"Come on, Lovi, we're almost there!" Antonio chirped, holding the Italian's glove-clad hand tightly in his own as the two ran through the park together, fall breeze blowing through their hair. The last days of summer had given way to a beautiful fall. Leaves began to change color, crisping and falling aimlessly to the ground, providing a satisfying crunch when stepped on. The air was cool, refreshing, but not cold enough to be bitter, as September turned into October without much notice. Today was a perfect example of how the seasons had changed.
Lovino laughed, taking in a deep breath of fall air. "Where are we going? If we run, we're going to fall!" He reminded, a smile gracing his lips. The teen was dressed warmly, a light coat zipped up snugly, a hat and gloves accompanying it. He still hadn't been told where they were going, Antonio had just woken him that morning and told him to get dressed, that they were going out for the day. The Spaniard had happily rambled on about having a surprise for Lovino, and the boy had to admit, his interest was piqued. And so he had done as he was asked, bundling up and following Antonio, a smile on his lips. He had spent last night hanging out with Ulrich while the two did homework, so today, he had decided, he could sit aside for just Antonio and himself.
Things had begun to go back to normal. Gilbert spent most of his time with Francois these days, and seemed to finally be cheering up. Even Antonio, much to Lovinos relief, was returning to his happy self. He no longer cried himself to sleep. He still acted cranky around Ulrich, but Lovino figured that was something that probably wasn't going to change.
Finally, he felt Antonio stop, the fingers intertwined with his lightly tugging. Lovino tilted his head in curiosity. He could tell they were in the park, he could hear the brook babbling slowly, the breeze rustling tree leaves. He just didn't know what they were doing here. "Toni?" He questioned. He could almost hear the bubbling happiness in the others voice when Antonio replied, causing his heart to skip a beat. God, it was nice to have his Toni back.
"This is your first autumn without sight!" The Spanish man explained excitedly as he spread a blanket out on the grass, falling back on it and taking Lovino with him. "So I thought I'd take you for a picnic in the park so you could experience it to the fullest!"
Without much thought, Lovino tugged his gloves off, recapturing the Spaniard's hand. He let his fingers slowly run over the others gloved fingers, feeling the itchy fabric tickling at his own, a giggle escaping his lips. He could feel every strand, as he intertwined their fingers, smiling as he rested back against the older mans chest. "Gloves feel funny now." He mused. "And you feel like a giant marshmallow in that coat." Lovino was teasing of course, but he had taken notice. The padding between him and Antonio was soft, yet thin enough he could feel the older mans body heat radiating through against his back. He relaxed back against him, pushing his hat up as it fell over his face. The boys hand reached out to the edge of the blanket, picking up one of the fallen leaves. "It feels so much more vivid." He murmured, letting his fingers trace every vein, every marred gap. The summer waxiness had faded into a rough crispness that sent a shiver down his spine as he touched it. He pressed it closer to his face, breathing in the scent that was purely autumn, before crunching it in his fingers.
"And that surprises you?" Antonio teased, playfully tickling his sides. "It almost has a life of its own when you can't see it, doesn't it?" He paused, a small breath escaping him, as he leaned forward to rest his chin on Lovinos head gently. He was silent a moment, before his cheery voice once more danced through the air, warming Lovinos heart with every tone. "Hey Lovi? What color are leaves in fall? I hear everyone talk about fall colors, and how pretty they are. What colors do they mean?" He asked curiously.
Lovino turned his head slightly, nuzzling his nose against the others jaw happily. "In the fall, the leaves turn from green, to orange, red, yellow and brown. You already know how they feel, and smell. Yes, they are absolutely beautiful when they are still on the tree. But my favorite part is after they've fallen, painting the ground like a masterpiece. They crunch under your shoes, it's so much fun!" He explained. He could feel the other grinning against him, a smile breaking across his own face.
"Well what are we sitting here for? I thought we could play in the leaves!" Antonio chirped, a child like joy in his voice as he stood, hoisting Lovino up by the hand with a laugh. Immediately, he began using his feet and hands to gather a leaf pile, rambling happily as he did so. It made Lovino happy, and for once, he let him ramble, content to hear the beautiful tones back in the others voice, as he helped gather the leaves. His heart hammered in his chest, feeling as though it were swelling until it threatened to burst. A deep crimson crept slowly onto his cheeks as he once more captured the others hand. He didn't let go. "S-so what now, Toni?" He asked, clearing his throat awkwardly in an attempt to hide the half squeak that escaped. Why was he feeling so weird?
"This!" Antonios hyper cry was all the warning Lovino had before he was knocked off his feet, tossed backwards into the leaf pile, Antonio falling with him, a laugh of pure bliss slipping from the Spaniards lips. Lovino couldn't help but laugh too, as he was engulfed in the leaves, feeling their stems tickle at his nose and cheeks. Suddenly, he felt something much heavier than leaves atop him, his flushed cheeks darkening even more.
'What the hell am I doing?' Antonio asked himself, as he leaned over the boy, stroking over a soft cheek with glove cradled hands, wishing the fabric barrier were absent right then. Perhaps it was the sound of Lovinos laugh, it absolutely enchanted him. Before Antonio even really had time to think, he was leaning down, until their lips were millimetres away, his breath warm on Lovinos lips.
Lovino stilled, confused and conflicted, worry soon growing as he felt dark curls brush his forehead, and that breath… that warm sweet breath… was something wrong? What was Antonio doing? It wasn't like he was going to kiss him, right? Of course not! After all, Lovino had a boyfriend, and Antonio definitely didn't feel that way about him. "Tonio? You ok?" He questioned.
All at once the spell was broken, Antonio moving away from the teen, cheeks burning. Fuck, what was he doing? He'd almost kissed Lovino! That would be monumentally bad. Antonio swore to himself that that was a mistake he wasn't going to make, no matter what. He couldn't afford to lose control, and drive Lovino away from him. "Y-yeah… absolutely fine…" He mumbled. "Just got a bit dizzy."
And as Lovino sat up, wiping leaves from his clothes, he was surprised to find he was almost disappointed that the Spanish man hadn't.