Hey guys! Awesomelyawesome314 here with my second story! I really wanted to write a fluffy RoChu and I have WAAAYYY too much spare time. So, here is a short RoChu twoshot! Hope you enjoy it! *^-^*
~~Shot 1~~
Ivan Braginski walked down the cold, wintry road. It was unusual to see anyone on these back streets this late, but Ivan needed to work any hours he could afford. He'd had two sisters and himself to take care of ever since they all emigrated out of Russia, and he was determined to do it right. He still smelled of coffee from his late-night job as a barista, serving tired college students who came in with laptops (usually cappuccinos) and even more tired businessmen with briefcases and suits (always black coffee, a few sugars occasionally). Sometimes the town drunkards would come in and ask for something outrageous, like a bunch of grapes or a pair of women's leggings. Ivan still wasn't entirely sure about that request, but oh well. It was his job to smile at them and politely try to keep them from breaking anything, so he did. He still hated the job, though.
He continued walking down the street, thinking about how much he hated his job and wishing for a better life for himself and his sisters. Ivan was so deep in thought, that he almost ran into a telephone pole. It was covered in flyers, and as he jumped back one caught his eye. "Got Talent?" it proclaimed gaudily. He did have a good voice, but he never sang in front of people. Ever. Even still, he tore off a contact strip. He did need some rent money, and he was basically desperate. What did a poor college student like him have to lose?
Ivan called the number the very next day. He was surprised, to say the least, when Alfred F., the famous album producer, picked up the phone. He certainly hadn't expected this from a torn flyer in a dingy alleyway.
"Hello?" Ivan inquired, just to be sure it was really him. "Who am I speaking to?"
"Yo, dude, you called to audition? The next one's tomorrow at ten in the apartment complex on 25th. See you there, bro!"
Just like that, the loud voice was replaced by a few beeps and the dull buzz of an empty line. Ivan could swear that same voice had broken his eardrums, but he was too nervous to care. An audition with Alfred F.! He'd never known anyone who'd gotten so lucky.
Ivan Braginski spent all of that night practicing, and practicing, and practicing. He was going to sing 21 Guns by Green Day. A/N: Good song for him. IDK why, it just kind of fits. :) It reminded him of his middle-school crush. It used to be her favorite song, before he had to move away. Ivan had never really gotten over her, but he wasn't going to sit around mourning his relationships anytime soon. His sisters needed him for other things, and he couldn't spend his time pining over someone who didn't even live in the country anymore.
The next day, Ivan went to the address given to him by Alfred. He was half-expecting an actual studio, but the place looked like any other shabby building on the crowded avenue. The only thing stopping him from walking away was a sign on the door saying "Jones Record Co."
Other students from his university were there too. Ludwig Beilschmidt, the smart one, was there, and so was Feliciano Vargas, the class clown. Both of them were known for their voices. They were both exceptional, really. The only person there who really caught him off-guard was Yao Wang. He had never heard Yao sing, but then again, nobody had heard Ivan sing either. Even still, Yao was so quiet. He wasn't one who you would really expect to sing.
The first one called in was Feli. He did great; everyone could hear him through the flimsy walls. He sang "To Germany With Love" by Alphaville. Everyone at school thought they belonged together, but this sealed the deal. Ludwig was a German immigrant in the same ESL class as the rest of them. The usually stoic man was blushing madly.
Speaking of Ludwig, he was up next. He sang "Sarah Smiles" by Panic! At The Disco. It didn't seem like a song he would like, but it suited his brisk tenor perfectly. Of course, he did great. Ivan really wasn't surprised, he'd already known Ludwig was one of the best singers in the school. Feliciano had left as soon as he finished, so that left Ivan and Yao in the waiting room, sitting in silence on the dilapidated couch.
It seemed like Yao was about to say something when Ludwig came out of the dirty studio and back to the waiting room. He gruffly told Yao to go inside. Ivan made room for him on the sofa, but he left immediately, chasing after Feli. He was still blushing after all that time.
Yao sounded simply amazing. Ivan could hear him loud and clear, seeing as to the fact that the door was still open. His voice was endearingly boyish, yet it still had a hint of things seen and years past that a young boy could never pull off. Ivan thought absently, but he couldn't place the song. It was beautiful nevertheless, and it soothed his nerves; he was really nervous. It took a while to sink in when he was called to go last. Ivan was sure that he could never even come close to his performance, but he definitely tried his hardest.
Ten minutes after the Russian finished, Alfred came out of the studio.
"We were only supposed to choose one of you," he said, "but we couldn't decide. Would you two like to work on a soundtrack for a new animated movie?"
Ivan didn't think even for a second that he would've made it this far. He was stunned, but secretly happy that he'd be able to know the mysterious Yao a little better.
~~Shot 2~~
They took a mostly uneventful flight to the next city over to begin recording. Ivan took his two sisters with him, of course, how could he not? Due to late booking, they were mostly separated, but Ivan got to sit with Yao. He was kind of glad that they were separated, because his older sister Katyusha was complaining about small seats and his younger sister Natalya was whining about not getting to sit with him. He put on his headphones, as Yao had done the same. He took them off, however, when he started hearing other music. Yao's headphones had come slightly unplugged, and Ivan could hear the music faintly. It was the most beautiful song he had ever heard, save for the Chinese man's song in the cramped and dingy room.
When they finally reached their destination, they immediately went to their hotel. The two men had adjoining rooms, so the could chat if they wanted. They were both feeling a bit more talkative and a bit less nervous, so they began the real introductions. Ivan found out that Yao worked at the laundromat down the street from his apartment and that they lived in the same building. He revealed that he did sing quite often, which explained why his voice sounded so familiar. Ivan introduced himself sufficiently, and his sisters too. It was late by the time they finished talking, and they had to be up early for recording the next day, so they went to bed.
They laid down six of thirteen tracks for the movie the next day. During their lunch break, they talked a little more. They agreed to meet up at the nearest coffee shop after the recording session. Both of them had a feeling that they would get along better with each other than with other people. Neither of them were exactly social butterflies, to put it nicely.
They became better and better friends as the weeks passed. They got the tracks done pretty easily, and editing was a long hassle but they got it done in time. Before anyone knew it, they were getting ready for the final track. It was going to be a huge finale, in which the heroine of the story reunites with her lost family. Both men were a little nervous to record it.
~~le timeskip~~
Ivan lay awake in his bed. He watched the seconds tick by on the clock at his bedside. Two o'clock. Thee. Four. Five o'clock. Time to get up. As he got ready, he realized that something was different. He was nervous. For once, Ivan was nervous, and it was all about performing with Yao. How could he match up to that beautiful voice? He'd have to find a way, because now it was seven o'clock and he was late.
When he finally got to the studio, Yao was there, obviously bored. They went over the lyrics together, and as they did, Yao drew closer to him until he found his arm around the Asian's shoulders. Neither seemed to mind, however, and soon it was time to go home. It was bitingly cold when the two men left the studio. It reminded Ivan of the day he found the flyer. The flyer that led him here, of all places, with Yao, of all people. As the chill deepened, the aforementioned Asian buried his face into Ivan's scarf. And for once, the cold Russian was finally happy.
~~Fin~~