Fication 2013: "Melancholy Baby", White Cortina, aisforinterval
Title: "Melancholy Baby"
Author: aisforinterval
Rating: White Cortina (brown to the left of me, blue to the right, here I am stuck in the middle with you)
Word Count: 1339
Characters: Sam, Gene
Notes: For little_cello. Simple prompt, "Sam/Gene, piano, a surprise". I apologize if It's not really Sam/Gene, it might be if you squint hard enough. :/ I did my best, hope it's satisfactory. BTW, if you wanna hear the song featured in the fic, this is my favorite version right here.
Summary: The appearance of a piano in Lost and Found sheds a small light on Gene's personal life.
“…Tyler.”
“Yeah?”
“…How did a piano get in Lost and Found?”
“…What?”
Sam looked up from the file he was scanning through, Gene hunched over his desk, looking somewhat confused.
“How. Did a piano. Get in Lost and Found.” Gene repeated, making exaggerated gestures with each statement.
Sam blinked.
“…Why are you asking me?”
“Because whenever any thing out of place shows up, it’s usually your fault.”
Sam frowned, unimpressed.
“Well, it’s news to me. Considering half the shit that turns up in there, I can’t believe you’re surprised. I’m guessing since its in Lost and Found, some poor bloke lost it.”
Gene stood back up and frowned, folding his arms with a slight huff.
Sam raised an eyebrow. “…Why, is there something particularly special about this piano? Or is it just taking up too much room? I keep telling you to auction all that stuff off and make room in there-“
But Gene seemed not to hear him, as he strode away from Sam’s desk without a word. Sam raised an eyebrow as Gene left, but decided not to question it. He had to finish this daunting stack of paperwork that Gene’d left him. …He still wondered though…
-----
Hours later, and Sam had signed off the last sheet. He slumped back in his chair, throwing his arms back and heaving a sigh as he stretched.
Everyone in the office had all gone home. The crew of the night shift was to be turning up soon.
Sam took a moment to absorb the peaceful solitude. No typewriters ticking or phones ringing… No whistles from Ray and Chris as they pried open the centerfolds… No haunting EKG beeps or disembodied voices telling him to wake up…
He took a deep breath, eyes closed as he was immersed in the silence, mixed with the dull monotone buzz of the overhead lights.
…
What… What was that?
Sam’s eyes opened and he lifted his head, straining to hear it.
Music? Yes, definitely music. A piano in fact. Sam sat up and looked toward Lost and Found. It sounded like someone with at least a modicum of skill was at the bench.
Standing up, he carefully made his way over to the door of Lost and Found, listening intently. It sounded like an older tune… One Sam didn’t recognize. The fingering was sloppy and awkwardly paced, as if the player knew what they wanted to play, but was second guessing their memory.
Sam paused, before slowly and quietly opening the door to peer inside.
In the dim light, Sam could see the broad-shouldered back of his DCI, sitting in a chair in front of the upright piano up against the far wall under the window, hunching over the keys and pressing them deliberately, yet cautiously.
The tune continued until he hit the wrong key again, murmuring a curse before fingering around, finding the right note and continuing.
Sam had to stop himself from outright laughing, but he couldn’t help smiling. Now there’s something he never thought he’d see. Gene Hunt playing the piano.
He had to admit though, despite the mistakes, he wasn’t too bad. Sam stepped in and carefully closed the door behind him, creeping in and leaning back against the table, which had been moved aside to make room for the piano.
After a few more minutes, of practice, Gene cracked his knuckles and started again with intention. The piano started, soft and slow, the errors having mostly been practiced out. As Gene set the beat and kept time, he cleared his throat, then began to sing.
“Come to me my melancholy baby… Just cuddle up and don't be blue… All your fears are foolish fancy, maybe… You know honey, I'm in love with you…”
Sam’s eyebrows rose again. The piano was one thing, but Gene’s singing voice was startlingly sweet and melodic. He almost thought someone has started a tape recorder and Gene was lip-syncing to it.
“Every cloud must have a silver lining… So wait until the sun shines through… Smile my honey dear, while I kiss away each tear… Or else I shall be melancholy too…”
The final note diminished into silence, Sam totally entranced, Gene completely immersed in what he was doing.
Sam figured he should face the thunder, and revealed his presence by applauding, not too loud, but enough to show he enjoyed it.
Gene was less than pleased by his awareness of Sam’s presence, practically jumping out of his chair and uttering many colourful expletives, as his hand accidentally banged the keyboard in surprise, making a short burst of mixed noise.
Sam jumped a little too, looking on as Gene grabbed his chest in exasperation, coming down from being startled. He felt a little bad now for sneaking in.
“Christ on a bike, how BLOODY long ‘ave you been there?!” Gene growled, coming back to his senses now.
Sam folded his arms defensively. “Not too long, only a few minutes.”
Gene scowled, and quickly closed the lid with a loud “CLACKK”, and stood up, about to turn and storm out.
“Ah, Guv, wait!” Sam said, blocking Gene’s way.
Gene stood there nose-to-nose with Sam, stony-faced as his eyes bored into Sam, clearly not in the mood for whatever Sam had to say.
“What?”
Sam frowned a little. “L-Look, I’m sorry fer sneakin’ up on you, I just didn’t want to disturb you. I didn’t know you could play, it sounds great!”
Gene said nothing, his face unreadable aside from the underlying menace.
After a long moment of silence, Gene slowly strode back to the piano, and gently placed a hand on it.
“Mum used to play the piano… This piano for us while dad was at work.” He said, running his hand along the lid carefully. “It helped us forget whatever might’ve been sore from the previous night, when dad had had a few.”
Sam was silent, unsure of what to say. He’d never seen this side of Gene before, and wasn’t sure how he’d react. Why was he telling him this anyway? Was he actually comfortable enough around him?
“Wait… This is your piano?” Sam said, after it sunk in.
Gene took a breath, exhaling slowly. “Yup. Same flower n’ fiddlehead pattern ‘round the rims. That and there’s a little gash on this left corner ‘ere…” He paused, smirking a bit. “Where I accidentally hit it with my “mighty sword” while chasing some bastards off my pirate ship.”
Sam couldn’t help but smile, a small laugh escaping his lips. He was glad some of the tension had left the atmosphere.
“…So how did it get in here?”
“Dunno. Last time I saw it I was 16, and we had to sell it off to bay the bills. Phyllis said that one of the PCs from the night shift saw two blags wheeling this down the road just outside the station. When he called out to ‘em, they turned tail and ran.”
Sam pondered the information. “Small world, huh?”
Gene grunted. “Not sure. They either stole it from somewhere, and were REALLY stupid when planning the escape route… Or this is some kind of bribe.”
Sam’s face fell. “…A… A bribe?! Who the hell would know you well enough to bribe you with this?”
Gene frowned. “I dunno… “ He let out a low sigh, leaning back against the piano like a trusted friend. “And that’s what scares me.”
Sam was actually impressed that Gene was actually admitting his fear to him. He somewhat wondered if he was lying… With a sigh, Sam decided to push his doubts aside and trust Gene for now. He hoped that he would at least be sincere about something this personal to him…
He finally clapped his hand on Gene’s shoulder, startling him a little. “Pub.”
Gene gave a small pause, before nodding in agreement. “Pub.”
They both gathered themselves up, and started out of the room.
“Seriously though, you aren’t bad, Guv. Maybe you should do that number at the next Christmas party!”
“Stuff it, Gladys.”
Author: aisforinterval
Rating: White Cortina (brown to the left of me, blue to the right, here I am stuck in the middle with you)
Word Count: 1339
Characters: Sam, Gene
Notes: For little_cello. Simple prompt, "Sam/Gene, piano, a surprise". I apologize if It's not really Sam/Gene, it might be if you squint hard enough. :/ I did my best, hope it's satisfactory. BTW, if you wanna hear the song featured in the fic, this is my favorite version right here.
Summary: The appearance of a piano in Lost and Found sheds a small light on Gene's personal life.
“…Tyler.”
“Yeah?”
“…How did a piano get in Lost and Found?”
“…What?”
Sam looked up from the file he was scanning through, Gene hunched over his desk, looking somewhat confused.
“How. Did a piano. Get in Lost and Found.” Gene repeated, making exaggerated gestures with each statement.
Sam blinked.
“…Why are you asking me?”
“Because whenever any thing out of place shows up, it’s usually your fault.”
Sam frowned, unimpressed.
“Well, it’s news to me. Considering half the shit that turns up in there, I can’t believe you’re surprised. I’m guessing since its in Lost and Found, some poor bloke lost it.”
Gene stood back up and frowned, folding his arms with a slight huff.
Sam raised an eyebrow. “…Why, is there something particularly special about this piano? Or is it just taking up too much room? I keep telling you to auction all that stuff off and make room in there-“
But Gene seemed not to hear him, as he strode away from Sam’s desk without a word. Sam raised an eyebrow as Gene left, but decided not to question it. He had to finish this daunting stack of paperwork that Gene’d left him. …He still wondered though…
-----
Hours later, and Sam had signed off the last sheet. He slumped back in his chair, throwing his arms back and heaving a sigh as he stretched.
Everyone in the office had all gone home. The crew of the night shift was to be turning up soon.
Sam took a moment to absorb the peaceful solitude. No typewriters ticking or phones ringing… No whistles from Ray and Chris as they pried open the centerfolds… No haunting EKG beeps or disembodied voices telling him to wake up…
He took a deep breath, eyes closed as he was immersed in the silence, mixed with the dull monotone buzz of the overhead lights.
…
What… What was that?
Sam’s eyes opened and he lifted his head, straining to hear it.
Music? Yes, definitely music. A piano in fact. Sam sat up and looked toward Lost and Found. It sounded like someone with at least a modicum of skill was at the bench.
Standing up, he carefully made his way over to the door of Lost and Found, listening intently. It sounded like an older tune… One Sam didn’t recognize. The fingering was sloppy and awkwardly paced, as if the player knew what they wanted to play, but was second guessing their memory.
Sam paused, before slowly and quietly opening the door to peer inside.
In the dim light, Sam could see the broad-shouldered back of his DCI, sitting in a chair in front of the upright piano up against the far wall under the window, hunching over the keys and pressing them deliberately, yet cautiously.
The tune continued until he hit the wrong key again, murmuring a curse before fingering around, finding the right note and continuing.
Sam had to stop himself from outright laughing, but he couldn’t help smiling. Now there’s something he never thought he’d see. Gene Hunt playing the piano.
He had to admit though, despite the mistakes, he wasn’t too bad. Sam stepped in and carefully closed the door behind him, creeping in and leaning back against the table, which had been moved aside to make room for the piano.
After a few more minutes, of practice, Gene cracked his knuckles and started again with intention. The piano started, soft and slow, the errors having mostly been practiced out. As Gene set the beat and kept time, he cleared his throat, then began to sing.
“Come to me my melancholy baby… Just cuddle up and don't be blue… All your fears are foolish fancy, maybe… You know honey, I'm in love with you…”
Sam’s eyebrows rose again. The piano was one thing, but Gene’s singing voice was startlingly sweet and melodic. He almost thought someone has started a tape recorder and Gene was lip-syncing to it.
“Every cloud must have a silver lining… So wait until the sun shines through… Smile my honey dear, while I kiss away each tear… Or else I shall be melancholy too…”
The final note diminished into silence, Sam totally entranced, Gene completely immersed in what he was doing.
Sam figured he should face the thunder, and revealed his presence by applauding, not too loud, but enough to show he enjoyed it.
Gene was less than pleased by his awareness of Sam’s presence, practically jumping out of his chair and uttering many colourful expletives, as his hand accidentally banged the keyboard in surprise, making a short burst of mixed noise.
Sam jumped a little too, looking on as Gene grabbed his chest in exasperation, coming down from being startled. He felt a little bad now for sneaking in.
“Christ on a bike, how BLOODY long ‘ave you been there?!” Gene growled, coming back to his senses now.
Sam folded his arms defensively. “Not too long, only a few minutes.”
Gene scowled, and quickly closed the lid with a loud “CLACKK”, and stood up, about to turn and storm out.
“Ah, Guv, wait!” Sam said, blocking Gene’s way.
Gene stood there nose-to-nose with Sam, stony-faced as his eyes bored into Sam, clearly not in the mood for whatever Sam had to say.
“What?”
Sam frowned a little. “L-Look, I’m sorry fer sneakin’ up on you, I just didn’t want to disturb you. I didn’t know you could play, it sounds great!”
Gene said nothing, his face unreadable aside from the underlying menace.
After a long moment of silence, Gene slowly strode back to the piano, and gently placed a hand on it.
“Mum used to play the piano… This piano for us while dad was at work.” He said, running his hand along the lid carefully. “It helped us forget whatever might’ve been sore from the previous night, when dad had had a few.”
Sam was silent, unsure of what to say. He’d never seen this side of Gene before, and wasn’t sure how he’d react. Why was he telling him this anyway? Was he actually comfortable enough around him?
“Wait… This is your piano?” Sam said, after it sunk in.
Gene took a breath, exhaling slowly. “Yup. Same flower n’ fiddlehead pattern ‘round the rims. That and there’s a little gash on this left corner ‘ere…” He paused, smirking a bit. “Where I accidentally hit it with my “mighty sword” while chasing some bastards off my pirate ship.”
Sam couldn’t help but smile, a small laugh escaping his lips. He was glad some of the tension had left the atmosphere.
“…So how did it get in here?”
“Dunno. Last time I saw it I was 16, and we had to sell it off to bay the bills. Phyllis said that one of the PCs from the night shift saw two blags wheeling this down the road just outside the station. When he called out to ‘em, they turned tail and ran.”
Sam pondered the information. “Small world, huh?”
Gene grunted. “Not sure. They either stole it from somewhere, and were REALLY stupid when planning the escape route… Or this is some kind of bribe.”
Sam’s face fell. “…A… A bribe?! Who the hell would know you well enough to bribe you with this?”
Gene frowned. “I dunno… “ He let out a low sigh, leaning back against the piano like a trusted friend. “And that’s what scares me.”
Sam was actually impressed that Gene was actually admitting his fear to him. He somewhat wondered if he was lying… With a sigh, Sam decided to push his doubts aside and trust Gene for now. He hoped that he would at least be sincere about something this personal to him…
He finally clapped his hand on Gene’s shoulder, startling him a little. “Pub.”
Gene gave a small pause, before nodding in agreement. “Pub.”
They both gathered themselves up, and started out of the room.
“Seriously though, you aren’t bad, Guv. Maybe you should do that number at the next Christmas party!”
“Stuff it, Gladys.”