They woke up very late because of the time change, and even when he was awake, Antonio stayed just where he was, holding Lovino gently. The Italian was such a peaceful sleeper, and he looked so calm with his eyes closed and no wrinkles from stress. Lovino's eyelashes would tremble every so often as his eyes darted about in some dream or other, and sometimes he would make little noises, like a sigh or a grunt. Like he was close to talking in his sleep, but couldn't really be bothered.
Finally, there was a knock at the door. It hadn't woken Lovino, so Antonio carefully disentangled himself and went to the door. Outside was Esmeralda, holding a tray with some food. "Good morning! I brought you two some breakfast, didn't think Lovi would want to come downstairs for it."
"Oh, yeah, thanks." He took the tray from her and smiled and she left, her long skirt swishing with her hips.
When he returned, balancing the tray carefully, he found Lovino sprawled on his back, blinking up at him blearily. "Mmrgh," Lovino greeted elloquently.
"Good morning to you too. Breakfast in bed... looks like we have cheese, some fruit, a few croissants, some jam, and some wine. Wine for Breakfast. Of course." He put the tray down on the bed, grabbing a grape for himself.
Lovino stretched his arms above his head and settled them there over the pillows, closing his eyes again. "Shh. More sleep."
"Oh come on, you've more than made up for not sleeping on the plane. Come on, there's mangoes... And, of course, tomatoes. They know you well." Antonio took one, figuring that he should save it before Lovino ate them all.
"If it's still early enough for breakfast, it's too early to wake up. Tomato please." He held out one hand, palm-up.
But Antonio held them out of arms reach. "Nope, you are not eating a juicy tomato half asleep while on these sheets. These are expensive sheets, and that is not the kind of stain I was expecting to have to explain to your family."
"We won't be leaving any stains if you don't give me that damned tomato," Lovino grumbled, peeking through one eye at Antonio. "Don't think I'm joking. I'm serious as a heart attack."
He tried to keep a straight face, but the threat was too much. Antonio cracked and handed him a tomato. "Just be careful. And use a napkin. I know how to clean come off sheets, but when it comes to tomato juice, I'm clueless."
"Don't worry about it," he said, rolling his eyes as he took a bite. "The only things my grandfather goes through as fast as the bedding are his whores. This wouldn't make any difference."
Antonio almost said something, but he didn't want a repeat of last night so he stayed quiet and buttered one of the croissants. It didn't taste like it was from a store, it actually tasted homemade. Maybe they had a French chef or something?
Lovino polished off another tomato and a few grapes before rolling back and staring up at Antonio through his thick, dark eyelashes. "If we can go back to bed right after, you can have your dirty way with me," he said in a nonchalant, suggestive tone.
The Spaniard snorted. "Wow, subtle." But he just stood up and looked through his suitcase for his bathroom bag. "I, however, am in Italy for what is probably the only time in my life, and while I would love to have my dirty way with you, I'm not gonna waste this trip sleeping."
He watched as Lovino plumped his lower lip and rolled onto his side, moving just enough to allow the blanket to slip down to his bare, olive-toned hip. "We'll come to Italy at least once every year," he promised. His thumb traced idle circles in the patch of skin just inside the curve of his hipbone that Antonio knew from many hours of hands-on observation was soft as silk and warm to the touch. "Besides, to get the proper Italian experience, you're supposed to spend at least one entire day in bed, making love and sleeping and making sleepy love and then grabbing a bite to eat before doing it all over again."
Antonio leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "Oh, you're gonna have to try a hell of a lot harder than that to seduce me. I don't just sleep with anyone that shows me a little skin and says naughty things to me, you know." He smirked, but the glance at where the blanket ended was fairly obvious.
Lovino shrugged and rolled over onto his back, stretching with a little arch to his hips that only lowered the blanket further, as well as the boxers slung low on his hips. He rubbed a hand innocently along his soft belly. "I think maybe you should lock the door," he suggested, eyes half-lidded and dark. "And tomorrow, I'll take you around. Cross my heart." He pantomimed the gesture, his thumb casually brushing a pert nipple on its way up.
Since he was close to the door, he just simply reached over and locked it. "Take me around... where, exactly?" Antonio lifted an eyebrow, pretending like he was still considering it, even though he already knew that there was no way he was going to turn this down.
Lovino shifted, a coy little smile lifting the corners of his mouth. "That depends," he offered cryptically.
"On what?" Antonio asked, slowly kneeling on the bed, the mattress dipping under his weight.
"A few things..." Lovino opened his eyes, one knee lifting just slightly under the blankets. "Are you hoping for quality or quantity?"
He pretended to think it over for a minute. "Quality. I don't need you showing me around a shopping mall because there are a lot of things to see there." Which he knew Lovino would totally try to get away with.
Wetting his lips with a little flick of the tongue, Lovino smirked. "Then it will just depend on how you utilize this day spent in bed with the sexiest motherfucker you will ever meet. If I'm not both exhausted and well-rested, then we might accidentally find ourselves shuffling through the tourist traps."
Needless to say, they both got what they wanted. Lovino agreed that the next day, he would take him to the best damn sights within a two hour drive.
.oOo.
Golden sunlight lit the room in a pleasant, sleepy haze, and to Antonio's surprise, Lovino was the first one up. He rolled on top of the Spaniard and stared down at him expectantly. "Wake up," he demanded with a nip to Antonio's chin.
"Mmmm," he mumbled, reaching up and wrapping his arms around Lovino's waist. "Give me a minute. After yesterday, I'm used to sex after waking up. And then going back to sleep again." He had to admit, yesterday had been particularly amazing.
Smirking, Lovino leaned down and pressed a light kiss to one of the bruises on his lover's dark neck. "I told you," he breathed triumphantly, "it would be good."
He pushed himself up, moving Lovino up as well. "Right. But today is touring around right? I'm going to take so many pictures, it's going to be amazing!" Now that he had had a few minutes to wake up, Antonio was ready to go.
Rolling off of him, Lovino stretched, popping a few joints before sitting up and running a hand through his mussed hair. "Yeah, yeah. Wear something comfortable. I'm gonna go get us breakfast."
Antonio went for a quick shower, and when he came out, towel around waist, Lovino was just getting in the room with a tray of food. "That smells nice." He glanced at it and smiled. "For Italians, you guys eat a lot of French food."
Lovino rolled his eyes and set the tray down on the little table between the two bay windows. "My cousin takes over the kitchen when he visits. He's French. It's all so rich I could kill myself."
"Oh, that explains a lot. Oh yeah, I think I saw him at dinner, didn't I? The blond guy. Kept speaking French." He hadn't really gotten a chance to talk to him, with Lovino eating so fast and then storming off. Antonio grabbed a crepe that looked to be filled with something chocolate. "Oh god this is so good. The chocolate is so creamy!"
"Never tell him that," Lovino warned, sitting down at the tiny table. "He will turn it into all kinds of nasty."
Antonio laughed at that and went to put some clothes on. "So when is Feliciano getting here? We came pretty early." Which seemed a bit strange, since Lovino arrived first but didn't get along with his Grandpa.
"He texted me last night," Lovino answered, munching on a strawberry and checking his phone. "Said their plane comes in tomorrow afternoon. And we only came early because Grandpa sent us the tickets this way. Don't ask me why. I never know what's on his fucking mind."
"So he wanted to see you then. I think that's nice, isn't it?" Antonio finally pulled his shirt over his head and took a piece of fruit. "Alright, I'm ready! Where are we going first?" He was already looking forward to the day they would have, the things they were going to see.
"You'll see," Lovino answered briskly, grabbing a handful of the strawberries as he stood. "If you want to fit it all in, keep your head down and don't acknowledge anyone." He paused thoughtfully, shoving keys and his wallet into his back pocket. "Mama excluded."
And, of course, she was the first person they ran into. She smiled and gave them both a big hug, speaking in quick Italian. Then she seemed to remember Antonio. "Oh! Sorry, I was just telling Lovino how we missed you two at dinner last night."
Before the Spaniard could say anything, Lovino quickly cut in. "We were sleeping at the time," he said, glancing sharply at Antonio. "Enjoying the warmth of the sunset, Mama."
"Oh, yes, well hopefully you will be here for dinner tonight. Francis has convinced your Grandpa to let him have full reign for more than breakfast, so it should be good." She gave them one last pat on their shoulders and let them leave.
Quickly, they ducked out of the stately home and into the warm Italian sun. Instead of walking toward the cars, though, Lovino began to skirt the building. Antonio tagged along beside him curiously. Beyond the eastern wall of the building sat another, squatter structure, and Lovino knelt down to punch a code into the little box near the bottom of the wide garage door.
Antonio followed curiously. "Where are we going?"
The garage door began to crank itself upward and Lovino wiped his hands on his pants as he waited for it to have lifted out of his way, and once it had, he walked inside.
The room was dark and musty, and its three walls were covered in rows of shelves positively covered in tools and little bits of machinery. From one corner Lovino grabbed something from out of a cabinet and tossed it toward Antonio, who caught the round object instinctively. Upon observation, he found himself face to face with a helmet. "Put that on," Lovino instructed, and walked to the next wall, pulling a large tarp off of a sleek, but dated motorbike.
He lifted an eyebrow, but still strapped the helmet on. "Do you even know how to ride that thing? It doesn't even look like it can run." It probably wouldn't be street legal if they were back home. Of course, just because it was old didn't mean that it didn't work.
"Ye of little faith," Lovino chided, stroking one handlebar fondly. "This is my first love. She's the most beautiful thing in the world, and she's always served me well, so don't you fucking insult her by asking such a dumbass question. Of course you run, angel," Lovino purred. He strapped his helmet on and turned the bike toward the entrance, seating himself comfortably. "I checked her last night while you were sleeping. She's in perfect condition. Get on."
Antonio sighed. "So my love rival is a bike. Well, at least she can't cook for you." He got on and wrapped his arms around Lovino's waist, and whispered in his ear, "Or fuck you hard into the mattress."
Lovino snickered and turned the bike on, revving her engines before calling over his shoulder. "If she could, you wouldn't be around. Now hold on tight."
As they started moving, Antonio felt like he was close to falling off the back, which made him hold on tighter. It was amazing how such a little bump could make him think they were going to crash. But, after the first mile or so, he got used to it, and didn't have to hold on so tightly that it was making it difficult for Lovino to breath.
They zipped through traffic at ungodly speeds and around the bustling city of Rome, past towering, impressive tourist traps and ancient structures. Antonio took the time to gaze in awe at everything that surrounded them both, and Lovino dedicated himself to navigating the motorbike.
A few times he forced Lovino to pull over so that he could take a picture of something, which annoyed the Italian who complained that what he took pictures of were pretty boring compared to where he was going to take him.
Finally, when Antonio tried to get him to stop so he could take a picture of a fountain in the piazza, he ignored the plea completely, driving on. The day was mild and warm, with a few puffy clouds drifting in the open blue sky; perfect for pretending that his fully grown boyfriend wasn't whining in his ear about being unfair.
Antonio eventually grew bold enough to take one arm off Lovino, so he could take pictures on the move. He knew that they would turn out extremely blurry, but he just didn't want to miss some of these amazing places!
"We're almost there!" Lovino shouted, irked and somewhat nervous. He slowed down instantly, and waited for Antonio to hold onto him again, and until the Spaniard had secured his hold, he puttered along behind the rest of the traffic. "Don't do that again. We're nearly to the Vatican."
He was a little disappointed that Lovino didn't let him take more pictures, but he was excited they were going to the Vatican. He would be able to see the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel! This was going to be amazing!
They stepped through a tall pair of doors into the massive building, sporting a dome and two towers. Lovino bypassed the line once inside, fishing something from his wallet and flashing it toward the young lady at the front. She hurriedly took his money and said something in quick Italian, to which he nodded and they entered the wide room beyond. Everything about the structure was massive and polished, from the floor with its patterns of tile to the arched windows high up toward the ceiling where bright sunlight shone through. Lovino nudged Antonio, and he snapped his jaw shut upon finding it loose. "Basilica di San Pietro," he said, shoving the wallet back in his pocket. "Saint Peter's Basilica. The great artist Michelangelo helped design it, you know. Come on."
Antonio was snapping pictures like crazy, trying to take everything in. It was all so old, and so beautiful, it was hard to absorb. "This place is amazing..." He looked at a few of the sculptures, amazed by how lifelike they were. Lovino was trying to hurry him along, which was a difficult task considering Antonio wanted to look at everything.
A tall bronze pavilion-esque structure captured Antonio's attention. Lovino watched him ooh and aah, and when the Spaniard took rapid-fire photographs like the most avid of tourists, he told him of the baldacchino's bronze columns, decorated with bees and olive leaves, emblems of Pope Urban, and the Eucharist, and he was near to silent when one of the brilliant rays of sunlight shining down from the window caught Antonio's hair as he stepped back. He murmured a little prayer and took Antonio's hand in the light of God, lifting the sun-darkened knuckles to his lips. "Ringrazio Dio per ti," he nearly hummed. At Antonio's wide-eyed look of confusion, he blushed and squeezed the hand before dropping it with a little stammer. "I thank God for you. L-let's go, there is more to see."
The Spaniard was practically gushing with happiness after that, and changed so that he made Lovino go in most of his pictures. When asked about it, he explained, "There are millions of pictures of these things, a lot of them are done by professional photographers. But only these ones have the beautiful Lovino Vargas." It was incredibly crowded with people, but Antonio was glad that Lovino had been able to get them in without waiting in that long line out front.
The young Italian, while photogenic, did not seem to have a face meant for smiling at cameras. He was flustered by the attention, and every time Antonio tried to drag him in for a photograph, he turned and insisted that they get a move on, lest he miss out on some great view or other during the trip. "If you want to see the Sistine Chapel, we should get there before lunch," he announced in front of the Pietà sculpture, touching his throat in reverence at the sight of the Holy Mother and Child. "And then we'll eat, and after... we'll see."
Antonio laughed and pulled him in for another picture. "Come on! I want to remember this trip, and I want to remember it with you!" After a few more pictures, though, he figured that they could go to the Chapel now, after all, he couldn't leave here without looking up at that ceiling.
"You keep talking like we'll never come back," Lovino said, rolling his eyes as they walked back outside. "There will be plenty of time to do everything again for years. Now hurry up; we're wasting daylight."
The Sistine Chapel was even more majestic than all the documentaries Antonio had ever seen on the ceiling could convey. An image on a screen could not adequately portray the breathtaking view painted all across the high, wide canvas.
He pointed at one of the men on the far wall. "I heard about that one! It looks like he's leaning back, but that part of the ceiling is tilted forward! Isn't that amazing?" Antonio looked a little closer at a few of the paintings, and started snickering. "They really liked painting small penises, didn't they?"
"What are you, twelve?" Lovino hissed, digging his elbow into Antonio's side. "This is a holy place. Don't be so crass."
"Then they shouldn't have painted penises everywhere!" Although he had to admit, small penises aside, the paintings were amazing.
"Michelangelo was gay, you know," Lovino said as they walked under the ornate, arched ceiling. "I don't think that has much to do with all of the genitalia, but it might be why he was so unabashed. I think it's about the beauty of God's creations. I don't know. Read the pamphlet."
Antonio grabbed his hand and brought it up to kiss the knuckles, then just held it by his side. "Why read the pamphlet when I have you?" He smirked at the blush across Lovino's cheeks.
"Yeah, yeah, just shut up and look at the paintings," he grumbled, curling his fingers in between Antonio's. A group of finely-dressed and serious-faced young adults traipsed by, and he watched them pass. "A choir is going to practice," he said, a little smile lighting his face. "It's a great honor to perform in the Chapel. They must be special."
They stayed for a few songs, but Antonio started getting hungry, so he pulled Lovino out of the Chapel. "Alright, where are we going to eat? A pizza place? Have you thought of somewhere?" Antonio let his hand go when they got back to the motorcycle.
He took him to a little cafe tucked away out of Vatican city in a quaint, quieter part of Rome. The waitress spoke no English at all, but seemed to recognize Lovino, and returned quickly with two mugs of coffee. "Philippa makes the best coffee in the world," he announced with grave seriousness, smiling at the elderly waitress. "It's her fault that I'm addicted. Grazie, Philippa. Do you know what you want to eat?"
Antonio laughed as he looked at the menu. "It's all in Italian. How about you order for both of us." This was a nice little cafe, not a lot of people. He waited for Lovino to order, and then the waitress left, and they were on their own again. The only other people in the cozy restaurant were a pair of young women, sisters by the look of it, and a father accompanied by his young daughter. None of them paid the two men by the window any attention, which was probably a good thing, considering all the tiny noises Lovino made with every sip of the hot drink.
"If you don't stop that, I may have to take you to the bathroom to do naughty things," Antonio said, an eyebrow raised as he sipped his own coffee. But he had to admit, it was really good. It was different than normal American coffee.
"It's the best, though, isn't it?" Lovino sighed, watching the steam rise in coils. "When I was a teenager, every time I felt... less than pleasant during the summer, I would come here," he said quietly. "It was the one place I had that even Feli didn't know about. Philippa never coddled me when I was unhappy or scorned me when I was pretentious. She pumped me full of coffee and showed me how to bake. She made me look beyond myself and do things for other people. I was a selfish, spoiled little shit, but she kept me busy enough to forget my problems and relieve my tension, even for just an afternoon. I adore her."
Antonio's lip stuck out in a pout. "Well don't you sound like you're just in love. Why did you even move to America if Philippa was over here?" he teased. But Lovino looked away at that. His eyes turned toward the window, unfocused. Thin shoulders dipped in a shrug.
"Some things happened. Mama needed to breathe. Feliciano and I came with her, obviously. I was thirteen and he was only ten at the time. I'd been pulled out of my studies abroad in Turkey, and the story we gave was that we were going to study in America for the unforeseeable future."
"And your mother came back to live here?" Antonio stirred his coffee, looking over at him. It had always confused him why only the two brothers lived in America while the rest of the family was over here. It was actually amazing that their over protective Grandfather let them live so far away.
"Well, not here," Lovino said. leaning on his elbow. "She has a small home in Orvieto. It's quiet, and without the pressures of Grandpa and raising two demanding children on her own, her stress levels are much lower. I think she's happier and healthier there than she has been in years. She's even gained a little weight."
He nodded, starting to understand. "So before, your mother's health wasn't so good? Well, at least she seems fine now." Although he could tell, now that he knew, that she was a little thinner than she should be, and with the stress of having two kids, not to mention one of them was blind, raising them on her own... "Hey, do you guys have a father at all? Obviously he doesn't live here, but did you ever know him?"
The young man across from him tensed, and as luck would have it, Philippa returned then with two steaming bowls of gnocchi and a thick, creamy sauce. "Grazie, bella," he said, kissing the back of her hand and she clucked her tongue before leaving them to it. Antonio sighed, figuring he would never get it out of Lovino when there was food as a perfectly good distraction. They started eating, and he practically moaned at the taste.
"You know, I think this is better than Feliciano's pasta. See? He isn't the best in the world. There is always someone better."
Lovino grinned briefly at that. "It's true," he agreed with a little laugh. "Anything Philippa makes is a masterpiece. She would be the godmother to my children if I had any inclination to breed."
"We could always adopt. Maybe a little baby girl? You would be the cutest father ever." Antonio grinned over at him, twirling some of his pasta on his fork. Under the table, he ran his foot along Lovino's ankle, right where his shoe stopped.
"Yeah, right," Lovino snickered, nudging Antonio's foot right back. "We'd fuck up a kid so bad. Fat from all the food, abandonment issues because of our schedules, probably start drinking before she got out of primary school... I could go on."
"Oh come on, I think we would do good. We would adopt a kid that was maybe a few years old, like two or three, and I'm sure we could rearrange our work schedules so that at least one of us is home all the time." Antonio leaned back in his chair, absentmindedly slipping his hand in his pocket, fingering the small box in there. Maybe now...?
"If you ever try to make me into a housewife, I will slit your throat," he said simply, piercing a noodle and popping it into his mouth.
And just like that, the mood was gone. Antonio took his hand out of his pocket and returned to eating. Really, it shouldn't be this difficult. They were in Italy, so why couldn't he find a romantic enough moment?
Despite his tone and blunt, if empty, threats, Lovino's ankle gently nudged his under the table. "I don't see why you'd want a kid, though," he said. "You're a dog person. Aren't dogs for people who don't want kids?"
"Why can't I have both?" He shrugged, still smiling. "So, you're not exactly holding up your end of our deal. You said we wouldn't go to the tourist places. The Vatican is the most touristy place here. It was amazing, but I don't need a native Italian to take me there."
"Yeah, yeah, that was just the beginning," Lovino sniffed. "I hope you're not complaining. I could just push you off some ancient ruin or other."
"Aw you wouldn't do that! How would you live without me?" He fluttered his eyelashes, and burst out laughing soon after when Lovino gave him a scandalized stare. "Alright, well we're almost finished eating, hurry up and we can go."
"You're such a pushy little shit," Lovino said, rolling his eyes. "Enjoy the moment, will you?"
Philippa came by when Lovino caught her eye and when he stood, she swept him up against her bosom and patted his back, now covered in flour. He made a strangled noise and finally, she let him go. They went off in Italian, and Antonio couldn't help but laughing at the look on Lovino's face. But soon after that, she let them go, and they were once again on the bike, Antonio cuddling up to his back. He couldn't put his head on his shoulder because of the helmets, but he got as close as possible.
Briefly, Lovino touched his arm before revving the engine and rocketing away from the little cafe.
The bath ruins were strangely empty, and Antonio wondered if they were supposed to be there at all as Lovino lead him through the ancient ruins. It looked like a Dr. Suess book, he thought to himself, gazing up at the uneven heights of the bits and pieces of structure.
Antonio ran up to one of the arches, feeling the stone. "This is amazing," he said in awe. And then he bit his lip, looking at a piece of rock that was about the size of a small apple, sticking out of the wall, looking like it could be easily broken off from centuries of weather. "Hey, help me get this off! I want to take a piece of Rome home with us!" He got a rock that was just lying on the ground and tried to know the piece he wanted.
Lovino's eyes widened and he looked around hastily before hissing, "Are you insane? You can't deface an ancient artifact! Put that down! We'll go buy a snow globe or something, shit!"
"No, it'll be fine! To everyone else, it's just a rock." Besides, it was a sturdy wall, still pretty intact, it wasn't going to crumble just because he took this one stone out. "Damn I should have brought something to get this out with..." It started wiggling a bit more, and with a little more force, Antonio stumbled back as it came free of the wall. "Yes!"
"Put it back!" Lovino said, grabbing his arm urgently. "You could be arrested for this! Fuck, shit, I can't believe you broke it off, just... just put it back!"
He smirked, and shook his head. "No one's around, don't worry. Look, we'll just put this in the saddle bag on your bike, and no one will ever know." Antonio pulled Lovino in for a kiss, and after a few seconds, pulled back. "It'll be our little secret."
Lovino faltered, his brows drawn taut with confusion. Then he shook his head. "They'll confiscate it in the airport," he said.
"No they won't. They wouldn't know it was from here, as far as they know, it's just a rock. Plus it'll be hidden in my bag." As long as he didn't bring it in his carry on, it should be fine. Antonio took a few more pictures, making Lovino stand where he wanted him.
"I'm not taking you anywhere else today," Lovino growled as they made their way back to the bike. "I can't believe you'd do something like that. I can't believe I'm letting you."
He put the rock in the bag and grabbed his helmet. "Oh come on, you can't tell me you've never done anything illegal before." He looked at Lovino's face, and raised an eyebrow. "No way. Don't even. Everyone has broken the law sometime! Never shop lifted? Gotten high? Graffiti? Nothing?"
"You must be out of your mind," Lovino exclaimed, astonished. He shook his head and fitted the helmet, settling himself on the bike. "Hurry up. We're burning daylight. I want to get that thing hidden as soon as possible."
Antonio climbed on behind him, holding tightly. Soon he couldn't say anything even if he wanted to, the wind rushing past their ears. Fifteen minutes passed, and Antonio vaguely recognized the road back to Roma's mansion and could even see the rows of vineyard in the distance, but Lovino took a swift turn off the main road that had Antonio clinging tightly to him. When they stopped, it was just a dead end of a dirt road, surrounded by trees and tall grass. Antonio looked around. "Um... are we lost?"
Climbing off the bike, Lovino took off his helmet and stared at Antonio warily. "... I want you to promise you won't steal anything else first," he muttered gravely.
"Scouts honor. I already have the perfect souvenir." Antonio smirked and unbuckled his own helmet, putting it on the seat of the bike. "So we haven't gotten lost then?"
"No, you idiot," Lovino huffed, pocketing his keys.
The dirt path was so thin and vague, it could easily be overlooked, but Lovino seemed to know exactly where he was going. He led Antonio through a path of trees and into a patch of forest, gazing at tree after tree that they passed, backpedaling once or twice, and this lasted for the better part of a half hour but finally, finally he stopped. "There she is."
"Oh..." Antonio made the sound without thinking, his mouth falling open slightly. Through the thick foliage stood a statue of what must have been a beautiful woman many, many years ago. She had since fallen over, a few parts broke off, and moss covered a good part of her. It was almost as if she was becoming part of the forest. "Wow... she's amazing."
"Once," Lovino said, strolling up to the stone sculpture, "when I was little, I did something stupid and I was chastised... accordingly. I ran away into these woods, thinking that maybe I could be like a storybook character- I could somehow survive in the wilderness, all on my own, with no one to yell at me or tell me what to do. I didn't get very far, obviously, but I found... her." He touched a mossy thigh with the pads of his fingertips. Then he shrugged his shoulders.
"Of course I got scared and ran back to the main road when it got dark, but I made sure to find my way back when I needed time to myself. Away from people. Sometimes to study. Sometimes to pray. I did bring Feliciano here, though. He thought it was very peaceful, as well. But Feliciano can find peace wherever he happens to be."
Antonio looked at her face, missing a nose of course. "So... this is like your special place. And, technically, I'm the first person who has seen this with you." He looked over at him, yes, he could ask now, now would be the perfect time. "Hey Lovi..."
Lovino's features brightened and for a moment, Antonio was sure that Lovino could feel it too- the mood, perhaps even what Antonio intended to ask, and when a mischievous smile broke out over Lovino's face, he was almost certain he'd get an affirmative and a little something extra, but all his hopes were shot when the Italian opened his mouth. "Holy shit, I forgot; there's a little pond about a half a mile away, perfect for catching frogs. That was half my childhood in a nutshell. Come on, I'll show you!"
"Catching frogs? What the hell is wrong with you?" Antonio muttered, being pulled along. Damn, Lovino kept ruining the mood! How was he supposed to get a romantic moment alone when he was dating someone who's sole purpose was to piss on anything and everything romantic? But Lovino's spirits weren't dampened in the slightest. "Come on, don't tell me you're afraid to get a little dirty. This is way more fun than anything you were planning to do, I'm sure."
"Right yeah, frogs, how could I resist?" Antonio couldn't help it if it came out sarcastic. He followed along, and they came to the pond. Well, he said pond, but it was really more of a marsh. Muddy, and looking just solid enough in parts to trick you into thinking you won't get the bottom of your pants wet. And sure enough, there were frogs jumping around everywhere.
And Lovino - Lovino in his very nice, very designer clothes - simply rolled the jeans up to his knees and tossed his shirt haphazardly over the branch of a tree before trekking straight into the muddy water.
Antonio decided to just watch while he tried to catch a frog. "This is really what you want to do? You know we could just like, buy a frog from a pet store back home or something. You're not twelve years old anymore."
"I'm not going to keep it," Lovino said, crouching down and searching through the muck with his hands. "What if it's a mother with a bunch of little babies? I just want to catch it. Like fishing for sport."
"What if you catching it scares the mother frog so much that it gives her a heart attack?" Antonio asked, crouching down. "...And frogs just lay eggs! I don't think they take care of their young."
"You're supposed to be the whimsical one," Lovino griped, flicking water in Antonio's direction. "Now shut up and let me be a child."
He laughed and made a poke at a frog that was fairly close to him. "Yeah, I'm the whimsical one, which is why it's strange seeing you trying to catch frogs. Don't try to have a romantic day sight seeing with me, no- you have fun with those frogs."
"I had a romantic day of sight-seeing, and in that time you managed to commit more to film than to memory, and you stole a piece of ancient architecture... while I took you out for orgasmic food and a walk in the forest. I believe of the two of us, I've been significantly more romantic today."
"Well that's not my fault." Antonio muttered, mostly to himself. So maybe he was getting a little frustrated. Maybe he should just do it, and damn the romance.
But the romantic inside Antonio wouldn't let him. This was only the third day. Surely he would find a perfect time.
"Ah!" Lovino cried, and lifted his hands triumphantly. "Look, fuck, two of them!" He grinned wildly, holding them up for Antonio to see. And then, just gazing at the look of pure accomplishment on Lovino's face from just catching a pair of frogs in a muddy pond - the man who practically ran a company by himself, orchestrated a large branch of it, at the very least - all Antonio could see was a lonely little boy who craved affirmation. How often had he come down alone to the dark, green woods and cried out with excitement when he caught a slippery little creature, only to have no one around to see? Had he congratulated himself, or had he decided that it didn't really matter after all?
So, he couldn't help the smile that spread on his face. "Good job! I have the best frog catching boyfriend in the world." Antonio stood up straight, watching Lovino let the frogs go free. "Should we head back? Your mom wanted us there for dinner."
Still grinning broadly, Lovino tried to rinse the mud off of his hands with less-muddy water and stood. His face and shoulders were speckled with mud, and his undershirt was ruined, but that didn't seem to faze him in the least. "Yeah, let's get back. We'll need to shower. Dibs on the first."
"Nope, sorry. For the first time in a while, we have access to a shower big enough for both of us. Which means that we're gonna shower together, because that is my right as your boyfriend." Antonio put his hands in his pockets, not wanting to hold hands since Lovino's was muddy, but still walking side by side with him.
"You're lucky I'm in a mood good enough to want to share my shower time with you," Lovino sniffed. He draped the shirt over his shoulder and snatched up his shoes and socks with one hand, taking Antonio's hand out of his pocket despite the Spaniard's protests. "My right as your boyfriend," he hummed.
He sighed, squeezing his fingers around it. "Good thing neither of us is afraid of germs then." But it still made his heart warm at the fact that Lovino wanted to hold his hand, and had actually initiated the act for once.
Lovino shoved his socks and shirt into the saddle bag once they had reached the motorbike and slid the shoes on his feet before driving them both out onto the main road and back toward his grandfather's summer home.
One of the young, slim members of the housekeeping staff chastised Lovino when he walked in covered in mud, but a few of the older ones smiled knowingly and called to Lovino in Italian, and even then he could only grin back and respond cheerfully. The smile didn't leave his face even when they stumbled into the bathroom, stripping themselves of their clothing, nor when Antonio pulled him under the hot spray of the shower, kissing him soundly.
.oOo.
At dinner that night, the long table was about half full with people, the rest set to arrive the following day. There were no names on the spots, so Lovino took a seat about half way down the table, before his mother spotted them, and motioned for them to sit closer to the end with her and Roma. The old man himself was still talking, but he was heading over to his seat at the head of the table.
Brushing the auburn bangs from his forehead, Lovino complied for his mother's sake and settled beside her, smiling indulgently when she looked him over. "Lucia said she saw you covered in mud earlier," she said conversationally. He nodded.
"We had an... interesting day," he said, accepting a small kiss on his cheek. "We didn't even have time to siesta."
"Really? Well, I guess you got enough sleep yesterday." She took a sip of her wine, smiling over at Antonio. "So he took you to nice places? Did you have fun?"
Antonio smiled pleasantly at her. "Yeah, we had a great time. It was... interesting, like Lovi said." Once everyone was sitting, Roma clapped his hands for the food to be brought out.
An elderly woman murmured something to Lovino when she placed a bowl of thick soup in front of him and he laughed softly, gently squeezing her hand briefly after she ran it through his hair.
"Dorotea," he said to Antonio when she walked away, "was my... nanny, you might say. It's hard for her to climb stairs now, so she only stays on the first floor. She travels only when she has to, and sleeps by the kitchen because the extra heat is good for her joints. Or so she tells me."
"Right. That's... nice. Nice that you care about your elders." The smile Antonio gave was playful. He had never seen Lovino quite like this. He was still happy from catching the frogs, which was strange because he was sitting only a couple seats away from his Grandpa.
Lovino snorted. "I don't care about my elders," he said. "I care about certain people, and she happens to be one of them."
"She has you to thank for keeping her limber for so long," Esmeralda chimed in, stirring her soup. "I remember when you were very small, and she would chase you up and down the halls after your baths because you hated getting dressed. You'd come shooting out of the bathroom as naked as the day you were born the minute you had the opportunity. Traumatized your aunt, I remember that. Poor dear never did have children after spending a summer with you."
Antonio snorted a little, looking at his plate. "Completely naked? That's so cute~" He reached over and pinched Lovino's cheek before he pushed him away.
She smiled over to her son. "Oh yes, neither of my boys liked clothes very much. He would do almost everything naked."
"They did everything together," Roma chuckled on Lovino's mother's other side. "Even painting, if you can believe it."
"Grandpa."
"It's a shame Lovino's self confidence is stuck in that vacuous state-"
"Nonno."
Lovino glared sharply at the older man, his cheeks tinted red. "That's enough," Esmeralda said softly, sparing a glance down the rest of the long table that had quieted suspiciously.
Roma laughed loudly, obviously not sensing the tension. "What's wrong? I'm sure everyone heard about you burning all you paintings."
Antonio's eyes widened as Lovino quickly stood up, slamming his hands on the table, and strode out of the room. The Spaniard bit his lip, looking after him. He wanted to know more about that, because it was obviously a big deal, but he didn't want to push. Quickly, he followed after his lover.
Halfway down the hall, Lovino suddenly stopped and spun around. His face was set in that ignited spitfire manner, and Antonio grabbed his arm when he made to walk back to the dining room. "Let me go," he growled, baring his teeth at Antonio. "I'm going to go break his smug little fucking nose."
Antonio firmly wrapped his arms around Lovino, holding him there. "I won't let you go, I know you would just regret it." They struggled, Lovino trying to get away, but Antonio was bigger. Eventually, Antonio was able to coax the volatile young man back to their suite, holding onto him all the while. Lovino did not meet his eyes, and immediately went to the right window when Antonio let him go. He curled up on the cushion and stared out the window.
The Spaniard sat down on the bed, knowing enough not to bring up what happened downstairs. "Are you excited for Feliciano coming in tomorrow? I think he's coming in the afternoon, so if you want we can do some stuff before then."
"Yeah," Lovino murmured, running a hand through his hair. "Mama misses him, too. Feliciano tells me all the time how often she calls. He had some test to take today, though, and Grandpa knew about it when he sent the tickets. He'll have done well."
Well, it was a good thing that he was talking, instead of just closing down. "That's good. It's nice that you get to spend so long with your family."
"Is it?" He snorted and rubbed his knuckles over his furrowed brow. "Yeah. Yeah, maybe." Looking up from his hand, Lovino finally met Antonio's eyes. "You're probably still hungry. I left... abruptly. You didn't have to follow. You should go back."
But he shook his head, and went to go sit down beside Lovino, leaning against him. "I'm not going to leave you here. Especially not when you're feeling like this." Hopefully Lovino was a bit more open today, so he wouldn't freeze up at that.
He did not push Antonio away when a hand curled against his, and even leaned into him until his head was cradled in the crook of Antonio's shoulder. Though he waited patiently for some sort of explanation, Lovino never gave one. So, Antonio didn't push. He was curious, and really thought it would help Lovino if he talked about it, but it would most likely just turn out like last time. Maybe, eventually, Lovino would freely tell him why he apparently burnt all his paintings, which seemed strange. It made Antonio a little bit sad to think about.
"Is that why you didn't want Feliciano to talk about it?" he asked after a long, easy silence. Lovino shifted, his hand tightening briefly in Antonio's.
"I didn't think you'd remember that." Antonio could feel the warmth of Lovino's breath against his throat.
He held him closer. "I tend to remember when you don't want me to hear something." Antonio lifted a hand, rubbing Lovino's cheek lightly. He could feel Lovino close his eyes, eyelashes tickling the heel of his palm.
"I don't like remembering it. It's mortifying. Which is why that ancient bastard never misses an opportunity to bring it up. Mama doesn't know the whole story," he muttered. "And Grandpa downplays and exaggerates where he sees fit. Manipulation and sadism. He's a business man to the core when it comes to... some things."
Antonio moved them a little, putting Lovino's legs over his own. "You also said he used to be in the army. That must be hard to live with." The Italian made a noise of confirmation against his chest. "So... What is the whole story? If you want to tell me, of course."
Lovino was quiet for a long while. The antique grandfather clock by the ornate wardrobe ticked with every second that passed, and with every little stroke of his thumb down Lovino's wrist, Antonio could feel the pulse of every steady heartbeat.
"There's not much to tell," he said quietly, just after the clock struck eight. "I painted a lot when I was a kid. It helped me relax. You wouldn't think it now, but Feli used to get frustrated a lot when he was little; people treated him differently, of course. The maids and housekeeping staff smothered him, and while he was mostly used to coddling, he would throw tantrums sometimes. He felt smothered because they wouldn't let him do anything. Whether it was to make his life easier or to keep him from getting hurt, I don't know, but because of it, he got bored easily. So I gave him some of my fingerpaints, and he loved them. He loved the feel of them and he loved smearing them all over a canvas.
"Grandpa... never had time to see my paintings. I was just a little kid, no talent to speak of, and he was a busy man. But he knew that I painted. I used to crave his approval like it was oxygen and I was drowning. He knew. For years, he promised to come see, eventually- he used to use that word a lot, until I realized what it really meant - but he was always too tired, or too busy, or too drunk. I wasn't really on his list of priorities. So I worked hard to paint well, and I spent hours a day trying to make something beautiful that might make him see that I was good, and that even I could do at least one thing well." Antonio felt Lovino's fingers, long and slim, curl tighter around his. "But the instant that he heard that Feliciano had started to paint, he took a flight from fucking Venice to come see. Venice! And I... I was young and angry, and so I took all of the paintings I'd ever done and burned them. I got in trouble, because I accidentally set fire to the rug and the curtains, and that's the only reason he even knows at all."
Antonio bit his lip, knowing that whatever he said could easily hurt Lovino right now, and he had to be careful. He squeezed him a little tighter, burying his face in Lovino's dark hair. "You... deserved a happier childhood. I wish I could have grown up with you. I love you, and I always will, I promise. I would come from half way around the world to see your paintings." He knew that no one had intentionally treated Feliciano better, and they couldn't really be blamed, but Lovino deserved so much more love than they had ever given him.
He felt Lovino shudder and held him tighter.
"That's such a stupid thing to say," Lovino muttered thickly. "Not that I paint anymore, but if I did, I'd just send it to you." He cleared his throat and ducked his head. "If we'd been kids together, maybe you wouldn't have bitched so much about catching frogs."
"If we had been kids together, you wouldn't have had to catch frogs on your own," Antonio said quietly. "Why don't you try it again? Painting I mean. If you enjoyed it as a kid, you would still like it, right?"
"No," Lovino answered quietly, but firmly. "I'm too busy for that. It'll only distract me from my work. The old man's set to kick the bucket any year now, if we're lucky, and I can't afford to let the business fall behind before I have to take over for him."
Antonio gave a small smile at that. "Right." He did think it would be a good idea for Lovino to paint again. It might help him calm down sometimes.
And they were quiet again, the mood far lighter than it had been since before dinner, and Lovino looked up from Antonio's chest into his eyes. "Let's go to the kitchen," he said, pressing a little kiss to Antonio's jaw. "We can find something to eat."
He nodded, and they stood up, Antonio putting an arm around Lovino's waist. "And maybe we can bring up some dessert. I caught a peek of it and whatever it is, it looks delicious." Probably way too much sugar, but he wasn't about to complain.
The kitchens were empty, except for a couple of young ladies scrubbing pots and pans in the enormous sinks, and Lovino pulled open one massive refrigerator door to browse the leftovers. "What are you hungry for?" he asked, brushing his nose against Antonio's cheek when the Spaniard rested his chin on Lovino's shoulder.
"There's some garlic bread. But can we have something that isn't pasta? Seriously, I don't know how your family stays so thin when that's all you eat." He saw a few tomatoes and grabbed them.
"Metabolism," Lovino said, swatting Antonio's hip. "We have plenty of dishes that aren't pasta, but almost none of them are low in carbs. But it's all delicious." He reached inside, pulling out various Tupperware containers and glancing inside. "There's soup... lemon chicken... strawberries..."
He smirked, holding Lovino around his hips. "Wanna skip dinner and go straight for dessert?"
"Does dessert include tomatoes?" Lovino asked right back, nuzzling Antonio's neck and gifting him with a biting kiss. He only pulled back when the young maids began to titter on the other side of the room.
"Only if you want it to." Antonio whispered against his ear, grabbing the strawberries and some whipped cream and closing the fridge. He also grabbed the tomatoes and put them in the crook of his arm, knowing that Lovino would probably eat them later for a snack.
Glancing over to make sure the girls had turned their backs, Lovino gently pushed his hips against Antonio's and kissed him chastely. "I always do."
They practically raced back to the bedroom and once inside Lovino rolled into bed, his eyes bright and cheeks flushed with excitement. He watched Antonio awkwardly crawl in after him with the fruits piled in his arms and snickered, meeting him halfway for a deeper, longer kiss. But he pulled back after a few seconds with a grunt. "I'm seriously going to drop something," Antonio grumbled, and went over to the table where he dumped everything. Then he held up the tomato. "If you want to save these for later, we can get to the fun stuff."
"Fun stuff?" Lovino repeated, crawling over to the edge of the bed. He reached out and grabbed a strawberry, taking a big bite of the ripe, red fruit.
Antonio smiled, and followed him, taking the strawberries and whip-creme with him. "Yup, really fun stuff." Quickly, he took Lovino's shirt off, and pushed him down on the bed. Then he took a strawberry in his mouth, trailing it up Lovino's torso, twice around each nipple, and dangled it above the Italian's mouth.
Lovino leaned up, taking a bite off the thick ridge with a little glare. "That's cold, you bastard." He licked his lips and moved for another bite.
The fruit dropped into his mouth, and Antonio was grinning above him. "Oh, was it? Well, what about this?" He took the lid off the tub of whipped cream, dipped a finger in so he got a big dollop on his finger, and trailed it down the center of Lovino's chest, before licking it off. The warm body gave a shudder, and Antonio watched as goosepimples broke out over his smooth skin. Lovino whimpered low in his throat and Antonio could practically see his nipples harden. "Colder! Fuck."
"Oh, but you like it." Antonio purred, getting some more cream and spreading it over Lovino's nipple, sucking it off this time. "If you say please, I might put the whipped cream elsewhere," he said suggestively, rubbing the bulge in Lovino's pants.
The young man's hips picked the perfect time to arch upward, and he gasped. "Mmmph, shit, fuck, yesss." He tangled his fingers through Antonio's hair and pulled him up to suck greedily at his lips.
Antonio worked on getting Lovino's pants off, as well as his boxers, and once they were on the floor, got the whipped cream and spread it over the head of his cock. And, just for fun, took a small strawberry and placed it on top. "Best ice creme Sunday ever."
Growling, Lovino took the strawberry and shoved it into Antonio's mouth. "You're so fucking weird," he accused. "Stop fucking around and suck my cock."
"Say please~" Antonio said around the strawberry, but at the look he got he sighed. "Fine, don't say please. You have no table manners." He started with a lick, getting a taste of the cream, and swirled around the head, sucking most of it off. It twitched and hardened further under his tongue, and Lovino barely muffled the long moan curled in his throat. He closed his eyes and tilted his hips up toward Antonio's mouth.
"Fuck, Antonio... yes..."
He got some more of the whipped cream, savoring the sweet-salty taste on Lovino's cock. Then he took the whole head into his mouth, sucking it as he hollowed out his cheeks. With his hands, he started to play with his balls. Lovino gasped and writhed about under him, his toes scrambling about by Antonio's thighs. "Oh- oh, fuck, please... so good..."
Antonio took his mouth off, only to start sucking at his balls, pulling the skin into his mouth, which he knew made Lovino go crazy. It didn't take long for Lovino to grow tired of the wretched, fantastic teasing and before Antonio could get a grip on the situation, Lovino had flipped him over onto his back and moved to straddle his waist.
"I'll show you to fucking tease, you bastard," he growled, grabbing the whipped cream that Antonio had discarded.
All Antonio could do was grin in anticipation.
.oOo.
The next day, Antonio woke up to Lovino running around the room. It seemed like it was passed noon already, but he was moving really fast. It wasn't like they had anything planned. "Where's the fire?"
"I can't find my underwear. Dammit, Antonio, where did you throw it last night?" He threw back the covers and dropped them when he couldn't find what he was looking for.
"You have more pairs of underwear." He sat up in the bed and looked through Lovino's bag, grabbing a clean pair. "Why are you rushing? I didn't think Feliciano's plane got here until, like... two."
Lovino grunted. "We're not going to pick him up. The driver's going to get him. And I don't want anyone finding my underwear in some random place if I don't find it myself!"
Antonio laughed and rolled his eyes. A flash of red made him pause. "Found them." He pointed to one of the light fixtures that was attached to the far wall, the underwear hanging off of it.
He was graced with a dry, unamused stare before Lovino went to pull the underpants off. "You were fairly enthusiastic, I see."
"Well, I really wanted my dessert. Speaking of which..." He got up and went to the table, grabbing one of the last few strawberries and popping it in his mouth. "These are so good! They taste way better than store-bought."
"If anything, we do garden very well," Lovino agreed, taking a tomato from the table and biting into it. He wiped away the reddish juice that dribbled down his chin and gazed out the window. "Would you like to see the vineyard?"
He looked out the window at all of the trees. "Sure, we can. But if it's just vines, is there really that much to see?" Maybe that could be romantic enough? But when he looked outside, he noticed that it was kind of clouded over, so it wouldn't be as romantic as he wanted.
"Actually, it's... nice." Lovino took another bite and gazed out over the vineyard. "I want to take a walk anyway. You don't have to come if you think it'll be too boring."
"I'll come. What's the point of being in Italy with you if we're not together?" Antonio started getting dressed, finishing off the strawberries while he did it. "So, do you think you'll be able to stand another few days of being here? Last night got a little tense."
"Feliciano commands everyone's attention," he said with a little nod, pulling on his shoes and socks. "Grandpa won't have the mind to tease me once he's here. Besides, it's time off work. I'm going to enjoy myself."
Antonio pulled his shirt on, and he was ready to go. "I'm here so you can't help but have fun." He chuckled a bit, and opened the door to let them out into the hallway. Luckily, with all of the people they passed, none of them knew them enough to talk.
Lovino led him through the rows and hills of the vineyard, the air pressing hot and rich against them. Sweat poured slick and even over them and made their skin shine as soon as the sun came out from behind the clouds, dappled in the leaves. Antonio watched as they walked through different types of grapes, amazed at the varying shades and colors. He tried a few of them, but they were incredibly bitter, and the skin was really thick. "So where do you make the wine?"
"We have a few places, all in Italy," he said, ticking a few locations off on his fingers. "But we conduct business from multiple points. Like where I work." He popped a grape into his mouth and sucked on the juice that flowed when he bit into it.
"Right. That's pretty cool." Antonio leaned up against one of the posts, smiling at him. "My Lovi, such a successful business man. It's strange, though. Why do you work with your Grandfather if you hate him so much?"
Lovino regarded him for a long minute before giving a little shrug and picking another grape from a vine. "I don't... hate him. And even if I did, I'm the heir to the company. It's my responsibility."
"You don't hate him? So storming out on dinner both times we've eaten with everyone was just a coincidence then?" Antonio laughed a little, wanting to keep the mood light. After all, it was only the middle of the day.
"I didn't do it because I hate him," he said, rolling his eyes. "I did it because I'm old enough now that if he starts shit like he always has, I finally have the power to get up and walk away. When I was a brat, I had to sit and just take it, but at least this beats the alternative." He took another grape before clarifying. "Scooping his eyes out with a dessert spoon."
Antonio laughed outright at that, bending over. "How can you say that and that you don't hate him, in the same instance? In my family, if you don't like someone, you can just not speak to them!"
"Yeah, well, obviously our families are different. I can't just not speak to him." He wiped the sticky, dark juices from his fingers off on his jeans. "Tried it once. It upsets Mama."
"And you would never want to upset Mama." Antonio said sarcastically. "It's amazing how protective you are of her. Not that that's a bad thing, of course." He sat on one of the posts that was free of vines, which gave him a slightly elevated view and he could see the house nicely.
"She was a single mother taking care of two little shits who were challenging on a thousand different levels. Of course I am. It's finally her time to sit back and enjoy life."
Antonio looked at his watch absentmindedly. "I understand, who doesn't love their mothers?" He tried standing up on the post to get a better view of the house, trying to see if there was a car there heralding the arrival of Feliciano and Ludwig. He didn't stand completely, but he did get a better view.
"Get down from there before you fall and break your neck," Lovino said, strolling leisurely back toward the manor.
He chuckled and jumped down. "I actually have amazing balance. In another life, I might have been a tight rope walker." Antonio followed him back to the house, but it looked like the car had already been here for a while. Feliciano and Ludwig were no where in sight.
When the first blast of cool air from the air conditioner swept over their damp bodies, Lovino began to shiver. "Shower," he said, rubbing the gooseflesh on his arms. "Come on. We'll make it hot."
"Oh, we'll make it hot alright," Antonio said with a grin, following him to their room.
.oOo.
After dinner, when the Vargas brothers, Ludwig, and Antonio followed the Vargas elder into a quiet little study, Antonio immediately picked up on Lovino's defensive posture, and despite his sharp words and tone, it was obvious that he was composing himself fairly well. But when Roma dismissed Feliciano and Ludwig, he grew noticeably colder.
"I know what you're up to," he said lowly to Roma, who seemed marginally unaffected. "Stop it. It's fucking annoying."
He smiled innocently, taking a sip of his wine. "Oh Lovino, you always have had such a foul mouth. But really, I don't know why you are so suspicious." It would be more difficult getting Lovino out of the room, of course.
"You're picking off the weak ones first, for a start," he grumbled back, leaning against the plush leather of the sofa with his eyes narrowed. "We're allowed to date who we want, you pretentious old fool. We are adults. Stop trying to dictate our lives."
The smile dropped a few degrees. "Have I ever said you cannot date who you wish? I haven't even made a move to ask either of you to carry on the family name, and have accepted that neither of you will ever give me great grandchildren. But I would be neglecting my duty as head of the family if I did not get to know who you have deemed so important as to bring home." But he smiled again, as if nothing had happened. "Now, Lovino, if you would be so dear as to do your Grandpa a favor and check on the guests? There are always last minute problems."
"I've never been a dear my whole life," Lovino replied firmly, "and I'm not going to start now." He sounded strong, but inch by inch, his hand sought Antonio's for stability. "Whatever you want to say, you can say it in front of me."
For a second, Roma gave up the act. "Like you would let me get any good information. Now, you are still my grandson, and you still have responsibilities. Make sure everyone is happy with their rooms, and has a bottle of wine, alright? And make sure it's wine from 2006. That was one of our best years."
A muscle in Lovino's jaw tightened, and Antonio knew that Roma had used the perfect word to get under Lovino's skin: responsibility. The young man turned toward Antonio, tightening the loose grip he had on his hand. Antonio turned to him, giving him a reassuring smile. "I'll be fine. Meet you in the room after." He was determined to get on Roma's good side, no matter what. But if the old man turned out to hate him, it wasn't the end of the world. He wouldn't let Lovino go for anything.
That didn't seem to be the answer Lovino was hoping for, though Roma began to perk up. Slowly, hesitantly, Lovino stood and dropped Antonio's hand, completely ignoring Roma on his way out.
Once the door was closed behind him, the Spaniard looked at at Roma with a broad grin. "Before you say anything, I love your grandson, and nothing you can say to me will change that."
"Oh, yes, I can see that," Roma said easily, draining the rest of his glass before setting it delicately on the small, circular table beside him. He relaxed in the chair, sizing Antonio up even from his comfortable position. "Enough to move in with him and take a trip to Italy with him. But he is rarely home, I'd wager. He is kept plenty busy with work. You have copious amounts of free time, and nearly all of his attention when you desire it, as he does not make friends as a general rule. Tell me, in what way don't you benefit in dating my grandson?"
Antonio was a little confused by this. It wasn't the sort of inquiry he had been expecting. "Well, he doesn't want to get a dog, but that's pretty much it. Oh, and he moved in with me, I didn't move in with him." A little detail, sure, but he didn't want anyone thinking he was a gold digger or anything.
The older gentleman leaned forward, his elbows situated on his knees. His eyes were a deep, dark brown and settled heavily on Antonio's. "I've been reliably informed that on more than one occasion, Lovino has referred to you as a 'manipulative little shit.' Verbatim, you understand." He smiled, but it was a dangerous sort of smile. "As a fellow manipulative little shit, I'd like to know exactly why he'd feel this way about you. Lovino is so very good at calling us out for what we are, after all."
He laughed a bit at that, refusing to be on edge. That is what Roma wanted, but he wouldn't let it happen. "Well, when we met I wanted a relationship with him, and he didn't want one. But I always get what I want. And now we're both happy, so it was for the best."
Roma's eyes grew sharp and cold. "Did you force my grandchild into a sexual relationship, Antonio?"
"Not at all. When we got together, he was completely willing, if a little nervous." Antonio leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "You know how he can be. Doesn't want to let anyone past his wall. So I had to squirm through, but I succeeded and he agreed to go out with me."
Thick, long fingers steeped together between Roma's knees. "What are your intentions with my daughter's child?" he asked after a long moment of quiet observations.
Antonio smirked a little. "Is that really what you want to ask me?"
The left corner of Roma's mouth curled up at that. "No. You've kept him around the longest of all of his little playmates. I'd rather ask how long you intend to do so. Personal affairs tend to interfere with productivity in business."
"I really couldn't give a fuck about productivity in business. I think Lovino is much more important than things like that. So I 'intend' to keep him around for as long as he lets me, hopefully forever. In fact, I was planning on asking him to marry me on this trip. If I could find the right moment, that is." Antonio took the box from his pocket, but didn't open it.
For the first time, it seemed, Roma was surprised. He sat up straight, a curious expression lighting on his face. "That's new," he said, and it did not pass Antonio's notice that his tone was considerably lighter. Roma's eyes flickered between the box and Antonio's face. After a moment, his grin had returned, if slightly softer. "You might not have much luck with the timing," he said. "Lovino hates these reunions."
"Yeah, so I've noticed." He put the box back in his pocket. "But what better place to do it than Italy, right? I'm sure I'll find the right time before we go home." He just might have to force it a little.
Roma leaned back and regarded Antonio with curiosity and something like confusion for a short time. "That child," he finally said, "has no faith in anyone in the world, barely even himself. I have never seen him behave in such a trusting manner to anyone aside from his brother all of his life... Until you arrived the other day." Finally, for the first time since Antonio had first laid eyes on the man, he looked his age, and just as tired. "It worries me that you might not comprehend the intensity of that trust. If what I have heard and observed is true, you may have completely overtaken his suspicious little heart. I am concerned that, because of this, he will be completely vulnerable to everything you say and do. And if you betray that trust, I fear he may never find faith in humanity. I am scared for him, Antonio. It is quite a lot of pressure to put on you, I know. But I want to be sure you understand the severity of the situation."
Any amusement that had been on Antonio's face fell away. "Wow," he said, glancing away. "Do you realize how much of a hypocrite you sound like? Yeah, he never lets anyone close, because he's afraid of getting hurt, but who's fault is that?" He was trying hard not to yell. "He grew up wanting your recognition, and you only showed compassion for Feliciano. All he wanted was your love! I bet you're also the reason that he feels that he has to protect his brother at all costs, that his brother is even more important than he is!" He tried to stop, because Lovino would be pissed if he knew he was saying these things, but he couldn't help himself. "I don't think it's me you have to worry about; it's you that always make him feel like a child who doesn't deserve love."
Roma stared at him wordlessly, and eventually Antonio grew tired of glaring at him and stood. He left the room without another word and made a beeline for the bedroom he shared with Lovino. He waited on the bed, grabbing a book, not wanting to go to sleep until Lovino was back. He didn't have long to wait; about twenty minutes after he had settled in, the door creaked open.
"Do you even fucking comprehend," Lovino began, immediately stripping after locking the door, his shirt and trousers tossed over a wicker chair, "how much my family likes to talk? They just go on! You can't even shut them up with alcohol."
"It's just because you are such a delight to talk to." Antonio laughed as he stood up. Then he hugged Lovino close, resting his head on his shoulder. "So do you love me more than your Grandpa? Because... I think I really pissed him off," he said a little sheepishly.
"I love you more than anything," Lovino responded before he could catch himself, and his face heated up rather nicely against Antonio's neck. "I-I mean, I'd love anyone who pissed that bastard off."
But Antonio heard it, and he smiled warmly, hugging Lovino closer. "I love you too. I love you so much." He realized, then, that this would be the perfect time. "Actually, I... have something to ask you." He reached into his pocket, where the box had been for the last three days, but his fingers just bumped against the fabric of his trousers.
Lovino pulled back and watched him pat himself down, one eyebrow cocked. "Uh... if you want me to do a weird-ass dance, it's not gonna happen."
"Hahaha! No, that's not it!" Antonio laughed nervously. Dammit, where was it? It wasn't in any of his pockets! But where could it have been? He just had it when he was talking to Roma... Antonio realized in dread that he must not have put it back in his pocket right. It either fell out on that very couch, or on his way to the room. Oh no, how could this have happened?
"Hey, you okay?" Lovino asked, stepping back. "Did you lose something?"
"No! Haven't lost anything! I was ah, just making sure this jacket had pockets. So that... I can put some food in them! That's what I was asking, if you wanted to go to the kitchen to get some tomatoes. And since I have pockets, we can carry a lot of them." Antonio knew very well that it was a terrible lie, but it was all he could think of when he was freaking out. What if Roma found the ring and hid it because he didn't want them to get married? He had spent a lot of money on that thing! Way more money than he should have!
Lovino snorted and moved to the bathroom to brush his teeth, calling over his shoulder, "Okay, whatever. If you want to go look for whatever you lost, be my guest. I'm going to bed."
"I didn't lose anything! But I'm gonna go get those tomatoes. I know how much you love tomatoes!" Antonio quickly left the room, glad that Lovino had let him go. But, following his footsteps exactly, and looking over that whole couch, Antonio didn't find anything at all. Where the hell could it have gone? Did Roma find it? Did someone else find it? What if a random family member found it and didn't tell anyone? Then he might never get it back!
Dejected, Antonio returned to the room, hands in his pockets.
The room was dark except for the lamp on Antonio's side of the bed, which he flicked off after undressing. Once he had crawled in and curled up near Lovino, the warm body turned toward him and an amused voice filled the quiet space between them. "So where are the tomatoes?"
Antonio stiffened. How could he have forgotten? "Um, they didn't have any."
Lovino's answering snicker made his ears burn. He was a terrible liar. "Yeah, right. Okay." Lovino easily situated himself against Antonio's body after that, his cheek rested upon Antonio's bare arm. "Well, I'm sure you'll find your... tomatoes tomorrow."
Hey everyone! So the next chapter will be the last, just so you all know. And, if anyone thinks that it almost seems as if a few scenes were missing, that's because they are. Those scenes are in the sister story, Root of Attraction, and we didn't want to write the scenes twice for those of you who have read the other story as well. And, for those of you who haven't, if you want to, here is the link.
ht tp:/ /w ww. fan fiction. ne t/s/7791265/1/bRoot_b_of_bAttraction_b
Just take out the spaces and there you have it!