Race always whispered things in Italian. Little sentences and words, and sometimes it drove Spot crazy. He wanted to know what Race was saying, but Race refused to tell him. So he began compiling a list of everything Race said. Then he began going to Little Italy and getting them to translate, until he had a list of everything Race had whispered into his ear.
"Sei il mio mondo." You are my world.
"Baciami ancora." Kiss me again.
"Tu sei l'unico per me." You are the only one for me.
"Bellissima." Gorgeous.
"Tu sei meraviglioso." You are wonderful.
There were so many little phrases that Race repeated, and Spot was proud to know what he was saying. He always listened for something new, something he didn't know yet, but Race mostly used the same basic ones, or ones similar enough that Spot could figure it out. And then one day, Race gave a speech. While they were sitting in Spot's room, just quietly together.
"Spot, io ti amo. Ho bisogno di te nella mia vita, oggi e sempre. Non lasciarmi, Spot. Tu sei la mia mondo, mia vita. Tu sei perfetto e bello e giusto per me, sebbene il mondo direbbero diversamente. Io te amo, Spot Conlon. Ti amo tanto. Non si può nemmeno capire quello che sto dicendo, ma devi sapere quanto ti amo. Io bisogno di dirvi, ma non so il modo. Quindi credo che italiana è il modo migliore per dirlo, per ora. Ma io ti amo. Lo ti amo." Spot prided himself on his memory, and he worked hard to remember every word. When Race left, with a kiss and another whispered Italian sentence, one that Spot recognized. A simple, "You are my world." One phrase that Spot had recognized from his speech.
Little Italy was the first place Spot drifted to while in Lower Manhattan the next day.
"Ay, Spottie! Come with another nothing from your ragazza?"
"Of course, Aldo. But it ain't short, and I ain't sure I remember it all."
"Give it a shot, mio figlio." Spot thought hard for a minute, then tried to say what Race had as accurately as possible.
"Io ti amo. Ho bisogno di te nella mia vita, oggi e sempre. Non lasciarmi. Tu sei la mia mondo, mia vita. Tu sei perfetto e bello e giusto per me, sebbene il mondo direbbero diversamente. Io te amo. Ti amo tanto. Non si può nemmeno capire quello che sto dicendo, ma devi sapere quanto ti amo. Io bisogno di dirvi, ma non so il modo. Quindi credo che italiana è il modo migliore per dirlo, per ora. Ma io ti amo. Lo ti amo." Aldo cackled.
"Ah, but for pronunciation you are getting better, child. Your sweet ragazza is telling you how much she loves you." The old man smiled, ruffling Spot's hair. Spot had never allowed anybody, aside from Race, to touch him without good reason, at least before Little Italy. Aldo was touchy, and liked to ruffle his hair or greet him with small hugs. "She say, I love you. I need you in my life, today and forever. Do not leave me. You are my world, my life. You are perfect and beautiful and right for me, although the world would say otherwise. I love you. I love you so much. You can not even understand what I am saying, but you know how much I love you. I need to tell you, but I do not know how. So I think that Italian is the best way to say it, for now. But I love you. I love you." Spot blushed, which caused Aldo to laugh his boisterous laugh again. "That girl thinks her family not like you, no?"
"No, hi-her family wouldn't be very happy."
"Ah, like old tale of Romeo and Juliet. Only you are too smart to die like they did, yes?" Spot laughed.
"I hope so, Aldo."
"You two, if you love her as much as she loves you, you two will last good. Be good to such a sweet soul for me, yes, mio figlio?"
"For you? Of course, Aldo." Spot heard a clock strike noon and looked up. "I have to go."
"Come back when you wish to learn how to say it back. I will help you learn!" Spot laughed as he ran off.
"Yes, Aldo!"
Spot didn't see Race alone for a few days, and even when he did he couldn't say anything. Race whispered something new in his ear before leaving, and Spot resigned to getting Aldo to help him proclaim his love in Italian.
"Ay! Spottie! Back again?"
"Yes, Aldo. What does, "mia luce nel mondo buio" mean?"
"Your ragazza is very much in love if she told you that. Now she say, my light in the dark world." Spot blushed, which made Aldo laugh again. "Now you want to speak Italian to her, yes?"
"Could you help me?"
"Of course, mio figlio. What do you wish to say?" Spot smiled shyly and began to speak.
The next time they were alone, Spot was ready. Race was leaning against his side, and they were quiet.
"Race?"
"Hmm?" Race hummed, looking up at him. Spot took a breath and tried to remember everything Aldo had taught him about pronunciation and how to actually say what he'd had Aldo translate.
"Anche io ti amo, mia Race. Comprendo, ancor se non parlo bene l'italiano, e ti amo altrettanto molto. Sono tuo, fintanto che siete miei. Se io sono il vostro tutto, tu sei la mia eternità. Ti amo come nessun altro può capire, e voglio a durare. Io non ti abbandonerò mai, te lo prometto. Sulla mia parola che vedi re, se tu non mi lasci, io non lascerà senza. Restare al mio fianco, e io resterò provato dal sottoscritto. Ci prenderemo sul mondo, mia amore, io e te. Insieme. Sempre e per sempre. Non importa cosa." Race sat back and looked at him.
"Io ti amo, Spot. Io ti amo così tanto." Spot recognized those phrases.
"I love you, Race."
"I heard." Race whispered. "I heard, Spot. Where did you learn that?" Spot blushed.
"I spent some time in Little Italy." Race smiled at him gently.
"You worked on that." He kissed Spot gently. "You worked for me."
"I wanted you to know."
"You told me." He kissed him again, sweetly. "And I understood."
"I guess Italian was the right choice?"
"I guess so. Italiano rende tutto più facile, no?"
"I don't know what you just said." Race laughed.
"So, no. Ma io ti amo comunque."
"I love you too?"
"Yes." Spot pulled Race down to kiss him properly, and Race kissed him back.
"Tu sei il mio mondo, Race." He murmured against Race's lips.
"E tu sei il mio mondo, Spot." Race whispered back. They would have stayed like that for forever, if the world hadn't wanted them back. Before he left, Race whispered again. "Sono innamorato." Spot didn't understand, but from the way Race said it he knew it was something sweet.
"I love you." Spot said out loud as Race left.
"Io ti amo." Race smiled back before slipping out of Spot's room. Spot watched out the window as Race walked back towards the bridge. Always and forever. He thought. Sempre e per sempre.
This muse struck when I should have been doing homework, so of course I had to write it. I used Google for the translations, so I don't know how accurate it is, but I tried. Spot's speech is, "I love you too, my Race. I do understand, even if I don't speak Italian well, and I love you just as much. I am yours, for as long as you are mine. If I am your everything, you are my eternity. I love you like no other can understand, and I want it to last. I will never leave you, I promise. On my word as king, if you do not leave me, I will not leave you. Stay by my side, and I will stay by yours. We will take on the world, my love, you and me. Together. Always and forever. No matter what." Basically, super cheesy, kind of OOC fluff. Race's last thing means, "I'm in love," and he asks if Italian makes things easier.