I'm sorry for these past few chapters. I feel the need to write, but I've been feeling really down lately. So I'm trying to keep the mood lighter and goofy. I would also like to dedicate this chapter to my big brother, Albert. Today is his birthday. I expect you all to go buy party hats. Or rummage around in old drawers and find one. Or make one out of construction paper. Be creative or something. But it really is his birthday, so there will be partying among my readers. I wont join you though. I partied earlier and killed my knees. Anyhow. Happy Birthday Albert!

(And happy frikking new year for those of you who care, I don't really get the point. Maybe you could review and TELL me the point! :D)

Christine read a book from Erik's library. Well, she did not exactly read the book. She pretended to be interested in the content of the book so she would not have to interact with Erik. She would glance at him out of the corner of his eyes, he was reading his own book in his chair across from the sofa, then blush a bright red and turn back to her book. She had no idea what the book was about. She did not care. All she was interested in at the moment was the man sitting across from her, his legs stretched out in front of him and crossed at his ankles. He was holding his book with one hand and tapping the arm of his chair rythmically with the index finger of the other.

"Can I help you, my dear?" Erik quriked an eyebrow at her.

"I..." Christine started, embarassed that she had been caught staring. "No, thank you."

Erik supressed a chuckle as Christine turned scarlet and turned back to the book. She was acting as though the book was the most fascinating thing she had ever laid eyes on. Acting. He knew there was very little that was even remotely interesting about plantlife in France. He could tell she had not even read the title of the book. He was curious to see what she intended to do, for she was clearly not reading. He would catch her glancing at him every so often, and he would simply look at his book, his eyes skimming over the words. It was only when she had been obviously staring at him that he said something.

Erik closed his book and uncrossed his ankles, preparing to return the book to its proper place on his bookshelf. Christine looked up at him as he stood.

"Yes, Christine?" Erik looked back at her.

"Where are you going?" she asked timidly.

"I am going to put my book away," he answered. "Would you like me to take yours as well?"

She nodded and uncurled her legs from beneath her so she could stand. She came to him and held out the book for him to take. He gently removed the book from her hand and turned to his bedroom. He took his time finding where the books belonged on his organized shelf. It was a large shelf with many levels. He knew exactly where the place of each of the books was. However, he wanted to see how Christine would react to him stepping away from her for a period of time.

Erik returned to the living area to find Christine sitting back on the sofa. She sat up a little as he came into her line of vision. He started moving toward his chair, but Christine cleared her throat.

"You must not do that, Christine," Erik reprimanded her. "It will ruin your voice."

"You must not sit in that chair, Erik," she mocked him, adopting his tone of voice. "It will ruin our relationship."

"Is that so?" Erik cocked his head and smirked.

"It is indeed," she nodded once, gesturing to the seat beside her on the sofa.

"Well, let us not ruin anything," he took the proffered seat.

"Hmmm," she responded, cuddling into him. "Are you sure you can take care of your ankle? We can get a doctor..."

"No," he cut her off.

"If you are sure," she sighed.

"I am perfectly sure," he nodded, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and kissing the top of her head. "As I told you before, I have dealt with much worse than an infected cut."

"How awful," Christine shuddered against him.

"We will not speak of it," Erik rubbed her upper arm.

"May we go out today, Erik?" Christine asked, hoping the direct approach might be effective.

"I'm afraid not Christine," he sighed.

"Why not?" Erik's heart broke at the sadness in her voice.

"Regretably, it is raining today," he replied, letting her know it was not only because of his desire to stay away from the poulation. Though that was certainly part of it. "Aside from that, it is nearly dark out."

"Oh well, " she shrugged. "A walk would have been nice, but I am sure I will live."

"I certainly hope so," Erik laughed. "Did you enjoy your book?"

"My book?" she pretended to have no clue.

"Indeed," he continued. "You seemed to be very intrigued."

"Oh..." she struggled to remember what the book was about. "Yes."

"Really?" Christine detected mischeif in his voice. "I never found information on plantlife very interesting."

Christine blushed again and turned her face into Erik's side to hide it from him.

"Why were you acting interested in that book?" Erik asked in a low voice, nuzzling his face in her hair.

"I..." Christine started, distracted by his extra attentions. "I do not remember."

"Is that so?" he mumbled, absently tracing circles on her arm and kissing the top of her head.

"Um..." Christine could not form coherent words.

"Um?" Erik laughed into her hair. "Is that all you have to say?"

"I..." Christine made an effort not to say 'um' again. "I...do not know."

"I see," Erik closed his eyes and continued running his index finger along her arm.

Christine was aware of Erik's finger tracing paterns all over her arm and his breathing rustling her hair. She leaned into him more. She noticed that he had a very unique smell. It was like new parchment, mint, and spices. She opened her mouth slightly and inhaled.

"You smell nice," Christine remarked.

"Yes," Erik chuckled. "It is good not to stink."

Christine laughed and slipped her arms around Erik's waist. She heard the rumble of thunder and the crack of lightning above her, and she pressed closer to Erik.

"Does that scare you?" Erik asked as he stopped tracing her arm to hold her.

"Yes," she answered.

"The heavens get angry at times too, you know," Erik stated. "I think the sky is the most human part of nature."

"It does not frighten you at all?" Christine asked like a child.

"Not in the least," He smiled down at her. "I learned not to let it frighten me."

"How?" she looked up at him with that tilt of her head and that twinkle in her eye.

Erik tilted her head up with a finger under her chin, then bent down to press a soft kiss to her lips. She tried to maintain the contact with him as he pulled back, but he was too tall for her.

"Will you come with me to the roof?" he asked her as he stood from the sofa, offering his hand.

"I..." Christine looked at his hand warily.

"Have it your way," Erik dismissed her with a flourish of his hand. "I am going, regardless of having your company."

Erik turned and strolled toward his bedroom to fetch his coat and cloak. He noticed his mask on the floor by his piano. He picked it up and tied it to his face. He located his hat, as well as his coat and cloak, and proceeded to prepare to go out onto the roof. After he had secured his cloak, he placed the hat on his head and exited his room.

He was met by Christine, who had retreived her own cloak from the Louis Phillipe room. She looked nervous and scared, but she also seemed determined to go with him.

Erik held out his hand and she took it. He led her out of the house and into the boat, letting go of her hand so he could row across the lake.

Christine watched as Erik rowed across the lake, his eyes never leaving her. She hated storms. She had no clue how Erik liked them. She also hated the thought of being in the house while Erik was on the roof. She wanted to be by his side. She hated having him so near and not being able to curl up in his lap. She felt drawn to him, like he held a peice of her soul. Was this what happened when you kissed a person passionately? Was it because he had not returned the kiss with the same passion? She tried to answer these questions and the many others in her head, but failed. The only thing she knew was that it caused her near physical pain to think that Erik did not return her feelings for him. If he had felt this way about her through all of the insanity that had been going on for the past months, she knew why he had been desperate for her to love him.

She resisted the urge to move closer to him in the boat, not wanting to throw off the balance and send them into the water. At first, the thought of tipping the boat had seemed appealing. She and Erik swimming and splashing and laughing together. However, she was not sure Erik would like falling out of the gondola, so she dismissed the idea.

Erik docked the boat and stepped onto the shore. He helped Christine out of the boat and made sure she was planted firmly on the ground. He then took her hand and led her into one of the dark corridors that led up into the Palais Garnier. She stayed close to him, no doubt frightened by the storm raging above and the darkness of the corridor. He knew this was most likely a horrifying experience for her, and he almost regretted her coming along. Going to the roof alone had been a bluff to convince her to join him. He smiled as she squeezed his hand. He led her on.

Christine kept as close to Erik as she could without tripping him. It annoyed her that she could not see him. The only thing that reminded her of his presence was his hand holding hers. She squeezed it a little tighter to make sure. The secret passage seemed much less frightening when Erik was there to guide her through them. She could not imagine navigating them on her own. She shook off these thoughts. She would never need to navigate these passages alone. She had Erik to lead her through them. Her throat clenched at the thought of not having him.

Christine knew they were in the body of the Opera House. Barely noticible sounds came to her ear; light snoring, footsteps, and the like. Her heart raced. They were that much closer to the roof. She suppressed a shudder. She was being a child. Erik was there. She had chosen to go with him. He would not take her out into this weather if it would hurt her. She trusted him.

Erik focused on taking the quickest route to the roof. He did not want to prolong Christine's anxiety. The faster he showed her there was nothing to fear from the storm, the better off she would be. He knew she was afraid. He was not very familiar with the feeling. He did not value his life enough to fear many things. He feared losing Christine. He feared leaving Christine alone. Those were the main things he feared. He did not fear silly things such as thunderstorms. He recalled fearing them as a child, but that seemed like centuries ago. He had learned that he could relate to the storms, and the sky in general. They had served as inspiration for much of his music. Then Christine had come into his life. The sky could not compare to her.

Christine felt Erik stop moving, and she halted with him.

"Are you sure you wish to do this, Christine?" she heard Erik's voice in the darkness. "We can return to our home, if it is what you would like."

"I am sure, Erik," she answered, hoping her fear was not too evident in her voice.

"Alright then," she heard Erik's voice and felt his hand around her own.

A cool, damp draft hit them both as Erik opened the door out to the roof.

Erik gently led Christine out into the pouring rain. She blinked several times, scrunching her nose up as the drops of water hit her face. He felt his mask and clothing being soaked. Thunder rolled in the distance, as though it was welcoming them. Erik wondered if Christine minded getting wet. Surely she would have said something if she was opposed. Oh well. It was a bit late, for she was likely drenched to the bone at the rate the water was falling now.

Christine shivered. The water was cold even if the air was a mild temperature. The rain was coming down hard and fast, and there was the constant sound of thunder rumbling in the distance. A flash of lightning lit up the city for a moment before it was shrouded in darkness once more. She turned into Erik's ready embrace and allowed him to protect her from the storm. He was steady and strong as he held her. She looked up to try and meet his eyes, but found his face slightly upturned and his eyes closed. He was trying to enjoy the rain. She frowned at the mask on his face. It was keeping him from experiencing the storm as he truly wished to do.

She reached up with one hand and grasped the edge of the mask. Erik's eyes opened and his face turned down to look at her. His eyes held no anger, only curiosity. She reached behind his head and unfastened the ties that kept the mask secured to his face. She then lifted the mask from his face and let it drop to the top of the roof. Erik smiled and leaned down to kiss her on the head before closing his eyes once more and letting the rain wet his face.

Erik inhaled deeply. His Christine knew him so well. He had never felt the rain on his face before. He had washed his face with water. He did so regularly. This was different. The rain was fresh and cool against the skin of his face. She had removed the mask so he could feel the rain. His hat had fallen off when she had removed his mask, so his whole head was exposed. It felt glorious.

Christine admired Erik. He was so calm and relaxed. He was truly happy. She felt her heart ache for him again. He had been denied happiness for his whole life. She had denied him happiness. She hated herself for keeping that away from him. Now, with his face turned up to the rain, he looked like an angel. Her angel. Her Angel of Music. Only he wasn't. He was a man. He was a man that she loved with her whole heart.

Erik would have been fully at peace if it were not for a strange sensation that tugged at the edges of his heart. He was neglecting Christine! He looked down at her to see her looking up at him. She smiled and tilted her head at him. Her look. His look. He breifly wondered what it would be like to kiss her in the rain...

Christine stared up into Erik's eyes. They were glowing with a soft, warm light. She debated on whether his gold eyes were closer to brown or green, but then decided that they deserved their own classification. They were simply and wonderfully gold. She felt a desire to have his lips on her own while the rain poured around and over them. She shuddered as the feeling swept over her. Erik pulled her in tighter to him, but that did not null the new need.

Erik watched a dark edge creep into Christine's perfect blue eyes as he pulled her in. The tremor he had detected had obviously not been from the cold. He noticed her tongue quickly pass over her lips to wet them. He felt the darkness enter his own eyes as she made her desires known to him. He slowly bent down to Christine's height and placed his closed lips over her slightly parted ones.

Christine's eyes closed as she felt Erik's lips touch hers. She wanted him to force her lips further open and make her respond to him as he ravaged her mouth. She wanted him to kiss her with passion as she had kissed him. It took all her effort not to slide her tongue over his lips. She wanted for him to make the first move this time. She simply lacked the willpower to let him.

Erik felt her shiver again and moved his lips off of her mouth. She let out a soft whimper. He smirked. He found an odd sort of pleasure in tormenting her. He knew deep down it was a horrible thing to do, but it was not harming her. He wanted her as well. They could both handle a bit of teasing.

Christine gasped as she felt Erik's lips on her jawline. He kissed her in a line all the way to the hollow beneath her ear. She found it difficult to breathe as his tongue drew tiny circles on the sensitive skin. Her heart was pounding against her chest to the point that it was nearly painful. One of his arms was wound around her waist, supporting her while the hand of the other arm cupped the back of her head.

All the while, the rain beat into them and lightning flashed as thunder roared.

Christine gathered handfulls of Erik's cloak as he kissed her back along her jaw and down to the base of her other ear so as not to neglect it. He was driving her insane. She wanted his tongue in her mouth, not beneath her ear. At the same time, she was enjoying the feeling of him kissing her there. She felt him smile against her skin, and she wanted to demand that he kiss her correctly. She gasped again as she felt him move to kiss down to the slight bulge in the front of her neck. She was aware of him chuckling into her by the vibrations that spread along her skin. She shuddered again and clutched at him as he devoured her throat.

Erik enjoyed himself as he kissed Christine's neck just as he would have kissed her mouth. His tongue ran over her skin as his lips massaged the same area. He occasionally grazed her flesh with his teeth or nibbled at her skin. She was shaking, and sometimes gasping or whimpering when he changed his method. He could feel her blood pulsing through her neck at a rapid pace. He pulled away when he thought her heart might burst from pumping blood so quickly. He was immediately met with Christine's frenzied eyes. He knew his eyes held the same fire, but his face betrayed no sign of his desire. Christine wore an expression that clearly expressed ehat she wanted.

"Erik..." Christine's voice shook.

"Yes?" Erik replied, his own voice steady.

"Please..." the corners of her lips twitched.

"Please...what?" Erik smirked down at her.

"Kiss me! Please, Erik!" she begged him, losing any of the sanity she may have retained.

"What exactly have I been doing?" Erik laughed at her.

"Stop torturing me, Erik!" he heard a hint of hysteria in her voice. "Please!"

"If you insist," Erik growled as he attacked her mouth.

Christine moaned into Erik's mouth as he kissed her with the passion she had been aching for. She returned every ounce of it. She felt him sigh into her mouth and she sighed into his. His hands were clamped down on her waist, holding her perfectly close to him. Her hands were on the back of his neck, making sure he could not pull away. There was fire in this kiss. He was burning her. Branding her. She never wanted him to stop.

The storm raged on into the morning.

Get a room! Gosh! Ha ha, please review! I'm obviously not above begging! On my frikking knees here!