Have I failed to update in recent times? You bet. Am I going to try to finish up this story? Definitely. So, let's do this.
But before we get started, this video: watch?v=L4HJ6lZiWUE# just killed me. Sara Smiles almost brought tears to my eyes TT-TT and what's the couple? GermanyXHungary? I totally ship it now #crackpairingsforlife and then Always! OMG! I just can't! I literally cannot. So much fangirling. So much crack.
And then there's this video!: watch?v=nM4db02ULDg and I just… I can't even. It's so cute, that I want to cry. So those two videos inspired me to right this today you're welcome.
The day finally came when it was warm enough to play soccer. It was early March, and it was still cloudy out, but the sun shining through the clouds promised some blue sky later. So although it was still chilly out, the promise of sun kept Erika sitting on the front row of the bleachers with Laura and Elizabeta.
The game was just about to start, but Lovino kept jumping up the bleachers and giving Laura a kiss over the railing. It was beginning to become a bit ridiculous, and Erika could tell by his coach's tone and his glaring that he was fed up with it too.
"Don't you think Laura should let him play the game?" Erika said to Elizabeta.
"She should, but she probably won't," Elizabeta rolled her eyes.
"Hey, let's get on with the game," Elizabeta yelled to Lovino and Laura, the latter of which was hanging over the side of the bleachers just to lean down and give her lover a kiss. When Laura finally returned to her seat she sat in between Elizabeta and Erika.
"Can the game begin now?" Elizabeta asked Laura, obviously more than a little irritated at her.
Laura looked at her as if what she said was crazy, "It was always going to begin. I don't have the power to postpone the game silly!"
Before Elizabeta was going to say something, the game started. The other team took the ball hastily and ran it down the field to make a goal, but the Roderick, the goalie for today, blocked it. Elizabeta cheered loudly, getting really into the game.
"Hey look! Hercules finally showed up to a game," Laura pointed out. Sure enough, Hercules was playing on the field with the other boys.
"I swear he's so unmotivated some times. He didn't show up to any of the scrimmages but he'll show up to an actual game," Elizabeta complained.
"Well at least he's here," Laura tried.
"Hey Erika, are you hoping that Antonio will score a goal?" Elizabeta joked across Laura.
Erika turned bright red and hid her face. "Who told you about that?"
"I might have let it slip. Sorry, I didn't know it was a secret," Laura apologized quickly.
"It's okay," Erika said. She wasn't mad, just embarrassed. "But to answer your question, I'm hoping that he will," Erika shot a mischievous smile at Elizabeta.
"What? You're actually coming out of your shell?" Laura joked. Erika shoved her playfully.
"Yeah I—" Elizabeta cut her off with a big yell. She was saying something like "go, go, go!" but it was hard to tell because she was saying it so loudly and so quickly. Laura and Erika directed their attention to the field, and sure enough Antonio was running with the ball and the other team couldn't keep up. Erika and Laura jumped up from their seats and started cheering while Elizabeta followed suit.
For some reason, Erika's heart was beating quickly. If Antonio made the goal, then he would kiss her. Probably later on, like after the game, but it was going to happen. Would that change everything? What happens when her time studying abroad is over?
Elizabeta raced to the railing of the bleachers and leaned over, trying to get a better view of the action. Once again, Laura and Erika followed. Erika stood on the first bar of the railing and leaned over as far as she dared. There was a bunch of players in a mob over by the goal, and it was hard to pick out which one was Antonio, but by the cheering of the crowd it was safe to deduce that he had made the goal.
Laura gave Erika a nudge, as if to tell her to brace herself but all Erika could see and think of was Antonio running down the field towards the ball while his team mate patted him on the back when he came near them. Antonio stopped in the middle of the field and caught his breath for a moment before seeing Erika in the crowd and smiling at her knowingly. Erika covered her mouth with her hand shyly and before she knew it Antonio was running over to where she was, jumping on the bleachers, and giving her a kiss over the railing. Erika was obviously a little taken aback by his kiss but she decided to close her eyes and let it happen. When Antonio pulled away he looked into her eyes and flashed a smile before jumping down from the railing of the bleachers and running back to the game.
Erika was left feeling bewildered, embarrassed and excited all at the same time. She was sure that she was bright red. But what was it that Laura had just said to her? Something to the effect of "finally" was all that she could catch. Her head was spinning so much that she didn't even notice. And as if that weren't enough, Antonio and Lovino running side by side, passing the ball to each other and closing in to score another goal for their team. Maybe the other team was just bad, or maybe their team was just good.
"Do you think he'll come up and kiss you again if he scores?" Laura wondered aloud turning to Erika for an answer.
"No, probably not. The coach looks so mad right now," Elizabeta answered for Erika and pointed out the coach who was obviously glad that his team wasn't just winning but practically dominating but at the same time angry with the conduct of his team. Erika saw some season conditioning in their future just based on their antics of the first half of the game alone.
But before Erika could wonder anymore she heard Elizabeta and Laura cheering loudly at the goal that Antonio just made with the assistance of Lovino. Erika wondered if Antonio would come up and kiss her again, but then after seeing that he was running to the other side of the field and not to her she felt a little disappointed.
"Is Roderick the goalie for today?" Laura asked Elizabeta, stealing Erika's attention from her own disappointment to the game once more.
"Yeah, it's becoming a new thing for him. I think they'll keep him as a goalie for next year, he's really good," Elizabeta swooned. Her face softened when she talked about Roderick and it was plain to see how in love she was with him. Erika secretly envied their relationship. It was the end of infatuation and the beginning of a new matured love for each other. Erika wondered if she could ever have that with anyone ever again, but as she turned her attention to the game once more she realized that she could; and the person she could have it with was running to the other end of the field once more with the ball.
"Is Antonio good or is the other team just bad?" Erika asked aloud without much thought behind her words.
Elizabeta and Laura laughed out loud. "He's actually really good," Elizabeta answered.
"I agree—he's good—but not usually this good. Maybe it's because he has something worth showing off for," Laura nudged Erika playfully. Erika giggled shyly and continued to watch the rest of the game.
"That team meeting is taking forever," Laura frowned down at the team after the game was finally over. The coach was talking adamantly about something, and it was easy to guess what the subject was about.
"Well in the defense of the coach, the team did behave badly. Leaving the game to kiss girls and whatnot," Elizabeta offered.
"What's the problem? They're just all love struck boys!" Laura insisted, her frown deepening. Elizabeta finally rolled her eyes and gave up the argument that she knew she was not going to win. Erika said nothing on the subject but rather stared at the team meeting, trying to pick out what the coach was saying. But after a chant that Erika couldn't decipher the team dispersed and Lovino found it in himself to run to meet Laura half way and give her a kiss. Laura started to go off on how amazing he was and how proud she was of him. Elizabeta of course waited in the bleachers for Roderick to meet up with her and sit beside her because she was past the love struck giddiness of their relationship.
Erika was at a loss on what to do. She wasn't sure whether she should meet Antonio halfway or wait for him to come to her. He was walking and talking with Hercules after all, and they appeared to be laughing at something. Erika decided not to wait for him to come to her and she ran to where he was and she was pleased to be greeted with a big smile. Hercules mumbled something inaudible and pushed past the couple, going to join Lovino and Laura who were now up in the bleachers talking with Elizabeta and Roderick.
"You know I scored more goals than one right?" Antonio asked, a his smile growing as he said it. Erika nodded.
"But the deal was only for one goal, we never decided what would happen if you scored more than one goal," Erika teased, a smile playing at her lips.
"Well can we make changes to the deal now?" Antonio asked still with a smile on his lips and moving closer to Erika.
"I think we could try," Erika whispered before Antonio closed the gap between their lips. Now that their kiss wasn't in the bleachers and not in front of a crowd of people it felt a lot more genuine. She knew that she wouldn't exactly get over Gilbert and she'd always have a hole in her heart shaped just like him, but maybe there was room for someone shaped just like Antonio to patch it up. Well, it was worth a shot at least.
Antonio pulled away, "So that's for my second goal," he murmured.
He pulled her into another kiss and then pulled away, "And this is for someone I like a lot,"
And once more, he kissed her, "And this is for someone that makes me happy," he whispered.
"Hey you guys quit making out—it's gross! We're going to get lunch! Roderick is driving!" Laura called after them over the side of the bleachers, breaking up their moment. Antonio smiled and interlaced his fingers with Erika and he raced after his friends, with Erika in tow who was laughing all the way. When they finally reached Roderick's small car a problem was noticed.
"There's not enough seats for everyone," Laura pointed out frowning at the small car.
"Then we'll pile on top of each other," Antonio suggested jokingly. Roderick let everyone figure out the problem while he unlocked his car and slipped into the driver's seat. Elizabeta took her rightful place in the passenger seat and waited for the rest of them to figure it out.
"I'll just sit on Lovino's lap then," Laura cocked her head to the side and squinted her eyes, trying to think of another idea.
"Well whatever you do, I'm having a seat to myself," Heracles announced and slipped into the seat behind the driver's seat.
"Then I'll sit in the middle and Antonio can sit beside me," Lovino more ordered than suggested as he too, slipped into the back seat. Laura followed and sat on his lap, giggling and urging Antonio and Erika to do the same. Seeing as there was nothing else that could be done, Erika reluctantly followed Laura and sat on Antonio's lap. It was a little awkward at first, but they were only going further into town. So she reasoned that it wouldn't take that long to reach their destination.
As Roderick pulled out of the parking lot Heracles groaned. "I'm like the seventh wheel! This is so awkward,"
"Then find a girlfriend," Laura told him, kicking his leg playfully.
Antonio smiled and wrapped his arms tighter around Erika. "Are you okay riding like this?" he asked Erika quietly.
She nodded quickly, "It's fine if it's only for a while. I just hope Roderick doesn't crash,"
Antonio laughed, "That would be bad," he agreed.
Erika turned her attention to the window and looked at the town scenery passing them by. She knew that she wouldn't be here for much longer because she was leaving the first part of July. She wasn't sure if getting this close to Antonio was a good idea or not, and she wasn't sure if they were even dating now. Does a kiss constitute dating? She wasn't sure, no one ever defined it for her.
But as she felt Antonio's arms around her she realized that she was safe, and that she didn't ever want this to end. She missed her home and her friends and family had all pretty much moved on without her. She knew she couldn't stay here forever and soon she'd have to return home, but would home even feel like home? She couldn't ever go back to this place once she leaves for home and home wouldn't feel like home anymore. So pretty much she was homeless. If she didn't belong here or home, then where did she belong?
With Antonio seemed like the right answer to that question.