Love On The Expressway To Yr Skull Chapter 12, a gundam wing/ac fanfic

Track 12: Spellbound

Heero watched as the crowd cheered and clapped after they finished tearing through one of their more intense tracks from their first album. He had decided to play some of their faster songs from Everything Falls Apart, wanting the audience to expend as much energy as possible in an effort to prepare them for the next couple of songs to follow. He didn't want them to mosh and lose control like they were known to do. Little by little, Heero would transition their fans away from typical hardcore punk behavior, much like he himself was doing that with his band.

He signaled over to one of the Maganacs to turn his guitar up just a bit. He changed the tuning on his Flying V, adjusting it for the next song. He strummed his pick lightly over the strings; his fuzzy sounding distortion filled up the club with that signature buzz. Heero looked on as Duo did his usual crowd work, playing with and taunting the fans. Duo sipped on a bottle of water before throwing the rest of the fluid onto the people closest to the stage, leaving a bunch of their fans soaked. The security working the show didn't care too much for Duo's antics, as they got a little wet themselves, but that wasn't going to stop Duo from acting up. He snickered his way to his microphone, in the mood to address those he just doused in water. "You guys should be thanking me." he began. "I bet you punks probably forgot to shower before coming here."

His comments elicited a huge laugh from the crowd, even from those he was mocking. "Oh don't lie to me," a grinning Duo replied to a response he got. "I could smell you guys before we even came out here."

Heero walked over to Wufei and Trowa, reminding them of the next song up. His two bandmates nodded and watched as Duo continued with his playful banter. Heero looked away, his eyes wandered to the side of the stage. He saw some of the Maganacs moving around, some of them talking to each other about whatever. But the person that caught his attention was the girl that fronted the band that would be going on after they were done. Although, tonight, Relena would be taking the stage a little earlier than usual because, after Heero and the crew were done with their next song, she would be joining them on stage.

Relena would team up with Heero to cover their favorite song, 'Spellbound'.

He caught her laughing at Duo's on-stage shenanigans, before looking over towards him and motioned her head over to the loud mouth guitarist. Heero just gave the woman a shrug and a half-smile. 'It's what he does' was basically what Heero's body language conveyed to her. Relena shook her head and continued to watch Duo make a spectacle of himself. Heero remained focused on her, though.

He still found it difficult to comprehend how easily he had become friends with this woman. Between her introducing him to his own people's unique take on pop music, sharing the same undying love for 'Spellbound', the numerous conversations they had about music and their backgrounds since Barge, and now her becoming a temporary part of his band to cover the aforementioned beloved song of theirs… It was a lot for Heero to take in.

It didn't help that his feelings began to shift into something a bit more complicated. Like he acknowledged before, Relena started to conjure up emotions that were very reminiscent of a love gone by. There was a part of him that wanted to hate it, but the other part of him couldn't help but wonder what would happen if he let her in. Being around her just felt different, even in comparison to the woman that once occupied her spot. But the issue was that Relena was reminding him of feelings he once thought were only reserved for the former Jezebels frontwoman. Or was it an issue at all? He wasn't so sure, now.

When Heero thought about it, didn't he tell her that he would get over the whole Sylvia problem on his own? Well, maybe allowing himself to fall for Relena would be the best way to move on. Heero pondered that for a second and wondered if Relena even felt the same way about him.

Heero was about to let his thoughts drift away before he felt something nudge him on the shoulder. He snapped his head around to see Trowa, bringing him back to reality by poking him with the top of his bass. "You okay?" he asked with a curious expression. Trowa could tell Heero's thoughts were somewhere else just before he grabbed his attention.

Heero gave Trowa a blank stare before turning to give Relena one more glance. Trowa mimicked Heero and looked over towards the same direction. A knowing smirk formed and Trowa understood. He suddenly got the feeling that Heero was getting excited for the song they would play after this one. The green eyed musician placed a hand on his leader's shoulder. "You know, the faster we finish this song, the faster we can get her on stage with you."

"What are you talking about?" Heero spun his head around and asked. Trowa could see annoyance grace his features and it only emboldened him to keep that smirk on his face.

"Nothing at all." Trowa also gave Relena one more look before pulling back from his guitar playing friend. "Ready whenever you are."

Heero grabbed the neck of his guitar. He released a low grunt, a signal of his frustration from being caught off guard by Trowa. This was why he kept his business to himself. He hated being so transparent. He stepped back up to his mic stand and Duo took notice, understanding that it was time to rip into 'Pink Turns to Blue'. He rushed back to take his own position behind the mic, knowing he would be providing backing vocals for the chorus. Heero placed his fingers on the proper spots on the fretboard and commenced playing, picking at the strings along with Duo as they teamed up on the song's opening riff.

Relena spectated from the side, watching intently at Heero as he played his guitar. The crowd popped big for 'Pink Turns to Blue', a song that Relena noticed had become a hit with Heero's fans, which she found interesting for a couple reasons. One, it wasn't a song that took off at the speed of light like your typical hardcore song. And two, it had its origin in very morbid subject matter, as Heero told her that the song was about a girl overdosing on drugs.

Going out each day to score, she was no whore but for me

Celebrating every day the way she thought it should be

Heero mentioned that he usually never spoke to anyone about what his songs meant, or what they were about. Relena smiled when she thought about him saying that to her. She recalled him following that up with 'Hell, I don't even know why I'm telling you.' and she hunched over slightly, chuckling to herself. She wasn't sure what made him open up to her about his lyrics and music, but she couldn't help but feel fortunate to know that he could talk to her about something deeply important to him in a way that he couldn't with anyone else. From there, she observed as Heero and Duo harmonized together on the hook.

And I don't know what to do

Now that pink has turned to blue

And I don't know what to do

Now that pink has turned to blue

This was a song that didn't require Heero to bark like a madman. He confided in her that he wasn't very confident in his singing, so he preferred the usual guttural roars that sounded like it tore away at his vocal cords. But Relena had to disagree, telling him that he didn't give himself enough credit for what he was able to do with that baritone voice of his. As she heard him run through the next verse that led to another go at the chorus, she had to remind herself to tell Heero that his singing was only getting better. Hopefully that would boost his confidence in his ability to serenade the crowd.

Heero then took over with his instrument of chaos, forcing his Flying V to do the singing for him as he played through the song's guitar solo. That was another thing Heero revealed to her: He also wasn't too sure about his playing ability. He didn't learn the traditional way and chose to figure it out as he went along; because of that, he always had this thought in the back of his mind that his music couldn't possibly evolve the way he wanted it to if he couldn't play better than three-chord style punk rock. Again, Relena lifted him up by reminding him that he still created insanely memorable and captivating music without playing his guitar like he was some kind of musical genius. Relena told Heero that from Everything Falls Apart to Zen Arcade, his skills have only improved. Heero wasn't entirely convinced, but Relena wouldn't hear any of it. For someone who owned the stage with a startling level of intensity, Heero sure could be insecure about some things.

Whatever. He helped her overcome a lot of her anxieties when it came to performing, and now, whatever issues Heero had with himself, she would be there to walk him through it. Like he told her, if he needed her, she would be there. Relena wasn't going anywhere.

No more rope and too much dope, she's lying on the bed

Angels pacing, gently placing roses 'round her head

She felt her chest swell in a way that was reminiscent of the nervousness she felt before performing. However, this time it felt different. This wasn't caused by stage fright or a reluctance to play in front of a crowd, at least not completely. No, this was mostly something else. Relena wasn't sure where this came from, but as the song was nearing its end, she quickly deduced that her thoughts about Heero were the cause for this sudden expansion in her chest. She pressed down on her breast, trying to keep herself together. She took a few steady breaths, shaking her head and telling herself that now was not the time.

She already resolved to keep her focus on this tour. She couldn't allow her burgeoning feelings for the fellow musician take over. But…

And I don't know what to do

Now that pink has turned to blue

Now I don't know what to do

Now that pink has turned to blue

It appeared that Relena's heart wasn't quite on the same page with her. And as she watched Heero pour his emotions into those final lines, she felt herself press down harder, finding it immensely challenging to keep her composure. Between his trademark animalistic beauty and his rumbling voice reverberating in her ears, Heero wasn't doing her any favors. She felt her front teeth start to dig into her bottom lip, hoping he would stop doing this to her.

'Damn him'

And I don't know what to do

Now that pink has turned to blue

Now I don't know what to do…

"Okay, okay…" Duo clapped along with the fans as he addressed them again. "It sounds like you guys like that one, am I right?" The crowd roared positively. "Good to hear!" Duo detached the mic from its stand, holding it close to his face.

"They like it, Heero." Duo wandered the stage. "You did good on that one, man. He did good on that one, didn't he?" Duo looked to the crowd once more and, again, they responded in the affirmative. "I think it's the best song he's ever written if you ask me." Duo leaned on a stack of amps. He sighed into the microphone. "So, what do we got next… oh yeah!" Duo removed his guitar, holding it by its neck.

"Okay y'all, things are about to get cute! I won't say why…" Duo gave Heero a knowing wink, something the frontman did not appreciate. The look Heero was giving the braided guitarist right now would shake any man to his core, but Duo had been on the receiving end of those glares so many times that he had grown an immunity to it. "But trust me, it'll be beautiful." Heero couldn't wait to get Duo off the stage.

Duo proceeded to bring the mic back to its stand. "Next up, we're gonna have a special guest join us for this next one. Unfortunately for you guys, y'all won't have me around for this little number." The mass of bodies in attendance cheered. "Hey!" Duo complained before chuckling at their response. "Anyway, I'm gonna go have myself a drink, so while I do that, please welcome to the stage, one of the few people in this building better looking than me… from The Jezebels, Relena fucking Peacecraft."

Duo pointed over to the side of the stage where Relena walked out from. She gave the audience a weak wave as she kept her vision over to where Heero stood, waiting for her. The crowd gave a very positive cheer when Relena appeared, causing the young woman to keep a smile on her visage.

As he passed her by, Duo stopped Relena, pulling her into a light hug. "You two are cute, ya' know that?" he said.

"Duo, shut up." Relena rolled her eyes as she patted his back.

Duo released her with a grin. "Y'all have fun now!" He sped up and sprinted off.

Relena smoothed out her shirt and proceeded over to Heero. She got closer and saw him motion her over towards his mic. She nodded and reached over to it, taking it off its stand. She showed the audience her back and shuffled over to look up at Heero. He cast his eyesight downward to match blue colored stares with her. His smile was faint, but Relena could tell it was there, not giving too much of himself away. Of course, she didn't bother and her smile radiated through the dimly lit stage, still fighting off the funny feelings he was causing her.

Heero could tell that there was something off about her, but just assumed that it was the usual thing bothering her, not having a clue that this time he was the source of everything. Instead, he was just hoping that she wasn't showing signs of regression. "Are you alright?" Heero calmly asked.

Relena guessed she was that easy to read. Or at least easy enough for Heero to read. "I'm fine, don't worry about me." she shook her head. "I think I'm just really excited to play this song with you."

That faint smile of his evolved after he heard her tell him that. There was nothing 'faint' about it now, Relena noted. Now she just had to remind herself to tell Heero to smile more, it looked amazing on him. Heero gripped the neck of his guitar again. He removed the fuzzbox effect on his guitar, preferring to go with a more cleaner tone for this song. "Are you ready?" he asked her.

"Are you?" Heero smirked at that reply and gave her a nod. He looked over to Trowa, letting him know he was going to start, as his bass would have to match up with his guitar. Trowa acknowledged his mission, waiting for Heero to begin. He took his pick and began plucking at the strings to that opening riff that he and Relena both loved so much. Trowa's bass swelled in background as Heero continued onward, setting things up for Relena's voice to cut through. She brought the microphone close to her lips and, as she kept her eyes focused on Heero, Relena played her role.

From the cradle bars

Comes a beckoning voice

It sends you spinning

You have no choice

And after a few more strikes at Heero's strings, Wufei's thumping drums kicked in and the song picked up speed.

You hear a laughter

Cracking through the walls

It sends you spinning

You have no choice

You hear laughter

Cracking through the walls

It sends you spinning

You have no choice!

Heero could hear how Relena changed her singing style as to match the original singer's thunderous bellowing. And wow, Heero thought, she was doing an amazing job imitating that woman's magnificent voice. He just stared as she twirled away from him. Her shimmering, honey blonde hair flying behind her. Heero couldn't keep his eyes away. The beautiful image she created as she moved about the stage, losing herself in the role of the woman she was covering. He just couldn't look away. It was impossible right at that moment. He was so focused on Relena that he almost fumbled on the chords he was supposed to be playing. This gorgeous, dancing singer was throwing him off his game and, for some reason, he wasn't upset about it.

He was, appropriately enough, entranced.

And here, the song intensified as they reached the chorus.

Following the footsteps of a rag doll dance

We are entranced

Spellbound!

Following the footsteps of a rag doll dance

We are entranced

Spellbound!

The song slowed down as the second verse came around. Relena concentrated on her vocals, doing everything she could to perform these lyrics to the best of her ability. She loved this song, and so did Heero, so she wanted this to be perfect for the both of them. Her eyes so far only acknowledged the crowd once so far, and if she wasn't looking around the stage, then she was matching eye contact with Heero, who little did she know was fully under the spell she had no idea she had even casted on him.

And don't forget when your elders forget

To say their prayers

Take them by the legs

And throw them down the stairs

As Heero went at his guitar, his vision was still locked on her. He followed her every move, unable to tear himself away. He noticed that she started doing a lot of the same dances and hand gestures that were in the original song's old music video. This pulled at the corner of Heero's lips and he had no way of hiding this particular smile. Heero couldn't remember another time that he felt like this on stage. He was so enraptured by her performance, that it felt like he was a part of the audience and was just lucky enough to share a closeness to this wonderful performer.

When you think your toys have gone berserk

It's an illusion

You cannot shirk!

You hear laughter

Cracking through the walls

It sends you spinning

You have no choice!

Was the audience enjoying this cover? Heero wasn't sure. He honestly didn't care. All that mattered to him was that he did. Her singing was otherworldly to him at that moment. Relena wasn't a part of any band prior to landing this gig thanks to Dorothy, but yet Heero felt like he was becoming a fan of hers like any other respected member of a group he liked. Her voice was hypnotizing him, which was weird because he obviously heard her sing before… but the effect was nothing like this.

And she wondered why he was so insecure about his own singing ability.

Following the footsteps of a rag doll dance

We are entranced

Spellbound!

Following the footsteps of a rag doll dance

We are entranced

Spellbound!

Relena was having so much fun right now, losing herself in the song. As she belted out every 'Spellbound!' on the chorus, she wondered where all of this confidence was coming from. She had fun on stage before playing with her band on this tour, but this moment felt unlike any other. And the only thing that was different was the backing band, and more importantly, that Heero was watching her from only a few feet away.

She came to the conclusion that he was the most important part in all of this. He gave her the courage to be up here in the first place, so she made sure that she performed brilliantly for the both of them, especially when this song means a lot to the two of them.

Following the footsteps of a rag doll dance

We are entranced!

Relena bounced her way back up towards Heero, looking up at him as if their eyes were connecting like magnets. It was a shame that the song was almost over, because both of them felt like they could share the same stage forever.

Following the footsteps of a rag... doll... dance!

We are entranced!

Entranced!

Keeping their gazes on each other, Heero and Relena sung those final words to each other as they led the song to it's inevitable closure. Heero killed his guitar as Trowa's bass and Wufei's drums marched on before suddenly halting, marking the end of 'Spellbound'.

The crowd erupted in great appreciation for what they just observed. It took Heero and Relena by surprise, as they were reminded that they weren't in their own world anymore. That's right, the both of them remembered, they were supposed to be performing for them, but instead they were fixated on the song and on each other.

The two of them gave the elated and applauding crowd a glance. "I… guess they liked it?" Relena asked, still coming down from the high she felt. She noticed Heero shrug out of the corner of her eye. She turned to face him and Heero found the woman smiling warmly at him. He returned that smile as much as he could. It felt strange, his body was shaking, but it wasn't like he was anxious or nervous about anything. It was weird and he couldn't describe it.

Relena felt the same way, but as she looked at the owner of those deep Prussian eyes, Relena suddenly felt the sudden urge to do something about it. So she did what came natural and threw her arms around his neck, bringing him down into a welcoming embrace.

Heero's eyes widened and his eyes scanned around to see Trowa look away, as if giving them private time. Wufei, of course, had no interest in what was happening, which was expected. He wished that everyone felt like Wufei did right now, but he knew he wouldn't be that lucky. Oh well… from here, he would do what was best. What was it that his father used to say to him when he was really young? Oh yeah.

Always live by your emotions. That seemed to apply here.

"This was really fun." she said to him, her lips close to his ear. She felt Heero tense up at first, but he quickly relaxed in her hold and further surprised her by feeling his arm snake around her waist. He pulled her in with a gentle squeeze and Relena gladly eased into his grasp.

"Yeah, it was." Heero's voice vibrated pleasantly in Relena's head. Heero felt her shift around, almost nuzzling into the side of his neck.

"And your guitar playing has gotten better. Do you see what I'm talking about now?" she asked, her arms tightening her hold on him.

"I think I do." Heero responded. He adjusted his head slightly whisper a low "Thank you." to her, this time using his other arm to add a little more pressure on her back to push her in as much as he could without hurting her. Relena closed her eyes and rested her forehead on his shoulder. Okay, this wasn't what she had planned, and quite frankly it scared her how much quickly things were moving with Heero. She thought if anything would happen between them, then it would be post-tour. But now, here she was. It was just a hug, and that didn't necessarily mean anything, but considering how she was feeling about Heero recently, things were only just getting more perplexing.

Her hand was creeping upward, her fingertips dragging on the back of his neck. Heero shivered at her actions and for a second he wondered if he should stop her, but couldn't find it in him to cease her actions. Instead, he lifted his hand, wanting to do something similar, but…

The two of them were reminded where they were when they heard someone clear their throat. "Um… Heero, the feedback from your guitar is kind of annoying the crowd."

The two of them immediately pulled away from each other, remembering that Heero's Flying V was still hanging between the two of them and Relena had brushed up too close to it, causing some noisy feedback to flood from the speakers. How neither of them heard it, they had no idea. "Oh, um, sorry!" Relena released an embarrassed chuckle. "Uh, well, you guys have a set to finish so… I'll see you guys later." a rosy cheeked Relena turned on her heels and quickly retreated away from the stage, rushing to get away from the scene, leaving an awkward Heero standing there.

Heero watched as she escaped. He had no idea how to process what just happened. He raked a hand through his unruly mess of hair. He glanced over at Trowa who didn't bother going on about what he saw, preferring to give Heero a lopsided smirk. He was glad that Trowa wasn't the type to make a big deal out of it, but unfortunately…

He couldn't say the same about Duo, who he saw rushing back to them, shit-eating grin plastered on that dumb face of his.

He had a feeling this would be annoying night, on top of being a confusing one as well.

"So, what song is next?" Trowa asked the frontman. Honestly, Heero couldn't remember. At this point, he was barely into the show right now. His head was flooded with images of golden colored hair, and he had no idea what that meant.

What a pain.

AN: To my idol, Siouxsie Sioux

Hüsker Dü - "Pink Turns to Blue"

Siouxsie and the Banshees - "Spellbound"