You had just received a letter from Christine Daaé. According to the rumors floating around, she and her fiancé ran away from The Opera Populaire (and perhaps the entirety of France, too!)... Despite the fact that she had been kind to you, and as much as you tried to return the favor, you barely thought that she would consider you someone worthy of writing to... If anything, you thought that it would be Meg who received such a thing. This led you to decide that it was probably urgent, and of course, you knew you had to read through it immediately.
"I'm surprised you didn't tell them off and say that you needed to get a bra on," you heard someone snicker... Sure enough, you turned around to see Erik (who was standing quite close to you again). He seemed to have come out of his hiding place, and you couldn't help but roll your eyes a little and the revival of such an old inside joke.
"Shut up," you murmured with a smile, swatting at him playfully as you returned your gaze to the letter. Almost immediately afterward, you noticed Erik glance over your shoulder, a bit of a concerned expression playing on his face.
"What's this?"
You glanced up at Erik and shrugged, your eyebrows furrowing ever-so-slightly. Other than the fact that it was a letter from Christine, you had no idea - it made no sense to you...
( Hey! This is the only time I will ever make an author's note in the middle of a chapter, but I wanted to let you all know that a friend of mine, peppermint-twist , has given Christine a voice in this letter... literally! She gave an audio!! If you would like to listen while you read, go to https://roleplay-fortheopera.tumblr.com/post/175259576258 )
Dearest [Y/N],
I hope that all is well with you. As you may have heard, Raoul and I have left Paris as of last night, and while I truly wish that I could speak to you in person, it is under these circumstances that I am unable to.
The investigation concerning the opera ghost still continues... However, something still tells me that you are quite fond of the man (it probably has something to do with the fact that I saw you in his bed the night he took me away), and because of that, I wish to warn you of the events that might unfold in the future.
The only thing to be wary of at the moment is, to my knowledge, a man called Francois Rousseau. He appears to be the only detective currently investigating the occurrences at the Opera Populaire... Until he gets a lead, I am sure that both you and the opera ghost will be safe, and perhaps, if God is willing, you two will grow quite old together before they discover anything on this.
You have been nothing but kind to me, [Y/N]. You helped give Raoul and me a happy ending, and now, I just want to help give you yours.
Let me know if you need anything at all. Madame Giry knows where to find me.
Sincerely,
Your friend,
Christine Daaé
"Someone's after you," you muttered, folding up the letter quickly. You placed it on the dresser before glancing back to Erik, whose gears seemed to be turning.
"By God..." you muttered, sitting down on the bed as you massaged your temples with your fingers. Just as soon as you sat down, you were back up again, frantically pacing around the room. "People will think you're nothing but a murderer - you'll be put away forever you're caught!"
Another idea frightened you.
"Or worse..."
That was enough to speak volumes. The people of France were unforgiving, and you knew that if he wasn't placed behind bars for the rest of his life, he wouldn't be able to live at all. The thought terrified you. "By God, Erik - I can't bear to think about this! What are we going to do? We're going to have to keep running, but we - we can't just hide for the rest of our lives! I don't understand - "
You were cut off by a kiss, and a flood of nostalgia washed over you.
The circumstances had taken you back to the first (and most recent) time he had kissed you, which had been after you were livid with him for picking a fight with your friend and fellow employee, Matthew. A kiss never failed to be the only way to express the both of your passion for one another. While it would probably start a fire near impossible to douse out, it was much better than being wrapped up in what could happen to your beloved.
The kiss was quick to be followed by another, and then another, and then another... It was hard to tell how many times your lips touched until you both breathlessly pulled away, tangled in the other's arms.
Erik stared you right in the eye.
"Have you forgotten who I am?" Erik asked. You couldn't help but notice that his lips had parted into a gentle (and quite comforting) smile. "I have done quite a few unspeakable things, and yet, I've managed to escape capture thus far... I'm certain that I will be alright."
"That won't stop me from being worried about you, Erik," you said. You had gone through so much just to be with him... Your heart had practically been torn out, you had to watch him fall in love with someone else, and after such a long time of waiting, you weren't about to give all of that up. Erik's hand moved to stroke your hair, and as he pulled you to his chest and rocked you ever-so-gently, you felt at least a little bit better.
"I suppose that nothing will," he muttered, though you could practically hear him smile. After a moment or two, he pulled away from, and still looked you right in the eye. "You look like you need rest, [Y/N]..."
That was probably true. Even though it wasn't too late - probably not even an hour before sunset - you were utterly exhausted from last night's events.
You nodded softly as you laid down on your bed.
"You're right," you muttered, resting your head on your pillow as you let your eyes flutter shut. "Thank you..."
However, when you got no response, you realized that Erik had turned to leave, and due to the fact that you didn't wish to be all alone for the night, you were quick to stop him again.
"Erik?" you called out, and you noticed him pause immediately. He glanced over his shoulder to meet your gaze, and he cocked an eyebrow with both confusion and concern of what else you had to say. You drew in a deep breath as you thought about the words. "Can you sleep with me tonight? Not as in - well, you know, sleeping sleeping - but just... Hold onto me, perhaps?"
He seemed to think for a moment. He would normally reject such an offer, but he knew that you were a respectable person, and that you weren't after going after anything more than just someone to hold onto you.
He let out a sigh as he made his way back to you.
"Alright then." Your eyes fluttered open as he knelt beside you, and you couldn't help but smile as he tucked you in like the many times he had done so before. Once you were under the blanket, he made his way to the opposite side of the bed. Hesitantly, and quite carefully, he slipped under the covers. You felt him move to press against you. He wrapped an arm around you and slid hand on top of yours, gently lacing the both of your fingers, and he used his other hand to gently move your hair from off of your neck so that he could rest his head there.
His embrace immediately made you feel that much better.
Perhaps he hadn't realized how wonderful this would be. After a moment of holding you, he let out a long sigh and seemed to bury his face further into your neck, clearly content with the circumstances.
"Is this alright?" he muttered under his breath.
You nodded.
"It's just perfect," you muttered with a smile. "Thank you."
Too lazy to move to your cheek, Erik gently pressed a kiss against your neck, yet again seeming to pull you impossibly closer to him.
"It's my pleasure," he said with a soft nod. "Now shush... and goodnight."
A/N: Ahh! First chapter up! Thanks for reading, and sorry for any errors... I wrote this late last night (because I was waiting in an airport to pick up my brother and had nothing to do), so please forgive me if it's just... eh XD