Kisses trailed down my cheek and the side of my neck, lingering across my collarbone to the hollow of my throat. Erik's lips made their way back up the sensitive center of my neckline until he could savagely claim my mouth again with his own. When we finally parted, both of us were breathing hard; I sighed in contentment and settled down against his shoulder. Only when I tasted blood did I realize that the hard edge of Erik's mask had left a shallow scratch across my skin. I looked up at him, questioning; his eyes were stricken as he brushed a cool finger along the tiny injury, wiping away the blood. "Christine . . ." he groaned softly. "When will I stop hurting you?"
I tried not to smile; he had handed me a perfect bargaining chip. "This," I held up my wrist, "and this scratch both are the work of just one thing, do you realize that?" Erik eyed me warily; he knew I did not mean him. I reached up and tapped the mask.
He yanked away and scowled down at me. I could see defeat in his eyes, but my angel has never been one to give in easily. "Yes," he retorted. "They are both the direct result of your confounded stubbornness."
"Stubborn?" I demanded in disbelief. "I'm stubborn?"
That sensuous mouth twitched. "Inescapably so." I glared at him; Erik just chuckled and traced my lips with his thumb. His gaze became serious as he contemplated me, and I felt myself blushing under the sheer intensity of the emotion in his eyes. "Do you know why Allah forbade the nightingale to love the rose?" Erik asked softly.
I drew in a sharp breath; he had told me many versions of that story, and none of them ended well. Even then, when I still believed him an angel . . . even then had he been trying to convince one or both of us that the tie between our souls could not exist? My beloved saw me as his pure white rose, and he had always been my nightingale . . . I shook my head, not wanting to know the answer.
"Some say that it was out of cruelty or jealousy, or simple disbelief that a flower and a bird could share love." Gently, Erik tilted my head up so that I was forced to meet his eyes. "But the real reason, mon ange, is that merciful Allah knew what I have always told you; for some lovers, there can be no happy endings."
My mouth was trembling, and I could feel tears coming into my eyes. He sounded so certain, so final; somewhere between our past and our present, Erik had lost the ability to believe in us. How could I change his miserable surety, when it had always been he who believed, he who knew in the core of his soul that we were one? I did not have the strength to keep our love alive without him, as he had done so long without me. "Can't you care enough to try?" I whispered hopelessly.
"Christine. You know that whether or not I care is not the issue."
"Then it's that you don't trust me. We both know you shouldn't, after all." My voice was hoarse. Would we ever get past my betrayals?
He was losing patience with me. "Christine," Erik growled, then suddenly leaned forward and kissed each of my cheeks, drawing away the tears that had fallen down them. "I trust you, cherie. You stayed with me tonight; for that, I would trust you to the ends of the earth."
I held him close when he tried to pull back, seeking his lips with mine. He groaned into my mouth and drew away sharply. I closed my eyes. "Then why won't you believe—why won't you let me love you? I thought that was what you wanted. Why else would you let me come down here, let me come home?"
"Maybe I thought I could become something I am not. I will never be a flower, my love, meant to bloom in daylight; I am a creature of the darkness."
Opening my eyes, I stared at him. "Then let me into your night."
Erik's jaw tightened noticeably. "That I will not do."
"Please remove your mask?"
"No."
I blinked at him slowly, knowing my mouth was drooping into a pout and being utterly incapable of stopping it. "You once promised me that you could deny me nothing I truly wanted . . . "
"That was before you began to want things which are not good for you to have."
This stubborn refusal of his was becoming annoying. "I want us both to know that I love you, Erik—with and without your mask. Do not make me take it off despite you, because I think we both know you could not forgive a third such betrayal."
He closed his eyes. We were silent for a moment; then slowly, he took my hand and brought it up to the cold white porcelain of his mask. Trembling, I gently peeled it off and set it on the couch next to us, my eyes never leaving his face. His poor, poor skin; I could tell that the mask irritated his already-rough cheek, chafing at the scars and the droopy pouch of his right eye. Erik's face never had been a pretty sight; but even the first time I had seen it, his rage had terrified me more than his looks. And now . . . now I found that I would not have too much trouble getting used to how he looked without the mask. Yes, the right side of his face was ravaged; but it was still the face of a man I loved.
I gently lay my hand against his right cheek. Erik's eyes opened at me, blazing as though he expected me to scream or faint; he blinked when he realized that I was calmly looking at him, without revulsion or fear. "I love you," I repeated.
Finally, after staring at me for what felt like forever, Erik sighed and gave in, nuzzling desperately against my hand. "I can't win against you, can I?" He asked. I could feel him shivering beneath my touch; of course he was. No other woman had ever stroked his twisted face so gently, and I was determined no other ever would.
"Do you really want to?" I replied. My angel smiled and closed his eyes again, this time in pleasure, as I lightly caressed his features.
"The concept of losing," he murmured, "is becoming more agreeable." Erik stood quickly enough that I wasn't aware of him moving until he was walking toward my room, holding me in his arms. He tucked me into my bed and lightly kissed me, murmuring, "Sweet dreams, my angel."
I held onto his hand, suddenly feeling shy. "Erik . . ." I replied softly. When he turned to look at me and the hand restraining him, he raised an eyebrow. "I would not have nightmares if you stayed with me," I blurted. Hang propriety; I had already spent many nights in his home, after all, and I trusted him. He would not take advantage of me.
Besides—I did not want to be alone.
Moving slowly, as though he wasn't quite certain this was real, Erik slipped beneath the covers of my bed and gathered me against his chest. I sighed in contentment and closed my eyes, secure in the comfort of his arms.
Erik
She fell asleep quickly, and I was left with the guilty pleasure of being able to hold her close, drinking in her pale face as she slept. I idly began to play with her hair, enjoying it's softness as I had never been able to before.
I shouldn't allow her to do this to me. I should have never brought her down here. If I hadn't, I would not have hurt her. I groaned again, quietly, at the thought of the bruises on her wrist and the light scratch near her mouth; she deserved better than someone who harmed her when he wasn't even trying to.
But she had not flinched away from my face. She was the first, ever, to do that; even Madame Giry had only seen it once, in the carnival, before the disastrous night of Don Juan.
True love, it is said, will not be denied. Even by the lovers. So I allowed myself to drift to sleep bolding my beloved in my arms; tomorrow would bring its own trials, but for tonight, we were safe in each other's hearts.
--Chapter End--
A/N: Thanks everyone for the reviews! I was wondering if anyone has any little plot bunnies they would like to see appear in this, as I honestly do not know where it is going. The first chapter wrote itself from an image in my mind, and the rest has just sort of followed along. Now I'm not quite certain where to take it. Maybe another opera, another confrontation with Raoul . . . I don't know. So tell me where you would like this to go; I can't promise to use any or all of the ideas, but maybe you will jump-start my head. Thanks a bunch!
Elle1617: Thanks, glad you like my Erik!
Anacari: Ahh, Gerik . . . mmmm, yummy. Thanks for thinking that I'm portraying him accurately; I'm trying to! Thanks for your reviews, as always; they make the writing go (slightly) faster. Here's more for you!
Clever Lass: Heyo! Yeah, I kinda like writing violent Erik . . . and as this one is the most temperamental of my three dear boys, IMHO, you'll probably be seeing his wrathful side a couple more times. Muwhahahaha. As ever, thanks for the reviews! (how's the wedding scene coming for Letters, btw? Any progress? -hopes-)
Chellyh: Lol, I'm glad you like it. Erik's sense of humor is always one of the things I love best about him, so I truly try to portray it right—thanks for noticing!
Lady Skywalker: Raoul might indeed make another appearance (though NOT a comeback, lol). Here's a little more of semi-fluffy Erik for you! -hands platter of FluffyErik over- Thanks for your review, and for liking this little tale so far!
The Phantom: Wow, thanks, O.G.! Happy reviewers make my day—don't suppose you have any ideas for a 'disaster beyond imagination' for me, do you?
Phantomadark: Thanks for liking this so much! Here's more for you!
Mz. Kelsi: Yep, I figured that he needed to work through a few things first before really allowing the whole love-stuff to happen . . . after all, this is a very reserved man who is in love with a woman who has already betrayed him. Multiple times. Thanks for liking it, and for reviewing—here's a little more for you!
blahblahblah27: Lol, cool username. Thanks for reading and reviewing!
Prying Pandora: -Grin- Of course. You don't honestly expect me to leave him in peace for long, do you? Why, when torturing him is so much fun? Yes, this is definitely one of my stronger Christine's . . . though the other two are developing backbones as well. Hope it's not OOC, but I figure, after everything she went through just on the night of Don Juan, she's gotta have grown up at least a little. Glad you like it—thanks!
intoxicated by eriks music: Hey Savs, here's your update! Glad you like the Erik door scene—I could just see it in my head as I wrote it. Thanks a bunch for reviewing!