This is an AU, please read author's note for details
"People who know it call it the Zero, the Random Bus, the Wandering Bus, or just The Bus. It is not a bus for people who know where they want to go. It is a bus for departures...Its riders are the people who need to leave wherever they are at that moment."
-Philly Urban Legends: The Wandering Bus
Lovino slouched his shoulders as he shuffled his way down the empty road. Letting out a long sigh, he glared at the gravel path beneath his feet as he adjusted his grip on his plain backpack. Damnit...
His soul sank deeper into his chest as he replayed the terrible scene in his head.
"Fratello, you are an idiot!"
"I'a maybe be an idiot, but at least people like me!" Feliciano acidly yelled back. His face then turned away," unlike you fratello."
"..."
Unable to control himself in the wake of his brother's silence, Feliciano blurted out what they both were thinking,"No one ever liked you fratello...it's your fault nonno died..."
Lovino suddenly halted his steps and rubbed at his tired eyes. What was the point in running away? Afterall, there was no place for him to go now.
Unexpectedly, he heard the crunch of gravel behind him on the lonely road and looking back with wide eyes he saw a bus making it's way through the night's dense fog. As the bus quickly overtook and passed him by, Lovino was gripped with the sudden desire to ride it. Sprinting forward, Romano ran.
Straining, he leapt with a wide stride.
Catching up to the unknown bus, Lovino could feel his legs burn as he pounded on the metal sides of the grey beast, trying to get it to stop. It needed to let him on board.
The bus, answering the thumps on it's ribs, stopped, it's tires squealingin protest. Breathing hard, Romano ran his way up the steps of the bus and gave the driver a handful of glittering coins.
The driver spoke with a deep voice, "You headed to somewhere?"
Romano gave him a cynical smile," I'm headed to nowhere."
The lights of the city passed by quickly as the bus seamlessly drove forward from the country to the heart of the urban scene. Leaning against the cold surface of the seat window, Lovino mindlessly gazed at the passage of restless citizens going about their nightlife. He lifted a hand then, to gently stroke the darkened glass as he gazed at his reflection peering back at him in the window. He saw a young man with slumped shoulders and a dull look in his eyes.
Some time had passed when Lovino's head unwillingly started to helplessly nod up and down. He tried to fight off the drifting sleep overpowering him, but eventually he sucummbed to the muffling blanket of drowsiness. Before his eyes could droop to a close though, Lovino was surprised to see a pair of green eyes staring back at him from the dark 'mirror' ..
"Hey. Hey, Roma. Roma come on~'"
A voice echoed in Lovino's conscious as the young Italian drifted in and out of that hazy world between reality and dreams.
" Roma come on~. I'm so happy to see you. Let's go!~" the voice continued.
Lovino then felt a warm presence as he was unknowingly pulled into an embrace. He snapped awake and instinctually struggled out of the unwelcomed contact. Elbowing the stranger, Lovino heard an "oof" and a groan of pain and allowed himself a small smile at the sound. Whoever the bastard was, he deserved it. Turning around, Lovino was about to give the guy a good verbal thrashing, but then he saw. Eyes, the shade of cheerful green; dark, curly hair that complemented a tan complexion, and a too cheerful smile... god... it couldn't be.
"Toni!" Lovino cried out with enthusiasm as he rushed to hug the taller man. He felt 'Toni''s arms snake around his waist. bringing Lovino's smaller body into a more intimate embrace. Lovino felt the solid body vibrate as 'Toni' let out a quiet chuckle.
"I'm guessing you missed me too Roma."
Flushing, Lovino allowed himself to be honest as he burrowed into Antonio's shoulder, " You idiot... I missed you like hell."
"Where did you go you idiot?"
Toni swayed his head back and forth to a mute melody as he replied carelessly and held the italian closer," Here and'a there. There's a lot of places in this world, Roma."
Roma...how he missed the gentle lithe of that pet name. It was quite strange to Lovino at first how Toni would call him by his middle name. Lovino mused it must be Toni's way of making sure he was special to Lovino.
Suddenly Antonio pulled away from their embrace and gently reach down to grab the italian's rough hands. Tugging gently, Antonio led Lovino down the bus aisle and ,allowing a smile to grace his features, Lovino willingly followed.
So blind was Lovino to everything but Antonio, he was oblivious to the fact the bus had stopped moving and the driver had disappeared.
Cheerfully, Antonio led his young lover down the aisle, humming the wedding march under his breath, and forced the doors of the bus apart with a swoosh.
Toni then, in a swift motion, hoisted Lovino into his arms and with a mischievous grin he stepped off the bus, throwing the startled Italian outside.
Lovino let out a startled gasp at the momentum and began to yell profanities when his body was cushioned by a bed of flowers. He gazed at the crushed flowers beneath his hands with a curious look," Wait'a. What the?"He was interrupted when Antonio with an "Ole! " also flung himself down onto the soft carpet of fragile blossoms.
Looking to his side, he saw Antonio grin up at him. And he met the cheerful grin with a rare laugh of his own, asking," What is all this?" Antonio spread his arms wide in a grand gesture as he answered," It's our meadow, Roma. All this is ours..." He reached over and delicately cupped his beloved's chin,".. it's all yours."
Lovino ripped his eyes away from Antonio's intense, glowing gaze, that scryed into his own, to beholden the scene before him. He gazed upon the endless fields of pastel colored, virgin blossoms and his mind grew foggy as he saw the windmill in the distance, so much like the one of his childhood back in Italia. The sun shone benevolently on them and the sky was such a clear ocean blue, Lovino swore he saw the schools of fish swimming in their depths. It was... paradise really, Lovino's very own Eden.
Antonio could only gasp in wonder at the beautifully peaceful expression that had settled over Lovino's features. To Antonio, Lovino could have outshone the stars at that moment for so much more brightly did Lovino's happiness shine. Antonio could no longer be patient. Reaching out with a hand, he gently shook Lovino to gain his attention and bent his head low to meet his lover's. As they gazed with lips mere centimeters apart, in a whisper,the spaniard spoke," Stay with me, Lovino. This is where you belong. Por favor, stay." Lovino's mouth, of it's own accord, swiftly moved up to capture the man's lips in a gentle, longing, hungry kiss. That was all that needed to be said.
But like the shattering of glass, a voice echoed through Lovino's mind.
"Fratello! Fratello! Where are you!?.." the voice faded as quickly as it had appeared.
Lovino broke away from the kiss, looking around confused. He could not see his younger brother anywhere amidst the bright scenary, " Feli?"
And Lovino's heart stopped when he heard his younger brother cry out again in a voice thick with worry and anguish, " Fratello! Mi dispiace! Where are you?!"
Tearing himself away from Antonio, Lovino stood and looked about anxiously. His eyes searched for his brother. But as he stepped away to go look for the only family he had left, he was stopped by a strong hand on his wrist. Antonio looked at him with a mournful expression, the spaniard's eyes pleading for Lovino to stay.
Lovino turned away. "Toni, I have to find him. He's my fratello...he's all I have left."
As stupid and oblivious his brother was... Feliciano was his twin, his other half. No matter how much they fought and grew to resent each other... they were all that was left of their family. Lovino couldn't lose his fratellino. He'd never be able to live with the guilt and the pain.
Refusing to let go, Antonio instead embraced his italian, hoping to convince the man to stay...to forget about everything else...and stay with him. Antonio breathlessly uttered the fateful words as his grip tightened, "Roma, Te amo. Don't go."
Feeling his cheeks grow wet at the loving words, Lovino realized he couldn't come back. Once the gates of paradise closed shut, they would never again welcome him.
The ground rumbled as dark clouds appeared in the distance.
Making his choice, Lovino returned the man's embrace with a strength he didn't know he had, "...Ti amo troppo. But I can't stay.. I can't." As the words were whispered, he felt the rumblings of the earth erupt into a frenzy of shaking. Beneath Lovino's feet, the ground cracked open to reveal a dark hole. Falling under, Lovino smiled sadly at Antonio's desperate expression, " Mi dispiace, Toni."
The last thing he could see was Antonio's eyes..such sadness was beholded in their Eden shade of green.
Lovino was jolted awake from his slumber and he whirled around in his surroundings in confusion before he remembered.
Oh that was right. He was still on the bus.
He glanced out the tinted black window, the same country road reappeared before his eyes as the bus drew him closer to home. It was time to go. Slinging on his backpack and gripping a protruding metal bone of the bus, Lovino pulled himself to his feet before shuffling down the aisle. Alone this time. He looked out the expansive front windows of the bus and saw the dark road ahead illuminated by the headlights. As he peered into the darkness, Lovino wondered whether he had chosen right. Was it wrong to chose duty and family...over the love of his life? He honestly didn't know the answer. But whether it was wrong or right... he knew he wouldn't, couldn't, regret this.
The bus pulled to a halt and it's creaking mouth opened. As he passed the driver, Lovino only gave the blue uniformed man a quick "good bye" before stepping off. The bus doors then slammed to a close behind Lovino's steps and the mysterious bus sped away as though the hounds of hell were on it's heels.
Lovino ran home. As he turned an unlit street corner, he suddenly saw Feliciano shriveled on the ground, sobbing quietly in the dim light. Sighing, Lovino softly stepped closer and with a hand ruffled his brother's dull hair. "Why are you crying, idiota?...I'm right here." Leaning down to wipe his fratellino's tears, Lovino hummed a soft lullaby,
"Farfallina bella bianca
Vola, vola mai si stanca
Gira di qua, gira di la
Fin che 'posa su frate.
( Beautiful white butterfly
Without tiring, fly and fly
Turning here and turning there
Until it rests on brother's chest.)"
So basically, this evolved from a story about a bus to a story about brotherly love.^^
Explanation: When Lovino is with Antonio, he falls into a sort of fantasy land between reality and the supernatural. His eden and Antonio isn't real in our world. When he was distraught by what his brother said, the bus took him not to a place (nowhere) but to a person (aka Antonio). But to stay in Paradise, Lovino had to pay a price, which was to leave behind the physical world entirely. But he couldn't do so because of his attachment to his brother, So he chose instead to leave and wakes up.
WOw that was a handfull to explain...it was really abstract xD.
Please Review~ I feel lonely here (;.;)