“Go be mushy or whatever,” she grinned at her girlfriend, and then turned to walk through the classroom doorway.
“Wow,” Alex blinked, still a bit bewildered.
“Yeah, I know,” smiled Onyx. “C’mon.”
Neither of them actually spoke of who would walk whom to where. They simply started across campus and headed for the music rooms where Onyx was due for class. Onyx held her books close to her chest. All Alex had for the day was a brand new thin notebook and pen from the campus store.
“She’s kind of amazing,” said Alex.
“Yeah. I know. Believe me, I know.”
“I didn’t expect, um… that,” he smirked, jerking his thumb over his shoulder.
Onyx just shook her head, but he could see the way she beamed with happiness. “Molly’s all fire and raw intensity, but she’s also the warmer one between her and I. She’s a badass chick on the outside and a teddy bear inside. A bear with teeth and claws and bear muscles, but still.”
“You’re not exactly ice yourself.”
“No, but she says I’m all… I dunno, discipline and resolve. Mostly comes out with the magic and with tense situations. She’s hard on the outside and soft on the inside. I think I’m kind of the opposite.”
“I can see that,” he smiled. “Iron fist in a velvet glove.” They kept walking, mostly ignoring the other people around them as they moved through the campus of concrete and stubborn greenery.
“I can’t thank you enough for everything,” he said. “For not letting me go. For all the help with my crazy. And, y’know, last night.”
Onyx came to the words she’d been searching for all along. “I’m not looking for a full-on boyfriend. I figure what happens, happens, but I just want you close,” she said. “I have since I first met you. I don’t want you all to myself or anything like that. Even if I give you shit for fooling around, I don’t actually care. You’ve got your loves and I’ve got mine and I’m happy for all that. I just… felt like you’re important to me.”
She squeezed his hand at her side. It was only then that they realized they’d been walking hand in hand. They smiled it off and kept walking.
“Music theory,” she grumbled as they arrived in the room. “Such a mistake.”
“You’re saying I should cross this class off my list?”
“It’s the professor,” she said, her voice dropping. “She’s a pinhead.”
She kept talking, but Alex missed a few words as his eyes came to rest on the upright piano against one wall. It was black and unassuming, with no exceptional craftsmanship or decoration to make it unique. There were likely clones of it elsewhere on campus.
Focused on sorting out the materials in her book bag, Onyx didn’t notice right away as he moved off. “Thing is, I usually take an extra class or two and drop one if it looks rocky, y’know? But I didn’t catch on right away that this lady was such a freak, and…” She looked up. “Alex?”
He sat on the piano bench, looking the keys up and down. Everything was clean and polished. There were a few nicks and scratches here and there, but nothing to complain about. He was used to instruments in much worse outward condition than this…
…except Alex had never played the piano in his life.
“Alex?”
He tapped a couple of keys. It was an ordinary piano, one just like thousands of others, and it sounded clearer and prettier than anything he was used to playing.
He tapped a few more, playing out just a few measures of “Camptown Races.”
Onyx stood beside him, watching his hands-mottled and discolored, but healthy and strong-hover over the keyboard.
His foot tentatively slipped up over the pedals. His fingers found new keys without initially pressing them. He tested out a couple more melodies.
And then, without warning, he began to play.
It wasn’t her kind of music, but any fool could recognize his skill and talent. This was some old piece, with some name Onyx would never remember on a test but would probably impress her theory professor. Over the course of minutes, without talking to her or looking up or even breaking concentration, the music picked up in tempo and complexity, rose and then picked up again. She recognized patterns and wondered if he added personal flourishes.
Smooth and confident movements from his fingers brought out the full sound of the instrument. To Alex, the piano in front of him was a work of wonder. It had an engraved factory logo noting its mass production, but it was still so much better than anything he’d ever played on before.
His eyes widened and his chest rose and fell with excited breath. He chuckled. He played. He winked at her.
He made this look easy.
“Alex,” she said, no longer afraid of snapping him out of some Zen piano trance after he winked at her, “what… what is this?”
“Haydn,” he said, still playing. “Sonata 46. I think. Not completely sure.”
Onyx just stared at him. “You’re playing a sonata.”
“Yeah.”
“You didn’t tell me you played piano.”
His grin widened. “Well, I’m only doing the first movement.”
“Fine, be mysterious,” Onyx sighed, nudging him. “I can’t say I’m surprised. You have a musician’s hands.”
He stopped cold, staring at the piano. His face turned to her, but his thoughts seemed distant. “What did you say?”
“I said you have a musician’s hands,” Onyx repeated. “I’ve always thought so. Why, is that weird?”
He blinked, trying to grab hold of the memory that teased at the edges of his conscious mind. Something about springtime and burning diesel…
He shook his head. Turned back to the piano. Tapped a few more keys. And then his grin returned. “Can you do me a favor?” he asked. Alex pulled his phone out of his jacket. “Can you video a few seconds of this?”
* * *
Lorelei stared up at the ceiling, feeling content and enjoying the loving mouth and affectionate hand roaming her body. The sun had been up for some time now, bringing enough light to the closed blinds to illuminate the bedroom. Lounging on their bed, Lorelei soaked up the lingering afterplay of her lover. Everything about Rachel’s body language and touch spoke not only of devotion, but veneration.
“I needed this, Rachel. I needed you,” she said, stroking the angel’s hair. “Thank you for last night. This morning. Now.”
“Totally mutual,” Rachel murmured. “I should probably get going, though. Let you get on with whatever you have to do today.”
“I’ve no plans as yet,” said Lorelei. “I could enjoy this high indefinitely.”
Rachel’s physical affection paused. “You know as far as I’m concerned the same rules for Alex apply to you, too, right?” she asked. “I’m not worried about you doing any crazy soul-stealing tricks or abusing people. We all know those days are done. As long as I’m not shut out or neglected, you can do whatever you want. Tramp it up all over town. Have a ball. No reason to hold back on my account.”
“Rachel… I have had my own dalliances,” Lorelei told her.
“Yeah. I know.”
“How did we never speak explicitly on this before?”
Rachel just sank back down against Lorelei’s chest. “Didn’t need to, obviously. I knew what you were when I jumped into bed with you.” As Lorelei’s head reclined back onto a pillow, Rachel’s teeth dragged against her nipple just enough to draw out a reaction. “If it gets you hot to think of it as cheating on me, though, I totally understand. I’ll even demand make-up sex.”
“Mmh. I’ve come to appreciate love and loyalty… but a little treachery now and again would still be delicious.” Her fingers ran through the angel’s hair. “You are perfect, you know.”
“Angel. Can’t help it.”
“You’ll pay for that remark,” grinned the succubus, who then jerked again as Rachel’s teeth teased her other nipple.
They heard her phone ring. Lorelei reached out to put a pillow over it.
“You sure about that?” Rachel asked.
“He’ll forgive us.”
“Yeah, but there are still baddies out there.”
“A fair point.” Lorelei rolled away from the angel, rose sensuously to her hands and knees to taunt her partner more, and then picked up the phone. She looked curiously at the screen and played the video message.