Wishing That You Would Be Here

Chapter 28- As close as never

(Christine's POV)

I came back through the mirror door accompanied by Erik and I closed it, waving him goodbye. He must have smiled back and I left the dressing room.
I wandered through the backstage and smiled at the usual world of Opera Populaire. Dancers were running around the halls and doing mischief in between training. Actors were practicing on the stage and the screeches of one unnamed Italian soprano were echoing around the backstage. I saw Raoul and Meg talking and I smiled and waved their way. They waved back and I ran to the room of Madame Giry to ask her a few things.

I stood in front of the black wooden door, a bit scared to knock. "Come in." Said her voice after my a bit unsure knock. I entered and I saw her making tea. "You came just in time for my tea, Christine. What brings you here?" She asked as I sat in one of her overly comfortable armchairs. 

"Well, I just saw that there is going to be a Masquerade ball on Christmas Eve, so I wanted to ask you what you know about it." I said, prepared for a long monologue from my ballet trainer. 

"I expected you would ask that question, my dear. All I know for now is that there is going to be a big Christmas tree somewhere in the Opera house, I presume in the foyer and there will be some sort of a gift exchange. Nothing more." I was surprised at the small amount of information she had to offer, but I knew she didn't have a lot of time lately, because of the upcoming premiere of a new opera called Il Muto.

"And how are you and Erik doing by the way?" She asked through sips of her tea. 

"Very good, Madame, thank you for asking. But I think he won't be very happy about the fact that I wasn't cast as the countess in Il Muto." I remembered how Erik told me how he wanted to see me play the role of the countess in Il Muto and how charming I would be. But the role I always wanted to play was Serafimo, the mute pageboy who fell in love with the countess and had to dress up as a maid, just to be near her. I, of course, got my dream role and Erik would be fuming angry when he found out that I wasn't cast as the countess. "Well, I'll go now." I said, standing up from the armchair. 

"Won't you stay for some more tea?" Madame Giry asked disappointed. 

"No, I really have to go. I have an earthquake to calm down." I said, closing the door behind me. I ran back to my dressing room and I went down the catacombs to Erik's lair. He seemed pretty angry when I got there, so I tiptoed behind him and I covered his eyes with my hands. 

"Christine, why do you keep scaring me like that?" He said and I giggled, giving him a quick kiss on his left cheek. 

" You heard the news, didn't you?" I asked carefully. 

"Yes I did and I must confess that I am a bit angry about them." He honestly said. 

"Look, I am kind of happy that I got to play Serafimo. I liked that role since I first saw the opera. I never really liked the countess." I said, picking up the small wax figure of the countess from Erik's small replica of the stage, which he used to see how the different actors should move throughout the opera. "She is one snobby character." I laid the small figure back onto the stage. 

"But-" Erik wanted to say in protest until I silenced him with a kiss.

I broke the kiss and looked into my angels beautiful golden eyes. He smiled at me and I gently touched his one normal and one deformed cheek.

***

The premiere of Il Muto finally came and I was waiting in the backstage, wearing a pair of light blue pants, a striped vest and a pair of thick white stockings. On this I had an apron and there was a small bonnet sitting on my curly hair. I was playing Serafimo and Carlotta was playing the countess. Luckily, Erik was sitting in his usual box and he was okay with me playing the mute pageboy.

"So, how's it going Meg?" I asked my friend, who played the role of a servant girl and later on in act 3 a nymph, while waiting for my entrance. "Well, I met Raoul, your childhood friend, this afternoon, and he is so nice." She said with a slight giggle. 

"I know where you're going with this." I said in a sarcastic tone and smirked at Meg.

The premiere was over and it was a huge success. I saw Erik throwing me a single red rose from his box and I smiled at his shadow as he left.
I gave the audience one last bow before the curtains winded back and I ran to my dressing room. I got out of the costume and I put on my most comfortable dress. Erik came to me through the mirror and he carried a bouquet of red roses and a giant package. 

"Beautiful performance, Christine." Ha said kindly and kissed me on the forehead. 

"What is in that big pack, Erik?" I asked carefully pointing to the present he brought me. "It's something very special for someone very special in my life." He whispered. I came closer to the box and opened it. Inside, I found a beautiful mint green dress with minty and lilac fabric flowers sewn onto it. It looked like a replica of the dress the countess wore in Il Muto, except this one was a different color and a lot more modest, compared to the giant pink frilly dress, which was used in the performance. "Erik, this is beautiful! Where did you find this?" I asked looking the the beautiful dress. 

"I made it especially for you, angel." 

"You made this?" I asked surprised. "I would never suspect that the great and terrifying Phantom could sew a dress!" I teased him.

"Yes, I did make it for you and yes, do know how to sew. But don't make me get started on how many times I pricked my fingers with a needle while sewing this." He said with a smile. I took his hands gently in mine and softly blew on them.

"That should work. My papa always blew on my hands if I damaged them in any sort." I tried on the dress soon after and it fit me perfectly. I stepped out from behind my changing screen and I twirled around. "What do you think? Do I look good?" I asked Erik as I gave him a hug. 

"You look magnificent." He said as he stroked my messy brown curls with his hand. "Come, I know a beautiful place here." He whispered and took me by my hand. We wondered through the shadows in the rafts and I didn't have anything else on my mind then him. His long fingers were entwined with mine and he led me higher and higher.

We stopped on the rooftop of the opera house, on the peak of the world. I felt like I almost could touch the dark blue sky with my fingertips and catch the twinkling stars in my hands. The first traces of snow started falling and a tiny snowflake fell onto the tip of my nose. I sneezed a bit, blowing it off onto the ground. "You are cold, aren't you?" Erik asked carefully and I softly nodded, letting out an another sneeze. 

"Luckily, I brought you this." He gently said, pulling out a teal cloak from under his cape. I didn't know how he could hide so many things in there, but he simply could. I let him gently lay the cloak over my shoulders and we tied it in a bow in the front, our fingers entwining. After our finger battle, I came closer to the railing of the roof, overlooking the sights of Paris. Erik's soft hands slowly landed on my shoulders and I smiled. 

"Christine" he whispered and I turned to face him. "Would you...would you..." He tried to ask me but wasn't able to get the thing from his mouth. 

"What do you want, angel?" I asked, gently touching his face. "Would you like to go to the masquerade with me?" He finally babbled out and looked at me in an awkward manner. 

"Let me think..." I teased him a bit. He gave me the most disappointed look he could muster up and I giggled, throwing myself into his embrace. "Of course I will! How could you think I wouldn't?" I felt his worries flow away as I said yes and I kissed him. He returned the kiss back and took me into his embrace.