I was carried away by the fluff, hope it's not too much this time... lol... please read and review - Atrice...

Part 18 -Feeling of light

Erik was taken aback. For once, he didn't know what to say, what to do or even what to sing. He was stunned by her song, by her question, by her entire being up there by the piano. It was like she was shining, like her name had become her being too. Like a light, lighting up this world of darkness. In fact, not many lights were lit after all, he had not lifted all the candlesticks up yet and lit them. It was a dark place, where a light stood by his piano… by his throne… Erik loved the music of the night, that was his music. But he now realized, that he couldn't do that forever. A new thing had entered his world, the opposite of what he always had thought of. 'Lucille… music of the light…' Erik thought to himself.

"Erik?" she asked out in the dark, she was facing his direction, knowing where he was without even seeing him. He had hardly been breathing during her song and afterwards. Erik walked up to her, and put his hands on her shoulders.

"Of course I will marry you…" he said, certain and smiling.

"But on one condition only though…" Lucille then answered, surprising him – he didn't that. What could be so important, that she would only marry him if it happened? He waited for the answer. "You promised… to show me light." Erik moved away from her, around her and placed himself by the piano. He had to sing this tune to her. He placed his fingers on the keys and began to play. Lucille felt like she was flowing into a dream while he played, it was so filled with emotions. She moved to stand behind him, put her hands on his shoulders and felt the music though his body too. It was a special melody, it fitted this place and somehow it didn't anyway. It was like the lair became an island, bathed in warm and fresh sunlight and not moist and dark air. She was gone in the music, felt and heard nothing but his music, and was taken further into it as he sang too.

"Nighttime sharpened, heightened each sensation. Darkness stirred, and waked imagination. Silently the senses, abandoned their defences… slowly, gently, light unfurls its splendor - feel it, sense it, warming and so tender. Turn my face away, from my gloomy time of dark, turn my thoughts away from those cold and lonely nights – changing into music of the light… you alone have made my soul take flight – let me have your music of the light…"

The song disappeared into the dungeons, and Erik felt Lucille loosen her grip on his shoulders. In fact, it happened in a very strange way, and he turned around – it had become too much for her, both his music and his song, and she had fallen to the floor behind him. He had once made Christine cry and wanting to die with his music, the first time she heard his rage unfurl on the piano. But he had never made anyone just fall in a faint like that. He wondered why it had happened though, as he knelt down by her side. Gently he lifted her up and carried her to the bed. Erik felt and knew he had done this before, but tried not to think of it. Christine had turned against him – Lucille would never do that. He placed her carefully in the soft bed, and laid a blanket over her. He didn't care to put down the curtain, she couldn't see it anyway. Erik sat for a short time next to the bed, thinking about the past. Suddenly he yawned, and he realized how tired he was. It was normal for him to forget about time in his lair, but he had been outside in real light the last few days, and that made him tired. He wasn't that used to daylight. Without thinking further about it, he decided to go to bed too, they both needed sleep anyway. Erik removed his jacket, and as cautious as possible, he placed himself in the bed next to Lucille; lay there looking at her for awhile. He didn't pull the blanket over himself, she needed it most he figured.

Hours later Lucille woke up, feeling something warm close to her. Silently she turned to her other side and felt Erik there and smiled. She stroke his hair carefully, and his face too. Felt the shirt and couldn't resist to feel his body too – it was halfway open. Lucille just knew he dressed nicely, not that he often had his shirt opened a bit. She had never felt him like this before, and almost not touching him, only just, she let her fingers glide down his neck to his chest below the shirt. Steady and smooth was his chest, and some hair on it too; 'Well, he is after all, a man…' she thought with a smile. She let her curiosity get away with her, and opened a few more buttons on the shirt. Touching a man… something she never did before. And this was her Erik, the man she loved. She had no idea that Erik had actually woken up by her touch, when she had reached his neck, but he lay completely still, didn't want this to end. Lucille just kept letting her hands and fingers glide slowly and sensing over his body, until he suddenly moved and she pulled her hands to her again, surprised. Erik removed a bit of hair from her face, calmed her with his touch – so beautiful, this girl that he had fallen in love with. So perfect, he was afraid he'd destroy her somehow. But he wanted to touch her too, like he never… he closed his eyes, trying to forget these sad thoughts; 'That fate which condemns me to wallow in blood, has also denied me the joys of the flesh…' he had never ever touched a girl, he had never been with one. And now he lay in his bed, next to Lucille.

Finally he pulled himself together, and moved closer to her, thinking it was now or never. It was like she knew what he wanted to do, and Lucille finally felt his lips touch hers. His lips were soft and silky, very different from… no, she wouldn't think of her former fiancée. She just wanted to let him kiss her like she had never been kissed before – for a second she remembered that they actually never did kiss before - feeling her body tremble from it; and suddenly she became aware of the fact, that she understood what light was…