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"Ah," Chuuya sounded apologetic, "I'm really sorry Atsushi-kun, but I've already partnered up with the shitty bastard." Atsushi shook his head, laughing.
"No, no!" he replied lightly. "It's fine!"
Dazai ambled over, slinging an arm over Atsushi's shoulder, quirking an eyebrow.
"Atsushi-kun, are you flirting with my boyfriend?" he gasped, sounding scandalized. Even though Atsushi knew Dazai was teasing, he couldn't help but flush and shake his head frantically, stuttering as he denied it.
"Hey," Chuuya scolded Dazai, poking Dazai with his bow. "Stop it, we need to practice."
Dazai snickered, swatting away the bow before letting Atsushi go, grabbing his own bow and sitting down, picking up his cello from its resting place.
Atsushi swallowed, remembering his problem.
He still didn't have a partner.
Wonderful.
"If you're looking for a partner," Dazai spoke up as he tuned his cello. "I hear Akutugawa-kun is still free."
Atsushi opened his mouth to object.
It wasn't like he didn't like Akutugawa, he just thought that he wouldn't be able to handle the foul mouthed, short tempered but undeniably talented violinist.
Atsushi already messed up regularly when he played the piano, he was certain if he partnered up with Akutugawa, his nerves would be an even bigger mess and he'd be stumbling over notes left and right.
"HEY AKUTUGAWA!" Dazai bellowed, waving the aforementioned person over. "DO YOU HAVE A PARTNER YET?"
Akutugawa stormed over, the crush of music students trying to work out their duets before the deadline parting for him.
"No."
"Great!" Dazai exclaimed. "You know Atsushi-kun right?" Atsushi looked around, locking eyes with Chuuya who was shaking his head slowly.
"No," Akutugawa replied, eyeing Atsushi with distaste. "I don't." Dazai froze, smile becoming stretched as Akutugawa and Atsushi stared at each other, Atsushi nervously fiddling with his fingers, Akutugawa's jaw working.
There was a moment of awkward silence before Chuuya dragged his bow across the strings of his violin, making a terrible screeching noise that immediately jerked Dazai out of his shock.
"That's fine!" Dazai continued, his voice light and cheery. "You both don't have partners and you might as well get to know each other!" Atsushi attempted to speak but it came out as an illegible, strangled noise.
"Fine," Akutugawa finally said as the bell rang, signalling their next class. "Pick a piece," he snapped before leaving, not bothering to address Atsushi directly.
Atsushi's mouth hung open and he turned to Chuuya who was looking a little sorry.
"Well," Chuuya sighed. "At least you have a partner now."
Atsushi buried his head in his hands and Dazai cackled.
{::::::::}
Atsushi had chosen, with the help of Kunikida, Elizabeth from Shining Silver Skies by Ashram.
He's already started practicing non stop, knowing he'd need to in order to get even get the piece into decent shape.
Akutugawa had scoffed when Atsushi handed him the music sheets but he hadn't said anything else, so Atsushi hoped it was okay.
Chuuya and Dazai were already syncing their Johann Halvorsen's "Duo for Violin and Cello, after Handel," no doubt way ahead of anyone else.
Atsushi winced as he stumbled over the arpeggios again but kept on going, promising himself that he'd at least reach the end of the piece this time. Akutugawa was still learning the notes, lips pressed into a frown as he went over the more difficult parts slowly, but it was already sounding better than Atsushi's part.
They largely ignored each other, Atsushi practicing relentlessly, trying to pretend he wasn't in a room full of people who could hear every mistake he made.
When Akutugawa tapped his shoulder gently, Atsushi's hand came slamming down on the keyboard as he jumped, nearly screaming.
He had been so into practicing he hadn't noticed class was almost over.
"Have you learned it?" Akutugawa asked impatiently and Atsushi nodded.
He had, but playing it flawlessly was another thing.
Akutugawa asked if he wanted to try to sync it and even though Atsushi nodded, his fingers were stiffening.
"One, two, three," Akutugawa counted them in slowly and Atsushi took off racing, his hands shaking as he rushed ahead of Akutugawa.
Akutugawa stopped, tutting and shaking his head. Atsushi stopped as well, clasping his hands together, staring down at his lap.
"HEY!" Dazai shouted. "YOU CAN ALWAYS TRY AGAIN TOMORROW!"
Akutugawa shrugged and left as soon as the bell rang, leaving Atsushi to pack up.
{::::::::}
They tried it again the next day.
And the next.
And the next.
By the end of the week, it was clear Akutugawa was reaching the end of his patience, nearly throwing down his violin as Atsushi sped up again.
"I'm sorry!" Atsushi apologized and Akutugawa glared, losing count of how many times he'd heard the apology in the day alone.
"I'm leaving early," he snapped, packing up his violin and storming out. Dazai and Chuuya halted in the middle of their piece, Chuuya shooting Dazai a deadly look and Dazai laughing sheepishly.
Atsushi hung his head and went back to practicing.
{::::::::}
Atsushi unlocked the music room after school , grateful his music teacher was willing to let him use the piano for extra practice after hours.
He took in a deep breath and started.
{::::::::}
Atsushi lost track of how long he practiced but when the fact that he was hungry finally registered, his fingers were aching.
He took down the sheets, closed the piano and checked the time, wincing when he realized that he would have to walk home, too late for the buses.
As he stood up, a familiar voice rung out through the air.
"You are good," Akutugawa called as he opened the door, strolling in. "You actually barely make mistakes."
Atsushi screamed, actually let it out this time and clutched his bag to his chest, pointing his phone at Akutugawa like it would help him fend off an attacker.
Akutugawa raised an eyebrow, holding up his hands in surrender and Atsushi saw a violin case in one hand and... Take out food in the other.
"Maybe you should eat first," Akutugawa continued. "And then we can talk."
"Talk about what?" Atsushi squeaked.
"Why I'm scaring you and what I can do to make you feel more comfortable," Akutugawa answered with a sigh, rolling his eyes.
"O-Oh," Atsushi relaxed slightly, reaching for the offered meal. "Thank you?"
"I see no reason why you're afraid of me," Akutugawa huffed, sitting down crossed legged while pulling a container of rice out of his bag.
"HAVE YOU SEEN YOUR FACE AKUTUGAWA-KUN? YOU LOOK LIKE YOU WANT TO MURDER SOMEONE HALF THE TIME!" Dazai yelled cheerfully, sliding past the room, Chuuya barrelling after him with an indignant 'Dazai you fucking idiot!'
Akutugawa's face twitched.
"Moving on," he gritted out, nearly snapping his chopsticks in half. "First things first, why exactly, are you afraid of me?"
Atsushi laughed nervously.
"Well," he started. "You'rereallygoodandI'mafraidImightscrewthisduetassignmentupforyouandI'mnotreallytalentedatall."
Word vomit at its finest.
Akutugawa snorted.
"Not talented?" Atsushi blinked, surprised Akutugawa had even managed to pick out anything from the mess of words. "Says who?
"Um," Atsushi picked at a fraying thread in his shirt. "Compared to Chuuya-san and Dazai-san and even you, I'm not naturally talented-"
"And that is where the bullshit stops," Akutugawa cut him off. "Dazai-san never shuts up about you. Trust me," he muttered darkly, glaring at the doorway where Dazai was making another pass down the hallway. "He's an idiot but he has a good sense for talent. That is the only thing I'll trust him with."
"But, but-"
"Go to the piano," Akutugawa commanded, putting away his food. "We're going to try one more time."
Atsushi froze, eyes widening. Akutugawa shook his head, gently punching Atsushi's shoulder.
"I won't be mad if you mess up, I just want to sync it and get through the piece," Akutugawa continued, taking out his violin and tuning it. "Pretend I'm not here. Relax."
Atsushi inhaled deeply, positioning his hands on the keyboard.
"One," Aktugawa started. "Two. Three."
They went at a slow pace, far from an ideal tempo but Atsushi was relaxed, not really under any strain and they managed to sound decent for once, Akutugawa perhaps a little too loud at times and Atsushi too slow but they got through it.
"Well," Akutugawa spoke up after a long moment of silence, Atsushi sprawled out across the piano in relief. "Not the worse I've heard."
"IT WAS TERRIBLE!" Dazai yelled.
Akutugawa's eyebrow twitched and he gripped his violin case tightly.
"But," he went on after what seemed like an internal debate on whether to brain Dazai with his violin case or not. "We can definitely improve. Extra practice for one, lots of it."
Atsushi leaned back, stretching out his fingers with a contented smile.
"Playing in front of others as well."
Atsushi lost his balance and promptly fell off the chair.
"What? Why?"
"I'm not sure if you've noticed or not, you should have, but you have terrible, terrible stage fright."
Atsushi proceeded to make a second undignified noise in front of Akutugawa.
{::::::::}
They practiced often, Akutugawa always more than willing to stay after school.
Chuuya would drive them home when he could and Kouyou, their art teacher was more than happy to stay behind to listen to them while providing them with meals whenever they needed it.
Akutugawa would call Atsushi at the most inopportune times, go to a bar (thanks Dazai) and get Atsushi to play in front of a crowd.
It didn't turn out amazingly the first few times, Atsushi readily butchered any piece he tried but he progressively got better as he went again and again.
During class, Akutugawa was usually harsh and blunt with Atsushi, rarely giving him a compliment or saying that he was satisfied but slowly, slowly, their piece came together.
They hung out at lunch, discussing how they should move on, Akutugawa even assisting Atsushi with mathematics and Atsushi shared his largely unknown skill in English.
When they got into the zone, when they played, it was peaceful but intense, together but still individual, quiet but deafening loud.
They became aware of each other, what each was doing, if Akutugawa stumbled, Atsushi would quietly cover it up and if Atsushi sped up, Akutugawa would match him and slowly bring him back.
Atsushi dared say they had become friends.
When they finally had to play for assessment, Akutugawa turned to Atsushi who seemed to be a little nervous.
Chuuya and Dazai had predictably played a flawless duet right before and the teacher motioned for them to take their places.
Akutugawa shot Atsushi a reassuring look, or as close to reassuring as he could get, the normally angry lines in his forehead smoothing out and softening, posture proud but not rigid.
One, Akutugawa mouthed. Two. Three.
And they played.
{::::::::}
"Ah," Dazai yawned, listening to the music float through the crack of the door. "What a nice result."
Chuuya rolled his eyes.