a/n: sorry this took so long, school is keeping me quite busy. I don't have time for my usual chat, since i have about three minutes to update before i gotta run, so thanks to all who reviewed!

and for those who want to read Phantom by Susan Kay : http/ size=1 width=100% noshade>The two let go of each other and then Raoul turns to me, "I love you."

I smile in return, "I love you too."

He bends over at the waist and kisses my cheek, leaving a burning sensation on my skin.

Philippe then gives me a stern look, "You realize that I am the legal guardian and decision maker for my brother."

My smile disappears, "Yes."

"Then you also know that I get to choose who goes and who stays at this house," Raoul gives him a desperate glance which is firmly ignored.

"Yes," I nod.

"Then you understand you must agree to my terms," he looks me over with a questioning glance.

"Name them, Monsieur," I calmly demand.

He turns away, "You are aloud to stay here, and only because my brother loves you. I respect that, but under one condition," then looks at me, "You promise not to call me anything other than Philippe… no matter what nicknames my brother tells you I have."

I laugh, "I can do that."

He smiles, "Good."

Then there is another knock at the door, "Sir?"

I dive for cover. Raoul's arms wrap around me, "It's just a maid."

Philippe walks to the door and answers, "Yes?"

"Pardon, Monsieur, but I needed to know if you are having anyone extra to dinner. You brought Monsieur Raoul's injured friend back, so I was wondering if it was dinner for three tonight?" she stands back, respectfully not looking into the room and I thank her silently for doing so.

Philippe glances back over to Raoul and myself as Raoul ducks down to my ear, "Would you like to come to dinner? My brother and I usually dine alone, but one extra person is no problem at all. There would only be two extra people, one serving the meal and the other serving the drink, and they know better than to question, or stare."

He reads my mind, "Alright, if you promise."

"I promise!" he kisses my cheek again, and turns to Philippe, nodding his head.

Philippe turns back to the lady, "Yes, Emily, there will be three of us dining, for a very long time. I will inform you otherwise."

She bows, "Of course, sir," and takes off.

He closes the door, "Well, before all of that I'm guessing you would like a change of clothes."

I nod, "I would, but that's nothing you should trouble yourself with."

He shakes his head, "Already done!"

I look at him in disbelief and he laughs, "It was really nothing. Raoul told me where to find your clothing and things, and his own that were taken down there, so I went to retrieve them. I hope you don't mind, but I also brought some of your music here as well. Raoul said you would want it. And a few other things," he smiles at Raoul and my angel rolls his eyes.

"Yes," he smiles at me, "Philippe was a good boy and fetched your things."

It's amazing, really, the ability to rebound in these two. They just bounce right back from whatever has happened, even that emotional fight just moments ago. Is this what it means to be part of a family?

Philippe opens the armoire and shows me how he put the clothes in. In order of color, shirt versus suit, and even the pants are meticulously folded in the bottom drawers.

I smile and thank him and he leaves the room.

"What nicknames?" I ask.

"What!" he answers.

"What are some of his nicknames?" I laugh.

"Later," he rolls his eyes a little and laughs as well.

There's a brief pause, but the silence is almost as comforting as words.

"I should let you get changed, and washed up as well, we have running water here, I was just surprised you could get running water from a lake!" he admits bashfully.

I kiss him lightly on the lips, "No problem, and thank you."

As I carefully walk to the armoire he reassures me, "I'm going to stay in here and read. If you need anything at all, just call for me, I'll hear you."

I smile, "Thank you."

I reach into the giant wardrobe and find every last outfit I own in there. Reaching for a particularly nice suit I take it carefully out and walk into the bathroom. Closing the door, I hang the suit on the door and start to shed the clothes I now where, sweat soaked, but nothing else wrong with them. I can clean them later.

Shedding all, including the mask, I then find myself longing for the warmth of my love. I know he would never agree to joining me, and his brother would be appalled by the idea, but I long so much to feel him by me.

I peak my head out the door slightly, "Raoul?"

He lifts his head over his book, "Yes, my angel?"

"Would you… join me?" I motion with my hand for him to come to me.

He hesitates a moment, then resolves, "Of course, anything for you."

I smile and he leaves the room, bringing back his dinner clothes and joining me in the bathroom.

Letting his clothes smoothly fall off his body, we find ourselves bare in front of each other. I light only a few candles, blowing the rest out, and I fill the tub. Checking the temperature I slide in and he follows.

He frowns, "We have nothing as nice as your shampoos and soaps smell, but we do have very fine, easy on the skin, ones," he smiles.

I move so that my head is resting on his shoulder, "That sounds just fine."

I sit forward and wet my hair, and I feel his hands run along my scalp. I moan in delight at the feel that I longed for, even in my dreams. In these past few days, or weeks as it has felt to me, I have found myself dreaming of his exquisite touch, his smooth hands of that one heated night.

I find the shampoo and read the label, "Strawberry scented?"

"Just wait until you see the soap," he laughs.

There are two, "Raspberry, or warm vanilla sugar."

"Yeah… if you want there is some warm vanilla sugar shampoo as well, over here," he motion behind him.

I slyly make my way over to him and reach over him for the shampoo. He pulls me on top of him with an innocent, "oops."

I grin and make my move, closing my lips over his. He pulls me to him and I see that I have not been the only one dreaming of my angel's touch.

Our kiss is fast, but heated.

He's a little hurt when I pull back.

I caress his face, "There will be plenty of time for that after dinner, Raoul, I assure you."

He grins and lets me take the shampoo.

We wash up and I leave the tub smelling of pure Warm Vanilla Sugar. We were both respectable, holding each other in caressing embraces, but also keeping our minds open that this was neither the time nor place.

We walk out in our suits, me without my mask.

"Are you going to not wear one? I would like that," I stop dead.

"You would, would you?" I growl.

"Yes, Erik," he comes to my side and caresses my deformed features, "I hate to see you wear that cold lifeless thing."

"Of all the things Raoul! I would not deny you anything, anything but this," I exclaim.

"Please, just tonight," he pleads, "Philippe will say nothing, I know it, and the servants know their places! Please, for me."

I look at him with such pain in his eyes, and I return that gaze with my own pain, but I can not deny him, "Just tonight."

He beams and kisses my marred cheek.

"You won't regret it," he kisses me again.

My dear angel, I already do.

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a/n: please review!