Don't hate me! ;A; updates will be faster now that school is out and my junior year is over...which basically means no homework and more writing time QuQ

*~O~*

"So..."

The echo of Lovina slurping her straw broke Antonio off before he could even have a mid-sentence.

They were sitting at their cramped-as-fuck table with empty plates and crinkled napkins. She had settled into her seat more comfortably, and ordered the most expensive thing on the menu. Why? Because Antonio seemed like he was well endowed in the money department. Also, he was a bastard. A big bastard. A bastard that had help from both her father and his own to set up their date.

Fucking seriously?

"If you're trying to make small talk, just don't." The room seemed to drop ten degrees as Antonio shifted in his chair. Good, she was making him uncomfortable. That's what you get for tricking a Vargas you dramatic, scheming, air headed...seriously the list could go on but she had neither the time to think about it nor the patience to be on a fucking date that wasn't a date.

I mean, the least he could have done was ask her normally; she could have made up a stupid excuse and then at the last minute accept. It wasn't like she wanted to eat fake Italian food and listen to fake Italian music. She just chose to since it was Antonio. And for God-knows-why reason, she had developed feelings for this stupid ass.

"Lovi...listen, I'm sorry I didn't ask-"

"Oh you're sorry now? Well, grazie Antonio." She set the cup of lemonade onto her coaster, watching the ice cubes bob up and down with folded arms. She could hear him exhale tiredly, and set the napkin sailor hat he was trying to make on the table.

"I didn't have a choice."

Lovina made an effort to glance up at his sudden remark. "Didn't have a choice?" she blinked at the lame excuse, Antonio was defiantly not ranking any points. Everyone had a choice, whether it was stupid as fuck or not was their problem. In this case, Antonio fit the bill of stupid fuckery that possessed people to do shit that made no sense.

It faintly reminded her of the time when Feliciana tried to find Atlantis in their tub when they were ten.

Yup it made sense now; they were on the same wavelength of stupid. Maybe that's why they got along so well.

Antonio nodded, sitting back into his chair as well, "You see...when I try to talk to you, you make it," Lovina could practically see the wheels spinning in Antonio's head as he tried to think of a way (a smart way) to describe her. "...difficult." He pursed his lips and suddenly smiled, making Lovina forget for a moment where exactly they were. "Plus you get this cute little pout and your face gets all red, kind of like how it is right now, and then you-"

"Alright! God damn it Antonio get on with it already!" She was surprised she hadn't fizzled to a crisp with how hot her face was.

It meant she had good blood circulation damn you!

His eyes sparkled, grinning cheekily, "Lovina it's not nice to swear," she was surprised he kept trying to tame her. "And you can't tell me that you don't avoid me, or disagree with everything I say corazon."

Lovina felt the familiar shudder roll up her spine as his accent rolled into Spanish, "I-I do not." She protested feebly, throwing in a scowl.

"Do to~."

"No I don't!"

"Ah but you're doing it right now pequeño."

Lovina hated the smug little smirk Antonio had plastered on, as if he'd proven a point or something. Yet she couldn't control the annoying tremor of her heart every time their eyes met. She hated him, but she loved him. It was so confusing she felt like she could rip her hair out, but she knew that it was inevitable the way they both felt.

"One time.." Lovina mumbled quietly, fidgeting with her thumbs.

"Plus eighty-seven more."

Her bottom lip jutted out defiantly, "Are you trying to prove a point bastard?" She thrummed her fingers against the cool tile of their table, trying to distract herself from what she was actually thinking about. They'd been through so much together to not be friends...but why did she always feel this underlying detachment whenever she was with him?

"Si, and no." Antonio stated simply, leaning over the table to rest his chin in his upturned fists. His hands looked so strong and calloused, yet when he'd accidentally brush past her to grab something in the classroom, they were warm and somehow comforting. "I know you like me Lovina. It's written all over you're cute little face, and before you yell at me or hit me, let me just say, that I will not bother you anymore."

Lovina felt her eyebrow twitch in enough annoyance to kill a cow. "E-Excuse me?" What the hell else was she supposed to say? Well I'm glad we've come to agree on something. Fuck no! First off, that would prove her to be wrong. And she was never wrong. Second, the bastard just up and came out about how she liked him? That cocky son of a-

"I will not bother you anymore because if you want to see me, then it's your turn to do the bothering." Antonio returned to sit back in his chair, glowing as if he'd found the biggest tomato in the world.

I'm going to kill him. I'm going to kill him. I'm going to kill him...

"Come again meat brain?" She didn't feel like holding back on the venom laced in her hiss.

Antonio's eyebrows raised unamused, "Well for starters, I've had my work cut out for me with trying to court you." Lovina felt the annoying tingly sensation that seemed to sneak up on her when Antonio spoke about them. "And to tell you the truth, if I were a normal guy, I'd probably hitch a ride to the next city." he blinked slowly, tilting his head.

"Normal guy?" was there such a definition? All men were egotistical slobs who only cared for themselves and their dicks.

Antonio nodded, his lips curling upwards mischievously, "Si, but as you can see, I'm not normal. I'm still here, and I'm still trying to be with you." Lovina shifted, oh how the tables turn. Damn karma. "I'm going to make you confess, Lovina Roma Vargas."

For once in her life, Lovina was speechless.

Antonio just winked and stood from the table, setting down the appropriate currency. "Come and get me."