A/N- Hi! This is a Spamano one-shot. Real names are used!
The Tree And The Flower
"Lovino, what does this say in your exam pad?"
He was running away again, far from his life, far from his problems. He ran so far that he thought no one would ever catch him even if they tried. He ran because he could. He ran because it was better than staying in one place and facing reality. All he had to face when he ran was a carousel of color as they blur past him. He ran past a boy falling for a man. He ran past his feelings. He ran past rejection.
After all, what's a boy to do? When you've fallen in love with someone who could never love you, the best thing to do was to pick yourself up and run.
If only he had not been so mindless as to write his feelings on a stupid examination pad. He could have overcome his feelings by the time Antonio found out for real. He just had to be an idiot and write something as simple as that on an examination pad no less. Of course his best friend would have seen that, especially since he sits next to him in every single class he has.
He finally stopped when he deemed himself far enough from disaster. An old tree stood proudly before him, most likely Oak. Its wood darkened with age and its exterior filled with wrinkles. The tree looked sad and lonely. Lovino knew how it felt.
He sat under the tree with the huge branches. He felt comfort in the shade. He felt hidden.
Next to him was a flower, growing steadily from the ground. He couldn't tell which type of flower it was, because it wasn't beautiful enough to remember. The flower was all alone. No other flower was near it. Maybe the flower had been rejected too?
Antonio had always been there for Lovino. When he was five and badly wanted an ice-cream, but when he got one it fell, Antonio had gone to the vendor and gotten another one, in a better flavour, in a cup this time.
When Lovino reached his awkward teens, his nose was too big for his body, everyone teased him. Antonio was the one that yelled at everyone for doing that and told Lovino that he was just fine, he found his nose cute.
Lovino's parents died when he turned 15. It was only three years ago. When he was on the verge of suicide, Antonio stopped him and told him that his parents would want to see him in Heaven one day, but for now Antonio didn't want to be without him.
Feliciano told him that he hated him because of the mean things he did. He even went so far as to go live with his boyfriend, Ludwig. When Lovino sat in their house, all alone, Antonio had offered to stay with him for a while. That stay lasted for four months before Antonio's mother asked him to come back home because she misses him. That didn't stop Antonio from occasionally staying over and seeing Lovino every day.
He fell for a girl when he was 17. Her name was Femke. After Antonio helped him plan a date for months, he finally asked her out. She flat out rejected him because she thought he was gay for Antonio, and she didn't want to be a part of his jealousy game. Antonio thought she was stupid, but Lovino started seeing the truth in her words. He feigned being hurt for a week just so Antonio would spend more time with him.
They went to junior prom together because Lovino couldn't find a date and Antonio agreed to go with him as friends. Antonio didn't see Lovino beaming when he showed up in a tuxedo at his house one night, looking a bit sexier than usual.
Lovino realised that he fell in love with his best friend when it was too late. At first he was appalled by the idea, but then he slowly started hinting at his feelings. He even went so far as to sneak flowers into Antonio's room one night and then pretending that he knew nothing when he came over for a visit later.
Lovino also realised that he could never love Antonio the way he actually does. When his brother left him, he noticed that everyone shied away from him. He noticed that he was a little more antisocial than the rest. He noticed that he just hurts people when he wants to help them. He never wanted to hurt Antonio. Thus he didn't want Antonio to know that he loves him, because he didn't want Antonio to feel sorry for him and stay with him when he doesn't deserve it.
But then again... Antonio had always stayed with him, no matter what. Maybe this time wouldn't be different? Maybe Antonio would learn to love Lovino as much as he loves Antonio?
He looked at the ugly, lonesome flower next to him. He looked up at the lonely, wise and protective tree around him. The flower and the tree both were not lonely, he noticed. They had each other. They stuck together even though they're different. The flower kept the tree company and the tree protected the flower from getting hurt.
He was running again, but not from a problem this time. His life blurred past him and all he saw were the good things. He saw himself slowly falling in love with his best friend. He saw his best friend accepting him. He saw the caring in his bright green eyes. He knew that it had not only been caring in his eyes now.
He neared a boy sitting on the steps of the school, right where he left him. He saw him clutching an exam pad with only a few words on it, scribbled repeatedly.
He stopped in front of the boy and took a moment to catch his breath before snatching the pad from those beautiful hands. Antonio looked up surprised.
Lovino took a deep breath.
This was it, this was what he should have ran towards.
"I know I shouldn't, and I know I don't deserve it, but I love you, you bastard. I live you with everything I have and I'll love you even if you reject me. I hope you love me too because I can't stand running away from you anymore!"
He shouted the words that stood on the exam pad, and looked away afterwards, but refusing to run.
His face was grabbed by the softest hands he had come to know. He faced those beautiful eyes once more.
"You deserve it, because I love you too." He simply said.
They both smiled. The tree and the flower were happy.
They were loved.