Author´s note: I hope you don´t mind that I changed the rating for this story. For those of you who don´t want to read about sex: Just read till it says "Warning!", skip the next part and go on at "End of warning!".

20) And with all this romantic atmosphere…

Erik´s jaw dropped. "Could you… erm… repeat that, please?", he muttered. Maybe there was something wrong with his ears. After all, he wasn´t exactly young anymore. Meg cleared her throat. Saying it once had been fairly easy, but doing it again, loudly and clearly, was much more difficult. She asked herself how she would do something she couldn´t even talk about. "Well, I thought we should… make love.", she whispered, as if this would make it any less embarrassing.

"But why?", the man sitting in front of her wanted to know. He wondered whether he had missed an important part of their conversation. In one minute they had spoken about his feelings for Christine and Meg, and now the latter suggested they should sleep with each other. It was very weird. Even weirder was that a certain part of his body didn´t seem to care about reasons and already prepared itself for the actual task. Erik changed his sitting position slightly, urgently hoping that Meg didn´t notice how strongly he was affected by their subject.

The girl saw his uneasiness, but blamed her lack of an answer for it. "It´s just a… theory. If we make love and you stop thinking about me afterwards – and I mean the thoughts about me sharing your life – it is the proof that you only have feelings for Christine. Then we simply… forget what has happened between us and go on with our lives. I wouldn´t tell Christine, I promise. But if it turns out to be different…" He voice trailed off.

"I don´t understand why you want to do this for me.", Erik said, trying to fight the very pleasant pictures which flooded his mind. "After what I-" "Sh!", Meg hissed. "There will be a time for talking about this, but it is not now. I´m willing to sleep with you because…" She needed a few moments´ time to think about how to put it. Softly her fingers moved over his face while she was speaking. "You asked me whether I was in love with you, and the answer is ´no´." Erik opened his mouth to say something, but she silenced him by putting a finger on it. "I used to be in love with you, and it was an emotion as innocent and pure as it can be. Then I started spending time with you and saw what you could do. I was frightened and disgusted as I realised that the man I had been in love with didn´t exist. But from the moment I arrived here today I began to discover who you really are. Maybe it´ll take forever till I´m finished. Still I… I´m quite sure I love you."

Gently Erik pressed his lips against her fingertip. Never in his life had he heard something that wonderful. Up to now he had been glad that there were a few people who didn´t run when they saw him, even with his mask. Yet here was this charming girl who wanted to share her innermost feelings with him. Still… "Thank you.", he said, looking at her gratefully. "You have no idea how much this means to me. I wish I could tell you the same, but I simply don´t know it." "I guess we´ll find out.", Meg replied with a questioning glance, not showing that she was disappointed by his hesitance. He nodded.

Warning!

Seconds later their mouths met in a rather awkward kiss. They knew what they wanted to do, but neither of them seemed to have an idea how to get there. Sensing that someone had to take the lead Meg pushed her tongue against Erik´s lips, who parted them readily. It started exploring his mouth, running along his teeth and touching his tongue. Finally Erik dared respond. He wrapped his arms around the girl and pulled her closer. Both had forgotten the candelabra which stood between them. Meg knocked it down and jumped back quickly as she had no intention to get in contact with hot wax. They looked at each other, hardly able to keep themselves from laughing.

Erik took the candelabra and stood up. "Maybe we should continue this somewhere else.", he muttered, offering her a hand and pulling her to her feet as well. "You´re right.", Meg said. "We really shouldn´t play with fire." She giggled about her own pun, and before long both were laughing. Under normal circumstances they wouldn´t have thought this so funny, but now their nervousness made them react like that.

In this moment Erik noticed something else. "What are you wearing?", he asked, chuckling. Meg looked down at herself, blushing. "Well, I didn´t have a lot of time for dressing. I was afraid that maman could come in and discover I was going out. After all, I´m supposed to lie in bed and recover.", she explained, wrapping the dressing gown more tightly around her body. She sighed, remembering that she didn´t even wear one of her more beautiful nightdresses underneath it, but a quite ridiculous one with flowers on it. Her chances of being seductive in this were less than zero.

"I could understand it if you don´t want to go on.", she said in a small voice, taking a step backwards. Perhaps he´d rather spend his time with someone more attractive. "Wait!", Erik called. "I didn´t mean it like that – I was just… astonished. It doesn´t matter what you´re wearing. I do know what´s under it." Meg blushed even more at his words. "When you saw me from behind the mirror that night, did you think me… pretty?", she wanted to know, eager for the conversation to go into a more romantic direction. "I thought you were the prettiest girl I had ever set eyes on… I felt like simply jumping into the room, pushing you against some wall and… I´m sorry." Now it was his turn to blush. ´Congratulations, Erik!´, he scolded himself. ´You talked and talked, trying to persuade her you were not a monster, just to ruin everything one the first possible occasion!´

Something very strange happened with Meg. She should have been appalled, but now that she knew she could control his actions the picture Erik had planted on her mind was quite arousing. She couldn´t help wondering what she would have done if he had actually entered the room. Probably she would have died of shock. But maybe… "So you…?" "I want you.", he said simply. Surprised by his boldness he led her hand to his groin. "Do you feel it?", he asked, his voice a little husky. Meg nodded, shivering with anticipation.

He enjoyed the touch of her hand, yet he was afraid that everything could be over rather abruptly if it stay there. "Come with me!", he whispered, leaving the room and walking through the almost completely dark corridor. There wasn´t a lot of choice where to go. He couldn´t ask her to lie with him in his coffin, and the other rooms were not equipped with beds either… except for one. Without a moment´s hesitation he opened the door to the room he had furnished for Christine. Meg followed him and closed the door behind them while he put the candelabra on the table.

For a second they stood completely still in front of each other, no one wanting to make the first move. "We could… extinguish the candles, you know.", Erik suggested. "It was very friendly of you to look at my face, but you don´t have to endure it all the time." She just shook her head while her fingers trailed along the cuts on his chest, occasionally stopping to playfully tug at his chest hair. His heart light with joy about her silent approval he leant down to kiss her again, his hands brushing over her breasts, eventually arriving at the belt of her dressing gown. Slowly he opened it, and Meg helped him pulling it over her shoulders.

Unceremoniously he shook off his shirt, wincing slightly as her tongue took over the work of her hands. The pain, however, passed quickly, and when she played with one of his nipples he gave a moan of pleasure. Meg looked up, shocked about his reaction. "I hurt you, didn´t I?", she muttered. "It´s all right.", he assured her, yet it were his lust filled eyes which convinced her. "I… I´d like to touch you, but I don´t know how.", he confessed after a moment. Last time he hadn´t cared about her at all, but now he wanted her to enjoy it. His hands seemed so big on her shoulders. What if he hurt her?

"I´ll show you." Their earlier activities had left Meg far too aroused to waste much time explaining verbally. With a few hurried movements she took off her remaining clothes, he heart beating wildly. Erik held his breath as he took in her exquisite beauty. He couldn´t believe his luck that he was allowed to look at her, let alone… He let out a low growl of longing as she directed his hands to her breasts, moving them in slow circles. It didn´t take him long to pick up the movements, and Meg closed her eyes when fire seemed to flare up in her stomach. She was even frightened that her legs could no longer support her weight.

Erik felt her body press against his, his trousers the only obstacle between them. Reluctantly he pulled back his hands from her and removed the piece of clothing. Meg gasped at the sight of his manhood. It was so big. Surely having it in her would be terribly painful. But then, mutilating himself must have hurt much more, and still Erik stood in front of her, alive and well. So she´d survive a bit of pain as well. And a part of her was simply fascinated. It was this part that made her touch his manhood cautiously, running a finger over its length. She had never thought anything could feel like this, soft and hard at the same time.

"Oh…", Erik muttered. Nothing his own hands had ever done had been this good. He´d have loved her to go on, but a tiny fraction of his mind was still capable of realising that it would be highly unfair. He didn´t want to have all the fun alone. So he lifted the girl from the floor and carried her over to the bed, placing her on it carefully, as if she was made of glass. "Meg", he whispered, looking at her lovingly. It was the first time this name came from him, and to her it was like a caress.

Their lips found each other in a passionate kiss while he moved himself on top of her. Then he made his way downwards, planting soft little kisses on her neck and collarbone. He heard a sharp intake of breath when he arrived at her breast and continued what his hands had done earlier. Meanwhile his hand took care of the neglected other breast, imitating his tongue´s action. Meg felt as if she had been sent directly to heaven. Erik might not have had any experience in this area, but he was a fast learner.

She wanted him to have as much pleasure as she had and looking down at their bodies she knew just the way. It was time. She squeezed Erik´s shoulder to draw his attention to what she was doing and parted her legs. There were no words necessary; both of them were beyond speech anyway. He took his manhood in his hand and positioned it at her entrance. After exchanging a glance of consent he pushed it into her. Meg gave a small cry as a sharp pain shot through her. Erik froze, watching her in alarm. Seeing her contorted face he showered it with kisses, muttering soothingly – anything to ease the pain. He hated the thought that something which made him feel so good should be unpleasant for her.

After a few moments it became better as Meg grew familiar to the strange sensation of having him inside her. She nodded slightly and tried a little smile. Relieved Erik dared start moving, thrusting in and out of her. The girl had to grip his shoulders for support as the fire spread from her stomach and threatened to consume her. Her breath was no more than gasps, and it was difficult to hear anything beside her pounding heartbeat.

Erik did his best to keep a slow rhythm, but the feeling of her warmth surrounding him was simply overwhelming. Much too soon his release approached, and he couldn´t hold it back. He came, screaming Meg´s name. One moment of complete bliss was his. When his mind was clear enough to notice the disappointment on Meg´s face, however, he instantly felt guilty for his selfish behaviour. "I´m sorry.", he said in a small voice. "I shouldn´t have let myself go like this." "It doesn´t matter.", she whispered, meaning it. She didn´t blame him. They had both been nervous and excited. From the other chorus girls she had heard far worse stories about how mean men treated women during their first time.

End of warning!

"I enjoyed it.", she assured him. She wanted to stress this statement by kissing him, but instead she had to yawn. The last hours had been more than turbulent. "Could I stay here and rest for a while?", she asked. "Of course you can. I´ll walk you home later.", he said, pressing his lips against her temple. She gave him a faint smile, turned around and had fallen asleep moments later. Erik got a blanket from the foot of the bed and covered both of them with it. He was exhausted as well, but now he was busy watching her sleep, his Meg, his beautiful enchantress, his… "What have you done to her?", a voice broke the blissful silence.