For Once I Sang A Tune - 2
Title: For Once I Sang a Tune
Author: Riversorrowdh
Overall Rating: R
Chapter Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Everything is fake.
Summary: In a futuristic society, David, Michael and Andrew are best friends living in southern California. The pressure of war becomes consumed by the world and it tears apart the inseparable friends.
AN: If this chapter doesn't clear things up about the plot, please ask me any questions and I'll be happy to answer them for you.
By the time he arrives at the house on Wednesday morning, Michael had come to a decision. Granted, it hadn’t been particularly easy; he’d been quarreling with himself for months on end - torn between the happenings of the world and his own relationships.
As Michael turns into the driveway, he has to repeat over and over that he knows what he’s doing is right. Before he’s even turned the car’s engine off, the front door is ripped open and David appears. Michael can’t help but smile as his best friend bounds out of the house to meet him.
"Michael!" David exclaims as he reaches the car, his hand clapping immediately onto Michael’s back as he exits the driver’s seat. Wheeling him around, David brings Michael straight to the garage.
Looking carefully around, David quickly shuts the garage door behind them. Michael picks up his guitar - already out and plugged into an amp - and waits for David to tell him and Andrew that all is clear. Michael’s mind spins to the point that he feels sick to his stomach; the constant whirling of thoughts puts him off balance. He looks for anything still to grab on to. He feels a tap on his shoulder - Andrew.
"Don’tcha love breaking the rules?" Michael has to force a smile for Andrew’s sake, and focuses his attention on tuning his guitar in order to keep his tears a secret - secrecy being something he’d gotten quite used to by now.
"Okay, I think we’re clear. Damn police cars have finally gone." David turns his back on the tiny square windows and flashes Michael a smile, making the older man’s heart leap.
"Good. I don’t’ know about you two, but I’m getting sick of these new laws." Andrew declares angrily.
"But what can we do?" Michael speaks before he can stop himself. There’s silence as David and Andrew stare at each other and then at Michael in disbelief.
"I think," Andrew starts slowly. "That whatever these crazy governments in the world think up next, we’ll be fine as long as we have each other."
Michael looks up at Andrew and grins. "Yeah. Maybe you’re right, mate." He pauses, asking himself how he can bear to tell them now. "Thanks, Andrew."
The younger man nods. "Let’s play, guys, and just forget about all of this. Okay?" Michael swallows nervously as he strums his bass, trying desperately not to think. He watches as David steps up to the microphone, the volume turned down to its lowest audible setting, and begins to sing slowly. Michael lets his eyes drift shut, his fingers even blindly knowing the right notes to play. Everything around him melts away except for the smooth sound of David’s voice, accompanied by a soft guitar, serenading his worries from him.
Abruptly, David’s singling stops and he holds out a hand, quieting Michael and Andrew. Michael furrows his brows in confusion, but soon he can hear what’s made David’s ears perk up and his eyes fill with worry.
The sirens are far away at first, but as they get closer, Michael’s heart pounds harder, a lump growing in his throat. David turns around and nods at Michael, his eyes now full of comfort for his friend. They wait in an eerie silence as the sirens of perhaps three police cruisers reach the driveway - and drive on by. Michael thinks he’s never heard so sweet a sound as that of those dreaded wails growing softer and softer as they drive into the distance, off to arrest some other unlucky people.
All of a sudden, it’s like someone released all the air back into the room, and all three men exhale, a weight lifted off their shoulders.
"Maybe, " David starts, his voice in danger of failing him. He swallows and tries again, physically shaken by the experience. "Maybe we should stop for today." He nods to Andrew, who folds up the keyboard and stores it in the back room. He smiles at David and Michael and heads into the house without a word; but Michael sees the almost violent shaking in the young Cook’s hands. Michael tries to concentrate on putting away the bass and amps, but instead he conflicted with himself. I should tell him, one part of him argued. You have to tell him sometime. And yet there is another side which says, it’ll only hurt him. He’s my best friend; I can’t do that to him. This thought makes him stop and lift his gaze to David’s back, leaning through the closet door. He fought with himself as he stared and, as David passes, puts his hand on his friend’s arm, making David stop.
David stares at him with worry written on his face, and Michael sighs, unsure of how to begin. "That was…too close."
David smiles empathetically. "I know. But it’s over. We’re all fine."
Michael lifts his hand; it’s shaking. "You don’t understand. It’s always too close. I don’t like having to hide from a government that’s only going to take from me. I don’t like endangering the two people I care about most in the world…" He gathers the courage to look into David’s eyes. "And I can’t risk it anymore." Tears begin to well up in both men’s eyes. "I don’t want to risk them catching you. We both know what’ll happen, You’ll be captured and brainwashed - fucking brainwashed into soldiers and forced to fight in a war that’ll kill everyone; not only physically. They’re taking away their fucking memories Dave."
"But Michael," David begins.
"No, David. I can’t do this anymore. All this war - constantly - for years on end. I don’t’ want you to have to go through anything like that. Just please, I’ve given this more thought than you can know. I have to do this to protect all of us. I need to go back to Australia."
David is silent for what seems to Michael like an eternity. Michael’s heart races with anxiety. "Trust me, David. I’m not doing this to abandon either of you. I’m honestly not. I’m---" Michael is cut off by David’s hand on his arm.
"I understand. But Michael, what if you’re caught trying to cross the border? You’ll be killed, you know the laws. They’ll do background checks and they can find Andrew and me that way. Face it Michael, we’re traitors, no matter how you look at it." As David speaks, Michael has a thousand different retorts; but as he prepares to rattle them off, David smiles despite the tears flowing from his eyes. "So we’ll have to make sure you aren’t caught."
Michael smiles back, bravery lining his face, the security his friend brings him replenishing him.
"There’s just one thing, though."
Michael looks up, confused. "What’s that?"
"You have to tell Andrew." David smiles cheekily, knowing that this conversation won’t go smoothly.
"We’ll do it together." Michael says and stretches his arm to the door, inviting David to walk ahead of him. The two share a smile and this time it reaches their eyes and they walk through the kitchen door together