When You Walk Away I Count The Steps That You Take…
(Epilogue.)
Thank you to all those who have read/reviewed. This is the last chapter of "I Am No Longer A Child." I placed it here in the "M" section, as it has a very graphic sex scene between Esme and Claude. I gave the pair a happyish ending, as I wanted the ending to be realistic and true to Claude's character.
Hugo owns everything.
Reviews are greatly appreciated...flames not so much.
Recap of chap 1: Phoebus "deflowers" Esmeralda and she doesn't enjoy it.
Recap of chap 2: A cloaked figure brings Esmeralda to a strange place and comforts her…and then tells her he loves her and she faints.
Recap of chap 3: Esmeralda finds out a little about the man she is now with.
Recap of chap 4: Esmeralda begins a sort of introspection, thinking about the men that have been in her life. She begins pondering the intentions of this new man and makes a decision about him.
Recap of chap 5: Claude confesses what he has done to Esmeralda. Esmeralda attempts suicide.
Recap of chap 6: Esmeralda having a major epiphany about her own sexuality.
Recap of 7: Esmeralda blames Claude for not stopping Phoebus. More of Esmeralda's epiphany. She decides to see just how far she can take things with Claude without going all the way. She discovers how she can use him, but then things go wrong.
Recap of chap 8: Claude gives Esmeralda a grand speech about love and Esmeralda begins wondering what type of girl she is.
Recap of chap 9: Esmeralda still wondering what type of girl she is and wonders how Claude can love her now that she is no longer pure. Claude overhears Phoebus talking with Jehan and relays what he overhears to Esmeralda.
Recap of chap 10: Esmeralda sees Phoebus again…make that Esmeralda sees Phoebus with Fleur-De-Lys and she becomes enraged. Claude really begins seeing Esmeralda as a scared little girl. Esmeralda wants to be who she was before and questions why she ever "loved" Phoebus in the first place. Jehan pops in for a visit.
Recap of chap 11: Esmeralda decides to completely discard her old self and has a tiny identity crisis. Claude finally asks her to make a decision regarding her love for him. Esmeralda has a dream…Phoebus haters will like this dream.
Recap of chap 12: Claude has some violent daydreams, Esmeralda gives Claude an ultimatum and Esmeralda gives Claude her answer.
Summary for chap the Epilogue: Esmeralda finally comes to terms with who she is. She gives herself to Claude. She then hears horse hooves outside and goes to confront Phoebus. Claude decides that things can never be better than they are now.
She cried knowing how easily Phoebus could be replaced. The realization of the fact that that part of her life washed over her in torrents and above her Claude had buried his tear stained eyes and cheeks in her hair. She knew not why he was crying, but it sounded as though he had stopped. She had been something common and disgusting to herself for so long now that it amazed her how he could see her as anything, but beautiful. She had been naïve, she had been jaded, she had been a harlot and now she was back to just being "Esmeralda." She turned her head, causing Claude to remove his face from her hair. She looked into his eyes and saw the red streaks of dusk appear; his eyes were beautiful! Before he had a chance to react she had smashed her lips against his and God did it feel good! She had thrown her arms around his neck and he was busy untying her bodice.
"Wait!"
She withdrew and broke the kiss. Claude was growing frustrated and gritted his teeth. It seemed every time they became passionate and intimate she stopped and pulled away.
She decided that she wanted to undress herself. She tugged at the annoying strings and Claude looked on, grabbing at her waist. She allowed him to help her by removing her belt and once they were loose enough she allowed him to remove her bodice and corset. His wide palms felt so strong and almost soothing and they gently slipped the fabric away from her skin. She grabbed hold of the strings that held her skirt around her waist, but before she had time to loosen them Claude placed his hand on hers.
"Wait."
He said, confusing the poor gypsy girl.
"I love you Esmeralda!"
He needed to say that. He needed her to know that this was not just an act of sex and that it was an act of love. At any length it was something the captain had not said and it made all the difference in these matters. At these words she looked into his eyes searching for the truth.
"He isn't lying."
She whispered to herself.
"You're not lying."
She stated aloud and began anew to remove her skirt.
"I love you Claude Frollo."
The words were muffled as her tongue became intertwined with his. He began undressing himself and barely broke the kiss. He was in a state of ecstasy laden shock! While his hands caressed and gently squeezed her heaving breasts, he moved his manhood closer to her opening. Her scarf like arms were around his neck and her tiny fingers knotted in what was left of his thin gray hair, tugging and pressing him further into the kiss. It was a ravenous, tongue tangled and moan filled kiss! His mouth slid from her full, rose-pink lips to her dark and supple neck.
The poor girl was becoming dizzy, hot and bothered. Moaning in frustration and distress for Claude to keep at it and arching her back, so that he could feel more of her round and bouncing orbs, she barely noticed the wetness protruding from the apex of her thighs. Claude had moved his hands from her full chest to around her back and was pulling her closer, so that she could feel his erection. He had begun nipping at her neck, causing her to groan and tilt her head back. She grabbed hold of her own breasts, wanting him to place his hands back on them. This is what he had wanted! She was panting, sweating, calling out his name! He was lowering his mouth past her lovely clavicle and was now sucking the top portion of her left breast.
"Claude!"
She couldn't help thinking that he was much better at this than Phoebus had been and she had to voice that!
"…So good!"
A pleasure filled whine escaped her lips, as he took her shapely bust back and this time began fondling her completely erect nipples. He was lost in exploring as much of her as he could.
"How did that popinjay captain not know this would be a better way of…"
His mind had begun to think about how much pleasure he was giving his sweet Esmeralda and how much more she seemed to enjoy him than the captain. It was a sweet victory!
Esmeralda was acting purely on desire. Her brain was in some far away land, where only brains and thoughts went when things of this nature happened. Her brain was watching her, scolding her for doing this a second time. But her heart was present and it told her that Claude loved her and that unlike Phoebus she could trust Claude not to leave. This was different from the first time; she wasn't in pain and she wasn't pleading with Claude to stop.
"Why hadn't Phoebus done this?"
Her brain mused while her mouth poured out bliss filled moans.
"But this isn't the painful part…"
The childish and naïve part of her brain chimed in, reminding her of what was to come if she didn't put an end to this soon. And with that thought she began taking notice of Claude's shaft pressing against her inner thigh. That is where it had rubbed against last time; oh it felt good! He wasn't pulling away and neither was she. Still in doubt, she looked down at the large appendage and Claude took note of the expression on her face. Deciding to take control of the situation he spoke as calmly as he could.
"I will be as gentle as I can. If you tell me to stop, I will."
For the first time he was seeing her as a woman and not a child, but the sweetness still remained. He smoothed back her hair and pressed his lips to hers. She threw her arms around his neck, anticipating his entry into her. He began by placing the tip against her warm opening, which caused her to shudder. She bit her lip, expecting the pain to begin at any moment. Claude slowly pressed the tip of his manhood into her and she closed her eyes as tightly as she could. The moment he entered a swoon escaped his lips. She was sodden and warm! It was the best thing he had ever felt! This revelation caused him to move very slowly, as he wanted her to feel as much pleasure as she could. Unlike the captain his intent was not to cause her any pain and to show her just how good of a man he was. There was a slight bit of pain as he pressed in further, penetrating her, but it was not the same kind of pain she had felt when she was with the captain.
"Oh Claude!"
Her nails tore into his skin and slid down his back. It was a dull pain, barely a pain at all…it was a likable sort of a pain and after a few seconds it ceased being painful at all. At first Claude grimaced, feeling her nails dig into his flesh, but as she ran them down his back he knew he had done something right. He began pulling out very slowly and pushing back in a little quicker to gauge her reaction. At last her lovely eyes had popped open and as he looked down into them he saw tears.
"Oh God."
His voice was full of concern for her.
"Do you want me to stop?"
Had he been truthful, he did not want to stop. This is what he had been waiting for and God himself be damned if he could not make the girl enjoy it! He had not expected her to reach up and kiss him with even more passion than before!
She could feel his hard cock rubbing against her tender clit and it felt…She didn't even have a word to describe how amazing that felt! She grabbed his hands and placed them back on her chest, keeping her hands atop his.
"Please don't stop!"
It was an urgent whisper, punctuated by a roll of her hips.
Claude was much slower pushing and pulling in and out than Phoebus, which gave her time to feel every inch of him enter deeper and deeper! It just felt better in every sense of the word.
"Claude! Oh Claude!"
He was wonderfully surprised at all these moans and even more so when she told him not to stop.
"Oh God, Esmeralda!"
He felt a tightening in his pelvis. This couldn't be over, it was too soon and too quick and she was enjoying it far too much for it to be over.
"Oh Claude Frollo I love you!"
And with that loud declaration she climaxed and soon felt him do the same within her. Her body went limp and Claude gently rolled over to the right side of the bed. He drew her close and she rested her head on his chest. This was how it was supposed to have been with Phoebus. Claude kissed the top of her hair, savoring the aroma of sweat and flowers. Her body was trembling and exhausted, but she was not sleepy. If anything she felt more energized than ever! And Claude wasn't leaving. He kept his arms around her in a protective fashion and was in a dreamy state, whispering something in a language which she did not understand. Whatever he said sounded beautiful!
The next morning Claude awoke, head foggy and brain numb. There was a leg strewn over his pelvic area, an arm across his chest, a head resting between his chest and his stomach and a mass of dark hair splayed over him. He smiled remembering just why she was positioned so. He had devoured her! She was completely worn out from the exertion. They had not made love only once, but several times throughout the evening! And now they both lay satiated and content. He smiled anew when he realized that this was not some voluptuous fantasy; this was real! And he could have this again and as many times as she would allow, which judging by last night seemed to be often.
A fatigued, yet blissful groan was released from the tiny woman's kiss swollen lips. She was clinging to something and a very hard something else was jabbing her between the legs.
"Mmmm! Claude that feels so good!"
She was groggy and barely awake.
"Do not worry my sweet love…nightfall is a more appropriate time for that."
He sat up, causing her to sit up facing him.
"You're still here."
She stated in utter disbelief.
"And where else would I be?"
He lifted her chin and lightly kissed her lips.
She looked bewildered, expecting him to leave her and not return. And then there would be another man, and after that another…etc.
"Do you want me to leave?"
At this point he would have flung himself off the cathedral if it made her happy.
"No!"
She shook her head and embraced him tightly, her head against his chest and arms thrown round his mid section. He could feel small drops of wetness landing on his abdomen. She was tearing up out of love for him. He had stayed! He had kept every promise that he had made to her and she never wanted him out of her life! A thought occurred to him; they were both still nude and in the bed.
"There would be too many questions to deal with tomorrow if I stayed with her today."
His mind gave a lengthy sigh when he realized that he would have to leave for a short while.
"Esmeralda. I do have certain responsibilities which I must tend to. I promise that I will be back around Noon with something to eat and some warm water for a bath."
She reluctantly let go and he now received a full frontal view of the most delicious damsel the world had ever seen. He needed to dress and leave now! It was becoming too difficult to deal with the fact that he was so hard and if he stayed any longer he someone would have the unlucky task of coming to look for him…and if they were to find him they would see the luckiest man on earth! While he scurried around searching for each article of clothing, she lay back on the bed.
"Come now Claude, how can you deny her of anything? Just look at those two round, pert breasts begging for your touch!"
He heard his brother's youthful voice inside his head.
"She did enjoy when my hands were on them."
He conceded, but continued to walk out the door and down the stairs.
Esmeralda lay back on the bed, relishing the way it smelled. It now had Claude's wonderful, spicy scent. It smelled of ash, books and some warm spice that she had never known before. It was an incredibly masculine and extremely intelligent scent all in one and she loved it, because of who it represented.
She found herself drowsing to the aroma, dreaming about Claude and the how much he honestly loved her. But then that horribly familiar sound of horse hooves destroyed her reverie.
"Phoebus!"
She snapped up and quickly dressed in a plain white bodice and a purple silk skirt.
Claude's mind was not on prayer. Claude's mind was on what he had done with Esmeralda. Not only had it been a complete sin, but it had been the most satisfying experience in his life! He stood, now realizing that he was no longer a man of God. Yes, he still bore the title of Dom Claude Frollo Archdeacon of Josas, but he had committed a very strong sin.
"As did she."
He muttered to himself.
No one knew, but eventually someone would find out and then…
"Shame, humiliation and that would only be on my part."
He loved her, she loved him and love was not a sin by any means of the word. Love was the most pure and holy thing Claude could think of.
"Then why is an act of love considered a sin?"
He could no longer be the man he was, yet he was unwilling to give up what he was.
"There must be some way to keep both in check."
Esmeralda had made it to the threshold and bravely took one step in the direction of the captain.
"Captain Phoebus?"
She began to reach out to tug on the reins of his steed, but tentatively drew back, not wanting him to get the wrong idea.
At the sound of a sweet female voice he looked down and saw her.
"Why if it isn't my gypsy girl!"
He smiled beaming at the fact that she had sought him out and even more so over the fact that his fiancée stood nearby. Two lovely and jealous women was much better than one loving and willing woman.
"I would like a word with you."
She preferred to speak with him in private.
"Bah! Whatever you wish to say, you may say here."
She looked over at Fleur-De-Lys who knit her brow at her and became bold.
"For a girl's first, you were the worst in bed! And how something so small could cause that much pain, I'll never know. Of course, then again you would have to do it so quickly to meet all your other women."
At this impassioned speech Fleur-De-Lys looked up at Phoebus.
"Who is this delusional little tart?"
She said this more to Esmeralda than to her fiancé.
"Just some mad gypsy girl…they should perhaps throw her in with the recluse in the Tour Roland!"
He laughed and Fleur-De-Lys gave a triumphant smile. With that Esmeralda stormed away, back up to the cell.
"My dear, where have you been?"
Esmeralda plopped down in a spare chair at Claude's desk. The desk was absent of experiments, books and papers. It had been converted into a table.
"I am sorry to have kept you waiting, but I saw the captain and something had to be said."
Claude was unusually calm and did not even react when she mentioned Phoebus. He was lighting candles and mumbling something in that odd language again. He sprinkled water over her head and then poured one glass of wine for her and one for himself. Another odd chant followed, but he was amazingly calm.
"What are you doing?"
Esmeralda smiled nervously.
"It is nothing to concern yourself with my sweet. You must taste the wine, it is possibly the sweetest and most luxuriant wine you or I will ever have the pleasure of tasting!"
His calm demeanor almost frightened her and the chanting in some odd language did not help.
"Are you alright Claude?"
He looked up at her and spoke very calmly.
"There is no measure to how deep my love for you is my Esmeralda."
He said one final chant, before bringing the goblet of wine to his lips and watching her sip from her own.
In a matter of moments she felt a powerful and dizzying sensation course through her brain. Everything melted into one confusing mass of fuzz and she groped her way into a standing position.
"Claude I do not feel well!"
She drew a hand across her forehead in an attempt to steady herself.
"It is alright my sweet child, it will be over shortly."
He was very calm in contrast to her frantic coughing and groping for the bed.
"I've told you not to call me that! I am no longer a child! Claude I need air…I need water…I need something! Claude please!"
She vaguely saw him stand and smoothly glide over to her. She felt the ground being removed from beneath her feet and a bed in its place a bed beneath her.
"This will all be over soon enough."
His voice was eerily calm and then she felt something being placed on her eyes, the shock of which made them close. His lips touched hers and a distant part of her wanted to push him away and scream. But the intense weary sensation had stolen her and with that final kiss life slipped away. Claude made the sign of the cross over her and then over himself and said one final prayer. He was preparing her for the afterlife and a bath was next on the list.
"You must not meet your Lord and Savior in this state."
He whispered, as though she could still hear him. He gently removed her bodice and skirt, being careful not to damage her in any way. He took a cloth and soaked it in warm water, then began lightly patting it over every inch of her flesh. When it came to washing her more intimate areas he took a sick pleasure in knowing that he could do anything to her body and she was powerless to stop him. He glided the cloth between her lithe legs and savored the moment, knowing that a lifetime of paradise waited on the other side of death. He finished this bizarre cleansing ritual by pouring a small amount of the water and perfume into her hair.
"There!"
He exclaimed, moving on to the next step.
"Which would you prefer to wear my love? The white dress would contrast to heavily with your delicate bronzed skin…yet the blue one would remind you too much of the sky and the sun and Phoebus and I do not want to upset you. The white one it is!"
He was even more careful dressing her. It was as though she was a porcelain doll and he was the doll maker. She was his creation and needed to look absolutely perfect to meet the ultimate maker.
She looked like an angel, but Claude was missing something.
"Ah yes!"
He took his goblet of wine again and placed it to his lips, this time taking a heavy gulp of the now warm fluid.
"Do not fret my sweet angel. Soon I shall join you and we will live happily in paradise, I promise."
He kissed her cheek one last time and placed his arms protectively around her, before feeling the effects of the drug lay into him. At some point his brother would ascend the stairs in search of coin and he would find the two corpses, lying on the bed in death's sweet embrace. Claude had made sure to leave the door unlocked and open a crack, he had even left a note explaining the fact that things could never be as wonderful as they were at that point in time. He wanted to be found out and seen just as he saw her; as human and nothing more.