In Response to the Guest Reviewer: Heh, I probably did pack in more than I realized. Moreover, It was honestly a delight to be able to incorporate that –– truly, that.
With Linda, I'm tickled you're loving her more and more. She's a combination of all the choir teaching assistants among other fellow musicians I've crossed paths with over the years. And, yes, definitely helpful to have a "newbie" in the fold.
And, hehe, yes to both of things involving Mary! I will say, whether she gets Eponine or not, her diva ego will have quite an adjustment to this semester.
Moreover, it was quite fun writing up that little moment between Mrs. Patmore and her students –– and, yes, Jimmy will at least be competing for that part, if nothing else. Which, speaking of fascinating students, Ethel's attitude will definitely affect her, whether she realizes it or not.
And, I'm afraid you'll have to wait one more chapter before we find out what Alice has in store *dun dun dunnnn!* But, I hope that the ending of this chapter makes up for that...
Author's Note: It gives me great pleasure to present yet another chapter! Hope you enjoy!
_._
Monday, the 20th of January, 2020
7:17 a.m.
Let's do this.
His feet refused to move.
C'mon, we've got a real shot at this.
Nothing. His body was frozen where it stood.
Well, can we at least get a move on before someone sees me?
Sparing a glance at his preferred entrance into the second fourth floor, the tenor forced himself to push the entrance door open and begin to round the corner that would take him to where the final decisions for last week's auditions would be posted.
Truth be told, Andy Parker didn't really care about "Seasons of Love". At least, he didn't care about having to know who was in it. Thomas hadn't been interested in auditioning for it, and he personally didn't think it was quite his style.
Still, it'd be good to know who was doing what.
Looking at it also helped as a warm-up for looking at the "One Day More" final cast, so that was something.
"Seasons of Love" Final Cast
First Female Solo [Measures 33-40]: Isabel Johnson
Male Solo: Robert Thompson
Second Female Solo [Measures 40-44]: Alyssa Cummings
This is gonna be interesting. He briefly remembered that Daisy and Ivy were going at each other's throats for "Seasons of Love", much to Alfred's bewilderment. Normally, Jimmy might've been confused too, except the bloke was definitely freaking out much the same as them.
Right.
Let's just take a look real quick –– what do you have to lose?
Andy knew that if Thomas or Mrs. Hughes were here they'd definitely be encouraging him to "just go for it" and look at the paper. Well, he would. Eventually. It would happen. He'd force himself to stare down the stupid Final Cast list for Les Mis and––
You're joking! Andy's eyes desperately began to reread the names listed, shocked at the final decisions.
"One Day More" Final Cast
Valjean: John Bates
Marius: Aaron Aviery
Cosette: Ellie Bell
Eponine: Ruby Quincy
Enjolras: Andrew Parker
Javert: Leo Sommer
Thenardier: Neal Mitchell
Mme. Thenardier: Hannah Roberts
He'd actually gotten in! He was going to be Enjolras, the role he'd been hoping for ever since he looked at the music. But, even if it'd been Thenardier or Marius, it didn't matter: he was actually going to have a solo!
According to the paper, there'd be a few rehearsals after-school with all the soloists. Other than making sure he could make it to those rehearsals, he was guaranteed a chance to really perform! Not just stand in the shadows or listen to the Mrs. Buttes of the world tell him he should give up singing altogether –– quite the reverse, for the first time in his life, actually.
And, from the looks of it, he'd get a chance to meet some other singers. He knew Bates, of course, but that was the only other Concert Choir person to be in this. Which, honestly, was kind of cool. Everyone was really talented in the Concert Choir, they had to be if they wanted to get in. But, seeing new faces, getting a chance to leave some of the divas back in class, that was cool. And the fact that these people beat out some of those divas, that these names he'd never before had taken Jimmy's place or Mary's, that was frankly brilliant.
But then, an unpleasant thought came to mind –– the realization that Thomas didn't get Thenardier! Within seconds, he found himself backing away from the paper in discomfort. While it was true the baritone had mentioned not needing to get the role of Thenardier, Andy couldn't tell if his mate was being for real or not.
Right. He'd be leaving this all well alone. No need to mention anything until class. At least by then Thomas will have seen the results for himself and then Andy could get a better idea about what the baritone was thinking.
In any case, the tenor needed to make his escape. He really didn't want to be anywhere in sight when Mary Crawley came upstairs and found out she wasn't in "One Day More".
_._
7:36 a.m.
Glancing at the piano the moment she walked into 402, Linda was pleased to see the gleaming stacks of new music, ready to be worked on. The young woman did enjoy Rent and Les Mis, but she was relieved that the choirs were moving past those auditions.
Besides, these were some of the show-tunes she found herself more interested in.
"When I Grow Up" from Matilda, quite the sweet tune for the Treble Choir. For the Bass Choir, "Hushabye Mountain", a sweeping piece from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang! that stole her heart ages ago. Then there was the title song of 42nd Street set aside for the Concert Choir. And then the hilariously cheeky "Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better" from Annie Get Your Gun, brought out for the a cappella choir. Which left the classic "Holding Out For a Hero" from Footloose! for the Bel Canto.
Wait a moment, where's the other finale ––
"Oh, Miss Vance, we're glad you're already here!" The door creaked up, Mrs. Hughes slipping past Mr. Carson, the final stack of music for the week in her arms. "Excited for the next round of auditions?"
"Right." Linda was still recovering from the last round. Luckily, the two teachers understood.
"Did we ever tell you why 'This is the Moment' is a personal favourite?"
"I don't think so, no." Thankful for the distraction, the teaching assistant helped the Scot set the music sheets safely down.
"Well, it is a bit of a story. But, I do believe we have a little time, wouldn't you say so, Mr. Carson?"
The choir director looked as flustered as he did that night they were finalizing the callbacks. Possibly the story involved with "This is the Moment" was embarrassing to him, if Linda had to guess. Either way, he looked just as determined to seem collected and calm about the matter, "I do believe you're right, Mrs. Hughes."
_._
8:54 a.m.
After Molly Curtis realized that singing a solo in either Les Mis or Rent was not meant to be, she'd found herself somewhat dejectedly returning to the drawing board of opportunity. She wasn't the biggest fan of Footloose, but "Holding Out For a Hero" was a cool song she and her mum would jam to a lot over the years. And since there wasn't a solo in any of the other songs for Bel Canto, that was probably it for solo opportunities. Unless the teachers decided at the last minute to add a small ensemble piece. But, since that was as likely as snow in August, she found herself waiting for the day they'd get the Footloose! sheet music.
Opening the door to 402, spotting all the sheet music of the week waiting to be picked up, Molly felt her heart soar as she remembered the joy that came with discovering new music. Even though she'd already known what they'd be working on in Bel Canto for the semester, it was always exciting to see new music to engage with –– it made the concerts and the competitions more real.
But–– "What's this?"
There was "Holding Out For a Hero", as she'd been secretly hoping. But, there was one other stack of sheet music resting beside it –– the song she hadn't immediately recognized from before!
"This is the Moment" as from Jekyll and Hyde.
Molly stared at the sheet music, ecstatic that she'd finally be getting an answer to what this piece was about. The idea of Jekyll and Hyde hadn't appealed to her when she was younger, so this was never a musical she was drawn to. But, if it was cool enough for Mr. Carson or Mrs. Hughes to pick, then she was invested.
"Do you know this one, Molly?" Mrs. Hughes' curious voice shocked the younger woman out of her thoughts, the brunette jumping back from the piano and ignoring the snickers from her peers.
"Never heard of it before this semester, Mrs. Hughes." Honesty was probably her best bet, especially seeing as how she was a terrible liar.
"Yes, well, this was a special piece for the choirs last year. But you auditioned straight into Bel Canto this year, isn't that right?"
"That's right, Mrs. Hughes." Though, now she was regretting having not been a part of the fun last year. The Emma Butte business aside, she would've loved to have seen Elsie Hughes' debut as a choir teacher –– especially now that she'd had the Scot as a teacher for a semester. "I'm only sorry I didn't join from the start."
"Oh, there's no need for that," Mrs. Hughes chided the younger singer, "You get to share in the fun now and that's the important part."
"It really is, isn't it?"
_._
Tuesday, the 21st of January, 2020
9:51 a.m.
"Whenever you're ready, Rose, just let us know." Nodding to Mr. Carson, Rose kept her head bowed and her eyes closed. She was fully aware that Miss Vance would play the audition accompaniment for "42nd Street" only once she gave the signal that she was ready.
All righty, then. It was time to show Mr. Carson that she wasn't just the girl behind their social media and fundraising pages.
Conjuring up images of New York back in the day, the scenery that would envelope this particular piece, she let the city fumes and cigarette smoke float around her. She tasted that odour only urban life gave and felt the spotlights of Broadway pointed directly at her, the sounds of the subways and chattering crowds filling her up as she lifted her head and stared point-blank at the choir director. Normally, for nerves among other things, soloists were typically told to look a few inches above their audience. And while she'd eventually do just that, she had no interest in humouring her nerves today.
Rose silently breathed in once more and centered herself, giving the signal for Miss Vance to begin only when she was truly ready.
The piano keys danced along to the sultry melody, slinking through the notes with a grimy ease. Inwardly grinning at the noise, imagining the wind instruments that would take the piano's place in the official performance, she waited for her cue to come in. And, taking her sweet time to drink in the atmosphere, Rose began to perform.
"In the heart of little old New York,
You'll find a thoroughfare."
It's the part of little old New York,
That runs into Times Square."
Making sure to keep still, knowing that it was key to move purposefully –– not sporadically –– when performing, Rose kept her body focused on producing that jazzy sound and her face animated, maintaining energy throughout each measure of music and then some.
"A crazy quilt that
'Wall Street Jack' built,"
Seeing as how this was one of her favourite musicals, she could probably recite the whole thing in her sleep. 42nd Street was an older show for musical theatre, with well-known show-tunes like "42nd Street" and "Lullaby of Broadway" –– songs she'd snuck into her room when she was a lot younger, secretly playing and singing and dancing along to them whenever she could.
"If you've got a little time to spare,
I want to take you there,"
Sustaining the last note of that lyric, eyes alit with delight, she coolly lifted a hand in front of her–– as though beckoning an invisible audience to follow her lead and join her. Then, smoothly stepping away from the piano, to get enough space for what she was about to do, Rose carried on with her original plan:
Improvising a simple tap dance sequence as she continued to sing.
"Come and meet those dancing feet,"
Languidly grape-vining a fair distance to the left as she sang, Rose let her feet begin to take over. It wouldn't be proper tap, if only because she didn't bring her shoes and the floor wasn't right for that. But, gradually beginning to step out and dance as best as she could, she'd make it work.
"On the avenue I'm taking you to,
Forty-Second Street."
The soprano held back a pleased grin at the sight of Mr. Carson's jaw dropping, noticing in the background that the accompaniment had stumbled a little in shock. And, throwing in a spin, firmly keeping her core muscles in mind as she did so, she kept on going –– thoroughly enjoying every second of this audition.
"Hear the beat
Of dancing feet,"
This was nowhere near the speed she loved to get up to, the young woman smart enough to know that doing too much physical exercise would make it really hard to sing at the same time. Still, she could only suppose that to the outside world, it looked like a lot of work. Truthfully, it was a fair amount of work –– she was just determined to keep going.
"It's the song I love the melody of,
Forty-Second Street."
Not once breaking character, Rose regally arched an eyebrow and beamed as she finished her bit, a playful smile securely attached to her face as her audition ended. It had been pretty hilarious watching the choir director as he tried to school his features into something other than shock.
"Thank you, Rose, for your audition." Mr. Carson eventually managed, unable to hide his being impressed with the whole bit, "We'll–– I'll be sure to let you know when –– if you've received a callback."
_._
4:40 p.m.
Oh, Phoebe had missed this.
She'd missed this a lot.
"It's you in the sunrise,
It's you in my cup.
It's you all the way into town."
Francesca could say whatever she liked about traditional choral sounds, but there was nothing like four-part a cappella harmony. Nothing like singing in a group where all that mattered was the chords and the sounds coming together.
"It's your sweet 'Hello, dear'
That sets me up.
And it's your 'Got to go, dear'
That gets me down."
When Elsie had invited her teaching assistant to try out for the role of tenor, Phoebe had been hesitant. Nothing against Linda, but she had really wanted Francesca to give barbershop a go –– having hoped for a singing opportunity with her boss and friend. However, Francesca couldn't commit to Tuesday afternoons –– stupid Carlisle meetings, as Phoebe liked to think of them. So, even though she had her hesitation, Phoebe couldn't really protest Linda's presence.
"It's you on my pillow
In all my dreams."
And, of course, once the four of them began to warm up and get into the swing of things, Phoebe had to admit that this had been the right decision.
"'Til once more the morning breaks through.
What words could be saner or truer or plainer
Than it's you. It's you,
It's you."
_._
Wednesday, the 22nd of January, 2020
11:48 a.m.
Was that who Elsie thought it was, trying to backtrack out of the second fourth floor before he'd been spotted? Opening one of the doors to 403, poking her head out into the hallway, she managed to confirm her suspicions before said student backtracked all the way out of floor –– his girlfriend questioningly following behind.
"Tom!" The choir teacher had been surprised to see the young man pop by during what had to have been his lunch period. "Come on in, it's quite all right!"
"Hi, Mrs. Hughes," The Irish teen seemed unusually flustered as he entered 403, Sybil having been shooing him to go inside the moment he'd been called out by the Scot, "Mr. Carson said you'd be in here."
None of which explained why you bolted away, but no matter. "Just organizing some of my books for the soloists," The woman informed him warmly, having the funniest feeling that a solo was just the reason he'd dropped by today. "But, what brings you by?"
"Actually, Mrs. Hughes," It was endearing, the way the normally confident baritone was fumbling with his words today, "I was hoping for a solo, if it's possible."
Elsie beamed at him, pleased that he was finally taking a chance. He'd seemed intrigued but hesitant last year, never asking for a chance to sing a solo. And now that it was his last year at Downton, the Scot felt a sense of gratuity he was at least willing to give it a try.
"Something Irish, I suppose?" She lightly teased, already scanning her memories for a particularly fitting tune.
"Actually, Mrs. Hughes," He repeated, hesitancy dipping back into the request, "It doesn't have to be Irish."
What? Elsie blinked, reeling in the surprise as the young singer continued to state his piece:
"I just want to sing something that reflects me."
My, my. But, it did make sense. One could relate a lot to their culture, of course. A culture could be the foundation for one's beliefs. But, sometimes, one needed to look past their culture and everything all of that represented.
Sometimes, one needed to find their own story, away from their culture and heritage. And, as initially shocked as she was, Elsie already had a fairly good idea as to a song that would reflect the Tom Branson she knew.
"I don't suppose you mind advocating for a more political message, then?" He gave a start at that, but she was already reaching for the appropriate songbook - confidently flipping through the pages. "No, I suppose only Mr. Carson might have a problem with political messages."
The teen was respectful enough not to chuckle at this, but that could've been due to the residual shock from her last question. As it stood, the young man looked to be nearly gaping at her inquiry, eyeing her movements with surprise as his brain worked overtime to catch up with the scene.
"Erm, I think I could do political messages."
Elsie smiled.
"I had a feeling you could," Having found the appropriate page, Elsie picked up the book and beckoned Tom to follow her. Now was time to begin the delightful process of copying the pages so the baritone could have his own copy to reference. "The real question is: have you ever heard of a musical called Ragtime?"
Sybil Crawley was still patiently waiting in the hallway, knowing just a single glance what Elsie was in the process of doing for Tom. The teacher and student duo nodded at the pleased soprano, quietly walking past toward the one copy machine on the floor –– he could hardly borrow her book, now could he?"
"We'll just be a moment, Sybil!" He turned back to the older woman only once his girlfriend nodded in understanding, "And no, Mrs. Hughes, I haven't."
"Well, then," The Scot couldn't help the infectious enthusiasm emanating from Miss Crawley, even as she carried on journeying toward the dreaded printer and copy machine, "This ought to be fun."
Little did either teacher or student know, the fun was only just beginning.
_._
3:26 p.m.
"Mrs. Hughes, are you in here?"
Charles Carson was nervous to say the least about facing Alice Neal in only an hour. She didn't intimidate him, but he'd learned last spring that she was not to be trusted. That, whoever she'd been in the past, this sort of life had pushed her down paths he could no longer respect. And, perhaps, she'd been this way all along. But, whatever the case, he now knew he'd not want to have any further dealings with her, not if he could help.
Which meant this meeting with her, even with Elsie by his side, frustrated him to no end.
So, when he'd returned to the second fourth floor to find his fiancée and make preparations for the rest of their day, he'd been surprised to discover only her coat was waiting for him in 402 –– the outerwear resting on the chair next to her desk. He could only assume she was in 403, but glancing into the room from the hallway didn't reveal her inside. Hence, his stepping into the room and calling out for her, hoping that she hadn't disappeared right before this stupid meeting.
"I'm in here, Mr. Carson!" Sighing in relief at the muffled sound of her voice, taking a moment to look about the room, he realized she was looking in 403's storage closet for something. Though the relief didn't last long: walking over to the closet, he caught sight of Jimmy in the hallway outside –– looking to be on the prowl for a choral authority figure.
Ever since the blond teen had auditioned for "This is the Moment", only a few hours ago, he'd been looking for chances to ask for a redo –– much like the last time he auditioned. Charles thought the pestering would stop once the lunch periods ended, but he really should've known better. Which is why he felt absolutely no shame in ducking out of sight of the tenor, hurriedly joining Elsie in the closet and shutting the door firmly behind before he was spotted.
"Mr. Carson, what––"
"Trust me, Elsie," He was far too nervous about Alice's machinations if he needed to break with formalities. "It's for the best."
Right on cue, the tenor opened the door and loudly asked, "Mrs. Hughes? Mr. Carson? I really think you need to let me re-audition!" Then, after a moment, "I'm not leaving the second fourth floor until you let me re-audition!"
Charles silently reached out a hand to take hers in, hoping she'd get the message that he really didn't want to deal with the tenor right now. Knowing the blond in question, Jimmy would insist on re-auditioning again and again until he felt it was "perfect". And though the teen ought to take no for an answer –– having already been told their policy on auditions multiple times now –– the choir director didn't want to bother trying to get it through the boy's head.
I don't care how talented he is –– we're definitely not giving him a solo ever.
Only once the blond irritatedly departed from the room did his fiancée lightly chide him on the matter: "Well, that wasn't childish, Charles."
Sighing to himself, recalling a conversation "So much for raising the tone of the choirs."
"None of that now," She knew perfectly well what was running through his mind, also fully comprehending why he wasn't in the mood to deal with that particular student. "I understand why, Charles, even though I think I need to remind you of something."
"And what's that, Elsie?" That I really am an old fool for not being able to handle a student like James Kent?
"My keys are in my coat pocket in 402."
"And?"
She darkly chuckled, now understanding just how stressed her fiancé was about dealing with Alice.
"Do you not recall that, since 403 is my room, only I have the key to this door? And that it can't be unlocked from the inside?"
Oh. "Right. So, you mean that–– that––" Turning to the door in the darkness, Charles mentally cursed himself for his lack of thinking. This building was old enough their locks were old-fashioned, some of which to the point of faultiness.
"Do I mean that we're locked in here for the foreseeable future?" She managed not to chuckle at this, flipping on the light-switch for the one bulb in the closet, unable to believe their luck. "That's exactly what I mean, Charles."
"And with our phones in the other room," Elsie hadn't been the only one to leave her coat, and consequently her phone, behind in 402. He hadn't even thought of grabbing his coat before walking to 403, wanting to know where his fiancée was before doing anything else. "We've no way of contacting anyone. Which means we also don't have a way of telling Alice we're currently detained and won't be able to meet."
This time, she did snort in amusement.
"It's not funny, Elsie." Though, he was hardly complaining. Yes, it was embarrassing to think that he was the cause of this debacle. And, yet, somehow –– possibly because of her influence this last year –– the man found some humour in the situation. Perhaps because it was so terribly out of character for him, probably because it was Alice that they were meeting. And, so, even though there'd undoubtedly be some sort of hell to pay, it was somewhat amusing to have unintentionally caused this set-back.
"At least it's not the administration's break room?" Charles shot her a look at this, unable to help his own chuckles that escaped at the quip. "And, thankfully, I had the foresight to bring a mini-fridge and that toaster up here over the summer, so we can at least have some toast with whatever else is still fresh."
"That's if Miss Vance hasn't already left." He could faintly hope that this fiasco could be ended by their teaching assistant miraculously knocking on the door and managing to get them out of this closet. But, he didn't see the woman's coat anywhere in 402, indicating that she'd long since left for the day.
That was right –– Miss Vance had mentioned she needed to leave immediately for a doctor's appointment, having written down a note entailing her opinion about who to consider calling back on his desk.
Of course, that was in 402.
"You never know, Jimmy might come back. He did say as such." She teasingly reminded him, causing the man to shudder in response. Obviously, even if the tenor came back, conversing with him was not an option for the man.
In other words, he had no qualms about changing the subject.
"Toast for dinner sounds perfect. Though," Eyeing the insides of the closet, noticing the old Christmas decorations and the mini-fridge tucked away in the corner with the toaster, "I see you didn't sneak a sofa in here."
She chortled at this, "And what is that supposed to mean?"
He blushed, not interested in elaborating. But, after a moment, "I was only wondering what the sleeping arrangements were to be, if we are to be stuck here for the night."
"Don't you want to be stuck with me, Charlie?" Now she was outright flirting, causing him to become even more embarrassed. There was an appropriate response to that and then there was the more accurate response to that.
Luckily, she took pity on him this time, "We've enough yoga mats here we could make a queen-size mattress with plenty of thickness to it. It won't be perfect, but it'll do."
"Just how much have you managed to pack in here, Elsie?" Charles hadn't thought to utilize 403's closet, never needing the space. But, now that he was beginning to see the possibilities, he couldn't help but wonder why they hadn't used it before.
Of course, once her comment fully struck, he couldn't help but blush again. Even with their engagement, this was an indecorous situation for them to entangled in––
But, was it really?
After everything they'd gone through, was it truly indecorous?
"Oh, just a few odds and ends," She lightly explained, oblivious to the realization spinning around his mind. "And I do promise: we can maintain a safe distance if we're still here tonight. I know how important it is to set an example for the students."
Moving away from him, taking a peek inside the fridge to see what their options were," I can only hope you're not too upset with yourself for this."
"I'm not upset, actually." He was far too lucky to have her in his life, smiling as he felt her confusion begin to grow. Sod Alice Neal –– this accident was beginning to be the most appealing mistake he'd ever made. He'd never do it ever again, but he was so glad he had done this in the first place. "Maybe before I might've been upset, crabby even. And perhaps I would've asked to be convinced this wasn't a terrible idea,"
The woman snorted at this, appreciating the honesty.
"But, our time together has long since convinced me there's nothing to fear."
Elsie stared at him, fridge long forgotten, wondering where on earth this was all coming from. In her eyes, he hadn't exactly done a 180 –– but it was a near thing.
Charles still wasn't finished, "And, there's a bonus."
"What's that?" Not having to deal with Alice Neal for another day?
"It gives us a chance to be together, just the two of us." Not slipping away from town for an hour only to come back to help plan the wedding. Not having to take on the tasks that came with orchestrating a showcase only to realize they had no time to breathe. "Much as I've enjoyed planning everything, I'm not comfortable with how little time we've gotten to spend, just us two."
She stared at him in wonderment, unable to hide the shock. And then, trying to joke so as to regain a sense of normalcy, "Flattery won't get you out of talking about potential callbacks, Charles. Linda may not be here, but we still have decisions to discuss, if not make."
Looking as if he frankly didn't giving a flying fig about the callbacks, the choir director kept squarely meeting her gaze. It was enough to make her feel terribly unsteady, as though they were in some sort of alternate universe where everything was upside-down and everyone's personalities were flipped.
And when Charles continued to look at her, not helping his fiancée bring them back to a familiar ground by changing the subject, she tried humour once again: "You know, when you talk like that, you make me want to check my phone to see if there's any new messages."
Of course, both of their phones were quite a ways away –– still back in 402, something she knew as well as Fauré's "Notre Armour". What Elsie didn't know, what she didn't understand, was why he continued to look at her as though they were back in their flat. She had nothing against a little romance or flirtation, but she did remember how on-edge he'd been the last time they'd wound up stuck in the school last spring. And while that night had ended splendidly, he'd initially been so adamant against staying in the choir rooms that she thought he'd be more appalled by all of this. Not only that, surely the horror of missing an official meeting involving the choirs would take more precedence over this unplanned moment?
Had the man really changed that much?
"Don't tell me you want an interruption?" Charles quietly asked her, still enamoured with gazing at her even as disappointment trickled into his eyes.
Well, that decided it.
Firmly shutting the mini-fridge door shut, the woman faced him properly and let some of her own feelings show themselves. If he could change that much, if he could trust her this much, she could do the same –– she wanted to do the same.
"Not in the slightest."
They'd talk about callbacks and worry about Alice later.
Now was about closing the distance between them, the key-change of their conversation blanketing the air with an encouraging chord or two of trust. Now was about syncopating the normal rhythm of their talks, crescendoing into something far more enjoyable than their typical dynamic of late.
"Right." Charles began to speak, reaching out a hand to cup her cheek at andantino, content to take his time. She was already ahead at him, rising on her tiptoes at allegro to bring them together once more.
And, for once?
There wouldn't be anymore interruptions in sight –– no distractions for the rest of the night.
_._
Author's Note: I confess, I've been wanting to work in and reference that original Series 5 scene for quite some time –– with a slight change, of course! Because 1) they really shouldn't have been interrupted and 2) if you're going to write a story involving music, you might as well incorporate some terminology while you're at it!
Hope you enjoyed that, and have a lovely day!