(A/N: This is my first music one-shot and this is hard!! I spent like half an hour trying to find a suitable song T^T but anyway I ended up choosing this one. I'm really sorry it's a female vocal but I tried please don't hate at all) 

Janus fiddled nervously with the edges of his gloves, thinking about what would happen that night. 

He and his band-- Gold Serpent-- were going on stage and performing with another, much more popular band, called the Crowned Spirits. 

Everyone in his band had known the Crowned Spirits for a while, as they had all gone to high school together. They had laughed together, played together. But after becoming bands, they had all fallen out of touch. 

But then around three months ago, Virgil had gotten a call from the lead singer, Roman, who wanted to do a concert together. 

Skip a couple of weeks, and they had first met up and discussed what kind of song they wanted to play. 

---

The eight were crowded around a circular table, talking and chatting over warm plates of diner food. People were around, trying to take photos. After several years of this, Janus had gotten used to it, and he supposed the others had too as they didn't seem to mind.

He pushed his spoon around and looked up at the other band. "So, what about a bass-heavy song with minimal lyrics?" he asked, wanting to test the waters a bit. 

Roman shook his head. "No, I don't think that would work. Maybe a nostalgic one?" he tried, tilting his head and taking a sip of his soda. 

"Hmm," Remy mused, leaning back in his chair. He, along with Virgil and Remus, was part of Janus's band. Well, it was mostly Virgil's band, but they worked together as a team. He sighed and pushed his bangs out of his face. "Why don't we do the nostalgia thing, that might be cool, and how about..." he paused, then continued. "How about just a chorus for the lyrics, nothing too hard."

Remus rolled his eyes and punched Remy in the shoulder lightly. "You just don't want to work," he scolded the other. "You're our scriptwriter, get it together."

Remy groaned. "Fiiiine, whatever, if that'll make you be quiet..."

The other continued to talk about what kind of song they wanted, finally choosing a song about past memories. Patton, when asked what he wanted to do in the song, thought about it for a while before deciding. "I can play the background melody with my piano," he offered.

"Okay, and what will everyone else..." Janus trailed off, looking at them expectantly. 

Roman went first. "I'll do vocals," he declared. "Sounds wonderful, doesn't it?"

Logan rolled his eyes. "Sure, sure. I can do strings, along with anyone else who would enjoy doing a duet with strings."

"I play the guitar," Remy supplied. "I can do it if that one wears a skirt." He pointed at Emile, who blinked and hurriedly turned a bright shade of pink. 

Janus sighed. "No flirting with the other band members, Remy," he scolded the blonde guitarist. "Both of our bands go on tours, remember?"

Remy raised his hands defensively. "I'm just shooting my shot," he replied. "But whatevs, I'll play it anyway if ya'll want."

Virgil hummed tunelessly. "You play the clarinet, right?" he asked Emile, who nodded. "Alright, we'll do the woodwinds together," he murmured. "Sound good?" He looked at Janus, who nodded. 

"Lovely, all of you," Janus cheerfully said. "I'll do background vocals, and Remus, can you do electric guitar?"

Remus thought about it for a moment. "But what about the drums?" he asked. 

Janus took a deep breath. "Well, we already have a guitar and strings, so I suppose you can do the drums."

"Yes!" the other cheered. "Thanks!"

And that was that.

---

Remus barged into the room, carrying his outfit for the night. Janus looked up, startled, then sighed when he saw who it was. 

"Get your outfit on, Remus, it's show night," he reminded the other. "I've already got mine on and there's not much time left." He motioned to his clothing. 

Janus was wearing a black tunic with gold fringe and small pieces of fabric sewn onto one arm, so it looked like snake scales fading from inky black to a pretty gold. Along with that were dark grey pants with gold edging. He also had on a black cloak with golden buttons, high-heeled black-and-grey boots, and a gold snake anklet slid snugly onto his upper leg. 

Remus looked Janus up and down one more time and nodded approvingly. 

"Sexy," he commented. Janus glared at him but didn't stand up, used by now to Remus's antics. "Yeah, I'll get mine on. By the way, here's something I bought for you. It hides your scars, and I thought..."

He tossed a golden, dragon-shaped monocle onto the chair beside Janus's. The shorter one picked it up and turned it over, examining it. The dragon was wound around a crystal-clear circle of glass. With its wings outstretched it would cover most of Janus's crisscrossing scars, which Remus knew the other was very sensitive about. 

He blinked, looking up at Remus. "Thank... you," he murmured, offering him a small smile. "I honestly didn't know you were that thoughtful."

"Yeah, yeah," Remus scoffed, but his cheeks turned a light shade of red as he turned to step out of the door. 

Remy, dressed in a warm grey tunic and silver-brown pants, waited outside of the hallway for the others. He tapped his black boots on the ground impatiently, adjusting his silver-white cloak over his head so it draped over his blonde hair. He checked his watch and groaned, setting his head against the wall with a small thump. 

Someone walked out of the hallway and sighed, shutting the door behind them. Remy looked up, sending them an impatient glance. "It's about time, you know, I've been waiting out here for--"

He stopped. 

Emile stared at him, surprised. He was wearing a light seashell pink hoodie with turquoise flowers embroidered on the edges, as well as a cocoa brown ribbon tied across the waist. A gold circlet was worn on his light brown-sugar curls. He also had on tan leggings, light blue socks, and sneakers, one pink and the other blue. 

"Um." Emile paused, looking at Remy for some time. "Hello. Why are you standing outside of my band's hallway? Shouldn't you be at yours?"

Remy blinked. "Oh, shit, I guess I should," he muttered, tearing his eyes away from Emile and looking down the hallway. "I feel like an idiot now." Virgil, wearing a dark purple cape and grey pants, waved at him from another doorway. 

Virgil approached the other, smirking. "Done flirting? It's almost time," he reminded Remy, who only rolled his eyes. 

"Well I'm not going to play since he's not wearing a skirt," Remy protested, pointing at Emile, who covered his face with his hands. 

"Stop being so childish and come on," Virgil insisted. "Sorry about him, he's a massive flirt," he apologized to Emile. 

Emile smiled kindly. "It's fine, it's fine," he murmured. "I don't..." he stopped, blushing again. 

Remy laughed. "You don't mind? Neither do I," he teased, winking. 

Virgil swatted Remy, who easily dodged the attack. Virgil growled but settled for crossing his arms and nodding another apology to Emile. 

"Alright, let's go," he announced, looking Remy in the eye. "C'mon."

The stage was large and brightly lit. Remus, the drummer, and Patton, the pianist were at the back of the stage. Virgil and Emile were next, sitting in chairs with their instruments to their lips, ready to play. The strings-- Logan and Remy-- were at the sides, while Janus and Roman, the two vocalists, were at the very front, smiling down at the filled auditorium. 

Janus grinned. Looked at Roman. And nodded. 

[Start music here]

The guitar was first. 

Ooh~

Ooh~

Drums. 

Violin, and now the clarinet. 

Ooh~

Piano.

Ooh...

Roman started. "Burning everything I know..."

"Desperate for a change." Janus followed. 

Ooh~

"Crashing down these ancient roads," he sang, "Past our yesterday."

"Maybe there's hunger in my blood." Roman continued. 

Blood~

"Screaming out loud for what I want." Janus echoed. 

Roman took over. "See me running full speed at it..."

"Shattering, collide."

"Call it post-traumatic."

"Now it's do or die~" Janus sang, loud and clear. 

Or die.

Coming after fractures...

Ooh~

"Coming after fractures..."

Ooh~

"See me running full speed at it." Janus lifted a hand as if to brush his hands against an invisible barrier. 

Coming after fractures...

"Call it post-traumatic~" Roman stretched out the last note. 

What comes after fractures? 

What comes after?

Fractures...

What comes after?

Ooh~

Janus set down the microphone, panting, and looked around. People were silent, waiting for more to happen. The lights were bright and hot, making him sweat slightly. 

What comes after?

Ooh~

This was a pretty, electric-melodic song, with a strong beat and haunting lyrics. It had taken a while to make the lyrics, but it seemed he had been right to trust Remy with them. They were beautiful and nostalgic, just like they had talked about.

Soon the singing would start back up again.  

Ooh~

"Feeding frenzies in my brain, I'm hopeful everyday." Roman began. 

Janus joined back in. "Gotta get it while we are still young enough to break~" 

"We're finally not afraid!" They sang together, sweet and harmonious. 

Ooh~

A quiet swept over the stage, rushing over the audience like water. 

Maybe there's hunger in my blood...

Blood~

The chorus was starting again. 

"Screaming out loud for what I want..." Janus murmured. "See me running full speed at it..." 

Shattering, collide.

"Call it post-traumatic."

"Now it's do or die." 

Or die.

 "Coming after fractures."

Ooh~

"Coming after fractures..." the two echoed, loud and clear. 

Ooh~

"See me running full speed at it." Roman looked back at Virgil, who apparently didn't notice the gesture. 

Coming after fractures...

"Call it post-traumatic~" Janus hummed. "What comes after?"

Fractures...

The beat dropped.

What comes after?

Fractures...

What comes after?

Ooh~

What comes after?

Fractures...

Ooh~

Janus looked around at the brightly lit stage, grinning, covered in sweat, and exhausted, but happy. The rest of the band was also tired, but each was smiling. 

Remus, now done with the drums, sighed and leaned back in his chair. Logan set down his violin.  

The piano slowed, the guitar chords quieted. 

Ooh~

---

Behind the scene, Janus and the rest of the band were taking off their costumes and finding something more comfortable. Janus opted for a summer-yellow T-shirt with orange streaks and a pair of tan jeans, then sat down into a cushioned chair. 

"Man, was that nerve-wracking," he complained to Remus, who nodded. 

The other sat next to Janus, running a hand through his own dyed-green hair. "I know! I was so nervous. And I wonder what they think of us?"

Janus sighed. "Judging by Remy? They probably think we're a bunch of flirts. But their leader, whats-his-name, Roman, was flirting with Virgil the other day."

"Mm," Remus murmured, letting his head drop onto Janus's shoulder. Janus stroked Remus's hair absentmindedly, staring into space. 

It was dark outside, the sky a fragile shade of purple. Small stars were spattered across the night sky, and the moon was in a beautiful, thin crescent. Janus yawned sleepily. "Tomorrow we leave for another city, right?" he asked.

Remus nodded. "Yeah. Poor Remy."

"Why?" Janus looked up, confused. 

"Well," Remus explained, "He has a crush on that other band member, Emile. Has since high school, I think. Too bad."

Janus bit his lip. "Hmm. Well, we can give him some time to talk with him tonight, how about that. Maybe they can figure something out."

"Maybe," Remus said, but he didn't look completely convinced. 

Patton was laying on one of the beds at the hotel his band was staying at. He gazed up at the ceiling, smiling and wrapped snugly in a warm-looking red blanket. 

Soon, Logan came in, dressed in a comfy blue shirt and grey pants. He sat on the bed, next to Patton, and spoke. "How are you faring tonight, Patton?"

The other looked at him sleepily. "Tired, and my chest hurts," he yawned. "I don't know how Virgil was able to shake it off like it was nothing, but he was always pretty good at that kind of thing."

Logan nodded. "Hm. It is a pity we won't be able to speak with them more," he commented, sighing. "But it is all for the best, is it not? We may be able to do another pairing like this one some other time."

Patton sat up, looking disappointed. "I know, but still..."

"Do you require emotional support?" Logan asked, a bit amused. He turned around so he was facing Patton, and smiled. "Would you like a hug?"

"Mm," Patton mumbled, wrapping his arms around the other and leaning against him. "You're really nice a lot, Logan," he murmured. 

Logan gave Patton an affectionate squeeze, then let go. "Thank you for the kind words, Patton," he replied. "You also seem quite tired. Would it be better if we went to sleep and thought about this in the morning?"

Patton grabbed Logan's arms and pulled him down, so they were both laying on the bed. "Yeah, I want to go to sleep."

Looking a bit startled at the sudden affection, Logan blinked. "...alright, I wish you pleasant dreams." He was about to slip out of the bed when Patton tugged on his arm. 

"Noo, stay here," he whined. "Please?"

Logan was about to object, but words seemingly failed him. "If you like," he murmured. Then, yawning, he laid back down on the bed. 

"Goddamn it, work, you stupid machine," Virgil complained, hitting the hot water machine, trying to get it to work. "You fucking..."

He groaned, turning around to lean against the wall. "This sucks," he muttered. 

"Ah, yes, the first thing I want to hear straight out of the shower," Roman teased, coming up behind Virgil and startling the shorter one. "How endearing."

Virgil spun around, arms crossed. "Maybe don't startle me and you'll hear something more positive," he dryly said. "Roman."

Roman laughed. "Yes, of course," he chuckled. "You always were a cute one, but I swear you've gotten shorter."

Swatting Roman, Virgil turned away to look at the floor. "No, you've just gotten somehow taller," he corrected. 

The other smiled. "Let's go somewhere, like a walk maybe," he offered. 

Virgil thought about it. "No, thanks," he sighed. "It's too late and I'm tired."

"Alright, so where do you want to go?" Roman persisted, tilting his head. "I'd like to talk to you more somewhere."

Looking up at the redhead with a faint smirk, Virgil raised an eyebrow. "Well, how about the roof? Does that sound good?"

Roman clapped happily. "It sounds wonderful! By the way, there's another coffee machine on the way to the roof, but I don't know if you knew that."

Virgil grinned. "Then I am definitely coming."

Remy and Emile were sitting outside, chatting lightly. 

"The moon is pretty," Emile commented, looking up at the thin sliver, glowing brightly in the night sky. 

Remy smiled softly. "Mm, it is, isn't it. How are you doing, Em?"

Emile thought for a second. "Pretty well, but sad I won't be able to see any of you for a while again. I missed you, you know."

"Me too," Remy murmured. "I want to see you more often. I'm kind of sad that we don't see each other a lot."

Nodding sadly, Emile leaned backward in his chair. "Well, we're both in bands, so it can't be helped. But I suppose..." he trailed off. "I mean, if I had your number it wouldn't be as much of a problem, would it?"

Remy blinked, surprised. "I... I suppose not," he admitted. "But still... there are things we need to say to each other in words."

Emile glanced down at the ground, then back at Remy. "Yeah, that's true. Here's my phone number, anyway. Just in case." He pulled a slip of paper out of his pocket and scribbled something down on it, then smiled happily at Remy. 

"Call me sometime?"

"Sure." 

(A/N: This took a while! I hope it was good! Again, please don't hate on my music choices. This is my first musical one-shot, so yeah. Have a good day!!)