"Lucifer. Can I ask you something?" Red said, moving her hand around his neck while standing with minimum space between them. "What?" He said, finally not crying anymore.
"Fun aside... but, are you going to cry in the end?" She asked sincerely, wanting to know the concealed intentions behind his spellbinding gaze, "I.. honestly don't know." Lucifer replied, knowing the answer deep inside. "Are you going to miss me?" She asked again. "Of course I will, I will be alone again. I will miss you every passing moment." His words came out earnest. That's why, please don't go. Lucifer wanted to tell her but couldn't
That's why, please stop me. Red hummed, wanting to tell him but her words stopped at the edge.
"Red, We don't know who will cry but please I want you to know if any of us cried at the end, don't let it affect our relationship." Lucifer said desperately, holding her waist, breathless. "And what if we both cried?" Red asked, to which he replied quickly, losing his breath, "Then promise me at one point of our life, we will become one." Red bit her bottom lip, suffered to see him this agonized by this and lowered her head, moving her hand down to his chest and pulled away,
"I am sorry, Lucifer. But I don't make promises which I can't fulfill." Lucifer forced a smile and let her go, pulling away. "It's okay. I understand."
"We still have time." Red said expectantly but Lucifer didn't reply and left, leaving her at the point of her life where she began to question her emotions and purposes which are arousing doubt in her heart.
•~~•~~•
A few days later, It was Red's birthday and Lucifer wanted to do something for Red. She told him it's going to be her first birthday without her mother so he wanted to make sure Red talks to her Mother.
He told Mrs Bennet about it who was jovial to have the chance of talking to Red. Lucifer was happy about the day but dreading the day of her leaving is chasing them.
After setting everything for Red a dinner table set on rooftop as the video call was ongoing and he went to get Red with one thing going in his mind,
Is it delirium or a server to my zeal?
"Where are you taking me?" Red asked, giggling while Lucifer covered her eyes and took her to the rooftop. "I know it's my birthday, A surprise wo-" Lucifer moved to her ears, "Shh. Just follow my lead." He whispered, making her shiver a bit in excitement and when he took her to the rooftop Red's mouth gaped in awe as tears dwell in her eyes to see her mother.
"Happy BIrthday." Lucifer whispered from behind with a grin. She hugged him, almost crying in elation.
"Oh Lucifer, thank you so much! I love you." Her last three words always made him chuckle, "Okay okay, enough buttering now come and sit. Talk to your mother." Red held his hand as they both sat down and spent a memorable time together where Red and her sister were on the call, while Lucifer and Red were eating and talking. Lucifer couldn't help but to notice the smle he managed to bring on her lips, enthralled in the way how a laugh rolled her lips, wanting to submerge in the city of her heart with the desire to live there forever.
Just at the time when the clock struck twelve in New York City, Erich began to refresh his instagram news feed continuously, hoping Lucifer would upload a picture of Red and he did which instantly brought a smile to his lips. He was utterly lost in his world as a deep sigh escaped his lips but then an uninvited guest came, to remind Erich about his anguish.
"Hello there, It's Red birthday." Erich turned off his phone and turned to April, taking a sip of his champagne, "So what?" He shrugged. "Don't you care?" April asked, putting her hand over his shoulder but he yanked her hand away.
"It doesn't matter."
"Oh, Such coldness." April scorned. "Since when I was soft with you?" Erich retorted, turning his attention back to his drink. "What happened?" April asked, taking a seat on the couch.
"I have come to understand Red was never mine."
"Until..?'
"What do you mean?" Erich turned to her. "For how long are you going to stay on your word?"
"I don't know but before she comes back, I need to etch it in my mind that I used to watch her from afar, better do it now."
"Hmph. You are a stalker anyways." April moved. Erich glared at her but she completed her sentence, "In her eyes."
Erich sighed and smiled, "Our time is ending as well."
"Why ours?" April asked, putting her leg over the other. "Because you should remember how we ended up like this." Erich said sternly, getting and making his way to her, growling remembering the time, it all happened. He stood in front of her and held her chin, smirking at her, "Without her, you'd be nothing but a mere ex."
"And for your misery you are going to end this journey of ours?" April asked as her smile faded.
"Yes." He replied coldly. "You can't do this to me, Erich!" April reasoned, raising her voice, "Shh. April, It's my home." He leaned down, putting his hands on either side of her, "Don't raise your voice." He warned, staring intently at her. April trembled by the intensity of his gaze, glaring at her,
"From now on, your and my ways are separate, you have indulged yourself enough in my ravage, not anymore." He said in a low tone. "Why are you doing it?" April asked angrily. Erich pulled away, making a disbelief face, "You are asking this?!.. It all happened because of you! You started it all! And when I can't be Red's you can't be mine either!" Erich roared, infuriated. He grit his teeth and continued in an exhausted tone after en exhale,
"You have me go too far, don't make me break the boundaries. End this, April. This illicit relationship, this therapy... Everything."
"I will tell her everything." April threatened. "Do it. I am nothing but a stalker for her, and after knowing the truth she will consider me one so it doesn't matter now."
She felt repentant for those words. April thought but didn't tell Erich the thing which could literally give him instant equanimity and a new path.
"And this is how we are supposed to end?" April asked.
"April you know it, our bond was restricted to Red. If she isn't here, then so are we." He spoke in a barely audible tone, absolutely tired of his heart and emotions.
April grit her teeth, "Fine then, Mr Black. It was nice to meet you, our session ends here today. I shall take my leave. Goodbye." April said sternly, wiping the tears which fell from her eyes and left.
After she left, Erich took a long breath, trying to calm his senses going into a state of devastation which turns you devoid of everything as if you can feel the poison running in your veins but couldn't react to it and it shall crumble you.. Terribly.
Erich laughed to himself as a tear rolled down his cheek,
"What kind of love was it?" He asked himself, continuing with tears streaming down his face along with a smile of intense heartbreak, remembering how it all started and what fueled his emotion, the reason he didn't consider it love...
"She didn't even love me but still broke my heart in the worst way possible... beyond redemption."