1986
During Christmas Meg has a magical glow about her that Charles cannot resist. He is drawn to her like moths to light. He must be around her. It's painful enough during the rest of the year. He has dreams about her. They can be innocent; he sings the song of his heart and she hums along.
Sometimes it's midnight, he has no way of truly knowing the time, but in his bones he knows, it is midnight and they dance under the stars among empty streets as the moon protects them.
He paints pictures of her, hides them, destroys them because it hurts too much to look at. It was easier when he just had to deal with the angry, broken Sorelli. He gave her everything, he'd chase her all over, but one day Meg punched his heart with her smile.
It was a costume party. She had red, blue and green paint smeared on her eyes, her hair was up in all manner of directions.
"What are you supposed to be?" He asked. He could not take his eyes off of her. He kept going back to her. She poses.
"Imagination and inspiration."
He had not expected that answer. He blinks several times. She hums and twirls. She taps his nose.
"Inspired!" She shouts before she runs away. She stops midway and turns back to him,
"You're welcome," she points at him, stretching her arm out to him. It was something that odd and ridiculous, that planted the seeds of something else, to see her differently.
When the holiday season started that year, that is when it really started to mature and grow, his love for her. She wore the ugliest sweaters, how long has that been something she has done?
She spends each weekend ice skating in the park, she bakes cookies, watches terrible films, and changes her swearing to Christmas themed and food based insults.
"Sweet snowflakes!" She playfully punches Nadir for eating cookies she had reserved for her neighbors. She jumps onto his back and he spins her around, both laugh madly.
"You ginger-snapping biscuit! I'll kick your macaroons!" Her elf cap flies off as she is spun around and around by the Persian.
"Just try!" The implied threat is empty, he would never hurt her, and everyone knows it.
The rest of the group ignores those two. Jules taps his shoulder and offers him some Xanax. He pops a few pills; he continues to watch her.
"Why couldn't I have met her first?" Charles asks quietly to himself. He waits for the drug to kick in. Charles could have met her first. He can see it. She's reading a book at the café near the Opera and he gets his jacket caught on her chair, it disturbs her, he apologies meekly and he notices her book, a book that happens to be his favorite and they have a conversation.
Charles is invited to sit, and they discuss the plot, the author, and other things. She tells him she's a dancer and he goes to watch her. She is enchanting and he watches every performance. They marry when she turns 18 and he—
Something rough rubs his chin, Charles blinks back his fantasy and is brought back to life.
"You're drooling." Erik rubs his gloves fingers together. He's been watching Charles for some time now.
"She's making me dizzy." Charles touches his temple and looks at the ground.
Erik turns his gaze towards the Persian and the dancer. Charles uses that distraction and walks to Raoul and Christine. He does not hear what they say, he nods and comments vague responses, he tries to forget Meg and the life they do not have.
The party is dying down and Charles is at the end of his party fuel. He's about to be on fumes. Meg steps up to him. He's startled by her sudden appearance.
"You've been Grump Face all night. Come on, dance a little." She shakes her hips and moves her body side to side. He waves his hands and shakes his head.
"You know you want to dance with me," she slams it to the left, slams it to the right, she kicks her leg forward, she jerks her thumps and then moves forward and towards the ground.
Charles is embarrassed for them both. His heart swells with pain and he knows he loves her.
"That's fair, Parisians can't dance. Takes talent and freedom." Meg keeps moving and grooving. Charles feels fire spark inside of him. Charles is a proud Parisian.
He stands up straight, he loosens his collar and starts to get down. Meg watches him and continues to make up her own awkward fun terrible dance. He snip snaps as he finishes.
"I stand corrected." She bows respect.
"Damn straight."
"But Paris is still overrated!" Meg says quickly before she runs off. Charles curses at her and she ducks behind Raoul and Christine.
"No one cares about Nice!" He shakes his fist, Meg pokes her head out from hiding.
"I'm not from Nice!" She sticks out her tongue before she hides again.
"She's from Brittany," Raoul says, he does not like being used a human shield. Meg hisses, 'betrayed,' he wags his finger.
"Same difference." Charles shrugs.
"That why everyone hates Paris!" Meg sticks out her tongue again. Raoul walks away so she cannot hide behind him again. Christine laughs silently and follows after him.
"No one hates Paris." Jules says.
"She doesn't count, ignore her," Erik says.
"I'm sorry, I don't speak nevergetssexagain." Meg says brightly. That gets Erik attention, he strides over to her and Charles and the others laugh as Meg eeps and starts to run around the room while Erik calmly, casually follows after her.
The end of the night is nigh. The food is out, the drinks have been drunk and the drugs consumed, and highs have been high'd. The people are starting to leave, and something catches Charles's eye.
Mistletoe. How did he not notice this? He does not remember it being there before. Has anyone been holiday kissing? He scratches the back of his head, trying to remember.
"Ooh pensive face activated. Serious thought approaching the station." Meg says. Charles nods up and Meg follows him, her eyes go wide.
"Oooh," Her mouth forms an O shape. She and him share a look, You have abide by the season and rules of mistletoe. He closes his eyes and leans forward, Meg looks up and searches the room, her face just barely misses the gentle touch of Charles's lips. He leans back quickly before anyone else can notice his failure.
"Hey, Erik! A metaphor for our relationship! Because, you know mistletoe is a parasite," Erik comes up to her and harshly yanks her arm and pulls her along.
"Aren't we clever," He coos. He leads her out the door. Charles clenches his fists, wishing it were his arms that were around her.
Now
Meg is decorating the tree with RC, she turns to glance at the sofa, where Charles is chilling and smoking. He waves and she half glares and clicks her tongue.
"You said you wanted to come over and help. How is this helping?" Meg nods him.
"I am offering you my festive spirit. It is lighting up the room." He spread his arms out and Meg narrows her eyes as smoke spreads too.
Erik stopped smoking years ago, he did not want to risk damage to his vocals. The others had no qualms or worries about that. It would be nice if people respected the homes of others and chose to smoke outside!
"You're full of shit, uncle." RC opens a new box of ornaments. Charles flicks his ashes at him. Meg is about to throttle him.
"How dare you speak to your elders in such a vulgar manner. Bow to me, youngling." He demands. RC snorts and he shakes his head, he ignores the demand and hands different ornaments to his mother to hang on the tree.
"Meg, beat your son for his obstinance." Charles takes a drag and Meg glares at him.
"I'm about to beat your snowflakes. Stop smoking in my house!" She throws several knitted ornaments at his head. Charles puts his ciggy out with a coaster. Meg stops what she is doing.
"Rezy, close your eyes. Your Mama is about to get Christmas'd on this fool." Meg takes off her earrings. RC sniggers. He's loving this. He stops what he's doing and waits for his theatre.
Meg steps up to Charles, picks up a pillow and starts to beat him, he grabs her wrists and pulls her onto his lap. She screams in frustration and tries to smother him with the pillow.
Meg feels someone grab her around the waist and pulls her away from Charles. She cries out in protest, RC pouts. He goes back to digging through the ornaments.
"Murder is not a good color for you," Nadir says as Meg thrashes. He waits for her to calm down before he lets her go.
"He used my coaster as an ash tray!" She cries out exasperated. Nadir blinks. Meg pouts and crosses her arms over her chest.
"Yeah, and? His brutish behavior surprises you, why?" Nadir clicks his tongue and waves to his nephew.
"To be clear, she said to stop smoking in her house. This isn't her house. It's Erik's. I put it out to be kind." Nadir rushes for it and grabs Meg around the waist again.
"It's also not a house," RC says as he hangs a Santa on the tree. Meg hisses in his direction. RC smiles and continues his work. Meg holds onto Nadir with her right hand and points violently with her left. Nadir feels coldness strangle his heart as he notices the ring on her finger.
That bastard did it.
His grip loosens and Meg does not waste this chance and charges at Charles again and slaps and punches him. Not with all her strength, but she is pissed.
"Enough woman! I give!"
Charles could throw her across the room, he could cause injury if he wanted to, but he doesn't. He lets her finish her violence. She exhales and takes a step back, her back hunched. She waves and is satisfide. She needs a minute before she finds the festive elf spirit again.
The truth is, if this is what it takes for Meg to touch him, he'll do it and accept it. He's sure this says something about him personally, but he does not care.
Nadir nods at her hand.
"So, what does that mean?" Meg holds it and walks to the box by her son.
"Hm?" Feigning confusion. She hums a song and rummages through the box. RC notices Nadir's intense gaze and follows it with his own eyes.
"Mother?" He asks.
"How is it going to work?" Nadir hates being the Father of the group. Being the logical one to point out harsh and hard truths. He's spent too many nights holding onto to the others as they weep and die in his arms.
"How is it going to work, if he's with Christine? Is he going to draw up a custody arrangement?" Nadir laughs bitterly.
"My mother hated the concept of 'Santa' and she would always write, 'Satan', on the gifts. She said it was an accident. I wish you could have met her, Rezy, she made this one." She holds out an ornament to RC. It's a deer, the paint is faded and antlers are missing. RC takes his mother's hand, examines it and curses before he roughly lets go.
"Christmas music! That's what we need, to get out cheer back." Meg goes to the speaker, sets her phone and hits play.
"There we go, let's all embrace it. Feel it, know it, love it, the music of Christmas," She rubs the front of her body, closes her eyes and tries to get lost in the music and dance.
"Meg," Nadir starts gravely. Meg eyes open and she turns on him.
"No! Now listen you, we're going to have a great Christmas holiday! There will cheer and a stupid amount of cookies, and baking, and ugly sweater parties and presents! We're going to be so full of Christmas spirit, we'll shit reindeer!" Meg stomps her foot and her eyes challenge, nay, dares the others to protest.
"Ow," Charles moans faintly. Meg rubs her hands together.
"Now, who wants my special eggnog?" She smiles brightly. Everyone says yay and Meg sets out to play host.
