Love Revived

Chapter X

"What was that entitling?" Erik asked upon my return from my meeting with Madame Giry and the now memorized Raoul.

"Nothing to worry yourself over, Erik. It's resolved."

Erik accepted it, luckily, and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. His warm lips were something I hardly thought I would ever get used to as each time he kissed me I fell more and more in love with him.

"Well, my love, I assume we should both retire to bed?"

"Yes, goodnight, and don't fret over where I went."

He smiled in reply, assuring me he wouldn't invade my privacy. Erik was a more protective man, who only showed himself at masquerades, but that didn't mean he had no respect for privacy. I cherished his change from what I knew him to be. He delved into my life, finding every nook and cranny, attempting to put himself there permanently. I didn't realize the way to get him out was to let him in in the first place. There was so little I found I had understood as the young child I was when Erik wanted me to marry him. So little that I had gone and slept with him, not knowing the retributions to it all. I'd taken away his mask heartlessly and ripped away his confidence when he left me. I had destroyed the both of us.

-

"It is time for you to rise, Christine," Erik cooed to me he morning of the performance. I rolled over and tried to nuzzle back into the pillow, but was rudely interrupted when Erik ripped it from under me.

"How very rude," I snapped.

"You, my love, have a performance you must ready for by nightfall. Up now," He said, passionately placing a kiss to my lips.

There was something missing, though, and when I discovered what it was I jumped from the covers so quickly I nearly fainted. He looked mildly confused, but I was feasting my eyes on him as if he were the first meal I'd had after weeks of starvation.

"I love you," I said, my eyes wide-open as I looked at his unmasked face.

He looked at me strangely until I placed both of my hands to his cheeks and he felt the warmth on both sides.

"Dear God," he muttered, searching my eyes for fear or disgust as I plaugued him with worry. He was so scared in that moment as I held his deformity in my hands, running a soft thumb over it. I was highly surprised he had forgotten his mask, so I was trying to make the best of the situation... in which I kissed him.

I kissed him as passionately as he would allow, my lips sliding open to greet his tongue with mine. There was hardly any space between us as I felt tears fall from his eyes at my acceptance. It was only moments later when we broke the kiss.

"I love you, Erik Destler."

"I love you, Christine Daaé."

"Mhm, you better, I find I have other options at my fingertips."

"You are mine, darling, and you shall do well to accept that."

I laughed at his playfullness and kissed him again, making sure to place a tender hand to his face before I departed from the bed to get ready for the performance coming so very soon.

That was never how I planned to be revealed his deformity, in all honesty, for I had planned on it being myself asking one day, or possibly when it was our wedding night of many days. It would simply come off when I kissed him or some other random situation, never by his folly. Maybe he had done it on purpose, but even if he had, I loved him so. His reaction to my seeing it was much more tame than I imagined it would be in any situatio

"Erik, am I costuming up above?"

"Madame Giry requested it as such," he replied from within our bedroom. I took to placing on the blue dress I wore when I was younger, one Erik had brought down for me as he so kindly did all of the time.

God, there were so many things he did that I never noticed were all for me. Always for me.

I exited the washroom and smiled as Erik placed his mask on. I knew he felt confident with it on, so who was I to stop him from feeling confident? If he wished to wear it, then I would allow him such a priviledge.

When I died, just a while ago, one thing I always regret from that nightmare was not taking Erik's mask off when I kissed him. Of course, I was shot when that happened, but what was I to do otherwise? It would have been better to look at him like such and let him know I truly did love him, yet I failed to deliver that message. I'd fail to say that when we created Gustave as well apparently.

I felt horrible, and so often did I feel this way lately, especially as person by person remembered the catastrophe. I just hoped no one like Firmin or Carlotta remember the days passed by and relived, for that... well that would be tragic.

"You look beautiful, my love," Erik said as he came up from behind me and hugged my torso, kissing my exposed neck from the high-rise hair style I chose.

"I feel guilty, Erik, so very guilty."

"Why?"

I wish I could truly tell him, but I fear that if I do it will trigger his memory and I will no longer have the well-built relationship that I have now. I feared that the most, I guess, losing Erik that is.

I sighed and turned in his grasp, thinking of things to say as I stalled to formulate this answer.

"For not seeing your face sooner, Erik, you deserve to know that I love you no matter what."

He smiled and kissed me again, but not before removing the mask comfortably, looking into my eyes as he did so. I loved to see his comfort, and out of all things I favored that emotion next to his love. His comfort around me was just the same.

"Love is not always beautiful."

I snapped my gaze to his and searched him for knowledge of the past, but it just seemed to be words off of his tongue.

"But ours is."