I Live For You

I don't own the phantom...and you have no idea how many hours of therapy it took to make me realize that.

My first phantom fic...other, more, uh, interesting, ones to come...



I Live For You


The corridor was barely lit, single torches burning at long intervals. Still she proceeded, turning now familiar corners until the lake lay before her. The boat waited, as it always did when she came, at the shore. It took longer with her rowing, and without the familiar light to steer toward, but eventually she reached the other side. Climbing from the boat, she glanced at the empty organ, visible by the glow of one candelabra that remained lit. If Christine had paused to think, she might have realized it was lit on the off chance she would come, but the dream that had driven her to the basement of the Opera House still clung to her thoughts and desperately she passed the organ in search of Erik.

His bedroom was to the right. Though she rarely went within, staying instead, when she did stay in the basement, in the room he kept for her, but she knew it had changed since they had first met, he had told her so. But though the coffin had been replaced by a regular bed, ornate as it was, that lay at the room center, it was still a solemn place. Christine pushed aside the velvet curtain, the little light from the outer room barely leaking into the darkness. She could just make out a form beneath the covers of the bed.

She went to him. Erik slept on his side, facing away from her. The mask had been laid aside, but that part of his face was still hidden as it pressed into the pillow; the face and bare shoulder borne to the meager light were flawless.

"Erik," Christine whispered, reaching to touch his shoulder. Erik jerked, sitting up to face her, instantly alert.

"Christine," he spoke her name, hand suddenly coming up to cover his face. With his free hand he reached to a side table, presumably to retrieve the mask he had left there before going to sleep.

"No," Christine asked, taking hold of his reaching arm and causing it to lower instead. He went to protest, to tell her again why she could not bear to look at him. Though she would normally argue, the hour was late, "It's dark anyway."

He nodded, but was careful to keep his head lowered, looking at her with sideways glances.

"I had a dream," she explained. "Can I...do you mind...can I stay here tonight?"

"Here?" he indicated the bed, trying his best not to give the loud and exuberant yes that first occurred to him.

"Please, Erik."

"Of course."

She smiled, pressing her lips chastely to his cheek. Standing, Christine removed her shoes and went to undo her robe, trying not to smile too broadly as Erik's head turned away abruptly. She wore beneath a filmy nightgown of white, one that brought both of them back to the fateful night she had first been brought to the domain of the phantom.

Lifting the edge of the blankets, she slipped beneath and laid her head upon the soft pillow. Erik made no move, unsure as to what the acts of a gentlemen should be in such a situation. He was guided by a soft hand once more upon he arm and settled on his back to stare at the ceiling.

"Erik?"

"Yes?"

Her hands spoke instead, gently tugging him until he faced her. The self-consciousness was obvious even in the dark as the misformed portion of his face was revealed to her eyes. In silent repetition of her oft-spoken assurances, it was there she rested her hand momentarily before pressing close to bury her head against his bare chest.

After a while Erik noticed her breathing had yet to slow in sleep. Running a hand over her dark tresses, he sought the cause.

"Was the dream very bad?"

"Awful, just awful," she shook her head. "I dreamt I came for you, I came across the lake, and it was cold..."she shivered with the thought of it. "And when I got here...and you were," she couldn't tell him of the scene, of the bloody organ and the note, "gone..." She couldn't help the little whimper that escaped her, but it helped when he pulled her close.

"I won't ever leave you, my angel."

~end~




Review if you like this...or if you want the author to post the smut that waits in the wings...