(no subject)
Title: Music to heal all but the wounds that won't
Rating: PG
Characters: Rose and AJ.
'Verse:Squarewarts (....*tear*)
Short!fic, which was supposed to be placed after the next death-defying stunt the castle put the kids through... which will now just have to be handwaved.
Anyway. Xan does something stupidly heroic and nearly gets himself killed. He lands himself a cosey spot in the hospital for a couple days, and Rose goes to visit him.
Rose shifted the guitar awkwardly in her lap, as she carefully placed her fingers along the strings. One arm hung over the front, slightly ungainly because the guitar was made for a man and not a woman with slightly shorter arms. She strummed, once, and AJ winced.
"No no... move your index finger down one more fret and keep your other fingers where they are."
Rose did as was told, and Xander started to shift, lifting himself up from the hospital bed. "Hang on, it's like-- smoother, all one movement-- Let me show you--"
Swinging the instrument off her lap and far out of his stumbling reach, Rose planted her other hand flat against his chest and pressed him firmly back down. "No. You stay. The nurse said you shouldn't be moving around yet."
"But Roooooose," He whined, apparently in a state of near torture at the moment. He didn't rise again, but flopped his arms toward her in as dramatic a fashion as possible. "C'mon! Let me just show you for a second--"
She ignored his frantic plight and swung the guitar back around. Setting her fingers along the strings again, she studied the placement as carefully as she studied the ingredients that went into potentially volatile potions. "I can play a scale."
He groaned, letting his head thud back against the small hospital-issue pillow. "Sure you can."
"I can." She began to play again, in short, uncertain bursts, her thumb sliding against the strings. Actually, she was starting to see why people used picks for guitars, now. The strings were really hard and rough against her fingers. Still, she was determined to prevail; a few future calluses would not stop her. "Okay. How did it go again?"
Xan closed his eyes, having given up. For a moment he didn't reply, and then his voice came through, deep and melodic. "I'm gonna wear you down..."
Humming along, Rose carefully moved her fingers, playing a few belated notes. Xan kept singing, softly, settling his arms behind his head.
"I'm gonna make you see... I'm gonna get to you, you're gonna give in to--"
Her fingers hit a sharp note and she paused, rearranging her hands.
Xan's singing stopped, traded in for chuckles. At her. He was laughing from the bed as he lay against the pillows, eyes still closed, looking a lot healthier than he had the previous day. In fact, seeing him now, Rose could hardly believe he'd been so pale before.
He certainly had the strength to laugh again. She gave him a look he didn't see, stubbornly setting her fingers against the strings again and pressing down. "I'm gonna start a fire... You're gonna feel the heat..." She trailed off, frowning, and Xander quickly swallowed his chuckles in effort to aid her memory.
"I'm gonna burn for you," His deep voice supplied, around a grin that was nearly too big for his face and barely-held back amusement. She took a breath and followed him, playing almost all the notes at the right time.
"You're gonna burn for me...
"Come on, Come on,
Into my arms
Come on,
Come on,
Give into me..."
That insufferable grin had at least faded. Xander seemed suddenly more at peace, still laying against the small hospital pillows. The ward was empty except for them, and Rose's voice kept echoing awkwardly off the walls, but at least there was no one else to hear. It was okay if Xan was the one to laugh at her.
At least he was laughing again.
Deciding to skip to her own part, Rose cleared her throat, still slowly and carefully playing notes from the harmony.
"You're gonna take my hand,
whisper the sweetest words...
And if you're ever sad,
I'll make you laugh,
I'll chase the hurt..."
Xan was too quiet, and she paused, reaching out to poke his side. Away from the bandages, of course. "C'mon. What do you think?"
A slow smile spread across his face again, as familiar as the sun rising. She poked him again, pretending to get offended. "Don't you start making fun of me again--"
"I'm not," He said quickly, opening his eyes. "I'm not." That smile was too tender for amusement this time, filled with something deeper, something she couldn't quiet decipher. She couldn't seem to help responding, a grin finding its way across her lips to match his. She glanced back down quickly, feeling suddenly warmer, though the ward was empty and just this side of chilly.
She set the guitar down gently across her lap, leaning over it to look at him. "How are you feeling?"
"Better," He replied, honestly. He glanced at the guitar, about to say something else, when abruptly the doors at the end of the ward swung open with a bang.
Rose spun on her little stool, craning her neck to see who had interrupted their private duet. The nurse came striding across the stone floor, and behind her came another figure, tall and smooth and poised.
She blinked, turning back to her best friend, and froze when she saw how all the color had suddenly seemed to drain from Xan's face.
Rose jerked her head back again to face the exit, standing quickly and putting her body between the bed and the approaching visitors. She wasn't sure why, but suddenly she had the feeling that she absolutely had to protect Xander from some sort of oncoming storm.
Nurse Joy blinked as she registered the seventh-year redhead, slowing in her calm stride. She carried herself in graceful confidence, a slight frown marring her features. "Ms. D'Montrier, student visiting hours are long over. You're about to miss curfew."
Rose didn't step down. She was staring at the man who had come to stand just to the side of the Nurse's shoulder, hands clasped casually behind his back. He stood, feet slightly apart, surveying the hospital ward as if he owned it.
He smiled at her, charming and handsome. His face was so very similar to Xan's, but the smile was anything but. It didn't fill her with warmth.
If anything, suddenly the air felt colder.
Her lips parted in shock. "Ethan." She knew him, of course. Alexa had been dating him for little over a year now, and her mother had invited him over to countless family dinners they could barely afford. Seeing him outside of her family's home setting, somewhere she was comfortable and familiar with, was somehow greatly unsettling.
Nurse Joy blinked, glancing over her shoulder, as if suddenly remembering the other man was there. "Oh, yes. Ethan's come all this way to check on his little brother. Isn't that sweet?"
To be continued. Possibly. :3
Rating: PG
Characters: Rose and AJ.
'Verse:Squarewarts (....*tear*)
Short!fic, which was supposed to be placed after the next death-defying stunt the castle put the kids through... which will now just have to be handwaved.
Anyway. Xan does something stupidly heroic and nearly gets himself killed. He lands himself a cosey spot in the hospital for a couple days, and Rose goes to visit him.
Rose shifted the guitar awkwardly in her lap, as she carefully placed her fingers along the strings. One arm hung over the front, slightly ungainly because the guitar was made for a man and not a woman with slightly shorter arms. She strummed, once, and AJ winced.
"No no... move your index finger down one more fret and keep your other fingers where they are."
Rose did as was told, and Xander started to shift, lifting himself up from the hospital bed. "Hang on, it's like-- smoother, all one movement-- Let me show you--"
Swinging the instrument off her lap and far out of his stumbling reach, Rose planted her other hand flat against his chest and pressed him firmly back down. "No. You stay. The nurse said you shouldn't be moving around yet."
"But Roooooose," He whined, apparently in a state of near torture at the moment. He didn't rise again, but flopped his arms toward her in as dramatic a fashion as possible. "C'mon! Let me just show you for a second--"
She ignored his frantic plight and swung the guitar back around. Setting her fingers along the strings again, she studied the placement as carefully as she studied the ingredients that went into potentially volatile potions. "I can play a scale."
He groaned, letting his head thud back against the small hospital-issue pillow. "Sure you can."
"I can." She began to play again, in short, uncertain bursts, her thumb sliding against the strings. Actually, she was starting to see why people used picks for guitars, now. The strings were really hard and rough against her fingers. Still, she was determined to prevail; a few future calluses would not stop her. "Okay. How did it go again?"
Xan closed his eyes, having given up. For a moment he didn't reply, and then his voice came through, deep and melodic. "I'm gonna wear you down..."
Humming along, Rose carefully moved her fingers, playing a few belated notes. Xan kept singing, softly, settling his arms behind his head.
"I'm gonna make you see... I'm gonna get to you, you're gonna give in to--"
Her fingers hit a sharp note and she paused, rearranging her hands.
Xan's singing stopped, traded in for chuckles. At her. He was laughing from the bed as he lay against the pillows, eyes still closed, looking a lot healthier than he had the previous day. In fact, seeing him now, Rose could hardly believe he'd been so pale before.
He certainly had the strength to laugh again. She gave him a look he didn't see, stubbornly setting her fingers against the strings again and pressing down. "I'm gonna start a fire... You're gonna feel the heat..." She trailed off, frowning, and Xander quickly swallowed his chuckles in effort to aid her memory.
"I'm gonna burn for you," His deep voice supplied, around a grin that was nearly too big for his face and barely-held back amusement. She took a breath and followed him, playing almost all the notes at the right time.
"You're gonna burn for me...
"Come on, Come on,
Into my arms
Come on,
Come on,
Give into me..."
That insufferable grin had at least faded. Xander seemed suddenly more at peace, still laying against the small hospital pillows. The ward was empty except for them, and Rose's voice kept echoing awkwardly off the walls, but at least there was no one else to hear. It was okay if Xan was the one to laugh at her.
At least he was laughing again.
Deciding to skip to her own part, Rose cleared her throat, still slowly and carefully playing notes from the harmony.
"You're gonna take my hand,
whisper the sweetest words...
And if you're ever sad,
I'll make you laugh,
I'll chase the hurt..."
Xan was too quiet, and she paused, reaching out to poke his side. Away from the bandages, of course. "C'mon. What do you think?"
A slow smile spread across his face again, as familiar as the sun rising. She poked him again, pretending to get offended. "Don't you start making fun of me again--"
"I'm not," He said quickly, opening his eyes. "I'm not." That smile was too tender for amusement this time, filled with something deeper, something she couldn't quiet decipher. She couldn't seem to help responding, a grin finding its way across her lips to match his. She glanced back down quickly, feeling suddenly warmer, though the ward was empty and just this side of chilly.
She set the guitar down gently across her lap, leaning over it to look at him. "How are you feeling?"
"Better," He replied, honestly. He glanced at the guitar, about to say something else, when abruptly the doors at the end of the ward swung open with a bang.
Rose spun on her little stool, craning her neck to see who had interrupted their private duet. The nurse came striding across the stone floor, and behind her came another figure, tall and smooth and poised.
She blinked, turning back to her best friend, and froze when she saw how all the color had suddenly seemed to drain from Xan's face.
Rose jerked her head back again to face the exit, standing quickly and putting her body between the bed and the approaching visitors. She wasn't sure why, but suddenly she had the feeling that she absolutely had to protect Xander from some sort of oncoming storm.
Nurse Joy blinked as she registered the seventh-year redhead, slowing in her calm stride. She carried herself in graceful confidence, a slight frown marring her features. "Ms. D'Montrier, student visiting hours are long over. You're about to miss curfew."
Rose didn't step down. She was staring at the man who had come to stand just to the side of the Nurse's shoulder, hands clasped casually behind his back. He stood, feet slightly apart, surveying the hospital ward as if he owned it.
He smiled at her, charming and handsome. His face was so very similar to Xan's, but the smile was anything but. It didn't fill her with warmth.
If anything, suddenly the air felt colder.
Her lips parted in shock. "Ethan." She knew him, of course. Alexa had been dating him for little over a year now, and her mother had invited him over to countless family dinners they could barely afford. Seeing him outside of her family's home setting, somewhere she was comfortable and familiar with, was somehow greatly unsettling.
Nurse Joy blinked, glancing over her shoulder, as if suddenly remembering the other man was there. "Oh, yes. Ethan's come all this way to check on his little brother. Isn't that sweet?"
To be continued. Possibly. :3