Folding his arms stubbornly over his chest, the teen stared at the road ahead, pretending he couldn't see the amused smile on his mother's lips out the corner of his eye. "I don't see why I have to go, it's not like he ever comes to any of my exhibitions." He huffed, letting out a small yelp as she took one hand off the steering wheel to ruffle up his hair. "Hey! I just styled this!" He pouted and worked on smoothing out his hair as his mother laughed.
"Oh my little Cucciolo, your padre is a busy man." She reminded him gently as she returned her hand to the steering wheel, eyes never once leaving the road.
"Not when it comes to his precious Feliciano…" He muttered under his breath looking out the window to his side now.
"Lovino, now that's not fair. Their schedule's just fit better, he does try to support you too." She spoke gently, still focused on the road, a frown on her gentle lips.
"No he doesn't." Lovino couldn't help but snap at his mother, turning back to face her with a glare. "He doesn't give a fu…. Damn about me. It's all about Feli." Even in his anger he stopped himself swearing, he would never, could never swear at his mother. She sighed gently and reached a hand over to him, gently touching his arm.
"He loves you Lovino, I promise you; he does." When she could see her son still glaring she sighed in defeat. "Do this for me and Feliciano then. It's a meal as a family, please try and enjoy it for our sakes." At her words Lovino's resolve visibly softened, yet he still huffed before slumping back into his seat.
"Fine, for you and fartello, not for him." He muttered and she smiled brightly, squeezing his arm before returning it to the steering wheel once more.
"Grazie Cucciolo." She smiled happily, content that the evening would go better now.
Lovino rolled his eyes and went back to watching the road in front of them, letting himself get lost in the world around him. Listening to the familiar sound of his mother singing quietly, something she always did to fill the silence. A gentle tune, an Italian song she sung to him and his brother as babies. Their favourite lullaby and her favourite song. He couldn't help but let his eyes slip closed as he listened, all his previous anger and annoyance melting away, leaving him calm and content to sit there listening to her sing.
A loud squealing filled the air causing Lovino to flinch and open his eyes just as his mother stopped singing. Her gentle soothing voice replaced by a scream as she slammed on the breaks. Lorry headlights flooding her side of the car. It was too late.
The lorry smashed into the side of the car with a loud crash, jolting the two occupants to the side, Lovino's head smashing against the window beside him. His vison turned blurry. His mother fell limp against her seatbelt, glass littering her side. Another bang and screech filled the air as the car smashed into a tree on the other side. Crushing between the lorry and tree. His mother jolted again with the second impact a crack and snapping sounding as her forehead smashed against the bowing metal beside her. Lovino jolted the seatbelt catching his waist as he was yanked to the other side another snap filled the air along with a scream, drowned by the groans of the metal before silence fell.
A steady beeping filled the room Lovino lay in. His body lax on the white bed. His brown hair matt and dull against the pillow and his head, his once flawless tan skin now mottled with purple bruises and white bandages. At his side sat a similar boy, the same complexion and hair, uninjured and sobbing. Holding his twins hand, pressing his forehead against the back of the others hand.
"Wake up… please fratello wake up…" he spoke weakly as he sobbed. It had been two days now since the crash and the boy had yet to awake and he had yet to leave the room, spending every moment he could at his brothers side. "Please… You can't leave me too fratello, please." He didn't stop his tears as he spoke to his unconscious twin. Sitting up slowly he brushed his fingers through his brothers hair and kissed his forehead, like their mother used to do when putting them to bed and started to sing gently. The same tune their mother always sang to them, the same tune she sang in the car. Tears streaming down his face as he sang.
The room hardly changed for three more days, Lovino laying on the bed, unconscious while Feliciano stayed faithfully at his side. Singing to him once each hour, with hopes it would help wake him up. Slowly as the sun was setting Lovino's eyes opened. Then closed again. Slowly opening again and closing after as he struggled to push the unconsciousness from his body. He tried lifting his hands to press on his eyes but found only one could move. Blurrily looking down he saw a mop of brown hair resting on his hand, sleeping on him. Letting his eyes close again for a second before he kept pushing, kept forcing his eyes open.
Once he could keep his eyes open he looked down again, eyes settling on his sleeping twin, he could feel the fine tremor running through his body, could feel the tears dripping onto the back of his hand. Slowly lifting his other hand he brought it up, pausing to inspect the IV stuck in the back of his hand before gently touching Lovino's head. Opening his mouth to speak, to wake the other out all that came out was a wheeze. It was enough. Feliciano shot up, tear stained face and puffy red eyes staring wide eyed at his twin. "Lovino…" He breathed out, quiet at first, blinking to make sure he wasn't dreaming before darting forward, wrapping his arms around his twin. "Lovino! You're awake! Oh grazie dio!" Lovino couldn't help the grunt of hair as his brother hugged him prompting the other to let go and return to holding his hand. "Oh fratello, I thought you'd never wake up!" He cried, holding his hand tight. Lovino rolled his eyes and reached out to touch the side of his face gently.
"You're the one who sleeps too much." He wheezed out getting a sobbing laugh from Feliciano who hugged his brother's hand to his chest and leant into the touch on his cheek.
Reluctantly Feliciano let himself be ushered aside as a doctor and nurse came into the room to check on the awakened Lovino. Lovino let himself zone out as they bustled about and checked his vitals. He didn't care for what they were doing and just wanted to talk to his brother or sleep. He was starting to doze off when his name was called out. "Mr Vargas…. Lovino?" Lovino slowly looked to the doctors with a frown, he didn't like the grave look on the doctors face one bit.
"Mr Vargas, I'm afraid we have some bad news." He started, trying to be gentle and Lovino glared, resisting the urge to tell him to get on with it. "The crash snapped your spinal cord in your lower back… You're paraplegic; that is paralyzed from the waist down." He watched Lovino carefully for a response as he spoke.
Slowly Lovino's eyes widened and his breathing sped up, panic gripped him as he began to struggle, trying desperately to move his legs even though he could not. Feliciano was led from the room as his brother went into shock. Struggling, tugging at the IV and pulling at many wounds. Whilst they worked to stabilize him Lovino slipped back under, unconscious from the hyperventilating.
When Lovino next came too it was to the sound of a familiar lullaby, sung by a gentle male voice, he rolled his head to the side to see his brother at his side, singing to him, crying once again.