La Cinta Roja

A/N: Written for a Christmas Exchange- and it's a little late, as you can tell...

It wasn't fair. It simply wasn't fair. This whole red string of destiny thing was ridiculous and Antonio had absolutely no idea how it worked. Granted he didn't know how much of the world worked, but love and passion and friendship was supposed to be his forte and he couldn't even find the one he was to spend the rest of his life with.

Not only that, but it seemed as if everyone he thought would have been good for him suddenly got tangled up in the middle of their relationship with their own soulmates. It didn't bother the optimistic Spaniard at first, but after losing his two best friends over an argument about the stupid device everyone else liked to call 'fate' and his to-be-wife Emma, Antonio was through with it.

Maybe there was some good to come of it. At least he had a soulmate. Had he woken to no ribbon at all one morning- well, at least before the string would fade- he would know he was destined to be alone. And he had a friend in the same situation.

Lovino Vargas didn't want someone though. He thought the entire idea was mad and didn't like that no one knew how it worked either. Antonio knew that Lovino had also tried more than once to get his ribbon off, but it either faded before he could cut it or wouldn't budge when he tried to move it.

"I swear, I'm gonna cut my finger off and be done with it," Lovino finally said one day. He and Antonio were waiting in the lobby of La Cantina Rosa after their nightly shift, the Italian looking as if he could strangle someone. Really, he could, and that might have been why Toni was sitting so far away from Lovino. Not one, but three people had been lucky enough to meet that night, all right at the bar in front of Antonio's eyes. Lovino had been in the kitchen for the first two, but at the last sappy couple had gotten engaged right then and there in front of the Italian.

"Why would you do that, Lovi? Some people who don't have a ribbon would love to take your spot," Toni rubbed at his ring finger, the spot where his nicely bowed ribbon would appear when he woke the next day.

"Some people who don't have a ribbon are fucking lucky. They can marry who they want, do what they want, not live with crazy expectations. I mean, what if that idiot guy goes home and finds out the chick he's getting hitched to is bat-shit insane? They barely know each other! What if they hate each other?!" Lovino took an angry drink, but the effect was lost from the splashes of water that soon ran down his shirt.

"Well, Lovi, they're supposed to get to know each other first. Not everyone who meets like that wants to get married or anything. But it does mean that they've found someone who will always be there for them," Antonio smiled, grabbing a napkin before handing it to Lovino.

"You think I don't know that?" Lovino snatched the napkin, patting himself dry with a scowl. He didn't make friends easily, but the one's he had made always left or grew fed up with his fiery attitude. So far Antonio was the longest to deal with him, but they also worked together. Maybe he was nice only because he had to be.

"I didn't say-"

"So when you find your 'soulmate' or whatever, does that mean you're going to just abandon me?" Lovino looked up, a tired look showing in his eyes, "Because if that's the case, why don' you just go now."

"Lovino, I never said anything like that," Antonio said softly, knowing just how common that look was. As wonderful as these ribbons could be, they were a curse as well. Sometimes there were old women at the supermarket who couldn't find their partners, other times there were people so ready for love they'd throw themselves into a relationship and pull themselves right back out if that wasn't their partner. There was no way to be sure that the one you married would wake up tangled to you, and getting pulled away from a relationship like that just for some stupid string was ridiculous.

But Antonio had seen it happen first hand. At least Emma had been close. She had seemed so happy with Antonio, but it was actually his brother that she was meant for. Francis simply disregarded his own bow, choosing the life of a lone lover than to go searching and become tied down to someone. Gilbert had been born ribbon-less and watched the one girl he would have loved to marry find her own soulmate right out of high school. It was a blessing and a curse, and suddenly Antonio felt very tired himself.

"You think if we chopped our fingers off... would the ribbon move? Or would we really be done with this?" Toni held his left hand up, looking over his finger. His mother had said something about love being easy for him since his ribbon was where the wedding band would go, but so far that had been a lie. Apparently myths such as that were just that- unfounded things to tell your children so they didn't cry after losing someone they loved, "You think we should try?"

Lovino scoffed, "So you wanna get rid of this thing too? Maybe you aren't as big an idiot as I thought." Finishing off his water, the Italian stood and grabbed his coat, "Well, bastard, I'm going home to sleep. I've got another night shift and if I want to deal with your ass, I'm gonna need the rest."

Toni smiled and stood as well, grabbing both of their dishes and setting them near the kitchen door, "So we're working together again tomorrow?" He smiled, "Better you than your brother. He's a great cook and all, but every time we get a big crowd he breaks down."

Expecting a punch, the Spaniard was caught off guard by the sound of... laughing? No, not really, it was more of a chuckle, but at least Lovino's scowl had broken into a smirk, and that was so much more pleasing to look at, "my brother is an idiot. I'm surprised we're both working at the same damn shop anyway." That had been more a matter of arrangement on Lovino's part though, seeing as Feli needed a part time job while he went to school.

"Speaking of my dumb brother, he's about to get hitched too..." Lovino's voice trailed off.

"Really?"

"Yeah... he's a lucky kid if I've ever met one. Met this guy when we were kids and their strings were tied and all that shit, but... we had to move... Feliciano never cried harder in his life," so far he still hadn't, "anyway, the lucky shit found the same damn guy going to his school last year and now they're suddenly best friends and dating and getting married." And wanting to start a family and leave Lovino by himself in some giant, old house meant for a family, not a lonely, bitter bachelor.

"Sounds like Feli got your luck and mine," Antonio said with a soft smile, not really knowing why he was still walking with Lovino. Their houses were on opposite sides of the city- at least he was pretty sure of that. He had never actually been to Lovino's place, mostly because he and the Italian just didn't go to each others houses. Stopping, Toni turned to the Italian, "I guess I'll see you tomorrow though, sí?"

"Yeah yeah," Lovino said, waving back at the Spaniard before walking off. Antonio could have sworn he saw a bit of red on his hand but shrugged it off and began walking home.

"Antonio?" a sweet sounding voice asked. For how stubborn and awful Lovino could be, Toni had no idea how he and Feliciano were related. They were polar opposites except for that they at least looked alike and were both cowards in the face of angry customers.

"Feli? This is your house?" the mansion looked too old to belong to the Vargas brothers, but then again Lovino had said they had moved in to stay with their grandfather all those years ago.

"Yeah! Well, it won't be for much longer, since Ludwig and I are gonna be leaving soon, but it's basically like my house!" the younger Italian continued to rattle on, leaving Antonio to tune him out as he entered and walked around before feeling warm hands on his own, "Oh! Antonio, look, your string is showing up when you're awake!"

"Yeah, it was doing that earlier," he said with a smile, "I don't know why, though. It'll come around and pull me somewhere before disappearing. Maybe I'm getting close." Antonio shrugged, "but it lead me here, at least. Is your brother in?" If there was anyone in the house this thing could lead to, it'd have to be Lovino. As weird as it seemed, Antonio was happy it was the elder Italian and not someone he didn't even know.

"Actually fratello left earlier..." Feliciano said softly, "he said he had to go somewhere, but I don't know where..."

"He's... gone?" Antonio's eyebrows knit together in confusion, but he was pulled sharply to the side by something- his ribbon of course, bright red and tied in a big warm bow on his finger- but it wasn't so pretty or wonderful when it was literally pulling him from the other side. Whoever was there was impatient or worried and Antonio was eager to see.

"May I- you don't mind if I follow this, sí?" Antonio waited for Feliciano's reply, but never really heard it as he was pulled again. He followed slowly, keeping the line taught as it pulled him around the house in the weirdest ways. The end of the string had disappeared at the ends, making it seem like a ghost was leading him around on a weird sort of leash. First he was brought to what had to be Feliciano's room, then to the bathroom of all places, and finally to Lovino's room. Taking a step inside, the Spaniard was apprehensive about what he would find. He was friends with Lovino, but they had never really talked about more than work and their families. What he found surprised him, though.

Buildings, both old and new, were portrayed in posters around the walls. There were sights he knew from textbooks and travel magazines and newer looking places that had to be famous for some reason. Looking around, Toni wondered why he had never heard about Lovino's love for- well... was it traveling or photography or just sights from around the world? Maybe it was some kind of designing... Littering the floor were pencils and pens and rulers of difference sizes with sketchbooks stacked neatly on a book stand, clothes being nicely folded up and placed on top of the dresser or next to a closet. It was so clean and messy at the same time and Antonio couldn't think of anything else more like Lovino than the state of his room.

"Antonio?" Feli appeared in the door, shocked to even see the Spaniard in the room, "You should probably get out. I- I mean, if Fratello comes back and sees you in here he's going to freak out..."

"Why would he freak out?" Toni asked, turning around, "his room isn't dirty or anything..." his voice trailed off as he looked around to the front of the room, seeing dirty sketches and scribbled out words on the pages, "Is... are these his?"

"Yeah!" Feliciano said with excitement, though he grabbed Antonio's hand and pulled him out of the room, "but he doesn't like people seeing! You really, really should get out!"

The sound of a door opening rang through the house and Feliciano froze, suddenly pushing Toni back into the room and into Lovino's closet, "I'd tell you to jump out the window, but you'd probably break your leg because it's so high up! Just wait in here, okay? I'll try to keep Fratello distracted!"

Antonio nodded shakily, leaning back and holding his arms close to his body. This was a strange turn of events... hiding out in his friend's closest because he wasn't supposed to be in said friend's room... his thoughts were blocked out by the sound of a door slamming open.

"Do you understand how much bullshit this thing has put me through?!" Lovino's voice shouted. It sounded as if he tried to slam the door shut, probably on his brother, but the click never came. Instead, Feliciano's shaking voice did.

"Ve, Fratello, you shouldn't worry so much. I mean, look at me and Luddy! We're so happy together and it's because of the ribbons!"

"You're lucky! You never had to worry about who your partner was going to be because you had already met him! You knew you could look him up and- you know where this stupid thing led me?" Antonio guessed that Lovino was waving his hand around, "It lead me to a house on the bad side of town. I was almost mugged because of this stupid thing, and you wanna know who I met through that door? Some weird ass Spanish guy who was trying to be suave with me even though his fucking wife- who was Emma, of all people, you know- was right there!"

"Well maybe he just thought you needed some help-" Feliciano started, but was cut off by his brother again.

"You wouldn't believe who he was related to! Of all the people in this world and I get lead to that dumb tomato face's house! And the best part was, he wasn't even there! His brother said he had left not twenty minutes sooner because of something important. I think the stupid fucker was just hiding back in his room."

"Wait, you went to Antonio's house?" The Spaniard could hear the smirk settling over Feliciano's face, "Do you like Antonio? Do you think he's attractive? What about his butt? Do you think it looks nice?"

Lovino's balk was also audible, and if Toni didn't know any better, he was blushing from embarrassment, "L-Like him? He's an idiot! He's so dumb about everything! And no, his ass does not look nice!" It was perfect, but Lovino wasn't going to admit that, "Now get out of my room! I need to change!"

Antonio grinned; at least he could have a chance with Lovino. If... if that was who he was being led to. It made sense, seeing as they had been drug to each others' houses, but the fact that this hadn't happened before today was just strange. Maybe these ribbons had a delay time or something...

From outside the room a ruffling of clothes was heard and Toni knew that Lovino was changing. He wondered what the Italian looked like under all of his clothes, but didn't have to wonder long.

"Fucking stupid piece of shit, leading me on a goose chase. Now I'm gonna find something in my closet to give me a clue, aren't I?" The Italian's voice trailed closer to the closet and Antonio found himself tensing, trying to figure out whether he should hide or not. Before getting the chance to follow through with his course of action, the door was slid open to reveal a shirtless Lovino. Well... he didn't look half bad.

"Who is- what the hell are you doing in my closet?!" Lovino immediately recoiled, arm still held in place by the short ribbon. Toni noted that Lovino's ribbon was a lot smaller than his own and on his pinky finger 'like it should have been'. The end waved around freely in the air, holding Lovino's hand in place. In an act of hope, Antonio held his own hand up, smiling to see that his ribbon had appeared as well. The ends didn't quite fit together perfectly, but after a tug on the Spaniard's part, it was obvious they weren't coming apart.

"S-So..." Lovino started softly, reaching out slowly to touch the juncture, "it's you? Seven billion people on the planet and I get stuck with the biggest idiot of all- and you aren't even a woman! How the hell am I supposed to have kids with a man?!"

Antonio chuckled softly, letting his hand slip into Lovino's open palm, "who said anything about marriage? What if I'm-"

"Don't even try for a minute to say you are straight, you stupid asshole, I've seen the way you look at men versus women." It was hard to meet that intense gaze, but Toni at least tried to match it with a warm laugh.

"I wasn't going to say I wasn't gay! Just that I might not be the marrying type. Or maybe I just like you as a friend. Who knows," he gestured with his free hand to the rest of the room, "I didn't even know you were in to... buildings and stuff."

"Architecture, ass face," Lovino huffed, pushing Antonio to the side to grab a decent shirt, "I like architecture. And if you don't think you like me, I guess that means you really are worthless. I got stuck with a shit head, great..."

Antonio raised and eyebrow, leaning down to pull at the bow tied to Lovino's finger, "well... we don't have to be friends... We don't even have to live in the same city. But I think we should at least try, you know. Maybe sit and talk and see if we even like the same things." The bow slid out of its knot, coming undone to the Spaniard's touch. He held out his own finger, eyes questioning as he looked at Lovino. The Italian looked up before gazing back down and pulling gently at the fat ribbon.

"You'd bother wasting time on me?" He said slowly, voice carrying caution and a hint of nervousness, "Even if you know how I act?"

"I've kind of been wanting to talk to you anyway, Lovi," Toni said with a smile, "if you want to pretend like I'm being forced, that's on you, but like I said, it can't hurt to talk." He sat on the bed and looked to the aubrunette.

"I... fuck, this stupid thing drug me halfway across town, I might as well give it a go. You better not leave me hanging, though, bastard," Lovino pointed his finger as a warning, bunching up and slipping the shirt over his head before combing out his hair, "I'll fucking hunt you down if you pull a trick like that."

Antonio laughed, twirling the strange looking string around his fingers, "I promise I won't just leave you somewhere or ditch you or anything! Well, unless someone in my family is sick, but that's beside the point!" He pulled Lovino to him, wrapping his arms around him in a hug, "But this is going to be amazing anyway! We already work together and know where the other lives and know each others' families!"

Lovino struggled in the Spaniard's grasp, pushing his hands onto his face, "Get off of me! If you want to be my friend, you have to give me space! And stop being so dumb! I swear I'm going to be as dumb as my brother by the time I'm done talking to you!"

"That wouldn't be any good," Antonio said with a soft smile, looking up at the Italian still in his arms, "We need someone who can cook and handle a dinner rush in the kitchen, silly~"

"I swear if that was a sexist joke and you're calling me a woman-"

"No, no, Lovino! That's not what I meant at all!"

"Whatever..." looking at the clock, the Italian sighed and forced his way from Antonio's grasp, "I suggest you go home and clean yourself up, hm? Since we have work in an hour and all." He heard the sound of his bed springs creaking and turned to see Toni getting up, the rest of his body moving just in time to be caught into another crushing embrace, his face being bombarded by a slew of quick kisses. Once the attack was finally over, all Lovino could see was an ear to ear grin, a warm, unfamiliar feeling falling quickly over his body and settling in his bones.

"This is gonna be the best night I've had so far, Lovi~" the Spaniard mused, "Even if we are just going to work, seeing as I'm gonna be working with you~" he kissed Lovino softly, lips quirking into a smile against soft Italian cheeks.

Surprisingly, he wasn't pushed away. Maybe Lovino was simply shocked, but the blush on his face said more than that. He felt a pressure around his waist and knew that the aubrunette's arms were slowly making their way around him, accepting the affection he was being given.

Because for once in his life- both of their lives, something was finally fair.