Hey everybody! Here's another healthy dose of USUK for you, I hope you enjoy it! No real story behind this one, except that it came to me today listening to my Alex Day collection! This story sees Alfred as a teen pop-rock sensation and Arthur as a big fan, which I guess you probably got from the description. ^^ As Alex is the inspiration behind this, I decided that his songs would be Alfred's as I think they'd have a very similar style and theme to one another. If anyone is particularly offended by my use of his music, I am happy to write my own for it, but I just think it's nice to have something to associate with? So, by way of disclaimer:
I do not own 'Wannabe A Star' by Alex Day, and here's a link to the song, which can be purchased on iTunes: watch?v=M9BS6hZ6qoM
The final thing I feel I should point out is that a capella is supposed to be two words but I've turned it into one because I'm a rebel. XP See you soon! Please read and review if you have the time! Love Lucy xxx
Acapella
Chapter 1 - Wannabe A Star
"Take me~
Take me out tonight,
Take me out alive…"
The boy on stage kept the microphone close to his lips, just whispering those words and allowing the dynamics to do the rest. The sound wasn't explicitly loud, but the audience were silent, desperate to absorb every syllable of every line he sung.
"Break me~
Break me for my art,
Break me into a star…"
People mouthed the words along with him, their gazes directed only at him, ignoring others around them, ignoring every rustle, every breath, and every movement. They were not aware of everybody else, that's what it seemed like, and neither was Arthur Kirkland. In that moment, they were all unified in the same belief - each and every one of them shared this fantasy, the dream that it was just them there with him. Alfred F Jones, the one their hearts beat solely for.
His voice got a little louder now, and they all waited with bated breath for what they knew to be coming. The earth-shattering crescendo of the moment the song reached its peak. "'Cause there's a world of fame so close it's burning me,
Push me to my limits, I can stand any…"
With every line it got closer and every fan seemed to be subliminally pushing closer, desperate to get that little bit nearer to him. He reciprocated this, moving forward to the edge of the stage.
"I'll sing until you scream,
I'm begging on my knees,
I promise not to eat,
Just give me what I need,"
There was something in his voice that was just electrifying and overpowering. It was enchanting and corrupting, it was all anybody in that crowd could think about. It ran through their minds every minute of every hour of every day. All the time, a constant presence, lingering in whatever they did.
"I wanna be a star,
I wanna be a star,
I wanna be a star,
I wanna be a star…!"
Those words sung with such drive and bare lust, it was as though he had taken a heart and opened it, letting the words fly free and gather together, soaring higher and higher until they burst through the clouds with a deafening roar…!
… And here it came!
"Woaaaaah~!
Woaaaaah~!
Woaaaaah~!
Woaaaaah~!"
The beat accelerated, every amp seemingly cranked up to what seemed like five hundred, shattering windows and causing the ground to pulse and swell, every hole filled with the music so that it spilled out, pouring all over the world.
This only spurred on the singer, his mouth twitching into that all-too-familiar grin that caused everyone who saw it to fall helplessly in love with him.
"Tell me~
Tell me how to dress,
Tell me I'm a mess…"
He raked a hand through his dirty blonde hair, staring down at them all as he paced further towards them. He bent low to the stage, outstretching a hand and running it along those that the girls at the front were frantically offering up. Just the brush of his fingers was enough to cause them to sway dramatically as though they were going to collapse, and Arthur felt himself fill with envy, pressing forward and reaching up as far as he could.
As well as touching his hands, those beautiful talented hands, those girls had also indirectly touched his hair. He wondered if their skin could somehow pick up a fragment of how soft and sleek it was, the scent of his shampoo… He reached further, then put his hand back down embarrassed.
"Tell me~
Tell me when I'm done,
So I can carry on…"
The last note reverberated surreally, every man playing an instrument behind him joining in, before leaving his raw and yet perfect voice to complete the next lines.
"I'll sing until you scream,
I'm begging on my knees,
I promise not to eat,
Just give me what I need,"
And suddenly the area was alive with the voices of a million fans, echoing out his words, screaming until their throats were positively dry.
"I wanna be a star,
I wanna be a star,
I wanna be a star,
I wanna be a star!"
And then he was in front of him, those deep blue eyes conveying a thousand emotions and promising everything and anything if he just looked into them long enough. He bit his lower lip sexily, just maintaining that dramatic stare-off, and Arthur felt his heart stop.
"Woaaaaah~!
Woaaaaah~!
Woaaaaah~!
Woaaaaah~!"
Arthur sung until he could barely breathe, louder than he ever had in his life, ignoring the disapproving looks around him until he heard the quiet cough from the Japanese boy beside him, causing him to lower his voice somewhat.
He couldn't control himself the more the song continued though and he knew that he ought to try to just relax a bit. It was just all so incredible and exhilarating. Alfred F Jones, up close, winking and grinning at him, laughing and singing and dancing! It was unbelievable, it was… Perfect.
"I'll sing until you scream,
I'm begging on my knees,
I promise not to eat,
Just give me what I need,
I wanna be a star,
I wanna be a star,
I wanna be a star,
I wanna be a star…!"
And in a flash he was done. He stood firmly rooted on the stage, head back and microphone raised from belting out the last lines as loud as his voice would let him. He swung his head down, hair flopping with the motion and he laughed, clapping his hands together, ignoring the slight booming effect it had on the mic.
"Thank you everybody! I love you guys!"
The crowd were wild, their enthusiasm unable to be contained as they professed their love for him with every fibre of their being. They screamed at him, begging and clamouring for more and Arthur joined them. He gave a low sigh of defeat when the credits rolled and the lights went up in the theatre, pushing his 3-D glasses off of the bridge of his nose irritably.
"Want… More Alfred…" he groaned, swinging his head around to see the rather bemused looking face of his friend Kiku.
The boy looked a little flustered as the girls who'd been reacting the same way as Arthur left the theatre as miserably as his companion looked, but also buzzing from the adrenalin and singing whichever song had had the biggest effect on them, or an accumulation of all of them. Arthur was no different, his head on the verge of exploding from all the music in his head, and in the front of his mind that captivating grin and those intense eyes.
As they made their way down the steps, Arthur couldn't stop speaking, his words and thoughts a blur. "Ohh, it was amazing! I couldn't believe it, could you? The way he- And I mean, just-! It was so…!" He let out a guttural moan as a way of conveying his feelings, bringing the ticket stub to his lips and kissing it over and over, directly onto the words:
'Alfred F. Jones: The 3-D Concert Movie'
Rating; U [Universal - Suitable For All]
(Theatre 5, Row F, Seat 16)
Kiku thought it was nice that Arthur had a side like this, one that he let so few people see, he just wished that when it was let free, it could be reigned in a little more.
"I loved it so much! Best birthday ever! Thank you for taking me, I didn't want to go by myself again!"
He smiled, "You're welcome. Happy birthday Arthur."
"Thank you! And thank you, Alfred, my love!" He spun around, blowing a kiss to the huge image of the pop-rock sensation that was projected onto the screen.
Kiku opened the exit door in quiet exasperation, just in time for the pair to hear the final voiceover for the credits.
"And see Alfred F. Jones, in his 'Kickin' It Hero Style World Tour', now showing in London on the following dates…"
Arthur sprinted back around the corner, looking up wide-eyed for the words yet to appear on the screen.
Saturday May 4th
Saturday May 11th
Sunday May 12th
"Kiku!" he exclaimed, "Do you know what this means?!"
"Arthur," he began, trying to think of a polite way to say 'There's no way in hell I'm taking you to see this guy in concert'.
"Today is April 23rd, my birthday, and May 4th, the first concert date, is only 11 days later!" he paused for breath, repeating "Do you know that this means?!"
Kiku looked terrified. "No, I'm afraid I do not…!"
"Al says he always arrives two weeks in the next tour spot two weeks before the first show, so that he has time to set up and rehearse! That means he's in London!"
His friend's eyes widened in a mixture of confusion and fear. Arthur really was letting his obsessive side run free today and he was worried about what this would lead to.
"I have to meet him, Kiku."
"This is-"
"I have to."
Having known the Brit as long as he had, Kiku knew that he meant every word he said. He regretted trying to do something nice and taking Arthur to see the new Alfred movie for the fourth time, and he knew that Alfred himself would soon regret ever singing even one note, because Arthur Kirkland did not give up. And even more worrying, Arthur Kirkland loved that boy more than anything.