After a moment of silence, he risked another look at the musician just to see him stare longingly at the guitar again. He would have never thought it was possible to feel jealous of an object until he saw the passion and care in the musician's eyes when he took in the image in front of him.
"Instruments have a soul," he started and threw a meaningful look at everyone, making sure they all got the message. "They have moods and personalities just like you and me," he sighed softly, grounding his mind. "You can't just take her and play her as if it meant nothing."
He locked eyes with his student and rejoiced at the fact that he was actively listening. Not just because he had scolded him, but because the little flame of genuine interest lit his eyes. Things were not entirely lost. There was something special about him.
"If you want to make music, good music, you have to respect her," he closed the case. His heart clenched at the sight of his student panicking. "Relax, we'll have our lesson. After I close the store." Everyone around complained and started the spread around.
The crooked smile guy was thankful for the little breather. Somehow, he had managed to keep his teacher, even after his blatant display of ignorance. Not only that, but he earned a soft, warm smile back before the musician focused his attention on his regular customers.
The people that had been watching the scene with big wide eyes open, holding their breath and in complete silence, were now joking and patting the musician back. The tense air that had filled the place was now gone, and back was the energetic vibration that always seemed to roam the store.
Little by little, the excitement of his first lesson began to build up with each person that left, one after the other, until leaving them alone.
The owner guided them towards the stairs to the second floor and he had to bite his lip to hide the grin that was forming there for being able to see where the musician lived.
The place was almost as simple as him. Wooden floor and walls made it look warm, but the creek now and then for a loose board sold the illusion of an old cabin in the woods. There were just a couple of windows spread here and there to allow sunlight in, but not enough to make it uncomfortable.
Somehow it was exactly what he didn't picture from the musician, but at the same time fit right in with him. He would have expected a messy bachelor place with rock posters on black walls and instruments everywhere. But instead, he lived in this cozy little apartment that would work perfectly for a newlywed couple.
The one thing that called his attention about everything else was the fridge covered by postcards from different parts of the world and pictures of an older man with shoulder-length grayish hair and a big content smile. A beautiful, younger woman always accompanied him; a different girl in every picture.
"Is this your dad?" He pointed at the picture of the man with a black t-shirt about to bite a big hamburger.
AJ smiled, zooming in the scene. His eyes flashed instantly with that particular light only family could bring in a person. The student was fascinated watching this new side of him and followed him with his gaze silently until he reached the couch.
"He's my uncle." The guitar case rested on the coffee table in front of him, but he didn't open it. He would let his guest look around a little more, so all the tension from before was completely washed out.
"Wow! You must really love your uncle," he joked, earning a soft laugh from the musician. "You have so many pictures of him. Where is he now?"
"Traveling around the world," AJ didn't hide the pride in his voice. "He's the owner of all this, but he took some well-deserved vacations to travel around," he sighed.
The younger guy had so many other questions, loving how open the musician was being with him. He wanted to know everything about his life and the people around him, but now it was not the time. He had to make up for the rocky start and show a more committed side of him if he wanted to make his tutor proud. So, instead of grilling him with questions, he just smiled and nodded, heading for the open spot on the couch.
Once they were both ready, AJ took the guitar in his arms softly, hugging her over his right leg. He sighed and closed his eyes. The first notes flowed timidly at first, turning into a warm whisper that filled his ears and heart with an unexpected peace. There was no longer any anxiety or nerves. He just wanted to keep listening to the music.
Little by little, the musician seemed to find his rhythm, and the cords picked up the pace, filling the apartment with a natural melody. The crooked smiled guy dropped his jaw, impressed by how easy he made it seem while his fingers traveled over the strings, knowing just exactly the amount of pressure and place they were supposed to press.
It was a mystery how he did that, but the same instrument that he couldn't even place correctly over his lap was now shining brightly, as if it had just come out of a dream.
"It doesn't matter what instrument it is; you have to treat it like you would a lover." The musician totally lost how wide his student's eyes opened with the unexpected analogy. "Your job is to demonstrate to she is special. You must treat her with the utter respect and care she deserves, so she would sing the most beautiful notes just for you."
The young guy could feel the heat going up his face, letting him know he was blushing hard. He was not familiar with the concept of romance as much as he would have liked to, but he had witnessed one of the most epic love stories and the sole memory of it filled his heart with longing for someday being able to experience at least half of that.
His voice was already failing him, despite how much he wanted to let the musician know how beautiful the melody was. His mind was also running wild. If he had tingles all over his body from just the first couple of minutes of the lesson, God only knew what was waiting for him for the next hour.
The musician kept playing with his eyes closed, totally immersed in his intimate moment with the guitar, which only added to the blush burning the student's cheeks. Maybe it had been his comment about a lover or how good his arm looked with all those inks decorating it. The image of a wolf specially popped out, as it seemed to come alive with every new flex. He could swear the eyes of the animal were intensely locked on him, and his heart skipped a bit for a second.
A nervous giggle threatened to come out when the melody sped up and the musician's hand slid up and down the frets. He didn't even want to breathe by now, fearing he could disrupt the moment.
He couldn't stop staring at him, picturing the man holding his lover with the same care and attention he did on the instrument. Would he embrace his lover that way?
A new level of red reached his ears at the thought and he desperately shook his head to send the improper thoughts away.
Finally, after a while of getting acquainted with the guitar, the instructor gave the official go to their first lesson. The first cords were not as easy for the young student as he would have wanted, but he proved to be persistent and never stopped trying. By the end of the lesson, he had sounded mildly decent; kind of.
AJ would always appreciate the effort and determination, which earned the student a playful slap on the shoulder that filled him with pride.
With the lesson over, it was now pizza time.