If Nothing Else I Can Dream (4/?)
Title: If Nothing Else I Can Dream (4/?)
Fandom: Gundam Wing AU
Characters/Pairings: Nichol/Dorothy, Relena, Walker, Alex, Mueller, Trowa/Une
Word Count: 1100
Summary: Band AU. Dorothy has a new song for The Lieutenants and a scheme of her own.
A/N: aquatinted. didn't quite fit one of my Nichol-prompts (I will finish these some decade!).
***
They sat in the living room sipping tea and giggling like girls. Nichol caught the sight of them mid-laugh. Dorothy had put a ribbon in her hair, which was ridiculous and then some until he saw that Relena had done the same. He wouldn't have noticed except they were both brilliant neon shades of green and blue respectively.
Dorothy's gaze shifted to nail Nichol in the doorway. He faked a laugh and hurried on his way to do, well, something else. Possibly in the garage.
^^^
"Beautiful weather we've been having lately," Relena commented. "I should see if I can find any outdoor festivals for The Lieutenants."
The sunshine coming in from the bay window warmed the carpet but little else. Dorothy was certain that Nichol had reset the thermostat again. She crossed her ankles and sipped the tea. She had something to ask, but it required some delicate maneuvering.
The noise in her throat filled the gaps. Then Dorothy asked, "Did Five Loudmouth Robots sign with anyone yet?"
It was Relena's turn to hide behind her beverage. Her cheeks turned a rosy pink that rivaled Nichol at his most embarrassed. Then the relative calm was broken by what sounded like a dying chainsaw.
"Oh my God." Relena spilled tea across her saucer.
Dorothy wanted to laugh, but scowled instead. "He refuses to have the lawn mower repaired. Claims he'll do it." Then she couldn't resist but add, "Men!"
Relena's ears turned pink.
"Don't worry about that." Dorothy shooed Relena's hand away from the pooling liquid. "Take a different one from the set."
"I don't know the answer to your question. I programmed Heero's phone number wrong. Again," Relena sighed. Her hands dropped into her lap, until she lifted one to touch her ribbon. "Quatre did pick up, one time. His number, not Heero's."
"Are they ever going to explain why it's Five when they only have four?" Dorothy pulled her own ribbon free from her hair and let her fingers slide along the silk.
"Probably not," Relena relaxed. "They enjoy an air of mystery."
"Such as who's supporting them financially. Those pyromaniacs seem to burn through cash," Dorothy wove the ribbon between her fingers. "It's not you, is it?"
"No." Relena shook her head. "They don't need me."
"More to their mystery, speaking of which..." Dorothy began. "I have an idea I want to run past you."
"Anything," Relena smiled. The other woman wanted to help so much and so badly. She plotted and schemed and over analyzed, but in the end a simple nudge was what Relena needed in order to act.
"I think we're ready to open for OZ." Dorothy stayed still, savoring the flicker of doubt in Relena's eyes. "If you think about it, the idea is a good one. I bet we'd get a decent early turn out of people simply dying to see if Nichol starts anything. He's got quite the reputation for sabotage."
"I thought you said he was over that?" Relena interjected.
"Nichol wouldn't hurt a fly." Dorothy waved her hand. "But since when did the press care what my man is really like? Well, Nikky cares. But if they destroy him in the reviews, we sell cds. He understands that."
"I'm still not sure," Relena shook her head. "If OZ found out..."
"Why would they care? And who's going to tell them?" Dorothy noted a lack of reaction from the music business princess. A good sign Relena wasn't going to immediately run to her big brother with the news. "It'll be too late, and good fun."
"The Top List festival hasn't announced for the fall yet," Relena calculated.
"If you let the festival idea simmer around OZ?"
"They'd play it. I can definitely get you on stage. I'm good friends with the program coordinator." Relena's smile had returned.
"More tea?"
"Absolutely."
^^^
Walker pumped the pedal with growing frustration. "That's not it either," he gripped the guitar strings more tightly then stepped backwards into a solid body. Alex burst into laughter followed by the wheezing cackle of the bass player as Mueller clutched his stomach from the sudden impact.
"You're fierce when you're making new sounds," Alex observed. "But Dorothy says she wants to talk over a new song for the Top List."
"Another new one?" Walker dropped his voice, not wanting to be caught complaining. He stole a glance at where Dorothy gave them an impatient wave. "People don't even know our current set."
Alex shrugged, "She's been getting better at putting together music that doesn't suck."
Mueller nodded in agreement.
"I will play this recording loud enough your ears bleed if you don't get over here right now," Dorothy raised her voice. The polite edge of warning made goosebumps appear on Walker's arms. She sounded just like his elementary school recess monitor. They'd reserved a high school theater for their rehearsal space which only added to the memory.
Nichol already sat on the stage. He leaned back on his arms and only glanced up when Walker sat right next to him.
"What do you know?" Walker asked.
"I need help fixing our mower," Nichol replied dryly.
"Okay, listen. And think about what we could do to make this stick. Especially you, love." She gave Nichol a pointed stare. "Because this was written for a strong synth."
Alex raised his hand. "Did you write this?"
Dorothy hesitated, then answered, "It's mine."
^^^
"You know that's not why," Trowa said.
Christine Une rolled over and saw a shadow pacing in the light coming from the gap in the bathroom door. She should just go back to sleep, but her ears couldn't stop listening. He was on the phone with someone. Perhaps she had heard it ring.
"I don't know. I suppose it's possible," Trowa paused. Then as if he knew she was awake he lowered his voice. "Maybe."
She could sense the light change through the new darkness that sank over her eyelids.
"I'm sorry I woke you up," he apologized, taking care not too move too much in the bed. A nice gesture, if useless. His lips pressed against her forehead. It took effort not to crease her skin by frowning.
She had no reason to be angry. Une took a breath and then murmured. Her voice sounded faint in her own ears. Her head almost thought it could have belonged to someone else. But that was crazy.
The voice said, "Was that Nichol?"
"No. It was not Nichol."
"Liar," Une said, but regretted it. She didn't open her eyes. She couldn't look at him just then.
"I wouldn't lie to you," Trowa said as if from far away. "Besides, Nichol wouldn't call if would wake up Travis."
A long time passed, and she might have dreamed. Then Une sighed the tension from her neck and shoulders. She believed him.
It wasn't until much later that she remembered he never told her who had been on the other side of that conversation.
Fandom: Gundam Wing AU
Characters/Pairings: Nichol/Dorothy, Relena, Walker, Alex, Mueller, Trowa/Une
Word Count: 1100
Summary: Band AU. Dorothy has a new song for The Lieutenants and a scheme of her own.
A/N: aquatinted. didn't quite fit one of my Nichol-prompts (I will finish these some decade!).
***
They sat in the living room sipping tea and giggling like girls. Nichol caught the sight of them mid-laugh. Dorothy had put a ribbon in her hair, which was ridiculous and then some until he saw that Relena had done the same. He wouldn't have noticed except they were both brilliant neon shades of green and blue respectively.
Dorothy's gaze shifted to nail Nichol in the doorway. He faked a laugh and hurried on his way to do, well, something else. Possibly in the garage.
^^^
"Beautiful weather we've been having lately," Relena commented. "I should see if I can find any outdoor festivals for The Lieutenants."
The sunshine coming in from the bay window warmed the carpet but little else. Dorothy was certain that Nichol had reset the thermostat again. She crossed her ankles and sipped the tea. She had something to ask, but it required some delicate maneuvering.
The noise in her throat filled the gaps. Then Dorothy asked, "Did Five Loudmouth Robots sign with anyone yet?"
It was Relena's turn to hide behind her beverage. Her cheeks turned a rosy pink that rivaled Nichol at his most embarrassed. Then the relative calm was broken by what sounded like a dying chainsaw.
"Oh my God." Relena spilled tea across her saucer.
Dorothy wanted to laugh, but scowled instead. "He refuses to have the lawn mower repaired. Claims he'll do it." Then she couldn't resist but add, "Men!"
Relena's ears turned pink.
"Don't worry about that." Dorothy shooed Relena's hand away from the pooling liquid. "Take a different one from the set."
"I don't know the answer to your question. I programmed Heero's phone number wrong. Again," Relena sighed. Her hands dropped into her lap, until she lifted one to touch her ribbon. "Quatre did pick up, one time. His number, not Heero's."
"Are they ever going to explain why it's Five when they only have four?" Dorothy pulled her own ribbon free from her hair and let her fingers slide along the silk.
"Probably not," Relena relaxed. "They enjoy an air of mystery."
"Such as who's supporting them financially. Those pyromaniacs seem to burn through cash," Dorothy wove the ribbon between her fingers. "It's not you, is it?"
"No." Relena shook her head. "They don't need me."
"More to their mystery, speaking of which..." Dorothy began. "I have an idea I want to run past you."
"Anything," Relena smiled. The other woman wanted to help so much and so badly. She plotted and schemed and over analyzed, but in the end a simple nudge was what Relena needed in order to act.
"I think we're ready to open for OZ." Dorothy stayed still, savoring the flicker of doubt in Relena's eyes. "If you think about it, the idea is a good one. I bet we'd get a decent early turn out of people simply dying to see if Nichol starts anything. He's got quite the reputation for sabotage."
"I thought you said he was over that?" Relena interjected.
"Nichol wouldn't hurt a fly." Dorothy waved her hand. "But since when did the press care what my man is really like? Well, Nikky cares. But if they destroy him in the reviews, we sell cds. He understands that."
"I'm still not sure," Relena shook her head. "If OZ found out..."
"Why would they care? And who's going to tell them?" Dorothy noted a lack of reaction from the music business princess. A good sign Relena wasn't going to immediately run to her big brother with the news. "It'll be too late, and good fun."
"The Top List festival hasn't announced for the fall yet," Relena calculated.
"If you let the festival idea simmer around OZ?"
"They'd play it. I can definitely get you on stage. I'm good friends with the program coordinator." Relena's smile had returned.
"More tea?"
"Absolutely."
^^^
Walker pumped the pedal with growing frustration. "That's not it either," he gripped the guitar strings more tightly then stepped backwards into a solid body. Alex burst into laughter followed by the wheezing cackle of the bass player as Mueller clutched his stomach from the sudden impact.
"You're fierce when you're making new sounds," Alex observed. "But Dorothy says she wants to talk over a new song for the Top List."
"Another new one?" Walker dropped his voice, not wanting to be caught complaining. He stole a glance at where Dorothy gave them an impatient wave. "People don't even know our current set."
Alex shrugged, "She's been getting better at putting together music that doesn't suck."
Mueller nodded in agreement.
"I will play this recording loud enough your ears bleed if you don't get over here right now," Dorothy raised her voice. The polite edge of warning made goosebumps appear on Walker's arms. She sounded just like his elementary school recess monitor. They'd reserved a high school theater for their rehearsal space which only added to the memory.
Nichol already sat on the stage. He leaned back on his arms and only glanced up when Walker sat right next to him.
"What do you know?" Walker asked.
"I need help fixing our mower," Nichol replied dryly.
"Okay, listen. And think about what we could do to make this stick. Especially you, love." She gave Nichol a pointed stare. "Because this was written for a strong synth."
Alex raised his hand. "Did you write this?"
Dorothy hesitated, then answered, "It's mine."
^^^
"You know that's not why," Trowa said.
Christine Une rolled over and saw a shadow pacing in the light coming from the gap in the bathroom door. She should just go back to sleep, but her ears couldn't stop listening. He was on the phone with someone. Perhaps she had heard it ring.
"I don't know. I suppose it's possible," Trowa paused. Then as if he knew she was awake he lowered his voice. "Maybe."
She could sense the light change through the new darkness that sank over her eyelids.
"I'm sorry I woke you up," he apologized, taking care not too move too much in the bed. A nice gesture, if useless. His lips pressed against her forehead. It took effort not to crease her skin by frowning.
She had no reason to be angry. Une took a breath and then murmured. Her voice sounded faint in her own ears. Her head almost thought it could have belonged to someone else. But that was crazy.
The voice said, "Was that Nichol?"
"No. It was not Nichol."
"Liar," Une said, but regretted it. She didn't open her eyes. She couldn't look at him just then.
"I wouldn't lie to you," Trowa said as if from far away. "Besides, Nichol wouldn't call if would wake up Travis."
A long time passed, and she might have dreamed. Then Une sighed the tension from her neck and shoulders. She believed him.
It wasn't until much later that she remembered he never told her who had been on the other side of that conversation.