A/N: Something fun and somewhat unrelated to this particular story, Google Earth allows you to tour about the Palais Garnier! I discovered it with my youngest cousins yesterday and we had a great time seeing the place. One asked me if I would like to live there and of course, with a tear in my eye, I said yes. Just a bit of fun for you all. Now, on with the story!
Christine was surprised when she woke up in her own bed. She had distinctly remembered falling asleep laid out on Erik in the library. This thought of course brought a blush to her cheeks. At the time it had seemed so natural and right, but thinking on it now showed how improper it really was. Yet, he had seemed so happy. It would have been cruel to leave him when he had gone through so much just to get her to this point. Besides, she had been something of a wreck at the time. Her blush deepened at how often he was left to carry her around. The number of times she had fallen asleep in his arms or there about was far higher than what most would consider healthy. Of course, she argued with herself, she had been sick through most of it, so really it was not so bad.
Her head hurt. That was what happened when around Erik. Things just went their own way with him. There was no stopping it, nor was there any real desire to. She loved her time with him, how careless he was about the binding rules of what others thought proper. She had never been one to heed those rules anyways, but at least she was aware of them and somewhat cared. Perhaps that was why they worked well together. He had a skewed moral compass, while hers was tilted the other way. She over-examined everything for fear she had inconvenienced someone while he simply did not care. And yet, he did care when it came to the abused and broken.
A worry flitted through her head as she thought of what would happen when she stopped being broken. Would he leave her once she was fixed? Had he only loved her because she was a challenge or project for him?
She groaned as she realised these were the questions she had hoped to answer by going in to see him. Everything had changed, yet nothing had really been solved.
Going over to the floor length mirror, she grabbed a silver handled hair brush off the table that sat next to her bed. Brushing the knotted curls, she tried to view herself without fixating on her still thin form. It would take some time to make herself look healthier, but she knew not to mention it at all to Erik. It was not his fault in the slightest, and she was beyond indebted to him for helping her survive.
Survive.
That word echoed through her as she realised she had a whole, full life ahead of her. It almost ploughed over her as she thought of what she would do with the gift he had given her. She had not fully considered what she wanted to do with herself. She had little in the way of real skills. Beyond singing, and perhaps needlework, she felt fairly useless. She felt her neck at this. No, not singing.
Going to the door, she tried to think of anything else she could do. She pushed music from her mind as it vainly tried to think of a way to tell Erik that she…No, she was not ready for that conversation yet. She knew how he had always enjoyed her voice. The perfect harmony they made without even trying.
She was in the kitchen before she had even realised that was where her feet were carrying her. She had no muscle memory of this place yet, but she apparently did not need it. She went over and started to prepare breakfast, wondering when Erik would be awake, or would come join her. She had not heard any music when passing the library, so she assumed he was still sleeping.
Looking out the window over the sink, she nearly gasped as she saw the backyard. It was fairly large, considering the number of buildings that seemed to surround them. A high wood fence provided the seclusion she knew Erik had most likely specified. In the far left corner, in plain view of his study window, stood a tall cherry tree. It branched out strongly and on one particularly sturdy limb hung a small swing. It had a dark wood seat and hung from strong rope. She could only guess who he had put that in for.
Around the edges of the yard were flowerbeds, but there were not as many plants as one would expect. She frowned at this, knowing she would have to do something about that. The grass was a lovely soft green and over on the right side of the yard was a metal table with two chairs.
Shaking her head at his thoughtfulness, she turned back to the tea she had been planning on making. She was still in the middle of this process, in fact, when she felt an arm snake round her waist, applying only the slightest amount of pressure as a strong bodied wall came up behind her. A warm breath sounded at her ear with a sleepy good morning. She could not help the smile that came to her lips as he rested his admittedly sharp chin on her shoulder. Stealing a glance at him only broadened that smile as she saw him watching her fingers with tired fascination. He looked like a small child, still wiping away the last dregs of sleep from his eyes. Leaning her head against his gently, she revelled in his contented hum.
'Good morning, Erik.' She told him happily, enjoying how in his tired state he had let down at least some of his guard. He was not afraid to be so near her and she could not be gladder of the experience.
'Did you sleep well?' He asked, waking up just enough to remove his head from her shoulder.
'I did indeed.' She told him, turning to smile back at him. He took her warmth and returned it softly.
'Do you still love me?' He asked, showing a bit of his fear.
'I do. Do you?' She asked, wrapping her arms around his waist, leaning in to look hopefully up into his glimmering eyes.
'Forever.' He told her, leaning down to place a chaste kiss upon her awaiting lips.
She was just reaching up to pull him closer when there came a sudden knock at the door. She heard Erik growl faintly as he turned to answer it. He looked back briefly at the door to the dining room, perhaps wondering if he should truly go. A nod and subtle laugh from Christine urged him on.
Storming up the hallway, he felt his deep crimson dressing robe flare out behind him while his black silk pyjamas flowed over his long frame softly. He felt one of his darker moods overtake him as he yanked the door open considerably harder than he probably needed to. He was not in the humour to be parted from his Christine any more than was utterly necessary.
He surprised to see the tall, olive skinned Nadir standing on his doorstep, clearly shocked to see him as well. Looking at the man for a cool moment as the Persian blithered on about being glad he had found the right house, Erik only glared. Closing the door quickly, he turned back to the hallway, ignoring the mild protest just outside. Unfortunately, he turned to see a very unamused Christine leaning in the doorway to the dining room. She had her arms crossed over her chest and was giving him the distinct look of cool disapproval. All at once he felt like a guilty child.
Erik opened his mouth to protest, trying to find some defence for his admittedly rude actions, but he disappointedly found none. He just caught her eye roll before hanging his head in defeat. He looked at her plaintively as she breezed past him to the door, opening it while still mildly shaking her head at his stubbornness.
'Nadir!' She cheered, lunging into a hug as the Persian took a surprised step back.
'Christine!' He all but yelled as he held the girl. He pulled her back to look her in the eye. 'I-I wasn't sure if you'd be…you're awake, I was so…' He struggled over his words as she beamed at him.
'It's good to see you, too.' She told him, laughing over his uncharacteristic lack of calm. 'Come in, I'll make you some breakfast.' She urged, ushering him inside.
'Oh, thank you. I'm not hungry, though.' He told her, following her in.
'You'll have to tell us how you came to Paris. Erik said you intended to join us here, but we weren't sure when.' She explained, giving a sharp glance to the still slumped masked man. He looked like a kicked puppy, so she let go of Nadir and took his hand instead. He straightened considerably, not taking his eyes off her as they all made their way back to the kitchen. This did not go unseen by Nadir, who merely smiled knowingly.
Coming into the kitchen, she brushed the men over to the small table while she continued to bustle around making the tea and putting toast and eggs on the stove. Still, Erik's eyes stayed glued to her every move. He felt his hands itching to touch her milky soft skin, his heart aching to hold her to him, his lips burning to kiss hers. But Nadir's persistent presence prevented this. He would have strangled the Daroga if he thought it would make a difference, but Christine had already showed her disapproval of his mood. Constraining his murderous thoughts, he turned to his friend, looking at him sharply as if daring him to speak.
'You're looking well, Christine. How long have you been…well, awake?' He fumbled, feeling a bit of heat from Erik's gaze.
'I woke up yesterday late in the evening.' She answered, bringing over the tea.
Erik smiled slightly as he found she had made his favourite Russian tea with lemon. He had vaguely mentioned it once back in Persia, but he had not thought she was really listening, let alone remembered. She made for herself and Nadir the rose tea he had made the previous night.
Coming back to the table, Erik tried not to make a face as she set a plate before him. He really had not been hungry, but he did not wish to disappoint her. Unfortunately, Nadir did that for him.
'I see our Christine shall have you eating better.' He said, smiling broadly, not quite picking up or caring about the glare he received from the man.
'Do you not like breakfast?' She asked, turning to look down at Erik with obvious distress.
'No, Christine, it's fine.' He tried, but he could tell she was beyond that point.
'I'm sorry. I should have asked. That was inconsiderate of me.' She continued, ducking her head a bit.
Erik practically leapt from his seat, taking her hands in his. 'How could you think that?' He asked, smiling at her silly self-ridicule. 'No, it really is fine. I will gladly eat breakfast with you every morning. You needn't worry over it.' He assured her, lifting her eyes to his. He looked at her with such sincerity that it nearly made her weep.
'Come, let us listen to Nadir's harrowing tale of how he came to Paris, and how in the Hell he found us.' He looked at the man pointedly at this last part.
Christine had to fight to hold in a smirk at his rather harsh tone. It was nice to know nothing had changed between the two men.
'It's not that interesting, really. After disposing of the false body, I returned to the palace to announce you had somehow slipped free. I was exiled, which I knew I would be, so I started my travels from there. It was shockingly uneventful until I reached Paris. Then came the struggle of finding you. I had thought I would simply follow the trail of missing valuables, but there were none. I bought a small flat not too far from here with the money you gave me, and started looking for anything like sightings of a strange masked man. It was not until I found the stables where I saw Cesar that I was given an address for your home. I came this early because I did not know if it was correct.' He told them.
Erik looked at him blankly. 'Well, you did not exaggerate. That was almost indescribably boring. Now, if you have nothing else to do, I think Christine and I were going to-'
'Erik!' She snapped. She looked at him demandingly as she wondered where this foul mood had come from. 'What are we going to do, hmm? Bake cookies? Read a book? Please forgive him, Nadir.' She turned to the impressed Daroga. He had forgotten how well she shut Erik down.
'It is nothing, I'm used to it from him.' Nadir said, smiling proudly of the bold yet slight Christine. 'Tell me, would you wish to see some of Paris? I must confess to needing to learn my way around a bit and would not mind the company.' He said, changing the subject and failing to dodge Erik's fiery glances.
Christine beamed and looked to Erik expectantly. He only sighed heavily, having wanted that pleasure for himself. He did nod, however, knowing there was little in the world which could stop her once she got her mind set on something. He was soon very happy, his agreement having earned him a kiss on the cheek, and a surprised eyebrow raise from Nadir. Though it was on the mask, Erik still found himself smirking proudly at the Persian's shock. Bustling to clean the table, she rushed off to get dressed, still smiling broadly.
Erik sat, clearly gloating, with his arms crossed proudly over his chest.
'I see things have been going well.' Nadir observed.
'She loves me, Nadir. She's told me so. She even kissed me last night; without the mask.' Erik could not fully constrain his utter joy at this.
'I am happy for you, my friend. I know with you she will be well taken care of. Just remember that she's human, not some object to hide away.' He gave him a warning eye.
Erik looked honestly hurt by this accusation. 'Of course I know that. I've taken care of her for how many weeks now? Even before the coma, I loved her. I just…didn't find the right time to tell her.' He let his words drift off quietly.
'My friend, you have loved her since the moment you laid eyes upon her, you just didn't know it yet.' Nadir told him, grinning like a cat.
Erik smiled wistfully. 'She looked so beautiful.' He sighed, remembering how he had thought her one of the swans. 'She still is.' He assured hurriedly, not wishing to seem disappointed or unappreciative of her striking loveliness.
'A bit thin, but yes, still beautiful.' Nadir agreed, watching with odd fascination at his companion. Once upon a time, he had worried over the man who seemed to have no concept or care for right and wrong. A brazen thief, careless murderer, and effortless liar, Nadir had initially worried about the man coming to know Christine. Oh, how he had been wrong. She had changed the man made of ice and stone into a lovesick fool. She would never abuse Erik, Nadir knew, but that did not mean she had any less control over the man. Still, she was nearly frighteningly dependent upon his presence. If Erik left her, she would be destroyed. Nadir had seen it a few times before, but knew it would only get worse from here on out. She had finally admitted she was in love, but her ever-present fear of Erik's leaving kept her concerned.
'Erik,' Nadir started slowly. 'You know how she gets about your tendency to disappear,' he was trying to find a way to say this gently while still showing his seriousness.
'I am well aware, and I have made her a solemn promise never to do so unless she asks it of me.' Erik assured him firmly.
'Yes, but just try to make sure she understands this. I will not stand for you breaking her heart.' Nadir warned him, feeling very much the protective father again.
'Nor do I have the slightest intention of doing so. In fact, I wish to find something a bit more tangible. I want to prove my words, Nadir.' He gave him a heavy look.
The Daroga could not fight back the smile that crept across his lips at this. He knew this masked mystery of a man had somehow managed to ensnare her delicate heart, and that he would do anything to keep it that way. He knew Erik would carry her love to the ends of the earth. It was his greatest treasure.
'That is good, then.' Nadir smiled knowingly as Erik brushed it off somewhat embarrassedly. He watched the man's eyes grow alight as a soft presence entered the room. The Persian did not need to turn round to know who it was.
'Christine,' Erik sighed, rising and coming over to her. His eyes wandered up and down her form as she modestly entwined her fingers.
'How do I look?' She asked, toying with the skirt of her dress. It was a delicate rose colour with soft white accents and gentle lace.
'You look like the most beautiful rose imaginable.' He told her, finding her shimmering green eyes. He ghosted his fingers over her cheek, noting how they bloomed pink from his words. The colour looked lovely on her.
Nadir cleared his throat and watched amusedly as Christine blushed further at the remembrance of his being there. Erik did not so much as flinch, keeping his eyes trained to her.
'Perhaps you should get ready to go as well, Erik?' The Persian suggested.
The man's features darkened slightly. 'Alas, I do not think I shall be joining you on this outing.' He explained, still looking at his darling angel.
Christine glanced up at him plaintively. 'You're not coming?' She asked, sounding a bit hurt.
'Not this morning, my love. I do not feel like facing the masses today.' He told her quietly.
She nodded sadly, leaning in and embracing him warmly. She felt his heartbeat race at her touch and a slight gasp escape him. She smiled at how she always managed to surprise him with her displays of affection. He held her as softly as ever, as if she were a china doll he was afraid he might crack. Pulling back, his hands trailed down her arms until he pressed something into one of her palms. She looked at it questioningly before revealing it to be a small purse.
'Buy something you like.' He told her earnestly when she started to protest. She calmed and smiled at his sweetness.
Nadir was beginning to wonder if he would ever make it out of the house with these two staring longingly into each other's eyes all day. Thankfully, however, Christine took his arm with a playful grin and they left. The last few glances she threw behind her as they exited the house did not escape his notice.
'Take good care of her, Daroga. There'll be Hell to pay if you return her unhappy.' Erik warned from the front door.
'Oh, believe me. I know.' Nadir told him with a grin.
Erik stood for a moment, watching her walk down the street, shining in the morning light like the beautiful flower she was. How he wished to join her in her world of sun and happiness, but his was a world of darkness and shadows. He would fight them away for her, allowing her glow to envelop him warmly, but as the distance between them grew, so too did the gloom. Perhaps someday they would leave him, but he highly doubted it. Not after all he had done in his life.
A/N: Thank you soargirlforever for favoriting/following this story as well as me. Thanks to everyone for your kind words of support!