-1All right, another update for you all, and there's one more coming yet tonight. Enjoy!

To Love a Monster

Chapter Five

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Erik jumped when Christine touched his mask, and trembled a bit, leaning into her touch after a moment of indecision. "If I take it off, will you let me make love to you?" he asked, a sly look to his face as he tried to hide the fear at such a thought.

Christine chuckled and leaned foreword, brushing her lips against his. "Think you can just slip that one by me," she said. She managed to wriggle herself out from beneath him. Looking distastefully at the corset on the floor, she simply pulled her shift back up and started to relace it.

Erik gave an inarticulate groan and reached out blindly for Christine, trying to pull her back against him. "Do you.. think you will ever be ready?" he asked softly once her shift and dress were properly laced and he'd tugged his trousers back on.

Christine turned to him, her hair mussed, lips bruised from his kisses, and cheeks flushed. She ran her hands over his bare shoulders, taking in the sensation of his skin against hers. "Sooner than you think..." she whispered.

Smiling, Erik reached out to draw Christine against him, cuddling her into his lap and kissing her forehead. "I do love you so very much, my dear." he purred, before releasing her and standing, stretching a bit and groaning as his back popped in a few places

Christine giggled. Her hands covered her face as she continued to giggle loudly. Her eyes peeked over, twinkling in mirth, and she laughed twice as loud.

Erik's brow furrowed. "What are you laughing at?" he asked, sitting down next to her.

You!" she giggled. "You look so silly!" She turned to him. "I am going to have to fatten you up good." She sighed loudly. "I suppose we cannot make love either, I hear it sweats off the pounds..."

Erik laughed outright, pouncing on Christine and straddling her on the bed. "I do not need fattening, I'm not a creature that needs to be prepared for slaughter." he pouted, then kissed her eagerly.

Christine kissed him back happily, wrapping her arms around his neck. She then slyly poked his side, wiggling a bit in the hopes of tickling him. "You are all skin and bones!"

He shrugged, nuzzling he neck a bit and guiding her hand to feel his upper arms and shoulders. "Ah yes, but I am well muscled as well... feel." he let her hands run over the muscles of his upper body, looking down at her with thinly veiled lust.

"So you are..." she said thickly, her eyes darkening in admiration. She slowly trailed her fingers to his ribs and she looked up at him, her lips parting just so. And then the most malicious smile spread across her lips. She dug her fingers in, and began to tickle him as best as she could.

Erik howled, rolling off of Christine and trying to curl into a ball to protect his ribs. "S-s-stop!" he cried, laughing uncontrollably and feeling tears of mirth filling his eyes. "You devil woman!"

Christine attacked him, easily looping her small hands through the slots of his thin arms to reach his ribs and tickle him some more. "I went from goddess to devil in only minutes, I must investigate this philosophy."

Laughing even harder, Erik finally managed to pin Christine beneath him again, holding her arms above her head securely. "Now, my dear... you really shouldn't be so unkind to the man who loves you..." he teased, eyes twinkling

Christine grinned widely. "Are you going to punish me then, Maestro?" she said, waggling her eyebrows at him.

He laughed outright, leaning down to kiss her lips sweetly. "No, unless you'd like a spanking, that is.."

Christine hoped Erik didn't notice the subtle blush that crept up over her cheeks when he said that as he was kissing her. She giggled, in hopes of covering her own embarrassment, "Perhaps. Have I been a bad girl?"

"A very, very bad girl." he purred, nibbling down her neck.

"Erik," she crooned warningly. Although she was unsure whether she was warning him that he better stop or better continue.

He looked up with a disarmingly sweet and innocent smile. "Yes, my darling?"

"What are you doing?" she asked, batting her eyes at him exaggeratedly.

"Attempting to drive you mad with desire so that we may consummate our mutual affections." he murmured, attempting to move the neckline of her dress down a bit.

"Is that so?" she said, sitting up so that their lips were only breaths apart. "What if I told you that you didn't have a chance?" jess 2 (12/31/2005 1:33:23 AM): Erik frowned up at her. "I wouldn't believe you." he said simply, before pressing a heated kiss to her lips.

Christine squirmed in his hold, wishing her hands were free. But she found something very arousing about the fact that he was holding her down. She responded eagerly to his kiss, wondering how much longer she could hold out from giving him what he so desired.

Releasing her mouth, Erik smiled down at Christine and let go of her wrists, then sat back a bit, just observing Christine. "You are so very beautiful like this, Christine... your hair tousled, lips red..." his eyes flamed and he moved toward her again.

Christine giggled as he moved towards her, hiding her face from him. "Am I really that unruly looking? Perhaps I should get a brush."
"You're ravishing." he murmured, before finding her lips and kissing her passionately. "All this waiting would be over if you would marry me." he purred into her ear suddenly, drawing back to observe her reaction.

Christine looked startled. "But... I thought... I mean. I didn't think you liked churches..." she murmured, her thoughts all in a tangled knot.

Of all the things for her to say... Erik's lips twitched, and he cupped her cheek in his hand. "I would somehow brave one if I were to be marrying you, my dear." he murmured, before setting his lips to her neck.

"Are you sure?" she whispered, trembling beneath him. She was frightened of the prospect of belonging so completely to someone.

Erik simply lifted his head and nodded. "I want nothing more than to be your husband, and have you as my wife. But Christine, you must want it as well."

Christine gently pushed him away, shifting her body out from underneath him. She hugged her knees to her chest, staring into his eyes over them. "I'm scared," she admitted.

"What are you afraid of?" he asked, reaching out to run his fingers through her hair. "I will keep you safe, and cherish you forever."

"That you'll leave me," she whispered, clutching herself closely. Her eyes welled with tears. "I do love you, Erik. Very much. But... all that people I love leave me."

"I will never leave you Christine, you must trust me. I will never leave." he insisted, reaching out to gather her close to his chest.

Christine sniffled, laughing a bit. "My father said that once too," she said quietly. She looked up at him. "I will marry you."

Tears filled Erik's eyes, and he clung tightly to Christine, pressing gentle kisses all over her face. "Say it again." he whispered, looking at her in wonder.

Christine laughed, her own tears spilling over. "I will marry you, Erik. I will be your wife," she said, clutching him tightly.

Falling back on the bed, Erik dragged Christine onto his chest and kissed her passionately, combing his fingers through her hair, then rubbing her back. "You have no idea...oh Christine, I never dared to dream..." unable to get what he was trying to say out, he kissed her instead, trying to convey his deep emotions with that one touch of their lips.

Christine smiled into the kiss, cupping his face sweetly. When she pulled away, she kissed the exposed skin that the mask revealed. Finally, she looked into his eyes. "I love you."

Erik smiled sweetly at her, and kissed her forehead. "I love you too." he breathed, nuzzling his masked face into her neck. "I... my face, Christine... can you look at it? Can you really marry me, look at me...?"

On our wedding night," she whispered quietly into his ear. "When we make love..." she blushed heavily, but continued, "we shall both be bared. Naked as the day we were born."

Trembling, he nodded. "A-are you sure you will not regret marrying me when you see it again?" he asked, looking at her with fearful eyes.

Christine cupped his face. "You are not your face, Erik. I love you, from your bony fingers to your beautiful soul to your poor face."

Tears filling his eyes, Erik smiled and kissed her forehead. "You are too good for me, my dear."

"When?" she asked. "When shall we get married?" Her hands reached for his, immediately twining her fingers with is. A habit she was getting quite used to.

"As soon as possible." he said simply, kissing her forehead.

Christine looked at the clock. "It's too late to do it today. Tomorrow, I suppose?" she said, kissing his lips softly.

Erik grinned. "Tomorrow it is." he purred, before kissing her passionately. "Although I do not know how I will be able to keep my hands off of you tonight, knowing that tomorrow you will be mine."

Christine blushed deeply. "I suppose you could take a cold bath?" she suggested, giggling at the thought.

Erik laughed outright, rolling over and closing his eyes. "I'm too lazy to take a bath." he mumbled, reaching for her hand and brining it to his lips.

"Perhaps I should just throw you in the lake then," she supplied, pulling her hand away and rising. "Or perhaps I should sleep elsewhere... would want to make you uncomfortable now, would I?

Grabbing her wrist tightly, Erik turned his head and pinned her with a fiery look. "You will do no such thing." Pulling her back down, he rolled over her body and kissed her passionately.

"As you wish, Maestro," Christine whispered, leaning up to kiss him again. She felt him pressing into her belly and tried to ignore the thrill of excitement and fear that went down her spine.

"Perhaps we should get some sleep, all the sooner morning will come and you can become my wife." he murmured, trailing his lips down her neck.

"I do not think what you are doing is qualified as 'sleeping'," she purred, her lips curling in amusement.

Erik grumbled and moved off of her. "Well then, I'll just lay here on the other side of the bed and keep my hands and lips to myself, mademoiselle."

Christine grinned mischievously, a game all ready forming in her head. "That is a good idea," she said, moving to her own side of the bed. "Good night," she whispered innocently. She had a clock clearly in her view. Now, she waited. She placed a bet in her mind. Less than five minutes before he moved to touch her. She grinned in the dark, her face hidden from him.

Erik shut his eyes and did his best to sleep as the minutes ticked by. Three minutes later, he was spooned against her back, his lips at her shoulder. "Perhaps I can hold you while we sleep, my beautiful bride-to-be?"

Christine chuckled before turning in his arms to rest her face against his shoulder. "And here I thought you'd never ask," she teased.

Laughing softly, Erik kissed her forehead. "Goodnight, my love."