Writings on the Piano
Chapter 1: The Body
Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed or the characters, I do, however, own the plot to this particular story because I came up with it. I didn't steal it and neither should you.
WARNING: This is a tragedy/mystery story and should be treated as such. There is a character death and many twists/events you might not find suitable. I will not accept any flames based on the violence or turnout of this fiction, if you have any complaints, this is your warning ahead of time. Thank you.
"Hey Athrun?" a young man asked. He had light green hair and bright, honey-colored eyes. He had a youthfully handsome face and was twenty-three years old.
"What Nicol?" the blue-haired man answered. Athrun Zala had dark blue hair with emerald eyes, a strange yet attractive combination. He too had a youthful and handsome countenance, accompanied at the moment with a smile.
"Are you ever going to propose to Kira? Or do I have to do that for you as well, my friend?" Nicol asked; a sparkle of amusement in his eyes.
Athrun blushed and looked down at his feet. They were sitting at the beach on a nice, hot day in ORB. The aforementioned Kira was off getting them some snacks at the vendor down the street.
"I was actually planning on asking him tonight." Athrun said quietly, almost murmuring.
Nicol smiled at his friend with overwhelming joy. "Good for you! I'm glad, Athrun, really I am." He said.
"Yeah, yeah. I still don't know how I can thank you. I mean, if it weren't for you, Kira would probably have married Lacus and I would have probably married Cagalli; not that there's really anything wrong with that, I enjoy Cagalli's company, it's just…" he trailed off.
"You love Kira more. Everyone has the right to love and be with whoever they want to be. It's just that other people look down on anything out of the ordinary. You just can't let that get to you." Nicol finished for him.
Athrun looked back to his friend. "Yeah I know."
A few months before, Nicol had noticed that both Kira and Athrun had feelings for each other; feelings more profound than simple friendship. Being best friends with each other for so long had formed a bond between them stronger than any other friendship they had; and also a bond of love.
When Nicol discovered this he went to them separately to see if they were willing to express their feelings towards each other. At first they resisted, rejecting the idea that the other could possibly love them as much as they did. But after time, more talks, and a few haphazard yet comical dates, they ended up realizing their true feelings and expressed them.
They've been going out ever since, happy and content with their lives. Cagalli, Athrun's former girlfriend, and Lacus, Kira's former girlfriend, couldn't have been happier that the two boys finally released their hidden feelings for each other, it was like a fairytale ending- or beginning, you could say.
"So how can I thank you, Nicol? Do you need a new piano? Are there any concerts you'd like to see? Any records or CDs that you'd like to have?" Athrun asked again.
Nicol was big on the classical music of the Renaissance and loved to play the piano. He was very good at it as well, a very talented pianist who had done a few concerts before but wasn't quite famous for his skill yet.
"No Athrun, you don't have to thank me, well, wait, there is something you could do for me." Nicol said and smiled impishly, a rare thing to be seen on the shy and polite young man.
"Oh? And what is that?" Athrun asked; eyebrows raised in question at the expression on his friend's face.
"Just make sure you don't flake, I want you to really propose to him, Athrun. That would be the best thing you could do for me. And make me your best man at the wedding." Nicol replied and they laughed.
"What's so funny? Making fun of me again?" they heard a voice ask and looked up to see a brown-haired man with amethyst-purple eyes holding some sandwiches and drinks.
"Oh nothing Kira. Thanks for getting the snacks." Athrun said and pulled his boyfriend down. The young and equally handsome man passed out the food and drinks before tucking into his own sandwich. He was a bit skinnier than the other two, more lithe; feline-like almost. But he was strong for his size.
The friends sat looking out over the dazzling blue sea eating their sandwiches and occasionally taking a sip out of their drinks saying nothing for a while.
The beach was crowded today, with many families and friends laying on blankets or splashing around in the cool water, taking advantage of the wonderful day. There was a lot of noise, people talking, laughing, squealing; radios blaring out different types of music on different stations, but overall it was nice and peaceful.
After a while the crowds started to thin as the sun sank lower towards the horizon. The pink, orange, and purple slashes of color radiated around the red-orange sun as it looked merely inches away from the surface of the water.
"We should go home now, it's getting late." Kira said. His friends agreed and they packed up their stuff and headed back to their car.
After dropping Nicol off Kira and Athrun headed back to their house, where they were living together. It had three bedrooms and two bathrooms, a large living room, a spacious dining room, and an equally large kitchen where Athrun mainly did the cooking.
Being a house for men, gay or not, the decorations were quite simple; a brown couch sat across from a large, flat-screen television in the living room. Along with another chair for visitors and a coffee table with magazines and other normal paraphernalia. A phone station was set up towards the opposite wall.
The dining room had a medium-sized brown table with six chairs. There was a cabinet and pictures along the walls, but not much else. The kitchen had all the normal machinery, plus a few extra items that people who usually cook and cook good have around.
"Well that was fun. I'm glad Nicol was able to join us." Kira said after putting up the stuff they brought to the beach.
"Yeah, it was the perfect day, too." Athrun replied, a bit uneasily while thinking about his plans for the night and what Nicol had said.
Kira glanced at him curiously but seemed to wave it off. He went down the hallway and towards their bedroom, Athrun following behind him.
They took out some pajama shorts and went into the bathroom to shower and change.
"Wanna shower together?" Kira asked abruptly, blushing slightly and biting his lip. Athrun blushed as well but smiled. "Sure." He said and took Kira's hand. He pulled him forward and kissed him softly, and then passionately. Kira threaded his hands through Athrun's sandy locks and they started undressing themselves while stumbling towards the shower.
When they got out, the room was steamy and the mirror was fogged, not only because of the heat of the shower, but also the heat form the two men.
They didn't bother to put their shorts on as they collapsed onto the bed, still kissing and running their hands over each other. Afterwards, after Athrun managed to catch his breath, he stared into those amethyst eyes and asked the question.
The reply sent them at it again.
The next day was spent telling friends about the engagement and making plans for the wedding. They were both so preoccupied that Athrun actually forgot to call and tell Nicol, oddly enough as it were; Kira insisted on telling Cagalli, his sister, and Lacus, their other friend, first.
After the two girls heard the news they of course started to take over the whole planning process, loving weddings and such things. So they were over at Lacus's house doing most of the planning and didn't get around to telling anyone else except calling a few places for the actual wedding.
A little after noon Kira got a call from the IT Tech office asking him to stop by a customer's house and fix their computer, and he reluctantly left them and didn't get back until much later that night.
Athrun of course thought nothing of it, what with Kira explaining that he also remembered some errands he had meant to do that day anyway and also surprising Athrun with his favorite flowers, which put them in the same situation as the night before.
The next morning Athrun woke up alone. It was 10:00 and the sun was peaking through the closed blinds. He sat up and looked for his boyfriend, and then tried to hear if he was in the kitchen making breakfast or watching TV in the living room.
There was no sound from the house. At first it gripped Athrun as odd, but then he remembered that being an IT Technician called for early hours and late nights. He was fortunate that both of them had the day off when they went to the beach with Nicol, a rare occasion with Athrun himself being a detective for ORB's police force.
He yawned, stretched, and then got out of bed. He grabbed some clothes and trudged into the bathroom, not even daring to wash the scent of his fiancé off his skin, despite most likely needing to work that day.
After putting on his clothes, brushing his teeth, fixing his hair, and washing his face he walked out of the bedroom and into the kitchen to grab a light breakfast. He grabbed his cell phone that was sitting on the counter where he left it that night and scrolled through the names on his contact list until he found the right one.
Smiling, he let himself remember and relive the memories of the day and heat-filled night. Kira had said yes. He was engaged. They would finally be together- forever.
A loud ringing snapped him out of his thoughts and he looked down at his cell to see that the agency was calling him. He frowned and answered. "Athrun Zala speaking."
"Athrun, it's Dearka, and you're not gonna believe what I'm about to tell you." His other friend said; his tone ominous and slightly fearful.
A hard lump formed in Athrun's throat as the worst thought possible came to mind. 'Kira, I hope he's okay…' he thought and already felt the sweat trickle down his forehead.
He swallowed the lump and braced himself, proud of the fact that he was able to answer clearly. "What is it?"
Dearka sighed on the other line and also seemed to brace himself for what was to come.
"Nicol's dead. We found his body slumped against his piano, it looks like he was playing it when…" here he trailed off, as if not wanting to continue.
Athrun sucked in a gasp. 'Nicol? Dead? This can't be; he must be trying to trick me or something. I just saw him the other day and he looked so happy and healthy!' he thought and frowned deeper.
But Dearka found the courage to finish.
"…when he was murdered."
Another gasp. The bluenette froze, the chills racing down his spine as he began to sweat again. 'No, it can't be. Who would murder him? He was so happy and polite and nice to everyone. Who would want to kill Nicol Amarfi?' he thought, barely conscious of what he was actually thinking; numb with the kind of fear and denial that comes when someone close to you is found dead or worse, murdered.
"Look, I know it's terrible, but it's also our job to figure out who did this. We owe it to him, we can't let the fact that he was our friend interfere with our emotions in this." Dearka said, again snapping him out of his thoughts.
"Y-yeah, alright. What have you got so far?" he asked, trying to stay focused and do what he did best.
"I'd rather not say over the phone. You might want to come to Nicol's house to see for yourself. I'll meet you there; the crime scene unit should be done by the time we arrive anyway." Dearka replied.
Although the thought of seeing his best friend dead didn't exactly appeal to him, he knew that he had to do it, for his job, for Nicol.
"Alright. I'm on my way." He answered and hung up. With shaky hands he grabbed his keys and again scrolled through the list until he found Kira's name, this time pressing the send button quickly, dreading any more interruptions full of bad news.
"Hello?" came the familiar voice. Athrun breathed out and smiled. "Hey, it's me." He replied.
"Hey." Kira replied, by the tone of his voice he could tell the boy was smiling.
"I…I have some bad news Kira." Athrun said, getting into his car and starting the engine.
"What is it?" Kira asked, sounding as scared and worried as Athrun had sounded earlier.
Athrun sighed and backed out onto the road.
"Nicol's dead. I'm going over to his house to…examine the crime scene and his body. Where were you earlier?" he asked, although regretting the question because although he didn't mean it, it sounded like he was interrogating a suspect.
Kira's reply sounded hurt, "I went to go get you a present." He said.
"Kira, I didn't mean it like that, I was just asking. I'm sorry." Athrun said and he pulled out onto the main road and drove towards his other friend's house.
"Um, it's okay. So I guess I should come home and wait for you?" Kira asked with uncertainty and…fear?
Athrun ignored it completely and said, "Yeah, lock the door and try to see if there's anything on the news about an escaped criminal or something. He might be after all of us, or it could just be a random killing." He flinched but otherwise tried to remain emotionless.
"I see, alright. I love you Athrun, and please be careful. You know how I feel about you chasing down these homicidal freaks." Kira said; a slight edge to his voice.
Athrun took it as fear and shock over what he had just told him. "I love you too Kira. You be careful and I'll try my best to be safe while tracking this guy, or girl." He replied.
"I will. Bye." Kira answered.
"Bye." Athrun said and hung up.
As he drove it hit him, and hit him hard. Nicol, his best friend, the one who hooked him and Kira up, was dead. Murdered. And he didn't even get his wish, his last and only wish.
Athrun stopped at the stop light and put his head on the steering wheel as the grief overcame him. 'I should have called and told him yesterday, maybe this could have been prevented, or if not, at least he would have gotten his final wish. The only thing he really ever wanted in life was to play the piano and see Kira and I married. I feel like I've failed him.' He thought miserably.
The beeping of a horn behind him made him pick his head up and continue driving.
'I'll find the guy who did this to you Nicol, and I'll lock him behind bars so thick there'd be no hope of escape. I couldn't grant you your last wish, but I'll make sure I find whoever killed you no matter what. Justice shall prevail, for you, Nicol.' He thought and set his features to a determined look.
He arrived at the house a few minutes later and saw that Dearka and Yzak were both already there. They were also detectives and would also be taking this quite personal. There will be no question as to if they'd find the killer. It was just a matter of when.
He stepped out of his car and walked up to them where they were standing on Nicol's front porch. He saw in a memory of them all standing on this same porch, drinking beer and laughing with each other. He shook his head and nodded to them.
"Dearka, Yzak." He said curtly.
"Athrun." They replied. The friends all stood silent for a moment before Yzak sighed.
"Come on, might as well get it over with. He's in here." he said and lead the way inside Nicol's house to the living room, where a Grand Piano sat, and Nicol's lifeless form sat slumped against it.
There was blood on the blacktop and on the keys, making them sticky and hard to press. He sat on his bench and looked almost as if he were merely sleeping.
With a knife wound in the middle of his back.
Whoever it was, they must have taken him by surprise, snuck up on him while he was playing and stabbed him. Why they would actually enter his house just to stab him and run wasn't exactly clear yet, but the three men hoped they would be able to find some clues as to what and why this happened.
"Crime scene boys say the blood is all his, there's no sign of forced entry, no footprints, and the knife or whatever created this wound here, is gone. They've checked all the trash cans, closets, everywhere. Nothing." Dearka said.
"We've asked the neighbors and they say they didn't see or hear anything. Although one person said they saw a car park in the driveway and someone get out, they couldn't tell if it was a man or woman, and that they went inside. About half an hour later they left. We're not sure, but we think it fits the time frame of Nicol's death. He certainly wasn't killed this morning." Yzak added.
Athrun nodded and surveyed the rest of the room. Everything seemed normal, except for the yellow tape; it didn't look like a crime scene at all unless you looked at the piano and saw the blood on the floor near the legs.
"Well, the crime scene boys will finish up here and then take him to the morgue. The autopsy will be performed and if any of us want to come watch we're allowed, but only one of us can go. Where do you want to start?" Dearka said.
Yzak glanced at Athrun, who remained staring at Nicol's body with intensity that seemed not of this world, as if he were willing Nicol himself to tell him what happened. God knows that would make things so much simpler.
"I think we should ask that guy about the car arriving at Nicol's house, just to see if there's anything else he remembers or if he has any more details. He lives right next door." Yzak said after a moment.
Dearka nodded and also glanced at Athrun who sighed and turned to look at them.
"We're going to find who killed him, Athrun. This freak won't get away with it." Yzak said. Athrun nodded and they went out of the house and onto the sidewalk.
'We'll avenge you Nicol.' Athrun thought as he walked. 'I hope Kira's okay…'
-Author's Note: So what do you think? Good, bad, sad? Do you think you know who it is already? Don't get too ahead of yourself, there, because this is only the beginning. Please tell me what you think. Any suggestions or comments pertaining to the fic would be great and highly appreciated. Peace out!-