Midnight Manor Private Residence, Tuesday Evening

[pocketpretzels]

Since last Sunday, Watts had been spending a significant amount of time in the library, with the doors closed, as he undertook learning how to play his new- well, new-old- piano.

Thank goodness for the YouTube, honestly.

Today, though, the door was left open, and Watts had the sheet music out for the first piece he'd taught himself to play. Focused as he was on his current task, he might require someone to come in and remind him about things like, oh. Dinner. Just sayin'.

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[hasaknightjob]

Dinner that night was bean and rice burritos. The filling for which was currently in the crockpot. Not done yet, but in enough of a home stretch that Steven figured he'd check on how Llewellyn was doing. After all, if he wanted more time to practice no harm would be done if the crockpot kept it warm for a while.

Once Steven was at the doorway to the library, though, he paused. Charmed both by the music and the look of concentration on Llewellyn's face as he played. Steven stayed quiet so as not to interrupt him just yet.

[pocketpretzels]

Concentration was the name of the current game, certainly. Watts was unaware of his newly-acquired audience, focused as he was on the task at hand.

There was a sigh as a finger hit the wrong key, and he began again.

[hasaknightjob]

Steven didn't want to interrupt, but he also hated seeing Llewellyn upset with himself. So when Llewellyn started again Steven said, "It's sounding better."

[pocketpretzels]

So focused was he on the placement of his hands on the keys, of reading the sheet music in front of him, that it was like Watts did not even hear Steven as he continued to play.

[hasaknightjob]

Steven didn't want to startle Llewellyn. So rather than speak again and interrupt him, Steven came into the room and slowly let himself appear at the side of Llewellyn's vision whenever he happened to glance that way.

[pocketpretzels]

Might be a while, focused as he was.

He didn't get like this often, but when he did it took a bit of work to pull him out and back to the world at large.

[hasaknightjob]

In which case, Steven came closer - not right on top of him, but closer - and waited until it seemed Llewellyn was finished for this round before saying, louder, "Hello, you."

[pocketpretzels]

That registered on some level, if the furrowing of his brow as he started from the beginning again was any indication.

[hasaknightjob]

Steven decided something more obvious was needed. He reached out to put a gentle hand on Llewellyn's shoulder. "Llew?"

[pocketpretzels]

And that was enough to cause another slight fumble, after which, as Watts prepared himself to begin again. the slight pressure on his shoulder actually registered.

"Steven?" he asked as he turned his head slightly to see who had entered the room.

[hasaknightjob]

"Hello, you," Steven said again, smiling at him. "Dinner will be ready in a bit."

[pocketpretzels]

"Hello, you," Watts replied with a smile. And then: "Dinner?" with a slight frown. "But it is only-" he fished his pocketwatch out from his waistcoat pocket and his frown deepened slightly. ".... Oh."

[hasaknightjob]

Steven gave Llewellyn's shoulder a sympathetic squeeze. He certainly understood what losing time was like even if the reason why was different. "You were deep in concentration there. And it's not ready just yet. About a half hour. But I thought you'd appreciate knowing in advance."

[pocketpretzels]

"I- Yes, thank you. Were you standing there long?" Watts asked, somewhat concerned.

[hasaknightjob]

"A couple of repeats?" Steven said. He only said it as a question because he was guessing where the song stopped and restarted. "But I liked listening to you, so I didn't say anything at first."

[pocketpretzels]

"I haven't quite mastered it," Watts said.

Which might have been evident from those stops and restarts.

[hasaknightjob]

Steven stood behind Llewellyn so he could lean down and wrap his arms around Llewellyn's shoulders. "Of course not. You're still learning. It sounded as though you were making progress though?"

[pocketpretzels]

There was also the fact that while the song was simple enough to be one of the first a new piano student might learn, it wasn't generally the first.

But Llewellyn Watts didn't always do things the way they were meant to be done.

"Yes, I think so," Watts agreed, leaning back into the embrace. "Fewer stumbles."

[hasaknightjob]

Steven rested his chin on Llewellyn's shoulder, hugging him closer now that Llewellyn was leaning back. "That's what it sounded like to me. You were able to get through to the end more often without as much hesitation."

[pocketpretzels]

"Do you know the song?" Watts asked curiously. It had been written after his own time, but well before Steven's.

[hasaknightjob]

"It sounds familiar?" Steven said, uncertain. "Like I might have heard it in a movie?"

[pocketpretzels]

"It's not solely an instrumental piece," Watts said. "It has lyrics as well."

[hasaknightjob]

"Really?" Steven perked up. He tilted his head as he thought about it. "I don't think I knew that? The only sounds coming to mind are music. Are they cheerful? The song sounds cheerful."

[pocketpretzels]

Well, what else was Watts to do but start singing?

"Heart and soul, I fell in love with you
Heart and soul, the way a fool would do, madly
Because you held me tight
And stole a kiss in the night..."

Three guesses as to why Watts had chosen this particular piece.

[hasaknightjob]

"Oh!" Steven was taken aback. And then he immediately had to come around to give Llewellyn a kiss. Both because that had been a delightful surprise, and because he was more than happy to respond to such a request.