Title: Teacher's Pet (Education Variation 03)
Author: Lucifer Rosemaunt

Summary: Short ficlet variations on a theme: education/school. Erik's resolve is surprisingly strong with a temptation like Raoul.
Fandom: Phantom of the Opera
Pairing(s)/Character(s): Erik/Raoul pre-slash; Philippe mentioned in passing
Warning(s): modern!AU, high school!AU, age difference, liberties taken with their respective ages (although maybe not in this verse)
Word Count: 1,308
Rating: K+

o.o.o.o

Erik looked up from his desk when he heard a knock on the door frame. It was less of a surprise than it should have been to find Raoul standing there patiently.

The young teen lingered in the doorway for only a second once he had Erik's attention before strolling in without waiting for an invitation; his hands were clasped behind his back. "Hey." He beelined to the front of the class, noisily dragging a desk out of its neat row to be closer to the white board and subsequently, the teacher's desk.

Erik flipped over the test that he had been grading. Raoul was technically not in this class, and he did have enough faith in the young boy to believe he would not attempt to steal answers for his classmates, but some actions were second nature to him now as a teacher. It was reflex, just as much as the question that fell from his lips was. "What are you doing here?"

"What?" Raoul slid into the seat and dropped a crumpled brown paper bag onto the desk. "I can't eat lunch with my favorite teacher?"

"Mr. Chagny," Erik said, defaulting to his teaching voice as he pointed out, "You are not in my classes this semester and have actually never been in any of them. I can hardly be considered your favorite teacher." He paid the words he said only half a mind, his attention focused more on Raoul unrolling the paper bag and pulling out an apple. What he really wanted to do was ask what Raoul was doing with that meager lunch when he knew for a fact that Mrs. Chagny always made sure he had several sandwiches, fruit, vegetables, and if he had been particularly persuasive, candy.

Raoul was at an age where it should be embarrassing to be doted on like that, but Mrs. Chagny always said she could not help herself. Even Philippe, Raoul's older brother who had moved back into the house just this year, received the same treatment, leaving for work with a lunchbox full of goodies every day. Only their sisters were saved from homemade lunches and that was because they had moved out and were making lunches for their own children.

"Details, details." Raoul waved him off with the apple in his hand. He leaned dangerously forward, tempting to topple the desk over completely. "I'm not here to bother you. I needed a place to have lunch." Despite his words, he seemed more intent on shining and staring at his apple than eating it. "You can keep doing whatever teachers do when they're supposed to be on a lunch break," he said pointedly.

Erik was tempted to go back to grading those tests because that meant one less stack of papers to bring home, but he did not try to fool himself into thinking that he would be able to concentrate with Raoul in the room. Even quiet, the young teen required attention; at least, Erik needed to give him that attention. At some point in all the time that he had known Philippe and Raoul by extension, whenever the younger boy was in the room it became the most important detail.

He wanted nothing more than to dote on him, to do everything in his power to make him smile and laugh, to hold onto him and never let him go. He wanted Raoul only to ever smile for him, because of him and secret him away from the world. It was wrong; he knew it was wrong and Philippe would certainly hate him if he ever found out, but once Erik had come to terms with how he felt about Raoul, there had been no way to undo it. Nothing he tried lessened the desire, but separation made it easier to suppress at least for a moment.

"Is there anything in particular you needed besides the seat?" he asked and could hear the frustration in his own voice, a frustration that he hoped Raoul would not think was annoyance. Still, when the teen simply leaned forward on the desk in response, pouting exaggeratedly, Erik found himself disappointed that the boy was still just that, a boy who did not understand what he was doing to him. Sometimes, he would wonder what Raoulwould do if he found out. Those thoughts were nothing more than a fantasy that served to make him suffer more than necessary. What if's and maybe's were dangerous; it was best that Raoul never learned of his desires.

"Pip was wondering if you were coming over for dinner," he finally replied.

Erik sighed and did his best not to let his head drop too low. He was suddenly so very tired. He would go to dinner tonight of course. Philippe's queries were really just warnings and come the final bell, he would be getting a text and a phone call about dropping by the house. The older Chagny would want to talk about his day and bully his way into Erik's life, as he rather consistently and successfully did, and Erik would let him.

"I don't know why you pretend," Raoul commented, still just staring at the apple in his hand. "Everyone knows we've known each other since you and Philippe both went here."

It was a well-worn argument that Erik was growing tired of, probably because Raoul was doing his utmost to wear him down. To make matters worse, he was beginning to think that Raoul was becoming more than a little successful.

"It's inappropriate to be so familiar," he replied. "This is a school."

Raoul raised his eyebrows, grinning widely. "We're being in appropriate?" he teased.

He ignored him and continued with his lecture. "It's unfair to show favoritism."

"But I am your favorite," Raoul shot back, and the teasing was gone in his voice to be replaced by something closer to petulance.

"Raoul." He could be such a child sometimes, all fire and righteousness, so certain that whatever he wanted had to be right, and Erik loved him for that selfish innocence. What Erik wanted, however, was not so innocent.

"What happened to Mr. Chagny?" he shot back.

"Raoul," Erik could not do this right now, not when Raoul visited him every chance he got: before and after classes, during recess and lunch for no particular reason other than to make his presence known, to remind Erik how beautiful he was or how he used too much cologne or how he still had some of that hero worship Erik wished was not there so plain to see in his eyes.

"I'm not going to pretend I don't know you." Raoul slammed his hand on Erik's desk. "No one expects us to pretend except for you. It's as stupid as expecting them to force you not to wear your mask. They don't even put me in a class you teach and don't think I don't know it's because you requested it. You know how much I hate Senior Piangi as my choral director. The door's open," he gestured "anyone could walk in and no one would care because we're not doing anything wrong." He stood up abruptly, the desk getting caught on the way and lifted off the floor before clattering back down.

"Raoul, sit down," Erik said as calmly as he could, hoping it would have a soothing effect, but the teenager just grabbed the brown paper bag, crumpled it and paused, staring at the apple in his hand. He threw it at Erik's stomach and it was only reflex that had him catching it before it could really bruise him.

"Have a good lunch," Raoul said, still scowling at him, but at least his voice was no longer raised. "I'm meeting up Christine." He turned and stomped away, not stopping even when Erik called for him again.

o.o.o.o

End ficlet

A/N: I can't seem to use words properly today. It's not flowing properly and I can see it in this fic. D: (You can tell my moods by my writing. I'm a little stressed right now. Work. :( ) For some reason this reminded me of 25 and it made me really want to update that. I suppose it's the whole Erik and Raoul have known each other since forever sort of plotbunny. (I don't think an update for that fic is going to happen.)

Also, I have no idea why I am convinced Erik would ever become a teacher because he hates people and hardly knows how to interact with them much less teach. I guess it's the whole tutoring thing. I suppose I think he's just so freaking smart that he could teach anything and he did not set out in life to be a teacher, but he kept getting annoyed with how little kids were learning and thought, I can do better than all those other teachers. So he did.

Fic Review: Raoul's not really the teacher's pet. But he would be. ;3 They totally like each other but Erik knows better. Raoul does too, but he just doesn't give a crap sometimes. Especially when all he wants to do is spend some time with Erik, innocently. Erik can't do innocent in extended periods of time unchaperoned though. He cannot wait for Raoul to graduate, not in order to pursue him or anything, but with Raoul older and not a student, it would be easier on him not seeing him every day. After Raoul graduates, however, he kisses Erik at his going away party before he leaves for his out-of-state college and Erik's all confused and Raoul basically thought Erik could never see him as anything other than Philippe's little brother so he did that selfishly and then ran. But Raoul has to come home at some point, right? And Erik's there…. Oh, or maybe Erik shows up randomly at Raoul's dorm at some point under the guise of visiting although what he really wants to do is get some answers and Raoul grudgingly allows him to stay at the dorm until they figure things out. XD