"So what if I went to meet Arthur again tonight?!" Antonio scoffed, "Why is my love life any of your concern?!"

Lovino trembled as he fumbled for an answer...He knew exactly why his room-mate's interest in the Etoile bothered him so much, and yet, he just wasn't ready to admit it...So what could he do? Push Antonio away, and let Arthur-Fucking-Etoile-Kirkland steal him from right under his nose? Or let his jealousy get the better of him and fight for Antonio's love? Why was he being forced to take such drastic measures in the first place, though...?

"B-because...B-because...Arthur's bad news," Lovino insisted pitifully, "Y-you deserve someone better than him!"

"Don't be ridiculous," Antonio parried, "Arthur's been nothing but good to me. Great, actually, and I'm pretty sure he likes me"—

"NO HE DOESN'T!" Lovino bellowed, silencing the entire top floor of the Tomato Dorms, "Arthur will never truly like you!"

And then there were footsteps. Soft, padding footsteps, headed straight for Antonio and Lovino...

Arthur looked pretty ridiculous, stood in the middle of the hallway wearing only his pyjamas, and his blue Etoile pendant, but he still had the nerve to intervene in Antonio and Lovino's dispute, interjecting, "What were you saying about me, Lovino?"

The Italian's face assumed the most shit-eating of grins. "Just telling Antonio how you really feel about him," he said plainly, "You don't really like him at all, do you, Mr Etoile? Tell Antonio the truth now, before he goes and does something stupid like fall for you!"

Antonio's eyes met Arthur's, begging for what Lovino had said to not be true...

"I like you, Antonio..." Arthur assured him, "Really, I do."

"I-I do, too," Antonio responded, blushing heavily as he exhaled in relief. How silly of him to doubt Arthur because of his totally-not-jealous room-mate...

"H-how dare you say things like that to Antonio!" Lovino yelped hopelessly, his body trembling, "Now he's gonna think that you wanna be his boyfriend or something!"

"Yeah? Well, maybe I do," Arthur chuckled evilly, "I really like Antonio, he really likes me too, and I think I want to be his boyfriend. What's wrong with that?"

What was wrong with that? Ha, what a question that was...

"Lovino, there's no need to get all worked up! I'm sure that Arthur will keep being kind to me," Antonio added, "So, there's no need for you to worry! Right?"

"He's...He's a...ARTHUR YOU DIRTY FUCKING PERVERT, GET YOUR HANDS OFF OF MY ANTONIO!"

Antonio stood slack-jawed as Lovino boiled over, his feelings threatening to fill the hallway and drown all three of them.

"I think I've heard enough," Arthur remarked, smiling victoriously, "Lovino, are you mouthing me off to Antonio because you think I don't really like him? Or is it that you're not ready to admit that you like Antonio, and you want to drive him away from any potential love interests until you decide that you want him?"

That hurt. How dare Arthur say something that was so...True. But Lovino knew, yes, knew, that he only kept a close eye on Antonio because he worried about him, that he only wanted to sit next to Antonio at dinner every night because Antonio always took the window seat, where you could see down all of Astraea Hill, and he only scanned Antonio's...Beautiful, olive skin, which glowed like it had been personally kissed by the Andalusian sunshine...Because he was checking that Antonio hadn't been hurt when he was getting changed for P.E., or Dance!

"You don't like Antonio," Lovino insisted, "You're just using him to plug that hole in your heart, aren't you?!"

Arthur's face suddenly turned white. "Lovino, don't you dare!"

"It's true, isn't it?!" Lovino snapped, taking the small opportunity he'd been given to win Antonio back, "I'm not the one who still has sad little tea parties with his dead boyfriend!"

"And I'm not the one acting like a crazy person because Antonio likes me, and not you!" Arthur yelled.

It was only when Lovino went for Arthur's face, striking him perfectly on the jaw that Antonio cried, "Enough! I don't want you fighting over me!"

But Lovino was completely deaf to Antonio's cries, screaming, "Haven't you had enough fun playing with Antonio's heart?!"

"Lovino, Antonio, Arthur, disciplinary room. Now." Sister Marianne growled.

The boys froze upon hearing the crabby nun's voice. And then...

"W-what?! But he started it!" Arthur said childishly, pointing at Lovino.

"I don't care who started it," Sister Marianne rebuked, "The three of you are coming to the disciplinary room, and you will explain why you've all been making such a racket after lights out. Is that clear?"

"Y-yes, Sister Marianne," the trio submitted.

It was Antonio who helped Arthur to his feet as they were lead downstairs to the disciplinary room. On the way down, Sister Marianne snapped at a few pupils who'd gotten out of their rooms, hoping to catch a glimpse of the ruckus in the Tomato Dorms...

"Right, let's hear it," Sister Marianne ordered. "Arthur, I'll listen to your side of the story first."

Arthur calmly explained what he'd heard, and what had prompted him to get out of his room, to go and get involved in the dispute.

"Lovino's just mad because Antonio here likes me, and not him!" Arthur moaned, clutching his bleeding jaw.

"I'm not sure I feel safe with Lovino anymore, considering what he did just now..." Antonio added.

"I see. Anything you wish to say, Lovino?" the nun enquired.

Lovino knew that he was completely defeated here. No-one was going to take his side...

"N-no, Sister Marianne."

The nun nodded. "Very well. Arthur, go back to your room. You will be doing half an hour in the disciplinary room tomorrow morning. Lovino, you will do an hour in the disciplinary room, and be suspended from class for one week. Antonio, we'll have to make alternate sleeping arrangements for you until Lovino cools off, but for tonight, you can sleep in the nurse's office."

"Yes, Sister Marianne," the boys droned, leaving for their respective beds...

BBBBBBBB-BB-BBBBBBBBBBBBB-

"You seem to have a knack for causing trouble, don't you?" Afonso huffed, applying antiseptic to Arthur's wound.

"Don't give me that look, Afonso, it wasn't my fault this time," Arthur whined, "Little Lovino Vargas threw a fit because Antonio and I like each other."

The ponytailed boy shook his head. "I heard, as did the rest of the dorm. I hope you'll treat Antonio well..."