Sparkling Diamonds
a Moulin Rouge story
by Hermione Eveningfall
A gentle but crisp breeze ruffled the silk curtains of Satine's bedroom, and made its way over to toussel her blood red curls. The young actress moved ever so slightly in her four poster bed, eyes only fluttering beneath their lids. It was very late at night, and the narrow streets of Paris, France were nearly deserted with the exception of a couple of straglers.
After a moment or two, a rather loud noise that sounded like a mix between a bark and a cough startled her awake completely. Satine sat up, holding her blankets tightly against her nightgown- clad body. The room was very dark, and the only light visible protruded from the full moon. She managed to calm herself enough to lean forward in an attempt to catch a glimpse of her supposed intruder. A hand reached up, grasping the edge of her windowsill, followed by a familiar dark head.
Satine sighed with relief and smiled at last, sliding to the thin, carpeted floor. She hurried over to aid the poor, shivering poet, stroking his slightly flushed cheeks. "Christian!" she whispered, "What on Earth are you doing out in this cold at this hour?" She lead him over to the oriental print couch, rubbing his shoulders to try to warm him up.
"To see you," he croaked, reaching into the pocket of his black trousers for a handkerchief. "Yet you will have to excuse me... Hushhhooo! Hurshhheh!" Satine cocked her head to one side, her lips drawn into the sympathetic pout that she'd given him when he'd confused her the first night they'd spent together in her room about poetry.
"God bless," she told him, walking to her closet, and pulled open the double doors with old, brass handles.
"Thank you. I could not sleep. All I could think about was your beautiful face," he told her through chattering teeth, closing his dark eyes as she brought over a spare quilt and wrapped it tightly around his shoulders. She joined him on the couch, brushing his bangs away from his forehead.
"My Christian," she teased. "You truly are a fool in love, are you not?" her own emerald-colored eyes glistened in amusement at his flushing cheeks. She kissed him gently, embracing him. "But you should not be here. What if someone hears and finds us! If the Duke ever finds out!" she breathed, looking over her shoulder, as though half expecting the stiff royal to burst in unnannounced. After all, he'd appeared several times that night to her unfortunate surprise. Christian swallowed hard, his throat sore.
"I don't care about the Duke. I care about you, and what you want. Please...I n-need you..."
Satine felt his skin, frowning. "Christian..." he was burning with fever. "Christian, darling, it is all right." She propped his head up with more pillows, taking his hand as he began coughing again. "Shhhsh." She dashed over to where her ceramic wash basin sat on her bureau, and dampened a fresh washcloth in the luke warm water. She hoped no one in any of the rooms nearby could hear the comotion, but the last thing she wanted to do was to send the ill man home.
"Eshhhish! Ushhhhshhh!" Christian sneezed again, continuing to shiver beneath the blankets, and gasped as Satin placed the cloth over his forehead as a cool compress.
"Shhhhsh. How did you get so ill?" she asked, kneeling down and leaning towards him so that her nose was practically touching his. He watched her weakly, clearly in pain, which was only worsened by yet another bout of coughing. Satin rubbed his back, tucking the quilt more closely to his neck.
Christian tried to smile amidst his discomfort. "Love sickness," he teased, before collapsing against the arm of the couch. Satin watched as his body went limp, and her mouth opened and closed, lifting his wrist to feel his pulse. Thank the stars, it was still beating. `God.' She thought, frantically trying to remember what her mother had taught her about illness. Satin herself had not been feeling as well as she would have liked lately, and she hoped she hadn't passed anything she'd come in contact with to him. `Phial... the silver phial they gave me after I fainted during the last performance...' she kissed his pale lips gently and made her way through the dark to find the black medical bag.
She opened it, rummaging through the numerous pouches and compartments. Eventually she found the tiny silver container, and popped the lid. Satine grimaced at the strong smell of vinager that wafted through it, before quickly capping it again and bringing it over to the couch. She peered down at Christian, watching as his chest rose and fell in an uneven rhythm, before carefully holding the phial under his nose. The young man gasped in surprise, his eyes snapping open. He coughed hard, clutching at his chest, and reached for her hand, which she took and squeezed encouragingly.
When the door opened, it took all of her willpower not to scream, but she sighed with relief when her stage manager, Marie entered. Marie was a slightly chubby woman with blonde curls, always pulled up into a bun on top of her head. "What is going on in here?" she whispered, her mouth in a tight line as she stalked over towards her daughter. "What is that man doing here!"
Christian watched as Satine stood, and tried to tell her not to leave him, but no sound came out. "A-he's-he's just a friend. He's very ill, , please do not send him away."
Marie went to the man, resting a hand against his forehead, and took a small breath. "I must have the doctor sent for immediately. Stay here with him, and I shall return." When she left, Satin pulled a chair beside the couch, tucking the blanket more tightly around his body.
"HuhISHHH! Eshhhhh!" Christian groaned, trying his best to keep as warm as possible. Satin adjusted his compress, and went to bring the bowl and another cloth to sit on her lap so she could blott his cheeks and neck. "What's happening to me?" he whispered, as his vision clouded again.
"You are exhausted. Please, do not try to talk."
The doctor came in, and ushered Satine and Marie out so they would not be in the way while he looked over Christian. Satin leaned against the wooden wall by the door, her pale knuckles pressed against her red lips. The Moulin Rouge had an almost haunting feel to it at night, smoky dust brushing away from the rails and floor as one made the slightest move. "A friend." Marie startled Satine, causing her to lower her head, gazing down at her slippers. "Judging from your grief I feel it is more than a friendship."
Satine looked up again, her eyes slightly red-rimmed from the tears that stung. "I...I'm not sure how I feel," she whispered, straining to listen for any noise from her bedroom.
"Eshhhhuh! HuhEshhhhh!"
She sighed after hearing him sneeze again, wet her lips and felt a single tear roll down her cheek.
"You can not be with him," Marie told her sternly. "It is not possible."
Satine began to protest, but the doctor came out of the room, and his smile comforted Satine more than anything. She grabbed onto his arm, feeling a bit frantic still. "You are smiling, doctor. Everything is going to be all right, then?"
The doctor patted her hand, and nodded to her and then to Marie. "He just has bad cold, but he'll be just fine after a day or so of good rest. The fever has gone down slightly, but someone should stay with him at all times in case he becomes worse."
Marie glanced at Satine before speaking. "We must move him to another room. It is not proper for him to share a woma..."
"No, no, it is fine, Marie, it is fine," Satine insisted. "I will be able to care for him. I am no longer a child." She looked at the doctor. "Please, I do not mind that he stays."
"Perhaps it is best for you if he is moved," the doctor replied. He knew deep down how bad Satine's own condition was, but he did not want to alarm her now.
"Do not be foolish," Satine hissed. "I am a grown woman, and need no one to baby me. I insist you let him stay." Her voice was harsh, and the two adults stepped back a pace, knowing then that it was going to be impossible to change her mind. At last, they agreed, and Marie insisted that Satine go back to sleep as soon as possible.
"You can not be risking your own health over some bohemian from the streets."
Satine sighed once they left her alone, and she pushed her door open to find Christian wiping his nose with a fresh handkerchief. "Hullo," she greeted, causing him to look up, and he managed a weak smile. "Are you feeling any better?" she crept over to the couch, planting a kiss on the top of his head.
"A bit." He sniffed once, his face crinkling, and he quickly turned his head to the side. "Ushhhhhuh! HehUshhhhh!"
"Bless you!" she placed a hand on top of his stomach, and rested her head there.
"Thank you, Satine," Christian gulped as he smoothed the ends of her hair. "For everything. You do not have to be so kind to me."
She sighed happily. "Of course, my dear Christian. You are a sweet man, and deserved a bit of my affections." She winked, making him laugh. "Now sleep. I want you to be well, so we can work on putting together this fabulous play of yours." She tapped his nose, and watched as he attempted to get comfortable.
"If circumstances were in our control, I would suggest you join me in my bed," she whispered in his ear, and he blushed.
"Oh, well, I...I...huh-Chuuuh! Excuse me." he apologized, glancing her up and down. "You are beautiful. A sparkling diamond, just as they tell me."
Satine giggled behind her hand. "Stop this nonsense, and go to sleep! Shall I sing you a song if it would help you feel better?" she asked, and he stared at her, surprised.
"I would like that very much."
Satine brushed her fingertips over his eyelids, pulling them closed, and began to hum the melody Christian had sung to her on their first night together.
"My gift is my song... and this one's for you.
And you can tell everybody that this is your song,
It maybe quite simple but now that it's done
Hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind
That I put down in words, how wonderful life is
Now you're in the world..."Satine listened as Christian's breathing slowed and saw his body relax.
"I sat on the roof and I kicked off the moss
Well some of these verses well they, they got me quite cross
But the sun's been quite kind while I wrote this song
It's for people like you that keep it turned on.So excuse my forgetting, but these things I do
You see I've forgotten if they're green or they're blue
Anyway the thing is - what I really mean
Yours are the sweetest eyes I've ever seen.And you can tell everybody this is your song
It may be quite simply but now that it's done
I hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind
That I put down in words
How wonderful life is now you're in the worldI hope you don't mind
I hope you don't mind that I put down in words
How wonderful life is now you're in the world."Satine's sweet voice blended with the up and coming noise of the new day, and a faint peach color began to spread through the once black sky. A new day, a new set of adventures for the residents of the spectacular Moulin Rouge.
The characters do not belong to me, unfortunately. I am only borrowing them to make my bunnies happy, since they've been hopping and nibbling at my brain. I promise to return them to their original owner soon!