for an instant before wilting and crumbling to dust.
"Yeah. Well." Death reached out a bony finger, and the baby grabbed hold with surprising strength. Death's eyes went wide.
"Aw, my two favorite gentlemen." Life pressed her hands to her chest. "Just be careful."
"I wouldn't hurt him. Not on purpose."
"Oh, I know that. I meant you have to watch him. He--"
She abruptly fell silent, striking out like lightning and pulling Death's arm back. A split second later, the baby's fangs snapped down where his hand had been.
"...he bites," Life finished.
Death stared down at the baby, who in turn stared up at him. "You think he'll hurt me?"
"I don't know." Life picked up the baby and bounced him on her hip. The baby screwed up his little face and reached out his grabbing hands toward Death. "Not on purpose, of course, but... He's as much me as he is you, and death ends life ends death."
Death took the baby from her and rattled his skull at him, and the baby shrieked in delight.
"We'll just have to be careful, then, won't we?" Death shifted the baby to one arm and tapped him lightly on the nose. "We'll just keep an eye out and make sure we don't have any accidents. Right?"
The baby gurgled in response. He settled in and began to chew on Death's sleeve, drooling contentedly.
"Yeah," Death said as Life lovingly settled her two heads on his shoulder. "No accidents. Just you and your mama and dad who will love you no matter what." Life kissed him again on the cheek, and he smiled as a whole patch of zinnia sprouted and blossomed and died. "Always."