I don't own the phantom of the opera
It's pride month! I'm going to try to upload a few one-shots during the month. And remember: English is not my first language
WARNING: Mentions of blood, bruises and bullet wounds.
'' Why did you shoot your own daughter? '' Christine cried in anguish, blinded by her tears, tearing her throat in the process.
The same raw pain that burned the soul she had felt when her father had died filled her chest, but worse, much worse, because this time it had been her fault.
Once each viewer had left, Christine had not been able to endure the silence. Erika was dead, she had just realized how much she loved her and showed it in the most awful way, Erika had gone because of her prejudices.
Or that's what she believed, until the hand of the allegedly dead woman in her arms rose up and wiped away her tears with her thumb, the softness of the touch booming in her chest.
'' I'm fine Christine, do not cry anymore. '' Erika said worried about her beloved soprano, she tried to sit down, but quickly resigned her mission with a wince on her face.
'' Erika! '' She exclaimed without being able to give credit to her eyes were watching.
She was beaten, soaked with blood and more dirty and unrecorded than she had ever seen her, but alive, her brown eyes were looking at her with an intelligence and awareness that no dying man had, Erika was alive and unable to digest it, the words were left stuck in his throat.
'' The bullet was fake '' Gerald said, the lump in his throat was audible as well as his smile .'' And Erika is a special effects expert '' he explained, wiping his tears away.
'' A cylinder of wax, honey, water and coloring, clever, do not you think? '' She asked, pulling out pieces of white wax stained with red from her soaked coat. Seeing so many tears spilled for her was a strange feeling, and she disguised her bewilderment sounding as relaxed and teasing as she could.
Christine, still unable to believe what was happening, ran a finger across Erika's chest, and insecurely brought it to her mouth, the sweet and diluted taste flooding her mouth, a bitter note at the end of her throat thanks to the colorant. And that's when her head understood what was really happening, Erika was alive, safe and sound in her arms.
'' I'm sorry Christine, but that will never come out of your dress, a real pity, I liked that one.'' Erika commented casually, dropping the head on her shoulder, pointing to the red stain on her white dress.
'' It was very pretty, I liked it a lot, I never thanked you for giving it to me. '' she said rubbing her nose while hiccuping and sobbing
'' I'll make you another one later. '' She promised obviously in panic and confused as she did not know how to stop Christine's tears.
The singer felt hundreds of emotions dancing under her skin, she was still trembling with fear, and the anger for the deception filled her for a few seconds, but the peace, the relief and the life on Erika's face were enough for the blonde convince herself not to kill her with her own hands at that moment.
The bubbling in her veins made her shudder and as she laughed and cried out in relief, she kissed her head and forehead numerous times and hugged her tightly against her chest.
'' But the fall was real. '' She said in a choked voice, but there was a smile on her face that she felt she would never be able to erase from her lips despite her aching body.
Christine immediately reduced the pressure of her embrace, and as she watched how hurt her angel was, her smile faded and guilt replaced her relief.
'' I'm so sorry '' She apologized with her heart in the hand, because of her trembling voice on the edge of hysterical crying and her eyes full of regret, Erika knew that she apologized for much more than having embraced her carelessly.
'Wait, Gerald is my father?'' She asked, falsely confused and knew that Christine had fallen for her joke when her eyes widened, she was so damn adorable.
The soprano's face went white and her eyes bounced between her maestra and the ex-theater manager, scared after revealing a secret that had remained in the dark for almost thirty years.
'' She already knew it dear, I told her a few hours ago. '' Gerald said seeing the panic in the face of Christine, repressing his laughter.
She let out all the air she had been holding since she saw Erika get into such danger and immediately, she felt lighter, and the masked woman allowed herself to laugh despite the pain in her ribs.
'' You and I will have a long conversation when you get better.'' Christine warned, combing her maestra's dark, sweat-stained strands and bending to kiss her forehead once more.
Erika answered closing her eyes and giving a sigh of satisfaction, cuddling her head in Christine's chest, happy to have managed to make her forget her intention to apologize for a moment, she did not care that Christine had left, what It mattered and filled his heart with joy and love for her angel, it was that she had returned. Maybe she would never love her the way she did, but if accepting that assured her a place in her life, she would accept it without hesitation.
'' You broke your record of bad decisions in a row today, dear. '' Gerald said resignedly shaking his head, and lovingly squeezing his daughter's shoulder.
'' Opss. '' She says shamelessly, using the same response that had gotten her out of trouble during her childhood, her father smiled widely at her.
'' We have to get out of here, you need medical attention. '' He said worried, gently touching a spot that would soon turn into a bruise on the visible side of her face '' I'll be back soon, and please be good, my child '' He warned to his daughter who nodded casually
'' I do not promise anything. '' Erika replied, she looked too comfortable in Christine's arms to want to get up.
Gerald shook his head and before getting up, he lovingly kissed his daughter's head, leaving all the love that Erika had refused to receive in the last decades. She smiled, her eyes closed and her face full of happiness and satisfaction, she did not remember the last time she had received a kiss from Gerald.
When he left, the anguish returned to Christine's face, and she let out a sigh rubbing Erika's arm to calm herself.
''What's bothering you? We'll be fine. '' Erika asked dropping her head to Christine's chest again. She was beginning to sound sleepy, to be on the verge of death was tired.
'' Now that you're fine, I know. '' She replied sweetly, leaving a kiss painfully close to her teacher's lips.
'' You'll have a lot to explain to your pretty boy. '' She said, more bitter and sarcastic than she planned, cursed her luck in her head, that kiss had left her shivering all over her body.
'' Just that my pretty girl is fine, he will understand. '' She explained sweetly, seeing the involuntary pout on Erika's lips, oh those lips.
She could see something failing in her angel's brain, because she simply stared at her as if she had said a blasphemy.
'' Boo. '' She joked bitterly taking off her mask.
She could see the tendons of her cheek, her skull was irregular, her skin was rough, and she had much less nose than Christine thought, but that view was nothing but beauty and life for her.
Unable to take it anymore, she kissed her. Erika's eyes opened stratospherically and comically wide, but having achieved what she had spent awake nights, she quickly reciprocated the kiss by cradling the soft skin of her cheek and curling her blond locks with her finger.
It was a clumsy kiss with taste of tears and inexperience, but it heals their hearts and erase their fears. And when they broke the kiss, Christine stared at her caressing the jagged edges of her cheekbone with a smile so big that it did not fit on her lips. She was not going to lie, it was bad, but it was her love, her best friend and her moon and her stars.
'' My pretty girl. '' She said once more leaning down to kiss the damaged skin on her forehead.
Do not ask me what is the logic, where is the police? Where did they go? What are they going to do? Because I do not know, I plan to make another fan-fix in the future where things are better established and there is a logical continuity. You can find me in tumblr as Nessie665 if you have another thing to say, I post almost exclusive about Takarazuka Phantom.