"Ulterior Motives"

Author's note: Finally I'm going to be getting the ball rolling on their relationship. Ironically, half or so of this chapter was written months ago. This whole fanfic is based on a ficlet I wrote in school a while ago, so I'll be including it in this chapter. This is a big bonus, since this chapter is uber long. Probably as long as the fic is so far. ::laughs:: So enjoy!

This chapter is going to start out with another Raoul POV. It's difficult to establish their friendship from a 3rd person perspective, so I'm taking the easy way out and doing it in 1st person and having it in another 'soliloquy' so to speak. Oh well. Then it'll move to 3rd person, but in Erik's POV. Confused? Oh well ^_^; And to anyone who says that their relationship is moving too fast, remember this fact. In the musical, Christine meets Erik ONCE before the Final Lair scene (discounting Masquerade/Why So Silent and Wandering Child/Bravo Monsieur, which really weren't meetings). 'nuff said.

Just a small warning. Things get a bit heated up between the boys in this chapter. However, I don't go far into details and the scene gets cut off. That's either good or bad depending on your views on slash. XD I may write the rest of the scene out sometime and post it on another website, but…for now, you'll deal with this.

Now, dedication time. This chapter is dedicated to my friend Luisa, who is as pervy and psycho as me. I also shed pity on her, for she was crushed when she found out a certain fact about Hugh Panaro. …Give it up, Luisa. You're not changing him. XD

~*~*~*~

Chapter 5 – Building Bridges

*Raoul's POV*

A month…it has been an entire month since my first real meeting with Erik. Throughout this time, I have become…friends with him, if you can call it that. Aside from our conversations concerning Christine, I've found the talk rather pleasant. Perhaps I am merely reaching out to anyone who would listen to me. As rich and well known as I am, I lack a person who I can confide in, who I can talk to. Something about this man makes me believe that I can trust him. It is difficult to understand, impossible to explain. Maybe it is his personality that draws me to him. He is intelligent and has a sharp sense of humor, and we never seem to run out of topics to discuss.

There are two things, however, that I cannot help but think about…worry, even. First, he insists that I never mention that I have met him to Christine. He refuses to tell me the reason why, only that it will 'ruin things in the long run' if I did. I have no choice but to respect his wishes. And secondly, his mask. He has worn it every time I have met him. I wonder, is he wearing it to hide an identity, or something else…?

His words have been affecting me, perhaps more than I would like. I have spent less time with Christine lately, and cannot help but notice all her faults. I still love her, yet…something simply feels 'off' now. I wonder if this was his intention…if so, why…?

~*~*~*~*~

Erik sat at the bar of the Opéra Populaire, sipping at a glass of wine. It was rather late at night, and the opera house was empty, for there were no performances that day. So, Erik decided to take that to his advantage.

It was time to move on to the next part of the plan. Now that he had established a friendship with the boy, he needed to get him to fall for him. After some thinking, he had formulated a plan. As Raoul was quite impressionable, Erik would merely have to give him…ideas. Some affections, perhaps even a kiss. He was unsure as to how Raoul would take it, though, so after more thinking, he realized a tool he had at his disposal. The nectar of the gods: alcohol. Just a bit would get Raoul drunk enough to not freak out, yet in control enough to know and remember what he was doing. So Erik had sent him an invitation to join him for a drink and a chat.

As if on cue, Raoul entered the room, murmuring a hello as he hung up his jacket and hat. He took a seat beside Erik.

"Good evening, Erik."

"To you as well. How have you been as of late?"

"Good, good…nothing out of the usual, anyway."

The two began to talk about a wide range of subjects, from opera to the current state of France's economy. Throughout this, Raoul had been drinking a bit of wine, but nowhere enough to get him even slightly drunk. Erik sighed inwardly. This was going to take a while.

However, in a situation like this, it was either all or nothing. Fate decided to hand Erik a card of the former. As Erik was brooding on the time this was going to take, Raoul had taken an interest in the snacks in a nearby bowl, which consisted of crackers, olives, and peppers. Rather unfortunately for Raoul, he had bit into an extremely spicy pepper. He gagged, his mouth burning, and looked around for the nearest drink that wasn't his wine. He spotted a glass with clear liquid, and taking it as water, grabbed it and gulped it down.

Erik hadn't noticed until he saw Raoul grab the glass. He went wide eyed. "Raoul, wait, that's---"

But his warning was too late. Raoul's face became flushed, and moments later, he passed out, his head hitting the counter.

"…vodka…"

~*~*~*~*~

A bit dizzy himself, Erik was carrying the prone body of Raoul down to his lair. The boy had way too much alcohol for his own good. Even Erik himself had a bit more than he was accustomed to. He sighed, eventually reaching the boat and rowing himself and Raoul to his home. Perhaps if he kept Raoul here for a while, he could still incorporate a part of his plan.

He had barely gotten into his house and placed Raoul on the bed in the room usually used for Christine when he began to stir, mumbling something. Raoul eventually opened his eyes, sitting up, his face still flushed. He looked around.

"Eriiik…where are we?"

Smiling, Erik sat down next to him….the Vicomte was still drunk. Everything was going as planned. "At my home, Raoul. You are in no condition to go back home, so I figured you should stay here until you are sober," he said.

"I'm not druuuunk…" Raoul whined. Erik just sat there, laughing quietly. The boy was quite cute when intoxicated.

Step one.

"You know, Raoul…" Erik began, hesitantly. "You are…quite beautiful."

"…Really? You think that?"

"Yes. I do indeed think that."

"Wow…," Raoul said, giggling slightly. "Thank you. You are beautiful, too."

Confusion. "What…ah, you are drunk. You surely do not mean it."

"But I do. And your eyes…are so pretty. So dark, mystifying…I could just get lost in them…"

"…"

Erik was silent, a bit taken by Raoul's words. Even if he was drunk…No. He had to stick to what he was doing.

Step two. One of the most difficult parts of this entire plan.

Erik leaned a bit closer. "Yes, Raoul…As I said, you are beautiful…So innocent…" he whispered, taking a deep breath before brushing his lips lightly against Raoul's own. His first kiss, and he was bestowing it on the boy. It felt…warm. Comforting, in a way. Nearly the same as those fairy tale notions. And…he could not explain why, but…he liked it. Raoul, however, temporarily froze up.

"Wait…what?" A confused gaze that turned into a smile. "You like me, don't you, Erik?"

"You could…say that…"

"You like me? You really, honestly like me?"

"Yes."

"How strange…because I like you too, Erik!" A pounce. A kiss. The next thing Erik knew, he was on his back, lying down on the bed, with Raoul lying on top of him, kissing him deeply. The increased physical contact was alarming, almost uncomfortable, and it was slightly more than what he had planned, but…if it worked….He returned the kiss, his hands lightly running across Raoul's back, as if on instinct.

Raoul seemed to be enjoying this all immensely, his hands roaming along Erik's body as he kissed him. If Erik was uncomfortable at all, he did not show it. Raoul eventually moved away from Erik's lips, moving lower to softly kiss at his neck. "I want you, Erik…I need you…" he whimpered softly, pressing his hips against Erik, showing him exactly how much he indeed did need him.

Erik reddened even further, his face already flushed from alcohol, yet…if he rejected the boy, it could ruin everything…If this was a small sacrifice to make in the road to winning Christine over…so be it. He murmured his assent, bringing Raoul up for another kiss, already feeling the boy beginning to unbutton his shirt, somehow managing to slide off the suit jacket. Erik slid his own hands under Raoul's shirt, caressing his back, shivering slightly at the feeling of his bare skin under his hands. Somehow…he enjoyed this. The feeling of Raoul's body on top of his, Raoul's lips on his own, Raoul's hands on his body…Erik deepened the kiss, pulling Raoul even closer, a part of him truly needing him as well. He was succumbing to Raoul, getting lost in the moment…

~*~*~*~*~

Erik was awakened the next morning quite early, not by habit, but by the alien warmth he was feeling. He cracked open his eyes, suddenly aware that he was much less than decently dressed. He glanced down to see the source of warmth: a firm, unmistakable male arm slung across his own chest. He froze, turning to the side to face the serene sleeping face of the Vicomte. Raoul.

Memory suddenly flooded back to him. Frantic kisses, sensual touches. Garments thrown onto the floor, nothing more than a physical barrier. The realization slowly sunk in. He had gotten nearly as intimate as humanly possible with the boy. Both alcohol and passion had consumed them both.

It was not what Erik had originally meant to happen. He only wanted to get the boy drunk, perhaps share a few kisses with him. Give him something to think about. But Raoul's alcohol-aided eagerness had taken him by surprise. His own passion had taken him by surprise.

Before Erik was able to think about it any further, he felt Raoul stir slightly next to him. Erik placed a small smile on his face, a mask in itself, kissing Raoul's forehead. He still needed to continue his plan, regardless of any minor setbacks.

Raoul's eyes eventually fluttered open. He stared at Erik for a few moments before quickly sitting up, wide eyed and looking around frantically. He realized his state of dress, along with Erik's, and became further shocked, a light blush crossing his features.

"I—you—where am—what did we—" Raoul sputtered. "Oh…mon dieu…do not tell me that we…that we…"

 He was cut off, Erik placing a finger upon his lips. "I will not lie to you, Raoul. We…did get caught up in rapture. But it was nothing you did not initiate. Nothing that you did not want. We were not so drunk as to have lost complete control over ourselves. You wanted it, Raoul, as did I…" he murmured, trying to look as truthful as possible, though…in a way, he was telling the truth, even if he did not want to admit it.

Raoul was silent, a million different thoughts crossing his mind. "I—I can't—Christine—she—I—need—I have—I have to leave," he stuttered, moving to slide out of the bed. Erik grabbed his arm, pulling him into an embrace.

"Shh. Forget about her. You're here with me now. You would not be here if there was not a part of you that did not feel something for me. You care for me, do you not, Raoul?"

"…"

"Just let your heat speak for you, Raoul…" Erik whispered, leaning in, pressing his lips softly against Raoul's. There was no response, but he was not being pushed away. Score one for the plan.

Raoul eventually pulled away, confusion still shining in his eyes. "I..I just…do not understand, Erik. Any of this. What we did, or even why I am here…"

Sighing, Erik ran a hand lightly along Raoul's face, gazing directly into his eyes. "Perhaps…perhaps, mon cher…you feel the same thing I feel for you…Perhaps…you may be in love with me…"

Erik could already tell what Raoul was thinking. 'Am I in love with him?' 'Don't I love Christine?' 'Did we really…?' 'Is this even right?' 'Does he love me…?'

"Tell…tell me the truth, Erik. What…do you want of me? What are your intentions…?" Raoul questioned softly.

Erik was silent for several moments before answering. "I…Raoul…as ridiculous as it might sound…as wrong as it may be…you have captured my heart. It's…something about you, that makes you seem so…perfect, something that makes me want to hold you, protect you, forever stay by your side…I'm afraid, Raoul, that I have fallen in love with you…" As he spoke these words, Erik was surprised at how easily they came out, that he did not even have to think about what he was saying. He pushed the thought away before continuing, Raoul still being silent. "I know of you feelings for Christine Daaé…I know you wish for her to be your lover, and yet…I cannot help my feelings for you. I do not wish to force you into anything, however, and if you want to leave…I cannot stop you. But I implore you…look inside your heart. There must be some reason that you are here right now, with me…Some reason as to why you have not yet run away…"

Raoul was again quiet. He eventually raised his hand, shaking slightly, placing it lightly on the unmasked side of Erik's face. "I…do not know what to say. I do not even understand my own feelings. I think…I thought…that I loved Christine…and yet…and yet….! You are correct…There is some reason I am here. I feel…something for you, Erik. I do not know what it is…but it is…something…"

Pausing before lying back down, pulling Raoul down next to him, Erik whispered, "Try…to figure it out. I will give you all the time you need," as he wrapped his arms around Raoul, holding him close. Raoul did not say a word but eventually relaxed into the embrace, even going as far as to tentatively place an arm around Erik, who smiled at him softly. "Just…stay a bit longer…" he murmured, before closing his eyes, drifting back to sleep. Raoul, unable to do anything else but think, followed suit.