All day Christine wondered over what her lessons would be like now. Would they be different somehow, now that she and her tutor were different?

When she arrived for her lesson that afternoon he was already there at the piano. He paused a moment as he watched her walk closer, his eyes shining with such an adoration that it brought a blush to Christine's face.

"Good afternoon, Erik," she smiled.

"My dearest Christine."

His voice was like a loving embrace, and she had to suppress a shiver at the sound of it.

"Shall we begin?"

She nodded at his question, and from there they fell into a lesson not unlike the ones they had always had. He kept it brief, however, not wanting her to overtax herself so close to the start of the show. She dearly wished it were not the case, as she had hoped to spend more than a mere hour near him that day, but she had acquiesced anyway.

He stood up from the piano bench and walked with her to the door, even if it was a rather short distance. She lingered there before opening the door, glancing wistfully at him with the hopes of a hug or perhaps even a kiss before they had to part. Instead he simply reached his hand up as though to caress the side of her face but stopped just before he made contact, hesitating. She bridged the gap, leaning her face into his hand and he gave a small sigh.

Her heart was hammering in her chest. This was it - he was leaning in closer, his thumb stroking her cheekbone, he was going to kiss her-! Her eyelids fluttered closed in anticipation.

"No lesson tomorrow, my love. I want you fully focused on your rehearsal."

Her eyes sprung open. Oh. She nodded and he pulled his hand away. Was that all? She bit her lip, a little embarrassed that she had expected more. But shouldn't she? They were engaged... weren't they?

He had turned to leave after he let his hand fall away, but then he paused, frowning.

"Don't bite your lip like that, Christine. It's a terrible habit of yours, your lips are going to get chapped," he gently admonished and placed a hand on her upper arm, giving it a small squeeze.

"I'm sorry, Erik."

"It's alright, Christine. I'll see you again after your performance."

"You'll be watching the performance, won't you?"

He smiled tenderly.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world, my dear."

For the next day and half she let the production distract her from the odd predicament with Erik - or at least she tried to.

She fretted over what exactly she'd tell Raoul the next time she saw him. Were they engaged or not? Would they have a wedding in a church - would Erik be comfortable enough to be able to leave the Opera House for a church wedding, or would they marry in the little chapel that was tucked away on the premises? Did Erik already consider them married based on the fact of how they felt about each other, after she had confessed that she only ever wanted him? Surely not that one - if he felt she was his wife already he would have kissed her before leaving after their lesson, she thought. A terrible thought creeped into her mind - that he didn't intend to actually marry her or to even propose at all... What if he was simply content to know she loved him? She swallowed hard at this thought. Surely he wouldn't- he wouldn't expect her to still marry someone else, would he? She had already made her choice!

She so wished that they had time to simply sit and to talk over it all - but this blasted opera was demanding all of her time! It's not that it was not enjoyable or exciting - it was actually her first starring role in an opera - not just a small solo or a chorus or an understudy, but top billing as the main female lead! It would have been a truly heady rush had she not been otherwise distracted. How could she focus on being a grand diva when her future with Erik was still so uncertain?

But when the opening performance came, she managed to not let it worry her too terribly much. She would get through the performance, take the night off and relax, and then she would find Erik and they could discuss whatever they needed to discuss then. For right now, it was time to sing.

When she arrived onstage at her cue, she took the briefest moment to glance up at Box 5. The box was completely dark, seemingly empty as always, but she knew without a doubt that he was there, watching her with pride and love. Her heart gave a little flutter. She let her eyes drop to the box just below Erik's, catching a glance of another familiar face - Raoul. She couldn't help but smile at the thought that Erik probably had no idea that Raoul was right beneath him, and that Raoul was completely unaware that the fearsome Opera Ghost was mere yards away.

All worries about their situation and any nerves about her performance melted away at the thought of the two men she loved the most both being there to watch her with their unwavering support and devotion. All was right in the world. She lost herself in the performance.

When she finally took her bow at the very end, she felt in quite a daze. How many times had she dreamed, fantasized about this very moment? She could scarcely believe it was true. She returned to her dressing room like she was floating on a cloud.

It felt so strange to peel back the layers of her costume and stage makeup and wig one by one as she slowly went from her character onstage back to plain old Christine once again. Dressed once more in her regular clothing, she set to work wiping the last of the thick cosmetics from her face.

That was when she heard it - a little voice coming from right next to her, seemingly out of the roses in the vase she had on her vanity.

"Christine..."

She knew it was Erik, knew that he was likely somewhere behind her - or possibly above her - and that he was merely throwing his voice to make it sound like the roses were talking. She knew without a doubt that it was not actually the roses talking, but the effect was so realistic that she couldn't help how she glanced right at the roses after they 'spoke'.

"The maestro wishes to speak with his diva on the rooftop."

Christine smiled and shook her head. That silly man. He could speak with her right here if he wanted to! What could he possibly want up on the roof?

"Tell my maestro that I'll be right up," she said to the roses.

She hastily wiped at her eyes one last time, suddenly too distracted to care if all of her mascara was off or not, just so long as it wasn't smeared around her eyes. She grabbed her cloak and wrapped it around her, wondering what turn the weather had taken. When she had gone out that morning, it had been bitingly cold and the clouds overhead had held a promise of snow. The heartbeat in her ear was echoed by the thunk of her feet as she ascended the stairs as quickly as she dared, not wanting to trip but also not wanting to spend another moment away from him.

When she finally reached the top level and burst out of the door to the roof, she was greeted by a think blanket of snow that was ever growing as more of it came down. Slightly out breath, the frigid air stung her nose, but she found it difficult to care with the beautiful picture it all made.

Erik was nowhere in sight, and she carefully made her way nearer to the edge, wrapping her cloak around her tightly.

Paris was so beautiful like this, she sighed to herself. The twinkling lights up and down the streets and on all the buildings, and everything covered in a blanket of snow made the entire city look like a fairyland. When faced with a sight like this, Christine felt like maybe there really was still magic in the world.

She let out a squeak and jumped just a little when she felt strong arms encircle her waist and pull her back against a warm figure. She relaxed almost immediately into the embrace after she realized who it was, placing her hands over his and leaning against him.

"Erik! You startled me!"

"This is a lovely view, is it not?" he murmured into her hair. "And yet it still pales in comparison with you, my Christine."

The view from the roof made a strong case for the existence of magic in the world, but hearing those words whispered so tenderly from someone she loved so dearly made a believer out of her. How could she not believe in fairytales when she herself was living one?

She sighed happily.

"How did I do tonight?" she changed the subject, unsure of how to respond to his honeyed flattery.

"You were perfection itself."

The blush across her cheeks turned a shade deeper.

"Hmm, I think you are biased," she teased, but she felt like she was glowing from his kind words.

"Biased? Never," he scoffed.

A soft silence settled over them as they watched the scene spread out before them. Christine felt like she could stay here forever, even if it was freezing. Still, she was the first to break the silence.

"Thank you for bringing me up here tonight, Erik. It's just perfect," she paused just a moment before continuing in a lower voice. "I love you."

He simply hummed deep in his throat and, much to her confusion, began removing his leather gloves although he still kept his arms around her.

He was almost certain that she could feel - if not hear - how fast his heart was beating. He had done nothing but think of this moment ever since she had kissed him after he unmasked himself, pictured this a thousand ways over. But so many of those scenarios were nearly impossible for him - he could not, for instance, take her for a picnic in the park where they watched the sun set - just the thought of going out and being around so many other people made his heart skip beats in a bad way and his hands sweat and his thoughts buzz. But this, this he could do - in the moonlight under the shadow of the Apollo statue as they looked out on all of Paris lit up and snowflakes landed in her hair and eyelashes and on her nose and she was fresh from her triumphant debut on the stage-

Erik fumbled with his gloves more than he would have liked - the air was much colder than he had anticipated - but he managed to get them off and then he pulled the ring that he always wore off as well. He took her left hand and slipped the gold band on her finger, kissing the side of her face and her neck as she gasped and looked at her hand.

"Oh, Erik-" she breathed.

"I love you so much, Christine," he swallowed hard. "I'm sorry that this isn't a very fancy ring like you deserve. I- I'll make arrangements for you have one with a diamond as soon as possible, but I thought- I wanted you to have this one as well, because it doesn't really count unless there's a ring, does it?"

"I don't need a different ring, Erik - I love this one! It will always remind me of this night, and of you. I wouldn't have it any other way."

She couldn't stop admiring the ring, the one she'd seen on his hand everyday during their lessons. It truly wasn't very fancy - just a simple, plain ring made of gold - but to her it could have contained all the diamonds and jewels in the world. She loved it because it was his and now it was hers, and she wouldn't trade that for the world.

Erik was delight that she was pleased with it - for the most part. A small part of his mind still told him that this was only the start of things she'd have to get used to doing without, the very first in a long line of things he would struggle to be able to give her, a harbinger of all the compromises she'd have to make to stay with him. As much as those little voices screamed at him that he was making a terrible mistake, that he was dooming her with his love, that this was all wrong - he was powerless to turn from this path now, not with her here in his arms, not when she sighed so prettily as she rested against him, not with how she beamed at the ring he had given her. Despite her insistences otherwise, he still planned on getting her a fancy diamond that she could show off to her friends like any other bride. If she truly didn't want a diamond as an engagement ring, perhaps it could be a wedding gift instead... And speaking of weddings-

"Do you want a wedding in a big church, Christine?" he asked in a soft voice as he gently leaned his unscarred cheek against the side of her face.

She hesitated, dropping her left hand which was now trembling from the cold back down his still ungloved hands wrapped around her middle, giving them a light squeeze.

"Do you want a wedding in a big church?" she carefully returned the question back to him.

"Hm. I asked you first, my dear."

"I would like a wedding in a big church," she tried to choose her words carefully. "But I do not know if it will be... practical, for us. I will certainly not be upset if we do not, and above everything I want you to be comfortable. I don't think I'd enjoy the ceremony very much if you were scared out of your wits, you know. Something simple is fine with me, too, Erik."

His sweet fiancée, thinking of what would be best for him. What had he ever done to deserve her?

"If you wish to have a fancy wedding, you shall have one, Christine. I- I will try very hard to be the kind of husband you need me to be, my dear. Only- just remember that it has been a very long time since Erik went out among so many people, it will take time, of course - but he will try! But please be patient with your Erik as he tries. He wants nothing more than to please you, and it will be difficult at times, but he promises that he is trying very hard for you..."

Christine's heart melted at his words. He was so terribly anxious and frightened of crowds - with good reason, of course, but he did tend to think that any more than four people in one given space was a 'crowd'. She knew it would be very difficult indeed to overcome - or even attempt to overcome - a way of thinking for him that had been second nature for so many long years, probably for longer than Christine had been alive. That he would face those debilitating fears for her sake... It warmed every part of Christine, and she swore that she'd do whatever it took to help him in that.

"I promise to always be patient with you, Erik. And I promise to help you in any way you need me to, too. We don't have to rush into a big wedding right away. We can start with small outings, simple things until you feel comfortable going out around people. It'll be okay. Besides, I want Raoul to be there when we get married, and he's leaving on another expedition in a few days and won't be back for three months."

Erik had tightened his grip on Christine as she had spoken about helping him get used to leaving the Opera House, awash with gratitude as he thought about how he cherished her. But the mention of that boy gave him pause.

"Raoul?"

"Yes, I think he should be there."

Rationally Erik knew there was no reason in the world to feel jealous or anything of the like, but still-

"Why?"

He still wasn't certain how to feel about him. Raoul seemed to care deeply for Christine, and in a way that didn't seem to compete with how Erik felt about her, and he appreciated that there was someone else out in the world that wanted to look out for her... But he was still slightly uncomfortable with how the boy had hunted him down in his own home with such sheer brazenness - and how convincingly nice he seemed to be in spite of that. Was he really that nice? He supposed that Christine wouldn't be such good friends with him if he wasn't, but Erik wasn't used to such a concept. Christine was nice, of course, but Christine was an angel, of course she was nice - and Raoul was most definitely not an angel so it made him feel confused about the whole matter.

"Because, Erik - without Raoul, we very likely wouldn't be here right now."

Erik raised an eyebrow at this.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"If Raoul hadn't confronted us on how we felt for each other, we might never have truly known. Were you ever going to tell me how you felt? Because," she looked down, sheepish. "Because I wasn't going to tell you."

He paused, considering this. He hadn't been going to tell her - he had planned on never telling her. Although, when he truly considered it-

"And just who, my dear," he purred into her ear. "Was responsible for your going out with the boy in the first place, hmm?"

She smirked.

"Erik. You aren't serious... Raoul still had to ask me first, before you said anything about him at all. If he hadn't asked-"

"He asked, and you turned him down, Christine. You would have continued to turn him down, too, if not for me - don't deny it, now," he playfully chided her.

"Erik!" she laughed. "Raoul is coming to the wedding, and that is final!"

He made a show of sighing deeply, but he was smiling as well.

"Very well, my dear. You know that I can deny you nothing."

They stood there a while longer, gazing out at the city, gazing up at the occasional star that peeked through the snow filled clouds. The future was still uncertain, and it would surely have more than it's share of difficulties, but they would face those together.

He knew there were innumerable questions about what lay ahead of them. Would Christine want to live in his little house by the lake underground, or would she prefer to live somewhere sunny? If they moved, how would that affect her career? Would Erik ever actually manage to travel around like a normal person, go to the stores or even just walk down the street with his wife without panicking? Would she want children - would she want his children? Would she ever regret her choice in binding herself to him? Erik tried to push all of these thoughts from his mind. They could all be dealt with later. They didn't matter in that moment.

All that mattered right then was how warm she felt against his chest, how big the smile on her face was as her fingers entwined with his, and how at peace he felt even with so many unanswered questions looming in the distance. He nuzzled his face into her hair and breathed deeply, the scent of violets and roses still lingering from whatever it was she combed her hair out with. He would have to ask her it was - later.

She squirmed in his arms until he loosened his grip on her, and she turned around to face him, standing on her tiptoes, the gold ring glinting in the moonlight as she cupped the side of his face and pulled him down into a kiss.

author's note: Thank you so much to everyone who read this! This chapter completes the story, but there is a second part I will be posting soon as its own story - "Of Night and Light and the Half-Light", and a third part as well (though the third part isn't written yet, but will be by the time the second part is posted)