Chapter Twelve
A Few Drinks Too Many

Raoul sat at his usual chair; watching Gustave sit furiously outside on the porch, the snowflakes nestling in his thick hair. He wanted to go out and comfort his son, offer him a fresh start and tell him that he cared for him immensely, but he knew that it would only hurt him more.
Gustave couldn't bear another thought of any kind, especially the thoughts he kept having of Eloise. If they hadn't fought in the alleyway, then perhaps he wouldn't be stuck in this miserable home with somebody who just called himself a father as an attempt to try and bring joy back into his life. Gustave hadn't felt so spiteful in his entire lifetime. He wished that Raoul had died instead of his father, an innocent father who knew nothing except for a life of shame and misery. If Erik were still alive, he would've known what to do, but what did Gustave know? He didn't have anything near his father's skills and cunning, he had nothing that could help him escape from Raoul. Besides, Raoul had threatened to go after Eloise if Gustave stepped out of line, and he would have rather died than allowed himself to be the cause of her death. She was a seventeen year old girl who was far, far away from her home and family, she didn't deserve to be stuck in a situation with no possible escape.

As a snowflake fell onto Gustave's burns, he cringed and looked back at Raoul, who had just put down a bottle of beer. It had been two weeks now that he had separated from Eloise and his Opera house. Only a few more till Eloise had to leave the country… He feared that in supervision of Brigitte, she was doomed. He still had nightmares of the moment where Meg Giry had nearly drowned him and shot his mother instead. He was sure it was an accident, but the death of his mother could never be forgiven. Did her mother know that Brigitte had turned this way? That she was working with her old friend to bring down Christine's only child? To ruin his only chance at happiness?
"Gustave, come inside." The scent of alcohol lingered on Raoul's breath.
He nodded, slowly walking in and leaning against the doorway. Raoul smiled and took another sip of his beer.
"Gustave," Raoul looked as if he needed to say something, but kept turning away. The final time he did this, Gustave noticed a strange dimpling in his skin just below his chest. Had he been cut? Burned? What could Raoul be hiding? He had been as healthy as a horse during Gustave's childhood, what kind of trouble had he gotten himself into during these past few years? Before Gustave could ask, a strange idea had popped into his head as Raoul took another sip of his beer. Could Raoul be so in love with his drink that he would risk his sanity for it? Perhaps Gustave could wriggle the truth out of him…
"Raoul," Gustave called out, letting his stepfathers name slip off his tongue like acid.
Raoul turned around, obviously trying very hard not to stumble, to answer his 'son'.
"Have a drink with me." Gustave demanded, also trying very hard to look as thrilled as he possibly could.
"A – A drink?" Raoul asked, pondering what had caused Gustave to ask such a thing. Had this not been the boy who had avoided Raoul for two weeks straight? Perhaps he was finally coming to his senses. Perhaps he had finally forgotten Erik...
"Come father," Gustave replied, clenching his teeth, sitting beside Raoul and opening a rather large bottle of beer, handing Raoul the whole thing.
"Have some, my boy." Raoul insisted, handing him a bottle and taking the larger one for himself.
"Thank you." Gustave muttered, putting it aside and anxiously awaiting for the truth to slip Raoul's tongue. The more he began to drink, the more things he began to mumble on about.
"You're just like Erik…" He mumbled suddenly, causing Gustave to stop refilling the bottle with wine.
"What?"
"Not 'cause of your face –" He stopped to hiccup, "but because of your soul." Raoul laughed and took another sip of his wine, "I always hated him…"
"Why?" Gustave yelled, pounding his fist on the table angrily. His sudden obsession with Erik was beginning to drive Gustave insane.
"He had the thing I wanted most…" Raoul smiled at the memory of Christine. "I didn't know she loved Erik so much more than she loved me." He laughed and threw the rest of the bottle to the ground. Gustave stared at him in horror, realizing what all these years alone had done to his mind.
"Rao- Father," Gustave sighed, beginning to regret his actions. It had been Raoul after all who had cared for Gustave when he was just a baby. It wasn't his fault that Christine had fallen in love with Erik instead. Perhaps if Raoul and Erik were on better terms with each other, Gustave could have visited them both instead of bitterly hating one and loving the other. It was true, he always bared more resemblance to Erik, but that shouldn't have allowed Raoul to develop such a hatred for Erik… However, it was Raoul's fault that Gustave was now here, trapped and hidden away from Eloise. Before Gustave could finish his sentence, he had forgotten and Raoul had passed out on his chair. Gustave shook his head and began to head upstairs when he realized what had happened. Raoul passed out. Quickly opening the door and looking for which direction the academy was, Gustave ran outside and prayed that Raoul would not follow him. He would find Eloise and ease his mind once and for all.