Unmasking The Right Way.

Christine POV

I woke up on a warm, soft bed in an unfamiliar location to the sound of the most beautiful piano music I've ever heard. "Only my dark angel could create such a beautiful sound." I thought to myself as I stepped out of bed. Memories came back to me of yesterday, meeting my Angel Of Music face to face for the first time, hearing his beautiful, velvety voice as he led me around by the hand, passion filling us both as he filled my head with his beautiful song. I remembered the heat of his hand and the sound of his heartbeat as he pulled me close to his chest. One thing became clear.

My angel, though he would always be my angel, was also a man. One who filled my soul with such passion, made sparks fly for me at each touch, and had given me my voice. My Angel Of Music who had given me hope at age seven had become the man I couldn't help but fall for through our years together, even though I had never seen his face and was half convinced he was a dream.

But he was no dream and no spirit, but a living, breathing person who hid under a mask for reasons unknown. One with flaws and eccentricities, one who hid from the day and saw the beauty of the night.

Slowly, I looked for him, sparing the boat on the underground lake a quick glance before seeing him playing the piano near the lake not far from me. As I stepped towards him, careful not to burn my dress on the ten million candles that filled his lair, he looked to me, smiled softly, then continued his playing, lost in the music, his eyes closed.

I stepped to him and couldn't help but caress his face softly. He stiffened for the barest second before leaning into my touch, his expression one of joy, though still composed. I touched his mask and I had to know. Who was this man, this dark angel? Why did he hide under a half mask? I slowly lifted off his mask and hid a gasp at what I saw. I knew now why he hid under that mask.

His face was badly scarred and deformed on one side, the scars going down most of the left side of his face, covering most of his cheek. His eyes shot open and an expression of terror covered his face for a split second before turning to anger. He pushed away from me, making me fall, before practically leaping to the other side of the room, covering the deformed side of his face with his hand.

"Damn you….you little prying Pandora!" he yelled, making me jump as my angel had never lost his temper with me. "You little demon! Is this what you wanted to see? Curse you, you little lying Delilah! You little viper! Now you can never be free! Damn you…Curse you…."

His temper was terrifying, but underneath I could still hear the terror which pulled at my heartstrings. His voice was softer now as I found out the real reason for his anger. "Stranger than you dreamt it, can you even dare to look or bear to think of me, this loathsome gargoyle that burns in hell but secretly yearns for heaven…."

I couldn't let him keep talking about himself like that and walked towards him, showing him there was no fear in my eyes. He seemed taken aback by this, but continued. "Oh Christine….Fear can turn to love. You'll learn to see, to find the man behind the monster, this repulsive…."

I cut him off right then and there with a kiss. He went rigid with shock, his eyes wide open. The hand covering his face dropped and his arms wrapped around me.

I pulled away and smiled at him. "I can't learn something I already know, my Phantom." I whispered in his ear.

"You…You…" he stammered and I almost giggled at seeing my eloquent Phantom at loss for words. It was surprisingly cute and endearing. He self consciously started to raise his hand to cover the scarred part of his face.

But I was having none of it. I caught his hand gently and leaned up, peppering the scarred part of his face with tiny kisses. He gasped softly, and stiffened for just a second.

But that didn't last for long. His body relaxed and he grabbed my shoulders with passionate roughness and smashed his lips into mine. Now it was my turn to gasp into the kiss as sparks filled my body. He wrapped his arms around me tightly and possessively, but with tenderness. He took control of the kiss, gently parting my lips with his tongue and gently teasing my own tongue. I felt my body shudder with pleasure as I responded with equal passion.

Neither of us wanted the kiss to end, but unfortunately, we both needed to breathe. We pulled apart, gasping for air. I lay my head on his chest as he held me close, caressing my body, bringing a shudder of pleasure from me. "My Christine…." he whispered in my ear.

"My angel." I whispered in his ear.

"Thank you. Thank you for seeing the man underneath this monstrous visage, my love." he told me, pressing me gently to him.

"Your face is not monstrous." I told him firmly. "I can't say the same about your temper though."

"I am sorry." he said, his cheeks turning red with embarrassment. "I should not have done that to you." His expression turned stern. "You shouldn't have removed my mask though."

"I don't see you complaining." I said, raising an eyebrow.

He held me tighter. "Impertinent girl." he growled lustfully into my ear.

"Are you going to punish me?" I purred.

He lifted me suddenly into his arms. "You little vixen." he growled before slamming his lips into mine once again, carrying me to the bed, his lips never leaving mine. He lay us both on the bed and we kissed until we were gasping for air again.

"Can you tell me something?" I asked in between kisses.

"You're trying my patience, girl." he growled lustfully as he placed gentle kisses and nips on my neck.

"I just need to know one thing." I gasped as he kissed a tender spot.

"Speak then." he said, amused, as he kissed the spot again.

"What's…your name?" I gasped out. "I want to know who my angel truly is."

"I'm Erik. Erik Wessler." he told me as he joined our lips again. My mind was soon too clouded to ask anything else. Our mouths had better things to do anyway.