A/N: So sorry for the wait, so sorry... *Drops this and dives into a nuclear bunker*
"We have an appointment today?" I frowned. "I thought today was free. Not that I mind, of course, but who scheduled it last minute that you actually accepted?"
"Some guy," the owner of the barn, Sadiq shrugged. "He said he'd pay double if he could set it up for today, so of course I said yes. I know you wanted to free ride today, but you love the sob stories, and the guy on the phone insisted he was some blind guy who met you at the park or something, so I just let him make it. Who am I to turn down more cash?"
"The park?" I asked, my attention piqued.
Could that really be him? I'd given his brother my card on Thursday, and now it was Saturday. I guess I had told him I volunteered on the weekends, but I hadn't expected them to set up an appointment, let alone pay double for it. I knew Ludwig owned a café (because he was Gil's younger brother- that's why I had been so nervous about going out to lunch with them, I feared he'd remember me as "Antonio, Gil's friend," the now-famous actor...) and he was dating Feliciano, who worked there, but that didn't seem like a job that paid a lot of money, especially not enough to justify paying double for a therapy session just to see me.
I suppose it really was a stroke of luck I knew Gilbert, because without him I never would have been to Ludwig's cafe and met Heracles. Heracles was a sleepy Greek employee at the cafe I'd met when he spilled coffee on me, and when he was helping me clean my shirt in the bathroom we got to talking and somehow horses came up. Heracles was dating Sadiq, who owned this barn. He introduced me as Antonio Fernández, Sadiq didn't care who I was and whether or not my hair changed colors every week (wigs... I could only use the same one for so long) as long as I worked like the rest of his employees. And because I did so without pay, he cared even less about my identity.
"No, Antonio, the moon. Yes, the park. Oh, and he should be here any minute now," Sadiq said, glancing at his Rolex. "You have fun, won't you? Whoever it was that called had someone going off at him in the background who I assume is the client. Sounds like a real ray of sunshine, he does."
"It's okay," I smiled, remembering his attitude both times we'd met previously. It was a little coarse, but a welcome and fascinating change from the usual reactions I got from meeting new people. "He likes me."
"Right..." Sadiq muttered dubiously, but turned and walked back towards his office anyway. "Whatever. Just don't fuck this up. Having another client always improves business, and business makes you money. Oh, wait. You're a volunteer. No it doesn't. Well don't fuck it up for... Heracles, then. Because I make money here, and he lives with me."
Money you and I both don't need, I thought, but smiled in anticipation anyway. I just liked doing the therapy sessions to see the people light up. We'd had people with prosthetic limbs, learning disabilities, post traumatic stress disorder, terminal illnesses, and blind people. The ones who couldn't see always made me the happiest. They always had such an experience doing this- it just made my day. And this one in particular would be even more special for me to help with.
"Knock knock," my assistant, Juan Carlos called, popping his head through the barn doors, causing his black cowlick to bob up and down a few times. "New client here to see you! Seems real excited, Tonio!" He snickered, before someone behind him shoved him through the barn doors, and the man from the cable car and the park stepped into my private section of the barn.
"I'm here, idiota," a familiar voice, tinged with an Italian accent snapped. "Don't think this means I like being around you or anything, bastard. Feliciano just deserted me here and drove off, that's all. And used MY money to pay for it. The dick on the phone said no refunds, so..." He stepped forward, waiting for Juan Carlos to stand again with crossed arms and an impatient expression.
Today he wore a simple black blouse and crisp khaki pants, with comfortable leather loafers and the same pair of sunglasses he had worn the past two times I'd seen him. He had his cane though, not the dog, Whiskey, which was a little surprising.
"I'm so glad you came!" I exclaimed, crossing the space between us and taking his arm in mine to lead him back towards where my horse's stall was. "Do you have any experience with this?"
"Do I look like I have any experience with this? No, dammit!" He frowned, then sighed, and seemed to deflate. He suddenly seemed more nervous than angry. "S-So... what do I do?"
"Well, you get on the horse and just relax!" I said, patting his arm in what was meant to be a soothing gesture, but he swatted me away. "I'll be next to you the whole time, and so will my assistant!"
"Yeah... totally," Juan Carlos muttered, perched on top of a pile of hay bales, not even looking up from his phone, where I knew from past experience he'd have his twitter feed open.
"Assuming I could find the damn horse, I would do that, just to get this the fuck over with," he grumbled, face pointed at the ground, and his curl seeming to droop because of it.
"Don't worry, I'll get the horse! Come with me and you can meet him!" I beamed.
I was actually really excited. (Well, it was me, so when was I NOT excited, but today I was EXTRA excited!) I loved spending time at the barn with Blackie, but I especially loved sharing Blackie with others, others who I did. I regretted not being able to spend more time with him, but Juan Carlos had become a good friend of mine over the years since college, and he took care of Blackie every day when I couldn't be here.
"F-Fine, dammit. It's not... b-big, is it? How big is a horse?" The blind man's voice wavered at the end, indicating his uncertainty. I almost squealed. He was so innocent and curious, it was just so cute~!
"Hmm. I think he's about your height at his shoulder, so not too big," I assured him. "And don't worry, Blackie is really sweet! He is my horse after all~"
"At his shoulder?!" He exclaimed, freezing where he stood and gripping my arm tighter. "T-That's not big? A-And if it's your horse, that just means I have to worry about it being as big of a stalker as you are, dammit!"
I patted him on the head and was swatted away again for the trouble. "Silly, Blackie wouldn't hurt you! He's really good with the other riders here for therapy!" I insisted. "Come on, you'll like him!"
"I'm not here for therapy. This is just a new experience," he pouted.
"Of course you are~" I smiled, but absolutely melted internally at the adorable pouting face he was making.
"J-Just get the stupid horse so I can get this over with," he fumed.
"Okay~ just stay right there!" I said, extracting my arm from his, where his grip had tightened slowly as the time passed. "And when I give you the rope, just hold it!"I saw the terror wash over his features exactly an instant before he began to panic. "W-Why, what's it do?" He demanded. "Now, hang on just a minute, I'm not doing anything until I know exactly what the fuck is going on!"
"It's just Blackie's lead-line," I explained, trying to sound calm and soothing. I didn't mean to frighten him... Maybe I was going a little too quickly. He didn't even seem to know what a horse was... "Here, take my hand and follow me," I said.
"I... I don't want the rope though!" He protested, and stepped backwards when I neared him.
"I don't have the lead line right now, it's just that there are hay bales everywhere, and I don't want you bumping into anything. But I promise, if I give you the lead line, Blackie will just follow you!"
"I don't want the horse!" He insisted, still frantic. "You keep it! J-Just don't give it to me at all! A-And don't let it fucking step on me!"
I frowned, but said, "Alright alright, I'll lead him then."
This was unusual. He'd never had any experience with horses before, clearly. And I suppose it was logical for him to be afraid, from my description of Blackie being as tall as him at the shoulder, clearly a large animal. He didn't even seem to know what a horse's body structure was- four legged, two legged, monkey-like, winged. I forced myself to smile again, and took a subtle deep breath to maintain control.
"Do you wanna ride bareback or with a saddle?" I asked, as we finally reached the door to Blackie's stable, the only one in this section of the barn.
"I have no idea what that shit means," he growled, clearly frustrated. "Tsk, Feliciano didn't tell me anything! I don't even know what a horse looks like- well, obviously- I've never seen anything, I don't- ugh, dammit!"
Just as I thought. He didn't know what a horse was at ALL.
"Horses are like dogs," I offered, using something I knew he knew well to start my description. "They stand on four legs, except horses are a lot bigger, their noses are a much larger part of their heads, and... they have a mane and a tail that are made of hair like human hair; most dogs don't have that. And they have hooves, which are kind of like nails, only they're basically the whole foot."
"...oh," he murmured, clutching weakly at my arm and directing his face up at me to listen with fascination as I explained.
"Imagine Whiskey... much bigger. You'd sit between her shoulders and her hips. That's where the saddle goes on a horse. Bareback is just you sitting on his back without a saddle or blanket, but with a saddle you'd have stirrups to keep your feet in place." He still looked confused, so I amended; "Actually, why don't we just have you pet Blackie to start, so you can get a feel for what he's like?"
Feeling confident enough again to remove his arm from mine, I disengaged his grip and moved toward the stable door to open it and take Blackie out of the stable.
He nodded hesitantly, and then, almost sheepishly, asked, "I-It won't bite me, will it?"
"Of course he won't!" I chuckled, more at the innocent adorableness he was exuding than the question. "He may be a stallion, but he's very gentle~"
I led the Andalusian out from the door after stroking his nose once as a greeting, and stopped before the blind man, holding Blackie's rope in one hand and taking his hand in my other. Slowly, I raised his hand and placed it on Blackie's head, then took my hand away.
"What the fuck is a sta- oh fuck it. Where is the damn thing?" He said, before his hand made contact with Blackie's skin. "I can't... oh, mother FUCKER that's big!"
"Haha, no, he's about average height, he's not that big at all. He's very pretty, too!" I laughed at his reaction. "All black, except for a little white dot on his forehead! You can pet his nose, too, if you want, it's very soft."
"Black like licorice... white like rice. Okay... I-I'm not going to poke him in the eye, am I? I don't want to piss him off..." He stammered, nervously rubbing my horse's forehead with small strokes.
"Don't worry, he has a long face, you won't poke his eye!" I told him, and removed his hand from Blackie's head, holding it just a few feet away from Blackie's nose, and waiting. "Just hold out your hand... there! And let him come to you!"
"Y-You'll tell me if he's going to knock me over or something, w-won't you?" He whispered, leaning back nervously to press against my body.
I internally squealed again at how cute he was being. Ah, I was being a terrible person, because he was genuinely scared, but Dios, he was just too cute for his own good~!
"Of course! And he wouldn't do that~ hold on, put these in your hand and hold your palm and fingers completely flat. Just like that," I said, holding his hand open in both of mine and placing a few sugar cubes in it. "He likes sugar cubes~"
"E-Eh, his mouth is big..." He observed, as Blackie nuzzled at his hand to sniff the sugar cubes. He began to squirm once Blackie started eating them, his large horse tongue lapping over his palm to collect them. "Shit, shit don't let him bite me!"
"He won't, he's just eating the cube!" I chuckled. "And now he's just licking your hand. He does that sometimes~ Tickles, doesn't it?"
"It f-feels weird... Dammit, so weird..." He seemed more in awe than annoyed, so I just stood there for a moment and watched him feel the sensations, and felt his back pressed up against mine, and wondered at what it would be like to date a man like this.
"Horse toungues are smooth and big, but not very slobbery, unless it's clover season," I told him, clearing my throat and stepping back awkwardly as I realized I'd been staring at him for a good while already. "Do you wanna pet him some more, or should I tack him up?"
"I-I don't know what that means... But I don't know if he'll p-put up with me for much longer, so go ahead, I guess..." He had turned his head over his shoulder now, and was staring blankly at approximately where I was standing.
He looked so uncertain. So cute. So CUTE!
"C-Can I feel his body, too? Just to get a feel for how big he is?"
"Of course, Blackie loves people! That's why I can use him for therapy. Only people I trust get to ride him though, because he's really special to me." I informed him. "But of course YOU can ride him if you want! Go ahead, feel him first! Here, I put your hand at the top of his neck, right behind his ear," I said, as I guided his hand and placed it behind his ear, so he could feel Blackie's mane and body if he wanted to.
"Does that mean you trust me, bastard?" he asked, glancing sightlessly at me through his sunglasses until his hand touched the horse again, and he was momentarily distracted. "O-Oh, wow, that's up high. He has a long neck..."
"Sí, he does! And here, just keep going down, and you'll reach his chest and legs..." I kept my hand on his, guiding him along Blackie's neck and shoulder, not really wanting to let go.
"Good job-damn, t-that's a big horse-avoiding the question, bastard... Why the hell is his back so high? Shit, I don't actually have to get up there, do I?"
"Oh right, I do trust you! Even if I don't know you that well, you seem like a good person," I said honestly. It was true, he had a dirty mouth, but I stood by my defense mechanism theory. A bad mouth didn't make him a bad person. "And of course you'll be on his back silly, how else would you ride him~?
"I-I think you should do it first, so I can make sure it makes sense," he suggested, still looking rather uncomfortable. "I've never... seen anyone on a horse before. Er, obviously. Um, so you should do it first. So I can... figure out how to do it. I-If... if you could, I mean."
I didn't understand what he was asking. He couldn't see me on the horse, obviously. But... Maybe if I was on the horse WITH him...
"Well, I normally don't do this, but why don't you just ride in front of me? You're not very big, and neither of us weigh very much, so I think Blackie could carry us both. And that would mean we wouldn't need my assistant, just the two of us!"
"Eh?" Juan Carlos looked up again at the word assistant. "Sounds good to me!"
"W-What?! Bastard, I don't- I can't- you'll- I'll- no!" Instantly, he shifted from uncomfortable to panicking once again. I frowned. "Y-You could grope me or something, dammit! And I-I don't want to get on it y-yet, dammit! I just- oh, n-never mind!"
"We won't do anything you aren't comfortable with," I assured him evenly. "Just tell me what you want to do."
"I-I don't know!" He snapped, throwing his hands up in frustration. "This is your job, isn't it? You're supposed to have shit for me to do!""Well you said you didn't want to ride him just yet!" I snapped back, before taking a deep breath, and forcing myself to calm down.
He was in a new situation, and I had to respect that, no matter how ridiculous he was getting. This wasn't like my movie sets, where everyone would do what I said. He didn't know I was Antonio Fernández Carriedo, and as such, he wouldn't immediately do what I said like so many other people tended to. I liked that about him. I did, really. Calm, Antonio, calm.
"So we can either stay here and have you pet him more, or you can get on, and I can lead you places."
"T-That's it? This place sucks! What is any of this supposed to accomplish, anyway?" He stopped shouting for a moment, then frowned, and sighed. "...Can't you just g-get on for a minute so I can just... feel for how I-I'm supposed to sit if I got on?"
"Hey, no need to be mean..." I scowled. "This is just a way for you to relax. I can get on him, if that's what you want. I'll just use this hay bale..." I heaved myself up onto Blackie's back from the random hay bale beside me, and positioned myself the way most beginning riders sat, for more security. "And... I'm up. Here, you can feel what it should be like."
Hesitantly, he reached out, and placed his hand on Blackie's flank, then gradually moved along it, until his hand bumped the tip of my shoe. He felt for the shape of my shoe, using both hands now, and tracing where my shoe fit into the stirrups carefully. His hand slid beneath the stirrup to feel the bottom, and then he moved back up, feeling the piece that connected it to the rest of the saddle, until he accidentally brushed the bottom of my thigh, and I bit my lip. I don't think he realized that's what the tips of his fingers were trailing along as he traced Blackie's skin just beneath my leg, until he hit the back of my calf.
He flushed and withdrew his hand, and started to open his mouth to ask a question, but I interrupted him by clearing my throat, and saying, "You can feel my leg if you want, it's okay, I don't mind. I know you'll probably want a better feel for how to position yourself,"
He nodded, still blushing, but reached out and put his hand on my ankle, and traced quickly up my calf and a few inches up my thigh. "O-Okay, t-that's enough, I think." He stammered.
"Alright," I smiled, my own heart racing from the contact, light though it was. "Any questions?"
He nodded, more determinedly this time. "You're taller than me, aren't you? That means your legs are longer... What's this thing your foot is in? And... your knees are bent? How wide is it, approximately? The horse, I mean. Is it hard to sit on?"
I blinked, then frowned, thinking hard, trying to answer all the questions at once. He'd done it in a single breath; I knew I couldn't do that, but I could answer them all, right? "My feet are in the stirrups. They're support for your feet so they don't flop around. And having your legs bent is proper posture. I want to say Blackie's back is about 2 feet across, probably a little more. And with the saddle, it's very comfortable to sit."
"O-Okay... I g-guess I could try to get on him now... B-But... Don't... don't get off." He hesitated, before adding, more quietly, "P-Please. I don't want to fall off..."
"Hold on, there's an easier way for you to get on, but I've got to get off quick, and you should back up a little, just to be safe." I dismounted, using the hay bale again, and guided Blackie a little farther away from the man, just to be safe. "Okay. Kneel Blackie! Go on, buddy!" I watched the Andalusian awkwardly fall back onto his hind legs, then shift to one side so that they both splayed out to his left, before I placed my hands on the man's shoulders and began to guide him towards the kneeling horse. "Okay, now reach down, and you'll find that he's a lot shorter like this, and you should have an easier time getting on. If you still feel comfortable doing it, of course."
"W-Whoa, he is a lot shorter..." he noted, as he reached down and felt for where Blackie's back now was. "Shit, okay... I... Okay. So I just... step on? Should I use the hay bale?"
"Nope, there's no need for that! Just feel to the other side of his back, and carefully swing your leg over him. You don't want to kick him by accident. I could help if you want~"
"D-Don't sound so happy about that, dammit... B-But yes. I... I could use a little help..." he muttered, clearly uncertain about the whole situation.
"Alright... then I'm just gonna gently grab hold of your leg and move it," I told him. "You can lean on my shoulder if you need to."
"D-Don't go feeling me up or anything, b-bastard..." he grumbled.
"Haha I wouldn't do that~" Even if I did want to. Just a little. But I wouldn't!
I took his cane when he held it out, and placed it against the hay bale beside him. He felt along Blackie's back until his hands brushed the saddle, and I bent over to guide his hands to the saddle horn. I directed him to grip it, and shifted to behind him, so I could help as he lifted his leg slowly up and over the horse's back.
"Okay, now that you're standing over him, just slowly sit down. We don't wanna hurt his back!"
"Alright... O-Okay. Now are you going to get on? I-I... What can I hold on to? I don't want to fall off when he moves..."
"Haha about that... just grab onto his neck and hold on tight, 'cause I'm going to ask him to stand up again!" I warned him, and tucked my arm behind his back gently. "It'll be sudden, but I'll have an arm around your waist the whole time, alright?"
"O-Okay... I guess I sort of trust you... a little bit..." he mumbled, almost too quietly for me to hear. "B-But if I fall off and break something, I'm going to sue you, dammit."
"I won't ever let you fall, I promise~" I murmured, and flushed as I realized just how much I meant it. I'd only met him... what, a few days ago now, and yet... from the few conversations we'd had, I knew I wanted to know more about him. I wanted to know why he felt he had to keep others so far away from him, and how I'd been so lucky to have gotten as close as I had already to him. I wanted to know what it was like being him, and help him see what he couldn't... see.
I cleared my throat, hoping he hadn't noticed the pause. "Now I'm gonna hold onto you, and you get a good grip kay? Alright Blackie, stand up!"
Blackie lurched forward just as the blind man twisted his hands into the horse's mane for a better grip, and quickly regained his footing, stepping forward a few extra feet to stabilize himself with the added weight on his back.
"M-Mother fucker!" He exclaimed, not releasing Blackie's mane as he struggled to sit up straight again. "I... I'm not dead, am I? S-Shit. Let's not do that again. Ever. F-Fuck."
"Sorry! But it's easier to get you on the horse that way..." I explained, patting his back once, not failing to notice that this time he did not smack my hand away. "Now just sit still, I'm just gonna get on behind you... So don't be alarmed alright?"
"A-Alright... But no funny business, dammit!"
"I know, I know~"
Moving to the other side of the horse, I took a large step back up onto the hay bale, and swung a leg over Blackie's back. The man in front of me shifted a little uncomfortably as I wrapped my arms around his waist, but made no move to remove them. I squealed internally. He was so thin, so lithe, so cute~! Just the tiniest bit pudgy around the middle, but I thought it was cute! I had never liked men who were too muscular anyway... what fun was cuddling with a rock?
I just wouldn't tell him I probably didn't need to hold on to him like this. He could draw his own conclusions, and I could have my moment~ No regrets~!
"There!" I hummed, shifting in my seat and drawing my body closer to his. "All good~ Are you comfy?"
"Y-Yeah, I'm... I'm okay."
"Now you just relax, sí? This is going to be fun! Do you want to go on a trail, or stay here at the barn?"
"I don't want to go out! It hasn't even walked yet! I don't... I'm not... J-Just go slow, dammit." He was shouting at first, but gradually his voice descended into more of a murmur.
"Whatever you like~" I hummed, and shifted a little behind him to get more comfortable. "I'm gonna have him walk now, is that okay? We won't go any faster, I promise!"
"O-Okay dammit..."
I walked Blackie around in circles a few times, then had him trot, and went back to walking, but let him direct the horse for a few minutes as well. I didn't notice that Feliciano had arrived until he spoke up.
"Ve, Lovi, you look like you're having so much fun!" The younger of the Italian brothers was bouncing on the balls of his feet, grinning from ear to ear and flushing slightly.
Lovi tensed up in front of me, the muscles of his back locking up tightly. "N-No, I'm not having any fun at all! This is fucking stupid! It took you long enough, Feli! G-Get me off this living death trap and let's go home already, dammit!"
"Oh your name is Lovi? That's so cute~" I cooed. "I hope you had fun, and I promise the next time will be even better! I'll jump down now, and have Blackie kneel so you can get off, okay? And don't worry, I'll have my arm around you the whole time~ Kneel, Blackie!"
"N-No! You can't fucking call me that! My name is LOVINO! Lovino Rom... Uh, Romulus Vargas!" He cursed and gripped the Andalusian's mane tightly as Blackie dipped back down into a kneel. "Dammit! And... Only Feliciano can call me that stupid nickname! I... I can get off the stupid horse on my own! I don't need your- shit!"
As he finished asserting his ability to dismount without help, Lovino went to swing his leg over Blackie's side, but got it caught briefly in the end of the stirrup, causing him to overbalance and tip sideways out of the saddle. He hit the ground with a thud and a grunt, and before he could even move I was around Blackie and kneeling at his side.
"Lovi! Are you alright?!"
"Ow- fuck. I'm fine, dammit. Wood chips and shit broke my fall..." He struggled to sit up, and rubbed at his hip with a painful grimace.
Feliciano hurried over then and gasped, and began fussing over him as well. I sat back on my heels and simply watched, worrying my lower lip between my teeth.
Oh no. He was hurt. He looked hurt. Was he bruised? I felt so bad! I was going to help him down, he just went too quickly, and in the wrong direction. Not that he could have known that, of course not. Oh, Dios mio, I hoped this wouldn't make him hate me, or fear horses even more, or... or any other bad, terrible things...!
I was babbling before I could stop myself. "Do you need help getting up? Does anything hurt? Let me check you for cuts or bruises!" He'd fallen on his hip, I think, so that's where I reached for first, to check for any broken bones, then maybe I would check his ribs to be safe.
"N-No! Dammit, I'm fine! I've fallen harder than this before on pavement, I know how to take care of mysel- DON'T TOUCH MY LEG YOU PERVERT!"
I pulled my hand away from his hip as if burnt, and my face lit up. Oops.
"If... If you're sure, Lovi!" I stammered. "I'd hate for you not to come back, I promise this was no one's fault!"
"S-Sì, don't be angry, fratello!" Feliciano chipped in, looking worriedly from me to his brother and back again.
"I... I know, d-dammit. I should have let you h-help me off the stupid horse." He paused, then flushed, and added, "I'll... probably be back again next weekend... I kind of had a little bit of fun after all."
My heart soared. He wanted to come back again! "I'm so happy to hear that! I'm sure Blackie would miss you, and so would I! I had a lot of fun too Lovi~!"
"S-Stop calling me that, bastard..." He complained, flushing even darker. And... I guess I'll just see you then. B-But now I have to go keep my brother from sucking face with that stupid macho potato bastard... S-So I'll see you later."
"Hey!" Feliciano protested, but helped Lovino up anyway.
"I await your next visit~" I sighed dreamily, leaning against Blackie's side and smiling at the idea of helping Lovino ride again.
"W-What the fuck was that?!" He exclaimed, his face turning so red, it looked like... like a tomato! "Perverted bastard!"
"No no, I'm just being friendly~"
"I don't buy that for a second, bastard..." He paused again, before adding, "but I'll be back anyway. B-Because of the horse! Not you!"
"I'm sure Blackie feels loved!" I cooed, rubbing Blackie's neck affectionately. "Should... should I set you up with another volunteer, if you don't want to ride with me again?"
Please say no, please say no, please say no, please say no...! I thought to myself.
"N-No, don't do tha- I mean... Whatever you want... bastard. I-I don't care."
He said no!
"Oh, so you want to keep working with me? That's great~!" I exclaimed. "What time should I expect you next week?"
"I know Feli always has lunch shift free... So would it be alright if I came at one and stayed until five? I can pay for however much it costs, but if that's too long-"
"Oh that's totally okay! I have that day off from work so I volunteer at the barn all day anyway! I'd be glad to spend that much time with you~! And it won't cost you anything more than today, so don't worry!"
"O-Okay, well... Don't read too much into this, alright, bastard?" He sounded like he was trying very hard to be intimidating. It wasn't working. "It's just for the horse. But for now, I... I'll just go. I'll... see you then."
"See you, Lovi~!"
"Ciao, bastard."
A/N: Guys. Guys, I am SO SORRY. I'm so touched by the number of you who reached out and asked me to continue this story... And I'm so sorry it took me so long to get this up. College became a thing, as did several other things, basically, life happened. I. Um, I promise I will try to update soon. But. College. So sorry T_T I'll do better! I love you all!