Mended Wings
Summary: What if Christine had not been so afraid of Erik, if he had given her less reasons to fear him? Slight twist on the original story. Based on the 2004 movie. Bolder Christine.
She couldn't hold her curiosity in. One moment she was caressing his face, the next she was prying his mask off. In a matter of seconds, her angel went from gentle and calm to angry and harsh. He stood up, covering his face with his hand and throwing her on the floor. He yelled at her, called her names, cursed her. She was terrified, regretting that she had ever touched him.
Eventually, he stopped. He then began to sing. The song told of how lonely he was, how he lived in darkness all alone, and how he thought himself a hideous monster. He had hoped that she could look past this, and see him as a man, and not a creature. He loved her, longed for her, needed her. When the song finished, he sat next to her on the floor and turned away, ashamed. Her heart went out to him. Though he had frightened her when he yelled, she was not afraid of him now. He seemed so broken, so sad.
She reached out a hand and touched his shoulder softly. "Angel," he looked at her, a hand still covering his face. Tentatively, hoping he would not become angry again, she closed her hand around his wrist and pulled his hand away from his face. Her eyes studied him. "It's not…so bad…" she meant it. It could be worse, after all. It could be not only part of his face, but his entire face, or even his entire body. Seeing for the first time was shocking, but she knew she could quickly grow used to it. Even now, it did not frighten her at all.
He chucked sarcastically. "You needn't lie to me, my dear. I know it is revolting." The words he spoke only increased the great deal of sympathy she had for him. Feeling more bold by the second, she took his hand and he looked, surprised, into her eyes.
"I think," she said, "that you're beautiful." She meant that, too. His eyes had a deep sea green color to them and the side of his face that was not disfigured was soft and quite handsome. In fact, if it weren't for the disfigurement, he would be perfect.
He could not respond to her words; he was in complete shock. She decided to lighten the mood a little. "That is, when you're not yelling." She smiled at him.
It seemed she had only succeeded in making him more upset. He did not smile, but looked away, angry with himself. "I'm sorry about that. I did not mean to frighten you, Christine. I was afraid that when you saw my deformity, you would leave me and never come back."
Her hold on his hand tightened. "I am not so shallow." She wondered what horrors he must have gone through in his past to be so insecure about his distortion. She was about to ask him, but he stood said that he should bring her back above ground, because she was surely missed by more that a few.
Erik felt strangely lighter than he usually did as he led her to the gondola. He expected nothing but the worst when she pulled off his mask. He thought she would be disgusted to see his ugliness, and would ask him to never bother her again. But instead she seemed to accept him, to not care what he looked like. Perhaps he was not a fool to think that maybe someday she would come to love him as he loved her.
They were almost at the mirror now, when Christine stopped walking and turned to face him. "Before I go," she said, "could you tell me what your name is?"
"Erik. My name is Erik."
(A/N): The ending is lame, I know. I'm going to change the story around a little, so those of you who love Violent!Erik and Murderer!Erik will probably not be happy. Christine will be a little bolder and more outspoken than she is in the movie/book/musical, because I can't stand Incredibly-Pliant-Minded!Christine. R&R please. Criticism accepted.
