Day 24: What might your character's ideal romantic partner be?


When they got to JFK and piled out of the cab, Lovino was the first in the doors. He practically shoved stray travelers out of his way in his urgency, but once inside was forced to choose a direction to search.

"We can split up," Antonio said to the others, crossing his arms over his chest. Lovino waved all of them off and started searching the left side of the waiting area alone.

According to Feliciano, there wasn't an outbound plane to Berlin for another five hours, presuming Gilbert's brother put him on the earliest one. There was no guarantee Gilbert would be anywhere near the plane was supposed to board, so they had to search everywhere to have a good chance of finding him. Lovino kept his cell phone in his hand, just in case one of the other idiots found Gilbert and had to let them all know.

It took twenty minutes of fruitless searching for Lovino's exhaustion to catch up to him. He sat on one of the uncomfortable benches that were lined up near the moving walkways and put his head in his hands. He felt absolutely dizzy and sick.

This was it. If Gilbert left the country, Lovino could track him down with time and money but would probably not be able to convince him to return. Their short-lived but incredible relationship would be a thing of the past for Gilbert and Lovino's biggest regret.

A thin figure in a black hoodie shifted a few rows ahead of him. Lovino looked up from the faded logo on the back to their head; his heart stuttered for a moment when he saw a flash of white-blonde hair peeking out of the edge of the hood.

After taking some time to slow his heartbeat back to normal, Lovino stood up and walked around the rows of benches. He sat down again two seats away from the hooded figure. They didn't look up.

"I promise I'll leave you alone," Lovino began in a low voice. The figure jumped, startled, but continued to face the rows of seats ahead of them. "If I can just explain myself first, please? If you don't want to see me again I'll go, just say the word."

The figure stayed silent.

Lovino rubbed a shaking hand over his mouth. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pressure you, I didn't mean to let my family pressure you. What you want is your decision; just because I-just because someone is your Dom doesn't mean they get to… to take the liberties I wanted to take." He cleared his throat. "I can't move you like a piece of furniture. I have to take you into account."

"You shouldn't," the figure said in Gilbert's raspy voice, made harsher by the late hour.

"I should," Lovino replied simply. When Gilbert didn't answer, he continued, "Would you like to know what exactly I look for in a sub?"

He waited quietly while boarding for a flight was announced, echoing throughout the airport. Gilbert was more hunched in his hoodie than before. Another lock of his bright hair flashed from under the hood.

"I don't want someone I can walk all over. You never mouth off or brat just because you can, but you're not afraid to tell me your opinion or when I'm doing something you don't like. Do you really think someone like me could l-love," he stammered, "Someone who just lies on his back all day, waiting for me to give him orders?"

The hood started to slip and Gilbert's pale hands reached up to tug it close again. "Haven't even done that yet," he said almost under his breath. Lovino wanted to reach over and kiss him but held himself back.

"I want more than sex." Lovino felt his cheeks burning but pressed on despite his embarrassment, something he had been doing very often around Gilbert. "I want you. Not the you that you think I want, I want everything about you. Your sad spells and your annoying laugh and the way you won't stay still when you sleep unless I'm touching you."

"This isn't," Gilbert snapped, "A fucking romantic comedy. You're not going to sweep me off my fucking feet and change my mind." He clenched his fists in his lap. "Fuck you. I hate you."

Lovino wanted to get angry like normal, to take the helplessness Gilbert made him feel and turn it into insults, but he was too empty. "I understand. I'm sorry I didn't treat you well enough. Please, please take care of yourself, Gilbert." He stood, floundered for a moment, and then turned and walked very quickly away.