What I Wouldn't Give II: a Macross 7 fanfic
By yutamiyu


DISCLAIMER: ::does the "They're Not Mine" dance::


Mylene waits to be rescued...



That stupid Basara.

We came on the Riviera to enjoy ourselves, not to fight. We came for the gig, we came for the money, we came for the vacation.

At least, I did.

That stupid jerk. Wouldn't even join me for a swim.

I was going to show him my new bikini, too...

I won't let him get me down. I run to the water, and thoroughly enjoy myself. I make it a point to wave at both Ray and Veffidas, who are both at separate points on the beach. I also try waterskiing, which I have never attempted before. I find that I am pretty good at it for a first-timer.

I eventually drag myself out of the calming water to run to the small café on the other side of the beach to have a date with Gamlin. He's a nice man, and treats me a lot better than others I might mention. However, he's extremely nervous around me, and he asks all sorts of personal questions that I'm not really ready to answer. And so I lie to him.

Veffidas rescues me from my date by walking by and tapping my head, indicating that our next concert is rapidly approaching. I stand and quickly thank Gamlin, claiming that Veffidas is an upperclassman. I run off towards her.

I never make it to my room. For the sirens start sounding, and a voice comes on the loudspeakers, informing everyone on the beach that the section A-3 will be closed off, and that everyone should head for the shelters.

I know what's going to happen next. Basara is going to run to his Valkyrie and blast off into space, singing his heart out while shots fire past him. He'll leave me alone, worrying about his safety.

It never changes. I wish it would. I wish he'd take me with him. I want to help him in whatever it is that he's doing. It seems that everyone else in Fire Bomber understands him but me.

I want to understand.

I am broken from my musings by someone who runs into me, making me lose my 
balance but remain on my feet. I am surprised by the mass hysteria running past me. I should probably head for the shelters.

"Mylene!" I hear a faint call. "Mylene!" It gets stronger.

I look around, and see familiar spiky hair in the crowd coming towards me. I turn and wave my arm. "Basara!"

"Mylene!" He runs towards me and shoves Guvava in my arms.

"...You're going out, then?" I say, sadly. Invite me, Basara. I want to go up with you.

"Of course," he replies swiftly, as though there were no alternative. "You'd better hurry. The shelters are closing."

I hold Guvava to my chest, to my heart; a lacking substitute for his hand. "You're really going..." I muse sadly, and drop my head to the ground.

I do not see the runner who hits me from behind. I do, however, yelp and drop Guvava, who takes off blindly in the direction of the area being sealed off.

"Guvava, wait!" I call, and run after him. "Don't go that way! Guvava! Wait!"

I wasn't aware that Basara was following me until I see him pick up speed and fly past me, stopping to pick up Guvava from his hopping frenzy. I run up to him and stop. He pushes Guvava into my hands. "Here," he says firmly. "Hang on to him."

Such a strong voice...

"Thanks," I reply sheepishly. I am embarrassed that I have gotten Basara mixed up in my own personal problems, but at the same time I couldn't be happier. I have gotten into the habit of depending on him; a habit that is both unfortunate and sensuous.

"We'd better hurry before they close," he says, grabbing my hand and pulling me towards the direction of the shelters.

Before I even realize it, we are surrounded by flashing red lights and noisy alarms. The heavy metal doors begin to drop from the ceiling, sealing off passageways. We barely dodge several, but do not get through another. Basara and I are trapped alone in an empty room with no one around.

How oddly appealing.

Basara walks up to the door we were about to run through and pounds on it; first in anger, then in an attempt to get someone to notice that we are in here. I watch as his fist turns red and a drop of sweat runs down his neck.

"It's no use," he finally says. "We're trapped."

I work up the courage to use my voice. "I'm sorry..." I say, softly. "It's Guvava's fault."

He spins around and points an accusing finger at me. "Don't blame it on Guvava," he chides.

"But, Guvava--"

"We shouldn't have been here in the first place," he interjects, closing his eyes and crossing his arms. He gets like this whenever he's frustrated or angry. Usually it's at me. What did I do this time?

"What, are you saying it's my fault?" I say, the tone of my voice beginning to rise back to its angry mode.

"Basically," Basara quips.

That does it. "You're always complaining!" I exclaim. "I'm the one who found the work!"

"If you're going to find work," he replies, "then make it decent work."

"What are you talking about?" I groan, and turn to mumble to myself. "You're the one who ruined the concert..."

"We don't know if it was ruined," he states, and my cheeks flush slightly. He wasn't supposed to hear that. I turn back towards him, and find that his head has turned to face me.

That beautiful face...

"Even if the audience wasn't into it," he continues, "I was able to sing all I wanted."

"That's just like you," I spit back. "You never think of anyone else! You're so insensitive!"

This is familiar. This is "safe". This is what Basara and I are used to. Fighting and singing; that is all we are with each other.

That's it. 

"W...wait a second..." Basara tries, calming down, fear filling his eyes. It's much too late to try and calm me, spike-boy. I'm going to rant you out until it exhausts me.

"IRRESPONSIBLE! SELFISH! STUBBORN! COLD-HEARTED!" I begin to feel better. Better and...colder?

My eyes meet his. Fire blazes within my eyes as well as his. Neither of us will back down from our positions. We both shiver, and sense is knocked into us both.

"I guess this is no time to be fighting," I say, accepting a truce and being thankful for it. I walk over to the wall and slide my back down it, sitting down on the floor. I clutch Guvava to my chest, trying to warm myself. Basara joins me. I shiver, but not from the frost.

"Freezing to death on a visit to the summer ocean...it's not even funny," I muse, and close my eyes. "I've got goosebumps all over." Some aree from the cold, but most are from Basara. Although I'm sure he can't tell the difference. 

He stands quickly. "Let's sing," he says to me, and begins to sing his Planet Dance song. A song we have sung time and time again in concerts. I have sung that song countless times during my short career with Fire Bomber, and once too many today. That is the last song I want to sing.

"Geez," I grumble at him. "What are you thinking? You sing in the middle of battle, you sing in a situation like this..."

He stops and turns towards me. The determination in his eyes leave me breathless. "Singing will get you fired up! That will make your body warmer, too." 

I can only gape at him in shock. 

"It's better than freezing to death," he says, appealing to my rational mind. He continues to sing.

//This is a flying paradise. A forgotten energy...//

I simply watch him, my heart pounding madly in my chest. Basara's music has this effect on me. I feel calm, at ease, when I listen to his soothing voice sing slow songs and encouraged when his determined voice sings his faster ones.

His music has this effect...or maybe it's just Basara himself.

//No more wastin' time. Before everything fades away like a dream...//

Mylene, what are you doing? Are you simply going to give up and let him go on alone?

He's been such a jerk to me.

But there were moments of extreme kindness...

I make my decision and stand up, joining in his song. Our voices synchronize instantaneously, as they always have.

//Hey, everybody! Aim at the light. Let's dance. Dancing in the planet dance...//
//A liar sings a sad song of surrender. No thanks! You're of no help. Ever-changing constellations and invisible sweat and tears brings courage into my heart.//
//No more wastin' love, don't ruin your love. Someone must be looking only at you.// 
//Hey, everybody! Straight from your heart...Let's shout. Jumpin' in the planet dance...//

We reach the end of the song, and I am so into it that I merely start over, as if there was more to the song. I notice that Basara has started over as well and I realize that our minds and voices are acting as one.

//Let's get started, it's a Saturday night. How are you all doing? Let's stand up...do you feel the beat?//

My voice is starting to hurt and my lips are beginning to numb.

//This is a flying paradise.//

I begin to breathe heavily, and sink down the wall to sit on the floor once again. I can no longer sing. 

And the room gets colder and colder.

Basara stops singing soon after me, and turns to me in frustration. "Don't give up, damn it!" he cries. "You have to sing! Sing to make yourself feel alive!"

"B...but..." I say, angered that I can't think of what else to say. My mind has been taking longer and longer to supply me with simple words. 

What is happening?

"You're a vocalist, aren't you?" he chides, and I find that I cannot face him. I turn away and hear a small frustrated groan emerge from deep inside his throat. I wait for him to start singing, and he never does.

When I look up I find him climbing the wall towards a small hatch in the ceiling.

"I'll be back to rescue you soon," he calls. "Keep singing!" He climbs into the hatch.

I somehow manage the energy to climb to my feet and run to the hatch. "Come back for me before I'm done with the fourth verse!" I yell to him. His spiky head pops out of the hatch and smiles at me, giving me a thumbs-up and then he is gone.

My eyes remain transfixed on the hatch, as if any moment I expected Basara to pop out of it and fold me in his arms and tell me that he would protect me forever. My desire quickly turns to worry as I hear shuffling above me and realize that he is crawling away from me in the direction we were heading before the doors shut. I hope he makes it back soon.

I drag my eyes away from the hatch and close them, concentrating, trying to remember the words to my song.

//Our voices synchronize just like falling in love and kissing.//

That's it, Mylene. You're getting it. Keep singing.

I hug Guvava tighter to my chest as the room gets colder and colder.

//My heart is always here for you.//

Basara...hurry.

//But, oh! I wonder what your shining eyes are searching for? Oh, my friends!//

I stop singing, and shiver violently. My fingers are completely numb, and patches of my skin are slowly starting to lose feeling. I watch in worry as well as childish fascination as the steam forms from my labored breathing.

//I'm going to run with you toward a star where our dreams are. When we look at each other everything will become real.//

End of chorus. Start second verse. 

Come on, Mylene. 

Fight.

//My strong mind doesn't allow any tears on my face...I'm supposed to be able to bear any hardship.//

My legs are feeling weak. It is becoming more and more difficult with each passing word.

//Lately, it makes me nervous when he looks far away.//

My legs collapse from under me and I fall down onto my knees. I can barely breathe, and the room is starting to become fuzzy. My voice is throbbing from abuse in bad weather.

"Oh, my...friends..." I manage softly, and collapse to the floor completely, finding myself unable to move.

Basara...where are you? Are you going to leave me to die, alone?

Between the dark black areas in my vision, I can see a large red blur break through the door in front of me. It's Basara's Valkyrie. He came back for me.

"Ba...sa...ra..." I say softly, and the last thing I see is the pilot door opening as my eyes close involuntarily and I lose consciousness.

Hold me, Basara.

I wake up in his arms. I have no recollection of how I got there, and all I can feel is a slight tingling sensation on my lips, and heat in my cheeks. I am greeted by his relieved, smiling face.

"You're all right now," he says softly. 

I am in his Valkyrie. How did I get in here?

I am grateful that my cheeks are already pink from sickness, because I find myself blushing madly by being in his arms.

"There is no fourth verse in that song," he informs me.

"Oh...that's right," I reply sleepily. I snuggle into him. "So warm..."

I close my eyes and snuggle into him again, sighing contentedly.

I know that this is a momentary thing; that when I wake up, I will no longer be in his arms. We'll go back to being the bickering rock band that we have always been.

But what I wouldn't give to stay like this forever.

~End~

AUTHOR'S NOTE: WHAT reused lines? ::tacks halo above head, whistles innocently::

BY Yutamiyu