A/n: first off, this is slash! Anyone uncomfortable with the idea of slash is welcome to stop reading right now. Second, this is Nadir/Erik slash, so anyone uncomfortable with that is welcome to stop reading. Anyways, now to the good stuff: I'm reading Susan Kay's "Phantom" when I get this idea. Sorry for the slight wrongness of it, but I feel they are a cute couple. Anyways, please review!

Disclaimer: I own nothing! Though, as always, I wish Erik were mine

0o0o0o0o0

NADIR POV

I wait for Erik, patiently, as he takes his time getting ready this morning. Another busy day ahead of him.

Slowly the door opens. He walks around inside the palace with no mask, strict orders of the khanum. He rarely obeys, but this gets him his drugs, his pleasant highs, his only release. First he must go to see the shah himself, this I can follow him to, later he is to see the khanum, and there he is on his own. I feel terrible for him; these people act like there are two, not one, of the same person here. He has no time for sleep. When the door first opens the lack of sleep is apparent, his eyes drooping more than normal and the bags under his eyes deeper than natural.

"Erik, I know it is bad to be out of the good wishes of the shah or the khanum, but you mustn't keep this up, you are killing yourself," I start to reach out to place a hand on his arm, but think wiser of the action.

"I'm fine, daroga. It is not your concern," his gaze pierces me.

"My apologies. We must be off then, before we are late," we hurry to the meeting without another word.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Returning finally to the room at an unwelcome hour of the night, starving, we walk in, he grabs his drawing material and blue prints, and we walk back out, headed straight for the gardens.

Silently I watch as he sprawls out his work, going straight to where he left off the night before, though it seems he has worked on it in the comfort of his room as well. It is clear to me that he has not slept in days.

I care for him more than he thinks. Strange to say it, I find myself attracted to him. I wish so much to comfort him, to give him, if nothing else, a night off.

"Erik," I whisper softly, knowing that he does not like to be interrupted.

"What, daroga? Make it fast," he snaps.

"What is your schedule for tomorrow?" I quickly ramble out, too afraid to make any further move.

He sighs, "I am free from court, and the khanum will be on a full day trip, they do not expect me to be anywhere until the dinner time meal for entertainment."

I nod. Thank Allah, the poor man will finally get his break. But not soon enough. I watch as he works, his eyes drooping slightly and his fingers starting to move carelessly, very unlike him. Something is not right here.

"Erik," again I interrupt, determined to do something this time.

"What, daroga? Why must you keep pestering m-"

Before he can get out his final word, I catch his lips in a light kiss. He does not pull away when I break our lips, very little space between us; he just stares in shock.

"Daroga… Nadir…" he manages.

"Hush, Erik, you know you need a break," I whisper, caressing his face slightly, with it still being unmasked I take my chances.

He leans slightly into the gentle touch, and I realize he has never felt this sort of love before, it is apparent in the fear of his eyes, the fear of betrayal.

"Erik, there is nothing to fear," I smile.

"I'm not afraid," he tries to sound defiant, but fails.

"Yes, you are. Your eyes betray you, and I promise you, what ever you fear, nothing will harm you, I will not harm you," I kiss him lightly again.

He looks deep into my eyes, his penetrating gaze has returned, "I believe you."

He picks up his drawing material and turns to me, "Let's go back to the room, it's getting quite cool for this time of year out here."

I smile, knowing what he's saying is a lie, it is actually a very nice night.

He leads the way back to his room, where he turns, dismisses the servants and follows me into his room. The room is dark, everything either black, red, or white. The only white in the room comes from either the paper on the floor and desk or his mask, on the far table. His bed is quite large, it could hold four people if need be, but for tonight, it needs to accommodate only two.

Before I can speak he pulls me to him hard and presses his lips to mine. The kiss is deep, and filled with passion. For something that resembles death he seems only to burn my skin with his touch, his tongue within my mouth, though, tastes like the meat of a decayed animal, yet mixed with something sweet, something that only Erik could taste like. I have always wondered if he liked me the way I liked him, and this answers my question. Holding him closer to me, I feel his hands start to undo my shirt, our clothes being shed at an alarming rate. Eventually, and quite quickly, we stand bare before each other, neither seeming to notice or care, the only evidence of the excitement our arousals.

I move him to the bed, and we lay carefully on top of the sheets. I climb on top of him, and before he can protest I silence him with another burning kiss. My kisses then trail slowly down his jaw line, then to meet his neck, lingering only a moment before I continue further down. Reaching his ribcage I shiver at the feel of his skin wrapped tightly over the bones. Under my lips I could literally capture a bone in my mouth if I wanted. I lift my head and lightly stroke his stomach, soothingly.

I move so that my head is by his and that I'm laying on my side, my hand still caressing his stomach.

"You were thin before, but not like this," I whisper.

"I haven't really found the need for food," he answers.

"The need, or the time?" I press.

"Both," he kisses me lightly.

"Erik, you must start to eat again," I scold.

"I'm fine, I have no need for more than a meal a day," he insists.

"Please, it would put my mind at ease," at this he only nods, and, reluctantly, I accept his answer and continue my trail.

Eventually and inevitably, I reach the furthest I can go on his stomach, and my hands move down to replace my lips. They slide down the outside of his thigh, then move to his inner thigh, trailing up to his arousal and grasping it. He quick intake of breath causes a smirk to spread across my face. Pleased with the reaction, my own arousal grows.

"Erik, I will not hurt you, I promised, so I will not try to make you do anything you do not wish to do," I pray he understands what I mean.

He moves away, and I fear he has mistaken me. But then he returns with some wonderful smelling lotion.

I look at him in utter confusion.

"This way," he globs some lotion onto his hand, "it does not hurt."

His hands move to my arousal as he applies the lotion. He seems to not be afraid, but to be embracing this idea. I do not know how to react.

Finally finished, me close to my release, I relax, further the space between now and my release, and then watch as he lays down on his stomach, preparing for what I'm about to do.

I do not ask if he is ready, I do not give him a chance to brace himself, I just thrust into him. He cries out and I stop hushing him and holding him close. His tears slow and he let's me know he's okay before I allow myself to continue. And continue is just what I do.

Reaching climax our bodies shake and shiver, no cries from either of us, just silent pleasure.

I pull him close to me as we fall asleep. We do not speak, we are not the type to do so, but instead we lie in each other's arms and slowly let sleep take us.

I'm so glad he finally got his break.

0o0o0o0o0o0

a/n: please review! You got this far!