Chapter 1

A cold breeze blew in from the open window in Lovino's shared apartment that rattled him to the bone, drawing goosebumps across his skin. If it was up to him, he would have gotten up and shut the window by now, but it wasn't something he could do at the moment.

He shared the one bedroom apartment with his friend and bandmate, Arthur. It was a bit cramped, but they both had the courtesy to give the bed to whoever was getting laid they night, and both made sure to keep the fridge stock with cheap booze, if nothing else.

Which really is where the whole problem lied. Both of them had spent their meager paychecks on cigarettes and beer and were now down to scraps in the pantry cabinets.

Arthur had tried to poke at Lovino to borrow some cash from his grandfather, but Lovino refused. The two of them weren't on such good terms since Lovino packed his bags, told him to go fuck himself, the family business and college in exchange for pursuing his more recently formed dream of forming a punk rock band with Arthur.

In the end, Lovino gave into taking at least a few community college classes, but he flaked most of the times, and still didn't talk much to his grandfather.

Instead, Arthur had called his...off again and on again boyfriend who he knew would give him a limb if he asked for it. Unfortunately, Antonio wasn't big on the smell of the cigarette smoke and weed that permeated every inch of the apartment. So usually, they tried to air it out a bit before he got there.

Checking the time, Lovino paused his game for moment, taking a break from slaying Darkspawn and demons. It was taking Antonio a lot longer than usual to make it over.

"Arthur, where the fuck is your boyfriend?" His stomach growled loud enough for the neighbors down the hall to hear.

Apparently not concerned that Lovino's stomach was eating him inside out, he shrugged. He sat up slowly from the couch he was sprawled across to put his cigarette out on the ashtray.

"I don't know." He grumbled. "He said he had to stop to pick someone up first."

Whoever it was, Lovino thought they better be pretty fucking special, because the knock on their door didn't come for another thirty minutes. Lovino stayed where he was now also sitting on the couch and let Arthur go get the door.

In seconds, the room was filled with Antonio's warm, excited chatter and the delicious smell of spices from the food he had brought over.

"I'm sorry it took so long Arthur." Antonio gushed, kissing Arthur's cheek. "I had to pick up my friend here. His name's Francis. He just moved back here from France."

Antonio immediately made himself at home as he always did, getting out the cracked plates from their cabinets.

"Try to be nice, Arthur. And get up and go introduce yourself, Lovino."

Lovino groaned, rolling his eyes. He didn't put up too much off a fuss however, curious to see just who Antonio had brought over. Whoever he as though, with the guy being from France and having a name like Francis, he probably had a massive stick up his ass.

Very sloth like, he pushed himself up from the couch and walked over to the front door. Francis was face with his back towards him, but he could see Arthur's face, and apparently, Francis was already frustrating Arthur.

"Your apartment is...quaint."

"If that's French for saying it's small and distasteful, I don't give a damn, pretty boy."

"You said it not me."

Lovino wasn't sure if he should laugh or be insulted by the comment.

He didn't know what Francis looked like from the front. All he had a view of was his long wavy hair that fell down his neck and probably took too long to wash in the mornings, and the nice shape of his ass in jeans. They weren't as tight as Lovino's but tight enough we he could clearly tell that much.

He also noted that Francis was a fairly a good height, probably Arthur's height or even a inch more if Arthur wasn't wearing those tall ass boots.

"I said to be nice! All of you. Please..." Antonio called from the kitchen...a little louder than necessary considering everything was all attached and the kitchen was basically a step or two away.

Francis finally turned around to apologize to Antonio, but stopped abruptly in the middle of his apology. He looked directly at Lovino and Lovino soon realized he was staring himself. His cheeks grew inflamed, mortified at being caught staring like...like Francis was the most handsome guy he had seen in a long time? Precisely.

Lovino excused himself to the balcony with the scuds of needing a smoke, his hands already on his back pocket feeling for his pack before he even made it to the screen door. The breeze they had chilled him earlier helped cool the flame of his cheeks and clear the embarrassment he felt. He looked over the balcony, his arms resting on the cool railing. They didn't necessarily live on the best side of town. Usually, he didn't mind it either. It was theirs, and in his view, a lot better than the suffocating walls his grandfather's neighborhood paraded as gates. But with Francis inside his apartment, he couldn't help but wonder what Francis had seen when he and Antonio had pulled up. Had he seen all the dirt and grime, or did he notice the carefree, happy children playing on the sidewalk.

What alarmed Lovino the most, was that he even gave a shit what a man he hadn't even said two words to yet, thought.

Behind him, the protest of the screen door let him know that Arthur had joined him out on the balcony. Lovino turned around, and leaned against the railing, thankful that they had finally gotten management to come out and fix it. Even on the second floor, it would be a long way down to fall.

"Fuck the French." Arthur scowled, reaching out to bum a cigarette. His brows came together in a thick line as he concentrated on lighting it up. "I swear to the gods. Every single last one of them are a bunch of stuck up, prissy arseholes."

Lovino snorted, letting his head loll back as he closed his eyes. He breathed out a tail of smoke from between his lips and shrugged disinterestedly.

"Sounds like you don't like the guy. What a surprise."

"He had the fucking nerve to scold me on having more beer in the fridge then food. Just met the damn guy and he's already acting like my bloody mum."

A small smirk curled along Lovino's lips, and he laughed. He couldn't hold it in.

"Fuck him then. Che รจ uno stronzo." He mumbled.

"Yeah."

They stood there for a few minutes in the haze of their smoke. The sun was setting in the background, casting a slew of pretty pastel colors across the sky. Lovino finished his cigarette, and got ready to head back into the warmth and out of the fall air that was getting chiller by the second.

"Wait a minute, before you go back inside..." Arthur said, pulling him over to him. His voice lowered to a whisper, not wanting the other two men inside to hear him. "He was askin about you, you know." Arthur grinned, nudging Lovino. "He might be a prick, but I'll bet he's a..."

Lovino snatched his arm away before Arthur could finish his sentence, not believing anything he said.

"Shut up."

After they are, they all settled on and round the couch. Arthur and Antonio took up most of the space to one side, Antonio leaning against him as Arthur drank from a beer bottle.

Lovino sat on the other side, trying not to glance obviously at Francis who sat in the other only other chair they owned.

"When did you dye this strand red? I liked the green." Antonio pouted, running his hands through Arthur's hair and kissing the corner of his mouth.

Arthur was buzzed enough not to care about all the affection in front of everyone.

"Do you not like it?"

"I do. I just like the green better. It was...I don't know. Hip?"

Francis laughed from Lovino's side, shaking his head. "There is nothing hip about green hair, unless you enjoy looking a vegetable. Then again, Antonio you are in culinary school perhaps you like the vegetable look in your boyfriends."

Antonio giggled, waving Francis off.

"Ah shut up Francis. It looked cute. Trust me."

Arthur rolled his eyes, leaning in against Antonio's ear. He whispered quietly enough so the other two wouldn't hear, but they got the gist from the flush on Antonio's face and the soft laugh that came out of Antonio's mouth as he stood up and dragged Arthur to the bedroom by his hand.

"Cazzo." He groaned. "I hope you brought ear plugs."

Francis laughed, and it made Lovino smile a bit. He glanced over at Francis turning bright red seeing that he was staring at him.

"Is there a reason you're being creepy?" He asked, remembering what Arthur had said on the balcony. But he found it hard to believe that such an angelic looking, -yeah okay, the guy kind of reminded of the Angels in the paintings at the museums- could be attracted to him with all his tattoos and piercings. He just didn't seem like his type.

"Oh? Was I staring?" Francis said, clearly a little embarrassed himself. "I was just...admiring all of your piercings. I would never do it to myself, but they look good on you."

Lovino cranked a brow up his forehead.

"Really?"

"Mhm." Francis nodded. Now that they were both looking at each other, Lovino noticed how blue Francis' eyes were, and the little sparkle they had in them.

"Thanks. I guess." Lovino glanced off to the side, running his fingers through his own dark, brown hair. He needed to get a haircut soon, his shaven side was getting too long.

"So why exactly are you here? Why leave France?"

"Well..." Francis surprised Lovino when he got off the chair he was sitting in, and moved over to the couch next to him. "I was born here. My mother is from France though. And at two, my grandmother got sick, so we all packed up and moved to France. I was raised there. I consider myself French. But my father, he and my mother divorced a few years back. He's a professor here and wanted me to go to school here. So here I am." Smiling, Francis leaned back against the couch and reached over lightly tapping Lovino's knee. "And what about you?"

"Hm?" Lovino cocked his head to the side, not completely clear on the question he wanted answered. Plus, that light touch to his knee had sent electricity along his leg that he hadn't been expecting. "What do you mean?"

"Do you...go to school?"

"Kind of...I..." He was interrupted by what sounded very much like Antonio moaning from the bedroom. Lovino rolled his eyes, pushing himself up from the couch. "We should go outside."

"Right. Actually, I think I'm going to call a taxi to come get me if they're going to be in their for a while. I have classes in the morning."

Trying not to look to disappointed, Lovino nodded.

"Of course. Of course."

They both fell into an awkward silence, that was filled in by more disturbing noises from the bedroom. The apartment was really two small for two people.

Francis cleared his throat, chuckling softly. "Is it bad that I can say he's always been that loud?"

"God, fuck... Please. No details."

"I'm sorry." Francis laughed a little harder when he caught the edge of a smile on Lovino. "Oh! Antonio was telling me you guys were in a band."

Lovino perked up at that. He could talk about his music. That was something he was good at. Other conversations not so much. But music. Always a good idea.

"Yeah, I'm lead vocals. Our friend, Al is our bassist. And our drummer left the group, so we have to find a new one before the gigs we have coming up."

"Oh, I'm sorry." Francis frowned.

"It's cool. He moved away. Little fucker moved back to Canada."

Francis nodded and again a silence fell between them.

Lovino glanced down at his hands, being the first one to speak up this time.

"You should come to our next gig. Check us out."

"I'd love that!"

Lovino looked up at Francis and grinned. Surprised by how enthusiastic his response was, but also equally pleased.

"Yeah?"

"Definitely. Why would I miss that? Especially if all of you wear the tight pants that you're wearing now. I would be a fool to miss that. You can consider me there."