Say You'll Share With Me | Phantom Oneshots

Lessons

prize for itsonlylove on tumblr for winning my 1-year anniversary giveaway - erik teaching gustave something musical-related and christine watching them

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Erik stood in his study in front of the window overlooking the New York neighbourhood he and his little family called home while his bow delicately moved along the strings of his violin. It had once belonged to his father, Charles, only arriving in his hands after he had been listed as the sole beneficiary on his mother's will, much to his surprise. It had needed some tuning, but was in near perfect shape; his father was a man with taste, that much was sure.

His focus, though, was no longer on the beauty of the instrument or its sentimental value, not was it on the notes of his new composition filling the room. Rather, it was on the shining golden band that adorned his left ring finger. He couldn't help but look at it as his fingers danced over the neck of the violin, couldn't stop recalling the moment Christine had slipped it onto his finger with a glowing smile and a matching, albeit more delicate, ring of her own. The fact that he was a married man with a family had baffled him then and still did in the present, just over a year later with Gustave growing too fast for his liking and a new little one on the way. The world had shown him kindness for once, and he had not one complaint to speak of.

His playing and reflection were soon interrupted, though, by a quiet knock on the door, and he turned to see his son standing in the doorway, a familiar curious glint in his eye.

"Hello, my boy. I take it you have finished your lessons for the day?" he inquired as he lowered his bow and set it on his desk.

"Yes, Papa," Gustave replied, the title he had bestowed upon Erik still enough to make both of them smile. "I'd heard what you were playing and wanted to come to listen because I've never heard it before."

Erik couldn't help but laugh quietly to himself; the curiosity his son possessed seemed endless. "Well, you couldn't have. I have been working on a lullaby of sorts for your new sibling," he explained.

Immediately, his son's eyes lit up and he stepped closer. "It sounds really good, Papa. Do you think you could teach me to play it? I want to be able to play music for the baby too."

"Well, it's a bit complicated for a beginner, but I could teach you a far simpler lullaby," Erik proposed. "You know The Star,* don't you? I would assume your mother sang it to you as a baby."

Gustave nodded, already holding the violin bow in his hand. "I know it. It's set to a Mozart piece."

"It is, yes, very good," Erik replied as he passed the violin to his son. "Now, stand up straight. Rest it on your shoulder and set your chin here, on the chinrest."

"Did you make the violin, Papa? Or did you buy it?" Gustave inquired as he followed his father's instructions to correct his stance.

"Neither. It belonged to my father before he passed away."

"Oh. It's beautiful."

Erik smiled and pressed a kiss to the top of his son's head. "Indeed." He then carefully positioned the boy's fingers in the correct places to play the opening notes of the lullaby and helped him to place the bow. "Now, just push the bow forward and then pull it back towards you. Long strokes so it doesn't make the song sound choppy."

Gustave nodded and tried to follow through, only for a slightly scratchy note to be played instead of anything musical. Cringing, he turned to look up at his father briefly before he started to giggle.

"That sounded like a dying cat," he said through his laughter.

Even Erik could no longer stifle a laugh after that. "Perhaps a tad," he replied, chuckling as he readjusted the position of Gustave's fingers. "Let's try this again."

The first note was successfully conquered a moment later, as were the second and third, and soon enough, Gustave was playing the short lullaby perfectly.

"Yes, I did it!" he exclaimed, doing a little hop in place out of excitement before he wrapped his arms around Erik's waist. "Thank you for teaching me, Papa."

"It was my pleasure, my boy," Erik said with a smile. "Now, why don't you run through it one more time? we want it to be perfect for your little brother or sister, after all."

With an eager nod, Gustave set the violin back on his shoulder and started to play, and as he watched, Erik noticed his wife out of the corner of his eye.

Turning to get a better look, he saw Christine leaning on the doorframe to watch the pair, a smile on her face and one hand resting on her slightly swollen stomach. When she caught his eye, her smile widened before she blew a kiss in his direction, not wanting to interrupt their son's practice by stepping into the room.

Erik lifted his hand and closed his fist as if to catch the kiss, then set it over his heart. "I love you," he mouthed, hoping she would understand what he had tried to tell her.

Christine nodded in response, moving to rest both hands on her stomach. "We love you too."

~~~~~

*The Star is the title of the poem by Jane Taylor, whose words became the lyrics to Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, set to "Ah, vous dirai-je, Maman," composed and published by Mozart in 1761.