Dusk is just starting to fall over the town as Antonio drives home from work. He feels generally exhausted and feels content with going home, taking a shower, and collapsing into bed.
That is, until he sees something in an alley way that he passes by.
He slows his car down, not blocking any traffic on the nearly desolate road, and gazes out the window. A man is sitting with his back to the brick wall of the alley, his hair matted and a bit flat. His clothes are tattered and his face holds a pair of dark gold eyes and thin lips.
Antonio feels like he knows the man from somewhere... But he also knows deep down that he has never met him. In a quick and seemingly childish thought, he thinks he might have met this man in another life.
No matter where he thinks he knows the other man from, he feels compelled to stop his car along the side of the building and step into the alley way.
The man glances up at him with a irritated look.
"What?" He snaps. "Are you one of the store owners telling me to go away?"
Antonio tilts his head for a moment before shaking it. "No, not at all..."
As Antonio struggles to find safe words, the man bites out another response. "Then what? What do you want?"
"I just... I saw you out here and I... I wondered if you need some help."
The man rolls his eyes. "I needs all kinds of help, but I don't need some stranger acting like he's going to bring it when he just wants to find another place for the dirty street rat."
"I'm not... Um, sir... I'm willing to help you." Antonio smiles lightly. "I have a house pretty close by, you can stay there for a while, if you want...?"
The man's eyes soften a bit. "You're serious?" He murmurs in disbelief, right before his eyes squint up. "Wait, what's the catch?"
Antonio shakes his head. "No catch, I promise."
"No catch? Then why would you want to help me? People don't even want to help me if given a reason. Why would you just do it?"
"Well... I don't know, I guess. I like helping people. If I can make somebody else smile, it's all worth it."
The man gazes up at Antonio for a long time, his eyes drilling tiny holes into Antonio's face. Antonio doesn't flinch away, however, he just keeps his eyes trained on the man until the man would speak.
Eventually the man sighs. "Okay... I guess I'll stay with you for a while."
Antonio beams. "Great!" Antonio holds out a hand to help the man stand up. The man looks at it for a while before taking it cautiously.
Antonio and the man walk to the car, and as the man buckles in, he seems relieved, and that brings a tiny smile to Antonio's face.
As Antonio continues on his way home with his new guest, he tries to make small talk. He starts with the basics.
"What's your name? I'm Antonio."
"Lovino."
Antonio nods, trying to think of something to say to a man that he grabbed up off the streets.
"So..." Antonio stutters out a few failed first syllables to some possible questions.
"You don't have to go out of your way to be talkative with me. Don't stress yourself over me. I'm not worth it."
"Why would you say that...?"
But Lovino's head is turned away and resting against the window.
When they arrive at Antonio's house, Lovino lags behind, unsure of exactly what to do in a new situation such as this.
"Come on in, make yourself at home." Antonio says with an over dramatic swoop of his arm across the entrance to the house,
Lovino steps inside, soaking up his surroundings in silence.
"Well, I've got food in the pantry and fridge if you want that, I've got two bathrooms in here if you want a shower, and I've got clothes you can use, I think we're about the same size."
The amount of kindness that radiates from Antonio shocks Lovino, because he truly isn't used to it.
"I'm eh... Going to take a shower, then..." Lovino lets his harsh attitude drop for the time being.
Antonio nods, pointing the bathroom out to Lovino and promising to get him some clothes.
Antonio busies himself while Lovino showers, by cooking a meal of simple spaghetti. He mixes the tomato sauce and smiles at the scent.
He hears a voice approaching the kitchen.
"Tomato sauce?"
Antonio grins. "Yeah. You've got a good nose, to smell it from out there."
"I'm Italian. We practically bleed tomato sauce." Lovino lets a smile spread on his face for a moment.
"I see, I see." Antonio muses, smiling as he continues stirring the sauce.
Antonio nearly jumps when he feels an arm around him. He looks back at Lovino who has his eyes shut and Antonio in a tight grasp around his shoulders.
"I'm not so great with this, but I wanted to say thanks. I have no clue how someone can be so selfless, but I'm glad for it... So um... Thanks, Antonio."
Antonio smiles. "No problem, Lovi." The nickname slips out unintentionally. "I'm happy to help."
Lovino nods and steps away, wringing his hands awkwardly.
Antonio taps the wooden spoon on the edge of the pan and sets it down. He grabs two plates and sets them on the counter. "Help yourself, Lovino,"
Lovino gives a gentle nod, stepping up and taking one of the plates. He piles the food on the plate and adds generous amounts of sauce. Antonio follows his lead, and sits at the island counter beside him.
The two start off in silence, completely unsure of what to say to the other. Although, as he usually does, Antonio starts up a conversation.
They start with small talk, but eventually Antonio drops his voice and asks a question gently.
"So... If you don't mind me asking... How did you end up on the streets...?"
Lovino sighs and raises his eyes to meet Antonio's slightly off gaze. "Ahh, I suppose if you're letting me stay here for a while, I should tell you." Lovino takes in a breath.
"Since a young age, I've lived with just my brother, Feliciano, and my Grandpa. When Feli and I were teenagers, our Grandpa died... So we were left on our own. Since I was sixteen and he was fifteen, we both got jobs, and managed to live alone together for the last few years. Well, when Feli turned nineteen, I wanted him to go to college, since he loves art so much and is so talented..." Lovino drops his gaze. "So, I scraped together all the money I could so I could help him pay for an art school in Italy. With most of my savings gone, I could only afford my house and my other bills for about a year. I had to get rid of the house, and I've been living on the streets since a few months ago."
Antonio stays silent. This man isn't at all bitter like he may appear. In fact, he is more selfless than many, giving nearly everything he had in order to help his brother.
"I don't dare tell Feliciano what happened, because I know he would insist that he give up school to come home and help me. He's worrisome and selfless like that... That's why I haven't talked to him in a while, I don't want him finding out."
Antonio still struggles for words. He eventually reaches a hand out towards Lovino's and sets it on top. Lovino looks down at the two stacked hands that rest on his leg, but he doesn't protest in the slightest.
"I understand what you mean. I'm sorry all that happened... But, uh, it's great what you did for your brother..."
"I guess. I did what I needed to. He's got way more options in life than I do, he got all the talent, so he needed the place to show off his skills."
"Hey, I'm sure he's talented, but I'm sure you've got talent too."
"No, not really." Lovino gave a dry chuckle.
"I bet you do!" Antonio coos goofily.
"Nope." Lovino pops the 'p'.
Antonio removes his hand from Lovino's and instead throws his arm around Lovino's shoulders.
"Come on, Lovino! Admit it, you've got something you're good at. I won't let go until you say something good about yourself!"
Lovino sighs but plays along. He gives a devious smile and shakes his head.
"Hurry up, Lovi!" Antonio warns.
Lovino sniffs dramatically and turns his head.
"You've been asking for this!" Antonio chuckles to himself, scoops up Lovino out of the chair, sets him down, and tickles his sides relentlessly.
Lovino lets out a whooping laugh. He hates how ticklish he is, but he deals with it. For once, he doesn't feel uncomfortable with someone touching him after such a short time. He trusts Antonio fully, but he isn't so sure why.
"Okay, okay!" Lovino interrupts Antonio's tickling.
"Are you going to say something nice about yourself?"
"Yeah, fine... Let's see... I guess... Cooking?" Lovino is glad to have thought of something so as to end Antonio's tickle attack.
Antonio grins from ear to ear. He tosses his arm around Lovino once more and rocks back and forth on his toes slightly.
"See? It's not hard, Lovino!"
"Yeah, yeah." Lovino sighs lightly.
Antonio gives a soft smile and sits back in his seat. Lovino follows, ruffling a hand through his still slightly wet hair.
They finish their pasta mostly in silence, unaware of what to say anymore.
When finished, Antonio suggests he show Lovino around the house. Lovino agrees, following close behind Antonio as he is shown the bedrooms, bathrooms, and living room.
They settle on the couch to watch TV later that night. Antonio is glad that Lovino is comfortable enough to relax and not worry about anything.
When it's nearly midnight, Lovino notices that Antonio is passed out on the couch beside him.
"He must have been exhausted" Lovino thinks, as he watches Antonio curled up on the couch, it's back as a headrest. Lovino stands up slowly, holding his breath when he sees Antonio's socked feet move, and slowly steps out of the living room.
He searches for a closet, trying to think of where he saw one. He eventually gives up and heads for Antonio's bedroom. He grabs one of the fleece blankets from a pile on a chest at the foot of the bed, draping it over his arm.
He returns to the sleeping Antonio on the couch and unfurls the blanket. He takes extra care in laying the blanket down softly, allowing it to cover Antonio's entire body.
He smiles softly to himself, beyond grateful for the man who is currently allowing him to practically take over parts of his house, for nothing in return. He can't thank Antonio enough, at least, he doesn't know how.
He heads to the room Antonio allowed him to have and curls up in it, smiling as he went to sleep for the first time in a while.
Antonio wakes the next morning, surprisingly warm. He glances down, noticing a soft blanket covering him. He smiles softly, realizing that Lovino must have covered him the night before.
He slowly stands up and looks around. The house feels generally empty, so he decides that Lovino is still asleep. He doesn't wake him quite yet, he instead heads for the kitchen to make breakfast. He decides to make some rolls and pour some orange juice.
When he is all finished, Lovino is still not awake, so he heads to the guest room to ask.
He enters the room slowly, and stands in the doorway. "Lovino?"
Lovino doesn't move. His chest rises and falls slowly, but he doesn't respond to Antonio's call. He calls a bit louder. "Lovino? I made breakfast... Lovi?"
Lovino shifts in the bed, and slowly sits up, his hair extremely disheveled, and his eyes a bit crusty.
"Lovino?" Antonio says softly.
Lovino mumbles something and pulls himself out of the bed. Antonio frowns a bit as he notices Lovino stumbling quite a bit. He takes a few steps forward, just in time, considering Lovino trips over his own feet and falls forward.
Antonio's eyes go wide. "Lovi?! Lovino? Are you okay...?!"
Lovino pulls his head away from the spot in Antonio's elbow that it fell into. He blinks wearily as he meets Antonio's eyes. "I think I'm sick."
Antonio nods knowingly. He takes care of kids quite often, and they get sick plenty, so he's good at caring for sick people.
"Alright, Lovi. I can bring some food in here, you need to lay down."
"No, I'll be fine." Lovino insists, even though his voice is beyond congested.
"Lovino, go lay down."
"Antonio, I'll be fine-"
"Now, Lovino. You'll get sicker if you're up moving around. Lay down."
Lovino accepts defeat and heads for the bed once more. Antonio makes sure the covers are sufficient, before promising to bring food for him.
He returns with two rolls and a glass of orange juice, prompting Lovino to sit up groggily.
"This is nice, Antonio, but I don't know if I can keep any food down."
Now that Antonio truly looks, he noticed that Lovino does look a tad pale. He frowns. "You should have something in your stomach. You should at least try."
"Antonio..."
"Just try. If you throw up, it's no big deal."
Lovino looks skeptical, but he picks up one of the rolls and takes a bite. He takes a few more, chewing and swallowing slowly. He finishes off the roll and sits still in bed, with Antonio perched on the end like a concerned mother.
He feels a rush in his stomach and he springs out of the bed, heading for the bathroom. He promptly throws up everything he has eaten in the last 24 hours.
Antonio follows behind, coming in just after the deed is done. He crouches on the floor next to Lovino and rubs his back softly. He speaks with sympathy to Lovino as he sits slumped forward on the tile.
"Oh, Lovino... I'm sorry. We should have waited to have you eat."
Lovino sighs and pulls his head up, feebly flushing the toilet. "It's fine. I'll get over all this eventually and it won't mean a thing. No need to apologize."
Antonio nods slowly and helps Lovino to his feet. Lovino leans forwards in his arms for support, and Antonio realizes it will be nearly impossible to get him to the bed like that.
So he turns around and instructs Lovino to stand still and not worry. He reaches behind himself awkwardly and secures his hands under Lovino's knees. He pulls him up slowly onto his back, holding him in a piggy back ride style.
Lovino's head slumps onto the back of Antonio's shoulder. "Antonio, what are you doing?"
"Getting you back to your room as easily as I can."
"Why a piggyback?"
Antonio chuckles as he starts walking slowly. "Why not?"
Lovino goes along with it, his head still leaning heavily on Antonio's shoulder as they move. He keeps his arms around Antonio's torso for security, and despite Antonio practically being a stranger to him, he has never felt safer.
Antonio slowly lowers him onto the bed and pulls the covers back up.
"Do you need anything right now, Lovino?" Antonio asks.
"Just to ask a question."
Antonio tilts his head. "Yes? What is it?"
"Why are you doing all of this?"
"What do you mean, exactly?"
"All of this. Taking me in, feeding me, giving me a room, helping me when I'm sick...? Why?"
"I don't know a good answer for that, Lovino. I wanted to help you, and when I want to do something, I commit. It means I will try my best to keep you happy."
"Why would you want to help me, specifically? I'm sure you see plenty of homeless people around, how come you take me in and not them? I've never been anything special before, so why now?" Lovino's voice continuously grows hoarser.
"Well... This may sound odd, but I felt like I knew you from somewhere... Not in this life, necessarily. Maybe in another. It made me want to help you. It's not just that... I suppose... I think I just took a liking to you, to be honest."
"That's a first."
"Oh, Lovino, don't say that."
"No, I'm serious. I've only been living on the streets for a few months and I've gotten enough hate and ridicule to last a lifetime. No one since my brother has even pretended to care. You're the first."
Antonio shakes his head sadly. "That's terrible. People are so cruel."
"Some people, maybe. You're not. You're a great person, Antonio. I wish the world could follow an example like yours, it would suck a lot less if there were more people like you."
"That's sweet, Lovi." Antonio smiles. "Some people like you would be fantastic as well."
"Me? What, as in inexperienced street rats?"
"No, as in selfless, loving, and strong people. It would do the world some good."
"In our perfect worlds, we just have a bunch of each other. What does that mean, I wonder?"
"Maybe it means we're perfect for each other."
The words come from Antonio's mouth before he realizes what it sounds like. Lovino notices, but he fears he'll gain burning red cheeks if he tries to bring it up.
So they move on, talking about this and that, one thing or the other, until Lovino lays his head down while speaking, and slowly goes into a much needed sleep. Antonio goes downstairs to get some medicine ready for when he wakes up.
As soon as Lovino wakes up, Antonio gives him the medicine. After waiting a while, he brings a bit more food up to his room, and Lovino actually manages to keep it down.
After eating, he falls right back asleep. Antonio smiles sympathetically as Lovino's stuffed up nose twitches, and as he curls himself into the covers even more.
That night, before Antonio checks on Lovino, he hears a vicious sob.
His eyes go wide, and he races towards Lovino's bedroom, swinging the door open harshly.
He finds Lovino on the bed, sobbing into his knees, which are pulled to his chest. He bites back a few of his sobs, as he looks up at Antonio with pained eyes.
Antonio runs to the bed and crawls into it, sitting next to Lovino. He puts his arm around him tentatively, wanting him to feel secure. Lovino practically falls into the embrace, the tears falling rapidly.
"Lovino, what happened? Are you feeling sicker?"
Lovino shakes his head. Antonio notices a small flip phone in his hand, with a muffled voice coming out. Lovino pulls his head up, presses a button on the phone, and hands it to Antonio. Antonio sits up a bit, one arm still tight around Lovino, and holds the phone to his ear.
A voice much like Lovino's plays, accent and all, but it is much higher pitched and faster paced. Antonio can only guess it was the brother Lovino mentioned.
"Lovino? Hey, it's me, Feli! I... I haven't heard from you in a while, so I thought I'd call you... I miss talking to you, Lovino, it's been a long time. Maybe we should meet up sometime? You could come to Italy and we could see all the places grandpa used to tell us about...! Yeah, that'd be fun, right?" The voice pauses, sounding a bit lost. "Well... I'm going to go. Please call me soon, okay? I don't want to worry too much, Lovino! Bye! Love you!" A forced smile can be heard in the voice as the message ends.
Antonio sighs lightly as he puts the phone on he bed. "Oh, Lovino..."
"I'm such a coward!" Lovino shouts suddenly, his voice ragged and harsh. He pulls out of Antonio's grasp, standing up by the bed, pounding the top of it with his fist. "I'm too much of an idiot to even keep my brother happy! That's why I did all this, so he could be happy! That's all I wanted, and now no matter what I do, he'll be upset!" Lovino's words are choked by sobs. He grips at his hair with his fists and lets out a mangled shriek of rage.
Antonio stands up and goes around the back of the bed to be closer.
"Lovino, you're still sick... I know you're upset, but you should relax a bit..."
"Relax? I'm single handedly screwing up my brothers life, and I've already screwed up my own, and I can't do ANYTHING about it."
"If you relax, you can think about it, we can talk over options... I can help you, but you need to let me."
Lovino doesn't slow. He growls to himself and takes a swing at the wall. He makes contact, making an indent that makes hairline cracks form around it, and causing his rage to increase. He swings his arms blindly, his tears clouding his vision and the constant sobs giving him a headache and blurred vision.
Despite the danger of being hit, Antonio grabs Lovino from behind, swiftly putting his arms under Lovino's armpits. Lovino struggles fiercely, but Antonio holds on as he lowers them both to the ground.
Antonio wraps his arms around Lovino's arms and torso, as Lovino practically sits on Antonio's lap. Lovino trembles still as he relaxes, and tears still slide from his eyes. Antonio rocks back and forth slightly, lulling Lovino into a relaxed state with a soft Spanish lullaby.
"Lovino, are you feeling better now...?"
Lovino takes in a shuddering breath. "A bit."
Antonio shifts Lovino so the two of them are sitting side by side on the carpet, Antonio's arm secure around Lovino's shoulder. They stretch their feet out in front of them, finally both relaxed.
"I'm sorry about your wall. When I get the money, I'll pay for it." Lovino says softly.
"Don't worry about the silly wall, Lovi. It's no big deal." Antonio responds, his voice even smoother and calmer than usual. "Are you okay to talk about everything?"
Lovino nods slowly, letting out a sigh. "Yeah..."
"Can we work something out between you two? Can't you guys meet up...?"
"If we meet up or if I talk to him too much, he'll eventually figure out what happened. As soon as he does, he's going to try to pack his bags and come here. I don't want him to do that."
"A call on the phone won't hurt, will it...?"
"I don't know... Maybe not, but... I'm scared, Antonio. If I slip up or if he asks a bunch of questions, he'll find out."
Antonio considers this. He hopes his next bit of advice won't make Lovino angry again.
"Maybe... Maybe you should just tell him."
"Antonio, I can't. It would freak him out."
"Explain to him that you're staying with someone. Stretch it a bit if you have to, but at least let him know... It will work out better in the end if you do that."
"I... I don't know." Lovino murmurs. "What if he ends up coming here anyway?"
"We can work it out. I promise. Whatever happens, I'll make sure both of you are happy in the end. Somehow we can make it work."
"You're the best person ever, Antonio... The world is so great with you in it..." Lovino says with a yawn. "What did I do to deserve you coming across me...?"
Antonio smiles softy. He tilts his head and kisses Lovino's head gently, for a reason even he does not know. Lovino doesn't resist or complain.
"I'll call him tomorrow morning to tell him, okay...?" He says softly.
"Good." Antonio grins gently.
Before Antonio can say anything else, he feels a thump on his shoulder. He looks over to see Lovino has fallen asleep.
After waiting a few minutes to let Lovino fall fully into a deep sleep, Antonio scoops him up and places him in the bed.
The next morning, Lovino wakes up with his eyes crusty and his head throbbing. He glances around the room as he remembers everything he did the night prior. He sees the fist shaped hole in the wall and cringes.
Antonio peeks his head around the corner of the door, his eyes curious. When they land on Lovino, they brighten, before softening at the sight of Lovino's almost ashamed expression.
"May I come in?" Antonio asks softly.
Lovino nods, subconsciously scooting over on the bed a bit so Antonio could sit. Antonio nods and enters the room, sliding into the bed next to him, his legs criss crossed.
"Are you feeling okay, Lovino?"
Lovino sighs. "Yeah... I guess. I'm nervous though. I'm afraid of what Feliciano will do when I call him and tell him the truth."
"Like I said, no matter what happens, we can make it work. I promise."
"Thank you..."
Lovino takes in a deep breath, letting it out slowly. He grabs his tiny phone from the side table and punches a few buttons. Holding the phone to his ear, he casts Antonio a nervous glance, to which Antonio smiled and grips his hand reassuringly.
Something on the other end of Lovino's line clicks, and a voice is heard.
"Hello?"
"Hey... Feli, it's me."
"Lovino! Oh my goodness, I've missed you so much! How have you been?"
Lovino's eyes squeeze shut for a moment, as he tries to find words.
"Hey, Feli... I have something to say, but I want to you to promise not to freak out, and I want you to let me explain fully." Lovino says, his voice growing a bit stronger. "Can you do that?"
Feliciano sounds nervous, but he agrees. "Okay... What is it?"
"I had to sell the house..." Lovino let's out a breath. "The bills piled up, and I couldn't pay for it, so I had to sell it... Right now, I'm living with a friend, so don't worry about that. I'm really sorry I didn't say anything, and I'm sorry I've been avoiding you. I just wanted to keep you safe, and keep you from worrying."
Feliciano is silent for a long time. On both ends of the line, soft breathing is heard, but nothing else.
"Oh... Lovino... I..." Feliciano's voice is broken. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have ever come to this school..."
Lovino shakes his head, even though Feliciano can't see it. "No! Don't say that. I wanted you to go to this school, and I want you to stay. You deserve it."
"How can I stay knowing you need my help? I can cancel my future years here and try to get the money back to help you!"
"No, Feliciano, don't you dare. Don't come here, and please don't quit school! Please, Feli... I don't want that... I want you there, doing what you love."
Lovino's face is twisting with anxiety, and Antonio feels helpless watching it. Antonio taps Lovino's shoulder, and he asks to speak to Feliciano. Lovino nods quickly and hands him the phone, his rapid breaths slowing as he is handing the phone away.
"Hello, Feliciano? This is Antonio Carriedo, Lovino's friend."
"Hello, Antonio... Thanks for helping Lovino..."
"No problem at all! Can I please tell you something?"
"Yes..."
"Lovino really cares for you. More that you probably think. He wants the world for you, and he wants you at that art school. So, please, don't leave that school, because I know that would hurt Lovino..." Antonio pauses momentarily to catch his breath. "Please, Feliciano... I promise to take care of your brother, no matter what, so you don't have to worry. I'll do everything I can to help him. Please just stay there and follow you dream, because that's what Lovino wants."
Feliciano is speechless once again. He let's out a breath after a moment and speaks up. "Okay... I won't leave... Please, just take care of him..."
Antonio smiles. "Of course. Always."
Antonio hands back the phone to Lovino, and the brothers say their goodbyes.
Lovino sets the phone down on the side table, and he turns his head towards Antonio. Wordlessly, Lovino pulls Antonio into his arms, holding him tightly against his body.
"Thank you. Thank you so much, Antonio... For everything."
Antonio smiles, feeling Lovino's warmth. He has no response, so he simply hugs Lovino back.
Antonio decides that he could get used to this.
A/N: So, I actually started this story about 6 months ago, and I finished it about that long ago, but I couldn't find a good way to end it. I stopped writing at the second to last sentence, and I pushed it aside. I kept coming back to it, hoping to come up with a better ending, but I really can't see any other scene working better than this one, so I just left it as is. Hopefully you still enjoy this story!
This is based on a prompt from the tumblr blog otpprompts (I'd link them but fanfiction won't let me :/)
Anyways, I hope you enjoy this! Please let me know!
-KayDubs