A/N: I thought it was rather cruel to make you all wait a week and a half only to get a one-shot that was less than a 1000 words, so here is a bonus. Make sure to read chapter 2!

Summary: Erik comes home after a long trip to the loving arms of his Christine. Modern A/U.

Chapter 3: Home and Heart

Erik walked down the long hallway, happy to finally be off that damned contraption people called airplanes. He was gladder, however, just to be home again. The silicone mask he had been wearing was starting to itch, though its use was paramount to travel. He was happy to be back in this city, to smell the familiar scent of the air, to hear the sounds of people passing, but most importantly, his darling love.

He came round the last bend, preparing to see the rest of the rabble of his flight milling about uselessly as they waited for their taxis or possibly their loved ones. People swarmed in a way that had always annoyed him. Why, when man had come so far in making themselves appear civilised, did they still see fit to stand in the middle of walkways or streets like cattle when lost? There was plenty of room to either side for them to wonder where they were meant to go, but no. They stood directly in the way of every other human, threatening to pass their stupidity to more. No wonder people have wars so often, Erik thought with an eye roll.

Just when he began to look for the sliding automatic doors to take him to the massive car park and away from the rest of the idiotic humans, he caught the dangerously wonderful blue eyes he had been dreaming about each night for the past two weeks of his much hated business trip.

'Christine,' he breathed, feeling certain she could not have heard. Still, at his single utterance, she rushed forward, tears instantly springing to her eyes. Somehow—and he would never be exactly certain how she did it—she managed to get through the aimless wanderers to fly straight into his much missed arms.

He stumbled back slightly at the force of her launched embrace, but his eager arms would be damned before he let her go. Nothing in the world would pry her from him now.

He happily buried his face into her hair, pulling her as tightly to him as he could without harming her. He savoured the feeling of her own arms securely wrapped about his neck as her head snuggled into his shoulder. He pulled back only to kiss her head, muttering a hundred "I love you" and "I missed you"s.

'I missed you too, my love,' she softly whispered to him, letting her smile graze his neck before she kissed him there. He hummed happily into her in response. He felt one of her tears slide down his neck and found himself gasping and blinking away a few of his own.

'Darling, don't cry. You will make me start and then we will both be messes,' he asked of her half-heartedly.

She replied by pulling back to look him in the eye. She smiled at the sight of his mismatched irises, one ice blue and the other warm gold. Bringing her hand up to his masked cheek, she let the heat of her palm seep through the plastic's joins to touch his skin beneath. She watched his eyes close in comfort before kissing his lips.

He was somehow never prepared for her kisses, but that did not mean he would not join her in them. He closed his shock-opened eyes again, melting into the bliss that was her lips pressed against his in perfect, flowing harmony. Her little gasps and smiles against him as he dared to deepen it were well worth the fact that they were in public. He pulled back when this thought came rushing to him.

He hummed into her mouth with one last kiss, hating that it should have to end at all. 'My love, perhaps we should finish this at home.'

Christine blushed, nodding as she realised where they were. 'Perhaps you're right.' She slowly slid down from his arms but did not break eye contact as her disappointed longing reflected back in his eyes at their moment being cut short. She knew he did not like the eyes of others on him anyway, so having such a personal greeting was pushing it.

She led him out to the car and went so far as to insist that she drive them home, saying he would be too tired to worry about it. He filled the time with peaceful silence, not wishing to distract her. Occasionally he would comment about how something may have changed in his short absence. He listened to her replies, but mostly lived in hearing her voice. He had missed that glorious sound. The hotel he had stayed at did not have good enough cell reception to talk for very long, so their chats had been short. He refused to have private conversations or share her voice to the din of a coffee shop. He had reluctantly explained to her that they would have to wait for his return to truly enjoy each other's company.

Getting out of the car, he took a sigh of relief to see their home. It was more secluded but with plenty of access to the city. He took her hand as she opened the front door for them.

Any anxiety left over from the flight fled from his muscles and shoulders the instant he observed the living room. It was just the way he had left it. He was finally home again.

'You go put away your luggage. I'll make us some hot cocoa,' she told him, giving him a sly smile at the mention of his favourite bedtime treat. He occasionally would sip it while reading. To Christine, this habit made the most beautiful image.

He returned her smile as he leaned over to kiss her on the lips gently before heading off to their bedroom. He listened to her in the kitchen as he unpacked his suitcase. He tucked away all of his things, smiling as he heard her start to hum while she worked. It was one of his favourite pieces, made all the better by her voice.

He took off his mask, wincing slightly as the glue stuck to the drier skin underneath, but felt the relief he had been longing for as his true face was uncovered once more. He looked to the bed, eyeing the sheets longingly. He felt his eyelids beginning to grow heavier as Christine's entrancing song continued to envelope him in comfort. He decided to compromise with himself as he got undressed, readying for eventual sleep. He would stay awake to lie beside Christine and drink his cocoa. He could practically feel the pleasant weight of her leaned against his chest. He had missed her so. He sat on the bed, covering his legs with the blankets, willing himself to fight the taunting urge of sleep. He caught the soft smell of her pillow. He breathed in the scent of her hair and her light perfume in it. He had not realised how much he had missed every bit of her. He snuggled down a bit further to better breath in the wonderful scents of home.

Christine came in, carrying their mugs of cocoa. 'Here we are—' She stopped, seeing her darling Erik curled up in bed, sound asleep and smiling against her pillow peacefully. It brought her joy to see he was so cosy and at home. She had missed having him here, though she had not realised just how much until she felt the full wave of happiness at seeing him now.

Smiling, she put the mugs on the bedside table, slipping off her clothes and pulling on an oversized sleep shirt. She then happily crawled into bed, careful not to disturb him as she snuggled in beside him. She turned off the light before gently managing to wriggle into his arms. They curled instinctively around her as he held her to him. She kissed his chin lightly and whispered a soft goodnight to him.

At some point during the night, he woke with blurred vision to see her asleep against him. He was surprised, but calmed quickly to kiss her hair. 'I love you, Christine,' he murmured before going back to sleep.