When we broke away from our kiss, Erik reached up and ran his fingers over his lips, as if everything had been a dream and nothing more.

"Oh, Christine…" he barely spoke above a whisper, his fingers continuing to touch his bottom lip.

"Did I do something wrong?" I worriedly questioned. "Did it hurt?"

"What? No, of course not!" he breathlessly gasped. "Never."

Erik looked down at his feet, as if he were too frightened to look me in the eyes.

"If you regretted it," he began. "I would understand, and we could forget it ever happened."

"Did you not enjoy it?"

Erik completely broke down, and I could see tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Oh, Christine, that kiss was the most wonderful thing I have ever experienced. I cannot even describe how wonderful it felt, or how happy it made me."

I smiled and pressed my lips against his own once more; this kiss being even more passionate than our last. Not another word was spoken and our walk home was a game of tag, but with kisses. We would kiss and break away, only to chase after one another before meeting once more to kiss again. This went on the entire trip home, our final kiss at the front door being one filled with a feverish want and need for one another.

Erik's hand fumbled with his key to unlock the door, as our kiss continued. Once the front door opened, I pushed us inside, slamming it closed behind us. I pushed Erik against it, my hands working feverishly to remove his cravat. Then I paused. What was I doing? I suddenly remembered our conversation that morning, and our agreement to set our feelings free. I even remembered our talk about not holding back, and about the possibility of making love to one another.

There was an awkward silence between us, and as Erik stood there gasping for air due to our kiss, he took the initiative to adjust the cravat that I had worked so hard to undo.

"You said it yourself that nothing is set in stone." He said. "We don't have to do anything else tonight, Christine."

My heart was racing, for I didn't know what to say. I was enjoying our time together, our kisses, and I needed to know if that was all, or if there was perhaps something more.

"I want to."Erik stopped dead in his tracks, as if he didn't believe what he was hearing.

"What?"

"I…I don't want to stop."

"I thought this was something I wouldn't be able to hold back from, Christine, but I'm sorry."

"What do you mean?"

Erik pressed his eyes closed, as if he were ashamed of himself.

"My body, Christine." He began. "I do not wish to repulse you."

"I've seen your scars, Erik. I've seen your arms and your torso."

"And do you think those scars end there, Christine? My entire body is covered in them. My legs, my back, my…"

Erik swallowed his words, and I knew what he wanted to say, but was too embarrassed to do so.

"Every inch of me is covered in hideous wounds that never healed, and scars that are so repulsive, no one should ever have to touch them. I cannot give you the body of the lover you deserve, Christine. I am not the Viscount."

"I do not want his body, Erik." I said, approaching him once more. "I want yours."

I kissed him again, but this time, I ran my lips along the side of his neck, and from that kiss, I heard him sigh. His moans and beautiful voice ignited a fire within me, one that couldn't get enough of his flesh.

Over and over again, I kissed his neck, his moans only becoming deeper and filled with endless passion.

"Christine, stop."

His moans ceased, and his command sounded painful. I didn't know if I was causing him discomfort, therefore, I ceased from kissing him.

"I…I will agree to this, but I wish to do so with the lights off."

I tried to argue with Erik, but I could tell that it was something that was important to him. His fingers fumbled over the lamp to turn off the lights, and once the room was covered in darkness, my hands reached out to touch him. My fingers found the buttons of his shirt, and one by one, I pealed the piece of fabric open until I felt hot flesh beneath my fingertips.

His scars and patches of flesh were like a map leading my fingers down to the lining of his trousers. Though, as soon as I grasped the first button, his hand covered my own, and immediately stopped me from going any further.

"I'm sorry, Christine." His broken voice ached as he moved away from me.

"Erik?"

The lights quickly came back on and I saw Erik racing towards the door, his fingers adjusting his shirt and tucking the fabric back into his trousers.

"Erik, what's wrong?"

And just like that our night was over. The door to our home slammed shut, leaving me alone with my thoughts for the remainder of the night. I cried myself to sleep, believing that I had been the one that had caused Erik to run off like he had. The following morning, I woke once more, finding myself still alone. Wanting to know what had happened, I dressed for the day and headed to the park in search of Erik. I thought for sure that he would have been fixing one of Tillyou's attractions, but after circling the park several times without finding him, I realized that he probably wasn't in the park at all.

Though, just as I was heading towards the gate, I heard the faint sound of music echoing from one of the buildings that were near the carousel. Curious, I approached the door, and stepped inside, the music becoming louder now. It was a building that held a small stage and about fifty or so seats. It reminded me of a small opera house, one that would be perfect for the park. To my surprise, Erik was on stage pounding away at the piano, a loud, and angry song echoing off the walls of that very theatre. He was so preoccupied with playing, that he hadn't even noticed that I was standing there. He sat there pouring his frustration into those very keys, and I knew that frustration was from the events of the previous evening.

"Erik?"

I called his name, causing him to abruptly stop mid song. He angrily sighed and didn't respond to me. His fingers began to glide across the keys again, this time, a softer song was playing, one that we could both talk over without causing any distraction. I slowly approached the stage, wondering why he seemed so upset.

"Erik," I began. "I just…"

"And now you will see me as nothing more than a monster." He interrupted. "I have been in many terrible situations, Christine, but last night, I was completely horrified."

I took a seat beside him on the piano bench and watched as his fingers gracefully slid across each key.

"You didn't have to hurry off." I continued. "That hurt the most. If I did something to upset you…"

Erik slammed his hands down on the keys and turned to face me.

"You did nothing!" he cried. "It is I, that owes you an apology. I led you on, and I shouldn't have."

Erik turned back to the keys and continued playing."It will never happen again."

Never happen again? That was his solution? To never attempt to continue our relationship as husband and wife? To never be anything more than roommates? I immediately pulled his hands away from the piano keys; an action that angered Erik more than anything.

"So, you don't love me?"

"Sometimes, it is beneficial to love someone from a distance."

"Beneficial to who?" I cried.

Erik pounded the piano keys in anger, causing a terrible sound to echo throughout the auditorium. Then, very slowly, he placed his head down in shame, as if there had been something eating away at his very soul.

"You once asked me if I had ever…" Erik paused and took a shaky breath. "If I had ever been with a woman. I told you I had not, but I did not tell you the entire truth."

I attempted to place my hand over his own, but he pulled away.

"Christine, just listen to what I am about to tell you. It is something that has been eating away at my soul for years."

"Erik," I assured in a sincere tone of voice. "Whatever it is, you know you can tell me."

"I am ashamed of myself, Christine; ashamed of the blood that has been spilt upon my hands. When lived in Persia and worked for the Shah, I was maybe a little younger than you. The Shah was a cruel man, one who enjoyed endlessly toying with me. To cut a long story short, he knew that I had never been with a woman before, and to further his torture, he gifted me a bride; one that I was to do with as I pleased. Truth be told that I didn't want anything to do with her, but sending her away would have been a death sentence to us both."

"Erik, I didn't know."

Erik held up his hand to stop me from speaking.

"I wasn't finished, Christine. The girl was terrified of me, and we never said a word to one another. She was always just there… When the Shah noticed this, he ordered me to use her as she was intended to be used, or we would both be punished. I had no intention of doing anything of the sort, but the Shah being the cruel monster that he was, tore my mask off in front of her, just to terrify the girl even more. She believed I was going to have my way with her, and that was the furthest thing from the truth. She was so terrified of me that she took her own life."

Erik paused, and I saw tears streaming down his cheeks.

"I…I caused her death."

"Erik, there is nothing you could have done."

"The Shah laughed when her body was found the next day. She had jumped to her death, and the Shah laughed, and mocked me for it. Taking her own life was a better option than having me take her innocence. I wanted nothing more than to tell her that I would have taken any punishment the Shah had in store for me, even if I never cared for her. That is what I saw last night, Christine when you were begging me to touch you. I live with these demons every day, and the thought of you being terrified of my body just opens old wounds; wounds that have never truly healed. I am so hideous, Christine…"

I didn't say another word and embraced Erik tightly, only to hear him sobbing into my shoulder.

Over the next few days, our relationship became one that felt once again as if we were roommates and nothing more. I wanted so much more from Erik than what he was giving, and I wasn't sure if he was doing this out of fright, or if he truly didn't feel the same way for me that I felt for him. We had not kissed since the first time we had done so, and as much as I wanted to feel his lips against my own again, I didn't dare attempt it.

One night, a few weeks after our first kiss, I had been lying awake, tossing and turning without being able to sleep. Most nights had been the same; I would fall asleep alone and usually wake that way. When I could no longer stand the thought of lying in our bed any longer, I stood and tossed on my robe, approaching the window that looked out onto our small balcony.

Usually, I would just see the waves of the ocean crashing against the dark shore, but tonight, to my surprise, I spotted Erik sitting on the balcony buried in a pile of his paper work, working by candlelight. He was dressed in his long black robe, and was scribbling away at his papers. I quietly opened the door and stepped outside, approaching the table slowly.

"Erik?"

The sudden sound of my voice startled Erik, causing him to gasp and look up from his paper work.

"Christine," he said, placing down his pen. "You should be sleeping."

"I tried." I confessed. "But there was a large space beside me, where my husband should be."

Erik continued writing again as if I hadn't even said a word.

"Ah, should he be?"

"What is that supposed to mean?" I questioned.

"It simply means that I would like my privacy." he replied.

"Have you been avoiding me in order to prevent the possibility of any kind of intimacy happening between us?"

"Go to bed, Christine." Erik barked. "I don't have time for this nonsense."

"But it's not nonsense, Erik, it's the truth! You don't spend any time with me anymore. You haven't kissed me, nor have you made any attempt to even hold my hand. Why?"

"Christine, stop."

"No!" I cried. "Only if you say that you do not love me will I stop, Erik. Say those very words, and I will stop begging for your touch, but until then, I cannot."

Erik slammed his fist down onto the table and jumped to his feet, immediately backing me into the corner of our balcony. This had been the closest he and I had been in weeks, and even if he was filled with rage, I didn't care, for I still wanted his touch.

"Do you know how hard it is for me to be around you, Christine? Do you have any idea!"

"You are the one that is making it that way. I have wanted nothing more than to spend time with you."

"Oh, Christine, you make me lose any self-control that I have within me."

Erik closed the space between us, his body pressing against my own.

"Then let it go." I said. "Please, Erik, I am begging you."

Erik stood there, his eyes burning into my very soul. How I wanted him more than anything in the world, so much that I would have done anything just to feel his naked body against my own. But once again, he let out a heavy sigh and released me.

"We have much work to do in the morning, Christine." Erik said as he straightened his composure. "I expect to see you at the theatre before nine."

With that being said, Erik gathered up his work and headed towards the door, leaving me alone once again. I could have chased him, I could have done many things, but I knew nothing was going to change the way he felt. And so, I waited, like I always do, much like I had been so used to these past few months living in the new world with him.

Even the following morning as I stood on that very stage, watching his nimble fingers pound away at the piano keys, I couldn't help but long for those fingers to touch me the way he was touching every inch of his instrument. I had been so busy concentrating on how his fingers were flowing gracefully across the piano keys, that I had missed my que to begin singing. A few seconds later, Erik's song came to an abrupt halt. He angrily sighed and flipped back to the first page of his score.

"Christine, my arm may have recovered from my injury back at the opera house, but I don't think you truly realize how painful it is to sit here and play through an entire song, pushing against every ache, only to have you miss your que."

Erik rubbed his left arm and stretched it before placing his fingers back on the ivory keys of his piano.

"Sorry, Maestro." I replied. "You could just play the verse before I am to begin singing, if it's too painful to start over."

"Very well."

Once more, he began to play, only for my eyes to avert to his hands once more. I happily sighed, and began to sing, only to have him stop me a few seconds later.

"You're not concentrating, Christine!"

Erik angrily shot to his feet and approached me on stage, his hands forcefully straightening my posture. How I wanted to turn to him and press my lips against his own. The hell with rehearsing, for that could wait! I knew better than to do so, for I knew that would only make him angry.

"You can do this." he seductively whispered into my ear. "Just remember everything I taught you."

It was opening night tonight, and I knew Erik wanted everything to be perfect. That evening as I stood in my dressing room preparing for the show, I heard a knock at the door, only to find Erik standing on the other side of it. I smiled and allowed him to enter. He was dressed in his finest suit, his hands shaking nervously as he pulled out a small jewelry box from the inside of his black jacket.

"Christine, I must apologize." He said. "I was very hard on you today at rehearsals. To say that I'm a little nervous is an understatement. I know that I am also not the easiest person to live with. But I wanted to let you know that…"

Erik paused and opened the box, pulling out a small golden necklace with a heart shaped locket attached to the end of it.

"You truly have my heart."

I smiled as he placed it around my neck, and turned to press my lips against his own, finding that his mask made it hard to make contact with them fully.

"I love you, Erik."

Erik took my hand into his own and pressed his lips against my knuckle, lingering as he did so.

"I know I have a hard time showing it, Christine, but do know that I love you more than anything in the world."

"Erik," I placed my hands on the lapels of his jacket and brushed my fingers over it. "I want you to wear your ring."

"Christine, I would love nothing more than to do just that, but I made a vow to you."

"Then honor it, Erik."

"Christine…"

Erik tried to intervene, but I stopped him.

"Erik, I know that you have been through so much in your life. I know that you have had nothing but terrible things happen to you. Please know that I would never do anything to make you feel ashamed of yourself. Your body is the only one that I want, no matter how terrible you think it looks."

"But it is, Christine." He assured. "I, myself, cannot even stand the sight of it."

"I love you, Erik, and that means I accept all of you. We can take this as slowly or as quickly as you wish, but know that I will do all that I can to make it wonderful. I want to prove to you that we can do everything a normal married couple can do to express their love for one another."

"Christine, that is the kindest thing anyone has ever said to me. I am truly at a loss for words. Let us see where the night takes us, my angel."

I smiled and pressed a kiss to his lips once more.

"Good luck tonight, mon ange." He said. "I know you will be wonderous, as always."

Erik was right, for as soon as I began to sing, I knew this was where I belonged. The theatre had sold out every seat, and after singing every song I was set to sing, I was left standing there receiving a thunderous applause. It was then that Mr. Tillyou approached me on that very stage, causing the applause to halt.

"This has been a wonderful night." He said to the audience. "And I am sure everyone has enjoyed my diva's extraordinary performance. But now, I would like to bring my composer to the stage."

Erik had been waiting in the wings, and seemed reluctant to show himself to the audience. I waved him on, and then, finally, he slowly stepped out to stand beside me. Mr. Tillyou approached Erik and patted him on the back.

"My composer, ladies and gentlemen!" he announced. "Not only has he written every song you have heard tonight, but he also bears the face of a horrifying demon!"

Faster than I could react, Mr. Tillyou reached up and pulled Erik's mask off, causing the entire audience to gasp and shriek in horror. Some screamed, some laughed, and some even began to throw food at him. Erik just stood there completely horrified and in shock.

"Gaze upon him!" Mr. Tillyou shouted. "This is what you came to see!"

I tried to come to Erik's defense, but before I could do anything, he staggered off the stage like a wounded animal.

"And that ends tonight's show!" Mr. Tillyou announced.

I chased Mr. Tillyou backstage to his office, where he turned to face me, and that's when I slapped him clear across the face.

"How could you!" I cried. "I trusted you! We trusted you!"

"Obviously you didn't see the program." He said, as I followed him into his office.

Mr. Tillyou reached over on his desk and handed me the ad for tonight's show. My eyes scanned over the words, and I was absolutely horrified as I read it.

"Diva and the Devil. Come hear the astonishing Christine sing, and then unmask her monstrous composer. One show daily."

"When I told you I would sing and Erik could run the theatre, never did we ever tell you that unmasking him in front of the audience was ok. That was not part of the deal, Monsieur."

"I truly think you forget who you are working for, Christine. My park, my rules. Plus, we sold out shows for weeks!"

"Erik will not unmask himself again."

"Then you are breaking your contract, my dear."

"Any trust Erik had felt towards you has now been ripped away. You of all people should know that he is self-conscious about his appearance."

"And anyone bearing such a curse should share it with the world. It sold my shows out for weeks, Christine, and I will not change my mind. You are both under contract, and nothing shall change. Now, I have a park to close down for the night. I will show you the door."

"I can show myself out, I don't need you to do so."

And with that being said, I left the theatre, knowing that tonight was not going to be any better once I was home.