The Demon's Child and the Phantom

Chapter 30

Rosella's POV:

I knew he would think I was lying about his face but I'm telling him what I truthfully think about his face. It may not be beautiful as far as skin and looks goes but it's beautiful in displaying his inner strength, as well as his pain. There's beauty underneath. I smile at him but it falters slightly as tears start to fall more heavily from those golden eyes of his that captured my heart at the start.

"What's wrong?"

"No one's ever kissed me before without the mask, and they've certainly never called me beautiful."

"I suppose it's a first for both of us today then."

I watch as he looks at me in shock some and then cautiously as if he's worried about scaring me away he pushes some lose strands of hair behind my ear on the left side of my face. I don't flinch away from the gesture or freeze during it, as I would have with anyone else. If anything, I feel as if I will never freeze around him again. Instead I find myself leaning into his touch, as if it's a drug that I've always needed to survive.

I catch myself staring into his golden eyes again and I find that all the anger is gone for the first time. It may come back and honestly it probably will on occasion but for now the only thing in his eyes is utter happiness, and somehow I know that mine mirror his right now. I wrap my arms around his body as I smile and bury my face into his chest, breathing in his night scent and smiling as I think that somehow I got him. I got night and music personified and he's perfect.

"Rose?"

"Yes Erik."

"Why were you upset in here earlier today?"

"I thought I sensed you there. I....I was upset that it was kept up so well."

"But why?"

"I didn't know why it was so well kept."

"I've been fixing it up with Daroga's help the past three days. I finished it a few minutes before you walked through the door."

"Why?"

"Because I wanted you to move into the Opera House where I could...protect you and....be closer to you."

"So, it is for me?"

"Yes, who else would it be for?"

"Christine."

"No, I don't think I ever truly loved her. Or if I did it's gone compared to how I feel about you my Rose. You love me for me, not just my music. I don't understand you though. You're the first woman to see my face and not scream out in fear or run away."

"That's because I love you and your face is beautiful Erik."

"So will you take the room? I overheard you and Daroga earlier, so he must have told you. But you will take it then?"

"Yes, I would love too."

I watch as he smiles again and I feel my heart fluttering in my chest like it's about to explode as I look into those beautiful eyes of his. The smile softens all of his features and makes me fall more and more in love with him. He gently pulls me close to him as our lips meet again and I smile as he takes it slow this time. I decide to be the brave one and dart my tongue out past my lips to touch his and smile as he suddenly gasps in the kiss.

I don't have time to laugh at his reaction though because as soon as he recovers he kisses me again with just as much passion if not more than the first time. I let him have dominance as we deepen the kiss, his tongue brushing my lips before darting into my mouth. His tongue is just as skilled in kissing as his fingers are on the piano.

I find myself out of breath after a few minutes and pull away from him panting for breath. He freezes underneath my hands and starts to pull away from me further but I stop him by grabbing onto his shoulders. He doesn't look at me but at the other side of the room, shielding the marred side of his face with his hand.

"Erik...what's wrong?"

"I.....I don't deserve you."

"Yes you do, please look at me. Erik Destler look at me!"

I watch as he turns to face me again, and I see tears falling down his face. I gently wipe away the tears falling from his swirling golden eyes, pulling his hand away from the marred side of his face, and kiss him on both cheeks before looking back at him. I meant what I said, I don't want him to hide his face from me with a mask, the same way he doesn't want me to hide my emotions with a mask of my own.

I hold his face gently in place with my hands, cautious of the barely sealed fresh wounds he had inflicted upon himself earlier today, as I stare at him. I see the doubt, the fear, and the insecurity in his eyes and I know mine would look the same had I not hidden those emotions from him and let only love shine through right now.

"Erik, you do deserve me. You deserve so much better and yet you chose me. I don't know why, but I'm so happy you did. If anything I don't deserve you. You are night and music personified, you're all I've ever wanted. I love you. If anything, it's me that doesn't deserve you."

"You haven't even seen all the scars though my little Rose. My face is the worst but my body is covered with horrid, disgusting, monstrous scars."