Sure enough, Mama Valerius had proven herself right in saying that they were in for a bad one. The snow has fallen all through the night with the wind still howling through the air. The power had remained off and the stores along main street had all been closed for the day (and possibly the next few days) due to the snow that was piling up outside. Of course, this only aided Christine and her 'snow agenda' she had planned for herself and Erik. She had a whole lifetime of snow memories to make up for and with the store being closed she had all day to do it too. Her first problem had occurred when it dawned on her that Erik had no appropriate clothes for snow adventures, nor was anyone open to go buy said clothes for him.

She had to compromise.

"Christine, don't you feel this is a bit much?" Erik asked as he stood in front of her, arms gesturing to himself.

He had no winter clothes, so instead she had settled for layering him up with every long sleeve shirt he surprisingly owned (unsurprisingly enough, they were all black, navy, or shades of grey), two sweatpants, both of his coats, at least three pairs of socks, a black scarf wrapped up to his chin, and her grey toboggan that had a perfect yarn poof on the top that she had made herself a few years back. He already owned a pair of gloves and boots, so she hadn't needed to find those.

She smiled.

"Nope, not at all. Looks perfect," she assured him, zipping the front of his outer coat for him.

"It feels ridiculous," he grumbled to her, leaning down to her ear before pressing a kiss there.

She laughed before reaching up to tug his hat further down on his forehead. "Here, that way no snow gets under your mask."

Erik stopped. He may be new to snow, but he already knew that he did not want that to happen.

Her second problem occurred later in the day.

They had spent the morning attempting to sled down the small hill up the road from the store on trashcan lids (which resulted in Christine running into Erik and toppling them both over on multiple occasions) and trying to build Erik's first snowman. They had finished it, complete with rocks for a face and sticks for arms and Christine's grey hat (which Erik was all too willing to take off) on its head.

"Isn't it just darling?" Christine cooed, wrapping her arm around Erik's and resting her head on his upper arm.

Erik sighed, his breath coming out in a puff of steam. "I can't say I've seen better...seeing as I've never actually seen one."

Christine hugged closer to him, her lip pouting out just enough for Erik to notice. "I'm sorry," she whispered, her eyes slowly looking up to his.

"For what?"

She shook her head. "I wish you could've grown up with me...I mean, not like as my brother or anything, but just as...I don't know, a neighboring kid? Then we could've had tons of snow days and, and you would have had happy childhood memories instead of having to remake them now. I mean, if I didn't have the bringing up I had, I don't know who I would be now but…but I just wish you could've been happier sooner, y'know? We could've been happy together, been there for each other our whole lives and not just for a little bit of it...I don't know, it's stupid, I know—"

"Stop," Erik said, turning her by her shoulders gently to face him. "It's not stupid at all. It's the nicest thought I think anyone has ever had for me...but I don't who I'd be if I hadn't been raised like I was. I may have never of met you, or even came to this town. Christine I..."

This was it. This was it! All he had to do was reach into his coat pocket and say the words. Christine I love you, and I want to marry you if you'll have me and we can make music until we're both old and crippled and neither one of us will ever have to be lonely ever again. Just say it, just say it—

"I'm just thankful I have you now."

And his hands remained on her shoulders and he cursed mentally to himself as he let another picture perfect moment slip away from him.

He was never going to propose at this rate.

Christine wiped some snow from his mask, eyes watering. "I'm thankful I have you too."

And the moment passed. They returned to their activities with no mention of the heartfelt conversation they had just shared. They had made snowballs and thrown them at each other until one accidentally hit Christine square on the back of the neck and seeped down her coat.

His apologies couldn't come out fast enough, but she just laughed and flopped back first into the snow, grabbing his hand and pulling him down with him.

"This is called making a snow angel," she explained as she started moving her arms and legs in a X pattern, until he hesitantly began to do the same.

"I think you're already a snow angel," he added, focused on the way her hair perfectly spread across the snow like a halo.

The day continued much the same until Christine began to shiver, her cold and wet jacket finally getting the best of her.

"Here," Erik said while shrugging off his top jacket and handing it to her, "give me that one and put this one on."

"No, I don't want to, you'll freeze—"

Erik was already unzipping the puffer coat and slipping it off her arms and replacing it with his own. Christine rolled her eyes at his persistence but immediately had snuggled into its warmth. She shoved her hands in its pockets and Erik took the opportunity to run her coat back down the sidewalk a bit to the store, hanging it neatly on the doorhandles before turning back around to trudge back through the snow to Christine.

She still had her back turned toward the store and her hands were no longer in the pockets. No, she had them in front of her and he couldn't tell what exactly what was going on. There was an air of seriousness around her, contradicting her playful attitude she'd had today.

"Christine? Is everything alright?"

When he got no response he stepped closer but not close enough to touch her.

"I put your coat by the door."

Still nothing.

"Christine, if that's a snowball, I deserve it. I never meant for it to go down your shirt—"

"Is this for me?" she whispered, her voice faltering as she turned around, a small emerald velvet ring box in the palm of her hand.

Erik froze, his eyes torn between looking at Christine (searching for any sign of reaction, positive or negative) and locking his eyes on the ring. How irresponsible he'd been! He should've left the ring in his other coat, or taken it out of that coat before he'd put it on her, but she had seemed so cold and he hadn't been thinking and—

Christine still stood wide eyed before him, her body slightly shivering— though whether it was from nerves, anger, or the cold, Erik didn't know.

"Erik—"

"Yes." he blurted before she could get any further. "I…I got it month ago and I was going to propose so many times, but it never felt right and then last night did but then I missed it, and again today just an hour or so ago when we made that snowman, but then I got so nervous and you're so beautiful and then you got cold and I forgot it was in my pocket and I just handed it to you without thinking and now I don't—"

But he didn't get to finish his ramblings.

Christine had grabbed him by his jacket collar and pulled him down to her, lips against his in a rushed frenzy. He was shocked at first, his body stiff, but he slowly melded into the kiss with her, his hands wrapping around her torso as he felt her own hands reaching up around the back of his neck to pull him closer. They parted and Christine put the ring box between them so they were both holding it.

"Yes."

"Yes you'll…" he swallowed, his forehead still against hers. "you'll marry me?"

"Of course I'll marry you, Erik, I only wish you had asked me sooner," she admitted, her voice gentle.

Erik felt tears of his own well up in his eyes, his plans completely askew, but his heart so happy. Christine pushed the box into his hands before taking off the glove of her left hand.

"Now then, can I see this ring?"

And as Erik opened the box and slid the ring onto Christine's finger, he only had one thought:

It really was the perfect moment.

The End.

Hey! I know this is super late, and I announced the winners of Tumblr day before yesterday, but here's the official winner's announcement! I've changed the prizes and decided that all 3 of the top 3 winners win a one-shot of their choice for me! So ignore what the initial "rules" post says about prizes. The category winners are posted in alphabetical order of category name, *not* by rank. So here are the winners of the 2019 Phantom's Christmas one-shot contest:

FIRST PLACE

A Christmas Carol by Maze-zen

SECOND PLACE

Mother by catcorsair

THIRD PLACE

To Love, a Winter's Fairytale by arelya-andaria

BEST ANGST

Angel of Music by Child of Dreams

BEST CHRISTINE

Les Anges dans nos Campagnes by AnotherSilentObserver

BEST ERIK

An Angel's Birth by Bonpetitepoodles

BEST MODERN

Nollaig Shona by littlelonghairedoutlaw

MOST CHRISTMAS SPIRIT

First Christmas by Starwatcher2018

MOST ORIGINAL

Christmas in Darkness by E.M.K.81

MOST TRUE TO LEROUX

Holiday Ghosts by moncharminssafetypin

Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who entered, these are all amazing and I'm going to put pretty much all of them on my favorites list! I went back on forth on so many stories- they were just great and original and I'm so thankful to be able to host this contest with such wonderful, talented writers to enter! Thank you all- until next year!