A little thank you for Maison, hope you like it because writing Leo has been a while
Xavier sat on his rock, like he always did. The stone was smooth against his skin and the bits of moss tickled between his toes. Toes that flexed as he kept on tuning until the violin was making the eprfect sound. It was a necessary act that needed to be done every few decades and for once he had a friend to share the glory of a new tuned instrument with. He was glad that he could teach Leo how to play; playing made the time go by much faster. Eternity lasted too long anyway.
“Are we still gonna do this today or what?” leo asked, obviously agitated as he sat with his feet in the water. Xav looked up from the strings, feeling every ripple that Leo made on the surface of the lake. The second violin was lying next to him in the grass, waiting to be played.
“Do you even know how to hold it?” he retorted. Sliding over the strings to check everything for a last time, his ears made a content twitch. Perfect.
Leo just snorted. “It can’t be that hard.” But Xavier couldn’t help but chuckle by the way the other tried to mimic his posture with the instrument tucked under his chin.
The bright sunlight of an early morning was shining through the thick forest leaves and Xav slid back into the water, emerging where Leo is sitting. He tilted his head to the side a little as arms rested on the dirt. “A little higher.”
“Whatever.”
The instrument got lifted up higher nonetheless.
A few minutes passed as basic instructions were given. There was no need to go into details, the violin was designed to do the rest and served as a better teacher than anyone could ever be.
Xav had crawled onto the edge of the lake, next to Leo but refusing to leave the water completely. The white robes still soaked at the edges as his legs moved around together with the slight current. He watched as Leo starts playing, a frown on his face as he concentrated and still having no idea what to do. The violin just urged him to play nevertheless and it was beautiful.
He started playing too, the instrument of smooth wood slotted together seamlessly as a whole resonating clear tones in the forest.
It wasn’t such a dark place once you filled it with music. The air became kind, the chilling breeze a little more heart warming. The melody was always foreign yet so familiar in the forest, something to make your head spin and send chills up your spine as it entranced you.
Leo’s eyes had fallen shut, as there was no need for guidance. His arms were moving at their own accord as he could weave the music on his own. Slowly he moved, edging further and further into the water. Leo never noticed, not until he felt a sudden hint of fatigue. His arms hurt and it took him some effort to open his eyes and see what was wrong. It had only been a few minutes of playing.
Xavier was shaking him at that moment until his eyes flashed open and the violin fell into the water without a sound.
“I-I wasn’t paying attention. You were just playing so well and I….” the nøkk’s voice was loud, shaking and Leo didn’t realize what was wrong until he notices the blood on his hands and that the water was now reaching his chest.
Blood from his finger that richly flowed down his arms as he held them up. The forest had become dark, the sound of owls now filling the air instead of those of birds.
“I stopped you, you’re fine. You’re alive.” Xavier was probably only reassuring himself at that moment instead of Leo but he’d calmed down enough to finally let go of his friends shoulders, taking a few steps back into middle of the water.
“You wouldn’t drown me, right?” Leo asked, still staring at his hands.
“Never.”
