His voice filled the Opera house like a birds song. No one could quite comprehend how beautiful his voice was at first compared to the god awful one they had heard for years. Mouths stayed open in shock and no one breathed a word. Even the stage crew from above stopped and listened to the beautiful music flow over them. Every note was hit just right and so much passion was put into the words anyone within earshot listened.

Gilbert was the sun and everyone was in awe of his powerful presence. This clumsy dancer...famous? No.

But no one could deny what they were hearing. Arthur stood of to the side with Alfred who was smiling and mouthing words to Arthur who was in to much shock to pay attention.

Gilbert didn't see any of them, he was so engaged in his music. The Angel spoke directions into his mind and he followed them somehow knowing that the strange being was listening unnoticed somewhere in the walls of the Opera House. He didn't want to disappoint him.

And disappointed was the opposite of what the "Angel" was feeling at the moment. Pride and love shined in his cold eyes for just a second. He sat down in the rafters and enjoyed what he had created.

When Gilbert finished singing there was a silence so absolute you could have heard the angels in heaven. Then chaos broke out and everyone was trying to talk to the new found talent. Gilbert loved the attention giving out autographs and smiling never once forgetting about his teacher.

Alfred ran over and shook his hand enthusiastically. "OMG! That was amazing! Wasn't that amazing Arthur?"

Arthur walked over shaking his head. "Beautiful. You must sing in the play."

And suddenly Gilbert didn't look as confident. "Wait? In front of EVERYONE?! Antonio, tell them that I don't want to."

Antonio grinned and shook his head. "Nope. Amigo, this is your big chance! Right Lovino!"

"Tell the dumb bastard that he better do it because some people around here would like to get paid!"

Antonio turned back to Gilbert, "There see? Now you have to do it for the sake of everyone's pay checks."

xXx

Gilbert looked at he white suit he was wearing and frowned. An albino in a white suit...no. But they didn't have anything else and he absolutely refused to dye his hair. Most would say he looked handsome, Gilbert thought he looked like a romantic ghost. A Hauntingly handsome entity. Yeah, he liked that.

Antonio burst into the changing room face glowing. "He smiled at me!"

"Who?"

"Lovino!"

Gilbert laughed. Antonio had been pinning after the grumpy conductor from the first moment he met him. Rejection after rejection and he still chased after him. What Antonio saw in him Gilbert couldn't say, but as long as Antonio was happy... "How'd you do that?"

"Oh, I dropped a prop and broke it." Antonio got a lovesick puppy look on his face. "His smile is so nice. He should do it more often."

Gilbert shoved him and pointed to the clock. "Show time." And they walked out of the room and toward the stage. "Break a leg."

Antonio looked confused. "Why would I break my leg?"

"Stage talk for good luck."

"Ohhhhhhh, HEY LOVINO!" Antonio ran off. "Good luck Gilbert!" He called behind his shoulder.

Slowly the people trickled in in their fancy suits and lacy dresses. Gilbert pulled on his collar unconsciously starting to sweat. The curtains rose and act one began. Then act two. Act three rolled around and it was time for his solo.

Madame Héderváry gave him a thumbs up and he took center stage. Gilbert took a deep breath and straightened his suit for the hundredth time. The curtain rose and a thousand faces stared at him. Gilbert felt his knees go weak with nerves until he saw Antonio in the wings grinning and holding a mustache to his face to distract Lovino. The conductor was trying hard not to laugh, his face turning bright red from the effort. The familiarity of his friends actions made the rest of the world fade and soon he was singing like nobody's business.

"Think of me

think of me fondly,

when we've said

goodbye.

Remember me

once in a while

please promise me you'll try."

The crowed seemed to shift bored people where listening, women stopped fanning their faces, and a man in box five adjusted his glasses trying to pull a memory that was begging for his attention.

"When you find

that, once

again, you long

to take your heart back

and be free

if you

ever find

a moment,

spare a thought

for me..."

Lovino's face soothed and he looked like he was remembering a fond memory. In fact, everyone one who listened was remembering family, friends, or lovers whom they had forgotten. Gilbert looked like an angel in his white suit and indeed that's the impression the man in box five was getting. The memory was getting clearer. A time where there was no worries and violin music filled the air...

"We never said

our love

was evergreen,

or as unchanging

as the sea

but if

you can still

remember,

stop and think

of me...

Alfred leaned against Arthur and sighed. "Do you think of me?"

Arthur scoffed at this, "Of course! I need to babysit you 24/7."

Think of all the things

we've shared and seen-

don't think about the things

which might have been...

Think of me,

think of me waking,

silent and

resigned.

Imagine me,

trying to hard

to put you

from my mind.

Recall those days,

look back

on all those times,

think of the things we'll never do

there will

never be

a day, when

I won't think

of you..."

And it hit him like a train. The man in box five took off his glasses, cleaned them, and put them back on. There could be no mistaken. "Can it be?" He mumbled in surprise. "Can it be, Gilbert?" And when he realized that it was indeed his childhood friend and dare he say, sweetheart, he ran out of the box and made his way to the grand stair case where he used his status as a patron to gain entrance to to back rooms.

"What a change." The man grinned and checked his watch. "You're really not a bit the gawkish boy that you once where." He had a couple of minuets. "Does he remember me? Hmm, probably not. No one remembers me, but maybe there is a small chance that he...does?"

"We never said

our love

was evergreen,

or as unchanging

as the sea

but please

promise me

that sometimes

you will think

Gilbert took a deep breath.

ah-ah-ah-ah-aaah-of me!"

He had barely finished holding the note before the audience was on its feet whistling and throwing roses onto the stage. From up in the boxes you could here Alfred yelling. "Amazing! Magnifica! Stupenta!"

Gilbert could only smile in relief and clutch his chest. Damn that note was long.

The curtain closed and the people where still standing and he was still bowing face glowing in the aftermath. He was swept away by Antonio and Madame Héderváry who praised him nonstop. "That was breathtaking." "It was beyond words." "I couldn't believe it was you!"

He broke away from them and bowed. "Thank you Madame and Antonio. If you'll excuse me." And he left leaving a very confused Antonio and a pondering ballet instructor.

xXx

Gilbert pulled at his blood red tie as he lit a candle for his father down in the basements of the theater. He didn't say a prayer instead waiting for a friend to visit him. The attention was awesome, but Gilbert was unused to it. Usually all the cheers he got were at the curtain call.

"Bravo Gilbert. It was beautiful."

Gilbert's head shot up and he looked around for the source and instead finding Antonio standing in the door way. "Why are you hiding down here? Seriously man, you were perfect." Gilbert took his eyes off his best friend to once again look for the source of the previous praise. "So..."

Gilbert turned his glowing red eyes upon him. "So..."

"So who's this "teacher" that you keep mentioning. Some lover I have not been made aware of?"

Gilbert recoiled in shock. "A secret lover?! What is this a soap opera? And what about your lover? How's that going for ya?"

Toni feigned shock. "My love life is perfect thank you very much. He wants me."

"Like a baby wants a piece of broccoli he wants you."

"Some baby's like broccoli."

"Don't get your hopes up."

Antonio grinned, "Did you see him during your solo? I almost made him laugh. He turned the color of a tomato to avoid it. Now that my friend is true love when you try and supress your emotions and turn the color of your favorite food."

Gilbert raised his eyebrows. "Sure, what would you know about true love?"

He twirled in a circle. "You will know it when you feel it amigo. Now you never answered my original question. What are you doing down here?"

Gilbert looked away ashamed for some reason. "When my father died he said that I would be protected by an angel of music. And I have been visited by him Toni, his voice is...breathtaking. Like a choir of angels all on his own. He sings songs in my head all the time. I am down here to light a candle in recognittion of my father and the angel that he sent down to protect me."

Antonio gazed at him sadly. "As your best friend, I am here to tell you that has to be a dream. Angels don't just come down for mischif makers like you." Gilbert didnt' move and Toni started to worry. "Look come on. Lets go get you changed and eat some dinner. I'm sure you will be talking some sense then."

Gilbert looked longingly at the portrait of the god on the wall and shook his head. "Your right Toni."

Antonio blinked. "I am? I mean, yes I am! Come on Gilbert."

As the two friends made their way down the dark corridors of the opera house they were both deep in thought. One was thinking about angels and music. The other was thinking about a certain conductor and eating food because boy was he hungry...tomatoes anyone?