THIRTY-THREE

"...I never knew they felt that way, I thought Mark felt nothing and Luis...just didn't care..."Scarlet Sapphira said.

"People are... usually more complicated than they seem..."He said and lifted her head by the chin,"... just like you."

She looked into his eyes as the city lights reflected off of the concentric green and gold on the inside in the formation of a radiating star.

She nervously looked away and said,"I'm going to turn in."

"Yeah sure, I just have a few things to take care of, then I'll be right there."He said.

"Goodnight."She said.

He kissed her cheek, then said,"Goodnight."

She tightened her grip on the needless scarf around her shoulders, then left as he looked back at the scenery, taking a deep, clear breath...

The next morning, Scarlet Sapphira woke up hugging Amane's warm chest and gasped slightly then left him.

She looked down and smelled and felt a tray with her very favourite breakfast meal served on it.

She smiled to herself then whispered his name.

Amane lazily opened one eye then slightly smiled and asked,"Do you like it?"

"I love it."She said.

There was a click and the dark room was immediately lighted up with all colours of lights, arranged in overlapping curtain like layers with chandelier crystals twinkling in the blues, greens and reds of the lights, which hadn't been there before.

She looked at him and asked,"How...when did you do all this?"

"I'm not done yet..."

After the main lights slowly switched on, he placed a plum sapphire necklace on her neck, intricately woven with gold and silver filigrees, sunrise rubies and royal blue sapphires to the sides.

She looked at him after he had put it on and said,"Tell me my family helped pay for this.

"Okay, your family helped me pay for this."

"Amane, I'm serious, why are you doing this?"

"...happy birthday Scarlet Sapphira."He whispered in her ear.

Her eyes widened then she looked at him, breathing heavily, she asked,"You remembered, how?"

"I try my best to commit stuff like this to memory..."He said on a coarse note,"...and it also the fact that we have the same birthday also helps."

She turned abruptly towards him and was about to speak when he placed a finger on her lips and said,"Shh, don't worry, I prefer to be the one with the surprises anyway."

She stood up and he tilted his head as she said,"I...I can't take all this."

"What? You want me to take it back? Scarlet Sapphira, I want to do this, to take care of you..."He said.

"But what have I done for you?"

"You have loved me back..."

He then began humming that tune as he slowly hugged her from behind, then spoke,"Flying fast, across a sky that was overcast, you are mine, don't you forget that...I will love you to the moon and back..."

Scarlet Sapphira pulled from the hug and faced him, speaking,"Maiden trust, how do I know you won't make a bust? I am scared that your live won't last, before I know it you will be gone, ohh..."

She was walking away when he pulled her closer then said,"I'm right here...(Scarlet Sapphira) Oh...(Amane) Do not fear...(Scarlet Sapphira) Oh...(Amane) You're my dear...(Scarlet Sapphira) Oh, please..."

She saw him leave and tears flowed, regret and pain drowning her as she begged,"Please don't leave me behind, you're so hard to find..."

Lifting her into the air from the back, he sang,"Well I say I love you...(Scarlet Sapphira) Oh...(Amane) Your ruby reds and your cerulean blues...oh, you are mine and I belong to you, don't..."

Rethinking, she spoke with him,"Maybe our love isn't overdue..."

"I love you..."He said.

He was about to kiss her when she felt a fear which made her say,"We should stop."

He scoffed then said,"Make me..."

He kissed her gently on the lips...

***

We celebrated the twins' birthday but Amane remained with his mother in the room, and Scarlet Sapphira slowly knocked the door to Amane's mother's room, hearing screaming, she called for help and abruptly opened the door to see Amane's mother screaming jibber ish.

Scarlet Sapphira and yelled,"Amane, why didn't you call me?!"

He looked at her with an honestly hurt expression, then spoke,"I did..."

He then left he room as she looked at his back.

She picked up her phone and saw the thirteen missed calls, only to her and no one else...

***

"She just had a panic attack..."The doctors spoke.

"But why was it this severe? What is happening to her? Will she ever recover?"Lucy asked urgently.

The doctor sighed then spoke,"She's been through a lot of trauma and has a severely damaged cerebrum, she's has unresponsive wakefulness syndrome, I can't promise she'll fully recover anytime soon...or at all, but what I can promise is that she can hear and see everything happening around her."

Lucy looked at the doorway, where Scarlet Sapphira used to be standing then sighed.

Scarlet Sapphira walked towards the very balcony they did their first duet on and saw Amane there, as presumed.

She slowly proceeded forward, then when she reached him, she spoke,"I'm so sorry, I was so distracted and..."

"Scarlet Sapphira, you don't have to apologize because I'm not mad it's just...huh, I wish things could have been different."

"My favourite part of today, was when I woke up with you...and you gave me this."She said, looking at the necklace,"...I don't know what I did to deserve you, I had been such a horrible person all my life and hurt so many innocent people, especially those closest to me..."

Amane made no effort to hinder her emotional breakthrough then when she finally finished speaking, said,"Maybe it was I who needed you, I'm not perfect either, not in the least."

He pulled her closer and made her lean on his chest as they watched the scarlet sun slowly set over the horizon and it was breathtaking...