Disclaimer: I don't own it, I just ship it

Warning: AU, strong language, boy x boy pairings, violence (more so bullying in the beginning), and because this was inspired by the manga Iris Zero, there may be some minor spoilers for it.

Here's the long-awaited Homecoming chapter! It's long, but it's fluffy, so hopefully that makes up for it :3

Describing clothes is a weakness of mine, so on my DeviantART account (link in my profile) you can find character sketches for several Homecoming costumes as well as Lovi's trench coat. I'm not the greatest artist in the world, but hopefully they'll help create a better image.

oOo

The night of Homecoming had finally arrived! All across town, students of World Academy were putting the finishing touches on their costumes and meeting their friends for a night filled with fun, romance, and (knowing their classmates) hilarity.

Lily Zwingli was extra-excited. It had required some pleading, negotiating, and giving Vash the silent treatment for three full days, until he cracked and allowed her to go. She had been invited by her friend Mei, who Vash deemed responsible. He also trusted Ludwig and Kiku enough to get his sister home safely. When the group arrived to pick up Lily, it was the fourth member who made his frown return – Yong Soo.

Vash had politely invited them in while Mei dashed upstairs to help Lily with the rest of her costume. Apparently, the blonde wasn't sure what to do with her hair. Fortunately, that just so happened to be Mei's area of expertise, if the elaborate braids in her own hair were anything to go by. There was a short silence in the hallway as the three boys mentally went over conversational pieces that didn't involve getting themselves shot…There weren't many.

Yong Soo suddenly wished he had worn something without bright colors. He stood out like a sore thumb next to his cousin, (who had on a black haori jacket and navy blue kimono with a pinstriped navy blue hakama) as well as the German (who was wearing a long black cloak, black slacks, and a black hat). The only thing Ludwig was wearing that wasn't black was his white cravat and the gold trim of his bicorne hat and cloak. Vash continued to eye Yong Soo warily and reminded them all how he would be at school as a chaperone.

"And so will Todesstrafe…" he added with a slightly menacing tone.

Ludwig paled slightly and Kiku bowed his head politely, working the translation out himself.

"Who's Todesstrafe?" asked Yong Soo, glancing around.

Vash pulled out his shotgun and loaded it.

"O-Oh. Well, isn't that neat?" The Korean boy stammered. "H-Hey, I heard a cool story about how shotguns originated in—"

"Switzerland."

"Y-Yep! That's the one! That's what I was going to say! Hehe!" Yong Soo was sweating bullets. He had never been more relieved to see Lily in his entire life, since Vash's narrowed, soul-piercing eyes left him to give Lily a hug goodbye. "W-Well, time to go, guys! The party awaits!"

The group piled back into the van while Vash and Todesstrafe waved from the front porch of the Zwingli home. Lily and Mei waved back nonchalantly and Yong Soo tried to camouflage himself against his dark leather of his seat. It didn't work well.

"That's almost everyone," Ludwig glanced at his itinerary, before slowly and extra-carefully pulling out of the driveway in their rented Escalade. "Now, we just need to pick up Feliciano and Lovino before we head to school."

"Is the Iris Zero really going with us?" Yong Soo grumbled to Kiku, crossing his arms like a disappointed child.

"Yes," answered his cousin, smiling coldly. "He is our friend too."

Kiku opened his eyes a fraction, silently promising the Korean pain if he said something he shouldn't. Yong Soo squeaked in terror and went back to readjusting his habok. After a few more minutes of driving, they arrived at the Vargas estate. The group prepared to exit and ring the doorbell, but there was no need. Romulus had been snapping pictures of his beloved grandsons on their way to their very first Homecoming and their property made for a nice backdrop.

Jaws dropped at the toga-clad boys.

Both Vargas brothers were wrapped in a loose-fitting toga that complimented their lean frames. Lovino's was trimmed with green, while his brother had red. Feliciano joked that together they could make the Italian flag. Several sprigs of olive leaves adorned their hair, carefully pinned by the youngest Vargas. Even Romulus had gotten into the spirit of things, and was wearing the brilliant red robes and gold chestplate of a Caesar. He looked as though he had walked straight out of the Roman Empire.

"Hi, you guys~!" Feliciano greeted them brightly, latching onto his brother's arm. "Look! I got Lovi to dress up too!"

"Negotiated," Lovino was quick to correct him. "Three months of pasta-free breakfasts and not talking to me before 10 a.m. on weekends."

"Isn't it great?" the youngest Vargas beamed, obviously very pleased with himself.

Yong Soo immediately jumped out of the car and began hugging them both, nuzzling their non-existent bosoms.

"I'm in heaven~!"

"Well, he got over that quickly," Mei rolled her eyes, watching Kiku and Ludwig pry him off and banish him to the backseat of the van. Ludwig normally preferred it when people told the truth, but not when it involved individuals throwing themselves on Feliciano and claiming he was their 'heaven.' Kiku chuckled as he read Ludwig's mental conversation.

The girls took the opportunity to excitedly ask to be in a few pictures with the brothers. Feliciano happily agreed, so Lovino stood aside, thinking they had only meant his younger brother. He was instantly dragged back over by the girls.

"No, no, no! You too, Lovino!"

"Would you please be in the picture with us?"

Unable to say no to pretty girls, Lovino obliged them and stood between them. Romulus and Kiku took several pictures of the toga brothers, the lovely girl in a pink qipao-themed gown, and the cutest little Heidi cosplayer you ever did see.

"These look good," Kiku nodded. "Now I would like a picture with them too."

The others laughed and Ludwig tried to herd everyone back to the Escalade. Not only did they have a schedule to keep, but he had forgotten to leave the window open a crack for Yong Soo. They didn't need any accidental deaths slowing them down on their way to the Homecoming dance.

"Alright," he began. "If we want to make it there on time, we should—"

Suddenly, a camera was shoved into the German's hands and he found himself face to face with one of Kiku's serious, I've-been-possessed-by-an-evil-spirit expressions.

"I wasn't joking, Ludwig-san."

"Uh…alright then…" he watched Kiku happily walk over to the Vargas brothers and flash a V-sign. Ludwig dutifully took three or four pictures until he was satisfied that Kiku would be happy with at least one of them and not kill him in his sleep.

oOo

Francis followed through on the bet he lost and was dressed to the nines, courtesy of his so-called best friends. No, ex-best friends. True friends wouldn't make a man wear fishnet stockings and a lacy garterbelt. Francis also had a poofy miniskirt with altogether too many ruffles and a somewhat restricting corset to flaunt in his lack of cleavage. Gilbert and Antonio had a very long and serious debate about giving Francis boobs for the night or not. The albino was all for stuffing, but the Spaniard thought going 'all natural' was the best route. In the end, Antonio had won, but Francis knew he was doomed either way. On his feet he wore a simple pair of black heels and in his hand was a pink feather duster. Of course, the crowning piece was the cat ear headband, resting proudly on top of his wavy hair.

"Kesesese! Franny, you're gonna be the belle of the ball!" Gilbert gushed in his long white robes and chainmail. A large black cross decorated the front of his tunic and the side of his cloak. Gilbird happily perched on his shoulder wearing a tiny white cloak himself. The albino refused to explain who made it for him, however. "Doesn't he look cute?"

"Pretty as a picture~!" Antonio agreed, twirling his red muleta cape around, half expecting his fuming friend to charge like a bull. Unsurprisingly, he was dressed in an elaborate red torero uniform, the gold embroidery and sequins dancing in the light.

The French maid continued spilling oceans of silent tears. Fate was too cruel! It had even been him to find the ridiculous headband laying in the hallway awhile back. He wasn't sure why he kept it, until he realized it would be perfect for this bet…too bad he was the one who lost.

Antonio and Gilbert were all too happy to parade Francis around the gymnasium, introducing him to as many people as possible as the 'hired help' for the evening. Only Matthew had been sympathetic so far. Everyone else had laughed at him. Francis found himself dreading the moment he encountered Arthur. They were originally going to arrive together, but Francis wasn't able to face him by the time his make-over was complete. Maybe, if he was lucky, he could spill something on the dress and be forced to change into different attire…

"…Francis?!"

The blonde stiffened. He'd know that distinctively British accent anywhere. Slowly, he turned around to face his boyfriend. The amount of detail in Arthur's King of Camelot costume made him want to cry. Everything from his polished armor to his Excalibur replica was exquisite. They would have looked perfect next to each other with Francis's original costume.

"Bonjour, Arthur…" Francis greeted him pathetically. He was mortified, but the headband (and the French maid uniform) had an unexpected reaction from the shorter blonde.

"Come with me, right this instant!" Arthur barked and dragged him away before anyone else could react.

Francis was surprised by the amount of force Arthur put behind it, but followed him anyway. Who was he to refuse the handsome King of Britannia?

oOo

Nearly everyone had arrived and the gymnasium was filling up fast. Headmaster Shinawatra gathered Cowboy Alfred and Festive Elizabeta for the welcome speech. Alfred had been a little put-off that he didn't get to see Lovino yet. He had wondered if the Italian had added any mafia flair to the suit he was going to wear. The Hero barely noticed the Headmaster finishing his brief welcome until he was handing the microphone over to Alfred.

"Thanks for making it, everybody!" the President greeted the crowd enthusiastically. He had already memorized the short greeting he and Elizabeta were going to give. "Welcome to World Academy's 107th Homecoming!"

"Before we begin, I want to thank all of the hard-working volunteers who made this beautiful party possible!" Elizabeta took over, adding a curtsy on the fly. Several audience members returned the favor. "And of course our wonderful Headmaster for approving this magical night~!"

Kasem took a bow while the SHIP queen handed the mic back to the cowboy.

"Magical, indeed! Did you know that—" Alfred began his part normally...at least until he saw Lovino standing in the crowd and his jaw went slack. "That…"

Elizabeta elbowed him discreetly. When that got no response, she followed his eyes and figured out why he was suddenly so tongue-tied. She quickly took the microphone back, as if it was all planned.

"Annnnnd, looks like he just saw his date," the brunette grinned, earning a chorus of laughter. She turned her attention back to the cowboy, who was looking a little embarrassed. Obviously, the best course of action was to tease him about it. "You can spend the rest of the night with your date as soon as we finish here, Alfred!"

This managed to snap him back into presenter-mode, but he continued to steal glances at Lovino throughout the speech. Alfred was glad his brother had talked him out of wearing the chaps. It was already warm enough in here with boots, jeans, and a brown trench coat.

"Tsk, why does he keep looking over here?" Lovino clicked his tongue in annoyance. "It's not like I know his lines or anything…"

"How can you be so observant, yet so blind at the same time?" sighed Francis, who was looking suspiciously disheveled.

"Why don't you enlighten me, Garterbelt?" Lovino snapped back at him, assuming the maid's earlier response was a crack at him being an Iris Zero.

Antonio and Gilbert's eyes widened like a kids at a birthday party. They immediately high-fived to celebrate Francis's new nickname.

"Garterbelt!"

"I-I…hmph!" Francis was not pleased. "If you're going to be difficult, then I won't!"

"Will you wankers shut up before you cause a scene?" Arthur hissed, pulling Francis closer to him.

"Thanks, Arthur," Matthew nodded appreciatively to his cousin. "Um…weren't you wearing a cape earlier?"

"Er, it, uh…" Arthur's face turned bright red. "Francis spilled punch on it!"

"I bet he did…" Gilbert grinned.

Back on the stage, Alfred and Elizabeta continued their comedy routine-esque greeting.

"I gotta say, you seem proud of the way the gym turned out, Elizabeta."

"More proud than the Polish," she agreed. "Just look at this place!"

The crowd gave several cheers. Everyone was amazed by the scenery. It was as if they walked onto the set of a movie. Snowy mountains rose to the north, a mysterious forest dotted the outskirts of the east, a beautiful beach shone in the south, and a collection of famous sculptures and works of art graced the museum-like structure in the west. Inside each area were small stands with traditional games, prizes, and trinkets from various countries. It almost looked like a festival in the space between the beach and the forest, complete with carnival games.

"Do you know of any other schools that hold Homecomings like this?" Elizabeta beamed. "We're rarer than a penguin in the North Pole!"

"And here I thought all the penguins lived with Santa Claus…" Alfred looked over her cute penguin map.

"Nope, they live in the South Pole, not the North Pole."

"Man, everything's better in the South…" Alfred winked, moving onto his next topic. "There's a lot of us here tonight, so be careful of your neighbors. Don't be as bipolar as a Canadian at a hokey game…Get it, Mattie? Bipolar!"

"Wow, with an attitude like that, you'll be about as popular as a Turk at a Grecian dinner party!"

"…Do I get to wear a fez?" Alfred asked, balancing one on his head. "Fezzes are cool."

"You're out of control…" she snickered.

"Like a Chinese driver," the blonde pretended to be turning an invisible steering wheel.

"I've heard stories about your driving and how you think speed limits are speed suggestions. Time is money, right?"

"Of course I think 'time is money,' I'm American!"

The crowd applauded his willingness to make fun of himself.

"We want to remind you all to treasure the memories you make tonight, so please go out there and snap more photos than a Japanese tourist!" Elizabeta jokingly waved to her friend Kiku (who coincidentally had his camera out). "Everyone worked as hard as a Belgian cyclist to make this possible and bring the world to you for one night only!"

"So make sure you check out all the attractions and don't skip the buffet table!" the blonde pointed it out. "I promise we kept Arthur as far away from the kitchen as humanly possible!"

Another round of laughter and an ungentlemanly retort from the Briton filled the room. When it got quieter, the SHIP president continued with the list of rules they were asked to present.

"It's okay to dance and cuddle, but we've been asked to remind you to keep the PDA down…" Elizabeta managed to say with a straight face. Stupid school rules…

"That's right, keep it rated PG, people!" Alfred added. "And if you fall in love with a South Korean girl, you can't marry her until you first defeat her father at Starcraft II."

"But we know you all will behave yourselves, right~?" the brunette winked. The crowd agreed with her in the same playful manner, but the chaperones looked a little uneasy.

"If you have a question about any of the sights and scenery, you can ask the volunteers helping out with each stand or just find Elizabeta," Alfred gestured to the lovely lady on his right. "No really. Nobody's smarter than Elizabeta. She's Hungarian. They invented the Rubix cube."

"On behalf of the Homecoming Planning Committee, we hope you make this dance the best one yet!" Elizabeta.

"Stay safe, stay cool, and don't break anything or you'll be fed to Baba Yaga over in the Russian forest section!"

Alfred said a few more words of appreciation before handing the microphone over to Elizabeta to say a few things about the theme she came up with. It started off innocently enough, but when Elizabeta saw so many of her OTPs in elaborate costumes moving about the scenery she had created for them (not to mention the sea of blooming flowers her Iris allowed her to see), the fangirl in her stirred and the Headmaster had to wrestle the mic away from her before she said something inappropriate.

"L-Let's give it up one more time for your Student Council President and Homecoming Committee Director!" Kasem said quickly, guiding the two off the stage during the applause.

oOo

Alfred immediately made a beeline for Lovino faster than an American to a fireworks stand on the Fourth of July. Once he got closer, his heart raced and couldn't take his eyes off the Italian. Alfred didn't mean to stare, but no matter what he did, he couldn't look away. Lovino really was perfect…

"What the hell are you looking at?" Lovino pulled him back to reality. A faint blush appeared on his cheeks, which he attributed to the heat of the gym, definitely not how good Alfred looked in fitted jeans.

"Are those real olive branches?" Alfred joked, trying to mask the stronger emotions weighing on his brain.

"Have you ever known me to do anything half-assed?"

"Your social network?"

"Touché," he smirked. "And yes, they are. Why?"

"Real olive branches, but no olives? You tease," Alfred pretended to glance around the branches.

"Shut up, Alfredo," he slipped up, slapping hand over his mouth, praying that the blonde didn't hear.

He did.

"What was that?" Alfred asked, already launched into a whole new level of glee.

"N-Nothing!" the toga-clad boy scowled. "I said you were an asshole!"

"Really?" the cowboy smirked. "Because it sounded an awful lot like you just called me 'Alfredo…'"

"Porca miseria, figlio di puttana…" Lovino cursed under his breath, blaming Feliciano for this. If his stupid fratello hadn't set such a bad example by saying it over and over, he wouldn't have let it slip out.

"Just to let you know, I think it's totally adorable if you want to call me that," Alfred flashed a bright smile. "Now I just need to come up with an equally adorable pet name for you…"

"It's not a pet name, dammit!" roared Lovino. "I hate you!"

"Even though I brought you this?" Alfred pulled out a small plate of cannoli he had kept hidden until now.

Lovino was still embarrassed, but accepted the peace offering for now. He began eating them, casting angry glares at the blonde in between bites. Alfred just grinned. He was quickly learning how to tame his fiery Italian.

oOo

Not far away, Gilbert watched the other dancers take the floor in envy. By some miracle, Feliciano had even pulled Ludwig out there, despite having two left feet. It looked like the brunette was teaching him the steps to the current slow-dance. Gilbert bit back a laugh when he realized Feliciano had Ludwig take the 'girl's part' of the dance. God, he hoped Elizabeta was getting pictures of this. The albino wished he could take Matthew to the dance floor. Truth be told, he was a little afraid of slow-dancing with the blonde for fear of a black-eye. He'd just have to wait for a group song or something…

"Don't tell me you're still worried about my brother..." chuckled his date, sipping punch from a cup carefully to avoid spilling on his RCMP uniform. It was a real stroke of luck that he was able to find his old Halloween costume from two years back.

"Eh, maybe a little…" Gilbert admitted with a smile. It was impossible to stay in a bad mood with Matthew around…especially when he was dressed like that. And he had thought his own Teutonic Knights costume was awesome…Birdie's uniform blew everyone else's out of the water.

"Don't worry, I took care of Alfred."

"How?"

"I arranged it so that Lovino would show up in a toga when Al was expecting a typical suit," he grinned mischievously. "My brother hasn't been able to focus on anything else since he saw him."

"How'd you manage that?" Gilbert was still a little stunned.

"Feliciano and I are friends on Facebook."

"So you asked Feli?"

"I merely suggested to him that he would have much more fun if he and his brother were able to show off their Italian flair, since there aren't as many Italian students here," Matthew innocently played with the brass buttons on his cuff. "It just so happens that their grandfather is very interested in ancient Roman history and already had traditional togas lying around. And togas just happen to show off one's upper torso, arms, and neck…an area of the body that Alfred just so happens to obsess over."

If Gilbert was stunned before, he was completely floored now.

"…Are you sure you're not somehow related to Francis instead of Arthur?" he asked when he found his voice.

"Nevermind that. Let's just dance, eh?"

"As you wish," the albino linked their arms and guided him towards the main floor.

oOo

Alfred knew well enough to avoid dragging Lovino into a giant crowd of people right away, so they started out small, walking through the museum area. The blonde loved to watch Lovino's entire face light up when he saw a piece he recognized. Being a proud Italian, he was able to pick out and brag about the recreated sculptures and paintings by Pesellino, Verrocchio, Raphael, and Michelangelo. Alfred rattled off Donatello and Leonardo, but Lovino called him on his bluff, knowing full and well that the cowboy was just naming Ninja Turtles at this point.

They headed towards the forest section serving as the main photography area for the evening, upon seeing Kiku and his cronies struggling with a mob of people. Kiku had been trying to redirect several to the low-hanging branches of the trees to use as another photo-op site, but the line had grown too long and too confused.

"Holy crap, you guys are swamped!" Alfred exclaimed. "Anything we can do to help?"

Actually, yes," Kiku smiled gratefully, quickly directing them and part of the crowd to the trees. "Please climb into that tree and pose for us."

"What?" Lovino frowned.

"Okay!" Alfred easily pulled himself into the branches and flexed his arms jokingly. "Like this?"

"Good, your turn, Lovino-kun."

"You must be out of your damned mind if you think anything is getting me into that tree," he gestured to his toga, which wasn't exactly tree-climbing friendly.

"Alfred?" Kiku beckoned his friend.

The blonde jumped down and placed his arms around the brunette, lifting him up with ease. Despite the flailing and threats made by the tsundere, Alfred was able to carefully set him in the branches and jumped up next to him. The cowboy pulled his friend closer to him to keep Lovino from falling. After Kiku took a few pictures, Alfred hopped back down.

"Che cazzo!" the Italian swore. "How the hell do you expect me to get down? Fly?"

"Don't worry, I'll catch you!" Alfred grinned.

"Yeah, right."

"Hey, I got you up there, didn't I?" he laughed. "You're actually pretty light, even with the toga."

"Th-There's no way I'm jumping down to you!" Lovino felt his ears burn. "You'll get distracted by food and drop me!"

"I won't, I promise."

"I'm not moving!"

"You're right, you should stay up there," Alfred pretended to look in the crowd. "We should get a picture of you and Feli together. I'm sure you wouldn't mind if Ludwig's in it too, right?"

"Che…Don't drop me, bastard!" Lovino pushed himself off the branches and landed in Alfred's waiting arms. It wasn't a long drop, but he still squeezed his eyes shut, anticipating a forest floor landing.

"See? I got you, Lovino."

The Italian opened up his eyes, a little startled by the close proximity to the cowboy. Alfred continued smiling, holding him and the bundle of toga in his arms like it was the most natural thing in the world. Lovino tried not to make a scene by kicking or punching his way out; especially after Alfred had gone and got him out of the tree safely. The blonde certainly looked happy to be this close. Half a dozen other people in line thought so too.

"L-Let's head back over to the others…" Lovino felt his face heat up again, very much aware of all the eyes on him.

"Sure thing," Alfred started walking towards the buffet table. From here, he could see Matthew, Gilbert, Feli, and Ludwig grabbing some snacks and refreshments.

"You can put me down first, bastard!"

"Geez, make up your mind!" the cowboy laughed, setting him down with care.

As they began walking away, one of the non-SHIP club photographers approached Kiku with a stepstool.

"Kiku! Look what I found!" he held it up proudly. "It was by the table we were standing at, I don't know how we missed it!"

Kiku turned to face him in horror. Yes, he was grateful for the additional help, but how could the boy not understand the gravity of the situation? Mathias and Lukas were next in line, and by the Gods, he was going to skewer the foolish volunteer if he ruined this for him! If Kiku could get Lovino to allow Alfred to carry him around, he was confident he could do the same with Lukas and Mathias! Those two were even dating, so he might get the chance of capturing a hug or kiss on camera too!

"Hmm, yes," the Japanese boy spoke, his calm tone at odds with his inner fanboy. "I think they need it over in the field of flowers. Could you take it there for me?"

"But there's nothing there but flowers," the boy answered. "Why would they need—"

"I think they need it over in the field of flowers…" Kiku repeated icily.

"Right away, sir!"

oOo

The toga and cowboy duo rejoined their friends at the table Gilbert seized with the help of his plastic sword replica. The albino was going on about his famous exploits on the dance floor and how nobody could compare to him and his 'Birdie.' The tsundere took a seat next to his younger toga brother. Alfred eyed up the buffet table, deciding he was officially starving.

"You want anything, Lovino?"

"Nah, I'm good," he waved him away.

Feliciano's eyes glittered at the sight. He pushed closer to his brother, abandoning his plate of pasta.

"What do you want?"

"You guys seem awfully happy, fratello~!"

"I-Idiot, you both were the ones who begged me to come to this," he snapped.

"I think this is the first I've seen him leave your side…"

"I think you need to take up a new hobby," scoffed the older brother. "He's just sticking around me to keep the other bastards from starting in with their Iris Zero bullshit…H-He promised."

"Ve~! Fratello's so cute!" Feliciano hugged him.

"So cute~!" Francis repeated, trying to join the hug fest. His shin was quickly introduced to Lovino's heel.

"Don't. Touch. Me."

The table switched conversations back to the music. Everyone had been surprised with the variety being played from modern music to popular folk dances. The Homecoming Committee had really done their homework. Although there was usually at least one or two students present who knew the steps to their country's traditional tunes, many of the people on the dance floor had fun coming up with their own moves. When an unmistakable tango beat filled the speakers, Antonio somehow materialized next to his cousins.

"Mis primos~!" he proclaimed, as if possessed by the Gods of Spanish Dancing. "We must dance!"

"Hell, no," Lovino spat. "You know I don't tango."

"Feli~!" the Spaniard reached out a hand towards the younger Vargas.

"Toni~!" he replied just as dramatically, reaching across his brother to join hands with their cousin.

Poor Lovino was caught in the middle and quickly swept into the most awkward tango of his life. No matter how hard he struggled, Lovino was unable to escape and nearly crushed between his brother and cousin. At some point, Francis had managed to offer roses to both 'official' dancers, which they clamped in their teeth without missing a beat.

"What's wrong with you bastards?!" Lovino cried out. "Chigiiii!"

Kiku immediately stopped taking pictures of Toris and Feliks cuddling in the corner. This was too good to miss! He saw an amateur SHIP member attempting to take pictures, but the sight of the three magnificent Mediterranean dancers (and blood loss from her nose) made her woozy. Kiku efficiently leapt beside her, camera ready for action.

"Please stand back," he instructed. "I'm a professional."

By the end of the song, Lovino clawed his way away from his air-headed family members and towards Alfred. He held onto the cowboy's jacket tightly, refusing to let go. Lovino remained that way even when Feliciano tried to coax him away with food as an apology. The tsundere responded with less than loving words, convinced it was a trap.

"Don't worry, Lovino," Alfred wrapped his arms around the slightly shorter brunette. "I'll protect you."

"Y-You'd better, bastard."

Lovino had to admit he was surprised at how smoothly the night was going overall. So far, there had been no real trouble. He caught a few dirty looks when walking around with Alfred, but nobody threw a hissy fit or attacked him with cake and cutlery. There were even a few students who openly greeted him when they chatted with Alfred (and the others in their group were at least civil). Maybe coming to the dance wasn't a mistake, after all? He didn't think it was possible, but brain-damaged family member antics aside; he was having a really good time.

"Hey, bastard?"

"I miss 'Alfredo' more and more already…"

"Shut it," his cheeks heated up again. "You wanna dance?"

oOo

As an upbeat song filled the gymnasium, Lovino led Alfred onto the dancefloor, where they joined their friends. Lights and a hazy fog filtered around the dancers twisting and spinning around them. From their short distance to the speaker set-up, the floor almost shook. The cowboy had figured the tsundere's 'Low Exposure' motto would kick in and he would shy away. Alfred quickly learned that while that may be the case with everything else, music was the sole exception to the rule. Once Lovino found his place, his body instinctively began moving effortlessly. The beat picked up, but it didn't seem to bother the Italian in the slightest. Lovino spun, glided, and stepped in perfect rhythm.

Alfred didn't know what surprised him more – the fact that Lovino was able to forget about the usual insecurities he had about drawing attention to himself or the fact that he could make dancing in a full-fledged toga look so easy! The shock must have shone on his face, because when Ludwig caught his eye, the German gestured to the dance machine brothers and mouthed the word 'Italian.' Secretly, he was grateful for the break in dancing, without Feliciano's assistance, Ludwig's moves could only be described as 'aggressive chicken dancing.'

Alfred shook it off and focused more on his own awesome move set. If Lovino was going to cut loose, he was too! Taking his spot next to the brunette, he let the music take over. He might not have moved quite as smoothly as Lovino, but the brunette didn't call him out on it. They had a mutual appreciation for music and dance, so as long as the blonde didn't step on his toes, Lovino didn't complain. The Italian didn't even object to the couple of times Alfred took his hand to spin him around, although both burst out laughing when the brunette carefully dipped him and the cowboy struck a dramatic pose.

At the end of the twelfth or so song, another trip to the buffet table, and taking blackmail pictures of Ludwig unknowingly performing the girl's part of the waltz, Lovino was ready to go home. Feliciano insisted that he wasn't ready, as he might never get Ludwig to dance with him like this again. Romulus stepped in, agreeing to stay a little longer for Feli's sake, making Lovino stuck.

"Dammit…"

He couldn't walk home in his costume. His Nonno was an easy-going guy, but he would kill him if the toga got dirty on the way back. Alfred tried to help out by offering him a ride. Lovino arched an eyebrow, knowing the blonde didn't have a car yet.

"On what? Your horse?"

"Well, yeah. Rocket's right out back and I doubt Mattie'll care if we borrow his for you to ride."

"Wait, what?! You guys rode actual horses to school?!"

"Of course we did!" Alfred laughed. "I'm a cowboy and he's one of the Mounties, as in Mounted Police. We even let Gilbert borrow one for his knight costume."

Lovino was speechless, trying to process the level of crazy his friend was operating at.

"I tried to convince Artie to go with us too, since he dressed up as King Arthur, but he already had plans with Francis," the cowboy hummed, pulling out his phone. "This'll be faster than tracking them down."

Alfred sent Matthew a text message, explaining the situation, which was quickly returned. The blonde then led Lovino to the horses hitched up in the back of the school.

"I know at some point I'll stop being surprised with you, but I'm not sure exactly when, bastard…" Lovino stared in disbelief at the three horses casually munching on the grass near the lamp post they were tied to, as if it was an everyday thing.

Alfred carefully helped Lovino and his pile of toga onto Eclipse, the grey filly. He had originally planned on letting Lovino ride Matthew's horse, but Eclipse seemed more eager for a job. Riding was practically second-nature to the blonde, but he noticed his friend seemed a little more uneasy about it. Sure enough, Lovino admitted this was the first time he'd ever ridden a horse and was very concerned he'd get thrown off like in the movies.

"Don't worry, there's nothing to it," Alfred smiled reassuringly, patting Eclipse's mane. "Especially with these horses; see how smart and tame they are? I trained them myself, so they won't do anything to hurt you."

Lovino had thought the blonde's cowboy getup looked a little too authentic. He watched how easily Alfred settled into his own saddle and took the reins of the third horse to lead back. The boys set off at an easy pace to Lovino's house. True to their reputation, the American Quarter horses were calm and steady.

The Italian felt more confident with each passing minute. Even the rhythmic clicking of the hooves on the pavement was almost soothing. He realized the simple conversation Alfred had started was to distract him from his worries, but there was no need. There was nothing to this! Horseback riding's easy! He honestly didn't know why he hadn't tried it before. Lovino was able to start enjoying himself again, now that he knew Eclipse wasn't going to buck him off and leave him for dead in the middle of a desert.

"You're really good at this!" Alfred praised his best friend.

"O-Of course I am!" Lovino shot him a proud grin. "You had me worried when you said you trained them, but these horses are way smarter than you!"

"And here I was going to invite you over to ride them again…" the blonde smirked back. "I guess I won't now…too bad…"

"What?" the Italian protested. "You can't do that!"

Eclipse agreed, tossing her silvery head and snorting at her owner.

"Well, I guess I've been out-voted 2-1," Alfred laughed. "Eclipse must really like you!"

The pale grey horse tossed her beautiful mane again, as if seconding the motion. Like owner, like pet…

Before long, the group of Alfred, Lovino, and their noble steeds made it back to the Vargas house. Lovino fidgeted in the saddle, wanting to thank Alfred, but unsure of how to say it. He didn't want to sound like a complete idiot or something. Rocket, the blonde's horse, strode over to him, as if reading his mind. The third horse, Blaze, seemed content to stay where he was.

"Che…Alfredo…" he mumbled.

"Yeah?" the blonde perked up, guessing by the blush spreading across Lovino's face that he heard him right. Instantly, he tried to bite down the smile forming across his lips. "What's up?"

"Tonight didn't completely suck…so…thanks, I guess," he quickly looked away. "You…might've been right about forcing me to go…I'm glad I did. Mostly."

"Well, thank you, kindly," Alfred tipped his hat, causing the brunette's blush to intensify.

The Hero chuckled at first and then looked over at his friend again. In the moonlight, Lovino almost seemed to glow. Did he glow in Lovino's eyes as well? Alfred didn't know what took over his mind, but he found himself leaning over towards the Italian, as if in a trance. Lovino turned at just the right moment and their lips brushed against each other.

Alfred's heart jumped for joy when Lovino didn't pull away. He risked leaning into the kiss a bit more and steadied the two of them by cupping the brunette's cheek with his gloved hand. When they pulled back, the tsundere looked a little entranced himself. Then reality hit and he freaked out, causing him to lose his balance and fall off his horse. Eclipse was confused about the sudden loss of weight, but her training kicked in and she stood as still as a statue to prevent stepping on her fallen rider.

Alfred quickly dismounted to check on him, worried he might have been hurt. As Alfred looked him over, Lovino groaned, but didn't come to. Fortunately, he didn't seem to have any serious injuries. Alfred could only assume the toga cushioned his fall or something.

So much for a magical night… Alfred thought to himself miserably, quickly tying the horses to a gate, trusting them to behave.

He managed to fish the house key out of Lovino's bag before carrying him inside. Alfred laid him on a nearby couch and pulled up a chair beside him, worry creasing his brow. He vowed on his Hero's pride to wait there until his Italian woke up.

It would give him some time to sort out what the hell just happened.

oOo

A/N – …Finally! (coughs) Sorry. Been waiting awhile for them to finally kiss, even just a little. As dense as Al can be when it comes to romance, I think he's finally getting the picture. Next chapter, we'll see how he handles all those crazy feelings he has for Lovi.

Not completely sure if shotguns originated in Switzerland, but I don't think anyone would argue with a ticked-off Vash about it.

-Rajikka

Translations

Todesstrafe – Death Penalty (Ger.) Seemed appropriate since Vash usually takes his gun out to gently encourage other people to not be rude to his sister or step on his property.

Fratello – Brother (It.)

Tsundere – A type of character seen in anime or manga known for appearing cold or hostile, but having a hidden sweet side. "Tsun Tsun" is the aloof or irritable side, while "Dere Dere" is the lovey dovey side. (Jp.)

Bastardo – Bastard (It.)

Porca miseria – Pig poverty, but used the same way as 'dammit' (It.)

Figlio di puttana – Son of a whore, the equivalent of son of a bitch (It.)

Mis primos – My cousins (Sp.)

Che cazzo – What the fuck (It.)