hi there! hey, can you all help me in raising the review count to 100? its just ten more reviews, people! we can do this! majority of this chapter is split between Christine and Erik but i DO have a treat for you all =) my word count is increasing but i hope you can forgive me if it suddenly drops down to like 2.5k which might not happen anyway anyway yes. basically, i need your help in raising that review count to a three digit number! oh btw, I sort of imagined Christine's professor to look like Steve Zahn. so that might help you in visualizing =)
surprised that this is still a T-rated story? yeah, me too.
disclaim, disclaim, disclaim...
"Erik, I want you to make love to me."
The words rung in Erik's mind a million time before he was able to formulate an articulate response. He was thinking that he would faint with the loss of good blood circulation as it was all directed in his nether regions. Christine's eyes pressed him for an answer so Erik had to think fast. Christine, please forgive me. Erik closed his eyes and pulled away, afraid to see the hurt in her eyes as he did so. He managed to extricate himself from Christine's long legs and sit on the edge of the bed without stretching his jeans too much.
Erik felt the bed move a little and he sensed Christine sitting up silently. He wished that it would have been easier: if only he was a normal guy, and if only she was a normal girl. But they weren't, and that made their life together that much more complicated. The truth was that he was scared to hurt her physically. To think that she wanted this intimacy so soon after her whole ordeal!
"What is it about be that you don't like?" Christine managed to voice out, breaking Erik from his reverie.
"It isn't you," Erik replied softly, not looking at her.
"Of course it's me! Tell me what's wrong!"
"You're only going to get hurt, Christine. How do you think you will be able to—enjoy this activity so soon after your operation? You're still healing, Christine!" Erik cast a sideward glance at Christine. He was getting all worked up again.
"God that's all you ever do, isn't it?" Christine was exasperated. She stood up from the bed and gathered her clothes that she'd tossed around the room.
"Do what?" Erik looked up at her, watching her hide herself while collecting articles of clothing. She is so beautiful even when she's mad.
"Doubt me!" Christine straightened up and faced Erik with burning eyes. "All you ever do is doubt me. That's all everyone ever does is doubt me! I can take it from my parents, I can take it from Meg, but I cannot take it from you!" She threw whatever she had in her hands at Erik and stomped into the bathroom, shutting the door.
Erik sat stunned, trying to digest what she'd said. It was all true, too. He loved her, but he didn't think that she would be able to do anything on her own, without Meg, without him. To Erik, Christine was a fragile, young girl who had a heart condition and who needed somebody to depend on. What he didn't realize before was that this was Christine who was a strong woman and who used all her strength to show how independent she could be. This quality, Erik thought, was the reason why he fell in love with her in the first place. Her tenacity, her stubbornness, her intelligence as well. Erik loved all of it.
After what seemed like a year, Erik heard the shower running in the bathroom and he took it as his cue to leave. He debated whether he should let her know or whether he should make a quiet exit. He decided for the latter. After retrieving his jacket from the floor, he padded out of the bedroom and guided himself out of the hallway by tracing the walls with his fingers. Soon, his fingers reached a counter and there he placed the keys to the Vios. They were fighting but he wanted to be the gentleman and keep his word on giving the car. He hoped that she would see the keys on the counter.
Erik remembered the front door to be a few feet away from the hallway and so he walked towards it, made his way out of the apartment and walked into the cold night on his way home.
-oOo-
Good, good morning! It's 7:04 in the AM and that time check was brought to you by the Mattress King. Weather forecast today is sunny and—
Christine slammed her palm on the head of the clock radio and vaguely wondered why she ever used that radio to wake her up anyway. She ran a hand through her hair and slowly untangled herself from her bed sheets. While walking towards the big window, she stretched her limbs out and yawned. She pulled the lever for the blinds and those opened to the bright sunlight that immediately filled the room with a warm, morning glow. Contemplating on calling Meg, Christine paced in front of the window whilst tracing a finger over the operation scar on her chest. It ran diagonally from the top of her left breast to the bottom of her right one. Though still pinkish and embossed, Christine felt no pain. In fact, she didn't feel anything at all.
It was ten past eight when Christine left her apartment for school. She debated whether or not she should use the Vios but she was still too angry to want to think about him that day. That was the exact problem though. Christine took the bus to school and put on a brave face as she ventured onto the school grounds, entering her first class of the day.
-oOo-
Erik couldn't find any comfort waking up on his large bed because he kept imagining waking up on hers. He pictured them with their legs intertwined beneath the covers, Christine's head resting upon his shoulder, his hands near places that were intimately out of bounds. They'd wake up at the same time and then succumb to the passion of their love once more before they both got up to start the day. That was how his day was supposed to begin. He couldn't decide whether or not he made the right move for the both of them. For one thing, it was much too soon for Christine to be engaging in strenuous activities such as having sex. Who knows how much more damaged her internal system could become if he allowed himself such pleasure with her? On the other hand, they both felt so ready. It was as if they'd known each other for years instead of months. The pressure between them was much too palpable for their own good and any minute, the dam would burst and all would be lost in love and lust. They just had to be patient, that's all.
Tired of thinking so much while the day was still very young, Erik rubbed his eyes, retrieved his mask from the bedside table and headed towards the bathroom for a quick, cold shower. Afterwards, he shaved his chin, put on a regular set of clothes—a button down shirt and dark pants, grabbed his keys and set out of his apartment for work.
-oOo-
"Now I want you all to continue reading pages forty-five through sixty and will you please submit that essay I told you all to write? Go on, get out before I make you all do more stuff," instructed the professor as the bell rung. He gathered the papers on his desk and drained his coffee mug in the faucet. Professor Leiber was Christine's most eccentric professor but her most favorite one too. He never wore clothes to match and he always wore a button pin on his shirt that said, "Left handers are the only ones in their right minds." He taught Art Appreciation which Christine breezed through but was now suffering in after being absent for so long.
Christine got up from her seat in the third row and climbed down the stairs towards the podium. She needed to speak with Professor Leiber about her extra credit and audit classes. It was only her third class of the day and already she felt like she could give up on the mountain of assignments her professors gave her.
"Professor Leiber?" Christine greeted him after all the other students had filed out of the classroom. Without the bubbling noise of chatter, the classroom seemed like an abandoned museum, lonesome yet intriguing because of the paintings on the walls and ceilings and the sculptures lining the back wall.
"Yeah? Oh Christine! How nice of you to join us again!" Exclaimed the professor as he glanced at her through his glasses as if he hadn't seen her in years. Christine was puzzled over this because he had called on her a couple times during the lecture.
"Uhm, yeah it's nice to be back. Hey, do you think you can help me out with something?"
"Always a pleasure to help out one of my favorite students but to what do I owe this pleasure, mademoiselle?" Professor Leiber sat on his desk rather than his chair and scrutinized Christine carefully.
"I just got back from the hospital you see, and I know that I won't be able to keep up anymore if I don't enroll in audit classes. I just want to hear your opinion on me attending your night classes, sir." In truth, Christine hadn't wanted to join night classes but she had asked each of her professors if she could. None of them had given her the go signal on that but she didn't stop trying.
"Well actually, you've arrived just on time! I specifically remember you to have attended advanced classes for my subject, yeah? So that brought your quota right about here," he brought a hand level with his eye brow, "back then, everyone was around this level," he took his other hand and placed it across his chest. "Now that you're back, the subject matter that we're tackling now, the Renaissance—my favorite, is right up to where you stopped! So I don't think that you'll need any more classes, Christine. C'mon, aren't you sick of me already?"
They both chuckled and Christine breathed a sigh of relief. That was one class down.
"Tell you what though, because you work so hard in my class, I'll have you recommended to other professors for their audit classes. They'll probably love having at least one student paying attention. How's that sound?" Professor Leiber smiled.
"That's be really great, sir. Thanks so much," Christine said as she began walking out of the classroom.
"Oh, but I'll still need you to finish that essay, I'm afraid."
"No problem."
A couple hours later, Christine met up with Meg at the track and field court. They hugged warmly and sat down on the bleachers. Raoul was having practice and the girls didn't have class anymore.
"C! I missed you last night. And I was actually really worried for you. How was class?" Meg started talking the moment they sat down and she had that animated smile on her face that meant that she was in the mood for major talking.
"Oh God, my professors are out to kill me! I'm way behind on my course syllabus. If I slack off, it'll take me two months to catch up to the rest of my block mates."
"Uh, hello? I spoke with one of your professors and she said that you can complete the acceleration program they made in less than a month! Knowing you, C, you'll finish it in two weeks! Unless Erik goes on and distracts you." Meg smiled teasingly and Christine could only smile back weakly but she quickly changed the subject.
"So how was last night? Don't give me the details because I know you will. But like, give me a general overview."
"In a word, magnificent! Seriously, Christine, I think that he's the one. He makes me feel so special, so alive!" Though Christine was genuinely happy for her best friend, she couldn't help but think about how happy she could be had her rendezvous with Erik turned out to be the way she wanted it to be.
"Christine, what's up with you? You've been so quiet. D-Did something go wrong last night?" Euphoria quickly turned into deep worry as Meg surveyed Christine's face.
"Uhm, it didn't go as planned."
"You mean you didn't—,"
"Have sex? No." Christine softly interjected. Embarrassment was quickly bubbling up again.
"Well, what happened?" Meg asked after waving hello to Raoul who jogged right in front of them.
"It's just that, well, I guess I pushed him too much. Did you know that he gave me a car? A car, Meg. And I couldn't even give him the pleasure that he deserved. God, I feel so stupid. He'll never want me."
"C, don't talk like that. If I knew Erik, which I sort of do, I'll be that he's only looking out for you. He doesn't want to hurt you. Have you talked to him at all today?"
"No." Christine whispered and all the tears that she was fighting since the night before came gushing out of her eyes.
"I'm so sorry, C." Meg moved closer to her and put an arm around Christine's shoulders.
Later, Meg and Raoul dropped Christine off at the apartment. On the way there, Meg joked about how she was going to move out of there soon; Christine could easily see through the thin fabric of humor. She might as well prepare for it now.
"Sweet ride. Is that car yours, Christine?" Raoul asked as they parked near the Vios that was still waiting on the curb.
"Unfortunately." Christine replied as she got out of the backseat. Car rides with Meg and her boyfriend made Christine feel extremely like a third wheel and that only served to dampened her already bad mood.
"Unfortunately? That's a great car!"
"Raoul, that's a girl's car." Meg accused Raoul.
"Oh, really? Anyway, see you around, C." Raoul looked sheepishly at Meg then bade goodbye at Christine.
Meg rolled her eyes then looked out the passenger's window. "I'll call you later, C. Love you."
Christine nodded and trudged up the pavement that led to the reception hall of the apartment. By reception hall, it's meant as an almost hollow entry way with a front desk that never seemed to be manned. The floor was thickly carpeted and always clean. On the right wall hung a bulletin board usually filled with advertisements and eviction notices. Thanks to the money that her parents wired her every month, Christine would never have to receive a "get the hell out" notice from the landlord.
Feeling sorry for herself, Christine chose to go up to her apartment through the stairwell. The long upward tunnel was always cold and noisy because of the air conditioning units but that's what she liked about it. Soon, she unlocked the door to her apartment and walked to her bedroom.
It was six thirty in the evening but Christine was too tired to cook food for herself so she ended up ordering takeout from the nearby Chinese fast food restaurant. After hanging up the phone to a loud conversation with the barely understandable Chinese lady, Christine shrugged out of her clothes and took a bath. Twenty minutes later, Christine was sitting on the kitchen counter wearing dark blue cardigan shorts, a white tank top and a thin, long-sleeved cardigan jacket. Her wavy hair was pulled up into a loose bun atop her head and her glasses which she rarely wore were sitting on the bridge of her nose as she peered down onto her laptop. It was raining outside and the steady rhythm of the falling raindrops was music to Christine's ears as she began to write her essays.
Ten minutes had passed and there was a knock at the door. Christine wasn't expecting the food to arrive for another twenty minutes but she got up and padded to the door anyway.
"Maybe Mrs. Chung finally realized how long an hour really is," Christine thought to herself as she imagined the owner of the restaurant slowly cooking her dimsum. She had no sense of time but the food she made was great. Christine tiptoed and peered into the looking hole and quietly gasped to see a tall man and a flash of white. She stepped down and leaned against the door, thinking if she should let him in. Thinking that her day couldn't get any worse, she opened the door.
-oOo-
After work that day, Erik drove around the city thinking of what to do next. He was weighing the pros and cons of going over to Christine's apartment in his head as he drove. She could forgive him and they could go back normal. She could not forgive him and force him to beg for forgiveness. Erik never thought of Christine to be the begrudging type but then again, she never really was totally mad at him before. When the rain started to pour after the sun had hidden itself in the horizon, Erik knew he had to think fast if he wanted to get a good night's worth of sleep.
"What am I doing?" He thought to himself as he realized that he was only procrastinating going over to Christine's place. Subconsciously, he knew that he was going to visit her but he just stalled time thinking that she wouldn't accept him. Pushing the speed limit, he sped towards her apartment, vaguely remembering to get her a rose as a token of his love for her. After buying her a single red rose, he made his way to her apartment.
By now the rain was pouring hard and Erik didn't have a spare umbrella with him. He resigned to running into the rain, using his jacket to shield the rose from getting drenched like him. Hurriedly, he climbed the stairs to her floor and breathed in twice before knocking on the door. He wasn't expecting her to open the door but when she did, a wave of relief and awe rushed through Erik's shivering body. They hadn't seen or contacted each other for a day so when Christine opened the door, it was like a safe blanket of security wrapped up Erik's heart warmly. He had almost forgotten how indescribably breathtaking she was even in her home clothes with her hair tied up messily and glasses he'd never seen before shrouding her beautiful brown eyes.
After taking in the sight of his beloved, he remembered why he came. Wordlessly, he thrust the rose in front of her and she looked down upon it, probably thinking if she should receive it or not. Instead, she looked up at him with an unreadable expression.
"What are you doing here?" Christine asked softly. Her voice filled up Erik's ears and he realized how much he had missed her that day.
"I-I came to apologize," Erik was really shivering now and he was praying that she would let him in. After staring at each other for a long while, Christine sighed and stepped out of the way to let him in. He graciously stepped into the warmth of her apartment. He was still holding the rose and he offered it to Christine again who finally took it this time. She was fiddling with the petals and roaming her fingers about the black ribbon that was tied to it. I'm not the only one who's nervous here, Erik thought.
"I'm not an idiot," Christine spoke up, startling Erik with her statement.
"Wh-wha—," Erik was still trembling as his heavy and wet clothes hugged closely to his body.
"I wouldn't have asked you what I did if I wasn't sure that I would be able to—handle it," Erik remained silent, suppressing the growing shivers that were racking through his body.
"I just—I thought that it was time to be together," Christine started pacing around in front of him and Erik couldn't resist raking his eyes over her barely covered legs. Her tank top rode up slightly to reveal her jutting hips. It was a sight to behold but Erik mentally kicked himself for not paying his undivided attention and for not remembering to feed her every four hours.
"Ch-Christine," Erik meant to apologize and tell her that it was his fault but his chattering teeth couldn't keep still long enough to get two words out. Christine had her arms crossed over her chest and when she finally looked at Erik again, her arms shot open in shock.
"Oh Jesus, wait, sorry let me get you a towel."
After Erik had warmed up and the food finally came, they sat down at the kitchen table. Erik was wrapped up in a fluffy, pink towel and watched Christine pick her way through her food with her pair of chopsticks. She offered him some noodles but he declined. She looked at him once and suppressed a smile by smothering her face with a squid ball.
"What's so funny?" Erik was bemused.
"Nothing." Christine swallowed and held a straight face
"No, really, what?"
"It's just well, you—in that towel," Christine couldn't contain her laughter any longer.
"Oh well, why don't I just take it off then?" Erik unwrapped himself from the towel and folded it neatly before laying it on the table. He was wearing nothing else except for his boxers and pants that were still heavy with rain water and so they hung lowly on his hips. Christine stopped laughing and cleared her throat as she was finally able to see what was under his shirt. She didn't expect to see what she saw which was a toned chest and abdomen. They weren't perfect washboard abs but he obviously took care of himself. Erik settled down again on his chair and looked at Christine squarely.
"I'm sorry,"
"You're forgiven,"
"Yeah, but I really think that it was my fault," Christine put her chopsticks down and looked guiltily at the boxes of Chinese takeout in front of her.
"What? Hey, no it wasn't." Erik stood up from his seat and knelt beside Christine's. "I guess I should've broken it to you gently."
"Yeah. And I overreacted."
"Yeah." They both smiled at each other and wondered why they were ever mad at each other in the first place. Erik gently caressed Christine's cheek and removed her glasses, setting it on the table. Christine leaned down to him and he leaned upwards. Their noses touched and Christine closed her eyes, parting her lips slightly. Just then, the washing machine grumbled to a stop, startling them both.
Christine groaned then excused herself to retrieve his clothes. Erik stood up as well. He had come over to ask for her forgiveness and he got it. It was time to go. A minute passed and Christine came back with a handful of his clothes.
"I have your stuff."
"Yeah thanks," Erik said while putting his clothes on. Christine looked puzzled.
"Don't you want to dry the rest of your clothes?"
"No, I think that I should be heading back actually. I can see that you're busy." Erik didn't want to spend the night and have to deal with a lot of expectations.
"Are you crazy? There's a storm coming in and well, I don't want you driving out there while it's not safe." Christine stepped closer to him. "You can stay here." Erik looked up at her then.
"Don't worry; I'm not going to do anything to you. You're right. I do have a lot of things to take care of. You can bunk out here in the living room." Christine rummaged through the linen cabinet and retrieved a pillow and a blanket. She tossed those items onto the couch and bent over it to unfold the bed. Erik gulped as she did so.
"Okay you can sleep on this. I'd let you sleep in Meg's room but she wouldn't." Christine grinned and then retreated into the kitchen.
"Good night, Christine." Erik called out before unbuckling his pants. Christine tried not to stare. As she resumed her position on the kitchen counter, forcing herself to focus on the essays she had to finish.
Two hours later, the rain was still pouring if not harder. Erik hadn't actually gone to sleep but just lay on the couch with his eyes closed. He sensed Christine to be wrapping up her studying cocoon then shutting the kitchen light on, leaving the hallway light open. She walked over to the couch and stared at Erik for a long time. She was close enough for him to smell her familiar scent of vanilla and soft powder. His heart sped up as he felt pressure on his mask. She was touching him and he was afraid that she was going to remove his mask. But to his relief, she pulled away and padded silently into her room.
The rain kept pouring and served as a solemn lullaby for the both of them and together they drifted off to sleep.
ok seriously, that was good right? and DON'T worry. you know how i hate cliffies too but i shall grant you a BOMB 16th chapter. just trust me. pls, PLS press that green button! =) i love you all. and thanks for following this story. =)