Learn Italian With Nicolo di Angelo!

~~~fluffy~~~

The silence after their impromptu duet hung heavy in the air, a quiet intimacy settling around them. Will watched Nico, the lingering warmth of the music still radiating off him.

"You know," Nico started, his voice barely a whisper, "I never thought I'd play piano again."

Will raised an eyebrow, surprised by the sudden vulnerability in Nico's tone. "Why not?"

Nico shifted on the piano bench, his fingers tracing idle patterns on the worn wood. "Just... after Bianca. It all felt pointless after that."

A pang of sympathy stabbed at Will's heart. He knew all too well the sting of grief, the way it could steal the joy from anything. He reached out, placing a hesitant hand on Nico's. Nico flinched slightly at the touch, but didn't pull away.

"I get it," Will said softly. "But sometimes, even when things are hard, the music finds a way back."

Nico met his gaze, a flicker of something raw and unguarded in his dark eyes. "Yeah, maybe." He took a deep breath, then blurted out, "My mom actually taught me."

Will's heart skipped a beat. Nico rarely, if ever, spoke about his family, especially his mother, the mortal woman Maria. "She did?"

Nico nodded, a small, sad smile gracing his lips. "Yeah. When I was little. She said... she said in case everything else fell apart, at least I'd have this." He gestured vaguely to the piano.

The weight of Nico's words hung heavy in the air. Will squeezed his hand gently. "That's... that's beautiful, Nico. A gift that keeps on giving."

Nico looked away, a blush creeping up his neck. "Yeah, well, it wasn't exactly all sunshine and rainbows. She could be... demanding," he muttered, the blush deepening.

Will chuckled. "Sounds like you inherited some of that demanding nature." He winked, trying to lighten the mood.

Nico rolled his eyes, but a genuine smile returned to his face. "Maybe. But at least I can thank her for something."

They sat in comfortable silence for a moment longer, the music still echoing in the room. Then, a mischievous glint appeared in Nico's eyes.

"Your turn, Solace," he said, gesturing to the piano. "Tell me something I don't know."

A soft smile played on Will's lips as he watched Nico, the tension from earlier replaced by a comfortable companionship. "My turn, huh?" he mused, running a hand through his hair.

Nico leaned back against the piano, his gaze fixed on Will. "Spill it, Sunshine. What dark secret are you hiding?"

Will laughed, a warm, genuine sound that filled the room. "Maybe not a secret, exactly. More like...a weird quirk."

"We can handle weird quirks, heck, even weird kinks!" Nico said with a smirk, kissing Will tenderly on the lips.

Will took a deep breath, suddenly feeling slightly nervous. This wasn't quite the confession he'd planned, but something about Nico's vulnerability earlier had loosened the lock on his own guarded heart.

"Okay," he started, "here goes. I... I find peace in the dark."

Nico's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Really? You? The guy who practically glows in the sunlight?"

Will chuckled. "Yeah, me. There's just something... calming about it, you know? The absence of noise, the way the world kind of disappears."

He hesitated for a moment, then continued, his voice dropping to a low murmur. "Maybe that's part of what... what drew me to you in the first place."