just_muse_me | 8.1.3. Charles Dudley Warner quote
8.1.3. “The excellence of a gift lies in its appropriateness rather than in its value.” - Charles Dudley Warner
Co-written with asinthecity
[Follows THIS]
Lachlan grabbed for the pole of the scaffolding holding the temporary stage up. His shirt was drenched under the leather vest and he was worshipping his kilt right now. The breeze was never something to be scoffed at when you were sweating like a fecking Sumo wrestler. The buzz was waning and he tried to tune out the sound of the crowd somewhere in the distance behind him. People were rushing around on a high from the success of the competition. It should have been awesome.
He looked down at the cheque creased in his hand. Somewhere back on stage, he had abruptly exited and left Tab alone to accept their trophey thing and indulge in the cheers of the crowds. Aiden had strategically arranged for an advert for her CD to be played simultaneously to them being announced as the winners. After the weeks of anticipation, he and Tab had taken first prize after ending their set with the ever-classic AC/DC 'It's a Long Way to the Top', sung as a duet. By the time Lachlan had made it to the stage after his near-disaster of a breakdown, he managed to get through his two solo songs of 'I Was Made for Lovin You' by Kiss and 'Never Tear Us Apart' by INXS to meet Tab in the duet. He had been a wreck by the time he stumbled onto the stage, but he had grabbed the mic and just belted it out, not pretending the crowds were in their jocks, but that they weren't there at all.
It was over now and he was crashing. He ordered himself to keep his cool and not panic, sucking in some cold breaths and nodding with a smile to a couple of people who walked past and congratulated him. Tab appeared, bouncing down the steps of the stage and Lachlan pulled himself back up. "Tab," he called, trying to catch her attention.
Tab would have been lying if she'd said she hadn't expected the Karaoke competition to just be a little bit lame. She had been waiting for the ridiculously high number of Christina, Britney and Shakira tunes to get dragged out and sung until her ears bled.
But this? This was fucking brilliant! She'd loved the duet with Lachlan, letting herself get immersed in the moment and just being able to let go knowing that she had a seriously talented bastard by her side. She'd even managed to rock Hendrix's 'Foxy Lady' and the old Divinyls’ classic 'Boys in Town'. Maybe they were risky choices, but they'd paid off. She had been pleased to see the crowd singing along.
As Lachlan called her name she stopped bouncing, a concerned look crossing her features. He was sweating worse than her, and Tab was the one in the leather pants. She tugged on the strap of her tank top as before she gripped the trophy tight in one hand and used the other to touch Lachlan's shoulder.
"Hey, are you okay? Do I need to get Riley?"
Lachlan shook his head and wet his lips. "Nay, I'm cool." Oxymoron, sure, but if he kept saying it, it would surely work. More people were flooding the backstage area. His eyes swept around looking for Tara or Pat or Aiden... anyone, but they weren't here yet. Seemed to be only contestants and staff so far. Even that particularly shitty brunette chick in the pink spandex giving them the evil eyeball for trumping her to first place. Her mousy brown hair was even slightly disturbing him. It was very similar to the colour of the woman who shot him. "Have you got a wee minute?"
Tab managed to look relieved and worried at the same time. If anything happened to Lachlan she still wasn't sure she'd be able to deal with it--first aid certificate or not. She grabbed his hand and weaved through the staff and contestants, shooting the pink spandex bitch a glare that would surely wither that mousy brown hair of hers. She stopped when they'd reached a quiet corner, and gave him her full attention. "Even a wee minute sounds ominous, but I got one."
Lachlan knew he had a pen somewhere. A promo freebie they were all given to fill out their song choices on their contestant forms. A check of the pockets of his vest came up empty, so he moved onto his sporran and pulled the pen out with a faint smile of triumph. He held the $10,000 cheque up against a nearby speaker stand and started to endorse the back of it. It was his half of the $20,000 first prize. "I want you to have this," he said, signing the back of it in his elaborate and scrawled signature. He was a doctor, afterall. "You deserve it."
Tab's eyes went wide and she started to shake her head as she stared at him. "No, Lachlan. I can't. You won it fair and square. We're meant to share the prize money. It's yours, Kilted One. I can't, really."
Lachlan shook his head, pressing the cheque into her palm. "I dinnae need it, love. Just trust me. The money isnae why I'm here. You gave me a reason to nay have to face this alone. I want you to have it. You dinnae know what it means to me to have given me someone to take the stage with. I nearly didnae make it."
Tab gazed down at the check. She felt like she didn't know if she should laugh or cry. Accepting the trophy hadn't felt like this. It had felt good, but this was just... it was something else. She struggled to talk without her voice sounded choked and dry. "Don't worry about it, it was my pleasure. I wouldn't give up a chance to perform with you for quids." She tore her eyes away from the cheque and looked up at Lachlan as she pulled her mouth to the side, now bouncing on her feet for a whole different reason. "I'm really glad you did make it. And I kind of want to hug you right now even though you're all sweaty and disgusting."
Lachlan didn't hesitate in embracing her. He caught a small sob in his throat as a few strays tears escaped. He brushed them away over her shoulder and patted her back. "I know you arenae trekking away on the road to fame anymore, but you dinnae need to, Tab. You're a fucking pristine and top class musician all on your own. The music will lead you, aye? You just need to keep listening to it, even if it sometimes feels like it's getting away from you. You might think with your heart, but the music will fuel it," he told her quietly.
Tab hugged him back tightly and nodded. She couldn't even begin to imagine what it would have been like for Lachlan to have gone so long without his music. It had to be like losing a limb, and Tab never wanted to know what it felt like. "I will, I promise," she whispered, too scared to speak any louder because she just knew she was going to cry. "I just wish I could help fix it all for you."
"You have," Lachlan assured her. He kissed her cheek and pulled back with a tearful smile, slipping the cheque into her hand. "Next time, it will be easier."
Her hand closed around the cheque, even though she still felt awkward about accepting it. She'd never had this much money in her entire life. She smiled up at Lachlan and blew out a breath of air to get her fringe out of her eyes. Instead of whatever words had been about to leave her mouth, a nervous burst of laughter escaped and she gave him a sheepish look. "I'm sorry, I just... I don't know what to say. Thank you, seriously. I'm glad I could help."
"There arnae always enough words." Lachlan took her hand and squeezed it softly. "I have to go find Tara. I cannae cope being here much longer, aye. Enjoy it. You really did deserve it." He blew her a small kiss with a wave and disappeared into the mix of people pooling around them.
All other characters are referenced with permission
Muse | Dr Lachlan Campbell + Tabitha London Browne
Word Count | 1,378
Co-written with asinthecity
[Follows THIS]
Lachlan grabbed for the pole of the scaffolding holding the temporary stage up. His shirt was drenched under the leather vest and he was worshipping his kilt right now. The breeze was never something to be scoffed at when you were sweating like a fecking Sumo wrestler. The buzz was waning and he tried to tune out the sound of the crowd somewhere in the distance behind him. People were rushing around on a high from the success of the competition. It should have been awesome.
He looked down at the cheque creased in his hand. Somewhere back on stage, he had abruptly exited and left Tab alone to accept their trophey thing and indulge in the cheers of the crowds. Aiden had strategically arranged for an advert for her CD to be played simultaneously to them being announced as the winners. After the weeks of anticipation, he and Tab had taken first prize after ending their set with the ever-classic AC/DC 'It's a Long Way to the Top', sung as a duet. By the time Lachlan had made it to the stage after his near-disaster of a breakdown, he managed to get through his two solo songs of 'I Was Made for Lovin You' by Kiss and 'Never Tear Us Apart' by INXS to meet Tab in the duet. He had been a wreck by the time he stumbled onto the stage, but he had grabbed the mic and just belted it out, not pretending the crowds were in their jocks, but that they weren't there at all.
It was over now and he was crashing. He ordered himself to keep his cool and not panic, sucking in some cold breaths and nodding with a smile to a couple of people who walked past and congratulated him. Tab appeared, bouncing down the steps of the stage and Lachlan pulled himself back up. "Tab," he called, trying to catch her attention.
Tab would have been lying if she'd said she hadn't expected the Karaoke competition to just be a little bit lame. She had been waiting for the ridiculously high number of Christina, Britney and Shakira tunes to get dragged out and sung until her ears bled.
But this? This was fucking brilliant! She'd loved the duet with Lachlan, letting herself get immersed in the moment and just being able to let go knowing that she had a seriously talented bastard by her side. She'd even managed to rock Hendrix's 'Foxy Lady' and the old Divinyls’ classic 'Boys in Town'. Maybe they were risky choices, but they'd paid off. She had been pleased to see the crowd singing along.
As Lachlan called her name she stopped bouncing, a concerned look crossing her features. He was sweating worse than her, and Tab was the one in the leather pants. She tugged on the strap of her tank top as before she gripped the trophy tight in one hand and used the other to touch Lachlan's shoulder.
"Hey, are you okay? Do I need to get Riley?"
Lachlan shook his head and wet his lips. "Nay, I'm cool." Oxymoron, sure, but if he kept saying it, it would surely work. More people were flooding the backstage area. His eyes swept around looking for Tara or Pat or Aiden... anyone, but they weren't here yet. Seemed to be only contestants and staff so far. Even that particularly shitty brunette chick in the pink spandex giving them the evil eyeball for trumping her to first place. Her mousy brown hair was even slightly disturbing him. It was very similar to the colour of the woman who shot him. "Have you got a wee minute?"
Tab managed to look relieved and worried at the same time. If anything happened to Lachlan she still wasn't sure she'd be able to deal with it--first aid certificate or not. She grabbed his hand and weaved through the staff and contestants, shooting the pink spandex bitch a glare that would surely wither that mousy brown hair of hers. She stopped when they'd reached a quiet corner, and gave him her full attention. "Even a wee minute sounds ominous, but I got one."
Lachlan knew he had a pen somewhere. A promo freebie they were all given to fill out their song choices on their contestant forms. A check of the pockets of his vest came up empty, so he moved onto his sporran and pulled the pen out with a faint smile of triumph. He held the $10,000 cheque up against a nearby speaker stand and started to endorse the back of it. It was his half of the $20,000 first prize. "I want you to have this," he said, signing the back of it in his elaborate and scrawled signature. He was a doctor, afterall. "You deserve it."
Tab's eyes went wide and she started to shake her head as she stared at him. "No, Lachlan. I can't. You won it fair and square. We're meant to share the prize money. It's yours, Kilted One. I can't, really."
Lachlan shook his head, pressing the cheque into her palm. "I dinnae need it, love. Just trust me. The money isnae why I'm here. You gave me a reason to nay have to face this alone. I want you to have it. You dinnae know what it means to me to have given me someone to take the stage with. I nearly didnae make it."
Tab gazed down at the check. She felt like she didn't know if she should laugh or cry. Accepting the trophy hadn't felt like this. It had felt good, but this was just... it was something else. She struggled to talk without her voice sounded choked and dry. "Don't worry about it, it was my pleasure. I wouldn't give up a chance to perform with you for quids." She tore her eyes away from the cheque and looked up at Lachlan as she pulled her mouth to the side, now bouncing on her feet for a whole different reason. "I'm really glad you did make it. And I kind of want to hug you right now even though you're all sweaty and disgusting."
Lachlan didn't hesitate in embracing her. He caught a small sob in his throat as a few strays tears escaped. He brushed them away over her shoulder and patted her back. "I know you arenae trekking away on the road to fame anymore, but you dinnae need to, Tab. You're a fucking pristine and top class musician all on your own. The music will lead you, aye? You just need to keep listening to it, even if it sometimes feels like it's getting away from you. You might think with your heart, but the music will fuel it," he told her quietly.
Tab hugged him back tightly and nodded. She couldn't even begin to imagine what it would have been like for Lachlan to have gone so long without his music. It had to be like losing a limb, and Tab never wanted to know what it felt like. "I will, I promise," she whispered, too scared to speak any louder because she just knew she was going to cry. "I just wish I could help fix it all for you."
"You have," Lachlan assured her. He kissed her cheek and pulled back with a tearful smile, slipping the cheque into her hand. "Next time, it will be easier."
Her hand closed around the cheque, even though she still felt awkward about accepting it. She'd never had this much money in her entire life. She smiled up at Lachlan and blew out a breath of air to get her fringe out of her eyes. Instead of whatever words had been about to leave her mouth, a nervous burst of laughter escaped and she gave him a sheepish look. "I'm sorry, I just... I don't know what to say. Thank you, seriously. I'm glad I could help."
"There arnae always enough words." Lachlan took her hand and squeezed it softly. "I have to go find Tara. I cannae cope being here much longer, aye. Enjoy it. You really did deserve it." He blew her a small kiss with a wave and disappeared into the mix of people pooling around them.
All other characters are referenced with permission
Muse | Dr Lachlan Campbell + Tabitha London Browne
Word Count | 1,378