soothing;
Long slender fingers moved against ivory piano keys, the soft melody filling the music room. Another piece Pip had worked on for many months, eager to perfect the song each time he worked on it. He often wouldnât allow himself to make many mistakes in his pieces, especially when the music was meant to be performed by someone else than himself. His talent was wasted this way but Pip would gladly remain in the background and allow others to take credit for his hard work. He wasnât meant to be on stage, wasnât meant to perform in front of an audience.Â
Instead Pip opted to keep his talent to himself, only getting on stage when he really had to because of his education. After all, he had to show what he was capable of but that didnât mean he was growing comfortable with being on a stage or in the centre of attention at all. Even when his adoptive parents had always encouraged him and gave him all the attention he didnât even asked for, Pip often felt uncomfortable with the idea of people focusing on him, too afraid he would mess up.
Adding his voice to the melody, Pip sung out his own written lyrics in a soft tone. Soothing, always a soothing voice which was never meant to sooth others but himself. Erik had been the only exception to that and Pip gladly kept things that way. He wouldnât feel embarrassed or nervous around the other, causing him to sing out the words to his own songs whenever the two were simply lounging at his apartment. But never before the whole thing was completely finished.
His hands moved steadily as his voice formed the words scribbled down on the paper before him. That was until he heard the door to the music room open and his hands stopped abruptly, voice cutting off mid-sentence. Whipping his head around, Pipâs expression was a mix between surprise and embarrassment when looking at the girl that had just walked in. She wore a small smile on her lips, notebooks pressed against her chest as she tucked a strand of brown hair behind her ear.Â
âIâm sorry, I didnât mean to startle you!â she called out, moving across the room to fetch a pencil case that she had left on the table. Pipâs dark hues followed her actions, trying to ignore how her sweet perfume lingered as she passed by him. Instead, the boy kept quiet, frozen in the spot as the other didnât even seem to catch on to the fact that she intruded on a crucial part in his song. âJust continue what you were doing, donât mind me! It sounded beautiful,â she reassured him, her smile once again present. Yet this time, it caused Pipâs lips to curve into a smile as well.
He wanted to, to allow his fingers to press the keys once again and allow this girl to enjoy his voice. Maybe she would look at him the same way Erik used to whenever he played for him? Who was he kidding? The way Erik had looked at him had never been admiration but simply enjoyment. He was a fool to think his best friend would waste his time on someone as quiet as he was, Erik deserved someone better than that. But maybe, maybe this girl could look at him in the way he had wanted Erik to look at him. Adoration, admiration, just something that would make him feel more than just appreciated.
