¿ɪꜱ ᴛʜɪꜱ ᴀʟʟ ʀᴇᴀʟ? ✰𝘼𝙡𝙚𝙭 𝙏𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙚𝙧 𝙊𝙣𝙚 𝙎𝙝𝙤𝙩𝙨✮

✰. 43

Halley's Comet

✰

As quiet as the dead of night was, there was a gentle stir in the air behind a slightly closed door as calming melodies and rhythms resonated from the two inside. The entire apartment was dark, the lights were turned off, and three guests were peacefully sleeping in spare rooms. All but two individuals were exploring the land of sweet dreams. Instead, they met quietly in the calmness of Alex's room, sitting criss-cross on his bed as she watched his skillful hands pick and strum his well-loved guitar.

Her eyes occasionally left his guitar, glancing up to his own eyes, only to see them deeply immersed in the craft of the performing art. There were many times she had seen his talent, watching him play that instrument in front of thousands alongside his buddies. Amazement wasn't even a word she could use to describe looking at his skill. Maybe, infatuation? Admiration?

Many times, she wanted to pick up a guitar and strum a chord incorrectly, just so he could correct her. Direct her fingers in the correct chord placement and teach her the proper strumming. That never would have happened because guitars weren't her priority in this team. She worked alongside Matt, giving advice and also working with him to write beats on his drums, and also allowing him to play along to her synthesizer that she occasionally played. Almost like an assistant, and due to this, her time with Alex was very limited.

The guitar constantly called to her. She wanted to switch many times, but she was kept on a tight schedule. She kept herself on a tight schedule. It would surely be unprofessional if she interacted more than is necessary with him.

"And that's it," his voice interrupted her thinking. He had his hand out, arm extended slightly as he pinched the guitar pick between his thumb and forefinger, offering it to her. "Your turn."

Wordlessly, he gently maneuvered the acoustic guitar into her lap, the strap falling off her shoulder as it was too big. He didn't bother tightening it, most likely because he wanted her to be comfortable.

"My turn?" She questioned, embarrassed as she held the pick, unsure of how to play.

Alex fixed her arms, positioning her left hand on the neck of the guitar and setting her right forearm on the top of the guitar. He chuckled, seeing her practically hugging the instrument in uncertainty. "Yes," he nodded, "Did you pay attention?"

"No."

Her blunt answer made him hide a laugh. He had to be quiet so as not to disturb his friends' sleep. Her bluntness was always a breath of fresh air. That was what he loved about her so much. No filter and truthful to her character.

"I thought so," he replied. Without any conversation, he helped her form, correcting the awkward way she held a pick and moved her robotic fingers to their appropriate spot on the guitar strings.

Once he felt content with her position, his eyes flickered up to hers. He held eye contact, noticing her expression of anxiousness in the mix of light from the moon high in the sky and a dying desk lamp.

"Just relax," he chuckled silently, his hand coming to her right wrist and softly dragging it down on the strings, hearing the faint noise of a C major chord. He saw the slight smile on her face as the noise reverberated in the room. It made him smile. "There you go," he let go of her wrist, letting her take her own initiative. "Again."

She nodded, letting the pick softly brush against the strings. It was quieter than the first time. She looked at him nervously, wanting confirmation that she indeed did play it correctly. He nodded 'yes'.

Alex had to admit, having her this close to him made his heart skip a beat. This entire thing was supposed to be some form of casual tutoring, not whatever this was turning into. Seeing her here, in her sleepwear, sitting this close to him in the darkness, just strumming a guitar he owned. He wanted to blame it on the night and how tired he was from the day, but it was becoming difficult to hide how much he enjoyed her close company.