Chapter Twenty-Four: A Gilmore Moment
"I don't… don't know what to think anymore, Mattie!" Feliciano cried. A good part of Mattew's shirt was wet from Feli's crying, and Matthew was about to cry as well. He couldn't exactly tell Feli that him and Alfred had just told each other about their feelings for each other, not when…
Not when Feliciano was head-over-heels in love with his adopted brother, and he was pretty sure Lovino felt the same way. The only problem was that they had been brothers, and Feliciano wasn't sure of Lovi could push past that and be with the younger male. Matthew didn't know what to tell Feli at that point.
Alfred had come in from the kitchen as soon as he heard Feliciano's first disjointed cry and had sat across from them for a brief moment, a plate of pancakes in his hand. When it looked like Matthew wasn't going to get a free moment, he left and put some aluminum foil over the plate and put it in the refrigerator. He then went upstairs to his room, closing the door on male Lorelei and his… son.
"I don't know what you should do, Feli…" Mattie finally said when the brunette looked up at him with pleading brown eyes. "I've… I don't think it's ever happened to me…"
Feliciano nodded and put his head back in his best friend's chest. Matthew stroked his hair for a minute, humming to himself to make them both feel a little better. "But you're not brothers, are you? It's just a coincidence that you look somewhat alike. And… Lovino's a bit stubborn, but when he figures it all out… he'll tell you. You just have to be patient…"
Feliciano looked up at Matthew and nodded, sniffing lightly as he tried to wipe the tears off his face. He then put his head back on Matthew's chest and sighed, closing his eyes for a minute. The phone then rang, and Matthew reached over to the low table and picked it up. "Hey, Kiku…" he said.
"Hey, Mattie… how are you doing?"
"I'm fine… Alfie… confessed his love for me…" Matthew told him, "And I confessed them back… but, uhhh… Feli's here now, and he's having a crisis."
"Congratulations on the Alfred thing, and… wait, what's wrong with Feliciano?" Kiku asked, concern gracing his voice.
Matthew looked down at Feliciano, who was looking at him, ears perked after hearing about Alfred. "Well… why don't we go out to dinner and talk about this…"
"Oh? Is it that secret? Who do think is tapping your phone, Mattie?" Kiku asked jokingly.
"Ever heard of the Good Slash Forever Fangirl Alliance?" Mattie asked.
"Oh. I think Katyusha and Natalia are part of that now…" Kiku replied.
Matthew sighed, "All the girls in the city are, Kiku…"
"Really?" Kiku asked, "I must ask if my Taiwanese cousin is as well…"
Matthew sighed, "I wouldn't have any doubt if she was… anyway. Dinner. Because the Good Slash Forever Fangirl Alliance might be tapping my phone. How about the Café Monde at seven?"
"Okay… don't forget Feliciano."
"Was that an attempt at a joke?"
"Yes."
"Haha."
"Thank you."
And after saying a few goodbyes, Matthew hung up. After setting the phone down, he looked at Feliciano, who was breathing steadily now, even if he hiccupped every once in a while, and he seemed to be asleep. Matthew smiled at his broken friend and let him sleep, watching the clock until it was time for them to go to dinner.
"Are you sure some of the Fangirl Alliance hasn't followed you?" Matthew asked when the Gilmore Boys were seated in the family section of Café Monde.
Kiku looked around him casually, "I'm sure. Well… no I'm not. Why? Is it so secret?"
"It was a joke… poor Feli hasn't laughed in the past two days…" Matthew said, looking over at the dejected-looking Italian. He tried to smile, but just couldn't.
"Lovino is an asshole," he finally said.
"No he's not. And I'm his ex, that saying a lot when I say it," Matthew replied. "Now, who kissed who again?"
"I kissed him… and then he ran out…" Feli replied.
Kiku nodded and thought it over, "Well… he could just be shy. You know him more than me… what was he like when you were living together?"
Feliciano thought back carefully. Lovino had always kept to himself. He never really spoke, but… was that really shyness? He was always with the family, despite his silence and glaring eyes. Marcus had asked him why he hadn't asked anyone to his Senior Prom and he had replied, "I wouldn't've known how to do it…"
"And… it might be that Lovino is as confused as you. I mean… you were brothers. Not by blood, but still the same as, you know, if Ludwig kissed Gilbert," Matthew cut in. "Speaking of which, are you two a couple now?" he asked Kiku.
The Japanese man blushed a coughed politely into his napkin before nodding once and looking first at Matthew, and then at Feliciano. Feliciano's face brightened, "I'm so happy for you!" he cried. Then he turned to Matthew, "And you and Alfred? Congratulations!"
Matthew blushed as well, but he trained violet-blue eyes on his friend. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, but what about you. What are you gonna do?"
Feliciano's eyes glistened as he looked at the dark red shag carpet. His smile turned into a far-away, I-miss-my-lover smile and he replied, "I… I love Lovi. But I know that he is shy and scared of our past. I'll… I'll let him come to terms with his own feelings, but… it doesn't mean I'll give up on him completely. He's still my brother…"
Kiku sniffed lightly, "You're such a trouper, Feli…"
Feliciano smiled at him, "Thanks. Now… I heard the pasta here is delicious…"
Heidi shut her phone, a dazed smile on her face. She wasn't exactly sure what drew her to call Sesel every night, but when she did, they would talk for hours. Sesel made Heidi blush like no other person could, and her accent was… sexy.
Heidi shuddered at the thought and snapped back to reality. Francis and Arthur had made love, so that couple was set. Kiku and Ludwig had called and discussed. Kiku had heard from Matthew himself that Alfred and Matthew were a thing now. Now it was up to Heidi to help Lovino on the road to seeing Feliciano as not just a brother, but a lover as well.
And as a bonus, Heidi's muse thought, Kat and Nat were a couple, and a damn cute one at that. If only Heidi had the guts to tell Sesel of her feelings… But not now.
"Lovino? I brought you some fondue…" Heidi called, knocking on her tenant's door.
After a few moments of standing in the hall, Lovino opened the door. He looked like he hadn't changed from a week ago, when she had comforted him after the New Year's/House-Warmiing party. He had work in the morning too… with Feliciano. And he hadn't shaved and he stunk of… something nasty.
Heidi sighed, "Eat up, and then I want to groom you…"
"Weird house call, but okay…" Lovino replied, still his normal sarcastic self, despite the smell.
Heidi ate with him, and once that was done, she put her dishes by the door and pushed Lovino into the bathroom. She was careful to tell him she was doing this as a friend, as she had her eye on someone else. A girl.
"You're a lesbian? Like Kat and Nat?" Lovino asked as Heidi trimmed Lovi's hair.
"No. And Kat and Nat aren't full lesbians. Natalia's bisexual because of her thing with Ivan, and Katyusha has gone out with Matthew," Heidi replied. "I can't be lesbian, because I've been out with so many guys from college…"
"Oh, well sorry. I just ask because most of the people I know seem to be gay…"
"Matthew isn't. He's bisexual as well." Katyusha told me.
"Yeah… I'm starting to think the whole world is. Not so close! You'll take my ear off!" Lovino shouted suddenly.
"Hold still and maybe I won't 'accidentally' take it off while I'm at it," Heidi replied, smacking him playfully on the arm. "I'm done, anyway. Where's your razor?"
"In the mirror… shelf… thing…" Lovino replied.
Heidi giggled and found it and the shaving cream. While she worked, carefully, so she didn't accidentally nick him, she started a new conversation. "Are you smelly and awful-looking because of Feliciano?"
Lovino tried not to move as he blinked his dark eyes down at her. She looked up at him with a sweet smile, their faces almost touching as she shaved his face. But he understood love, because… "I do love him, yes. But we were brothers. It's just… weird to think about…" he replied when Heidi had paused just so he could answer.
She shaved the rest of his face as they sat in the bathroom in silence. She then took his hand tenderly and led him out to the bedroom. She picked out some pajamas and threw them at him. He caught them and sighed, going back into the bathroom to shower, brush his teeth, and change. She went into the bathroom when he was showering and took the clothes he had been wearing and threw them away.
At the end of the grooming session, Heidi turned to go. Lovino took her hand and kissed her cheek. "You know, if I wasn't hung up on Feliciano, you would have been the girl for me…"
"That's sweet of you, Lovi, it really is. But… if you love someone… you should let them know."
Lovino nodded, "I'll get over myself."
"And I'll help you. That's what friends are for, right?"
"Friends?"
"You've lived in my apartment building for months, Lovi. I comforted you last week, and I made you dinner this week. I think we're friends now."
There was a silence. A comfortable silence. And then Lovino spoke: "Okay. If you want, then… I can help you with Sesel…"
"If you can teach me courage, then show me by telling Feliciano…"
"You got me. But we'll help each other out in this, right?"
"I promise."
They stood at Lovi's door for a moment. Until he saw Vash open his door and yell at Heidi to come inside. Heidi sighed stuck her pinky out, "Pinky promise, then?"
Lovi laughed and completed the promise. Heidi smiled at him, and ran down the hall into her own apartment.
Well... this time it's not pride and stubbornness. It's fear. And the only couples that won't get a move on and get together already are Lovino and Feliciano. Oh, and Sesel (Seychelles) and Heidi (Liechtenstein). And Vash and Roderich. But those, my friends, are the side characters. Lovino and Feliciano are (kind of) main characters.
I think Lovino having a girl friend to talk to would be an interesting thing. As for the Gilmore Boys? Well, they needed another scene together. And The Good Slash Forever Fangirl Alliance. You need a little comedy after all this... drama.
Help this poor girl remember to write. Review, s'il vous plait~
Adieu~
