Disharmony

Crumble

Xavier smiled softly as Dylan's breathing slowed and he stopped fidgeting beneath the covers.

As he repeated the chorus for the last time, Xavier felt that familiar ache in his chest. He missed Dylan constantly while he was away and he would forever feel guilty about leaving him behind. But Dylan understood. He understood that performing was Xavier's dream.

What Dylan probably didn't know was that there was more to the story.

Xavier wanted to make something of himself. He wanted to prove to Dylan that anything was possible, no matter where you came from. And in the long run, Xavier wanted to be able to support his brother so that he could get a good education and grow up to make something of himself as well.

True, Xavier probably could have done all of this with a more traditional occupation. But if he'd learned anything from the death of his parents it was that he needed to go for what he wanted while he still had the chance. Life was too short to waste it wishing for something better.

And right now, he couldn't ask for a better life.

Smiling softly, he leaned over to kiss his sleeping brother's forehead before pushing himself from the bed and turning towards the door. He was startled to find a certain petite brunette leaning against the door frame, looking rather star struck.

"Hey," he said sheepishly, walking over to turn off the light. He ushered Kasia into the hallway, shutting the door behind him.

He leaned against the wall, crossing his ankles and shoving his hands in his pockets. "All of the washing done?"

She nodded, that wide eyed wondrous gaze still upon him. The corners of her lips lifted and she tilted her head to the side. "I was so entirely wrong about you, wasn't I?"

"What do you mean?" he asked, a little confused.

"I just..." she licked her lips. "I guess I pictured your life as extremely different than it actually is."

He laughed quietly. "Yeah, well I had my misperceptions about you as well."

She smiled and it was beautiful. It wasn't the one she used when she was being polite to people she didn't like or the one she used when she was so tired she could barely stand but she had to sit through a team meeting to discuss the next night's performance.

No, it was the smile she got around fans. The one where her eyes lit with joy and her smile was so bright that it could probably light the darkest room in the world. It was the one she used when she was genuinely and completely happy.

And the fact that she was using it in his presence was something remarkable.

"Come on," he said quietly, nodding somewhere towards the back of the house. "There's somewhere I want to take you."

She followed silently as he led her out the back door. They walked through the overgrown grass, jumped a wrought iron fence, and wound their way through clumps of tall trees until he finally came to a stop beside a creek. Smiling secretively, he motioned towards a large, flat rock and took a seat, gesturing for her to follow suit.

She crossed her legs, facing him as he faced the water, his arms wrapped around his knees to pull them into his chest.

"I used to come here all the time," he said quietly. "This is where I first started writing songs."

There was silence and he turned his head slightly to see her reaction. He expected to see the look he'd gotten so accustomed to receiving after the death of his parents: the look of pity. But instead, she looked genuinely heartbroken. Along with another emotion it took him a moment to place. And when he realized what it was, he was left entirely breathless.