July 13th
1:05pm
The early afternoon clouds rolled in, littering the expansive blue sky with messy wisps of white. They floated around in a dazed dream-like trance, weaving idly in and out of the sun's glare. The fresh grasses and flowers sprouted by summer's gracious rains swayed indefinitely and uncaringly and it felt like a day unlike no other; mostly spurred by the changing of the season. From inside the hibiscus-budding hedges, life was teeming amidst the weeds and overflowing flowerbeds. Beetles danced about in a small garden and animals hid amongst the tall overgrown weeds behind an abandoned swing set. Dragonflies soared high and buzzed noisily around a big beautiful chartreuse house in the center. It's silken curtains swayed in the sweet breeze and from the kitchen, a man halfheartedly hummed love songs, preparing lunch amongst the chorus of wind chimes.
Upstairs, tucked away from the commotion around, an auburn-haired boy began to stir beneath layers of ornate quilts and comforters; fingers weaving themselves through slips in the stitching. Sandwiched between his pillow and the sheets, sleep tugged at his consciousness like gentle waves, veering him back down to dreamland. The Italian couldn't help but to yawn drowsily, drawing his covers close like a newborn. From downstairs, whiffs of olives and baked bread drifted in through a draft under the door, barraging his half-asleep self with tiny nips of hunger.
The aroma, distinctive and crisp, blended like a bumbling brook with the warmed July air. Airy and tantalizing, the scent chipped away at his resolve and it only took a few moments before an eye peeked out from under the pillowcase, resting its sight on the closed door. Musing silently, the teenager sighed and tossed away his last hopes of sleep, bringing a long unused hand through his messy hair.
Far down in the kitchen, the man called out to him, playfulness laced in his voice. "Lovino, lunch is ready!"
Huffing, the young man laid still for a moment, letting his consciousness, both soggy and slow, arouse on its own. Lethargy still pulled at him but it was weaker now; those spiced puffs of air driving him further conscious.
"Lovino, are you awake!?"
A quick inhale passed through the young man's mouth and he slowly pushed himself into a sitting position, rising out of the security of his blankets to dangle his legs neatly off the edge.
"Sí! sí!, I'm up, old man..." He grumbled back, absentmindedly scratching the back of his neck.
Across the room, sunlight permeated through the cracked blinds and curtains, casting bars onto the bookshelf below. Bare feet dug itself into the cool wood as he approached said bookshelf, retrieving his cellphone off it's top. A pair of faded gray sweatpants clung to his frame along with a old summer camp t-shirt. Leisurely, he padded around the room, getting himself ready for a day to spend in relaxation. Grabbing a brush, he ran it through his hair a few times, not bothering to give more than a few glances at himself in the mirror. Freckles topped freckles everywhere and his hair glinted like copper in the dusty light. Hazel eyes reflected back at him in disdain and annoyance. He paid no mind to the frown that reflected back at him in the mirror.
"Bleh, decent enough... " He mumbled, stuffing his phone into his pocket and wandering into the hallway.
The door closed behind him with a click and the warm rug sank into his feet as he took his time going downstairs. Open windows brought a light breeze through the corridor, and Lovino meandered down into the living room, that of which held paintings and antiques of every kind. Seated against the windows facing out towards the street, Romulus lazed with an half-eaten plate of food. Peonies and Daisies filled the basket on the clothed table, contrasting the cream and sallow walls of the open area.
Approaching the table, Lovino lazily gave a nod toward his grandfather, and seated himself in the plush viridian cushion to his right, careful not to knock over the unhung painting leaned against its back.
"Ah, Lovino! I have been waiting to see your lovely face all morning~."
Rolling his eyes, he hummed in response and settled into his plate. One bite is all it took. What a savory combination it was. The richness of capers and olives made the tomatoes pop on the tip of his tongue. Everything in the dish, from the sauce to the pasta tasted like heaven to the groggy teen. With a small smile, Lovino took another bite.
Tasted like home.
Watching a his grandson's expression, Romulus nudged the boy with his foot, a handsome grin on his lips. "Must be good, am I right?"
"Mhmm..."
"I was in the baking mood today. So there's some bread cooling in the kitchen." the older man explained, swirling the wine in his glass. "I decided to try something new. I want you to try it once it cools, honeybun." He hummed, pursing his lips into a smile as he emphasized the nickname.
Snorting, Lovino was caught off guard but nonetheless held back a snicker before playing along with his grandfather's antics, feigning a annoyed expression.
"Who the fuck are you calling honeybun?"
"You~! You're the only sweet pea in this house with me right now."
"Holy shit, stop it with the names."
"Why not buttercup? Is something the matter?"
"Oh my fucking God."
Banter continued across the table and it didn't take long before these two erupted into a series of cackling and joking smacks. Although something was missing from the picture... Or maybe to be more specific, a certain someone was missing...
Pausing, Lovino stopped mid-chew and squinted, trying to figure what was missing from this picture.
...
Oh wait...
The teen blinked up at his grandfather from the plate, where sauce hung off his lips. "Where'd Feliciano run off to?"
"Oh, he left early this morning to play at Ludwig's~! One would think those two are married, given how much time they spend together!"
"How about no." Lovino pretend retched, stabbing his fork into the food again stubbornly. "They might be soulmates, but he's my baby brother more importantly. Not that fool's bride."
"And my grandbaby~" the older man agreed charmingly, twirling the last of his plate on his fork. Kicking his sandals off under the table, he stole a glance at the house across the street, taking notice of the moving trucks and cars that now littered the driveway. An unreadable expression settled on his face and he stood up, gathering his dishes close before unknowingly letting a gentle smile slip through.
"Oh Lovino, looks like our new neighbors have arrived!~ " he sung, dancing backwards towards the kitchen.
Lovino wrinkled his nose out of distaste and took a look outside, peering down the driveway and into the corresponding yard. Overgrown weeds lined the yard as well as furniture prepared to be taken inside.
In the dirty windows, he could almost see the hunched silhouette of its previous occupant, Mr. Anthony, in the panes again, waving him off as he walked back to the house.
Even in the past, when the frail old man still occupied the house, it was neglected. Bedridden most of the time, the man often couldn't raise a finger; often enough, Feliciano or Lovino had to come over a few times a week to check up on him. Nostalgic pain pinched at the teenager as he recalled his time with the elderly man but he quickly shrugged it off with a pout.
"God, I hope these new neighbors of ours aren't total jackasses."
Sashaying toward the sink, Romulus hummed, abandoning his plate in the soapy water, before rejoining his grandson in the dining room.
"That's a mean word, Lovino~" Romulus pouted, a bottle of Chianti and cup in hand. Raising the glass, Romulus pointed, bringing Lovino's attention to the people coming in and out of the house. "And it looks like they have children! That boy looks like he's your age."
Drumming his fingers on the table, the teen took another bite and squinted, unable to make out any other detail other than the boy's height.
"He looks like a frat boy..." he hummed, twirling his fork absentmindedly.
Letting out a chuckle at his grandson's comment, Romulus couldn't help but to take a sip and grin. "Is that a compliment Lovi~?"
"It wasn't supposed to be." he chewed, scrunching his nose.
Humming in response, Romulus gave a quick ruffle to his grandson's hair before downing his glass and making his way back to the kitchen. Ideas began bouncing around on how he could spend the afternoon. It was only 1 o'clock. He could tend to the garden, or watch some soap operas, or maybe go flirt with women in town. Glancing down at his current outfit, he mentally crossed out that last thing before shuffling to the sink.
Maybe Lovino would want to go clothes shopping with him...
It was only when he turned the faucet and the warm water hit his palms that an idea bubbled from inside. One that made his lips pucker and his bronze eyes twinkle out of excitement. Giddily, he threw his head back, the buzz from the alcohol making him a little dizzy.
"Lovino~?" he sung with as sweet of a voice as he could muster.
"Mmmmph?!" A grunt called back.
"How about we go across the street and introduce ourselves?"
The response was almost immediate: a flat-toned "No. Go to sleep." Ignoring his last comment, Romulus did expect as much, but he wasn't going to pry. Can't say that Lovino was usually fond of meeting new people, as he would never voluntarily do it.
But that's just his Lovi.
Shrugging it off, Romulus emerged out of the kitchen, two tomatoes in hand.
"Then it's papà's telenovela time~" he smiled devilishly, tossing Lovino one before settling stomach-first on the couch with a flop.
Almost done with his lunch, Lovino paused mid-chew and cast a glare his directions. Muttering a quick 'gross' under his breath, Lovino slid out of his seat towards the kitchen, loading the dishes in the dishwasher. Lifting his arms far above his head, he stretched, long and catlike. Face scrunched together, he brought himself back down from his tippy toes and felt heavy, body sagging under his full stomach and the warm summer air in his lungs. Padding out of the kitchen and up the stairs, he returned a few moments later, with a handful of tangled earbuds, a 3DS, and a pillow.
"Nonno, I'll be on the deck." he announced, approaching the back door and giving it a hefty swing.
"Kay~"
Heels digging into the old wooden deck, Lovino spied the stand alone hammock on the far left corner of the deck and lazily made his way up to it. For being midday, thank god it wasn't very hot. Slinking into the rope hammock, his body wilted in its embrace and he exhaled a low groan into the wind. Life frenzied around and he couldn't help but to smile to himself. Sunlight blanketed him in warmth beneath the powdery blue sky and he was enjoying the good weather, gold eyes fluttering up and away from his game every few minutes to throw a carefree glance up at the sky. The hum of cars and the clangs of moving trucks sang out from the front of the house; a chorus of liveliness on his lethargic day. The sound of people crackling behind the whispers and breathy smiles of nature.
He couldn't help but to spread his legs apart and close his eyes, letting his mind wander into a late summery daydream.
One full of high-rising sunflowers, a falling sunset, and an evening picnic between their thick stalks that ended in an honey-tasting kiss.
Pink-cheeked, the teen turned on his side and slipped his hand up his shirt, running feather light touches over the little gold heart on his hip. His heart always ached and pounded after daydreaming like this, probably because he was dumb... and gay. Drawing circles around the precious little heart, he secretly loved when it would vibrate and tingle in return.
Like it was doing now.
Tender angel-like touches buzzed from the heart, brought by no other than his soulmate. Stretched out under the touch, Lovino curled around the pillow in his lap and drew the 3DS up to his flushed face, eyes glazed over in rosy embarrassment. They're probably get annoyed by his constant thoughts and daydreams. And he always feels guilty about it. Like what if they were in the middle of hanging out with their friends? Or maybe they already have a partner? Maybe they wanted to live their lives before they had to settle down and meet their soulmate? Lovino's constant harassment would definitely not be helping.
But what if even after they met, and even after all of the feelings they've sent back and forth to each other all these years, that they don't like him?
...
Maybe it would be because of his personality?
...
Or his looks?
...
Stomach churning, Lovino knew he was being ridiculous at this point and of course, he knew that he would meet them one day in the near future, after all he was 17. It has always been told that you meet them before your 18th birthday.
Nervousness bubbling in his gut, Lovino imagined all sorts of things, wondering things like what kind of person they are or what their smile looks like. He didn't want to set expectations but as a raging homosexual, he had his preferences... Maybe god will bring him a tall, handsome male model, one with a killer jawline, broad shoulders, and a spicy Spanish accent...
Lips pursed slyly, the teen let himself dwell on that imagery for a few long moments, before his marking kissed back at him softly, sending him bubbly little nips that he was being thought of as well.
...
Goosebumps trailed down the boys exposed arms as he screwed his eyes shut, shaky fingers dragged along his temples in disbelief. "I told myself that I should probably stop harassing them and yet." he started with a flustered huff.
"I'm gonna need to beat the shit out of myself."
Balling his fists, he buried himself face first into the pillow. "I need to stop being such a needy bastard..." he cursed silently. "What the fuck, I can't even go an hour without doing or thinking at least something." he hissed, snatching his head up and plucking his 3DS off of the deck. With obnoxious taps, he drowned himself headfirst in his game, actively ignoring the love sickness and feather-like tickles on his under his shirt.
"Whoever they are..." he thought." I might already love them... Just might..."
A/N- In which Lovino is always thinking about his soulmate and is constantly worried that he bothers them.