I sighed and looked down at my hands. Feliciano made a bet with me that I wouldn't be able to escape from a Chinese finger trap and boy was I wrong. No matter how hard I tugged either finger, it wouldn't budge. Long story short, I had to ask the tomato bastard for help. That was the last thing I wanted, especially because things have been weirder between us.
Long story short, we both (mostly Tonio), have been showing a little more affection than what friends would call normal. It was strange, but I didn't really mind it...
It was normal for us to sleep in the same bed when we slept at the other's house. We've been doing it since we met in first grade. However, lately we've been waking up in each other's arms which did strike as odd. I did get annoyed with him easily, and I did curse at him a lot more than necessary, but I didn't hate him.
I might kinda... Like him.
Shit.
Especially when he calls me by that ridiculous nickname. No one else calls me Lovi except him which means no one else can call me that now. It's the bastardos trademark name for me and it wouldn't be nice to take that away from him! Feli tried, but that didn't last long after I yelled at him to knock it off. That only resulted in my brother teasing me that I liked Antonio.
Well, he wasn't wrong.
But there was no way in hell I was going to admit that to him.
Anyway, I made my way to Antonio's house (which was conveniently right next door), and let myself in. Being best friends with someone gave you special rights. I didn't hear any footsteps coming downstairs (it normally happens when I come into the house) so I assumed he was out back tending to his garden.
I walked to the patio door and thanked the gods that it was already open. It would have been a pain in the ass trying to slide it open in my state. I never knew how much I relied on my index fingers until now. I heard humming to my right and followed it.
After adventuring through tall sunflowers and small bushes I saw the bastard on his knees with his shirt off tending to some strawberry plants. His back was muscular from years of hard work, soccer, and various other things that involved making his body more toned. I walked up behind him and surprisingly I didn't get a single reaction. The damn idiot was so oblivious, I was surprised he survived with having friends like Francis and Gilbert.
"Hey, Toni," I called out, tapping his back with my bare feet. His reaction was to jump and swing around with that ever present sunny smile of his. Damn, he was the only person who could really blind someone with their smile.
His green eyes sparkled as he looked up at me. "Lovi! What are you doing here?" Antonio stood up and went to hug me, but I protested, saying that I didn't want his sweat on me. Which was true, but I wouldn't have minded a hug.
I like this bastard so much that I'm beginning to sound like some love struck teenager.
"Well, Feliciano said that I couldn't get myself out of a Chinese finger trap, and so I took up the challenge and yeah..." I trailed off and looked down at my trapped fingers. Ugh, the California sun was making my index fingers all sweaty within the trap. It was disgusting.
Antonio looked at my fingers in amusement and brushed his dark curls out of his face. "I cannot believe you fell for it," he giggled, emerald eyes looking back at my hazel ones.
"What do you mean, bastard? Were you behind this?!"
"I'm pretty sure you already know that, Lovi," he hummed, looking at me with mischief.
"You're an asshole," I hissed, my anger starting to boil. "What do I have to do to get out of this damn trap? My fingers are sweaty and it's absolutely disgusting."
There was a hum as the sun kissed Spaniard turned around and started walking towards his tomato plants. "Well I'll help you out on one condition."
I followed him and debated whether or not I should trip him somehow.
He suddenly turned around, making me almost bump into him. "Just spit it out already you idiota!" When I get angry, I start talking in Italian. It's a nasty habit I was not willing to break. It was always amusing watching people trying to understand my rapid Italian. They normally looked at me in confusion, and sometimes I was just saying random sentences with an angry voice.
My best friend (who is a huge ass jerk) leaned closer to me with a grin. "I'll only let you out of the trap if you kiss me."
I looked at him with confusion. What? Did I hear that correctly? I looked at him like he grew another head. "I beg your pardon."
"I'm sure you heard me correctly."
My face turned red and I wish I could blame it because it was hot outside. I looked into his eyes to see if he was serious. There was no wavering in his gaze, instead there was determination. I opened my mouth to say something but decided against it. Instead I used my defense mechanism. "Why the hell would I want to kiss you? I can always ask nono for help," I spat. However, I didn't make a move to go back to my house.
It's not like I wanted to kiss him. He was an annoying bastard who never left me alone. Although he was my best friend, I did not want to get any closer to him.
Honestly it scared me.
Why would this sunny bastard fancy me? I was a foul mouthed, short tempered Italian who has been nothing but mean to him. Yeah, he has tolerated me for years, but I feel like he wouldn't want to deal with me in a romantic sense. I was clingy and my self confidence was not that pleasant. After awhile Antonio wouldn't want to deal with that.
I would rather stay as his best friend because then I would still get to see him. Yeah, we would never take the full step to being a couple, but that was okay. We didn't need that to be happy. Right?
The hurt look on Antonio didn't make me so sure. He was normally used to my protests to anything but he seemed hurt by this. It irked me. Antonio was normally sunny and it was rare for him to be upset. I sighed in defeat. "Why?"
He tilted his head to the side like a puppy. I rolled my eyes and gave him an annoyed look. "Why do you want to kiss me?" My voice was barely a whisper.
The bastard blushed and broke our eye contact. "B-because I like you, Lovi." I gaped at the Spaniard in front of me. "That's why. I asked Feliciano to set this up for me and told him and your grandpa not to help you in hopes that you'd go to me for help."
"You could have done this a better way," I said and motioned to my trapped fingers. "I mean, did you really have to make the situation so annoying?"
If you haven't realized yet, I haven't really turned him down. Antonio noticed too because he leaned his head just a bit closer. Our noses were half an inch apart. I could smell him. He smelled like gardening soil and sunshine and sweat. It was honestly very enticing.
"Will you let me kiss you?" His emerald eyes never left mine. I hesitantly nodded with a blush dusting my cheeks. I've kissed people before, and they were all pleasant, but this was completely different. I was about to kiss my best friend.
Antonio smiled and leaned in closer so our noses touched but then he stopped. I frowned at the sudden lack of progress.
"You were all for it earlier. Why are you scared to do it now?" I huffed. I was getting impatient.
"Sorry, Lovi." Then he closed the gap between us.
The kiss wasn't how I expected it to be. I mean, I knew it was going to be more pleasant than the other kisses I've been involved in because I was really into Antonio, but damn.
It was slow and passionate, which seemed just like Tonio since he always flaunted that Spain was the country of passion. His lips were chapped but it didn't bother me so much, the only thing that was disappointing was the fact that I couldn't tangle my hands in his dark curls. I pulled back just slightly and pushed my trapped fingers into his hard abdomen.
A low chuckle escaped him as he easily took it off, but then he went right back to business. I swear, he has a one track mind. After sweet pecks, I tugged on his hair just slightly. I wanted him to kiss me even more. Antonio's hands tightened around my waist (I hadn't even noticed they went there) and pressed his tongue just lightly against my lips. I obeyed immediately and I would be lying if I say I didn't sigh when our tongues rubbed against each other's.
We kissed until our lips were swollen and we needed air. I opened my eyes slowly, trying to will myself to look at the man who stole my heart without looking starry eyed. His cheeks were pink but the smile on his face was different. It was a smile I had never seen before and it practically made me swoon.
He pressed his forehead to mine and hummed in satisfaction. I shyly bumped noses with him and gave him a small smile. "Tonio?"
"Yes, Lovi?"
My lips gently pressed against the tip of his nose quickly. "How long have you felt this way?" I knew that I would have to tell him as well but I didn't want to be the first one to explain my sappy feelings.
He pulled back just slightly and sighed with a smile. "Oh Lovi, you're so oblivious."
I bristled and weakly pushed his chest. "I am not!"
"Okay okay, Lovi I'm kidding," he laughed, wrapping his arms around my waist again. "Let's see... It was probably when we were in the middle of our sophomore year. I mean, I knew you were special to me and that I wanted to be by your side, but during winter break when I was in España, it hit me pretty hard." He smiled down at me and my heart skipped a beat. "My feelings for you kept on growing but I was too much of a coward to do anything about it. I talked to Feli and with his help we came up with this plan. I didn't really expect you to fall for it though~"
"Shut up, bastard."
"So, how did you figure out you had feelings for me?"
"Ugh, I guess I'll tell you." This response earned me a peck on the cheek. "I guess I've always liked you but it didn't really hit me until the beginning of this year. I thought I was lonely or something, but obviously I was wrong. Dating other people did jack shit." My gaze went back up to Antonio and the bastard was looking at me in awe.
What the fuck?
I puffed my cheeks and glared at him but he still didn't say anything. I was about to shout profanities at him but he scooped me up and started rubbing his face against my cheek.
"Oh Lovi that's so sweet! I'm so happy that you felt incomplete without me!"
Now that just sounded terrible. "Shut up! What the hell is wrong with you?"
Antonio giggled and put me down on the ground. "Nothing, Lovinito." We looked at each other again and it was completely silent. I couldn't even hear birds singing. "Care to go inside?"
"Yeah sure. We ca - hey what the fuck?!" I yelled at him as he picked me up. Bridal style. Who did he think he was?!
The happy Spaniard carried me inside the house with that goofy grin of his. "Of course. We can kiss all day and take a siesta and kiss some more!"
"That's not what I was going to say, bastardo!"