Set in late May.

.:.:.:.:.:.:.

All was silent as they entered their dormroom. Reflections of the moon cast off of the polished chrome, and Arthur led his partner to their anti-gravity mat. They lay on it, and the boy fiddled with the controls so they were just right. Wrapping his arms gently around Lovino's waist, he expected the familiar flip of his gut and sudden weightless feeling. He and the brunette were lifted a foot from their mat. Sleep was desperately trying to consume him after his long day.

First, though, he had to make sure Lovino was comfortable. Spooning the other, he leaned his neck forward a little to kiss his ear. "How do you feel, love?" he murmured soothingly, hearing it resonate off the walls.

"Tired," grumbled Lovino. Plump arms slipped down to find pale hands resting on the bulge of his midriff.

Beginning to rub his boyfriends belly, Arthur splayed his fingers across the small lump, bringing Lovino's hands along for the ride. "Comfy?"

A content sigh filled the air. "Yes. Very comfy."

Appeased, the Englishman continued to draw with his digits along Lovino's hard stomach. Caressing the warm flesh, he prayed that the small being inside could feel his affection. Would that not be wonderful? His baby only just born, but already familiar with his father's touch? Arthur chuckled to himself. Calm down, there's still another five months.

"I love you," whispered Lovino. His breathing slowed and evened out as he slipped into unconsciousness.

Pressing against him even more, Arthur buried his nose into brunette locks. "I love you too."

.:.:.:.:.

Blinding afternoon sunlight gushed through slightly smudged windows. Unknowingly rolling over, Arthur was forced to face the sunbeams full force. With a groan at the unwelcome sensation of consciousness, he smothered his face into the pillow. The man cursed himself for forgetting to close his curtains earlier. It would be useless to try to go back to sleep. He was never able to once he first woke up.

Damnit.

Minutes passed as he rolled around blindly. Stretching, the Brit cracked an eye open to find the clock. Somehow he had ended up twisted diagonally at the foot of the bed, instead of facing his nightstand like he expected. Sitting up, he grunted and fell back with an 'oomph' right away. Arthur was tangled in his sheets, and it took everything he had to motivate himself to crawl out of them. Once he was free, the man kneeled on his mattress and squinted at his analog clock.

12:13PM.

Arthur promptly let his arms give in to splay face-down on his warm bed. "Fuck me," he grumbled into the springs. It was almost two hours before he usually woke up. Well, there's no use in crying about it. After laying there for another ten minutes, he decided to get up and prepare for his day. Rolling off of the bed, he noticed that he was standing on his duvet. Stepping from the fabric, he wadded it up and threw it on the mattress. Making it could wait until later.

Padding to the kitchen, Arthur attempted to flatten down his untamable hair. Blonde locks stuck out everywhere, and he gave up as he approached the counter. Popping a piece of bread in the toaster, he took a box of cereal from the cupboard and fixed a bowl. The toast finished, and he licked his fingertips before pulling it from the electronic. Orange marmalade was spread across its surface. Bites were taken in-between yawns, and he set the bowl in the sink for later.

Just after one the Brit sat on his couch, his usual routine finished. It was Monday, one of his off days, and there was nothing to do. Pouting, Arthur slumped into the cushions. Lovino was still at school, so he could not bug him yet. An idea hit. He could surprise his boyfriend by meeting him after school! Images of the boy flooded his mind starting with amber. Brown and tan came next. Designer clothes, warmth, a slightly bloated stomach...

Wait, what? Snippets of his dream surfaced, and impressive brows furrowed. Why the hell did he have that kind of dream? "I love you" had not even been uttered yet, and he's dreaming of having impregnated Lovino? Lovino! A male! So it's completely impossible to do such a thing. Urg. What did he do before he went to sleep? Oh, right, reading over a story that Kiku had written. His Japanese friend secretly liked to write for fun, but his grammar and spelling were not perfect, and the usual person he went to was on vacation or something. The story was corny, if not somewhat... strange... but it was filled with romance and ooey gooey feelings.

"That is the last time I do that," Arthur moaned to himself, sliding his hands down his face.

He would simply forget that it ever happened. Memory repression was a man's best friend after all. Taking his remote, the blonde switched on the television and began to channel surf. Fatigue still lurked in his body, but a sudden flash of bright colors intrigued him enough to backtrack. Vivid, multi colored ponies pranced across the screen, and Arthur was about to change it when all of the sudden the camera panned to show a beautiful, pure white unicorn with a pastel rainbow mane and tail. What the...? His fingers tried to press the next button, but his brain betrayed him. Instead he did the opposite, and placed the remote on the table.

For the next hour and a half, Arthur sat curled on his sofa getting acquainted with Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and all of the other citizens of Ponyville on the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic marathon.

.:.:.:.:.

Reluctantly, the man willed himself to switch off the television as he saw the time nearing 2:30. St. Maria's let out at 2:45, and Lovino spent a good fifteen minutes gathering his belongings. Slipping into his shoes, and with one last, longing gaze at the television, Arthur exited his home.

Warm, sunny May weather greeted him as he stepped outside. Even though he had been living here for over ten years, American summers were still uncomfortably hot for the Englishman. Well, it was not officially summer yet, but the temperature was high enough for it to be considered as such. Arthur walked down the sidewalk adorned in a t-shirt, shorts, and high tops.

Ten 'til read his watch as he arrived at the school. Leaning against the brick building, the blonde idly watched teens scamper away from their prison. It was a little boring, and not long ago Arthur would light up a cigarette to pass the time. Now there was nothing to do, so he unpocketed his cell phone to fiddle around with Snake. As he played the game, he thought about how much better he felt since he had quit smoking. It was extremely difficult at first, and he would often snap at whoever was close enough whenever he felt the craving scratching at his throat. To everyone's relief, the withdraw eventually faded. Now he felt more awake and active than before, and when he ran or walked for long distances, he would not be greedily gulping down air and wheezing.

Subtly lifting his gaze from the lengthy black line on his screen, Arthur noticed the flow of boys and girls had slowed. That did not stop them from giving the outsider questioning or wary looks. He did not care, and stared back until they noticed and left.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

Smirking, the man turned to appraise that Italian accent. Slightly wide-eyed, Lovino stood near Arthur in his perfect uniform. You're cute. "You look so nerdy in that." Well, he hoped the other could read in between the lines.

Kicking his shin, the brunette adjusted his backpack. "Shut up, stupid." Scowling, he untucked and unbuttoned his dress shirt, showing his white undershirt.

Arthur wanted to bring him into a hug, but the Italian would undoubtedly be uncomfortable with that. Pocketing his phone, he swallowed that desire with a sweet smile. He really was happy to see Lovino. It seemed to be working, because the other's frown lifted. They stood there for a little while longer until the descending awkward moment was apparent. "Are you hungry?"

Amber eyes shined, and an almost smile twitched at dark lips. "Yeah. I forgot my lunch at home today."

Chuckling, the Brit reached to grasp his hand, but froze midway and let his arm flop back to his side. "Er, well, where would you like to eat? My treat." Feeling a little disappointed, Arthur began to walk away from the school.

Arthur did not notice that his boyfriend was not following until he heard the clomping of loafers on concrete speeding after him. Slowing, he gave Lovino an apologetic glance. He was met with the brunette glaring at the sidewalk like it did him an injustice. "You probably don't know the place. I'll show you." With red ears, he took Arthur's slightly larger hand in his own. The Englishman was pleasantly shocked, but did not bring attention to the gesture in fear Lovino would shy away. Lovino's glare was still stuck to the ground, but Arthur could see the scrutinizing peeks of the rest of the slacking students. Most showed no malice, but he still did not appreciate all of their eyes on him. For once he was thankful for his intimidating outer image, for only a scowl later, the teens halted in their staring.

.:.:.:.:.

Lovino led him to a small hole in the wall restaurant. It was not very far from the school, and if Arthur were walking by alone, he would have never noticed it. Above the door was a small faded red awning that read "Angelo's". The brunette tugged open the glass door and entered without a second thought. Inside Arthur saw the entirety of the small eatery. Booths lined the white walls, and a few tables dressed in red and white checkered cloths sat in the middle of the floor. To the left was the counter and kitchen door. Thoroughly Italian smells hung in the space, and the man enjoyed the soothing atmosphere.

"I love this place," commented Lovino as they picked a table and sat in their respective seats. Ignoring the now empty and cold feeling spreading over his hand, Arthur took in more of his surroundings. There were not many people, but the ones who were there seemed happy enough.

"It's a nice place. Shame it's so easy to overlook."

"Yeah, I know. Feliciano is the one who pointed it out to me."

A waitress came then, and they ordered their drinks after she gave them menus. The Brit was surprised at the amount of dishes. It was all written in Italian, but fortunately there were English translations. From pasta and pizza, to risitto and tortellini, to food he had never even heard of; there was so much to choose from. Then there was the dessert section. Dear lord. "What do you recommend?"

"Everything," was his vague reply. Closing his eyes, the blonde put an index finger on the laminate and moved it around randomly. Halting, he opened his eyes to see what he had chosen. Stracotto beef pot roast. That sounded wonderful. Muffled laughter crossed the table, and Arthur lifted his head to see Lovino with a hand over his mouth, and mirth in his irises.

"Your fault," shrugged the Englishman. Rolling his eyes, Lovino calmed his giggles. Soon the waitress came back with their drinks, and the duo placed their orders. A hush came over them. Arthur's dream decided it was time to squirm back into the forefront of his mind again. Crap. Either the tables were low, or the chairs were high, because it was all too easy to see the top half of Lovino's abdomin. "So, where is Feliciano today?" he asked, dying for a distraction.

"Eh, the macho potato got him earlier. They have a date." Arthur chuckled as the other shuddered dramatically. "You never told me why you came today."

Grinning at the brunette over his glass, Arthur knocked a shoe against his. "Can't I surprise my boyfriend?"

"Sure, if you want, but you're usually still trying to wake up around this time."

"Alright, alright," he smiled as he felt the Italian lightly kick him. "I woke up earlier than usual today, and thought it would be fun to pick you up from school."

A hum resonated from the other, and there was a lull in the conversation. "What are you staring at like thatl bastard?"

Arthur blinked to attention. It seems he had been absentmindedly staring at Lovino's belly. Oops. "Nothing." Turning his gaze away, he felt blood rising to his cheeks. When he finally had the balls to look at his boyfriend, he saw pursed lips and slightly furrowed brows. "Er, so, it doesn't bother you that I picked you up, does it?"

"Huh?" Lovino was even more baffled now.

"Well.. I was, ah, attracting a lot of attention, and people saw you leave with me..." It really was bothering Arthur. With his scruffy appearance and multiple piercings, the blonde was like a peacock as he leaned against the pretty red brick of a high-end Catholic school. The building was beautiful, with three stories and an abundance of windows. Across the street was its church. Standing proud, it was gorgeous with its cool stone, large wooden doors, colorful stained glass windows, and high steeple. As the clock struck three, Arthur heard the bell tower toll. Not exactly a place a normal person would find someone like him.

"Fuck them," huffed Lovino, his fingers playing with the checkered tablecloth. "I don't get along with most of them anyway. Besides, I'll be out of there in a couple of weeks."

A small smile graced the blonde's face. That made him overjoyed. "I'm glad that you're not ashamed of me," his voice just above a whisper.

Glancing at Lovino from under his lashes, he saw the boy looking lost. So he did what he always resorted to doing when he did not know what to do, and hit Arthur. "Dumbass." Laughing again, the Englishman expected another blow, but it never came. "Hey, stop that!" hissed the other.

Shit, he was staring again. "Sorry, I'm still a bit tired." Yes, blame it on exhaustion. Lovino was looking skeptical, but their food arrived and saved Arthur. Phew.

Though extraordinarily delicious, their meal was awkward. Emeralds would stray to the Italian's midriff, and Lovino would clear his throat in agitation. As it happened continuously, a fork clattering on a plate should not have startled him as much as it did. His eyes snapped away yet again.

"What the fuck are you fucking doing?" growled the brunette with a red face.

Averting his eyes, Arthur responded with, "Nothing."

Lovino kicked his shin again, hard, in the same place as before. "Bullshit. Tell me why you keep staring at my damn stomach!" he yelled quietly, attempting to be somewhat respectable to the other patrons.

"Ow," hissed the man. "It's nothing, really." Another kick. "Goddamnit, stop!"

Obviously taken aback by Arthur's snarl, Lovino pushed past his cowardice. "Then tell me!"

Groaning, the Brit pouted out a window. "I don't want to," he whined.

"Fine then. I'm leaving," huffed the Italian. Panicking, Arthur snapped out to grasp a retreating forearm. Halting mid rise, Lovino scowled. His expression changed to worry when he saw his boyfriend. The Englishman could only imagine how pathetic he looked. Those words scared him, and his irrational mind took them to mean "leaving forever".

"Don't. Please." Now it was clear how helpless he looked, because Lovino sat back down like he was walking on eggshells. Which he kind of was, but Arthur had too much pride to admit that. He hated how Lovino could undo him so easily, without even knowing. "I'll tell you." Arthur was glad that they were both mostly finished with their meals, because his appetite had disappeared.

"Okay." That's all the brunette said, and he sat with more patience. Occasionally he sipped at his drink, because there was nothing better to do, and it relieved tension.

Taking a few drinks of his own water, Arthur tried to help his throat open up. It felt like it was clogged. "I had a dream last night," he admitted. Technically it happened this morning, but that was irrelevant. Lovino's attention was on him. "You were in it..."

Suddenly his boyfriend's cheeks bloomed scarlet, and amber eyes averted nervously. Confused by this at first, a metaphorical light bulb illuminated after a moment. "No! Not that kind of dream." He has had those kinds of dreams before, but of course that would be forever locked away.

Instantly calmed, Lovino's blush still lingered on embarrassed cheeks. "W-well then, what was your dream about?"

Uneasily, the blonde licked his lips. Why were there no holes he could crawl into? "Uh," a gulp, "You were... pregnant..." he murmured, hoping that sentence was not as loud as it sounded in his own ears.

Lovino sat stunned opposite him. A lip twitched threateningly. "PREGNANT?" he exploded, successfully gaining the unwanted scrutiny of the entire restaurant. Quickly realizing his mistake, he shot back down to fold his head into his arms. Arthur felt so very awkward and anxious, which was not good. An anxiety attack was the last thing he needed.

To be honest, it was not his dream that was bothering him. Sure, it was performing as a catalyst, but the dream itself was actually very humorous. No, the reason Arthur was getting so stressed out about this was the underlying principle. Children. It's no secret that the Brit adores children, and he would like to think that even though he is not the best with kids, he is far from the worst. He is twenty-one, and has had plenty of time to think about what he wants in the future, and children is one of those wants. But Lovino is only nineteen, not even out of high school yet! That is much too young to be seriously thinking about such life changing decisions, and Arthur does not want to scare him away. It would devastate him, because he is very much in love with his moody Italian, even though he has not said so yet.

"Hey." Lifting his unseeing eyes from his plate, Arthur glanced at the other. That same cautious expression from before was back, and it depressed the man. Scratching his nose, Lovino looked away. "You know, that's actually pretty hilarious. What kind of booze were you drinking to give you that kind of dream?"

More appreciation than Lovino would ever know swirled within the Brit. The boy was not stupid, and Arthur did not know if he figured out why he was so freaked out about something so minimal. Maybe he has not, but it was only a matter of time. Giving a slightly strained smile, he shrugged. "I had a couple glasses of Sangria, but it takes a lot to get me drunk."

"Sangria?"

"Shut up, it's good."

"Whatever," chuckled the Italian. Flagging the waitress over (who, unfortunately, witnessed his outburst), Lovino asked for the check. Arthur promptly paid their bill. "Let's get out of here."

Arthur's raging emotions were eased. He needed to go home. "My place?"

"Sure, whatever you want."

.:.:.:.:.

Suddenly Arthur was grateful that he did not have to drag himself to work that day. That small bout of anxiety only added to his earlier lethargy. Now he was struggling to keep his eyes open as he unlocked his door. Wordlessly, Lovino followed him, locking the apartment back up afterwards. Flinging his backpack on a chair, he stood a bit self-consciously.

Sighing, the Englishman tossed his shoes under the coffee table and flopped down on the sofa. Giving an appropriate amount of space, Lovino joined him. This was stupid. So he flung the cluttering pillows across the room, and laid down. A startled brunette was drug along with him.

"Ah- What?'

"Just.. let's relax a little."

Giving in, Lovino shifted to kick off his own shoes and shrug his button-down from his frame. Arthur lay there comfortably, spooning his boyfriend and inhaling his scent. Pale hands wandered down and began to rub small circles into the cotton covering that flat stomach. Lovino was stiff, but did not yell at him. Fortunately he relaxed after a while, which let the blonde calm down as well.

Like this, Lovino's stomach was very nice. It was flat, but far from hard or muscular. The soft flesh moved easily, letting Arthur's dexterous fingers sink into the unnoticeable fat. It was also warm, keeping his hand content. He was sure he could lay here for hours doing just this. On the other hand, he knew the brunette would have none of that. Kissing a shoulder, Arthur kept his lips against the tan skin. "I love you."

With a hitched breath, Lovino stiffened right back up. It was like holding a squishy tree branch, but the man moulded himself even closer to the other. Burying his nose into Lovino's neck, he breathed deeply. As he felt squirming, Arthur loosened his grip. Thoughts of his boyfriend leaving swam across his mind, but he only turned around and flattened his face against Arthur's chest. Their limbs tangled, and it felt wonderful. Hot breath ghosted over his heart, and though the words were muffled and inaudible, Arthur grinned exuberantly, tangling even more with his love.

Maybe having that dream was not such a bad thing after all.

.:.:.:.:.:.:.

That turned out a tad more serious than I had planned. ^_^'

So, this is as close to mpreg as I'll ever write. I had that dream after reading a chapter of "Twelve Meetings, Twelve Temptations" by BloodDarkSun, and then she suggested I incorporate it into a chapter. I really was intending for this to be a very funny and fluffy chapter, but it turned out angsty and fluffy! DAMN IT, ARTHUR!

Just so you know, Artie here has three piercings in each ear, and an earbar. (Does that mean 8 piercings all together? Haha.) He also has snakebites, but he doesn't wear them much anymore. :'(

Ahh, it's nice to write Engmano again. I missed it.