The night was warm, the window was open, and a bright summer moon shed its light from a cloudless sky as Albert Wesker stood by the window, watching the night outside. He rested his left arm on the frame casually, listening to the music from the piano. He closed his eyes for a moment, aware of the fact that, even though the mansion they were in was quite big, they were the only ones around.

A young blond man, two years younger than Wesker, sat by the instrument, his fingers moving skillfully over the keys. Wesker turned around to look at the player, stopping to study his friend's face. William had a half-smile on his face and looked peaceful, like he had been dreaming. The younger man's sky-blue eyes were quite awake, however, shining with intelligence. Birkin had notes in front of him, but Wesker had a feeling he was playing by memory rather than reading the sheet music.

"What are you thinking about, Albert?" The other man asked without stopping, fingers continuing playing the melody without trouble.

The older man sighed, shaking his head a little. "Nothing. Everything? I don't know. Maybe I just like listening to you play..."

"Heh. Yes," Birkin answered, smiling. "You've always loved it. From the first time I ever played for you..."

Wesker wandered closer, stopping behind the younger man and admiring how easily his friend played. He wasn't much for playing himself even though he could have done so; playing a piano was, after all, just mathematics, and considering he was quite brilliant, reading notes wouldn't have been a problem. He just didn't care much. He never had until he had heard William play. The younger man was a genius, but Wesker knew that the skill with the instrument didn't come from just that.

"First time? Hmm... That was sometime back... Late last summer. September, when we first started here. I thought you were playing to entertain the other students, though, not for me..."

William laughed softly, tilting his head a little while still continuing to play. "Oh, how little you know, Albert. I was playing for you. I've always played for you..."

"Is that so? Hmm. You must've been after me longer than I thought, in that case."

Birkin smiled, turning to glance over his shoulder as he finished the song. "From the first moment I saw you, Albert. Well. Any requests?"

Wesker smiled a little, thinking back when they had first met. It had been only a year ago, but it felt like forever. "Play that first song you ever played to me, then?"

"As you wish..." William turned back to the piano, his fingers finding the right keys easily as he started another song. Wesker nodded slightly, recognizing it to be indeed the first song he had ever heard Birkin play. His eyes, hidden behind the dark glasses, followed his friend's fingers moving on the keys, and he grinned, knowing what those delicate hands were capable of. They were perfect for working in a laboratory and so perfect and skillful when making love. Those hands were also capable of murder.

He walked away from the piano, stopping by the counter not too far away. The tables in the room looked abandoned, and there wasn't much of anything left. A lone bottle of whiskey sat on the counter; Wesker picked it up, took a glass and poured some of the alcohol. He lifted the glass to his lips while listening to the music from behind of him, tasting the strong liquid. He didn't much care for alcohol but felt like having a drink anyway.

"Wonder if they have a piano at Arklay," he wondered aloud, idly looking around in the room.

"Not sure," Birkin answered. "I haven't paid much attention to what they said about leisure possibilities around there. Not that it matters. We won't have much free time when we start there anyway."

"A pity," Wesker replied, taking another sip of the whiskey. "I would still like to hear you play sometimes. But I guess Spencer should have one somewhere around the mansion... I don't think we'll be so busy that we won't have any free time at all, hmm?"

"Of course not," the younger man commented, smiling mischievously even though his companion couldn't see it. "We have to sleep sometime at least. In addition to... other things."

The older man glanced at Birkin, reading the meaning of his lover's words too easily. He felt his skin warming up a little but kept himself from showing anything. He could control himself well enough although it wouldn't have mattered if William had seen something on his face. There was, after all, very little if nothing that William Birkin hadn't seen of him.

"Sounds reasonable. Hmm. I wonder what'll become of this place now that they're closing it."

Birkin raised his face a little, looking over the instrument and out of the window. His smile faded a little, showing a hint of sadness. "With Marcus gone... Or should I say, out of the way, URC isn't needed anymore. It'll be abandoned, I guess. I find that somewhat sad..."

Wesker turned around, leaning on the counter with the glass in his hand. "Sad? Why?"

The younger man closed his eyes but continued playing without trouble. "This place carries a lot of pleasant memories, Albert. Memories of us. This building is where we got to know each other... where I got my chance to have you. This is the place where I made you mine. I guess we both have learned a lot since last summer... I have, at least. Many beautiful things, Albert..."

Wesker raised the glass to his lips, emptying it and placing it on the counter. He didn't have to consider his friend's words at all. He knew that every word was true, and he felt the same. Even though he didn't think of such things, he knew he was going to miss the place.

"I guess you're right," he answered after a moment as Birkin's hands stopped on the keys, the song finished. He walked back to the window, leaning his back against the wall next to it. He glanced outside, feeling slight breeze on his face.

"You are right, as always, William," he continued. "It hasn't even been a full year, but this place did have a major effect in my life. On my career... And on some other things as well. So I'm only 18 years old, and that's not much time to experience things but this last year..." He trailed of, not sure what he wanted to say. He closed his eyes, feeling Birkin looking at his direction. "This place is where I..."

Fell in love with you, William, his thoughts completed the sentence. He knew it to be true although he found himself unable to say it aloud.

"Learned to know me? Learned how it felt to share something important with someone else...?" Birkin smirked, in reality quite capable of reading his friend. He knew very well what Wesker couldn't say. He never said it, either.

Wesker nodded, smiling a little. "Many beautiful things, as you said, William." He turned to look out of the window, enjoying the warm summer night. "...So many things..."

"Hmm?"

"Nothing, William. Could you... Play that song again? One more time, before we leave this place?"

William Birkin only smiled, his fingers finding the keys as he started the song again, playing the last song in the silent mansion.

Author's notes:

Just a short snippet 'cause I felt like writing something with these two again. For those who can't guess the setting, it's summer '78, after UTC was closed down and before they started working at Arklay.

Named after an Enya song because I have a mental image of Birkin playing it for Wesker. And I don't give a damn about the fact that the song didn't even exist back in 1978.

Written as Xmas present to Romy.

- Lady Harken (December, 2003)