Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam. I don't own any of the lyrics I post here (except the ones I say I do. Take my word?) I don't own the characters either. Sadly.
A/N: After several edits, my previous "attempts" were scrapped in favour of this one. I know, schools, bands, it's all one big ball of cliché, but that's not my problem. Just love it.
Kindly don't flame me, but anything constructive will be greatly appreciated.
Characters/Pairings/Warnings/etc: Shounen-ai/yaoi. Pairings are 1x2 and 3x4. Rating will be R, for some violence, swearing (not that anyone cares) and perhaps some citrus, with any luck.
The characters will be edited here and there, some added in weird roles, etc. I think it's pretty safe to say it's an AU. :)
Author: Emerald Acid.
Storyline: Silver Lasers is the band that Duo and Heero make up. They're all at school, and are about 16-18. You can work it out yourself. It's hard enough to write this stuff without making any SENSE.
Silver Lasers
Chapter One: The Riddle
The bar was dark, the last of the indie bands was performing, and the audience clearly wasn't appreciating it. But that wasn't likely to put off the Silver Lasers.
The singer was twisting himself around the microphone stand, trying his hardest to tangle both himself and his braid up on the stand.
The keyboard player was showing no emotion, or any expression. He was almost impossible to see, save for the quick, sharp movements of his fingers. The words sounded harsh through the speakers:
It was cold and dark
December night
When I opened the bedroom door
To find her lying still and cold up on the bed;
A love letter lying on the bedroom floor
His voice was almost calling to the audience, hoping, praying, they would listen to the song and be happy, maybe even show some appreciation.
It read:
Darling, I love you
But I just can't keep on living on dreams no more
I tried so very hard not to leave you alone
I just can't keep on trying no more
Emily - Oh Emily – Emily
He repeated the last line, until he was left whispering "Emma..." into the mic. There was one final chord, and the song ended. Duo looked around, two, perhaps three, people applauded.
"Well, that was a waste of time" Duo fell back onto the chair, crossing "Emma" off his list of songs. Heero sat down opposite him, and handed Duo a drink.
"Don't worry about it. We just need to write some original lyrics, perhaps, instead of covering old sad songs? After all, they don't sound good when played completely on a synthesizer." Heero took a long gulp from his glass of cider, drinking about half of it in one go.
"Yeah, you say that, but if we only get a handful of people applauding at other people's songs, chances are, we'd get no-one applauding at our own efforts. Face it, Heero, we're doomed." Duo sighed. "We've got about 3 more offers, and we may as well cancel them all."
"Do what you think." Heero downed the rest of his drink and pulled on his jacket, "I personally have work to do for tomorrow, and you know you do too. Try not to drink that much more."
Heero got up, folded the keyboard and walked out the pub, tossing a coin onto the counter as he left. Duo just sat there, deflated.
----
"You were out late." Quatre's face looked slightly eerie with the blue computer screen shining onto it. "Good gig?"
"Put it this way, Quatre, after tonight, Duo's losing the will to live, and I'm losing the will to sleep." Heero fell backwards onto his bunk. He pulled his laptop out and started typing up an essay. Quatre chuckled softly.
"Heero, you hardly ever sleep anyway. A few bad gigs won't damage that. So what was the set list tonight?"
"My Generation, River Of No Return and Emma." Heero muttered, "We got more applause when we left the stage. I keep telling Duo, we must write some original material."
"And you intend to do that, when?"
"Hn. When this is done." Heero's eyes focused once again on his essay, and Quatre's on his.
----
"Hey there, good night?" Trowa looked up from his magazine, as Duo stumbled into their room. Duo leant against the door.
"Absolutely horrible. We did My Generation first, and at least a few people smiled, but that was it. Then we did River Of No Return, but nobody had heard of Ghost Dance, so that one fell flat. Then we did Emma, but we still only got about three people clapping."
Trowa got up and hugged Duo.
"Don't worry about it, you tried your best. Maybe soon you two could work on something that's not a cover?"
"Mmm... You're not the first person tonight to say that. If it would make them appreciate us any more, then maybe. But, I don't know..." Duo buried his face into Trowa's top and sighed, "Thanks, Tro. But I guess I should start my work for tomorrow."
"Just promise you'll get some sleep." Trowa went back to his bunk and started reading again.
"Yeah, yeah. And maybe you should try as well, if you're going to be impressing everyone tomorrow." Duo's grin returned and he jumped up onto his bunk, finding his essay and pen ready and waiting. He groaned as he remembered he had five more pages to get through.
"Hey, Tro, you know anything about the Tenth War? I have another five pages to write about it."
"I know nothing about it. Shouldn't you have been paying some attention in the lessons? Or were you too busy sketching again?" Trowa smiled.
"No fair, Trowa, they tell us to listen to some stories about a war that happened years and years ago, but we're never going to need to know about it. I happen to have an artistic flair, and I value it a little more than I value learning about that war."
"Well, when you put it like that..." Trowa smirked and turned the page, "The Tenth War was only 8 years ago, you'll probably need to know about it, since you signed up for the "Modern History" class, and no matter how great your artistic skills are, they won't help you do another five pages of essay. That is, unless, it's allowed to be in comic form, of course." With a soft laugh, Trowa turned off his light and closed his eyes.
Duo sighed and looked at his paper, then the pillow, then the paper.
A minute later, his sheets were on the floor and he was changed and asleep.
----
The next day, Duo awoke to find he'd curled up under his sheets cuddling his pillow tightly. What was that thing he had to do? Work?
"Oh damn it..." he muttered, trying to fall asleep again.
"Awake at last, I see. Come on, we're going to be late, and you know it." Trowa was already dressed. Had he even gotten undressed the night before? His clothes were completely free of creases, so he probably had.
"Aw, come on, Tro, cover for me. I'm not going in today. If they ask, then just tell them I was sick half the night." Duo tried not to open his eyes, to look as pitiful as he could.
"Alright, you win. Stay in bed. But you better start working on that essay, as they'll want it by tomorrow morning. Any more and they'll give you an Incomplete, and put you in detention. Again." Trowa was almost out the doorway before he remembered.
"What should I tell the object of your affection, Duo?" Trowa smiled, teasing Duo a little here and there had it's good points. Duo threw a pillow at Trowa, who dodged it effortlessly.
"Just tell Heero I'm skiving. Unless, of course, he fancies coming over to help me get better, in which case tell him I'm as ill as can be." Duo cackled, "And what about your little one?"
Trowa blushed, "Who?"
"Oh don't give me that innocent look, I invented it. Heero's roommate, the blonde one who's laugh makes you stutter." Now it was Duo's turn to tease.
"Quatre's laughter doesn't make me stutter." Trowa mumbled, feeling his insides shift slightly with deep rooted feeling.
"You're right, it makes you stutter, stammer and shiver." Duo laughed, "Now leave the sickie alone, he's got sleep to be catching up on."
"Until Heero comes over, that is." Trowa quickly left.
So yeah. There you go, a nice short chapter to start with. Comments are welcomed. Except non-constructive ones which will be set on fire and used to light my incense.
Notes on the above:
The lyrics are from Emma by Hot Chocolate (though I listened to The Sisters Of Mercy's version whilst thinking of ideas for this. They're my favorite group).
My Generation is a song by The Who.
River Of No Return is by Ghost Dance. How many people honestly know who they are? Raise hands high.
Title is a song originally by Nik Kershaw, and then covered (brilliantly) by Gigi D'Agostino.