Fading Scars: A Series of Malec One Shots

This Is Us

"The only song I know how to play is Mary Had A Little Lamb. My piano skills don't get any better than that."

Magnus was tinkering with the piano while Alec was setting it up for Madzie in the living room. Apart from the three of them and a few of their daughter's toys, the room was mostly empty due to Magnus' need to redecorate every couple of weeks.

"I can play Chopsticks. You're not the only one with insane skills," Alec chimed in. "Check this out."

Magnus laughed as he played Chopsticks with just two fingers. "We should start a band together. Made up of all pianos."

Madzie giggled and shook out her curly hair. "Daddy? Can I play a song?"

"Of course you can," Alec said and helped his daughter climb up into the piano seat. "What song are you going to play for papa and daddy?"

Madzie grinned and kissed his cheek, making him laugh. "I made it up, daddy. Watch me play!" She giggled again as Alec made a goofy face when she began to play. "Look at me, papa! I'm playing piano!"

"You sound beautiful, baby girl. Good job!" Magnus clapped as Madzie played random keys, not making much music and more noise than anything else. Once she was done, she slid down off the bench and ran to go play with her toys. With her now gone, the room seemed too quiet. Alec was now seated on the piano chair, humming to an unknown song and pressing gently down on the keys. Magnus pressed his hands together, unsure whether or not he should speak. "Well then....were you lying to me all along and can you actually play?"

Alec couldn't hear anything; all he could hear was the music playing inside his head as he stared at the keys in front of him. Magnus' voice was a muffle beneath all the notes, and there were a lot of notes. He wanted to play so bad; his fingers were itching to play an old song he had learned as a boy. The one in his head was complex and filled with emotion. Magnus would love it.

"Okay then....I'll just be over here. Making no noise and pretending that I don't exist." Magnus smirked at his Harry Potter reference, wishing Alec had heard it but the man was too enveloped in the silent piano to even give Magnus the time of day (not that he needed it).

A few minutes went by without a peep from either of them. Magnus sat quietly beside the piano and Madzie played with her toys on the floor while Alec continued to listen to whatever song he was listening to inside his head, humming and moving his fingers in the air as if playing the piano.

"The piano is behind you, handsome," Magnus chuckled. Alec ignored him and his joke altogether, earning himself a grunt and more humming. Shrugging, Magnus took out his book he'd been reading for the past week and flipped through it to pass the time.

Alec, with all the notes of the song committed to memory, finally turned around to face the piano. The black and white keys stared back up at him, practically screaming at him to start playing a song. So doing exactly that, he placed his hands on the keys, closed his eyes, and began to play.

Magnus almost dropped his book in surprise when he heard notes being played. Leaning forward in his seat, he marvelled at the way Alec's hands and long, expert fingers flew over the keys with such precision and passion. For someone who didn't have much musical talent, he thought Alec was a music God with the piano. Even Madzie looked enthralled by her daddy's musical skills. She had stopped playing with her toys to get up and stand next to Alec, watching his hands and fingers move expertly over the keys.

Alec was in another world. He was so absorbed with the music that he didn't even notice Magnus and Madzie staring at him with their jaws to the floor. All he could focus on were the notes and the music he could hear crystal clear inside his head.