Erik's POV

When I woke the following morning, I was still laying beside Gustave in the small fort we had built. After sitting up, I crawled out and began undressing. Before Gustave could wake, I jumped in the shower, washing my face and scalp before reaching for a towel and wrapping it around my naked body. As I stood there at the sink brushing my teeth, Gustave came walking in rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"How did you sleep?" I asked.

Gustave opened the lid of the toilet and began peeing…This was strange, having this child standing before me doing his business without even caring that I was there. I paid no mind and finished brushing my teeth.

"Mister Y, how come you're not shaving your face?"

"I don't have to shave," I said. "Hair never grew on my face."

"Really?" my son raised his brow. "That's strange."

I rinsed out my mouth and reached for my wig. After placing it over my bald scalp, I reached for my mask.

"Will hair ever grow on my face?"

I nodded, "Of course, Gustave. Your face is flawless."

"Your flesh is strange looking," Gustave said, brushing his fingers up against my back. How embarrassing it was to have to stand before him, my scars exposing from every inch of myself. I walked back into my room and began rummaging through my wardrobe.

"Yes, it is, isn't it?" I questioned, looking for my shirt.

"How come? My back doesn't look like that, Mister Y."

"I didn't have an easy childhood, Gustave," I said. "I was abused because of my face. I wasn't born with these marks upon my skin."

"Someone did that to you?"

I nodded and slipped my shirt over my head before rolling up the sleeves. It would be too hot for sleeves today, especially with cleaning up from last night's storm.

"Turn around," I said, grasping the towel that was around my waist. "I'm going to change into my trousers."

"I'm going to get dressed, Mister Y."

"All right," I said. "I'll meet you downstairs in a few minutes. We'll go to breakfast and then to my park."

When my son left me alone, I reached for my trousers and slipped them on. Afterwards, I grabbed my vest and headed downstairs, fumbling with the buttons as I did so.

"Gustave, are you ready to go?" I called out.

My son came around the corner, struggling with his shirt.

"Mister Y, I can't button my shirt."

"Here," I grasped his shirt and buttoned it for him. Afterwards, I locked up and headed towards the streets with my child.

"Mister Y, look at all the debris."

Gustave was right…The ground was covered in fallen tree branches and leaves. Oh, I could only imagine what my park looked like. Last August a tree fell on top of my maze, causing it to cave in the roof. The cleanup was disastrous, so disastrous that I needed to keep my park closed until it was cleaned up.

"I'm hungry."

"Yes, I know," I said. "I'll take you to the Phantasma bakery."

"Will you eat too, Mister Y?"

"Maybe, Gustave."

When we arrived at the Phantasma bakery, I sat my child on the counter so that he could see the menu. I wasn't sure if my employees would ever get used to Gustave, but they needed to, for he was going anywhere.

"Chocolate pastry, Mister Y," my son said, pointing to the menu that was hanging above the register. "With rainbow sprinkles."

"All right," I said.

"And what are you going to get?"

I looked up at the menu and settled with a croissant.

"All the things to eat and you're getting that?"

I lifted my son off the counter and set him back down on the floor.

"I can't have certain things, Gustave," I said. "I have a weak stomach."

"What does that mean?"

"It means that I can't have certain things or else I'll get sick."

"Can you have chocolate?"

"Sometimes."

"Vanilla?"

"Yes, I can."

"Cream filled doughnuts?"

"Gustave, enough," I said pointing to a table. "Go get us a table while I order our breakfast."

When my son dashed to the nearby booth, I ordered our meal and carried it over to join him.

"Here, eat your breakfast," I said, sliding his pastry towards him. My child indulged himself into his meal, his mouth covered in chocolate.

"Oh, Gustave," I sighed, reaching for a napkin.

"What?" he asked looking up at me.

"Your mouth is covered in chocolate."

My son raised his arm to wipe his mouth, when I grabbed it.

"Don't stain your shirt," I warned, handing him a napkin. "Use this. If you get that on your shirt, I'll never get it out."

"Mother always got out my stains."

"Well, your mother is a miracle worker."

While my son finished his breakfast, I cut my croissant up into tiny pieces and placed them into my mouth. It was hard for me to chew while I was wearing my mask, but I knew if I didn't start eating around the child, he was bound to get upset.

"Is it good, Mister Y?"

I nodded, "Yes, very good."

When my son was finished eating, we rose and headed towards the gates of Phantasma, the gates covered in fallen debris.

"Oh, lovely," I groaned, taking the fallen branches off my property.

"Mister Y, your gate is bent."

Gustave approached the gate and untangled a branch from its bars.

"Well, let's get cleaning up."

I opened my gates to Phantasma and motioned my son to enter first. Once inside, my employees began approaching me, obviously knowing that the park wouldn't be opening today, not when there was so much to clean up.

"What do you want us to clean first, sir?" Mr. Squelch asked.

"I guess the food stands," I said. "The roofs probably have debris and fallen branches lying about. Gustave and I are going to head towards my offices."

When the orders were given, I took my child and began cleaning up from the storm…

"Gustave, come away from there!" I growled, as I looked over and spotted my child pulling a large branch down from one of the gates.

"But, Mister Y…"

"But nothing," I hurried to his side and pulled the child away, the branch falling from the fence and hitting me in the shoulder. I hissed from the pain it had caused and kicked the heavy piece of debris away, my anger already building up from inside me.

"Gustave, I don't want you reaching for any branches that are up higher than you are, do you hear me?"

My boy nodded as I rubbed my shoulder. Oh, the agony this child puts me through… While my employees were cleaning up the rides, I took my son to my midnight library. A tree had fallen on the roof, causing a few windows to break. Rain had wet the inside of my library and the wind had blown it apart.

"Here," I handed my child a broom. "Make yourself useful and sweep up the leaves. I'm going to drain the water out of here…"

"Look at all these books," Gustave gasped, looking down at the soaking wet books that were lying around the floor. My son picked one up and shook the water out of it.

"Look, Mister Y, this book was Romeo and Juliet…"

I sighed and took the book out of his hands, sitting up upon the windowsill to dry.

"Will they be all right, Mister Y?"

I shook my head. "Likely not, Gustave. They'll probably have to be thrown out."

"Thrown out?" he gasped. "But they're so beautiful."

"They're destroyed."

My son began going around my library, picking up the soaking wet books and placing them on the windowsill.

"How will you get books to replace these ones?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "Not sure, Gustave. Most of those books I obtained at different markets and shops on my travels."

"Why don't we just dry them out and try to salvage them?"

"If that's what you wish, Gustave."

"So, have you really read all these books?"

I began to sop up the water that was on the floor, nodding as I did so. The rain might have made my park a mess, but it didn't do much for the weather, for it was still humid as ever.

"I have read them all." I confessed. "I did a lot of reading during the past ten years."

"Mister Y, I'm hot…" my son complained, rolling up his sleeves.

"I know, Gustave."

My child swept up the leaves as I emptied out the water that was in the library. Afterwards, I scooped my son up and carried him outside. Oh, the sun was so hot…Deciding to take my son over to the Phantasma pool, I took him by the hand and led him in that direction.

"Mister Y, where are we going?"

"To clean up the Phantasma pool."

"But what about your office?" he asked.

"We'll get to it later. It's too humid at the moment to clean."

"But, you just said we're going to clean up the Phantasma pool…"

I nodded and led my son all the way to the Phantasma pool. Once there, I unlocked the gate and entered, shutting it before heading over to grab the net to begin scooping out the piles and piles of leaves that were floating on top of the water. I had expected my son to help, but he just crawled onto a lounge chair and pulled his legs into his chest.

"I could really use some help over here," I said.

My son shook his head and began to whimper. I knew he was afraid of the water, but I didn't know how to make him feel safe…

"What kind of bright idea was this?" my angel asked, appearing at my side.

I shrugged my shoulders and continued to scoop out the leaves.

"He's afraid of the water, angel…"

"And just how am I supposed to make him feel better about it?"

"Why don't you teach him how to swim?"

"How am I supposed to teach him how to swim when he won't even get off that chair?"

"Clean the pool from the inside."

With that, Christine disappeared and left me alone. If there was one thing I didn't want to do, it was take off my mask and clothes, but the fence wrapping around the pool was closed, making me shut out from the rest of the world…I didn't want to do it, but for Gustave, I couldn't be afraid.

Gustave's POV

As I sat there watching Mister Y clean the pool, I couldn't help but notice him unbuttoning his shirt It was strange, but I knew how hot it had become. The blue pool water looked refreshing, but I was afraid of it. I didn't know how to swim and was afraid to even dip my feet into the pool water. Mister Y's shirt was completely off now, making me wonder what he was up to…Next, he removed his mask and wig, placing it on a chair with his shirt. I was about to open my mouth, when I noticed that his hands were grasping his trousers, unbuttoning them, and pulling them off along with his shoes and socks.

"Mister Y, what are you doing?" I gasped.

"Cleaning the pool, of course."

Without another word, he stepped into the water, cringing at how chilly it was. I was frightened, for I believed that he would drown. Though, when he was waist deep, he took his net and continued cleaning the leaves and sticks from the pool.

"The water is very refreshing, Gustave," Mister Y began. "Wouldn't you like to help me clean the pool?"

I shook my head and buried my face into my knees.

"And why not? You look so hot."

"I can't swim." I whimpered. "I'll drown."

"Now, would I let you drown, Gustave? Come on… I promise to hold you up… I'll teach you how to swim."

When I didn't respond, Mister Y splashed some water on me, causing its wetness to upset me.

"Stop!" I wailed, pulling my knees closer to my body. "Don't do that!"

"Gustave, it's all right," Mister Y assured.

I was hot, but I was afraid, oh, so afraid.

"I need help cleaning the pool," Mister Y insisted. "Are you going to help me or not?"

Finally, I got to my feet and began to untie my shoes. When they were off, I placed them on my chair and approached the water. Though, Mister Y stopped me.

"You can't swim in your clothes. Take off your shirt, boy…"

My fingers shook as they undid my shirt, placing it aside and running my hands under my arms.

"Come down the stairs…"

My feet stepped into the water, its iciness causing my heart to pound against my chest.

"Come on…" he coaxed, approaching me.

I was at the last step now, the water up to my knees. If I went down another step, I was likely to fall in. Mister Y could tell how frightened I was, for he lifted up his arms and grabbed hold of me. One would think that I would be more afraid of Mister Y's face than a little water, but it was the complete opposite. His face no longer frightened me, but this water did.

"Don't let me go!" I screamed. "Please…"

"Never," Mister Y assured. "You're safe with me."

When we were out in the center of the pool, Mister Y placed my body into the water, the liquid covering my waist. He held me above water level, never allowing me to sink any lower than my waist.

"All right then…" he placed me on my stomach, holding me on the water's surface as he instructed me to paddle with my arms and legs. I did as he asked, kicking my legs and arms as he guided me around the empty pool. This was much easier than the ocean, but I was afraid that he would let me go at any given moment.

"Just like a dog," he told me. "Up and down…Yes, just like that."

I was swimming, but only because Mister Y was holding me above water.

"You're doing great, Gustave…"

I wasn't sure what he was doing when he swam over to the side of the pool and set me down. Once I was sat, my feet dangled in the water as he took a few steps back.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

"Ready for what?" I nervously questioned.

"To swim…Swim to me, Gustave."

"No…" I cried. "I can't."

"You can," he assured. "I'll be right here watching you."

"Please don't make me swim to you, Mister Y…"

"You can do this, Gustave…"

I stood to my feet, my heart pounding against my chest.

"Jump in and swim, Gustave…Kick your legs…"

After taking a few deep breaths, I jumped in, my body sinking to the bottom of the pool. I kicked and pushed my arms, trying to get to the surface, but I couldn't. Where was Mister Y? He promised me! Suddenly, I felt two hands grasp me and pull me above water level. I coughed and gasped for air, as Mister Y pushed me to the side. After sitting me up on the side of the pool, he patted my back.

"Gustave, you didn't swim."

"You promised!" I cried, gathering to my feet. "I don't want to swim anymore!"

And with that, I ran back to my clothes to dress.

Erik's POV

There was nothing that I could do to make Gustave feel any better. After he jumped in the pool, he became upset and there was no way to change how he felt. He believed that I broke my promise, that I wasn't there to catch him. The truth of it all was that I had immediately swam to him the moment he went under.

"Would you like a bedtime story?" I asked as I tucked my child into bed that night.

Gustave had his back turned towards me, his anger never letting up for a single second.

"Gustave, perhaps we could try again tomorrow."

"I don't want to swim ever again!" he cried. "I don't want to ever go near water again."

"You were doing great, Gustave. All you need is a little practice."

"No, I don't want to…"

Knowing that I wouldn't get him to budge tonight, I covered him up and stood to leave. He didn't even say goodnight to me as I left his room. Oh, how this made me feel like a horrible father…

"Should I have done anything different?" I asked my angel, as I undressed a few moments later. "I thought by taking him to the Phantasma pool that it would make things easier."

"You did your best, Erik. Gustave just takes a little more time to get used to certain things. I'm sure he'll be a wonderful swimmer in no time."

"If I ever get him near the water again."

"I have more cleaning up to do around my park tomorrow." I said, taking a seat at my desk. "Perhaps I could get him to help me clean the tunnel of love?"

"That might be a start."

As I wrote, my shoulder began to ache me again, the same shoulder that was hit by the tree branch.

"I saw what happened to you today," Christine said, placing her hands over my shoulders. "Your poor poor shoulder."

My angel began to massage my sore shoulder, her hands instantly taking away my aches.

"Oh, yes," I sighed. "Right there…"

"Feel good?"

"Heaven…" I sighed.

"It's going to take a massage every night for the next week in order for your shoulder to heal."

"Oh, right there," I groaned, my angel's hands making contact with my soreness.

I closed my eyes and paused from writing, taking in the wonderful feeling of my angel touching me.

"In all the years I've known you, Christine, you've never given me a massage…"

"Never too late for something new…"

I sighed…Never too late.

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