you're the piano man [FELIX]

[ALDRIC DALEY]

"Alright, almost done." Aldric huffed, bringing in one of the last boxes from the moving truck downstairs. The sun was already beginning to go down, and the light was filtering through the tall, wide windows of the new apartment, little dust motes creating swirls in the air. It had been quite a task to move everything from the magician's-- well, former magician-- old place to this one, but it was much better. Not only was it big enough to fit all his stuff and still have plenty of empty space, but it was also situated right above the small coffee shop that Aldric now owned.

Which, if all went well, would have it's grand opening next week.

Opening up one of the smaller boxes, the dark-haired man began to unpack his books and placed them on the bookshelf, along with a few other items; like his goldfish, and the plant that he had fondly named Milfred, now in a new, non-cracked pot.

Earlier that day, the ex-magician had called his boyfriend-- Aldric still hesitated over the word-- Felix to come over, because there was a surprise waiting for him. Over in the corner of the room, by one of the large windows, was a lovely white piano that Aldric had bought as a surprise. He hoped that the brunette would like it; it wasn't exactly an easy task to get a grand piano into a second-story apartment, and the price wasn't anything to sniff at either.

It was about an hour or so later, after he had finished unpacking most of the boxes and leaving the rest on the kitchen table, that Aldric finally heard a knock at the door. "Coming!" the dark-haired man called, running a hand through his hair as he rushed over to the door. He opening it and smile. "Hey there. Come on in, how was your day? Do you want anything to drink?" he asked, not bothering to hold back the smile that stretched across his face.

[FELIX LANGLEY]

"What, that's it? What kind of greeting is that?" There was a whine in his voice, but it was very obviously put on - not that he really needed to pretend to be a spoilt rich kid. "I missed you, you know. Don't I even get a kiss?" Was he really complaining? With that smile, it was hard to tell. He certainly didn't waste any time in walking through the door, pulling it shut behind him. He reached out to take a hold of the man's sleeve, a softer smile replacing that joking one.

"My day's been pretty awful up until now. It's frigid outside, can you make me some coffee?"

'Awful' wasn't really the right word. Felix's life had improved considerably since leaving school. He'd been able to cut all ties with his parents, for one thing (except for, of course, that bank account that they were still putting money in), and he was finally free to do whatever he wanted. He'd got in to University, studying music; he was getting over his stage fright, had even done a few auditions and got a new part-time job. And all before he was eighteen!

Not to mention the fact that he had Aldric. That alone made life more bearable, even if they had to keep hiding. It was worth it, very much worth it; and since University was kind of like a clean start, he didn't even have to worry about those shits whispering behind his back. Ah, yes, life had definitely improved!

He could only hope it would keep doing so; that this good luck would continue to hold out. And why shouldn't it? God knows they deserved a bit of a break.

[ALDRIC DALEY]

Aldric smiled, already blissfully happy to be in the same room with the brunette again. "Alright, one pot of coffee coming right up." he said, leaning in to steal a quick kiss before heading over to the kitchen area of the apartment, raising his voice to talk over the noise of digging around for a coffee pot. "I've been trying to make some new coffee blends lately, they taste really good. I also made some cookies earlier, they're a little too brown on the bottom though. There's a plate of them on the table, help yourself."

In truth, that plate of pastries was the best he had made so far; for some reason, it seemed that baking was much more difficult to do than magic, but he was making improvement. He'd have to anyway, because what kind of coffee shop would sell burnt cookies?

After he had a nice pot of coffee brewing, Aldric went back over to where Felix was, coming up behind him and wrapping his arms around the brunette's shoulders, pressing a quick kiss on top of those soft brown curls.

"I've got a surprise for you, I think you'll really like it." Aldric said softly in the boy's ear, taking Felix's hands and pulling them up to cover those pale purple eyes. "Okay turn this way, now walk a few steps forward.... yes, okay stop. Stay right here, and don't look until I tell you to."

The dark-haired man stepped away, waving his hand in front of the boy's face to make sure he couldn't see, then went over to the edge of the grand piano. He had put a large cloth over it too keep dust off and to keep it hidden, and he took a fistful of the fabric, took a quick glance back at Felix, then pulled the cover off with a flourish. "Ta-da! Do you like it?"

[FELIX LANGLEY]

He was so lucky. How on Earth did he get so lucky? Not only did he have an amazing boyfriend, but it was one who made all different kinds of coffee! If there was one thing Felix loved more than Aldric (aside from, of course, his music), it would be coffee. Wait, was he getting the ordering messed up? No matter - the point was that it was the drink of gods, and he had his own personal barista.

He also didn't hesitate to help himself to the cookies. Aldric was such an amazing cook, it really made him forget all about his promise to learn how to. Oh, he'd get around to it one day, but for now he was more than content to act as a taste-tester.

And so it was that he was rather preoccupied when the ex-magician came up and kissed his hair, although it was a good kind of surprise, and it became even better when he heard there was more to it. He quickly finished what he was eating and let himself be led away - he wanted to say something, but things happened far too quickly fro him to be able to.

It was a little infuriating - he didn't like being led on without a say. But after the reveal, he could even think about pretending to be angry.

"My god, I love you." It was all he could say - all that he really needed to say, closing the small distance between them and giving the man a tight hug before turning his attention to the piano. It was beautiful, clean, pure; almost too good to defile with human touch. Almost. He had the lid propped in an instant, then ran his fingers over the smooth surface of the fall before lifting it, carefully but quickly, exposing pristine black and white keys.

"It's beautiful," he breathed, gingerly testing middle-C. It produced a sound as clear and clean-cut as the instrument itself. The thing must have cost a fortune.

Felix really did not deserve to be so lucky.

[ALDRIC DALEY]

"I love you too." Aldric said, returning the brunette's embrace. He may not have been good at baking cookies, but at least he was able to show Felix he cared.

The dark-haired man watched as the young musician made his way to the piano, sitting down and already pulling a note from the unused keys of the white instrument. It really was a great idea that he bought that thing, Aldric thought as he went over to stand by Felix, because now that there was a 'real piano' in the house, his boyfriend would no doubt fill the place with music.

He watched as the young teen ran his hands along the black and white piano keys, plucking stray notes from them.

"Play something," Aldric said, leaning in close towards the boy, brushing his cheek against the other's. The smell of coffee slowly reached the two, and the older male quickly went back to the kitchen, fixed two coffees, then went back to the piano. "I'm glad you like the piano," the former magician said, smiling fondly at the boy. "I wasn't sure whether to get a black or white one, but I'm glad I chose this one. Play something for me." He asked again, taking a sip of the hot, bitter coffee.

[FELIX LANGLEY]

To be frank, he would have started playing even if he hadn't been asked. That's what instruments were for, after all, especially brand new and beautiful ones. The only thing stopping him was the prospect of coffee, but even he had to admit that was pretty poor in comparison.

"Only if you sing for me!" He called after the man, a laugh in his voice. He was going to play anyway - that had already been decided the minute he set eyes on the thing. But he couldn't resist the opportunity to tease a little. He'd never actually heard Aldric sing, and had simply assumed he was one of those people who wouldn't on pain of death. As it was, he promptly forgot all about what he had just said and spent the rest of his time waiting for the ex-magician to return by trying to decide what to play.

Eventually he decided. He had been playing his own songs all day, practicing for an upcoming practical exam; and was frankly sick of it all. So instead he chose one of those popular, upbeat songs that you heard on the radio all the time, the ones that were far more simple than they sounded. The keys were stiff, but that was to be expected, after all. He'd get used to it - he'd make himself get used to it, because the sound they produced was so beautiful. Maybe Aldric knew more about music than he let on.

Well, one thing was certain, at any rate. Felix's coffee was probably going to go cold.

ooc :: does this even make any sense i'm so tired i spelt pretty much every word wrong the first time i wrote it.

[ALDRIC DALEY]

Aldric chuckled, and took another swig of coffee before setting the mug aside. "Alright then, if you really want me to," he said, sitting down beside Felix on the piano seat, watching as the boy's fingers danced across the keys. "I don't really sing a lot, so I'm not sure how good I am."

He sat there and listened for a few moments, recognizing the music as a song he had heard on the radio a few times. Once he was sure he had the lyrics down in his mind, Aldric started to sing along, occasionally stumbling over a lyric he couldn't recall. It had been a long time since the man had ever really sun anything, in fact, he couldn't quite remember when he had sung anything at all. Sure he would hum a few bars or mumble a few words in the shower or while doing mundane chores, but who didn't? But still, if it was something Felix wanted, he'd gladly comply.

As he was singing along to the music, Aldric would sway from side to side, occasionally bumping shoulders and playfully poking at the keys, just to tease Felix a bit. When the song was finished-- or more specifically, when Aldric couldn't remember any of the words-- the man picked his cup of coffee up, and took a long drink.

"So how's the coffee? Is it alright?" the dark-haired man asked, leaning in close to Felix. "I'm thinking of using this blend a lot, so I want to know if you really like it."

[FELIX LANGLEY]

He had been a little startled - he had never expected that the man would actually sing. He was even more surprised to find out that his voice was actually decent. More than that - it was good. But it was the plesant kind of surprise, the kind that a person wanted more of in their lives.

His fingers slipped on the keys, and a few of the notes were too sharp or too flat - and of course none of it was helped by the fact that Aldric was being a pain, and the boy was thoughroughly distracted by playfully swatting away his hands. But eventually the song was done, if at the end it could still be called a song, and he was in such a mood as to be prepared to declare this as one of the best moments of his life.

"Do I look like ive had a chance to taste it yet?" He said, closing the fall back over the keys. Playing piano was all well and good, but was something to be rationed, lest he get bored. Frankly It was amazing that he'd managed to stick with it for so long as it was, but that was something to be pondered over another day.

Back to now. Instead of going for his own cup, Felix leaned over and stole a sip of the ex-magician's. "Mmm," he said, and at the same time moved to wrap his arms around the man sitting so close. "Do you really need to open a shop? Can't you just spend your life cooking for me? I'd be a much better customer than those ones who just walk in off the street."

To be quite honest, Felix was a little worried about all this change of career business. 'Magician', for Aldric, had been a pretty solitary job. But now the boy was going to have to worry about coworkers. Flirty waitresses with their skirts hitched up far too high. Hired help with that alluring charm in their eyes. And worst of all, the customers themselves; because he just knew there would be annoying, giggling, whispering regulars just waiting for the chance to move in on his man.

[ALDRIC DALEY]

"Hey you have your own." Aldric laughed as the boy took a sip of his coffee, wrapping his arms around Felix as he did the same. Leaning in, he pressed a quick kiss to the brunette's forehead, then took another sip of coffee. It tasted alright to him, but then again he wasn't picky when it came to things like taste; Aldric would eat or drink pretty much anything as long as it was hot, so it was good to get a second opinion, especially if this was how he was going to be making a living from now on.

The dark-haired man chuckled. "Well, as nice as that sounds, I don't know if being your own personal chef would help pay the bills," he said, ruffling Felix's soft brown hair. "Besides, this will be a more steady-paying job compared to doing magic shows, not to mention I'll be here I'll be here all the time. You'll also be able to have free coffee, and isn't that great?"

He finished off the last bit of his coffee, and set it down on the floor next to the piano seat, and then moved to wrap both arms around Felix's shoulders. Aldric sighed, feeling wonderfully content about how everything was going so far. A new house, new job, and no one looking for them or lying dead in the bathtub. All in all, things were going great.

"I love you Felix." the man murmured in the boy's ear, pressing a soft kiss against his cheek.

[FELIX LANGLEY]

"If you loved me, you'd kiss me properly," was all he said, leaning up to press his lips against the ex-magicians. It was warm, and cozy, and he tasted slightly of coffee - he really couldn't think of a better situation to be in right now, unless of course some kind of magic djinni came out of nowhere and gave them the chance to stay like this forever.

Because it wouldn't. It never lasted. It was one of the great problems of the world, and he wished those scientist people would get a move on and fix it, instead of whatever it was they were doing now.

"What if I liked dating a magician, though? Did you think about that when you went and decided it was time for a change?" Voice obviously joking, that whining kind of tone that couldn't possibly be mistaken for anything else. He was perfectly fine with whatever Aldric decided to be, provided it wasn't some kind of whore, and provided they could still be together. "I like it here though. It's nice, and closer to Uni. When can I move in? I want to live in a place with actual people in it again." He snuggled closer, resting his head against that welcoming shoulder. He'd been living with his parents while everything got ready - rather, living in his parents house while they were out doing whatever it was they did. Did they even know he'd come home? Well, soon it wouldn't matter. He was washing his hands of that mess, once and for all.