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thestarlightsymphony · 7 months

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@bebopcrew

2. Soloist/ The River

"You really think we're going to be able to see them through all this?"

"Shut up and sip your whiskey."

The night club was full of smoke and bodies. About a dozen small tables crowded the main floor; cabaret-style, they faced a main stage, only two or three chairs to a table so each seat had a clear view of the performance. Nearly every patron was smoking; the nightclub boasted its own brand of cigar, and it was popular.

They'd secured a table near the edge of the crowd; despite the cloud of smoke impairing visibility, they were able to split their sightlines between both the audience and the bar near the back. Faye lifted her martini daintily to her lips, eyeing their fellow audience members. "How's the alley looking, Jet?" she murmured.

"As clean and crisp as a rusted sewage drain," he grumbled back through her earpiece. "Next time a bounty head frequents a nightclub like this, I call dibs on staking out the inside."

"I thought you liked playing back up," Spike whispered, hiding a grin behind his whiskey glass.

"I don't like playing back up, I like going into situations with thoughtful preparation. It's you two knuckleheads who always run in, guns blazing, and I have to play backup by process of elimination."

"That's your fault for not having enough initiative," Faye replied calmly. "Next time you find a bounty listing, you can decide who goes where. This was my lead and I'm calling the shots. now quit whining."

Onstage, some preparation appeared to be taking place. A standup mic, the vintage kind with a cord and everything, was placed center stage by a tech hand. A young woman, looking to be about Faye's age, stood to the side with an acoustic guitar.

Spike stretched his legs under the table. "I'd only go on a date with Jet if he wears that number you had for that one masquerade."

Faye's eyes twinkled with mischief. "The one with the ruffles?"

"Wait, what?"

"Yeah, that's the one."

"That one's so last season, no way. Besides, Jet would stretch it out and ruin it."

"I don't know, Faye, I think the neckline would really accentuate his broad shoulders in a nice way."

"Hmm, you may have a point there."

"Now hold on just a second---"

The nightclub lights began to dim. Spike put a finger to his earpiece. "Sorry Jet, the show's starting, can't hear you."

He muted his own mic, while simultaneously turning Jet's angry sounds of protest down to a low murmur. Faye gestured up at the woman onstage, tuning her guitar. "Don't worry, the kidnappers reportedly arrive around the second act; this is just an opener, we've got time."

Spike leaned his arm on their little table, resting his chin in his palm and shooting her a smug grin. "Oh, I'm aware. I wanted to have a little privacy for a moment."

"Oh?" Faye asked, catching a waiter's eye and drawing him to their table. "Whatever for?"

"Why did you stick Jet in the alley?"

She paused a moment, graciously nodding at the waiter replacing her martini before shooting Spike a quizzical look. "The back door to the stage is in that alley, and we're covering the front door. What kind of dumb question is that?"

"I read the bounty listing, Faye. The full one, not just the summary you rushed on Jet and I."

Recognition dawned in widened eyes. Faye found a sudden heightened interest in their tablecloth, her fake oblivious pout giving her away. "What about it?"

Spike leaned in closer, chasing her eyes. "These guys are clumsy and predictable; you could catch them both in your sleep if you wanted to. Why bother splitting the bounty three ways when you could have kept it all to yourself?"

Faye huffed irritably. "I didn't feel like putting in the effort. Why bother risking getting my hands dirty when I can have you two do the work for me?"

She turned back, flicking Spike's nose irritably. "We're already here, so we might as well go through with it. Besides, I haven't had a chance to wear this new dress yet, what do you think?"

"You used a bounty as an excuse to wear a new dress out?"

"Not entirely, but it was a good reason to. You didn't answer my question, by the way."

"And you didn't answer mine. I'll bet Jet wouldn't appreciate his current position if he knew how much those earrings cost."

Faye's mouth twitched. She lay her hand lightly over Spike's wrist, digging her nails pointedly into his skin. "Well, this was my intel, and I can do with my bounty budget what I please. At least I have some sense of propriety, unlike some people."

Spike winced. He placed his free hand over Faye's, attempting to pry it up. "What are you talking about?"

"Your suit."

"My suit? What's wrong with my suit? I went out and got a new one, just like you demanded!"

"You can't just buy a suit and not iron it, you idiot. I didn't even know a suit could be that wrinkled."

"Oh, now my tie's the problem?"

They paused their hushed debate as another waiter passed by. He gestured at Spike's glass; Spike nodded and smiled amicably, rubbing his thumb over the back of Faye's hand still digging holes into his wrist. Once the waiter was gone, Faye retrieved her hand and glared at him. "You have the social decorum of a mountain goat."

"Better than a cat that should be declawed," Spike grumbled back, rubbing at his wrist.

"I thought you hated cats?"

"I do."

"Could have fooled me; you seemed very interested in mine last night."

Faye grinned, victory dancing in her eyes. Spike's tongue stuck in his cheek; he was fighting valiantly against a smile crossing his own face and losing. Accepting defeat, he rolled his eyes and leaned forward, kissing Faye on the cheek. "You win, Valentine."

He sat back in his chair, allowing himself a mini-victory as Faye blushed furiously and attempted to hide behind her martini. "You look beautiful," he said quietly, just loud enough for her to hear.

She kept her eyes fixed on the musician onstage, feigning indifference. "There, was that so hard?"

"Did you just want an excuse to go out on a date?"

"With you? Please."

Spike leaned in and kissed her again. "Why not? I can be charming."

Faye gritted her teeth, her blush deepening. "I'd rather go on a date with Ein."

"So you don't like it when I kiss you?"

"Not in public like a teenager, now stop it. You're disturbing the other patrons."

Spike rolled his eyes, glancing around at the other tables. There were indeed a couple tables glancing at them, though most seemed to be the women out of envy more than annoyance. He waved lightly at them, grinning as their snooping neighbors turned quickly back to the woman onstage. She was starting a second song, and Spike resigned himself to listen for a little while.

The song washed over the club, mixing with the smoke and high-end perfumes enveloping the audience. It seemed to be an old song, Faye's type of old.

You had a choice I couldn't make

And this is the last turn that you take

On a lonely, lonely, lonely road

The soloist played it slow, a lilting melancholy heavy in her voice. The audience sat captivated, and despite himself, Spike felt himself drawn in as well.

Give me your hand, here is my heart

Where does it end? When do we start?

On a lonely, lonely, lonely road

Faye's hand found his on their table, and she laced their fingers together. No fear of claws now, she'd been drawn in as well.

If I follow you to the river

Send my blues out to the sea

Will you stay with me forever?

Will you chase me in my dreams?

Spike's hand clenched reflexively, but Faye kept her grip soft.

If I throw it all in the river

And let the rhythm take the lead

Will it stay with you whenever

That you lean on me?

Ooh, I know, I know

Ooh, I know

The soloist's playing grew in intensity, her eyes closed tight as she sang her chorus again. The lyrics drew something from deep inside the audience, especially the pair of bounty hunters sheltered in the corner. Faye rested her head on Spike's shoulder, the weight grounding him back as the tune threatened to pull him away.

As the soloist's performance drew to a close, the door near the back of the club cracked open. Faye lifted her head and glanced back, nudging Spike with her shoulder. He barely turned his head; two men had just slipped in, creeping in to take a seat just two tables across from them.

"Just like the intel said," Faye whispered.

Spike nodded wordlessly. Faye laid her hand against his arm. "You alright?"

He nodded again, sneaking one last kiss before downing the rest of his whiskey. "It's showtime."

In the river, your reflection

Is a promise you couldn't keep

I know, I know, I know, I know, I know

I lost you here

Fictional and loving it.

"The most dangerous thing one can possess is the genius of Einstein, Shakespeare, Tolkein, Ben Franklin, and C.S. Lewis, and the imagination and creativity of a five-year-old."

#beboptober 2023 #beboptober 2023 cosmic rhythms #spike x faye #spikexfaye #cowboy bebop #31 day challenge #ace of hearts #spaye #fanfic

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