Loving a Stranger
Chapter one: Sometimes Change Takes you by Surprise
There are facts in life that will never change, and hell, it would be better if everyone just accepted them and moved on with their pathetic lives. Look at me. I have, for the most part, gotten over the fact that any person with half a brain would like my brother Feliciano more than me. And why wouldn't they? He's talented while I am useless, he's adorable and I'm sardonic, he's the one who's always getting showered with affection and love, and no one even notices me. Whatever. I don't even care anymore; I hate people anyway.
My cell phone vibrated from its place on my night table, causing my attention to shift away from the boring book I was reading. I turned down my radio so it was not blasting music loud enough to damage a person's hearing, until I could faintly hear the TV in the background, and checked the caller ID: Tomato Bastard. I groaned, knowing for a fact that Antonio wouldn't leave me alone until I answered the phone. He was notorious for that. "What the hell do you want, bastard?" I questioned as I received the call in a begrudging manner.
"Buenos tardes, Lovi!" I flinched and held the phone a safe distance from my ear. That voice... It was so damn cheerful, way too loud, so obnoxious...
"Don't call me that."
"Aw, but Lo-vi!" That Spaniard was actually whining. "I like calling you that!"
"Like hell I care!" I shot back, glaring at my closed door. I could tell he was smiling. "What do you want?"
Antonio was still smiling, I knew it by the sound of his stupid voice- jerk. "The guys and I are going to hang out, and I wanted you to join us."
"Like I actually want to spend time with your gang of perverts!" I scoffed.
Instead of defending himself like any self-respecting human would do, he chuckled a little. "So you'd rather be with your brother and Ludwig?" I didn't really have anything to say to that one: I despised that German with every fiber of my being.
It was then my attention was drawn to Feli's loud laughter coming from the living room. Something funny must've happened in their retarded movie. "That was a good joke, right Ludwig?" He asked when he got a hold of himself. "Ja," came the simple answer of the stupid potato-loving bastard. "Ve~ why don't you laugh?" My brother was pouting, and it was seriously making me sick. No one could say no when he stuck out his lower lip and blinked his sad amber eyes; it made people turn into putty in his hands. It was just another charm I didn't possess, although I wouldn't want it anyway. Can you imagine how ridiculous that would be?
"Well?" A voice asked through the phone.
I blinked in surprise; I had nearly forgotten Antonio was still on the phone. And that reminded me... "How do you even know Potato Bastard is here?" I sputtered, raising an eyebrow in suspicion.
He coughed slightly. "Hm... I may or may not be parked in front of your house…"
My eyes widened slightly at that level of creepiness. No, he wouldn't... But now I was a bit paranoid, so just to be sure I walked over to my window and lifted a single blind. Much to my horror, there was in fact, that familiar car with a familiar Spanish idiot waving at me. He would. "You are so annoying, you know that?" I growled as I retreated from the window. "Fine. Since you obviously don't know your boundaries and you won't leave me alone until I accept your ball-sucking invitation, I'll go. Just give me a minute."
I hung up before he could respond and looked through my dresser in search of clean clothes. I didn't understand Antonio: he was still an enigma, even though I've known him for a little over two years. It was the summer of my senior year in high school when I met him. My grandfather had said it was high time I became productive, and forced me to work at this crappy, hole-in-the-wall pizza parlor. Don't get me wrong, I love cooking; it is one of the few things I actually enjoy in life. But I despised everything about that grease-coated hellhole. And I was not just being spiteful because Feli got to spend his summer painting and winning every art competition around. The pizza parlor itself sucked. It was filthy and it seemed like I came home every day glistening in grease, my fellow employees were bastards, and the customers were rude. Then that stupido bastardo pomodoro waltzed in like he owned the place one day.
"Hola!" He had said, smiling at me until his green eyes sparkled. "I know you! You go to my school, no? You had Ms. Schwanbeck for English last year."
"Yes I did, bastard, but that doesn't mean you know me," I retorted, earning a glare from that one annoying coworker who acted like he was my boss. "Lovino," he warned. I ignored him.
"Ah, your name is Lovino Vargas, right ?" The idiot in front of me kept rattling on and on in his Spanish accent about how much fun he had had in that class- in Schwanbeck's class? How stupid was this guy- and how hard it was to keep a straight face whenever I mouthed off at the teacher- which was often apparently- and that he couldn't wait till this year started so he could see if we had any similar classes. "You are going back this year?" He finally thought to ask; I guess he forgot that he had come to buy nasty pizza.
I frowned at him. "I was... But I'm seriously reconsidering it now."
He laughed. "Lovi you're too funny!"
Wait. What the hell did he just call me?! "Don't you fucking dare-"
"Oh! I'm Antonio, by the way. Antonio Fernandez Carriedo. My friends are waiting for me, so I have to go now, but I promise we'll get together and talk once school starts."
He kept that damn promise too, although I have no idea why he took an interest in me. I preferred being alone to being forced to spend time with him and his even more annoying friends, Gilbert and Francis. I hated all three of them.
I finally got dressed and exited my room for the first time today- if you don't count when I used the bathroom this morning. That had been before Ludwig showed with the nerve to cook lunch for Feli, now the entire house smelled like disgusting German food- wurst is what I thought he called it. I couldn't stand the smell, it made me want to throw up food I hadn't eaten. My room was the only decent smelling place here.
I wanted to simply sneak out the front door, but it was impossible to do so without going past the living room. And as I did that, I noticed my brother's head resting against Ludwig's broad chest. Ugh, now I really wanted to throw up. "I'm going with Antonio for a bit," I grumbled as I walked past, clenching my fists to keep myself from kicking that German's ass out of my house.
Feliciano seemed oblivious to how much I hated his boyfriend, he really could be a blind fool. He sat up and paused the movie, and spacing the movement caused between the two of them allowed me to breathe a little easier. "Ooh! You're going with Tonio?" He asked, his eyes sparkling with excitement as he wiggled his eyebrows playfully. "Have fun, mio fratello."
My cheeks heated a bit. He was insinuating that this was a date, and I was going to smack him upside the head when the German left. "Mio Dio," I murmured, my eyes closing for a second. "Feli, his bastard friends will be there too."
Ludwig finally spoke up, giving Feliciano an odd look. "Ja, he's talking about the-" but my brother's eyes widened and he shook his head slightly, and the potato was silent. "What?" I demanded, glaring at him. Ludwig shook his head. "Nothing important. I know that it is a regular outing because mein Bruder gave me an earful about it yesterday."
I didn't exactly believe him: I never believed a word he said. "Hmph. Whatever. But if you touch my brother in any indecent way I will cut off your balls with a bread knife."
"I don't doubt it," he returned mildly. Unfortunately, I think my threats have stopped worrying him a while ago.
Feli still hated it though. "Lovino, please don't make threats like that, ve~" he sighed. "Luddy wouldn't hurt me! We've been together for nearly a year!"
I crossed my arms. "That doesn't mean anything. I'll see you later okay? And air out this damn house. It smells like rotting corpses!" Then I turned and marched outside.
Antonio had been looking at his phone, but he looked up when he heard me slam my front door shut and smiled his stupid, perfect smile. I wanted to punch it off of his face. I didn't; however, and simply slumped into the passenger seat of his car and ordered him to start driving.
He chuckled, but obeyed, turning the key in his ignition and pulling away from the curb. "Hola, mi tomate!" He greeted brightly.
I glared at him. "For the last time: I. Am. Not. Your. Damn. Tomato."
"My, someone's cranky today," Antonio commented. "But that's normal; I don't think I've seen you in a good mood for longer than .5 seconds." I rolled my eyes at his obvious lie: he had seen me eating dozens of times, and unless I'm consuming foreign food I'm happy.
"I hate that potato bastard," I muttered for some odd reason. "I mean, I hate all bastards, but I think I hate him even more then I hate you."
"I would hope so," Antonio smiled: he was always smiling. "I think you might be afraid of him, Lovi."
"Hell no!" I shouted instantly, appalled by the very thought. "I just... I don't want Feli to get hurt," like I did...
"You don't think he can judge that for himself?" Antonio asked stupidly.
"Pffft. Yeah right. You're so dense. He can't judge anything when love is blinding him like shit in his eyes."
He shot me a sideways glance. "It's so cute how much you care for him," he informed me, reaching over and lightly tugging on the curl that stuck out to the side of my head.
My face immediately got hot at the intrusion. "Chigi!" I sputtered, slapping his hand away. "D-damn it you pervert!"
Antonio laughed. "I don't get it: you always react so strongly whenever I touch your curl. It's hilarious, but how does it make me a pervert?" He asked it innocently, looking as though he simply wanted an answer. I blushed even more and turned my head to look out the window.
"Watch the road stupid," I grumbled. "Now tell me where we're going. I swear, if it's another snail-serving shack Francis picked out I'm going to walk home."
"No, it's not that," Antonio laughed again, but it was different this time. His laugh seemed forced, heavy, and fake, as if he was trying to hide something. I raised an eyebrow, but I didn't say anything. That would have made it look as though I cared about him. He was going to tell me what was up anyway; he couldn't keep his mouth shut if it would save his life.
After a second or two, he pulled the car over. "Lovi, I need to tell you something important."
I wanted to snap at him for using that ridiculous pet name, but I somehow managed to keep my self control and glanced at him. "Get on with it."
Antonio's gaze shifted nervously from my face, to his hands. "I just... We're going to a going away party that Francis is hosting... In my honor."
So Francis is throwing him a party? But why is that so- wait. Going away? Antonio is leaving? Where, and for how long? Oh, it better not be too long, otherwise I'd be stuck with those two lovebirds in my house.
"Do you remember that one conversation we had last year?" He asked.
I immediately knew exactly what he was talking about.
About a week before our graduation, we- that would include Francis and Gilbert- were eating lunch, talking loudly in the noisy cafeteria. Out of nowhere, Antonio propped his arms on the table, leaning on them slightly. "Well mis amigos, next week our lives change. What are we going to do about it?"
"Huh. Someone's being intelligent for a change," I grumbled.
He laughed, running a hand through his chocolate-colored hair. "But I'm serious. What are we gonna do with our lives?"
Gilbert spoke up first, smirking in a smug manner. "I'll probably become an awesome band leader!" He boasted.
I shook my head at him. "Don't you actually have to be skilled for that?"
"Kesesese! That proves how ignorant you are! Nowadays, one doesn't even need talent to be successful! All one needs is to be as hot as me, which makes one irresistible."
I wanted to point out that the girl in his science class- I think her name was Elizabeta- had been doing a fine job resisting the so called irresistible, but Francis was already talking.
"Oui, that is true Gilbert. But I will be more than a pretty face. I shall become a famous fashion designer and people will come far and wide to buy my creations." His smile grew. "And then I will design something so hideous it caused anyone who gazes upon it to faint from the shock, and I will give it to Arthur and convince him it is the latest fashion!"
The others laughed at the insanity, clutching their ribs until they could hardly breathe. "I can see it now!" Gilbert gasped.
Antonio nodded, wiped his eyes, and turned to me. "What about you, Lovi?"
I shook my head. "There is nothing for me to tell," I said simply. It was true; all my dreams crashed and burned.
"Now tell us about you!" Gilbert order the Spaniard, poking the side of his head. "You're the one who started this unawesome conversation!" Antonio looked at me, waiting for an answer he'd never receive, while his friends poked him relentlessly.
"Alright!" He said finally, after his eye was nearly poked out by a certain Frenchman. "I'm thinking about joining the army for a year or so." It was suddenly quiet. Antonio in the army? I silently laughed at the thought. That would be the day!
"Why?" Francis asked.
He smiled softly. "My father was killed in action when I was five, so I wasn't able to get to know him. I'm thinking that if I put myself in his shoes I might be able to... I don't know... Get closer to him or something. After that, I'll probably go into social services, I'd like to work with kids."
"Of course you would, pedo," I mumbled.
Gilbert laughed. "You just had to make it weird."
We had continued the normal routine of laughing, insulting, and making crude jokes until we had all forgotten about Antonio's crazy resolve. We had thought he had forgotten too, but apparently, we were wrong.
Introductions:
Lovino: Romano
Feliciano: Italy
Antonio: Spain
Ludwig: Germany
Gilbert: Prussia
Francis: France
Elizabeta: Hungary
Translations: (If they're wrong, blame Google Translate)
Buenos tardes(Spanish)- Good afternoon
Ja(German)- Yes
Stupido bastardo pomodoro(Italian)- Stupid tomato bastard
Hola(Spanish)- Hello
Wurst(German)- Sausage
Mio fratello(Italian)- My brother
Mio Dio(Italian)- My God
Mein Bruder(German)- My brother
Mi tomate(Spanish)- My tomato
Mis amigos(Spanish)- My friends
Oui(French)- Yes
A/N: And so it begins! This is my first Hetalia fanfic, so I really hope you guys are enjoying it. This story is an idea my friend and I have been thinking of for a week or so, and I'm excited out of my mind to have the first chapter published! I'm also nervous too…. so nervous my heart is beating like crazy and my fingers are trembling while I'm typing this, making it hard to finish this note…. Anyway, if you did happen to like it, please leave a review! Favorites and follows are great as well!
You guys are awesome, by the way! *"BUT NOT AS AWESOME AS ME!" Gilbert shouts, slamming a door*
Sorry about that… I love you all!
altera vita mea