Disclaimer: I don't own Phantom blah, blah, blah, blah. This is getting old. I own everything and everyone else in the theater. No stealing!

To My Reviewers: The reviews everyone gave me for the last chapter were awesome.

Count Orlok: Thank you so much i've never blushed from a review before but yours was blush worthy.

Miranda de la Costa: I'm so glad you liked Veronica's little matchmaking. I hope to keep her and Darius doing these little things to push Ariel and Erik along.

Agent Alexandra Paris: Thanks for reviewing not one but two of my stories they were great reviews.

Story: Okay, i've waited long enough. I'm kicking this relationship into the next step. After we get over that hurtle which i've been successfully avoiding all this time we'll get into the auditions for the new Christine and Phantom since Anthony and Giselle are leaving soon.

Ariel's thoughts Erik's thoughts songs in italics

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Chapter 9: Passion Play

Erik was faced with a dilemma at the moment. Though having Ariel lying ontop of him wasn't a necessarily bad thing, but it was definitely inappropriate. He swallowed and tried to find his voice.

" I apologize Ariel, I............." He started.

" What did you do?" Ariel asked with a laugh. " I admit, if this was your fault you did some fancy choreography to make this happen."

Ariel didn't mind their new positions either but she pushed all the daydreams from her mind and managed to sit on the floor beside Erik. Before she could stand Erik was on his feet and helping her up. " Thank you, and thank you for this beautiful rose." Ariel said and cradled the sparkling bud to her breast.

The uncomfortable moment forgotten, they smiled at each other and also forgot that there were at least thirty theater members surrounding them in dead silence. It was Darius who brought the two back down to earth.

" Just kiss her already." The faux Raoul said, his voice joined by many of the male and a few of the female staff. Ariel and Erik could not have stepped apart any faster. They had kissed all ready, but they were not up for public performances.

" Oh come on, at least kiss her hand Erik." Giselle begged and Erik smirked, raising a questioning eyebrow to Ariel. She smiled and dramatically offered her hand and pretended she was on the verge of swooning. Erik tried not to laugh and swept his cape aside and bent over her hand. He chuckled against her knuckles and Ariel bit her lower lip as character demanded. His kissed her hand and Ariel fell backwards, Darius and Anthony catching her and she fanned her face.

" Oh, the Phantom of the Opera kissed me." She said like she swooned all the time. Everyone started laughing and someone clapped Erik on the back.

Darius got everyone's attention. " Nicely done improv my dears but Jeremy is holding our table at the bar so lets go celebrate. Anthony and Giselle won't have much more of these with us." Everyone agreed and started making their way to the backdoor.

Erik hung back from the crowd and watched as Ariel was being swept away with her costars. She started looking around until she spotted Erik all alone on the stage. She pulled away from everyone and touched Erik's shoulder.

" Aren't you coming with us?" She asked and he touched his mask as if to silently tell her why. Ariel scoffed. " Erik, this town has known us to parade down the street in costume every night of the week if we're working. And everyone at the bar calls us by our character names. You won't stand out."

Erik shook his head. " I'm not ready to leave the theater, its only been a few days. Give me a little time to adjust."

Ariel nodded and looked around, no one was around so she took the opportunity. Pulling Erik down to her, Ariel brushed her lips against his in a feathery kiss. Erik shivered under the administration and he pulled Ariel flush against his body. She gasped but it was cut off when Erik descended on her lips, drawing the breathe from her lungs in one great rush. She shook in his arms like a leaf where she had thought it would have been the other way around. In the past day she had forgotten that beyond his hesitation when it came to social matters he was a strong and passionate person. It was amazing how one moment he was afraid to touch her and the next she was being held so close to him that it was shocking.

Erik felt her warmth, her lack of resistance in his arms. He brought his hands to the soft skin of her throat and threaded his fingers through her fiery hair. Feeling the silky strands run across the palm of his hand. I have to stop But Erik's body had a life of it's own. His fingers started to trace her collar bone and shoulders, she was still wearing that blue dress and he traced the plunging neckline as well causing Ariel to shiver involuntarily.

It was enough to bring both of them to their senses. Breaking the kiss, Ariel and Erik both fought for breathe. Ariel laughed softly and caressed his face. " If you start apologizing for that i'm going to have to hurt you." She said teasing him and Erik couldn't help but smile.

" Ariel, are you coming?" Veronica shouted from the backdoor.

" They have great timing don't they?" Ariel asked him with a mock look of interest on her face. Erik nodded. " Its obviously a practiced art of interruption." He said. Ariel laughed and turned to Veronica. " I'm coming, give me a minute."

Ariel turned to Erik and shrugged. He let her go but didn't enjoying having to. " I won't be gone long, and if you get bored there are plenty of movies above the tv." Ariel said slowing backing away from him. " Don't watch any of the Phantom films if you want to sustain your pride." She went on still backing away and Erik just watched with growing amusement. " Oh and......." " Go on seraph, i'll still be here you come back." He said, cutting her words off before they went on forever.

Ariel paused at the door and looked at him. " Really?" She asked. Erik sighed. " For the last time mon amie go." He said and Ariel finally was dragged away by Veronica.

Though everyone was enjoying themselves at the bar and Jeremy was constantly getting yelled at for spending time with his boyfriend Darius which was usually funny to watch, Ariel was lost to the giddiness filling the place. She was constantly looking at the front door every time it opened, expecting Erik to walk in. But that was silly. He had made a point that he didn't want to come.

And Ariel hadn't wanted to come either after that kiss. She touched her lips which were still warm and from the stares she was getting, still red as well. While watching her friends do drunk solos of their characters Ariel was estimating how much longer she had to wait before she could politely leave without be suspicious. Until that time she constantly played with her rhinestone rose.

Back at the theater, Erik was lying on the couch staring up at the ceiling where a mobile of crystals hung. The one lamp he'd left on for Ariel caught the crystals and caused a shower of multicolored lights to shower over Erik's face and mask. But he wasn't actually looking at them. He was listening to the sounds around him. The creak of the theater and sway of the rigging above the stage, Ghost's gentle breathing as he lay on the floor beside the couch and the electric hum of the apartments countless appliances.

It was an old habit that had first led him to Christine when she would sing at night. Tonight he listened and waited for the sound of Ariel's return. The backstage door or the creak of someone coming up the stairs of the apartment. All other thoughts were pushed away to make room for his keen ears to take full control of his senses. It also helped him not to think about the budding relationship between him and the beautiful theater owner. Helped him not to think about the consequences of his actions no more then a half hour ago.

Veronica hadn't seen the bottom of Ariel's glass yet and understood her fellow singers thoughts. Go back early or stay here longer? Girls in love were so easy to predict Veronica thought. She was at least happy to see that the rose she had given Erik to give Ariel had done its job. Ariel had been playing with it all night. Amazing what a little glittering stone can do to a plain rose.

Ariel felt someone nudge her and she turned to see Veronica with a sly look on her face. Remembering the tripping incident earlier she raised a questioning eyebrow at her friend with some caution. " Yes?"

" Go back to the theater, i'll cover for you. I'm sure Erik's still awake. No doubt waiting up for you." Veronica said, smiling knowingly at her. The diva gave a suggestive wag of her eyebrows and Ariel almost chocked on her drink.

" Your minds in the gutter Veronica." Ariel snapped. Trying to hide the blush rising to her cheeks. She felt somehow like she been caught by her own thoughts. " Just get out of here, your bringing the whole party down anyway." Veronica said, attempting to push the girl out of the bar with her words.

Ariel took the words as permission to leave like a child asking to leave the dinner table to catch their favorite show on tv in time. She gave Veronica a thankful look and made her way down the street and back to the theater.

Erik finally heard the noise he'd been waiting for. The door opened and Ariel's footsteps were quick on the stairs. Erik panicked. He had been waiting for her to come back yes, but hadn't thought about what to do when she returned. He had to decide between talking to her or taking the easy way out for a little while longer.

Ariel had expected to find Erik awake, maybe even trying to work the tv. But she was suprised to find the apartment quiet and relatively dark. She was disappointed to find Erik asleep, his even breathing a sure sign that he'd been out for a while. But she smiled upon seeing Erik's peaceful face with the scattered pattern of light from the crystals on his face.

Never before had she ever went into a relationship blindly the way she was now. Last time Ariel had had everything planned out, but she had based the plans around a man who had broken them all into little pieces consciously. This time she was letting herself be led instead of being the leader, letting whims command her actions instead of practiced come backs and rehearsed battings of her eyelashes. She was herself and she loved how Erik made her feel.

Ariel kneeled down beside the couch and studied Erik's face. And she wondered for the first time what he did look like beneath his mask. She had seen so many versions both over the top and underdone and some that brought tears to her eyes. But what was truly behind the porcelain that Erik dreaded so much? Ariel bit her lower lip and mentally cursed herself, knowing these were the kinds of thoughts that had no doubt led to Christine unmasking him in the first place.

Ariel gently brushed some stray stands of hair from his forehead and rested her lips in their place. Her goodnight to the phantom without him waking.

Erik could fain sleep no longer. She was too close to ignore and he knew they both needed sleep. There's only one way to solve this problem Erik put his arm around Ariel's waist and brought her down on the couch with him and covered her with the blanket. He never opened his eyes but heard her gasp at his sudden awareness. He was just happy to have her warmth beside him again.

" Sleep now mon amie." He said and pulled her close, resting his head on hers.

Ariel relaxed in Erik's embrace, saying nothing and laid her cheek against his chest. It felt safe here in his arms, peaceful. Erik started to hum and the sound vibrated through his chest. The mix of his voice and warmth quickly sent Ariel into a deep sleep that she couldn't fight even if she wanted to.

Important Author's Note: I won't be updating for a week because I have to go up to Wisconsin to do a magic show tour with my family. We'll be hoteling it the whole time but I can't guarantee there will always be internet service. I will be writing more chapters the whole week though so don't worry. I also feel a bit burnt out so a few days off from the story may make me feel more up to it.

As for the next chapter, the auditions for Anthony's replacement start and believe me it will be hilarious. Erik's going to help choose who will be the new phantom and there will definitely be some guys who may be making Erik think their better off dead then singing. lol. Review and my demented American Idol Phantom audition will be up soon.