Some alleyway, Italy (Age 11)
Lovino Vargas stared at the sky. Everything ached, he could barely see out of his left eye, and the metallic tang of blood covered his taste buds.
"Lovino..." A hesitantly quiet, high pitched voice said from above him and oh yeah, Alice was there too. "Fratellone, we still have to go get mama's groceries."
Lovino pulled himself up, wincing minimally. Alice was worrying the sheet of paper in her hands, an uncharacteristic frown on her face. Lovino hated it when she frowned.
"Yeah, sorry Ali, I was just resting for a moment," Lovino stretched, subtly taking account of all the new bruises that littered his skin, and got completely up.
"Lovi, we don't have to go, we can ask someone to use their phone and mama would understand, I'm sure that she-"
"If you don't hurry up, I'll leave you behind," Lovino started limping to the store, ignoring his sister's worries. If he continued on, town gossip would tell his mother that he'd gotten into another fight, and he wouldn't have a chance to explain himself, and that would suck, but…
"Atta boy! Protecting little Ali's honor and still getting stuff for my Lola, now that's a real Vargas man!"
But Lovino would be fine.
They walked in silence, until Alice mumbled, quietly enough that Lovino knew that he wasn't supposed to hear it, "Why do you always get into fights for me?"
Lovino deflated a bit, not enough to be noticed, but still. No matter how noble he liked to make it seem, besides the fact that the fights were about those older bastards having the nerve to call his baby sister a troia, they weren't completely for her. Yes, it was the calls of "Look, it's the troia that looks like a boy!" that first caught his attention, but it was the following "And her girly big brother too! Hey, Vargas, you should trade your jeans for the troia's skirt, eh?" that really, truly pulled him in. He was selfish, he knew it, but Lovino Vargas was a Vargas man, he was, and he would be treated like one, damn it!
As the duo neared Moretti's, the only store that the Vargas' gave their support to because of friendship ties, Lovino stopped because Gabriele is in there, no, no, I still have another week, he's not supposed to be here yet, why the fuck is he back this early?
Gabriele Moretti, Lovino's best (only) friend in Italy, was - objectively speaking, never in Lovino's own opinion, never - handsome. He'd been an awkward kid, all limbs and skin and bones, but then his parents had sent him off to some boarding school in England and he'd came back... different. Over his school year, Gabriele's shoulder had widened and he had started working out, finally filling out his lanky frame. He'd grown out his hair, so the deep black locks (That he now held in a ponytail, of all things, and it looked good and not at all girly on him) perfectly framed his paler-than-average face and made his grey eyes pop. Lovino had been asked - several times, by several different girls - if Gabriele had a girlfriend or anything (He didn't know, Gabri had never mentioned anyone in their five years of best friendship, and Lovino didn't care anyway, he didn't). He was nice as well, making him the "perfect" guy in many of Lovino's female classmates' eyes.
"Gabri's back in town," Alice said, glancing between the window that displayed Lovino's best friend and Lovino's frozen figure, "I could always get the stuff by myself, you don't have to go in."
"No, I'll be good. What could Gabri do to me anyway?"
The bell over the door tinkled as the Vargas pushed their way in, and the teen at the counter looked up from his book, customer service smile plastered on. "Welcome to Moretti's! We're having a sale on tomat- Oh my god."
"Ciao, Gabri," said Lovino weakly, "You're back early."
"Don't you 'Ciao Gabri!' me, Lovino Vargas! Look at you!" He turned towards the back of the store, "Mama! Mama, I'm taking my break, Lovi and Ali just came in!"
Mrs. Moretti came out, only tsking lightly at Lovino's disarray, "Okay, Gabriele. The frozen peas that we have upstairs would probably be the best for that eye."
"Got it! Grazie, mama!" Gabriele hopped over the counter, grabbed Lovino's arm harshly and started to pull him up the stairs, Alice trailing silently behind them. When they were upstairs Gabriele let go and pointed at the kitchen table.
"You, sit." Lovino nodded, and Gabriele turned to Alice, smiling lightly, "Do you want anything, Ali? Water, juice? I could probably get you a soda from downstairs, on the house of course."
"Just water would be fine, thank you, Gabri."
"No problem, anything for a pretty girl, si?" Gabriele winked and nudged her on his way past, and it only bothered Lovino because Alice was his little sister and nothing else, really. Gabriele stopped to glare at Lovino, normally bright eyes turned stormy, "If you move, I'll give you another black eye. You know I'd do it."
And Lovino did, just like he knew that Gabriele was only being aggressive because he was worried as fuck, but that didn't stop him from grumbling after the other boy had left. "Dumb Gabri, gone for five months and comes back thinking he knows everything, threatening me when the he doesn't even know what happened, that jerk."
"I'm sorry, Fratello!" Ali exclaimed suddenly, eyes wet with tears, "I'm sorry, if I had just-"
"Don't apologize; I'm your older brother! It's my job to get fucked up fighting dickheads who're mean to you."
The blubbering stopped and her eyes widened, but she continued to argue. "But if I wasn't so clumsy then papa would let me keep my hair longer and I wouldn't look like a boy, and if I hadn't kissed Hilie-"
"Alice Margherita Vargas, shut the fuck up," Lovino growled as he grabbed her face, easing up at her slight wince, "You loved that annoying German girl, right?" He let go, waiting until Alice nodded hesitantly to continue. "Then don't you dare apologize. No one, no one, can tell you that you can't kiss whoever the fuck you want, even if it's a dumb potato bitch, and if they do then they'll have to deal with me, you understand?"
Alice nodded, wiping at her face, before hugging Lovino. "Grazie, fratellone. Grazie."
"Don't mention it, Ali," Lovino ruffled her hair and did his best to not gasp as she literally squeezed all of his bruises, "Now get off of me."
Romulus Vargas' American home, America (Age 16)
It was 7 am, a good 40 minutes before his alarm would even go off, and Lovino Vargas was awake.
He was going to kill Lotte.
❣ (=^ω^=) ❣
Hi hi Lovino!
What do you want
Oh, I can just feel your energy this morning! But I digress.
I need you to come into school early, i.e. don't skip first bell (= ^ᆺ^=)
Why
I have something for you (= 6ω6 =)
Just tell me now
Nope! (= ↀωↀ)~* See you before first bell!
I hate you
Love you too, 'Vino!
Lovino weighed the pros and cons of actually going to first bell (Pro: Not getting on Lotte's bad side, cons: literally everything else). Fuck it, she'll just have to wait.
Just as he thought he could maybe go back to sleep for another half an hour, Alice burst into his room, hair askew.
"Fratello! Oh, you're awake, buono! Sakura is sick and Mr. B's car is in the shop and sorellona Julie doesn't get picked up until right before first bell, so Moni wanted me to ask you if you could drive us both to school today? Please?"
Lovino groaned, because he was a teenage boy and he would whine if he wanted to, damn it. "But it's so early. You can't just ask a guy to wake up this early with nothing in return, Ali."
"I'm sure 'Tonio wouldn't mind!" Alice smiled at her brother's completely unamused face, "It'd really mean a lot to me. Pretty please, with sugar on top?"
Lovino tried to not look at her, because he wasn't heartless and he couldn't resist Alice's puppy eyes, but the pull was too much. "Goddamn it, fine! I'll drive you and your fucking potato to school."
"Not 'my potato' yet, fratello!" Alice trilled as she skipped out, "And we need to leave by 7:30 if we're going to have time to pick up 'Tonio and Moni, so start getting ready!"
Lovino whined at the door as she shut it, before dragging himself out of bed. He groggily opened his bedroom door and stepped out into the open area between his room, closet, and bathroom, nearly tripping on a pair of shoes in the process. He was halfway ready when he remembered something.
"Goddamn it, I have to wake up the idiot. Shit." Lovino went back into his room and picked up his phone, dialing a number that he'd never admit to knowing by heart.
"Hola? Qu-Que tal?" Antonio's voice was gruff with sleep and Lovino quickly schooled the part of his mind that quite enjoyed the rough-yet-smooth sound of early morning Spanish.
"Good morning, bastard!" Lovino yelled, allowing himself to smirk when the Spaniard audibly fell out of bed. He could see why Antonio always yelled good morning to him now. "I'm going to be at your front door in… less than 15 minutes. Be dressed."
"Lovi, what do you mean? It's not even 8 yet!"
"I mean that if you don't want to walk to school then you'll get your ass up. Goodbye."
"Wait, Lovi-"
Lovino disconnected the call, focusing on getting ready again. As soon as he was done, and with five minutes to spare, he walked down the stairs, the ugly modern shit that his nonno's girlfriend had chosen barely even making him scrunch his nose. Nothing could ruin this.
"Look who's up!"
Lovino froze, hand halfway to a muffin, when he heard his grandfather's voice. Romulus Vargas was nearly 50 years old, but he still looked like he was in his late 30's, and his youthful looks got him more young women looking for a sugar daddy then Lovino cared to count. It was horrible.
"You're here," He said, coming off more surprised than he would've liked.
"Si, I am. It is my house after all."
Lovino turned around to face his grandfather. "Is it? I wouldn't know, with how often you're out sleeping with some throwaway girltoy."
Romulus' face contorted for a second, before it was forced back to a neutral look. "Lovino," he said warningly, "I don't take kindly to being judged by a child."
"I 'don't take kindly' to being called a child by the old man that constantly leaves me to raise Ali on my own," Lovino spat, not having inherited his grandfather's restraint. "Why the fuck are you here?"
Romulus rose from his seat, taking a few steps towards Lovino, "Now listen here, Lovino-"
"No, you listen, asshole!" Lovino snapped, pushing Romulus back, "You promised. You promised Ali that you wouldn't do this anymore and yet, here we fucking are. Is it worth it?" When his question was met with silence, Lovino continued, "Did you know that Ali actually worries about you when you don't call or text or anything? She isn't immune to your dickwad tendencies like how I am, okay? She actually cares, and it'd be fucking nice if you could remember that next time you decide to suddenly go to the next town over and hook up with some 20 year old."
"I- I'm sorry," Romulus said, quietly. Like how he always did.
"Save it, bastard, I'm not the one you need to apologize to," Lovino scoffed, wiping away the angry tears on his face, the angry tears that were fucking always there after he 'talked' to nonno. He began walking to the garage, stopping only to call up the steps to Alice.
And to think that it had had the potential to be a good day.
Lovino surveyed the Vargas' rather extensive key rack, looking for the one he needed… there! The one to the four-seater Maserati. He preferred to drive his own Fiat (because driving a Maserati to school in this town was like yelling 'Yes, hello, I'm rich, please continue to harass me about it forever!') but it was small and, while it was fine when it was just two teenage boys, the back seat would be cramped for the girls. Besides, he didn't want his pretty car infested with gross potato germs (And, yes, Lovino did know deep in his mind that he was slightly ridiculous with the whole Monika thing, but this was his baby sister's first real love interest in forever that they were talking about here!). He walked into the 5-car garage, stopping at his own bright yellow Fiat to take his parking pass out, and started the car. Alice was in it a moment later, babbling excitedly about something, probably Monika or school related and the two were off to go get Antonio.
When they pulled up in front of the Fernandez-Carriedo's, Lovino had to actually get out and knock. Mrs. Carriedo answered the door, looking flawless as usual despite the fact that she had probably just gotten out of bed.
"Good morning, Lovino. Are you here for Antonio?" She asked, accent marking her voice as softly as her smile did her face. At Lovino's answering nod, she turned and yelled some sharp Spanish back into the house. Lovino shivered at the stern look on her face because damn, Mrs. Carriedo was scary. The answering voice was whiny and muffled and unmistakably Antonio's. Seconds later, the Spaniard was hoping down the stairs as he stuffed papers into his backpack, holding a piece of toast between his teeth.
"Lovi!" He spoke as soon as he got his backpack on properly and could grab his toast, obviously surprised by Lovino being at his door, "I didn't think you meant it literally."
"I said to be ready, didn't I?" Lovino asked, the bastard that he normally would've added on going unsaid.
"Ah, si, sorry! Let me go grab your coffee and we can go!"
Lovino sighed as Antonio nearly tripped trying to run to the kitchen, before turning to Mrs. Carriedo. "Sorry to bother you, ma'am."
"Nonsense, Lovino, it isn't your fault that my son is horribly clumsy," She replied ruffling Lovino's hair, punctuating the sentence with a yawn. "I just wish that he'd stop waking me up… But you can go back to your car - Oh, you have the red one today! I like that one; it's very pretty looking, si? - and I'll tell him to go out."
Lovino nodded thankfully, saying a quick "Grazie, signora!" before going back to his car.
Alice, who was now texting at a speed that Lovino could only dream of, first words upon noting his return were "Lotte says that you better be almost to school by now."
"Tell Lotte that she's lucky that I'm even coming in early," Lovino huffed, "Needy Belgian girls with their cat emotes and their headbands."
Antonio chose that moment to open the door and get in (and he slammed it shut behind himself, why did he find it necessary to always slam Lovino's car doors?). Lovino started off towards the Beilschmidt house, they picked up Monika, and they were at school soon thereafter.
When they arrived at the school, Lovino was nearly knocked over by Lotte. He instinctively looked around for her extremely terrifying and very jealous boyfriend, sighing in relief when he wasn't there.
"'Vino! You actually came! I mean, Ali said you were going to, but she's only a reliable source 60% of the time, so…" Lotte trailed off, before reaching into her bag and pulling out an envelope. "Here you go! It's my anniversary with Vash, and I'm having a party. You're invited and encouraged to bring a plus one." She winked and made exaggerated glances at Antonio, who was lingering several feet away. Lovino glared at the other teen, and he pouted but made his way to class nonetheless.
"Why do you keep doing this when you hate him? I'll be coming alone, like always," Lovino huffed, before remembering that he had a project. "Wait, is the albino going to be there?"
Lotte rocked on her heels, "I don't know... if I invite her, then I have to invite the other two, which means actually giving an invitation to Fernandez…"
Lovino sighed. He thought over how much he valued his privacy and his pride. Missing out on a classically easy scenario to get the dummies together, or selling out for the sake of some guy that I'm helping. Lovino thought of how Julchen had looked at the blond the day before, and how Matthew had looked back at her. Damn it, he knew what he had to do.
"I'll bring someone if you invite Julchen."
If someone said that Lovino was selfish, he'd invent a time machine and bring them back to that moment.
"You will?" Lotte's eyebrows rose, before she considered it, looking as sly as the cats she so loved. "Hm, I suppose I can just get Vash to hand Antonio his invite or better yet, I can just make Francis give them out to both of them. Two annoying birds with one rose, if you will."
Lovino took the invitation from her, pushing his coffee tumbler into the crook of his elbow, "Thanks, Lots, it means a lot."
"Yes, yes," Lotte waved him off, "Whoever you're bringing better be great."
Lovino shrugged, not really wanting divulge everything to her, waved goodbye, and started towards the study hall room. Once he arrived, he was surprised to see Matthew, sitting right there, reading. Like reading a normal book, not doing last minute homework or anything. This kid is weird. Lovino ignored where Antonio was waving at him from and sat with the bespectacled blond instead.
Lovino sat down heavily, reveling for a moment in how he spooked Matthew, before beginning to drink his morning coffee
"Lovino? You're in this class?" Matthew blinked at Lovino's nod, "... I've never seen you before."
"It's fucking first bell study hall," Lovino said, before explaining, "Almost everyone skips it," when Matthew looked confused. God, this kid was weird. He glanced around the room, apparently trying to see if Lovino's claim had any evidence. Lovino looked around as well, turning back quickly when he caught Antonio's eye from across the room.
"Hm... I suppose so. Why are you here then?"
"Several reasons," Lovino sighed, counting them off on his fingers, "The potato bitch's car is in the shop, so I had to drive her and Ali along with the tomato bastard, I got a text from Lotte about something 'super duper important', and I'm giving you an opportunity to get closer to the albino."
"Um... what?"
Lovino rolled his eyes because if he wasn't such a saint, he'd have given up on this one by now. "Short version: Ali, Alice, is my sorellina - ugh, damn it, sorry, habit; my little sister - and the potato bitch is her girlfriend, in everything but name, aka Monika Beilschmidt, your albino's little sister. Lotte, as in Lotte Peeters – Blonde Belgian girl, always wears a headband," Lovino was reaching, but Matthew continued to stare blankly at him, "You'd probably know her if you saw her - texted me and then gave me this," He paused to toss the invitation at Matthew, "Which is an invitation to attend a party to celebrate her anniversary with a guy that I set her up with. You're coming with me, because I know for a fact that Julchen and her duo of idiots are going to be there, and, as the Spice Girls said, 'you gotta get with her friends'. Got all that?"
"Uh, I think so?" Matthew flipped the envelope in his hands while Lovino bemoaned the fact that he had just used a Spice Girls lyric in normal conversation. Unironically. He needed more male friends. "Oh, but how do you know all that if the envelope is still closed? And didn't you say something about a 'tomato bastard'? You didn't explain him."
"I have my sources, Matteo. I'm not the most successful matchmaker in town for nothing, damn it," Lovino huffed, congratulating himself for not lighting up like a Christmas tree at the mention of the owner of the green eyes that were staring a hole into the back of his head. "A-and as for the tomato bastard, he doesn't fucking matter. He's an irrelevant idiot. Don't ask about him again."
Matthew blinked, he did a lot of that, but he didn't push the issue. Maybe this guy isn't too bad.
AND HERE WE ARE!
I made this (and htwap) my nanovels, so I'm actually working on them :D
This chapter is like the size of the whole fic thus far, and I divided this thing in half once already omg.
So, we got to meet Gabri this chapter, who's excited? I am. Especially for next chapter. We'll see how much I update, seeing as most of my days are filled w writing, but I'm ahead thanks to nano word sprints, so! New chapter :D
Hope you all enjoyed~