The air was poisoned with the stench of bombs and war that had finally come to an end. The sky was stained red like the blood of all the lives lost in the years of struggling and depression that had passed by. People danced and rejoiced in the streets as their lovers came home to embrace them. A man hugging his wife who he left behind, children embracing their mamas that they had lost. Everything seemed perfectly normal and it was.

But not for Lovino. The Italian sighed as he looked down at the people. He was thankful the war was over and that Hitler had been defeated, but he was not happy with his choices. The now twenty-year-old man regretted his actions two years prior. He let the one person he loved get away and they most likely wouldn't come back. He did tell him not to after all.

It was a horrible mistake, he told the only gay man he would ever love to go away. It truly showed how selfish and stupid he could be. Lovino twirled a rose from the bush planted those two years prior with his fingers before letting it drop to the streets where people who had someone to love danced.

"You always had to be the hero, didn't you, Antonio? So damn dramatic," Lovino scoffed as he pushed himself from the railing.

How he wished to speak to somebody about how he felt, but his sister had fled when the war started and his Nonno died not knowing of his grandson's secret. He had nobody that understood his pain.

All Lovino could do was look out the window and try not to cry as he realized he let the most precious gem in the world leave his grasp.

-Two Years Before-

"You see, Lovino, the world can be beautiful even when it suffers," Antonio smiled as he patted the soil around the rose bush he planted as a parting gift for Lovino. He would be leaving the next day to attempt to fight with the Resistance.

Lovino thought he was insane.

"Yeah, but I don't think the world is as dramatic as you, even in war," Lovino's lips curled into a small smile as he picked a tomato from the plant Antonio brought as a gift to the Vargas family when he first arrived.

Antonio laughed and stood up, putting a rose in his mouth, a playful glitter in his eyes, "I'm not dramatic, I'm passionate."

Confused, Lovino raised an eyebrow at the Spanish man who was slowly taking steps closer to him. It finally hit the Italian, and he went pink as Antonio took him by the hand and started to spin him.

"Antonio! Stop that you idiot," Lovino cried out.

Antonio did stop, but holding Lovino close to him, "You said that in my tongue."

It finally occurred to Lovino that he indeed had said it in Spanish. When Antonio first came, his Italian sucked, so Lovino agreed to learn Spanish to make him look like less of an idiot. He never used it since they normally spoke in Italian, but Lovino finally realized he had indeed said his sentence in Spanish.

"S-So? Don't flatter yourself, dick face. I told you I would learn Spanish while you were learning Italian."

Antonio let out a chuckle and looked deep into Lovino's eyes causing the Italian to blush and squirm, "Such a potty mouth. Maybe I can fix that."

Before Lovino knew what was happening, Antonio's lips were pressed firmly against his. How he wanted to return the action and show Antonio that he cared, but he couldn't. He refused to. He knew Antonio was now getting embarrassed and flustered. He knew that the Spaniard was practically begging him to kiss back. He knew that Antonio was screaming for Lovino to love him, but he couldn't.

As a catholic with a strict 'no gay' policy, he simply could not admit that he was in love with Antonio Fernandez-Carriedo. Not wanting to play with the Spaniard's emotions anymore, Lovino pushed him away.

"Lovino I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to force you into that," Antonio apologized, hiding the heartbreak and despair in his voice.

"Don't just, don't, Antonio. Did you think I was like you? I'm Catholic and I have a religion to stick to! I'm not sure what made you think I could ever love a man, but you best remove that vile thought from your head. I never have and never will love a man. That's disgusting and you're insane. Although, I should have known that when you first came here blasting the ideas of war into my Grandpa's mind," he bitterly spat, pushing Antonio away and running to his room upstairs.

All he heard after that was his grandfather talking to Antonio about something and Antonio nodding with his head down. Lovino watched secretly and felt guilty for making Antonio receive a lecture from his Nonno.

The next day, when Lovino woke, ready to talk to Antonio for the last time, he discovered the Spaniard had left the night before. The Italian cried for hours on end in regret of what he chose. He rejected Antonio despite the fact that kissing the Spaniard was all that he had thought about the entire time that he had stayed with him. His dispute led to Antonio leaving without saying goodbye.

Lovino continued to cry and he twirled a rose in his fingers, Antonio being the only thing that graced his mind.

Lovino sighed and walked down his stairs, the events of the passing years flickering in his mind. His grandfather who looked so young, passing away, his sister coming back claiming she found love (much to Lovino's disapproval), the attacks, and the war finally ending.

Walking out towards the rose bush that was planted right next to the tomato plant, Lovino continued to go over these memories. It was a bittersweet time for him. Walking out, Lovino saw that his tomato plant once again got tangled in the rose bush.

His lips curved into a small grin, "You two are inseparable, aren't you?"

The Italian man sat down and began to untangle them as he whistled a tune, "I used to be that way with someone. A stupid Spaniard that never quit. He had brown locks that looked like waves of chocolate flowing down a face of olive complexion. It was like he bathed in olive oil, and his eyes were greener than the pastures out here. He was also tall, too damn tall. He made me feel like an elf. And that name, it was ridiculous, but then again, it fit him perfectly. Stupid Spaniard."

Antonio finished untangling the plants and wiped the sweat from his brow. The heat was unbearable. The world had been baked for years and was now finally getting it's chance to cool down. Lovino looked at the rose bush and broke down in tears.

"Dammit, Antonio! Why the fuck did you do this to me? Why did you make me this way you stupid tomato head!"

Lovino slammed his fists on the ground and cried as he looked up at the sky. Antonio left and he would never come back. If he was alive, he was lucky. Why didn't he kiss back? Why didn't he tell Antonio he loved him? Why was he so foolish those two years before?

Why did he let Antonio go?

Wiping his tears, Lovino stood up and picked a rose and tomato. It was something he had begun to do every day since Antonio left. He left a note with a single rose and tomato that read:

If you found this and you're a dumbass named Antonio Fernandez-Carriedo, ciao bastard. How are you?

~Lovino Vargas

Lovino tied the note around the rose stem and walked over to pick up the old rose and tomato note he had left. However, now reaching the little wall, he noticed it was gone, the only thing left was the note. The Italian cursed, blaming dishonest people as he reached to pick up the note.

Placing the new ones down, Lovino looked at the note confused seeing it did not look damaged or weathered. Opening it his heart seemed to stop.

Hola Lovino, I'm fine, and you?

Looking around, Lovino searched for Antonio in hopes of his Spaniard but he saw nothing. He could only glance down at the paper and smile. It was something. The Italian walked back home.

"I'm fine as well, Tonio. It's a big lonely without you, though, I miss you, you turtle dork," Lovino tucked the note away, looking up.

Everything stopped. He expected many things when he came home, tomatoes, his sister, maybe even his old friends, but not Antonio. However, there he was, standing there with his hands in his pockets and a smile on his face. Lovino covered his mouth in disbelief as the tears collected once more, but this time, they were joyful.

"Well well, I never thought I'd hear those words grace Lovino Vargas' tongue," Antonio teased.

"Shut up, you moron," Lovino smiled as he ran forward and wrapped his arms around the Spaniard. Tears poured down his face as he stood there in Antonio's arms. The Italian was sobbing like a small child and at this point, he didn't care. He had Antonio.

Antonio held Lovino close. When he realized that the Italian was crying, he wiped his tears, "Shh, don't cry, it's okay, it's okay."

"Why did you leave like that? I cried for hours you dick ass," Lovino sniffed as he clung onto Antonio like his life depended on it.

Antonio pressed his head against the shorter male's and laughed through his tears, "You told me I was insane and you pushed me away. I assumed you didn't want to see my face ever again."

"You're a dumbass, a big dumbass. You're a jerk, a turtle dork, a tomato head, and-and-and you left me here," Lovino sobbed as he held onto Antonio.

Antonio smiled and lifted Lovino's chin up, "Lo siento, but Lovino, the war is won. It's over! No more war."

The Italian nodded and pulled from the hug. He held Antonio's hand in his own and looked up at the Spaniard. He wore a white shirt with a black tie and brown pants. Of course, he would still manage to look as handsome as ever.

Antonio opened his mouth to speak, but impatient Lovino didn't want to wait anymore. He waited two years for this. Seven hundred thirty days he waited for this. Seventeen-thousand-five-hundred-twenty hours of sorrow and despair. Now he had him, Lovino being small compared to Antonio, pulled the Spaniard by the tie and kissed him. Surprised, Antonio pulled away quickly, not sure of what was happening. Although, he had to admit being kissed was nice.

"What's with the sudden kiss-"

"Baciami, stupido," Lovino growled, pulling Antonio back in, locking their lips together. Of course, Antonio did not protest, he was enjoying this. He wrapped his arms around him and Lovino hugged the taller male's neck. Their kiss was passionate and fiery. Two years of waiting, released into this single action.

It didn't matter that they were both in the field where anyone could see them, or that Lovino had rejected all of his years of religion, or that Antonio was most likely not staying long since Italy was not his home, Lovino had Antonio, and this time, he wasn't letting him go.