Becoming Adrien's piano tutor [Adrien X Reader(M)]

Chapter 1 - My piano

My French teacher was right, Paris was the most beautiful city in the world. "Look, mum, it's the Notre Dame. I can't believe we're actually living here!". My mum took my hand and re-assured me that I wasn't living in a dream. I was in a taxi with my nose pressed to the glass as monuments and impressive buildings raced past my eyes.

The taxi suddenly stopped outside another sandstone building squashed between two more sandstone buildings – in a street full of sandstone buildings. I guess this was our new home or should I say apartment. It had the typical Parisian decoration with metal gratings covering tall windows and intricate carvings detailing the many exterior columns. There were many like it, but it was mine and I loved it. Unfortunately, the glamour wore off as I realised we would have to carry our 3 massive suitcases up four narrow flights of stairs. There was no elevator I moaned as mum put me on luggage duty.

Apartment 7 on floor 4 was a small and cosy space - more intimate than my house back in Y/C. As I entered the door, before me greeted a cramped living space that could barely fit the sofa, kitchen and dining table. Off to the left was my mum's bedroom, in the centre a bathroom and to the right my room. Coming to Paris was no easy task and my parents spent months hunting for an apartment that had a piano. "Y/N, come have a look at your room, you'll love it". "Okay" I replied forgetting my luggage duty and running into my room.

My room was even more amazing than Paris. Dominating the space was a baby grand piano: A Pleyel crafted from rich mahogany wood and adorned with gold furnishes.

"We are very lucky to get this apartment. When I contacted the landlord and told them that you were a student of the Conservatoire, she offered this apartment to you". I didn't know what to say as I kept on staring at the monument before me. Mum's hand than moved onto my shoulder. "Go on play it".

"What, won't that distract the neighbours?"

"Actually no, because this apartment was renovated with acoustic dampening material. Only our floor, floor 4 will hear the noise, so only our landlord will hear your music. I should also mention one of the conditions of this apartment is that she expects you to play it every day". "I turned my head around". No words needed to be said. I gave her a look of pure excitement and thankfulness.

The piano looked untouched and unused. I ran my finger across the surface expecting to draw dust but all I saw were the ridges of my pink fingertips. A little gasp escaped my mouth as my fingers opened the lid. Before me was a perfect soundboard. All 88 strings lay bare for my eyes – each connected to a motionless hammer. The strings were primed, awaiting my touch to deliver their music to the air. What fun I will have in playing this piano...

A small piece of saliva escaped my mouth and dropped onto the brass soundboard. "Shit" I panicked frantically wiping away the contaminant with my shirt sleeve. I can't believe I drooled over this piano.

What should I play first, Chopin since this is a Pleyel? I've read that the bright, yet sombre tone is what made Chopin say this was the last word in perfection. Yes, it would be fitting to play the king of Romance on my first baby grand piano but as my hands were about to strike the keys, I hesitated. But what about Debussy or maybe even Kapustin? Something more modern and impressionistic to usher in a new era of my life. Dazzling and full of vitality? My back slumped, and my flingers slipped as I tried to think of an appropriate first piece.

Hmmmm...

Yes, I have it – Beethoven's 18th Sonata. Opus 31, number 3 in E flat major. The perfect piece to test the piano out.

I played that piano for hours and it was exquisite. The tone of the piano was a vibrant yellow, the yellow that ignites the stars for billions of years. Yet it also had a slight blue undertone in the bass that hid a softer dapper hue. It made the star give off a pleasant warm afterglow rather than a harsh scorching beam. It was the prefect piano for my romantic tastes. Chopin, Liszt, Schubert, Schumann all played beautifully on the piano. I was also pleasantly surprised it managed to capture the dazzling crystal-like music of Impressionistic eras compositions like Debussy, Poulnec and Stanchinsky.

The sounds of my wonderful playing filled the apartment and leaked into the Parisian air enchanting all who listened to it. It carried me from midday to dusk as my appetite for playing grew with each piece played. I was only woken up from my stupor when my mum physically waved a hand in front of me. Dam it, I was just going to finish the question and re-introduce the next theme of Chopin's 4 scherzo.

For dinner, we had MacDonald's. My mum offered an apology, but I understood that since it's our first time in Paris together, we needed something easy to eat. I was actually surprised that my mum could find such an iconic junk food brand in the capital of food. The rest of the evening was no less delightful, and I went to bed with wondrous tunes filling my head.

Authors Notes:

I love piano and classical music so I geeked out in this chapter. You also should listen to all the pieces I've mentioned. They're amazing!

Also foreshadowing for the long slow burn