Author's Note: Thank you for all the really lovely reviews! You're so lovely and I apologize for the wait!

Chapter Two-Beginning

She kept her promise-she stayed with him. Every afternoon, after she had left her employer's dark, dirty office, she would walk to where he lived-the place that had once terrified her. How amusing it was that it was now this place that offered her the most comfort. Sometimes, she would bring dinner-either small pastries that she bought or leftovers. She would sit down and watch the Monsieur Phantom at work as she ate-and sometimes, he would turn to her.

And he would speak.

"Your hair looks rather dreadful today," was his snide comment. The dancer remained silent as she bit into her pastry. "You're not suited to wear your hair up."

"I am in mourning," she replied in a tense tone, "I must wear it up. It would be disrespectful to wear it down."

"You forget that we are not in public, Petite Meg. We are in private."

"I'd rather keep my hair up. Thank you." Erik only stared, watching the pins pop off of the blonde's messy twist. The girl slowly brought her hand to her hair and turned a bright shade of red when she realized it was becoming undone. A chuckle escaped from Erik's lips, causing Little Meg to become even a deeper shade of scarlet. She began to furiously stab the pins back into her hair, desperately attempting to keep her hair in its haphazard twist.

"Allow me," he began as he stood from his seat and walked to where Meg sat. She froze in place as she felt his cold fingers touch her warm, small hands. Slowly, he removed her hands from her head-his touch was gentle and soft- She could not help but allow him to remove the pins from her hair and let it fall down to her waist. She could not help but allow him to run his fingers through her thick curls-perhaps, she was enjoying his touch. "Much better. Wouldn't you agree?" Her reply was a silent nod. Yes, it felt better. No longer was there the dull pain that she had felt before. She felt lighter, she felt free, and she felt youthful. For the first time in five months, she felt like the young girl that had disappeared along with her mother. For a moment, she was Little Meg once again. A little dancer with a vivid imagination and a sweet innocence in her black eyes. "Well?"

"Y..yes...it feels better." Erik managed a half smile before walking back to his desk. He always seemed to work there-always creating a new masterpiece that would never be played, always slaving away on his music. Music that Meg so desperately wanted to hear. "It must be a lovely piece." The man dropped his pen and turned to face her. "You've been working on it for so long-it must be beautiful. Are you almost finished with it?"

"N-no," he replied in a soft voice, surprised that the young Giry had spoken to him. They barely spoke when she came to visit. The two would sit there in complete silence-Erik working and Meg staring at nothing in particular, allowing tears to escape from her eyes and fall down her rosy cheeks. But today, she spoke. "I'm halfway done."

"What is it about?"

"I'm not quite sure...I suppose it is about heartbreak."

"That sounds...somber. It must be beautiful, though...I'd love to hear it someday."

"I'm afraid you won't be able to. This piece is never going to see the light of day." With that, the girl became quiet once again. Not another sound was uttered until the clock struck nine. Erik had grown concerned that Meg had not left yet-it was dark out and a young woman could be injured walking the streets alone at this time. He set his pen down and turned to see her-only to find her asleep. Even in sleep, she seemed unhappy. Her pink lips were slightly parted and her eyebrows were knit together in a way that gave her rosy face a pained appearance. Even still, he could recognize that she looked beautiful-blonde ringlets spilled over her shoulders and her small frame-clothed in black lace-gave her a fairytale-like appearance. She was a princess, waiting for her lover to wake her with a kiss from her death-like sleep. Until then, she would remain forever youthful-

but he was not her prince.

He was the monster.

And that would never change.

She stared at herself in the mirror-she wore her hair down now. She no longer cared of what the women at church told of her. She wanted to be happy once more. To feel alive as she once had been. She no longer wanted to feel empty and alone. She ran her fingers through her hair once more before smoothing down her mourning dress and pinching her cheeks, attempting to give her pallid face color.

She would go to church and visit Erik once more. That had become her routine. Go to work or church or shopping for groceries and visiting Erik. She no longer danced. She no longer laughed with friends at a cafe. She no longer walked the brightly lit streets of Paris at night.

All she did was visit the monster-

But he was no monster. He was a mere man-as mortal as she. He was lost, confused, upset. He had no love in his life-the one thing he wanted most, he could not get. He had no one.

And neither did she.

Perhaps, she could grow to love him. She could be what he always wanted-after all, it was only the lonely who knew the struggles of the lonely. For she had already grown endeared to him. To his strange, quiet ways. To his rare-yet loving touches. To him-

she would grow to love him one day.

Perhaps she already did.

She walked inside his home-a black shadow that was illuminated by candles. She set down her small bag on the floor and walked to him. Her rose colored lips wore a small smile-and her hair was down, adorned by a black ribbon.

"I see you took my advice, Miss Giry," he mumbled as he stood from his desk and extended his hand.

"They hated it," she replied before letting out a small giggle.

"Who did? Those old hens at church?"

"Who else? Oh, they find every little thing about me that they can. They say I'm losing my mind because I have not married yet-a disgrace for a twenty one year old to be without even a suitor!"

"If you had a suitor, they would scream about how indecent it is to be in mourning and to be out with a man at the exact same time." She giggled at his reply, knowing that it was the mere truth-

and she stared into his eyes once more, becoming lost in them. They still held the sorrow that they always had, but now they held some hint of happiness and of hope.

"...They're beautiful," she whispered.

"What is?"

"Y..your eyes..." He said nothing. He could not for her reply had shocked him-he was a hideous beast! How could any part of him hold any beauty to such a lovely creature such as herself? How could she see beauty when there was none?

"You lie."

"I do not!" There was only silence as the two stared into each other's eyes-into sapphire and coal-

He could no longer resist. He seized her by her arm and brought her close to him before kissing her. He no longer wanted to be the monster-he wanted to be the prince. He wanted to wake her. To love her. To be beside her every waking moment-

he wished to be loved by her.

But she did not return the kiss. She pushed away, pink faced and breathless-for she had never been kissed before.

"I should leave," she mumbled as she began to step away from him-afraid that if she gave in the two would not be able to control themselves.

"Will you return?" he asked, his voice faltering. She did not reply. Instead, she ran away, hot tears rolling down her cheeks as she stepped into the warm sunlight. She loved every moment of the kiss-of his rough lips against her. Of his hand pressed against the small of her back, holding her in place. Of his hand squeezing her arm. Of-her fingers traced her lips slowly as she felt the tears cease.

She could not return-for she loved him.

She could not return for she could not bear to see his heart broken twice-

once by a singer-

once by her.

She loved him-she wanted to desperately tell him. She wanted to feel his touch once more and hear his voice once again-but she could not return. Not now-perhaps never.

For she was scared.

Not of him.

But of love.

She was scared to love.

A/N: I do apologize if this chapter was not super well written. I've been stuck on a case of writer's block for the longest time. Anyway, I do hope you still enjoy and reviews are always welcome!