The Piano Man (Iwaoi)

Chapter 16

        "Oikawa-sensei, what was the first thing you ever played?"

        "Me? Oh, I don't remember. Why?"

        "Because I wanna play it, too."

        "Don't be ridiculous, Tobio-chan. It would be way too easy for you."

        "Oh."

        It had been about a month since Tooru's birthday and first lesson with Tobio. Tobio was now taking lessons with him twice a week and, as he spoke, practiced with ease and fluidity his scales and arpeggios. Tooru watched his fingers with faked dispassion, leaning his cheek on his hand against the piano.

        "But you promised you'd teach me how to play anything I want," he mumbled.

        "Trust me, you don't want to play it."

        "Then what do I want to play?"

        "You'll figure it out soon enough. All right, E-minor."

        Tobio switched keys without even having to think about it.

        "Good boy."

        His advancement was astounding. Tooru hadn't thought such improvement in such a short span of time was possible. The only explanation was that Tobio was born to play piano, because he understood music perfectly. The theory, things that people struggled with for years, truly was child's play to him. And despite the fact that Tooru had grown to love him, despite the fact that Tooru couldn't help but make him an apprentice of sorts, Tooru hated him for his talent. It was talent that Tooru had never had and the fact that a boy of only six did have it and would, with practice and luck, certainly become a better pianist than Tooru had ever been, made him livid.

        Just then, Tooru heard the door to the room open behind him, and gentle footsteps. Tobio stopped in the middle of the scale and they turned around to face their intruder. It was Ushiwaka, dressed in his boxers and pajama shirt, groggy and rubbing his eyes. Last night he had come home depressed and weary from a particularly hard case and had wrapped his arms around Tooru so tightly that he hadn't been able to breathe. They hadn't even had sex—Ushiwaka hadn't had the energy for it. The only thing he'd been able to do was rest his head in Tooru's lap until his ragged breathing became steady with slumber. Tooru had lulled him to sleep like a mother would a child.

        "Oh, I'm sorry," Ushiwaka stumbled, meeting Tobio's eyes. "I didn't realize you had a student."

        "That's all right. Tobio-chan, this is Ushijima," Tooru said, forcing himself to use his last name. Tobio, more comfortable in Tooru's presence after seeing him twice a week for about a month, bowed obediently.

        "Ushijima, this is Tobio-chan, one of my students."

        "Nice to meet you, sir," Tobio murmured.

        "Likewise."

        "You know Ushijima's a detective?" Tooru said. Tobio's eyes lit up.

        "Really? A detective?"

        "That's right. He catches bad guys and saves people."

        Tobio gawked, amazed, while Ushiwaka walked forward, his expression one of humility.

        "Cool," he murmured. "But, Oikawa-sensei, does he live here?"

        "Sometimes," Tooru winked. "He's my partner."

        "Your partner? In what?"

        Tooru and Ushiwaka looked at each other, amused.