A/N: Originally written as an angst-ridden gift for sparklyscorpion. The "noble" line is pretty much stolen (with permission) from her fic "A Normal Life". I decided to make a couple changes and post this after seeing and loving suziesamico's "Raoul mask" art on Tumblr - check it out!
Erik didn't know what prompted his wife to purchase the cologne that appeared in their medicine cabinet a few weeks into their marriage. A voice somewhere in the dark corners of his mind told him it must remind her of the boy, of fair hair and blue eyes and a time when she was happy...but he shoved those thoughts aside each time he dabbed the fragrance on his neck and chest. Because what Erik did know was that his bride was more generous with her affections when he wore it - her hand more likely to find his, her lips sweeter and more yielding, her voice all the more beautiful at his ear when she clung to him and cried out in pleasure.
Christine had come to him willingly on their wedding night, offering her body to his starving gaze and inviting him to touch her as any other husband touches his wife. As if theirs were a true marriage and not a farce. Erik knew that she had only chosen him to save de Chagny's life; that this was merely a final seal on their bargain. A noble man would have refused. Resigned himself to a cold union in atonement for the sin of clipping her wings and confining her to the cage of his infernal devotion...
But Erik had never claimed to be noble.
He was always gentle with her, always eager to satisfy her needs before even considering his own. And while Christine never denied him the comfort of her embrace, she also never sought out his attentions...until he wore the cologne. It sat untouched on the shelf for a couple of days, neither of them mentioning it. On the third day, Erik gave in to curiosity and used it to replace his normal aftershave. The change was immediate and nearly overwhelming.
Christine smiled after his good morning kiss and pulled him in for another. That afternoon, she took him by the hand and led him to their bedroom without his asking first. Erik could scarcely believe when she nestled him back into the pillows and straddled his lap, her glorious hair tumbling over his shoulders as she buried her face in his throat. She took him in deeply, hungrily, in breath and body. He could have stayed beneath her forever, lost in the rhythm of her hips rolling against him. She did not shy away from him afterwards, or retreat to a separate room until it was time for dinner.
That evening Erik only intended to hold her as she slept, but she was bare and waiting for him when he slid into bed behind her. They were still cradled side by side as he glutted himself on the softness and heat of Christine, their arms tangling as he wound himself around her and molded his skeletal frame to her perfect one. She was normally almost silent when they came together, other than a few keening sighs passing her lips as he brought her to completion. Now, the blissful notes escaping her throat rivaled even her most triumphant performance on the stage. The sound was exquisite, and Erik struggled to maintain control, barely managing to wait for her release before succumbing to his own.
At first he foolishly hoped that his wife's heart had warmed towards him, that Christine was learning to care for the beast she had tamed so well...but as the scent of the cologne faded, so did her tenderness. Erik tried to deny the truth even as he wore the fragrance again and reaped its benefits, gratefully accepting her favors like the poor mongrel he was. He considered alternatives if its magical effects somehow lessened with time or frequency - perhaps a new wig, dyed sandy blonde. Or a new mask, flushed with life instead of tinted to his normal, deathly pallor. In the meantime, he tried to ration out the precious elixir. Resentment of reality ultimately became resignation; the ends more important than the means.
And if he ever longed for his bride to open her eyes when he was inside her, or to say his name as she quaked around him, Erik would remind himself that something was better than nothing, and that he could surely find another bottle at the store.