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Lovino absently stared at the TV as he lay on the couch, his head in his boyfriend's lap, Antonio's fingers carelessly playing with his hair. Some reality show about rich heiresses getting dumped by their men was on. He honestly didn't care too much for it; as fun as it was to see snotty bitches get what was coming to them, he really wasn't in the mood.
It was hard enough to think of the perfect time to propose without Antonio around. It was even harder when he was. But the absolute kicker? Having to try to figure it out with both Antonio and his eight year old half-niece, Adelaide, here. It turned out Antonio had agreed to babysit her for his older half-brother just to get him off his back, and he hadn't felt the need to tell Lovino that when he invited him over.
The part that made his blood boil the most was the fact her presence ruined his entire plan. He had been going to convince Antonio to come over to his grandfather's restraunt, which was closed for the night for the first time in thirty years, have a romantic dinner, come back, go to bed with him, and right before they fell asleep, take the small, velvet box out of his pocket. It was perfect.
Unfortunately, with Adelaide here, he doubted they could even have sex. She was spending the night, after all. According to Antonio, his half-brother and sister-in-law were having their own date night, and wouldn't be back to pick her up until lunch time tomorrow. Since it was a one room apartment, she was taking his bed while he would be on the couch. Wonderful.
Aside from waiting another month and a half to work up the courage to arrange something special, Lovino's only other alternative was to pop the question in the apartment while she was here. That was never happening. Not only on the off chance Antonio rejected him would a little girl see, little girls tended to love rings. And considering Adelaide's pink and yellow sundress, fake diamond necklack, and sapphire earings, he would bet money she would be the type to butt her head into the propposal to get a good look at the ring. Might even swipe it.
Yes, he knew he was being paranoid about an eight year old. One part of him was even convinced it was just a ploy to keep him from taking Antonio aside into the kitchen or waiting until she went to bed to say something.
Lovino flinched, a hot flash flying through him. "Watch the curl," he hissed at Antonio.
"Sorry," he apologized, much too pleasantly for Lovino to believe he had really heard him.
Uncle like niece, he was wrapped up in this garbage, too.
"Ugh," he groaned, forcing himself up into a sitting position. "How about I make dinner, eh?"
"Sure," Antonio agreed, leaning to the side to see. "Thanks."
"Yeah, whatever," he mumbled.
He tossed his legs over the egde of the couch and rose to his feet. Adelaide glanced at him before returning to her trashy show. Stretching, he made his way to the kitchen and opened the fridge. His lips curled. Antonio really needed to go grocery shopping. He opened the nearby pantry, only to be met with the same result. What he expected to feed his niece, Lovino didn't know.
Moaning, he reached for a tomato, closed both, and took a bite of it. It would be nice to have an actual meal to go with it. Double tomato brushetta, okra and tomatoes, tomato chicken...
"Why do you eat tomatoes raw?"
Lovino startled, accidently biting down. On his tongue, to be exact.
"Jesus Christ!" he hollered. "What are you doing her!? Why aren't you watching your show!? Ow..."
Adelaide shrugged. "It's on commericial. Why would you eat tomatoes raw?"
"Because your fucking uncle can't go shopping for shit," he snorted, rubbing his jaw since he couldn't his tongue.
Adelaide raised her entire brow. "Uncle Antonio!" she screamed. "Your boyfriend is saying bad words about you!"
"He does that," Antonio called back, still entranced by the TV. "Leave him alone, Adelaide."
"You little snitch," Lovino scowled down at her.
"You started it," she shot back. "You're weird. What's in your pocket?"
He nearly bit his tongue for a second time. "W-What?"
Adelaide poked his side pocket, the one bulging with the ring. "There. What's in it?"
His scowl transformed into a glower. "None of your damn business."
"You shouldn't swear so much," she advised him, unfazed.
"And you shouldn't be so nosy," he sneered.
"You really are weird," Adelaide said. "I don't get why Uncle Antonio likes you so much."
"Well, I can understand perfectly why your parents dumped you on your uncle tonight," he snapped back. "I'd want a break from you, too."
Now it was her turn to sneer. "Uncle Antonio is crazy for wanting to marry you."
"Yeah, well - Wait, WHAT?"
"Yeah. He says you're nice most of the time instead of mean, but I think he was lying. He said he was going to wait until I go to bed to get on his knee and everything, and he said I could peek through the door if I really wanted, but I can't come out and have to go bed afterwards. But you're mean. Uncle Antonio shouldn't marry a jerk."
Lovino gawked at her. He was positive his face was as red as the tomato in his hand. They had both had the same idea. Oh, God. And on the same night, too. That...that would have been awkward, extremely awkard if they had both gone through with their original plans. Well, if Adelaide was telling the truth, at least they both already had their engagement rings. Now just to figure out if he wanted to broach the topic with Antonio or let him have the pleasure of proposing.
"Did you buy a ring, too?" she went further, poking his pocket bulge again. "I think you did. You want to marry him, too. But you're mean, so I think Uncle Antonio should say no to you."
"You're a brat," Lovino spat.
She wrinkled her nose. "Takes one to know one!"
"Yeah, well, just keep this to yourself, okay?" he asked. "I'll be nice to for the rest of the night if you can stay quiet about it."
"Are you going to be nice to Uncle Antonio?"
"Like he said, I usually am...!" he strained to keep his racing pulse out of his throat.
Adelaide thought for a moment. "Okay. But you have to go out and buy me McDonalds for dinner. My mamá and papá never let me have McDonalds ever, and I really like it."
"Deal." That was easier than he'd expected. "If you don't keep your end of the bargain, though, you're banned from the wedding."
"And I wanna be the flower girl."
"Fine, fine! I don't have any little girls on my side of the family, anyhow."
Adelaide smiled. Little gremlin. "Okay, Uncle Lovi. Now get me McDonalds!"
"Brat," he repeated himself, marching towards the couch, leaving her in the kitchen. He bent over the couch arm and tugged Antonio's chin so he was facing him.
"What?" Antonio asked. "Is dinner cooking?"
"I'm going out since you're a shit shopper," he informed him, eyes wondering down to his pants. There indeed was a small, square bulge in the pocket he hadn't previously been laying on. His flush deepened, he was sure of it. "I'll be back in a bit. Ciao."
Antonio pushed his hands away and pecked him on the lips. "Sounds good, mi amore. Hurry back. I have a surprise for us tonight after I put Adelaide to bed. It can't wait until she's gone home."
Lovino's heart fluttered. "Y-Yeah? O-Okay, then. I'll be r-right back!"
He scurried for the door. The car ride to McDonalds should give him time to clear his head. There was no doubt in his mind tonight would interesting, one way or another.
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