Song of Inspiration: Can't Help Falling in Love by Elvis Presley
Welp, this is just a little one-shot that I came up with one day. I took a few liberties with the King, because, well, we know next to nothing about him. :)
The soft stroke of keys could be heard echoing throughout the building, if anyone were there to hear it. Only one person and his mechanical pet remained while everyone had vacated the structure. The man's hair was slicked back with some of the hundreds of gallons of hair gel that sat unopened in an empty room. His suit was a crisp white, standing out from nearly everything in the city. His blue eyes were the saddest that anyone had seen, had they been near.
The man's crooning joined in with the gentle music being produced from the old piano. The dog placed its half-mechanical head on his human's lap while he played.
"Wise men say," he crooned, "Only fools rush in."
The man's sight left the piano and glanced down at the dog.
"But I can't help falling in love with you."
The dog looked curiously up at his human, his ears pricked up, but the man closed his eyes as he continued.
"Shall I stay? Would it be a sin?"
Most people mistook the man for being bored, not having an inkling of the true loneliness that he felt. The song that he vocalized was a more accurate description of how he truly felt. His love… He remembered her all too well.
"I have to say, you look like you don't know what you're doing," the young girl said.
The young man looked up from his rifle at her. Her brunette hair was pulled into a neat ponytail with a blue ribbon, bringing out the soft blue, sparkling eyes. Her dress was neatly set about her small frame. He doubted that she knew more than her did.
"What do you want?" he asked.
"I just thought you might want some pointers, since you don't seem to know what you're doing with that."
"I know exactly what I'm doing," he said. "Besides, how would you know? You're a girl."
"That may be so, but I know if you remove that part that you've got a hold of, the part next to it will pop out of place. Judging by the placement of your hand, I'd say that it would hurt when it does."
He ignored her warning, and sure enough, the part snapped out of its socket and flew into his hand, slicing into the flesh. He left a curse slip from his mouth and was so focused on himself that he didn't notice that the girl had taken his gun and began to work with it.
"Wait, what are you doing?" he asked once he saw what she had done.
The girl pushed his hand away when he tried to take it back, and the young man felt a mix of anger and curiosity.
"Just relax," she told him. "A little patience never hurt anyone. It looks like your trigger is jammed. It won't even take a sec- there."
The girl smiled lightly and handed back the gun. The young man tested the trigger, and sure enough, it was no longer jammed. He looked at her inquiringly. She opened her mouth to speak, but a bark interrupted. They both turned to see a half mechanical dog running towards them. When it reached them, it came to a halt. The girl frowned.
"I have to go," she said. "I'm already going to be in trouble, and I don't want you to get in trouble, as well."
"Why are you in trouble?" he asked.
"Just… forget it. If anyone asks, we've never met."
The girl turned and ran, the dog at her heels. The young man was left alone and confused with his gun.
It wasn't about a month later that he had seen her again. She wore the same blue dress and ribbon and the same soft smile danced across her lips. He knew immediately that it was her.
"Good afternoon," she said politely. "It has been a while."
"Yeah," he replied. "But you said to pretend as though we never met?"
"I've… I've changed my mind," she replied. "I thought I'd come talk to you again."
He was confused and curious, but he decided to go along with it. There were crazier people in the wasteland. "I never caught your name."
"I never said it, and you never asked."
"What is your name?"
"Debra," she said. "Yours?"
"You can call me, the King," he replied.
"That's not your name. I asked your name."
"You see, it doesn't matter what my name is. I'm going to start my life over here, open this school with a friend," he told her. "I'm going to teach everyone the ways of the King."
"Who is the King?"
"The King was some sort of idol back before the war. I've found all sorts of holotapes here about him and by him. Not all of them work, but this was some sort of religious institute, dedicated to teaching people how to talk like him, walk like him, be him."
"Why would you want to be someone else other than yourself?" she questioned.
"Life isn't exactly a bowl of mutfruit," he said. "Some people would want to escape from their lives, even for a little while."
"You still haven't told me your name," she stated.
"Fine. It's-"
A bark echoed through the empty building of The King's School of Impersonation. The girl looked worried and turned to see the same mechanical dog as before. She frowned and ran out of the building as fast as possible. He was confused, but shrugged it off. She had returned before.
As he thought, she returned a month later. Something about seeing her made him smile, as though he was happy, but he had never been truly happy.
"It looks like this place is starting to come along," she stated. "It looks better than the last time I was here."
"Pacer and I are getting this up and running," he replied. "We've got a few followers already."
"I see," she said.
"Are you free this afternoon?" he asked. "That dog isn't going to come and take you away again anytime soon?"
"That dog doesn't take me away," she responded. "He warns me."
"What do you mean he warns you?"
"You seem like a nice guy, but I've already said too much. What did you have in mind?"
"A small lunch in the upper floor overlooking Freeside," he stated. "All on me."
She gave a small smile. "That sounds nice."
"Pacer, watch over things for me, will ya?" he said to a man in another room.
There was a gruff affirmation before he led the girl up to the top floor.
"Your voice has changed since we first met," she stated. "You have more of an accent."
"I'm just tryin to be more like the King. The accent comes naturally now."
"And your smile. Your upper lip cocks to the side. It didn't do that the first time we met. Is that another thing that the King did?"
"Yeah. It's all comin naturally now."
"If that's what you want, then I guess you should do it, but I think you should be yourself, and not try to be like this King," she told him. "Is that… a piano?"
"Yes, it is," he said. "The King played piano."
"Do you?" she asked.
He gave a short nod before sitting in front of it. "You want me to play something?"
The way her face lit up told him that she did, and he picked a gently melody. He stumbled at first, but his fingers soon found the right rhythms.
"Wise men say only fools rush in," he sang. "But I can't help falling in love with you."
She sat next to him, her smile wider than ever as she watched him play.
"Could you teach me?" she asked. "I could teach you to fix weapons in return."
"I think that could be arranged," he replied, a small grin on his face.
"King!" someone shouted. "King, you gotta come see this!"
Barking issued throughout the school, and Debra froze before she ran down the stairs and out the front door.
"What was that all about, boss?" one of the members asked.
"Even I don't know."
The man continued to meet briefly with the girl every month for quite some time, but every time the dog would come barking, she would follow. He began to develop a dislike for the dog, as he took the girl away each moment of his appearance.
"You still haven't told me your real name," Debra stated. "I would really like to know."
"Why? It won't make a difference."
"But I want to know," she replied. "Please?"
As he stared into her blue eyes, he found that he couldn't say no.
"Fine. It's Jesse," he said. "But please don't call me that. I don't like the name."
"Why? It's a nice name."
A small smile formed on his face. "That's kind of you to say so."
"Well it's true," she stated.
"If you say so," he said. "But, anyway, I had a lunch prepared for us in advance."
"So you knew I'd be coming?" she questioned. "How?"
"You've been coming here at the same time every month. I assumed that you would."
She smiled up at him. "I appreciate it, but you shouldn't always assume that I will come here. There may be some time when I won't be able to."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"It means exactly what I said. I may not be able to come here some times, but I will try to make it. Now, how about that lunch?"
"Yeah…" he said absentmindedly.
"What's wrong?" she questioned.
"Nothing, I guess… I guess I just never realized that… Never mind. It's nothing," he replied, forcing a smile.
"If you say so," she replied with a grin.
"May I ask where it is you run to every time the dog comes for you?" he asked.
"I like you; I really do, but…"
"But?" he prompted.
"It's not safe… I can't talk about it."
"You can trust me," he stated. "We've known each other for more than a year."
"Yes, and you are one of the people that I am closest with," she replied. "However, it is not safe to talk about it."
"Why? I don't understand."
"It's best that you don't," she replied. "It is not my safety that I worry about, but yours. You knowing could put you in danger, and I don't want that."
"Debra-"
"How about getting back to the piano?" she suggested. "Now, I've got the chords down, but I can't seem to put the melody of my right hand in with them at the same time."
He sighed before submitting to her request. "It's a matter of focus," he told her. "Or rather, concentration. Some people can't play piano, as I have come to discover. You have come quite a ways since you began to learn. You're close to getting it, too. Let's try at a slower tempo."
The two rehearsed the song for longer than usual before the dog's barks echoed throughout the building.
"I have to go," she said.
"Please, stay?"
"I can't," she replied. "I want to, but… It will not only be me that will be in danger. If I had a choice, I would stay."
"Then why don't you?" he inquired. "The belief of the Kings is that every man, or woman, is free to follow his own path, do his or her own thing. Where every man or woman is a king or queen in his or her own right."
"I would stay, trust me, but I must be-"
She was interrupted by his lips crashing onto hers. She was shocked and unable to respond as he pulled away.
"I… I have to go," she said before darting down the stairs.
Afraid that he had made a huge mistake, he sat by his lonesome next to the piano, not knowing if he would see her again.
He was surprised when the doors opened so suddenly. He shot up from where he sat as he gazed at the girl that had entered.
"I thought you wouldn't be coming back," he said, and it was then that he noticed the redness in her face, the tears falling down her cheeks, and the dog by her side. "What happened?"
"I... I ran away, but they're going to be coming for me," she said. "Please, don't let them take me away!"
"Calm down. I won't. Just tell me what happened."
Suddenly, there were piecing pounds on the door.
"I-It's them," she said. "Please, don't let them take me!"
"Debra, I won't. Just stay with me. Pacer, get the door! Be polite, but don't let them know Debra has come here. Deny anything!"
Pacer gave a nod before going to the door.
"Debra, we're going to keep you safe. I won't let anything happen. Trust me."
She gave a scared nod before the King took a hold of her hand and led her out the back way. The sunlight was diminishing as the sun began to set, but they didn't stop moving.
"Debra," he said, "I don't know what's going on, but I wish you would tell me."
"You... You'd look at me differently," she said. "And I don't want that."
"Nothing can change the way that I feel," he told her. "Debra, I may not have ever told you this, but I lo-"
A gunshot rang through the air, stopping him mid-word. He felt the girl fall to the ground behind him, and he turned to look. Blood began to pour out of her chest where the bullet had entered. He stared in shock as the girl writhed in pain from the wound. He knelt down beside her, and the mechanical dog took off at full speed towards the man that had fired the shot. A bullet bounced off of the metal parts that he wore.
"Debra, Debra-!" he shouted. "Pacer! Get the fuck out here!"
She reached up, her hand finding his, hushing him.
"I knew it would end this way," she told him. "I knew it, and yet I came, anyway."
"If you knew you were going to die, why did you leave? Why didn't you stay put?"
"Because I couldn't stay there. I knew what was beyond that prison, and I knew that I had to get out."
"What was so important that you would give up your life?" he asked.
"You," she replied. "I once heard, it is better to have loved and lost than never loved at all, and now I get it. Please, take care of Rex for me. He's a really good boy."
"Debra, please, just hold on. We're going to take you to Julie over at the Fort, and... Debra! Debra!" he shouted, but it was too late.
"Boss, there was nothing you could have done," Pacer told him, but the statement fell on deaf ears.
"Where is the sonuva bitch that did this? I want him dead."
"Dead already," Pacer stated. "The dog... he killed the guy."
As if on cue, the mechanical dog nuzzled his way in to the girl, nudging her arm with his nose before letting out a soft whimper. The dog's muzzle and fur was coated in blood, but he looked quite sad beside that fact.
"She's... she's gone," the King said. "I can't believe it, she's... gone..."
"King, we need to bury her, and get rid of the man who did this. His body is still over there, well, what's left of it, anyway. The dig did quite a number on him."
As the man played the final chord, he relaxed and reached over to pet the dog.
"Merry Christmas, Rexie," he said softly. "I just wish I knew what had really happened, what she was hiding. Y'know, I never did tell her how I truly felt..."
Suddenly, the dog froze, and the King looked curiously at him. A mechanical whirring noise began to sound before a holotape popped out of Rex's mechanical side.
"What in God's name?"
He grasped it before clicking play.
"Is it going?" a familiar voice said. A bark sounded from the background before she continued. "Okay. I don't know what's going to happen exactly, but I've got to get out here. I want to tell you everything, but the truth is, I'm scared. Part of me wants you to know, but I know things won't be the same if I tell you. I guess it's easier on the tape, though I wish I could tell you in person. I wish I had the courage to, but I don't. I'm leaving tonight, though. This place... I don't like it here. I think the people outside here call it a... brothel? Is that the word? Anyway, I've been here as far as I remember, trained to be a prostitute, or rather, created. I don't think you know, but… I'm not human. I'm an android, from a place called the Commonwealth. I hesitated in telling you because people would say that my emotions were programmed, not real, but I know that you know they're real. You can't just program these kinds of things.
But back to what I was saying, I didn't used to mind my work, but I've grown sick of it. I told my boss I don't want this life, but he won't let me leave. He said he bought me fair and square. He had me custom made, you see. Once every month, he goes and gets drunk in the city, and Rex comes and helps me escape. It takes a while to get to the city from here, so I could never spend too much time. I once heard some man talking about how it was better to have loved and lost to have never loved at all. I wanted to see what he was talking about, but I never knew. I never could know unless I left. One night, I plucked up the courage and left. Rex would bring the keys to me. I don't know where he came from, but he's been with me as far as I can remember. Fiercely loyal, he is, and a great companion."
There was a happy bark followed by a familiar laugh that brought tears to his eyes.
"Yes, boy," she giggled. "O-Okay, down, boy. Anyway, I remember the first time I saw you. You were so concentrated on the rifle that you didn't even notice when I approached you, and when I spoke, you were startled. I remember that you ignored me when I warned you about the part that hit your hand. You always were stubborn, but in a good way. It was one of the qualities that I loved about you. You never changed your mind once you had it set. Just like that school of yours. I hope that it really expands, and that everything goes well in your ventures. But, as to what I was saying, about tonight…" she let out an audible sigh, and he could picture the look that must have been present on her face. "I don't know if I'll make it tonight, so that's why I'm making this tape. I would rather die, though, than face another night here. I want to be with you. I don't know if you were serious about the kiss the last time we saw one another, but… I think I've come to, well, I think, love you. We may not have known one another for very long, but I never have been around more than one person, other than Rex or my boss, for anything other than sex. You were the first person to show any kind of kindness, and I thank you for that. I want to tell all of this to you in person, but if I don't make it, then I want to have some way to tell you." Debra paused, and there was a loud noise and a shout from the background. "I have to go now. Please, take care of Rex if I am unable to. He's been the best friend anyone could have, and I know he'll be the same for you. Oh, and a tidbit of advice, he doesn't like hats or rats. Don't really know why. But anyway, I love you, Jesse. Goodbye."
The King couldn't help the wetness that fell down from his eyes. It had been years since he had heard the voice, and something about simply hearing it tripped the wires holding back the emotions that were stored deep inside. The dog snuggled close to the weeping man, looking at him with eyes full of grief and understanding.
He may not have suspected the dog had been carrying anything related to the girl, but it was the only thing he could have asked for all year.
Author's Notes:
Well, there you have it. A corny Christmas one-shot. I know it's not Christmas yet, but whatever. It's an early Christmas story about the King's loneliness. I couldn't find a single story on here about him, so this is what I came up with. Very corny at the end, I know, but for some odd reason, I think I like it. :)
I took a small break from Leida to write this, but it didn't take too long. Maybe a day or two. I'd like to know what you guys thought of it or if notice any mistakes. I'd love to hear from you guys. Much appreciated, HikariMei.