BlackLynx17: There are several things I want to tell readers before they read this.
One would be yes, yes I did get this idea from the anime You Lie In April. I love that anime and when I felt like writing a Mendy because of the new Fairy Tail episode that came out I thought them playing beautiful music together would be a good one. (When you read the ending, yes, yes I did that because of the anime.)
Two would be asking if anyone got the title? It's hard to understand, but I named it No. 23 because W is that 23rd letter in the alphabet standing for Wendy's name and the D in D Minor stands for Doranbolt's name, so the title of this story is Confessions of Wendy and Doranbolt, but I wanted to do it with music so I changed it up a little bit.
Three, thanks for reading. As you can probably tell I love Mendy a lot and have been reading the ones out right now and incomplete. I'm hoping those authors will update fast and soon because I can't wait to find out what's next.
Four would be to tell you to review.
And five would be for you to enjoy.
Confessions No. 23 in D Minor
It was a dark and cloudy day. Her life once filled with color turned dull according to the weather. She hated it. Today was supposed to be the day she saw her play brother play in a concert; it was supposed to be a happy day with the weather sunny and bright to match her mood. That morning when she woke up, instant clouds. It didn't rain, the sky looked on the brink of raining through. She remembered complaining about the cold on the drive there. She remembered thinking today wasn't going to be as fun because of the darkness.
She was young, just a little girl, she had no idea about music or the deeper meanings of it, although her play brother was teaching her to play the piano. She still didn't understand what music could really mean, what it could do. She remembered being impatient, wishing that her play brother would hurry up and play. He was bound to be the best, he was going to be!
There was one more person before him and she remembered thinking that he wasn't going to be nearly as good as her play brother. She remembered getting ready to sit through it and ignore it all, like the other performances. She laughed thinking back on it, thinking how wrong she was going to be.
First off the man sneezed, loudly, before starting his performance. It echoed throughout the room and she started giggling lightly; her parents scolded her for it. Once those fingers started hitting those keys... she remembered dying. She remembered realizing that she wasn't alive, that she was just going through life until his song brought her back.
It was beautiful.
The notes. The sounds. The tones. He wasn't smiling, she thought he shouldn't have been. Everything that was once dull in today suddenly brightened up. She didn't just see a man playing the piano, she saw his memories and what he was trying to portray with his song. She saw parts of his life and it touched her heart, touched her very soul.
She remembered when it stopped how loud she started crying. She couldn't stop, her parents couldn't calm her down, her play brother playing couldn't stop the tears from running, she just couldn't stop crying out loud.
That's what his music did to her.
The last thing she remembered on that day, other than begging her parents to let her be a violin player so she could once play on the same stage as him, was that when she left the room the sky was sunny and bright.
Her world was once again filled with color.
Her play brother didn't understand her obsession, but he accepted it. He couldn't understand what his sound meant to her; she couldn't understand it as well. He was supportive though and introduced her to a good violin teacher, accompanied her to practices with his piano and played with her. He even kept her updated with the pianist that had changed her life. They were best friends it turned out to be.
His name was Doranbolt Gryder.
It was rumored that he was a prodigy, her play brother told her though that he just thought he played well. Doranbolt Gryder. She etched that name into her soul. Once, no, several times her play brother had offered to let her meet him, she was way too shy though. She didn't feel like she could be in his presence, she didn't believe she was good enough to meet him.
Jellal didn't understand his play sister at all. Doranbolt was just a man who played beautiful music; he didn't understand how that music changed his play sister's whole entire life. He loved her though, so he helped when he could and decided if she wasn't brave enough to meet him that he wouldn't push; instead he would keep her updated and take her to concerts he was in.
She watched his whole career. From his moments of competitions in middle school until he started becoming famous in high school before he graduated. He got accepted into one of the best music college schools there was in the country. There was a party to celebrate, her play brother was invited. Jellal tried to bring her along, she didn't feel good enough though.
Her career wasn't a career at all. She played poorly on the violin, she should have given up. She wasn't anything special, she wouldn't become anyone famous, her skills were that of an amateur after so many years. She didn't give up though, her dream was to play along side of him. Until that was accomplished she was going to keep playing, keep practicing, keep doing the best she could. She entered competitions just like him, but never won a single one. She did her best in class, she took her music life seriously and studied and practice till the point of sweating, bleeding, and throwing up. She wanted to play a song, a single song that could move him like he moved her. That was all she wanted; she wanted to move the crown just like he had with him by her side.
Jellal saw her collapse in a break down one day though. She didn't know why, but she started crying and crying as she dropped her violin and her bow. Jellal stopped playing and leaned down next to her, comforting her. He didn't say a word to her until she stopped. What he would tell her that day would change how she'd play forever.
"Wendy... don't you think... instead of playing how it should be, why don't you play what you feel?" He offered her.
She didn't understand, "what do you mean?"
"Do you remember listening to Doranbolt's music? Why don't you play how that makes you feel? Don't think of the notes, don't think of the scores, or the tempos. Play what you feel."
She decided to give it a try. As she retried the song, she thought of that first concert where she first heard his music. She cried. She cried as she started playing. After that song... Jellal got it. He saw what she saw, she was able to get her feelings across to him with that saw and when she looked at him for his input, he nodded.
"I think we just found your sound."
"Jellal, I love you like a brother, but honestly? Come on? I'm done with these kiddies contests, why are you taking me here?"
"You're biggest fan is having a performance and although she told me several times over not to invite you because she didn't believe she was good enough yet, it's been years and I hate seeing her suffer. It's about time she meets you." Jellal told him.
He remembered thinking his best friend/brother was joking.
"You're joking, right?"
As they sat in the performance hall waiting for the concert to start, Jellal told his play sister's story to Doranbolt. All the way back from when they were in middle school, when she first saw his concert as a little girl and switched to playing the violin so her one dream of playing with him could be accomplished. He remembered thinking it was funny, that she was flattering him way too much and that Jellal was exaggerating.
"Why didn't you let her meet me sooner then Jellal? Sheesh, I wouldn't have minded playing a song with a kiddie." Doranbolt told him.
"Like I told you, she doesn't believe she's good enough yet. You don't know how much your music has changed her, you're about to see though."
He remembered not knowing what to say to that. The two friends/brothers were quiet as the concert started. One by one kiddies came to the stage and started playing, each one Doranbolt wondering if this was the person. Jellal didn't say anything though and when the violinist started playing, Doranbolt didn't think much about it.
All of a sudden though... all of a sudden this cute kiddie with stunning long navy blue hair walked onto stage. She was wearing a fluffy white dresses with her dark hair in two big tails; she looked like she was entering a beauty competition and not a violinist competition. She walked into the center of the stage and looked out into the crowd, getting her violin and bow ready.
Right before she played she sneezed.
He chuckled to himself remembering all the times he's sneezed before performances. It wasn't his fault, when he's nervous he just suddenly sneezes and that relief just completely calms his body down.
"She always does that before performances because of you."
He remembered blushing; it was from embarrassment. He's met fans before, he's met posers, people who love him and his music. This girl though, he's never met her and yet she was already on a different level then all of them. He didn't know whether to feel flattered or insulted and stalked.
From that first note she made on her instrument her music was everywhere. It wasn't calm, it wasn't smooth, it bounced from place to place and went all over the pages. There was no way she would be winning today, not with the wild and reckless way she played. The music she made though made people look up and lean over in their seats; Doranbolt himself leaned over as his jaw dropped.
Jellal wished he could have taken a picture to show his play sister, proving to her that she was good enough to meet him, that she was good enough to play with him if she had made him have an expression like this. Once she finally let go of trying to play perfectly to match his perfection, she was able to find her own music which was exactly what Doranbolt's was as well. He didn't play the songs perfect, but as he felt. When the two of them would play together, both expressing their emotions through their music... Jellal couldn't wait for that day to come.
The song ended. All was quiet in the hall; she remembered looking out and seeing no one, just the bright lights blinding her face. One person started clapping; that person was him. Doranbolt clapped slowly, clap, clap, clap, he stood up and started doing it faster. Jellal joined him right after and that woke everyone from the daze that they were in; all of a sudden everyone was standing up and cheering for her.
He never forgot what she did that day on stage. She blinked, smiled, waved her bow in the air towards the crowds, bowed, then started walking off stage. Before she made it completely off stage though she tripped and her boom echoed loudly in the concert hall.
"What's her name?" Doranbolt asked as she picked herself back up, a bright grin on his face.
"Wendy Marvell, I believe you're going to be her future accompanist."
He remembered snorting at that comment, so stupid, "I think you meant the other way around."
She was completely different looking when she was off stage. Doranbolt and Jellal were waiting for her in the hallway, surrounded by family and friends all praising their children and friends, telling them lies and words of encouragement.
"I remember these days, just waiting for the results. Thank God it's not us anymore, huh Jellal?" Doranbolt chuckled nudging his shoulder.
"Here, give this to her." Jellal responded ignoring his question.
It was a single pure white flower. Doranbolt raised an eyebrow as he took it, Jellal didn't say anything more though as they waited. When she came into view her face was completely calm and almost sad looking. That beautiful fluffy white dress was replaced with a simple flat and dull green dress with a small blue pattern on it, her gorgeous hair simply laying down straight with no ribbons or anything. There was a backpack on her back and a violin case in her hands, a dark blue color with a white cat key chain and girly stickers on it.
It was like a Cinderella transformation. He remembered not believing how that star up on stage turned into such a plain and ordinary girl.
"Wendy! Over here!"
She remembered looking up to the voice of her play brother and seeing him before she saw... her idol. He was standing right there next to him, his expression unreadable, holding a flower that Wendy couldn't believe was for her. For so long she's stared at him from a distance, never having the courage to sit up front although she always came early to his performances. Staring from afar, staring at pictures on posters and CD cases.
She was staring at him sort of close now...
He remembered her crying. He was so far, she was so far, but he clearly remembered tears falling from her cheeks. Right after that, right, right after that, he clearly remembered her running. Running away, far away, simply turning the other way and high tailing it out of there.
Jellal sighed while he stood there confused.
"I had a feeling that would happen."
"What... what just happened?" Doranbolt asked, confused himself.
Jellal sighed again and patted his back, "come on. Concerts over, you're free to go now."
"Why'd she run? What the heck? Hold on Jellal, what about the rankings?" Doranbolt called after following him.
"She doesn't care about winning or losing Doranbolt, all she cares is about being good enough in your eyes. Which reminds me, what did you think of her performance?"
What did he think? He didn't know, he didn't remember what he thought, he remembered what he said though as he stared at the flower in his hands.
"I think she deserves to have this flower."
She didn't let it go. She completely ignored her play brother for doing such a thing to her and when she did finally talk to him she simply screamed and yelled how he could do such a thing. She was embarrassed, ridiculed. That performance was garbage and she even tripped at the end! Tripped! There was no way he was going to play with her-
… no, she didn't remember calling her performance garbage. She played with all her heart, she played with all her feelings for him, it wasn't garbage. She was mistaken. He promised to make it up to her by taking her to several of his concerts, his treat, and picking her up from school to treat her at her favorite pastry shop too. She finally forgave him after that.
She remembered thinking what a fool she was. When entering the pastry shop there was someone playing the piano, cutely she remembered. It was Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and there were kids surrounding the pianist singing the song. This is why she loved this shop so much, not only because the sweets were delicious, but because of the kind piano that offered itself to anyone to play it.
It was a mistake sitting with her back against the pianist, a mistake she would never make again. Jellal abandoned her to go buy the sweets and their drinks, the piano playing stopped. Everyone started clapping, she clapped too lightly as she stared at a cat outside the window walk across a wall. She could hear footsteps, but she simply thought it was the kids walking back to their parents. She remembered and realized that these footsteps were too heavy to belong to a kid. A chair pulled out next to her, she turned to address Jellal with a 'what took you so long' joke and completely froze...
There he was. Sitting right next to her. A small and kind smile on his face as he addressed her.
"So, I hear you're my number one fan?" He said in a teasing voice.
She remembered trying to run; she was able to get out of her seat, but as she took off he grabbed her hand and in a high voice said, "not so fast," before pulling her back down into her seat.
"You know, it's very rude for you to run away from a person who's trying to give you a compliment."
Wendy sniffed, tears coming to her eyes as she stared at where he was still holding her. Doranbolt flinched seeing her cry and pulled his hand back away, handing her a napkin. She took it gratefully and blew her nose, hating that she was breaking down like this in front of her hero.
Jellal decided to walk back then with their food and Wendy glared furiously at him.
"I'm never, ever going to forgive you for this... ever." She told him in the darkest voice he's ever heard from her.
"Hold on, it wasn't his fault. I was the one who wanted to meet you Wendy, don't blame Jellal here." Doranbolt waved the attention to him.
Wendy blinked, slowly taking a breath as she looked at him, "but why?"
"Because of your performance. Don't be mad, but Jellal told me why you play and I enjoyed listening to your music so I wanted to meet you and tell you face to face."
The both of them remembered her not believing in him. She turned stone cold and stood up again, throwing her strawberry cheesecake right at Jellal's face before screaming "HOW COULD YOU?!" At him before leaving. Doranbolt was so shocked he didn't stop her this time. Jellal, he had a feeling this would happen and simply wiped his face off.
"You owe me big."
"I didn't, I didn't know she was going to do that?! What the hell was that? Why did she act that way?" Doranbolt asked him, shocked.
"She probably thought I put you up to this and made you say those words, most likely."
"What the- I thought you said she was a fan, why does she keep running away from me?!"
"You just don't realize how highly she looks up on you Doranbolt. The first time she ever saw you play it brought tears to her eyes. She couldn't stop crying, even through my performance which was right after yours."
"Crying? She crie-"
It came back to him at that moment, a certain competition back in middle school. He remembered playing his best, thinking he dazzled the crowd and got the trophy in his pocket... all before a single girl started screaming and bawling her eyes out. He remembered walking off stage depressed, thinking he played horrible if he made a child cry and not deserving that trophy for winning.
"That was her?" He asked, shocked.
"Yes. She was so moved by it Doranbolt she started crying; she told me through that performance she saw some memories of you, what was it? An empty room, no, it was a cold and abandoned room with someone, a little boy, a child maybe huddling up, hiding under the bed in fear. She described all the colors, all the scents, something with rain and wax, I don't know. It was crazy, but ever since then she's always telling me about what she sees when you play. It's not that she hates you, she just thinks you're too good to be friends with her... when obviously you're not."
Doranbolt stopped paying attention to what his best friend/brother was saying though right after he started describing his music. That performance... he was remembering the day his mother died. He didn't believe it, he curled up and hid in his room under his bed crying as it rained outside, wishing for her to come back. His father had just gotten the floors done so his room did smell like wax and polish shine. No one, no one has told him that before. No one has been able to see or tell what he's been playing... no one.
"Doranbolt, what did you see with her performance?"
"I saw... I saw wildness, I saw notes flying around everywhere." He answered honestly.
"I saw a girl playing her heart out trying to reach you, to catch up to you."
"Jellal... how can she talk to me?"
He remembered not getting an answer back and figuring it out on his own.
She remembered the third time she met him, that she wasn't able to get away this time. His idea to get her to stay was extreme, so extreme that he snuck up behind her while she was walking to violin practice after school and hand cuffed their hands together. She turned and looked up, saw him, tried to run, but ended up getting pulled back and falling into him.
Her eyes were closed shut at the impact and she remembered when she opened them back up, seeing his face so close to her own, his bright emerald eyes wide, his breathing so close to her ears as his chest vibrated against hers.
"This was not what I thought would happened."
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm so, so, so very sorry!" Wendy said getting up off him.
"No, no, it was my fault for handcuffing us together. I figured you wouldn't try to run, I figured wrong though," Doranbolt laughed waving her off.
"I'm sorry. Could you please uncuff us? I, I have somewhere I need to be right now."
"Nope, no way. I've been trying to talk to you Wendy Marvell, but you keep running away. This time I'm not letting you go until we talk."
She blushed, so brightly, her whole entire face including her ears. He remembered it being the first time he thought she was cute.
"I couldn't, I can't. I'm sorry you had to hear my performance, it was nothing great. I'm practicing, I'm getting better, and I'm sorry for running away, but I can't possibly talk to you now the way I am."
"Why can't you Wendy?" Doranbolt asked reaching out for her face.
He grabbed her chin and titled it back to him so she would be talking directly too him.
"I envisioned us meeting us so many times. At one of my best performances, at one of yours, you accidentally hearing my music and coming up to ask me to play with you, countless fantasies. But you met with me falling down flat on my face during my performance and that was so embarrassing, so uncool and such a joke that I- I couldn't possible meet or even talk to you after that ever again," Wendy confessed.
"You know Wendy, I've never met anyone who has loved my music as much as you, myself included. Come on," he smiled picking them up.
Wendy didn't understand. That speech should have made him let her go, but instead it just made him want to buy her a roasted potato. They sat on the stairs of a shrine to enjoy them, eating silently side by side.
"Why do you like me so much kid?" Doranbolt asked watching the sunset.
Wendy stuck her tongue out and blew on her potato, "why? Because you make such beautiful music."
"What about my music is beautiful?"
Wendy sighed out loudly, "your sounds touch the hearts of people and that is a gift you don't come by very often."
"How do those sounds touch people's hearts?"
"Are you going to make all of my answers into questions?" Wendy pouted looking at him.
Doranbolt laughed and grinned, "this is the first time you spoke to me without worries."
Wendy blushed and quickly bit into her potato, gasping and screaming out at how hot it was.
"Did you expect me to be this way when you finally met me kid?" Doranbolt asked laughing at her.
"Kind of; Jellal tells me stories about you all the time so I know what kind of person you are. I never thought you would be kind to me though unless I impressed you with my music, I guess I was wrong about that."
"Well, yes and no, I would have been kind to you even if you didn't play music, and you did impress me with your performance. I've... I've never heard someone play the violin so powerful before like that, it was very impressive. Had my jaw drop and everything."
"You don't have to be kind to me just because I'm Jellal's little play sister," Wendy frowned.
"I'm not, that is an honest compliment."
Wendy blushed brightly and Doranbolt turned to look at her, seeing this wide grin on her face she tried to hide as she took another bite of her potato.
"Would you like to play with me sometime Wendy?" He asked.
She remembered dropping her snack and watching it fall down the stairs.
"No, I shouldn't, couldn't- no."
She remembered how stubborn he was.
"Alright, let me rephrase the question then. If you don't play with me then I'm tossing this key into the forest and we're going to be stuck like this for at least a good day or two." Doranbolt said showing her the key.
"Don't!" She screamed.
"One," he told her holding his hand back.
"Please don't!" She said reaching over.
He dropped his own snack as he held her back, "two!"
"ALRIGHT! ALRIGHT! I'LL PLAY WITH YOU!"
He laughed as he looked at her, a bright grin on his face. "Glad you saw things my way."
She remembered the walk home after that filled with color being handcuffed to him.
She remembered shaking it too much once they where finally in a room together with a piano and her violin. The notes weren't coming out right, she was sweating, crying, Doranbolt sighed as he stopped playing and stared at her. She cried way too often and way too much.
"Calm down Wendy."
"I've been dreaming about this moment since I was six, don't tell me to do the impossible." Wendy sighed out.
"Well this is getting us nowhere... maybe I should try handcuffing us together again?"
"Are you an idiot?!" Wendy screamed out at him.
Doranbolt blinked and started laughing while Wendy blushed and looked away.
"Tell me something about myself," Doranbolt asked her.
She remembered thinking it was the weirdest thing she's ever heard.
"Tell you... about yourself?" She asked.
"Jellal tells me that you play better when thinking about me, so maybe talking about me will calm you down enough so you can play. So, tell me about me." Doranbolt asked again.
Wendy pouted and hummed as she thought.
"You... have... green eyes?" She said.
"Tell me something less obvious, uh- tell me about one of my performances. You've seen a lot of them, right? Which one sucked the most?"
"None. You have yet to disappoint me in a performance and I doubt you ever will." Wendy told him.
Doranbolt blinked once.
"My favorite performance of yours is obviously the first one I ever saw you in, my second though has to be the performance you played at your graduation from middle school. It was a bright and clear, beautiful sunny sky day and yet when you went on stage and started playing... you made everything dark and cloudy. It was weird though because I saw happy pictures while you were playing, a mom and her son walking down the street together, eating ice cream, playing games, your song was so... sad though... I later found out from Jellal that your Mom had passed away a few years ago and you were sad she couldn't make it to your graduation. It may be a little late, but I'm sorry." Wendy bowed lightly.
He remembered... he remembered... he remembered nothing of what he thought of afterward. He didn't know, couldn't feel, it was such a shock hearing such a deep and intimate part of his past being said out loud by a completely stranger he barely knew anything about that... that... he didn't know.
"Okay, I feel better now. Maybe we can try again? I think I can play. Wow, it really did work," she started giggling.
He remembered that being the first time he wanted to kiss her or hold her, just simply touch her. Without a word he turned back into his seat and started playing; Wendy waiting for her cue before she struck a cord. Their paces didn't match up at all, but once Wendy got a feel for his sound, once she grasped what he was trying to portray it was simple to follow after.
At the end he looked at her face filled with tears.
"I wasn't even thinking of anything that time," he told her wondering about her tears.
"You were thinking about me, thank you. You don't know how much of a dream this has been for me," she cried freely.
So beautiful. Doranbolt turned around in his seat and fully looked at her, clearing his throat.
"Could you play a song for me Wendy?" He asked.
Wendy sniffed and blinked, wiping her tears away, "I just did."
"By yourself, play something for me, about me." Doranbolt told her.
Wendy blinked, "are... are you being serious right now?"
"Please Wendy, you've heard my music for years, let me hear something from you."
Wendy sniffed and nodded, it was fair. He gave her so many pleasant sounds and memories, maybe she could return one of the many back to her. She got her violin and bow ready, but couldn't decide on a song to play. So many memories in each one, which one meant the most to her? Without even thinking or coming to realization of it, she started playing.
She started with the first time she saw him, as she cried, then moved towards his other performances one by one. Doranbolt closed his eyes and saw it all, he saw her staring, her eyes wide, her smile wider, some with tears, other performances happy. He saw that dreamily look in her face, that admiration, that adoration, he saw her out in the crowd as his performed. Leaning against the headrest of the seat in front of her, staring at his performance, yearning, yearning to be there, yearning to play with him, yearning to stand beside him.
The song ended and Doranbolt opened his eyes back up; he saw her with a bright smile as she was proud of herself for that song.
"Are you in love with me?"
Wendy blinked and froze, "eh?"
Doranbolt blinked and flustered, "uh- I didn't just say that, I mean I didn't mean that, I mean! Great job!" Doranbolt blushed brightly.
Wendy snorted before started giggling, tilting her head back as she let out loud laughter. Doranbolt looked away while she simply giggled.
"Saying love is an understatement of what I feel for your sound Doranbolt," she confessed.
His sound. His music. Not him though, not him as a person. It made sense, she knew his music but didn't know him. Doranbolt stood up and scratched the back of his head.
"Thanks for playing with me Wendy, it's getting late though. Come one, I'll walk you home." He told her.
"Okay," she nodded and quickly got ready.
They started walking back to her home side by side, looking at everything but each other.
"So you've accomplished your dream Wendy playing with me, what are you going to do now?" Doranbolt asked.
Wendy giggled lightly and shook her head, "no Doranbolt, my dream is to play on a stage crowded to the brink with people by your side as your equal. I want to inspire people to pick up an instrument and start playing like you did for me once, once is all I need with you by my side," she smiled looking up at him.
Doranbolt looked away again, "and then?"
"And then? Playing the violin will become more like a hobby after that. I never really wanted my whole life to revolve around music, I simply wanted to play something beautiful. I feel like I can help people in more ways than just this, not to say there's something wrong with playing music! I mean, I just don't believe-... I don't have a gift like you. I won't be able to stand up on stage and be a soloist, everyone in the crowd coming just for me. I know if I continued this with the way I played I'd be part of the orchestra, and not that there's anything wrong with that, it's just not what I want to do with my life."
"If you're really serious about playing with me, then we'll have to practice together much more often."
The idea was so ludicrous that Wendy thought she imagined hearing it.
"Doranbolt?"
"I have a performance coming up by the end of spring, so three months. I'm pretty sure we'll figure out how to accompany each other before then."
"Doranbolt-"
"So what do you say Wendy, want to make that dream of yours a reality? Or did you want to wait a few more years before you ask me?" Doranbolt asked finally looking at her.
He was ready for tears, and was surprised when there wasn't any.
"I- if I don't end up being good enough, please feel free to kick me off the stage. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if you gave a bad performance because of me," she told him.
"Aw Wendy, I wouldn't do that-"
"I want you to do that Doranbolt; I know you're trying to bring my dream to life and I'm so happy and honored, I am, but if I'm not good enough then I don't want to be on that stage with you. So please Doranbolt, be brutally honest. Don't ruin your reputation because of my silly dream."
"Wendy, you're dream isn't silly," Doranbolt told her.
"So you'll do it?"
"If you want it so badly, but that just means extra practice since I really want to perform with you Wendy."
This time she cried, covering her mouth with her hands.
"Thank you Doranbolt."
He smiled and chuckled a bit, patting her head.
"Does this make us friends now? Will you stop running away now that you see me?"
Wendy sniffed and nodded, "friends with the Doranbolt Gryder, I can't believe it."
Doranbolt grinned and Wendy giggled.
"You make me feel like a celebrity Wendy, I couldn't believe all the things Jellal told me about you."
"That's just how good you are Doranbolt, don't ever stop playing."
He remembered being happy and sad back there, happy that he befriend her, and sad worrying that the only reason she liked him so much was because of what he could do, what he could make. Without the music, without the piano, would she like the real Doranbolt? The Doranbolt she didn't grow up idolizing from afar?
There wasn't anymore remembering now. Wendy stood on the side of the stage, Doranbolt by her side. In the blink of an eye three months had passed and it had been the happiest three months of her life. She was able to hang out and practice with her idol, befriend her reason for picking up her first bow. It wasn't all training and practicing though, Doranbolt often canceled and made them go out and have fun. It was like a dream, all of this.
For how many years did she dream of this? Meeting him? Befriending him? Playing with him like she had done so many times over his house? This was it, this was going to be it. Five minutes until curtain call, she was about to go on stage.
"I can't believe this Doranbolt, my knees are shaking," Wendy whispered.
"I do tend to have that affect on women," Doranbolt teased.
Wendy giggled and pushed him lightly. Her Doranbolt, her idol... he was different from the person. The person was just a teenager, a child really in a teenager's body. The up close Doranbolt liked sweets and watching cartoons, he enjoyed playing pranks and teasing the heck out of Wendy. The up close Doranbolt wasn't anything like the far away Doranbolt, the one she saw from her seat in the balcony... and there wasn't anything wrong with that. That Doranbolt was her friend, her buddy, but as they performed... Wendy believed they could still be a bit better, but it was too late. No more regrets.
"Wendy, you once told me that you envisioned how we first met and everything and I just ruined that, or Jellal, both of us by meeting you while you weren't prepared." He told her.
Wendy looked over and up at him and nodded, "go on."
"Well... is that still ruined? I mean, would you still have preferred your fantasies then how we really met?" Doranbolt asked.
Wendy smiled lightly, "in my fantasies I always made myself seem too cool, which wasn't the real me. I've come to realize that I also fantasied you too cool also, even though that's not the real you either. So no, I don't prefer my fantasies, even though the way we met wasn't perfect, it was fun and funny and... I'm sorry for running away from you so many times. I was so scared of embarrassing myself and making myself seem like a loser in front of you that I didn't realize that you were just like me. Human."
Doranbolt stared down at her gently, ready to bend down and claim those lips of hers. These pasts months have been, what he could only explain as, fun. He couldn't remember a time where he enjoyed practicing so much or hanging out with a girl or even falling in love with one. She told him that she was enticed and captured by his music, it was the same for him as well. Doranbolt was drawn in by her music, but that wasn't what made him fall in love with her. It was after he met her off stage, when he met the girl who could see into him and hear his memories while listening to him. That's who he fell for.
All this time he's been trying to make her see him too, not as the musician Doranbolt who she idolizes, but as the college student as well. He wasn't always a genius in music, once upon a time he was just a kiddie too. And to hear her say that she finally realized this... a blush appeared on his face as he had to ask.
"So who do you like better? The Doranbolt you idolize or me?"
"Aren't they both you?" Wendy asked looking up.
The curtains opened before Doranbolt could say anything else, his five minutes were up. The two of them walked on stage together and bowed to the crowd, getting in their rightful positions. This was it, she was living her dreams, she was realizing it. The notes on the pages in front of her all looked like blur and she started freaking out. Jellal's voice whispered in her ears though, play what you feel. This was going to be her final performance. All this time she's been playing to be with him, and now this was that moment. She was going to play her feelings out, her heart out, she was going to play everything he's ever given her through his music.
Doranbolt started playing the notes and Wendy followed right after. He saw it all again, the memories of him. The ones where he was an idol, the ones she stared at from afar. He knew about these ones, he's seen these before. Slowly though, it happened without him noticing, but he saw of him playing twinkle twinkle on the piano before it flickered away, replaced by another staring from afar.
It happened again though, this time revealing when she first saw him up close. He could feel her happiness and her fear, felt what led her to run away. And then it started happening, the memories of them up close blending in and mixing, soon taking control of her whole sound. He was there getting ice cream with her, there shopping for music sheets, there sharing roasted potatoes with her and watching movies. He started seeing his true self more than his image and couldn't help but return the favor. She was playing all about him, about her love for not only his music, but him too Doranbolt just realized.
It was only right for him to return it.
So he started playing his heart and soul out, just like he did in the performance where she cried for him. Wendy had her eyes closed as she played, memorizing all the notes in her head. Her eyes flickered open when she saw herself smiling. It was weird, she kept playing and closed them though. Again, an image of her crying this time with a bright red face. This- this wasn't hers, she wasn't playing these. Wendy looked back and saw Doranbolt playing with his eyes closed. This was... this was what he was feeling.
Confusion. Beautiful pictures, funny moments, lots of laughter and smiles. He was happy, he was really happy when he was with her. What he didn't enjoy was their practices though, although she felt his joy and laughter there, but was when they went out for small things like snacks and simple walks. He stared at her, constantly without her being aware. He felt something alive whenever she was around, felt touched whenever she would repeat back his music, he felt...
Wendy's eyes opened as she started playing with more power. An emotion started flooding inside of her that she was blinded to for so long. She never thought, he was so great. So amazing. She thought she could only ever look at him from afar, always yearning but never being able to reach. She thought she'd never be able to reach him. He wasn't that though, not at all. He was kind and funny, he acted silly and really stupid about some things. It was scary when he gets mad and he gets frustrated over things just like everyone else. He became more human the longer he spent time with her.
When was the last time she listened to one of his CD's before she went to bed? When was the last time she watched on of his performances on his DVD or stare at the poster she had of him in his room? Or at the CD cover? When was the last time she went to see a performance of him? She knew he had some, he must have, but she didn't care. She didn't. Wendy would always idolize the performer, but who she liked was Doranbolt. Who she ended up falling for was the person Doranbolt.
Oh... so that was it. That's what this angelic tone ringing in the background of their music was. Love. He was confessing his love for her right now. It was so beautiful, so romantic, Wendy started crying as she played. Song after song, tone after tone, she met his confession with confessions of her own. By the end of the performance the two of them were out of words and were panting heavily.
The crowd cheered. It cheered so loudly for so long. Doranbolt got up and walked next to her, grabbing her hand that held her bow.
"You were able to touch someone right now Wendy, you were able to inspire someone." He told her.
Wendy looked up with realization of her feelings and blushed from the contact with him, "we were Doranbolt, together."
He stared down into those eyes that idolized him so much and-... idolized. Those were the eyes of someone who loved his music, who was his fan... so that was it? This was her answer? Doranbolt had misinterpreted her sounds wrong, she didn't...
He closed his eyes and looked forward, bowing down to the crowd. Wendy did the same, but peeked at him out the corner of her eyes.
It would later be said that it was the best performance that Doranbolt Gryder has ever done with unknown violinist.
Unknown.
Wendy wasn't sad about that at all, in all actuality she was happy. Unknown meant that she wasn't know, that she she could come in and leave without notice. That she could touch someone's heart and leave before they could thank her which was fine because she needed no thanks at all. All of this, all of this was because of him. Because of Doranbolt and that one song that changed her life.
It felt weird performing without her; different playing alongside someone else. They hadn't met again after that wonderful performance. He hadn't tried and he wasn't sure if she tried; he never received any calls or texts or visits to his house. Maybe she was satisfied with living out her dream, she probably moved on and found a new one. Just like that.
Just like that.
Doranbolt sighed out lightly as he took a different route home, deciding to cut through the park and maybe buy a roasted potato while he was at it. She wasn't able to see, she wasn't able to get it. All those times she could tell, but she was so blinded the one time it really counted she wasn't able to hear his confessions.
"Twinkle, twinkle, little star. How I wonder where you are."
Doranbolt looked over slowly at the jungle gym, seeing beautiful navy blue hair flowing in the wind.
"Up above the world so high, like a diamond in the sky."
He froze entirely seeing the back of her figure, singing to no one as she stared into the distance. Her song continued on as she looked back, spotting him. There was a smile as she finished and pointed a finger at him.
Doranbolt blinked and pointed a finger at himself, "me?" He asked.
She giggled, "yes, you."
"What about me?"
"Your question from before. I never got to answer, and when I was going to you ran off. I guess my confession through my music wasn't enough; I thought you rejected me which is why you left me."
"Reject you? No Wendy, never-"
"Just in case I'm still not clear, I'm choosing you Doranbolt, the human you. If you don't believe me you can ever ask Jellal, I threw out all my CD's, DVD's, and posters of you. I lived out my dream, I lived out idolizing you and dreaming of playing with you. I'm done with that part, that chapter of my life. I'm ready to start my new one and that one has you in it, the boy who likes to eat roasted potatoes with me and sing off key, the boy who still watches cartoons like a child and yells at the screen when losing in a video game. I fell for you once Doranbolt as you played your music for the world to enjoy, now I'm saying I fell for you though as the Doranbolt who handcuffed me to him just to get me to talk to him."
Doranbolt's lips twitched before finally they curled up, "so you heard my confession back then while we were performing, right?"
Wendy giggled, "I think everyone heard that Doranbolt."
"And I wasn't dreaming when I heard one back? When I heard yours back? Answering mine?"
She shook her head, "no, that was real."
"So what you're saying is that you love me and want me apart of your new dream?"
"Yes, yes, more like actually getting you to be my boyfriend being my new dream."
"Oh... then we need to find you, once again, a new dream because Wendy Marvell, I'm in love with you."
He was standing under the jungle gym now, staring up at her as she stared back and smiled.
"Doranbolt Gryder, I'm in love with you as well it seems," she smiled.
"Then get over here," he grinned dropping his things and holding out his arms for her.
Wendy grinned ever brightly as she jumped off, falling right into his arms.
It was a house filled with music and laughter. Of teasing and fun. Of tone deaf people and horrible voices. It was a happy house though. There was always music playing, always a song whether on violin or piano. She had never performed again, but didn't stop playing. He had became famous as a pianist, but never let her forget who he really was. The songs were always happy, the memories always good ones.
"Mommy? Daddy? Should I play the piano or the violin?"
Doranbolt and Wendy looked at each other before looking back at their daughter.
"Well you can play either one Kaori, the choice is yours." Wendy smiled gently picking her up.
"It's not like Daddy and Mommy won't love you anymore just because you pick the other instrument." Doranbolt told her softly.
"But when Mommy plays she all like whoa! And pretty, but when Daddy plays he's all cool and whoosh, dah, dah, dah," Kaori said mimicking her parents.
"Then how about we teach you both until you want to decide? There's no rush Kaori, you don't even have to learn to play an instrument." Wendy told her.
"But I want to create beautiful music like you and Daddy! I want to show everyone my happy memories!" She cheered.
Wendy blinked while Doranbolt laughed, reaching for his baby girl.
"Well then Kaori, if you want to do that then we must learn the basics. Do you remember your keys?" He asked placing her in his lap right in front of the piano.
"Of course Daddy, C, D, E, F, G," She listed playing them off.
"Good, now how about we play a song? Mommy and my favorite, do you remember how to play that one?" Doranbolt asked.
"Of course Daddy! One, two, three!" She said before playing the keys.
Wendy heard the familiar tune and smiled, going to sit next to her husband and daughter before she started singing.
"Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder where you are?"
"Up above the world so high, like a diamond in the sky," Doranbolt joined her.
"Twinkle, twinkle, little star!" Kaori shouted, "how I wonder where you arrrrrrre!"
A house filled with music and laughter. This was their happy ending.