Author's Note: because I neglected to post a chapter on Friday, I grace you with a double-length one today! My apologies, midterms are the absolute worst.

In reality, Christine wanted nothing more than what he did, but in the light of day, she was terrified. She had opened her heart to him, she had allowed herself to feel, something that she did for very, very few people. It was a defense mechanism, forged by some primitive, instinctual need to protect herself from the rejection and disappearance of those she let herself love most. He had seen the most attached, intimate version of her, but she was building her walls again, preparing for something that wasn't going to come.

"I never expected this to happen," Erik explained, taking another long drag of his coffee. The caffeine helped him keep his head on straight, and he knew that what she needed right now was the calm voice of reason. "But there is no denying it anymore, and I think you deserve to know that I care very, very deeply for you."

When it was clear that she was not going to interrupt him, he continued. "Last night was… probably the loveliest night of my life, and the time that we spent together will forever be cherished by me. But, of course, if I somehow misinterpreted your feelings, and you do not feel the same, nothing like that ever has to happen again."

"No!" Came her soft exclamation just after his statement, and a flash of desperation flashed across her eyes until she continued speaking. "No, I… I care for you too. More than you could know."

He was now astonished into silence, allowing her to continue. "I didn't want to admit it to myself, for a while… But I do. I really do. And as much as I wanted you to like me too, I was so scared that it was going to ruin everything."

"You were afraid that I was going to… reject you?" He asked softly, receiving a little nod in response. The very idea was comical to him. "Oh, Christine… How wrong you were."

"I just thought it was in my head," she explained. She took another breath, during which Erik watched her finally begin to relax.

"I can assure you that it is not. But I can also promise to you that this will never go further than you want. I do not want our... relationship, if you will, to interfere with your career or your music. Do you understand?"

She nodded, even chancing at a small smile before he continued. "Now, I have a few questions to ask you while you are still here. How did you sleep last night?"

"Like I was dead," she replied. "I don't think I've ever slept like that."

"Good, you needed some rest. Tell me about when I sang for you. How did it feel?"

She took a few moments to gather her thoughts, primarily because it took some effort to remember. "It was… I can't even describe it. How can you even do that?"

"I am not sure," he explained simply, taking her teacup once she was finished. "But it is a useful skill, especially with you being as anxious as you are. I worry for you, sometimes."

"I'm okay, really. It's just something I have to deal with," she assured him. "But, now I know who to go to when it happens," she added jokingly.

"And I will always be there," Erik promised, daring to take her chin in his fingers and press a kiss to her forehead. "Now, are you hungry for some breakfast?"

"One question. Why do you get caffeine and I don't?" She asked, feigning annoyance.

"Because my vocal chords are not in the middle of developing," he retorted, rummaging around in the fridge as he did so. "This is not up for discussion."

"Do you find amusement in telling me what to do?" The very essence of her smirk was etched into her tone, causing Erik to slowly turn around with a small smile of his own.

"I very much do, and I am even more amused when you do as I say. Though, I can see that you find amusement in defying me."

"Perhaps," she hinted, watching him take out the makings for eggs and toast. "Do you need help?"

"Despite what transpired during dinner last night, I assure you that I can cook."

She made a gesture that looked much like the equivalent of suit yourself, but she was genuinely impressed when she was soon served a plate of eggs and buttered toast. She thanked him and began to eat, having the sense to check the time as she did so. Her first lecture of the day started in under an hour, so she was making good time.

"What work do you have to do today?"

"I have a phone meeting with one of my colleagues in Brussels, budget reports, and I have to choose the spring opera for the senior company," he explained nonchalantly, since important business like this was routine for him. "What about you, my dear?"

"Between Advanced Music Theory and Opera Studies, I will be spending four hours in lecture," she replied with mock enthusiasm. "I don't know if I'm going to make it without caffeine."

"You can, and you will," Erik instructed firmly. "I have plans for you, Christine, and those plans depend on the lasting health of your vocal chords. Speaking of which, your first rehearsal with the Conservatory Chamber Choir is today."

Christine paled a little, pausing her progress on her toast once she processed the words. "Do you think I'm ready for that?"

"Most definitely." He was planning on keeping his reply short and simple, but the growing panic on her face showed that she was in need of much more. "Although it is far from finished, you have a beautiful voice. I would not be teaching you if I didn't think you had potential."

Despite feeling a little guilty from this padding of her ego, it did make her feel much better. Once she was done with her breakfast, he took her plate with a fond smile, taking it to the sink to clean.

"Let me help you with that," Christine offered, starting to get out of her seat.

"Absolutely not. I am perfectly capable of doing the dishes," he replied firmly, but she did not heed his warning. She was at his side in a few moments, rolling her sleeves up before she was stopped by his hand.

"So am I," she retorted. "And you cooked this time, so I clean."

"I cooked, and I will clean," he corrected with a small smile, though he was beginning to grow frustrated as she refused to do as she was told. He tried to remain lighthearted, but his hand was still preventing her from moving towards the dishes.

"But I want to help-"

She was cut off and silenced by a cool finger pressed against her lips, and while she was still in a state of surprise, the same finger migrated to her chin. Her eyes were pulled upwards so that they met his golden stare, and while she knew he was not upset, his look was intense. When he spoke then, it was of the velvetiest, smoothest quality, immediately drawing the air from her lungs as it pulled her into a state of compliance.

"Christine, go sit down."

Without question, she did exactly as she was asked with no further effort on his part. It was only once she was seated that he released his hold on her, which caused a very annoyed little voice to pipe at him from across the island.

"That so wasn't a fair fight!"

"Whatever do you mean, my dear?" He asked, his voice still maintaining that rich, alluring quality that made her head spin. She fought it off for now, just long enough to continue her banter.

"That!" She replied, feigning anger. "You know I can't argue when you-"

She was abruptly silenced by an unearthly melody echoing in her head, incredibly soft yet blissfully mind-numbing. She stopped talking, instantly releasing the breath she was holding in favor of closing her eyes. It was only a soft, tantalizing humming, but she had no choice but to surrender to the voice which held her captivated in a state of trance. To her dismay, she had no recollection of the next several minutes, and by the time consciousness returned to her, she was seated comfortably in Erik's car, on the way to campus.

"Unfair." She still feigned agitation, solely for the pure entertainment it gave her to watch Erik's lips turn up in a smirk as a response.

"I never claimed to fight fair, Miss Daae."

"But you should, Dr. Carriere," she replied, being devilishly cute with her playfully accusing tone.

"No, actually, I think I like it better this way," he replied, his voice slipping back into its unnaturally majestic quality. This seemed enough to quiet her, although after a few minutes it seemed that she remained silent by choice. He continued by humming again softly for the rest of the ride, allowing her to close her eyes and relax before she had to sit through hours of lecture. For Christine, this was welcome, and she allowed his voice to envelop her and guide her through the beginning of her long and stressful day.

When Christine opened her eyes again, the car had stopped in a parking lot on the edge of campus. The engine was running, hinting to the fact that Erik was simply dropping her off before moving closer to his office. It took a minute before her vision wanted to cooperate and focus, and another few moments until she remembered why she was here.

"You'll feel less fuzzy in a few minutes," he explained calmly, admiring the glassy sheen in her eyes with a fond smile. "Enjoy class."

"Enjoy work," she replied back with a little smile of her own, indicating that her remark was meant to be taken as sarcasm. She opened the door and got out of the car, giving him a little wave goodbye before she started heading in the direction of her dormitory.

She quickly grabbed her school bag from her room before walking to class, finding that Meg was out. As roommates, the two girls settled into a casual, but close friendship, often spending late nights talking about their days and learning more about each other. Christine found it easy to confide in Meg, and she knew that her friend will want to be clued in on all the goings-on of her weekend. She planned to keep the conversation towards her performance and the night as a whole instead of delving into the specifics of her revelations with the headmaster, both for her modesty's sake and for her privacy with Erik. Despite how delightfully nosy Meg was, there were some things she did not need to know, and that included the burning in her heart which was currently threatening to swallow her whole.

As she prepared herself for the day, she found the time to call her guardian, who must have been worried sick of her disappearance last night. Christine assured her that she was all right, that she stayed with Erik (that almost made the overexcited woman catatonic!), and that she was at school now. She had hoped that would be enough to sate her curious, nosy grandmother, but alas, it was not. Mamma asked questions until her inquisition yielded what she wanted, which was the events of last night. Christine had kissed him, and she admitted it with burning cheeks and flustered voice.

A morning full of classes ended up being a rather uninteresting affair. Christine forced herself to focus enough to take notes, but her head wasn't in it and she found herself both physically and emotionally exhausted. The closer her first rehearsal with the Chamber Choir got, the more it felt like she was heading towards her impending doom. With a lot of effort and energy that she didn't have, she was able to keep down the welling of her nerves enough to function throughout the day. Before she knew it, she was walking into the rehearsal hall, trying desperately to remain unnoticed. The last thing she wanted to be was the center of attention, but the circumstances that led her to be in this choir made her a point of interest no matter what she did. She was the youngest singer there, and she didn't even audition, surrounded by third and fourth years with budding careers and job offers from opera companies and choirs across the world.

Rehearsal had not started yet, which meant that the occupants of the room were currently mingling amongst themselves. They happily asked each other how their summers went, and Christine caught a few snippets of conversations regarding performances, opera companies, and traveling abroad. Most did not notice her as she entered the room, and for that, she was grateful. She was not ready for the questioning glances, the inquiries of her experience, or the judgement that she was sure to receive from her not-so-equal peers. Next to them, she felt terribly insecure, out of place, and insignificant.

"Christine Daae?" Her head turned to find the source of her name admission the cacophony of voices, finding it to be a short, stocky man with salt-and-pepper hair, revealing his age. Assuming that he was the choral director, she approached him, her expression much like a deer in the headlights. "I'm Dr. Robert Reyer, the choral director."

"It's a pleasure," Christine replied meekly, accepting Dr. Reyer's extended hand in a cordial shake.

"Now, I find that I need to introduce myself because I have never met you." His voice became a little lower then, a little warier of the other students in the room. "It is not every day that I receive a student with a recommendation from the headmaster..."

Christine did not know how to respond to this, and so she kept silent. She became vaguely aware that he continued to speak, saying something about how distant the headmaster was, but she was entirely lost in her thoughts for a moment. She did not think it wise for anyone, under any circumstances, to become aware of her… rather unusual relationship with Erik. After all, it was something that did not concern anyone else, and she intended to keep it that way. Despite their new familiarity, she had not forgotten that she was legally obligated to keep silent, probably for the sake of both their reputations, she now understood.

"How do you know the headmaster?" He finally asked, catching her attention and causing her to panic for a moment. How could she answer this?

"Oh, I met him at a conference," she lied gracefully, forced to think on-the-spot. "I was singing, and when he learned that I was going here, he offered me this position."

"You must be excellent then, for a first-year." Of course, Christine did not think so, but she was not about to deny this. "Well, I suppose I won't have to wait long to find out. Let's begin."

Dr. Reyer soon called everyone to attention, and as he did so they began to find their places on the riser steps near the middle of the room. Although she was quite unsure of where to go, Christine eventually found her place between two tenors.

"Alright everyone, welcome to a new year," Dr. Reyer greeted them jovially. "Now, I know you all know each other, but we have a new face. That's Christine, she's the soprano replacing Carlotta while she's abroad in Italy."

From his quick introduction, Christine got a good mix of friendly waves, wary glances, and one or two downright glares. She tried to focus on the fact that her reception was mostly positive, but she could not help when her nerves began to get the better of her. Despite the fact that she was quite the talented young woman, her own doubt followed her wherever she went, and she could not help the insecurity that was deep-rooted into her psyche. She held her anxiety in for now, promising herself that she could release once she got back to her room. More and more, it seemed like the solution to her very stressful day would be a good cry, even if nothing bad had happened to her. Though, she did not have time to think about that now. They were beginning to warm up.

Even during warm-up exercises, Christine's voice blended seamlessly with the rest of the choir. She had experience singing with a group, and she modified her tone in order to fit the overall sound of those around her. To Dr. Reyer's delight, there was not a stray voice to be found, even though Christine was completely new. Most all of the members were used to singing with one another, so their unity was expected, but this first-year had come out of nowhere and fit in perfectly. Despite being disgruntled over not having a choice in her position, he could not deny that she was a fantastic choice.

When they began to rehearse pieces, Christine was forced to sight-read, but she proved to fare very well despite her lack of experience. Almost as if on instinct, she knew when to stand out, when to back off, and when to share the sound of one collective voice. The choir was performing in the department recital in the winter with Ralph Vaughan Williams' Dona Nobis Pacem, which Christine found she thoroughly enjoyed singing. It was a powerful piece that required all of her energy and attention, and she felt increasingly less tense as time went on. In fact, she began to lose track of time, the minutes and eventually hours passing by in a haze of music, as they always seemed to. Before she knew it, it was over, and after rehearsal Dr. Reyer continued to talk at them, making announcements.

"The recital is December 13th, so clear your calendars!" He called over the hustle and bustle of students packing. "Next rehearsal, we will be beginning to polish the Messiah for the Christmas service at the Sainte-Chapelle. Make appointments with me to audition for solos! See you Wednesday!"

Christine took all of this in as she packed her bag, and because no one decided to engage her in conversation just yet, she left unceremoniously and stepped into the brisk Autumn air. Starting to walk proved to calm the rest of her nerves, and she no longer felt the irrational need to cry, which was a mercy. In fact, she now felt pleasantly content, which was furthered by the text she found from Erik when she checked her phone.

"When you are released from rehearsal, come see me. I want to hear all about it."

She did not hesitate to do so, for they had been separated all day and she found that she was beginning to miss him. The gravity-attracted planets metaphor was becoming more relevant by the hour, for the longer Christine went without seeing him, the more she felt pulled to him by a force stronger than herself, stronger than her own body. In fact, her feet seemed to take over muscle memory as she neared the administrative building in the middle of campus, and she only snapped out of her self-reflective daze when she was knocking on his door.

When Erik heard her signature knock, the one he had been anticipating for hours, he physically could not help the smile that pulled irresistibly at his lips. Where was Erik, and who was this man he was replaced with? This was all very strange business, especially for someone who was so invested in being the world's largest pessimist. Before he could forget himself too much, he called her inside, the foreign-feeling smile only growing once he caught sight of her. That blush pink sweater looked so wonderful on her, and he thanked himself for having the foresight to order it this morning.

Christine greeted him kindly, though she was initially perturbed when she did not receive a response. She was putting down her things before she had a mind to repeat herself, initially thinking that she wasn't heard. When she turned to face him, she was met with the sight of him gazing dreamily at her, a small smile plastered stupidly on his face.

"You are so beautiful, Christine," he said in his signature melodious tones. His endearment sent a pleasant shiver down her spine, and she couldn't help but return an abashed little smile.

"I'm glad one of us thinks so," she replied wittily, coming to the side of his desk in order to converse with less distance. She began to twirl a piece of her hair between her fingers, which Erik considered to be an adorable, yet nervous habit.

"Learn to take compliments, my dear," he purred, looking up to her with his usual intense expression. "It will become useful as your career progresses. Besides, you are absolutely stunning, and I will not have you denying that. I should draw you to prove it to you."

"You draw?" She asked curiously in response, choosing to steer the conversation away from her own insecurities. Of course, Erik noticed this, but he chose not to confront it for now.

"I am an artist in many forms, Christine. Now that I bring it up, I have been wanting to capture your image on canvas for a time now. I will begin so tonight, if you would do me the pleasure of modeling for me."

"At your apartment?" Was her second question in a row, feeling much like a parrot as he took control of their dialogue. If she admitted it, she quite liked it this way, as it made her overthink much less.

"If you are available and willing. I should not assume that you don't have anything else better to do."

"I don't, besides studying for my midterms," she reassured him, though the mere thought of her first exams scared the daylights out of her.

"I can help you with that. Once I finish this final piece of business, we'll go."

Christine nodded, and despite the realization that she would be spending two nights at Erik's apartment, she couldn't help but look forward to a quiet night in. Once she was settled in Erik's own armchair, she continued their conversation. "Did you decide on an opera?"

"Hmm?" Was his noncommittal response.

"The spring opera for the senior company, you were talking about it this morning. Did you decide?"

"Oh, yes, that. I chose Faust, we haven't done it in quite a few years."

At his announcement, Christine immediately beamed, because Faust was one of her most favorite operas. She told this to Erik excitedly, and her banter blended seamlessly into her beginning to ramble about her day. He was all too happy to listen as he completed the rest of his work, a contented smile remaining on his face throughout her retelling of the day's events. She rambled on like this for quite a few minutes before she suddenly quieted, realizing that she had been talking for quite a while and was probably beginning to annoy him. In contrast, Erik had been thoroughly enjoying listening to her speak.

"Why did you stop?" He asked softly, looking up from his computer screen to find that she was trying to busy herself in her phone.

"I realized I was probably starting to annoy you," she admitted, holding an apology back from her lips. She had always been told that being too clingy or enthusiastic was tiresome and unappealing, and in her own self-doubt, she struggled to bring herself in.

"I love hearing about your day," he reassured her, his normally intense gaze softening under the unsure glaces she gave him.

"I mean, you're busy," she assumed, setting down her phone now that they were conversing again. "And it's probably nothing you haven't done before. Sitting in classes, studying for midterms…"

"Actually, I haven't."

This definitely was not the answer she was expecting. "What do you mean?"

"I have never done those things before, Christine."

"Erik, you have 'doctor' before your name."

"I received an honorary PhD. I have never attended a class."

It was times like these that Christine began to realize how little she knew about Erik. Of course, he knew her like the back of his hand: her voice, her personality, her likes and dislikes, and all of her nervous tendencies. She thought she knew him very well on a personal level, such as his personality, but she was entirely ignorant on the affairs of his past. What was he like before he met her? Who had he known, where had he been, what was his life like? She wanted to know, desperately in fact, but she knew it could take quite a long time for someone like him to open up. She had barely gotten him to take the mask off last night, if only for a few minutes, and she did not think that he would appreciate her prying into the intimate details of his life. So, for now, she was determined to enjoy Erik as he was now, and he seemed entirely invested in giving her that pleasure.

"Are you ready to go?" He asked her after she had been thinking for a few moments. She realized that he was already packed to leave, his coat and his hat secured onto his person. Before she had time to think, she nodded and took up her bag, and together they left his office for the parking structure adjacent to the administrative building. Although it wasn't too late in the evening, it was late enough to where the receptionist at the front desk along with everyone else in the office had gone home. They were undisturbed as they climbed into the familiar Mercedes, leaving the school behind in favor for the city.