Sacred (from Eurasia With Love): Lady Gaga (Stefani Germanotta) and Matthew Bellamy
Fandom: RPF
Title: Sacred (from Eurasia with love)
Pairing: Lady Gaga (Stefani Germanotta) x Matthew Bellamy
Set: Gamma
Rating: T+
Disclaimer: The author does not claim to be affiliated to the real people mentioned here in any way. A few of the events and details described have their starting point in real events, but most are entirely fictional, speculation and fantasies on behalf of the author.
Notes: Really, I felt like I would have needed 50 sentences more for all the things I wanted to fit into this.
#40 - Whisper
”Look at that security guard with the walkie-talkie over there”, Matt whispers to Dom as they wait to get backstage after Lady Gaga’s performance, “I bet he’s telling the other guys to keep an eye on us”.
#41 - Wait
After an agitated wait and a last scrutinizing glance from the security guy (which almost makes Matt burst into laughter), they’re allowed to meet her ladyship.
#39 - Overwhelmed
Lady Gaga’s first impression of Matt Bellamy is that he’s mildly overwhelmed at being here and a bit reticent - but then he livens up, vigorously shakes her hand and tells her how great her music is and that her scene costumes are amazing and that “Paparazzi” is one of the catchiest songs he’s heard to date, all in one sentence while his gaze darts quickly from her face to the sweat-damp leotards she’s wearing and back again.
#16 - Cover
So it’s no surprise when Gaga hears from Muse’s manager a few months later that Bellamy has expressed interest in doing a cover of “Paparazzi”, or perhaps even some kind of collaboration with her sometime.
#14 - Music
Pondering what to respond, she eventually puts the lyric-writing aside a minute and goes online to find out what the stuff from their latest album sounds like - and is pleasantly surprised by the Queen allusions and piano riffs heard in places.
#06 - Hurricane
In his London flat Matt is sitting by the piano, his fingers frolicking about the solo of Butterflies and Hurricanes, but every now and then his thoughts wander to the cell on the coffee table.
#49 - Lock
When the phone eventually beeps, he bolts up and grabs it, nearly activating the button lock in the process before he can answer the call.
#28 - Forgotten
But this little nuisance is quickly forgotten, as he and Gaga discuss for little over an hour what kind of project this could become, and what musical influences they could use.
#33 - World
Gaga agrees to stop by to collaborate during the Europe leg of her next world tour, and just to make sure for future references she asks: “Your manager’s surname is Kirk - like in Captain Kirk, right?”
#19 - Candle
On the other side of the Atlantic Matt brightens up like a lit candle, and nearly stumbling over the words he asks: “you- you’re into Star Trek, too?”
#02 - Hero
In her New York apartment, Gaga leans back in the off-white leather sofa in her star lounge and confides to him: “In my mind, Spock’s right up there with Freddie and John Lennon”.
#31 - Sacred
When the members of Muse meet Lady Gaga in England to record the political love song Sacred (From Eurasia with Love) two months later, neither Matt nor Gaga mentions that late night geek-out over Star Trek that cost them an extra hundred bucks in transatlantic phone bills - but they do greet each other with the Vulcan salute.
#01 - Ring
To the beat of electric drums and ring of piano keys they pen loosely narrative lyrics about liberation, self empowerment and finding love only to lose it when the government interferes.
#10 - Drink
After the recording session they all sit down with something to drink, and upon request, Bellamy clinks his glass of red wine against Gaga’s ditto of Jameson whiskey: “Cheers”.
#03 - Memory
They trade tour memories, and one time she’s close to busting a gut at a retelling of a gig in Spain (“-an’ then I stepped out of the car wreck, still with white top hat on n’ carryin’ a cane-”)
#32 - Farewells
When it’s time to shake hands and exchange farewells, Gaga has concluded that while their musical styles may differ, Matt Bellamy and his fellow band members seem to be musicians who are dedicated to what they do, just like her.
#47 - Highway
Raising her hand in a last wave she steps into the waiting limo, ready to speed off along the highway towards Manchester and the continued Monster Ball.
#07 - Wings
The reception of Sacred is mixed; die-hard fans in both wings are skeptic to this deviation in style and call it a desperate sellout, but on the other end of the scale is the nomination for MTV VMA’s “Best Collaboration”.
#08 - Cold
During the acceptance speech Gaga feels the onset of a flu she’s been battling all week return with a vengeance, breaths wheezing in her throat, so she hands over the mike a little sooner than planned to save her voice for the performance.
#35 - Fever
The song is only into its first thundering riffs when a dizzy spell hits her; rather than toppling headfirst into the audience she sits down on the stage edge as if to have a little heart-to-heart talk with the audience, coughs lightly and starts singing.
#37 - Lies
“Are you alright?” Matt shouts into her ear a minute later whilst crouching down in the middle of the guitar solo, but Gaga nods firmly - she doesn’t like to tell lies, even small white ones, but like hell she’ll have them waved off stage for a little discomfort.
# 13 - Fall
Of course the media notices, and the next day Gaga’s ‘semi-collapse’ is in celebrity blogs and entertainment news all across the globe; she’s a tad bothered by how the speculations of drunkenness (“Someone other than the guitar that was smashed on-stage?“) steal focus from the performance - but on the bright side, no one will forget it for the next decade.
#04 - Box
In sickbed Gaga goes through the pile of mail from her post-office box at the hotel, and feels a small smile tug at her lips when a Snickers bar suddenly drops into her lap followed by a “Get well soon”-card, flourishingly signed MB.
#20 - Talent
Six months later America’s new talent Adam Lambert throws a release party in connection to his sophomore album, and all the contributory song-writers from his debut album are invited as guests of honor.
#13 - View
Lady Gaga’s appearance is as usual an eccentric sight that is well covered by the tabloids, and she takes her time to pose for the cameras in her clinging black latex creation and rhinestone sunglasses before entering the party venue.
#43 - Search
Gaga stops to chat with a few familiar faces in the place, but there’s one person in particular she hopes to meet, and she finds him at the bar where he’s explaining a conspiracy theory to one of Lambert’s friends.
#25 - Mask
“That was some pwoper costume” Matt spontaneously greets her, and she lowers her mirrored sunglasses marginally to wink theatrically at him.
#21- Silence
He draws her into a loose embrace, but when they part Gaga falls silent, assessing his dress code of the night.
#09 - Red
Eventually she asks: “Grown tired of red suits?”
#44 - Hope
(She hopes not; Matt’s quirky style may be the epitome of bad taste to some, but she’s made it her life’s mission to make it possible for anyone to be and wear what they want.)
#34 - Formal
He shrugs nonchalantly in the grey, formal jacket:”Nah, but this was the only thing that wasn’t in the laundry”.
#15 - Silk
“You can’t party dressed like a taxman - c’mon, borrow this” Gaga urges, pulls her own psychedelically patterned silk scarf from her neck and ties it like a train robber’s bandanna around Matt’s neck instead.
#23 - Fire
Adam Lambert moves through the room, greeting his guests, and is pleased to note that everybody seem to get on along like a house on fire - for instance, Lady Gaga and Matt Bellamy are talking absorbedly in the corner over there.
#36 - Laugh
He can’t tell from this distance what they say, but every now and then one of Bellamy’s high guffaws can be heard in the buzz, while a wide silent smile passes across Gaga’s face.
#26 - Ice
The second the DJ gets his records spinning, though, Gaga swigs her whisky with ice and all, then turns to Matt with the question: “I’m gonna dance, wanna come along?”
#30 - Body
A few real club-bangers make the floor fill up with hopping, rocking bodies, and the atmosphere rises; Gaga's bleached curls flail wildly as she pumps her slim arms to the electronic beat, bouncy as a coil spring.
#29 - Dance
The music shifts to rave, and suddenly the dancing crowd is treated to the sight of Matt Bellamy shuffle-dancing through the crowd, Lady Gaga moonwalking in his wake.
#11 - Midnight
Some hours after midnight most guests are swaying, woozy from too much drinks and drugs as well, so the DJ switches from swinging rock classics to slow R&B; Matt and Gaga take a pause, slumping down in a still clean corner of the bar sofa to drink something.
#42 - Talk
While the DJ quietly packs his equipment together they discuss dream venues and albums in progress, aliens and science fiction, pasta recipes and the possibility that Illuminati might be ruling the world…
#22 - Journey
“You know” Matt suddenly says, “I actually thought of not going tonight when neither Dom nor Chris could make the trip overseas…”
#05 - Run
”...but I’ve had a lot of fun together with you - you’ve got really nice vibes, you know” he finishes and turns to Gaga, agitatedly running a hand through his hair.
#24 - Strength
“I’m glad you think so” Gaga smiles and catches his hand in hers, sensing that telltale strength of a guitarist in his fingers, “’cause whatever people said about the WMA performance, I really enjoyed working with you guys on ‘Sacred’”.
#45 - Eclipse
Thankfully the sunglasses conceal the expression in her eyes, because that joyous, anticipating gleam in his eyes is both endearing and a little unnerving at once.
#48 - Unknown
Few guests are sober enough to notice what’s unfolding between the two in the sofa corner; neither of them can explain why or where their inhibitions have gone, but when Matt leans in, Gaga doesn’t withdraw.
#18 - Dream
It’s as mindboggling as a walk in zero gravity - but it’s just as exhilarating when their lips meet, noses brushing.
#50 - Breathe
“Let’s not rush this” Gaga murmurs when they eventually part to breathe, suddenly thoughtful again: “I mean you’re a great guy, Matt, but that’s precisely why I don’t want it to end in a drunken one-night stand… Let’s wait a while”.
#12 - Temptation
(That being said - it’s not like she hasn’t wondered what it would be like to have him close in the dark, whispering her real name - if she ever lets him close enough to use it.)
#38 - Forever
“Well, don’t wait forever” he shrugs and suppresses any hints of impatience in his voice; for one, they don’t live that long (physically speaking), and secondly there are quite a few Italian restaurants with splendid pasta that he’d like to introduce her to.
#17 - Promise
“I’ll return,” Gaga promises solemnly, “because I never make a promise I can’t keep.”
#46 - Gravity
With a lingering wave for goodbye she turns around on her plateau heels and walks out of the party venue, the body guard escorting her like a queen through the crowd of paparazzi waiting outside.