Disclaimer: I've said it all before.
A/N: At first, I tried to be nice to Raoul, but in the end, I just couldn't help myself. I'm a feminist at heart. Sorry, boys. So, if you like Raoul (enter hysterical laughter here), don't get mad (get Glad!). I tried!!!
The Fate of the Heart
*Flashback*
*raoul*
He could see the love in her eyes. Since the Opera House, as he now called the incident, she'd wanted him constantly by her side. And he had been there since the first night. A constant pillar of hope and love, he liked to think of himself.
As she dreamed, though, and reached out for him; as he soothed her into peaceful sleep, she called him her Angel of Music. Whenever he heard this, he pulled back in disgust and horror. But she would twist and call out, and his heart was hers. He would always go back. Even if she loved someone else.
That was when he began to doubt their love. He wanted to think it was real, wanted so badly for her to love him, and would do anything for her love. But every time he looked into her eyes, he could see the love that still took her heart from him. The seed of love that Erik had planted all that time ago. And even though he had pulled out the weed, the root was still there.
And there was nothing he could do about it...
*christine*
All she could see were his eyes.
When she had left him, ring in his hand, she couldn't help but turning around one last time. Now she wished she hadn't.
What she saw would haunt her, in her dreams and in reality. It would haunt every thing she did, and every one she met. But probably worst of all, it would haunt her in the grey that was between her dream world and the real one, the world that Erik used to inhabit.
His eyes... filled with saline crystals, flowing down his unmasked face. It was not his face that scared her now; it was the undying passion of this man. The passion that Erik felt for her.
The two holes looked straight at her, and for one glimmering second, showed hope.
But then, as she had done to him so many times before, his hope died and made way for misery and despair. In his eyes, she saw the knowledge that she loved Raoul, not him.
"It's not true!" she wanted to scream out. She knew it wasn't, knew she loved Erik, not Raoul, but everyone around her thought otherwise. And she had been so confused.
But now she knew the truth. And it was too late.
*raoul*
He couldn't stand her eyes anymore.
He went out, and stayed late into the night, talking to the bartender about his problems. Erik... he spit out the name. He talked about the... Thing that took his love away from him. He talked about the pain he wanted Erik to feel. The agony she put him through. And all this from such a tiny, innocent girl. Christine... his one love. His eyes overflowed with tears for her. For their lost love. And for the knowledge that she would never truly love him. And he talked about Erik and Christine, the love they tried to harbor, but was revealed in their eyes.
"It's not true!" he wanted to yell. But he knew that to deny that was to be a fool. With every sentence, he tried to drown his feelings with liquor, but he knew it wouldn't work. He knew what he had to do.
He staggered from the counter, with intentions even he knew weren't right...
*christine*
She woke to the sound of the door slamming shut. She knew is was Raoul, for she had seen him leave some time ago. She thought it best if she stayed in bed, but her curiosity got the better of her. So she quickly put on some clothes and headed to the sound of his voice. She got to the door of the living room, and looked inside. Raoul was there, muttering and pacing, waving his arms in the air. She heard his faint voice, "Dead... Never loved... How could she... Their eyes... He's dead... Angel... Her eyes..."
She was a little frightened, for she had never seen Raoul like this before. But she gathered her courage and walked into the room. She stopped dead when he turned to look at her. His eyes were bloodshot and full of revulsion. She was reminded of the first time she saw Erik angry at her. She felt like dying, just disappearing into the ground before the eyes got closer to her. Such anger and hate, concentrated on her.
"Raoul, what's wro-"
He laughed. "What's wrong? You want to know what's wrong with me? That's very thoughtful of you. I'm honored to know that your feelings extend beyond yourself. And Erik. I can't forget Erik. And apparently neither can you." His voice rose with each word, until eventually, he was shouting in her face. She tried to back away from him, realizing too late that he was drunk.
"Oh yes. Now you run from me. Only after you use me. Only after you cause me all this pain. What did I ever do to you, Christine? I showed you true love, I looked after you. I love you!" He grabbed her by the arms. She could feel his nails digging into her skin. "That means nothing to you, doesn't it? You don't care about me. Did you ever, Christine? My love, and my life, they mean nothing to you. I love you, and what do I get in return, Christine? A broken heart and the knowledge that my life and love was stolen by a... a ghoul! For he is not a man, Christine! He is anything but a man!"
He slapped her. "That is for breaking my heart"
And again. "That is for using me"
And again. "That is for singing for him"
And again, and again, until she could no longer feel and the tears were too many to count. Eventually, the sharp cracks stopped, and she dared to look up at him. He stood over her, oblivious to her blood on his body. He grabbed a fire iron and raised it over her, to hit her one last time.
"This is for loving a coward..."
She could take it no longer. Her anger overthrew her fear. Quickly, she dove from his swing, and grabbed the pistol from the desk drawer. She stood, ignoring all the pain, and raised it to the level of her eyes.
But he was not concerned; he came at her stronger still, and hit her full force in the head. She started to crumple, but she pulled at all the energy she had in her and kept standing. She saw him coming at her again, and knew she only had one second to make up her mind.
She closed her eyes, and pulled the trigger...
A/N: At first, I tried to be nice to Raoul, but in the end, I just couldn't help myself. I'm a feminist at heart. Sorry, boys. So, if you like Raoul (enter hysterical laughter here), don't get mad (get Glad!). I tried!!!
The Fate of the Heart
*Flashback*
*raoul*
He could see the love in her eyes. Since the Opera House, as he now called the incident, she'd wanted him constantly by her side. And he had been there since the first night. A constant pillar of hope and love, he liked to think of himself.
As she dreamed, though, and reached out for him; as he soothed her into peaceful sleep, she called him her Angel of Music. Whenever he heard this, he pulled back in disgust and horror. But she would twist and call out, and his heart was hers. He would always go back. Even if she loved someone else.
That was when he began to doubt their love. He wanted to think it was real, wanted so badly for her to love him, and would do anything for her love. But every time he looked into her eyes, he could see the love that still took her heart from him. The seed of love that Erik had planted all that time ago. And even though he had pulled out the weed, the root was still there.
And there was nothing he could do about it...
*christine*
All she could see were his eyes.
When she had left him, ring in his hand, she couldn't help but turning around one last time. Now she wished she hadn't.
What she saw would haunt her, in her dreams and in reality. It would haunt every thing she did, and every one she met. But probably worst of all, it would haunt her in the grey that was between her dream world and the real one, the world that Erik used to inhabit.
His eyes... filled with saline crystals, flowing down his unmasked face. It was not his face that scared her now; it was the undying passion of this man. The passion that Erik felt for her.
The two holes looked straight at her, and for one glimmering second, showed hope.
But then, as she had done to him so many times before, his hope died and made way for misery and despair. In his eyes, she saw the knowledge that she loved Raoul, not him.
"It's not true!" she wanted to scream out. She knew it wasn't, knew she loved Erik, not Raoul, but everyone around her thought otherwise. And she had been so confused.
But now she knew the truth. And it was too late.
*raoul*
He couldn't stand her eyes anymore.
He went out, and stayed late into the night, talking to the bartender about his problems. Erik... he spit out the name. He talked about the... Thing that took his love away from him. He talked about the pain he wanted Erik to feel. The agony she put him through. And all this from such a tiny, innocent girl. Christine... his one love. His eyes overflowed with tears for her. For their lost love. And for the knowledge that she would never truly love him. And he talked about Erik and Christine, the love they tried to harbor, but was revealed in their eyes.
"It's not true!" he wanted to yell. But he knew that to deny that was to be a fool. With every sentence, he tried to drown his feelings with liquor, but he knew it wouldn't work. He knew what he had to do.
He staggered from the counter, with intentions even he knew weren't right...
*christine*
She woke to the sound of the door slamming shut. She knew is was Raoul, for she had seen him leave some time ago. She thought it best if she stayed in bed, but her curiosity got the better of her. So she quickly put on some clothes and headed to the sound of his voice. She got to the door of the living room, and looked inside. Raoul was there, muttering and pacing, waving his arms in the air. She heard his faint voice, "Dead... Never loved... How could she... Their eyes... He's dead... Angel... Her eyes..."
She was a little frightened, for she had never seen Raoul like this before. But she gathered her courage and walked into the room. She stopped dead when he turned to look at her. His eyes were bloodshot and full of revulsion. She was reminded of the first time she saw Erik angry at her. She felt like dying, just disappearing into the ground before the eyes got closer to her. Such anger and hate, concentrated on her.
"Raoul, what's wro-"
He laughed. "What's wrong? You want to know what's wrong with me? That's very thoughtful of you. I'm honored to know that your feelings extend beyond yourself. And Erik. I can't forget Erik. And apparently neither can you." His voice rose with each word, until eventually, he was shouting in her face. She tried to back away from him, realizing too late that he was drunk.
"Oh yes. Now you run from me. Only after you use me. Only after you cause me all this pain. What did I ever do to you, Christine? I showed you true love, I looked after you. I love you!" He grabbed her by the arms. She could feel his nails digging into her skin. "That means nothing to you, doesn't it? You don't care about me. Did you ever, Christine? My love, and my life, they mean nothing to you. I love you, and what do I get in return, Christine? A broken heart and the knowledge that my life and love was stolen by a... a ghoul! For he is not a man, Christine! He is anything but a man!"
He slapped her. "That is for breaking my heart"
And again. "That is for using me"
And again. "That is for singing for him"
And again, and again, until she could no longer feel and the tears were too many to count. Eventually, the sharp cracks stopped, and she dared to look up at him. He stood over her, oblivious to her blood on his body. He grabbed a fire iron and raised it over her, to hit her one last time.
"This is for loving a coward..."
She could take it no longer. Her anger overthrew her fear. Quickly, she dove from his swing, and grabbed the pistol from the desk drawer. She stood, ignoring all the pain, and raised it to the level of her eyes.
But he was not concerned; he came at her stronger still, and hit her full force in the head. She started to crumple, but she pulled at all the energy she had in her and kept standing. She saw him coming at her again, and knew she only had one second to make up her mind.
She closed her eyes, and pulled the trigger...