"Woman, would you hold still?" Erik cried three hours later, as he tried to sleep next to someone for the first time. For the first hour they fought over who had more blanket. The second hour, they fought over who kept crowding them. The last hour they fought over who was moving more.
"Well if you would stop taking all of the blankets!" Roxana cried and snatched them back. He growled.
"Are we on that subject again?" He asked and she let out a loud sigh.
"I don't know…all I know is that this bed isn't big enough for two people to sleep in without touching! Good thing Jamie is sleeping on the sofa!" She said as he made a noise of irritation. She turned around again and he did the same and soon they were in a battle for the blanket. A tug of war. Suddenly a smirk came to her face and she let go, sending him flying over the side of the bed.
"You are going to pay for that…" He muttered, standing back up. She frowned.
"Why are you still wearing your pants?" She asked him. It didn't look comfortable. A mischievous gleam sparkled in his eyes.
"I sleep naked." He said and her mouth dropped as she smacked his arm.
"You're insane." She grumbled and lay back down. He sighed, sitting up and resting his head on the headboard.
"Look, if we sleep closer together it will be more comfortable." He said and she raised an eyebrow.
"You mean, you won't bite my head off if I touch you?" She asked and he rolled his eyes.
"Just come here." He said, annoyed as she turned toward him and he lay all the way down. He put his arm out for her to come next to him and after a moment of settling they were comfortable.
"Oh…that was easy!" She said surprised at how comfortable this was. It had been so long since she had slept like this. Erik grumbled. It had only taken three hours. He had just closed his eyes when he heard her say his name.
"Erik?"
"Mm?" Was his reply. She draped an arm across his stomach and he tensed at the touch.
"Thank you for taking care of Jamie today." She said, yawning tiredly. He nodded, eyes still closed.
"It's no problem…" He said, adjusting his head on the pillow and nearing sleep again.
"Erik?" Her voice came again.
"Yes?" He asked, in half a yawn.
"Are you sure you're alright sleeping like this?"
"Yes, it's fine Roxana. Go to sleep." He said firmly and she was silent.
"Erik?" Her voice came again after a few moments and his eyes shot open.
"What?" He asked in an irritated voice. She sighed against his bare shoulder.
"Thank you for marrying me…and…and…everything. Just…thank you." She said and he sighed unable to remain mad.
"You're welcome." He said patting her back, as she finally fell asleep. He stared at the ceiling. She was a damn pest, but she could be very sweet when she wanted. He looked at her eye which was still swollen. He gasped suddenly. He hadn't thought of Christine once since he'd said goodnight to her. Now as he tried to think of her, all that ran through his mind was that they'd had a nice talk earlier. It didn't kill him. He also realized he felt no animosity toward the boy. Raoul…He still loved her, he knew he did, but he didn't feel like jumping off of a bridge every time he saw her look at her husband, which he took as a good sign.
"Sleeping Beauty…it's time to wake up." Roxana said the next morning. She opened the curtains so sunlight poured into the room. Erik groaned, repulsed by the light.
"Go away." He growled. She laughed.
"It's ten o'clock. Get up." She said, shaking him by the shoulders. He glared at her, grabbing his mask and wig. "Oh, and put some clothes on. Some of us would like to eat today!" She said making a face as he threw a pillow at her. She laughed as she picked it up and looked at him. He was about to retort when he noticed her eye was open.
"The swelling went down." He said and she nodded.
"It's nice to see out of both eyes."
"I'm sure it is…" He said, pulling on a dress shirt and vest. He motioned for her to turn around.
"Why?" She asked and he smirked.
"Because I have to take my pants off to change…" He said and she turned without another word. Oh God…he is…naked. Behind me. I haven't seen a naked man in almost three years…She still blushed at the thought. With Justin she had always been self conscious…though he never hesitated to tell her how beautiful he thought she was. Roxana's problem with herself was that all of her friends were petite with a small waist and delicate bosom. She, on the other hand, had a pretty small waist and an extremely large bosom. Until she was sixteen, she had wrapped fabric tightly around her bust to make it appear small. Once she had come home from finishing school, she'd given up. It was uncomfortable and she didn't care anymore. That was when Andrew noticed her.
"Roxana?" Erik's voice brought her back. "I'm ready." He said and urged her gently out the door. He stopped outside the door when he heard the sound of giggling girls.
"Oh no…not again." He groaned and she laughed, dragging his arm behind her.
"I take it you've had the pleasure of meeting the Chagnys." She said and he nodded.
"I'd tried to forget." He said grumpily. "I don't like the way that woman treats Christine." He said and Roxana looked at him.
"I know she seems hard but her intentions are good. She just wants Christine to fit in." She said. True the Comtess was not always the sweetest person, but her intentions were never malicious. "Besides…it's only the girls. They are here for our tea with Rachele and Angel." She said.
Erik raised an eyebrow at her.
"You have a friend named Angel?" He asked with a chuckle. Roxana shook her head.
"Her name is Angelina." She said and he sighed as they walked into the room. Angel and Rachele looked up and began chittering to each other before Roxana glared at them.
"There, you've met him." She said, sitting him down and pouring him some tea.
"I told you…" The middle Chagny sister whispered to Rachele.
"Alana…just because you whisper doesn't mean we can't hear you." Roxana said to the girl.
"Well, Trevor will have his heir just around Christmas." Angelina said, taking a sip. Roxana spun around.
"You're pregnant?" She asked and the girl nodded. "Not just to occupy you, I hope." She said stealing a glance at her husband and winking at him. He rolled his eyes.
"No…it just sort of…happened!" She laughed as Erik looked at the door. Raoul had also been roped into this tea party as he sat next to Christine, looking at everything as if he were trying to find an escape. Erik almost felt sympathy for the boy.
"So this is the mystery man?" Rachele teased, poking Roxana in the ribs. She swatted at her.
"Yes...this is my husband Erik." She said giving him an apologetic look. "Now you can all die happy." She added. Erik felt a tug on his sleeve and looked down to see the youngest Chagny girl staring innocently up at him.
"My sisters wouldn't tell you but they both think you're dreamy..." She said as her sisters both gasped in embarrassed horror as Erik buried his face in his hand and shook his head.
"Izzy!" Rosaline cried, turning every shade of red. Alana glared at her.
"Snitch." She grumbled and he laughed at how innocent they all were.
Christine yawned tiredly.
"You alright dear?" Raoul asked her and she nodded.
"Exhausted really..." She said looking at Roxana. Erik raised an eyebrow at her. She'd always had trouble sleeping. Unless she had some kind of music to put her to sleep. Of course! He would have to buy her a music box...a beautiful music box maybe made of lovely red wood. No...she wasn't his wife. Roxana was...Christine was Raoul's wife now. She would never be his wife. He pushed away the gnawing feeling in his gut as she smiled at him from across the table before looking at Roxana again and mouthing something to her. Roxana stifled a giggle and nodded. He scowled and folded his arms as Roxana looked over at him.
"You don't have to sit here you know Erik." She said, looking over at Raoul. He nodded.
"Thank God...Chagny, let's get the hell out of here shall we?" He asked as Raoul looked up surprised.
"Who, me?" He asked and Erik sighed.
"No...I was asking your baby sister...of course you!" He said, nodding toward the door as Raoul kissed Christine's cheek and nervously moved to follow him. All of the girls looked expectantly at Roxana and Erik.
"What?" Roxana said and Angel giggled.
"Well aren't you going to kiss him goodbye?" She asked in her sweet voice. Erik and Roxana looked at each other in horror but she stood and they awkwardly kissed on the lips before he fled the room, pulling Raoul by his sleeve and they all burst into a fit of giggles.
"So..." Roxana said, trying to change the subject. "Angel! Is Trevor excited about the baby?" She asked and Angel nodded.
"Oh goodness he's already named him Trevor Rogan Pierpont the second!" She laughed and Christine bit her lip.
"What if it's a girl?" She asked aloud and they all looked at her. Rachele laughed.
"Thank you! At least someone here isn't living in their own little world. What if it's a girl Angel dear?" She asked and Angel frowned.
"We haven't discussed what we would name it if it was a girl...he was just so excited...but he did say he doesn't care as long as it is healthy."
"How about you Christine? Does Raoul want children?" Rachele asked, sipping her tea. She nodded.
"We've talked about it once or twice...I um...I don't know if I am ready for all of that. How can I have a child, if I still feel like one?" She said, laughing nervously. Roxana looked at her sympathetically.
"Well there is no rush sweetheart. Raoul is only twenty-one and you're sixteen. Barely a woman..." She said and Christine nodded. Alana cleared her throat.
"Well...I uh...I have some news." She said, squeezing Christine's hand. "It seems Monsieur Reynolds found the courage to ask my father for his permission to marry me!" She said and Christine laughed, grateful for a change in subject. Rosaline gasped.
"What did Papa say?" She asked and Alana laughed.
"Well, no of course! But after some convincing he agreed and told me this morning that Garrett had his blessing. Now all he has to do is...well, ask! Papa made him promise to wait until after I am seventeen to marry me though, but my birthday is only in two months!" She said giggling excitedly. "I am going to be Madame Garrett Reynolds!" Rosaline sighed.
"Have you seen Brett?" She asked, inquiring about Garrett's handsome older brother, who was a Baron. Alana nodded.
"Talk about a dreamboat!" She said and Rosie brightened.
"Has he got a girl?" She asked and Alana shook her head.
"We were such good friends before...I wonder if he would remember me." She said.
Izzy laughed.
"Good friends? He hardly noticed you! You were thirteen the last time he saw you!" Rosaline stuck her tongue out at her. Alana giggled, looking at Christine.
"She always liked Brett...though I admit we both thought he was rather dreamy, but Garrett asked me to marry him when we were five and I'd hate to go back on my word now..." She said and Rachele laughed.
"Oh posh...you have loved Garrett since the day you first saw his diapered derriere, when you were babies!" They all giggled and Christine sighed in relief, afraid to think of being pregnant when it could have already happened these past couple days.
"Mademoiselle Giry...has anyone ever told you, that you have the most crystal clear blue eyes...I could stare into them all day." Andrew Westcliff said, holding the arm of the tiny girl as they strolled down the streets of Paris together.
"No...no one." She said shyly, looking up into his dark blue eyes. His beautiful pink lips were spread into a soft smile and he was looking intensely into her eyes.
"Mademoiselle Giry..." He said and she smiled, squeezing his arm.
"It's just Meg." She said and he chuckled.
"Just Meg...have you ever been kissed love?" He asked, as they came to a beautifully shaded area in the park. She shook her head, blushing.
"No...Lord Westcliff..." He smiled.
"Andrew." He said and she nodded.
"No...Andrew."
He sighed and looked up at the midday sky.
"What a lovely day it is...don't you think?" He said, running a hand through his blond curls. She nodded, looking down at her hands. He caught her chin gently and tilted her head up to look at him.
"A lovely day with a lovely woman." He murmured, leaning down as her breath caught. Her first kiss would be with this...this gorgeous creature...and he was looking at her, not through her! He was as fine and good as Raoul de Chagny if not better. Christine was just jealous that people were paying attention to her too. When his lips gently touched hers an electric spark surged throughout her small body and her arms naturally came up to cling around his neck. He lifted her off of her feet and picked her small frame up holding her with her feet far off the ground as he gently kissed her before setting her back down.
Her face was fiercely red. He chuckled, brushing her gold hair from her face. This was too easy. She was putty in his hands. He wouldn't even have to work at it, and she was beautiful to top it all off. Yes, this was a good match.
"Andrew...I...I am afraid I am falling for you." She said, embarrassed trying to walk away but he held her gently around the waist.
"Oh no Meg Giry...you aren't going anywhere...ever. Not if I have anything to do with it." He said and she giggled nervously as he kissed her again, this time deepening it. She made a small squeak in the back of her throat and lost her breath.
"You see Meg...my sweet...my darling...I am afraid I am falling for you too..." He said and suddenly, she was his, heart and soul. He smiled, satisfied with himself as he kissed her once more.
"Cheers." Erik muttered, holding Jamie with one hand on his lap and clicking his glass with Raoul de Chagny's. Raoul nodded and drank his sixth shot of whiskey, wincing again. Erik looked at him, amused. He was already a bit over the edge.
"Tell me boy...do you drink much?" He asked and Raoul shook his head.
"I've only been drunk once and that was at my eighteenth birthday party when my friends got me so intoxicated, I woke up on the front lawn. That was just before Justin..." He stopped, sobering a bit. "Well, you know." He said and Erik nodded.
"What was Roxana like before...?" He asked, curious and Raoul smiled.
"She was so full of life. I remember one Christmas Eve, just before she and Justin got married, she dragged us all out to this raggedy little tavern where they were playing music and dancing. We of course were a bit uneasy but she dragged us in and that was the most fun I've ever had on a night out, although I mostly watched them dance and sat with my best friend Henry at the table."
Erik swatted at Jamie's hands gently as he tried to get Erik's mask off to play with it. Erik usually allowed him too, but he didn't really want Christine's husband to see him like that again.
"No James. Behave." He said and the boy pouted.
"I want!" He said and Erik looked at him sternly.
"James..." He said and the boy lost interest and instantly began to pick at the buttons on Erik's vest.
"Why are you being so nice to me sir?" Raoul asked pouring another couple of shots. Erik shrugged.
"If I am ever going to be able to accept the fact that Christine has married you, I have to make sure you are a good man. Because frankly, I don't know a damn thing about you other than you two met by the sea years ago." He said and Raoul nodded.
"I understand sir." He said and Erik sighed.
"Oh God...please. Call me Erik." He said and Raoul looked up nervously.
"Alright...eh...Erik." He said and nearly smiled as they clicked glasses again.