Daroga stood in a state of disbelief, listening to Erik.
"You want to what?!" He asked, not sure he was hearing correctly.
"I want to move into the city, above ground." He said, matter of factly. Daroga couldn't conceive a reason for his doing this.
"Why would you want to do that?" He asked, not understanding him.
"For her." Erik looked up and Daroga followed his eyes and realised his motive: Christine.
"She has seen me, without my mask and she did not cry out, she greeted me with kindness. I can not keep an angel like her underground. She needs to be up in the light, out in the sun." Erik sighed, knowing he was doing the right thing.
"But you love it down here, in the darkness." Daroga was aware that Erik thought he belonged in the dark.
"But I love her more." Was his simple answer. Daroga smiled for a moment and nodded.
"Of course. I shall arrange for some men to come and collect your things. Do you want your piano to stay here, in case you wish to come back and write?" Erik shook his head.
"She is my muse, not this place. I can not be selfish anymore, I have to put her first." Daroga was in awe of his friend. It was the first time he had seen him be truly selfless. He was giving up his home to be with her.
As he left his friend, Daroga was filled with inspiration. He ran to Meg Giry's room and pounded on the door. He had known for weeks that he had wanted Meg for his wife, but he was nervous and selfish, wanting to remain a single man for a while longer. But, if Erik could live amongst society for Christine, he could propose to Meg.
Meg quickly threw on a robe, over her undergarments and opened the door. She gasped when Daroga burst through the door and walked past her, throwing himself onto one knee and taking her hand.
"Meg Giry, I have loved you from the moment that I saw you, bathed in sunlight in the Daaé garden. Every moment that you are not mine is wasted. Meg, make the happiest man on the planet and say that you will be my wife?" Meg let out a small laugh of joy. She had been waiting for him to ask her for weeks and at every opportunity, he would change the subject. She felt a tear roll down her cheek as she nodded her head.
"Yes, of course, yes." Daroga laughed and stood, picking Meg up in a tight embrace. When he placed her feet back onto the ground, he leant down and placed his first kiss on her lips. They both revelled in the moment, glad that not one more moment was going to be spent in solitude.
Erik watched Daroga and the Giry girl kiss. He hoped that soon, he and Christine would be able to share such passionate gestures. Whenever he saw her on stage, he felt a guttural desire come over him and he had to suppress it before listening to her voice. He wanted her close, he wanted to be the one caressing her in her peasant costume that left little to the imagination. He longed for her to sing to him as she had the night of the masquerade ball. He loved her more than she would ever know and he made the decision that was going to change everything.