Christine

Before I could even realize what I had said, my shoulders were gripped and I was thrown against the stone wall.

"Do you have any idea what you have done?" He screamed in my face. He screamed as if there were a knife protruding his side.

"Erik, please let me go. You're hurting me." I whimpered as I felt a sob approach.

"How dare you ask me to stop hurting you, when this was how you were making me feel moments ago? When you stomped on my heart and shredded it to pieces? How dare you come into my life and extract my happiness out of me and then crush it the cruelest way possible? You don't understand how severely you have betrayed me, and people who have betrayed me don't get off without punishment." He shook my shoulders and I looked into his face and saw tears streaming down his face. "I thought you... I thought we..." He sighed and released me all at once. I fell to the ground and scraped my hands as I tried to catch myself. I looked back at him and noticed he was pacing the floor. I heard him sniffling, trying to hold onto tears. He kept the tears inside because he believed it showed weakness, but really it showed his only human side now.

How could this have happened? One minute we were having our lesson, and it was completely wonderful, to feel him all around me. It was like I was being held by someone who loved me and wanted to keep me safe. Maybe it was just acting because this man was not the Erik I knew. I hated this man. "Erik, I'm sorry." I began in a whisper. I heard a growl as he clinched his jaw and fisted his hands. Erik looked me straight in the eye, and I couldn't see anything in those dark eyes but fire and rage.

"You cannot possibly understand what it is like to be shunned from the world! To be driven out of town by a mob while being called Devil, demon and other sorts of repulsive names. The hurt in me is far greater than your innocent mind can comprehend. It aches and burns with a desire to be loved, Christine. You are perfectly beautiful, loved by everyone. They fall in love with you the very first sight of you just as I had. But me? No. I'm an ugly monster who does not deserve your love, touch or even to stand in your presence. I look at my face and all I can see is a monster. I don't doubt your capabilities to see my face because I want to hurt you, Christine. I doubt you because if you are going to look at this face, you are going to leave. When I reveal my face you are going to see this repulsive, ugly and distorted face and you're going to run to Raoul the first chance you get. That moment that you leave me, that you choose him," He used his hand to point to his left, "over me, will break me entirely. That single moment would hurt me more than any other beating I have ever taken, any cruel or mean words that have ever been spat at me and any look of disgust given to me by a man, woman, or child."

I looked up at him. He believes it is his face that is going to keep us apart. I had to find a way to prove him wrong. To show him, I mean to stay with him for as long as I can. Erik needed to understand just how much he meant to me. "To be honest with you Erik, I haven't the slightest clue as to what to say to you or the words to use to make you feel better." I whispered as I started to cry even more. "I didn't kno-"

"No! You didn't! You don't know anything! You can't possibly understand how horrible and cruel my life has been. You don't understand the circumstances I have had to live, all because of the way I look!" He looked at me and stared me down. That mask became my worst enemy because I had no idea who my Erik was anymore. He strolled towards me and crouched in front of me. "You have no idea what lies underneath this mask. It's terrible, absolutely horrific. Its the face of a monster, a living breathing corpse. Maybe I should show you, maybe I should enlighten you on my situation and why I am so doomed to live a miserable life alone."

He began reaching for his mask, and before I could think about my actions, I jumped at him. I clasped his hands in mine and held him firmly. At this point I was on my knees, in between his crouching legs grasping his hands at the side of his head, all the while staring him right in the eyes. His eyes were widen with astonishment of my actions. He began to move away and tightened my grip on him. "No. I don't want to see it. Not because I am scared of it or afraid, but because you are angry. You are hurt, and I don't want to see the face of the man that has stolen my heart, out of pure anger. I would much rather see him revealing himself to me out of love, instead of hatred and anger. Please, Erik, for me. Don't do this."

We looked into each other's eyes for a very long time. For once, I saw a vulnerable man. One whose life has been made so miserable that he has condemned all of the world to react the way he believes they will once he lets them in. I for one plan to change his way of thinking. I noticed new tears streaming from his eyes, replacing the now dried up tear stains on his face. I wanted to say something, but before I knew it, my lips were captured by his.

At last! A kiss! A kiss made out of love, and not of anger, well sort of but still! A kiss is a kiss, and it was bliss. His lips pushed into mine, slow and soft. I followed his movements, and the second he noticed my encouragement his lips started to move faster, almost at a hungry pace, and I mimicked him. My arms lifted around his neck as his arms were wrapped tightly around my waist. Part of my face was squished into the mask, and it irritated my cheek but not enough to ruin this moment. Soon, I will have won his heart and then, and only then, will I be given the chance to prove myself and my love. His grip tightened on me, and I was brought closer to him. I could feel his blatant wanting, throbbing against me. Surprisingly, I wasn't scared of desire. I welcomed it. I was curious as to what it felt like, how it would feel against me, inside of me. It was something that I wanted desperately.

Before we could further our moment, he pulled his lips away. We were both gasping for air, holding each other so tightly, afraid to let go. He removed his hands from my hips and placed them on my face. I brought our foreheads together and closed my eyes. I breathed in his smell, and it was heavenly. I had never smelled something so amazing, so beautiful, it made me feel so much in a single moment. So many emotions fluttered around in me it was so hard to keep them all inside. Soon enough, I was going to explode with passion.

"How did I get so lucky?" He breathed. "How was I able to find someone so astonishingly wonderful, a girl who can turn my whole world upside down with just a small gesture. I find you so beautiful, so very beautiful, Christine." He kissed my nose and kept our foreheads together. He was breathing quite heavily just as I was. "But, the beauty I find in you is not from your pretty face. It's your alluring soul, your brilliant mind, and your perfect heart. That's why I find you so beautiful. You are everything I have ever wanted in life, everything I have ever dreamed about. I have dreamt of you since I was a little boy wandering around France. I was born for you, and you for me. Our souls are combined on a journey God himself paved for us. I just don't know how long our journey will last because of this, this boy." He basically spat that last word out, and I didn't mind. My mind was too focus on the kiss he just gave me to even realize his cruelty. "Christine, please, if you feel for me as you just shown me moments ago, you will honor my wishes by staying away from him. Please, allow you and I to stay on the path God created for us."

I had no idea what kind of history went on between the two men in my life, but as of right now, my heart knew what it wanted. So when I nodded and allowed Erik to carry me back to his home, I was just following my heart. But when will the dream stop and reality begin? Its like a never ending road and in the middle there is a fork. A path for Erik, dark and mysterious filled with passion, and a path with Raoul, clear as day with sunshine and brilliant green trees. When the time came, would I really able to break Raoul's heart to follow my own?

Erik and I split ways when he told me I should get some sleep, so I agreed, because I was really tired. He kissed me one my forehead and left to his music room with a simple "Good night." But, the moment I was alone in my bedroom beneath the opera house, all of the nights events unfolded in my mind and I was startled. Why did Erik react like that? What did he have against Raoul? Have they met? Well, they obviously must have if Erik told me to stay away from him. I needed to know. The curiosity of the relationship between Erik and Raoul was far too great. I couldn't just sit here, I needed something to take my mind off of it all.

I threw my legs over the bed and stood up. The floor was freezing, so I looked for the slippers I had thrown by the door to the bathroom. I slipped them on and grabbed a cover. I slowly opened the door and looked down the hallways. I listened and heard the sound of music, coming from the end of the hallway. Erik's music room. My legs moved me to the opposite end of the house, towards the living room with the library in it. I couldn't face him right at this moment, not after everything that has happened tonight. If I saw him he would only invoke passion and desire, and right now I needed to keep a clear and leveled head. I entered the room and lit the fireplace. Once I felt comfortable, I glanced at all of the books Erik had stocked up. There were so many novels on the shelves. Some were big, some were small, some looked old and others looked incredibly new. I picked up a book. Frankenstein, the story of a monster. I shrugged and took the book and sat on the small couch in the middle of the room.

I read three pages until I had to put the book down. Erik's music was just so intoxicating. It was full of misery, sadness, and love. I could practically feel every single emotion he has ever had through his music and it was absolutely amazing. He played his entire life on those piano keys and I couldn't help but allow my tears to fall. Erik was such an emotional man, filled with endless longing for a happy ending, and I just didn't know if I could take all of it. It was like having too much sugar for your tea, or too many workers in a factory. Sooner or later, things will began to fail. I just hoped we find our way to the extraordinary life we are destined to have, rather than the unstable one. I wanted Erik with all my heart. I knew I belonged here with him, in this house, reading and listening to his music. The thing that I did not want was for him to doubt me, hurt me, and make me choose between my life and his.

"Christine?"

I was startled out of my thoughts from the sound of Erik's voice. I guess I was so deep in my thoughts that I had no idea he stopped playing. I looked over at him as I clutched my chest.

"Erik! Good God, you scared me! I hadn't realized you had stopped playing." He looked at me softly and walked towards the couch I was sitting on. He was wearing only his white dress shirt, which was neatly tucked into his dress pants with a black belt. I could see his strong built underneath the thin shirt, the outline of muscles and his board shoulders. I longed to touch them and feel him.

"I apologize. Perhaps I should have made my appearance noticeable by coughing or clearing my throat." He stopped just in front of where I was sitting and kneeled down. "Christine, I am glad you are up. I wanted to talk to you about tonights events."

I shook my head and looked away. I felt the tears beginning to form in my eyes. "No," I said as my voice cracked. "I don't want to talk about the things we've gone through. Not tonight."

He looked startled. "Why?"

I snapped my head back at him. "Why? Because I am tired. I am tired of being stomped all over by your reactions to everything I say! I..." I sighed. "You and I made our wanting very clear, but it just can't be."

He abruptly stood up and walked to the fire place. "Christine, we are meant to be together! I know it! Why can't you see that?"

"I can't accept it. I can't do it knowing that you are going to be cruel and rude every time I say something you don't like. And besides sometimes I feel like you don't even want me around you, or that you don't feel the same."

He let out a growl and whipped around to look me in the eyes. "I want you! What part of that don't you understand? That's the problem you don't understand! You can never understand. I want you with such desire and lust that it might scare you away! Then what option do I have? To lock you away and keep you as my prisoner? I will do it, Christine! I will become to the Opera Ghost everyone blames me to be and keep you here. If you try to run, I will find you and chase you down. Christine, I want you and I don't want just your body. I want you to love me, without boundaries, to trust me without fear like all the others, to want me without having me to demand it, and just accept me for who I am."

I broke our gaze as tears began to form in my eyes. I just couldn't look at him anymore. He was hurting me, but in a way he was saying everything I had ever wanted him to say. "I just want you to love me, Christine. Is it truly so hard to love a monster? To find the man underneath this accursed corpse? Haven't the past few weeks been enough for you to see me with your heart and not your eyes? Didn't that kiss mean anything to you?" Erik came and took my hands and kneeled in front of me, of course I flinched from his touch. Thank God he didn't notice or else he would have gotten even angrier. "Christine, please, please, choose me. My last resort is begging because yelling at you didn't help and trying to talk to you didn't help either, so I must beg. Beg for you to realize that I can be everything you need! I know I can't promise you a perfect happy ending without arguments over our differences or trust issues; however, I can promise you that as long as you're trying and you want to do this, to be with me, then I will stay and I will fight for you."

I was astounded. He was asking for love, and companionship, even after everything that has happened. He wanted to be with me, not keep me as a student, but as a lover. So that kiss did mean something! The music he played had truly been of his feelings for me! Not of his life! I felt like my eyes were open to something brand new. I looked into his eyes and saw Erik. My Erik.

"Oh Erik," I grabbed his face with both of my hands. He watched me and sighed as I touched him. "I do want this. I want the pointless arguments, the joking, the lessons, and you. I just want you. I want an inseparable relationship with you, Erik. I want you and me every day, together. I want a happy ending with you and only you. How on earth could you think that I wouldn't want this? I had already learned to love the man underneath before I even knew what your secret was! I just had no idea you had wanted me in return."

He brought his face closer to mine until our foreheads toughed, and even being this close we still did not look away or close our eyes. "Truly?" he breathed. "This is the life you want to live? With me? With all my mistakes, my face, and my scarred up past? You truly want all that? I know I was just begging for it moments ago, but I just can't believe you want this! I need the truth because if you say yes, I won't let you go, Christine. I will make you stay here even if you scream to go. I will keep you under lock and key here with me if I have to." He sighed again, and closed his eyes. "Just tell me the truth and spare my heart from further heartbreaking."

I watched him breath in and out, slowly and deeply. I reached my hand over to find the edge of his mask. I pulled it gently off and watched as his deformed features showed. Honestly, I wasn't disgusted, I was more curious than anything. Erik had told me he was deformed, he had warned me of his face, and yet it was so relieving to see his deformity and know the man behind the mask was completely imperfect. I kissed his cheek and watched as a shiver formed throughout his body. I was intrigued by the texture of his skin. It was soft and yet so thin. I could almost see right through to his bone, it didn't disgust me, only made me even more curious.

"The Truth?" I whispered gently against his cheek. "The truth is the first moment I heard you sing, you took my heart. My whole heart, and if I choose Raoul... I may not ever get it back. So why choose a love filled with nothing but friendship when I could have a love filled with everything I've always wanted? Erik, I choose you." Erik opened his eyes and watched me. "Now its my turn to promise you something. I can't promise I'll be here with you for the rest of your life, Erik, but I will promise you that I will love you for the rest of mine. Its not going to be easy, but it will be worth it. I will make it worth it. Don't you understand? I complete you Erik, just as you complete me."

Erik opened his eyes and I had never seen him look so beautiful. But then, his features hardened and he snapped. "I don't need you to complete me, Christine. I only need you to accept me completely."

I was hurt by his snap and showed him by taking my hands off his face. He noticed it because his features softened. "I do accept you completely! With every inch of my soul I accept you. You are mine, just as I am yours and you can't be spending our entire lives doubting me every step of the way. I will always be yours, and yours forever. I choose you, Erik."

"Mine," he whispers as he looks off to the side.

"Yours," I breath as I grab his chin to look at me. "and I will love being yours and only yours for the rest of my days." I hesitated and said what I have been longing to say since the first moment of our relationship. "I love you, Erik."

Erik shook his head. I guessed he hadn't believed me when I told him, which really hurt me. Had I not just said, not to doubt me? This man was going to drive me insane. "Do you even know what you just said? Can you even begin to fathom what 'I love you' means?"

"Of course I can!" I snapped at him angrily. "'I love you' means that I accept you for the person that you are and that I do not wish to change you into someone else despite your face, your impulsive anger and your rage. It means that I don't want perfection from you, that I only want you. That I will love you and stand by you even though the world may shun you. It means loving you when you're in a bad mood or when your anger gets the best of you. 'I love you' means that I have seen your deepest secret and have not judged you for it. It means that I care enough to fight for what we have and that I love you enough not to let go. It means thinking of you, dreaming of you, wanting and needing you constantly through my entire life. So, yes Erik. I do know what I meant when I said "I love you". It meant the truth." I pulled away and crossed my arms. I pouted like a child, but I didn't care. How dare he question me? I loved him! I told him and he doubted me.

Erik grabbed my hand and made me look at him. I looked into his eyes and felt my anger just dissipate. "Christine..." He said so softly, "Do you understand how much I want to believe those words? To believe I can just take you in my arms and never look back? Ever since the first day you were my everything. I can't eat, sleep, or breathe without a thought of you. When I close my eyes you are there haunting me. I am no prince charming, Christine. I am a terrible, dark person and I don't know if you would be able to handle the..." he looked away, and I could tell he was embarrassed. "The desire within me. This desire will consume every last inch of you and if I set it free... I won't be able to call it back."

At first I was scared. I had no idea he wanted me until tonight. I had no idea he even thought of me in that way let alone desired me! But Lord help me, I wanted it! I needed it. I slowly brought my hand down the side of his face. I slid it down gently over his neck, I felt him sigh. It was a long sigh that was filled with lust. I stopped in the middle of his chest. I felt him inhale quickly and hold it. My eyes landed on my hand and I watched how quickly he breathed in. I just couldn't believe that I had this kind of hold over someone.

"I'm not afraid of it, Erik. Not anymore. You have shown me your light when my world was filled with darkness. You might call yourself a dark person, but to me your light shines brighter than any sun out in the sky. I love you and I want you to be mine. And there is desire in me, too." I could feel the wanting in the pit of my stomach. It's just so hard to deny it any longer. If I have to prove to him the love that fills me when I see him everyday for the rest of our lives, then this desire will make it much more easier. I looked at his face and I saw him. The love of my life. I saw him.

And before I could say or do anything more, he took me in his arms. It was so fast that I had no idea what he was doing until my back was on the floor and he was on top of me, crushing his lips to mine. One of his hands was on my side, and the other one was slipped into my hair. My hands were on his hips and I slowly slid them up his side, over his chest and up to his neck. I wrapped my arms around him and crushed me into me until the only barrier between was us were his clothes and my very thin nightgown. My legs wrapped around his body and he slid his hand up my thigh and I felt him shiver when he felt my skin. His hands were extremely cold, but they also burned.

I never wanted this to end! This was how I imagined my forever, even with his face, his past, and his anger. These strong, emotional moments make up the bitter ones and to me, its worth it in the long run. I ran my hands down his chest and untucked his shirt. I slipped my hands underneath his shirt and pressed them against his chest. I was a bit startled, but I didn't react. I didn't want this moment to end, but as I sprayed my hands across his chest I felt more scars. He let out a groan against my lips. I knew these scars were not made from God, like his face, but were made by man instead.

"Christine, we have to stop." He whispered as he moved away from me.

"No," I reached for him and brought him back down on me. Scars or no scars, he was still my Erik.

He chuckled and it made my heart skip a beat. "Christine, as much as I want to do this, and believe it would give me no greater joy to have you in my bed and at my whim, but we have a problem."

I stared at him and raised my eyebrow. I reluctantly sat up in a sitting position and crossed my arms over my chest. He moved closer until I was between his legs and he placed his hands on my upper arms. "Don't look at me like that. I can't have you until you get rid of the thing that made us argue in the first place. I want you to get rid of the Vicomte. I can't stand him believing that he is courting you when you are actually mine." His face was stern. I let my features soften as I looked at his face. It was so amazing to actually be able to see emotion run across his face. I couldn't see it with the mask on, and now that his face doesn't matter to me, I hope he plans to keep it off indefinitely in my presence. Or at least while we are together.

I sighed. "Alright. I will inform Raoul that I no longer want to see him because I have met someone else." I stood on my knees and moved closer to Erik, slowly. "Someone beautiful, someone intelligent, wonderful, and completely mine." He watched me the entire way with curiosity. I turned around and fell into him, allowing my back to be pressed into his chest and just laying on him. I grabbed his hands and wrapped myself in them. "I will inform him that I am in love with the man I am suppose to be with." I looked up at him and kissed him. I looked back at the fire, roaring in the hearth and watching the flames knowing all the while that Erik was watching me.

I felt him sigh and squeezed me to him. "Christine, I love you." He said as I kissed my crown.

"And I love you." I yawned. I felt myself slip into sleep, not even realizing how tired I was until I laid in Erik's arms.

Erik

Never in my entire life would I believe that I would be sleeping next to the most beautiful women I had ever seen. Never would I have imagined that she could love me without a mask, and never did I even dream that she would kiss me and call me hers. It was marvelous to have Christine asleep in my arms and when I moved us to my bed, I pulled her close to me. I felt her breathe deep and slow breaths as she slept. I couldn't sleep, not because of Christine, but because of Raoul. I was still furious. I just couldn't wrap my mind around the fact that he was still able to come into my life and take what is mine. Well, this time would be different. This time I will have to upper hand and this time I actually have something greater to lose.

I glanced down at Christine and kissed her cheek. Having her curled into my chest, sleeping in my bed willing was the most amazing thing ever. Feeling her warmth made me believe in the happy endings I thought would never come. They aren't dreams anymore! They're reality and it feels good to have something worth it all. Worth all of the pain and torment my life has put me through. I never believed that I would need another human being to make my life complete, but now its all changed. Having my wounds kissed by someone who doesn't see them as disasters or ugly in my soul but cracks to put her love into is the most calming and beautiful thing in this world.

But, I can't help and think about Raoul. How did he end up in Christine's life? How did he end up anywhere near me? I knew our parents had work in Paris, but never in my wildest dreams did I think he would come back. Maybe this is the perfect opportunity to exact my revenge. The only problem with that plan was the woman I was holding in my arms. Now that I have everything I have ever wanted in life right here, why should I change it by killing Raoul? It would make Christine hate me. She could never understand why I had done it and would shun me forever, and that is something I can't have.

I needed to get more comfortable. I got out of the bed, threw on some sleeping pants, took my shirt off, threw it on the chair across the room and crawled back into bed with Christine. The moment she felt my return she inched closer into my embrace and relaxed into me. I wrapped my arm around her and pulled her as close to me as possible. Even in sleep she knew when I was here and when I wasn't! That's the kind of relationship Christine and I shall always have, no matter what happens in the future, we will always love one another. I finally drifted off into the most uplifting sleep I have ever had.

I woke up and glanced around and was startled to find that Christine was gone. I sat up and prayed to God that last night wasn't a dream and that she really did confess her love for me. I looked over to the bathroom door and noticed that light was coming from underneath it and then I heard her. She was singing, not the voice I taught her but her actual beautiful pure voice. The voice that first enchanted me. I sighed with relief when she opened the door and came out, drying her hair with one of my towels. She had taken a bath in my bathtub! And the fact that she was wearing my clothes made me chuckle.

"Love, why are you wearing my sleeping clothes?" I looked at her and noticed that under my thin shirt, I see the hardened peaks of her breasts and I felt my desire heighten. I wanted her so badly, and yet I couldn't have her. Not until Raoul was out of the picture forever. She smiled and dropped the towel to the ground and jumped on the bed. I laid back on the bed as she got on top of me and laid her head on my chest with her knees on either side of my waist. I placed my hands on her sides and breathed her in. She smelt amazingly wonderful and I couldn't help but be intoxicated by her.

"I hate wearing dresses. Its extremely uncomfortable and they are so awful to get on." I felt her sigh and look up at me. She placed her chin on my chest as I looked down at her. She was so beautiful. "And besides, I love wearing your clothes! They smell just like you and I feel safe in them." She kissed me and it wasn't just a simple kiss either. It was an encouraged strong kiss that made my flip her on her back and groan from my wanting. At a slow pace, I made a trail of kisses along the side of her neck moving down to her shoulder and back again to the sweet spot beneath her ear. I felt her grip tighten on my back as she moaned and whispered my name.

I stopped and gave her one last kiss. "Christine, you can't keep making me want you like this! I feel like I'm going to explode with all of this passion you keep building up and I might just end up taking you right here, right now." I got up off of her. I sat on the edge of the bed and leaned my elbows on my knees. I gazed at the painting of the sea across the room. That painting was my favorite and I just loved to look at it when I would be confused, or lonely. "We have to wait, Christine. I can't make love to you knowing that there is another man out there waiting for you. It sickens me and it makes me jealous beyond compare. If you don't tell him and take care of it yourself, then I will."

I felt the bed move beneath me and a moment later, I felt her arms wrap around me and her chest against my bare back. I placed my hand on her arm and closed my eyes. "Alright. That's fine." She whispered. "But, is there something stopping you from kissing me?"

I stiffened. She thought I didn't want this. That I didn't want her, and it doesn't make the situation any more helpful if I am keeping a distance from her because of Raoul. I stood up. She realized what I was doing as I turned around and went as close to the bed as I could. I grabbed her hips and pulled her to me. She kept eye contact with me as she wrapped her legs around me and one of my hands went up to her face and brought her lips to mine. I gripped her to me and my hands moved down from her face and into her hair. I felt their silkiness and I groaned. My other hand ventured its way down her spine and I felt her shiver. It moved its way onto her thigh, and back up again towards her neck. I just couldn't get enough of her. Every touch was a burn that deepened the heat of the embers imbedded inside my desirous flame. If this keeps going I might lose control, and then what? I make love to her, which I desperately needed but not with Raoul still in the picture. I just can't give her that part of me and then once its done, have her run away to him. That alone would kill me more than any other terrible torture I have endured.

My lips moved from hers as they made a trail down the side of her neck. I felt her hand go into my hair and her other one was gripping my back so hard that I felt her nails break my skin. Good, I prayed they leave a mark.

"Christine," I said between kisses along her neck. "You silly girl. Of course I want to kiss you. I want to devour you until there is nothing left of you! I want to feel you, to taste every inch of you. It is such an urgent need that I don't believe I will be able to deny it much longer." I stopped and looked her in the eyes. "But, I will not make you mine, make love to you, the most beautiful thing I can ever give you, until Raoul is gone." She watched me for a few seconds, her eyes searching for a weakness in my shield. I kissed her on the nose. "It's time for breakfast, love." I moved out of her legs and grabbed my dress shirt off of the floor.

She hopped off the bed and grabbed my hand. I let her lead me into the dinning room and when I got there I was astounded. She had cooked breakfast. And not just any breakfast, but the biggest breakfast I had ever seen. How long had I been asleep?

"How...when did you get up and make all of this?" I asked questionably. I glanced over at her and saw her laugh when she noticed my astonished look.

"I like to get up in the morning. I'm quite the early bird, and every time you get up before me, but this morning I noticed that you were still sleeping so I took the liberty of making you breakfast this time. Oh and I still had enough time to take a shower, you sleepy head. I didn't know one person could sleep that much." She giggled and gestured to her plate, which was placed right next to mine. She must have noticed my shock to all of this because a moment later I felt her arms wrap around my waist and she placed her chin on my shoulder. "I just wanted to surprise you. I hope you like it." She kissed my cheek.

I turned my head to glance at her. "You did an amazing job, Christine. I'm definitely surprised because I haven't had anyone cook me dinner in a very long time." I kissed her and broke our embrace to sit down and eat my breakfast. Breakfast that was made for me by the love of my life. Could I live like this for the rest of my life? Waking up to her in my arms? Cooking me breakfast every morning? Definitely for ever.

It was delicious. I have never had a meal that I could not finish, and I just simply could not get all of that good food into my stomach, and I surely wanted to! I let out a sigh and let my arms drop to my sides. "Christine, that was impeccable. Thank you."

Christine smiled, got up from her chair, kissed my deformed cheek, gathered the dishes from the table, and whisked away into the kitchen. Usually I would offer to clean the dishes from our left over meal but this time she moved too quickly from me to stop her. I left to my music room and began spilling everything on my soul into the keys on my piano. I started with last nights confession in the cellar, a very low and sad tune, then began weaving a magical melody filled with wonder and love for the moments we had last night together. After she told me she loved me.

Eventually Christine came in and told me she was leaving for rehearsal. I stopped playing, turned to face her and gave her a kiss. A slow kiss, one with my wanting backing it up and passion pressing between our lips. I just couldn't help but force her to stay with that kiss! It was worth a shot. I felt her giggle and pull away with a huge smile on her face.

"You infuriating man! How do you expect me to leave now? I can't possible bring myself to leave."

I chuckled. "That was the plan, love. To kiss you so passionately that you would have to stay in my lair forever."

She kissed me again, and then she was at the door. "I will see you tonight, my love. I promise." Christine blew a kiss to me and left the room. I waited until I felt her leave the house then I raced to the door to watch her get in the boat and row away. Good thing I have a spare boat on the other side of the beach. I made it for emergencies purposes. I sighed and walked back inside, back to my music room with words of love on my soul. I am in love, and I am loved back. I smiled. Such a realization still left me baffled and astonished. Maybe fairytales can be for monsters such as myself. Well, we shall see when Christine returns tonight. I already began missing her the moment she stepped out of my home. Now, all I can do is wait for her to break Raoul's heart and come running to me. But how come there were still doubts in my heart?

I couldn't help it. My life had always been tortured by lies, pain and suffering. Christine is the only pure thing in my life and I wish to keep it that way forever. And if it meant taking Raoul completely out of the picture, I will do it. I sat on my music bench and played. I poured all of my worries out on my piano until my fingers could barely move. I will not feel whole until Christine is back in my arms where she is suppose to be.