Lucien pushed his scotch to the middle of his desk upon hearing the sound of the piano carrying in from the hallway. Curiously, he strode into the living room to find Jean, fidgeting at the ivory keys. She didn't hear him come in, so he watched her. He marveled at her; poised and just out of her peripheral vision - so he could see her dreamy expression behind the curls that framed her face. He wanted to brush them away from where they tickled at her cheek and jawline and replace them with his lips. He couldn't help but move to the edge of the bench, his hand at her back and his lips at the top of her head. "Good evening, Jean."

"Oh, Lucien. I didn't know you were there,"

"I realized," he chuckled and gestured to the piano.

"Yes, well," her hands brushed her skirt over her thighs, nervously. "I always wanted to play as a little girl. We had this old piano in our church. I admired it every Sunday, but my parents couldn't see the use in my learning. I had better things to focus on, they said. It wasn't practical for a farmer's daughter who was inevitably to be wed to a farmer."

He gripped her shoulder "Oh, but you'd be wonderful."

She scoffed through a smile.

"I know it! I've heard you sing. And you're so smart, Jeannie. Just a lesson or two, you'll have a lot down."

"Hmm. In that case, teach me."

"Alright. Sit at the middle of the bench." He placed his hand at her waist to shift her down, and watched her over her shoulder. "Right. Give me your hand," he said softly at her ear, and leaning over her shoulder, brought their joined hands to the middle octave, adjusting her fingers to make a chord. "There. Press down now. Give that a go. Good," he whispered.

He watched as she pressed the three notes, tinkering around with them to make harmony.

"Oh, but she's a natural," he proclaimed.

"Hardly," she smiled, still trilling at the notes. The notes stopped, replaced by her giggling when he began kissing the back of her neck. "You're not helping, Lucien…"

"Aren't I, though?"

His arms hugged over hers, and his fingertips danced at her wrists. "I could teach you a scale..."

"Alright," she gulped. His scent surrounded her; a smell she couldn't describe but could calm and excite her in equal measure: distinct to him, faintly coupled tonight by the woody smell of scotch.

"Bring your hand down here. See where the same keys you're playing sit just down here?" he watched her hand move down to play the lower notes. His words at her ear almost made her stop, but she carried on. "And in this hand," he brought her hand to his lips to kiss the base of her thumb. "Begin with your thumb on this note…." he placed their hands together at the first note of the scale,"...and continue up the notes until your third finger."

Three notes sounded. "Now, bring your thumb beneath for the fourth note….Good! And continue up to the last note."

He watched her fingers move up the notes, then descend back to her thumb, impressing him when she finished, bringing her middle finger over her thumb, barely faltering, to complete the scale. She always was a fast learner. She tilted her head backward, resting it at his stomach, to beam up at him.

"Perfect," he laid a kissed at her hairline. She repeated the scale, the notes echoing through the empty house. "That chord you played before - play it on the first, third, fifth and final note."

"Hmm, alright," she mused, leaning back into his body. "Sit down, Lucien," she patted next to her on the bench. "Show me."

"Your left hand will play that chord while you play that scale. So, the first, third and fifth note will use that chord."

"Okay. And the other notes?" she asked as she played the scale, only stumbling with the chord slightly as she moved up and down the scale.

"Oh, we'll get to those after."

"After?" a smile flirted at her lips.

"After," he confirmed. "I'd say that's enough for your first lesson. Best not to be overwhelmed, eh?" he mumbled as his beard brushed over her cheek, and his tongue traced her ear. Her eyes fluttered shut as his kisses followed her jawline down to her neck. "No, I couldn't have that..."

"Lucien," she breathed, sounding equally frustrated and endeared. She inhaled deeply, "But I am."

"Oh?"

As if to convince him, she gripped his face in her hands, and brought his lips - hard - to hers.

"Oh, I see. I am sorry. Yes, that was definitely enough for your first lesson, then."

"You're not very good at this," she smiled through her realization.

His knuckles brushed the height of her cheek. "Oh, I don't know, darling. All I can say is that March 25th can't come soon enough."

She sighed in agreement. "Teach me the rest of the scale, Lucien."

"Of course. Come here," he pulled her into his lap. He showed her the rest of the chords, placing small kisses and nips at her neck and hair whenever she played the right notes. And when she finished the scale in full, successfully for the first time, she turned in his lap to kiss him soundly.

"I told you that you'd be wonderful," he teased smugly.

She was playing with his hair when she groaned, "You always have to be right, don't you?"

"Well," he began. "I know I'm always right about you."