Disclaimer: Me? Own this? –bursts out in hysterical laughter- (because apparently, this disclaimer was so well loved)

A/N: Just a small warning: This chap. is slightly more…hot? Nothing to worry about though.

This was the only answer. This was the only way. This was…

…really going to hurt, Erik realized as he stopped across the street from Christine's home. He'd spent the entire two-mile hike telling himself firmly that this was the right thing to do, that Christine would be able to forget about him and go settle down with someone who deserved her—like Raoul, perhaps, much as the thought pained him—and he could go back to composing music in his little basement and avoiding anything that breathed.

But standing here, staring at that two-story house and imagining the dark-haired young woman sitting somewhere inside, probably listening to music or reading a book or, heaven forbid, showering (Bad Erik! his mind cried, Don't go there!), he couldn't seem to make himself take those final steps over the lawn and the rain-spattered cement.

He was soaked and he was miserable. What was he even doing? Christine wasn't going to want to see him after his explosion.

Especially if she happens to be showering, his mind murmured slyly.

Stop that.

Shoving his hands into his pockets, Erik turned away. If he hurried, maybe he could make it to the school before the janitors closed up. He really hated forcing his way through that tiny biology lab window…

"Erik?"

Shit, you have got to be kidding me…

He picked up the pace. Maybe she hadn't seen him specifically yet…maybe she'd only guessed at who he was from that distance. It was raining pretty damn hard, after all.

"Erik, what the hell are you doing out here?"

He blinked. She was standing on her porch, clad in a teen shirt and jeans, wearing no shoes, hands on her hips. She didn't look thrilled to see him.

"Erik, get in here now!" she yelled. "You are going to catch pneumonia!"

When he didn't move, she gave a huffing sigh that he could hear even from across the street—Now there's a feat­—and yelled, "Erik, get over here! I swear, if you make me sound any more like my mother, I will kill you!"

He said nothing. She gave another loud sigh of frustration and stomped across the street to him, making splashing noises as she romped through every puddle there was.

"Erik, are you deaf?" she snarled, stopping inches from him and sticking a finger in his face.

"Why are you out here?" he asked quietly. "You're getting all wet."

"And you are completely saturated! Why are you on this street, Erik? Why aren't you at home?" she demanded.

"I…I…"

She cocked her head to the side, sopping curls falling into her eyes. Erik promptly lost his train of thought at the sight. His knees felt strangely weak, his mouth was dry…well, not dry, exactly. But that was only because it was hanging open and rain was dripping into it.

"Erik, are you all right?" she asked, looking concerned now. Her eyes seemed to sparkle. Erik wobbled.

Why am I here again? And has she always been this sexy?

"Erotic?"

"What did you say?" he blurted, shaking his head.

"I said, Erik?" Christine frowned. "Seriously, are you going deaf? We can get you one of those little ear…things…"

She's so cute when she's babbling…

Why is she babbling?

She was nervously tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. He straightened slightly, regaining the strength in his legs.

What is happening here? She gets all domineering, I get wussy and then it switches?

"Erik, come on, what are you doing out here?" Her eyes burned into him. He felt his might tremble slightly.

Oh, come on! What the hell is wrong with me?

"You are coming inside," she decided without asking his permission. "Meg and Mrs. Giry are out at dinner, so you don't have to worry about anyone but me pitying your poor drowned-puppy self." She rolled her eyes. "Come on, I can practically feel myself catching cold…"

Having nothing left to do, Erik followed her. She muttered to herself the whole time, grumbling about idiot boys standing out in the rain for no apparent reason.

He stopped on the porch. Christine scowled at him.

"Are you coming or are you going to make me pick you up and carry you in?"

He shook his head. "I can't come in. I'll get everything all wet and stuff…"

"Then the floor will get wet. Relax, Mrs. Giry will understand."

"I can't. I should just go home." Erik turned and made to step off the porch.

She grabbed the back of his hoodie. "Oh, my God, Erik. I will personally tear your clothes off if that will get you out of the cold—"

He blinked, every limb freezing. Did she just…

"Erik…Erik, God, don't take everything so damn literally! Get the hell in here!" Christine rolled her eyes. Erik obediently followed her in, trying to stop his blood from racing.

She disappeared around the corner for a moment, leaving him dripping all over the carpet. When she returned, her arms were laden with towels.

"Here, dry off," she told him. "I can get you a change of clothing too, you can dress in the bathroom."

"Thanks," he muttered, accepting the towels. Christine smiled.

"Anytime. Now, the bathroom's over here. Get in, re-dress, come back out. Don't even think of escaping, because that window is pretty damn small."

He chuckled, despite the feelings rising in him. "Okay, okay. But you aren't giving me Meg's clothing are you?"

"Of course not." She smirked. "I gave you some of Madame's."

He twitched. "Are you kidding?"

"Do I look like I'm kidding?"

Chuckling again, Erik brushed past her and went into the bathroom. The clothes she'd offered him weren't all that bad, although he'd never seen Madame as the type to own a Pink Floyd shirt. He re-emerged, a towel draped over his head as a sort of protective cover, in the black tee-shirt and a pair of gray sweatpants that were just a bit short on him.

Christine looked up from the couch she was sitting on and gave anther roll of her eyes. "Erik, come on…take that towel off."

He shook his head. "Christine, I didn't come here to reveal myself to you, okay?"

She said nothing for a moment, then did something rather unexpected: she giggled.

"That came out sounding really dirty, didn't it?" he realized, feeling a grin spread across his face.

"Yeah, it really did." She patted the cushion next to her. "Come over here. I swear, I won't try to unmask you."

Obeying, Erik tried to make himself comfortable. She hadn't changed yet and that shirt was sort of see-through…he averted his eyes as quickly as he could.

She was still smirking, he saw from under the soft fluffiness that was his towel.

"What?" he demanded.

"You are wearing a towel over your face," she replied. "I'd say that qualifies as desperate, wouldn't you?"

He shrugged helplessly. She took his hand and pulled him from the sofa.

"Come on, I've got something better," she said, leading him to a dark room at the end of the hall.

"Better?" he echoed blankly.

"Yeah, Mrs. Giry spent Mardi Gras in Louisiana once…she brought something back….here!" Looking very satisfied with herself, she held up a black mask that would cover three-quarters of the human face. Erik sighed with relief as she handed it to him and turned her back, giving him ample time to toss the towel aside and settle the mask over his face.

"Perfect," he breathed. She glanced over her shoulder at him and smiled.

"I thought you'd like it."

He followed her out of the room, expecting her to lead him back to the couch. Instead, she went into the bedroom directly across from Madame Giry's. He hovered in the doorway, feeling strangely insecure.

"Um, do you want me to…go back out there?" he asked, rubbing the back of his neck.

She shrugged. "You can wait in here. I'm just going to change."

"Oh. Okay…" Erik turned around to face away from her. She grinned, catching his arm and pulling him back.

"Don't be silly, come sit on the bed. I'll only be a minute in the bathroom."

"Bathroom, right." Feeling stupid now, he did as she'd asked and watched her rummage in the dresser for a nightgown. She offered a quick, carefree wink and ducked into the adjoining room, closing the door behind her.

Erik let out the breath he'd been holding and sank back against the wall, eyes shut. He could see her behind his eyelids as if the image had been burned there; her wet, dark hair hung across a face that somehow managed to be innocent and terribly seductive at the same time. Her shirt, soaked through, revealed a bit more than it usually did as it clung to her curves. And that smile she'd sent his way…

God, Erik, stop being such a pervert, he scolded himself. Breathe, come on, you can't do this…

The door opened again and Christine emerged, clad in the light nightgown. Her hair was still damp and her smile was still in place. Erik wanted very briefly to kill himself.

"Hey," she said lightly, flopping down beside him and looking up at him lazily from under her eyelashes. His stomach flipped uncomfortably.

"Hi," he croaked back. Her smiled darkened slightly, then brightened again.

"So are you ever going to explain to me what you were doing standing outside my house in the pouring rain?" she asked, reaching over to take his hand. He swallowed and attempted a smile.

"Never. But trust me, it's for a good reaso—ahh…"

Her fingers were tracing patterns on his palm. He shivered, trying not to see her smile widen.

"I think I could get it out of you," she challenged absently, focusing on torturing him. Her fingers moved up his palm to stroke along his wrist. He drew in a breath as she continued up his arm, drawing tiny circles in the flesh.

"I…doubt…it," he ground out with a large amount of effort. She laughed softly, sensing his lie as clearly as he could. She brought his hand up to her lips and pressed a series of kisses against his wrist, mimicking the kiss he'd given her on the staircase. He tried not to moan.

"Womanly power," she taunted, scooting closer to him and resting a hand against the side of his face. She transferred her kisses to his throat, using the tactic he'd used on her just a few days ago.

"This is just unfair—ngg…mm…God, this is just not right." He tried to shake himself out of the spell she'd cast on him.

"Feels pretty right to me," she murmured against his ear, gently nipping at the soft flesh of his earlobe. He gasped.

"Why…oh, screw it!" Grabbing her roughly, he drove his mouth into hers, gladly allowing her hungry tongue access when she asked for it. Her hands snaked over his arms, chest, legs. He groaned into her mouth.

This isn't right, his mind repeated weakly.

I couldn't care less. Even a monster needs love.

She pressed him back into the bed, moving her mouth against his lips, along his jaw line, her fingers digging into his hair. It was dark brown, she'd noticed as soon as he'd removed his protective towel, and a bit longer than most guys wore their hair. That was just fine with her; made it easier to tangle her hands in.

He gasped into her again as her fingernails scratched gently against his scalp.

Can't do this, can't do this, can't do this, his mind hummed even as her hands moved down the sides of his face, her fingers slipping deftly underneath his mask.

"Wait," he gasped out, but made no move to stop her.

"I love you," she moaned, removing the piece of cloth without hesitation. Her eyes opened and he flinched, expecting her to pull away from him. Instead, she ran her hand down the marred flesh, following the trail she left with her lips. His eyes rolled back into his head.

"This is what you've been so terrified of?" she asked, breaking the kiss and leaning back. He nodded, staring down at his hands as his fingers twisted in the black shirt nervously.

She reached out and slapped his chest. He blinked.

"What?"

"Oh, come on. You didn't honestly think I was that shallow!" Christine laughed.

"B-but…"

"Come on," she said, shaking her head and grasping his hand, pulling him from the bed. "If Meg and Mrs. Giry come back and find us making out in my room, they may be slightly…shocked. Do you want to watch a movie or something?"

Erik frowned. She had unveiled the greatest, more horrible secret he owned…and she wanted to watch a movie?

Well, this is unexpected.

A/N: Ah ha! A longer chapter! And I love it, if I do say so myself. I've kind of got the shivers…hope I didn't depress you guys too much with the unveiling. I think it fits my Christine pretty well…

Review Replies:

Totschafe- lol, here's a longer one. Enjoy.

Fleur- Ah, a newbie. Hi!

KatStarr- Yeah, I am mean…but look what I've supplied you with! Cold shower material!

AMLisdabomb- You're hilarious. I love your novel-length reviews.

MadameAngel- Woah, woah, who said anything about ending there! Wow! No, there's still a plethora of chapters to come, calm down.

Just-an-Echo- Ookay, I'll try!

SmileVampy- Because deep down underneath my sweet, puppy-dog eyes, I'm really a very cruel person. I'm sorry.

TheSanityStealingPenguinQueen- PENGUINS! Oh, you're going to love chapter…which one was it? Meh, you'll see.

Maeve Of the Nile- Obvious, eh? Well, we'll see. I've never been all that good at secretive stuff like this.

erik'sangel527- Erik's a bit better off for now…

Jedi Blu, Lady At Large- AHH! –turns and runs like hell-