I'm baaaaack! Thanks for all the love you guys :)
Interesting poll results! Combining the score with your reviews: 5 votes for Mattie being the seme, and 8 votes for Lovi being the seme! Though I got some reviews about it probably going both ways, depending on the situation, and I think that's probably right hahaha :P
So here's chapter 7, I hope you all enjoy it!
Chapter 7: Herbs
By the time Alfred had finished talking to Matthew, it was already almost ten o'clock. He sighed, rubbing his eyes tiredly as he gathered his papers and said goodbye to his brother. Turning on his phone as he left, he was shocked to see he had fourteen missed calls, all from Lovino. Ten of them were within minutes of each other. In a panic, he dialed Lovino's number and sped up his pace, almost running.
What if something terrible happened? What if he fell? What if Turkey came back? The Italian answered on the second ring. "Hello?"
"Lovino! What's wrong? What happened?" Matthew said quickly.
"What?"
"I'm so sorry! I only just now finished with Alfred and I haven't been able to look at my phone til now. Are you ok? You called fourteen times!" he said in a rush. Why didn't Lovino seem concerned? Oh maple, did he fall on his head? Did he have a concussion? Where was Feliciano?
"Oh. That. Yeah, sorry, I'm fine. Really. I...I called twice a few hours apart and then Feli stole my phone and called you ten times in a row. Even though I told the idiot if you don't answer once, calling right after isn't going to help."
"And the other two times?"
"Oh. That was me again."
"And you're sure you're alright?"
"Yes, Matthew, I've barely even moved all day. I can't say the same for my mental state, Feli won't fucking leave me alone. You're lucky he finally went to the potato bastard's house, otherwise he'd have snatched the phone by now."
Matthew realized he was still running and slowed back to his normal walk. "Well. I'm glad you're ok," he said between panting breaths.
"Are...are you running?" Lovino asked.
"I was." Matthew let out a breathless laugh. "You had me worried, eh? Maple."
"I-I'm sorry..."
"Don't worry about it, it's not your fault. I wish I could have checked my phone before."
"You don't worry about it."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, Lovino. But I don't think I'll be able to come by tonight, I'm sorry."
"It's fine. Really. I'm probably going to fall asleep soon anyways. Oh. Feli wants you to to come over for dinner tomorrow."
"Feli wants?" Matthew replied teasingly.
"Well I-I'd like it too. I mean. Yeah, it was his idea, b-but I mean i-if you want to..."
"I was just kidding. I'd love to."
"Yeah?"
"Yes. Do you want be to bring anything?"
"No, I think Feliciano's too excited to make everything. We'll eat around seven. Oh and maybe you can stay and watch a movie after? I-if you want, that is."
"Sounds perfect." Matthew smiled.
"A-and you can sleep with me if you want." There was a brief pause of silence. Wait. Did Lovino mean- "Chigi! I-I mean sleep b-but not sleep...you know...I-I just meant...But Feli said to invite you and to tell you he'd be at the potato bastard's and- oh! Dammit! I thought he was just- That scheming bastard! B-but if you want to sleep with me, I mean like in my bed, n-not with me...Unless...I-I mean, dammit, I-"
"You mean I can stay over with you after the movie because it'll be late." Matthew helped, smiling at his flustered ramblings.
He heard a relieved sigh. "Yes."
"Sure."
"Really?"
"Yes, Lovino, you sound so surprised that I want to spend time with you."
"I-I...sorry, I'm not really used to this. And I'm just happy about it, you know?"
"Yeah, I know."
"O-ok. Well. See you tomorrow at seven?"
"Tomorrow at seven. Goodnight, Lovino."
"Ciao."
By the time Matthew hung up, he had reached his house. He unlocked the door with a smile and went to feed Kuma. Lovino was so cute when he was flustered. And it would be interesting to see him and Feliciano together for more than just a few moments. He couldn't wait until tomorrow.
OOO
A few hours before Matthew was due to arrive at the Vargas brothers' house, the Italians started their cooking. Lovino was still limping around the kitchen a bit, so Feliciano made him sit at the table and brought him things to chop and mix.
"I'm fine. Chigi, Feli."
"But fratello~! You need to stay off your foot!"
"Whatever." Lovino sighed. He didn't mind Feliciano practically catering to his every wish for once, but it was going to take longer this way. "I'm done with these tomatoes, bring me some stuff for the pizza dough, si?"
Feliciano beamed at his brother following his instructions and brought everything over to their table. Lovino directed Feli through the making of the pasta while he kneaded the pizza dough, even though Feliciano could have made it in his sleep. But it made Lovino feel better to be giving out instructions.
When the dough came out of the oven, Lovino sent Feliciano over to get all the pizza toppings he had chopped earlier.
"Get the sauce from the jar in the corner. It's the best."
"Ve~ I know! It's almost the last one! You'll have to make some more soon."
"Well the tomatoes are almost ready. Maybe next week. Careful with that, idiot!"
Feliciano handed him the jar carefully and bounced around the kitchen collecting the other ingredients.
"Hey. What the hell are these?" Lovino demanded when Feliciano set a few sausages on the table.
"They're sausages!"
"Duh, I have eyes. But what are they for?"
"For the pizza!" Feliciano exclaimed happily.
"I'm not putting fucking sausage on the pizza."
"But it's delicious! Ludwig loves it!"
"I'm sure as hell not putting any on now." Lovino grumbled.
"Please~! For me, Lovi?"
"It's not really for you."
"Ve~ I know, but still. Please~! It's Italian sausage!" Feliciano whined.
"Fine. Only on your third though."
"Yay! But what if Matthew wants some?"
"He...won't." he hesitated. Would he?
"Lovino, you don't know what he likes on his pizza?" Feliciano gasped.
"Well we...haven't talked about it yet. I'll get it right." I hope he added. Oh god he hoped Matthew liked tomatoes.
Lovino carefully put three kinds of cheese across the evenly spread sauce on the pizza crust. He arranged the sausages on one third and put a layer of tomatoes across the whole pizza. Feliciano liked almost everything since he couldn't make up his mind, so Lovino put a wide variety of toppings on his third. Lovino covered his own third in tomatoes.
He looked at all the bowls of ingredients Feli had brought over. Mushrooms? No, Matthew didn't seem like the mushroom type. He pushed that bowl to the side. He liked sweeter things, from what Lovino noticed, so he pushed away the crushed pepper flakes and onions. Considering the remaining bowls for a moment, he pushed away the small bowl of herbs. There were enough flavors in his sauce; he made it, after all. He also pushed aside the offending bowl of sausages.
He didn't want Matthew to have too many tomatoes so he pulled the bowl of carefully sliced delicious red spheres into his lap and ate the remaining ones while contemplating the pizza.
"Lovi, are you almost done? We have to put it in the oven soon!"
"Yeah, yeah. I know."
Maybe Matthew wanted meat on his pizza? Lovino looked at the bowls but only saw the sausage. No way in hell. Oh well. He pushed aside the bowl of spinach after glaring at it for a moment and it was soon joined by the bowl of olives. The only vegetables left were bell peppers. Lovino looked at them for a moment, then picked out the sweeter yellow ones and carefully put them on Matthew's third. He picked them all off again, and the tomatoes off his, and put some more cheese on Matthew's side. Feliciano's third was more of a pile of random ingredients so he left it alone.
He arranged the peppers into an outline of a maple leaf and put the sliced tomatoes inside, and then made a checkered pattern of tomatoes on his own third.
He looked at the pizza for a moment, considering it carefully, and tilted his head to the left, mouth twitching to the side. After a moment he nodded and sprinkled parmesan cheese across the top of the entire pizza.
"Oi! Feli! I'm done." He called and his brother bounded over to the table.
"Aww, Lovi, it's so cute!" Feliciano cooed as he put the pizza in the oven.
"Shut up." Lovino snapped. He didn't mean for it to be cute, he just wanted Matthew to like it. And if he got the toppings wrong, at least it would look nice, right? He grumbled to himself again and started to make a salad.
Thanks for reading everyone! Chapter 8 will be the actual dinner! We'll see if Mattie can handle the Italies together ;)
