Okay, so this one-shot is based on the song "A Breath and a Scream" by Pearl Jam, which, to me, is about a boy that is severely traumatized after seeing… well, that'll be a spoiler for you! XD

Beat: You mean you're going to torture me?! O.O;

…Not exactly. Just read it and see for yourself! And if you want, you can listen to that song on Rhapsody since I can't find the lyrics right now. Oh, and this is my first M-rated story, so please be considerate. ;D

Note: This story takes place after the gang is reunited from that Tuba incident but before Falsetto rejoins the party.

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Beat couldn't sleep.

He strained to keep his eyes closed while he slumbered. Adjusting his sleeping position didn't help either. After squirming around on the mattress for a seemingly long time, Beat finally forced his eyes open. The young boy tried to make out the completely dark hotel room he temporarily resided in while rubbing out sand from his vision. Beat finally saw the reason why after his eyes adjusted to the darkness - Allegretto wasn't in the room.

Beat knew that he couldn't sleep without his lifelong companion in the vicinity, so he shoved himself up so that he was in the sitting position on the bed and touched his feet on the velvety carpet. He carefully ventured his way to the door on his tiptoes so he wouldn't awake Salsa, who was softly snoring in her own cot. Turning the knob soundlessly, he cracked the door open and silently shimmied out of the room.

There were several dim candles lighted in the hallway to help those wanting out their hotel room navigate around the resort with ease. Beat used that to his advantage so he wouldn't accidentally bump into anyone. The child softly opened the first door that neighbored his room and peeked inside and saw Viola snoring rather loudly by herself in one bed.

"Hey!" Beat suddenly heard Viola yell as he was about to close the door. The kid froze apprehensively, aware of the horrible punishments that Viola might discipline on him. "Come back here with…my…cheese…caaakee…" Viola continued, slurring her words before her sentence drifted off into another snore. Beat gave a sigh of relief and shut the door gently behind him before moving over to the next room. Beat glanced in the room and found it to be strangely empty…

Suddenly he heard pounding noises coming from the room next to Viola's, which was the last room in the hallway. Beat snuck over to the door and noticed that it was already ajar. Curious, the child tapped the door quietly to let it open a crack more and peered inside. He saw a bed laid vertically from where he was positioned. Though it was shadowy in the room, Beat could make out Frédéric and Jazz on its mattress. However, Jazz was sitting on top of the composer and appeared to be shoving his body towards Frédéric's. Meanwhile the pianist himself was moaning seemingly in pain. Beat gasped in horror as he witnessed what was happening before his eyes.

It was too much for Beat to handle. The next thing he knew, he was running as fast as his skinny legs could carry him to his room, screaming his head off. After he entered the room, he took the door and slammed it harshly, awakening the red-head in his room.

"Agh!" Salsa cried, falling off her bed. The guardian rubbed her head where she had bumped it and scratched the sand out of her eyes.

"Beat!" Salsa shouted, anger rising within her. "What in EZI's sake are ya doin'?!"

"S-Salsa!" Beat cried, shaking with fear. "Y-You gotta listen to me! I-I was t-trying to look for Retto when I saw Frédéric and Jazz…and they were…and they were…!" Beat repeated those three words over and over again as if he was a broken record player.

Salsa sighed in frustration. "Beat, slow down! I can't even understand what yer saying!"

"What's going on?"

Beat and Salsa stopped and slowly turned towards the door. Viola was standing at the door with one hand posed at her hips. Her other hand was used to rub her eyes. Even without her hand in the way, the two kids could tell that she was pissed off and annoyed.

"I think that th' squirt was sleepwalkin' and havin' nigh'mares at th' same time," Salsa groaned, pointing her thumb at her roommate. Beat's mouth dropped wide open at the assumption.

"I was not!" Beat retorted.

"Was too!"

"Was not!"

"Was too!"

"Okay, QUIT IT!" Viola shouted, instantly quieting the two altercating youngsters.

"What happened?" someone else asked.

Even Viola had turned to see what was behind her.

Allegretto was standing at the doorway.

"Retto!" Beat exclaimed in joy. He ran towards his partner and hugged his waist tightly for comfort. "Thank goodness you're here! I saw something TERRIBLE!"

"Well, what happened?" the gray-haired boy asked again.

"He was sleepwalkin'," Salsa said again, this time with more emphasis.

"Was not!" Beat argued again. "Retto, I was trying to look for you, and then I saw Jazz and Frédéric, and Jazz was doing HORRIBLE things to Frédéric, and--!"

"Hold on, wait a minute," Viola interrupted, confused. "Jazz would never do bad things to Frédéric. They're really good friends."

"See?" Salsa declared. "I TOLD you th' lil' runt was havin' nigh'mares!"

"Hey!" Beat interjected. "Stop it!"

"Is something the matter?" another voice inquired.

Everyone turned to the entrance and instantly went silent.

This time, Frédéric and Jazz were standing there. Beat instantly fled to hide behind Allegretto.

"Jazz," Viola asked, "Beat claims that you and Frédéric were doing something together. Is that true?"

Jazz and Frédéric both felt a blush creep onto their cheeks.

"N-No," Jazz replied, shaking his head to keep his blush from being noticed. "Frédéric and I were just sleeping. Right Frédéric?" Frédéric nodded in agreement silently, feeling that that was the best thing he should do for now.

"I KNEW it!" Salsa exclaimed.

"What?!" Beat cried in shock, mouth wide open.

Allegretto sighed. He turned around and shifted his weight to one knee so that he was eye to eye with Beat. "Beat, you must be tired. You should go to sleep. In fact," he rose to both feet, "we should all get some rest."

"Yeah," Viola agreed, yawning. "I don't want to feel exhausted tomorrow." With that, Viola walked out the door.

"We don't want to cause any more inconvenience to you guys," Frédéric added politely. With that he followed suit to his own room with Jazz tagging along.

"C'mon Beat," Allegretto called, slipping under his own sheets. "Go to bed already."

"Ugh," Salsa groaned. "I'm startin' to feel all cranky like th' ol' lady herself!"

Even with Allegretto sleeping in the bed right next to his, Beat still could not sleep peacefully. All he kept on thinking about was the scene that unfolded before him in Jazz's room. He knew one thing was for certain - he would never see Jazz and Frederic the same way ever again.

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Mwahaha. I'm so evil~.

Beat: -faints-

Heh heh, citrus is really not my forte. n_n; Get it? -shot-

Remember, reviews make me happeh, 'kay? :D So please get those reviews in!