The evening air was warm and humid on Christian's skin as he sat on his windowsill watching the Moulin Rouge. He was out of costume except for his slacks, undershirt and vest. In his hand he held the only picture of Satine he had, softly stroking the image on paper. He sighed, thinking about what he just gave up. Why was he forevor tormented this way? Why was his life so complicated and full of unwanted distortion? Perhaps he should just leave Montmartre.

He closed his eyes, reliving what had happened earlier, reliving the incrediable feeling he had felt for Loreena. Loreena. The sound of her name alone brought music to his ears. The image of her spinning in her dress replayed over and over in his head. The way she smiled at him, the way she floated down the staircase, the way her soft lips felt against his. He touched his bottom lip recounting every action before then. He didn't want to forget about that kiss, but then again, he did.

Trying to forget his worries, Christian began to quietly sing, of what no one could really tell, but it sounded somewhat melencholic and hauntingly beautiful at the same time. God he loved her, he thought. He really loved her. But had he always felt this way? Had he just never realized it until tonight? No matter what though, he thought it was too late. She would never know.

A half hour later, Christian still sat at the window, watching some lightning in the distance when a silhouette came out of the darkness of his own apartment and quietly stood nearby at the foot of his bed. He had just remembered that he had forgotten to lock his door, but Christian felt unthreatened simply because he already knew who it was.

"Christian?"

He didn't reply right away. "Loreena, please...I'm a terrible person. I don't deserve to be your friend, you should have someone better." he said.

She sighed. "I think we're a little beyond being just friends, don't you?"

Christian kept himself from looking at her in the face. He said nothing. The silence was deafening.

"Why are you here?" he asked.

Loreena's arms were poised in front of her, and she remained in a statue-like stance. She fiddled with one of her rings, a small globe filled with glitter, forcing herself to come up with a straight answer.

"I came here because...because I...wanted to tell you..." She stopped fearing what the outcome would be of what she was about to say next.

"I came here to tell you that... I love you."

Christian still remained motionless, but a million unspoken thoughts surged through his mind, racing at the speed of light. What was he going to do next? What should he do?

Loreena gasped. Christian could sense some frustration.

"Christian? Christian can't you hear me?" She was starting to break down. "Christian, I love you. Is nothing all you can say?"

He gulped at the small lump in his throat."Do it." his conscious urged, "Tell her." But he couldn't bring himself to it. He could feel Satine pulling at him, and he couldn't stand the idea of having to give her up. Was he ready?

Loreena 's face was now covered in moisture, her eyes wet with heartache. She nodded her head comprehending the situation. It's what she believed true all along. Christian didn't want anything to do with her.

She turned around heading for the door. She was planning on never coming back again. Giving a final glance she couldn't help butsay one last thing.

"Christian," she started," I tried. I tried to not fall in love with you. I tried so hard because I knew you could never be capable of loving anyone else again, not after Satine." She paused to gather her wits. "I wanted you to feel for me what I was feeling for you so badly, I wanted you to love me, that was all. For months I've been keeping this to myself, having to live with this kind of unfathomable feeling of anguish and emotional torture. But you know, no matter how bad it got, I didn't tell you. I wouldn't tell you. I just couldn't. And you know why?" Her voice was cracking as she was trying to hold back. "I never told you because she still had you. Christian, all you ever wanted was Satine." another break. "And even though you had something here that wanted to give you what she couldn't anymore, you chose to hold onto something gone, something dead, when you could've had something that was alive and real."

She turned away whispering, "I love you so much." Christian finally glanced her way, but she couldn't see being as her back was turned to him. For the second time that night, seconds came to a standstill, and Christian was faced with a choice. His eyes followed Loreena's form slowly leaving his room, leaving his world, never to be seen again. At the same time, his mind flashed with illusions of Satine crying out to him to not do anything, to just let her walk away. But, there was a fault in these thoughts of his. Christian knew this. Satine was dead. He was still very much alive.

He could hear his own breath, his own heartbeat. He loved Satine, he always would, but she wasn't physically with him anymore, Loreena was. And he loved her. Closing his eyes, he spoke out loud in his mind, "Satine, I love you, but I'm sorry. Please forgive me someday." And just as if the world itself had been lifted off his shoulders, he was free. He could feel Satine leaving him, evaporating into the dark night sky.

Leaping off the sill, he extended his right hand out, clutching the hand of Loreena's that still remained within the boundries of his home. Her body was mostly out of the room, but he pulled her back in, closing the door behind her. Holding her by the shoulders, he looked her in the eyes and said, "I love you." She stared at him questionably, unsure of what to do next, but she soon realized she didn't have to know. Christian's lips were already locked with hers.

From that point on Christian forgot everything he ever knew or saw or heard of Satine. There was only Loreena.

"Lora." he whispered in her ears. He pulled her over to the bed inviting her to sit next to him. A bit of moonlight peaked through a large gap in the clouds, streaming down upon them both. Christian took a hand and placed it under her fragile chin, leading it upward very much like she had done to him in the park. With the other hand he wiped away her salty tears, caressing her face and pulling it forward into another gentle kiss.

The moment was tense and they shared along, warm embrace. Loreena's head was on the other side of Christian's shoulder and she watched their shadows mingle on the walls. He could feel the soft tingle of her hands on his neck and back, and she felt one of his hands comb through her silky hair. She reached behind her head and pulled out the cord that had been holding it up. The locks slowly fell and a must of glitter sprinkled into the air settling onto the bed and floor. Christian lurched for another kiss. And then another, and another. The sweet nectareous taste of her mouth lefthim craving more.Yet, Loreena didn't mind giving into his advances. She knew what he wanted.

Christian lightly picked Loreena up so that she sat with a leg on either side of him. Their bodies were screaming for one another, but they both held back from rushing into anything too quickly. Loreena sat back a little ways as Christian, without even thinking, started to pull at the complex laces and strings of her dress. Her shoulder straps were once again falling down, and he bent down, first kissing her neck then gradually moving down to her breasts which were surfacing out the top of her dress and corset. Christian started to sensually kiss them as well lightly sucking ather firm nipples. Pulling her dress off to the floor, he started at work on the corset. Loreena could feel the area between her legs starting to prickle. Pealing the rest of the corset away, both of Loreena's voluptuous breasts were exposed. His hands went to her theighs, then up ever so carefully to tug at her underwear. Her hands were working at his vest, taking that off with ease and then moving onto his shirt. He helped her unbotton it himself throwing that too onto the floor along with the vest, corset, and dress. The moonlight disapeared behind a mountain of clouds and a bright flash caught Loreena off guard. It was only more lightning. Christian's hand directed her face back to his, asan arm grabbed hold of Loreena around the lower waist bringing her on top off him. She straddled his torso, covering his face with more incinerating pecks lining them down his chest as she tore off his cotten undershirt, exposing the freckled and slighly hair covered skin beneath. Loreena thought he looked thinner than usual, but that was the least thing from her mind. Her fingers were working at his belt, and she could feel him becoming aroused beneath her bare skin. His hand slid to her crotch as her body started to grind. Pulling his pants off, he sat back up so that he was now above her. Slinking down her body he let his mouth go to her moist opening as her legs wrapped around his upper buddy. She moaned softly reaching a small orgasm, her breath becoming heavy. The sounds of her sexual delight made Christian's body squirm. He wanted to take her right there, but not just yet.

His hands free, he held her arms down and let her legs still crossed slide down behind his back. The tip of his manhood tickled her, he was teasing her. She wrestled out from under him and he caught her again with his chest and genitalia pressed up against her backside. His hands slid down her firm breasts, down her stomach, down between her theighs. Her head rested back against his shoulder and she gasped. His tongue licked the side of her face and neck.

"Christian..." she uttered. She was ready. He whipped her around, letting her head fall on a soft cushion of pillows. Pulling off his boxers, he slowly he spread her legs and gave her a final kiss.

They're heartbeats were pounding in their chests. This was the pivital moment. Loreena's arms threw up around Christian's neck and into his back as he entered her, his firmness making her legs spread even wider. She yelped not in pain, but excitement. Skin against skin. Her legs locked as he started thrusting. Loreena caught onto the rhythm he set, her back following into the slow grind. His hands on her waistline holding her up level with him, throwing chills up into her spine. They began to sweat, the small beads sliding down their skin. With every force, Christian was letting out every ounce of his pain, his distress, his grief. Loreena started to moan louder, and grabbed hold of the sheets around for support as he hoisted her up getting into a better position to push into her harder. She was quietly yelling for more. He obliged.

He jerked harder and harder, pulling out and then letting Loreena rest on top of him, letting her body continue to steadily rock. They were moving faster and they knew they were both nearing their peak. Christian once again reversed positions, shoving Loreena's legs more upward driving even deeper into her. His hands went up to hers letting their fingers intertwine, the sheets bunching up. At the same exact moment, they gave a final hard jolted thrust, their organs coming in contact simultaneously. And then reachingan overwhelming and intense climax, they both panted, striving to take in air, finishing with a drawn out sigh.

Outside it bagan to rain, and they were both exhausted. Loreena moved to the side of Christian lying her head at his shoulder. He reached for a blanket to cover themselves up with. He swiped away some damp hair across her forehead and placed an arm around her. She snuggled closer. Shortly thereafter, they both fell asleep to the sound of eachother's heartbeats, watching the rain fall outside.