When Christine went to check on Erik the next morning, softly opening his
door in case he was still asleep, she found that he was, and very soundly,
too.
She watched him for a moment. There was no sign that anything was wrong...
Yes, she had been thinking all night about the way Erik had been acting. He didn't want her. He didn't want his music. There was something wrong and she was going to get to the bottom of it. And if he didn't tell her, she would FORCE it out of him.
What a thought running through her head... force it out of him, feh. How could she ever bring up the courage to do a thing like that? And if she ever did, then how would she go about doing it?
With all these questions running through her head, Christine finally gathered up enough courage to make up her mind about waking Erik up. And so she commenced to do so. And she also stayed put.
'Move, move,' Christine urged herself. 'What are you afraid of? He's just a man, you scared little girl!'
She took a step. She was progressing. She took another step. More progress. When she finally made it to Erik's side, she could only look down at him, hardly daring to breathe.
He barely looked peaceful from this angle. He seemed restless, and even though he was sleeping, he still looked as if he had been up all night.
"Erik," she tried to say, but she only mouthed the words. She cleared her throat, which sounded like a gunshot going off in the room. Quickly, Christine covered her mouth and paused for a good four minutes, fearing he would wake up, grumpy and strange like the night before. But he didn't even stir. "Erik," she said, her voice rising. "Erik! Wake up!" She was whispering hoarsely now.
"Erik!" She called, almost at a shout. "What, are you dead? I never thought you were the kind to be a heavy sleeper, you know!" Erik shifted ever so slightly, which made Christine jump in terror. When her heart rate was back to normal, she tried again.
"Erik! Wake UP!" She really DID shout this time, but to no avail. With the tip of her pointer finger, she reached out and poked the Phantom in the arm, barely touching his sleeve.
Erik's eyes shot open, causing Christine to shriek bloody murder. She jumped back as he blinked a few times, all the while, struggling to wake himself up all the way and sitting upright.
"Christine!" he cried, "What ARE you doing here?"
Her voice caught in her throat. When she finally unstuck it, she said meekly, "I want to know..." she trailed off, burning with embarrassment. This was not going as she first thought it would. Thoughts of her courageously demanded for an explanation vanished, as she cowered under the man's eyes alone.
"Christine," Erik continued in a softer voice which Christine detected a bit of sadness in, "I cannot sing with you! Why are you here?"
"I wish to know what's wrong," she muttered, her lips barely moving.
"If you want me to understand you, dear, you're going to have to speak up," Erik whispered softer than her. Christine pulled her head up and stared at Erik sadly.
"Why can't you tell me?" She asked him slowly.
"It is nothing..." Erik lied, horribly.
"Do you not love me anymore?" Christine asked. "Are you tired of teaching me?" She asked innocently, tears brimming her eyes.
"It's nothing about you," Erik replied quickly, guessing by the way her lips formed the word 'me' and the crushing look on her face, "It would never be about you!"
"Then what?" Christine asked. "Erik, you must tell me what's bothering you!"
"Christine, I can't talk with you! I can't sing with you, and I can't keep you from your life anymore. I can't teach you! It is because..." he trailed off, dreading what he was about to say.
"Because of what, Erik? I don't understand!" Christine said.
"I can't hear you, Christine," Erik barely whispered. "I can't hear your name fall from my lips, such a beautiful name! And I can't hear you, nor myself, nor anything anymore! All I hear is silence, and in silence, I can only hear my thoughts! I can imagine your voice, I can create an artificial voice in my head, but soon, I will not be able to hear even that anymore! I will forget my voice! I will forget yours! I will keep falling until I reach the bottom..." Erik broke off and began to feel misty himself. He turned away from Christine in shame.
"Erik..." she muttered, fresh tears falling from her eyes. "I'm sorry..."
Erik echoed her, his back still turned.
"There is no reason," Christine said, her voice quivering with sadness, a new wave of pity flowing through her, "For me to leave. Why should I? Why would I? I will stay down here until you find a way to do something. I will help you, and I will stay. Forever, if I have to! Erik!" She put her hand on his shoulder and he turned to her. His mask was a bit damp. "I am not afraid," Christine said slowly. He tried to read her lips.
"I am not afraid," she repeated. "I am not afraid. Do you understand, Erik?"
"You.. you aren't..." Erik breathed.
Christine smiled and wiped her eyes. "I am NOT afraid, Erik! Let me help you." Erik took in a quick breath, not knowing how to react. Christine, on the other hand, knew one thing to do.
She finally forgot about what was behind Erik's mask, forgot about what he looked like, and just let herself instinctively embrace him. It was comforting, she knew only this. And what a nice moment to use such a handy technique.
Erik shuddered in complete shock, and tensed, his brain going numb. This was the very first, the absolute FIRST time anyone had EVER touched him like this. And he wanted the moment to last forever.
Finally, the shock died away, and he relaxed. Just as he was getting used to the luxurious feeling of being hugged, Christine let him go and stared him in the eyes.
"We will fix things." She said, "Everything will get better. You'll see."
And for the next moment, Erik really did believe her.
A/N: Okay, that chapter was nicer, now, wasn't it? Well, I must say I've been getting some pretty interesting reviews, and I just have to say... I didn't want to be COMPLETELY horrible to Erik! I just wanted a crucial excuse to get Christine closer to him! (Which you found to work quite nicely in this chapter by the way, eheheh..) ENJOY! :)
She watched him for a moment. There was no sign that anything was wrong...
Yes, she had been thinking all night about the way Erik had been acting. He didn't want her. He didn't want his music. There was something wrong and she was going to get to the bottom of it. And if he didn't tell her, she would FORCE it out of him.
What a thought running through her head... force it out of him, feh. How could she ever bring up the courage to do a thing like that? And if she ever did, then how would she go about doing it?
With all these questions running through her head, Christine finally gathered up enough courage to make up her mind about waking Erik up. And so she commenced to do so. And she also stayed put.
'Move, move,' Christine urged herself. 'What are you afraid of? He's just a man, you scared little girl!'
She took a step. She was progressing. She took another step. More progress. When she finally made it to Erik's side, she could only look down at him, hardly daring to breathe.
He barely looked peaceful from this angle. He seemed restless, and even though he was sleeping, he still looked as if he had been up all night.
"Erik," she tried to say, but she only mouthed the words. She cleared her throat, which sounded like a gunshot going off in the room. Quickly, Christine covered her mouth and paused for a good four minutes, fearing he would wake up, grumpy and strange like the night before. But he didn't even stir. "Erik," she said, her voice rising. "Erik! Wake up!" She was whispering hoarsely now.
"Erik!" She called, almost at a shout. "What, are you dead? I never thought you were the kind to be a heavy sleeper, you know!" Erik shifted ever so slightly, which made Christine jump in terror. When her heart rate was back to normal, she tried again.
"Erik! Wake UP!" She really DID shout this time, but to no avail. With the tip of her pointer finger, she reached out and poked the Phantom in the arm, barely touching his sleeve.
Erik's eyes shot open, causing Christine to shriek bloody murder. She jumped back as he blinked a few times, all the while, struggling to wake himself up all the way and sitting upright.
"Christine!" he cried, "What ARE you doing here?"
Her voice caught in her throat. When she finally unstuck it, she said meekly, "I want to know..." she trailed off, burning with embarrassment. This was not going as she first thought it would. Thoughts of her courageously demanded for an explanation vanished, as she cowered under the man's eyes alone.
"Christine," Erik continued in a softer voice which Christine detected a bit of sadness in, "I cannot sing with you! Why are you here?"
"I wish to know what's wrong," she muttered, her lips barely moving.
"If you want me to understand you, dear, you're going to have to speak up," Erik whispered softer than her. Christine pulled her head up and stared at Erik sadly.
"Why can't you tell me?" She asked him slowly.
"It is nothing..." Erik lied, horribly.
"Do you not love me anymore?" Christine asked. "Are you tired of teaching me?" She asked innocently, tears brimming her eyes.
"It's nothing about you," Erik replied quickly, guessing by the way her lips formed the word 'me' and the crushing look on her face, "It would never be about you!"
"Then what?" Christine asked. "Erik, you must tell me what's bothering you!"
"Christine, I can't talk with you! I can't sing with you, and I can't keep you from your life anymore. I can't teach you! It is because..." he trailed off, dreading what he was about to say.
"Because of what, Erik? I don't understand!" Christine said.
"I can't hear you, Christine," Erik barely whispered. "I can't hear your name fall from my lips, such a beautiful name! And I can't hear you, nor myself, nor anything anymore! All I hear is silence, and in silence, I can only hear my thoughts! I can imagine your voice, I can create an artificial voice in my head, but soon, I will not be able to hear even that anymore! I will forget my voice! I will forget yours! I will keep falling until I reach the bottom..." Erik broke off and began to feel misty himself. He turned away from Christine in shame.
"Erik..." she muttered, fresh tears falling from her eyes. "I'm sorry..."
Erik echoed her, his back still turned.
"There is no reason," Christine said, her voice quivering with sadness, a new wave of pity flowing through her, "For me to leave. Why should I? Why would I? I will stay down here until you find a way to do something. I will help you, and I will stay. Forever, if I have to! Erik!" She put her hand on his shoulder and he turned to her. His mask was a bit damp. "I am not afraid," Christine said slowly. He tried to read her lips.
"I am not afraid," she repeated. "I am not afraid. Do you understand, Erik?"
"You.. you aren't..." Erik breathed.
Christine smiled and wiped her eyes. "I am NOT afraid, Erik! Let me help you." Erik took in a quick breath, not knowing how to react. Christine, on the other hand, knew one thing to do.
She finally forgot about what was behind Erik's mask, forgot about what he looked like, and just let herself instinctively embrace him. It was comforting, she knew only this. And what a nice moment to use such a handy technique.
Erik shuddered in complete shock, and tensed, his brain going numb. This was the very first, the absolute FIRST time anyone had EVER touched him like this. And he wanted the moment to last forever.
Finally, the shock died away, and he relaxed. Just as he was getting used to the luxurious feeling of being hugged, Christine let him go and stared him in the eyes.
"We will fix things." She said, "Everything will get better. You'll see."
And for the next moment, Erik really did believe her.
A/N: Okay, that chapter was nicer, now, wasn't it? Well, I must say I've been getting some pretty interesting reviews, and I just have to say... I didn't want to be COMPLETELY horrible to Erik! I just wanted a crucial excuse to get Christine closer to him! (Which you found to work quite nicely in this chapter by the way, eheheh..) ENJOY! :)