When a week had passed, and another Monday was approaching the Lestat family, Erik had deemed that he'd molded into their routine quite well.

The moment Arielette was able to stand on her own, they ate every breakfast together, and subsequently ever dinner. The Lestat couple only ever went out for lunch since they wanted to be home with their family, and Anton never went out at all. Arielette spent her days reading, or when she was fit, she would go out and explore the city, dragging her brother along.

The coming Monday, she was accompanying him, all fit and nearly healed, to the opera house. Arielette wanted to explore the cellars below it, and no one had ever taken her before. They hadn't allowed her on her own because no one was truly sure what was down there besides the first two levels of props. Erik was the first one brave enough to accompany his fearless partner.

That was also something Erik grew accustomed to over the days spent in the Lestat flat. Arielette truly had not a fearful bone in her body. Erik could sneak up on her, or attempt to fright her, and positively nothing. He'd gotten Anton good one night when he snuck into their shared room and didn't make a single sound until the bed creaked when he laid himself down, but Arielette wasn't susceptible.

It was Sunday night, and Erik and Arielette were curled up in her room, sitting on the bed, feet dangling off the edge. Their bodies were close, and the brunette beauty had her arms wrapped around one of Erik's. He'd made some new purchases of clothes, two new suits, a couple undershirts, socks, and one set of nightwear that he currently had on.

"I haven't bothered you with it, Erik," Arielette suddenly started, and though their conversations over the week had been endless, they both knew this certain topic wasn't to be breached.

"With... what?" Erik knew of course, but maybe she would veer away from it hearing his hostility.

"The mask." Her face was as solid as steel. Though there was no other option, she didn't fear what his reaction would be, and for that he just couldn't blame her.

Erik took in a heavy breath and looked down at the darling woman practically in his lap.

"You didn't look upon it in choice, I don't wish to subject you to that horror."

Arielette removed herself from him, but not for long as she faced his eyes, legs tucked under her, however ashamed he looked.

"I have no fear, you should know such a thing by now, Erik. I do not understand why you continue to doubt that."

She placed a hand on one of his covered cheeks, feeling the smooth mask and how warm it was from his obviously flustered cheeks.

"It's not..." Erik shook his head, brushing her hand off of him. She was so beautiful, and he couldn't understand her, "It isn't decent to show a woman like you."

Arielette laughed but quickly realized that was the wrong reaction as she saw the glow of Erik's eyes deepen.

"Don't be angry Erik, you are simply being foolish! I haven't seen it up close, and I think I am very much unlike other women."

Their eyes were connected, and she tried very hard to persuade him with his eyes, encouraging his motions as he reached for the ties behind his head. She didn't truly expect him to just fall his mask from his features, so broken and torn, but she welcomed the sight with a smile. Erik's face was nothing Arielette had seen before, even after years of her fearless nature. The skin was gaunt and twisted, looking much like a scar from a burn did, but much thinner and paler. His nose did not exist, bar the bone of his skull which didn't give it any length. She knew what his lips and chin looked like already, but she supposed the rest of his face was given now seeing the whole of it. Her fingers graced the surface of a cheekbone, prominent and sharp, then travelling into his thin, black hair.

"You are very handsome, Erik."

With the sentiment, and all of his feelings confused and flustered, Erik took a bold move, placing a heavy kiss to his partner's lips. She was soft, and warm, and everything about it lit up his senses, music not even comparing. There was a joy in the magic that music created, nothing like the gypsies slight of hand, and it was his favorite thing about life. It fulfilled him and gave him something heady to enjoy and revel in... but this? His heart fluttered like never before, and Erik wanted nothing more than to keep Arielette as his own, to kiss and hold forever in his arms.

With her suitor's arms about her waist, and their kissing going deeper than anything Arielette knew of, she felt a warmness in her. There was wanting, and intimacy that they'd never experienced together. It felt more than exhilarating as she pushed him up against her wall, the bed giving a creak that jolted Erik, but only made Arielette grin from behind her lips.

The push to her shoulder was unexpected, but she looked at a flustered and overwhelmed Erik with understanding.

Their first kiss, and both were smiling brightly, though Arielette was more smiling because she'd never seen Erik do it without restrictions before.

"I'll call you handsome every minute of every day if that's what I earn when I do," she stated brazenly.

He laughed, though his conscience was obviously fuzzy as he looked uncomfortable under her stare, his mask gone from sight.

"I never thought I would find someone like you, Arielette... that would take me to be theirs like you have."

"And I never thought I would find someone so tolerant of my fearlessness, I mean, no one has ever dared the bottom two cellars of the opera before."

Erik chuckled and placed a quick kiss to her lips, feeling as though there would never be enough of it.

"I've seen the design plans for the building, and the fourth cellar should be empty and walkways, while the fifth is just drainage. Must we travel so low?"

"Are you afraid?" Arielette teased her suitor, enjoying his glare.

"Not at all, but what interest do you have in rainwater?"

She shrugged, feeling the want to go below and just be somewhere others hadn't. Arielette took pride in her gift, and with allowance, her curiosity begged to be sated.

"I've no idea, but we will be alone for the whole of it," she informed him, leaning in to initiate a kiss of her own. Their third, and she never wanted to stop counting.

His lips were thin, but she found no fault in their ability to complete the desired task. He smelled clean, and of opera scores and ink. He composed day and night, and it was evident when she was so close, happily smothered by him.

"The longer we are alone, the happier I am, then," Erik told her silkily. "Will you sing for me while we are there?"

Recoiling, Arielette felt anger well within her, knowing no fear of performing, but simply not having a want to. She would not complete the musical symphony Erik thought to find in her, and though she didn't care at all that there would be disappointment on his part, she simply couldn't put him through it.

"I will not."

"I hate your finality," Erik said, with a sour look on his face. "Yo say you are fearless, but I must suffer without your voice."

"I know I would not be up to your par, there is no reason to let your high expectations fall. That, and I simply do not want to."

Arielette attempted to mend the gap she'd made with a kiss, and it worked for a moment, until a knock came on the door and Erik jumped up from the bed.

"Goodnight," Anton poked his head, "Maman and Father said so as well, you two have fun tomorrow."

They thanked Anton, and Erik laughed in relief that he was of no suspect.

"Goodnight, my darling."

"Goodnight," Arielette said, standing from her bed and placing one, final kiss to Erik's lips.

She handed him his mask, and he faltered for a moment, knowing that her brother had now seen him mask-less as well.

"He saw you at your performance too, Erik. Now go to bed, it's all fine, I promise."

He shook his head, dazed from the whole experience, yet tired and ready to retire for the day. Erik was quick with his last kiss, their fifth, and left the room in his quiet and finicky ways.

-

The opera house was still rather empty that day, as the only people there were the scant actors who stayed with the walls of the Populaire. Erik and Arielette were the loudest ones there, the pull of the halls and steps giving them way to a playground of fun.

Erik felt like a child, and he only knew because of the jovial feeling welled within him. There was a skip in his step, and never before had he so thoroughly enjoyed just walking about. Of course, the kisses in dark halls and lonely places were just a bit better than the chatting. He had never known such bliss.

The first few cellars were full of props and old sets, large and small alike, broken and covered in webs of spiders. Arielette grinned at it all, Erik holding his lantern and her hand like life depended upon it. His ease was minimal, but his partner looked like she'd lived there her whole life.

"You must be the oddest person I know, and yet I know of people who were covered head to toe in tattoos, bearded women, and those who could touch their nose with their feet from behind their head," Erik informed Arielette as she put her hands upon the black wood of a gondola.

"This looks real," she commented. The third cellar had the least of all the others, and they were just at the base of the stairwell retreating down into the fourth. The door was covered in dust, and Erik took the liberty of blowing it off.

His mask protected him from the upheaval, but his cloak was not so lucky.

"Are you coming?"

She nodded, entering the open threshold with a smile.

There were three paths, one with downward stairs, and two with ramps that declined into darkness. There were torch holders, but none of them had torches to be lit like the previous three cellars.

"Looks like catacombs down here," Arielette muttered briefly. "Do you know which way to go?"

Erik nodded. "There was only one path on the prints I found, which was this path here on the right."

The darkest of the declines, and Arielette looked elated.

"Come on then!"

With chagrin, and somewhat of a thrill, Erik followed silently behind his brunette and recited the ways through the cellar from memory.

"You have impeccable recollection, you know. Most people cannot even remember a single few staffs of a piece, let alone whole compositions and floor plans," Arielette said in the dim light, following the scant instruction Erik gave as the seemed to travel much lower than expected.

"How large was this cellar? It seems to be just walkways and halls and stairs," Arielette added.

"I only saw a single path on the plans, like I said, so I'm not too sure, but I think it's just one last set of stairs before we reach a door to the fifth cellar."

"Do you think this is why no one ever goes down here?" She asked.

"Possibly," he replied, following her down the stairs they'd finally reached.

They passed through their final threshold and ceased at the edge of, when illuminated, what looked to be an immense, black lake.

"This isn't supposed to be here," Erik said, sounding frustrated and intrigued all at once.

"We need a boat," Arielette grinned in the dim light of their lantern, and Erik knew what that insinuation meant. It meant he go retrieve said boat from two cellars above.

"Must we travel across it, what if there is nothing there?" He begged.

"We turn around."

With a sigh, he demanded, "If only I get a kiss."

He was brazen with his asking, but she delivered regardless, pushing him off saying she awaited his hasty return. With a roll of his eyes, and the prickle of fear on his back, Erik went from his partner and traveled upwards through the dark of the catacombs.