Chapter Text
Antonio Fernández-Carriedo sighed dreamily and stared at the small dots of white cloud that sat in the crystal blue of the sky. The edges of the surrounding trees crept into his peripheral vision, the leaves and fruit swaying blissfully in the breeze. There was nothing interrupting him, here in the sun, alone with his best friend Lovino Vargas. Nothing. Until-
“Hey, tomato bastard!” Lovino barked, sitting up next to him, and slapping him over the head.
“Lovi!” Antonio pushed his friend’s tanned hand out of his eyes. “What was that for?”
“I’ve been trying to talk to you for five straight minutes. You’re such an airhead when we come up here.” Lovino was right - Antonio really zoned out when they picniced on this hill. But visiting Lovino’s family each summer meant that they could really see the countryside, and Antonio took every chance he could to revel in the beauty of it. It wasn’t the same back home, as they were living in the centre of Madrid together, but Lovino didn’t quite do the same. Then again, he’d lived here all his childhood with his Grandpa and brother, Feliciano.
“Sorry, mi amigo. You know how it is - it’s just so beautiful!”
“Whatever, jackass.” Lovino rolled his eyes at the Spaniard’s sappiness. “Can you just listen to me?”
“Right.” Antonio smiled at the Italian.
“I need to tell you something.” Lovino said, looking at his hands, which were folded in his lap. “I just…”
“Si? You can tell me anything. I’m here for you.”
“I… Ah, fuck this. I can’t.” The auburn-haired young man stood up and began to walk back and forth across the soft grass beneath the trees.
“Hey! Lovi!” Antonio got up and tried to stand in front of him, but he just turned away, crossing the arms. “Lovi - c’mon. You can talk to me!”
“No. I can’t.”
“You can. Please, just tell me what’s up.”
“Toni…” Lovino took a deep breath, without turning to face his friend, and nodded slightly. “Fine. I’ll tell you. But you have to promise that you won’t think of me any differently, okay?”
“Si.”
“Well… It started a few weeks after your last birthday. The beginning of March, I think. I was just watching you reading one time, like I always do, and I realised how beautiful you are. I realised that you’re actually something more to me than a friend. More of a crush… Or maybe more than a crush, because… And, dammit, it’s so annoying, because you’re an idiot, but I love you. Why? I have no idea. But I do.”
“Lovi…”
“Shut up!” The Italian yelled, spinning round to face Antonio. “If you start judging me, if you look at me differently, if you in any way start to treat me differently because I’m gay, I will kill you. I swear. I don’t care if I love you.”
“Woah, no!” Antonio put his hands up complacently, backing away from Lovino slightly. “Not at all! You know I’m gay too, I’m not judging you!”
“Wait… What?” Lovino frowned at the brunette. “Since when did I know that? You’ve never told me!”
“I haven’t?” He grinned. “Well, that would’ve been in a dream then. I have a lot of dreams about you.”
“What the fuck?” Lovino looked even more confused, but Antonio just laughed.
“It doesn’t help that you’re really, really, really beautiful.”
“Me? Beautiful?” Lovino was just steadily getting more and more perplexed, which was just making Antonio smile uncontrollably.
“Yes, you, Lovi.” He said, and lightly poked his friend in the arm. “Mutual appreciation of beauty by homosexuals, okay?”
“What the actual fuck, bastardo?”
“Eh, screw it. Lemme just tell you.” The Spaniard chuckled. “I’m in love with you too. I just didn’t realise you loved me back.”
Lovino’s eyes grew wide, but they soon closed as Antonio leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on his lips. It was only quick, but it felt like forever to both of them.
“Oh my…” Lovino muttered, tipping his head back to look at the sun. “You are… Just wonderful.”
“Gracias. You are too. Ti amo.”
“Love you too, idiota.”