After the Lair

The Wedding

Hey guys. It's my birthday. I'm gonna go now. Bye.

Woah I posted this on my birthday. Freaky.

|| Christine Daae ||

The first time I said it, he was looking for something. His mask was off and his hair was tossed and his shirt was halfway buttoned.

"I love you," I said. It was a passing thought, almost. Something I always knew but never voiced.

Whatever he was holding, he dropped. He stood up and turned to me, his eyes confusion. So, I repeated myself.

"I love you."

It was like each word I said was a drug to him, and those three words were what pushed him over the edge.

"Say it again."

"I love you, Erik."

"I love you. I love you. I love you," I said, growing more confident with each word.

He slowly started to walk to me, his bronze eyes glimmering in the candle light of the room.

"I love you," I whispered.

He put his Han on my shoulder and whipped me around, and looked deep into my eyes.

"I love you," I said again, as he leaned into me, for our first official, unforced kiss.

|| 3rd Person's POV ||

For both Erik and Christine, the weeks leading up to the wedding were a blur.

They were stressed out of their minds. Everything needed to be perfect. From the cake to the vows. This was the love of their life- and neither could handle the thought of something bad happening.

In fact, that was one of their fights. One of their many many MANY fights.

"HOW DARE YOU! You know that I can't just not wear the mask. It'll scare everyone away," he had argued.

"I hate the mask. You know that. Besides who are we scaring? Carlotta?" she had retorted.

"You invited Carlotta?" he groaned.

"Yes I did."

"I don't want her coming," he said, voice shaking with anger.

"Well, I don't want to marry the Phantom, so unless you're talking to me like Erik, I'll just call the whole damn thing off. How about that?" Christine screamed.

Erik's eyes softened.

"Call...call it off?" he whispered, like a child who had just been harshly scolded.

Christine took a deep breath.

"Darling, I can't keep looking at you and seeing the Phantom. It's scary and I don't know what to do. I'm still a child and I want...I want my father to be alive," Christine admitted. Tears spilled out of her eyes.

"Christine, please don't cry, I beg of you. I'll do anything I can to make next week perfect," Erik promised.

She continued to cry, oblivious to Erik's pleads and promises.

"Christine, look at me. I love you. Do you understand?" Erik said, grabbing her chin and forcing her eyes onto his.

She nodded microscopically.

Slowly, gently, Erik pulled her into him. The firework show began again.

One more week.

One more week.

One more week turned into one more day.

One day more...

|| Christine Daae ||

Today.

It was all happening today. I closed my eyes and relished the thought of Erik and I sealed together forever and I was suddenly incapable of frowning.

I stood up to get ready, dancing and humming. I was so happy.

This was it!

I looked around at my wedding dress and sighed. It was all going to be perfect.

I was so close!

I was so alone...

Erik wasn't here due to superstition.

Meg wasn't here due to mental issues.

Mom and Madame Giry weren't here due to death.

Did I even have any other friends?

Raoul, sure, but he wouldn't understand.

I heard a knock on my door.

"Carlotta?" I asked.

"Yes, yes, it is me. I came to apologize. I'm so sorry about the way I treated you. You were never rude to me and I treated you like the dirt on the bottom of my shoes. I am so sorry for that," Carlotta began.

"No, Carlotta, please, you must understand that I was never mad at you. I'm sorry," I said.

"You have nothing to apologize for, dear child. Now, you have a wedding to get ready for!" she exclaimed.

"May you, sorry, would you help me?" I asked, shyly.

Her eyes lit up. "YES!" she screamed. I giggled. It sounded funny with her accent.

For the next few hours we chatted, drank some coffee and did my hair and makeup.

My stomach was churning the closer it got to the time Raoul was scheduled to pick me up. In fact, I even threw up before I put on the dress.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

I nodded. If I spoke, I would throw up again.

I put on the dress and heard the knock on the door.

He was here.

This was happening.

I walked to the door, and hugged Raoul immediately.

"We're late. Christine we are so late that Erik may actually drop a chandelier on my head."

I laughed as the three of us got into the carriage.

"You looked gorgeous," Carlotta reassured me. Raoul gave me a look saying: since when has she been a nice human being? I shrugged.

We arrived at the venue and my heart and stomach were doing a gymnastic routine.

"Raoul, walk down the aisle with me." I commanded.

He took my arm and we looked at each other.

"Lotte, you're about to go out there and marry the love of your life. Now, I may not be your brother or your father, but I love you like they would. Christine, be happy. I love you." Raoul said as the orchestra began to play the lullaby Erik sang to me. I held the red roses as close to me as possible.

Raoul walked me down to Erik, who had tears in his eyes. He was wearing a white suit. Raoul handed me to Erik and stood next to him, taking up his duty as best man.

The ceremony was a blur. That is, until the preacher skipped a part of MY ceremony.

"If any protest this marriage, see that you do it now, before the vows," he had said.

I saw someone stand up and yell-no screech- something about never getting the love, and I heard the gunshot blare through, the bullet barreling towards me. I watched Erik jump in front of me as both of our clean white clothes were stained by a dark crimson red.

Blood was shed before tears.

Death did us part before marriage.

We never got to say our vows...