48- I am with you

Lucifer who was left with no choice but to leave depressingly with no expectations he received from Red who doesn't even want to see his face. Packed his stuff but deep inside he knew he gained what he desired- a glance of her to enhance the fire igniting in him and comply with his words he told Red. "So... are you going to leave just like this?" April asked. Delighted in her heart that he is leaving and she will stay out of this matter but Lucifer has no intentions of letting it happen and April being a complicated woman, surely hides her emotions and intentions well. "What am I supposed to do anyways? I only needed a gaze." He shrugged. "And now nothing in this universe can stop you from making her his." April mumbled. He hummed in acknowledgement, "Yeah..- Wait, a minute, how do you know?" He asked. "It doesn't matter." She smirked. "No, I want to know how you know about something I told Red." Lucifer asked, turning to her. April sighed and replied, "Those words were predictable, any desperate lover will say. I didn't know you said the exact words though." She lied but it was enough to convince Lucifer. "I guess she is angry at you for this." April said. "No, she is not. She felt betrayed because I didn't come back." He told her. "Why are you leaving then?" She asked. He replied, "It won't affect our sessions." She smirked, "And..?" To which he smirked back, "And I am leaving to come back." "Can I ask you something Lucifer?" April asked, he motioned her to continue. Done packing and took a seat beside her. "What is it?" "Why haven't you come before? Back when she was badly waiting for you?" Lucifer sighed, "I met her before as well." Now that's something Red didn't tell anyone. Except Peter and Parker no one knew about it and it took April by surprise, "You did?" She asked. "April, she was so hopelessly in love with me that she couldn't comprehend the delicacy of the situation, I couldn't come to her. I had a wife named Iris. And I wanted to lower her misery but it led to this day." He told her what happened and April narrowed her eyes at him in irk, "You are such a coward." "I didn't have enough courage-" She cut him off. "It's not courage or love, it's your image which could be ruined by her presence. That's why you wanted to wait before entering her life again but she was impatient and married Erich or else you had no intentions of coming this early do you?" April said deadpanned. "Was it my fault?" Lucifer sadly asked. "I was just preventing unnecessary trouble. Couldn't she wait for me?" "You didn't know her condition. Don't say this." April said. Remembering the days when Red used to cry all night, praying desperately for Lucifer to come back, telling about her anguish to April. "You didn't want any trouble for neither yourself nor Red." April continued. "You... should leave." Lucifer said, lowering his head. April passed him a smile and stood up. "There are things in your life which you can't face." She said, taking her stuff. Lucifer didn't reply. "Okay then, Give me the pictures. Let's make use of them." April said. 'I don't want to be a part of this anymore.' She thought. It's hurting. She suppressed her tears and took pictures from Lucifer but he didn't let go of them. "April, why do I feel you are too much more than what you show?" He asked. April laughed a little to his true words and left without giving him a response as Lucifer also left for his flight back to London. ~~•~~• Back to Red and Erich who were spending their days monotonously. Red pays no heed to Erich while he tries to be noticed by her but all his efforts were in vain. But he hasn't lost hope, wanting to be with Red and for the purpose of winning her heart, he is willing to do anything. Even if it includes spending his life as a one-sided journey of pain. After her last encounter with Lucifer, pacification was deprived from her. Barely focusing on the things around her with an eerie fright surging in her along with the suffering she chose herself but... at what cost? Stolen from sleep, she stared at the ceiling aimlessly and after trying to sleep for hours, she couldn't and ended up calling Erich. "Erich... are you awake?" She asked. His brows furrowed as he opened his eyes and groggily hummed, "Yes?" He asked. Even though he was sleeping peacefully, he'd happily sacrifice countless sleeps for her. "What happened?" He asked with a yawn, rubbing his eyes to manage to open them. "I..can't sleep." Red sighed. "Why?" "I.. don't know." Erich turned to her, plopping on his elbows. "What happened? Are you stressed about something?" Erich asked softly, looking at her. "No.. Just..." "Emptiness also steals your sleep." He told her. She averted her gaze and turned to him. Erich returned her a gentle smile and offered her his hand, "Why are you doing this to yourself?" "What do you mean?" She innocently asked, taking his hand. "Meaning that when I am with you, there's no need for you to feel alone. I am here for you, if there's anything in your heart, tell me. I will listen." He smiled. Red looked at him timidly and decided to tell him what is bothering her, "I.. sometimes doubt my decision." She said, "Me too." Erich replied, getting up. Red was quite amazed by his words, "Why you?" She asked. "Because you are not happy and Red, I think you have done wrong by marrying me, you should have gone to Lucifer." He tried to make her understand. "I don't want to." She muttered. "Why?" "Because where was he when I waited for him? He can't show up after all this time just because I got married." Red said exasperatedly. "Red, don't you think... there is no limit to wait?" Erich said, knowing all too well how he waited. How he spent his time in intolerable suffering. If you take a closer look, your pain is nothing compared to mine. "For how long are you waiting for me, huh?" Red asked, sitting up as well. Erich smiled sadly and replied, "You wait when it is certain the other person will return." "Did you have faith I would return to you?" She asked. "No." He whispered, looking down. "Then what did you wait for?" She asked. Erich looked deeply into her eyes, contemplating her aesthetic form in his soul and replied honestly, "To look at you." Red's eyes widened in disbelief to hear this, "What?.. All this.. Just to look at me?" She asked. Erich's lips curved upward miserably, "I never desired more than that." He replied. "Erich if it's not love then what is it?" She asked sadly, putting her hand over his. "I don't know... but whatever it is.. It's precious." He replied. "What made you deny this?" She asked and he was incapable of replying, her one unintentional sentence ruined his whole life. "You should give Lucifer a chance." Erich said. "Huh?" "Please don't break any more hearts by your coldness. He was right in his perspective. If he came back both of you could get in serious tribulation." He explained. "I understand but the problem was disclosure of hearts." Red reasoned. "It was your fault as well, you also didn't try." "Why do you care? I am your wi-" Erich cut her off. "But you are not mine. I am just telling you what you should do because I care for you." "Can we sleep?" Red said, rolling her eyes and avoiding his words. "You said, you are not sleepy." "It doesn't matter." She muttered. Erich sighed and got out of the bed, offering her. "Come with me." "Where?" "There is an ice-cream parlor, it'd be open now, let's go there and calm our minds." He forced out a grin. Red gave him a bewildered look but agreed to come with him. Red was sitting on the bonnet of their car eating her chocolate ice-cream in the middle of the night while Erich leaned beside her, glancing at her from time to time, watching how pretty she is looking. How her nothing enticed him immensely.