Lovino dialed his locker combination on auto-pilot, mind still on whatever had transpired between him and Alfred last night. It had really looked like…but no, he and Alfred were just friends. So what the hell? He grabbed his English text-book and shook his head, scowling at his own idiocy.
Chigi! What the hell are you getting disappointed for? he scolded himself. Just-friends was better, anyway. He didn't need a repeat of what happened with Antonio. Getting your hopes up just led to the world feeling the need to show you exactly how stupid you are. And besides, it's not like he wanted to date that giant blond idiot or anything! The idiot couldn't even read the damn atmosphere…
Slamming his locker shut, the Italian turned away, still inwardly muttering dark thoughts about the American teen. Suddenly, he ran into something warm and solid. "Oof!" came from in front of him, and Lovino looked up to see Antonio smiling down at him. The brunet's hazel eyes widened, and then he was pushing himself backward frantically, away from the warm, steadying gasp at his elbows.
"Wh-what the hell do you want?" He spat out, eyes desperately searching for an exit. He felt like a cornered animal, trapped against the lockers like that. He had desperately avoided the Spanish boy as soon as he had learned that the older boy had come back to school. Now was the first time that Antonio had managed to catch him. Damn Alfred for distracting me!
"Calm down, Lovi," the green-eyed teen laughed. "I'm not going to bite or anything."
Lovino's eyes were caught by the way the sunlight hit Antonio's throat when the latter threw his head back to laugh, and he was breathless. Dammit, the Italian thought distractedly. I am so screwed.
"I need to talk to you, Lovi," the older boy continued, more seriously. He took a step forward and Lovino promptly took one back. He could feel the cool metal of the lockers against his back, and he knew that short of making a break for it past Antonio, there was nowhere he could go.
"Wh-what?" he asked flatly, avoiding those green eyes. Despite himself, he couldn't help but feel embarrassed that Antonio had seen him crying last time they met.
"Lovi," the Spanish teen said softly, gently tilting the tense boy's chin up until Lovino was meeting his eyes. A concerned expression had replaced the usual smile on Antonio's face. Lovino shivered. "Lovi," the Spanish boy continued. "I am so, so sorry for not saying goodbye to you. I just… it was such a good opportunity and all, and I knew that if I saw you, looked you in the eyes, I would never have been able to bring myself to leave you."
Lovino stopped breathing, hazel eyes wide and fixed on Antonio's green ones. "I'm so sorry," Antonio said again. His other arm gently stroked down the Italian's arm until he reached his hand, where he grasped it. "Can you forgive me?"
The smaller teen remained frozen for a second, trying to sort through his conflicted feelings. Part of him was screaming 'Yes!', while another was still furious, and, inexplicably, another part of Lovino was thinking of Alfred, for some reason. Slowly, he asked, "And the postcards?"
Antonio looked confused, and Lovino felt the stab in his gut again. The Spanish teen just had time to say, "Lo siento, Lovi, but I don't-," before the angry boy shoved him away.
"Fuck off!" Lovino shouted. "Don't touch me, you inconsiderate asshole!" He tried to shove past the taller boy, before he was stopped by a firm grip on his arm.
Antonio spun him around, and said, "Lovi-," before seeming to give up on talking to the snarling teen.
So he kissed him.
Lovino froze. No matter how hard he screamed at it to move, his body wouldn't listen. In fact, humiliatingly, he was hard pressed not to kiss back.