Intermezzo in A

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by dylohbrien

by dylohbrien

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blindness, angst, fluff
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They discovered Stiles' love for music when he was only five. John and Claudia were in the music store to get a new piano string, because Claudia's grand piano is old and one of the strings snapped. They turned around for just a few moments before they heard the sound of keyboard smash. Random notes hit by their son, and yet he seemed so intrigued with the miniature grand piano.
Of course, a month later when April the eighth struck, Stiles received the gift of the piano he had left behind at the music store that day. He loved the piano dearly, and Claudia loved spending the time with her son and getting to teach him something she loved so much. Playing piano became something incredibly important in his life. It could be heard by his parents when they were eating, watching t.v., reading, anytime. It was the norm in their household. It was strange whenever he would stay the night at Scott's and it was quiet in the house.

When the pack were searching through an antique store, looking for a book that had been left here, they split up into the different rooms. Rooms brimming with all different items that were seemingly in no order. Kira and Malia were the ones to find it, really only Kira and her habit of walking backwards.
When she went to take one more step back, she tripped over the rug and fell backwards. She hit the side of the instrument with a resounding thud and pulled the cover off of it on her way down. Everyone ran into the room that Malia and Kira had been searching to find her on the floor. Derek left the room to go look some more when he realized what happened, and Scott smiled and shook his head fondly before going to search some more. Malia took Kira to another part of the store to try and limit the amount of broken objects, but Stiles stayed behind. His eyes locked onto the piano and he couldn't bring himself to leave.
No one noticed that Stiles hadn't gone back to searching for the book, how could he? He hadn't played a piano in seven and a half years. His feet pulled him toward the piano before he even realized what was happening. It was beautiful, very elegant looking. It reminded him of his mother.
He closed his eyes in an attempt to reel himself back in, but it was too late, he was a goner.
He ran his hand along the wood of the piano and walked a full circle around it before sitting at the piano bench. He moved his hands along the top of the key cover before lifting it with a deep inhale.

By the time Stiles was seven years old, he could play Fur Elise in a way that almost put Claudia to shame. He was always a pale and fragile-looking, but happy, child. The pale slenderness of his fingers suited his piano playing in the way they flew across his miniature grand piano.
Then one day, his mother pulled him up onto her piano bench, and they played together. When Sheriff Stilinski got home, he had to stop in the doorway and just watch for a minute because it was too precious of a moment for no one to bear witness.
Around the holidays you could hear them playing Canon in D, and it was truly spectacular that they never really needed to practice playing with one another. They were always in sync.
Stiles decided it was his favorite time of the year, although it wasn't the only time they played. It was just the most cheerful, and it always smelled good.
That all changed soon enough though. When Stiles mom was admitted to the hospital, she still wanted him to keep playing. She asked him to go home and learn a new song every day, and of course he did, how could he deny his mother when she was dying and he knew she was.
Where he and Scott used to play video games, he learned the songs she loved and asked after. Scott became really supportive during this time. He would sit on the piano bench next to Stiles and listen to him play, Stiles even taught him to play a few simple parts to his favorite songs.
Then came the day that the Sheriff found Stiles sitting all by himself in the waiting room with his head in his hands. John Stilinski had never felt so much for his son until that day, and oh God did he feel for Stiles.
He was silent while John sorted out everything with the hospital. He was silent on the car ride home. He was silent while they ate dinner in the dining room that was once so full of life. John was expecting rage and despair, crying and pain. He wasn't expecting the silence that echoed throughout the house. He wasn't expecting to have time to himself in his mind, thinking about his wife and playing with his wedding band.
So after they ate, John pulled his son tight to his chest and held him close for as long as he could, and before he could start crying in front of his son, he told him it might be a good idea to get some rest. It was unnerving to the sheriff that he could sit on the couch and there wasn't a sound, not a single music note, that could keep him from hearing Stiles brushing his teeth. It had never been so quiet in their house.
Then suddenly, it was loud. John could hear things banging and he ran upstairs as fast as he could. What he found was Stiles throwing and ripping sheet music, music stands were across the room, Stiles was crying and angry, and this is what John had expected. Stiles must have passed the music room on the way to bed and it was the last straw.
He had to run over and wrap his arms around his son's torso and arms to keep him from hurting himself or breaking anything. Stiles resisted and he thrashed in an attempt to get away, but then his entire body went lax and he just cried. He sobbed in his father's arm and John cried too.

Stiles was playing Intermezzo in A before he even had a say in the matter, it was practically muscle memory anyway. His fingers were gentle and graceful, just like they've always been. As he played, it was like he could hear his mother's laugh right next to him, feel her presence. He could practically smell his father's cooking and the holiday cookies. It was all too personal and it stung so bad, but at the same time it felt like a huge weight lifted off of his chest.
The pack all heard the music and they were gathering by the door before they knew it, but Scott and Derek were at the doorway first. Before Derek could even take a step in the room, Scott put his arm out to stop him. Derek looked at Scott only to find the Scott's eyes were focused on Stiles. "I... He hasn't played since... for years..." Scott whispered, and everyone understood.
The pack slowly went back to the search, one by one, but they could all hear the beautiful piano playing from around the store. The only ones who didn't leave were Scott and Derek.
Stiles finished playing, and he exhaled roughly before closing the key cover and laying his head on it, but they didn't leave.

After that day at the music store everything carried on as it usually would. The pack went through its normal routine and Stiles acted like his usual self. Until one day, while they were in Derek's place, all the wolves suddenly turned to the door and a few moments later there was a knock on it. Derek was the only one who wasn't surprised and just calmly answered the door. When he came in, everyone understood why.
They were delivery men at the door. Carrying in a grand piano. The one from the antique store.
Everyone kind of understood after listening to Stiles play while smelling similar to heartbreak, but Stiles brain malfunctioned. He froze and couldn't stop his eyes from flickering between the piano and Derek. Derek made sure to control himself and not look over at Stiles, trying to act as nonchalant as possible.
After the piano was set up, near the wall of windows in the loft, Derek just came back and everyone picked up right where they left off. Stiles didn't talk much for the rest of the pack meeting.

When it got too late for the pack to stay much longer, they slowly left. One-by-one Stiles watched them leave, and soon it was his turn. He was heading toward the door even though he just wanted to ask and he was trying to convince himself not to, but decision making and self control are two things that have never quite been his forte. So at the midpoint between the sliding door and Derek he turned around and took three steps back toward Derek, left right left
"Why did you buy it?" Stiles licks his lips, he's nervous and hesitant, and Derek turns to face him.
"Can I not just make the decision to buy a piano?" Stiles kind of wants to smack that little amused smirk off of his face, but he also kind of wants to kiss it off.
"You don't even play the piano, Derek," He deadpans. "And this happens to be the piano that was at that store we were just at."
"Why so curious about the piano, Stiles?" It comes out teasing, but Derek is instantly worried about crossing a line. He wants to nudge him in the direction of an old passion, not piss him off and make him run.
Stiles narrows his eyes at Derek, studying him like he means to find out his motives. Finally, he says, "You're an asshole." Then he spins on his heels and heads back for the door. And, really, Stiles should have expected it when Derek grabbed his arm and turned him around, but the bastard didn't even make a sound when he rushed over to grab Stiles.
"I'm not trying to be an asshole," It's strange, because Stiles swears it just sounded like Derek was pleading with him. Wanting him to believe.
"Then what is this?" Stiles turns sharply toward Derek, and there is anger in his voice and there are tears pooling in his eyes. "What did you hear? Or did you talk to Scott? Is this some kind of a joke to you?" He yanks his arm from Derek's grasp and tries to step backward, but he stumbles and nearly lands on his backside. Derek grabs his forearms and pulls him back upright before he even touches, though. He doesn't let go of Stiles' arms.
"Stiles, why would I be treating this like a joke?" Derek questions, and he's so serious. "I know what it's like to lose someone and lose parts of yourself with them." Stiles turns away so he doesn't have to look Derek in the eye when the tears that were pooling slip out and over his cheeks. "Stiles... look at me."
There's a beat of silence before Stiles turns, and when he does Derek's heart hurts because Stiles should never look like this. Derek knows it's coming before it even happens and he pulls Stiles to his chest a moment before the first sob wracks through his body.

When Stiles begins playing the piano for the first time, Derek knows he made the right decision, and suddenly Stiles is everywhere. After pack meetings Stiles waits for everyone to leave before he rushes to the piano. When Stiles has nothing to do, although he'll never admit he may just enjoy spending time with Derek, he comes over and plays the piano. Derek never really recognizes the songs Stiles plays, but that's okay because they're beautiful to listen to.
Maybe one day instead of just watching Stiles' long finger play the instrument, Derek might just grow a pair and make a move.

By; stereks_fifth_nipple