Disclaimer: Don't own POTO…never have, never will…sigh
A/N: Wow, your reviews make my day! Over 200! (happy hobbit dance) Here's another update…picking up where the last one left off. You guys are lucky that I have very boring professors. Anywho. I have some ideas about where this going. I wanted to keep it total insanity but that gets old after a while and plotlines just seem to be a good idea (not that plotlines exclude insanity). So bear with me, everybody, as I navigate my way through this thing. You are my audience and I want to keep you happy. Anywho.
Tian Sirki: Never fear, Erik angst is on its way.
Chapter dedication for Mademoiselle Phantom b/c OMOG is so brilliant I just had to use it in this chappy.
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THE MANY USES OF WRAPPING PAPER
SQUEEEEEEEE! The sheer volume of the noise shook the roof and rattled the windows. Distressed, muffled yelps followed. Erik snickered and smirked as he listened to the sounds of a successful glomping.
Frantic knocking drew his attention to the front door. Securing his mask in its place he answered the knock. A flustered, red-faced Madam de Pouf stood in the hall panting up into the black mask. Erik grimaced and held his breath against the odor of fish and wine.
"Is something the matter, Madam?" he purred.
"I thought I heard someone scream. Is-is everything all right, M. Leroux?" she stammered, breathily. Beneath the mask, Erik's skin turned a fine shade of green.
"Perfectly fine. My dear sisters just discovered our unexpected visitor. That is all."
"Visitor? How did you let him in without my knowing?"
"I am full of surprises, Madam," Erik said with light chuckle bordering on giddy.
Madam de Pouf eyed him suspiciously for a moment. "I suppose he'll be wanting be wanting a room then?"
"No, a spare mattress or cot will suffice. Good night, Madam. Merci." He shut the door in her blinking face, nearly giggling to himself. It was terribly OOC of Erik to behave in such a manner, but the whole affair was so delightfully hilarious that he just couldn't help it.
He had barely resettled himself into his favorite chair—like a cat preparing for a nap—when the bedroom door flew open and then banged shut. Erik's eyes flicked up to see Gerard Phantom leaning all of his weight against the door, panting heavily, turquoise eyes darting about quicker than flies in a picnic basket.
He looked for all the world like a petrified villager fleeing from the Blob. His beautiful maroon vest and tailcoat were suspiciously absent. The ruffly white dress shirt was torn and sticking to him with sweat. His left hand held up his trousers; his right hand held his mask in place beneath a curtain of disheveled black hair. Erik noted with devious pleasure that Gerard was still partially wrapped in the shiny, metallic red wrapping paper with which he had gift-wrapped the intruder for his sisters.
"Vicious little creatures, are they not?" Erik asked with his head tilted to one side as he regarded his terrified counterpart.
"I feel…that I could use a hot bath," Gerard Phantom gasped feebly.
"There is hot water in the kettle back there," Erik said, gesturing toward his own chambers with a long, elegant hand.
"Thank you!" The Phantom bolted across the sitting room and disappeared from sight just as an ecstatic pair of cousins tumbled out of their bedroom, hair wildly messy, eyes glowing brightly, limbs tangled in shiny, metallic red wrapping paper.
"Where is Gerry?" Brooke asked Erik in a breathless voice.
"Taking a bath."
"OMOG! SQUEE!" The crazed females shot across the apartment faster than a phangirl can type drool. There came a shriek of manly indignation, more squealing, and the sounds of a brief struggle before the cousins reappeared. They glided to the fireplace, glazed expressions fixed on their faces. They plopped down on the floor—wrapping paper crinkling noisily—and Erik saw that they each held a black object in their clutches.
"What are you holding?"
"Gerry's shoes," said Brooke.
"Why, pray tell, do you have his shoes?"
They examined the black leather footwear before Anna replied wolfishly, "He has big feet!"
Erik had a strange feeling that he didn't want to have this explained to him. The creak of an opening door drew the phamily's attention to Gerry, who cautiously peered out from Erik bedroom.
"I say, do you have a spare robe?" he said.
"What was that?" Erik asked. Gerry ventured further out to repeat the question. He froze when he saw the wrapping paper-covered women rise from the floor to stare at him, but he had no cause for fear. His own sexiness saved him this time. Seeing Gerry shirtless, with only a towel wrapped around his waist, his hair dripping in his intense eyes, Anna and Brooke crumbled into a blissful, phangirl heap on the Persian rug.
Erik gave a groan of exasperation as he heaved himself reluctantly from his comfy chair. He gathered Brooke into his arms first and carried her into the other bedroom. Partially from concern, partially from surprise, Gerry darted forward to examine Anna's inert form. Gently, he lifted her into his embrace. The steady drip of bath water from his hair woke her.
Blinking confusedly, Anna's chocolate brown eyes searched for the source of the water and finally came to rest on Gerry's face (lucky girl). She blinked. He blinked back. A strange, stupefied grin spread across her face. Erik arrived just in time to see the finale of the little encounter. Anna threw her arms about Gerry's neck and kissed him long and hard before fainting once again.
Gerry sat holding her, stunned. Erik loomed over them, stunned. He noted with a frown, that Gerry was smiling from ear to ear.
"Maybe her corset needs to be loosened," Gerry suggested.
"I'll take care of that!" Erik snarled, rushing forward to snatch Anna from the other Phantom's grasp. He cradled her limp form in his arms, glaring over his shoulder at Gerry as he carried her into her room.
When the spare mattress arrived, Gerry was given the bedroom, while Erik camped out in front the girls' bedroom door. Maybe he should have punjabbed the imposter after all.
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A/N: Do I smell some jealousy cooking? Heehee.