AN: Hej!

New chapter!

To those of you who reviewed:

Spamano4ever: I know! The most I get to do is my friends distract me with cosplay ideas and roleplay and stuff. Lovi is adorable when he's tired!

GothicKitty1313: Indeed they are perfect for each other!

Nyd kapitlet!

Throughout the next few weeks, things settled into a simple routine. Two months later, the band teacher approached Lovino while the group was at lunch and spoke.

"Lovino Vargas,"she greeted.

"Ciao."Lovino responded, turning to look at her.

She smiled softly. "May I speak with you for a moment?"

Lovino gave the others a look before he got up, making Antonio release his hold on the italian's shoulders.

He came back a few moments later holding a piece of paper in his hand.

Arthur blinked at him. "What was that about?"he asked curiously.

Lovino held up a finger, finishing what he was reading on the page after he'd had a seat again. He half smiled and looked up. "She was just asking if I was interested in signing up for the talent show this year."he replied.

Feliciano brightened. "Are you going to?"he asked.

"I have to talk with nonno about it first, Feli."Lovino responded. "But I'll think about it, for sure."

Antonio smiled, throwing his arm back around the italian's shoulder and pressing a soft kiss to his temple. "You'll have to let us know when you figure it out, Lovi."he said softly. "That way we can be there to see you perform,"

Lovino smiled softly in response and nodded. "Of course,"he responded.

The following morning, Lovino came in with Feliciano beside him, chattering away in quick italian.

Gilbert spoke softly. "So, Lovi, have you got an answer yet?"he asked.

Lovino looked at Gilbert and smiled faintly, quickly finishing his conversation with his brother as they joined the others. He nodded. "I'm signing up for the talent show,"he said softly. "Nonno gave me permission yesterday,"

A few soft smiles at that.

The group ended up trying to get Lovino to tell them what song he was going to do until lunch.

At lunch, Lovino finally spoke up on it. "The talent show is in a week and a half, you guys can wait until then. You'll see."he said, his eyes amused.

Francis and Gilbert exchanged glances. Ever since Antonio and Lovino got together, the italian had relaxed quite a bit and was better about showing his feelings around them.

That week and a half flew. Antonio took Lovino out on a date the day before the talent show.

They ended up spending most of that date laughing at some restruant in town.

"No, I'm serious, I have never seen someone so keen on trying to prove me wrong about something!"Antonio said, chuckling.

Lovino shook his head. "Still, you'd think they'd give up after a while."

Antonio nodded in agreement.

When they went to pay for dinner, Lovino glowered at Antonio until the spaniard let them split the cost. The person behind the register chuckled at that, but said nothing.

Antonio drove Lovino home after that and got out, walking him to the front door.

Lovino smiled faintly at that. "I had fun tonight,"he admitted as they walked up the path to the porch.

Antonio grinned. "I'm glad you did, mi amor."he responded gently. He stopped at the door and gave Lovino a smile. "I'll see you tomorrow. Remember, you need to bring a guitar with you!"

"Got it. Thank you, Toni. For everything."Lovino said softly, standing on tiptoe to give the spaniard a chaste kiss. After that he said goodbye and darted inside.

Antonio smiled in surprise, turning and heading back to his car in silence.

As soon as Lovino saw the car pull away, he smiled, leaning against the door for a moment.

Feliciano poked his head in then and grinned. "Lovi! You're home! How was your date with Toni?"he asked.

Lovino met his brother's eyes. "È stato meraviglioso."he answered. "I'm going to bed."

The following morning, Lovino got to school a bit earlier than he'd expected and the others could see his nerves as he sat down with his guitar case beside him.

Antonio gave Lovino a kind smile. "Nervous?"he asked.

Lovino shook his head at that.

Antonio chuckled. "Stubborn,"he commented. "It'll be fine,"he said.

"I hope so,"Lovino sighed.

At lunch, Lovino was a bit quieter than the group had expected. He had to split ways with the others after that to get set up.

Antonio saw the hidden panic in Lovino's eyes when they were dismissed from lunch and he paused, drawing the italian to him in a tight hug. "We'll be there for you. Don't worry. You'll do great,"he said quietly.

Lovino met Antonio's eyes when the spaniard released him.

Antonio gave a soft smile and nodded, letting Lovino head into the auditorium to get ready for the show.

The rest of the group headed to their lockers to drop their things off.

Feliciano spoke softly to the others. "I heard him rehearsing yesterday. The song isn't really his normal style. But..it fits,"he said.

Gilbert raised an eyebrow. "So well that I'll be ready to kill half the school by the end?"he asked.

Feliciano rolled his eyes. "No."he said. "You'll understand when he starts,"

The group was in the auditorium not long after that, taking seats front row as they promised Lovino.

Lovino showed up at the edge of the curtain on stage, watching as people came in. Then he caught sight of the others and gave them a shaky smile.

They offered soft smiles as well and Feliciano motioned for him to breathe.

Lovino did as he was told and took a deep breath and let it go before he disappeared again.

The first few people to perform seemed a bit more comfortable with themselves than Antonio had expected. When Lovino came out, he came out with his head down, Antonio's black fedora resting on his head again.

Antonio chuckled faintly at that.

Lovino met his eyes for a moment before he started playing. He smiled softly before he started singing.

"I don't wanna be left behind, distance was a friend of mine. Catching breath in a web of lies, I've spent most of my life riding waves, playing acrobat, shadowboxing the other half, learning how to react. I've spent most of my time..catching my breath, letting it go, turning my cheek for the sake of the show. Now that you know this is my life, I won't be told what's supposed to be right."

Gilbert grinned. Now he understood what Feliciano had meant earlier. It did fit.

Lovino relaxed a good bit when he saw the grin on his friend's face. He paused his playing in the bridge.

"You helped me see the beauty in everything. Catching my breath, letting it go, turning my cheek for the sake of the show.. Now that you know this is my life, I won't be told what's supposed to be right."

After the show, Antonio stopped Lovino from pulling the group outside and picked him up in a hug.

The elder italian laughed lightly. "What are you doing, bastard?"he asked.

Antonio put him down after that and grinned at him. "That was great."he said quietly. "What were you so worried about?"he asked.

A call of 'fag' came from someone near them and Lovino raised an eyebrow. "That. I was worried that that would happen when I was onstage. And if that happened, I would have lost my nerve,"

Antonio frowned slightly, looking at the person, who was still glaring at them with cold eyes before he turned his attention back to Lovino. "Nobody'd dare,"he murmured.

Lovino gave Antonio a look. "Yes they would. They never change. Maybe that's a good thing,"he said softly.

Antonio glanced at the others, asking them for a little privacy in silence. They backed away a bit, lettting Antonio speak quietly with Lovino. "Listen, Lovi. They'd never, because they know I would kill them for it. I don't care. I will kill over you, because you mean the world to me,"he said softly.

Lovino went to argue, but Antonio cut him off simply. He drew the small italian into a gentle kiss.

"Aw,"

That made Lovino pull out of the kiss and blush.

Matthew grinned brightly. "How cute can you two be?"he asked softly.

Lovino glowered at the canadian, but there was still a light smile showing.

Surprisingly, nobody made a comment towards them.

Antonio, who was holding his fedora again, grinned, placing the hat on the italian's head again and taking the guitar case from him. "C'mon, let's get outta here,"he said.

Nobody argued that.

After they got off school grounds, things settled into a simple routine.

Lovino smiled faintly. The day hadn't been as bad as he'd feared. In fact, it had turned out to be nearly perfect.

The blame for the song goes to the Romano in the cosplay group at my school. Him and Italy were goofing off and they started humming that.

It was cute.

Hope you enjoyed!

Farvel!