OHGODIFAIL I'm so sorry for not updating There was Creation, then work, and then I went to California, for sure I am not lying to you guys. :I But I'm back and this chapter is full of past and finally at the end leads up to present day. (more or less.) Sorry for all the making fun of Feliciano I do in this chapter…I love the cutie, he's one of my favorite characters; he's just so easy to make fun of! :'D Btw, this chapter is set around four years later; Lovi is in 8th grade, Antonio is a senior, and Feliciano is in 3rd grade.

Lovino swung the worn wooden door shut as he stepped into the cool, dark, interior of his home, wiping sweat from his brow and running a hand through his slightly sweat coated dark auburn hair. The delicious scent of tomatoes cooking down with familiar herbs filled his nostrils as he stepped forward, smiling as he recognized the scent of the unique food that Antonio always made.

Lovino dropped his bag on the floor and bounded towards the kitchen, a smile itching at his features. The wiry 8th grader had grown fond of the older teen, who was now, he remarked absently, an adult. He slowed down to a walk as he entered the aroma-filled room, taking in the sight of his former babysitter standing by the stove, whistling, and his younger brother Feliciano sitting on the floor, petting the family cat with vigor. Lovino sighed slightly, rolling his eyes and deciding to not even comment on his 'not-the-sharpest-tool-in-the-shed' brother's actions.

"Hey, 'Tonio. I'm home." He called, sitting down at the kitchen table and stretching out his somewhat stiff joints. He hated walking home…

The Spaniard turned around, green eyes flashing cheerfully. "Oh, hey Lovi! I was just making a snack for you and Feli. I'm sorry I couldn't pick you up today, my car was in the shop."

"Oh yeah. You made me walk in the sun, jerk. I almost melted." Lovino grumbled teasingly, grinning toothily when Antonio looked over.

The Spaniard laughed in response, beaming brightly before turning back to the stove.

Over the course of three years, Lovino had eventually grown used to having Antonio in the house, and by now actually liked the older boy, enjoying the attention he gave him that he never really received from his parents. Antonio really was just like the big brother that he had always – but would never admit – wanted. Sure, he had Feliciano as his younger brother but…honestly, the boy was in third grade and it was clear now that he would not end up being the family rocket scientist; he was the kid that always petted the cat too hard.

Either way, he loved having Antonio around, even though he knew that he was old enough to not need a babysitter. Once he had gotten to around 7th grade, his parents agreed that since Antonio had done such a good job keeping Lovino in line, they might as well not get rid of him yet; they decided to hire him to take care of Feliciano, since the two brothers always fought. Lovino recalled once again that Antonio was 17, turning 18 in June. June was also when…he graduated. Lovino also knew that he planned to go off to college. It was a State University, so it wasn't incredibly far, but that wasn't the point.

Antonio had really managed to kick Lovino-the-angsty-elementary-schooler into shape over the past few years, and he was happy to finally have someone older than him whom he could respect, trust, and look up to. And that was why he happened to be inwardly brooding at the moment. He knew Antonio was almost an adult, hell; he'd probably want to get a real job. He'd want to get a life, and go to college, and get a girlfriend, and all those things that adults do when they betray old friends.

Lovino liked to think of himself as one on the same level with Antonio, who had never really treated him like a child, and had given him the respect he deserved. So honestly, even though his brother was the only thing keeping Antonio there, Lovino liked to think that they were friends at least, and therefore the thought that he might not get to hang out with his "older brother" anymore devastated him immensely. Antonio had really been the only one that Lovino had been able to open up too; he had seen him yell, scream, and cry, but not just because of his usual hissy-fits. (Although there were plenty of those.) Lovino had ranted to the teenager about the people he hated at school, how he was treated, and why he reacted the way he did…he ranted about how much he disliked his parents, how he wasn't crying for attention, but if would be nice if they paid an ounce of it to him every now and then, and not just to scold him. He ranted about how his brother was dumb as a rock, and much younger, but his parents saw them as equal when it came to maturity. And through all of this, Antonio sat patiently, offering non-patronizing comfort, advice, friendly smiles, and every now and then, a shoulder to cry on.

Lovino had affection for Antonio that he hadn't had with nearly anyone else; the older teenager had become a concrete part of his life that worked as a sort of filler to keep him together, and to keep him from collapsing in otherwise pent-up emotions. That was why, in all likelihood, he didn't want to think about Antonio leaving. He avoided the facts as much as he possibly could, but they kept popping up into his thoughts despite his best efforts, upsetting him and wearing him out.

The young teenager sighed absently, resting his chin on his palm and looking out the kitchen window at the sunny weather. It didn't faze him; what the sunlight could do outwardly had no effect on his current state of emotions. The light clanking sounds of the pots and pans on the stove and chirping of birds outside the window were only background noises as a storm was brooding in Lovino's head.

"Lovi? Are you alright?" he was shaken out of his stupor as a voice called out, and his brown eyes met bright, curious green ones evenly, disguised.

A fake smile cracked Lovino's lips as he wrung his hands together and slumped his back in a way that was supposed to look relaxed, but really was because of the young man's fatigue.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." He said with boredom, waving his hand dismissively.

"…alright."

Lovino inwardly sighed in relief at Antonio's acceptance, his chest collapsing in a crumpling manner as the older male turned around towards the stove, grabbing a plate and spooning a steaming mass of tomatoes, vegetables, rice and beans onto a plate.

"Food's ready."

Lovino padded down the stairs quietly, carefully, his socks threatening to slip against the polished wood of the staircase with ever step. Of course, the art of sneaking took much practice and expertise, and he possessed aforementioned qualities. His feet landed softly on the landing and he cautiously poked his head around the wall, noting that the living room light was on, and cursed under his breath as green eyes met his.

Antonio was collapsed on the couch in his usual "almost-dedicated-college-student" fashion, his tired eyes traveling from Lovino down to a lazily raised wrist bearing his watch.

"It's 12:04. You have to get up at 6, Lovi." He said warily, his eyes trailing back to the TV in a zombie-ish fashion.

"So do you." Lovino snorted, walking the rest of the way down the stairs, and going to sit on the couch across from Antonio.

Antonio's head rolled lazily to the side on the back of the couch.

"I can't go, I think I have senioritis." He drawled, running a hand through his short and dark locks.

"Yeah? I have 8th grade-itis. You don't see me complaining." Lovino quipped playfully, sitting cross-legged in his plaid pajama bottoms.

Antonio chuckled, crossing his arms on his stomach and closing his eyes momentarily.

"Do me a favor."

"Mmm?"

"Don't let high school steal your soul, hermanito."

Romano quirked an eyebrow at the command, not sure how to respond.

"I can't wait for college. High school hasn't done good things for me. Except of course, getting me into college." Antonio sighed, his head finally falling back to a rest.

"You make it sound so horrible. Thanks a lot, bastard." Lovino laughed, although an undertone of nervousness was slightly audible.

Antonio frowned.

"I didn't mean it like that, I mean, I think you'll like it. You just can't…" he paused, briefly considering his words as his green eyes shone dully. "…let it take you over. Don't overdo yourself."

Lovino's face screwed up in confusion for a split second, then he crossed his arms and sighed, leaning back on the couch in a manner similar to Antonio.

"I don't think I'll like it at all." He mumbled, averting his eyes to the floor in a childish manner.

"Well, I think you will. You'll enjoy the freedom." Antonio sighed tiredly, placing a friendly hand on the younger teenager's back.

Lovino's back felt warm under his friend's hand and he relaxed slightly, looking up at him. "Libertad?" he asked with a friendly smirk.

"Libertad." Antonio answered, giving him a squeeze around the shoulders. "Now, I know that you're not really a kid so I can't order you, but I'm going to make a friend-to-friend suggestion that you hit the sack before your parents come home, for your own safety."

Lovino pulled a scowl, although he wasn't too upset.

"Fine, jerk. Goodnight." He laughed, climbing off the sofa and returning to his efforts at falling asleep.

Lovino fidgeted in his seat, straining his eyes at the large group of graduating seniors congregated at the far side of the football field, a sea of maroon and white caps with gold tassels. His stomach kept at a steady nauseous level, like a hazy level of distraction that clouded his senses as well.

The sun shone warmly on his back, like a warm set of caring hands, protective and comforting. Lovino shook his head attempting to rid the thought. He was beginning to feel very impatient waiting for the graduation ceremony to start, and if his parents could tell, they weren't showing it. His younger brother Feliciano looked up with a somewhat troubled expression at him from his seat on the set of bleachers below him.

"Lovi, what's wrong?" he asked innocently, his voice still high-pitched and his eyes wide and brown.

Lovino's face twisted into a scowl, despite his brother's polite intentions. He wasn't in the mood to deal with his younger brother's innocence and air-headedness.

"Nothing Feli. Don't worry about it." He muttered to his brother, keeping his temper in check.

"Antonio has always been such a helpful young man," Lovino heard his mother's voice cut in, mingling with the pleasant and energetic chatting around them. "It's hard to believe that he is already graduating. Such a diligent young man. I hope you take after him, Lovino."

He didn't respond to his mother's curt statement, simply turning in his seat to face the rectangle of fold out chairs set up on the field that cast crisp and poetic shadows on the grass from the evening sun. It was really all a nostalgic scene when combined with all his thoughts, which were interrupted as the robotic and amateur sound of horns playing the school anthem vibrated through the air, filling the huge empty bowl that was the football field.

Lovino's spine straightened up as he suddenly became intently curious and craned his neck to squint at the royal color-clad figures approaching slowly in time with the music towards the main stage. After a few minutes he realized that it would be almost useless to try to find his friend within the huge crowd, especially with all their faces obscured by those damn caps. His back slumped slightly, as much as was possible on the uncomfortable metal seat. He zoned out for the next couple minutes of the valedictorian's speeches, waiting until they began to call names.

I wonder how he's feeling right now. I wonder…if he's nervous. Lovino thought, drowning out the speeches going on a few hundred feet a way.

"…and in conclusion, this year's graduating class has great, great things ahead of them…WOOO CLASS OF 2010, WE ARE FREAKING SMART! YEAH!" a cheerful blonde shouted into the microphone onstage, being ended rather abruptly as a disgruntled counselor ushered him away from the microphone.

"Thank you, Alfred." The man grunted, straightening his tie and recomposing himself. "Now, we will begin reading off the names of the graduating class."

With his words, the well-known tune began to play from the squeaky horns section and a maroon and white mob rose to its feet from the folded chairs on the field. One by one - painfully slow in Lovino's opinion - the seniors walked up to the podium, shaking the hand of the counselor, grabbing the diploma, and smiling for a picture. He knew that Antonio was near the beginning because of his last name, so he began listening in the B's.

"Gilbert Beilschmidt…Francis Bonnefoy…" Lovino's lips twitched at a bit of a smile as he remembered the two young men's names being called as the names of Antonio's two best friends.

The guys where somewhat…assholes, but they were Antonio's best friends and they were funny, even if Francis seemed like a bit of a manwhore to him. He shrugged the thought off and paid attention once again, holding his breath as the last name before Antonio's was called.

"Ivan Braginsky…Antonio Carriedo…" Lovino continued to hold his breath as he watched the event unfold in slow motion; Antonio walked gracefully up to the podium, his dark red robes swaying nicely around him as he walked in the dimming late afternoon sun, a white smile lighting up his entire face, green eyes smoldering with joy as he approached the counselor.

He reached for the diploma, turning towards the crowd and flashing a smile that sent a jolt of something foreign and unfamiliar down Lovino's spine, along with an increase of the stirring feeling in his gut. Time slowed down further as he watched Antonio's emerald eyes slide slightly to the left and meet his.

How can he possibly have picked me out in this crowd? was the only question that popped up into his dumbfounded mind, and he swallowed lightly and offered a weak smile back once his facial muscles started working again.

My nerves are so bad. It must be because I've been denying to myself for so long that he's graduating.

And then, it was the next moment, and the brilliant mix of silky maroon robes, tan skin, emerald eyes and pearly teeth was gone, out of his line of vision, as the next name was called. Lovino looked down at his hands as he tried to gather his thoughts.

Once the counselors had finished awarding the diplomas, a few more speeches were given and all the graduates threw their caps in the air, giddy smiles and shouts of rejoice abounding throughout the almost dark football field. Lovino started making his way down the heavily crowded throng of people standing on the bleachers, trying to get pictures. Squeezing himself down to the bottom level he jumped onto the track, where he found himself more or less immersed in a sea of maroon, white, and gold.

Lovino wasn't short, but he obviously wasn't as tall as the vast majority of the seniors who were present. He stepped carefully through the jostling bodies, looking up at faces and studying them as much as they could, everything always moved to fast when he was in a crowd.

After about 5 minutes of searching, Lovino decided that he was tired of looking, and that perhaps diving into the crowd of tall people first thing had not been the best way to find Antonio. He squirmed a bit more through the crowd until he found the fence around the track, sighing heavily and leaning back against it. He stared at the beautiful sunset that had gone unnoticed by most of the energetic crowd. After staring at the now dusty colored sky for a few more moments his eyes returned to the slightly dispersed – but not significantly so – ocean of hats and found to his dismay that he could still not see Antonio. He sighed and started walking the track, the amount of people starting to thin out as he retreated farther and farther from the stage. He found a wooden bench in the grass close to the gates where the seniors had emerged from, and sat down, his hands falling into his lap and his head lolling lazily on his shoulders.

He pictured Antonio's face once again, beaming, such happiness in his eyes. He was happy for the older teenager, he really was, he just wished that somehow, Antonio could stay for a while longer.

Then, thinking about it, he realized that Antonio had told him that he was going on a road trip with his friends right after graduation, and then straight to his college to move into the dorm. With a gut-wrenching blow sort of feeling, he realized that it really would be the last time he would see the man for quite some time. His hands suddenly felt cold and clammy, and his feet had begun to fall asleep. He hung his head and closed his eyes for a few moments, not quite tired but just a bit worn out from the event and sitting cramped up in the bleachers.

His eyes snapped open when a hand landed on his shoulder, warm and familiar, and he looked up into the face that he desperately wanted to see and at the same time wasn't sure he did.

"Oh, hi Tonio. I was looking for you. All of you people are too tall. I gave up." Lovino sighed, stretching his legs out and wincing a bit at the 'pins and needles' feeling in his feet.

Antonio smiled and sat down next to him, spinning his hat lighting in his hands and sighing contentedly.

"Hey Lovi, I-" Antonio started.

"Congratulations!" Lovino blurted out, then realizing that he had cut his friend off shut his mouth and looked down at his hands with a bit of embarrassment. "Sorry. Go 'head."

Antonio chuckled a little bit and continued, a good-natured smile on his face. "S'alright. Anyway, just thought I'd come say goodbye to you and spend some time here before I left. Francis, Gilbert and I are going out to dinner with a few friends after this and then, as you know, I'm leaving tomorrow for our big road trip."

Lovino's face visibly fell at this, and although he suddenly realized it and tried to cover it up with a forced smile and a nod, it did not go unnoticed by Antontio.

A concerned look shone in his bright green eyes as he asked, "What's wrong, Lovino? Are you alright?"

Suddenly Lovino felt his throat clench, and it was too dry to form any words, so his mouth simply gaped a bit and he felt absolutely sick and horrible as he realized thick fat tears that he could not fight off were gathering at his tear ducts, and try as he might to hold them back, his throat already ached painfully and the salty water rolled down his cheeks. He immediately hid his face from Antonio; the uncontrollable gasping, choking sobs wracking his thin frame in a way that looked very violent. Antonio immediately wrapped his arms around the smaller teenager, pulling him to his chest, his eyes wide with concern and alarm as he rubbed his back comfortingly.

"What's wrong, Lovi? What's going on?" he asked in a smooth voice, attempting to get a look at the other's face.

Lovino pulled away from his embrace, feeling ashamed of acting like such a child. He had burst into tears! He had been completely unable to control it and had started crying like a baby. He fisted angrily at his red eyes, unwanted sniffles and hiccups escaping him every couple seconds.

"It's stupid. It's dumb, never mind. Just go with your friends." He mumbled, although his head was screaming the opposite.

"Lovino, please tell me. I might not get to see you again for a while after this, I really want to know why you're upset." Antonio said softly, but the words only sent another wave of hopelessness over him that made his eyes water.

Lovino took a large breath and exhaled slowly, the oxygen calming his slightly dizzy mind but not doing much for his rapid heart beat.

"I…don't want you to go. I kn-know you have to, b-but, I'll m-miss you." He almost whispered the end, staring at the ground and feeling the sting of the tears in his eyes.

"Lovi…" he looked up as a shadow fell across him and he found himself staring forward at maroon robes, realizing Antonio had moved to stand in front of him, bending over to look him in the eyes and place his hands on his shoulders. "I'm not going that far away. I'll never leave you. You really are my best friend. If you ever, ever need anything at all you know you can just call me. It will be okay."

Antonio looked into his eyes as he said this, and Lovino felt his stomach swirling again, although he wasn't quite sure why. He scowled a bit as the other hugged him, but hugged back after a minute, his hands gripping tightly to the silky fabric on Antonio's back. The Spaniard pulled away slightly, beaming as brightly as he had when he received his diploma, and leaned forward…to plant a gentle kiss on Lovino's cheek, who in turn, froze, his whole body rigid as he was unsure of how to react. His eyes were wide and questioning as Antonio pulled back, straightening his spine and smiling down at him. Realization sunk in and Lovino's cheeks colored, his face heating up drastically.

"Goodbye, Lovi." Antonio said sadly, with a smile, and began to walk away.

Lovino absently brought a hand up to touch lightly at his cheek, his eyes wide and his cheeks the color of pink roses.

Antonio turned to wave, and Lovi whispered, "Goodbye."

DEE-PRESS-IINGUH.

Anyway.

That's not shota, so gtfo whores. Review pl0x? I will update faster C: