When I left the warm surroundings
Of my selfish, difficult stage
When our eyes first met there was deja vu
And a feeling I could not shake
Then when gravity seduced me
And drew me to this place
I could swear we were together
In an entirely different age
Say hello to your future
I'm just pleased to meet you
You were a million miles away
Say hello to your lion's heart
Queen Victoria's England
Will never ever be the same
Darren Hayes - The Future Holds a Lion's Heart
xXxXxXxXx
The rhythmic beat of rock music in the background left Lavi tapping his toes on the floor in time with Rock Steady by Bad Company as it played from the jukebox in the corner. Brushing back his red hair, he quickly filled the tall beer glass with Guinness from the tap, the foam nearly spilling out the top before he shut the pump off and handed it to the man on the other side of the bar. "Here you go," Lavi said, taking the money left in front of him.
"Thanks," the man said, leaving the bar to head back to his table where his friends were waiting.
Lavi hummed a few bars of the song as it played, cleaning the counter of leftover coasters and the sticky remains of half spilled drinks. It was only nine, but The Flame was practically dead. Besides the group of men at the far corner table that were watching highlights from last night's basketball game, only a couple of people were still sitting around and nursing their drinks. It would be a bad night for business, but Lavi was almost glad for the reprieve. The weekend had been crazy when they introduced a popular local band to play on Saturday. He and Kanda had been cleaning up the broken beer bottles since that night, and he still had yet to take a hose to the alley wall. Why drunk men needed to piss outside on his bar wall was beyond him. The redhead was certain his bathrooms were plenty clean. Hell, they had to be! The guys never used them!
Tossing the coasters in the garbage, Lavi sighed and leaned against the counter and shoved his hands in the pockets of his blue jeans. He was going to be bored if he kept the bar open until two. Just as he was about to clean the rest of the dirty glasses, a grunt of displeasure distracted him. Kanda, his unruly employee who seemed to boss him around instead of vice versa, kicked the bar flap door open and grumbled to himself.
"Whoa, easy Yuu! I just replaced that thing!" he cried out, wincing as the door slammed against the hard oak of the bar.
"I am never cleaning that fucking bathroom drain again," Kanda all but shouted. His usually clean appearance was in shambles. His clothes were dirty and wet, and his long dark hair, which had been tied back neatly in a ponytail, was now falling loose from its ties. "And I told you before! Don't call me Yuu!"
"Geez. Chill, buddy!" Lavi replied, hoping to calm Kanda's foul mood. "It's not like it even has to be done again for a long time. I'll make Sal or someone do it next. It was just so dead, I figured we should get something done."
Kanda just glared at him. "Never again."
"Fine, fine!" Lavi surrendered, not wanting to argue anymore. "Look, if you want to leave early, I think I can handle the rest of the night by myself. It's dead here. It's probably the weather. A foggy night like this has people scared to drive much."
"Tch, whatever," Kanda spat out, not wanting to waste any more time with it. He grabbed his motorcycle helmet from under the bar and headed towards the door.
"Not even a thank you?" Lavi called back, leaning over the bar as the dark haired man left. Kanda didn't turn around or say anything, but he did throw his hand in the air, in what looked like a half-assed attempt at a wave. Lavi laughed as the door shut behind his friend.
Still chuckling, Lavi continued to clean the bar and serve the few patrons who decided to leave home despite the nasty weather. Nearly an hour passed and Lavi was already feeling dead tired. The bar had mostly cleared out, but the few stragglers left him with no choice but to stay open. He had exhausted most of his cleaning duties already and was left with nothing to do but listen to the jukebox and watch news highlights on the television. He considered taking a nap in one of the corner booths, but scratched the idea as quickly as it came. He knew as soon as he decided to sneak away for a cat nap, he was sure to get a rush of customers. Just as he was about to look through their lost and found box for a misplaced book or magazine to read, the door opened.
Lavi's green eyes widened as he saw the young man enter the bar. He had light brown hair, cut nearly to his shoulders, and wore a black coat dotted in raindrops. Lavi watched as the young man walked to the bar and sat down. He set his leather messenger bag down next to him and slipped out of his jacket as he shook the water off him. Some glistening beads still hung in his hair as he turned to Lavi with a gentle smile.
The redhead shook himself out of whatever spell the brunette had put him under, and managed to find his tongue. "What can I get you?" he asked, leaning on the counter.
"Hm," the brunette mumbled, almost distracted. "Just a gin and tonic, please."
"Coming right up," Lavi replied, making the drink with expert hands. He had made the drink a million times before and didn't even need to look as he was preparing it. His eyes watched the young man as he pulled a notebook and a few pens out of his bag, flipping the pages until he reached his latest notes. Lavi slid the drink in front of him, lime wedge and all. "Gin and tonic," he confirmed.
"Thank you," the brunette replied, that same smile sneaking up and hitting Lavi right in the chest. He went to work in his notebook, concentrating on the pages in front of him and leaving the redhead out of his thoughts.
"You're welcome," he added, taking a step back and pretending to clean the already pristine bartop. Lavi couldn't keep his eyes from wandering back to the newcomer. He hadn't seen the man in his establishment before, and Lavi made a point of remembering his patrons. Despite the immediate attraction Lavi felt, he tried to brush it off. The last thing he needed to do was hit on his customers, especially new ones. What kind of reputation would that get his bar? Shaking his head of the thought, he went back to cleaning.
The brunette minded his own business, working on the papers in front of him with a look of concentration on his face. He only touched his drink a few times, instead his focus on whatever was on the paper. As Lavi cleaned, he craned his neck, trying to get a look without being caught blatantly staring. In fact, he was certain he would have been caught by now if the guy hadn't been concentrating on the task at hand, scribbling down notes and scratching others out.
This went on for nearly half an hour, the brunette working diligently as he nursed his gin and tonic and Lavi doing his best to look busy when all he was really trying to do was get a better look at the stranger. It was bothering the redhead, how oddly infatuated he was with the guy. He wasn't usually this struck by someone he just met.
Something in his mind told him to talk to the guy, even if he seemed distracted and busy. Lavi didn't want to be rude, but the urge was welling up inside him like a balloon ready to pop. A few more minutes passed and Lavi couldn't keep himself quiet anymore. Something about the guy intrigued him, and he had to know more about him. Though he had never seen the brunette before, Lavi felt as if he was so familiar.
Casually, he struck up a conversation. He was the bartender after all. Wasn't that part of the gig? Talking to patrons? "So, I haven't seen you around before. Are you new in town?" Lavi asked, and almost winced at how corny the lines sounded.
Lucky enough for Lavi, the man didn't seem to notice his awkwardness. "Actually, I am. I just moved here with my friend a few days ago. I'm Allen, by the way."
"Lavi," the redhead replied, tossing his cleaning towel over his shoulder. When Allen met his gaze, Lavi felt his heart stop, just for a second. He had the most beautiful blue eyes Lavi had ever seen. He would've continued staring into them forever, if such a thing were possible. Instead of going with that first instinct, he cleared his throat and kept talking. "Mind if I ask what you're working on? You seem pretty focused on it."
Allen took a sip from his drink, unfazed by the bartender's forwardness. "No, I don't mind," he said, setting the notebook aside. "I'm just working on some song lyrics."
Lavi smiled at the handsome man. "Music, huh? Are you in a band?" Lavi was a bit surprised. Allen didn't look the part of a musician, at least the ones he had met so far. The brunette dressed too neatly, in Lavi's opinion. Most musicians were dressed in ripped jeans, t-shirts, and shit like that. Allen, however, was dressed in a clean button-up shirt and his pants had no holes that Lavi could see.
"Yes," Allen answered, smiling politely. "My roommate and I have a band. We're called Innocence."
"Good name. What kind of music do you play?" Lavi inquired, leaning against the edge of the bar.
"We do a bit of everything. Mostly alternative rock."
"My favorite," the redhead commented. "So, I'm guessing you moved to the city to find work?"
Allen nodded as he took another swig from the drink. "Yes. We've outgrown our hometown, I'm afraid. We're looking for any place that will take us for a gig. I just came here to work on some new songs. I think better when I'm in a public place."
"Well, it just so happens that I'm the proprietor of this fine establishment," Lavi bragged, a smirk on his face. "If you have a CD of your work, I might be able to have you do a live show. We do them on Friday and Saturday nights. Pay is pretty good, too."
Allen's face lit up at the mention of a paying gig. "Really? That would be fantastic!" He rustled through his leather bag until he found what he was looking for. He handed over a generic looking CD with the word "Innocence" written on it in perfect script. Lavi wondered if it was his handwriting or his roommate's. "This is a mix of some of our work. Oh! And here!" He flipped the notebook page over to a blank one and scribbled numbers on it. "This is my cell phone number. Let me know if you want us to play."
"Will do," Lavi replied, looking down at the paper with the phone number written on it and the name Allen Walker.
Allen looked too excited. He folded up his notebook and shoved it back in his bag, then quickly finished off his drink. "I've got to go tell Lena. She's going to freak." He left cash on the bar for the drink and smiled as he threw his jacket back on. "Thanks, Lavi. I hope this works out. This would be a great break for us."
"I hope so, too," Lavi replied as Allen dashed out of the bar. He looked down at the CD and the phone number in his hand, a smile on his face. After a moment, he shook his head. What was he thinking? He tucked the note and the CD under the bar and sighed. Looking at the clock, he realized it was only 10:30. The redhead groaned and found himself a seat. It was going to be a long night.
xXxXxXxXx
The rain hadn't let up for nearly an hour and Lenalee was starting to wonder where Allen had gotten to. He left their shared apartment in the hopes of finding some inspiration for the new song they were working on, but once the weather turned, she worried. They only been in town for a few days and hadn't had a chance to really explore the city. Lenalee knew her way to the grocery store, her part-time job at the record store, and strangely enough, the hardware store. Their apartment was less than stellar and she and Allen had spent half their first day fixing broken things. So far, they needed to repair the toilet, the kitchen sink, replace at least four light bulbs, and reinforce a remarkably unstable kitchen cabinet. Their home improvement skills were sorely tested.
Even with the rough start, the apartment was coming along well. Everything was cleaned and most of the boxes they used to move were already empty and broken down into a neatly stacked pile. Though the apartment took some work to be livable, Lenalee was pleased with it. There were two bedrooms, a spacious living room, kitchen, and a bath. The apartment building was actually an old house remodeled for apartment living. Lenalee could tell by the strange way the apartments were laid out. Each apartment was different, and no floor plan was the same. It made for an interesting living space, with large windows and strange angles to rooms. However, the old building came with its own set of problems, as the first day had easily shown.
There were still a few boxes in the kitchen, five in total, that needed to be unpacked. Lenalee had set up her room as she wanted and she now moved to the kitchen to finish up. They spent the past few days organizing everything, and even though she was dead tired, Lenalee pushed herself to keep cleaning and putting away things. She just couldn't sleep peacefully with cardboard boxes in her apartment for one more night.
Hanging her ivy on the hook by the large kitchen window, she smiled. The plant really brightened up the room. Lenalee loved plants, and planned to fill the apartment with them. She appreciated the way the ivy brought life into what was now her place. With a sigh, she shook her head. She couldn't quite think of this place as her home yet, but the plants were helping. Just as she was about to find a place for another potted plant, she heard the jingle of keys outside the door. She smiled and moved to the living room, fern in hand.
Allen entered the apartment, a giant grin on his face as he closed the door behind him. When he spotted his friend and band mate, his smile grew twice as large. "Great news, Lenalee!" he announced, tossing his bag on the futon by the wall.
"Let me guess," she started, nearly laughing at how giddy he seemed. It was contagious. "You managed to find your way back without getting lost?"
"Well, yes! But that's not what I'm talking about," Allen replied, brushing off the dark haired woman's joke. "We might have a paying gig!"
Lenalee's eyes widened in excitement. "Really? How did you manage that?" she asked, setting the plant on the coffee table, her mission of organization temporarily derailed.
"I went to this bar, The Flame. It's not too far from here, actually. But I started talking with the bartender, who happened to be the owner. When he found out I was in a band, he asked to hear our music! I left him my number and a CD. If he likes it, he said he would hire us!"
A smile plastered itself on Lenalee's face as she grabbed Allen and squeezed him into a tight hug with her free arm. "Allen! That's wonderful!"
"I know! Only three days and we already have a maybe gig? I'm starting to think this move was a good idea.
Lenalee's smile never left her face as she pulled back from Allen and grabbed the fern from the coffee table. "Yeah, I know it was hard leaving family, but we need a chance to prove ourselves. If we can make it here, we can make it anywhere." She walked back into the kitchen, setting the plant in the middle of the tiny kitchen table the previous tenants had left in the apartment. It was only big enough for two people to eat at, but it was still useful considering the lack of countertop space. "Did you get any writing done?" she asked, after she adjusted the plant to the perfect spot on the table.
"A little. It's still not perfect yet."
"Well, it's getting late. Help me get the rest of these boxes cleaned up. We're so close to being completely moved in."
Allen's shoulders slumped at the suggestion. He took his coat off and hung it on the coat rack. "Aw, c'mon, Lena. Can't we just go to bed? I'm tired."
Lenalee's smile turned from excited to scheming in the span of two seconds. "Well, you could go to bed. But if you do, I can't guarantee you'll be able to sleep with all the noise I'll be making putting things away. Now, where did I put those pots and pans…?"
Allen sighed. "Fine, fine. I'll help."
"Good," Lenalee replied happily.
xXxXxXxXx
Two AM came and Lavi luckily only had to kick out one straggler at closing time. The whole bar was spotless, as he had plenty of time to clean when the place was so dead, and it took him less than fifteen minutes to lock up and prepare for tomorrow's opening. Once everything was completed and the lights turned off for the night, Lavi locked up the doors and headed to the back stairs, making sure to grab the disk and number from under the bar. He took the stairs two at a time until he reached the top and opened the door.
Above the bar was a spacious living area that Lavi used as his own apartment. Since he owned the bar, it made things easier to live above it instead of renting or owning something elsewhere. Turning on the lights, he flopped onto the couch and sighed. He was exhausted from doing nothing all night and really should get to bed, but he couldn't keep from listening to the CD any longer.
Grabbing his laptop off of the side table, he popped the CD into the drive and hit play. It took a few seconds for the computer to read the disk, but when it did, the first track started playing. The first song started with a beautiful melody, the piano solo echoing in his apartment. It was quickly accompanied by drums and a guitar. Then came the vocals, and Lavi was surprised to hear a woman's voice. He had expected to hear Allen's voice singing, as he was working on song lyrics in the bar. Lavi suddenly wondered about this singer's relationship with Allen. He could already tell a tinge of jealousy was itching at the surface of his mind and he smothered it as soon as it started. He barely knew the guy; he had no right to start marking territory like a tom cat.
The songs were fabulous, and he was excited to hear their sound wasn't the same song over and over like many of the new local bands he had the pleasure - or rather displeasure - of listening to in the past. This band, Innocence… They had style and they weren't afraid to try new things. As Lavi listened, he wondered what instrument Allen played. He imagined him playing the piano, for some reason. The picture fit into his mind as if he were already certain the brunette was a pianist.
It was nearly three in the morning when Lavi finally closed the computer and headed off to bed. He needed to work tomorrow anyway and sleep would be imperative. As he flopped onto his bed that was always in a constant state of in disarray, Lavi took his phone and set his morning alarm. He stared at the screen for a moment before setting the phone on the nightstand. He had an overwhelming urge to call Allen right then, but it was way too late to make such a call.
Lavi sighed and turned off the light. Cast in darkness, he closed his green eyes and fell asleep.
xXxXxXxXx
"Lavi," he whispered into the redhead's ear as he wrapped his lithe arms around him. Lavi buried his face in the young man's white hair, breathing in the scent he knew so well. He hugged him back, pressing the white-haired youth's body against his. He was shorter than Lavi, but it felt as if their bodies fit together perfectly. The room they were in was dark and the only light source they had was from the full moon as it filtered in through the open window. A cool breeze wafted in and set goosebumps on Lavi's skin.
"Don't worry," Lavi said, his voice low and soft. He rubbed his hand over the young man's back gently, his hand moving in soothing circles. "Everything will be fine."
"How could you know that?" the white-haired man asked. He gripped the back of Lavi's shirt, his hands tightly holding the fabric. "I have a horrible feeling that something will go wrong…"
Lavi smiled, pressing his face into the young man's neck. He kissed the skin there gently. "You worry too much. It'll be fine."
Lavi woke up to the buzzing of his alarm on his phone, the sun glaring in angrily from the windows of his bedroom. He groped for the alarm and shut it off, dropping the phone on his bed and pulling the sheets over his now naked shoulder. The morning air chilled his skin and he didn't want to get up quite yet.
The dream he just woke from hung fresh in his mind. The images were hazy at best, but they left him with mixed feelings. Anxiety and warmth, sorrow and love. It was confusing. Still under the heavy blankets of his bed, he rubbed his bare chest and took a deep breath. It was probably best forgotten. He had things to get done today and couldn't waste time thinking about a dream.
The redhead pushed the blankets back and hopped out of bed with all the grace of an elephant. He trudged to the bathroom and begun getting ready for the day. After a shower, he headed back into his room for fresh clothing. He dressed quickly, throwing on some old, worn out jeans and a black t-shirt. He moved slowly, eyes still not quite open and ready to face the daylight. Snatching his phone off of the bed, he groggily headed out of the bedroom and to the kitchen. His mind slowly woke up as he went through the daily motions of preparing breakfast. As he fried up some eggs and made toast, his brain finally started to clear. His dream from last night faded as the smell of breakfast surrounded him. As the eggs cooked quickly, he peeked over at his phone. It was nearly nine o'clock.
Lavi grabbed the slip of paper from the CD case and punched in the numbers. Pulling the phone to his ear, he waited as it rang.
xXxXxXxXx
Allen let out a long breath as his set down the box of books on the table. The Haunted Bookstore had just received a car full of used books from the local library. The collection had been culled and Allen's boss had snatched up as many of the books as she could from the library book sale. However, now there were at least twenty cardboard boxes in the back room with his name on them. He had to sort through each box, assign the book a genre and attach a price to the cover. The task would, in all likelihood, take Allen several days to complete and he wasn't looking forward to exacerbating his dust allergies. With the last box in front of him, he sat down on the folding chair and groaned.
Sighing, Allen closed his eyes, not relishing his task. Just as he was about to get to sorting the first box, his phone buzzed in his pocket. Pulling out the phone and checking the numbers flashing across the screen, he noticed it was a local number that he didn't recognize. Hitting the answer button, he raised the phone to his ear. "Hello, this is Allen," he said politely.
"Ah, Allen? This is Lavi. From the bar. I listened to your CD last night."
Allen was surprised to hear back from the bartender so quickly. Usually, he didn't hear back about a gig for a week or two. Sitting up straighter in the chair, he pulled the phone closer to his ear. "Oh, hi! Nice to hear from you. How did you like the music?"
"Honestly, I was impressed. Do you think your band can play this Saturday night? I know it's short notice…"
Allen's heart nearly leapt into his throat. A job, already? How in the hell did he manage it? "Um, yeah! I think we're free that night. What time?"
"Live music starts at 8:00 PM and usually runs for at least an hour and a half, but you should make sure to get here by at least 6:00 to set up. You have all the equipment you need, right?"
"Yeah, we have what we need. Thank you, Lavi. This is a great opportunity." Allen smiled as he said the words, truly meaning them. He and Lenalee had been waiting for a chance like this for so long. If they were lucky, this job would lead to more in the city, and the band would be even closer to their goal of signing a record deal. This little bit of luck would hopefully serve him and Lenalee well.
"Excellent. If you have any questions, just call me. I'll see you at 6:00 on Saturday night, then?"
"We'll be there," Allen replied, still grinning from ear to ear. They quickly said goodbyes and Allen hung up his phone. The brunette was so excited he jumped out of his chair and did a quick little dance around the back room of the bookstore. "Yes, yes, yes!" he shouted to himself. They had a gig!
Once he calmed down, Allen looked back at his phone. He saved Lavi's number in his contact list, then quickly texted Lenalee to let her know they had a gig. Now he was way too psyched to concentrate on his task, but right then he didn't care.
Things were looking up.