Lessons to Be Learned by Luna Darkhaze

Daniel absently hummed to himself as he tried to work out a specific passage for one of the songs on their new album, "Affirmation". His hands wandered over the keys of the grand piano he was seated at, testing out a few different melodies with nimble fingers. Finally Daniel gave up for the moment and started playing the reassuringly familiar "Truly Madly Deeply" to keep his hands limber.

After a minute, he saw something move out of the corner of his eye. Sneaking a quick look, Daniel confirmed what he had suspected was going on: Darren was hovering around behind him, watching him again. The singer had been doing it all week; watching Daniel play without trying to be obtrusive about it. But Daniel noticed and found it rather amusing.

"Why don't you come have a seat, Dar?" He said casually without turning around. There was a long pause behind him, then Darren slowly crept up beside him and sat on the end of the piano bench, a slightly sheepish expression on his face.

"What's up, mate?" Daniel asked, leaning his arm against the piano's wooden frame and turning in Darren's direction. Darren cleared his throat nervously and smiled weakly at Daniel.

"Um, I just was watching you play, it's very interesting to watch. Makes me wish I could play like that." The singer said shyly, casting his gaze downward. Daniel smiled at how Darren was trying to fish for a piano lesson without actually asking. He decided to give in this time and not make Darren feel silly by having to ask to learn some piano, Darren had a very strong sense of pride.

"Want me to give you a small lesson?" Daniel asked, grinning. Darren raised his head and grinned back, nodding slightly. Daniel spread his hands over the keys and Darren moved closer in order to see better. The guitarist thought for a moment, then moved his hands into the right positions.

"Let's start with Truly Madly Deeply, ok?" he said, looking at Darren. The singer seemed off in his own little world for a moment, then he blinked and nodded eagerly. Daniel went through the first few bars as slowly as he could while Darren observed avidly. Then he put his hands down and moved over slightly while Darren put his hands up, listening closely as Daniel told him where to put his fingers. Biting his lip a little in concentration, Darren tried to repeat what Daniel had just played. They both laughed at the poor fumbling Darren produced.

"Shit, this is harder than I thought." Darren exclaimed, smiling ruefully. Daniel scratched his head for a moment, trying to think of something to help Darren, then a light bulb went off in his mind.

"Here, I've got it," Daniel announced, "put your hands over mine." Darren merely blinked at him.

"Why?" He asked, a look of startlement flitting across his face. Daniel laughed at that look.

"Oh I don't know, perhaps cos it will help you learn the piano, like you wanted."

"Oh." Was all Darren said as Daniel put his hand back into the position for the beginning of TMD. After a moment's hesitation, Darren put his hands over Daniel's. The blond man started playing again and, indeed, it was easier for Darren to pick up the pattern this time, until Daniel had to reach for a key in the lower register and Darren's hand slipped off of Daniel's.

"Whoops, can't have that happening." Daniel murmured good-naturedly, his brow creasing again in thought.

"Alright, you are gonna have to let me sit in your lap then." Daniel said matter-of-factly, looking expectantly at Darren. The singer stared at his partner.

"What?!"

"Look, that way your hands won't slip when I move my hands in different directions." Daniel explained patiently.

"You want to sit in my lap." Darren said flatly, trying to keep his face blank.

"Well, you can hardly sit in mine, you are heavier than I am!" Daniel replied.

"Not by that much!" Darren retorted. Daniel gave the singer a look of exasperation and merely waited while Darren squirmed uncomfortably on the bench. He wanted to learn some piano but this was getting definitely weird.

"Fine. You can sit on my lap." Darren muttered after a long few minutes. Daniel got up and Darren grudgingly moved to the center of the piano bench. The singer watched apprehensively as Daniel quickly lowered himself to Darren's lap.

"Oof! What you have for breakfast, Dan? Bricks?" Darren exclaimed, pretending to wheeze, trying to ignore the sensation of Dan's weight on his legs.

"Shut up." Daniel replied with a smile, looking over his shoulder. There was another moment's pause, then Daniel said impatiently

"Come on Dar, get your hands up onto mine again. Time's a-wasting!" With great reluctance, Darren brought his arms up and put his hands on Daniel's. The way his arms went made it feel a little too much like he was hugging Daniel and Darren tried to hide his nervousness. At least he thought he was nervous. His body felt so tense that Darren had to forcibly try to make himself relax a little.

*It's just Dan, nothing to get excited about.*

But somehow Darren just couldn't believe that. Daniel started playing slowly again and Darren tried to pay attention but was finding Daniel's back increasingly distracting. He could feel Daniel's lower back pressed into him and found himself admiring the muscles he could see through Daniel black shirt. Darren felt his face got hot as he remembered some rather vivid dreams he had concerning that well-muscled back.

The singer began to relax slowly as he realized that the situation he was in wasn't so bad. It actually felt quite right having his arms around Daniel's, his hands on top of the guitarist's, feeling the tendons flex as the fingers moved agilely across the keys. Darren had been very careful about concealing his feelings about Daniel but how they were now felt so safe and nice that Darren felt his guard relaxing as well. The fact that Daniel's cologne was intoxicating Darren also helped desolve his restrain.

Barely aware of what he was doing, Darren gently rubbed his cheek against Daniel's back, savouring the feel of muscle under thin cotton. Distantly he heard Daniel's piano playing falter but that seemed unimportant now. Darren moved his head upward to the uncovered part of Daniel's neck, breathing in deeply the scent of Daniel. The guitarist's breathing was speeding up but somehow he managed to continue playing, even if it was in a rather broken manner. An obscure part of Darren's mind admired Daniel's ability to do that but the rest of him was caught up in Daniel himself. Darren brushed his lips against the nape of Daniel's neck and heard him gasp in surprise. Darren began to softly kiss Daniel's exposed skin and, out of the corner of his eye, saw the guitarist close his eyes in pleasure.

*Ah, so this is mutual...something of a relief...* Came the detached voice in the back of Darren's mind. Not that it mattered to him right now, so caught up was he in taste of Daniel's skin and the warmth of him on his lap. Darren nuzzled the tendons of Daniel's shoulder and the guitarist moaned ever so quietly, leaning back into Darren and, miraculously, still playing the piano.

Suddenly the both of them could hear footsteps coming towards them. Both looked at each other and Daniel got up off Darren's lap like he'd been burned, returning to his spot on Darren's left. Daniel started playing again just in time as someone strode in the room. Both turned their heads and saw it was Leonie, their new PR, who had a digital videocamera with her. She grinned widely at the scene she saw, completely unaware of how different it had been not 5 seconds ago.

"Hey guys, what are you doing?" she asked curiously. Both men looked at each, then Daniel spoke up.

"I'm teaching him some piano." This caused Leonie to grin even wider.

"That's so cute! Mind if I tape a bit to put up on the website? To add to my new update?" Darren managed to not laugh.

"Sure, fine, it'll be an embaressement but at least people will get a laugh." He joked, wondering if he could actually play anything. He hadn't exactly been paying very good attention. Leonie put the camera to her face and gestured for Darren to play.

Smiling uncertainly, he put his fingers on what he thought were the right keys and gave it a go. It actually wasn't too bad, it seemed that his hands had been paying attention even if he hadn't. But it was still a pretty shoddy performance. After a particularly bad mess-up Darren stopped playing and just smiled sheepishly at the camera.

"That was pretty good there, Darren." Leonie teased, laughing just a little.

"Hey, I'm learning, I'm learning!" Darren shot back, grinning.

*Yes, it seems I am.* He chuckled mentally, exchanging an amused glance with Daniel.