Prompt: "Stealth is not my strong suit, okay? You want quiet, you go find someone who can do that."
"Lovino," Antonio says seriously. He's trying to keep his voice low, but it's not quite working out. He's crouching behind a statue, waiting for Gilbert to break the security code of the case from the safety of the van parked around the corner. "You blew up the west wing!"
Lovino makes a noise of distaste, as if he thought Antonio was annoying for making asinine comments.
"You know stealth isn't my strong suit," Lovino hisses back, glancing around the corner. "If you wanted quiet, you should've asked someone else."
"You blew up part of the building, Lovi!" Antonio whispers, a little too loud. Lovino twists around and hushes him.
"You wanted a distraction," he says as if that explains his incredibly poor decision making. "I gave us one." He turns back to peeking around the corner where the security camera blinks away innocently. "Goddammit, Gilbert. How much longer is this going to take?"
"Chill out, Lovi," Gilbert drawls, his voice static through their little earpieces. "If you get to blow up buildings, I get to take time on hacking the mainframe."
Lovino grumbles something too soft for Antonio to catch, but it sounded suspiciously like "everybody's a critic". Antonio sighs and he shifts a little closer to Lovino. He gets the narrowed, side-eyed glance when he reaches for his hand and squeezes it.
"A little patience won't kill you, Lovi." A grin curls his lips as he whispers the words close to Lovino's ear.
Lovino's breath hitches and he turns to Antonio slowly. His eyes are obscured in the shadows, but Antonio has memorized them too well by now. He knows their sparkle, their energy, their fire.
"Patience won't," Lovino agrees, and Antonio sees the gleam of white as Lovino grins mockingly. "But the cops certainly will if we don't hurry the fuck up, Beilschmidt."
Gilbert snorts and there is the distinct noise of him slapping away at a keyboard, fast and furiously.
"Now, now," Francis pipes up for the first time. He is currently at the other side of the museum, securing their escape. "A job done fast is a job done poorly. It's a rule of thumb, really."
"Oh, shut up, Bonnefoy," Lovino hisses.
"Besides," Francis continues, ignoring Lovino easily, "your distraction is flashy enough to give you at least fifteen more minutes if not an hour depending on how well the west wing burns."
Antonio makes a noise because it's such a waste of the museum. He might just donate part of his earnings to the museum to relieve his guilt. Lovino, meanwhile, grinds his teeth, a bad habit that will cost him part of the revenue of this venture in dental costs later.
It's Gilbert triumphant cheer that has Lovino dashing out of their hiding spot. Antonio follows a little slower, eyes scanning the other exhibits with interest. He pauses at one of the cases showcasing a series of beautiful rings.
Lovino whispers his name, only half as urgent as normally. When Antonio turns around, he finds Lovino carefully dislodging the diamond, eyes shining in the pale light of the showcase.
Antonio has to stifle a laugh behind his gloved hand. He could see Lovino's eyes calculating the worth of the gem as he inspects it. He turns it around in his hands, angling it in the light. He looks positively delightful. Antonio drinks in the sight of excitement that radiates from Lovino.
"So?" Both Gilbert and Francis voices question through the static of the earpieces.
"It's real, all right," Lovino breaths. He looks up at Antonio and the smile that plays at his lips is just as real.
"Set for life?" Antonio asks.
"Absolutely." Lovino's eyes are so bright as he bundles the diamond away and in his bag.
Antonio is at his side in a few long strides. He snakes an arm around Lovino's waist and presses his lips to Lovino's in an excited kiss.
Francis' voice crackles through their earpieces, breaking them apart. "Wonderful. I'm in the east wing. Let's leave for our scheduled flight."
Antonio grasps Lovino's hand and tugs him toward the right exit. He knows the museum all too well, having spent most of his youth there.
They end up pressed in a little awning when they hear footsteps approach. Muttered words between security guards makes it clear that they're on their way to the west wing, trying to preserve as much as possible of the ruined exhibits.
"Why the west wing?" Antonio mutters when they're moving again, this time Lovino tugging him along.
"In between exhibits," Lovino says and skates to a halt when they see the shine of flashlights from around the corner. Antonio pulls them into another exhibit, filled with paintings. "And just some dumb dioramas."
Antonio gasps, a little offended. The dioramas had been his favourite as a kid. He had always pretended he was part of them. "Lovi!"
Lovino shushes him urgently and they squeeze behind a case holding some strange vase. They wait until the footsteps fade away and even then Antonio ambles a bit. Lovino frowns at him, but Antonio has found where he wants to go and tugs Lovino along.
He stops abruptly and Lovino trips into him. While Antonio had loved the dioramas, nothing topped the exhibition on ancient jewellery. The faded jewellery might not have the same worth as the diamond safely tucked away in Lovino's bag, but it held so much more than a handful of numbers. It was where he had met Lovino, where he had fallen in love with him.
"What the hell, Antonio," Lovino hisses then freezes when Antonio turns around and catches his hand in his. "What do you think you're do…ing," he trails off, staring wide-eyed as Antonio places a small kiss against his knuckles and slowly kneels in front of him.
"Lovino," Antonio starts and pulls out one of the rings he has snatched from the exhibit. It's gold, adorned with small rubies and diamonds. Maybe a bit gaudy, but it had made him think of Lovino and how he wanted to live his life with him.
Lovino's eyes flick between the ring and Antonio. "Oh, my God," he whispers.
"You're the love of my life," Antonio continues, smiling brightly. "Ever since you fell into my life, I have never been happier."
"Really, Antonio. Now?" Lovino's voice has the pretense of harshness and maybe a hint of panic, but Antonio can see the shine of tears in his eyes, so he continues.
"And while we might not have the most appropriate lifestyle. And it might catch up to us someday." He chuckles as Lovino turns a bright red that's visible even in the limited light available.
"Antonio, there are guards around. We're in the middle of a heist. You can't just—" Lovino chokes, covering his mouth with his hand and blinking rapidly.
"I will gladly spend the rest of my life running from the authority with you," Antonio says, squeezing Lovino's hand. "Lovino Vargas, will you marry me?"
A sob escapes from behind Lovino's hand as he drops to his knees and nods slowly. "Yes," he whispers, his voice tight with emotion. "Yes, you stupid, idiotic, moronic man."
Antonio pulls Lovino into a hug, pressing kisses against his hair in happiness. Lovino clings to him, whispering more insults in Italian.
They both jump when Gilbert's voice once more crackles to life in their ears.
"As sweet as this is, can you, like, make out after we're safely away on a plane?"
Lovino jumps up, but Antonio stops him from leaving just yet. He slips the ring on Lovino's finger with a grin and a kiss until Lovino tugs him harshly along the corridors.
They find Francis filing his nails on one of the benches lining the walls and he smiles knowingly. Lovino burns a violent red and marches right by him and toward the window.
Francis pulls Antonio in a congratulatory hug as Lovino scales down the wall first. When they're all on the ground, they walk quickly to the van parked around the corner. Gilbert has already seated himself behind the wheel while the other three jump into the back.
Antonio kisses Lovino once more after they have seated themselves and Gilbert drives away. The sound of sirens can be heard in the distance, but it's of no concern to them. They have a plane to catch after all.
Originally posted on the 25th of September on AO3. Part of my catching up spree.