How many times must i repost this!
"I'm home," Elsa sighed, mostly to herself, when the gondola bumped into the edge of the rock wall.
Erik smiled, hearing her.
"Well, I'm very glad you're back." He led her to his bedroom. "Because now," he said, removing something from underneath his bed, "I can give you your gift that I meant to a few nights ago."
"Erik, no you didn't," she said, seeing the case-shaped package.
"Ah, but I did," he said happily, handing it to her.
She sighed, disbelieving, and carefully removed the paper wrapping from it. Sure enough, it was a 4/4 sized violin case. She looked at him excitedly and, undoing the latches on the side, opened the case to find a pitch black glazed violin with red inlay-to match his.
"Turn it over," he mumbled, waiting for her reaction.
Tears welled in her eyes as she whispered the engraving on the back of the violin. "To My Love, From Yours. Erik." It was short. It was simple. It was perfect.
"Dammit, Erik," she laughed through her falling tears. "You had to go and make me cry didn't you?"
"Of course. It's what I do. I throw people into emotional fits," he said, somewhat jokingly.
"It's beautiful," she said, cradling it gently in her arms.
"You like it then?" he asked, though he already knew the answer.
"It's perfect." She looked at him.
The bow was black ebony wood with mother of pearl inlaid on the frog; the hair was dyed black to give the instrument an elegant, streamline appearance while playing.
She sniffed and laughed at her hopeless emotions, wiping her eyes dry on her sleeve.
"I love it," she said.
"I'm glad," he smiled softly.
They looked at each other a moment more, before Elsa yawned by accident. She blushed, "destroying" the moment.
Erik smiled widely; how silly of him to forget she hadn't slept in two days!
"Go to sleep, mon ange. You could certainly use as much as you can get after your...ordeal."
"No, no, no," she said, stretching." I'm fine. How about I go clean something?"
He chuckled softly. She always cleaned when she didn't want to go to sleep.
"All right, but no staying up too late."
"Who are ye, me father?" she said in a random Scottish accent.
"Suit yourself!" he laughed. "I'll be out in a moment."
She smiled, and left his room, leaving her violin; perhaps by accident, perhaps not. He noticed, but didn't tell her; it would give him a reason to see her again.
She began her cleaning in his studio, with his paints, pencils and easels all around her. She was immersed with art, just as she had always wanted...
She was so tired though. In order to keep herself from nodding off in the middle of reorganizing, she started to hum, which inevitably graduated into soft singing...
"Nighttime sharpens, heightens each sensation. Darkness stirs and wakes imagination. Silently the senses abandon their defenses..."
Erik heard her, walking from his room in his new attire, and suddenly, all the lost feelings for Christine stirred within him again. But this time, they were for her, not Christine.
She opened her mouth to sing the next verse, but he began before her.
"Slowly, gently, night unfurls its splendor. Grasp it, sense it, tremulous and tender."
He touched her face lightly, turning her to look at him.
"Turn your face away! From the garish light of day. Turn your thoughts away from cold unfeeling light...and listen to the music of the night. Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams, purge your thoughts of the life you knew before. Close your eyes, let your spirt start to soar!"
She smiled and closed her eyes, listening to his beautifully entrancing voice.
"And you'll live as you've never lived before."
He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her towards him...But he pulled away, fearing he was being too forward. She had, after all, just returned, and she was tired and sore...But her hands held him close to her, and, receiving her permission, he continued...
"Softly, deftly, music shall caress you. Hear it, feel it, secretly possess you, open up your mind. Let your fantasies unwind in this darkness that you know you cannot fight. The darkness of the music of the night."
Taking her hand in his, he led her up the steps, away from his studio and towards the piano.
"Let your mind start a journey through a strange new world, leave all thoughts of the life you knew before. Let your soul take you where you long to be! Only then can you belong to me."
He smiled and spun her into his arms again.
"Floating, falling, sweet intoxication. Touch me, trust me, savor each sensation. Let the dream begin, let your darker side give in to the power of the music that I write. The power of the music of the night!"
He fixed her with a questioning look. She nodded in understanding, and he picked her up, carrying her to her room. She was tired after all...He rested her on the bed, kissing her hand lightly, intending to leave her there; she needed to sleep, no disturbances. But she kept a grip on his hand, encouraging him to finish his song.
"You alone can make my song take flight..."
She leaned in. He leaned in. They kissed. The two sang the last verse together, looking into each others eyes.
"Help me make the music of the...night."
He climbed into bed next to her, wrapped her once more in his arms, and then, each breathing in rhythmic order to the other...fell asleep. Simple and hopelessly romantic as that.
Next chapter, EPILOGUE