Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia or the characters involved. I do, however, own the iPod touch this is being slowly, painfully typed up on.


"That's so cute!" Elizaveta squealed in delight, diving for her camera again. Lovino untangled himself from his brother hurriedly and scrambled backwards. Antonio chuckled as they collided.

"Careful, Lovi," he cooed, wrapping his arms around the smaller boy. "You're more likely to hurt yourself than get hurt by Eliza!"

"Nobody asked for your opinion, bastard," Lovino growled. He swore at the telltale flash of the camera. "Stop taking pictures of me! Dammit, why won't you bother Feliciano instead?"

"Why can't we bother you, cutie?" Gilbert drawled. "Oi, Toni, quit strangling the poor kid."

"He could get away if he really wanted to," Antonio said smugly, and Lovino felt heat flood to his cheeks. That wasn't true, dammit! Antonio was just stronger than he realized! It definitely wasn't because he seemed like the safest of the perverts or anything!

Unfortunately, his eloquent "like Hell, bastard, let me go!" was easily drowned out as Francis and Elizaveta turned to fawn over Feli. Lovino relaxed a little in relief. This was much more normal... Although typically there wasn't anyone all over him from behind-

"Ve~ but you should all be paying attention to Lovi, too. Right, fratello?"

Lovino stared in horror when his brother gave him a proud smile. Since when had he handled the spotlight well? Since when was everyone constantly giving him chances in the spotlight, when Feli was right there? He didn't want attention, dammit! He was fine being Feli's shadow!

He'd said as much to Jacob, once. The tall blond boy had only laughed and ruffled his hair- said someday there'd be someone he wanted to impress, be it romancing or business, and then he'd understand why it was so important to stand out and be your own person.

But he did stand out. The standoffish, rude boy who looked just like Feli, but without the constant, charming smile- Hell, no one at school had a problem identifying him. There was probably a deeper meaning to Jacob's words that he didn't understand, he thought sullenly. Don't know, don't care- he knew how to charm his way through a business operation (if Pat had taught him anything, it was how easily a pretty girl can be manipulated with the right kind of smile) and as for love... When would he ever find it? No, the ladies were Feli's department, and no he didn't bat for the other team. He was perfectly straight, goddammit. He just couldn't imagine himself in any sort of lasting relationship.

No matter what Feli or Jacob said.

"He's too busy sulking to be any fun," Gilbert grumbled, crossing his arms stubbornly. "Look at him."

"Lovi's not sulking, he's always like that," Feliciano laughed. "Come on Lovi! Let's go swimming now!"

Antonio shifted behind him, and Lovino frantically realized that the older boy was probably going to drag him into the water with the others. "I-isn't it bad to swim right after you eat? Cramps or some shit like that?"

"Whatever, cutie, we won't let you drown," Gilbert snickered. Ludwig glanced at Lovino sympathetically before quietly volunteering,

"We didn't bring any swim trunks or towels, bruder."

Gilbert turned around to glare at him as Lovino exhaled in relief, taking a moment to elbow Antonio in the gut. The older boy yelped. "Lemme go, moron, haven't you ever heard of personal space?"

Antonio hesitated, then squeezed tighter and pressed a smile against the back of his shoulder. "I like hugging people. Don't you like hugs, Lovi?"

"No I do not- and stop calling me that!" Lovino scowled, trying to elbow him again. Antonio's hand shot over and caught him at the last second. Elizaveta lowered her camera in surprise.

"You don't like hugs? Really? Mister Vargas has always seemed like a really touchy-feely kind of guy," she hummed thoughtfully, turning to the youngest Vargas. "Hey, Feli, do you like hugs?"

"I do!" Feliciano beamed. "Hugs are safe and warm and happy and great!"

Everyone else turned to Lovino expectantly. He flushed scarlet. "Ch-che cosa, bastardi? There's nothing weird about liking your personal space! I just don't like hugs, dammit!"

Antonio whined pitifully from behind him. Lovino huffed angrily. "That includes you, bastard!"

"Nous regrettons, cher," Francis interrupted, his voice soothing. "Calmer. We're simply... curious, since it appears the rest of your family likes hugs."

Lovino wriggled in Antonio's grip enough to cross his arms stubbornly. "I've never liked hugs, pervert. Ask Gramps if you don't believe me."

"But Lovi, you let me hug you right?" Feliciano leaned towards him with wide, hopeful brown eyes. "You let me hug you after Pat took us! And you let Jacob hug you sometimes, too."

"I'm sorry to interrupt this touching conversation but who the hell is Pat?" Gilbert asked, a bit of exasperation leaking into his tone. Feliciano laughed sheepishly.

"She was, um... kind of our foster mamma," he said, giving Lovino a hopeful smile. The older Italian groaned.

"That's bullshit, Feliciano. We've been over this."

"Veee- I'm sorry Lovi but I didn't know about it before and it was all really sudden, especially with what happened to Mr. Brule and-"

"Quit adding names we don't know to the conversation!" Gilbert snapped grumpily. Feliciano whimpered apologetically. What a little suck up, Lovino thought dryly.

"Pat Jackson was the mafioso who kidnapped us," he deadpanned. Immediately, he had everyone's attention- Ludwig choked a little on his bite of sandwich.

"You were kidnapped by the mafia?" Francis said, disbelief lacing his voice. "That's... even Gilbert has never tried to come up with an explanation like that."

Lovino couldn't even tell whether his cheeks were heating again because he was angry or embarrassed. It felt a shitload similar to anger. "Fucking sorry to hear that. Would you prefer I lied instead? I'm sure I could come up with some suitable bullshit."

"Lovi, Lovi calm down," Feliciano fretted, leaning over to grab Lovino's hand in a motion that was probably supposed to be reassuring. "They don't know, sì?"

"Keep going, Lovino," Elizaveta encouraged. She settled down beside Antonio. "Just tell us the way you know it."

"It's not that interesting," Lovino muttered. All the attention on him, coupled with the hug that Antonio still hadn't got around to releasing him from, was starting to feel awkward and overwhelming. "Right before we were supposed to move, Gramps was witness to a crime executed by the local mafia, and he testified against them in court... Pat said they meant to just kill him, but he left for the new house a day before us so they decided to just kidnap us instead."

Gilbert eyed him skeptically, then turned to the younger Italian. "Is this all true, Feli?"

"I- I don't-" Feliciano whimpered again, squeezing Lovino's hand more tightly. Lovino growled angrily.

"He doesn't have a fucking clue. The whole deal left him so traumatized that he doesn't remember anything before we moved in with Pat."

"Then why do you remember?" Gilbert challenged. Lovino felt his chest tighten angrily. He didn't like to talk about this in the first place, why couldn't they just accept that this was the truth and move on?

"Why the hell should I know, dammit? God, do you have any idea what it's like knowing exactly what you would need to do to save your family but not being able to do it without someone waving a gun at you? I fucking wish I'd forgotten, too!" he snarled, his voice gaining volume. "Do you think it's any fun being raised by someone who monitors your every move and threatens to shoot everyone you've ever given a shit about?"

Gilbert threw his hands up in exasperation. "So tell the police, dumbass!"

"It took my psychiatrist getting shot to get an audience with them that Pat couldn't interrupt!" Lovino yelled.

The group went dead silent.

Lovino was trembling with a mixture of anger and embarrassment. God he didn't want to talk about this. He didn't want to talk about it ever again, until he was out of college and he'd started a life for himself and he didn't look over his shoulder at every sudden noise. He didn't want to talk about this until Pat's threats stopped echoing through his head when he was nervous. He didn't want to talk about this until he'd cleansed his brain of the image of Brule sprawled over his desk, blood dripping onto the floor-

Shit, now he was crying. And was why he didn't like people, Lovino thought miserably, using his free hand to rub away the saltwater tracking down his cheeks. So nosy and stupid. Where was Jacob to reaffirm his faith in humanity, right when he really needed it? Stupid new neighbors. Classmates. Whatever. He turned a glower back to the group, blinking in surprise at the sympathy he saw in their eyes. Antonio had loosened his grip just a bit- it felt a little less restraining and a little more comforting... Shit shit shit no. Bad. It didn't matter, he was just a pervert invading his personal space. No lowering your guard, moron, we all know how that turns out...

Elizaveta chose that moment to unexpectedly lean over and sneak her arms into the embrace, giving Lovino a quick kiss on the cheek. Lovino spluttered indignantly, but any protests he had were interrupted as Feliciano wriggled his way into the hug from his other side. Soon, everyone but Ludwig had joined in the make-shift group hug. Lovino felt like his face was nearly glowing with the embarrassed heat he could feel in his cheeks. "Wh-what the fuck are you guys doing? I don't want pity, dammit!"

"It's not pity, it's what friends do for each other," Gilbert chuckled sheepishly. "Sorry for not believin' you, kid..."

"Don't call me a kid, bastard! Since when are you my friends, anyway?" Lovino squirmed as most of the older teenagers backed out of the embrace. Antonio and Feliciano held tight.

"If you're going into Senior year we'll be your classmates, Lovi," the Spaniard hummed happily, resting his chin on Lovino's shoulder. Lovino tried to jerk away. "You're stuck with us... especially Gilbert, since he's your neighbor, too. And if you're stuck with Gilbert-"

"You're stuck with the whole trio!" Francis finished, chuckling. "Don't worry, mon cher, we'll take excellent care of you..."

"That's what scares me," Lovino grumbled. Feliciano giggled, nuzzling into his brother.

"We'll have lots of fun and people to take care of us, Lovi!" he beamed. "It'll be like having... Four or five Jacobs!"

Lovino felt obliged to be insulted in Jacob's place- the college student was nothing like these morons. For one, he respected other people's personal space... "Hey, Spanish bastard, get off me."

"Don't be so mean Lovi," Antonio sighed dramatically, but his arms finally fell away and Lovino scrambled out of his lap, relishing in the cool breeze that blew over his sides once again. "Oye, Gil, do we really have to walk all the way back for our swimming gear?"

"No," Gilbert snickered. He winked at the Vargas twins' confused expressions. "We'll just swim with all our clothes on, and let the sun dry us out when we get home."

Feliciano cried "That sounds like fun!" as Lovino bluntly countered "That is bullshit."

"No go, cutie? Whatever, you'll have fun once we throw you in-" Lovino's eyes widened in horror, and Gilbert raised an eyebrow. "I'm kidding you, Vargas. Gullible, much?"

"Leave me alone," Lovino mumbled halfheartedly, standing to brush himself off. "I'm going back to the house now whether you like it or not, bastard."

"No you're not," Elizaveta cooed. Lovino yelped as her arms wound around his knees. "You don't have to swim but you don't get to ditch us~... Just sit on the bank with me!"

"Why aren't you swimming, cher Eliza?" Francis sighed dramatically. "Surely you must help me prove Gilbert wrong with our swimming expertise..."

"Bocsánat, a barátom, but I am not swimming in a skirt around perverted, hormonal boys such as yourself," Elizaveta drawled. Lovino attempted to cover his smile with a pathetic cough, raising his hand to his mouth when it failed and Feliciano's eyes lit up.

"Aw, Lovi, don't hide your smile! I never get to see it when you're happy and Jacob won't give me the photos..."

Gilbert dove to grab Lovino's wrist, but the smile had already been replaced with a more customary embarrassed scowl. "Dammit! Come on, it's so lame to hide it when you're having fun. Not awesome at all, cutie."

"Don't see why you creepers should be staring at my face anyway," Lovino muttered, willing away the pink tint that was left from the group hug as it tried to return. Elizaveta dragged him down to sit beside her, beaming.

"I don't see why not- you and your brother are so adorable!" she gushed. Lovino ducked away when she tried to hug him. "Just look at you!"

"Look at Feli, there's no difference and he doesn't care!"

Everyone turned to stare at Feliciano purposefully. He smiled brightly even as Gilbert shrugged. "Feliciano's smiling, it changes the entire atmosphere of his face..."

"But if they're twins, won't Felicianito's smile and Lovi's smile look exactly the same?" Antonio leaned closer to Lovino, as though he could provide an answer. Lovino leaned further away. Feliciano shook his head.

"Jacob always said that Lovi's smile was different."

"Huh. What about your grandfather? He ever seen a difference?" Gilbert stretched lazily. Lovino rolled his eyes.

"Our old man's never seen me smile, 's far as I know."

Francis gaped. "You would not smile for your own grandfather, cher? Why not?"

"Why would I?" Lovino argued. His arms settled into their stubborn cross again. Ludwig sighed, tossing his shirt to the ground as he stood.

"Feliciano, would you like to continue your swimming lessons?"

"Luddy!" Feliciano laughed, scrambling to his feet. He dashed ahead only to hesitate at the water's edge. "Um... will this be a lot harder with my normal shorts on?"

Ludwig opened his mouth- presumably to respond in the negative- but Gilbert shoved him out of the way. "Ah, just strip down to your boxers. Less cloths to get wet, y'know?"

"Pervert!" Lovino cried defensively, scrambling to put himself between Gilbert and Feliciano. Like hell the pervert was going to get his little brother to take off even more of his clothes! "Don't even think about it, Feli!"

"But Lovi," Feliciano laughed. "Loviii- it doesn't matter that much, sì? We're all boys- well everyone that will be in the water anyway," he amended with an apologetic glance at Elizaveta.

Lovino rolled his eyes and bit back the idiot, you came out of the closet to me last Christmas that threatened to escape. Feliciano could damn well explain this one himself. "Whatever, idiot. It won't be my fault when you get molested."

"If you join us you can be by his side keeping watch the entire time," Francis suggested innocently. Lovino scoffed, opening his mouth to respond only to be cut off by Eliza.

"Why must you do this to me, Francis?" she put a hand over her heart dramatically. "Is it so horrible that I should have company, too?"

Francis pouted. "But I found him first..."

"What am I, a fucking stray dog?"


Lovino managed to carefully stay by Elizaveta's side for the day's lake experience. Gilbert sulked, but hell if he cared! No,the crazy albino could suffer for all it mattered to him. Elizaveta was a good conversational companion- she kept him distracted all afternoon with lazy, meaningless chatter about the town and its inhabitants, many of whom would be his new classmates. When the older trio finally got bored with swimming, she was still going strong.

"... Oh, you've met Mrs. Karpusi then? Her son is in our year. Good guy, although he's asleep so often you might have trouble getting to know him. Really adores cats, too..."

"You've met Mrs. Karpusi?" Antonio asked as he waded onto shore, shaking water out of his dark, curly hair. Lovino leaned away from the flying droplets distastefully.

"She was our real estate agent when we were shopping for the house...I doubt she really remembers me," he muttered. He tried to edge away when Antonio flopped down beside him, but the older boy lazily threw an arm around his shoulders to trap him.

"Who could forget a pain in the ass like you?" Gilbert teased from the water's edge. Lovino stuck his tongue out childishly. Elizaveta giggled. "No, but really, cutie- you seem pretty unforgettable."

"Hnn. Whatever," Lovino mumbled, a slight tint to his cheeks from the almost-compliment. Was it a compliment? It didn't really seem like it... There were more pressing matters at hand. "Oi, bastard, you're getting me all wet."

"You'll dry out in the sun," Antonio replied absentmindedly, releasing him all the same. "Tomorrow we're definitely getting back to your lessons, though, okay?"

Lovino shrugged, somewhat sulkily. He yelped when a smaller body threw itself over his, effectively making him more wet in a second than Antonio had made him in a minute. "Hnk! The hell, Feli? I told you to stop doing that!"

"But Lovi-"

"No buts! You're crushing me!"

Feliciano pouted, rolling to the side so his arms still looped around Lovino's waist. "Is this good, fratello?"

"... Fine," Lovino grumbled. He glanced down at his jeans. "Thanks, Feli, now I'm almost as wet as you are."

"It's so hot out, doesn't a little cool water make you feel better?" Feliciano giggled, squeezing his brother's waist gently. Lovino squirmed uncomfortably.

"No."

In truth, the cool water did feel kind of nice on his skin- but all the physical contact that was being involved in getting it made him nervous. He was perfectly fine with just taking a cold shower when he got home, dammit.

"Hey, hey, Lovino," Gilbert finally hauled himself (and an unfortunate Ludwig) out of the water, gesturing to the Italian's hair. "What's up with that... curl-thing?"

Shiiiiiiiiiiiiit.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Lovino muttered, but dammit if he wasn't lying through his teeth. Feliciano released him nervously, moving slightly away from him brother so they could both flee at a moment's notice, without freeing themselves from a tangle of limbs first. Antonio hummed thoughtfully.

"Really? I see it too, it's right here-" oh fucking shit he was reaching for it, he was reaching for the curl and Lovino yelped, scrambling out of the way.

"Okay okay I know where it is! Don't touch that!"

Antonio and Gilbert stared at him in confusion; from behind him, he could hear the subtle click of Elizaveta's camera. He cast a glare at her over his shoulder. She smiled innocently.

"Fuck this," he groaned, running a hand through his hair. "Hey, Feli, let's... let's go back to the house."

"Ve~," Feliciano still seemed a bit nervous, but not nervous enough to ditch his new friends. "I don't know, Lovi, we could still have a lot of fun..."

Screw morals. Bribery always worked. "We can make pasta if you want."

"PASTA!" Feliciano shot up excitedly, dragging Lovino to his feet as well. "Come on fratello, we're gonna make pasta!"

Gilbert spluttered. "Wh- Feli, I'm supposed to be watching you tw-"

"Sorry Gil! This is very very important! Pasta is the most important!"

Underneath his breath, Lovino added, "And gelato, and puppies and kittens, and calcio, and pretty girls..."

"Ve~ pasta is more important than all of those Lovi," Feliciano frowned, then amended. "Maybe not calcio..."

"Pardon my ignorance, mes cheries," Francis leaned against Gilbert with a raised eyebrow. "But just what is this... ah, calcio?"

"Football," Lovino said, then backtracked at the horrified expression on Elizaveta's face. "Not American football, dammit! Soccer or whatever..."

"You two play fußball?" Ludwig asked gruffly, finally managing to squirm out of Gilbert's grip. Feliciano beamed.

"Sì! I only play it sometimes but Lovi likes it a lot... Jacob taught you, right Lovi?"

"Yeah, yeah," Lovino grimaced. "C'mon Feli, that pasta isn't making itself..."

"Oh! The pasta!" Feliciano gasped, seizing his brother's wrist again to pull him along. "It was nice meeting you Eliza! See you later Gil~ and Luddy!"

Gilbert's protests faded into the distance as Feliciano set off at a run that only a fleeing Italian could manage.


Author's Note: See that disclaimer at the top, where it mentions my iPod? That is kind of true but kind of not true. I did start typing this and type some sections of it on my iPod, but the bulk of it was typed on my family's laptop. My parents are taking out the window right next to my desk, so my computer is unavailable right now. I don't think this should have too much of an effect on my updates, but we'll see.

I'm still open to one/two-shot requests, as well as story suggestions for Changes! Because no one has suggested any pairings for the other characters yet, here are some to decide between.

PruCan or PruHun?

FrUK or USUK? (If there is no FrUK, France will probably end up single.)

calcio (Italian)and fußball (German)- soccer

Bocsánat, a barátom (Hungarian)- Apologies, my friend

Nous regrettons, cher (French)- We're sorry, dear

Calmer (French)- Calm down

Everything but the French was done with Google translate, so please drop me a message if you think there's a better way to say something!