Tomato of the Sea
Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.
Warning: AU, Lovi's way of verbally expressing annoyance, male x male pairings, and a very bipolar Gilbird fluttering about.
Yikes, it's been awhile since I updated this one, huh? Here's chapter 7, much later than I intended to get it out :(
I added another key family member in this chapter, so hopefully that helps make it up to you a bit.
oOo
Although it wasn't exactly what he was used to, Lovino had to admit he didn't mind filling his days with time spent with Alfred. Even doing things he hated, like grocery-shopping, running errands, and (gasp) cleaning were surprisingly more bearable when the blonde was around. Currently, they were walking through the marketplace while Alfred was regaling him with the Tale of the One-Eyed Polar Bear from Hell vs. the Hero of Canton. Alfred was having so much fun making the story more dynamic and adventurous, that he neglected to tell Lovino it happened when he was about 6 years old and his brother was beating him with his own stuffed polar bear because Alfred had accidentally made it lose a button eye.
Yes, the dark, misty cave filled with the stench of evil and the skeletons of previous knights sounded much better.
Lovino had been trying to make sense out of Alfred's bizarre story, when he felt a pair of creepy eyes watching them again. Glancing around, the brunette saw many people, but couldn't find the source.
"Somethin' wrong, Lovino?"
"What?" he responded, a little distracted. "Cheh, I'm fine."
Or at least he would be once he found where their stalker was hiding. And then convinced Alfred that s/he was out to steal their food. Lovino had learned that Alfred could be surprisingly defensive about his dinner. May as well put that to good use.
"Are you sure?" Alfred asked, his tone letting Lovino know he didn't quite believe him.
"Do I look like I'm worried about something?" he snapped, forcing himself to bring his eyes forward. "…But it does kind of feel like we're being watched."
"That's because you're so cute!" the blonde laughed, ruffling his friend's hair.
"I'm serious, bastard!"
"Sorry, sorry!" Alfred's laughter filled the air as they continued walking home with their groceries.
oOo
After lunch, Lovino decided to head over to the library to check out a cookbook. Alfred was back at work and he could use the distraction to take his mind off things. Besides, he'd committed lots of recipes to memory over the years, but mostly Torredirosso dishes. Lovino figured he'd learn about Viridian Island cuisine since he was living in Canton now. It definitely had nothing to do with the fact that he wanted to impress Alfred with his ability to cook all the dishes the blonde enjoyed growing up. Nothing at all.
The library was only a short distance away and located in an older building. The architecture of the library seemed different from the more modern-looking buildings around it, so Lovino assumed it had been here for awhile. For starters, it was much larger and built out of a light gray brick pattern. Many of the windows were open except for the large set of circular stained glass windows adorning the tops of the walls. Gazing into the small archway near the rooftop, Lovino noticed a family of birds perched in their nest. It must be nice to be able to pack up and make a new home anywhere without any effort. The library didn't appear very busy, so the brunette let himself in without another thought.
"Hello…?" he called out.
The interior of the building was just as impressive as the exterior. Row after row of wooden shelves were lined with books of every shape and size. A large, well-worn, yet well-kept red carpet covered the floor. It was a little stuffy even with the majority of the windows open for a cross breeze, but nothing Lovino wasn't used too. He was also interested in the way the sun projected the images of the stained glass windows on the opposite walls. It was like watching scenes from a book come to life. He'd never admit it, but Lovino spent his fair share of time (especially his few days off) in the library in Torredirosso. For whatever reason, he found the smell of a musty old book relaxing. More so when those books provided him a few hours escape into a completely different world, far away from all his troubles and daily stress.
"Oh? A visitor?" came a slightly accented voice. "Just a moment, I'll be right with you!"
Lovino listened to a pair of light footsteps from somewhere on his left. Not long after, a young man with short blonde hair, green eyes, and the bushiest eyebrows he'd ever seen appeared in front of him. He looked a little put off, but Lovino figured he had that effect on people.
"Are you closed or something?" the brunette asked, looking around the empty building.
"Not at all," Arthur laughed, finally putting his professional librarian face on. "We just don't get many guests during lunch hour. I'm Arthur. Is there something I can help you find?"
"I'm uh, looking for some cookbooks. Preferably ones with Viridian Island recipes."
"Ah, right this way," the librarian nodded and walked towards the many rows of shelves. "Any recipe in particular?"
"No…" Lovino fidgeted slightly. He really didn't want to admit that he didn't even know where to start. "Just recipes from this area in general."
"Then you'll want to stick with the three middle rows here," Arthur explained. "Those are all the cookbooks we have from this region."
Lovino nodded in thanks, the librarian was surprisingly helpful, considering how annoyed he looked when Lovino first walked in.
"There's more here than I thought…"
"That's because I love to cook," added Arthur. "I added many of my own cookbooks to this collection to share them with others. Here, try this one. It's one of my favorites and has lots of easy recipes to follow."
"T-Thanks, bast-, uh, sir," Lovino took the book he was offered and paged through it. "You're right. This looks like a good one."
Arthur smiled and grabbed several more off the shelf and piled them into Lovino's arms. It wasn't often he had someone to talk to about cooking. For some reason his friends and family avoided the topic completely with him. Gits.
"What's your name again, lad?" Arthur tried to hide his frown with a half-assed smile. He didn't often get to talk about cooking, it would be foolish to waste the opportunity. That, and Francis had always teased him about getting wrinkles from frowning so much...not that he particularly cared or believed him, of course.
"Lovino."
"Hmm…sounds foreign," Arthur mused. "Where are you from, anyway?"
"Overseas," Lovino found himself making conversation with the man, albeit shakily. For some reason, the blonde made him think of himself – meaning well, but socially awkward. "So, why the hell did you donate all your books if you love cooking so much?"
"Well, as much as I love cooking, but my bloody family never lets me anymore," he sighed, his tsundere side slipping into the chatter. "Those arses just don't appreciate all the effort I put into it."
"That's fucking terrible!" Lovino exclaimed, not noticing his language. Or volume. "Don't they know how much time and dedication goes into it?"
"Heh, it's too bad those gits aren't more like you!"
"I usually hear just the opposite!" the brunette smirked.
"That's rubbish! Don't pay any attention to what those daft fools tell you," Arthur waved his hand, then tilted his head. This boy was a bit cheeky, but didn't seem all that bad, especially for a tourist. He'd seen worse. He'd seen Francis. "Say, would you like to join me for a nice home-cooked lunch? It's just about time for my break anyway and there's a small kitchen in back."
"Sure," accepted Lovino, feeling bad for someone who likes cooking as much as him. Cooking for only one person was never any fun and next to impossible to find good recipes for. At least he had Alfred share meals with; that guy could eat enough for three people.
"That's great, Lovino!" Arthur beamed. It had been forever since he got to cook for more than just himself. "You can look over the cookbooks in the library lounge while I whip up some snacks for us."
oOo
Alfred set his toolbox down and wiped his brow. For some reason, he just couldn't shake the bad feeling he was getting as he finished up a job. It just kept tugging and tugging at his thoughts the entire time. At one point, he was so distracted that he almost hammered the fence into the ground upside down. How embarrassing would that have been? He laughed off the almost-mistake, but the worried feeling remained.
"Maybe I should check on Lovi…?" he mumbled to himself. When he saw his friend safely at home, that would surely put him more at ease.
Alfred collected his pay from his neighbor down the road and started walking home, whistling a tune to himself. The afternoon was starting to get warmer. He hoped that Lovino had stayed inside where it was a little cooler and out of the garden today. Maybe the brunette was taking a...what did he call it...siesta? Alfred had noticed when the heat got unbearable, Lovino would often fall asleep to escape it. Usually, Lovino would find a shady spot if one was available, but he never moved far. Alfred was starting to get used to coming home from work and finding Lovi sprawled out on the couch, the porch, under a tree, and even curled up on the floor once or twice. He was like a cat or something. When the blonde was close enough, he could hear Lovino hum slightly in his sleep, as if he was purring. It was one of the cutest things Alfred had ever seen.
A few times, Alfred had made the mistake of moving his sleeping cat-roommate. For some reason, Lovino insisted that he was perfectly comfortable where he was and that Alfred should just mind his own business. Lovi had warned him that the next time he carried him around like that, he'd make him regret it...like a cat.
Alfred couldn't help but chuckle and try to guess where his friend would be taking his cat nap today. Every day was much more fun with Lovino in it!
oOo
Back in the library, Arthur served up some tea and crumpets, soup, sandwiches as well as a batch of scones for Lovino. They had ended up using a long research table to fit all the dishes Arthur laid out.
Lovino was a bit confused by the strange appearance (and smell) of the food, but figured if Arthur likes cooking so much as to make lunch for a stranger, he should know what he's doing. He reminded himself that he'd never actually seen authentic Islander cooking, so it would probably look different than what he's used to. They sipped on some tea and Lovino remembered that Alfred's dad was supposed to work here too.
"So, who else works here besides you?" he asked.
"Primarily me, but my youngest son comes in every other day," Arthur replied, setting down the teacup with a clink. "My other son and husband require more…convincing."
Lovino merely nodded and took another sip of the steaming drink. The tea was delicious, so he figured the food must be as well, despite its strange appearance. Lovino picked up a scone.
"That's odd, I heard from Alfred that his dad works here."
"Oh, you know Alfred?"
"Mm-hm, I'm staying with him for awhile."
"Staying with him?" Arthur blinked. "You're living together?"
"While I'm in town, yeah," responded Lovino with an arched brow. Was that a problem?
"So Alfred's inviting people over to live with him and nobody bothered to tell me?!" A vein in the librarian's forehead started twitching.
"W-Why do you care?" Lovino dropped his scone in fear.
"Because I'm his father!" Arthur slammed his hands on the table.
Lovino's eyes widened and he started glancing around for an exit. First chance he got, he was bolting. However, Arthur quickly remembered his manners and sat down with a cough.
"Sorry to have startled you," he sighed. "It's not your fault that airhead never tells me anything."
The brunette's heart resumed beating now that the green-eyed terror in front of him had settled.
"S-Sorry?"
"No need to apologize, lad." Arthur flashed him a gentlemanly smile. "If you hadn't stopped in when you did, I might not have met you until Christmas."
"R-Right," Lovino relaxed, picking up a scone again. He tried to make conversation while he was at it. "Thanks again for the cookbooks."
"No trouble at all, it's my job!"
Lovino took a bite of the scone and his eyes widened in a new kind of terror.
oOo
Alfred walked through the front door of his house.
"Lovinoooo!" he shouted upstairs, but was met with no response.
Alfred glanced out of the window to see if his friend took a stroll on the beach again, but there was no sign of Lovino. Biting his bottom lip slightly, Alfred walked up the stairs and remembered to knock on Lovino's door this time. Nothing.
Carefully, Alfred opened the door and glanced inside to see if the brunette was napping, but he wasn't there. Lovino's words from earlier began echoing in the back of Alfred's head.
…It does kind of feel like we're being watched.
This didn't do much to settle the pit forming in Alfred's stomach, especially when he saw a hastily scribbled note on the kitchen table.
AlFred, cOme FiNd me iF yOu waNt tO See yOur FrieNd.
oOo
A/N
Oooh! Cliffhanger! I'll try to update faster than the long wait you endured for this chapter, I promise. Any ideas what happened to Lovino?
~ Rajikka
Translations
Tsundere (Jp.) – Arthur Kirkland. Haha, just kidding. (sort of.) A tsundere is a type of character seen in anime or manga known for appearing cold or hostile, but having a hidden sweet side. "Tsun Tsun" is the aloof or irritable side, while "Dere Dere" is the lovey dovey side. Iggy and Lovi are two good examples of this character.
