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She had flowing golden hair.
Golden to the point that it made the room shine a bit more despite the moonlight that penetrated through the window.
His fingers passionately played through the keys of the piano, eyes fixated on the woman so golden and bright that it felt like a waste to bring himself to look away.
His heart constricted inside of his chest as a pair of fuchsia eyes settled on jeweled sapphires of his own, joy and affection all mixed into one as she kept her eyes onto him.
A twirl of a pirouette, the flow of her silky dress flying and wrapping around her like a lover embracing its significant other. Then, a grand jeté. Leaping into the air as the gold of her hair and the light of the moon mixed with each other, the only time the sun and moon would ever be intertwined.
His breathing quickened, teeth gritted as he couldn't keep away from looking at her, the piano did not have the voice to complain as his fingers pressed the keys aggressively, his once passionate tune turning into a frenzy, a frenzy of strong emotions directed at the woman who danced with all her grace and elegance.
The music bounced across the walls of the room decorated with gold and blue, filling his ears until they could no longer hear the slight tap of the woman's feet meeting the ground, nor the fact that the music he brought to life, stopped, and the room changed.
•
It was daytime and his hands were tiny, the piano looked a bit too big in front of him than what he remembered—
"Claude, why did you stop?" a small voice asked, sounding slightly annoyed.
Claude snapped his attention to the little girl beside him, hands on her hips as she looked down on him with a small pout to her lips.
"Diana…" he had called out her name cautiously.
"Well? Are you going to give me a reason instead of saying my name? You promised you'd help me practice for my performance!" the little Diana berated.
Claude had not seen the small tiny fist that would meet his head and the other hand that would wrap around his neck, caging him into a headlock.
"Ouch! Diana stop it!" the little boy whined.
"I won't unless you tell me why you stopped! I need to perfect this performance or else my mom will have my head. I can't afford for you to stop playing midway into my practice."
"I get it already! Now let go!" With a strength the normally frail looking boy didn't even know he had, Claude managed to push her away from him and grumbled, rubbing the top of his head which she tortured mercilessly.
"Will you tell me now?" The young girl huffed.
"It's just… the piece sounds too sad, I don't like it, and the way you're dancing to it doesn't help either! It makes me feel like you're going somewhere far away and won't ever come back! It scares me…"
Claude looked down at his lap, fingers clenching onto the fabric of his black pants, cheeks tinged with a light hue of pink either from the fact that he had just embarrassed himself with that reasoning.
Diana stayed silent for a moment before sighing, pushing him aside to make space for her on the chair, ignoring the small yelp and "What are you doing!-" that came from the young boy.
"You're too overreacting, It's just a piece and most importantly, it's just a dance! What makes you think I'll leave and never come back just because of that? You think way too much." the young girl scoffed.
Claude tightened the grip he had on his pants, pursing his lips, not being able to say another word to that.
Jeweled sapphire eyes lightened up in surprise as Diana rested her head beside the young boy's own head, dainty hands reaching to encase their fingers together.
"Well, I can't blame you for feeling like that, I admit it's a sad piece, I also admit this performance is kind of sad, but I promise, even after this I'll come back to you." Diana promised. "So don't let it trouble you any longer, okay?"
Claude nodded his head wordlessly, tiny tears spilling from his eyes and onto the floor.
"So play, and don't cry!" Diana chastised, a bright, warm smile on her lips as she leaned to give his cheeks a light peck.
•
"Play."
Claude was brought back from his memory, eyes snapping to its new center of attention, a grown up version of the little girl he loved with all his heart.
"You promised me," he mumbled.
"So I did." she had said back, tone so small it was barely heard, but she had said it warmly.
"This is the only time I can't ever play, not for you." Claude choked, willing the tears to not fall this time.
Diana looked at him from across the room, apologetic, affection, guilt, passion… all in one it almost made him sick.
"No matter what, I won't ever play this for you again!"
"Then don't play."
He looked at her with betrayal coating over jeweled blue eyes, fists clenched over his chest before anger overtook everything.
He screamed in both anguish and fury, thrashing anything he laid eyes on, and the woman stood there, not once did she show fear for his outburst or that he may accidentally hurt her.
He never could.
The man stood amidst the result of his anger, leaning against the piano he couldn't find in himself to destroy, he was beyond exhausted, exhausted because of his emotions and the situation he was currently in.
Diana walked closer until she was only a few inches away, cheeks dampened with fresh tears as it continued to slide down her face like rivers. She reached out, slowly bringing the palm of her hand to cup his cheeks.
"You promised that you'd always come back to me…" he grieved, the tingle on his skin was evident, but what hurt him the most was that he couldn't even feel her warmth anymore.
Diana remained silent, caressing her fingers on the skin of a man she couldn't even properly give her touch anymore, she held back a sob as she leaned on her tippy toe. Pressing a kiss on his forehead that even without the evidence of a warm living body, was obviously filled with so much love and adoration for this man she called her lover, her husband.
"Don't do this to me… to us.."
"I'll come back to you, but I can't if you don't play… I may not come back as the person I am now, but I will come back to protect you, be it a bird, or someone else entirely." she whispered, giving him a bright smile that she could muster.
"So play, I'll come back to you, as long as you play."
Claude stayed still for a moment, silent, lost in his own thoughts.
"If you do come back, how will I know it's you?" he mumbled.
"You'll just know, you've spent 26 years loving me, Claude. I know that eventually, you'll realize that I've come home to you."
"You promise me you'll always come back right?"
This time, he couldn't stop the tears that fell from his eyes.
"I always have."
Diana stepped away from him, keeping her eyes on him as she resumed to her earlier position.
Claude trembled, slowly, he sat on the stool and brought his fingers to the keys, his heart beating inside of his chest so quickly that it made him sick.
"I love you." Diana exclaimed.
And the music started again, he played with passion, all of his affections poured into the keys as he kept his eyes on her, despite the tears that blurred his vision, it did not stop him from pressing on the keys.
Her dance was as enchanting as ever, she was an angel, dancing in the middle of a wreckage of anger and anguish, and slowly, he grew afraid.
The minutes passed by and he knew, he knew he was reaching the end of this performance and he so badly wanted to stop, but she promised.
So he kept playing, he kept playing despite the fear of what will eventually happen at the end of this performance, the end of this music and the end of her dance.
Amidst it all, he cried out. "I love you too!" and her smile was the one that made everything alright in that moment.
his fingers pressed on the last keys, and wind enveloped around him as his hair swayed against the breeze, his eyes would see the last of her until she was no longer there.
and she was no longer there indeed.
He wept, his heart breaking into pieces, crumbling to the earth below, but she promised she would come back, and he trusted her to keep her promise.
He hadn't noticed the small pitter patter of feet on the ground and a tiny head peeking into the room.
"Daddy… are you okay?" the small child called out, Claude wiped at his tears and looked at the little girl.
"Athanasia… It's alright, Daddy is fine." he got up, using the piano as support to keep him upright from his trembling legs, but he hadn't even come to her when he felt a small impact on his legs and he nearly stumbled, looking in surprise at his child hugging his legs.
"I was scared, I thought daddy was fighting someone, I thought I would lose daddy too…" the young girl sniffled.
Claude gritted his teeth, guilt overtaking him as he pulled her back so he could lean on his knees and embrace her properly.
"You're not going to lose me, I promise."
"You promise promise?" Athanasia rubbed her eyes.
"Yes, Even if you do, eventually lose me, I will always come back." Claude reassured.
He'll come back to his daughter just like Diana promised she could come back to him.
But maybe Diana had already come back to him, in the shape of their lovely daughter, who he loved with all his heart.