Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia.

Kicking the Bucket List

two

"Eyes like a car crash,

I know I shouldn't look

but I can't turn away."

— Deathbeds by Bring Me The Horizon

Ah, Evergreen Hollows University— a prestigious college with world-renowned education and a bustling international community. Settled in the outskirts of the city, albeit all of the modernisation that surrounds it, it still retains its natural charm. The campus itself is partially enshrouded in the wood after which it was named.

The most popular spot for students to often frolic in was the hollow itself. It was a steep path down off the horse-trodden course (EHU also has an award-winning equestrian team). The students, often seniors who had yet to complete their thesis in order to graduate, tended to frequent the hollow around the end of the academic year.

It is said to be a popular spot for disgruntled to-be graduates to throw themselves in the literal pit of despair when they finally realised they could not keep up with all the requirements, and were bound to repeat another year. It was said that once they went in the wood during that specific time of year, they were never seen alive again.

Others said that in the wood— the hollow, specifically, lurked numerous monstrous atrocities of folklore— or Creepypasta; whichever you prefer. Many freshmen are oft coerced (forced) into trekking in the forest in the dead of night, with naught but a single flashlight to illuminate their paths and paranoia-stricken hallucinations of Slenderman derping in the shadows behind that tree!

Why?

In order to be accepted into the various fraternities and sororities the university had of course. None were officialised by EHU, but ran rampant anyway.

Lovino… wasn't exactly sure that the fuck he was thinking when he applied for this school. Actually, yeah, he did— which may or may not be partly because of Feliciano— but that was besides the point.

He also thought that his college guide needed to lay the fuck off the Internet and conspiracy theories.

Maybe get a life— Hah! Fucking ironic.— or quite possibly get laid.

At least, he thought to himself, I got to enrol in the course I wanted.

He would be taking creative writing, webbed with Performing Arts. In the near future, he was to begin dabbling in screenplay writing that would undoubtedly rake in The Big Bucks. Y'know. Movie-worthy scripts, like anything by Nicholas Sparks or John Green. In his fourth year, he would become a playwright for his very own play, collaborating with those taking courses under Performing Arts, only with different roles. He would be working with the actors and actresses, the prop-makers, the stage hands, the directors, and everyone else essential in the making of a play and bringing it to life.

Truth be told, he was excited about it— but only just a little, dammit!

Feliciano's major, however, would be— surprise, surprise— art with specialisation in painting. It shouldn't be too hard for him. Feliciano's already had his work displayed in exhibits, after all. Even back in Italy.

…Talented little shit.

Now all of this was just a five-minute walk away from campus.

If only Feliciano would hurry up so they could, gee, perhaps maybe leave?

Lovino rapped his knuckles against Feliciano's bedroom door for the umpteenth time, feeling impatient and irritated. "Feli, hurry the fuck up already! It's the first day of fucking classes and I don't wanna miss shit!"

"Ve~ Just a minute!" Feliciano jovially sung out from the other side of the door. "I'm almost done, fratello~!"

Several more seconds of shuffling and fussing about later, the door had open to reveal a photo op-ready Feliciano, who was practically bouncing out of the room in excitement. "Let's go, fratello! Don't want to be late now, don't we? We're finally in college! I'm so excited! I can't wait to make new friends in the art department and—"

"Dio mio," Lovino quickly interjected, massaging the bridge of his nose. "Shut up, Feliciano. I don't want a migraine on the first day of class, dammit!"

Feli pouted at him. "Ve~ I hope you make friends Lovi…" His voice was laced with concern, as if it were something important enough to be concerned about.

The older twin snorted, shaking his head at the thought. "Yeah, yeah; whatever."

With that, the twins made their way out of their apartment building and walked to school.

Lovino's first class of the day was math.

There were many things he sucked at, and algebra was one of them (fuck algebra).

However, his class starts at nine-forty. Thus, he had an hour or so to kill. Feliciano immediately surrounded himself with his friends from high school who were taking different courses. Lovino, merely fulfilling his purpose, kinda just fucking loomed behind Feliciano. His fratello's shitty friends didn't acknowledge him.

Actually, fuck this shit. I need caffeine. He suddenly decided, abruptly turning around and stalking off to the general direction of the Starbucks the twins had passed earlier. As if on cue, Feliciano, at that moment, decided to pull Lovi in the conversation so he wouldn't be so alone.

"Ve~ Tell them about your course, Lovi…" he trailed off, watching his fratello storm off. For a split second, his mouth curved down into an uncharacteristic frown before he managed to put on a smile again.

Just as he was about to apologise for his brother just… walking away, he was— "Oi, Feli! Over here!" —interrupted.

He turned around to face the source of the noise and beamed. "Hi Gilbert!"

Feliciano excused himself from his group of friends and skipped over to the sophomore he hadn't seen nearly all year. Immediately, he gave the self-proclaimed Prussian a hug. "Ve~ I haven't seen you in ages! I'm so glad to see you!"

The Prussian hugged back with just as much vigour as the two swayed from side to side. "Kesese~ I missed you too, Feli-cakes!" He pulled away a fraction, a look of mock surprise and astonishment on his face. "What's this? I hugged you, yet there's no protective older brother to assault me?! Mein Gott, this is awesome!"

The Italian sighed, "He walked off somewhere just a minute ago. I hope he's alri—"

"Mon Dieu, it that you, Feliciano?"

Feliciano turned to Big Brother Francis, hugging him ebulliently. He hadn't seen him nearly all year either! Ve~ This is great!

Francis hugged him back, his hand inconspicuously drifting down towards some Italian Ass. Feliciano picked up on it, so he pulled away from the hug, the Frenchman's hand dropping back down to his side with it.

If Lovi saw him hugging Francis and Gilbert, he'd be having a fit!

He didn't understand why Lovi hated them so much. They're pretty nice…

A voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Feliciano, we'd like you to meet our friend Antoine," Francis said, pushing a man towards the smaller Italian. 'Antoine' had unruly brown hair, tan skin, and shining emerald eyes. A tinge of red had dusted 'Antoine's' sun-kissed cheeks.

"Ahaha~ Hola, Feliciano! Just call me Antonio or Toni." Antonio said, sheepishly grinning at the Italian. The latter smiled at him.

"Ve~ And, of course, I'm Feliciano! But you can call me Feli." The two shook hands for a second, though Antonio's hand lingered for a moment longer than it should have.

"Si, si! It's nice to meet you, Feli!" Toni chirped, his grin widening.

Feliciano pulled his hand away, "Nice to meet you too, Toni!"

Gilbert had wrapped his arm around Antonio's shoulder, putting his weight on the other. "Kesese~ Antonio here has been our friend for years! Thing is, the year he left for Spain was the year you came in. But thank Gott he moved back here for freshman year in college! Franny and I thought we'd never be able to see him until we graduated!"

Antonio laughed along, his eyes twinkling. And not in that same menacing way Gilbert's ruby red eyes did, or in the knowing way Big Brother Francis' cerulean blue eyes did. He just looked so happy~!

…Very happy~!

Feliciano knew that look. It was the same look many boys and girls had given him before Lovi put his Virginity Guardian Armour on and just— h-hovered there and glared at them until they left. If they were persistent, he would cut them down with his words.

I-It was very effective, ve~

Oh, fratello…

Meanwhile, Lovino had stepped into Starbucks, the fragrant aroma of coffee wafting through the air. He got in the relatively short queue, eyes scanning the menu overhead even though he had his order in mind already. Just as the guy in front of him turned around after getting his coffee, hazel eyes met forest green ones.

The Italian's throat constricted and he suddenly found it hard to breathe.

Almost immediately, he felt his cheeks warm as the stranger gave him an amiable smile, the tilt of his head sending tousled, vibrant red— Dio mio, such a beautiful shade of rosso— locks over his forehead.

"Good mornin'," he said, the timbre of his voice sending shivers down his spine. And holy shit, that fucking accent. Unf. Where was he from? He sounded English, for all the Italian knew, yet it wasn't the same accent the eyebrow bastard had used.

He walked past Lovino and out of the store, Lovino's heart racing as he quickly turned around to watch the retreating redhead walk in the general direction of the campus. He swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat.

"…Sir? Would you still like to order?"

Snapped out of his thoughts, he turned to face the girl manning the cashier and he gave her a charming smile all the while trying to suppress the flush that had kissed his tan cheeks. He quickly ordered his caffeine fix in hopes of seeing the redhead still walking down the street, though he doubted he would still see him.

As soon as he got his non-fat caramel macchiato latte with a helping of whipped cream and chocolate syrup, he half-sprinted out of the store and stared down the path he took.

It was just as he expected. The redhead was gone.

The Italian suddenly found the urge to write lots and lots about this stranger, his inner muse acting up.

What the fuck's gotten into me, d-dammit…

By the time the first class was to begin, Lovino had taken a seat at the back of the room, paper and pen poised before him on the desk.

He c-couldn't shake the thoughts of him out of his head. A-And it was annoying as fuck— he was supposed to be concentrating on the lesson or introduction that was to come, and that redheaded bastard was fucking with his thoughts, dammit!

It's all his fault.

…A-All his… fault.

The room began to fill with freshman students; his future peers. They occupied the seats in groups and cliques, both a mixture of those who went to the same high school and those who met at EHU's freshman general assembly a week ago.

A brunette walked up to the seat beside his. "Um, excuse me," he said.

Lovino glanced up to look at him. "The fuck do you want?"

"Ahaha~ I was wondering if this seat was taken?" he asked, grinning sheepishly at the Italian.

The latter's eyes narrowed a fraction. "…No, it isn't."

"Then can I, ah, sit here?"

"Cheh. Do whatever you want, bastard." Lovino turned away.

The brunette grinned, laughing lightly. "Gracias, mi amigo! I'm Antonio Fernandez Carriedo, by the way. You?"

Lovino scowled at Antonio. "I'm not your fucking amigo, dammit. Now leave me the fuck alone!"

"Then tell me your name first~!"

The Italian looked at the Spaniard incredulously. "…Why the fuck would I do that?"

"Because we're going to be seatmates all year?"

Tch, touche.

Lovi sighed and mumbled something incoherent under his breath.

Antonio leant forward a fraction. "What?"

Another mumble.

"What was that now?"

The other suddenly snapped his head to face the Spaniard, hazel eyes alight with irritation. The latter was taken aback, nonplussed by the reaction. Did he say something wrong..?

"I said my name is Lovino. Now leave me the fuck alone, dammit!"

Toni half-raised his hands up in a gesture of surrender. "Okay, okay; lo siento,"

The Italian didn't give a response, engrossing himself with pen and paper. He was writing something down, the tip of the pen bobbing to and fro frantically.

Antonio was confused. The first class of the year hadn't started yet, and they had homework already? He shook the thoughts out of his head and replayed the morning over and over in his head, a smile tugging at his lips.

Feliciano is so cute~!

Truth be told, the moment he saw the cute and bubbly Italian, he was immediately attracted to him. Everything about Feliciano was so adorable~!

Antonio was sure everything about Feliciano was wonderful. The next time he saw Feliciano, he'd definitely ask him out!

Maybe I should ask Franny or Gil to help me out, he thought to himself, pulling a notebook out from his backpack. He cracked it open and went to the very back of the notebook. He drew a pen out of his pocket and immediately began to scribble hearts with Feli's name in them.

He was smitten, alright.

As Lovino tried to ignore the presence beside him, he knew it was inevitable that he'd have a seatmate. He just hoped the bastard would know to leave him alone.

He reread the page, poring over his handiwork with eyes censorious and critical.

it's funny how seeing someone

for only a split second

can stir such a tempest

of confusion inside of you

and awaken things you've never

known you were capable

of feeling before.

all falls apart yet falls into place

like the calm in the eye of a storm.

despite all this confusion

i still want to see you

again and again and again.

He gulped, feeling conscious and hyperaware of the person beside him. Normally, he wouldn't give two shits about his seatmates, but that was only because the things he wrote were not related to love, nothing cringe-worthy. No, not at all.

He'd be lying if he said he's written about love before.

The Italian anxiously chewed on his bottom lip.

…You've captivated me.

The professor immediately began the introduction of the subject, handing out the syllabi and going over their schedule in preparation for the weeks ahead, as well as a briefing on the topic they'd be having during their next meeting.

Lovino was listening, he wrote down notes and all, but he felt like he was stuck elsewhere.

Like he wasn't in the room. He did things automatically, as if on autopilot, and as soon as the bell rang, he just walked out of class, slinging his backpack over his shoulder.

The sheet of paper was neatly folded and tucked into his the pocket of his jeans.

Moments after keeping his things, Antonio got up and walked out of the room for his next subject.

The notebook that he'd been doodling on was safely tucked in the confines of his backpack.

Neither person had said one word to the other the entire class.

Translations:

fratello - brother (It.)

Dio mio - Oh my God (It.)

Mein Gott - Oh my God (Dt.)

Mon Dieu - Oh my God (Fr.)

hola - hello (Esp.)

si - yes (Esp.)

Gott - God (Dt.)

rosso - red (It.)

gracias - thank you (Esp.)

mi amigo - my friend (Esp.)

lo siento - sorry (Esp.)

Thanks for all of the feedback, follows and favourites! For this fic, I will be going with Himaruya's perception of Scotland, which is: "In my image, He is friendly and brave. likes alcoholic, cat, haggis, rich cultural heritage!" Sorry about the anti-climatic ending. There's not much room for sparks when you're busy fawning over other people.

Please review!

~jellydonut16~