Caged Bird

9

Levi waited in his dressing room. A knock on the door made him tense.

"Sir, I have a gift from the boss," a voice said.

"Come in," Levi replied.

A young boy, a waiter it appeared, walked in. He handed Levi a black garment bag and walked out. Upon opening it, Levi saw it was a ombré blue jacket; it started off a bright blue and turned into a darker blue at the ends. Levi guessed he was supposed to wear, when a folded piece of paper fell out.

"For the show, tonight. –Zeke"

Levi scowled. He didn't like Zeke one single bit. Levi was doing this for Hanji though. With an irritated grumble, Levi pulled the jacket on and headed out. He paced around backstage. It'd been 20 minutes and no sign of Hanji. Then her voice echoed softly through the room.

"P-please, can't I wear something less revealing?" Hanji said.

"No. You wear what I tell you to wear." Zeke replied.

"J-just this once! Please!" Hanji begged.

'SLAP'.

"DO NOT DISOBEY ME." Zeke hissed.

"Otherwise, after this show, you will be punished severely."

Hanji whimpered softly.

"S-sorry..." she said.

Levi felt the anger rise inside him but had to force it back. Zeke couldn't know about his feelings towards Hanji just yet.

"Now get your pathetic ass backstage for final check." Zeke ordered.

Hanji walked backstage. She saw Levi but had to hold back her excitement. Levi's eye went wide seeing her. Hanji was dressed in a beautiful blue colored lingerie set, it was covered in pale blue and dark blue gems, a pair of strappy sparkly blue shoes were on her feet, a jeweled and feather hair-piece and she had a blue and grey smoky eye for makeup, hidden just a little behind her glasses. The most eye-catching feature of her outfit though, was the big, feathered, blue wings attached to her back.

"You look uh...very nice," Levi said.

He had to play it cool in order to keep Zeke from finding anything out. Hanji just nodded.

There was a silence in the lounge as the announcer walked on stage. Levi and Hanji got ready behind the curtain.

"Gentleman! We have a special guest this evening! Levi Magnolia will be singing along with your favorite lady," they said.

The curtain raised and the music begun. Hanji was up first.

"You said if you could fly, you would fly far - far into the sky, So, all you'd ever know. Is the blue - that blue sky up above?" she started.

Levi glanced over at her. Hanji's voice was truly beautiful.

"You've yet to learn what the pain from true sadness is like, you've only had but a taste, But you're a moth to the flame. When all my feelings reach you, they'll no longer be mute. For on that day, they'll live in spoken words. From in a dream, When I awake into the world, I no longer know. If I could only spread my wings and fly away..." Hanji continued.

"I said if I could fly, I would fly far - far into the sky. And I would set my aim... On the clouds, all around that endless sky. The moment I break free, I'll finally find - find all I seek. And it's all waiting there, In that blue - in that blue sky up above, In that blue - in that blue sky up above, In that blue - in that blue sky up above!"