Lovino groaned and had an urge to punch his viola. He still couldn't get that damn arpeggio right, and this must have been the 100th time he'd practiced it. He put down the instrument and rubbed his eyes tiredly.

"I need help." He muttered.

A pale man stepped into the light of the practice room. "You do?"

Lovino yelped and turned around. "Who the fucking hell are you?"

"I'm Gilbert Beilschmidt, but that isn't important right now. I'm going to help you with that arpeggio, because I remember struggling with the same damn thing back when I played this piece in high school."

Lovino's jaw dropped. This guy was good. He didn't think he'd ever be at the point of accepting help from random strangers, but he needed to know this for the concert in three days, and he had a test in two days. If he didn't practice today, he was screwed in his culinary 102 class, and he would let down the orchestra.

"Fine. Any tips, sensei?" Lovino glared, exhausted.

Gilbert looked down at him, first offended, and then with a resolute smile on his face. "That's sir to you." He breathed in and smirked, "I'm going to make you play until your fingers bleed, but you will get a reward at the end if you play the thing."

"What sort of reward do you plan to give? We're both broke college students."

"I saw the pride ribbon on your backpack when I came in. Can I assume you like guys?" Gilbert winked.

Lovino reddened. Gilbert had no right to do that; he just walked in! "I do like guys, but that doesn't mean I want you!"

Gilbert clucked his tongue. "We'll see about that." He then snapped into a serious mode. "Now, you were struggling on measure forty six?"

Lovino sighed, resigned. "Yeah, I was."

"Play it."

Lovino fingered through the measure and was doing fine until he just couldn't move fast enough, and he slipped. He kept playing, but Gilbert put a hand on his shoulder.

"Drop down and give me five."

"What?" He couldn't mean what Lovino thought he meant, right?

"You heard me. Five push-ups. There's room. Don't be sloppy and only go halfway down either; I want the real deal."

"What does this mean?" Lovino stood up.

"It's your punishment. Look, you have just as big of an ego as I do, apparently, and so the only consequence you'll have to live with due to your screwing up is on the night of the concert. My father used this on me, and it's damn effective, so I'll use it on you."

Lovino scowled at Gilbert and started pushing the ground. He hadn't done many since high school gym, and he thought he was doing pretty well.

"Go down lower. Put your butt up too; you're humping the ground instead of pushing on it." Lovino glared at the ground, his hair falling into his eyes. He let himself go closer to the ground, his arms and chest straining because of it. Finally, he finished five.

"I hope you're happy."

"Not until you get that arpeggio so well that the conductor cries tears of joy."

Lovino picked up his viola and played and pushed and repeated the process fifty times (he counted).

"I've had enough. My arms are killing me, and I'll air-viola this fucking arpeggio during the concert. It's hopeless. Don't bother yelling at me again; I'm done."

Gilbert gently touched Lovino's shoulder. "Are you okay?"

Lovino didn't turn around. "Does it look like I'm okay? I'm going to be playing in the same concert as my little brother who can play the violin ten times better than I can play the viola, and he's going to be the star. Again."

"Wait, your brother's Feliciano Vargas?" Gilbert asked.

"Oh, so you know him too? Bet you don't know my name." Lovino spat.

Gilbert hung his head sheepishly. "I don't. I just saw his name on the program my music teacher gave me. He's got some solo in one of your pieces."

"Of course he does. He plays the fucking violin. No one writes solos for the viola. Maybe two or three guys. The rest are all appropriated violin solos that just don't sound quite right." Lovino took a shuddering breath, and hoped that Gilbert didn't see him cry, "I really didn't want to play the viola anyway. I grew to have a love-hate relationship with it, but I honestly just wanted to play the cello. My grandfather wanted Feliciano to have someone to play duets with, and since I love my brother to hell and back, I did it."

Gilbert's eyes widened. "Lovino, turn around. I've got something to tell you."

Lovino quickly wiped up the tears, knowing full well that his eyes were still red and puffy.

"Okay, so when I was in middle school, my dad wanted my brother Ludwig and me to join the orchestra. Ludwig was 'the best' of us two. He was smarter, better at just about anything than me. Like you and Feliciano, I loved Lud to death, and we did just about everything together, but dad didn't make it a secret just who he liked better. Reason I told you that is that when it came time to choose instruments, my dad wanted us to be able to play in duets too, so Lud got the violin, and I got the viola. I hated the viola at first. I almost refused to play it. Then, one day, Lud came into my room, and asked me to play with him. I was crap at it, but I loved playing with my brother. I realized that playing harmony may not be that bad. Fast forward, I love the viola, and can play pretty well. I'm starting to learn how to play cello, but the violin almost seems off limits, you know?" Gilbert said, looking at Lovino, and watching as his eyes widened in shock.

"Yeah, I get it. I could pick up the violin if I wanted to, but I just can't because it's Feli's instrument. I just can't explain to anyone, but you get it."

"I just realized something."

"What is that, Gilbert?"

"I think the reason we love and hate the viola is that it's kind of like us. It's a second-string instrument, always overshadowed by the violin, and not given many chances to shine by itself. However, it's a good team player, and it still sounds just as good, given the same chance and practice."

"That was actually poetic. Didn't expect that out of you, Gilbert."

Gilbert sniffled and swallowed his incoming sobs. "I'm just full of surprises." His voice got quiet at the end.

Lovino picked up his viola again. "I think I've got this." He carefully played and stared intently at his music as he got to the arpeggio, but instead of a jumbled mess of notes, he could hear every one, clear as a bell. He played until he got to the end, and he put down his viola, victorious.

"That was great! Now, don't make the same mistake that I did when I first practiced this song and got it right. Play it two more times to seal it in."

Lovino did it with relative ease, and Gilbert smiled at him. "You know, I just remember that if you take a break during practice that it can clear things up, sometimes. I guess that our sobfest helped you out, eh?"

"Yeah, I guess." Lovino said.

"So, are you going to the concert?" Lovino asked a short while later.

"Yeah, but I have an even dumber question to ask. What's your name?" Gilbert blushed.

"Lovino Vargas, and you'd better not forget it." Lovino replied, putting away his viola.

"After the concert, are you available? I know a good restaurant near the concert hall, where we could hang out."

"Gilbert, are you asking me on a date?" Lovino chuckled.

"Yeah, I am. Problem?"

"Not in the slightest." Lovino said, hugging Gilbert from behind and leaving.