Universe #001: 

Erik felt the biting chill of the breeze through his pompous stage costume, the roar of the wind reverberating in his ears as he teetered precariously on the opera house’s ledge. 

He would listen to the stagehand’s reminder to his from behind the locked door that he had to get back on stage in 5 minutes, but not when he could almost hear the soft, droning of Christine’s voice in the wind, a soft whisper of I love you, I love you, I love you.  

Momentarily, Erik almost felt Christine’s soft skin against his calloused palm, so real and tangible, a torturing reminder that she was gone. Despite his mind screaming not real, not real, not real at him, he closed his eyes and tried to lean into her… then-fiancée’s soothing touch, only for it to all fade away. 

(Come back come back come back COME BACK) 

Erik couldn’t resist as tears burned at his eyes, unable to press down the all-too-raw memory of Christine gently kissing and wiping his tears away with the pad of her thumb or the memory of Christine hugging him, all curves and softness in contrast to the hard panes and angles that Erik was. 

(He still remembered when he had run out of the opera house during rehearsal after receiving a phone call from the hospital about the love of his life, ignoring the managers’ indignant protests as he revved up his Rolls-Royce Phantom and drove off. 

It was still so fresh, so raw as he raced into the ICU, watching as Christine fought against the merciful pull of death with charred, black skin and blood lining the bed, while she spoke hoarsely (Erik would find and skin the person who destroyed dear Christine’s silky-smooth voice), loving whispers reaching his ears as Erik- 

STOP!) 

“Are you ready?” 

Erik mustered up a bittersweet smile, closing his eyes as he tipped forward, letting gravity take him down, down, down. 

“Ready as I’ll ever be.” 

Universe #012: 

The first thing Erik saw was Christine, with that familiar smile and her soft lips and her gentle chocolate brown eyes. 

“…Christine,” Erik’s voice was weak as his eyes roved over Christine’s figure. 

(You’re here.) 

“Hey,” Christine smiled, and she was saying something, but all Erik could smell was the intoxicating smell of Christine, all he could see was her glistening strawberry red lips, curving into that playful smile he missed so, so much. Her burned skin was gone, replaced with her usual soft, supple skin (was she glowing?), and her voice was just so sweet and real, instead of the hoarse voice that Erik heard just before Christine left the mortal plane. 

(I love you I love you I love you) 

“I missed you,” Erik blurted out without warning, ignoring Christine’s slightly confused and worried expression as he swooped forward, leaning down and pressing his lips to Christine’s. 

(Oh sweet, merciful God.) 

Universe #096: 

“Did you… just think of something, but didn’t say it?” 

Eric’s heart pounded within his chest, blood rushing through his veins and accumulating in his cheeks as they burned a crimson red, fingers tingly and weird as they ran through his raven hair. His amber eyes moved away from Christine’s cyan ones, unable to look at her as thoughts raced through his head at breakneck speed. 

“This can’t be what this is about…” 

(It’s like a cliff. And if I do it, I’m just going to fall.) 

Eric’s robotic hand fiddled with the loose hairs on the suspension bridge’s rope, gold eyes looking down into the abyss as gold clouds surround him. 

Turning to Christine, Eric watched as Christine smiled at him gently and Christine also looked into the abyss, her side of the sky blue and fading into the gold of his. 

(I think we’re already falling.) 

“Just say it, Eric,” Christine’s voice was soft, almost tentative, Erik’s anxious amber eyes being met by loving cyan ones. 

“I think I love you-” 

“I love you too.” 

Eric didn’t know what to expect, given that he and his team (right, where were they?) were stuck in a god-awful fairy tale (which trapped him on a rickety suspension bridge and magically formed steps when he confessed his love bit by bit, high above the mountains in a thunderstorm with the love of his life), but this was nothing like his imagination. 

(Oh god oh god oh god) 

Staring into Christine’s luminous blue eyes, he found himself on a grassy platform, Christine’s body heat so real and her body so close. Blushing, Christine wrapped her hands around Eric’s neck as Eric pulled her waist towards him, their lips meeting after god-knows-how-long in sparks, lilies sprouting up from the grass around them. 

Still kissing her, Eric didn’t notice when he returned to the normal plane (what was normal in a fairy tale land?), only aware when his teammate, Diana, squeaked. 

Still blushing, he giggled softly as Christine smiled against his lips, “Did we miss anything?” 

Bruce, his best friend, grinned. 

“Feels like I’ve been waiting forever for that.” 

Universe #012: 

The first real thing Erik felt in months was, proudly, in an otherworldly plane of God knows where.  

“…let me go too, Christine, that’s all I ask of you,” Erik murmured against Christine’s lips, his strong alto voice dying down in a soft whisper of love as Christine nuzzled her nose against Erik’s. 

“I love you so much,” Christine sniffled softly, while Erik tried to hold back his tears, “I missed you so much.” 

“And I’m here now.” 

Erik laughed, the sound watery as he lowered her head to bump his forehead against Christine’s. 

“…yeah. I love-” 

Christine lunged forward, capturing Erik’s lips in a bruising kiss, muffling his sobs as their tears mixed together. Breaking away, Christine looked up, running her thumbs over Erik’s cheeks to wipe away his tears. 

“Wherever you go, I’ll find you. I’ll never leave you.” 

Universe #214: 

“Atlesians can be tricky. My people, the hunters, went to war with them once. I’m not sure we can trust Ironwood,” Chris frowned slightly, his jaw tightening as his eyes rove over the large monitor in Erika’s lair, bright blue eyes locking onto Ironwood’s metallic blue ones. Letting out an involuntary shiver, Chris reached across Erika’s body for the computer mouse to minimise the picture of Ironwood. 

Erika sighed, leaning back in her ergonomic chair as the gears clinked to adjust to her reclining, stretching, “Chris, if we’re gonna do this, you’re gonna need to be open to more things than–” Erika’s hand reached out for the mouse, eyes locked on Ironwood’s bio on the monitor when she felt a warm, larger hand beneath hers. 

(Oh crap crap crap god) 

Erika blushes as her hand darts away as if burnt, her cheeks red as she gestured wildly, chuckling awkwardly as she turned away, rambling anxiously, “Yeah, sorry-” 

“I’m sorry. It’s okay,” Chris blurted out, also laughing awkwardly as he gestured towards the mouse, “Uhh, you can use it.” 

Looking back towards the monitor, Erika refused to take her eyes off the screen as her cheeks burned with mortification (and she was flustered) while she continued discussing about her plans for this “Justice League”, painfully aware of Chris maintaining a too-far distance from her. 

“I won’t bite, yeah?” Erika tried to regain a semblance of normalcy (what was normal between them?) as she barely turned towards Chris, when he leaned forward to press a kiss to her lips, his lips full and soft and tasting like… strawberries? 

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, it was-” Chris pulled away, holding his hands up while creating distance (yet again) between them, almost the same way he blocked her punches while they sparred, his cheeks burning as his blue eyes darted about, embarrassed. 

“Oh god, c’mere,” Erika huffed out a laugh as she tugged Chris back to her, their lips meeting yet again as Erika smiled into the kiss, pulling away only when it was absolutely necessary. 

“I’ve wanted to do that for a long time,” Chris’ hot breath graced Erika’s lips, and Erika whispered against his, “Me too, Chris. 

“Me too.” 

Universe #012: 

“Are we together in every life?” 

Christine ran her slender fingers through Erik’s raven hair, while Erik fiddled with Christine’s other hand. 

“What do you think, hmm?” 

Universe #023: 

“Everyone in my life has changed. Promise me you won’t change.” 

“I promise.” 

Chrissy inched closer to Eric, brushing her lips against her (ex?) best friend’s ones as Eric dropped his gauntlets on the ground of the sewer with a heavy thud. Wrapping his arms around Chrissy’s waist, Eric pulled her deeper into the kiss as Chrissy pressed him into the wall- 

Universe #666: 

Erik laughed softly as he takes Chrissy’s hand and tugged her to the dance floor, twirling her around with a boyish smile (despite his gentlemanly appearance with the full-black tuxedo). 

“How gentlemanly.” 

“Yeah?” 

Chrissy giggled, nodding, “Yeah.” Grinning, Chrissy licked her lips, gently tugging Erik into a kiss while he squeaked, “Love ya.” 

“I love you too.” 

Universe #012: 

“I like to think we are. Despite the many worlds theory thing, but yeah.” 

Christine laughed as Erik lifted his head up from his lover’s lap, which makes Erik pout and whine, “Don’t laugh at me!” 

“Sorry, baby. But I think, my little nerd, that we’re together in every universe.” 

“Yeah?” 

“Yeah.”