Title: Paranoid Eyes
Author: Klarinette_18
Word count: 1,077
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Dethklok (minor), Toki/Skwisgaar
Rating: PG, I s'pose.
Summary: The boys are in the studio, Skwisgaar plays his unplugged guitar instead of paying attention to anything else… nothing out of the ordinary, right?
Warnings: There's some music nerd wankery in here – you've been warned.
Disclaimer: I don'ts own dems Scandinavian guitar players.
Author's Notes: Written while listening to Pink Floyd's The Final Cut for the first time *shrug*
Charles had managed to herd the entire band into the recording studio for, what turned out to be, a surprisingly productive afternoon of writing, and recording of solid ideas. Pickles and Nathan sat on the couch, quietly discussing rhythms and how lyrics can fit with them, while Murderface was in his booth, laying a few bass licks he'd come up with for a drum beat that Pickles had laid earlier in the session. Toki was sitting on a stool at the end of the switchboard that Knubbler was working on, and Skwisgaar was leaning against a wall in a dimly-lit corner. No one ever really paid attention when Skwisgaar played between songs or when someone else was speaking, mainly due to the fact that it's all he ever did, but there was something in a lick that he played that caught Toki's ear. He watched the Swede's face as he picked the slower-than-usual, oddly melodic notes; an intense expression of … something on his face – something Toki couldn't quite put his finger on: pain? Longing? The notes came to an abrupt halt after Toki had realized that he'd begun staring at the skilled fingers, miming them silently on his own guitar. His eyes shot up to Skwisgaar's to find the deep blue eyes staring back at his, displaying a look of… panic?
"What ams you lookings at?" the blond guitarist snapped quietly.
"Not'ings," Toki said too quickly, trying to look away like he hadn't really been paying attention, mostly in the hope that, if left alone, Skwisgaar would start playing that song again. It was definitely something he'd written; Toki could tell that much. To his dismay, the notes didn't start up again, and a few minutes later, the lead guitarist left the room.
After the rest of the band dispersed, having not blinked twice at Skwisgaar's sudden and unannounced exit, Toki went back to his own room, taking his guitar with him. He had memorized a little bit of one part of the melody the Swede had been playing, and he wanted to try to play it so that he could hear it a little better. He played the phrase a few times, but couldn't remember what went before or after it – not that he'd heard very much of it. He decided that he might as well just ask Skwisgaar, so he left his room and headed down the hallway.
Arriving, he couldn't hear anything going on inside the room, so Toki knocked gently on the door, "Skwisgaar?"
"It ams opens," he heard the Swede reply. He opened the door to find Skwisgaar on his bed, guitar still in-hand. "What's you wants, little Toki?"
Now that he was here, he couldn't think of a way to start the conversation, "Um… I wanted to asks yous abouts dat songs…"
Skwisgaar sat up and cocked an eyebrow, "What, you means de tracks I dids before Moidaface? You wants to learn yous parts, eh?"
The young Norwegian nervously rubbed his arm, "Nos… nos, de odder songs."
"I don'ts knows what you… oh…" the Swede's eyes became very big, and quickly darted away from Toki's.
"Heard you plays it… ams nice."
Skwisgaar's lip curled into a sneer as he shrugged, "Eh… just a t'ings I was rollings around in my heads… no big deals, not worths t'inkings abouts."
Toki felt himself begin to pout, "Don't dos dat!"
"Toki, don'ts worries abouts dat, ja? It ams just a little t'ings."
"I know you says dat, but it sounded pretties to me. Coulds you maybe plays it again?" Toki lowered himself to the floor, crossing his legs.
Skwisgaar sighed, and Toki could have sworn that a slight flush of red graced the Swede's high, pale cheeks as he lifted his guitar to play. He licked his lips once and took a breath through his nose, plucking the first note. Toki watched Skwisgaar play the notes so delicately, playing each with intentional care and purpose. The melody was slow and drawn-out, slightly melancholic. Ams sads, Toki thought to himself, wondering if maybe it was a song about Skwisgaar's childhood or something; memories, or maybe things he'd missed out on as a kid. He listened as the notes grew more intense, the tempo picking up slowly and modulating into a new melodic idea. This one had more notes to it, but wasn't any less beautiful. The melody continued to grow in intensity until a crescendo led it into a grand chorus of major chords, the most beautiful melody and harmonies to accompany them. He'd taken to finger-picking now, resting the pick between his teeth, using his thumb to strum the chords. The look of sadness on Skwisgaar's face had become one of something between pride and… love, maybe? although, the longing still remained. Another strummed chord was followed by a fast trickle of descending notes –quickly grabbing the pick from his teeth – which slowed and became sweet again, leading into a reprise of the first melody, but staying major. The end was tied together with the sweetest little phrase, and a quiet, arpeggiated chord, played high on the neck.
Toki sat with his hands resting on his ankles, realizing now that he'd closed his eyes at some point, "Wowie…" he whispered, a soft smile pulling up the right corner of his mouth.
The sound had nearly shocked Skwisgaar, having forgotten that the young Norwegian had been watching him the whole time.
"Uh… you likes dat, eh?"
"Ja… ams beautiful, Skwisgaar."
Skwisgaar chuckled once and shrugged his shoulders.
"So, what ams it for?" the brunet asked.
"Eh? Uh… ams for not'ings. I tolds you, just a t'ings I was messings arounds wit'."
Toki stood and stretched his arms, "I don'ts believes you."
"Pffff," the Swede retorted, picking at his guitar again, his fingers flying wildly through scales and swept arpeggios.
Toki shrugged and walked to the door, hesitating only for a second before leaving the room. He could still hear Skwisgaar playing as the he closed the door. Skwisgaar played for a few more minutes after Toki left, and then stopped. He stared at the floor as he thought to himself, He asked yous, idiot. Why couldn'ts you just tells him? But he knew it was impossible – there's no way he could ever tell Toki that that song was for him, and that he'd been working on it for a long time, making sure it was absolutely perfect. One day, he thought, one day… maybe…
END!