i am sure you noticed, or will anyway, that i never write about their ?well i know nothing about learning to sing!so i thought instead of making stuff up that i didn't know about, i would just leave it out yeah, thats all!

Chapter 11

"Yes." said Nicole.

Erik smiled.
She placed her hand in his and he started to lead her to his home. When she had first arrived, he had been passing time waiting for her by walking about the theatre. He saw her stop, and look around at the shell of his former opera house. He was surprised to see her hair down, and flowing wild and beautiful behind her. Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes bright.

Radiant.

That's the exact word for her, he had mused. He liked her hair down very much, and wished she would were it like that all the time. For a moment he just stared at her taking in her beautiful sight. His eyes roved over her like a wolf, devouring her without her even knowing. He shook those brutish thoughts from his head, and made himself known to her.
Her smile broadened when she saw him, and he wondered if she knew how stunning it was.

Now as he lead her by that hand, he knew he was in trouble.

How can this be happening to me again? I thought I was smarter than to let myself fall for another woman. This isn't happening, I must force all thoughts of her from my mind!

Just as he thought that though, images of her swam through his head. Her skin, her eyes, her mouth. He tried to force them down, but they kept appearing. He tried telling himself it was because she was the first woman he had talked to since Christine, that he was just reacting to a beautiful woman the way any hot-blooded male would.

He wasn't so sure though.

He glanced back at her, and saw her blink in surprise, blush and turn slightly away. He looked ahead grumbled low to himself, and kept moving forward.

After the lesson, they walked silently back up to the Opera House from his home. Nicole was worried, for Erik had barely said anything to her the whole time. He instructed her when it was necessary, but said little else.

He never once looked at her.

Now as they walked through the dark tunnel, lighted by only a few torches here and there, to the dressing room, he didn't even guide her by his hand.

Have I done something wrong? He asked me to come here! Why is he acting so strangely?

She decided she couldn't stand the silence any longer and said, "Erik, have I done something wrong?"

He stopped, and slowly turned to her. His eyes met hers for the first time since she arrived that night.

"Nothing." He whispered.

His eyes swept over her entire body as he said that, and she blushed despite herself. When his eyes reached hers again, they were filled with longing, and sadness.

"Then why have you not spoken a word to me?"

"I have."

She rolled her eyes slightly, "Yes, but that was only to instruct me during our lesson! You invited me here to learn, but I assumed you also enjoyed my company!"

She said the last part without thinking, and hoped he wouldn't mind her being to forward.

He smiled at her, "Yes I do enjoy your company."

The way he said that to her made her shiver with excitement. Again she blushed, and again she grew angry at herself.

Stop being a silly little girl! These lessons are important! So what if you love this man, and he can't love you back! Stop melting at every little thing he says!

Erik could see her inner turmoil, and cleared his throat lightly. She shook her head clear of all the confusing thoughts filling it up.

"May I come back tomorrow night?"

He nodded, not saying a word.

She smiled brightly, "I will try my hardest to come, but if my mother becomes suspicious, I won't be able to leave."

"Come whenever you can, I will be here, waiting for you."

As he said this he stepped closer to her and she stepped away from him. As he drew nearer she slowly drew further away until feeling the cold tunnel walls behind her. He stood within inches of her, without even touching. Her breathing grew heavy, as did his. She looked in his eyes but there were cloudy and dark. Her mind was becoming as clouded as his eyes, as feeling swept through her body. She was excited and confused. Along with many different feelings.

She knew these feeling, they were love. She had read about love, never fully understanding it until she had seen him years ago, and she was lost. Lost to him and only him.

What made her so confused is why her heart chose a man that was clearly still in love with Christine Daae? She had seen the way he had sung to her, and she could still see the hurt she must have given him when she married the Vicomte.

Why can't I tell my heart to move on? To fall in love with a man that could love me back?

"Your hair, it's beautiful down. You should wear it like this more often."

And with those words said he took a step back from her, and held out his hand for her to take. She did so willingly and was soon lead up to the world, and reality once more.

Erik watched as Nicole entered her home. He had followed her again, to make sure no harm would come to her. It had been a long night for him, emotionally. He had tried not to even look at her during the lesson, the whole time feeling her eyes on him, forcing him to look upon her. He had figured if he tried to distance himself from her his thoughts would no longer be tempted to think he was falling in love.

It hadn't worked.

The whole time he kept thinking of her, the way she smiled, her stubbornness, the way she walked as if on air. He liked how she was forthright, and spoke her mind. Never once backing down if she thought he taught her wrong.

She was completely different from Christine. Where Christine was fragile and meek, Nicole was strong and confident.

She was something completely new start his life over with.

Yes, he defiantly was in trouble.