Chapter Nine || Fear Can Turn To Love Part Two
Mélodie
"Keep them closed."
"What if I want to open them?"
"It will spoil the surprise."
"A surprise?! What kind of surprise?!"
"Mélodie, close your eyes!"
I shut my eyes tight, trusting Erik not to guide me into a wall on our way to wherever it is we are going.
"Ouch!" my head came into contact with a low beam.
I heard Erik give a low chuckle, "Apologies."
"I heard that," I kept my hands out in front of me now, knowing I couldn't fully trust my guide human.
"Heard what?" his gloved hands grabbed my waist and stopped me before I could trip over a step.
"You were laughing," I tried my best to feel my way up the staircase and ignore the tingly sensation I got from his hands on my waist.
"Nonsense," I could tell he was smiling as he said that.
"Mhm," my hands touched a wooden door. Where are we?
"You're hearing things," he lead me through the now open door and I felt a breeze greet me.
"We will pretend I believe you," listening I could hear another chuckle from Erik along with the noise of Paris' streets.
The roof? Is that where we are?
"Okay, you may open your eyes now," Erik's voice came from a few feet away.
"Are you sure?"
"Mél."
Smiling, I opened my eyes. What was set before me took my breath away. It is utterly gorgeous.
"Well? Do you like it?" Erik stood next to a small round table lit with candles. In the middle of the table sat a small vase overflowing with beautiful burgundy roses.
"Say something," Erik's green eyes overflowed with uncertainty. He shifted his weight awkwardly from one foot to another.
"Oh, Erik," I took another look at the beautiful arrangement, "Erik, it's perfect."
He very visibly let out a sigh of relief, "Good."
I circled the table and inhaled the rose's sweet aroma, "How did you manage all of this?"
"I have my ways." he pulled out a chair for me to sit on. "You seem to forget, I am the Phantom of the Opera."
I giggled as I sat down and Erik sat down in the chair across the table from me, "What's the occasion, Monsieur Phantom?"
The candles cast a warm glow on his face, illuminating his white mask, "I wanted to thank you for all you have done. Without you I would still be that walking skeleton. I really don't deserve any of it."
I reached over the small table and grabbed his gloved hand, "You deserve every bit of it, Erik."
He looked at me with still unbelieving eyes. I wanted to find each person who had tortured him over the years. I wanted to find them and make them pay for making Erik believe he wasn't worthy of happiness or any form of kindness. To make a person believe such things merely because their face had an unfortunate deformity was cruel.
Erik's emerald eyes gazed into my brown ones. I felt my heart skip a beat when he turned over his hand and laced our fingers together.
* * *
"Say that again and I throw this green bean at your face."
"You wouldn't dare."
I giggled and picked up the last green bean on my empty plate, "Oh, wouldn't I?"
He raised his hands in surrender, "Perhaps you would."
I laughed and took a bite out of the green vegetable.
"You are so juvenile," Erik smiled as he said this.
I laughed again, "Maybe you calling me 'child' all this time has had an affect on my brain."
"Ofcourse, blame the Opera Ghost for everything," he hung his head in mock shame.
Another giggle rippled through the air, "You know this meeting of ours goes against our plan."
"You were the one who said we shouldn't see eachother as often. I never agreed to anything," he took a sip of his red wine.
I threw the remainder of my green bean at him.
"That isn't polite," he smirked, picking up the green bean and eating it.
I smiled but it quickly faded away. I took a sip of my water, running my finger over the rim of my glass, not looking up, "They mustn't find you, Erik. If they do they'll take you and they'll -" I stopped before the tears that formed in my eyes could fall.
Erik leaned closer to me, "They won't find me, Mélodie. Don't worry about Erik."
This was the second time I heard Erik talk about himself in third person. I vaguely wondered why he did that.
"You needn't worry about Erik. Erik will be alright."
How can I not worry about Erik? I love him. I have loved him since I was a child.
"You are as obsessed with him as he was with Christine Daaé."
I shook my head trying to clear it of Violette's harsh words. Was I just obsessed with him?
I looked across the table at him, his eyes trying to assure me no harm will come to him. The mere thought of losing him created a sharp pain in my chest.
I love him.
Just as much as he loved Christine.
But, like his love for Christine, it will remain unrequited.
A different pain seeped into my soul and I had to look away from him before it became unbearable.
Pushing back my chair I got up and went over to the roof's ledge. The night was warm, strange for this time of year. It was my night off and I watched the people exit the Opera Populaire after another show. I looked down at their shiny top hats and expensive gowns. Such petty things.
I sighed, thinking about my family again. The family I left behind. The time for me to go back kept creeping closer, coming to kidnap me. That dark never ending shadow coming to grab me with its cold grip. No matter how hard I tried I couldn't hide from it. I couldn't escape.
I had felt guilty leaving my poor brother in the state he was in. But I knew he was in good hands. And my parents...
I sensed Erik come to my side even though my eyes were not open to see him standing there, "What are you thinking about?"
Opening my eyes I gazed out over the beautiful city of Paris, "Do you like art, Erik?"
He leaned against the barrier, resting on his forearms, "Art?"
I turned sideways to face him, "Yes, art."
His mouth frowned as he thought it over, "I suppose. Depends on the art. Why do you ask?"
I rolled a small stone between my fingers, "No reason. Curiosity mostly. I used to come up here and draw when I had nightmares and couldn't sleep."
The sound of the stone falling on the ground between our feet created a small echo, "I had hid one up here before but the wind blew it away. I haven't drawn anything in ages."
His body stiffened. I guess the air is chillier than I thought.
He brought me back to my room later that night, ignoring my pleas to help him clean up after our meal.
"You may be the opera house's maid but you are not the Opera Ghost's maid," he had told me.
I have never met a man as stubborn as him.
Work the next day seemed to drag on for eternity. What made it seem longer than usual was the absence Erik's eye's peering from the shadows. I hadn't felt his presence all day long. Not even when I went up on the walkways above the stage where he normally lurked. It made me feel strangely lonely. Now that my best friend no longer spoke to me all I had as far as a close companion was Erik.
Sure I had Maurice. Even though Erik said he doesn't approve. He's more protective over me than my own father is...or...was...
I shook my head, "Not now, Melodie."
There are other friends, too. Working in a huge opera house you are bound to have some friends. But none of them were as close to me as Violette is...was...
Our room was empty when I returned after finishing my chores. Our room was always empty now. The only time Violette and I were in here at the same time was when we were sleeping. I couldn't figure out if it was because of our argument and her discovery of my new masked friend, or if it was because our schedules had changed. It was probably a mixture of both, leaning heavily toward the first reason.
I untied my apron and let down my hair, rubbing my sore scalp and stretching my aching back. Walking over to my nightstand I almost missed the note on my bed. And the rose.
I picked up the rose and held it to my nose, taking a deep breath. Setting that down I turned to the note. That too smelled of roses, mixed with the scent of candles.
Parchment, candles, and roses. That could only mean one person - Erik.
Melodie,
Meet me tonight in the Prima Donna's dressing room.
-Erik
I read it over once, twice, three times. He never leaves me notes. Maybe something is wrong. Maybe - maybe they've found him! Violette said that she wouldn't go to the police! How could she betray me like this?! He's going to have to run! Where will he go? Where will he stay?
It's all my fault. If I had been more careful. If I hadn't gone snooping in the Prima's room I would never have found him. He would still be hidden. He would still be dead. Oh, Erik. My poor Erik.
Then I saw it. All alone on my thin blanket. At first I didn't recognize it. It was slightly faded, a little worn. It came back to me.
My sketch.
* * *
Answers.
I needed answers. How did he find that drawing?!
When night finally fell over Paris and everyone was tucked in bed I made the normal five minute walk to the Prima Donna's room in two.
Shutting the door behind me and lighting a lantern I stood there and waited with a hand on my hip. I grew impatient as the seconds ticked by, "Erik!"
I felt the tell tale breeze dance past my ankles and not too long after the mirror slid open revealing the secret passageway behind it.
Before Erik stepped one foot inside the dressing room I went up to him, "How did you find that drawing?!"
His eyebrows shot up in surprise, "I-I found it. It was there in that crevice on the roof."
"So you just take things that don't belong to you?!" I waved my arms in the air and paced the floor.
"I assumed that a piece of paper shoved between two rocks on a roof that no one goes up to anymore didn't belong to anyone," he still stood inside the mirror, like he was afraid that I would burst into a million pieces if he stepped over the threshold. Currently I think I would.
"You assumed wrong!" I ran my hands through my hair and sat down.
"I hadn't known you had drawn it until last night!"
"Why are you so sure I drew it?"
"Did you not?"
I bit my lip, unable to find an answer.
"If you didn't draw it then why are you so upset that I found it?"
I stood up again with my arms crossed over my chest. I turned my back to him, anger and embarrassment boiling my blood.
Such a foolish girl, Melodie.
I sat down again with my back still facing him and I buried my face in my hands, "I used to have these dreams..." I trailed off.
This is extremely embarrassing. I hadn't wanted him to know. To know I had feelings for him. Those kinds of feelings. And that drawing, the position I drew us in. It was so...intimate.
I dropped my hands to my lap, "It was before I found you in here. Before I knew you were still alive." I took a deep breath and then added, "I drew that one the night we met. I had just come from the roof when I came here."
I heard the floor creak as his weight shifted onto it. A second later he sat down next to me, "You said they were nightmares."
I was too embarrassed to look into his captivating eyes, "They were only nightmares because I would always awaken from them."
I closed my eyes and shook my head. Foolish, foolish girl.
"If I hadn't awoken," I paused as I thought out what I was about to say, "it would have been a wonderful dream."
I knew now that our friendship was over. Like Christine he will avoid me for the rest of his days. I couldn't blame him. I'm just a silly girl. A silly, silly girl.
A gloved finger wiped away a tear I didn't even know escaped.
He'll leave now. I'll lose him forever. Atleast I got to spend some time with the man in my dreams. The voice in my head. The Phantom of the Opera.
The same gloved finger came under my chin and raised my head toward him. I couldn't look into those eyes. Not now. Not like this. Not when we had to say goodbye. I am not strong enough.
"Mélodie," his melodic voice soothed my ears. I took in his scent one last time. I already miss him.
"Mélodie, look at me," his breath tickled my face.
"Erik, please," I pushed against his hand and lowered my head once more. "S'il vous plaît (please), if you're going to leave, leave."
Another tear fell and I furiously wiped it away.
I silently sat there waiting for him to leave. But he didn't.
Instead he said to me, "You know, you're ruining my plan."
Furrowing my brows I turned to him, "Plan?"
"Yes, my plan."
Oh he was amazing at elaboration.
There was a hint of annoyance in my voice, "What plan?"
He scooted a little closer to me, "Well, my plan was to confess my feelings for you. After that I would have wrapped my arms around you and then I would have kissed you. But only if you had said you felt the same and allowed a walking skeleton such as myself to place his lips upon yours."
My mouth hung open in shock.
The seconds passed by and the amused sparkle in Erik's eyes grew, "Ofcourse if you really want me to leave-"
"No wait!" I grabbed his arm as he stood to leave. I stood along with him, my head barely reaching his shoulders, "Was that really your plan?"
A smile formed on his lips, his arms encircling my waist, "It was. But things went a little differently."
My mouth opened and closed as multiple words tried pouring out at the same time. Erik put an end to that when he bent down and placed his lips on mine. Everything brightened and faded away at the same time. Much like the first time I heard him sing all those years ago. I melted into his embrace, our lips coming together perfectly. Like they were searching for the other half their whole lives and were now finally complete.
He pulled away too soon, leaving my lips cold and tingly.
I heard him mutter, "You silly girl." before closing the gap between our lips once more.