Disclaimer: This has nothing to do with real life people or countries; this is a FAN FICTION only for fun. If any of the characters were mine hetalia would be a yaoi paradise :D
It all happened so fast. One moment they were together in his apartment, and then this. He couldn't believe it.
The other night they were at a bar, chilling out and having some beers. The three of them enjoy that little spaces in which they could just hang out like the old times. Around midnight Gilbert left, with the excuse of being to drunk and saying that Ludwig will be mad at him, so the only one left were Francis and Antonio.
"Ma' chère, I'm afraid that we are too drunk to stay in here for too long, do you want to go to my apartment?" – Francis hug tightly the Spaniard, who only smile and blush slightly – "I'm going to take that as a yes!" -
With that the two of them went out of the bar and head up to Francis apartment. During the trip they exchange smiles, grins and gestures of affection, as usual, and they soon arrived to their destination. Francis's place was petit, as he used to say, but really comfortable and well decorated, red mostly. They both go straight to the bedroom, between laughs and falling down in the process. When they finally get to the bedroom, Francis, put Antonio in his bed, and just stand there looking lusciously at him, the brunette, in the other hand, was looking to the other way.
"What's wrong chère, why aren't you looking at me?" – Francis walk toward Antonio and took his face in his hands – "You're not feeling good?" – Francis was a little worried, and even if he was drunk Antonio could sense that, he didn't want to make his friend worry –
"Is nothing, I swear" – Antonio forced a smile and hug Francis –
"Let's do it, as always" – his voice was down, and he was trembling –
"Antonio really, what's wrong?" – He separated himself from the Spaniard – "You know you can tell me anything" – Antonio look other way, he couldn't stand his eyes – "We're friends, ma chère" – Francis smile and Antonio couldn't do anything but start to cry –
"Friends…" – Antonio whispered – "That's the problem Francis, it really hurts to be friends…" – Francis looked at the Spaniard with a confused face – "It really hurts to do the things that we do and knowing that is only a distraction, that tomorrow is going to be another one lying here with you, that" – Antonio paused himself for a moment, thinking twice what he was about to say- "That, we'll always be just friends…"
"Antoan, I really don't get what you're trying to say" – Francis hugged the brunette trying to calm him down – "you…"
-Antonio look up into Francis eyes, with his own full with tears – "Te amo, Francis" – he separated himself from the French man –
Francis just stare at his friend blankly, sure he really like the Spaniard, but love? That was a totally different thing. The blond try to understand the situation, and being unable to do that, he just assume that the one who was talking wasn't Antonio, that he was too drunk to think properly, even if he look so damn serious – an hot in his opinion – So he couldn't do anything but smile and hug the brunette, then he whispered.
"I love you too Antoan, you're like my little brother" –
-Antonio was shocked, he laugh bitterly and pull the blond away – Brothers… -he sighed and stand up of the bed – Sorry for the troubles Francis – he hugged him holding back his tears– Tomorrow I have a Corrida, so I should go home… will you come to see me?? It always cheers me up seeing you in the public – Antonio put all of his efforts in a smile, trying to make it look truly – Por favor…
- Francis smile, I've said the right thing in the right moment, he thought – Of course ma chère! I won't miss your performance – he hugged the Spaniard one last time and then he show him his way to the door – Bonnes nuit, Antoan. See you tomorrow, oh! And be careful in your way home – Antonio smiled, and so did France, and that was all.
Even if Antonio said that everything was alright, Francis couldn't take out of his mind the image of the brunette covered in tears and telling him that he love him, in consequence he couldn't sleep in all the night, although when the morning arrives he woke up, strangely happy…
"The image of Antonio in that colorful tights makes me smile" – the blond thought as he get dress and make some breakfast – "I hope that everything will be all right, even if he looks good on that tights, Antoan always scare me to death when he goes into the ruedo…"
Francis sighed and went out of his apartment and head toward the stadium in which the corrida will take place. Once he was there he look for a comfortable, and rather lonely spot, and sit down waiting for the start of Antonio's performance. While he was waiting he analyzed the movements of the people around him, nothing really catch his attention until he saw a certain grumpy brunette taking a sit: Romano. He was in a spot near his so he though he could go there and scare the boy a little, but he looked at his face, and seeing the concern in it he decided to go and try to found out what was disturbing him.
When he was near enough to see – and hear - him properly he found out that he was praying. Nothing more and nothing less, the badass grumpy Italian was praying.
"What's wrong ma' petit mignon? You place a bet over Antoan, and you're praying for him to win?" – Francis interrupted the younger prayers without really hearing what he was asking for, and with his words he only make the brunette more angry –"Calmez-vous, mon amour did I do something wrong??" –
"Yes, you did something wrong, partorito!" – Romano stare at him with furious rage in his eyes – "You're just a Cassanova! You don't care about feelings or anyone except yourself, damn it!" –
"Well, well that are strong words for such a cute mouth, did you dislike my presence so much?" – Francis did a hurt like gesture –
"Is not your presence, but your existence, what pissed me off! The only thing you know how to do is how to play with people! And if something bad happens to Antonio I swear to God that I'll kill you myself" – Romano was holding his tears –
"Antoan? What does he has to do with this? – Romano stay silent and turned his face away from Francis gaze – Is something wrong with him?! –
He was starting to panic, but before Romano could answer they heard a voice coming from a huge buffer saying that the corrida was about to start, so he decided to sit there, beside Romano, and watch the corrida together.
The first one to go into the ruedo was Antonio, all dressed up in colorful red and golden tights with a big red cape. He smiled to the public and turn around the ruedo a few times before staring directly were Romano was, giving him a huge smile and blowing him a kiss.
"I can't see anything wrong with him, petit tomates, you were scared toward nothing!" – Francis laugh, and at the same time he blow a kiss to the Spaniard, who didn't seem to notice the blond before, he trembled a little and returned the gesture –
The second one to go into the ruedo, was the bull. A furious, grumpy bull, he head directly toward Antonio who could avoid him in the last second, making all the people in the stadium yell, because he was awesome or because they wanted to see blood, no matter which one you choose, all the stadium was yelling Antonio's name. And in the crowd stand Francis, who was cheering for his friend, and Romano who was trembling and holding down his tears.
"Oi, Romano, is something that you're not telling me?" – Francis turned serious for a moment, he thought that when the brunette saw that Antonio was perfectly fine he would chill out and enjoy the show but he wasn't enjoying anything and he wasn't planning on doing it –
"He's hurt…" He finally said in a soft voice – "I've seen used bandages in the bathroom today"- he sight – "And he was really distracted this morning, even more than usual and his eyes… weren't as bright as always… I'm sure there's something wrong but he wouldn't tell me, he doesn't want to make me worry but not telling me is much worse, damn it!" – He couldn't hold the tears any longer and they were now running freely in his face…
They both stay in silence for a moment, Francis was really shocked, he thought that Antonio was all right when he left last night but is seems it wasn't like that, now HE was worried about the Spaniard. He worked out the words in his head but when he was about to say them he heard a hollow sound and a loud yell…
"ANTONIO!" – Romano start yelling and crying and when Francis looks to the ruedo he saw it: Antonio had been struck by the bull's horn – "You jerk do something!!" – Romano started to shake Francis asking him to save Antonio but the only thing that Francis could hear was a soft sound, like if someone was breaking a thin glass, and he couldn't take his eyes off of the Spaniard who was now laying on the floor unconscious…
"Take it easy Francis, don't worry" – Antonio was hugging the blond who was terrible drunk and really annoyed
"But he dumped me, mon Antoan, HE dumped ME!" he make enfasy in the words as he hug tightly to his friend
"He don't know what he is loosing Francis, just don't go back to him, make him desire you… - The French man look into the others eyes – My mother used to tell me Uno no sabe lo que tiene hasta que lo pierde, y es cuando lo pierde que uno realmente sabe que lo que siempre quiso lo tuvo frente a su nariz todo el tiempo – the brunette smile looking down at his friend
"What does it means mon amour?" – He said curiously –
"It means that you don't know what you got until you loose it, and is in that moment that you realized that everything you've ever wanted was right beside you – He pet the other one and he lay in his lap –
"That's really true my friend! Arthur doesn't know what he is loosing! And he'll come to me like a repentant dog!
"Antonio…." – The tears began to fall trough Francis's eyes and without him noticing his body starts to move on his own going to were his beloved friend was "Now I get it Antonio, I'm really sorry, forgive me please" – He was talking to himself until he arrived to were Antonio was, two doctors were taking him to hospital, he was really bad injured – "Please, please I beg you let me go with him!!" – He asked desperately to both of them –
"Who are you?" –Was the reply
"I'm, I'm…" –he couldn't think of anything –
"He's a very close friend of him, please let him go" – Francis turn around to see that the owner of the monotonous voice was Romano –
"I'm Antonio's little brother so please let him go instead of me" – He said, it was taught but he knew it was the best. The two doctors nod and let the blond enter in the ambulance; he thanks silently and get in the car.
They took forty or fifty minutes to arrive to the hospital, and in all that time Francis never let go Antonio's hand, it destroyed the blond to see his friend all pale and breathing slowly as time passed by, but he didn't want to let go of his hand, because if he did it he will loose him forever…
"You don't know what you have until you loose it, don't you mon Antoan?" – He was crying he couldn't stop – "Well I'm not planning on loosing anything cause I know what I have right beside me!" – He refused to move but the doctors said that they have arrived, so it was time to let go his precious friend before it was too late. He followed the cot till the end of a long corridor in which the surgery room was, and then he sit there to wait.
As time passed by Gilbert, Romano, Ludwig and Feliciano arrived to the clinic. Romano was trying to get his brother together along with Ludwig and Gilbert simply walked silently toward Francis and sit beside him. After a few looks and soft sight he hugged him bursting into tears.
"It was my fault, Gilbert, merd! It was my fucking fault! – he hugged the other one tightly
"It wasn't airhead! This could had happened a long time ago, and this happens all the time, maybe not this complicated but Antonio get injured during the corridas all the time, please don't blame yourself…" – Gilbert was trying to calm down Francis, and it was working, he stayed like that, hugging his friend, for a while until both of them fall asleep. The blond remember all the attitudes that the Spaniard had have toward him in the last few month and he get to the conclusion that he was rather too blind or too stupid, he prefer to think that he was just naïve. Because the other had given him too many signs in the past for him not to notice it, it must be really painful to live like that, and he even ask him for advice with Arthur! Mon Dieu, he had really been a jerk. When he wakes up he find himself in a white room, being the only ones there he and Romano…
"Oh, so you're awake" – Romano talked in a monotonous tone – "The doctors said that he'll be here in a couple of minutes"
"Really!? So the surgery was a success!?" – Romano stared at him –
"Please tell me the truth!"
"I… I don't know" – He said shyly – "I was afraid of the response so, I didn't ask" – Francis saw the teen, all fragile and hurt, he was as afraid and worried as him, so he go toward the brunette and hugged him, surprisesly the other hugged him back sobbing slightly –
"I'm sure he'll be fine… He's Antoan, he's strong…"
"I know, damn it! But still! He's fragile in the inside, why if he doesn't want to come back?" – He was crying a river of tears –
"He'll never give up mon ami, believe me! After all he was by my side all this years…"
Before they could continue a big cot entered the room, followed by two doctors. In the cot was the brunette, still asleep with a machine that helps him breath.
"How… - The French man clear his voice – "How is he? Is he going to wake up soon?"
"The anesthesia is still effective, but we think he will wake up in 30 minutes or so…" –The doctor turn around and closed the door – "We can't tell if the surgery was a succeed or not until he wakes up, so there's still a possibility of him… mmm… Getting worse or not getting up…"
"Wait… what? Not getting up! That can't be an option" – The blond went toward the doctor and took him from the collar of his shirt –
"That means that you haven't done everything you could!!" – He started shaking the man
"Francis, stop!" – The brunette stopped the other for starting a fight with the doctor – "Please excuse him… we're a little… disturbed" – He was holding his tears – "So… the only thing we can do is wait right??" – The doctor nod and went out of the room –
"Great… Il attend, désespoir…" – The French started walking toward a chair –
"What? Please don't speak in god damn it French, I can't understand a thing and that pissed me of! – The brunette did the same as the blond and both of them sit beside Antonio's bed –
"It means the one that waits, despair" – Francis sighed – "Antonio…" he whispered and took the hand of the boy in his – "please be back soon…"
30 minutes passed by, 40 minutes, 50 minutes, and still nothing, not even a little response from the Spaniard who was laying unconscious in the bed. As an hour passed by, Romano couldn't take it anymore and left the room, leaving the French man all by himself in the white silent room. He never let go of Antonio's hand and never took his eyes off of him. After an hour and a half without response Francis was starting to loose his mind…
"What if he never open his eyes again" -he thought – "What if I can't never got the chance to see myself reflected in those emerald green eyes, looking kindly at me…? What if never got the chance to hold him, to touch him, to kiss him, to tell him I'm a jerk and that I'm sorry…" – He started to cry griping the hold he has upon Antonio's hand – Antoan, I'm so sorry… really… I don't deserve you but please come back… Romano needs you, Feliciano needs you, Gilbert needs you… - He started to beg and look straight to his face waiting for an answer – I… I need you Antonio… You're the only one that is always with me, that helps me and care about wader I'm drunk and can't go on, or not – His tears begin to fall in Antonio's face – I love you Antonio… please don't leave me – The blond start to sob letting the tears go freely down his face, to worry to even bother about them. He was about to brush them away but a hand do it before he, he open his ayes and saw the Spaniard looking wordily at him –
"Francis… what's… what's wrong??" – He asked a mix of foolishness and worry in his eyes – "Why… are you crying?"
Francis couldn't help himself and hug the brunette tightly, he was alive, and he seems fine because he wasn't aware of the situation…
"Mon Antoan, I'm really happy you're all right, thanks god!!"
"Hahaha what happened Francis?? Why I'm in a hospital??" – He hugged him back – Auch! Be careful it hurts haha –
-he let go of Antonio – "Oh! Sorry" – He suddenly become serious –
"Antoan, I'm really sorry… This was my fault" – He saw that the Spaniard was about to say something – "SHhh! don't say a thing, is ok, and it's true… But I promise I won't let this happened again, I will protect you no matter what!"
"Wow, you look determinate don't you?" – He smile –
"I love you Antonio" – the boy look at him all shocked and without really understanding what's going on –"I love you, I love you, I LOVE YOU!" – the blond smile and kiss the other passionately, the brunette started to cry –
"I… Love you too…."