"Ulterior Motives"
Author's note: Hell has frozen over, pigs are flying, etc. After eight months I have finally updated. I've been meaning to update for a while, but I kept getting distracted! But now. It is here. Chapter 8 of Ulterior Motives. More Erik/Raoul action. For it is in very, very short supply. Come now, fellow phans of this pairing! Write fics! XD Anyway. I just saw the POTO movie, which was pretty good (I have many complaints with it, but it's still worth seeing). So now that I'm back into the phandom, I had to write this next chapter. It sort of goes along with some events in the book…well, very very generally. For the most part it's very serious, but I couldn't help but through some comedy in near the end. I apologize if it's out of place, but…I couldn't help it. You'll see. Now, enjoy!
Oh, oh, yeah. Dedication. I dedicate this fic to the scene in the movie where Erik ties Raoul to the portcullus and looks like he's molesting him while doing so. Ah those kinky boys.
One last thing. It's still me, DJ Tifa, just under a newname.
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The pale moonlight filtered into a window of the de Chagny estate, partially illuminating the room inside. The young vicomte stared at his reflection in the mirror, tucking a lock of long, blonde hair behind his ear as he had a good look at himself.
'What a misguided fool you were…' he thought. 'Being suspicious of Christine…and almost falling for that…man…'
The more he looked his reflection, the more he saw Erik staring back at him. Even after all this, he could not get the man out of his mind. He could scarcely believe that the good-natured, intelligent man he had become so close to was the Phantom. A man who had terrorized the cast and crew of the opera house, even killed… 'Or is that the only thing that's bothering you?' a part of his mind ridiculed. 'Perhaps you're just upset that his 'true' intentions lie in Christine, and not you…Jealous, maybe?'
He growled, shaking his head. 'No. No. He may have lured me into…something, but my heart still belongs to Christine. Mon dieu, why am I arguing with myself? Have the last few days affected me so much as to cause me mental problems? I love Christine, and that is that. I will protect her from Erik, even if I must kill him in order to do so…'
Sighing, he made his way back to his bed, changing into a pair of silken pajamas that he had left on it. "Sleep, Raoul. More rest equals a healthy mind," he muttered as he slipped under the bedsheets.
He was just drifting off to sleep when his ears picked up on a strange sound that was not there before. It seemed to be carried by the wind, but as the moments went by, it grew more audible. Raoul could now hear that it was a man's voice…but not speaking. Singing. He could not make out the words…but the voice was soothing, warm… And as it grew louder…strangely familiar. The song entranced him so, Raoul did not place the voice until he saw its owner's eyes peering at him through the window.
"You!" Raoul gasped, nearly falling over in his rush to get out of bed. He slammed open his nightstand drawer, and a few seconds later, had a small revolver pointed at the figure outside. "What are you doing here?!" he asked harshly, his voice letting on the fear that he was trying to hide. "Are you trying to kill me?! Take out the competition?! I know your true intentions, Erik, so don't you dare try to hide them anymore!"
Several moments later, the other man had still not responded. And as Raoul stared at his eyes through the glass, he realized that he was not seeing the eyes of a mad murderer…but calm, even sad eyes.
"If you could please put down the gun, Raoul…I would very much like to speak to you. I owe you an explanation…" Erik spoke softly. "I am unarmed, and killing you is the very last thing on my list of things to do."
Although his head warned him not to do so, Raoul slowly lowered his revolver, eventually putting it aside onto the nightstand. "Fine," he said. He would still keep the weapon close, just in case…but…
Erik nodded, opening the glass balcony door and stepping into the room. He placed his hat on a nearby table and made his way closer to Raoul, stopping a few feet away from him.
"I owe you the truth, Raoul. And I will tell you everything," he spoke, making direct eye contact with him. "Yes, I am the man who people call the Phantom of the Opera. The opera house is my home…it has been for the last several years. Some call me a genius, some call me a madman…perhaps I am both, or neither. What Christine told you, however…not all of it was the truth."
"Then what was supposedly a lie?" Raoul asked, incredulous. "Do you expect me to believe you now, when you yourself have lied to me so many times in the past?! You've lied about yourself, you've lied about your feelings… Is anything you say the truth? Do you honestly believe that I will take your word over Christine's..?"
Shaking his head, Erik moved closer, placing a hand lightly upon Raoul's shoulder. "Raoul…Let me tell you a story about a man, who for the great majority of his life, knew nothing of love or compassion…"
And so Erik began to tell his own life story to the younger man, who listened. Although at first skeptical, Raoul started to feel overwhelming compassion for Erik. '…My god…He has gone through all of this…It is no wonder that he is the man he is today…'
"…and that's how I've been living the past few years. Giving lessons to Christine, but besides that, not much of anything. No human contact besides her…but when I saw you…well, I need not repeat what I have already said in the past. She says I am in love with her? I believe she flatters herself. She misunderstands me. Christine is my pupil, nothing more," Erik stated firmly. "Raoul, you must believe me. My feelings for you are no lie. We have come too far for that. Would I have given my mind and my body to someone whom I did not care for?"
A slight blush crossed Raoul's face as he remembered (vaguely, at least) the events of a few nights ago, at Erik's lair. "I…suppose you are right, Erik…But where does this leave us? I…I am still not sure as to my own feelings…" Raoul said quietly.
Everything was becoming complicated again. One minute, he was in love with Christine. Then he was falling head over heels for Erik. Then, once again loving Christine with all his heart. And now…he was just confused again. Was this another one of Erik's lies, or was the man truthful this time? His eyes showed no signs of him lying…but Raoul had to be cautious.
And even if his heart did decide… What was he going to do after that? If he chose Christine, he would leave Erik heartbroken and at the rate he saw things were going, might decide that life wasn't worth living anymore. And if he chose Erik… Christine would be left alone, and what would he do with his /life/? Carrying on this forbidden affair… Certainly, as a vicomte, he could not lead the rest of his life unmarried… His family would never allow it…and yet…
Noticing the confusion on Raoul's face, Erik pulled him into a light embrace, letting one of his hands reach up to run itself through the younger boy's tresses. "Relax, Raoul…I understand the turmoil you must be feeling about all of this. The right thing to do would be for me to leave you until you can make your own decision…and yet I feel I cannot leave until you have chosen me. Men are selfish creatures, and I am but one of them…"
Raoul looked up into the other man's eyes, comforted by the feel of his arms around him. He tentatively wrapped his arms around Erik as well, sighing. "Damn you, Erik… The right thing for me to do would be to….god, I do not know, but certainly not this…but you have captured me, so it seems. Do not get me wrong, however… I have not made my decision yet. It…is going to take time, and a lot of thought," he said.
"And I will be as patient as I can," Erik murmured, his hand still absentmindedly playing with Raoul's golden hair. "I suppose I shall be taking my leave, then…" He was about to separate himself from Raoul, when a small smile appeared on his face. "May I steal a single kiss from you to tide a lonely man over for now?"
With that /look/ in Erik's eyes, Raoul could not bring himself to refuse. He murmured his assent, Erik wasting no time in leaning down and pressing their lips together. Raoul sighed softly as he kissed him back, wondering how a man who has lived such a cold life could have such warm, soft lips…
A sharp knock on the door brought the two men back to their senses.
"Raoul? Are you alright? I heard shouting in here before… Come and open the door already."
Raoul went wide eyed, quickly untangling himself from Erik's embrace. "Go now," he hissed, pushing him towards the balcony. "If I don't open the door in about a minute, my brother is going to knock it down."
Erik could not help but let out a small chuckle of amusement. He nodded and opened the balcony door, turning around to face Raoul one last time. "Will I be seeing you again anytime soon?"
"Yes, yes. Soon. I'll find you. Now go!" Raoul mumbled, shoving him out. The masked man simply smiled and made his way off the balcony and onto the ground, jumping with an almost catlike grace.
"RAOUL! Open that door already!" called the voice from outside the door. Raoul sighed, shut the balcony door, and walked over to the main bedroom door, opening up. On instinct, he sidestepped so Philippe's fist, which was about to slam on the door again, would not hit him in the face (he learned this after a few unfortunate incidents).
Philippe laughed a bit, retracting his fist. "What took so long? And I could have sworn I heard you yelling or something. Is everything alright?"
"Yes, yes," Raoul said, sighing. Sometimes Philippe could be overprotective to the point of being horribly annoying.
"Good, then," Philippe stated. It was about then that he noticed that Raoul looked rather…flustered. He still had a blush across his face, and looked a little short on breath… A slow grin appeared on Philippe's face.
"Little brother, you were not doing anything that you shouldn't have been doing, right?"
Raoul rolled his eyes. "No, I wasn't…" he muttered. A moment later, he realized the implications of Philippe's statement. "Mon dieu, Philippe! Take your mind out of the gutter! Honestly!"
Philippe laughed, rustling his younger brother's hair. "Just teasing. Now go back to sleep. Didn't you say you had to get up early tomorrow to take Christine shopping?"
Raoul's face darkened slightly at the mention of Christine. The momentary distraction was over…
"Yes, yes. Goodnight, Philippe," he muttered, closing the door, leaving a rather confused man behind it.
'What am I to do..' Raoul thought, once again collapsing onto his bed. 'Why do I have to be caught in the middle of this ridiculous love triangle? Why can't things be simpler… Why can't life ever be easy…'
Although his mind was still troubled, he eventually drifted to sleep. However, he was unaware of the golden eyes still watching him.