November 29, 2004

Ahem.

Pardon the extreme delay in any updating, I had this chapter idea – or a nebulous version of it – for quite some time, but what can I say? I've been busy! If I wouldn't get suspended for doing so, I would post the email of my AP English and AP Biology teachers so you could all email them and complain. I repeat: it's not my fault!!!

Disclaimer: Pop songs meets anime. Only a truly demented mind could come up with that. No, I am not doing this for money… honestly, who would pay for it….?

Chapter 4: All I Have to Give

Zechs tapped lightly on the door to Treize's office, seeing that there was no light shining from underneath the door. The halls of Oz were deathly silent; it was well after midnight, for one, and the constant noise that had plagued all the non-BSB fans during the day was finally over.

Auditions had started at 0600 that morning.

Treize had been taking migraine medication starting at 0605. And had continued to take it for the next 11 hours. Every five minutes.

Another knock, slightly louder, was answered by a muffled groan of protest. Zechs took that as his cue to enter, pushing the door open quietly, and stifling a smile.

The room was completely dark. Lady Une sat on the edge of the leather couch, gently running her fingers through the hair of the currently incapacitated Leader of Oz.

"I don't give a damn what you want Zechs…just…go…. away…." Treize muttered slowly, gingerly opening one eye to glare at his subordinate.

Zechs tried not to laugh.

"Did it go well today, Your Excellency?" he inquired mildly, as though he didn't already know the answer to that question.

Treize shuddered profoundly, his hands clenching compulsively at his sides as he flinched.

Swiftly, Lady Une rose from the couch, shooting a very pointed look at the grinning Colonel.

"I'll put some music on, Your Excellency," she murmured smoothly, interrupting any smart-ass comment that Zechs had had in mind.

"Yes, please…" Treize groaned. "Anything to get those fucking songs out of my head!" He pressed one palm against his eyes. "And they all sang the same one, too, the miserable little pansy-ass bastard sons-of-bitches…"

Zechs rocked back on his heels slightly, beginning to hum innocently, with a wicked grin that belied the apparent randomness of the notes. He enjoyed watching his commander twitch.

Of course, the song was just too catchy to merely hum…

"I will shoot you Zechs."

"Sorry sir."

"This is going to kill me. I don't care if my uncle destroys Oz, I don't care if we don't get any new Mobile Suits, and I certainly wouldn't care if the pilot of 05 came back right now and put a bullet in my head," Treize rambled, staring wild-eyed up at the ceiling. "Anything to END THIS MISERY!!!"

"Shhhh…" Lady Une soothed him, as the quiet cello strains of Pachobel's Canon filled the dark room.

"Another day of…of that, and I'll do it myself," Treize concluded.

"Good idea." Zechs remarked, carefully sitting on the edge of Treize's desk. "If word gets out about this particular weakness of yours, the Gundam pilots will start singing some pop song when they fight, instead of that annoying Japanese one."

"Just Communication?"

"That's it. Of course, Heero now thinks that he's somehow distinctive, so he made up a new one…Emotional…something or other." Zechs waved one hand dismissively.

"He does have a nice voice though, you have to admit…"

There was a momentary silence, as both men turned slowly to look at Lady Une. In the sudden quiet, there was a whirr of the CD changing, moving from something appropriately melancholy to bouncy and bright.

Zechs and Une both ducked instinctively.

A gunshot echoed. The music stopped.

"I hate Vivaldi," Treize muttered.

…And then, sneaking into the silence like a particularly annoying thief, came the faintest whisper of oh-so-familiar music. It was tinny, and distant, as though someone had accidentally left his or her Discman running.

Then gradually the words became clear.

But my love is all I have to give

Without you I don't think I could live.

I wish I could give the worl ---

"Where is it? I know I can hear it! WHERE IS IT!?" Treize leapt up from the couch, mindless of his splitting headache in his sudden, insane fury.

Zechs arched one eyebrow sardonically at Lady Une behind the raving General's back, gratified to see her blush furiously in the dimness of the room.

Light came on, blinding them all, as Treize threw items of his desk, scattering papers and nearly smashing a large brandy decanter, which Zechs managed to snatch in the nick of time.

Lady Une shot him a pleading look, rising to try and restrain her psychotic Commander.

Zechs grinned. Oh yes. Blackmail opportunities awaited.

"I don't hear anything, Treize…" he remarked innocently, pouring himself a large brandy.

Lady Une forced a concerned expression that was almost believable, pressing her hand to Treize's forehead. "Are you feeling all right, Your Excellency? The Vivaldi has stopped, I apologize for putting it in the CD player…"

Does he leave, when you need him the most…

"Not the Vivaldi," Treize snapped. "It's that damn boy band…." He held up one hand for silence, listening with the creepy intensity of the mentally unhinged.

…'Cause if you were my girl, I'd make it so we'd never be apart…

"There! You can't tell me you don't hear that!" Treize crowed triumphantly.

Zechs mastered his expression with difficulty, working it into one of veiled anxiety. "No sir."

"Wait." Lady Une said swiftly. "No… I think I do hear something…over here!" She dashed across the room, dragging Treize with her, and giving Zechs a very pointed look.

"In my bag!" she mouthed deliberately.

"Ah."

Casually, Zechs got up and strolled across the room to where Une's purse was nestled under a pile of scattered papers, right next to Treize's desk.

But my love is all I have to –

His fingers found the off button, and the faint music died.

"Oh no. It was nothing after all… my mistake." Lady Une spoke swiftly.

Treize collapsed on the couch once again, burying his head in his hands. "I know I… you didn't…? My uncle must be bugging this office, that's the only possible explanation. He wants to drive me insane –" he started to get up.

"No, I think you just are insane, Treize." Zechs replied.

The General looked at him for a second, then sagged back down onto the couch. "I think you're right." He looked perfectly miserable. Zechs tried not to laugh.

"Poor Treize," Lady Une simpered, something she was quite good at doing, while glaring at another person simultaneously, Zechs noted. "It's very late, and you've had a long, hard, day. You were probably just hearing that song in your head again, after all, you had to listen to it enough this evening."

She was giving Zechs a very pointed look as she spoke, inclining her head sharply at the door. Zechs looked down at the CD player, still clutched in his hand, and rose to grab her bag.

"Why don't you just close your eyes now, and try to get some sleep. You're in no condition to drive home. You'll need your strength; after all, the auditions run for another three day – put the gun down, Treize. Put. It Down. Good. Now give it to me… thank you. Try to get some sleep, sir. I'll see you tomorrow morning. Goodnight."

Zechs lingered outside the door while she turned the lights out, leaning casually against the wall with an evil smirk. Without a word, he handed over her purse.

"Don't. Say. Anything." She cautioned.

"What? Me?" he affected an air of injured innocence. "As if I would make a smug remark about the Bitch Queen of Oz being in love with Kevin from the Backstreet Boys-"

"You bastard! How dare you read my journal!!!!"

Zechs blinked once. "Um… actually, I was guessing."

"Oh."

"You really –"

"Shut. Up."

"But you actually—"

"I said, shut the hell up."

They walked in silence for a few moments. Then:

"It's not as if your taste in music is any better, you know."

"Better than an outdated and pathetic boy band? It sure as hell is!"

"Liar."

"Excuse me, there is nothing wrong with Say Anything or Waking Ashland. You are merely uncultured."

"Waking who?"

"My point exactly."

"Huh."

"Indeed."

"… Zechs…?"

"Yes?"

"Where's my CD player..?"

"Um…"

---

Treize opened one eye slowly, peering around the darkened room, hardly daring to breathe. It was there; he knew it was there. It was just being… sneaky. That was all. As soon as he turned on the lights, it would be gone. It was too clever to be caught that way. But he could hear them, oh yes, they made damn sure he could hear them, the bastards. That same damn song, over and over again….

But my love is all I have to give

Without you I don't think I could live…

---

"You did WHAT?!"

END CHAPTER

Hee hee hee, ah pobrecito Treize-y. He got a little wackier in this one than I had originally intended, but oh well. Zechs is such a little jerk!! I LOVE IT!

Anyways, please read and review, let me know what you think, and tell me what you want to see happen next!!! (Very useful for when I run out of ideas. Which is often.)

Xtine the Pirate.