streetlights.

Streetlights.
One thirty in the morning...
...I closed my tired eyes to the light and music and let my heart go.
 
I was back underneath the orange light.
Oh how much I'd like to be.

Alone... or with you...
"Hey, how's everything, Jewel?"
Looking up. Green eyes, the color of dusty emeralds in the artificial light.

"Oh... hi, Chaos." I smiled.

His arm around my shoulders, friendly, comforting, worried. Pulling me closer. "It's late, you know."

"It's early."

"That, too!" He laughed then, completely happy for a fleeting moment. My own smile returned. It was nice to see him like that.

...He must have caught my musing, as the laughter stopped and I found myself with a blue hand on each shoulder. 

"You all right?" Concerned, deeply concerned. I could see the worry in his ancient eyes. How I can stare into those galaxies without blinking I'll never know.

"Eh... I'm all right." Sorrow behind a smile again. "Just tired again, that's all." 

"Hm," the being before me considered, looking up slightly. A star caught in the green. "Yeah, I guess you would be. You’re always up so late…”

I hesitated, looking back down for a second, before my eyes were carried to greater heights as well.
Stars...

I felt my heart surge with a good sort of pain. Was it? I wasn't sure.

But the lights... brilliant little pinpoints, scattered throughout the heavens like a handful of tiny crystals. As if God had decided to empty a tiny box of beauty all over the celestial floor.

Like glass shards in a cathedral.

I flinched. I could still feel Selph's soul in mine, from that one morning... what mornings we had...!

But it hurt. 
And that wasn't the only reason why.

Such bloodied hands... all because of me... because of this...
Suddenly I found myself in alien arms once again. I blinked, shocked. Phased back to reality. "Chaos?"

"You're going to freeze to death out here, Jewel." Not letting go. Still holding me close for dear life.

"It's a warm night out, hon. I'm not going to freeze."

"Sure you will. Especially when you're already feeling tired and cold on the inside..." 
Chaos pulled away slightly, holding me a few inches away. "Why are you still so lonely?”
I closed my eyes against the pain, the reasonless guilt. Media Player was skipping.

I phased out and switched the tune to Space Trip Steps for a second.

Tensed as the echoes sent a chill down my spine. When was the last time I had heard this...

...

Am I going to feel guilty for every emotion I feel now?
Just because I want to look down on that lonely planet with him again... so high above it all. Up in the stars.

Chaos Zero and Jewel Lightraye.

Is that so wrong?
I let the streetlights come back and found my alien staring at me in shock.

"Jewel, what's going on? Are you sure you're all right?"

Tired, exhausted. I looked back up into his eyes. "No. I'm tired and it hurts. In here." My hand moved to my chest.  

Chaos moved his hands from my shoulders to my face, gently, so I wouldn't look down again. I was doing that far too often. "That's because you're terribly tired and need some sleep, okay? Just go to sleep, all right? Everything will be fine." His voice was compassionate, quiet. Not the sort of voice you’d expect from a monster at all.

I sighed and put my hands on his. It was so strange, to be out here like this, at this hour, talking about this. Maybe.

But then again I've been doing that quite a lot lately.

"...I love you, Chaos..." my own quiet voice confessed over the silent melody. The song of the streetlights.

Something flickered. Maybe a tear, I couldn't be sure. My eyes were on that ruby I had given him. That hurt, too.

"I love you too, Jewel." Suddenly I was looking into the green again. He really was crying, I realized. 

Are you in the same situation as me? 

"Now get to sleep, all right? We're all telling you that." He managed a smile, but the pain came through too clearly. Another lightning bolt through my chest. Everything...

"All right," my voice was barely audible by this point. I really was tired. I really did hurt.

But I didn't want to go to sleep, not if it meant I had to leave this... if it meant I had to wake up to tomorrow, to the weekend.

Then again... if Saturday morning didn't end, I would never see another night like this…
Sighing, I closed my eyes and lowered my head. Fatigue was setting in for real now. I ached all over.

Chaos had his arm around my shoulders again. Did he feel alone? Did he feel happy?

I had that answer in a second as he smiled, holding me close again. But I already knew what he would say.

"I'm happy as long as you're happy, Jewel. Don't ever think I'm jealous. All right?"

Back to smiling at me. How could he be a lover, a benefactor, and a guardian angel at the same time...?

My mind was seriously messed up.

Chaos laughed. "So's mine," he admitted through a grin.

I couldn't help but smile back. Crazy Links... gotta love 'em. 

"Well... good night, sweetheart." Peace again. She finds me at the weirdest times.

"Good night, Jewel. Now go straight to bed." Another smile. Gosh he cares about me so much. They all do.

"I will, Chaos. Promise you I will." I replied, looking into my blue angel’s eyes. “Thank you.”

"Don't mention it," he assured me, with a final smile. There was way too much love in his eyes...

way too much what do you mean way too much like don't you deserve any of that from all of them?

...But a second later he was gone, a sudden surge of energy and ocean, of this world and the next, of chaos himself. Then I was alone.
I looked back up and smiled. Silly me, I don't know when to quit.

Saluting the sky.

"Promise you, I need my sleep," I told him if he heard. "I'll see you soon."
Phasing out.

Back with Abbey... my song still playing.
1:19... AM, maybe?

Maybe...

Darling, please stay here with me...
Promise me…no, I don't want to say goodbye tonight...
 
Under the streetlights again.
Two thirty in the morning...