Mmmm just eating my favorite chips~

Wooooo! work was pretty good tonight ^_^

Kismet

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Reality

Lovino sat down on their bed and looked up. Ariana was perched on her little stand on a desk in the corner of the room. Her head tucked beneath her wing and she was sleeping soundly. He smiled at the phoenix and looked over at Antonio, whom was slipping into the bed.

Antonio leaned over and kissed Lovino's cheek, "Did you enjoy your birthday so far, my love?"

"Yeah. It was pretty good, I guess." he muttered staring down at the blank journal in his hands. He honestly had no idea what he was going to do with it. Lovino set the journal down on the night stand and looked at the Sverran.

"That's good~ I'm glad~" he gently kissed Lovino, "but I have one more special present to give you before today is up."

Lovino raised his brow, a small smirk making its way onto his lips, "Really? And what present would that be?" the king kissed him again, running his hand through Lovino's hair, brushing against the curl. Lovino moaned softly against Antonio's lips and wrapped his arms around the older man's neck.

The Sverran rubbed his free hand over Lovino's hardening member. Lovino gasped softly and Antonio took the chance to invade his mouth with his tongue. Lovino thrust lightly into Antonio's palm and the man grinned removing his lips from his lover's and started making a trail of kisses down his jaw and neck, finally settling on the leather choker.

"My Lovino … my Lovi … my love~" he nipped the skin just under the choker, "mine forever~" he bit down lightly. Lovino gasped and gripped Antonio's hair. The man took it as a sign to continue the attack on Lovino's neck, leaving lovebites down his neck and part of his shoulder.

Antonio pulled the clothing from Lovino and trailed kisses down his chest and stomach. Then he ran his tongue up. Lovino squirmed under the few, light touches Antonio was directing at his member and whimpered softly for more contact.

The Sverran king obliged happily and took Lovino into his mouth and sucked gently, earning a gasp from his lover. He pulled off and grinned at the glare Lovino was giving him, "Fucking tease." Antonio distracted Lovino from his annoyance by kissing him.

He did away with his own clothes and reached into his night table to grab the bottle of oils he kept for this very purpose and doused his fingers in it, readying to pleasure his lover.

His fingers pushed into Lovino one by one, each one making Lovino pant and little more. Antonio carefully avoided Lovino's spot, making the younger man squirm in attempt to force him to hit it. The Sverran pressed a kiss onto Lovino's lips and hit the spot. Lovino felt a jolt of pleasure course through his body and he moaned into Antonio's kiss. They broke apart and Antonio hit it again, this time relishing in the pleasured cry his lover made.

Antonio loved that sound, however, Ariana did not. He was caught off guard by a bunch of fiery colored feathers in his face and he yelped in surprise, falling off the bed in order to get away from the attacking phoenix.

Lovino was feeling wonderful one minute and confusion the next. It took him a moment to register that Antonio had been knocked off the bed by Ariana and he burst into laughter. She must have confused his pleasured cries for ones of pain. His side began to hurt from laughter and he calmed himself, "Ariana!"

The phoenix immediately let go of Antonio's hair and flew over to Lovino, landing on his outstretched hand. Antonio moaned in pain on the floor and stood up, but wouldn't go anywhere near Lovino or the bed.

"Ariana," Lovino ran a finger down her back to calm her. She hissed and squawked in Antonio's direction, but turned away to nudge Lovino's hand, "I'm fine. Antonio isn't hurting me." she looked back at the king and ruffled her feathers, which sparked lightly at the tips of her tail feathers, "He won't hurt me. I'm okay." he wondered how you explained to a phoenix about sex. But she seemed to understand and shot Antonio another warning glance before flying back to her perch, ready to attack if he did hurt him for real.

Antonio carefully climbed back into the bed, tears in he corners of his eyes, "I think she bit me!" he whispered, rubbing his head. Lovino laughed and pulled Antonio to him, kissing him softly.

"She thought you were hurting me." he nibbled Antonio's lip. The older man moaned and wasted no time in reaching his former arousal. "Where were we?" Lovino raised his brow, with a smirk.

"Right about here." Antonio growled, grabbing Lovino's hips and pushing himself inside. Lovino let his head fall back as he moaned. The Sverran man started thrusting deeply into his lover, brushing passed his spot. Lovino whimpered, staring up into Antonio's eyes. The green orbs bore back as he finally struck that spot.

Lovino rolled his head back, letting out screams of pleasure each time Antonio hit the mark. His nails dug into Antonio's back and he felt Antonio bite down on his neck, just above the choker.

"God, Antonio!" he huffed.

Antonio left another lovebite and crushed his lips to Lovino's in an intensely heated kiss. Lovino felt himself growing ever so close to his release. "P-please! I-I'm almost th-there …" he gasped, mewling in delight when Antonio took a hold of his throbbing member and began pumping in time with his thrusts.

Lovino felt his mind cloud over, "Nng! Antonio!" he cried out with his release. Antonio moaned Lovino's name in return as he reached his own climax. He let his body rest beside Lovino's.

"How was that, my love~?" the king nuzzled his face into his love's neck pulling him close to his chest.

Lovino sighed in contentment and closed his eyes, "Wasn't bad, but this has been my best birthday yet."

Antonio smiled and kissed his swollen and bruised lips, "I'm glad, my sweet~ get some rest now, okay?" the Illonian didn't need to be told twice as he began to doze off, "Love you …" he muttered before drifting off. "I love you, too, Lovi~" Antonio smiled, getting up to clean each other off.

Lovino sat at the desk in his and Antonio's bedroom and held the quill in his hands. The feather's tip brushed against his cheek and he looked over at Ariana, whom was sleeping soundly on her little stand. His eyes drifted back to the first page of his new journal and he chewed his lip.

What did one write in a journal? Femke said his feelings, thoughts or little drawings were typical … he tapped his chin, thinking of anything to write. It was already a day passed his birthday and he blushed, remembering all the wonderful gifts he'd received.

A date had finally been settled for the … wedding – he blushed – and was set for the sixth of March. Which was seventeen days away.

He felt his stomach churn. A little over two weeks until he would be bound to Antonio through matrimony. Lovino chewed his lip again and set the ink dipped quill onto the paper and began writing. It was awkward at first but slowly the words began to spill onto the page faster than he could think them. All of his worries, fears, emotions and thoughts about this union filled a few pages on just his first go at writing.

Lovino sat back in the chair, his wrist cramping. He dropped the quill into the ink well and looked down at his now closed journal. The Illonian picked it up and pushed it into one of the drawers. The castle was buzzing with excitement over their king's upcoming nuptials. There was a lot of planning to do and very little time to do it.

Many important people had to be invited to make the court happy, though both Antonio and Lovino knew most of them wouldn't be. There were eight members in Antonio's court, his mother being one of them. Six out of that eight were completely against the marriage. Their reasoning was always brought back to an heir or Lovino's heritage and social class.

The other two cared not for Antonio's social life and were content that a blood relative would take the throne if the need arose.

Lovino stood from his chair and stretched lightly, choosing to go visit anywhere but his room. Since it was late afternoon, the only thing he had to look forward to was dinner, "Ariana."

The phoenix looked up lazily from being awoken and flapped to his outstretched arm. He may have only had her for about a day, but he'd already grown attached to her. Ariana liked to perch on his shoulder or arm when she could and could be quite protective of her master already. He smirked remembering her attempted attack on Antonio when she thought Lovino was in pain from the night before.

He stepped from the room and met his guard, whom walked along side him as he strolled through the halls. Ariana nipped at Lovino's circlet and he looked in her direction. She took off from her spot on his shoulder and flew into the gardens. Lovino followed her and watched her carefully as she made her way to a small spot in the grass, under the sun.

Ariana landed on the ground and tucked her head under her wing. Lovino rolled his eyes and sat down beside her, "Lazy little bird …" he laid beside her and closed his eyes. The spring air was nice against his skin and the sun was warm on his face. Lovino enjoyed these sensations for a short while before getting up and boringly wandering around the grounds.

Fourteen days left until the wedding, Lovino was trapped in a small room with an old woman. In front of him, she had placed a stack of parchment and a long list of names, "These are the people that must be invited based on relations with their kingdoms and country and with the king and yourself as well." she tapped the list, "In your best handwriting, you must write their names and sign yours on each of these invites. Best to not mess up or you'll be in here all night. Plus, if we're to send them all on time to receive a reply before the wedding, you must get this done in time for the king to signature them as well. Now get to it!"

Lovino looked down at the first parchment and his face became red.

You are cordially invited to the grand union between the king of Sverran, Antonio Fernandez Carriedo and Lovino Romano Vargas. The event will be held on the sixth of March.

And so on about replying to the invite. His fingers ran over the letters and his heart thumped against his chest and he swallowed hard. It was growing so close and yet … it still felt unreal. In no time at all … he would be someone's husband. Not just any one, either. He would be Antonio's husband. That thought alone made him feel lightheaded. Never in a million years, or in his wildest dreams, did he ever think he would actually be married to him.

He slowly and carefully started writing names on the pages, not wanting to screw this up like he had so many other things in his life. Unfortunately, that didn't go well and he ended up scrapping a few because he'd misspell a name or his hand would begin shaking when he would think about the closeness of the wedding.

When he finally finished, he took Ariana back to his room and stayed there writing in the journal about how scared he was getting.

Antonio came in shortly after sundown, "Lovi~? Why weren't you at dinner?" the older man wrapped his arms around Lovino's shoulders. The Illonian shut his journal and pushed it away and looked up at Antonio, "I wasn't hungry."

The king nodded and pressed a kiss to Lovino's head, "I see you're writing in the journal Femke got you~"

"Oh … uh … yeah … It gives me something to do when I'm bored." Lovino looked at it and then back to Antonio.

Their lips met in a soft kiss, "I was able to send more soldiers into Illonia. More and more people are being saved because of you~"

"But my brother isn't one of them, is he?" Lovino asked.

Antonio fell silent but finally spoke, "I'm sorry … still can't find him, but don't lose hope~! We're only so far into Illonia … I'll find him for you."

"I want him to be here … where I know he's safe." Lovino stated blankly. Antonio pulled on his hand, willing the younger man to stand up, "I know, Lovi … I know."

A few more days passed and Lovino had quite a list of things to do. It was ten days before the wedding and he had already received several replies from nobles, royals and others. His elven friends were able to make it, as was Francis, however Jeanne was not. Some king on an island in the north said he'd rather die. Lovino glared and wrote down the results for the day and put away the papers.

He growled to himself and stood. This was becoming too much work. Lovino stretched his arms out and made sure Ariana was following him before he went to his next destination: the tailor. His heart pounded heavily in his chest. This wasn't just any regular fitting. He was going to be fitted for his wedding attire. The outfit he would wear when he vowed himself to Antonio.

His fists clenched tightly and he chewed his lip until he tasted blood. The choker seemed to tighten on his neck and he closed his eyes. He was really going to marry him … that thought weighed down on his mind and he felt a mixture of warmth and nervousness coursed through him and he looked at Ariana. She nudged his cheek, assuring him things were going to be okay.

Lovino smiled and pressed his hands to the door, but stopped hearing voices inside arguing.

"I don't care! You can't just barge in here and start ordering me around!" that voice was definitely the tailor, but who had him all bent out of shape? Lovino stood near the door, trying to hear the other person. Ariana landed on his shoulder and leaned in as well.

"-is my boy. I will-" he growled and pressed his ear to the door. The other voice was softer and calmer, but he could tell she was angry.

"Yes, the design is nice, but it's not traditional!"

"And neither is the wedding. He'll wear this or his own clothes." Tessa? Lovino thought, gripping the handle and pushing open the door. His guard remained at the door as he entered, giving Tessa a confused look, "What are you doing here, mama?"

She smiled and hugged him, "I came to see you fitted for your wedding dress~!"

"One I make him!" the tailor glared, crossing his arms.

Tessa turned back with a glare, "I've already got him one so your services are not needed."

Lovino shook his head confused at a variety of things, "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Dress? And you already have one? What the hell?"

His surrogate mother gave him a warning look, "Watch your mouth. And yes, a dress."

He felt irritation rising, "I'm not wearing a dress. I'm not a woman!" he crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at the both of them.

Tessa shook her head, giving Lovino one of her scary smiles.

"But … my lord … it's … you have to." the tailor looked at him with a frightened face, knowing Lovino was prone to anger.

Sure enough, Lovino clenched his fist, "Who says?"

"I do, for one." Tessa smiled, "You would look amazing at the alter wearing one. And don't you think it would be more traditional? Antonio has already given up quite a bit of tradition just to be with you." she explained. He silently cursed her for knowing what to say to bring the most guilt. "And I've already made your dress. It matches the hairpin I made you~!"

"I told you, it's not traditional! You were just spouting about tradition!" the tailor growled.

"No, it's not traditional, but it is what all the brides are wearing these days and I want nothing less for my little boy!" she hugged Lovino to her.

His face burned and he wished to just sink away and hide. He was going to be humiliated in front of friends, family and Francis.

"Come look at it, Lovino." she motioned toward a box. Lovino nodded, knowing better than to disobey Tessa. She removed the lid and he was shocked to see he'd seen the dress before. His face became an even darker shade of red. It was the dress that she had made him try on while she pinned it, but it was now complete, with the long sleeves made of the see through fabric and gold trim.

She pulled the dress from the box and let it tumble to the floor showing off its length and fullness. The train was split down the middle and filled in with a maroon fabric.

"Try it on Lovino," Tessa handed it to him. His fingers brushed over the fabric and he sighed. If it was for Antonio, he would wear it.

"You can't be serious, my lord! It isn't traditional!" the tailor stared incredulously at him.

"Mama made it for me, I'm going to wear it." he growled, both out of annoyance and embarrassment. He stripped and pulled the dress on and let Tessa lace up the back. It still fit like it had when she first pinned it together, but was a little lose around the middle so she pinned it again and checked everything else. When she finished she stepped back and he saw tears in her eyes, "My word … it's better than I had imagined …"

Lovino hated himself for it, but he felt a bit of pride course through him for making Tessa so proud. It was just enough to convince himself that wearing it would make her happy, and probably give Antonio a nice surprise as well.

He took it off and redressed before being hugged by Tessa, "I'm so proud of you, Lovino!"

Lovino nodded and smiled, "Why are you spending so much time on my wedding? What about Femke? Are you going to make her dress?"

"Of course! I've finished it, actually," Tessa laughed, "I would make Daan's attire, but I don't know if he would go Sverran tradition or the elven one from his brides, and I'm almost a hundred percent sure he won't be getting married anytime soon." she grinned.

Lovino rolled his eyes and thanked her for the dress, much to the tailor's chagrin. He began to complain about having to make Antonio's outfit to match now, but shut up when Tessa mentioned she'd be more than happy to take that job as well.

He bid them goodbye and walked with Ariana and his guard through the halls. Femke had mentioned wanting to talk to him so he made his way to the pond where they used to meet all the time.

Femke sat on the edge, tossing in pebbles, looking up when he approached, "Hey, Lovi~!" she waved.

"Hey." he sat down, already feeling nostalgic for their days of just sitting here and making plans for the future. His changed drastically, but he couldn't be happier with his decision.

He grinned, thinking about how he wanted to run away when he turned fifteen and find his brother, then spend the rest of his life as a tomato farmer in southern Illonia. Femke said she wanted to go, too, but then she decided she would rather own a small confections/cafe shop in the marketplace. She would make people adore her chocolates all over the world if she could.

"What are you all smiley about? Thinking about Antonio~?" Femke asked, tossing another rock.

"No, just thinking about our plans when we were younger. Remember? I wanted to be a tomato farmer in Illonia." she laughed, "I remember that! Oh man! We were, what … twelve? Thirteen? Wow … and I still want my own confections shop! When you're queen, you should totally get me a shop of my own!" she winked.

Lovino laughed, "I just might. You're one hell of a friend. But you have to promise I get hot chocolate for free."

She hit his shoulder and smiled, "Only if you promise to not forget me after you become all royal and what not." pain crossed through her eyes.

He frowned, pushing back the urge to shake some sense into his best friend, "I would never do something like that. You're my best friend and sister. I'd have to be a real fucking bastard to forget you."

Femke smiled with tears in her eyes, "I'm glad." she hugged him tightly, "I was so worried … but under your rough facade, you're too soft to hurt someone like that~ well … at least someone you can stand to be around~!" she laughed.

He made a mental note to make sure times like this weren't so rare anymore. He really missed sitting by the water, skipping rocks and talking about future plans. Femke leaned her head on his shoulder, "You promise things won't change too much?" her voice cracked.

"I promise." Lovino muttered in reply, letting his head rest on his best friend's. It feels nice to finally have a moment of peace away from Antonio among all the stress, Lovino thought to himself.

TBC

You guys are lucky I edited this this morning before work lol XD it'd be another hour or two before I could post~!

~Lady Pyrien