-Discontinued- A Guiding Hand (A Phantom Of The Opera Fan Fiction)

11 - Behind the Mask

-third person-

Nathalie and Erik sat alone for awhile contemplating on what to do for a couple hours before they were due to meet with one another on the rooftops of the opera house

Erik had been self loathing saying how he was a monster and wouldn't be able to earn the love of Nathalie which he hadn't know he had already won a long time ago.

Nathalie on the other hand was sitting alone on her bed just staring at the Rose he had given her and the two words on the note he had given her "your friend". She had flash backs to her past, to paring Meg with William, to even Christine and Raoul singing to each other on the roof tops. She looked at herself in the Mirror and stared at her features messing with her hair. Her own self loathing took over as she even had some tears building in her eyes while sitting back at her bed looking down at the Rose.

Soon they both had calmed down and made their way to the rooftops. Both had noticed that the other seemed a little different.

-Nathalie-

I sighed and wiped the tears from my eyes and slid everything away into its place before I had started my way up to the roof tops. Not caring once again about my health.  I was only wearing my simple day dress, my head ached from crying.

I went up to the roof and sat down at my usual spot but placed my elbows onto my knees and rested my forehead into the palms of my hands.

You need to get ahold of yourself before he gets here. If he really sees you the way he does he would be upset if he found out that I was crying. I wiped my eyes one more time just to make sure. I made sure that my cheeks were dry. I take a deep breath and look out over Paris when I heard foot steps approaching.

-Erik-

After cleaning up my lair a bit after my rage from earlier I stood up and looked over at the dress and the model of her. I walked into the small included room and glanced around. In the back of the room there was a small shelf that hung from the wall. A couple different jewelry pieces I had made, especially for her, sat on display along the desk.

I looked at a bracelets that sat on a golden chain, a smaller version of a locket I had turned into what seemed like a locket but smaller that I had turned into a music box. Along the chain a couple angel wings that made the heart itself look like it had wings with a very light pink adorning the middle of the wings.

I frowned as I picked up the velvet box the piece sat in. I closed the box and slid it away in my tail coat before heading off too the secret passages to go up to the rooftops to meet the girl who might just leave me like her friend had.

I snuck out from the passage way out of habit and stood behind the other statue. I watched as Nathalie came out not wearing anything to keep her warm, just her usual dress. I felt myself frown at the though of her becoming ill.

I watched her as she sat down and just as I was about to step out from my spot I noticed she seemed different. She seems upset.

I watched her for a couple more moments before my suspicions were confirmed when she looked out of Paris. Her eyes were slightly blood shot, her skin seemed flushed, as I watched a couple tears fall down her cheeks before she quickly wiped them away. I watched her try to calm herself down and I noticed the goosebumps on her arms.

I walked up to her slowly and without asking permission I had laid my cloak over her shoulders. She looked at the fabric now laying on re shoulders before looking up at me. Who ever made her cry, has earned my hatred.

-Nathalie.-

As I was trying to calm myself before he had felt something warm lay over my shoulders. I look down at the black fabric now gracing my shoulders before I looked up at Erik who seemed, different as I looked into his blue eyes.