Disclaimer: Me? Own this sparkliness? –bursts out in hysterical laughter-

Christine left Erik's domain after lunch only to return once school was over. The young man had been rather embarrassed about his outburst, leading him to speak very little and sheepishly accept her conversation with as few words as possible. She had no intention of letting him spend an entire night beating himself up over something that she felt he deserved to say, so she slipped back down to him when the class was released from one too many Celine Dion cassettes.

She found him at his desk, bent over something. He held a pencil in his left hand and was moving it with surprising speed and agility over what she assumed was paper.

Coming closer, she saw that he was working in his sketchbook, eyes focused on his work. His tongue poked out of the corner of her lips as if he were a small child painting for his mother. Christine found the whole image both endearing and very sexy and did not hesitate in telling him so.

He jumped when she greeted him with, "Hey, Sexy. What's shaking?"

"Not much," he answered, closing the sketchbook and dropping the pencil. She took a seat on the arm of his chair, wrapping an arm around his shoulders to steady herself.

"I didn't know you were left-handed," she remarked after a painfully-silent moment.

"I'm not." He smiled tightly. "Ambidextrous, if you can believe it. Another sign of my fre—specialness."

She laughed, shaking her hair back from her face. "You never cease to amaze." Poking the cover of his sketchbook, she added, "And you can draw?"
"Not very well," he admitted. "Just people and only sometimes. It's like…like I get possessed by the urge to sketch and once I'm finished, the flame just goes out. Sometimes it doesn't come back for months."

"Can I see?" she asked, interested.

Erik shrugged casually, but she saw the tiny amount of terror in his eyes when he handed the book to her. She recognized the expression as the desire to please coupled with the fear of failure—the same look she'd given her father many times when she'd tried to write her own songs.

Committed to keeping him comfortable, she leaned her head against his and opened the cover. Then she gasped.

"Erik! This is…amazing!"

He blushed and looked modestly away, mouth contorting as he tried not to smile. She gaped at the image of Madame Giry, dictating to her class. How lifelike it was! Every detail seemed inhumanly perfect.

"Does she know you draw like this?" she wanted to know. Erik shook his head.

"I don't share this with people," he explained, still determined not to show his true emotion.

She continued to flip through the pages. Less than a quarter of the book was full, but the images that he had were fantastic. Random students…Raoul and his mass of footballer friends…herself.

Her jaw dropped lower at the image he had so carefully constructed of her, bent over her Geometry book. "When…when did you draw this?" she asked when she found her voice.

He shrugged, blushing more mightily than ever. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…it just sort of happened in class one day—"

She laughed, silencing him with a finger against his lips. "Erik, it's beautiful. I didn't know you drew…I don't know very much about you, actually." She blinked as this realization hit her. "Odd."

He smiled. "You'll learn."

"I'd better." She leaned against him again, returning the sketchbook to the desk. "So do you want to do something new and exciting tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow?" he repeated blankly. What's tomorrow…just another day, right?

"Yeah. I was thinking we could venture out of this lovely little Batcave…up to the land of the living." She bit her lip, watching for a reaction.

As she'd expected, he flinched at the idea, closing his eyes momentarily and turning his head away from her. She caught his hand, rubbing the warm skin lightly with her thumb.

"It's just an idea," she added hastily. "I know you don't usually eat up there—"

"I've eaten up there once," he replied tautly. "And they threw things. But that's to be expected by now, isn't it?"

"Well, you said yourself that they're afraid of you…" Sensing the rage rising in him once again, she shook her head. "Never mind. Never mind, it's a bad idea."

He let out a shuddering breath. "No. It's a good idea…tomorrow?"

She nodded happily, kissing him in that wild, carefree way she had. He tried to smile, even though his stomach was in knots.

"I'll see you then," she told him, getting up and heading for the door. "Right now, I've got some math homework to do."

He laughed. "And you'd best get that done, too. Mr. Hall's due back tomorrow, first thing."

Shaking her head, Christine flew up the stairs and out of the choir hallway. Is Meg still here? she wondered as she entered the near-empty halls. I'm not sure I want to walk home alone…

"Christine!" someone shouted from behind her. She whirled, already knowing that this was not Meg calling her—unless, of course, Meg had had an explicable sex change. Which she doubted.

Raoul, dressed for practice, smiled at her. Rolling her eyes, Christine started to walk quickly in the opposite direction, hefting her math book in her arms in case she needed to wack the football captain upside his jealous head with it.

"Christine, wait!" he called again. "Christine, I want to talk to you!"

"Of course you do," she muttered, speeding up further.

"Hey!" Catching up to her at last, he grabbed her arm. She yanked away.

"What do you want?" she demanded coldly.

"Is that any way to talk to an old friend?" he asked, running his hands through his hair nervously.

"Raoul. You beat the crap out of my boyfriend for no reason whatsoever," she told him slowly, as if he were too stupid to recognize English. "This kind of takes something out of the friendship."

"Oh, boyfriend? That's what he is?"

"Yeah, Raoul." Rolling her eyes again, Christine tried to set off down the hall.

He followed her. "So…are you going to come to the game Friday night?"

"Game?" she repeated harshly. "Raoul, I don't plan on attending any function that involves you for a very long time. I have to go home now."

"No, Christine, wait!" He grabbed for her again. She scowled.

"Wait for what?" she demanded.

"Don't you want to hear my side of the story?" he asked with a little pout that was clearly meant to win her over.

It didn't work. "You thrashed Erik in a freaking alley, Raoul. There is no other side to the story. Now, seriously, I have work to do. I'll talk to you…well, why don't you try me in a month or so?"

With that, she made her escape. I can't believe him! she thought furiously. He was never this much of an ass before! What happened to him?

Raoul watched her go with his mouth open. No girl had ever resisted his puppy-dog look before. What made this one, this Christine Daaè so different?

A/N: Shorty, per usual. I'm trying to figure out how to word these properly, to dig myself out of this stupid little rut I'm in. Sadly, that may mean a few more fluff chapters than I would like to have…

Review Replies:

Falling Phoenix- Ooh, are you spreading the word about this fic? I always appreciate new readers…-hopeful expression-

Sanny – You're a fanfic? Lol, sorry, couldn't resist. I haven't seen National Treasure yet. Plan to, though.

Prongsthedestroyer-blinks- Well…you'll just have to see, won't you? –grins-

AMLisdabomb- Mm, I don't think I'd make a very good nun. I wear too much flannel, you see…

Christie- Court scene…interesting idea….

La Foamy- Faith is good, I like faith.

lazy.kender- Ah, go ahead, take your time. I'm shocked that anyone can read this thing in one go…it's so long and crazy…-shakes head-

Maeve Of the Nile- But I have to be hard on myself! Who else will be? –laughs-

Dark-Autumn- Ooh! –accepts cookie happily- Updation!...is that a word?

Silent Tragedy- I think you can expect some more singing…

MadameAngel- Hate when computers crash, don't you? There was one time when my comp wouldn't allow at all…it was a horrible couple of months…

YoukoElfMaiden- Aww, don't you wish the film would've ended the E/C way?

Number47- Wow, yeah, a bit too much sugar…lol

LiTTleLoTTe1991- Sure I care. –grins- And of course you can have a cookie.

Southern-born-and-bred- Tanky.

erik'sangel527- Glad the repetitiveness isn't bugging you too much…it's bothering me. I'm going to try to…something. –shrugs- Whoo, did I mention I can't see right now?

Aki T- Fluff…ah, fluff…-sighs-

SmileVampy- The mad updates have been less mad than usual lately…sorry for that. I'm still trying for at least one a day.

phantomsangel102- I'll take a look at yours, sure.

Angel-of-Music1331- I'll try to get crazy again soon…probably when I go back to school and my plot-notebook.

Ceslestial Hunter-bows happily- Glad you like.

KatStarr- I'm hurryin'!

EmailyGirl- I don't mind my dialogue, it was just….slow-feeling. If you guys don't mind a hundred-thousand chapters, then this may work better…I'm slow, sorry. –apologetic-

Jedi Blu, Lady At Large- Thanks for the comment, I appreciate it.

-deep breath- Wow, almost 400 reviews. I think I'm having a stroke…