Chapter 3 – A Blissful Surprise

Raoul came staggering out onto the deck but for all intents and purposes he was as drunk as you could get.

"What did you call this man, my sweet?" Raoul purred as he approach Christine and I. I could smell the foul odour of the drinks he must have been having tonight.

"I called him Erik," She said her eyes trained on Raoul but her hand found mine in the dim light.

"Wasn't that the name of that pathetic creature whom called himself the opera ghost?" Raoul sneered. I tensed up but I kept my thoughts on whom the pathetic creature was now to myself.

"Yes, but as you can clearly see darling that this gentle man is not the same Erik." Christine said, trying to hide the truth from the drunken imbecilic in front of us. Raoul's eyes drifted to me and my legs prepared itself for fight or flight but as Raoul registered that I no longer looked like I use to he turned back to Christine.

"Come Christine; let us go back to our rooms." Raoul said, suggesting subtly at what they could do in their rooms. Christine, after what seemed like a long moment, let go of my hand and walked over to Raoul. Once his arm had wrapped itself around her waist, he turned to me.

"I'm sorry for the inconvenience Monsieur. I am sure my wife has told you enough of the creature for you to understand my concern." Raoul said, it infuriated me that he had thought he had the right to call Christine his wife, let alone the insult he unknowingly was making towards me.

I could feel the venom burning my mouth as I replied on a dark chuckle "Not at all Monsieur. I understand the need to protect such a delicate creature as Christine." I felt Christine's name lighten the burn of the venom in my mouth but I hated the fact that any part of her, even if it was just her name, to be wrapped up in such an ugly sneer.

"Forgive me, Erik" I heard Christine murmur her eyes trained on me, I knew that she was asking for forgiveness not only for this moment but for so much more, without any hesitation on her part she continued "but we must part."

"You have my forgiveness, Christine. I bid you goodnight." I said turning my back, making sure that neither of them saw the tears the fell down my cheeks in silent streams. There was a long moment of silence before I heard their quiet footsteps. It was after a few long moments that I felt the tears stop flowing. It was only until then that I realized that she was asking for forgiveness for choosing Raoul; and for not choosing me but I knew in the very depths of my soul that she would have to renounce the boy completely before she could belong to me.

I walked back to my chambers in silence, ghosting the halls as I had done so many times at the opera house. I know now without a doubt that if any unlucky person had passed me in those very halls that night that I would have killed them - with my bare hands - without a thought. Fortunately no-one did pass me.

Without really thinking - when I had gotten to my chambers of course - I pulled out my violin and walked over to my balcony. In a fever I brushed the bow across the strings and there was music, to be exact there was my music. My tormented piece of "Don Juan Triumphant". My one and only piece of genius that I had written in all of those years of torment. I didn't give a damn if that pathetic creature Raoul heard. I didn't even care if Christine heard. All I could think of was to get the anger out, to pull the strings until I was surrounded in music, until I was drowning in the sweet intoxication. The outside world be damned, I wouldn't have even noticed if the world around me was burning down to the ground, all I could think of was the pain, the anger, the torment of which only love could cause. I could feel her lips on mine, as if it had only happened moments ago rather than days. She had kissed me to release me but there was never any release. I felt the tears fall again, and now in the privacy of the room, I felt the sobs wrecking throughout my chest causing pain, torment moans to escape my lips. To cause Christine's name to be tested out of my lips over and over again until I feel asleep with her name still on my lips.

Christine's P.O.V

Raoul almost had to drag me to our chambers. To drag me away from Erik.

I couldn't believe it; honestly I didn't know what had happened to him. I had fled the opera house, to escape my feelings for him, convinced that if I ran away with Raoul I could forget that frightening yet fascinating, poor soul that I had unknowingly fallen for but when I was with Raoul his lips upon mine, his hands exploring my body all I could think of was Erik, all I could think of was that I wished it was him that was worshiping my body the way Raoul did. But I had fled none the less knowing that no matter how much of a man Erik was (and there was no doubt that he was a man and no longer an angel out of reach) he would never be able to see past the music, his one and only companion, to see what was burning inside of his pupil.

And then all of a sudden he's here, and he's as beautiful on the outside as he is on the inside. He's here, and we're dining together. In perfect harmony, and no-one is paying us any attention! As if we are a normal couple! I should have known it the moment he ordered the meal. No, I should have known it by the way he looked at me, the way he watched me but alas I did not know it. If he had looked like himself then I would have known it the moment that I saw him, I tried to tell myself but the thing is that he has changed.

In all truth I did not know it until he started singing. There was no chance that I could not recognize that voice. Let alone that song. He had sung it to me when I first entered into his domain but it was his voice that had clicked my mind into recognizing who exactly was in my presence. Whom exactly was gracing me with his presence. And then Raoul had to come along and ruin the moment.

Talking about Raoul, he was on top of me his mouth exploring my body once more. I had told him that I would not allow him to make love to me until we were joined together in matrimony. Though, now that Erik was here I doubted that that was going to happen at all now.

I swear I heard the faint flowing music of a violin playing Erik's music and I remembered with a shock that almost tossed Raoul off of me that Erik was right next door.

It wasn't too long latter that Raoul stopped moving and I realized that he had fallen asleep. The music was still playing softly though. I pushed Raoul off of me and wrapped a soft cotton gown around me knowing that the night air would be chilly. I walked outside and closed the French glass doors behind me. The music was louder put here. Erik must have left his doors open. The music stopped and I heard the instrument fall to the ground with a sudden clatter though that noise was quickly drowned out as I heard Erik crying. I heard him murmur my name, in chest heaving sobs. He was crying for me, or because of me. It didn't matter, what matter us that I was the cause for his tears and without warning I had fallen to my knees and I was crying with him, for him, begging god to help me heal him.

When nothing answered me, as I now knew nothing would, I felt my legs pull me up and walk me back inside. Erik's crying had died down as I kneeled on the veranda in the bitter cold. It wouldn't be appropriate to sneak over there in the eyes if most of France's social upperclassman but that was neither here nor now and it mattered little when the man's room in question belong to Erik.

Without much thought really, I quietly walked out the door and walked into Erik's room, which was only to the next door down. He was laying flat on his back - his face turned slightly towards the open doors - on the bed which matched Raoul and I's.

He still was dressed in his dinner jacket, and his leather tight pants and white shirt. He had kicked his boats off but he looked pale under the moon light, and his natural brown hair was washed black in the darkness. I inched closer towards his bed and took off my cotton gown, only slightly remembering how little I was wearing - which was nothing but a slip as Raoul had done me the service of ripping off my dress - and curled into Erik's side. I lay my head on Erik's chest and fell asleep next to the man, that no matter how much I use to deny it, loved.

Erik's P.O.V

I turned and trashed in my sleep, as I was later told, trying to fight the nightmares away. Nightmares of killing Christine. My eyelids snapped upon when soft, lithe hands touch my chest. Above me hovered the face of Christine for a moment I was frightened that my nightmare had come into this waking reality but as the fog of sleep drifted away I realized that this was no dream. That Christine was here with me, in nothing but a slip!

"Christine," the words murmured from my lips. I rolled us over so that I was on top of her, not only because I wanted to see if this was real but because I simply wanted her pinned beneath me. The way I had fantasized of having her whilst she was in my bed.

"What are you doing here?" I whispered, as she whimpered beneath me.

"I'm here because I heard you last night and because I couldn't be with Raoul," She whispered back, the un-said words of while he was in that state there. But it doesn't matter, for it is bliss to simply have her with me.

"I didn't want to leave," She whispered, pulling me back out of my thoughts. I looked at her blankly, un-able to comprehend what she was saying.

"I didn't want to leave with Raoul, not only last night but when I left the opera house," the implied and you behind hanging thickly in the air between them.

"Then why did you?" The words left my lips before I could stop them. She visibly flinched from my words, as if I had slapped her rather than spoke to her. It was painful to know that I could clearly hurt her so. Especially when I vowed to myself that I would never harm a single hair on her head.

"I left because it was too painful knowing that you loved your music more than me, I left because I hoped that I could love another even if it was Raoul but Erik, I couldn't. My heart belongs to you Erik and to you alone." She said, her eyes staring deeply into my own. I could see the truth of her words in her eyes and it was a shock so much of a shock that I lost control of my body for a single moment.

Ah, but within that moment my body had lowered down onto hers, my lips crushing themselves onto hers, kissing her with all the long in the world, with all the love that I could feel for her.

I pulled away with a snap as soon as I was in control of myself again. I could feel a smile tugging on my lips and try as I may I couldn't brush it aside.

"Christine," I murmured looking deeply into her eyes as looked into the depths of mine, "As much as I'd love to continue my dear, we must keep the pretence that I am not who I am for the sake of that boy in the next room," I said, trailing my fingers gently across her cheek bones as I had that first night she had stayed in my domain. The only difference between now and then was that we had not slept together and she was not awake as she clearly was now.

"If we must," She said on a sigh, I chuckled slightly at the unwillingness to do so in her voice.

"We must," I said place a peck upon her lips, "but that does not mean that we cannot be together whilst he is not looking," I said feeling the hunger of my words inside of my groin.

I stole another chaste kiss before I dismissed her - deeply regretting it - to go and be where she ought to be before the boy awoke. I lay in my bed a full, genuine smile on my lips at the memory of finding my dear Christine in my bed. She must have slipped in after I had fallen asleep last night.

It was glorious knowing that she wanted me, that she loved me but little did I know that this was only the beginning of something that would be far more delectable.