Hello. Chapter 3 is ready. So is chapter 4. I will try to publish it soon. Right now I'm writing on other chapters. I don't think this story will be that short. But for now, I hope you enjoy reading this chapter.
Greetings Petit Erik
Louise POV
I woke up in an unknown place. It looked like a hospital ward, but from my world. I noticed that there were various tubes attached to me. When I looked at a clock hanging on a wall across from me, I saw that it was 13:00. So my surgery was over and at the moment I was in the ICU. A couple of doctors talked to me briefly and then I fell back into a deep sleep.
Soon I woke up again in Erik's embrace. He still had his face nestled in my hair and soon seemed not to want to let me go again. But my back obviously had other plans. He sent a jolt of pain and I squealed. Erik lifted his head out of my hair and looked at me.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
"No, my back hurts."
"Oh, sorry."
"No, no. It's fine."
Erik sat next to my bed again and looked at me.
"Are we actually going to pick up our plan from earlier?", I asked him.
"What plan?," Erik inquired, tilting his head.
I thought it made him look totally cute. Before I could keep it in my head, though, it was already jumping through my lips.
"Aww, you look so cute in that."
He looked at me confused.
"What do you mean?"
"When you tilt your head like that, you look incredibly cute."
"Cute? No one has ever said that to me before."
"Well, it's about time someone said that."
"Thank you," he said, looking at me with moist eyes.
"So, back to our plan. We've talked and now we can do some more reading. Or what do you think?"
"I don't mind," Erik replied.
"Very well. Knowing Madame, I'm sure she put all my things, while I was asleep, in my closet. And among other things, my books. Can you check there, please?"
"Of course."
With that, he jumped up from the stool, walked to my closet, opened it, and pulled out a book. I grinned when I saw what it was. It was the 'Odyssey' by Homer.
Erik POV
She did not fear my face! I could hardly believe it! Everyone who had seen me without a mask was either disgusted, scared, or laughed at me. But Louise was none of those things. She was smiling at me. No one had ever done that before. Even Madame, when she had rescued me then, looked at me with pity but no one had ever smiled. My master at the fair had also smiled, but it was not a friendly smile at all. It was this sinister scornful smile. And even the Shah in Persia never wore a friendly smile. It was more of a sly and devious one. At that time, when Nadir had seen me for the first time, he was also shocked and his son Reza already had too little eyesight to be able to perceive my face. Thus, she was the first person who saw me completely without a mask and was not afraid. Oh, how grateful I was to her for that. I couldn't help it and dropped my head on her bed and cried with joy and relief. I noticed her stroking my back for reassurance and I sighed with joy.
I took off my wig last and thought that she would turn away from me after this revelation. But she did not. Soon I felt her hand gently touching my disfigured cheek. I couldn't help myself and leaned into her touch. Her hand gently traced my cheek, my misshapen lips, and my exposed skull. A moment later, I heard her soft voice.
"Erik, look at me."
I couldn't help it and opened my eyes and looked up at her.
"I'm not afraid of your face."
That's as far as I listened. She really wasn't afraid! Only when she mentioned the word friend did I listen again.
"A...friend?", I stammered.
This time when she called me a very good friend, tears ran down my cheeks again but this time they were tears of joy. I told her that she had become a very good friend to me in this short time. She smiled at that and seemed very happy. I looked at her and enjoyed her smile to the fullest. Then she looked at me with a curious twinkle in her eyes.
"What is it?" she asked me curiously.
I fussed a little.
"Nothing. Just... can I give you a hug?", I blurted out my question after all.
"Of course. You don't have to ask me," she replied and held out her arms to me.
Immediately I settled into her embrace, careful not to hurt her back. I nuzzled my face into her soft hair and felt her soft cheek against my deformed one. It was a wonderful feeling, especially because she didn't flinch. Thus, we spent the next few minutes in a wonderful embrace. For me it was at the same time the most beautiful, because I had never had one before. For that, it made the moment of finally getting one all the more precious.
We stayed in this wonderful embrace for some time until Louise's back spoke up. She lay back down in a position that was comfortable for her and I sat down next to her bed again.
"Are we actually going to revisit our plan from earlier?" she asked me.
I tilted my head.
"What plan?"
She looked at me with an expression on her face that I couldn't decipher. But I didn't have to, because she was already telling me.
"Aww, you look so cute in that."
I looked at her with a confused expression.
"What do you mean?"
Her answer followed immediately: "When you tilt your head like that, you look incredibly cute."
I was still a little confused.
"Cute? No one has ever said that to me before."
"Well, it's about time," she replied.
I blushed a little and noticed my eyes getting moist.
"Thank you."
I looked at her and saw her obviously thinking about something.
"So, back to our plan," she said, "we've talked now and we can read some more. Or what do you think?"
I thought this was a wonderful idea. Most of all, I wanted to know what kind of books she was reading.
"I don't mind," I told her.
"Very nice," she replied delightedly, "knowing Madame, I'm sure she put all my things while I was asleep in my closet. And among other things, my books. Can you check there, please?"
"Of course," I said, jumping up from the little stool I was sitting on.
I went to her closet, opened the door, and a book immediately caught my eye. Wow! I never thought she would read something like that. And I myself had never read it before. But you can always learn something new. So I went back to her and she grinned at me. Judging from her reaction, I had found the right book. The 'Odyssey'.
Louise POV
I grinned when I saw the book Erik returned with. I loved the Odyssey and had read it many times. Still, I loved it more than anything and always enjoyed reading it. Erik smiled and sat down next to me again.
"So, where should I start?" asked Erik, flipping through the pages.
"From the beginning, please," I said, "I've already finished reading it in my world."
Erik smiled at me.
"All right."
He sat down with his back in front of my bed so I could read along. I stroked his few hair and heard a soft sigh from him, which almost sounded like a purr. I listened to his wonderful voice until evening came. Then, after some time, I began to yawn. Erik turned his head and looked at me. I just grinned and he smiled.
"I'm afraid Mademoiselle are a little tired," he said.
"But Erik, please keep reading," I begged.
"Nothing there. You need your sleep."
I sighed.
"Yes, Mama."
Erik just grinned at that term. He marked the page in the book where we had stopped and placed it on my desk.
"So, what are we doing tomorrow?" he asked me, tilting his head again.
"I don't know," I admitted honestly.
"Could you explain a little bit about your paintings?"
"I'd be happy to."
"Very well. So, when will we meet again tomorrow?"
"I don't know yet. I'd like to sleep in, if it's possible and my back doesn't kill me again."
"That can be arranged. I'll try to get some sleep, too."
I got wide-eyed.
"But please, not in that coffin!"
"Coffin?" asked Erik.
"Well, in the original novel, your bed is a coffin, and that's why I thought you were sleeping in one, too."
His eyes had taken on almost otherworldly proportions.
"Oh, God. No, I have a regular bed, not a coffin."
I grinned to myself. He sounded almost indignant.
"Very good."
Erik nodded.
"A coffin..." he muttered.
I started to laugh. He really did have a wonderful sense of humor.
"So, I think I'll go back home for now, because your eyes are almost falling shut," he said, looking at me.
I grinned and yawned again. He laughed in response and grabbed his wig, which was still on the floor next to my bed.
"And besides," he said, "I need to put my mask back on."
I was abruptly wide awake again.
"Please not here, Erik!", I shouted, "please don't wear it around me!"
He turned to me.
"Why not?"
"I'd rather see you without your mask. I like it better," I confessed.
His eyes grew wide.
"You mean to tell me that you like this," with that he pointed to his exposed face, "better than my mask?"
I nodded. He tried to maintain a stony expression but couldn't. Again his eyes moistened and he hugged me.
"Thank you," he whispered into my hair.
"Gladly, Erik," I replied.
He moved away again, went to the mirror, opened it and waved goodbye to me before disappearing.
Erik POV
I could almost faint with joy! Louise told me not only that she didn't mind my face, but that she preferred to see me without my mask! I had never been so happy in my life. I had spent some more time with her, reading to her from her book, until she almost fell asleep. I marked the page in her book where we had left off and put it on her desk.
"So, what are we doing tomorrow?", I asked.
Honestly, I didn't care what we did as long as I could be with her.
"I don't know," she said.
I looked at the pictures on her table and an idea came to me.
"Could you tell me a little bit about your paintings?", I asked, realizing how excited I sounded.
"I'd be happy to."
My heart skipped a beat.
"Very nice. So, what time will I see you tomorrow?"
'Gee, Erik, now don't be so impatient! The poor girl needs to get some sleep too!' I scolded myself inwardly.
"I don't know yet. I'd like to sleep in, if my back doesn't kill me again."
I smirked a little
"That can be arranged. I'll sleep in a bit too. Or I'll try."
I saw her eyes suddenly widen.
"But please, not in that coffin!"
"Coffin?", I asked, totally confused.
"Well," Louise said, "in the original novel, your bed is a coffin, and that's why I thought you were sleeping in one, too."
I felt my eyes widen. A coffin! Never in my life, no matter how bad it might have been, would I have thought of sleeping in a coffin!
"Oh God! No, I'm sleeping in a regular bed, not a coffin."
"That's good."
I nodded.
"A coffin..."
Oh God, who came up with such an idea? But hearing that my Romanesque counterpart actually slept in something like that, apparently there had to be someone who had such ideas in mind. Suddenly, I heard Louise start laughing. I couldn't help it and laughed too.
After we calmed down again, I looked at Louise.
"So, I think I'm going to go back home, because your eyes are about to fall shut."
She grinned at me and yawned again. I had to laugh and grabbed my wig, which was still on the floor in front of her bed.
"And besides," I said, "I need to put on my mask."
I only now realized again how long I hadn't worn my mask and felt perfectly fine besides.
"Please not here, Erik!" suddenly shouted Louise at me, "please don't wear it around me!"
I turned to her.
"Why not?"
"I'd rather see you without the mask. I like it better."
My eyes grew wide. Never in my life had I heard that someone liked me better without a mask. The opposite was usually what most preferred. But Louise apparently didn't.
"You mean to tell me that you like this," with that I pointed to my unmasked face, "better than my mask?"
I saw her nod. I tried to keep a stony expression on my face but couldn't. My eyes moistened again and I hugged Louise again.
"Thank you," I whispered into her soft hair.
"Gladly, Erik," she replied.
I let go of her, though it was hard, and went to the mirror and opened it, waving at her before closing it and heading back downstairs.
When I got home, I dropped my wig on my coffee table and walked into the kitchen. As expected, my mask was on the counter. I grabbed it and looked at it. For so long it had been my shield against the world and its cruelty. And only out of my own mistake had I experienced acceptance. I never wanted to leave it here. Only in my impatience to see Louise again had I left it here. And when she told me that she didn't mind my face and preferred to see me without my mask, I could hardly believe it. I could tell she really didn't mind because she looked at me without batting an eye and smiled. I'll never get used to that, I'm afraid. Being smiled at. But it was a wonderful experience. With this and even more beautiful memories, I finally went to sleep.