Phantom of the Opera 1. Chapter 1: Don Juan and His Aminta

a/n: Ok, so this is my first fan fic ever! Please be honest, but kind, in your reviews. Constructive criticism is greatly appreciated; profanity and rudeness is not. And yes, I know its short, but I promise the next chapters will be longer!Emilia

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_Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime_

_Save me, lead me from my solitude_

_Say you want me with you here, beside you…_

The Phantom sang softly in Christine's ear, stroking her hair as he whispered words meant only for her, and that he had longed to say for so long. Christine sighed and leaned further into the cradle of his arms, until the realization of the hauntingly familiar tune struck. Slowly, she turned to face him, and as he clasped her left hand in both of his she raised her right to caress his face. His voice rose in a passionate crescendo as he finished his declaration of love for her.

_Anywhere you go, let me go too! Christine, that's all I ask of…_

His words were cut off as Christine raised his mask, pulling his wig along with it. The audience screamed as the twisted and lumpy flesh of the right side of his face was revealed under the bright lights of the stage. The Phantom looked down at Christine with those grey-green eyes that could both threaten and adore, but now only showed pain, sadness, and resignation at the horror he was sure he would see on her face.

But to his surprise, and even to Christine's, she didn't pull away. She didn't even flinch. This was, after all, her beloved Angel of Music, who had turned out to be nothing but a man. The man who had befriended a sad lonely orphan girl so many years ago, and who had listened to her when no one else would. The man who had both inspired her voice, and become frighteningly obsessed with her. He was the man who loved her, and who had ignited feelings of passion and longing her innocence had never felt before. And now, he was finally, truly revealed to her.

Dropping the mask at her feet, Christine placed her left hand on his marred cheek, and braced herself on his chest with the other. She tilted her face up to his, and closed her eyes as she pressed her trembling lips to his own. The Phantom was so shocked by this he couldn't even respond—he just stood there, shocked that his sweet Christine was actually kissing _him—_a monster! Christine pulled away, smiling up at him. And then he found the courage to act, as he pulled her close to him and crushed his lips upon hers for the kiss he had wanted for so long.

The puzzled audience whispered to each other in confusion—was this some new twist to the plot? What a strange opera they had come to see tonight! Raoul looked on in shock and grief as his betrothed blissfully returned the Phantom's kiss with a passion she had never shown for him. This was NOT part of their plan!

The pair finally broke apart, and the Phantom whispered to Christine, "Do you trust me, mon ange?"

"Of course," she replied. "Then hold on tight to me," he instructed as he kicked a lever, opening a trap door that sent them plunging down into the cellars of the opera house.

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I hope you like it so far...please review! I'm anxious to know what people think, and whether or not I should continue it!


	2. Chapter 2: Down Once More

a/n: Sorry it took so long! Been busy with school/work/family/boyfriend. I **promise **you that the next chapter won't take so long! Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, and shame on those who haven't! Just kidding...sort of. Reviews are greatly appreciated. This, by the way, is about 5 times longer than the first. So enjoy, and remember that I do not own the POTO characters, nor do I in any way profit from this story other than my own enjoyment and satsifaction. :)

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The Phantom pulled Christine along behind him, carefully avoiding all his traps he had spent so many years building to prevent unwanted intruders from entering his home. Christine stumbled along, shivering in her thin peasant girl costume, wondering where they were going. She suspected it was to his underground home, but why did it look so different than the last time she had been led through these tunnels?

She voiced her confusion when she asked him, "Where are all the candelabra? Why don't I recognize anything? It's so dark and damp down here!"

The Phantom stopped, and turned slowly to face her. "That wasn't real, Christine. It was only an illusion. What you see now, is the truth."

Christine was shocked at his words. "But how?" she asked. "It seemed so real! It was beautiful!"

He smiled sadly at her and said. "I am a quite accomplished magician, my dear—it is not hard to trick others into seeing beauty, where only ugliness lies. I tried to use that talent with my abhorrent face--to hide my repulsiveness--especially from you."

Christine gently laid a hand on his arm. "You don't need to hide from me anymore, Angel" she said with such sincerity it nearly brought tears to his eyes.

"Erik," he said softly.

"What?" Christine asked, her brow furrowing slightly in confusion.

He continued, "I am not an angel Christine…I am only Erik"

"Erik…" she said, almost carefully, as if wanting to try out this new name for her angel. She smiled and said it again, "Erik…I like it."

They stood, silently, for a few moments, neither knowing what to say. Finally, Erik cleared his throat and said, "Come. We must hurry…your vicomte will be looking for you, no doubt thinking I have taken you against your will. The gendarme, too." He started to turn, but paused and said, "You don't have to do this Christine. If you wish, I will take you back above. I don't want you to do anything you don't want to do." He hesitated, then added "My only wish is for you to be happy…surely you know that?"

"Of course I know that…and it would make me happy to stay with _you, _Erik" she said determinedly. She slipped her tiny hand into his larger one and smiled up at him. Erik swallowed the lump in his throat, squeezed her hand tighter, and led her silently through the rest of the passageway, down to the edge of the lake, and into the boat. He pushed off from the lake's shore, and poled the boat to the opposite side.

After helping her out of the boat, Erik hurried around, gathering things here and there and shoving them into bags.

"Where are we going, Erik?" questioned Christine. "I didn't realize we were leaving the opera house! Oh! I haven't any other clothes with me!"

Erik stopped his packing, and turned towards her. _You best confess now, old man. Admit that you were planning this little trip all along, _he thought to himself. "I have a house; out in the country…I thought we might go there," he explained. "If that's alright with you, of course," he hastily added.

Christine stared at him. "_You_ have a house?!" she exclaimed, then clasped her hands over her mouth, realizing how horribly rude she sounded. "I…I'm sorry Erik, I didn't mean…"

"It's quite alright, Christine—no need to apologize," Erik assured her. "Of course you're shocked. I was a little surprised, myself, when I decided to purchase it," he said with a smile.

Christine relaxed. "I'm sure it's a lovely home, Erik. But what am I going to do for clothes? I certainly can't travel in _this_!" she gestured down at her rather revealing costume.

Erik looked nervous as he said, "I…took the liberty of purchasing some things for you. If you go into the bedroom, you shall find everything you need. I hope that you will find them satisfactory."

Instead of looking angry, however, Christine was giving him the most radiant smile. "Oh, Erik…I'm sure they'll be perfect!" she gushed. "But…how did you know I would choose you?" she asked innocently.

"I…I didn't, Christine," he stammered, carefully studying her face for her reaction. _You coward…_he thought to himself_…why don't you admit what your plan really was? That you were willing to drag her bodily from here and force her to go with you? _

Christine's smooth brow furrowed. "Then how—"she started to ask, as realization swept over her face. Her eyes grew wide, and her mouth formed a circle. "Oh," she whispered.

Erik's whole body seemed to slump as he said, "I'm sorry Christine…I'll take you back now, if you wish."

"No!" Christine said so forcefully that Erik almost jumped. "No," she said more gently, "I'm coming with you." She turned and walked towards the bedroom. "I'd better get dressed and packed," she added, "You too."

Erik stared after her in astonishment, unbelieving that an angel like her was still willing to come with a monster like him. He quickly finished packing and set about changing out of his own costume for their journey.

Christine walked into the little bedroom that Erik had painstakingly made and decorated just for her, and immediately went over to the wardrobe. It was filled with dresses that he had picked out for her, ranging from simple day dresses to more elaborate evening ones. She smiled as she ran her hands over the dresses, noting the fine fabrics and delicate details.

_They must have been very expensive_, she thought to herself. They were certainly the prettiest clothes she had ever had, and she couldn't help but feel a little giddy. There were shiny new shoes, too. Walking over to the dresser, she pulled the top drawer open to reveal toiletry items—a brush, comb, and mirror set, and some creams, powders, and fragrant soaps. She happily carried all these to the open trunk that was waiting on the bed, and returned to the dresser.

Christine felt a blush creeping up into her cheeks as she pulled open the second drawer, revealing sets of lingerie. The thought of her angel selecting and buying something as intimate as her undergarments made her flush with embarrassment.

_Don't be silly, _she scolded herself, _you've danced on a stage in front of hundreds of people in far less than this!_ Still, she felt very self-conscious—and a little _thrilled_—as she slipped into the silky stockings and thin chemise that he had selected just for _her. _The corset was a much bigger challenge, but she finally managed to get the laces tied, if not very tightly. Next came her petticoats, and she selected a simple blue dress to wear for the trip. After slipping into her shoes and packing the rest of the dresses, she was ready. Trying to pick up her trunk, she let out a slight "Oomph!" as she noticed how heavy it was—Erik would have to carry it.

As she left the room, however, she realized something was missing.

"Erik?" Christine asked softly as she walked towards him.

"Ah! There you are! Are you all packed?" he asked, moving towards the room to retrieve her trunk, but stopped when he saw the expression on her face. "What's wrong, Christine?" he asked worriedly.

Christine bit her lip. "Something's missing…"she started to say, but stopped.

Erik frowned, troubled by the thought that he might have forgotten something important for his love, but at the same time quite sure that he hadn't. "What is it, Christine?"

"Aren't we going to take my wedding dress?" she finally asked shyly.

Erik stared at her, shocked. "You…you want to take your _wedding dress_?"

Christine looked as if she might cry as she sunk down on the nearby chaise. _You foolish girl! _She thought to herself, _how could you be so presumptuous?_

"I thought that you wanted to marry me, Erik" she said miserably, her lower lip quivering as her eyes brimmed with tears. "Don't you?"

"I…I don't know what to say, Christine" he stammered, unsure of what to do.

Misinterpreting this as a sign of rejection, Christine buried her face in her hands and burst into tears. _Have I thrown my whole life away, for nothing? _

Erik was at her side in an instant, kneeling before her.

"Please don't cry, Christine" he pleaded. "Don't you realize that you are everything to me, my sole reason for being?" Erik pulled her hands away from her face and placed a fervent kiss to each palm. "But you must understand, my darling! How could I even dare to hope that _you_ would want such a thing from me?"

Christine sniffled, wishing desperately for a handkerchief, embarrassed at how childish she must look. "Then you _do _wish to marry me?" she asked, feeling a little foolish now for her outburst.

"I can scarcely believe that you are saying the words yourself, Christine, but yes, I wish to marry you, cater to your every whim, and do whatever you shall ask of me for as long as you will tolerate me!" Erik proclaimed eagerly, still clutching her hands in his.

Without thinking, Christine blurted out the first thing that came to mind—the very thing she had wanted above all else since their moment on stage. "Could I have another kiss, then?" she asked shyly.

He looked so shocked that Christine almost wished she hadn't asked. To her great relief though, he simply murmured "Of course," and gently pulled her to her feet. It was a very good thing that Christine could not hear his heart pounding in his chest. As her angel of music, and the opera ghost, he had always been confidant and authoritative, but it seemed that as simply Erik the man he was much more shy. He seemed unsure of what to do with his hands, and she could see in his eyes that he was terribly nervous. It was then that Christine realized that she had probably been Erik's first kiss.

Erik felt that he had never been more flustered in his life. _What in God's name am I supposed to do with my hands?_ he thought anxiously. _Should I place them on her shoulders? Around her back? _He realized that Christine was staring at him, so he quickly settled for grabbing her waist and placing what was possibly the world's quickest kiss on her lips before pulling hastily back.

Christine tried to hide the disappointment on her face, but it was impossible. Erik could not believe his blunder; his Christine had actually let him—no, _asked _him to kiss her, and he had acted like a silly school boy!

Wanting desperately to escape the awkwardness of their situation, Erik stepped away from Christine. "There's something else I've forgotten—a very important something!" he said before practically bolting from her.

Christine could only gape at where he had been just a second before. She was dumbfounded at his reaction to her request for a kiss. After their passionate embrace onstage she had thought…well, perhaps she was being too wanton and this was her punishment!

Erik returned a mere moment later, clutching something in his hand. Stepping shyly up to her, he took Christine's left hand in his own. Christine felt something cool sliding onto her ring finger, and looked down to see a simple gold band with a tiny diamond glittering up at her.

Yes, it was small, simple, and plain. It was nothing like the gaudy rock Raoul had given her. And it was possibly the most beautiful piece of jewelry she had ever seen. She felt tears welling up in her eyes, and she quickly brushed them away.

Erik mistook her reaction as one of disappointment. "I know it's not much, and nowhere near as fine as anything _that boy_ could give you, but it is a symbol of my love for you, Christine. I have been waiting for the day I could place it on your finger and look at you as my future bride. I never actually thought that day would come, of course, and if you do not like it I will buy you a bigger one as soon as I can." he said, his voice tinged with hope that she might actually approve of it.

"Don't you _dare _buy me another one!" she said firmly. "This is _my _engagement ring, and it is absolutely perfect!" Christine smiled sweetly up at him before uttering the words Erik had been sure he would never hear from anyone in his entire life. "I love you, Erik." she whispered.

Erik could not help himself. She was so sweet, and so good, he had to kiss her—and this time, it would be a real kiss. He pulled her to him, wrapping his right arm around her waist and burying his left hand in her tangle of curls. He pressed his mouth to hers, not caring now that he was inexperienced. He just did what felt right, experimenting as he rubbed against her soft, full lips. He felt as if he was in another world, and was half-convinced that this was all a dream. But the feel of her against him was very real, and so were her lips moving against his.

Christine felt that if a person could die of happiness, then this must be what it felt like. Although she and Raoul had shared many kisses, none of them had felt remotely like this. She felt as if her soul was stretched to the bursting point, and she was helpless to do anything but clutch to his coat lapels and kiss him back. And when he slid his tongue along her top lip, she couldn't help the small moan that escaped from her lips. She felt a very warm, tingly sensation in the pit of her stomach, and was surprised at herself when she further parted her lips to allow him full access to explore her mouth. Suddenly, there was loud splashing from behind them.

Erik whirled around at the sound, pulling Christine protectively against his side. "Wait! I think, my dear, we have a guest!"

"Raoul!" cried out Christine. In the excitement of everything else, she had forgotten that he must be looking for her. She felt a feeling of despair and guilt replacing the tingly warmth in her belly.

Raoul stood panting at the gate, dripping wet and looking very tired and battered. "Please…let me see her," he pleaded. "Let me see Christine!"

Erik glanced down at Christine, and she nodded slightly at him. Erik waded through the water to the hidden lever to the gate. "Be my guest, sir," he said, sounding casual as he pulled the lever. In reality, though, he was anything but calm. This boy was here to steal away his Christine, who had agreed to be his wife, away from him. Just as he had done before. But this time, Erik would not let that happen.

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So...do you like it? Love it? Hate it? Please let me know!


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Phantom of the Opera, Romance