A/N: Hi! There will be 1, maybe 2 more chapters after this one. Thanks to everyone who reviewed or are still reading this!
Whistling to himself and watching the cars go by on the street before him, Gilbert repeatedly checked his watch and made sure that his shoes were tied. Because, well, shoes should always stay tied. He reached up and ran a hand through his hair, which he made sure to wash perfectly earlier that morning. He almost wished that he had a mirror with him, to make sure that he didn't have anything on his face or in his teeth. Of course, he cleaned himself perfectly before going out, but there always seemed to be something missing.
Basically, he was nervous. That much was obvious to see. He knew that he shouldn't have been worried about his looks, since he's the sexiest and most awesome person alive. And that's exactly what he kept telling himself. He was awesome, hot, gorgeous, and had more charm than anyone. Maybe it was normal to be a little nervous, but the way that he continued to tap his foot and look around at the crowd of people walking by, meant that he was more than just a little nervous.
"Nothing to worry about, this is perfectly normal. Just like old times, except I'm looking as sexy as ever. Too bad I don't have a mirror. No wonder chicks always carry around that little make-up kit thing."
Gilbert settled with talking to himself to avoid chewing on his fingernails or something worse. Narrowing his eyes, he looked around once more before spotting a familiar head of hair between the crowd. Soon enough, that familiar head revealed an even more familiar face and he unconsciously held his breath. He pretty much stood there with his mouth partly open, staring as he was approached.
"Hey, sorry that I'm late, some things came up. But, you shouldn't mind because of all the times that I had waited for you, right?"
Elizaveta chuckled and teasingly winked. As if his brain reacted for him, Gilbert laughed along with whatever she had said because he was almost too nervous to think straight. After all, it had been exactly one month since their break-up, and it was the first time that they were meeting up together. He'd spoken to her on the phone a few times about where to meet, and simple things such as seeing how each other was doing. It was amazing how strong their friendship was, since they were still able to speak to each other after all the drama. Most normal couples would probably never want to see one another again, or they would be clawing each other's throats out by then.
"It's alright, I didn't mind waiting. In fact, I just got here myself!" he replied, trying his best to give a normal grin. Even though they weren't trying to kill each other, he still felt very awkward to be face-to-face with his ex who he had cheated on. Accident or not, Elizaveta still didn't know who it was or why he'd done it. Gilbert was just thankful that she never asked.
"Well then, shall we go inside now? I'm pretty hungry, so just smelling the food from out here is luring me in!"
"Sure. Um, I'm starving, too." Gilbert nodded at Elizaveta's request and followed her behind as they entered through the double doors of the restaurant they were near.
He wondered to himself the entire time as they were seated. How would he keep the conversation going so that there wouldn't be any awkward silence? He had promised himself that this meeting would be very tranquil and orderly. He was going to be mature and cut the jokes to a minimum, in case things were supposed to be serious.
Of course, he knew how to be serious and orderly already! He had always been, during the important meetings at his job when they had to discuss the development of their current project. He knew all about keeping things on-topic and whatnot, but this was different. This was not a business meeting to discuss how to develop a video game. This was about his relationship status with Elizaveta, and how they would arrange their living situations.
"Do you know what you're getting yet, Gilbert?" she suddenly asked.
Gilbert looked up from his menu, which he hadn't really even been reading, and saw that their waitress was waiting for his order. He decided to choose a random dish that he often got whenever they used to visit that same restaurant together. Surprisingly, he even chose a glass of soda instead of beer! That had to be impressive, he just knew it.
"Are you alright? You're not sick, are you?" she asked, observing Gilbert's restless movement as his eyes continued to move around in all directions.
"What? Of course I am. I'm pretty awesome right now. What about you? You seem like you've got stuff going on."
"You know, even if I can't tell what you're thinking most of the time, I can easily tell when you're lying." Elizaveta sighed and rolled her eyes. "But, I do suppose that's how most men are about their feelings, huh? But, you should really loosen up!"
Well, she was right about that. If she wasn't a nervous wreck then there was no reason for him to be, either. It's not like he wanted to be nervous around her, but the everlasting guilt continued to fill his mind and he couldn't help wondering why she was even talking to him.
Gilbert fidgeted around with the little bottle of ketchup and tried his best to keep up a normal conversation while they awaited their meal. "Well, um, how've you been? I know we only talked a couple days ago, but whatever."
"I've been pretty great, to be honest. Lots of things have been going in my favor career-wise, too. Oh! And did you hear that Belle might be getting engaged soon?"
While he didn't really plan on listening to gossip, Gilbert supposed some random topic was better than nothing at all.
"What about you? I know you're staying with Ludwig now, how's that treating you?"
"Ach, don't even get me started on that. I mean, I guess it's pretty chill most of the time, except when he gets mad about me finishing the last beer. But, he seriously doesn't get any of my jokes! I swear I was given all of the funny genes in this family." Gilbert huffed and crossed his arms on his chest, thinking about the awesome prank he pulled the night before, which earned him many chores to do since he had made a disastrous mess.
"Well, that much is to be expected. After all, your so-called 'jokes' are usually just cruel antics and not funny at all."
"Hey! They are totally funny and you know it! That's why you can't help but laugh at them all the time."
"That's because I felt sorry for you! They're usually more annoying than anything else," she laughed, as Gilbert groaned in irritation. Though, he was glad to have actually made her laugh and perhaps this conversation was actually getting somewhere now.
"Anyways, don't drive him too crazy, he has enough to deal with as it is. So, what about Lovino?"
Gilbert raised his eyebrows at the mention of that certain someone and shrugged. Lovino had been a little weird around him for the past couple weeks, ever since he stopped staying in Lovino and Feliciano's home. It almost made him worried, but only almost, because he's too awesome to worry about random crap like that. Sometimes, however, he wished that he'd stayed with them just a bit longer. Being with Ludwig was alright and he was thankful that his brother let him stay there, but at least he got to see Lovino everyday before. He'd gotten so used to it, that not being around Lovino made him feel a little incomplete inside.
"Uh, I don't know. Lovino is Lovino, I guess. I don't care that he doesn't really call me as much anymore. And, I definitely don't care that when I call him, he hardly contributes to the conversation when he's busy."
Elizaveta giggled to herself at the sight of Gilbert pouting and his pale cheeks turning a shade of bright pink as he complained. His statements were obviously lies, and it was actually a bit adorable.
"I'm sure he has his reasons. But, you basically miss staying with him?"
"Yeah, as if! If anything, he misses me staying with him. I'm just that lovable."
"Sure, sure. Whatever you say," she giggled again, and smiled when their food finally arrived to their table.
Gilbert was about to dig into his Currywurst but then remembered about his goal to be orderly. Well, it wasn't as if he had been proper and all that junk when they were still dating, so he figured there wasn't any point in changing now. Still, the least he could do was not make a mess.
"So… what about you and 'Spec— I mean, Roderich?" he asked, nearly grunting from the sound of that foul name coming out of his mouth.
"Oh, well after I stayed with him for a short while, I went back home. However, Roderich's offered me to stay with him whenever I wish to, so I'm unsure of what I'll do for now."
Gilbert winced a little at the idea, but shrugged it off. It wasn't like he was jealous that Elizaveta was showing interest in someone else, but the fact that it was Roderich made him feel a little uneasy. He knew how strongly those two felt about each other, so he definitely wouldn't care if they decided to date one day. However, he wouldn't want to congratulate them, either.
"What are you laughing about?" she asked, pausing from sipping her drink when she noticed Gilbert silently chuckling to himself.
"Nothing, it's nothing."
"No, tell me! I want to laugh, too."
He thought for a second, and then smirked. "Ah, well it's just, you've always been this badass chick, you know? You don't take shit from anyone, and even though you act all lady-like now, you can still kick anyone's ass if you wanted to."
"Well, that's obviously true. But, I'm flattered you haven't forgotten who I truly am," she said, chuckling and going back to eating.
"Yeah… so, I just don't understand why haven't decapitated me yet."
She nearly choked on her food, finding that comment to be nothing short of hilarious. But, she soon went back to thinking seriously again.
"Hm… despite the fact that you're a big jerk most of the time and a lot of other unmentionable things, I guess you can say that I still care about you. I also find it hard to get so worked up over things now, it's just not worth it. And, while it would be easier to blame everything on you and say it's all your fault, it truly isn't. Well, not all of it. Besides, I'm not the type of girl to take the easy way out of things, now am I?"
"You sure aren't. Well… I don't know whether to say thank you or I'm sorry, maybe both."
"You can decide that later. Now, hurry up and finish your food! We still have to discuss what we came here to talk about."
"This is boring, you promised that we'd do something fun if I hung out with you bastards for a little while."
Lovino sighed impatiently and crossed his arms on his chest. He wasn't especially busy today, so he had accepted Antonio's invitation to go out for fruit smoothies. Though, his time was running out and all Francis continued to do was suggest stupid things or unnecessary ones. Sitting outside of the ice cream shop and drinking smoothies wasn't exactly fun, either.
"Relax, Lovi. We'll do something once Gil finally arrives. He texted me back saying that his lunch with Elizaveta went 'awesomely smooth' and so he's on his way here right now," Francis said, loudly slurping his drink.
"Yeah, but that was about twenty minutes ago now, he's fucking slow… not that I care if he even shows up." Lovino quickly added in that last statement so that it didn't seem as if he missed Gilbert's company. However, the faint blush on his cheeks told it all.
"It's okay to say that you miss him. I miss him, too. He's been so distant lately," Antonio said.
"I don't miss him, in fact I don't miss any of you when we don't hang out for a while."
"Ah, typical Lovino. The world's biggest liar, yet he lacks the ability to convince anyone." Francis only laughed and shook it head. He knew that it was impossible to argue against someone as stubborn as Lovino, so he didn't even try.
"I'm not lying! I seriously don't care… speak of the devil, here comes the bastard now."
With a wide grin on his face, Gilbert finally arrived and walked up to the outside table that the others were sitting at. As expected, he plopped down into a chair next to Lovino and even scooted it over so that they were closer to each other.
"Well, I'm amazed that you really came back alive. She didn't at least give you a hard slap across the face?"
"No, Francis. I already told you, we're cool again… well pretty much," Gilbert answered, then gazed around at the others who were happily drinking their frozen beverage. They looked delicious beyond belief, even if the weather was actually cool that day, he still wanted one.
"Those look good, let me taste one of yours," he asked.
Antonio gestured towards the entrance of the shop and shrugged. "You know, all you have to do is go buy one. I'm almost done with mine."
"I don't really want an entire cup, I just ate lunch. So, let me just get a sip!"
"Hell no, if you want any of it then get your own! That's what you get for being late, anyway." Lovino stuck his tongue out and then quickly slurped the rest of his smoothie before Gilbert could get any.
"What ever happened to 'sharing is caring' and all that junk? Like at the picnic?"
Francis quirked an eyebrow in wonder. "Hm? What picnic?"
"Nothing, he's just being an idiot as usual. Shut up, Gilbert."A hint of a blush appeared on Lovino's cheeks as he tried to forget about the banana pudding.
"I really don't appreciate being called anything but awesome. Oh, and sexy. You can call me sexy whenever your little heart wants to."
"Anyway, what did you and Lizzy decide on?" Antonio interrupted, when it looked as if Lovino would flip the table over.
"Ah, well, she says that she might move somewhere closer to where she works. She's been wanting to do that for a long time, but we could never agree on the decision." He sighed nonchalantly and then added, "From the looks of it, she'll probably move in with Roderich one of these days. They already act like a couple as it is, so it's only natural that they'd soon start dating and then, you know."
"That's not a bad speculation… does it bother you?" Francis asked.
"Of course not! I don't care what she does with'Specs anymore. However, I am going to miss that little house of ours… but, I'm still staying with Luddy for now."
"Well, this was a fun waste of time. And, I'd love to stay and chat with you fine gentlemen, but I have to get the fuck out of here now." With that sarcastic tone, Lovino stood up from the table and tossed his empty cup into a nearby garbage can.
"What? You're leaving already?"
Gilbert unexpectedly grabbed his wrist to keep him from walking off. Lovino looked down at the hand holding him, but didn't try to get loose. The childish pout on Gilbert's face was far too sweet to ignore, not that he cared, so he frowned slightly and nodded.
"Yes, I'm leaving already. I've been here for a while, actually. You were just late."
"Aw, Lovi, I thought you said that you weren't busy today?" Antonio asked, joining Gilbert in his irritating whining.
"I'm not, but I have to pick Feliciano up from class. He forgot to put air in the tires of his stupid car, so it has like two flats now."
"Can't he walk home and then you stay here?"
"No, Gilbert. As much as he annoys me, I'm not going to make my brother walk half-way across the damn city."
"I made Luddy do something similar to that a couple years ago!" Gilbert said, snickering.
"That's because you're a horrible older— actually… good job, serves the potato bastard right. Anyway, now stop distracting me!"
Gilbert lightly tugged on Lovino's arm and never let the pout leave his face. "I know my awesomeness is a distraction, but you're being unfair."
"How the hell am I being unfair? And… stop that. No. No, don't make that face. Stop, dammit."
"Hm? What face are you talking about? I'm just being my usual sexy self," he said, and poked his lip out further, slightly quivering it in hopes that Lovino would give in.
"Look… maybe we can hang out later, okay? Just not right now."
"Sounds like an awesome plan! Wait, do you promise?"
"Promise? Ugh, now you sound like a fucking child. I don't have to promise anything, and I said maybe so that means I'm unsure."
Lovino tried to look away as Gilbert began to bat those eyes up at him, but he failed to do so and this situation was beyond annoying now. Agreeing was his best bet, so he quickly nodded.
"Fine! I… promise, dammit. Once you stop being annoying, you can come over to our place later. Now, let my wrist go or I'll have no choice but to rip the skin off of your hand with my teeth."
Gilbert finally let go and smiled. "Sweet, it's a date. Maybe we should go see a movie or something."
"W-what? It's not a date! Now… bye!"
The other three waved him off as he left. A quiet, disappointed sigh came from Gilbert's lips as he fiddled with the unused napkins on the table. He paid no attention to the two pairs of eyes that were resting on him now.
"I guess some people got bitten by the love-bug?" Antonio said, chuckling lightly.
"What?"
Francis rolled his eyes and smirked. "Oh come on, Gil. Don't act stupid, even Tonio can see it. There's so much sexual tension between you and Lovino, that even I can hardly stand it. I mean, I noticed something a couple months back, but now it's completely out in the open and it's almost suffocating."
"What the hell are you talking about? There's nothing going on between us, stop joking around… you know Lovi would have your head if he heard you say that." Gilbert laughed loudly and nervously, before averting his eyes elsewhere to avoid the curious glares.
"So, you don't like him, then?" Antonio asked.
"Of course I like him— Wait, what kind of 'like' are we speaking of here? Because, I like him in the same way that I like you guys!"
"Then, why don't you act the way you just did whenever Tonio and I have to leave suddenly?"
"That's obviously because I see you two way more often than I see Lovi. Yeah… that's exactly why. And, he's always been like our little brother ever since we were kids! Even though he's as big as us now. Nothing's going on, so shut up."
"Why can't you look us in the eyes and say that? Instead of looking everywhere else?"
Shit, Francis was right. Gilbert was looking up and down, left and right, even trying to gaze into outer space. His face was already insanely red and now the pressure was getting to him. He really wished that Francis and Antonio weren't his best friends at that moment. If they had been his enemies and were accusing him of such things, he would have knocked their teeth in. And then ran, of course, because two versus one isn't fair, even for someone as awesomely strong as he is.
"M-maybe… maybe I have those sort of feelings for Lovino. Just maybe I like him."
"Yeah. Maybe you like Lovi, and maybe Tonio likes tomatoes. And just maybe I really like attractive men and women."
"Fuck, alright. I don't need your sarcastic tone, 'Franny'. I like Lovino… I mean I really, really like him. Satisfied?"
Both Antonio and Francis could only stare in slight shock, before randomly starting to applaud.
"What the fuck? Stop clapping!" Gilbert groaned and wished he had wore his sweater instead, so that maybe he could hide his burning face.
"Out of the many things that you and Lovi have in common, the most visible aspect has to be your ability to look so cute when you're embarrassed!"
"Tonio, make him shut up. This shit is not funny."
"Sorry, Gilly. But, I agree with him. You actually look very cute right now that you have your face buried in your arms!"
Gilbert's embarrassed expression soon changed to a sad one as the other two began chatting about the situation as if he wasn't even there.
"Why do you guys care, anyway? I thought you'd disapprove… or something like that, I don't know."
"Why would we?" they both asked at the same time, ceasing their senseless chatter and returning their attention to him.
"Because, you know how it is when two friends become more than just… friends. And, if they're fighting or they break up, then that stupid shit makes it awkward for the rest of the friends in the group. Then everyone thinks they have to choose sides, and it's all a bunch of pointless drama."
Francis gasped and raised a hand. "So, let me get this straight, you're doubting yourself and your ability to keep a relationship intact? That's a new one. I've definitely never heard of Gilbert 'Awesome' Beilschmidt doubting himself in anything."
"Like hell I'm doubting myself! I'd never do such a thing, I'm not you."
"Regardless if you're doubting yourself or not, Gilly… we're your friends and we support you. I don't see anything wrong with you having a crush on Lovi. It's not breaking a 'friend code' or anything like that, it's just… being a normal person. Lots of people fall for their friends. And, I think that Lovino is a very caring and passionate person in his own way!" Antonio gave a reassuring smile and gently patted him on the shoulder.
"Oh, um… thanks, Toni. I guess you may be right about that. You know, you're a really good friend."
"So, when do you plan to seduce him?" Francis asked, completely ruining the moment.
"Woah, woah! Who said I was going to do that? It's not like I even need to seduce him, I'm so awesome that he'd probably be the one to chase after me! So, there's no need for that. I like him, but I'm not expecting anything."
Finding that a little hard to believe, Francis tried to elaborate that statement. "What does that mean? You're content with the way things are now, or you're saying that your feelings will die down someday and you'll forget this even happened?"
Gilbert quickly shook his head and frowned deeply at those ridiculous assumptions. "No, I didn't say that! I… these feelings I have for Lovino will never change. Ever. I know that for a fact. I mean, why else would I be saying this mushy shit right now that you only hear in stupid romance novels?"
Antonio tilted his head, very confused by that notion. "Then, why don't you want to make a move on him?"
"Oh, I don't know, maybe the fact that I just broke up with my girlfriend only a month ago? Yeah, she and I were dating for two whole years. I'm not sure if you noticed or got the memo, I just thought I'd let you know."
"Okay, okay. No need to get sarcastic. But, I have to say, I feel so proud of you! Ah, I remember those college days… you used to say 'screw relationships, I can sleep with whomever I want to'! And now look, you're all grown up, taking your time and not wanting to make the same mistake again. It's good to learn from your experiences." Francis nearly had to wipe a tear from his eye as he scooted closer to Gilbert and pulled him into a tight hug.
Gilbert wiggled around in his grasp, groaning as Antonio joined in on the hug. "Come on, get off of me before I suffocate! And… that's because I'm even more mature and awesome than I was back then! I know, how can that be possible when I was already so perfect? But, it did happen. Anyway, don't talk to me about that stuff when you have a different partner every other month."
Francis huffed and finally let go, slightly offended. It wasn't his fault so many people craved his love! And, he wasn't the type to deny anyone of their wishes.
"Well excuse me for practicing free love. I can't help it if I'm searching for my soul mate!"
"Whatever you say, Francis! Anyway, just do whatever makes you feel most comfortable, Gilly. We'll be right behind you, and who knows, maybe Lovi feels the same way. You two just have so much in common, I'm sort of envious." Antonio gave Gilbert one last friendly hug before resting his elbows on the table and sighing. It must've been nice to have someone to relate to.
"You really think so? I mean, I know I'm awesome and all… and Lovi's pretty fucking awesome, too."
"I agree. And, you both lie about how you truly feel because you think it's embarrassing to tell the truth. You two also complain about how your little brothers annoy you, yet you both rely on them for a lot of things, particularly you, Gil. You also hide your insecurities very poorly. You each have different ways of taking your frustrations out on people, and you're both afraid of being left behind—"
"Okay, Frenchie! I didn't ask you to list our similarities, and half of those aren't even true," Gilbert said, puffing out his cheeks and grumbling.
"See, you even called me 'Frenchie' just like Lovi does when he's irritated, and now your cheeks are puffy and cute like his!"
Gilbert supposed it was 'game over' then, since he now had no control over his bright red face and the feeling of a million butterflies in his stomach. Just thinking about Lovino after this awkward but relieving conversation made his body want to melt. All of these feelings that he hadn't acknowledged in so long were a tad overwhelming, even for him. It became even worse when he imagined actually confessing to Lovino, the only person who could make his heart skip a beat even if he wasn't there physically.
"Whatever, I don't really care anymore… and Toni, would you stop poking my cheeks now?"
Seeing the irritated glare in Gilbert's eyes, Antonio ceased harassing those cheeks that reminded him so much of Lovino, it was almost scary.
"Don't worry, Gil. It's just like Tonio said, you'll be fine! Since you're not an expert on love like I am, just take your time. Things will work themselves out in your favor sooner or later, I believe so."
After receiving many more pats on the shoulder and a thumbs up, Gilbert nodded and his lips curved into that usual mischievous grin.
"Yeah, I hope so."
Lovino grabbed his wallet from inside of the drawer in his bedroom and shoved it into his pocket. After making sure his hair was as perfect as usual, he winked to himself in the mirror and made his way down the stairs. Of course, Feliciano was at the bottom of these steps, sadly peering up at him as if those puppy eyes would work. However, Lovino had already told himself that he wouldn't give into those eyes.
"Huh? Where's my cell phone? I left it right here on the coffee table."
"If I tell you where it is, will you let me come with you?" Feliciano asked, smiling as wide as he could.
"So you know where it is? Hm, how about you tell me before I push you so that only your head is in the closet, and then slam the door on your neck?"
Feliciano gasped and shook his head, actually a little terrified. "You wouldn't!"
"Oh I wouldn't? Try me."
He definitely didn't want to try anything any time soon, so he revealed the phone from behind his back and handed it to Lovino. He also made sure he wasn't so close, in case Lovino's patience had already run out.
"Why can't I go with you guys?" he whined.
"Because, I'm hanging out with my friends, just like you always hang out with your bastard 'college buddies'. So you're not coming."
"They're my friends, too. Besides, when I offer you to come with me and my other friends to fun places, you say no."
Lovino groaned irritably and began walking towards the door, figuring this conversation couldn't get any stupider.
"That's because I don't know your friends… not that I even want to! Anyway, we'll be back soon so shut your mouth until then, alright? Maybe… just maybe I'll bring you something back. I still don't know where we're going, though, so don't expect anything good." Lovino quickly grabbed his long black sweater out of the closet and waved as he opened the front door.
"Okay then, have fun!" Feliciano called out.
It had only been two days since Lovino last saw them before he had to leave early because of Feliciano. But, he was still a bit excited to hang out with Antonio, Francis, and Gilbert again. Going to the movies with Gilbert that day was more fun than he had imagined. It was actually sort of like a date, except for the presence of Feliciano. That was probably the one time that Lovino wished Feliciano had been at Ludwig's place, that way he could have been alone with Gilbert.
Once Lovino had reached their meeting spot, he nearly smiled when he saw Gilbert standing there waiting. When their eyes met, he could feel a sudden blush coming on, but he soon distracted when he took notice of two certain main details missing.
"Where are those other two bastards? Are we early? I was sure this was the time," he said, approaching Gilbert and standing before him.
"Uh, well… they aren't coming."
"What? Why the hell not?" Lovino's tone was already angry, as he grumbled curse words under his breath.
"Francis called me earlier, saying that he was very sick. Then, he said that Toni was taking care of him since he couldn't get out of bed, or some shit like that."
"Francis? Sick? That's unusual… although, Tonio taking care of him isn't. Wow, what a couple of losers!"
"Yeah… seriously unawesome."
Though, Gilbert knew that had been a complete lie. There were too many coincidences, besides the fact that Francis almost never got sick. He knew what those two were really trying to do, and it nearly pissed him off. If it weren't for Lovino's overall attractiveness standing in front of him, then he probably would have gone to Francis's house to smack him around. After all, that's what the bastard deserved for purposely ditching them and tricking Antonio into doing it, too. All of this, just so Lovino and Gilbert would have some 'alone time' and seem as if they were on an actual date.
"So, where are we going? I was never told anything." Lovino impatiently tapped his foot and waited for an answer. So far, things weren't going well. But, that was only because the fact that he would be alone with Gilbert hadn't reached his mind yet.
"Toni came by Luddy's apartment last night and gave me a couple of tickets. I'm not sure what they're used for, but he told me the address so let's go, yea?"
"Alright, but this place better have some fucking food. I'm starving."
Gilbert laughed and wrapped his arm around Lovino's shoulder as they began walking. "You read my mind, Lovi!"
"Targets have begun to make their way to the desired location. Let's get a move on."
"You mean Gilly and Lovi?"
"No, Tonio. You have to refer to them as targets! I thought we already went over this," Francis grumbled, setting down the binoculars that he had previously used to spy on Gilbert and Lovino. He and Antonio were only a few yards away from them behind a bush, so they waited until the other two had gotten a certain distance before stealthily following behind.
"I don't get it. You said we'd ditch so that they can get some time alone… you never told me that we'd stalk them."
"I know, but isn't it much more fun like this? See, this way we don't have to wait until their little date is over. We'll get a front row seat!" Francis mischievously rubbed his hands together and chuckled as he made sure to keep a nice distance from the two ahead of them. This was probably his best plan for entertainment yet!
"But, it just doesn't feel right. Stalking them, I mean. It's bad enough that we lied to them, so I think that we should give them some privacy." Antonio continued to nervously pester, as it seemed his every warning was getting ignored by the excited blonde man to his left.
"This isn't stalking, this is supervising. We're here to help Gilly win over that Italian volcano who is always ready to erupt.
"Hm… so, how are we helping him by watching?"
"Well… if he screws something up, we'll be right there to cheer him back up and give him support, just like we said that we would!"
"Alright, if you say so. I do hope it goes well, though!"
When they approached the place of which the address belonged to, both Lovino and Gilbert stared in disbelief and their jaws nearly dropped.
"This… is the place that we were all going to go to?" he asked, turning to Gilbert with a questioning glare. He hoped like hell that it was just the wrong address.
"Uh, yeah… I obviously didn't forget the address. He even wrote it down a this little paper," Gilbert answered, retrieving the paper from his pocket, which Lovino instantly snatched from him.
"God dammit, you're right. But… an aquarium? Really? What does he think we are, children? I haven't been here since middle school!"
Obviously just as disappointed about this as Lovino was, Gilbert shrugged and scratched his head, before getting an idea.
"Well, if you don't want to be here, we could exchange the tickets and keep the money or—"
"Are you kidding? I mean, we're already here, so… so we might as well go in and laugh at how childish and lame it is! Not that doing so is fun, but it's better than not doing anything at all." Lovino turned away to hide his blush, silently mumbling to himself. Even though the location was shitty, he really didn't want to separate from Gilbert.
"Hell yeah! We can laugh at all the weird-looking fish and watch as stupid parents fail to control their children. Let's go!" Practically cheering now, Gilbert grabbed Lovino's hand and ran inside of the huge building.
"Targets have entered the building. Time to scout behind them and scan the area."
"Francis, do you think that you can stop talking like that? I barely understand what you're saying. I didn't even know that you liked spy movies."
I really picked a bad partner this time, Francis thought to himself as he once again hid the binoculars in his pocket. He then turned around and sympathetically put a hand to Antonio's shoulder, shaking his head.
"Tonio… my dear, sweet Spaniard. Haven't you ever heard of role-playing?" he asked.
"Of course, but I don't see how that relates—"
"I've had many partners who had a thing for role-playing in bed. It's like their kink. I'm neutral about the subject, but it's very fun once you get used to it! That is where I learned my spying skills. You should try it sometime, it may be useful in more ways than foreplay. Now, we can't lose them, so hurry up!"
Since he really didn't have a choice, Antonio quickly followed behind as they entered the same building and turned in their tickets. Unfortunately, there were quite a lot of people visiting since it was the weekend, so they had to search around for a short while until they finally spotted Lovino and Gilbert again.
"We don't want to seem suspicious, so we'll have to blend in with the crowd," Francis said, casually leaning against a wall as many people walked by.
"How do we blend in if most of the people here are small children and single mothers?"
"You're right about that— Oh? Single mothers you say? Ah, well then it's my lucky day… no, no this is not the time. We'll have to focus on those two for now, I'll use my handsome charms later."
"I guess this is not as bad as I thought… I didn't know that they had completely remodeled this place. Everything looks pretty interesting now. I mean, for a stupid aquarium," Lovino admitted, gently tapping a finger against a tank with seahorses inside of it.
"Hey, don't tap on the glass. They can hear that, you know. It is kind of awesome in here, though. There's so many different colorful fishes and even things that I've never seen before! I still say that the stingrays are the best, though."
Lovino smiled to himself for a short moment at how excited Gilbert seemed now. At least one of them was having a good time. In fact, they both were, but Lovino refused to admit to himself that a few mere sea creatures were interesting to him. The only animals he found interesting were farm animals, and that was because he could eat them.
"Look at these ones, Lovi. Puffer fish! They get almost as puffy as your red cheeks," Gilbert said, then laughed obnoxiously and avoided Lovino's evil glare.
"Yeah? Well, once we find the creepy-looking fish, then I'm going to get you back!"
Antonio fiddled with a rubber band he'd found on the floor, as he and Francis ducked behind the corner to continue their spying. Well, Francis was doing all of the watching, while he busied himself with anything that he could find.
"What are they doing now?" he asked, peeking around the corner. However, every time he did so, Francis urged him to stand back and stay in cover.
"Gilbert's using his cheeks to imitate the Puffer fish… Lovino looks a little amused… basically, they're making no progress at all. Gilbert hasn't even touched him since they entered the building! I'm starting to wonder if he's purposely keeping his distance."
"Maybe he doesn't want to ruin anything? I don't know, but can we go now? I feel like having something delicious!"
Francis simply shook his head and continued to stare into the binoculars. "Not yet. Be patient, my darling sidekick… in fact, I have a plan!"
Antonio watched as Francis grabbed the rubber band from his hand and turned back around. He entangled it around a couple of his fingers in a strange way, and then aimed towards Gilbert and Lovino's direction.
"Ow! What the fuck was that?" Lovino groaned, when the rubber band hit him in the cheek. Luckily for Francis, it bounced off and landed somewhere unknown so that Lovino wouldn't know someone had intentionally struck him.
"Francis! Why did you do that to Lovi? I'm going to go see if he's alright."
"No, Tonio! Stand here and watch, it's starting now," he warned, holding his arm in front of the slightly angry Spaniard.
"What happened? Your left cheek is suddenly so red." Gilbert looked very worried as he gently placed a hand on Lovino's cheek and used his thumb to slowly rub the skin. It wasn't bleeding or anything, but the mark was even more red than when Lovino got angry.
"It's fine… something suddenly hit me, that's all." Lovino's face heated up at a miraculous rate as Gilbert continued to examine his cheek. The stinging pain seemed to have vanished and was now replaced with all sorts of embarrassing feelings.
"Yeah, you'll be fine. Do you want to go check out the bigger fishes and then go outside afterwards? We've seen all the other sections, and we've been here for a little over an hour now."
Lovino nodded, albeit a little sadly. "Sure… are you bored now or something?"
"Not at all, this was actually pretty fun! And it was also fun teasing you by saying that you looked like all of those different fishes. But, my stomach is killing me now. I need some food!"
"Oh, same here. This place doesn't really have food, though… do you want to get a churro from one of the snack stands outside by the fountain? We can go somewhere else to get real food afterwards."
"Sounds like an awesome plan."
"Ah! They're coming this way, duck behind something quickly!" Francis scurried behind a big plant and turned his head, glad that he was at least wearing sunglasses and a hat. Antonio stayed in the same spot, but went completely unnoticed since there were many people walking by in that wide hallway.
"Looks like they're going outside. Time to follow."
"Francis, isn't this enough? I'm still angry at you for flicking Lovi with a rubber band, and I'm extremely hungry now." Antonio pouted and refused to go any further, wishing he could've been at home right then, becoming one with his homemade salsa.
"I promise that I'll get you a churro after this. Now, be a good boy, our mission is almost done."
Unfortunately, there weren't as many people outside as there were inside, so they had to take cover in a bush on the other side of the churro stand. The smell of that sugary, sweet treat was mouth-watering and they were glad when Gilbert and Lovino finally got their turn in line.
"Not much activity from the targets… Gilbert bought a really, really long churro. What a glutton… oh, wait! They're sharing it, this is good progress!" Francis whispered, peeking through the leaves of the bushes as the two 'love birds' slowly began to devour the warm churro.
"Ah… that looks so delicious… you're buying me one that size!"
"Sure, sure. Look at Gilly now, what's he… oh, he's wiping the cinnamon from Lovi's cheek! Smooth one! Good boy, I taught him well. Oh, but Lovi doesn't seem to appreciate it. He's extremely flustered now, isn't he?"
"Francis, I think this is starting to turn into a private moment, so maybe we shouldn't—"
"Don't talk, just look! What are they doing? Is that what I think it is… Gilly's suddenly very close to him, but I think they're really kissing!"
As if forgetting about his previous warning, Antonio gave up the whole 'privacy' thing and nearly pushed Francis out of the way to get a better look. And just as he'd said, Gilbert's face seemed to be very close to Lovino's, and his hands were also resting on the Italian's shoulders.
"Wow, I didn't think they'd get to this part so quickly. Ah, I'm so happy for them!" Antonio exclaimed, pulling his head back from between the leaves to finally give them some privacy.
"Gilbert… w-what the h-hell are you doing?" Lovino stuttered, when he found his face extremely close to Gilbert's and a hand on each of his shoulders. All he knew was that Gilbert had suddenly stopped talking, and then leaned in as close as possible. However, he stopped right before their lips met and stood there, staring into Lovino's eyes.
"Shhh, we're being watched, just go along with it," he finally whispered, then used his eyes to scan the nearby bushes.
"Being watched? What are you… huh?"
Just as he had suddenly leaned in closely, Lovino found soon that Gilbert's face was suddenly so far from his again. He was still insanely confused, but Gilbert then took his hand and began to lead him somewhere.
"I'll have to admit, Gil must have a little bit of game if he got Lovi to kiss him so early. But, what will happen afterwards?" Francis quickly peeked back into the bushes to find that they were gone. They were no longer in front of the fountain anymore, and he couldn't see them by the trees on the other side, either.
"Where did they go?" Antonio asked.
"I have no idea— wait, if there wasn't any yelling, then that must've meant that Lovino enjoyed the kiss. And, if they aren't there anymore, then… they must've left to go 'enjoy' each other's company!"
"N-no way! Lovi wouldn't do that, well I don't think he would… no, he wouldn't! Not that fast!"
"Where else could they have gone? Ah, this is so exciting! I'll have to ask him to tell me all about it. Despite what's been said, I still believe Lovi's a virgin. That would explain why he gets so flustered whenever we talk about sex! He probably lied about those couple adventurous times in college, when he said he slept with those girls."
"Why the fuck are you guys here, talking about my damn sex life?"
Francis and Antonio nearly jumped when they heard Lovino's terribly angry voice scratching in their ears. They hesitantly turned around from the bush and looked up as both Lovino and Gilbert stood over them. Gilbert looked annoyed and disappointed, whereas Lovino looked confused and as if he'd surely rip their throats out.
"Oops, looks like we've been caught," Antonio said, chuckling as if it had all been a game.
"Hey, lovelies! I'm not sick anymore, so we decided to surprise—"
"Cut the bullshit. Why are you guys here in the bushes, spying on us and talking about my fucking sex life? Answer. Now!"
Antonio scratched his head and shrugged. "Francis said it would be a good idea. Ah, I'm sorry Gilly, Lovi."
"What's wrong with you? You actually look a little sick," Gilbert said.
"I haven't eaten all day, and since we've been following you around. Francis said he'd get me a big churro, but he has yet to do that."
"Ah… Lovi, here." Gilbert reached into his pocket and pulled out a couple dollars, then shoved them into Lovino's hands. "Can you go get him a churro?"
"What? Why? The sneaky bastard can go get it himself!"
"Just do it, please?"
Lovino narrowed his eyes at the three of them, then stomped off to do as he was told.
"Look, guys. Remember what I said the other day? I'm not trying to rush into another relationship!"
"I know, Gil. We were just trying to help you out a bit. Really, we meant no harm by it," Francis said, a little surprised by the anger in Gilbert's eyes.
"Someone as awesome as me doesn't need help with this kind of stuff. But, we were actually kind of looking forward to hanging out with you guys today. You know, just the four of us, as best friends and nothing more?"
"I'm really sorry, Gilly. Even though Francis dragged me into it, I guess I did contribute to the spying a little bit. But, things went well, right? Didn't you kiss?"
Gilbert snorted and shook his head. "Nope, I just made it seem like we did, because I knew you guys were watching. In fact, I took notice that you were following us some time ago, but I had to make sure. After all, I am the master at spying!"
"Aw, and I was so sure that we were hidden… ah, well. I'm sorry too, Gil. We won't interfere in your dead love life again," Francis said, standing up from the grass and brushing his pants off.
"It's not dead! But… you guys don't have to be completely sorry. I mean, I had lots of fun on this little outing."
"Why shouldn't they be completely sorry? And, what were you bastards talking about?" Lovino asked, as he suddenly reappeared with the churro and practically tossed it into Antonio's hungry hands.
"Nothing at all! Now, a group hug as an apology!"
Francis quickly pulled everyone into a tight embrace, ignoring Lovino's muffled curses as he tried to pull away from them.
"What the fuck is wrong with you guys? First randomly appearing here after you said that you wouldn't, then talking about unnecessary things, now weird hugs?"
Gilbert laughed and swiftly grabbed Lovino's hand again, this time holding it into his own. "Don't question it, Lovi. Now, we're all going out to lunch together and Francis is paying so let's get the hell out of here!"
"What? I'm paying? I mean… of course, this is my treat to everyone!" Francis yelled, trying to hold in his tears as he brought out the wallet from his pocket.
"Thanks, Francis! That's so kind of you, this churro was great but I'm still pretty hungry." Antonio quickly followed after them as they began walking, wondering what he'd choose to eat, which would probably take a heavy blow to Francis's wallet.
Lovino stared at their linked hands but did as he was told again, and decided not to question anything. "W-whatever, but it better be a nice restaurant with even nicer food, or else we're eating Francis."