Based on a true story.

How to Serenade Successfully
December 10th 2014
by Elise the Writing Desk, Characters by QuinRose
(None of songs or other references mentioned here are mine!)

'I like you.'

Boris is a tsundere. Self-depreciating, making people frustrated, but if you're used to it, that's kind of cute. And then he just had to be crushing on another tsundere. Name's Alice.

'Do you like me too?'

'Can we hold hands?'

And it's going to be Christmas, and there's not much time when the Winter Break begins. And when the last semester is over, they'll be too busy to meet up, and seriously, if he doesn't do anything fast, they'll graduate and move on with life.

'Can I run my fingers through your hair?'

"Japan." Boris deadpanned when he was adjusting his six strings, almost dropping the precious instrument. "Y-You're going to Japan?"

"Yeah," Alice tapped the bass drum and licked her lips. "I got the scholarship! Wonderful, innit?"

"Yeah—I mean, psh! What do I care?" Boris rolled his eyes, trying to hide his shock and panic. "Like, good riddance, I don't have to see your face again."

"You too." Alice stuck her tongue out and tapped the treble.

Silence.

'You're going away?'

'You don't hesitate for a second. Did I ever cross your mind when you decide to leave?'

'I like you.'

Alice fidgeted, she stopped tapping the treble. "N-Not like I want you to miss me or anything!"

"Psh yeah, who would be missing you? I surely wouldn't!" Boris scoffed again, choosing the picks in the bowl. "A-Anyway, where's Ace and Elliot?"

Alice set down her drumsticks and stood up. "They're probably hitting each other again, I'll go and get 'em."

When the door was clicked close, Boris gasped and ran upstairs from the basement, wanting to erase his most-likely-horrified face, but then his Scottish-accented foster father caught him.

"Oi, son! What's wrong?"

"N-None of your business!"

Gowland hummed, and dragged the teen to shove him onto the sofa. "You best get a cuppa. Ya heard it, eh? Alice is goin' to Japan."

Boris felt limp as he accepted his cuppa and tried not to drop it. "You bloody knew?"

"Of course, her sister won't stop blabberin' bout it." The man laughed, and then stared at Boris in concern. "Son, you should made the move now, or you'll lose 'er. That girl is going big."

Boris gripped his tea cup, irritated. "Well what am I supposed to do? What am I supposed to say? Alice, I love you milady, would you be my girl? Oh, sure, Boris, but I'm going to Japan, let's have a long distance relationship and I'll cheat on you with a pretty-faced Japanese visual-K boy, uhh yeah."

'Do you even like me?'

Out of frustration, Boris emptied his cup in one gulp, and dropped his back onto the sofa. Gowland sighed, rubbing his temple.

"Oh, Boris. You're not good with words, just like me old friend." He patted Boris' back and smiled wryly. "Though hopefully you're the same case with 'im. He won't act 'less he's cornered."

~.X.~

The exams were done, Christmas coming closer, snow, and there's only a free week where remedial took place and students running around like colony of ants got their nest crumbled. Alice was an honor student, while Boris couldn't care less about getting credits. He's not even going to university.

"Oi, Alice." Boris tapped her shoulder when the homeroom was over. He cleared his throat when she looked up at him with those clear eyes. "Come with me for a sec?"

Alice tilted her head, shrugging. "Sure." She got up from her desk and readily followed him. "You okay? You look really pale, Boris." She stroke his face in concern.

"Uh, really, it's nothing." Boris smiled wryly, enjoying the attention and her gentle touch. "Let's go to the rooftop. I need to show you something."

And the rooftop they went. Alice gasped in the cold air happily and twirl around beneath the falling snow. Boris gazed at the view gently, eyes half-lidded. It's been that way when they're child, she'd twirl around whenever the snow's falling.

"LET IT GOOO!" Alice screamed, throwing a snowball to Boris, who dodged. "LET IT GOO!"

"HIT BORIS' FACE WITH THE SNOOOW!"

"OW! WHAT THE F—"

Boris grunted, rubbing the snow off his hair, while Alice was laughing. She looked up and sighed, looking unpleased.

"It's all Disney's fault! Now whenever I see snow, I can only think of Elsa. I mean, I should be thinking about Jack Frost, but he didn't sing a hit soundtrack while building a castle..."

Boris rolled his eyes, and picked the classic guitar he'd prepared by the rooftop door. Alice raised her eyebrows upon noticing this.

"Yeah, I guess I'll see if I can change that. I'll get that song out of your head." Boris hummed, jamming slightly with his guitar.

"Okay, good luck, Sir Airay!" Alice saluted and sat down on the snowy rooftop.

'Yes. Look at me.'

'Keep your eyes on me.'

'I like you, Alice.'

But then he felt is throat dry. His voice wouldn't come out, and his fingers got a mental frostbite—what was he doing? He forgot what he actually wanted to sing for her. Boris noticed her shivering despite her eager smile—he shouldn't keep her out here for too long. He racked his brain through and his fingers began to play.

"Ahem..." he cleared his throat.

"What's this? What's this?

There's color everywhere

What's this?

There's white things in the air

What's this?

I can't believe my eyes

I must be dreaming

Wake up, Jack, this isn't fair

What's this?"

Alice was squealing, hugging herself, grinning as her face was steaming. "Aww, Jack..."

Boris kept his voice steady while his brain was doing a back-flip from that squeal. Wait, why the hell did he sing this anyway? He was supposed to serenade—Ugh, but no! This wasn't what he wanted to sing for her...He was supposed to sing something else—how the hell did this song got stuck in is head anyway?

"PASTAAA~!"

"Oh, sorry, that's my phone." Alice abruptly ended the performance and took out her cellphone. Boris sighed in relief. He wanted to break his guitar into two, though.

He's not corny! Why the hell did he sing that song!? Damn it, Jack Skellington!

"For the record, that sounded amazing! Is that what you're going to perform on the prom?" Alice asked, her hands were busy texting, and Boris gape, still in a turmoil.

"Uh, I dunno, um, no, I don't think so..."

"Well, you have a great voice, Boris," Alice smiled and pocketed her phone. "You'll sing anything just fine and I'll love anything you sing. Though it's really chilly here now, can we get inside again?"

"Yeah, sure," Boris answered while his mind was somewhere else.

'You love my voice?'

'Does that mean you love me too or just my voice?'

'Though if you want it to be yours, you have to accept the whole package.'

'Ugh, what the hell—stop these corny pick up lines! Stupid brain.'

~.X.~

They said that our brain works all the time, except during exams—good thing that Boris never think about exams. Oh, and one more condition, brain stops working when falling in love. Now that's the whole ordeal Boris had been going through.

"Oh my God, I can finally have time to watch the third serial of Sherlock!" Alice squealed when they're both wrapped beneath a blanket, in a comfortable warm sofa. "Can you turn on the telly?"

"Ugh, what a slavedriver..." Boris sighed, having to reach the remote from the stand, which was quite far. Alice rolled her eyes and smacked his shoulder. "The filming for the fourth is on January, when do you think it'll be out?"

Boris couldn't concentrate to Sherlock who shocked John Watson when he's about to propose to Mary Morstan at all. Alice was all; 'what the hell!?' 'how did he do that!?' but Boris had to keep his hands away from glomping to the girl beside him.

'Can I hug you?'

'You look really warm.'

He bit his lower lip and tried hard not to glance at her.

'Hold hands? Can we hold hands? Is this part of the movie a good part to hold hands? Wait, what are we watching anyway?'

"Alice,"

'I like you.'

"Yeah, what?" Alice paused the video—as it's really important for her to watch everything—and turned to him. Boris wanted to slap himself—why couldn't he just say it? It sounded so easy in his mind.

"Just...realizing this is the last time we can watch Sherlock together. The next serial, we'll probably watch on our own," Boris said with a smirk. "Good riddance, eh?"

Alice laughed. "Yeah, whatever. You're just happy because you don't have to fetch the remote for me."

"Damn straight. I mean, I'm a guest here, treat me well, you fool."

"You're not a guest, you're just Boris, duh." Alice rolled her eyes, snuggled closer to him. "Though this sofa would be too big next serial, haha." She clicked play again.

'Then keep staying here.'

'Just sit here.'

'Can't you just stay?'

Boris mentally sigh and tried to be happy with the closer contact. He didn't know what the hell Sherlock was doing anymore—and why the hell did John Watson was nearly burned in a fire-pit? Wasn't he in a restaurant five minutes ago?

"Aww, I like this Mary...She's so perfect for John." Alice squealed, hugging her knees. "I'd probably punch Sherlock again for ruining the proposal."

'Do you think I'm perfect for you?'

'At least, am I good enough for you?'

'Alice, I like you.'

'You smell good.'

"Though, it's really sweet that Sherlock actually cares a lot about John—Boris?" Alice raised her eyebrows when she felt a gentle pressure falling onto her—Boris fell asleep onto her shoulder. She couldn't help but smile wryly.

"You're sweet too." She muttered with red face, and kissed his nose.

~.X.~

Gowland sighed, irritated. Boris was pacing behind him in the dining for two hours already. It's Christmas, and the Liddells were going to leave to Norway for holiday this afternoon. This could possibly be the last chance, because after holiday, they would be too busy until graduation.

"Can't you just get it together and bloody tell her already?" Gowland groaned.

"I'm going to, but what the hell am I supposed to tell her!? And how? I can't just knock on her door and say it!" Boris huffed, and continued pacing.

Gowland grumbled, emptied his cup and stood up. He looked around and grabbed a pot of edelweiss, and then shoved it to Boris, stopping the boy from pacing.

"Listen, son, this is what you're going to tell her, okay!?" Gowland then whispered to Boris, who gaped in a terribly shocked face.

"Are you crazy!?" he pulled away from his foster father, disbelief. "I'm not a pervert! Why would I say that!?"

"Well it's a type of serenade, kind of!" Gowland argued. "What else have you got, eh!?"

Boris groaned and glared at the edelweiss. "This is stupid!"

Yet, Boris couldn't think of anything else as he walked to the Liddell's porch holding a pot of edelweiss flower like an idiot; Gowland's words was the only thing ringing in his head. Everything else he's doing was auto pilot. He's gone completely bonkers.

Off with his head. This is it, his doom.

"Miss Liddell, may I see Alice, please." Boris said monotonously to Alice's father.

Mr. Liddell frowned, wondering if he heard something wrong, but shrugged. "Alice, it's Boris!" he called his daughter and returned inside the house.

Alice hurriedly got out and stepped down the porch, looking entirely confused. Boris in front of her house, holding a pot of edelweiss. Boris was blown, and he couldn't hesitate anymore. Whatever thing or words in his mind, it should come out. Alice was too stunning.

'Oh God.'

'I'm going to die.'

'I'll kill Gowland first.'

'This is not how you serenade, right!?'

"What is it, Boris? You know that edelweiss doesn't need watering, so you don't need to freak out...?" Alice said mockingly, but seeing no response, she was a bit of frightened. "Bro...?"

"Alice," Boris began, looking deadly serious. "I'm not good with words. But whenever I want to tell you the truth, I can only think of stupid things. And this one is Gowland's fault. So..."

Boris limply fell onto one of his knees and his hands provided the pot of edelweiss and he loudly said;

"I THINK I LOVE YOU MORE THAN...JAPANESE TENTACLE PORN!"

Alice gasped.

"AND WE SHOULD DANCE, DANCE, DANCE, DANCE, DANCE—"

"TO THE STEREOTYPES...!"

Boris gasped for air, and stood up again, still offering the pot of edelweiss. Alice squealed and jumped to him for a big hug.

"Oh, yes, Boris, yes yes! Me too!"

Boris gaped. "Y-You too!?"

"Yeah! I love you more than Japanese tentacle porn too!" Alice snuggled her face to his sweater, and Boris raised his eyebrows, returning the hug and trying to not forget to breathe. Though the pot of edelweiss fell and cracked on the ground.

He serenaded her, kind of.

"That went better than expected..."

"We should live together in this world like a uni-brow on an Indian Girl~" Alice continued. "And we should dance, dance, dance, dance, dance—"

"I should've sang Led Zeppelin." Boris facepalmed.

"TO THE STEREOTYPES! YEAAH!"

So this happened yesterday. Though it's raining instead of snowing (lol there's no snow in Indonesia). My cousin listened to me singing that song, and it got stuck into his head, and he forgot to bring his guitar, he just suddenly came to her class and sang that loudly and the girl just squeal like crazy.

Aww, I'll squeal too and die from diabetes if I got serenaded with that song... QwQ lucky girl.

So can you mention the titles of the songs in this fic? You should really listen/watch the last one if you haven't, it's amazing! Add this to your favorite list and leave review if you have the time~!

If I'm happy I'll make an epilogue~ Merry Christmas everyone! n_n