Hey guys! This is my first multi-chaptered fic I've attempted since 7th grade and lemme tell ya I'm nervous as shit. If you've read this story before then you know this greeting is a little different than before and so is this story. Originally this was started in 2012 and I feel like my narrative style has changed a tad so in the name of cohesion I've tweaked it just a tad. So enjoy the reboot of Didn't Stand a Chance!
Disclaimer: I don't own a damn thing except for an insatiable need to have my sea salt dorks in a band, an eclectic Spotify account and too much time on my hands.
Chapter 1: On and On
Songs mentioned: On and On by Erykah Badu and Girls/Girls/Boys by Panic! At The Disco
Roxas let out an undignified whine before he slumped in his wooden university-issued piece of shit they had the audacity to call a desk-chair. The worn cushion did little to shield his backside from the numbing pain of being stationary for several hours. He passively wondered just how many butts had found purchase in this exact seat. What kind of college horrors had the thing been subjected to as it fulfilled its job of catering to countless to young adults before it found itself in the care of an increasingly apathetic transfer student?
He quickly abandoned that line of thought as his mind began to wonder the same about his bed.
He instead turned back to his studies. His eyes passing over the large skeleton diagram before him.
"This is capital fuckery." He grumbled before tossing his pen across the desk. The plastic made a small clatter as it collided with his binder.
To be honest, the words in his textbook had ceased to make sense at least a half hour before but for the sake of feeling productive, he had tried to power through. It didn't help that this particular class was nothing more than mindless memorization. Honestly, when would an English major ever need to know where the sternocleidomastoid muscle was located? (Though he did take pride in knowing that, that was in fact located in the neck.)
Prerequisites were nothing but hell, and Anatomy was beginning to take the shape of the devil.
He brushed his hand through his messy blond locks before he plucked his music player from a desk drawer and removed himself from his seat before moving over to his bed to plop face down onto his pillow. This class was beginning to feel like some sort of soul sucking torture to him, slowly eating away at his last few veins of sanity.
Without lifting his head, Roxas shoved his headphones over his head and onto his ears. The tenseness in his limbs loosening as a steady drumbeat began to pound against his eardrums. Heavy bass and guitars lulled him into a sense of contentment, easily quelling the Anatomy-induced headache that had been tapping away at his temples. He outstretched his hands to the headboard of his bed, tracing the chords he heard on the rough wood. He was so close to being able to play this song on his own guitar. Maybe in two more weeks he'd have it fully. He quietly hummed along to the lyrics satisfied to have his concentration anywhere but work.
"Ah, so we're procrastinating again, are we?" A voice broke through his musical-meditation causing the unsuspecting college student to scream and flip over and off of the bed, landing butt first onto the floor.
"Son of a bitch." Roxas cursed quietly. The blond looked up to find his brother, Sora, hovering over him and laughing hysterically. His arms clutched his sides as he struggled to catch his breath. The headphones that were previously covering his ears were now dangling from one of his assailant's hands.
"Didn't we have a conversation about sneaking up on people? Heart attacks tend to make living organisms die, you know." Roxas scowled as he rubbed his sore bottom.
"No, we had a discussion about scaring old people. Not a thing was said about scaring you." Sora corrected, sticking out a hand to help. Roxas swatted it away, snatched back his earphones and flung himself bodily back onto his bed.
"What are you doing back here so early anyway?" Roxas asked, after letting several moments of petulant silence pass between them. He looked over to his twin before chucking a pillow at the brown-haired menace who was once again invading his section of their shared bedroom.
"Class ended early." Sora replied simply, before sitting in his sibling's chair and spinning around in it.
"Not meeting with the nerd brigade today?"
Sora lobbed Roxas' pillow back, missing significantly, before answering. "Yes, the table tennis club met today." He replied pointedly. "But that ended early too. Club president had an appointment and took off extra early for something so we all just left."
Roxas grunted in response. He rolled over on the bed, linking his hands together like a cradle before placing his head into it. He stared at the ceiling for a short while, imagining musical notes were etched into its white surface.
"You should come with me next time."
The blonde boy scoffed. "Yeah, when porcupines start burping the alphabet and the gates of Hell start welcoming people with hugs and Mickey Mouse hats."
Sora stopped spinning to blink at his brother. "Wait. Do porcupines burp?"
The blonde let a half-laugh escape his lips. "Do I look like Google to you?"
It was Sora's turn to roll his eyes. There was a beat of silence sans the sound of Sora's foot colliding with the desk every now and then as he continued his spinning endeavors.
"What song were you practicing?"
A crooked grin spread over Roxas' face. "Like you need to ask."
"Panic! At the Disco again?"
Roxas nodded.
"I knew it." Sora smiled back. "Play it for me!"
Sora bounced up out of the chair, nearly toppling it over as he scuttled out of the bedroom area of their apartment-style dorm. He came back seconds later, a large black guitar case slung over his shoulder. He handed it over to his brother as he bounced on the balls of his feet. The same zeal, albeit a bit more reserved, was reflected in his brother's face.
The twins had an affinity for music that their mother noticed early on. Roxas was always running around the house in his socks with his air guitar and Sora would take cake beaters and beat on the backs of pots and pans. The pair would then scream nonsensical lyrics to the top of their lungs. Though they never agreed on what the lyrics were before they actually began their shouting. In order to maintain the sanity of both the Strife brothers' parents and neighbors, they were enrolled in piano class at the age of 5.
They were promptly kicked out two weeks later, something about Roxas and his air guitar, and Sora only wanting to play with the different sounds the instructors keyboard made. They couldn't recall the full story themselves.
As the two got older however, they taught themselves how to play both piano and guitar. Sora learned to play by ear, being much too eager to actually sit and learn how to read musical notes like Roxas. They also learned to sing as their voices matured. While both boys could hold their own vocally, there was something about Roxas' voice that made him stand out. When Roxas sang, people listened.
"I'm not really..." Roxas began, looking down at his instrument, his unsure tone betrayed by the fact the instrument was already cradled in his arms, his fingers tapping at the zipper of the case.
"Oh, come on, it's just a preview. I'll sing back up." Sora was nearly tap dancing now.
"Fine! Fine. Jeez, chill out before you pee yourself."
Sora executed his extreme level of maturity by sticking his tongue out, which earned him an exasperated sigh followed by an eye-roll as Roxas opened the case and positioned his hands on his guitar. He quickly tuned it before giving the chorus a test.
"Pose, you've gotta save your reputation. They're close to finding out about your girlfriend. But if you change your mind, you know where I am. Yeah, if you change your mind, you know where to find me 'Cause I don't wanna save your reputation."
As Roxas' voice filled the room Sora looked on in awe. It was perfectly clear to Sora that Roxas belonged on the stage. Not in some shitty little dorm room with horrendous acoustics.
"I really wish you'd perform again." Sora half-sighed, jumping as a serious of disjointed notes crashed his musing.
"I told you, I'm not ready to do that right now."
Sora laughed. "Yeah, is that why you sometimes start drooling at the mere mention of a stage? We're in a completely different place with new people and you shouldn't be afraid-"
"Did I ask for a fucking Cosby Show moment?" Roxas snapped as he lowered his guitar onto his lap. These conversations were stillborn occurrences that did nothing more than rile up the pounds of guilt and anxiety that so enjoyed weighing his chest down. Sora's jaw worked quietly as he looked over at his brother, desperate to offer up a rebuttal, only to come up empty.
The two jumped as five knocks sounded in rapid succession at their door. Roxas and Sora looked at each other, the corners of their mouths turning upwards at the familiar sound. The tension that had laced itself around the oxygen in the room, quickly dispelling. They quickly got to their feet and shuffled into their cramped little living room.
"What's the password?" The two asked in unison.
"If we were made in his image then call us by our names." A female voice sang from the other side.
"It's open." Sora called, a full blown smile had crawled across his face before the words could fully leave his lips.
The door opened to reveal a petite, raven-haired young woman. Her hair was cut short and the intense blue color of her eyes blended with the perfect cerulean of the Strife brothers. The password she'd sang had been an idea of Roxas' back in their Junior year of high school. He felt the lyrics fit their little club of societal rejects.
"Ooooh, guitar time?" She asked, taking note of the instrument, still in Roxas' hand as she walked in and flopped onto the little loveseat the university provided. Roxas noted the way she'd made sure to avoid the little bar in the middle. She'd made the mistake of flopping onto it once and apparently it had been a lesson she never forgot.
"Gotta love how you saunter in here without so much as a formal 'hello', Xion." Roxas grumbled.
Xion smiled widely before getting up and gathering the two in a big hug.
"Oh, Rox I've missed your surly attitude so. How are things? How's life? How's that stick up your butt, not causing infection I hope."
Roxas thumped her playfully, effectively ending the air restricting hug, before responding. "Yes, my love for your cheap perfume and your lame insults are akin to Dante's enjoyment of Hell." He propped his guitar up on the wall nearest the bedroom doorway before taking a spot on the sofa.
Xion gave a small indignant huff as she reclaimed her own spot on the sofa, stretching her legs across Roxas' lap before sticking her tongue out at him, showing just how far the level of maturity spread amongst those in their small little group. "Pretentious meanie."
The blond thumped her again, this time opting for her legs. "It's getting crowded up here, and you're in my bubble."
"It's been popped," Xion replied before snatching the pillow from the grumpy twin's grasp. "Unlike your cherry, I'm sure. When is the last time you were on a date, anyway?"
"February 30th if you must know," Roxas replied dryly, desperately wishing he had his pillow back so he could beat the woman into silence. "You really need change the filter between your mouth and brain. Because wow, that comment was both excessive and unnecessary."
"Wait, there's a February 30th?" Sora asked somewhat quietly as he plopped down onto the floor with his legs crossed.
Roxas and Xion looked over at the brunette with questioning looks. His gaze was set upon a small area on the wall as if it held the answers he was looking for.
"Yes, but only on Leap Years." Roxas deadpanned, managing to suppress his amusement.
Xion, on the other hand, unable to hold it in doubled over laughing which in turn sent Roxas into a fit of his own as Sora quietly seethed on the floor.
If there was anything that truly brought balance to his life, it was Xion. Roxas and Sora met had met the girl through Sora's best friend, Kairi, back when they were little bundles of acne and braces and horrendous fashion choices in their first year of high school. Xion was a quiet loner. New to their small town, she had just barely managed to befriend Kairi who had found the girl alone in the band practice room showing out on the band's drum set after school.
They all hit it off tremendously and formed a little band. They called themselves Dream. Drop. Distance. They were an unexpected hit at their first talent show and quickly found a fanbase amongst their peers. They were routinely invited to perform at parties and some of the smaller local venues that allowed minors. And it went on like that until the end of their Junior year when the proverbial shit hit the fan. Thinking his new found celebrity status would grant him a pass from any kind of small town persecution, he decided to publicly come out.
And such an unprecedented feat went as well as it possibly could go when dealing with an island that was too small to properly house a Walmart: horribly.
"Oh, my soul, that was hilarious." Roxas coughed, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye.
"Yeah, yeah, new topic please." Sora pouted, crossing his arms giving him the full preschooler appearance. Xion cooed at the petite brunette, pinching his cheeks playfully, earning nothing more than cross looks and colorful language that was very unlike the usually upbeat man.
"Fine, let's go back to my previous question. Guitar time?" Xion offered, ruffling the brunette's messy spikes as a gesture of good will.
"Well it was. Sora ruined it."
Xion raised a dark eyebrow and turned to the other twin. "Oh?"
"I didn't ruin a thing," Sora squawked in defense. "All I did was bring up the subject of performing."
"Ooooh, did you finally get him to crack?" Xion asked her interest piqued.
"No, he most certainly did not crack, and heis sitting right here, so don't talk about him like he isn't here, you rectum." Roxas grumbled, taking his turn to pout a little.
"Aw, look at you, using your anatomy knowledge," Xion clucked jokingly smiling apologetically at Roxas' unimpressed expression. "But seriously, Dream. Drop. comeback, equals?"
Roxas shrugged and shifted in his seat. "I don't know."
"I figured you'd say that." Xion answered, as she sat up and wrapped an arm around the blond's shoulder.
"Look Rox, if you let those vermin run you from doing what you love the most, then aren't you just letting them win?"
Roxas shrugged again suddenly finding words to be a burden. He was suddenly finding a new of interest in the stitching on the leg of his jeans.
"All we're saying," Sora started. "is that you're an awesome musician. You love music more than anything else. You live for it, you breathe it and I'm like 80% sure even your farts are on the scale somewhere. Sometimes you get hurt but you'll never know what can really happen unless you try again, right?"
Roxas looked at his brother with a smirk.
"You don't have to decide today, but don't let a bunch of high school asshats, let you forget what it is you love. And just know that the band is ready to stand behind their front man when he's ready to lead us again." Xion smiled, before pulling the blonde into a half hug. Roxas smiled back for a beat before pulling away.
"Okay, enough of this sappy sweet stuff I'm going to need an insulin shot if things keep going at this rate." Roxas teased, pushing Xion off playfully.
"I agree, fully." Xion responded.
"So, I've been meaning to ask you, Xion." Sora started, acquiring the dark-haired woman's full attention. "What are you doing here? I thought you had register duty over at The Cafe That Never Was."
"Oh, I do, in like, thirty minutes. I just had something I wanted to show and/or ask you two." Xion replied as she picked her purse up off of the floor, pulling out a folded sheet of white paper.
"And that would be?" Sora asked, already crawling and leaning over to take a peek at what the woman had in her hands.
"Are you two busy Saturday night?" She inquired slyly.
The twins looked at each other before looking back at Xion and shaking their heads.
"Well, the Cafe is hosting an Open Mic Night."
"But I thought we just –"
"I'm not suggesting we sign up...yet," She held up a hand, cutting Roxas off "There's this band on campus that everyone's buzzing about and I thought we could check them out."
Roxas snatched the flyer out of Xion's hand and examined it. His eyes stretched wide as they settled on the image before him. His eyes traced over the frame of a tall, lanky, redhead clad in a tight dark shirt, a sleeve of tattoos decorating his right forearm and vanishing underneath the rolled up sleeves of his shirt. He held a microphone up to his lips which curved themselves into a mischievous smirk that matched the glint he held in his ridiculously emerald eyes.
"Who is that? I wasn't even aware they made them like that." Roxas gushed. "What kind of deal do you need to make with Satan to get a fucking jaw structure like that?"
Sora looked over his brother's shoulder. His own brows flying upwards in surprise. Xion stifled a giggle. Her eyes held a playful gleam, very much like the redhead in the photo.
"So, you guys wanna go with me?" She asked despite already knowing the answer.
Neither boy looked up from the image as they both nodded in agreement.
I hope you enjoyed! Please feel free to leave any constructive criticism or comments. Thank you for reading!