It was the first snowfall of the year. It was a fairly normal afternoon for Arthur. He made his morning tea, read the newspaper, and sat on his windowsill admiring the snow and the sense of gentleness it brought into his heart. Looking out on the blanket of white made his thoughts wander. How was his beloved Italian doing? Was he getting the proper care? When will they get to see each other again?
His thoughts were interrupted by the loud ring of the phone. Who could be calling the Brit? Setting down his earl gray tea, he approached the ringing noise and checked the caller ID. He smiled when he saw it was Lovino's number.
"Hi, love. How are you?" he spoke into the device. The voice that greeted him on the other end wasn't the familiar one that was constantly cursing life. His smile dropped as the woman spoke. Her voice droned on and his eyebrows furrowed. "But what, Antonio?" he asked angrily.
"This may be his last snowfall," the Spanish nurse said in a monotone voice.
"You're wrong! You bloody nurses and doctors know nothing!" he screamed into the receiver and hung up. Tears brimming in his eyes, he scrambled about whipping on his coat, gloves, and his favorite scarf. "They're wrong, they're all wrong!" he said to himself as he grabbed his keys and slammed the door, causing his unattended cup of tea to spill all over the carpet.
Arthur arrived at the hospital in about ten minutes. It may not seem long, but for Arthur it felt like an eternity. Not even bothering to lock his car, he sprinted towards the hospital entrance. The Brit busted through the glass doors in a flurry. "No...No..." he silently pleaded.
"Sir, you can't-" the nurse at the front desk called after his figure, but the words were easily evaporated into thin air as Arthur ran into the elevator and pressed the number "5".
Tears streamed down his cheeks and silent sobs escaped his trembling lips as the machine brought him closer to his destination. "Lovino... Please, God, let him be alright..." The quiet ding of the elevator sounded and it came to a slow halt. He swiftly began walking out the large metal doors towards room 305. As he approached, the sound a heart monitor's consistent beeping was audible and Lovino's Spanish nurse was waiting at the door's entrance.
"Lovi is in here, mi amigo," Antonio sadly said as the Brit approached. Arthur pushed open the door to his lover's white hospital room with Antonio following close behind. The sun seeped brightly into the space through the large window landing perfectly over Lovino's resting figure.
Lovino had a couple IV's hooked up to his olive-skinned wrist, and a few violent coughs spilled from his mouth and lungs. His head was facing the window, and his eyes were glazed as they watched the snow send halos over the evergreens in plain sight. A small weeping figure was sitting at the bedside, his normally smiling face saddened. The weeping figure glanced up when he noticed the Brit in the room, his curl almost identical to Lovino's swaying with his movements.
"V-Ve... Arthur... Fratello isn't feeling good..." he stammered. "He'll be okay, right Arthur?" the frail Italian asked the Brit. Arthur was afraid to break the heart of the poor boy, so he told a white lie, though he hoped for it to be true.
"Y-Yes, Feliciano, of course your brother will be fine! He's strong, right?" Arthur said with fake happiness. At this, the small boy cheered up.
"Ve~ Okay Arthur, Ludwig wants me home soon, so I'll leave you two alone! Ciao, Fratello... Get better," he said cheerily with a hint of despair and pranced out of the room. Arthur turned his attention back to Lovino who was still staring out the window very distantly. Arthur immediately strode towards him and knelt in front of the Italian's face.
"H-Hello, love..." he stammered. "Are you... feeling okay?" he asked with tears threatening to fall. Lovino's gaze shifted to the blonde in front of him, bright brown meeting emerald green.
"D-Dammit, Arthur… I can't see the f-fucking snow… Move…" the Italian said with his usual grumpy attitude. More violent coughs erupted from Lovino's chest which caused an extremely worried look to come across Arthur's features.
"Alright…" the Brit said with a sigh. He scooted over a bit so that his love could view winter spreading her blanket out over the world. Arthur only obliged because he was scared… That it may be Lovino's last snowfall.
"Arthur, you bastard, get over h-here…" the Italian choked out. Arthur obeyed immediately. His hand rested on the small bed that Lovino rested on. Bed-ridden and weak, Lovino moved his hand to cover Arthur's own. A single tear slipped out the corner of Arthur's saddened eye.
"Lovino… My love… Y-You can't leave me yet! I-It's not fair… We-We were g-go-going to adopt soon, and start a damned family! We… We never went to the circus one last time like you wanted…" Arthur stammered out that whole phrase, all the while tears slipped from his eyes and onto the back of Lovino's hand.
"Stop fucking cr-crying… Y-You look like a… bambino…" Lovino said with tears forming in his caramel eyes now. "Dammit, Arthur…" Lovino outstretched his hand to touch his lover's cheek. "Tea-bastard… I love you and if this r-really is my last glimpse of winter… O-Or life itself-"
"SHUT UP! DO NOT FUCKING TALK LIKE THAT! Y-You aren't leaving…" Arthur screamed out of anger and frustration. Ever since he was a child, things had never gone his way. And now that he had finally found a slice of happiness in this hell of a world, it was being taken away from him. It just wasn't fair…
"Let me talk, damn it," Lovino said crossly. The tone in his dying voice showed that he was serious. "If this really is my last glimpse of winter... I want to see you before I hit that shit-hole of a grave," he finished with a blush followed by a string of coughs. The Brit watched with a depressed expression as Lovino's life withered with each sound that escaped his mouth, but was also touched that the Italian's clouded gaze wanted to see him above all else before his final moment.
They had been so happy with each other, even if the two weren't that great at admitting their true feelings. The Brit had loved every part about Lovino, and still does. He loves the way his strange curl of hair pokes out from the side of his head, the way when he cursed at Arthur, his voice got squeaky and child-like, and all those cold winter nights spent reveling in passion and love, every explicit moment returning to him like a wave crashing over him tenfold.
Now, all Arthur wants is for his beloved Lovino to stay alive. He wants to keep their love alive, wants to share more moments of simple romance once again, but it will never be for the Brit. Ever since his precious lover was hospitalized and bedridden last summer, the small London house he took refuge in felt as lonely as it did before he met the cursing Italian.
The day Lovino was rushed to the hospital was a normal day to start out with, much like today.
Arthur was busying himself in his study writing his newest novel when he heard the phone ring. Knowing Lovino had already gone to his work as a produce vender on the streets of London, he assumed it was either his younger brother Alfred calling about some trivial thing or his French friend wanting to go out to lunch. Not suspecting anything, he casually answered the ringing device.
"Hello? Kirkland speaking," the Brit said. As the speaker on the other end spoke, Arthur's features fell with each word. "What do you mean he's been injured," he said flatly. It was more of a statement than a question. The other line's voice continued. Arthur flung the phone down and sprinted out of his London home. He sped in the car all the way to the hospital.
Everything that happened after he arrived was a blur. The doctors had told him that Lovino was selling produce on the streets like normal when a group of children came running passed him knocking some of the apples into the road. Lovino yelled at them and when he went to retrieve the fruits, a semi crashed straight into him.
Arthur was remembering the moment the doctors told him Lovino would be hospitalized for a while all too clearly. The Brit's hand shakily wandered over to the Italian's and placed it atop Lovino's. Lovino's faraway gaze slowly drifted to meet Arthur's stunning green eyes. The Italian's hand adjusted under Arthur's so that their fingers were laced together like a puzzle piece. The two of them just stared at the other, feeling nothing but love as they gazed.
Arthur was snapped out of his temporary trance when the heart monitor began to slowly decrease. He looked back at the Italian man to see him gasping for air and the hand in his own tightened.
"Lovino. Lovino! No, don't go yet, love… ANTONIO! Where the hell is that Spanish bastard?!" Arthur screamed for Lovino's long-time caretaker, but Antonio never arrived. Arthur knew Lovino could leave anytime now and be rid of this dreadful world, leaving behind memories and loved ones. Arthur didn't want that to happen, not just yet. He wanted to keep Lovino on the Earth for as long as the sick man could manage. The heart monitor was beeping rapidly now as Lovino struggled to hold on. Gripping the hand in his own, Arthur placed a hand gently on the Italian's chest, directly over where his heart was located. He could feel the rapid beating of Lovino's heart, trying it's hardest to ensure life. He could feel Lovino's breathing; it was ragged and wheezing, contaminating the air swirling around them with dissipating life.
Arthur couldn't think straight at that point. If this was the last he felt of Lovino's breathing, a warm hand in his own, and love from another, then how would he carry on with life? It would have no point anymore without someone to love.
A fresh pool of tears flooded out of green irises and onto Lovino's arm. The Italian wearily turned his head to see Arthur sobbing uncontrollably.
"Arthur…?" he said.
"Y-Yeah?" Arthur replied with tears still freely flowing.
"T-Ti a-a-amo…!" Lovino breathed with one last smile at his lover. All at once, the heart monitor that sounded as if it were a racecar, took a short pause; then let out one monotonous beep. Arthur's eyes went wide.
"Lovino?! Lovi! W-Wake up!" But Arthur's efforts were all in vain. "LOVINO!" he screamed to the heavens, accenting the o in his lifeless lover's name, straining his vocal cords to the brink of snapping. "Why…? Why did you leave me, damn it all!" he shouted, standing in a fit of rage and slamming his fist into the side of a wall. He pathetically rested his head against where he had punched, crying endless tears and cries of despair. "I love you so much…" After that final word, a distant beep could be heard; the monitor was working again.
"Lovino?!" he immediately rushed to his lover's bedside once more. A pause. Lovino soon came back from the dead, gasping for air as if someone had just dunked his head underwater.
"Arthur…?" he said after regaining strength in his voice. The Brit could only stare in shock; It was a miracle. A winter miracle.
Lovino had no time to react as Arthur acted out of his character and lifted the Italian's chest in his arms and planting kisses all over the Italian's face, finally landing on his lips in the most desperate kiss he had ever initiated. Lovino's mouth molded with Arthur's, fiercely pressing back. Lovino drew in breaths from his nostrils as all their love and emotion came pouring out of one strong embrace.
Lovino finally broke the kiss, staring deeply into Arthur's eyes. "I missed you, bastard," he said smiling playfully.
"Never leave me again," Arthur said with tears of joy.
"Never," Lovino promised. "Oh, and by the way, this is not my last snowfall," he claimed staring at the flurry rising outside his window.
Wow. That was... Intense. Written for Geeres, hope you liked it! And Merry Christmas~