The Dancer's Secret (Phantom of the Opera Phanfiction)

His Voice...

Clementine

"Erik." I said in a serious tone with a smile on my face.. Next thing I knew he had stood up and reached to grab me again. He was likely to throw me in the lake like he did last time.

"I did warn you," He said, chuckling. I moved out of the was as he reached to grab me and he just missed me. I jumped up and ran the opposite way. He followed.

"I'm sorry! I won't do it again! I promise!" I laughed as I ran up the stairs and hid behind the organ. I turned back to look at him but he wasn't there. I looked around the room. "Erik?"

"Boo." He said, grabbing me from behind and picking me up. I clung to him. If he tried to throw me in again he wouldn't be able to. I had a firm grip. He walked down the stairs and I knew we were heading to the direction of the lake.

"I promise I won't do it again!" I heard him laugh as he stopped in his tracks.

"Promise?"

"Yes, I promise." I said, loosening my grip as he lowered me back down and onto my feet. We were inches apart and my breath hitched as I noticed our close proximity.

The slightest details seemed to pop out to me at this moment. His hands were on my waist and his chest was moving up and down slowly. My hands rested on his shoulders and I knew He was looking at me even though I wasn't looking at his face. 

I lifted my head and met his eyes. His face was expressionless, but his eyes spoke a thousand words. They held so many secrets that I would probably never know. They told a story with no words. I could now see the color in proper lighting to determine that they were mostly golden, but had flakes of green in them.

Where his hands rested on my waist there was a warm sensation.

I noticed that his hair was slightly ruffled and his mask was tilted off center. I could see a little of the skin under it. It was red. Like a burn or a birthmark. I slowly reached up and straightened his mask before cupping his unmasked face in my palm. His eyes widened slightly but soon relaxed and closed tightly. He leaned into my hand,

I so desperately wanted to stand on my tiptoes, reach up and kiss him. 

But I didn't. 

I instead took my hand away from his face and wrapped my arms around his neck, burying my face into his chest. I felt like crying. I didn't understand it, but I just wanted to tell him everything on my mind and just let him comfort me.

I had never told anyone of my past. Why would I tell him? I hardly knew him. He was a stranger. I hardly knew him. Why did I want to be near him? Why did my heart feel this way when he was near me? I didn't understand it. But I would have to ignore it.

That was when I noticed that I was crying. I had been too caught up in my thoughts that I had neglected to notice the tears streaming down my face. I let out a soft sob trying to calm myself. I felt his hand shift from holding my waist to wrapping around my back and returning hug.

"Clementine..." He started, resting his forehead on the top of my head. "Are you alright? If this is about the lake, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. I won't do it again-"

"N-no, it's not the lake." I sniffled and cleared my throat. "It's nothing. Nothing that can be changed. The past is past."

Erik

"The past is past." Clementine spoke softly. I was holding her in my arms as she cried softly into my chest. What she said was true. I could relate to the feeling of things happening in the past that no one can change. I wished that I could help. That I could take all of her pain away.