A/N: This story will have about 12 or 13 chapters, by the way. Enjoy~
"That's not the one I want, look for the other one," Lovino said, shooing away the pack of noodles Gilbert threw into the basket.
Gilbert groaned and picked up the pack to set it back on the shelf. "It's just noodles. Aren't they all the same?"
"No, especially not when I make them. So shut up and get the other ones."
Lovino chuckled as he watched Gilbert shuffle around for the desired item. It had only been a few days since Gilbert first began staying with him and Feliciano, and they hadn't been separated since. Just about everyday was fun, but relaxing at the same time. Gilbert stopped looking depressed, and pretty much went everywhere that Lovino went, and they were now shopping for groceries. It kind of pissed him off that Feliciano forgot again to buy the things that they needed, but it was rewarding to spend some alone time with Gilbert.
"I found it! It's way up there, though. Why the hell would they put it there?" Gilbert stared up towards the top shelf, eyeing the high quality noodles. He couldn't seem to reach it, even on his tippy toes. The only solution would be the climb up and get it, obviously!
"What the hell are you doing? Get down from there, and go ask a worker to get it!" Lovino yelled, watching as the idiot stepped onto the lower shelves. Such a thing was not only dangerous, but completely unsanitary and kind of barbaric.
"Relax, I've already got—"
And then he came falling down, but didn't hit the hard tiled floor because of Lovino's reflexes. He wasn't even really high up, but if he had hit the floor then they might've had to call an ambulance because of his head splitting open.
Gilbert was tightly held by his waist in Lovino's arms. He looked up and smiled before standing up straight again.
"Thanks! I'm sure I would've landed safely, though."
"Stupid bastard, you could've broken something! I sure as hell wouldn't have taken the blame, you'd have to pay for the damage yourself." Lovino frowned and snatched the box of noodles from his hands, before tossing them into the basket and walking on.
"What, you seriously weren't worried for my safety?" Gilbert found that hard to believe, as he quickly followed behind.
"Why should I be? If it's your fault, that's too fucking bad."
"Don't lie, I know you would be worried sick if I were to get hurt! Not that I would, I'm too awesome for that shit," he smirked.
Lovino rolled his eyes. "As if. You're self-absorbed and delusional. To be honest, I wouldn't care."
"Sure you wouldn't, then why did you catch me?"
"That's… it's called reflexes, dumb ass! I had no choice, they act on their own." Lovino's face was slowly but surely turning scarlet, as he reached for a jar of tomato sauce and gently placed it into the basket. Maybe if Gilbert didn't talk so damn much, they would be finished shopping already. But that mouth continued to go on and on, never ceasing its annoying sounds.
"What else do we need?" Lovino said to himself, wishing he hadn't left the shopping list on the table before they had left.
"Beer! Seriously, you guys have none, zip, nada. How is that even possible?" Gilbert grumbled, feeling the withdrawal symptoms of not having any beer since the night he had left his house. All the Italian brothers had was wine of different flavors, which he really didn't care for. He had no idea how they could go on, living life without the beauty and wonders of beer.
"We have wine at home that you can drink, if you seriously can't take not having alcohol for so long."
"It's not about alcohol, and it's not that simple! It's about… beer. The marvelous, most awesome beverage to ever walk the earth! I mean come on, everyone knows that except you. No beer equals no life." Gilbert applauded himself for that short but epic speech, and wished he had one of those bottles in his hand right then.
"That made no sense whatsoever. Do you really love it that much? You know, if you keep drinking it so much your stomach will get big and you'll lose that figure of yours," he teased, but began walking towards the alcohol section anyway.
"No I won't! I'll always remain a sexy beast, even when I'm old. In fact, I don't grow old, I just grow more awesome."
Lovino was more than glad when Gilbert finally shut his mouth and grabbed the pack of beer from the refrigerated section. He watched, a little creeped out as Gilbert smiled and hugged the bottles before slowly setting them into the basket. He made sure they were in a safe corner so that none of his 'babies' would fall over.
"Looks like we're done. I'm starting to get hungry so let's get the hell out of here."
Lovino quickly pushed the basket, ignoring the whines from Gilbert who kept insisting to go slower so his beer wouldn't get ruined. If only he cared that much about, well, everything else that actually mattered. But, Lovino figured maybe what the guy truly needed was some beer since he was still stressing, even though he wasn't depressed anymore. If he could have, he would've taken away all of Gilbert's pain and worries and fixed everything himself, because deep down inside he still felt unbearably guilty.
"Wait!" Gilbert suddenly shouted, causing Lovino to halt and almost bumping into a shelf.
"What is it now, dammit?"
"This! We need this," he said, almost drooling at the mouth as he picked up a delicious looking cake.
"What the hell is that?" Lovino sighed and stared at the treat in Gilbert's hands. It looked pretty good, but maybe it would be too much, since he wasn't in the mood for anything sweet.
"Black Forest cake, obviously. Can we get it? We can have it after we eat dinner!"
"Well… sure, whatever. Go ahead and put it in basket, I seriously want to get out of here."
Gilbert's eyes seemed to brighten as his grin widened greatly. "You mean it?"
"I don't see why not. As long as you eat the damn thing, I'll get it for you. Maybe I'll feel like having some later, too."
He quickly placed the dessert into the basket and chuckled. "Awesome! I haven't had this kind in a while. Liz never let—"
His smile instantly disappeared from the mention of his ex. His mind was flooded with all the times Elizaveta would only buy him such treats when he behaved correctly, as if he was a small child. He didn't mind, though, and that had always been the reason he'd be good for a while; that cake was simply that delicious. Even those funny memories were a bit painful to think about.
"Just come on." Lovino frowned and grabbed Gilbert's wrist, pulling him along to the check-out counter. It only took less than a minute for him to snap out of it and go back to being annoying, but Lovino was still slightly worried for him.
When they were finished and walked back outside, he frowned once again up at the sky. The sun was entirely covered by dark clouds, as if it had never even existed. He didn't particularly get along with rainy weather, so he rushed Gilbert to put the bags into the car and he quickly drove back home. Hopefully Feliciano was there so that they could begin cooking.
Sadly, his idiot brother still hadn't arrived back from his boyfriend's place, so he and Gilbert put the items in their correct places and stood around for a short while.
"What the fuck, that damn idiot was supposed to help me with dinner! Why isn't he back yet?"
"He probably wouldn't come back during a storm, that much is obvious." Gilbert shrugged and chewed on the potato chips they'd bought.
"What? There is no storm… it wasn't even raining when we came out of the store."
"Didn't you see those clouds? They're almost as dark as night! Besides, the weather channel said there will be a storm sometime this evening and well, it's evening now. I'm so glad we have hot cocoa!" Gilbert smiled and closed the bag of chips to save room for dinner. He always liked the rainy season of autumn, especially storms. That meant that he could stay in all day and not get berated for it!
"Those weather anchors don't know shit, they're wrong sometimes so who cares. I'll just call him and tell him to get his ass over here right this instance." Lovino groaned and reached into his pocket to fish out his cell phone.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you."
"And why the hell not?"
"Just let him come back when he wants to. He's probably having leisurely time with my brother! Cuddled up together on the couch in a warm blanket, feeding each other chocolates, watching a movie— well not really, the movie will be playing in the background as they start getting 'comfortable' with—"
"Oh god, shut the fuck up! I don't want to hear any of that shit, and I don't want to know about what our brothers do together, bastard!" Lovino shouted and covered his ears, as Gilbert laughed obnoxiously and made fun of his red cheeks.
"Look, I'll help you make dinner. In fact, you should show me how to make one of your famous pizzas! You should at least be able to do that much, being the owner of your family's long-time business."
"Of course I can do that much, who do you think I am? But, I'm making it. You will just have to watch."
Feeling confident, Lovino took out his favorite tomato sauce, the shredded cheese, dough, and his special pepperonis. He was a master at this, in fact, he was the master of all masters at making pizza. His pizza parlor was the best in the whole damn city, and had even been featured on TV before. He didn't work there as head chef anymore, so he took care of all the business-related things.
"How am I supposed to learn if you don't let me do anything?" Gilbert asked, but he sat on the barstool and watched as Lovino gathered the ingredients.
"I'm not letting you touch this stuff, no offense. But I'm starving, and I want it made perfectly."
Gilbert thought about saying how he couldn't possibly screw anything up with his awesome skills, but watching Lovino quickly arrange everything was very intriguing. The stern look on his face as he rolled out the dough and did his little flippy thing with it was strangely attractive, and Gilbert wouldn't help but pay extra attention. It was as if he was watching a master chef on a cooking show, except Lovino didn't smile at the camera nor did he even speak.
Every once in awhile Lovino looked up from his intense work to see Gilbert staring at him in amazement, and his face automatically heated up as he quickly continued. It was a little nerve wrecking to be watched like that, but Lovino also felt flattered when Gilbert complimented his agility.
Ah, but suddenly he cut his finger. Why was he even using a knife, anyway?
"You okay?" Gilbert quickly stood from his seat when he heard Lovino curse and saw the excruciating pain on his face.
"Yeah, it's just a little cut," he answered. Even though it wasn't all that big, it still felt like he had been bitten by a shark.
"Little or not, it's still bleeding… but, good thing it didn't get on the pizza!" Gilbert chuckled, and ignored the evil glare Lovino gave him. Hey, it was payback for what was said after he fell off the shelf at the store earlier!
"How would you like it if I cut your fucking face next time?" Lovino snarled, then groaned from the sting.
"Relax, geez! I'll stop the bleeding for you."
Gilbert suddenly took Lovino's hand and inserted the injured finger into his mouth. It took Lovino as much as five seconds to figure out what was going on, and he became speechless as his finger was lightly being sucked. Gilbert's warm tongue sent a sensation throughout his entire body that was far too pleasurable to be ignored. On instinct, he finally snatched his hand back and stuttered before catching his words.
"What the hell! What was— so suddenly… freaky bastard!"
"I was helping you out! See, it's not even bleeding anymore," he said, pointing at the clean finger that was still slightly wet.
"If you wanted to help me, you could've gotten the first-aid kit! I'll do it myself." Lovino quickly exited the room, still holding his finger that was mostly covered in Gilbert's saliva, which didn't bother him at all. What bothered him was that Gilbert had sucked his blood like a fucking vampire and now his pants were getting tight in the front.
"Whatever. I'll put the pizza in the oven since it's done heating up!" Gilbert called out, and did just that. He smirked to himself and licked his lips where a small stain of blood still lay.
After bandaging himself up and avoiding Gilbert while the pizza baked, it was finally done. Lovino pulled it out of the oven and placed it on top of the stove to examine its contents. Perfect, as usual, perhaps even more perfect than ever. Gilbert impatiently waited as Lovino slowly sliced it, almost drooling over the beautiful, hot and stringy cheese that stretched as he lifted up the first slice. It was a million times more zesty than any delivery pizza he had ever seen.
"Can we eat it now?" he asked, gazing at the plate in front of him.
"Go ahead? It's not gonna eat itself." Lovino carefully picked up his piece with his uninjured hand and bit into the hot slice. Absolute perfection.
"I'm getting another one!" Gilbert yelled, and stood up from the table to retrieve his second slice.
"What the hell?" Lovino couldn't believe that he'd eaten it just that fast, since he'd only just taken a second bite of his own. He was more than glad that Gilbert was thoroughly enjoying his food, but he'd end up choking if he ate it that fast.
"Damn, this tastes even better than the wurst Luddy makes!" Gilbert exclaimed, devouring the spicy pepperonis.
"Of course it does! In fact, don't even compare my beautiful Italian pizza to that dog crap you eat." Lovino snorted and slowly drank his glass of red wine. He didn't know if that was a compliment or an insult for even saying something so obvious.
"Just take the compliment without a counter insult!" Gilbert chuckled and continued to ravish the food which was practically all over his face now. He ate almost as sloppily as a dog, it was infuriating.
"Fuck, at least wipe your damn mouth, you beast."
Picking up the nearest napkin to him, Lovino quickly but gently wiped the red sauce from around Gilbert's mouth. He'd never admit that deep down inside, he might have found it to be just a bit cute.
"Oh… thanks." Gilbert felt his cheeks light up just a bit, as he went back to finishing his slice and made sure to go slower.
"Whatever, you eat like a starved puppy."
"Look who's talking! Besides, you've got a little spot right— here!"
Gilbert reached for one of the napkins and wiped the small spot of tomato sauce from the corner of Lovino's mouth. Lovino didn't protest, much to his surprise, and he wondered if it would be safe to pick up the other's slice of pizza and feed it to him. That would be extremely cute, but Lovino would probably bite his hand off instead of the pizza.
"I could've wiped it myself," Lovino muttered, and finished his first slice. He wasn't really hungry anymore, though.
Gilbert smirked and wiped his greasy hands. "Yeah, but I just felt like doing it for you. Hey, wanna have some cake now?"
"No, you go ahead. I'm pretty full."
Lovino watched as Gilbert happily retrieved the beautiful cake and sliced a nice sized piece to eat. At first, he smiled gleefully from the wonderful taste, savoring every single bite. He gradually began to eat slower and slower, until now he was only playing with the rest of it with his fork. He sighed and stared down at the plate, the same bored but kind of sad expression that he had at the store when he had picked up the cake.
"What's wrong with you?" Lovino asked, when he couldn't stand not knowing why Gilbert silently sat there for almost ten minutes.
"Huh? Oh, I guess I'm just not that hungry anymore."
Lovino snorted at that. "You're always hungry. Now tell me what's really the problem, I'm tired of looking at your depressing face."
Gilbert shrugged and rested his chin down on the table.
"I guess… I'm just worried about Lizzy. Every time something reminds me of her, I can't help but feel so bad. Completely unawesome."
"Oh… well, that's normal. You're probably going to be feeling like that for quite a while."
"Yeah, but I don't want to feel like this. She probably never wants to see me or hear from me again, but I really want to make sure she's okay. You know? It's not like this whole thing will just blow over, we have to contact each other sometime and each day that goes by seems… even scarier than the last."
Uh oh, Gilbert was being 'deep' again and Lovino really had no idea what to say. It's not like he's ever gone through a rough break-up before, since his past 'relationships' had only been dates and a few times sex with a girl that he really, really liked. But, they all ended like a simple piece of paper, floating off into the breeze and forgotten.
"Maybe I should go see if she's at home… but, what if she's not ready to see me yet? Would it be the right thing to just barge in and expect her to talk to me? What if she's not even there?" Gilbert asked these questions but didn't expect an answer since he was only talking to himself. He scratched his head in frustration and wondered just what he would do.
"I don't know… no one knows except her. And, what would you do if you saw her, anyway? What would you say?"
"Well, first I'd apologize. I don't expect her to ever forgive me, and a simple 'sorry' won't mean shit, obviously. But, I'd still say it anyway. Then I'd make sure she was okay, and ask her how she's been. This is probably the longest I've gone without speaking to her."
"Maybe you really should just try it, then. You won't know the results until then, so when you're ready—"
"I'm going to see if she's at the house right now." Gilbert nodded and stood up from the table.
"Right now? As in— now? Are you sure about that?" Lovino's eyes widened as he watched Gilbert march towards the front door to put on his shoes and jacket. He seriously was going to do something so reckless!
"If she's there I'm going to apologize and stuff. And if she wants me to just leave, then I'll do that, too."
"And if she's not there?"
"Then I'll come back, duh. I'm not sure if she's ready to talk about anything yet, and I don't think I am, either… but, I really have to make sure she's okay! Even if I can just catch a glimpse of her, that'll be good enough."
"How do you even plan to get there? I'm not driving you!"
"I'll catch a cab!"
Before he could say anything else, Gilbert was out of the door. Whether this was a good idea or not, Lovino wasn't sure. He had a feeling it seriously wasn't, but whatever. Gilbert could do whatever he wanted, he shouldn't care what mischief that idiot caused. He sure hoped nothing would go wrong, though. Seeing Gilbert without a smile or an evil smirk on his face made him feel incomplete.
Lovino patiently waited for Gilbert's return. It was night now, so some of his favorite shows were on, but he couldn't concentrate at all. Perhaps things would actually go greater than he expected. Maybe Elizaveta was there like Gilbert hoped, then they would be able to finally face each other and maybe even work things out. It would take time, lots of time, probably more than just a couple meetings. But Lovino knew they would most likely become friends again one of these days.
What if things went even better than that, though? What if the main thing that they needed was a break from each other, and they would soon realize how much they needed each other? Would they make up and become a couple again?
It was possible, because Lovino remembered when the two of them had gotten into a huge conflict a little over a year ago and were temporarily apart. He remembered seeing them kiss again after they had made up, and he felt like apart of him completely shattered inside. He didn't know why at the time, but now he knew it was because he had started to like Gilbert as more than a friend back then. If the same thing were to happen now, he wouldn't know what to do.
"Get a hold of yourself, who even knows if that'll happen!" he said to himself.
If they were to ever get back together, then he should be happy for his friends, right? He knew, though, that he would be far from happy. He might even go into a deep, dark depression and never come out of it. That was a bit overdramatic, but for some reason he wouldn't be able to take it if he had to see Gilbert and Elizaveta holding hands or kissing again. Just the thought made him sick to his stomach, and even sicker in the chest from guilt.
He had nothing to do with their relationship, and so he really shouldn't care if they decided to make a rash decision such as restoring their relationship once again, even if he secretly disapproved.
"I'm back."
Lovino turned around to see Gilbert walking through the front door and quickly shutting it behind him. Apart of him felt relieved, but another part was so very curious.
"What happened?" he asked, not even waiting for Gilbert to finish removing his jacket and shoes, which were slightly wet. "And you're wet?"
"Oh, it started raining on the way back. And she wasn't home… so I guess she's still staying with a friend."
Well, if she wasn't home, then that meant Lovino's nightmare hadn't come true. But, it was also raining, which he hated. He hadn't even noticed the sounds of raindrops as he sat on the couch, deep in thought the entire time Gilbert was gone. He was probably just worrying for nothing.
"What's in there?" he asked, pointing to the backpack Gilbert was wearing, although he didn't leave with it on.
"Oh! While I was there, I picked up my awesome games so I wouldn't be bored anymore."
Gilbert smiled and practically ran into the living room. He opened the backpack and pulled out his gaming system and a couple of games to go along with it. After his little reunion with the inanimate objects, he connected the cords to the TV and turned it on with Lovino's permission.
"Wow, so, you play this whenever you're bored?" Lovino watched, kind of bored already as Gilbert started his RPG.
"Of course. Everyone who is anyone owns a PlayStation 3, and since you don't then that means you're a nobody," he teased.
Lovino didn't comment back on that unfunny joke, since his mind had stopped listening and he wandered back to his previous thoughts. Would Gilbert ever reconsider dating Elizaveta again? What if they had a dramatic reconciliation and ended up getting married and then having a child named Gilbert Jr.? Lovino's head was screaming with absurd thoughts and his eyes almost jumped from their sockets from the pressure.
"Gilbert, would you ever get back together with Liz if the two of you made up?" Lovino somehow brought himself to ask. His heart pounded in anticipation as Gilbert paused his game and gave Lovino an odd look that meant he shouldn't have even asked.
"It's like I said before, we aren't in love anymore… it sounds weird saying it, but when I think of her I don't feel those type of feelings anymore. I mainly just care for her as a person now, I guess. You know, instead of a girlfriend?"
Lovino stopped himself from sighing with relief, and watched as Gilbert stared off into space instead of resuming his game. He wondered if what he had asked was insensitive or something that strictly wasn't any of his business. But, why should he care about what the answer would have been? He seriously shouldn't have cared, but he did. He cared so much that he didn't know how to react.
"You know what, maybe I'll call her. She might not have my number blocked," Gilbert said, reaching for his cell phone on the coffee table but pausing. Maybe the fact that she wasn't home was some sort of sign that meant he shouldn't try contacting her yet.
"If that's what you want to do, then do it." Lovino shrugged and picked up his book to read, this time it wasn't a romance novel.
"But, what if she hates me? What if right now, she's wishing I was dead somewhere in a big ditch on the side of the road, waiting to be eaten by coyotes!" Gilbert shuddered at the thought and buried his face in the couch pillows next to him.
"What the hell are you saying? She's not like that, and she wouldn't wish that upon anyone. She may get angry sometimes and can kick anyone's ass, but she's not some witch that curses people." A deep frown spread on Lovino's face as he set the book down once more and decided if he should slap some sense into Gilbert or not.
"But… she has every right to want me dead."
Even though he wasn't saying it clearly, Lovino knew Gilbert was frightened right now. He knew that he had a big fear of being hated by people, even if he tried to make them think he didn't give a damn. Gilbert always acted as if he didn't care about what others thought, but it was the exact opposite no matter what he said or did.
"You won't be at peace until you contact her, right? Then give her a call." Lovino picked up the phone from the table and shoved it into Gilbert's hands. Maybe all he needed was a little encouragement.
"And if she doesn't want to talk to me?"
"Then she won't answer her phone. You could always try again another day, I'm sure she'll come around."
Perhaps Lovino was right, if she was ready to speak with him, then she would answer. If she didn't, then she wouldn't. Either way, someone had to make the first move in contacting each other, so Gilbert decided to give it a shot. He hesitantly stood up from the couch, and walked into the other room as he found her name in his contacts' list.
Elizaveta was having the time of her life. Roderich had taken her out to different places these past few days, and she loved every single one of them. He told her that it was unhealthy for a beautiful young woman such as herself to lie around the house all day, depressed. He didn't want to see the distressed expression on her delicate face any longer, so he decided to show her the good time that she deserved.
Tonight, he had taken her to see one of his favorite plays starring a rather famous actor. It was a very long play, but also very interesting and exciting, so it was almost a full house. At intermission, they exited the huge auditorium, laughing together and discussing the events that had happened in the play so far.
"I'm so grateful that you've taken me here, Roderich! This place is truly amazing," Elizaveta exclaimed, looking around at all the fancy décor in the hallway and the equally classy people. She herself wore her most beautiful dress that she had retrieved from her closet the day before, Roderich was amazed by her beauty.
"No need to thank me, you've told me that you have been wanting to come here, yes?"
"Oh yes, always! It makes me even happier to have come here with you. I can't wait until the next act starts."
"Neither can I. And, it brings me great joy to know you're having fun. Would you like me to get you a beverage?"
"If you'd be willing. I'll just have some water, please and thank you so much!"
"As you wish, milady." Roderich smiled and kissed the back of her hand, before walking off to get the beverages.
The great smile wouldn't leave her face as she put her hands to her rosy cheeks and sighed contently. She was ecstatic to have been having so much fun, but she sort of felt as if she was taking advantage of Roderich's kindness. For him to treat her to so many things at once was a little overwhelming, but she enjoyed every single bit of it to the fullest. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to have just a little more fun, before going back on her own. She'd definitely have to do something for him sometime, but she didn't know what.
Her thoughts were interrupted when the small tune of her ringtone chirped from inside of her designer handbag. If it was Belle, she'd definitely tell her how much fun she was having and of how happy she was to be going out with Roderich to these lavish places almost every night.
The cheeky grin from her face changed when she read the name of the caller. She looked as shocked as someone who had seen a ghost, and she almost dropped the phone from her hands as she fumbled with it. Her stomach was floating all over the place, and she didn't know whether to answer it or not. Truth be told, she had wanted to tell Gilbert off for awhile, but was too afraid to contact him. Her attitude slowly began changing though, after all these wonderful times out of the house. Now she had no idea what to say to him.
The phone didn't cease ringing, however. She knew that one of these days they'd have to talk to each other anyway, since they technically still lived together. Maybe she'd just listen to what he had to say, and then respond from there. Nothing could ruin her good mood now. She deeply inhaled before clicking the button and placing it to her ear, waiting for the voice on the other line.
"Hey, Liz… please don't hang up, if you're listening! I don't expect you to forgive me, nor do you have to actually care about what I have to say. You have every right to be angry with me, but I just needed to know if you're okay. So… that's why I'm calling now, because I can't stand not knowing if you're alright."
"Hello, Gilbert…"
Lovino continued to read as he patiently waited for Gilbert to return from the other room. He trusted that Gilbert knew what he was doing, and that everything would be alright. He was very curious as to what was being said, but as long as there wasn't any yelling going on, then there should be nothing to worry about. And, Gilbert had said there was no chance of them getting back together, so he didn't have to worry about that, either. Although, he felt like a pathetic sore loser for having worried about it in the first place.
Finally, Gilbert walked back into the room and sat back on the couch next to Lovino. They looked at each other and nodded, no words were needed to be exchanged. Gilbert chuckled to himself and resumed playing his game.
"What's so funny?" Lovino asked.
"God, that woman… she's far too kind to me. I think I would've been more comfortable if she had screamed into the phone and told me to go jump from a cliff. But, she said she was doing fine and I heard people in the background. So she must've been having fun somewhere. She… really deserves someone as equally kind as she is."
"Yeah, I agree. You get what you give, right? Or something like that."
Gilbert laughed again and nodded. Lovino was so glad to see a true smile on his face once more, and almost felt weak in the knees because of it. It was good that Gilbert and Elizaveta had made the first step to overcoming this situation, even if they hadn't really discussed it over the phone. Perhaps such things would be better discussed in person. At least they weren't hostile towards each other, even if they were a little awkward.
"What'd you say just now?" Lovino looked up from his book at Gilbert.
"Hm? I didn't say anything," he answered, and went back to slaughtering trolls on the video game.
"But, I was sure I heard some—"
Suddenly, the noise was heard again, but this time much louder and it caused Lovino to almost jump from the couch.
"Oh, that's just thunder and lightning. Told ya there was going to be a storm."
Lovino cursed under his breath and prayed that it would pass soon. Other than bastards, potatoes, or even potato bastards, he hated storms with that same passion. Ever since he was little, those evil clouds have terrorized his peace and caused him so much trouble, that was the main reason he loved summer more than every other season. Sure it was hot and annoying, but there weren't any storms. Now that autumn had shown its ugly face, he would be traumatized once more.
Everything would be okay, all he had to do was distract himself from the shitty weather! Yeah, he needed a distraction.
"Hey, um… we should play whatever the hell this game is together!" he suggested.
"Ah, this game is only one player. We could play a different game, though! Hold on, let me find a save point." Gilbert was now excited that Lovino actually wanted to play a game with him, for whatever reason. He'd definitely choose a fighting game next, and kick Lovino's ass just for the hell of it.
"You know what? Keep playing this game for a little while, it has some pretty sweet background music." Lovino quickly grabbed the remote and turned the volume up as far as it would go, which was a lot since he had surround sound speakers. His attempts to drown out the ferocious sounds of the storm was working!
"Um, Lovi! I think you've turned it up a little too much!" Gilbert yelled over the sound of arena music.
"No, no it's not loud enough!" Lovino tapped the volume button as hard as he could, but it was at its max. As if the storm knew what he was doing, it became even more ferocious and shook the windows slightly. At least he still had the tarp over the tree house, since it had rained just a little bit the previous day.
"Are you trying to make the neighbors call the police or something?" Gilbert grabbed the remote and turned the volume back down to its original level. He frowned at Lovino, who was trembling in his seat with his legs curled up to his chest and squeezing a pillow between his arms.
"Dammit, bastard! My strategy was working until you fucking ruined it!" he yelled, rocking back and forth.
"What the hell has gotten into you?"
The thunder gods roared even fiercer, before Lovino could even answer. Now Gilbert remembered that Lovino had always been so afraid of thunder and lightning when they were kids, but he had no idea the guy was still scared to death of simple weather changes. But, here he was, a grown man huddled up on the couch with a pillow over his head to try and drown out the terrible noises. It was actually extremely adorable, except the screams that came from his mouth after every lightning strike in the sky.
"Lovi… are you still afraid of storms?" he asked, although the answer was obvious.
"I'm not afraid! I just… I just fucking hate them, that's all!"
Okay, now that was just too damn cute. Who cares if he's an adult, Gilbert wanted to snuggle him tightly and tell him that the big bad storm would be gone soon! But, he actually had no idea how long it would last, and Lovino jumped every other second. Suddenly, he had an idea!
"Hold on, I have just the trick!"
Gilbert jumped up from the couch and ran up the stairs. Lovino hardly even noticed that he was gone, since he was concentrating on happy thoughts. Stupid childhood therapy! Thinking happy thoughts didn't work for these situations, and he would've murdered the therapist who put that bullshit into his head.
"Here, put these on." Gilbert suddenly reappeared with a pair of panda earmuffs in his hands. He sat down next to Lovino and smiled.
"Panda… earmuffs? What the hell are you doing with those, and why did you pack them if it won't be snowing for another two or three months?" Lovino frowned at the cute spectacle and didn't even want those things on his ears. They were far too embarrassing, even if they were the only two people home.
"Don't complain about the way they look! They're cute and awesome, I packed all my awesome things. Well, my most awesome things because everything I own is on a different level of awesome." Gilbert placed the earmuffs on Lovino's ears and gave him a thumbs up.
"Wow, this shit actually works. I can still hear you but… the storm sounds like a muffled sound from far away!"
"See, I told you! And, you look so cute." Gilbert smirked and patted his head.
"Shut up—"
Then everything suddenly turned pitch black, and he squealed before throwing himself at Gilbert, which caused the latter to fall back into the cushions with Lovino on top of him.
"Shit, the power went out. Lovi, relax, I can fix this!"
Gilbert almost had to use all his strength to pry Lovino's arms from around his neck. It was suffocating, but he finally managed to get the Italian off of him, and stood up from the couch to search for a flashlight.
"Where do you keep your flashlights?"
"In… in the drawer of my desk in the office room!" Lovino sputtered out, tightly clenching one of the pillows again.
"Alright, be right back!"
This had to be the worst night ever. It had gone from relaxing to terrifying in a matter of minutes, just when he and Gilbert were having a good time, too! It was also beyond embarrassing that he had revealed his long-time fear in front of his crush; he just wanted to die. It would have been different if they were still kids, but he was a damn man now, he had to be tough! Well, fuck that because he didn't feel tough at all.
At least he couldn't really hear the storm as much, anymore. These childish earmuffs come in handy, he thought to himself. He decided that the next time, he'd go to the store and buy some of his own, without the silly decoration, of course. Still, even though he couldn't really hear the scary sounds, it was still as dark as it could get. He could hardly even see his own hand in front of his face. The dark was another thing he hated, but maybe not as much.
"Boo!"
"AH! W-what the fuck, you stupid bastard! I hate you!" Lovino screamed and hit Gilbert with the pillow, as he'd somehow reappeared in front of him and pointed the flashlight in his face.
"Hey, hey! I was just kidding!" Gilbert laughed obnoxiously, almost to the point of tears.
"Get that thing out of my eyes, dammit."
"Sorry. Anyways, now that I've got the flashlight, we can light some candles until the electricity come back on. Where do you keep them?"
He was about to tell him, but decided that maybe this would be a chance to redeem his dignity.
"I can do it, I don't want you burning down my fucking house. Just… bring the flashlight."
Lovino scrambled to his feet and led the way into the kitchen with Gilbert right behind. He pulled out the matches and a few unused candles from one of the drawers, and they lighted them together. After placing a few in safe spots, he put the last one on the coffee table and collapsed onto the couch. All this parading around while half frightened to death was tiring.
"This sucks. I totally didn't even find the damn save point in time!" Gilbert pouted and lied down on the couch.
"Who cares about that— and hey! You're taking up all the damn space. I was sitting here first," he growled. He tried pushing Gilbert's legs out of the way since they were practically in his lap, but nothing was working.
"Technically I was here first, but I'm kind of tired so let me have some peace?"
"Like hell! I can always push your ass off this couch. It's mine, you know!"
"You could also always sleep in your bed upstairs. C'mon, don't be so mean, Lovi. I'll sit up once the power is back on I promise."
Lovino grumbled and stood up, then walked out of the room. Gilbert thought he had won but Lovino soon returned with a big blanket he had retrieved from the downstairs closet. Without a word, he plopped down onto the couch once again and lied down next to Gilbert. Since the couch wasn't quite big enough for two people to share in that position, he was actually half-way on top of Gilbert, as the rest of him squeezed onto the cushions so he wouldn't fall to the hardwood floor below.
"What are you doing?" Gilbert turned a deep shade of red from how close Lovino's face was to his.
"Since your stupid ass won't move, then you'll just have to deal with it."
There was no way in hell Lovino would go back to his own bedroom. He wouldn't even go up the stairs, since it was still pitch black up there. They'd only lit a few candles around the living room, the bathroom, and the kitchen. There was no telling how long the power would be off, and he was secretly still very frightened.
Gilbert smirked and pulled some of the blanket onto himself. "Are you still scared?"
"As if. By the way, if you ever tell anyone about this, I'll fucking kill you."
"I won't, as long as you don't tell anyone about me being a nervous wreck earlier. Then it's a deal."
Lovino nodded slightly and yawned, closing his eyes. He was actually too exhausted to even feel flustered about the fact that he and Gilbert were sleeping together, and so close like this, too. And, Gilbert smelled pretty good. His body was warm and smelled of the cinnamon rolls they had baked together and eaten earlier that day. Maybe it was just his imagination, but he soon began to drift off as he listened to Gilbert's soothing heartbeat not too far from his ear.
Whereas Lovino was practically asleep now, Gilbert found it hard to completely relax. He was kind of squished against the back of the couch, and being so close to Lovino was making him nervous. After a few minutes of trying to ignore the soft lips that weren't too far from his own, the electricity came back on.
"Oh, hey! It's back on, now I can make us some awesome hot cocoa with marshmallows!"
Lovino only groaned and nuzzled into Gilbert's neck. Well, that obviously meant he didn't want to get up. Maybe next time, then.
After finally leaving his boyfriend very early the next morning, Feliciano drove hectically back to his own home and hoped his brother wouldn't be too angry with him for skipping out. It wasn't often he got to spend the night at Ludwig's house, so he didn't want any interruptions. Besides, he was just as afraid of storms as Lovino was, so there was no way he'd go back home and deal with it like a soldier.
"I'm home!" he called out as cheerfully as he could, hoping Lovino would succumb to his sweetness in case he really was angry.
The house was silent, as he walked on through, and when he reached the living room he saw why. It was the most adorable sight he'd ever seen! Lovino and Gilbert were still cuddled together warmly on the couch, and the cutest pair of earmuffs were on his brother's ears for some reason. He didn't want to wake them up, but his silent giggling was enough to make Lovino stir.
"Mm… Feli?" Lovino lazily mumbled and he opened his eyes and stared up at the lively face above him.
"Oops, sorry to wake you! I'll go ahead and make breakfast to make up for my absence yesterday evening. Try not to wake Gilly." Feliciano smiled and waltzed into the kitchen to get to work.
As if he hadn't noticed the sleeping body wrapped around his own, Lovino's eyes widened as he gasped and remembered what had happened last night. Gilbert was still peacefully sleeping, with his arms wrapped around Lovino's waist. It was kind of adorable, but even more so embarrassing. He decided the best thing to do would be to get up and help Feliciano with breakfast before he would take a warm shower.
Gilbert groaned and tightened his grip as Lovino was about to get up.
"Hey, let go, I'm getting up."
"Nooo, stay," he mumbled, still half-asleep.
"Fucking hell, don't make me knee you down there, my leg is in the right spot!"
But, Gilbert refused to loosen his grip as he cuddled closer. This idiot was seriously too needy, and Lovino supposed he had no choice but to go back to sleep, for now.