In My Darkness: La Chatte Noire

Chapter Twenty: His Fate

Chapter Twenty: His Fate

Erik sighed as he looked down at Camillé's still sleeping form. She would be proud of him, he knew. But he sorely wished that he had ignored Daniel and taken Rabe's life anyway. The man deserved to die. At least he was fairly certain that he could trust the captain of the White Camellia. He had provided a very convincing argument, and one could not refute love. Again, he sighed as he adjusted his position on the edge of her bed.

His fingers brushed a few stray hairs away from her face as she slept. She was so beautiful… why had she chosen him? Rabe was right, what did he have to offer her? He could not give her a good life. They would have to stay trapped beneath the Opera House forever, he could never leave. Why would she want to live here, trapped like a caged animal? She was beautiful and wonderful, so different from himself. Excepting in la Chat, but she was no longer in danger from her. That part of her, so long as Rabe never escaped from his prison, would never bother her again. Now, she was truly free. Free from the binds of her past and the dangers of her world. She could go where she pleased, Erik didn't want to be holding her back.

Yet… she had told him that she wanted to stay here. That she loved him and didn't want to leave him. They'd spoken about this many times in the past and each time, she had ended the conversation by telling him that she wasn't going anywhere. He liked the idea of her staying forever. It was no secret that he would pledge himself to her for the rest of both their lives, he had already alluded to future marriage. They were in such bliss… yes, there were troubles, and yes, there were issues, but they had worked them out, no matter how long it took. His mother had been wrong. He could be loved. And he was loved.

Camillé began to stir and he smiled, seeing the innocent expression on her face that turned into something less beautiful and more adorable. Of course, she would probably kill him for calling her adorable, and he had totally forgotten that word was even in his vocabulary since he used it so little. But truly, when she stretched and woke up, she was just adorable. Then she emitted a sound that was partially akin to a squeal and partially akin to a meow. Whatever it was, it was a contented sound, because she smiled and opened her eyes, looking at him with love.

"Bon matin, mon amour (Good morning, my love)," she sighed as she sat up.

He took one of her hands in his and kissed it, making her grin. "Bon matin, mon cœur (Good morning, my heart)."

She stretched again. "So… what are we doing today, Erik? By the way, Noël is in only six days and you still have not told me what you want. How am I supposed to get you a gift if you refuse to give me ideas?"

"Camillé, we have discussed this. I have everything I want," he told her, and she rolled her eyes, smiling.

"Again with the sweet, yet over-used concepts. Surely you cannot be completely content."

Erik pulled her towards him and tipped her chin up, gripping it in his left hand. "With you, I could be content with nothing," he retorted, before kissing her gently.

She pulled away, resting her hands on his shoulders. "You, monsieur O.G., are the most amusing man I may have ever met."

"How so?" he asked as he pulled her to her feet, with his visible eyebrow quirked upwards.

Camillé laughed. "Just everything about you is amusing. It would be too difficult to name one particular thing."

He scoffed and let her go when she moved to change into her clothing. Erik turned and walked back down the incline, wondering what in the world could be amusing about him. It wasn't very good for his persona to be amusing. Le Fantôme de l'Opéra was supposed to be intimidating and mysterious, not amusing. Granted, he wasn't supposed to be deeply and completely in love, either. Yet here he was, all of the things he was not supposed to be. All because of a young woman who had stepped into his life in the most unusual way and wiggled her way into his heart before he even knew it was happening.