2Toushiro leant his head down on the keys of the piano he sat at, wincing at the initial horrific clash of noise before waiting until peace again descended. Absentmindedly, he let his right hand stroke over the instrument, recognising the tune as Chopin's (op. 72) Nocturne No. 1 in E minor. In short he was screwed. He'd taken on the role of the leader of the National Youth Choir, after being a member himself for only a couple of months. He'd earned loathing from some of his ex peers but as much as they tried to blame it on his rise to success, his sheer genius meant it was something they willingly accepted and were in awe of. It was his cold personality that terrified them and had driven their fear to take a darker turn.
It was this loathing and his lack of attention towards her which had driven their leading soprano away only weeks before their fortnight of performances at the Royal Albert Hall. Today, in sheer desperation, he was holding open auditions for the role. They wouldn't be flooded like some might imagine, only people in that branch of music really knew about them, and the majority of participants would be current members of the choir – none of whom Toushiro felt had the skill to pull it off. There was one girl, older than the majority of the others and who actually seemed to like him, who he thought might be able to do it if the situation became dire but he knew their friendship would inspire spiteful whispers about the two and her actual ability would be scorned.
He raised his head and let the more crucial left hand part join the song. The melody was second nature to him, being the very one that inspired him to learn to play the piano. He wasn't as young as some, starting at the age of five, however after all but a couple of lessons of being taught the basics of how to read music and which keys played which notes he had bought the entire score of the Nocturne's and played it all from sight. From there he started other instruments, a significant part of the string family, flute, clarinet and oboe, not to mention the other instruments he had picked up along the way only to find himself uninspired by them. He was given a scholarship to the Royal Music College at the tender age of fourteen, something completely unheard of. It was there he was suggested to learn to sing professionally also, only to find unsurprisingly that once he had tried it, his rich tenor voice would lend itself to almost anything.
He could have made a fortune writing pop songs and copy righting them but it just wasn't what he loved - he loved beautiful music like his hand were creating at that moment, he loved that it was so pure you didn't need words to know he emotion. The choir was slightly different, with the layers of the parts gliding over each other in perfect contrast then harmony. It was that idea that was the basis of the upcoming performances, many of them including well known songs with a new twist, like singing the various instrumental parts.
He looked up to the knock on the door, asking the person to enter. He was greeted by his current best hope, Rangiku Matsumoto, bouncing into the room with her audition piece already prepared. The auditionees were required to have chosen something themselves to show of the best of their talent, and would then be run through a series of tests and musical exercises. As soon as the blonde had handed Toushiro her accompanying music she dropped her bubbly demeanour and focused, intent on every note's pitch and timing but still, he could tell it was going to be a long day.
It was late in the process and though there had been a few glimmers of hope in the darkness, there had been no one that stood out from it like the sun. Toushiro wandered back to his piano from his tea break, cracking his knuckles even in the knowledge it would leave him with problems in later life, before taking a seat and calling his next candidate through. His jaw slacked in surprise.
"Karin Kurosaki?"
"Hey Toush," she said, her voice quiet yet calm, not nervous or scared. He in turn still sat in shock, still not quite believing his eyes, memories of his past assaulting him. He and Karin playing football together, him teaching her a few tender notes of the piano and from there her growing music talent which changed their post football hangout from a local diner with ice creams and drinks to a local music shop that would happily let them use whatever instrument they pleased for the time they were there – neither had every really understood the owner of Uruhara's Music Shop. It was there on a piano bench they had shared their first kiss, she'd told him she had a surprise for him and played him an Evanascence song – Good Enough. He wasn't impressed so much by the piano part but her sweet, strong voice that accompanied it. That was the when he had realised she was beautiful.
Things started changes after that, as his music career went from strength to strength she stayed at school and then college, finishing her education before focusing on music of her own. By this time they had both acted like they'd forgotten about the other and got on with their own lives. Last Toushiro had heard of her she was in a successful rock group as a guitarist and dating the lead singer. From then on he decided he didn't really want to know what she was doing, it was like a kick to the gut that she'd moved on from him.
He didn't know how he'd gotten there but now he saw he was standing in front of her, his hands on her shoulders. Had she always been this beautiful?
"Why are you here?" He demanded, his voice stern as his cold outer demeanour took over to mask his real emotions. She smiled, not buying it one bit.
"To audition for a role in a prestigious choir, and maybe because I missed you," she reached up and stroked his cheek.
"The band? And-" Toushiro visibly struggled with the next words, "what about your boyfriend?"
"It didn't feel right, I wanted to make music but the others wanted the fame, and it was over with him almost as soon as it began. He just couldn't compare to you."
Toushiro felt like his heart was ripping in two and at the same time swelling with warmth and love. He'd hurt her by letting them drift apart for his gift but she still wanted him. She was too good to him, for him.
But he was selfish.
He wanted her back again.
He grabbed her into a bone crushing hug, burying his face in her hair and reliving the smell of her and it turn she rested into the crook of his neck, remembering all the kisses she'd laid there over their time together.
"Christ Karin," he murmured, "I should never have let you go."
There was only a quiet sniff in response, before a weak, "Shut up." After what couldn't nearly be as long as it seemed they pulled apart, both shining at the loss of the feeling that something was missing, something that had haunted the both for the last couple of years. Karin reached in her bag and pulled out a sheet of music, untitled and something Toushiro hadn't seen before. Both trying and failing to restore their professional facades, they took there places and a light melody could be heard through the room, with lilting chord sequences and a gentle repetitive melody. Soon a voice was heard with it too, producing beautiful clear notes rising and falling with the music in words not linked to as yet any known song. The second it was over the silence seemed so sad without it and neither of the room's occupants could bring themselves to speak for a minute.
"You wrote that?"
Karin nodded and smiled, proud of herself and his reaction and with that the heavy atmosphere in the room dropped and it seemed as though the mood of their relationship in the past took over.
"So looks like you actually learnt something from me," said the pianist with a smirk., only for his girl to walk over and give him a light slap to the back of the head.
"You wish."
"Anyway, back to business."
And so they continued as per the other auditions of the day, only this time the singer was sitting next to Toushiro on his stool with her head on his shoulder and arm around his waist, his left around her shoulders whenever he could spare it. Toushiro couldn't be any happier as he heard he do everything he asked of her and more, finally bidding her a formal farewell and giving her a time and place to meet him that evening. Only the second she left the door to try and leave she found something grab into her and her face pressed into something warm, squishy and smelling of perfume.
"Taichooo~" it sang, "I told the rest of the girls to go home so we can pick Karin-chan now, ne?"
Anger flashed through the prodigy for a moment before he noticed a muffled sound of distress, "Mastumoto, we can't pick her if suffocate her."
A look of confusion passed the blonde's face before realising what he meant and letting the smaller girl go, holding out a hand to her and introducing herself after.
"Can you do that?" Karin asked, "Just let the others go like that without even trying me as part of the choir?"
Matsumoto gave a nod, "If he thinks you're suitable and judging by your interactions earlier I don't think he's about to complain."
This time the prodigy didn't reign in his anger, "You were listening in?"
"Well I had to check out the competition didn't I?" she pouted.
Karin couldn't help but laugh, seeing Toushiro's temper flare up and the obscenities he yelled at the woman reminded her of what she'd been missing. And what she had back now.
Toushiro sat back on the bed, pressing a kiss to the still sleeping girl's forehead. Like two pieces of a puzzle they had known how to fit back together like they'd never been taken apart. One last time he rearranged the flowers he had just bought and put in the vase on her breakfast tray, complete with juice and croissants and the entertainment section of the daily paper – the front showing a picture of the two of them after the final Sunday's performance. They were holding hands and both smiling as if the thought it would be the last chance they got. It was the first time Toushiro had seen himself smile in the paper and let another flutter over his face as the thought.
Gently he whispered her name, then started to place light kisses down her neck and she grumbled in annoyance of being woken, eventually to give in and open her eyes, claiming her reward of Toushiro pressing his lips to hers before presenting her with his morning's efforts. As if her happiness at that hadn't been enough it increased ten fold when she read the article, full of nothing but praise for her skill and congratulations to the new couple.
Finally she felt like she was going to be able to belong next to him, not in his shadow.