Chapter 1:
It was beautiful, everything was. The town, the architect, the food, the birds flying in the sky and singing the music of love to one another, hell, even the people were beautiful. Yet, why were his thoughts so ugly?
Everyone has someone who cares about them, except me. He started in his self-pity again. The girls have their lovers and the children have their mothers. What do I have?
The sun was beating down on him in afternoon rays of summer, then town square's fountain kept sprinkling water onto him, keeping him cool in the heat. Cars moved by, mopeds too, civilians who decided to take advantage of the warm climate, all while he sat there at the fountain with a bag resting by his feet..
"Brother!" He heard a familiar voice calling out to him, in what he would call an over-friendly toddler toned younger brother. He looked up to see the brown hair young man hurrying along the flow of traffic of the sidewalk to him. Behind his brother lurked the tall muscled blond, who didn't get along with him.
Once his brother joined him by the fountain, he glared at the blond, and then focused his attention to his brother, "What do you want?"
"You told us to tell you when it was time to go!" His brother reminded him, "I'm only doing what you asked of me, so you can't get mad!"
He did see his brother's point, so there was no much use in arguing about it. "Whatever."
"Well, are you coming or not?" The blond asked in a deep voice, rich with a German accent, "It will start soon, and if you will not join us, tell us now. Don't be the reason we didn't have any fun on this trip."
Bastard. He spat. He was always the reason everyone didn't have fun. "Yeah, I'm coming." He stood up and grabbed the bag that rest at his feet.
"Yay!" His brother's smile light up, and then he turned to face his companion, "We're going to get good seats, right Ludwig?"
"I wouldn't call them good, but they're what we can afford, Feliciano." Ludwig started to lead the way towards the bullring. "Besides the experience is all that matters."
"The experience we have together!" Feliciano cozied up to Ludwig.
He made disgusted noise, "Get a room!"
"We already did." Ludwig was hiding a smirk.
"Don't make me kick you." He mumbled.
"Big brother lighten up, please!" Feliciano begged his brother, "I want this to be a nice vacation, please just this once Lovino."
"Whatever."
The bullring was beautiful, the architecture was very well built and it was hopping with tourists or locals. Concessions were set up and ready to sell food, tee shirts, or other merchandise.
"Tickets." The employee said in a monotone voice. Ludwig handed them the tickets and they tore a piece of them off. And they proceeded into the building to their seats.
It was in the sun section which was hell in the summer in Spain. Ludwig lead the file inwards to the seats. After walking side to side, he stopped and sat down. Naturally Feliciano sat next to him and Lovino sat next to his brother. Soon the whole ring filled up with people.
Ludwig and Feliciano engaged in a conversation, Feliciano tried to get Lovino into it, but he wasn't up for it.
Soon afterwards the announcer said something in Spanish, which Lovino picked up on something about beginning, and trumpets started to play a tune that sounded of dreary horror. Towards the end of the tune the bull came in. The bull staggered after the pre-fight prep it got.
"Lud, what's wrong with the bull?" Feliciano asked.
"They blinded him a bit, plugged up his ears and stuffed his nose up so he can't smell." Ludwig told him from his tour book.
"What would they do that?" Feliciano gasped.
"Because that's what they do." Lovino put in his input.
"That's horrible!" Feliciano said.
The announcer came back on and introduced the matador cheers erupted from the crowd. Lovino looked around to see his neighbors to be chatting enthusiastic and applauding.
"Who's this matador?" Lovino asked no one in particular.
"You don't know who Antonio Fernandez Carriedo is?" A girl above him asked him, hearing his question.
Lovino shook his head.
"He's the best matador Spain has to offer! It's a shame that he's gone most of the time." She told him.
"What does he do besides bullfighting?" Lovino asked.
"No clue, but he's very popular. Not only is he great at bullfighting, but he's hot too." She gave him a sly smile, "On top of that I hear he's nice too. Full package if I ever saw one."
"Noa! You're gonna miss the fight!" Her friend pulled her back up to watch the fight.
Lovino directed his attention towards the fight too, he saw the famous Antonio Fernandez Carriedo at work carefully observing the bull's movements. Then fabulously whipping out his red cape and elegantly dancing around the bull.
The bull would charge with hatred and confusion towards him and he would step back avoiding the bull. Time again and again the bull would charge and Antonio would avoid him. But to keep it interesting Antonio was backed into a corner and the bull charged at him. Everyone was in suspense to see how Antonio would get out of this one, even Lovino was wondering about this.
Antonio just stood there with a mocking look on his face to the bull and as the bull kept getting closer and closer the suspense was at its height. And in the nick of time Antonio escaped with getting one of his pant leg torn.
Lovino sighed that Antonio escaped that one. Then a new matador came out and switched places with Antonio.
The new matador wasn't as intriguing as Antonio, but it still was a good show. Then some picadores came out on their horses.
"What do they do?" Feliciano asked. Just then one of the picadores made the first stab.
"What did they do that for?" Feliciano yelped.
"It's how the bullfight works." Ludwig told him, "In the end the bull dies."
"What?" Feliciano started to get overwhelmed, "No please! I don't want to see this! Please can we go?"
"We paid for the tickets let's watch." Ludwig told him.
"No I don't want to see an innocent animal die!" Feliciano shook him.
Ludwig looked over to Lovino, "Are you okay with going?"
Funny how he values my opinion. "Sure, but I will not watch another movie with Feliciano!" Lovino said.
"Why?' Feli was curious.
"You spoil the ending, it's no fun." Lovino told him.
"Well let's go." Ludwig got up, and the rest followed. He led them out into the merchandise area where Feli wanted to get a tee shirt. Ludwig gave in and as they went to get a shirt, Lovino saw the matador leaned up against the wall talking on his phone, it looked serious. The matador was cursing in Spanish in a hushed voice.
He was still wearing his matador outfit that could attract a lot of attention. Lovino took in his appearance, he was very good looking. Then the matador looked up and caught Lovino's gaze and stopped talking on his phone. He smiled and hung up his phone and never taking his eyes off of Lovino, he was ready to introduce himself, except he was intercepted by fans. Not wanting to be rude the matador smiled and took pictures and signed autographs with them.
Ludwig and Feliciano came back to Lovino. "I got you one too!" Feli told him waving the plastic bag holding the tee shirts. Lovino muttered a thanks.
"Look it's that famous matador." Ludwig gestured over towards him.
"No shit." Lovino said under his breath.
"Can we get a picture with him?" Feli asked, "Please?"
"I suppose." Ludwig shrugged his shoulders. Feliciano led the way pulling Ludwig by his hand and Lovino was close behind.
The matador saw Lovino and gave him a smile. Then he looked to his fans and told them something in Spanish. The fans grumbled, but left. Feliciano looked sad, but then the matador said something in Spanish again.
"Do you speak English?" Ludwig asked.
The matador smiled and nodded, "Hello. I am Antonio Fernandez Carriedo, but my friends call me Toni. And who might you be?" Antonio's eyes never left Lovino.
"I'm Feliciano!" Lovino's brother said.
"Hello, my name is Ludwig." Ludwig shook hands with him.
"And what about you, hermoso?" Antonio asked Lovino.
"Lovino." He simply said.
"Lovino what a beautiful name!"
Lovino felt flutters in his stomach and he felt blood rush to his face. He tried to hide it immensely considering how red his face could get. It was one of the many things Lovino hated about himself.
"Oh Ludwig can we get a churro?" Feli asked, "We could share one." Feli gave Ludwig a sly smile. Ludwig's eyes widen and he blushed, he agreed and they left Lovino there. Alone. With a gorgeous Spaniard.
"They're disgusting." Lovino muttered.
Antonio stepped back in surprise, he must have heard what Lovino said. "Oh so you're not! You are actually against-
Lovino cut Antonio off, "My brother is always mushy with Ludwig and I hate him. I'm not against Feliciano dating other guys, just Ludwig." He didn't want to close that door so fast. What door? There should be no fucking doors!
"Oh!" Antonio was relieved, then he snapped right back into his happy self, "You know I should take you out."
"The three of us? That would be great." Lovino said.
"No what I had in mind, but…" Antonio trailed off, "But where are you from, you speak with an accent. Well so do I but, it is a different accent."
"Italy." Lovino told him, "And the brawns for brains bastards is German."
"You know I have a friend from Germany, well he's being a bit of hipster saying that he's Prussian because 'German is just to mainstream', but anyhow I'll pick you up tonight! Say eightish? No eight! Are you staying at a hotel? Which one?"
Lovino was being bombarded with questions, he didn't know which one to answer first which made him not want to answer at all. But he didn't want to make a fool of himself in front of Antonio, why he didn't want that Lovino wasn't sure.
"Um. Alright, all three of us? And the one five blocks from here, they one with the fountain in front of it." Lovino answered.
Antonio hesitated, "Sure it can be the three of you! The more the merrier!" Then Antonio's phone started to ring, he looked down at it and a dark and serious expression fell upon his face. But in a snap it was gone as Antonio looked at Lovino, "Well I must take this, and I'll see you at eight, Lovi!"
Antonio smiled and waved good bye as he turned his dark expression came on again and hushed Spanish was spoken into the phone.
Lovino was left with a sense of giddiness, he had never encountered a person like Antonio before. And no one has called him Lovi in a long time, last time was when he was twelve, then he insisted everyone called him Lovino. Half of him was looking forward to eight, but the other half was terrified. Ludwig and Feli met up with Lovino again.
"So what was he like?" Feli asked.
"Something else."
"You too seemed to hit it off." Ludwig noted.
"Shut up you damned bastard!" Lovino spat at him, then calmly as Lovino could be he included, "And he invited us to dinner, be ready at eight."
"Ah so he asked you out." Ludwig smirked.
"I'll see you in hell." Lovino headed towards the exit.
"I wonder where he'll take us." Feli asked.
"Probably some place nice." Ludwig told him. Then there were out in Madrid again. The streets were bustling as they walked back to their hotel.
As Lovino passed some tourist he heard them talking and one of them said, "Did you hear? The Bank of Spain got robbed! Really! It took place during the bullfight can you believe that?"
Lovino laughed a bit. Funny. The guards must have slipped up with watching the fight.