Work Text:
“Tell me, Sergiu,” questioned Elisa. “How come you’ve never told me you were quite the musician?”
Sergiu chuckled and shook his head, setting the guitar down. “Same reason why you’ve never told me about your singing career.”
Trying to hide her amusement, Elisa nudges him playfully in response.
“Alright, alright, I’ll tell,” Sergiu concedes. “Both my grandmother and mother were, to say the least, a bit… insistent on us kids having something to do during downtime. Yulia took up painting, Nika took up dance, and I just went for an instrument since Mother didn’t want my grandmother’s guitar to go to waste. She and Grandmother were musicians themselves once.”
“I see,” replied Elisa. “And you took lessons, I presume.”
Sergiu shrugged. “For a few years, yes. After that, though, I kind of just took it upon myself to do the learning and here we are.”
“Well, in any case, I can say that you’re terribly good at it.” Elisa said, pausing to take a sip of her drink. “If not a florist, then you can at least get yourself a spot in the band.”
“Right. You should’ve seen my grandmother, then,” Sergiu replied, laughing at the proposition. “Anyway, it’s your turn to hold the end of the bargain.”
“And who said it was a bargain? I would’ve told you regardless,” Elisa huffed.
“Ah. So I have been played, then. Good job.”
“Perhaps,” Elisa replied, pleased with herself. “All I can tell you is that being in the school choir for sometime can do things to a person. Adding the fact that Grandfather used to perform for the community house often and you’ve got yourself some free training in your hands.”
“Oh, that’s impressive,” Sergiu says, wide-eyed. “I bet you’ve probably won some awards with that voice.”
Elisa felt her face warm up and looked away, clearly caught off-guard with his remark.
“Well, I… I don’t mean to brag,” she muttered, unsure of what to say.
Sergiu sighed good-naturedly and put his arm around her shoulders. “You don’t have to,” he says after a pause.
There was a comfortable silence between them as they took in their surroundings. The night sea breeze felt pleasantly cool and made the hanging lights sway gently along the wind, their soft glow beautifully illuminating the balcony where they sat. Overhead, millions of stars twinkled in the clear summer sky.
This wasn’t the first time the two had their nightly talks on the balcony, sometimes lasting long into the evening until one of them realizes that there is work the next day. Still, it is nonetheless one of the many small but precious moments they had shared together so far, and neither Sergiu nor Elisa would’ve wished to trade it for anything in the world.
As long as moments like these exist, Elisa thought as she rests her head on Sergiu’s shoulder, I will always have something to look forward to.
I just hope he feels the same way.