Temptations...
A/N: Alright here it is ;D Enjoy!
Once again he had shown her why she couldn't trust him, and once again it had left her disappointed. The hope of him ever being compassionate going out the door as soon as he killed the pair before her eyes.
Once again she was wet thanks to that damn lake of his, why he lived down here was a riddle to her. She could hear him outside, by now she knew what sounds he made, the shuffling of paper, the usual note escaping from his organ. The bastard was avoiding her, and she knew it.
She poked her head through the curtain once more to find him slumped over his organ a pen in hand as he stared blankly down at the paper. Why he wasn't writing down anything sent a spark of curiosity through her. She really didn't want to go near him, but hell her chance was now to get him back for killing two people in front of her.
"Something wrong?" she asked walking up behind him as he sighed ever so softly, he could have heard her coming a mile away, and yet her voice was different. She had a cold tone to it, much too different from her usual speaking tone.
"Why would you ask such things?" he replied still staring at the paper as she paced behind him still thinking why she was doing this, for all she knew he could turn around and kill her with his lasso if she got on his bad side.
"You're not writing anything down…and it's been three hours since you last played anything, need I continue?" she replied still in a monotone voice which almost made him wince, almost. He knew killing the two was a mistake, something he thought he had long put behind him. He wasn't, however, going to go and ask for forgiveness for his acts, he had done what was necessary.
"Child you are distracting me," he warned trying to remain calm, he could tell she was trying to get on his nerves but why now of all the times? He was busy at the moment, but he knew why, she just wanted to get him back for what he had forced her into. His grip around his pen tightened slightly as he closed his eyes slightly, how long had it been since he last slept?
"Ah so you can talk…this is something new," she told him walking over to a table he had, something had caught her attention and she was going to check it out whether he cared or not, in her opinion he didn't even want her there anyway. His eyes opened slowly once more as he shook his head slightly, this wasn't like him, he was usually more alert…it was something about her that made him feel less tense, and while something like that might bring relief to others it only brought anger to him.
The years had taught him that carelessness was a mistake, something so simple could cause disaster, now to have him fall asleep while she was there…surely she would take advantage of it and leave. He couldn't afford such a mistake.
The Phantom turned his head to look at her slightly when she picked up another of his masks, this one however was the one he had worn to the masquerade, the Red Death mask. His brow rose when she held it up to the level of her face and put it on, no one had ever worn one of his masks but him, it even caused him to turn to look at her more when she walked around with it still on.
"I like it," she told him taking it off finally, her voice changing to a compassionate tone once she looked at him, he looked exhausted. It caused something within her to feel pity for him and no longer the hate she had felt so strongly before. She set his mask down where she had found it being careful to avoid moving anything else out of its place as she walked over to him once more.
"Are you tired?" she asked concerned crouching in front of him trying to look at his face which he kept shadowed and away from her. He tried not to laugh at the question, she was good at acting, he had to give her that much.
"Do you think me stupid?" he growled slightly as she jumped at the tone he used with her. She quickly turned rather defensive, something she was surprised she was doing with him of all people as she stood up hands on her hips with a stubborn look on her face.
"How dare you! Here I am worrying over you and you think I'm playing with you? I'm not leaving you bastard!" she told him…well…rather yelled.
His eyes shot up to look at her in surprise, truly how long had he been hiding? She was like nothing compared to the women of his time, while they would remain quiet in respect she simply yelled at him in defiance. He debated however whether all of this was true.
"Come, you need some sleep, I will not have a half-dead Phantom walking around, for all we know you could fall into the lake or something…now that would be a tragedy," she told him, the last part of her sentence dripping with sarcasm managing to crack a grin from the Opera Ghost. Him falling in the water? The nerve of the girl to think so little of him.
He was going to remain at his organ for a good while, or at least he had planned to, until her hands slipped around his arm and pulled him up with difficulty as he stumbled slightly surprised that she would even dare to touch him. She seemed rather oblivious to the fact however as she dragged him towards his 'room.' Before she could lead him in however he shook her off gently and gave her a stare that told her not to follow.
She scowled at him slightly standing behind him, it was then that she noticed how tall he really was, hell he towered over her. Not only that but his normal proud stance wasn't there, it was replaced by a weaker side of him, his shoulders were slumped and his head hung low. She didn't know why but in the three days she had spent down in the lair she had grown to hate it when he looked like this. It then hit her, had he even slept at all during that period?
"Do not disappoint me," he warned her giving her a stern look as she resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the Opera Ghost. She ushered him in with a wave of her hand as she turned and headed back to her own room.
"I'm not her, I'm not leaving," she growled at him just before he headed inside to his as he looked back at her and rose a brow slightly in curiosity. She was truly pushing him, no one dared to talk to him in that manner, he wasn't used to it, and yet it seemed to bring him some sense of relief to have someone to talk to. Someone to challenge him and contradict him, someone to just spend some time with…he had been alone for so long he had forgotten it felt to have someone other than himself there for company.
This was truly something rare, he thought. He shook the thoughts off as soon as he walked into his room; the strong scent of roses hit him as soon as he stepped inside. He didn't even bother in changing, he simply kicked off his boots and walked lazily towards his bed, passing sheets scattered everywhere, the endless seas of candles. Everything was dark if not black in color, even his sheets were of black silk. He allowed himself to fall back on them, his eyes closing instantly as he let out a sigh of relief.
He didn't notice, nor did he care at the moment when his half-mask fell off. After all it didn't matter, he had strictly told her to never come in to his room. She wouldn't dare to disobey that order.
Monica let out a sigh of relief once she heard nothing more from the Phantom. She was relieved that he had finally allowed himself the vital need of sleep that he had been depriving himself of. She sighed suddenly feeling tired herself. She walked over to her room stopping slightly at his organ when she noticed a single red rose lying on the keys.
It caught her attention without fail as she walked over and noticed there was a note underneath it. She rose an eyebrow in curiosity and turned to look at his room in interest. Surely he had put it there for her to see.
She carefully unfolded it glancing slightly at the rose once more as she began to read and let out a whistle of admiration at the magnificent cursive the Opera Ghost had:
There should be some gentlemen here soon to see the repairs of the Opera House,
Do not be late in meeting them….
-O.G.
She had to hold back the urge to burst into his room and throw the note at him, the nerve, and to think he even had the guts to leave a damn rose. He probably put it there to tease her, yes that had to be it; he was getting back at her now for annoying him. When did he put it there though? The bastard was sneaky…
"Damn bastard," she whispered to herself, her brow twitching in agitation at the nerve of the man. She quickly found herself in another predicament, how was she supposed to meet said people if she couldn't even leave the lair?
Her eyes landed on the gondola he had as she eyed it suspiciously, yes that was the solution to all of her problems. She got on it with a determined look on her face before she lost her balance once more and ended up in the water…again.
She let out an annoyed growl kicking at the water and just walking towards the entrance of the lair from the mirror in Christine's room. She trotted slowly through the water not giving a damn as she finally reached the theater and descended to find someone knocking at the door already.
"Evening, were here about the renovations," a man said tilting his hat to her as she nodded and let him and his companion pass closing the door behind him.
After grueling hours of having to sit down with them and listening to them going on and on about how difficult it was going to be to renovate it and have it look the same they finally left. They agreed to come back tomorrow to start the task as she bid them farewell and stared after the car. It then dawned on her, there she was standing at the front of the Opera House, she could smell the fresh air, a new untouched coat of snow covering the grounds as she got the urge to simply run for it. To forget all about the Phantom.
She held back however, not because of his threats, but because she had told him she would stay. She wasn't Christine who would have already ran for freedom, she had told him she would stay, and he had partially trusted her. What would happen if he woke up and found her gone? Surely then he would lose all hope in ever trusting anyone.
All of these thoughts raced through her mind as she stood there still wet from her previous incident with the water, the cold air dancing around her mockingly. Freedom was so close and she couldn't have it. She debated with herself as a pair of metallic blue eyes watched her from above. The Phantom had woken long ago and was currently testing her, she would run and he knew it. Who wouldn't take such tempting bait?
"Run…run away child," he whispered to her as her figure remained frozen to the doorway. He continued to watch from the shadows, this was her chance…what was she waiting for?
Had he been someone else his jaw would have dropped of shock, instead however he clenched his jaw tightly and descended once he noticed her close the door and remain within the Opera House. She hadn't taken the bait, strangely that seemed to disappoint him. She was nothing like he had made her out to be, that was the first time he had ever been wrong in a long time.
She made her way back to the lair solemnly knowing she had done the right thing as she paused once she was inside of the mirror sneezing lightly as she jumped feeling someone drape something over her.
Her eyes widened as she watched the Opera Ghost brush past her and walk ahead disappearing into the darkness leaving her there as she turned and noticed his cape, or as he had corrected her once, cloak around her shoulders.
"Bravo," his voice echoed through the dimly lit hallway as she smiled slightly. This had all been a game for him; clearly by the tone he had used he had lost. She pulled the cloak around her tighter reveling in the strange warmth it gave her as she walked along using the walls as guides still. He had left her behind on purpose; he always did when he was agitated with her.
"Even Phantoms lose," she whispered to herself as his laugh came from up ahead, only he could have picked up something of that volume, damn him for being the Angel of Music.
His angelic laughter echoed off of the walls as she grinned as well. It was rare when he laughed in such a manner, she instantly fell in love with his laugh, it sent chills up her spine.
As for the score however she was more than happy to rub it in later: Monica 1, Phantom 0.
Their games however would soon end, her friends hadn't forgotten her and they would be back soon to bring her back with them. It had been three long days already and they were on their way to retrieve her and to once and for all, kill the Phantom of the Opera.
Review! It made me smile to see some new faces reviewing ;D On a sidenote what do you guys think the Phantom is? A Ghost? Immortal? A vampire (XD)? Let me hear your thoughts on that...hehehe :D Till next time mein freunde.