Chapter 8

That night was a cooler, rainy summer night. The wind and the rain blew into the Thibault's bedroom while Erik lay awake next to his sleeping wife. Standing up, he walked over to the window and closed the window a little bit to keep some of the rain from splashing in. He looked down onto the front lawn, staring at the glistening grass and thinking about Christine. He imagined his life with her, they had their son, and he could have made her happy. The thought of being a family with her and Charles caused his heart to pound with excitement, until he reassured himself that it was not happening. The true situation was that they couldn't be together.

With sadness, he looked back at Anne sleeping soundly and happily. He smiled gently at the thought of her having his child, and that he did indeed, have a wife. He couldn't bring himself to go back to sleep as he stood looking back out the window. He quickly went to the closet and changed into some dark clothes and quietly left the bedroom. Creeping down the stairs, he went to the coat closet and put on his hat and cloak. Pulling his hat way down to cover his mask, he made his way to the back of the house and out the back door to the stable.

When he reached the stable, he saddled up his favorite horse and left his property and down the quiet streets towards the city. He rode at lightning speed through the quiet suburban streets and into the city where the gas lamps flickered, lighting up the streets and the taverns that were still open but somewhat desolate. He slowed his horse down when he reached the residential area of the city, looking at the townhouses and finally came to the one he was looking for. The rain had slowed to a slow drizzle and he looked up at the clouds to see them finally breaking up, revealing stars behind them.

Christine tossed and turned in the great bed of her and Raoul's. She fought with herself the whole night on what to do now that Charles had met Erik. What was Raoul going to do? She knew that she didn't want to hurt him, but she knew that Charles knowing Erik was the only right thing. She would close her eyes and grab onto Raoul's pillows, scoot herself to the middle of the giant bed and then her mind would wander again.

She heard a tapping on her front window, and dismissed it as the giant tree that stood in their front yard. But when she heard it again, in its own rhythmic pattern, she pulled the covers over her eyes. Even though she was a wife and mother, she still had her childish fears. She heard it again under the covers and shaking, she put her hand out and lit the gas lamp beside her bed. Lighting up the room made her feel a little more secure as she stood up to investigate the tapping at the front window. Pulling her robe around her, she pulled back the curtains and there was Erik, stuck in the giant tree.

"Erik! What are you doing here?!" She asked in a frantic whisper. She opened the window all the way and he climbed into her bedroom. Looking around, he finally said to a very impatient Christine,

"I couldn't sleep. I had to see you." Her blue eyes stared at his dark ones and she finally stepped a little closer to him and pulled him to her, resting her head on his chest. Erik, who used to be so afraid of touch, especially from her, automatically put his hands around her waist and back, and squeezed her to him.

"I've wanted to do just stand here and hold you for so long." He whispered into her hair. She snuggled even closer to him and responded,

"I have too." They stood there silently for a few minutes, Erik listening to her breathe as she listened to his heartbeat. It was the most wonderful sound to her, for it was not too long ago, she thought his heart wasn't beating. She finally pulled her head away and looked up at him, and he couldn't help but automatically kiss her. They kissed each other passionately, with tangled tongues and lips. Arms and hands trying to find their way around each other, while she slowly walked backwards and he followed, never once separating their kiss.

Finally separating, she sat down on the bed looking up at him innocently, waiting for him to make his next move. But he just stood there, fingering his wedding ring, wishing it was a ring Christine had given him.

"Is it wrong that we're here together?" She asked breaking the awkward silence.

"I don't know, is it?" He asked.

"Erik, ever since that night…" she stammered, "I always knew that it was you who I should have spent my life with." He looked down at his feet and replied,

"I wish it were me you were with right now." He sighed loudly and sat down beside her, taking her hand in his. She leaned her head against his broad shoulder and asked,

"What are we going to do?"

"There's not much we can do." He replied with sadness in his voice.

"Just don't leave me again." She whispered. He pulled her face up to look at him and said,

"I won't leave you until the day I die." He finally had the courage to kiss her again and it was so passionate, Christine had never experienced a kiss quite like it. It caused butterflies to erupt into her stomach and sent shivers down her spine. It was as if her hands were moving without her knowledge around his back and at the waist of his trousers. As they kept kissing she reached her thumbs into the waist band and Erik moaned out as he could feel what she was doing. They couldn't do this, it was wrong, wasn't it?

He reached around her back and felt that there was nothing but the small, thin nightgown she wore. He could feel the skin beneath her nightgown shiver at his touch. He gently used his fingertips to give her even more shivers as they continued more of the passionate kissing.

She finally laid back and he was on top of her. She stopped kissing him giving him the opportunity to passionately kiss her neck and chest. Closing her eyes, she couldn't help but smile to herself, her love was here, with her now. Pushing himself up on his elbow, he used his fingertips to trace around to her abdomen. She sucked in at his touch and reached up to pull him into another kiss. Pushing his jacket off, revealed his crisp white shirt which she began to unbutton with her small fingers. Erik didn't remember her being bold like this the last time this happened. But she was just an innocent young girl then. Before he knew it, his shirt was being pushed off and she reached up to turn off the gas lamp. As she was sitting, Erik reached down and pulled her nightgown over her head revealing everything to him. She was just as beautiful to him as she had been all those years ago. The feel of her small hands on his naked back, moving up to his shoulders as he felt their bodies mold together sent quivers through him.

Lightning started outside, revealing both of them to each other as it lit up the room. The large crack of thunder that followed did not disturb the two lovers as she lay beneath him, looking up at his dark eyes hidden beneath his white mask. She didn't need to see his facial expression when he moved himself inside of her. She sat up a little and kissed his shoulders and chest and leaning her head back to expose her breasts to him. He kissed each one as gently as he could, teasing her body in a way that she wanted him now. Cupping one of them he made his way back to her mouth and breaking himself apart from her by thrusting inside of her.

This feeling she was getting was fast, unlike with Raoul took a while. The harder he kissed and moved she knew she wouldn't be able to contain herself for long. She couldn't keep quiet about it either until Erik whispered in her ear,

"You better keep quiet." She gave a little chuckle as he thrust again and replied,

"You make that very hard." He smiled back at her and began thrusting harder and faster. He couldn't contain himself any longer. He had wanted this since the first time he had her. He always dreamed of having her every night, but never thought that it was possible.

She squeezed his upper arm almost digging her fingernails into him as he brought her to ecstasy. She lifted her head off of the pillow and he watched below him as she cried out in delight, which in turn made his body release itself. He lay down with his head on her heaving chest wrapping his arm around her and holding her. Trying to keep all of his emotions inside, he could feel himself wanting to cry. He loved her and always loved her, and he couldn't imagine his life without her.

She stroked his head and pulled his mask off asking him,

"Are you going to stay with me tonight?" He pulled her tighter and smiled to himself and answered,

"I wish I could. But what would we do about Charles?"

"I don't know. I was more thinking of your wife."

"I know, I know it's wrong what I did. But I don't love her like I love you. I don't think I ever will."

"Erik I'm not asking you to leave her." Christine began,

"I know my love, I know you're not."

"But I just wish we could be together." She replied.

"I do too." He answered snuggling back down into her chest.

"I could lay here forever." He whispered.

"I could too." She answered. Another flash of lightning and Christine was asleep. Erik kissed her forehead and covered her up as he rose from the bed. Putting on all of his clothes, he made his way over to her small desk where she had a vase of roses and he selected one. Writing a note on her stationary, he tucked the rose in with it and placed on the pillow beside her sleeping form. He slowly opened the window and climbed back into the tree and down to the street below where his horse was waiting for him. Taking off down the street with a flash of distant lightning, he glanced back at her house before turning towards the direction he came.

A/N: Yes the sex scene was not too exciting or erotic, but this is the first time they had done it in a LONG time and well, it's more realistic, fast and awkward. Thanks for reading and please review!