Erik POV

I heard the distant sound of a song as I came close to the end of my afternoon walk. I knew that melody was my own when I heard the words float gently through the air.

No one would listen

No one but her

Heard as the outcast hears.

Shamed into solitude

Shunned by the multitude

I learned to listen

In my dark, my heart heard music

I long to teach the world

Rise up and reach the world

No one would listen

I alone could hear the music

'Where is that voice coming from?' I thought as I walked down the dirt trail.

I must find her, the one that sings of her loneliness. I was so lost in that song and without me realizing it, I began to sing along while walking toward the sound of her magnificent voice.

Then, at last, a voice in the gloom

Seemed to cry "I hear you"

I hear your fears

Your torment and your tears

Cherie POV

I sang my heart out alone on that bridge, tired of my loneliness, then I began to hear a male voice join in with me. His voice was so beautiful that I thought I was imagining it until I heard him getting closer, I turned and beckoned this stranger with my voice, as he seemed to do the same.

She saw my loneliness

Shared in my emptiness

No one would listen

No one but her

Heard as the outcast hears

No one would listen

No one but her

Heard as the outcast hears...

We both finished the last line, staring at each other as our voices faded.

"I'm sorry about interrupting your singing, I just couldn't help but sing along with your beautiful voice." He said, I blushed a brilliant shade of red from his compliment.

As I sat silently, I examined the young man before me. He wore a buttoned up shirt with a few buttons left to show his bare chest and wore a peculiar mask.

"It's okay, it's nice to finally find someone who knows this song." I spoke softly, my voice still warm from our duet.

He began to lower himself until he was sitting next to me on the wooden bridge that framed a beautiful river flowing through the small meadow. It was a quiet place I had just discovered and claimed only a song ago.

As I stared out at the meadow, the man awkwardly shifted beside me.

"I should have probably introduced myself first, my name is Erik. What is your name, Mademoiselle?" He bent forward and angled himself to make eye contact with me.

'My name, my name? How could I forget my name?' I thought.

I just lost all trace of the world as I examined him. He looked like the character Erik from my favorite musical, The Phantom of the Opera. I mean even his name is Erik, and he is wearing a mask too! I was able to get back to the matter at hand by refocusing and pondered for what seemed like forever and finally remembered my name.

"My name is Cherie, I just recently moved here to an apartment nearby." I spat out desperately. 'Ok, maybe that was too much information…'

"Really, what building?" He asked in a curious manner.

"The place is called Shady Hills Complexes." I whispered before I got lost in his bright green eyes again.

"Well that is a coincidence, I live there too. What room number." He smiled and my heart fluttered.

"Room 16C" I stated as he lifted himself off the ground.

"What another strange coincidence, I live right across from you!" He offered me his hand for assistance.

"Thank You" I gladly took it.

Standing up and letting go of his hands, I shook my legs out as he chuckled to himself, I tilted my head.

"It would be my pleasure, Mademoiselle Cherie, if I could escort you to your door." He said with a French accent that made me melt, extending his arm for me.

"I would be delighted if you did." I accepted.

We walked the rest of the path, making brief stops so he could show me the beautiful flowers. We stopped by a rose bush and he gently picked a one with his carefully gloved hand and held it out to me. I accepted the gift and held it close to my heart while he started to hum "Music of the Night".

"I know that song, it's from one of my favorite musicals." I then started to hum along before he stopped.

"What musical is that song from?" He asked while gazing up at the partially cloudy sky.

"It's from The Phantom of the Opera." He winced as I said phantom.

"What's wrong Erik?" His demeanor had changed drastically.

"How do you like that musical? The phantom gets left with a broken heart in the end." He said rather coldly, he then sighed and shook his head as if he was trying to pull himself together.

"I like the musical because of the songs and phantom, not because the phantom gets left, merely because I relate to his loneliness."

Erik stood there, shocked by my words and gave me a judging smirk.

"How could someone like you be as lonely as the Opera Ghost?"

"No one understands me, they all say I daydream too much and my imagination gets the better of me. You see my mother passed away when I was young, so I daydreamed a lot, it was the only thing that kept me from thinking about my loneliness, so I guess you could relate me to the opera ghost if you must. Though I do not compose my own music"

I said with a sad smile, he sensed my sadness and spoke with a reassuring tone.

"I'm sorry about your mother. If you are lonely here, please pay me a visit at any time, though you'll just have to excuse my glittery roommate, Jareth."

When he said that name I froze in place instantly.

Jareth

The Goblin King

The man who stole my sister and refused to return her until I beat his game. But even then, he never truly left me alone.

'Jareth, that slimy, sister swiping, sparkly, sore loser, sour, goblin of a king. I can't believe it! He followed me again' I thought. Erik paused, waiting for my response. I sighed, maybe I was jumping to conclusions? Anybody could be named Jareth, right? He did mention glitter though...

"Wait a minute. Jareth? As in Jareth the Goblin King?"

"You know him? I thought he was supposed to be unknown to everyone." He stared at the sky once more looking a bit worried about the possible storm.

"He is unknown to everyone but the champions of the Labyrinth." I said real smugly about the fact that I kicked his royal butt with less help and time than the others.

Then memories hit. I still remember Hoggle telling me that Jareth had never looked at anyone with that sad love deep in his eyes. It was painful to replay that last glimpse I got of him when I said the right words. I immediately shook off the pity I felt for him. He was asking for it, he underestimated and fell in love with his opponent and paid the price.

"Oh you're her, aren't you? You're the one he obsesses over. He talks about you so much that it often gets worrying."

"He's out to get me Erik, so far he has sabotaged all my roommates by sending me creeper crystals, I mean my last roommate kicked me out because she slipped on a crystal while she was taking a shower!"

I almost forgot I was talking to Erik until I saw him wince in pain as I shouted that last line. I quickly apologized. He just patted my arm and nodded "my condolences".

He led the way until we got to the building. I told him I had to get some boxes from my car so I would see him later, but before I could even grasp my first box, he was already holding three and I had one left.

"Erik, you don't have to help me. I can do this myself." I gave him a reassuring smile, but he didn't take it.

"Nonsense Cherie, It would be my pleasure to help you." He said when we started walking toward the elevator.

I pushed the button for the third floor and started humming along to "All I Ask of You". We made it to the floor and he showed me my apartment. I took out the new keys and opened the door. I was amazed by the mountain view I had and how nice the apartment was that I forgot to put down the boxes.

"Isn't it beautiful?" I sighed as I gazed out the window. He replied with a simple smile.

"Well, I see you have all your things up here, so I'll leave you now." He gave me a half smile; I could already tell he didn't want to leave so I did what any other person would do.

"Erik" I said as I reached out and touched his arm." Would you like to join me for some coffee?"

"I would be delighted to join you, Cherie." He followed me to the kitchen and watched me unpack a few utensils and finally the coffee machine. As I made the coffee, I really wanted to ask him if he was the phantom, but I didn't want him to freak out. Finally I couldn't hold back the question, so I decided to ask him after the coffee had finished.

"BEEP" went the timer, so I poured both of us in two identical mugs I found.

"So Erik, are you the Opera Ghost?" I quickly asked my question.

He nearly spewed all his coffee across the room before I could even finish the word ghost.

"Well, I guess I should have known that you would figure it out, yes I am the Opera Ghost." He seemed to brace for a scream of terror but instead he got a girly giggle.

"Why are you laughing, why aren't you scared?" All he did was stare at me in the weirdest way.

"I'm laughing because I have met scarier things than the Opera Ghost."

He started laughing along with me until he finished his coffee.

"I must go now; It was nice to have someone other than a glittery goblin to be with, and thank you for the coffee."

He smiled and began to move, but before he could reach the door I had reached out for his arm again.

His cheeks flushed red as he turned to meet my eyes and I stuttered.

"Th-Thank you for everything; maybe we can hangout together again. And before I forget, please don't tell his royal highness I'm here. Bye." He smiled as I pulled him into a sudden hug. We separated and his face still glowed a brilliant red, but his shyness was only temporary.

"Would you join me on my afternoon walk at 12:00 tomorrow, it gets lonely by myself."

"Maybe, just maybe." I smiled slyly.

He then left closing the door behind him and letting me unpack my final boxes.