Erik's POV

The small ring box was hot in my pocket, my hands sweating around it the entire opening day of my park. Oh, the crowds were bigger than ever before and the press were all around. I stayed hidden from the world, hidden and high above my park, watching the crowds of men, women and children scurrying excitedly around Phantasma. It was like I was the king of Coney Island, king and world famous. Taking my eyes off my park, I reached into my pocket and pulled out the silver band, the one I was to wear if Christine agreed to wearing hers. I slid it over my left ring finger and raised my hand to my eyes, taking notice to how perfect it looked on my finger.

A few tears slid down my cheeks as I gazed at its beauty. Oh, it made me look handsome! It made me look normal…

"Erik, are you up here?"

I gasped and pulled the ring off my finger. I placed it back into my pocket with Christine's ring and straightened my jacket…Gustave came running up the stairs of my dormitory with cotton candy stained across his mouth. To be kind, I had made sure that both Christine and Gustave got into my park and rode anything they wanted free of charge…

"Mr. Erik! Your park is so much fun."

I chuckled and scooped Gustave up into my arms.

"Really now? I can see that you have been enjoying the cotton candy."

"Not only that, but he made me ride the pirate ship ten times."

Christine came walking up the stairs next, out of breath from how fast Gustave had been going.

"Mama, it's not called "the pirate ship," it's called the Galleon. And we didn't ride it ten times…"

"Eight then…"

I placed Gustave down and approached Christine, pulling her to the edge of my dormitory, the fresh breeze blowing our way.

"Why don't you rest for a while, Christine?…"

"Your park is amazing, Erik…But, why aren't you down there with Gustave and I having fun? It's your day…"

"The press are swarming my park like maggots, Christine. I…I don't need my face on the front page of tomorrow's newspaper."

"Perhaps, but you should still be down there."

"I'll be at the opera house tonight, Christine. I wouldn't miss your performance for the world…"

Christine blushed and placed her hand over my own. Oh, how badly I wanted to present the ring to her now, but I couldn't. I wanted to wait until later, for I had something even better planned.

"Christine, I wish to take you out tonight," I began. "After your performance. I want to celebrate today…"

"You should be celebrating now, Erik… You opened an entire park, one that will most likely make more today than Luna Park makes in an entire season."

"Well, it would be nothing without you…"

This made Christine blush.

"Erik…You don't mean that."

I lifted Christine's hand to my lips and pressed a kiss to its delicate surface.

"Every word."

"Mama," Gustave began tugging at Christine's skirts. "Mama, could we please go back and ride the rides?"

"Go ahead," I said. "I shall meet you at the opera house around six."

When Christine was gone again, I headed back into my office and out the door. It was time to prepare myself for the night, a night that I would hopefully never forget. When I arrived back at my house, I hurried upstairs and undressed, stepping into the shower to wash myself. After emerging from the bathroom, I rummaged through my wardrobe and pulled out my finest suede jacket and vest. After slipping on a white shirt, I finished the ensemble with my vest and jacket, staring at myself in the mirror that was attached to my wardrobe. I still looked hideous, but it would have to do…This was the best I could look, and so, Christine was either going to have to accept it, or shield her eyes from the mere sight of me.

"Do you have everything ready for tonight?" I questioned, as I walked through my restaurant. The manager nodded and pulled me over to a booth that was far away from everything else in the place. Privacy! Privacy was everything I have ever wanted or needed.

"Of course, sir," the pudgy man replied. "I placed the best bottle of our finest wine on ice, and have your meal almost ready to go."

"Good," I said. "Don't fail me tonight…The diva and I are celebrating."

Before leaving, I checked my pocket watch, realizing that it was nearly six. From there, I hurried out of the restaurant and up the fire escapes of my other buildings to keep myself hidden from the world and the press. Using a back exit that I had specifically designed for myself, I entered my opera house and hurried up into the rafters of the stage. My employee, Dr. Gangle approached the stage of the sold out opera house and introduced Meg…Yes, I hated the thought of the girl prancing across my stage, but that was all that she was good for. So, for her, I had written a song titled "Bathing Beauty." It wasn't much, but it was enough to have the men riled up…They were already hooting and hollering at her as she began to strut around in nothing more than a short skirt and a checkered top. Hideous…But in the eyes of these men, she was an angel. I rolled my eyes as her act continued…Oh, she really believed herself to be a star. I could no longer take watching her once she began to strip off each bathing suit to the riled crowds…This was a complete horror story in my eyes. Deciding to go and visit Christine, I headed off the rafters and towards Christine's closed dressing room door. My hands began to sweat, and my heart raced as I reached out to knock upon the door.

"Yes?"

When Christine answered, I took a breath and answered her back.

"It's me, Christine, may I come in?"

Before I could say another word, the door swung open, and Gustave appeared.

" You look really nice…"

I swallowed hard and entered, closing the door behind me. Christine was sat at her vanity and brushing her curls. She smiled at me through the mirror, turning to face me afterwards.

"Erik, you look…"

"Hideous?" I intervened.

"No, handsome…"

There was an awkward silence, and then, Christine's voice.

"Gustave, could Mr. Erik and I have a moment alone?"

"Sure, mama…"

"Why don't you go and wait in my private box?" I suggested. "I'll be with you in a moment…"

When the boy left, I approached Christine and tried to smile. She was so beautiful…so, so beautiful.

"Christine, you look stunning," I stammered. "You are the definition of perfection."

"Hardly that, Erik, but thank you…"

I walked to the drawer where I was keeping the necklace and pulled it out, hiding it behind my back as I approached Christine from behind.

"Tonight, Christine, you will do wonderfully…"

I surprised the woman by placing the necklace around her neck…Oh, her eyes widened the moment she spotted the beautiful trinket.

"Erik, it's beautiful…" she gasped.

"No, Christine, you're beautiful…I do hope that after tonight's show you will join me for dinner?"

"Of course…I…I'm speechless."

"You don't have to say anything, Christine. Whatever happens tonight is because you made it that way. You always have and always will be the rising star of New York… Now go out there and bring Coney Island to its knees."

Christine stood to her feet and caressed my masked cheek. Oh, when she did this it sent my heart soaring.

"Erik, what's wrong?"

"Wrong?"

Christine nodded. "You're standing before me now as if I am nothing to you…As if you are not good enough to be standing here before me…And what's this? Your hands are freezing."

"They are always freezing, Christine."

"And even though you stand before me in gloves, I can feel the moisture seeping through them. Cold sweats, Erik. You make it seem as though you're the one who is going to sing in front of all of Coney Island."

"Christine, no matter how much you and I have bonded, nothing can ever take away the feeling that I feel so deep within my heart. No matter how much I doll myself up for you, in my veins, I will always feel hideous."

I pressed my eyes closed, only to feel Christine's lips upon my flawless cheek.

"Erik, don't ever feel as though you're nothing. To me, your face brings no horror... It may have taken many years for me to realize it, but it doesn't matter. Those who don't know you and judge, will always be missing out on the wonderful person that you are. Gustave and I love you so much…Now, enough with this talk. It's about time you showed yourself to the hungry press. You've been keeping yourself a mystery to the world."

Before I could say another word, the door to Christine's dressing room opened and the stage manager popped his head in.

"Three minutes, Miss Daae."

"Thank you…"

Our conversation was over, for Christine needed to make her way towards the stage.

"Erik, I will come out with you to dinner tonight. Now, no more about your appearance. Go and find Gustave and enjoy the performance you've worked so hard to have."

I walked with Christine out to the stage, only to have the press and employees stare at me. Before I could be discovered, I hurried back towards the rafters and towards my private box, spotting Gustave already sitting there and swaying his feet back and forth.

"I was wondering when you were going to show up…"

"I'm here now," I said, taking a seat beside him.

"When mama's performance is over, are we going to eat, Mr. Erik? I sure am hungry…"

"Didn't you stuff your face with enough cotton candy and ice cream for one day?"

"Never…And I did eat two hot dogs too… They were the best!"

I smiled as the lights began to dim. Oh, how my heart raced as the music began to play, and Christine opened her mouth to sing the aria I had written just for her. She didn't know that it was about my love for the woman, and I hoped it stayed that way. Every lyric that she sung in Love Never Dies expressed my aching desire to be beside her.

"Mama sure is beautiful, Mr. Erik," the boy whispered as Christine sang. "She's like an angel…"

"Indeed."

Oh, how the crowds loved her! They clapped at the end of her song as she bowed before them…Roses were tossed at her feet. This was how her life was supposed to be. This was how it should always stay! And it would…Oh, how it would.

"Come along, boy…" I scooped Gustave up into my arms and carried him towards the stage. "You and I have a dinner to attend to with your mother. We shall celebrate our success!"

Christine was being hounded by the press back stage, being asked all sorts of strange questions. When her eyes moved my way, so did the press'.

"And speaking of Mister E…" Christine hurried towards me and dragged me to her side. No! I didn't want things to be this way…But it was too late, for cameras were already flashing in my face. "I'd like to introduce you all to the brains behind Phantasma…Mister E."

"Mister E! Please, tell us about Phantasma…"

"Tell us about its future…"

I didn't say much in that awkward interview…No, I simply answered their questions with as little answers as possible. When I was finally able to break away from their hungry grasps, I walked arm in arm with Christine towards my restaurant.

"You didn't have to do that, Christine," I said, breaking the silence between us.

"Well, Phantasma and the world deserved to know the face of its owner."

"If only I had a face…"

"Erik, please don't say such a thing. I want tonight to be special."

"Either way, Christine, you were absolutely breathtaking tonight. I shall have to propose a toast to many more successful nights to come."

When we arrived inside the restaurant, Christine's eyes widened in amazement.

"You built this, Erik?"

"Well, I designed it," I said, pulling out her chair to the reserved table I had put aside. "Everything in here is from my mind, including the chandelier. Nice touch, I think."

"Indeed…"

When Gustave was seated, I opened the bottle of wine and poured Christine a glass. Gustave, of course was holding out his empty cup, but I could only chuckle.

"Not until you're at least thirteen, Gustave."

"I thought we were celebrating?" he disappointedly groaned.

"We are, but you need to stick to your milkshakes…Wine is for adults."

"Please, Mr. Erik?"

"No, and that is my final answer. Though, I have a better idea, why don't you walk yourself over to the desert table and pick out something for after dinner?"

This instantly changed his attitude, for he left, leaving Christine and I alone. I took a seat beside her and interlaced my hands with her own. Oh, it was now or never.

"Christine, you know…" Oh, my heart was racing from within my chest and my hands were beginning to sweat. Why was this so hard?

"Christine, I know that our relationship started out a bit rocky a few months ago, but…"

"But what?"

"I…I know that I told you time and time again that I would never come to love you like I had back in Paris. It has taken me a long time to feel anything for you again, but, day by day those feelings have been coming back. And tonight…Oh, tonight when I saw you standing upon that stage again, it restarted a heart that has not beat in nearly half a decade."

From out of my pocket, I shakily brought out the small black box and kept it hidden in the palm of my hand.

"I…I know that we haven't spent much time together as a couple, but I was hoping you would accept this as a promise to keep things as they have been."

Both of my shaking hands pried open the lid, presenting the beautiful ring before Christine's very eyes. She gasped and gazed down at it…Oh, she was speechless.

"It's not a wedding band, nor is it an engagement ring… It's a promise ring. It came as a set, one for you and one for me. In wearing these, one promises the other that they will be faithful to one another. Wearing this ring would make me feel human, but if I'm going too fast for you, I would completely understand your rejection."

When Christine didn't say a word, I closed the lid and fumbled to put it away.

"Y…You're right, I'm sorry…"

"Erik, wait," she reached across the table for my hand and pried the box from my grasp. And without another word, she opened it and slipped the silver band across my left ring finger. Whole at last…

AWWW this was one of my favorite chapters...Please review!