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Chapter 6- Beginning to Love

Three Days Later

Christine woke up peacefully before the sun was completely up. She laid in bed next to her husband and stared through the balcony doors at the sunrise. Finally fully awake, she turned on slowly on her other side and looked at her sleeping husband. Erik laid on his back with his face laying towards her. Christine stared down at him and gently touched his face. He had changed since they have been married, they slept in the same bed every night and even though she should have lost her virginity three days ago, she didn't and Erik didn't once question her or ask her to do anything upon her will. In fact, he was totally content with just sleeping next to her.

Erik didn't twitch as he felt Christine touching his face for he feared that if he opened his eyes, he would realize it was all a dream. She finally stopped and he slowly opened his eyes to see her back turned toward him again.

"What did you stop for?" He whispered. At the sound of his words Christine felt embarrassed. Turning around she looked at him and said,

"I'm sorry."

"For what?" He asked concerned.

"For not giving you what a wife gives her husband every night." Christine answered.

"Christine, I told you before, I will wait as long as you want me to. I have gone 40 years without it and I can go another 40 as long as I am with you." Christine smiled and then frowned,

"But I should be a good wife to you."

"You are, I want you to do this when you are ready." Erik said getting out of bed. Christine looked up at him as he slowly walked over to the wardrobe. Opening it, he pulled out black pants and a white shirt. Going to change his clothes he opened the door when he heard Christine say his name. Turning around he saw her still laying in bed and she picked at the blankets. Slowly raising her head so her eyes could meet his she quietly said,

"You can change right here." Erik had never been naked in front of anyone and worried about when it would happen if it ever did. He didn't have anymore deformities, in fact the only deformed thing on him was his face, everything else was quite normal. Christine lay back in the bed and looked out the windows again and Erik turned his back toward her taking off his shirt. Christine glanced back at him and could only see a smooth muscular back. It looked somewhat attractive for a back, but the way Erik was dressing was not at all attractive. He was stumbling all around in a nervous state and dropped his shirt twice. He put his right arm in the sleeve but had quite a hard time getting his left arm in. Christine watched and began giggling at his behavior. When he finally got his arm in he turned around and looked at her.

"What is so funny?" He asked in a defensive tone. Christine put her hands over her mouth to try to muffle her giggling. Erik then knew what she was laughing at…him. With one great movement, he swiped up the rest of his clothes and stormed out the door slamming it behind him.

Christine stood up and wrapped a robe around her. The mood in the house had been light for three days and now a dark shadow descended and it was all because she was laughing at the way he was throwing his clothes around from his nervousness. She went to the bedpost where her silk robe hung and put it on over her nightgown while slipping her feet into soft white slippers. Nervously, she left the room and walked down the hall to Erik's old bedroom and quietly tapped on the door.

"Go away!" Erik yelled to Christine from the other side of the door. He stood with only his pants on and reached as much of his back as he could feeling for any scars that he wasn't aware that he had causing Christine to laugh.

"Erik, I wasn't laughing at you. I was laughing at how nervous you were. It's all right for I would be nervous too dressing in front of you for the first time." Christine said from the other side of the door. Erik sighed and let his arms go limp; there was nothing else wrong with him. He quickly remembered how when she saw his deformities, she screamed, she didn't laugh. Erik promptly put on his shirt and opened the door a crack to see only Christine's face. She looked at him and then looked at the floor.

"I'm sorry." Erik sighed at her apology and didn't say anything. He opened the door wider and walked past her,

"Come, let's eat breakfast." He said walking towards the stairs. Christine stood confused for a moment; did this mean that he wasn't mad at her anymore or not? She didn't understand Erik's sudden change of moods and non-communication skills.

Erik sat down heavily and quietly at the kitchen table. Madeleine sensed that something was wrong and decided not to say anything and instead served him his tea and newspaper without saying a word. Christine then came down the stairs and sat down across from him while he glanced up from his paper to see her presence. Breakfast was served and both ate in silence as Erik buried his face in the paper. Suddenly between mouthfuls of food he shouted and stood up,

"That's it!" Christine surprised at the outburst looked at him questioningly while he continued to read in an excited manner before asking,

"What isit?"

"I found somewhere to seek employment! Nice's little opera house, L'Opera De Nice is seeking a new manager and producer. With all of my music skills, I could easily land one of those jobs."

"But Erik, I didn't think you needed a job, I mean, I thought that you had plenty of money." Christine said confused on why he all of sudden wanted a job without saying anything about it before.

"I've been doing some thinking and after all, I could live for another 30 years and money doesn't last that long, especially if I want to keep the reputation for always giving my wife beautiful things." Erik said without looking up from the newspaper. Christine blushed and looked back down at her food smiling to herself.

"Interviews begin tomorrow and they are open interviews where anyone can come. Just think of it Christine, if I became manager or a producer, or both, I could finally have my music performed. The music I have been working on for the last 14 years." Erik said sitting back down and looking at her instead of the paper. Christine smiled at him awhile he folded the paper so that the opera house interview page was facing upwards.

"Oh, I am so excited I can barely eat." Erik said pushing his plate away from him. Christine was happy for the man, for he never became excited about anything and she only hoped that they would hire him because all of his life, he had been rejected and if he was this excited about something, she knew that if it turned out to be a rejection, everything would be a disaster.

That afternoon, Christine sat outside on the back porch reading while Erik banged away on the piano for hours to release some of his excited energy. Christine enjoyed sitting on her lounger feeling the ocean breeze and faintly hearing Erik play in the background. Suddenly Erik stopped playing and came out onto the back porch sitting down in a lounger next to Christine's. She put down her book and looked at him while he stared blankly out into the ocean.

"Erik, I just want to say that I hope you get one of the positions tomorrow." He turned and looked at her,

"Thank you. You're so kind, for no one has ever hoped for me to do anything except myself." They sat quietly again both looking out at the ocean until Erik said,

"It sure is hot out here for May."

"It's not too bad." Christine said feeling perfect.

"Let's swim in the sea." Erik suggested. But Christine shook her head,

"It's not proper for a woman to swim." Erik went over to her chair and towered over her. Christine shrunk back feeling a little intimidation. But he swiftly put his arms underneath her and carried her out to the sea.

"Erik! Put me down! This is not funny; I do not want to get wet! Erik I am in a dress!" Christine said banging on him and trying not to laugh, but Erik roared with laughter the whole way out to the ocean. Walking in with his clothes on until he was knee deep, he lowered Christine in the water with her screaming,

"Oh! It's so cold!" She stood up in her wet dress and gave him a look that caused him to laugh at her.

"I guess I am not the only one acting ridiculous today." Erik said in between his amusement. Christine put her hands on her hips and gave him a serious look until she suddenly grabbed his mask and threw it on the beach, she thenjumped at him and pulled him all the way down into the water. She looked up just in time to jump up and allow a large wave crash on Erik soaking everything. Christine laughed as he toppled into the water and began coughing. He continued to sit in the water and cough and Christine finally knelt down beside him.

"Are you all right?" She asked.

"Yes, I'm all right. I just swallowed some water, that's all." Erik said getting up on his feet and helping Christine stand up until she almost fell back down as another wave crashed into her. Erik caught her in his arms and they both laughed again until she looked up at him, suddenly and forcefully she pressed her lips against his and pushed her tongue inside his mouth finding his. This was only the second time Erik had been kissed this way and he still wasn't used to the feeling. He tried to control his body as his right arm shook during the sensational experience.

Christine broke the kiss and kept staring at him until he met her gaze, then she looked down at the water. Shivering, she broke the silence by saying,

"I better get inside." Erik remained in his state of bliss and shock and finally regained control of his surroundings.

"Yes, yes we better get into some dry clothing."

In the late afternoon, Raoul rode his horse down the street Christine wrote about in her letter until he spotted Erik's house. He quickly steered his horse into the trees that were across the street from the house and thought. He decided that he would come back that night when everyone would surely be asleep. He cautiously rode out into the street and rode as fast as he could back into the town and booked a room at a local inn.

That evening after dinner, Erik and Christine retreated together to the music room where Erik played and they sang songs together. There was laughing and singing and drinking going on for a few hours until the large clock in the foyer struck 12:30 AM. Christine yawned and Erik said,

"All right, time for bed." He pulled the music off the piano, stacked it neatly on top of it and closed the lid. Christine in the meantime began cleaning up the liquor they got out. When everything was cleaned up the couple headed up the stairs towards their bedroom.

Raoul spied on the front of the house for 20 minutes listening to Christine's angelic singing. When the music stopped, Raoul watched from the windows as a small light went from downstairs to upstairs. Where are you Christine? He asked himself as the light suddenly disappeared. Raoul ran to the back of the house and saw a room all lit up with balcony off the back of it. That has to be her room! He thought feeling himself becoming excited. He ran toward the house and climbed to that balcony on the gutter spout. Looking in, he saw Christine pulling down the sheets of a bed with Erik standing at the foot of it in pajamas. Christine said something to Erik, but Raoul could not make out what she said. Erik stood still for a few more minutes until he finally moved to blow out all the lamps around the room except one. Raoul squinted to see what was going on in that room and he finally made out Erik and Christine standing by the bed kissing passionately. He stared in horror at what he thought was Erik forcing Christine to kiss him. He leaned against the glass and squinted harder to see Erik removing Christine's nightgown revealing nothing underneath.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Erik asked.

"Yes, tonight is the night you are to make me your wife." Christine said with a little regret, but she knew she couldn't deprive him of this forever. Raoul was not coming back for her and Erik was now her life. Erik nervously began removing her nightgown revealing everything she was to him. He stood for a moment and stared before pulling her towards him and kissing her. He ran his hands up and down her body exploring everything while kissing her. Christine had never felt anything this good in her entire life. Erik's touches were hypnotizing and she wanted nothing more for him to continue and go farther. Using her passionate feelings, she began to undo his clothing as well. Hearing intimate stories from the ballet dancers at the Paris Opera House, Christine knew other ways to pleasure a man, but had no experience. She held Erik's hands as he stepped out of his pants and she looked down and gasped at never having seen what was pointing at her before.

"It's all right; I know this is new to you. This is new for me too and if you want to quit, just say it and it can all be over with." Erik said in a soothing voice rubbing his hands along her shoulders and back. She pressed her head on his chest debating whether she should do what she always heard was the best way to satisfy any man and she suddenly knelt down and wrapped her lips around Erik's penis. Erik did not know what to think at what she did and suddenly he didn't think at all feeling the sensation that ran through his body by her one action. Christine sucked and moved Erik's penis within her mouth until he finally said,

"Stop." She stopped and looked up worried that she had hurt him and he grabbed her by her forearms and lifted her to her feet.

"If you continue, then you won't be getting anything out of this for I will be done my dear." Erik whispered. Christine smiled and he pressed his lips to her this time and pulled her against him feeling her naked body pressed against his. He lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around him. He carried her over to the bed and gently laid her down and then he laid himself on top of her putting himself inside her. Thrusting inside her and exploring her body, Christine felt wonderful until suddenly the spectacular feeling was clouded with pain. She let out a loud, painful moan followed by small tears. Erik stopped and looked down at her,

"What is wrong?" He asked concerned.

"It just hurts." She said tearfully.

"I'm going to stop." He said.

"No, no! Just keep going and get it over with." Christine said.

"Not if it's going to hurt you." Erik insisted.

"I want you to continue. Please." Christine pleaded. Erik couldn't contain himself any longer, faster he moved until he finally reached his climax. His breathing slowed and he closed his eyes as he injected into her. When everything stopped, he slowly pulled himself out of Christine and lowered himself to kiss her.

"Just so you know, I love you with everything that I am." Erik whispered. Christine looked up at him and smiled as she shifted underneath him onto her side. Erik laid down next to her on his back and was surprised when she scooted closer to him and laid her head on his chest.

Raoul watched everything in horror! How could that monster make Christine pleasure him in such a disgusting manner? How could he force himself upon her when they weren't even married? And then sleep in her bed? These thoughts ran through Raoul's mind as he slowly backed up toward the railing with his hand over his mouth. He had to get Christine out of this place and he decided that he would leave and spy the next day until Erik left the house, if Erik would leave the house.

The next morning, Raoul waited in the trees across the street until he saw Erik ride on a horse and down the street toward the small city. Nervously, Raoul approached the house. He knocked on the door and Madeleine answered,

"May I help you?" She asked.

"Yes, I am here to see Christine Daae." Raoul said politely.

"You mean, Madame Christine Moreau? She is on the back porch having her breakfast today. May I show you the way?" Raoul was stunned by what the maid said, Madame. The monster made her marry him, he could still rescue her and save her from a lifetime of unhappiness.

"Yes, that would be fine." Raoul said following Madeleine through the rich house and onto the back porch.

"Madame, you have a visitor." Madeleine said. Christine looked up from her breakfast and screamed,

"Raoul!"

Ugh! Cliffie, I know! But anyways, review, review, review!