When Erik awoke it was to the sight of his lovely blonde fiancee, but that didn't keep him from wishing it had been a brunette bout of curls and brown eyes. He was only half sure that it was to throw her from the opera house and ban her from ever being near his presence again. Yet there were years of history between them both, and who was he to deny the feeling of having her in his arms again?

"Are you alright? Oh, Erik, what happened?" Christine worried over him.

The surroundings came to him, also with the sight of three other faces as he forced himself up, looking about his lover's dressing room.

"Arielette," he choked, throat dry and unsure of how long he'd been out, but it didn't matter. He needed to ground himself back to real life, back to Christine.

"The purple dress," Christine confirmed, but Charles, Philippe, and Marc all knew for sure that Erik was correct.

"Yes, her, she thought she had any right to be so close to me... after what she did," Erik swore, and tried to keep his tone cool in front of said woman's father, but they all seemed equally as angry. Erik's friends had grown a distaste for the woman that had hurt him so boldly, but even her father had advised to leave well enough alone.

Christine was equally as angry as the men, but she hid it behind her performer's facade.

"We should go below, Erik, there is no use returning to the party. We excused you on account of heat."

"We wouldn't say any more, once everyone realized what was happening," Marc added, "Mademoiselle Lestat fled."

"My brother followed," Philippe added, catching Christine's attention, though she didn't seem overly worried as Erik distracted her by standing.

"Charles," he spoke, his normal self coming back, "I apologize for ruining the party, I know you were hoping for a return of it next year."

"The music still plays, I don't think anyone left, you ruined nothing," Charles said happily, though he looked as pained as Erik felt.

"Go," Marc determined. "We'll let you be."

"Thank you," the masked-man replied, holding Christine to his side as everyone bid him goodbye and goodnight.

"I can't believe her, did she think you were still pining over her leaving you?" The young woman began seemingly rather frustrated at the stranger that Arielette was to her.

"Most likely not," Erik determined, restoring his pristine manner, for he couldn't look like a fool or invalid, even in front of Christine.

Many things had changed over the years Arielette had been gone, she had no right to be before him. He had gone through a lot not having her by his side, and the thrust into a whole new world had given him more perspective. Years of travelling hadn't even provided all the things he'd learned while sh'ed been gone.

"Can we go now?"

Before Erik had ample time to reply, a knock came to the door. He checked his hair one last time before telling Christine to sit and wait for him to answer it. Charles had forgotten his mask upon Christine's dresser, so he assumed it was to be him retrieving it.

The same face in purple he'd encountered earlier appeared beyond the door however, but mask-less, and Erik felt only anger now.

Arielette stood fearlessly before her first true suitor and asked to come in.

"Christine," Erik spoke behind him, not even answering Arielette who took the offense he gave, "Go down, I need to talk with her alone."

The soprano hadn't been sure who her fiance was talking about until she saw his rigid stance and then the woman in purple herself. Christine strutted past with a backwards glance of malice, her blonde hair bright and shimmering against her white outfit. The only thing that kept her from any petty actions was the fact that Erik's ring was on her finger, not on that fearless twit's.

When Christine was gone and Arielette stood before Erik, silence reigned, despite the fact that music rung through every hall of the opera, and excitement brewed louder as the new year came closer.

"There's to be fireworks," Arielette spoke first again, earning herself a scoff.

Every rude motion and abrupt response, though there had only been few, killed her. She'd just wanted to see him, and to leave, but her reasoning told her that she should check on him. Every part of her knew he was alright, but she wanted to mend what had happened and maybe even say good bye aloud.

"You think that I let you in here to talk about the evening? How there will be amazing lights over our teeming city? You're a fool if you thought that I would just let you back into my life after what you did! If I didn't respect your father as much as I do, then I wouldn't have been so kind in my diction," Erik snarled, though his resolve wore thin at the look of sadness on Arielette.

Her fearlessness dawned on him as he realized his new and imposing ways should frighten her. Of course they didn't, but obviously her feelings were hurt. As they should be, though the fact he couldn't intimidate her injured his resolve.

Arielette shook her head, "And has Christine seen behind your mask?"

This phased Erik, he stumbled out of the facade he'd built of peerless pianist, and fell right back into the odd boy who'd let a fearless woman love him. If she'd even loved him at all.

"No," he replied, "And we'll keep it that way, not everyone has your curse."

"Curse?" She moved towards him, fury now in her eyes.

"Yes, you're damned talent that makes it impossible for me to scare you off. I don't want you here, Arielette. I might as well adapt to your circumstance, seeing as my fright tactics won't get you to leave."

Fury took the brunette as she pushed an accusing finger into his bony chest, which had actually bulked over the years, of course not very much, but a noticeable amount. He filled out a suit better than he once did, yet her experience with him in nice clothes was severely limited.

"And you? You think you're so flawless, now? That you don't have your own curses to bear?" She lashed, and Erik stood over her now, grabbing her hand from his chest and yanking it down so their chests were practically touching.

"A face you once told me delighted you, but I know it was all lies, I barely had you two weeks before you went running off to fill some other quota on your fearless agenda."

Erik was holding on tightly to his ex-lover's wrist, but she didn't notice at all when looking right into his eyes, their yellow color seething with hatred. But her anger was fully matched, everything in her despising this man for blaming her.

"You are a complete imbecile, I cannot believe I wasted my time on you!"

"And you shouldn't! I should have never let you trick me with your oddness, I should have known better than to trust someone like you."

"Like me?" Arielette said, her head snapping to the side, lips pursed in nothing less than rage.

"Yes, you of a higher class, a highborn brat who thinks she can have and get rid of whatever she wants," Erik informed her, voice sure and torrid.

They stood, and Arielette looked at Erik in the eye, despite her physical limitations to do such a thing. He hated her in this moment. Everything about her repulsed him, and there was nothing she could say that would make what had happened between them any better.

She teared up slightly, her resolve falling, not that his was any closer to staying where it was. Her presence was emotionally taxing, and he couldn't stand it a second longer.

"Please go."

A few tears fell, and some hidden part of Erik pitied her as she stumbled back, like she wasn't expecting to be kicked out of the room in a timely fashion.

"Good evening, Erik."

Erik remembered the first time he kicked her out his abode, using his voice to sway her and her brother from it. They had... they had been so infantile then, over seven years ago when his career was just about to start... all the the lovely opportunities Charles had given him simply because his children trusted him. And then he'd trusted his daughter not okay with her own feelings, and Erik was truly honored they'd felt for him so strongly despite Arielette's blunder. And it was a blunder! He'd loved her, and there was nothing that had stopped that love, even after all these years...

There was nothing...

God, if he had truly been impassive to her presence he would have certainly not fainted at the sight of her, and he definitely would not have been as angry as he was all these later.

But, he had Christine, and by now she was waiting for him in the catacombs, his ring on her finger to indicate he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her! He didn't. Erik still wanted Arielette even after all these damnable years of her betrayal. But did she still want him?

His breath already ragged, Erik ran from the room and caught up to the crying woman in purple, taking her hand, though she did not startle.

"Erik," she said in a sad tone, seeing him above her as she attempted to escape his grasp. "You made yourself a convincing point this evening, you need not prove it further with whatever demeaning words you might have for me-"

Erik put a quick hand to her cheek, thumb brushing over her lips to silence her before he placed his lips on hers with all the feeling he'd just remembered having but moments ago.

And she tensed, but then fell into him, kissing him back in something they'd never quite done before. It was all new, never having used tongue with the other before, but both with a slight bit of experience now on their sides. Erik knew what to do with his hands, grasping her neck gently as well as pulling her closer by her behind and lower back, while Arielette had one hand on his chest and the other gripped into his shirt, yanking to get him as close as he'd allow.

"I love you," he said lingering around her lips when they finally broke, though the moment was hot and people were jovial downstairs. And Erik thought of Christine and her heart that he would have to break, but nothing could stop the smile on his face.

"I love you, too, Erik. Even after all these years I never stopped, and I couldn't be more glad that you didn't either... I truly thought I lost you for a second though. That I would have to accept one of Raoul de Chagny's many offers."

She giggled, but he could hear the residual tears in the back of her voice from the fit he'd put her through.

"I think I would have realized the moment I saw you in his arms."

"Oh, god, Christine," Arielette said eventually after gazing at one another for a long while. "I did not mean to make her lose whatever it is you two have, so if you think you should stay with her then-"

Erik kissed her again.

"I will do what I must, and I know she will be upset, but I would hate more to be with her and not love her as much as I should than to have to let her down."

Arielette nodded, their hands entwined and faces nuzzled together. It was the best moment before the New Year.

"You should get back, darling, I must go below and speak with my fiancée."

"Alright," she whispered, reluctant to let him go.

"I love you," Erik assured her, kissing her one last time before sticking to his decision to go forward with breaking his engagement.

"I love you."

She left, and Erik watched her walk, allowing himself to fall deeper for her before going below and breaking someone's heart.