One Step at a time: 22nd Chapter
Pairings: tetsu x hyde
Rating: n-17
Disclaimer: You're kidding, right? Don't own. As in, at all.
Summary: A (hopefully) enormously long story of L'Arc~en~Ciel as seen from the perspective of a Tetsuhai fan
This should have been done quite a few days earlier. I know it's still short, but I hope you guys'll enjoy it.
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Chapter 22
Stuff to figure out, stuff to do
The next day, when they returned to their designated studio, marked the beginning of a very long and very arduous process of recording L’Arc~en~Ciel’s first album. It took them a very short while to realize that while there were obvious similarities, this would be a very different experience from when they were recording their single.
There was the evident change of their drummer, but there was also the addition of the staff members that, while helpful and polite and did their jobs perfectly well, seemed rather skeptical about them at first, looking at them as nothing else than just another upstart band with no guarantees of making it big or any further than producing this one album. It was mostly a good thing, though, as their attitude motivated the band members to prove them wrong and put their all into playing and singing.
If there was one thing that didn’t change though, it was the absolutely chaotic and over-packed schedule and complete lack of breaks. They’ve spent most of their time in the packed premises of the recording building, going home in turns to have a shower, a change of clothes and maybe steal an hour or two of sleep on an actual bed instead of snoozing off slumped over a table in the middle of working on an arrangement of a song. Considering it was also a much longer period of time than what they had to spend recording their single, the whole ordeal did turn quite challenging to them. But they never once dwindled under the pressure.
They did, however, try to find different ways to distract themselves and relax, even if only for a moment, as often as they could. Ken was often the cause of laughter breaking the stuffed atmosphere, his jokes (both the dirty and… even dirtier ones) on a seemingly endless supply, since the guitarist seemed to be determined to prove that he was worthy of being called the joker of the band.
In Tetsu’s mind, however, there was one more thing that did as good, if not better, a job of removing the tension from their shoulders and making them relaxed. Taking Sakura’s teasing as a challenge, Hyde now took the interaction to another level, often making the staff members stare when he refused to sit down until Sakura held a chair out for him or making similarly silly demands of the drummer, who always took them in a stride. It became a running gag and both the main actors were obviously just having fun by now, making Tetsu chuckle into his hand while Ken shook his head and not even tried to hide his grins.
What first began as Sakura’s attempt to tease Hyde about how feminine the vocalist was, evolved into a battle of wills and then became some kind of strange ritual of friendship. Because there was no other word to describe what had developed between Sakura and Hyde (and the other two members, for that matter) over the seemingly endless days of arduous working and recording. In his mind, Tetsu wondered if it had not been Hyde’s plan from the start to make it turn out like this, as the leader still remembered his lover’s sworn intention to make people feel welcome in the band.
It was about halfway through the recording that Tetsu realized just how well it was going. Their dedication and seriousness won over the trust of the staff members, while their jokes and silliness (even if really quirky sometimes) won over their amity. Sakura fit in with them impossibly well, his wonderful ideas for arrangements and brilliant drumming proving his worth to the band and it was now obvious that his name would be written on the album at its completion as that of an official and permanent member of L’Arc~en~Ciel.
And five weeks and six days after they first stepped into the studio, they could finally breathe a sigh of relief since the recording of the first album of their four-member band was finished with barely a day left until the deadline set by the label.
A long finishing meeting with the staff and the president of the label later, the members were finally free to go back home and get some well-earned rest. For the first time in almost a month, Tetsu and Hyde curled up in a bed together and fell asleep even before they could appreciate the thought.
*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Considering just how exhausted he was when he fell asleep, Tetsu woke relatively early the next morning. It did not surprise him too much though, because there were some new things for him to worry about now that their work with the album was mostly finished, not to mention the fact that there was still some remaining adrenaline in his system. He was surprised, though, when he turned towards the man at his side some time after waking and found him looking back at him, having obviously woken up as well some time during Tetsu's musings.
“Good morning,” Hyde greeted with a smile, his voice still oozing with contentment at lying in a warm and soft bed. The company probably helped the feeling as well.
“Good morning,” Tetsu answered, momentarily distracted from his earlier thoughts and smiling back. However, this did not last long.
“You had that worried frown on your face,” the vocalist pointed out, shifting a little closer to the bassist, “Don’t you think you should relax for a while now that we're done?”
“There’s not really any time for that though, is there?” the leader returned to his earlier line of thought, which mostly involved pondering the things discussed in the meeting yesterday, “There’s nothing for us to do about the mixing, but we need to start getting ready for the lives as soon as possible. Also, we need to get used to performing with Sakura. And we probably will need to film those videos they suggested we do, since I’m reasonably sure the album will be a success.”
“We’ll have someone helping us figure those things out now though. That ought to make things a little easier,” Hyde mumbled in response.
“Actually, that’s one of the things that make me worry even more,” Tetsu disagreed and Hyde withdrew a bit again so he could look incredulously at his lover’s face.
“We’re getting a manager, and it actually worries you?” He asked, confused and Tetsu could only shrug.
“I know it’s silly and that we should have probably got one a while ago,” he said in defense, “But I just don’t like the thought of not being the one to set things up and not knowing some things. I just feel like I can still do it, and I don’t know if I’ll be able to trust some stranger to do it better than me,” he explained.
That was true enough. Tetsu had always been set on being independent and one to make things himself if he could. With the obvious exception of food, of course.
The vocalist looked at him for a few more moments before shaking his head and shifting back to embrace him again.
“You are such a control freak,” he said, affectionately rather than picking on him, “I wonder if Sakura realizes what he signed up to.”
Tetsu chuckled, not arguing, at the first comment before getting serious at the second.
“Speaking of which,” he said, “since Sakura is part of the band now…”
“I know,” Hyde interrupted, knowing where the bassist was about to go with it, apparently having thought about it as well.
Relaxing again at that answer, Tetsu was about to urge Hyde a little upwards so he could kiss the petite man, but their alarm clock went off that very moment. There might have been no one for it to wake up anymore, but it did signal the need to get up.
“Come on,” he said, turning off the alarm and sitting up, “We should get up and get ready. Sakura and Ken will be here to discuss things in less than an hour.”
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The guitarist and the drummer showed up and hour and seven minutes later, but even Tetsu felt no need to lecture them about the virtue and importance of not being late, considering the circumstances. The youngest and the oldest of the band both looked exactly the way the bassist felt - in need of more sleep. Much more.
“Let’s just get this over with,” Ken groaned, collapsing onto a nearby chair, closing his eyes and rubbing his temples with his fingers. Had Tetsu not known better, he’d have thought the guitarist to have a hangover.
Sakura followed the guitarist’s example in an even more sedate pace, not saying a word. Neither he nor Hyde were in any mood to go through their now signature routine of jokes. Tetsu took a breath and tried to remember the things they needed to discuss.
“Don’t worry, this should be over quick,” he said after a short while. “There’s honestly just one thing we need to discuss, and that’s practice. I know the label said the first live is not before almost the middle of March and we’re free to do whatever we want at that time, but that leaves us with only about two and a half weeks. Which means, there’s actually no free time.”
This prompted half-felt groans from all the other members of the band, but even though they acted annoyed it was understood by all that there was no real choice in this.
“Are we going to practice in Tokyo or in Osaka?” their new drummer asked and only got three confused looks in response. “The lives are in Tokyo, you know,” he tried again, but got three looks saying ‘Your point?’ in response then and sighed in surrender. “I guess I should get used to being of the minority’s opinion with these things,” he mumbled.
“We need to return home at least for a little bit,” Hyde explained a little apologetically.
“It’s fine,” Sakura waved it off. “Can I stay at Ken’s place again then?” he asked and the guitarist was immediately woken from his half slumber.
“Of course,” he said, “That no probl…”
“Actually,” Tetsu cut the guitarist off, “I think you should just stay in my place.”
Ken looked at him surprised, since he was so ready to offer to take in the drummer for the rather obvious reasons. The bassist mostly ignored him.
“Isn’t Ken’s place bigger, though?” the drummer asked, missing the exchange between the two senior members of the band.
“I can just live with Hyde for the while.” Tetsu explained.
“I don’t want to be a bother…” the youngest of them started, but was not allowed to finish.
“We mostly live together anyway,” The bassist said, taking Hyde’s hand in a way that immediately bespoke of the action’s significance and the drummer was in no way slow on uptake. When his brain put two and two together, he barely noticeably blushed.
“Oh,” he said, obviously surprised, staring at the tightly joined hands, “Oh,” he repeated before looking up to their faces, “Oh, “ he said after an even longer pause, focusing on Hyde and finally shaking out of his stupor, “I see. A bit of a pity, though,” he commented after another silent interval, a devilish smile replacing the blush on his face.
“A pity?” Hyde asked confused, but he was probably the only person in the room not getting it immediately as Ken was already smiling and Tetsu was rolling his eyes.
“I kind of fancied getting you for myself,” the drummer explained and it was the vocalist’s turn to blush.
“So I take it you have no problem with this?” Tetsu asked, returning to the more serious side of the matter and Sakura just shrugged.
“Of course not. If it does not cause any problems for the band, I have nothing at all against it. Except for my own wounded heart, of course,” the drummer said, returning to teasing the vocalist and Tetsu felt honestly surprised. Sakura seemed much more unembarrassed to talk about it than Tetsu expected him to be, since the bassist figured that the drummer had never been interested in a male before. But Hyde’s own embarrassment probably helped the drummer fend off his own. And as fun as it was to watch Hyde blush, Tetsu felt a sense of duty to come to his lover’s rescue.
“So tomorrow morning we have to meet with our manager,” he said, going back to the topic of their meeting, “And then later we should go back to Osaka.”
“And today?” Ken asked sleepily.
“Do whatever you want. Go sightseeing, go clubbing or go celebrate finishing the recording in some other way, I don’t care,” the leader answered him, getting up, “My own celebration will commence in bed.”
“I so did not need to hear that,” the guitarist groaned, getting up as well and got a glare from the bassist for his effort.
“Sleeping in bed,” Tetsu elaborated pointedly, “Hopefully, until the next morning.”
*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Their manager turned out to be a very ordinary looking middle aged guy who, while not looking undependable, did not make Tetsu lose all his misgiving about this change in their lives. But after talking with him for a while, he found himself relaxing at least a little bit and deciding to give it a chance. He had no illusions that L’Arc~en~Ciel will remain possible to manage by his own effort alone. At this moment, though, he did not have to like it yet.
As they had decided, they returned to Osaka the very next day, where they took one more day off to visit their families before getting themselves a studio to practice in.
There was slight nervousness in the atmosphere on the first rehearsal, as while they had recorded together already, it still seemed like the first time they would actually try to play with Sakura as their drummer. But, as the last notes of their first song were played, the four members were left with smiles on their faces.
“I think this might just work,” Hyde said, to all of their silent agreement. It was a little bit unpleasant to think that they were now truly making Pero’s drumming for them a thing of the past, but as long as the future seemed to hold even better things for them, they could deal with that.
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It was so damn hard to get to writing again... I'm not promising anything like scheduled updating yet though. Comments might get me writing faster though :)
Also - if things go by plan (which they not always do) the story should really pick up pace after this, but the... slowness of this chapter was needed.
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Previous chapters: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13, Chapter 14, Chapter 15, Chapter 16, Chapter 17, Chapter 18, Chapter 19, Chapter 20, Chapter 21