A/N: Thanks for having my back guys. For being so kind, here's the chapter a few days early :D

Perverted Bastard, Perverted Bastard, Let Me In:

The past day had felt like weeks. Feliciano knew that something was wrong, but was too scared to pry as I had locked myself in my room, only coming out for food and taking a shower. The dark, and not to mention tired, expression on my face had been enough to keep him far, far away.

Instead of confronting the fight that I had had with Antonio, I wrote from sunrise to sunset, drowning my feelings into the patter-patter of my laptop's keyboard. The uneven beats, weirdly enough, matched the pace of my heart as well. I felt horrible about what I had said, and wanted to fix things between us. But, I still had a multi-chapter to finish, and so, I had spent my entire Sunday in isolation. How a habit could be comforting, and yet so unbearably lonely at the same time boggles my mind.

Gilbert and Francis, understandably, were very angry with me for upsetting their friend. Antonio must not have told them what had happened due to the frantic nature of their texts. I don't even want to know how they had gotten my number. It didn't matter anyways. Once I had handed in my literature assignment, I would make things right, and that's a promise.

Because of midterm evaluations, students had the following Monday off. This would explain why I was currently hiding in the bushes outside of Antonio's dorm building. I was waiting for Liza to give me the go-ahead text. When I had told her about our fight, she had been more than willing to help me make amends. Thus, the reason why I had a black tarp bag folded over my arms. Said bag had a 'special costume' stowed away inside. Ahem, you'll find out about that later, you pervert.

I coughed, exhaling a puff of cold air. The weather was frigid considering the fact that it was only the beginning of November. With my luck, of course, it had also begun to snow. I reached into my jacket pocket when I felt my phone buzz with a new text.

Liza: Francis and Gilbert are gone! I convinced them to help me with 'something' at the café.

Liza: We took the back entrance so you're good to go :D

Liza: Send me pics pls and good luck, young tomato-hopper ;)

I rolled my eyes, all the while sighing in relief. I stepped out from hiding and hurried into the dorm building, avoiding the weird glances that were spared in my direction. Other than blushing, my face became exceptionally red when exposed to the cold.

I pressed the button for the top floor, where all the suite apartments were. When I stepped into the elevator, I winced at my scruffy appearance in the mirror. I took off my hat, scrambling to flatten down my hair, minus that one rebellious curl that I didn't even bother to fix. I then zipped out of my jacket and smoothed a hand over the wrinkles in my burgundy dress shirt.

I didn't have much time to fix the rest of my appearance, as the elevator had already reached the top floor. With a determined stride to my step, I walked up to Antonio's apartment, only to swallow nervously when I had stopped to stand in front of his door. I had never visited his apartment before and didn't know what to expect. No matter, I was willing to prove to him that I was serious about this relationship. But first, I would have to do some explaining; a lot of explaining.

I knocked on Antonio's door, shyly fidgeting with the bag in my hands. After one excruciating minute, Antonio pulled open the door. I looked up to meet a tired pair of green eyes. Antonio's curls were sticking up in all directions possible. He was wearing a simple black t-shirt and baggy plaid pajama pants. What worried me was that he wasn't smiling. It was unnerving to see him look at me so blankly, void of any emotion.

Everything moved in slow motion when Antonio's eyes widened for a brief moment, only to narrow as he moved to shut the front door on me. "Wait!" I cried out, recklessly sticking my arm in the way.

Antonio faltered, his expression darkening. "What?" he muttered. "I'm only helping. I thought that you were too embarrassed to be with me."

My eyes stung, even though I totally deserved that comment. "Please," I whispered. "It's not like that. I promise to explain everything if you'll let me."

Antonio leaned against the door, giving me a quick onceover. "I'm listening," he hummed.

"It's private," I bowed my head, averting my gaze to the ground. I could only hope that he would take the hint.

Antonio clicked his tongue, stepping to the side for me to come inside. "Alright," he relented. "But don't think that I'm not still mad at you."

I shed him a guilty smile in thanks as I walked into his apartment, hesitantly shrugging off my boots. The silence between us was unfamiliar, and quite frankly, terrifying. The space of the apartment was fairly large as it included a total of two floors, but even then, I still felt suffocated. Antonio's glare was enough to take my breath away, but definitely not in way that I wanted it to.

I set down my bag onto a nearby bench. I then walked over to Antonio, who was now refusing to look me in the eyes. I grabbed both of his hands, cupping them in between mine. They were just so warm, and call me selfish all you want, but I had missed him dearly. I wanted to be as close to him as I possibly could, again, even though I didn't deserve it.

"I'm sorry," I muttered.

Antonio's eyes flickered down to meet mine. "I do trust you," I continued. "And I am committed to this relationship. The only problem is that I don't trust other people."

Antonio knitted his brows in confusion. "I don't follow?"

I swallowed a large lump in my throat.

"I've always been insecure about what others think about me. Now add being gay to the mix. It only brings that much attention onto me. Don't get me wrong, I don't regret my sexuality. I've come to terms with it a long time ago. It's other people that I worry about all the time. You probably think that I'm being really stupid right now, but I'm only being honest.

"I grew up always coming second to Feli. He was my grandpa's favourite. And now, I hold this fear of rejection everywhere that I go. I talk big, but I can't handle criticism. I say that I don't need anyone when I'm just so fucking lonely all the time. I love you, Antonio, and I'm not afraid or embarrassed to say that. Take it or leave it, but just know that even though I might not show it, I truly do feel this way."

A single tear trickled down Antonio's cheek, dripping onto my wrist. "Oh, Lovi," he croaked. "I had no idea that you felt this way, mi amor. I'm sorry, I should have known. You've always been so shy with me in public. I can't believe that I've never put two and two together."

"Oi!" I sniffed, quelling back tears of my own. "Don't cry, you bastard. You're going to make me cry!"

"What's wrong with crying?" Antonio smiled, despite the fact that several tears were streaking down his face. "There's nothing wrong with a man showing his emotions."

I grumbled into his chest as he pulled me into a tight hug. "I suppose you're right. But you better not get any of your tears onto my shirt! It cost a fortune!"

Antonio chuckled, tucking his chin over my head while I clung onto him like a needy koala. "Hush," he chided. "I'm just glad that I understand you now. If you want, I won't be so affectionate with you in public anymore."

I shook my head. "No," I mumbled. "Fuck other people. I'm tired of pretending to be someone that I'm not. As long as you don't feel the need to dry hump me in public, we're good."

Antonio laughed and then began to sob even harder, causing me to pull away and look up at him. "Ugh," I cupped his face with both hands, giving his wet cheeks a playful clap. "Enough. We made up. Why are you still crying?"

"I'm j-just so h-happy and proud of y-you!" Antonio blubbered uncontrollably. "I really t-thought that I had lost mi tomatito forever!"

I raised a hand to the back of his head, pulling him down so that he was leaning against my shoulder. "There, there, big guy. No need to be so needy," I teased. "Also, that tomato nickname has got to go. It's horrendous."

"But I like that nickname!" Antonio protested. "It makes you blush and look so very cute~!"

"Keh, whatever."

It was becoming increasingly hard for me to say no to this bastard. Who knew that love could turn me into such a little bitch? Fuck these feels. I was becoming soft. But, was that really such a bad thing? Hell if I know. I still had a lot to learn in the world of 'love'.

Antonio turned his head to peck me on the cheek. "Te amo, Lovi."

Antonio then moved to kiss my brow bone, followed by my nose, and just about every other place on my face where the skin was exposed. "Muah~! Ah, I feel so much better now," Antonio sighed. "I wanted to kiss you really badly when I first saw you standing at my door."

"You must be a really good actor then," I mused. "For a moment there I thought that you hated me."

Antonio pretended to gasp in shock. "Me?! Hate someone as adorable as you?! Dios mio, it can't be! To think that I used to have a thing for grumpy little Italian boys~!"

I gave Antonio a playful smack to the chest. "Fuck you!" I giggled. "Stop making me laugh, damn it!"

"Never!" Antonio cackled.

"ACK!" I spluttered when Antonio grabbed me by the waist and lifted me into the air. "PUT ME DOWN!"

I felt my face flush uncontrollably. I was happy, but also so overwhelmingly embarrassed. I hadn't been lifted off the ground like this since I was a child.

"Not until you tell me what's in that bag, mystery boy!" Antonio smirked, twirling around just to piss me off.

I looked past Antonio's shoulders, avoiding his gaze once more. "I was going to wear a dress for you. It's my way of apologizing for being such an asshole."

Antonio's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree, his cheeks spreading into an ear-to-ear grin.

SQUISH!

Before I knew it, Antonio had pulled me down into a rib-crushing embrace, rubbing his stubble-covered face all over my head. I'll repeat myself again: this man was the human equivalent of a dog.

…

"TSK! LET GO OF ME, YOU BASTARD! I CAN'T BREATHE!"

"Oh~! Lo siento! Lo Siento!"

Antonio's facial expression quickly became devious.

"Stop smirking at me like that! Fucking pervert!"

"Ah, but you promised me that you would change into that dress, didn't you?"

Lovino's resigned silence was like music to Antonio's all too smug ears.

…

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Antonio rapped his knuckles against the door, causing me to jump and nearly bang my head against the bathroom mirror.

"Little tomato, little tomato! Let me in!"

I chuckled, quickly recovering from my initial surprise. "Not on the hair of your ratchet chinny chin chin!"

…

I tied the knots of a red cape over my shoulders and gave myself one last inspection in the mirror. Surprisingly I wasn't embarrassed, but rather pleased with my appearance. I think this had a lot to do with the fact that I knew how much Antonio would also appreciate my outfit.

Other than the cape, Liza had lent me a black maid's dress that was relatively loose on my thin body. Underneath, however, I was wearing a pair of fishnet stockings. So long as no one ever saw me in this, and Antonio kept his blabber mouth shut, I would let myself relax for once. Who knows. Maybe I would enjoy this roleplay too.

I grabbed Antonio's razor and a bottle of shaving cream, placed them into my wooden basket prop, and with that I was off. I opened the bathroom door, spotting my impatient-looking boyfriend sitting on the living room couch. Much to my sadistic delight, he was agitatedly fidgeting with his hands. Said fidgeting stopped when I entered the living room, an innocent smirk playing onto my face.

"Awwww, Lovi!" Antonio gushed. "You look so beautiful, mi amor~!"

"Remember to play your part!" I hissed, before forcing another smile onto my face.

"Riiiiiiiiiiight!" Antonio shed me with a 'wolfish' grin, clearing his throat.

Apparently, we were mixing several fairy tales into this role play. Oh joy.

"You know, my dear, that it isn't safe for a little tomato to walk through this apartment alone."

"Dear me!" I exclaimed. "Where shall I go then?"

"Come to Papi, little tomato riding slut!" he cooed. "My lap is the safest place here!"

"Oh, goodness gracious! How kind of you, Mr. Bastard Wolf," I mused, spreading my legs as I sat on top of his lap.

Antonio grabbed my hips with both hands, his grin wider than the entire circumference of the Earth.

"What a big smile you have," I remarked.

"The better to shave my face with, si?"

"But of course," I winked, reaching into my bag to pull out the bottle of shaving cream.

I sprayed a reasonable dollop of foam into my hands, rubbing them together before beginning to lather and spread the white substance onto Antonio's prickly face.

"What sharp teeth you have!"

"The better to bite into something sweet~!" Antonio pursed his lips together, puckering them in preparation for a kiss.

I bent down and pecked him on the lips, being careful to avoid smearing any of the foam onto my own face.

I grabbed the razor and began to shave Antonio's face in gentle, purposefully slow swipes.

Antonio decided to change things up by switching roles. "What sharp claws you have!" he whispered in a gravelly voice.

"The better to groom your bastard face with!" I snickered.

I finished shaving his face, using a cloth to dab at his cheeks and chin.

Once I was done with that, Antonio grabbed my chin. With his other hand, he used two fingers to spread open the corners of my mouth.

"What a long tongue you have," he observed.

I bent down, bumping my forehead against his.

"The better to kiss my one true love with."

And just like that, the shattered pieces of my heart formed together once more. To see Antonio smile so genuinely at me was all that I ever needed in life.

"C'mere, you grump," Antonio growled, squeezing my hips in anticipation.

"What? Are you going to 'blow' my heart away?" I retorted.

Antonio chuckled deep in his throat, balancing my lower lip between his front teeth. "Judging by your blush, it appears that I already have."

My heart thumped like crazy.

Leave it to that bastard to leave me of all people speechless. The walls that I had put up for so long had effortlessly been knocked down by a force much stronger:

Love.