A light, cheerful grin gracing his lips, Antonio strolled down the crowded street with no hurry to his step. His classes had ended a while ago and he could only breathe a sigh of relief as he made his way to his workplace.

It was quite lucky of him to secure a job at the old café. He had shown up without a resume and without an application but the aging owner took a liking to Antonio who was not only pleasant in nature but kind to the aged patrons of the greying, worn café. With a twinkle in his dark eyes, the old man had tossed Antonio a fading yellow apron and motioned him to stand behind the counter. Antonio didn't dare to refuse the offer.

Since then, he had with youthful enthusiasm manned his station, scrubbing down the tables and serving helpings of black coffee always with that light, cheerful grin present on his face.

The door chimed as Antonio entered the café and he threw his school bag haphazardly on a nearby stool, no one ever bothered to steal anything from this unknown café anyway lest of all a schoolbag. Humming a happy tune as he pulled on his yellow apron, Antonio picked up a few leftover dishes from table #2 and reached over to grab a rag to wipe the surface. Bending over the table as he wiped the rag in a clockwise motion, Antonio heard the bell on the door chime again and heavy footfalls enter. Faced away from the door, he greeted his patrons with a jovial trill to his voice even as his eyes never left the tabletop," Be right there with you, esteemed customers." A disbelieving snort answered him along with a good-natured chuckle.

"Esteemed customer, my ass."

"Oh, come now, fratello. I rather enjoy being called that."

"You also enjoy being called annoying and a bother, Feliciano. I wouldn't put much merit in your standards."

"Loosen up, Lovino. You simply can't take a compliment."

Antonio's eyes widened as his hand froze in midswipe. Lovino? 'Surely not,' he reasoned, trying to squelch his hopes before they rose too far,' Lovino was a common enough Italian name.' He straightened as his grip suddenly tightened on the rag in his right hand. With a nervous glint in his eyes, Antonio put on his usual smile and turned around to finally see the customers that entered his café. His breath caught in his throat.

Without a shadow of a doubt, Antonio knew it was the Lovino he was searching for who stood a few feet away. With a soft sigh to his inner voice, Antonio mused as his eyes struggled to take in all of this man he had been searching for so long,' He hasn't changed abit.'

Lovino stood glancing about in a disinterested manner in his smartly tailored clothes. His suit jacket was slung carelessly on his shoulder as his shirt was ruffled in a casual manner. Bright hazel eyes occasionally glancing to look at the man standing next to him, Lovino conversed with the man, dropping a few petty insults now and then. Antonio's smile unconsciously widened as Lovino suddenly broke his conversation and glanced over to look at the worker.

" Oy, are you going to take our orders or what?"

Antonio answered in a breaking voice, trying to conceal his joy, as he sprinted the distance to the counter, "Oh, si!"

He chided himself as he calmed his heart and took their orders. It wouldn't do to get too excited.. afterall..Lovino might not even remember him.


Lovino fixed a narrow eyed glare on his brother as Feliciano grinned playfully. For the last 20 minutes Lovino had to tolerate not only his brother's foolish chatter but the strange glances of the green eyed café worker. It was easy to conclude Lovino's naturally short temper was starting to fray.

"He is not looking at me, Feliciano. Cut it out, you're starting to become bothersome again."

"I think he might be sweet on you, fratello. See, he's looking over here again. Looking at you to be more specific."

"Maybe he's looking at you. Have you thought of that, dumbass?" It was true. His half-brother tended to draw that sort of attention from both men and women. With his light auburn hair and pleasant amber eyes, Feliciano was a close identical of their nonno who was famed to be a well desired man.

"Nope, it's you. I can tell. His gazes aren't meeting my eyes. They're all focused on you."

Lovino became slightly flustered at the explanation and fell back on a reasonable sounding answer as he calmed his thoughts, "No, he's not… If he is then it's because we're the only customers in this stupid old café."

"Lower your voice, Lovino. Nonno loved coming to this café."

"All the more reason to dislike it."

Feliciano heaved a small exasperated sigh but smiled patiently at him as though Lovino was a misbehaving child. Lovino felt a strong urge to punch that expression off his brother's face.

As he rested his elbows on the green tabletop in front of him, the glint in Feliciano eyes suddenly turned serious and a businesslike chill settled in his smile.

"Let's talk, brother."

"Finally," Lovino responded as he leaned back comfortably in his chair and met his brother's cold smile with a smirk," let's talk business."

"I hear you're headed over to Italy for another excavating trip."

"That's the plan."

"Why didn't you consult with me before you made the arrangements?"

"Because you're too busy seducing the muscle head of a CEO."

"We needed funding," Feliciano reasoned as he tried not to think too hard about poor Ludwig who was stuck in his office for the night.

"We also need a miracle of a lead if we're going to find anything on the trip. I need you with me, Feliciano."

Feliciano's cold mask dropped as he smiled apologetically at Lovino," You know, I can't leave right now. Ludwig needs me."

"Like hell he does," Lovino felt his anger spark," You're the genius excavator and I'm the historian. We're suppose to be a tag-team, dammit."

"You're too immersed in your work, Lovino. Maybe it's time to take a break and work with people who are alive."

Lovino grumbled as his gaze flickered over to the eager café worker who was pointly staring at him now,"People are less annoying a few hundred years after they die."

Feliciano tittered at the comment and stood up from his chair," Just saying the obvious, fratello. Take the trip, I won't object to it anymore. Think of it as a vacation."

Lovino also got to his feet," Where are you going?"

Felicano grinned as he gestured with his head to Antonio," Leaving you alone with that cute café worker. He looks like he wouldn't mind."

Lovino hissed through his teeth as his brother escaped out the door," But I would!" Cursing under his breath, Lovino snatched his jacket and made to run out but was stopped by a firm hand on his arm. He looked over to see the café worker with astonishing, green eyes looking almost pleadingly with him. Antonio, Lovino read on the man's small plastic nametag, fumbled his words as he tried to speak," Wait, please. Lovino. Umm. Hi. Hola.I-I.. I love you!"

Antonio looked horrified with himself even as the words came rushing out and he dropped Lovino's arm, stepping away with a slightly embarrassed blush to his cheeks.

Lovino eye's widened as he sputtered for a response and grabbed the door handle, eager to leave the strange worker," Yo-you what? I don't' even know you. How do you know who I am?"

Antonio felt his gut twist as he searched desperately for some excuse to keep Lovino here, to explain himself to his 'guardian angel'. Even as he thought in a blind panic, a small voice echoed in his head,' Lovino doesn't remember me.'

" I mean... um.. how do you say 'I love you' in Italian? I've never heard it said before and I hear it's similar to the Spanish way of saying it and I was curious because I speak Spanish…." Antonio voice trailed off as he babbled on, helplessly embarrassing himself again.

Lovino's look changed from an anxious, confused demeanor to a more curious and annoyed one.

"Why do you assume I speak Italian?"

"Cause you're an Italian. Lovino is an ethnic name."

"Fair enough but you could have been wrong," Lovino smirked as he loosened his grip on the door handle.

Antonio's self-confidence soon returned. He felt he should take a risk, afterall, he wasn't sure when or if he'd see Lovino again. He phrased his words very carefully.

"I.. We met a long time ago. Do you have time to wait? I'm closing in a few hours and I've always wanted to meet and talk with you… I mean I admire your work." Antonio added the small lie for a good measure.

Even so, Lovino's wary look reappeared and Antonio hastily added," I'll treat you to a good restaurant."

Well…. Lovino was never one to reject free food, especially from a good restaurant.


... yeah, well remember Antonio is a high schooler.
I think this AU's Antonio is nicely human and humorous. By far the best, I've written so far.
xDD He embarasses himself in front of the man he has practically idolized and secretly loved in a crush sort of way.

Isn't that cute?~

ANyway... Please Review. I do read them all.