Cheru's Birthday Gift

[Snow Fox]

Promises were something that should be kept, but more often than not are broken. It was the reason she was stuck staring down at her phone with mouth gaping open. He couldn't... do this. He couldn't. Alright, maybe he could. His grandfather going to the hospital after a fall was reason enough to cancel on her, but a bit more notice would have certainly been nice! Shiloh was pacing at this point. It was an audition. One that her manager had gone to great lengths to set up for her though he wouldn't be in town to, well, manage every last aspect.



It wasn't necessarily a bad thing... usually. Shiloh preferred to do things on her own some days and not always having him hold her hand through it. This, however? This was awful. Horrible. She would die of embarassment if she went out without having an accompanist beside her and automatically be disqualified and even more so if she had to forfeit before it even began. Four days... she had four days to get someone to play these songs for the audition. Four days to get someone who could actually play well enough and follow her so she could achieve victory. Featured on the next issue of a magazine as well as having a single made with the impossibly gorgeous Shakira. How Mikhail orchastrated wiggling her in among famous names to sing with the world reknowned singer was beyond comprehension. Yet, here she was... without an accompanist.



Maybe his magic wasn't out just yet... She couldn't just not tell him. She had to let him know. The job he was supposed to be at wasn't for another week... maybe he wasn't so busy. Or maybe he was frantic in trying to magically put together the next concert venues for KgC. Her finger hovered above the green telephone button next to his name. If she didn't... she'd have to find one on her own. How many people did she know could play piano who she didn't already know had plans otherwise? The reason she was going to use the Adagios was simply because her other sources had been exhausted already for this day.



Her finger hit the button and the phone rang. Once. Twice. It was answered faster than usual.



"Privet, zdevka. How's the practice?"



It was awful how he did that. How he raised her spirits and crushed her with guilt at the impending news she was about to give him.



"It's... um." Just spit it out. "It's not happening. Marek had to quit."



There was silence on the other end. She could practically hear the eyes flutter as he controlled his emotions as the information was processed. "And Adan didn't offer?"



"Their abuelo, grandpa, he had a fall and..." Damn why did he make it so hard for her to talk? She didn't want to give him this kind of news. It should be the Adagio's job, not hers... except that she needed that accompanist if she wanted this job.



A long breath came and he likely rubbed his hand over half of his face. "Alright. Um, well, let me make a few calls and I'll see who's in Italy right now who can help you out. If not, I'll be there by tomorrow afternoon."



"Don't you have work to do there?" Europe to Italy was a jaunt, to say the least, especially when he had other tasks that needed to be done. Granted, she wouldn't mind seeing him, but not in circumstances like this.



"Don't worry about that, Shi." The smile could be heard in his tone. "I'm efficient to say the least. I can schedule venues in my sleep." Perhaps his lack thereof... "The only reason I'm here is to reinforce that my contacts still know my face and still adore me." At least he was bluntly honest if nothing else. "Don't worry about it. And don't tell anyone else."



Don't tell anyone? "Alright?" He knew what he was doing, though that was a bit of an odd request. "Why?"



"They may try to disqualify you before you've begun. Especially if other contestants get word." The serious tone gave it a grave feel. "Jealousy is a powerful emotion. I don't want you getting caught up in drama that's completely unnecessary."



Simple enough. "True. I'll keep the lips zipped."



"Until you get someone new under your belt. You still have the piano scores, right?"



Shit. "Marek had them." The emotion in her chest dropped further. From one awful event to the next.



"No worry." And it was soothed... for the most part. How he poured comfort into his voice was incredible as it was poetic. "I've both the original and another copy. I'll bring it." The sound of a car door came and she realized that he was probably on one of those "adore me" missions.



"You're a lifesaver."



"Just your manager."



"Lifesaver, Mikhail."



The laugh that came was low and thick and the smile that had crept onto her lips only widened into a full grin. Somehow, things were alright... at least, the should be.



"Adios, Shi."



"Пока."



The phone fell back to her lap and she stared at the disconnected call for a long moment with a stupid beaming expression. Shaking her head, she gathered her guitar and notes before leaving the studio for her hotel again. A slurry of emotions called for a hot shower, cable tv, and a bed as big as her kitchen (fluffy pajamas mandatory).

[Snow Fox]

The texts arrived one by one in precise spacing of a half an hour each.

Seriously? No one?
Does no one play piano anymore?
+1 old creep? Nope. Old fingers can't keep up with you anyway.
How about a highschool drop out? Huh? Sound like a winner?
Screw this, I might as well do it myself.

That last one caught her as she was just climbing into bed and turning on the most ridiculous drama she could find. Smiling, knowing full-well what the answer would be, she typed back:
You'd know the score best. Be my accompanist? Pretty please?

It wasn't too much longer that her phone chimed again in response.

At this point, it won't hurt to try.

She was caught blinking at the device. Did he... just agree? To play with her? In public? For a performance? On a stage? The phone buzzed again.

Get some sleep. I'll see you tomorrow.

No "lol" or "jk" at the end? Nothing to signify that he was joking or kidding or being sarcastic?

You too. Goodnight.

The television was turned off before the commercial break she landed on was over. Sleep was shaky at best. How the hell did he do that with a single thought that may or may not be a joke? Him... actually playing with her? Aside from quiet sessions in the livingroom of her apartment or his... whatever it was; hotel house flat thing.

Punctual as always, Mikhail knocked on the hotel door at 1P.M. Just after noon as he said.
"Do you wait until the clock hits the next hour or do you just walk up to the door at that time? Is it a time machine?"

The eyebrow he raised in response at her question suggested he had no clue what she was talking about. "It's coincidence. Or an internal clock. Or both." With a nod to the room, he stepped past her. "So, I've got the score. But..." He trailed off suspiciously.

Closing the door behind her, she turned to face him cautiously. "But...?"

"I don't have an accompanist. Not one available during your timeslot, anyway." He set his bag on the floor next to the bed and knelt, fishing the document out. "So... we can either try and bribe one of the other contestant's accompanist to also play yours, which can leave too much room for erroror..." The way he said the last word, he tacked it on as though it was simply a stutter rather than another option. The only problem with that plan... Mikhail didn't often stutter.

"Or?" She coaxed gently, moving to sit on the foot of the bed before laying over to peer at the folder curiously.

"Or..." A long intake of breath followed by an even longer sigh, "I can play it flawlessly if I don't freeze up..."

Well, one option sounded... better than the other for the most part. Aside from the whole freeze up part which happened more often than not now, the idea was almost a scant memory of a dream. His playing was beautiful. If he wasn't careful, he could easily steal the show... if he could even cause his fingers to touch the keys. "You won't." The confidence in her own voice was almost startling even to her.

"You've more faith in me than I do." The expression on his face was doubtful, though it was attempted to be hidden behind a smile.

The smile on her own lips, however, was easily genuine. "Not just in you, but in your ability to come through when I need you the most."

"Way to make me feel even worse if I do screw up."

"You won't screw up, Mikhail." She rolled onto her back before kicking her feet up into the air to propel herself to the floor with one shove. "And I'll even prove it to you." Reaching across the way to the dark case holding her precious guitar, she faced him. "Come on. We're going to practice just as we always have. Just in a different room." Without giving him the option to complain or protest, she snatched up the score and tucked it under his arm, tugging his hand along after her to the street and to his car.

Perhaps it was only because it was Shiloh that he went. She was able to shell-shock him or completely 180 his mood. This time was a shock. She took the lead, yet he was supposed to be the manager? However... he was taking the role of accompanist now... that was certainly strange. She was supposed to be the leader, take the advantage, make the moves. He sighed as he started the vehicle. "Where to then?" 

Arriving was longer than usual for a Mikhail behind the wheel. Her step was peppy as she entered the building with him slinking off behind her. She buzzed herself into the wing that had the practice rooms, peering in to each until one with a piano was empty. Flicking on the light and entering, she looked up and... Alright, so Mikhail was considerably pale, but now he was sheet white. Once inside, the concern hit full. The door closed and he stood for awhile as Shiloh set and opened her case. Looking up to him, she offered the score out to him. "You going to play or aspire to be the new door?"

The comment seemed to snap him out of it and he took the folder from her. "Sorry." He grumbled, almost surprised that he wasn't able to withstand the idea of even being in the room. Pushing the bench back, he settled and pulled the sheets out. "Alright, what have you guys worked on?" His fingers rested at a natural home position on the keys and he took a long breath. His fingers didn't move. 

"We got to the chorus off of the first verse and then I've been working a bit on the bridge." Her own fingers went to the job of swiftly tuning her guitar with care as the strap came over her neck. "We only got to play through the entirety twice. And by play, I mean stumble."

"Right." The voice that answered was soft. It was reserved and constricted with caution. "It's a bit dodgy in the transfer between if it's not played quick enough." He flipped the page and the look in his eyes changed. That was all he needed. A task. Caution? No, he didn't need to restrain himself. Especially around Shiloh. He looked up to her from behind the piano. There was the problem between her and nearly any other accompanist. They would follow her, and, though they should, they had to pave the way to allow her fingers to know the road with confidence. 

His fingers moved and the sound of the song was entirely different from the first one. 

"It's a swing beat but a pop style?" Her eyebrows raised in confusion yet the smile that came to her lips was uncontrollable. He wrote to the style that would take the show. 

He shrugged and fingered out a few more of the chords before slowing it down to the awkward speed that it was first played to her ear. "It's what she would play, after all." 

Shakira, he meant. However, though the two styles were something that she had dabbled in, it wasn't often supplied at the same time. If Shiloh could pull it off, it'd be both unique and comforting to its own degree.

"You're a genius."

"And you're the angel who's going to take the show." His fingers left the keys and he positioned the score back to the beginning. "From the top." A task for both of them easily made.