When the Leaves Fall [bxp] ✔

24

Hello everyone! Sorry this is late, just a lot happening in my life right now, a lot of my classes are like finishing the content because APs are coming up soon so I have been busy! Anyway, I added the lyrics at the end so that they wouldn't interrupt the scene! One more chapter left after this one, thank you so so much for sticking with me through this.

Family

Felix rearranged his music for what felt like the billionth time. Which song would work? There were so many options and Felix was overthinking. He could always play the song he sang for his moms, it was one of his most powerful ones. Or the one he wrote for Jupiter, and that would be the perfect way to let it slip that the two of them were together - Jupiter had said that he'd want Felix to play it for more people anyway. He wasn't sure though. It did sound like the best option. Felix nodded to himself, he'd play When the Leaves Fall first.

Felix strummed his fingers against the edge of his songbook, flipping through the pages, he couldn't believe he was finally ready to share his music with them - he'd had this book with him for forever and they'd never questioned him, just let him hold it close to his chest and on the side of the piano, never opening it. They'd waited till he was ready to open it for them. And Felix was so incredibly happy he was friends with them.

The doorbell rang, echoing throughout Felix's room, and he quickly opened his door, rushing down the stairs. He slowed down seeing Dani opening the door, his mama following behind her. Tarla walked in, grinning, Nils and Aeron following her. Felix felt his heart soften, why was he so nervous anyway?

Tarla high-fived Dani and hugged Felix's mama before moving towards the stairs by which Felix was waiting. She pulled him into a side hug and they started walking upstairs. Felix assumed Nils and Aeron would follow, relaxing. The others would be here soon and Felix was ready anyway. By the time they made it to the room Nils and Aeron had also shown up and the doorbell rang again. Dani could answer it.

"Oh, so it's gonna be a piano thing?" Tarla asked, watching Felix. "The thing you were gonna show us I mean."

"How did you..." Felix trailed off at Tarla's raised hand.

"Call it intuition, call it the open keylid, call it the book that's placed on the music stand thing, call it the-"

"I get the idea," Felix scowled. Nils laughed and even Aeron's eyes twinkled despite how straight face. Tarla laughed freely, plopping on the floor.

"We're here," Quinn announced, grinning as Wren and Jupiter followed her in.

"Welcome everyone to the Felix Barot-Cooper piano show? Concert?" Felix stopped, tilting his head to the side as Jupiter gave him a fond smile and Tarla shook her head in disappointment.

"So organized," Tarla said in a fake whisper.

"Ok but for real," Felix said ignoring Tarla, "I have been writing my own music and lyrics for years which I'm sure some of you picked up but didn't say anything about - which I greatly appreciate. But today, I guess I'm ready to share it. Jupiter has already heard this, but I wanted to sing a Felix Barot-Cooper original, When The Leaves Fall."

Felix sat down at the piano, lifting his hands lightly and doing the motion he'd done a billion times of placing his fingers on his keys as if they were floating down from his wrist. He'd cut his fingernails that morning so that he could play with the correct technique. He took a final deep breath and closed his eyes as he played the first note.

He didn't really need the music and his fingers knew where to go, still, he glanced between his fingers and the music, just in case he forgot. His mouth knew the lyrics even if he wasn't thinking about them. He tried not to focus so much that he forgot what was next, he tried to relax. He ignored the way he only had two notes of one of the chords and almost missed an entire part. He just kept breathing, and singing, and playing. He only looked up when he'd finished. When his fingers pressed the last key and the sound filled his room.