Disclaimer: The Vocaloids featured in this story obviously do not belong to me. They belong to their rightful owners which includes Zero-G and Yamaha.

Comments: Super long intro, but now it's time and develop characters and interactions! I might update this story in the future with a bonus story, but I'm not sure at the moment. Anyway, if you're still reading this story, I'd like to thank you for reading through that previous chapter.

Please enjoy!

Names:
William Mori - Wil
Kyou Tsukino - Kyo
Yuu Koizumi - Yuu
Antonello Bellomi - Tonio
Primrose Bianchi - Prima

Antonello mentally sighed in relief as he sat back and began to drink a martini — the way it was meant to be drunken — as he used his left hand to tug at his tie until he felt the material loosen around him.

He, the other members of Teatro Tammaro, and quite a few of the viewers from tonight's showcase arrived at Bronze Frog less than thirty minutes ago. Antonello found himself sitting at a table which he was sharing with Primrose and whoever else wished to join the teacher and student. His parents — who hugged and kissed him as soon as they ran into him after the performance — were laughing and chatting with other parents of his classmates in a large booth to the corner of the restaurant. Primrose, in the meantime, went to the table where Tammaro's owners and co-owners were, including Bruno and his "buddy" — although, people have been speculating about the two Spanish adults being a couple — Clara.

Antonello felt hungry, his stomach growling once in a while or cramping tightly, but he didn't have the urge to order food like Primrose had done for herself. Granted, he could've taken advantage of this whole "free of charge" casually announced by Tammaro and Clara; however, drinking his favourite alcoholic drink as much as he wanted was a better option than merely eating.

How did he feel, though, since he finally sung out in the open in front of hundreds? In honesty, Antonello was glad to have gotten it over with while also proving he was serious about taking a step into the opera world. With a sense of hopefulness, the brown eyed teen hoped the people who attended tonight thought he sounded all right, at least. That was when he remembered the loud cheering and clapping for him when he was done with "Donna e Mobile" and his ears rung while his cheeks were brushed with a soft shade of crimson. Good Lord, then there was Primrose who had hugged him even tighter than his parents once he entered the green room to freshen up.

She was so happy, so proud of him. Primrose was actually proud of him than she have been prior to this night. Her reaction was so pure, not fake like his other family members probably would've showed if they were there.

His gaze softened as he slowly drank the remaining liquid in his glass.

...

"This place must have a lot of money to flash if they're offering to pay for everything," Yuu commented as he scooped a part of lasagna with his spoon.

"Kind of convenient for us, considering we're just 'little ol' tourists' from overseas and need to save our money for other stuff," was Kyou's reply.

"It's a nice gesture…" William added to what Yuu said. A part of his fringe fell into his left eye's view, so he carefully lifted a hand to brush it to the side while he jabbed his fork into his dish of pollo alla cacciatora for a moment. "I guess…we should take advantage of it while we're here. Right?"

Kyou nodded as he raised his fork. "Very true. Heck, even I'll take 'advantage' of this!" he added, gesturing down to the meat-free dish in front of him. Even though Kyou was a vegetarian, the oldest of the three teens was still able to eat well and deliciously as they ate here. He was thankful for this.

William looked around the packed restaurant, not really used to the liveliness of people as much as Yuu and Kyou. Besides the bright laughter from some who might have had too much to drink already, others chattered into the night with no hint of stopping any time soon. His eyes then drifted further right of the establishment until he spotted somebody at a table by himself.

Antonello Bellomi.

He seemed relaxed; though, upon squinting his eyes to view Antonello better, the opera singer was deep in thought with his pretty eyes half-lidded. His fingers were barely touching the now empty glass, letting them twirl around on the brim of it. Another drink was brought to Antonello's table, its owner thanking the waitress gently.

Kyou nudged Yuu, whispering to the blonde, "Wil's checking out his crush again."

"…" Yuu said nothing at first, taking a sip of the Montepulciano d'Abruzzo wine he wanted to try out, but then he calmly replied, "He is attractive, Kyou. His voice is pretty mature, too."

He cocked a brow at that. "Well," he said, "since you guys said it about me with Clara and Bianchi…Antonello is way, way out of both of your leageus."

"I know he is, but thanks for telling me. Wil doesn't seem to care, though."
"I know. He's too absorbed in Mister Pretty Boy Opera Singer."

They immediately looked at William who still kept his eyes on the Italian boy.

This was awkward to be doing. Kyou might have seen nothing wrong with staring at somebody without them realizing it, but William knew better about being nosy. He couldn't stop watching Antonello, even as Primrose hurried her way to the table to talked to him for a few seconds. William scrunched an eyebrow when Primrose frowned and worriedly placed a hand to Antonello's forehead.

Through the noise of everything else, William could've sworn he heard Antonello say, "I'm fine, don't worry."

...

"Dear, you don't look fine," Primrose retorted in protest with her worry for her student never leaving her. "You need to stop drinking, at least. I don't want you to get sick…!"

But, Antonello refused to listen. "Primrose, I'm just a little warm! It's summer, remember?"

"…do we need to talk?"
"No."
"Dear, please…"

His brown eyes lifted to look directly into Primrose's gorgeous green pair. Calmly, he tried saying in assurance, "Primrose, please listen to me. I'm not sick, I'm not experiencing another shot to my self-esteem, I'm not dealing with anything like that. I'll be all right, I promise."

The gentle but sad smile crossing his teacher's face caused a twinge in his chest at the sight, then it worsened as she leaned in and wrapped her bare arms around his waist. "Alright," she mumbled into his hair. "I'll come over here in a minute and eat with you, okay?"

Above a whisper, he replied with an, "Okay," before Primrose pulled away.

"Remember, I'm proud of your performance from this night. I'm not saying this as your teacher, but as a friend and as a professional."

A heavy blush came to Antonello's cheeks as he nodded and looked away, grabbing his martini. He felt a hand brush his forehead one more time then heard Primrose walk away from the table. He let himself sigh and place a hand over his eyes. Why was he feeling so weird? It wasn't a flu or a cold. Perhaps this was an emotional reaction. He wasn't the type who complained that emotions showed weakness even though he didn't show his own in public that much…

He was going to need a few more drinks. Seven glasses didn't work as much as they used to.

...

"He looks sad," Yuu spoke up, breaking the silence between the trio.

"I feel nosy watching him, but yeah…he looks upset," Kyou agreed.

William tilted his head to one side and thought. Antonello's appearance read "overwhelmed" more than "sad" or "depressed". He would know since he felt like that after exams and his own first performance in the music group he was in with Kyou and Yuu. While he made certain to do it in private in order for his two friends didn't notice, he did let his emotions show when he was by himself.

"Maybe he couldn't handle all of that attention?" William suggested, capturing the attention of the two with him.

"Not used to attention?" Kyou blinked, then he looked from William to Antonello with a hum in thought. Observing how Antonello's body gave a slight quiver and the pale colour of his skin — besides the heavy flush in his cheeks and ears — gave Kyou an example of how the Italian was feeling. "Oh, he's probably really shy, too."

Yuu, after finishing his wine, glanced over to Antonello. "Poor guy…"

"Anyway," Kyou decided to change topic as a method to not feel bad any longer, "wanna order some dessert?"

"Think you'll be able to?"
"I'm a vegetarian, not a vegan, you little butt."

William sighed through his nose and finally looked away from Antonello. He hoped he would be okay; after all, it wasn't best to keep feelings locked up like that. From what he and the others picked up, Primrose was going to join him at the table in a "few" minutes, so he won't be alone for longer. A part of him debated about going over there despite being shy himself.

But for now, he'll leave him be.

...

It was five minutes after Primrose came and talked to him when three martinis sat in front of him, not yet drunken, as Antonello unbuttoned the first three buttons of his dress shirt. Once he was done, he grabbed a glass and downed its contents without a second thought. He didn't care if anyone saw him drinking in such an inappropriate manner at the moment. Antonello simply wanted to numb his thoughts through killing his brain cells with the assistance of alcohol.

Quickly, he grabbed the next martini and let it pour directly into his mouth. Aah, that bitter taste was so good, so orgasmic to him. Please, let this last drink on the table push him to that limit of being in a complete drunken form…

God, he wished Primrose came back, he truly did; however, she was being held up by the owners who wouldn't stop calling her over in order to discuss something in regards to Teatro Tammaro. He hoped — a part of him hoped — his parents or Bruno arrived to his table to see what was up. He seriously couldn't handle his irrational feelings right now. He couldn't withstand this swelling emotion growing inside because of all of this positive…

As soon as he finished the third glass, Antonello rose from his seat and walked off. He was having a hard time walking with nearly bumping into waiters and others who came to eat and drink tonight, but he didn't fall like he assumed he would do. Maybe the alcohol was getting to him.

"I was thinking about getting a gelato," Kyou said out loud as he browsed the menu in his hands. "What about you guys?"

Yuu hummed softly, thinking. William had already chosen a dessert and looked up to tell Kyou until Antonello stumbled off behind Kyou and Yuu, heading towards the restrooms in the back.

"Wil?"

"Yeah?" He blinked, immediately looking at the brown-haired boy beside him.

"What are you gonna get for dessert?"
"I guess…these angel wings. Did you find something you can eat—"
"Not a vegan…vegetarian. Don't be a butt like Yuu."

"By the way," William told him, "I need to wash my hands and use the toilet. Can you order the food?"

Kyou nodded. "Sure."

"Thanks."

...

William felt awkward for coming into here when he knew Antonello wandered or — in this case — waddled his way into here, but now was a good time to see if Antonello was okay. Well, this was what he thought as he washed his hands until he heard vomiting coming behind one of the tall stalls. Three loud coughs soon followed the disgusting sound splashing in a toilet.

"…" The automatic sink turned off the water as William dried his hands with a paper towel. Carefully, and after he tossed the used towel in the rubbish bin, he turned around and asked, "Are you okay?" For once, he was glad his voice was so gentle since a tone like that was needed.

Another cough came from the same stall, but then a voice choked out, "I think so."

He frowned. "You don't sound like you will be. Did you need help?"

Silence.

There was a flush, then the lock on the stall clicking, and the door creaked open. William saw Antonello step out, pale and his eyes red. Not a trace of vomit could be found on him; however, all the other stalls were empty, leaving Antonello to be the only person who could've been vomiting all this time.

"I'll be fine," Antonello responded weakly. "I'm only a little drunk…"

William watched Antonello stumble to a sink and cup his hands to activate the water. "Was tonight your first time singing in front of people?"

Oh, so this man was in the audience. Antonello decided to answer, "Yes, it was," then he splashed the cold water onto his face. "Well, actually, it's my first time singing in front of that many people."

"Oh."
"…"

With a smile, William told him, "You were wonderful."

He looked over at the Japanese — he thought he was — boy. "I was?" he murmured in a questioning manner. "Really?"

William nodded. "Yeah. My friends and I came to see an opera performance, and when I heard you, I was…" he paused. Not only did he not want to rush things, but he also had difficulty explaining what he felt upon hearing Antonello's voice. He had felt warm, soothed, captivated by the tenor.

…yeah, probably the best not to say that to him.

"I was moved by it," he chose to say, praying it didn't sound weird.

Antonello threw water into his face once again, then he grabbed a paper towel from the dispenser to his right and wiped his face dry. This was the first time a stranger came to him and say such a thing. The compliment caused a blush to return, but he tried to brush it off as being too drunk.

Meanwhile, if he and Antonello did share the same experience of suffering by becoming overwhelmed due to too much attention or praise, William had a feeling he should say something to make the Italian singer calm.

"How did you feel up there on the stage?"

He licked his lips while mentally cringing at the disgusting taste still in his mouth. "I…was a tad nervous — a tad — but I got over it," he responded with hesitation. Antonello hoped this guy didn't think he was weak or anything.

His smile quirked as he asked, "Did you imagine everyone in the nude?"

"N—no, I wouldn't do that!" Antonello's blush deepened, adding, "Especially with my mum and dad in the audience."

William laughed softly and apologized, "Sorry."

"…it's quite all right."
"Are you sure you don't need help or anything, Mister Bellomi?"

Knowing that his name was plastered two or three times on the programme bill, Antonello wasn't taken back by the Japanese man calling him by his surname. His brown eyes gazed from the mirror and to him. "I'm sure. I think I'll get over this, Mister…"

"Mori," William offered his last name to him, then also added, "William Mori. It's nice to meet you, and I hope you'll become one of the greatest opera singers."

Antonello stood up straight, his ears and neck burning hot from William's thoughtful words. "E—erm, I…?" He looked away in order to avoid staring into the other boy's mellow eyes. With an embarrassed mumble, he said, "I—I'm not sure I'll be able to accomplish such a thing; however…thank you."

"You will. If you wanna hang out with me and my friends, we're at one of the tables near you. Bye…"

Feet walking across the tile floor, and then the door opening and closing was the signal for Antonello to finally look at his reflection in the mirror. The usual shade of scarlet covered most of his face and parts of his eyes. His hair wasn't in a mess like he had worried it would've been since he was bent over a toilet for minutes on end before coming out. Antonello allowed his hands to run across his reddened cheeks whilst his eyes softened.

That man who had talked to him appeared to be shy, so it was probably hard for him to talk, but Mori — William Mori, perhaps — seemed relaxed talking to him. He must have known what was going through his mind. Maybe Mori felt the same way at one point. It…sure felt like he might have dealt with overwhelming attention, the feeling of being so exposed in front of others when he had been closed-in for most of his life.

"…" Antonello glanced at the shut restroom door, and then he looked at his reflection once more.

...

"Tony! There you are!" Primrose's bright smile soon dropped when Antonello walked closer to her. "Oh no…" she whispered. "Are you okay?"

"I threw up, but…" he replied quiet enough for only his teacher to hear, "I'll feel better soon."

"Dear, you drunk more while I was being dragged back and forth by the owners, weren't you?"
"…alright, I admit it. I was."
"I knew it."

"Primrose," he asked her, "can we sit somewhere else?"

She blinked. "Well, sure. Did you have a spot in particular?"

He, upon Primrose's curiosity, blushed in embarrassment yet again. "Yes, actually…it's not far from our original spot. And d—don't laugh when we get over there."

Primrose blinked again, but then smiled. She could tell his attitude was improving for the better. What a relief. "I won't. Promise."

...

"Can I have a piece?"
"Yuu, you know you can order your own for free—"
"I know, but I want to make sure I like gelato. Don't want to waste it."

William, picking up his spoon, join in on pestering Kyou. "Let me have a piece, Kyou."

"At least Yuu asked," Kyou huffed with annoyance. "You're demanding me."

"Please?"
"…fine. One scoop only, guys."

As his two high school graduate buddies took a slice of the mint coloured gelato, a woman came to the table with one carrying a plate of food while she kept an arm securely around the waist of a boy who might have had too much to drink. At once, Kyou realized it was Primrose Bianchi and her student/William's crush, Antonello Bellomi.

"Excuse me, gentlemen," Primrose spoke up which immediately caught the attention of William and Yuu, "would it be okay if we were to sit with you?"

Kyou restrained a grin wanting to come out. God, this was so cheesy because he knew where this could possibly lead William and Antonello. He had seen William enter the restroom then exiting seconds before the tenor. There was a chance that they could've talked for a brief moment. "What do you guys think?" he asked the two.

Yuu nodded, busy savouring the cold treat.

William shyly smiled at Antonello and Primrose, the former huffing quietly and turning his head away with a blush returning to his olive-coloured skin. "Sure."

Bianchi and Bellomi grabbed the chairs from the former table they sat and joined the trio. Antonello decided not to have another thing to drink due to the fear of emptying the rest of whatever was in his stomach; however, he ate a little of something to subside anymore urges to vomit. Primrose, in the meantime, began a conversation with Kyou who couldn't have been any more happier with talking to such a beauty whose personality was incredibly gentle. Once in a while, Yuu would make a snarky comment with his default calm face, causing a few giggles from Primrose as Kyou stepped on his toes underneath the table.

"I'm feeling better," Antonello said to the man beside him at the table.

"That's good," William responded. "You looked like you were going to cry in there."

"…I—I merely had tears in my eyes because I was coughing a lot."
"Oh."
"…thank you for your concern, though."

William felt a smile crossing his lips, his eyes softening at him. "You're welcome, Mister Bellomi. You know," he suddenly changed the subject, "I think opera's a nice genre."

"I think so, too," he confessed. "That's a reason why I joined the opera class at Tammaro; in addition, my parents love it too, but they told me to follow whatever path I want…" with a glance, he finished his sentence, saying, "which is opera. I…enjoy it on a personal level."

"Do you like it?"
"Of course."

"About earlier, I still think you'll do great in opera to make it big time," William told him.

His brown eyes stared at him, but they quickly darted down to his plate as his ears rung. "…"

He couldn't stop smiling at the look on Antonello's — and he wasn't afraid to admit it — lovely face. Because he had fixed himself up in the restroom, his face wasn't as pale, nor were his eyes completely red. His lashes weren't too long, but they were easy to spot if somebody was close enough to him. Good God, did he have to describe every thing about Antonello? The boy was pretty! That's all that needed to be said.

And what ran through his mind while he tried not creeping Antonello out about the Italian's voice was true. He had felt his shoulders lighten, the fatigue of jet-lag departed, and…there was something so captivating of him as an entirety.

He…he was developing a liking for him, wasn't he?

William took a breath of air and released it through his nose. He grabbed his drink and sipped it, letting his realization take hold of him. He might as well accept it instead of denying the fact.

Antonello had similar thoughts run through his mind. He found William interesting, but also a sweet man. He kept smiling at him whenever he looked back, so there was a chance William liked him. Why, though?

"Why?" indeed. Instead of focusing too much on conflicting feelings, William and Antonello continued conversing into the late hours with the occasional blush of embarrassment from Antonello and William laughing softly. For now, they'll slowly build their acquaintances, which should be easy because they shared similar traits; although, they weren't aware of this as of yet.

And this was how William Mori met Antonello Bellomi. Two months later, they would become best friends with William and his buddies deciding to stay in Italy for the time being. A year later was when they would come to Bronze Frog after the summer showcase, sit at the same table, and William would be surprised with a kiss on the lips by Antonello who was as red as the wine Primrose drank.

end