Can i just admit that half of this chapter i don't even remember writing! xD
No joke. Half of it was the chapter which i'd wrote on my laptop and caught up with uploading. I wrote last night to upload today and actually can't remember what i've written. That's baaaaad...awful memory i have!
Oh well, thank you for reading~
29
The food which Erik had bought down wasn't much. But it was enough to sustain Fleurette's growing hunger. She hadn't realized until her eyes looked over the food how hungry she actually was.
Now she sat leaning her head against Erik's shoulder as he played the organ in front of them. Every so often he'd stop and jot down something on a piece of paper and then return to playing again.
It was so peaceful, Fleurette hadn't been in a place where she felt so at peace. With someone who didn't force a conversation on her.
"Did you see any of the rehearsals when you went up?" She asked when Erik had stopped playing to write again. He placed down his pen and tilted his head down to look at her. She looked up at him and waited for an answer.
"Yes." The way he answered made her frown lightly. Moving away from leaning against him she turned and looked at him fully.
"...That means that when you delivered the letter you would have disturbed the rehearsals."
"Your sister didn't react to badly." Erik said, she raised an eyebrow at him. "I have to admit if everyone reacted so calmly to one of my letters, this place would be so much more peaceful."
"What did she do?"
"She read the letter and admittedly almost fainted from the shock of the words written within it. After a few minutes she continued rehearsals."
"You call almost fainting not reacting badly?" Erik slowly nodded, Fleurette looked at him dumbfounded. "...Erik you almost made my sister faint. That's a bad reaction to your letter."
"I'm used to loads of shouting. She did not shout, she stood quietly and read it. I call that a good reaction." He explained while looking from the paper in front of him then to her. "I am sorry for almost making your sister faint from shock though." He apologised, Fleurette's expression was still one of great confusion. Yet after a few moments she shook her head and leant it back against his shoulder.
"Were the rehearsals going good?"
"Well," he paused, she laughed quietly and reached up to rub her eyes. It was just his tone, he didn't need to say anything else. It was clear to her that they weren't going exactly to plan.
"Say no more, I can guess how they're going." She smiled, and shut her eyes as Erik commenced playing the instrument again. "What even is the show?"
"I have to admit that I am not wholly sure." Erik said simply. "But by looks of things judging by the rehearsals, it's going to be a lot of heavy rehearsals to get it right." Fleurette ran a hand through her hair and looked towards the lake.
"Do you ever get bored of it down here?"
"That is a rather obscure question. Where did it come from?"
"Erik you can't answer my question with one of your own! That is just plain avoidance. But I'll answer your question." She nodded and stood up from the bench. She walked steadily over to the shore line and sighed. She twirled and looked at him, "You have the same sight each and everyday. Surely you must tire of it?"
"I do, but..." his voice trailed off as he looked down at the keys. He didn't know what else to say, Fleurette nodded and walked over to him. She crouched at his side and held onto one of his hands. His eyes slid over and looked at her.
"It's all you know, correct?"
"Yes." He nodded, Fleurette smiled and patted his hand and stood up. Erik watched as she twirled on the spot and looked at him.
"Do you ever wish to venture up to the outside?"
"I do, just not in the day." Erik said while crossing his arms, Fleurette crossed her arms and rocked on her heels. "I do not like that expression." He said although his tone was not serious.
"I'm not scheming anything, I promise." She smiled and looked around. Since eating and resting she had a new lot of energy. She looked down at the stony floor and at her bare feet. "I'm a little envious actually that you get to be down here. You do not need to force yourself to be nice to people. Nor do you have to talk to anyone. You can stay here and just be yourself."
"You do not belong down here though." Erik said while standing up and walking over to her. Fleurette looked up at him. "Isolation wouldn't do you any good. It would destroy you." Erik reached up and put a hand against her cheek.
"Yet it is alright for you?"
"Yes."
"That is not right." Fleurette frowned. "You deserve to be surrounded by people as much as me. No one should be so isolated it is not fair." She said determinedly.
"Fleurette I am not much of a people person, I am not sure if you've noticed this." She fell silent and looked down at the ground. Erik could see that she was pondering over something, she had a thoughtful expression on her face. He pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her. Fleurette huddled closer to him and shut her eyes.
Leaning away from him she tiptoed and shyly pressed her lips against hers. Erik tentatively reached up and placed his hands against her cheeks. Fleurette's arms stayed wrapped around his waist.
One of Erik's hands moved to clasp over one of hers when he felt a ghost of her touch just underneath the edge of his mask. Quickly kissing her lips one last time he moved his fingers to lock with hers and kissed her knuckles.
"Erik?" Fleurette asked quietly, while looking from the ground to him.
"Yes?" He answered, she wriggled her hand from his and reached up and placed it against the white mask. He instinctively shied away from her slightly.
"Why?"
"You ask the question which has probably hung in your mind since the very beginning." Erik said in a monotone voice. He turned his head to the side and reached up to hold her hand again. "Opinions of me which you have will change." He slid his eye to look at her sidewards. Fleurette looked up at the unmasked half of his face with a reserved look.
"No they won't."
"Yes," he smiled slowly. It wasn't a happy smile, it was a false smile void of feeling. "They will." He looked at her fully, "They will because people are so driven by opinions."
Fleurette frowned and looked at him fiercely. "You believe that I am so much like everyone else?"
"There is not much variety between how people act. Everyone acts more less the same."
"I will prove you wrong." She said determinedly. Erik looked at her and crossed his arms. She had a determined look to match her tone. "Can I prove you wrong?" Fleurette asked, Erik didn't answer but stood stock still like a statue as her hands reached up to his mask.
Gently, so gently it was like she wasn't even touching him. Fleurette pulled the mask slowly away from his face. Erik shut his eyes and opened them when there was the slightest, only the slightest of touches against the marred skin on his face.
Fleurette had placed both her hands against his cheeks, she turned his face to look at it better. Erik stood uncomfortable with Fleurette's eyes looking at him. He avoided looking at her as she stepped back. Erik had no choice but to look at her when she stepped into his line of vision.
"It's good to see both your eyes properly Erik. They really are a nice colour of greeny blue. Much like the sea when it can't decide whether to be calm or to be tossing in confusion." Fleurette smiled and turned the mask over in her hands. She let out a startled sound when he suddenly gripped onto her and held her close to him. Smiling lightly she reached up and put her hands in his back. Erik by now had buried his face in her hair, he leant away and looked at her. Fleurette smiled up at him, and held the mask up to him.
"You don't need to hide so much around me Erik." She said while he took it from her hands and slipped it back on. She still stood smiling none the less. Fleurette briskly figured that he felt most comfortable wearing it, despite being with company or on his own.
