Erik

I simply could not sleep more after the idea hit me, so I waited until Juti fell back asleep, then carefully and unnoticeably I got up to dress up and get the necessities to work on my new mask. It is all the same for me what kind of a face I call as my own, if God gave me such horrid features in reality, I can't be picky about my appearance. Everything is much better than my original skull face. I wanted to hurry to get done with it by morning. Thankfully I now learned how to put Juti's phone in silent mode, so she won't wake up to an accidental sound it may give out while I try to examine that Monsieur Crawford for the most realistic outcome. I did not need to light a lamp, sometimes my deformity comes in handy, I have to admit I thought it was useful, many times when I had to see in the dark. It came useful when I was fleeing from somewhere at nighttime, when I had to sneak-kill someone in a poorly lit area and when I had to go around in the darkness of the cellars… actually I daresay this was the first time I used my ability to see in the dark to do something good for someone else.

While working on the mask, I had time to take a glimpse of my wife from time to time, sleeping peacefully in the bed of this room we rented for the night. It was strange how the fact where she was going to sleep every day was absolutely inessential to her, and she felt comfortable sleeping in any kinds of beds and she wasn't at all picky about rooms. I felt myself a fussy nobleman with her, as I always had expectations about the place we were going to stay at for the night, and it bothered me a bit that this little silly would even content herself with a barn, if I allowed that. Why, when she clearly did not belong there and she was used to much better circumstances? She was a child of the future, coming from a time offering her all the comfort I also found absolutely necessary nowadays, and as I saw some pictures on her phone she took in her own room in her apartment in future Hungary, I could see she wasn't lacking any comfort there either.

She owned equipment I wasn't able to identify on the photos, for example a huge grey box placed on one of the shelves on the huge white cabinet she had, or the smaller red and black box above the huge gray one, but they were visibly hooked to each other by some wires, so they might work together some way. This was the first time I got curious and truly interested in those modern times. I am sure there were many things I'd have to learn if I just happen to get there somehow. Juti also keeps using words I don't always understand, but she mostly explains them if she realizes she used a new word. For example I haven't yet seen an iPod, but I already know it is a machine they use solely to listen to music, and it is able to store less music than a phone, but it has better music quality. Juti admitted once or twice that if she knew the time travel will be successful she'd have packed and brought her iPod, Kindle and laptop with her too, and those things would already suffice. I can't wholeheartedly imagine why someone needs so many electrical equipment just for the same things she is doing, as she is able to listen to music on the computer as well, I am sure she would not need the other device on top. She also misses the internet, and she jokingly remarked I shall receive a Kindle for Christmas, so that we don't need to carry so many books with us if we are travelling somewhere. Though the idea of having thousands of books in one machine with you sounds appealing to me, I don't really like what the suggestion means… I am sure this one isn't intended to be our last journey together according to her imagination and plans then?

I am glad she is accepting the terms of the time period she got into, slowly but steady. I do not blame her, the poor girl. She was used to other cultural circumstances and society standards, and she, I think, feels useless and unsafe sometimes, knowing I do not let her indulge in filthy everyday processes, and I would more like to keep her in the role of an upper middle-class housewife, not a lower-class maid. I know what she feels, as most likely I would have needed much time to get used to her modern world if we were in a reversed situation, of course, she needs time to get used to this century, and she started a new life when she agreed to be my wife. My… wife…

Anyway, I am going to guard and guide her, help her with everything she needs and make her get used to everything easily. It is my job to make her feel as comfortable and happy as it is earthly possible… as her husband it is my job and duty to make her happy, to entertain her, to protect her and to make her feel loved.

The next step in our marriage on the road of making her delighted is to make a mask which satisfies her in any way. She really ought not to feel like she was talking to and walking with a stranger, and as she linked Monsieur Crawford's looks with Erik's character, I believe this is the closest possible compromise we can make between wearing and not wearing a mask. To the outside world, I shall look like Monsieur Crawford, and to her, I can show my real face when it is just the two of us present in a room.

The mask will be done by morning. And I am sure she won't have to wait for too long to the night I will try to make her happy in every possible way, and show her how much a husband loves his wife…

I feel better in general. It won't be a problem… hopefully.

Juti's POV

- Oh ho! What are you doing, sweetness? – I heard Erik's voice behind my back while II was working hard to concentrate on writing the letter in the morning after having breakfast.

- Writing. – I smiled.

- Why are you writing by left, you are right-handed? – He chuckled.

- You may laugh but I found out it is easier to use left hand for writing in Farsi, as you are writing from right to left. I prefer to do it like this.

- It was the only way I always wrote in every language, so I did not think this through with right handed point of view, but you are right. – He nodded with a smile. – So you are writing to the Daroga.

- Yes. I really shall send out a letter already, I haven't written to him since we left.

- I bet he is eager to hear from me. – He pouted a bit of sarcastically.

- Would you proofread my letter once I finish? – I asked, not paying attention to his self-loathing little remark, yet again. – I don't wish to send out a letter containing too much spelling errors or mistranslations. I am not yet that good with the language, but I wanted to make him happy by writing on his native.

- With pleasure, my dear. – He smiled again, finally.

- Thanks, Erik dear, what I'd do without you? – I blew a kiss his way and caught him blushing.

- I am happy you find Erik… es-es-sential to your… e-e-existence. – He stuttered cutely nervously like a schoolboy.

He paused as he noticed he started stuttering, because he hated that more than anything and forcefully tried to overcome it, making himself talk noticeably slower to get rid of stuttering. Also, he caught up a singing-like accentuation if he tried to get rid of stuttering, which made his beautiful voice sound even more like music. I caught his hand as he passed me and stroke it with my thumb, which made him release a delighted little sigh.

- Erik is the best thing to happen to me in all my life. If I had to do the time travel again, I'd do everything the same way.

- Are… are you… sure? – He turned back to fce me with a jawdrop, and leaned closer.

- Entirely. – I nodded with a huge smile and leaned really close to his ear, then whispered "I love you" in his right ear, which gave him an emotional outburst instantly.

At first he just gave me a tight hug, squeezing me close to himself, then he happily kissed my cheeks, and tried his best to fight back a fit of crying.

- You don't know… how much this means… to me… - He spoke softly – I was afraid you… weren't all happy here and you regretted the time travel… my dear girl… as you don't… exactly… belong here and…

- I belong to wherever my husband is, and my husband is Erik. – I kissed his forehead. – I am the luckiest of phangirls to have the original, 100% accurate Leroux-version Phantom as a legal husband. – I giggled.

- You little silly. – He shook his head, not really liking when I talked about POTO and the different versions, but he now understood and accepted it as my main hobby and did not get offended by my Phantom remarks, or spontaneous musical line quotations. On the contrary, he would mostly reply to the quote with another one or if I paused, he'd finish the original quote to let me know he memorized the script in this past one year we had spent together. – You imply that Erik has many phangirls, who "drool over his skinny body" yet I seriously doubt that. And even if I felt comfortable with women, I'd not want anyone else than you.

- You can send me compliments on a strange but cute way. – I giggled.

- Just as you can. We seem to be alike in this aspect.

He wanted to leave me alone to finish the letter, but I wished to ask him something which caught my eye the day before and was thinking about it most of the evening.

- Do we plan to leave the city?

- Yes, after we send out that letter, we shall travel to Ulm by the next train, then stay there for the rest of the day.

- Shall we not have a break between two days of travelling? We did most of the journey so far.

- No, we have to take the same amount of travelling backwards as well, we won't be home until damned Christmas.

- I heard Christmas season is fantastic around here.

- What else would you want? – He gasped with imitated annoyance.

- Oktoberfest! – I spat out with a giggle.

- You don't even like beer, and neither does Erik, too much. I only drink that if there is nothing better.

- I wouldn't go there for the beer.

- Of course, no one visits a beer festival for the beer itself, I pray.

- I would go because of the music. – I admitted. – I love German music a lot.

- You can't be serious. – He laughed out.

- But yes. – I nodded. – Actually I only would want to dance with you.

- You are quite an eccentric girl, do you know? – He hugged me closer to himself and laughed.

- Maybe that is why you married me. – I grinned.

- True. – He nodded, then kissed my forehead. – Among other reasons, I did… but… so you would like to dance with Erik?

- Yes, you promised me back in Paris in February that you will take me to the Masked Ball, and you did not.

- Oh, it is… true, but we don't need Oktoberfest for that. – He smiled at me. – If you really wish that, we can work something out, and I shall make you the happiest of women tonight. Please now finish the letter to the Daroga. Erik has to go to arrange the evening for her beautiful little wife and obey to her whim.

- Won't it give you problems? I mean going out to meet people and…

- Oh no no no dear. – He chuckled. – I have a surprise for you anyway, about going outside, but you shall only see it later. Be a good girl and stay here. Erik shall come back shortly, he is sorry for his absence in advance.

It was so unusual to see Erik agreeing so easily about taking me outside among other people and dance with me in front of others, just as I asked it. In two hours, he arrived back in our room with some lunch he had brought, but the strange thing was he entered the room without a mask. Was it possible he did not wear ANY kind of mask for outside? To my clueless facial expression, Erik only chuckled, as he must have read my mind yet again. I did not ask anything. If Erik acts this way, it mostly indicates some kind of surprise he was working on.

After lunch nothing interesting happened and seemingly Erik did not want to do anything again, he was just reading the Russian book which turned out to be Anna Karenina. I could read the title when he stopped covering it by his fingers.

- That book had been worked on for 40 years. – I stated absently, remembering back some trivia I read once about the circumstances of the novel's working process. I loved to collect interesting but mostly unneeded trivia about things I was interested in.

- It required a lot of research. – He nodded, not even looking up from the text.

- Then what kind of research of 20 years did it require to write an opera about a one night stand? - I giggled, as I found it real funny, but in the next moment the book nearly hit me on the head, I moved away in the last second from its angle.

- Don't dare to mock me again. – Erik shook his finger at me threateningly.

- I was just kidding. – I gasped in a sudden fright, not because of the book in the first place, but because I successfully made Erik angry yet again. It was the first time I offended him seriously since the wedding. – I am sorry. – I whispered.

- No… don't be… - Erik went on his knees and caught my hand penitently. – It is Erik… Erik is sorry it is his fault, only his…

- You still think I would mock you directly, and… and… you don't trust me…?

- Oh no, no it is not that. – He shook his head desperately. – Erik lost his mind, he was too deep in reading and did not think what he was doing, oh forgive me, my angel… do forgive…

- Don't throw things at me. Ever. Again. – I looked into his eyes deeply while leaning closer, but did not kiss him this time. Erik was shaking with fear and remorse as he was squeezing the hem of my dress and nervously twirling it between his fingers.

- Never… - He could hardly produce any sounds, I could only hear him because I have a good hearing.

- Not even if I say something you don't like. – I pointed at him a bit of accusingly.

- No… - He bit his lips anxiously, shaking from head to foot like a leaf.

For some reason I got a bit of tired of his acting, that I wasn't even allowed to joke with him about Don Juan without needing to fear of risking an injury. This aspect of our relationship was yet to be made to the better, and very soon. I just patted his shoulder as he was kneeling on the floor, then freed myself from his grip. He was grasping the air for some moments as my dress was taken from him, but he did not grab me again.

- Will… Juti leave Erik? – He was really so scared I feared he was going to lose his voice if I don't calm him a bit.

- No. – I shook my head. – Not for a book at least. But I will go out for a bit to have some fresh air.

- And you would not wish Erik to follow you. – He finished the sentence softly.

- Not really. – I admitted.

- Please don't go too far away and take care. – He stood up from the floor and just stood there, in the middle of the room, motionless.

I was sorry for him for a few seconds, looking at him, as he stood there and I could easily say all his muscles were stiff, and maybe I did not hear it right, but he was silently crying. I knew though, that we needed some alone time, both of us. I walked out of the room and closed the door, then walked downstairs and out to the street. I just aimlessly was walking up and down in front of the inn, and was looking at the carriages passing around, the people walking, and some cute dogs which were following some ladies.

I was sure I wanted to stay with Erik, but the sudden rage and throwing his book at me, which showed the remains of his terrible temper, did make me upset a bit. No, I did not expect Erik to never get angry, anymore, and I did not expect his temper tantrums to go away just for a snap of a finger just because we got married, but this was just too sudden and too vehement for my taste. At least he could have thrown that damned book to another direction, I am not against him throwing things in his fury, just not at me, so I could be sure he did not want to hurt me, but he had a perfect aim about hitting me. I knew he was honest about feeling sorry instantly about his action, but it wasn't the right way to commit a sin and after feeling sorry for that, but NOT to commit one and think before he acts.

Yet I have to agree he was changing, slowly and steady: he trusted me enough not to grab me and fight with me to keep me in the room with him when I stated I needed a walk. The earlier version of him would not give me such a freedom, as he would be too much frightened to lose me forever. He wasn't entirely sure now either, that I was going to return, yet he let me leave. He is certainly not hopeless.

Some time passed and I just wanted to go back to our room after cleaning out my head, but suddenly I saw a man descending the stairs and heading to the dining room of the inn. That man was Erik, for sure. I have never seen this new mask on him before, but I already knew it was him, though he passed me hurriedly, and he did not seem to notice me, I recognized Michael Crawford's Phantom face, on a full face mask, and he was wearing a dark brown wig similar to the one in the musical. Though I was happy for his new disguise, as it was the image of the true Erik with a normal face for me, I did not like the fact he was heading to drink. I knew many people were drinking there usually and Erik rather brought us some meal than taking me to that area, full of drunken people and smoke. I did not have to disappoint, sadly, as I heard his rich tenor, rather brokenly though, saying something in German, to what he received a huge bottle of something. If he drinks that all, I don't know what will happen, but God have mercy, as he turns aggressive after drinking a lot. I maybe should stay here to make him stop acting up, if needed? So that is what we were going to get through yet again? Will I have to need to deal with Erik's drunkenness on the top of everything?

This is how you are working on a conflict, always?

Erik

I am already sitting here with this damned bottle of whisky, after asking something strong to settle my mind, for more than 45 minutes without opening it. It is a record with me actually, if I want to drink, especially after such events. I am not even sure I want to drink anymore. It seemed to be a nice solution, just as before, to get something strong, and drink myself to a state where I don't remember anything terrible which happened…

But this is where problems are always about to start. I was just an asshole, by losing my temper, and I could not calm down in the room, without Juti, so I just came here to drink…

Do I really NEED spirits to survive?

It is my life story, I have had problems with this goddamned alcohol from time to time, and getting drunk was always my idea of solving my problems. Thankfully I never recall the things I do in public after drinking myself to unconsciousness or memory loss. Otherwise I think I always would feel even more shame about myself, as I am a hundred percent sure there were multiple occasions people could tell stories about my drunken acts in Paris, or anywhere else.

Let us just recall the latest action of mine, when I somehow managed to BREAK my left hand and lose my human mask and got imprisoned for vandalism. HAVING A FIANCÉE while that!

Now that I have a wife, to top the mistake I have already made, do I honestly need to make matters worse by making Juti disgusted and creeped out by a drunk and after a hangover husband by her side? Really? Isn't it enough I nearly threw the goddamned book at her, now am I really expecting her to bear my presence as a stinky drunk aggressive idiot and make her hold my head while throwing up tomorrow? Where was my mind while thinking about this solution? What am I doing?

This can't go on like this and I should really NOT touch this drink.

Juti's POV

I can't believe my eyes! I was trying to keep an eye at Erik as he sat down with his drink at a table, and see what comes out of this in the end. At first he did not touch the bottle by even a finger, not even after an hour, and I did not know if it is just he needed a lot of time to open it, or he did not want to drink at all, but after an hour and 15 minutes, he stood up, grabbing the bottle.

I cautiously walked closer to the door of the room to see the happenings better, being absolutely clueless. He went to a further corner of the room, to a table, where he noticed a guy sitting with an empty glass.

- Haben Sie so? – The beautifully trained and angelic voice rang in my ear, as he leaned close to the guy.

- Na sicher! – The man nodded.

- Sei mein Gast! – Erik turned away from the table and walked towards the door, and me, though he gave out a deep sigh.

I could hear the guy cheerfully yelling "Thank you!" in German, this was the only thing I understood of the words spoken so far, but I was so happy Erik did not have the bottle in his hand any more.

When he arrived outside I could not resist, but unexpectedly jumped into his arms, which he acknowledged with a frightened little gasp, but once he realized it was me, he hugged me tight to himself.

- You came back! – He cheered, not wanting to believe his eyes.

- And you did not drink! – I hugged him tighter. – I am so proud of you!

- Are you…? – He looked at me with his yellow eyes wide open in surprise.

- Yes! I love you and I am proud of you! You are awesome…

- For… not drinking? – He scratched his dark wig, puzzled.

- Yes! Yes! – I kissed the mask in happiness, on his cheeks. – I expected you to… - I explained.

- Oh… - He smiled slowly, laughing a bit of insecurely, but getting into a better mood slowly. – Erik's wife is proud… of him… did you forgive… him?

- Completely. – I nodded. – You are changing!

- Is Erik not a terrible husband to Juti?

- Erik is the best husband ever. – I smiled and kissed his forehead reassuringly.

- If it is so… let us get back into our room so Erik can remove his mask and Juti can kiss him the way Erik shall actually feel it? – He giggled a bit naughtily.

- I love your new mask. – I caught his hand, leading him back upstairs as he still wasn't quite sure he wasn't dreaming, and had trouble walking securely.

- Thank…. You… - He smiled. – I made it to make you happy.

- You always do. – I nodded.

- A… Always…?

- Yes. Minor incidents happen, but you are fine. – I reassured. – We will work everything out, and you are a great husband no matter what.

Truly, I was sure if we have a fight or misunderstanding, we will be able to work it out, and Erik finally worked out a solution to handle conflicts other way than drinking. Now I was sure we will be fine, whatever happens, we can solve it without bigger drama.

Our marriage is going to be a normal and happy one. He is clearly making efforts.