Harmony jerked awake to the sound of someone inexperienced playing her drum set in the music room. Muffled booms and crashes reverberated throughout the house. She let out a rueful sigh, wondering which of her nieces had decided to become a drummer.
As she stood up and stretched with a bestial shriek, a flicker of her dream danced fleetingly through her mind, too ephemeral to hold onto. She knew it had been an amazing dream. She could still feel a golden glow of well-being filling her like liquid optimism. It had something to do with Rhapsody, but she couldn't remember what. The thought of Rhapsody was like an electric shock coursing through her system, and a sense of longing filled her. I wonder when we'll see her again.
The sound of inexperienced drumming stopped for several seconds. When the sound of drums resumed, it was a catchy beat that made her want to bounce. She frowned as her sleepy brain failed to make sense of how her nieces had improved so much in a few seconds. As she listened to the complex beat of the bass and snare drum while a complex sequence of staccato pings on the ride cymbal became more sophisticated than she was capable of, her brain finally slid into first gear. Rhapsody?
She quickly got ready for the morning, donning some Levi shorts and a tank top that left a few inches of her flat stomach visible. She scowled at herself as she stopped at her vanity for the fourth time to quadruple-check herself. Her long blonde hair was artfully tied up in a loose bun, with several strands falling in front of her cheeks.
What the hell is the matter with me? I don't need to get all dolled up for Rhapsody! She's just a friendly neighbor with the hands of a goddess and the face of a fairy tale princess. Goddamnit!
She finally forced herself out the door and down the stairs to the first floor. One of her nieces was playing the drums now, but instead of just making a racket, it sounded like they were starting to hold a basic beat, barely. Is Rhapsody giving them drum lessons? How in the world did she convince them to try and learn?
Harmony had been bugging her nieces to pick an instrument to learn since they moved in with her, but they had staunchly refused her offers to teach them. As she drew closer to the studio in the back corner of the house, she slowed down as anxiety swelled up in her stomach. She was looking for another mirror before she realized what she was doing. She stopped herself with a muttered curse and began walking back to the studio. She went into the back entrance that led into the control room. She had spent considerable time and money designing the sound room to get the acoustic absorption and diffusion of sound just right for recording. She held her breath as she tried to quietly slip into the control room, feeling a bit like a stalker as she attempted to watch their lessons unobserved.
The control room was dark, the computer and lights off. She quietly closed the door behind her and walked up to the thick, soundproof glass to watch. Serenity was sitting behind the drum set, slowly playing a simple beat with the bass drum and snare. Her lips were moving silently, as if she were counting out the tempo. Feeling even more like a creep, Harmony flipped the monitor on, a speaker that was connected to a mic in the sound room.
Rhapsody was standing just behind Serenity, tapping her foot to the beat. She was wearing an odd headband that covered her ears and forehead. Her crimson bangs were artfully flowing down either side of her face. Her thick mane of silky hair was tied back into a loose ponytail, flaring wide partway down her back. Harmony started seeing spots and cursed her stupid lungs as she quickly inhaled a lungful of air. Rhapsody wasn't wearing her tinted glasses, but she was in a location that remained too dark to see her eyes clearly. Even so, Harmony felt her heart hammering in her chest as she observed the beautiful woman. She was wearing a tank top that showed a generous amount of cleavage and shorts that were just long enough to be decent, but only barely.
"Excellent job, Serenity," Rhapsody's musical voice congratulated the dark-haired girl warmly. "You're doing a wonderful job with your timing. Are you ready to add a little bit of complexity now?"
"I think so?" Serenity answered tentatively. She looked back at Rhapsody with a grin. "I can't believe I'm playing the drums!"
"Aunt Harmony's going to be sarcastic again," Aurora announced matter-of-factly. She was standing next to Rhapsody, holding one of her hands with a look of excitement on her young face. "She's been bugging us to learn something for days now."
Rhapsody laughed, a warm, rich sound that filled Harmony's abdomen with butterflies. "Not the sarcasm!"
Serenity and Aurora giggled, carried away with Rhapsody's infectious laughter. Harmony realized she was smiling as she watched them, a goofy smile that she definitely would have been sarcastic about if she was in her right mind.
"I know I've said it a hundred times already, but you have the prettiest eyes in the world," Aurora told Rhapsody in a voice filled with childish wonder. "I wish you didn't have to wear your glasses most of the time."
"Don't you worry," Rhapsody responded with a reassuring hand squeeze. "It won't be too much longer before I can stop wearing them. Okay, Serenity, now you need to tap the high hat with every beat. It's okay if you mix them up, that's totally normal. You're naturally coordinated, so it won't take long for you to master it."
It took her a few minutes to stop hitting the bass drum and snare simultaneously as she tried to add her third limb to the mix, but she eventually managed it. She continued for several more minutes, growing more confident as she trained her muscle memory.
Harmony felt a deep swell of gratitude to Rhapsody. Her nieces had put on such brave faces in the months since their mother's death, but she knew they were devastated inside. They had adored their mother. When David had stabbed their mother to death, Aurora had jumped between them to try and protect her, receiving a large gash on her bicep. There was an angry red scar where the knife had cut her, resulting in some muscle damage.
Harmony had been hiding behind a facade of sarcasm and wit as she attempted to become a responsible guardian, but the truth was that she was absolutely terrified. She was so inadequate to the task of not just raising her nieces but helping them through the mountain of trauma they still had to deal with. She felt like a blind captain trying to navigate a ship through a dark ocean filled with hidden icebergs as she tried to guide them through their emotional turmoil. She knew the potential for hitting an iceberg and ruining their lives was always close by, just out of sight. The thought of her own inadequacies being the reason that her beautiful nieces' lives fell apart kept her awake with cold sweats at night. The idea of having someone else to help her was something she didn't dare to hope for. Watching Rhapsody patiently instruct Serenity while holding Aurora's hand, she couldn't completely crush the glimmer of hope from dancing across her thoughts with tantalizing allure.
She had been worried that her nieces would take the fairy obsession too far in their dealings with Rhapsody, leading to additional emotional grief when they finally realized she was just a human. As she watched Rhapsody patiently and affectionately instruct her nieces while doling out compliments and encouragement, she realized the small woman was probably far more equipped to deal with the grieving girls than Harmony herself was. She was a mixture of playful older sister and supportive life coach, with a generous helping of mystery added in for good measure.
As she stared dreamily at Rhapsody, her thoughts awash with how amazing the small woman was, she felt a sudden jolt of alarm as she found the smaller woman looking at her. She was sure she wasn't visible in the dark control room, and she couldn't make out Rhapsody's eyes clearly, but she was suddenly sure that the other woman was looking right at her. The crimson-haired siren winked at her. Winked! Was her mind playing tricks on her? She opened her mouth to say something before she remembered they couldn't hear her through the soundproof walls.
"What did I do to deserve such a wonderful person in my life," Rhapsody murmured with a wistful smile. "What constellation did this beautiful star fall out of?"
Rhapsody's face suddenly snapped up to look at her in shock. Harmony saw a hint of lavender in Rhapsody's large eyes as they widened in surprise. Could she hear her? There was no way she could hear Harmony through the soundproof walls. Something else must have caught her attention, probably something that was on the control room's outer wall.
Rhapsody's lips suddenly curved into an amused smile. Harmony felt her oxygen running low as she stared at those expressive lips, completely entranced. What would it be like to touch those lips with her own? Just the thought sent a wave of heat coursing through her system as strange sensations in embarrassing places vied for attention.
After nearly blacking out, Harmony reined in her amorous thoughts, mentally slapping herself for nine kinds of fool. Having Rhapsody find her passed out all over the mixing boards would be a great way to start their day. What the hell is wrong with me? Who the hell holds their breath when they are excited?
After setting Serenity on a new technique to master, Rhapsody took Aurora over to a violin and began giving her instructions on how to tighten and hold the bow. She helped her adjust the violin under her chin until it was perfect. Then she had her practice bowing without using the fingerboard. Harmony marveled at what a good teacher Rhapsody was. Has she taught students before? How can she be so damn good at everything?
Harmony let out a happy sigh as she spent the next half hour watching her nieces receive private lessons from an expert musician. The thought made her frown in sudden consternation. Everything with Rhapsody had been solidly one-sided. They really needed to find a way to give back to the beautiful woman. She felt a grin split her face as an idea formed. She didn't notice Rhapsody fumble the violin, too engrossed in her plans for Operation Reciprocate.
At the end of their lessons, Serenity and Aurora were beside themselves with glee at having learned so much in their first lesson. Harmony had to admit, they really had learned a lot for just one lesson. She knew her nieces were smart, but she suspected a large part of their success was due to the instruction they received, and who they received it from.
"We can't let Aunt Harmony know that we are learning to play anything," Aurora told the other two with an excited grin. "We'll keep practicing every day until we get good. Then, in a few months, we'll play in front of her like it's totally normal! I'll bet she'll be so surprised she won't even be able to say something sarcastic!"
Rhapsody burst out laughing delightedly, her voice filling the air with joy. "Aurora, that's brilliant! We'll have to make sure that she doesn't ever see you playing."
Harmony gasped as Rhapsody's head turned to face her as she spoke meaningfully. She can see me!
"That's just the control room," Serenity informed Rhapsody when she saw her staring at Harmony.
"Do you have to put your glasses back on?" Aurora asked regretfully as Rhapsody slid her glasses back onto her face. "Aunt Harmony's not around."
"I just like the world looking rose-colored," Rhapsody told her with a dimpled smile that arrested Harmony's breath again. "Here, try looking for yourself."
She handed the rose-tinted glasses over to Aurora, keeping her head turned away from Harmony.
"Oh wow!" Aurora exclaimed, looking around the room in wonder. "Serenity, you have got to try these! Everything is so bright and beautiful."
Aurora handed the glasses over to Serenity, a goofy smile on her face. As soon as Serenity put the glasses on, she gasped.
"Holy freaking cow," Serenity shouted in delight. "These are amazing!"
"I thought you two would like them," Rhapsody grinned as she pulled her fingers through her thick mane of hair and stretched, back arching.
Harmony finally remembered to breathe, her heart hammering in her chest. She's doing that on purpose! She's got some kind of Harmony cheat sheet, I know it!
"Okay, my virtuosos," Rhapsody breathed out explosively as she finished her stretch, lips twitching. "Let's go make some breakfast. I can hear your stomachs growling the alphabet."
"What do you eat?" Serenity asked curiously. She quickly added, "If that's not a rude question."
"Promise to keep it a secret?" Rhapsody asked in a breathy whisper that made Harmony's spine tingle.
The two of them nodded eagerly. She leaned down close to their ears and whispered something too quiet for the mic to pick up. Their eyes went wide, and they stared at her in awe.
"You are so freaking cool, Rhapsody," Serenity exclaimed with a wide smile. "I seriously can't wait for Aunt Harmony to get to know you better. She's going to be so blown away."
"You and me both," Rhapsody smiled softly.
"Do you like Aunt Harmony?" Serenity asked shrewdly as they started walking toward the exit.
"Of course I like her," Rhapsody snorted a laugh. "What's not to like?"
"I mean romantically," Serenity's pitch went lower as she waggled her eyebrows at Rhapsody. "She likes girls, you know."
"What would you two think if I said yes?" Rhapsody asked with a crooked smile.
"I think that would be the best thing ever!" Serenity effused with a wide smile. "She's so in over her head right now. She needs all of the help she can get."
Rhapsody's golden laughter faded away as they exited the studio. Harmony finally turned the light on to the room. The now-dark sound room made the lit-up control room window more like a mirror. When Harmony saw the goofy grin on her face, she tried to scowl, but try as she might, she couldn't stop grinning.