Rated: PG-13
Pairings and warnings: secret, but I guess you know me...
Disclaimer: Some characters (C) Clamp, "Come What May"
(C) Baz Luhrmann, "I bet he was cool"
(C) Savage Garden
Club Regina: Do You Remember Love?
Part 4
by Beth
Casey was almost doubling over with laughter by the time she rejoined the rest of their party.
"Great show, guys!" she exclaimed while patting Seishirou on the back. "Are you sure you want to go ahead with the next song?"
"Just give us a minute to catch our breath," he answered.
Sakura stared at him. "Don't tell me-"
"Of course."
She seemed about to say something, but stopped and turned her attention to her mineral water.
"What's the secret plan?" Sorata wanted to know.
"That's their secret to tell," Casey laughed. "You'll find out soon enough."
Seishirou rose and crossed the dancefloor. He approached the stage and started a hushed conversation with the band leader, while the band played a slow foxtrot.
"You know what this reminds me of?" Casey said to no-one in particular. "The Titanic. Not that movie, but a song I heard, about why the wreckage should be left alone. Don't know why..."
"You're right," Katsuhiro nodded. "All the recent earthquakes, and still Tokyo is partying on, as if on another planet. A careless dream awakened only for this night."
"People need to forget sometimes," Kamui mused. "Just... have fun... dance and sing..." He grew silent, lost in his own thoughts as he stared intently at Sakura. The white-clad singer refused to meet his eyes.
"Or it's really the Apocalypse," Fuuma offered. "The last party before the end of the world."
"Then who's the Antichrist?" Casey joked.
"Why Antichrist?" He grinned. "If the world has grown so wicked, perhaps God will send someone to clean it up and start from scratch."
"I wonder if we'd even notice it," Hiroshi wondered. "This town's so anonymous... I bet we could just pass someone in the street, or sit by them at the bar, and not know this person can destroy the world."
"Or save it," Kamui muttered.
"That, too."
Casey caught Seishirou's eye from across the room. "Sakura, I think it's your cue."
The black-haired singer rose wordlessly, accepted the microphone Casey offered, and made her way to the dancefloor as all others left it. The club grew darker until the candles at each table remained the only source of light. Then two soft spotlights appeared. One of them held Sakura; the other barely outlined Seishirou as he bowed to his partner.
Silence held for a moment, then the melody started, a soft melting of violin and piano.
They circled each other, never coming nearer than an arm's reach.
Kamui's eyes never moved from them, his fingers clutching his glass.
Seishirou raised his microphone. "Never knew I could feel like this - like I've never seen the sky before."
Sakura graced him with a dazzling smile as she bowed back and started to sing. "Want to vanish inside your kiss - every day I'm loving you more and more."
He pressed his left hand to his chest. "Listen to my heart! Can you hear, it sings!"
She answered him, "Telling me-"
He whispered, "Come back to me."
She continued, her voice breaking slightly, "To give you and forgive everything!"
He smiled at her as he took her hand. "Seasons may change, winter through spring. But I love you, until the end of time."
At the table, Sorata blinked. Was it his imagination or were there cherry petals swirling around the two singers?
Kamui didn't move as Casey leaned against him, looking at him with worry. The glass started to tremble in his hand.
Seishirou sang on, drawing out each note, filling the words with a deep emotion that left Sakura smiling bitterly.
"Come what may - come what may! I will love you, until my dying day."
"Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place," She dropped the smile for a real one as she let go of his hand and brushed her fingers through his hair. "Suddenly it moves with such a perfect grace-"
He joined her for the next line. "Suddenly my life doesn't seem - such a waste."
She circled him, passing her hand over his shoulders as she mused, "It all revolves around you..."
He captured her hand again in his own. Together, they sang. "And there's no mountain too high - no river too wide!"
He smiled at her. "Sing out this song and I'll be there by your side!"
Her eyes widened as she nodded, clutching his hand. They intoned the next words like a sacred promise. "Storm clouds may gather and stars may collide..."
"But i love you." Her next words were strong and clear.
He whispered back, "I love you."
"Until the end," she agreed.
"Until the end..." he sang softly.
"Of time." Their voices joined, his strong baritone complementing her low alto. "Come what may - come what may! I will love you, until my dying day."
He twirled her around, and she laughed delightedly.
"Oh, Come what may, come what may! I will love you!"
A crack appeared in Kamui's glass, but before it could explode, Casey knocked it out of his hand. He startled, and she gave him a brief hug before getting out of her chair to clean up the mess.
"I will love you..." Sakura whispered, looking deep into Seishirou's eyes.
"Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place..." he mused, gazing back with a strangely predatory smile.
"Come what may!" they sang again, "Come what may! I will love you - until my dying day!"
The strength of the applause caused all the bottles at the bar to vibrate. It didn't die out until Seishirou and Sakura bowed several times.
He whirled her around as they walked back to their table and stole a kiss. She remained immobile, limp as a doll.
"You used to blush," he whispered.
"I've changed."
Sorata toasted them with his third glass of wine as they approached the table. "Hey, Kamui..." he slurred. "If he has this Sakura girl - and he'd be stupid to let her go, no matter who for - doesn't that mean you've got you-know-who to yourself? Y'know, Mr tall, cute and angsty..."
Kamui didn't grace this with an answer. Instead he turned to Casey as she placed a fresh Coke in front of him.
"What you were saying about the Antichrist - it sounded like you know something?"
"Who, me?" She laughed. "Kamui, you shouldn't pay attention to what drunks say."
"Truth lies at the bottom of a bottle," Seishirou smirked.
Casey took his microphone away. "Yeah, right. Now, prepare for some real singing!"
Sakura chuckled quietly while Casey walked imperiously to the stage. The gaijin girl lost her haughty air as she climbed up the stairs and turned to the audience, signaling the band to commence the music.
"You know every once in a while,
I shoot the breeze, I spend my time," she mused.
"I talk about silly things.
I like to talk about Jesus Christ
Cause I wonder what would happen if He passed you by
Fuuma raised his glass in a silent toast, and got a kick under the table from Kamui. His wide eyes met a pair of angry purple ones, and a hissed, "She already suspects something!".
"Would you be scared?," Casey continued
Would you believe in Him?
Would you bust your asses to get him institutionalized?
Well, I bet he'd be cool
I bet He be damn good looking
I bet that He smelt divine
I'm not talking about Calvin Klein's Obsession."
She was looking directly at Fuuma and Kamui now.
"Lord I need your protection - spend some time in my direction,
I need your protection - spend some time in my direction.
I need your protection.... spend some time in my direction..."
~TO BE CONTINUED~
Author's Notes:
Just one part to go! Whee!
The Titanic song Casey mentions is "Zostawcie Titanica" ("Leave the Titanic alone") by Lady Pank.
"Come what may" is the romance theme from where else... Moulin Rouge of course >_<
"I bet he was cool" by Savage Garden (RIP), B-side for the "Break me, Shake me" single