(( Again. Excuse My Rusty French xD ))

Madeleine stirred, groaning slightly. She looked up at the wall clock, suddenly panicked. She rushed out of bed, swearing quietly to herself and started digging through her wardrobe. She hadn't noticed when Erik puled her curtain back easily and coughed.

She looked back at him, acknowledging the lazy look on his face, yet saw a spark of humor in his eyes. "No rehearsals today, remember?" Maddy stood for a moment, calculating his words through her tired brain. She then let out a loud groan, threw the clothes back in her wardrobe, and fell back into her bed. "I had totally forgotten. Good, I'll be going back to sleep. Bonne nuit."

Erik chuckled and walked into the room, covering her in her blankets. "Ah, amour. You amuse me so." Madeleine peeked up at him, and would have stuck her tongue out at him, if she weren't so tired, and thankful that she could be sleeping.

He came over and sat on the edge of her bed, rubbing her back gently. He hummed his Music of the Night to her as she smiled, fading further and further.

When he confirmed that she was again asleep, he placed a kiss on her cheek and left her room. Sitting down at his small desk, he began to think. He thought about Madeleine and her growing talent. He thought about maybe having another celebration, due to Madeleine's success.

Sighing, he looked around the lair. He was suddenly struck with a melody, and was humming it softly to himself. He got up and sat back down at his organ, running his fingers over the keys. He played the beginning, which he had been humming, and wrote it down on a blank piece of sheet music paper. He then hovered his fingers over the keys, and let them down easily playing out continuous notes, to go along with the sweet and soft beginning at which he had imagined.

He played for hours, finishing the piece, and playing it over and over. He played it long enough that Madeleine began to stir again, and he knew she had awoken. He heard her yawn and stretch her muscles. Her feet padded over the stone as she walked about her room. He finally heard her curtain being tousled, and smiled as she padded over to him.

He closed his eyes, pretending to concentrate, even though he already had the piece memorized. She looked to the sheet music, seeing the piece he was playing. She plucked it from the other papers, and smiled. Humming along with the melody he was playing, she found it quite beautiful.

As she became familiar with it, she began dancing. Once he started the piece over again, she would dance, slowly and carefully, like a cat would walk. Stealthy, and graceful, always ready to pounce if necessary. She smiled, closing her eyes as she danced and he watched her twirl in small circles around the lair. Round and round, like a little girl.

He ended the piece again, and she stopped, noticing he wasn't playing any longer. "Something wrong?" He shook his head, still smiling. "No, no my dear. Your a very good dancer, you know." She blushed softly and sat next to him, leaning on his shoulder on the bench. "Oh, I'm not as coordinated as I'd like to be, but yes, I've had a few lessons, here and there.

She recalled back to when her uncle used to play his old records on his century old record player, dancing around the room with her, back in the more modern world.

Erik watched her face change and she smiled, as if remembering a memory. He kissed her cheek, and she looked up at him, smiling almost lazily. "Oh Madeleine, you do have such beautiful eyes." Maddy blushed again and looked down at the organ. Erik smiled, chuckling and bringing her face to face his again. "Do I flatter you?" She blushed again and he chuckled a bit louder.

Even though Maddy knew he was doing it on purpose she couldn't help but smile. "Erik! Stop!" She laughed with him and they sat in silence together, just enjoying the moment. "Madeleine?" She closed her eyes and enjoyed his voice. "Hm?"

"Have you ever considered the fact that you may have a partly French history?" She looked up at him curious. "Not really, pourquoi?" He smiled down at her. "Your name is French Madeleine. Have you ever considered that you spell your name differently than most people would?" Maddy laughed, not really sure where he was taking this. "I guess so, but Erik what does this have to do with anything."

He smiled and shook his head. "Oh, nothing nothing. Just me, a curious fool, rambling his curiosities." Maddy laughed again, hugging Erik close. "Erik?" "Yes, mon amour?" She had been thinking to ask him this question for some time. "I've never been to a masquerade. Do you know if the Opera house will be planning another sometime soon?"

Erik kissed her on the forehead gently. "Ah, I was just thinking of that my dear. I may be requesting that we have one soon, just for the sake of my Madeleine."

Maddy blushed again, but hugged him tightly around the waist, yawning softly. "My lord, Madeleine, are you ever not tired?" Maddy almost laughed a second time. "I'm not tired now. Just still a little drowsy from waking." He nodded and swayed her back and forth, for no reason. She just smiled, snuggling into his side, letting him sway her. Sometimes moments like these happened between the two a lot, and Madeleine never complained. She really did love this man. She didn't feel like she loved a stranger any longer.

Erik stood suddenly, and smiled, pulling Madeleine along. He wrapped his arm around her waist, and stood her up on his toes. She giggled, resting her hand on his shoulder, and as he hummed the same melody he had been playing, the two danced randomly, turning slow circles as Erik filled the cave with his voice. Maddy laid her head on his shoulder and they danced like this for hours, Erik humming the same melody over and over, he neither Maddy ever getting tired of it.

They danced, and they danced, and eventually Maddy might have thought they had danced through the rest of the day, through the night, through half of the next morning, but when she looked up, it had only been 4 hours.

Maddy lifted her head and kissed Erik's cheek, Erik returning it with a sweet kiss to her lips, and the two danced a bit longer, until Erik finally picked Maddy up and walked her to his bedroom. She laid her down and looked into her eyes. "Je t'aime." Maddy blinked lazily and pulled him close, granting him another kiss. "Je t'aime trop."

He covered her in his blankets and sheets, and sighed blissfully as she fell asleep once more. He hadn't meant to dance the day away with Madeleine. He had intended a few French lessons, and maybe even a sketch tip or two, but he had totally lost track of mind with her.

Yawning heavily, he fell into the bed next to her, after removing his shoes. He lay there and thought, once again. Thinking about how he was to plan out Madeleine's first masquerade, thinking about what dress to have her made, thinking about a mask to gift her.

He smiled, closing his eyes as he thought about these things. He sighed and yawned once again. He didn't want to sleep. His mind demanded that he stay up, and think. Think, think, think. No. His mind needed time to rest.

After all, he was only human, and if he was going to think through all of this tomorrow, his mind would need the sleep, the energy, the refreshing feeling that sleep would gift him in the morning.

He yawned again, and relaxed against the pillows below his head. Relaxed his whole body, and eventually, with one last sneak peak at his beautiful Madeleine, he was asleep.