Lost In Time

11. A Christmas Phantom: Part 1

- A month later -

Faith's POV

"ERIK!!!!" I screamed as I jumped onto a kitchen chair.

I heard a crash and a thump and soon, frantic footsteps that belonged to my friend. He burst through the kitchen doorframe, mask tilted, hair disheveled, shirt and pants ruffled.

He panted out, "WHAT!? Where's the fire!?" He looked around the kitchen.

I looked up to his face, "No! Not fire! A RAT! It's huge! I was baking cookies when all of a sudden something was crawling up my leg! I-I shook it off, the thing was the size of my hand!" I shuddered.

Erik nodded, "well it is colder outside, by that I mean winter. So I guess the Opera Populaire will be inhabited by more rats. Even though the ballet rats are enough in my opinion." He mumbled the last bit. (A/N: lies Erik!! WE SEE THE PICTURE OF YOU AND THEM AT THE TOP -_- sneaky sneaky)

"Stop your rambling and get it! I don't want my cookies to burn!" I huffed.

He rolled his eyes, and rolled up his sleeves, showing his muscular arms. He walked over to the bottom cabinet in the corner of the kitchen. The one I was pointing to. Crouched down, and opened it up. He made a noise of annoyance, and put his hand in there, I heard a squeak and rustling.

"Why are you using your bare hand? Couldn't it bite you and give you rabies!!?" I said a little disgusted at the thought of a rat on my hand.

He looked up with me, eyes burning yellow. "Faith, I'm a phantom, I do not get rabies." Was all he said.

I crossed my arms. 'Well isn't someone full of themselves?'

He turned back to the cupboard, and grunted with satisfaction. He pulled out his giant hand, a big grey lump in the middle of it. No sign of emotion on his face, he stood up, and walked passed me, out of the kitchen.

I tilted my head to see out of the frame, and I saw him turning the corner to the lake.

'Oh no.' I scrambled off the chair, stopped for a moment to get the cookies out of the oven, and ran after him. I caught up to his form right when he halted at the lake.

"Don't you think drowning it is a little  monstrous Erik?" I panted, as I held his forearm.

He looked down at my hand, then to my face. He was silent for a bit, just looking into my eyes.

"Nope." He said in a monotone voice, while chucking the rat into the lake.

I stood there, mouth agape. I looked back up to him. 'I was actually waiting for that to happen...He is Erik after all...'

I opened my mouth again to say something.

"Faith" he interrupted, "It was already dead when I left the kitchen. I didn't want you too see it when I snapped it's neck. I'm not into animal cruelty and scarring innocent females." He waved his hand in the air nonchalantly.

I rolled my eyes and sighed in relief and some annoyance. "What am I going to do with you?"

He smirked, "Feed me, care for me, do my dishes, and rub my feet." He said in his monotone voice again.

I laughed, "Is that all your majesty?"

He put a hand to his chin in 'deep thought'.
"Mmm, well. My laundry needs to be do- ow!" He rubbed his arm where I hit him.

I put my hands on my hips, "It was sarcasm, Destler." I walked back into the living room.

He rubbed his arm again, "Well. I'm not entirely sure of how I'm going to get used to your insufferable grammar and language." He said under his breath.

"Heard that!" I yelled from the corner.

He stuck his tongue out at my back and did a raspberry.  I turned to glare playfully at him. He marched after me with childlike pride, a devilish smirk playing at his lips.

I giggled and rolled my eyes again. I went over to the fake Christmas tree I brought from my house. I went back to 2015 check the date, and only four days had passed by there. Even though it's been a month here. And I had to inform my parents of what I was doing. They were...Not in full agreement in what I was saying. But I've never lied to them to that extreme... So I guess that kinda helped me. They trust me and made me promise to visit every month, to visit and update them on what was going on.

Anywho. Yeah I brought our extra Christmas tree, ornaments and decorations. I set a calendar I bought the other day in town, up so I can keep track of the days till my first Christmas in the 1800's and with Erik. I believe this is Erik's first actual Christmas. And I wanted to make it extravagant as I can. We only have four days till!

I brought the eight foot tall tree out of the box and stood it up, and started to decorate it. When it came to the star, I called Erik in to put it up, because he's almost the height of the tree! He easily  put it on top, and stopped, staring in awe at the tree.

"Erik. What's wrong?" I said, while coming up to him. He didn't say anything for awhile.

"I- I just." He gulped. "Erik has never had a Christmas tree before. He never got to put up a star either. People thought that his ugliness would wilt the tree." Tears formed in his eyes.

I started to tear up too. I hugged his waist, and buried my face in his chest. "Erik will have a magnificent Christmas tree and holiday with Faith. She'll let you always touch and look at the tree. She would also like to have your help with the other decorations for the lair."

He looked down at me with amazement and excitement in his beautiful golden eyes. After a bit, he finally spoke, "Thank you, Faith." His voice was small and cracked a bit. He leant down and hugged me back, "You are one of a kind." 

I felt his tears on my hair, and I embraced him like there was no tomorrow. That was the first time he actually had shown any sort of affection and to initiate an embrace. And I was glad to finally see it.

The rest of they day we put garland up, and a few scented candles. He helped me with decorating the cookies, getting frosting on his nose and cheek in the process. He had a talent I didn't know before. He stuck his tongue out and touched the tip of his nose, licking the frosting off.  He looked back at me for praise, and we both bursted out laughing.

The cookies tasted great with the happiness that Erik radiated into the making of them. He was finally joyful, and was going to have his very first Christmas.

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HELLO!!!!!!!!!
I have a question. How do you put more than one picture at the top? I want to do that :/

I hope you enjoyed this chapter!! One of my longer ones. I'm hoping to update at least 1 more time this break. I really want to do a Christmas Day one, and I hope to be able to have the time too.

Anywho! Love you all! TOODLE DOO BUCKEROOS!