Alternate Universe M7 Rocks
Disclaimer: They're not mine. Neither is the song. Or the AU. Thanks to Cat for creating them and for Enola for writing the rest!
Vin sat down at one of the small round tables in Four Corners. There was something he needed to say and he knew that there was no way he'd find the correct words if he didn't have them written down.He and Ezra had been casually dating for a while. They had told Chris and the rest of the band a couple of weeks ago, not wanting to risk the dynamic between the seven of them. But something happened that took Vin by surprise.
He fell in love.
He had never been in love with anyone before and the feeling had snuck up on him. It was only two days before that the realisation hit him. The rehearsal had gone as planned, nothing unusual, no problems. He and Ezra decided to go back to his apartment to watch a film and grab a pizza. But somehow, before the film was even halfway through, they had both fallen asleep on the couch, arms and legs casually draped across each other. During the night, with the TV buzzing in the background, Vin woke up and found Ezra's head resting on his chest, his fists balled up tightly in the black t-shirt that Vin was wearing. Not wanting to disturb Ezra, he stayed where he was, his fingers gently running through Ezra's mussed up hair, listening to the other man's calm regular breath. And within a moment he had known instinctively that he didn't want to be without this man ever again.
He fell asleep with his hands stroking Ezra's hair and a smile on his face.
The next morning, the two had woken up and gone on as though nothing had changed, although for Vin at least, nothing would ever be the same.
He knew that the one way he could prove his love to Ezra more than any other would be through the band - the very thing that brought them together. He'd mentioned his plan to Chris that morning and, to Vin's surprise, their leader had encouraged him. Who would have guessed that Chris Larabee was a romantic at heart? All Vin had to do now was to write the words down. Which wasn't as simple as it sounded. With a sigh, Vin crumpled the sheet of paper in front of him and threw it across the table. He closed his eyes and thought about what he wanted to tell Ezra - what he wanted the words to say. He thought of how Ezra's eyes sparkled when he laughed; how his soft hands felt as they roamed across his bare skin; how happy he made Vin feel. Suddenly, he felt inspired and the words flowed onto the paper.
+ + + + + + +
Later that night, the Magnificent Seven were on stage as usual, taking requests and playing some of their favourite songs. Ezra stood out front, looking every inch the rock star in his black jeans and white t-shirt, the microphone held in his hand. Every now and then he ran his hands through his hair, an act which made Vin shiver slightly, remembering how it felt to fall asleep stroking that hair.
Towards the end of the evening, Chris took a few steps forward and asked Ezra for the microphone. With a surprised look, the singer handed it over and stepped back.
"Ladies and Gentlemen," Chris said, looking out over the audience that had gathered in Four Corners to listen to them. "Tonight we have a slight change to the usual set. You all know Vin Tanner, the guitarist," he indicated towards Vin, who had removed his guitar and was heading to the front of the stage to join him, "well, this evening, he would like to perform a little song that he wrote for someone special. I hope you'll all encourage him, as I think he may be a bit nervous."
A roar of applause came from the audience. Many of them were regulars to the club, having been there on the first night the Magnificent Seven played on stage. From day one, the seven band members had been perfection together, every one of them being an equal partner in the band. Tonight, for the first time, one of them would be taking over, singing solo, without any musical accompaniment. The audience were almost as nervous as Vin was as they watched him settle onto a bar stool that JD had pulled over for him.
Of the rest of the band, only Ezra had no idea what was happening. He stood at the side of the stage, feeling somewhat displaced, watching Vin take his place on the stage. Chris noticed his friend's discomfort and guided him from the stage to take a seat at one of the round tables that had been reserved for them. One by one the other band members left their instruments and sat down around the table, leaving Vin feeling very alone.
With a nod of his head, the lights dimmed until only one muted spotlight focused on him. He was so nervous that he wondered if he could actually go through with this, until he looked over at Ezra. Despite the dim lights, he could see that the other man was confused. He kept looking between Chris and Vin, trying to figure out what was happening. If there was one thing that Ezra hated, it was being surprised. Oh well, Vin thought to himself, he's certainly going to be surprised tonight.
Vin kept his eyes focused on Ezra and took a deep breath.
Never knew I could feel like this
Like I've never seen the sky before
Want to vanish inside your kiss
Everyday I love you more and more
Listen to my heart, can you hear it sing
Telling me to give you everything
Seasons may change, winter to spring
But I love you until the end of timeCome what may, come what may
I will love you until my dying dayVin could see the shine in Ezra's eyes, giving away his tears. Chris placed his hand on Ezra's shoulder, ensuring that these were tears of happiness. The look on Ezra's face dismissed any doubt that he had about the relationship his two friends had.
Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place
Suddenly it moves with such perfect grace
Suddenly my life doesn't seem such a waste
It all revolves around youAnd there's no mountain too high, no river too wide
Sing out this song and I'll be there by your side
Storm clouds may gather and stars may collide
But I love you until the end of timeBy the time Vin got to the end of the song, he too was crying. At the table, Chris still had his hand on Ezra's shoulder and both had tears in their eyes. JD rubbed at his eyes unashamedly, while the other three pretended that they weren't fighting back the tears. For a few heart-breaking seconds, there was no sound anywhere. Finally a single person started the applause and the whole place erupted with cheers and clapping.
Wiping his eyes, Ezra stood up, giving Chris' hand a small squeeze. They exchanged a silent glance and then Ezra looked at Vin. Their eyes locked and Ezra rushed to the stage as Vin climbed down from his stool. Oblivious to the sounds around them, the two stood face-to-face, not speaking.
Silently, Ezra lifted his hand and placed it on Vin's cheek.
"Really?" he asked, quiet enough so that they were not overheard.
"Until the end of time," Vin assured him, placing his hand over Ezra's. He lowered his lips to Ezra's and kissed him, showing as well as telling his how much he was loved, how much he would always be loved.
The End