Bastian
Chapter Side Story 5 - Beautiful dissonance

✧Beautiful Dissonance✧

*.·:·.✧.·:·.*

“Bastian Klauswitz, my giant baby,” Odette said as she crossed the room.

   Bastian lowered his gaze to the moon light flooded floor. He lifted his head again when he heard Odette giggle under her breath, their eyes met, hers twinkling with moonlight. She laid out on the bed and rested her head on his bare chest.

   “Happy first birthday, my love,” she said as she stroked her fingers around his stomach. Her soft touch stimulated his sensitive skin.

   Bastian stretched out his arms and embraced as much of Odette as he could pull close to himself. She could feel the smooth, rhythmic beat of his heart.

   “Did you achieve what you wanted to accomplish for today?” Bastian asked in a sleepy tone.  The gentle pitter-patter of raindrops against the window created a soothing ambiance in the room. Odette let out a soft sigh and playfully kissed his lips, mischief dancing in her eyes. happening below.

   “No thanks to you,” Odette said playfully.

   He lifted her chin so that her face was close to his. “You didn’t need to try and do so much, a birthday cake would have sufficed,” Bastian said, he pressed his lips against hers before she had a chance to reply. His hand brushed along her back until it rested on her hips.

   Odette let out an exasperated sigh and slapped his chest. The blow was so soft he could have been hit with a feather. As they kissed deeper, rain started to patter against the window, putting yet another cross through Odette’s birthday plans. Her desire to go for an evening walk and enjoy the fresh Autumn air dashed.

   Their love making started in the kitchen, as Bastian licked up the last of the cream and peeled off her layers of soiled clothing. It wasn’t long before the cream turned to a sticky mess and Bastian carried Odette up to the shower, where they finished their love making.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, the first raindrops began to fall. Lost in their passionate embrace, they only realised it was raining when they emerged from their steamy bath.

   They had a hastily put together dinner in bathrobes and still dripping wet hair. Hunger had won over any attempt to re-establish any sense of decorum. The food still tasted good, even cold or moderately warmed back up, a testament to Odette’s abilities as a cook. The conversation flowed as smoothly as the autumn rain outside. Despite her usual distaste for rainy days, she found herself enjoying the pitter-patter on the windows. It was like a gift, adding to the already pleasant atmosphere of their dinner.

 “Bastian,”  Odette called him in a humming sing-song voice as  the piano melody was heard from the phonograph.

 “Yes,” Bastian said as he smoothed her hair as black and smooth as night.

“I was wondering about the Ferris wheel, they must be nearly done with the construction by now.” Odette looked dreamy as she was looking at the frame sitting on the console by the window. It was a bird’s-eye view of an amusement park being built in the Gulf of Ardenne – her absolute favourite painting. The vibrant Ferris wheel stood tall against the backdrop of the sea, a sight that always brought a smile to her face. She had carefully chosen the perfect frame for it and kept it close to her heart at all times.

Bastian let out a soft chuckle as he leaned in to kiss her loose hair. He could smell the subtle scent of her favourite bath bomb.

   Odette pouted. “Do you think they will be done by the time of your second birthday? Or the third?” she caressed Bastian’s shoulder. Her fingertips started to trace circles around his pectorals, mimicking the course of the Ferris wheel.

   “Maybe around your birthday, It’s impossible to finish at your first birthday, I reckon on your own second birthday,” Bastian let go of her hair and touched her flushed cheek.

   “My first birthday was 2 years ago,” Odette smiled, “the day you gave me twenty four irises. That’s what I consider to be my first birthday.” The memories rushed back to her, a flood of pain and sorrow. It was like reliving a nightmare that she had tried so hard to forget, but now somehow held a sense of fondness in her heart.

   Bastian looked at Odette silently, his expression filled with contemplation. He opened his mouth to say something, but closed it again, unable to find the words to say. All he could do was bare the weight of regret, lest it poison this precious moment.

   “The fireworks display we saw on that day was so wonderful.  When the amusement park is completed, why don’t we hold fireworks every year at the end of the year, Bastian?  So that it can be the festival of Ardennes to celebrate the end of the year. We could watch it from the mansion just like we did together that time…” Odette’s eyes were bright and filled with wonder.

   The memory was as vivid as if it just happened.When he wrapped himself around Odette and started to stroke her slightly swollen belly while watching the colourful fireworks decorating the winter night sky. He could still smell the chocolate she had indulged in, the feel of her hands in his. As their hands stacked side by side, they felt the weak movements of the baby. He remembered all of it, his mind replaying every moment.

 Odette stared into the air with watery eyes, and soon she smiled, leaving her words unfinished in the air.

 The rain, the music and the sounds of logs burning in the fireplace.

Bastian lay back, cradling Odette in his arms as they shared a passionate kiss. Her outstretched arm gave him permission to explore her body, and deepened their embrace. Their lips danced together like flames, Bastian savoured every touch, every breath shared between them, controlling his desire to fully surrender to the moment. 

   Dr Kramer had once said that all violence leaves a mark and not just on the body, but on the mind and soul as well. Bastian knew very well that not all wounds healed completely. 

His grandfather gladly accepted the offer, allowing him to receive top-notch psychiatric care from leading authorities.

His grandfather was thrilled and truly believed that it would help Bastian grow into a healthy adult. The public also shared this sentiment, with widespread agreement on the matter. However, Bastian knew deep down that some wounds in this world cannot be fully healed, no matter how much care or medicine was given.

Even when the skin had knitted itself back together and new flesh grew over the wound. Those who had been through times of violence still carried those wounds in their mind and the mind was not so easily healed.

   Bastian stopped kissing when the breath became stifled.

   “So, what was your plan for the rest of the evening?” he said as Odette turned her damp eyes up to look into his own.

   “The piano…” Odette said. “I wanted to play the piano for you, as a way to mark the end of your birthday.”

   Bastian nodded with a broad smile, “not bad.” He let go of Odette, then went to sit on the edge of the bed, and moistened his lips with the wine on the table. 

“Bastian…” 

 “Play it for me, a performance just for one.”

   “Now?” Odette looked flustered.  “In this state? At least let me get dressed first.” She pressed against the plush cushion, tucking away the bunched sheet to hide her naked body.

   Bastian said, looking at the clock on the wall. “Fifteen minutes, that should be enough time for one song.” Draped in a gown, he approached the bedside with Odette’s gown in his hand.

 “How can I play piano… in bare feet and with this robe…” 

Bastian replaced the answer by dressing her

“Wait a minute, Bastian! Let me get my clothes… “Ah!”

Just as she was getting out of bed, her body floated into the air. Holding Odette, Bastian wasted no time and left the bedroom.

  “Well, we should at least accomplish something for today, right?”

He put her down onto the plush bench in front of the grand piano. It was purchased for their honeymoon in this very house.

“How can you be like this….”  Odette hurriedly tied the string of his gown.

“It’s the only gift I want,” Bastian said. “I would be honoured if you played me one piece, lady Odette.”

   Odette laughed in resignation. She felt absurd but it was the perfect expression of their love.

*.·:·.✧.·:·.*

The clock ticked closer to midnight as the concert for Bastian Klauswitz was about to begin. Odette’s fingers hovered over the piano keys with a focused touch. She had planned to play their special song, a hauntingly beautiful fantasy piece that marked their first meeting. But something within her hesitated, and she chose instead a short and sweet composition that could be completed in a limited time. With a plethora of options to choose from, she settled on the one she felt most confident playing. 

The last, deep notes, faded away into the darkness of the cottage like a sombre ghost returning to its grave. Delving the cottage into silence just as the clock was about to strike midnight. Bastian sat in the chair motionless and never took his eyes off his wife, not even when Margrethe plodded into the living room and rested his head on Bastian’s lap. Her three puppies lay at Odette’s feet, but were smart enough not to get in the way.  It was a kind of unwritten rule among the Klauswitz family.

The sweeping motions of her hand filled the drawing room with a symphony of sound, like water dancing over rocks. She was like a beam of light piercing through the night. Her fingers were a dance – slow and gentle at times, then quick and fervent. Delicate and precise, the melody she played was like a beautiful dream come to life.

   Bastian noted how Odette had given it her all, her straight face twitched each time she played a difficult chord and the rise to the climax never even made her flinch. 

The performance ended about a minute before midnight. When the last note disappeared into the air, there was a slow clap. She breathed heavily and looked apologetic at Bastian.

   “There were a few mistakes, but this was the best I could do in the state that I am in. I’ll play something even better on your next birthday.”  Odette moved her body a little and made room for Bastian to sit down.

   “It was perfect,” Bastian said, as he sat beside her. The bell chimed midnight as if marking the end of the first birthday spent together.

   He put his arms around Odette again and placed his hands on hers which were still lying on the keyboard. The weight of which caused them to depress the keys and sent a shock of noise out into the serene silence.

   It might be impossible to erase all the scars from the past, Bastian accepted that fact, but with more effort, understanding and love, maybe they could find their way to being ordinary lovers.

   They sat together in front of the piano for a long while, until the chimes of the bell finished.  Holding each other’s hands still, as if sharing feelings that could not be said.

Odette absently started to press the keys again, creating a trill sound that Bastian joined in on. She was elegant, while he was clumsy. They created a beautiful dissonance.

   “You’re not bad at this,” Odette said with a laugh, telling a white lie. “How about learning how to play the piano?”

   Bastian thought she was telling a pretty lovely joke.

   At least until after that night.