Erik woke with a start and looked frantically around himself in the soft candlelight of the bedroom. He relaxed when he glanced down and found Christine still there beside him, her head resting on his chest, her hand curled protectively against his unmasked face.
It wasn't a dream, he thought, almost as if he could hardly believe the truth of the situation in which he now found himself. She really did come back to me, she loves me…ME!…She wants to stay with me, she is here sleeping beside me, with a smile on her face. I have brought a smile to that face!
He breathed in deeply, inhaling the mingled scents of lavender and vanilla that seemed to define her very presence. This feeling of contentment was so new to him…something he never believed he would experience in his lifetime…in fact, he was surprised to find he even had a name for this strange sensation, and yet there it was…contentment…happiness…joy.
Reality slowly came back to him in bits and pieces. We are not safe here beneath the opera house, they might return to look again for the dreaded Phantom of the Opera. But where can we go? She, my angel, may be able to accept the horror of this face, but others are not so open-minded as she.
Erik looked down at the sleeping form of his love, and his thoughts took a different, more hopeful turn. As long as she is beside me, with her love shining so bright in her eyes, I feel that I can do anything…As long as we are together, anything is possible.
He thought back to those precious moments hours before when she had returned to him of her own free will. He remembered lying in the dark on the cold stone floor of the cave hidden behind the mirror, and he remembered the joy he felt in his heart when he first heard her voice calling to him. He had been sure he was dreaming, some last gift of extraordinary mind, meant to guide him gently to his eternal sleep, and the eternal damnation he was sure would accompany the expiration of his life's flame. The words that the phantom Christine had spoken in that darkness were the sweetest he had ever heard, nothing like what he had imagined in his lonely moments in his lair below the stage of the opera. Then her hands were upon his body, touching him and bringing him back to himself. Even his mind could not create so real an illusion, and he forced his eyes open, only to behold her lovely face looking down on him with concern and love. His heart had lifted in his chest, reaching up toward the top of the stone cave and moving beyond, to the highest spires of the opera building, towards the moon and the stars and the sun in the heavens.
He remembered their return to the bedroom, and the words that had flowed from Christine's claret lips, the determination and sincerity laced through her words. The brightness and joy that shown in her eyes from being able to tell him the deepest feelings of her heart and soul. As he looked at her in that moment, he knew he would never be able to part himself from her. One look into those startling blue eyes of hers, and he knew that their separation would be the end of both of them.
For some reason, they had been destined to be together. He could hardly believe that he had been destined for any happiness at all in his life, let alone this kind of total completion and joy, that which can only be found in the unconditional love of another being. And of course, her love must be unconditional, for she looked at him steadily and did not even seem to notice the horror of the side of his face he always tried to hide. Even now, in sleep, she was unconsciously accepting him by placing her hand against his marred cheek.
Erik knew life would not be easy for the two of them, even if they left Paris. Christine was a great singer, with an incredible career and future ahead of her in the limelight of the stage. Could she be expected to give all that up and walk away simply because of his fear of mankind? No, he thought firmly, she will have her limelight and her stage…we have worked so hard to get her there, I could never ask her to leave it now, when her star is finally within her grasp. So, the logical side of his brain kicked in, she will continue to sing, you will continue to teach her, but you will just have to move out of the city. After all, they have horses and carriages for a reason, do they not?
He felt a sense of relief settle over him once again…everything would work out fine for the two of them, with careful planning and specific attention to certain details.
There was, however, one matter that remained unsettled. Christine claimed to love him, and he did believe her…how could he not after her heartfelt explanation of her feelings and her professions of deep and lasting emotions. He unquestionably loved her as well, yet he was afraid. She made him feel weak, in his emotional connection to her was the first true weakness he had ever found himself to possess. He was afraid of his darker side, not the romantic and mysterious, passionate and obsessive dark side, but the side that was as dark as the deepest reaches of hell…the side that led him to kill, the side with the uncontrollable rage that had almost led him to kill the Vicomte. That side of himself was not totally his to control and his one fear was that he would hurt her or somehow hurt her trust in him.
He took a deep breath, careful not to disturb Christine's peaceful slumber. I will have to broach the subject with her when she awakens. I must explain that there is so much about me that she does not know…so much I fear she could never understand. But I do believe she loves me…and I do believe that with her at my side, I can conquer anything…even myself, my fears, my anger, and my pain.
Erik let the ghost of a smile cross his face as he thought about another matter that must be attended to in the morning. Oh no, not that large and garish ring the Vicomte had given her that he had subsequently taken away…that ring was more a symbol of wealth and a proof of power than a gift of love and devotion. He thought about the small box he had bought one cold winter's evening, when few people were out on the streets and he had felt closed up and caged, like an animal, in his lair beneath surface.
He had wandered into a dark and dusty antique shop, gently running his hands over pieces of furniture and fabric placed all around the room. He had made his way to a case in the back, and leaning down to get a closer look, he had felt his eyes widen as he stared at the perfect piece before him. The ring was silver, antique looking, yet still shining like a star in the night sky. The shape of a rose was made from six lustrous, blood red rubies, with a single onyx stone in the center. The remainder of the ring was the simple silver band studded with small diamonds that shone in the light of the lamp resting upon the counter. He picked up his head and looked toward the small, stooped figure of the shop owner coming towards him.
"I would like to purchase this ring," he stated simply. The man nodded, and removed the ring from the case.
"You have a fine eye, Monsieur, this ring is truly a thing of beauty. Any lady would be lucky to receive such a gift," the man said.
Erik merely nodded in response and removed several bills from his pocket. He laid them on the counter, and picked up the small velvet box the shopkeeper had placed there. He put the box in one of the many pockets of his cloak and turned to quickly leave the shop.
Behind him, he heard the man say quietly, "The lady that receives that ring will love you with all of her heart, and accept you completely as you are."
Erik had rounded on the man, and barked sharply, "What did you say?" But, the shopkeeper had already disappeared up a narrow set of stairs in the back of the room. Erik turned toward the door once again and left the shop, his mind a whirl of confused thoughts…yet clearest among these was the certainty that this purchase had been a foolish one, as he could not imagine Christine would ever accept a ring from him.
As the light of the memory faded from his mind's eye, Erik looked down once more at Christine's sleeping form. Perhaps it was not such a foolish purchase after all…she has professed her love. Is it so irrational to believe she might accept my ring as a symbol of that love? With this thought in his mind, Erik drifted off to sleep.
Christine slowly opened her eyes, reveling in the feeling of the luxurious velvet bed coverings, and the warm glow of that candlelight around her. She then opened her eyes more fully when she realized that she was alone in the bed, that her Erik was nowhere in site. She sat up abruptly, letting the blanket fall from around her shoulders as she glanced around in panic.
"Erik?" she called tentatively into the shadows, her mind full of fearful thoughts. He has left me…he does not want me with him…he thinks I am weak because I left him two nights ago, and he cannot forgive me…
She breathed a sigh of relief when Erik came rushing into the room, wearing black pants and white shirt open at the chest. "Christine, what is the matter?" he said softly, "I am right here."
She put her arms around him, clutching him to her, "I thought you had left me in the night," she replied, not looking up to meet his eyes.
He laughed gently, pulling her closer into his lap, "My dear, I will never leave you…I will be like a shadow following behind you until the end of time."
Christine studied him with her eyes wide open, "I would not have you walk behind my like a shadow my love, I would have you walk beside me, holding my hand and facing the world with me."
Erik smiled at her words and leaned down to brush his lips to hers, "Than that is exactly what you shall have my love."
"Then why were you not here beside me when I awoke this morning," she asked in a petulant tone. "I had planned on waking up in your arms for the first day of our new life."
"I apologize mon ange," he replied "I only left for a moment to fetch something from the other room. Something I would like to give to you now if you would like."
"Something for me? Whatever are you talking about? Of course I would like to know what you are talking about, but might I get dressed first, it is a bit chilly in here today," Christine replied.
Erik nodded his assent, "Of course my dear, how thoughtless of me. You get dressed and I will return in a moment," he said as he took her hand to help her out of the bed.
As soon as she put her feet on the floor, Christine cried out and collapsed. Erik swiftly moved to catch her, and he set her back on the bed, looking into her face with concern. "Christine, what is the matter?" he asked in his confusion.
Christine smiled ruefully and shook her head, "It is nothing my love, although I do believe my journey down here to find you has proven more taxing to my body that I initially believed."
Erik looked her over, as she raised the hem of her nightgown enough to show her knees were scraped and raw, with several bruises marring the skin of her calves. The hands that held the nightgown were rough and chapped, and more bruises could be seen beneath her sleeves. He ran to fetch a clean towel and some warm water, and he began to clean her scrapes and cuts as she explained to him what had occurred on her way down to his lair.
"Oh Christine, I am so sorry for all that you have endured. It seems that my presence in your life always brings you pain," Erik said when her story had ended.
She shook her head vehemently, "No Erik, I would do it all a thousand times again to spend another night in your arms. You have brought love and music into my life, you have given me everything I could want. You must never think that your presence in my life as anything but a blessing which I thank God for every day."
Erik took a deep breath as he finished cleaning Christine's injuries, realizing that this was the perfect moment to ask her the question that he had determined he must ask. Looking into her eyes, he took her hands in his, marveling at their small, delicate nature. He spoke from his heart, not knowing what else to do in this moment.
"Christine, it is I who thank God for you. For a time in my life I was not sure that God even exited, for what God would allow me to come into existence and then allow such cruelties as I have known to be rained upon me. When you came into my life as a young girl I began to believe that there was a purpose for me after all…to teach you and guide you to the heights you were always destined to achieve with your voice. As you grew older, my feelings for you changed into something more adult and less innocent. I fell in love with you, with your goodness and you light, with your kindness and your smile, with the light that would shine in your eyes when you would sing. I believed God was again punishing me, letting me fall in love with such an angel when I was but a demon, a monster. You kissed me the night of the fire, and you gave me a brief moment of light in my dark and lonely life. You left, but I was convinced that your kiss had saved my soul…enough that I could let myself die without regret, giving myself up to whatever would come after life for me. Then, last night you came to me, you gave me your love…you professed your desire to stay with me…and you have shown me that God does exist, because he heard the deepest wish of my heart, and he brought you back to me. The pain and suffering I have endured, it is all worth it so that I could be here with you, now, in this moment, standing at the threshold of a brand new life, full of such joy as I had never hoped to know. You have given me music, light, and love, and now I ask for one thing more…Christine, will you marry me? Will you be my wife and make my happiness complete?"
Erik pulled the small box from his pocket and opened it so that she could see the jewel that lay inside. The candlelight glinted off the stones and shone off the polished silver of the band. Christine looked into his eyes with tears falling onto her cheeks.
"Erik, I will marry you, for in doing so I know that I will be complete…our two souls are meant to be one. I give myself to you completely!"
Erik placed the ring on her finger, his hands trembling slightly as he did so. She said yes! His joy knew no limits. Every fiber of his being called out in triumph. He leaned in to gently kiss her lips, and she put her arms around his neck, pulling her closer to him.
Something changed in that instant between the two of them. A fire raced between them as the kiss deepened. Christine could not help thinking of the Don Juan performance on the stage…the feelings and sensations that the music his presence on the stage had elicited within her. She moaned against his mouth, and Erik took the opportunity to slip his tongue between her lips, exploring the warmth of her, tasting every corner he could reach. He too remembered their acting out of his masterpiece, of the sensuality and raw power that had flowed between them on the stage.
He pulled back, determined to do nothing else to harm her, mentally, physically, or emotionally. "Christine, we must stop," he said breathlessly, as she stared up him, her eyes cerulean with passion, "We are not yet married."
"I have been married to you from the moment you first sang to me. My soul knows you as its other half. I do not wish to stop, I wish to give myself to you, to cement our union as one. We have spoken of our love and intentions together before God, is that not all a wedding really is?" Christine replied, moving forward to press a gentle kiss to his throat, right above his racing pulse.
"Christine…" he began again, but she silenced him with a kiss, moving her mouth over his, wantonly brushing his lips with her tongue, seeking entrance that she had granted him moments before. He shuddered at the exquisite sensations that raced through his body…sensations that were telling him not to stop but to keep going.
He pulled back once more and looked into her sparkling eyes, "Christine, is this what you want?" he asked. She met his gaze evenly and said, "Make love to me Erik, please."
Those words sapped what remaining strength he had left in him to say no, and with a low growl in his throat he met her lips with his. Her hands roamed over the broad expanse of his chest, bare because he had been in the middle of lacing his shirt when she had awoke and called out for him. Her hands were like fire across his chilled skin, warming him and bringing every nerve ending to life. She gently tugged the ends of his shirt from his pants and moved her arms to his shoulders to slide the shirt to the floor. She ran her hands over his strong back, feeling the muscles and the scars there. Christine wanted to ask him where they had come from, but she knew that there would be time for that…a whole life's worth of time. Now, she could only focus on the sensation of his skin under her searching fingers, the pressure of his lips on hers, his hands moving up and down her arms over the thin material of the nightgown she wore.
Erik broke their kiss and began to move his lips across her cheek, to her ear, and down her neck. She sighed with pleasure, running her hands through his silky hair, relishing every moment as the fire began to grow deep within her, the same fire she had felt the night of Don Juan, the same night she realized that the fire she felt was passion, and her Angel was the only one to make her feel that passion.
Erik's hands and mouth grew bolder as he reached to gently cup her breasts through the thin nightgown, gently massaging and exploring her with his fingers as his lips continued to ravage her throat. Christine moaned again, and Erik could wait not longer, he gently lifted her in his arms and laid her back against the pillows. He looked at her once more, and she held her arms open to him, an invitation he could never refuse.
He lay down next to her, tracing the outline of her cheek with one finger. He leaned in to kiss her, and his trembling hands moved again to the front of her gown, this time searching for the ties that kept it closed. He undid them, while never breaking the kiss that he had initiated. When he slowly parted the fabric of nightgown, he whispered, "I love you Christine," before moving his lips lower to the expanse of milky white skin he had just uncovered.
He lavished attention on her breasts with his hands and mouth, first one and then the other, while Christine lay with her eyes closed, her own mouth parted in ecstasy, her hands buried in his hair, holding him to her.
Frantically, Erik realized it was not enough, he needed to see all of her. He slowly peeled the remainder of the gown away from her slight form, until she lay before him, completely bare except for the new ring sparkling on the finger of her left hand. He sucked in a breath and whispered, "You are so beautiful, mon ange."
Christine breathlessly replied, "As are you my love," and then she gasped because Erik's exploring hands and mouth were moving from the soles of her feet up her legs to her most intimate place.
Erik placed his hand between her legs and there he felt a heat and dampness more exquisite than anything else in the world. He moved a finger gently inside of her, and heard her moan his name with pleasure. He explored her innermost cavern with one finger, and then two, listening to her breathing increase with each second. His thumb brushed against a small mound of flesh, and he felt her jump as if he had shocked. He gently touched the small area again, and felt her shudder against him. "Erik, it is too much, please let me touch you now…" she said.
He reluctantly removed his hand and moved back up to kiss her lips. Her face was delicately flushed and a fine sheen of sweat was beginning to show across her temples. As he deepened the kiss, her hands moved to the waistband of his pants, slowly unbuttoning and unzipping them until she could slip her hand inside and feel the length and hardness of him, evidence of what their passion did to him.
He broke apart from her long enough to remove his pants completely, before gently moving back beside her. He watched her eyes widen as she took in his naked form, and he kissed her lips gently before moving over her.
He looked down again…"Christine, are you certain? I believe this is going to hurt…" She kissed him and looked into his eyes with all the love she possessed for him. "I trust you," she said.
With that, he could hold himself no longer, he gently parted her thighs with his knee and began to press himself into her. He thought he would die from the sheer ecstasy of being surround completely by Christine, his Christine. He reached the barrier of her innocence, and heard her gasp as he pushed through that barrier.
Christine froze beneath him, tears coming to her eyes at the pain. He stopped moving into her and kissed each tear as it fell. "My love, I am so sorry," he said. "Really, it is not so bad now, it was only a moment's worth of pain, please continue, " she begged.
Erik did as she requested, pushing himself further into her, until he was completely inside of her warmth. He rested his forehead on hers and whispered again, "I love you, mon ange." "And I love you, with all of my heart," came Christine's breathless reply. She felt such a tremendous feeling of completeness in that moment, she could not imagine anything more perfect.
Instincts took over and Erik began to move within her, she grasped him to her, wrapping her legs around his waist as they found a common rhythm and began to move as one. They both knew they were building toward something and they wanted to reach that pinnacle together, as one. Erik moved faster and faster, Christine's hips rising to meet his own thrusts, their soft cries of each other's names rising higher and higher until the world was suspended for one brief second. One more thrust from her love sent them both over the edge, into a world of color and light and perfection. They clung to one another, amazed and speechless. They had become one, and they knew they would be one forever.
Erik pulled Christine on top of him and wrapped them in a blanket as the sweat began to dry and chill them both. Once more, the Phantom and his Angel slept…but in truth, the Phantom and the Angel were no more…they were a man and a woman, finally having found true completion in one another.
A.N. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thanks to everyone for their reviews and advice and kind words!
Poetzproblem: Thank you for your review. I admire your writing a great deal!
Kagome1514: Thank you for your kind words and advice! I hope you noticed that I took your words to heart!
Twinkle22: I hope this was worth the wait!
