The Piano Man (Yoi Drabble)
As per the birthday girl herself's request, here's the Pianist!Yuuri AU I promised you. Happy birthday @chiinoiserie !!
Song: Falling Slowly on piano and this is the song. I took liberty in song choice because chii was so vague and only gave me piano man and coffee.
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“Chris~ you’re not listening to me~~” Victor whined as he took his coffee and change from the counter mouthing a quick ‘thank you’ to the barista as he turned and went towards the door.
Bluetooth headsets are the greatest achievement man has made as of recent, Victor decides as he slipped the change in his pocket and pushed the door outside with his now free hand as he sipped his coffee.
“I told you, I was kicked out of the office by Yakov, I didn’t skip - No! I didn’t take a half day because I want to - No! Chris!” he said as he kept arguing with his best friend who he left at the office while he goes around the district waiting for their end of shift.
He wasn’t lying.
His boss really did tell him to get his ass out of the office and take the rest of the day off - he’s earned it after all.
It wasn’t his fault.
Except his best friend and him were supposed to dine out later, hence, the need to wait and this whiny phone call.
The air was nice when he went out though.
Not too cold and not too hot.
Indeed, a perfect weather for a stroll.
He promised Chris he’d be waiting for him at The Lobby, an open hang out place where people usually meet up, like a park, but with cemented flooring and chairs and tables fit for a meeting.
It was already half past four, half an hour more until Chris’ shift ends.
He took a seat in one of the open tables.
He ended his call with Chris as soon as he sat.
He wanted - no, needed, this peace and quiet for himself, at least until his best friend arrives.
It’s still office hours, so there wasn’t a lot of people yet.
He comforted himself by listening to the sound of the air and looking at the Sakura trees making a lot of its flowers fall off… to a man.
He blinked once and then twice.
The man is standing in front of the piano with a forlorn look on his face.
The man looks beautiful, and he’s curious, but it’s none of his business, he thought, as he made a move to turn his head to the side.
But then he saw the man move.
Towards the piano and stroked the cover before pulling it up and slowly sat down at the bench.
Now he’s really curious.
He took in the form of the man, beautiful posture, ‘He must really play the piano a lot’ he thought as he remembered his piano lessons when he was young and the teacher scolding him for proper posture and finger alignment to the keyboard. Vaguely, he also remembers a silhouette of a man.
‘So this is how it’s supposed to look’ he thought as he watched the man play with the keyboards.
He looked at the time.
20 minutes until Chris’ shift ends.
He still has time, he thought as he went continued to drink his now cold coffee slowly watching the man.
For a moment, Victor thought the man couldn’t play when the latter just sat there for 10 minutes straight just poking at some keys, ‘an old injury?’ he thought to himself, but then the first chords started echoing through The Lobby and his mind went blank… or not.
He was singing along as the man played.
“I don't know you, but I want you all the more for that” he heard himself sing.
This is a song from a movie, he knew that much, since Chris had dragged him when it premiered and they watched it together.
But there’s also something familiar to this song - like it means more to him than the movie itself.
Did he hear this song in the club? He doubts it, but that’s the only reason he could come up with. His heart is filled with so much happiness that it could only mean that this song reminds him of happiness and life.
“Take this sinking boat and point it home, we still got time” he continued as the song reached its chorus.
It’s obvious the man knew how to play, quite beautifully too. The song he chose is a song about meeting and falling in love with a complete stranger - ‘what a romantic’ he thought as he sighed.
He wished he remembers where he heard this from.
He finished his cup of coffee just as Chris showed up with a ‘Hey’ and the last notes of the song ended.
He turned to Chris as he stood up and turned to the bin to throw his empty cup.
When he turned around though, he locked eyes with the pianist who played earlier, who gave him a soft smile before turning away himself.
He didn’t notice earlier but he could’ve sworn he met the man before.
Chris calls him and he turned to his friend and walking towards him and away from The Lobby, not noticing the pianist turning back to look at him again as the latter’s friends started comforting him.
Yuuri though, he knew Victor doesn’t recognize him, he just knew, and yet Yuuri was foolish to believe that their drunken night at the office party one year ago when he played with abandon for the same man using the same song in their company’s banquet room, will at least be remembered by the Russian he was pining for since he started at the company three years ago.
Falling slowly.
Maybe, he’ll try again?
Maybe next time, he’ll just get the courage to say hello to him.
If only Victor remembers.