I see... Bubbles. They're rising so slowly... Everything around me is dark blue... So dark... Except for the bubbles. They're... So pretty... They're light blue, almost white... It's so peaceful here, I want to stay here forever... Is this how dying feels...?
The floating Italian turned his body over so he was now curled up defensively in a ball on his side. Not that there was anything to be defensive of, not in this place.
A particularly large bubble floated past, catching Lovi's attention. Driven by some childish instinct, he stretched out his hand to touch it.
The bubble, like a magnet, drew to his outstretched hand, and turned a gentle shade of red that reminded Lovi of a tomato before popping against his fingers.
Immediately, Lovi blacked out and was plunged into a memory.
"Antonio, don't leave me alone here, bastard. I'll die of boredom and it'll be all your fault." The younger version of Lovi pouted.
They were standing in the tomato field, where Lovi had been picking tomatoes when Antonio had told him that he would have to go to war for a few days.
Antonio laughed and ruffled Lovino's hair. "Don't worry Lovi, I'll come back perfectly fine! Just wait here and remember to pick the tomatoes before they get too ripe! Don't worry about me when I'm gone. I'll be fine!"
"I'm not a child anymore! I'm just younger than you by 2 years! I could sign up if I were a bit older!" Lovi pouted.
Lovino trembled slightly. He remembered that day...
He had wanted to stop Antonio from going but he wouldn't listen to him. He had kept on saying that he would be perfectly fine, that Lovino didn't have to worry, that he would come back safe and sound... And he had smiled that stupid smile which the bastard just knew that could make his breath hitch, his heart pound and his chest swell so hard with longing and love it felt that it would burst from it. Stupid, stupid bastard with that stupid smile and the stupid optimism.
Another, larger bubble came floating towards him. It turned a cold shade of blue, icy blue, not unlike the other bubbles, and popped against his back.
"Lovino? Lovino? Are you here?" The annoying French bastard's voice echoed towards Lovino, who was in the kitchen making tomato salad.
"I'm here, what, bastard?" Lovino put down the knife he was using to cut the tomatoes and opened the door.
Francis looked terrible. He had long gashes down one arm, and his hair was really messy, something he would never have allowed to happen. His face was dirty, also something that wouldn't happen usually. His usually clean shirt was full of blood stains, as was his pants. He was panting and out of breath, meaning that he must have ran to Lovi's house, which was very out of character for him. His face was tear-stained.
"Francis... What happened? Is everything ok?" Lovi started getting worried.
"Antonio... He... " Francis choked, overcome by emotion. Lovi's heart promptly sank into the deepest pits it could reach.
"He's dead. Died out on the field. He was trying to get the others, the wounded ones, and he was shot. He rescued 20 men from certain death and got killed himself." Francis' eyes welled with tears. "He was the best friend and most loyal comrade I could ever have."
Lovino's eyes felt wet. He rubbed at them furiously. Stop crying, dammit! It's the past, and I've grieved over it plenty of times already!
Lovino turned over so he was lying on his back again, and looked up at the bubbles floating above him.
These bubbles look so... Innocent, I guess, but they represent memories that make me want to cry... Or make me remember memories that I want to forget...
A huge bubble came floating down from above. As it neared, the bubble turned a comforting shade of blue-green, like the ocean. Lovino stretched out his arm and brushed against the bubble. But, as this bubble popped, it let out a spray of water, cleansing Lovino and then rolling off him like raindrops rolling off lily pads.
Once again, Lovino was plunged into memory.
Lovino was lying on a bed in the hospital. His heart had been diagnosed with a fatal and incurable heart disease that ran in his family. The disease never came this early, the doctors supposed it was caused by the sudden shock and grief of knowing about Antonio's death on the battlefield.
The doctor had been talking to him. "..., so Mr. Bonnefoy will be coming to visit you. He has something to give you. If you need any assistance just ring the bell by your bed here." The doctor played slightly with the rope that rung the bell. "We'll just be outside your door. 20 minutes only, remember."
Lovino blindly nodded and the rest of the medical staff stepped outside, allowing Francis to come in before closing the door behind them.
The French bastard looked cleaner today. His hair was combed and his shirt and pants were clean, much more normal than the bastard who had ran to Lovi's house practically spilling blood. The gashes Lovino had seen on his arm had been wrapped up, and he looked more relaxed.
"What do you have to show me, bastard?"
Francis sat down and cleaned his throat before speaking. "Well... I know that this is still a sensitive topic for you, but..." Francis took a deep breath before speaking. "Antonio told me to give this to you if... If he died."
Lovi felt tears well up in his eyes but he rubbed them away, hoping the wine bastard couldn't hear a tiny sniffle that escaped his lips. He crossed his arms expectantly. "Show me then, bastard."
Francis pulled a small box from his pocket. It was about the same size as Lovino's palm. It looks like it can be used to hold jewellery or something... Lovino opened the box and pulled out a necklace with a tomato charm on it, and found a piece of paper underneath, folded neatly. Curious, Lovino unfolded it, to find it covered in Antonio's messy handwriting.
Hey, Lovi,
If this note reaches you and you're reading this right now, then you've either been snooping around in my room, you naughty boy, or I'm dead. I hope it's not the second one.
I'm writing this in the hopes that, when you read this, you'll feel the same. But hey, even if you don't, I'm just going to work harder to gain it ; )
Lovi, Te Amo. Really. I'm not kidding. I've been in love with you for a long time. You do know that, when I'm writing this I'm 23 now right? And you're 21. Well... Let's just say that I've been in love with you ever since 20 years ago, you smiled at me so innocently when we first met, when we moved in next door, before we knew each other, before we even became friends. Even before you got a foul mouth and a bad temper to match from playing with the kids, namely Arthur, in the playroom in kindergarten. Ever since that time, when your shy little smile made my heart flutter like butterfly wings, everything you've done just makes me more crazy for you. Every adorable pout, every angry curse word, just makes me love you harder. You might (and probably will) think I'm crazy, but it's true.
Right now, at this exact time, I'm thinking of proposing. I know we haven't went on any actual dates before, but haven't we been going out on dates for years? As friends, though. And if you don't feel the same, I guess I'll just have to work harder to earn it, huh?
By the way, the necklace is the engagement ring. I guess you wouldn't like an actual ring, am I right?
From Antonio
Te Amo (I guess you should know what it means, it's only a one-letter difference from Italian after all)
Lovi's eyes welled with tears, and he buried his head in the hospital sheets, clutching onto the necklace Antonio gave him. He whimpered, "Why didn't you tell me earlier, you bastard... I would have said yes... Damn you, you bastard..."
Lovino felt tears drip down his face, falling into the darkness below him, from where all of those bubbles came from, and suddenly a thought came to him. "Toni... If... We're both dead... Why can't I find you? I-I want to see you so much... I want to see you so bad it hurts... Antonio..."
"L-Lovi? Hey... Where are you?" A tentative voice sounded out from the darkness.
Lovino's eyes widened. "Antonio?" He looked around him, and saw the bubbles and the darkness fade away, being replaced by...
"An-Antonio?" Lovino choked out. "Why are we in your house?"
"Lovi!" Antonio grinned, and cheerfully squashed Lovino in a hug.
"Ouch..." Lovino still couldn't help the smile that crept up his face.
"Awww, my little Lovi is smiling! So cute!"
"Why are we in your house anyways? I thought it would be something more like huge, fluffy clouds, a gigantic Angel guarding a pair of golden gates, and brightness and white everywhere, and everyone wearing robes and stuff." Lovino furrowed his brow, a bit too confused to yell at Antonio for squashing him.
"Oh, this?" Antonio gestured around him, loosening his grip on Lovino a bit.
"Heaven isn't actually a place. Or, more like, Heaven is the place where your heart belongs. My heart belongs in my house, so that's where my Heaven is. And your heart," Antonio poked Lovino's chest playfully. "Belongs with me!" He winked at Lovino, causing a bit of stuttered "b-bastard"s and a huge blush that made him look like a tomato.
"How did you know that I lo-like you?" Lovino choked.
"Well... Let's just say that I missed my little Lovino and did some stalking..."
"Antonio!" Lovino protested.
"Fine, sorry. There?" Antonio smiled that same trademark smile that he always wore, that he had flashed at Lovino when he had left him for the war raging on in some faraway place. The one that made his heart skip a few beats.
"I missed you... Bastard..." Lovi's spirits got dampened immediately.
"Eh? Lovi, what's wrong?"
"You... You left me alone... I missed you so much..."
Antonio's voice suddenly became much more quiet. "Hey, I know that, Lovi. Now we can spend forever with each other to make up!"
"Uh... T-Toni..." Antonio grinned. Lovino didn't always call him that.
"Yeah?"
"I just realised... Aren't married couples supposed to..." Lovino blushed furiously. "Well...aren't they supposed to... Kiss?"
"Awww, Lovi's embarrassed!"
"S-shut up!"
"Well... Now that you say it, it is true... So uh..."
Antonio turned Lovino around so that Lovino was facing him before tentatively pressing his lips onto Lovi's.
"Wh-what...?" Was all Lovino got out before wrapping his arms contentedly around Antonio's neck.
Antonio separated their lips and nuzzled his head into Lovino's neck.
"O-oi... Bastard..." Lovino tilted his head slightly to the side to allow the Spaniard to nuzzle in deeper. His face looked a lot like one of those tomatoes they both loved.
"Hmm?"
"Promise... Promise me that you won't leave... Please?" Lovino said pleadingly.
"I-I missed you so much... W-when... You... Died..."
"Of course Lovi." Antonio smiled against Lovino's neck.
"I'll always be there for you."