Hello, hello! Surprised, huh? So am I.

I've been to Paris recently, and I swear to God, I was drawn to the Opera Garnier. I would come back there every day of my trip and just walk around, looking at it, imagining Erik and Christine doing the same. Which might've been insane, but it was also incredibly inspiring. Hence, this was created.

A three-shot, set in Moonlight Serenade verse (+ Gone with the Dawn, obviously) but it can be read separately. Again, maybe someone will want to check out those aforementioned two stories having read this thing. It's not long, it'll be completed within a few days, but I do hope you will enjoy it.

Given the subject matter, this story is rated M. Not this installment, but the following two... yeah. I got carried away.

Without further ado, have at it and do drop me a line!

I look at my reflection in my vanity mirror once more and sigh exasperatedly, knowing it will not get any better, no matter how hard I would try. My hair is loosely combed, my make-up is hardly noticeable, and my gown is decidedly more revealing than the usual ones. Everything looks fine, I suppose. I obviously could use some more feminine confidence and charm, but this is as good as I will get tonight.

I am a woman on a mission. I just hope Erik does not see right through me straight away.

If I am to seduce him, I need him not to.

Our relationship has always been rather physical – at least, on my part. Erik would scold me all the time, would stop my hands from wandering, would always sigh and try to calm me down when I'd got too carried away. I suspect, he is trying to protect me from himself, even though I definitely do not want to be protected from him.

On the contrary, I decisively need more of him. And soon.

Just last week, the night when I had to comfort him and help him go through a rather self-conscious evening, he said my wantonness would one day give him a stroke.

Considering with what he is going to be faced tonight, I do hope he will not die on me.

My father would have been horrified.

Casting one more glance at the mirror, I take a deep breath and leave my bedroom. I find Erik sitting in the living room near the fireplace, quietly reading a book. Apparently, he already finished cleaning up after our dinner (I insisted I help him, but he shoo-ed me away, telling me to take a relaxing bath instead. He was the greatest and I was the luckiest.)

"I love you," I announce.

"I am touched," he answers, marking the page and putting the book away. "But what did you do this time that you start the conversation—" he doesn't finish, because he finally looks at me and suddenly his teasing mood is gone. "Christine, you look—"

"I'm glad," I giggle, coming closer. "Will you fetch us a bottle of wine, perhaps? I haven't drunk in ages."

"It's been two days, love," Erik chuckles, standing up. "But whatever my diva desires, my diva gets."

A wide smile spreads across my face as I take a seat on the sofa because this is going marvellously so far! Erik is in a very good mood tonight, he clearly appreciates the effort I made to look nice, and this can only end well.

Perfect.

"You are absolutely breathtaking, darling," Erik breathes, sitting next to me. "You always make me speechless, you know that, but you are particularly awe-inspiring tonight."

"You are getting sappy! This is so not like you!"

"I know," he moans, pouring us the wine. "You are turning me into a wimp."

"Fear not, Erik, to me you will always be a very manly wimp."

He bursts into laughter, "Why thank you, Christine. It is so nice to always have your beloved's support. The Phantom of the Opera Garnier, a very many wimp!"

It is going well, but it could get even better, I think to myself taking a sip. I just have to figure out how to attack him without scaring him off.

"Have I told you already that you look very handsome yourself, tonight?" I inquire, smiling at him softly. He lifts his eyebrow, shaking his head.

"My poor, mad darling," Erik laughs, kissing me in the forehead. "I would argue even if I was wearing both my wig and my mask. Right now, I look grotesque. But we shall not dwell on that, so just thank you, Christine."

"You are absolutely beautiful, love," I insist, hugging his side. He wraps his arm around me, and yes, indeed, my mission is going great. We are exactly where I wanted us to be. "I cannot stop thinking about kissing you, to be quite honest. Speaking of, that reminds me that you should kiss me silly for a few minutes now."

"I actually wanted to talk about your career for a bit, now, if you don't mind? Kissing can wait—"

"You don't want to kiss me?!" I gasp. No, no, no, no career talk now, are you positively insane?

"Oh, I am in fever to kiss you. It is always an absolute honour, dear, but when I start, you are going to commence your attempts at seducing me, something that is becoming some sort of a habit of yours, and I will have to stop you, and you will get mad and storm to your room, and I will have to go there and appease you… You know, the usual. So we will never get the chance to discuss some more pressing matters. Hence, if you didn't mind mind, I'd really like to—"

"I would never do such a thing!" I interrupt him, blushing furiously. What an horror, how could he know? This is exactly what would happen.

"I am not quite sure who are you trying to kid right now," he chuckles, kissing my hand.

"I am not trying to seduce you!" I shriek. It is ridiculous. He is right, obviously, but he cannot know about it.

"Aren't you? So how do you explain the way you look right now? Admittedly, you're absolutely delicious and you will not hear me complain, but still…"

"I… I tried to make myself presentable."

"As I have said before, you're always stunning. Right now, your fashion choice seems to suggest that you've got some plans for us…"

"I am appalled, Erik, utterly appalled!"

"Please."

"I am tempted to just go to my room and not speak to you for days. That was rude."

"That was true, first and foremost," he answers. "Second of all, you would not be able not to pick a fight with me for days, so this threat is rather innocuous, darling. Last but not least, I am flattered that I happen to be the object of your attempts at seduction. We just can't do it."

"Whyever not?!"

"Ha! So you were going to try!" He shouts in triumph.

"Oh, shut up," I mutter, moving away from him and focusing on my glass of wine. He saw right through me and the romantic mood was gone.

"Don't be mad," he whispers. I look at him, and he looks so happy, and playful, and just… so free, I have no heart to be angry with him.

"I am not. So, what do you want to discuss?"

He smiles brilliantly and nods to himself. "So, I was thinking that—"

Christine 0 : 1 Erik.