Author's Note:
▪ Ramin is very much married with two kids and all that while Sierra had just broken up with her fiance but I don't care either way. I ship it so hell yeah! This is a fanfiction anyway. 😆
To the best Phantom and Christine to date (IMO)!🎭
Happy reading! 😊
POISON AND WINE
Ramin pressed the doorbell thrice consecutively. A smirk is suddenly spreading across his face.
I wonder how her reaction would be. He excitedly thought.
He is actually standing in front of Sierra's apartment now with his camera on and currently vlogging for broadway.com.
She doesn't have any idea that he's coming though.
His smirk turned into full blown grin when he heared footsteps coming from the inside, indicating that Sierra is about to open the door.
"Surprise!" He literally yelled as soon as the door opened.
"Jesus Christ!" Sierra exclaimed and backed instinctively away in surprise. She almost fell on her feet too which made Ramin roared in ridiculous laughter.
"Ramin Karimloo! What the heck?" She yelled back at him. Though at the same time she can't help but grin as well as she witness the big buffed man lose his shit in laughter in her front.
"You should have seen you face Sierra. I thought your eyes are actually going to pop out of their sockets for real." Ramin replied almost unintelligibly in between snorts and giggles.
She rolled her eyes playfully. "Oh shut up!"
"I am not even joking! Here look. I am absolutely sure that my camera caught it." Then he thrusted his camera to her.
Her eyes widened. "What the heck!" She screamed while Ramin just burst out laughing once again.
She raised her hand, getting ready to really hit him but unfortunately, Ramin was faster. He immediately held her waist with both of his hands and rotate their positions with ease, thus enabling him to enter her apartment and escape that impending smack.
"Ramin Karimloo!" Sierra yelled again, shut the door and ran after him inside.
They continue to chase each other like little children for about a good couple of minutes until they finally tire themselves out.
"Sierra I'm hungry." Ramin mused and slumped on Sierra's sofa. He is still slightly panting from their previous child's play.
"Go to the kitchen and make yourself some food, you grown ass man." She retorted, also still slightly panting before settling herself beside him as well.
With that, he quickly turned to face her and cooed like a baby, "Please make me some food Sierra. Please."
Sierra slowly turned her face to him. Her expression is that of a mixture of both mortification and amusement.
"Eww stop it!" She exclaimed in disgust then chuckled.
But Ramin only inched himself closer to her though. "Nope, I won't stop until you make me some food." And then he repeated his stint and cooed, "Please Sierra, please."
She giggled. "Ok fine. Just stop it. Geez!" She mused and then finally stood and went to the kitchen.
"Thanks Sie!" He shouted at her back triumphantly.
Moments later, both of them are already munching the chocolate brownies that Sierra baked earlier that day.
"Hmnn this is good." Ramin muttered in satisfaction as he chewed. "You're really great at baking Sie."
"Really?" She mused softly. And Ramin can tell right away the insecurity laced in that single word.
"Yeah. I am being honest here." He chuckled. "Why? You don't believe me?"
She shrugged. "Well, Tam always said that my goods are either a tad dry or way too moistened. I almost gave up at this you know, thinking that it's not really meant for me to begin with."
Ramin's expression darkened at the very mention of Sierra's ex-fiance.
"That jerk. What does he know anyway?" He hissed spitefully. "Oh beside from cheating?"
"Hey!" She reprimanded. "Let's not talk about him okay?"
He sighed then gently put down the piece of brownie he is holding for it tastes bitter all of a sudden now.
"I'm sorry." He said, not feeling sorry at all.
In fact, what he feels is irritation actually. He is awefully irritated by the fact that despite every shit that Tam did to her, Sierra still loves the jerk.
Oh the unfairness of this world. He thought wanting to shake his head.
"Hmn sorry? What for?" Confused, Sierra asked.
"For bringing it up and saying mean things about Tam."
But she just became more confused at his answer though.
"Huh? Okay, the bringing the thing up is reasonable but why are you saying sorry for saying mean things about Tam?" With a frown she followed.
This time Ramin's forehead creased as well at that question. "Didn't you get upset at what I said because....well you still like him right? So it is only natural to get mad at someone who throws mean words at someone you love." He explained a matter of factly.
But Sierra only surprised him by chortling in return.
"What?!" He spat.
She shook her head. "Jesus Ramin, do you really think that I still love that jerk after seeing him naked with another woman in our own bed? What do you take me for? A psycho?"
"Well......" Suddenly he didn't have a response to that.
Sierra sighed. "I don't love him anymore okay. If there's anything left in my heart for Tam, that's hatred alone. And I honestly wish that I could let go of this feeling soon too so he could no longer have anything inside of me. Not even an ugly grudge."
With thatmsuddenly, Ramin can't help the huge smile that spreads on his face. He is far too elated hearing that directly from her no less. It ony means that she finally moved on. So now he could possibly.....
"Sie......" He tried to say something but it was drowned by Sierra's sudden loud inquiry.
"So what really brings you here huh?" She asked far too animatedly. Determined to divert the course of their conversation far from that topic.
Ramin sighed in disappointment. Nevertheless he answered with a small smile. "I wanted to ask you for a small favor."
"Shoot!"
"Well as you can see, I have this camera with me." He picked up his camera from the table.
"Uhuh!" Sierra beckoned for him to continue.
"And ahm..broadway.com asked me to vlog while Les Mis' is being shown in broadway. Many viewers requested a duet with you, saying that they missed our duets from The Phantom of The Opera so here I am." He shrugged after.
Sierra laughed. "So that's why."
"Yeah. So will you sing a duet with me?"
"Yeah sure! Absolutely no problem." She agreed happily.
He smiled. "Thanks."
"Hmnn so what are we going to sing then? A thing from POTO?" She asked.
"Nah. I was thinking we should sit down thearte with this one." He replied.
"You have anything in mind then?"
"Yeah. But first, may I borrow your guitar?"
"Okay. Wait I'll get it from the room." Sierra excused herself and came back after less than a minute. "Here it is." She handed Ramin the guitar.
He immediately proceeded tuning it. Then after a few strokes of strings he asked, "Do you know the song Poison and Wine?"
"The Civil Wars?"
He nodded.
"Yes. Is that what you want to sing?" She eyed him in amusement.
"Only if it's ok with you."
"Sure no problem. But hey, could we like practice a round or two first before you started recording? I'm not sure if I still remember the lyrics correctly."
"Of course, no problem."
The two of them did two full runs of the song before Ramin finally turned the camera on.
"Ready?" He asked Sierra.
She nodded in reply.
With that, he pushed the record button and started strumming the guitar. Then the two of them automatically looked at each other's eyes before dropping the song's lines.
Ramin:
You only know what I want you to
Sierra:
I know everything you don't want me to
Ramin:
Oh your mouth is poison, your mouth is wine
Sierra:
You think your dreams are the same as mine
Together:
Oh I don't love you but I always will
Oh I don't love you but I always will
Oh I don't love you but I always will
I always will
Sierra:
I wish you'd hold me when I turn my back
Ramin:
The less I give the more I get back
Sierra:
Oh your hands can heal, your hands can bruise
Ramin:
I don't have a choice but I'd still choose you
Together:
Oh I don't love you but I always will
Oh I don't love you but I always will
Oh I don't love you but I always will
Oh I don't love you but I always will
Oh I don't love you but I always will
Oh I don't love you but I always will
Oh I don't love you but I always will
I always will
I always will
I always will
I always will
I always will
The song has long ended but both of them are still locking eyes with each other. Ramin could surely hear the loud beating of his heart and little did he know that it is the same with hers too.
It's now or never. He told himself.
"Sierra, would like to go out with me?" Out of the blue he just dropped. Finally throwing in the question that he has been so afraid to ask for it might potentially ruin their wonderful friendship if things don't work out.
Shock was suddenly written all over Sierra's beautiful face while he held his breath in throbbing anticipation on the other hand. But her loss for words only lasted a few seconds though and was then quickly replaced by a sweet and shy smile.
And then she aswered, "Yes, I would love too."
Ramin swore that the world turned brilliant rainbow as those words hit him real hard.