Disclaimer: Please don't sue. I don't own POTO... All I own is an overactive imagination.
Summary: ErikRaoul various degrees of slash. One word prompts based on body parts, most parts but the one you really want.
Warning(s): slash (that's homosexual content for those of you who don't know)
Pairing(s): ErikRaoul
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Human Anatomy
Chapter 07
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By: Lucifer Rosemaunt
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Christine dabbed the cut on Raoul's lip none too gently.
Hissing, Raoul jerked away. "Be careful, Christine. That hurts."
She gave him an unimpressed look before grabbing his chin with her free hand to hold him still. "You brought this upon yourself. Now stay still."
Raoul frowned.
"Stop that, too." Christine pressed harder with the gauze. The alcohol stung, but his reflex to pull away was prevented by her grip tightening almost just as painfully.
He tried to school his features so that she wouldn't have a reason to hurt him any further. Christine was mean when she wanted to be, and his lip hurt a lot already. At least there didn't seem to be too much blood.
She sighed, pausing in her efforts to say, "You shouldn't have done that. I didn't tell you so that you would flaunt it in his face, Raoul."
He fought the urge to pout. "He's the one who's pretending." It came out more petulantly than he would've liked, but it was just Christine. She wouldn't mind if he acted a little childish right now. She had seen worse.
"And I remember telling you that he's not ready," she said exasperatedly. She dabbed his lip once more before sitting back, sighing. "I don't think he even knows this about himself yet."
Raoul looked at her suspiciously. "And you know, how?"
"I'm almost certain." Seeing him displeased with her vagueness, she added, "You don't see his expression when I talk about you." After a bit, she nodded firmly. "In fact, I am certain."
Appeased in that aspect, Raoul focused on their current situation. He tenderly probed his lip. "How was I supposed to know he was going to punch me?"
"What did you expect?" She scoffed, "A hug?"
Raoul laughed at the thought and winced when his lip protested the motion. "No, I did not, but gentlemen do not use their fists in a dispute."
"You've never punched anyone?" Christine asked dubiously.
"Well," Raoul replied defensively, "I was in the navy. That doesn't count." He added quickly, "And you said he only ever really uses the Punjab lasso…"
"And since you saw he had none," she concluded, "you thought you were safe."
Raoul gestured vaguely. "He was the one who suddenly appeared."
"He was trying to prove a point."
"Exactly." Raoul pointed at her. "Exactly. And I was simply proving my own point. He needs to stop using you or else you may really get hurt one of these days."
She smiled at him patronizingly, already used to his penchant for trying to save damsels in distress. "And you would rather get hurt instead?"
"I'm not particularly fond of the idea of pain," Raoul shrugged, adding seriously, "but I do know that I don't want you to get hurt on my behalf."
"That's sweet, Raoul," she patted him on his head. "But smirking at him while yanking me out of his grasp and saying 'Leave her alone. We all know you really prefer blondes… and men' was not the proper way to go about it. What part of he's not ready do you not understand? You must have expected some sort of retaliation."
Raoul refused to reply. He had expected retaliatory action and admittedly, he could have dodged that punch. What he hadn't expected was the quick quirk of lips and wink from the infamous opera ghost before said punch.
He had a feeling that the ghost was more ready than Christine gave him credit for.
o.o knuckles o.o (wc:581)
Raoul tried to let Erik go at his own pace; truly, he did, but he was too close and he just barely kept from trying to help him along. So, even though his breaths were coming in shallow gasps, he tried to voice his urgency instead.
"I," he choked off, "need…"
Erik's hands weren't moving fast enough. This was however the first time he was doing something like this, so he couldn't be faulted. He was already holding up most of Raoul's weight, and the heat was smothering this close to him. The Vicomte, this trusting and so much at his mercy, was distracting in itself. He couldn't help but note his flushed expression and the fact that his eyes were nearly completely unfocused. He moved faster.
Through the rush of blood that pounded through his ears and the movement of Erik's hands, Raoul was distantly pleased to see that the ghost wasn't as unaffected by this as he'd been initially led to believe, and even though he'd been yelled at already for doing so, he finally couldn't suppress the urge when he fumbled, hands messily trying to help Erik along.
Erik let out a frustrated groan and batted his hands away. "Damnit, you fop. Just…" Raoul should've been happy that he'd managed to fluster the opera ghost enough that he was losing his ability to speak, but there was little else on his mind besides making Erik finish the task at hand faster. "I said I would do this."
Raoul moved his hands away as ordered. He realized that he'd never seen neither the ghost's face nor the porcelain mask this close before. He reached up, pressing the pads of his fingers on the lines of concentration on the ghost's forehead.
Erik's breath caught in his throat and for just a second, his concentration broke and his eyes flickered to meet Raoul's. The blonde's hands lowered and Erik was tempted to say something he knew he would regret later. Instead, he focused more intensely on the task at hand. His heart was racing and he could feel his own face flush in response though.
As he renewed his effort, Raoul glanced at him with half-lidded eyes, mouth ajar. Short panted breaths strained to come out, and for long moments, Erik became Raoul's entire world as all else blurred out of focus.
And when he felt awash in lightheadedness, Erik finally managed to loosen the final knot.
The noose unraveled, depositing a near unconscious Raoul onto the floor. Curling onto his side, he gulped as much air in as possible. His hands, tingling as blood began to circulate through his limbs again, gingerly touched his throat.
Erik was immediately on his knees at his side. Cursing at them both, he tried to roll Raoul onto his back so that he could see the extent of the damage. Raoul allowed himself to be turned, not having enough energy to fight against him.
Erik's hands were shaking as he tugged at Raoul's hands in order to see his throat. "How many times have I told you not to come?" There was going to be some deep bruising, and as Raoul flinched, Erik knew several rope burns as well. "Did you think I was joking when I told you I wouldn't remove any of the traps?" He raged, not caring that Raoul didn't seem to be listening. He was only glad to see him alive and breathing.
Through the nausea and inability to actually focus on Erik's face at the moment, Raoul managed to answer, "But you came and," he took a deep breath, "saved me though."
The weak approximation of a smile Erik realized he knew too well made him turn away, only to see the rope hanging above them. Of all the traps for Raoul to happen upon, why had it been this one? If he hadn't been nearby, hadn't heard the yelp of surprise, hadn't run…
o.o throat o.o (wc:656)
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End Chapter 07
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A/N: Don't forget to R/R (Read and Review)!
Chapter review: What's with me and asphyxiation? I think Erik's giving me a complex – him and his choice of weapon. :D Mentioned in both body parts actually.
But that second one is really deceiving. As for Erik's 'first time', you know he's unaccustomed to undoing a noose. And leaving it that hanging, I was going to continue with more, but figured I wouldn't know when to stop myself really.
