Attack on Titan One-Shots

Ebony and Ivory

Rating: PG

Genre: Fluff

Pairing: Jean/Armin

World: AU

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            Armin had always had a soft spot for the upright piano that was hidden in the back room of his apartment. Before his grandfather died, and he was still living with the old man, the piano was in the living room of the small house. Armin would play some classical pieces, which he would diligently practice, every day and then perform to the man, and would then receive a grand round of applause. It made him happy.

            This particular day, Armin was working on Moonlight Sonata, one of his favorite pieces; his grandfather's also. He cautiously tapped the ivory keys, making sure he was pressing the right notes in the right order. The blonde was focused on the only thing important to him right now; the sound he was creating. He stopped briefly, wiping the sweat off of his hands onto his tan shorts, and then taking a deep breath. He would get it right this time.

            "One, two, three, four," He breathed, and then began his gentle cavatina, his nimble fingers dancing across the keys of the old upright. Starting with a dark crescendo, he built up into a more intricate ensemble, as his left hand played the notes a beat later than his right, creating an eerie echo.

            Jean, on the other hand, had just entered the apartment; with the spare key Armin had given him when Armin had rented the place. Closing the door gently behind him, Jean quietly entered, having heard the music. His eyebrows furrowed as we walked further into the residence, wondering where the sound was coming from. Jean set the keys down on the counter top, then wandered into the living room, the sound of the music growing subtly louder. Venturing deeper into the house, he turned to look at the door to the spare bedroom.

            Then, as silently as possible, he opened the door, and saw Armin at work on an old oak instrument. Smiling, Jean kept quiet, not giving himself away so he could listen to the small blond play. He leaned against the doorway, arms crossed, and the light grin still on his face. The song had depth. A back-story. It was something you needed to understand, before you could play it as Armin was.

            The ensemble drew to a close, Armin pressing the right pedal to elongate the piece, adding what he liked to say, "drama". Finally, it ended, and Armin breathed out, able to relax. He laughed breathlessly to himself. He did well. Not as well as he had done on previous tries, but good. From behind him were small claps. Armin jumped, breathing in sharply and turning to see who was in his house.

            "J-Jean, what are you doing here?" Armin asked, half relieved it was only Jean, and the other part being annoyance at his sudden entry.

            Jean stood up from the doorway, and pointed at the piano. "When did you learn to play that?"

            Armin blinked. "My grandfather taught me when I was younger,"

            "I want to learn,"

            "O-okay," The delicate boy scooted further down on the bench, making room for the taller one.

            Jean sat down, squaring his shoulders as his younger mentor had. He looked to Armin, whose cheeks had flushed to a light pink. The brunet brushed the back of his right hand onto the pink flesh, making the color turn into a deep blush. Jean loved the color, especially when he was the one that caused it. Armin tried his best to ignore it, and stayed focused on the teaching.

            "Well, er, first you should know the names of the keys," Armin began, he pointed out the names of the keys, starting from the lowest up to the highest, including the ebony sharps and flats. But throughout the explanation, Jean's cognac eyes stayed focused on the soulful, sea-blue eyes, fixed only on the keys in front of him. 

            Jean shook his head, "What was it you were playing?"

            Armin began playing the first few notes of it slowly. "Moonlight Sonata, it's by Beethoven,"

            The taller boy grinned, looking at the younger boy lovingly. "You're so cute when you're being smart,"

            The blonde's cheeks burned furiously again, he looked down at his piano, hoping to hide the color now taking up the majority of his face, "It's not being smart, it's common sense,"

            Jean pecked the top of Armin's head. "Well you're cute constantly," Jean murmured into his hair, "so all of this must be you being smart,"

            Armin ducked his head further, "It's not really like that, it's like how a square is a rectangle, and a rectangle isn't-" 

            The boy interrupted him with a quick kiss to the lips. "You're not a shape. You're Armin. The logic is different. Now, teach me this piano thing."