Ran x Taku

Credits to MoonSugars for the prompt.

"I messed up. I messed it all up. This was the worst performance ever." Shindou repeated over and over again as he sat on the stairs behind the stage where just an hour ago he had given a piano recital. Halfway through, his fingers had slipped and he had accidentally played a wrong note. Although he had quickly and seamlessly recovered, but to him it was an unforgivable blunder.

And now he sat by himself, except for his best friend, who patiently accompanied him for as long as needed, assuring him ceaselessly how mesmerizing his performance had been.

"I am sure no one even noticed. Even I couldn't have told if you hadn't pointed it out even though I have listened to you play that piece many times before." He said again and again, gently and reassuringly.

The aftermath of the show had not died down yet. There was constant commotion around them, of people running around to wrap everything up. Every once in a while someone would pass them swiftly, threatening to kick them by accident as everyone was too busy to look around. It was almost comical how they were all so engrossed in managing everything that they couldn't notice that the star of the very event they were stressed over, was sitting in the midst of all the ruckus, unnoticed.

"I just don't know how it happened. I must have practised it a hundred times." Shindou muttered, clutching his head between both his hands and looking down. "How could I do this?" His head ached and tears brimmed his eyes from frowning too hard.

"It was an honest mistake. It can happen to anyone." Kirino insisted.

"But it didn't! It happened to me... because I am too clumsy." Shindou responded in frustration.

"Clumsy?and you? Never. You have always been a natural at this." Kirino took a pause before continuing, "Ever since you got that toy keyboard when we were five. I would only press random buttons on it creating noise or I'd be happy playing the music that comes with it but you always tried to make a string of notes and you succeeded so easily too. I always ended up listening to you instead of playing with my toys."

Shindou now raised his head and looked at Kirino with widened, but still teary, eyes.

"What made you recall that now?" He asked in wonder. He was surprised Kirino remembered it so vividly when even he had forgotten about it.

"I'm just saying, even if you make mistakes sometimes," Kirino returned his glance as he took Shindou's hand in his, " you will always be amazing and that won't change." He smiled an assuring smile.

Shindou felt at loss for words. He had been so busy beating himself up about this one tiny mistake he hadn't even paid attention to the fact that Kirino hadn't left his side as soon as he had returned backstage and flopped down on the stairs and begun his self-loathing chants and he had been patiently assuring him ever since how Shindou had done so well despite the mistake that to him seemed life-ending. Although this wasn't the first time Kirino had shown such kind and caring behaviour towards him, it never stopped leaving him in awe.

Somehow he managed to utter just two words, those two words carrying the weight of almost a lifetime worth of gratitude towards Kirino,

"Thank you."