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Donny had always had the talent of a musician. The way his hands would flutter so easily over every key to create the perfect sound was amazing to Julia. He was always in control over the piano, and playing it was when he was most level headed. There was something in the way a piano was played that Julia loved.
Julia had never played a piano before. She'd always been the singer of her family, at recitals, at her church, everywhere. The only instrument she had picked up was the ukelele, and even then she only knew about eight chords. She could hardly call herself a musician.
One evening, while Donny was scribbling away, composing a new song for the band, Julia decided she wanted to learn. She wished to play the piano, make some music similar to the way Donny does. She knew it would take years upon years to be as talented as he was, but she at least wanted to try. It might even be fun.
Settling herself inbetween his legs on the piano bench (surprisingly not disturbing Donny), she set her hands on the keys, playing a middle C with her thumb.
Donny looked up from the sheet music he was writing on upon hearing the note and stared at Julia in front of him.
"What're you up to?" He asked curiously, scooting forward on the bench to encase her more between his limbs. She smiled back at him, turning her head so their eyes could meet.
"I wanna learn piano." She stated, playing the single note again. "I was hoping maybe you could teach me a little something."
Donny paused before chuckling, noting how Julia always wanted to try new things since they began dating. She was becoming more and more adventurous as they were discovering what they were. Donny couldn't say he minded it.
"Well, alright." He agreed, setting his music and his pencil off to the side. Shifting again, Donny's arms wrapped around where Julia's were, his larger fingers laying on top of her delicate ones. "I'm proud to say you already started in the right position. Good job, Jules." He kissed her cheek as she blushed. Was he gonna do this the whole time?
He then began to go on about the notes. It seemed like he could talk for hours on end about his piano. He explained which key lines up with which note, the pedals on the piano's underside, piano chords, and all the other things that Julia was unsure she could keep track off.
And then came the playing. Donny started with one of the most basic songs for Julia, since she was a beginner (it almost felt grueling to Donny to listen to her struggle with this after all he had learned about this instrument through his lifetime). But each time that Julia would play the correct set of notes she would get excited, an easy smile brighten up her face. She would make a joke about how she'd be playing circles around Donny soon, before playing the simple set of notes again. Donny could stand listening to the simplicity if it made his favorite girl happy.
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The two of them began to do this every week. After rehearsals, they would stay for maybe an hour or two, Julia learning more and more everyday. She was good, Donny had to admit, and she was certainly trying. She would plunk a wrong note every once in a while, retracting her hands from the piano and leaning into Donny as if she had done something serious wrong. He always encouraged her to keep going even when it's wrong.
Today was one of those days, a day where everything seemed wrong and out of place. Rehearsal had been tiring for everybody in the band, but Julia seemed to be having an especially rough day.
Playing a nasty chord out of frustration, Julia groaned and curled her back into Donny's chest. Why couldn't she play anything right today? She had been making music perfectly yesterday and now every note seemed wrong. What had changed?
"It's okay, Jules, you're doing great." Donny encouraged, lying to her in the slightest. She wasn't doing great, but he wanted to see her succeed. "Why don't you try again?"
Julia shook her head like a stubborn child not wanting to eat their vegetables. She wanted to go home with Donny and curl up on their couch, maybe throw on some movie to distract them both. But he wasn't letting her leave until they got this right. The perfectionist in Donny always made him run the rehearsals long.
She sighed, sitting up straight once more with an unpleasant frown and placing her hands on the keys. Donny smiled, making sure her hands were in the right position before sliding his hands down her sides to make her sit up straight.
He wasn't expecting her to flinch and pull back her arms. His first thought was that she didn't want to go through with it, but a ghost of a smile had appeared on her face.
"C'mon, Jules, the sooner you get this done, the sooner we can go home." He promised, running his hands along her sides once more as she placed her hands on the keys, flinching again.
"Can you stop?" She asked, irritating and a hint of a giggle coming from her mouth.
"Stop what?"
"Stop touching my sides like that."
"Why? Are you hurt or something?" Donny hoped it wasn't that.
"No, it tickles, okay? My sides are a bit sensitive." Donny smirks. Julia feels a shiver go down her spine and puts a glare on her face that she thought would make Donny back down.
"Don't you even think about it, Novitski."
She barely gets that sentence out before Donny runs his fingers all across her sides. Suddenly, she burst out in giggles, her arms retracting to protect her sides, but it's no use. She can't protect herself from the onslaught of his fingers.
"No! Donny, stop it!" Julia wriggles around between Donny's legs, attempting to get away from her captor.
There is nothing but a bright smile now stuck to both of their faces, Donny finding joy in the laughter she's producing. The way he moved his fingers across her sides reminds him of the way one would play a piano.
"Don't be like that, Julia." Donny teased. "I'm just showing you how to tickle the ivories."
Julia's laughter almost increased a pitch when he made that joke, as if she liked the ring it had. But it was an awful pun.
"Shut up!" She laughed out. How much longer could she take this?
Throwing on a fake pout for effect (though who was really watching?), Donny brought his arms all the way around Julia's waist, tickling her stomach now instead of her sides.
He was about to make a teasing comment about how mean she was for telling him to shut up, but her laughter cut him off. It increased since he moved to her stomach, causing her to squirm as much as she could in his grip, which at this point wasn't much, and squeal rather loudly. Clearly, he'd discovered an overly sensitive spot.
She tried to say something but her words weren't words anymore - they were strings of syllables mixed in with laughter. She had little time to breath with the way he was attacking her. She attempted to suck in a breath through her nose but quickly found out why she shouldn't have done that when a loud snort erupted from her.
Donny's fingers stopped wriggling around once he heard the sound, causing him to retract his arms and fall into a pile of laughter himself. Embarrassed, Julia whipped around with her face entirely red.
"It's not funny!" She claimed, crossing her arms as Donny attempted to hide his laughter.
"I know, I'm sorry," He apologized half sincerely. "I just-you're so cute." Pressing a kiss to her cheek he stood, leaving Julia in a blushing mess on the piano bench.
"Let's go home, my little piglet."
"I'm not a pig!"