Cousin Lissie is sweet, but she is a lot. She is tiresome, she must describe every detail of everything. Raoul does his best to avoid her because of this. Philly bought Lissie and her sister a plane ticket to visit them for the holiday season.
Raoul is a good host. He showed her around the Opera and introduced her to the cast. He kept his cool and composure despite her boring droll and smiled through it all.
"This is your office?" Lissie opens her mouth in surprise, she walks around and touches every surface.
"It is." Raoul watches her with increasing annoyance.
"Is this your furniture?" She taps the chair and the presses firmly on the cushion.
"No, the previous management order this." Raoul wants to push her away the chair.
"In my office we were not allowed to have a choice in our office furniture. They had a deal with showroom set pieces, so when they were finished, we would receive them. One part of the office is called, Wedding. I'm not sure, there is no arch or podium. Do you know where they procured these?" Lissie places her hand on the back of the chair.
"I do not." Raoul pinches the bridge of his nose and rolls his shoulders.
"Is there a performance tonight?" Lissie takes a seat on the chair, but then moves lifts her butt off the chair and hovers and remains like that.
"There is." Raoul does not think he can survive an entire Opera with his cousin as his companion.
"Ooh, I would love to attend an Opera. It sounds so romantic." Lissie swoons. She closes her eyes and bites her lips, her cheeks flushing. Raoul does his best to resist.
"I may be able to get you tickets," Raoul's face hurts from his smile.
"In one of those fancy private boxes," her voice is laced with honey.
"Mm. I don't know if we have any box seats left." Raoul puts his hands behind his back and squeezes his palm until he cannot take the pain.
"Philly says you know one of the subscribers," Lissie opens her eyes and pouts.
"He does not like to share his box. I will ask but I doubt he will agree." Raoul goes to the desk, takes out a piece of paper, writes something and he leaves the room. He goes to the steps that lead to Box Five, he leaves the note, where he always leaves the notes, he sarcastically salutes and then leaves.
He'll say no, he's with annoyed me.
Raoul smiles and he enters the office.
"We shall wait and find out!" Raoul claps his hands together.
You may use my box tonight. Are you attending the Holiday Gala this year?
Raoul wants to crumple the note up and set it on fire. Of all the times for Erik to be cool and feel the sharing and caring vibe.
"We can use Box Five," Raoul does his best to not sound miserable. His cousin squeals with delight.
"Oh, cousin, this will be wonderful. Do you know the story behind this Opera? The plot sounds most intriguing."
"I try to do my own research before I attend unfamiliar shows."
"I can't watch the Opera with you," Reyer says. It's not open for debate. Reyer is in Manager Mode. Raoul needs someone in his corner to keep him from dying from boredom.
"I mean, can't you?" Raoul pouts, he could technically order Reyer to watch with him.
"I have to be backstage. I'm working."
"Please?" Raoul is getting desperate.
"Take your boyfriend, I'm busy!" Reyer hisses and shoos Raoul away.
"You son of bitch!" Raoul cries out, his arms spread wide. As soon as he spies Erik, he loses it. He throws the duck at him.
"That's right, feel the duck's ire!" Raoul eyes are on fire and he is trembling. Erik is calm. He walks forward, places the duck on the desk, he takes a seat, leans forward in the chair, his elbows resting on his legs and his palms prop his chin up, and he waits.
"The one time, the one time I needed you!" Raoul pulls at his hair. He places his hands on the desk and leans forward.
"Betrayed! Why didn't you say no! Tell me to fuck off and die! Hmm? You could have! But you didn't! Do you hate me?"
Erik drums his fingers against his knuckles, still waiting.
"This is grounds for divorce."
Raoul pushes off from the desk.
"You think Meri is annoying? Ha! You have no idea. You are toying with powers beyond your ken!" Raoul still cannot even. He paces. Erik watches him closely. Philly enters. He leans against the door frame.
"Raoul, she's not that bad. You're making too much of it." Philly waves at Erik before he turns his head to Raoul, who stalks towards him.
"How can you lie like that?" Raoul's face is changing colors. Philly flicks his fingers at him.
"She's family," Philly turns to Erik," How do you deal with this?" Raoul sticks out his tongue aggressively before turning away.
"Context?" Erik asks
"Our cousin Lissie is visiting for the holidays. Raoul thinks she is niggling. "Philly explains.
"And you! You said yes!" Raoul points violently at Erik.
"I take it you said Lou-Lou here could use your box?" Philly shakes his head at his brother's antics.
"I did. That is why you are dismayed? If you did not want to use my box, why did you ask?" Raoul clears the space between them.
"You're supposed to say no! Sometimes, I need you to say no to me! You used to love being in control of my free will and agency!"
"You hated it and threatened to end things if I continued to behave that way." Erik is using his calm, but I am very displeased, voice.
"Well, sometimes do it! You should know when it is okay do it! You're supposed to be my partner and you should be able to just know, when I need certain things." Raoul grabs Erik's shirt and shakes it. Erik looks down and takes Raoul's hand.
"Are you quite finished?"
Raoul nods, he falls against the desk.
"It would be bad manners for you to rescind the invitation and use of my private box. You will have to suffer through it. I came here for other matters; are you attending the Christmas Eve Gala?" Erik pulls out a nail file from the air and files Raoul nails.
"I don't know, maybe?" Raoul watches Erik.
"Accompany me." Erik continues to work on Raoul's nails.
"I can do that."
The Gala is nice. There are different food stations set up, a wait staff that weaves in between everyone. It's just the Opera Company, the staff of the theatre and their families. No need to whore out for donations.
Raoul is enjoying the eggnog; Antoinette steps up to him looking rather serious and severe.
"Has he sung for you yet." She has her lips tightly closed together and she looks pained and pale.
"Sung for me, Erik? No."
Toni blinks.
"No?"
"No." Raoul shakes his head.
"Really." She is in disbelief.
"Should he have? I am not a duet person or sing myself. I'm a paid patron for the arts, I am not an artist." Raoul explains.
"Music is more intimate to him than sex. He played music for Denny before he had him move in. Erik, has not offered or asked your opinions on his compositions?"
"Nope. Maybe he does not like me that much," Raoul jokes, Toni shakes her head.
"No, he talks about you, asked to have you. This is most unusual." Something catches Toni's attention; she makes her excuses and leaves Raoul.
Erik eventually comes out from the shadows and finds Raoul, who waves enthusiastically. The alcohol is about to hit him hard. Erik takes Raoul's glass for himself.
"Let's pace now." Erik empties the glass and places it on a tray as a waiter walks by.
"Toni thinks it weird you don't sing for me." Raoul blurts out. Erik takes a glass off another tray.
"The timing wasn't right, that's why I wanted you to come tonight." Erik swirls the wine in his glass.
"Why do people do that, it's so pretentious. What are you doing?" Raoul feels his cheeks flush.
"I drink wine properly. Are you drunk already?" Erik pouts behind his mask.
"No!" Raoul protests.
"Let's try to keep to the proper decorum. " Erik scolds
"Erik, has anyone told you, you're That Guy." Raoul speech is not quite slurring, but it's definitely not cursive yet.
"That's how you have me listed in your mobile device." Erik looks upwards annoyed.
"Erik, you're a lot." Raoul touches Erik's arm and leans into him for support.
Erik eventually is able to bring Raoul to the Pink Room, away from the other guests. Erik pulls up a chair to the piano and helps Raoul take a seat, he motions for him to stay, Raoul does, Erik pets him for being good and coos. Erik then takes his place at the piano and performs one of his original compositions.
Raoul slides out of the chair onto the floor. The masterfulness of Erik's voice and melody take him to a different place. He feels his blood pulsate, his spirits are lifted, he can hear, see and feel God. Nothing outside the music exists, everything is pure. The colors and sounds mix and become one.
Raoul will do anything to keep this beauty, this euphorbia. He cannot control his body, as he crawls towards the music, he wants to kiss, bathe, wrap himself around it.
It stops.
It is painful, like something has been ripped, torn from him body. He feels empty, a stark comparison to his previous fullness.
"What'd you think?" Erik runs his fingers through Raoul's hair. Raoul is hugging Erik's lap and weeping.
"I want it back," Raoul cries.
"Mm. Do you?" Erik massages Raoul's scalp with his nails.
"Yes," he is desperate, his mouth covered with spit and sweat.
"Live with me, and you may hear often as I like." Erik says into Raoul's ear and nuzzles him.
"Okay!"