Music of the Night: The Phantom of the Opera Returns (Guile & Melody)

[Guile]

Erik stayed on his knees, his heart beating quickly in his chest, afraid that she might not accept. He knew she loved him, but a part of him was still afraid. Willingly, he let Christine take his mask off. Then she said yes, and Erik's heart lurched in his chest. "Oh, my love!" He exclaimed as she hugged him tightly. In turn, he wrapped his arms around her equally as tight, his entire body shaking from joy. Erik could hardly breath, but he thanked God for her kiss which calmed his shaking a bit. "Thank you, Christine. Thank you." He whispered in her ear, unable to form any better words. "I promise that I will make a good husband." He forced himself not to cry. "I will do anything for you."

 

[Saiyan Princess]

"You have already proven yourself more a man than Raoul ever could." She croaked like a frog. "I just pray that I measure up to you." She slipped her tongue into his mouth, just as their waiter came in with dinner. "Um, I'm sorry. Am I interrupting?" He couldn't stop staring at Erik. Feeling guilty, he turned his face away quickly. "Congratulations."

 

[Guile]

Erik smiled at her, running his fingers through her hair. "My darling, you already have!" He didn't say so, because they were locked tightly in a kiss, but Christine was the most important person in the world to him - alongside his children. No one meant more to him than they did and Erik thought more of Christine than he did even of himself - much more. When the waiter came in Erik jumped slightly, startled by his sudden appearance, and broke the kiss with Christine. "No worries, my friend. And thank you." He said sheepishly. It was only when the man turned away that he realized that his mask was off. Immediately, Erik turned away from him, his face burning red with embarrassment. "I am sorry that you...had to see that." He cleared his throat nervously and shook his head slightly. He hadn't meant the kiss, but the fact that the poor waiter had to see his face.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

The waiter had tears in his eyes that he quickly banished. "I meant you no harm or disrespect, Monsiuer. Enjoy your dinner." He turned back, wanting to face his fear that he may have hurt Erik. "If there is anything you need, do not hesitate to ask." He put on a positive face for the newly engaged couple. Christine quickly shoved the half mask into Erik's hand. This was her fault and she knew it. Sitting back down at the table, she forgot all about the ring for many moments as she dug in, trying to forget and put on a happy air for her fiance. She held his hand and smiled. "Thank you. I look forward to the day we truly become one with each other." She caressed his hand.

 

[Guile]

Erik turned to look at the waiter, but only showed the left side of his face so as to not frighten him anymore. There was a smile on his lips as he spoke to him. "There was no harm done, sir." When the waiter turned back to say one last thing to Erik, he nodded. "Thank you, my friend. You are most kind." And he meant it. As he took the mask form Christine he thought about the man. To his astonishment, Erik realized that he was the first person, other than his wife, children, and the Giry's, to have seen his face and not recoiled in horror or called him a monster. He sat back down across from Christine and began eating as well. Erik smiled at the touch of her hand in his. "No, my dear, thank you. Without your acceptance, my proposal would be nothing but another haunting memory." Though the words sounded depressing, Erik was happy. He even laughed a little at them because after all, she had accepted. "I can hardly wait." He confessed in reference to their wedding day that was yet to come.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

As they ate, almost in silence, for Christine could swear that her heartbeat could be discerned, even over the Opera music playing overhead. "And, that just leaves one more thing to worry about. Or, many things that lead up to one, I guess. The many aspects of a simple wedding." She smirked. "Whatever shall we do, m'lord?" Her hand was shaking. The ring was so close, but not on her. She didn't mind, for her hand would surely start shaking so violently, that she would spill her tea that was now to her lips. "I just hope to...satisfy you, now that I'm not as young and my voice not so spirited anymore." She teased, setting the beverage down. "I still remember that very first time you brought me home." She paused, then started up again. "That first night together, the very next day. You were so cruel to me." She teased. "Shame on you, knocking a pregnant woman down and cursing her as you yell, or, were you singing?" She laughed. "I don't recall redoing that experience on stage."

 

[Guile]

Erik chuckled, pulling the ring out of the box and taking her hand in his. "As for our wedding, we will do whatever you wish." He smiled at her, holding the ring between his forefinger and thumb, waving it around almost teasingly as he talked. "You can invite who you wish, if you wish to have a large wedding. Our, if you prefer a smaller one that's what we'll do. You need not invite anyone if you do not wish." He added with a wink, "just so long as I'm invited." Then, he pretended to notice the ring that he held. "Oh!" As he slipped it on her ring finger, he grinned and whispered, "I believe this belongs to you." When the ring was on, he placed a kiss just above it, on the back of her hand. "Oh, yes, that night. I remember it well." Though Erik was teasing back, he found his face getting a little red at how he had acted the next day. "I apologize for that, my love. I was so crude with my vulgar curses! I can't believe I uttered those words in the presence of virgin ears..." then he looked at her and slapped his hand over his mouth in fake astonishment. "Oh, dear! Did I say virgin? Excuse that slip-up, I meant just the opposite." He chuckled, once again picking on his beloved. "However, in my defense, I did not know you were pregnant."

 

[Saiyan Princess]

"It won't really be a marriage unless we have an officiant of some sort." She grinned. "That means, if we do it at home, someone will know your secret hideaway." She sighed. "Oh dear, whatever shall we do?!? You're the teacher. Fix it!" She laughed. "We need at least one witness, or it won't be official either. You may be invited, I'll have to pencil in your reservation." She winked, trying to hide her frustration that the engagement ring was being used as a tease. "You should remember it. That was when Catherine was conceived!" She growled. Standing up, she stood over him, her lips close to his, but not touching. This was her tease. "Yes, you cast a nasty spell on me, causing me to faint, then you took the opportunity to have me for yourself. Whether I'm pregnant or not, you do not shout at a woman!"

 

[Guile]

"Oh, so you're going to let the man do all the hard work, are you? Well, if you are then you better at least let me come to the wedding, otherwise you're going to look pretty foolish out there without a man to marry!" Erik chuckled at her tease. "My dear, how could I ever forget that night?" He started laughing but tried desperately to hold it in because she was so close to him. "You should thank me, my love." Erik grinned widely, showing his teeth. "At least I allowed you to wake up before I 'ceased the opportunity!'" Then, he grabbed her gently but firmly on the sides of her face and pulled her to him, forcing their lips to meet in a brief kiss. He laughed at this when the kiss was through. "Forgive my yelling then, I shall never do so again." Erik placed his hand over his heart, still trying to hold his laughter. "You have my word, Christine."

 

[Saiyan Princess]

With the same sly grin on her face, she nodded. "Oh, heavens, yes! Typically, in a family," she stood behind him and massaged his shoulders. "The man does all the physical labor while the woman stays home and cares for the house and children." She sighed. "Tis a great sacrifice, but I can.do it, and, is that a threat I hear? Again? Oh, Christine, my dear. You better let me come to the wedding." She laughs. "Or what? You'll have me killed?" Her tease was all too perfect. "Thank you? What? Do you just expect me to go..." her legs went numb. "weak at the knees and fall into your arms and we pick up where we left off?" She thought of that whole experience. "Little viper? Lying Delilah? Prying Pandora?" She giggled.

 

[Guile]

Erik felt himself going weak at the feeling of her massaging his shoulders. "It is a threat." He teased, placing his hands on hers to stop her massaging before he lost control of all his senses and his body went entirely numb. Though, he tried not to let on why he had stopped her. "And no, not killed." He grinned up at her and teased. "Just maimed." He held out his forefinger and thumb with a small separation between them to signify that he would only have her injured 'just a little', before he started laughing again. "And yes, I do expect you to do that." Erik continued to kiss her as she giggled and brought up what he had said, or yelled, so long ago. "Commence going weak at the knees and falling into my arms, my love." Laughing, he held his arms open to her.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

She felt his gloves stop her and she ceased her massaging. "Sir, what did you do that for?" She asked, concerned that she was doing something wrong. "I thought I was helping you." Upon hearing his threat of a maiming, she closed her eyes. "Oh, you monster..." Seeing Erik's open arms, she fought to stay strong, like Alistair. "No, I mustn't wrap myself in the wings of my angel!" She theatrically falls into him. "No!"

 

[Guile]

"Ah, Christine. Do you wish to know the truth?" He smiled up at her sincerely. "I had to stop you before I went weak and started acting like a woman." Erik teased her again, though it was true. He eyed her, one brow raised, when he refused to fall into his open arms as if he were telling her to just do it, though there was a smile on his face and he would never really be that pushy. When she finally did, he wrapped his arms around her tightly and kissed her neck. "Oh, and my love," he looked in her eyes with a smile, "don't call me sir. We are to be married and, even if we weren't, I won't have you calling me sir. I am no boss of yours, nor am I just an acquaintance. Basically, what I'm trying to say is, I am in no way at a higher level than you to where I need to be referred to as 'sir'." He placed a kiss on her lips this time.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

"I understand you, my loving partner." She closed her eyes dramatically. "It is too late for my soul! He has taken it as his!" She breathed heavily digging her nails into the back of his neck as he kissed her and she did too. Her limp body hung there, almost as though dead, just like when they were on stage together in front of that audience. "What do you think? Should they know the truth of how abusive you were to me?" She teased. "Should they know what happened to me as I was gone for one night?"

 

[Guile]

Erik was so wrapped up in the kiss that he didn't even notice her nails digging into the back of his neck. All he could think of was Christine and their kiss. When it was through and she lay against him, he breathed her in closing his eyes and thinking only of her, until she spoke again. The corners of Erik's mouth curled up in a smile when she started to tease again. "Abusive? But, my dear, you were asking for it!" He teased back, not meaning it. "You suffered the consequences for taking of my mask." Erik chuckled. "Tell them, Christine, but they'll still love me. In fact, I don't think they'll believe you! I've only ever been nice to them." His laughter continued. "You, on the other hand, you can be quite mean when you wish to be, my love." He said, pointing a finger jokingly at Christine.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

She dropped to her knees in front of him again and pretended to fake a cry. "I didn't think you could be so cruel! And, to tell them, I will need you on stage with me." She grinned. "We could always say that you are wearing make up or something when I take your mask off." She shrugged. "It was only a thought. We do not have to, but I need a fresh idea for my next performance." She finished eating her food after this, careful not to damage the ring. "Won't Lilly be pleased?"

 

[Guile]

Erik laughed when she mentioned him coming out on stage. He rubbed the back of his head, remembering the apple that his son dropped. "I don't know if I should go out there again. It gets pretty dangerous." He finished his food as well around the same time Christine did. "Oh yes, Lilly will be quite pleased." He smiled, laughter coming through as he thought about how his little girl would react to their engagement. "Do you think Alistair will react the same?" Erik had confidence that his daughters would be pleased, and he was grateful for that. However, there was something about having a son that made Erik want to be close to him, wanted to see the same happiness in his eyes that was in his daughters'. "As for your next performance...have the managers agreed to allow you to sing again?" He raised one eyebrow with interest.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

"You big baby, it wasn't that bad." She teased, her lips hovering again, but she wouldn't allow them to touch. "You're going to let a seven year old's little mishap prevent you from..." she turned away from him, entwined her fingers together and leaned against him. "Fulfilling your darkest desires?" She thought about her son's reaction. "Erik, he thinks the world of you, but you're always consumed in your daughters." She then thought of his last question. "They are upset about Catherine almost killing Edward, but they'll let me go on. After all, I'm the way they get their money." She winked.

 

[Guile]

As Christine leaned against him, he wrapped his arms around her with a smile on his face. "Ah, but Christine, you are my darkest desire." He held back a chuckle. "I'm glad to hear that." He confessed. "I never know what to think about the children. I mean, the girls are so obvious with their feelings - which is great for me - but, Alistair...well, you know how he tried to hide things." Erik scoffed at the idea of the managers still being upset. "Really?" He rolled his eyes, just a touch of anger coming from him, but not directed at Christine - it was direct at the managers. "Those fools. It happened years ago and Edward is fine." He shook his head, trying to clear the anger. "Well, either way, I'm glad they'll accept you. But..." he placed a kiss on her lips, "I'm not sure if I want you to anymore." He teased, a grin forming on his lips. "I'm not sure I want other men coming to see the show because my wife is in it and," he impersonated a random man that might come to the show, "'damn, she is a fine woman!'" Letting out his laughter, Erik smiled at her - sort of an apology for picking on her.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

"Well, that's just how he's been brought up from diapers to now." She smiled and headed out the door. "I guess I'll just have to break him of that." She smiled as she danced ahead of him. "Well, the Tremaines are not the kind of family that people tend to fight with." She took in the fresh night air. "They are always used to getting what they want and, when they don't, well, you saw what happened to Catherine." She held back tears. At his next tease, she chuckled. "And that is why you are going to be there, on stage, with me. I'll wake, tear your mask off, you throw me down and start yelling. It's quite simple." She kissed her ring as the bright lights of home came into view. "Just scare them when they say that your wife is hot, but, you should be flattered!"

 

[Guile]

Paying for their food and leaving a tip for the kind waiter, Erik followed Christine out the door. "I should hope so. Being a man doesn't mean you have to be emotionless." He smiled at Christine before slipping his hand in hers and kissing her on the cheek as she spoke. "Yes, the Tremaines," he grumbled. "What a lovely group of people they are." But, he didn't go further into that conversation. "Look at you!" He teased. "Now you're asking me to abuse you - on stage! In front of people!" Erik let out his laughter. "But, alright. If you like being abused so much, then I suppose I'll do it for you. Just this once!" He added, smiling and pointing a finger at her. When he saw the lights of the Opera House he couldn't help smiling. Suddenly, he stopped Christine. "Wait, don't move. I want to kiss you once more - before we have to go back in with our brats." He joked, but his laughter quickly ceased as he brought his lips closer and closer to hers until they finally touched. Letting the kiss sink in, they stood there for a few moments until Erik pulled away and whispered, "I love you." Taking her hand again, he walked into the House with her and down into the cellars toward home.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

"Emotionless, or stubborn, just like his mother and stepfather?" She held his hand as well, savoring the moment until they were surrounded again. "I am not asking for abuse, just clarification about what exactly happened those two days." She leaned into the kiss that they shared. "And, I know you love me. You tell me on a daily basis." She kissed his hand once more. "I am your angel of music...come to me, angel of music..." She couldn't keep her lips off of him as they returned home.

 

[Guile]

Erik considered this. With a smile he agreed, "stubborn. Definitely stubborn. Like his mother for sure." He laughed, walking with her down the stairs. "Of course I tell you every day. How else could you be so sure?" He chuckled at the soft feeling of her lips on his skin. Erik helped her into the boat and rowed the whole way - refusing, with a smile, to let her help him row.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

She stepped in and reached for an ore, but saw the look on Erik's face and set it back down. "A woman can do everything a man can, but, if you don't want me to help you, what do you expect me to do?" She placed her lips on his neck. "You hate my voice." She laughed at this.

 

[Guile]

Erik laughed. "I know, I know. You can do anything a man can." He smiled at her and placed a kiss on her cheek. "But I don't want you to have to." The feeling of her lips on his neck made Erik force himself to not quiver, but he couldn't hide his grin. "What makes you say that, Christine? I've always loved your voice."