Piano Man

Eliza yawned as she wandered along the walls of the ballroom. She was terribly bored and felt as though she could pass out on the spot. But something kept her awake. The promise of something new, something undiscovered. And she'd be damned if she didn't stay awake long enough to found out what that something was.

It didn't take her long to find it though. After all, it was hard to miss the beautiful white piano that stood at the back of the room. But it wasn't the piano itself that caught her attention, well, not entirely. What really interested her was the young man playing the piano. And he was young, for he was the same age as Eliza, who herself was constantly reminded to be a young lady. Which of course meant Eliza couldn't participate in 'adult' conversations, or speak of 'adult' things, like business and stocks and the like.

Huffing, Eliza made her way over to the pianist. She couldn't help buts notice the way his silver-gray hair shimmered in the light of the chandelier. Smiling-but read faced from the very thought of his good looks-she came up behind him.

"You play beautifully," she told him. "Though, I'm sure many a girl has already informed you of that fact." A curt 'hrm' was all she received.

"Normally I would tell you how impolite it is to ignore a lady, but I don't really see any ladies here…" That got his attention. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye, and instantly regretted it. She was gorgeous, to say the least, and his fingers fumbled over the keys before he regained his tempo.

Eliza giggled at the boy, smiling shyly and batting her lashes. To be blunt, she was laying it thick, and was well aware of it. But the young pianist looked so adorable when he was flustered. Eliza giggled again, before giving a small curtsy. "In case you're wondering, my name happens to Eliza."

"Gokudera," answered the boy, red staining his cheeks. The girl-Eliza-was not only beautiful, but she had a sense of humor as well.

Eliza smiled again, before taking a seat on the piano bench beside him. "Well, Mr. Gokudera, do you happen to know this one?" And with that, she placed several pages of sheet music on the stand in front of him. Gokudera fumbled, surprised at her sudden song request. Scanning the pages, he nodded slightly. Eliza smiled. "Well then play me a memory, piano man." Blushing, Gokudera took a deep and began to play.

The members of the ballroom stopped and stared at the couple on the bench. The regular little pianist was there, but the music he was playing was new. As was the young girl next to him, harmonica in hand, waiting for the intro to end. When it did, she brought to harmonica to her painted lips and played a short, sad tune before removing it and singing loud and clear throughout the room.

"It's nine o'clock on a Saturday
The Regular crowd shuffles in
There's an old man sitting next to me
Makin' love to his tonic and gin
"

Gokudera's eyes widened at Eliza's voice. She sang as well as she looked, and that was saying something. Not only that, but she played harmonica as well. The silver-haired boy smiled slightly, just a small twitch of his lips, but it was enough to boost Eliza's courage, her voice rising in volume and a smile gracing her lovely face.

"He says, 'Son, can you play me a memory
I'm not really sure how it goes
But it's sad and it's sweet and I knew it complete
When I wore a younger man's clothes.'"

La la la, di da da
La la, di da da da dum

Sing us a song, you're the piano man
Sing us a song tonight
Well, we're all in the mood for a melody
And you've got us feelin' alright

Now John at the bar is a friend of mine
He gets me my drinks for free
And he's quick with a joke or to light up your smoke
But there's someplace that he'd rather be
He says, 'Bill, I believe this is killing me.'
As the smile ran away from his face
'Well I'm sure that I could be a movie star
If I could get out of this place'

Oh, la la la, di da da
La la, di da da da dum

Now Paul is a real estate novelist
Who never had time for a wife
And he's talkin' with Davy, who's still in the Navy
And probably will be for life

And the waitress is practicing politics
As the businessmen slowly get stoned
Yes, they're sharing a drink they call loneliness
But it's better than drinkin' alone

Sing us a song you're the piano man
Sing us a song tonight
Well we're all in the mood for a melody
And you got us feeling alright

It's a pretty good crowd for a Saturday
And the manager gives me a smile
'Cause he knows that it's me they've been comin' to see
To forget about life for a while
And the piano, it sounds like a carnival
And the microphone smells like a beer
And they sit at the bar and put bread in my jar
And say, 'Man, what are you doin' here?'

Oh, la la la, di da da
La la, di da da da dum

Sing us a song you're the piano man
Sing us a song tonight
Well we're all in the mood for a melody
And you got us feeling alright"

Eliza blushed as the entire ballroom erupted into applause. She stood and curtsied to them all, before yanking Gokudera up and taking another bow. Smiling, she turned to him, smiled, and quickly pecked him on the lips. Needless to say, Gokudera's face was practically a tomato at that point. Giggling, Eliza pecked him again. "Thank you for playing with me, my little piano man."

Still blushing, Gokudera grabbed her by her thin waist and kissed her again, though this kiss held more than the previous two. This kiss spoke of loneliness and sorrow, and of two hearts waiting to be whole. Gokudera poured his soul into this kiss, trying to convey how much Eliza's presence meant to him, as she tried to do the same to him.

When the parted, both were red faced, breathless, and wearing idiotic grins on their faces.

"Don't really know ya," murmured Gokudera, placing his forehead on hers. "But man, I'd sure like to." Eliza flushed. "I'm sure that can be arranged." He smiled, a true smile for once. "How about next Saturday and the park, say around five?" Eliza smiled as well. "It's a date."

And with that she left, walking out of the ballroom, but not before turning back and blowing him a kiss.

Gokudera smirked at her retreating figure. One day, when he was able to be near Bianchi without puking, he'd have to thank her for forcing him to play piano.