Disclaimer: Me? Own this? –bursts out in hysterical laughter- (because apparently, this disclaimer was so well loved)
What is wrong with the world? Erik asked himself as his fingers danced absently through Christine's long curls. The two were curled up on the Giry couch and Erik wondered if he'd lost his mind at some point in the evening.
Everyone and their brother avoids me because of my face, because of something I can't control…something I've been cursed with for eighteen horrible years. Then Christine comes along and finds out exactly what I've been hiding and the next thing I know, we're watching Moulin Rouge. How does that happen?
On the screen, Ewan McGregor was dancing around merrily with his newfound love and his lisping best friend. He seemed so content to be living a lie and Erik had to wonder if he could feel the same way for long. His body was still strung tight from the way Christine had kissed him less than an hour ago and try as he might, he couldn't manage to get his mind to shut down.
If Christine felt similarly, she didn't show it. She was pressed against him, eyes fixed on the screen as if she hadn't seen the film a thousand times before; she had, of course—she'd even told him that it was her favorite. "That whole doomed romance thing," she'd said casually, as if the term 'doomed romance' didn't befit their own relationship at all.
His arms were shaking, wrapped around her body. She took a moment to smile up at him.
"Are you cold?" she asked gently, shifting against him. He nodded, though it couldn't have been further from the truth and she pulled out of his embrace long enough to fetch a blanket from a nearby chair.
"Thanks," he managed when she curled against him and draped the blanket over both of their bodies.
"Hey, can't let my guy freeze," she commented, pulling his arms around herself and taking his hand in both of hers. He nestled his face against her hair, inhaling the still-fresh scent of her shampoo.
How do girls manage to keep that scent about them even after a day of running around? he wondered. It seemed to him that his shampoo stopped smelling nice after about twenty minutes, but Christine's appeared to last all day. That really isn't very fair. Gives her the intoxicating advantage…
He tried to turn his attention to the movie. The couple on the screen were so very much like Christine and himself, he mused. Hopeless and from completely different circles, yet somehow in love. Madness, perhaps, but that was life for you: it seemed to sneak up without any kind of warning.
"They don't even know it yet, do they?" he asked quietly. "That they are completely doomed."
Christine looked up at him again, surprised. "I think they've always known it," she answered. "But knowing doesn't make something real. Things aren't always so set in stone, Erik, even when they seem hopeless."
His lips turned upward. "Cliché, my dear, but true."
"My specialty." She kissed the back of his hand and gave a happy little sigh. He resisted the almost-unshakable desire to kiss her again, movie be damned.
"When is Meg and her mother supposed to—" he began. Christine answered before the question was even out.
"Pretty soon. They had a dinner-and-a-movie night planned, I guess…I think Mrs. Giry was trying to be a mother for an evening instead of a teacher." From her expression, Erik assumed that she found this amusing.
"And they didn't ask you along?" he asked.
"They did, actually." Sitting up, she met his eyes. "I declined. I wanted to call you…hoped you wouldn't still be mad at me. I was just going to pick up the phone when I saw you standing out in the rain like some kind of crazy moron."
He was surprised. "Mad? I wasn't mad."
"Oh, so the swearing and the livid expression was a new form of chipperness?" Her eyebrows lifted, giving her the perfect skeptical expression. Erik bit his lip.
"Well…okay, so I was a little bit upset. But it was more with the situation than anything else…"
"Sure it was." Christine shook her head. "Erik, you can tell me anything. You don't have to shield me from things just because you think…whatever it is guys think about girls."
He said nothing, knowing that she was right. She wasn't a frail Carlotta-type at all; she was stronger than he was. And he was being utterly stupid in trying to hide himself from her. He took a deep breath.
"What you said earlier…about loving me. Was that?"
"The absolute truth," she answered firmly. "I can't explain it Erik, but I know it's true. When I first realized that I cared for you as more than a friend…well, Meg was the first to realize it, really. I thought it was impossible, that love didn't happen that way. We are awfully young…but now…" She couldn't seem to put it into words. He nodded.
"I know what you're saying." Now he was the one sounding cliché, but he couldn't help himself. Love was…
"All you need is love," he found himself singing softly. She laughed, clearly shocked.
"Well…no one ever told me you could sing. What else are you hiding?"
"Many, many things," he answered as cryptically as he could. "Does that excite you?"
She laughed harder. "You're completely insane, has anyone told you that?"
"Far too many people," he answered teasingly. "But it's always nice to gain a new fan."
She took her hand and placed it against the deformed side of his face, lightly running her fingers through the unsightly grooves and over the bubbled flesh. He closed his eyes and relaxed into her touch, feeling his entire body burn for her.
"God…what did I do to deserve an angel?" he asked. She smiled wryly.
"Going for the Casanova award tonight, are we?"
"That was the plan." Erik caught her wrist and used it to pull her forward into a short kiss. She broke it and turned once again to lie against him and focus on the movie.
"Shush," she reprimanded him when he tried to speak. "This is my favorite part."
The couple on the screen were shooting clever grins to each other, singing, kissing in the dark where no one could find them. Erik decided then and there that it was his favorite part too.
A/N: Okay, I didn't expect to write this chapter, but I decided, hey, it's almost Valentine's Day. Despite the Hallmarkyness of the holiday, I figured I'd do another purely-fluffed-out chap to commemorate the occasion. I hope you don't all mind…also, I sort of stole the setting (cuddling/Moulin Rouge) from a recent event my friend had with her…Fuzzy. I don't think she'll mind me borrowing it, though. –grins-
Review Replies:
Alixy- Woah, you reviewed twice. Interesting. No, I don't have school for a week. Expect some mad updates!
Number47- lol, I want to go see this movie again, it's so amazing…as for the random attachment to things, I thought I was the only one who did that. Weird.
I-LUV-ILC- Thank you.
TheOneAndOnlySkippy- lol, hey, you can never have too many TV announcers in the world…
OboetaOn- Glad you enjoyed it.
Maglenan Songbird- Yeah, that tends to happen because I have a million reviews and I feel the need to reply to each of them individually…because I'm random that way. –beams-
Fox Xanatos- Tanky!
ENTR'ACTE- Of course I still have the cookies, partake of them to your liking!
KatStarr- Gotta love the old-school bands on the sexy guys…
Angel-of-Music1331- Baton…twirling…? Ookay…hope you weren't depressed!
Falling Phoenix- Extreme is my best work, apparently. I guess reality doesn't work for me. –chuckles-
Mill- Ooh, sugar! –leaps on the chocolate- And I won't abandon this. I have no wish to be Punjabbed/torched/beaten with a flamingo.
EmailyGirl- You can't be Christine because…she's…fictional? Sorry.
AmandaTheVampireLove- Another new person! Rock on…I love getting new reviewers.
LiTTleLoTTe1991- Err…can't get you money or Broadway…how 'bout another fluffy-chapter?
Aki T- lol, glad you liked it.
little wind- I'll do the explanation thing soon, no worries. Thanks for the sweet review. –grins-
Eek- Hm, it seems that I've hooked quite a few caffeine-addicts. –laughs-
Jedi Blu, Lady At Large- …thank you? –blinks- I really suck at deciphering things, lol.
draegon-fire- Yeah, I really like my Christine too. I love Emmy Rossum's depiction, but she seemed too…clueless to be in high school. And Leroux's was too much like Anne Rice's Claudia to me…except for the…vampire thing…wow, too much exposition into the mind of the Fufu again. Sorry.
Chibi Hime- Here's another shorty. I'll try to work on more long ones soon.
SmileVampy- Sexy dreams are…good. –laughs-
Totschafe- Drooling and rambles about possums and penguins…I feel so loved. Lol, possum kinda rhymes with Rossum…anyway…
erik'sangel527- Yeah, I wish he went to my school too…wait, tears? –blinks- That's so awesome!
La Foamy- As a matter of fact, I just got some chocolate. Would you like some?
Pirate Perian- Don't you just wish that was how it went in the book/movie?
Mlisdabomb- Umm…Joe?