Fleurette paused at her bedroom door looking at it. She stood still holding onto the glass of water, standing in silence she could confirm that there was no movements from within the room. Fleurette let out a sigh, she was happy to know that the likelihood of her walking in and seeing a burglar were slim to none. She frowned at that thought, there wasn't even anything in her room which would be considered valuable enough to steal. If anything her sister's room or perhaps her father's room housed valuables which would be valuable enough to sell on the markets.
Reaching out and putting her hand on the handle she turned and pushed the door open with her forefinger. She watched the dark wooden door swing open and all which greeted her was nothing. Her eyes skimmed over everything. Her bed was untouched and made just like she had left it. Her writing desk was still in tact with numerous books scattered on it. Everything seemed fine. Fleurette's eyes narrowed a fraction, however the more she looked the more she noted how there was one thing slightly out of place. It was the window. A part of the netting curtain was bunched up and shut underneath it.
The hair on the back of her neck stood up, yet against her better judgement she took a step forward and walked into her room. The trail red skirt flitted behind her as she walked slowly to the window. Putting the glass on her desk, she reached out and lifted the window up. She gave a natural shudder at the wind which drifted through the gap. Taking the netting curtain out from the window, she slowly shut it and put the curtain right. Reaching to the sides she then shut the actual curtains, their gold pattern had faded slightly from age.
Giving a slow nod Fleurette turned on her heels and then clasped a hand over her heart. Walking quickly, she shut the door and pointed a finger at the figure leaning against the wall next to the door frame. "You nearly gave me a heart attack!" She exclaimed in a whisper as she couldn't help but force her heart to calm down, she knew this intruder, if Erik could be called an intruder.
"I am sorry." Erik said simply and pushed his rain drenched hair out of his face. The weather, it could safely be said, had well and truly taken a turn for the worse. The gentle patter of rain which greeted them all when they left the ball had now turned into a torrential downpour.
"What are you doing here?" Fleurette asked quietly while turning and walking to the bathroom, returning a few seconds later she tiptoed and draped a towel on his head.
Erik peered out from underneath the warm white material and looked at her. She smiled and turned to her bed, sitting down she awaited for him to speak. "I didn't want to return back to the opera house."
"So, you thought you would come here?"
"Yes." Erik said while disappearing back under the towel and gently rubbing it to dry his hair. Fleurette let out a giggle, he frowned confused and looked back at her. "What is it?"
"Nothing," she said trying to still her laughter. "It is just how certain you were with your words. You do realise that Claudia was going to come up here when you knocked whatever it was over?" Fleurette paused, "You could have got caught." She patted her knees and slowly stood up, looking over her shoulder she raised an eyebrow. "What did you knock over?"
"I knocked things over on your desk." Erik said while folding the towel up and then holding onto it. "You seem to forget that I've made it my livelihood to be invisible to people. I am rather sure it would not be hard to go unnoticed by a servant."
"Your hiding place wasn't exactly the best one, Erik." Fleurette smiled and took the towel from his hand and walked over to the bathroom again. She reappeared a few seconds later and crossed her arms. "If I found you so easily, I am rather sure Claudia would have too. She's very good at finding people who hide. I remember when Eleanor and I were younger and played hide and seek." Fleurette spoke fondly while reaching up and taking pins out of her hair. "When our parents failed to find us she would." She nodded and shook her head when all the pins had been taking out. Tucking her hair behind her ears she sat back down on the edge of the bed. Erik walked over finally moving away from the wall and sitting down beside her. "Is the reason you gave earlier the only reason why you are here?"
Erik sat in silence thinking over her words eventually he shook his head. "I saw how your father was," he paused. "And I remembered the last time he was like that and you were around." Erik looked at her seriously. Fleurette sighed lightly and looked down at the floor. "That and I saw Charles look longingly after you once you left."
She smiled lightly and placed a hand on his arm. "I knew there was to be some other reason."
"Them and I was speaking honestly; I really didn't want to go back to the opera house."
"Why? It is your home, I honestly thought you would be glad to return back there."
"You think I disliked this evening, don't you?"
"Yes."
"I didn't." Erik put a hand over the one which was holding lightly onto his arm and Fleurette slowly entwined her fingers with his. "Apart from two quick conversations and an interrupted dance we haven't seen much of each other."
Fleurette smiled and looked at him. "I missed you too." Erik rolled his eyes and looked up at the ceiling. "Thank you," she said while giving his hand a light squeeze, he directed his eyes to look at her again. "For coming to the ball and for coming here. I have to admit my father is comatose somewhere and Eleanor and Felix will be up most of the night just idly talking."
"You think you would go mad with your own company?"
"Yes." Fleurette rolled her eyes and looked at him. "Thank you for saving my sanity." She grinned, Erik shook his head and stood up, Fleurette got pulled to stand too because they were still holding hands.
"Not many people would say that," Erik said simply. "But I suppose you're welcome." He said while placing his spare hand on her waist. Fleurette smiled lightly, in the space of her room the two managed to slowly dance. Their footsteps were as light as possible to not give way to the fact that she wasn't as alone up here as everyone thought.
"It's so horrible out there," Fleurette said while pressing her hands against the window pane once their dance had come to an end. She jumped when there was a knock on the door. Instinctively her eyes flicked to Erik, who was standing beside her. "Hide." He rolled his eyes and looked around, as far as options went there weren't many.
It was either hide under the bed or clamber into the wardrobe. Erik didn't have much time to choose, or even have the option to choose, because Fleurette had put her hands on his shoulders and nudged him towards the bed. He gave her a look to show how he felt about having to hide under there. The wardrobe right now looked like a much better idea.
Fleurette ignored his slightly annoyed expression and smiled at him, putting the covers back into place she walked over to the door and opened it. Claudia stood on the other side smiling lightly at her. "I thought I heard you talking and still up." She said, Fleurette smiled and hoped that she hadn't heard Erik's voice too.
"What brings you up here?" Fleurette asked while opening the door more and letting her in. Claudia went straight over to the small fireplace which was in her room and took to sorting it out and lighting it.
"I am not sure if you have noticed, but it is horribly cold." Claudia said, "I've been instructed to light every fireplace and warm the house."
"Every fireplace?"
"Well all right not every fireplace," she laughed and made an accomplished noise when the fire in front of her sparked into life. Bright orange and red flames flicked and danced about the small logs of fire settled on the flooring of the fireplace. "Now," Claudia stood up and looked at her. "You look exhausted, get some sleep." With that said she walked out of the room.
Watching the door shut Fleurette let out a sigh and carefully crouched down. Reaching out she pushed the covers out of the way and looked under the bed. Erik looked at her still with a highly unamused expression. "I'm sorry," she said while shuffling out of the way as he pulled himself out. "You were just sort of dawdling. Claudia could have come in and you would have still been standing pondering where to go; then it'd be too late and you'd get kicked out of my house and I'd suffer some sort of interrogation and-" Fleurette's sleep driven ramble got cut off by Erik putting a finger to her lips.
He looked up from the fire which was beside him and then to her. "You have an overactive imagination."
"It's because I am tired." Fleurette answered while moving his hand away and holding onto it lightly. Frowning lightly she put her hand on his jacket sleeve, "You know you will most likely catch a cold staying in wet clothes." With this said she leaped up from the floor and walked quietly out of the room. Erik watched her leave with a confused look.
Sitting in silence Erik looked around her room. Sure he had been in here before but Fleurette had been in here with him milling around. Standing up he walked over to the desk and flicked through the books. He pulled a face at some of the novels which had, in his eyes, the most ridiculous storylines he had ever glanced at. He knew full well some of the novels Fleurette loved dearly, but even so, how anyone could read them was beyond him.
Turning away from the desk his eyes scanned the room. There wasn't really much more to her room. Looking to the door when Fleurette tiptoed back in clutching pieces of clothing in her arms she kicked the door shut quietly. "Here." She walked up to him and held her arms out.
"Whose are they?"
"They are not my fathers if that is what you are thinking." Fleurette smiled and crossed the room to a chest of drawers. She tugged something out and plucked something which was hanging from the back of her door. With the items in her hands she disappeared into the bathroom. Erik stood awkwardly looking from the clothes which belonged to an unknown man, and then to the bathroom door. Fleurette peeked out from the bathroom with her eyes tightly shut, just in case. "Have you changed?"
"No." She sighed shortly and shut the bathroom door and waited for him to get changed out of his slightly damp ball clothes. Once he had, Erik walked over to the bathroom and knocked gently on the door.
Hanging the clothes near the fire, Fleurette sat back on a pillow and crossed her arms over her white dressing gown. "You'll have to leave early, but you are more than welcome to stay the night." Fleurette said while watching the dancing fire. "Are you hungry?" She asked suddenly, Erik looked at her and slowly shook his head.
Standing up and shuffling the pillow she was sitting on to the side she sat down again by his side. Reaching behind herself, Fleurette tugged off a cover from the end of her bed and opened it up. Passing a corner to Erik he held onto it and watched Fleurette wrap herself up.
All was silent until she sneezed, frowning lightly he looked at her. She smiled slowly, "You thought I would be the one with the cold. Seemingly you were wrong, how could you get a cold...again?"
"Not all of us are immune to cold like you." She huffed while huddling in the cover.
"We've been through this, I am not immune to the cold." Erik rolled his eyes, Fleurette smiled and leaned her head against his shoulder. "You just have the unfortunate fate of getting cold easily."
"Be fair though," Fleurette flicked her eyes up to look at him. "The first time was my own fault. I did go swimming, the second time...running in the rain to and fro a building and a carriage. That is not my fault." Fleurette yawned quietly and fidgeted slightly to get comfy again when Erik had moved his arm and wrapped it around her shoulders.
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Reedited: 10/Jan/2022