Chapter Nineteen: The reality check

Erik awoke from his deep sleep to find a pair of angry eyes staring into his own proud, remorseless eyes. She is wearing my shirts. He observed with a sense of delight. How happy I am to find her in them.

"Did you know just how dangerous it was… what you were doing? You could have died and left me here, next to your… lifeless body."

"You should not have avoided me. I have little patience. You left me no other option." He brushed off the uncharacteristic outburst, before giving in to mirth. "Hannah you are angry. I've never seen you so before. You were always so… calm. Do you know just how sensual you look in your fury?"

"You seem to bring out some strange emotions in me."

She averted her eyes from his, as silent tears uncontrollably rolled down her cheeks. In her desperate attempt to bring Erik back to her, she neither had time nor energy to think about the possibility of defeat. Now he had returned to her, the thought that she could have lost him troubled her and became unbearable. She felt his fingers on her sultry cheeks, ever so gently wiping away the tears. They banished just as suddenly as they had appeared, as three simple words, uttered with serenity and clarity, started to sink in her mind. "I am here."

Erik watched her crying for a little while. He felt both fascinated and touched by her tears. Her looks were feminine; every single feature of her form allured men to believe that she was a delicate and vulnerable creature, in need of their protection. Some men, usually those who understood pain, could see just a little beyond her appearance. They could see warmth and understanding towards suffering from her eyes, and sought comfort from her, like sons would seek warmth from their mother. But even the latter had no understanding of her peculiar and independent mind, carefully hidden behind her feminine exterior. She did not like her appearance, not because it was somewhat uncommon, drawing unwanted attentions to herself, but because it created the wrong impression. She neither desired nor needed comforting from another human being. Her sadness was her own and only retained its beauty when it remained so. Erik knew this was not a moment that would repeat itself every so often. Its rarity made him wish that it would last just a little longer so that its image would be firmly imprinted in his mind.

As he continued to watch, he felt his heart ablaze with a desire to take her in his arms and make love to her. He wanted to explore every inch of her body with his assertive lips and adept fingers, making her whimper with inexorable pleasure and longing. Instead, he dried her tears and comforted her. They were in the realm of reality now, and certain things needed to be taken care of first. Ideally, these things should have been discussed before he brought her to his world. But then it wasn't exactly his fault that they had not had a prior opportunity to discuss the matter.

"You must be hungry."

Hannah looked at him blankly, trying to register his words. Yes… of course. We do things like eating when we are conscious.

"Do you want your shirt back?" she said with a grin, glancing at his nakedness that was somehow endearing to her eyes.

Erik dressed himself with his usual grace and walked to the wardrobe in the corner. "I bought a few clothing items for you, Hannah. Have a good look at them later on, and tell me what else you will need," he said, holding the door open.

"A few? I think I've got more than I will ever need."

"I kept some of my clothes here, as well. I will show you the rest of your clothes, when you are ready."

Erik's eyes were filled with pride, as she finished dressing herself. He had been right. The blue silk dress he had chosen for her fitted her perfectly in every sense of the word. After a simple meal of fresh fruits and bread, he showed her the refurbished rooms in their home. Hannah concentrated hard to remember where things were kept, things that were irrelevant in dreams but an important part of everyday life. She felt pleased with herself, as she seemed to have managed reasonably well, despite her usual hopelessness on such matters. Finally, Erik led her back to their bedroom.

"Is everything in our home for your liking?" He asked, allowing her head to rest on his lap and lightly stroking her hair.

"I noticed that you left some of the walls bare and white. Thank you," she replied earnestly. "I could not have wished for a better place to live in."

"You love staring into an empty space. Do you not?" He laughed quietly.

"So many possibilities live in unoccupied spaces." She smiled.

"Is it OK if we live here just for a year or so, till it is safe for you to live above ground? I can purchase an estate in England if you are not happy here. There is still time to escape France."

"I don't want to take you away from your opera house. I'm perfectly fine here. I love this place."

"I'm just worried that the dampness could affect your health. I have Chinese tea that helps to prevent that. You will have to drink it everyday."

"I am much younger than you," she said wistfully. "I think I can easily survive one year's underground living. But I promise I will drink it everyday."

"We won't be here all the time. I will have to keep an eye on my staff and you are welcome to accompany me on my secret rounds. We can even watch the opera from my private box… I can take you to the roof where we can look at the night sky." He paused a little and added. "But, whatever you do, don't leave this place without me. It is simply too dangerous."

"I am hopeless when it comes to a sense of location. I wouldn't dare leave this place without you," she assured him, grasping and squeezing his hand. "I trust you are finished with educating me about the reality of life underground, for now. There was quite a lot for me to take in. You can teach me more tomorrow."

She sat up and turned her head slightly towards him, holding his chin with one hand.

"Erik," she whispered into his ear. "What are we waiting for?"

Take her. Just claim what is yours now. Everything else can wait. He so wanted to listen to the voice. It sounded reasonable and wise but he knew he would never find the courage to ask her what he wanted, if he let the voice win.

"Hannah, there is something that I must tell you," Erik spoke, somewhat dreading her reaction. "I want to make our marriage legally standing."