AN: Unfortunately, I do not own the characters of Nodame Cantabile. Please pardon me for my lack of a better title. ; Otherwise, enjoy!

Skipped Lessons

Nodame strained to carry the hefty box the last few feet to her new apartment. Sweat trickled down over her cheekbones. The weather here was sweltering. She didn't care if she would be attending Academie Royale de Musique, one of the most well known academies for music and arts in France. She didn't care if she would be studying under the most talented and experienced pianist she had ever had the honor of meeting. How had anyone ever convinced her to move to Paris?

"Nodame! Hurry up with the unloading, or we'll be here until midnight!"

Oh. That was how. Chiaki Shinichi. Nodame ceased her mental ranting instantly. He was standing in the doorway of her apartment, blocking her path. The top button of his shirt was undone, revealing the tiniest sliver of skin.

Nodame couldn't contain herself. She drooled slightly, causing Shinichi to grimace. "Stop that," he muttered, buttoning his shirt. "And give me that." He gestured to the box.

"Nodame can carry it!" she insisted, although the box was nearly half her size. The girl could barely see over the top of it.

Shinichi took a step out from under the doorway.

"Gyabo," she muttered as he took the box from her hands. He raised an eyebrow at her.

Nodame followed him inside their new apartment. She couldn't stress how excited she was to be rooming with Shinichi. It was just unfortunate that there happened to be two separate bedrooms. She would have to learn to live with such misfortune.

She was so lost in such important thoughts of disappointment that she forgot how to walk. In one ungraceful moment, her ankle rolled, and in an instant she was on the ground. She landed on her right wrist, a twinge of pain shooting up her arm. Shinichi was at her side instantaneously. Any sensation of agony Nodame had previously felt dissipated as he lifted her shoulders, and flipped her over so that her head rested on his lap.

"What are you doing?" His voice was cynical, but his lips were curling up at the edges.

Nodame blushed. "Well, I was walking. And then I..."

She stopped breathing, noticing how close his face was to hers. She reached up instinctively, and touched his face with the tip of a finger. Shinichi's eyes widened in surprise, but nonetheless, he didn't stop her. He let her feel the smoothness of his skin, liking the feel of her warm hand.

"You've hardly even been in the apartment and already you're a mess."

The sound of his voice brought Nodame back to reality. She snatched her hand away quickly, trying to ignore the heat spreading across her cheeks.

Standing up, she grinned, and picked up the box Shinichi had set down when she fell. All thoughts of her hand, and the awkward situation the two had just encountered, were forgotten.

"Nodame will take care of this!" She said cheerfully, receiving a glare from Shinichi.

Walking down the corridor to her classroom, Nodame felt many eyes on her. Perhaps it was her messy hair, or the fact that she was foreign. But neither of these made sense to the girl. There were plenty of college students with hair issues. And she was certain there was a fair share of foreign students. She walked faster, and began to perspire at such attention. Her eyes scanned desperately for her room number. It had to be here somewhere!

"Mukya!" Nodame screeched when she found it. She pulled the door open, and nearly dived into the room.

An elderly man, who she hoped was her professor, jerked his head up upon her entrance. His glasses slid to the tip of his nose in his shock. Nodame stood leaning against the door, panting.

It was silent for many seconds.

"...Noda, Megumi?"

Nodame nodded hesitantly, and relief washed over her. So this was the correct classroom.

The professor looked her over before saying anything else. He didn't quite know what to make of his new student. "I am Professor Pierpont. I will be assisting you with your studies."

Nodame nodded again, and then glanced at the piano. It was beautiful, the keys gleamed a pure, untarnished white. At once she walked over to it. Her hands ran skillfully over the ivory of the keys, as if reacquainting themselves with an old friend. The familiar feeling of it was bliss. This was the one thing that made Paris endurable - the music. She didn't notice her instructor looking at her.

"Would you like to play something for me?" He asked, his curiosity piqued.

Nodame looked up at the man, and smiled. "Yes." She hadn't touched a piano since they left Japan.

The student sat down at the bench in front of the piano. She poised herself, ready to play. After composing herself, she began. At first her fingers glided with ease over the keys, the piano chiming the spirited tune of Puri Puri Gorota. But then, as she advanced further into the song, her favorite part, an aching in her right hand began. She winced as it throbbed painfully. Her professor noticed.

"Why don't we wait until your next lesson, shall we?" he suggested, smiling at her keenly. It had been seconds and already he was growing fond of the student.

Nodame looked at her teacher incredulously. "But I can't--"

"It's best that your hand heals before you push yourself." The professor pointed out. "However, I would like for you to take a look at a few pieces. Observe them carefully, and we'll begin working on them the next time we meet."

He handed her three pamphlets. Nodame looked at them, each inscribed with names she knew well: Schubert, Tchaikovsky, Chopin. She looked back at the professor to insist her staying, but he acted as if she wasn't there. With a defeated feeling, she left the room, closing the door shut behind her.

She wanted to cry as she was walking home. She blinked several times, pushing away the dampness from her eyes. It had been two days and already she was stressed. She had been dismissed from her first lesson. She didn't know if she could ever face Shinichi. At the thought of her roommate, a light blush broke out across her cheekbones. Last night.

She had been so used to him denying any sort of personal contact with her before, that yesterday seemed unreal. She felt light at the thought of Shinichi possibly feeling fond of her.

'Well, even if he does, it won't last for long. Once he finds out you've skipped your lesson...' Her thoughts trailed off, and dread resided in the pit of her stomach once again.

It was true. No matter what she did, or how she told him, Nodame was in trouble.

When she arrived back at the apartment, Nodame dropped her bag on the sofa, plopping down beside it. She brushed her bangs back from her forehead, and let her eyes flutter shut. What a terrible day. How could she ever tell Chiaki about her hand? He would, without a doubt, be furious.

"Nodame?"

She leaped inches off the sofa, her head snapping in the direction of the voice.

"Ch-Chiaki-senpai!"

His eyes narrowed as he looked at her flushed face, and the way she was cradling her wrist. "What are you doing?" he asked.

"N-nothing," Nodame mumbled, looking away from his suspicious eyes.

"You're lying."

Her stomach gave a hopeless tug. Shinichi could see right through her act. She looked up at him. "Well...I couldn't really play at my lesson today."

He waited for her to continue her explanation.

"I hurt my hand," she finished.

"Your hand?"

She nodded, averting her eyes again. He sighed, loud enough for Nodame to hear. He crossed the room, and was standing next to her before she even noticed. She flinched as she felt his gaze upon her. He surprised her though, by carefully taking her hand in his own. His brow was furrowed, but his touch was gentle.

"When?" he asked, his finger tips tracing her wrist.

Nodame's face was now a deep crimson. She couldn't keep her eyes off of him. "Y-yesterday."

Shinichi's eyes closed as he remembered past events. He sighed after a few moments. "Well, it's not broken, right?"

"Eh? N-no, but..."

"It's not a big deal then," he said, looking at her. He didn't move his hand.

Nodame was bewildered. "But we only just got here, and already I did something wrong."

"I was expecting it."

She opened her mouth, but before she could feel a bit insulted, he was embracing her.

"I'm glad you came with me," he muttered.

"A-ah." Nodame was nearly convinced she was fantasizing. He had only ever hugged her once before. Such an action was quite intimate for the resolute musician.

"Do you wish you hadn't come?" He pulled back from the embrace, surveying her face.

She blushed. "No! Of course not!"

"Then why are you talking like it's the end of the world?"

Nodame didn't reply, but merely hid her now red face in Shinichi's shirt. The man was partially glad, too, but only because the girl couldn't see his own blush.

They stayed like for moments, until Nodame pulled back. She looked as if she were about to say something important, and Shinichi smiled at her kindly.

"So, does this mean it's time for dinner?"

She watched as Shinichi's smile faltered.

End

AN: So that's the end. I've thought about making this a multiple-chapter story, but I'm not sure. I guess it depends on what people think of it. Reviewww!

-Panino-