I looked at the man who covered head to toe in red who had stopped our waltz. He was standing next to us on the dance floor, his green eyes warm, and with a devilish grin spreading on his face. It was hard containing all the joy I felt seeing him in front of me, out here in plain view rather him hidden in the shadows of my room or his "artistic" domain. He asked again, his voice as soft as the red velvet that he wore:

"Can I cut in?" It sounded more of a request than a question. Roaul just looked him up and down, looked at me and then back at the young man dressed in red. He had a sort of snide sneer stretched across his face, but at the same time, it almost looked like a smile. I kept looking back and forth at the teo of them, and it was very hard not to just push Raoul out of the way and just kiss Erik. But I had to, for Erik's and my sake. Raoul gave one last look, his beady blue eyes looking him up and down. My heart began to race, thinking if Raoul kept looking at Erik, he would eventually figure out who he was. I quickly looked at Erik, my eyes filled with worry, but he was calm and demeanor was smooth and collected. He didn't think that he was going to be figured out.

"What are you supposed to be?" He asked curtly. I gave him a hard glare but Erik, the wonderful man that he is, just chuckled.

"Why, I am the Red Death," He said frankly, as though Raoul or anyone else should have known, "Do you not know of Poe's works?" I giggled slightly, but stopped immediately when Raoul squeezed my hand, a little too tightly. I saw Erik's eyes widen with anger when he saw my face grimace slightly, but he kept his composure. He had to.

The Vicomte gave one last look at him, his eyes going up and down, and then one last look to me. "It would mean so much to me," Erik threw in, "I am a huge fan of Mds. Daae's work. I have seen every single one of her performances."

"Oh come now Raoul," I said stepping away from him, "It is just one dance." I wish it were more than just one dance; I wish it was a life time, but one dance would have to do for now.

"Why not?" Raoul said, almost too charmingly again, "She is a lovely dancer, monsieur. Take good care of my Christine." I wanted to gag slightly, but instead I took my hand out of Raoul's and placed it in Erik's grasp. He gave Raoul a smile of triumph and lead in the dance and he was as graceful as ever. I thought Raoul was a good dancer, but Erik was stupendous. The way he just glided on the floor, keeping perfect time with the music. And the way he spun me around made me feel like I was flying. It brought me back to that dream I had of him just a few months ago. I smiled and wanted to lay my head on his chest and I was about to but then he gave me a look.

"As much as I would love that," He said with a tight smile, "I don't think that would be the best of ideas, not yet at least." I nodded, understanding what he meant. I sighed deeply and continues to dance with Erik, gracefully and wonderfully. I couldn't be happier. We danced for a little while longer in silence, but I winced slightly when Erik grasped my hand slightly tighter, though he meant it lovingly. I tried to smile the pain away, but Erik saw right through my mask. His eyes were like hawks, I swear. He saw every single detail in anything and everything.

"Did he hurt you?" His question caught me off guard a bit. I looked at my hand and back up at him. I shook my head no, lying slightly. My hand, spesifically my pinky, still throbbed slightly after Raoul's squeeze. "Are you sure, Christine? I am so sorry that I didn't so anything, but I couldn't. Not right then at least." I could tell when it had happened, Erik wanted nothing more to pound in Raoul's pretty, little smarmy face.

"Erik," I said as he spun me around once more, "It's alright, I swear. He squeezes like a girl." I tried make a joke out of it, but Erik did not seemed amused. His green eyes seemed to harbor something, I think anger maybe, which was a rarity for him. He was usually so calm and collected, but at that moment, he seemed on edge. Like there was something that was eating away at him. I looked at him and then at Raoul, who was with the managers, talking with them but every few moments or so, he would look at us. It made me feel uncomfortable. All I wanted to do at that moment was to make him happy again, that I could hear his melodic laugh that gave me butterflies, but Erik was so tense. I was going to say something, anything to cheer him up, but then he spoke.

"'My Christine'?" He said, almost spitting the words out like venom, but then he gave a dark chuckle, "If he only knew."

"Christine, I love you so much and I apologize in advanced for what is going to happen tonight. It's going to make seeing you very hard to do, but it must be done." Before I could say anything, he grabbed my head and pulled me into a mind blowing kiss. It was as almost explosive as the night we kissed on the roof. I melted into his arms, kissing him back passionately, the music blaring around us and the people stopping to stare the spectacle in the middle which was us. I could feel Raoul's feet stomping, running on the ground towards us, but still we kissed. I couldn't possibly care less about him.

When our lips finally parted, I gave him a sinful grin.

"I thought I was supposed to act disgusted with you," I said jokingly. Erik smiled and chuckled slightly.

"You can do that now, please. Just trust me. I love you," He said stepping away from me, bounding for the stairs. Raoul stood next to me, his sword ready in his hand, and my face grew distorted in fake disgust as Erik reached the bottom, stopping there.

Everything fell silent, with the exception of people murmuring back and forth to each other, but all eyes were on the man, dressed in blood red and full black mask. Erik spun around, looking at everyone, a devilish grin spreading across his face, his melodic chuckle, deep in his throat.

"What?" He asked everyone, mocking them slightly, "It looks as though you have seen a ghost. Well, you are looking at one now."