Sorry this is so short, the other chapters will be longer I promise. This is based on the musical version of Phantom of the Opera but I've included some of my own artistic twists so don't complain if things aren't exactly correct because most of the time they'll be different for a reason. I mean, how could it not be different when I'm intending to make the equivelent of a PhantomxChristeanxRaoul threesome?

So please enjoy and review!

Phantom of my Heart

Chapter 1

It was quiet in the theatre. All were in bed at this hour. All, except a woman and young boy. They walked slowly through the hallways, the almost silent atmosphere pierced by the boy's sniffles, his trunk thumping when it accidentally made contact with the floor.

The woman led the boy into a small room, her lamp held high to banish the darkness. The lamplight revealed a bedroom with two beds. One was empty but the other contained a gently breathing lump. The boy placed his trunk at the foot of the spare bed then turned to the lady. She came closer and whispered. "You will sleep here with my son Ryou."

Ryou nodded. "Thank you Lady Isis," he whispered.

She smiled sadly, giving the boy a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Be strong Ryou, for your father. You will like it here; I promise." She turned to leave. Before she closed the door she said, "Get some sleep – things will not seem as dark as they do now when the sun is shinning."

When the door had closed Ryou lay on the bed above the covers. He closed his eyes. He saw his father's face, smiling, happy. The tears welled up in his eyes. It wasn't fair. Why him? Hadn't he suffered enough already?

Ryou turned over and buried his face in the pillow. It smelt different; this wasn't home. No matter what Lady Isis said, things would not be better in the morning.

Yugi yawned as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. He swung his legs over the side of the bed, slipping his feet into slippers so that he wouldn't get splinters. He was surprised when he looked up and noticed the spare bed was occupied. Someone must have come in the night since they definitely weren't there when he went to sleep.

As quietly as he could, Yugi tiptoed over to the sleeping figure. He was young, maybe only a year older than Yugi, and yet he had hair whiter than snow. It looked smooth, silky, like his pale skin. His brow was creased, his eyes shut tight as he dreamt of better places.

Yugi wondered who he was and what he was doing here. His mother had never let anyone else share his room before. The other children usually bullied him because of his hair so he had been separated from the ridicule. Isis obviously trusted this boy to let him so close to her son. Either that or he had been put here without her being consulted.

Yugi looked at the small clock on his bedside table. It was time for breakfast. If he was late he ran the risk of there not being anything left. Should he wake the stranger so that he was not left with the stalest of bread and sourest milk or should he let him sleep? He must have been tired if he had been travelling at night and may not want to be woken until later.

Yugi decided it was better to be tired than hungry. He shook the boy's shoulder, earning a groan in response. The stranger's eyes flickered open. They were a vibrant emerald green that sparkled like the stars in the heavens.

The stranger stared blearily at Yugi for a few moments before they widened in fear. He backed away from the strange boy that had woken him; not knowing who he was or where they were.

Yugi smiled at him gently. "I'm Yugi Ishtar, what's your name?"

There was a hesitant pause before the boy answered. "Ryou Daae."

Yugi's eyes widened. "Daae? Are you related to Yaten Daae – the famous violinist?"

"He was my father," Ryou said sadly, bowing his head.

"Was?"

"He died," Ryou whispered, his throat tightening as tears fought their way into his eyes.

"I'm sorry," Yugi said sympathetically. "My father died as well – when I was a baby."

Ryou gave a short nod, more focused on restraining his terrible grief than listening to Yugi. Yugi noticed this and pulled Ryou into a hug. Ryou froze at the contact. He took a deep breath and willed himself to relax. Silent tears ran down his face, landing on Yugi's shoulder to create a small damp patch.

After a few minutes Ryou pulled away. He wiped his eyes and nose on his sleeve, giving Yugi the best smile he could manage. Maybe what Lady Isis had said last night had some truth in it. He had already made a friend – things weren't as bad as he had imagined they would be.

The smile left Ryou's face as Yugi went to the other side of the room to change. He was an orphan now. Lady Isis (an old friend of his father's) was his legal guardian. He was here at the theatre where she worked as the dance instructor to learn and earn his keep, most likely as a chorus boy. He used to sing a lot but he wasn't the most graceful person ever to walk upon the earth.

He broke out of his thoughts when he saw Yugi standing by the door waiting for him. "We better hurry," said the shorter boy. "If we don't get to the dining hall soon all that will be left is the burnt stuff that nobody likes."

Ryou nodded, standing up and following his new roommate and friend into a new world, unaware that he would soon meet a disembodied voice that would truly change his life forever.

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