Chapter Text
Ever since he was a boy of sixteen, Raoul had despised his heats. All the stories made them sound so sensual and lovely, where a strong alpha would care for his omega mate who would be lost in the throes of passion and begging to be filled. What the stories failed to tell was how absolutely miserable it was for an omega to spend their heats alone. They didn’t talk about the horrible cramping, the mindless, never ending arousal, or how sweat and slick got everywhere, making the few lucid moments incredibly uncomfortable. Raoul never bothered to clean himself up during those precious hours where he could think straight. What was the point, when he would sully the nest again once he lost himself to his heat?
They never warned that nests would feel so empty without a mate inside of it and how paranoid it would make the omega feel to not have someone strong and capable to protect them while they were in such a vulnerable state. During his heats, Raould would keep his bedroom door and balcony door locked up tight, but even then he barely got any rest unless he passed out from exhaustion. Fear and arousal mixed together like a poisonous cocktail, making him hot and nauseated, needy and terrified. He longed to feel an alpha embrace him and promise him that everything would be alright in the end.
For years Raoul suffered through these awful and lonely heats. He would scream and beg for someone, but no one ever came. The servants who had to tend to him afterwards would never comment upon his behavior and it somehow felt even more isolating. It was as if he hadn’t suffered for nearly a week in his bedroom, where the crushing loneliness was almost suffocating and the pain never ending.
Then he met Erik.
Strange, wonderful, stubborn Erik, who was far too much of a gentleman to help Raoul through his heats, despite the young vicomte begging Erik to let him stay in his home. Being at the de Chagny estate all alone during a heat was was worse than any torture imaginable. When he said as much to the alpha, Erik had simply pressed a kiss to the back of his hand and told him that things were still far too new between them and that he wouldn’t want to take advantage of Raoul while he was in such a state of distress, no matter how delicious he would look rutting against the sheets for relief. The comment still made Raoul blush whenever he thought of it.
This time, however, Raoul was determined to stay in the catacombs with his beloved phantom. He wanted to experience a heat with Erik, show him that he could be a good omega and a worthy mate. He wasn’t just some boy who was occasionally oblivious to the world around him. He could provide Erik with a family, with the love and care the alpha had been missing for so many decades.
But he needed to be careful with his plan. Erik would certainly see through whatever ruse he was trying to pull - it was a blessing and a curse to love a man who was so perceptive to whatever Raoul’s moods were, so the plan had to be flawless.
It all began the night before, when they were sitting happily in Box 5 and watching Christine command the stage as the prima donna. Raoul had made sure to dab on quite a bit more cologne than he would normally wear to mask his pre-heat scent and when Erik asked why he smelled so strongly, Raoul had made the excuse that he had simply been clumsy and the bottle had fallen from his grasp, covering his suit with cologne. The opera ghost merely scrunched his nose up in displeasure before muttering about missing Raoul’s natural scent and dropping the subject entirely.
After the first act, Raoul entered into the second phase of his plan. During intermission he began to complain of a slight headache and a bit of nausea. Erik immediately became concerned, with his gloved hand gripping Raoul’s tightly and asking the vicomte if he needed to find some way to fetch a doctor. Raoul had been quick to reassure Erik that he would be more than alright and that the heavy scent of his cologne was what was making him feel ill. Erik didn’t seem wholly convinced, but he kept whatever comments he wanted to make to himself and turned his attention back to the stage when the beginning of the second act began.
By the time the show was over, Raoul made it appear as if he could hardly stand on his own two feet and Erik didn’t hesitate to lift him up as if he weighed nothing and opened a door that was flush to the wall of Box 5 - one of the phantom’s many passages that would lead them down to his home. The entire walk down Erik chastised himself for not keeping a closer eye on his omega, that he was a terrible alpha and an even worse lover.
Guilt ate away at Raoul as he watched his beloved fuss over him once they were in his home. Erik insisted that Raoul change into one of his night shirts and brought him cup after cup of warm, soothing tea. The poor man was so worked up that he was wringing his bony fingers together and begging Raoul for his forgiveness for not being as attentive as he should have been.
Raoul was quick to remedy the situation. He pulled Erik in for a gentle kiss and told his alpha that the one thing that would truly make him feel better was if Erik curled up with him in bed. Erik didn’t waste a second before he started to undress.. Raoul had watched with the smallest smile on his lips as Erik undressed himself, appreciating the way his muscles moved beneath the fabric of his dress shirt. If everything went according to plan he would have those wonderful arms holding him as Erik helped him through his heat.
The third phase of the plan began in the morning.
Raoul wasn’t surprised to find the bed empty. Erik hardly slept and he easily grew bored waiting for Raoul to wake up. Instead, his love would dress himself and quietly tiptoe out of the bedroom and into the music room, where the gentle sound of a violin or piano would wake Raoul from his slumber. That morning was no different and Raoul was going to use Erik’s absence to his advantage.
Raoul pushed back the silk covers and stood up, stretching his arms above his head and doing his best to ignore the cramping that was starting in his lower abdomen. He would only have a few hours to properly build a nest before his heat began in full force. If he was lucky, Erik would be too consumed in his music to notice Raoul hadn’t joined him in the music room like he normally would. It would give him plenty of time to gather blankets, sheets, and whatever else he could find to make his nest perfect for him and his mate.
So Raoul began the task of gathering the supplies he would need. He first went to the guest bedroom and stripped the mattress of its sheets and many quilted blankets. The guest room acted as a linen closet of sorts, since Erik never intended to have an actual guest in his home, and it gave Raoul plenty of soft things to work with. Erik had a taste for fine things and that taste extended to the vast amount of linens he owned, which Raoul was grateful for. All the comforters and pillows were made with goose down while the sheets were made of the finest silk. The quilts were made out of incredibly soft fabric that felt like heaven on Raoul’s already heated skin.
It took a few trips back and forth to the guest bedroom before Raoul had everything he needed. Now it was time to go through the rest of the house and gather up things that smelled like his alpha. The linens from the guest bedroom would make for excellent cushioning, but none of them smelled like Erik. They smelled like lavender and soap. He was craving that deep, musky scent that held a hint of rose and pine. While the sheets they had slept on the night before were a good start, they weren’t enough for Raoul. He needed more.
Before leaving the bedroom, Raoul carefully listened for the familiar sound of Erik’s violin. The house was silent and part of him worried that he wouldn’t be able to complete the final phase of his plan. He didn’t want Erik to find out that his heat was starting soon. There was little doubt in Raoul’s mind that Erik would whisk him away to the world above and he would have to spend the next few days in pure agony.
Soon enough music began to echo off of the rock walls and Raoul couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. He still had time.
Raoul quietly moved through the home until he reached the living room that also doubled as Erik’s library. He was quick to grab Erik’s favorite blanket and wrapped the fabric around himself, breathing it in for a moment. He had given it as a gift to Erik after the first time he had brought Raoul into his home. The place was freezing and Erik offered the young vicomte the few blankets that had been scattered around, which left Erik to shiver in the cold. Upon his next visit Raoul had gifted the alpha a warm, cozy blanket and proudly stated it was big enough for the two of them to curl up underneath. He could still remember the way Erik’s hands shook as he accepted the gift and the way his golden eyes widened at the kind gesture. He had clutched the blanket to his chest as if he were afraid that someone would snatch it from his arms. That was the day he learned that Erik had never received a real present before. People had given him things, but there was little to no intent behind it. What Raoul had done was special.
Smiling softly at the memory, he brought the soft material up to his nose and inhaled deeply. Yes, this would make a fine addition to the nest.
Raoul kept the blanket around his shoulders as he continued to gather up whatever throw pillows he could get his hands on. Thankfully there was quite the pile on the settee that Raoul could help himself to and before he knew it, his arms were completely full with embroidered pillows that had an obnoxious amount of fringe that tickled his overly sensitive skin. When did his skin become so sensitive? Was his heat coming on faster than he thought?
A sudden cramp went through Raoul’s belly, causing him to double over and let out a small, high pitched whine. Oh. His heat was definitely close. Raould knew he needed to start moving more quickly, or else the nest would never get finished and he would never get to prove to his alpha that he was a capable omega. Thankfully, Erik didn’t seem to hear him; his violin never ceased its playing.
Raoul readjusted his grasp on the pillows and made his way to the front of the house where he and Erik stored their coats, cloaks, and shoes. There was one item in particular that he was after and then he would be able to run back to the bedroom and begin work on his nest. It wasn’t difficult to spot the beautifully beaded cloak amongst Raoul’s more traditional coats and jackets and as soon as his fingers touched the fabric he breathed a sigh of relief. Erik’s cloak was deceivingly heavy, with its wool exterior and thousands of beads sewn into it. It amazed Raoul how his love could take it on and off with such ease! He was no weakling, but even Raoul could admit that the item was quite hefty and bulky to fold up and carry. All the effort to get it to the bedroom would be worth it though. He planned to curl up underneath it when he wasn’t lost to his heat. The weight would drape around him, making him feel so safe and secure.
All that was left to do now was to actually build the nest and then show it off to Erik. His alpha would be so proud and he would finally, see that Raoul was good enough to be his mate! Turning around on his heel, Raoul’s bright smile fell from his face when he saw Erik standing just a few feet away with a rather amused smirk pulling on his lips. His visible eyebrow was raised and curiosity sparkled in his golden eyes, no doubt wondering what Raoul was getting up to with all the pillows and his heavy woolen cloak in his arms.
“My sweet vicomte, may I ask what you are planning to do with my cloak?”
Erik’s deep voice would normally fall upon Raoul’s ears like velvet and send his heart racing with love and want. That voice ignited something within his very soul, pushing him to be closer to the alpha. He would follow that voice no matter where it led because he knew Erik would keep him safe.
Except in this very moment, Raoul wanted nothing to do with that tempting voice. It made his cheeks heat up in embarrassment and he was almost positive that the tips of his ears were a similar red color. His grip on his nest materials tightened ever so slightly and he worried that Erik could hear just how fast his heart was beating.
How did he not notice that Erik’s music had suddenly stopped? Were his cramps so bad that he blocked out everything else around him? No… He could have sworn that he heard the strings of the violin being played. Or was that one of Erik’s many tricks? His alpha was quite the magician after all. It would usually bring a smile to his face because it showed just how clever the opera ghost was, but right now Raoul found it less than amusing.
Licking his lips, Raoul looked down at the pillows and the cloak before remembering that he had draped Erik’s blanket around his shoulders. There was no lie that could cover for what was so obviously happening. His plan to have his nest completely finished before Erik found him was in ruins.
Would Erik laugh at him for letting his omega instincts take over so strongly? Would he force Raoul back to the surface and spend another week being absolutely miserable without his alpha? Would Erik even want him back in his home after he caught Raoul pulling this little stunt?
The rational part of his brain was trying to tell him to calm down, but that particular part was being quickly buried by an overwhelming sense of dread that came with the thought of being all alone in a nest that didn’t smell like his alpha at all. Erik would find his instincts to be ridiculous and he wouldn’t want such a sad, weak little omega around. That was why Raoul was sent away each heat, wasn’t it? Erik didn’t want to deal with how needy he would become, how he would beg for his lover’s touch every second of every day until the heat finally came to an end. It would distract Erik from his music. It would keep him from his opera ghost business and he would welcome Raoul back with open arms once the young vicomte was no longer being controlled by his instincts. That had to be it.
Right?
“I’m sorry,” Raoul whimpered, barely able to meet the other man’s gaze. His hands shook as he tried to maintain some sort of composure although it was becoming quite clear that he was failing miserably as tears began to sting his eyes.
Erik’s smile dropped and his expression softened into one of concern. “Why are you apologizing, dear one? You haven’t committed any sort of crime.”
“Because I’m taking your things and… I just wanted to show you that I can be a good mate. I can be good and make a nest and I don’t want you to send me away again. It’s awful to be away from you during my heats and you try to be a gentleman, but I hate it.” Raoul didn’t try to stop the tears from falling down his bright red cheeks. He sounded pathetic to his own ears and he could only imagine what Erik thought of him right now. “I-I was going to build a nest and show you so you could be proud of me, but now you’ll send me a-away like you always do and I don’t want to be alone again. At least let me build it in the guest room, I’ll be quiet, I-I promise! I know how to be quiet a-and -” Raoul’s ramblings came to a sudden halt when he felt strong familiar arms wrap around his slightly smaller frame. Rose and pine flooded his senses and he buried his face into Erik’s crisp white shirt, inhaling his scent and trying his hardest to calm himself down. It was so hard though, as he gasped for air and held onto his pillow bundle as tight as he could. He had to look so pathetic standing there, a grown man sniveling and begging his alpha to let him stay during his heat.
“Shh, it’s alright. Calm yourself, pet, or you will actually make yourself sick,” Erik soothed, his long fingers carefully combing through Raoul’s messy curls. Raoul could hear the worry and hurt underneath the heavy layer of comfort Erik was putting into his voice, but he didn’t comment on it. It felt so good to be this close to the man he loved. He felt unbelievably safe, even if he was still anticipating Erik’s rejection.
“I didn’t know you felt this way. I should be the one apologizing to you. Yes, yes, that’s what I should be doing,” Erik pulled away for a moment before pressing his misshapen lips against Raoul’s burning forehead. “I should have listened to you when you first told me how miserable you were being alone. I thought you were simply exaggerating to get my attention. I see now that my arrogance has caused you nothing but pain. For that, I’m very sorry.”
“I wasn’t lying. It’s pure agony to be away from you. My heats have always been unpleasant, but now that I have you, it’s only gotten worse,” Raoul confessed with a wobbly voice. His violent sobs were nothing more than hiccups now and he finally felt brave enough to meet Erik’s intense gaze.
Bright yellow eyes shined with nothing but love, though Raoul could see just a hint of sadness. He didn’t want Erik to blame himself. It was both their faults for not speaking to one another properly and allowing assumptions to lead them to this moment.
But that was a conversation for later, when Raoul’s mind wasn’t completely frazzled and slick wasn’t dripping down the inside of his thighs.
With the gentlest touch against his cheek Erik wiped away Raoul’s tears and placed a sweet, chaste kiss on his lips. “I hope you can forgive me for not noticing how you’ve been feeling. I’ve been a rotten lover and an even worse mate,” he sighed. “To make it up to you, let me help you build your nest. You’re looking quite flushed already and I don’t want you on your feet any longer than you have to be.”
“Y-you don’t have to help me. I can do it. I can be a good omega,” Raoul insisted, a small pout pulling on his lips. The whole point of his plan was to prove that he could do these things on his own - having Erik help would defeat the whole purpose of that.
“You don’t need to prove anything to me, my love,” Erik murmured. His hands rubbed careful circles on the small of his mate’s back, which helped to soothe the cramping that was starting up. “You have found it within yourself to love a creature as horrible as I am. You look upon my face without fear and you still kiss me. You still want me.”
If Raoul was in a more level headed state, he would have immediately pulled Erik into a kiss and then chastised him for speaking so poorly of himself. Underneath the cynicism and quick temper there was a gentle soul who desperately yearned to feel the love of another human being. Raoul could still remember the way Erik sobbed against him when they kissed for the first time. He would never forget the seemingly endless whispers of, “thank you, thank you, my angel, thank you.”
However, Raoul was too caught up in his instincts to utter a word about Erik. Still, he couldn’t resist standing on his toes to give Erik a kiss on the tip of his half formed nose, silently reminding him that he was truly an angel in Raoul’s eyes.
Wiping away the last of the tears on Erik’s cloak, Raoul replied in a quiet voice, “You can help then. It might be nice, actually. The guest room linens smell nothing like you and the more of you I can smell the better.”
Erik’s chuckle was soothing and deep and Raoul swore he could feel it in his very bones. It wasn’t the cruel laugh of the opera ghost. No, this was the delighted chuckle of an amused lover who was more than willing to follow the whims of his heat-addled omega. “We will have to fix that little problem then, won’t we? I have neglected you for far too long. I’ll scent whatever you wish, no matter how ridiculous I think it might be,” he teased while taking some of the pillows and his cloak out of Raoul’s grasp.
“What do you think I’ll be having you scent? It’s not as if I’ve raided the kitchen for the tea towels, or stolen every one of your handkerchiefs,” Raoul said with a small laugh and made a quick mental note to stash away the few handkerchiefs he had found. The last thing he wanted to see was the smug look on Erik’s face when he saw them.
With a hand now free, Raoul intertwined his fingers with Erik’s and gave them a tight squeeze. He received a squeeze in return before Erik led them back down the hallway towards the main bedroom. It was nice to be able to walk through the underground home without having to sneak around it. Thinking back on his plan, Raoul was more than a little embarrassed by what he had been doing. He could easily blame it on his heat, but a part of him knew it went a little deeper than that. His own insecurities at being a bad omega, Erik’s reluctance to have him around during his heats, and the fear of being alone drove him to the silly plot he had been caught in the middle of.
“My, I see you’ve been quite busy already. I must say I’m rather excited to see you curled up in your nest once you’re all done, sweet one,” Erik said as they walked into the bedroom, his golden eyes landing on the mountain of blankets and pillows on the mattress.
“I was rather hoping you would be joining me inside of it once it was completed. There is a method to my madness after all,” Raoul said with a smirk. It was rather odd that Erik made no comment about joining him, but he was willing to let it slide for now. Erik was a man of few words and it wasn’t unusual for him to be rather silent at times.
Raoul tossed the pillows onto the floor and shoved the pile of blankets and sheets off the bed without much care - the stone floors were covered in plush rugs so there was no fear of anything getting dirty. Sitting on the floor, Raoul instructed Erik to sit down beside him and help him sort everything into separate piles. He also wanted Erik to scent everything that didn’t smell like him already, which the alpha seemed more than happy to agree to. It was lovely to see Erik close his eyes and rub the expensive fabrics against his neck and wrists, obviously taking great care and joy in being able to do something useful for his lover. It wasn’t long before the older man was humming a gentle song, filling the comfortable silence with a song that had been composed for Raoul’s ears alone. He truly sounded like an angel of music, even when he was only humming a simple melody.
Once everything was properly scented, building the nest was not too difficult. Raoul layered sheets and blankets together, building upon the already luxuriously soft mattress. He used the cushions from the settee to create a border around the nest, clearly defining it before he covered it with pillows. Erik placed the pillows from the guest room in easy to reach places in case Raoul needed to prop himself up, or simply use one to get more comfortable. The final touch was a few sprays of Erik’s cologne and his heavy woolen cloak draped off to one side so Raoul could pull it over him when he needed it. It would be easy enough to push to the edge of the nest when things become too intense so it wouldn’t become soiled.
Raoul stepped back to admire his handiwork, feeling incredibly proud of himself for constructing something so inviting and warm. He couldn’t wait to crawl into it, curl up in its softness, and enjoy the next few days with his alpha. Looking up at Erik, he couldn’t help but feel a little bit shy as well. This was the first time he had ever presented a nest to a potential mate and he couldn’t help but fidget with the sleeves of his nightshirt. Would Erik approve? Would he find it an acceptable place for his mate?
“You’ve done well. You should be proud of what you’ve created,” Erik soothed, his gaze loving and genuine. His hand came to rest on Raoul’s lower back, gently urging him towards the nest and helping him to get comfortable once he laid down.
Raoul practically purred when Erik draped the cloak over his shoulders. It was the perfect weight and it enveloped him in all that was Erik. He wasn’t sure if he would ever want to leave this wonderful cocoon he had created for himself. He had never felt so safe and secure in a nest before and it was a feeling he wanted to relish in.
“Get some rest, my dearest. I’ll come back to check on you in a couple of hours,” Erik murmured and pressed a kiss to his temple.
Raoul whimpered at his words, his arm shooting out from underneath the cloak and grabbing ahold of Erik’s shirt sleeve. He didn’t want Erik to leave. Erik promised he would stay! Why wasn’t he staying? Didn’t he want to crawl in beside Raoul and protect him? Not that there was anything or anyone dangerous in Erik’s home, but that didn’t matter to Raoul. He needed Erik to be beside him, holding him tight in his impossibly strong arms. His deep blue eyes began to fill with tears once more and the words he wanted to say were locked behind his choked up throat.
Erik’s sigh made Raoul flinch, his hand creeping back underneath the warm cloak and curling up against his chest. “It seems like I keep hurting you today. If you want me to stay, then I’ll stay, but you need to rest before things start to get worse. Do you understand?” he instructed, his voice firm and commanding. That voice always managed to make Raoul’s insides melt with want.
“Yes, alpha, I understand,” Raoul whispered. He moved over just enough for Erik to climb in beside him and watched with wide eyes as the phantom kicked off his house slippers and removed his waistcoat. The final thing removed was the porcelain mask, which Erik still held between trembling fingers. Even after all these months together his poor alpha still thought of himself as a hideous monster, no matter how often Raoul reminded him of how beautiful he thought the other man was. Hopefully, with time, it would be something Erik would be able to accept about himself.
In a matter of seconds Raoul was surrounded by Erik, his arms wrapped tightly around his body and holding him as close as possible. He couldn’t resist burying his face against Erik’s neck where the smell of roses and pine was the strongest. The chuckle that rumbled through his lover’s body was soothing, grounding Raoul and reminding him that Erik was actually here with him. He tangled his legs with Erik’s impossibly long ones and felt his eyelids begin to droop as he finally settled down.
Yes. This was everything he had hoped for and so much more. The be with his alpha, where he was the safest and most loved. Closing his eyes, Raoul drifted off to sleep to the sound of Erik’s deep voice singing softly to him and his long fingers combing through Raoul’s curls. This was truly paradise.