A/N: This is my very first Gankutsuou fanfic, so please R&R :)
Disclaimer: I don't own Gankutsuou. If I did, Haydee and the Count would end up together. X3 heehee
Companion
Five to ten.
That was quite a long performance in the Opera tonight.
Just as he was about to put his watch away, his thoughts were directed to the words etched on the pocket watch.
Death is certain.
But the time of death is uncertain.
Slowly, he began to recall all the terrible times he had experienced in the Château d'If. He was sure he was going to die in such a sad and lonely place, until the Ruler of the Cave himself intervened and saved him from his almost-certain death. He now resides in the Count's body, sharing his flesh and blood.
He closed his watch, the familiar click muffled by the sounds of galloping horses and carriage wheels upon pavement. The Count then looked out the window, staring blankly at the passing city lights of Paris.
Though he didn't know why, he began to think about Albert and the others. There were times when he would get slightly jealous of Albert, young Albert, who had a spirited character and an optimistic state of mind. On the other hand, people thought of the Count as an apathetic man of sorts, not having any emotions at all.
They're wrong.
They don't understand.
And they never will.
No one knew how much he had been through. No one knew how he spent those ten painstaking years living in utter darkness. No one knew how many times he cursed himself for living such a shattered life. He thought this madness would last forever. He thought he could do nothing but keep it all inside.
Until he met her.
He looked up and couldn't help but smile. In front of him sat a beautiful young girl, sleeping soundly in her seat while her head hung in deep slumber.
Haydee…
The Count remembered when he first met her. She was nothing but a slave girl back then. She wore ragged clothes and she looked very untidy, but he didn't seem to mind. He knelt down before her and took her hand, pressing it to his lips. Looking into her innocent eyes, he knew right then and there that she was the one.
Then he remembered what he had told her when they had first arrived in Paris.
"Haydee, this is place where people treasure their freedom, where they treasure their rights. You can do whatever you want here, Haydee."
Such memories brought tears to the Count's eyes, which he quickly wiped away right after they were shed.
She was the only one who knew about his past. She was the only one who understood his feelings, for she, too, had suffered relentlessly when she was young. He adored her. He cared for her.
But most of all, he loved her.
The carriage came to an abrupt halt.
The Count looked at his watch. It was a quarter past ten.
He looked at Haydee, who was still fast asleep. He walked towards her and gently carried her feather-light form out of the carriage and into his residence. He placed her on a nearby couch and covered her with his coat.
She stirred.
"…Count?"
He smiled and knelt down beside Haydee.
"Shhh…it's okay…go back to sleep…"
Haydee closed her eyes, and in a few seconds, she fell asleep again. Smiling to himself, the Count kissed her on the cheek.
He would always protect her.
Even if it costs him his life.
-fin-
A/N: I hope it's okay. Thanks for reading :)