Much to the pair's relief, Gaia never really got ill that year. An out of place, deep chested cough here or there, but nothing more. Their second anniversary was vast approaching, and each could tell the other was preparing a surprise. Gaia was nearly as nervous as she had been on their wedding day, on the morning of their anniversary. It was a brisk autumn day, cool but with quiet wins and a pleasant amount of sun just like on the day of their wedding. Last year they had been forced in by rain the entire week (though neither of them minded, having planned on spending most of the day in bed anyway). Erik was awake before sunrise and drew the blinds in anticipation of the bright morning sun so his beautiful bride could sleep in while he prepared her breakfast in bed.
Late in the morning Gaia finally stirred, seeking out he husband's bony form in the bed and frowning when she found him absent. He was just walking in as she opened her eyes and stretched languidly. Erik allowed himself a brief moment of admiration for her form; she had put on a health weight again since her last illness, he was pleased to notice, though he knew she could be as skeletal as he was and he would love her none the less for it. "Good morning my love," Erik greeted her, his voice so pleasant it was nearly a song. Gaia smiled broadly, still not quite awake but adoring the sound of her husband's voice.
"Good morning, Husband. Happy Anniversary," she greeted back, reaching up to peck his lips when he leaned over her for a kiss. "You taste like oranges. You didn't eat without me did you?" Gaia scolded gently before sitting up and noticing the tray of breakfast along with a bouquet of flowers waiting for them on the trunk at the foot of the bed. "Oh Erik, you're a darling!"
Erik beamed at the praise, which made Gaia's smile even broader. Something about his smile was simply contagious when it was so pure and innocent, even if it wasn't pretty. "Eat up, we have a long day ahead of us. And with any luck a long night," He added coyly, causing Gaia to blush pleasantly.
"You've planned a day for us have you?"
"I have. I thought we might go for a walk in the woods while it's nice out, and then I have a present for you for this evening."
"Can I know what it is?" She asked curiously, ever a child when it came to the idea of gifts.
"I'll tell you as the time draws closer," Erik promised with a smile and another kiss, bringing the tray onto the bed and sitting beside Gaia to join her for breakfast. "If you could, I could use a favor today though."
Gaia kissed his bare cheek, quietly pleased that he was growing more and more comfortable being around her without it on, so long as they were in private. She certainly didn't begrudge him his privacy while they were out in town, but at home she preferred him as God made him. Somehow being without the mask made him seem more… human, almost. Not that he was ever anything else, but with a mask on Gaia felt like he was more readily able to distance himself from life. His withdrawn nature had vanished from whence it came, and it seemed by all appearances that her beloved was back to his usual self without a mask to hide behind whenever he pleased. "Of course, what is it you need?"
"I could use a haircut," he admitted. "I haven't been to the barber in far too long, not since I started wearing the nose out instead of a mask."
Gaia understood this; even with a false nose and a considerable amount of her flesh-tinted powder to hide his veins, Erik was leery of people coming to close to his face and god forbid seeing through his disguise; she knew that would terrify Erik as much as it would any poor soul who knocked the false nose askew and endure Erik's rage for it. "I've never cut hair before, but I suppose I could give it a try."
"I'm certain you'll do a better job than I ever could," Erik promised. "I tried it a month ago and it already looks too wretched to be seen out in."
"So we're going out!" Gaia exclaimed joyously. Her gift was a night out with her husband! She was thrilled at the prospect; they went to the market twice a week together and occasionally would sit at a quiet trattoria and lunch before making the journey home, but in their two years of marriage they had never had a night out like a normal couple.
"Look, I've gone and spoiled the surprise," Erik frowned, but Gaia kissed him.
"I'm glad you told me! I'll have to find that beautiful dress you bought me last year; I put it away so the moths wouldn't eat it in the winter. I hope it still fits," she mused before biting her tongue and saying a little prayer that Erik wouldn't think anything of her remark. He didn't seem to, and for that she was grateful; she didn't want to spoil the surprise she had for him.
"I'm sure that it will, you're almost back up in weight from last year," he praised, kissing her and handing her a glass of orange juice he had taken so much time to prepare.
"So where are we going?" Gaia pried after taking a long drink. "Should I wear walking shoes? Or a shawl?"
"Nice shoes and a shawl will do splendidly; we'll take a carriage, you won't need to worry about walking much. We're being picked up about one though, so we'll need to keep our stroll in the woods short."
Gaia raised a brow. "We're leaving at one for a night out?"
Erik teased her gently. "I never said a night out, did I?"
"No, but one is too late for a lunch in town," Gaia pointed out, and Erik was trumped. "Where are we going?" She pried, trying to think of all the places they could get to by dinner time if they left at one. "We're going to Venice!"
"You are an absolutely insufferable woman sometimes, do you know that?" Erik accused, upset she was growing so adept at guessing his surprises.
"Yes. But I am your insufferable woman, which is why you don't mind," She smiled, kissing her husband and putting the tray of food back off the bed to indicate there were other activities to be had before their walk.
It was noon when they returned to the house and Gaia settled down to cut Erik's hair. He sat on a dining room chair she had brought into the large kitchen, tipping it back over the sink. She wasn't sure if men's hair needed to be wetted like hers did when she had it cut. Erik's was especially thin, she felt she probably could have cut it dry but she dared not take any chances. She wetted and washed Erik's hair, before suddenly realizing just how much power she had over him in that moment. Erik, who was normally so powerful yet with a deeply ingrained distrust of the human race, was sitting in a chair balanced on its back legs with his head over the kitchen sink, neck completely exposed. If this wasn't a sign of how wholly he trusted her, Gaia couldn't think of what was. It was a Samson and Delilah moment, she realized quietly, only Gaia had no intent to ever break her husband's faith in her.
A fleeting urge to bend that trust in a rather pleasant way by mounting him then crossed and left her mind. There would be plenty of that later tonight, she thought to herself with a pleased smile. How she loved the way Erik touched her, as if every time they made love she was his willing puppet on a string, a beloved sculpture all his own. She quickly pulled herself out of her reverie to snip away at her husband's hair, suddenly very focused on the task at hand.
She dried his hair when she was through, and went to fetch her hand mirror from the bedroom, nervously. "How did I do?"
Erik inspected her handiwork and nodded. "Certainly better than I did myself," he praised, and Gaia pecked his lips happily. "Go get dressed, the carriage might show up at any minute."
Much to Gaia's relief, she was able to fit into the stunning royal blue gown Erik had given her for their anniversary the previous year. With nowhere to wear it, she had tucked it away and nearly forgotten about it, and was thrilled for an excuse to show it off. It was a work of art in itself, and made her feel as beautiful just by wearing it as Erik made her feel. A knock came at the door and Erik called for her to hurry or they might be late. Gaia finished lacing the bodice, wishing she were in a state to wear a corset; she felt so exposed without one! When finally she made her way into the living room, Erik was dressed in his finest suit, the one they had been married in she realized, eliciting a smile. This evening Erik opted for the strange false nose instead of a mask, though she was certain he was hiding one somewhere in case the nose decided to give him trouble.
Erik could not find the words to describe his wife's beauty, a first. He mused there simply must not have been words invented yet to describe her. "Well? What are we waiting for?" Gaia urged, lacing their fingers and hurrying with him out the door.
The evening was wonderful. They had gone to see a symphony at one of the multiple opera houses in Venice, where Erik's favorite composers were being showcased. The music was stunning, like nothing Gaia had ever heard; she had only been exposed to people playing on or at most two instruments at a time in a private home, never something like this. Sound seem to fill the entire space, so beautiful that Gaia nearly wept twice even though there was no libretto. It was simply music for hours. Erik seemed in near ecstasy at several of the pieces; clearly if this was not entirely new to him, it was the first he had heard such music in ages. They left the concert hall just in time to make dinner at a quiet little restaurant off the main streets.
"Bach was simply a genius!" Erik praised. "I've seen the scores, I've copied them hundreds of times over perhaps, but never in my life could I have imagined it would be that beautiful. It is wonderful in my head, but to hear it, actually hear it! I can now die a happy man."
"I am glad, but I certainly hope you don't die on me any time soon," Gaia remarked with a smile. "It really was wonderful, Erik. I'm so glad we came."
"As am I," Erik promised, moving to pour her wine until she waved her hand for him to stop.
"Only a small glass for me tonight, Love," she smiled, somewhat nervously. "Which reminds me. Have you noticed anything… different?" Gaia wasn't sure if her surprise was obvious or not. He hadn't commented on her lack of a corset the past month, and to be fair the weight gain could be explained in other ways…
Erik studied her for a moment before frowning pensively. "I'm afraid not," he admitted. "Should I? I will feel horrible if I should."
Gaia's nerves made her shiver briefly in the cool night air before she finally decided to come out with it. "What do you think about having a baby?"
Erik was quiet for so long Gaia's heart dropped to the pit of her stomach. "Erik?"
"I heard you," he answered gruffly, causing his wife to frown. "I think… I don't know what to think. Certainly I imagined we might have children, but so soon?"
"So soon? We've been married for two years, and we can hardly stand to keep our hands off each other," she reasoned quietly. "I was beginning to think I wouldn't ever get pregnant. Not that I was trying mind you," Gaia added quickly, worried Erik might think she was attempting to try something behind his back. "And Erik… Erik with my illness it could be this is the only time to have a baby. Maybe I'll be lucky like Papa and live until I'm gray, but only God knows. Maybe we'll have the chance to have a dozen children… but there's also a chance this could be our only one. Please be excited, just a little?" She asked of him, tearfully. Erik moved from his chair to crouch next to her, pulling her head onto his shoulder to dry her tears.
"Gaia, I am going to make sure you live to be as old as I do," he swore. "And I'm not… excited. Not yet. I'm nervous, and fearful, but you must be too! How can you not be afraid that… that…"
Gaia frowned against his shoulder. "That the baby will look like you?" She offered, and Erik nodded quietly. "Erik, I would love our child completely whether he has your face or not. It's so… romantic, isn't it? A part of you and a part of me inside one living thing? Who cares if it takes your face? You've done wonderfully for yourself, even if you don't think so. You found me, didn't you?" Erik nodded, quietly, not having the energy to argue at the moment; it was so, so easy for her to say! But the thought of any woman holding up such a monstrous face as his to feed from her breast… the thought even made him sick!
They ate the rest of their meal quietly before retiring to an intimate hotel, not unlike the one in Rome where they spent their wedding night. It was too late to return to the comfort of their on beds, and besides, the thrill of spending a night in someone else's sheets was rather thrilling. Before long both of them had abandoned the uncomfortable conversation from before. It had not gone how Gaia would have hoped… but it had not been completely disastrously like she feared it might. She took that as a small triumph for now, moaning some as her husband nipped and suckled at her neck with firey lips. He froze just when she was aching for him most, and Gaia frowned deeply.
"Erik what's wrong?" She pried, littering his face with kisses and writing in anxious agony beneath him.
"I… it won't hurt the baby will it?" He asked quietly, and Gaia nearly burst into laughter. So he wasn't feeling so negative towards the thing as she thought! He was actually worried he might hurt it by entering her.
"Of course not, Husband! I already asked the doctor about it, he says the baby is up here, not down there," she gestured to her lower belly to reassure him, kissing him deeply, urging him to continue and put an end to her misery. Still leery, he finally gave into his urges and forgot completely about the baby while his mind swam with images of Gaia.