Notes – Written for a kinkmeme response to a prompt that wanted Layton watching Luke give a violin performance. Not set at any specific point in the timeline and for once is spoiler-free.

Luke had to admit that he was nervous.

He really had no reason to be nervous, since he'd played the violin probably hundreds of times before. He knew that he could do it. But… as he watched those small-but-kind eyes of the professor looking over at him he felt a lump build up in the back of his throat.

Within Luke, there had at some point developed this inner need to impress Layton. He had no idea why, but after everything the man had done for him he wanted to prove that he was capable of being his apprentice. Be that by following him on adventures, solving puzzles or… playing the violin.

How had he got into this?

He remembered roughly that they'd been talking about musical instruments and that he'd said he could play the violin. Layton had commented that he would like to hear him play one day and Luke, being Luke, had put his foot in his mouth and said he could play for the professor right now if he liked. This had led to a frantic search for his violin and brought him up to this moment in which he was standing in front of Layton, who was waiting expectantly for him to play.

"Is something the matter, my boy?" Layton asked.

"N-nothin' at all, professah…" Luke mumbled.

Luke tried to pull himself together, since he didn't want Layton to realise how nervous he was. His hands were shaking a little - that wasn't good. But he had to get started. Tightening his grip on the bow, Luke raised the violin to its correct position and began to play.

The first few notes might not have been perfect, but he soon felt himself get into the flow of it. Luke found that the easiest way to go about it was to try and ignore Layton, with his polite little smile, and focus solely on the violin. This shouldn't be about impressing someone; this should be about performing music in the way he had been taught.

As it seemed like the best way to deal with this, Luke closed his eyes. This really helped. He could no longer see Layton and therefore could focus solely on the music. The bow slid along the strings in the correct manner, so he loosened his grip on it as he felt himself relax. There was no way he could make a mistake now, this was his music and he knew it by heart.

After several minutes he drew the tune to a close, breathing out with relief and preparing himself to start another song.

But before he could the sound of clapping reached his ears.

Opening his eyes, Luke looked across to where the professor was stood on his feet and applauding him earnestly.

"My word, you said you were familiar with the violin but I had no idea you could use it with such a level of professionalism," commented Layton.

Luke felt himself blush to this.

"Th-thanks, professah, but I really ain't all that great," he replied.

"Nonsense, I'll hear none of that. You performed splendidly and I'd very much like to try playing alongside you on the piano sometime soon," Layton insisted.

To work alongside the professor was the highest amount of praise that Luke could receive. It was all he really wanted to do, in any field.

"I'd like that," he replied, and meant it.

"Very well, let's go get her ready then," Layton chuckled, referring to the old piano that he kept in the living room. It was mostly buried in fossils and rocks from the professor's archaeology studies, so that might take sometime.

"Will do, professah!" Luke called, darting ahead of go get started cleaning. After all, cleaning was his job.

Watching him go with a smile, Layton thought that he was luckier than he truly deserved to be to have an apprentice like Luke. And that was enough for him.