"Meow."
The sound frightened Christine, causing her to let out a cry of surprise. She spun around, gripping the scarf around her shoulders tightly. Her heart beat in her chest quickly and she was surprised to see that there wasn't a single person in sight. Christine slowly lowered her eyes and let out a sigh of relief; Ayesha, Erik's feline companion, sat at the sidewalk's bend, staring at her tentatively. The charcoal tail whipped about the cat's slender body and she didn't make another sound.
A soft beam of hope shined in Christine's eyes as Ayesha stared at her; where ever Ayesha was Erik wouldn't be too far behind. He hadn't appeared for her lessons, leaving her alone and near tears in her dressing room; he lied to her and that feeling crushed her. Meg had stopped in, before she left, to see if she had left yet. Amazed to see her friend in tears, they spent an hour talking about the opera and anything to get Christine's mind off of what was troubling her. Finally Christine had gathered her things and left, knowing Erik wouldn't come.
"Hello, darling!" Christine mused, kneeling down to stroke Ayesha's fur. The Siamese cat purred happily, closing her eyes to the loving touch. The feline pushed herself into Christine's touch happily. "What are you doing by yourself?"
Ayesha meowed in reply.
Casually Christine picked Ayesha up, holding her like she was a baby; all this while she didn't seem to notice her scarf slip from her body and tumble off in the soft breeze. "Where's Erik? I didn't think he'd let you out of his sight!" She began to walk, stroking the cat's fur and listening to the soft purring. "You know, your master didn't show up tonight. I was waiting for hours, my dear, and I didn't hear a single word from him. Were you the source of my problems? Maybe you ran off and he had to go after you. If that is the reason then you are the source of my tears." Ayesha licked at her fingers causing Christine to smile. "Of course, I couldn't be angry with such a darling creature."
"Excuse me, Mademoiselle!"
Christine glanced over her shoulder, coming to a stop; a man came running up to her, her scarf clasped in his hand. Ayesha fidgeted and jumped from Christine's arms. The cat hissed viscously at the stranger, causing him to come to a stop a few feet from them both. The man looked at Ayesha nervously, the cat arching her back and her fur standing on end. She stood between the stranger and Christine, as if she was protecting the young singer.
"Yes?" Christine asked, nervously. She looked at Ayesha who continued to hiss. "Hush now!"
The man held out the scarf, with a slight smile. Christine looked at the scarf and blushed slightly. "You dropped your scarf. One shouldn't be out in the cold without one."
As Christine took her shawl she felt the man's fingers move, ever so slightly, and brush against her hand. She pulled her hand away quickly, wrapping the scarf around her. "Thank you, Monsieur; I would have never noticed." she said with smile. Ayesha let out a meow and Christine looked down at her. She sighed and looked at the stranger. "Well, I must be on my way. I must return this cat to her master. Good night."
As Christine began to pick Ayesha up, the man stopped her, placing a hand on her shoulder. Christine spun around, her eyes wide with fear with the sudden invasion of personal space. Ayesha hissed once more, sensing Christine's trouble. The man drew his hand back, slowly, his eyes locked on to hers.
"Please answer me one question, Mademoiselle." the man said. His eyes studied Christine's face more and she took a step back. "Have we met before?"
Christine shook her head. "I don't think so. You must have gotten me mixed up with someone else. Good night!" Christine quickly grabbed Ayesha and began to walk away, her heart racing and her mind full of fear.
"Is your name Christine Daae?" the man called.
Christine faltered and took in a sharp breath. "Good night, Monsieur!" Christine called, her heart skipping a beat when the man said her name. She hurried away, Ayesha growling in her arms.
**********
Erik gazed across the street, watching as Christine hurried away, leaving the stranger. Christine was holding Ayesha close as if she was her only defense. The stranger stood, watching her disappear around a bend with a reflection of sadness in his eyes. Erik glared at the man, wishing to know the intentions he had.
With a snicker at the man's failure, Erik turned and walked down the street. His mind lingered on the way the man had approached Christine. He knew her from somewhere, but Christine seemed to forget. The one thing Christine was thinking about was returning Ayesha; Erik felt pride with that single thought. Christine was dedicated to him, just as she had promised.
A fog slowly began to fill the streets. Erik smiled as he remembered Christine's conversation with Meg Giry; the way her cheeks grew rosy with every mention that she or he showed an inkling of affection for each other. Erik had been amazed by the act and left his spot from behind Christine's mirror. His mind and body were betraying him with every thought of Christine. He couldn't go on with Christine's first lesson without thinking of the conversation that was heard.
"Erik?"
Erik spun around, his hand tucking away beneath his cloak gripping at the end of his Punjab lasso. His heart nearly stopped as the fog seemed to melt away from Christine's body. Ayesha called to Erik, jumping from Christine and rushing into Erik's arms. Erik looked around as Ayesha nuzzled her head against his chest; he had walked faster than he thought. The opera house was about three blocks away.
"Why didn't you come to me tonight?" Christine asked, her voice lingering in the misted air. She looked at Erik with eyes full of sadness.
"I had my reasons, Christine." Erik replied, trying not to be curt. He bent down, letting Ayesha stand and rub her body against his leg. He looked at Christine and noticed a hurt expression on her face. She had expected to hear him and Erik knew he had crushed her hope to sing and hear him sing.
Lowering her head and eyes from Erik's view, Christine let out a wavering breath. "Well, it's late and I must be on my way. Good night"
As Christine turned to walk away Erik took her by the arm, suddenly bringing her back to him. Christine let out a startled gasp as her body came to met Erik's. His hands wrapped around her, holding her close. He could feel her tense at the first touch, but she relaxed quickly. Christine leaned back, letting her body rest against Erik as he held her tightly.
"Come with me, Christine." Erik whispered. A soft smile crossed his lips as he felt Christine shudder once more, his breath hot against her neck. "Come to my home again. The house feels empty without you gracing its rooms. I've kept your room just the way you left it."
Christine didn't move. "I must return to the opera house tomorrow. Mme. Giry won't have me late again and I must get my dancing as perfect as possible. I don't know if I will be able to join you."
Erik's hands left Christine's arms, slowly moving away from them and down the slender curve of her body. Christine's breath caught in her throat as Erik's lips grazed across her cheek and as his wandering hands came to a stop at her waist. His voice began to sing a soothing song that Christine couldn't help following. His hand's trembled but his voice never wavered as he continued the song.
Erik's voice slowly trailed off and he held Christine close. She let her head fall back, resting on his shoulder. He smiled to himself. "Will you please join me tonight? The house is lonely without you."
"Of course." Christine breathed.
The smile never left Erik's face, even as he kissed Christine's neck with feather softness. In a way he was testing his boundaries, seeing how far he could go before Christine did something or his own conscience spoke to him. This did prove, however, that this young singer was under his spell and the seductive power he was once told he possessed was finally showing its true colors.
Erik took Christine's hand into his own and slowly led her down the street, Ayesha leading the way. At some point he would stop and blindfold her, but Erik was content with walking with Christine along the abandoned streets of the city.
The sound frightened Christine, causing her to let out a cry of surprise. She spun around, gripping the scarf around her shoulders tightly. Her heart beat in her chest quickly and she was surprised to see that there wasn't a single person in sight. Christine slowly lowered her eyes and let out a sigh of relief; Ayesha, Erik's feline companion, sat at the sidewalk's bend, staring at her tentatively. The charcoal tail whipped about the cat's slender body and she didn't make another sound.
A soft beam of hope shined in Christine's eyes as Ayesha stared at her; where ever Ayesha was Erik wouldn't be too far behind. He hadn't appeared for her lessons, leaving her alone and near tears in her dressing room; he lied to her and that feeling crushed her. Meg had stopped in, before she left, to see if she had left yet. Amazed to see her friend in tears, they spent an hour talking about the opera and anything to get Christine's mind off of what was troubling her. Finally Christine had gathered her things and left, knowing Erik wouldn't come.
"Hello, darling!" Christine mused, kneeling down to stroke Ayesha's fur. The Siamese cat purred happily, closing her eyes to the loving touch. The feline pushed herself into Christine's touch happily. "What are you doing by yourself?"
Ayesha meowed in reply.
Casually Christine picked Ayesha up, holding her like she was a baby; all this while she didn't seem to notice her scarf slip from her body and tumble off in the soft breeze. "Where's Erik? I didn't think he'd let you out of his sight!" She began to walk, stroking the cat's fur and listening to the soft purring. "You know, your master didn't show up tonight. I was waiting for hours, my dear, and I didn't hear a single word from him. Were you the source of my problems? Maybe you ran off and he had to go after you. If that is the reason then you are the source of my tears." Ayesha licked at her fingers causing Christine to smile. "Of course, I couldn't be angry with such a darling creature."
"Excuse me, Mademoiselle!"
Christine glanced over her shoulder, coming to a stop; a man came running up to her, her scarf clasped in his hand. Ayesha fidgeted and jumped from Christine's arms. The cat hissed viscously at the stranger, causing him to come to a stop a few feet from them both. The man looked at Ayesha nervously, the cat arching her back and her fur standing on end. She stood between the stranger and Christine, as if she was protecting the young singer.
"Yes?" Christine asked, nervously. She looked at Ayesha who continued to hiss. "Hush now!"
The man held out the scarf, with a slight smile. Christine looked at the scarf and blushed slightly. "You dropped your scarf. One shouldn't be out in the cold without one."
As Christine took her shawl she felt the man's fingers move, ever so slightly, and brush against her hand. She pulled her hand away quickly, wrapping the scarf around her. "Thank you, Monsieur; I would have never noticed." she said with smile. Ayesha let out a meow and Christine looked down at her. She sighed and looked at the stranger. "Well, I must be on my way. I must return this cat to her master. Good night."
As Christine began to pick Ayesha up, the man stopped her, placing a hand on her shoulder. Christine spun around, her eyes wide with fear with the sudden invasion of personal space. Ayesha hissed once more, sensing Christine's trouble. The man drew his hand back, slowly, his eyes locked on to hers.
"Please answer me one question, Mademoiselle." the man said. His eyes studied Christine's face more and she took a step back. "Have we met before?"
Christine shook her head. "I don't think so. You must have gotten me mixed up with someone else. Good night!" Christine quickly grabbed Ayesha and began to walk away, her heart racing and her mind full of fear.
"Is your name Christine Daae?" the man called.
Christine faltered and took in a sharp breath. "Good night, Monsieur!" Christine called, her heart skipping a beat when the man said her name. She hurried away, Ayesha growling in her arms.
**********
Erik gazed across the street, watching as Christine hurried away, leaving the stranger. Christine was holding Ayesha close as if she was her only defense. The stranger stood, watching her disappear around a bend with a reflection of sadness in his eyes. Erik glared at the man, wishing to know the intentions he had.
With a snicker at the man's failure, Erik turned and walked down the street. His mind lingered on the way the man had approached Christine. He knew her from somewhere, but Christine seemed to forget. The one thing Christine was thinking about was returning Ayesha; Erik felt pride with that single thought. Christine was dedicated to him, just as she had promised.
A fog slowly began to fill the streets. Erik smiled as he remembered Christine's conversation with Meg Giry; the way her cheeks grew rosy with every mention that she or he showed an inkling of affection for each other. Erik had been amazed by the act and left his spot from behind Christine's mirror. His mind and body were betraying him with every thought of Christine. He couldn't go on with Christine's first lesson without thinking of the conversation that was heard.
"Erik?"
Erik spun around, his hand tucking away beneath his cloak gripping at the end of his Punjab lasso. His heart nearly stopped as the fog seemed to melt away from Christine's body. Ayesha called to Erik, jumping from Christine and rushing into Erik's arms. Erik looked around as Ayesha nuzzled her head against his chest; he had walked faster than he thought. The opera house was about three blocks away.
"Why didn't you come to me tonight?" Christine asked, her voice lingering in the misted air. She looked at Erik with eyes full of sadness.
"I had my reasons, Christine." Erik replied, trying not to be curt. He bent down, letting Ayesha stand and rub her body against his leg. He looked at Christine and noticed a hurt expression on her face. She had expected to hear him and Erik knew he had crushed her hope to sing and hear him sing.
Lowering her head and eyes from Erik's view, Christine let out a wavering breath. "Well, it's late and I must be on my way. Good night"
As Christine turned to walk away Erik took her by the arm, suddenly bringing her back to him. Christine let out a startled gasp as her body came to met Erik's. His hands wrapped around her, holding her close. He could feel her tense at the first touch, but she relaxed quickly. Christine leaned back, letting her body rest against Erik as he held her tightly.
"Come with me, Christine." Erik whispered. A soft smile crossed his lips as he felt Christine shudder once more, his breath hot against her neck. "Come to my home again. The house feels empty without you gracing its rooms. I've kept your room just the way you left it."
Christine didn't move. "I must return to the opera house tomorrow. Mme. Giry won't have me late again and I must get my dancing as perfect as possible. I don't know if I will be able to join you."
Erik's hands left Christine's arms, slowly moving away from them and down the slender curve of her body. Christine's breath caught in her throat as Erik's lips grazed across her cheek and as his wandering hands came to a stop at her waist. His voice began to sing a soothing song that Christine couldn't help following. His hand's trembled but his voice never wavered as he continued the song.
Erik's voice slowly trailed off and he held Christine close. She let her head fall back, resting on his shoulder. He smiled to himself. "Will you please join me tonight? The house is lonely without you."
"Of course." Christine breathed.
The smile never left Erik's face, even as he kissed Christine's neck with feather softness. In a way he was testing his boundaries, seeing how far he could go before Christine did something or his own conscience spoke to him. This did prove, however, that this young singer was under his spell and the seductive power he was once told he possessed was finally showing its true colors.
Erik took Christine's hand into his own and slowly led her down the street, Ayesha leading the way. At some point he would stop and blindfold her, but Erik was content with walking with Christine along the abandoned streets of the city.