a/n: wow! thanks for all the support all! chapter 2 is here!

inkie pinkie : I'm glad you like it! The reason i am fast is that as i post one i am writing another... you see, then there is no pressure to type and update!

Crimson Rose to Ebony : thank you very very much!

Moonjava: In the end, i think i would like this one better too... right from the start i agree:)

Lilhikki : just a but more movie based, only cause there's more people though... thank you so so much! hug

Uhhh... : thank you:)

wolfegurl006: I'm glad you liked the line, so did i! and thanks for the review!

ERIK POV

That boy! Why doesn't he just leave me alone? The managers know their place, this boy does not. Someone must teach him some manners.

I look once more at the note that he has sent me, which he left yesterday on my seat in Box 5 before he left; I just want to know if he knew it was my seat, or if that was a coincidence:

Phantom,

I did not know how to address this note, for I do not have a proper name for you, please forgive me. I also beg for your forgiveness for what I have said. If you are not too upset I would like you to humor me: meet me tonight on the roof after the performance. I'll be there all night if I must. Please come.

Raoul

That boy! Though, I must say, the thought of him begging me for something is quite a comforting thought. Smiling to myself I close the note.

My first instinct to burn the note is quickly countered by another feeling, one I am too used to, curiosity.

I know of the saying "curiosity killed the cat". Lucky for me, I am no feline.

RAOUL POV

I stride my way to the stage from behind. I can hear Christine practicing from back here, along with Mme. Giry's constant commands to her dancers.

Walking cautiously up behind her, I place a hand on her shoulder and she turns to me, surprised.

"I'm sorry, Madame, but I was wondering if I could have a word with you," I bow to her a little.

"Monsieur, we are rehearsing," she testily answers.

"Please, only a moment of your time!" I insist.

"Very well," she gives in and we walk to her room.

Entering and locking the door she turns to me, "What could be urgent enough to interrupt my rehearsal, dare I ask?"

I turn from her, "I need to apologize to someone, I just don't know how."

"Well, Monsieur, who is it that you are apologizing to?" she encourages me.

"Madame, I wish to apologize for something I said yesterday," I turn back to her.

"Yes," she sighs, "but whom did you say this to?"

"I don't know his name…"

"Monsieur…"

"… I only know him as the Opera Ghost," the name stops whatever she was trying to say.

"Very well," she nods, "Then I shall say this: don't apologize at all. You are only risking your life by doing so."

"Madame, I truly wish to apologize, I feel terrible for what I have said," I answer truthfully. I never meant to hurt him so deeply with my words and actions, I only meant to keep him from Christine.

She nods, "I see. Then try roses."

"What?" I look at her in disbelief.

"He loves roses," she shrugs, "Something I have not been able to stop him from doing is loving roses. Red roses especially. Roses and music are his only true loves."

"And Christine," I correct.

"No," she shakes her head, "his heart is now healing, he does not love her anymore. If anything I would say he is falling in love with another, but who I do not know."

Well, good luck to the girl it happens to be!

"Thank you, Madame," I bow.

"I must get going, but I wish you luck tonight," she smiles.

Before I can react she has gone, much like the Phantom yesterday. How did she know about tonight? Did he tell her? Probably.

I will never be able to trust her again.

ERIK POV

Dressing in my finest suit, I skip going to the performance, and wait patiently for the time it will end, simply composing to keep myself busy.

Taking a sip of the wine that I have left from my dinner, which I ate alone as always, I look at the clock, sigh, and start heading to the roof.

No matter how much I hate the boy, my curiosity for him and his motives never ceases. I can never get him out of my mind. His face, his hair, his eyes.

I shake my head to clear my thoughts.

Opening my door to the roof I see the Vicomte there, pacing the length of the roof.

I watch him for a few moments and then decide to speak, "You are really quite annoying when you do that. Would you mind stopping?"

He halts and looks over at me, "Sorry."

"Thank you," I respond and walk over to the great winged gargoyle, sitting down, "Now, why am I here?"

He shrugs, "I don't know, why are you here?"

I look at him with a deep pit of hate brewing in my mind for him; "I came here because you wanted to meet me on the roof."

He smiles and I find the smile quite appealing. His lips are perfect.

Stop thinking these things!

He walks over to me and, while the smile disappears, calmly replies, "I wanted to apologize for what I said. You were right, I had no right to say what I said, and I am truly sorry. Also, I wanted to give you these, as a token of my apology." He takes from behind him a sight that stops my heart.

Roses. Beautiful, red, and stunningly bright. Much like his lips.

"There are almost two dozen," he says as I take them.

I count them to myself, twenty-two. Very funny.

"Ha ha," I reply sarcastically, and he beams, taking two more from behind his back.

"Maybe you'd like to make that a perfect twenty-four," he places them in the center of the bunch.

I look at him in disbelief, "Why?"

"Like I said, I really feel sorry about what I said," he comments.

I regain my composure, "Right. Well, needless to say, apology accepted. Now why don't you run along to your little wife."

"What?" he looks at me far too confused to be real.

"What Vicomte," I haughtily respond, "Have you forgotten that you are married?" Then I notice the lack of a wedding ring on his hand.

He looks at me with almost a loathing glance, "You mean Christine?" He then turns away, "We never married, my brother would not allow it."

I look down, past the roses, to absolutely nothing, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought that up."

He looks back at me, though I still avoid his glance, "You didn't know."

I shake my head; "I spoke with insufficient facts. I would have heard of such a thing if it had happened, I'm the sorry one now."

He laughs lightly, "Don't be."

An odd silence falls and I gently caress one of the roses, brushing it against my bare cheek.

He is the first to break the silence, "Madame Giry is right."

I look up, "About what?"

"You really only love two things, music, of course, and roses," he smiles. That's not all true!

I glare, "When did she tell you that?"

He holds up his hands in a defensive gesture, "I asked her a good way to apologize to you and that's what she said."

"That woman!" I growl.

Another silence.

"Monsieur?" this boy is getting on my nerves now.

"What?" I remain calm.

"What is your name?" I laugh at his innocence.

"Why does this concern you?" I shoot another hateful glance, though it is harder to do so holding the roses that he gave me.

"This way I do not sound rude and address you as 'Phantom' or 'O.G.'," he explains.

"Well, for now those will do just fine," I make the remark sound very final.

I look back to the roses and get a final idea.

"You know," I turn to him, "They say roses are a symbol of a man's love. Do you love me, Monsieur?"

He looks at me incredulously, "What? No!"

I shrug, "Pity." Walking up to him I catch his lips in a quick and caressing kiss, "Because I find you strangely attractive."

Walking off back to the opera house I listen as he stares in silence. This will not be our last meeting, I hope.

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a/n: again, i have 6 and i'm trying for 60, please help me reach my goal by reviewing!