For my besite Raina~

based on a picture someone posted that she showed me

Who Do You Like?

"Who do you like?" Antonio asked, letting his head fall lopsided to look at his best friend, Lovino. The Italian glared up at the sky they were laying under and turned his head to meet Antonio's gaze, the teen staring at him with seriousness lacing his emerald eyes. That was rare since Antonio was never serious unless it was one of his football games, and even then, he always had fun and laughed a lot when he was running across the field kicking the ball.

"No one." Lovino deadpanned.

Antonio nodded, letting out a soft sigh. He looked back up at the clouds, "That one looks like a turtle!" he pointed up.

Lovino stared at him for a second, but shrugged it off and looked up, "There's a tomato …" he said, pointing to another cloud entirely. Antonio agreed and they continued to point out the shapes in the clouds.

XxX

"Who do you like?" Antonio asked, looking up from his biology homework. Lovino growled under his breath and finished taking down the notes from the front of the classroom. He ignored his Spanish friend and looked back up to the teacher.

The balding man, with the monotone voice, was busy helping a student with whatever problem he was stuck on.

"Lovi? Did you hear me?" Antonio poked Lovino's side with a pencil, causing the Italian to jump and turn his glare on Antonio.

This was the second time that week the Spaniard had asked that question, "No one."

He turned back to his notebook, ignoring Antonio's defeated sigh as he began doodling the Italian flag on his notes page.

XxX

"Lovi … who do you like?" Lovino was shocked. Antonio hadn't asked that question in a little over a month.

Lovino looked at Antonio with a glare, a little mad that the older teen was daring to talk and make noise in the theater while they watched the new movie that was out. Instead of answering, Lovino stuffed his mouth full of popcorn and turned back to the actress running across screen, looking for her lost lover or something.

Antonio had picked the movie and had it been up to Lovino they would have watched 'Death Ring Two'. Watching a bunch of teenagers die in a horrible blood bath was Lovino's ideal movie.

He heard a sigh beside him as he sipped his drink.

The credits began rolling and Lovino stood, stretching his slightly numb legs. He tossed the trash away and walked through the night air to Antonio's car.

"You didn't answer my question back there, Lovi …" Antonio muttered, hitting the button on his key chain to unlock the car.

"No one, I don't like anyone like that." he growled out, slamming the door shut. It was partially true. The Italian man wasn't entirely against dating, he just found no one interesting.

Antonio nodded, "Okay." he sighed, turning the car on. Silently, they drove back to the dorms.

XxX

"Who do you like?"

Lovino looked up from his Christmas presents and raised a brow at the Spaniard he was forced to share the holiday with due to his grandfather not being able to pay the air fare for him or his brother. He slowly pulled the wrapping back and found a box of tomato print extra warm pajamas. They were from his brother.

He picked up the next one from Antonio and opened it, finding a new wallet with a small turtle imprinted into the corner, "Thanks."

"Lovi …"

"No one." he said, "Now open your gifts. I know those perverted friends of yours got you somethings perverted."

Antonio sighed and did open the gifts, enjoying most of the things … except the big bottle of lube Gilbert got him and the three boxes of flavored condoms Francis got him.

XxX

"Lovi-"

"No one." Lovino ground out before Antonio could finish. They sat in the corner of the crowded room at Francis' new years party. People had gather around the television to start the countdown.

"Ten!"

"But I didn't even ask yet!" Antonio said, scooting closer to Lovino.

"Nine!"

"I don't care, tomato loving bastard, I figure you're either going to ask me to do something, to which the answer is no," he looked at Antonio with a slight glare, "or you're going to ask me again, for the millionth time since summer ended 'who do you like', in which it's still no one."

"Seven!"

Antonio looked defeated and fell silent, deciding to look at the crowd as they continued their countdown.

"Six!"

"So … no one?"

"Five!"

Lovino growled, "No."

"Four!"

"But … it's already been half a year, no one at the school catches your attention?"

"Two!"

"No one, bastard."

"One! Happy new year!" the crowd of drunken teens threw their hands up in the air and decided to continue their party. They slurred their words and drinks as a few of the school's couple shared their midnight, new year's kisses. Antonio watched sadly.

XxX

Pink heart hung through the halls and Antonio smiled slipping the card into Lovino's locker. The Italian showed up and ignored Antonio's hello as he opened it up.

"So, Lovi~ who do you like?"

"No one." Lovino said simply, his new automatic response. He pulled the card out and looked over the cheesy pink lettering on the front that read 'Happy Valentine's Day!'. With a reluctant sigh, he opened it up.

'Lovi! Happy Single's Awareness Day! Hope you have fun~ Love, Antonio' on the other side were two turtles cuddling against each other with a heart above their heads. He shut the card and tucked it between his biology and Algebra II books and slammed his locker shut before walking passed the Spaniard.

Antonio sighed and followed his friend.

XxX

Lovino and his brother were able to go back to Italy for spring break, but Antonio, however, stayed at the school.

It was the day of Lovino's return and he waited at the airport for the plane to release the passengers. His heart raced with excitement when he saw Lovino struggling with his carry on bag since the latch seemed to be busted.

He rushed to help him, pulling the bag into his own arms, "Hey, Lovi~! Hi, Feli!" Feliciano, the younger of the two smiled.

"Ciao, Tonio! Alright, I'll see you back at the dorm, I'm going to find Luddy!" the happy-go-lucky teenager ran off to find his boyfriend.

Antonio half hugged Lovino, welcoming him back. They grabbed his other luggage and headed out to the car, "So, Lovi~ who do you like?"

Lovino sighed, not even being in the country for twenty minutes, "No one, and for good measure, no one next time you decide to ask, too." he leaned back in the seat of the car, "Oh, and the time after that: no one."

The Spaniard nodded, sighing softly. He started the car and drove them back to the dorm. Lovino bit his lip, feeling his heart twist lightly at the look on Antonio's face.

XxX

School came to an end and Lovino felt the freedom of summer, the last one before he was a senior in high school and he would graduate. He took in a deep breath and stood in the airport, waiting for his flight to be called so that he could spend the next three months as far away from the stress of school as possible.

Antonio ran up, slightly out of breath, "Sorry, I know we're on different flights, but I just wanted to know before you left: who do you like?"

"No one." Lovino whispered softly, looking at Antonio. Antonio's face fell slightly, but he smiled, "Have a good summer, Lovi … don't forget to call and message me!" he walked away, leaving a slightly confused Lovino behind. Why was it so important for Antonio to find out if he liked anyone? His heart skipped a beat and he thought heavily on that question.

"Flight 287 now boarding." the woman's voice over the intercom spoke. Lovino rolled his eyes, choosing to forget it all and just head back to Italy.

XxX

"One new e-mail from Antonio …" Lovino muttered. Two months had already passed into summer and Lovino was bored to tears.

He clicked the e-mail and it opened with the same four words he was growing to hate more than anything else in the world.

Who do you like?

Lovino contemplated just deleting the message, but he replied anyway with his usual response and logged off. His heart throbbed lightly at the thought of Antonio. He sighed softly, leaning back in his chair, glancing up at the cork board on the wall where movie tickets and the Valentine's card were pinned.

XxX

The students crowded the courtyards during the last few sunny days before school started up again that week. Most were settling back into their dorms and the older students were showing newer students around. Lovino laid back on the grass and stared up at the clouds. Antonio's head lolled to the side, "Lovi, who do yo-"

"Okay, you know what?" Lovino yelped, exasperated from the entire year of the stupid question that he knew would probably be engraved in his tombstone. Here lies Lovino Vargas, who did he like? "It's been a year. An entire year since you first asked that damn question in the first place." he sat up, quickly followed by Antonio sitting up, "Why? Why do you keep asking that? How many times are you going to ask?" he searched Antonio's eyes for any sign of what the man wanted.

Antonio bit his lip softly and brushed his fingers against Lovino's before he grabbed his hand, "As many times as it takes for you to answer with my name."

Lovino looked at him shocked as nothing would come to mind. His eyes were met with the emerald ones and he was lost in their depths. He felt as if he were drowning in them.

The Italian man felt his heart racing and his mind only went into autopilot when Antonio hesitantly leaned forward and brushed his lips across Lovino's.

"Who do you like?" Antonio asked once more, his voice barely above a whisper as his breath tickled Lovino's face.

Lovino had never liked those words more than at that moment, "Y-you, Antonio …"

Antonio smiled happily, leaning forward to press their lips together in a sweet, soft kiss, "Good … 'cause I really like you." Antonio smiled.

~Lady Pyrien