Chapter 4

"Erik, what is it?" Christine asked. His eyes had grown distant, listening to the Voice in his head.

Yes, Erik, what is it exactly? Is it the fact how her touch can make you melt like wax to a flame? Or maybe just the thought of what else she has the power to do to you in those small hands.

Christine felt his body tremble in response to the thought that the Voice gave him. "Erik?" she called as she grew worried. His eyes seemed to blink back to reality then immediately went to her hand, still on his shoulder. He stared for a moment, etching the sight into his memory. Her small, smooth ivory hand, resting upon the black-on-black diamond design of his coat.
If he looked up, he would've seen Christine doing the same. As she looked up at his adoring emerald and sapphire eyes, he stared into her warm chocolate eyes but he abruptly turned away with saddened eyes. Christine's smile had faded to a deep concern, "Erik, if I had upset you-" "No, no," he answered. Upset him? The memory alone would bring him smiles for decades. "It's just... It's late and you must get some rest." As he looked at her, her brow furrowed and her eyes directed toward the clock behind him. He glanced at the clock to see that it was only 7:58. He let his shoulders fall as he sighed, why can't anything ever agree with me for once?

Right?

"Not you!" he said aloud. "What?" Christine asked, confused. He quickly recovered, "You have to wake up early and I won't have you late for rehearsal." She nodded and made sure that he saw the playful sadness of her face, he already knew what she wanted when she did that. "If you wake up very early," he added with a smile, "I'll make you an omelet." "Deal!" she agreed with a beaming smile. He chuckled deep in his throat. Christine loved to hear him laugh. She loved the resonance and timbre of his voice. It was only when he was angry that his voice didn't sound like him at all.
She picked up her skirts and headed to her room for the night. She halted before she opened her door and turned to him with a sweet smile, "Good Night ange." He sighed with a smile. For him, being her Angel was greater than being the king of the world's strongest and richest country. "Good night...," he breathed. She smiled and entered her room. As the door clicked behind her, he finished, "... ma petite." As he spoke, he placed his hand over where hers had just been. It felt as though she had branded him and for a moment, he could swear he felt the remaining heat left there.

She found Angelique lying on her bed, purring quietly as she readied for her bath. She sat a little longer in her tub tonight. Whenever she stayed in Erik's home, she always took extra care in her appearance. Not that the extravagant gowns Erik left her weren't enough but it was Erik, her Angel.
She loved him; she always had from the first moment he sang to her that dreadful night where she had been mere inches away from taking her own life. Why he practically saved her life with his earth real voice. She just didn't know how to show him or if it was a good choice for her. After all, he seemed to be many men inside one body. One man was her Angel, her protector, the other her mentor, then another Erik the man she loved. The one of the men that frightened her the most was the Phantom, the one who'd haunt the Opera above and also the one she saw glimpse of firsthand the night she took away his mask. Just remembering the rage she saw in his eyes caused her to shiver. Erik, however, was kind and a genius. Sometimes cranky and impatient but he always put her first. She found herself imagining Erik whispering in her ear, as he always did in her dreams. Whispering what she had no clue but how she loved the idea! Angelique was watching her Master's Angel dream in the giant water dish. Angelique had a familiar idea pop in her little head and meowed loudly. Christine's eyes shot open and saw the black cat staring at her. Christine laughed, "Now don't you think you can pull that shenanigan with me."

-

"Christine, I've told you time and time again, that is an F sharp!" "I just sang that!" "No you didn't!" "Yes, I did!" Ah, one of Angelique's favorite pass times, watching these stubborn people fight over music and pitch and performance. Today however, the little cat had an idea in mind as always. She knows these two love each other, and she can't believe how absolutely afraid they are of it. So she felt it was imperative that she help them move further in this unbeknownst relationship. They continued to bicker back and forth and then the volume started to rise in both of their voices. This is it, she walked toward Christine, neither one of them noticed her in their argument. Angelique laid her tail flat on the ground, just a few inches away from Christine's feet and prepared herself for the pain. Erik stood up with a yell toward Christine but she stood her ground. Christine gave a sarcastic remark back as she stepped back onto Angelique's tail. The cat jumped up and ran back to the hallway. Christine lost her balance and nearly fell... but she didn't. Erik caught her and was holding her close to himself as they faced each other. Just as planned, Angelique watched them from the hallway. "Are you alright?" He asked Christine. "Yes I'm..." she never got to finish as they stared at each other. He was holding her and she was clinging to him. For a long time they seemed frozen, lost in the feeling of being so close, the warmth of each other. Erik was having trouble breathing, Christine felt an unbelievable sensation in the pit of her stomach and Angelique strutted past them, chip up. They both looked at the devilish feline and smiled. They looked at each other again and quickly let go. Never having broken their stare they stood apart, hardly believing what that simple action had caused in them. They both turned and sought sanctuary in their rooms. As they slammed the doors behind them, they both let out a deep sigh and closed their eyes. Smiling like idiots, they both breathed in their rooms, "Oh my God..."