Fearless

VI

When Erik arrived home with Charles following in his trail, he wasn't expecting the vision he was greeted with.

Arielette was standing, holding onto her brother's arm as she traveled towards what Erik hoped was the nearest piece of seating. She looked up, her curls falling over her shoulders in an almost unreal way. Their eyes met, and her smile grew wider than her cheeks could handle as she reached out her arms to him. The poor thing was still weak, but Erik caught her in time to gently hold her form.

He never realized what toll being apart from her would take upon him, but having her so close now was exactly what he needed to remedy everything. She grasped him tight, her grip stronger than expected, but very welcome as he held on just as fiercely.

"How did everything go?" She mumbled through his chest.

"He did well!" Charles said for Erik, seeing as his face was buried in her hair. "You will be seeing him as pianist at the opera now, and upon the board."

Diane sounded shocked when she heard the news.

"You haven't had a thirteenth on the board since Arielette was but ten, why now?"

"We can't have our daughter running around with a pianist. No, I think opera board member sounds much more appealing along with his work."

There was the teasing again, but Erik could hear Arielette's shallow breathing, and that was his main focus. He pulled away to look at her gleeful face, the perfect canvas all his for himself alone.

He wasn't too sure what he could do with her, but the slight throat clearing from Anton to indicate his discomfort made the pair split, Arielette gripping onto Erik like a vice to keep her steady.

"You are weak because you haven't eaten much these past hours," Diane chastised her daughter. "If Erik tells you to do something, maybe you shall listen to him."

Erik knew that there was no refusing Arielette's mother, so as his beauty seated herself upon her sofa, he knelt before her and took her hands in his own.

"I may not seem the one to ask such a favor, but I beg you eat something. Your father told me at lunch you usually have quite the appetite."

Arielette glared at her father, but only sighed at her suitor.

"If I must."

Anton rolled his eyes as his mother clapped happily.

"Welcome to the family, darling," she told Erik airily, gracing his shoulder before running off to her kitchen to prepare food for her daughter.

"Well, you make my wife and my daughter, happy, Monsieur Destler, thirteenth seat on the Opera Populaire board."

It was a mouthful, but Erik found that even having a title was good enough for him. Of course, he wasn't Philippe, but that didn't matter when you were friends with said comte. As much as Erik like Terfat, and even Charles, Philippe de Chagny and him got along extremely well. He had a sharp sense of wit, and was utterly brilliant. He very much looked forward to serving on the same board as these men for the foreseeable future.

Erik blushed before Arielette who only leaned over through her pain and placed a kiss to the crown of his head, ignoring the jostle of his mask.

"He really is a talented musician, my darling. You chose well."

Reminded suddenly, Erik ignored Charles seating himself down upon the sofa and pulling his daughter away.

"I met one of your dejected suitors today."

The whole of the household groaned, though Monsieur Lestat supplied a disbelieving chuckle.

"Ah, so you had the misfortune of meeting Al Mennen," Arielette growled, "He was so... demanding, I don't know how father puts up with him as a chairman."