Lovino led Antonio in the direction of his favourite gelato shop, one run by an older Italian couple. None of his friends knew about it, since he never brought anyone there. None of his friends apart from Antonio. He didn't know what exactly possessed him to agree to going to get gelato with the Spaniard, but he had a few ideas.

One was that he didn't want to mess up with another friend when he'd already messed up with Gilbert and Matthew. Another reason? It was obvious, really, he couldn't say no to his crush offering to take him out. And finally, deep down he didn't actually want to be alone, not when he felt so down. Antonio had this cheerfulness that somehow made Lovino want to be happy as well, that made Lovino want to stay close.

—

Antonio didn't ask if the other wanted to fly there, he knew that Lovino hid his wings for whatever reason and didn't want to bother him about it. The way there was silent, a little tense, but not unpleasant. Though, the Spaniard noticed that the atmosphere shifted almost instantly as they entered the Gelato shop.

The room was cool from the air conditioner, but not so much so that it was freezing in the room. The walls were a soft orange, it was bright and gave the room a warm look, while not being overbearing to look at. The music that was playing was quiet piano music by an Italian composer that one of the owners loved. But that wasn't the thing that changed the atmosphere, it was Lovino himself.

The Italian teen seemed to be more relaxed and calm, almost seeming to brighten by entering the room. It wasn't with a smile that Antonio knew, because Lovino's face had the usual scowl adorning it. It was just the look in his olive green eyes, how some of the sadness seemed to fade, and the way his shoulders didn't look as tense. He didn't know why he was able to notice all of those things, he just could. He just found himself able to pay attention to Lovino, more so than he could when around other people.

"Do you want to order, or do you need some time to think?"

Antonio broke out of staring around the room (and at Lovino) when he heard the words. "Ah, we can order Lovi!" he replied cheerfully, going over to the window and quickly glancing over at the different flavours. "I'll have the pistachio and almond gelato in a cone please, one scoop. And Lovi here is getting... uh..."

"Coffee and hazelnut twist, in a cup, nonno." Lovino stepped forward, placing some cash on the table. "And I know I was going to make you pay, but I changed my mind. You have to bring the gelato over, though." With that, the Italian walked off, leaving a very confused Antonio behind.

"You must be important to him, he never brings friends along," a voice said, it was the man who took their order.

Antonio shrugged and gave him a polite smile. "Not really, sir, he seemed upset about something and I offered to take him for ice cream to cheer him up. He probably just needed to come here instead of any other place, it seemed to make him cheer up a bit just by walking in."

"No need for formalities, kid. Just call me nonno, everyone does. And you'd be right about him seeming upset, he usually is most days he comes here. My husband is the one who usually talks to him though, I don't know much." The man smiled and handed him the cup with Lovino's gelato and spoon, Antonio's cone and gelato, and some napkins. "Just keep an eye on him for me, he could do with a friend."

—

Lovino wasn't scowling anymore like he usually was, a blank look had replaced the scowl. He was back to thinking again, and he thought too much already that day, but he couldn't help it. He was drowning in his thoughts, and every time he tried to escape something always pulled him back into them.

The moment Antonio sat down and he was pulled away from his thoughts, he was tempted to scowl but didn't. He just sighed and silently took his gelato, slowly eating it and not looking up. He was like that for a while, so much so that Antonio was already finished his gelato by the time he was half way done his own sweet treat and had decided to talk. "How do you-"

"How do you what?"

"You have gelato on your face, bastard. It's distracting," Lovino said, sniggering a bit and grabbing a napkin before leaning forward. Their faces were only inches apart as he gently wiped the green gelato off Antonio's chin. His eyes were carefully observing and making sure his chin was clean, but also making note of the short stubble on his chin that Antonio hadn't managed to shave. He murmured something unrecognisable in Italian before he pulled away. He hadn't realised what he'd done until after he'd finished, and it caused him to blush and look away.

Antonio on the other hand laughed softly and said something about how he was 'too sweet', a small blush on his own cheeks. Lovino didn't deny his words for once, but that was because he was too busy eating his gelato and pretending that he didn't just do something like that.

"Anyway, you were about to say something?"

"No, uh, it doesn't matter anymore. I think it's fine now." Lovino offered him a half smile, which was really just the corners of his lips tugged up ever so slightly. It faded just as quickly as it came, but it was enough to get Antonio off his case. If Antonio had been able to cheer him up a bit from something so stupid, then he would see if he could help him any more without having to get close to revealing his crush.

Said Spaniard then spoke up just as he took another spoonful of gelato, which was frustrating since he had to finish it before he could speak. "Then you won't mind me telling you stories from my time in Spain?"

"I guess. I don't have anything better to say, so I'll tolerate listening to your dumb stories."

Antonio beamed and nodded, talking on about random stories from his childhood. Lovino was actually listening to what he was saying, and while he could deny that he paid attention all he wanted it wouldn't change the fact that Antonio knew that he listened. It actually brought a few half smiles out again, and Lovino almost laughed at one of the stories (because of younger Antonio's stupidity and not because he imagined younger Antonio doing something adorable, of course).

Lovino continued to let him talk even after finished his own gelato, and things were going well. Antonio soon began to talk about something in particular that happened a few years ago. "So, I was in Spain still, visiting my grandparents after they'd just moved house. I went into town with my grandparents, and as I was walking around I saw someone with the most beautiful pair of wings I have ever seen to this day. I don't know if they were a boy or a girl, I didn't get a close look at them because I was too captivated by their wings. The blues and pinks and purples were just so vibrant and bright, I'd never seen anything like it before."

"What's your opinion on same sex relationships?" Lovino hadn't meant to ask the question, but he couldn't help it. The wings that Antonio was talking about seemed too much like his own and he wanted to change the topic. Of course, he wanted to change it quickly, and he'd been thinking about asking that question and he just blurted it out.

Antonio froze at the sudden question, having not being expecting it to come out of nowhere like that. "I mean, I'm cool with other people having those relationships, it doesn't bother me and if they're happy I don't see a problem. As for having them myself, well, I don't think I'd date a guy. I've never been attracted to one and I don't think my father would approve of me dating a guy even if I did like them."

In reality, Antonio was bi questioning, but didn't want to come out when he wasn't sure in case his father found out. Even if he came to the conclusion that he was straight, his father really wasn't approving and he didn't want to cause more trouble than he needed to. He wasn't eighteen yet, he couldn't leave home if he needed to.

Lovino kept his face blank to hide the pang of hurt that came with knowing that he wouldn't have a chance with Antonio, and then nodded. "I get that, I'm straight as well. Guys are bastards. But I'm in total support of them, I've been waiting for Mattie and Gil to get together for like, a year." The part about him being straight was a lie, but he lost the confidence in coming out. He knew it wasn't an outright rejection by Antonio since he hadn't confessed, and that it was probably better he knew now that his crush was straight than thinking he had a chance and getting rejected later, but it still hurt.

Lovino sighed and picked up his phone to check the time, and stood up. "I have to get home, thanks for coming I guess. See ya 'round, bastard."

And home Lovino went, to go and hide himself in his room like he'd planned to do before Antonio had come and made his day. Before Lovino had managed to demolish the joy Antonio had bought with a stupid question that he didn't need to ask.

"I'm back to feeling bad." And this time there was nobody there to help him.

—

(A/N)

Someone has gotten the first letter of bad BAD correct. Lowercase d has been guessed - the word is depressed.

b a depressed B A D