Phantom's Fate 《Phantom of the Opera Fanfiction》

10

《Alia》

"Not too much farther now," Erik leads the way through the trees, the only light source coming from the newly rising moon in the twilight sky. I make sure to stick close to him to not get lost. How he can see without a light is purely amazing.

I find myself staring a little too long up at him as we walk. The air between us feels...different. When we'd first met, Erik was a bipolar time bomb. He probably hated me at first, but after a little while, he started talking to me like a person, but he would have his moments. Those moments would scare the shit out of me with how explosive his temper was, but now...it all feels...relaxed. It's really confusing to me. I mean, yeah, I'm soaking up every moment of it, but I wonder what made him soften up.

My mind trails back to the tender moment we shared earlier before leaving. Erik had reached out and touched me under the chin which sent a wild rush of sparks through me. That was one of the ways he used to touch Christine, and it sent alarm through me. Like...why did he feel comfortable doing that with me? And when he dropped his guard to ask me about confidence with the scar... My heart could have burst! All the expressions on his face tore my heart in half, and I wanted nothing more than to fling my arms around him and hug him tight. But I promised myself I would take it slow so it wouldn't overwhelm him. Little touches first to graduate to embraces. I wouldn't want him to panic or get mad at some forward decision of mine. I want to be his friend, not ruin it and become an enemy.

A pool of warmth stirs in my heart and makes it flutter in my chest. In some wild fantasy in my mind, I would love to be...more...than friends, since I've finally been given the chance to live my dreams. This world is truly a wish come true, with everything I've endured so far. We may have gotten off on the wrong foot, but Erik is everything I'd hoped him to be, and more. He's a beautiful mix of all the Phantoms really, which makes it even better. But...I know, deep down, he won't be over his love for Christine. Hell, he's been in love with her for years, so it seems ridiculous for him to move on so fast. Unrealistic. A...dream. As much as I wish to be together, I should just sit and savor the platonic relationship we have right now. It's more than I could ask for anyway.

"You're unusually quiet."

I snap out of my thoughts at the sound of his voice and feel a bright blush burn at my cheeks. "I, um, I'm sorry, it's just really dark and I don't want to...distract you or something."

What an awful lie.

"I guess the only mutation I am thankful for is my eyes," he glances back at me, and the brightness of his gold eyes surprises me. They are so bright in the dark, they're like little lamp lights. Wow... "I've been able to see in the dark for as long as I can remember."

"That's actually incredible," I breathe softly, finding a smile on my lips. "And here I am, stumbling about like I'm blind," I laugh, shaking my head.

Erik keeps his eyes on me as we walk further. They hold an unreadable expression. I smile anxiously and look down, continuing to walk. There is a minute of silence, slightly awkward but not truly uncomfortable, until he stops and gazes ahead. "We're here."

I lean around him, and, with the moon shining through the open area, I marvel at the beauty. The area is wide and groomed, with grass covering the ground, stretching up to a giant tree smack in the middle. It looks like a willow tree, with branches hanging, and the leaves like raindrops frozen in midair. The trunk of the tree is enormous! Even if four of me stand in front of it, that wouldn't be enough to size how wide it is. The smile on my face grows with every second I stare.

Back at home...you would rarely find places like this just randomly in the woods because of all the pollution and shit we have. Nearly a century and a half earlier, cars weren't as prominent as the 21st century, and I guess France prides itself with its beauteous foliage. It's refreshing to be able to come out into the woods like this, not far from town, and be able to breathe in nature without smelling toxins from cars or smoke. This is actually amazing.