Work Text:
A whisper on the wind;
Soft and warm like the sun.
The melody will go on
But the words are gone.
What were you saying?
Will you let me hear?
Keep on singing -
Please don't disappear.
It lingers in my mind
As fresh as the day
When I had first heard it
And it won't go away.
Let me in, one more time
And let me listen again.
So when we are no longer
together this song will remain.
It was carried by the wind.
A tune that could be heard faintly, like if it was any quieter then it wouldn't be heard at all, and it had caught Jonathan's ear as he'd been walking through the gardens. There were no words he could make out but the tune itself was more captivating than any words that Jonathan could put to it himself.
He had followed it unintentionally. Something about it had caught his attention and refused to let him go without further exploration.
Finding the source of the song was, of course, his main goal, but what would he do upon finding the person singing such a melody?
The answer to that question was to hide behind a tree and peer out from behind it, praying he was concealed enough that the other person would not notice his presence. It was just his luck after all that the person singing such a sweet song was someone who would not others to hear it.
Dio wasn't the kind of person to sing, at least, not it Jonathan's mind, and so hearing such a song coming from the lips of Dio was jarring in a way that Jonathan couldn't quite place his finger on. It was strange seeing someone who had the capacity to be so harsh be so well versed in something so gentle as singing. In fact, it was strange seeing Dio so relaxed in the first place. His face at rest and his spine not so straight and upright as he usually walked around with - in the light of the sun, Dio was rather handsome when passive.
Despite being so close, Jonathan still couldn't hear any words coming from Dio's voice, just the humming of the same song he had sung before. There had been some words earlier, there had to have been - Jonathan's ears surely wouldn't have betrayed him in such a way - but it seemed as if Dio had chosen to continue without lyrics to accompany him. Regardless of what was or was not being said along to the music, it was a pleasant tune to listen to, one that never seemed to end - repeated in a perfect loop for minutes on end - and Jonathan didn't realise how entranced he'd gotten by the music that he had completely forgotten about how he had intended to stay hidden.
"Who's there?" Dio asked, after the loud sigh that Jonathan let out while listening with an expression of pure awe. As Dio turned around and his amber eyes focused on the figure of Jonathan who was sheepishly scratching the back of his neck with an apologetic look on his face.
"Sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop." Jonathan looked at the way Dio had resumed that stiff posture and harsh edges that he usually had and almost felt bad for interrupting what must have been a time of peace for Dio. "Your singing is beautiful." He added on for good measure, hoping the kindness would counteract him listening in on Dio without him knowing.
"Shut up! What sort of gentleman watches someone without their permission? You should be ashamed for doing such a thing, not excusing yourself with compliments." Dio practically bristled with the way he shook with anger, it was rather cute, like when someone would anger a cat.
"Ah, but Dio, I-" Jonathan didn't even get a chance to finish his sentence before Dio had left the garden and returned to the house with speed in his step that Dio rarely used because it wasn't proper to be seen rushing around without care for if others saw. "I wanted to ask what you were singing..." He finished muttering to himself with a frown.
The song he had heard didn't leave him.
Jonathan found himself remembering it from time to time, humming it to himself - a butchered version that was nothing like the way Dio had sung it but he had to try and recreate it, he had to try and remember it, because if he didn't then he would never hear it again. Hearing it only in his mind and only in memory was more than enough for him, knowing Dio would never sing it for him again.
But that didn't stop him from hoping he could hear Dio sing once more.