"You have to be fucking kidding me." His accented voice floated across the room and seemingly reached the blonde man who was laying on the couch, which was easily detectable by the way that his green eyes flickering over in the direction of Lovino. Arthur looked confused, the television faintly playing behind them as he turned his focus away from the movie that was playing and allowed it to land on the brunet who had just walked through the door.

"... What…?" The Englishman said hesitantly, unsure. His green eyes reflected that feeling, their depths swirling with color.

"You're watching Harry Potter again." Lovino said exasperatedly, and as he turned to close the door behind him. He heard a noise escape the throat of the other man in the room and Arthur's defense-o-meter was suddenly turned all the way up. Then there was a thump as said blonde fell off the couch. Lovino looked up from untying his shoes with an amused expression on his face and a soft smile curling up at the edges of his lips.

"Nice one,"

"You know what? Go fuck yourself."

"Mm, I'd rather fuck you." There was spluttering noise coming from Arthur's side of the room and when the brunet kicked off his shoes and looked back up the Englishman's usually pale features were lit up like a torch. Lovino grinned wickedly. "Now get off your lazy ass and do something. I think the dishes need to be done."

It was a few moments before Arthur regained at least a little bit of composure and, obviously still in a flustered state, the Englishman reached up and snatched the remote. He leaned over and clicked the off button, Tom Felton's face disappearing in a matter of moments. Lovino made a move to take of his jacket as the blonde rolled to his feet and started to head towards the direction of the kitchen.

Arthur paused and leaned forwards, pecking Lovino's lips with soft lips of his own that always reminded Lovino of a warm autumn day. The Englishman murmured him a quiet reminder against his lips before pulling away and disappearing into the kitchen.

"Love you,"

Lovino ruffled through the various papers on his desk, hazel eyes downturned as he thought quietly. A frown pulled down at his lips and his cheeks were sunken. There were dark bags beneath his eyes due to the hours of sleep that had slipped out of his fingers like water. He hadn't been able to sleep recently. He looked up at the clock. Half-past one. He sighed.

Picking up his pen again, he tapped the end against his chin. He hadn't been able to get work done recently, too many things on his mind. Lovino wanted to laugh. Too many things on his mind.

A heavy, shuddering breath fell out of his mouth. He needed a break. Lovino stood up. The chair harshly squeaked against the tile floors of his office and he shut his laptop with a bang. He turned on his heel and ran a hand through his hair. His shoes clicked on the floors. They echoed like deafening gunshots. Each step just made him a little more deaf. He needed an escape. He needed an escape now.

God.

He couldn't wait to get home.

Lovino was laying in bed, his hand running through the short fur of the cat that was curled up against his side. The speckled tom was purring loudly, the only thing disturbing the steady silence of the room other than his soft breathing. His eyes were softly closed, but the brunet was awake. Just resting his mind. Resting his mind and thinking. The door made a creaking noise. One eye cracked open and Lovino looked over to where a blonde head of hair was poked inside and looking curiously in the direction of his significant other. When he realized that Lovino was awake he stepped the rest of the way in, holding a box of saltine crackers in one hand and using the other to close the door.

"Feeling any better?" The blonde inquired, casting a small, sympathetic smile in Lovino's direction. He sat down on the edge of the bed and quietly patted at their cat's - well, both of them knew that he was more so Arthur's cat but not one of them but the tortoiseshell would acknowledge it out loud - head, before turning and peeling open the top of the box and fishing one of the packets of crackers out. He held it out toward Lovino.

Said Italian grimaced. "I feel like shit." He said, his voice nasally from his clogged up nose. There were another one of those small smiles, meant only for Lovino. The brunet took the packet from him and shimmied up into a sitting position as he tore it open and pulled one of the crackers out. The cat mewled in protest, his head raising as he blinked a pair of scrutinizing green eyes up at his 'other' owner. It was merely a moment before he gave up and rested his head back down on his paws and contentedly went back to snoozing.

"I mean, I could try to cook soup or something, but, uh," Arthur coughed and looked away. Lovino gave him a look that basically told him to do anything but that. "Yeah. Or I can invite your brother over…?"

Lovino groaned. "Don't bring Feliciano into this. He's like a mother when I'm sick. Even if you can't cook-" Arthur made an offended noise "-you're still a hell of a lot better than he is at this. When someone is sick you're not supposed to fucking annoy them." He grumbled.

Arthur was quiet for a moment before he swung his legs up onto the bed and shifted so that he was brushing shoulders with Lovino. Both relaxed a little in the other's presence, Lovino leaning up against Arthur and Arthur leaning up against the pillows behind his back. A comfortable silence hung over their shoulders and the only thing disturbing the couple's peace being the occasional cough coming from Lovino.

"Hey, Arthur…? "

"Yes, Lovino?"

"I feel like shit."

"Go to sleep Lovino, you'll feel better in the morning."

There was a grumble of protest but the Italian's eyes fluttered closed. "G'night, idiot."

"Good night Lovino. Love you."

The only sound that filled the suffocating office was the scratching of his pen against paper. It was consistent, steady, reliable. Lovino knew if he just put the tip down it would drag across the paper and make the same noise. Even if it ran out of ink, it would still make the scratching noises that Lovino had grown to hate. He looked up at the clock.
Five fifty-six. Four more minutes; four more minutes and he would be free. Four more minutes and he could go home. Four more minutes and he could clock out and go home.

He looked back down at the paper, lifting his free hand and rubbing at his eyes. He knew he looked like a mess. His hair was tousled. He had dark bags underneath his eyes. He sat with a slouch. He was tired.

He just couldn't sleep. No matter how hard he tried. Maybe. Maybe tonight he could, though. Perhaps.

He just wanted to get home.

Bright, joyful laughter echoed off the walls and then a thump. "Jesus-!" Lovino shouted, his face split in a wide grin as Arthur struggled to not fall on top of the other but was generally failing.

"Shit, Lovino move!" He yelped, nearly on the ground from where he hang off the bed. Arthur's own face was smiling broadly, his eyes twinkling with something that was a mixture of amusement and worry as he tried not to crush Lovino. The blanket was going to come with him, as he could feel it slipping off the wide bed. As instructed, Lovino shimmied away with a snicker as he watched Arthur basically just let go and he dropped to the ground with a heavy thump and a curse.

"What's with you and falling off things?" Lovino inquired teasingly, rolling back over so he bumped into Arthur's side. The Englishman gave him a flat look, his mouth still curved upward at the edges yet the smile was less intense as before. "I mean, you fall off things basically-"

"Oh, shut up you," Arthur interrupted with a roll of startling green eyes and the blonde leaned in and pressed his lips against Lovino's. It was an efficient way of shutting him up, at least. Like a warm autumn day. It was soft, caring, friendly, but somehow also intense and melancholy, as if it was reminding him that winter was going to come soon. Arthur pulled away after a moment, his breathing soft, sharp. After a moment the blonde's grin lit up with a grin. Lovino's heart fluttered.

"What are you smiling about…?" Lovino said warily, his eyebrows knitting together in the center. Arthur made a noise that could resemble that of a giggle. "Arthur…?"

"Oh! It's nothing, nothing." Arthur paused, his lips stretching upward a little further. At this point, Lovino was honestly convinced that it was trying to touch the clouds. He rarely saw a smile so stunning and genuine as this one coming from Arthur, and honestly, it was a fantastic thing. "Just…"

Arthur gave him a coy look, something rarely seen out of the rather bluntly oblivious Englishman, and Lovino raised an eyebrow. Arthur leaned forward again and kissed him softly, before pulling back and giving Lovino a careful, loving look. "Just that you're beautiful."

Lovino's heart did a backflip.

"You mushy idiot." Arthur made another giggly noise, though this one was more of a laugh. Well that's good.

"I'm your mushy idiot." Lovino looked unimpressed. Arthur gave him a teasing look.

The Italian shook his head, "Jesus fucking Christ." He brought a hand out and slid it behind Arthur's neck, pulling him in for a happily accepted and received kiss. Lovino was positive that at one point Arthur pulled away and said some more extremely romantic stuff that he had been sure he would never hear come out of his lips, but whatever. Whatever it was, he did know that he loved Arthur.

And he was never letting go.

The sound of the car engine spluttered then fell silent. Silence. That was what he heard most of these days. Just, silence. He figured he was used to it by now. Lovino stared out of the windshield for a little while, just sitting there. Staring at the white paneled walls of the house he had pulled up to. His house. He was home.

The brunet eventually exhaled heavily and unbuckled himself, pushing the door open with a shove and dropping onto the solid ground again. He wanted to take his shoes off. Lovino walked up to the door. There was a note taped onto it. His hand fell onto the brass doorknob and he ripped the note off the door, not bothering to read it just yet. The door swung open.

Silence.

Silence enveloped the house like a cold hug. Everything was paused. It was like some ethereal being came in and decided to mute his world. Lovino walked in and shut the door behind him. He leaned down and untied his shoes, kicking them off. He wiggled his toes slightly. Hazel eyes flickered across the all too familiar scenery.

Something flickered in his chest.

Lovino took off his jacket. He hung it on the nearby peg, before quietly entering the kitchen and heading over to the fridge. Last night's dinner. Some fruit. Dressings. Other various condiments. He sighed quietly and leaned in, grabbing an apple out of the basket. He shut the fridge with a bang. He faltered.

The calendar. It was… it was May already? It was May nineteenth. In three days, in three days it would be Arthur's birthday. His breath caught in his throat. Arthur's birthday. Arthur.

Lovino swallowed thickly. He turned away. His was breath shuddering. Arthur. Arthur was gone. He was gone forever. Arthur-

Something fuzzy rubbed against his ankles. Lovino looked down. It was his cat. It- Lovino's throat constricted. He shook it off. It was his cat. Always his. Always. Hazel eyes filled with tears. The brunet shrunk to the ground. Lovino was reaching out to grab hold of the feline. He didn't protest. The tortoiseshell rubbed his head up against Lovino's chin. Purring.

And he cried. Because winter is here, and it's never going away.