In My Darkness: La Chatte Noire

Chapter Twenty-One: Joyaux Noël

"Camillé, this is… are you truthfully giving me…"

"Yes, Erik," she responded with a gentle smile, "this is a book of my poetry. And yes, I am giving this to you. It contains all of my poetry since I came here. Not a single poem was left out. Not even the ones about you," she said with a small twinge of embarrassment.

He grinned at her and leaned over to kiss her gently. "There is no need to feel embarrassed, mon cœur."

"If you say so. So… do you like it?"

"Camillé, I more than simply like it. This is truthfully the most thoughtful gift you could have given me, and that you are willing to give me your poetry is truly a testament to your trust in me," he told her, looking over another poem in her book and skimming his eyes across the familiar words of Réalité with a smile.

She grinned and rocked back and forth, holding her knees like a child. "Look at the last page," she told him, and he did so.

His smile broadened as he saw the title. He read the poem slowly, savoring every word. In bliss, his eyes closed before he looked up at his beloved. She gently smiled at him, gazing into his eyes with pure adoration and love. Erik laid the book to the side as he pulled her to him and kissed her passionately. For the moment, the presents were forgotten as they wrapped their arms around each other and enjoyed the feeling of being completely enraptured in love.

_____/~~\______

'Somewhere Deep

Somewhere deep inside my heart,
Past the pain and scars and fear,
Nestled safe behind walls of dark:
My love for you is beating here.

The only light in deepest shade,
It warms my life in such sweet ways.
With you, and only you, I am safe,
And shall be so for all my days.

You saved me from the violent sea
That was my life before you came.
You lit my world, cast back the waves,
With one simple utterance of my name.

My trust is something hard to earn,
Yet I gave it up so willingly
In return for true love from a man
Who risked his own life to save me.

Somewhere deep inside my heart,
Forever is where you shall reside
And all my love I give to you
For you have bewitched me, heart and mind.

And I leave you with these final words;
J'ai t'aime toujours, et je t'aimerais toujours.'

_____/~~\________

Camillé sighed with a content moan as Erik finally pulled away from her. She smiled with closed eyes as they regained their breath. Her breathing hitched again as he pressed his lips to her jaw and kissed her lightly there. Then her hands went to his shirt and she pulled him closer still, pressing the two together. Abruptly, Erik stopped kissing her and sat up, backing off of her. She reflected for a second that she was much colder without him before she sat up and propped herself up on her elbows.

"What is wrong, mon amour?" she asked, and he smiled down at her.

"Nothing is wrong, you merely need to open your presents," he replied, and she cocked her head to the side.

She huffed. "But I was quite enjoying that."

A wide grin spread across his face. "As was I, but you have presents to open, Camillé."

She rolled her eyes like a child and sat up completely, picking up her first present, the longer of the two boxes. The lid was lifted carefully and she spied the present inside. A breath escaped without her knowledge and she looked up at Erik. All he did was smile and stand, moving behind her before kneeling again. He gently removed the necklace from the box and clasped it behind her, gently brushing his fingers against the skin of her neck. She shivered as she looked down at the beautiful pendant. The chain it was hanging on was silver, the clasp for the pendant itself made of the same metal. The rounded, shining moonstone hanging from it was almost ethereal in the candlelight. Camillé reached up and gently touched the pendant, marveling at its beauty.