I am so so sorry for the long wait. I really have no good excuse, I have been busy but you guys are important to me and so is this story. It has been way too long and I am super sorry. Here is the next chapter, I hope you like it. Lots of C/E fluff ahead.
It had been weeks since Christine began helping Erik with his compositions, and she couldn't be loving it more. It made her feel connected to her father, but moreover, it made her feel connected to Erik. Watching Erik create music and being a part of that, however small, felt like being invited into a part of his world that no one else would ever have access to. And she loved the opportunity to grow closer to the man she loved.
She was finding that their compositions occupied her thoughts more and more. Of course, she was still devoted to their lessons and to her role in the chorus, but now it seemed that in quiet moments, her thoughts often turned to one of the pieces they had been working on. Snatches of music would come to her during the day, and her phone was filled with voice memos of these half-formed melodies hastily recorded whenever she could find a minute. It was exhilarating to discover this new facet of her love of music.
As Christine got ready for work, she hummed a piece that she and Erik had been working on for the past few days. It was one of her favorites, but there was still a section mission—she knew that the two phrases she had should connect, but no matter how she tried to transition between them, nothing felt quite right. She hummed through what they had written over and over, unable to free her mind from the tune, until the two phrases seemed to merge in her mind and she could hear one clearly even as she hummed the other. And then out of nowhere, the transition just appeared, as easily and naturally as if it had always been there. Reaching blindly for something to write the notes on before they slipped from her mind, she settled for the first thing she touched and scribbled her notes in between the printed ones on a page of old sheet music. It was messy, but she could read it. Once the notes were there, she studied them for a moment, wondering if they would work in practice. Christine figured there was only one way to know for sure. She took a deep breath, straightened her posture, and sang the piece from the top.
It worked, and Christine was astounded. She looked down at the few lines of music she had just written, in awe. As much as Erik had told her, Christine never believed she could actually succeed to this extent. Help him here and there, maybe, but not this.
Christine pulled out her phone to call Erik, too excited to wait, when she noticed the time. She hadn't exactly had time to spare this morning, and if she didn't move quickly, she'd be late for her shift. Cursing herself for getting distracted, Christine hurried to finish getting ready and dashed out of the door. Once she was driving to work, Christine dialed Erik and put her phone on speaker.
"Hello Christine," Erik greeted, his voice smooth.
"Hi," Christine said, smiling at the sound of his voice despite the fact that Erik could not see her. "I was wondering if I could come over tonight. I need to show you something."
"Of course you may, you are always welcome in my home. May I ask what it is you intend to show me?"
"I'll show you when I get there. It's not something I want to tell you about over the phone."
Christine paused, waiting for his response. When he didn't respond, she realized the possible negative connotations of her words and rushed to reassure him.
"Don't worry, it's nothing bad. It's good actually, you'll see."
There was an obvious note of relief in Erik's voice when he replied. "Then I look forward to hearing it. When shall I see you?"
"Uh, I get off work at seven, so eight?" Christine suggested.
"Eight it is. I shall see you then. I thought you were at work already. Are you supposed to be calling me? I always love to hear your voice, but I wouldn't want you to get in trouble. And I know your work is important."
Christine had to smile at this—Erik was always looking out for her. "That's sweet of you to worry, but no I'm not at work yet. I'm running late, so I'm driving there now. I probably will get in trouble for that, but not because of you."
"You are driving there now? Then why are you on the phone? That could be dangerous," Erik warned, and Christine would have brushed it off had it not been for the genuine concern in his voice.
"You're right. I'm at a red light, so I'll hang up now. Love you, goodbye."
"I love you too," Erik said.
Even though she knew a scolding was waiting for her at work, Christine couldn't stop smiling as she drove the rest of the way.
As expected, Christine had hardly set down her things before she was met with Amanda, the formidable charge nurse, who appeared less than pleased with her.
"Nurse Daaé, you are ten minutes late. I expect better from you."
"I know, and I apologize. It won't happen again," Christine promised.
Amanda did not look entirely convinced, even though Christine was never late. "It better not. You've never had this issue before, so I will let you off with a warning this time. But don't think I haven't noticed how distracted you've been lately. I hope this doesn't become a problem."
"I won't."
"Good. Now get to work."
Christine was quick to obey, and her shift proved to be a particularly busy one. One of her favorite patients, a sweet older woman who always told Christine that she reminded her of her daughter, was going to be discharged today, and there were so many other things to do that Christine did not think she stood still for a single moment. But the thought of her visit with Erik that night kept her cheerful, and the notes she'd composed that morning made her smile every time they ran through her head.
Christine stopped by her place before going to Erik's to change and transcribe the music she jotted down earlier onto a more readable location. She gathered her things and brushed her hair out, but she was too eager to delay any longer and was quickly heading out again.
Now that she was driving there, Christine started to doubt if what she wrote was good enough, but one thought of Erik's smiling face banished the worries from her head. There was a day where Christine would have been worried because Erik had such a clear musical gift that she knew she didn't have, but over the last [how long has this story been?] she had stopped seeing him as a musical genius who was so high above her and fallen in love with him. Yes, it was true that Erik was more talented than her, but she had trusted him with this.
Christine greeted Erik with a kiss, as she always did. It started out sweet, but as she tried to deepen the kiss Erik's mask pressed into her face awkwardly, and after a moment she pulled away.
"Take off your mask," she said gently.
"Why?" Erik asked.
"Just trust me," she told him. He did as she said and was rewarded by her lips roughly claiming his. Christine pressed onto the tips of her toes, kissing Erik was an unencumbered love, desire for him burning in her veins. When they finally broke apart to catch their breath, Erik's face was flushed and he could only look at her dazedly.
"I couldn't do that with your mask on," she said with a smile, suddenly feeling a little shy.
Erik cleared his throat and shifted awkwardly.
"So what prompted this sudden meeting? Not that I am not happy to see you," he said, placing his arm carefully around Christine.
She smiled, his awkwardness as endearing as ever, and grabbed his hand while keeping his arm around her. "I'll show you. Let's go to the music room."
The pair walked to the room, Erik slowing his pace considerably to keep pace with Christine's much smaller stride.
When they reached the room, Erik removed his arm from around Christine and stood in front of her, waiting for her to speak. He could tell she was hesitant, but he knew if he was patient she would breach the subject herself. He didn't have to wait long.
"This morning, I was singing the composition we've been working on. You know the part we've been having trouble with? About halfway through? Well, I was singing the part before it, and I thought of this. It works, I think. At least it connects this section and the next." Christine pulled out a paper from her purse, practically radiating excitement as she handed it to him. "I wanted to show you."
Erik surveyed the hastily written music, playing the tune in his head. He raised his eyebrows. It didn't just work, as Christine had said. It fit nearly perfectly with what was written, and it would flow beautifully with Christine's voice.
"This is really incredible, Christine," Erik complimented. "I think it will fit perfectly. Let's play it now."
"O-Okay. You truly think it's good?" Christine asked. Despite her trust in Erik to be kind, she was surprised by his genuine praise and appreciation.
"It is more than good, it's very impressive. I told you you were gifted, and you adjusted quickly too. Will you sing it for me?" Now that he could hear the new notes in his head, Erik was almost desperate to hear her voice bring the piece to life.
"Of course," Christine said, flashing a brilliant smile. She had been planning on singing it, but the joy that Erik got from her fulfilling his simple requests made her all the happier to do it. The way his eyes lit up when she said yes to him thrilled her and Christine knew that there was very little that Erik could ask that she would say no to.
She crossed to the piano, and Erik started the piece from the top, playing smoothly as Christine's voice blended perfectly with his notes. Hearing his music in her voice brought him and immeasurable joy, and when Christine got to the part that she composed, it sounded even more beautiful than he could have imagined, blending perfectly with the rest of the piece.
After she finished, Christine sat down on the piano bench next to Erik, breathless.
"That was amazing, Christine. It might need a little editing, but otherwise, it must stay," Erik told her softly.
Christine leaned her head on Erik's shoulder, content just being near him. "Thank you."
"For what?" Erik asked, looking down at her beaming face.
"For everything. For believing in me, for loving me—"
"I should thank you for that," Erik interrupted her.
Christine shook her head. "I've never been happier in a relationship than I am with you, Erik. I know I've told you before, but I really love you. So much."
"I love you too," Erik murmured.
Christine raised her head, moving her face closer to his ruined one. "Kiss me."
Erik didn't have to be told twice. He brought his lips down on hers, kissing her with passion. He didn't pull away after one kiss; he found himself unable to do that of late. He kissed her, barely containing his passion and desire for more, and she met him with equal passion. It was heady and intoxicating, and he couldn't imagine ever getting enough of her. He still couldn't understand how he could be lucky enough to earn her love, but for now, just knowing that she loved him was enough.
The next night Erik took Christine out to dinner. He chose the same restaurant that he had gone to with Christine so long ago. Of course, back then they were just starting to become friends, but Erik could admit now that he had already fallen for her. It felt nice to walk in the familiar location, this time with Christine on his arm. His.
"You know, we didn't have to go out," Christine said. "I love it at your place, and I love what you cook."
"I know you do, and I love you for that. But you deserve a normal date sometimes," Erik said, kissing her on the cheek before opening the door to the restaurant for her. What Erik didn't tell her was that he had an ulterior motive for taking her out tonight. When it was just the two of them, he was finding it harder and harder to tamp down his desires, even as certain as he was that Christine would not reciprocate if she knew what he felt. At least in public, he had an excuse to maintain a respectful distance.
Christine requested a table, and they were seated soon, with only a few lingering stares directed in Erik's direction.
"So, how is work?" Erik asked once they sat down. "I hope you weren't in too much trouble for being late."
"I wasn't," Christine assured him. "And everything's going well. One of my patients just got discharged today, and it was good to see her doing so much better."
"That's good," Erik said. "It's always a relief to be discharged, even if one is fortunate enough to have an incredibly charming nurse."
"Well, that nurse was lucky enough to have the best patient anyone could ask for," Christine said with a wide smile.
Erik reached across the table and grabbed Christine's hand. "I thank whatever good there is in the world that I was in that accident. Because it led me to you, and you changed my life, you made it so much better. Before I met you, I could only see darkness in the world. But you, Christine, you changed that completely. You let me see the light and I didn't know how much I needed that."
Christine smiled and wiped a happy tear from her eye. "I thought I was happy before I met you, but there was so much in life that I had given up on, without even realizing it. My singing, finding love. You are the first and only man I have ever loved. I am so happy you are in my life."
Erik's eyes shined as he looked at the women across from him. He never thought it possible to find this type of love for someone like him, but here he was. He never wanted to be apart from Christine, and he would tell her that soon.
End of chapter. So, what did you think? Please review, you guys always leave such nice reviews that make my day. Also, feel free to PM me, I am always happy to talk. If everything goes according to plan, I expect this story to have about 4 more chapters, but that number is not set in stone. In writing, things don't always go according to plan. - K