A/N: Okay this is idea was my friends:Summergirl0ox: So Yea. So I'm writing this in dedication to her!!!
He stepped out from behind the statue. He spied the red rose that had fallen to the white ground. That was the only thing he could see as Christine's and the Vicomte's voices echoed in his head.
The snow crunched softly beneath his feet as he approached the discarded flower. He lowered himself to the ground slowly, his heart aching, and picked up the rose.
He stared at it as he subconsciously started shaking. In all his life, through all the trials and hardships and betrayals he has been through, this one hurt the most. Even more so than his mother.
After all he had done for her, after he gave her everything, she ran to someone else. He couldn't help the tears that welled up in his eyes.
I gave you my music...
Made your song take wing….
And now
How you've repaid me
Denied me and betrayed me…
He should have known. He had planned on making Christine a star to see her happy, to make her known, and that's exactly what he got. The Vicomte heard her sing and immediately pursued her. But what infuriated him the most was that the Vicomte only noticed her when she was that star, when she was just a ballet dancer; it was like she didn't exist. But he noticed her right away, how beautiful and how talented she was.
He was bound to love you…
When he heard you sing…
Christine…
His jaw quivered. He lifted the rose to his face and held it there and quietly started to sob. He didn't like to show emotions, they felt it made him weak. But he felt weak, he felt he had hit rock bottom and it hurt. The fall was abrupt and very painful and he didn't care.
This was it. She was gone. He had lost. He bowed his head in defeat and only cried some more into the rose. The rose he had always presented to her after a rehearsal well done, and as her career was progressing, a performance well done, a symbol to show her angel, her protector was watching over her and cared about her. And she tossed it to the ground like a piece of garbage.
He shut his eyes tightly not wanting to reopen them again and face the cruel, harsh world, where he was convinced every one hated him.
And then, as light as a feather, he felt a touch to his shoulder.
Christine walked down the steps she had just traveled up minutes ago, her hand secure in Raoul's. The buzz of Buquet's murder still loomed the Opera House. She was frightened, there was no doubt about that, never had she ever wanted to see a murder. And it was the only the fact that it was the phantom that did it that only made it worse. The phantom, she had come to realize, was her angel, which truly wasn't an angel at all, nor a phantom. He was a man.
As she thought about it there was no actual proof that the phantom had killed Buquet except of course, for his trade mark noose. But there were ropes above stage. It could have been an accident.
Her free hand felt strangely empty and she glanced down at it quickly and found that the rose she was carrying was no longer there. She must have dropped it on the roof.
She abruptly stopped and Raoul turned and glanced at her questionably.
"I forgot something on the roof." She elaborated.
"I will get it for you." Raoul said.
Christine shook her head. "No…it's fine. I will get it myself. You wait here."
Raoul stared at her skeptically. He didn't want her to leave his sight. She smiled at him reassuringly. "I will only be a minute." She kissed his cheek and let go of his hand and turned up the other way.
As she neared the entrance to the roof, she slowed as she heard something peculiar. A man's voice. His voice. She paused near the door to listen.
…made your song take wing
And now how you've repaid me
Denied me and betrayed me…
His voice sounded choked up like he was…crying. Was he talking about her? She slowly and quietly pushed the door open and saw the side of him kneeled over, clutching the rose to him.
He raised his head slightly and she could see the tears in his eyes even from where she stood. He was crying. He was crying over her. The phantom, sat there, hurt. She broke his heart. All negative feelings she had had toward him about the earlier evening events had suddenly vanished into nothing as she stood there watching this man pour his heart out.
He was bound to love you
When he heard you sing
Christine….
Her eyes watered as his voice cracked with heavy emotion and he closed his eyes and started to sob into the rose. She didn't know what to do.
Normally, she would have just left, but she couldn't leave. She couldn't bring herself to just leave him there. She suddenly had a surge of courage and slowly made her way over to him.
She knelt down beside him never taking her eyes off him and the fact that he hadn't moved gave away that he didn't know she was there. She hesitantly reached out to him. She paused a second not knowing whether she should touch him for the last time she did, he got terribly angry. But she decided to and she continued on and her hand gently brushed against his shoulder. At first she didn't think he had felt it but then she felt his whole body tense under her finger tips.
His whole body tensed. Someone was there. Someone was near him. He gritted his teeth together and started to breath heavily. Whoever was there had to have seen him in his vulnerable state and he was prepared to fight back with whatever threat they possessed.
He lifted his head and was shocked to find himself staring into the face of Christine. The stern expression on his face quickly disappeared and he was left in the vulnerable state he was before. Christine's face had many emotions to it, he noticed, guilt, remorse, and general concern. Her perfect brown eyes were glistening with unshed tears as she stared at him.
As much as he wanted to look away from her, to not see the face of the one who had broken his heart, who has now seen him in a completely vulnerable state, he couldn't.
She saw out of the corner of her eyes that he was still clutching the rose tightly in his hand. She lifted her other hand and gently placed it over the one that was holding the rose. His eyes followed her hand and paused on where it rested over his.
She opened her mouth to say something and his eyes immediately flew back to her. She wanted to say 'I'm sorry' but she felt those words weren't enough. The man in front of her was broken. And now, she finally realized that he really wasn't the angel or the phantom, he was a man. A lonely, broken, man and that he had feelings. And because of his face he had been ridiculed and looked down upon by others and everything he did, everything he's ever done was just to protect himself. And…he loved her.
She let out a breath and closed her mouth, letting her head fall.
He took the opportunity to break the silence and tried to say as seriously as he could, "What are you doing here?" He didn't say it harshly for he didn't mean it harshly. She was the last person he had expected to see especially because of the whole scene that had just happened with Raoul.
She slowly raised her head back up to meet his gaze. "I forgot the rose." She said softly.
He slowly rose to his feet and she followed after him. He extended his hand towards her with the rose. She took it from his hand and brought it to her chest.
He nodded slightly, after composing himself and turned to leave.
She didn't want him to leave just yet. "Wait." She called out into the darkness and he stopped but did not turn.
She didn't know what to say to him. What do you say to the man you have just broken the heart of and think you might possibly still have feelings for? "Don't leave."
"I believe your Vicomte is waiting for you." His crisp, deep voice echoed in the night.
Christine looked at the open door, which was the only source of light illuminating the snowy roof, where she knew Raoul was waiting for her. But at that moment she didn't care.
She approached him silently and stood in front of him. She looked up at him and noticed that he was avoiding her gaze.
"I didn't want to hurt you Christine." He muttered.
She was bewildered and shook her head. "But it was I who hurt you. And for that I am truly sorry." She wrapped her arms around herself, suddenly feeling a chill from the cold air. "I heard what you said. You are right, you have given me everything and I have given you nothing in return but pain. I suppose I was frightened and I ran to Raoul blindly. I know I have hurt you and I do hope you can forgive me."
He was silent. He wanted to believe her. He really, really wanted to believe her. Her eyes were pleading with him. She waited in anticipation while he stood there motionless. The snow fell lightly and sprinkled white dust on his dark hair and black cape.
She took a bold move and rested her hand on his cheek and turned his head lightly to look at her. Their eyes met and she could see the emotion in them. All the hurt he received over the years, all the hate he had for the world around him, the loneliness he felt, all the love he had for her, it was all right there in those two beautiful blue-green orbs.
For the time being the pair was lost in each other. Christine had forgotten about the cold weather and he had forgotten the world. She noticed the doubt he held in his eyes and she smiled at him to reassure him that it was alright.
But their perfect moment was suddenly ruined.
"Christine!" Raoul's voice traveled up to the roof. And it only got louder and louder which meant he was getting closer.
Erik snapped out of his dreamlike state and was quickly aware of what was happening around him. He knew it was too good to be true. He started to head off.
Christine glanced between the open door and the disappearing figure of her mysterious tutor. She didn't want him to leave and she surely didn't want to face Raoul at the moment. She heard Raoul's voice like it was right near the door and rushed over to Erik. "Take me with you."