Thank you to all who read and reviewed this, keeping me hoping that I'm not a total hack! This wraps up my story, but not my Erik/Christine addiction. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed creating it!
Chapter Eighteen
The morning sun was just beginning to rise when Christine awoke. Her eyes focused on the window she was turned towards and, at first, she frowned at the unfamiliar setting. Then, the events of the night came rushing back as she remembered Erik's hands and mouth on her body and how he had taken her twice more after their initial lovemaking. Her stomach flipped crazily again and she slowly smiled. She inhaled deeply, loving the scent that was uniquely his. She turned to look at him and discovered he wasn't there. She sat up, holding the sheet to her chest and looked around the room, listening intently towards the door: nothing. Looking around her, she saw her torn and discarded dress on the floor. No use in trying to put that back on. She stood up and went to Erik's closet. There she found several of his shirts and selected one to slip into. It covered her nearly to her knees and she rolled the sleeves up to suit her shorter arms. Clothed, albeit not quite decently, she opened the door of his bedroom and peeked out into the rest of his chambers. There was no sign of him.
"Erik?" She called, beginning to feel uneasy. Where could he have gone? She searched the tables in the room for a note but found nothing. She glanced at the clock on the mantel: 7:00am. She paced the room three times and looked at the clock again: 7:10. She selected a book from the shelves on the wall and sat in his chair, paging through it, but she found she couldn't concentrate. She looked at the clock again: 7:20. Where was he?
She stood up and looked through the papers and things on his desk: no wallet. Had he stepped out for something? She walked to the French doors and opened them onto the balcony and stepped out into the fresh air. She moved to the high wall around the balcony and looked down the street and then back up, but there was no sign of him. She glanced back at the clock: 7:30.
Oh, God. Had he left for good? Had she done something wrong? Had her wanton actions made him reconsider his feelings for her? Maybe he had wanted to make her feel as she had made him feel: feel despair after having love so close. Was this his revenge on her: to leave her broken as she had once left him? Tears began to form in Christine's eyes. Why did she always do the wrong thing as far as their relationship was concerned? She'd driven him away.
"No. Please, no!" She whispered, feeling herself lose control of her tears. What had she done? She….
There was the click of a door and Christine spun around to see Erik entering the apartment carrying a tray of coffee, tea, and pastries. His startled eyes met hers and she gasped out loud. Frowning, he placed the tray down as he shut the door behind him.
"Christine….you…." he began and then grunted as she flung herself at him. Awkwardly, he wrapped his arms around her. "What's wrong? Why are you crying? Are you hurt?" He asked as she sobbed in his arms.
"Oh, Erik! I thought you were gone!" She cried tears of relief, holding onto him as tightly as she could.
"I had thought to be back before you awoke but Frank was late in arriving this morning. I suspect he and Madam Giry might have had an interesting evening. It's why it took me longer to procure some breakfast," he explained, peeling her arms away and holding her out in front of him to look at her. He reached up to wipe her tears away. "Why are you crying?"
She bowed her head in embarrassment. "I thought I'd done something to make you change your mind about me: about us."
Erik laughed. "What?" He reached out and gently tilted her chin up so she was looking at him. "Change my mind about you? My God, Christine! I could no more willingly stop breathing! I thought perhaps you would have second thoughts about everything after last night: after the liberties I took with you." Now it was his turn to bow his head in embarrassment.
As answer, Christine stepped to him and pressed her mouth to his, wrapping her arms around him, fitting her body against his. When she came up for air, she saw him raise his eyebrow and once again he held her at arm's length.
"You're wearing my shirt."
"I'm sorry! I didn't know what else to wear. My dress is ruined…." Christine started by way of explanation and then stopped when she saw the smile on Erik's face.
"Don't apologize. I like how you look in my clothes," he marveled, allowing his hands to drop to her waist and slip up under the shirt she was wearing.
She gasped as his cold hands found bare hips and then buttocks and then he pulled her to him for another kiss. He moaned as she dropped her right hand below his waist and forced himself to step back as he broke the kiss.
"Vixen!" He admonished.
"Tease!" She returned.
He laughed and led her to the table where breakfast awaited. He poured her coffee and himself tea and watched as she dug into the chocolate croissant in front of her. She felt his eyes on her and looked up at his amused face.
"Why are you smiling like that?" She asked.
"I must confess that I have always dreamed of a scene like this: one so ordinary to most. I've always wanted to see you with your guard down and simply being you. This scene far exceeds any of my expectations. Your hair is mussed, you're scantily clad in one of my shirts, you're hungrily eating without a napkin daintily set upon your lap, and all of this makes you even more beautiful to me," he replied, eyes full of suppressed mirth, but also adoration.
Christine laughed. "You have me at a disadvantage, Sir! After such a night as last night, you should not look as perfectly immaculate as you do now! I feel as though, when I leave here, everyone will know what we've done. I feel like I'm marked now." She laughed again. "I suppose there is no question of what transpired between us since I didn't return home. Meg will be starved for information."
Erik winced. "I did not mean to allow things to get quite so out of hand. You seemed no longer scared of me and I lost my shyness as well. I never felt like that: as though all our feelings were laid completely bare. I didn't intend to take your maidenhood like that…." He trailed off uncomfortably.
Christine laughed again and Erik looked up at her in confusion. "If I remember correctly, you didn't take anything. I believe I was the one who 'took'."
Erik searched her eyes for regret and instead found happiness. He shook his head in disbelief. "I suppose you're right."
There was a light knock at the door and Christine quickly stood up. She didn't want to be so blatantly obvious: especially dressed as she was. She looked at Erik who whispered, "Go to the balcony," and did so immediately. She tucked herself on a small wrought iron chair just out of sight and waited. She couldn't hear anything and didn't want to peek around the corner for fear of being seen, but she didn't have to wait long; Erik appeared by her side with her coffee and came to lean against the stone wall around the balcony.
"That was Sarah checking on my wound. Well….that, and I'm sure on 'us'. She didn't ask but she saw the two settings for breakfast."
Christine sighed. "I hope she doesn't think even less of me now."
Erik smiled. "On the contrary, she brought one of her dresses over so that you'd be able to leave with dignity."
"She's a good person," Christine remarked.
"Yes, she is. She's the reason I have spent so much time being 'normal'. She convinced me that in New York, most people don't care about my mask: especially since I give so generously to the opera. She's also the reason I didn't give up on my dream of having you. She coached me and had me doing things I would never have done. But it worked."
Christine raised an eyebrow. "Coached you? Is that how you knew what to do to me last night?"
"No! Not like that! She….you're laughing at me," Erik realized.
Christine tried to compose her face and appear serious, but to no avail. "Yes, I'm teasing you." She giggled again. "But your reaction was priceless."
Erik huffed in mock annoyance. "I never realized you were quite such a joker."
"That's your fault. You've brought out an entirely different side of me: so many facets I never realized I possessed. I feel so alive! It's as if I've been seeing life as gray and depressing and suddenly the sun has come out and everything is bright and colorful. And I feel so free." Here, Christine stood up and went to him. She took both of his hands in hers and looked him straight in the eye. "Erik, I love you. I've always loved you. I was just stupid and immature and I didn't understand everything I was feeling. I've caused you so much pain….I hope you can learn to forgive me. I promise I will spend the rest of my life showing you how much I love you."
Erik took a ragged breath at her words. "All the dark silent years of my life are put right by you. You are so much more than I am worthy of. A better man would free you to be with another more deserving of your love. But I am not a better man and I will never let you go." He pulled her to him in a tight embrace and with his face buried in her hair he whispered, "My Christine, how I love you!"
She laughed with tears in her eyes. To finally say those words and have them repeated back….She pulled back in order to kiss him and she tasted both their tears as mouth pressed against mouth. He pulled her body tight to his as he continued kissing her, lips parted and tongues colliding. The thin material of his shirt she wore did little to hide the hardened peaks of her breasts and he pulled the bottom of the shirt up to her waist, pressing himself against her bared body, using both of his hands on her buttocks to grind into her harder. And then he felt her hands fumbling at his pants and, before he realized what was happening, he was bared to her as well.
"Please," was all she could say and he lifted her up easily, pressing her against the wall with a need too urgent to deny. Moments after he finished his release, she whimpered his name in her release, trying to stay quiet. Struggling to catch their breaths, he eventually allowed her to slide down to stand and he placed his hands on the wall to either side of her, pressing his forehead to hers after kissing her brow.
"What have you done to me?" He whispered.
She smiled in return. "I could ask the same of you."
He held her to him for a few moments more and then unwillingly let her go. "You will be late for rehearsals if I keep you here any longer."
Christine sighed in regret. "You're right. But I don't want to leave."
He smiled as he straightened himself up, tucking his shirt back in. "I'll be there, you know that. I will bring you lunch."
She raised her eyebrows. "Can we skip lunch in favor of dessert?"
His eyes widened, still unused to this sexual banter, but enjoying it nonetheless. "I'm sure that can be arranged. Your friends may be scandalized if they see us slipping away, though."
Christine sighed. "I'm sure they'll be scandalized after the entire scene with Raoul. It's going to be awkward facing them and trying to explain everything."
"Wait here," Erik commanded, disappearing into his chambers for a moment. When he returned, he walked to her and took her hands in his. "I may have something for you to make them forget all about that scene last night."
She cocked her head in curiosity." What?"
"Ever since the first moment I laid eyes on you, I've loved you. I've spent my entire life existing, but not living. You've shown me the difference. When I'm with you, hear you sing….I feel more alive than I have ever before." Here, he knelt down in front of her. "Fulfill us; make us whole. Seal our bond forever more and marry me, Christine." He reached into his pocket and retrieved a box that he opened, revealing a stunning diamond and emerald ring.
Christine's eyes widened and she gasped at the sight of him kneeling before her. With shaking hands, she took the proffered ring and slipped in onto her finger, holding her hand out in front of her to admire it. Then she dropped onto her knees in front of him, tears in her eyes. "You still want me after everything I've done?"
"More than I could ever explain," he replied quietly.
"Erik!" She cried, hugging him and then kissing him joyously.
He pulled away, frowning. "Is that a yes?"
She laughed again. "Yes! Yes, I will marry you! Heart to heart and soul to soul, you are mine and I am yours: forever!"
Erik smiled and through tears of happiness, he took her face in his hands and brought their mouths together. The story he had thought ended months ago was just about to begin.