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Lisa laid there, in her quaint little home on the outskirts of the central city of Mondstadt with only Jean at her side, clutching her hand and checking her pulse while feeding her a bowl of medicine. It would not be enough to save her, even the best medicine in Teyvat still wouldn't be able to save her, it could only hope to prolong her lifespan by a bit.
Jean had taken her to her place after she had found her, collapsed on the floor of the library just as she was about to check out for the day. She's been like this for the past three days without any signs of improvement. She knew what this meant for Lisa. They both knew it.
Her time had come.
"Jean, you don't need to stay, I know you couldn't be able to bear it if you watched over me any longer." Lisa whispered out softly, looking deep into the Acting Grand Master's eyes. She knew Jean too well and without saying it directly, Lisa knew she understood that she might be leaving soon.
The blonde sighed and shook her head, even if it would destroy her in the process, she'd still stay by the witch's side. "I need to stay. It's the least I could do." Jean responded, putting the ceramic bowl down in favour of giving her friend a hug. "Kaeya, Amber and Klee are going to be coming by soon. I got Huffman to take care of it until we return."
Lisa nodded at the plan. It would be nice to see their friends one last time.
She was living on borrowed time and it was only a matter of time when hers would run out so their friends would have to come as soon as possible before the inevitable happens. As she was lying still, Jean couldn't help but feel a deep sense of dread as Lisa's heartbeat slowed. Yet even as she was on her deathbed, Jean still couldn't deny the glow that she held, what had drawn and captivated her from the beginning. The way the librarian was still able to hold a gentle smile and gather enough energy to squeeze Jean's hand back was devastating. To know that she'd be gone in just a few days to possibly just an hour made her gut turn in on itself.
Just how could the archons allow this to happen? They'd cursed her so that the more she used her vision, the faster she'd deteriorate and speed up her impending doom. How could the archons truly forsake their people like this? It was cruel beyond repair yet no matter how much Jean could curse them it still wouldn't reverse the damage nor heal Lisa's illness.
Even with that knowledge though, Jean couldn't stop herself from revealing how she truly felt inside, how the gorgeous bookkeeper the Knights of Favonius had hired had stolen her heart and would soon break it just as fast. The way that the sun shone in through the window cast a shower of light upon her figure, the white lace of her nightgown had reflected the sunlight in a way that made her look angelic, like she wasn't meant to be here anymore.
It was then that Jean realized it was now or never. If she didn't take her chance and confess the truth then she might never get it again.
So she leaned close to the brunette, brushing a lock out of her face when she finally mustered up enough courage to tell Lisa the truth about how she felt about her. "Lisa... I love you and I don't mean in the way that friends do.. but I do love you as a friend it's just..." Jean found it hard to put her love into words but she tried the best she could. "I love you as a friend and more."
She let go of Lisa, backing up a bit as she clenched her hands into fists and closed her eyes, expecting Lisa to feel disgusted or possibly even hate her but it was the truth. She wouldn't forgive herself if she never had the bravery to face her fears before it was too late.
Though, to her surprise.. when she heard Lisa's kind voice again, this time with a bit of a laugh in it she quelled all her thoughts. "Oh Jean... I already knew a long time ago and I've been meaning to give you a reply to it!" When Jean looked up, she saw her sitting up in her bed, hiding a giggle behind her hand. "I..."
Before she could finish what she was about to say, Lisa paused, her eyes going wide before she fell limp. Running over, Jean held her up and checked her pulse again. It was slowing down and she was losing consciousness. Jean tried to help her, attempting to use her vision to channel air into her lungs without the power of the heart but it was no use.
When their friends arrived, Lisa could only turn her head towards them and give them her soft smile before she went out cold.
They were too late.