After tucking the twins into bed for their afternoon nap, I quietly closed the door and sent a quick smile to Anthony, letting him know I would be downstairs if the twins needed me. He had become something of a close friend over the past few years we had been living together, always there when he was needed but gone when things required a bit of... privacy.

With a nod and a friendly smile, he turned and walked into the small sitting room we had converted for him, several shelves of books and puzzles for him to enjoy as he listened for the smallest of sounds from the children's bedroom across the hall, the video monitor's volume just high enough he could hear the soft snores as they slept.

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"Eli, what do you think of this one?" I asked as I held up the dvd case.

"We've already watched Stardust twice this week, Love. How about this one instead?" He pulled out another dvd from the shelves, passing it for me to look at.

"Remember, Darling, we just watched Princess Bride the other day. Maybe we need to buy some new movies. Something for us to watch together and not just for the kids. I don't really find Cars to be the most romantic of movie choices after all, even if I do think it is cute." I sighed, placing the movies both back on the shelves.

"Well, I was hoping to give this to you for a special occasion..." Eli turned to look at me. "But then again, every day I spend with you is a special occasion."

Slowly reaching up to the top of the movie shelves, he pulled down a small carefully wrapped gift, looking into my eyes as he passed it to me.

"I love you, My Precious Shina. More than there are stars in the sky." His lips pressed softly against mine for a moment before he pulled back, his cheeks lightly tinted pink.

Even after this much time, he still blushed around me. And he could still make my heart flutter with those cute blushes of his.

"Open it, Love." At his words, I started ripping the paper off, my eyes widening at what I saw revealed. "Now, I know it is not the first thing most people think of when they are looking for a romantic movie, but I've seen how often you read the book and listened to the music so I really couldn't not get it for you."

"Oh Eli, it's perfect! It's been so long since I've seen it!" In my hands the case to The Phantom Of The Opera seemed to beg to be opened, the movie watched and cherished as it had been once before in a distant hazy memory.

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Far away, a nurse bent over a bed, checking on her patient. She firmly believed that the patients could hear people, if anyone bothered to say anything. She refused to leave them thinking that nobody cared.

"How are you feeling today, Leon?" She asked softly as she began her daily ritual of talking to the comatose young man, writing notes on the clipboard as she checked the machines in the room, just like she did every evening.

.

.

.

"Who is Leon?" A husky, tired voice responded.