Into the Night

Ch. 2: Of Oranges and Beaches

Disclaimer: don't own, don't sue. Gaston Leroux owns. Credit to him. All hail him.

Things pick up a little more here, but nothing substantial yet. I swim in angst land. I find the non- touchy-touchy parts a whole lot more erotic than the touchy-touchy parts. So I play them out for what they're worth. But never fear, I WILL, I PROMISE, get to a tad more touchy-touchy. Thank you for all of your kind reviews! I love you guys, really! Sniff.

~~

The bright sun beat down on the hustle and bustling crowd. Raoul strolled through the market place grinning at the squinting men and women, having borrowed a wide brimmed hat from Erik that morning.

Past the stands of fruits and fish, Raoul spotted a tall man casually leaning against the parapet, eyes shut, basking in the sunlight.

Mesmerized by the man's confident air and candid stature, he watched him. As he came nearer, he could see the man was no older than he was, with a slender build, and thick cascades of ebony hair that curled around his face.

It wasn't so much that he was particularly attractive, but he seemed to emanate a natural and irresistible charm.

He would not forget that face.

The man, taking no notice of Raoul, picked up a small brown case and started away.

Raoul watched him leave. And then shook his head to clear his heavy thoughts. The sun, was quite possibly too hot today.

After picking up a few oranges from a nearby stand, he made way back to the resort.

~~

" I've been commissioned to design a house where they tore down the old Inn, in town. For the Magistrate and his new wife. "

Raoul looked up in surprise.

" Have you? Congratulations. But I had no idea you were looking for a job, what with our wealth combined, you hardly need to."

Erik grinned, " Ha, no, you're right, but I was, growing rather restless. Er, more precisely, useless. A dangerous sentiment for one to feel about oneself, really."

" Indeed. Well, at any rate, I trust you'll build a lovely home for them."

Raoul picked an orange out of the basket and tossed it to Erik. He rolled it between his palms and began to peel it. Raoul too, began to peel an orange. His fingers quickly and skillfully stripped the luscious fruit of it's outer skin, he holding a wedge to his mouth, he closed his eyes and proceeded to slowly suck the juices from it, rolling his tongue over and through the pulp, before completely popping into his mouth, heedless of this blatantly erotic display.

What Erik would have given to be that orange!

The tart citrus aroma filled the room, and Raoul breathed it in, fully appreciating the freshness. Erik gazed admiringly at the young man's candor of expression.

" Seems too hot a day to not enjoy the water a bit, I think I'll head down for a swim. Accompany me?"

" No, you go on ahead, I'm going to start the designs. Perhaps I'll join you later in the evening."

~~

Erik swept a hand lazily over his forehead to brush away the beads of sweat. His hair was slick around his temple, and his face glistened in the light that poured through the open windows. Removing his mask, he dabbed at his face with a small towel.

The day was entirely too hot. Even his back was damp under the light cloth of his robe.

Bent over his plans, he found his eyes were blurring the lines he had drawn out haphazardly.

Cursing, and declaring his concentration completely incapacitated, he stood up and stretched languidly over the balcony.

If only he had just taken up Raoul's offer and gone down to the beaches with him earlier. So be it light out, with other people. So long as he could seek relief from the intolerable heat.

But from one heat to the other really.

Raoul would have been in too near in vicinity, too barely clad, too absolutely irresistible a temptation. And it was a bright day, nothing to conceal the blatant reactions of his attraction…

And really, he had too much propriety for that.

The orange scent still lingered on his fingers from the earlier treat. He loved the scent. For it reminded him of Raoul dexterously peeling the orange.

And surely the young man's fingers had also smelled of the tangy fruit.

He lifted his fingers to his lips, and imagining they were Raoul's breathed them in.

The sharp rays were very low, but still reflected directly off the hot sands of the beach below. Squinting, Erik could see Raoul stretched out over a large towel, arm draped over his face. So. Completely. Tempting.

He dared to look over at his finished score. It lay on the table ready to be played, but Erik, felt no inclination to do so for the umpteenth time that month. Though, it was precious really. Something he had actually completed. It was so rare to complete anything of late.

Crumpling up the plans on his desk, he tossed them away, and left his room to head to the beaches.

~~

Raoul yawned and sat up. The sun had obviously begun to set, and a small chilly breeze set small bumps spreading over his arms, making all the little golden hairs stand on end. Still, it was quite warm. Most of the others had packed up and left him alone on the sandy beach.

Laying back down he gazed up at the fiery sky; red and yellow streaked the horizon and reflected off the sea. Waves crashed against rocks farther down the beach, as the tide slowly rolled in.

Something about sound of the crashing waves brought back memories of that beautiful little girl he had seen so many years ago, wrapped in that brilliant red scarf, and her cries of despair when the thieving wind and waves had stolen her beloved article. And sloshing through the stormy sea, trying to keep above the tugging undercurrents, and at last, rescuing that little maid's scarf. And she had embraced her soaking hero, grasping the sopping red thing to her tightly between them.

He sighed regretfully, and rubbed the small thin scar hidden by his hairline. A terrible reminder of that night when he had lost her.

But then, he remembered Erik in their cozy little place, good Erik. Erik of a different demeanor; infinitely more patient, gentle and polite always… the Erik before had always remained an elusive figment of mystery, a villain of sorts, fantastical and incomprehensible. The Angel of Music, The Voice, The Opera Ghost, The Phantom of the Opera. But, he was, just a man.

And if only he was down here, on the beach with him, holding him tightly in his arms. Running his hands over his body. Possessing him, wanting him, loving him…

Erik coming down to the beach found Raoul in the same comfortable position. And he hadn't noticed his arrival.

With this advantage, Erik allowed himself a few minutes to soak up the sight of Raoul without hindrance. His pants were cuffed at the shins, and still wet from swimming, they clung to his form. Erik couldn't help but notice Raoul's quite obvious arousal straining through the fabric.

Finally he decided to make his presence known.

" Ah, so you're still down here!"

Startled out of his fantasy, he flipped around to find Erik standing near him looking out at the sunset. Horrified at Erik's extremely embarrassing timing, he quickly adjusted himself and attempted to appear collected. Noticing Erik's lack of observance of him anyway, he looked at him.

Robe billowing in the soft gusts off the sea, loose pants, and, judging from the opened bit of his robe, exposing bare, ivory chest: no shirt. He wasn't wearing a mask, but that side was turned away from him.

"So, you finally decided to join me? I thought you weren't coming."

" I said I'd come later didn't I?" Erik answered tersely.

Raoul grinned suddenly.

" The heat got to you too, didn't it?"

Erik sighed, " to hell with getting work done if the weather's going to be so damn uncooperative."

Raoul laughed, " yeah, to hell with the weather. Come, Erik, sit. I'll be generous and share a bit of my towel."

"Ha! Like I'd sit on that sopping wet, sandy piece of rag!"

" Are you insulting my towel."

" Well yes, as a matter of a fact, the state of it."

Raoul, feeling particularly energized grabbed the unsuspecting man by his sleeve, and pulled him down beside him, with a yelp, Erik fell to the towel.

" You… impossibly exasperating, cad! I can't believe your nerve!"

Erik, in the spirit of the moment smacked Raoul, but he hardly seemed to notice, still buckled over in laughter.

Erik smiled indulgently as the young man rolled to his side still racked up and down in his fit, and took the initiative to carelessly sweep his hand over his face to brush a few stray hairs back behind his ears.

Sensing the timid, intimate gesture, he quickly sobered and made to sit up once again. Doing so, he realized just how close they were to one another, sides pressed into one another, slightly turned, just enough so they were, at an angle, sitting in front of each other, limbs tangled, and faces mere inches apart. Erik's robe hung open enough to expose his slender upper abdomen. Erik captivated by those inviting, glistening lips. Raoul found his arousal throbbing desperately against the confines of his pants, and Erik also found his most carnal drives heightened to great desire. Both flushed with such intensity of the moment, untangle themselves and moved away from each other.

The awkwardness of the moment not lost to either. Both were furious at the inability of themselves and each other to work up courage to initiate anything.

Erik, at last, stood up, and brushed the sand off his robe. Face completely vacant of all emotion.

" I'm heading back up to change before supper, I advise you do likewise in a little awhile," Erik briskly instructed and headed back up to the villa.

Frustrated beyond anything, Raoul sighed miserably and began to pack up his belongings to follow Erik back up.

There was no way Raoul would let this event disappear as if it never took place.