"-knock knock-"

"Hmm?"

"-knock knock-"

"? G-Gilbert!" Romano panicked as he started shaking the sleeping man he laid on top of.

"H-huh?" Gilbert rubbed his eyes and stretched as the young man on top of him pulled the sheets and hurriedly started to put his clothes on. Gilbert sat up dazed and confused.

"What's that noise?" he asked yawning, Romano threw his clothes at him.

"It's Antonio! Quick, go change! Clean up! Why is he here? He's not supposed to be! Oh, what if he figures it out? !" panicked Romano as he quickly fixed his pants and started to button his shirt.

"Calm down Romano, I'll fix up here while you open the door."

"B-but Gilbert he-!"

"Trust me," smiled the man as he grabbed Romano's right hand and kissed it. Romano angrily blushed and pulled away from him as he slammed the bedroom door. He nervously covered his hand on his mouth as he stepped down the stairs. He breathed in and out slowly, trying to bring in his normal, angry persona.

"Hey you woke me up you idiot-!" Romano suddenly stopped himself from yelling as he looked at Antonio shocked.

"Hola Romano, I thought you'd like these, s-so when I saw it in my travels, I knew I had to get it," bashfully smiled Antonio as he handed Romano the stack of gifts and bouquet of flowers. Romano, startled, stared at them, speechless. Antonio meekly smiled as he looked at Romano's startled face with pleasure.

"I'll help you carry those upstairs ok-?"

"Why hello Antonio, so sweet to see you! Are all these gifts for me?" squeaked Gilbert from the staircase as he headed towards Romano. He then took the gifts and headed upstairs. Antonio stared at Gilbert, who was half-naked, completely shocked.

Romano nervously glanced at Antonio and proceeded to run after Gilbert upstairs. Antonio followed after.

"What are you doing? !" whispered Romano angrily.

"Shh, just play along cute boy," smiled Gilbert.

"What are you doing here?" asked Antonio, a little crossed as he stared at Gilbert somewhat upset.

"Oh, visiting my cute friend here, right Romano?" smiled Gilbert as he elbowed Romano. Antonio looked at him a little more stunned.

"R-Romano?" muttered Antonio as he noticed Romano's face growing red.

"S-shut up you idiots! So what, I can't have a friend over? And Gilbert you idiot, don't call me 'cute' or I'll hit you so hard you'll lose all the stupid in you! !" hissed Romano as he tried breaking the tension.

"And gimme those! They're mine!" yelled Romano as he snatched the presents from Gilbert and headed for his bedroom. The two older males looked at Romano stunned at Romano's attempt to break the tension.

"W-what?" he muttered as he pointed at Romano's neck. Romano looked at him confused as he placed his hand on the left side of his neck. His face then turned red. He had forgotten Gilbert had left him marks on his neck.

"You never seen a rash before?" said Romano, putting up a crossed face. Antonio then turned to Gilbert angrily, who stood there with a bright smile.

"Muy enfermo, no?" laughed Gilbert as he mocked Antonio in his own language.

"Get out," mumbled Antonio as he stepped closer towards Gilbert.

"Why? I'm here spending time with a friend is all!"

"You know why, stop trying to mess with me."

"I don't know what you're trying talking about."

"Because you know I love h-!"

"It's not my problem he doesn't like y-!"

"SHUT UP!" yelled Romano as he shoved the two men away from each other. The two looked at him surprised.

"Gilbert, get out of here," he muttered as he turned his back at the two.

"What?" asked Gilbert, dumbstruck.

"Thank you Roma-"

"And you, I don't want to see you," mumbled Romano as he stepped inside of his room.

"What?" now asked Antonio confused.

"You heard me, both of you, get out!" yelled Romano as he slammed his door at their faces.

"Hmph, well my job is done. See ya Antonio! Hope you feel better Romano! C'mon Gilbird, we're done here," exclaimed Gilbert as he slid on his shirt and coat on. Gilbird came flying out of Antonio's room. Gilbert stomped all the way down the stairs and slammed the entrance door shut behind him.

Antonio peeked in his room and saw the bed sheets with little holes, his mattress misplaced and some furniture damaged with bird clawing and pecks. He became a little red with anger.

"R-Romano what did you two-? !"

"Thanks for the gifts. I love them," muttered Romano as he sat behind his bedroom door, his legs pulled up towards his body and his head resting on his knees. His face was still completely red. Antonio stayed silent and sighed as he calmed himself.

"I worry, Romano, I worry a lot about you," replied Antonio as he went in his room, and sat on his misplaced mattress that rested on the floor.

"I don't ask you to."

"I can't help it. When one loves someone, they worry about them all the time. Maybe you'll understand in time."

Romano felt his heart skip. He was the same way with Gilbert. Paranoid and self-conscious about everything, everyone and everywhere he went to. He looked up to Antonio's untouched gifts. He started to feel sad for him; Antonio was unaware, just like everyone else, Romano was already with someone else. He remembered the diner when Antonio stood up in front of everyone and confessed his feelings for Romano. He remembered sitting with his brother as he was held back from lunging at Ludwig, who he believed had set this all up as some sort of bad joke. He remembered the blank, confused expression on Gilbert's face as he stared into space the rest of the diner and later got so drunk he and Ludwig had to leave early, probably out of the stunt Antonio had pulled. He remembered how hurt and sad he felt staring at a blank Gilbert.

"Tch, sissy crap," muttered Romano as he grabbed his first gift. He slowly started un-wrapping it.

"What?"

He rushed to open the rest of the gifts. All the same.

"Thought you'd like it," replied Antonio as he smiled, hearing a small gasp from Romano.

"So much food," replied Romano, feeling his mouth water. The gifts were different types of food which were packaged inside plastic, see-thru plates.

"Are you still angry?"

"You two were acting like idiots, complete idiots!" yelled Romano in response.

"Well, what was he doing here?" asked Antonio as calmly as he could.

"Feliciano wanted to check on me so he asked Ludwig but Ludwig was too busy and I hate him so he told Gilbert to and Gilbert ended up staying over late. Happy? I didn't know I wasn't allowed to have people over since your embarrassing confession!"

"Are you still angry about that?" asked Antonio, a little timid now.

" I was never angry you moron. Like I care about what other people think," replied Romano feeling a little bad about lying.

"Are you . . . weirded out?"

"What?"

"About . . . another man liking you?"

Romano sighed as he rubbed his forehead, feeling his head hurt a little.

"Of course not. Why would I be?" muttered Romano as he tried real hard not to stutter as he covered his red face with his hands. He felt so bad inside, like he was leading Antonio on and denying he and Gilbert's relationship.

"Do you like someone?"

" . . . yeah."

The two fell silent for a few seconds. Romano felt his throat itch a little as he felt tension between them.

"Oh really? T-that's nice," uttered Antonio shyly. He knew I'd be stupid of him to ask whom.

"Who?" Antonio still felt like he should give it a shot.

"I didn't think you were stupid enough to ask," said Romano.

"Oh."

" . . . wanna go eat some of this downstairs?" asked Romano sheepishly.

"Sure!" replied Antonio excitedly. Romano sighed as he stood up and opened his door, holding box in his hands.

"You go set the TV to watch a movie," he mumbled as he headed down the stairs.

"Sure, I'll go right now!" smiled Antonio brightly as he ran downstairs.

Though Romano knew it was way too early in the morning (6 am in fact) to be watching movies, he could think of nothing else to make Antonio feel at ease.

"Alright Romano! I'm ready!" yelled Antonio excitedly as he waited for Romano, sitting in a red living room couch that faced a huge television. Romano threw the remote at him as he sat a big bowl of popcorn on his lap and next to the other man.

Xxx

"Hey Romano, how did you like the-?"

-Snore-

Antonio turned to see Romano already fast asleep on his shoulder halfway thru their second movie. Antonio carefully placed all the empty trays of food and snacks on the table in front of them. Trying not to break the mood, Antonio snuggled up closer to Romano as he pressed play and continued to watch the movie in the darkness of the living room. He felt his heart beat faster and faster as he reached for Romano's hand that relaxed on his lap and started to stroke it. Blood rushed into his face as he felt an overwhelming warmth rise into him.

Gilbert spitted for the fifteenth time, sitting outside the home, watching the man from a small crack of one of the living room windows that wasn't completely covered by a curtain. He had been nervous about leaving the two alone, and knowing Romano, he probably wouldn't think twice about anything he does.

He could clearly see Antonio holding his little Italian's hand. As pissed as Gilbert was, he held it all in, not wanting to "screw up" anything, like Romano had warned him about.

Promise me you'll never do anything to blow our cover!

Okay, I promise.

I'm serious Gilbert! Blow it and I'll deny anything!

Alright . . . just stop crying will you?

Romano is terrified about appearances. His little world would come crashing down if anyone knew anything about what he really did. It disturbed Gilbert, however, that Romano hadn't reacted violently toward Antonio when he confessed his 'feelings' to practically the whole world.

He almost killed me when I told him . . . . though Gilbert.

He continued to blog away on his computer, repeatedly glancing up to see if Antonio wanted to take his hand elsewhere.

Gilbert grew more frustrated by the day he couldn't be out and open with the kid, as much as he told Romano he didn't care about keeping it a secret.

"Dammit," Gilbert cursed under his breath after misspelling something. He had twitched, seeing Antonio slide his head against Romano's.

review~! : )