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Villanelle once thought she would die without Eve. That after years of happiness and togetherness, she simply wouldn’t be able to go on living when half of her heart was no longer working.
But despite Eve’s own cynicism regarding the world of the living, even Eve, in the end, had always told her not to be so ridiculous.
‘You’re twenty years younger than I am Villanelle. One day a time will come when I won’t be here physically and you still will. Don’t give that up so easily to chase after me, not after I worked so hard to drag you from the Thames and you worked so hard to recover. Live, have fun, be naughty and nice, knowing that I’m watching and enjoying every moment of it. And when your time does come, I will greet you with open arms, happy to be reunited in the afterlife with you, my love.’
Villanelle doesn’t take flowers when she visits Eve’s grave, instead Villanelle takes an apple, always taking a bite before setting it down at Eve’s headstone, a little token of remembrance for all the times Eve had been beautifully defiant, before sitting to regale Eve with tales of her latest adventures.
‘I had to kill someone last week,’ Villanelle says, fingertip trailing over the carved lettering of Eve’s name chiselled into the granite. ‘I know, I know, it’s very impressive and unexpected,’ Villanelle laughs softly. ‘But did you know that I haven’t since. Not since way before your mind started to drift. Don’t get me wrong, I wanted to kill some of those doctors when they said you had dementia at first, but in the end I kind of liked that the only cure for it was making you fall in love with me each day over and over again.’
Villanelle grins adoringly as she recalls the endless days she spent in a chair at Eve’s side, recounting the grand story of their love to Eve until the confused look in Eve’s eyes cleared away to twinkling recognition; ‘Villanelle?’ ‘Yes, my darling, Eve, it’s me’. It had made Villanelle’s heart flutter every damn time, knowing that even if it was only for a few moments, Eve could see her again; feel her and their love again.
‘I used an axe,’ Villanelle continues, ‘it’s been awhile so I was a little rusty wielding such a weapon, but this asshole’s name was Raymond,’ Villanelle sniggers in amusement, ‘so it only seemed right to honour your first kill by causing just as much blood flow in this one.’
The blood had spurted and spewed, covering the blade of the axe, the floor, and Villanelle’s face like the canvas of a masterpiece. It was beautiful. Eve would have loved it.
‘You’re probably wondering what this Raymond did,’ Villanelle murmurs as she takes a moment to squint up at the sun beginning to peek through the clouds, warming her skin like the gentle caresses she missed so much from Eve. ‘He’s a doctor, Eve. A bad doctor. Been over prescribing medication to cause overdoses to those that probably would have recovered. He had to go. I know you’d agree,’ Villanelle adds as she drops her eyes back to Eve’s headstone. ‘Especially since he’s been treating me too.’
It’s not a secret she’s kept from Eve, it’s more… a topic that Villanelle has simply been overlooking. Eve had told her to embrace living, and Villanelle is never one to disappoint, especially not Eve. She always gave Eve what she wanted, and then gave even more to make up for all the things Eve wanted but didn’t know she did until Villanelle forced her to really open up her eyes. Nothing about that has changed just because they’re currently separated into different spheres of the universe.
‘You see, Eve, I’m getting ready to see you again soon,’ Villanelle smiles brightly. ‘Not quite in the blaze of glory I wanted, but I guess if one of us had to lose their mind, it’s only fair that the other one does too. I have a tumour. A brain tumour. Inoperable and growing fast. They haven’t given me long,’ Villanelle says softly. ‘I don’t really mind though. I’ve had ten years without you, and if I’m being honest, I’m starting to get really bored. Being naughty isn’t as fun if you’re not here to chase me,’ Villanelle grins wickedly as the memory of their early days fills her with contentment. ‘I think I was always destined to die fairly young, it’s just that before I thought I’d die and there would be nothing. My soul would just disappear inside my body. That was it. But now I know that when I die, when my eyes finally slip shut and then open once again, it won’t be to nothing. No. I’ll be staring into yours once more, Eve; my heart, my love, my everything.’
Villanelle traces her fingertip over the indentation of Eve’s name once again and smiles. ‘I’ve told them I want to be placed here with you. I thought you’d like that. Our corpses rotting away together while our souls reunite to live on in eternity.’
She knows it’s true. Eve always enjoyed anything morbid, the beauty found in the gruesome things others would find unbearably horrifying to think about. It was one of the many reasons Villanelle had loved her so much and yearned to reunite with her as soon as possible; her darkness needed Eve’s for companionship, to conspire and play with.
‘This has been nice,’ Villanelle says fondly, pressing up onto her knees as she smooths her hands along the top of the cool slab of Eve’s headstone. ‘But it’s time for me to be bad again. Just a little. I promise it won’t make you too mad, and if it does, well... you’ll just have to yell at me instead of kissing me in greeting.’ With a final press of her lips to Eve’s headstone, Villanelle withdraws the bottle of medication supplied to her by Raymond #2 and quickly makes work of downing every single tablet inside. ‘Sorry, baby.’
It doesn’t take long for her eyes to grow hazy, for her steady heart to slow, and for her mind to stutter as her breathing trickles to a stop. Images flicker before her like a kaleidoscope being twisted; the grass, the sky, Eve’s gravestone, birds overhead, trees, the apple and then finally a hand extended towards her.
———
Blackness gives way to blinding white light, and as Villanelle blinks hard against the sting of it. When the fog finally filters and clears it’s to a place entirely unexpected; her Paris apartment.
She looks around slowly, noting how everything is the same as she remembers, and then laughs as she catches sight of her reflection, suddenly younger and vibrantly alive, and dressed in black jeans and the pink top she’d been wearing on the fateful day Eve had stabbed her all those years ago.
‘No blood though,’ she murmurs to herself as her palms smooth over her stomach.
‘Afraid not. But I promise it’s the only disappointing thing about this place.’
Villanelle feels her breath catch at the sound of a familiar voice. It’s one she’s yearned to hear for the past decade, one she was beginning to worry she hadn’t remembered properly. But as the words echo in her ears, Villanelle is happy to relent that despite her best efforts, her memory has been nothing but a pale imitation compared to the beautiful sound reverberating through her body now.
She doesn’t think her heart has ever beat so hard and fast before, and Villanelle swears it’s going to burst free from her chest the second she turns around, desperate to finally be reunited with its other half.
Taking a final steadying breath to prepare herself, Villanelle twists slowly towards the only sight in the entire world she’s ever truly been in awe of.
Just like always Eve is an utter vision before her, only this time, she’s illuminated in a soft, ethereal, gold glow. She’s younger too, just the way she had been when they’d first met; her curls darker and wild once more, her eyes glimmering vibrantly and her smile stretched wide and warmly across her face.
Villanelle feels her breath catch the second their eyes meet, her heart swelling immeasurably just like it always did, and knows that she still hasn’t seen anything more breathtaking in all the time she’s had since they last parted.
‘I should have known you’d eventually make your way here of your own accord,’ Eve says fondly. ‘You were always such an unruly, stubborn, brat.’
The smile that curls across Villanelle’s face in response is uncontrollable as stares proudly back at Eve’s accusation. ‘You know me, I like to be the master of my own strings; I played the puppet for long enough.’
Eve hums in agreement as she closes the distance between them, leaving only the slightest gap between their bodies as she looks up ardently into Villanelle’s eyes.
‘I wouldn’t want you any other way,’ Eve murmurs as her eyes trace slowly over Villanelle’s face, drinking her.
‘Do you?’ Villanelle questions as she dares to let her hand reach up to brush through Eve’s soft curls. God, she’s missed the way they spill like silk through her fingers. ‘Still want me?’ she clarifies as Eve’s eyebrows knit together. ‘After all this time?’
Eve’s soft chuckle and reverent smile in response give Villanelle her answer before Eve actually speaks a word, but when Eve reaches up to cradle her face, stroking her thumbs across the soft curve of Villanelle’s cheeks, Villanelle knows she’s finally home.
‘I’ll always want you, Villanelle,’ Eve murmurs assuredly. ‘In life, in death, and everything in between. It’s actually kind of infuriating how much I want you, really,’ she says with a hint of annoyed yet fond amusement that Villanelle has ached to hear again.
Villanelle presses into Eve’s touch, turning her face to plant a devoted kiss Eve’s palm. ‘I guess we’re spending an insufferable eternity together, then?’
‘I guess so,’ Eve breathes shakily as Villanelle’s kisses against her palm turn into little, teasing nips of her teeth. ‘Is that okay with you?’
‘Yes, Eve, it’s more than okay with me,’ Villanelle replies earnestly as she stares unwaveringly into the depths of the eyes she wasn’t sure she’d ever get the chance to see again. ‘Being with you is all I’ve ever wanted, remember?’
‘How could I ever forget?’ Eve quips teasingly, her hand tugging at Villanelle’s waist to urge her even closer.
Villanelle smiles at her purposeful irony, her heart never fuller than it is right now, and her mind, body, and soul, finally content now that she’s back in Eve’s loving arms.
‘Don’t worry, if you do, I’ll remind you every single day until you remember again,’ Villanelle reassures and then with a cheeky smirk adds, ‘I’m far too remarkable to be forgotten.’
‘Dick,’ Eve chides adoringly, making Villanelle beam brightly at her, and when Eve leans up to kiss her intolerably slowly then, Villanelle feels herself melting rapidly into her.
It would be a little embarrassing how weak Eve still made her after all this time if it wasn’t for the fact that Villanelle can feel Eve trembling equally against her, both of them finally at peace once more.