Mirror, Mirror

Erik just stared at Rayne as her face seemed to melt right off her skull. It was rather frightening, really, considering that there was blood running down as well as what appeared to be flesh. He realized that it was not flesh, but makeup that dripped down her face. He couldn't speak, only stare, aghast, at the sight that met his eyes. Rayne dropped the bloody handkerchief and tossed her hair back out of her face and just stood silently, waiting for Erik's reaction. When he didn't speak, she did:

"I was in that accident too, Erik."

Erik could only nod slightly, understanding that. Nearly half of Rayne's face was twisted and red, burned forever. The skin appeared to bubble, and it looked like her eye itself was crying, dripping down her cheek like a tear.

"The doctor's couldn't do anything," she said softly. "There was too much risk of doing more harm than good in undergoing reconstructive surgery. There just wasn't enough skin left. I've had to hide behind this façade of makeup for years. But kids still saw me. There were several occasions. Once I was in a school play, and I had to cry in one scene. Well, let me put it this way: the makeup wasn't waterproof. And there was an end-of-the-year water balloon fight once, and I was hit in the face. I had to transfer schools so many times. Finally I just refused to go back to school. My parents both have teaching degrees. I insisted that they home-school me. They couldn't refuse me. They didn't have the heart." She paused, looking at Erik. "Say something," she pleaded softly.

"You are different from all the others," he said softly. "I shouldn't have said what I did. I'm so sorry."

"It is already forgiven and forgotten," said Rayne with a smile. "So don't worry about it." There was a pause. "This is 'Phantom of the Opera' the way it should have been. Christine is understanding and compassionate instead of naïve and just outright stupid, superficial and shallow. There is no Raoul to come and botch everything up. This strange, dark love affair breeds true and strong and everlasting." She broke off with a slight gasp, as though she couldn't believe what she had said. The two just stood staring at each other for some time.

"Oh my God," whispered Erik softly. He drew closer to her, and she did not move away. "Rayne, I…I think I…"

"Yes, I think I do too…" she said softly, touching his cheek. "I think…I think…"

"I think I love you," whispered Erik, so softly that he wondered if she had even heard him. Tears filled her eyes and she smiled and nodded.

"I've never felt this way before," she said softly. "It's…a little scary."

"Yeah," agreed Erik with a small laugh. "But at least we're scared together, right?"

"Right," said Rayne, smiling wider. Tentatively, she moved her hands to his shoulders, finally putting them around him completely, pulling herself to him. She felt his arms around her, and she rested her head against his shoulder. She had told people she loved them before. She told her parents every night before she went to bed. She had said she had a "crush" on someone. But never once did she ever feel anything when she said these things. Erik was different. Her lips formed the words, and she felt a dizzy, spinning feeling in her stomach. She felt as though she was flying, high above the world and all its cares and concerns. There was nothing but her and Erik. She moved back a little and smiled up at him, looking directly into his eyes. He smiled back and took her hands in his, gently guiding them to the mask he wore and letting her pull it away. He looked much like she did: flesh burned and twisted, drooping eye, and many small scars from where the flying shards of glass had cut him.

"Even if there was something they could have done," he said softly, "I couldn't have afforded it. I didn't care. I had just lost the last person in the world whom I loved and who loved me. Why should I care how I looked anymore? Who would care? So I came down here. And here I've stayed."

"How do you survive?" asked Rayne.

"Whenever I require something, I leave at night and steal it," replied Erik. "No one knows about me, so no one could suspect me. Besides, I never take anything that someone would truly miss, just food and clothes when I need them. And then the theatre closed down, and stupid street rats began sneaking in. I only started deliberately scaring them off when they came too close to finding me. I didn't want them…I didn't want anybody. No one could know about me. And then I heard you sing. I admit, I opened the trapdoor beneath you, but I didn't mean for you to get hurt. I began to wonder who you were, this street-wise country girl who sings like an angel-"

"-and curses like a sailor," Rayne finished for him. He laughed, then looked surprised that he had.

"I haven't laughed in a long time," he said. "I haven't really felt anything in a long time. But now, with you here with me, I feel so much. I don't know what I feel."

"Vertigo?" suggested Rayne. Erik laughed again and hugged her. She hugged him tightly, as though she wanted never to let go. "I think I love you too."

"Oh Rayne…Rayne…"

"Rayne…"

The two broke apart abruptly. "What was that?" asked Rayne.

"Rats?" suggested Erik uncertainly.

"Rats don't call out in human voices," said Rayne. They stood silently, holding each other without realizing it. Presently, Erik cleared his throat.
"Well, um, it's late," he said. "We're both tired. That's probably it."

"Yeah, yeah," said Rayne, though she continued searching the darkness. "We're tired…"

"Uh, right, I promised you a comfortable place to sleep. Come with me." He took her hand and led her through his lair to a room with a rather large bed in it, big enough for at least three or four people.

"How on Earth did you get this down here?" asked Rayne curiously.

"It fell," replied Erik simply. "This is the bed they used for the Il Muto scene in the musical. It got left on the stage, and the trapdoors couldn't take the weight for so long and just broke open. It landed down here. Well, I couldn't just get rid of it so I just kept it. I fixed the trapdoors before anyone found out, and no one ever knew what happened."

"It looks comfortable," commented Rayne, watching Erik to check his reaction.

"Yeah," was all he said. "Well, good-night." He turned to leave.

"Aren't you staying with me?"

He turned back in surprise. "Er…well I…" he fumbled for a response. "Wouldn't it be kind of weird?"

"The bed's so big, I hardly think it makes a difference," replied Rayne. "Besides, I don't mind. That is, as long as you don't mind…"

"I don't mind," said Erik quickly. Both were blushing furiously by now, averting their gazes.

"Uh, right then," said Rayne, sitting on the edge of the huge bed and slowly removing her heavy boots. Erik went around to the other side of the bed and sat on the edge for a moment before turning around. Rayne was watching him, smiling a little. Returning the smile, Erik reached and switched off the bedside lamp next to him. He heard Rayne moving on the bed, laying herself down comfortably. He followed suit.

"Good-night," he said softly.

"Good-night," she replied. He didn't know how long he lay there thinking about it, but the next thing Erik knew he was sliding over next to her and laying alongside her.

"Rayne, I love you," he sang softly in her ear. He couldn't see, but she made a small, content sound and put her hand on his, which was lying on her stomach. He could almost hear her smile. Smiling himself, he laid his head down and fell asleep.

A/N: Sorry if I seem to be moving a little fast in this chapter, but having never had a love-life of any kind I tend to rush things a little. My apologies.