Lovino paced back and forth in his room.

"I'm so stupido! Why do I even try?!" He punched the wall in frustration. "No matter how hard I try, I can never make her happy!"

The last two weeks, Lovino had been keeping his distance from Aimi. He's convinced himself that he's the problem, that all he does is make his friend upset. He started making new ones and spending time with Terra and Molly, hoping if Aimi thinks he's moved on, she'll make new friends and be happy. Instead, she's been all alone.

Lovino sighed as he sat on his bed, head in his hands. "Dio (god), what am I suppose to do?"

After a moment, he huffed and went downstairs. He bumped into his dad in the kitchen.

"Lovi~" Antonio smiled at his son then blinked. "What's wrong, hijo (son)? You seem grumpier than usual."

"Shut up, Tomato Bastard." He glared before opeing the fridge. A moment later, he received a punch in the back.

"Cazzo (fuck)!" He yelled before glaring at the boy behind him. "What's your problem, montello (brat)?!"

Peter glare back.

"You're a jerk; that's my problem!"

Before Lovino could do anything, Antonio stepped in.

"Peter, that wasn't very nice. Lovi didn't do anything to you."

"He hurt my sister!" Peter defended. Antonio raised his eyebrows and looked back to his son. "Lovi?"

Lovino huffed once more. It's none of your business."

"Are you two fighting-"

"I said it's none of your business. Why don't you learn to stop fighting with Eyebrows before you come bothering me."

"Antonio closed his mouth. He and Arthur had been fighting a lot lately. One even turned physical. The Spaniard didn't understand why they were fighting or how things had ended up like this. His husband seem angry and had a lot on his mind. He didn't know what to do about it, not when talking to him about it doesn't work.

Lovino stomped out of the room. He headed to the back door and slammed it before running to the forest, just like when he was a kid.

When he got there, he saw that he wasn't the only one with the idea. Aimi was leaning against their tree, staring at the fading sunset. Her blue-green orbs seemed to lack their usual shine and her lips weren't formed in her perfect, sweet smile.

Lovino remembered Aimi's smile the day of the wedding when they were kids. Back before her mom died. Before her dad snapped. Before their dad's got together. All he wanted was to bring it back.

Lovino was frozen where he stood, just watching her. Aimi was ost in thought till he took a step forward, snap from a twig making it to her ears.

"L-Lovi?" She turned her head towards him. He was caught.

"C-Ciao, ragazza…"

Neither spoke after that. Aimi went back to staring at the sunset, but fidgeted a bit. Lovino stood awkwardly next to her till he sat down and broke the silence.

"Remember our old game?" He asked quietly. "Princess and the Knight?"

Her eyes widened.

"I didn't know you did. We haven't played that since…" Since the wedding. She stared at the ground and Lovino put his arm around her.

"I don't want to think about that day…" She whispered.

"But it's all I think about, ragazza,"

She looked up.

"You were so happy then. Everyone thought things had fallen into place. I know you did too."

She pushed him away.

"Stop it."

He stared into space. "All I ever wanted was for you to smile again, like that day…"

"W…What?"

"I guess…that's why I try so hard." He looked back at her. "I need your smile."

He leaned in towards her. Aimi froze, not knowing what to do. Why was he getting closer?

Her question was answered when his lips met hers. Her eyes widened at first then fluttered shut as she melted into the kiss. It was sudden, but gentle.

He licked her bottom lip, wanting to deepen the kiss. She pushed him away and tried getting up. She lost her balance and scraped her knee against a rock.

"Aimi!" Lovino crawled the short distance over to her and helped her up.

"I-I'll go get a band-aid!" She rushed towards the house.

Lovino kicked the tree.

"Stupido! Stupido! Non posso fare niente guisto?! (Stupid! Stupid! Can't I do anything right?!)"

Lovino trudged back to the house later. His way back was quiet, nothing but the wind to be heard. The sun fallen out of sight, giving the darkness its time to fill the sky.

Once at the back door, he heard a crash and Aimi scream.

"Stop it!"

He bolted inside.

Aimi was standing at the edge of the living room, Peter's face pressed against her torso in a hug; Aimi's way of stopping him from watching the fight.

Their dads were fighting on the other side of the room. Arthur threw Antonio on the couch and got kicked into the wall, causing a picture frame to fall and crack onto the floor.

Lovino went in and broke them up. "Bastards! What do you think you're doing?!"

"What the bloody hell did you just call me?!"

As the guys yelled amongst themselves,, Aimi approached them, quiet as a mouse. She kneeled down next to the shattered picture frame. Inside was a photo of her parents on their wedding day. The last picture taken of her mom before she died.

Aimi picked it up and just stared at it for a moment. Then she stood up and slammed Antonio against the wall. The room went silent.

"You ruin everything." She whispered, tears rolling down her cheeks, but there was fire in her eyes. She stared him down as she took the picture out of the frame.

Arthur put a hand on his daughter's shoulder.

"Poppet-"

She shook him off and stepped back. "And it's your fault!"

He lowered his arm and stared at her.

"I just…GAH!" She threw the frame against the wall and ran upstairs.

"Ragazza!" Lovino knocked. "Let me in!"

"Go away…" Aimi was sitting on the floor against the door, knees to her chest and head down.

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Please Aimi?"

She lifted her head and stared at the door before scooting away and opening it from the floor. She looked up at him as he came in, her eyes puffy and hair disheveled.

Lovino took her hand to help her up and made her sit on her bed next to him. She sniffled and he put his arm around her.

"I'm sorry…" Aimi leaned against him, clutching her parents' photo.

"Don't be. Those bastards have hurt all three of us…but I know you've been hurting the most."

She stared at the photo. "I want to be little again…I want Mama back…I just…" She looked up. "It doesn't matter though. This is life."

They stayed like that for a while till Lovino spoke.

"About what happened at the tree…" He began.

"Do you regret it?" She asked suddenly. "Kissing me, I mean."

He blinked.

"Didn't it upset you?"

She shook her head.

"I was just surprised…and scared."

"Scared?"

"I was afraid of it…changing things between us." She admitted. "What if something goes wrong and you leave?"

He huffed. "I've stayed this long, ragazza. Why would I leave after so long?"

She didn't say anything.

"Aimi…ti amo." I'm not leaving. Ever."

Her eyes widened.

"I love you." He repeated. She hugged him close to her. Lovi stroked her hair.

"Don't leave me." She begged. He hugged her tighter.

"I'm here, ragazza. I'm not leaving."