After The Opera Burned || Phantom Of The Opera

Chapter 24 - You Try My Patience

A/N: This chapter is dedicated to @casuallllfollower for being a supportive reader and commenter :]

Erik and Charles stared at Meg intently, waiting for her choice to see if she would leave with Charles and start anew or if she would finally have the life she wanted with Erik. Both of their hands outstretched towards her frame, trembling with fear and excitement, anxious to the very core over her decision.

Charles' eyes were pleading with Meg, his own love and adoration flooding his nerves with anxiety as he did not want to lose her; he could not afford to lose her. If he did, he would be on his own. No longer feeling welcomed in the company of the Phantom, a man he once called Monsieur Richard, he did not want to waste away on the abandoned island and find himself an empty carcass with no purpose. It was the very reason he left his mother's inn. He would not even consider returning back to her, back to Europe even, for he felt a spark of excitement in America, as he was sure Meg did too upon arrival. A new founded sense of freedom; a change in their status and well being, it was something Charles was eager to get into considering he was just beginning his life's journey and finding himself. He knew Meg was struggling to come out into the spotlight, to finally leave the shadow of her former best friend and prima donna of the Opera Garnier.

This was her chance to do that; she did not need the help of a con man. No, if she did go back to him, she would be a lost cause. He would then know either he was no match for the love she has for him or that she was so blinded by whatever witchcraft he had placed upon her very essence that he could not break that barrier. Charles would always care for her, yes, he had a feeling he would. Who could forget the beauty of someone who loved with all of her heart and was not afraid to take a chance and fight for it? Someone who, time and time again, fought to keep that flame alive to only have it cast aside? How he wanted to save her, hold her when her big blue eyes began flooding with tears or when she began dancing in circles when she was excited, letting her blonde blonde locks fly freely through the twirl and cascade everywhere around her. This beauty that would never give up on her dream, but did her dream involve him? Could it involve him?

Surely between the two he was the better suited for her. He was her age after all, and they had shared many a conversation over various interests such as history, art, and whatever Meg fancied to discuss. He continuously supported her throughout every decision she wished to follow through, even by the ones out of her control, and was there for her every single time she was let down. And yet when he stared at her at this very moment, he sensed he knew where her decision was heading.

Charles wanted to close his eyes out of defeat but did not want to give any sign that he gave up, that he knew she was going to chose the very man who caused so many of her tears over the man who caused many of her laughs. Ah, the sound of her laugh, how it made his heart flutter just by thinking of when he first heard it escape from her soft pink lips. How he then wanted to kiss her, to profess his infatuation with her and to properly court her. Charles wanted her to give her the entire world right then and there but he knew she was infatuated by another and thought perhaps she would grow out of it. But as two years had finally passed since that very moment, she still was not over him. He had gained some momentum however and the fact she was standing here before him meant that she had said yes to run away with him. But now that Erik was here and confessing his supposed interest in her heart, would he still stand a chance with her?

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Erik remained where he stood, his expression much the same to Charles' except his was much more confident. He knew of the countless attempts Meg had made to gain his affections though he had been grieving the loss of her very best friend. How she would check up on him and make sure he was okay when all he wanted to do was draw that damned lasso around his neck and end his very existence. When in his chambers, they had almost kissed and only moments ago, though by now he was sure it was hours, they did kiss and he let his affections for Christine cast Meg aside as if she were her replacement. No, there would be no replacement of Mademoiselle Daae, or was it Madame de Chagney now? He was sure she had married the fop, as he began recalling, she did. She was with child now, that child had to of been born by now. Perhaps some day he would meet this child, the child her and the fop had created out of... love.