A/N: I've never actually written a one-shot before and so I thought I'd give it a try. I don't normally like writing E/C stories, but I liked the way this sounded. I came up with the idea for this at about 9 am on a Saturday, so please bear with me if it's not the best.
The Music of Love
His hand reaches out to me, beckoning, asking without saying a word.
"Come to me, Angel of Music!" His voice winds around my body, moving it, calling it.
It places me in a strangely hypnotic hold that I never want to break.
I hesitate for only a second before I place my hand in his.
His grip is firm on my hand as he leads me through the mirror.
My mind spins, trying desperately to get hold of the truth that is now all too plain.
My angel is a man. My angel is a man. Even in this firm reality, he still moves with the grace and poise of an angel from heaven.
He leads me through candlelit tunnels, steps firm and sure. With every step he turns and looks at me. I stare back at him, my eyes trying to drink in the details of this man, my teacher, my angel.
In sleep he sang to me, In dreams he came
His cape swishes about his ankles in an almost alluring way.
That voice which calls to me, And speaks my name
The tunnels twist and turn, going deeper and deeper into the ground. He never seems to lose his step. The torch he holds in his hand sends flickering shadows across the wall, but I am not afraid. I am with him.
And do I dream again? For now I find
I slowly realize just who this man must be. There is only one being who is rumored to live under the opera house.
The Phantom of the Opera is there Inside my mind
We turn a corner and are greeted by the sight of a sleek, black horse. I have seen so many, but never one as beautiful as this. He leads me deeper and deeper.
Sing once again with me Our strange duet
He moves the torch in a circle, the fire flickering close to me.
My power over you Grows stronger yet
As we go further, I feel the world above slipping away. I try to catch a last glimpse before abandoning myself to this fantasy.
And though you turn from me To glance behind
The horse is carrying me now, although I do not remember mounting it. It makes it all too easy to give up the weak struggle to grip reality and float into this world of darkness and shadow and brilliant light.
The Phantom of the Opera is there Inside your mind
He lifts me off the horse, his arms tender and strong. A beautiful black gondola waits, bobbing just barely upon the surface of the water. He helps me into it and steps in himself, picking up a pole to move us through the waterways.
Those who have seen your face Draw back in fear
I keep my eyes forward, taking in the scene before me, the likes of which I have never seen. It is beautiful, in a dark sort of way. It is his world.
I am the mask you wear
His presence intoxicates me and fills me, as his angelic voice never could.
It's me they hear
The water is lit with candles just enough to see our way. Oddly, the darkness does not scare me, as it has always done before. It makes me feel closer to him.
Your spirit and my voice In one combined
He has complete control over me, more, perhaps, than he will ever know.
The Phantom of the Opera is here Inside my mind
In the back of my mind, I hear voices, whispering in my ear, whispering caution and truth.
He's there, the Phantom of the Opera
My lips move and echo back their words.
He's there, the Phantom of the Opera
A whisper on the breeze teases my ear. His voice, commanding and enticing in a simple command.
Sing!
I am only too happy to comply. My voice raises and echoes through the tunnel, climbing higher and higher as if to complete the heaven I am slipping into. All the while, his soft entreaties.
Sing, my angel of music!
My voice reaches heights I barely knew it could. A black curtain lifts, a gate rises, and we float into a space so beautiful that I am almost convinced it is heaven. It steals my breath away, but somehow my voice still fills the space on perfect pitch.
Sing!
All my joy and wonderment build and come out in a single note, so high that I wonder at its clarity. The boat bumps the rocky shore and he steps out with all the grace of a cat. He divests himself of the cloak in a grand swirl and it falls to the floor. Only now do I allow myself to take him in. My eyes are immediately drawn to the mask on one side of his face. Why does he wear it? What is he trying to hide? It gives him an air of mystery that is as enticing as it is strange.
My heart is beating quickly, as if it is attempting to leave my chest. I do not understand why his presence makes me react this way, but I know that I never want it to stop.
His eyes pierce my soul, searching for a moment for something, I do not know what. His arms open in a gesture of welcome.
"I have brought you To the seat of sweet music's throne"
He moves deeper into the space, surveying with his eyes. I see a grand organ behind him and know in my heart that this is his home.
"To this kingdom where all must pay homage to music, music.
You have come here"
He turns his back to me. I would give anything in the world to understand what he is thinking.
"For one purpose and one alone"
He moves back around to face me. His voice is passionate and imbued with a strange longing that calls to my heart.
"Since the moment I first heard you sing I have needed you with me to serve me, to sing for my music"
He steps closer, closer and begins to sing, weaving around me with his web of song. But I do not want to escape. Not ever.
"Night time sharpens, heightens each sensation
Darkness stirs and wakes imagination
Silently the senses abandon their defenses"
He moves to help me out of the boat. My feet hit dry land with a shock and he pulls me closer to him with a touch.
"Slowly, gently, night unfurls its splendor
Grasp it, sense it, tremulous and tender"
I look around, trying to see everything, take in as much as I can before it disappears. His gloved hand turns my chin and makes me face him again. The touch sends invisible shivers down my skin.
"Turn your face away from the garish light of day
Turn your thoughts away from cold, unfeeling light
And listen to the music of the night"
I barely register the small model he has made of me, standing on stage after my triumph earlier this evening. My eyes are only full of him. He lets go of my hand and immediately I crave his touch again. He moves back to his organ and turns quickly to face me.
"Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams
Purge your thoughts of the life you knew before
Close your eyes, let your spirit start to soar"
My eyes flutter closed for a moment and my soul soars with his voice.
"And you'll live as you've never lived before"
His hand captures mine again as my eyes open. He brings me forward, up to share the platform of his organ.
"Softly, deftly, music shall caress you
Hear it, feel it, secretly possess you"
His face is just inches away for a moment and I feel his breath blowing tantalizingly over my face. It makes my heart race faster and my breath come more quickly. He moves around me in an almost predatory half circle.
"Open up your mind, let your fantasies unwind
In this darkness that you know you cannot fight
The darkness of the music of the night."
His small smile lights up the room as candles never could. His gray-green eyes dance for a moment as he moves so that the candles illuminate his face.
"Let your mind start a journey through a strange new world
Leave all thoughts of the life you knew before
Let your soul take you where you long to be!"
The power of his voice fills the space as he moves closer to me. There is fear in his eyes, hid so well that I can barely see it, but it is there. What would he have to be afraid of?
"Only then can you belong to me"
Both his hands touch my chin. They slide down my neck, down my shoulders and arms, leaving trails of warmth in their wake. Then he turns me in his arms and presses me against him.
I have never felt bliss such as this. Even with all the layers of clothes between us, I can still feel his warmth and I get as close to him as I can, surrendering to feelings. A small part of my mind insists that this is not proper, I barely know him. But I block it out and fall into his spell.
"Floating, falling, sweet intoxication"
His hands run hesitantly down my body. It is all I can do not to moan at the feelings they bring out in me. His right hand finds my stomach and presses me even closer, while his left takes my hand and brings it up to touch the unmasked half of his face.
"Touch me, trust me, savor each sensation"
He turns me to face him again and leads me forward, through the candles, through the music. He seems to have a particular destination in mind and he seems almost anxious.
"Let the dream begin, let your darker side give in
To the power of the music that I write
The power of the music of the night"
We approach an alcove surrounded by red curtains. There is clearly something he wants me to see in it. The tension builds as we step to the gap in the curtains. I look inside and shock sweeps through me. I am looking at myself.
No, not myself, a doll, a perfect likeness of me. There are no doubts in my mind as to who made this. But the doll itself is not what makes my heart beat fast. It is the beautiful wedding dress the doll wears.
Suddenly I see in a flash of clarity why he pretended to be an angel, why he finally revealed himself and brought me down to his sanctuary. I hesitate to even think it. He loves me, a small voice whispers in my mind. This piece of information strips the last vestiges of angelic illusion from him. He is a man. Only a man. And I am a woman.
I have never felt this last so clearly in my entire life. With him standing behind me, hopeful, watching my every move, I have a sense that I am not a little girl any longer. My head feels light. It would be so easy to faint, fall back into his arms, and leave the problems for another day. But I know I must be brave.
I turn to face him, not knowing exactly the emotions he sees on my face. His eyes are pleading, trying to make me understand.
"You alone can make my song take flight
Help me make the music of the night."
He waits, watching me for some kind of reaction, some kind of answer, anything. My eyes search his, trying to find a clue as to what to do next. I know what he wants me to say and do. But what do I want?
My mind shouts out an answer: him. It feels surreal. I do not know him as a person at all. But my instinct still insists on my need. The voice in my mind fills me with doubts. You do not know him, how can you be sure that he is safe? What if he is an awful person and you will hate him when you actually get to know him? I cannot go on like this and stay sane. With a sense of purpose that I have never felt before, I silence the voice in my head and let my body guide me. Eyes never leaving him, I lean closer. Closer, closer. His eyes flutter shut. I can feel him, even though we are not touching. He is as tense as the string on a cello, waiting, hoping. I gently brush my lips against his and his eyes fly open.
I do not know what this kiss means to him. Does it tell him that I accept his proposal? For that is what this revelation really is, a proposal. I do not know exactly what it means to me, either. All I knew was that I wanted to kiss him. I have never kissed a man before this moment, though I have dreamed about it for so long.
He looks at me, dumbstruck for a moment. Then, almost without his volition, his hand moves up the nape of my neck and his lips touch mine. They are tender and loving and full of sweet relief. He pulls me closer and I am lost in sensation. Everything about his kiss is better than I ever imagined it would be. It is beautiful. He is beautiful.
I pull back slowly so that he does not feel rejected. He stares at me in awe.
"Christine," he whispers, and the emotions coursing through his voice warm me and send heat to my cheeks.
I open my mouth to whisper his name in return, then realize with embarrassment that I do not even know what it is. "What is your name?" My voice is soft, and sounds breathier than I intended.
"Erik," he replies.
"Erik," I breathe. A beautiful name for a beautiful man. My hand reaches up and touches his masked cheek. He freezes, eyes wide. I frown. Why does he react this way? I did nothing to hurt him, I hope.
"Please, Christine. Do not touch the mask."
"Why?" I am confused. I want to see his full face. I want him to feel that he has nothing to hide from me.
"Because what is underneath… is not something someone as beautiful as you should see."
I open my mouth to protest, then realize the pain in his eyes. "May I see it someday?"
He hesitates. "Please?" I whisper, hoping to be persuasive.
He sighs. "Someday. But not now."
I nod in acquiescence, knowing that is the best I will get at this moment.
We stand in silence, close enough to touch but not touching.
I move closer and put my arms around him.
He slowly embraces my back. I cannot see his face or know how he reacts.
But here in his arms, I feel safe and loved, something that has not been present in me since Father's death.
My life seemed so empty before he came. But now, it has the chance to be filled with light.
I relax into him, feeling truly happy at last.
Please review and tell me what you think!