Pairings: very small Hibiki/Anguished One
Notes: Inspired by NGE and I just wanted Hibiki and Alcor to play the piano (because Alcor would know how the basics at least, right?) Originally, I was gonna write Airi playing and Jungo listening but this came out instead (I'll write that one later). Sorry for any errors.
Edited
Disclaimer: DeSu2 is not mine.
There's no one to keep him company but he didn't want company so it worked out either way. Staying with the same people for nearly a week can wear a person down, particularly when they fight on a frequent basis. He could go to anywhere but he's fond of Tokyo and he doesn't like going through the terminal and dealing with the strange feeling he gets when he lands hundreds of miles away from home.
He stumbles through a mountain of debris and wonders if Daichi would be mad if he finds out how far he's wondered off. Daichi would probably panic and then get angry; he was such a worry wart.
With a small laugh he slid down the debris and stumbled around a few looted stores and crashed cars.
Somewhere along the way he finds a music store which he's sure he's visited at one point in his life. It looked old and worn out with its windows smashed and the front walls were scratched and bloodied. A fight must have broken out but was it between Humans and Demons or Demons and Demons?
He didn't want to know.
He jumps through the window, careful not to cut himself and takes a look around the store. Dust seemed to have settled around the displayed instruments, guitars and batons were skewed about and music sheets rustled in the wind. It takes him a moment to find the other instruments in the store, the violins somewhere in a corner, a few broken but others still in one piece. The flutes, recorders, and clarinets in another corner, harmonicas and the silver triangles on the front counter with books of music and stands.
There was a door leading deeper into the store and when follows it he can see the smaller rooms with small pianos and music sheets skewed about. Eventually, he finds the back room with a single metal door leading out to the back alley. Nothing but a broken fridge and broken chairs were there so he made his way back.
He starts picking up the music sheets, some already threatening to fly away when a gust of wind rolled into the store. He looks them over, playing the tunes in his head when he can and wondering about the others. When he stumbles across some fallen shelves and stands he realizes something fascinating.
There's a grand piano in the middle of the room.
He wastes no time pushing and shoving the offended items off the instrument before checking it over. It's a deep black color, seemingly unaffected by the dust but small scratches litter the edges where the stands fell on it. When he pushes a key, it lets out a deep resounding note. It's out of tune, if only slightly, but he doesn't mind.
It's been years since he's piano and he wonders if maybe Airi would like to see it later.
He's so wrapped up in his musing (key after key, note after note it's no wonder they found him) that he doesn't realize that the demons have gathered outside the store. It's too late when he hears the screeching of an avian demon, he doesn't even have time to raise his arms in defense.
Daichi would be so angry at him.
He closes his eyes for the impact, for the pain, and the despair but nothing comes.
"You should be more careful, Shining One." It's a soft familiar voice and it somehow brings a smile to his face.
"Thank you," he whispers when he looks up and the demons are gone, in their place a man stood in front of him. His hair is a shocking white and he has to resist the urge to tug on it to see if it's real (he's sure Yamato will skin him if he does and the man in front of him is nothing but a mystery)
"You should not be here without a companion." The man smiles at him, he doesn't sound like he's scolding him so he smiles back.
"Everyone else is busy with errands" He explains. JPs is running everyone ragged with the upcoming battles and the lack of supplies, the 'rebels' aren't helping but he knows Ronaldo only means well.
"I see," The man covers his mouth with his hand and for moment looks fascinated and in deep thought. Sometimes, he wonders what goes through the man's head.
"You can call me Hibiki, you know. Calling you Anguished One seems a bit too long; can't I call you something else?" He asks and starts looking for a seat. The place is a mess but he wonders into one of the back rooms for one, all the while the man is following after him, looking around the store with a deep sort of fascination.
"You are the Shining One, and I am simply the Anguished One."
"Maybe I should give you a nickname." Hibiki smiles when he sees the man's shocked and confused expression, his hands covering his mouth again in some attempt to hide it.
"Are nicknames not a term of affections?"
"We're friends, aren't we?" He's not sure what their relationship is but he's sure they're friends, even after the stint with Otome and the tower. The white hair man always means in well in unusual ways. There's a moment of silence before the man answers.
"Yes."
Hibiki smiles at him and carries the seat back to the front of the store.
"Do you know how to play?" He gestures to the grand piano and the man gives it a look before nodding slowly.
"A bit, I believe. It's fascinating how humans have developed such instruments," the man gives the room another look.
"It's thanks to you." He takes a seat on one side of the chair and gestures the man to sit beside him. With a slight hesitation he sits down. They're too close; their shoulders are bumping into each other and their legs presses tightly against each other. It makes him blush a bit when the man turns around to look at him; his long eyelashes are white too.
"I gave you culture but you developed all developed all this." He smiles softly and it makes Hibiki blush a bit more. The Anguished One was certainly very pretty. 'Pretty' really shouldn't be used to describe a thousand year old man.
Hibiki makes the first move.
He pushes down the keys without looking at the music sheet (Ode to Joy, it says) and wonders if the man will play along. He's playing by memory, a hazing memory but still a nice one.
It doesn't take long for the man to join in, they both stumble along the way, Hibiki because it's been years since he's touched a piano and the Anguished One because he's never truly touched a piano but the music comes out nonetheless.
They speed up, stumbling in their notes and bumping and brushing against each other.
The Anguished One looks down with deep concentration, eyeing the keys and letting his slim fingers move gracefully. He picks up the notes quickly, stumbling less and less as the song wears on. Hibiki becomes more confident, fingers moving with determination and memories of lessons become more and more clear. He's sure they're not playing any particular song but he doesn't mind, he plays the keys he thinks will match the tune and the man beside him plays along.
It's the most fun he's had in a while.
He's not sure how long they stayed like that, but when the music ends he thinks it's too soon.
"Thanks," Hibiki mutters when the final note fades away.
"No, thank you. This was a rather enjoyable meeting, but I suppose most of our meetings are." When the man looks up he's smiling without shielding his lips and for a moment Hibiki is take back by it before smiling back and ignoring the sudden heat he feels in his chest and his face.
"We should do it again sometime." He suggests and the man hesitate before nodding.
"I would like that."
"Hibiki!" The sudden shout makes the raven hair boy jump, and the chair wobbles for moment. It's Daichi and he sounded panicked. Did something happen? He pulls his phone out to check any emails and he's surprised by the number of missed calls.
No wonder Daichi is worried.
He winces from the thought of the scolding he's about to get and sighs in defeat. Maybe Daichi will let him off easy. He doubts it.
"Sorry-" Hibiki knows he shouldn't be shocked but it still surprises him when the man just gets up and disappears into thin air, "I guess I'll see you later."
With a straight back, he stands and he marches out the store to reassure his friend.
(The scolding he gets from everyone is worth it)