Chapter Four: Somewhere only we know
Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia or the song "Somewhere only we know".
Antonio wandered bitterly through the small park in the small town where he had grown up. Every age group came to this park, kids played on the playground, parents sat on the benches watching their kids while catching up on the latest gossip of the town. Teenagers hung out in the more grassy field across the park from the playground which bordered woods that were always fun to play man hunt in. He smiled at the fond memories of playing the game with his friends, Lovino and Feliciano may not have been much of athletes, but both of them could run, very fast. They would always have to put them on separate teams to make it even.
"Have you heard," he heard one woman say to the woman sitting beside her. "One of the Vargas brothers is missing." The other woman gasped and responded negatively to the first. "Yeah, about a week after the poor boy graduated, you know his father kicked both of them out about a month before school ended." Antonio closed his eyes and tried not to pay attention to what he was hearing. Even now, three weeks after Lovino's break up with him, he couldn't bare to hear the Italian's name.
"That man has been bitter about life since his wife died." The other woman said right before Antonio walked out of earshot of them, he was walking away from the playground now and twords the wooded area now.
"Antonio!" Feliciano waved a cheerfull smile on his face, beside him was his blond, German boy friend Ludwig and one of Antonio's best friend Gilbert. "Antonio, did you hear about fratello?" The Italian boy asked he no longer wore a smile on his face and despair had found its way onto a face whom it had never come in contact before.
"Si," Antonio said and looked over at Ludwig and Gilbert, both wore worried expressions on their faces that seemed to match one another.
"We've searached the whole town for him ourselves." Ludwig said quietly, "Lovino's not here." Antonio nodded trying to make the word sink in, but none of this felt like reality; breaking up with Lovi, and then having Lovi suddenly up and disappear leaving Antonio with only memories. It had hurt coming back home, but he needed to, he needed to warn the others.
"Is Alfred and Matthew coming?"
"Ja, Alfred called right before you came to tell us that they were running late due to an accident of some kind. He just said that there were a lot of fire trucks." Gilbert said shrugging, "So who knows when they'll be here? Why'd you call a meeting anyway?"
"Octavius is stalking Francis and me. We thought someone was following us for a while, since Lovi and I broke up actually. And then a week ago we got the cut up newspaper and magazine letter calling us both fags and that we were committing a crime just by existing. I'm worried about all of you guys." Antonio explained watching Matthew and Alfred walk up behind Gilbert and Ludwig.
"Sorry we're late, traffic was bad." Matthew said his cheeks tinting red in embarassemnt of being late.
"There was a fire." Alfred supplied, "Over near where you used to live, Antonio. Lots of fire trucks and ambulences." He looked at the other three who were already there. "Did we miss anything important?"
"Octavius has been stalking Antonio and Francis." Gilbert said dryly, "Maybe he's a closet homosexual who hated what he was and so he decided to become a homophobe instead." A smirk played on his lips. He put his arms around Matthew's waist pulling him in closer to his body, Antonio tried not to flinch at the brash display of affection trying not to remember the many times he had snuck up on Lovino and grabbed him like that usually getting sworn at by the Italian.
"Yes and he's secretly in love with his son's ex-boyfriend. Let's think before we talk, Gilbert." Ludwig remarked dryly, Antonio noticed his fingers were intertwined with Feliciano's. He shook his head, why was he noticing all these things today, couples were allowed to act like couples. He and Lovino had never really hid their love from the world, but that was it wasn't it? He couldn't hold hands or grab someone's waist and pull them close because he was no longer dating.
"I want you guys to move to Montreal." Antonio announced suddenly, "I'm afraid of what Octavius would do to you guys."
"We can't just uproot with a snap of the fingers, Antonio. We've got lives here." Ludwig said, "Feli and I still have to finish high school."
"Well what happens when whoever got their hands on Lovi get their hands on Feli? What if Octavius is really behind Lovino's disappearance? What if he goes after Feliciano as well? How would you feel?" Antonio asked balling up his fist in anger. He wasn't one quick to anger, but he couldn't take seeing everyone so in love and he pinning away for his love who wanted apparently nothing to do with him anymore for some reason unbeknownst to Antonio. He just wanted to make sure he couldn't lose anyone else. They were his family now, and he was going to do his damn best to make sure they stayed safe.
"Antonio's got a point." Gilbert said letting go of Matthew and crossing his arms. "What's keeping us here? We're all pretty much cut off from our parents as it is. And I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to my Birdie." Matthew flushed red as Gilbert used his ridiculous nickname.
"I don't want to stay here anyway." Alfred said, "This place cramps my style." Everyone snorted at the American's outburst.
"Let's think this over and talk about it and decided at a later date if this is a good idea." Ludwig suggested, "This isn't a desciousn we should rush into." Everyone nodded into agreement.
"Meeting ajorened then." Gilbert said using the catch phrase they had always used when saying goodbye to one another. No one really remembered how it got started.
Antonio sighed as he stopped, leaning against a lamp post on Main Street and pulled out a cigereet, a nasty habit Francis had gotten him into. He wasn't addicted to them like most who smoked, he only really smoked them when he was stressed out. Today was one of those days it seemed. Memories of high school seemed to follow him wherever he went.
"I thought you quit that awful habit." A familiar voice said from behind, Antonio tensed before recognizing the voice and sinking back into his former stance leaning against the lamp post.
"I did, I only smoke when I'm stressed out now." Antonio replied not bothering to look at his old friend.
"I'll take it that the news is the cause of your stress then. You must be worried, I know I would be if Elizaveth disappeared." The other man said pushing up his glasses onto the bridge of his nose. "But smoking won't make it go away."
"I know, but it makes the memories go away." Antonio said with a shrug blowing out some of the smoke that had built up. "How's life, Rodriech?" Rodriech Edelstein had lived across the street from him and the twins growing up. The Austrian born was proud and often needed to be knocked down a few pegs to come back down to Earth, but he was a good person. He was madly in love with the Hungarian yaoi fan Elizaveth Hedivery whom they had gone to school with.
"Going well, I'm back for summer break. Elizaveth stayed in Ottawa to do an internship there." Rodriech said moving lazily to stand in front of the Spaniard. "How was college?"
"It was fine, having Francis as a dorm mate can get interesting at times. But he's not a bad roommate." Rodriech snorted crossing his arms.
"I'm sure." Antonio sighed, Rodriech had often been the object of Francis and Gilbert's bullying while in Elementary and Middle school, the two had mellowed out in High School but the musical man was still slightly bitter towards the two. Antonio had always tried to remain neutral in their arguments; he liked being friends with all three of them.
Rodreich pushed back the strand of his hair that stuck up much like Alfred's and sighed. "Do you remember the time we put on that play in History class, the one about the Austrian War of Succession?" Antonio let out a chuckle as he remembered the play. "The teacher what was her name, Mrs. Hodge, loved it so much she made us put it on for the school." Rodriech nodded looking up at the starry sky.
"Yeah I remember, I got to kick Gilbert's ass." They both laughed at that memory.
"Man, those were the days, we hardly had any worries and life seemed so easy." Antonio said shaking his head, "If only I knew then what I know now."
"Hindsight is always twenty-twenty."
"Hey, if I remember correctly the awesome me kicked both of your unawsome asses again in our uber awesome sequel play about the Seven Years War." Gilbert said walking up, "Nice to see you again, Roddy. Where's your girlfriend?" He looked around for the frying pan wielding brunette whom he often butted heads with.
"Relax Gilbert, she's in Ottawa." Rodriech said a smirk playing on his lips as he watched his former rival freak out looking for Elizaveth. Gilbert let out a sigh of relief and stood beside the two of them.
"So what are we doing out here, reminiscing?" he asked with a nonchalant tone.
"Yeah, pretty much." Antonio said with a shrug. "Thinking about how we wished thing were different."
"You guys are so unawsome right now, you know that." Gilbert complained, "And why are you smoking, I thought you kicked that habit?" Antonio sighed dousing out the cigarette and throwing it to the ground.
"I don't smoke often Gilbert, just when I'm stressed."
"Oh," Gilbert frowned and then shook his head. Rodriech just rolled his eyes at the albino again.
"Well, I should be going. Nice seeing you again, Rodriech." Antonio said getting off of the lamp post.
"Yes it was nice seeing you again, Antonio. I hope you find Lovino." Rodriech said as Antonio waved goodbye to his friends and walked down Main Street consumed once again in memories.
Oh simple thing
Where have you gone?
I'm getting old and I need something to rely on
So tell me when
You're going to let me in
I'm getting tired
And I need somewhere to begin
Author's Note (The part of the story where the author comes out and writes a silly note): Takes a sigh of relief, it's done. This chapter runs high on emotions, and I feel so bad for what I've done to one of my beloved couples. Not as bad as what's coming and that the only hint you're going to get.
No Translations (Yes!)