A/N: -Is mad- Grrr! I was doing last-minute cleaning for all my relatives to come over tomorrow, and I found my Phantom CD case in a huge messy stack. First I was thrilled because I got to look at all the purdy pictures, and then something caught my eye that made me REALLY MAD!
… -sniffles- I've been spelling freakin "Passirino" wrong the whole time.
-sighs- But I don't think I care enough to change it now. Lol. My neurotic, perfectionist side is freaking out though. Hehe. Ah well. There are more important things going on right now.
Liiike "Point of No Return!"
Merry Christmas/Happy Chanukah/Ramadan/Kwanzaa/etc/Whatever you celebrate, if anything! Santa brought the chapter you've been waiting for (his little elf was rather busy this week)!
P.S. My beta is with her mommy for Christmas, so I didn't want to bug her with something so petty as editing. Love you, Emsie! Enjoy your chapter off. ;)
The moment I laid eyes on her, all of my fears evaporated. I responded to Rossini's prompt automatically, the music so ingrained on my soul that I hardly took note of the sound of my own voice.
Passarino…
Go away, for the trap is set
And waits for its prey
Christine's curly head was bent low over a basket of roses. She picked at the thorns, absently repeating the small gesture I had performed for the past ten years. Such pitiable creatures, roses… devastatingly handsome, but marred by the promise of pain. Only those daring enough to shed their own blood for the beauty of the blossom could truly appreciate it. But I couldn't stand to see those delicate white fingers stained. As Christine's self-deemed protector, I considered it my duty to remove any potential threats from her life, even ones as simple as this. My gifts to her consisted only of beauty; I had successfully shielded her from the accompanying pain…
Until tonight.
A glistening ruby bead grew on the tip of her forefinger. She studied it with a surprised, intense expression, as if the sight of her own blood was a new and fascinating one. I gravitated slowly toward her, my eyes sweeping over her deliciously feminine form. There was no audience, no other actors on stage, no dancers, no orchestra, no gendarmes… I even managed to temporarily forget the Vicomte de Chagny.
There was only music, Christine, and me. I could no longer decipher whether the vibrations of cellos and violins in my chest were real or imagined, and I didn't care. My voice unfurled like the waves of a rich piece of silk— smooth, refined, and deep with passion.
You have come here
In pursuit of your deepest urge
Her posture stiffened discreetly— a brief tightening of the muscles that ran the horizontal length of her shoulders. That beautiful porcelain skin broke out in gooseflesh as her breath hitched in her chest. I studied her every movement, reading her body language as simply as I would read the written word. There was undeniable fear in her stance, but something deeper— an unnamed combination of dread, anticipation, and…
A fire lit in my eyes and warmed my body to its core. Internally I shook with triumphant laughter. Only through sheer willpower did I refrain from glancing smugly up at the haughty, self-assured Vicomte. He would not be so haughty by the end of the night. As Christine pivoted slowly to look at me, I saw it as clearly as daylight: desire lingered just beneath her mask of composure. It frightened her, I understood immediately. She did not wish to break beneath the weight of my seductive spell, but by God, I would have her submission and her love. All scraps of hesitation and insecurity were thrown to the wind now. There was no doubt in my mind upon staring into those brown eyes that Christine was mine. I had only to claim her.
In pursuit of that wish which, till now,
Has been silent,
Silent…
I could not suppress a wry smile as I brought one finger to my lips, a playful warning for her to keep quiet and move forward with the production as if nothing were amiss. Christine was not impressed; she looked quickly away, her eyes glazed, her lips pursed. I was not deterred— I took her reaction as a challenge, and released my voice with so much power on the next verse that the entire auditorium seemed to quake.
I have brought you
That our passions may fuse and merge!
In your mind you've already succumbed to me
Dropped all defenses, completely succumbed to me
Somehow in the back of my mind I remembered to execute the proper staging, moving in a slow arc around the billowing paper flames. As I sang, I lifted my right arm in a subtle sweep— Christine's cue to stand. However, she was completely enraptured by the spell I was weaving with my voice, and did nothing but stare incredulously, her reddened lips forming a perfect "o". Her undivided attention made me stand straighter, hold my head a bit higher… suddenly we were in my lair again, Christine staring up at me in awed wonder while I sang to her of the boundless opportunities my music had to offer. My wounded confidence grew with every passing moment, a cocky smile beginning to tug at the corners of my mouth. For the past fifteen weeks I had been her slave and shadow, as desperate for her affection as a stray dog. Now the tables had turned, and the power was back in my grasp. It tingled in my veins like a potent drug, and I basked in it as it fortified and mended my pride.
Now you are here with me
No second thoughts
You've decided…
Decided…
Again I flicked my arm in a swooping motion, more accentuated this time. Still gaping and without breaking eye contact, Christine rose slowly to her feet and simply stood there like a marionette waiting for her puppeteer to move the strings. I swallowed the moan of desire that welled in my throat as I soaked in her unbearably tempting curves. For months I had worked on the costume designs, sketching Christine in her Aminta attire from every angle, but nothing I could have drawn, sculpted, or imagined could ever compare to the living, breathing goddess who stood before me in the flesh. She was Aphrodite incarnate, with her dark curls and eyes contrasting starkly to her creamy skin. Her corseted chest rose and fell rapidly with shallow breaths as she stared into my lust-darkened eyes. The air between us crackled with heavy tension hotter than any fire in Hell.
There was too much space between us. Desperate to close it, but too proud to appear anxious, I strode evenly across the stage.
Past the point of no return,
No backward glances!
Our games of make-believe are at an end
Wrenching my gaze away from Christine for fear of losing my barely maintained self-control, I shifted my eyes up to Box Five for the briefest of moments. Monsieur le Vicomte's regal face was etched with deep lines of worry as he watched Christine fall prey to my enchantment, his blue eyes wide in horror.
I could no longer suppress a triumphant, smug grin.
How does it feel, Monsieur, to be on the losing end for once? To watch your stunning fiancée pant with desire for another man? Betrayal is a new sensation for you, my pretty little Vicomte, isn't it? Get used to it. Christine is mine
Swelling with confidence, I turned back to Christine, my eyes glittering with victory, desire, and fierce possessiveness. It appeared she had not noticed my brief shift of attention, but to make up for it I stared so intensely at her that my eyes burned.
Past all thought of "if" or "when,"
No use resisting!
Abandon thought and let the dream descend
I brought my hand to the level of my eyes and elegantly lowered it in the swell of its accompanying music, deepening Christine's trance like a skilled snake charmer. In a single, sharp movement I shifted the same hand to her throat and swung about to stand behind her. She stiffened in shock before her muscles melted and her head fell back beneath the gentle pressure of my fingertips.
What raging fire shall flood the soul?
What rich desire unlocks its door?
I could feel her pulse throbbing erratically in my palm, echoing my own. Thrills of desire coursed through me and lit a fire below my abdomen, but I pulled away before she could feel any evidence of it against the small of her back. She gasped softly and stared with a mixture of incredulity and pleasant surprise as I skirted my fingers from her collarbone down her arm, pausing at the bangle around her wrist to briefly massage her soft palm.
What sweet seduction lies before us?
Very slowly, I led Christine to center stage, refusing to break eye contact until I released her hand. It took every ounce of willpower within me to move a few steps away from her, allowing her the proper space to prepare for her own solo.
Past the point of no return,
The final threshold
What warm, unspoken secrets will we learn
Beyond the point of no return?
The spell was broken the second her hand slipped from mine. She shied away from me, giving a slight jolt as if she had been caught doing something inappropriate. Confusion clouded her sienna eyes as she fiddled with the lace sleeves of her bodice self-consciously. Slowly realization dawned in those beautiful orbs, and with it came an unmistakable self-disgust. I tried to keep a tight rein on my temper as she shook her head angrily and trilled the first tense, excruciatingly forced notes.
You have brought me
To that moment when words run dry
To that moment when speech disappears
Into silence
Silence…
My eyes seared like emerald fire as I followed her gaze up to Box Five. The Vicomte nodded reassuringly at her, gesturing to the gendarme that flanked him, then nodding to the flabbergasted managers, who also brought forth their band of useless policemen. The gendarme under Andre's control took aim at me, but Raoul raised a hand in a signal to hold. Christine flashed them an exasperated, hopeless expression, finally realizing the stupidity of her fiancé's "brilliant plan."
I have come here
Hardly knowing the reason why
Christine's expression shifted from one of despair to resigned determination as she looked out at the audience, remembering suddenly that she was an actress in a production which people had paid good money to see. Her eyes rolled shut as she fell back into her role, and her voice deepened and smoothed out to a more pleasant pitch.
In my mind I've already imagined
Our bodies entwining,
Defenseless and silent
As she turned to face me her lace sleeves dropped weightlessly, revealing two milky shoulders whose memory made my mouth water. Even as warning bells sounded in my head, I could not fight the heat growing inside of me as she stared seductively into my eyes. Had I possessed my wits in that moment, I would have been furious at her deceptive game. She was taking advantage of my weakness for her, and I knew it, but even this knowledge could not save me from Christine's seductive spell. The tables were turning again, and I could do nothing but watch helplessly as the power slid into Christine's outstretched hands.
Now I am here with you,
No second thoughts,
I've decided…
Decided…
The earnestness in her eyes, the tiny smile at the corner of her lips, and the reassuring nod she offered me were my undoing. My lips parted with an involuntary, trembling exhale as her rich voice proclaimed the words I had waited my whole life to hear. I didn't care if it was a lie; I basked in those moments, clinging to them and cherishing them as a starving man savors a long-awaited meal.
Past the point of no return
No going back now!
Our passion play has now, at last, begun
But something changed in Christine as we ascended the winding staircases on opposite sides of the stage. The words and music worked their own enchantment on her susceptible young mind— or perhaps, as I preferred to believe, fanned a buried ember within her into a blazing fire. Either way, everything about her changed as she spiraled upward, her gaze locked with mine. Her voice dripped with unprecedented passion, no longer forced or pretended. The yearning in her eyes mirrored my own with terrifying and exhilarating intensity. I found myself trembling under the scorching heat of her gaze, my heart hammering mercilessly as I panted for much-needed air.
Past all thought of right or wrong
One final question:
How long should we two wait before we're one?
The yearning arch of her neck as she belted this particular line paralyzed me. If I had questioned the sincerity of her performance before, there was not the slightest trace of doubt in my heart now that she meant every word. This revelation slammed the air from my chest as if I had run head-on into a wall. I could do nothing but stare at her in a combination of incredulity, relief, and joy so deep tears burned the backs of my eyes.
But suddenly she was moving again, and my feet followed suit of their own accord. I kept waiting for Christine to throw back her head and laugh maliciously at the fact that I believed she could ever love a monster… but she never did. On the contrary, her voice became increasingly breathless and choked with desire as the song progressed.
When will the blood begin to race?
The sleeping bud burst into bloom?
When will the flames at last consume us?
At last we were face to face, and I was once again awestruck by her flawless beauty. Hot, pulsating energy crackled in the air separating us, and only grew in intensity as we approached one another. Sweat trickled down the arch of my back— if I hadn't known better, I would have sworn the pit of flames beneath us was real. With a single flick of my arm I tossed my bull-baiting cloak onto the banister behind me, and moved toward Christine slowly, almost afraid that we would burn one another if we touched.
Our voices rose in unison, spiraling upward into a brilliant, impassioned crescendo unlike any the world had heard, or ever would again. Emotion and music melded until they were undistinguishable from one another— it was the most beautiful sound I had heard in my life, and years later, the memory would bring a mist of tears to my eyes.
Past the point of no return
The final threshold!
The bridge is crossed, so stand and watch it burn!
My fingers found her waist and held on for dear life, for I was sure I would fall to the stage two stories below without her fragile support. Christine's hands, too, clutched my waist, and I noticed vaguely that they trembled violently. She refused to meet my eyes now, but I didn't mind; we each watched our hands as I spun Christine beneath my arm and hugged her back to my chest. In the instant her body molded to mine, my burning heart softened, though it didn't cease its frantic beating. Some of the tension in her muscles seemed to slacken, too, and our voices were quiet and tremulous as we sang the end of our duet.
We've passed the point of no return
An eerie calm settled over the two of us as I held Christine gently, mustering the courage to take her hands in my own and run them gently over the curves of her breasts and firm abdomen. It was déjà vu, really— we were down in the lair again, singing merely for the pleasure and beauty of it, two lonely souls starved for intimacy. I shut out the rest of the room; my eyes were closed against the garish stage lights and the thousands of eyes watching us. My angel smelled divine… her skin and hair even more so than the rose tucked behind her ear. I buried my face in her curls and inhaled the intoxicating scent that was uniquely Christine's. Slowly, gently, I stroked the delicate skin of her neck with the pads of my fingertips, just barely restraining from bestowing the same caresses with my lips. Christine offered silent encouragement to continue, tilting her head to allow me easier access. I smiled faintly, only too happy to oblige. An emotion so powerful as to be nameless welled in my chest and gathered in a thick, painful lump in my throat.
"I love you," I whispered so faintly I wasn't sure she had heard me. When she made no reaction, I expressed myself a bit louder— only a bit— allowing music to connect our souls as spoken word never could. My voice broke on the first word, but smoothed out as I sang to her the quiet profession of love which she had accepted once before, albeit from a different man. I could only pray that the same would occur this time around.
Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime
Christine made no sign of pulling away, but continued to draw in deep, even breaths, as if she were sleeping. I nuzzled the curve of her neck and continued caressing her throat and collarbone. She made the faintest whimper of pleasure, a smile warming her beautiful face.
Lead me, save me, from my solitude
((A/N: Does anyone have a tissue? –sniffles- "From My Solitude"… -bawls- … … … I'm okay.))
Say you want me with you here, beside you…
She sucked in a sharp breath, as if woken from a trance. I watched, undeterred, as her eyelids fluttered open, my fingers slipping from her neck to take her hands. By that point I was utterly convinced of her loyalty. She had decided, and I believed her.
Anywhere you go let me go too!
For a moment my heart wrenched with doubt— there was indecision in her eyes, plain as day. But as I sang to her, her expression softened, and tears gathered in those chocolate pools. She stroked my knuckles with her slender white fingers and gave my hand a reassuring squeeze before lifting her palm to cup my left cheek tenderly.
So caught up in the moment was I that I forgot the production entirely— and in the process, accidentally used her precious name in the place of Don Juan's love interest. My eyes were so blurred with tears that I missed the pain in her own.
Christine, that's all I ask of—
A/N: DUNNN! DUN DUN DUN DUN DUNNNNNN! …
DUNNNNNNNNN DUN. DUN. DUN. DUN. DUNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!
-grins- Oh, come on, I know you were all singing it with me. ;)
Cliffies are evil, yes, yes, I'm aware. But I tried to leave it off at a spot where you could all close your eyes in denial, shake your heads, and finish the story the happy, phluffy E/C way:
"'YOOOOU!' And then Christine kissed Erik and Raoul burst into tears like the fop he was and two months later Erik and Christine got married and then they had a mess of kids who sang like angels and had their daddy's eyes and mommy's hair and Erik NEVER DIED because he was actually IMMORTAL like Dracula… -off on a tangent- ooh, Gerry in Dracula… can we say YUM? –pants for breath-"
… or something like that. XD
Happy Holidays, everyone! I love you all! –freshly baked gingerbread cookies and a glass of ice cold eggnog-