My inspiration is baaaack! It's only been 15 days, wow...anyhoo, here's chapter 9! Things are really going to start going downhill from here, and it's just gonna snowball. There's going to be a lot of different things going on at once, and each one is going to be bad XD

"Oh, now isn't this nostalgic?"

Elliot rolled his eyes, glancing up from his copy of Holy Knight. He was seated outside of the cafe where Vincent worked, a small mocha in his other hand. "Yeah, I guess it is." He gave a slight laugh, closing the book and placing it on his lap. He slid another mocha towards Leo, and added, "This is what, our third time being here together?"

"What, you're keeping track?" Leo teased, taking the mocha with a smirk. "Although I doubt you can count the first time, since…..." He trailed off, and shook his head. "Anyways, let's just say this is the second."

"Right…...yeah, the second." Elliot agreed in a soft tone. "Anyways, you said you had something you wanted to talk to me about?"

"Well, more like show, actually." Leo reached out his hand, and a small stack of papers rustled. "I wanted to show this to you. It came to me last night, and I think you'll like it."

Elliot took the papers, smiling as he realized it was a stack of sheet music. "I wonder what he came up with this time?" As his eyes scanned the notes, his smile grew, and when he finished, he set the papers on the table, glancing over at Leo. "You blended our music?"

"Mhm." Leo nodded, "I thought it might sound good, so I tried it. Of course I haven't actually played it yet…."

Elliot tilted his head in confusion. Didn't Lottie say that Leo could play the piano at their house? "But wait…...I thought-"

"Yeah, well Lottie lied." Leo cut him off quickly, "I'm not supposed to actually play that piano, so it seems."

"Oh….." Elliot decided it would probably be best to leave it at that, and instead of pressing the matter further, he changed the subject, "So, I'm guessing you want to play the piece? I have a piano at home, but…." Elliot hesitated, unsure if he should continue.

"I'm sensing a bit of animosity here." Leo snickered, "Are your parents strict or something? Well, whatever, that's fine. I was actually thinking we could go back to that music shop. I could buy something, so that we're not just taking up space."

"Ah, good idea." Elliot sighed, standing up. "Let's do that. I honestly can't wait to hear how this sounds." He handed the sheet music back, or tried to anyways, but Leo held out his hand in refusal.

"I…..I was actually hoping you would play it." He explained, "Since it's a composition from both of us, you know? I wrote it, you play it?"

Elliot blinked in surprise. He hadn't been expecting anything like that at all. "Um…..sure." He stammered, "I guess I could." He started down the sidewalk, with Leo trailing beside him. "So you wrote this last night? But you don't even have Statice's sheet music!"

"I know." Leo replied, shrugging. "I just remembered it, that's all. It was such a good piece that I couldn't forget it if I even tried."

Elliot blushed at the compliment, but at the same time he couldn't help but be impressed by Leo's ability. "You're really good, you know that? I don't care if you're self-taught or taught by a master, to be able to remember a piece like that having only heard it once, and to come up with music the way you do….."

"What's this? I'm getting a compliment?" Leo teased, laughing softly. "I guess I should thank you, shouldn't I? It really wasn't that hard though, it's just my talent I guess." Leo stopped walking, having arrived at the music shop. He pushed open the door, the rush of cold air bristling against his skin.

"It's still amazing." Elliot admitted, waving at the shop owner and once again silently asking for permission to use the pianos. The owner nodded, and so he sat down, taking a breath before placing the sheet music on the holder.

Leo stood beside him, and asked, "Do you need me to turn the pages?"

"Ah, yes please." Elliot accepted gratefully, and he placed his fingers for the first notes of the piece. It was familiar to him, starting out with the gentle melody of Statice. Within just a few chords however, it shifted to join with Tempeste's harsher tone, creating a clash of hope and despair, a dual feeling of the two pieces together as one. The rising and falling of emotion within each piece blended perfectly, sometimes one piece would fade out to leave the other alone, but never for long.

Leo stood and listened, turning the pages when needed. He felt entranced by the music, it took his breath away with each passing moment, hearing the emotions of their two pieces brought together in a duet that spoke both of their hearts, no words required to say what needed to be said.

As Elliot played out the final few bars, it seemed as though it was going to end with the finale of Statice, but instead there was an entirely different set of notes, which once again blended the two emotions of Statice and Tempeste with a contrast of peace and unrest that both soothed and disturbed.

"That…...wow….." Elliot breathed, resting his hands down by his sides, waves of emotions tumbling through his head faster than he could comprehend them.

Leo simply smiled, and asked, "Don't you want to know what it's called?"

"Oh yeah…...I forgot about that!" Elliot realized, flipping to the front page. But it was blank, no name written on it. "Hey, what's it called?"

"Well, I'm not 100% on this name yet, so we can totally change it if you want…..." Leo started, "I mean since the piece technically belongs to both of us…."

"Come on, just spit it out already." Elliot gathered up the music as he spoke, "I'll let you know if I hate it, OK?"

"OK." Leo nodded, "So I was thinking about calling it Mélancolie."

Elliot beamed, standing up from the piano bench. "That's perfect."

"You think so?" Leo questioned, relieved. "I thought it might fit, you know, with the emotions and all…."

"I think so." Elliot affirmed, "It really fits. Let's keep it like that."

"Alright." Leo felt a small smile slipping onto his face. "You can keep that, by the way, it's a copy. I have the original." In order to keep his earlier promise, Leo stepped towards the check-out counter, and picked up a small purple pendant. "Huh, didn't know there'd be jewelry here." He reached into his pocket to pull out his wallet.

Elliot held out his hand, and said, "Wait, hang on." He flipped over the pendant to see the price, then pulled out his own wallet. "Let me buy it for you, OK? It's…...it's a present."

"It's just $10." Leo protested, "Besides, why buy me a present?"

"Just….because I want to. For…...being my friend, I guess? And making that piece out of both of ours, and letting me play it…...it was fun…..." Elliot admitted, holding out $10. "Come on, let me buy it for you. I really want to."

"Alright then…...Idiot." Leo smirked, handing Elliot the pendant. "Thanks, I'll take it."

Elliot sighed and rolled his eyes. "Of course, I should have seen that coming. Someday I swear, I'm gonna get him for that." He handed the pendant over to the clerk, who rang it up and then took Elliot's money. "Thank you." Elliot took back the pendant and handed it to Leo, stepping to move outside of the shop.

Leo followed behind, holding the pendant in his hand. It had a clip on the back, and he fiddled with it for a moment before clipping it to the front of his shirt. "So…..what now?"

"Hmm…..." Elliot tilted his head, thinking for a moment. "I didn't really think about that….."

Before Leo could say anything, a familiar voice spoke from behind. "Elliot?"

Elliot groaned, turning to face the voice. "Yes, Oz?"

"It's been a while since we've hung out!" Oz exclaimed, his face bright and cheerful. "Oh hey Leo!" He addressed the black-haired boy with a sunny grin. "What've you two been up to?"

Leo glanced over at Oz, and then turned towards Elliot. "Is he always this…."

"Cheerful?" Elliot finished, "Yeah, pretty much. Some days more than most though." He reached over and gave Oz a gentle thwap on the head. "We've just been hanging out."

"Well I was actually going to say annoying." Leo laughed, "But yeah that works too."

Oz eyed the sheet music in Elliot's hand with a smile. "Ooh, new sheet music? Did you write it?"

"Oh this?" Elliot held out the music so Oz could see, then continued, "Well, only sort of. I wrote part of it, it's Statice, but combine with one Leo wrote called Tempeste."

"This looks cool!" Oz handed back the papers, "Think you could play it for me someday?"

Elliot laughed softly, and said "Yeah, I guess so. I guess Leo could play Tempeste for Lottie too, while we're at it."

"Ah, she's already heard it." Leo spoke up, "That's…..that's how I found out how I'm not supposed to play that piano."

"Hey, I thought it might help!" Lottie's voice called out, as she ran over to join the group. "I thought maybe if he heard you play, it might make him happy again…."

"What are you doing here, Lottie?" Leo's voice gained an agitated edge, "I thought you were working?"

"I was! If you would have been keeping track of the time," She teased, ruffling his hair, "I got off 15 minutes ago."

"Ah, is it already 6?" Leo questioned, pulling out his phone and turning it on. "Oh, so it is. Well then, I guess you'll be heading back soon?"

"Yeah, probably. Are you going to hang out here a while longer?" Lottie gestured up the street to where her car was parked, "I'll come back to pick you up, unless you have a different way to get home."

"I walked here, remember? It's only 20 minutes. I mean unless Elliot wants to drive me…." Leo snickered, "If he even has a car."

"I do have a car, but I have fencing in…...wait, you said it's 6? Crap…...I've gotta go soon, or I'll be late." Elliot pulled out his own phone, which had just started buzzing from an alarm he had set to notify him about his fencing class.

"Alright, well then Leo how about you come back home with me then? I doubt Glen will want you walking home after dark, and I don't want you to get in trouble." Lottie pulled out her car keys from her purse, which made a light jingling sound.

"Elliot?"

Elliot turned to face the person speaking his name, and was greeted with the sight of Vincent frowning. "Vincent? What's wrong?"

"Get away from them. Now." Vincent instructed, his eyes dark, his voice devoid of emotion. "I don't want you speaking to them ever again."

Elliot shook his head, stepping back. "No, I won't. I've already heard that from Vanessa, and I've already made my point. Leo….Leo is a friend to me, and you can't take him from me!"

"I said get away!" Vincent spoke forcefully, his eyes now flashing in anger. "I don't care what Vanessa said! She doesn't….what she said doesn't matter!"

"Stop it!" Elliot cried, "Leo's standing right here!" He gestured to Leo, "Must you really speak so negatively about him?!"

"Elliot…..I…...I get it." Leo cut in, his voice wavering. "I…...won't talk to you anymore. I don't want….don't want to break up your family. Just….just listen to your brother, OK?" With that, Leo turned on his heel, tears brimming in his eyes.

"Leo!" Lottie called out, turning and chasing after him. "Wait!"

"Vincent! What the hell was that about?!" Elliot demanded, fuming in rage. "How could you do that?!"

"I did what I had to." Vincent stated in a blunt tone, "That's all. I don't have to explain myself. You'll understand one day."

"How dare you?!" Elliot seethed, "You know what, don't bother answering that! I can't even talk to you right now!" He moved away from Vincent, walking towards his car. "I've…...I've gotta go….." He too had tears gathering, which slide down his face with every step.

"Why did Vincent do that?!"

And there you have it! As I said earlier, things are going to get bad, and you can thank Vincent for that XD

I had a lot of fun writing the music scene, and coming up with the name for their combined piece. I'd had the idea for a while, and now I finally got to use it!

As always, any comments (as long as they're respectful) are always appreciated! :)