4 Angel of Music
Lost in her own thoughts, Ivy did not hear Erik return to her side so suddenly. She gasped and looked up and then smiled at him. "Ivy.. I need you to prepare some things.." he said to her gently, pulling her back into the shadow where no one could see. "The bed is to be made, there is to be food and everything a girl could ever want." he finished. Ivy stared at him, not really sure of what he meant ball of this. She raised an eyebrow at him, further questioning and he gave her a smirk. "Tonight.. we shall be having another guest." and with that, he was gone.
Another guest? But he couldn't possibly mean Christine. He'd actually bring her down there? To his.. their place? No one had ever been down there, save for Madame Giry once or twice and then it wasn't as if she were staying. Was Ivy wrong in thinking of the place her home too? No it most certainly was. She felt angry and jealous that he should want to bring someone else down there. To show her everything they had worked on so hard together. Why was he so insufferably blind to her feelings? Was that stupid mask making him dense? She supposed he rather was.
Figuring that she was alone, she looked around and decided she didn't really feel like cleaning. Or preparing anything for that Christine girl. Instead she stood, and came out to the part of the floor which was clear and near the lake. Only two things could help her get her anger out, and the first well she had nothing around she could destroy so she came to dance. Stretching out a bit, she never saw the eyes or even felt him watch her. He was taken aback slightly as he saw his Ivy start to move with grace that he had never seen before. Not even on his lovely Christine, though of course her singing still trumped all things to him.
She was spinning, her body lost in music only she could hear as he stood there entranced. She was perfect. How come she had never showed him this before? Ivy would be perfect in his new opera. And he'd make sure she was center stage at the masquerade ball that was swiftly approaching. Oh yes, both of his girls would be allowed to shine and be seen. His work. The only parts of him that were allowed to touch the light.
Knowing he could not afford to dally long, and even all thoughts of Ivy disobeying him and not doing as he asked erased from his mind as he went up to fetch his Christine. Though his mind was still stuck on the little ballerina down below. He knew that by the time he came back down, his orders would be met anyways. That's just how Ivy was. She always longed to please him, and show him how much of a monster he wasn't. No one had ever looked at him the way she had.
Soon Ivy began to hear singing from up above and knew that it wouldn't be long. Her dancing stopped and she went about her task, getting the bed ready. She pulled the sheets up and changed them, and thought about the last time she had spent a night in that bed. At first when she had arrived, all her nights were spent in that bed, the only bed he had ever had. She hadn't known where Erik himself had slept for a while, only that it wasn't anywhere near her bed.
The last night she had spent in that bed was the day he had shown her what was beneath the mask. He hadn't meant to show her of course, it was a natural accident but her reaction had been a bit stunning. She had awoken in her bed because there seemed to be wailing noises coming from upstairs. A bit frightened, she had finally decided to seek out Erik's bed chamber. It hadn't taken her long, she knew the pathways almost as well as him. But when she found him, she was shocked and mesmorized all at the same time.
He slept in what looked like almost a coffin, a crate for no bigger then one person, perhaps two if they didn't mind being pressed up against one another. And he was without his mask. His face was controted, flesh mutilated and tortured it seemed. It made the other half of his face look no less handsome, but she wasn't scared. In fact looking at the twisted face was slightly comforting. At least he had a reason to hide. A reason to want to wear that mask all the time.
She was so busy staring she didn't hear him waken and cry out confused, groping for his mask. Ivy batted at his hands, coming near the tiny bed. "Erik.. it's alright.. you don't have to put that on.. I just came to tell you I heard noises.. I think someone might be down here." she spoke softly, putting her hand on his shoulder. Erik had looked at her confused, wondering why she wasn't shrinking back or gasping. He'd been so quiet that Ivy had to repeat her statement to get him to actually get up from the bed.
And just like that, he had forgotten he wasn't wearing the mask, seeing the look in her eyes. If she didn't care or wasn't frightened and there was something else to be worried about, that would come first. She showed him where she had heard the noise and was relieved to find that it was only a cat, stuck between the walls of the catacombs. After freeing it, Erik had turned to her and finally asked why she hadn't wanted him to put on the mask.
"I know that you don't want anyone to see, and why you want to wear it. I don't mind if you do or don't.. it's up to you of course. But know that nothing about your face frightens me. I've seen more disfigured people then you." The words to him had made him wince, though he didn't know why. "You have?" he asked. Ivy nodded at him, taking him back towards their home. "I have.. do you not think that there are worse out there then you? You at least are alive." she told him, and said no more.
Once back, Ivy had taken him back to his room. "You could be much worse off, Erik.. trust that. Now I shall let you get back to sleep. I am sorry for having woke you." she turned to go but was stopped when she had his hand on her wrist. "Ivy... would you please.. sleep in here.. with me? There is not much space.. but I.. if you are not frightened.." he shook his head and sighed at himself, flustered at his words. Why was he even behaving like this? She was making him weak wristed, and he didn't like it but couldn't deny himself wanting to be closer to her.
"Of course, Monsieur." Ivy said softly and kissed the top of his head. "I shall get my things." And that had been the last time Ivy had laid in that bed. From then on, she had spent her nights in the same room as Erik. At first she had slept on the floor, though it hadn't lasted long, wanting her to have a proper bed, so he had made her one. Even the times they had fought, he had been the one to leave the room and sleep elsewhere, and she did not follow him.