Summary: She saw him performing on a pub and quite liked how talented he was. he cared for her. and the world, from his black and white point of view, slowly turned to a more colorful state. [Shima] ONESHOT.
acoustica
The place was crowded , although majority of the people were sitting, minding their own tattles in the red, rounded tables, She still thought it was perturbing. Waitresses wore skimpy black guitar costumes that were up only to their thighs, serving drinks and getting quick slaps and caresses from erotic men sitting on the high stools. It was a sickening sight, she couldn't imagine herself being touched like that because Rima Touya was a decent woman who had a nice job.
And how did a decent woman end up on a crowded, smutty bar? It was because of her close friend, who had always passed his time drinking liquor on bars. A not-so-decent-but-polite man named Takuma Icihjo, thank you very much.
"I am pretty much sure that this is a bad idea, Takuma." Rima said , a slight wariness from her voice. Her eyes still glued to the crowd before them.
"There you are again with you pessimistic thoughts Rima, let's just enjoy a couple of drinks okay? I don't see how that is related to a bad idea." He signaled one of those skimpy waitresses.
Rima eyed the woman furtively, a dissaproving look on her face, as the woman approached them with lithe.
"Hey there , pretty lady. could you give us two beer bottles please?" He inserted a good amount of sen on the woman's ready hands. Then he gave her a smirk before turning back to Rima.
"See? It wasn't so hard."
"For you that is. I wouldn't want to see myself associated with such alcoholic people or be surrounded by them for that matter." She reproached, in a scornful tone. A slight shudder escaped her, just thinking about it.
He laughed at her. "You are so absurd you workaholic lady. This is what they call fun,Rima. a drink now and , ever heard of that?" He asked, then continued. "I think that you're the only person around here who refuse to have any fun at all."
"You talk nonsense. I happen to like having fun, at the right time though." She replied, scowling at him.
"Yeah, you mean solving crosswords and reading scholar books." He snorted. " all the more reason to have some real fun and good time."
She rolled her eyes at him. "Drop it. I refuse to talk about how I spend my 'fun'. or you , bashing on it."
He shrugged, but heeded her words. "Okay I'll shut up, keep your pants on."
The beer arrived and he took an immediate gulp.
Rima started to people-watch again and the more she stared, the more she felt nauseated. From the corner, she spotted a couple literally eating each other's faces. She looked away before she turned green. Then there was this fat,bald man with extensive tattoo all over his arms, caressing one of the waitresses breast and playing with it. She inhaled deeply and closed her eyes. It was as if Rima had seen a very bloody horror movie. Everywhere she looked, people were engaged with something erotic, or close to that.
Disgustingly.. porn.
"Why the hell would you spend your free nights on a bar? and a shitty one at that?" She asked, gulping some of the beer.
"It's nice to see some nice ass sometimes." Takuma replied. "And the music is really good here too. you should watch that sick guitar player who has great vocals."
She turned and noticed for the first time, a small podium with lots of black wires and speakers. It seems as though no one was really paying attention to the performer but the guiatarist looked like he wasn't singing for the audience either. It was not unrequited. In fact, Rima saw, that he was closing his eyes, singing quietly to himself. The microphone a little away from his mouth.
She stared at his shiny mahogany guiatar that illuminated the light bulbs around the semi-dark pub. He was strumming skillfully, the way his fingers moved against the strings. It was beautiful and breath-taking. She never saw anyone by the likes of him. All she ever saw were those ordinary guitarist. novice, she now called. He sang an unfamiliar song. and Rima was dissapointed that she couldn't quite hear his voice.
She wanted to ring a very loud church bell to silence them all. So that she could listen to the entertainer in front of the oblivious crowd. She drank the beer a little agressivly more than before.
"Who is that guy?" She asked.
Takuma was pulled out of his reverie. He turned to look at her. "Who?"
"That guy playing acoustic." said Rima. "He plays well."
"I know. he is one talented dude. I don't really know his name but they call him GUITAR MAN. I guess they don't know his name either."
She stared at him, still awe-struck. "guitar man.." She murmured,gripping the glass before taking the contents of the beer and thoroughly emptying the bottle.
OOO
Rima was bored. bored of her tiny office, bored of her job.
bored of her life to make it short.
She had been under a lot of stress since the boss of the company suffered a terrible loss. She had to cover his absences and do double work. Examine twice the papers she had to tackle and recieve more than twenty calls from important business people. It was tiresome, meddling into something bigger than what you were used to be doing on mundane days.
Finally, she called it a night and hit the road.
Her car windows were hazy and a little jittered due to the rain. The road was desserted, but it was dark all the same. Then as her thoughts were blank, she saw the familiar bar; acoustica . The one she and Takuma had visited a few weeks before. guitar man might be there. So instead of returning to her flat for the night, she swerved her car and parked it.
OOO
I remember what you wore on our first day
You came into my life and I thought :hey, you know this could be something
Rima sat herself directly in front of the podium. A beer bottle on her hand, her eyes glued to the man in front of her. she only noticed, up close, that his hair was a vivid auburn. Before, it looked like a sick yellow color due to the light. Then as he stared at the audience, she saw he had light blue eyes. Wonderful, talented and handsome guitar man.
Cause everything you do and words you say
you know that it all takes my breath away
and now I'm left with nothing
Rima wondered if he was a hypnotist too, she found out that she couldn't look away from him. And his sick skills on his acoustic guitar had started to give her a slight feeling of stupor. or maybe it was just from the drinks. She sighed and listened to the rest of the song.
"How could such a pretty lady sit here alone?" A gangly young man sat across from her. She raised an eyebrow at his audacity.
"I was simply enjoying the music thank you." replied Rima
"Oh, polite I see. Did someone break up with you? You are drinking by yourself." He leered at her and she didn't like how his lips were curved lustfully.
Rima didn't like this one bit. maybe this was a bad idea after all. Her head was screaming at her to leave the bar now.
"No. I am here to have a bit of entertainment. Now if you'll just vacate that chair, if you please. My boyfriend is coming any minute from now and it would be such an appalling idea of him thinking you were a lewd person."
The man glared at her. "I saw you enter alone. don't feed me shit lady."
"Goodbye." She stood up, totally freaked out by now.
He stood up and followed her out the bar. Rima's shaky hands fumbled for the keys as she tried to place it on the car knob.
She felt his hand on her back. She turned around sharply and the man's face was full of lust. "Don't leave me lady. Don't you want to feel good time?"
"Go away." She exclaimed. trying to recall about the self-defense she once knew. Her mind was totally blank and she felt vulnerable,weak. Sweat glided down her forehead.
"I think I'd like to stay a little longer. where do you want to do it slutty? in the car? oh,goody." His hand, firm but scaldy scooped her waist and grabbed the car keys from her.
"I guess you'll have to stop or I'll call the cops James." A new voice interrupted. Rima peeped and saw guitar man, with an enraged expression on his face.
The lustful man, James , gave a fierce scowl , mumbled a word of unsincere apology before going back to the bar, shoulders slumped.
Rima panted, relief feeding her entire body. She had never felt so scared her entire life. She was nearly assaulted. Guitar man saved her. That was how her night was. It terrified her out of her wits, of course.
"Are you okay?" He asked, his brows bunched up anxiously.
"You-you saved me." whispered Rima , her tone grateful and tired.
"James deluded himself into thinking that you'd want to fuck him too." said guitar man silently , a scowl returning on his forehead.
"Did he hurt you? we could arrest him."
"No, I'm okay. I wouldn't linger back on this place anymore." She shivered, both from the occurence, and from the cold. "Not when I'm with someone that is."
He nodded. "good. I have to go back then, please go home immediately."
"wait." she called out.
he turned. "yes?"
"Thank you." She could see that his grey sweatshirt was crumpled, like it did not undergo ironing. His trousers were baggy and her heart was pounding very loudly behind her ears. "and.. you can play the guitar like crazy." she added.
He smirked, twitching his head to one side. making him more good-looking at the angle. "Thanks. It means a lot." then he breathed deeply. "I saw you in front of me. It was hard not to notice you since you were gaping." his eyes glinted playfully. "Then I saw James sit beside you and I saw how uncomfortable you were. you left ; and I had hinted his malicious intentions. so I skipped the bridge and ended the song, I decided to follow you and I'm glad I did."
Rima smiled and nodded. "Very nice of you." She jammed her key in her ignition, starting her car.
"I have to go back. have a safe trip." He smiled.
She looked up from her car and grinned at him. "I'm Rima Touya"
he acknowledged that and bowed. "Until then,Ms. Touya"
"Oh,wait!" She called out for the second time. "I don't know your name!"
She heard him laugh. "they call me guitar man. but please, call me Senri. Senri Shiki."
OOO
Senri Shiki.
That was his name. Rima had bragged to Takuma that she knew guitar man's name. Her friend gave her a skeptical look and said 'For me, it isn't vitally important to know his name. perhaps to you it is.'
She had snapped at him, telling him he was just angry because she didn't inform him of going to acoustica. Nobody knew of the 'little incident' that happened.
Only her.. and Senri Shiki the entertainer knew. no, erase that , Only Senri Shiki , the handsome,talented and heroic entertainer knew besides herself.
Funny how such a decent young lady would start this obsessive craze over a guitarist. For her it wasn't funny, but for the world it may seem amusing, yes. But she didn't care enough to fuss about that. She wanted to see him again. It was like a necessity now.
There was once when she visited the bar again, he had played a song dedicated to her. and he looked like a real music artist, with his melodic and touching voice.
He had told her James was banned in visiting acoustica. They had once talked on a table, filling each other in about informations about themselves. She enjoyed his presence, because his personality was warm like the color of his hair.
Once, she had been passed out drunk on the bar, sleeping on one of those red tables at one a.m. in the morning. and the pub had to close. Rima was hangover and very tipsy. That was the night she had experienced the greatest stupor ever. When she woke up, she was in Senri Shiki's flat. he had took care of her, gave her a strong coffee to erase the liquior away.
"I still don't get why I can't go home" She mumbled after setting down the second empty cup of brewed coffee on the bedside table.
Senri stood, across from her, a light illuminating his face by his cigar. "You are intoxicated. rest and I shall decide when you can go home"
She scowled at him. "You don't have to bring me here. you don't have to let me sleep on your bed, or clothe me with your garments."
The room smelt strongly of tobacco and mint. but Rima didn't mind it at all. It smelled exactly like him.
He smirked at her, his face foggy from the smoke. "Afraid that it would be tainted with implications? I brought you here because I wanted to. I let you rest on my bed because I wanted to and I clothed you because your clothes smelled like vomit. Unless you'd want to go prancing around the street,drunk. Tell me, and I'd let you go out."
"No." She said. "why did you do such nice things?" She asked.
He gave a small laugh that was indecipherable, due to the cigar on his mouth. He exhaled the smoke again. "Do you want an honest answer Rima?" he paused, his light blue eyes meeting hers. "I don't fucking know."
"why not?"
"Bloody hell, Rima. what if I tell you I cared what would you do?" He shook his head at her question.
"you do care for me." she said.
"yes." he puffed. "and greatly."
OOO
Senri Shiki was a man with a few words, he'd never dissapoint someone. he'd be there when he wanted. not if he don't. It was how he saw life, for him it was black and white but he got to choose which was the white and which was the black. He was severly opinionated and wise. He knew he had a talent and he wanted to just shut up about it. When he'd see conflict , he'd grab his guitar and show his skills, then the enemy couldn't give him anymore insults and would just walk away.
Hide from the shell, then he'd burst out when the timing was perfect. He was a perfectionist. He was a man, and he wanted the perfect woman for him. Not those slut he'd usually see on the bars, flirting with him after his performance. When they'd see how much restraint he got about sexual things, they'd let him go. and they shut up.
People were intimidated just by the sight of him. He didn't know why. his stance maybe? or his vivid hair that always looked threatening.
On his right hand was a single rose, and a guitar hang from behind him, as he continued to walk towards her flat.
When she had answered and let him in, he played a song for her, in her apartment, them sitting alone and talking, over a bottle of beer. Then before he left, he tossed her the rose and slammed the door behind him.
That was part of how he was raised. He wasn't that person who'd show affection. But he did like her really. He was just a plain fucker for not showing enough.
OOO
He confessed he liked her over a bottle of beer and a smoke. She was sitting across from him, her blue eyes focused on her small pale hands.
"You simply can't say it can you?" She said, in a hush tone. It was not surprised. and he wasn't surprised that she wasn't.
"I don't know how."
She gave a mirth laugh. "Then don't say it. I understand."
"I don't know how to fucking say it Rima. well I do stare at you lots of times and I enjoy hanging with you. but God, seriously, all I ever know is strumming my sodding guitar."
She placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't stress about it."
"I like you." He sulked, a tinge of pink on his cheeks. then he took a large gulp of beer.
"Oh, God. I think I sounded really cheesy." He said.
Rima shook her head. "Believe me you don't. I think you are the most wonderful talented man on this planet. and you may be a little naive about this but you are a genuine person and yes, I like you too."
He inhaled in pleasure and thought about kissing her. Maybe the idea of revolt would come across her and he was afraid she might not like it.
So he restrained himself and lit a cigar instead. "That changes things I suppose."
"Yes."
"I guess I'd die happy now. Now that I've come clean , and I could have a chance at this.. happiness or whatever this is."
"Love, Senri." She reminded.
"yes. and when I'm inside a coffin I would-"
"Why are you so cynical? we just confessed and you're thinking about death?" She asked in disbelief.
He puffed fiercely. "Then what do you want to talk about?"
"I don't want to talk." She said.
"Then-?"
drowned out. she kissed him that night and he enjoyed it very much. It seems as though she was waiting for him to do it. and he had to be this dick who was too afraid to make a move. he was a liked very much how her orange blond hair tickled his face and the feel on her skin across from his was simply bliss. He thought that he could die in happiness. No amount of applause could compare from this. And their chair lurched and squeaked against the tile neither one cared because they were too busy, telling each other how they really felt. He thought he was now complete, when he thought he was, way back before, with his acoustic guitar and voice.
there was more to the world than guitars and crowds. there was love. and the world, from his black and white point of view, slowly turned to a more colorful state.
a/n: please do criticize if you think it is not good. please review (: