I apologize, I've been forgetting to upload more chapters over to here. While the story hasn't gotten as much feedback as it has on tumblr I appreciate the reviews I've been receiving. Thank you to all that have been reading and reviewing :)
"I don't understand what the big deal is!" Karimloo shook his head.
Panaro scowled, "It's one thing to see her, but spending the night?!"
"It's only two days! Sierra and I are just friends. And she's married now!"
The Broadway man scoffed, "Didn't stop Y when Anna was still seeing Gleeson. I've even seen you two hanging around each other lately."
Karimloo pointed a finger at his partner, "Leave him out of this, this is about me. And it's NOT going to be like that. I'm going and that's final!"
Panaro glared at the West End man, "Fine, do what you want! See if I care."
Karimloo's eyes softened with a sad gaze.
"Please-" He said reaching out but Panaro flinched away.
"Don't." He hissed, storming out.
Erik drummed his fingers, listening intently.
"Alright that's enough," The full masked man said, "Any longer and you'll strain your voice too much using that note."
Gerik exhaled, still somewhat shaken. "H-How was that?"
"It was…acceptable."
The film adapted tenor blinked, "Really?"
Erik couldn't help but allow a prideful smile to spread on his masked face.
"Yes, still you need work. But you are on the way to being a decent tenor if I may say so."
"Thank you," Gerik smiled. "If I may ask, not that I'm ungrateful, but why are you being so nice to me? Imagined you disliked me as much as everyone else seems to if not moreso."
Erik sighed, "At first I did, afterall compared to myself your condition is a first degree burn. But at the same time I know how it feels to be ostracised as such. Every member in this house knows how that feels-well except for that vermin with the pet pests perhaps."
Gerik's gaze was downtrodden. "I do wish I could be accepted a little more. I mean Y understands this as well, he's quite nice actually."
The full masked man nodded, placing a hand on the other's broad shoulder.
"Things will be ok, you have my word." Golden eyes softened as he spoke.
"Does no one think to answer the phone when it rings?" Harley grumbled, picking up the receiver. "Hello?"
"Oh, Harley? Is that you?" A familiar voice asked.
He blinked, "Sarah? Yes! I um. Well how are you?"
"I'm well thank you. Could you tell Crawford it's me? I'm certain he's left that contraption of his on silent again," She chuckled on the other end.
Harley's gleaming expression was brought down at the mention of the older Merik.
He sighed, "Of course, just a moment."
The unofficial masked man walked down the hall, but Harley's brow rose from behind his mask. Not that it was uncommon to hear singing on the Meriks' floor.
But the voice coming from Crawford's room wasn't his own this time.
"Who is that?" Harley asked.
"Not that it's any of your concern, but he invited Dale over." Carpenter noted with a glare, stepping past Harley towards the parlour.
"Dale?"
"She's helping him with an aria he wrote for Sarah."
While it wasn't unusual to see a past flame from one of the Meriks' pasts come to the house by this point, Sarah was the only one Crawford ever had over.
Like that Harley concocted a terrible idea.
Returning to the phone with a smirk he came back to the line.
"Yes so sorry about that Sarah. I'm afraid Crawford is a little preoccupied with Dale you see."
"Dale? I don't understand?" Sarah asked, confused.
"Oh yes! She's singing for him right now actually, really it's been going on for hours. Quite a harmonious pair really, to think they got together like this out of the blue! If you want I can interrupt and let him know you're on the line?"
"I…No. No that's alright. Thank you, I'll try him again later I suppose."
"Of course I understand. Have a pleasant night." Harley said before hanging up.
Strutting into the parlour he took a seat, Carpenter glaring back at him, "What are you smiling about?"
Harley shook his head, poorly attempting to hide a victorious grin.
"Nothing at all."
"How are you adjusting?" Jones asked as Davis flinched. "Oh, sorry. Didn't mean to startle you."
"It's alright, well it's very overwhelming."
The former Merik smiled at the latter, "It'll pass, I remember when I started out too. Not just talking about life here in the house."
"I know I differ from everyone else though, you don't suppose that's off putting to them do you?" Davis asked, catching the wisp of hair from his wig as he ran a hand through it.
"Nonsense, you're still one of us. Besides it could be much worse, at least you're not in Gerik's position."
Davis blinked, "I'm not sure that I've met him yet?"
"Best to just keep your distance."
The men looked up hearing a groan suddenly come from the organ that was a moment being played harmoniously.
"Damn!" Panaro exclaimed, getting up from the piano bench, storming out.
"What's the matter with him?" Davis asked.
Jones sighed, "He and Karimloo are going through a rough patch is all. He'll cool off eventually."
Cherik was humming aloud to himself, playing a piece Winslow had shown him.
It was quite lovely to the full masked redhead. He blinked hearing a scuttle and then followed by an angry growl.
He glanced at the door, seeing it was now ajar.
"Hello?" Cherik asked, he not often received visitors aside from Winslow or Jones.
He heard a mismatch tune coming from the piano. Cherik glanced back over and saw Ayesha climbing on the keys. Her ears were flat against her skull as the
Siamese hissed at something.
Opposite Ayesha was a dirtied hunk of fur crawling away from the ravenous cat.
It seemed yet another one of Jerik's rats had unknowingly waltzed into the house.
And naturally Ayesha was an excellent mouser.
The creature squeaked in fear attempting to scuttle away from the Siamese.
But fortunately for the rat, Cherik scooped it up before Ayesha's sharp claws could sink into the furry flesh.
"Go on," The redhead shooed away the confused cat. "Leave this one."
Ayesha paced around groaning in protest but eventually grew bored and slinked out.
With the cat gone, Cherik set the rat down glancing down at it. It scuttled towards his foot, sniffing his shoe curiously.
"Hm, well you're in need of a wash that's for certain." Cherik stated.
The rodent glanced quizzically at him.
"It'll be alright, it's not your fault Jerik's a poor caregiver." The redhead smiled.
Panaro was hesitant when he stood in front of the door. He could turn around and change his mind. This was wrong, a voice screamed inside that he shouldn't do this.
But that other voice in his head whispered for him to knock as his knuckles made contact with the door.
Even so a huge part of him felt like the arrangement he had set up earlier was a mistake.
"Didn't expect to see you here," Kerik stated.
"Listen, I'll skip to the point. One night, that's all I want." Panaro glared, neither men were on very steady ground with the other. But Kerik never passed anyone up that knocked on his door.
But still he was curious.
"What, trouble in paradise Webber boy?"
"I don't want to talk about it Kerik. You know what I want. One night, no questions, no strings attached."
The full masked man nodded with a smirk, "Fine, consider it done. It's no skin off my back, come by later tonight if that's what you want."
Kerik opened the door, yellow gold eyes gleamed back at Panaro's dark brown.
"Welcome to my humble abode," Kerik said, chuckling as the Merik coughed inhaling the strong smell. "All you Broadways' are the same way with that for some reason. Don't have as strong lungs as West End for some reason."
At the mention of that Panaro bit his lower lip, thinking of Karimloo.
The Merik tried to shake away these thoughts.
"Should we get started?" He asked, adjusting the lapels of his jackets.
Kerik, whom was pouring a glass of what Panaro assumed to be wine. "So eager?"
Panaro shifted back and forth as the novelised man downed his glass after the Merik declined.
"Alright then," Kerik said, setting the empty glass down.
Panaro felt Kerik's hands wrap around his wrists, pulling down the tailcoat sleeves
"Why don't we get started on this…" Kerik practically purred in the Merik's ear as the latter shuddered. As the novelised man was making short work of removing Panaro's coat, the Merik felt thin smooth lips pressed against his larger malformed ones.
He then felt his bowtie become undone and discarded, the opposing man already pulling on the top buttons.
Panaro hadn't meant to, but he felt his shoulders relax as a moan escaped him as Kerik inched his lips and teeth down to his throat.
"I see this is your sweet spot." Kerik remarked, noticing to teeth marks raked along Panaro's neck and collarbone.
The Broadway man eyes rolled back into his head, feeling the other man nip and suck on the exposed flesh. He leaned in, gripping the other man's arms, craving more of this feeling.
But through the haze he kept seeing a familiar pair of brown eyes Where Kerik's lanky needle scarred arm around him was his mind envisioned that arm bigger and lined with tattoos.
"Kari…" Panaro whimpered, feeling his partner's nickname slip through his lips as he was pushed onto the bed.
When Kerik got as far as undoing Panaro's belt, that's when the Merik's hands went up to stop the advance.
"I-I'm….I'm sorry. I can't do this after all. I-I changed my mind." The Broadway man shook his head, sitting up as Kerik backed off.
"I figured you would," Kerik shrugged, "Though I expected you to say no sooner."
Panaro hurriedly threw his clothes back on, "Do I really seem that weak to you?"
"Not weak, faithful."
The Merik flinched at the word, he didn't bother looking back as now fully dressed he left Kerik's room with haste.
A gnawing feeling of disgust and guilt ate away at his insides. Sure he hadn't completely gone through with it. But he still went to another man with full intent to do so, and felt someone else's lips upon his own.
"How am I going to tell him?" Panaro shook his head, disgusted with himself.
"I'm sure you'll like this," Crawford smiled opening the door for Sarah, "I've been working on it for awhile you see."
Nodding, she stepped in and took the seat he offered her. Her pale blue eyes caught sight of something shinning in her line of sight.
Picking it up, Sarah noticed it to be an earring. She gestured to the Merik,
"What's this?"
"Oh, must be Dale's. Likely came off before." Taking the questionable item and placing it on an adjacent table.
"So she was here?" Sarah frowned.
Crawford blinked, confused. "Sorry?"
"Why was she here? I thought you two decided to go separate ways." She said, the chestnut haired soprano feeling hurt and confused. "Why didn't you say anything?"
"It isn't like that darling! I just asked her over to sing for me-"
"Sing for you? Why didn't you ask me to?"
The Merik attempted to explain but Sarah shook her head. "Sarah, please it isn't like that. Dale and I've had history, I needed someone I knew could sing this in order to finish it."
"And you didn't think I could? And that's all it was, singing? Singing means more to you than that I know. But if that's all it was why didn't you say anything about it? Instead I hear about it over the phone?"
"Please," Crawford pleaded, taking her small hands in his. "Nothing is going on between Dale and I. Trust me?"
The brunette shook her head, pulling her hands away.
"I don't know what to trust right now. Please I just need some time right now."
She stood to leave, and felt the Merik take hold of her hand as she tried to turn away.
"Don't go please," He begged, "You know I love you."
But she refused to yield. Pulling away from his grasp, Sarah left.
Crawford stared at the doorway, his hands shaking, falling to his knees.
He didn't glance up hearing a soft tap at the door.
Jones poked his head in, "Sarah looked pretty upset, is everything alright?"
The older Merik held his head in his hands, having since discarded his mask across the room, his shoulders trembling.
"Why? I didn't mean for this to happen. I just…" The older Merik wept, mismatch eyes red rimmed. "Oh, Sarah…"
~The little nudge about Karimloo and Mr. Y seeming to be on good terms with each other is a reference to the fact that both Ben Lewis and Ramin Karimloo played Mr. Y in LND, Ramin originating the role in 2010.
~After seeing Derrick Davis' in the tour show (which was amazing!) his version has several changes and alterations to the original PotO show including some things about the Phantom's appearance like his wig and lack of fedora.
~Dale Kristian was Michael Crawford's last Christine before he hung up his mask in 1991. His last performance is notable for several tiny ad lib moments, one of which being Crawford changing the line in his last final lair to "Christine, I loved you".