Concordia: Dreamnoblade Oneshots and Songfics

I Hear a Symphony

The hum of chatter dies down in the audience as nothing but silence and light fills the air. A gentle glow is cast upon the expansive stage, illuminating a lone boy sitting in front of a grand piano. His pressed black suit creases ever so slightly as he straightens in his seat, chest expanding as he takes a deep, shaky breath. Soft flaxen hair both frames his face and hides it from the crowd, tucking away sharp emeralds beneath waves of gold and hooded eyelids. He lifts his hands over the instrument in anticipation, opens his mouth, and sings.

I used to hear a simple song

That was until you came along

His voice came out more stable than he had expected, smooth and soothing and full of emotions he couldn't express in simple words. For a moment, the last syllable is all that resonates before he breaks the pause with the lull of the piano. His nimble fingers dance across the keys, playing a simple melody pleasant to the ears and warm to the heart. There's a simple beauty in the masterful movements of his hands, in how it shows hours of practice poured into achieving perfection, in how it weaves a collection of notes so harmonious that it puts minds at ease.

Now in its place is something new

I hear it when I look at you

Dream lets his muscle memory take over as he thinks back to long ago, to how exactly he ended up in this kind of situation. He can't help letting his thoughts run as free as the zephyrs carrying his song, because music itself is so intrinsically ingrained into his life. There's a bittersweet note to the memories, something not quite of simple nostalgia and yet not entirely of distaste either.

He grips the handle of his suitcase even tighter, sweat pooling in his palm as he looks up to drink in the sight of the towering school buildings. Now that he's here, he feels so out of place faced with the impressive display of grandeur in the form of pristine cream walls and lengthy glass windows standing tall and proud. He passes by the large metal gates, on the wide stone path cutting through the bountiful garden bringing a splash of color to the stark monochrome of the old architecture. Despite getting the invitation, he doesn't feel like he belongs. He feels like he should be elsewhere, and not unsure and hunched in on himself amongst peers with perfect posture, poise and pride in their steps. He feels like he should be elsewhere, and not in his simple hoodie and pants amidst the few people around him that have pressed formal clothing without the hint of a crease on them. He feels like he should be elsewhere, and not gripping onto the worn guitar case holding the old inherited instrument when he can clearly see the shine of new, expensive models everywhere.

He didn't feel like he belonged in an elite music school. Even now, some part of him still feels that way. Despite that, Dream doesn't back down. He takes another deep breath and swallows down the incessant lump of self-doubt building itself in his mouth and threatening to bubble out as sentiments of regret. He's glad he's here, if only for one person...

With simple songs, I wanted more

Perfection is so quick to bore

The sound of the violin joins his song as seamlessly as its owner had worked his way into his heart. The notes are dragged out, tentative and hesitant but beautiful all the same. It's like a careful approach, a plea for permission to intertwine their music at their core and bring them together. The stage is a little brighter now, as another spotlight is cast on the newcomer. The offer is accepted, and the violin trails off into a natural pause in the song. Long pink hair is rustled by a small, fleeting breeze as Techno walks up to take his place next to Dream.

You are my beautiful, by far

Our flaws are who we really are

Even the strokes of his bow against the strings are elegant and delicate, reflecting his true expertise in his craft. Every little movement is deliberate, from the way his finger slides across the neck of his instrument effortlessly to the way he sways in time to the music as if to keep himself on beat. His eyes remain closed, tucking away burning rubies into the mere flicker of a fiery ardor. Despite the adrenaline coursing through his veins and the elation that lights up his very being, he keeps it all under control. It's a clear display of what years of training can bring you, of what planes you can ascend and what expectations you can exceed with that amount of time and dedication. It's a clear display of Techno's fervid passion and determination, despite how it gets buried under his façade of apathy.

I used to hear a simple song

That was until you came along

It was the guitar that brought Dream here, yes, but it ended up being the piano that brought him and Techno together. It ended up being the piano that had drawn them to the music room time and time again on lazy afternoons, it ended up being the dissonant chords of Dream's solo practice that had urged at Techno to finally burst through the door and offer to teach him. It ended up being the piano that had truly pulled at Dream's heartstrings like a lyre, in the soft whispers of advice in one's ear and the electrifying touch of another's fingers guiding one's own through the keys and the triumphant smiles that were exchanged in the four walls of a room that they had now deemed as theirs.

You took my broken melody

And now, I hear a symphony

It ended up being Techno that coerced Dream out of his shell, that gave him bursts of confidence and countless reassurances as he tried to settle into a world that he was new to. It ended up being Techno that held his hand and intertwined their fingers, that always made sure Dream was always there and within his grasp lest he stumble once again and find himself on the ground. It ended up being Techno that found the empty space in Dream's heart, that filled it to the brim with music and love and everything he could ever ask for and so much more.

Techno won't ever truly know the magnitude of how much he's done for Dream, not through words at least. That's why Dream pours his everything into his music, that's why he cuts his heart open and bleeds out his sentiments onto blank sheet music in hopes of speaking in the language that both of them know by heart. That's why Dream plays so beautifully, because it ended up being Techno that had pushed him to this standard. A beautiful piece for a beautiful man, a beautiful song for a beautiful muse.

Naturally, it also ended up being Techno that brought Dream to his feet in the darkness of the backstage at the end of their duet to truly bring them together in a chaste kiss.

And now, I hear

A symphony