By your window

20.

Chapter Soundtrack: https://youtu.be/aS0fGS6D_JI

"It hurts so bad, baby: won't you kiss it better?" murmured Five with a mischievous grin, reaching out with his bandaged hand; Marben smiled at him softly and kissed the gauze, making his eyes go instantly warm and tender; it had been meant as a joke, she knew, but during the convalescence Five had grown a soft spot for this sweet game, so she had taken to indulge him every time.
Sadly, as soon as the sweet moment had come it went away: sobering up, Five retreated his hand and climbed over the windowsill, revealing his timid sister with the fringe in his wake.
"Marben, uh...this is...".
"Your sister Vanya" Marben filled in, looking fixedly at the girl; for a moment, she got annoyed beyond everything for getting deprived of her few, most cherished moments alone with her boyfriend, but then a more rational part of her mind coaxed her into being the well mannered and hospitable girl her parents had raised her to be. So she extended a hand for the newcomer and prepared herself to be at least grateful for the comfort Vanya had undoubtedly offered Five while she had been forced to stay away from the Academy.
"We've never been properly introduced, I'm afraid: my name's Marben, and I'm delighted to make your acquaintance. Hello" she said, helping the girl overstep the window frame and shaking her hand; Vanya was surprisingly carrying a case strapped to her back, and Marben recalled saying something about teaching her the basics of violin technique, quite some time ago.
"Hi! Yes, I'm Vanya, nice to meet you too" said the girl in a quiet but enthusiastic voice. "Five told me you could teach me how to take my first steps with the violin...if that's okay with you, of course!". Vanya exuded low self-esteem and insecurity. Marben was fairly certain she wouldn't be a difficult student, as long as she showed some discipline and dedication.
"It'll be my pleasure" she said then, with a warm yet sibylline smile. "So, why don't you show me your instrument? This is your father's violin, I presume".
"Oh, yes! I finally convinced Dad to let me borrow it!".
Five took the chair from the desk and placed it near the window, sitting down where he wouldn't be in the way: his Father's violin was a beautiful instrument, polished and as refined as only great musician's instruments usually looked like. Marben handled it with a grace and a naturalness he doubted Vanya would be able to replicate, but she yet had to start her first lesson, so it was perfectly understandable. A first pinch to the strings and Marben's dear face transfigured into a moue.
"Completely out of tune, I'm afraid" she laughed softly, and Vanya giggled nervously, even if she probably didn't have a clue on what they were talking about. Marben then proceeded to slowly tune the violin, explaining the process step by step to Vanya, who looked rapt. The blonde girl told her tuning was basically the bread and butter of a violinist, and although it may look difficult, with time it would grow to become a second nature to her.
Watching Marben and Vanya interact was the real reason of interest of the lesson, Five deemed, with all the due respect to the art of music: Marben's innate elegance and charm were in sharp contrast with Vanya's childish demureness, her round features and perennially lowered eyes. His sister wasn't neither bad looking nor expressionless, Five thought, and he knew for a fact that she possessed quite a sharp mind, but she was too insecure, shy and clumsy to really show her true colors. Despite her being a pubescent girl already, Vanya Hargreeves still looked like a child, and it became even more evident when Marben helped her lay Sir Hargreeves' violin on her left shoulder, encouraging her to balance it with her chin: Vanya erupted in a cascade of such elated giggles that the instrument started bobbing up and down dramatically. Both Marben and Five made to grab the neck of the violin - obviously, it was Marben who caught it, even if Five had space-jumped to his sister's side - and Vanya abruptly stopped giggling.
"I'm sorry!' she said, still broadly smiling 'I'm sorry, it's just...I can't believe I'm finally gonna play the violin!". Five scoffed fondly at this, earning himself a glare from his sister and a mildly scolding glance from his girlfriend, to which he lifted his hands as a sign of surrender.
"Don't be a jerk, Five!".
"WHA...".
"Oh, don't mind him, Vanya, he didn't intend to be mean. Just his usual old-inside and sarcastic self". Marben winked at him over her shoulder and he couldn't help to show her his teeth in a mock growl. She snickered and turned her back to him. For the rest of the lesson, Five's focus traveled raptly from the curve of Marben's neck to how her graceful hands adjusted the stance of Vanya's shoulders and back, later going to the shift her head made when she needed her hair to move away and then dwelling on the pull and twist of muscle and sinew around the neck of the violin to show Vanya the exact position she would need to aim for while practicing. It was a difficult position, Five could feel his arm hurt just by the sight of it, but Marben made it look natural and sophisticated.
It hit him right then and there, what was of Marben that had him hooked from the very start of their acquaintance: her dainty appearance (a mix of innocence, spontaneity and gentleness) which concealed in itself strength, kindness, determination, warmth, fierceness, talent, a bright intelligence, and all of this under the most astounding humility Five had ever seen into a human being. She looked delicate and pure like a beautiful flower, but could make a fool of you with a single glance, make you fall in love with the shift of her blond hair from a shoulder to the other and strike you without even touching, just with just the right word. Marben was born a woman, she was the master of her powerful self. And until then, Five had fooled himself thinking of having found and kept her, while instead, he had got chosen and didn't want to be let go.

A/N: I decided a little sweetness was in order, since we're having such a difficult time. We deserve it! And so does our dear Five. How are you? Be careful!
As always, thank you for the attention you're paying to me and this story. Until next time!