Note – The last chapter, amazingly enough. I’m glad that I have another Nohnny story done, and I plan to start posting the next one, A Great Fall, at some point in the near future along with a primarily-Liason fic with Johnny and Nadine as a supporting couple called, Boys Are Like So Totally Dumb. I made a promo/slideshow for this fic only because Erica asked about it in one of her replies at , so it’s definitely for and because of her. I hope you guys enjoy the ending and the video; it makes much more sense if it’s watched after the fic is over! And thanks for all the replies and the support.

This Is Your Song | 17

.: Johnny’s Apartment :.

Nadine took a deep breath and knocked on the heavy wooden door to Johnny’s apartment. He rarely used it since he spent so much time with her at Jake’s whenever he was in town, but he told her that before they got together, he bought it just so he’d have a secret place to stay in town. No one knew he lived there, not even Claudia, but he’d told her where it was just in case something happened.

She’d walked over as soon as her shift at General Hospital was over, and had even taken care that no one was following her or watching her. She didn’t want to jeopardize his safety in any way, even if he was a colossal asshole.

She heard the locks being undone and then the door was pulled open, and there he was. It might have been her imagination, but Johnny looked a little thinner, more so in the face, than he had before, and he seemed a little haggard and drawn. It was probably just the stress of his job. He took certain measures – moisturizing daily, staying hydrated, exercising – to combat the effects, but it was possible that the past month had been a little crazier than he’d expected, business-wise.

“Hi.” He looked nervous, which was strange, because she’d never once seen him nervous. “I’m really glad you came.”

Nadine just nodded.

“Uh…” Johnny stepped aside and beckoned her in. “Come on in.”

After a brief pause, Nadine stepped into his apartment. It was nicely furnished, tasteful and elegant just like him, and she could see that it made a pretty good safe house. She stood in the middle of the room, looking around at the understated black couch with matching armchairs, the bar along the side of the room, and the grand piano by the tinted windows.

She made absolutely no move to take off her coat or her purse or sit down.

Johnny seemed to understand this, and he actually began to wring his fingers as he stood in front of her. “It’s really good to see you.”

Nadine forced the corner of her mouth to quirk up, mainly because not doing so just felt rude. Although, honestly, why was she worried about being rude to a guy that had been so awful to her? Damn Aunt Rayleen and her folksy sense of manners and propriety.

“I just, uh, I just thought that we needed to talk after…” He gestured emptily. “You know.”

Nadine nodded, but still didn’t move. “So talk.”

He let out a short breath through his nostrils. “…You wanna take off your coat?”

She shook her head. “I don’t think I’ll be here that long.”

He wasn’t used to the stony, ticked off side of her, and Nadine could tell that Johnny didn’t know how to react to that. So he just nodded and gestured toward the couch. “Will you at least sit?”

She obliged by moving toward the armchairs, but to her surprise, Johnny headed over to the piano and casually sat down on the bench, his feet soon poised over the pedals.

“…What are you doing?”

He rested his fingers on the ivory keys and glanced up at her sideways, sober but at the same time just a little mischievous like she remembered. “Remember that time when we were in bed and you asked me to play you something sometime?”

The way he almost growled ‘in bed’ sent warm shivers up and down her spine, and Nadine had to remind herself to stay composed.

“Yeah?”

“I never did, and I never planned on it,” he informed her lightly, running his fingers over the keys he was so familiar with. “…Let me play something for you now.”

If he’d called her over all this way just so he could play her a damn jazz tune, she was so over it. Rolling her eyes, Nadine turned around and would have walked right out the door when his voice stopped her.

“Nadine.” When she glanced over her shoulder, his dark eyes were boring into hers. “Please. Stay. Let me play something for you.”

She had no idea what it was, but something in his voice made it impossible to just leave right then. Damn that boy. It figured that after she got so used to him being a little distant and very individualistic and only sweet when she least expected it, he’d go and play the vulnerable card.

God.

Stupid boys.

She moved closer to the piano but didn’t sit, even when he moved over a little on the bench. Nadine did, however, grant him a concession by setting her purse on the floor and very slowly unbuttoning her jacket.

Johnny cleared his throat, still looking nervous, as if he felt that everything somehow hinged on what he’d play her. She idly thought that it better be good if he thought he could win her back with it.

“There are certain pieces of music I love to play,” he murmured, his fingers dancing slowly over the keys without actually pressing down on any of them as he got primed up. “Pieces that will get in my head and I’ll be antsy all day until I can sit down and play them the way they were written.”

Nadine wondered if this had a point.

“…But even more than playing compositions, I like to actually compose.” He braved a glance up at her and saw that a flicker of interest in her eyes. “There’s something very satisfying about hearing something in your head and being able to get it out and actually see it on paper and hear it in the air.”

Nadine rested her arm on the edge of the piano but said nothing.

Johnny cleared his throat again and held his fingers still over the keys. “You know our family lawyer, right? Trevor Lansing? You’ve seen him around town?”

“Yeah.”

“This is Trevor.”

He began to play for her, an odd tune that was fast and then slow, and then fast again. It was wily and creeping, and certainly very intriguing. Nadine squinted as she listened, almost able to see the image of a sinister man creeping through dark hallways and concocting all sorts of treacherous plans.

Johnny glanced up just in time to see the tail end of her smirk, which encouraged him. “And you know who Sonny Corinthos is.”

Nadine nodded. “Yeah, I do.”

“This is Sonny.”

This was a mad tune, all jilted and unpredictable. He played it in a higher key so it sounded shriller than smooth and dark Trevor. His fingers danced furiously on the keys, crafting a tune that was lilting and dizzy with false deep notes to create the comically obvious illusion of power and somberness.

Nadine covered her mouth with her hand so that he wouldn’t see her smiling.

“No?” Johnny’s eyes glittered. He could tell from the way her eyes crinkled at the edges that she was amused. “Okay, okay, I’ll be serious. How about…Jason Morgan?”

Her eyes shone with interest as he once again placed his fingers properly on the keys and began to play anew. This composition was drastically different from the one he’d just played. It was slow and careful with deep, rich notes. It was somber, and not falsely somber the way Sonny’s song was. She felt the music wrap around her, and felt like it could go on forever. But for some reason, instead of making her smile, this one made her frown.

“It sounds sad.”

Johnny looked up at her as she leaned against the piano, surprised that she’d said something.

“It sounds…” She pressed her lips together, trying to articulate how it made her feel, what it made her think. “It sounds like a part of you…feels bad for him in some way?”

Johnny licked his lips and instead of just lifting his fingers from the keys, he let the piece trail off and end on a long, lingering deep note. He didn’t answer her question, and she didn’t really expect him to. Maybe he’d tell her eventually what it was, but it was okay if he didn’t.

“Your friend, Elizabeth.”

This tune was different. It was bright and a little perky, but still demure and dignified enough to properly capture the demeanor of the young mother and hardworking nurse. Nadine perked up; it was a pretty little tune.

But after listening to it for a little bit, she heard it. Really heard it, and understood what Johnny was saying. She heard how the piece was basically the same little melodic line, repeated over and over, each time ending on a high note that sounded just a little too plinky, a little too shrill, a little too out of place. Plus, the repetition was getting annoying, and it actually detracted from how pretty the tune was otherwise.

He was watching her as he played, gauging her reaction, seeing if she passed the test. Nadine confirmed that she had indeed by sparing him a bland look. Obviously, he didn’t have as high an opinion of her friend as she did.

“Oh, come on.”

“What?” he asked, his dark brows jumping up. “I call it like I see it.”

Nadine shook her head. “Nope, we’ll never agree on that.”

“We might one day,” Johnny murmured cryptically, but she knew she wouldn’t get any more on that from him. At least, not today.

“Okay, enough about your annoying friend.” He shot her a teasing look and “How about that bar tender that always hits on you?”

This time, it was a smooth, cool, jazzy sound. It was fun and whirling, bleeding into itself so seamlessly that she could practically see irreverent, self-assured Coleman moving around effortlessly behind the bar at Jake’s. Johnny didn’t seem to mind the tune either and moved through it easily, which made her think that even though he occasionally ragged on Coleman around her, he really wasn’t offended by the things the bar tender would say to her, and he certainly had never felt threatened by it.

She watched his fingers slow over the keys as the song trailed off, and arched a brow at him. “Who’s next on your list?”

“That sister of mine that actually likes you,” he smirked, earning a surprised look. “You’ve met her. Claudia.”

“I remember,” Nadine replied, still sounding surprised. “Go ahead. Play.”

He did as she asked. It was a sultry, dangerous sound, but soft enough to sound just a touch wistful, a bit distant, and slightly sad. Nadine didn’t know all that much about his sister, but she knew that Johnny and Claudia had been separated at a young age and hadn’t spoken in almost ten years before she came to Crimson Pointe to live with him.

He used to talk about her sometimes when they were both just lounging in bed, about how close they were at one point. He made sure he spoke in the past tense, and didn’t really appreciate it when Nadine pointed out that Claudia obviously missed him and wanted to spend time with him. He didn’t get angry; he just didn’t believe her when she said that.

“I like that one.”

“Yeah?” He didn’t really know what to make of that, and shrugged instead. “I don’t know, I just put it together and saw her and…”

“It sounds like her,” Nadine agreed. “I mean, I know I’ve only met her once or whatever, but…it sounds like her.”

She tilted her head to the side, propping her chin up in her hand. “You got any more?”

“I’ve got you,” he said, glancing up at her as he held his fingers poised over the keys. When she didn’t look horribly offended by that, he tentatively began to play. “This is your song.”

Nadine was at once struck by the feel of the music, and once again felt it wrap around her. It was a study in contradiction: he skillfully mixed high notes with deeper ones, creating a rich tapestry of sound that sounded painstakingly crafted. She watched the movement of his fingers, utterly transfixed as he played with one hand, and definitely saw how those dexterity exercises paid off. The piece was sweet and sexy at the same time, fun and lively, but with fuller undertones that formed a solid, grounded base.

It was her, set to music. It resonated in her heart like few things ever had before, and Nadine’s eyes were shining by the time he finished.

Johnny didn’t look up at her and this time held his free hand over the keys, placing the other one on his thigh. “…And this is me.”

He began to play again, and the two compositions were as different as night and day. The first one had been happy, for lack of a better word, and this one was moody and sullen. Hers had been fun; his was structured and oddly austere. Hers was open and trusting with its rich, repetitive notes; his was a little stilted, sounding suspicious. Hers was bouncy; his was cautious. Hers was light; his was dark.

And despairing.

She wanted it to be over immediately, she wanted to not hear it anymore, except for the fact that it was so beautiful and engaging and that made her not want it to end ever.

It was confusing.

Nadine watched him play, pushing away the instinct to reach out to him and touch him, and Johnny finally let the piece taper off. He let out a slow, deliberate breath, calming himself, and finally looked up at her. He found her gazing back at him openly, wistfully. She was always so bad at hiding her emotions; she didn’t have the years of practice that he did, after all.

“And this…” Johnny held his fingers poised over the keys once more. “…This is us.”

That confused her, but then Johnny began to play and she recognized her song. But he was using both hands this time, and she heard his song being played simultaneously, in perfect rhythm with hers. The two had been so completely different in every way, but the way he played them now, together and in time…

She had been wrong.

This was the most beautiful thing she’d ever heard.

And this was their song.

Johnny kept his gaze trained on the keys as he played, never once looking up, and the cozy apartment was soon filled with the deep, lingering notes he played so carefully and tenderly. There weren’t any words to describe the melody he composed, except that it was the perfect blend of him and her and nothing else even signified.

Nadine closed her eyes and felt his music cloud her mind, sweep her off her feet, make her heart swell with something she couldn’t name. He’d done all of this just for her. No one had ever written her a song before, or shared so much with her through wordless music, and no one had ever shown her how perfectly she fit with someone else before Johnny Zacchara.

Their song was drawing to a close, she could feel it, and she didn’t want it to end. When it did, Johnny paused before removing his hands and lowering them to his lap. She opened her eyes reluctantly to find him looking up at her.

He didn’t say anything, simply held out his hand. Nadine stared at it for a long moment before slipping her hand in his, and Johnny pulled her into him. Her thigh hit the side of the bench and she stumbled a little before he situated her close to him so that one of her legs was tangled with his.

“I’m sorry I said what I did.” His voice was rough and soft at the same time. “I’d like to say that I didn’t mean to hurt you, but I knew exactly what I was doing.”

Nadine had been expecting him to say that he hadn’t meant to hurt her, and her brows furrowed in confusion. “But why’d you do it?”

“Because it’s what I’ve always done,” he shrugged. “I’ve never let anyone get close to me. I hated my father, I lost my mother, and my sister and I were separated before I even had a chance. The only person who’s in my life and knows me and supports me and…who I don’t think I could get by without is Reivers. And he’s my butler.”

The corner of her mouth hooked up. “Well, he’s a pretty awesome butler.”

“He is,” Johnny agreed. “But he’s the only one. And I never let myself think about how awful that was or what it said about me. And then I saw you, and eventually we hooked up and…it wasn’t…it just felt…normal?”

He squinted at her, trying to see if she got where he was coming from. “It wasn’t awkward. I didn’t immediately want to shove you out the door when we were done.”

Nadine burst out laughing. “That’s what every woman wants to hear.”

Johnny shot her a bashful look. “Sorry. It’s just that I kind of liked having you around, and I told you things. And you told me things. And I never planned on telling you any of that stuff, about me, about my parents, about my sister. I know I slipped once or twice and told you something about my organization. I never planned on telling you anything that personal, but I did. And when I sat down and thought about it, it fucked me up.”

He shook his head. “You knew too much. You knew more than anyone that wasn’t in my inner circle. And I don’t slip up like that with people, I just don’t. I never trust anyone enough to let them close enough so that I can tell them things. I just don’t, never have. But I did it with you, and obviously, it meant something and it was for a reason. And when you said what you said, about wanting the real deal, it just hit a little too close to home so I did what I always do when I need to protect myself: I told you, in effect, to go get fucked. I’ve done it a million times and it always worked.”

Johnny laced his fingers with hers and stared down at their hands. “And it worked with you, too, which was a relief. For a while. And then I figured out that it was awful. I had no reason to chase you away like that. We worked. We’re the last two people anyone would put together, but we worked. We just did.”

Nadine was watching him carefully. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying, that if you’re in, I want the real deal, too.” His dark eyes were solemn and smoldering, and she had no reason to doubt his words. She knew when Johnny was being sincere, and she knew he meant this. “I’m not saying that everything will be perfect. I’m not saying I’ll be a good…boyfriend.”

She had to smirk at how it took him a second to get that word out, and how he crinkled his nose a little just because the word itself was so foreign to him.

“I’m not even saying that I know this will work. I’m just saying…I want the real deal, too. And I’m sorry it took me so long to figure it out. I’ll understand if you don’t want to. But I just…needed you to hear all this.”

Now it was her turn to stare at their linked fingers, and Nadine nibbled on her lower lip as she thought. “I…I…Shoot.”

There was no point in trying to formulate some long, convoluted, rambling response. She just couldn’t. So instead, she just looked him in the eye and blurted out the first thing she could think of.

“I’m glad I did what the coin told me to.”

Johnny’s eyes narrowed as he tried to decipher the odd statement, and he successfully made a few leaps of logic and figured out that she’d left it to chance and was glad she came. And that was good enough for him.

Without any preamble, he used their clasped hands to tug her to him and pressed his lips to hers. It wasn’t a deep kiss, just a simple but insistent coupling of their lips, and their breaths mingled even after they pulled away. Her lashes fluttered and her nose bumped sweetly into his, and Johnny gazed down at her from under heavy lids as he brushed his lips very lightly over hers once more.

Nadine let out a shaky little breath and squeezed his hand. “…Johnny?”

“Mm?”

“Play me our song again.”

The End.