A Slice of Life

Can I See Your Instruments?

Aleksei had been able to feel the nervous energy coming off of Sam in waves on the way home. He was stressed and Aleksei had a pretty good hunch that this was about Frey and what he said.

While they were still traveling, Aleksei wisely kept his mouth shut. But when Sam pulled the front door of his house closed behind him, he could no longer stop himself from putting his hand on Sam's shoulder and asking, "hey, are you alright?"

Sam tried to shake of the nerves, but he couldn't. Frey's words had been very clear; he knew. Frey knew Sam was into guys, or more specifically into Aleksei.

"No, I'm not alright," Sam admitted, sighing deeply. "He knows about us."

"I think he does, yes," Aleksei had to agree. He could hardly deny how obvious Frey's remark had been. "I could..." Aleksei hesitated, "always deny we're together to people if that makes you feel better?"

Sam shook his head. "No, I don't really mind that he knows. I'm just worried," Sam replied, turning to face Aleksei. "If he knows, how many others do?" Sam voiced his worries. He really couldn't care less about Frey's opinion. But Frey had hardly spent any time with them. If he already figured it out, who else had?

"I don't know, Sam," Aleksei replied honestly.

"It doesn't even matter," Sam muttered, pulling Aleksei in his arms. "I'm sure he won't tell anyone. I just don't want my parents to find out."

Aleksei gave Sam's upper arms an encouraging squeeze. "They're not going to. At least, not tonight. They're not here."

Sam flashed a small smile, nodding because Aleksei was right. He shouldn't worry in that moment. He was home alone with Aleksei, and that should be enough to be happy. "Let me go get Rex, he's been alone all day," Sam said, walking to the backdoor to let the dog in.

Rex was clearly happy to see people, wagging his tail as he quickly slipped inside through the door. Aleksei crouched down and scratched his ear. He looked up at Sam.

"By the way," he said. "I wanted to say thank you... for taking me to the club. It's the first night I've been somewhere since moving. Before we met I was just studying and working a lot."

"So, you want to go to the club more often?" Sam asked, hopeful that he would. "I liked having you there. Though I was a bit worried about the drinking game. I once lost and well, it wasn't pretty..."

"I'd like to go again," Aleksei affirmed. "And while I don't like being stereotyped, the drinking one is true for me."

Apparently, Sam wasn't that much of a heavy drinker. Or so Aleksei gathered from his words just now. "I can't imagine you not looking great in any state. Even when you're very drunk."

"I never said I didn't look pretty," Sam replied, wiggling his eyebrows with a sly smirk on his face. "Just the throwing up part wasn't pretty. And the fact Jordy had to carry me to the car..." Sam shrugged. "But I'm done with those games, honestly."

Aleksei nodded. He thought the drinking game was fun to do this once, but it wasn't a good habit. Whether it ended in Jordy having to carry someone to the car or not. No, Aleksei liked another type of playing better, which he was reminded of again by being in Sam's house again.

"Hey, can I see your piano?" he suddenly asked, remembering that Sam promised to show him some time.

Sam perked up in his seat, thankful for Aleksei to change subjects. "Of course you can see it," he told him while he got up from the seat he had just taken. "It's this way."

Sam guided Aleksei through the house, towards the room where his parents kept all the music instruments they had. The piano was in the center of the room, like an eye-catcher for anyone who entered the room.