Emilia POV:

The room felt bigger than I remembered. Maybe it was because I hadn't been down here in what felt like forever, or maybe it was just that everything seemed louder, brighter, than the quiet I'd gotten used to upstairs.

I curled a little tighter into the couch, the blanket Raffaele had thrown over me warm against my skin. Matteo sat beside me, not too close but close enough that I could feel his presence, solid and steady.

Across from me, Luca was watching. He hadn't said much since Raffaele plopped me onto the couch, but his sharp gaze was locked on me, like he was trying to figure something out. Like he couldn't believe I was actually here.

"Alright, alright," Raffaele stretched, throwing an arm over the back of the couch as he smirked at Nico. "Let's address the most important thing here—me. The first brother to officially carry Emilia. Feels good to make history, huh?"

Nico scoffed, crossing his arms. "Yeah, real proud of you. You want a trophy?"

"Actually, yeah," Raffaele said, grinning. "But I'll settle for the satisfaction of knowing you're dying inside."

Nico rolled his eyes, but there was something under the irritation—something almost sulky.

"You wish."

Matteo sighed beside me, like he already knew where this was going. "Can you two at least wait until she's feeling better before you start fighting over who wins the 'Best Brother' award?"

"Not fighting," Raffaele corrected. "Just pointing out that I am, objectively, the favorite now."

I blinked at him.

His grin faltered. "Okay, that silence was rude."

Luca finally spoke, his voice slow. "You let him carry you."

It wasn't a question, it was a statement, like he was still trying to process it.

I felt my stomach twist a little. I didn't really know what to say to that. It wasn't like I had planned it. It had just... happened.

Matteo's voice was quieter when he spoke. "Are you okay?"

I hesitated. The answer should've been simple. I was here, wasn't I? I was sitting with them, listening to them argue, wrapped in a blanket instead of curled up alone in bed.

But was I okay?

I glanced down at my hands, twisting the fabric of the blanket between my fingers. "I... think so."

No one said anything for a second, but then Raffaele flopped back against the couch with a dramatic sigh. "There, see? She's fine. Which means we can move on to the real issue—how deeply jealous Nico is right now."

"You're pushing it," Nico muttered.

"Am I?" Raffaele smirked. "Or are you just mad because I got to carry her first and you didn't?"

"You shoved your way in."

"Hey, someone had to step up."

I watched them go back and forth, my head tilting slightly as I listened. It wasn't tense or sharp, not like the arguments I was used to. It was different, familiar, almost safe.

And then, before I even realized it, a small sound slipped out of me.

Not quite a laugh. Not quite a giggle. Just something soft and small—barely anything.

But Raffaele froze mid-sentence, his eyes snapping to me like I'd just dropped a bomb in the middle of the conversation.

I tensed immediately, heat creeping up my neck.

Then, slowly, his lips stretched into the biggest grin I'd ever seen. "Was that a laugh? Again! Ha I'm two for two, take that Nico."

I shook my head quickly.

"Liar," he gasped. "Matteo, did you hear that?"

Matteo just hummed, but there was something warm in his expression as he looked at me.

He looked... proud.

The warmth of the blanket wrapped around me did little to shake the exhaustion clinging to my limbs, but I stayed quiet, letting the hum of conversation fill the space around me. The living room felt... different than my bedroom. Less safe, maybe, but not in a bad way. Just unfamiliar.

Luca was speaking with Matteo about something low enough that I couldn't quite catch it, but every so often, I felt their gazes flicker toward me. They weren't pushing, though. That was new.

Nico was the only one who didn't bother pretending he wasn't watching me. He stood near the doorway, arms crossed, expression unreadable.

"You're staying down here, then?" he finally asked.

I hesitated. I hadn't actually thought about how long I'd be here. I just... didn't want to be alone yet.

"For a little while," I murmured.

He didn't say anything to that. He just kept watching me, like he was trying to figure something out.

"Good," Luca said simply, settling deeper into his chair. "Stay as long as you want."

That was it. No push for more conversation. No expectation for me to respond. Just... a choice.

Raffaele, of course, couldn't let the moment stay quiet. "So, now that our precious little patient has decided to grace us with her presence, what are we doing?" He stretched across the back of the couch like he had no care in the world. "Something fun, I hope."

Matteo shot him a look. "She just got down here, Raffaele. Maybe give her a second?"

"I am giving her a second," he defended, grinning. "I'm also being proactive. We can't just sit here and stare at her like a bunch of weirdos."

Luca exhaled, clearly not in the mood for Raffaele's antics. "We're not doing anything loud."

"Yeah, yeah," Raffaele waved him off, then turned to me. "What do you want to do, sweetheart?"

I blinked, thrown off by the question. It had been a while since anyone had asked me that.

"I... don't know," I admitted.

"Not surprising," Nico muttered.

I stiffened slightly, but Raffaele just shot him an unimpressed look. "Relax, grumpy. Not everyone has a detailed plan for their day the second they wake up."

Nico rolled his eyes but didn't argue.

I hesitated before speaking again. "Maybe just... sitting here for a bit is fine."

Raffaele nodded like that was the most reasonable request in the world. "Sitting. We can do that." He flopped down next to me, taking up way more space than necessary.

Matteo sighed. "Do you ever not take over an entire couch?"

"Not my fault I have an impressive wingspan," Raffaele shot back.

"Not what that means," Matteo muttered.

Luca sighed like he was questioning his life choices, but he didn't stop them from bickering.

I felt exposed, like they were all waiting for me to do or say something.

Raffaele, of course, was the one to break the silence.

"Alright, this is awkward. We need to do something."

Matteo frowned. "Like what?"

"Twenty Questions."

Luca sighed. "No."

"Yes." Raffaele grinned. "It's educational."

"It's annoying," Nico muttered.

"What's Twenty Questions?" I whispered, embarrassed.

Raffaele gasped dramatically, clutching his chest. "You don't know what Twenty Questions is?"

I shrugged. "I didn't really... do games."

The room went quiet again. Not the bad kind of quiet, just the kind that made my stomach twist a little.

Matteo was the first to recover. "It's simple. We ask a question, you answer. No pressure."

Raffaele wiggled his eyebrows. "First question—do you like us?"

Matteo groaned. "Really?"

"What? It's a great question."

I froze. The weight of their attention pressed down on me.

Did I like them? I didn't not like them. They were kind. They were patient. But I didn't know how to feel about any of this. About them. About being here.

The silence stretched.

Raffaele suddenly gasped, pointing a finger at me. "You do like us!"

I blinked. "...What?"

"You didn't say no!" He smirked. "You hesitated. That means you want to like us, but your tiny, traumatized brain is getting in the way."

"Raffaele," Luca warned. "Too far."

But Raffaele just threw his hands up. "What? Am I wrong?"

I pressed my lips together, trying to fight back the warmth creeping into my face.

He wasn't wrong. I really wanted to like them, but I don't trust myself to make my own judgements, I never had too. Considering they were the first people I've met other then my stepfather.

Matteo sighed, giving me a softer look. "You don't have to answer that one."

Raffaele rolled his eyes. "Fine, fine. I'll make it easier. What's your favorite color?"

That was... manageable. "Blue."

Raffaele beamed. "See? Progress!"

Matteo shook his head, but there was a small smile on his face.

Nico leaned forward. "Alright, my turn. What's the best food you've ever had?"

I hesitated, thinking. "I don't know. I never really got to have good food." I whispered.

The air shifted.

Luca's jaw tightened. Matteo looked like he wanted to say something, but he didn't.

Raffaele, thankfully, recovered first. He grinned. "Great. That just means we have an excuse to make you try everything."

I blinked. "Everything?"

"Everything."

Nico smirked. "Except Raffaele's cooking."

"Hey!"

Matteo chuckled. "Next question. What's something you've always wanted to do?"

That one was harder.

I shifted, pulling the blanket tighter around me. "I don't know."

Luca's voice was quiet. "That's okay."

Something in my chest loosened.

Raffaele leaned forward. "Well, we'll just have to figure it out, won't we?"

I didn't know what to say to that.

Luca's POV

She was still curled up under the blanket, small but not fragile. She looked more tired than anything, but she wasn't retreating. That was something.

I cleared my throat. "If you could have any pet, what would it be?"

Emilia hesitated. "A cat."

Nico scoffed. "Figures."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked, I think. I had to strain my ears to hear her. I wasn't mad about it, I just wanted her to be comfortable, and it's clear she wasn't.

"You've got that whole quiet, skittish thing going on," he said, waving a hand at her. "You're basically already a cat."

Raffaele grinned. "He's got a point."

Emilia rolled her eyes, but there was no real bite behind it. God she's adorable, I miss all the years I could've had with her.

"My turn," Matteo said, shooting Nico a look before focusing on her again. "If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be?"

She blinked, clearly not expecting that. "I... don't know."

Raffaele sighed dramatically. "Okay, baby, I love you, but you gotta give us something here. We can't keep pulling teeth just to find out basic facts about you."

"I don't—" She hesitated, then looked down. "I just never thought about it before."

The room went quiet again.

I could see the guilt flicker across Matteo's and Raffaele's face, the frustration in Nico's.

Emilia shifted under the blanket. "Maybe... the ocean?"

That seemed to surprise even her.

Raffaele clapped his hands together. "Boom! There we go. Ocean trip incoming."

"We are not planning a vacation right now," I muttered.

"We totally are," Raffaele shot back.

Matteo ignored us both. "What about a favorite book?"

"I don't have one."

Raffaele groaned. "This is getting painful."

"I'm sorry." She whispered, immediately looking down.

"Oh, don't apologize, I live for suffering."

Nico smirked. "We know."

"Okay, next question," Matteo said before Raffaele could get sidetracked. "What's your favorite weather?"

She tilted her head, thinking. "Rain."

Raffaele gasped. "Oh my god, you are a cat."

Emilia actually looked a little amused. "How?"

"You're quiet, you're tiny, you avoid people, and you like rain." He crossed his arms. "You are one step away from hiding under furniture when company comes over."

"I do not hide under furniture."

Nico hummed. "I mean..."

She shot him a glare. Well she tried to glare, but she's too cute for that and honestly it made her look more like a kitten. She was not helping her case.

"Alright, alright, last question." Matteo's voice was gentle again. "What's something that makes you happy?"

Emilia blinked.

We all waited.

She looked down, fingers curling into the blanket.

Then, barely above a whisper—

"This."

Silence.

Something warm spread through my chest.

Matteo gave a soft smile. Raffaele didn't make a joke. Even Nico looked like he didn't know what to say to that.

All I knew was I was never going to stop trying to make her happy.