Lovino stared boredly at the green wallpaper of the office room. He was the exact opposite of his little brother who was barely keeping his butt on his chair. This was an exciting day, finally, it had come. Of course he understood Feliciano. Absence made the heart grow fonder as they say and it couldn't be any truer for him and his supposed lover.
Lovino didn't like Beilschemdt- at all. He was just another sad poser who wanted in their family because of their money and position in the underground hierarchy. Or at least that's what Lovino would like to believe. They were all the same. Just someone who wanted their hand to gain a position of worth and to set themselves for life. He didn't want to be some prize and he had refused every single suitor that had dared tried to gain his affections.
Feliciano was different and the idiot had said yes (or to be more accurate "Si! Si! Si! Si!") to the first man that dared court him. And it just had to be a German. A big, blonde, muscled German that Lovino knew he would not be able to take in a hundred years. No matter how much he ate or worked out he wouldn't be able to stand after a confrontation with damn Ludwig Beilschemdt.
"He is not that bad fratello." Feliciano had insisted once. "You just haven't gotten to know him like I have. Give him a chance please, like you did white pasta ve!"
Ha, is what Lovino would love to say to that. It was so not happening. Not in a million years. Except maybe it was happening. Now. They were signing the contracts today to start the initial waiting period before the ceremony. The validation of the suitor had started three months ago, and now that he was deemed worthy (or so Mama said) there was a month waiting period before they could announce the wedding date.
Feliciano, beside him, waved at Ludwig who's cheeks flushed a shade hardly visible to anyone who wasn't looking closely.
But Lovino was looking very closely. His blood boiled slightly.
Feliciano was his baby twin brother. He was younger by eight minutes after a complication that had prevented his mother from pushing. Feliciano was treasured, Lovino being the one to coddle him. He had grown up so sweet and nice that Lovino wanted to keep him away from the dirtiness of their world.
The Underground was no place for a boy like Feliciano. Even at the age of twenty he was still filled with the child like persona that made him see the good of everything in this world.
It was probably what made him like the stupid potato (named so when the man had made this awful potato dish and tried to poison Lovino with the foul thing) so much that Feliciano didn't think twice about saying yes to marrying him.
Lovino spared the head of the table a glance. His Mama was looking every bit the strong and proud woman she was at the age of forty-three as she conducted the meeting. Honestly his Papa was nothing without his Mama. None of them were.
"I guess this concludes the meeting?" She smiled. "Let us dismiss now as my husband and I must congratulate our son and his betrothed."
The room cleared fast enough, except for a certain German who was soon busy with an armful of Italian.
"Ve Ludwig!" Feliciano cheered completely disregarding the papers he had trampled in his hurry to get a hug (or rather give it). "This is it! We're getting married! We're actually getting married! Will we have pasta? We will have pasta, right? Will it be red or white?"
The blonde looked up at Lovino, Mama and Papa and upon seeing no protests, returned the embrace, doing no more than bury his face into Feliciano's thick brown locks. "Anything you want Feliciano."
Lovino chose to remain quiet, keeping an eye on the macho potato's hands just in case he had any ideas of going further south wherein Lovino would bring it upon himself to chop said hands off with… with something. His strong concentration was abruptly broken upon the hand on his own arm, squeezing slightly.
Mama smiled at him brightly, her brown eyes gleaming with absolute joy. "Isn't this wonderful Lovi? Your brother has found his un vero amore."
"So it seems." Lovino nodded although he wouldn't say that the Potato was his brother's one true love. After all he was the first (and therefore only) suitor. For all they knew Beilschemdt would turn and bail before the ceremony, or worse, after the ceremony. Lovino was betting it would be before though, rumor had it that the eldest Beilschemdt had done so at his own wedding, leaving a very disgruntled and offended Austrian family behind. Maybe the apple didn't fall too far from the tree.
"I don't suppose." Mama interrupted his musings. She seemed to be choosing her words rather carefully as she licked her lipstick covered lips (a habit she had when she was nervous). "I don't suppose you will be finding yours as well, any time soon?"
Lovino sighed and tried to shake his mother's hands off of his arm. "We've been through this Mama, not even two days ago. The answer was no then, and the answer is still no now."
"Oh come on, Lovino." Mama slapped him lightly with her ever present fan. It changed sometimes depending on what would suit her dress. "Your Papa and I just want our children to be looked after and taken cared off. I feel slightly bad that the younger of the two found a husband first."
Lovino bristled. "Mama I can take care of myself and Feliciano getting married first doesn't mean anything!"
"Maybe so." Mama cleared her throat rather pointedly and opened her fan. "But two is always better than one. You will need someone to be there for you when you're at your worst Lovino, everyone does. You will have an off day, just like when Papa has an off day or when Mama has an off day. But that's what's so good about a marriage. Mama has a Papa who will make her feel better with wine and a trip to the nearest boutique. Now Feli has a Ludwig, but my Lovi has no one."
"I have Roderich." Lovino grumbled. "He's always there when I need him."
"Is that right? For how long?" Mama smirked from behind her fan. "I don't believe that you should be burdening yourself on others this way Lovino. Roderich has problems of his own."
"G-Gravare?" Lovino echoed completely caught off guard. He wasn't burdening the Austrian, he was sure of that. So… so very… sure… hmm.
"Don't sound so surprised." Mama swatted him with her fan again. "I expect you to be more sensible Lovino, you prided yourself on that when you were younger. But now Feliciano has beat you in even that."
"I can be responsible Mama." Lovino insisted.
A certain smile made its way to Mama's face, forcing a shiver to fall down Lovino's spine. "Oh? Then you will not reject this suitor I've chosen for you immediately and will give the man an actual chance?"
"Mama!" Lovino startled and glared at his mother. "I thought I said no more suitors? For all I know that man is another no good idiot!"
"Of course he's an idiot!" Mama chortled. "All men are, except for you and your brother."
"Thanks." Lovino mumbled but he was sure he didn't feel it.
"Do not slouch." Mama scolded but smiled when he immediately straightened his back. She ran a hand through his hair. "Do not worry Lovino, I have a good feeling about this one."
"Lei ha detto che circa l'ultimo troppo." Lovino reminded her as he bravely suppressed shuddering in disgust. The last suitor had been the worst and yet his Mama had had a good feeling about him too.
"This is a different good feeling." Mama insisted.
"All right." Lovino answered but he really didn't believe her.
"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea." Antonio fiddled with the stiff collar of his new shirt and fidgeted with the silk handkerchief Francis had given him. Both had been in pristine condition not five minutes before but the moment he had taken a look around the rather huge house… no, mansion his heart had dropped to the bottom of his shoes and the realization of what he was about to do had slapped him on the face.
He was going to try and fool a mafia boss' son. Did he even have a good reason to do it? No, nada. He just wanted to… The moment he had seen Lovino (such a beautiful name) in the bar he had felt attraction like no other. Maybe it was because the Italian looked exactly like someone Antonio could see himself settling with or if it had just been a while since his last get together.
Either way he was determined to get somewhere with Lovino and it was his stubbornness and pride keeping him from throwing a complete panic attack.
Gilbert paused from where he was staring at all the stuff on the wall and raised an eyebrow at him. He too was dressed rather nicely in a suit he had never bothered to wear before. "Oh now you're backing out? I did not spend two weeks of my life teaching you how to eat, walk, speak, and act like a frigging stuck up for nothing Toni! You are doing this!"
"Gilbert is right." Francis slapped Antonio's hands away from his hair and proceeded to flatten the brown strands. He had looked so presentable earlier but now he looked as if he'd just gotten off of work from the bar. It would be plausible if it hadn't been for the fact that Antonio had (very slowly) entrusted the key to Kiku so that the Japanese man could manage all work related affairs as he focused on his new obsession. "We've gotten this far we might as well go all the way."
"But what if he finds out?" Antonio worried on his nails, a very bad habit. He knew that he had taken his time to impress Lovino but he was now slowly thawing himself out of his frozen admiration. If somebody didn't slap him soon he was going to chicken out of this.
"He won't find out." Gilbert said. "Have a little faith in yourself Toni, besides he's just another fancy right? It's not like you're really going to marry him."
"Yes." Antonio breathed. "You're right. He won't... find out. He's not going to find out a single thing. I'll do my best to make sure. Because on the hand that he does find out he'll send the damn mafia after me! Dios I can't do this! This was a stupid, molto stupida, idea!"
"He's hyperventilating." Francis noticed as he paused in his attempts to make Antonio seem presentable again.
"I know." Gilbert smirked. "It's hilarious."
"Mon Dieu." Francis sighed and smacked Gilbert's arm for good measure before grabbing hold of both the Spaniard's shoulders. "Antoine listen to me. Take deep breaths come now. Un. Deux. Trois. That's right, very good."
Antonio let out the last breath and gripped Francis' hands on his shoulders. "Dios mio."
"You will be fine." Francis said firmly. "You do not need to worry. I have heard that our Vargas has no interests in getting married. The most you can do is spend some time with him, see how much of an asshole the brat can be and give up or if not then get rejected. You do not have anything to be afraid of. You are just like every other suitor that dared try for his hand. Are we clear?"
Antonio took in another shuddering breath but nodded. He didn't look convinced.
Gilbert, who had been watching the doors just in case someone came by and heard them, left his post and stalked towards them with his arms crossed. "I've had enough of this. Toni you are one of the second most awesome people in the world, me being the first of course."
"Of course." Antonio nodded, momentarily stunned. The Prussian never called anyone else awesome.
"Right." Gilbert cheered. "So no more of this freakin out. It's hilarious as hell but your Italian is on his way and I don't think you want anything less than the perfect introduction."
"My Italian?" Antonio repeated.
"On his way?" Francis raised an eyebrow.
Gilbert chuckled quietly to himself but refrained from speaking as the double doors promptly flew open thanks to two maids that quickly made themselves scarce.
Antonio swallowed the lump in his throat and presented a charming smile that felt so very alien to his face. It took a subtle squeeze on is arm from Francis and a nudge on the small of his back from Gilbert for him to give out his greetings. The very same greetings they had practiced for so many times the past two weeks. "A pleasant day to you Sir Vargas."
'Greet only the head of the family.' Gilbert's voice reminded him. 'Right now you are eine ratte, Toni, a fucking rat, and you have no right or worth to address the wife or the children.'
Sir Vargas smiled at him, his brown eyes twinkling with a youthful look that Antonio had not expected on such an old man. "Indeed. Hello Mr. Hernandez. You've come to ask for my son's hand?"
Antonio's eyes flickered briefly to Lovino, who was looking so handsome in his suit. He was staring- no glaring- very hard on the wall behind Antonio's head with such obvious concentration that he seemed to be far away from the room. His cheeks were flushed with a shade of red that meant he was either embarrassed by the entire ordeal or very, very pissed.
Antonio hoped it was the former rather than the latter.
"Sir, if I may…" Antonio cleared his throat, unnerved by the sudden hostile look in Sir Vargas' eyes. "I was hoping that I could first win your son's heart, before I tried for his hand."
It wasn't Sir Vargas that responded to his query, or rather statement, and it wasn't Mama Vargas either although she did look like she approved. Lovino was still staring hard at the wall, only less angrily now and Feliciano, the younger twin, had let out an excited gasp and hurried down the steps that the family had been standing on and extending a hug and a bright smile to Antonio, who had been surprised.
"I like you!" Feliciano declared shaking Antonio's hand rather strongly. "You are different from the others! They say so many things about taking care of the business, the house, the people once they are married to Lovi but they never once mentioned taking care of my fratello. Si, very different indeed! I think Lovi will be quite pleased!"
Antonio smiled at the exuberance and shook Feliciano's hand as well. "Thank you."
"You may call me Feli, ve~!"
"Thank you, Feli. Please call me Antonio… or Toni." Antonio looked up as heels clacked on the tiled floor and saw Mama Vargas in front of him. Her fan was opened and she was smiling. He didn't need Gilbert or Francis to tell him that this was good. "Mrs. Vargas."
"Oh please Toni." She chuckled. "Call me, Mama."
Si, muy bueno. Very, very good.
"Excuse me, but I am right here."
Antonio turned away slightly from Mama Vargas and watched as Lovino stalked down the stairs, making his way for him with a determined look on his face, though his lips were still upturned in that perpetual frown. He marched up to them, grabbing Antonio's wrist and then turned for the doors.
"Ve, fratello where are you going?" Feliciano called after them.
"Out." Lovino barked and paused near the doors. A maid had bustled towards him and Antonio, offering them their coats and hats. "He is my suitor, and it's me that needs to like him. Is it not?"
"But of course." Mama chuckled as she waved cheerily at them. "Have fun mio caro Lovino. Be home for dinner?"
Lovino shrugged his cloak on and grabbed a set of keys the maid had on a tray. "No promises Mama."
"All right." Mama gestured for them get going. "Take care of him Toni?"
"With my life Mrs…" She sent him a look. "…Mama."
"Molto buono." Mama clapped her hands.
Antonio had enough time to see her turn to his friends (who were looking quite pleased) before he was hauled out the door, by a very fast walking Italian.
AN: Second chapter. Thank you so much to all the people that corrected me on the "Ja-Da" thing XD I really appreciated it (Hopefully I've corrected it by now).
And to those who're really excited because this contains Mafia!Italies, I'm hoping I'll deliver to your expectations! And also, shameless advertising but I'm posting what might be a four-shot if things go well but it has Prumano, Ruscan, Ameripan, FrUk, and GerIta in equal parts. Each couple gets a scene all to themselves. It's title is "Fusion", I hope you can check it out. :D
Thoughts on this chapter~
Nique :D