Fireflies at Sunset

"Do you think the fireflies will keep glowing?"

"That's a stupid question," Finley said but there was no punch to his words. Instead, they were sad and rough around the edges.

He smoothed a hand down the soft, dirty blonde strands of his lover's hair. A slowed, looping song thick with ambiance started over. Finely's heart sank lower. That was lucky number thirteen. Only two more go-arounds and it would be over.

"I think they will," he said, lightly kissing the top of her head.

"Me too," Wren said. "Do you think we'll see them?"

Finley swallowed around the lump in his throat.

No. He didn't think there was a chance in hell they'd see them tonight. A two-minute song played twice more wasn't going to get them to sunset.

"One question each," he laughed, evading the question.

She tightened her hand on his thigh and smiled up at him.

Wren was beautiful. She was so normal. So perfect. There wasn't anything exactly extraordinary about her and that was the extraordinary thing. She was shades of average. It was everything Finley had ever hoped for.

And it was going to go away because the governments in the world just couldn't keep their war in their pants and poisoned everyone on the planet.

He tore his eyes away from her, back to the sunset.

They had already done all the necessary things. Cry. Laugh. Fuck. Kiss until they were bored of it. They were on the last objective. Talking.

The song looped again.

"We've been together four years, Wren. To the day."

"Maybe we should have picked a different day."

"Let me finish asking my question," he said as she softly apologized and tucked back against him. With his free hand, he fished around in his pocket. It closed around a cool circle of metal.

"Four years, Wren. And I don't...I can't... This wasn't how I was gonna do this but I was going to. Today. Because four years with you was more than enough to know.

"The world is ending and I never thought if it did end, that I'd be with you but I'm glad it's this way. I'm glad you're here. I'm glad it's on this day. And since we're becoming fossils..."

He swallowed thickly.

"I want them to know you were mine."

"Finley."

"I want them to see a ring on your finger."

"Finley, oh my God."

"And if...if there's anything after this, I want to go into it knowing you'll be there too. I want to think when I fall asleep that maybe I have a chance of waking up next to you. So, Wren. Will you marry me?"

He held the ring out in front of him but the diamond hardly had a chance to sparkle before Wren snatched it from his hands and slipped it onto her finger.

A surge of something pretty and bright burst through him as she pressed her lips to his with a whispered "yes". There was nothing average about this. Nothing normal. Nothing other than movie-perfect romance.

And then it was over. Done.

They toppled like dominoes, winking out of existence like the eight billion others. Crumbled to the grass like puppets with no master.

A pale, flickering green slowly began around them.

The lightning bugs had come out.