Maxon & America - Short Stories After The One

Hear the Music

America's POV

It's just a normal day. I'm just playing the piano, and, as usual, I'm playing Maxon's favourite song. I know it's his favourite, even though he always says that anything I play is his favourite.

Anyway.

I play the piano, trying to make it as beautiful as possible so that Maxon would be happy. He always says he's infinitely happy as long as I'm alive, but I want to make him just that little bit happier.

I'm in the Women's Room, Marlee by my side. She says she's just peacefully writing thoughts in her journal, although I'm pretty sure she's writing a letter to Carter. Even though they see each other every other minute. I might consider doing the whole letter-writing thing with Maxon, but we see each other more like every thirty seconds. Unless he's busy with his kingly duties or something, but that rarely happens.

It's been thirty seconds since he last burst into the room (without asking permission!) and said that me and my playing was beautiful. So, of course, he came in again.

"America, darling, your playing is just exquisite. Not to mention you..." he said, his eyes turning from playful to serious as he took in my deep green gown. I had to admit, it did make me look a bit better than usual, so I didn't brush his affection off too hastily.

"Stop it, Maxon," I said, playfully swatting at his muscular arm. I used to always wonder when he got the time to build up such serious muscle like that, and now that I'm his wife, I know. He wakes up at 4:30am. 4:30am!!! That's so early. He lets me sleep in until six, that darling rebel husband of mine. But he wakes up at 4:30am to do his workout, without anyone ogling over his huge muscles.

"Sorry, darling," he said, the glint in his eye saying that he very much was not sorry. "Anyway, I had something I was really hoping to show you. But if you're too busy..."

"No! I'm not too busy! Show me!" I said excitedly, jumping up from the piano bench and grabbing his hand.

"Alright, let's go," he said, beaming.

I looked back at Marlee, who had quit her journaling for the moment to laugh at me and Maxon. She was looking at me, a smug smile on her face. I swatted my hand at her, and we both laughed.

Maxon looked at me. "Some new form of communication? Hand-swattenment?"

"Oh, just show me already," I said, pushing him toward the door.

He led me to another piano. "Here's the surprise."

I smiled, trying to seem excited. "Thank you, Maxon! I mean, I've always needed, you know, a refresher or a reminder of the gifts you've given me before. This is one of my favourite pianos." I tried to hide my disappointment. Maybe it was a new piano bench? Nope, same one.

"Wow, America. Do you really have that little faith in me?" Maxon asked, his eyes telling me he wasn't actually feeling bad. "Thank you for trying to be encouraging, honey, but that's not the surprise."

"But you said--"

Maxon silenced me by sitting down at the piano. I gasped. What? Maxon... sitting down at the piano..? No... he had no musical skills whatsoever... maybe he was finally letting me do that photoshoot of him...

He took a deep breath, placed his hands on the keyboard, and started playing. Playing the piano!!

Now, I wish I could say that his hands glided over the keys the same way mine did, that the music flowing from the piano was extraordinary, that he looked as comfortable as ever while playing for me.

But it really wasn't.

The song was a variation of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star that he had written himself, and his hands were shaking a bit as he played. He looked a bit nervous, but he glanced up at me as he was playing and he seemed to instantly relax. He stumbled a bit on some notes, but laughed it off. But overall, the song was very pretty. But what meant the most was that he learned to play the piano.

He learned to play the piano! For me! When he finished, he stood up and took a comical bow. I jumped up and down as I was clapping as hard as I could.

"Maxon, I--" I started to say. But my stupid eyes started welling up with tears. This meant so much to me. He had never, ever been good at anything music related.

"Don't cry! Remember, I don't know what to do when women cry..."

I laughed at the familiar bewildered look on his face. "How did you learn? Maxon, that was... that was amazing. Thank you so, so much."

"Oh, it wasn't amazing. Not at all. Your playing is amazing," he said a bit bashfully. "But I learned from one of the butlers who plays the piano. All I wanted was to learn from you,  but I figured you were too busy, and you had too much work... so I decided to learn as a surprise for you. I hope you liked my effort, even if it didn't amount to much..."

"Oh, Maxon, I loved it! And there is never going to be a time when I am too busy for you. I would have been happy to teach you, and still am. Do you want a lesson now? Not that you need one..."

Maxon gave me a long side glance. "'Not that I need one'? Are you kidding? Did you hear that awful sound that just came out of that beautiful instrument? I'd love a lesson now."

We both laughed as we sat down at the bench together, my hands guiding his.