~Phantom~

Love Never Dies

"Beneath A Moonless Sky"

Christine:"Letting Go"

I had sworn that I would no longer behave as a child yet there I was, hysterical in his searching arms. My actions could not have been helped. The fear of losing him once and for all, after now knowing that it was not too late for him to be saved – for us to be saved – was too much to bear. I needed him and if crying was what it would take to keep him with me, then that was what I would do. It worked. Even now as my mind roamed, so too did Erik's hands as they carefully began removing the first layer of my garments.

"I'm sorry – so sorry." I spoke breathlessly, releasing my lips from his. All I had wanted was to prove to him that I was not the same sniveling child as before, and thus far I had done nothing to disprove that.

"You have nothing to apologize for. If anyone should be pleading for forgiveness, it is I." He was silent a few moments, but his hands still wandered, still explored.

"I love you, Christine. Do you have any concept of just how much I do love you?" It must have been meant as rhetorical, for he immediately continued on, not leaving a moment's hesitation for me to answer. "I would be lying if I did not confess that I fear you are only here because you are distraught, and that you will feel differently in the morning." His exploratory hands, released me and lowered, as did his head, in defeat.

"I will not!" I vowed fervently, taking his hands back in mine.

"I do wish that I could believe you, and I am sure that you mean what you say now but tomorrow, is a completely different affair."

"Erik. . . " I tilted his chin, forcing his golden eyes to meet mine. Those luminescent spheres were the only objects I could discern in the dark. They gazed into mine and like the numerous prisms of a canary diamond, which they so resembled, as many emotions danced within.

"If you cannot trust in what you hear, then you must trust in what you feel."

I held his face between my hands, and once again I kissed him. Each time my lips made contact with his I was amazed by their softness, and his tongue . . . all the bones in my body turned to liquid as it met mine and I unwillingly released a low murmur into our joined mouths.

"Oh, Christine. . ." He sighed, akin to a litany after each breath, each kiss.

"Do not think . . . just feel." I kissed the uneven plains of his face; every inch of it. I found that I did not mind, not at all.

It was quite the contrary, in fact. It highly pleased me. I knew that only a handful of humans had ever come close enough to shake his hand, let alone touch that which repelled them so. It had repulsed me at first too, but then – just as he had said – I had learned to see the man behind the monster. And the man was far more interesting than the deformity which marked him. That I could give him that contact, which had been denied him, filled me with immense joy. His nimble hands, that were now traversing my back and waist, thrilled me; once more I sighed in elation.

His lips untangled from mine, drawing back to look into my eyes; eyes so dull and lackluster in comparison with his.

"My Christine . . . sweet Christine." He now held my face in his hands, embracing me tenderly. I knew what those ingenious hands were capable of and I thrilled.

"Do you want this? Are you so positive you want this face above you while you are made love to?" His voice was a shadow of the ferocious flames that gleamed bright in his eyes.

Poor, Erik. How could anyone be so disgusted by themselves?

I kissed him, wanting desperately to wash away the miseries of his past, if only I could.

"Your haunted face holds no horror for me now."

He sighed, a sound of pure euphoria. At last, he appeared convinced of my willingness, of my desire. The feel of his touch, his kiss, was no longer shy. His muscular hands caressed and held me with a sudden urgency, so potent that it sent my heart hammering around its cage like the wings of a captive bird.

As a child, I never would have dreamt of allowing anyone, let alone him, to explore me in such ways. I most certainly would never have dared imagine enjoying the carnal act so much. Yet there I sat, no more than a puppet in his masterful hands, caught in a sea of ecstasy; one I had no desire to ever emerge from. I felt my breasts harden beneath his frame as he pinned me pleasantly to the ground and noticed, through my hazy vision, that we were both nearly unclothed. The floor was cold beneath me, but the warmth his touch generated, made up for it tenfold.

"Christine," he whispered huskily, his breath moist and hot upon my ear.

Slowly removing the last visages of my clothing, I felt a grin slide into place upon his lips.

"Do you know when I first loved you?" He laughed, his cat-like eyes glittering with humor – I had never seen him like that – and then corrected himself. "Let me rephrase that, if you will. Do you know when I first fell in love with you? To say 'love' is inaccurate, for I have always loved you, Christine. But there was a precise day when I clearly remember the first time that I felt more for you than ever before. Can you guess it?"

In some realm near heaven and bliss, the only response I was capable of was a weak, "No."

"You were fifteen, it was the end of January, and you looked exquisite in the jade colored dress you wore. You and the Randall boy – that overconfident little putz who thought himself god's gift to the ballet – were hiding behind the set to one of the most heinous productions of Hansel and Gretel ever produced. I had been watching you very closely that month – more closely than usual, shall we say." I could hear the smile in his tone.

"When I had seen that you were . . . smitten, with that Randall character, I was everywhere you were; you simply could not see me."

That caught my attention and buoyed me from my sea of ecstasy long enough to laugh and inquire, "A whole month, really?"

"Over, actually." He admitted lightly.

"It bothered you that much?"

"You have no idea! It began to drive me mad! Every time I saw the two of you together I seethed with rage. And the comedy of it all was that I could not understand why it vexed me so. Until I spied the two of you behind that set, and saw him place his hands upon your waist." My vision was still struggling in the dark, yet I could see his face take on a mask of anger I had never beheld before. As I watched his golden eyes turned to liquid amber.

"Then I saw you lean into him, clearly enjoying his touch. I saw as an accompanying smile played across your face, and then – then I was trapped, looking on as he placed his hand upon your neck to draw you near and kiss you." The agony of witnessing the scene was as blatant in his voice, as in his kaleidoscopic eyes, which even now turned a deep ocher.

"It was as I watched his undeserving lips meet yours that I learned the root to all my current woes. I did not want him to touch you, to kiss you because . . . I wanted to. You were mine, you belonged to me! I wanted you for my own." He sighed heavily with shame. "The instant that epiphany claimed me . . . my whole life had changed."

"I believe you afford me far too much credit," though I knew he had unfortunately not.

"Ha!" He scoffed. "As though I could ever give you excess credit; you know full well that you are the only reason my heart still beats within my miserable chest. Without you . . . there is nothing for me. So no, of course I am not giving you too much credit, mon cher.

"You had unknowingly turned my life, before void of any semblance of romance, upside down on its axis. And for the first time, in so very long, I felt a spark of hope. Maybe I was worthy of love. You had, after all, accepted me since you were a child and had not fled me. Perhaps, if I gave you time, led up to the 'reveal' so to speak, you would, could, accept me for what I was."

A self-effacing smile raised to his lips, "Perhaps I should have never allowed myself to desire you in such a way; but I fear it could no more have been prevented than the rising of the sun. I do wish however, for your sake, that my affections would have remained what they were when you were a girl.

"When you were a little girl," he went on looking wistful. "I could have you then, could declare you mine in a way that no one else could." He paused, somehow sensing the infinitesimal flinch which must have passed over my windowpane face. Being an orphan and realizing no one wanted you, was not an easy burden to bear.

"Christine – I'm sorry. I was not thinking before I spoke. It was insensitive of me."

"Oh, no, Erik I am acting childishly. After all these years such benign words should not bother me. It is not as though my poor father had wanted to leave."

He was propped upon one elbow, peering down on me; his free hand playing its way up and down my bare arm.

"That is very true, my love. At least you had not been discarded, as so many are. All I meant to convey before was that, when you were a child and you held my heart, there was nothing wrong with the love I had for you then. When things changed, I did as well. I began to go a little insane with my need for you. And then – when Raoul entered your life and so effortlessly stole your heart – the insanity engulfed me fully. I know that I would have totally lost myself if were not for you."

"Me?" I asked astonished. I could not fathom being his savior when I had always cast myself as his executioner.

His ember eyes burned brighter as I watched, and his touch had too, taken on new fire.

"That night, the one I know which we would all like to erase from our memories, that night I had come so close to certain hell." He sat there lost in reflection, his hands still pleasantly caressing me.

"That was the night, you rescued me. I was not to be forsaken. When you were willingly prepared to give up everything to be mine, that still was not enough to satiate me, but when you placed your lips upon mine, that was when I knew . . . I would have to let you go. If I ever had a chance at redemption, setting you free was the only choice I could make.

"You were never meant to be destined to the darkness which claimed me eternally. Not you, the most exquisite creature of light. I could not and I would not, banish you to an eternity of night. So, I released you to that insolent boy, knowing that it was what was right, what was best. That was all I had ever wanted – your happiness, my angel."

"Can you not tell that I am happy now - in your arms?"

Our bared skins were enticingly warm against one another. I was content in that moment.

"Now is now and then was then." He was holding back, but I was so happy to be ensconced within his arms that I was not about to ruin it.

"I'm happy with now, are you?"

"Yes," he at last relented with a heavy woeful sigh. "As long as you remain mine alone for this one night."

"I would remain yours forever if but only you'd ask."

"I am. I'm asking you for tonight." His feline eyes bore into mine, as he beseeched, "Be mine tonight, Christine. Tell me that you will."

He had to have known that I could never have refused him in any way or in any thing. There was no need to respond with words when my lips said everything I sought to convey. Again I was helplessly submerged in a sea of blissful ecstasy as his body leaned into mine and he took my mouth in his to bestow such a kiss that I would have thought it a thing of fiction, for it was too perfect; too beautiful. It was there, in that blissful state that my sea of ecstasy fully engrossed me, pulling me under, refusing to relinquish its rapturous hold.

*Author's note: Hey guys! Thanks SO MUCH for all the reviews, they really are the only thing that keeps this procrastinator writing, lol! Once again, this is a chapter that I haven't gotten the chance to edit yet, so please bear with its faults ;) (It's now been edited by my 'official' beta, Grayskies29!) I'm really not sure where this is going. I had only intended to make this a short story, writing out just my version of the "Beneath A Moonless Sky" Which you'll know I you were referred here from my YouTube Channel – I sing (I'm no Christine, though I have covered a few Phantom songs on my channel) and blog, you can find me here: Roswell1828Channel .
But now, I'm not so sure I'm going to end the story after the song, or where the song says the story ends. Do you guys want me to write out my whole version of "Love Never Dies"? I know some of you don't like the idea of Erik going to Coney Island, but I must warn you that if I do continue, I will be bringing him there. I literally grew up on Coney Island, so the local is very near and dear to my heart; plus I have massive amounts of knowledge about Coney in its heyday, which might prove helpful, lol!

K, I rambled enough now, lmao. Let me know your thoughts in the reviews ;)

xo

-Shannon