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It's been a month since the storm.
They hadn't really talked about their relationship. They didn't have time, actually. They barely managed to see each other with their crazy schedules. Sometimes Levi tried, but Nico kept distracting him and finding other activities.
That week, Levi was on Ortho again.
“Hey, Nico, I'm on your service today,” beamed Levi.
“I'd love that,” answered back Nico, with a wicked smile.
“I bet you do!” shouted Link from the nurse station.
Levi blushed. He wasn't used to being teased sexually and most of all, in public. He got called Glasses, Blood bank, but this, well, it was all new. And he was still wondering why Nico liked him. Like, really liked him. Nico was sexy as hell and he was really conscious about that. He knew he was handsome and fit and really good at his job. And still, he was caring, sweet, romantic. Levi was craving to know more about him. Something was not adding up in his mind, however. That type of guy, in his experience, tends to be a bully but Nico wasn’t. Actually he was the opposite. He was always thinking about others, and even if he didn’t show it much, he was very sensitive. When he thought about what Nico said in the elevator, when he said ‘I already did my coming out, I can't go through it again’, it must’ve been hard in some way.
Levi wanted to know, but he didn't want to ruin anything either, so he kept waiting for the right time.
A little boy came to the ER. Nothing really serious, just a little accident and the boy needed a cast. Nico has already checked him and he was updating his chart outside the room.
“Ok Chris, what color do you pick?” Levi was showing him the sample to make it easier for the patient, laying them on the tray and he dropped the orange one.
“I guess the orange one is not willing today, huh?”
The little boy started laughing. Levi picked the sample up and, this time on purpose, he dropped the blue one. “Oh, it seems that the blue one wants to take a look around,”
When Chris came in the ER he was distressed, crying, and Levi was just happy to make him feel a little better.
He kept playing with the boy for a little while. ER wasn't packed, nobody was rushing him.
From the nurse station, Nico watched him, as Levi was playing with the kid and bending down to help him pick the color and making strange voices that made the boy laugh.
“Dio santo, se continua a piegarsi così non rispondo delle mie azioni.”, muttered Nico.
“ Holy god, if he keeps bending like that, I can't be held accountable for my action”
“Well, Niccolò, if you want there's an empty on call room. I think you need to get laid.” Carina had the ability to appear behind him when he wasn't expecting. Not only she was always talking about sex, professionally speaking, she was also one of the three people in Seattle who used his real name. His mom picked Niccolò, an Italian name, like she was, but in the US, almost no one could say it with the right accent. So he was used to be called Nico by most of the people.
“Thank you, Carina, you're always helpful,” retorted Nico. Not that he was really angry with her. Actually, he and the DeLuca siblings were good friends. But he didn't want to picture Levi and an empty bed in the same moment when he was working.
“You're welcome, tesoro”. Carina smiled and went to check on her very pregnant patient.
Nico went to see how Chris was doing. “Hi Chris, so, did you pick up a color?”
“Yes, I want the orange one!”
“That’ll look great on you, Chris.” Nico turned towards Levi. “Do you want to help to put the cast?” asked Nico with a soft smile.
“Niccolò, the on call room, not the cast room,” teased Carina from the bed across them.
“Shut up, Carina. You're not helping.”
“What is she talking about?” asked Levi, tilting his head.
“Nothing,” Nico answered sharply.
“Wait, how did she call you?”
“Niccolò,” replied Nico. Levi shot him a puzzled look so Nico explained. “It's my full name. My mom is Italian, so… Italian name.”
“I like it.”
They went upstairs and while they were working on the little boy’s arm, they talked a little.
“I didn't know you were Italian,” Levi started.
“Half Italian and half Korean, to be exact.”
“You never talk about you, I'd love to know more,” Levi added. He couldn't help himself. He craved to know everything about his... boyfriend maybe?
“Ok Chris, we finished. Do you like it?”
“Yeah, it's really cool. I want my brother to draw a dragon on it!”
“Let's get you back so he can get started then.”
Nico smiled at a nurse.“Could you take this brave young man to his mom? Thank you, Rose, I'll be downstairs in a minute to talk to her.”
“Ok Doctor Kim.” The nurse walked him to the ER.
Nico started to type on the hospital tablet to update the boy's chart.
“So… Italian, huh? I wonder how many things I don't know about you, like what your favourite dish is or your favorite color and what you did when you were a kid,” Levi blurted out
Nico stifled a laugh. “Easy Levi, take a breath”
“I'm sorry, I'm just so curious...”
“I know.” Nico leaned towards him to place a soft kiss on his lips when Nico’s pager started to beep. “A multiple crash incoming, we’ve got to go. We’ll talk later, ok?” With a kiss, Nico was out of the room, leaving Levi wanting more.
In the following hours, they just worked, sometimes side by side, sometimes on different patients. Nico was working hard and being professional, but he also was thinking about what Levi said.
That man wore heart on his sleeves. He talked all the time, about himself, his mom, his friends. Nico rarely talked about himself, Levi was right. Not everything from his past was easy to deal with. But if he wanted this thing between them to have a shot, he had to try.
When things in the ER got quiet, he went to find Levi.
He greeted him with a kiss.
“Hi there, when does your shift finish?”
Levi took a breath, looked at the clock on the wall.
“Half an hour. I'm wrecked.”
“Mine too. Grab something to eat and come back to my place?” asked Nico.
“Sure.” Levi was smiling.
On the way home, Nico stayed mostly silent. More than usual. He was off in some way, like he was sulking, trying to find the words to say something bad.
They ate in almost absolute silence when Levi blurted.
“Ok, if you want to break up with me, just say it.”
Nico looked at him like he was shocked. “What??”
“You’ve barely said a word. And you’ve been acting strange since this afternoon when I asked about you. And I know I'm a nerd and I'm not attractive, and you could have any man in this world...” Levi was talking fast, babbling things.
Nico grabbed his face and kissed him firmly.
Before Levi had any chance to say something, Nico started.
“Yes. This kiss was to get you to stop talking.” Levi had that outraged face that made Nico smile. “Let me finish. First of all, I’ve already said that I love your nerdy side. And you are plenty attractive. Do you remember this morning, when Carina called me by my full name in the ER?”
Levi nodded. “She was teasing me, because I had just said something in Italian, about how hot you were, bending over and over again.” Levi blushed.“And yes. I'm being quiet this evening because I want to ask you something and I don't know how.”
“Nico, just tell me.”
“This Sunday, we're both free. I checked earlier. Would you have lunch with me? At my mom's house?”
“Of course, yes! I have a helicopter mom, I know everything about her wanting to meet my friends,” answered Levi, feeling someway lighter.
“Not as my friend.”
“What do you mean?” asked Levi with a naive look on his face.
Nico seemed shy and, there was a little blush on his neck.
“As my boyfriend...”
Levi looked so surprised that made Nico smile.
“Really? I mean? Me? Us? Boyfriends?”
“Yes, if you want it too.”
Levi literally launched himself onto Nico, kissing him with passion. Nico guided them into the bedroom and then made sure Levi did know that he was the hottest man on the planet and that Nico wanted him more than anyone else.
Levi scrambled between the clothes he brought to Nico's apartment. He wore a plain, white shirt and a deep green jumper over blue jeans.
“Is that ok? I should have picked something nicer.”
“Levi, it's ok. It's not a fancy dinner, it's just a lunch.”
“Yes, but it’s your mom and I'm clumsy, and weird...”
“Levi, stop. You are cute and sweet and my mom is going to love you.”
Nico parked just outside the house. Levi was nervous, his hands were clammy from sweating.
“Levi, calm down. I promise there's nothing to be afraid of. This is not some sort of test.”
“If you say so...”
Before Nico even had the chance to ring the doorbell, the door was wide open.
“Niccolò! Come sono contenta di vederti! Vieni ad abbracciare tua madre!”
“ Niccolò! I'm so glad to see you, come here and give your mother a hug!”
Nico laughed and hugged her. She wasn't as Levi pictured her, at all. She was a little blonde woman, lost in her son's arms. She had a warm smile, though.
“Così, questo è il famoso Levi, ah?”
“So this is the famous Levi, huh?”
The lady looked at him, with that warm smile and extending her hand.
Levi took it and shake it.
“Hi, Mrs. Kim. Nice to meet you.”
“Non gliel'hai detto eh?”
“ You didn't tell him, huh?”
“Mom...”
“I know I know, don't speak Italian with him. I'm sorry Levi, a force of habit. By the way, I'm not Mrs. Kim anymore, Mrs. Singer actually, but call me Silvia, please. I'm way too young to be called Mrs.”
“I'm so sorry Mrs. Singer. I didn't know. I'm so sorry...”
Levi was really uncomfortable now.
“I bet you didn't know,” retorted Silvia, mostly towards her own son. And with a smile on her lips, she added. “Don't be sorry. I'm not. And as I said, call me Silvia.”
She was charming. Not the way he'd imagined a traditional Italian woman. He thought she would be more… brown and… well, something else.
“Come inside, boys. Nico, take Levi's coat. Levi, make yourself at home. I have to check the roast, I'll be with you in a minute. Peter, the boys have arrived!” she yelled from the kitchen.
Nico led him to the dining room. The table was already set with a fancy tablecloth, and with plates already filled with little sandwiches and some cold cuts and cheese and bread.
“You said that this wasn't a fancy lunch,” Levi said, starting to panic again.
“It isn't. It's the usual my mom puts on when I come to visit,” he replied with a shrug.
“You always eat like this?”
Nico laughed “No, not when I lived home. But when I come back she always cooks my favorites. In this department, she really is an Italian mom. For the loved ones, she cooks. Probably she made lasagna and roast beef and roasted potatoes. The sauce for the lasagna must simmer for at least two hours.”
“Niccolò, non ti ho insegnato niente?” Nico shot his mum a glare. “I'm sorry, Levi. Nico, didn't I teach you right? The sauce for the lasagna you love so much must simmer for at least 5 hours. It's the dough that has to rest for two hours!”
“Sorry mum”, muttered Nico, smiling a bit.
“Nico, is she saying that she cooked for at least five hours? And she made homemade lasagna?”
A man’s voice replied.“Well, not five hours, she's been up from 6 a.m to cook, and she cooked yesterday but it's all worth it, I promise.” “Hi, I'm Peter, Silvia's husband.”
“Hi, I'm Levi.”
“Nico talked a lot about you, I feel I've known you from a very long time.”
“Dad!”
“What, Nico? Isn't that the truth?” he asked with a fake innocence in his voice, but still smiling.
Levi was a bit lost. There was a story there and Levi was curious.
They ate, Nico talked about his job at the hospital, and his parents asked Levi a lot of things, about his job too, his hobbies, and making small talk. He definitely ate too much. Silvia asked him all the time “Are you still hungry? Would you like something else?”
It was almost overwhelming. Nico smiled him. “I know. But it's the way she is. In the Italian culture, when you have guests, it's important to be sure they have anything they need. And when it comes to food, be sure they're not hungry.” he whispered in his ear, leaving him with shivers all over his neck.
He was comfortable. He could see how Nico became a caring man. He was looking at his mom with love and Silvia clearly adored her son.
From time to time, Silvia still slipped into her mother tongue. Sometimes it made Nico laugh, this time it made him livid.
“Nico, what is happening?” Levi asked quietly.
“Nothing.”
“Nico, it's not nothing. You're upset and I don't have any idea of what I did.”
Nico looked at him with a sad look in his eyes. “Oh, Levi, this is not about something you did. It's my mom who can't mind her own business.”
“Niccolò, l'hai quasi perso per non aver avergli spiegato nulla mesi fa.”
“ Nico, you almost lost him for not explaining yourself months ago.”
“Mom, it's not your place to tell.”
“Lo so, cuor mio, ma ti conosco. Lui ne vale la pena.”
“ I know, my love but I know you too. He's worth it.”
“Peter, come with me and help me with the dishes,” she said firmly. Silvia gave her husband a last look who then followed her.
“Nico, what was all that about?”
“She wants me to tell you why she isn't Mrs. Kim anymore”. Levi titled his head and waited as Nico took a breath. “Do you remember the elevator thing?”
Levi nodded. “Of course I do. You were an ass.”
Nico chuckled lightly. “Well, I’ve never told you, but that very night I called my mom. I told her that I had met someone and I've fucked it up. I couldn't bear another disastrous coming out, even if it was not my own. I was sulking and brooding and sad and my mom kept telling me that I had to talk to you. “She said, he may surprise you.” Nico looked straight into Levi's eyes. “And you did, indeed.” Levi smiled kindly. His mind was racing with questions, but even he knew that it wasn't the right time. Nico seemed to find some courage. “I was 14 when I came out to my friends and to my family. My mom, she was amazing. She didn't ask anything. She only said 'whatever makes you happy.’”
Nico paused.
“My father, on the other hand, was... something else. He didn't understand. He didn't even listen. He left the room when I walked in and my parents started figthing. Pretty bad fights. My father yelled at me that I needed to leave the house and that I was dead to him. I worshipped him until then. I loved him. And he didn’t love me anymore. That night my mom threw him out of the house and the next day, she filed for divorce. She never complained to me or said it was my fault, but it is.”
Nico's eyes were wet and he obviously was trying to regain composure.
“It's not... It's not your fault. If it has to be someone's fault, it's mine. I should have understood sooner what a prick he was.” Silvia was leaning against the doorway.
“Are you happy now?” retorted Nico, still angry with his mom.
“Yes. I am. When you left Levi, you were broken. You kept talking about him, what he was doing and what he was telling you and you would have lost him. He deserves to know. All.” She looked kindly at both of them. “Levi, I'm not forcing Nico because I am a horrible person. I know he cares a lot about you and I know my son, too well for his liking. Not telling you would’ve destroyed him from the inside every time something about our family came up. And trust me, when it comes to Italian families, we are always around,” she added to light the mood. She came closer and plant a light kiss on Nico's head.“Ti voglio bene. Non lasciartelo scappare.”
“ I love you, don't let him go”
Nico stood up and hugged her. “Non ne ho nessuna intenzione.”
“ I don't plan to.”
“Bene.”
“ Good”.
“Dai, va da lui. Credo di averlo sconvolto.”
“ C'mon. Go to him. I think I've shocked him.”
Nico laughed a little and looked towards Levi.
“I think so.”
Levi didn't really know how to feel. He felt awkward, like he was in the middle of a family business and he felt sorry for Nico, finally understanding why he acted like that in the elevator.
But Nico still had that sad look on his face and he had to do something to make him feel better, so he just kissed him. Levi’s mind reminded him that Nico’s parents were actually there and maybe it wasn't appropriate but he didn't care. Nico reciprocated the kiss and held him closer.
“Nico! Camera tua è ancora al piano di sopra eh?”
“ Nico! Your room is still upstairs!” , Silvia exclaimed laughing.
Nico stopped the kiss, without letting go Levi.
“MOM!”
He was actually blushing. It never happened to him. And Nico blushing was really a treasured sight.
“Yes?” replied Silvia, smiling.
“Go away!”
She laughed, raised her hands like a surrender and left the room.
“Is it always like that here?” asked Levi.
“Well. Not always. Sometimes. Do you think you can handle it?”
“Wait to know my mom. I'm afraid they could be good friends,” replied Levi.
Nico breathed a gentle sigh.
“Sei proprio il mio amore.”
“ You’re really my love”.
“You too,” said Levi. Nico gave him a curious glance. “Well, I know some words. Just the more famous ones.”.
And Nico kissed him again.