Author´s notes: AND HERE IT IS!
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Chapter 19 – Don Juan Continued
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Meg was staring.
Again.
She was fully aware of this simple fact, but at the moment, she couldn't really care less. She was now in a more comfortable outfit than the usual corseted dress, in position, and actually armed. It felt a bit like in a western, to tell the truth. And then PoNR came and she had a hard time to stop her jaw from dropping.
From what the libretto said, everyone got the feeling that Don Juan was supposed to be absolutely irresistible to the average female. Those two words were more than fitting for the man Meg saw creep from behind the red curtain and lower the cloak that had been shielding his face. The only thing Meg could think of that could rival Erik as Don Juan when it came to hotness was Erik as Red Death.
After a few seconds of shameless drooling, she somehow managed to move her gaze from him to Christine, who was only several meters away from him, still sitting on the ground, but by now, obviously quite aware of who was about to start singing. She tensed a bit when Erik sang the first lines and stopped fiddling with the roses.
Christine drew several shallow breaths as the first lines reached her ears, but she didn't dare turn so far.
You have come here
in pursuit of your deepest urge
in pursuit of that wish
which till now has been silent
silent…
As he sang the first "silent", Christine simply couldn't do anything but turn and look at him, or else she would have had a breakdown right on-stage, which was not desired. As she turned, she caught a very meaningful but mischievous smile, and Erik swiftly put a finger to his lips to stop any sort of reaction from her. Not that it was needed – Christine was completely speechless.
She turned back to the front, her eyes wide, panting quietly as if she had run a mile. It was time for drastic things… she just hoped that Meg´s aim was good. She stood up, taking unnecessary care so that she wouldn't trip and make a fool of herself, because the excited phangirl part of her was celebrating so loud, it was hard to focus on anything else and the fact that every phangirl´s dreamguy was singing PoNR to her.
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 -
now you are here with me
no second thoughts
you've decided
decided . . .
Yeah, I´ve decided. I´m marrying you, honey. Christine thought, biting her tongue to stop the hungry expression from surfacing. She stood there, silent, waiting for the inevitable, jubilant screams that she couldn't voice ringing through her head.
Past the point of no return -
no backward glances:
the games we've played till now are at an end
Past all thought of "if" or "when" -
no use resisting:
abandon thought, and let the dream descend...
It happened so sudden Christine didn't even have time to gasp. Meg, however, gasped a bit, as she watched the first of the many "touches" from the scene, meaning that Christine was going to be touched by the Angel of Music… a lot, and certainly not innocently. Meg´s insides were actually burning just by looking at the motions his hands were making, which was saying something.
What raging fire shall flood the soul?
What rich desire unlocks its door?
What sweet seduction lies before us?
Christine returned to reality from the seventh heaven she had been in – Erik´s expression mirrored perfectly what was going on inside her mind, thus it was easy for her to imagine that he was going through exactly the same thing she was, though she had done very little. Maybe it was the outfit… well, he had had a good view of her cleavage when he had been holding her from behind. That might count for something.
Past the point of no return,
the final threshold -
what warm, unspoken secrets will we learn?
Beyond the point of no return…
Much unlike in the movie, Christine didn't even glance away from him, much less even tried to correct her already fallen "sleeves" and thus make the outfit look about five percent more modest. Finally, she was able to relax a bit and let the hungry expression surface – after all, she was supposed to be a poor seduced ingénue, and what he was doing would seduce even a crazy you-know-what such as Carlotta.
You have brought me
to that moment where words run dry
to that moment where speech disappears into silence
silence…
From afar, Meg couldn't help but notice the quick glance Erik spared Raoul… and the fact that the Vicomte seemed to realize what was going on. She prepared one of the guns – she didn't want to risk missing if she would fire from both at the same time – and waited to see what would happen.
I have come here,
hardly knowing the reason why
In my mind, I've already imagined our bodies entwining
defenseless and silent
now I am here with you
no second thoughts
I've decided
decided . . .
You have no idea, Christine thought privately, and continued singing with a smile that was a bit of an eager grin and a yearning smirk… all mixed up.
Past the point of no return
no going back now
our passion-play has now, at last, begun
Past all thought of right or wrong
one final question:
how long should we two wait, before we're one?
When will the blood begin to race
the sleeping bud burst into bloom?
When will the flames, at last, consume us?
Meg almost chuckled when Christine dropped into the lower voice for the last two words, but continued watching vigilantly. Thus far, nothing had really happened… well, the worst was not over yet. It depended primarily on how long it would take Raoul to realize that it would be good to give the order to shoot.
Past the point of no return
the final threshold -
the bridge is crossed
so stand and watch it burn
Christine wasn't nervous anymore as she advanced, but still, it was a thrilling sensation. They were only inches from each other before the pirouette that ended with her back pressed against him. She had been waiting for this, for several reasons, one of them being finding out what many phans had been wondering for so long – if he… um… liked the scene, to be polite. Had she not been back in heaven, she would have smiled.
We've passed the point of no return…
And then, a moment later, Christine heard the rest, which definitely wasn't in the libretto.
Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime
Lead me, save me from my solitude
Say you want me with you, here beside you
She opened her eyes and turned around, ending up far, far too close to him, but she didn't want to do anything stupid. She knew what to do, and it wasn't going to be the cliché kissing that would give everything away.
Anywhere you go let me go too!
Christine, that's all I ask of you…!
Breathing heavily, she smiled and, unable to speak since she thought her voice had to be on vacation, or, at least on the party in her head, she simply nodded… and then finished the aria. Several dozens of feet away, Meg Giry punched the air and silently bellowed "YES!"
