Junior year began with a key that didn't exist.
The housing lottery spat them into separate dorms on opposite sides of campus. Nova got a single in the new eco-building with solar panels and compost toilets. Elara drew a triple with two straight girls who blast true-crime podcasts at 3 a.m. They lasted exactly four days.
On day five they signed a lease.
It was a fifth-floor walk-up in the arts district, one bedroom, claw-foot tub, windows that stuck, rent that made them both blanch. The landlord, an ancient drag queen named Miss Connie, took one look at their intertwined hands and the matching rings and knocked two hundred off the deposit. "Love pays the bills sometimes, babies."
They moved in with milk crates and thrift-store lamps. Abuela sent boxes of dishes. Elara's aunt shipped a rice cooker the size of a small child. The first night they christened every surface.
Kitchen counter: Nova lifted Elara onto cracked Formica, peeled off shorts, ate her slowly while pasta water boiled over. Elara came with sauce bubbling and Nova's tongue flicking, fingers curled deep.
Living-room floor: no couch yet, just a blanket and fairy lights strung like constellations. They sixty-nined for hours, rings scraping thighs, coming in waves until the rug burned skin.
Bathtub: candles flickering, water sloshing, Nova on her knees between Elara's legs, strap underwater, thrusts slow and deep, bubbles popping with every moan.
Bedroom: mattress on the floor, windows open to city sirens. They made love missionary, legs tangled, rings clinking, whispering wife wife wife until they both cried and came.
They painted the walls themselves. Nova chose deep green for the bedroom. "Like darkroom safe-light." Elara picked blood red for the living room. "For passion." They fought with rollers, ended up naked and streaked, fucking against wet walls, painting handprints on hips and breasts.
Furniture arrived piecemeal. Thrifted velvet couch: first orgy of many, Nova riding Elara's face while Elara fingered herself, coming together in a tangle of limbs and laughter.
Bookshelves: Elara bent over stacking poetry, Nova behind with the strap, slow and steady, books tumbling as Elara came hard enough to knock Neruda to the floor.
Kitchen table: dinner abandoned, Elara on her back, legs over Nova's shoulders, Nova eating dessert straight from her cunt.
They got a cat. A one-eyed stray from the alley who hissed at everyone except them. Named her Flash. She slept between their pillows, purring like a motor while they scissored slowly, careful not to disturb her.
Money was tight. Elara shot more weddings, came home smelling of cake and desperation. Nova interned unpaid, designed community gardens for food deserts, came home with dirt under nails and hope in her eyes.
Nights they decompressed. Bubble baths with cheap wine. Nova washing Elara's hair, fingers massaging scalp until Elara melted. Elara returning the favour, nails scraping gently, then not gently.
Sex became language. Rough when rent was due: Nova pinning Elara to the wall, spanking until tears, then fucking her soft with apologies whispered into wet skin. Tender when exhaustion hit: side-lying spooning, Nova's fingers in lazy circles, Elara coming with quiet sobs of gratitude.
They fought too. Real fights.
First big one: Elara forgot Nova's birthday in the chaos of midterms and weddings. Nova came home to an empty apartment, cake unbought, bed cold.
She slept on the couch. Elara found her at dawn, eyes red.
"I'm sorry," Elara whispered.
Nova's voice cracked. "I needed you."
Elara crawled onto the couch, kissed tears from her cheeks. "Punish me."
Nova did. Tied Elara's wrists with the fairy lights, edged her for two hours with a vibrator and tongue, denying orgasm until Elara sobbed apologies into the cushions. Finally, let her come, then held her while she shook.
Make-up sex lasted all morning. Slow. Worshipful. Nova on her knees, mouth gentle, fingers reverent. Elara returns every touch doubled.
They instituted date nights. Cheap ones. Dollar-slice pizza on the fire escape. Nova sketching passersby. Elara is photographing Nova's profile against the sunset.
One night they dressed up. Elara in a thrifted suit, Nova in a dress that made Elara's mouth water. Dinner at the fancy place they couldn't afford, paid with wedding tips. Dessert skipped. Home urgent.
Nova pushed Elara against the door, dress rucked up, fingers inside before keys hit the floor. Elara came standing, legs shaking in heels.
Bedroom. Nova stripped slowly, teasing. Elara watched hungrily. They fucked with the dress half-on, Nova riding Elara's thigh, suit jacket open, breasts spilling. Came whispering filthy praise.
Winter came early. Heat broke. They bundled in blankets, made love by space heater glow. Body heat the is only warmth. Nova inside Elara with the strap, slow and deep, blankets cocooning them. Came together, breath fogging air.
They hosted firsthe t Thanksgiving. Abuela flew up. Elara's aunt too. Tiny apartment bursting. Cooking chaos. Abuela and auntAuntdare ing over kimchi-arroz fusion.
After dinner, parents aslesleptair an mattress, they snuck to the roof. Snow fallis ing softsoftlynewed vows under the same sky that saw the grape ring pop. Rings upgraded again: simple gold bands, engraved inside with coordinates of the rooftop.
Back downstairs quiet. Sex against the bathroom door, hand over mouths, coming with family snoring feet away.
Spring brought graduation fears. Job applications. GreGreen cardrries for Elara's future. Panic attacks returned.
One night Nova found Elara on the fire escape, shaking.
"I might have to leave," Elara whispered. "If no sponsor."
Nova pulled her inside, held her tight. "Then we marry for real. Green card marriage. But also real marriage."
Elara laughed through tears. "You'd do that?"
"Already did on a roof with a candy ring."
They made love like survival. Nova on her knees, eating Elara until she forgot borders. Elara riding Nova's face, grinding hard, coming with fingers in Nova's hair.
Paperwork started. Lawyer found through queer network. Cheap. Kind.
Summer again. ApaThe apartmenteis irs now. CatThe catdis er, l andzier. Fairy lights perare manent.
They painted the bedroom again. This time soft gragreyFor negatives," Nova said.
Hung new photos: their rings intertwined, city skyline behind. Elara's series from the injury year be,sbesidesdding shots El,awassistant-photographed.
by ElaraThey made love in frethe sh paint smell. Nova tied sprspread-eagledlara dripping paint on skin, licking it off, fingers and tongue everywhere. Nova came screaming.
Elara bent over the windowsill, Nova behind with stra ap, citthe y watching. Came with sunset painting them gold.
The apartment wasn't perfect. Pipes groaned. Neighbours fought. Rent rose.
But it was theirs.
The key finally existed.
And they never gave it back.
.