RESOLUTION
Antonio was patient and meticulous. He took his sweet time in preparing Lovino. Lube on one, then two, then three fingers, in and out; when he was sure that Lovino was ready, he entered his lover. He groaned as he matched his rhythm with Lovino's hips. Their bodies entwined as their moans filled the empty room. As Antonio greeted the new day, he kissed his lover's lips. Lovino stirred from his sleep and Antonio couldn't help thinking how adorable his tomato was. Last night felt surreal; and it marked the beginning of their relationship as lovers.
It was eight AM already but the Spaniard didn't feel like going out of the bed; he feared that the spell binding him to Lovino would dispel. Ever so gentle, Antonio hugged Lovino; he wanted this peace between them to last a little longer.
"Ugh," His companion groaned. Antonio could only hope for such peace. Lovino was fiery, passionate, and everything else that didn't equate to peace. For all he was, Antonio loved him. He could go on and on about the little things that made him love Lovino Vargas. He was madly, head over heels for this man.
From then on, each day was brimming with happiness; Antonio looked forward to the mornings because he would send messages greeting his lover a good day; he looked forward to lunches because they ate together; he looked forward to the afternoons because they talked about how their day went. Then, he looks forward again for the start of the new day. His enthusiasm was often met with sarcasm from Lovino but Antonio felt this was a roundabout way of the Italian's appreciation and also hiding his embarrassment.
For the next seven months, the young men were in an adoration for each another. However, they kept their relationship a secret from everyone. Lovino was the one who proposed for such arrangement, two weeks after their ardent evening.
"Unlike Feliciano who can get away with being gay, I can't Antonio, I can't! There's a damn good reason why I've kept my homosexuality a secret. Bastard, I will be disowned by my family and I don't want to be disowned," Lovino clenched his teeth as he ended his sentence. Antonio noticed Lovino was filled with fear and anxiety.
"I understand love, I understand," He reassured his tomato. He shared to Lovino how his situation was similar. "I grew up in a conservative family and they are expecting me to marry a lovely girl, have kids, live in a nice neighborhood, etc. etc."
"I can give you everything except the part of being a girl," Lovino sardonically replied, to which Antonio kissed Lovino's forehead that in turn, earned him a painful jab. Despite the pain, seeing his tomato blushing was worth it.
Since they became a couple, their sleepovers didn't involve much sleeping. Neither of them could get enough of each other. Their bodies were in a state of need; sometimes Antonio leads, other times, Lovino was the assertive one. They were almost caught by Grandfather Vargas.
Unexpectedly, the old man went home ahead of schedule. Lovino and Antonio were cuddling each other in Lovino's cramped bed when the Italian pushed Antonio off the bed and ushered him to go to the upper bunk and haphazardly covered his body with the blanket. Lovino kicked off their clothes under his bed and then rolled over his bed, with a sheet covering his whole body. Both men were trying to remain calm as Grandpa Vargas opened the door. They pretended to sleep and luckily, they weren't bothered. If they were, it would be difficult to explain why they were both naked during the dead of the night.
Breakfast the following day was awkward after Lovino introduced Antonio as a friend sleeping over. The grandson was scolded, a bit, for not informing his grandfather they had a guest. He would have bought more delicacies. Antonio defended Lovino that he was imposing on the family and added that he was grateful for the generosity of being housed. When all niceties were said, Antonio and Grandpa Vargas were fast friends. The two men shared a passion for gardening and the old man was more than happy to share tips. The elder Vargas offered Antonio to feel free visiting again.
Lovino rolled his eyes and Antonio caught a glimpse of his lover's mischievous grin. He knew what was running through Lovino's mind, "This bastard has been coming here for so long already; no need to invite him old man."
When Antonio shared this to Lovino, the other man blushed but defensively replied that Antonio was putting words into his mouth.
Despite the secrecy of Antonio and Lovino's realtionship, Feliciano somehow knew about them. Antonio was a bit unnerved but he was able to move past it. Somehow, a heavy burden was lifted from his chest. At least they didn't have to tip toe on eggshells when Feliciano was around. This cemented further his friendship with Feliciano. The two became good friends and thus, the trio hung with each other more often, at Antonio's insistence. For the Spaniard, it would seem less suspicious rather than only him and Lovino hanging out in the Vargas home.
During one of their boys' night out, Antonio asked Feliciano how the younger brother knew about their relationship.
"It was very obvious that Lovino really liked you," Feliciano cheerfully shares. "From the first time you two met, I was sure that he was having butterflies in his stomach."
"That's enough gossiping about me," Lovino interjected. The older Vargas brought with him a bowl of popcorn, and another bowl with a mix of fries and chips.
"He isn't even denying it," Feliciano laughed, as well as Antonio.
"Shut up you two!" Lovino angrily said while loading the BD disc into the player.
It was the last day of classes before winter break and the trio decided to spend it in the Vargas house. Antonio insisted that it should be Lovi's place since he and Feliciano didn't have enough room space to accommodate three grown men. Also, only Lovino had a kitchen and secret stash of liquor. It was the perfect place for the three of them who enjoyed cooking and loved coupling their meals with good wine. More than once, Grandfather Vargas came home with a messy living room and empty wine bottles but the elderly man dismissed their inebriation as follies of youth.
"I was once like you kids," The oldest Vargas shared during breakfast. "Who am I to judge?" He would say with a boisterous laugh.
The imposing impression of Antonio towards Mr. Vargas dissipated the more time he spent with him. Also, he felt that he was becoming part of the family. However, he knew that he can never truly be a part; he was hiding a terrible lie that can ruin Lovino's relationship with his grandfather.
Fast forward to seven months later into their relationship. It was a month after graduation. Lovino was busy for his internship while Antonio was busy for his upcoming licensure examination. They were spending less time with each other; much lesser than the time during their finals. Lovino was snappier than the usual and Antonio just lost the patience to deal with the childish tantrums.
"Fine then bastard, let's give each other all the fucking space we need!" Lovino exclaimed and walked away.
Antonio was shocked; the words didn't register in his mind. By the time he reacted, Lovino sped away with that fancy car of his. The anger he had earlier dissipated and was replaced with panic. He tried calling Lovino but it wouldn't connect. So, he sent a one-word message: Sorry.
Two weeks later, the two haven't reconciled with each other. Everyday, he types out messages but he never sends them. His inbox was full of drafts, unsent messages for Lovino. There messages range from simple greetings to long winded speeches on his regrets.
Without any communication from each other, Antonio felt dejected. His heart ached every time he walked to and fro his dorm to the campus. At one point in their relationship, they had grandiose plans for their future. However, they hardly talk to each other these days. He deeply missed Lovino. Antonio took the courage and stopped sulking. He called Feliciano and asked about Lovino's whereabouts.
"Huh? Did you two have a fight?" Feliciano queried. "Hm, Lovino, well, he left for Singapore three days ago. He got into a two-year internship program with this firm-"
The following explanation made Antonio cry. He didn't damn care if he was in a public place; anyone who felt sad had the right to cry. Oh God, is this my punishment?
On the other hand, Lovino Vargas didn't think twice in accepting the internship in Singapore. He only packed the bare necessities; he didn't need to bring a lot. He could buy whatever he needed once he arrives. He would be living the next two years faraway.
"Try to come home for Christmas and New Year," His old man said in the airport.
"I'll try," Lovino, for the first time, felt affectionate for the old man and hugged him before going to the departure area.
While waiting for the plane to take off, his last moments with Antonio reeled through his mind.
"I didn't care who you hung out with!" Lovino shouted. "I'm not mad! I am furious! You said that I could trust you-"
"I did; you're just paranoid," Antonio reasoned with him.
"Am I? Last time I checked, you were fucking with Bella," The words were laced with scorn.
"Don't be mean Lovino," Antonio appealed to whatever kindness was left inside Lovino.
"Shut up, damned bastard. We are through; God, why did we ever get together?!" Lovino felt slighted that Antonio was defending his actions.
Lovino didn't spare any glances when he turned his back. Thankfully, he brought his Maserati, it was heavily tinted. He didn't have to worry about crying while driving. He considered himself a strong man but in times of sadness and frustration, he cries. By the time he arrived in his house, his eyes were puffy.
He didn't bother eating dinner or changing his clothes until the next day. When he calmed down, he sifted through his e-mail and he felt a wave of relief when he got accepted in a firm overseas. Lovino only told his immediate family about the news and his decision to leave. Then he left.
A month later, when Lovino's emotions calmed down, he opened his Facebook account and his eyes were glued at a particular photo Feliciano uploaded. Gil and Liz got engaged while Antonio and Bella were in a relationship.
Lovino's younger brother Feliciano was in a relationship with Ludwig, whose older brother, Gilbert was engaged to Elizaveta, bestfriend of Bella, girlfriend of Antonio, Lovino's ex-lover. A full circle of their relationship.
A month ago, Lovino would have lashed at his screen. However, the secret love story with Antonio was a brief stint in his life. The world had much to offer him than the cheating and lying bastard. All they had was a paradise shrouded with darkness; and the darkness swallowed the paradise.
Seven years later, Antonio Fernandez Carriedo was an elementary school teacher while his wife Bella took care of their newborn daughter. The couple moved to Belgium so that Bella could effectively mange the family business. Through the up and downs of his life, he didn't expect he would be blessed with so much happiness.
Sometimes, thoughts of his ex-lover would invade his mind. Their break-up was horrible but Antonio felt that Lovino didn't have any right to get mad at him! After all, he was the one who broke their relationship. The Italian said they were in a cool-off, he took it as a sign of breaking-up. Bella returned and they realized they still had affections for each other. So, they rekindled their relationship. Antonio told Bella about his relationship with Lovino and the woman patiently listened. She told Antonio that she was in no position to judge or get mad because they weren't in a relationship then. She was thankful though that she knew who the other person was. Antonio was astounded; even if he broke up with Lovino, their social circles were deeply connected.
"We were classmates for one semester... I can't recall which subject. Anyway, he's a good person; he's quite fun to tease with," Bella giggled. "I remembered how he was flustered when we were paired for our final project... he often stammered with his speech. He was such an innocent person."
Antonio couldn't picture the Lovino Bella was describing. Regardless, he was happy that Bella accepted him despite his dalliances.
END
A/N: Thank you so much for reading this! Also, many thanks to those who took the time to review, favorite and alert this story.
