Lost in Hollywood

The Last Supper

Contrary to what Eli had thought, he was able to eat.

The food was great - no surprises there, he knew Nicholas was a great cook, and tonight was no exception. The pasta bolognese tasted exactly like it had in Italy; it was thick and rich and meaty, and after the first forkful, Eli forgot about the nervous knot in his stomach. It had been a long day, and he hadn't had anything since lunch, so he ended up finishing two full plates of pasta, a pile of prosciutto and melon, with huge chunks of freshly baked bread, until he was so full that it was almost painful.

It wasn't just him enjoying the meal, though. The food worked like a charm on everyone. But of course, Eli knew it wasn't just the food. It was Nicholas. He was always a great host, but tonight— well, it was clear he had decided to make this work, and when Nicholas made up his mind, it happened.

Sitting in the middle of the long table like Jesus at the last supper, Nicholas made sure to include everyone in the conversation. He asked the kids about school, about their hobbies, about their plans for the summer. He talked with Carmen with ease and humor that told Eli those two knew each other pretty well (from the time Sky'd been in the hospital, no doubt), asking Carmen about how Yaya was doing, asking about her work, filling her glass of wine constantly. He charmed Amanda with his witty humour and flawless manners, talking about art and expensive European wines. And as if this wasn't enough, he managed even to make both Johnny and Mr. LaRusso feel like home too - he made them laugh, encouraged them to share humorous stories and anecdotes, and made sure their glasses were always full - all the while steering the conversation so that there was not the smallest opening for arguments or fights to break.

Wiping his plate with yet another piece of bread, Eli watched Nicholas work his magic like one watches a fascinating movie.

Of course, he'd known that Nicholas was smooth as fuck (Eli's Mom worshipped the man, to a point that it was a bit awkward), but still— this was something else.

This was how peace was done. This was how wars ended.

For the first time in a long, long time, Eli had hope.

But it wasn't just the hope that made his heart swell, his head light. It was the fact that Sky was sitting right next to him, and she was laughing.

By God— that sound was the most amazing thing he had heard in his life. If he could have bottled that laugh and gotten drunk on it every night, he would have. That sound untangled the knots he'd been carrying in his lungs for months. Ever since Cody had died, and his hair had been shaved, and Kyler had attacked Sky, and—

And he didn't even want to go there. Those memories had no hold of him now, not at this moment when Sky was sitting next to him, leaning her elbows on the table, her chin propped on her hands, laughing at something Johnny was saying, laughing as if she didn't even remember the darkness she'd crawled through.

Sky's happiness surrounded him like a cloud of cotton candy, and Eli was happy to just sit back and listen. There wasn't much for him to say in this company, now that everyone was so loud and chatty and social. He had never done well in large groups, and tonight he found himself even quieter than usual. There was something of the cleft-lipped boy in him again, but it wasn't all bad. He had found again his ability to melt into the background and just observe, watch, and listen without being noticed, and tonight he welcomed that feeling. It allowed him something he hadn't been able to do in - oh, such a long time.

He kept watching Sky.

Sure, he couldn't stare at her. She was sitting right next to him, so she would notice if he ogled at her like an idiot. But the short glimpses he stole were enough to fill his chest with emotion so thick that his heart climbed up, ticking in his throat as if he'd swallowed a watch.