Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me.
Notes: I am so in love with this movie, and the characters, and the actors, and especially the soundtrack. I haven't been this excited about a Bollywood movie in a long time.
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Aditya has always sung, ever since he was a child. His father never really approved of it, but his mom always smiled at him and told him to keep making music all his life. He's always known that he has a good voice; he's never really thought he could do anything special with it, though.
Then he meets Joe.
The where and the when of it fade away in his mind, shadowed by the brilliance of the first time he hears Joe play the guitar. He can feel his breath catch in his throat as he watches Joe's fingers fly across the strings and listens to the aching strains of music.
He has never before seen someone so in tune with their instrument, so that the guitar seems to be an extension of Joe's body, the music an expression of his thoughts. Aditya can't decide whether to watch Joe's rapt expression or his deft fingers as he creates—
"—Magic," Aditya breathes, and then flushes as he realizes he said that out loud. But Joe opens his eyes and smiles at him with such honest pleasure that Aditya forgets to be embarrassed and smiles back.
Joe doesn't pause between that song and the next, and it is a few bars before Aditya realizes it is one he knows. With someone else he would have hesitated; but though he has known Joe for a short time only, he finds it natural to start to sing.
Aditya taps out the beat with his foot as the song continues, shivers traveling up his arms at the sound of voice and guitar twined together. Joe could be reading his mind for how effortlessly he follows him, speeding up when needed, falling back here, coming stronger there, and Aditya feels something click inside him.
They finish the song, strains of music fading away as they stare at each other. Aditya feels a buzzing under his skin. Joe takes a breath and slips the guitar strap over his head, then nods his head at Aditya.
"Magic," he says quietly, and claps Aditya on the shoulder.
Aditya has always sung, his whole life, but it is when he meets Joe that he makes magic.
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