Work Text:
Love and Karaoke
by Pirate Turner
She had been looking forward to experiencing this unique establishment since first hearing about it. She had planned on watching its varied customers and listening to the wide arrangement of music, and she had even anticipated the humor of the Host she had heard his other cliental mention in passing during their classes. Her first visit to the bar, however, had not turned out to be at all what she had planned.
Crystal Frost had never been one to allow herself to fall into any clutch, let alone alcohol or anything near its foul nature. Tonight, though, she had constantly been ordering refills and downing each nearly as soon as it had arrived in the dismal hopes that it might block out the pain that filled her heart. It just wasn't working, however, and she sighed as she pushed her glass away yet again.
A voice speaking over the crowd made her look up in question. "Our Host isn't here yet, ladies and Demons, but you still have me." The slim Demon grinned impishly at the audience before him. "Word is he's hanging around with that Vampire who has plenty of soul but no song voice tonight. So, to get things moving right along, who's our next volunteer?" A chorus of groans rose from the audience, and he tisked into the microphone, his split tongue flickering out like a snake's. "Now, now. I know the Host with the most isn't here to read your auras, but doesn't anybody want to sing just for fun?"
Fun was the furthest thing from her mind, but the thought of singing had actually managed to maintain Crystal's attention. She had been trying to sing out her frustrations and grief over what might have been if only her life was different for the last several weeks, but it had gotten her absolutely nowhere. Perhaps, though, just perhaps, singing in front of a group of strangers might change that. She got shakily to her feet. "Come on up, Miss . . . ?" the Demon called to her, letting his sentence hang as he clearly waited for her to fill in the missing name.
She shook her head, however, a movement that sent her long, blonde hair cascading down her slender back in golden waves. "That doesn't matter." She walked onto the stage, took the microphone he handed her, and sat down. It only took her a moment to find the song she wanted, and then she started to sing, changing the words only a bit.
"Yeah yeah.. oh hmm I don't know how
I don't know why
But boy it seems
You've touched my life
You're in my dreams
You're in my heart"
Gods knew that that was certainly the truth, she thought with a mental sigh. She wasn't supposed to be feeling any of this. He should never have even been able to touch her. A single night should not have held the power to endanger his life . . . but it had, and she couldn't rid her mind of his handsome face and bewitching eyes, her heart of the emotions he had invoked in her so easily that night, her soul of the regret of having to cause him the pain she knew she had, or even her ears of his cries as he had pleaded with her to open the door the following morning. It should never have happened, but she had been the idiot who had let it -- who had caused him such hurts over the lies he believed she had fed him and who had caused her own heart the greatest pain she had felt in years, a pain that nothing seemed to ebb.
"I'm by myself
When we're apart
But that's the way it's gotta be"
She knew she could never have him by her side for that would endanger him far too much. She could live with that. She had lived with the fact that she could never have any family or friends other than the trio who waited for her at home and one cousin who dropped in from time to time for seemingly countless years. She just couldn't live with the pain, with the ache that hurt so much more than even losing Mark had. It shouldn't but did, and she was at a loss as to how to deal with it.
He was not looking forward to having to deal with the throng of beings who expected him to read their auras that night as he came in from just having aided his friends at Angel Investigations in avoiding yet another apocalyptic disaster. His head already throbbed, and he knew their caterwauling would make it ten times worse. It was not a piercing voice that his ears were met with when he walked through the doors of his home, however, but the sweet, beautiful voice that pulled at the strings to his heart like no other ever had, a voice that had haunted his dreams for the last several weeks. Lorne barely dared to lift his eyes to the stage, but when he did, his mouth fell open in shock for it was her, the woman from his dreams.
"Something strange has come over me
A raging wind across my seas
And boy you know that your eyes are to blame
And what am I supposed to do
If I can't get over you
But can never be with you"
His mind whirled even as he sank onto a nearby stool. What was she doing here? This wasn't the type of place for one such as she. Though she had told him that green skin and horns didn't matter to her, the next morning had revealed her lies for she had refused to answer him even though he knew she was there and she had heard him perfectly well -- yet here she was in a place filled with Demons, Vampires, and only the rare human. Even as he wondered, her sad, haunting voice washed over him, picking him up and wrapping him tightly in the heart-breaking emotions that, though he had not yet read her aura, he could tell she felt not only because of the song but because its own emotions came from her very heart.
"Cause I'm fallin'
Boy I'm fallin' for you
But I pray you'll forget me and never fall too
I've been fallin' fallin'
Ever since the moment I laid eyes on you"
The more he listened to her, the wider his red eyes grew. Was it just his hopeful imagination, or was she actually singing to him? He knew her eyes were shut and she had no idea he was here, but were the words of her song about him? Could it be?
He studied her, but when he tried to read her aura, the crystal around her neck suddenly glowed a bright blue. Not only could he not read her aura any more than a blind man could read a book written in plain English, but the second he stopped trying to read her, the crystal's glow ceased. He watched her, expecting a reaction, but none came for she was so lost in her song, thoughts, and memories of him that she had not even noticed.
"I lose my step
I lose my ground
I lose my self
When you're around
I'm holding on for your life
To keep from drowning in your eyes"
She was holding on for his life?? How could that be when his arms ached so desperately to hold her yet she denied him the one thing he found he wanted, though he barely knew her, more than anything else he ever even dreamed of?
"Boy what have you done to me
To make me fall so desperately
To think that I hardly even know your name
No, no
How am I supposed to live
If I can't get over this
But can't be with you
You can't feel the same"
He wanted to scream aloud in frustration. This woman made no sense! She sang of falling, and despite his brain's warnings, he knew, in his heart, that he was the man she spoke of. What made her think she couldn't be with him, that he couldn't feel the same way as she did? He would gladly rush up on that stage at that very moment and sweep her into his arms if only he did not think that she would run.
He didn't know why he felt this way, why his heart ached so desperately for her after only one night of being together. He could read any other Demon's aura and tell them what was coming in their life, but he couldn't even understand what caused the emotions burning red-hot within his own being. Still, he knew he would give anything just to have another chance to be with her but also realized that she would run like the wind and hide from him again if she had any idea that he was there.
"Crystal," he moaned just underneath his breath, "why are you doing this? Why don't you make any sense?!"
"Cause I'm fallin' fallin'
Boy I'm fallin' for you
And I pray you're not fallin' too
I've been fallin' fallin'"
She prayed that he wasn't falling too, but why? Why in the world didn't she want him to feel the same for her that she claimed to feel for him? Why had she hid from him if she truly felt this way? Why?!
"I ache to stay but I must go
Gods, Gods know what my future holds
Questions, questions linger on my mind
Day break from day break to dark of night
I'm fallin' I don't know what's come over me
Can't you see that I'm fallin' fallin'
Boy I'm fallin' for you
And I pray you're not fallin' too
I've been fallin' fallin'
Ever since the moment I laid eyes on you
"
He had continued to watch her with tears glistening in his eyes until she had descended the stage without taking even the slightest notice of the applause that followed her enchanting voice. Knowing he had to act fast but could not simply go straight to her for she would only run if he did, Lorne thought swiftly. He grabbed the arm of his barkeep even as he started to head for the door, whispered quickly in his ear, and then headed for the stage himself, a song already in his mind. He could only pray that his plan would work as he climbed the familiar stairs to take his place at the microphone.
Thrilled exclamations rang through the crowd as the audience recognized their Host and felt certain that they would now be able to get their auras read. Hands and claws waved in the air, but Lorne ignored them all as he focused on Crystal's retreating back. Her golden hair shimmered down her slender back, beckoning him to run after her, but he knew running would do no good.
His grin fingers closed around the microphone's pole, and he stilled himself. He had never been more nervous in his entire life! He would have shut his eyes to block out the crowd further if that would not have meant losing sight of his dream woman. He tried to tell himself that it was just a song, but he knew better. His happiness, his entire future were riding on this one song. Gripping the pole as though it were a lifeline, he began to sing.
"They say around the way
You've asked for me
There's even talk about
You wanting me
I must admit that's what
I want to hear
But that's just talk
Until you take me there "
She froze as the sound of his voice washed over her, thrilling her from her ears through to her core and asking her to turn around and go back. Slowly, she turned to face him. She was not at all surprised to find his beautiful, red eyes focused entirely upon her. His green hands slowly uncoiled from the microphone to reach out toward her. She shook her head slowly. He stretched out his hand. She shook her head again and backed up.
His eyes never leaving her face, Lorne unhooked the microphone and began to walk with it to the end of the stage. For every step he took, she took two backwards. Her baby blue eyes and lovely face were as wide and pale as the look that Lorne had often heard referred to as the "deer in the headlights" look. He had never seen an actual deer caught in headlights, but Crystal looked scare to within an inch of her life. His heart ached for her. If she'd only let him in, he'd make sure she never again had a reason to be scared.
Who would scare such a beautiful, delicate creature as she? There were many evils out there, he knew, but which one of their army had harmed her? Who had hurt her so? His hand that gripped the microphone curled even tighter as he burned not only for her but now with fury, fury at whoever had harmed her, fury that, for the first time in his existence, made him want to fight.
"If it's true don't leave me
All alone out here
Wondering if you're ever
Gonna take me there
Tell me what you're feeling
Cause I need to know
Girl you gotta let me know
Which way to go
Cause I need to know
I need to know
Tell me baby girl
Cause I need to know
I need to know
I need to know
Tell me baby girl
Cause I need to know
My every thought
Is of this being true
It's getting harder
Not to think of you
Girl I'm exactly
Where I want to be
The only thing's "
She had continued to back away from him until her slender back had met what he knew must feel like a solid wall to her. He hated seeing her fear increase, but he had no choice. He had to reach her! He had to talk to her again, touch her, hold her close, kiss away all her fears . . .
His eyes never faltered from her as she turned around and started trying to break pass his bouncer. Each effort she made was blocked until suddenly, unexpectedly, the mountain of Rock Demon fell to the floor. Crystal jumped over him and ran out the door. Lorne chased after her, letting the microphone fall to the floor and skitter across it.
His heart was heaving in his throat as he leapt out of the club's doors. He looked left and right, then up, but there was no sign of her anywhere. When he sniffed the air, the only direction her vanilla perfume went in was straight up, but there were no ladders to be had and he shook his head in dismissal.
She was gone, he realized, his heart sinking far below his designer shoes. She was gone, fled into the night like the frightened, innocent creature she was, and he'd probably never see her again. Something wet splashed onto his hooked nose. He reached up to wipe the moisture off, and his hand froze in front of his face. His red eyes grew as round as dinner plates at what he gazed at. Snow! Snow in L.A.?!
He shook his head. There was a first time for everything, everything, evidently, except for his love for some one to be returned. His head lowered as he ignored the building of the freak snow storm all around him. "I need you here with me," he sang the conclusion of the verse, his miserable voice echoing in the empty alley as he stepped back into his club, feeling more alone than he ever had before.
The End