A/N: This is based off the 1989 movie version of Phantom of the Opera. It picks up at the end when Erik Destler/Mr. Foster is giving Christine Day the choice between love and music.

Love's Duet

(A One Shot)

"Now," he whispered to me, his eyes hungry yet gaging, "it's just a matter of what you choose, love or music."

I swallowed hard. The barely there feeling of his lips as they brushed mine had caused the unfamiliar tingle of desire to shiver down my spine and settle with a dull throb between my legs. I had never dated much, having always pushed myself to excel in my art and forgo the opposite sex. There was, perhaps, two or three dates I'd ever gone on in my life (two of them in high school at the insistence of my mother, and one my first term at Julliard). I'd quickly learned men were only good at one thing – being distractions. (That was well over a year ago.) I now realized my whole life I'd always chosen music over love; as I'd always assumed love could wait until after I'd achieved everything I'd always dreamed I would (or at least until I'd made a good attempt to). Looking at Erik, however, with the sensation of my desire like lapping flames on all my nerve endings, I began to wonder why I had to choose at all. I knew I was a selfish creature – I was human after all – and consciously my mind found no reason to give anything up. I lifted my hand to touch his cheek, and he leaned towards it. This action caused a smile to tug at my lips and emboldened me to lift my other hand to touch him as well. His eyes seemed to shut momentarily in ecstasy before opening to watch me wearily. I recalled all that I'd remembered when I was unconscious about how we'd met the first time (I can't believe the other me had actually shot him!), and felt a sadness dampen my desire. I licked my lips nervously, my hands running through his hair before my fingers curled in his blonde mane and jerked his head towards me. His eyes widened before fluttering halfway closed.

"Is there any way to have both," I asked softly, leaning forward until I was but a breath away from his lips, my eyes gazed upward towards his own burning ones, "with you?"

"Christine," he hissed out my name, pressing himself forward to all but consume my mouth. I moaned into his kiss, fingers tightening in his hair as my body pushed up against his own. We stayed that way until I pulled back in desperate need of air. "Erik," I panted, his lips kissing and nipping down my neck while his hands drifted downwards to grip my bottom, one fleshy globe was squeezed within each one of his hands. My hips jerked forward out of pure instinct, grinding into his growing arousal. He hissed again, his mouth ripping away from me altogether. "You play with fire, little one," he growled in a warning tone.

"Who's playing," I sighed, stepping up on my tip toes and claimed his lips again, my tongue snaking out to tease his own. When I was breathless again, I settled my head against his chest, his fingers now running soothingly through my hair. "What time is it," I asked as my heart rate began to regulate itself.

"Past time to go," was his reply as he pulled away with only a soft kiss to the top of my head. "But never fear," he smiled, a predatory gleam in his eyes, "we will most definitely continue this discussion later." I smiled, took his pre-offered arm, and leaned into him as we made our way out the apartment and towards the celebration he'd pulled together. Many hours and several martinis later, the party was just coming to an end. I'd charmed all the other play backers, just as Erik said I would, and even bid Meg a 'good-night' nearly two hours ago. I was beginning to regret that choice, however, as I was currently more than a little tipsy. "Here," Erik smiled softly, "let me see you home."

I shook my head stubbornly, even as I took his hand. "I normally don't drink," I admitted with a blush. "I… Um, I don't want to be alone tonight… If that's alright," I added quickly, not wanting to be an imposition even with all that had happened earlier. His smile widened as he nodded towards me before leading me back to his apartment. "Nothing will happen that you don't want to," he assured me, steadying my feet when I stumbled this way or that going up his staircase towards his bedroom.

"Just hold me," I whispered. Erik swallowed, helped me out of my boots and dress (leaving me in my underwear) and led me to the bathroom with one of his white over shirts. When the door was safely closed, I finished stripping, started the shower and washed the day away, even scrubbing my hair. When I was done, I wrapped a towel around myself, used his hairbrush to comb my hair and quickly located a spare toothbrush to clean my teeth. Satisfied that I was as freshened up as I was going to get, I slipped on his over shirt and buttoned it up before tiptoeing back to the bedroom and slipping underneath the covers.

"I've put your clothes in the wash," his voice roused me from my semi-asleep state, perhaps ten minutes later. "I figured you'd appreciate them being clean in the morning." I nodded as he slipped into the bed next to me in only a pair of black silk pajama bottoms. I sighed contently when he pulled my head down gently to rest on his bare chest. "I have waited so long for you, Christine," he murmured, his fingers running through my hair again. "I'm right here," I mumbled in response, losing my battle to stay awake. In the morning, I awoke alone with my freshly cleaned clothes folded and placed on the night table next to me, along with two aspirin and a small bottle of water. I smiled at his thoughtfulness before wincing as my head gave a painful throb when I sat up in bed. I took the aspirin directly, crept out to take another quick shower and brushed my hair and teeth as I had the night before. Looking at my dress, I bit my lip as a wicked thought entered my head. Deciding to act before I lost my nerve, I threw on my undergarments and his over shirt – unbuttoned – and hurried downstairs, pausing only for a moment on the landing to make certain no one else was there.

I found Erik in the kitchen, flipping pancakes and humming lightly to himself. I was half tempted to greet him, but silenced myself at the last second. Instead I tiptoed up behind him and wrapped my arms around him, pulling my chest flush against his back. He started, then gave a half chuckle. "Morning, Christine," his warm voice greeted me before going back to his humming.

"Moring, Angel," I replied, pulling away from him to lean against the counter top across from the stove. Erik continued to hum and cook breakfast until he had made nearly a dozen pancakes, then he turned off the stove, picked up the plate of pancakes, turned to go into the dining room, and nearly dropped everything. His eyes widened and seemed to burn as he gazed at me. "Erik," I prodded gently, "breakfast?"

"I think I'm looking at it," he mumbled, setting the plate down on the kitchen's island in front of him and then began to walk – no, to stalk towards me. I was already pressed against the counter facing him, so there was nowhere to run if I'd had the inclination – which I thankfully didn't. "I meant what I said last night, Christine," he purred seductively. "I won't take advantage of you, but that doesn't give you the right to tempt the devil."

"Tempting," I gasped innocently, though the impish smile on my face gave me away. "Oh, no, Erik, it's an open invitation."

He growled then – actually growled – and pounced on me. His hands were everywhere at once, his mouth seemed to taste every inch of exposed skin as his body ground into mine in a frantic rhythm. "Shh, lover," I soothed softly, biting my lip to hold back a moan, "no need to rush." Erik stilled, his face rising from between my bra clad breasts to gaze intently into my eyes. "Isn't there," he questioned, his eyes gaging my reaction closely.

I shook my head. "No," I whispered breathlessly, "we have all the time in the world."

"What of your other lovers," he inquired, a bit harshly.

I grinned, nearly laughed honestly. "What other lovers?" Erik raised a challenging brow, his large hands settling on my hips before lifting me, placing my bottom on the counter behind me, and moving to settle himself between my parted thighs. "Oh, I've dated," I clarified, "my mother would have it no other way." I leaned forward and kissed his lips softly, teasingly. "She set me up with two boys my senior year of high school, both of which only lasted a night – both ending with me walking out on them." His lust darkened eyes lit up with amusement at the tale, his face moved towards me and nuzzled against my neck. "No one else," he tested.

"One more," I admitted, my eyes fluttering closed while he left open mouth kisses from just under my earlobe and down my neck. "When I first got to Julliard I dated this guy for about a month."

"And," he pressed, one hand pushing my bra up so he could suck an erect nipple into his mouth. I arched forward, a strangled groan ripping from my throat. My hands reached out and tangled in his hair, his name leaving my lips in pants. Suddenly he nipped my sensitive peak and pulled back. "Tell me about him, Christine. Did you love him?"

I shook my head. "No," I insisted. "I left him, he was a distraction."

"From what?"

"The music," I answered quickly. "He was a distraction from the music." He smiled at that, looking extremely shark-like in that moment. "And I'm not," he teased. "Don't you remember," I joked back, "you are the music. I think, Erik, I've been waiting my whole life for you. I was made for you."

He pulled back from me a little ways, taking me in. "Do you really mean that, Christine? No running this time, no trying to escape me?"

"You're all I could ever want," I assured, reaching out with both hands to pull his body against my own once more. "Let me prove it to you," I whispered, leaning forward to nibble playfully on his bottom lip. "Come back upstairs with me, Erik. Take me, show me your passion, claim me as yours."

"It's forever," he warned, his eyes so dark with lust and wanting they were nearly black.

"Is that all?"

The noise that left Erik at my reply defied description, but was most definitely animalistic. He took me in his arms then, my legs instinctively wrapping around his hips as he held on tightly to him and dashed upstairs before slamming us both onto his bed. I kissed him first; cling to him as if he were my very breath. He rocked his hips forward into my own; I threw my head back in a surprised moan. "Have you ever-" Erik started to ask between nips and kisses as he worked himself down towards the valley between my breast.

"No," I answered, panting and shifting my hips in search of even a little friction, "you're my first."

"Your only," he corrected, though he did look more than a little pleased about the fact. Erik continued his assault down my body, ripping my clothes from me along the way, and his face was even with my most sacred area. "Oh God," I gasped out when his tongue darted out to flick against my clit. "I assure you," his husky voice rasped, "He has nothing to do with this." That was all the warning I received before he devoured me, his tongue plunging and licking against things no other had ever seen. Soon my hips were moving of their own accord, my head thrown back in ecstasy when two of his fingers slipped inside me, stretching me. It wasn't long after that stars erupted before my eyes and the world went mute. When I returned to my sense, still breathless and legs a little numb, I found that Erik had already sheathed his member inside me. I smiled at his thoughtfulness to use my orgasm to spare me any unnecessary pain.

"Erik," I sighed out, a hand reaching towards him to pull him closer as my hips began to press against his own. He groaned, kissing me and thrusting with my movements. His hips began to jerk more urgently, penetrating me deeper, rougher. I moaned again, the warmth building in my womb was about to bubble over again. "Come with me, Erik," I whispered, my eyes rolling back as I fell apart around him.

His eyes were the first thing I saw when I came back to myself. They were warm and filled with adoration and wonder. "My Christine." His lips moved to kiss my forehead, but I lifted my head to claim his lips tenderly. "My love," I replied just as softly, "my angel, my everything." His orbs swelled with emotion as he fell down beside me, pulling me to rest on his chest and his fingers moving to stroke my hair. "You are now married to the music," he spoke more firmly. "You are now mine forever."

"As I was always meant to be…"