Chapter Text
Lysander hummed to himself, strumming Resonance as he looked over the hasty sheet music that Sam had scribbled up after practice the day before. It was rough, mostly just “vibes,” as it were, and he’d thrown together the overall melody he’d been messing with, trusting Lysander to help fill in the gaps, or outright change what didn’t work. His thought process was interrupted when his phone buzzed with a call, and he perked up as he put the device to his ear. “Dad! Hey! What’s up?”
“Not much, Pick,” replied the elder von Morgensonne, “I was just thinking that we’ve not had the chance to perform with you in ages, and since we’re going to be live at the usual place this Saturday, I was thinking we could have a seat that you could warm.”
Grinning from ear to ear, he put aside his guitar to stand, pacing with eager energy. “No way! Yeah! It’s been forever since I sat in with you guys, but ever since I helped start the Elements it felt a bit, well, greedy or something to ask to jam with the Strings. Y’know?”
There was a warm, understanding laugh on the other end. “That I do! Which is why I felt that I should be the one to ask.” He huffed a soft laugh, and his tone became fatherly, and Lysander could hear his smile in his words. “We’re all proud of you. Every one of us. You’ve always blazed your own path, and in doing so gave others one to walk as well.”
Lysander paused in his pacing, giggling quietly and bouncing on his toes, and upon noticing Elliott enter the room and giving him an amused smile, mouthed “it’s dad,” receiving a nod of approval. “Thanks, that… That means a lot. I’ve always busted my ass because I wanted to live up to everyone’s expectations. I know that everyone gave me free reign to do pretty much as I pleased, and I did my absolute best to repay that trust, but… I dunno.” He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “I could never shake the sense that I was just faffing about. I loved what I was doing, and I was having fun and learning so much, but even then, I just felt like I was wasting everyone’s time and money. Not anymore. All of what I did has given me the skills and confidence I needed to help make Sam’s dream a reality, and to make the best damn future for myself that I could.”
“Well, I’ll be the first of many to put those concerns to rest. You were never ‘faffing,’ you were exploring. You were growing and discovering and learning. Every class you took made you a better person, and every performance made you a more skilled artist. And I want to see that for myself.”
Muffling a chuckle at the way that Lysander’s grin once again bisected his face, Elliott sat down on the sofa, watching with interest the one-sided exchange as his husband conversed with his father. “Then you’ll see me there. Elliott and I have been meaning to get back into the city again, as we’ve got a few errands to do, and we’d been thinking of running into you and mom, too.”
“Lynn would love that. She’s also mentioned wanting to catch up with the rest of the Elements again,” Arthur remarked, and Lysander could almost hear his cheeky wink, “she seems to have unofficially adopted all of you. That, and…”
It was his turn to trail off and sigh, thinking about how he wanted to phrase his thoughts. “Don’t tell her that I told you, but that first performance you had as the Elements? After we got home she…had a bit of a cry. It’s okay, Pick,” he said, cutting Lysander off when he heard his son speak up in concern, “it wasn’t bad. It was more… Yeah, hearing what you’d gone through, and done it alone, and how close we’d come to losing you, yeah, it… I’ll be vulgar, it scared the fuck out of her. But it was a bit of a happy-cry, too, she was just so overwhelmed with everything that night, and was so gods-damned proud of you. That you went through something that could have crushed or killed you, but you still had the strength to stand up afterward, and the courage to reach out to others again. Being able to ask for help, to open yourself up to love and friendship, that’s terrifying. Especially after what happened between you and Allen. But you survived, and then you thrived. You were looking happy, loved, well-fed, healthy, just…everything that she’s ever wanted for you. She’d always been scared when you were growing up that we’d screw it all up, but that night, you trusted and loved us enough to open up about what had happened, and trusted that we’d support you no matter what. That told her that she’d done everything right. That was more than a quarter of a century of weight off of her shoulders. Thank you, Lysander. You’ve made us both so, so proud, and we love you very much.”
Seeing Lysander begin to cry, Elliott got up in a panic, worried that something was wrong, but his husband made an “it’s okay” gesture, and moved to sit down with him. “Hey, dad, Elliott’s here, mind if I put us on speaker, that’s okay?”
“It’s more than okay. Ah, the sound quality changed, there we go. Hello, Elliott.”
“Hello, mister von- …Arthur. Is…everything alright? Lysander appears to be…”
He looked to his husband and squeezed his hand, and Arthur chuckled softly. “It’s more than ‘alright,’ Elliott. I just thought that he needed to know just how precious he is to many of us.”
Elliott put an arm around Lysander’s waist, hugging him gently, and offered a handkerchief with his other hand. “That he is. More precious than gems, brighter than worked gold, he is a treasure to us all.” He smiled when the copper-haired man broke into a mix of laughter and relieved sobs, then kissed his cheek. “And his reply spoke of a visit to the city. Is a meal on the proverbial menu?”
“It could be arranged, but I was thinking of a different arrangement.”
Making the connection immediately through the clever pun, Elliott gasped softly. “An opportunity for him to perform?”
“Got it in one! No wonder Lynn thinks you’re delightful! The Strings are performing on Saturday, and we’d love to have him sit in with us again.” There was a half a second of silence as Arthur realized something, and his tone changed to something a bit sheepish. “Ah, I hadn’t considered that it might be rude to exclude you from that invitation.”
“None given or taken! I am a performer, yes, but not nearly one of Lysander’s caliber, and further, I’ve not had the opportunity to even see you perform in the first place, I’d be a poor guest, being unable to keep up with the rest of you. No, I am pleased to hear that his presence is still so desired, and I am eager to hear you and your companions perform.”
Arthur sighed with relief, and his voice reflected it. “Heh, good, but one day I will get you onstage as well, we do include piano now and then, even if we do spec more for strings. And again, as I mentioned to Lys, if the rest of the Elements are free, we would be, as my son would put it, ‘proper chuffed’ to see them again. We were impressed by your first performance last year, and have had the chance to see you live a few more times since then, but not to be able to sit and talk shop afterward.”
“Deffo,” smiled Lysander, and failed to notice Elliott pulling out his own phone, typing into it. “Though I’m not sure how I’ll put out the word, feels a bit self-indulgent.”
“Good! You need to get better at trumpeting your own horn. Yes, I know you’re a guitarist,” Arthur teased, knowing what his son would say, and laughed in synch with him. “And bring Resonance if you like, we’ve only got one song that might need acoustic, and we’ll figure out who plays what when you get there. If you want to change up each song, have at it, show off a little.”
“That sounds great. It really does,” Lysander replied with a happy sigh, “ping me the gig list if you’ve got it, just in case I need to look up anything for a refresher.”
“Can do! I’ll have that to you in a couple of minutes. Hm? Oh!” Lysander and Elliott could hear another voice in the background, inquisitive, and Arthur’s voice got muffled for a moment as he replied, then returned to the call. “Your mother just got back from errands. Here, my turn to put on it on speaker.”
The sound quality changed again as the phone on the other end was changed to a different mode and set on a tabletop, and Lynn chimed in. “Hey, sweetie! Well, sweeties, it’s good to hear from you both. Sounds like Art extended an invite for the weekend?”
“Yeah, and it sounds brilliant. Just like old times.”
Arthur laughed, his voice soft as he supported his son. “It’s better than old times, you’re a professional yourself, and you deserve to be on stage as much as the rest of us do. More so, really, since you’re performing your own work, we just do covers and existing songs.”
This made Lysander go cross-eyed for a moment, and he giggled softly. “…Yeah, we…are…”
Lynn made a happy huff, a sound that Elliott knew well from his husband. “You’ve surpassed us all, sweetie. And we couldn’t be more proud of you. You’re doing so well, and we love you so much.”
It was a good thing that Lysander wasn’t holding his phone, as he needed both hands to press the handkerchief to his face, and this time Elliott correctly recognized the tears as those of joy. “Thanks, mom. That…”
He bit his lip and drew in a shuddering breath, and Lynn’s voice was warm and comforting, making both men feel like they were being hugged by it. “We always told you because we never, ever wanted you to question it. We worried it would lose meaning over time, but-”
“It never did,” Lysander said, then winced. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to cut you off, that’s rude of me, but no, it never got any less meaningful. I could tell, it meant a lot for you to say it, too, you both did your best, so I wanted to do the same. Thanks, for everything. I’ll see you Saturday, and I’ll see if I can get the others to come along, too.”
“I’ll get you the set list in another ten or so, I need to help Lynn put a few things away first. And with that, we’ll let you two go to take care of your own plans.”
“Thanks, dad, catch you then. Love you both.”
Elliott hugged Lysander again, feeling excited as well. “Agreed, I look forward to seeing the both of you again, and I will ensure that we have plenty of photos of Xander to share.”
“Yay!” giggled Lynn, “he’s the cutest grandkitty we could ask for, and easy to shop for! But seriously, we love you both very much, and will support you the best that we can.”
The call disconnected, and after a moment, Lysander sniffed again, pressing the handkerchief to his face, with his elbows on his knees as his shoulders quietly and softly shook. Continuing to provide support, Elliott rubbed gentle circles into his back, and smiled when his husband nodded, then sat up and sniffed. “Sorry, love, I’m fine, I really am. It’s… Fuck, I was so scared and angry and hurt when I came out here. I hated myself so fucking much, I really believed that I didn’t deserve love or anything nice, and… It’s so hard to shake. One bad incident basically erased a lifetime of love and support, and I’m so angry at myself that I’m letting myself believe that bullshit. I’ve got so many people and so many years of good memories to tell that angry little voice to fuck right off, but…” He leaned into his husband, holding his hand and rubbing the platinum wedding band with his thumb. “I always did have a bit of self-doubt, but I’d been able to tell it to piss off for most of my life. So when Allen and I…had our fight...”
He took another breath, once more ragged, held it, and exhaled slowly. “It was like recovering from a really bad illness or injury, learning how to live a normal life all over again. And they know it. I needed to hear that, and I know I will again in the future. And I’m trying so, so hard to let myself have that need, that it’s not a bad thing and I’m not a bad person for wanting to hear it.” Abruptly, he turned to sit astride Elliott’s lap, hugging him around the shoulders, burying his face in his neck. “I’m letting myself be selfish like that, because I deserve it, and it makes other happy as well to give that reinforcement. So…thank you, too, love.” He threaded his fingers into the long, strawberry-blonde locks and tightened his grip, needing to hold onto him as firmly as he could. “I love you so much, and your love gives me life and strength. Thank you, for everything.”
Elliott hugged him as tightly as he could in return. “We owe each other our lives and futures. So let us make them both as beautiful and full of experiences that we can while we have this time together.”
He felt the shake of another relieved sob, then the calm, relaxed breathing he knew well of his husband in control of himself again. Then he felt him vibrate with soft humming, and recognized it as the song that Sam had been working on the night before. Sitting up, Lysander’s eyes unfocused, thinking of something, and got up to run over to the table where his laptop was plugged in, then turned back around to pick up Resonance and the unfinished sheet music. With a smile, Elliott picked up their phones, putting Lysander’s next to him, and continuing to type the message he’d not yet finished. “You are inspired, my dear.”
“Yeah,” Lysander said, opening the laptop’s screen and reaching for a pencil. “Dad said a lot of stuff that hit really deep and…” Tapping the pencil’s eraser on the tabletop, he exhaled through his nose. “When he was talking I could hear this piece behind it. I think I’ve got our next song. I just need to toss the words into a document before it fades.”
“I shall fetch you a coffee for your inspiration,” Elliott chuckled, kissing the top of Lysander's head and pressing “send” on his own message, “let your muse guide you as it will, and step away only when you are certain that there is naught else to add.”
As he pulled mugs out of the cupboard and reached for the coffee press, he barely suppressed a giggle to hear both of their phones pinging with messages, and burst out laughing when he heard Lysander made a noise of curiosity, then a shout of surprise. Their Chatter server was an exuberant explosion of emojis and excitement.
SeasideScribe: you all are cordially invited to attend a live showing of Lysander sitting in with his father’s band this Saturday in Zuzu City. Please RSVP as soon as you are possible, that we may swiftly notify our hosts
RawkStar: NO HECKING WAY, MAN :O
Purplegoth: yasssss, I’ve not heard them yet, this is gonna be so cool!
ShutterBug: I had forgotten that Arthur has his own band, I’ll clear a card for pics and video!
L33tK3ys: this actually gets me out of having to help with something around the house, I’m in, just drop the time so I can get there early
ProBro: yeah, same as Haley, I forgot that uncle Art has his own group, what’re they called again?
By now, Lysander had caught up to the thread, and laughed as he typed, this time on his laptop, as it was faster than his phone.
SixStrings: they’re “Strings n’ Things,” they started out with just guitar, bass, and rhythm guitar, but as they got more people they branched out a bit. That’s why they also have drums, and sometimes piano and other things. And that’s also why I’m so damn good at what I do, I learned how to play any part to fill in for anyone who wasn’t there, or a part they don’t normally get to have because they don’t have enough people. Dad’s gonna send me the info in a bit, I’ll pop that out to everyone once it comes in
After a moment of consideration, he smiled warmly and typed out one last reply.
SixStrings: and…thanks. All of you, that means a lot. And FWIW, that new song Sam started? I was talking with dad, and I think I know where to take it. I’ll bring my changes next practice
Their next practice went well, and his lyrics and rewrite of the melody were well-received (and even generated a few emotional tears), which ended up being the focus of the entire evening as they worked to turn it into a complete song. The practice after it, on Thursday night, likewise continued work, and while it wasn’t finished yet, they were confident about its progress and sound. Once more they gathered, on Saturday, but this time it was to sort out their “convoy” out to the city. Like usual, Lysander and Elliott rode on Morgenlied, Sebastian and Abigail on Nachtlied, and Alex and Haley in his truck, also carrying anything that couldn’t be transported via motorcycle. They left quite a bit early so they wouldn’t worry about traffic, or parking, and arrived an hour early. Like they had grown used to doing, they parked in the back at the service entrance, and were greeted by Lynn as they departed their respective vehicles. Nobody was allowed inside until they’d received a motherly hug and kiss on the cheek, and all riders promptly stripped out of their gear and hung it up, grateful to be out of the protective garments.
Lysander adjusted his clothes, wearing something professional, but not the Elements' “uniform.” He checked his reflection to make sure his hair was in good condition, put his sunglasses back on, then took Resonance from Alex, who had brought it from the truck. “Thanks, mate, I’m gonna go track down dad and see if they need help getting set up.”
“Y’sure you don’t need help?” asked Alex, and Lynn patted his shoulder.
“Thank you for the offer, sweetie, but they’re nearly good to go, they just need to get Lys set up, and go over the set list one last time. C’mon, I’ve got a table reserved for us, let’s get some munchies ordered. Lys and Elliott will be joining Art and I for dinner later, but one can’t go wrong with snacks and drinks while we wait, right?”
Lynn herded the (off duty) Elements of Sound into the main room like a pack of ducklings, and Elliott held back a moment, watching them go on ahead, smiling fondly at how quickly they’d all taken to each other. He and Lysander shared a smile, then a kiss. “I shall join them, dearest, and I eagerly await seeing you once more. Never do you shine more brightly than when you are on stage, uplifting and inspiring others.” He took his husband’s chin in one hand, meeting his eyes, and almost couldn’t suppress a flutter in his stomach at that warm, loving, hazel gaze. “Go and be magnificent. Delight and inspire, and when you are spent, fall into my arms, that I may restore your spirit and body.”
He leaned in for another kiss, one that lingered, and felt a pleasant shudder from the other man. “Gods, love, you always leave me weak in the knees,” Lysander chuckled, “but I will, I’ll give it my all, and when I step off of the stage, it will be into your embrace.” One more kiss, then Lysander hugged him and patted his arse. “Go on, love, have a drink, I’ll be driving, so get a head start on dinner. And give mom grief and sass right back if she gives you any, she enjoys a challenge!”
Elliott joined his friends and mother-in-law at their table, adding his order to the one about to go to the kitchen and bar, and for the next half an hour there was merry chatter and conversation as they all caught up on All Of The Things. Then, movement on stage got their attention, and Sam whooped a cheer, waving his hands over his head, much to the amusement of the mostly-crowded room. Arthur stepped up to the microphone and picked up the electric guitar on its stand, followed by the rest of the band, and lastly, Lysander arrived, joining him at the front. All of the Elements applauded his arrival, surprising the younger von Morgensonne for a moment, but he laughed and winked at them before picking up the electric bass, and Arthur adjusted the microphone.
“Good evening! You all seem to be having a good one so far!” More cheers and whoops went up from various parts of the crowd, and he nodded with satisfaction. “Good! We are here to make it even better! For those of you who don’t know, we are ‘Strings ‘n Things,’ and for those of you do… Well, I suppose all of you now know, right?” The Dad Energy was palpable, but he embodied it well, and it produced laughter and good-natured groans. Plucking a couple of random strings, Arthur settled the instrument into place. “Tonight we’ve got a special guest with us, Lysander von Morgensonne, who you might recognize as the bassist for the ‘Elements of Sound,’ and definitely recognize as my son.” Again, his Dad Energy was on full display, but it was true, the family resemblance was obvious, as not only did they have matching copper-red hair (though Arthur’s was shorter and stuck up randomly a bit like a picture of a campfire), their smiles and body language were remarkably similar.
At a cue that wasn’t rehearsed, it was just known from years of performing together, Lysander stepped up to his own microphone. “Hello and welcome! And yes, I know what you’re all wondering, that yes, I did get dad’s skill, but don’t worry, I got mom’s sense of humor. But I got both of their good looks, so I got pretty damn lucky.”
“Damn right! After all, charm and looks are the basis for being a bassist, am I right?” Arthur asked, winking and giving double finger guns.
Both his son and the audience groaned, and Lysander rested his weight on his hands on his knees for a moment. “That… That was terrible. Mom really did marry you for your looks.”
With an indifferent shrug, Arthur plucked a merry few notes again. “You can’t tell me that the same hasn’t been said of you.”
Again the audience reacted with mirth, and Lysander pondered his statement for a moment, then sighed and gave a matching shrug. “Y’know, you’re not wrong.”
Elliott watched, enraptured, amazed at this nearly impromptu vaudeville act. This was the sort of natural banter that true professionals had after working together for many years, knowing and trusting each other, and he and Lysander had only begun to start building this sort of connection. Seeing father and son trade friendly quips with such casual ease was a genuine delight, and it gave him a happy ache inside, being able to watch them play off of each other. He wasn’t the only one, as Lynn had put down her drink to watch them, wearing a proud smile. Reaching over, he squeezed her hand, and once more felt that wonderful flutter inside as she turned that loving smile on him as well. They both focused on the stage once again, hearing Lysander plucking an energetic bass intro, already moving with the music, and Arthur gave the count to the rest of the band to join in.
It was magical.
It was beautiful.
It was wonderful.
This wasn’t the first time they’d seen him perform, they’d been on stage with him as well, after all. But there was something different about his energy. With the Elements he was fire, he was power and “sexiness” and other things as expected of a musician in his position. But here, working with his father like this, there was a bold maturity that grabbed Elliott’s attention and didn’t let go. Their voices were a long-practiced harmony, and even the way they moved with the music was effortlessly in synch. They were professionals, and it showed with every note. Further, while Arthur’s voice was bright and brassy, something that was pleasant to listen to, Lysander’s was warm, it was full and rich and one could tell that he put his entire heart and body into it. He’d provided vocals for nearly all of the Elements’ songs, but he’d never sounded like this before.
Has he been holding back? Have WE been holding him back? Or, perhaps, it is not a conscious decision, that his persona when performing with us is different than the one that he embodies when with the Strings. Yes, that is it, Elliott smiled to himself, chin in his hand as he watched and listened, up there he is a guest, but it is still a family with whom he has grown up. The theater is where he perfected his art, but this, right here, is where he laid down that foundation, developing the skills, mindset, and so much more that let him become a master of his domain. Truly, it is no wonder that he is a vaunted “triple threat,” and how could he not be, with something like this during his formative years?
By the third song he noticed that Sam had grown rather quiet, and he glanced over, noticing that his friend was watching wide-eyed and open-mouthed, entranced by what he saw. Cautiously, he touched Sam’s wrist, wondering what was on the man’s mind, and he jumped, startled by the contact. “Samson? Are you well?”
“Yeah,” Sam replied, able to talk a little now that a less energetic piece was being played, and leaned closer to be heard. “It’s like… Holy shit, dude, I’m blown away. I already knew he was good, but this… He’s on a totally different level than us.” His usual energy was muted, though thoughtfully, not sadly. “I…think that Art did this on purpose. Lys needed the chance to spread his wings again, and we needed the chance to see what we could be if we keep doing what we’re doing.” He folded his arms on the table and leaned his weight on them, his nachos and beer completely forgotten. “I’m blown away. Listen to him, he’s always sung his heart out, but… His entire body is an instrument here. And that bass, I’ve never heard licks like that out of him before, and I’m realizing how badly I’ve underutilized him. I need to go back and take a long look at what I’m writing, because I’ve done some good stuff, but… I never realized just how much farther I have to go, to get where I want to be, and I’m scared, but excited.”
For this song Lysander had traded out the bass for Resonance, and like himself, he used the entire instrument to produce sound, tapping and rapping on the body for percussive elements in addition to plucking or strumming its strings. Sam reached for a chip, swirling it into the melted cheese and chasing a bacon crumble without any real direction. “I remember the first time I met him, he helped mom bring home groceries, and hung out a few extra minutes to listen to me and Abby and Seb jam out, and I teased him when I saw him playing air guitar to match us. But he said it was bass, not guitar, and… I can’t believe I didn’t realize the gift I was given right there. He’d never heard us before, but he still knew by instinct what to do, and we played something we all already knew to give him a test run. But what floors me is that now? I know that he could have just gone in blind and played with us on that song I was working on and have made it sound great. And not once, ever, has he ever made us feel like we were weren’t good enough for him. I…can’t help but feel like we’re holding him back, or that he’s holding himself back for us, y’know?”
Chuckling softly, Elliott took a long drink of iced tea, reaching for a plate of fries that were covered with much the same toppings as Sam’s nachos. “I had the exact same thought just now. But I can say with absolute confidence that we should fear no such thing. Watch them, the way that they move and react to each other. This is simply the result of years of intimate knowledge, of trust in each other and their skill. Professionals who know every note and where it should go and when. That can be our future as well. We share that love, for what we do, and for each other. We do it not for the fame or the money, but for that love, and to share it with the world.”
The fry remained between his fingers, momentarily forgotten as the song ended and the musicians took a moment to receive applause and catch their breath, and once more Lysander switched instruments. Sam chugged his beer and exhaled loudly, barely suppressing a belch. “Shit, that went up my nose, ffffffff-” He winced and made a face. “But, yeah, I mean… Goddamn, that is a flex, going up there and just rocking off all of our faces with a different instrument every couple of songs. I…legit had no idea the…gift I was given when he walked in that day, I’ve got no other word for it, for him.” This introspection was not unknown to his friends, and Elliott squeezed his shoulder, a silently supporting him. “Thanks, man. You, too. Like, all of us are fantastic, but the both of you…” Sighing again, he pushed his glass aside and again leaned on the table. “Sebby and Abby and I could have been decent, but there’s no way we could have got this far without you and Lys. And I need to do right by you, do better. I’ve not pulled out all of the potential I can out of you, which is rich considering I haven’t even touched my own, but I’ve just had my entire worldview absolutely smashed, and I’m glad for it. The walls have been knocked down and I can see farther than ever before. I wanna take every one of us to our limits, and then find a way to surpass them.”
“It sounds as though you have the start of another song.”
Once more, Sam’s expression was one of surprised wonder, and he frantically patted himself down as he searched for his musical notepad. It was a curious build of his own, with one side of the page for making notes in his personal shorthand (used just to jog his memory), and the other side of the page marked with a music staff so he could jot down chords, note progressions, or anything else that he needed to write to remember for later when he had access to his full workstation. His nachos were completely forgotten as his pencil scribbled quickly and skillfully across the pad, flipping pages and sides as he hummed softly to himself, already feeling the seeds of yet another song begin to grow.
On stage, Lysander saw his friend bend over his familiar notepad, and smiled to himself. Good! This evening was mostly an opportunity for Lysander and the Strings to catch up and have one more gig together, just like old times, but Arthur had remarked with a mischievous smile that he hoped that this would give the Elements inspiration for themselves and their own music, to see what their path could lead them to if they kept at it, and it had worked. He had seen all of his friends watching with not just delight, but with introspection. They weren’t demoralized, rather, they were ready to train even harder! And Elliott, that wonderful man, Lysander almost couldn’t look at him too much or he’d be distracted by the sheer adoration that was radiated at him. But he deserved it! It was still hard for him to internalize sometimes, but not this time, and maybe this would be the last time that he ever doubted it. He felt so alive! He lived for this! For the energy and the life and the love and the camaraderie and…
For that which was so much greater than himself, and would one day outlive him, and in doing so give others a reason to feel. And so, he and the Strings had one last gift for the Elements, and he and his father exchanged triumphant grins as well as their instruments. Arthur shifted the bass and got it comfortable over his shoulder while Lysander ducked into the electric guitar, then moved back to the microphone. “You all have been amazing. Thank you all for being such an appreciative and receptive audience. So it is because of that that I ask all of you a favor, that you allow us to indulge in a little fun.” He twirled his pick between his fingers and shifted his gaze to the table with his companions. “Not only do dad and the Strings cover classic songs, but popular and recent ones. And the Elements of Sound certainly count as both ‘recent’ and ‘popular.’” Almost bursting into laughter at the way his friends sat up straight, silent as they realized what was happening, he winked at them and flicked his pick into the air, catching it with ease, then held it high over his head. “It’s showtime, everyone. Listen to our song!”
The audience cheered as the music began, and Lysander sang, now on the lead vocals that Sam always provided, with Arthur supplying the harmony that was his son's to support. It sounded different, because this was the Strings, not the Elements, but it was still the same song. The instrumentation was a little different, yes, and the balance of voices, and other things, but it was still their song, and more importantly, it was being performed by professionals. Yes, the Elements were professionals as well, but they were just starting out. The Strings were musicians who had been on stage as long as most of the members of the Elements had been alive, and Lysander was relieved to see his friends inspired. And in one case, awed, as Sam watched unmoving, eyes wide as tears ran down his face, but Lysander knew that they were the sort one sheds when in the presence of something wondrous and so much bigger than themselves.
This is my thanks to all of you. For giving me the chance to start over when I thought I’d nothing left to live for. For being there when I thought I’d always be alone. For selflessly helping me stand again when I thought I’d never get back up again. For trusting me when I felt as though I would betray it immediately. For loving me when I thought myself undeserving of it ever again. Thank you, all of you.
At last, the song ended, and they were met with riotous applause, and it took several seconds for the Elements to break out of their collective reverie to join in with the noise. But Lysander didn’t notice, all he saw was Elliott slowly standing, then rushing over to the stage, and the guitarist laughed as he put aside his instrument, hopping down and right into Elliott’s arms, as they’d promised earlier. Amused laughter followed their meeting, but neither of them noticed nor cared. Impulsively, he kissed his husband, giggling as he pressed their foreheads together.
“So, love, what did you think?”
Elliott hugged him close again, laughing softly. “I do not ‘think’ anything, my dearest, I know that you are magnificent, full of surprises, and that every day you bring me greater joy than before.”