A Song In The Dark

Just Erik

Erik placed his mask on his face slicking his hair down, "Erik you are a nervous wreck." Nadir laughed. "It's her first performance," Erik sighed, "what if something throws her off she's a genius she will do so upset." Nadir leaned up against the counter, "are you talking about Ada or Christine?" Nadir asked. Erik rolled his his eyes, "Ada you idiot, and no offense to Christine but she's not my top priority in the opera right now." Nadir smacked Erik in the back. "I never thought I'd hear you say something like that."

Erik trotted up the steps to box five buttoning his jacket. Erik was about to open the door when he heard voices. "Shit, those managers sold my box." He whispered to himself. Quietly he opened the door just enough to see who was in it, "De Chagny Erik growled, should have guessed." Erik climbed up the balcony and sat on one of the overhead railings. He looked around he couldn't even see Ada in the pit. Erik scanned the beams noticing a rope he tied a loop in the end and swung down so he could see.

Erik watched Ada from his makeshift swing. The opera ended it was flawless a standing ovation. Erik noticed Ada looking for him she covered her mouth to hide a laugh when she spotted him swinging from a rope. "Meet me in my lair." he said throwing his voice into her ear.

Erik waited in his lair for here. "Oh Erik!" She squealed running into his arms "I felt so alive! I felt like my mother was there with me!" He put his finger under her chin guiding her lips to his. "You were magnificent." He whispered his blue eyes twinkling. "Oh Erik I love you!"
With his arm around her waist he brought her to his parlor and served her a tall thin glass of champagne. "Thank you my good sir." She giggled sitting back into the deep couch. "I wish I could never leave here." Erik smiled moving closer to her, "Erik, would you do something for me?"
"Anything."

"Could you take off your mask?" Erik stared at her in shock. "Ada I can't you will leave me." Ada sat up placing her hand on his cheek, "Erik you are stuck with me, whether you like it or not. Please I love you, I don't care about your face." Tears formed in Erik's eyes, "The only people who have seen my face have turned around and hurt me, I don't want to be hurt again."
"Please trust me." Ada slipped her fingers gently under his mask piling it off, tears flowed freely down his cheeks. "There." She whispered. "There's the man I love, not the opera ghost, just Erik."
Ada had removed his mask, she could see why people were afraid of his appearance but she was overjoyed she could now see Erik not a cover up, a diluted form of him. One side of his face was twisted and scarred his eye sunken into a hole, bone showed on his cheek, blisters lined his face where the mask rubbed, a black hole sat where his nose would have been. But she didn't care this was Erik, her Erik.

"See I'm never going to leave you." Erik pulled her closer to him, his tears wet her hair, "I do not deserve you." Ada snuggled down with her head in his lap, he sucked in a quick breath of air at her action but didn't move. He watched her as she fell asleep, he sang softly brushing her hair with his fingers.

All night she slept he never dared to move.
Ada sighed fluttering her eyes open, "it wasn't a dream." she murmured. " if it was I shall never wake up."
"I should go home, my family will be worried." She sat up, "I'll see you at tonight's show."

Ada walked back home the snow was now melting it was a beautiful morning. "Where have you been?" Denis growled as she opens the door to the house. Ada gasped, "I... I um, Denis don't be angry."

"Where have you been?" Ada thought of a response, "I went to Erik's after the show and fell asleep." Fire lit in Denis' eyes, "no! Nothing happened! Please know that."
Denis sighed, "I trust you."

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"You're going down the dangerous path again." Nadir scolded as he watched Erik slave away on something. "She's different Nadir, she's so much more." A glass tinked as Nadir played with some of Eriks trinkets. "Don't touch anything Persian." Erik grumbled putting something in his pocket. "I thought you would be more chipper this morning." Nadir laughed. "I was until you plagued me with your presence." A crash sounded, "dammit old man I told you don't touch anything!" Erik hissed jumping up grabbing a glass figure from the man before he broke another. "You are no better than a child."

Nadir sat on the divan putting his feet on the glass table. Erik shook his head disgusted at his lack of manners he grabbed a metal cup throwing it at the man's feet. "Feet off old man before I break your hip." Nadir snicked putting his feet on the floor. "I'm glad you haven't lost your sense of humor."

"I have a opera to get to, and if that fop stole my box again." Erik threatened grabbing his cape. "Don't kill him!"

"Nonsense I'll just scare him." Erik laughed leaving the flat.