Red lowered her head and hid it in Lucifer's chest.
Erich curved his lips in dejection and continued in a broken voice, "When I had no expectation then how can I get hurt?"
"I don't want to hurt you." Red said, not meeting his gaze in contrition. "What about you Red? Are you going to live your life with me all because you don't want to break my heart? What about your heart? Your emotions? I cannot live like this with you. I want your elation."
"But.. but what about the sorrows I gave you. I-" Erich cut her off, "I will gather myself." Erich smiled and lowered his head, continuing in a crying tone, "But I cannot bound you with me knowing you love someone else. I.. can't do this."
Red looked at him timidly, stopping her cries, "Please forgive me."
Erich wiped his tears and smiled, "Red I love your happiness, If it won't exist then what's the point of my love?"
Erich came closer, the soft smile still on his lips along with the tears shining like gems on his exquisite emerald gaze, "Erich..." Red whispered his name. Lucifer helped Red to stand, Erich laughed a little, trying not to cry, "I knew our marriage wasn't going to work... Be happy." I will never forget the moment when you became mine for a brief heartbeat.
His eyes didn't shed tears anymore but they were watery, inflicting a poison in his mind but he was mentally prepared to face it, "Take care of her, Lucifer." Erich said, turning his attention to lucifer.
"I will." Lucifer smiled a little. "Uh.. Red, why don't you get stuff, I need to talk to Erich." Lucifer said. Red exchanged glances, unsure about it, "Go." Erich also said. She gave them a slow nod and left.
After she left they both looked at each other for a few seconds and laughed a little, "I told you, didn't I?" Erich smiled. "She is yours now. Take care of her."
"Thanks Erich. If it wasn't for you, I would never return." Lucifer said sincerely. "Ah, leave it."
"Honestly I am surprised you actually made her listen to me." Lucifer said. "Lucifer, we all know how much she loves you and what boundaries she has broken for you. There was no place for in her heart. She is just doing it out of pity and self-accusation." Erich explained and Lucifer nodded.
"And because of it, she was doing it, even if it includes sacrificing her love."
"And I don't want it. If I needed her mercy, I would have done it long ago." Erich sighed. "Well, after marrying her I realized I love her smiles more than anything."
"And I promise, I won't let it fade." Lucifer assured him. "I know, you will."
"By the way, Erich, the person you will love will be so lucky, you love deeply."
"I know, I have a lot of experience." Erich joked. They laughed a little and Lucifer shook his head, "Dude.. just how you called me." Lucifer said, remembering the time how he came back after his encounter with Red at the Paris Fashion week.
•~~•~~•
After meeting Red and knowing everything Lucifer has no intentions of coming bad. He was heartbroken and lost hopes of receiving love from her but then he received a call from Erich who was hurting as much as him by the truth Red told him and his confession.
"You?" Lucifer asked, perplexed by his sudden call. "Come back to New York, Lucifer."
"Wha- Why?" Lucifer asked. "I will talk to Red and sort this matter when you come back." Erich requested. "I don't understand what you are saying?"
"I will tell you when we will meet, just come back. And yeah, come for a longer time." With this, Erich cut the call and Lucifer was so dumbfounded but did as told and came back. The day before Red came back from the show, they were in the black building, in Erich's office alone.
"So... why have you called me?" Lucifer asked. Erich sighed, "I will tell you but before it, I want to give you something."
"What?" Erich glared and grabbed Lucifer's collar and punched him in the face, snarling, "What you have that she has for you she is using me!?" Erich asked and punched him again. Lucifer hissed and punched him back, "Have you lost it!? She wants to live with you!" Lucifer yelled as they both got into a fight.
"If this was true, she'd be mine!"
They fought. Lucifer who was brought under the shade of his kind sister wasn't much of a fighter against the bad boy in his every institute but they fought hard. Erich was sitting on top of Lucifer, holding his collar with his cheek bruised and swollen while a deep cut appeared on Lucifer's lips with blood flowing out of it. Both of them were breathless and remained like this.
"Let her be mine, Lucifer..." Erich whispered, lowering his head. Lucifer was confused by his sentence but Erich continued, "I wish I could say this but that's not the case." He said, getting up and offering Lucifer his hand to get up.
"If you are done with your inner fury, can we talk now?" Lucifer asked, taking his hand and getting up. They both took a seat wiping the blood.
"So, for how long are you here?" Erich asked. "A month or so." He replied, drinking a glass of water. "Damn, you are strong." Lucifer said, holding his jaw. Erich laughed a little, "Result of fighting a lot."
"I see..." Lucifer hummed, putting the glass back on the table, "So, why have you called me here?"
"Red loves you. She is just angry at you for not coming back and making you feel what she felt in your absence." Erich told him. "She is acting as if I enjoyed her absence. I was more hurt than her because I deliberately broke her heart."
"I can understand but she can't. She doesn't want to face reality."
"Why can't she understand?" He asked in frustration. "I told you, she elicited sanction in you." He replied casually. Lucifer sighed, "Why did you say you will convince Red to talk to me? You have also liked her for seven years, don't you have emotions?" He asked.
"Who told you?" Erich asked. "April told me everything." He replied. Erich let out a pained laugh, "I see. You must be thinking I am such a pathetic guy."
"I don't know about pathetic but you are hurting badly." Lucifer replied. "Leave it... My sorrow doesn't matter." He smiled, "I just want her to smile again."
"And how do you know it resides in me? You didn't tell her the truth, who knows she might give you a chance." Lucifer shrugged, "I don't want it. I don't need her sympathy." Erich said bitterly. "Then what do you want from me?"
Erich took out a cigarette, offering Lucifer one but he refused and he said nonchalantly. "Red married me just to get you back.""What!? What are you talking about?" Lucifer asked, not believing Red could do something like this.
"Yeah, she wanted to get you back, that's why she used me." He began to say, smoking, tone lacked any emotion. "She knew if you came to know she is my wife, you would definitely return."
"If she did this for me, then why is she pulling us apart?" He asked. Erich took another long inhale and dumped the cigarette on the ashtray, "I told you, retribution." Erich exhaled deeply, turning to look at Lucifer.
"Red said it herself, no matter how she treats you, she will return to you in the end. And if miraculously she gave our relationship a chance it would be nothing but a mountain of remorse."
"I don't believe it..." Lucifer trailed off. "She loves you, I will help you."
"How?"
"I will talk to Red and end our baseless bond." Erich said, determined to return Red to the person she loves. "Do you even know what you are saying? Can you let her be someone else's?" Lucifer asked, not apprehending how he could let her go so easily.
"Dude, Tell me, Since when was she mine?" Erich asked in an agitated tone. "Never. So it doesn't matter. That's all I can do for her." Erich said.
"This will hurt you a lot."
Erich laughed, "I am used to it.... I will tell you when to talk to her."