NYCTOPHILIA

chapter twelve • can i call you tonight?

"What's it about?"

"Well it begins with this old couple and it flashes back to when they first met when they were young, because he's passed away and the lady is reminiscing on their life together"

Scarlet remembered when the song Mirrors had first came out, she wasn't long after she had lost her mother and found the ironic symbolism to her own situation riddled in with the lyrics. Whatever juice Justin Timberlake was drinking when writing this beautiful song needs to be marketed as the way she feels when listening to this specific tune was something she couldn't compare to any other. That being said, Scarlet couldn't remember the last time she had listened to it and not cried, always finding herself wiping the dampness from her cheeks by time it came to an end.

"Sounds like any other music video to be honest" Rafe shrugged carelessly, no interest at all being drawn to what the female had just explained.

"Wait listen" she objected as the chorus was about to occur, allowing her muscle memory to take over as she began to lowly sing along with the artists voice.

It clicked with the dirty blonde as his brain began to recollect his memory of the lyrics, himself humming the words whilst stumbling over his mistakes now and then. There was no denying it was a good song and Scarlet seemed to enjoy it by the way she beamed up to him through her attempts to sing.

Something pure was traded between them just then, singing along together to meaningful lyrics that they both seemed to know and just absorbing the moment for what it was. Wether it was the calm before the storm or just solemnly the rainbow during the rain, they both enjoyed it.

Both their profiles turned to face each other as they sang the same words, sporting two giddy grins as they did so and caught each other in the midst of a colossal turn in time.

Because it was then that they both were forced to realise that whatever they had was stronger than just some mediocre feelings, their connection rooted deeper than a distraction or an excuse to be wild. Scarlet and Rafe were in fact falling in love.

Why else would she be so quick to forgive his cruel words and actions, and why else would he be so eager to build back up what he had broken and get excited when he sees something that Scarlet would like?

It didn't feel too bad, Rafe thought. Actually it felt quite nice to have someone care for you to the same extent that you do for them, he always cursed Sarah for being so foolish and falling for John B because look where that had lead her.

Dead apparently, they drove into a storm together whilst high on love and no fears because they had one another to lean on. And Rafe couldn't care less of their fate, it was her own fault for trusting that idiotic pogue and running to be the saviour in some pathetic heretic act. No, Sarah definitely was a fool, she had no control over herself and willingly allowed these things to happen.

But if there was something that he could try to understand, and it pained him to do so, was how falling in love made you feel. Finding a person that you genuinely want to be around and share these moments with was rare, especially because Rafe always forbid himself to ever do such thing.

Yet they were miles different than Sarah and John B, in the ways in which they were blinded, Scarlet and Rafe would never be.

I have control over this.

"You know Rafe, you're actually a decent singer. For someone with such a pretty face I was expecting the worst" her voice ripped through his thoughts. "It's scarce for someone to have everything, which is why I expect you're an awful dancer"

"Absolutely not! I'm great at dancing Scar"

"I'll believe it when I see it" she smirked, turning away and letting her hand dangle out of the open window whilst the ring glimmered beautifully in the upcoming moonlight.