Christina Perri's 'A Thousand Years'

Heart beats fast
Colors and promises
How to be brave?
How can I love when I'm afraid to fall
But watching you stand alone?
All of my doubt suddenly goes away somehow

One step closer

I have died everyday waiting for you
Darling don't be afraid I have loved you
For a thousand years
I'll love you for a thousand more

Time stands still
Beauty in all she is
I will be brave
I will not let anything take away
What's standing in front of me
Every breath
Every hour has come to this

One step closer

I have died everyday waiting for you
Darling don't be afraid I have loved you
For a thousand years
I'll love you for a thousand more

And all along I believed I would find you
Time has brought your heart to me
I have loved you for a thousand years
I'll love you for a thousand more


On the limousine ride home, Christine had barely spoken a word, except to greet the driver, and Erik had panicked. He wasn't sure what to do, so he watched as she sat beside him, her bag in her lap, and switched on her phone. She frowned as she saw her messages, and clicked a button to send her phone to sleep. She sat in deep thought, looking at him several times, her lips pursed as she returned to looking back into her bag. Erik wanted to ask her what was wrong but felt restricted. Why should feel he be allowed to know what she felt? He was a stain in her life. He was ruining her with his attention, and if she managed to get past that, then there was still the mask. Erik wanted to know what she thought about it. Was it handsome? Had she fallen in love with the mask? It was something he thought throughout the rest of ride to his apartment in his building. The limousine entered an underground garage, pausing to show identification, and started up again. Christine looked around her, curious, but silent. Once the limousine stopped, they both got out, and Erik watched as Christine came around to join him. Erik waved to the driver, as did Christine, and they both walked over to an empty, blank wall. Erik hoped to impress her when he drifted his hands over a section of the wall, which revealed two doors to show an elevator. It was one of his many illusions, a secure way of ensuring that no-one could come up to his apartment uninvited. Christine pulled a face that suggested she was indeed impressed, but her eyebrows furrowed as she tried to understand what she had just seen. She didn't ask him about it though, which irritated him. He had hoped she would be curious, and ask him all sorts of questions, it would be another chance for him to show off, but she stayed silent as she stepped into the elevator. Erik had thought to mention that it was his building, which he designed, but he wasn't sure that the time was right. Christine seemed to be making up her mind about something as the bell rang to announce their arrival.

The doors opened to reveal a long hallway, with a white ceiling, grey floor and red walls. It was lit up from lights on either side, and down the other end was his front door. Erik tried to judge her reaction. She seemed to brighten up, looking at him inquisitively. He took her hand, stepping forward as he guided her down the hallway. Her hair lit up beautifully, the strands framing her face glowing as he watched her blue eyes become transfixed by him. The spell was quickly broken when they stepped through the door to reveal Nadir sitting on the couch, with a large grin on his face. Erik was outraged! How dare Nadir even remain in his home while he had not been present? Nadir stood up, approaching the both of them jovially, but Erik was too annoyed to greet his friend, deciding to storm off into the kitchen. Nadir stopped him, grabbing his sleeve as he watched Christine's arm.

Nadir had gone berserk, threatening Erik as he shoved him into a wall. Erik had given no thought against his actions. He deserved them. He deserved a thousand knives to his throat. But Christine had come to his defense, claiming it was sunburn, and joined his side. He felt bliss return to him as Christine merged herself with him, defending him against Nadir's impressions. But then Nadir had shown them the news. What everyone was saying about them was displayed for Christine's eyes to see on Erik's large screen, and she had guided him to the couch. He had watched in agony, as Christine watched the news anchors display their every moment together silently. Erik was confused, why was she not saying anything? What consumed her every thought? Was she so afraid of the news, or how the people saw her?

When Christine finally finished thinking, she had sadly requested that Nadir leave the room, and waited until they both heard the door click shut before she turned to Erik and asked,

"So, do you two live together?"

"No," Erik laughed, relieved. "No, he's just nosy. He has admittance into my apartment for whenever he sees fit. I had no idea he would be here today."

"Oh." She said, before returning to silence.

She stared about her, finally taking in the room, and he wondered what she thought. It was the top floor of his building, and he had designed it with an intended view of paradise. It was his Eden, his sanctuary. He had built the front room to have a large rose cathedral window, in the shape of a circle, where they could see New York for all of its splendor and in technicolor. Even now, multi-colored strains of light streamed down into the room. Before it was a small fountain with a miniature pond, complete with reeds and other water based plants. It was lit beautifully, not only from the small lights surrounding the pond that would automatically turn on when they sensed a lack of light, but from the daylight streaming in. Christine stared at it, amazed.

"That's incredible!" Christine exclaimed, grabbing the armrest of the couch to stare at it on her left.

"Do you like it?" He asked, gazing over to it.

There was a wall of books behind them, which their couch was comfortably pushed close to, and opposite them were two chairs on either side, with a rug between them. On the wall opposite them was the large HD screen, surrounded by Erik's awards for his music, his architectural work, those he had received for donating money. He was proud of everything, and watched as Christine stared at the pond.

"Do you like it, Christine?" He asked again.

"Yes! My god, you have a pond!" She said, turning around to face him. "Do you have fish?"

"Yes," He said, nodding. "Some goldfish and some Koi."

"Wow, and so many books too?" She asked, turning in her seat again.

"Yes, and I have read them all." He boasted, turning to gesture the wall opposite them that was bathed in light. "As for the awards, they are for a number of different accomplishments-"

"Erik?" She interrupted, placing her hands on his arm, gently interrupting him before he started another speech. "While we are alone, I think we need to have a serious talk now."

He brought his arms down from his grand gesture, and watched her, saddened by her grave tone. "Alright."

"Erik? What are we?"

Erik hadn't expected that question, and he felt dreadful as his mind could only come up with one word. "What?"

"What are we? I know that we are friends, but what am I to you? Am I something to be discarded once you've had your fill, or do you feel something for me that means something?"

"Christine," He began in a strangled voice, but couldn't help but let a sob out as she jumped in her seat.

He wasn't prepared for this. What was Christine trying to say? That she dared to care what she meant to him. Oh, more than anything, more than the moon and stars, he thought.

She placed her hand on his knee and asked, "Erik, please tell me. I have these feelings, and I hope you have them too. I don't know what they are, and I'm afraid. They're so strong, telling me where to go, but I need to know if you are there too."

He buried his head in his hands, crying. "Christine, your words, you don't know what you're saying-"

"I do!" She declared, annoyed. "I want to spend every minute with you; I want to hold your hand and talk about my day with you. I want to spend time with you so much, it's disturbing to think about."

"Christine…"

"Erik! Tell me, how do you feel?" She asked forcefully, her hands forming into fists as she pulled herself away. She asked pitifully, her voice cracking. "Am I, wrong? Have I just been fooling myself?"

"No!" Erik cried. "My dear, you are not!"

He reached forward, and took her hands, pulling them to his chest. "Christine, you are a saint, every word has me at your knees. If you only knew how special you are to me. I want nothing more than to spend eternity holding your hand."

She blushed red, an adorable shade as her eyelashes fluttered, holding her breath as her face lingered close to his mask.

"You don't think we're going too fast?" She asked. "It's only been a day, but…"

"No, from the moment we met, I knew we were meant to be together." He replied, whispering to her hands. "I knew it."

"Then, going back to my earlier question, what are we? We're more than friends, aren't we?"

"Yes." Erik had answered, dropping their hands into his lap comfortably.

"Then, would you admit that today has been a date?" She asked, smiling shyly at him.

Erik bit his lip. He hadn't thought to call it that, it had only been an invitation to him, but he liked where this conversation was going, so he nodded.

"And would you agree that you want, if you haven't already planned it, to take me out on another date?"

He nodded again, still liking this conversation. He was beginning to suspect where it was going when Christine asked,

"So are we dating?"

Erik stared at her. She had used the word dating in a positive light. Like as though it was a good thing. Like as though she wanted to. She was still smiling, in fact, directly at him as she bit her lower lip.

"I … Yes?" He answered hoarsely. "If you wish to see it that way."

Christine groaned. "All I want is a direct answer, Erik. The important question is, do you want to date me? Don't think about me, think about what you want."

"But Christine, I know what I want, but I shall never know what you are thinking, and you scared me on the way here."

She sighed, apologetic as she said, "I know. Forgive me. I was trying to think about what I was going to say."

"It's alright."

She looked at him seriously as she smiled and started again. "So, do you want to date me?"

"Very much, Christine." He said, stroking her curled up fingers in his grasp.

Christine let out a deep breath, shaking her head as she grinned. "Good."

Erik released her hands as Christine leaned back in her seat, looking happy with his answer. "Is this what you were thinking about? Were you thinking about us? About me?" Erik asked, subconsciously reaching up to brush his fingers along his mask. "Does this bother you? Does it make you unsure about my feelings for you?"

"No," Christine cried, leaning forward to take his shoulders. "I know what is under there."

Erik tried to pull away from her. This was it; this was when she would ask to see his face. This was where the screaming would begin and Erik would be alone again. No. Erik wouldn't allow it. She would never see under his mask. He would rather die than let her see. His own mother couldn't stand to look at him, so why would Christine? She would hate him, even more so when she realized that he had tricked her into thinking they could ever have a normal relationship. She could fall in love with the mask, he decided, as long as she still treated him like a human being. He slumped in his seat, staring at his hands that in lay in his lap. He had never felt so empty, until now.

Christine had watched him, clutching her tiny hands around his shoulders as she continued, clearly determined to not let him drift away from her or from this conversation. "I know that it is you, under there. People can say horrible things, but I don't care. I only care about how you treat me, and how you feel for me."

Christine drew her legs up onto the couch, and knelt beside him. "Do you hear me?"

"Yes, Christine, I hear you." Erik answered bitterly, though he was touched by her words. "So what have you heard, my dear? What nightmares have been creeping into your dreams when you think of me, hmm?"

Christine pulled away, hurt. "Only what Nadir has told me, which wasn't much."

Nadir! Of course, why wouldn't the foul mouthed little fool fill her head with horrors? It wasn't his place to gossip about Erik in such matters. But exactly what had Nadir told her? She surely must have known, if she hadn't guessed by now, that he was imperfect, broken and ugly, like a discarded toy.

Christine leaned in again. "Erik, I know that you have an issue with your appearance, but it's okay. We don't have to cross that bridge just yet. We're still just getting to know each other. Do you think I am dating you because I thought you were handsome?" She asked, smiling when said the word 'dating'.

Dating. They were dating. That thought lingered in Erik's head as she continued. "We're dating because we find something in each other that we want in our lives. We want each other, don't we?"

"Yes." He answered solemnly. Was she really just going to pass over the mask, like as though it was nothing?

"I know that you're shy, but you do enjoy my company. I know that you're generous, and talented, and you're brilliant, and musical, and so thoughtful." She listed, counting them off on his fingers as she uncurled them from his icy grip. "And you like Nadir, though I don't think you really want to admit that right now. You've been considerate, thinking about my comfort and my welfare, and you've been so sweet with me."

She tilted her head, glancing at him from underneath her eyelashes as she played with his fingers, teasing him. "And I think I know why you want to date me. That much is obvious."

Erik actually let out a chortle of relief, tickling her palm as she persisted on fiddling with his gloves. She was true there.

"So considering that we are dating, would you go so far as to admit that we are boyfriend and girlfriend?"

Erik watched her in silence, stunned. She sat quietly, watching him for any reaction as he thought through what she had said. She was patient, smiling to herself as he distractedly continued to tickle her hands. He watched her, dragging his teeth over his lips as he bit on them, replaying the whole day in his head. She was serious. She wanted him to date her. She wanted to be able to call him her boyfriend. But this was impossible; they were from two different countries, two different worlds. When she went back to England, it would all be over, and he would be alone. Would she still call him her boyfriend then? There must have been plenty of boys for her back home, waiting for her return. She wouldn't want him to stay around then, Erik thought, as Christine turned to look at the door that Nadir was standing directly behind, trying to listen to every word. Erik looked as well, wishing he could blame it all on him. He returned his gaze to Christine, who was holding her breath as she waited for her answer.

"Maybe this was a mistake." Christine began, looking away. "I shouldn't have asked, you're a celebrity after all…"

"Christine," Erik began, taking Christine's hand. He would do this properly. Even if he only had the rest of the week with her and then never saw her again, he would take the opportunity and claim her as his. "Would you … be my … girlfriend?"

Christine gawked, her mouth wide open as she fell into his lap, her arms wrapped tightly around Erik's neck as she excitedly cried, "Yes!"

Christine had buried her whole body against his, her chest pressed tight against his, her face hidden in the folds of Erik's collar, her hot breath beating heavily against him. Erik sighed, breathing her in as he allowed himself the pleasure of enjoying her body against his. Before, back on the yacht, it had been entirely about comforting Christine, and even then, it hadn't been a proper hug. Now she was curled up in his lap, like a satisfied kitten, her heart racing as she lifted up her head and rubbed her cheek against his. Erik balked, shocked by her actions, but found he couldn't help but press his own cheek against the mask, wishing he could feel her hot blush against his malformed skin. It had been some time since someone had touched his mask, let alone with good intentions, and it made Erik very nervous.

She pulled away, overjoyed, her mouth gaping as she tried to say something, but fell back against him, squeezing his body tightly as she hugged him once more. Erik held her, proud of himself as he dared to hold her back and draped his arm casually over her curled up legs. She relaxed into him, breathing gently as she rested herself on his chest, which Erik struggled to keep still as he wanted nothing more than to gulp in the hot air inside his mask, which was stifling him. They remained in their places, curled up around each other, drinking in each other's magnificence, and they both heard a creak somewhere and looked up to see Nadir poking his head around the kitchen door with a bottle of champagne.

"Now that the roller coaster has finished, and no-one's scared that they're going to lose their head, how about we celebrate?" Nadir offered, grinning cheekily to himself as he stepped out to reveal three glasses in his other hand.

"You enjoy helping yourself to my fridge, don't you?" Erik asked irritably, but was in a pleasant enough mood to let it slide.

Christine giggled, dropping her head back onto Erik's chest, which made him happy as he stroked her back.

"But of course! You only get the best, and we're friends so share and share alike!" Nadir answered, gladdened by Erik's easy tone, noticing their positions on the couch as he sat himself down at the other end. He began to pour drinks, handing one to Erik and to Christine, and one for himself as he raised a toast. "This is something to celebrate after all. You are his first, after all."

Erik tensed in his seat, but Christine ignored him, replying to Nadir, "And he's mine. Well, a serious relationship, that is. I've dated some guys before, but nothing really happened." She said, grinning as she took her glass.

Erik elected to ignore her dating history as he reminded himself that she was dating him now. Though it would not be long, he was convinced. He smiled to himself as he drew patterns on her back, which made her shiver and send him a quick smirk. He would enjoy this for as long as he could. He would drink her in, and savor every memory. He would keep her in his mind, forever, and wished that she would at least never forget him.

"This does mean I shall have to announce it." Nadir sighed, bringing out his phone and placing it on the table.

Christine opened her mouth to say something. "Can't we just relax first? I mean, do we have to tell them? I feel more in the mood to tell someone who cares."

Nadir shrugged. "If that's the way you want it. Erik, what do you think?"

"Whatever Christine wants." Erik said, stroking a few strands of hair away from her face so he could see her eyes. She blushed, her eyes flickering up to meet his.

"Well, I was thinking, why don't we announce it on my channel?" Christine asked. "So people know we're serious. If we just tell the reporters, then they can say all sorts of things that aren't true, but if we're the ones to lay it all out, then they can't say anything about it."

"Christine, Erik might not-" Nadir began, but Erik held up a single hand to shush him, still focusing on Christine.

"Christine. While I understand that you want to tell your followers about us, I do not think that our relationship is important enough to feature in your videos." He said calmly, willing her to understand.

Christine flinched. "Not important enough? What are you saying?"

Erik sighed as he dropped his hand. "I mean, that while our relationship is important to us, I doubt many of your followers would see it that way."

Christine just looked more confused. "You're my boyfriend. Why wouldn't they care? They will all want to get to know you the way I do."

"Christine, what I think Erik is trying to say is, that he thinks they won't understand. He's scared of their reaction, and whether it will make an impact on your impression of him. And furthermore, he's scared about the cameras. Erik has never liked putting his life on display, even when he was younger he hated to perform. So to ask him to perform on cue is something akin to asking a dog to meow, do you see what I mean?"

Erik nodded. He hadn't found a polite way of putting it himself without hurting Christine. Even Nadir's words had set him on edge, but Christine seemed to understand, turning back to Erik, her pink lips distracting him as he noticed their fullness.

"Well then, let's not make a video." She said, shrugging lightly. "We can talk about what I can discuss in my videos later, but right now, all I want to do is just stay here with you, and enjoy our time together."

Erik laughed, stroking her back as she raised her glass of champagne. He did so as well, and clinked it against hers as Christine excitedly turned back to Nadir and began to tell him everything that he had done for her that morning, including seeing the Statue of Liberty. Erik listened with one ear, as he thought about the issues that they still had to work through while Christine sipped her drink. There were her videos, and the media. She still had her ticket back to England, and they still had 5 whole days left until she would have to leave him. 5 days to convince to stay by his side. 5 days to enjoy her embraces and her company. 5 days to keep her and then lose her forever.


Thank you for all of your comments, they've been AWESOME. I'm so overjoyed from all of the follows as well! Hi there guys! There's plenty more coming, so thanks for all of your patience. Xx

To answer some of your questions. I'm not telling you what will happen, just know that I have been planning to write this story for months, ever since Christmas, and now that I've finished writing my dissertation I am treating myself to this, as a reward. I have plenty of drama coming but I am taking my sweet time with this! They still have the rest of the day to get through! Also, 'pajamas' is the American spelling, whereas 'pyjamas' is the British spelling. Ignoring the fact that I am British, I decided to have Christine use the British spelling as she has been raised in England. :)

I'd love to see more reviews, or any comments or questions! I have a whole story planned out for this so please, do ask. Thank you so much! :)