“Quick,” I whispered and took her hand.

We ran to an abandoned building, though our high heels and luggage prevented us from going full speed. Thankfully, the night sky concealed us under its veil of darkness.

“Wait,” she said. “My feet hurt.”

“Careful, I’ll help.”

I supported her and crossed the street. The cold wind blew past us, caressing our hair and filling us with the melancholy of the night. We reached the iron-barred gate without breaking any sweat.

“Does it hurt much?” I asked.

“I can walk, just slower than usual.”

“It’s fine, there is still time.” I unlocked the gate and pushed it open.

“I thought we need to climb across.”

“It took me a while to get the key.”

I surveyed the place. The dusty air filled my sight. The decayed ceiling hung down wires and plastic sheets. The place was like a desolate mansion—filled with endless corridors that reached nowhere.

“Let’s rest a bit,” I said and pointed at an empty space.

She sat and stared at me. Her face leaned forward.

“Fine, just once.” I sat beside her and seized her shoulder.

I leant forward while maintaining eye contact. She closed her eyes and waited for me, but I stopped a breathing distance from her lips.

Her warm breath tickled my face. I giggled and backed away. Her face turned red after she knew I tricked her.

“I wait for you,” she said.

“Wine brews the longest tastes the best.”

She refused to look at me, so I snuggled her. My hands felt her back as my face caressed her breasts. If we were sleeping, I wouldn’t let go.

“Stop it!” She covered her mouth. Still a moan leaked out.

It echoed throughout the floor. I froze. She closed her eyes and hid her face.

“Let’s go up,” I said.

She nodded. “Where’s the stair?”

“Here.” I offered my hand. She accepted it with the face of resignation.

We went up. In the darkness, everything was death-silent. We listened to our breathing and counted our steps. Like a clock, they told us the ever-shrinking distance between our dream and we.

“Need a break?” I said.

“A bit.”

I sat cross-legged and patted my thighs. She gave in and rested on my laps. I played with her hair. She fiddled with mine.

“No one can hear us in here,” I said.

“What are you planning?”

She gripped her clothes. Her expression begged me, shouted at me, and stirred me. I bent down and kissed her cheek with my nose. Her scent enveloped me.

“You’re cute,” I said.

“Why stop?”

“Not now.”

“The best time is always now.”

I broke eye contact and glanced at my watch.

“We’ll be late,” I said.

“Don’t escape now.”

She pulled me down. My lips fell on hers and hers on mine. The mischievous sweetness seeped into my mouth. I softly pushed her away before I lost myself. We parted but would connect again. She licked her lips and eyed mine.

“Why back away?” she said.

“I don’t want to.”

“Your face is red.”

“I’m not blushing.” I turned from her. “We have to go.”

“I can’t wait.”

She handed my luggage and grabbed my hand. We ascended the rooftop with a subliminal expectation rising with every step.

The stairway left nothing in and out. We sweated as we walked. I unbuttoned my outerwear and hung it from my waist. It was hard to do while holding her hand.

I peeked at her. She stared at my inner-wear. I shifted my posture to reveal less. She tilted her head to see more.

“You’re too much,” I said.

“Everything is already wrong. This much doesn’t matter.”

“I’m uncomfortable.”

“Your smile is showing.”

I tried to hide it. “You see nothing.”

She pulled my hand and rubbed it against her. Her moist dress stuck to my hand. She was sweating a lot.

“Now we’re even,” she said.

“Need another break?”

She shook her head. “It’ll delay us.”

“You don’t look well.”

“I’m excited.”

She moved my hand to the left side of her chest. I felt her heart throbbing. My heart raced. My thought peered into her clothes. I bit my tongue and pulled my hand back. She didn’t let go.

“Can you walk faster?” I looked at her injured leg.

“I will if you kiss me.”

I sighed and closed my eyes. My nose touched hers and smelt her body. The scent of her sweats mixed with her perfume. It was strangely pleasing.

“Let’s go,” I said.

We arrived at the topmost floor. I eyed her. She contemplated in silence. I didn’t want to disturb her, so I unlocked the door to the rooftop and shouldered it open.

The door didn’t budge. Like our determination, it refused to yield.

“Stay back,” I said.

She stared at our hands before letting go. Her humid warmth lingered in me. I dried it with my shirt before placing my hand on the door and pushed again.

“You are red,” she said.

“My hand is slippery. That’s all.”

“I’ll help.”

“This much won’t hurt me.”

I took a step back and rushed to the door. It swung open. I stumbled forward and tripped. I groaned and looked at my shoulder. Blood seeped from a clean-cut wound.

A footstep approached me. Before I could turn back, she jumped me. Her hands gently grabbed my shoulder and forced me to show my wound. It wasn’t big, but the blood exaggerated its appearance.

“Why did you do that!” she said.

“The door is jammed.”

“Stay still and let me.”

She took off my outerwear and unbuttoned my shirt. The cold winds brushed past me. I shivered and moved closer to her.

“If you’re cold, hug me,” she said.

“The blood will taint you.”

“Yours is clean.” She wiped my blood with her finger and licked it. “Taste good too.”

I backed away. She held me tight.

“Don’t do that,” I said.

“I’ll let you taste mine.”

“No need.”

She placed her wet lips on mine. I struggled until the flavour flooded my tongue. Hers caressed mine and mine caressed hers. Our body connected and the coldness of the night disappeared.

My body heated up. She moved away. I closed in. She stopped me.

“Let’s treat your wound first.”

“Not now.” I needed her.

“Your blood will taint your shirt.”

“You don’t mind it.”

“I like it when you want it.”

I stared into her eyes and saw a smile. “Hug me. I’m cold.”

She leant forward and covered me with my outerwear. Her face came close but never touched mine. Her warm breath ignited the passion in me.

“Wait a bit,” she said.

“You’re evil.” Toying with my heart. Meanie.

She took her handkerchief and cleaned my wound. I jointed when she touched it. The pain thrilled me. I resisted the urge.

When it was clean, she gently kissed my wound. Her lips tickled me. I softly moaned.

“It’s healed,” she said.

“My lips are sore too.”

“You’ll have to endure.”

“I want you to kiss me.”

“You’re too cute for me to comply.”

She went into the building and fetched our luggage. I took mine and clung to her arm. The solitary of the night sky compelled me to never let go.

“What’s the time?” she asked.

“Follow me.” I pulled her.

We arrived at the edge of the building and stared at the middle of the city. Compared to the tranquil of the night, the city was lively, glowing in multi-coloured light. The festival had started. The time was nigh.

Here alone, we sat together, without any disturbance, without any reticence.

I looked at the sky and counted the stars. The soft breeze soothed my mind, though it couldn’t cool my body. The burning sensation lurked beneath my skin, trying to break out and merge with her.

I peeked at her. My gaze met hers. She stared at my face instead of the cityscape. I turned away and spoke nothing.

“We should get changed,” she said.

I nodded and stood up. She pulled me down.

“We’ll change here.” Her gaze confined me.

“It’s cold out here.”

“We have one another. No one will see us.”

“You’ll see me.”

“You’ll see me too.”

An illusion danced in my eyes. Her soft skin invited me to give in. The wind blew. I felt no coldness. My body was burning. Her hair fluttered.

I looked around and saw the entire city. Through the darkness, any invisible eye could be staring at us. I had never experienced any of this before. Our forbidden love, resisted by society, bewitched me.

“I’m not ready,” I said.

“Everyone is ready for love, especially us.”

“I’m scared.”

“I’ll take lead then.”

She took off her outerwear and unbuttoned her shirt. Due to sweats, her thin clothes became semi-transparent. I saw her lingerie underneath it. Something stirred inside me.

I looked at her face. She avoided my gaze. I saw the redness in her cheeks and understood. She was also pure, like me. We were old but also young. They asked us why we never had a boyfriend, never to understand our feeling. For the forbidden, we buried ourselves in work until we found one another.

Like a comet in the sky, she fulfilled my wish while I fulfilled hers. We were pure but also fiery. We despised the world and the world despised us.

Everything would come to an end. I should enjoy the remaining time. I smiled and took off my clothes. In every moment, we savoured the view. She loved me and I loved her.

“How is it?” she said.

“Embarrassing.”

“How am I?”

“Ever so seductive.”

“I’m pure like you.”

“Your mind isn’t.”

“Yours too.”

I ignored her and put on my dress. The pale-white clothing contrasted with the blackness of the city. In place of loneliness stood she and I. We were clueless about love, but chained by it, we preserved.

We feared nothing. The blankness of our future set us free. The will of omnipotence above, or the lack thereof, didn’t bother us.

I looked at my watch. “Come sit.”

“If only we can get the real thing.”

“Not like it would change anything.”

“I want it to be like our dream.”

“Dreams are often out of reach.”

“Not always.”

“No time to waste now.”

We sat on the edge of the building with our legs hanging. We neatly arranged our high heels beside each other and wrote a note with our names on it.

She leant against my shoulder. We stared at the central park and waited. I played with her hair while she cuddled me. Our matching dresses connected us like how our hearts connected us.

The night sky brightened. A few radiances shot up and bloomed into flowers of particles. They radiated colours lacking in the darkness while blending in with the flickering light of the distant stars.

I turned to her, she turned to me.

“Happy Valentine Day,” we said.

We didn’t bring chocolate or flower. They would have asked us to whom we would give, same with the wedding dress.

Like a normal couple, we sealed our lips together and enjoyed the fleeting present. The boom of the fireworks signalled the passing of time, though we heard only the beating of our hearts.

Our tongues were savage. We ravaged the remainder of our logic and rampaged in the foreign yet familiar territory. Our hands held us tight until we ran out of breath, still we didn’t separate.

The hot puff entered me. Her passionate air filled my lungs and mine filled hers. We continued until our faces were numb and our bodies were sluggish.

Despite the cold night, we sweated and dirtied our dresses, though we didn’t mind.

The saliva and sweat were the imprints we gave. They were our love.

“This feels strange,” I said.

“A unique experience.”

“Life has never been this pleasurable.”

“We don’t have time to live this life.”

“They don’t allow us.”

I raised my head to the sky. “Today, the night is beautiful.”

“You’re even more so.”

“Why don’t you appreciate the world for one last time?”

“I don’t appreciate the world that rejects us.”

“Can’t we leave in a happy note?”

“We wouldn’t leave if we were happy.”

We leant against each other and gazed into the horizon. It was there the new day would emerge, though it was for the ordinary.

“The last firework is about to go off. Let’s stand up,” I said.

“You prepare a lot.”

“I planned for a long time.”

“I like this side of yours.” She rubbed her head against me.

I pulled her up. We stood on the edge of the building, the boundary of confinement and freedom.

As the last spark of the night blossomed in the sky, we stared at our love. Our pale dresses transformed into our gowns. The whisper of the night became our vow.

“Will you marry me?” we said and accepted. “Til death do us part.”

The moonlight welcomed us. We kissed our bride. There was no applause. There were no guests. We were alone and content.

The kiss was sweet, yet the mind was bitter. Our reserved personality took control. We became confused and clueless. Our face turned red.

Gradually, we parted. Like a farewell party, things eventually came to an end. We gazed at the bright moon while standing between the edge of life and death.

Nothing else mattered. The past we experienced and the future we never would, all were insignificant. Only in this moment we lived.

“Are you sad?” she asked.

“I feel empty.”

She held my hand. “I’m here.”

“Why am I sad?”

“Reluctance?”

“The other side must be better.”

“I don’t know.”

I looked down. In front of us was a grass field. All would end in one step. We would fall in a matter of seconds. No time to regret, no time to think. Our bodies would stay connected until we landed. I hoped we would stay connected forever.

It might take weeks before they found us, or never. Our family would weep and remember us for our good deed, despite their rejection of our love. Our co-workers would wonder why we left. Some might blame themselves while others might shake their heads in contempt.

The news might cover us but only as a passing amusement. Everyone would forget.

“You’re crying,” she said.

I touched my face. My cheeks were wet.

“You’re sad.” She stepped closer.

The wind blew. Her body swayed back and forth. I pulled her in and hugged her.

“Be careful,” I said.

“My feet hurt.”

“You almost fall.”

“We’ll fall all the same.”

“Together.”

She sighed. Her face buried on my chest.

“We’ll go when you’re ready,” I said.

She remained silent. I waited.

“Why are we doing this?” she asked.

“There is nothing to live for.”

“We have each other.”

“It won’t last.”

“We will.”

She gripped my hand. I stroked her head. Our bodies touched. The wind gushed. It couldn’t sway us.

“I’m sorry,” she said. Her hug tightened.

She swung me. I tripped and fell from the edge. The long way we went. Her hand gripped on my shoulders. It hurt.

I desperately tried to open my eyes, but they remained shut. The world was dark with only her warmth as my light. I wondered, would we meet again, if you passed through the ground into another world?

Would our bodies still be beautiful? Could anyone recognize us? Our love weighed on my heart. What if I never saw her again? What if one of us survived?

Then, there was no more. The pain stabbed me. I opened my eyes.

The world was dark. She was on top of me, weeping while cuddling me. My gaze wandered. She threw me off the wrong side.

I stared at her, confused and relieved.

“Sorry, but I’m a naughty girl who loves you too much,” she said.

I had no words.

“I’m afraid of losing you. Your kiss makes me an addict.” She dove her lips into mine. I couldn’t resist and wouldn’t. The flavour of life exploded in our mouth.

My body felt light. I transmitted my love through my tongue, into her body and into her heart. Despite our white dresses, we were connected.

She was evil, stealing my heart and toying with it. I, too, was also evil.

“Why did you change?” I asked.

“We aren’t done yet.”

I tilted my head. She licked her lips and grabbed my breasts. I moaned.

“We haven’t done it yet.” Her smile was wicked.

“You’re evil.”

“You’re cute,” she said. “Your face is pale. Are you scared?”

I smiled. “I’m tired. Heal me.”

“You’re using my trick.” She pulled me and kissed me. “Why don’t we go somewhere?”

“How is it different from death?”

“We can have lots of fun.”

Our families would hate us. The city would condemn us, but why should we care? We were a married couple—responsible adults. We could live however we wanted. For them? A few postcards would suffice.

“Promise me one thing,” I said.

“Kiss you every morning and night?”

“Two things then.” We giggled.

I held her hand, she held mine.

“I won’t leave you,” we said.

We would be together, that not even death could do us part.