"It was horrible, horrible!" She trembled under his protective arms, seeking comfort for his presence and warmth, pulling him closer, and seeming never to get enough of his tight embrace. Her tears travelled down gently on her velvet-like, young face as she recalled her dream.

A horrid dream it was. Someone, something was chasing her through darkness. She was running, running through endless passageways and labyrinths and never seem to reach any light or assurance that she would be saved. Her legs got exhausted and the shadowed figure, caught up with her. Enveloping her with such darkness.

"Shhh, stop these tears, little Meg. I am here." His voice was so melodious and gentle.

"Monsters, ghosts, they want me, they will get me, Erik." She sniffed, slightly calming down. For his warm embrace and soothing voice were all she needed to know that she was secure.

"These creatures are figments of our imagination, petite. It is not something to dwell upon." He patted her head, feeling the softness of her blonde curls.

"They do exist!" She exclaimed, and fresh tears started to come out again.

"Shhh, I know myself that they do not exist." He placed his finger on her soft, little lips.

She looked up at him, and unable to decipher on what is going through his mind. She was welcomed with the sight of a white porcelain mask covering the right side of his face, concealing the curse he had since birth. Of course, he had not shown her this for the fact that he did not want her to shun him. Or despise him. But our young Meg insisted that she is to be granted the wish to see his haunted face, he did not know what she had said to persuade him, but he did it. He showed her. His sin. His ugliness. She did not recoil in horror. She did not react the way a sane person would have. It intrigued Erik to no end and couldn't believe that he found someone, someone who did not fear him. Someone, perhaps, that would be his happiness. Someone to love and maybe, marry. But it was too early to think about that.

"They were scary. And so were their faces." She muttered, frightened.

"I bet my face would have been scarier, child." He chuckled bitterly.

She shook her head; she never wanted Erik to think of himself so horribly, as if he was some sort of creature that was forbidden to wander the earth. He was a human too, and as young as she was, she did not understand why people would run from him. For her, it was just a face. She did not care about what other people would say. She cared about Erik, and that's that.

"No, Erik is beautiful and kind." She wholeheartedly let those words come out of her lips.

"Ah, little Meg. You are such an innocent angel. You do not need to comfort me in my solitude." He wiped her tears away gently and half-heartedly smiled but his eyes held sadness.

"No, Erik, you are the angel. You compose such beautiful music." She insisted, pinching his left uncovered cheek and smiled quite charmingly making his heart skip a beat.

"Petite…"

"Erik, you say that ghosts do not exist, " He nodded.

"But you exist." She whispered, and he looked at her eyes and found something that he needed, longed for since he was born. Love.

"Opera Ghost, you exist in here." She said, pointing at her heart. She reached out her hand to caress his cheek and Erik savored her warm fingertips against his sinful face. And then, she kissed his cheek as her delicate hands left his cheek, as he felt her weaken and slump against him. He froze, stunned at her actions, and gently looked down at her.

Words coming from such a young age was so overwhelming. Especially when she did not understand what she had said. Did she? Did she already understand love? Was that statement of hers true and was it a confession? He could not help but wonder. Those phrases that she has spoken made him weak, for this was the first time that somebody cared for him, and the irony is, they are not even blood related. Yet, their friendship, their relationship is stronger than any of the others. And it will become stronger and stronger as time will pass by.

He laughed silently as he observed her young, sleeping, beautiful face under the moonlight.

"Sweet dreams, angel." He kissed her forehead.