Chapter XXXV

As Christine dried her hair with the towel Nadir had given her she strode towards her bedroom. Quietly she twisted the doorknob and stepped inside. Aleyenne was still laying there, breathing lightly. Doing her best to not wake the woman she tip toed towards the other side of the room and set the towel down.

When she exited the bedroom she listened carefully for any sign of Erik. She could sense him inside the house like she could sense herself. She felt as if though he were watching her without watching her at all. It set her hairs on edge.

Christine made it downstairs and quietly sat down. She could hear Nadir conversing with the de Chagny brothers just outside the door but she had no interest in stepping outside and joining the conversation. She knew that the events of the day were to blame for her sudden lack of interest in anything and everything. She wanted no conversations with anyone, only to sit in silence and simply nap away the stress.

Eventually Nadir entered again with Raoul and Philippe in tow. Christine said nothing as they came. Raoul's eyes were glued to her and he blushed when she raised her gaze to him.

He found that she looked beautiful even in the wrong clothing. Her pretty eyes were framed by her wet eyelashes and her thin – petite body looked dwarfed in the oversized clothing. She sat there, rather improperly with her legs slightly apart, slouching as if she had just finished a battle.

"How was your talk?" Christine asked as they all took seats. Nadir was eyeballing her strangely, having picked up that there was something going on that he was not privy to.

"It was fine, I wanted to ask you something," Raoul smiled beautifully, "I am aware of the fact that you sing. And quite wonderfully actually."

"How do you know that?" She looked to Nadir, worried that perhaps it was he who told Raoul.

"I heard you, from the window," Raoul explained. Philippe was looking at his brother with an annoyed glare. He did not seem to like where the conversation was going. "I wanted to know what your plans were... you have a beautiful talent. You can sing professionally if you wanted to."

"Thank you, but I have a plan. I want to audition at the opera house."

"Do you have any formal training?" Raoul asked, looking at her skeptically.

"Christine is being trained by a very well rounded music teacher," Nadir interrupted, sensing that this conversation might end up with Raoul on his back suddenly staring up at a man with a mask. "He is quite enthusiastic about her future as an opera star. Believe me, he has done marvelous things with Christine's voice."

The reminder of Erik made Christine frown just a little bit. She bit her lip and sat up straight.

"Well, Christine I would really like to see you once again. I do not imagine that you will be returning to the mansion after what you have witnessed but it does not mean that you and I cannot see one another every one in a while." Raoul's eyes glittered at her with hope, "there are so many things that I wish to show you."

"I..." she looked to Nadir, unsure of how to respond. His face was impassive. Nadir knew very well that Erik would not like it at all, but he was not going to try and sway her decision in any way just to please Erik. "I will think about it. I would need proper clothing-

"Proper clothing?" Raoul looked at her with confusion.

"Yes. I would rather not go out into society with a vicomte looking the way I do." She laughed nervously.

"Well, whenever you would like to go out we shall go. There are many shops that I think you might enjoy." Raoul looked at his brother with wonder in his eyes, "don't you agree?"

Philippe nodded tensely and than smiled at Nadir, ignoring the confusion written all over his brothers face. "Nadir, can you point me to the restroom."

Nadir nodded and stood – leading Philippe up the stairs and leaving Raoul and Christine to themselves.

…

"You seem rather tense," Philippe noted quietly to Nadir as they moved down the hallway and towards the bathroom. They could overhear Raoul and Christine speaking. If they looked over the bannister they would see them. "Is there any reason why?"

Nadir looked to the observant brother with a quizzical expression.

"I catch many things that my brother does not. He is a fool if he thinks that he stands any chance with Christine. She is intelligent, and he is not."

"Well," Nadir coughed awkwardly, "it is not that exactly." They came to a stop in front of the bathroom door and Philippe waited, staring at Nadir expectantly. "Christine's music teacher is rather protective of her and would rather she not go out and see others who are possible romantic interests."

"He'd rather she just focus on her music."

"Exactly."

"Well," Philippe opened the door and shrugged, "I suppose it is for the best. My brother and Christine would not be a good match. He is much too fickle, and Christine much to kind to deserve the life of a house wife."

…

From where he sat Erik was seething. This stupid boy Raoul de Chagny! How Erik hated him. He hated everything about him, from the way he spoke, to the way he laughed at what Christine said. He especially detested the boy's urge to say her name after everything. He despised Raoul more than he despised himself if that was possible.

"Christine," Roaul laughed, "you are far too humorous."

"Thank you," she said back. Erik could hear the smile in her voice. He did not know how much more of this he could take. It was becoming unbearable.

"Tell me Christine, what do you propose to do now after today's events?"

Christine paused for a moment. Then she answered, "I suppose I will look for a job elsewhere. I do not mean to offend you but I do not think that I can work for your father anymore. I intend to go and collect the last of my pay and then I will look somewhere else."

"If you'd like any reference jut tell me. I know many places that would be lucky to have someone like you."

"Thank you," she nodded – smiling again. Erik knew it by the silence. He knew her facial mannerisms too well now.

Was she actually enjoying her conversation with that fool of a boy? Raoul de Chagny was nothing but an idiot. A blushing moron who thought he would successfully worm his way into Christine's life. But Erik would not have it. He would crush Raoul under his heel like the trash that he was.

"Christine... I wanted to ask you something," Raoul murmured in a tone too intimate for Erik's liking. He stood up suddenly and listened carefully from the doorway.

"What is it Raoul?"

"I would really appreciate it if you accepted my invitation... I would like to take you on a tour of the city. I understand that you have been here for quite a while but perhaps I can show you another side that you might not have experienced before. I find that if I should leave here today without an answer than I might lose my much needed sleep tonight."

No, no, no.

Erik moved before he thought about it. Wrenching a cabinet open he grabbed one of Nadir's old tea cups just as Christine opened her mouth in the room beside him. Without thinking, Erik dropped it.

…

"What in the world," Christine stood up sharply as the sound of porcelain breaking sounded through the air. Raoul looked to the kitchen with confusion as Nadir came storming down the steps.

"What was that?" He spoke through his teeth, but he already knew. He had heard the exchange between Raoul and Christine and he knew that Erik was listening from the kitchen. It happened all too coincidentally that at the very moment in which Raoul proposed the idea of seeing the city a cup had shattered in the wake of the question.

"I do not know," Christine whispered, looking to the kitchen, truly confused.

"Let me go see what it was, perhaps, it was the cat." Nadir lied through his teeth with a tense smile. Raoul nodded and took a seat, Christine followed suit.

"I was not aware that you had a cat," Raoul stated.

"Oh... yes," Christine laughed shakily, "he doesn't like to be seen."

…

When Nadir walked into the kitchen he instantly found Erik with his hands on the counter top and his muscles taut with anger. The tea cup that he had shattered was still on the ground. Nadir resisted the rage building in his chest as he looked up to Erik who was turning to him, but it faded as he caught sight of Erik expression.

He had misread his tense body language as anger but now he saw that it was actually... panic. A sort of panic that was difficult to read, but he had seen Erik enough to know what this was.

"She is going to say yes, is she not?" Erik whispered so that they might not hear him in the other room. "She is going to go and see him, and then she will return with a ring on her finger and the news that she will be marrying him."

"Erik," Nadir rubbed his forehead carefully. Trying to remind himself of the fact that the man, was more like a boy, and that whatever fears Erik had were all due to his past. He also did his best to remember that Erik was more young than he seemed. "Did you smash the tea cup on purpose."

"Yes." Anger built in Erik's face as he heard Raoul's voice in the other room, he was laughing again, "I hate him."

"Erik-

"I want him out Nadir." He pushed away from the counter and began his furious pacing again, "they will all drive me mad," he insisted, "Christine too. She must remember that I too live here for the time being. I do not like to be confined to small spaces. I have been in the kitchen for too long now and I want out. Tell her to take her damnable friends elsewhere." A rage like he had not known was building in him. How dare she laugh with that fiend? It was like she was mocking him! Laughing and enjoying herself while he remained secluded to the kitchen. "Tell him to leave or I will throw them out myself."

Nadir analyzed Erik for a moment before he nodded, agreeing. Erik seemed to be losing his composure the more seconds he stood in this kitchen. Rather than see his whole tea cup collection shattered he responded, "Yes, you are quite right. They have been here for quite some time and you do not deserve to be confined here. I will return. In the mean time, clean this." He pointed to the floor and then strode out to the living room.

"Is everything alright?" Christine looked back towards Nadir with a knowing gaze. He gave her a tense nod and than smiled politely in Raoul's direction. "Raoul you must forgive me but I must ask that you leave. Christine and I have something very important to discuss."

"I understand," Raoul smiled at him, admittedly sad to have to leave Christine.

Philippe came down the stairs next and after being informed that they must leave he promised to return tomorrow in the morning to see Aleyenne.

"Tell her that I will come back," he spoke to Christine. She nodded quietly and waved them both goodbye. Once they were out the door Christine turned to face Nadir.

"What happened? Why did they have to go. It is unfair to make Philippe leave, you know that he was very worried about Aleyenne."

"Erik has been confined to the kitchen for a while now," Nadir murmured, taking a seat. Christine sighed and nodded.

"You are right..."

Erik appeared in the doorway and strode out quietly. Nadir instantly noticed that he seemed to have calmed significantly and was also ignoring Christine. He took a seat in his usual chair and stared at the fire. Christine was also ignoring Erik and did not do so much as look in his direction.

Sighing heavily Nadir ran a hand over his face.

"The two of you are absolutely exhausting."

Christine looked to Erik with a glare. He glared right back at her.

Nadir threw his hands up. "What happened!"

"Nothing," Christine murmured, "nothing at all."

"Behave your age Christine," Erik retorted, rolling his eyes.

"Be quiet," she hissed in his direction.

"Excuse me?"

"Why don't you go in there and shatter more tea cups!"

"Why you-

Nadir burst into laughter as Erik's eyes bulged at Christine and she blushed. Despite how much he wanted to shake her he found himself fighting a smirk. She always had the ability to make him want to smile, even when she behaved as petulantly as she just did. Fighting the urge to smile he gave a small smirk instead. She blushed even deeper and pressed her lips tightly together, trying to hide the grin working itself to the surface.

"I will repay you for the tea cup."

"You had better," Nadir chuckled wiping a tear away from his face. "Now, I do not want to hear any more arguing. I want the house silent for the rest of the day. Can you please do that for me?" He pleaded with them.

They both nodded, like two scolded children.

The rest of the evening Christine read and Erik sketched in silence. Nadir was too absorbed in his book to say much but Christine and Erik were not.

Instead they kept glancing at one another. Christine got caught staring every time and Erik's smirk grew in size whenever he caught her. Once again, despite his annoyance he could not help but enjoy her little antics.

Eventually Nadir retreated to his bedroom and Christine stayed reading. Erik had sketched out his designs for their lair and when at last he felt he had perfected them he looked up at her. Christine actually had her eyes on her book this time and did not notice him standing and walking over to her. He was eager to show her the designs, and hoped that she would like them.

When at last Christine noticed Erik's presence she looked up from her book steadily. Her pretty blue eyes shined at Erik as he handed her the large sketch pad. "What is this?"

"Drawings of our lair," Erik murmured, watching her expression carefully. Trying to ignore the sight of her lips as they parted with shock. He would dream of her lips for as long as he lived, and he would fantasize about her reaction, not of horror, but of need - for as long as he had the ability to think, "are there any suggestions you would make?"

"Wow," Christine whispered – her shock was obvious. "Erik these are so beautiful."

"Thank you," he looked at the drawing. It was all for her.

"I'm certain that when the time comes... our home will be something to be envious of."

"It will be," he agreed, smiling. Once we are in our home that Raoul boy will never bother us again.

His thoughts turned to that kiss... it would haunt him for till the end of time in the most pleasant way.

Aw Erik :( Cwisteene :( It's all good though, I've written up to chapter 40 and must now begin the task of plotting out the last half of the story :)

Now a warning: Things will become a lot more ... violent from this chapter onward so expect to read some uncomfortable things. Rated M for a reason loves :)