[Author's Note: Obviously, this tale changes the ending of Christine and
Erik's love story. I have attempted to keep them in character, however,
kindly remember that love does indeed change us. Erik may seem slightly
more carefree than before he was confident of Christine's love. With all
the mystery and allure of our Erik, we are honored to witness his first
reciprocal love. I beg the reader's indulgence in this chapter that
transitions their relationship and indulges Erik's happiness. Thank you.]
Outside the falling snow lightly blew against the window. The only light was from a gas lamp on the dresser. Candles had melted down long ago darkening the room as well as forming a sheltered retreat. Nevertheless, it was impossible to discern if it was day or night.
Not that it mattered, Erik mused with satisfaction. Christine was curled up next to him cozily as he held her reverently. He could not remember a time he had lain in bed lazily, but then, he had never woken with her in his arms before. The unbelievable experience still astounded his senses. Making love to Christine was all things he had envisioned, yet more dazzling was the extraordinary love that flowed between them. Erik felt sufficiently euphoric and rejoiced peacefully. Christine slept securely in the circle of his arms. At last, feeling her beginning to stir, he softly hummed a song of love.
Christine awoke smiling with her face against his chest. Languidly, she refused to move delighting in his presence. She stroked the soft, dark hair on his chest and listened to his deep voice. "You're real." she mumbled presently.
"My love." Erik responded in a relaxed voice just as enthralling but seemed lighter somehow.
"I don't want to move." Christine lazily drew circles on his chest with her finger.
"Good." He squeezed her closer to him and she threw her leg over his. Basking in the glow, they simply held each other.
"Christine. You have quite spoiled me. I will never wake again without wanting you beside me." he said into her hair.
Radiant, she looked up and met his eyes lovingly. "And you never shall wake without me next to you."
An indecipherable look passed over his face and he lifted her chin to kiss her lips. As they kissed, they sealed the unspoken bond made between them. Christine burrowed closer to Erik as he signed in total contentment. He rubbed her lower back certain he would never tire of touching her.
Half to himself, Erik whispered, "I must be dreaming and yet I hope never to wake."
Christine arched an eyebrow, questioning, "Well, then, monsieur, how shall I prove to you that you are indeed awake?" Not missing the meaning in her eyes, Erik's need for her built inside him.
He had to inquire of her, "Did I hurt you, Christine?" He refused to be the cause of any discomfort to her.
She shook her head as her face reflected the truth of her words. "I've never experienced anything like that." she told him honesty. Placing her cheek against his chest once more, she happily just listened to him breathe.
After a time, Christine's head came up abruptly and when Erik glimpsed down, her face was crimson even in the lamp light. "Christine?", he inquired when she would not meet his gaze. Teasing her, he chided, "Come, my dear. Surely you would not blush in shyness after what we bestowed upon each other. What is this maidenly modesty stealing up in you?"
Christine looked away momentarily. Catching her expression, she appeared extremely embarrassed. Amused, Erik lay back on the pillow with one hand behind his head. "What is the matter, my sweet? A delayed reaction?"
"Erik, I must.....I mean........" she stuttered. Unable to meet his smile, she glanced away again. Tightly, she asked him, "Erik, what is your last name, my love?"
Christine felt the rumble before it belted out of him. Erik threw his head back and roared with laughter. Even more abashed now, Christine felt foolish but was very ashamed she knew him so intimately without knowledge of his last name. He continued to laugh until a tear wet his cheek. Despite her chagrin, Christine reveled in the sound of his deep, musical laughter. She had never before heard him laugh so heartily.
Wiping his eyes and attempting to sober himself, Erik continued to chuckle uncontrollably. "I do apologize, my dear. That was very, ah, entertaining."
Pretending to be indignant, Christine pleaded with him, "Oh, Erik, do be serious. It is atrocious that we have been so intimate and I don't know such a simple detail about you."
Laughing briefly once more, Erik said, "Yes, I do suppose that would be the natural order of such things."
Christine felt ridiculous. "Now, tell me. Straight away."
Successfully controlling himself, Erik gazed at her with affection and said, "Lenoire, my sweet."
"Lenoire." She rolled the word off her tongue. She attempted, "Christine Lenoire.....well, I do suppose we must make it legal then."
Once more, Erik's low-toned, harmonious laughter resounded off the walls of her bedroom. Irrepressibly he laughed, covering his eyes with his arm. Poor Christine. He knew he was distressing her but it could not be contained.
Ignoring his mirth, she explained "I was merely thinking aloud, my love." At his confused mien, she continued, "After what we have extended to each other, I feel as though our vows have been exchanged. I already feel bonded to you - entirely yours. And, as I have no intention of being without you again, logically, we must be married."
"Logically." Erik asserted solemnly.
At once, he was in earnest, moving to put them face to face. Whispering passionately, he beseeched her, "I am so unworthy of you, my dear. If you would do me the ultimate honor of willingly becoming my......my wife, I will strive to make you happy. I have always loved you, Christine, even before we met. My soul was set apart only for you and I will treasure you eternally."
Gravely, Erik breathed, "Christine, marry me. Will you?"
Weeping, she took his face in her hands spoke words that made his heart fill to bursting, "Yes, Erik, I will be your wife."
Closing his eyes, he yielded to the acute sweetness of her reply. Touching her lips to his, she kissed him with all the love in her soul. Erik seized her to him with a devotion that electrified her. Wanting him again, she responded eagerly and whimpered when he pulled away.
Huskily, he said with his chin bowed, "I never believed this would actually happen." Writhing deliberately underneath him, Christine lifted her head to kiss him with exhilaration. "I love you so. Erik, will you be my husband?" she said into his lips. Undone, he answered her in the deepest, most tender way he knew.
Outside the falling snow lightly blew against the window. The only light was from a gas lamp on the dresser. Candles had melted down long ago darkening the room as well as forming a sheltered retreat. Nevertheless, it was impossible to discern if it was day or night.
Not that it mattered, Erik mused with satisfaction. Christine was curled up next to him cozily as he held her reverently. He could not remember a time he had lain in bed lazily, but then, he had never woken with her in his arms before. The unbelievable experience still astounded his senses. Making love to Christine was all things he had envisioned, yet more dazzling was the extraordinary love that flowed between them. Erik felt sufficiently euphoric and rejoiced peacefully. Christine slept securely in the circle of his arms. At last, feeling her beginning to stir, he softly hummed a song of love.
Christine awoke smiling with her face against his chest. Languidly, she refused to move delighting in his presence. She stroked the soft, dark hair on his chest and listened to his deep voice. "You're real." she mumbled presently.
"My love." Erik responded in a relaxed voice just as enthralling but seemed lighter somehow.
"I don't want to move." Christine lazily drew circles on his chest with her finger.
"Good." He squeezed her closer to him and she threw her leg over his. Basking in the glow, they simply held each other.
"Christine. You have quite spoiled me. I will never wake again without wanting you beside me." he said into her hair.
Radiant, she looked up and met his eyes lovingly. "And you never shall wake without me next to you."
An indecipherable look passed over his face and he lifted her chin to kiss her lips. As they kissed, they sealed the unspoken bond made between them. Christine burrowed closer to Erik as he signed in total contentment. He rubbed her lower back certain he would never tire of touching her.
Half to himself, Erik whispered, "I must be dreaming and yet I hope never to wake."
Christine arched an eyebrow, questioning, "Well, then, monsieur, how shall I prove to you that you are indeed awake?" Not missing the meaning in her eyes, Erik's need for her built inside him.
He had to inquire of her, "Did I hurt you, Christine?" He refused to be the cause of any discomfort to her.
She shook her head as her face reflected the truth of her words. "I've never experienced anything like that." she told him honesty. Placing her cheek against his chest once more, she happily just listened to him breathe.
After a time, Christine's head came up abruptly and when Erik glimpsed down, her face was crimson even in the lamp light. "Christine?", he inquired when she would not meet his gaze. Teasing her, he chided, "Come, my dear. Surely you would not blush in shyness after what we bestowed upon each other. What is this maidenly modesty stealing up in you?"
Christine looked away momentarily. Catching her expression, she appeared extremely embarrassed. Amused, Erik lay back on the pillow with one hand behind his head. "What is the matter, my sweet? A delayed reaction?"
"Erik, I must.....I mean........" she stuttered. Unable to meet his smile, she glanced away again. Tightly, she asked him, "Erik, what is your last name, my love?"
Christine felt the rumble before it belted out of him. Erik threw his head back and roared with laughter. Even more abashed now, Christine felt foolish but was very ashamed she knew him so intimately without knowledge of his last name. He continued to laugh until a tear wet his cheek. Despite her chagrin, Christine reveled in the sound of his deep, musical laughter. She had never before heard him laugh so heartily.
Wiping his eyes and attempting to sober himself, Erik continued to chuckle uncontrollably. "I do apologize, my dear. That was very, ah, entertaining."
Pretending to be indignant, Christine pleaded with him, "Oh, Erik, do be serious. It is atrocious that we have been so intimate and I don't know such a simple detail about you."
Laughing briefly once more, Erik said, "Yes, I do suppose that would be the natural order of such things."
Christine felt ridiculous. "Now, tell me. Straight away."
Successfully controlling himself, Erik gazed at her with affection and said, "Lenoire, my sweet."
"Lenoire." She rolled the word off her tongue. She attempted, "Christine Lenoire.....well, I do suppose we must make it legal then."
Once more, Erik's low-toned, harmonious laughter resounded off the walls of her bedroom. Irrepressibly he laughed, covering his eyes with his arm. Poor Christine. He knew he was distressing her but it could not be contained.
Ignoring his mirth, she explained "I was merely thinking aloud, my love." At his confused mien, she continued, "After what we have extended to each other, I feel as though our vows have been exchanged. I already feel bonded to you - entirely yours. And, as I have no intention of being without you again, logically, we must be married."
"Logically." Erik asserted solemnly.
At once, he was in earnest, moving to put them face to face. Whispering passionately, he beseeched her, "I am so unworthy of you, my dear. If you would do me the ultimate honor of willingly becoming my......my wife, I will strive to make you happy. I have always loved you, Christine, even before we met. My soul was set apart only for you and I will treasure you eternally."
Gravely, Erik breathed, "Christine, marry me. Will you?"
Weeping, she took his face in her hands spoke words that made his heart fill to bursting, "Yes, Erik, I will be your wife."
Closing his eyes, he yielded to the acute sweetness of her reply. Touching her lips to his, she kissed him with all the love in her soul. Erik seized her to him with a devotion that electrified her. Wanting him again, she responded eagerly and whimpered when he pulled away.
Huskily, he said with his chin bowed, "I never believed this would actually happen." Writhing deliberately underneath him, Christine lifted her head to kiss him with exhilaration. "I love you so. Erik, will you be my husband?" she said into his lips. Undone, he answered her in the deepest, most tender way he knew.