Playing For The Other Team [REMAKE]

Chapter 23

The old piano in the storage room is almost fully functional. A handful of keys have sunk down, but they work if you're determined. The first time Nathan attempts to play it, he's alone, and after a few experimental chords, there's a frighteningly large amount of dust in the air.

The piano sounds decent enough, and Nathan learns quickly which keys are out of tune. He had taken piano lessons when he was younger because his mother had insisted on it. He'd stopped when she passed away.

It had been some time since he played last, but after a few minutes, most things seem to fall back into place.

Nathan pulls his hands off the keys when the door to the room opens. He relaxes when he recognizes Jonathan slipping into the room and closing the door behind him. "Hey," Nathan says.

"Hey," Jonathan greets him. "I didn't know you played."

"You can hear it from outside?" Nathan asks nervously.

Jonathan smiles. "Only if you stand really close. But don't worry, your secret's safe with me." He walks over and leans on the wall next to the window, watching Nathan with a smile. "How long have you played?"

"I took lessons when I was a kid. Wasn't my thing."

"It sounded like it was absolutely your thing," Jonathan points out.

Nathan laughs. "Oh, I promise you. It's because there was a door between us," he says. "I'd offer to play something, but at the moment, the only thing I can think of playing is Für Elise."

"I'm good on that right now," Jonathan says. "I thought you wanted to sneak out for lunch."

"I wish I could. My maths teacher asked me to see her in her office in twenty minutes."

Jonathan smiles. He walks around the table and sits down next to Nathan on the little piano bench. "Oh, what did you do this time?" he asks. "Did you get into trouble? Or did you just do exceptionally well like always?"

Nathan playfully punches him in the shoulder. "Very funny. I'll have you know that I'm perfectly average."

"I thought you said that everything about you is slightly above average."

They both laugh. "Oh, and I can't give you a ride after school. Oliver and Josh invited me out to hang," Nathan says. "But I would love to go and get us something from the cafeteria to eat right now."

"Sounds good to me," Jonathan says.

Nathan watches him rise from the seat before following. "Hey," he says. "Before we go." He reaches out and takes Jonathan's hand, giving it a squeeze before he leans in to kiss him on the lips. It feels good to kiss Jonathan. It never fails to make his stomach feel like it's full of butterflies.

Jonathan smiles at him when they pull away. "You're getting way too good at that," he mumbles. "Catching me off guard."

Nathan laughs. "Let's go and get lunch." He gives Jonathan's hand another affectionate squeeze before he lets go, and they head towards the cafeteria.

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"Where are we going?" Nathan asks when he hops into Josh's car. He quickly puts his seat belt on, to make sure he's prepared for his friend's driving.

Josh starts the car and backs out of the parking spot, narrowly missing the curb of a nearby flowerbed. "I know just the place. Oliver and I have been scouting when you haven't been around."

"I have been scouting while the two of you haven't been around," Oliver corrects him. "At least Nathan has the decency to keep what should be private in private."