Chapter Text
"Let me through and explain—what was that kiss?" Alcina Dimitrescu had eagerly awaited the end of the unnervingly bright day so she could fly to Larissa’s balcony door. The shapeshifter’s response would have been inaudible to a human, but not to Alcina’s vampiric hearing. She swiftly opened the door when she was given permission.
Inside, the sight was heartbreaking. It was clear that Larissa hadn’t slept since the previous dawn, her eyes red and swollen, as if she had been crying until she could cry no more. The small room, which functioned as a studio apartment with a bedroom, dining, and kitchen area, mirrored her emotional state. The poorly drawn curtains allowed only moonlight to enter, faintly illuminating a table cluttered with objects. Wrinkled clothes were scattered on the floor, matching the dirty dishes piled in the sink. A slightly damaged mirror rested on a chair in front of the unmade bed, and a spilled glass of wine on the nightstand had left a dark stain on the carpet. The room smelled of sour grapes, melted candle wax, and the lingering scent of Larissa’s perfume, now overpowered by despair.
"That woman is going to kill you," hissed Alcina, her voice laced with concern and barely contained fury.
"It’s not like that," Larissa murmured, her voice hoarse from crying. "You don’t understand. I wish it were her who would simply end my existence."
"Then explain it to me. Tell me why she has the right to leave you in this state," Alcina advanced, crossing the room’s mess with determined steps, her heels striking the floor like hammer blows.
"She is..." Larissa averted her gaze, unable to meet the vampire’s piercing eyes. "She was... a part of me that I’ve never been able to let go of. We shared things I just can’t abandon. She taught me so much about myself, about my power... That kiss... It was like an echo from the past. She knew I yearned for it."
The vampire sighed, her rigid posture softening slightly. She moved closer to Larissa, ignoring her discomfort facing a mirror, and sat beside her on the edge of the disheveled bed.
"And now what? Are you going to let her destroy you? Are you going to keep holding on to a ghost from the past while you wither in the present?"
Larissa shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut tightly. It was ironically tragic that though she wasn’t alone, the reflection in the mirror showed her solitude.
"I don’t know, Al. I don’t know what to do. Everything is so confusing..."
"Then let me help you clear it up." Alcina extended a hand, gently brushing through Larissa’s messy hair. "You don’t have to face this alone. Not while I’m here." She knew her friend’s ghosts well; after all, they weren’t so different from her own. "I know it’s hard, that you’re under pressure." Alcina sighed, taking her friend’s hand. "But what happened was reckless, especially considering the circumstances. Lily saw you, and maybe Zelda did too."
"I know, I know." Larissa shrank further, the pain in her eyes deepening. "I feel so guilty. After that kiss, I felt so empty, like I had fallen into her trap again. But I can’t stop thinking about her. And the most foolish part is feeling like she’s trapped in this impossible situation too. Married, with kids... If this gets out..."
"Calm down, Issa," Alcina moved closer, hugging her to calm her hyperventilation, an instinct she remembered from her youth.
"This could be the end of her marriage. And yet, I can’t get her out of my head," she confessed softly, her words falling like a confession into Alcina’s consoling silence.
"Morticia is a serious complication, but not an insurmountable one." The vampire gently stroked Larissa’s messy hair. "I understand you’re trapped in your feelings for her. But what she does with her life and marriage is not your priority. You have to decide what’s more important to you and act accordingly."
—
Morticia was taking one of her routine moonlit walks through the cemetery when, to her surprise, she saw a bat waiting for her by Aunt Laborgia’s grave.
"Hello, Lily," greeted the Addams matriarch.
In a swift movement, Lily regained her human form, worry etched into her expression.
"What were you thinking yesterday?" she exclaimed, approaching with soft but determined steps. "At Zelda’s door?"
"Lily, dear, I have no idea what you’re talking about."
"Oh, come on, don’t play coy with me." The vampire stopped in front of Morticia. "We’ve been friends for too many years for you to lie to me like that. Besides... I saw you with my own eyes."
Morticia raised an eyebrow, glanced toward the mansion’s windows, and took the vampire by the arm, leading her deeper into the cemetery, away from her home.
"And what exactly did you see?"
"I saw you, Tisha." Lily took a deep breath. "Stop pretending. I saw you and... Issa," she whispered the name almost inaudibly. "This isn’t just reminiscing about teenage memories anymore. Have you been reading her mind without telling her? Without telling me?"
"How could you think that of me?" Morticia frowned slightly, her lips forming a thin line. "And besides, no, I haven’t made any progress with mind reading."
"I don’t know, Tisha," Lily shook her head in despair. "I feel like this is getting out of control. I’m not saying forget what you once felt, but I don’t think acting without considering how this could affect their lives is the right thing to do. What did you intend by kissing her? Does this have to do with your headaches?"
"I don’t know, Lily, I don’t know." Morticia looked down. "Sometimes the pain seems to disappear when I’m with her, but then it comes back stronger. And yet, I can’t let her go."
"You’re married. You have kids. Kids who go to the school where she’s the principal. This could affect her career. Have you considered that?" Lily’s tone was harsher than she had intended.
"I thought, of all people, you would understand," Morticia’s voice dripped with venom.
Lily nodded with pained understanding. "I do understand, Tisha. I really do. But there has to be another way to deal with this. For your sake, for your family’s... and for Issa’s."
The two women stood in silence for a moment, the whisper of the night wind filling the space between them. Finally, Morticia lifted her gaze, her dark eyes gleaming with defiance and bitterness. "You don’t know what it’s like to wake up every morning and feel like your mind is teetering on the edge of madness. To be with your husband and only see visions of her, while you try to act as if breaking that pact didn’t change anything."
Lily frowned, startled by her friend’s intensity. "Tisha... Kissing her at her ex-girlfriend’s house feels a bit selfish."
"Selfish?" Morticia let out a bitter laugh. "And what about you, Lillian? Always so concerned about everyone else’s well-being, but what about Alcina? What about what she wants? What about what you want? I can see you suffering, your thirst growing more painful the longer you’re with her. I see you drinking from each other in my visions. At least when I’m with Larissa, my psychic powers don’t torment me, my visions aren’t as disturbing. What do I have but stolen moments with her?"
Morticia’s words cut deep, leaving Lily hurt by her friend’s accusation.
"You can’t compare what you feel for Larissa with my relationship with Alcina. The situations are completely different. And besides, do you really think those moments are worth it if they risk everything else?"
Morticia lowered her gaze, guilt mixing with her frustration.
"I don’t know, Lily. All I know is that when I’m with her, everything feels lighter. It’s like, for a moment, I can be myself again," she said, tears running down her cheeks.
"I understand that, Tisha, but you can’t keep ignoring the consequences of your actions. Everything is at stake here."
—
After calming Larissa down a bit, Alcina tidied up the room to make it look decent, though she didn't dare touch the mirror to put it back in its place.
"Thanks for this," said Larissa, approaching the small kitchen where Alcina was boiling water.
"It's nothing. It always surprises me to remember how a normie kitchen works," Alcina replied, smiling slightly as she handed her a cup of hot tea. "Now, let's talk a little more calmly. How did that kiss make you feel?"
Larissa took a sip of the tea, her mind drifting back to the moment with Morticia.
"It was... like being young again. She's so beautiful."
"Of course," Alcina rolled her eyes, "because that helps."
"All the pain," Larissa continued, ignoring the interruption, "all the confusion, but also all the passion. For a moment, it was as if anything was possible."
“At least this time, she didn’t ask you to turn into Gomez to kiss you,” Alcina shot her a meaningful look.
“Oh, come on, she’s kissed me without me transforming before,” Larissa complained.
“Oh really? Noted. That’s something I didn’t know.” The vampire's mischievous smile made the shapeshifter blush as she realized she had said too much. “I always thought you two only did it if you were in the form of Gomez. I even thought you couldn’t transform into anyone else.”
Larissa looked at her with wide eyes.
“So, my power is only turning into him?” Without warning, her back broadened, her skin turned greener, and her hair darkened. Now, Herman Munster was smiling widely at Alcina. "How about this form?"
Alcina couldn’t help but laugh nervously. It was the first time in all their years of friendship that she had seen Larissa transform. The ever-prudent Miss Weems was very careful about when and how she used her power, so Alcina had only ever heard rumors of how it worked. Seeing it in action, even if Herman’s appearance bothered her, was unheard of.
"Larissa, I can't promise not to punch him if you keep this up!" she exclaimed.
The shapeshifter laughed playfully, earning a slap on the arm.
"Seeing his face and hearing that laugh is annoying. Please, anything but this."
“Don’t you want to talk about your wine with me, Al?” Larissa's power even changed her voice, and the exaggerated gestures she used to annoy the vampire were an irritating dagger to Alcina.
"And tell me," Alcina bit her lip with anger but couldn’t help a malicious comment, "can you change all parts of your body?" She made a quick gesture toward Larissa’s crotch. "Because with that talent, I’m even more surprised Morticia didn’t choose you."
“If you want to talk about such things,” Larissa, offended but amused, decided to escalate further, “I think I have better company for you.” Her height dropped, and her hair grew.
In an instant, dressed in her usual white dress, Lily was now looking at Alcina with a superior smile. Lady Dimitrescu gasped, her golden eyes glowing intensely. She approached Larissa and cupped Lily’s face in her hands.
“You really are something, Larissa,” the vampire whispered with admiration and a hint of desire.
The height difference was now impressive for Larissa in Lily’s small form... and Alcina looked imposing. She felt the proximity and her own heart pounding. The vampire's enormous hands cradled her small face, grazing her skin with her sharp manicure. It was a dangerous game, but also a way to face shared pains.
"Alcina," Larissa murmured, trying to control the storm of emotions swirling inside her. "What are you doing?"
"I'm just appreciating your power." The vampire smiled softly, her fangs gleaming. "Something you should learn to do more often... It’s incredible to see the changes in her face and how time has passed."
“Time doesn’t pass for you,” Lily’s voice felt incredibly sweet in Larissa’s throat.
“Maybe your eyes can’t see the changes in a vampire’s body, but your power can.” One of Alcina’s fingers traced lines on Lily’s face, causing Larissa to shudder at the softness of her touch. It had been years since someone touched her like that. “It’s impressive.” Alcina tilted Larissa’s head, searching for the conversion mark on Lily’s neck, just below her right ear. "Your power isn’t limited to what you visually know or what you’ve been told." Alcina glanced down Lily's neckline to find white scars, nearly invisible even to her, who knew them well. Gently, one of her hands traced a scar from her shoulder to her chest.
"You let her bite you," Larissa spoke on impulse, drawn by the touch.
“What are you talking about?” Alcina stepped back, startled by the ambush. “That was only once.”
“It happened many times,” Larissa said, regaining her own form. “Why didn’t you ever say anything?”
"Why did I never see you transform until now?" Alcina retorted as she distanced herself from Larissa.
However, the shapeshifter wouldn’t let her escape. Gently, she broke down her barriers with a tender embrace. In her original form, the height difference was reduced, allowing her to hold Alcina with ease.
The weight of silence lingered as they ended up sitting on the kitchen floor, their backs against cabinets and countertops. Regret beat in Larissa’s heart as she drew circles on the vampire’s hand, trying to apologize for prying into her past.
“It’s a secret I preferred to keep,” Alcina murmured, receiving a nod from Larissa. "That power of yours... How do you do it?"
“I don’t know, sometimes it just happens. Without wanting to or looking for it,” Larissa whispered sadly.
“Did you ever find out anything about him...?” Alcina didn’t need to say the name for Larissa to know who she was talking about.
“Yes, sometimes I wondered if the feelings I had for her were really mine. The desire, the longing, the obsession, the jealousy... He felt a lot of jealousy towards me... That ruined my relationship with Zelda. It was too late when I learned to discern which feelings were truly mine. But sometimes, even today, I doubt it." Larissa sighed.
“The first time I let her bite me... it was to save her. I couldn’t conceive of the idea that she wouldn’t join me in eternity.” Alcina's confession felt like sealing a pact. “I always tried to convince myself it was for her. But in the end, I’ve been waiting for her to someday... reciprocate. For her to see that the day will come when it’s just her and me... How pathetic.”
“Welcome to the club,” Larissa’s laugh was bitter. “Do you know why there’s a mirror next to my bed?”
“I can imagine,” Alcina gave her a sincere look.
In an instant, Morticia was sitting next to her, and the next, it was Larissa again.
“At least you’ll never get bored,” the vampire tried to joke.
“It’s like a ghost I can never exorcize,” Larissa clutched her chest with frustration.
“Trying to sleep with her twin sister, I don’t think that helps the exorcism,” Alcina’s malice couldn’t be held back for long.
“Honestly, between the two of us, I always thought I had worse luck. But at least I’m not the one whose daughter is dating her son,” Larissa’s response was cruel, but by now everything seemed comical to them, even the low blows.
“We have to do something to balance out this pathetic score, Issa,” the vampire spoke with anger toward fate.
“You were supposed to comfort me, and all I’ve done is drag you down to my level,” Larissa took Alcina’s hand affectionately, leaning on her shoulder.
“I promise I’ll do whatever it takes to get revenge,” Alcina’s voice sounded like a mockery of epic tales.
“I don’t know if this is the dumbest thing I’ll ever do, but I trust you, Al.”
—
They had been walking in silence through the cemetery for quite some time until Morticia finally calmed down.
"I know I'm no example of proper morals," Lily began, "but I'm just worried about my friend."
"You have no idea how much I miss her. It's like the darkest part of me only wants her for myself. And everything she does feeds that part." Morticia sat beside the Addams crypt and motioned for Lily to join her. "You can’t imagine what I felt when I received the letter from Ophelia telling me they were having a correspondence relationship." Lily listened intently. "My twin sister... It felt ironic. In the end, it was only my form she longed for. It was her way of punishing me. No one could be more different from me than Ophelia."
"You and your sister need to resolve your fights over lovers. The rest of us always end up suffering from your clashes," Lily’s voice sounded tired.
"This was different from with Gómez," Morticia continued. "Ophelia was never attracted to him. Mother wanted her perfect daughter to marry a powerful man. I always knew that would never happen. Even if my mother orchestrated the wedding and tied Ophelia to Gómez with a curse at the altar, it wouldn’t work. But now… with Larissa… they always appeared in my visions. Even when Issa and Zelda were together."
Lily sighed, biting her tongue to avoid saying something that would hurt Morticia.
"When we were caught, I let everyone believe that I convinced Issa to change forms," Morticia's voice was barely audible.
"What did you just say, Tisha?" A deep sense of guilt settled in Lily's chest. Had she judged her friend all these years for something she hadn’t even done?
"It all started in the woods, by accident. I already knew Issa liked me," Morticia laughed at her own words. "I could see it sometimes in my early visions. One day, I told her I was going to bathe in the lake under the moonlight, like we used to. She thought it was too dangerous for me to go alone. She tried to convince me not to, but when she couldn't, she decided to follow me in secret. I could feel her trailing behind, trying to protect me from who knows what. Finally, when I stood by the lake, I turned around to confront her, but she didn’t look like herself..."
"She took the form of Gómez, pretending it was him following you," Lily completed.
"Of course, I could see right through her tricks, and in revenge, I wanted to push her to the limit. At first, I played along, making her believe I was convinced she was Gómez," Morticia laughed bitterly. "It was all so wrong... but in the moment, it felt exquisite. She thought I didn’t know it was her, and when she confessed, I told her I wouldn’t tell anyone if we continued without anyone knowing. I always wanted to tell her she didn’t need to change forms, but we had entered such a maze of pride and lies that we didn’t know how to get out."
Morticia turned her face to her friend, finding her frozen, with an expression of shame and sorrow etched into her features.
"And you thought becoming addicted to drinking Alcina’s blood was the cruelest thing that happened in our group of friends," Morticia's bitterness didn’t strip the humor from her words.
All Lily could do was embrace her. In the cemetery’s stillness, she didn’t want to imagine not having her friend by her side. The night wrapped them in a cloak of complicity and understanding. The wind whispered among the gravestones, as if the souls of the departed were weeping. The vampire found herself reflected in the complexities of her best friend. Both carrying heavy secrets. But in that embrace, she knew she could never leave her alone.
