The Phantom's opera

Proposal

I woke up in my bed a couple of hours later. I was confused for a couple seconds before realising that Erik must have carried me back when I fell asleep in the garden. I was still exhausted from the masquerade but I was also starving, so I gathered up enough energy to stumble out of bed. I quickly got changed out of my costume from yesterday and headed towards the kitchen. I was shocked when I walked into the pallor and saw Erik in a thin, loose white shirt doing push ups. It was the first time I had ever seen Erik do any workouts with the exception of when he used the boat. I stood their and just observed Erik, watching him push himself up and down repetitively and listened to his ragged breathing while I tried to keep my own as quite as possible so that Erik wouldn't know that I was watching. It stayed that way for about three minutes before he collapsed while he attempted to push himself up. I quickly tried to sneak around him to get to the kitchen so that he wouldn't know I had been watching him.
"How long were you watching?" Erik called out from behind me.
"Only about 3 minutes." I answer truthfully, turning around to face where he was. Erik was now standing up in the spot where he had been doing push-ups before, his maskless face a deep shade of red  and was beaded with sweat.
"So you only saw the end." I breathed still clearly exhausted from his exercise.
"How long were you doing it for?" I asked, slightly curious.
"About half an hour." He replied nonchalantly. I had to stop my jaw from dropping to the ground. I found it almost impossible to hold a plank for over 15 seconds and here Erik was doing push ups for 30 minutes. "I'm trying to get back into shape."
"Anyone who does push-ups for that long is definitely not out of shape." I pointed out, which Erik responded to by struggling his shoulders.
"Well I'm going to grab something to eat." I announced "do you want anything?"
Erik shock his head "I ate lunch an hour ago. I left a sandwich for you just incase you woke up and wanted something else."
"Who are you and what have you done with Erik?" I joked."Erik never eats unless I force him to."
"You didn't force me to eat on Christmas and I still ate." He pointed out.
"That was once." I protested.
"So I was hungry for once, I don't see how it is a big problem." Erik scoffed "I don't point out every time you eat when you are hungry."
"I wouldn't be so suspicious if it wasn't paired by you working out. I think your trying to change to impress me." I exposed.
"Now Why would you think that?" He protested "I'm just trying to become healthier."
"Don't lie to me and pretend like this has nothing to do with last night." I accused.
"I just want to be normal." He confessed in a quite voice " I am being courted like a normal man, so I want to act like a normal man." I grabbed his hands and held them in my own.
"Erik it's good that your working out and eating properly. It makes me happy that your doing this not because it's normal but because it's healthy. I just want you to know that I feel in love with you are right now, not some dime a dozen normal man." I assured him.
"I don't deserve you Nina."he said as he looked at me in adoration.
"No,I don't deserve you Erik. You are so much better than you think." I insisted, blushing. Erik went to argue again but I quickly changed the subject by saying that I was going to get the sandwich he made me

Erik and I spent the next week together before I had to go back to work. I was reluctant to go back to my job after enjoying the days I had with Erik and knowing that there would be pressure immediately to finish large work load with Sleeping Beauty premiering 3 days after we returned. No one was happy about the premier date, especially not Madame Giry. I had to be especially careful when not to bring the ballet in conversation because it put her in always puts her in a bad mood and the conversation turns into Madame Giry complaining about how inconsiderate the managers were and how hard it will be to get them back into shape after a week without proper rehearsals. Erik seemed to be the only person thrilled to be getting back to work, but then again, I'm pretty sure anyone else who was pranking people all day for a job would love it. Erik escorted me up the secret passage ways to work. He claimed that he was heading up that way anyway but I knew that Erik had planned to deliver letters to the managers, who's office was on the other side of the opera house, but I decided to just let it go. I really appreciated all the extra things Erik had been doing now that we were courting. It was always small things, like striking up conversations with me about topics I liked which I knew he cared nothing about and making food that he knew I enjoyed. I also noticed that he had been happier in that week we had spent together than the whole time I had lived with him. I was upset when we finally reached my workroom and had to part I ways. For the first time since starting my job, I loathed my work. I had enjoyed it before, but now I felt as though every hour I spent working was an hour I had been robbed of that I have could have spent with Erik. It also didn't help my loathing that I had to get through a lot of work. I also had to scorn the girl who had borrowed a costume for her performance and worn it to the masquerade. As I had guessed, the sleeve had torn and I had to repair it. I worked solidly all morning until lunch, when I decided I would reward myself by strolling the gardens again during my lunch break. Unfortunately , my plan was interrupted because almost immediately after I stood up to leave, Phillippe entered the room.
"Hello Phillippe." I greeted him, pushing myself to be friendly.
"Hello Alina, or should I say Lady Angela." He greeted in return.
"So you figured it out in the end." I admitted. "Well I better get going nice to see you again Phillippe." I tried to make my way to the door, but unfortunately was blocked by Phillippe.
"I really must be going Phillippe," I tried to say while attempting to move around him, however it was thwarted again by Phillippe, who moved to block me.
"Then I shall make this quick." He declared, as he lowered himself down on one knee. "Alina, I have admired you ever since I first saw you at the opera house. In the short time I have known you, I have come to realise that your beauty, wit and kindness which has no parallel to any other woman I have met. I would be honoured if you would marry me and become the Countess De Changy."
I tried to hide my cringe as hard as possible. I felt so embarrassed for Phillippe, proposing to me when he didn't know I'm courting someone else.
"I'm so sorry Phillippe, but only a couple of days ago I was offered a courtship and I accepted." I tried to break my answer to Phillippe gently.
"So?" He snapped "a courtship is not a wedding proposal. I am offering you a title and wealth in marrying me and you are going to throw it away for that man you spent the masquerade ball with in the garden?"
"Were you spying on me?" I asked, while attempting to control my temper but failing terrible.
"I was trying to protect you Alina, you went out alone with another man. I'm glad I did as well. You saw his face Alina, a man with a face like that is only capable of committing atrocities." He tried to justify.
"Any man is capable of commuting atrocities, it's not dependent on a persons face." I defended Erik fiercely "and unlike you, I can see past Erik's face."
"The fact that you can see past a face like that shows that you are better than the rest of us." He said as he took my hands into his "But you can't court somebody out of pity and I understand that if you feel bad for him but you can't lead him on and let him think he has an actual chance of being with you. We're talking about marriage Alina, you've got to pick who you love and who can make you happy, not someone that you pity."
"I can't believe it's so hard for you to understand that I don't care what his face looks like. If I was going to marry someone out of pity Phillippe, it would be you." I shot back.
"I just want you to be happy Alina. With me, you will never want again. You'll have the finest dresses in the world and be one of the most respected and envied women in Paris. I can say with certainty that  he cannot provide you with those things." He attempted to persuade me.
"Unfortunately Phillippe, I don't want those things. I much prefer making my own dresses and I would rather earn respect than have it given to me because I married someone with a title." I explained.
"But think about your children." He implored in a low voice. "What if they end up looking like him? Together, our children will be undoubtably good looking and will have the finest. As a mother, isn't that what you would want? Nothing but the best for your children?"
"For all we know, I may not even be able to have children and I would much rather my children's parents to love each other." I seethed.
"But I love you Alina." He insisted.
"I'm sorry but I don't return that feeling Phillippe." I replied. Suddenly, the Prima ballerina who I had set a up a fitting appointment with after my lunch break, opened the door. Her eyes grew wide when she noticed the proximity between me and the Count. She could no doubt guess that she came a bad time with the looks we were giving each other and the tension in the air.
"Am I interrupting something?" She asked in a small voice.
"No no," I insisted "the Count De Changy was just leaving."
"I just want you to know Alina, if you change your mind, that I will wait." He said, before walking past a very confused ballerina and out of my workroom.