Christine's POV
I was so tired, rehearsals had extremely hard today. I was making my way to Madame Giry's rooms, when I heard someone calling my name. I turned to find Raoul hastily making his way toward me.
"Christine I've been looking for you everywhere. I was wondering if you would grant me the privilege of taking you to lunch?" He asked breathlessly.
"I'm so sorry Raoul but I can't right now. I was about to go Madame Giry's rooms, she wants to talk to me." I was kind of hoping that he would go away, I didn't need this right now I had enough to think about.
"Perhaps I could walk with you. I was headed that way anyway, I need to speak to the managers about a few things." He offered me his arm and I couldn't refuse.
I really liked Raoul, he was sweet and caring. He's changed so much from when I last saw him. I guess you could say we were childhood sweethearts, that summer that we spent together had been the happiest. I didn't really have any friends when I was young, father and I would always move place to place so I was never around long enough to actually make any. Raoul had been my first actual friend, we had so much fun that summer playing on the beach or at the house by the sea. He had once invited me to his estates, I had been very excited to go I had never been anywhere as grand as that house. His mother was very rude to me, she had looked at me with disgust like I was something off the streets. Raouls father had been very nice, he had given us candy and told us stories of when he would play with his brothers at that very house. He never invited me back over I suppose it was his mothers doing.
It was the best summer of my life but like always all good things must come to an end. When Raoul and his family had left I had cried the entire day. Afterwards I had counted the days until summer would come back around. He had promised that he would return and I was heart broken when he didn't. I was so lost in thought that Raoul had to nudge me to get my attention.
"I'm sorry what did you say?"
"I had asked how your day was going so far? Is everything ok Christine? I remember when we were young that you were always the little chatter box." He chuckled at this. I thought that he had forgotten all of that but I was please to see I was wrong.
"Again I'm sorry everything is fine. I was just thinking about that summer we spent together to be honest."
"I think about that summer quite a lot to actually." He said with a smile.
I stopped and looked at him in surprise. "You do? I thought after all this time you would have forgotten, what with you being a Viscount and all. I thought you would have much more important things to think about."
"Oh Christine I think about that summer very often. It was the best summer for me, I always tried to convince my parents to go back but my mother wouldn't have it. I'm sorry that I broke my promise to you."
"It's fine Raoul. I'm just glad that you remembered me and that we could be friends again." I smiled at him genuinely, he looked taken back he blinked a few times and shook his head. It reminded me of Erik he had had the same reaction last night.
I started walking again, we were almost to Madame Girys rooms not very many people were in this part of the opera house so it was just me and Raoul. When he finally caught up to me Raoul put his hand on my shoulder to stop me. I was somewhat annoyed that we had stopped again I know that the first time had been my doing but I really needed to get to Madame's rooms. I turned to see what he wanted when he pulled my up against his body and lowered his mouth to mine.
I gasped I had never been kissed before, sure one of the stage hands might have gotten a peck before but I would never had allowed them to kiss me like this if they had tried. Raouls lips were soft and warm, he was very gentle and I started to kiss him back. I closed my eyes and wrapped my arms around his neck my fingers found my way to his hair and started to run through it, his hair was very soft like silk. Raoul pushed me up against the wall and his tongue was at the seam of my lips, I opened them for I knew that's what he wanted. I might have never been kissed before but Meg had filled me in on how it works. When his tongue entered my mouth I found it odd and very intimate but not as disgusting as I had thought it would be when Meg had told me about it. He ran his hands down my sides and rested them on my hips. But I didn't feel anything, no ache in the pit of my stomach or anything that all the other girls had described when they had been kissed. I think I was just kissing him to see how it all worked. For some odd reason I thought of Erik and what it would be like to be kissed by him.
"Erik" I gasped. I felt like I had betrayed him some how but I couldn't understand why. It was just a kiss, I didn't feel anything. Raoul rested his forehead against mine as we were catching our breath.
"What was that?"
"Nothing." I answered quickly
"I'm sorry Christine, I don't know what came over me."
He pulled away a little to look me in the eyes. They were so beautiful it was like I was looking at the sky on a beautiful summer's day, you could get lost looking in to eyes like that. I had always hated the color of my eyes when I was younger, they were just plain old brown. I grew to love them though because father and I had the same color, so I will always have a piece of him with me.
"Its ok Raoul it not liked I stopped you. I was as much a part of that kiss as you were."
Raoul still had his hands on my hips and I still had my arms around his neck. He didn't make a move to separate, so neither did I. We just stood there for what seemed like hours, but was probably only a few minutes, staring at each other even when our breathing had slowed.
Again I found that I started to think of Erik. Erik and Raoul were so different in personality and appearance. Where Raoul was kind and compassionate Erik was mysterious and seemed to only now how to hate. But that wasn't true I thought to myself. You saw a very different side of him last night. I remembered the song he was playing to himself last night and my heart for him. I couldn't blame him for the way he was everyone judged him, even I had and I felt terrible for it. But how was I to know that my tutor and the opera ghost were the one and the same? Where Raouls touch did make my heart beat faster, but when Erik had touched me last night as he sang had been like an electric current running through me. Raoul was strong it was obvious for I could see the outline of his muscles even under his waistcoat. Erik… well Erik had to be strong he did carry me to his bed twice last night, but I don't remember I had been so entranced by his voice that I wasn't really paying any attention. I wondered what it would be like to be in an embrace like this with Erik instead of Raoul.
I gasped why was even I thinking of Erik this way and why did I feel like what just happened with Raoul and I was wrong? I lowered my hands from around his neck then removed his hands from my hips and took a step back. He seemed confused by what just happened and frankly so was I.
"Christine is everything ok? Again I'm sorry for what just happened."
"I'm fine Raoul honestly. I just really need to see Madame Giry before my singing lessons. I'll see you later." I turned to leave but Raoul grabbed my hand and turned me back around.
"Christine wait I really need to speak with you. That kiss it wa-"
"Raoul can we please talk about this later? I really need to go. How about at lunch tomorrow?"
He seemed shocked that I had interrupted him. "Y-Yes that will be fine. Until tomorrow then my lovely Christine."
Instead of kissing my hand like he had done earlier he kissed my cheek. Now it was my turn to look shocked, it must have been funny for he chuckled and turned down a hallway and walked away. Even Raoul's laugh was beautiful, I raised my hand to where he had just kissed me but I didn't feel anything. When I had kissed Erik's cheek last night my lips had tingled but when Raoul kissed me I felt nothing, nothing at all. Sure Raoul was handsome but I didn't have deep feelings for him. I hadn't really thought of him until yesterday when he was introduced as the new patron.
As I was standing there I could swear I heard a footstep. I looked around but could see no one. I got the feeling that someone was watching me.
"Is someone there?" Nothing only silence. In the back of my head I thought maybe it was Erik but I quickly dismissed the idea. "I'm sure Erik has better things to do then follow you around." I said to myself. Little did I know that I was wrong.
Erik's POV
My clock must have been broken for when I got to the surface it wasn't anywhere near time for Christine and I to meet. When I pulled out my pocket watch I realized that it was at least a good two hours before we would meet. I wandered around seeing what was going on in my opera house. These new managers didn't have a clue on how to run things I would have to send them a letter on how I expected things to go. I heard rather then saw Carlotta practicing for this Friday's opera. She was so horrible, I wondered why Mr. Lefevre had kept her for so long. I would have never given her the time of day.
I was standing on the cat walks thinking of things to piss Carlotta off enough to leave for good when I hear someone calling my Christine's name. I followed the sound until I found its source, I had a clue of who it was but I wanted to make sure. Of course when I saw the boy, as I had come to call him, I knew that my suspicions were correct. What could he possible want with her? I thought. I heard him say something about going to lunch but Christine said no and something about talking to Madame Giry. Now what would she want with her, I knew she knew that I had taken Christine to my home last night for she had given me the key to the dressing room door. Hopefully that's not what she wanted to talk about. I decided to follow them to see what transpired but when I looked down the boy and my angel were no where to be seen.
As I was making my way to Mdms. rooms when I spotted them again. What I saw next made my heart break into a thousand pieces. Christine was walking away from Raoul when he grabbed her around the waist and kissed her. How could she? After all that had happened last night? Did she not care? Of course not, said a voice in my head, you said so yourself how could someone as beautiful as Christine care about someone as hideous as you? I wanted to jump down there and strangle the life out of that boy but I couldn't seem to look away from what was unfolding in front of me.
After a few moments I heard Christine gasp my name and break the kiss. Why would she be saying my name when she was kissing him? Maybe she wants to be kissing you instead of the stupid little fop. But I quickly pushed that thought aside, why would she want to do anything like that with me? I then remembered the kiss she bestowed upon me a few hours before, maybe it was true. Maybe she felt more for me then I originally thought.
A few moments later they parted ways. I decided to follow Christine and see what Madame was up so, I would deal with the boy later. As I was making my way through the passage ways I tripped on my cloak and almost feel, but I caught myself just in time. I must have been louder then I thought for Christine looked around and asked if anyone was there. I made sure to be as quiet as I could I didn't even dare to breath so she wouldn't know I was following her. It was so quiet that I could hear her mumble under her breath "I'm sure Erik has better things to do then follow you around." I couldn't help the grin that spread across my face, if only she knew.
As Christine continued walking I couldn't help but watch her. Christine is my definition of what an angel would look like. Her brown hair fell in perfect curls down to her waist, she had full lips, a perfect nose, a soft round chin and the most beautiful chocolate brown eyes I have ever seen. She was beautiful and I, I was nothing but a monster. Why, why had god cursed me with this face? It should have been me down there kissing her not that boy. It should be me asking her to dinner and other such things suitors do. But no instead here I was hiding in the shadows following the woman that I loved like some creepy stalker. Not that I minded being alone, it was just nice to have someone to talk to once in a while. I could never tell her how I felt, she would surely laugh in my face and leave. That would break my heart more than seeing them kiss again. All my life I've only known rejection, I couldn't bear it for my angel to do the same.
After about 10 more minutes of walking we finally made it to Madame's rooms. When I say we I mean Christine made it to the rooms. I made it to the passage way that would lead me to the hole that I had found in the wall. She lived in a very secluded spot in the Opera Populaire. Madame wasn't much of a people person, she liked her privacy. I skipped listening to them exchange pleasantries, I needed to make it to me peek hole before the real talk started to happen.
As I was walking in the passage way I could hear the rats scurry out of my path. If there was one thing that I loved more than my Christine, it was walking around the catacombs. I had always loved exploring, when I was younger it had gotten me into trouble a time or two. I loved going out at night when all was quiet. I could walk around my opera house freely without the worry of someone seeing me, and if I did see someone I was always hidden before they saw me.
When I got to the peek hole, which was the eyes of a painting in the main sitting room, I saw that they were already started talking. I hoped that I hadn't missed anything important. I was relieved that I hadn't when I heard Madame say my name.
"So, Christine I assume you are wondering way I asked to speak with you today?"
"Yes actually I was."
"Well first things first I know that Erik presented himself to you last night. I also know that he took you to his home."
Madame let this sink in for Christine had a look of shock on her face.
"Y-You know about Erik? You've known this whole time and you never told me?"
"I can understand that you're upset-"
"Upset," Christine yelled and jumped up from her chair. In all my years of watching out for her I had never seen Christine this angry.
"Upset! Of course I'm upset! How could you? How could you, the person I've considered a mother, lie straight to my face?"
I could see the tears welling up in her eyes. I couldn't believe she was this angry. Why hadn't she acted this way last night?
"Christine please sit down. Let's talk about this, I've been wanting to tell you about Erik for a while now but the opportunity never presented itself. But then he took you to his home last night and I knew that I couldn't walk around with a guilty conscience any longer."
Christine did eventually sit down, she took a deep breath and instantly calmed down.
"Madame I'm sorry for my out burst but as you said you can understand why I'm upset. I was wondering though, if I could ask you something."
"Of course child you can ask me anything."
I had no clue what she was about to ask. What could she possibly want to know? But when she my stomach sank, it was the one thing I had hoped she never wanted to know.
"I-I was wondering how you know him, Erik I mean. You call him by his given name as if you have known him for some time."
Madame Giry looked a little panicked by her question and she had a right to be so. I had told her to never repeat this story to anyone let alone Christine.
"I could tell you, but first is it something you want me to tell you or would you rather have Erik tell you himself?" I think she was trying to get Christine to reconsider her question. I was hoping also because I wouldn't know what to say to her. I wouldn't want to reveal my past to her but I had never been able to deny her anything, even when she was young.
"I would rather had him tell me," both Madame and myself breath a sigh of relief. But Christine never did as you expected.
"I know that deep down that is something he would never ever talk to me about. Please Madame Giry, I would never hurt him with this information I just want to understand him better. He doesn't even have to know."
Madame Giry looked around the room as if she was looking for some kind of sign that I was there. She then turned back to Christine with a sigh.
"Very well, but this tale is not something to be repeated nor is it pleasant and remember you asked this of me."
I turned away, I didn't want to hear this horrible story. I had lived it and didn't wish to repeat it again. I also didn't want to see the look of disgust on Christine's face when she heard it. No I would wait behind the mirror and see if she showed up after what she learns about me.
A/N: I always seem to start these with an apology so why break tradition :) I'm sorry it took a while I've had this ready for a couple of days but my beta never got back to me so I just decided to say screw it and I updated. I hope you like this chapter I'm finding it hard to write from Eriks POV for some reason and I also found it difficult to write the kissing scene so if its badly written sorry.