"Lovi? Lovi, just what are you doing in that bathroom! Belle's gonna show up any moment!"
Lovino cursed. Shit. He knew they were gonna be late, but he had had an unexpected attack of back and stomachache. He had had to run to the bathroom, swallow his goddamned pills and sit on the toilet hugging his legs to his chest until they finally started to kick in.
Goddamnit. The attacks were getting more frequent and more painful. He would have to go to the doctor again, and ask him for something stronger. Vicodin didn't seem to cut it anymore.
But for the weekend, he had to resist. This was going to be the last vacation of his life. Well, more like week-end, but still. It had to be perfect. It had to be beautiful. So he summoned all of his strength before speaking.
"I know, I'm done, gimme five minutes! Is Belle there yet?"
"No, but... oh shit, she's here! Get out of that bathroom, will you!"
Lovino took a lot of deep breaths through his teeth. Finally the drugs were starting to work! He got up and out of the bathroom, got his suitcase, hid a whole fucking stash of pills in it (he really hoped that no one would find them out, or he would have looked like a junky or a goddamn drug dealer or something) and dashed downstairs.
"Schatje! Finally! Honestly, you're worse than a girl when it comes to the bathroom!"
Lovino scoffed. "What-evah, Bells. I, unlike other men, take pride in my appearance."
Antonio looked at his watch and said "Well kids, if we don't want to be late, we have to go NOW. Leave your stupid quarrels for later, will you."
Antonio and Belle were chatting happily during the ride to the train station. Lovino was sitting in the backseat, and took some time to watch their interactions. They seemed normal, like two people that liked each other enough to spend a car ride together. Lovino was glad about it. He really wanted those two to get along. Seeing that what had happened between Lovino and Belle was as good as dead and buried by now, he wanted Antonio and Belle to be good friends again.
Antonio had always known Belle. In fact, he knew her far longer than Lovino. It was Antonio that had introduced the two of them back in high school. Back then, Lovino was still just an immature kid, and when he saw Belle, he developed the biggest crush on her in a matter of days. And since she seemed to find him very cute, they had started going out.
He couldn't remember Antonio's reaction. He knew for a fact that Antonio had not told Belle how he felt about Lovino, and Lovino had no idea that Antonio was actually in love with him.
Lovino didn't like to think that he had broken the poor Spaniard's heart. But it didn't matter anymore now. They were together, and surely he and Belle could be good friends again when he was gone.
Maybe.
He suddenly felt his cheek being poked.
"Hey! What's your problem!"
Oh. it had been Antonio. Obviously, since Belle was driving.
"Querido, we're at the station. You have to get out of the car."
Lovino looked out of the window. Shit, he really had been on another planet not to notice that they were already there!
"Oh... oh! Gimme a minute!"
Belle turned around in her seat and gave Lovino a kiss on each cheek.
"You guys have fun in Paris, ok?"
Lovino shrugged. "Yeah, how can anyone have fun in a place full of French people. But anyway, thank you for driving us to the station. I'll see you when I'm back."
"The bed is MINE!" shouted Lovino as they entered their hotel room after a long trip by train.
Antonio chuckled. "Lovi, that bed is mine too, just so you know."
Lovino threw himself face down on the king sized bed. Maybe they had gone a bit overboard with this vacation, what with staying in a luxury hotel and things. But whatever. It was his last vacation.
"It can be yours all you want, but now it's mine. I claim it for the Republic of Italy. You can sleep in the bathtub."
Antonio laughed and climbed in bed on top of Lovino.
Who obviously blushed.
"What are you doing, bastard..."
Antonio smiled seductively.
"I don't know... what does it look like?"
Lovino put his hand on Antonio's mouth before he got out of control.
"I know what it looks like, but we have a city to visit now."
Antonio kissed the hand that was on his mouth.
"But Lovi, Paris is not going to run away. It's going to be there even if we stay in this hotel for an hour or two... or three..."
Lovino tried to keep his blushing down. Every time Antonio kissed his hands it would make him weak at the knees. It was stronger than him.
"... Antonio... we just have two d-days..."
But it looked like Antonio was set in his tracks.
Well, thought Lovino, I guess we can stay in an hour or so...
"... and then we turn right and we're there! Come on, come on!"
Antonio chuckled. Lovino looked so happy in the French capital. He still whined about French people, but he was really having a good time. He had dragged Antonio in every museum and showed him proudly the Italian masterworks that were there, explaining every single feature to the Spaniard (Lovino was a bit of an art freak, like his sister). They had a long walk in the Champs élysées, where Lovino had dared to take his hand (He was blushing like there was no tomorrow, but he was just soooo cute!), they had eaten crepes in front of the Arc de Triomphe, and Antonio was able to steal a kiss in the square in front of the Notre Dame. They had taken dorky pictures in front of Montmartre and Lovino had managed to get into a fight with a French guy in a café over whether it was Italy or France to have the best fashion industry and cuisine. Antonio smiled widely. Seeing Lovino so happy made him feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
"Coming, coming. Honestly Lovi, the Tower is not going to run away, you know."
Lovino pouted as he dragged Antonio through the boulevards. "Maybe the tower doesn't, but time will! We have to be there in ten minutes so we can see the sunset and Paris by night from there!"
"How – dare I say it in front of you? - romantic, Lovi."
Lovino blushed madly. "What the hell bastard, it's not ro-rom-"
Then he bowed his head in defeat. "Ok, so what if it's romantic, it's still cool. But if you don't want to go, you can just wait for me here."
Antonio laughed. "Oh Lovi, no way in hell. I'm coming with you. It's rare for you to be in a romantic mood..."
Lovino turned swiftly to the road, hoping to hide his blush from Antonio. "I'm not in a romantic mood, okay! Paris is just rubbing off on me! And it's just... we will not be alone together in a foreign city again..."
Antonio felt a change in the atmosphere. "... Lovi?"
Lovino was still facing the road and dragging him towards the tower.
"Lovino, what do you mean with that? Of course we're going to take another holiday sooner or later."
Lovino wanted to bite his tongue off. Why, oh why had he said such a stupid thing. Of course Antonio would want to find out what he meant.
"I know we are."
Liar.
"But I just meant that since we don't know when we'll have a new vacation, we have to make the most of it now."
You're getting so good at lying.
Lovino wanted to shut his inner voice up. But he couldn't.
Suddenly, he felt that Antonio stop. No matter how hard he tugged, Antonio stayed put right where he was.
"Lovino. Turn around. Look at me."
Lovino wanted to kick himself. He had to brace himself for whatever Antonio was going to say.
He reluctantly turned around and looked at Antonio's chest.
"My eyes are up here."
Lovino winced. Antonio was starting to sound really serious.
He dared to look in Antonio's green eyes. He could see concern in them.
He said nothing. He waited for him to speak.
"What's wrong, Lovino?"
Lovino shrugged. "Nothing's wrong. You know that."
Antonio kept on looking straight in Lovino's eyes as if he was looking into his brain.
"Lovino. You're a horrible liar."
Lovino gave a mocking snort. Honestly, he thought he had the lying thing down pretty damn well by now.
"Look, what could be wrong? It's cool. I just sounded strange when I said that, but don't worry. You always read too much in what I say anyway."
Antonio kept on staring at him. "... you know you can tell me anything, right?"
Lovino shrugged again and turned around, took Antonio's hand in his and resumed walking and dragging him.
"I know, I know. Just, this time you're just blowing things out of proportion. I just chose my words wrong, it's not like it's a big deal. Now, get a move or we can kiss the Eiffel tower goodbye."
Antonio followed him, and even though Lovino was facing forwards, he could practically feel Antonio's worried gaze boring a hole in the back of his skull.
"Whew! I'm beat!"
With that, Lovino collapsed on the bed. Minor glitch about "not going to be on vacation together again" aside, today had been wonderful. Paris was a really beautiful city, and he was glad he could see it before he... died. Kinda.
"Me too, Lovi. Oh my God, I need to lie down for a while."
That said, Antonio fell with all of his weight on the bed, making Lovino bounce.
"Hey! Careful with that! You could have, I don't know, bounced me to death or something."
Antonio would have laughed, normally. But this time he turned towards Lovino and looked at him straight in the eyes for the second time in a day.
Lovino felt a storm coming.
"What? Do I have something on my face?"
Antonio shook his head no. "No. I'm just watching you. Can't I?"
Lovino blushed and looked directly at the ceiling. "Go ahead and waste your time watching me then."
Antonio shifted closer to Lovino.
"It's no waste of time..."
Lovino sighed. He turned to face Antonio.
"Really. I mean, I know I'm otherworldly cool and stuff, but come on. It's not like I bite if you touch me."
Antonio answered in a tone that Lovino couldn't quite recognize. "No, you'll just shove me off the bed."
Lovino sat up abruptly and got defensive. Was Antonio trying to pick a fight?
"That happened only once! Get over it!"
Antonio didn't move from his position. His green eyes stayed trained on the Italian. He had hit a nerve.
"I know. I didn't mean anything with that. You're being touchy, Lovi, I hope you realize it."
Lovino's eyes were crossed by a look of pure helplessness before going back to their usual sulky expression.
"I'm not touchy! I just don't like it when you accuse me of stuff that I already apologized for!"
Antonio didn't move. "I didn't accuse you of anything. You're working yourself up on your own."
Lovino got off the bed suddenly and grabbed the room keys.
"If you want to be a dick, fine! Call me when you're done!"
But Antonio was faster. He reached the door before Lovino and managed to stand in front of it so that Lovino couldn't get out.
"Don't run away on me when we are having a serious discussion, Lovino."
Lovino couldn't bring himself to look at Antonio. His voice was so serious, so unlike his usual sunny tone.
"Now, if you could explain why you are so ill at ease..."
Lovino wanted to shout. Antonio was not going to let it go. Antonio always managed to get the truth out of Lovino. But this time, he couldn't allow it. This time, he was the one that would protect Antonio. If he had to lie to him, it was fine.
"... it's nothing. It's just..."
Damn. What could he say. What the hell could he say!
"... it's just... I don't even know. I'm stupid, I guess. I'm really stupid. I'm sorry if I say nonsense sometimes. But you don't have to dwell on it so much. I swear, it's..."
Then he felt Antonio's finger on his mouth. He looked up to see a very serious Antonio.
"Lovino. Tell me you love me. Tell me while you look at me in the eyes."
Lovino felt strange. Was that what Antonio had feared? That he didn't love him anymore? Ah! How stupid! Antonio should now better!
Lovino took a deep breath. He looked up and locked eyes with the Spaniard. He held his hands in his own.
"I love you."
Antonio felt suddenly relieved and way more cheerful. Lovino could not lie when he looked at someone in the eyes, and the way he had said "I love you" made him believe it.
Well, at least that was out of the way. Today, he had had the distinct feeling that Lovino was strange. That he was behaving as if... as if...
… as if this was one of the last times they spent together.
But now, if Lovino was still able to tell him "I love you" like that, then maybe he had gotten it wrong. Maybe he had really tried to read too much in Lovino's words.
Lovino suddenly hugged Antonio. His voice came out muffled.
"Look, I love you. Never, ever think, not even for a moment, that I'm not serious when I say it. Got it?"
Antonio's heart felt all warm and fuzzy. He put a hand under Lovino's chin and whispered "I think I get it..." practically in his mouth. Then the only thing he could remember were lots of messy, open-mouthed kisses, and Lovino's hands all over him.
Damn you, Lovino. Your thoughts have a strange way of making it to your mouth! So yeah. You thought I forgot about the ittle trip to Paris? Ah! You should know better! XD
I know that someone will say that Antonio was out of character, but I do think that when he is seriously angry/suspicious/worried about something that Lovino did, he would get passive-aggressive instead of just laughing it off. He looks like that kind of guy to me.
