18. Trial Run

Lia sat on the couch in the apartment next door completely bored out of her mind. She was beginning to wonder if Yoongi's trial run consisted of testing her patience. She had been wanting to research her boss on her Sunday off or actually do something else productive, but all she had done since striking that deal with Yoongi was sit on the couch while he played a chord or two on his guitar before pausing to write something down in a notebook.

"I thought participating in a trial run actually meant I got to do something with you..." muttered Lia.

Yoongi didn't answer her right off as he was obviously busy with writing something down still. When he was done, he looked up and over at her.

"Sorry. Did you say something?"

"Never mind," said Lia as she took a deep breath to puff her cheeks out before letting out a long winded sigh.

"You're bored," said Yoongi, clearly stating the obvious.

"Kind of," said Lia. "All I've been doing since I've come over is sit here. This isn't much of a trial run. I thought agreeing to that actually meant we got to do something together to get to know one another."

"And I was thinking it was just letting you be around me for the day," said Yoongi who smirked a bit when he saw Lia's evident surprise at his words.

"Fine...come here," he continued as he stood up. He still had the guitar in one hand as he looked over at her. "I'll teach you how to play."

While Lia enjoyed singing her lungs out in the car or in the shower, she had limited musical abilities when it came to instruments. She couldn't help the chuckle that left her lips as she walked over to him. She took a seat in the armchair he'd been sitting in as he placed the guitar in her lap before going around to hover behind her.

"I take it by the chuckle you haven't ever played before."

"No," she said. "I always wanted to learn, but never got around to it."

"Well, I'll try to help the best I can, but I'm not promising miracles."

"Should I be offended that you think I am that awful a learner?"

His smirk was hidden as he stood behind her, helping her to position the guitar in the right manner before grabbing her hands to place them in the proper position. He had to lean over her as he do so, making it so Lia could feel his back hitting the back of her head.

"I'll give you an easy chord to learn at first. Don't worry. I won't be giving you any horrible chord progressions or expect you to be a pro."

"You seem like the type of person to have high standards though," commented Lia. "I half expect you to think I should be a prodigy."

"Nah. That assumption was dismissed a long time ago."

"Mean," she said, hearing him chuckle from behind her as his hands rested over the tops of hers as he puppeteered her hands into playing the right notes.

For the next hour or so, Yoongi tried to teach Lia the basics of how to play. Even though she managed to get the chord down that he had been making her try over and over again, she wasn't anywhere close to playing any of her favorite songs. Yoongi had walked away from her when the impromptu lesson was over, entering the kitchen to open the fridge where all of the meals Jin had prepared for them were stacked and labeled.

"Do you like Teriyaki chicken?" asked Yoongi as Lia set the guitar aside to enter the kitchen. Yoongi had popped the lid off the container with his name on it, shifting it from side to side before giving it a quick sniff. "At least, I think that's what this is."

"You don't have to share your meals with me."

"It's fine," said Yoongi. "I'm not that hungry anyway. On the other hand, I know that you are. Your stomach growling was louder than the chords we were practicing. It sounded like some sort of rude percussive intrusion."

"You're such a grump," said Lia as Yoongi turned aside to hide a small grin that had sprung onto his face at her comment.

"So what's your story?" continued Lia as Yoongi went about trying to heat the meal up.

"What do you mean?" asked Yoongi.

"What do you remember of your past before all this?"

"About as much as the others which isn't much at all," said Yoongi. "I remember my love for music and composing but that's about it. I don't remember what life was like when I got to live every day. At least Sundays always used to be my favorite days so things could be worse."

"Why Sunday?"

"It gave me time to do what I love which would be my music. It was like the one day dedicated to it."

Lia noticed that Yoongi had also said 'used to be' his favorite day, but didn't want to press him on it. She stayed silent for a moment as the microwave went off. She watched him then take the container out of the microwave oven and put it on the counter.

"Dinner is served," said Yoongi.

"Thanks," said Lia as she stood at the counter, taking a bite of it.

Yoongi nodded, turning his gaze off to the living room. As Lia ate a few bites, she noticed that his eyes lingered on the song notebook that he had left behind earlier in the day when he had given her a music lesson. It was clear that he used it a lot from how badly it was falling apart.

"I hope I can hear one of your songs someday," said Lia.

Her comment caught him by surprise, causing him to turn his eyes back to look at her.

"I know...I know..." continued Lia, "I realize this is a one day trial, but if there is ever a one day trial part two..."

Lia caught the smirk on Yoongi's face; a smirk that caused a small glint to come into his eyes.

"There is no such thing as a 'one day trial part two'," said Yoongi, "But perhaps one of these days you can be my trial audience. You'd be better for feedback than the dust bunnies and shadows."

It was Lia's turn to hide the surprise on her own face.

"Why do you look like I said something shocking?"

"Because you actually made it sound like I might get to see you another Sunday. I take it the one day trial was enough of a success for you?"

"Enough of one," he said with a dismissive shrug, trying to play it cool even though Lia could see the smirk he was trying to hide still.

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