Author's Note: I got my first request for a fic about Tea and Yami Yuugi. I'm hardly going to pass up the opportunity. Truth be told, this was one of the pairings I wasn't really planning on doing. But the prompt plus my backing in music gave me inspiration. So this quickly became a project I was thrilled to do
So this was fun writing. Plus it was a nice contrast to the deathshipping I'm working on. J
(For simplicity, this takes place in the US this time.)
Bon appetite!
Yami flicked eyes momentarily up to the conductor, his hands resting lightly on the keys. He didn't particularly need the cue at this moment, but lord forbid the violinist make another late entrance like in the first act. The syncopated beat was abrupt and could catch even the best musicians off their guard if they weren't careful. Years playing in a pit orchestra failed to teach his fellow musicians that.
Of course, Yami was also the rehearsal pianist, so he had to know the music better than most.
This was their second weekend performing, the city coming out to see the Domino City Theater's rendition of West Side Story. Of all the shows the director had contemplated choosing, Yami had to fight for this one. The damned man was thinking of choosing something that would be more popular with a general audience. Yami hadn't gotten a doctorate in piano performance just so he could play Hairspray. He held himself to a higher standard.
It's my fault I got myself into this position. Yami knew it hadn't been pointless to stick around Domino City. After finishing his doctorate, he had auditioned with several larger bands in the nation. He even had been offered a position with the Baltimore Symphony orchestra. Had he been a smarter man, Yami would've taken the position. Instead, he now performed with a smaller city orchestra, where half the year was delegated to cheap, gaudy musicals.
Yami didn't really mean to come off as a musical snob, but after months of rehearsing cheesy musicals replaced the time spent learning Rachmaninoff and Beethoven, it was hard to be forgiving. Instead of spending the entire year learning legendary classics in music and teaching piano to graduate level students, Yami spent most of his days plunking out simple melodies to singers who could barely read music and teaching finger-benders to elementary school children.
I suppose one could do much worse though. Yami knew he barely had any reason to complain. He at least was still performing, a rare feat for most in his field. It was just agonizing that he had chosen to stay in Domino City. Even though that spark of regret remained, Yami knew if he could go back, he would still make the same decision. Because his desire to advance his career was mitigated for one reason only.
And that reason was Tea Gardner.
No sooner had Yami thought of the beautiful dancer did he catch her moving from the corner of his eye. He gave a small smile, though his attention remained on his music. He would have time to watch her perform once he played his part. The joy of playing with a pit orchestra versus just as a rehearsal pianist is that it did allow the time for him to steal a glance at the performance. Perhaps it was unprofessional, but Tea drew his eye.
He had first seen Tea dance years back when he was still a doctorate student. A regional fine arts competition had been held and Yami had been one of the finalists. From pianists, orchestras, singers, dancers… the competition covered all grounds of arts. Yami had not wasted his time and sought to see other performers in his field. That's when he saw Tea perform.
She had been a masters student at the time, but her dancing was so good that it earned her a place as a semi-finalist. Yami had wanted to say something to her then but didn't know what to say. As luck would have it, Tea came up to him after he performed. She praised him for his musicality and finesse. Yami had only nodded dumbly and thanked her. Tea left, but Yami had continued to be frozen in that moment.
Stupid as it was, Yami wanted to get the courage to get to know Tea. When he had heard that she remained in Domino City as a professional dancer and had her own dance studio, Yami decided to move there as well. Tea remembered Yami from the years before and the two had become amiable acquaintances, largely because Yami had no idea how to move things further. Music was difficult, but women were even more so. He had no idea how to approach that prospect.
So Yami resigned himself to playing from afar, watching but never saying anything. Yami sighed internally, turning the pages of his music to his next cue. He glanced up to watch the dance number play out. "Cool" was an odd piece that was difficult for both musicians and dancers alike. Leonard Bernstein had been cruel like that, but when executed correctly, it was a masterwork of ballet and modern music theory.
That mastery had no better subject than Tea herself. Her control over her body in dance was a spectacle to behold. The other dancers tried to match the technique and finesse Tea possessed with unsatisfactory results. To most people viewing the show, she was nothing more than a general cast member, a dancer for the dance numbers. Her role was nothing more than one of the girls hanging out with the Jets.
The audience has no idea how incredible she truly is. Yami smiled to himself, watching as Tea's composed and tight performance would break, a sudden burst of raw expression before quickly catching herself. Tea understood how the music could tell a story. She understood how dancing could express emotional conflict a thousand times better than a well-written line in a musical. Her decisions and choices in dancing were a reflection of her true understanding of what it meant to be an artist.
Too soon, Yami jumped back into the music, his eyes tearing away as he joined the fray. The music was large and bombastic, a fugal rendition of jazz. Tearing back and forth between soft and gentle beat to a fanfare of cacophony, the struggle between control and catharsis battled out across the stage. Grace and rage, flashing out in bursts. Yami flung himself into the piece, filling out the chordal harmonies with a more reasonable range than the trumpets unfair range.
Finally, the piece started to wind down. Yami finished out his jazz riff, descending in pitch with the woodwinds until he faded into nothing. Aside from an occasional musical interjection, the large number was over, the dancers catching their breath as they regained their composure. The group, rather fittingly, ending the number in a collected manner. Yami's eyes trailed back to Tea, her eyes still lost in the moment, still focused on the dance not yet done.
The music faded to silence, the audience applauding when it was all said and down. Yami barely gave it a moment's thought, spotting Tea's silhouette in the darkness. The rest of the musical would pass by, Yami going through the motions. The real spotlight of each performance was being able to see Tea for those few moments in dance. It was in those moments that Yami remembered why he chose to stay.
Yami packed up his music, folding the binder as he slipped it into his satchel. He let out a sigh – that was another performance down. For the most part, it went without a hitch aside from a few tuning issues and missed entrances. He heard the conductor discussing his issues with the clarinetist and violinist as he packed up. It was best to pack up and leave early before the crowd got to them.
As Yami stepped out from the pit to go backstage, he heard a voice catch his attention. He let out a sigh as he looked back at the director. "Yes, Pegasus?"
The show director with a natural flare for theatrics walked towards him, some patrons in tow. Yami bit back a sigh as the posse walked in his direction. "Yami! Bravo! A most excellent performance my boy! Wouldn't you agree?"
Yami gave a light smile, his expression collected and composed. "As well as one could hope for. I'm glad you enjoyed it, sir."
Yami decided not to mention the out-of-tune clarinet during the first act as well as the fact that none of the singers could sing a triton even after weeks of rehearsal. If Pegasus couldn't hear it for himself, then there was no helping him at this point.
Pegasus just smiled, his expression almost childish. "I most certainly did! We'll be the talk of the town. Anyway, I wanted to introduce you to some of the attendees who enjoyed the show. Allow me to introduce you Mr. Parmer and his wife."
Yami greeted the two politely, knowing that Pegasus had an ulterior motive for introducing them. The older couple shook his hand vigorously, as Mrs. Parmer giggled delightfully.
"Fantastic performance tonight! I used to play a little piano in my day! You've very talented! You're so lucky to be so musically gifted" Mrs. Parmer gushed, exchanging a glance with her husband.
Yami's polite expression didn't change, though he felt miffed at the compliment. Talent didn't get him where he was – hard work, training, study and practice got him to where he was. He worked hard in his craft. Luck had nothing to do with it.
"Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed the show tonight." Yami said, his eyes flicking over to Pegasus. Where was this all going?
"Now Yami, Mr. Pegasus tells me that you teach piano as well, is that correct?" Mr. Parmer now spoke, a warm smile on his face.
Yami raised an eyebrow, wondering if this was what this was all about. "I do. I think I see where this is going…"
The couple chuckled as the wife spoke again. "Our granddaughter is a very gifted child, but we've had trouble finding the right piano teacher for her. We were wondering if you might consider taking her on as a student! I know she would flourish under your tutelage. Who knows – maybe she has what it takes to become a concert pianist like yourself?"
Yami said nothing, his eyes locking with Pegasus for a moment. So that's what this is all about. Had Yami been new here, he would have accepted and agreed to take on their grandkid. But he knew Pegasus better than that. Chances were, this was another bratty child who wanted nothing to do with piano. And from the sounds of it, the grandparents just wanted a musician in the family, no matter if the child had any say in it.
And since Pegasus was the one to introduce them to him, he knew exactly why Pegasus was pushing this. He could tell from the couple's appearance that they came from money. Pegasus was playing the role of a kind manager of the arts facility, his heart committed to the community. Yami knew that Pegasus hoped that if Yami pleased the grandparents, he could pull some money out of the old couple to go towards the theatre program. And he wasn't afraid to make whatever promises to get that result.
Pegasus, you truly are impossible.
Yami just smiled at the couple. "Normally I would, but I'm overbooked with students at this time and I'm simply swamped with my work here with the orchestra. I can ask some of the other piano teachers in the area if they have any openings in their studios, though." The couple seemed slightly disappointed, but nodded in agreement. Yami saw Pegasus staring at him, though Yami knew that Pegasus was likely livid with him. Yami knew he wouldn't get away so easily from this conversation.
"Hey, Yami! There you are! We were wondering what took you so long!"
Pegasus started to speak before getting cut off. Yami stared in surprise as Tea scurried across the stage. She had changed out of her costume into a pair of black leggings and a blue t-shirt. She seemed dressed down compared to the well-dressed company around her. Yami was completely speechless, startled by the dancer's sudden appearance.
"Tristan's been waiting for us backstage and you know how irritated he gets when we run lat- oh, hello Mr. Pegasus! Am I interrupting?" Tea asked, a completely innocent look on her face. Yami had no idea where the hell she was doing, but he wasn't about to stop her.
Pegasus just stared, shock evident on his face. "N-no…?" Tea didn't let Pegasus continue, instead grabbing Yami's hand, a large smile on her face.
"Well okay then! Good night Mr. Pegasus. I'll see you tomorrow! Let's go, Yami!" Yami felt himself get pulled by Tea, muttering a quick goodbye as he stumbled after the beautiful dancer. He could feel Pegasus's gaze on his as he left, though he seemed to be struck with bewilderment more than anything else. Yami couldn't care as he held Tea's hand, hoping his face wasn't turning red like he thought it was.
As they trailed further back stage, Tea finally slowed down. She let go of Yami's hand as she turned around, a grin on her face. "Feeling okay back there? You're looking rather spacy."
Yami realized that he had a stupid look on his face. He quickly gathered himself, a smile growing on his face. "Yeah. Thanks for getting me out of that one. Pegasus can be rather overbearing."
Tea just chuckled, placing her hands on her hips. "You don't have to tell me twice. He has delusions of grandeur if you ask me. He fancies himself a true artist when he barely has the ability to keep together a small town show."
Yami laughed at that comment. He was lucky that he was part of the orchestra, which while small, was still a professional music organization. The theatre program in Domino City was smaller and most members with amateur actors and actresses in the role. Pegasus wanted to elevate the theatre program and by extension, himself. Unfortunately, his greed outweighed his actual desire to advance the arts in society as well as his own talent.
Tea, as a professional dancer, outclassed most of her theatre compatriots, though this fact was lost on Pegasus. Obsessed with what's popular instead of what makes good art, she was often lost in the shuffle to Pegasus's agenda. Instead, she resigned herself to smaller roles that didn't allow her push her abilities as an artist. Yami had to wonder if she felt as trapped in her position as he did his.
Yami realized he was staring as he forced himself to look away, noticing the members filing out. "So… uh, thanks again for getting me out of there. I'll go now, then." Yami hated that he sounded stupid. Typically he could keep his composure around others without any problem, detaching himself from the situation. It was harder to do that around Tea.
Tea tilted her head to the side as she grabbed her bag from off her chair. "You aren't going out?"
Yami stopped in his spot, turning back. "Out where?"
Tea just rolled her eyes. "The after party of course. Some of the crew are going down to Snappers down on York Street. You in?"
Yami was hardly one for parties and even less so for the bar scene. But the fact that Tea was inviting him out was more than enough reason to go. This was the longest conversation he's had with her since they first wasn't about let this opportunity pass him up. "Uh, sure. Though I might be overdressed."
Tea just smiled, walking towards the door as Yami followed along. "Don't worry – Ryou's also going, and he doesn't have a change of clothes either. So you'll be fine."
Yami smiled, feeling less nervous and more excited as he exited the building with Tea to head to the after party.