Title: A Turn in Events
Author: PowerHouseoftheCell
Summary: ONESHOT. High School AU. When Antonio first meets Lovino.
Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia in any way, shape, or form.
Author's Note: This was just from a Valentine's Day exchange thing. It's not really a pairing in this though. Yet.
Antonio Fernandez Carriedo was having a Very Bad Day.
It had started this morning, when he woke up ten minutes before school started. In his rush to get to school, he had forgotten his math homework for the eighth time this month. Last time his teacher had warned him that if he forgot it again, he would get a detention.
Once he got to school (he was still fifteen minutes late), his English teacher had given him detention for 'disrupting the class.' His best friends, Francis and Gilbert, had then teased him the entire class period before telling him that they wouldn't be there for lunch.
Two classes later, he had been held back after class to 'discuss his abysmal test scores and see where you can improve.' He didn't even know what abysmal meant!
And right now, he was late for lunch and it was churro day. Even his ever-present cheerful smile was beginning to get a bit strained. But all these bad events meant something really great would happen next, right?
Antonio looked down at the lunch line, almost frowning when he saw most of the food was gone. All that was left was the salad bar, which was full of limp lettuce and small cherry tomatoes. At least there were tomatoes! He smiled, feeling much better already.
His grin faltered once he realized he didn't know where he could sit. Usually, the Bad Touch Trio (as they had infamously come to be known in this school) was guaranteed a place at the table in the center, but it was full today. As were the rest of the tables. Except for one.
In the back left corner, there was an almost empty table with only four people there. His smile returned full force, effectively stunning the table next to him.
He hummed under his breath and made his way over there, the sunlight glinting off of his teeth. The entire cafeteria began to stare as he neared it, and whispers erupted amongst the teenagers.
(Except for one group, that is. Two blonds were arguing over a plate of burnt rocks. Or, as one insisted, crumpets. But that was beside the point.)
The group of four stared at him as plopped his tray down on the opposite side of the rectangular table. He smiled on, oblivious.
"Hello! I hope you don't mind if I sit here. My name's Antonio, but you can call me Toni." He stuck out his hand expectantly, and the group moved their stare to his hand. He waited a beat, and when no one took his hand, he began to stand up again. "Of course, I can move…"
"No, it's fine." A blond said quietly.
Antonio grinned and sat down fully, picking up his plate. When silence reigned the cafeteria, he started a conversation amiably. "So, you know me, but I don't know you. What're your names?"
This seemed to trigger a honey-brown haired boy on the left. "Ve, it's nice to meet you! Sorry if you seemed unwelcome at first, we're just not used to getting visitors! You're definitely welcome! I'm Feli, and this is Luddy," he pointed to the blond, "Kiku," he pointed to the raven-haired boy, who nodded politely, "and my fratello, Lovi!" He pointed to the brunet on his left. "Fratello and I look alike, but we're really not all that alike at all! See, he has dark hair and his curl is on the right, and I have it on my left! He's also a little bit more grumpy than me, not that that's a bad thing! In fact, this one time-" Antonio's eyes widened, thrown off by the sudden switch from silence to chatter.
"It's Lovino to you, bastard." He swung his gaze to the left, where the other brunet was.
"Sorry?"
"I said, it's Lovino, bastard. Veneziano shortened it." Lovi-call-me-Lovino trained a glare at him, but the effects rolled off of him.
Antonio smiled wider. "I prefer Lovi though! I think I'll call you that!" Red built up on Lovi's face, and he opened his mouth wide, his eyes burning. However, he stopped when the raven haired teen put a hand on his arm.
"Be polite to Carriedo-san. I don't believe he means any harm. He seems much like Alfred-kun." Kiku said placidly. The anger disappeared from Lovino's face.
"Che. Let's hope he doesn't have the hamburger-bastard's taste in food." Lovi stared at Antonio's plate. "Never mind. With that food, I know he does." He took a bite of the tomato in his hand. It was a gorgeous specimen, plump and juicy with no visible faults.
"You wouldn't, by any chance, have any more tomatoes, would you?" He asked hopefully, staring longingly at the red sphere.
Lovi waited a couple of beats and grimaced to himself. "I do."
"Can I please have one? Please?"
His grimace deepened and he swallowed, looking almost visibly pained. "Since I pity you and your ridiculous trash heap they call a salad. I…will…give you…a…tomato." He gritted the words out and reached into a paper bag by his feet. He pulled out one tomato and cringed, shakily holding it out to him. Feli suddenly stopped talking, mid-tirade. He reached out a consoling hand and patted Lovi's arm, murmuring, "You did the right thing," before launching right back into a speech about pasta.
Antonio snatched it quickly and said a quick prayer of thanks. He carefully took a small bite, his teeth sinking into the soft red skin. Juice exploded out onto his taste buds, immersing them. Antonio let out a soft moan of joy, savoring the flavor. Lovi colored an adorable pink with embarrassment.
"Ch-chigi! It's good, but you didn't have to make that noise, you b-bastard!" he shouted out, his face now bright red. Antonio stared at him dumbly over the food. Then he started to laugh.
"I didn't know someone could yell that loud, Lovi!" Antonio smiled wider than he ever had before, momentarily blinding everyone else.
"Sh-shut up! And I told you to call me Lovino!"
Antonio decided that this really was a Very Good Day.
