Kurt kept walking, and just as he was about to reach the mirror, it opened, and a gloved hand reached out, taking his, and pulling him through to the other side. He had wondered how the masked man had been inside his mirror, if it had been a trick of the light, or something else. But this must have been how. It wasn't a mirror. It was a door. And he wasn't inside it, he was behind it.

Kurt let himself be pulled along, still entranced, following the masked man down a long hallway which he had never seen before in all his years at the opera house. It led to a long spiral staircase that went on for miles. Kurt couldn't even see to the bottom. He knew he should be frightened, but he wasn't. Too enthralled by the man in the mask. Wanting to know more about him. Who he was.

It was only when the reached the bottom of the spiral staircase that Kurt realized, the masked man was not only his vocal tutor, his Angel of Music, but the Phantom of the Opera as well. Why else would he be taking him to the depths of the opera house, where the phantom was rumored to reside?

At the bottom of the staircase stood a horse. Kurt felt himself being lifted up, and set on top of the horse. He wasn't sure what to think or do at this point, and therefore let the Phantom do as he wished. He looked around, taking in his surroundings, as the Phantom led the horse through the damp rooms. He figured they must be far below the surface, deep underground. He wondered if anyone else knew how to get down here. Would anyone be able to find him if this wasn't safe? Would anyone know where he was if he didn't come back? He didn't think so. And yet, he still wasn't afraid. He trusted the Phantom.

The horse stopped, and Kurt was shaken from his reverie as the Phantom lifted him off the horse, leading him over to a boat.

"Climb in." He whispered in Kurt's year.

Kurt did as he was told, climbing into the boat, and sitting down at the front. The Phantom stood behind him, grabbing an oar, and rowing away.

"Sing for me." He requested.

Kurt didn't know what to sing, but couldn't find the words to ask what the Phantom would like to hear, so he began to sing nonsense. No words. Just high notes, coming out shrill and clear in the damp dark underground of the opera house. The notes got higher and higher each time he sang. He hoped he was pleasing his tutor.

As he hit the highest note he was capable of, the boat stopped. He'd closed his eyes at some point during his melodic tune, and he opened them, surveying the area.

He was in a large room, made of stone and rocks and concrete, as most of the underground rooms had been. There was a stone floor in the midst of all the water, giving it the feel of a small island. He climbed out of the boat in his trance like state, just standing there. There were thousands upon thousands of candles lighting the area with a dim glow. He had to admit, it was beautiful, even if it was a bit dreary.

The Phantom stepped out of the boat, coming up behind him, and grabbing him by the shoulders, turning him around to face him.

Kurt looked him directly in the eyes, and the Phantom began to sing. Kurt couldn't look away, could hardly blink. Letting the sound of his tutor's voice wash over him.

"I have brought you
To the seat of sweet music's throne.
To this kingdom where all must pay homage to music.
Music."

The Phantom walked up a short set of stone steps to a piano, where many pieces of various sheet music lay. Kurt wondered how long it had taken him to write all of it, as the Phantom continued to sing.

"You have come here
For one purpose and one alone.
Since the moment I first heard you sing
I have needed you with me to serve me to sing
For my music.
My music."

Kurt was mesmerized by the Phantom's voice, listening intently as his song grew softer. Sweeter.

"Night time sharpens
Heightens each sensation.
Darkness stirs and wakes imagination.
Silently the senses
Abandon their defenses."

As the Phantom sang, he walked back down the steps, walking over to Kurt, and taking him by the hand. He pulled him along, as he sang to Kurt, telling him of the beauty of the darkness and the night.

"Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams.
Purge your thoughts of the life you knew before.
Close your eyes let your spirit start to soar."

Kurt closed his eyes, just as the Phantom's song told him to, and listened as he hit a particularly beautiful high note, causing a chill to run down Kurt's spine.

"And you'll live as you've never lived before."

The Phantom gestured for Kurt to come towards him, and he did so, allowing the Phantom to take his hand, walking him around the large room.

"Softly, deftly, music shall caress you.
Hear it, feel it secretly possess you.
Open up your mind
Let your fantasies unwind."

The Phantom walked around Kurt, gently brushing against his side as he walked past, and Kurt took a sharp intake of breath, letting his eyes roam over the masked man in front of him.

"In this darkness that you know you cannot fight.
The darkness of the music of the night."

The Phantom was walking behind a long line of candles now, causing shadows to dance across his mask as the fire flickered.

"Let your mind start a journey to a strange new world.
Leave all thoughts of the life you knew before.
Let your soul take you where you long to be."

The Phantom was standing directly in front of him again as he sang the next line of his song.

"Only then can you belong to me."

He reached out, putting a gloved hand on each of Kurt's cheeks, and holding his face gently. Kurt sighed at the touch.

He turned Kurt around slowly, so that his chest was flush with Kurt's back, and held on to Kurt's hips gently. Kurt had never been touched this way before, and it sent a shiver down his spine.

"Floating.
Falling.
Sweet intoxication.
Touch me."

He took Kurt's hand, then, lifting it up to the uncovered half of his face, and pressing Kurt's palm to his flesh.

"Trust me.
Savor each sensation."

He took Kurt's hand in his again, leading him across the room yet again.

"Let the dream begin.
Let your darker side give in
To the power of the music that I write.
The power of the music of the night."

And with that, his song was over. Kurt looked deep into his eyes for the first time. They were a deep rich hazel, and they sparkled in a way Kurt couldn't have explained in words if he tried.

He wasn't sure what possessed him to do it, perhaps the beautiful song he had just sung, or maybe the way he was looking at him, but Kurt leaned forward, capturing the Phantom's lips with his in a soft, gentle kiss. The Phantom let go of his hand and brought both his hands up to Kurt's cheeks, holding his face softly as he parted his lips, deepening the kiss.

Kurt had never been kissed before, and wasn't sure what he was doing, but it all felt so right, and he didn't have time to be self conscious.

When the song had ended, they must have been by the Phantom's bed without Kurt noticing, too caught up in the beauty of his tutor's voice, because the next thing he knew, he was being gently pushed back on to a large, soft bed, covered in red silk sheets.

He let himself be pushed, lying down on the bed as the Phantom climbed on top of him, kissing him harder and with more force, and Kurt wasn't even sure if he was still breathing, too overwhelmed by it all.

He realized then that he he wasn't doing anything with his hands, just letting them lay limply by his sides, so he lifted them up tentatively, tangling them into the Phantom's hair. It was slicked down with heavy amounts of gel, but Kurt managed to grab a hold of a few locks of hair. The Phantom moaned softly into his mouth, and Kurt could feel himself getting hard.

He would have expected to be embarrassed. He'd never been in a position like this with anyone before in his life. And yet he felt as comfortable as could be. Although he had only met the Phantom face to face that day, he had been training with him for years, and Kurt felt as if he knew him. Felt comfortable being so intimate with him so soon, because when he sang, he was vulnerable, and the Phantom had helped him through that. Now he was vulnerable again, so why not go through it with the Phantom? He may not have known much about the Phantom, other than the fact that he was a wonderful singer who lived in the depths of the opera house, but the Phantom certainly knew him. Inside and out.

He felt the Phantom remove his hands from Kurt's face, moving them to unbutton Kurt's shirt, and then his own. They both slipped them off, and the Phantom ran his hands down the expanse of Kurt's torso. Kurt took a sharp intake of breath.

Even in the dim candle lit dungeon-esque room, the Phantom was beautiful. His skin giving off a sort of glow. Kurt assumed it was from all the years hiding from the sun.

The Phantom began to unbutton Kurt's pants, slipping them off slowly, and that was when Kurt realized that the Phantom must be far older than him. He had been residing in the underground of the opera house since before Kurt had been brought here, and couldn't have been much younger than thirty or forty years old. Kurt wasn't sure if he should assume the Phantom was more experienced than he was, however. Spending his whole life down here in the gloom, he couldn't have had many suitors. That, on top of the fact that the Phantom most definitely seemed to be interested in men. It was hard enough to find someone when you were gay, but he doubted the Phantom would ever be able to find anyone.

Except him.

Now.

He reached down, undoing the Phantom's pants, and the Phantom removed them, along with his underwear. Kurt removed his underwear as well, and waited for the Phantom to make the next move.

He may not have been more experienced, but he was older, and certainly taking charge in this situation.

The Phantom ripped his gloves off his hands, tossing them to the side. He then leaned down, kissing Kurt hard on the mouth once again.

Kurt wished he would take off the mask. Let him see what lay underneath. But something told him to let it go.

The Phantom detached his lips from Kurt's, and trailed them down his neck and torso, stopping to suck or nip at certain areas, causing Kurt to arch of the bed, soft gasps falling from his lips. He reached Kurt's erection, taking it into his hand and stroking it a few times before taking it into his mouth, bobbing his head up and down and sucking softly.

Kurt groaned, trying not to thrust into the hot wet heat of the Phantom's mouth, not wanting to hurt him. The Phantom licked over his slit, and Kurt's hips jerked up in spite of his attempts to keep still. The Phantom reached up, grabbing Kurt's hips gently, but with enough force to stop him from moving. He bobbed his head a few more times before pulling off, licking his lips, and making Kurt whine.

He lay down on top of Kurt again, lining up their hard erections, and rutting against him. Kurt reached down, taking them both into his hand and stroking in strong sure movements. The Phantom let out a long groan, throwing his head back, and it was the most beautiful sound Kurt had ever heard. Even more beautiful than his singing voice.

He stroked them harder, faster, and the Phantom reached a hand between them as well, helping Kurt as their orgasms hit them simultaneously. Kurt let out a long whine, hips arching up off the bed, as the Phantom sighed at his release.

They lie there for a moment, both breathing heavy, before the Phantom reached over, removing a pillow from its case, and using the pillow case to clean them off.

He then got dressed as Kurt did the same.

"Come. I have something to show you." The Phantom said, taking Kurt's hand, and pulling him along.

They reached a curtain, and when the Phantom pulled it back, Kurt saw himself. Or, more accurately, a very lifelike statue of his own face. He looked back to the Phantom, and then to the statue again, before fainting into the Phantom's arms.

The Phantom caught Kurt as he fainted. He had never expected him to react so harshly to it. Especially not after the beautiful moment they had just shared. He thought it was some of his best work. He made many figurines and other various trinkets, but his bust of Kurt's head was his favorite piece, by far.

He carried Kurt over to his bed and lay him down gently. He then took a deep breath, lying beside him and breathing in the scent of Kurt all around him.

When Kurt had never come out of his dressing room after the show, Brittany had gotten worried. She'd sneaked into her mother's room and stolen the keys that unlocked most of the rooms in the opera house. She then tiptoed her way to Kurt''s dressing room, unlocking it, and going quietly inside.

"Kurt?" She whispered into the dark room. "Kurt, are you still in here?"

She walked through the large dressing room, not really expecting to find him there, but looking anyway. She was just about to give up and leave when she noticed that the mirror was shifted slightly to the right, and behind it, there was no wall, as she would have expected, but empty space. Curious, she walked over to it, pulling it fully open, and gazing down the dark dimly lit hallway that met her eyes.

She stepped into the hallway tentatively, frightened as to where it might lead, but wanting to find Kurt before going to sleep.

She walked slowly, quietly.

She heard something on the floor below, and looked down to find an uncomfortably large number of rats. She shuddered, but continued walking forwards.

She then felt a hand on her shoulder and turned around quickly, not allowing herself to scream, in case someone should hear.

Upon turning around, she saw her mother standing there, looking at her disapprovingly.

"I thought I told you not to go looking around this opera house by yourself? You know it's not safe." Carole scolded her as she dragged her out of the dressing room.

"I know. But I was looking for Kurt. He didn't come back to the dormitories tonight, and I was afraid something had happened to him." Brittany explained.

"Don't fret, dear. I'm sure he'll be right back here, safe and sound in the morning."

Carole led Brittany down the hall to where the rest of the chorus girls were gathered, before leaving to take care of something or another around the opera house.

Noah Puckerman smirked as Brittany came into the room. He'd been wondering where she was. He loved to sneak his way in to the girls room after a show, and, although he loved every single one of them, Brittany was his favorite. With her long blonde hair, and her filled out figure, he could look at her all day long.

Not only did he like looking at the girls, ogling them for all he was worth, he also liked to scare them with tales of the opera ghost.

"His skin's as yellow as parchment." He began. "He has no nose, and eyes the color of coal. Dead and unfeeling."

He went over to a group of girls, growling at them and causing them to scream. He laughed heartily, enjoying the reaction he always got with these stories, but not believing a word of them himself. Opera ghost. What a stupid thought. He'd never seen any evidence of such a thing lurking about. Only the notes that Ms. Hudson got on occasion, but those could have been from anyone.

"You'd better watch out." He said, giving a girl a wink. "Or he'll catch with his lasso, and once he's got you, there's no escaping." He lifted up a small lasso he'd made with some spare rope he'd seen hanging around earlier, and grabbed a girl by the waist, pulling her forward and wrapping the lasso around her, before kissing her messily on the neck.

Carole entered the room then, ripping the girl from his grasp and sending her away to the other side of the room.

"I suggest you keep your mouth shut, Noah Puckerman." Carole reprimanded him. "And keep your hand at the level of your eyes, lest you become his next victim."

Puckerman rolled his eyes, leaving the room, and grumbling about Carole always ruining his fun.

When Kurt awoke the next morning, he was alone in an unfamiliar bed. He took a moment, trying to remember what had happened the night before, though everything felt a little hazy. He thought he remembered riding a horse. Inside. He must have dreamed that, mustn't he? No, no he was certain it had happened. He'd gone through a mirror, down some stairs, ridden a horse....And then what? Taken a boat across a lake, and ended up here. But who had brought him all that way?

Suddenly, he remembered. His vocal tutor. The Angel of Music. The Opera Ghost. It was him. He had brought him here.

He had sung to him. They'd kissed and then...

But where was he now? Had he left Kurt all alone down here, with no clue how to get back up to the surface?

He slowly got up out of the bed, looking around for any sign of the Phantom.

He finally spotted him, sitting at his piano, and working on what Kurt assumed was another new song. He hoped so. From what he had heard the Phantom sing last night, his original music was impeccable.

He approached the Phantom slowly, tentatively, not sure how either of them really felt about what had happened between them the night before. He came up beside him, taking his hand gently, and leaning down to kiss him softly on the lips.

Suddenly, his urge to see the face behind the mask overtook him, and he grabbed the mask, pulling it off the Phantom's face gently.

He saw a glimpse of the angry, red, deformed flesh, before he was shoved to the ground as the Phantom covered his face with his hand quickly.

"No!" The Phantom shouted, turning away from him quickly. And facing one of the many mirrors in the room that were covered my sheets. He ripped the sheet off, looking at himself in the mirror, obviously disgusted by his own appearance. "You shouldn't have done that! You don't want to see this face! This hideous face that I hide for a reason."

He knocked a candelabra onto the floor, but luckily it didn't catch anything on fire.

"Damn you!" He screamed, enraged. Kurt wasn't sure, though, if he was enraged with Kurt, or enraged by his own appearance. "You can never leave now! You'll tell the world of my hideous face. You'll send them to find me. To look and laugh. I'll be a laughing stock. You'll have to...You'll have to stay here. With me. Forever."

Kurt shook his head, "I won't. I won't tell anyone." He mumbled softly, but the Phantom must not have heard him.

"How can you even stand to look at me? This evil, loathsome creature that I am. Do you wish you could take last night back? Take it all back, and never have come down here? Down to my cave, where I hide in Hell, longing for the days when I can escape, but knowing that they'll never come. Knowing I'm doomed to burn for all eternity, all because of my distorted features."

Kurt's eyes began to fill with tears that he refused to let fall. He was scared for the first time since coming down to this cave-like basement. He hated that the Phantom felt this way about himself. He wanted to help. But he couldn't if the Phantom continued to act this way, knocking over candles and shouting. It was terrifying.

"I wish I weren't this way, Kurt. I don't want to be a monster." The Phantom confessed, falling to his knees, and Kurt was nearly certain there were tears forming in his eyes as well.

Kurt stared at him, his face still covered with his hand. He was unsure of what to do or say, and so decided just to hand him his mask, which was lying on the ground by Kurt's hand.

He took it, turning away from Kurt before removing his hand from his face, and putting the mask back in its rightful position. He stood up, looking down at Kurt.

"Come along. I'd better get you back before anyone starts to worry."