A/N: I don't own POTO. Back by popular demand (a.k.a loyal reviewer
demand), the dream sequence! Ok about the fountain that Christina's sitting
on. I don't know how to describe it, it's like that town square fountain in
the Disney version of Beauty and the Beast, except a bit more elaborate
(No, no there isn't going to be a POTO and BATB crossover) (the Beast skips
merrily into the picture singing be our guest...lol) By the way I have a very
busy weekend, so I don't know when I'll be able to update again. Ok enough
A/N stuff! On to the romance...
There she was. Erik watched her quietly stir the waters of the fountain with her fingers. Christina had not noticed him as he studied her in the shadows. She was sitting on the ledge of the wide fountain in her dreams once more. He lowered his eyes. He knew she would soon find him out that he was weary and unsettled. She was too perceptive for her own good. He smiled softly at the thought. He was preoccupied. His mind was filled of thoughts of when he was a child. His mask had been a friend, a flimsy shield, but at least it offered protection. He glanced back over at the woman who embodied grace, and kindness. A curl fell across her face as she bent down close to the water. Even though she was blind and the silky hair did not hinder her vision it was still a nuisance. Her lips parted in a contented smile. Erik sighed. He felt that if he was ever to be truly honest with her he must show her his face. He'd rather show it to her by his own free-will rather than her rip it away. He finally stepped from the shadows, and slowly began to approach her. The left side of his face covered by his mask was shadowed in the dark lighting of twilight.
Christina gazed about her. She had never noticed her surroundings where their meetings took place in her dreams. She was in a large square in a small deserted town. It looked as if she was in the countryside of France. Stars appeared. Like little diamonds they twinkled from the deep blue velvety sky. She was alone, for now. A cool breeze played with her curls lifting them slightly off her shoulders. She savored the feeling of the silky waters rushing over her hand as she trailed in the fountain. What an utterly delicious feeling. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed the movement of shadows. Erik emerged from them. She smiled, but as her eyes drifted over his familiar appearance she was startled at seeing his haggard features. Why did he look so tired? She was thankful she could see him in her dreams. She would never have known how dark his blue eyes looked because he was so weary. "It's so beautiful here,"
"I'm glad it pleases you," He smiled. He pulled off his black cape and let it slide to the cobblestone ground.
"How did you know I would be here?" She asked.
"I just knew,"
"The night greets us with its beauty," She gazed up at the stars.
"I need not look up to see beauty," He whispered looking intensely at her. She started and met his gaze. A soft pink blush crept up her cheeks.
"I find heavenly beauty lovelier than mere mortal appearance," She looked down at her hands.
"I agree, Mon Ange," He smiled. She was an angel. She must be. Her beauty was so great. All she was missing was her wings, but that could be found in her voice. For her voice lifted him up as if on angel's wings.
"Erik," She shook her head. The blush was becoming more intense. He turned her face gently towards him with his thumb.
"Never look down as if you are sorry for such a gift,"
"Yes Erik," She said softly. Erik gazed deeply into her eyes. He leaned forward as if he was going to kiss her. She wanted to run. Not now! She didn't want to ever hurt him. What if he kissed her, gave his all to her, and then she broke his heart? Her own heart fluttered in fear. He drew nearer to her, his hands finding her shoulders. She closed her eyes against the anxiety. She felt his lips brush against her cheek. It was such a soft gentle kiss against her silky skin. She trembled at his touch. As he drew back he looked into her eyes. He was startled to find not pleasure, but fear.
"Mon Ange, what is wrong?"
"Nothing, but a fool's anxiety," She murmured. "I...I don't want to break your heart,"
"What do you mean?" His look became guarded.
"I was worried that you were going to kiss me," She looked away. How dare her! She was hurting him, and she could see it in his eyes.
"Do you not wish me to kiss you?"
"No! I mean...yes," She gazed up at him shyly. "I want you to kiss me," The stern look on Erik's face dissolved into a gentler look. "But, I don't want you to kiss me until you know...that you want to kiss me," She almost closed her eyes. How mumbled her thought process was! She wasn't making sense! How she longed to connect with him, to know that he truly understood what she was trying to communicate to him.
"I understand," Erik said. He did understand. She did not want him to give all of himself to her until he truly knew that he loved her. But he did love her! He showed that he loved her in every caress of her cheek with his fingers, and in every touch of his hand against her palm. She also was trying to sort out her feelings for him. Christina knew that she loved Erik, but she did not want to repeat the past, her grandmother's past. Would some dashing young man come and sweep her off her feet and carry her off in the heat of the moment. No. Christina's love for him ran deeper than any flighty lover's passion. Christina looked closely at him, happy she could at least see him for a moment in her dreams. He looked sad, resigned, and weary. She reached out and softly touched his shoulder. "What's troubling you Erik?"
"Nothing my dear," He absentmindedly brushed a curl away from her face. He withdrew his hand when he suddenly realized what he was doing.
"Something is wrong. I can see it in your eyes," She said slowly gazing deeply into his eyes. "Please don't keep whatever it is from me,"
"I don't want to you to worry about me, Mon Rose," He whispered.
"But I...," She started to say, but was silenced by a small shake of Erik's head.
"Please, do not ask me," He said softly. His face! How he longed to be done with his mangled cheek. But he would never be rid of it.
"I must! For I fear you will go mad if you do not release this tension that fills you. I feel it haunts you," She said pleadingly. She clasped his hand in hers. His hand was rough, but warm in her silky palm. "It does haunt me," He whispered, but then after a moment he straightened as if waving the issue away. He released his hand from hers.
"This is about your face," Christina said softly. She had found him out. The fears about his mask were now more than just undercurrent. They had come to the surface.
"Christina," He warned. She tried not to shrink back, but she did. His tone was so cold, so void of emotion. It frightened her when he talked that way.
"Please, I know you think of me as a dainty rose Erik, but I long to help you rid yourself of this constant fear that I will rip away something you wish to show me yourself,"
"You are so innocent and pure I dare not," He turned from her.
"What is holding you back?"
"I..." He opened his mouth, but then shook his head. He did not turn to face her as he spoke. She sat in a tortured silence for many moments. "It cannot be helped," He whispered. "My mask will always stand between us, for I dare not show you what lies beneath for fear you will desert me as so many others have,"
"Erik" She said finally. He shook his head again as if it was useless. "Erik," She murmured. She placed her hand against his good cheek and turned his face towards her. She weighed her next thought for a moment. For whatever she said would be imprinted in time forever more. It could be her destruction or her peace. "I...I love you," She finally whispered. Erik backed away slowly a disbelieving look on his face. His breath was taken from him, and he fought for control over his emotions. He dared not say anything afraid that the moment would disappear forever. His muscles quivered as if exhausted. His mind whirled with possibilities of what he might have heard her say. He stared at her standing there across from him. She loved him? A monster? A demon from hell? She loved him? He trembled. Love. It was a curious word. It had not been spoken in his presence, for who could love a mangled face? He'd not received it from his mother, or any other woman. And now he was loved. It was a strange feeling to love and have the love returned. It was as though he had stepped from cold harsh winter into the waiting warm arms of summer. She loved him...
There she was. Erik watched her quietly stir the waters of the fountain with her fingers. Christina had not noticed him as he studied her in the shadows. She was sitting on the ledge of the wide fountain in her dreams once more. He lowered his eyes. He knew she would soon find him out that he was weary and unsettled. She was too perceptive for her own good. He smiled softly at the thought. He was preoccupied. His mind was filled of thoughts of when he was a child. His mask had been a friend, a flimsy shield, but at least it offered protection. He glanced back over at the woman who embodied grace, and kindness. A curl fell across her face as she bent down close to the water. Even though she was blind and the silky hair did not hinder her vision it was still a nuisance. Her lips parted in a contented smile. Erik sighed. He felt that if he was ever to be truly honest with her he must show her his face. He'd rather show it to her by his own free-will rather than her rip it away. He finally stepped from the shadows, and slowly began to approach her. The left side of his face covered by his mask was shadowed in the dark lighting of twilight.
Christina gazed about her. She had never noticed her surroundings where their meetings took place in her dreams. She was in a large square in a small deserted town. It looked as if she was in the countryside of France. Stars appeared. Like little diamonds they twinkled from the deep blue velvety sky. She was alone, for now. A cool breeze played with her curls lifting them slightly off her shoulders. She savored the feeling of the silky waters rushing over her hand as she trailed in the fountain. What an utterly delicious feeling. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed the movement of shadows. Erik emerged from them. She smiled, but as her eyes drifted over his familiar appearance she was startled at seeing his haggard features. Why did he look so tired? She was thankful she could see him in her dreams. She would never have known how dark his blue eyes looked because he was so weary. "It's so beautiful here,"
"I'm glad it pleases you," He smiled. He pulled off his black cape and let it slide to the cobblestone ground.
"How did you know I would be here?" She asked.
"I just knew,"
"The night greets us with its beauty," She gazed up at the stars.
"I need not look up to see beauty," He whispered looking intensely at her. She started and met his gaze. A soft pink blush crept up her cheeks.
"I find heavenly beauty lovelier than mere mortal appearance," She looked down at her hands.
"I agree, Mon Ange," He smiled. She was an angel. She must be. Her beauty was so great. All she was missing was her wings, but that could be found in her voice. For her voice lifted him up as if on angel's wings.
"Erik," She shook her head. The blush was becoming more intense. He turned her face gently towards him with his thumb.
"Never look down as if you are sorry for such a gift,"
"Yes Erik," She said softly. Erik gazed deeply into her eyes. He leaned forward as if he was going to kiss her. She wanted to run. Not now! She didn't want to ever hurt him. What if he kissed her, gave his all to her, and then she broke his heart? Her own heart fluttered in fear. He drew nearer to her, his hands finding her shoulders. She closed her eyes against the anxiety. She felt his lips brush against her cheek. It was such a soft gentle kiss against her silky skin. She trembled at his touch. As he drew back he looked into her eyes. He was startled to find not pleasure, but fear.
"Mon Ange, what is wrong?"
"Nothing, but a fool's anxiety," She murmured. "I...I don't want to break your heart,"
"What do you mean?" His look became guarded.
"I was worried that you were going to kiss me," She looked away. How dare her! She was hurting him, and she could see it in his eyes.
"Do you not wish me to kiss you?"
"No! I mean...yes," She gazed up at him shyly. "I want you to kiss me," The stern look on Erik's face dissolved into a gentler look. "But, I don't want you to kiss me until you know...that you want to kiss me," She almost closed her eyes. How mumbled her thought process was! She wasn't making sense! How she longed to connect with him, to know that he truly understood what she was trying to communicate to him.
"I understand," Erik said. He did understand. She did not want him to give all of himself to her until he truly knew that he loved her. But he did love her! He showed that he loved her in every caress of her cheek with his fingers, and in every touch of his hand against her palm. She also was trying to sort out her feelings for him. Christina knew that she loved Erik, but she did not want to repeat the past, her grandmother's past. Would some dashing young man come and sweep her off her feet and carry her off in the heat of the moment. No. Christina's love for him ran deeper than any flighty lover's passion. Christina looked closely at him, happy she could at least see him for a moment in her dreams. He looked sad, resigned, and weary. She reached out and softly touched his shoulder. "What's troubling you Erik?"
"Nothing my dear," He absentmindedly brushed a curl away from her face. He withdrew his hand when he suddenly realized what he was doing.
"Something is wrong. I can see it in your eyes," She said slowly gazing deeply into his eyes. "Please don't keep whatever it is from me,"
"I don't want to you to worry about me, Mon Rose," He whispered.
"But I...," She started to say, but was silenced by a small shake of Erik's head.
"Please, do not ask me," He said softly. His face! How he longed to be done with his mangled cheek. But he would never be rid of it.
"I must! For I fear you will go mad if you do not release this tension that fills you. I feel it haunts you," She said pleadingly. She clasped his hand in hers. His hand was rough, but warm in her silky palm. "It does haunt me," He whispered, but then after a moment he straightened as if waving the issue away. He released his hand from hers.
"This is about your face," Christina said softly. She had found him out. The fears about his mask were now more than just undercurrent. They had come to the surface.
"Christina," He warned. She tried not to shrink back, but she did. His tone was so cold, so void of emotion. It frightened her when he talked that way.
"Please, I know you think of me as a dainty rose Erik, but I long to help you rid yourself of this constant fear that I will rip away something you wish to show me yourself,"
"You are so innocent and pure I dare not," He turned from her.
"What is holding you back?"
"I..." He opened his mouth, but then shook his head. He did not turn to face her as he spoke. She sat in a tortured silence for many moments. "It cannot be helped," He whispered. "My mask will always stand between us, for I dare not show you what lies beneath for fear you will desert me as so many others have,"
"Erik" She said finally. He shook his head again as if it was useless. "Erik," She murmured. She placed her hand against his good cheek and turned his face towards her. She weighed her next thought for a moment. For whatever she said would be imprinted in time forever more. It could be her destruction or her peace. "I...I love you," She finally whispered. Erik backed away slowly a disbelieving look on his face. His breath was taken from him, and he fought for control over his emotions. He dared not say anything afraid that the moment would disappear forever. His muscles quivered as if exhausted. His mind whirled with possibilities of what he might have heard her say. He stared at her standing there across from him. She loved him? A monster? A demon from hell? She loved him? He trembled. Love. It was a curious word. It had not been spoken in his presence, for who could love a mangled face? He'd not received it from his mother, or any other woman. And now he was loved. It was a strange feeling to love and have the love returned. It was as though he had stepped from cold harsh winter into the waiting warm arms of summer. She loved him...