Notes: I have always believed that Erik would have acted more like a man than a psychotic lunatic if more people had just treated him as such. In this story, Christine has known Erik as a man for a year, so they've for the most part, gotten past the angst that such a revelation would have caused and have settled into a fairly normal relationship, thus why Erik is acting so...normal. But of course, he's Erik so...assume what you will.
Also, just a small note, the Christine in my story is 18 years old. Mominator124 brought this up in a review and I just wanted to clarify for anyone who was curious. She's a bit more mature than the Christine we're used to, and again, I chalk that up to her age and the fact that she's known about Erik for a year now. She's already done her soul searching and made her decision regarding him.
One last note, I promise, but I forgot to mention that the title of this story comes from the Mika song of the same name, which doesn't belong to me.
Christine woke the next morning to an empty bed, and while it wasn't an unheard of event, she was a bit disappointed that Erik had not stayed the entire night by her side. But she knew that her fiancé was quite restless, he often spent the nights wandering the corridors of the operahouse, encouraging stories of the Opera Ghost to keep the company and the managers in check. She got up, throwing on her favourite white silk nightgown and moved into Erik's kitchen to prepare some breakfast.
She didn't realize that he was home until he wrapped his arms around her waist and began kissing at her neck. Jumping slightly, she turned around in his arms and lightly shoved his shoulder. "Erik! How many times have I warned you about sneaking up on me? You know that I hate it when you frighten me like that."
"Sorry," he murmured, although the devilish smirk on his face said that he was anything but. Christine simply rolled her eyes and leaned forward to give him a good morning kiss.
They broke apart and she moved back to their breakfast as Erik went to boil some water for tea. "Where were you, ange?" she asked, curious as to what had kept Erik from her side this time.
She glanced over her shoulder in time to see him shrug. "I had a few notes to deliver."
"Erik!" she sighed, plopping their omelettes onto two plates and taking them to the table. "More notes?"
He nodded briefly and then brought their tea over. "Christine, it's the easiest way to communicate with the managers. And I assure you, they were very polite."
Her eyebrow rose disbelievingly, her suspicions only confirmed by the fact that Erik refused to look her in the eye. "I've told you before, Erik. What you view as perfectly polite, others tend to view as quite threatening. Especially when you use that morbid skull seal." At his slight flinch, she knew that he had once again used the macabre seal to send his letters. "Who did you send them to this time and what did they say?"
He took a sip of his tea and a bite of his omelette before answering her, but Christine simply waited for him. "I sent a note to each of the managers, praising your performance last night and reminding them that my salary has not yet been paid." Christine took a bite of her omelette and kept her gaze focused on him, knowing there was more. "I might have also...intimated that Carlotta was...past her prime and should be replaced."
"Is that all?" Christine asked cautiously, hoping it was but knowing Erik, knew it probably wasn't.
He shook his head. "I also sent one to Carlotta stating that...you would be taking over her roles from now on and that she shouldn't attempt to...stand in your way." He waved his hand casually and Christine's stomach sank, knowing that his wording couldn't have possibly been that nice.
"Erik," she moaned. "You know how much Carlotta hates me already! And despite the fact that I had a great triumph last night, I'm sure that the managers will not be so keen to anger her by letting me keep the role." She sighed, shaking her head, knowing that there was nothing to be done now. She would just have to deal with it when she returned to the surface in a few days for something other than the performance. Madame Giry would certainly cover for her, probably telling the managers that she wasn't feeling well. "That is all then?"
Erik still looked to the floor, refusing to meet her gaze and Christine fought back the urge to sigh again. He was so childish sometimes, but it somehow just made him more endearing to her. "I might have...sent one to the Vicomte."
"Oh Erik," she said, reach across the table to grasp his hand. "Must I tell you again, you have nothing to fear from Raoul? What did it say?"
"It said that you were under the care of your Angel of Music and that he should...make no attempt to see you again." Erik scuffed his feet against the floor and Christine couldn't help but smile at him, leaning over the table to plant a kiss on his cheek.
"While I find your jealousy strangely endearing, my love, I'm afraid that the Vicomte will see that as a bit of a threat. I shall have to return to the surface sooner than I was expecting to clear things up." He looked up at her finally, the sadness clear in his eyes. "I know, Erik, I was hoping that I could stay a few days with you. But if Raoul read your note as a threat, he will surely stop at nothing until he finds me. And I won't allow you to be discovered." She leaned forward, placing a gentle kiss on his lips. "Your home is a sanctuary for both of us, Erik. And I'd like to keep it that way. Now let's finish our breakfast and hopefully we can return to the surface in time to give Madame Giry a note explaining my disappearance."
Sooner than either of them would have liked, Christine was prepared to leave once more for operahouse above. She walked into the section of his home that Erik tended to use for his work and leaned over his shoulder as he put the finishing touches on the note that Madame Giry would deliver to the managers. Her eyes flitted over the note before Erik slid it into the envelope and she shook her head, burying her face into Erik's neck. "Darling, you do know you catch more flies with honey than vinegar?"
Erik scoffed slightly as he picked up the melted wax and poured some onto the envelope, stamping it with his seal. "It's perfectly civil, Christine. They have not obeyed my orders, so I am well within my rights to be a bit short with them. And I refuse to let you be thrust back into the chorus again. Paris is surely begging for you now and if the managers know what is good for their precious pocketbooks, they will surely follow my suggestions." With that, he spun around, taking Christine by surprise and sweeping her off her feet and settling her on his lap. His hands were clasped loosely at the small of her back and she smiled as she wound her arms around his neck. "I wish you didn't have to leave," he murmured, nuzzling his face into her neck. The cold porcelain rubbed against her skin, sending a shiver down her spine.
"I know, my love," she said, stroking his hair softly. "But it is for the best. And no matter what part I sing tonight, I shall be able to return to you. We do not give Hannibal again for another week and the company has tomorrow off, so I shall be able to spend at least a day or two solely with you, no rehearsals to interrupt." She kissed him gently, indulging in the way that his lips moved across hers. Breaking their kiss, she smiled gently at his slight groan of protest and brushed a brief kiss against his cheek in apology. "If we keep this up, Erik, I'll never return to the surface in time. I'm sure that Raoul will be storming in any minute now, demanding to know my whereabouts. He's turned into quite a powerful man within the operahouse and I'd prefer to lie to him as little as possible."
Erik sighed and nodded, releasing her from his embrace. She held out her hand to him and he took it without hesitation, letting her lead him to the small dock. The trip back to her dressing room was quiet, as always, both parties dreading the goodbye ahead of them. They reached her mirror and Christine turned to Erik, grasping both of his hands in hers and bringing them up to her mouth to place gentle kisses on his knuckles. "You have nothing to fear from Raoul. I care for him as a friend, nothing more. I am yours, Erik." She stood on her tip-toes, letting go of his hands to brace herself on his chest as she kissed him with every ounce of passion that she felt for him. His hands tangled in her hair and she moaned against his lips as he dragged her body closer to his, not leaving an inch of space between them. "I love you, Erik," she whispered as they broke apart, their foreheads touching as they both regained their breath.
"Christine! Christine, where are you? Maman is looking for you!" The couple turned to the two-way mirror to see that Meg had slipped into the dressing room and was hissing for Christine. Erik quickly undid the latch to the mirror and slid it open. Meg jumped slightly in surprise when her two friends emerged through the mirror, before smiling at them. "Good morning, Erik," she nodded to the man that she so often referred to in public as the Phantom of the Opera, but knew in private as simply her best friend's fiancé.
Erik tilted his head in acknowledgement. "You danced very well last night, Meg. Your mother must be proud."
Meg blushed prettily and looked down. "Thank you, monsieur." She then looked over to Christine and shook her head. "We must get you out of here without anyone seeing you. I heard the managers talking about the notes and I know it's only a matter of time before everyone else shows up. Maman is wondering who else we should be expecting."
Christine chuckled slightly as she looked at Erik. "I suspect that we shall soon be graced with Carlotta's and the Vicomte's presence, Meg." She pulled the note from her bodice and handed it to her dear friend. "Do you think that you could give this to your mother? While you are all speaking, I hope that I can get back up to the dormitories without anyone seeing me." Meg snatched the letter up and nodded, looking briefly to the door.
"We must hurry though, Christine, I'm sure they'll be here any minute." Meg turned and quickly opened the door, glancing around briefly to make sure the coast was clear, before slipping through. Before disappearing into the corridors of the operahouse, she turned to wave to her friends, and then quickly shut the door.
Christine turned to Erik, smiling sadly. "I shall have to use that secret way up to the dormitories that you showed me, I'm afraid." Leaning into him once more, she kissed her fiancé goodbye briefly, before drawing back. "I will see you soon, Erik. I love you."
"I love you too, Christine." With that, he stepped back behind the mirror, quickly sliding it shut. Christine sighed and blew a kiss to him, knowing that he would watch her until she was out of the room. She then turned to leave, making sure to lock the door behind her, and hurried up to the dormitories, bypassing the rather sizeable group gathered in the main foyer of the operahouse.
Things will pick up a bit in the next chapter! Raoul's appearing again and it's time for the infamous Il Muto performance!
