Boredom (original) (raw)

Title: Boredom
Fandom: Placebo
Pairing: Bri/Stef
Rating: U
Notes: A small fic challenge between myself and ultra_pink. We had to take a pairing and write a fic about one of them being bored in the studio in 30 mins. Hers can be found here.

Brian gazed around the small room, huffing impatiently. He was bored. He stared at the mixing desk for a while before the familiar sounds of a bass guitar being tuned brought his eyes to the glass panel in front of him. He smiled as he watched Stefan, seemingly engrossed in the task of tuning and looking positively adorable in the huge studio headphones. The bassist was recording additional parts for a new track that was nearly complete, which meant a whole day of Brian doing nothing. Steve of course had taken the sensible option and just stayed at home, saving himself 10 hours of boredom in the process.

Brian sighed pitifully to himself as he glanced at his watch for the third time that minute. There was still an hour until the lunch break. He tilted back on the chair slightly as the familiar riff from their newest song started to drift through the speakers. His attention was captured by Stefan again as he joined in with the song, and Brian didn’t notice the front chair legs teetering dangerously off the ground.

There was a muffled scream and a loud crash and Stef looked over just in time to see his boyfriend fall backwards hopelessly onto the floor. He hurried over concernedly, but couldn’t help smiling as Brian’s head emerged from behind the mixing desk looking thoroughly embarrassed.

“Are you ok?” Stef asked, a large grin now firmly plastered on his face. His voice was amplified from the microphones and through the speakers into the mixing room. Brian forced a smile and nodded to Stef through the soundproof glass.

“I’ll be finished with this in a few more takes, then we can go and get something to eat.” Stef replied as he swung his bass back into position. He stepped back into the middle of the room and resumed the song where he left off.

Brian sat back on the chair carefully, wincing slightly from a bruised backside and making sure all four legs were firmly on the ground.

/Only a few more takes/ he thought to himself as he drummed his fingers on his knee. /I can survive another half an hour/

Unsurprisingly a few minutes later, Brian was bored again. Even the novelty of watching Stef playing the bass had worn off. His eyes travelled around the room searching for something to entertain him until they came to rest on the mixing desk. It had ever looked so attractive before, with all its flashing buttons, sliders, knobs and labels. Brian felt like a child in a sweet shop and tried to resist going over to play but his hands got the better of him and dragged his chair closer to the shiny grey surface. He had a look around at it carefully as he tried to work out what buttons did what, then impatience took over and he jabbed at the nearest flashing button.

It did nothing.

Brian waited for about a minute.

Still nothing had happened.

Undeterred he moved on to the next flashing button and read the label first before poking it.

“double..” he murmured, hesitating for a moment before pressing it down. At first he thought nothing had happened again, when all of a sudden the music playing accelerated in tempo sending it into a frenzy of screeching guitars and drums. Stefan visibly jumped and would have dropped his bass if it wasn’t for the strap around his neck. He instantly glared at Brian, who was wearing a sheepish grin and trying to look innocent.

“Brian.. What did you-” Stefan asked, sounding very unimpressed. Brian cut him off with a quick shrug of the shoulders and inconspicuously pushed the button again. The music returned to normal and he breathed a sigh of relief, leaning back on the chair before springing forward as he remember his earlier accident. Stef rolled his eyes as he once again resumed playing the bass riff and silently praying that Brian would let him finish it this time.

Brian fidgeted. He desperately wanted to do something but he had finally realised that he could go once Stef finished recording. And to do that Brian had to sit still and cause no more disturbances. He sat on his hands to stop them roaming where they shouldn’t and chewed on his lip as he stared at the ceiling. He became so engrossed in a penguin-shaped spot on the tiles that he didn’t even notice the music stop. It was only when the door to the mixing room softly clicked open that he brought his attention away from the ceiling and looked around himself.

Stef was standing in front of him, smiling at the innocent look on his face and holding out a hand to help him to his feet.

“Can we go now?” Brian asked as he took Stef’s hand and let himself be pulled up.

“Mhmm all done. See that wasn’t so hard.” Stef replied, placing a small kiss on the singer’s lips.

“Nope. I just needed something to occupy myself with.” Brian grinned.

“Oh? Maybe next time I should get you a nice teletubbies puzzle or something?” Stef smirked as they walked out of the studio. Brian punched him lightly on the arm in protest.

“A Barbie one would be better.” he retorted with a smile.