Just to let you know - this chapter is set a few weeks after the last one. There will probably be just one more chapter after this, which will be set a few years later. Thanks to all who have read and reviewed so far!
The fire was blazing away, casting an eerie shadow of Erik's cloaked form on the stone wall of the cavern as he silently walked over to the bookshelf and selected a book on the history of opera.
"Have you been studying the geography book I gave you?" Gerard asked him, putting down his cup of coffee.
"Music is far more interesting," Erik replied dismissively. He sat and began leafing through the book, much to Gerard's irritation.
"I told you weeks ago to study that chapter on weathering and erosion and to answer the questions at the end."
"I did. It doesn't interest me." The curtness of Erik's reply made Gerard exhale impatiently, but he gathered himself together and tried to sound more jovial.
"Well, maybe you would like to recite the capital cities of Europe for me? I remember you learned them really quickly when you were younger."
"Why would I want to do that? It's not like I'll ever be able to visit any of those places, is it?"
Gerard longed to contradict him but could not offer him any false hope. "To be honest, I haven't visited many places myself. I thought you might like to learn them, just... well, just for the sake of knowledge really."
"Why do you even care if I know these things? I'm not a child and I don't need your lessons any more; I can learn by myself just fine. And I don't want to travel anywhere: this is my world and it's all I need." He waved his arm to indicate the vast cavern and the lagoon beyond it; already he was planning some… adjustments to this sparsely furnished underground realm. Walking over to the little table beside the bookshelf he picked up the globe that Gerard had salvaged from an old production of Faust.
"Who needs any of these places?" he asked contemptuously, spinning the globe around in a furious circle. It got faster and faster and just as Gerard thought it would spin off its frame and on to the stone floor, Erik put his hand on it to stop it and tossed it on the table without a care in the world. "Learning capital cities!" he sneered, "I'll decide what I learn from now on."
"I don't care for that tone, young man," Gerard told him sternly. The boy just stared at him as Gerard realised how close he was to revealing his secret. And yet he could not allow Erik to speak to him like this; his own father would certainly not have allowed it when he was that age.
"Why do you care for anything I do? Why do you live here anyway?"
"You know why. I used to know your mother and there was no-one else to take care of you. Now, there's something I-"
"Did you know my father too?"
Gerard swallowed as he felt his complexion turn redder and hoped that the darkness would hide it.
"No, he was dead by the time you were born. I never met him," he replied quickly, keeping his back to the masked boy as he tidied the music sheets that were scattered on the rug.
Erik gave a contemptuous sound. "Just like I thought. So why should I care for anything up there? I don't even have any family, there's no-one who cares for me or even knows I exist, except as a ghost." He walked straight up to Gerard, who was trying to clear the cups and saucers away. Nervously he took a step back. "And you're just living here because… I don't know, you promised my mother you would, or something. So stop pretending you're my tutor. Stop pretending I need to know about the world up there because I don't. All I know is that they love beauty and perfection. There's no place for me there and never will be, never."
Gerard did not interrupt him. He rose slowly and looked at his son with new and fearful eyes, knowing at last that he had become part of this dark, hidden world just as he had always been destined to. Perhaps it's best he reasoned to himself. Perhaps it's better than having him wanting to travel and then enduring people staring at him. He watched in silence as his son sat in the armchair and calmed himself a little before opening the book.
"You know, there's something I need to discuss with you," he began at last. Erik looked up.
"I've been looking for somewhere to live… and today I think I found the right place. It's small but it's cosy and not far from here. It's just what I need, really, and the neighbourhood is nice enough. Of course, I won't be moving straight away, there are lots of dull, legal things to sort out first but I just wanted you to know." He rubbed the back of his neck. "You see, I think I need to live up above again, like I used to. And… after all, you are nearly sixteen and I was working by the time I was your age. I'm sure you'll be fine, you know. You can cook already and…" His voice trailed off, as he realised how much he was rambling. "Erik, you don't mind, do you?"
Erik looked at the floor but only for a moment. "Of course not," he replied, his voice steady.
"I'll still be the manager of course, so I'll be here every day, or at least, up above."
Erik was silent for a moment, rubbing his finger along the spine of his book.
"Uncle Gerard? Will you… I mean, I'm sorry I lost my temper just now. I shouldn't have said those things. You've always looked after me and I feel ashamed."
"It's quite all right, you know. Most young people do things like that. But I really miss living above the ground and well, I can't live here forever, can I?"
"You will… you will come and visit me, won't you?"
"Of course. Just because I won't live here anymore doesn't mean you won't see me. I'll visit as often as I can and find out what provisions you need and all that type of thing. And I'll keep those rumours going, don't you worry. But this is your home, as you've said, and well, I feel like I've overstayed my welcome."
"You will always be welcome here," Erik replied quietly, and Gerard found himself trying to avoid those eyes which looked at him with such tenderness.
oOo
The final day crept up on them both and Erik watched while Gerard packed his trunk, the same one he had packed several years ago when he left for Paris. Just as he had finished, he felt Erik's hand on his shoulder and jumped.
"Sorry," Erik mumbled, stepping away from him. Gerard merely nodded, shutting his trunk quickly. He took a final look around, glad to be returning to the surface after all this time. Soon he would no longer have to spend his lunchtimes in the park in order to feel sunlight on his face. And yet it would not be as easy as he had always believed it would be. He knew he could not simply walk away but that something would always bind him to this odd but likeable young man.
Erik stood at the bottom of the stone steps as his guardian and only friend started to make his way upwards.
"Uncle?" he called out. His uncle retraced his steps and Erik stepped forward so that he was standing in front of him. With a little hesitation he put his arms out in front of him a little, then dropped them by his sides. Immediately, Gerard put his hand out and after a moment's hesitation Erik took it in his own and shook it.
"Good luck," he told him with a grin.
"Thank you, Erik. I'll be back soon, after I've settled into my new home."
He watched while Gerard began his long ascent to the world above, until his tall, imposing frame was out of sight. Then he sat on the bottom step and put his head in his hands, with nothing around him but the darkness and the deathly silence.