who ? xavier ansari and aisling astor when ? thursday evening, 6th october where ? panquake house what ? talking and being cute status ? complete
The offer had been somewhat of a surprise. Aisling wasn’t sure she should have been surprised but perhaps that went to say quite a lot about how out of circuit she felt about the orchestra. The offer was simple: cover a violinist in a four concert week. Except the tour was in Shanghai, which in the grand scheme of things wasn’t actually awful. It would be going away for a week, playing extensively things Aisling should be quite good at. Of course, she wasn’t as confident as the conductor that after two years of not playing in an orchestra she was good at it.
Aisling though that she probably knew what she wanted to do. Aisling was really quite good at always knowing what she wanted to do, even if some of it tended to start out with false levels of confidence. So far in her life that had always seemed sufficient enough and she doubted it was likely to change. Still, Aisling thought that it might be useful to talk this over with someone. Out of all the choices she had, Aisling decided Xavier was the best one. So bearing tea (because that always seemed like a good thing to come with), Aisling knocked on Xavier’s door, pushing it open when she heard him reply.
“I’ve brought tea,” she told him with a smile, lifting one of the mugs in Xavier’s direction.
--
Xavier glanced up at the knock, smiling when he saw Aisling come in. She didn't need to knock, of course, but it was nice to have the warning someone was about to come into his room, even if that someone was Aisling. And she'd even brought tea.
“Tea is always good,” he replied, sitting back on the edge of his bed and holding his hand out toward her, gesturing her over and ready to take his mug from her. “How are you?”
--
“I’m alright,” Aisling replied with a grin, walking over to hang Xavier his mug, leaning in to press a brief kiss against his lips before sitting down next to him. Pulling a leg under her, Aisling took a sip of her tea. “I must admit, I bring tea with ulterior motives,” Aisling added truthfully, running a hand through her hair.
Shifting slightly closer to Xavier, she gave another smile. “Nothing terrible, though,” Aisling clarified since it really wasn’t. “I’ve been offered--” there she paused tilting her head slightly. “A job, I guess,” since it was, even if she didn’t think of it as such. “The conductor of the orchestra I used to play for contacted me asking if I could cover one of their violinists for a week on tour,” she explained. “It’s four concerts and I think I’d like to do that,” Aisling said honestly. “It won’t affect the band terribly, since I’d only be gone for a week, but--” There she shrugged, not sure where she was going with it. “I guess I’m not sure I can. I haven’t played a concert - that type of concert - in over two years,” which was mostly what Aisling was worried about. Not being good enough, even if she was sure the conductor wouldn’t have asked if he thought she couldn’t do it.
“It’d be intense practice up until, but I think I can do that,” probably quite comfortably, since Aisling genuinely enjoyed practising, even if she pushed herself far too hard, but that was a character flaw she had long come to accept.
--
Xavier raised an eyebrow when she mentioned having ulterior motives, but he wasn't surprised. This was hardly the first time Aisling had brought him tea when really it was just a foot in the door to start a conversation - though he hoped she knew she needed ply him with beverages to be able to talk to him. He took a slow sip of his tea as he listened, nodding as he took in what she was saying and mulling it over for a moment.
“Well,” he started slowly, “I don't think it would be a problem for you to. You could, you know. You're very good. You play all the time, just different stuff, so it's not like you're out of practice for it but just out of practice of that type of music, right?” He reached over to tuck her hair behind her ear. “If it's something you want to do, I think it's great.”
--
When Xavier told her that she was very good, Aisling gave a small smile, leaning into his touch when Xavier’s hand came up to tuck her hair behind her ear. “That’s sweet,” she told him because it was. Aisling believed him, too. Both in that he truly believed that she was and that she actually was. The compliment still felt nice. “It’s not quite the same. The sort of music we play for Quake, it’s less--technically challenging, I guess,” Aisling explained with a shrug small enough not to move away from Xavier’s touch.
“I guess,” she started and then paused, giving a sigh. “When I left the orchestra to join the band? That made me happy. I was happy before, of course, I loved playing for the orchestra, but this was just...” There Aisling shrugged again, not sure what the word she was looking for even was. “Different. Better, maybe?” It had felt better then and mostly felt better now, too, but Aisling feared the feeling of acclimatisation. “It’s been better for me, not to be in that environment so consistently,” which was true, Aisling had pushed herself far harder, to a point where it had been damaging, but she had also been excellent. “But I also miss it?” She added. “It sounds stupid, but I sometimes miss just how hard it is.”
--
“Really, the music in our rock band isn't as challenging as the philharmonic?” Xavier asked teasingly, leaning over to brush a kiss against her cheek before turning slightly in how he was sitting so he could look at her better, bending his leg to tuck his ankle under his other knee. It made sense, everything she said about the orchestra, and he let his hand rest on her leg, thumb brushing idly against it.
“It doesn't sound stupid,” he said, shaking his head. “I’m not surprised you miss something that was that challenging. You are a Ravenclaw, after all.” He smiled, tilting his head and watching her for a moment. “So this might be the best of both worlds for you, maybe? It's not like you're leaving the band, but you're getting the chance to have that challenge again for a bit of time. I'm sure it gets boring for you around here since we don't play things that are as interesting as your orchestra music, so if you have the opportunity and want to take it…”
--
“It’s not not challenging,” Aisling replied teasingly. Truth was, some of the sets Quake did were very challenging to be played on a violin, but it didn’t quite match up with the level of complexity some classical pieces had. In general, it was just a very different type of music and that had always been what appealed to Aisling the most about being in a rock band.
When Xavier assured her it wasn’t surprising she missed being challenged because she was a Ravenclaw, Aisling gave a small laugh. “I guess there might be that,” she agreed since it was most likely not incorrect. “The things we play are plenty of interesting to me,” Aisling added. “It’s just different, which isn’t bad.”
Shifting slightly, Aisling gave a small sigh. “I think perhaps I’m nervous,” she admitted. “Of not being able to do it, which is silly, since I’m sure I can,” probably, anyway. After a small pause, Aisling run her hand over her leg. “It’s in Shanghai, the tour,” she added. It wasn’t actually all that important, she didn’t think, since whether it was a week here or a week on the other side of the world, it was still only a week.
--
Xavier smiled good naturedly and took a sip of his tea. It was different, he knew, and therefore difficult to compare - but he was still sure the orchestra music was much more challenging than anything they did in Quake. There was no way it couldn’t be. At least she found it interesting, which was the important part. If not, he doubted she would have stuck with it for so long.
“Of course you’ll be able to,” he assured her, because he truly believed so. “But I think it’s normal to be nervous. You haven’t done anything like this in a while, so you’re nervous and that’s fine.” He tilted his head when she mentioned where it was, because that was quite far. It wasn’t necessarily when one had magic and they could go to the other side of the world with minimal effort or time, but the Philharmonic wasn’t magic. “How long’s a flight to Shanghai?”
--
The question of how long it’d take to get to Shanghai made Aisling groan. “About twenty hours with a layover?” She said phrasing it as a question but frankly even if the flight would be direct she’d probably still be looking at at least fifteen hours, which was... not great. “I’m tempted to tell them I’ll meet them there and get a portkey, but I’m not sure I can really excuse that,” Aisling admitted since the idea of flying half across the world did not appeal to her at all. What was the point of having magic if she wasn’t allowed to use it?
“If I do take this job,” which, really, Aisling thought she most likely would. “Do you want to come and see one of the performances?” She asked carefully. Aisling had taken Quake to plenty of classical concerts (with some protesting more than others) but those had never included her playing. “I’d like it if you did,” Aisling added truthfully. “Maybe you and Andrew,” unless neither of them wanted to, which Aisling supposed she could see happening since classical music wasn’t quite the same style as the sort of music they usually played and listened to.
--
Xavier scrunched his nose when she said how long the flight was, because that was a lot. Ever since being able to apparate, most trips that didn't involve instant travel seemed long. He liked walks, less for the travel than the experience itself, but anytime he went somewhere with his family and it involves sitting in a car… well, he preferred to apparate. And that wasn't anywhere near twenty hours on an airplane.
“I’d love to,” Xavier said instantly. He liked classical music alright, but had a much bigger interest if Aisling was going to be playing. “With Andrew, if he's game to go, but otherwise I’d come anyway.”
--
When Xavier confirmed that he’d love to come and see Aisling play, she gave a wide smile. “Good,” she noted with a nod, leaning in to press a kiss against Xavier’s lips. “I’ll get you a portkey,” she told him. “Won’t even ask you to take a whole day to fly,” she added teasingly. Then, after a small shake of her head, Aisling gave a sigh.
“I guess that also means I have decided,” which wasn’t really surprising since Aisling had presumed she’d accept the offer. “It’s in three weeks,” she explained. “So if you don’t see me until then it’s because I’m practicing,” Aisling offered with a small grin, though as much as it sounded like a joke, Aisling knew the way she practiced, there really was a great chance Xavier wouldn’t see much of her until then. “Maybe you can ensure I actually sleep,” she added much more truthfully than humorously.
--
Xavier smiled into her kiss and rest his forehead against hers briefly before leaning back and nodding. “I appreciate that. It's not that I wouldn't fly there if necessary, but when there are much easier means… might as well make use of them.”
He set his tea down so he could slip his arms around her, pulling her in closer and pressing a kiss against her temple. “I will make sure you eat, and take breaks, and sleep a decent amount of hours each night. You won't be much use to them if you practice til your fingers fall off.”
--
Aisling couldn’t help but laugh when Xavier assured her he would fly, if it was necessary. Truthfully, Aisling wouldn’t make anyone fly for that long if there were alternatives, which magic, thankfully, did provide. “Maybe if you come for the last one, we can stay for a few days in Shanghai?” She offered, since it did seem a bit silly to go all the way to China and not explore at least a little bit.
At Xavier’s promise to ensure that Aisling didn’t practice herself to death (or at least a loss of fingers), her smile widened, as she leaned into Xavier. “What an excellent boyfriend,” she told him amused, but it was also true. Xavier was an excellent boyfriend.
--
It was a good suggestion, and Xavier smiled a bit more. “That's a good idea. I can come for the last one, we can have a bit of a holiday, and then you don't have to spend a whole day on an airplane to get back either.” After all, there was no need for such torture if it was only the two of them and not a muggle orchestra to keep up appearances for.
“Oh well I do try,” he said, grinning proudly. “I’ll make sure you keep hydrated, and well fed, and proper sleep. And even provide massages as incentive for you to take breaks.”
--
“I’ll sort that out,” Aisling said with a nod. “Get us a hotel and maybe a tour?” Which she was sure wouldn’t be a hardship, not when Aisling mostly intended to just pay someone else to organise it. “And then we can have a small holiday,” she confirmed happily. It did sound nice, especially as she would probably need a small holiday after spending a week touring and three times as much practising.
Xavier’s promises made Aisling laugh. “Massages!” She repeated. “Where have you been all my life?” She asked teasingly before offering another rather pleased kiss.
--
“A hotel and a tour,” Xavier agreed with a nod. He was sure there would also be plenty of relaxing time - perhaps a day at a spa or something for Aisling to recover after the run of concerts. A bit of forced relaxation might certainly be in order.
He grinned into her kiss, humming softly and nudging his nose against hers when he pulled back. “Here and there, mostly,” he answered, despite her question obviously being rhetorical. He kissed her again, pulling her in closer. “Just down the hall a bit.”
--
“Well,” Aisling started before moving so she could climb into Xavier’s lap and then kiss him before she continued. “I’m glad,” she said with another kiss. “To have been able to bridge that gap,” Aisling concluded with a laugh that was then followed up with more kisses. She really was, too.