Adult-FanFiction.org : Anime

The Last Track	By : Sandywriter Category: +. to F > Beck: Mongolian Chop Squad Views: 3395 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: Disclaimer: I do not own BECK(MCS) manga, and I am not making any money from this story. BECK is owned by Harold Sakuishi.

Chapter List
- 1-The Last Track
- 1
The Last
Track � Beck Manga Fanfiction

Sandy Warfield

Saying that Koyuki was abso-fucking-lutely
exhausted was a bit of an understatement. Day after non-stop day in the studio
with the �silent and charismatic� Scott Lambroza for
a month had drained him to an extent he hadn�t imagined possible�and not just
physically tired, but the experience had left him mentally panting as well.

Writing an entire album in
a month, contributing to both the guitar arrangement (with Ryusuke)
as well as writing lyrics; recording both guitar and vocals for eight new songs and rerecording new �Lambroza� approved versions of five of their more popular indy titles, had left him with barely enough energy to
breathe much less enough time to take care of his body properly�elucidated by his
grown-out hair, which had descended past scruffy into what Saku
dubbed scruff-shag.

He really needed a haircut.
But that would have to wait until a time when he could move without getting the
sudden urge to curl up in any random corner and sleep the rest of the day away.

But, I wouldn�t have it any other way, he
thought to himself as he lounged on Scott�s apartment patio, sprawled sideways
in a boneless mass on one of the many recliners that decorated the balcony; enjoying
the feeling of satisfaction while it lasted.

Having been invited to stay at Scott's penthouse apartment
was a mixed blessing of sorts. After a day of getting his hard-work very
politely trashed there were times when he just didn't want to see the man�s
face any longer and that really wasn't an option when you were living with him
24/7. Koyuki�s handle on the English language on the
other hand, had improved by leaps and bounds. He could now finally hold
semi-intelligent conversation without making a fool of himself around
native-speakers. Watching American Television had helped some in that respect.
Reading English versions of Japanese manga that Matt
had lent him was even more helpful�although it reminded him that he should
seriously have paid more attention in English class back in school. Scott
was unyielding about learning the language.

�Listen, Koyuki, for better
or for worse you are the face of band,� Scott had told him when he had first
moved in. �The audience you�re aiming for is international, which means you
need to be fluent in English. No if ands or buts about it.�

�The face?� Koyuki
remembered asking, uncomfortable with the idea. The divide between him and Chiba was still a bit too
tender to comfortably think about that. �Chiba-kun is the front-man. I just
sing sometimes.�

�To an extent you both are. People will come to
concerts to go wild with Chiba�s
rap and his ripping-vocals. But they�ll go away with your face and your voice
in their heads and their hearts wanting more. It�s what�s so appealing about
MCS as a band. You can put on a riot at concerts, but your music lends well to
studio-music at the same time. Chiba can draw people to him, but you�ll be what
they stick around for. Look up the word �synergy� when you get the chance. A
good band is defined by it.�

It was yet another reason
why he felt so drained�learning the English language from native-speakers. His
tireless effort showed in his lyrics. He had cringed as he rewrote Baby Star
and Out of the Hole with Matt�s help. Enduring Matt�s good-natured gibes aimed at
his broken English lyrics had become almost comfortable even if he was usually the
butt-end of the joke. It was nice at
least that he could hold a conversation with the mercurial singer�a meaningful
one�or as meaningful as they ever got when Matt was involved.

Unfortunately his new
connection with the singer also meant he was running out of excuses to avoid
invitations when he went out drinking with Ryusuke. Koyuki had thus far begged out of them all�and for the sake
of maintaining his already poor health he was going to keep avoiding them until
he was sure he could handle the mother of all hangovers that was sure to follow
such an intense experience; because everything that Matt got involved with
ended up intense. He didn�t have any other gears really.

Only a little over two-weeks until the album�s
release. He rolled over lazily so he could watch his breath
condense into dense white puffs that vanished upwards into the startlingly
clear blue New York
skyline. He pulled the blanket he was using up to his neck to keep the chill
fall air at bay�the only thing keeping him awake, really. That was why he was
out here struggling to remain conscious. He felt guilty sleeping all day. Scott
was already onto another project and wouldn�t be back until later. How the man
could just keep going with that
intensity of his was a wonder of the modern world.

There was one positive
aspect of being so thoroughly exhausted. He and the rest of the band had put
absolutely everything into their album�leaving nothing in reserve. The weird
thing was, he wasn�t exactly satisfied, but he wasn�t dissatisfied either. Matt had been strangely amused when he�d told
him as much, having just finishing recording the last fixed lyrics for Devil�s Way.

�I don�t think any artist
is ever completely satisfied with their work,� Matt had revealed in one of his
rare sober moments of wisdom that only a recording studio seemed to be able to
draw-out of his shell. �There�s no way anyone honest will ever look at their
work and say: there! Perfect! I can do no more! Real or imagined�there�s always
something wrong with it. But there
comes a time where you�ve expended enough effort on it to get it to a pinnacle
where time � effort � and talent all come together. That�s when you finally
decide you can live with the product before moving on to something new�and the
cycle starts all over again. You�re your own worst critic. You always will be.
I know you�re not fishing for compliments or whatever. So for what it�s worth,
this song gives me shivers every-time I hear it. Take that how you like.�

His thoughts were rudely
interrupted by his buzzing phone, which, set on vibrate, was attempting to rattle
its way off the small table beside him before he slammed his hand down on it
and answered it.

�Koyuki? Still
alive?�

He recognized Saku�s voice on the other end. Talking just seemed like
such an effort. �Uh-huh. Are you calling from Japan?�

�Duh.
I�m sending you a picture. Hold on.�

Koyuki
pulled the phone away from his cheek and stared blankly at the screen. A moment
later a picture of Mitchan sitting with Kayo-san and
a bunch of the old crowd from his bar appeared.

�I�m the attractive guy in
the middle,� Saku pointed out.

�So�when did you become an
ex-con and grow a moustache?�

Silence.
�Uh�Oh! Oops, wrong picture. Wait, here�s the one I
wanted to show you.�

The photo that came through
this time showed Saku sitting between two blow-up
dolls with his �I�m Saku� expression on his face; his
two index fingers pointing at himself self-importantly.

Koyuki
shook his head and brought the phone back to his ear. He hunkered lower into
his cocoon of blankets. �Can I hang up now?�

�It�s Saitou-san�s birthday
present,� Saku informed him. �They�re twins.�

�Haha�that�s
cruel. He�s already depressed about getting dumped.�

�I thought it might cheer
him up.� Saku sounded far too innocent to be completely
honest.

�Find him a girlfriend.� Koyuki suggested. �One who likes music and strange sexual positions. That�ll cheer him up. You didn�t just call about
Saitou-san though, did you?�

�Nah.
Just wanted to make sure you were okay.�

�I�m not the one who lost
twelve pounds during recording,� Koyuki pointed out.

�Don�t remind me. Still
reading Romance of the Three Kingdoms?�

�I finished it. It�s just
as bad in English as it was in Japanese. Matt lent me his English copy of Happy
Sakaguchi to read next�apparently Ryusuke
bought him the entire series the last time he was here.�

Saku
snickered loudly and Koyuki agreed with the sentiment.
The very idea of Matt enjoying a shojo manga was as otherworldly as it was wrong.

�How much longer are you
planning on staying in New York?�

Koyuki
groaned and tried to get his brain to function long enough to remember.
�Well�I�m not sure. We have that huge promo here in New York when the CD gets released in three
weeks. They�re talking about getting us to shoot a music video for Devil�s Way
or Coin Laundry but they�re still negotiating with P&B Japan over whether
it should be shot here, or back home. Sooo�I think
I�d rather stay here, relax, and just soak up more of the language until
something gets decided. I still get nervous talking in English. And when I get
nervous my English gets really bad.�

Saku
snorted. �Sometimes I�m grateful that I just have to stand in the background
and look stoic for interviews. You and Ryusuke can do
all the talking. Chiba�s
been listening to books on tape in English before he goes to sleep�but his
English doesn�t seem to be getting any better. Taira-kun
on the other hand is pulling ahead�he�s taking lessons at a community college.�

He snorted into the phone.
�The last time I talked to Ryusuke he was planning to
fly back here to work on some different live arrangements for the new songs we
can use on tour, including some acoustic stuff�so I was planning on helping him
with that. But it�s hard to find time when he�s always with this girl he met.�
The acoustic arrangement for Coin Laundry was already done�they had written it
completely with acoustic guitars in the first place with Saku
drumming on a stool. Using that as a template, it hadn�t been too much trouble
to write in the alterations they had made during recording. �Have you seen the tentative
touring schedule our American Agent put together?�

�Yeah, Seaside sent a copy to P&B Japan. Taira-kun has a copy.� Saku
hesitated before continuing. �You notice we finish up on the West-Coast in Seattle at the
Lizard-House?�

�Uh-huh. We�re headlining,
I think�though most of the rest of the tour will be with another platinum-selling
band on Seaside�s
label.�

�That�s�intimidating. But
you know what else is scary? After Seattle we�re
heading back to Japan
for a big tour. You would not believe how much P&B Japan is spending to
market us. I think they want to do a photo shoot for some print ads. Taira-kun is trying to convince them to use some of Kippei-san�s live-shots of us at the festival and photoshop the rest. I don�t think he likes the idea of
taking set-up fake shots of the band. They never turn out well with us.�

�What does Chiba think?� Koyuki
wondered.

Saku�s
tone turned long-suffering. �He wanted to do some kung-fu shots, of course. He would
have put Takahara-san in a knee lock when he
shot-down that idea if Taira-kun hadn�t been there to
mediate.�

�Haha�with Chiba-kun that�s no joke.�

�He�s also been arguing
that our merchandise should include wrestling masks�like the ones he made when
he was in charge of merchandise when we started up.�

�Ah�you did remind him that
those never sold, right?� Koyuki tentatively pointed out.

�I did. But he�s convinced
this time will be different. I told him to leave the decision up to the
professionals.�

�And?�

�I think I won the argument
when I wouldn�t tap out of his sleeper-hold. But I�m not sure.�

�Why
not?�

�I blacked-out.�

Koyuki
bit his tongue hard so he wouldn�t
laugh at the mental image. �B-better you than me,� he finally managed.

�Thanks,� Saku said dryly. A muffled voice was saying something on
the other end of the line but Koyuki couldn�t quite
make out what was being said. �Oh, I have to go. Hiromi is here. Call me if you
decide to come back?�

�Uhn�say
hi to her for me; Saitou-san too when you see him.�

�I will. Ja.�

Koyuki
flipped his phone closed and promptly sneezed. Urk�maybe sitting outside wasn�t the smartest way to stay awake. He
had just dropped his cell back into his lap when it started vibrating again. He
flinched at the weird contact with his crotch and fumbled the phone open again.
The number on the call display wasn�t one he recognized.

�Uh�Hello?�

�Hey, Koyuki.
It�s Matt.�

�Matt?� Why would the
singer be calling him today? He was supposed to be in the studio finishing up
his own album�s mixing and mastering.

�Yeah.
Listen,� he began shortly. �I heard from Scott that you stayed in New York �cause you missed the flight back.�

�Uhn. Scott couldn�t wake me up.� His
cheeks reddened. He was glad Matt couldn�t see his face.

�Haha�yeah
he told me about that. So, you have some free time today? I need a favor.�

Koyuki
blinked blankly and tilted his head back to regard the sky with a frown. �From me?� What could Matt want from him?

�Yeah,
you. Scott said you were tired but-�

�No-no,� Koyuki interrupted quickly. �Feel like all I been doing for
the past couple of days is sleep. What do you need?�

�Come into the studio, I�ve
got it booked. I�ll explain once you get here.� Matt paused for a moment as if
suddenly remembering something. �You have Eddie�s guitar with you?�

�Uhn. I do most of my�� What was the word? ��make music on it so
I brought it over��

There was a short breath of
relief from Matt. �Lucky. Bring that with you. Can you be here in an hour?�

He glanced at his watch and
winced. �If I catch the train in ten minutes�I think. I�m still not used to the
trains here.�

�Well�try anyways. We can
talk while we eat.�

O-0-o-o-0-O

�Can you hear the problem?�
Matt asked from across the table, his intense black eyes, for once, not hiding
behind his usual sunglasses. He was half-leaned over the table conveying the
sort of urgency that came along with his request.

Koyuki
stared at the small silver mp3 player in his hands blankly. His hands, which
had begun trembling, wouldn�t still. He fingered the play button once more. It
was a simple song. Simple and lyrical in a strangely vibrant minor key that
dripped emotion from every word that fell out of Matt�s lips on the grainy demo.

�Who�s playing guitar?� The
playing style for some reason seemed intimately familiar.

�Eddie recorded the guitar
when we were just starting out,� said Matt, confirming Koyuki�s
suspicions. �We never finished the song. I found the original guitar demo when
I was going through some of his stuff. It�s been sitting around collecting
dust. I know it�s a little campy, but it resonated�you know?�

Koyuki�s
smile felt grim on his face. �It shows. Ah�but I�m not saying that that�s a bad
thing.� He hastily reassured the man. There was so much emotion it almost
physically hurt his chest to hear. �I think the lyrics are very good. And the
song is interesting�it�s about Eddie right?�

Matt took a swig from the
glass in front of him, the sweating beer mug splattering the table as he set it
back down. �I wrote and recorded the lyrics just a couple months ago.�

Drunk, if Koyuki had correctly read the singer�s voice.
It was eerily similar vocally to the time that Matt had sung Search and Destroy with him at the
Lizard House. Matt gained a sort of rough slur to his words when he drank, and
while it wasn�t as noticeable when he sang, if you knew what to listen for it
became quite obvious.

�It�s�it�s an interesting
song.� That was putting it lightly. The guitar wasn�t exactly anything special
(which was a bit odd considering Eddie wrote it) but even Eddie couldn�t write
golden music all the time, he
supposed. But the song wasn�t really about the acoustic guitar in the first
place. The voice was first and foremost; three verses without a chorus all bled
into one final blitz that had left his hands trembling from the intensity.
�Like a story,� he continued glancing up from his hands at Matt�s stoic face.

�C�mon Koyuki,
just say it. Honesty would be good.�

Ears burning, Koyuki looked over at the line-up for the StarryBux counter across the street. �There nothing wrong with it. It�s just�you switch from
following the melody to a strange diminished harmony in some places. Ah�but it sounds good! Just�a bit weird. But I don�t think it really works with the
guitar�but it could work�if you
changed some parts�� Koyuki trailed off, fighting off
feelings of discomfort that arose from his situation.

Sitting at a private table
talking with Matt Reid about a song he and Eddie co-wrote was just a bit�

The
corners of the elder singer�s lips tugged upwards. �I�m only singing one of the
vocal parts. There are two in total.� He drained the last of the amber liquid
that filled his mug and eyed the streaks of foam with an air of irked mal-humor.
�But I haven�t recorded the second part, �cause that�s
the one I�m singing. You just need to learn the part on this demo.�

�Huh?�
said Koyuki intelligently.

�We
do it in one shot. Tonight. One run through recorded
in the same booth�with Eddie�s guitar. No tricks. No digital remixing. Just you, me, and Eddie�s guitar for eight minutes.� He
stopped and looked down at his glass again, contemplatively. �And booze. Lot�s of booze. I definitely won�t be able to do this sober.
Whaddya say?�

Koyuki bit his lip as he
contemplated. He couldn�t help but feel it was blasphemous to even contemplate
doing this with Mat. �I don�t know��

�Oh,
come on. You didn�t have any problems finishing Devil�s Way, did you?�

�That�that�s true.� Koyuki frowned. He wouldn�t have to struggle with writing
lyrics for this song. �I�ve just always thought�well�thought that it really
should have been part of your CD, not ours.� Maybe it was a bit off topic, but
it felt good to say that out loud. The issue of who owned the song had been
bothering him ever since they�d finished it on Eddie�s behalf. It really should
have belonged to Matt, or at least they should have involved him a bit more in
the composition. The only reason Koyuki hadn�t said
anything before this was because Ray had kept Matt in the loop throughout the
entire process, and to Koyuki�s knowledge, Matt
hadn�t said a word in protest.

When
Koyuki risked a glance upwards, he found Matt staring
at him with the corner of his lips downturned�not in a displeased manner, but
rather a manner that suggested he was turning something over in his head.

�It
was never about who the song belonged to,� he said
eventually. �It was about finishing something that needed to be finished, and
letting everyone hear it. All Eddie did was plant a seed in your mind. You were
the one who let it grow Koyuki, you and the rest of
the guys.� He grimaced as if tasting something sour. �And I wasn�t in a place
to really help, or do it myself. I still wonder if my head will ever get
screwed on straight again.� He rubbed his eyes and waved his mug at a waiter to
bring him another pint.

While
Matt waited impatiently for his next beer, Koyuki
listened to the song on the mp3 player again. But this time he began mentally
transposing a second voice in Matt�s range to harmonize with the one on the
tape. The change was immediate. The minor chords on the guitar suddenly made sense. Koyuki
hummed along a moment, just to see if he had it right.

Matt
was holding back a smile over his refilled mug when Koyuki
finally finished. �Ah�when you add a second voice�� Koyuki
started and trailed off�suddenly realizing he had been humming not only in a
public venue, but in front of Matt. He blushed and stammered a bit before Matt
took pity on him.

�So�what
do you say? Think you can learn all that by this afternoon?�

�If
I start working on it now�I think so�� he agreed hesitantly. �But�do you mind
if I change some of the guitar?� When Matt continued to stare at him he hastily
reassured him: �Ah, but I won�t change it a lot�just�what�s the word? Smooth
it?� English was such a frustrating language sometimes. He must sound like an
idiot to a native speaker like Matt.

�Be
my guest, Koyuki. Composition was never my thing, you
know? That was Eddie�s gig. Just keep it like the original as much as
possible�that�s what I based the vocals on. Anyway, I reserved one of the
smaller studios for you�you can use it as long as you like to get everything
straight. Come on, I�ll show you the way.�

Matt
dug into his pocket as he stood and tossed a twenty down on the table before
striding away purposefully. Koyuki nervously grabbed
his guitar case and hurried after him.

And I thought I was done being
pressured by Eddie�s ghost, Koyuki
thought exasperatedly. As if Devil�s Way
hadn�t stressed him out enough; this came up out of nowhere. He felt like he
owed the singer this much, at least.

O-0-o-o-0-O

Koyuki�s fingers
danced up and down the fret-board stretching them well past his own comfort zone
to accommodate the strange chords Eddie had used throughout his lengthy
composition.

One two three one two and one �
shit!

His
mental count was interrupted when one of his fingers missed the high e
progression and the note hung in the air sourly�a painful reminder of how damn
awkward the score for Matt�s song was to play. Apparently no-one had told Eddie
that fingers just aren�t supposed to move that way.

�When
it comes to stupid chords that have no name and are awkward to play but sound
good, Ryusuke and Eddie have no competition,� he
muttered down into the score he had been assembling by ear from the rough
demo�more for his own peace of mind than born from true necessity. He reset his
mp3-player to listen to the sequence again�forcibly ignoring the exhaustion
that still lingered in his limbs from the past month.

The
guitar rested on his crossed legs while he stretched his fingers and his back
in an attempt to work out the kinks that had developed over the past several
hours. Matt�s manager had been in and out of the recording booth throughout the
day keeping him well-stocked with warm drinks for his throat, and food for his
constantly growling stomach. The evidence of those visits was spread around the
used music-sheets that had collected around his space in the middle of the
studio floor.

�Koyuki?
How�s it coming?� Matt asked, popping his head in the door, and entering
completely when he realized Koyuki was taking a bit
of a break.

�Good,
I guess. My fingers hurt,� he said and shook them out after he pulled the
ear-buds out of his ears. �Want to listen?�

�Nah. Just came by to check on
you. We�re just about finished the mastering of the other tracks and Scott�s
been wondering if you�re ready any time, or�would you rather have the rest of
the afternoon?�

Koyuki was extremely doubtful
he�d be left with anything other than stubs of his fingers if he practiced for
much longer. For such a short learning period, the song was about as learned as
it was going to get. �I�m okay. It should be easier during the recording. I�m
going to play by ear. I just wanted to get as much of the original in my head
with the changes I made before recording.� Back in the day, Moleman
had always emphasized feeling over technical perfection when the later was in
doubt. It was a lesson well-learned for Koyuki.

�Good.
Fine, I�ll let him know. Just uh�come on down when you�re ready. We�ll be
waiting. No rush though.� Matt paused in the doorway. �I really appreciate this
Koyuki. I won�t forget this, man.�

He
let out a breath he hadn�t realized he was holding until after the door shut
behind the huge American singer. He could make a good copy of the score later.
Watching Scott master an already recorded song would be a good distraction.

He
put away the guitar and sheet music and tidied up the mess he�d made before
lugging the instrument and himself down the hall to the studio Matt�s label had
reserved. One of the songs that he was sure Ryusuke participated
in recording was being played as he snuck in. Ryusuke
and Lucille could never be mistaken for anyone else�s work.

Scott
sat in front of the sound-board looking ever the King of the room, while Matt
hung back to the side sipping a steaming cup of coffee. The rest of the
population of the sound-room was rounded off by a long-haired blond man who Koyuki identified as Matt�s manager, and what looked like a
techie who he identified a bit hazily as a woman who had helped out with
post-recording mastering of BECK�s first album with Seaside.

In
an effort not to disturb the atmosphere, Koyuki
quietly deposited his bag and instrument under the only table and took a seat
that Matt�s manager waved him into with a smile of greeting.

�Thanks
for showing up Koyuki,� the man whispered and offered
his hand, which Koyuki awkwardly accepted. Though he
would probably never be comfortable with how touchy-feely Americans were at
times, at least it no longer blindsided him. �Matt�s been psyched about this
all day.�

�He
has?�

�He
didn�t tell you? Man, he�s been talking about trying to get you to sing with
him ever since the Avalon Festival. Here,� the man typed something into the
laptop in front of him and waited a moment before turning the screen towards Koyuki, who could only stare at it blankly.

Koyuki squinted and shrugged
apologetically at the foreign language displayed. �Ah�I can�t read English too
well��

�Oh,
shit. Sorry.� He turned the screen back around with a sheepish grin. �It�s a
website with rare live recordings�unprofessional, unsanctioned, uncensored�but
they have a pretty good following, and none of the big record companies bother
them too much so long as they don�t overlap live albums. Ever since Matt showed
up at your Avalon performance, one of their top downloads has been a rip
someone took of the duet you and Matt did in Seattle.�

Koyuki blanched. �Matt was��
While he had fond memories of singing Search
and Destroy with the popular singer, Matt had gone nuts near the end of the
song and ended up crashing not only the drum set�but brutally onto the floor
when his attempt at drunken crowd-surfing failed spectacularly.

�Yeah,�
the agent laughed quietly, �I think the end of it is half the fun for the fans,
since it�s so off the cuff and crazy. Hardcore fan really dig the
�non-commercialized� stuff like this.�

�Koyuki. Finally managed to drag yourself
outta bed?�

He
turned to find both Scott and Matt had finished whatever they were doing had
both turned to regard him. Scott wasn�t quite grinning, but he sounded amused
nevertheless. Matt just sipped his coffee idly, an action which didn�t quite
manage to hide his own amused grin.

Koyuki could feel his cheeks warm
under their combined pressure. �I�ll choose music over a nap, any day.� Koyuki shrugged and tried to change the topic. �I haven�t
heard that song yet, and I thought I�d heard all the ones Ryusuke
had recorded for you.�

�Late
addition to the album. We weren�t sure it was going to be included,� Matt
explained, �but it turned out a lot better than I thought it would after
mixing. A bit of Scott�s magic, I guess.�

Scott
just continued to smile, though it took on a bit of a self-satisfied edge as he
turned it onto Matt.

�Anyway,
you guys want a bit of a break before we do this, or do you want to jump right
into it?� Scott asked the two musicians.

Matt
looked like he was going to accede to whatever Koyuki
decided, so he just nodded.

�So�one
take?� Koyuki asked as he retrieved his guitar from
under the table and followed Matt into the recording booth.

�Nervous?�

�You
saw me recording my own album, didn�t you?� Koyuki
said dryly, and Matt laughed.

�You
were downright twitchy until Chiba
came in and gave you a German suplex.� Koyuki�s head still ached at just the thought of Chiba�or wrestling in
general. �Still�kid had the right idea with you��

He
was pretty sure Matt was kidding. �Scott made me nervous.� It was eerie how the
man never reacted to a screw-up. He just calmly told you to do it again�and
again�and again.

�Scott
couldn�t hurt a fly,� Matt scoffed and got an amused grin from the man on the
other side of the glass.

�I
had to get in the recording booth right after he�d ripped Saku�s
drumming to pieces and made him redo it close to fifty different times. I kept
imagining ending my own set with bleeding fingers just before I started my
vocal set.� Koyuki shivered even as Matt cracked his
first beer open and guzzled it like it was water.

Matt
let out a deeply satisfied �ahhh,� as he wiped his
mouth on the back of his sleeve. �But it turned out OK in the end.�

�I
guess,� Koyuki shrugged. He hefted the guitar out of
its case and donned the strap to anchor it to his body.

�I�m
just saying, if you get nervous�well�my wrestling moves are a little rusty but
I�m here if you need me, you know?�

Matt
got a smile for his effort while Koyuki tuned. He had
that same feeling in his stomach he always got before performing. A giddy sort of energy that was just waiting to be released.
He couldn�t quite stop his hands from trembling as his fingers worked the pegs
to ensure his guitar was in the right key for the odd song. Sometimes
performing in front of strangers was a lot easier than those whom you
respected, and cared what they thought about your music and performance. Scott
and Matt were both high on his own personal list.

�Ah.
I did mean to ask�what�s this song called?�

Matt
didn�t respond until he had drained the rest of his bottle, which he tossed
into the nearest garbage can carelessly. �Last Track.
I�m all about the double meanings, you know? It�s the last track on the album,
yeah�but it�s also like�hell�it�s about Eddie, I�m sure you can figure it out.�

He
could have hit himself just then�but there was no avoiding the issue. Koyuki swallowed hard and tried another tack when Matt
seemed focused a hundred miles away as he picked another beer from the cooler
and twisted off the cap.

Matt
really hadn�t been kidding when he said there would be lots of booze available.
The little fridge was packed with beer.

�I�I�m
glad you�re still making music. Even if he�s gone,� Koyuki
offered a bit lamely, and winced as soon as he said it.

A
heavy hand settled on his head and ruffled his hair, even while Matt continued
to drink. �I�d be dead or in Jail if I wasn�t making music. Eddie saved me, you
know. That�s why I was so fuckin� happy when I heard
you guys were finishing Devil�s Way. I needed that. I really fucking did. Like
everything that�s been weighing me down has just all upped and disappeared.

�That
song was what made me want to finish this one. Never would�a done it either. I�m too much of a fuckin� coward. Took me hours to get that
demo done. Kept fuckin� up and crying. Shit.�

When
the hand fell away Koyuki glanced up through his
bangs. Matt�s eyes were suspiciously glittery in the soft studio lighting. The
more Koyuki hung around Matt, the more he was
beginning to understand Ryusuke�s initial description
of Matt�s unapproachable outer fa�ade and inner vulnerability.

�You
guys starting in there?� Scott asked through the sound-room mic.

�Almost
there. One more and I�ll be good to go,� Matt said, then hesitated. �Maybe two.�

�We�re
all set on this end. It�s just recording everything right now, so start
whenever you�re ready. No rush Matt.� Scott was all patience normally, but in
that moment he sounded like even more so than usual.

The
dark-skinned singer didn�t reply. The bottle in his hand clanked loudly as it
hit the bin. His next choice fizzed only briefly before the sound was muffled
behind his lips.

Koyuki busied himself adjusting
the stool in front of the only mic in the room; one
of those old condenser-style models that hung from the ceiling. Koyuki settled himself and hooked his feet under a rung�waiting
for Matt.

It
was surprisingly painful to watch the older man get drunk because he couldn�t
deal with the raw agony of saying goodbye to Eddie. It wasn�t hard because it
was pitiful. It was hard because Koyuki knew there
was nothing he could say. Eddie Lee had died on a back-road for no damn good
reason at the height of his career. Ryusuke had been
shattered for months, and Matt was a lot closer to Eddie than Ryusuke had ever been. He�d been around him every day for
years. They were band-mates.

So
Koyuki just sat with his guitar and waited�and tried
his best not to fall into the lurch of emotions that were smothering the small
recording booth.

The
loud crash of Matt�s last beer bottle missing the garbage can and exploding
against the wall behind it seemed to be the signal that Matt was finally ready.

There
was something phenomenal about Matt�s presence as he took his place on the
opposite side of the microphone, eyes closed and waiting. With someone else
inside the booth with him, it was much easier to pretend that the booth and
Scott didn�t exist. Unwilling to disturb Matt�s sudden tranquil peace, Koyuki counted under his breath to himself, fingers
hovering in the sweet spot between sound-hole and bridge.

He
laid out the four-note intro which was basically a way for both himself and
Matt to figure out what notes they were starting on before they both began.
Matt�s voice wasn�t slurred, but it was rough and bled into the small space
like an open wound. For a couple of lines it was hard to tell if their voices
really matched. Koyuki�s was smoother and practically
an entire octave higher and in contrast Matt�s sometimes hit notes so low Koyuki could feel them vibrate the body of his guitar. Matt
paused in odd places, not always singing everything Koyuki
sang, but came back in harsh, strong, and intense�all sorts of melancholic
emotions dragging Koyuki and his guitar along whether
he wanted to or not. When one voice left off, the other took up, and when that
voice left off, the guitar was there, sad and longing in its bittersweet key
and finger-mangling chords. It wasn�t hard to get into the lyrics and the song.
It was hard not to drown in them.

Somewhere
in the middle of the song Matt opened his eyes, though he probably wasn�t able
to see. Tears welled and dribbled down his cheeks, and it wasn�t long before Koyuki�s own vision was similarly affected.

And
it only got worse as Matt moved into his last verse.

Koyuki couldn�t even see his
fingers any more as he blinked back tears. The aural intensity of their voices
pinnacled as Matt said his last goodbye�and made his promise through the pain
and the alcohol�to pick up every piece of his fucked-up life and keep going.

His
fingers hovered lightly on the strings over frets that produced the final trio of
resonant notes practically past the limit of human hearing. And then it was
over. Matt�s chest heaving heavily and his breathing loud and unsteady in the
sudden silence that felt more like a loud roar to Koyuki�s
ears.

Unlike
Koyuki, who quickly scrubbed his eyes, Matt just
stood there gazing at the ceiling, his thousand kilometer stare boring a hole
in the ceiling. Koyuki looked through the window over
at Scott who gave him two-thumbs up and a small understanding smile. Matt�s
manager was there as well, sitting with a beer in hand, looking equally lost in
thought.

Koyuki slipped off the stool and
put Eddie�s guitar away carefully. When he stood up again, Matt had regained
some of his composure.

�Thanks
Koyuki,� he managed roughly. The singer didn�t look unflappable
in that moment. Just lost�and vulnerable.

Koyuki was reminded then of how Ryusuke had taken Matt out drinking to lift his spirits
after the Live incident. He was going to regret this in the morning but he swallowed
and gathered his courage nonetheless. �How � how about we go drinking? I could
call Ryusuke.�

�Nah. He�s with some chick he
picked up. I�ll take you up on the bar though. C�mon. There�s one down the
street.�

Scott
said nothing as they came out, he looked like he wanted to listen to the
recording again, but was tacitly waiting until Matt left before he did. Koyuki left his guitar with Matt�s manager and let Matt
guide him out of the building into the chilly New York air.

Dusk
was settling to the sound of rush-hour traffic as they meandered down the
sidewalk. In a tuque and wearing sunglasses, no-one was likely to recognize
Matt where they were headed � probably a good thing considering the tense vibes
the singer was giving off whenever someone looked their way.

Why do I get the feeling I�m going
to regret this? thought
Koyuki as they entered a bar that, to his dismay, was
advertising dollar-shot Tuesdays. He stepped up beside Matt at the bar only
partly horrified when Matt put two fifties down on the coaster-littered
mahogany and told the bartender to keep hard booze coming until that ran out,
they passed out, or the apocalypse came.

No wonder Ryusuke
is such a mess after going out and drinking with him. Which really was the last completely coherent thought Koyuki would have for a long time as he picked up a
shot-glass to match Matt for as long as his metabolism could hold out.

O-0-o-o-0-O

It
was difficult to say who was supporting whom as Koyuki stumbled down the hallway supported and supporting
the larger man beside him.

They
eventually found Matt�s apartment door by nearly crashing into it�which
instigated another spastic fit of laughter to wrack both their bodies. And
although painful and not as funny as tripping over the fire hydrant and ending
up upside-down in a puddle had been, it wasn�t quite as wet.

In
a fit of annoyance, Matt knocked on the door and demanded to be let in, which
of course led to Koyuki asking if his girlfriend was
home to let them in. When Matt gave him a blank look and told him she was in
England Koyuki toppled over again as another fit of
laughter racked his frame. Matt was scowling a bit sheepishly and grumbed as he dug around his jeans for his keys.

When
Koyuki couldn�t seem to find the energy to get up
Matt just grabbed his leg carelessly and dragged him into his apartment. While
his leg was in the air and the ceiling had started to move, Koyuki
began wondering exactly why his feet were bare and just where his shoes had gone exactly. He hadn�t realized he�d vocalized
this random but very important thought until Matt answered him.

�Last
I saw you�d tied �em together and were using them
like nunchucks to intimidate the guys you were trying to play pool with,� Matt
revealed when he stumbled over Koyuki�s prone form to
close the door and shuck his soaked trench coat.

�I�ve
been hanging out with Chiba
too much,� Koyuki decided after his head stopped
hurting where it had bumped against the raised sill of the doormat had dragged
him across. �Ow?�

He
didn�t realize he was falling asleep until he was wrenched up from the ground
and steadied on his feet by a strong pair of helpful arms. �Don�t fall asleep,
yet. You�ll be useless tomorrow if you do. I always tell Ray that but he never
listens.� Koyuki blinked sleepily finding himself thinking Matt�s concerned dark eyes wouldn�t look
out of place on a Japanese person.

Once
installed at his kitchen counter with a monstrous glass of water, Koyuki took a moment to look around.

�Why
do you have an apartment in New York?�
Koyuki asked when Matt emerged from his lengthy visit
to the washroom wherein he did his best waterfall impression.

�Do
most of my recording here, so I�m here for months at a time. It just made sense
to buy something here.� He fell onto the stool next to Koyuki
with a matching glass. �It�s out of the way and low key enough that none of the
media know I live here. I can get peace and quiet whenever I need it without
worrying about getting hounded or whatever.�

Koyuki took a long drink from his
glass to sooth his sore throat�too much singing and screaming in one day. He
felt like putting his head down and sleeping, but from the way Matt was
watching him he doubted it would be for long if he did.

�I
know I said it already, but I really do appreciate what you did today. It means
a lot. My psychologist has been on my case to find some healthy way to vent all
the shit I�ve been feeling since Eddie died.�

Matt
hadn�t bothered to turn on any lights in the kitchen, and now Koyuki was glad he hadn�t as he blushed thoroughly. �It�s
okay. I wanted to.�

�Eddie
liked your voice, you know? So do I. That�s part of the reason why I wanted you
to do this with me. There are some days when�� Matt trailed off, finishing his
glass of water before he continued. �-days when I want to hear you sing so
fucking much it hurts, you know? Something about your songs just makes�fuck�I
know this sounds crazy�but it makes me feel like I can take all the shit the
world dishes out and be happy.�

Koyuki looked over feeling a bit
of wonder and a bit of incredulity. He flinched when he met Matt�s dark eyes
which were staring at him earnestly.

�Shit�you�re
shivering. I forgot you didn�t have a jacket when we fell into that puddle. You
must be freezing.�

�A bit.� Koyuki rubbed the gooseflesh on his arms absently. The
clock on the stainless steel microwave revealed it was just after midnight. �I
should head back to Scott�s place��

�Forget
that. You can stay here tonight. You think you can stay awake for a hot
shower?�

Koyuki nodded hesitantly.

�Fine,
the shower�s through there, on your left. While you�re in there I�ll scrounge
up some clothes for you to sleep in, okay?�

�Thank
you.�

He
found the bathroom in question down the hallway easily enough, and stripped off
his wet clothing into a pile on the floor before he turned on the shower.

While
he waited he noted the distinct lack of hair-care products and other feminine
affects that one might expect in a bathroom frequented by Matt�s girlfriend.

Matt�s
voice from the other side of the door startled him from his thoughts. �Towels
are behind the glass door. It�s kinda hidden, but
there�s a latch.�

�I
see it, thanks.�

Koyuki just stood under the
shower for a while until Matt pounded on the door wondering if he�d fallen
asleep standing up. He couldn�t really remember washing, which was weird
because he felt clean and smelled like the vanilla scented soap he�d found in
the shower. Matt must have stuck his head inside the door, because there was a
pair of boxers and a thin white tee on the counter�both way too small to be Matt�s.

He
wandered barefoot down the hall until he found Matt�s bedroom�where Matt had
obviously just changed the sheets on the expansive King-sized Western bed.

�There�s
a couch I could sleep on, unless you don�t mind sharing the bed.� Matt said
once he�d spotted Koyuki hovering in the doorway.

�I
don�t want to put you out of your own bed�I don�t mind.� He�d shared beds with Saku and Taira before when there
weren�t enough beds to go around in dirty motels on the American Tour.

�Cool.
I�m gonna take a shower. Feel free
to crash or whatever. I won�t be too long.�

Koyuki fell onto the bed and
briefly considered dragging himself over to one side�or getting under the
covers. But before he could act on such rational thoughts he�d stopped thinking
anything at all.

O-0-o-o-0-O

The
American Tour had spawned several very memorable events that the band liked to
bring up every once in a while much to everyone�s amusement. At the moment Koyuki was strongly reminded
of an incident in a cheap motel when they stopped in Austin, Texas
that had been well documented by a disposable camera that Taira-kun
had bought in a cheap drugstore the day before.

As
usual their reservations had been mixed up and they found themselves with only
two rooms, three beds, and four bodies. In the morning they�d found Chiba and Saku curled up around
each other like lovers, Chiba
stroking Saku�s hair while Saku
humped his leg with a perky erection poking out of the front of his boxers. Both of them, of course, still soundly
asleep.

Neither
could look the other in the face after that for weeks.

Waking
up hugging a warm body while a large hand stroked its way through his hair
brought back vivid flashes of the bed-humping incident.

Koyuki vaguely recalled entering
the bar. He hazily recalled a door hitting him. Or him
hitting the door. A glass of water.

He
was also fairly certain there was some vanilla in there somewhere.

But
none of that really explained why he was hugging Matt like he was some sort of
giant plushy used for his own amusement. He was mortified to realize the
stiffness between his legs was pressed firmly onto one of Matt�s legs. Koyuki pried his eyes open with a groan muffled by the hard
body his cheek was resting on only to find himself staring into sleepy but
quite lucid obsidian orbs.

�Morning,�
was all Matt said. Followed by: �I need to pee.� Four
words which removed Koyuki from his person faster
than even Taira wielding a camera would have.

Breakfast
was deceptively normal. Koyuki made an effort to cook
omelets for them, which Matt seemed to appreciate. Matt talked about his own
tour plans, and then a bit about the band that BECK would be touring with (he
knew the guys apparently and insisted they would be awesome and fun to be on
tour with), but he said nothing about the whole thing on the bed.

And
it was all the more conspicuous not getting
mentioned.

Matt
didn�t even look the least bit uncomfortable. Koyuki
could not say the same. Rumors had always surrounded Matt about his sexual
preferences, and even Ray had mentioned that Matt didn�t care too much about
gender, but hearing about it second-hand was a lot different than experiencing
it first hand.

Your over-thinking this, Koyuki. So you were�uh�cuddling after a drunken night. Who
cares? It was just coincidence of warm body in the same bed.

So
decided, Koyuki finally managed to look Matt in the
eye without blushing. The smile that greeted him, however, gave him a sinking
feeling that Matt knew exactly what
was going through his head at that moment and what was making him blush � and
he was enjoying every torturous moment of it.

O-0-o-o-0-O

�Koyuki, you can�t just go off and do this sort of stuff
anymore. You�re under contract and we didn�t negotiate a royalty sharing
agreement with Matt�s label before you recorded,� Komatsu lectured him through
the cell Koyuki pressed to his ear.

�I
didn�t do it for the money!� Koyuki said firmly. �I
don�t care about money.�

�Even
if you don�t, we do. And we have
signed you to a long-term contract.�

�It
doesn�t say anything about side-projects,� Koyuki
protested immediately. �I haven�t done anything wrong.�

�But there is a huge marketing possibility here. �Koyuki, lead singer of MCS
performs a duet on the former lead singer of Dying Breed�s new album.� This is
the sort of thing you need to warn us about. We need to prepare to take
advantage of these sorts of situations.�

Koyuki sighed and let his head
fall back onto the wall behind the short-backed chair he was sitting on. �Matt
called me yesterday morning. I recorded in the afternoon. Even I didn�t have any warning.�

�Be that as it may. This
isn�t the sort of thing you should be rushing into when your first album goes
on sale so soon. I�m not saying the publicity this will generate is a bad thing
but�did you clear this with your band before you went ahead and did it?�

�I
called Ryusuke. He said it would be good for Matt and good for the band.�

Komatsu�s
sigh over the line was exasperated. �Please, Koyuki,
in the future just let us know the instant something like this happens again,
please?�

�I
will. I�m sorry.�

Koyuki hung up and took the
offered cup of coffee Matt had brought him. �Thanks.�

�No
problem. Everything okay?�

Koyuki hesitated for only a
moment before he explained the problem. Matt just snorted into his own cup.

�All
recording companies are like that. They just like to be able to control all of
your publicity. Something like this is fairly minor. I mean, I have a good rep
and my popularity will only increase yours.� Matt paused and shrugged. �They�re
always thinking of the worst case scenario. Like if instead of me you�d hooked
up for a collaboration with a singer that would generate bad publicity�or a
female singer that might spawn unwarranted rumors of a relationship that would
hinder your first tour�that sort of thing.�

�I
just wish this didn�t have to be so�I don�t know � so Mercenary.
I just want to make�music. That sounds kinda lame
doesn�t it?�

Matt�s
hand came over to ruffle his hair again, which Koyuki
playfully dodged. �You have the director of Seaside in your corner Koyuki.
Don�t worry too much about the little stuff. You ain�t
going to please everyone all the time no matter how hard you try. All you can
do is try to stay true to you � know what I mean?�

�I
think�thanks Matt.�

�No
problem.�

Koyuki glanced back over his
shoulder and into the sound-room behind them, then over at the singer relaxing
beside him. �So�what did you think of the recording?�

Matt
smiled in a manner that was eerily similar to how Scott Lambroza
had reacted when Koyuki had asked the same question.

�When
my label listened to it they wanted to make it in the album�s second single.� Koyuki�s eyes widened. �I told them to shove it. That
song�well�you know. I wanted it to be
on the album, you know? But I don�t want it turned into something it isn�t. It
was my goodbye, and that�s that. It�s not some fucking merchandizing opportunity.�

Koyuki could understand that, at
least. Ryusuke was decidedly against performing Devil�s Way again simply because of the
feelings and the meaning that song has for not only the entire band, but fans
of the now defunct Dying Breed.

�I
wouldn�t mind performing it with you at a live, though,� Matt continued, �if
you�re up for it someday. But nothing manufactured. And
certainly not when I�m fucking sober.� His voice held hints of
self-depreciation in that statement. And Koyuki
thought that maybe he was beginning to understand Matt a bit better when he
understood just how much Matt disliked his own hair-trigger emotions. But then
those emotions were exactly why he was such a loved singer. Because
he didn�t just sing about hurt and
love and hatred. He experienced it and channeled it all through his
music. Nothing Matt did was manufactured. If he sang it, it was real.
Consequently, if he wasn�t feeling something, he�d just walk off the stage�a
problem Dying Breed had had at many lives where the sound-quality was crap and
Matt had just left the stage.

And
even though his own emotions were a bit more stable, Koyuki
wasn�t all that different. He could still remember experiencing it for the
first time, singing Ryusuke�s original acoustic
version of sister in that small dinky
studio in Tokyo�his
first formal audition for BECK.

�How�s
Ray�s little sister doing?� Matt asked, changing the topic quite suddenly.

�Eh?
Maho-chan?
She�s fine. Still in England studying.�

�Ray
was telling me you two are dating.�

Koyuki shifted uncomfortably on
the small chair and took a sip of the scalding liquid. �I don�t know about dating. One moment I think we are�the
next�� a frustrated huff left his lips. �I don�t know.�

�Long-distance
relationships are tough. Trust me, I know. I�ve gone through so many. And all
of them seem to end while I�m on a long tour. They just don�t seem to want to
wait around for me.� Matt sipped his drink and frowned. �Or they see me at an
after-party and get this idea that I�m cheating on them, or something. Fuck.
Sometimes I think Eddie had the right idea.�

�Eddie?�

�Yeah. See, he was a lot like Ray
in some respects, maybe a bit less loose with his affections, but still a lot
like Ray. They don�t settle at all. It�s a girl in one city and another in the
next. No attachments, no regrets�just some fun and then it�s gone.�

Having
walked in on a Ray threesome, Koyuki knew exactly
what Matt was talking about.

�I
just don�t work like that,� Matt admitted. �I focus on one person. It�s just
how I�m built. I don�t want anyone else when I start to focus in on one person,
you know?�

�I
do,� Koyuki said, thinking of his own problems with Maho. Even when he�d had a willing girl back in Japan with Maho nowhere in sight he couldn�t do it. �I�m the same.�
Matt had a good belly-laugh when Koyuki shared how
this girl back in Tokyo
now was absolutely convinced he was gay when he wouldn�t go all the way with
her after she offered.

�It�s
not that funny,� Koyuki
muttered into his coffee as Matt wound down.

�I�m
sorry. Ray was convinced you had a thing for him for a while when you kept
calling him Ryusuke-kun. I know it was just a mix-up,
but it was still funny as hell.�

Koyuki failed to hide his
embarrassment. �Ryusuke is uncomfortable with a lot
of Japanese culture. He wouldn�t let me call him senpai.�

�No
kidding.� Matt chuckled. �I don�t really get it either. But I�m not Japanese so
I don�t pretend I�ll ever. Hey,� he said, changing the topic abruptly. �I heard
you�re heading back to Japan
to shoot your first music video.�

�They
booked me a flight tonight,� Koyuki grumbled. �We�re
shooting Coin Laundry on Friday and I
have to be on site as soon as I can.�

�Excited?�

�Mm�I�m
more nervous. I don�t know what to expect. Our first music video was shot by
Jim Walsh.�

�Jim�s
the man. You�ll do fine. Seaside
wouldn�t send someone shitty to do this one. I haven�t heard them buzzing like
this in years. They think they�ve finally hit the jackpot with you boys. I
can�t say I disagree.�

�T-thanks.� Koyuki willed his ears to cool.

�You
may not have heard this, but he told me he wanted to be the one to direct
Devil�s Way when the time comes.�

�Jim
did?� Koyuki asked.

�Yeah. It�s
gonna be your second single right?� Koyuki nodded. �Well�he sounded pretty enthused about it.
So I�m sure he has his people already talking to Seaside about the possibility.�

�I
think we�d all like that,� Koyuki admitted. Jim was a
nice guy�he�d done an awesome job on their first video.

�You
need a ride to the airport later?� Matt offered.

�N-no. Seaside is sending a limo.� Koyuki admitted uncomfortably.

�You
have my number, though, right?� Matt asked.

Koyuki nodded. Matt had put it
into his cellphone that morning at breakfast.

�Call
me when you have your touring schedule, okay?�

�I
will.�

�I
should head back inside. Scott�s been sending me the look for a while now.� Matt stood and stretched before he
reached over and let his half-full coffee cup fall into the garbage can. �You
know�I�ve got that feeling again.�

Koyuki craned his neck to look
up. �Feeling?�

�Yeah. The one I had when I first
started singing for Eddie. I lost it when he died, but now that I�ve sung my
last track with him�I don�t know. I feel like I can start again. Fuck�you must
think I sound like an idiot sometimes.�

�I
don�t,� Koyuki reassured him with a smile. �It makes
sense to me.�

�Haha�that�s why I like you Koyuki. You get it. I don�t need to fucking explain.� He put his hand on the
knob and smiled at his own reflection in the narrow window. �I sang my last
track for Eddie. But�I�m kinda hoping that was only the
first track�between you and me.�

The
door thudded closed in his wake.

When
the limo-driver picked him up at Scott�s later in the afternoon, he still had a
stupid grin on his face.

[end?]

A/N:
I doubt many will read this. But I had some good inspiration for this little ficlet and couldn�t resist. Personally, I wish there was
more fanfiction out there based on this series. I
think this is one of the best manga ever
drawn/written in this genre. I bow to BECK�s
awesomeness.

I�ll
consider writing something else if there are interested parties out there in
this sort of stuff.

Visit
my blog, leave a review, or e-mail me. I�d love to hear from you.

http (colon) //sandywriter (dot) livejournal
(dot) com
- 1
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

The Last Track