A Study in Music Theory (Wesper AU)

Four: The Date

Four days had passed since Jesper's first music lesson with Wylan, and he still wasn't any closer to understanding the boy. Jesper had ran his own little tests, seeing how well Wylan could pick up music, how he reacted when Jesper mentioned Jan Van Eck, and even asking about his other classes. All he's found out was that Wylan was a quick learner — both in music and in life — and Jesper had to shut these questions down before Wylan got too suspicious.

Jesper sat at the window sill on a bright blue Friday morning and listened to Wylan play. Occasionally the redhead would glance over at the tutor. His eyes would linger on Jesper before slipping back to the sheet music in front of him. Jesper caught onto the staring quickly and leaned forward.

"Can't get enough of me, huh?" Jesper said. "I can't blame you. I'm outrageously desirable."

Wylan blushed furiously before looking away. Jesper couldn't help but smile. He enjoyed teasing the boy, even if he knew there couldn't be anything between them. Jesper was 100% sure the reason Wylan's father never let him out was because every girl would swoon at the sight of that lovely face. Wylan could have any pick of any girl he wanted, if only he was allowed to roam the streets of Ketterdam.

"What's it like?" Wylan said suddenly. "University, I mean."

The question took Jesper by surprise. Rarely did Wylan act like anything other than music existed while they were in the study. But it was a question Jesper actually wanted to answer. He almost never got to talk about University and how much he hated it. No one in the Barrel had a history, or if they did, they just didn't share it. But if there was one thing Jesper loved more than himself, it was complaining.

"Dreadfully boring," Jesper answered. "And the professors know they're better than you, so they'll constantly act like it. It's like they can smell fear! Back home, I've had one-maybe-two teachers my whole life, so going to school in Ketterdam was a brand new experience. You'd think you'd like it. Your Da insists it'll help you hone in your talents, but you don't even know what those talents are supposed to be. So you go to university for business, because that's what they enroll you in when you don't know what you actually want to go into, and then you're incredibly lonely. Not only do you barely speak Kerch, but everyone there is as white as the parchment they write on, and they alienate you from everything. They say it's because of the language barrier, but you know better. You pick up Kerch like it's nothing and then what excuse do they have after that? Nothing. So they act like your friends when really, they're just trying to find a way to get rid of you. And get rid of you they do, just a few months after school even started."

Jesper finally noticed the quiet in the room. He ended up making eye contact with Wylan again, but smiling and flirting his way out didn't seem like an option anymore. He expected some kind of petty sympathy from Wylan, but instead the boy gave him an inquisitive look. Wylan nodded grimly, before saying, "There's nothing worse than feeling alone in a room full of people."

"Yeah." Jesper cleared his throat and leapt off the sill. "Sorry to ruin the mood like that. Why do you ask?"

"No reason." It was a lie as clear as day, and they both knew it. Wylan looked like he was ready to play again, but he hesitated. "You said you were put under a business major, but yesterday you told me you got a scholarship to go into music specifically."

"Oh, right." Jesper tried to shrug it off nonchalantly. "I didn't know if I wanted to continue in music until later."

Wylan didn't seem satisfied with this answer, but he turned back to the grand piano and began to play anyway. Without the attention, Jesper slouched and let out a silent sigh. That was definitely a close one. If he didn't keep his story straight, he was gonna have to say goodbye to his ten thousand kruge.