The Phantom's Protection
"Raoul.. Raoul, answer me!" Christine hissed through her teeth in obvious aggravation, the skirts of her floor length blue dress swirling dramatically as she chased the Viscount down the long stone corridor of the Paris opera house where she sang.
"No! No, Christine!" Raoul relented, answering finally as he fled from her, his expression clearly panicked. "I will not do it! Leave me be, please!"
He was abruptly halted in his flight in the next instant, for he had run headlong into someone, feeling his body pressed close against a tall form, firm, broad of chest and clearly male.
Raoul looked upward slowly, his breath freezing in his lungs when he realized that he was staring into the intimidating countenance of the Phantom of the Opera.
He was uncertain of what to do until Christine appeared behind him suddenly, his crystal-blue eyes widening as a soft whimper of distress escaped his throat.
Raoul maneuvered himself around behind the much taller male quickly before he could stop him, moving up close behind his wide, muscular back and pressing his shaking hands to the warm, clothed flesh in front of him without hesitation.
"Please.." Raoul begged him, going up on tiptoe to whisper in his right ear, his voice low and desperate. "Help me. Make her go and leave me in peace.."
The Phantom was obviously confused, but he inclined his head subtly in answer as Christine reached them, breathing hard and looking upset as she stopped before the two men.
"..Christine," the Phantom said softly, his eyes watching her closely. "Why do you torment this man? He is shaking with fear of you."
"Fear?" she asked in frustrated disbelief, placing her hands on her hips as she answered him. "This is ridiculous. All that I want is for Raoul to kiss me."
"But is it what he wants?"
"What man does not wish to kiss a woman?"
"Did you even ask him?"
"Well, no…"
"Raoul?" the Phantom asked with unexpected gentleness, causing him to jump regardless against his back in surprise. "Do you want to kiss Christine?"
Raoul shook his head against his back where his face was now pressed in tight against the older man's right shoulder blade.
"No. I just want things to go back to the way they were. When we were friends. Please, Christine.. It is not fair of you to ask things of me that I can not give to you. If you do not want to destroy my feelings of friendship towards you, then you must stop this.."
"Raoul, I do not understand why you would treat me in this manner. Is what I ask of you such a horrible prospect?"
"Please!" Raoul whispered once again, curling his slim body in tighter against the Phantom's tall, broad-backed form with a soft sob of clear pain as he shook even harder. "I beg you, Christine! I- I can not give you what you want.. What you need. I have no experience kissing women. I do not want to."
"You are behaving as would a frightened child, Raoul," Christine replied scathingly before she turned on her heel and strode briskly back the way that they had come.
"C-Christine.." Raoul said softly, his low voice hoarse and anguished.
His pain was obvious as the Phantom reached around to draw a visibly quivering Raoul out from behind him in order to gaze down at his tear-stained face in silence now.
"H-How could she speak to me in that manner? I thought that she was my friend.."
"Only a friend?" the Phantom inquired in his low, shiver-inducing voice. "Yes, I- I have never been with a woman in that way."
"For lack of opportunity? Or lack of interest?"
"Lack of interest," Raoul admitted, biting his lower lip between his own top and bottom teeth lightly.
The image that he presented then was enticing, though he did not realize it was so.
His long golden hair was attractively tousled from his run down the corridor, his eyes wide and anxious as he nibbled at his own lower lip before continuing to speak in a manner that could be considered reckless.
"I have tried to, of course," Raoul confessed with a defeated sigh. "It is what is expected of me. By everyone, it seems, even though I am not the oldest son and heir. I have a brother and several sisters. All married. But I just.. can not do it. No woman that I have met has ever managed to get me to respond. Physically, or otherwise, as well. I am uncertain and worried, and I believe that something may be wrong with me.. I did tell Christine the truth about never having kissed a woman. I do not wish to, but I should not have to in order to respond to her."
"She hurt you, Raoul. And I am sorry for it. But there is nothing wrong with you. The issue lies with Christine. If you will come with me now I will prove it to you. Do you trust me?"
"No. I do not trust you. I have to be honest with you. But I do not truly know you, so how could I? Though you did save me from Christine. But I must know before I lose my sanity. I can not handle this anymore. The feelings of pain.. Anguish and separation. Of feeling alone, different from everyone else. If I just knew for certain who I am, then perhaps I would not hurt so badly.."
Tears of obvious frustration and loneliness filled Raoul's eyes then, and his whole body quivered with his surprise as the taller man reached out to him, placing a large, warm-skinned hand beneath Raoul's chin in order to draw his face upward gently and gaze into those wet, glistening eyes.
"I can heal you, Raoul," the Phantom of the Opera promised him with a small nod as one large, silken thumb tenderly brushed his tears away as they began to fall. "And I swear that I will not hurt you, merely help you to understand yourself. The choice must be yours. But once it is made, know this, there can be no backing out. Once you enter my lair, you are mine. Do you understand this?"
"I.. I understand. ..Please."
"Please, what?"
"T- Take me to your lair. ..Help me. Please help me not to feel torn in two any longer, I beg you."
The Phantom nodded again briefly, abruptly lifting Raoul up into his strong arms, easily carrying his slight weight with one arm beneath his bent knees, the other supporting his shoulders and his golden-haired head carefully as he began to walk briskly along the stone corridor.
Raoul gasped softly, shocked at finding himself cradled like a child in another man's arms, but after a moment or two he relaxed against the Phantom's chest and closed his eyes.
The Phantom was surprised, though pleased, when the younger man soon all but melted against him, his body warm against his, willing and clearly craving affection.
He carefully made his way into the catacombs and down the spiral stone stairs toward his home, only setting Raoul down on his feet again when he reached the small boat on the dark, misty water, already feeling reluctant to release the other man from his arms.
"Get in, Raoul."
"Yes."
Raoul climbed into the boat, causing it to rock slightly where it sat on the underground lake surrounding his island-like home, and the Phantom caught him by the arm quickly where he lost his footing because of the boat's bobbing motion, steadying him as Raoul blushed bright red from embarrassment before carefully sitting down in the front of the water vessel.
"..Thank you."
He nodded once more, getting in behind Raoul and beginning to push them through the deep, murky water, steering with his long pole made of pale wood until they reached the other side.
The Phantom disembarked first, reaching out to Raoul, holding his white-gloved right hand palm up toward him.
Raoul smiled tremulously, his fingers shaking with anticipation as he slowly placed his hand in the Phantom's and allowed him to assist him out of the boat and onto the shore of his home.
Raoul's eyes widened as he looked around slowly.
"..It is beautiful," he stated in awe, following the other man as he began to lead him by the hand through the maze of brightly shining candles and past a large musical organ.
"Thank you, Raoul."
"Now, for your first lesson," the Phantom informed him in his low voice.
"I- W-What?" Raoul stammered nervously as he stared up at him.
"Shh," he soothed him, one big hand moving up to lightly stroke down over the back of his head and his long strands of gleaming golden hair. "I promised not to hurt you, yes?"
"R-Right," Raoul agreed, nodding and then leaning back into the touch on his head like a needy cat.
"Then open your mouth for me, but do not speak."
Raoul shivered, but his lips parted obediently, his tongue appearing briefly to moisten them without him even realizing it.
Then, abruptly, the Phantom's lips were pressed to his, claiming thoroughly Raoul's virgin mouth in an exquisite kiss that caused his toes to curl and his back to arch as his fingers quickly buried themselves within the strands of the Phantom's dark silken hair.
Raoul whined softly, helplessly, with pleasure in the back of his throat and his slender body began to vibrate with years of suppressed yearning and physical need for exactly this as the other man held him so close that his heart began to hurt in a way that was immensely painful and yet somehow felt so good.
That was when the Phantom ended their kiss, though he did not release him from his firm embrace, looking down at him inquiringly.
"Well? How was it, your first kiss?"
"Oh, Erik.." Raoul sighed with clear passion and partially glazed over blue eyes, forgetting that the Phantom was unaware that he knew his real name. "It was beautiful. You made it beautiful. So beautiful that it hurt my heart, deep inside. I do not know how it could get any better then that.."
"It will get better. Trust me, Raoul," he replied, choosing not to comment about his slip of the tongue and embarrass him, assuming rightly that Christine must have told Raoul his name.
"Show me?" Raoul requested softly, his blue eyes staring up at him adoringly now.
"..Come with me," Erik finally replied after a heavy, emotion-laden pause, holding out his gloved hand to Raoul once more.
Raoul nodded again, respectfully silent, his slender body tense with anticipation as he reached out for him again in return, the Phantom leading him further into his dark, seductive domain, stopping abruptly with a soft gasp at seeing the large bed partially hidden behind long and half-drawn, billowing red velvet curtains.
Erik suddenly took hold of him by the shoulders, tossing him onto the comfortable mattress carefully onto his back, removing both of their shoes before lowering himself down atop the other man's frozen form.
Raoul moaned helplessly when Erik's lips took his once more, unconsciously grabbing at his broad shoulders and arching up toward his strong body.
Erik smiled inwardly at the other man's intense responses, placing his big, warm left hand at the sensitive juncture of his thighs.
He pulled back from the kiss to better hear higher-pitched cries then he had expected, idly thinking that Raoul could be a very good singer with those rich, needy tones as he caressed and gently squeezed at Raoul's hot groin, feeling it harden quickly for him.
"Ahhh!" Raoul practically squealed, nearly screaming in his shock, arching into the unexpected, extremely intimate touch with helpless need and desire. "Ahhh! Nughh, Erik!"
"Does it feel good?" Erik growled playfully, the light from the many candles shining on his face and bone-white mask, causing him to appear like some beautiful, mythical creature of the old tales. "Tell me, Raoul. What do you feel?"
"Ahhh! Oh, hot!" Raoul replied, sobbing out his long held in tears with the intense pleasure that he felt at Erik's touch. "Your hand.. hot, unghh! Never touched this way before.. Please.. do not let go of me!"
"Never, Raoul! You are mine. I will make you only mine and never let you go."
"Yes, yes!" Raoul moaned, his head thrashing back and forth on the pillows, strong hips arching upward, desperately seeking more of Erik's gentle intimacies. "Please! I need- need to-"
"Come for me, Raoul!" Erik growled low, his dark, intense eyes watching the other man's face closely. "Let go and give me your release! Give me what is mine!"
"Ahhhh, ahhhhhh!" Raoul gasped out, sobbing now, salty tears trailing down his red-flushed and sweaty cheeks as he helplessly obeyed him. "E-Erik!"
The Phantom actually smiled when Raoul came hard for him, feeling his hot seed against his palm as it dampened his pants, watching Raoul breathing heavily, clearly emotionally and physically overwhelmed by what had just occurred between the two of them.
But his beautiful face was also content as he licked his lips and sighed softly, his sapphire eyes closing trustfully, his body limp and completely sated, relaxed in Erik's presence.
"..Thank you, Erik.." Raoul whispered, opening his eyes to gaze up at him for a moment, meeting his dark, clearly pleased gaze before they fluttered closed once more. "That was.. wonderful. I feel.. warm. Warm and tired."
"Then sleep, Raoul. I will be here when you wake."
Raoul hummed softly in reply, drifting off to sleep.
The last thing that he felt was Erik undressing and tenderly cleansing his body with a cool, damp cloth fetched from somewhere he did not know.