AN: So here's a drinking game. Take a drink everytime I burn my hand while cooking right before posting a chapter. :D


Their unspoken moment at the game store consumed Yami's thoughts in the days to follow. Without much prodding or pressure, the two fell into a natural rhythm, finding time to meet up outside of rehearsal. Whether it was for lunch or to go for a walk or to just hang around the theater working, they gravitated to each other like the tides meeting the shore.

Yami sat at his piano bench, a short thirty-minute break before his next student. He should be rehearsing the development section of the sonata he had taken on, but his thoughts were distracted by his developing relationship with Tea. Yes, relationship. Even now, Yami knew that trying to tiptoe around what was plainly obvious would be unwise.

Yami understood what they were or what they were becoming. Their natural attraction to each other was understood without needing to be explained. He found the more time he spent with Tea, learning about her and her hobbies and passions, the more his affections grew. This graceful, beautiful dancer with a nerdy side had captured his heart in a new way he didn't think possible.

This left Yami with the looming question.

What happens now?

Perhaps he was overthinking it, but Yami could see how Domino was draining their life and passion. Both were devoted to their work and craft, but he knew the longer they remained there, the less likely they would be able to pursue these dreams. He had been feeling the wear for the last couple of years, and he could tell, though she didn't often speak of it, that Tea also felt trapped and frustrated in her own position.

Yami wanted to help somehow. He remembered back in undergrad, his fellow peers would debate whether it was wiser to date within or outside the department. The constant argument was their potential crush understanding the cost of being an artist. The quote-unquote "struggles" of the professional musician. If you weren't submerged in the world yourself, than how much could one connect?

Yami had considered the idea of being with someone without any knowledge of music unthinkable. Perhaps it was his own vanity, but he couldn't imagine not being able to discuss music with Tea. Even with her dancing background, she had a strong basis and understanding in music. It was the arts that initially brought them together, after all.

This left the second argument against dating within the department for Yami to now contemplate. The more pressing issue was their busy, conflicting lives as artists. With an already irregular schedule between the two of them, time was already an issue. Furthermore, there was no guarantee that if one of them pursued their passion in the professional realm that the other one would also find success.

Yami shook his head, snatching his pencil on the music stand as he once again fumbled the trill transition. He scribbled in a note to himself, his eyes staring blankly before him. If Tea and him were becoming as serious as he felt they were, then there was no reason for them to tie their roots to this city. They could leave Domino behind – both had the skills and talent to do so. Perhaps it was fate that drew they together so that they could depart together as well.

But there lied the impending problem. The likelihood that there would be an opening for a rehearsal pianist for a ballet company (or any orchestra for that matter) in the same city was rather slim. The more likely situation would be that one would find a successful career as a professional dancer or pianist while the other quietly supported their partner, teaching and taking on small gigs so that their careers would not cause rifts in their relationship.

Yami closed his eyes, pausing a moment before raising his hand. His thoughts were growing too conflicting and troublesome. In moments like those, Yami decided it was best to do what he did best – play. He willed his mind clear before glancing back up to his music, plunging into the passage that had given him so much trouble. He forced himself to remain relaxed, mind thinking ahead to the tricky spot while not letting it distract him from the current moment.

Yami felt the passage approach; a smirk growing on his face as he quickly shifted his hand position. The slightly awkward trill transitioned by a half step, opening up his hand as he finally resolved it with a mordent. He kept going, the melody carrying over into the tenor voice. Careful to keep the voicing clear, he explored the themes and motifs from earlier in the piece, quick modulation and exchanges between both of his hands providing an exciting and intense build-up.

These exchanges lasted a measure max before finally striking an open fifth. He found the third and seventh create the dominant, lingering only slightly as the piece would allow. His fingers floated down the keys, the scale descending as the music finally found itself in the recapitulation. The familiar theme from earlier in the piece, now in the true tonic, filled the room.

Yami nodded as he stopped playing, the difficult passage now conquered. He leaned back to grab his cup of coffee sitting behind, still looking at his music. This particular Haydn sonata had been rather difficult to master, but he was making definite headwind on it. At least, more so than the Bach partita he had taken on. And the sense of satisfaction as he achieved something that had been once impossible left a glowing feel.

People often assumed that it was the performance that Yami loved most about being a musician. And while that certainly was one of his favorite aspects, it was these moments that he loved most. It was pushing himself as a musician, as an artist, to accomplish something. He learned to not just play the notes, but create something new with it. He discovered the raw expression beneath the notes, a secret message written by the composer for all future students who undertook his work.

Yami sighed, a soft expression on his face. He adored music. His passion and love for his craft went beyond words. How could one put to words what was felt? So desperately he wanted to escape the stifling constraints of Domino. For all that he loved about the town and how it brought him to meet Tea, he knew that if he stayed here for much longer, it would kill the artist within him. It would kill his love for music.

Yami wondered if Tea's passion for dancing was quickly dying as well.

He grabbled a notepad sitting atop of his baby grand, scribbling down a note to himself. Yami always felt as if he had to have everything figured out, including himself. He was very self-aware and observant of the world around him. But perhaps he wasn't quite aware as he previously thought. Perhaps there were things he hadn't realized about himself until now. And perhaps these new revelations would help him find his path.

A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. Yami snapped his head up, setting the notepad aside as he got up to answer. A teenage girl with blond hair and glasses grinned at the door, hands clutching a stack of music. "Hi, Mr. Yami! I found a Bizet piece I want to play! Can we try it out?"

Yami chuckled, rolling his eyes at his energetic student. For what it was worth, she was one of his most passionate students and by extension, one of his favorites. "It's good to see you too, Rebecca. I'd love to try it out after I hear how that Clementi sonatina is going."


The following couple of days had been very busy for both artists. When one finally found they had free time, the other was likely teaching a class or at some rehearsal. It became increasingly clear to Yami that Tea wanted to see him as much as he wanted to see her, as their time apart seemed to make her just as antsy as he felt. He offered to come by her studio if that would work better. Assuming she did mind a roaming observer to her class.

Tea had no issues with the suggestion, so Yami made his way downtown until he found himself on Front Street, facing a narrow building. He entered and walked up to the third floor, the music escaping past the thin walls indicating he was on the right track. He spotted the rusted plaque, indicating the Violet Garden Dance Studio. He suspected Tea was finishing up a class and decided to let himself in.

He was greeted by a narrow hallway, a line of parents sitting against one wall as they occupied themselves with iPads and Androids. Yami just walked past them, familiar with the sight of bored parents, much like the ones at his own lessons for his younger students. He peaked around the corner, holding his satchel a bit closer. He hadn't needed to bring his music with him, but there was something he wanted to discuss with Tea in person.

He stepped into the studio, being greeted by the sight of almost two dozen kindergarteners awkwardly moving through their new routine. He smiled as he saw the intense focus some of the little girls had, their faces scrunched up. Finesse was far from possible at such a young age, yet that didn't keep them from trying to imitate their teacher.

Yami's expression softened as he spotted Tea, who gave him nothing more than a passing smile before returning her focus back to her students. Yami remained in the back, moving over towards the bookcase where her iPhone was plugged in playing music. Her class tried to imitate Tea through a segment of the routine, like awkward ducklings trying to keep afloat, trailing their mother duck who swam effortlessly through a rushing river.

A few more minutes of this passed until the class was finally over and Tea herded the girls off the dance floor to change back into their regular clothes. Yami knew it would likely be a while longer before he got to chat to her, knowing that the parents would likely have questions to pester Tea with. He decided to check out the upright shoved in the corner of the room, his curiosity getting the better of him.

As he got closer to the brittle instrument, he could see that it has spent more time collecting dust than seeing action. Chances were, this piano was here before Tea started working and probably hadn't been worked on since. Yami probably could tune it himself, but it would take some time and he hadn't brought his gear with him. Still, how horribly out of tune could it be?

Yami sat down on the bench, brushing off the yellowed keys. He raised an eyebrow before settling on a D major chord. Instead of the anticipated warm sound of the triad, the sounded horribly augmented and diminished at the same time. Whatever he was trying to play was certainly not sounding. Yami couldn't help but laugh at the atrocious noise. Good lord, this thing is in shitty condition. I need to bring my tuning wrench next time I come by here.

Before Yami could explore the decrepit creature further, he heard a voice from behind him. "Yeah, I wouldn't bother with the piano if I were you. I'm pretty sure that thing has been here since this studio became a thing."

Yami chuckled as he glanced back at Tea, a rather amused look on her face. "Are you telling me you aren't interested in learning to play the piano?"

Tea rolled her eyes as she sat down on the bench, Yami scooting over to give her space. "I passed my basic piano proficiency test back in undergrad and I haven't really touched it since. A good bit of stuff for ballet is prerecorded anyway."

Yami couldn't argue that point but still enjoyed teasing the dancer beside him. "Surely with all the time we've spent together, you'd want to learn a bit more about the instrument."

Tea pushed Yami with her shoulder, a coy look on her face. "Hey, I've been waiting for you to ask me how to dance since we first got drinks. Fair trade, right?"

Yami laughed at that, letting his hands rest on the keys. Despite Tea's hesitance, she placed one hand up on the keys as well. Yami raised an eyebrow before glancing over. "Do you know how to play?"

"Like I said – piano proficiency. So not particularly well. But I play a mean 'Heart and Soul.'"

Yami grinned at that, immediately shifting his hands down to play the familiar harmony. Tea laughed out, making some remark that she wasn't being serious, but her protests were lost. Even she couldn't resist plunking out the familiar melody. As Tea grew more confident with her melody, Yami decided to jazz up the base line, causing his piano partner to start giggling. The whole song was terribly unplanned but oh so fun. Just goofing off with Tea was worth the time spent.

Tea finally gave up after they lost each other, leaning back on the bench. She looked over at Yami, a soft, relaxed look on her face. "So what's new with you? You mentioned wanting to talk about something with me in person."

Yami nodded, recalling his original reason for meeting. Sure, they had wanted to catch up, but he wanted to have a serious discussion with Tea as well. Something that was pertinent to their careers and futures. He reached into his satchel next to him, digging around until he found a packet of papers he printed off earlier at the library.

"Yeah, I wanted you to take a look at this."

Tea quirked her eyebrows but said nothing as she took the packet from Yami. She spent a few moments studying it, not quite piecing together what this was all about it. Yami saw her finally completing the picture, her head jerking up in surprise. "This is about an audition."

Yami nodded, quickly picking up where she left off. "Multiple ones, actually. There are a couple of ballet companies accepting auditions for dancers. I wasn't sure what your preference was, so I thought an array might give you a sense of what sort of work you'd like to do. I wouldn't mind help recording your audition and providing music if need be."

Tea blinked, almost overwhelmed by the information as she shifted through applications for the different ballet troupes, ranging from San Francisco to Cincinnati to New York to Houston. She struggled to find words, not yet speaking. Yami wanted to keep going, to push her on the idea. But he could also sense her hesitation. He wanted Tea to be able to speak her mind first.

She finally gathered herself enough to speak again, her brows furrowed. "You're serious."

Yami, despite himself, couldn't help smile at the observation. "Like I said – I wouldn't humor you about your dancing if I didn't think you could make it. You have the skill and talent. I just don't want you to resign yourself to a place where you feel trapped."

Like me. Yami had to bite back that last thought, not wanting to put any more pressure on Tea. This wasn't about his quarter-life crisis – this was about Tea choosing what she wanted in life so that she could be happy.

Tea considered this a bit further, the expression on her face telling Yami that she still wasn't convinced. After a few moments, she sighed, placing the applications on the piano stand in front of them. "I can't."

Of all the answers, that was not one Yami expected so quickly from Tea. "W-wait, why not?" He stuttered before quickly blurting the question.

Tea took a deep breath, her blue eyes trained on the keys in front of her. She bit her lip as she contemplated how to respond. She fiddled with her bracelet as she responded, not meeting Yami's gaze. "I can't leave it all behind."

Yami contemplated her answer, thinking for a moment before responding. Was this the root of the problem? He could help resolve this from her. "You know, you'll be able to start your own dance studio over there. It might be hard, but you'll be able to find a better apartment, more motivated studios, the stage you always dreamed of – it may be different, but it'll be a good change. And your friends and family will support you no matter where you go."

A small smile grew on Tea's face before she nervously chuckled. "I know that… but that's not the problem."

Yami narrowed his eyes, not following. "Then what is?"

Tea let out an uneven breath, a shaky sigh revealing her nerves. That's when he noticed the tinge of pink growing on her face. "It's not them. It's you. I can't leave-" Tea caught herself, glancing away.

Now it was Yami's turn to feel embarrassed. He felt flattered, yet also aware of the pressure he incidentally put on Tea. He took her hand in his own, causing her to let go of her bracelet. Neither looked up but rather both studied their joined hands. "Who said I'd stick around Domino when you leave?"

There was a long pause, which had Yami second-guessing his response. Tea finally choked out a question. "W-what?"

Yami chuckled, gently circling her knuckles with his thumb. "I have nothing tying me down to this city. I figured wherever you end up, I'll follow. It's considerable easier for me, a pianist, to teach and join a solo series if need be. I have the flexibility of being able to work independently – you have to be part of a company as a dancer. That's just the business we're in."

Yami flicked his eyes up, meeting glassy blue eyes. "Wherever you go, I'll go. That is if you'll have me."

The pink faded from Tea's face, the blush disappearing as she realized what Yami was offering. The shock on her face faded until a glowing smile took its place. She squeezed Yami's hand, taking firm his grasp as she raised his hand to her lips, kissing him lightly on the knuckles. The gesture made Yami's heart flutter, a smile growing on his face. Even without speaking, he knew her answer.

Yami allowed himself to enjoy this moment. As Tea started to figure out what to use for her audition, his mind wandered. He hadn't been completely honest with Tea. True, it would be easier for him to try making it as a solo artist, that wasn't his preference. He had always preferred ensemble work and the stability the job would provide. It would be difficult to be a soloist, and more likely than not, he would end up as a teacher for most of his career.

But given the choice of wasting here in Domino and suffocating them both or try and make one of their careers flourish; he would rather see Tea soar. Even if it meant his dreams and ambitions had to take a backseat.

So he brushed these thoughts aside, swallowing down a bittersweet regret that clung to his heart. He let these feelings wash away as Tea turned, a smile on her face as she asked for his opinion on repertoire. After all, he loved all things music and art. And Tea was the embodiment of all that he loved. He would do everything he could to help her thrive in their new future together.