Chapter 13: Tender Care

Erik was resting back against two pillows that Claire had placed on top of each other before going and making him some herbal tea to help calm his nerves; She helped him to take a few sips due to the fact that his right hand had been injured when he had broken one of the mirrors within his home; Erik winced as Claire cleaned the scratches before bandaging his hand using a piece of material that she tore from her skirt,

"... Erik, what happened?" Claire asked him softly as he continued to avoid contact with her due to the fact that he had been yet to find his mask after his fit of anger,

"... Christine removed my mask whilst my guard was down and... She fled at the very sight of me" Erik murmured after a very long moment of silence, pulling his bandaged hand away from her own; Claire frowned and was hesitant as she reached out her hand, brushing the back of it softly against the twisted flesh that tarnished half of Erik's face and watched him close his eyes blissfully,

"None of this is your fault, Erik. Christine was selfish for removing your mask without permission and then fleeing you. Everything's going to be fine... I promise" Claire vowed causing him to look at her with a humorless smile,

"Of course everything will be fine. My handsome face ensures that" he responded sarcastically,

"You're not ugly, Erik. Not to me" Claire told him but watched as he scoffed,

"Do you not see this scar? Do not be foolish, Claire. Anything with a scar like this is a monster" he told her, sitting up on the other side edge of the bed so that his back was too her,

"... I guess I am not really the best person to comfort you. After all I have scars of my own except I am fortunate enough to have them where they can easily be hidden" Claire murmured causing Erik to sigh,

"I'm sorry, Claire... I forgot that I had plagued you with scars of your own" Erik told her guiltily as she moved to his side and sat next to him,

"You did not plague me with the scars, Erik. The shah did" she reminded him, touching his chin gently so that he reluctantly looked at her so she could examine the twisted and blistered flesh upon the right side of his face,

"Does it hurt you?" she asked gently,

"Only phantom pains" he replied with a slight humor filled half smile which caused her own to develop,

"... It isn't an injury... I was born this way. A mask is the only proper face I have ever known... Ever since the old flour sack my mother gave me as my first" he explained, hesitantly reaching up his hand and pulled away the black wig slowly from his head much to Claire's surprise as she saw the full extent of Erik's disfigurement; His head was dusty with slight sprigs of blonde hair that great from more patches of twisted and blistered pink flesh that built up his scalp,

"Oh, Erik..." Claire whispered as silence fell between them as Erik closed his eyes in shame; It was after a moment that he gave a gasp of stunned bliss as he felt Claire press her lips softly to his mangled cheek before leaning up, doing the same to his scalp and then rested her head upon his shoulder,

"You don't need to worry, Erik. I'm not going anywhere" she promised him and Erik felt himself grow numb... Was this what had been denied to him his entire life?... Was this what it was like to be cared for? To be loved by someone?

Erik found himself watching Claire sleep sometime later; He had gently moved her head off of his shoulder before laying her down against the pillows and gently pulled the blanket over her before pulling his wig back on over his head and making his way out into the main cavern that he had trashed... Erik picked up a torn drawing of Christine and glared at it... The glare became a frown as Erik noticed something... The charcoal drawn eyes... Were not Christine's... They were Claire's.

Erik quickly gathered the remains of his other drawings of Christine and found that they all had the same detail... His drawings of Christine... He had been drawing her with Claire's eyes... Erik had always admired Claire's stunning blue eyes. They made him feel safe... He realized that they not only did that but... They made him feel love... He had completely missed all those times she smiled at him... He missed the love within her eyes... That sparkle that appeared within them whenever she saw him; Erik made his way over to the trashed stage model and moved the remains out of the way, finding the doll he had made of Christine... There was that detail again. Christine's form but Claire's eyes painted upon the face... Erik's thoughts were interrupted when Antoinette lead Nadir into the lair causing Erik to turn his back to them quickly and began searching for his mask,

"Are you alright, my friend?" Nadir pressed,

"Where is Claire? Did she find her way here safely?" Antoinette added as Erik sighed in relief, finding his mask under some shredded designs and he put it on before turning back towards them,

"Yes, Claire is fine. She's sleeping" Erik answered before gesturing to Nadir that he needed to speak to him as Antoinette went to check on Claire; Nadir wore a concerned expression as he came to his friend's side,

"Is everything ok?" the Persian asked as the masked man looked at him with a tired and exhausted frown,

"... You were right, Nadir... Claire does love me" Erik admitted sadly causing Nadir to smile despite his confusion,

"Well surely that is a reason to smile is it not?" he pressed, his smile fading as Erik shook his head,

"... No. It is not... It's not because... I love her too" Erik murmured,

"Erik... You're confusing me. If you know that Claire loves you and that you return her feelings then... I am struggling to find a negative area. Please assist me" Nadir begged in slight frustration,

"... You would know why I am troubled if you had seen what hides behind this mask... Tonight something happened to me that I never thought would ever be possible... One woman fled from the sight of me and then another looked upon me without fear... She smiled and still held a light in her eyes" Erik murmured, turning away from Nadir and up-righted his desk and retrieved some stationary and his fountain pen as he began scratching ink against the parchment causing Nadir to become curious,

"What are you doing?" he pressed after a moment, watching as Erik folded up the paper, opening the desk drawer, retrieving an envelope which he placed the letter inside and sealed it before writing Claire's name upon the envelope and then turned back to Nadir, offering the envelope to her,

"Give this to Claire for me... Tell her that I am sorry... And that she is the light within my darkness" Erik murmured as Nadir accepted the envelope, confused as he saw his masked friend retrieve his cloak and pull it around his shoulders before heading off towards one of the exit tunnels,

"Erik, Where are you going?" the Persian demanded,

"Out of her life... I owe her that much" Erik mumbled as he disappeared into the darkness and Nadir was hopeless to stop him as he looked down at the envelope addressed to Claire in his hand.

Poor Erik doesn't believe that he deserves love! Will he and Claire see each other again?! Review for Chapter 14!

Kind Regards,

TheAuthor1996