Chapter Text
"Look, Giulia!" I say, pointing out to Isola del Mare as the train chugs along. We're almost back to Portorosso, almost back to Alberto.
"We're almost there!" Giulia says with a big grin on her face, red hair whipping in the wind. Even though this is the third summer I've been back, the anticipation never changes. I can't wait to see what's changed, and what stayed the same. I know I've changed- I grew three inches this year, and I hope I'm finally taller than Alberto.
Everything goes dark as we head through the tunnel, then suddenly it's bright- too bright. I blink and shield my eyes, my vision returning as the train slows. The first thing I see is Alberto running towards the train. I feel my face flush as I take him in- he's gotten taller too, and his shoulders are broader. His freckles stand out on his face, which is pink with excitement.
"Luca!" he calls, waving. I laugh and wave back, feeling like I've swallowed the sun- it's the only explanation for this light inside of me.
As soon as the train stops I'm off, and Alberto crashes into me, hugging me so hard it lifts my feet off of the ground. The second he sets me down he grabs my hand, shaking it and twisting it.
"Piacere, Girolamo Trombetta," he says, smiling.
"Your name is not 'Twisty Trombone'," I reply, laughing. Alberto's smile falls but doesn't disappear as he looks at me in confusion.
"Huh?"
“Piacere, Girolamo Trombetta. 'Piacere' means nice to meet you, while 'Girolamo Trombetta' translates to 'my name is Twisty Trombone'," I explain. "I finally figured it out!" Alberto's easy smile returns.
"Ooooooh. Huh, that's interesting." Giulia suddenly appears beside us, lugging our suitcases.
"Well, do I get a greeting?" she asks Alberto, who turns and gives her a big hug.
"Hey, little sis!" he says, and Giulia frowns at him.
"Just because you're older doesn't mean you can rub it in my face," she says, then smiles. "But I missed you, big bro."
"Hey, where are my parents?" I ask suddenly, looking around. I can't see them anywhere. Alberto suddenly seems a little on edge. He tucks his hands in his pockets, hunching his shoulders a little. I instantly feel anxious- could something have happened?
"Uh, well..." Alberto says, not meeting my eyes.
"Alberto..." I say, voice heavy with warning to let him know I'm being serious.
"Woah, Luca, they're fine, I promise," Alberto says quickly. I relax, letting out a breath I didn't know I was holding. "I just have a surprise, and they stayed back so we'd have some time to catch up..." he hesitates, then finishes, "Just the two of us, you know?"
Just the two of us.
I feel my face go a bit pink, wondering what that meant. Does he mean like, just the two of us... like a date? Or like normal just the two of us?
I can't decide which I want. I've come to terms with the fact that I like Alberto, even if Giulia had to point it out to me.
"Is it... okay for a boy to like another boy? If I did... would you... still... y'know, want to be my friend?"
"Luca, I've known you liked boys for ages. Well, one boy. I know you like Alberto, Luca, I've known for years. And of course it's all right. I'm still your friend. And hey! If you and Alberto do end up a thing, we'd kinda be siblings too!"
"I'll take our bags. You two go have fun," Giulia says now, smiling at me, then winking at Alberto. Alberto and I wave, then she's gone.
"So..." I say, shifting my weight from foot to foot.
"Come on!" Alberto says, grabbing my hand and taking off. I grin, running after him. We reach a cliff overlooking the sea, and Alberto releases my hand to jump.
"TAKE ME, GRAVITY!" he cheers as he leaps, diving into the water. I run after him with no hesitation.
"Prendimi la gravità!" I yell as I fall, then the water surrounds me. I feel a slight shiver pass through me as scales cover my skin, as my tail becomes something tangible rather than air.
"Prendimi la gravità?" Alberto asks, swimming in a circle around me with just a few swishes of his tail.
"Take me, gravity," I reply, and Alberto smiles a bit.
"Cool," he says, then a little smirk grows on his face. "Race you!"
"I can't race if I don't know where we're going!" I call, but Alberto is gone, just a path of bubbles in his wake. Sighing, I take off, following the trail. Alberto is waiting just out of sight, and he takes off again once he sees me. Eventually, it becomes clear where we're headed: Isola del Mare. Where it all started.
By the time I reach it, Alberto is already out of the water, back to human.
"Took you long enough," he teases, reaching down to take my hand and help me out of the water.
"You get practice all year! Do you know how hard it is to find safe places to swim in Genoa?" I reply crossly. Alberto laughs, leading me to his tower.
"So, I've done some work on the place," he says as he climbs the ladder. "If you think it's dumb, tell me."
"Alberto, why would I think it was-" I cut off as I reach the top. It's so different. It's completely redone, fixed up, and it looks amazing. The roof is fixed, with a staircase leading up, the lower level is completely sheltered from rain and wind, and it's even got lights (well, lanterns). There's a huge fort-looking thing in the corner, piled with pillows and blankets.
"It's totally okay if you hate it," Alberto says casually.
"Hate it? Alberto, this is amazing!" I burst out, grinning. "When- how? This is great!"
"Well, I figured, now that I'm 16, I really am ready to live on my own. Somewhat. I still stay with Massimo a lot, but I fixed this place up 'cause I figured..." Alberto shrugged, looking at me... almost shyly? Alberto... isn't shy. What's going on?
"It looks great, Alberto, really," I say softly, and Alberto looks away, blushing a bit.
"Anyways, well..." he walks over to the corner and flops down among the blankets, then pats the space beside him. "Luca, look." I lay down beside him, trying not to focus on how close he is- so close, I can feel his warmth seeping into me. I take a breath, deciding to focus on where Alberto is pointing. I look up, and I realize Alberto's somehow added a glass roof.
"Woah- you have a glass ceiling?!" I exclaim, eyes wide.
"It's no big deal- they're called skylights. I'm kind of an expert," Alberto says, and it takes me back to that first day on the beach. I glance over, and he's doing the same dumb lip bite. I laugh, and he drops the face and laughs with me. "Okay, I'm not an expert. That skylight took me ages, and I've had to replace it twice. But it's worth it. I can see the stars, and... and I feel like you're with me." Alberto's arm is brushing mine, and suddenly he links our pinkies together.
"For the first two years, when you were gone, I avoided this place," Alberto says softly, eyes on the sky above. "It just reminded me of the dad who abandoned me, and of our adventures, and it made me feel alone again. I meant what I said when you left the first time: You got me off the island, Luca. This place felt... haunted." Alberto pauses, eyes flicking over to me, then back to the sky. "But when you left this year, I realized: Why should I let this place go? I decided to claim it, make it ours. I realized: What good is exploring the world if we don't have a home to come back to?" Alberto's voice is rising, becoming more passionate.
"This place is ours! It could be our home, Luca! Our place to come back to, so I fixed it up! When you graduate, or whatever, we can be here together!" Suddenly his voice drops again, eyes becoming vulnerable. "I realized: I want us to have a home. Together. It doesn't have to be just you and me, but... I want there to be a you and me." Alberto looks at our linked pinkies, then moves so we're actually holding hands. "I want there to be a us. A thing. A whatever you want to call it, but..." Alberto meets my eyes finally, biting his lip (not in a dumb way this time. In a scared way). "Luca? Please say something."
An us. Luca and Alberto. Him and me, me and him.
"Alberto, I..."
"I knew it, this was a dumb idea, I knew you'd hate it, but I just had to try, didn't I? And now you're going to leave, and I knew not to risk this, and-" Alberto's voice breaks and he stands, brushing at his face. "I knew-"
"Silencio Bruno!" I say loudly, cutting through Alberto's rant. His back is to me, and I can hear his uneven breathing. "I don't hate it, I love it, Alberto," I say, and instead of trying to make him turn around, I wrap my arms around his waist from behind, pressing my face in between his shoulder blades. "I love the idea of there being an us, I love the idea of this being our home! I love the idea of... I love your ideas, Alberto, I love..." I can't bring myself to say I love you. Not yet, even though it's true. It's been true since that summer, since we met.
"I love your ideas too, Luca," Alberto says, and suddenly he twists and returns the hug, and I can tell he heard what I didn't say. "I love..." Alberto trails off just like I did, but I can also hear what he didn't say- I love you too.
Fine