Come Over (StudxStud)

23.

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"Oh, how I've missed you." Jules coos softly, referring to her neglected piano in the corner.

I roll onto my stomach and rest my chin on my folded arms as I watch her turn on the piano, then drag the tips of her fingers along the keys. She's gentle. Careful as to not fully press down on them, but to simply admire the feel of them under her touch. She slides the foldable bench out from underneath and slowly seats herself at the keyboard. I smile when her eyes flutter over to me as her hands hovers above the instrument.

"Close your eyes." She instructs me and I gladly let my eye lids shroud me in darkness.

I hear her take a deep breath in through the nose, holding it three seconds, then slowly releasing out through her mouth. Moments after that, the first note rings out in a high pitched key, a rather deeper key follows. Then, another high key but not as high as the first one, followed by a deeper key that's not as deep as the last. It's as if the notes are teetering back and forth while closing the distance in pitch at a slow accelerated pace. Then, two higher pitch notes twinkle rapidly against one another before coming to a halt.

   "This piece is Nocturne number 20. In C sharp minor, by Chopin." Her soft voice lends me to open my eyes.

   "There's twenty?" I question with a frown. 

    "There's actually twenty-one." She chuckles lightly. "But my favorite is number 20."

   She cuts her eyes over to me. "Eyes shut."

   I quickly comply, peeling open one eyes briefly only to notice that her eyes are now closed as well. This makes me take her request more seriously and I close both eyes and wait patiently.

She slams lightly on two handfuls of keys. The tone crescendos and builds into a melody that leaves my body tingling. It's a quiet and soft sound in the music. Smooth, connecting notes. It starts off daunting, perfectly voiced and quiet all at the same time. The depression in the deeper notes is like an echo to the higher ones. After the introduction, she starts the playing a consistent roll of deep bass notes, over which an exquisite right hand melody prevails.

   The lovely music fills my ears and I let my mind wonder to what she might be feeling as she plays so elegantly. The melody is romantic and dreamy; beautiful song-like melody, with melancholic overtones accompanied by a rolling, unobtrusive bass. Her soft approach to each note cushions the sounds beautifully.

   "You know..." She speaks quietly over her own playing. As the tone of the music changes, she doesn't miss a note. "I've told you before how difficult it is to express the essence of my feelings in words. It's the same when trying to express music in words. That's why I've always been drawn to the piano. I mean, it's possible to discuss it or describe them in technical terms like love, bliss, and happiness. But I think those are just basic terms for when you try to really analyze the way you feel. They don't nearly give you a glimpse of how that person really feels; their true essence."

She whispers her last words with closed eyes as her torso softly sways with the music emanating from her finger tips.

"Yeah, I touch the keys and the listener might like what comes out but people never question what emotions I feel as I play." She says, her voice taking on a low and husky tone.

I do.

   Every time.

"You can never really describe what the keys are playing." Her voice comes out strained as she shifts her hands to a different spot on the keyboard to invite a completely new melody; contrary to the previous.