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Alva’s ears flicked as they caught the sound of a key turning in the lock. She knew who it was before the door even opened, and her eyes slowly peeled away from the pages of her book to find Lillian standing in the doorway. She looked sheepish, hands behind her back and left eye swollen with a nasty bruise.
“What happened to you?” Alva said, rising from her chair and setting her book on the coffee table. Lillian scuffed her boot on the rug.
“Some guys tried to get the jump on me,” She shrugged. “I gave ‘em more than I got, though.” She looked up, crooked grin on her face, and Alva felt her heart skip a beat.
“I see some things haven’t changed,” She chuckled. “Why don’t you take a seat? I can try and patch you up a bit.”
“Oh, right…” Lillian took a step into the room, a slight tinge of pink dusting her cheeks. “I, uh, brought you something.” From behind her back she pulled a bouquet of roses, a breathtaking mix of reds and pinks. Alva felt her stomach do a flip, and heat rise to her ears, but managed a disgustingly smug grin all the same.
“Flowers? How old fashioned.”
“Give me a break,” Lillian muttered, definitely flushing red now. “I work at a flower shop, these were easy to pick up… I thought it might be nice.”
“Kidding,” Alva said, giggling. “They’re lovely. I’ll put them in a vase right away. As for you, sit down and I’ll be back to fix up your face.” She turned to the kitchen.
“You could fix it up right now with a kiss.” Now it was Lillian’s turn to smirk. Alva felt her face flush deeply and was glad Lillian couldn’t see it. They’d both begun to realize it, but their relationship had changed a lot in eight years. Then again, so had the entire world. Alva set down a bowl of warm water and wet a cloth, glancing at the tattoo on Lillian’s arm. Another change. That hadn’t been there when they were younger. She wondered when she’d gotten it done, and felt a pang of sadness that she’d missed out on so much of Lillian’s life. She felt Lillian’s eyes on her, and knew her face was probably a little pink. In their years of separation, Lillian had grown to be absolutely beautiful, and it was throwing her off. Not that she was planning on admitting that anytime soon. Gently, she reached up to brush Lillian’s hair away from her black eye, but stopped just short.
“May I?” She asked. Lillian nodded. With the utmost care, Alva swept Lillian’s bangs behind her ear and began dabbing at her eye with the cloth. She winced, but held still, tilting her head up so Alva had a better angle. She was suddenly very aware of how close Lillian’s face was to her own. She averted her gaze, so as not to meet her eyes, trying instead to focus on the task at hand. There was heat radiating between them. The skin around Lillian’s bruise had turned very pink, and Alva thought she probably wasn’t much better. Flustered, she began to pull away.
“There. That should do it. I can get a bandaid too, if-” She stopped mid-sentence as Lillian grabbed for her wrist.
“I wasn’t kidding about that kiss,” She said. Then seemed to realize what had come out of her mouth. “I mean, if you, uh..” Alva blushed, then grinned again, rolling her eyes.
“Well, come here, then.” She said, cupping Lillian’s face gently in her hands, and leaning closer. Lillian flushed violently, but leaned closer as well, gently brushing her lips over Alva’s. Alva pressed closer, deepening the contact into a full kiss. Then they both pulled away, faces bright red.
“Wow,” Lillian managed. “That was, uh, something.”
“I… wouldn’t mind another one of those.” Alva said, clearing her throat. She hadn’t expected Lillian to be quite so good a kisser.
“Oh?” Lillian smirked again, and Alva decided it was quite a good look on her. “It seems the tables have turned.”
“Shut up.” Alva rolled her eyes and moved to sit on her lap.
Was it possible to fall in love in ten days? Yes, Alva thought, it was.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Alva flicked water from her ears as she shivered at the door, fumbling in her pocket for the key while balancing an armful of groceries. She hoped Lillian still liked hot pot as much as she did eight years ago, it was one of the few meals she could vividly remember the two of them sharing together. She managed to get the key in the lock and turn it, shoving the door open with her shoulder and kicking off her wet shoes as soon as she got past the welcome mat. Her tail swished in irritation, ridding itself of rainwater. The frigid winter temperatures had spiked higher, and the white snow had been watered down to gray mush by the drizzle that had swept over the city. It had been so long since she’d felt the rain, and as much as it annoyed her, some part of her wanted to stop and enjoy it. But it was cold, and she was wet, and she couldn’t waste time. Not when there were only a precious few days left.
She paused in the doorway, ears perking at a sound emanating from further inside. It was the calming song of a violin, playing a song that Alva immediately recognized from her childhood. A wave of nostalgia washed over her, and her mouth worked its way into a smile.
Placing the groceries down on the nearest available surface area, Alva quietly moved towards the living room. She knew Lillian could play, but hadn’t seen her touch an instrument since they were kids. Her socks padded lightly against the carpeted floor of the hallway, and she hummed along with the notes as the violin continued its melancholy song. She shivered slightly. The cold from her wet jacket had begun to sink in. Cautiously, she poked her head around the doorframe and into the living room.
Lillian was standing in the center of the room, eyes closed and mouth pressed in a concentrated line. Her arms guided her bow slowly across the strings of the violin tucked under her chin, and she wavered from side to side in time with the music. Her sweater had been cast aside, and Alva could see the beads of sweat dotting her forehead from where she was standing. Lillian drew in a shuddering breath, eyebrows creasing in effort as the sounds from the violin slipped into something jerkier and harsher, clashing with the soothing notes she had been playing before. She inhaled sharply, scrunching up her nose as her glasses began slipping down her face.
Alva’s eyes widened in concern as she realized that Lillian’s hands were
shaking
. No, not just her hands. Her entire body was trembling with the effort of holding itself up. She jolted as Lillian turned and collapsed into a chair, the music halting altogether. Without a word, Alva went to her side, taking the violin and setting it on the floor for her, before clasping one of her quivering hands. Lillian gasped for air, and Alva rubbed soothing circles into her back.
She hadn’t forgotten about the curse. It was impossible. A looming deadline that threatened to crush the breath out of her if she stopped to think about what it meant. But Lillian’s smile had a way of shoving it to the back of Alva’s mind, of making her believe that their time together could last forever… However, there was no denying that Lillian’s body was beginning to deteriorate. Lillian’s breathing began to calm, and she slowly readjusted her glasses. Then she turned to look at Alva, catching her eyes with her piercing gaze, and tightening her grip on her hand.
“I want to finish the song.” She said, quietly.
“Lillian, I don’t know if you-”
“Please,” Lillian cut her off, eyes pleading. “This… this is probably the last time I’ll ever play. I want to finish the song.” Alva gulped.
“Can you make it?” She whispered. Lillian nodded.
“I can if you help me. You know the notes.” She said. Slowly, without breaking eye contact, Alva reached down and picked up the violin, placing it in Lillian’s grasp. Her hands had stopped shaking, and were able to hold the instrument up under her chin, even when Alva let go. Alva gave the bow to her, and then carefully placed her hands over Lillian’s. Together, they settled the bow on the strings. Lillian drew in a deep breath, then nodded. Alva guided Lillian as the familiar notes came pouring out once more. Her heart grew heavy as the end of the song approached. Lillian’s teeth clenched, arms wavering but holding true as the clear, final notes rang out. She held the last note, letting it sit, until silence swooped down on them, and she dropped the violin into her lap with a sob.
Alva knelt down by the chair, and Lillian turned, burying her face into Alva’s shoulder, glasses riding up her nose, skewed in an awkward position. Lillian wrapped her arms around Alva, and Alva reciprocated, drawing her in close. Lillian’s shoulders shook, hot tears leaking from her eyes and onto Alva’s already wet jacket.
“Thank you…” She whispered, voice hitching. Alva could only nod mutely, eyes stinging. She felt so, utterly helpless.
Lillian reached up, grabbing fistfuls of Alva’s jacket before pulling her down into a desperate kiss. Alva returned it with a fiery fierceness she didn’t know she possessed. She didn’t want to ever let go.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
By the time Lillian’s eyes began to feel heavy with sleep, Alva was already snoring. The neon green light from the alarm clock on the bedside table faintly illuminated her face, accentuating every dip, line, angle and imperfection. The scar on her cheek glowed bright white, and Lillian’s eyes were drawn to it. It was new, or at least, new to her. She sighed, sinking into her pillow and gently slipping a hand over Alva’s hip beneath the sheets. Lillian glanced back at the clock. Eight days left. She felt a bubbling sickness in the pit of her stomach and looked away, back to Alva.
Her chin settled on the top of Alva’s head, between her ears. She blinked heavily, the hand not cradling Alva fiddling with the hem of her shirt. She took a shuddering breath. Ever since Lillian had learned about the curse two days ago, every waking moment was spent replaying her life events, thinking about what she could’ve done to make things go better. Had she gotten the most out of her twenty one years of life? Doubtful. By all accounts, twenty one was too young to die. A fourth of the average adult lifespan. There was so much she had yet to do, and how could she fit it all into a little over one week? It wasn’t possible.
Lillian gulped, feeling her eyes begin to sting and breath quicken. Quietly, she extricated her hands to swipe at her eyes. She had to try and hold it together. It was alright. She always knew this was a possibility. She’d just never thought it could be a
reality
. Nearly 7.5 billion people in the world and it had been her. She knew her life wasn’t worth more than anyone else’s, in fact, it was probably worth a lot less. But still, it wasn’t
fair
… Despite herself, she could feel the tears flowing more quickly, the stinging behind her eyes growing stronger. A sob bubbled up in her throat and she muffled it behind a clenched fist, fingernails digging into her palm.
Lillian froze as Alva rolled over, mumbling something unintelligible in her sleep. Her eyes softened, still swimming with tears. At least she’d been able to see Alva again. The only good thing to come from the dead end her life was quickly careening towards. Taking a deep breath, Lillian tried to center herself. Slowly, she reached out with one shaky hand. With one finger, she softly traced the length of the scar on Alva’s cheek, eyes flitting over the rest of her sleeping face.
Suddenly, Alva stiffened. The peaceful look on her face changed to one of discomfort, fear, even. Lillian quickly made to draw away but her fingers were caught in Alva’s loose grasp, sleepy, blue eyes staring up at her from behind messy bangs.
“Nngh… sorry,” Alva said sheepishly, voice still thick with sleep.
“It’s my bad. I shouldn’t have-” Lillian started, but stopped abruptly as Alva pulled her hand up to her lips, gently kissing the numerous scars along Lillian’s knuckles.
“It’s alright. It’s just… that one holds some bad memories,” She looked up at Lillian again, her eyes like dark pools of water under a starry sky. “But you can touch it, if you’d like.” She whispered the last few words. Lillian shook her head.
“Not if it makes you uncomfortable.” She said, then looked back at Alva. Her eyes were shining with affection in the darkness, but Lillian could sense the underlying sadness. The dreadful knowledge that both of them shared. These fleeting moments in the dark could only last so long. Taking a deep breath, Lillian placed a hand on Alva’s shoulder, letting it slide down to her waist, then hips, then working it under her shirt until she found what she was looking for. The old scar on Alva’s stomach, the result of a skateboarding accident back when they were kids, carefree and blissfully ignorant of the dark future soon to pass. She traced it slowly with a finger, then met Alva’s eyes once more. In an unspoken agreement the two collapsed into each other. Lillian drew Alva in, enveloping her in her arms and holding tight, like she’d never let go. She never wanted to let go. Didn’t want to have to say goodbye.
“Al..?” She breathed into her hair.
“Yeah, Lil?” Alva whispered.
“... Thank you. For being here. I’m glad I can…” Lillian stopped for a second, trying to work around the lump in her throat. “I’m glad… I can spend my last days with you.” She felt Alva’s tail snake around her waist, wrapping around her and drawing her in even closer, holding her even tighter.
“I’m never letting you go.” Came her fierce, whispered reply.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Lillian’s eyes were as bright as the stars, as she picked her way across slick, icy sidewalks with her arm around Alva’s waist. Their breath billowed like smoke in the cold air, and their laughter bounced off the exteriors of dark houses, muted in blankets of snow. She couldn’t keep her eyes off Alva, whose cheeks were rosy in the pale moonlight. Her ears were twitching in the cold air, tail wrapped around Lillian’s waist, and mouth slightly ajar as she gazed up at the star studded sky. Lillian caught her eye, and they both burst into a fit of giddy giggles.
“I can’t believe we’re really doing this!” Lillian said, words slightly jittery with a mix of cold and exhilaration.
“Me neither, but what better night for a 3 am McDonald’s run?” Alva said, laughing. Lillian beamed, cold stiffened cheeks burning. She hardly cared. Alva leaned down, scooping up a fistful of snow.
“Don’t you dare…” Lillian warned, and Alva’s smile widened as she began packing the snow into a ball. Lillian leaned down to reach for her own handful, but accidentally stepped on a particularly slick patch of ice and pitched forward. Whooping, she grabbed hold of a very surprised Alva’s waist, sending them both tumbling into one of the deep snow banks that lined the sidewalks.
“Get off’a me, Lil!” Alva shouted, shoving fistfuls of snow into Lillian’s face. Lillian was helpless with laughter, lying on top of Alva and spitting snow. Alva managed to push her off and she rolled onto the sidewalk, wheezing. Lilian propped herself on her elbows, ignoring the bite of cold from the icy concrete beneath her. Alva pushed herself to her feet, brushing snow off of her and giving Lillian a wicked smile as she offered her a hand. Lillian took it, clambering to her feet and returned Alva’s grin.
“I’d count that as a win for me.” She said, the burst into giggles at the offended look on Alva’s face.
“Yet you’re somehow covered in more snow,” She rolled her eyes, sweeping snow off of Lillian’s jacket for her. “Geez, your face is bright red. Might want a hot chocolate with those fries, huh?”
“Sounds perfect,” Lillian nodded. “You might want one too, you’re shivering!” Alva crossed her arms, tail flicking a bit of snow into Lillian’s face. Then she took off running.
“Don’t slip!” Lillian called after her.
“Like hell I will!” She yelled over her shoulder, laughing. Lillian took a moment to sigh, smiling fondly at Alva’s back. The muted silence the snow brought always put her at ease, and the way the moon shone on the untouched white snow was perfect, despite the orange city glow on the horizon. The crisp night air burned her lungs, but she relished the feeling. The feeling of being alive.
Ahead of her, Alva slipped sideways, plunging headlong into a snowbank once more. Lillian chuckled to herself, then set off jogging to pull her out.