Promenade
by Apple-chan

Disclaimer: Will never be mine.

Summary: Four couples, one perfect night...or is it? A 5-act tale on how four young men and four young women fall in love at the night of their Junior-Senior Prom. YXA, RXP, LXJ, and HXT.

Warnings: None, except that it's AU. Also, PG-13 to be safe...and Hao.^^



ACT I: On Your Mark.


SCENE 2: She's the One.


"Lyserg, I'm leaving her in your very capable hands." The music professor told the green-haired junior, and president of the music club.

The young man nodded. "I'll get her ready for the concert, Professor Silverberg."

George Silverberg shook his head. "You'll get her ready for the prom," he corrected. "She'll be singing."

"Excuse me?" The young man glanced with surprise at the silvery-blue haired and ruby-eyed freshman who was sitting in front of the desk, examining a couple of music sheets. "Singing?"

Silverberg smiled. "Yes. The administration has already approved. It will be quite a change from the previous promenades. A welcome change, I'm sure you'll agree. You'll be playing the piano as she sings."

"What?" Lyserg couldn't hide the incredulity in his voice. He gave a small cough. "Pardon me, but sir...I haven't been informed of this."

"Well, I'm informing you now." Silverberg clasped his hands on top of the table with satisfaction. "You should not worry about what your classmates will think. This young lady has a very beautiful voice, I'm sure you know. I am certain everyone who is present at the night of the promenade will think her better than any other band we might have hired." He paused, and added as an afterthought, "...and your piano skills are quite exceptional, as well."

"Be that as it may," Lyserg stuttered, "sir, with all due respect...I think you're quite obviously forgetting that this is the prom, and--"

"You will have the chance to mingle with your friends," the teacher assured him. "You'll only be playing half the time, anyway. For the rest of the night, somebody will be playing music...a disk jockey."

"Who?"

A smile. "Caesar." He paused. "He's taken some time off from work and would be happy to do it for the school, and for his fellow students."

"Oh." Lyserg clearly remembered Caesar Silverberg: a senior with red hair, and Professor Silverberg's youngest son. He was skilled in music, and was a part-time disk jockey in famous clubs around Tokyo. "That's good, but sir...it's really not that I'm worried about--"

"Then what is it?" The teacher prompted.

"Well...to tell you the truth, I wasn't even planning on coming to the prom myself--"

"Then consider this a perfect opportunity, Lyserg," Silverberg said with a bright smile. "You were obviously meant to go. And you don't even have to bring a date. You already have--" he gestured meaningfully towards the freshman, "--her." He paused. "Isn't that right, Jeanne?"

The freshman nodded without looking up, an obvious blush creeping to her cheeks. "If Lyserg-niichan...um, Lyserg-sempai doesn't mind," she added quietly.

"I don't...but..." Lyserg fought very hard to keep the horrified expression from grazing his face. The idea of him, a junior, dating a freshman--and Jeanne, no less--was unthinkable. Regardless of how well aware he was of her talents, and of who she was...the concept of dating her was somehow...somehow...

...Tempting. He mentally kicked himself. He was attracted to the freshman, sure, but he wasn't about to go on exploring that attraction. Certainly not. And why not? Because it's...a sin. Sinful. Yeah. He glanced at his teacher.

For some reason, the middle-aged man whom he had regarded as a father ever since he entered high school, never gave up on his attempts to match make Lyserg--his favorite student, no less--to every other eligible high school girl who sets foot in his music room.

So far, his teacher had never succeeded. To give him credit, though, the professor usually made good selections in the girls--it was just that, try as he might, none of them had ever...really interested the young man. Fact is, no matter what effort he made (and Lyserg usually gave his effort just to be fair to Professor Silverberg) to get to know the girls, he just didn't...click with any of them, so to speak.

For example, there was that blonde girl, back in freshman year. She was beautiful, intelligent, and always at the top of her class. She would have been perfect...except that (aside from the fact that he really wasn't interested): for one, she was a year older (a sophomore at that time) than him; for another, when she somehow couldn't get what she wanted in a man, she becomes very, very, very scary. Anyway, although he would never ever think twice about dating her ever, being on...friendly terms with her was something he could live with.

During sophomore year, Silverberg had yet again introduced him to a potential girlfriend--someone he actually knew and somewhat friends with--a pink-haired classmate of his. She was beautiful, intelligent, and usually alternated with him in topping every exam. She was also, above all else...extremely shy and quiet. But the thing is, she was his friend, and frankly, he wanted to keep everything that way...and he did, much to his old professor's chagrin.

But Silverberg wasn't one to be daunted. Earlier this year, Lyserg was yet introduced to another potential girlfriend: a bubbly and lively sophomore cheerleader, who was beautiful as hell like the other two--with long, azure-blue hair and dark blue eyes. She was also extremely smart, a rare feat for cheerleaders, not that she was exactly a normal one. And never mind her strong personality, or her headache-inducing endless chatter--she could have been perfect...if she wasn't the younger sister of one of his friends. That alone was scary enough, knowing how very protective his friend was of his younger sister.

Obviously, though, Professor Silverberg wasn't one to give up. He was determined to get Lyserg a girlfriend (or at least, a prom date), no matter how much the young man refused...and now, here was Jeanne. Jeanne. The beautiful freshman with the angelic voice. She had the ability to mesmerize everyone, to be sure, but certainly no one has ever been affected as much as he was.

However, as far as that attraction goes, he was still her senior, and she was a young woman, and on both of those terms, she deserved no less than the proper respect--one that he had been giving her for the length of time he has known her...and he has known her for quite a long time, having been living all his life in the same neighborhood where she resides. Anyway, he wasn't about to go over the borders, even though his seniority might warrant it.

And as far as he knew, she didn't regard him as anything else except as an upperclassman and as an older brother anyway--that is, if the way she had addressed him earlier was any indication.

"It's settled, then." His teacher's commanding voice interrupted his thoughts. "So...you two would be practicing in the next four weeks, I expect," he smiled at the freshman girl, and winked at Lyserg. "...Are we agreed?"

Lyserg fought to keep the exasperation from lacing his tone. "Yes, sir."

"Jeanne?"

The freshman, who had continued to listen quietly as her professor and her senior conversed, finally looked up from the music sheets. "I will be here everyday without fail, sir." She replied serenely.

The music teacher smiled. "Good." He rose up, closed the piano, and motioned for his two prized students to leave. "I'm looking forward to the prom...and to a couple of other things besides," he added with a knowing grin at Lyserg.

This time, the junior rolled his eyes as he stood up and approached the door. "We'll see you tomorrow, sir." He stepped back in surprise and muttered a brief apology as the freshman bumped into him.

Jeanne held the music sheets tightly in her arms as she nodded slightly to acknowledge him, her cheeks slightly pink as she rushed out of the room.

As Lyserg exited, he heard his teacher chuckling behind him.

"Better not let her go, son. I think she's the one."

Lyserg exhaled. "You say that with all of them," he muttered as he left.



TSUZUKU.



Review Replies: Isis Hotep, yep, LXJ is LysergXJeanne, if you noticed from this chapter. Fangboy, yes, this is my very first attempt at AU. I'll be working on the two remaining side fics soon, and my first priority is the HoroXTamao one. Ami-chan, you're the genius behind this idea, really, so I thank you.;) GoddessLD, skaurali sweetheart, KristiexxNguyen, fire dagger, A. o. G, and to my dear yuri maxwell, thanks for the reviews! To everyone else who reviewed after that, thanks as well.=)