I was initially planning to finish this in its entirety before posting it, but then it accidentally became a lot longer than anticipated and I just want this out there. I can't promise regular updates or anything, but yeah, hope you'll enjoy!


Lovino was used to feeling too much, too fast. Thoughts, emotions, memories, they all seemed to always be at war in the small confinements of his brain. That was why he painted. It gave him an out.

Currently, he was experimenting with action painting, in particular the drip technique. And, by God, it was so very satisfying. There was no need to think, no premeditating, just Lovino, the brush, the paint and the canvas. Chaos confined to the paper.

He stared at the canvas as his feet, spread over the carpet. Tubes of paint and brushes littered around the room. Lovino forgot to put down a tarp, so he would be scolded later for all the dollops of paint that made the floor its own painting. Not that he cared too much, and he knew his grandfather didn't mind it too much in favour of encouraging artistic talent.

Perhaps, he thought and poised the thick paintbrush above a pot of magenta. Red felt right, so he mixed it with yellow until he got the deepest red. He paused above the canvas and flicked his fingers against the brush.

Small drops like blood fell onto white, staining the little bit of purity the canvas still had.

Good.

Perfection was overrated anyway.


A soft knock on the door and Lovino scrambled over art supplies to turn the lock. He glanced through the slant of space he allowed it to open and scowled at his brother.

"I have tea," Feliciano offered with a smile, holding up the tray a little higher.

Lovino scrutinized him a little longer before relenting and opening the door further. "All right. Watch the floor." He cleared a path to his bed, pushing paints and brushes aside, mourning a particularly large blot where he had dropped a used paintbrush earlier.

Feliciano said nothing as he carefully manoeuvred around to the bed. His eyes roved over Lovino's newest creation curiously, however.

He waited until Lovino dropped back onto the bed before he placed the tray on the checkered bedsheets, years of practice having taught the disaster of tea and cake stains. Perching on the edge of the bed, he poured the tea and added two sugar cubes to Lovino's mug.

Lovino had already snatched one of the plates, but now poked the chocolate cake with his fork absently, his eyes straying to the painting on the floor.

Feliciano followed his gaze and took in the overwhelming colours. It wasn't often that Lovino painted using bright colours, but when he did it was often associated with his emotions taking a turn for the worse. Feliciano never liked it when his brother's emotions took a turn for the worse.

"It looks grand," Feliciano said, sipping his tea.

Lovino's eyes snapped back to him, then down to the cake in his lap. He mulled over the words for a while, slowly decimating the cake into crumbles. He took a bite, then placed the plate back on the tray.

"Grand?" he questioned slowly.

Feliciano hummed, glancing around quickly at the smatterings of yellow, orange, pink and the ominous drops of red through the white. "It's big, emotional… a bit overwhelming." Feliciano laughed softly. "But it's also very bright and, even though I don't quite understand the style, I think it's beautiful."

Lovino snorted and reached for his tea. "It was just an experiment."

Feliciano tried to hide his smile behind his teacup. Experiment or not, Feliciano knew when his brother was fascinated with something new. If this could be the way for him to release all those pent-up emotions, then Feli was certain that Grandpa would forgive the stains in the carpet.

"Art is art, Lovi," Feliciano said. "And beautiful is beautiful. No matter."

"You're so cheesy." Lovino rolled his eyes, but could not quite manage to quell his smile.

"You love it."

"Yeah," Lovino admitted softly. "I do."


Their grandfather did indeed forgive Lovino for the stains, instantly drawn to Lovino's creation instead. He muttered something about meaning and colour theory and how it reminded him a lot of his deceased wife. Normally, the last bit was accompanied by a sad smile, but this time, his eyes were bright and he ruffled Lovino's hair lovingly.

"Kid, I'm so proud of you," he said fondly. "Can we hang it in the living room?"

Lovino flushed, slapping at his grandfather's hands. "Why?"

"Because I like it! And it gives me something to brag about next time Sofia comes over! I have the best grandsons after all!"

"I don't think that'll get you in her good graces at all, Grandpa," Feliciano said. "'S not romantic."

Romulus laughed. "Now, now, Feli. What would you know of romance?"

"Enough!" Feli puffed his chest, grinning as his brother rolled his eyes. "More than Lovino probably!"

"Hey!"

Romulus nodded gravely, placing a heavy hand on his elder grandson's shoulder. "Feli has a point, my dear boy. When will the time come you'll bring some lovely boy over here, hm?"

"Oh, my God, Grandpa." Lovino buried his head in his hands. "I don't want to talk about this."

"No need to me shy, Lovi." Romulus grinned. "It's perfectly all right. The Vargas charms works both ways."

Feliciano burst out laughing as Lovino rubbed his face tiredly, blushing furiously.

"I hate this family," he muttered.

Romulus patted his cheek before pulling him in a hug, Feliciano jumping on the opportunity as well.

"We love you too, Lovi," he chirped as Romulus wrapped his arm around him as well, nuzzling his grandsons.

"You've both grown so much." He grasped their shoulders and squeezed. "Soon you'll be graduating and then off to university and you'll be moving out." He sighed. "I remember when you two only reached my knees, asking me for piggyback rides and bedtime stories."

Lovino and Feliciano shared a look, and then Feliciano reached up to give their grandfather an exaggerated pat on the shoulder.

"It's okay, Grandpa. Maybe, if Lovi and I work together, we could give you a piggyback instead!"

"How about we do not," Lovino said, giving his brother a narrow look.

Feliciano pursed his lips. "Grandpa can't be that heavy. I'm sure we'll manage."

"That's not—" Lovino sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

Romulus laughed, shaking his head as his grandsons bickered. He turned back to Lovino's painting, picking it up with careful fingers. While he did not necessarily understand his grandson's paintings all the time (and he sometimes missed the days of Lovino stealthily trying to sketch him or his brother), he really did enjoy filling up the walls with them. The same counted for Feliciano's photography, albums full of slightly askew or blurry pictures filling the bookcase downstairs.

"I think," he said loudly, cutting off the brewing argument easily, "I'm going to replace that old Da Vinci replica with this."

Lovino flushed. "You don't have t—"

"Oh, that would be wonderful, Grandpa!" Feliciano exclaimed, clapping his hands excitedly. "I think it's far more expressive!"

They didn't even wait for Lovino to form a proper argument against it, both thumping down the stairs, chattering about dinner. Lovino followed them quietly, still very red, and watched as Feliciano jumped on the table to take down the paining that had hung there since before Lovino had been born.

He looked at his grandfather, who appraised Lovino's work again with a firm nod and that same proud spark in his eyes, and then at Feliciano, who was smiling so widely it must've hurt. Lovino buried his face in his hands, shaking his head as his grandfather wrapped an arm around his shoulder and jostled him with a booming laugh.

"This is so fucking embarrassing."

"That's the Vargas way of life, my boy." Romulus pressed a kiss to his forehead before ruffling his hair.

Lovino sighed, but surrendered finally. He kissed his grandfather's cheek, squeezed Feliciano's, much to his younger brother's whining, and said, "Thanks, I guess. And love you."


This fic spans from the end of Lovino's junior year (the first seven chapters), and then kind of glosses through the entirety of his senior year (the other seven chapters), though nothing really happens between Antonio and Lovino until he's of age.

It is also a fulfilment of "Lovino has a loving and supporting if maybe a little overbearing family" because sometimes you need that in life.