Julius Seize Her:
Lovina's POV:
Lovina sat in what used to be her summer room at her Nonno's house. Or to be more accurate, her new room. Thanks again, shithole parents. Lovina's shoulder's slouched. Her neck ached from bending over for so long. She was filling out a long list of forms. These forms were required whenever someone requested to switch majors. While Lovina typed away on her lap top, Feli flitted about the room. The air head was getting ready for her date with the potato, and was having trouble settling on an outfit.
It wasn't even a date. Both Lovina and Antonio would be joining them. She had some last minute Christmas shopping to do. Lovina may have accepted the fact that Feli and the potato were dating, but that didn't mean that she had to trust him.
So here Lovina was, sitting in her pj's, bored, but also a bit worried. Feli was getting really worked up about her appearance. Lovina didn't understand what was so important about a stupid outfit. When the boys came to pick them up, she would simply slip into something casual. There was no need to over do it. Feli clearly didn't get the memo. Unfortunately, Feli's incessant fretting wasn't Lovina's only worry.
In fact, the concern plaguing her mind involved that damn bastard, Antonio. She didn't know how her Nonno would react to him. This was the first boy that she had ever truly dated. And Nonno had always been the overprotective sort. Lovina snorted. She could hear her Nonno's heavy, excited breathing lurking outside her bedroom door. What a creep.
The old bastard was ecstatic to meet Lovina's mysterious boyfriend. Most of his interest probably had to do with curiosity more than anything else. Shocker! Someone had willingly subjected themself to her bossy tyranny! And of course, much to Lovina's annoyance, Nonno just about died of joy when Feli had told him about her new found relationship with the potato. Apparently the potato was the student council president at Nonno's school. So it wasn't much of a surprise to Lovina when Nonno automatically gave Feli his approval. Lovina shuddered at the thought of Feli's new potato fetish. Truly disgusting if you ask her. Feli coughed to garner Lovina's attention. Lovina grumbled and closed her lap top. She looked up to meet the impatient gaze of her sorella.
Feli gestured dramatically towards the new outfit that she had just tried on. She had slipped into a black, long sleeved camisole with matching stockings, all of which were tucked under a simple, cotton grey skirt. Lovina purposefully avoiding staring at Feli's protruding chest. The bitch was definitely wearing a push up bra. Lovina forced herself to focus on Feli's cute, smiling face. Hey, her sorella was a very beautiful creature. Dumb. But still pretty nonetheless.
"I like that one," Lovina marked. She then beckoned for Feli to come closer. "Get over here. I want to practice something that Maddie taught me." Lovina patted a hand on the bed. Feli shed Lovina with a questioning look. Her caution was warranted. Normally, if Lovina did this, a smack would soon follow. Regardless, Feli walked over and sat in front of Lovina on the bed. Lovina eased Feli's worries when she began to part her hair. The older Italian twin wrapped and twisted the younger's copper curls into two braids.
Feli's shoulder's relaxed. She let out a contented veh. "You've been so nice lately, sorella," she beamed. "I'm very happy to see that."
"WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?!" Lovina growled to mask her embarrassment. Her sorella's concern for her was touching. Feli flinched. Lovina's grip on her hair tightened. Lovina was furiously weaving the braid into place. Feli was too scared to protest.
It was quite nice actually. Even though the two had been bound to the hip for their entire lives, Feli and Lovina rarely shared girl moments like this. The twins lived in the same world. But they followed different paths. Feli was into dance and drama. Lovina was into soccer and the school's debate club. It was only until now, when they had just begun to embark on the cusp of their adult lives, that the two had grown closer. Lovina cheered for Feli in the kitchen. And Feli supported Lovina's decision to switch programs. This mutual support, in turn, made their love for each other much, much stronger. They were each other's biggest fan. Lovina struggled to admit this, but she felt a love for Feli that was similar to that of a mother. And Feli likewise.
"Exactly what I said Vina. I'm no genius but you're totally a different person! I've never seen you this happy before~!"
"Ditto," Lovina mumbled. "The potato makes you happy too, huh?"
"Ve, he does. Very much so. Hey Vina?"
"Yes Pasta head?"
"How's your application going?"
"It's getting there. I'll know if I got in by the beginning of January." Lovina pulled off two hair ties from her wrist. She tied the bottom of Feli's second and final braid. "There. All done."
Feli stood up. Lovina didn't have much time to react before she too was yanked to her feet. Feli's demon claws had an unyielding grip. "Let's find you something nice to wear for Antonio," she cooed. Feli steered Lovina in the direction of the closet. Eventually, after an unnecessary amount of input from Feli, Lovina settled on a pair of denim skinny jeans and a simple button up burgundy shirt. Lovina was then forced to sit in front of her vanity mirror. Feli had taken it upon herself to do Lovina's make up. Lovina nearly clawed her eyes out when Feli poked her iris with the mascara brush.
"Tsk! Vina! I said not to blink!" Feli tutted. Lovina's eyes burned in pure and utter agony. Half her vision went black. While Lovina blinked out tears of misery, Nonno took this moment of safety to knock on her bedroom door. Feli handed a very disgruntled Lovina a make up wipe.
"Can I come in now?" Nonno whined.
"Si Nonno!" Feli trilled. Nonno opened the bedroom door by a crack. He peered inside and took a quick scan of his surroundings before he ventured into the room.
"Nonno? How do I look?" Feli giggled. Nonno cracked a gigantic, but ever proud fatherly smile. He watched Feli twirl about the room. Her copper braids swung behind her, adding joy to the dance. Lovina rolled her good eye. The old bastard was wearing a godawful, obnoxiously festive Christmas sweater. Nonno cooed and joined Feli in her parade around the room. They skipped, hand in hand. Feli had always been Nonno's favourite.
"You look absolutely beautiful, piccolo," Nonno grinned. The old fuck then shifted his gaze to Lovina, who irritably crossed her arms in response. "You as well, polpetto."
Lovina bared her teeth into a snarl. She hated that wretched nickname. When she was little, she had had a much larger appetite. Her appetite had been so large that she would eat until her stomach bulged out of her pants. Hence, the nickname of polpetto was born. Or meatball for all you English speaking fucks. "You better watch it, old man," Lovina snapped. "Try me again and I'll rip out your beard with my bare hands."
Nonno brought a hand to his chest. He feigned offence to Lovina's threat. "Old man? Since when is 55 old?" he despaired. Nonno grinned as he grabbed Lovina's wrist and brought her to her feet. Lovina was forced into an unbearably tight group hug. It was a hug that Feli had willingly thrust herself into. But that wasn't all. Just to tease her, Nonno rubbed his stubble studded chin against Lovina's forehead. Oh. He was really fucking asking for it this time.
"WHAT THE FUCK DID I JUST SAY? YOU DAMN-" Lovina faltered.
DING DONG!
The hug became a scramble of arms and legs. All three Italian's raced for the bedroom door. Their Nonno, unfortunately, was the first one to reach it. Nonno slammed the door after him. Lovina pounded her fists against the rickety, wooden door. She cursed at the sound of her Nonno's gleeful sounding cackle. "Not so fast!" he tutted in a smug voice. It was partially muffled by the door. "I want to meet this 'Tonio myself."
Lovina cried out. She fumbled to open the door. But the damned thing wouldn't budge. The doors in the house were quite old. Whenever someone slammed them shut it would take a great deal of strength to pry them open again. Lovina wrestled with the unyielding doorknob.
"Pull harder!" Feli whined. Lovina continued playing tug of war with the jammed door knob. Feli cheered her on with useless moral support. And then, the unthinkable happened.
A deep, ear piercing scream echoed through out the house.
With one last successful tug of the doorknob, Lovina thrust the door open. She and Feli sprinted out of the room and into the upstairs hallway. Lovina stopped to hover over the stairs' railing. She looked down at a truly horrifying scene. Nonno stood in the front room. In his left hand he held onto an umbrella. He wielded it as it were sword. Standing in front of Nonno was a very smug looking Antonio. The Spaniard grinned impishly. He took several predatory steps towards the ogling Italian man. Nonno took several steps back in response.
"What, no hello?" Antonio mused. His green eyes lit up with mirth. "Tsk! I thought that you would miss me much more than that, Romulus!"
Lovina cocked her head to the side. And then a dreaded sort of revelation hit her right smack in the face. Antonio did mention that he had gone to the same school as the potato. But that meant...That meant that he and Nonno already knew each other. And judging by Nonno's horrified reactions, the two didn't exactly share a 'healthy' relationship.
Antonio diverted his attention away from Nonno. He had just taken notice to the two twins standing above him. "Hola Lovi!" he chirped with a wink.
WHACK!
Antonio howled in pain and clutched at his head. Nonno pulled back his umbrella, scowling all the while.
Lovina now understood where she had inherited her violent tendencies from.
Nonno's amber eyes lit up with pure and unequivocal fury. "YOU WILL NOT WINK AT MY GRANDDAUGHTER LIKE THAT, YOU LITTLE DEMONE!" he bellowed. Lovina didn't hesitate to sprint down the staircase. Lovina ran towards Antonio. Nonno held up an arm to block her path. Feli as well sauntered downstairs, but she took her time. Feli faltered and stopped halfway down the staircase. She looked frightened and perhaps even a bit perturbed by the childish light that played in Antonio's eyes, and the smoldering, furious one in Nonno's.
Antonio looked past Nonno's shoulder and over at Lovina. He shed her with one of his trademark cocky smirks. Lovina blushed. Nonno's eyes darted back and forth between the couple. A clear look of disbelief was written on his face. "THIS IS TONIO?" he spluttered. Antonio laughed despite the fresh bump forming on his head. Lovina moved to skirt around Nonno's arm. Nonno held up his arm even higher, forcing Lovina into a reluctant retreat.
"That's a nice Christmas sweater that you've got there, Romulus," Antonio happily chirped. Lovina wasn't fooled in the slightest bit. The bastard was savouring every minute of this. Eyes narrowed and eyebrows arched, Antonio reciprocated Nonno's challenging glare. Antonio had his A game on. Lovina was curious to see how this would play out. She was also quite terrified. But she didn't let on to it.
Nonno lowered his umbrella -which had been placed dangerously close to Antonio's throat- down, much to everyone else's relief. Nonno huffed. "You haven't changed one bit," he snidely remarked. Nonno's eyes swept over Antonio's lanky frame in a quick, but ever critical once over. "Still haven't taken to brushing your hair, I see."
"And I see that you've taken to growing out a beard. Pity," Antonio smirked. "Now I won't get to see those stress lines anymore. Although, there's still your forehead." Nonno's jaw gaped open in shock. His eyebrows raised, unwillingly proving Antonio's point. Nonno didn't have time to usher his retort. Lovina was already on the move.
SMACK!
Lovina shouldered past Nonno and whacked Antonio on the side of the head. "IDIOTA!" she screeched. "Is that how you speak to an adult?" After lecturing Antonio and making him apologize to Nonno, Lovina grabbed his hand. She turned around to face Nonno. Antonio winced. Her nails were digging into the soft flesh of his palms.
"Nonno, whether you like it or not, I'm dating this bastard." Antonio vigorously nodded his head in agreement. When Lovina wasn't looking, Antonio flashed Nonno with another teasing wink. Oh. If only she had caught that.
"I'M NEVER GOING TO LIKE IT!" Nonno screamed. Sometime in the mix they had both switched into Italian. Poor Antonio didn't understand a word of what they were saying. Feli, who was still seeking refuge on the staircase, had trouble following the conversation. Her head bobbed back and forth. She nearly snapped her neck while doing so.
"TOO FUCKING BAD! HE MAKES ME HAPPY AND HE'S SUPPORTED ME MORE THAN BOTH MOM AND DAD COMBINED!"
Nonno winced at the mention of his daughter and son in law. "I SUPPORT YOU! DOESN'T THAT AT LEAST COUNT FOR SOMETHING?"
"IF YOU SUPPORT ME, THEN YOU'LL SUPPORT MY DECISION TO BE WITH HIM. WHY DID HE DO TO MAKE YOU HATE HIM SO MUCH, ANYWAYS?"
"OH! I DON'T KNOW! HE TERRORIZED HIS TEACHERS AND FORCED THREE OF THEM INTO RETIREMENT. NOT TO MENTION THE FACT THAT HE AND HIS DUMBASS FRIEND HAVE YET TO PAY FOR THE FIFTEEN DESKS THAT THEY BROKE DURING THEIR TIME AT THE SCHOOL."
Lovina faltered. She had to admit that her Nonno had a least some grounds for hating Antonio. But still. She wasn't about to stand down and let him win this argument. Not without a fight. "BUT DID YOU DIE?" she quipped.
"N-NO?"
"THEN YOU HAVE EVERY REASON TO ACCEPT HIM."
Nonno turned around. He snapped his fingers and beckoned for Feli to come forward.
Feli looked very reluctant to do so. "PICCOLO?!"
"Si, Nonno?" Feli just about whimpered.
Antonio bent over to whisper into Lovina's ear. "What are they saying right now?" he asked.
"Don't worry about it," Lovina snapped. A wry smile played onto her face. Nonno was asking for Feli's opinion of Antonio. But where the old bastard thought that he was winning the argument by bringing in his precious piccolo to testify on his own behalf, he was actually signing the accords of his own defeat.
"I like him a lot Nonno." Nonno shot Feli a disappointed look. She bowed her head in shame. "He treats her very well. And he always helps me carry my groceries home."
The transition back to English was not a graceful one. Nonno turned around and resumed glaring at Antonio. Antonio smirked and reveled under the Italian man's furious attention.
"IF YOU SO MUCH AS TOUCH A HAIR ON MY BAMBINA'S HEAD, SO HELP ME CARRIEDO I'LL-" he growled, jabbing an erratic finger in the chuckling Spaniard's direction. Nonno paused to catch his breath. When he next spoke, however, Nonno was still livid.
"You better smarten up, kid," he threatened. "The school board won't be there to protect you anymore..." Nonno trailed off to let the threat sit.
Antonio smiled. "Sure thing…" he grinned. "Nonno."
Lovina, of all people, was now the one to do the holding back. While Feli and Antonio scuttled out the front door, snickering all the while, Lovina held onto Nonno for dear life. She had him trapped in a bear hug. "Calm down, will you?" she grumbled. "He was only joking."
Nonno visibly relaxed. Antonio was gone. He could breathe again. "Fine. Just promise me that you won't let him take advantage of you."
Lovina released him from her grip. "Take advantage of me?" she huffed. "When have I ever let someone order me around?"
Nonno chuckled. He ruffled Lovina's hair despite the many curses and violent kicks to the shin that she threw his way. "Be safe, and enjoy yourself, bambina."
"I will, Nonno." Lovina turned to grab her coat from the closet. "Thanks for understanding," she muttered.
Nonno cupped a hand to his ear. "Hmmm. What was that?"
Lovina shrugged on her jacket and mumbled something intelligible into her hood.
"Ah. I didn't quite catch that."
"I SAID THANKS, YOU OLD BAT. JESUS FUCKING CHRIST GET YOURSELF A DAMNED HEARING AID."
"I'll get a hearing aid when you wash out that filthy mouth of yours," Nonno quipped in his stern, 'authority figure' voice.
Lovina wasn't having any of it today. But rather than yelling back at him, which required a lot of restraint on her part, Lovina trudged out the front door. She had endured enough chaos for one day, thank you very much. Antonio was waiting for her at the bottom of their front porch. "You coming, bella? We still have to pick up Ludwig." Ah. So that's where the potato bastard was. Lovina was beginning to wonder about the lack of Feli's obnoxious squeals.
Antonio looked past Lovina. He shed Nonno with an ever patronizing smile. "What is this I hear about a hearing aid?"
Lovina facepalmed. It was clear to her that the bastard enjoyed to tease Nonno. But that pun. It was just god awful.
"Nothing that concerns the likes of you, Carriedo," Nonno snarled back.
"Oh! It's nothing to be ashamed about! It's only natural to lose your hearing when you get old," Antonio tutted. Lovina sucked in her breath. Her time was limited. Nonno didn't have much time to react. Lovina jumped the gun and grabbed Antonio's hand. They both made a mad dash for Antonio's hummer.
Lovina winced. Nonno yelled after them, swearing in Italian. Only when she had climbed into the passenger seat of the hummer did she look back. What she saw next made her giggle. Profusely. Nonno was wielding his umbrella again. He waved it around erratically and used his free hand to make crude hand gestures. Lovina grinned. Nonno was unleashing his true and inner Italian.
"CARRIEDOOOOOOO!"
Antonio's POV: (Location, Shopping Mall)
Antonio thanked the cashier and grabbed a tray containing two very delicious looking cinnabons. He turned on his heels and shifted his gaze to his goofy girlfriend. Lovina, at the moment, was hiding behind a plant, 'conspicuously' spying on Feli and Ludwig. Anotnio chuckled. Lovina was just so cute! He could always count on her to put a smile on his face. The smile on his face was quick to disappear when he realized the flock of highschoolers gathering nearby. Their eyes were glued to Lovina's slender, crouched over figure.
Antonio shed them with a glare that could melt through steel beams. It sent those perverts running for the hills. Several tripped and fell forward. They were wearing pants that sagged far too low for them to have any sense of leg coordination. Contented with himself, Antonio whistled. He strolled over to Lovina and crouched down next to her. They both ignored the weird stares of the mall dwellers who walked past them.
Lovina's hazel eyes lit up with interest when her nose took in the heavenly aroma of the cinnabons. "Oh bastard, you shouldn't have," she grinned, sending Antonio's heart a flutter. Damn. She knew that that fiendish smile of hers drove him crazy.
Antonio chuckled. He cut of a piece of the treat, skewered it with a plastic fork, and raised it to Lovina's mouth. "Open wide," he teased. Lovina complied in an instant. The grin on her face never faltered. Not even for a moment.
Lovina chewed quickly. "Alright! Back to work!" she huffed.
"What are they doing right now?" Antonio asked.
"They went into Pandora," Lovina answered.
Antonio hummed thoughtfully. Not long after, his phone buzzed in his pocket. Antonio pulled out the phone. The text was from Bella.
"Who is it?" Lovina asked.
"Just a friend. I'll talk to them later," Antonio chided, slipping the phone back into his front coat pocket.
Antonio pointed forward. Feli and Ludwig were out and about. They were walking in the opposite direction.
"Looks like they're on the move again," he whispered. Antonio placated Lovina by playing along with her spy mission.
"Shit," Lovina muttered, standing up.
"Are you coming or not?! Lovina growled. She impatiently tapped a combat boot against the ground.
Antonio stood up. He used his fork to swing a stray piece of cinnabon in front of Lovina's scowling face. Lovina opened her mouth. She let out a surprised gasp when Antonio claimed the treat for himself. Her face turned beet red. An elderly couple passed by. They chuckled at Antonio's trick. Too bad Lovina didn't feel the same way.
"FUCKING HELL BASTARD! I'LL-"
Lovina was interrupted mid-sentence. Antonio seized the opportunity to sneak a massive bite of cinnabon into her mouth. Disgruntled, Lovina swallowed. She turned on her heels and stormed away. "Don't talk to me!" she huffed.
Antonio chased after her. "LOVI WAIT I WAS JUST KIDDING!" he wailed.
Lovina's POV:
Things were not looking good on Lovina's side of things. She and Antonio were tailing her sorella and the stupid potato wherever they went. Lovina had a feeling that the potato was well aware of this. Call it a bitches sixth sense. Lovina scoffed. Antonio was lagging behind. Lovina turned back to yell at him. She faltered when she realized that he was texting someone again. Lovina waited for Antonio to catch up to her. Antonio looked up from his phone and gave her a startled look.
He shed her with a guilty smile. "Lo Siento, Lovi." Lovina grunted her acknowledgement and trudged on. At this point she didn't care whether he kept up with her or not. Whatever. Clearly he wasn't invested in this date. Lovina would just have to focus her full attention on Feli. Yeah. That's what she'd do. She could always make the bastard pay for his insolence later.
Meanwhile...
Feli and Ludwig stood a good one hundred meters in front of Lovina. They were holding hands. Feli pointed towards the mall's fountain. It wasn't long before she had convinced Ludwig to sit by the rim of it. Lovina raised her wrist and checked the time on her watch. It was 2:00 PM. Lovina sat down on a bench. It was a bench that was safe from view. Lovina eyed her sorella with a raised brow. Feli always took a bathroom break at this time. Powdering her nose was like a ritual to Feli. Lovina supposed that the bastard had distracted her from her routine.
Ah. Never mind. Feli stood up and blew an air kiss at the blushing potato. She skipped off in the direction of the bathroom.
Perfect. Lovina could now put her plan into action. Lovina reached into her purse. She pulled out a scrap piece of paper and pen. She scribbled a hasty note on the paper. When a boy no more than the age of ten walked by, Lovina whistled him over. "Oi! Kid! Could you do me a favor?"
The boy grinned when he realized that the pretty lady was speaking to him. "What's in it for me?" he quipped, giggling as he flashed Lovina with a toothy smile.
Lovina scowled, muttering to herself about how kids lacked respect for their elders. She reached into her purse and pulled out a large handful of Lindt Chocolates. She was only supposed to take one, as a free sample, but when the attendant wasn't looking, Lovina had snuck a truck full of them in her purse. "How does ten chocolates sound to you?" she cooed, trying her best not to strangle the damned brat.
"You got a deal missus!"
…
Lovina crept a bit closer. She wanted to see how the potato would react to her note. Antonio had decided to sit this one out. His choice. The bastard was missing out on a truly monumental moment. It wasn't everyday that you saw a six-foot potato shit his pants. Lovina watched the scene with smug eyes. Her delivery boy skipped over to Ludwig and handed him the note. A confused expression crossed over the potato's face. But he still nonetheless took the note. Lovina grinned. She was standing far away from the fountain. Despite her distance, she could still see the horrified look on his face. The potato looked around the mall. Eventually, his eyes latched onto the cotton candy stand. They moved a little to the left and spotted Lovina. The potato paled.
Lovina returned the potato's horrified look with an eerie smile. She waved at him and mouthed a threat. Lovina gloried. She felt very contented with herself. The potato nearly fell back into the fountain out of shock. Lovina turned on her heels and pranced back towards Antonio. He was sitting on a bench and had his back turned to her. Lovina decided to use this opportunity to her full advantage. She was going to give him a jump scare. As she crept closer, an uncomfortable feeling formed in her gut.
Antonio's back was hunched over. He held his phone close to his ear and mumbled into it. This made Lovina suspicious. Her suspicions were proven to be correct when she eavesdropped on his conversation.
"Lo siento. I can't come right now."
Come? Come Where?!
"I'm busy."
"Can't we do it on another day, Bella?"
Lovina had heard enough. She didn't even have the heart to cry. She was just so dumb founded that she couldn't even breathe. She wasn't the only person who Antonio referred to as bella. She wasn't his only love. She had just been betrayed. And she was sure as hell wasn't going to stand here and waste anymore time with that cheating bastard. Antonio twisted his torso and turned around. His eyes widened in surprise when he noticed the hurt on expression on Lovina's face. Lovina didn't spare him a second glance. She turned on her heels and ran. She wasn't just running away from him. She was running away from all hopes of happiness. Because let's be honest here. Lovina Vargas could never have a good day in her life. Something always had to shit on her parade.
The bastard called and chased after her. Lovina didn't stop. The only thing that did stop, however, was her heart. She was foolish to open her heart and soul to someone who didn't bother to reciprocate the favor.
Funny. The minute that I begin to trust someone, they always prove me wrong. Just once, I want to be proven right. I'm tired of hating people. Fuck. I'm tired of hating myself. But when people keep doing this to me, it's hard not to. It's hurts so fucking bad. It kills me to hate and love a person this damned much. It's not fair.
Lovina's POV:
Lovina grumbled to herself as she stepped out of the bus and into the cold, unforgiving night. She kicked the gravel beneath her boots and headed off in the direction of her house. She still had a good half hour's walk ahead of her. And although she was freezing, Lovina wasn't brave enough to ask Nonno to pick her up. She didn't want to deal with anyone. Especially the questions. She wasn't in the mood for snapping at another person.
And so, Lovina forced herself to put up a facade. She'd go home with a feigned smile on her face. She would tell Nonno about the 'great' time that she had at the mall. And then afterwards, when she was alone, Lovina would tell Feli everything. Perhaps then she would let her tears fall. But not now. She was still in public. It was imperative that she held herself together.
Lovina's cellphone rang. She pulled it out of her front coat pocket. When she saw that it was Antonio she was slow to answer it.
"DIOS MIO, LOVINA! YOU FINALLY ANSWERED!" Antonio shouted. The Spaniard took a shaky breath. "You have it all wrong. Please, b-bella, let me explain," he begged.
Lovina felt her blood run cold. The bastard had some nerve to call her that.
CLICK.
Lovina hung up the phone. Not a moment later, the phone rang. Lovina didn't answer it. Only after the fifth consecutive phone call did Lovina decided to answer it again.
"Lovi, please. Listen to me...." Lovina's eyebrows furrowed. Antonio's voice cracked. "Can you at least tell me where you are?" he asked.
"I bused. I'm walking home now," Lovina mumbled in a numb voice. She spoke only because she wanted the bastard to tell Feli where she was. You know what? Bastard didn't quite suit him anymore. He was something much, much lower than that.
"QUE?! It's minus thirty outside?! Are you crazy?!"
CLICK.
Lovina shut off both her phone and mind.
…
It was pitch black outside. All street lights had turned on. Pine trees decorated with Christmas lights brightened the atmosphere of what would have otherwise been a very desolate December night. Lovina trudged forward on the side walk. She passed by local deli's, cafe's and bakeries. An odd sight caused her to stop in her tracks. Sitting on a bench was a teenage boy. He aimlessly looked up at the sky. He was wearing an olive green coat and a white beret. A pair of lazy chartreuse eyes looked down to meet Lovina's questioning gaze. The boy smiled and patted the spot on the bench next to him. Lovina felt hypnotized by his stare. For whatever reason she complied and sat down next to the shaggy haired boy.
"Hello," he spoke in a drawling, relaxing tone. "Nice night to be out, isn't it?" he mused.
"Not really," Lovina muttered. "Well...at least I haven't been having that good of a night."
"That's too bad," he remarked. "Do you want me to cheer you up?"
"Er...how exactly are you going to do that?" Lovina didn't have to wait long for her answer. The boy unzipped his coat and reached into a pocket. He pulled out a small grey ball of fur. The ball unfurled itself. It was a kitten that was no bigger than width of both of his palms. The boy smirked. Lovina's hazel eyes sparked with a new found interest.
"Cat's always cheer people up," he mused. "The name's Heracles's by the way." Heracles placed the mewling kitten into Lovina's cupped hands.
"Lovina," she grunted, nodded her head in polite acknowledgement. "So...'Heracles','" Lovina mused. She stroked the kitten under its furry chin. The creature purred in delight. "How did you come across this little guy?"
"I found him roaming around the streets. We haven't been separated every since." Heracles looked down and beamed fondly at the purring kitten. "He get's anxious if I leave him. I take him wherever I can."
Lovina giggled. "What's his name?"
The boy paused to stroke his chin. "Larry," he concluded after a brief moment.
"You just made that up right now, didn't you?"
Heracles smirked. "Maybe. So what brings you out here Lovina?"
Lovina grimaced. "I had a falling out with my boyfriend."
"I'm sorry to hear that. Would you like me to cheer you up again?"
"Let me guess, you have another kitten hiding under your beret?"
"No," the Greek scoffed indignantly. "I have something much better than that. Now close your eyes."
Lovina was too tired to protest. Heracles placed Larry back into his coat. The poor thing had begun to shiver from the cold. "You can open your eyes now." Lovina complied. Her eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. The Greek cupped a massive blue and white striped bong in his lap. Lovina wrinkled her nose. That would explain the faint skunk smell. Ah. It all made sense now. Now wonder the boy was so mellow. He was currently tripping along the balls of THC land.
"You like it?"
"U-um, yeah sure," Lovina stammered.
"Want to know its name?" Lovina was too stunned to answer. Heracles told her the name of his bong anyways. Honestly, what even was her life anymore.
"I call it the pay purr puff," he mused. "Would you like to take a hit?"
"I haven't, uh... done stuff like that before," Lovina faltered when Heracles began to hum. Oh wait no. That was his laughter. The fuck?!
"I'll take one then." And the Greek proceeded to do just that. He gleefully blew out the acrid smelling smoke into the crisp, evening air.
Lovina cocked her head to the side. "Does it relax you?"
"Oh yes, quite." Apparently people became much more elegant and philosophical sounding when they were high.
Lovina shrugged. Fuck it. "Actually...I might take you up on that offer." Heracles showed her the fundamentals of how to properly take a hit from a bong. Lovina studiously watched. Heracles handed her the bong. It was time to fend for herself. And yes. She took the damn hit. Like a mother fucking boss. But damn. That shit was nasty. Lovina spluttered and hacked up a storm. Amused, Heracles took back the bong for himself.
"How was it?" he asked, puffing out another ring of smoke into the air.
"Horrible."
"Do you want to have another go at it?"
"Hell yeah I do."
…
Lovina slumped against the bench. She let her arms lazily drape over the back of it. "Heracles, my dude. It's been a pleasure smoking business with you."
"The pleasure's all mine, Lovina," Heracles chuckled.
In silence, the new friends sat. They soaked up the calm and settled atmosphere of the town and ignored the freezing wind that blew against their faces. The only sound to be heard was the blissful sound of their own relaxed breathing. That and the occasional muffled purrs from Larry. Things were peaceful. That is, until they heard the screech of tires.
Lovina's head snapped to the side. She cursed under her breath. Antonio's hummer screeched to a stop by the curb. Her mind felt foggy. But even the most relaxed person in the world would have flipped out in this situation. A car door slammed open. Antonio strode out of the car. His eyes glanced over at Heracles. Heracles fumbled to hide the bong in his coat. The Greek was under the impression that it was a cop pulling up next to them and not a pissed off Spaniard. In this case, Lovina would have much rather preferred the cops.
"LOVINA! WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU THINKING?! Antonio raged. He stalked over to the bench, grabbed Lovina's wrist, and pulled her to her feet. Lovina stumbled forward as Antonio towed her under the light of the street lamp. Antonio bent down to peer at her face. "Are you seriously high right now?" he growled. Lovina blinked several times. She was slow to perceive the situation.
Heracles must have realized that he wasn't about to be thrown in jail. He stood up from the bench and trudged forward, placing a protective arm in front of Lovina.
Antonio let go of Lovina's wrist. He took several steps back.
"Is there a problem here?" Heracles voice had a dangerous, edgy tone to it. Lovina didn't like the sound of it. Heracles was furious. And from his side of things, he had every right to be. He was only trying to protect her from a 'random' and potentially hostile stranger.
But alas. The Greek was only fueling the Spaniard's ever growing anger.
Antonio cocked his head to the side. He shifted his glare to an equally livid Heracles. "AND JUST WHO ARE YOU?"
Lovina had heard enough. "LISTEN TO YOURSELF, ANTONIO! YOU'RE BEING RIDICULOUS! WHO ARE YOU TO COME HERE AND YELL AT A COMPLETE STRANGER LIKE THAT? HONESTLY, SOMETIMES I WONDER WHY I EVER DATED YOU."
"DATED?!"
"YOU HEARD ME BASTARD: DATED. WE'RE DONE! YOU HEAR ME? T-THAT'S WHAT YOU GET FOR CHEATING ON ME!" Tears streamed down Lovina's face. But she kept going. She was going to pour her heart out to this asshole. She wanted him to realize just how much he had hurt her.
Antonio inhaled sharply. The scowl on his face never wavered.
Lovina stepped back. Heracles followed.
The Greek didn't halt his stare down with the Spaniard.
Lovina's mind whirred. She had never seen Antonio look this angry before. And quite frankly, it was terrifying."
The Spaniard's harsh tone cut through the air.
"Lovina, earlier today I was speaking to my friend on the phone. Her name is Bella."
Silence.
"I would never cheat on you. I thought that you all of people would know that."
Lovina's head spun. "Oh," she mumbled. She had nothing more to say. Her vision blurred. She would have fell to her knees right then and there if Heracles hadn't draped an arm around her shoulders.
Antonio glowered. "LET'S GO."
"What...?"
"LOVINA, SO HELP ME GOD IF YOU DON'T GET IN THE CAR RIGHT NOW-!" Antonio bellowed at her.
Heracles opened his mouth to protest. Lovina shrugged him him. "It's my mess. I can fix it on my own. Thank you, Heracles."
Lovina smiled through her tears. "Hopefully we can hang out again sometime soon?" she hiccuped.
Stunned, Heracles nodded his head. He was still conflicted over the matter.
Antonio wiped at his eyes. Heracles hummed in thought.
He knew that an intervention was no longer necessary.
Lovina's POV:
Silence. Lovina shifted uncomfortably in the passenger's seat. Antonio was driving her home. She couldn't bear to look at him. She was too embarrassed to do so. She had just made a fool out of herself. And worse of all, she had yelled at him. She didn't even give him a chance to explain. She was rash and now her actions had come back to bite her in the ass. She might as well just kiss the only relationship that she had ever had good bye.
Antonio didn't bother to look at her either. The only thing that he was focused on was the road in front of him. Lovina knew him well. His eyebrows were furrowed. He was upset. Probably furious. But she couldn't just sit there. She had to say something. "Antonio?" she asked. God, did it ever feel weird calling him that. It's funny how names can carry such complex and meaningful connotations. Antonio only called her Lovina when he was angry. And she only called him Antonio when she was being serious.
And right now, she was being serious. She had to claim responsibility for her ignorance. She would admit to her stubbornness. If she didn't there was a chance of losing the one person who she cared for so much that it hurt. Antonio meant the world to her. He wasn't just her partner. He was her best friend.
Antonio's eyes flickered in her direction. "What?" Lovina grimaced. His voice was bland and uncaring. Not at all like the cheerful, exuberant, and brightly spirited boy that she had grown to trust and ultimately fall in love with.
You're lying to yourself. You had your doubts about him earlier…
Lovina pushed these pestering thoughts to the side. "Feli...is she worried about me?" The last thing that Lovina ever wanted was to have people worry about her. Lovina had always been skeptical to rely on others. She despised being a burden. Especially to Feli. But now, Lovina had someone other than her sorella to worry about. She had a wonderful boyfriend who loved and treated her with all the care in the world. It was about time that Lovina owned up to her flaws and cared for him in the same way. That is, if he let her.
"No, nothing like that. Feli's fine. Ludwig had his grandfather drive them home."
"Oh...that's good..." Lovina trailed off.
"Antonio?"
"Si, Lovina?" God damnit. Every 'Lovina' was a sucker punch right in the heart.
"I didn't know...I mean...you never told me that you had a friend named Bella."
"Well maybe you shouldn't have taken off so fast. You didn't give me a chance to explain," he snapped.
Something about the sharpness of his tone set Lovina off as well. "WELL MAYBE, if you didn't act all secretive on the phone this wouldn't have happened in the first place!"
Antonio's anger grew. The car sped up along with it. "AT LEAST I DON'T SMOKE UP WITH RANDOM BOYS!" he hissed.
Antonio turned his head to glare at Lovina.
Lovina bit her lip. So that's what this was about. Antonio was jealous. "ANTONIO, I CAN DO WHATEVER THE FUCK I WANT! YOU DON'T CONTROL ME AND YOU SURE AS HELL CAN'T TELL ME WHAT I CAN AND CAN'T DO!"
"BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT YOU'RE BEING SELFISH. YOU CAN'T JUST TAKE OFF AND EXPECT EVERYONE NOT TO WORRY ABOUT YOU. OTHER PEOPLE CARE AND THINK ABOUT YOU, LOVINA. WHAT YOU DID...IT WAS JUST SO...-"
"SELFISH I KNOW!" Lovina screeched back. "I GET IT. I FUCKED UP. WHY DON'T YOU CALL BELLA ABOUT IT AND CRY HER A RIVER? MAYBE SHE'LL LISTEN TO YOU BITCH ABOUT YOUR OWN SELF RIGHTEOUS JEALOUSY."
"YOU KNOW, YOU REALLY ARE BEING A GIGANTIC BIT-" Antonio faltered. Lovina turned her back to him. She let her cheek fall against the cool glass of the passenger's window. She closed her eyes, trying to contain the sobs that ached to free themselves from her chest.
"Just say it," she muttered, her voice breaking. "Say it and be done with it. I've been called much worse before. I know what I am. I'm not proud of it, but you calling me such a name has no merit. I'm over it."
Antonio pulled the hummer to a stop. "Oh Lovina. Lo Siento." Antonio cupped both hands to his face. His shook his head back and forth. His was in complete disbelief. He had almost called her a...no. He wouldn't say it. It was too despicable of a label.
"Lo siento. Lo siento. Lo siento," Antonio murmured aloud in a horrified whisper.
His words fell deaf on Lovina's ears. Antonio unbuckled his seat belt. He reached over to cup a shaking hand around Lovina's damp cheek. "Lovi, look at me. Look at me, mi amor." Lovina didn't move. The only thing that she was aware of was the fact that she was sobbing. "Lovi, oh God. I didn't mean it. I...I..."Antonio stopped. Soon after, he broke down into tears of his own. Lovina had yet to notice this.
"Lo siento, Lovi," he wailed. "Te Amo. Te Amo. Te Amo."
"Shut up," Lovina growled. Her head still rested against the window. "If you don't take me home in the next thirty seconds, I'll...I'll leave and walk home myself!"
Antonio was too upset to respond to Lovina's threat. "You're right. I was being jealous...I wasn't thinking properly." Antonio paused to catch his breath. He was winded by the devastation of hurting someone so dear to him.
"What I did was completely uncalled for. If you don't want anything to do with me, I'll understand...I don't even want anything to do with myself right now..."
Lovina sat up. She perked at the sound of his voice cracking. Her eyes widened when she realized that he was in fact crying. "Are you crying right now, bastard?" she sniffed.
Antonio was too upset to speak at this point. He nodded his head. It was dark. Lovina squinted to see the tears streaking down his face. "Well don't," she huffed. "There's no need to."
Antonio opened his mouth to protest. Lovina silenced him by leaning over and pecking him on the cheek. "I-I know that you didn't mean what you said. So don't beat yourself up about it, alright? And I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have assumed that you were cheating on me. You haven't given me a reason not to trust you. It was unfair to jump to such a conclusion."
Antonio's eyes widened. Lovina didn't have much time to react. In the blink of an eye Antonio pulled her into a rib crushing hug. Over and over again he apologized. And over and over again did Lovina tell him that it was alright. She absently rubbed a consoling hand over his back. The couple trembled in each other's arms. They were rejoicing over the fact that they had overcome the greatest obstacle to their relationship. That being, trust.
"Hey bastard?" Lovina sniffed after while.
"Hmmm?" Antonio murmured into her hair.
"Can we stop and get something to eat?"
"Aw, looks like someone's got the munchies~!"
Cue Lovina's stomach growling, another smug comment from Antonio, and the beautiful sound of said Spaniard's head violently smacking against the car's dash board.
Lovina smiled. This bastard was going to be the death of her. Loving someone may have made her weak and vulnerable to the world, but trusting someone? Trust had made her stronger than ever before.
Thanks to: Efficient for reviewing last chapter.
Efficient: Honestly, can I just consider you to be one of my best online friends ever :D? You are literally the life of this story. It's people like you that make it fun to write! And getting too excited is never a bad thing! I'm glad (: OH! And the Prucan moment that you've been waiting for will get a whole chapter for itself (yikes, the last chapter solely dedicated to them was back in chapter 12), but as to how they'll get there? Oh boy. That's all I can say. Dramaaaaaa~ *giggles and rubs hands together in a devious manner*
Next Chapter: Gerita mall arc (what did Lovina write to our dear potato, Ludwig?) and checking up on some other peeps.
Other News: Chapters from now on will be getting much, much longer; let the drama unfold. Seven more to go! (Not including the epilogue chapters) Oh, and I started a new story. It's basically like a detention version of The Hunger Games.