A/N: Hi! I just wanted to reassure anyone who may not be a Love Never Dies fan that while this story does have some LND influence, quite a few things will be changed here. I would really consider this just a Modern AU that will be taking some inspiration from LND. Rated M for sexual content. Enjoy!

2010

Christine Daaé took a deep breath as she pulled her vehicle to a stop in front of Erik's apartment building, scarcely able to believe she had returned here willingly after the disaster that had occurred in this place the previous month. In the week since she had broken up with Raoul, she had tried tirelessly to contact Erik, but if he even still had his phone, he had completely ignored every call she made and each text she had sent. Finally, she had thrown caution to the wind and driven to his home. Now she had to hope that he would answer the door.

As she gathered her courage for the upcoming confrontation, Christine let the events of that night replay in her mind, although the truth was that they were never far from her thoughts since they had occurred. Never would she have dreamed that her seemingly mild-mannered, albeit admittedly strange, voice teacher would have kidnapped her and kept her from leaving his apartment for an entire weekend, or that he would have assaulted and restrained Raoul when he showed up looking for her.

The worst part about everything was that she had had no idea Erik had any feelings for her beyond a mild sort of friendship, despite the way Raoul had been certain that Erik did have romantic designs on her. Christine had felt that Raoul was merely jealous, because Erik had never given her any indication that he might have deeper feelings for her. And to make matters worse, she herself had had a huge crush on Erik - had he given her any indication that he was interested, Christine was certain that she would have broken things off with Raoul in a heartbeat to explore what she felt for Erik.

But instead of talking to her like a normal person, he had locked her in his home after a voice lesson, telling her she wouldn't be leaving until she agreed to marry him. Once Raoul had shown up at Erik's door, things had gotten even worse - Christine had genuinely feared for Raoul's life, so erratic was Erik's behavior, to the point that she had told him she would marry him if he would let Raoul leave the apartment. However, for reasons she didn't entirely understand, Erik had broken down at her agreement to his demands, and ended up letting them both go.

Although Raoul had rightfully been furious, Christine had convinced him not to involve the authorities as long as Erik continued to leave them alone. That fact alone should have told her that she still had feelings for her former teacher despite his despicable actions, she reflected ruefully. Instead, she had spent the weeks since the incident steadily thinking of Erik more and more, until she had reached the point that she couldn't bear to think of moving on with her life without seeing if there could still be a chance for them. Even her newly-successful opera career seemed hollow when she thought of experiencing it without Erik at her side.

So despite Raoul's assertions that she was only ending things with him due to the trauma she had experienced, Christine had told him that their relationship was over, and now she was going to find out if she and Erik could salvage the indisputable connection between them.

xxxxx

When Erik heard a knock at his door, he stiffened for a moment, sure that the authorities were finally here to call him to account for what he had done the previous month. He had waited, ready to take what he deserved after what he had done to Christine and her boy, but after weeks with nothing happening, he had started to think that maybe nothing was going to come of it. And how ironic it would be if he was going to be arrested now - he would have left his apartment for the final time anyway early the following morning. He had a one-way flight booked to America, back to the country he had been born in but had no memories of, but where his only friend was now living. Nadir had made his move to the United States permanent, intending to raise his new family there, and Erik planned to join him, for lack of anything better to do with his life.

It was the final thing he could do for Christine. He had no real fear of being arrested, or Erik would have fled right after everything had happened. No, the reason he was leaving Paris forever was because he feared he would not be able to stay away from her if he remained. She deserved better than to have to look over her shoulder forever, wondering when she would hear from a madman next.

As the knocking resumed, more insistently this time, Erik wondered absently if the police would break down his door if he didn't answer, but the sound of a voice he had never thought he would hear again stopped him in his tracks.

"Erik, are you in there? Please, I need to talk to you!"

Without another thought, he crossed the room and opened the door, as always helpless to resist Christine in any way. He stared at her wordlessly, with no idea what to say, captivated by her as she gazed up at him with her huge eyes glistening. Then, to his shock, she did the last thing he would have ever expected her to do, throwing her arms around him and burrowing her face into his chest.

xxxxx

When Erik opened the door, all of Christine's carefully rehearsed speech fled from her mind, and she found herself staring at him silently, overcome with emotion at being so close to him again. Although it made no sense after everything he had done, Christine knew at that moment that she was lost - she loved Erik, and there was no sense in denying that fact any longer. No matter how foolish it was of her, her heart had chosen him, and she had to at least try to see if they could be together, she realized as she impulsively stepped closer to him and hugged him, nestling her face against his narrow chest.

At the feeling of his arms hesitantly returning her embrace after a few moments, Christine pulled back just enough to be able to look into his face. While the black mask that covered his skeletal features made reading his expression difficult, she could see the mingled confusion and yearning in Erik's unusual yellow eyes before he spoke.

"Christine," he asked hesitantly, "what are you doing here?"

In that moment, with so many things she wanted to say to him, Christine found herself at a loss for words. Instead, she tried to show him what was in her heart with her actions; reaching up, she twined her arms around Erik's neck and drew him down for a kiss.

At first, he stiffened, and Christine felt him tense as though he was going to pull away from her, so she responded by increasing the intensity of the kiss, sliding her tongue against his thin lips until he moaned helplessly and yielded to her, arms coming around her tightly as he returned her kiss with passion.

When they finally broke apart, Christine's head was spinning. Never had a kiss affected her like that, and she took it as more evidence that she was in the right place. Caught up in the emotions of seeing Erik again and their passionate embrace, she whispered impulsively, "Take me to your bedroom," feeling a sense of primal satisfaction at the way his eyes flared before he took her hand and led her to his room, barely retaining the presence of mind to shut and lock the front door behind her before they walked off.

xxxxx

Erik felt as if he was moving through a dream as Christine followed him to his bedroom. He had scarcely comprehended the fact that she had returned to see him in any capacity before she had embraced him and then kissed him, and now he knew he was helpless before her, willing to do whatever she wanted of him.

As soon as they reached the bedroom, Christine pushed the door shut behind them and immediately reached for him again, pulling off his mask and wig before enthusiastically kissing him again. Normally Erik would protest their loss, but with Christine embracing him in the completely dark room, he found that he didn't mind her removing them if that was what she wanted. It wasn't as though she didn't know what he looked like without them, after all.

Without being sure which one of them actually initiated it, Erik soon found himself on the bed with Christine on top of him, straddling him as she kissed him. When she pulled away, he almost cried out at the loss of her, but he realized she was quickly removing her clothes, and even more incredibly, obviously wanted him to do the same, judging from the way she tugged insistently at his shirt.

When they were both naked, Christine practically launched herself at him once again, this time rolling to the side and pulling him to lie on top of her. Never had Erik truly thought that she could welcome his physical attentions like this, and the evidence that she did indeed desire him was practically intoxicating. Christine's eager response emboldened him, and he found himself letting go and indulging some of the many fantasies he'd had of the things he would like to do to her, if he ever got the chance.

In the back of her mind, Christine knew that she and Erik had skipped over some very important issues that they needed to talk about, but seeing him again had had an emotional effect on her, and right now she felt as though she had a primal need to be close to him physically. And as Erik tore his mouth from hers to press his lips to her neck, the reverent way that he groaned her name convinced her that he needed her with the same urgency. After all, they had plenty of time to talk later - now that she was back with Erik, she had no intention of leaving him ever again.

When Erik began to kiss his way lower, any remaining thoughts fled from Christine's mind, and she gave herself over to what was happening between them, moaning in pleasure as he stopped at her breasts, touching her nipples lightly at first before hesitantly licking them. Whatever words she managed to utter must have made sense to him, because at her encouragement he took one into his mouth, suckling at it before moving to the next one to do the same to it.

As he continued to work at her breasts, Christine felt Erik's long fingers brush between her legs, and she eagerly opened them for him, loving the feeling of him exploring her. He was tentative at first, but when he slid a finger inside of her, the eager sounds she made must have given him the confidence to do more, because he released her nipple from his mouth and began to kiss his way down her stomach.

The light kiss he pressed to her core felt so good that Christine found herself shamelessly cradling his head to her, giving a few breathless instructions as he began to kiss and lick her in earnest. For never having done this before, Erik seemed to have a good grasp on what to do.

Erik could barely believe that Christine was accepting his attentions like this, but the way she was encouraging him was impossible to deny - incredibly, she wanted this. And for him, it was his greatest fantasy come true. Ever since he had met her, he had dreamed of being this close to her someday, even though realistically he had thought it would never happen. Even as he read and watched everything he could that might help him learn to satisfy her in the unlikely event he ever got that chance, Erik had never truly thought this day would come.

But, somehow, it had - there was no mistaking the fact that Christine was every bit as into the moment as he was, especially when she suddenly gripped his head to her more firmly and cried out as her body tensed against him. Barely able to believe that he had satisfied her, Erik reacted purely on instinct, moving over her and positioning his incredibly stiff cock at her entrance. After a few false tries, he felt himself slide into her, becoming undone at the feel of her tight, wet heat almost instantly.

Embarrassed, he tried to pull away, sure that she was about to start laughing at him, but Christine wrapped her arms around him and held him to her. Mortified, he whispered, "Christine, I'm sorry, I don't know…"

At his words, she did laugh, but not cruelly. Kissing his sunken cheek in the darkness, she whispered in return, "Don't apologize, Erik. I'm glad you enjoyed it." Just as he was about to protest that understatement, she continued, "And, we have the rest of the night. We can try again, if you want to."

Erik's heart sank at her words, even as he felt his arousal begin to build once again. The rest of the night. Clearly, Christine had no intention of remaining with him once morning came. Part of him wanted to ask her why she had shown up at his door at all, but what tattered remnants of his pride remained forced him to keep quiet. He would take this night she was inexplicably giving him, and try to make the most of it - it was all he would have of her for the rest of his pathetic life, after all.

xxxxx

Panting, Christine ground her hips against Erik's as she rode him in the dark room, moaning in pleasure as his talented musician's fingers pinched and played with her nipples. Not surprisingly, Erik was proving to be a very quick study, she thought happily as she moved one hand to the apex of her thighs. Sensing that Erik wasn't going to last much longer, Christine began gently circling her finger on her clit. With that in addition to the incredible feeling of Erik inside of her, it didn't take long before she was experiencing her second orgasm of the night, collapsing over him shortly before he cried her name and clutched her hips, helplessly releasing himself inside of her once more.

This time, she felt Erik's arms encircle her firmly, holding her to his thin chest. Closing her eyes, she let herself drift off, secure in the knowledge that they were finally together, where they had always been meant to be.

xxxxx

Erik held Christine as she slept against his chest, relishing this one and only night that he would have the privilege of holding her in his arms. After she had slept for several hours, he felt her stir, and he tensed as she awoke, afraid she would be desperate to get away from him. He was pleasantly surprised, however, when she merely pressed a sleepy kiss to his sternum.

Soon, she appeared to wake up more fully, leaning up to find his mouth in a searching kiss that eventually led to Christine rolling to her back and pulling Erik on top of her again. This time, their joining was slow, a gentle meeting of their bodies that somehow seemed to be the most erotic scenario that had happened between them yet to him.

Afterward, as they clung to each other tightly, Erik felt a stirring of hope. Maybe he had been wrong. Was it possible that Christine did want to stay with him for more than a single night? Wanting to make sure that she knew exactly how he felt about her, Erik whispered tenderly, "I love you, Christine."

Although she said nothing in return, Erik knew that she had heard him by the way her arms tightened convulsively around him. Unsure what to make of her reaction, he reached a tentative hand to her face, intending to caress her cheek.

When Christine heard Erik's sweet, simple words and felt his hand brush her cheek so tenderly, she was overcome with emotion. Hearing this confirmation that Erik still loved her filled her with such relief that no words came to her in the moment, so she merely held on to him as tightly as she could, hoping he could feel everything she was too emotional to say to him in her embrace. As she drifted off to sleep once again, her last conscious thought was that she would tell him exactly how she felt about him in the morning. They had plenty of time stretching before them now for her to do exactly that.

xxxxx

When Erik had felt the wetness on Christine's cheek, he had realized that the fact that she was crying, combined with her pointed lack of an answer when he told her of his love, made her feelings - or rather, the lack of them - for him perfectly clear. Whatever it was that had motivated her to come to his door tonight he didn't know, but it was obvious that she had no intention of remaining by his side - not that he could blame her.

Determined not to ruin this one night that he would have with her, Erik held her close in the dark until the last possible moment, savoring every second with his Christine. Finally, though, he could wait no longer if he hoped to make it to the airport in time for his flight, and he slipped silently from her side, grabbing the bag he had already packed the previous evening before she showed up at his door. Letting his gaze linger on her in the dim light that was now visible in the room, Erik took in a final vision of his beloved girl, daring to lightly trace a finger over her soft cheek as he whispered, "Oh, Christine," before he walked away from her for the last time.

Every step was agony, and he wanted nothing more than to run back to Christine's side and beg her to stay with him, but Erik forced himself to keep going. He had done enough to her; even though it was the most difficult thing he had ever had to do, he forced himself to exit his apartment and get into the car that was already waiting for him, pausing for a second before deliberately setting his phone down to leave it behind. He would get a new one in America, anyway, and this way she wouldn't have to feel obligated to try to contact him again - even if she felt she should out of guilt or pity, she wouldn't be able to. For Christine, he could do this - he would leave her in peace at last, even if it killed him.

And, if Erik was truthful with himself, he wasn't sure whether or not he cared if it did.

A/N: Thank you for reading! I hope to have some fun with this story this summer. Any reviews are appreciated!