He stood at Death's door.

He was beginning to have second thoughts. Life had rung on the doorbell, and heard quiet footsteps inside. He knew there was no turning back. So Life waited for Death.

Hesitantly, the door opened, and Death peeked out. The only thing that Life could see of Death were her bright red eyes and matching lips. The rest of her was melted into shadow.

Death spoke in words Life couldn't understand, a tone he didn't know, a language he couldn't comprehend. Regardless, Life was hopelessly entranced with his opposite. He was unsure why.

She smiled and gestured for him to come in. Life felt his fear slip away into a comfortable liking. Life slipped inside, surprised by how simple the place was. It could've been anyone’s home. He looked at Death, and was once again struck by her beauty. Her skin was the color of a porcelain doll, hair the color of a night sky. Life had seen her many times before, and had come to know her, to a certain length. He knew she was dangerous, and essentially the opposite of him, but Life found himself trapped in her gaze.

Death grinned, because Life didn't seem to realize he had been staring too long. Life chose to study the floor. She didn't seem to care; Death went around her house, showing off her things by pointing. They pretended to have a conversation, and then actually started to, and Life was slowly able to learn some of her language, and vice versa, words like 'chair, frame, pretty, dance, thanks'.

Speaking in her tongue was strange to him; her words were dark and bitter; saying 'hello' sounded like threatening someone's life. Life knew none of Death's secrets, besides she would probably be the end of him, and that he liked her, too much.

Life couldn't help himself, and he certainly wasn't going to give up. He tried to think of something fun to do. He turned on some music, held out his hand, and asked a one-word question; "Dance?"

Death looked surprised and nervous, but she took his hand.

They didn't really dance to the music, and they didn't seem to care, because it was the first dance, the last dance, and maybe even the best dance. Life smiled and repeated a sentence that he knew she couldn't understand, and she would never know, so he could say it all he liked without any fear; "I love you."

Death had a glimmer in her eyes as she spun around him. That was where the line between Life and Death disappeared, if it ever existed. Does your life end when you die, and is that where your death begins? Or do you go on living, though your body doesn’t breathe?

Life was wondering these things when she surprised him. She kissed him, with a force and thirst he didn’t know she had.

When she pulled away, she surprised him again, saying in his language, "I love you, too."