Erik tucked Sara protectively under his arm as they rushed through the dark streets of Paris. All around them people were buzzing about the fire at the Opera house. Erik kept his head down; he didn't really need to look up to see where he was going.
"We need to find a place for the night." Sara whispered to him.
"I know, but we can't afford anything around here, and there are too many police here." Erik muttered, looking around. "Do you have any money?"
Sara dug her hand into a pocket of her skirt. She pulled out a few francs and handed them over to Erik. "That's all I have."
He took them and stuffed them into the pocket on his hip. "That's all we need."
Sara didn't understand what he meant. Hotels in Paris cost a fortune, but she trusted his judgement and knew that he wouldn't take her anywhere he didn't think was safe.
Erik found himself wishing that he hadn't left everything behind. He had no money, no clothes, and most importantly, no mask. He became more nervous with each turn that someone would see him and shout for the police.
Glancing around he noticed a small cart parked to one side of the alley way and saw a cloak hanging on the side of it. He almost cried for joy and released Sara quickly. He pulled the cloak from the cart and wrapped it around himself, making sure to cover the right side of his face before returning to Sara.
He felt more comfortable now, and moved freely down the streets. He finally found what he was looking for, the sad and decrepit area where the homeless and poor lived. He walked until he found a pub that had rooms available.
Erik's grip tightened on Sara as the men in the pub turned to stare at her. Compared to the rest of the women in the building, Sara was clean and shimmering in the pale light. Erik approached the bar and waved the barkeep over.
"I need a room." He told the man.
"For how long?" The man asked, licking his lips as he stared at Sara.
"For the night!" Erik said, pushing Sara behind him. "And, I need some food and wine."
The man scowled at Erik, but accepted the money that Erik slapped down onto the bar. He slid Erik a key along with a loaf of bread, a chunk of cheese and a bottle of wine. Erik nodded to the man, and pulled Sara along behind him up to their room.
He sat her down onto the bed before returning to the door to make sure it was locked securely. He walked back to the bed and tore the bread in half, handing some to Sara, before he sat down in a dusty chair. He watched her tear tiny chunks off the loaf and put them in her mouth. At the rate that she was chewing, she must have been famished.
He turned and stared out the dirty window, watching the women selling themselves and the men foolish enough to spend their money on them. He jumped when Sara's hand ran over his shoulder and she appeared at his side.
"How do you do that?" He asked, pulling her onto his lap. He wanted her body close to his, so he could feel the warmth of her body.
"Do what?" Sara asked, resting her head on top of his as he laid it on her shoulder.
"How do you always know where I am?"
Sara smiled and ran her hand gently through his tangled hair. "Well, this room isn't that big." She smiled when she felt him sigh impatiently. "I don't know, I have this sense, I can tell where you are, and I always know it's you."
Erik's lips parted into a smile and he pulled his head away from her shoulder. He looked up into her face and it felt like she was looking back at him, even though she couldn't see him. He ran a hand through her hair, grasping the back of her head gently. He brought her lips down to his and they kissed softly for a few minutes.
When they pulled apart she wrapped her arms around him tighter and embraced him. "So what happens tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow you need to go back to the Opera House to collect your things, if anything survived." Erik told her, his breath tickling her neck. "Then while everyone is collecting their things I'll go down to the lair and collect everything that I need."
Sara nodded. "And tonight?"
"Tonight you sleep in the bed and I'll sleep here on this chair." He told her.
"Don't be silly, I've slept beside you a lot of times at the Opera House." She reminded him.
"Things are different now." Erik said, watching her yawn.
He stood, causing Sara to slide to a standing position. He crossed the short distance to the bed and pulled the blanket back. Considering the place that they were staying in, the blanket was clean and warm. He helped her out of her shoes and dress and laid her down. He covered her with the blanket and turned to return to his chair.
"Erik," Sara said, her hand grabbing hers gently. "Just sleep beside me tonight. I want you to hold me and never let me go."
A small smile crept across Erik's face. "Alright." He said.
He crossed the room and turned the gas lamp down before returning to the bed. His pants were stiff from standing in the murky lake water so he pulled them, and his sweat stained shirt off, leaving him in only his undergarments, much like Sara. This was the least amount of clothing he had ever worn in a woman's presence.
Even though Sara couldn't see him, he still crossed one arm across his body self consciously. His breath caught in his throat and his eyes fluttered shut when he felt Sara's gentle touch on his spine. He lay back against the pillow, covering himself and Sara with the warm blanket.
Now that the blanket was close to his nose, he could smell the stale scent of sweat on the sheets. His nose curled and he found himself wanting to get away from it. He jumped when Sara's hand ran across his stomach as she drew her body closer to his.
She laid her head on his chest and now he could only smell the scent of the rosewater perfume she wore. He ran his hands through her soft curls and the two quickly fell into a deep sleep, comforted by each other's presence.